The battleship Canopus, the flagship of the rescue fleet, emitted three huge and long sailing whistles, and at the same time, black smoke suddenly billowed out from the impressive thick chimney.
"Beep" Other rescue ships following behind also started to sound their horns.
The battleship Canopus began to head east, and various fishing boats, passenger ships, and steamers also followed behind the seventeen warships.
For the navy officers, seventeen ships received desperate news that the Japanese Fourth Fleet may take action against Chinese rescue ships. Once the Japanese Fourth Fleet bombards them, they must fight back. At the same time, the naval officers also know that they are definitely no match for the Fourth Fleet. If they fight this time, they will be fighting to the death.
So at this time, the sailors did not cheer, they just leaned on their clothes silently and wrote a suicide note.
Even though they knew that they were facing a fatal journey ahead, the naval officers rushed forward without hesitation. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1898-1894, the Chinese Navy had become a turtle, and now they no longer want to be a turtle. They would rather fight to the death than live in an ignoble existence. They were ready to die together with the Japanese Navy's Fourth Fleet - even if they couldn't, they would let the other side knock off their front teeth.
There were only 300 rescue boats behind them, and there were 600 or 700 fishing boats to see off the surrounding fishermen. Unknowingly, their faces were filled with joy. Each boat proudly hung the Chinese five-color flag and shouted patriotic slogans. . As civilian ships, they can follow their fleet to Japan to rescue their compatriots. This is a very meaningful thing. Who says that we people are not patriotic? Who says fishermen only care about themselves?
However, the sailors on the seventeen warships ahead looked at the cheerful people on the civilian ships from a distance. Instead, there was a burst of sadness in my heart.
Liu Guanxiong stood in the command cabin of the flagship battleship Canopus and looked at the civilian ships behind him with his binoculars. He sighed and said, "The President is kidnapping."
"What's kidnapping?" his adjutant Zhou Chuliang asked.
Liu Guanxiong said: "They are kidnapping public opinion and even kidnapping the world! If the Japanese really fire on Chinese civilian ships, the president will immediately launch an anti-Japanese "gao chao" and realize China's militarization line. Because hatred will To stimulate greater potential, the president can undoubtedly become China's true dictator."
Zhou Chuliang said hurriedly: "Commander, be careful what you say, walls have ears."
Liu Guanxiong smiled bitterly and shook his head. Said: "I'm not afraid that the wall has ears. I'm just afraid that the thousands of people behind me will be buried in the sea with me. I'm afraid I will be in trouble this time."
"You knew clearly that this was a fatal journey, yet you took the initiative to lead the team"
Liu Guanxiong said: "If I don't lead the team, who will? I should have been buried in the Yellow Sea with my comrades in the Sino-Japanese War of 1898-1895. Haha, this time I think my wish has come true."
"But why not tell the civilian ship?" Zhou Chuliang asked.
"Gamble." Liu Guanxiong sighed. "The president is gambling, but no matter what, the president is invincible."
"Why do you say that? I don't understand." Zhou Chuliang said in surprise.
Liu Guanxiong said: "If there is no war between China and Japan, President Wang Maoru, the initiator of this rescue operation, will surely win the hearts of the people even more and his reputation will be even lower. This will bring him endless glory and political capital, and will immediately establish him as a tough guy president. The image comes out. It should be noted that since the founding of the Republic of China, there have been many military presidents such as Yuan Shikai, Feng Guozhang, Cao Kun, Li Yuanhong, etc. However, they have compromised and bowed to the outside world, which is very unpopular with the people. The president has established an absolute image and authority with a tough guy attitude. There will be no one in the future. It can shake his position."
"Could it be that the advantage of war is that it leads to militarization?" Zhou Chuliang said, "It's just like this. I'm going to kill them all"
"We are just pawns under the president." Liu Guanxiong said helplessly, "A minister of the navy who dies in the hands of the Japanese is more meaningful than a minister of the navy who is alive, isn't it?"
Zhou Chuliang was shocked and said: "This politics is really ruthless, but the civilian ships behind"
"I bet on the courage of the Japanese. Japanese warships that even dare to attack civilian ships will completely ignite the anger of China's 450 million people." Liu Guanxiong said.
And on the shore, suddenly a rough and heroic song resounded through the sky. It was tens of thousands of people on the shore singing in unison, and it was the Chinese people shouting loudly.
Listen, that¡¯s the loud and clear Chinese national anthem "Song of Wuyi"!
"How can I say that I have no clothes? I share the same robe with you. When the king raised an army, he repaired my sword and spear. I share the same enemy with you!"
How can you say that you have no clothes? Tongze with Zi. The king raised his army and repaired my spear and halberd. Work together with me!
How can you say that you have no clothes? He wears the same clothes as his son. The king raised his troops and repaired my armor. Go with me! "
?Who among the tens of thousands of people on the shore suddenly sang the military song of the National Defense Forces. Maybe it was a patriotic student who sang it first, or maybe it was a soldier of the National Defense Forces who started it. The song immediately resonated with the soldiers. All the 12,000 soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Division of the 11th Army of the National Defense Force who were responsible for the security began to sing loudly one after another, and then tens of thousands of ordinary people slowly sang in unison.
??Go to Japan generously when the country is in trouble, and go to Japan calmly. Even if your mortal body is destroyed, your Chinese soul will be dignified!
¡°These people are the pawns in Wang Maoru¡¯s hands. They are his pawns to kidnap public opinion and the Japanese government. He is gambling. He is gambling with the future of the China Coast Guard. Perhaps for the naval department, they are indeed too weak, so weak that they have become a burden to the Ministry of Defense. The navy spends a lot of money every year, but it cannot fight wars. It maintains a group of enthusiastic soldiers but can only catch pirates. With the navy's money, Wang Maoru could add twenty A-type infantry divisions or add two hundred bombers.
Yes, Wang Maoru was gambling and lost the navy. Wang Maoru can use public opinion to realize China's militarization path and make his power more concentrated - Liu Guanxiong guessed it right. Wang Maoru made up his mind after losing the navy, winning China's militarization path, and being able to invest 60 million annual naval funds into the air force.
The bet is that if he loses the naval battle at sea, Wang Maoru will win a great victory in the national chess game and become a true dictator.
The rescue ship slowly left the Weihai Port, and Wang Maoru also got into the car. Sitting in the car, Wang Maoru turned around and said to Zhang Kui'an: "Order to the Ministry of National Defense, the Second Army, the Third Army, the Fifth Army, the Eighth Army, and the Ninth Army. The Tenth Army and the Eleventh Army have all entered Level 2 combat readiness. The Guards Armored Division has been ordered to go to Beijing Railway Station and is ready to be transferred to Shenyang at any time. Once the Japanese navy intercepts the artillery bombardment or impacts, we will immediately declare war on Japan."
Zhang Kui'an said in surprise: "Declaring war on Japan?"
"Yes!" Wang Maoru said with a cold face, "First they massacred my Chinese, and then blocked my rescue ship and declared war. That's enough reason."
Wang Maoru did not stay in Weihai, so he and Zhang Zuolin took a flight back to Beijing. At this time, anti-Japanese demonstrations broke out again in Beijing. Beijing Mayor Xia Chao tried his best to arrange the demonstrations to avoid vandalism, smashing, looting and other activities. During the activities, young students were relatively radical, and more and more Japanese people in China cautiously went to the Japanese Embassy. The Japanese Embassy was suddenly overcrowded. The police had to protect the Japanese embassy and consulates in various places. At the same time, the number of Japanese sales in China dropped again, and buying Japanese goods became a traitorous act.
On the plane flying back to Beijing, Wang Maoru was restless. Of course he knew why he was restless. He regarded the Chinese Navy as his political bargaining chip. In order to realize the path of militarization and monopolize national power, he chose an extremely dangerous way to sacrifice the navy.
The name of the current navy is still the Coast Guard, but the annual investment is as high as 10 million silver dollars. This is only for repairs and maintenance and the salary of the navy officers. In addition, the additional artillery shells and additional ships are a large amount of money. expenses. If after investing so much, the navy can fight with the Japanese fleet, that's all. However, the current situation is that all the Chinese navy's ships are organized into a formation, which is not even as good as the fourth fleet, the weakest among the four major fleets of the Japanese navy. Raising troops for a thousand days and using them for a while. Knowing that the navy would not be needed in the short term, Wang Maoru chose another path to develop the air force.
Yes, develop the air force.
When large aircraft appear, China's large bombers can fly directly to Japan from Changchun, Shenyang, Harbin, Vladivostok, and Weihai. The bombing area is enough to cover the entire territory of Japan, especially the air force departing from Vladivostok. If you add napalm to the mix, based on the current Japanese architecture, the devastating economic setback that awaits Japan's soldiers will take thirty years. Although Wang Maoru has nominally removed his military position, in fact he is still responsible for formulating military development and military strategies, just like this time he decided to invest heavily in the development of the air force.
¡°But the plan to sacrifice naval officers to stimulate the Chinese people, arouse the anger of the Chinese people, and then carry out militarization is actually a risk. Wang Maoru's heart is always haunted by the calm faces of the navy officers and soldiers. These soldiers may have known that this would be their death journey, but they resolutely chose to die.
They died for themselves and their ambitions. Wang Maoru felt a burst of sadness and reluctance in his heart, but it was only for a moment. For an ambitious man like him, the soldiers who died deserved their death, nothing more. Politics is ruthless and politicians are cold-blooded. As a politician, Wang Maoru is no exception. (So, don¡¯t take anything touching that an official says seriously, it¡¯s all political needs)
On the sideZhang Zuolin was also silent. Zhang Lao Gada understood and secretly admired him for being ruthless. People said that I, Lao Zhang, was evil-minded, but I didn't expect that you, Wang Maoru, were not only evil-minded but would do anything for your personal ambitions. He even shuddered a little. This move was indeed too cruel, and he ruined the navy for his own personal political purposes. It's too cruel, it's too cruel.