At the naval headquarters, I found the blueprints for mine laying. When laying mines, the blueprints are usually left behind so that mine clearance work can be carried out after the war. A copy of the drawings was sent to Chen Zheng via airship. Chen Zheng saw the muscles on his face twitching. Except for the higher density of mines laid in normal waterways, the mines in other areas are useless. In some places, the distance between two mines is 300 meters, and the Hawaiian Queen can enter it even if it is lying sideways.
On August 5, Qin Ge declared victory in the battle against Vladivostok to the outside world. Because the telegraph line in Vladivostok was cut off, the outside world could not know the progress of the war in Vladivostok at all. Nicholas II received the news as soon as possible and immediately summoned Army Minister Alexey Nikolayevich Kuropatkin to discuss countermeasures.
"Your Majesty, according to General Andrew Jeff's report, the Chinese like to use artillery to attack. Chinese artillery has a long range and is powerful, and they have airships for reconnaissance. Now that the Chinese have announced that they have captured Vladivostok, they must continue to use artillery to attack. , the Chinese don¡¯t care about the cost of war at all.¡±
¡°We can also make airships!¡±
"Yes, Your Majesty, we can also make airships, but the range of our artillery is not as far as that of the Chinese. According to the news sent back by Andrew Jeff, the Chinese's three-inch artillery can shoot 10,000 meters, while ours can only 8,000 meters!" Kuropatkin said.
Nicholas II certainly knew the significance of a longer range. With airship reconnaissance, artillery with a short range would definitely suffer.
"Wellthen what can you do?"
"Your Majesty, I hope you won't blame me after I tell you."
"Okay. Just say it!"
"Abandon the Far East."
"What!!?"
"Your Majesty, it is really difficult for us to win the war with the Chinese in the Far East. The Far East has always been the territory of the Chinese. When they fight, they can quickly replenish their troops and obtain supplies. But for us, the Siberian Railway has not been built, so it is difficult to supply. , even if it is built, it will definitely be destroyed by the Chinese. At present, the Siberian Railway has been built to Novosibirsk. We can attack China's Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Taiwan, and then attack Persia. After capturing Persia, we can develop a navy in the Indian Ocean. In areas such as Mongolia and Xinjiang, the guns we gave away for free have caused people to riot. However, areas like Mongolia and Xinjiang are vast and sparsely populated. Have the Chinese built railways? They will also face supply difficulties by then. Question. We can also use airships to avoid the Chinese artillery units, try to avoid being attacked by their artillery, and then try to eliminate the scattered Chinese infantry." Kuropatkin told his own method of dealing with the Chinese.
Nicholas II rolled his eyes and said: "Okay! Okay! But it would be a pity to give up Manchuria (Northeast) and North Korea."
"Your Majesty, as long as our territory extends to the Indian Ocean region, we can vigorously develop the navy. I believe that the countries that have obtained the dreadnought technology will make these technologies public in two years. By then, we can build the dreadnought and then engage in maritime warfare with the Chinese. It¡¯s a decisive battle!¡±
"Okay, okay. Once we conquer China, we can conquer the whole world!"
Russia was defeated in the Far East. It greatly shocked the Western world, and for a time the "Yellow Peril" theory began to be widely publicized. It caused panic in the Western world.
The "Yellow Peril Theory" has been around for a long time, and to this day, the "China Threat Theory" can also be regarded as the "Yellow Peril Theory." The "yellow peril theory" initially appeared because Westerners were afraid of the threat from China, but it didn't take long before it turned into vilifying the yellow race, further causing antagonism between the yellow race and other races (mainly white race), in an attempt to pave the way for aggression. Create public opinion. People from various Western countries have spoken in support of the "Yellow Peril Theory". Some advocates of the "Yellow Peril Theory" said: "Once the Chinese people realize their own power, they will bring disaster and destruction to Western civilization. But now, the Chinese have already The decadent Manchu Qing government is no longer in power. The new government has torn up and denied all the treaties signed by various countries with the former Chinese government! The Russians have been driven out of the Far East, and next, the Chinese will beat the British out of Hong Kong , drive the French out of Vietnam! China has a population of 400 million. Once their emperor asks them all to pick up guns, Europe will become a world of yellow people! We must do something for our country! "
Soon after, Nicholas II received the "Yellow Peril" painted by William II himself. The figure in the center of the painting holding a sword is St. Michael the Archangel. He and other people holding weapons in the painting represent European Christians. The Buddha statue and dragon on the rear right represent the east. The illustration hopes that Europeans, under the leadership of the Archangel Saint Michael, can defeat the Buddha and the dragon from the East and defend the faith and homeland of Europeans.
Wilhelm II sent this picture to Nicholas II. In addition to explaining the "Yellow Peril", it also satirized Nicholas II's defeat to China.Of course, whether Nicholas II could understand this matter was not something William II could know, but with Nicholas II's mind, he probably couldn't see it.
In addition to "The Yellow Peril", William II also invited Nicholas II to propose an anti-British alliance and bring France in. After discussing with the ministers, Nicholas II sent a telegram to William II to express his agreement, but he believed that France's approval must be obtained first.
Germany.
William II looked at Nicholas II's reply and couldn't help but ridiculed: "Nicholas was scared to death by the French and was in debt to the French, so he became too spineless. No wonder they were defeated by the Chinese!" In fact, William II knew that even if he could form an alliance with Russia, France would not be able to join. Since the Franco-Prussian War, Germany had acquired Lorraine and other places, and the French's hatred of the Germans was very important. Much greater than hatred of the British, although Britain and France had been hostile for many years before.
After mocking Nicholas II, Wilhelm II sent a telegram in plain text to Transvaal President Paul Kruger through the telegraph room to express his congratulations. So far in the Anglo-Boer War, the British have not won a single victory, and more than 5,000 soldiers have been killed. The British began to recruit troops continuously at this time in an attempt to eliminate the Transvaal and the Free Federation of Oran. Opening up the route from Cape Town to Cairo connected the South African and North African colonies.
The contents of the telegram were learned by the British, which greatly worsened the originally good Anglo-German relations. The British Congress clamored to eliminate the Transvaal and the Oran Free Federation.
The German Army Ministry was very curious about the Chinese army's capture of Vladivostok from the land route. But it became clear when I saw the photos of the Chinese Army returning in triumph. The ten 210mm and 155mm heavy artillery pulled by a tall artillery tractor seem to tell in the photo that they played a great role in the attack on Vladivostok. Although Germany also advocated the "Yellow Peril Theory", this did not affect the transactions between the two countries. When they saw that the artillery tractor could pull the 210 mm heavy artillery, the German Army immediately asked the minister to China to find Chinese officials to discuss the purchase. matters. The German Army naturally knows the power of artillery, but the weight of the artillery itself affects the mobility of the artillery. For example, a 210 mm heavy artillery must be pulled by twelve horses. It's just pulling. When encountering a slope, manpower is needed to push from behind. The German Army Chief of Staff believed that using artillery fire to cover armored troops and infantry charges on the battlefield could quickly hit the enemy, while the Chinese wanted to avoid casualties. Vladivostok was captured simply by using artillery, which shows that artillery plays a decisive role in determining victory or defeat on the battlefield. Therefore, if you purchase an artillery tractor that can quickly pull the artillery to the battlefield, you will definitely be able to severely damage the enemy. It is not just the Germans who think of these things, the British and the French can also think of them. Therefore, in World War I, positional warfare and artillery warfare became the main methods of combat.
Regarding the "yellow peril theory", Qin Ge just laughed it off. There will still be "China threat theory" in future generations! No idea what will happen. A few days after Vladivostok was captured, the Russian army in Pyongyang sent to negotiate with Song Qing. Expressing surrender, Song Qing asked Late Qin Ge for instructions. First disarm the trained Koreans and then accept the surrender of the Russian army. Korean sticks are not a good thing, and leaving North Korea's resources to them is a complete waste. After taking away Russia's Far East base, Qin Ge asked Song Qing to replenish his troops and then head to the northwest. He had worked with Nie Shicheng and Dong Fuxiang before, so it was a better choice to photograph them.
Qin Ge had already moved out of the palace and lived in the Summer Palace. Cixi spent a lot of money to build the Summer Palace, which earned him eternal infamy, but the garden gave Qin Ge an advantage. The reason why I moved out of the palace was because of a dream. In the dream, someone said to him, "The dragon energy of the palace has been exhausted. As the emperor, it is no longer suitable for you to live in this palace." ¡¯ If it were before time travel, or if Qin Ge had traveled through time with his original body, Qin Ge would never believe these nonsense. But now his thoughts, or soul, are controlling Qin Ge's body. As for the theory of ghosts and gods, Qin would rather believe that they exist than that they don't exist. Although this is superstition and goes against science, many scientists in later generations also agree with the existence of the soul. So Qin Ge had such a dream, so he moved out of the palace and changed the palace into a museum. Now that the constitution has been largely completed, the criminal law has also been revised according to the laws of the former Qing Dynasty, and the preliminary cabinet list was drawn up by Qin Ge. There are eleven cabinet members in total, including five from the Conservative Party, five from the Reform Party, and one from the Royal Family. The first prime minister of the cabinet was Tang Shaoyi, which no one expected. The intellectuals who had gathered in Beijing before had now all obtained official and semi-official positions and returned to their hometowns to carry out reforms.
With the establishment of a cabinet government, Qin Ge suddenly became more relaxed, and he was generally no longer required to deal with any major issues.
"This is the life of an emperor!" Qin Ge was fishing on the stone boat in Kunming Lake. Shen Bingbing also fished with a fishing rod.
Shen BingHearing Qin Ge's sigh, he said: "As an emperor, you are not afraid of following in the footsteps of your predecessors? Aren't all emperors in the past dynasties diligent in their political affairs!"
"Haha, by doing this the emperor can make his descendants happy." Since it is a constitutional monarch, the royal family should reduce its interference in domestic politics. But China is different from Western countries in that the idea of ??imperial power is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Therefore, the constitution retains the royal family¡¯s power to appoint and remove domestic officials. Of course, this can only be used when the time is right. Qin Ge knew that as a country develops and grows, moths will inevitably appear among officials, and no country can avoid it. The same was true for the Soviet Union, and the same was true for China. Before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the number of corrupt officials would not be less than in China today. Qin Ge decided to slowly transfer political power to the people, and eventually he would retain the power of the "Discipline Inspection Commission". In this way, corrupt officials can be clarified and the reputation of the royal family can be improved.
"I really don't understand you. Emperors in the past dynasties would concentrate their power in their hands. You really gave all your power to your ministers." Shen Bingbing found that she still didn't understand her husband very well.
Qin Ge shook his head and said nothing. It is indeed tempting to consolidate power into one person, but times no longer allow him to do so. And as a descendant, even if he could do it, Qin Ge would not do it. With the development of the times, people's thinking changes, which will eventually lead to people fighting for their own rights. Moreover, politics is not that easy, and dealing with government affairs will make Qin Ge dizzy. In the past, a diligent emperor. They are often physically and mentally exhausted. Maybe you will envy the emperor's three palaces and six courtyards. In fact, if three wives and four concubines are allowed, few people will envy the emperor's three palaces and six courtyards. Manchu emperors rarely fell in love. Queens and concubines are just fertility tools. Those who really want love will usually go out of the palace to find them, such as Qianlong's southern tour.
Thinking of the Three Palaces and Sixth Courtyard, Qin Ge's desire aroused. Throw away the fishing rod, pull Bingbing into his arms, and kiss those soft lips.
"Woowuno, don't be here!"
Qin Ge ignored Bingbing¡¯s struggle. Started to unbuckle her belt. When the snipers lurking in the distance saw this scene in their sniper scopes, they all shifted their sights outside the stone ship.
"It's bad!" Bingbing put on her inner clothes. The blush on his face has not dissipated.
On September 15, the Super Dauntless arrived in Hong Kong. Start installing the radio. There was really little help from the South African side. There were nearly 8,000 garrison troops in Durban Port, and there was no way it would be captured by the Boers. The most important thing was to install a radio station.
On the same day, Qin Ge issued an order to inspect opium dens across the country and destroy all opium. Troops from all over the country began to take action and began to raid opium dens. Anyone who resisted would be beaten to death. It was originally a very normal anti-drug operation, but in the eyes of the British, it had a different meaning. As soon as the British Super Dreadnought arrived in Hong Kong that day, Qin Ge ordered a smoking ban. The British believed that this was a sign that Qin Ge was not afraid of the British Super Dreadnought, and also showed his determination to take back Hong Kong.
The anti-smoking campaign was carried out vigorously. According to statistics, 83,200 tons of opium cigarettes were seized across the country, and 134 million taels of silver were confiscated. Just the stolen money collected from the opium trade actually filled the Qing Dynasty's finances for two years. income. The fiscal revenue of the late Qing Dynasty mainly relied on customs taxes, which amounted to about 70 million taels of silver a year. The taxes collected by the provinces were basically not turned over. The governors of each province decided on the use and then submitted them to the ledger. Of the 134 million taels of silver seized, more than 65% were seized from foreign businessmen, and the rest belonged to opium den owners.
Even Qin Ge didn¡¯t expect to collect so much silver. It just happened to be used to build railways. If you want to be rich, build roads first. This sentence is always true. Qin Ge asked Zhan Tianyou, who was designing the shipyard, to design the railway line. Qin Ge drew two lines, Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Guangzhou, to complete the north-south connection first, and then build other lines. Zhan Tianyou studied engineering in the United States. He wrote his graduation thesis "Research on Dock Cranes" at Yale University and received a bachelor's degree. After returning to China, he failed to develop his talents and served as a gunner on the flagship "Yangwu" of the Fujian Navy. Later, on the recommendation of his old classmate Kuang Sunmou, he worked as an engineer at the China Railway Company, where his strengths came into full play. After the founding of the Chinese Empire, Qin Ge asked Zhan Tianyou to design the dock in Dalian Bay.
Hong Kong¡¯s British business newspapers quickly published the results of China¡¯s smoking ban, and also explained that foreign businessmen lost all their money in China. Photos of many businessmen being pointed at guns by Chinese soldiers also appeared in newspapers. The news spread back to Europe, but it pushed the "yellow peril theory" to the extreme.
Qin Ge was helpless after reading the European reports. He put down the newspaper and sighed: "Since you are publicizing it in such a big way, I have to do something!"
On September 27, the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Imperial Navy, Chen Zheng, announced that he would conduct a naval combat drill near Hong Kong in the South China Sea on October 10, and invited the British Royal Navy in Hong Kong toVisit of the Military Super Dreadnought.
what is this? An emerging country invites an established naval power to visit naval combat exercises, and this established naval power still occupies the land of this emerging country. Is this a show of force to Britain?
From the perspective of Europeans, the Chinese must be crazy, because at this time, two more British warships have completed sea trials and have now begun to install weapons and equipment. But British officials know that the Chinese are not crazy, and the Far East is far less important than South Africa. Yes, warships can be sent to the Far East to fight the Chinese, but at this time South Africa has already made the United Kingdom miserable, and there has been no improvement since the war started. When the news came back to the country, it was either that there had been heavy losses here or that there had been an attack.
After receiving the news from the Far East, the Marquis of Salisbury said angrily: "The Chinese are too smart. This is simply equivalent to taking advantage of the situation. While we are busy with the war in South Africa, we have no time to manage the affairs of the Far East. It really makes sense that Britain was Russia. Are they just as weak? Huh, when the war in South Africa is over, we must teach these stupid Chinese a lesson! It is impossible to try to take back the land occupied by the British Empire!"
However, it is no longer possible for Britain to send a large number of warships to the Far East, because the Nassau, which is being built by Germany, is about to be launched for sea trials. Wilhelm II prepared to have Tirpitz announce a new naval act on the day the battleship was launched. The naval arms race between Britain and Germany will finally happen as Qin Ge wishes, ahead of history. (To be continued)
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