Chapter 115 Coffee, strong coffee
Chapter 115 Coffee, strong coffee
Five huge steam cargo ships are anchored on the Yangtze River outside Taicang Prefecture.
It was a dark night and the ships were quiet. No one knew that these five ships flying the Union Jack were carrying more than 4,000 Taiping soldiers who had surrendered to the Huai Army, as well as a powerful Taiping prince who changed his name to Yang Changjiu.
Of course, the weapons of these Taiping troops were confiscated. The three battalions on the right wing of the Huai Army that were traveling with them were theoretically their comrades-in-arms, but in reality they were responsible for guarding them.
It is said that Shao Quanzhong, who was still cleaning up the battlefield in Wuwei Prefecture, is now in the gatehouse of the American Consulate in Shanghai with Grant, Emery, Zhang Zhidong and others.
After a long while, the four were invited in. Consul Heward yawned, stretched, and looked very dissatisfied.
"I heard that a prefect wants to see me? It's so late and it's disturbing people's rest. Don't you Qing officials have any manners?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Consul. It was my strong request. What we want to discuss involves the great interests of the Federation."
Xihuade suddenly heard fluent standard American English, and then saw Grant who interrupted Shao Quanzhong from behind.
"Captain, I don't know when American soldiers began to serve Qing officials, but if you don't give me a reasonable explanation, you will become an unwelcome person in the American consulate in the future."
It is said that American Frederick Walcott never joined the US military. His war experience was in the Mexican Army and the French Army.
five minutes later.
Seward lost his gentlemanly demeanor and stepped forward to grab Grant by the collar. "Captain, are you sure these 4,000 men are skilled soldiers?"
"I pledge my honor as an American soldier."
Xihuade was no longer calm and shouted, "Come on, bring coffee, strong coffee."
He stepped forward and held Shao Quanzhong affectionately, "Sir, the prefect——"
Seeing Shao Quanzhong in military uniform, "How about I call you General? We need as many skilled soldiers as you can get. The price is negotiable. I can promise you a salary of twenty dollars, and the equipment and shipping to the United States will all be paid by the Federation. You know, the salary of our American soldiers is only thirteen dollars."
Xihuade was really not calm anymore.
You know, eleven states have already left the Union, and the North and South have gone to war. The Union looks like it's going to collapse, and no one can see the future clearly. I have no idea how long I can stay as consul.
He was Lincoln's confidant and a loyal defender of the Union. For the survival of the Union, did the United States need that little money?
The United States has always had a tradition of using mercenaries. During the War of Independence, the warring parties hired 30,000 German Hessian mercenaries.
Now, Britain remains neutral in the Civil War on the surface, but in fact Britain and France are secretly supporting the Confederate Army. The Northern Army is in danger and needs allies and mercenaries.
It just so happened that at this time, the Kingdom of Prussia was unifying northern Germany, the most chaotic place in Europe for producing mercenaries, and now it could not produce so many.
When the West is dark, the East will be bright. In the Qing Dynasty, a country that was in the midst of a civil war, a newly emerging warlord intended to export mercenaries. This is called God bless America.
Just an hour later, Heward bent over and affectionately escorted Shao Quanzhong straight to the gate. What? Foreigners always stand straight? That's because he didn't ask you for help.
Xi Huade and Shao Quanzhong hugged each other's necks and waists, as if they were old friends.
"Don't worry, I'm Da Qing Tong, I know, these mercenaries are Taiping bandits recruited by Captain Grant - no, Lieutenant Colonel Grant. The monthly hiring fee of 40,000 taels of silver will be deposited into Wen's Bank on time from now on. The mercenaries themselves will also receive a monthly salary of seven dollars."
The American consul made the decision to hire foreign troops without the approval of the president, which was also a decision made in an emergency.
At that time, there was no transoceanic telegraph from the Qing Dynasty to the United States. The telegraph from Shanghai was connected to Hong Kong, all the way to Europe by land, and across the English Channel to the United Kingdom.
Then, tragically, the transatlantic telegraph line laid in 1858 failed...
The news of the American Civil War was transmitted to Britain via the Atlantic steamship route, which took a month to reach, and then instantly reached the Far East. The local news that Heward received was only a month old. How could he not be anxious when he was completely in the dark about the situation in the country?
After seeing off Shao Quanzhong, Heward immediately sent a telegram to Cyrus Field, a wealthy American businessman currently in London, asking his cable company to quickly send people to Shanghai and San Francisco to lay a two-way transoceanic cable between China and the United States.
It was only a few hundred thousand dollars of business, and there was still money to be made in the future. President Lincoln was an absolutely smart man, and he would definitely understand the decision of his consul and approve it.
What the US is in urgent need of right now is money? The US is not short of money or guns, but of veterans who have fought in wars.
Cyrus' career was at a low point because of doubts about the damage of the transatlantic cable. He was ecstatic when he received the news. Two steam cargo ships loaded with copper cables wrapped in gutta-percha set sail for Shanghai and San Francisco respectively the next day.
Due to the event of 4,000 mercenaries going to the United States promoted by Shao Quanzhong, the trans-Pacific telegraph cable will be realized earlier than the trans-Atlantic telegraph communication...
As the American Consulate issued orders one after another, the US military fleet stationed in Shanghai set out to escort five steam freighters and sailed to San Francisco overnight.
These five steam freighters opened up a new route for the steam freighter trade between China and the United States, and the return journey was definitely loaded with American goods.
When Wall brought Grant and Emery here, it took three months because they took a clipper.
Steamships were much faster than clippers, and it took only one month to travel from San Francisco to Shanghai.
With the return of the Yunsheng Fleet No. 1 to No. 5, astute American businessmen immediately discovered business opportunities, and the steamship route from San Francisco to Shanghai was immediately opened, six years earlier than in history...
…………
The task of escorting and monitoring the 4,000 mercenaries was handed over to the Americans. The next afternoon, Shao Quanzhong led the third battalion of the right wing of the Huai Army back to Hailing.
As soon as he entered the Huai Army Command Headquarters in Shaojiawei, a group of people were waiting to report the news to him.
"Report, Mr. Yung Wing has arrived in Hailing with more than 100 machine tools, a large number of mining equipment and 16 senior American technicians."
"Report, the two ladies ask you to return home as soon as possible after you get back. I have something important to tell you."
"Report, Lord Qiao has instructed you to report to Xiaoxiang Cliff as soon as you return."
"Report, the hot air balloon ordered from France has been delivered to the Hailing Arsenal."
"Report, Wen's Bank has set up branches in the British Concession in Shanghai and in various cities under the jurisdiction of the Jiangning Provincial Government. Please decide whether to open a branch in Hong Kong."
"Report, the first batch of water transport fleet of Wen's Chamber of Commerce has been formed. Please go and inspect it."
"Report, the first batch of coal and wrought iron from Xuzhou Liguoyi Coal and Iron Mining Company has been delivered to Hailing. Please decide whether to store them or sell them appropriately."
"Report, the nine hundred Hale rockets produced in the past three months have been delivered to the logistics department."
"Report, Hailing City's famous doctor Wu Anye has taken the initiative to request to join the Huai Army and is willing to train medical personnel for the Huai Army."
……
Shao Quanzhong was overwhelmed by the lawsuit and waved his hand, "Except for visiting my wife and reporting to my superiors, report everything else to Chief of Staff Zhang and let him arrange and handle it. Don't bother me."
We have our own military advisor. Is the boss so busy?
Tian Xing strode in. "Second brother, I didn't have a chance to tell you along the way. We did such a big thing behind the court's back, and Zhang Zhidong, a scholar, participated in the whole process. I'm a little worried."
(End of this chapter)