Chapter 173 The Most Powerful Clan in the Far East
Chapter 173 The Strongest Clan in the Far East
"Brother Shao, Brother Shao, the information you told me is wrong. Our plan to imitate a breech-loading rifle is going to fail!"
The person who came to see Shao Quanzhong was the honest big man Ren Jun.
"Why don't I just tell you to wait for the British to take action and follow suit?"
Ren Jun felt very aggrieved. "I followed up and kept in touch with Liao Rong. The latest news is that the British have put out an open tender for the design of the breech-loading rifle. Now there are more than 50 proposals..."
"Why don't we just ask Liao Rong to give him more money and find out which plan will be chosen in the end?"
"We have also done this. The mysterious British department, which seems to be called the Breech-Loading Rifle Modification Committee, has initially selected six plans and believes that none of them meet the requirements. It may take until next year to finalize it. Isn't this too late for your Western Expedition? This time, more than 200 machine tools were ordered from the United States, and hundreds of thousands of silver were spent. They will be in place in two months. If there is nothing to produce by then, isn't it a waste?"
"impossible?"
Shao Quanzhong patted the back of his head and said, "I clearly remember that the British breech-loading rifle proposal was put forward this year. How come my fight against the Taiping Rebellion and sending some mercenaries to the United States can affect the design of the gun proposal in London?"
This matter really has no impact. However, there is always a gap between historical records and exact facts, which is often ignored by later generations.
"correct!"
Shao Quanzhong walked around several times with his hands behind his back, then slapped his forehead and said, "I remember now. The new modified breech-loading rifle is called the Schneider Enfield rifle. Ask Liao Rong to check which design was made by a man named Schneider."
"No need to check. Among the six winning designs, there was indeed a person named Schneider who designed it. He is an American named Jacob Schneider. He submitted his application in London not long ago, so he should still be in London."
"Why don't you let Liao Rong find someone to buy the plan directly from him? That's right."
Ren Jun ran out and sent a telegram to Hu Liuniang. Shao Quanzhong was very excited. The British were slow to finalize the plan. If I finalized the breech-loading rifle plan first, the British would be considered to have copied me.
Originally, if I copied the British breech-loading rifle, I would be worried that they would ask me for patent fees. Now, hey, it’s not certain who will ask whom for patent fees.
"Report, Brother Shao."
"Why did you come back so soon?"
"British time is seven hours behind ours. Liao Rong just got to work in the morning and encountered Schneider blocking the door at the entrance of the Breech-Loading Rifle Modification Committee."
"Blocking the door?"
"Jacob Schneider is poor and sick, and can barely afford to wear pants. He lives on the bonus from this plan. He goes to the committee door every morning to inquire, and the guards know him and kick him out when they see him. He was just kicked out today and was invited in by Liao Rong."
"Wow, we're going to get a great bargain again."
"That's right. Liao Rong would never miss such a good opportunity. He bought the patent from him for 500 pounds. Schneider has withdrawn his application to the committee."
"Where are the people? Have they been dug out?"
"Brother Shao, are you still not confident in Liao Rong's work? Promise him a salary of four hundred taels of silver per month, and he will immediately decide to come to work at my Ren's Arms Company and personally guide the transformation and production of breech-loading rifles. He will be taking a cruise flight in half a month, and he will probably be here in three and a half months."
"Stupid! Tell Liao Rong to take a cruise ship. Charter the fastest clipper ship and bring the people and technology here immediately. Don't stop for a moment. It will be here in a month. Make a sample gun and figure out the parts processing technology. The American equipment will arrive just in time."
"Why are you in such a hurry? Chartering a clipper costs several thousand taels."
"A few thousand taels are nothing! Do you know how many of these guns we have to produce? The first batch is more than 80,000, and we don't know how many more there will be in the future. Moreover, the British and Americans now have more than one million Enfield muzzle-loading rifles. If they want to change to breech-loading in the future, they will have to pay us patent fees. This matter cannot be delayed, do it for me immediately!"
Ren Jun went out trembling and sent a telegram, muttering, "I'm rich, I'm rich, wow, the patent fee for the modification of one million guns, that Mr. Schneider is made of gold. Song Laosan, Lin Bozi, you will not make as much as I, Ren Jun, in the future, arms are still the most profitable."
Shao Quanzhong was not exaggerating at all. During the American Civil War, there were as many as 3.5 million soldiers participating in the war, and almost every soldier had a quick-fire rifle. In fact, only a small number of them were Springfields produced in their own country.
On the surface, both sides of the war purchased 1853 Enfield P muzzle-loading rifles from Britain.
In fact, the Confederate Army alone counterfeited 400,000 of them. The Union Army's industrial capacity was much stronger than that of the Confederate Army, so they could only counterfeit even more.
The Americans imitated the Enfield P1853 rifle, which they called the M1853. No one knows how many there were, and one million is an underestimation.
The breech-loading rifle research and development was completed, and it was almost dark. In the morning, I watched my wife and children playing in the water, then went to receive the imperial edict for promotion, went home to order the expansion of the army, and contacted London to solve the problem of breech-loading rifle research and development and manufacturing - an ordinary day for the most powerful warlord in the Qing Dynasty in the mid-19th century.
That's right, the latest telegram from the Intelligence Department said that the Hunan Army has decided to reduce its troops by more than 100,000 to 25,000. The Hunan Army has been in arrears for a long time, and has not received any money in Nanjing. If the troops are not reduced, they will rebel.
The Huai Army is going to expand its army to 40,000 men, and the plan is already being implemented, making it the most powerful vassal state in the Far East.
American scholars once called Zeng Guofan the Washington of China and the Hunan Army the most powerful vassal in the Far East. Now the owner of this title has changed.
The day was not over yet, and before dinner, an invitation arrived from Lord Wu Wenxi, who urgently invited Shao Quanzhong to a banquet at Zheyuan to send off the Huai Army officers who were about to go to the northwest front.
Wu Wenxi originally planned to invite only Le Xiucai, but when he got home he suddenly felt a little embarrassed, so he just invited everyone.
Lord Wu also benefited from the Battle of Nanjing, and he benefited greatly from it. He was promoted to first-class baron and the title was hereditary.
This was all the reward for his having been entrusted by Mrs. Wen to find a job for an unemployed yamen runner, and having the sudden inspiration to arrange Shao Quanzhong to join the militia.
Shao Quanzhong is a very particular person and he never forgets anyone's kindness.
Lord Wu was also kind to me, and when reporting my achievements, Lord Wu was given the title of "one of the founders of the Huai Army". Of course, his contribution was great, and his reward was second only to that of Lord Qiao, the leader of the Huai Army, and Shao Quanzhong, the commander-in-chief of the Huai Army.
At the entrance of the Zhe Garden, the lights were bright, the horses were neighing, and people were rushing around and dressed in formal attire.
The backbones of the Huai Army are now all high-ranking officials, such as governors, prefects, and county magistrates. How can they have the nerve to greet people when they go out if they don't ride in a sedan chair pulled by three donkeys?
There are a lot of generals and deputy generals riding on tall horses. How can they have the nerve to call a second-rank military general who has been awarded a flower feather and wears a yellow jacket without a few guards behind them?
The most powerful general is Grant, the general of Fengxiang, with five black servants following behind him on his fine horse. A pure-blooded, black, shiny, strong Kunlun slave, you can't buy him in Hailing no matter how much money you spend, isn't that powerful enough?
By the time Le Xiucai had finally made a fourth-rank official uniform and put on the fourth-rank hat borrowed from Shao Quanzhong, he rushed to the gate of Zheyuan, but the gate was already quiet.
The guests had all gone in and he was late.
Le Xiucai took a tentative step into the gate, but the gatekeeper acted as if he didn't see him. He was exhausted from receiving a large number of people just now, and now he was sitting by the door, holding his sword and fell asleep.
Mr. Le straightened his official uniform and walked slowly into the Zhe Garden, looking like a talented and elegant man.
The official uniforms of the Qing Dynasty are so ugly. Can you look like a talented person by wearing them?
Who said that? The official uniforms of the Qing Dynasty were definitely very distinctive and non-mainstream. Whether they looked good or not depends on who wore them.
If you watch early domestic films, you will see that our Qing Dynasty officials are all portrayed as villains with hunched backs, rat-like faces, and our Qing Dynasty official uniforms are absolutely ugly.
If you want to watch Hong Kong zombie movies, my Qing Dynasty official uniform will become eerie again.
If you watch any Qing Dynasty palace dramas, you will see how handsome my Qing Dynasty official uniforms are.
Scholar Le is in his twenties, in the prime of his life, full of vigor and vitality, with a straight back and a handsome character. When he puts on the fourth-rank official uniform, he definitely exudes the elegant temperament of Lord Qiao and Lord Wu.
It is the end of the seventh lunar month and August is approaching. There is no moon in the sky, but only stars.
A cool breeze blew in the night. In the distance, Jiaoyuxuan was brightly lit, stringed instruments were melodious, and the sounds were loud. Guests were gathering there to admire the lotus. Some were carrying wine along the corridor to the Wengui Boat and composing impromptu poems.
Song Laosan, Lin Bozi, Nie Shicheng, Song Qing and others did not dare to compose poems, but Zhang Zhidong, Wu Ziyi and You Sihai could still write two poems, not to mention that Jiang Chunlin was present.
Le Xiucai was about to walk towards Jiaoyuxuan, but for some reason he turned back and looked towards Laiqingge.
Laiqing Pavilion, which was renamed "Yilanwangchen", was pitch black, with only a small light on the second floor that stood out in the dark night.
In Laiqing Pavilion, the lamp was lit again.
Le Sen felt his back go numb, and everything around him seemed unreal. In his eyes, there was only that dim but firm light in the long night, pulling his heart.
For four years, I have followed the Huai Army in its battles, and have been exhausted and accustomed to bloody massacres. I am no longer the weak scholar I used to be.
Now, I am finally qualified to enter this peaceful Hailing Garden through the main gate. In Laiqing Pavilion, the person sitting by the window under the lamp waiting, after four years of morning and evening drums, does his face remain the same? Has he really forgotten the dust of the world?
Le Xiucai's vision became blurred, and he was attracted by the lamp and walked towards Laiqing Pavilion unconsciously.
(End of this chapter)