Chapter 371 Poisoner
Chapter 371 Poisoner
There is a proverb among Americans in later generations: The Elephant Society belongs to the Rockefellers, the Donkey Society belongs to the Morgans, and both Rockefeller and Morgan are from the Rothschilds.
The same applies to the current situation in Japan. Liu Mingchuan's troops belong to Li Hongzhang, Zhang and Yang belong to the Taiping Army, and behind Li Hongzhang and the Taiping Army's troops is Shao Quanzhong.
However, the people at the bottom who were fighting at the front desk knew nothing and were fighting each other to the death. This thing should be stopped in time. Master Shao should be fair, right?
However, General Zhang and General Yang knew that General Fuyuan of the Qing Dynasty was their lord, but Liu Mingchuan did not know that General Zhang and General Yang were his own men. He could not tell him that the rebellious remnants on the other side were supported by General Fuyuan.
What's worse is that Liu Mingchuan is a loyal and patriotic man who dares to fight and fight. His military ability is also outstanding. If he sends out a surprise attack and captures the two generals, Shao Quanzhong will be very angry. If this happens, Shao will be in trouble.
Shao Quanzhong came back with a lawsuit on his mind and a heavy heart. He forced a smile and said, "Lao Yue, thank you for coming to cheer me up. Go back and have a good rest. I will accompany you to Hailing tomorrow."
Johnson's visit to the Qing Dynasty was not communicated with other powers. It was not just a temporary decision to support Shao Quanzhong, but a long-term plan. It was a return visit to Shao Quanzhong's visit to the United States. At the same time, he went to Hailing to inspect and comfort the American experts who aided the Qing Dynasty.
Shao Quanzhong's visit to the United States helped Johnson win the election. Johnson's visit to the Qing Dynasty coincided with Shao Quanzhong's return from his European expedition, so Johnson took a few more warships with him to help Shao Quanzhong's bid for power, which was a return of favor.
Johnson returned happily to his guest room in the Forbidden City. In the Forbidden City, the little emperor was meeting with the British and German prime ministers and the French and Russian foreign ministers in the Qianqing Palace.
Johnson was the top leader, and the little emperor was there to meet him. He specially came to the Leopard Room, accompanied by Shao Quanzhong, to show his importance.
The other four were ministers, and they were received, accompanied by Li Hongzhang.
Shao Quanzhong didn't need to worry about that. He was worried about the Japanese affairs. After thinking for a while, he said, "Let's go, Maria, take the visiting card and go visit Zhang Zhidong."
The complicated situation in Japan cannot be resolved by fighting alone, and military advisors are needed to take action.
Zhang Zhidong came out laughing and said, "Marshal Yu is here, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
Shao Quanzhong held Zhang Zhidong's hand affectionately and said, "What lord or no lord? We are brothers. Brother Xiaoda, you are so amazing. Can you figure out everything I do?"
The two walked side by side to the study. Zhang Zhidong took out an urgent message from his sleeve. "I didn't calculate it. Liu Mingchuan's urgent message from Hirado just arrived. I was thinking that you, Yu Shuai, would come to see me."
Sitting in the study, Shao Quanzhong drank a sip of tea and said, "Brother Xiaoda, you know the situation of Generals Zhang and Yang. Actually, both sides are equally important to me. Which side do you think Japan should give to?"
"I originally arranged for Generals Zhang and Yang to be under the jurisdiction of the King of England. They were hired as mercenaries by the American barbarians as a temporary measure to unify the command. They were both powerful leaders and were unwilling to be subordinate to others."
"Originally, I wanted to arrange Yang Changjiu in Japan and Zhang Hanchen in Sulu after the Japanese were dealt with."
"But Liu Mingchuan is not a pushover. Now is not the right time to make public my relationship with the remaining Taiping Army. If either side is hurt, I will be worried. It really worries me to death."
Zhang Zhidong smiled, "How difficult is that? I can just plan a solution for General Yu that will satisfy both sides."
Zhang Zhidong turned around and took out a map of Japan from the bookshelf, spread it on the desk, and chatted with Shao Quanzhong while spreading it.
"According to my understanding, the Japanese know small etiquette but not great righteousness, are particular about small matters but not great virtues, value small matters but not integrity, fear power but not virtues, and will rob and invade when they are strong and will be submissive when they are weak."
"So, if we follow the original plan of the lord, let the remaining Taiping Army unify Japan, and let Zhang Siwen implement the policy of strengthening the country in Japan, Japan will rise rapidly and will become a major threat to China."
Shao Quanzhong raised his thumb, he knew this was not difficult, Zhang Zhidong could predict the future based on analysis, this was real ability.
Zhang Zhidong's eyes flashed coldly, "So, Japan cannot be unified, and Liu Mingchuan will have to continue fighting with Zhang and Yang. My strategy is to kill neither the Qing army nor the Taiping army, and drive the Japanese vassal armies on both sides to fight each other, and kill 1.8 million people, so that the two sides will become mortal enemies."
Maria behind Shao Quanzhong shuddered. My goodness, I always thought that we Russians were the most brutal and the Cossacks were the most vicious bandits.
Three hundred thousand Japanese pirates died in the massacre in Kyoto, and now these two in the study are laughing and discussing how to make another million Japanese people die on the battlefield. They are really ruthless people.
Zhang Zhidong pointed at the Japanese map and said, "My plan is that Generals Zhang and Yang cannot retreat. Dig trenches here, put up barbed wire, and take advantage of the narrow roads in the mountainous areas of Iga and Koga to set up multiple battle lines and advance step by step."
"Lake Biwa here is a natural barrier. If Wakasa Province on the north shore of Lake Biwa raises a front line, Generals Zhang and Yang will have established this iron wall of defense." "Now I am the leader of the Military Affairs Office. The people in the court are determined, and the decision not to send reinforcements to Liu Mingchuan can be passed."
"But the problem now is that the coalition forces of Liu Mingchuan and Li Chaoyu in General Yuan are still a little too strong. Marshal Yu needs to use other channels to appropriately strengthen Generals Zhang and Yang. This is not something I can guess."
With Zhang Zhidong's advice, Shao Quanzhong felt relieved. "Xiao Da is worthy of being the Zhuge Liang of the modern era. He is much more worthy of the title than the self-proclaimed 'Jin Liang' by Zuo Shuai. Leave the task of reinforcing Zhang and Yang to me. It's a piece of cake."
Zhang Zhidong pointed at the map with a smile, "Let's make the line from Azuchi Castle to Nagoya Inabayama Castle a bloody grinder for positional warfare, leaving a thousand miles of barren land with corpses everywhere."
"When both sides have almost exhausted their energy, we will draw a line and let the two sides confront each other for a long time. Japan will no longer be a concern."
Shao Quanzhong returned to the Leopard Room without any hesitation. He had just praised Zhang Zhidong as the contemporary Zhuge Liang, and in his heart he regarded Zhang Zhidong as the contemporary Jia Xu, whose ideas were all vicious enough - I liked it.
"Maria, draft a telegram and send Zhang Zhidong's strategic instructions to Generals Zhang and Yang."
"Send a telegram to Hailing to quickly transport the French weapons seized in Shanghai and Saigon to Edo. At the same time, get more grenades and grenade launchers to sell to support Tokugawa Yoshinobu. They have to pay for it."
"Send a telegram to Paris and have Sven support some of the red-haired Irishmen to strengthen Generals Zhang and Yang. At the same time, buy hundreds of thousands of French bolt-action rifles seized by the Germans at a low price and send them to Japan by clipper ship."
With the Suez Canal, the distance from Europe to the Far East is greatly reduced. A clipper ship can arrive in 20 days, and reinforcements will definitely arrive in time.
Shao Quanzhong made arrangements with Japan, and the reception of visiting dignitaries at the Qianqing Palace also produced results.
British Prime Minister Braxton and Russian Foreign Minister Gorchakov jointly announced that, in view of the fact that the Qing Dynasty had become an advanced and civilized power, the extraterritoriality of British and Russian citizens in the Qing Dynasty would be waived.
France, Germany and the United States had already given up this privilege, and Lucia had long wanted to give it up, so she waited for this opportunity to visit as a gift, and also to express her support for Shao Quanzhong, the son-in-law of the Romanov family.
The British announced that they would give up this to give face to Shao Quanzhong. When it comes to actual implementation, it will definitely depend on the individual, and British citizens will still be taken care of. This is the privilege of the world's number one power, and it will remain the same in the future.
Bismarck announced that the Treaty of Berlin between Qing and Prussia would be revised, Prussia would give up taking over the French Concession in Shanghai, give up all privileges in Annam, and give up the lease of Cam Ranh Bay, so that Prussia's aid to the Qing Dynasty would be more sincere.
When the news came out, the whole country of Qing Dynasty was jubilant. Our Qing Dynasty is truly awesome.
Now the only thing left in Shanghai is the British Concession. Ahem, no one has mentioned this and everyone has deliberately ignored it. No one dares to mess with the world's boss.
Prime Minister Braxton's mission was accomplished after his visit to the capital. In addition to cheering for Shao Quanzhong, a member of the Windsor royal family, he came to the Far East to inspect Hong Kong and see how Liao Rong had governed in the past few months, and then returned home.
Gorchakov also completed his mission and left with the British.
The next day, Shao Quanzhong bid farewell to the British Prime Minister and Russian Foreign Minister, and accompanied Bismarck, Johnson and Blanqui south to Hailing to inspect the implementation of the three countries' aid to the Qing Dynasty.
However, the train stopped when passing Baoding, as Bismarck wanted to visit the expatriate instructors at the Berlin Military Academy there.
At the Baoding Army Officers School, the soldiers were in neat uniforms on the training ground. The Marshal's training song was played, and the instructors and students collectively accepted Bismarck's inspection.
Bismarck stood on the reviewing stand. Led by hundreds of German instructors, the 7,000 new army officers who were being trained here all had their braids cut off, wore steel helmets, and dressed in German military uniforms. They walked past the reviewing stand in rows.
The officers, holding Mauser bolt-action rifles, saluted Bismarck in unison.
Behind them were Krupp artillery pieces pulled by steam tractors and three hundred training tanks, rumbling past the reviewing stand.
Bismarck was overwhelmed with emotion. This army is far superior to the genuine German army. I will definitely make the German army stronger when I return. Shouldn't the crown of the Roman Empire belong to us Germans?
Thinking of the Roman Empire, Bismarck subconsciously raised his right arm and gave a Roman salute to the soldiers.
(End of this chapter)