Chapter 528 Marriage
Chapter 528 Marriage
When Shao Quanzhong heard that Gordon had died in battle, he was filled with emotion.
This was a talented person whom I had met once. He was in charge of the foreign rifle team and could compete with the Huai Army.
Shao Quanzhong was quite fond of talented people, but unfortunately, the other party looked down upon Shao Quanzhong's small temple at that time. Because Wenxiu killed Bo Danan for revenge, the two sides became enemies.
Later, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was destroyed and Li Hongzhang disbanded the Foreign Rifle Corps. Gordon, who was capable, was reused by the British Empire and was promoted all the way to the Governor-General of Sudan. He was a beloved general of Queen Victoria.
"Originally, Gordon had a plan to suppress the rebellion of the Sudanese natives. When he found that the rebels were powerful, he immediately asked for help from home and sent gunboats to the Nile River to welcome reinforcements."
"However, the European war had left British veterans exhausted, and they no longer had the prestige of a world hegemon, so their response to sending troops was quite slow and procrastinating."
"In March last year, Gordon was besieged in Khartoum. It was not until December that reinforcements arrived. Gordon defended Khartoum for nine months, but ran out of ammunition and food. Khartoum fell two days before reinforcements arrived, and Gordon was killed."
"After losing her beloved general, Queen Victoria was furious. Gladstone had no choice but to resign. The British cabinet fell."
After listening to Le Sen's detailed report, Shao Quanzhong sighed, "Brother Britain is really in trouble. Why does it take nine months to send reinforcements? They only have the empty shell of the British Empire, but the strong substance is gone. Now that the Sultan has been lost, they have also begun to lose face."
"If only someone brave enough could stab him, the old overlord of the world would have to pack up and go home. What is Waldersee waiting for?"
"Germany has a limited land and population, and its tank and aircraft manufacturing is not as fast as ours. We haven't accumulated enough yet, especially aircraft carriers, which we can't rush."
"It's only been six years since the European War. Their next generation hasn't grown up yet. You're a little too impatient, Marshal."
"How can I not be anxious? The Sing Tao Island, the Malay Peninsula, the area east of the Tianzhu Shannan Railway, and Hong Kong that I'm eyeing all depend on Big Brother Britain."
"I am still a subject of Queen Victoria. It is not easy for me to do it myself. It will give me a bad reputation. I can only rely on Waldersee to do it."
"Also, the affairs of Nanyang also have to fall on Waldersee. Brother Le, please send more people to keep an eye on it and see what Germany still needs. I will have to feed it when I have time."
Le Sen withdrew, and Shao Quanzhong ordered, "Isabelle, call Xiao Qi to me. I want to have a good talk with her."
Xiaoqi is Wenxiu's eldest daughter, the one who inherited the family line of Wen County Magistrate. Three years ago, she went to study at Roland University in Shao Jisi's place, and came back from Budapest during the winter vacation to celebrate the New Year.
Because Shao Quanzhong favored boys over girls, Xiao Qi had always had a bad relationship with him. Pulled in by Isabel, he pouted, squinted his eyes at the beams, and reluctantly bowed, "Meet father."
Shao Quanzhong was kind for once. "I heard from Xiu'er that you finished your undergraduate studies in two and a half years? You worked really hard."
Xiao Qi's face just looked a little better, but then he became unhappy again.
"But it's useless for a girl to study so well. You're already eighteen, and you haven't found a husband yet. There's no such thing as you."
"Your sixth aunt's Jiying, Jiqing, and your biological sister Jifang, who just graduated from junior high school, I have arranged marriages for them all."
"A Confucian saint who married a Confucian scholar and taught at Wanmu Caotang, now went to Osaka to join Jiliang. Li Hongzhang also values him and has a bright future."
"She married a doctor named Sun, who is a big shot of the Hongmen clan. Both of his daughters have won over many people for me."
"It's the youngest Jiqing. She married a teacher named He Ziyuan, who is also a talented person in the Tiandihui and a well-known figure in the education field."
"You are born into an imperial family, so you must be aware of political marriage. Which of your brothers didn't marry for political reasons? You are eighteen years old, it's time for you to get married. I have found a suitable one for you--"
Xiao Qi turned his head and said, "I don't want you to arrange a marriage. I will never sell myself out to win over any forces for you. Humph, I have learned the true essence of the Finnish Society from Brother Jisi. Dad, you are an old feudalist and will be eliminated by history in the future."
Xiao Qi turned around and ran out, leaving Marshal Shao furious.
"Rebellion, rebellion! Just because you learned something from Jisi, you look down on your father? Your leader Swen is loyal to me, what do you, a little girl, know?" Although he was angry, for Xiu'er's sake, he could not hit or scold his daughter.
In a fit of rage, Shao Quanzhong made a phone call and scolded the Hungarian King Shao Jisi, blaming him for having taught his sister bad things.
The Chinese New Year was just a few days away, and Shao Quanzhong never saw Xiaoqi again. Xiaoqi didn't even come to kowtow to him during the Chinese New Year, which made the handsome man very angry.
"Xiu'er, you've spoiled Xiaoqi too much. I'm going to teach her a lesson. Don't stop me."
"Yuting, you can't teach her a lesson, she's not at home. She got mad at you that day, and seeing that Shao Yuan was going back to his hometown for the New Year, she went to play in the two lakes with her brother Shao Yuan."
Ahem, Shao Yuan was already over thirty when he joined Shao Quanzhong. Twenty-three years later, he is already over fifty and almost sixty. However, because he is Shao Hengzhong's nephew and younger in generation, he calls Shao Quanzhong his uncle.
Shao Yuan was the general in charge of logistics, and he was surrounded by guards wherever he went. His daughter ran away with Shao Yuan to vent her anger, so there was no danger.
Alas, this eldest daughter is too rebellious. I have used marriage to win over powerful people, so I guess she is of no use to me.
"By the way, where is Igu's hometown?"
"Shaojiacun, Liuyang, Huguang."
…………
June 1885, 6, Brest Naval Port, France.
French naval commander Courbet lay on his sickbed, dying.
There was no Sino-French War in this time and space, and Courbet did not die in Penghu, but his time still came.
He had talent, and instead of going to the East, he developed better in his home fleet. After the European war, he had been in charge of the French fleet for several years.
There was a noise outside, and Alfonso I, Emperor of the Franco-Spanish Empire, arrived in a hurry.
Alfonso was still a teenager when he entered Paris as a French prince, but now he is a powerful monarch at the age of 27.
Alfonso stepped forward and grasped Courbet's skinny hand. "My dear, why are you leaving so quickly? God is not on my side. I am about to lose a talent like you."
Guba panted and smiled bitterly, "I have failed your Majesty's expectations and cannot serve you. I have something to report to you before I leave."
"Since Waldersee came to power, the Germans have been ambitious and will launch another conquest sooner or later. France has sacrificed a generation of its people in the European war and is no longer able to fight again. The British Empire is in a similar situation to us."
"Once the war breaks out, the British reinforcements will be unreliable. If Your Majesty wants to keep the throne, there are only two options: either surrender, or - now fully surrender to Your Majesty's brother-in-law Shao Quanzhong."
The young emperor was showing off his talent and was quite dissatisfied. "Old Marshal McMahon said that the McMahon Line that we built with all our national strength is enough to stop the enemy."
Courbet shook his head with difficulty. "No matter how strong the defense is, it is only useful if there are brave soldiers guarding it. The morale of our soldiers was completely crushed during the Battle of Verdun."
Seeing that Alfonso I was hesitating, knowing that he had not listened, Courbet suddenly grabbed Alfonso's hand and said, "Your Majesty, you must not make a mistake—"
Courbet, a loyal French minister, died of illness with reluctance. Alfonso I pondered for a long time, and was ultimately unwilling to surrender to his brother-in-law despite the strength of the French Empire. He said to himself, "Although Courbet is loyal, he does not understand the army. When the time comes, we will fight and see--"
(End of this chapter)