mage in the late qing dynasty

Chapter 1034: Your Excellency's Strategies Have Become Metaphysics

After Zhao Chuanxin built a pile of stone bricks and columns, he began to flash to the north.

Xingyue controlled the puppet servant to load him with a bunch of new magazines for the Lugang M1907 pistol.

Zhao Chuanxin was wearing a black tactical suit, the upper body of which was a Fire Spreader tactical suit made of a blended fabric of Cordyceps fiber, cotton and velvet, with a copper zipper, and the elbows and shoulders were reinforced with Oxford cloth for wear resistance, and there were ventilation mesh under the armpits.

The lower body is black Firebringer tactical denim. Unlike the ones produced by the Lubinfu factory, it lacks 9 practical pockets, but all stress points such as the trouser line are reinforced with multiple stitching, and the proportion of the three-filament blend is adjusted to enhance elasticity and tear resistance.

The shoes are Firebringer tactical boots with serrated outsole, footstep support system, quick-drying upper and adequate shock-absorbing sole.

Zhao Chuanxin put on sunglasses, a black tactical cap, and a thick black beard, and immediately disappeared into the darkness when he went out.

At the Russian sentry post on the north bank of the Polonaise Valley, Zhao Chuanxin jumped up, went up to the sentry tower and opened fire first.

call out……

"Ah..." The scream was particularly harsh in the dark night.

The people below immediately noticed: “What’s wrong?”

call out.

He was shot in the thigh.

The shot was very clever. It missed the artery and injured the tendons but not the bones.

Soon, screams rang out.

There was a faint flicker of gunfire in the darkness, moving back and forth among the wild cherry trees and willow bushes.

"Damn it! I told you I would chop down these trees, but you didn't listen. Now look what's going on..."

Even with a sound-absorbing cold iron silencer installed, the Lugang M1907 still cannot completely extinguish the flame. The sound is very small at night, but still obvious.

All the Russian soldiers at this sentry post were quickly shot.

They couldn't fight back because they couldn't see where the enemy was.

Whether it is the rich night color or the bushes such as willows, wild cherries, mountain rhododendrons and roses, they can easily block people's sight.

Zhao Chuanxin had no desire to fight, so he turned around and left for the next checkpoint.

From south to north, Zhao Chuanxin swept all the way.

Sentry posts, artillery positions, guard posts, mukeleng barracks... the entire Varanasi Valley was bustling with noise.

There were cries of enemy attack everywhere, causing panic among the free people and exiles, but they could not find any trace of the enemy at all.

Someone rode north on horseback with a wounded leg, hoping to report the incident.

Zhao Chuanxin hid behind a burdock that was nearly half a person's height and covered with a layer of frost, and attacked halfway.

call out.

In addition to his leg injury, the man also suffered a shoulder injury. He was extremely unlucky and finally fell off his horse wailing, cursing: "Fuck your mother..."

The commotion in the north of the valley was so loud that it alarmed the Japanese soldiers on the south bank.

They were on high alert, thinking that a new round of unrest was coming.

But not.

Under the detection of stars and the moon, Zhao Chuanxin did not let anyone go and fired from east to west.

He discovered one thing: when he arrived at the sixth garrison point, the enemy was on high alert.

He noticed the telegraph pole standing next to the blacksmith's workshop.

In recent years, the Russians have also carried out construction on the island, laying telegraph and some railway tracks.

Someone must have informed the Russian soldiers here.

He looked thoughtful, but that didn't stop him from continuing to shoot into her thighs.

shhhhhh...

There was no point in being on high alert, as the enemy seemed to be shooting right next to them. Every time the sound was heard, their bodies would tremble violently, and it was absolutely torment.

bang bang bang...

Some Russian soldiers collapsed and started firing indiscriminately.

Zhao Chuanxin has seen many times soldiers on the battlefield break down and open fire, and it is usually their own people who suffer.

The number of troops in modern barracks and outposts, especially in Sakhalin, is generally not enough to cause a camp roar.

They were ready for battle. Zhao Chuanxin's rhythm was: one, two, three, three, three, four, five...

No matter whether they were shooting at an empty place or randomly shooting at their own people, they could not hit Zhao Chuanxin.

The further we go, the less smooth things become.

But it just delayed Zhao Chuanxin some more time, which was not a big problem.

Every shot he shot hits the target. Those who are hit will not only lose their combat effectiveness, but at least their attempts to chase him will be wishful thinking.

But telegraph lines played a vital role.

Zhao Chuanxin traveled 120 kilometers and fought all the way to Kirovskoye. It was already the second half of the night.

Even Zhao Chuanxin was sleepy, let alone the Russian soldiers who had been nervous for half the night.

The further north you go, the colder it gets, with temperatures perhaps only around five or six degrees.

The gutters on the street here are smelly, the water is black, and filled with domestic garbage.

There is a "manure field" not far away, and Zhao Chuanxin must avoid it carefully. This is much more serious than stepping on a landmine and will make people unable to sleep.

When the "whoosh" sound was heard, the Russian soldiers were startled and someone really screamed.

"Enemy attack, alert..."

"He's coming, he's coming, watch out behind you..."

"Watch your side..."

"Fuck you, I've been bitten by bedbugs all night, and now I have to suffer this again..."

The Russian soldiers roared loudly, and the message spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

Boo hoo hoo hoo…

"Ah ah ah ah..."

Zhao Chuanxin attacked from the outermost side, first using one side to attract firepower, and then flashing to the other side to advance.

Zhao Chuanxin flashed to three meters behind the last person, shot him in the thigh, and then teleported to the Peacekeeping Bureau tower on the spot.

He took off his tactical uniform, skillfully controlled the water flow to wash off the sweat on his body, and added sheep oil soap with a scent of violet flowers that did not exist in this world, which made him smell very good.

Zhao Chuanxin was steaming with moisture, then he changed into white silk pajamas and went out.

He came to the door of Kuroda Toshiyoshi's house and banged on it.

Kuroda Toshiyoshi opened the door with sleepy eyes and yawning, cursing: "Baka, it's really late at night..."

As soon as he saw Zhao Chuanxin, he lost all desire to sleep.

Zhao Chuanxin raised his index finger: "Shh...listen, are there gunshots coming from the north?"

Kuroda Toshiyoshi concentrated and, sure enough, he heard faint gunshots.

His expression changed: "What's wrong again?"

Do you still let people live their lives?
Zhao Chuanxin said cheerfully, "I'm very worried. Something must have happened. Since guns were fired, there will inevitably be casualties. I'm a kind-hearted person. I found that there aren't many medicines on the island, so when I came back from this trip, I brought back a batch of medical supplies for treating external injuries. Why don't you send someone to deliver them to the north?"

Kuroda Toshiyoshi frowned: "No money?"

Would you be so kind?

Zhao Chuanxin smiled shyly: "You are joking. I am poor and have little money in my pocket. I can't afford these medical supplies. The cost is small and the profit is slim, but considering the injured, I will charge the cost price. Here is the quotation."

Kuroda Toshiyoshi: “…”

hiss……

Damn, it’s at least 20% higher than the normal price, so heartless!

Unless the Russians are stupid, why would they buy your medicine?

But he was very suspicious: "Mr. Zhao stayed up late at night, waiting for someone to get hurt?"

Zhao Chuanxin pointed at his pajamas and said, "I'm already asleep, but you know I'm timid and can't sleep well at night. I wake up at the slightest noise."

At this time, a woman's voice came from Kuroda Toshiyoshi's house: "Who is it, so late?"

Zhao Chuanxin's face turned serious and he scolded, "When men are talking, women should not interrupt. How can this be considered decent?"

Kuroda Toshiyoshi: “…”

Zhao Chuanxin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Liangzi, I'll leave this matter to you. I trust you to do the job."

Then he shouted into the house, "Hey, Liangzi's wife, don't worry, it's nothing. When Liangzi goes out to do something, I will come to take care of you. I know that there is no sense of security without a man at home."

Kuroda Toshiyoshi's face darkened...

……

The next day, V.O. Kononovich listened to his men's report.

"Sir, five of our soldiers were shot dead by themselves, and three were wounded by their own people. The rest were all shot in the outer thighs, but no one died. The murderer had accurate marksmanship and could see at night, so he was so elusive that he could not be caught. We don't know if the murderer was one person or more than one person, but in short, no outpost, barracks, or position along the way for more than 100 miles was spared last night!"

V.O. Kononovich was so angry that he trembled: "It's Zhao Chuanxin, definitely Zhao Chuanxin!"

Every shot hit the Russian soldier's tensor fasciae latae or vastus lateralis, with terrifying accuracy, never hitting the artery, and even completely bypassing the femoral nerve. There was no one else in the world except Zhao Chuanxin who had such marksmanship, such elusive whereabouts, and such night combat capabilities.

The subordinate thought to himself: I told you a long time ago not to cheat on Zhao Chuanxin, but you just wouldn’t listen. Who can you blame?

After venting his anger, V.O. Kononovich could only helplessly say, "Tell Zhao Chuanxin that I want to meet with him for a talk. I need a third party to be present, so let the Japanese go as well."

It took him only three days to reach the Peacekeeping Bureau.

The weather had turned cold by then. Along the way, V.O. Kononovich saw the harvested crops in the fields on both sides of the road and sneered in his heart.

Any sympathy shown for the living conditions of the exiles or freemen on the island was just a verbal statement made in response to reports to superiors, and was simply mentioned in passing.

However, life on the island is not optimistic.

After arriving at the Peacekeeping Bureau, the Japanese representatives were still Matsudaira Konyo and Kuroda Toshiyoshi.

V.O. Kononovich had a very large entourage, with two clerks, two servants, a cook, a messenger, a maid, and several soldiers.

He was surprised when he saw the running male and female soldiers in the peacekeeping bureau and the busy craftsmen on the construction site.

"The male soldiers are all Russian, and the female soldiers are all Japanese. They are dressed better than our soldiers, and they are really energetic."

Take the barracks in the coastal areas of Beidao for example. They were not much better than the exiles. More than 50 people could sleep on the bunk beds in a 100-square-meter wooden room. Among them were not only Russian soldiers, but also the children of Russian soldiers who brought their families with them. During the day, there were wives complaining and scolding, and children crying. At night, there were wives' pity and painful groans. When it got cold, icicles would hang in the barracks...

But looking at the peacekeeping bureau composed of these exiles, their physique has not become strong in a short period of time, but their complexion is very good, and you can't see the numbness of "no way out" on their faces. They hold their heads high, panting but gritting their teeth to persist.

When V.O. Kononovich climbed up the tower and saw the person standing behind Zhao Chuanxin, he was stunned.

It turned out that Boyarkov was standing behind Zhao Chuanxin. Although he was in the back, he did not look like a prisoner at all. Instead, he looked like a spring breeze.

damn it!
This made V.O. Kononovich feel as if he was stabbed in the back.

The three parties sat down, with Zhao Chuanxin sitting at the main seat, and on either side were Songping Kunyang and V.O. Kononovich.

V.O. Kononovich spoke first: "Mr. Zhao, why did you hurt my people?"

Zhao Chuanxin immediately said: "I didn't, it wasn't me, you misunderstood."

Then he leaned close to V.O. Kononovich's ear and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Yes, it's me."

V.O. Kononovich: "..."

His face suddenly turned red with anger: "Look, you admitted it."

Zhao Chuanxin spread his hands and said, "What did I admit? I said it wasn't me, you misunderstood, did you hear me?"

Matsudaira Kunyang nodded: "That's what Mr. Zhao said."

Kuroda Toshiyoshi also nodded, and even V.O. Kononovich's clerk nodded as well.

This made him very angry: "Zhao Chuanxin, what exactly do you want to do?"

Zhao Chuanxin tapped the table with his fingers: "You need to pay a fine of 500,000 rubles and withdraw from the Varanasi Valley, which will be taken over by the Peacekeeping Bureau."

"Here, all for you. Since you want the land that only grows burdock and bracken, haha, there's clay underneath the gravel. When it rains, just wait for the roots of the crops to rot. Since you want it, I'll grant it to you. Anyway, my soldiers have had enough of that place..."

V.O. Kononovich was spitting out his anger.

Matsudaira Konyo and Kuroda Toshiyoshi looked at each other: It seems that the old guy has surrendered.

There was nothing they could say, so they had to withdraw their troops.

But Zhao Chuanxin was unmoved. He lit a cigarette and said, "Don't forget, there are still 500,000 rubles."

Vladimir Kononovich pointed at Poyarkov and said, "It was him. He absconded with the money. He hid it. Let him take care of everything. We have already given up the valley."

Boyarkov behind Zhao Chuanxin said with disgust and impatience: "For God's sake, stop lying. The two men you sent to kill me have confessed. Maybe you are used to playing tricks on others and have succeeded a few times, but not here, Lord Zhao."

V.O. Kononovich: "..."

Zhao Chuanxin smiled and said, "Well, if you don't want to pay this money, I have a suggestion. The telegraph poles you erected will also be used by me in the future. I will lay new telegraph wires on them. In addition, you must bring me 160 million poods of the best quality coal. I have inquired about it, and the best coal from your Duer Coal Mine is worth 30 kopecks per pood."

Vladimir O. Kononovich looked at Boyarkov fiercely, thinking that it was this traitor who leaked the secret.

Boyarkov was already desperate: "This is not my work, it was found by this little friend."

He was talking about Sato Masayoshi.

"No, the Duer Coal Mine is owned by the Sakhalin Company."

Sakhalin Company has a total of five representatives.

However, the Tsarist Russian authorities on the North Island wanted to station nearly 15 troops there for a long time at a cost of 3 rubles per year, which was equivalent to providing services of rubles to each representative.

It is hard to say that this company has no close ties with the Tsarist Russian upper class.

Zhao Chuanxin twitched his lips and said, "Let me be frank with you. If you don't agree, don't blame me for going to get it myself. Well, we have finished talking about your business. Now it's your turn."

He was referring to the Japanese side represented by Matsudaira Konyo.

Song Ping Kun Yang pondered and said: "Mr. Zhao, we are willing to withdraw from the Varona Valley."

"That's not enough. You also have to pay a fine of 50,000 yen. No matter what the reason, you were the one who fired the first shot."

Matsudaira Kunyang lowered his head and admitted defeat.

The Zizhi Tongjian says that the Japanese are: "They know small etiquette but not great righteousness, they are particular about small details but not great virtue. They value small details but have no sense of shame, they fear power but do not cherish virtue. The strong will be robbers and the weak will be submissive."

I don’t know how our predecessors learned this, but generally speaking it is very accurate.

To put it in a more vivid way, they bow to you while harming you, they do bad things but pretend to be saints when they are strong, they invade when they are strong and they act like a thief when they are weak.

Zhao Chuanxin added: "I'll give you two choices: one, pay the fine. Two, use the bricks and tiles from your kiln to pay the fine."

Matsudaira Kunyang glanced at Kuroda Toshiyoshi, who quickly said, "Let's choose the brick and tile exchange."

Things like fines, especially those imposed by the Peacekeeping Bureau, are difficult to explain to superiors.

But if they don't pay, Zhao Chuanxin will not let them go.

Look at what happened to the Russians.

If you can exchange things for other things, then there is a lot of room for maneuver.

This has been the case in officialdom since ancient times, with no exception.

Before the meeting ended, Zhao Chuanxin remembered something: "By the way, it is said that the medical level of your Beidao is 200 years behind the times? Look, Kuroda Toshiyoshi has trauma medicine and equipment on hand, and I can sell them to you at a low price. Otherwise, if soldiers die from injuries, I'm afraid you won't be able to explain to your superiors."

V.O. Kononovich's hands and feet were shaking: Okay, okay, so this is it, right?
Matsudaira Kunyang looked at Kuroda Toshiyoshi and Zhao Chuanxin in amazement, thinking that there might be a traitor in his own family.

After they left, Neng Chengwen asked curiously: "Sir, what is that batch of medicine..."

"Oh, I asked Xuantian Sect to buy it for me on my trip to Ao Island. I haven't paid the final payment yet, so I'm just waiting for Maozi to bleed me."

Neng Chengwen was convinced: "Your Excellency really is, really is, really knows how to make money, you are in control of everything..."

This wasn't entirely flattery on his part; it came from the heart.

After all, according to Zhao Chuanxin's plan and construction, it would not be an exaggeration to spend money like water.

They had to build barracks, residences, government offices, repair roads, and do dredging projects...but they were able to miraculously earn back the money they invested in the construction.

Moreover, Zhao Chuanxin wanted to build a stone building and thought it would take a long time to transport the stones. As a result, stone bricks and stone pillars piled up like a mountain overnight. The stone pillars were hollow. I really don't know how they were built.

All the adults have regarded it as a metaphysics, just like an antelope hanging its horns.

After Matsudaira Konyo and Kuroda Toshiyoshi went out, they asked him what happened.

Kuroda Toshiyoshi told everything, there was nothing to hide.

Matsudaira Kunyang sighed, "No wonder Zhao Chuanxin was able to fool the American elites on Wall Street. He did the same thing in Sakhalin. What do you think he wants this land for?"

"Farming? Herding?"

"Haha, no." Matsudaira Kunyang said seriously, "There are only two reasons. First, the road connecting the north and south islands allows the north and south to travel back and forth. Second, the Russians have been trying to Russify the Ainu and Kiryaks for many years, and Zhao Chuanxin is even more ambitious. He wants to Sinicize the indigenous people and the free people of Japan and Russia."

"Ah?" Kuroda Toshiyoshi was shocked: "Zhao Chuanxin is so scheming? His ambition is so huge? Then why should we agree to him?"

"Unless the Empire of Japan values ​​this island more than South Korea, we cannot send a large army, so we have no chance of winning against Zhao Chuanxin. Hasegawa Yoshimichi's faction has already revealed its ambitions for South Korea, and it is impossible for them to spare the energy to plan for Sakhalin. So, you know Zhao Chuanxin's insidiousness, but you can't do anything about it."

Kuroda Toshiyoshi was silent.

Suddenly, a feeling of powerlessness came over me.

After that, Matsudaira Kunyang told him insidiously: "Since Zhao Chuanxin has given it to you, it means he is short of manpower. Well, you won't work for nothing, just increase the price and sell it to the Russians."

"..."

On the other hand, Zhao Chuanxin sent a telegram to Lubin Prefecture, asking Cui Fenghua to contact Zhan Tianyou, asking Zhan Tianyou to send some engineers to the island, survey the terrain, and prepare to build a railway, whether by sending his apprentices or others.

……

Winter is approaching.

In Mexico, executioner General Victoriano Huerta's campaign against banditry is going badly.

He angrily asked his men: "Why does Emiliano Zapata have more and more guns and ammunition?"

The subordinate brought a Roll King M1908 lever-action rifle and a Japanese Type rifle. "General, I have asked someone to find out about this lever-action rifle. It is a patent registered by a man named Benjamin Goldberg. I don't know where it is produced. This is a Japanese Type rifle. There are also some captured guns. They seem to be the guns of our rural cavalry patrol. They should have been captured during the battle, but the quantity does not match."

Victoriano Huerta said: "Send someone to investigate secretly to find out where his weapons and ammunition came from and whether he had any secret contact with the Japanese."

While they were having this conversation, Emiliano Zapata himself went to Quitsalán.

Aguilera Ida took him to the arsenal to see some big guns - Maxim heavy machine guns, Type 31 mountain guns, Hotchkiss heavy machine guns...

Even though the guns were very old, Emiliano Zapata was ecstatic.

What a powerful weapon!
Aguirre Ida said: "Don John Constantine knows that you don't have money for the time being, so he agreed to sell it on credit first, but next year he wants you to occupy the Veracruz coastline first and drive out the Americans there. If you can do it, these guns will be considered a gift."

(End of this chapter)