I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 138 Troubled Winter
  Forget about magazine-type rifles, your Qing Dynasty actually has heavy machine guns. George felt that his three views had been subverted.

Since it has such advanced weapons, why did the Qing Empire lose the Qing-Japanese War?

In the Qing-France War, the Qing Empire performed well.

After Guba became the commander-in-chief of the French army, the French army changed its strategy and used its superior navy to raid the coastal areas of the Qing Empire.

On August 8, the French army forced a landing at Jilong and was repulsed.

On August 8, the French navy and the Qing navy fought fiercely in Majiang. The Mawei Navy was completely wiped out and the Mawei naval port was burned down.

After the Battle of Majiang, the French government once again blackmailed the Qing Empire and demanded a compensation of 8 million francs from the Qing Empire to be paid in 10 years.

In June, France requested compensation as high as 6 million francs.

The Qing Empire once again rejected France's request and reorganized its army to prepare for war. This war still had to be fought.

Korv's trip to Khabarovsk did not go well. He only stayed in Khabarovsk for half a month before running to Vladivostok.

Now Korff's attitude towards the Trans-Siberian Railway is extremely firm.

"We must start building the Trans-Siberian Railway as soon as possible, otherwise the Amur Governor-General will be a place of death and there will be no future." Korv thought he came to the Far East to be governor, but he didn't expect to find out after arriving in Khabarovsk. , the so-called Governor-General of Amur is just an empty frame, no wonder the princes are not interested.

“Let’s eat first—” George served Korf a hot pot.

Now that you are in Vladivostok, don’t drink red cabbage soup, hot pot is the way to go.

There are Qing chefs at Mikhail Manor, so making hotpot is no problem.

Korff had a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other. He didn't know how to start. He couldn't use chopsticks.

George used chopsticks to help Korf fish out the mutton. The mutton was brought from Khalkha and was extremely tender.

"Is this thing edible?" Korff looked at the red bottom of the pot and suspected that it was magic.

George took the initiative to demonstrate, eating a bite of mutton and a bite of chive flowers.

Mikhail poured wine for Korf. The wine was Erguotou from the Qing Empire.

"Actually, Japanese sake is also pretty good -" Mikhail has a unique taste.

"That stuff is for girls." George didn't like it, but Ekaterina quite liked sake.

"Don't you drink champagne?" Mikhail disagreed. The alcohol content of sake is still higher than that of champagne.

Of course, the higher ones are also limited, one is 12 or 13 degrees, and the other is 15 or 16 degrees.

"Stop talking nonsense and do it!" George was rude to his uncle and raised his hand to drink.

Mikhail also raised his hand to drink, and actually showed the bottom of the glass to George.

Korff frowned and picked up the glass, frowning at the strong smell of alcohol.

George laughed and asked someone to change Korff's champagne.

If you don't like drinking, don't drink. George never forces anything on others.

"No, I want to try." Korff is brave enough to try new things, and he really needs a drink to relieve his worries.

So Korff got drunk happily.

The next day when George went to inspect the construction progress, Korff went with him.

Erguotou is still good, no headache.

It's not that the new city was not built, but it was not built around the military port. It was built farther away from the military port, which was more conducive to management.

George had no jurisdiction over the Siberian Fleet, and it was unrealistic to expect the generals of the Siberian Fleet to discipline the sailors.

Building a new city around the military port is indeed convenient, but it is also very troublesome to manage. Russia's military-civilian relations are not harmonious.

George wants to attract Cossacks to immigrate to Vladivostok in the coming year. It doesn't matter if the Cossacks' residential area is built next to the military port. After all, they are all Russians and their living habits and traditional customs are the same, so no one will affect the other.

It’s not that construction can’t be done in Vladivostok in the winter, the key is whether you can harden your heart.

Under construction are criminals sent to Siberia, as well as Japanese immigrants and Korean immigrants.

The hired hands can imitate migratory birds and leave before winter arrives.

Immigrants cannot go anywhere and must accept the arrangements of the Vladivostok city government.

Mikhail is the mayor of Vladivostok.

"Where should I get someone?" Korff wondered.

George could hire workers from the Qing Empire and get Cossack veterans, but Korff did not have resources like George.

Even if there is, Korff may not do it.

George's fiefdom was indefinite.

Korff's term as governor was limited.

Even if Korff tried every means to increase the population of the Amur Governor-General, the real results would probably not be seen until more than ten or twenty years later, and he could only make a wedding dress for the successor Governor-General of Amur.

George will probably be an adult by then, so it is almost likely that George will also serve as the governor of Amur.

If someone else comes to be the governor, if George is unwilling to cooperate, then no one can do it.

"Don't worry, when I finish the matter in Vladivostok, I will go to Khabarovsk to help you." George took charge of everything and had to do things bit by bit.

If Korff is defeated, he will have to wait until the year of the monkey. Opportunities are always there, the key is whether you can seize them.

Later, Henry received a call that the Goryeo Enlightenment Party was plotting a coup.

This winter is particularly difficult for the Qing Empire. There is a fierce war with France in the south, but Goryeo is ready to make a move.

After the outbreak of the Opium War, the vassal system of the Qing Empire gradually collapsed. By the middle of the 19th century, only Koryo, Ryukyu, and Annam remained among the vassal states of the Qing Empire.

The French started the war to annex Annan.

Ryukyu has been de facto annexed by Japan. Although the Qing Empire did not admit it, it had no ability to change the reality.

Two years ago, the Imwu Mutiny broke out in Goryeo, and the Enlightenment Party officially entered the stage of history.

The so-called Enlightenment Party was a reformist group supported by Japan. Their goal was to get rid of the vassal status of the Qing Empire and make Goryeo the France of East Asia.

England, of course, is Japan.

After the Imwu Mutiny, the Min Fei Group that controlled the Goryeo regime claimed to be civilized and reformed, and learned from Japan's Meiji Restoration.

Japan’s first pot of gold during the Meiji Restoration was obtained through the collective sales of Japanese women.

The Koreans were not even willing to buy that, but pinned their hopes on Japanese loans.

The Japanese government has repeatedly promised that as long as Goryeo is willing to reform, the Japanese government is willing to provide financial support.

So Kim Ok-kyun, one of the leaders of the Enlightenment Party, went to Japan to borrow money.

What the Enlightenment Party members did not expect was that the Japanese government, which had previously sworn so sworn to it, actually rejected the Enlightenment Party's request for a loan and treated Jin Yujun with a very cold attitude.

Jin Yujun stayed in Japan for ten months and gained nothing.

After the Qing-France War broke out, the Japanese government's attitude changed and it promised that if the Enlightenment Party came to power, the Japanese government would fully support it.

Even George could see that Japan's purpose was not to help Goryeo strive for independent status, but to expel the Qing Empire's influence in Goryeo.

The enlightened party members headed by Jin Yujun believed it to be true.

At the end of September, Jin Yujun said to Ford, the U.S. Minister in North Korea: Qing Dynasty and Buddhism are fighting, is the opportunity for our country's independence now?

This means that when a war broke out between the Qing Empire and France, our opportunity came.

Russia also has extensive interests in Goryeo, and the Enlightenment Party members also hope to gain Russia's support.

"These Koreans are so pitiful. Aren't they worried that they will become a Japanese colony after breaking away from the control of the Qing Empire?" Korff's mood suddenly improved. Compared with Korea, Russia seems to be pretty good.

"The Qing Empire was defeated again and again, and Japan was prospering. Since you have to be a dog, why not find a strong master." George knew Koryo.

Dogs are also different.

As the dog of the Qing Empire, the people in charge of Korea were still Koreans. The vassal system of the Qing Empire had been running for thousands of years. The Qing Empire was very experienced in dealing with vassal states.

Being used as dogs to the Japanese, the fate of the Goryeo royal family was that their bloodline was cut off, the entire country was completely annexed, and they were almost destroyed. The Japanese spirit cultivated during the Japanese colonial period is still inexhaustible until the 21st century.

"We cannot allow the Japanese to control Goryeo. This is not in the interest of our Russia." Korff began to enter the state. Since there is no potential to be tapped internally, let's start from the outside.

George only had jurisdiction over Vladivostok and had no power to wage war abroad.

Korff has.

"The Japanese can't win, the key is what we can gain." George didn't know whether the Kaili Party's coup could succeed, but he knew that until the Sino-Japanese War, Goryeo was a vassal state of the Qing Empire.

The last time Goryeo rebelled, the Qing Empire sent troops to help Goryeo quell the rebellion.

The Goryeo royal family was also stubborn. After learning the lessons of the last mutiny, they actually tried to get rid of the control of the Qing Dynasty with the help of Japan. They deserved to have their bloodline cut off.

The current governor of Korea in the Qing Empire seems to be Datou.

Well, there is no position of Governor of Goryeo. Datou's identity is to help handle Goryeo military affairs.

After the Renwu Mutiny broke out, Datou followed Wu Changqing into Gaoli to quell the rebellion. He performed bravely during the quelling process and assisted Gaoli in training the new army after the war.

Datou in this period is really not as unbearable as he was in the later period. He is brave, resourceful, resolute and brave.

Just last month, the Enlightenment Party hosted a banquet for the generals of the Qing Empire in Goryeo. Although Datou knew there was danger, he went to the appointment alone.

The enlightened party members who conspired to kill the Qing generals did not dare to take action and retreated completely.

As for the scraps of the Enlightened Party members, they really can't do much of it.

"The Siberian Fleet must be notified that our opportunity has come." Korv drew chestnuts from the fire, Russia is best at this kind of thing.

Russia rarely uses troops in East Asia and most of the time benefits from coercion, intimidation, and blackmail.

Both the Qing Empire and Russia got everything they wanted.

Not to mention Korea.

Hasn’t the Siberian Fleet always wanted to go south? Now their opportunity has come. There are many places in Korea suitable for building military ports. If they can get a port in Korea, then the Siberian Fleet will not need to go to Nagasaki to spend the winter in winter.

The Siberian Fleet's ability to move its headquarters is what George looks forward to most.

Although George could not reach Korea yet, he could send a telegram to St. Petersburg.

The Japanese can instigate the Enlightenment Party to revolt under the pretext of helping Korea gain independent status, and so can Russia.

　Forgot to set the time——

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)