Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

Chapter 38 The Battle of Defense (1)
The Mawei naval port was destroyed, and the news of the destruction of the entire Fujian Navy reached the capital.The whole capital was shaken, and Guan Xuqing sat on the dragon chair.Facing the princes and ministers below, his angry eyes swept towards them side by side.If eyes could kill, the person standing below would have died hundreds of times.

Guan Xuqing said angrily: "Who can tell me why this is? The Sino-French War has been fought until now, and the Vietnam War has been very stable. The French army is difficult to advance, but I have the largest military port and warship maintenance center in the Qing Dynasty. The entire Fujian navy was wiped out?"

The ministers stood in line in the hall, and the air in the hall was turbulent, as if everyone was about to suffocate.Guan Xuqing looked for Li Hongzhang among the crowd, and shouted, "Li Hongzhang."

Li Hongzhang took a step forward, "The minister is here."

Guan Xuqing said, "Read these two telegrams to everyone."

"Cha." Li Hongzhang took the telegram and read it: "On the night of the eighth day of October in the ninth year of Guangxu, the French army launched an attack on the Mawei military port at the same time. The entire Fujian Navy was wiped out and the military port was severely damaged. Sun Kaihua retreated without a fight, and the French occupied Keelung without firing a single shot."

Guan Xuqing looked around at the ministers in the hall, and roared: "What has Zuo Zongtang been doing in Fujian? I have repeatedly told him that he will definitely be the focus of the French army's attack after the war begins. Let him arrange defense as soon as he arrives in Fujian. Sun Kaihua will not fight Retire and offer Keelung with both hands. The crime is unforgivable! Pass on my order and arrest Zhang Peilun and Sun Kaihua and bring them to Beijing. The Department of Communications! Send Zuo Zongtang a power call and ask him to explain the reason for this defeat. If there is no reasonable explanation, I will His head must have been chopped off."

Li Hongzhang hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Zhang Peilun can be executed on the spot. Sun Kaihua is a former general of the Hunan Army. Abandoning Keelung is not out of fear of the enemy. It is actually a strategic plan for the whole island."

"Lord Li is right. Sun Kaihua is a general, not one who fears death and the enemy. He abandoned Keelung to avoid his edge." Prince Gong said.

Guan Xuqing looked at Prince Gong with angry eyes, and said word by word: "I checked the map and found that Keelung is a military center, and the Keelung coal mine is the economic lifeline of the whole island. Abandon Keelung without firing a single shot, and let the French army take advantage of the situation and attack." This has greatly damaged the morale of our soldiers and civilians on the island. Is there such a strategy in "Sun Tzu's Art of War"? If Sun Kaihua is here, I will cut him off and pardon him."

The hall returned to silence, as if the air had stopped flowing.

Guan Xuqing went on to say: "How much money did I spend at the Mawei Military Port in the Qing Dynasty to let the British come to guide the ship repair technology. It was all gone overnight! How elite my Fujian navy is, the whole army was wiped out without firing a single shot! Fujian Navy How much money did the teacher spend?? The Jiangnan Shipbuilding Bureau just produced and launched two iron-clad warships, which were broken before they went into battle. Even if Zhang Peilun died ten thousand times, it would not be able to make up for the loss of the Qing Dynasty!" Guan Xuqing As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.

In Fujian, Zhang Peilun was kneeling in front of Zuo Zongtang.Zuo Zongtang was also in tears, and said to Zhang Peilun, who was already crying, "The imperial court has ordered that you be executed on the spot."

Zhang Peilun cried and said: "It's not a pity for the official to die, I regret it! I feel ashamed in my heart! I"

Zuo Zongtang said: "I am sorry for the emperor! The Fujian navy and Mawei naval port that the emperor carefully built were all destroyed in my hands. Keelung fell! It was also because of the loss of command of the sea. The position was bombarded by French ships and had to retreat."

Zhang Peilun couldn't say a word, his mind went blank.

"Come here, pull Zhang Peilun out of the tent and rectify the Fa on the spot." Zuo Zongtang ordered.

"twitter."

Two soldiers came in from outside the tent, set up Zhang Peilun on one left and one on the right and dragged him out of the tent.

The next morning, the island.Sun Kaihua sat in the tent in the middle of the fort, holding a telescope to observe the front. At the other end of the fort, the soldiers were nervously repairing the fort.Clouds and mist shrouded in the distance, and several huge warships were gathering in Yuge.

"One, two, three." Sun Kaihua put down the binoculars and said, "Damn, there were only three yesterday, why are there fifteen today?"

"Commander Sun, I heard from the foreigner newspaper on the island that the night before yesterday, when our Keelung position was bombarded by French ships, the Fujian navy was wiped out in the Mawei military port. Yesterday, Commander Zuo had already executed Mr. Zhang Peilun's military law." A soldier said.

Sun Kaihua looked at the soldier in surprise, and cursed: "Damn, if the French warship stays there for a day, I will not be able to take back Keelung for a day! Their cannons are so powerful that they can directly hit the Keelung position. I can't let brother Let’s use them as targets for foreigners. Those bastards in the navy are too useless, it’s over so soon.”

The soldier frowned and said, "Commander Sun, look at this posture, the French want to occupy the whole island. You see, there are ordinary artillery shells, and they are raising the national flag. What do they want?"

"The order goes on, no one can sleep tonight. Stand by at the fort, ready to fight."

"Cha." The soldiers left in response.

At this time, a group of soldiers escorted several passenger boats to the shore.Several foreign businessmen chased after the soldiers and chatted loudly.The soldiers had no time to explain, and drove the merchant off the ship without saying a word.

After a while, the soldiers punched big holes in the clothes with hammers and other things, and sank the ship into the harbor. The foreign businessman shouted distressedly: "You barbaric orientals, this is my painstaking effort in decades of business!"

The huge sunken ship was immediately surrounded by soldiers around the fort, forming a strong protective circle.Businessman John led a few foreign businessmen and said angrily: "Master Sun, look at your soldiers. They are unreasonable. They even sunk our merchant ship in the port."

"It's my order, John, your tea is really good. I've finished the one I gave you last time, bring me some more sometime." Sun Kaihua looked at the angry John with a smile on his face.

Several foreign businessmen shouted one after another: "It is your business that you fought the war, and you have to pay compensation for sinking our ship."

"If you don't stop this behavior, we will find your emperor and sue you."

Sun Kaihua took off his top-wearing flower feathers, and said loudly with a green face: "I'm not afraid of anyone you sue. Now it's a war, and it's a helpless move to requisition your merchant ships. After this battle, I promise to compensate you for your losses." .”

Suddenly, several foreign businessmen fell silent.

Someone whispered: "That's true, but if you lose, who do we ask for compensation?"

"Yeah, you don't know where you are going? Where are we going to lose money?"

"Keelong is gone. Huwei is the last position. Losing Huwei is equivalent to losing the whole. There is no danger in the back. Do you understand? So we must win this battle. Someone Sun came and stood up. I have passed the military order, and there are people on the island! Whether I win or lose, I am here and I will never leave. If I lose, you will carry my body to our emperor to accompany me." Sun Kaihua said seriously.

Sun Kaihua was generous and passionate, and he said a thousand words. Several foreign businessmen bowed their heads and were speechless.John looked at Sun Kaihua and said, "Okay, Mr. Sun. I believe you are a man of faith. Let's go."

John just took a few steps when he was stopped by Sun Kaihua: "John, don't forget to bring me some catties of tea."

(End of this chapter)