The Wuzhou had been shelled through the foredeck by British 12-inch shelling, and according to the custom of the Liberation Army, this kind of ship would be prioritized on the list of modifications. After the transformation, the five turrets of the Wuzhou were changed to four turrets, and the hull originally had a cascade design, and after the turret space was reduced and enlarged, this design was officially practiced on the Wuzhou.

When the turrets are on the same plane, they need to be at a certain distance from each other in order to be able to steer smoothly. The ladder design allows the two main gun turrets on the same deck to not be on the same level. When the turret near the center is high and the muzzles are all forward, the turret barrel near the center is directly above the outer turret. This saves space and makes the steering of the gun easier.

After the elimination of one twin main gun, two twin 100 rapid-fire guns were added on each side of the ship. In terms of overall vitality, in the face of enemy ships with heavy armor, the firepower of the Wuzhou is weak. In the face of thin-skinned enemy ships, the addition of four twin 100 rapid-fire guns greatly increased the combat capability of the Wuzhou.

Deng Shichang, the acting captain of the Wuzhou, is 27 years old, and a large number of young soldiers have taken up leading positions in the Navy. Among this group of young people, Deng Shichang belongs to the youngest acting captain.

Youthfulness is characterized by vigor, and abundant hormones can easily affect mood. The Wuzhou's recent work has been cruising around Japan, conducting orbit surveys, conducting training, and deterring the Japanese along the way.

On January 18, Deng Shichang led the Wuzhou and a destroyer on an escort mission for two survey ships conducting hydrographic surveys less than 20 kilometers off the coast of Japan. Two Japanese warships appeared on the opposite side, and they took a tough attitude and demanded that the Chinese warships leave Japanese waters. In the face of the tough flags issued by the two Japanese warships less than 2,000 tons, Deng Shichang was not happy when he boarded, and he ordered the signalman to send the two Japanese warships on the opposite side of the flag, which was still a crepe flag, to the effect that "the Japanese warships will fuck me off!" ”

The Japanese warship not only did not get out, but also leaned up and tried to interfere with the work of the survey ship. The purpose of the escort was to avoid this problem, and the Wuzhou and the destroyer stood in front of the two Chinese survey ships, preparing to expel the Japanese warship. The Japanese warships temporarily retreated in the sea less than 20 kilometers off the coast of Japan, and four hours later, five Japanese warships came in one piece.

Britain has vigorously supported the Japanese Navy in recent years, and I don't know if the Japanese Navy has learned the British Navy's spirit of "fighting when it encounters the enemy." In short, a Japanese warship actually fired first. The Japanese Navy was not a Manchu navy, and the Chinese Navy was not a Manchu division. In the face of the surprise attack of the French, the Manchu Nanyang naval division was able to give the order "let you fight as you like". When the Chinese and Japanese navies were flexing their muscles, their artillery was ready for battle.

As soon as the Japanese artillery rang out, the Chinese Navy naturally had no possibility of retreating. Deng Shichang immediately ordered the destroyers to escort the two survey ships to retreat, and he himself commanded the Wuzhou to bravely meet the five Japanese warships.

In this one-on-five battle, the Japanese warships were beaten badly. The Chinese Navy has war experience and good training, which are the advantages of the Chinese Navy. The greater advantage is that the equipment level of the Chinese Navy is far higher than that of the Japanese Navy, although the construction of 10,000-ton battleships has not yet begun, and the Wuzhou has replaced its artillery. The original black huo medicine became the smoke powder of gunpowder.

The power of smokeless gunpowder is far greater than that of black gunpowder, and the chamber pressure and temperature ratio of gunpowder of the same caliber are much greater than those of previous guns. Older guns can use relatively simple steel barrels, while newer guns must use alloy steel barrels. The Wuzhou needed to be modified before it could be fitted with a new gun, because the pipe diameter ratio reached 40 times.

The pipe diameter ratio refers to the ratio between the length of the barrel of an artillery gun and the caliber of the muzzle. The shell is propelled in the barrel by gunpowder gas, and as it flies forward, the rifling meets the belt and causes the gun itself to spin. The faster the spinning top rotates, the more stable it stands, and the same is true for the cannonball, the faster it rotates on the axis of the longitudinal axis of the cannonball, the more stable the cannonball will be when flying. Of course, this rotation requires the consumption of kinetic energy generated by gunpowder gas, so the pipe-diameter ratio of conventional artillery is not large.

The Japanese Navy did see that the muzzles of the Chinese artillery had become thicker and the barrels had become longer, and the real willingness behind this change could not be understood. What they could feel and understand was that the guns on the Chinese Wuzhou were accurate and ruthless, and the 200 mm iron armor was vulnerable in front of the 150 guns of the Wuzhou. In less than 20 minutes, three warships were hit by the Wuzhou, and thick smoke rose and flames billowed out.

Although Deng Shichang was happy, it was not the time to start a war with Japan until this time, he severely damaged three Japanese warships, lightly damaged two Japanese warships, and the unscathed Wuzhou Shi Shiran retreated with the survey ship that had begun to run away.

Of course, the navy felt that this was its own combat achievement, and in the face of the Japanese navy's artillery bombardment, the Chinese navy rose up and fought back and won a great victory. As for the outbreak of the naval battle at a distance of less than 20 kilometers from the coast of Japan, the Chinese Navy did not say a word. Adhering to the style of telling the truth and doing practical things, external propaganda must tell the facts, so it is good to only talk about those facts that can be announced.

The outside world may not know all the facts, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows all the facts. Since the Chinese Navy was unscathed and did not need to consider China's losses, Li Xin was annoyed by the actions of the Navy. When will the Military Commission be able to dominate China's diplomacy? It was useless to talk to the navy about this matter, Li Xin went directly to Wei Ze.

After listening to Li Xin's report, Wei Ze just knew that the navy was already so imperialist. Before Weeser could decide how to talk to the navy, a telegram from the Japanese Meiji government came. Director Li Hongzhang Li built a telegraph system in Goryeo, and the submarine cable crossed the Tsushima Strait to Japan. With this route, the Meiji government was finally able to communicate effectively with China. The Meiji government had neither angry protests nor aggrieved complaints, but bluntly proposed a serious negotiation between China and Japan.

A call back from China agreeing to negotiate arrived in Tokyo, and Okubo Ritsu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Kido Takayo said with a cold face: "The army must be strictly investigated, especially those sailors from Kyushu. This time they were too daring! ”

The conflict between China and Japan did not make Okubo Ritsu and others lose their minds, and the results of the investigation afterwards revealed that the Japanese Navy had indeed fired the cannon first. The arrogant Chinese Navy then began to attack the Japanese fleet. The defeat of the British navy by the Chinese fleet against the Japanese navy did not in itself come as a surprise to the upper echelons of the Meiji government. Someone in the navy deliberately provoked a conflict between China and Japan, and this incident shocked Okubo Ritsu and Kido Takayoshi.

The hostility between the nobles and the central government had become increasingly intense, and in the second half of 1875, a series of rebellions led to the retired nobles, which were easily suppressed by the government army. It is clear that someone is beginning to plot a plot with a broader horizon. Britain once held the Meiji government, and now Britain has been temporarily driven out of Northeast Asia. If a full-scale war broke out between Japan and China at this time, the Meiji government would surely be defeated. Once the Meiji government, which had been completely defeated on the battlefield, failed, the gentry would be able to take their place.

"Do you think this was instructed by Saigo himself?" Okubo asked Kido Takayoshi with a dark face. Kido Takayoshi couldn't give an answer, regardless of whether Saigo Takamori knew about this or not, and whether Saigo Takamori planned this matter or not, if the gentry seized power, Saigo Takamori would definitely become the head of the new government.

Okubo Ritsu didn't dwell too much on this matter, he said with a straight face: "Before I come back from China, I also ask Kido you to stabilize the domestic situation." As long as a peace agreement can be reached with China, the Shi clan must be settled. ”

Kido Takayo until Okubo Ritsuna's character does what he says, once he makes up his mind, no one can reverse this decision. Moreover, Kido Takayoshi really did not see any other possibility than a solution by force, and the Shizu had reached the point where it was impossible to compromise with the Meiji government.

Li Xin was worried that Wei Ze was going to attack Japan, but when he learned that Wei Ze didn't mean this at all, he finally put his mind at ease. Now that China is struggling to expand, a war with Japan is not a wise choice. With Wei Ze's authorization, Li Xin and Kido Takayoshi met on Tsushima on February 2, and neither China nor Japan had any intention of making a difference at this time. The Sino-Japanese peace treaty, also known as the Tsushima Treaty, was soon adopted on February 5.

This treaty is valid for five years, and the treaty stipulates that China and Japan will coordinate their contradictions through negotiations, that China will not interfere in Japan's internal affairs, and that Japan will respect China's interests. Japan does not form an alliance with any country hostile to China, nor does it allow countries hostile to China to use facilities in Japan itself to launch attacks on China. China's government supported the Meiji government in terms of security.

The treaty also includes regulations on the navigation of warships of both sides, which roughly delineate the maritime security scope between China and Japan, and warships wishing to pass through each other's safe areas must be notified before they can pass through these areas without harm. At the very least, the Chinese Navy can no longer be arrogant enough to go to a distance of less than 20 kilometers from the coast of Japan to carry out surveying and mapping.

After the signing of the agreement, China also pledged to withdraw its troops from the Hokkaido Autonomous Region. Japan, for its part, has admitted that it does not raise any questions about the number of Chinese consular guards in Hokkaido.

China then sold 100,000 rifles, 500 artillery pieces, and corresponding ammunition to the Meiji government. Instead of giving cash, the Meiji government agreed that China would establish banks in Japan, where trade between the two sides could be settled directly. Japan supplied Chinese ships anchored in Japan, and these supplies were used to cover the cost of equipment.

China sold not only weapons to the Meiji government, but also 50,000 rifles to the Hokkaido Autonomous Region at a conscientious price. Zhou Xinhua knew that China's new rifle would be officially equipped with troops in 1876. This new rifle is said to be a mess, and Zhou Xinhua will be able to see it after returning to China. If he doesn't return to China, he won't see it. China's arms substitution is never announced. This time at war with Britain, all countries did not dare to offend the British Empire, and all of them cut off trade with China. This is precisely what allows China to adopt stricter secrecy measures.

Zhou Xinhua believes that China's wholesale sale of 100,000 old rifles to Japan on both sides is enough to show that domestic weapons have begun to be replaced on a large scale. If it were not for such a replacement, with the current situation of the war, where would there be a surplus of old rifles to sell to others.

The dispatch army has already begun to return to China according to the agreement, and when they are able to return home, the comrades of the dispatch army are elated one by one. A few also brought their Japanese wives in Hokkaido. At present, China's domestic construction and iron and steel enterprises are thriving, and the comrades of the dispatched army have accumulated a lot of combat experience, and have even accumulated a lot of experience in building railways, opening mines, and smelting iron and steel. After returning to China, you can directly enter these industries. The future is guaranteed, and everyone is naturally happy.

Looking at everyone's lively performance, Zhou Xinhua couldn't help but look back at the mountains of Hokkaido in the distance. Seeing those families and thinking of families, the first thing that came to Zhou Xinhua's mind was the figure of a girl of the Ezo tribe. The girl pronounced Nakorulu in Ezo is now working at the military horse farm. She has been hunting with her family since she was a child, she is not tall, she is delicate, well-proportioned, and her skills are very good. Although he has no culture, the quiet and natural attitude of being passionate about life really makes Zhou Xinhua irresistible.

Zhou Xinhua listed dozens of reasons in her heart that she couldn't be with Na Ke Lulu, she was a foreigner, she couldn't read, discipline didn't allow it, and so on. But men and women are afraid of kneading the relationship, and the more they find reasons to refuse, the more they look forward to it.

When the war began, where did Zhou Xinhua have time to care about a young girl of the Ezo tribe in a horse farm. Even if he occasionally thinks about it in the midst of a tense war, he can only think about it.

After the war, Zhou Xinhua was finally able to inquire about Na Ke Lulu. To Zhou Xinhua's delight, Na Ke Lulu was not killed, but participated in the guerrillas in the Ezo area, and there are many battle legends about Na Ke Lulu. But at the end of the legend is a new legend, this Ezo girl seems to exist only in a legend that never ends, and no one knows whether she survived after the end of the war, and where she went after she survived.

In the blue sky, there is a goshawk soaring. Zhou Xinhua looked at the goshawk and suddenly felt that all this experience felt like a dream. He came to Hokkaido, initially thinking that he would be able to help build a completely independent country. Now that he is leaving Hokkaido, this original purpose has not been achieved. It's like closing your eyes now and you can clearly remember Nakoru's voice and smile, but all this has become part of the legend.

Sighing, Zhou Xinhua turned around and walked towards the transport ship. Whether it is a dream or not, the motherland and home are real, as long as he takes the transport ship, in a few days, he will be able to return to the motherland, which has become somewhat hazy in his memory. In a few years, everything in Hokkaido will become a memory.

Although he kept telling himself this in his heart, Zhou Xinhua couldn't help but wipe the moist corners of his eyes with the back of his hand. Even if it is forgotten, it will take time. At least for now, Zhou Xinhua felt very uncomfortable in his heart. It's really uncomfortable. The clearer you know what you want to forget, the more vivid the things you want to forget come to mind.