Yangzhou Xinjinggang Port, with a total length of 450 kilometers, originates from the Lianshan River (Yakuyi River) in the mountains east of Hung Yen Province (Pasu Fengdu), flows from south to east halfway, forms the Guazhou River (Guayiba River) at Xinjing Port, flows into Pengze Lake (Patus Lagoon), and then passes through the northern end of Hetao County (Pelotas) and finally flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Lianshan River is one of the most strategically important water systems in South America with the largest freight volume.

Relying on the Lianshan River system, the large coalfield minerals located in Hexi County (Santa Maria) and the mineral resources of other parts of Yangzhou can be transported quickly and conveniently to Hung Yen Province by water transportation, and at the same time, with the help of the Lianshan River system, Hung Yen Province and the heavy industrial zones around the river basin can also sell various industrial products produced to local and overseas areas by water and sea transportation.

The Lianshan River has a large flow of water system, the surrounding area is fertile, there is not only the largest heavy industry base in the Han country, but also has the favorable climatic conditions for the development of agriculture, therefore, during the renovation of the Xing'an River (Primero River) hydropower station, local water conservancy engineering experts have also begun to evaluate the possibility of building a hydroelectric power station in the Lianshan River system, if the evaluation results meet the requirements, then in the next five years, the Lianshan River hydropower station is likely to become the second large-scale hydropower station in the local area to be put into formal operation.

Twenty years ago, it was here that groups of landless migrants aboard ocean-going shipping vessels embarked on the road of regeneration in a foreign land along the wide waterways of Pengze Lake.

On the west bank of Pengze Lake, a lowland area with a length of about 290 kilometers, has been carefully cultivated into neat paddy fields by the low-level people from southern Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Port Alegre, a port town named after the Portuguese colonizers, was also built by Chinese immigrants and the Han Chinese army to become a dual-use port capable of accommodating a maximum displacement of 9,000 tons.

Time has witnessed the earth-shaking changes in the Xinjing area, and also witnessed the arduous process of the rise of the Han Kingdom in South America step by step.

The port of Xinjing and Lake Pengze, originally unknown under the rule of the Brazilian Empire, have become vital strategic transportation routes for the Han Kingdom in South America.

Atlantic coast, from the north of Dongkatsu County (Joninvia)

, Xinghe County (Floria) to the southern port of Songjiang,

A coastal defense line with a length of thousands of kilometers stretches around Xinjing and Songjiang.

In this coastal defense line, Xinjing Port has the advantages of being located in the inland waters of Pengze Lake, the water environment is closed, and it is not easy to be attacked by enemy troops from outside the port, so it can become the support point of the Atlantic maritime defense line of the Han Navy, and the first fleet of the Han Navy, except for a battleship and an armored cruiser, other main combat warships are docked in Xinjing Port all year round.

With Xinjing Port as the starting point, one after another ironclad warships set off from the port and sailed from south to north along a fixed route, forming a huge water formation on the water surface of Pengze Lake.

In the 1889 year, joint military exercises of the army and navy officially began,

In the navy, a total of more than 40 warships of various types, including two Chaoyang-class battleships with a displacement of 8,500 tons, two Pioneer-class armored cruisers with a displacement of 3,500 tons, one Shengli-class cruiser with a displacement of 3,200 tons, and two Yangwu-class dome armored cruisers with a displacement of 2,400 tons, all gathered in Xinjinggang to participate in the exercise.

For the Army, first, second, third、...... Representatives of more than 24,000 troops from the Eighth Class and more than 24,000 troops deployed along the coastal area of Pengze Lake to prepare for landing and anti-landing tactical exercises.

The fleet sailed along the waterway of Pengze Lake, and after half an hour, the vanguard formation with the Chaoyang as the flagship arrived in Huichang County (Rio Grande) near the mouth of Pengze Lake.

The water area near the Huichang Line is the narrowest part of Pengze Lake, where it is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a 1.6-kilometer-wide waterway.

On the land on both sides of the waterway, there are two large forts, with four forts equipped with heavy artillery as the core, and the defense system of Huichang Fortress firmly guards the safety of the waterway at the mouth of Pengze Lake.

In the coastal area far away from the fortress, dozens of ocean-going transport ships that transferred their anchorage from Xinjing Port to Huichang Port due to military exercises, as well as more than 20,000 migrants who walked down from the ship, carefully carried the only rag packages on their bodies, and at the same time, like the local people who waited early, stretched their necks and eagerly awaited the appearance of the Han naval fleet.

"It's coming, it's coming!"

As the warship led by the Chaoyang sailed into the line of sight, hundreds of local people standing in the front row shouted excitedly.

"Woooooo

With a displacement of 8,500 tons, the warship's power system and artillery system are compared with the Dingyuan ship, and the battleship Chaoyang has been strengthened when it reaches the exit of the waterway.

The engine horsepower increased, and a dull whistle sounded.

The Chaoyang began to turn to the sea, and the huge side of the hull was displayed in front of the eyes of the people on the shore, causing a sensation one after another!

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Great Han! ……”

Although some of the new immigrants have not yet assumed the identity of native nationals, they can't help but feel an inexplicable sense of intimacy and pride in their hearts when they see the Chinese soldiers standing on the huge warships.

Every Chinese who immigrated to the Han Kingdom in South America has an unknown and difficult past, people are away from their hometowns, they have no relatives abroad, if they are not able to survive on the mainland, and a few people are willing to risk the bumps in the sea and migrate to overseas thousands of miles away.

If you step on an ocean-going ship that has moved overseas, you may never be able to return to your hometown where you were born and raised, and you will not see a single plant or tree in your hometown. Even adult men can't help but cry when they make the decision to move overseas, worrying about their parents, wives and children who stay alone in their hometowns.

However, as a low-level people, there is only one way to die if you don't go to sea to make a living, and if you go to sea, as long as your luck is not too bad, you can live a life without worrying about food and clothing in South America.

In contrast to the two choices, in order to live, even if they are reluctant, one after another low-level people are wiping away their tears, grabbing a handful of soil from their hometown, and embarking on the road to survive overseas.

In the shabby package, a few thin clothes, a handful of hometown soil, entrusted all the memories of the new immigrants to the past, hundreds of new immigrants carrying the package, persuaded by the local people around them to stand up, looking at the huge and hideous war beasts on the water surface of Pengze Lake, for the first time on their faces showed a relaxed smile,

With strong armament, their lives will be secured, and they will not have to worry about their hard-won new life being broken by the big ships and huge cannons of the Western powers.

One after another ironclad ships sailed through the Huichang section of the waterway, and the cheers of the people on both sides of the coast rose higher and higher, and when all the warships left Pengze Lake and entered the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Li Mingyuan turned his gaze from the shore farther and farther away from the shore to the center of the fleet.

"Your Majesty, the fourteenth cadets of the Naval Military Academy have requested to enter the ship for internship."

Facing Li Mingyuan's gaze, Admiralty Chief Chen Sen asked for instructions.

"Exactly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

With Li Mingyuan's permission, Chen Sen turned around and ordered a few words from the staff officers around him, and then, a row of nearly 100 military academy graduates, led by two naval officers, quickly lined up in five rows and stood in the direction of Li Mingyuan and the others.

"The graduates of the 14th batch of the Naval Military Academy and the volunteer sailors, a total of 80 people, were incorporated into the battleship Chaoyang on April 7, 9th year of Jianye, and now they are here to report!"

A staff officer in a white dress took two steps forward and said loudly.

"Salute!"

"Rite over!"

As the supreme leader of the army and navy, Li Mingyuan temporarily accepted the report of the 14th batch of naval graduates to enter the ship, and returned the power to assign the graduates to the navy.

Peng Wanli, Gao Dashan, Xie Dahai, Ma Hongyu、...... Huang Qianghui! ”

"Here!"

"Grouping 305 mm gun crew!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Hanfu, Fan Changjiang, Lin Junxiong, Tan Pingshan、...... Gan Tiesheng! ”

"Here!"

"150 mm sub-gun!"

"Zhang Wuzu, Ma Jizu, Cheng Xiaoxian, Zong Jingxian, Nian Guangsi, Tang Shaoji......, Sun Nianzu!" "Grouped torpedo group!"

"Yes!" …………

The newly commissioned naval cadets, according to their different majors, are divided into the main artillery group, the lookout group, the damage management group, the communications group, the guard group, the machine gun group, the rapid-fire artillery group, the turbine group, and other different posts for internship. …………

On May 22, 1889, the joint military exercises of the Army and Navy came to an end, and two days later the Admiralty made some adjustments to the positions of the officers of the current fleet.

Navy Lieutenants Xu Zhixuan and Chen Binshi were respectively promoted to the captains of the 3,500-ton Pioneer-class armored cruisers, and their military ranks were promoted to lieutenant colonels. Navy Lieutenants Yang Guangzong and He Linshu were promoted to the captains of the 2,500-ton Yangwu-class cruisers! Promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel,

In addition to the four young Zhuang officers who were promoted, the other two young officers, Lu Wenhui and Chen Jurong, who had performed well in the exercise, were not promoted, but were transferred out of the surface fleet.

"Major Lu and Major Chen, I want to tell you the good news, you have been selected to be the commander of the Navy's submarine group, which is the new uniform of the submarine force, and you are not satisfied."

Li Han, chief of staff of the Navy, called the two into the office and said with a smile.

"General, I don't understand why the General Staff Headquarters transferred the two of us from the main fleet?"

The Han Navy has been established for nearly 20 years, and in the past 20 years, the status of surface ironclad ships as the main force of the fleet has never been shaken, so after learning that he was transferred from the First Fleet of the Navy, Lu Wenhui was puzzled and angry.

"The reason for transferring you out of the First Fleet is not that the General Staff Headquarters has doubts about your combat capability, on the contrary, it is precisely because the General Staff Headquarters values your ability that it has specially transferred you."

Li Han still had a smile on his face and explained: "This time, the Admiralty and His Majesty agreed to transfer the two of you to serve in the submarine force, you think about it carefully, if you just transfer the two of you to an inconsequential government department, will it be necessary to alarm the Admiralty and Your Majesty?" ”

"Submarine forces? Is it the kind of submarine that can fight underwater, relying on underwater torpedoes to attack enemy warships? ”

The development of submarines was a confidential matter in the Han Kingdom, but as a young naval officer, it was also necessary to understand the latest naval weapons and tactics of the Western powers. Therefore, when Chen Jurong learned that his new position was that of the commander of the submarine force, he asked this question.

At the end of last year, the navy successfully developed a new type of submarine, and its combat performance has been improved to a certain extent compared with Britain, France, and the United States, so His Majesty decided to set up an experimental submarine force, which will be temporarily organized into six Jiaolong generation submarines, which will be responsible for exploring underwater combat tactics in the early stage, and after the submarine construction technology matures in the later stage, it will be organized into a regular fleet for underwater actual combat."

Li Han roughly stated the combat objectives of the submarine, and then put two professional books on the performance and maintenance of the submarine on the table, and ordered: "Your Majesty is very optimistic about the future development of the submarine, you two work hard, and there will be opportunities for you to play in the future."

Okay, this is your new uniform, the rank is lieutenant colonel, take it back and change into a new uniform, and then think about how to screen submarine soldiers, I don't care about the specific things, as long as you choose the soldiers, report a list to the General Staff Headquarters, and the Navy General Staff Headquarters will solve the problem of personnel transfer for you. ”

"General, can you give us a little more time to think about it?"

"There is no time for you to think about it, the letter of appointment has been sent out, and you only have two choices, either accept it or reject it."

"It is a soldier's duty to obey orders! We accept the arrangement of the General Staff Headquarters! ”

The bargain failed, and the two took the appointment head-on.

"Haha, this is what a soldier should look like, don't worry, Your Majesty's vision has always been very accurate, since Your Majesty attaches importance to the development of submarine troops, it means that submarines will definitely have great prospects in future underwater operations, and the future development of the two of you in the Navy will be smoother." …………