Li Hongzhang looked at the code book written by Li Guolou, listened to Fan Run, the expression on his face was uncertain, Li Guolou is like a cunning fox, if you want the fox to be used by me, you must continue to give benefits, this time Li Guolou in addition to command, but also fancy the throne of the chief academic administration of the Baoding Military Academy, Baoding Military Academy is the sphere of influence of the governor of Zhili, Li Hongzhang is quite dissatisfied with the greedy Li Guolou.

Seeing Li Hongzhang's hesitation, Fan Xianrun changed his tone and said: "Master Fu Xiang, since you want to use Li Guolou, you must treat it as your own, you must always step back from the position of the governor of Zhili, since Li Guolou takes a fancy to this throne, give it to him." It is the territory of the Manchurians, Li Guolou can't command it, it's just a reputation, you don't have to worry. ”

"Fan Junshi, it's not that I'm stingy, Li Guolou is good at speaking, he can make a square, a circle, and a good scheming, no worse than Zhao Gao, who refers to a deer as a horse. I'm afraid that Li Guolou will climb to the sky in one step and climb on top of my head, won't I be beaten by chickens and eggs and fall into the situation of Zhishi. Li Hongzhang said a dark thought, the more powerful the person, the more afraid of losing power, he has stood at the pinnacle of power, how can he give up the power in his hands, he also wants his three sons to become the pillars of the country, and he does not want to go downhill.

Fan Xianrun comforted: "Master Fu Xiang, don't worry too much, in the Taiwan war, you are the supreme commander, and Li Guolou is just a commander on the front line, there is an essential difference between charging into battle and commanding." The person that Emperor Tongzhi believes in the most is still Lord Fu Xiang, and Li Guolou is a talent cultivated for the future. Xia Guan thought that Li Guolou's conditions were acceptable, and this time he did not make harsh demands, and he was very grateful to you for promoting him. At this time, it is the time to buy people's hearts, let him integrate into the Huai Army's system as soon as possible, and take precautions. ”

"Hmmm! He sent a telegram to Prince Gong again, retracting the request of General Li Guolou and changing the title of Chief Military Officer of Li Guolou Shuangzhen, saying that this was Li Guolou's wish. Li Hongzhang stroked his beard gracefully, although he had no intention of opposing the Qing Dynasty, but he wanted to maintain his glory and wealth for a long time, and the military power did not want to fall on the side of the Manchu nobles, especially that Ronglu, this person was the object of Li Hongzhang's key prevention.

Although Li Hongzhang has never said anything bad about Rong Lu, he doesn't like Rong Lu very much. Rong Lu made a fortune from the Empress Dowager Cixi, but this person was too selfish, Rong Lu used the accumulated wealth for pleasure and family industry, Rong Lu never wanted to pay too much taxes to the country, but was a super big tax evasion, and Li Guolou could not be the same.

Li Guolou made arduous efforts for his Beiyang Naval Division, and at least three million silver dollars of circulating funds that were not included in the public account quietly fell into Li Hongzhang's pocket, which made him a capable minister with long sleeves and good dancing. Compared with the two sides, Li Hongzhang is still willing to let Li Guolou be his successor, let Li Guolou become bigger and stronger, and the Qing Dynasty can make the country rich and the people strong.

Fan Xianrun is Li Hongzhang's think tank, Li Hongzhang set the national policy according to his strategy, which made him full of confidence and considered himself the world's first master. Fan Xianrun looked at the Li cipher code in the telegraph room, and the cipher code written by Li Guolou was highly secret, and without a translation, it would not be decipherable at all. couldn't help but admire: "Li Guolou is wise and brave, I have the cipher code, why worry about the uncertain world." But it's still a fly in the ointment! I think it's up to me to upgrade this codebook. "Fan Run is a doer, he does what he says, fights night after night, and writes a code book that can only be used by the Ministry of War for first-level combat readiness. At this point, Fan Xianrun compiled the first codebook for the Ministry of War, and the codebook in Li Guolou's private collection became the stepping stone for Fan's codebook. All the dispatchers of the telegram only knew the exploits of Fan Run, who became a hero of the Qing Dynasty's intelligence industry, and later became the first superintendent of the Meteorological Bureau (i.e., the Intelligence Bureau), with the title of Shangshu. No one knew about Li Guolou's efforts, and Fan Shirun believed that he fought for Li Guolou's rights and gave Li Guolou soldiers and horses from two towns, which was unique in the Qing Dynasty. Of course, the credit for the codebook is attributed to him, and sure enough, Li Guolou has never troubled him.

How can Li Guolou have the leisure to compete with Fan Run? He shuttled in the cabin every day, visited the sick officers and soldiers, shared weal and woe with the officers and soldiers, ate the same meals, and encouraged the soldiers to fight for the country. It is also necessary to hold meetings with officers to discuss how to use troops at sea; although the new armed forces are said to be land forces, learning new tactics, especially landing warfare, is a compulsory course for every officer.

Li Guolou flaunted his newly learned knowledge and pointed fingers on the tactical board: "The origin of the cruiser is the fast sailing ship of the sail age, as the companion of the battleship, it undertakes the task of patrolling, reconnaissance, guarding, escorting, and pursuing for the entire fleet. At that time, there was no official name for the cruiser, and the type of battleship was relatively simple, and it was distinguished according to the number of guns. The Royal Navy's six-class division law stipulates that fast sailing ships should be armed with 38 to 50 guns with a displacement of about 1,000 tons. For about 200 years, from the 17th to the 19th century, the clipper changed little, or at least significantly. The official name of the cruiser appeared after the mid-19th century, marked by the Crimean War. In this war, the blasting bomb completely destroyed the wooden sailing ship, and the world's navies began to focus on the armor of the warship. A series of evolutions followed, with some brand new names emerging: fast cruisers, protective cruisers, armored cruisers, and more. The four Japanese cruisers were actually used by the United States to protect the harbor, so the tonnage was small, only more than 3,000 tons, and the power of the artillery was not enough. As long as we have a geographical advantage and rely on the advantage of the number of mosquito boats, we will first attack the Japanese wooden warships, sink the old warships escorted by the Japanese army, focus on attacking the enemy's troop carriers, and then storm the main cruisers of the Japanese army, and engage the Japanese in bayonet hand-to-hand combat at sea. I don't ask for much, just give me a chance. Oh cluck! ”

Li Guolou looked up to the sky and laughed, his hands were on his hips, with an expression of victory, his first battle was placed on the waterway of attacking the Japanese army, and the Japanese army started a mountain war, there was no certainty of victory, but the Japanese army's strong point navy was a loophole, he had 20 mosquito ships as a mobile force at sea, and he was confident that he would sneak attack the Japanese army's transportation lines at sea. Moreover, Li Guolou has already formulated a battle plan, and he and Liu Mingchuan have already discussed it, and now Liu Mingchuan is training 2,000 indigenous warriors in Taiwan.

The young Li Yunkai couldn't understand what Li Guolou was talking about? Scratching his head, he asked: "Li Zhentai, the tactics you talked about have nothing to do with us, this is a naval battle." So what are we going to do? ”

Li Guolou was furious and scolded angrily: "Unsuccessful Wang Balamb, I let you learn to fight, learn to use the ruler, and look at the constellations in the sky, so that you can ascend in the future, don't just know how to fight and kill, but learn to use your brain, don't sleep tonight, and remember the Big Dipper for me." ”

Li Yunkai muttered: "I just need to remember a martial arts star." ”

Li Guolou strengthened his tone: "You listen to me well, learn cultural knowledge well, and be promoted to the next level." ”

"Yes!" The generals smiled dazzly, and Li Guolou finally gave up his favor and wanted to promote them to official positions.

Li Yunkai said loudly: "According to my military merits, I am fully qualified to be a major. ”

Li Guolou stared and said: "At a young age, my ambition is not small, give me peace and guard myself, and talk to me about conditions in another three years." ”

Li Yunkai hung his head and was dejected, others had the share of promotion, he only had the life to stand still, Li Guolou brought him out, he had already burned high incense, how dare he think of anything wrong?

Battalion officer Li Yunzhuo, battalion officer Su Yuanchun, quartermaster officer Hongdu, and counselor Zheng Hengdan are all at the rank of colonel, and if they are promoted one level, they will be lieutenant colonels. The Xinwu Army has grown and grown, and they have followed the rising tide and hoped to make new contributions in the Taiwan campaign.

Taiwan is the inherent territory of the Qing Dynasty, and the officers and men who fight on their own territory have the determination to sacrifice their lives for the country. Li Guolou tried every means to boost morale, and fighting in an unfamiliar environment was the biggest test for the new armed forces. Looking at his eager officers, he is responsible for these people, only victory can give him peace of mind, and he wants to let these young faces become the pillars of the country. How to fight the first battle in Taiwan is the biggest test for him, and it is difficult to find fighters by relying on the White Snake Langjun?

Li Guolou looked at the starry night sky, where to find the loopholes of the Japanese army? For the first time in my life, I had a communication with the god stick*. It seems that the chances of victory depend on providence? Li Guolou put his hope in his telegraph group, and only by deciphering the Japanese telegram could he seize the fighter plane.

Li Guolou wore the stars and the moon, stayed awake all night, and walked into the telegraph room, he had already grasped the law of the Japanese army's telegraph, and then it was up to heaven's will. As for the credit, it can be attributed to the White Snake Langjun, this is the protector of the Beiyang Naval Division, Li Guolou snickered secretly, thinking about the White Snake Langjun who pretended to be a ghost.

In late May, the fleet entered the mouth of the Min River, and the port of Mawei was close at hand, which was the lifeblood of Taiwan, from which the Qing army set off.

Mawei Port is located in the eastern suburbs of Fuzhou Minjiang River north bank, deep in the Minjiang River estuary, from Mawei to the Minjiang River Estuary as long as 66 miles, the outlet section is mostly canyon, there are Langqi, coarse reed, Sichuan stone and other island barriers outside the mouth, the port area is surrounded by mountains and ridges, the shelter conditions are good, the port area is deep and wide, and there is Fuzhou and the vast hinterland to rely on, it is a good deep-water port. Luo Xing Pagoda towers on Luo Xing Mountain, Luo Xing Mountain is lush and green, and the military camp is hidden in the deep mountains.

Mawei Port faces the big river, has a small field of vision, and the scenery is pleasant, it is the maritime gateway of Fujian, and the main force of the Nanyang Naval Division is stationed in Mawei Port.

Li Hongzhang led the fleet to Mawei Harbor, and the troops began training. It was seven days and seven nights at sea, and many officers and men fell ill. The Xinwu Army had more than 400 non-combat attrition, and almost 20 percent of its strength was lost, especially the new recruits, who were tossed and choked enough. This made Li Guolou want to cry without tears, and the Japanese army was a war of attrition, with more than 400 soldiers missing, which had a qualitative impact on the combat effectiveness of the Xinwu Army, and the Xinwu Military as an iron army of the Qing Dynasty went to Taiwan, and it was the image of a modern army established by the Qing Dynasty, and before it reached its destination, it lost 20% of its troops.

Bai Langning's 2,000 victorious army had reached Mawei Harbor, and this army was well organized, and the morale of the 2,000 mongrels was high, and it was not plagued by injuries or diseases. This made Li Guolou embarrassed, and hurriedly went to find the military doctor of the Chang Shengjun and asked the foreign military doctor to treat the soldiers of the Xinwu Army.

The main symptom of the illness of the soldiers of the new armed forces is general fatigue, and in severe cases, they lose their ability to exercise, and lie on a stretcher like a puddle of mud. Even the five Shaolin warrior monks who were alive and well were also knocked down by injuries. Two of the warriors were already dying on the ship, and they were on the verge of dying. Looking at the soldiers who were tortured by injuries and diseases, how could Li Guolou not be in a hurry, there was still a long sea route to go, and if any soldiers were sick, wouldn't they defeat themselves and don't compete with the Japanese army.

Chang Shengjun's military doctors are very conscientious, and carefully inspect every patient, especially the condition of the five Shaolin monks. That is Li Guolou's iron warriors, one top ten, when the bayonet is red, five Shaolin warrior monks, enough to withstand the strength of a small team, and the loss of a Shaolin warrior monk also makes Li Guolou's heart ache.

Li Guolou hurriedly asked Fan Lipu, a British doctor, and asked, "Doctor Fan, what is the disease of my soldier?" Is it an infectious disease? ”

The tall and thin British doctor Fan Lipu had a solemn face, nodded and said: "Mike, to tell you the truth, this disease is a common disease in the navy, commonly known as beriberi, also known as 'beriberi center', after scurvy in the 19th century, another great enemy of military personnel on ships, and it is also common on Western warships. ”

"Necrosis!" Li Guolou screamed, so frightened that he almost fainted, didn't this kill him?

Van Lipp smiled lightly: "Mike, don't worry, fortunately you got off the ship and met me again, although this beriberi is an infectious disease, it can still be cured." ”

"Oh! That's good, Doctor Fan, you are the great savior of our new military army, as long as you can cure the soldier's illness, I will give each of you a jade Buddha. ”

Military doctor Fan Lipu waved his hand and said, "Mike, we are God's people, and we don't believe in the Buddha, so you can reward us with gold coins." ”

"Well, that's a deal." Li Guolou kindly shook Van Lip's hand, an angel sent by God to save him.

It is ridiculous to say that beriberi is caused by the fact that the disease enters from the mouth and goes back to the source, and the sick soldier does not eat too badly, but eats too good white rice, and the culprit is Li Guolou.

In order to enhance the physical fitness of the soldiers as soon as possible, Li Guolou, who had a lot of money, let the Xinwu army eat refined white rice, however, this kind of refined white rice lacked the nutrients necessary for the human body, and the nutrients in this rice grain, most of which existed in the wheat bran, were discarded as garbage in the process of processing refined white rice, and there was a lack of vegetables on the ship. Therefore, after the officers and men of the Xinwu Army suffered from this kind of beriberi, the officers and soldiers were allowed to eat brown rice again, and with the careful care of the British doctors, after three days, more than half of the soldiers were already able to go out for exercises.

This made Li Guolou accept a lesson, and the increase in physical fitness cannot rely on white rice, and the return to hardship and simplicity is the foundation of the long-term prosperity of the Xinwu Army. Therefore, after the New Armed Forces came to Mawei Port, the Quartermaster Department no longer issued new military uniforms, and wore patched clothes to liberate Taiwan. Li Guolou led by example, wearing a patched military uniform, haunting the barracks, cutting off one-third of his braids, looking a lot rougher.

Soon, the Xinwu army turned into an army with short braids. Su Yuanchun became bald again, and many officers and men shaved their heads, and practiced landing warfare and mountain warfare at Luoxing Mountain, and the joint military exercise of the New Armed Forces Army and the Changsheng Army, waiting for the march to Taiwan.