"Salute!"

In the chorus of the military band, Liu Chang stood at the door in a straight military uniform to welcome Consul Fumar, and Consul Fumar was also moved by the treatment he received on Liu Chang's side. [].

The military band, the guards holding rifles, and Liu Chang's greeting at the door represent that Liu Chang greeted him with the treatment of a state guest, even if Fumar clearly knew that he was just a little person who was not worth mentioning, he still had different feelings.

Only here, Fumar could regain the feeling that he was a big man, and he also stretched out his hand to Liu Chang: "Your Excellency General Liu, I'm very happy to see you!" ”

"I'm so glad to meet you!" Liu Chang told Fumar: "I am very pleased to hear that some people are trying to undermine the stability of Shanghai, and the British government has not joined them, or even given the wrong signal, that I have always been a good partner of the British government in the Far East!" ”

Such a confession embarrassed Fumar a little, and he had to tell Liu Chang: "Your Excellency, I regret to tell you very much that I am not visiting Hangzhou in the name of an official representative of the government, but as your personal friend!" ”

But Liu Chang didn't mind, he smiled instead: "I'm not just a friend, but also a collaborator, and we have the same common interests in many places." ”

This is true, the neutralization of the port of Ningbo has brought countless benefits to Consul Fumar, some of them in terms of reputation, and some of them are huge wealth and glory that Fumar never imagined in his life.

Among the diplomats in all of China, the title of Ningbo Consul of Fumar is the most glorious and prominent, and even surpasses that of the British plenipotentiary in China, if you look at income.

Therefore, Fumar was more inclined to Hongjun, and he truthfully expressed his intentions: "Yes, we are not only friends, but also allies, and I have come to visit Hangzhou at the behest of His Excellency Paul Ling, Plenipotentiary of the British Government in China and Governor of Hong Kong, and to express His personal opinion. ”

"Not the official opinion of the British government?" Liu Chang asked: "I thought I could reach an alliance agreement with the British government. ”

When Fumar heard this, he was more inclined to Liu Chang, and he got rid of the neutral image of a British diplomat and told Liu Chang: "I also fought in front of His Excellency Bao Ling, but His Excellency Bao Ling said that some opium merchants played a very bad role in it, and the great powers must be unanimous!" ”

"Russian?" Liu Chang scolded unceremoniously: "Let the Russians get out of the Far East!" ”

"I love the language!" Fumar said unceremoniously: "Let's go in and talk, and I will do everything in my power to help you and your army!" ”

His position was completely on Liu Chang's side, and now they were already starting to talk about the details: "Does Your Excellency Bao Ling have any reply to my suggestion?" Now that the war has begun, I must begin to prepare for the occupation of the Jiangsu region! ”

Fumar smiled: "I am personally happy to see the Rainbow Army occupy the Jiangsu region, but the problem is that Your Excellency Bao Ling maintains a cautious attitude, he knows too little about the Rainbow Army, and he also knows too little about you."

Liu Chang's answer was too clever - "No matter how the situation changes, Shanghai will always be only my secondary target, and Ningbo is the most important port for our Hongjun." ”

"You're so right!" Of course, Fumar, the consul of Ningbo, wanted to hear such an answer, not to mention that he was actually still the big three in Ningbo Port, and he told Liu Chang: "In fact, Your Excellency Bao Ling is also inclined to you, but the French are dissatisfied with you, and they have united with the Russians. ”

The foreign rifle team dispatched this time was also composed of French and Russians plus a large number of Filipinos, so Liu Chang asked: "Why are the French hostile to me?" ”…,

"That's for the missionaries, of course!" Fumar said without hesitation: "To hell with the missionaries!" ”

As in history, the French have always been too enthusiastic about spreading Catholicism in China, in fact, they want to develop China into a Catholic country, and even have a dispute over the right to protect the Church.

Liu Chang was limited in his activities to the missionaries, but allowed them more freedom, but the French missionaries soon intervened as history did, even destroying the foundations of traditional Chinese rural society.

Clans, guilds, elders, judicial ...... The French missionaries completely ignored all this, and they took care of everything, even the judicial affairs of the countryside, dictating to the local administration.

Historically, this has attracted many believers for profit, but it has also led to a series of religious projects, and in this time and space, such conflicts have arisen one after another, especially since the township-level government of the Hongjun Army was originally a tool to deepen local control, and naturally it was in direct conflict with the French missionaries.

In the past few months, many French missionaries have been deported by the official announcement of the Hongjun because they are too deeply involved in Chinese society, but the French have not backed down on this issue and have begun to have a hostile attitude towards the Hongjun: "The French official has declared that you and the Taiping King are both heretics, but I? p>

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"Then did you fight in front of Your Excellency Bao Ling?" Liu Chang immediately regarded Fumar as his own: "I believe that you, a fellow ally, will not live up to my expectations." ”

"Of course, I'm conveying His Excellency's attitude now!" Fumar said with a smile: "Your Excellency Bao Ling said that he will not intervene in the civil war in China, as long as the war does not affect Shanghai, then he will not hold an attitude of non-involvement. ”

"Very good!" Liu Chang replied: "This paves the way for our next step of cooperation. ”

But Fumar continued: "But under the Bao Order, the Shanghai area is required to have the maximum security guarantee, so I hope that the Rainbow Army can maintain a minimum number of troops near Shanghai?" ”

"Minimally?" Liu Chang didn't understand what this meant: "What kind of standard?" ”

"Let's say the current Jiaxing Mansion!" Fumar replied: "About a cavalry battalion of cavalry, and two infantry battalions, that's about the same!" ”

The situation of the British is quite accurate, which is not much different from the actual strength of Jiaxing Prefecture, but Liu Chang disagrees: "You should know that Jiaxing Prefecture has seven counties, and the strength of two infantry battalions cannot be controlled at all, if the number of troops is too small, there will be problems with law and order, and then it will spread to Shanghai."

In response to such a reply, Fumar instead spoke slowly: "Yes, I also think that Your Excellency Bao Ling is too harsh, what do you think is the minimum force?" ”

Liu Chang thought for a while, and had already replied to Fumar: "I have just promised the commander of the Jiaxing area to expand an infantry battalion into an infantry regiment, plus the original another infantry battalion, and an additional infantry battalion reinforcements, I think it's about the same!" ”

"That's five infantry battalions and one cavalry battalion?" Fumar shook his head and said: "This is too far from Your Excellency's bottom line, you have to make some concessions, I suggest that you can follow your original method, do not send reinforcements, but expand one infantry battalion into a detachment composed of two infantry battalions." ”

Liu Chang didn't expect Fumar to know so much about the formation of the Hong Army, but he quickly replied: "That's three infantry battalions and one cavalry battalion?" ”

"That's right!" Fumar replied: "Also, as far as I know, you have formed local units at the county and township levels, and we can not talk about it. ..., Liu Chang has understood that Fumar has made concessions in this regard, although he said that he would not talk about it, but in essence he acquiesced: "Then how about you make a little more concession?" Replace that cavalry battalion with an infantry battalion, I will deploy four infantry battalions in Jiaxing Province, and that cavalry battalion will withdraw from Jiaxing Province after the battle! ”

“ok！” Fumar was pleased with this result: "I also think that four infantry battalions are the minimum to maintain law and order in a large province, and the same should be done in other state capitals adjacent to Shanghai!" ”

"Then we can open a bottle of champagne to celebrate!" Liu Chang replied: "Our cooperation will be very pleasant! ”

For the Hong Army, which is now fully implementing the spring offensive, it does not have the strength to resist the Anglo-French coalition army, and the deployment of four infantry battalions in a state capital, plus local armed forces, although it is a little insufficient, but Liu Chang is not even able to form these four infantry battalions, like Jiaxing Mansion, he can only send reinforcements from one infantry battalion.

And Fumar told Liu Chang: "Don't rush to open champagne, you should speed up the march to southern Jiangsu?" ”

“why？” Although Liu Chang had already guessed the approximate answer, he still had to ask.

And this satisfied the vanity of Consul Fumar very well, and he laughed loudly: "Your Excellency General Liu, you probably don't know yet, do you? The government forces in the Jiangsu direction had just suffered huge losses in a battle with the Taiping army, which ......"

He lowered his voice: "There is a sensational infighting in their capital, Tianjing, which, according to the bits and pieces of information we have obtained, will surpass the St. Bartholomew massacre, what a sensational!" ”

It's just that his next actions completely exposed Fumar's intentions, and he told Liu Chang: "You must speed up your actions, the southern Jiangsu region is currently in a military vacuum, as long as you speed up your actions, you will occupy the richest region of the Eastern Empire." ”

Liu Chang immediately praised: "Thank you so much for your help, if you agree, I would like to return 3% of the tax revenue of Ningbo Port to you as your activity fund for running for Sino-British friendship!" Do you think it's possible? ”

Consul Fumar immediately said that this was a very good suggestion: "Then I will work hard for 20 years for the friendship between China and Britain!" ”

He knew very well that the three percent tax revenue of Ningbo Port was an astonishing astronomical amount.