Outside the port of Mazatlan, a gentle sea breeze blows on the sea, and a huge fleet of dozens of warships and troop carriers is scattered in the bay of the port. The small dock is completely incapable of docking so many warships, so many pure troop carriers are lining up in the bay one after another, waiting to dock. On the wharf, soldiers in gray uniforms were disembarking in a line with muskets and ammunition on their shoulders, and the two batteries above the entire harbor had been controlled by the landing soldiers before a single shot was fired.

Shi Zhenji and Shi Zhengao stood on the deck of an ocean-going cruiser, looking at the dock densely packed with soldiers and soldiers, and then looked at the stars in the distance, where dozens of buildings were located in Mazatlan City, their faces were stunned.

"It's finally on land! Finally, I can have a meal of rice! I finally got to that bullshit Honolulu, there is only sandalwood, but no rice! Seok Jin Gao licked his mouth excitedly, couldn't help but grumble and look forward to it.

Although the troop carriers, which were purchased at half price from France, adopted a new type of clipper structure, it took a month and a half to set off from Fuzhou and cross the Pacific Ocean via the Ryukyus. Of course, there was a two-day stop on an island called Honolulu by a Chinese guide, replenishing fresh water and vegetable food. But the staple food is fried rice noodles, dry cakes or hard dumplings, which make Shizhen and others who are accustomed to eating rice hate. On the way to Honolulu Island, I didn't get rice because there was no rice, but I just ate a few hot white buns.

Seeing that Shi Zhengao talked about white rice and mentioned Honolulu, Shi Zhenji said dissatisfiedly: "Brother, Your Majesty sent me and others to cross the ocean and go to Mexico, but I didn't enjoy it. When you hit Mexico, how much rice do you want to eat? Also, even if you are my brother, I still have to record the mistakes you made in Honolulu, so you'd better make more contributions in the next war, otherwise, although it is not a big deal, it will still have an impact on your future. You should know that now it is not our original Taiping Army Wing King Soldiers, but the 21st Army Infantry Division, which was reorganized from the Yiyi Division, with strict military discipline and cannot be taken lightly. ”

Shi Zhen scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "Isn't it just that I slept with a female savage, and I still have to talk about such a thing!" After a month of sailing at sea, you know, brother, I have too much energy, and I can't stand it anymore...... Besides, it's not all my fault, who told the wild woman to run in front of me in the middle of the night without clothes on, this is not deliberately seducing me. Besides, I gave her three holy yuan. ”

"O my brother! When people seduce you, you will resist desperately, and even cry? Give back the three shengyuan, do you think this is the place of fireworks in Zhenhai City, where we were originally stationed? Shi Zhenji was speechless.

"Okay, okay, I promised, can't I!" Seok Jin Gao was angry with his younger brother and boss Seok Jin Yoshi.

Seeing that Shi Zhengao finally agreed, a sly smile appeared on the corner of Shi Zhenji's mouth.

Ten days ago, the expedition to Mexico was led by several Chinese guides, stopping at an island called Honolulu on the way, and resting for two days to replenish supplies. Shi Zhen Gao went out of the barracks in the middle of the night, and met a local indigenous Polynesian girl who was only wearing a few dumpling leaves, thinking that he was seducing him, so he held people down on the spot and put out the fire, so that the next day the girl's tribal leader sent someone to ask Shi Zhen Gao to be responsible, and married the indigenous girl, who knew that Shi Zhen Gao regretted it afterwards, and was unwilling, and finally Shi Zhen Ji, the commander of the 21st Infantry Division, had to come forward to agree for his brother, and let Shi Zhen Gao marry the girl when he returned home. The girl's father, however, claimed to be King Kamehameha III of Hawaii and was willing to lead the entire Kingdom of Hawaii as a vassal state of the Chinese Empire. Shi Zhenji hurriedly reported to Peng Yulin, the commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet and commander of the Pacific Fleet. Peng Yulin was naturally overjoyed, and hurriedly agreed, and summoned another major general, Lin Qirong, commander of the 11th Infantry Division, and Shi Zhenji, after the three of them discussed, they felt that this Hawaiian Islands must be controlled, and they happened to encounter Shi Zhengao's matter, so they pushed the boat down the river and had a marriage to bring this Hawaiian kingdom into the palm of the Chinese Empire.

Shi Zhenji even guessed whether the Hawaiian king deliberately let his daughter appear outside the barracks, after all, seeing a fleet of such a size and tens of thousands of soldiers, it was normal to want to stammer and take help.

Because Peng Yulin, the main general of this expedition, said that this Hawaiian Kingdom was first claimed by Britain as its territory, and later France claimed the sovereignty of Hawaii, and these powers, no matter who they were, were the existence that the Hawaiian Kingdom could not provoke. But after all, the focus of Britain and France is not in the Pacific Ocean, and it is not like this Chinese Empire Expeditionary Force, a huge fleet of tens of thousands of troops and dozens of warships, which looks like a mighty and mighty appearance, seeing is believing, the Hawaiian king of the indigenous tribal chieftain must agree with the strength of the Chinese Empire, plus these natives are barely a yellow race, and when they see the British and French Western whites, the sense of identity is definitely not as strong as that of the Han people. Therefore, it fell to the Chinese Empire. Of course, these Shi Zhenji also learned from Peng Yulin, the chief general of the expeditionary force.

At this time, the officers and men of the 11th Infantry Division in front had all disembarked from the ship, and it was the turn of their own 21st Infantry Division. Shi Zhenji ordered the herald beside him: "The infantry bring all their weapons, all of them, and disembark and land in order!" ”

When Shi Zhenji came to the shore, he found that the main general Peng Yulin and the commander of the 11th Infantry Division, Lin Qirong, were already waiting for him on the side.

Shi Zhenji knew that Peng Yulin was preparing to have a simple three-person meeting. In this expeditionary force, the General Staff clearly ordered Peng Yulin to be the commander, not only responsible for the naval operations of the Pacific Fleet, but also to coordinate the land campaigns of the two infantry divisions. After getting along with each other for a while, Shi Zhenji has become familiar with the command style of the forty-year-old Commander Peng, who likes to have simple meetings.

"Now that we have successfully arrived and landed in Mazatlan, a port on the west coast of Mexico, we will arrange the next battle plan according to the battle plan that has been drawn up earlier." Peng Yulin, who had a mustache, said in a calm voice: "First rest for a day in this Mazatlan, and tomorrow I will get on the boat again and set off for the mouth of the Balthus River, which is the closest to Mexico City." The French have sent guides to wait for us there! This Mazatlan could be garrisoned with a small number of soldiers as a supply base. ”

"However, before we set out, Your Majesty explained that, according to the agreement with France, our main targets were the states of northern Mexico. Therefore, Division Commander Shi and Division Commander Lin, each of your two divisions will send out a main infantry regiment to temporarily hold the port of Mazatlan with a detachment of the Pacific Fleet, and take the opportunity to occupy these two states on the California Peninsula. Questions? Peng Yulin looked at the two.

Lin Qirong and Shi Zhenji hurriedly nodded and said that there was no problem. Peng Yulin continued to arrange with satisfaction: "In terms of sailors, there are 6 ocean-going cruisers, 5 gunboats, and 3 frigates in the Pacific Fleet, a total of 14 warships, and another 65 troop carriers to transport soldiers and weapons and ammunition. Although Mexico's navy was established relatively early, due to Mexico's lack of financial resources, it only purchased some small warships from the United States, and it was no match for our Pacific Fleet at all. Therefore, I am ready to divide 14 warships into two subfleets. As I said earlier, a detachment is stationed in this harbor, and when the war on the French side begins, and the time is almost right, it will go north along this Californian bay, without going ashore, as long as all the small harbors along the coast are captured, and the main task is to occupy the California peninsula, and 20 troop carriers will go with your two main infantry regiments, and the strength should be enough. All the other main forces of the Pacific Fleet, escorting the remaining 45 troop carriers and the main forces of our army, set out from this Mazatlan and headed south, divided into two armies, the first army arrived at the mouth of the Balsace, and was led by French guides along the Balthus to Mexico City; The other army, together with the main forces of the Pacific Fleet, first captured the port of Acapulco in Guerrero and then advanced eastward from there, and the two armies were not far apart enough to echo each other, with the ultimate goal of Mexico City. You don't have to rush to find fighters to ensure your own safety! ”

Speaking of this, Peng Yulin seemed to remember something and said solemnly: "Your Majesty has specially explained that this Mexico belongs to the tropical region of South America, and the key to this march is to prevent jungle yellow fever. Mexico has a high incidence of bush-type yellow fever, a malignant plague caused by mosquito bites. Therefore, all soldiers who enter the jungle must apply the anti-mosquito plaster distributed to their whole body, and then put on a military uniform to avoid mosquito bites. As for the war, His Majesty said, don't worry. Let the French and those Mexicans fight first, and it's better to fight almost enough, and then let's clean up the mess. Remember, everything is about the safety of your brothers. ”

Seeing that Lin Qirong and Shi Zhenji both listened, Peng Yulin waved his hand: "Let the brothers have a good rest and go on the expedition tomorrow!" ”