If Luo Yang is bluffing and emboldening himself, I'm afraid no one will object, because, everyone has found that in the face of the US Navy fleet, the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom really can't come up with a strong countermeasure, using wooden ships and a few gunboats to fight against a powerful sea surface ship.

This is indeed the air deliberately released by Luo Yang,

In front of the envoys of Britain, France and other countries, they deliberately took out the same arrogant and arrogant style of the Manchu court decades ago, but in fact, in the construction of the navy, there was no dry goods.

Unfortunately, when this dry thing broke the news, it made the powers feel very funny.

"Excuse me, honorable French minister, how do you think France can help the people of the great Chinese Heavenly Kingdom?" Luo Yang summoned the French minister and openly asked for help: "The US Navy is invincible to us. ”

The French minister looked helpless: "This is a matter for your two countries." ”

"For the sake of the friendship between China and France, can't France reinforce us?" Luo Yang looked very distressed,

"Reinforcements, no, no, no, why." The French minister was shocked: "We are not allies of your country, we and the United States are also normal state relations, not enemies, and we have no intention of getting involved in such a serious major power dispute." ”

Luo Yang persuaded him that he should be friendly to China, because the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom so generously invited the French industry to station,

"It's a commercial and economic friendship, it can't be extended to military politics, we don't have that right, and our emperor won't allow it." The French minister, naturally, will not be stupid,

"Then, we may be able to formalize a political alliance and a military alliance." Luo Yang put forward many wonderful prospects to France, hoping that France would come to the aid of the Chinese Heavenly Kingdom and strike at the American fleet,

The French minister shook his head again and again: "This is no longer a matter for contemptible people to decide and discuss. ”

Luo Yang then formally asked France to form an alliance, hoping that France would send a fleet to protect the coastal zone of the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom.

The French Emperor Napoleon III, almost without thinking, rejected this request,

Luo Yang then retreated: "Can we sign a cooperation agreement between the two countries?" ”

The conditions proposed by the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom were quite tempting, asking the French government to build a naval fleet for the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom, and also put forward a formal list,

At the same time, the Chinese Heavenly Kingdom also put forward a request to the British government to form a military alliance to jointly fight against the United States.

The British minister almost glared at the blue beads of his eyes white, "This is impossible." ”

Luo Yang put forward many preferential conditions and promised to make major concessions in the opening and cultivation of the market, but the British did not have the slightest temptation.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, we also have a traditional friendship with the United States, and we share the same ancestor." Glo said in a compassionate tone: "We don't want to shoot at our own people, because we have no reason to harm another country for the sake of the friendship of one country. ”

In fact, during the negotiations, the British minister sneered, believing that all these problems were the result of the Chinese Heavenly Kingdom's government's self-indulgence and wanton provocation.

The British government's plan, not to mention Luo Yang, is sick, because he is worried about Luo Yang's suspicions, Li Hongzhang, who specially wrote to him, made it clear: "Your Excellency, we don't expect the great powers to come to help us, because they are all the same hill and one raccoon dog, if the foreigners are not towards the foreigners, are they still called foreigners, and the foreigners have ganged up to bully China together for a long time." ”

Zhang Zhidong and the others, seeing that Luo Yang was so panicked under the tough political statement, were also stunned: "Lord Consul, don't be busy, the British will definitely not help us, they are all the country of tigers and wolves, and I am afraid that we wish we were at war with the United States, so that we could take advantage of the fire to rob." ”

Many officials of the former Qing Dynasty sneered at Luo Yang's current contradictory policies, feeling that he was arrogant and provoked Americans who did not dare to provoke him.

This trend, this trend of thought, spread rapidly, and naturally, the personnel of the great powers in China have heard of it.

The port of Weihaiwei on the Shandong Peninsula was occupied by the First Fleet of the United States because of its value, and the Americans, who were supplying fresh water and looting coal and other materials, also obtained sufficient information from the hands of the personnel of the Great Powers in China, and made great mockery of the defensive measures and forces of the Chinese Heavenly Kingdom, as well as the attitude of Britain, France, and other countries for temporary cramming.

The first round of pleading failed, and Luo Yang sent diplomats led by Zhang Zhidong to carry out new diplomatic public relations between Britain and France, and they were entangled.

On the desk of the French government, in the royal palace of Napoleon III, a list of secret military orders was obtained, and the amount was outrageously large,

"Two battleships, 8,000 to 10,000 tons, each battleship is required to have more than 10 front main guns, more than 150 mm caliber, and a total firepower of 50 to 80 cannons, in addition, eight cruisers, all with a displacement of 3,000 tons, ten gunboats, varying in displacement, all mines, torpedo shells, etc., are required to be supplied."

These lists, forwarded by the French minister, made the French funny,

The French emperor is said to have casually shown this list to the empress, and from this, commented on the intelligence of the consuls of the Chinese Heavenly Kingdom, the beautiful woman with bare breasts and backs, laughing and trembling,

French government officials, too, in extremely disrespectful terms, discussed this list,

The French government is not unfamiliar with this list, but feels that it cannot participate in this arms purchase at present, otherwise, it will be military assistance to the Chinese country.

"This arrogant yellow leader should be taught a lesson."

The French are gloating,

However, the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom sent many officials and repeatedly asked for it, and finally it was France who was tempted, because, first, the number of lists was narrowed, and France could be competent in shipbuilding, second, the Chinese side promised that after the end of the Sino-American war, the goods could be delivered by France, so that it would not affect international relations during the war, and would not make France embarrassed, and third, the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom would pay the deposit, and the price of the ships would be 10% to 20% higher than the normal market price.

So, after several rounds of arduous negotiations, the French government agreed to build a battleship with a tonnage of seven thousand five and eight cruisers for the Chinese Heavenly Kingdom.

At the same time, negotiations were also intensifying on military orders for Britain, and Britain's attitude was the same as that of France, first refusing, and later, under the conditions of flexible adjustment of the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom, finally agreed: first, to build two battleships of 8,000 tons and six cruisers of 2,500 tons for the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom, equipped with all necessary auxiliary ships, weapons and ammunition, etc., and second, to wait for the end of the war between the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom and the United States before supplying them.

Then, the Huaxia Heavenly Kingdom put forward a request to Prussia to build ships, this country was busy with the war of unification, and did not agree, but could not stand the rhetoric of the Chinese side, and agreed, the shipbuilding industry in Germany in the future is still good, a battleship of 8,000 tons, four cruisers, all ironclad ships,