At night, the cannon of Wusongkou rumbled, and the fire shone brightly.

After several hours of fierce fighting, the U.S. Navy failed to destroy any of the forts in Wusongkou, but four of its seven warships were hit by large-caliber shells fired from the forts, causing damage to the hull and hundreds of casualties.

On the other hand, on Fort Hill, the Shanghai troops on the Wusongkou fortress relied on solid iron and brazing concrete fortifications to block most of the direct shells fired from the US warships, so that the Shanghai officers and soldiers suffered very few casualties, and after several hours of fighting, only three people were accidentally wounded by stray shrapnel.

Perry was annoyed by this situation, and the good mood from Japan's brilliant victory was gone.

"Let the Marines attack and outflank the batteries, and I don't believe they can't be defeated!"

Seeing that Perry had become angry and ordered the U.S. Marines to launch a ground attack, McLene, as the minister to China, suddenly became anxious, he was a politician and would not be annoyed and angry after losing the battle like Perry. Mai Lian's mind has always been very clear-headed, and the reason why she didn't stop Perry from the beginning was just because he also hoped that Perry could give Li Weiguo a dismissal to facilitate the next negotiations.

But when Perry led the most advanced fleet of the U.S. Navy to attack the Wusongkou fortress and failed, and instead of getting a bargain, he suffered hundreds of casualties, and Mai Lian's heart was already shaken.

Hearing Perry order the Marines to attack at this moment is not okay, because once the infantry launches an attack, it is tantamount to expanding the situation, and it is no longer an artillery incident, but an armed conflict, and it is even possible that the situation will get out of control and turn into a war between the Qing and the United States.

"Immediate cessation of military operations!" As a brilliant politician, Merlin immediately stopped Perry's efforts to further expand the conflict.

Perry was also angry for a while, and after being stopped by Mai Lian, he also realized that he had almost made a big mistake. However, for the sake of face, he still said: "It is late today, the enemy's situation is unknown, which is not conducive to military action, we will rest for the night, and we will clean them up tomorrow." ”

Despite Perry's hard talk, he did fail. He couldn't believe it, he was leading a fleet composed of the most advanced warships in the United States, and the Japanese, who could easily scare them, immediately succumbed, but they reached the Great Qing Kingdom. The blood that was dripping in this first battle made him angry and frightened.

I think that when Qingmei signed the Treaty of Wangxia, Perry once brought a fleet to help, at that time, the Qing army was backward in weapons and rigid in tactics, and Perry didn't pay attention to it at all, and now he came to this mysterious Eastern Empire again, and he suddenly found a difference. At least the Shanghai army in front of him made him dare not despise it.

As the American fleet stopped attacking, Lin Yao on Battery Hill also ordered a halt to the shelling.

At this moment, Lin Yao was very happy, he saw with his own eyes that his artillery shells hit the American warship, causing heavy casualties to the American soldiers above. On the other hand, only a few of their own personnel were injured. This is the big victory, a victory that I never dared to think of before.

"Congratulations General Lin, you have shocked the Americans this time, but you have made a great contribution!" Chief of Staff Li Xiang said with a smile.

Lin Yao smiled. said: "This is all due to Staff Officer Li's reminder, and when I ask for credit from my lord, I will definitely not forget Staff Officer Li." ”

Li Xiang shook his head. Said: "General Lin must remember that this time the request for merit Chen must not be given to our family, but directly to the new Governor of Liangjiang, Lord Yiliang." Don't mention that I gave you the idea, you must bite one to the death, that is, the Americans invaded the country for no reason, you were ordered to fight back, if someone asks you whose order you have in the future, you must remember, you must not say that you are on the order of our Lord Li, but on the order of Yiliang, the governor of Liangjiang! ”

Lin Yao didn't quite understand, he didn't know that the new governor of Liangjiang Yiliang and the governor of Jiangsu, Ji'er Hang'a, had arrived in Shanghai and were embarrassing Li Weiguo everywhere.

Li Xiang then told the ins and outs of the matter, Li Xiang, as a staff officer, he naturally had to think about Li Weiguo, so he encouraged Lin Yao to fight with the Americans, the purpose was very simple, deliberately the whole foreign-related incident came out, if the court blamed it, it would be blamed on Yiliang, the governor of Liangjiang, and if the court rewarded it, it was the credit of Li Jiajun.

"It's been a long time, but I was used as a gun by you!" Lin Yao suddenly understood, and pretended to be angry and glared at Li Xiang.

Li Xiang laughed and said, "General Lin has wronged me, we are all doing things for adults, and many things don't necessarily have to wait for adults to explain in person." For example, this American suddenly came, this is definitely the best helper for our family. ”

Lin Yao can fight, but he doesn't understand the ways of officialdom, so he asked, "What does Staff Officer Li mean?" ”

Li Xiang looked at the river in the distance, snorted coldly, and explained to Lin Yao: "There are people in the imperial court who want to be unfavorable to our family, and they sent Yiliang, the governor of Liangjiang, and Jierhang'a, the governor of Jiangsu, to make trouble. Now that the Americans are here, we have made such a drama in Wusongkou, the imperial court will inevitably shake, with the wisdom of our family, we will definitely seize this matter and make a big fuss, even if we can't kill Yiliang and Gilhang'a, they can drive them away, and they will point fingers at our Li Jiajun. ”

Lin Yao nodded and said with a smile: "Staff Officer Li, it's really condescending for you not to be a staff member for our family!" ”

Li Xiang smiled bitterly: "It's just a small plan, if any staff member of our family's shogunate is here, he will do the same as me." ”

"Staff Officer Li must be too modest!" Lin Yao said that in his eyes, Li Xiang was a good strategist.

At this moment, the scouts reported that the American fleet had sailed into Wusong Pass again.

Lin Yao suddenly said angrily: "Damn, the American devil doesn't remember to eat or fight, why don't you give up?" Give me orders, and prepare—"

"Wait!" Before Lin Yao finished speaking, he heard Li Xiang stop him: "General Lin, you can let the American fleet over!" ”

The second monk Lin Yaozhang was puzzled and asked, "Staff Officer Li, you asked me to fight, but now you want to let them go, so aren't we fighting in vain?" ”

Li Xiang smiled: "How can it be for nothing? On the contrary, if General Lin really blocked the American fleet at Wusongkou, it would really be in vain! ”

Seeing that Lin Yao didn't understand, Li Xiang continued: "Only by putting the Americans in can they go to Shanghai to find trouble." Now in the county town of Shanghai, Yiliang and Gilhanga have the final say, and the Americans will definitely go to trouble the two of them, and when the time comes, it will cause a diplomatic incident between the Qing and the United States. In a fit of rage, the imperial court had to transfer them out of Shanghai even if they didn't kill the two of them. Only in this way can our adults take control of Shanghai again. ”

Lin Yao suddenly sighed: "You strategists are really good at calculating people, this is simply killing people without seeing blood!" ”

"Hey, what do you mean?" Li Xiang was suddenly unhappy.

Lin Yao smiled and hurriedly changed his words: "Fortunately, Staff Officer Li is my own person, and I have Staff Officer Li to give me advice, and I will definitely rise to the top in the future, and I will be promoted and make a fortune just around the corner!" ”

Li Xiang was immediately angry.

Meanwhile. 38 The Bund, British Legation, Shanghai.

Li Weiguo and Su Sanniang came together and asked to see the British Minister Bao Ling.

At this time, in the British Legation, Bao Ling was talking with the French Minister Bourblon. The two of them had already learned that the American fleet was blocked by the Shanghai army at Wusongkou and that the two sides were fighting, but they did not know what the result would be, but based on their analysis of the military strength of the Great Qing State, the American fleet had an overwhelming advantage. Victory is inevitable.

At the end of last year, before leaving Shanghai, former US minister to China, Marshali, held secret talks with Bao Ling and Bourblon, during which the three exchanged views on one of the treaties of Jiangning (Nanjing), Wangxia, and Whampoa concerning the renegotiation of the relevant trade terms after 12 years. All three agreed to propose to the Qing government to revise the treaty after it expired this year.

Both of them have the word "privilege" on their titles as ministers to China, which means that Bao Ling and Bourblon have the right to directly do things that are beneficial to their respective countries. There is no need to consult the country. But Mashali is different, he has no privileges, and can only return to China to consult the US government to decide.

Therefore, Mashali returned to China and asked the U.S. government for advice during this period. Bao Ling and Bourblon tried to meet with Emperor Xianfeng to discuss the revision of the treaty, but they were all refused, and Xianfeng also ordered the governors and governors of the coastal provinces to be on strict guard against foreigners. After learning that the Taiping Army's Northern Expedition was approaching Tianjin, they felt that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom might win the civil war, so they had been secretly discussing whether they could concentrate the limited military forces of Britain and France in Asia to launch a military operation to force the Qing government to agree to amend the treaty and give Britain and France more rights and interests.

However, not long after, when Bao Ling and Bourblon gathered a total of 27 British and French warships and 15,000 soldiers in Hong Kong to go to Dagukou to scare the Qing government, the Russian fleet suddenly invaded Heilongjiang, and the Qing army's Heilongjiang naval division was completely annihilated. This incident immediately dispelled the idea of scaring the Qing government, and immediately sent this fleet to Heilongjiang, but instead of fighting the Russians, they lost more than half of their troops.

Since the British and French governments had already transferred the main forces and military supplies to the Crimean battlefield, the British and French forces in the Far East were limited, and after the defeat of Bao Ling and Burbulon, they did not dare to use the remaining forces easily, so they temporarily reconciled with the Qing government and joined the Qing government to resist the Russian invasion in Heilongjiang.

At this time, in the office, Bao Ling and Burblon learned that the American fleet was fighting with the Shanghai army, and they were quite happy, because it was inconvenient for them to come forward to force the Qing government to revise the treaty, and they could only count on the Americans to come forward. After Britain forced the Qing government to sign the Jiangning Treaty, the Americans then took advantage of the bargain and forced the Qing government to sign the Wangxia Treaty.

"I think Li Weiguo's strength is developing too fast, it must be restricted, you really shouldn't have sold him so many ordnance materials, and even sold him the arsenal."

Speaking of Li Weiguo, Bourblon raised his concerns.

Bao Ling smiled: "You can't blame us, when Xiaodao captured Shanghai, the Taiping army captured Jinling, and they all threatened our safety and interests in the concession." On the matter of supporting Li Weiguo, I greeted you, and you also nodded in agreement. What's more, when it comes to selling arms, if you hadn't also issued a quotation to Li Weiguo, do you think we would have sold all the arsenals to him in the end? It's not like you're forcing it! ”

Bourblon was suddenly embarrassed, he was red when he saw Li Weiguo and Bao Ling reach a huge arms sales agreement again and again, so when Li Weiguo secretly contacted him, he expressed his willingness to sell French arsenal equipment and technology to Li Weiguo, but soon he found out that he was tricked by Li Weiguo.

As soon as he thought of this, Bourblon became angry, and he said: "This Li Weiguo is too cunning, he didn't want to buy our French weapons at all, but he negotiated terms with us seriously, in fact, he was borrowing us to exert pressure on you British, you are afraid that Li Weiguo will buy our French weapons, so he will definitely give in, and finally let Li Weiguo get his wish." ”

Bao Ling also nodded and said, "Indeed, this Li Weiguo is so cunning, I really can't believe that he is not yet twenty years old, and what he does is even more cunning than my old man." ”

Burblon said with a smile: "Last year, Li Weiguo shot and killed an American soldier, and the US government will definitely retaliate, and now that the US fleet is coming, Li Weiguo can't eat and walk around, and it is estimated that he will come to us soon." ”

Bao Ling nodded and said: "That's right, it's good to kill Li Weiguo's arrogance, so that he doesn't know how many pounds and taels he has, and he is trying to deter us by killing American soldiers!" ”

Burblon said: "I heard that Li Weiguo is negotiating with you about the purchase of your country's retired warships, this time you don't sell the warships to him easily, otherwise it will really make him bigger, and next time he will shoot not American soldiers but your British Empire soldiers!" ”

"How dare he?" Bao Ling snorted coldly, and then smiled: "However, you French are the same, don't be tricked by Li Weiguo again!" If he buys a warship from you this time, you must not believe it! ”

"How so!" Bourblon smiled, but his face was ugly, and he didn't know if he was jealous of the British for selling warships to Li Weiguo.

The two old foxes have their own ghosts, and although they are cooperating on the surface, they are also competing secretly.

At this moment, Li Weiguo came to visit, and both of them looked at each other in unison, revealing a treacherous smile.

Soon, Li Weiguo took Su Sanniang into Bao Ling's reception room.

Seeing that the French minister Bourblon was also present, Li Weiguo couldn't help but be stunned, and then smiled slightly, and curled the corners of his cunning mouth. (To be continued......)