The sun sets, the sunset is golden, sprinkled on the Yangtze River, and the scenery is breathtaking.

However, an uninvited visitor suddenly appeared on the river at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and a fleet flying the Stars and Stripes was heading up the river towards Wusongkou.

Wusongkou, originally called Huangpukou, since the Wusongjiang River channel silted up, the Huangpu River became the main river, so Huangpukou became the current Wusongkou, guarding the Yangtze River flank and the fortress of the Huangpu River, has always been a place for soldiers to fight, but also the gateway of Shanghai.

Since Li Weiguo occupied Baoshan County, he realized that this was the gateway to Shanghai, and it was also the only waterway for the fleets of the great powers to enter Shanghai from the sea, and it was necessary to focus on defense.

Originally, the Qing army had fortifications at Wusongkou, with two forts in the east and west, and 30 artillery pieces. In the Sino-British War of 1840, Chen Huacheng resisted the British fleet here and repelled the attacks of the British fleet many times, but the final fall also exposed a lot of big problems.

Li Weiguo promoted a group of generals from Chen Huacheng's old department, one of whom was named Lin Yao, who was once a subordinate of Peng Wenyuan, the general soldier of Shanghai, Peng Wenyuan was killed when the Little Knife Society attacked Shanghai, Lin Yao led more than 700 elites to break through and take refuge in Li Weiguo.

Lin Yao is a fierce general, brave and strategic, after joining the Li family's army, he performed outstandingly, managed the army in a good way, and won Li Weiguo's attention, so Li Weiguo ordered him to lead 5,000 defenders to guard the Wusongkou Fort, and at the same time, in view of the defense loopholes at that time, the south fort and the north fort were built in the South Stone Pond, and the anti-slope fort was built on the front line of the Lion Forest to prevent the enemy from outflanking the main fort from behind.

68 artillery pieces of various calibers were added to the entire Wusongkou fortress, including 12 64-pounder heavy fortress guns. The firing range directly covered the south bank of the Yangtze River and the entire Huangpu River, and the original masonry fortifications were all replaced by iron-reinforced concrete structures by Li Weiguo. Infantry support bunkers and bunkers were added to protect the safety of the fortress fort and ensure that the fort fort became an iron bolt guarding the west gate of Shanghai.

"It's the American fleet! Report to the General quickly! ”

On the lookout tower of the East Fort of Wusongkou, a soldier of the Li family army spotted the fleet through a telescope, and he recognized the Americans' Stars and Stripes and quickly warned them.

The rapid sound of the siren was sounded, and the defenders of the entire East Fort quickly rushed out of the hidden underground artillery holes. The artillerymen quickly entered their respective gun emplacements, opened the bunker gates, and pushed out the cannons hidden inside. Enter the combat position. At the same time, the ammunition depot was opened, shells and propellants were taken out, and as soon as the artillery commander gave the order, it was immediately ready to go into battle.

Equally. From the barracks, a group of Li Jiajun soldiers were assembled. Quickly drive out, and quickly enter the bunkers and bunkers that they are responsible for guarding along the infantry plank road, and everything is in order.

In less than five minutes, both infantry and artillery all entered combat positions, waiting for orders from the top. The four fortress batteries in the east, west, north and south have been mobilized one after another and have entered a state of combat readiness.

Lin Yao, commander of the Wusongkou Fortress, quickly ascended to the highest point of the East Fort, looked at the river through the telescope, and saw seven American warships slowly heading towards Wusongkou.

"Shooting warning! Flag slogan ask them what they are going to do? ”

The order is given. An empty cannon rang out, and a howling pierced the sky.

At the foreground is the American battleship USS Saskana. Matthew C. Perry, Admiral of the U.S. Asia (East Indies) Fleet, and Robert Mclane, the new U.S. Minister to China, were startled when they heard the sound of cannons coming from the Wusongkou Fortress, and hurried to the foredeck.

Perry saw the flag of Li Jiajun from the telescope, and immediately asked puzzled: "Mr. Minister, didn't you say that the people of the Qing Dynasty don't know how to communicate?" How can they display the common flag of the international navy? ”

Mai Lian took the binoculars and looked at them, and sure enough, she found that the Shanghai soldiers on Fort Hill were waving flags at them, so she replied: "This is also my first time in Asia, and Ma Shali told me before. Admiral Perry, you don't have to be nervous, according to the provisions of the "US-Qing Wangxia Treaty", our warships have the right to enter and exit the treaty port. ”

Perry nodded, and immediately ordered someone to reply to the other party with a flag, indicating his identity and purpose.

On Fortress Hill, Lin Yao quickly learned of the intentions of the U.S. Navy fleet, but he was unwilling to let the U.S. fleet in like this, he always had a bad feeling, feeling that the arrival of the U.S. Navy this time was ill-intentioned.

Lin Yao looked at the instructor Li Xiang beside him and asked worriedly: "Staff Officer Li, you said that we killed seven or eight American soldiers last year, and now they are here with the fleet, they won't want to retaliate against us, right?" ”

Staff officers, as the name implies, is a military ideological and political system established by Li Weiguo in imitation of the modern military staff system and in light of the current actual environment, in order to further enhance the combat effectiveness of the Li family army, and at the same time strengthen the control over the officers and men of the Li family, so that they will always be loyal to Li Weiguo alone.

The staff officers of this system are all members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Bureau, and they have received strict military, strategic, intelligence, and counter-espionage training, and they are soldiers brought out by Li Weiguo himself, and they are extremely loyal to Li Weiguo.

Of course, the staff officers are not the military commanders, but only provide staff officers and suggestions to the military commanders, as Li Weiguo's direct eyes in the army, unless the military commanders have the possibility of rebellion, they have no right to interfere with the military commanders' military command, and this is also a tight spell that Li Weiguo has put on the China S.H.I.E.L.D. to prevent organizations like Jinyiwei and Dongchang in the Ming Dynasty from eventually getting out of control and becoming a national tumor.

Li Xiang is a graduate of the second phase of the China S.H.I.E.L.D. trainees, because all the 100 students of the first phase were sent out by Li Weiguo to carry out the hidden mission, so the second phase of the students became the pillars of the China S.H.I.E.L.D. department. Li Xiang is the leader of the second phase of the students, because he came from the Li family clan, he did not participate in the plot to seize Li Weiguo's family property, so later Li Weiguo made a career, under the intercession of Li's father, Li Weiguo enabled a group of Li family clan children, including Li Xiang, he is five years older than Li Weiguo, but a generation younger than Li Weiguo, and went to private school, so among a large number of illiterate classmates in S.H.I.E.L.D., he learned very quickly, got Li Weiguo's respect, and was sent to a key position such as Wusongkou Fortress as the chief of staff of the fortress.

Hearing Lin Yao ask him at this time, Li Xiang smiled slightly and said: "If I remember correctly, the twelve-year validity period of the Qingmei Wangxia Treaty has expired, and according to the provisions of the treaty, the two sides will negotiate new terms for the renewal of the contract, and if General Lin is not willing to let them in, he can completely use this reason to block them." ”

Lin Yao's eyes lit up suddenly, and he asked again: "Foreigners have always been arrogant, and now that the Americans have driven the fleet, it is estimated that they will not agree, what if it starts?" ”

People in this era are afraid of war with foreigners, not because they dare not fight with foreigners, but because of a decree of the imperial court that foreign-related disputes must not be initiated, whether you win or lose, you will end up with Lin Zexu.

After all, Li Xiang had been brainwashed by Li Weiguo, and he was not as nervous about foreigners as Lin Yao, so he smiled and said: "As long as General Lin has the ability to win the battle, Lord Li will naturally be happy and reward you for your merits." But I want to remind you that our Lord Li is a master who never wants to suffer, and if you lose the battle and disgrace Lord Li, then I have to remind you, be careful that you can't eat and walk around. ”

"I'm relieved to have your words!" Lin Yao suddenly smiled and immediately ordered the herald to return the flag to the Americans, the treaty period had expired, and the American fleet was not allowed to sail into the Huangpu River.

On the Saskana, Perry and Mai Lian were also taken aback after receiving Li Jiajun's reply, the former was immediately furious, and the latter was lost in thought.

Perry said angrily: "These Qing people don't remember to eat or fight, it seems that it is necessary to teach them a lesson!" ”

Mai Lian worried: "The reason why I asked you to bring the fleet over this time is just to scare the Qing people, we want to avenge the American soldiers who died in the hands of Li Weiguo, but we don't want to start a war with the Qing people." ”

Perry snorted coldly and said: "The Qing people don't even know where our United States is, their ships can't reach the United States at all, even if there is a war, we can only fight them, they can't fight us at all, what are you afraid of?" ”

Mai Lian still hesitated: "You are a soldier who does not understand politics, this matter is not as simple as you think, I must first meet with the British and French ministers, and after implementing some issues, I can take action." ”

Perry couldn't listen, patted Mai Lian on the shoulder and said: "Don't worry, I'm just teaching the Qing people, just like I taught the Japanese in Japan, only by letting them see the power of our American fleet, can they sit down and talk, I'm also for your good, I will give the Qing people a dismount first, so that they are afraid of us, so that you can negotiate with them, they will not dare to snub you, and talking about things will get twice the result with half the effort." ”

"This—" Merlin was a little moved, and Perry's words made sense, and he hesitated for a moment.

"Alright, that's it!" Perry immediately made a decision for Mai Lian, since he opened the door to Japan, he is full of arrogance, and does not put the so-called Celestial Empire in his eyes at all, in his opinion, last time it was just a little to scare the Qing government, and forced the Qing government to sign the Wangxia Treaty, and now that the Wangxia Treaty has expired, it is just time for him to use force again, so that the contract can be renewed.

Perry was excited at the thought of making meritorious service again.

"Beat the flag and tell the Qing people that if we don't let us pass, we will pass by force!"

On Fort Mountain, when Lin Yao knew that the U.S. Navy was going to forcibly pass through Wusongkou, his heart was also stirred up blood.

"Back then, the old general Chen Huacheng beat the British fleet here, and now I, Lin Yao, am by no means a bad breed!"

Lin Yao immediately ordered: "Pass my order, prepare for battle, and never let the ship of the American devil pass through Wusongkou!" ”

The battle horn sounded, and the officers and men of the Li family on the Wusongkou fortress suddenly became excited, loaded their shells, and prepared for a battle with the US Navy.

At the same time, Perry saw that the Wusongkou fortress had entered a fighting state, and he was not to be outdone.

"Pass my orders, raise the battle flag, and prepare for battle!"

In an instant, the murderous atmosphere on the Huangpu River was pervasive, and the battle was about to break out. (To be continued......)