The relocation of the arsenal is a definite fact, and the steel needed can be supplied by railroad from the Hanyang Iron Works and by construction of a steel mill in Chenzhou or Xiangtan. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 infoTo this end, Chen Wenqiang will not hesitate to spend millions of yuan.

Nominally, because of Zhang Zhidong's departure, Chen Wenqiang wanted to do his best to protect his property from infringement. In fact, the proximity to the Yangtze River and the vulnerability of the Hubei arsenal to attack are the reasons why Chen Wenqiang is most worried.

The absence of naval divisions, the lack of artillery, this is the current defect of the revolutionary army. The previous short leg is difficult to make up for. Unlike artillery, it can be bought and built; How much money is needed for a warship, and how long does it take to train sailors?

By moving the arsenal to the hinterland of Hunan, or even Chenzhou, which is very close to Guangdong, Chen Wenqiang's forces in Guangdong will be able to provide protection nearby; If the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway is connected, it will be surprisingly fast from Shaoguan to Chenzhou.

What's more, there is also the new army of the two standards in Hunan, which will always play a certain role through personnel infiltration, food and weapons control, and become Chen Wenqiang's bargaining chip to protect his own interests.

As far as Zhang Zhidong is concerned, his reliance and appreciation for Chen Wenqiang, the cherishing of the business results of more than ten years in Huguang, and the care of his old cronies have all made him have to make more appropriate arrangements before leaving office.

After counting, Chen Wenqiang may be the most suitable person to ensure that Zhang Zhidong leaves office with peace of mind. Cunning and sleek, but shrewd and capable, the things he explains can always be done in the fastest and best way.

Whether it is the reform to promote the good and eliminate the bad, the fundraising of long-sleeved dancers, the social resources of the constitutionalists and overseas Chinese, or the vigorous and resolute construction of railways, and the resolute suppression of bandits and chaos, Chen Wenqiang has done an unexpectedly beautiful job.

Therefore, Zhang Zhidong thinks that as long as Chen Wenqiang does not fall. If he can continue to play an active role, his painstaking efforts and achievements in Huxiang for more than ten years will be able to consolidate and continue to develop. The new army in Hubei, which he had painstakingly trained, would not be short of food and wages, and if the armed forces could be stabilized, the stability of the two provinces would be basically guaranteed.

In other words, Zhang Zhidong hopes to reassure Chen Wenqiang. Whether or not Chen Wenqiang contributes money and efforts, whether it is economic construction or the formation and training of the new army, whether Chen Wenqiang contributes money or not, and whether he gives full play to his influence to attract investment, is of great importance.

can come to such a judgment and conclusion, in the final analysis, Chen Wenqiang's disguise is too successful. No one would have thought that such a guy would be a revolutionary party when he slaughtered the "anti-Qing righteous people" and did his best for the economic construction of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Or the head of the revolutionary party! And Chen Wenqiang did not directly intervene in the army, which is also a reason why Zhang Zhidong is more at ease.

Speaking of disguise, in fact, there is another person who is also very successful, and that is Cai Yi. Bearing the promise that "soldiers are not in the party", he has no connection with the revolutionary group, let alone joins it. Under the guise of immersing himself in military theory and exhaustive military training, he was a sympathizer and supporter of the revolution.

Anyway, no matter what kind of arrangement Zhang Zhidong makes. Chen Wenqiang has already made a decision and made arrangements. In accordance with the principle of the safest and safest. He never pinned all his hopes on others.

The relocation of the Hubei Arsenal began quickly, and in Yongxing, Chenzhou, the construction of a new arsenal began, and the construction of a railway to Yongxing began.

And Chen Wenqiang was busy with factory relocation and industrial adjustment, while bargaining with Zhang Zhidong. When he was so busy that he hit the back of his head, something happened in Guangdong, and he had to pay attention to it and be ready to leave for Guangdong at any time.

……………

Jiuzhou Ocean refers to the sea surface around the Jiuzhou Islands, which is 16 kilometers southeast of Xiangzhou in Zhuhai City. From Wild Beaver Island in the north, to Da Dan Kok of Tai O Island in the south, to the Qingzhou Waterway in the east, to the coast of the mainland in the west, named after the Jiuzhou Islands, the ocean is 16 kilometers long from north to south and 14 kilometers wide from east to west. According to historical records, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, pirates often appeared in the waters of this area, and foreign merchant ships often smuggled opium and munitions and invaded the sea.

In November 1907, the Qing court discovered that Tan Bili, a merchant from Guangheju in Macao, had entrusted the Japanese merchant ship "Nichen Maru" to smuggle 2,000 rifles and 40,000 bullets from the Kobe Tatsuma Trading Company to Macao.

On the morning of the 14th, the "Erchen Maru" approached Macao and anchored in the sea of Da Sha Li (and Chau Yang), about two miles east of Coloane Island, to unload its cargo there. After the Guangdong sailors intercepted the incident, Li Yanshan, a Guangdong patrolman, and others came on board to check that it was true, and the owner of the ship had no argument. So the officers temporarily detained the cargo and brought it back to Whampoa to confiscate it according to the regulations; and removed the Japanese flag from the ship.

Originally, this was the end of the matter. However, the Japanese government intervened with the Portuguese colonists and the British Hurd, colluding to deny and counterattack.

On 16 July, the Japanese Minister to China, Hayashi Quansuke, sent a note of protest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Qing Dynasty, insisting that the "Nichen Maru" had a permit to carry arms into Macao (and therefore was not a smuggling ship). The vessel was not discharged in the territorial waters of the People's Republic of China, which is the territorial waters of Macao and Portugal. He falsely accused the Qing government of intercepting a merchant ship across the border, "showing a breach of contract and acting barbaricly", and demanded that the Qing government "release the ship quickly, return the national flag, severely punish all illegal officials, and express gratitude for the poor handling of this case, so as to set an example."

The Portuguese minister, Badro, also sent a note to the Qing Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17 July, saying that the seizure of the ship violated the coastal rights of Portugal and hindered the sovereignty of Portugal.

Initially, China advocated that the "Erchen Maru case" should be tried by China and Japan in accordance with customs regulations, but the Japanese side categorically refused. Subsequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Qing court notified the Japanese minister that it intended to ask the commander of the British fleet to "adjudicate" the case, but the Japanese side also refused.

In the face of diplomatic pressure from Japan and Portugal, the Qing court repeatedly relented.

On 21 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Qing Dynasty sent a note to the Japanese minister, apologizing for the fact that the Japanese flag was torn off by Chinese soldiers on the "Nichen Maru" and promising to "punish those who mishandled their duties." However, the Japanese side still refused to give up. On the 23rd, Japanese Minister Hayashi Quansuke put forward five more demands to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for resolving the case: 1. Immediately return the Erchen Pill; 2. When the Erchen Maru was returned, the Chinese warships fired their guns to apologize; 3. The seized arms were purchased by China at a price of 24,000 yen; 4. Dispose of the officials responsible for the detention of Nichenmaru; 5. Compensation for the losses caused by this incident. Lin Quanzhu claimed that only by agreeing to all five demands could the Nichenmaru case be resolved peacefully.

Finally, on the 26th, the Qing court expressed its full acceptance of the unreasonable clauses put forward by the Japanese side. (To be continued.) )