"Lin Yiqing is still useful, Peng Xueqin is as fond of empty words as Zuo Jigao, and it may be useful to suppress bandits and counterinsurgency, but if you deal with foreign enemies, it will not work, you have to be a talent like Lin Yiqing who is proficient in Chinese and Western military affairs." Prince Jing muttered, "When this state is in a difficult situation, it is better for the two of them not to fight." ”

"What the prince said is extremely true." Qi Buchen said respectfully.

"I heard that Lin Yiqing, like his brother Lin Wenxiang, is friendly with the French Navy Minister General Guba, and the Vietnam issue still needs this line." Prince Jing said, "Peng Xueqin hates him like this, but it's not good. ”

"The matter of Vietnam, I am afraid that Lin Yiqing must solve it, and when necessary, he can be ordered to go out of Beijing to Vietnam to negotiate and leave Peng Xueqin's sight." Qi Buchen thought for a moment and suggested.

"As it should be." Prince Jing nodded, "When necessary, Peng Xueqin, the scholar, also needs to be transferred." ”

Prince Jing and Qi Buchen discussed again, before resting, Qi Buchen left Prince Jing's study, came to the backyard, and heard the sound of silk and bamboo from the stage of the palace in the distance, the tune and timbre were different from the past, knowing that those people were acting in the palace, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

Bac Ninh, Vietnam.

Four hundred soldiers formed a phalanx outside the tent, their blue armor obscuring all their bodies. Long-handled muskets are like a forest, with a pitch-black barrel and a jet-black barrel, only the bayonet reflects a frightening cold light in the dazzling sunlight. The leading general waved his hand, and the phalanx split neatly in the middle, leaving a passage that happened to accommodate three horses in parallel. The general urged the war horse to walk into the passage first, Huang Shouzhong smiled slightly. Gently pinched the horse's belly. I followed.

I walked into the black passageway. The soldiers on both sides shouted in unison, "Drink! Then there was a muffled "click", and the spears staggered, and the sky above the passage suddenly dimmed. The general was obviously accustomed to such a scene, and his body did not shake for a moment. Huang Shouzhong's horse was damaged in an earlier night raid, and the horse he exchanged for was a spotted leopard given to him by Huang Zuoyan, the military governor of Vietnam's North Kuo. Although the horse is also a good horse of the first class, when has this kind of pampered mount ever seen a battle formation? The roar of the soldiers frightened the spotted leopard and stood there in disbelief. He refused to go any further. As if to add some spice to the scene, there was another clear whistle, and the soldiers held their guns in one hand, and drew their long knives from their sheaths with the other. At a glance, Qi Brush is really good-looking. Huang Shouzhong glanced back at Yang Zhuen, Yang Zhuen was holding the big red and gold food box in his hand, and the black horse under the seat was still calmly walking forward.

"Fortunately, I am holding the food box," Yang said with a smile, "If it were you, I would have spilled all the good things." ”

Huang Shouzhong shook his head, with a helpless expression: "Don't you look down on this spotted leopard now?" Yang leaned forward. The hand holding the reins gently stroked the black horse's cheek: "Naturally, I like it, but I can't compare to my black horse in battle." The two of them were talking and laughing. He didn't pay attention to the murderous soldiers of the Gui Army's personal guard battalion on both sides. The general didn't look back, with a slightly surprised look on his face.

There were still more than ten steps away from the big tent, and the general had already turned over and dismounted, kneeling in front of the tent and reporting: "Zhao Junmen, the envoy of the Black Flag Army has arrived." The tone is quite respectful, but the language is very popular. There was no answer in the tent, and the general looked up, turned around and motioned for Huang Shouzhong and Yang Zhuen to dismount. Yang Zhuen showed his skills intentionally, his right leg was loosened, and the person was already standing on the ground, so fast that people couldn't see clearly, and the food box held in his left hand still didn't move. Someone in the tent applauded and said, "Good riding." The voice was clear, it was Lin Yuansheng.

Huang Shouzhong's body shook slightly, this forty-year-old Lin Juren was almost one of the people he feared the most in the military camp of Yue Gui. I knew that I would see you today, but I still couldn't suppress the excitement in my heart. Yang Zhuen has only been in Beining City for half a month, and he has not said a word to Lin Yuansheng, so he is naturally not familiar with his voice, but he saw Huang Shouzhong's solemn expression and his heart was not angry. He walked past Huang Shouzhong's side and walked into the tent. After only two steps, someone next to him shouted: "Stop." Thou shalt not bring a blade into the account. Before he finished speaking, he heard a sharp wind breaking through the air, coming with great urgency, and it was the two long knives of the guards in front of the tent. One high and one low, facing Yang Zhuen's shoulders and abdomen, the speed and strength did not have the slightest sense of warning. Although Yang Zhuen is competitive, he is not a reckless person, and it is inappropriate to break into the account like this. However, Huang Shouzhong's mind was also extremely quick, and he understood Yang Zhuen's intentions, and rushed forward to stretch out his feet and step down. The guard on the left only felt a flower in front of him, and there was a shock in his hand, and the long knife had been trampled under Huang Shouzhong's feet. Yang Zhuen's face did not change, he took a step forward, his shoulders were crooked, and he was hitting the arm of the right guard, and his left hand was still holding the food box steadily. His attack was so fierce that he knocked off the guard's shoulder with a single hit. That guard is also a ruthless character, obviously he has no strength in his hands, but he still clutches the long knife and doesn't let go, still sideways in front of Yang Zhuen. At the same time, the sound of the "choking" knife continued, and the other guards were obviously also veterans, and they forced into Yang Zhuen and Huang Shouzhong three steps in front of them just by breathing, and the bright long knife locked all the way out.

Huang Shouzhong said in a deep voice: "Fang Cai is reckless, Zhao Junmen forgive me." As he spoke, he and Yang Zhuen retreated sharply at the same time. Yang Zhuen stepped forward and knocked a knife-wielding guard behind him away again. The two men were messengers this time, armed only with soft-armored waist knives. By the time he retreated, he had already put his sword in the hands of the first two guards. Pity the two guards are also good in the army, and at this time they have an extra waist knife in their hands and still don't understand what is going on.

There was silence in the tent for a moment, and a high-pitched voice said: "Huang Shouzhong, you are very good now!" "The voice is flat, and I can't hear any emotion. A familiar voice continued, "Come in." "It was Huang Guilan and Zhao Wo, and the three leaders of the Gui Army were actually in the tent. Huang Shouzhong showed a smile on his lips, it seems that Zhao Wo is still very face-saving.

The tent was a cowhide lacquered gold tent with nine supports and eighteen columns, and it was so big that it could almost run horses, but there were only five or six people sitting in the middle, and it seemed very empty. Huang Shouzhong and Yang Zhuen walked into the tent. Respectfully bow to the old civil servant in the middle. said: "I've seen Zhao Junmen." "It turned out that it was Zhao Wo.

Huang Guilan took a few shots shorter. said: "I also know that it is Zhao Daotai, and I don't kneel." He put on a frightening look, but his tone was a little playful.

Huang Shouzhong said lightly: "The armor is on the body, and you can't pay a full salute." ”

Zhao Wo heard the mockery in Huang Guilan's tone, but he didn't care, smiled, waved his hand and said, "You Black Flag Army didn't use big salutes there, didn't you." Huang Shouzhong? ”

Huang Shouzhong sneered, and the smell of gunpowder in the big tent suddenly became heavy.

Zhao Wo smiled again and asked, "Huang Shouzhong, how long have you been with Liu Renyi?" ”

Huang Shouzhong didn't think about it and said: "It's been almost a few years. ”

"That's not a short time." Zhao Wo let out a long sigh, "How many of your old subordinates are still under Liu Renyi?" ”

Huang Shouzhong said honestly: "I don't know. ”

Zhao Wo laughed, pointed to the soldiers outside the tent and asked, "Huang Shouzhong, I see that your ability to govern the army is still above Liu Renyi." You come and tell me, how are these people? ”

Huang Shouzhong pondered for a moment: "It's very good-looking." But ......"

Zhao Wola's face was slightly relaxed: "But what? ”

"These soldiers are fit for review, and they are loyal. It is not possible to fight a war. Huang Shouzhong's words were conservative, and he already took Gui Jun's face into account when he said this.

Just passed through these elite guns of the Gui army. Huang Shouzhong and Yang Zhuen behaved very easily, because they didn't need to do anything, they had already seen through the strength of these Gui troops.

The Dian army brought by Zhang Yongqing and the other three was too much stronger than these Gui troops.

Not to mention anything else, it can be seen from the weapons in the hands of these Gui Jun.

It turned out to be an old-fashioned spear in blue and blue! Not even a foreign gun!

Seeing the two Black Flag Army generals despise the elite of the Gui Army that he was proud of, Zhao Wo's face changed a little.

In fact, it is no wonder that Huang Shouzhong and Yang Zhuen despised the Gui army that came to support the Black Flag Army, and among the garrisons in the provinces of the Great Qian Empire, the Gui army's equipment was already very poor.

Although the Westernization movement of the Great Qian Empire with the aim of "self-improvement" and "seeking prosperity" had already begun for many years, which had led to great changes in military affairs, some of the main armies, such as the Hunan and Huai armies, had begun to gradually transition from simply using traditional cold weapons such as swords, guns, swords, and halberds to using foreign guns and foreign cannons and other hot weapons. However, Guangxi is a remote and backward closed province, and although it has the influence of the Huai army with Huang Guilan as the commander, the change is still extremely slow. This can be seen in the weaponry: before Guangxu eight years ago, the Gui army basically operated cold weapons. After being ordered to enter Vietnam to aid the Black Flag Army, they successively purchased and equipped hot weapons, but they were only some outdated and low-quality breech guns and small earthen cannons with extremely limited lethality.

Hearing Huang Shouzhong say this, a smile appeared on Huang Guilan's face. The total number of this Gui army is only four hundred, known as invincible in the world, and it is the elite under Zhao Wo, but it is too far behind some of the cutting-edge battalions under him.

"You say they can't fight!" Zhao Wo dragged out his voice, "Then I want to see what kind of soldiers you have under Huang Shouzhong." ”

Huang Shouzhong laughed: "The military gate is joking, when it comes to fighting, if it is just to compare the strength of a few generals, then we should have handed over the seal to the court to give us the guilt." If you just compare the strength of several generals, you don't have to be here. The French army has sharp guns, and the soldiers under the command of the military gate are all carrying guns, I want to ask one more mouth, and the court has not allocated foreign guns to the military gate? ”

"Although Fayi's foreign guns are fast, but a shot can only put one, and our army can hold dozens of guns with a gun, a shot can rival dozens of guns, and can reach seventy or eighty steps, its method is the same as the bird gun, easy to operate, no need to force the code copper cap, not afraid of exhaustion." Zhao Wo said, "The imperial court misbelieved people's words, and solved a large number of foreign guns and foreign cannons, and the soldiers would not use them, which was completely useless. ”

Huang Shouzhong and Yang Zhuen glanced at each other, and each saw an uncontrollable smile in each other's eyes.

"Junmen, I dare to ask again, where are those foreign guns now? Your army will not use it, but our Black Flag Army will use it. And there is a shortage of firearms and ammunition. If only the military could give us these foreign guns. We will be able to defeat the French and reclaim Hanoi! ”

"You're too late! Those foreign guns are now given to the Vietnamese officers and soldiers! If you want, wait for the next shipment! Zhao Wo replied, "But I have already asked for more guns, and it is difficult to say whether it will be a foreign gun next time!" ”

"Junmen, our Black Flag Army has returned to the imperial court. The imperial court promised to give us 100,000 taels of silver, 3,000 foreign guns, and 10 cannons, but so far we have only received 60,000 taels of silver, and the guns and cannons have not been seen. Huang Shouzhong rushed upward. The voice unconsciously became higher.

Zhao Wo was originally a civil official, and suddenly saw Huang Shouzhong angry. I was startled, and I was choked there for a while, and I didn't know what to do.

"General Huang is very confident in defeating Fayi and recovering Hanoi!" Lin Yuan grew up. Huang Shouzhong stared at him, although this person was nearly middle-aged, he was a white-clothed and ethereal appearance, and his well-maintained face did not leave a trace of time, "But I don't know how many people there are in the Black Flag Army, which can make you so confident?" ”

Huang Shouzhong kept silent. He is not the kind of person who is as sharp as a blade, when facing Lin Yuansheng, he would rather say less so as not to leak his mouth, because he feels that this person's deep mind is simply terrifying!

"The Black Flag Army claims to have tens of thousands of people, and I think four or five thousand is not bad. If you say that our army cannot fight, then I will give you guns and cannons to see what kind of war you can make. Lin Yuansheng sneered.

Yang Zhuen, who had been silent, suddenly raised the food box and interrupted Lin Yuansheng's words: "Admiral Liu asked us to send Beiqi specialties to Zhao Junmen and Huang Junmen to taste. ”

A trace of astonishment passed over Huang Guilan's face, and then she sneered: "You Admiral Liu will play falsely. He glanced at Zhao Wo and beckoned, "Present it and see what is produced in Beiqi." ”

There are simple four-color dishes in the food box, one white, one red, one green and one yellow, which looks very good. Huang Guilan glanced at Huang Shouzhong, and there was a faint "What do you mean?" ”

Lin Yuansheng's expression was still calm, he reached in and broke a piece from the yellow nest, put it in his mouth and chewed it, slightly surprised. "This year's paddy?" He smiled, "It's not strange to grab a few acres, but it's a pity that the rice fields outside Hanoi are clean now." ”

Only then did Huang Guilan come to her senses, and put a piece of green jelly into her mouth, which was made of sweet potato noodles. This is the season to harvest sweet potatoes. The sweet potato jelly was very smooth, and Huang Guilan couldn't help but put another chopstick on her before saying, "Yes, it's quite delicious, but it's not hungry ......" There was a disdainful expression on her face.

The dish that was red was fish. Lin Yuansheng looked at the dish of fish, and slowly read in his mouth: "The net can be exchanged for wine, and the fisherman in Jiangxiang is happy." …… There are a lot of fish in the Red River. ”

The white plate was neatly stacked with white cuts, sliced almost translucent, with only the skin sticking together. It's just that this meat has skin but no fat, and it doesn't have the texture of ordinary pigs and cows, which looks very strange. Lin Yuansheng's face finally changed slightly, and he said to Zhao Wo: "It's probably meat coriander, something called Tai Sui meat in Middle Earth." ”

Huang Shouzhong nodded and said, "Lord Lin is well-read and strong." This is the meat coriander, and the natives also call it the meat mushroom. Many people raise a piece in the water tank, which can grow to the size of several sides, and if you cut a piece to eat......"

"It's going to grow back overnight, right?" Zhao Wo was also a little curious, "I've heard it before, but it's just a legend?" He took a slice of crystal meat and put it in his mouth, "It doesn't taste bad, it's like pork." He smiled suddenly, "So, are you really short of food?" ”

Huang Shouzhong nodded and said, "There are tens of thousands of people in the Black Flag Army, and it's not easy to eat!" Although in Baosheng, the annual silver is only 80,000 taels, which is not enough to spend. ”

Zhao Wo laughed: "I didn't expect that you, a rough man, would really be able to do things." I understand what you Liu Junmen mean, go back and thank him for this box of food for me! You don't have enough guns, I don't have them here, Huang Junmen has them, I can help you some! You might as well have a few more battles with Fayi. Since you don't have enough food......" he glanced at Lin Yuansheng, "Let's give you some too!" You can't go hungry, can you? ”

Hearing that Zhao Wo wanted to receive the guns of the Black Flag Army by himself, Huang Guilan secretly scolded Zhao Wo in her heart, but on the surface she had a smile, "I will give the guns and cannons, and Zhao Daotai will give the food, so you can fight with peace of mind!" He intentionally or unintentionally emphasized Zhao Wo's identity as a Taoist.

For the alternate Taoist platform who was valued by Xu Yanxu, the governor of Guangxi, Huang Guilan looked down on him from the bottom of his heart.

Huang Shouzhong and Yang Zhuen didn't care about this, they were just overjoyed to have completed the task assigned by Liu Renyi.

When they saw that Huang Guilan gave him a German Mauser rifle copied by the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Huang Shouzhong and Yang Zhuen were overjoyed, but they were puzzled.

The two of them clearly saw that the soldiers under Huang Guilan were all breech-loading old-style foreign guns! There is such a good new breech foreign gun, why not use it?

If Zhao Wo is a scholar and doesn't understand military affairs at all, Huang Guilan, as the governor of Guangxi, and from the Huaijun disciple of the Western-style tycoon Li Shaoquan, it is impossible not to know the benefits of foreign guns, right? (To be continued.) )

PS: Ask for collection! Ask for recommendations! Ask for a subscription! Click! Ask for a commuter pass!