Chapter 252: The Metropolitan Yamen (1)
The battle that took place in the Martial Arts Academy was not a thing for most commanders, and no one cared. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoWho can be the first to enter the capital and kick open the gate of the Forbidden City with military boots is the question they are more concerned about. Marshal Wadsey's banquet was also aimed at balancing the relations between various countries and striving for the most satisfactory settlement of the situation.
At the same time, there is also a need for a solution to the problem of law and order in Jinmen. The coalition forces were far away, and there was no reliable military station to provide supplies, and all the supplies needed to be transported to the capital through the Jinmen. If the rear of Jinmen is not quiet, it will be difficult to carry out the war on the front line.
Before the departure of the army, the king of Prussia had given an order to kill, demanding a brutal massacre of the Jin kingdom in retaliation for the killing of Klinder. However, Wadsey considered at this time that once the Jinmen was sparsely populated, it would be very difficult for Raff to draw Ding, and the troops would probably face the embarrassment of running out of food and ammunition.
He pointed to the map in front of him and said, "Gentlemen, please take a look, from here to the capital of the Jin Kingdom, the railway line along the way has been destroyed by the Flying Tiger Regiment. Our trains cannot transport supplies, and all front-line supplies can only be transported by animal power and manpower. We don't have enough troops of our own, and along the route, we have to face more than 100,000 soldiers of the Daikin Empire. Although their combat effectiveness is not high, now that we are attacking their capital, we will face their most stubborn resistance. In addition to these regular armies, there are also those Flying Tiger regiments whose exact number cannot be specified. The current season is the ripening period of corn in Jinguo, and the vast corn fields along the road will be a natural hiding place for these attackers, and our progress will be very slow, and the pressure on supplies will be great. ”
Simole, the former commander of the coalition forces, nodded: "That's right, I agree with Field Marshal Wadsey's opinion. Although the Jin soldiers are weak, we must know that they also have armed guard troops equipped with new weapons. If they build positions along the way and cooperate with the Flying Tigers, we will face a tough battle. To win such a war, we need supplies, adequate supplies. We can buy enough supplies in the concession, but we need manpower to transport the supplies to the front. And under the premise of the lack of combat soldiers, it is impossible for me to use combat soldiers as transport soldiers. We can only let the people of the Jin Kingdom transport supplies for us. ”
Lieutenant General Alikseev smiled, "It's easy, as long as we shoot some of the people and the rest, we will do our job well." There are a lot of people in the kingdom of Jin, and we can let some people work every day, wait until the night to kill them, and then continue to find new people tomorrow. ”
"Is it like what Your Excellency did in Jinmen?" Fukushima Yasumasa interrupted him, "Marshal Wadsey, I don't think the Tiele side is a good suggestion, this kind of barbaric massacre is contrary to the public law of all nations, and it also damages the image of a civilized country." I won't comment too much on the rules of the Tiele Empire, but I just want to say that the Fuso Empire will never allow its own troops to commit such banditry acts. ”
The contradiction between Tiele and Fuso is deepening, and this kind of occasion is incompatible, and Albiang, as an ally of Fusang, is also blind to Tiele's expansion, so he echoed at this time: "I support the opinion of Fusang. We are fighting against the Jin country with the position of punishing barbarism with civilization, and if we behave as savage as the Flying Tigers, then what will our people say about us? ”
Alikseev sneered: "In fact, there is no gap in the actions of the troops of various countries, and on such occasions, I think everyone should tell the truth, and there is no need to fool ourselves with words that fool journalists." What the soldiers of Tiele do, every other country does. For example, Tianzhu Sikh soldiers, if you don't let them rob, they won't fight. If you don't let them find women, they will find their comrades......"
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but I can't tolerate your slander against our soldiers. The discipline of the soldiers of Albion has always been excellent, please do not impose on us what happened to the soldiers of Tiele. ”
Wadsi held up the marshal's scepter, "Gentlemen, I think we should stop bickering and talk about something meaningful. Your Excellency Lieutenant General, the behavior of your country's soldiers must be controlled, otherwise the reputation of the armies of other countries will be damaged by them. ”
Seeing that Alikseev was speechless, Wadsey said: "I think that if we want to guarantee the delivery of supplies to the countrymen, we must establish an effective management organization in Tianjin. This body will be composed of our national military officers and the troops left behind. Its functions include searching for the Flying Tigers, clearing seized materials, maintaining law and order on the ground, and organizing volunteer transport teams. ”
The significance of his remarks is actually to turn unorganized robbery and massacre into organized and planned robbery and massacre, and in terms of efficiency, it is naturally much higher than the spontaneous behavior of soldiers like Tieler. Representatives of several other countries also had no opinion on this arrangement. Since countries have different troop contributions, it is more beneficial for these countries with fewer troops to use this method to uniformly rob and distribute them uniformly.
On the contrary, Tiele sent a large number of troops, and if it was distributed in this way, the income would be the same as that of other countries, and it would naturally be full of opinions. However, Fuso, who sent the most troops, was the first to take the lead in supporting, and if Tiele was opposed, it would be difficult to export.
Wadsey added: "This institution, according to the custom of the people of the Jin country, we should call it the Yamen. It has the power to enforce the law, not only for the civilians of Jin, but also for the soldiers of the coalition forces. If any of the allied soldiers violate our discipline and act without authorization, the Yamen has the right to enforce discipline against them......"
Just then, an adjutant came in and whispered a few words in Waldsee's ear, and Waldsea said, "Mrs. Jensen is here." As you know, we now depend on her for food, ammunition, medicine, and even our horseshoe. I can't refuse an invitation from such a beautiful woman, so I'm going to miss it for a while. As for the composition of the yamen, we will have to discuss it carefully when I return. ”
The signing room of the governor's yamen has been converted into a small reception room, and after Wadsey entered the door, Jensen and Zhao Guanhou got up at the same time to greet him. Wadsey looked at Zhao Guanhou, "Zhao Guanhou? I heard Bishop Andrew mention you, he is now in Jinmen, and you should meet him. Your actions in Shandong prove that you are an open and civilized official, and unlike your colleagues, I can assure you that as long as you do not show hostility to the coalition forces, no one can threaten your life. ”
Jensen smiled, "Your Excellency Marshal, I think you already know what happened in the Martial Arts Academy today. I think it's a shame to act like a civilized world. ”
Wadsey had business dealings with Jensen, and since the Coalition relied on him to raise their arms, he was more conciliatory in his words," Madame's accusation is very reasonable. But I would like to make it clear to Madame that if Tiele is counted among the civilized nations, it is a slander against civilization. Its empire is as savage, ignorant and backward as its soldiers, and I will do my best to restrain their actions, but I hope you will understand...... This is war, after all. ”
Zhao Guanhou opened his mouth and said: "Marshal, the attitude of Shandong towards the residents and religious people of various countries should be very clear to each country. It can be seen from this that not all ordinary people have a hostile attitude towards the coalition forces. However, if the Tiele Empire treats the people in the same way, I will guarantee that the Flying Tigers will grow in number, and the coalition will not be able to move an inch. ”
The identity of the marshal and the military prestige of the coalition forces, Zhao Guanhou did not care, or rather, when negotiating, these things did not need to be taken into account at all.
"The coalition is on an expedition, and the troops are strong, but there are no supplies. The railways along the route had been completely destroyed, and in order to raise military resources, it was necessary to rely on human and animal power, which was inseparable from the Latin conscripts. Furthermore, I don't think this war will continue indefinitely, and we will have to restore peace in the future. The citizens of Prussia will also live in the territory of the Golden State, turning relations between the two sides into a blood feud, which will not benefit anyone. Let the marshal believe that a stable rear is far more conducive to the military plans of the coalition forces than a rear full of hatred. ”
"In fact, restoring order and ensuring good law and order is also the goal of the coalition forces. At the time of your arrival, we were preparing to set up a governing body, which you would call the Yamen, as you are customary. I believe that after the establishment of the yamen, order will be improved. ”
"The yamen also needs people to maintain the operation, if the Tiele soldiers are responsible for maintaining law and order, it is equivalent to opening the shackles to the robbers, and this yamen will be meaningless and cause even greater harm. I think the marshal should also agree that in many cases, it is easier for the people of the Jin country to deal with the people of the Jin country and to complete the work tasks than you come forward. ”
Jenson chimed in, "It is true from a commercial point of view, there are a large number of compradors and tents in the concession, and they are doing a very good job. Bishop Andrew also has to rely on the strength of the Chinese people in order to maintain the operation and work of the church. ”
Wadsey doesn't dispute this, it's true. Issues such as language and customs are all objective obstacles. Letting foreigners manage the city may indeed be ineffective, but in the end it is the possibility of making a mess of things. It is impossible for him to send a large number of Chinese generals to stay in Jinmen, but if he is blindly barbaric, if he provokes a larger-scale popular uprising, even if he can defeat by military means, the fighters on the front line will be delayed, and the progress will be slow.
As an excellent soldier, he knows very well that although the coalition army is strong, it is deep alone, and the longer Daikin holds on, the more unfavorable it will be for the coalition army. After all, this country has a large population, and a monarchy does not need to be accountable to parliament. If Qinwang reinforcements arrive one after another and drag the coalition army into the quagmire of war, then it is difficult to say who to punish in this punitive operation.
Wadsey was once a favorite of the Prussian emperor, and even single-handedly directed the exile of his benefactor, which led to the dismal end of the iron-blooded prime minister. But later fell out of favor with the emperor and was exiled to the local commander's troops.
This time, he assumed the post of commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, which seemed to be a beautiful scenery, but in fact it could only be regarded as an operation of the nature of a law and order war, and Wadsey's enthusiasm for fighting was not high. He was more concerned than the results he had achieved, and how to end the battle quickly and let the emperor see his talents. At the same time, he tried to make as much political capital as possible, and strive to return to the Berlin palace as soon as possible to meet the emperor and continue to serve as his chief of the general staff.
Therefore, for him, what worries him most is not the direction of the war, but the time it takes, the cost it costs, and the international impact. If the troops under his command are ineffective and have poor international influence, it will be extremely detrimental to his own reputation and the emperor's opinion of him. Moreover, Mrs. Jensen is a social celebrity, friends with Wadsey's Yankee wife, and has some energy in Berlin. If she could get her help and get Wadsey back to Berlin as soon as possible, it would be much more beneficial than directing the war in the Kingdom of Jin.
He saw that Jensen and Zhao Guanhou came together, and he also had some deliberation on the relationship between the two, and when he saw that Jensen echoed, he asked: "Madam, do you have your own plans for the maintenance of law and order in Jinmen?" ”
"In fact, it was Lord Zhao who had a plan."
Zhao Guanhou pointed to the official uniform on his body, and revealed a little yellow jacket, "These things are insignificant in the eyes of the coalition forces, but they still have a huge deterrent effect on the people of their own country." This deterrent power is even greater than that of a heavily armed infantry company. According to the thoughts of the lower officials, now Jinmen should be the same as in the past, and set up concessions and Chinese boundaries. The coalition forces were responsible for maintaining law and order in some areas, while the Jin Yamen was responsible for law and order in the rest of the areas. All the errands were supported by the allied army's yamen to the Jinren yamen, and the country's yamen responded on their behalf. This is far more effective than the coalition army facing the people themselves. ”
"Even if we set up a coalition yamen, I think we will use many Chinese." Wadsey was tepid and said in a calm tone, "In fact, by now, there are already many Chinese who are in contact with us and are willing to help. ”
"That's right, the parishioners should be the vast majority of those people. However, Your Excellency Marshal, I think you must understand that the ordinary people of the Jin Kingdom have a bad opinion of these religious people. Moreover, there is hatred on both sides, and it is impossible for either side to maintain a fair attitude in dealing with the problem. Murder with a knife, revenge and the like are bound to happen, and hatred accumulates. If it weren't for the arrogance of the people and the hatred of the people and religion before, it would not have been so serious. If we continue to use those people in place of the work of the yamen, we will be perpetuating hatred and planting the seeds for future chaos. ”
Jensen also said: "Your Excellency Wadsey, if you want to ensure the timely supply of supplies in the rear, in addition to whips and bayonets, you also need gentle language and suitable people. If chaos continues in the rear, then no one can guarantee that the soldiers on the front line will be able to get food and ammunition. ”
Wadsey nodded, "I understand what you said, and I can understand the importance of maintaining law and order in Jinmen. But, I think you have to understand that too. In addition to these tasks, the coalition yamen is also responsible for the search for the remnants of the Flying Tiger Regiment. If the Jin government is appointed, then who can guarantee that they will not shield those criminals? When I set out, His Majesty the Emperor had ordered that he must avenge Baron Clinder and not spare any of the Flying Tigers. ”
"Your Excellency Marshal, please rest assured that we will not tolerate a Flying Tiger Regiment, in fact, we may have a greater hatred for them. In order to ensure that the coalition forces can trust our determination, the officials of Hua Yamen use Chinese, but the armed forces will also be undertaken by various countries, and the task of searching for and executing the Flying Tiger Regiment will also be carried out by them. (To be continued.) )