With the arrival of the visiting fleet, the calm Guantanamo began to bustle. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoGuantanamo does not have cranes all over the docks like in China, and can only move goods by manpower. Boxes and pieces of cargo were unloaded from the warship with the rhythmic sound of the horn. Of course, coolies are not allowed to enter the cargo hold inside the hull, but they can still board the warship and carry and unload the cargo that the sergeants have brought to the deck. And even if they get on a warship, they can only move within a small range of the designated route under the command of a sergeant with a firearm.

However, it was only after such a short time on the warship that all the blacks were extremely excited. Yes, the behemoth of warships has always been insulated from blacks, they have always only looked at them from afar, and then they can only bow their heads and work. This was the first time they had boarded a warship, and only then did they truly feel the majesty of the warship. The thick barrels of the cannon were stretched overhead with an invincible force, and for the first time, the blacks, who had always worked with their heads down, raised their heads and looked up at the sky. For the first time, they really felt that it would be great if the blacks had their own country and their own warships.

The yellow people in front of them were not as tall as the white people, and they were a little thin, but they were very energetic, because their eyes flashed with determination. The yellow race is very fierce, although the black people can't understand what they are saying, but they also know that it is the yellow people who are cursing loudly, probably because they are disgusted that they work too slowly. In contrast, white people are more elegant, even though they never speak to black people.

Blacks without identity, without status, will always be just tools for those personable whites. Although the yellow race is fierce, they have never whipped them like the white people, and from time to time they have a hand, although they look unhappy......

The sun was rising, the scorching sun hung in the sky, and sweat soaked through the rudimentary clothes of the blacks. Suddenly, the goods that had been well moved were not moved, and the sergeants concentrated all the blacks in the shade of the hull. When all the negroes were in a daze, their leader, Seman, came, but his current name was Huang Saiman, because as a domestic slave he had to be the surname of the head of the house.

"The general said that we are working too slowly. Now let's take a break and dry after lunch. Hungry indeed, the blacks nodded and prepared to leave, but were rejected by the guards soldiers.

"I told the general, where can we eat as much as we have. So the general said that our lunch at noon was provided by the fleet, and everyone ate as much as they could. As he spoke, several large wooden barrels were hoisted from the warship, and the waiting soldiers came over with a large wooden barrel.

It smelled so good, so sweet—the barrel had just come down to it, and all the blacks could smell it, and when the lid of the barrel was opened, they saw a bucket full of white rice. All the blacks couldn't help but think, is this for us to eat?

"Everyone must clean their hands and faces, otherwise they are not allowed to eat." The fierce sergeant said viciously.

Chinese eat is really troublesome, you have to wash your hands and face, you can't wash it clean, and you can't eat it! This is something that the black people have never foreseen, but looking at the snow-white steamed buns, they still lined up in a neat line, washed their hands and faces one by one, and then went to get their lunch.

A big bowl of rice is not enough to be eaten before it is allowed to be refilled. The vicious sergeant did not frighten the blacks, so much so that each of them smiled gratefully at the sergeants after taking the job. After taking the rice, it is not finished, there is still a back, each person has to get another bowl, and continue to walk backwards. Put down the pickles with chopsticks and pour a bowl full of broth. The blacks wept, and in hundreds of years they had never heard of such a sumptuous meal—they had eaten their rice with their heads bowed and tears in their eyes, and drank the broth.

Negroes have a special way of eating: they can't eat nothing, and as a guest, they have to leave at least one piece on the plate. And, as owners, they would save that piece until the next day, and then throw it in the bin. But this custom is not good here, because the vicious Chinese demand that they not waste food, and that they also wash and dry themselves and put the dishes away. Looking at Luo's overly neat bowls, the Chinese chef didn't know what to say.

The Chinese general came off the ship, and his white uniform called his figure so majestic. The general glanced at the neatly lined up black people, then looked up at the sun, beckoned Huang Saiman, and whispered a few words.

Huang Saiman told the blacks in the local language: The general said that if it was too hot, they should not work at noon, but rest for an hour before working. Here all the blacks raised and waved their right hands and gave a thumbs up, their eyes fixed on the general.

Li Liang didn't know what the blacks were doing, so he turned his head and asked Huang Saiman. Huang explained that this is the supreme respect that the black people have for the noble adults. However, Huang Saiman turned his head and told everyone that in Chinese etiquette, the highest respect is the fist hugging salute. Then he made a gesture and saluted Li Liang with a fist.

Li Liang was amused, and he laughed and told Huang Saiman that this is just the most ordinary etiquette when Chinese usually meet, and the truly noble etiquette is not like this. Li Liang suddenly put away his smile, folded his palms in front of his chest, raised his thumbs at 90 degrees, and then slowly bowed down, and straightened his waist for a long time. Li Liang stepped forward, patted Huang Saiman and said, "Tell me that this is a return gift from the official, thank them for the official." ”

The general is saluting us slaves, and it is still the noblest etiquette in China. Huang Saiman couldn't help crying, this was the first time that black people were treated as human beings by other races, and this time someone treated them as human beings. Huang Saiman told the black people the excited news, and even though Li Liang had already gone away at this time, the black man still saluted Li Liang in the distance and the sergeants around him with the bow salute that he had just learned.

"This kind of food lasts for half a month, and when we leave, as long as we can provide you with such food, these black people will be the biggest help for me Chinese here-" Li Liang said with some sighs and Zhou Fangyan who was waiting.

"What the general said is that it is easy to go from simplicity to luxury, and it is difficult to enter simplicity from luxury. Compared to them working for others, after this experience, these blacks will only appreciate our Chinese, and reject whites from the heart. Sure enough, it's my emperor's wisdom—"

"In the final analysis, those of us who are soldiers are just taking the lead, and whether our Han civilization can play a role here depends on your big shopkeepers. But then again, we're soldiers who have traveled all the way around the world to protect you profiteers, and that's what's going on. Li Liang deliberately said angrily.

"Eh--the general's words are also wrong. We are far away from our homeland, and we all come at the emperor's behest. Everyone is on the emperor's errand, how can they be separated from each other. The great army came here on a sea expedition, which greatly increased the prestige of our Chinese. After a long time, we will be well entertained. When Zhou Fangyan said this, Li Liang laughed. Only then did Zhou Fangyan carefully mention a few Chinese acquisitions, wanting to see how much help the fleet could provide to him......

The favourable treatment of the blacks who unloaded the warships made the others jealous of which shipowner could provide such good food. In the morning, it is steamed porridge, at noon it is big white rice, and the aroma of the bowl of thick broth alone fills the entire dock. Countless people wanted to join this labor team, but the sergeants didn't care, who could enter and who could not enter, but Huang Saiman had the final say. For the first time, the black man, who had been inferior, straightened his chest.

But only two days had passed, and on the morning of the third day, the laborers had gathered outside the dock cordon to wait for their breakfast, but they had not been notified of their release until the sun had risen. What happened?

The sun was rising, and the atmosphere of vigilance on the dock was getting thicker and thicker. As the smoke in the chimneys of the heavy warships became thicker and darker, as the guns began to turn, there was a great posture of a war. No one knew what was going on, so they could only look at each other suspiciously.

It is said that the prime minister's family is a seven-grade official, how can the princess's slave also have the meaning of a nine-grade official. Huang Saiman, who had been asked for a report early in the morning but had not been received for a long time, was finally allowed to enter the dock when the soldiers who had been given the order.

Huang Saiman wanted to meet General Li directly, but his qualifications were not enough. He was met only by a small captain on the ship, but he still learned the reason for the unusual situation today.

"Early this morning, the U.S. fleet blocked the waters off Guantanamo, lined up in battle formation, and was very ready for war. Now that the Chinese fleet is locked in the harbor, the generals are discussing how to deal with the enemy. So the loading and unloading of the cargo was halted - "As soon as he came out of the cordon, Huang Saiman told his black brothers what he had learned.

"Damn the Yankees, damn the white guys, he made our wages go away today—"

"The Yankees deserve to die, they always stir up wars all over the world—"

"Isn't the Chinese fleet already defeating the damned Yankees at sea? Why don't you go out today and teach them a hard lesson, telling them how powerful the Chinese are——"

“……”

Both black and yellow people on the docks are complaining about the bad behavior of Americans. Only a few white people kept their mouths shut and did not say a word, and they actually understood that the purpose of the American fleet was actually the same as that of the Chinese fleet, which was to support their own merchants. It's just that Chinese go first......

The words on the dock also reached the bridge of the ship that was on the Hai Rui, and Li Liang looked up at the sea outside the port. Under the sea antenna, the US fleet, consisting of four battleships, six heavy cruisers, and six destroyers, has formed a combat formation to block the entire outer sea, and the staff officers had already estimated that this might happen before coming, but they were still optimistic that if there were no war incidents such as firing at sea, and the fleet could successfully break through the interception of the US fleet and reach Guantanamo, I believe that the US fleet, which was already in a de facto defeat and had lost face, would not dare to openly provoke the Chinese fleet with such a provocative act of blockading the waters off Guantanamo. Because it could lead to war. In this case, it is absolutely impossible for American businessmen to want to invest in China again, and this will touch the interests of all American capitalists, who believe that they will not agree to the United States doing so. But what happened anyway happened, did the US government really dare to defy the opposition of the capitalists in the United States, and did Taft really dare to defy the opposition of the American businessmen and really have an actual war with China?

Politics is a complex game, and the scope and content of its involvement are so large that the generals who lead the battle can really not fully understand it. In particular, Li Liang, who is known for his simple-mindedness and "Oriental Bull No. 2", can understand that the things he was thinking about just now were told to him by Ouyang Geng, the ambassador of the Americas tour, during the supply period in Colombia. The military doesn't care about politics, this is a regulation that has not been written into military regulations, and political games are the business of civilian officials, and they are not good at military attachés. As a military attaché and a general, winning every battle is what you should do.

Li Liang retracted his gaze from afar, looked at the map in front of the table and sighed: "If our army is in the open sea, with our army's rich combat experience and the artillery hit rate far higher than that of the Americans, even if the Americans are superior in the number and speed of their ships, our army will dare to fight, and there will still be a chance to win." But now our army is trapped in this small port, the formation is dense and there is no room for maneuver, once the Americans attack, our army may not escape the doom. In the current situation, what do the generals think our army should do? ”

"The last general thought that the provocative behavior of our military at sea had provoked the US government, so the US government dared to order a blockade of the sea off Guantanamo despite possible domestic opposition. At this time, the U.S. fleet was also asking for advice on whether to launch an attack at home, so our troops should take advantage of this opportunity to set sail immediately and force their way into the open sea before the U.S. fleet received a reply from the country, and it is believed that the U.S. fleet at this time would not dare to open fire. It was You Yong, the captain of the Jian'an, who spoke.

"I don't agree with Captain Yu. The U.S. fleet has already suffered losses at sea, and even if it does not fire first, it will not give our troops another chance to break out of the open sea. In this way, the US fleet will inevitably rely on its speed to block our troops in the inland sea, and losing the advantage of distance is tantamount to giving up the advantage of our army's artillery hit rate, and once the war resumes, our army will still be unable to escape its doom. It was Yu Liunian, a staff officer of the fleet, who spoke, and he said firmly: "In this case, it is better for our army to sink the warship seat as a shore gun, at least it will make the US fleet pay a heavy price." ”

"What's the difference between farting and sinking in a harbor and giving it to the enemy as a target. The warships of the empire could only sink in the way of the attack. The captains who had been in charge of the battle were not happy, and they waved their fists and shouted.

"The United States has lined up in the open sea, and now we are rushing headlong and just in the encirclement of the Americans. What if the U.S. fleet has already received an order from the U.S. government to go to war and is waiting for our troops to crash into it themselves? Staying in the harbor can at least inflict maximum damage on the U.S. fleet," the staff officers, who were thinking about the greatest results, were also arguing with reason.

"Even so, our army should move forward bravely. Only by rushing forward to fight to the death, or if one or two ships can escape, what is the difference between being sunk in the harbor and being annihilated? The fate of the fleet can only be in their own hands. ”

"Stop for a moment and listen to the chief of staff." Li Liang saw Feng Qi, who was standing aside but looking at the port without saying a word.

Feng Qi still looked at the land in the port and said calmly: "War in the modern sense is not limited to military affairs. The military is only a continuation of politics, and any military action needs to meet the needs of political objectives. And isn't that why we're on this voyage? ”

Hearing this, Li Liang nodded and said, "That's true." We have already met the main strategic needs of the country by entering Guantanamo, and now we urgently need to safely transport the supplies on board the ship, and the main purpose of our fleet's voyage has been achieved. After that, whether it was to choose a decisive battle at sea, or to attack heavily on the defense, it was only a need for tactical choice, even if our army was completely annihilated in the end, at least it did not affect the overall strategy of the imperial court. ”

Li Liang knocked on the table and signaled the generals to be quiet. Then he looked around and said firmly: "I order, all personnel outside the artillery group enter their posts and be ready for combat at any time, and all other personnel are fully engaged in unloading operations to unload the main materials as soon as possible." After completion, all but the necessary combat personnel were evacuated from the port two kilometers away. At the same time, this order was communicated domestically. ”

As soon as the order was issued, the officers and chiefs of the ships immediately returned to their ships to arrange relevant matters. At the same time, the laborers who had been waiting outside the dock for a long time were finally notified that they could enter the port and start their work. It's just that they still get a sentence: the wage is increased by half, but the goods need to be unloaded as quickly as possible.

The Chinese are the best employers. All the blacks held back their strength, and those who could resist more would never resist a lot, and those who could run would never go fast. It was not all for the good wages and abundant food, but for the worship of the Chinese generals, but also for the real, non-discriminatory respect that blacks received for the first time.

Because of the possibility of war breaking out at any time, the Chinese fleet occupied the entire dock in order to unload the cargo as quickly as possible. So the white people, who also had goods to be unloaded, could only watch the Chinese fleet unload from a distance. They don't think that the U.S. government will actually start a war, but just to regain the lost face at sea and to get more benefits from the Chinese negotiations, which is the usual practice of the white people. They also tried to argue with reason about the Chinese fleet occupying the entire dock, but it was only the guns of the guards who negotiated with them. So the idle whites simply sat in the shade and watched the busy docks whispering. And some of these whites were attentive to the cargo unloaded from the warship. These people were ordered by the US Government to investigate the Chinese fleet's intentions, and the US Government has always believed that the reason why the Chinese fleet was forcibly breaking through to Guantanamo must have a special significance. We will never use warships to bring some agricultural machinery and tools to the Cuban Chinese along the way, just to save freight, as China claims.

But they were already staring day and night at the materials unloaded from the Chinese warships, except for the various machine tools that could be clearly identified, the remaining boxes of accessories were of a size that could not be loaded with rifles, machine guns, or even cannons. They even traced the destination of the goods, which was indeed a machinery factory that the Chinese were going to open, and this machine factory was not for the production of agricultural machinery, but only for the repair of the equipment existing on the farms of the Chinese in Cuba. And all this that the Chinese have done has already been reported to the Cuban government. It's just Chinese really just to save some shipping???

Of course not, no matter how poor the country is, it will not use warships to transport agricultural equipment to save military spending. The cost of the warship's trip is enough for the freighter to run a round trip. Therefore, the delivery of machine tools is just a front, and the real purpose of arms smuggling is the real purpose.

Because of the blockade imposed by the United States, the Cuban Revolutionary Army was cut off from overseas supplies, and the Cuban Revolutionary Army did not have sufficient munitions manufacturing capacity, so the limited arms could only be used less and less. The Western world is reluctant to enter into conflict with the United States, so no one wants to smuggle arms to Cuba at the risk of being attacked by the American fleet. South American countries have sympathized with Cuba and know that supporting Cuba can alleviate pressure from the United States. However, the South American countries do not have the economic capacity to smuggle Cuba in an influential manner, and at most they can only help Cuba buy arms overseas, and they also need the Cubans to find a way to transport them back.

The Chinese who have interests in Cuba, who maintain good friendship with Cuba, and whose United States cannot overly offend for the sake of their interests in China, have become the lifesavers of the Cuban Revolutionary Army. Yes, the blockade of Cuba by the US fleet, Chinese cargo ships going to and from Cuba will also be strictly checked, and only a very small amount can be smuggled in the form of entrainment at a time, and a large amount of materials are piled up in South American countries and cannot be transported in. And the arrival of the Chinese fleet this time is the best opportunity. Because warships are equivalent to national territory, Americans cannot conduct searches.

It's not that the gun can't be carried, and you can still bring a small amount of it into some hidden positions of the machine tool to fix it, mainly because it is not necessary to bring the whole gun in. Nearly a decade of smuggling guns into Cuba has allowed the Cuban Revolutionary Army to have enough guns. What they lacked most was ammunition and gun repair parts, which only needed a small box to fit. At the same time, in the name of sending materials to the machine repair plant, a large number of steel pipes and plates were transported, and the Americans did not know that these steel pipes and plates could be assembled into a simple mortar with only simple processing. Of course, the Americans did not know that there was a secret passage in the machine repair factory leading to the mountains and forests not far away, and the materials that were brought in every day would be quietly transported by rats at night. At the same time, the Americans did not know that the Cuban Revolutionary Army, which had received this batch of materials, was brewing a huge storm of anti-American independence.

When Wei Chen learned that the American fleet was blockading Guantanamo, he was afraid that Li Liang would have a head-on conflict with the Americans in order to save the fleet, and even cause a war. Now Li Liang can keep his mind and give priority to the needs of national strategy, and he is a qualified naval commander. At this time, in the Beijing ******, Yan Fu, who received the telegram from the visiting fleet, could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Perhaps at this time, the imperial court sent him a telegram ordering him to stay at the port, and perhaps he had not received it yet.

"It's not great. He should have made a big noise in the local area that our fleet had no intention of becoming an enemy of the United States, and for this reason he would have given the officers and men on board the ship a holiday to show his sincerity. Yang Rui, the new Minister of Propaganda, put forward additional opinions.

As the emperor, Li Ming just smiled, since the minister did a good job, he could be more relaxed as the emperor. As an emperor, there is no need to grasp all the work in your hands, just let your subordinates decide such a trivial matter.

"Your Majesty, U.S. Minister Rou Keyi hopes to meet our emperor on the Cuban incident. Please show me. Tang Shaoyi, the secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

"Tell him that I have been studying these days, and I have no time to see him. Just deal with this matter with affection. ”

At the court meeting, the ministries issued their opinions on important matters. Today, China's internal affairs are developing smoothly, and the biggest dispute in the DPRK is only where construction funds should be prioritized. Foreign politics, on the other hand, is much simpler, taking advantage of the prestige of a big victory and at the same time making a big deal of domestic construction, and at this time, all countries have no intention of becoming enemies of China, and second, they are constantly currying favor with China in order to get a share of the profits from China's construction.

"As for the United States, tell Rou Keyi. If American businessmen want to invest in China, they must come up with certain preferential conditions, and they dare not say that they are more preferential than Britain, France, Germany, and other countries, or at least they cannot be worse than others, and the Chinese government will not do business at a loss. China's policy of attracting foreign investment has always been the same for any country, and it has not changed. However, the US blockade of China's visiting fleet has already seriously harmed our people. The United States must first lift the blockade of our fleet, and this is a necessary prerequisite for discussing investment matters, and there is no need to discuss it. (To be continued.) )