Blue sky, white clouds, blue sea, looking at the beautiful scenery of water and sky in the distance, Lin Haijiang exhaled a long breath, as if to release the depression and depression in his chest during this time, this time he fought with Britain and France, although he achieved a certain degree of victory, but in the face of Britain and France, an industrial country that has completed the industrial revolution, his advantage will soon become a disadvantage.

He couldn't let the entire Western powers regard themselves as potential opponents, so he made a series of seemingly farce-like moves such as auctioning prisoners, and at the same time he secretly contacted Britain and France, tilting towards the two countries in the policy of opening up, giving the powers a reckless, ignorant, but ambitious feeling, so that he would not be subject to the British and French embargo and naval blockade, after all, Lin Haijiang's main ships and heavy artillery now come from Prussia.

Suddenly, adjutant Wang Dongxu walked into the bridge and saluted and said, "Zhang Xiatong, the chief soldier of Qiongzhou, has come over with a flag salute. ”

Lin Haijiang picked up the binoculars and looked at a three-pole clipper that was slowing down on the sea not far away, and the flag soldiers on the bow mast were waving the flag in their hands vigorously, asking Lin Haijiang, the commander of the Nanyang Naval Division, if he was on the ship.

Lin Haijiang put down the binoculars and said to Wang Dongxu: "Raise the flag, turn the main cannon before and after the salute, welcome him, I want to meet this Qiongzhou general soldier Zhang Xiatong." ”

Wang Dongxu was slightly stunned, and then said with some disdain: "The general soldiers of Qiongzhou are also under the control of the governor of Liangguang, and we are already giving them face by raising the salute flag, and it is too much to lift him up by firing the salute." ”

Ma Jiang interjected on the side: "Adjutant General Wang, this is on the sea, if we lose our etiquette, it will be us who will be laughed at!" ”

Lin Haijiang nodded, and Liu Tianming, the third deputy on the side, immediately turned around and gave the order to raise the salute flag and fire the salute.

The two warships slowly leaned against each other, the Zhiyuan ship that had anchored in advance was like a slight behemoth, Zhang Xiatong looked at the Zhiyuan ship with great emotion, and saw that his ship had become a small sampan, Zhang Xiatong was amazed by all the staff members beside him, only a middle-aged man who did not wear an official uniform, wore a lake blue robe and a goatee, and his face was expressionless.

"Look at them raising the flag, Admiral Lin is welcoming you!" A civil official with a five-grade top said flatteringly, as soon as the words fell, Zhang Xiatong twisted his fat body and stepped on the side of the boat and said: "It is said that Lin Haijiang is arrogant and unscrupulous, and many people in the court are holding back their strength to clean him up, and it seems that it is still okay today!" ”

Rumble! Rumble! Boom!

After a cannon salute, a crew member on board the ship shouted in panic as if it had blown up a nest: "Come on! Oh no! The chief soldier has fallen overboard! Adults can't swim! ”

When Lin Haijiang saw Zhang Xiatong, the chief soldier of Qiongzhou, on the bridge, Zhang Xiatong had already become a chicken in the soup, and he didn't know if it was because the sea was cold or he was shivering with fright.

Zhang Xiatong looked around, he didn't see a person wearing an official uniform? If the ships were not all from the country, he still thought that he was on the wrong foreign ship, and what made Zhang Xiatong tremble the most was that he didn't see anyone with braids on the ship? I was suddenly shocked in my heart, could it be that this Lin Haijiang was really ready to rebel as rumored? So can't you become a sheep in the mouth of a tiger?

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiatong knelt down on the ground and said, "Which one is Lord Lin?" The lower officials are willing to lose their sincerity! The lower officials are willing to lose their sincerity! ”

Seeing this, Lin Haijiang was like a monk who couldn't touch his head, so he had to hold Zhang Xia and say to the same person: "What is General Zhang Bing?" ”

Zhang Xiatong looked at such a young Lin Haijiang in surprise, his body trembled a little, and he wanted to say it several times but couldn't say it, at this time, a middle-aged man in a lake blue robe with a goatee sighed with emotion: "Lord Lin, my Lord Zhang saw that you didn't wear court clothes and had no braids, and I suspect that you have already pulled the flag against the court, so I surrendered to you under the jurisdiction of Qiongzhou to protect my surname." ”

Lin Haijiang was slightly stunned at first, Zhang Xiatong was absolutely unexpected, but he only made a plan to seize Hainan, and he was completely unprepared politically and militarily, so such a great opportunity was waiting to be lost?

Looking at Zhang Xiatong, who was almost snotty and tearful, he knew that this straw bag had a serious stutter, and he couldn't speak when he was nervous, but Lin Haijiang was quickly relieved, with this straw bag, when he attacked Hainan, it was tantamount to exploring the bag and taking things.

Thinking of this, Lin Haijiang motioned to several sailors on the side to take off their military hats, each of them had a so-called money rat tail on the back of their heads, and when they put on their military hats, they looked like they had no braids, Zhang Xiatong was stunned, and Lin Haijiang did not reproach him for slandering himself for rebellion, but explained with a smile: "My Nanyang sailor has been practicing at sea all year round, and it is very difficult to draft water at sea, let alone cleaning up the braids, and the braids are easy to breed parasites, and once the head is injured, it is easy to be infected, so the special case of the Nanyang sailors shortens and thinns the braids in imitation of the old example, This is what it looks like. ”

Zhang Xiatong, who felt very embarrassed, saw that Lin Haijiang had no intention of pursuing it, so he quickly stammered and diverted the topic and asked: "Lin, Lin, Lord Lin, this, this, this ship is really big!" ”

Lin Haijiang looked around at Zhang Xia with some smugness and said with a group of bun-like guys behind him: "Let my adjutant lead you to open your eyes in a while." ”

At this time, the middle-aged man with a goatee in a lake blue robe said proudly: "Admiral Lin's Zhiyuan Ship, according to rumors, was built by the Hamburg shipyard in Prussia, Europe, with a standard hull length of 98 meters and a waterline length of 92 meters. The ship has a width of 18.5 meters, a draft of 4.5 meters, a standard displacement of 6,011 tons, a full load displacement of 6,335 tons, six Gefort boilers, two large horizontal reciprocating steam engines, two-shaft propulsion, a single horsepower of 3,900 horsepower, a maximum coal load of 600 tons, a maximum full sail speed of 14 knots, and a cruising range of 1,950 nautical miles and 10 knots. The ship has a crew of 560 people and has 6 260 mm 20 times the caliber main guns, and the main guns are arranged as one twin front main gun, which is installed in a pear-shaped armored enclosure in the bow building. ”

"Lord Lin, am I right?" The words of the middle-aged man in a lake blue robe with a goatee made Lin Haijiang's back suddenly soaked with cold sweat, what are these data? This is the core secret parameter of the Zhiyuan ship! This represents the assessment of the comprehensive combat effectiveness of the Zhiyuan ship, how did such important data leak out?

Zhang Xiatong's subordinates and staff on the side were also extremely surprised, because none of them understood what this Hu Weimin, who was very popular, said about the battleship and so on!

The middle-aged man in a lake-blue robe with a goatee smiled slightly and introduced himself: "Hu Weimin, a grass man, has met Lord Lin Haijiang, the commander of the Nanyang Naval Division. ”

Lin Haijiang sighed softly, and said with a smile on his face: "This Mr. Hu, you must be General Zhang's staff, I didn't expect you to know so much about my Nanyang Naval Division?" ”

Hu Weimin said calmly: "The recent arrival report of the imperial court has specific information about Lord Lin's Nanyang Fleet, doesn't Lord Lin read the arrival report of the imperial court?" ”

Zhang Xiatong's body shook violently for no reason?

Hu Weimin's pun made Lin Haijiang wake up suddenly, it seems that not only is he doing other people's intelligence work, but others are also doing their own intelligence work, and the work of preventing espionage and eliminating annihilation and intelligence investigation and sorting out has always relied on Wang Faren's special intelligence and detective team.

His own power is in an unprecedented period of development, even if Wang Faren has three heads and six arms, it is impossible to prevent the infiltration of Annihilation, and this so-called arrival report is simply sent to the Nanyang Naval Division, if it is sent to himself, it will be called a ghost, Lin Haijiang is very suspicious that Ye Mingchen has also received the same return?

Is the Qing court going to do it to itself? Lin Haijiang thought about it carefully, and it was impossible, before the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was resolved, Xianfeng would not be stupid enough to force himself to rebel, and he had already given Ye Mingchen and Bai Gui a very obvious signal, of course, this did not rule out the possibility of Xianfeng doing stupid things, Lin Haijiang did not dare to underestimate the courage of this four-nothing emperor to do stupid things.

Thinking of this, Lin Haijiang smiled slightly and said to Zhang Xiatong: "Lord Zhang is frightened this time, this governor will not give you a shock here, come on!" Take 10,000 taels of silver to shock Mr. Zhang. ”

"This, this, how does this make!" Zhang Xiatong stammered, but Lin Haijiang smiled and said: "Hu Weimin, a subordinate of General Zhang, seems to be very interested in my Nanyang Naval Division, I don't know if General Zhang is willing to do it!" ”

Zhang Xiatong hurriedly nodded his head like a chicken pecking rice, Hu Weimin watched coldly from the sidelines, and soon, 10,000 taels of silver were brought, and the whole four boxes totaled 1,000 catties!

Zhang Xiatong looked at the silver with white flowers in shock, he is not unseen of the lord of the world, but all the people who walk around in the officialdom are silver tickets, and he has never seen the silver that is given to cash? This Admiral Lin's temper and surname are really weird, so he thanked him and let his subordinates carry him away.

Looking at the staff members who were swaying and carrying the silver, Lin Haijiang suddenly said to Zhang Xiatong: "Mr. Zhang, you don't have to speak, I just say you just listen!" ”

Zhang Xiatong nodded immediately, and Lin Haijiang smiled slightly: "Next time Master Zhang, you can't speak in a hurry, just sing and say, go back and try!" ”

The Zhiyuan slowly sailed away from the Qiongzhou Strait with thick black smoke, and Zhang Xiatong, who was standing on the dock unloading the silver, listened to the subordinates, staff, and masters below to analyze Lin Haijiang's intentions for him, and he didn't hear anything useful after listening to it for a long time, so he waved his hand in annoyance.

The distant giant ship pressed on his heart like a stone, and when the damn Hu Weimin mentioned the arrival of the newspaper, he was really scared out of a cold sweat, originally the person recommended by Xu Daolin, the governor of Liangjiang, said that he had the demeanor of a national soldier and the ability to seek the country, but his surname was extreme and difficult to enter the officialdom, so he originally let himself take care of him and give him a bowl of rice, but this person was like Xu Shu by his side and did not say a word when he entered Cao Ying?

It's a good show today, since Lin Haijiang wants it, he gave it to him, anyway, the bowl of the commander of the Nanyang Navy Division is bigger than his own, but Zhang Xiatong forgot Xu Daolin's last explanation, so if you want to leave, don't use it for others, in Zhang Xiatong's opinion, Hu Weimin is just a vain name and a fancy for making a fool of himself.

The reason why Zhang Xiatong was frightened was entirely because he also received a secret decree on the arrival of the report, the content of the secret decree was to step up the armament of the embankment to defend the Nanyang Naval Division, Zhang Xiatong happened to inspect the vicinity of Fengwei Village today, and the battery observation post reported that there was an ironclad warship patrolling in the nearby waters, and after confirming that it was the Nanyang Naval Division's ship, Zhang Xiatong had the idea of finding out.

Zhang Xiatong didn't expect that the famous Nanyang Navy Admiral Lin Haijiang would be on the ship? What did Lin Haijiang do in Qiongya? Zhang Xiatong is most concerned about this issue, today Lin Haijiang welcomed himself very generously, not only raised the flag but also set off the cannon, I don't know if his deliberate misstep deceived him?

Zhang Xiatong still doesn't have much confidence in his weakness, the reason is very simple, Qiongya's armament is simply not enough to confront the powerful Nanyang Naval Division, as soon as he thinks that Lin Haijiang has nine behemoths seen today, Zhang Xiatong can't help but fight a cold war.

So Lin Haijiang shouldn't really plot against my Qiongya, right? Zhang Xiatong glanced at the white silver worriedly, thinking that this Lin Haijiang is really the home of the rich in Nanyang, and it is 10,000 taels of silver as soon as he makes a move. It seems a little unwise to be an enemy of such a person, and Qiongya is located in the southern miasma, I'm afraid that even if his bones are rotten, the reinforcements from the imperial court will not arrive?

What should I do? Zhang Xia thought about it and decided to take a look at the reaction of the imperial court first, in this year of war and chaos, if you have soldiers in your hand, you can wait for the price and sell, it is best to find a way to avoid the pressure of the imperial court, and avoid Lin Haijiang's soldiers.

Lin Haijiang stood on the bridge of the Zhiyuan, looked at Hu Weimin, who was almost obscene, with a smile, and said, "Your Lord Zhang probably doesn't understand that the 10,000 taels are your selling money now!" ”

Hu Weimin opened the fan in his hand and said: "Please also ask Lord Lin to treat me as a national soldier, I will repay him as a national soldier, don't mention anything that sells my body or not, even if I Hu sells my body, if I don't have a few million taels to ask in detail." ”

Ma Jiang and the others on the side were stunned, Wang Dongxu pursed his lips and wanted to sneer, but Lin Haijiang didn't speak, none of them dared to make a mistake, Hu Weimin looked around and saw that many people had a lot of words about him, but no one dared to speak openly, so he nodded with satisfaction and said: "Lord Lin is good at governing the army, very good, and his personal prestige is very good!" ”

Lin Haijiang smiled and said, "Then let's talk about what kind of virtue you have?" How many of these ships are worth it! ”

Hu Weimin laughed unbridled for a while and said: "In politics, I can help you lose government affairs, and in the army, I have a thousand clever plans to make your opponent die without a place to be buried." ”

"Oh? Aren't you afraid of cowhide blowing into the sky? Lin Haijiang was obviously not angry, and seemed more interested, but Hu Weimin didn't care and said: "Adults don't know, this strategy is impermanent, just like Sun Tzu's Art of War has been read by enemies since ancient times, but there are victories and defeats in battles, if I talk about warships and naval battles, I am not as good as adults, but if I say that the famous ministers of the Qing Dynasty, military generals, feudal officials, and important ministers of military aircraft, everyone's surname, shortcomings, preferences, etc., I can understand eight or nine, and this alone is enough, right?" Lord Lin? ”

(To be continued)