Beijing, China, General Staff Headquarters.

Cheng Cheng pulled the elder's face and looked at the South China Sea chart and lost his temper, and all the staff officers in the entire staff room did not dare to come out, and quietly deduced on the South China Sea chart. Only Wu Deren on the side kept scolding his mother in a low voice.

The entire Chinese navy has never forgotten Nicholas II's crazy plan of forty capital ships after the Battle of Mukden. After analyzing the information provided by the CIA on the construction of Russian ships, the Ministry of Household and the Ministry of Industry agreed that Russia would not be able to complete such a plan. However, the determination of Nicholas II was not fully estimated, and by the end of 1904, the number of capital ships built and purchased by Russia had reached 36. However, in the face of such a possible naval expedition of Nicholas II, the General Staff of the Navy, believing that Russia should at least leave enough defensive forces on its own territory, therefore deduced that the number of its capital ships should be between twenty and twenty-two, even if Russia went on an expedition at sea. China's navy will be far superior to Russia in terms of ship performance and sailors' actual combat experience, so the Navy General has made a new warship plan based on this assessment. The 88th Fleet, which required the Navy to have eight battleships and eight heavy cruisers by the end of 1904, was confident that the Russian fleet would be kept out of the country with these sixteen capital ships. However, the madness of Nicholas II was underestimated by the entire Chinese decision-makers, who left only a symbolic naval force at home, and sent all the fleets that had been built with all his might over the years to compete with China in the Far East.

When Nicholas II announced that he would assemble thirty capital ships to form a new Russian Far East Fleet, the General Staff did not worry, and they carefully analyzed the Russian Expeditionary Fleet. It's very difficult to go head-to-head. After all, we are more than half less than each other in numbers. But the Russian expeditionary fleet, which needed to circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope, had to sail 16,000 nautical miles at sea, and there was no available base for ship maintenance along the way. This will inevitably lead to a significant drop in the speed of ships that have been at sea for up to half a year. According to calculations. The maximum speed of the Russian Navy arriving in the South China Sea will not exceed 16 knots, and the maximum speed of the entire fleet will not exceed 14 knots. This also means that the newly maintained Chinese navy can rely on the fleet speed of up to 18 knots and the naval guns far beyond the range of the Russian navy, and can gather superior forces in a certain part of the battlefield to strike. At the same time, the general believed that the Russian expeditionary fleet would not immediately seek a decisive battle when it came from afar, and that the ships that were tired of sailing also needed to be repaired. Vladivostok has been abandoned, photos of the damaged port have been published, and the Russians will not be stupid enough to sail thousands of nautical miles to find a piece of ruin. The only cities around the South China Sea that have the capacity to dock and maintain large warships are Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Manila and Pontianak. Hong Kong is the territory of the British, and Guangzhou is not only close to Hong Kong but also a mainland city, and it is impossible to defend it even if Russia fights it. Manila's conditions are relatively good, but it is located in depth. The Spratly and Zhongsha islands along the route could be ambushed by the Chinese navy, which is familiar with the terrain. Moreover, Manila is located in the bay, not only did the Spanish build forts, but also expanded after the Chinese occupation, and once the Russian fleet entered it, it might be locked inside. Although Pontianak is not directly adjacent to the sea, the sea off the Kajiang River is wide, and there are no large forts built along the entire coast. Although the port conditions of Pontianak were slightly poor, it must have been able to at least meet the needs of the Russian expeditionary fleet for maintenance. Java is closer than Pontianak, but the largest dockyard there can only accommodate 10,000 tons of ships.

Therefore, the strategy of the general sea was to use Pontianak as a bait to lure the Russian expeditionary fleet to attack, and at the same time to empty all the coal and ammunition in Pontianak. In this way, even the Russian expeditionary fleet that occupied Pontianak could not be replenished. There were no heavy batteries around Pontianak, and the non-stop attacks of the Lan Fang army made it impossible for the Russians to capture Pontianak, and the soldiers would always fall into the panic that they might be attacked at any time, and at the same time, the Chinese navy could use the high speed and range to force the Russian fleet to consume coal and artillery shells during the maneuver. Until it was exhausted, the Chinese Navy annihilated it in one fell swoop. But in this way, Pontianak will inevitably be completely destroyed, and perhaps drag down Java. This is also to ask whether Pontianak is willing to take on the responsibility of exchanging Pontianak for local security.

Pontianak's answer was very satisfying, but in fact, Mr. Hai had already decided to do it in the end. It's just that Pontianak's donation is very passive. The point is that the reason for their donation is that the imperial court has no money to build warships, which does not mean that the navy cannot fulfill its responsibility to defend the territory. Isn't this saying that the navy is incompetent, the court is incompetent? Therefore, Li Hongzhang, who received a donation of 400 million yuan, ordered the Admiralty to ensure the safety of Pontianak. Keeping the Russian expeditionary fleet at sea.

For the Chinese Navy to confront the Russian expeditionary fleet with nearly twice the number of inferior forces would mean potentially huge losses. As a result, the post-war Chinese Navy could not continue to maintain superiority over the Anglo-German Far East Fleet, which was not conducive to future strategy. Now that the prime minister gave an order, Mr. Hai began to point fingers at the sky and curse the earth. After being defeated in the quarrel between the civil officials, a telegram from the general manager of the sea sent to Li Ming, hoping that the emperor would come forward to coordinate and issue an order to maintain the original strategy. However, the emperor's decree after coordinating with the Prime Minister's Office was: it must be blocked, how much is lost, and how much is rebuilt after the war. The general manager of the sea who received the order was furious, the warships can be built and replenished, but what about the personnel? The Navy is not an army, just a gun. What the Navy needs is someone who can read and write, and who can read and understand drawings. In a country where 90 percent of the illiterate population is illiterate, there will not be enough replenishment for 10 years. But no matter how unhappy Mr. Hai is, he has to do what he wants. As a result, the three major officials of the Navy gathered at the General Staff Headquarters to discuss the details of the operation.

"After all, the Russians have nearly twice as many warships, and even if the level of artillery bombardment is poor, so many naval guns can always guarantee a certain hit rate by covering fire. Moreover, Singapore is only a little distance from Pontianak, and the navy does not have enough room for maneuver. Facing the enemy head-on is the only way. Cheng Cheng dropped his baton and sighed.

"The Russian expeditionary fleet has departed and will be able to reach the Far East in half a year. But half a year is enough to build a destroyer, and the light cruiser can't build it. Deng Shichang shook his head, the Chinese Navy can only respond to the enemy with its current strength.

"MD-" Wu Deren punched the wall: "Then build a batch of high-speed torpedo boats of one or two hundred tons." In the engagement, the battleship was used to cover the approach of the small torpedo boat with the top of the battleship in front, and then rushed out at high speed and attacked at close range with torpedoes. This will at least ensure the safety of Pontianak. ”

"It's a big sacrifice to come and do this." Deng Shichang was a little unbearable. A torpedo boat of one or two hundred tons can be sunk with only a few rapid-fire guns. This is the same as trading human lives for victory.

"What if you don't? A torpedo boat can only have a dozen people, and a battleship can have thousands of people. Wu Deren said impatiently: "Twenty torpedo boats for one battleship is worth it." ”

Cheng Cheng glanced at Deng Shichang and nodded. Truly. It's best to be on the lesser of two evils. So the staff officers of the General Navy gathered together to re-deduce the new tactics. At this time, no one mentioned the submarine. The main thing is not to want to mention. Just a month ago, a newly launched third-generation submarine capsized just after leaving port, and the reason was simply that a fuse in the pump's power supply system blew while draining the water tank. Fortunately, it was only in the shallow sea outside the harbor, and the captain saved himself through the torpedo tube, but still lost four soldiers. And the salvage work also blocked the port for three days. At present, it is unlikely that new submarines will be built to defend against the enemy, and although the old submarines can be defended near the sea, the number has always been only four. And in the face of such a large fleet, at most it can only be a sneak attack.

Soon, Mr. Hai submitted a report to the Prime Minister's Office. The report pointed out that the Navy needs to build five new destroyers and up to 50 high-speed torpedo boats. The technical requirements for high-speed torpedo boats were simple, each torpedo boat was equipped with twin torpedo launchers only in the bow. In order to increase the speed, there is no reserve torpedo, and once it is launched, the subsequent destroyers will resupply it if they can return to the ship. The Prime Minister's Office reviewed the word "may" on the report and submitted it to the emperor for approval.

Torpedo boats of this class were not unavoidable for use as assault units, but I was always optimistic about the outcome of the campaign. According to my intentions, these torpedo boats can be used for offshore patrols, sea first aid, and smuggling inspections after the war, so please pay attention to the design.

After Li Ming gave instructions on the telegram from the Prime Minister's Office, he handed it to Yang Du and asked him to send it back to the Prime Minister's Office, and he began to look at the sky in a daze again. During the Russo-Japanese War, Nicholas II sent an expeditionary fleet in an attempt to defeat Japan. But when the expeditionary fleet was sent at that time, Russia still had a Far Eastern Fleet that could rival Japan. There is such a base as Lushun and Vladivostok. But the world is different, not only was the Russian army completely defeated in the previous invasion, but the Far East Fleet was wiped out. If it had not been for the transfer of two more cruisers from Europe, the Russian Far Eastern Fleet would have been removed from the list. Nicholas II's ** for the Far Eastern lands did not stop. After the Battle of Tsushima, he clamored for revenge against China, and after exhausting the national treasury, he still formed a large fleet with more than 30 capital ships. If such a fleet had remained in Europe, the impact on the situation in Europe would have been enormous. So. Germany will inevitably build a fleet that can compete with it, and France will also build a large number of ships in order to meet the challenge of Germany. Britain's policy was to be able to confront the simultaneous challenge of the two navies, the second and third largest in the world. The number of warships built is necessarily enormous. Just as the United States sold warships to Spain to fight the United States, the United States has as many as 22 capital ships built or under construction so far. Such a large investment in the military industry. It will inevitably affect investment in the domestic economy, which is excellent news for the developing Chinese economy. At the very least, there will be less resistance for Chinese goods to enter Australia, South America and the Middle East.

Therefore, the decision to quickly seize Vladivostok was drawn up before the war against Russia. It is hoped that the Russians will see that there are no longer any naval bases available in the Far East and cancel the maritime expedition to China. But who would have thought that...... Nicholas II, the madman—

Since the Russians are coming, it's time to fight. Fighting a war is a matter for the generals, as a layman, Li Ming is very conscious that he did not interfere, his most important job now is to complete the sacrifice to the Yellow Emperor and return to Beijing, and then build the Han court, but it still dragged on in Xi'an for more than a month. There is no way, from costumes to ceremonial guards, all need to be made new, and the Ministry of Etiquette also turned out a bunch of etiquette requirements from the pile of old papers, not only transporting the ceremonies and other ceremonies to Xi'an by special train from the capital, but the ceremonial officials still stared at Li Ming's every move, but pointed at anything that did not meet the requirements of the etiquette system. was beaten twice by Li Ming and there was no change, so Li Ming asked to change the etiquette. The telegram sent to the capital said: The Han and Tang dynasties have passed a thousand years, society is developing, science and technology are progressing, and thinking must keep up with the times. Regarding the emperor's request, the Ministry of Rites asked Yan Fu's opinion and called back: There must be no mistakes in formal etiquette. After Li Ming read the telegram, he began to receive the dark training of the ceremonial officer with a black face. However, Li Ming was honest like this, and he couldn't satisfy the ceremonial officials, just because Li Ming, who had an elongated face, didn't fit the elegant expression of the Holy Lord Mingjun...... Even the quasi-crown prince Li Chun could not escape the poison (at least Li Ming thought so).

After a month of preparation. All costumes, ceremonial guards, utensils, and all etiquette training have been prepared. The Ministry of Rites has calculated the auspicious day of the zodiac. As soon as the day arrives, the grand guard of honor in the Xi'an Palace can set off. Taking advantage of the day before departure, the only day when he didn't need to practice etiquette, Li Ming, who had been in Xi'an for a month, could finally visit Xi'an City.

Sian. Since the ancient imperial state of Qinzhong, since the Zhou Dynasty, the Qin, Han, Sui, Tang and other important dynasties in ancient China have built their capitals here, it can be said that China's etiquette inheritance began to go to the whole world here. During the Tang Dynasty, it was the largest and most prosperous international metropolis in the world at that time, with a population of more than 1 million at its peak. It can be said that Chang'an City at this time is the center of the world. However, after the Anshi Rebellion, it gradually declined, and when Huangchao invaded Chang'an, the city was severely damaged. In the first year of Tianyou (904), Zhu Quanzhong held Tang Zhaozong hostage and moved the capital to Luoyang. And the palace was demolished, and the house and wood were also transported away, and a fire was set before leaving, and it is said that there were only five households left in Chang'an City when the people were the least. Later, the Youguo Army stationed in Chang'an made Han Jian think that the city was sparsely populated and not conducive to defense, so the city was rebuilt and reduced to a "new city", that is, the Chang'an City of the Five Dynasties, Song, Jin and Yuan. It was also because the Central Plains Imperial Court lost control of the Western Regions. As a result, the Silk Road on the road was replaced by the Maritime Silk Road. When a city loses its status as a political and economic center at the same time, ruin is inevitable. At this point, the city capital, which had been in the Zhou Dynasty for thousands of years, was completely abandoned. The current Xi'an was founded in the Ming Dynasty, and the small square city is decent. In addition to some ancient buildings left over from history, there are a little more people than the small cities in the northwest.

When you go to Xi'an, you can't go without seeing the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This pavilion built in the early Tang Dynasty was once the place where Xuanzang translated the scriptures. It is also the origin of the Mahayana teachings in China. However, after many repairs, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda seen now is also a building of the Ming Dynasty.

Today. Li Ming, accompanied by Yan Fu, Yang Du and Xi'an officials in civilian clothes, came to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, where the crowd was full of incense. But after shopping for a while, Li Ming found out. The vast majority of the people who came to incense today turned out to be military families. Li Ming pointed to the crowd in and outside the temple and asked, "Are there so many people in the entire city of Xi'an who have joined the army?" ”

"Back to the old man's words, more people come to Shangxiang than the villagers from the surrounding villages. Sometimes people from other provinces come here to offer incense. The prefect of Xi'an replied on the side.

Li Ming asked in surprise: "Most of the soldiers are young and strong men, after so many strong laborers join the army, who will do the farm work?" ”

"Sir, you don't know that since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the men in Guanzhong have been the main force on the battlefield. Men go out to fight, and women plough the fields and weave cloth since ancient times. ”

After hearing this, Li Ming frowned: "Since ancient times, I thought that farmers were the main force of this country's tax payment, and they not only had to send strong men to fight for the country, but also their wives and daughters had to cultivate the land and pay agricultural taxes. It's too much pressure for the farmer. Yang Du, after returning home, immediately reported the matter to the Prime Minister's Office, asking them to come up with a practical way to reduce the burden on the peasants of the world. ”

Yang Du stepped aside, and when it came to the Xi'an prefect, he said: "I don't know, my lord, since the emperor abolished the poll tax, in fact, the life of the folk farmers has been much better. The agricultural tax levied by the imperial court is calculated according to the acres of land, and the average small peasant does not have much land, and there is always a surplus for the wife and daughter of the family to cultivate for a year, if there is another soldier in the family, the soldier's salary is 20 yuan per month for 5 taels of silver, and the two-month salary is enough for a family of three to save food and use it for a year. Even if no one in the family joins the army, you can work on the construction site or work in the factory during the slack time, and you can also get a decent income. The transportation is also becoming more and more convenient, and local goods can also be transported to other places to make a profit, and this income has also increased. The life of the people has been getting better and better over the years, and in the final analysis, it is the blessing of the emperor-"

The prefect of Xi'an was still waiting for the emperor to praise him, but he glanced at the emperor but was startled, because he didn't see the emperor's smiling expression.

Li Ming's face darkened, and then he suddenly understood why the ministers had been reluctant to carry out a large-scale expansion of the army over the years, and the reason was that the military salary was too high. This is still the income of ordinary soldiers, so isn't it even higher for officers? Today, the Qing Dynasty itself plus the vassal states of Lanfang and Ryukyu have a total army of more than 1.3 million people. Although the armies in Lanfang, North Korea do not need the imperial court to provide military salaries, they also need to provide equipment. In addition to these two places, there are also more than 800,000 troops, so isn't it nearly 200 million yuan a year for military salaries alone. In addition to training, food, new barracks, and replenishment of weapons and ammunition...... The army alone can't spend 500 million yuan a year. Coupled with the gold-swallowing beast of the navy, as well as the air force and military research and development, etc...... It is no wonder that such a military action as the northward march is related to the rise and fall of the national dynasty. Only 230,000 people were mobilized. This made Li Ming, who only received 4 billion yuan in income last year, break out in a cold sweat. But if you think about it, it doesn't seem right, if you follow this calculation, the military expenditure for a year is not even enough to maintain the army. So Li Ming turned to look at Yan Fu and waited for a detailed explanation.

Yan replied: "Master doesn't need to worry about it. First of all, the armies of all vassal states were paid by their own countries, and even the guns and ammunition provided by the imperial court were bought at cost to the vassal states. Second, the salaries of the officers and men in the army are completely identical, and only 300,000 people in the main field troops can get 20 yuan, the local garrison troops only 13 yuan a month, and the armed police, which are the second-line reserves, are 10 yuan. After all, field troops need to go to the battlefield at any time, and only after going to the battlefield can they get a monthly salary of 20 yuan. Otherwise, even if the occupying forces are stationed, it will only increase by 3 yuan. ”

Oh--Li Ming nodded. It's understandable to say that. Li Ming's brows furrowed even tighter, but why didn't he know?

"Sir, these incidents are reported by the Ministry of War every month. Why doesn't the lord know? Yan Fu, who was next to him, saw the emperor's doubts, so he asked rhetorically.

"Oh, I didn't pay attention." Li Ming was a little embarrassed. The monthly report of the Ministry of War does have an item about expenditure, but Li Ming always glances at the major expenditure items, and the detailed data is how the emperor has time to read them one by one. It turned out that the imperial court was poor and had a lot of expenses, and Li Mingguang thought about where to make money, but fortunately, his team was dedicated. But I'll need to be more careful later. Thinking so in my heart, I didn't say so: "Isn't this you, I'm good at holding a big number, and the decimal will naturally be handled by you." If it's such a trivial matter, I'll take care of it myself. So what do you want? ”

The emperor's words represent a kind of trust, so everyone laughed happily. The sun appeared again, and everyone naturally had more fun. But there was a woman in the incense that caught Li Ming's attention.

To how prominent she is not dressed and looked. It was her behavior that surprised Li Ming. She first asked for a hexagram for her husband in the army, and she signed it. It stands to reason that people who get such a hexagram will generally be happy. However, the woman's face was still gloomy, and she begged for another hexagram. But what he begged was that the Bodhisattva would not change his hexagram. This kind of behavior of asking for hexagrams makes Li Ming extremely curious, can such a hexagram also be sought? Curious, Li Ming wanted to know why this woman asked for a hexagram like this.

The prefect of Xi'an, at the emperor's suggestion, personally went up to stop the three masters and servants who were about to leave. Tell them the identity of the government and bring them close to the question.

"The people's daughter Li, I've seen all the masters, the people's daughter is asking for a sign for her fiancé in the army, but every time she asks for a sign, she sees no one for the military salary, so she asks for a hexagram and asks the Bodhisattva not to change the hexagram. The folk girl heard that the sign of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an was the most effective, so she came from Shandong to ask for a lot. ”

"Shandong!" Li Ming was very surprised, although the train has already reached Xi'an, it will not come all the way to ask for a hexagram, right? However, it can be seen that this woman has a deep love for her fiancé, so Li Ming asked: "Who is your fiancé, and he has some connections in the army, so I may be able to help you inquire about it." ”

"Really? Then there is the old man Lao. Wu Peifu, the husband of the family, only knows that he was a battalion commander of the Eighth Division. ”

"What? Wu Peifu? Hearing this news, Li Ming wanted to know the whereabouts of this person more than the Li family, so he immediately turned around and ordered: "Yang Du, send a report to the Ministry of War to find Wu Peifu's whereabouts, and report it as soon as there is news." ”

Yang Du snorted and turned away. Seeing that the old man in front of him could directly contact the military department, Li naturally thanked him more. When Yang Du not only found Wu Peifu's whereabouts, but also asked for his file, the two confirmed it, and Wu Peifu's movements over the years became clear.

Wu Peifu, a native of Penglai, Shandong. In 1892, at the age of 18, he joined the New Army, and because of his excellent training performance, he served as a platoon commander of the first regiment of the first division. After participating in the 1st Division's encirclement and annihilation of the Japanese army in Beiweizi, he led his troops to reinforce Tianzhuangtai, and was promoted to company commander with outstanding performance in the battle. During the Battle of Mukden, he did not participate because he stayed in the Fengtai camp, and after the war, due to the reorganization of the army, he was transferred to the 8th Division as the battalion commander and participated in the expedition to Japan. After returning home for leave, he was promoted to regimental commander, and now the 8th Division is blockading the outskirts of Irkutsk. And before he joined the army at the age of 18, he married a queen in his family, and later died of illness. So when he took a leave to visit relatives after the expedition to Japan, his family decided to marry him again. But Wu Peifu still remembered the Wang family in his heart, so he said goodbye, and then there was no news. But what it says in the file is that he is unmarried.

"He's still alive, and he's alive and well, and now he's the colonel. However, now the Northland is on military duty, and it is temporarily impossible to return. ”

Li suddenly burst into tears: "The concubine knew that he was still alive, but why didn't he send a letter to the family." Father said that he was dead and forced the concubine to marry someone else, did the concubine really make him hate it so much? ”

"The general will inevitably die in battle, if you are determined to marry him, I can save this marriage. But you may have to wait another year. After receiving Li's affirmative answer, Li Ming instructed: "Go and go home with Li to tell his father, and then bring it to Beijing and hand it over to the queen." As long as Wu Peifu does not die after the war in the Northland is over, I will personally witness their marriage. ”

Naturally, the affairs of the Li family were handled by others, but in my memory, Wu Peifu seemed to be in poor health and had no children, so let the doctor check it out after this battle. Li Ming is very happy, now he has no intention of finding a Wu Peifu, what about the other generals of the Beiyang family? For example, where is Jiang Fangzhen and Jiang Baili, the first soldier of the Republic of China among the three heroes of Chinese non-commissioned officers, and where are Cai Ye and Zhang Xiaozhun now? For example, where is Xu Shuzheng, who recovered Outer Mongolia? For example, what about Sun Chuanfang and the other twenty-four generals of Beiyang who have not yet entered Li Ming's eyes? Although Li Ming doesn't remember the names of many people, let the military department look for all the people who still remember them first.

The emperor moved his mouth, and the lower officials ran and broke their legs. Fortunately, the war is basically stopped now, and the military department can spare enough manpower to find the information that the emperor needs. Li Ming was still hanging out, and most of the people had news. For example, Jiang Fangzhen graduated from the Royal Military Academy this year as the first place, and now serves as a combat trainee staff officer in the General Staff Headquarters. Like the same ranking in history, the second Cai Ye and the third Zhang Xiaozhun, who graduated in the same period, are currently serving as trainee company commanders in Nie Shicheng's army, and they have performed well in the counterattack against Russia. Although many people are still unknown and cannot be found for a while, this does not affect the fact that the officer corps of the Chinese army is getting stronger and stronger.

Li Ming waved a telegram and said to everyone: "Look, China's military has a successor. (To be continued......)