When Lin Daxin led Ding Xueshan to board the Italian ironclad battleship Italia, the naval cadets of the Sailor Academy were escorting the captured Italian naval officers and sailors off the warship.

Ding Xueshan looked at these blonde Italians and asked Lin Daxin in surprise: "Xiao Linzi!" I'm weird! Didn't we start a war with the Japanese in the Qing Dynasty? And not with this Italian Western countries? Why are these Italians still helping the Japanese to beat us! ”

Lin Daxin looked at the Italian prisoners who stepped off the warship, and he was also very angry with them, almost changing the situation of the battle for these Italians, Lin Daxin said hatefully: "I have already tortured these Italians on the way back!" These Italians were too greedy and fell in love with Qingdao in our Qing Dynasty, and the Italians rented these four warships and personnel to the Japanese in order to take advantage of the war between Japan and the Qing Dynasty to profit and ask the Japanese to obtain the right to occupy Qingdao for them after the war! ”

After hearing this, Ding Xueshan also snorted with hatred and said, "These Italians are really bad! We didn't mess with them! I just want to fish in troubled waters in our war with Japan! Now it's stupid! 4 warships of this size have been captured by us! By the way, Kobayashi, these warships and Italian prisoners, will you put them back? ”

Lin Daxin shook his head and said, "Put it back?" That's impossible! I just made up for our lost warships with these 4 warships! As for the more than 2,000 Italians who were captured, it just so happened that our Sailor School was about to expand, and there was a shortage of labor, so these Italians should be coolies for me for a while! If the Italians don't give me a ransom! I'll let these Italians work as coolies in the Qing Dynasty for the rest of their lives! ”

Ding Xueshan laughed when she heard Lin Daxin finish speaking: "Xiao Linzi, you are so bold!" I have never heard of anyone in our Qing Dynasty who dared to use Westerners as coolies! ”

After the Italian prisoners came down from the warship, Lin Daxin said to Ding Xueshan: "Let's go!" Xue Shan, I'll show you this giant ship with a displacement of more than 15,000 tons! ”

Ding Xueshan happily and Lin Daxin embarked on the Italian ironclad battleship Italy!

After the remnants of the Japanese Combined Fleet returned to the Japanese military port of Yokosuka, the Japanese base camp learned of the news of the defeat of the Combined Fleet at the Beiyang Naval Division. As soon as Emperor Meiji of Japan heard the bad news, he fainted at that time, and the Japanese Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi and others next to him immediately came to the rescue, and when Emperor Meiji eased up, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ito Hirobumi and asked: "Prime Minister, now my Great Japanese Combined Fleet has been defeated by the hands of the Beiyang Naval Division!" Can our war with the Qing Dynasty continue? ”

At the beginning of the war, Ito's cabinet was facing the impeachment of parliamentary no-confidence, and it was for this reason that Ito Hirobumi went all out to provoke a war between Japan and the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, Hirobumi Ito comforted Emperor Meiji and said: "Although the combined fleet was defeated by the Beiyang Naval Division, there were still 9 warships that escaped back, and 7 of the main warships were very damaged and could continue to fight!" So our sea supremacy has not been completely lost! The Beiyang Naval Division is very powerful, but their warships cannot be driven to land! The combat effectiveness of the army of the Qing Dynasty is very weak, we only need to transport enough army to the battlefield of Liaodong in Korea! Our Japanese Army will fight all the way to Beijing, the capital of the Qing Dynasty! ”

Emperor Meiji nodded slowly after hearing this, thinking that what Ito Hirobumi said was very reasonable, the weakness of the combat effectiveness of the Qing Army had already been seen by the Japanese very clearly through the Battle of Pyongyang!

At this time, Emperor Meiji said: "Prime Minister, then send as many troops as possible to the battlefield of Liaodong in Korea!" ”

Ito Hirobumi nodded and said: "Our base camp is ready to transport the standing 2nd Division, the 6th Division, the newly established 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Divisions, a total of 6 divisions and 120,000 elite troops, to North Korea by renting British transport ships!" Together with the 1st and 3rd Divisions already in Korea, we will gather 160,000 troops in Korea! ”

When Emperor Meiji heard this, he was relieved from the news of the defeat of the Combined Fleet, and exclaimed: "The Prime Minister has done a very effective job, and in a short period of time four new army standing divisions have been established, and I believe that the 160,000 elite army will definitely defeat the rabble of the Qing Army!" ”

Suddenly, Emperor Meiji thought of the four Italian warships, and asked in embarrassment: "Prime Minister, the four Italian warships have been captured by the Beiyang Naval Division!" According to the agreement reached with the Italians, if the personnel and warships of the Italian Navy are damaged in the battle with the Beiyang Naval Division, we Japan will compensate them! What will we do if the Italians ask us to compensate their warships? ”

As soon as Ito Hirobumi heard about the Italian warships, he said angrily: "Your Majesty the Emperor, if it weren't for the four Italian ironclad battleships that didn't obey the command of the combined fleet, we wouldn't have been defeated by the Beiyang Naval Division!" The Italians came to us for compensation! Our combined fleet is still going to find them, and Italy wants compensation! You must know that 4 of their warships were hired by us at our expense and had to obey our command, and as a result, because the 4 Italian warships did not obey the command, the combined fleet failed miserably! ”

Emperor Meiji also nodded in agreement, and then ordered: "A large part of the British loan to Japan has not been used, and now the combined fleet has failed miserably, and it is a time of crisis, Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi!" You immediately contact Britain or other Western naval powers to urgently purchase some active warships to make up for the losses of the Combined Fleet! ”

Hirobumi Ito received the order: "I will contact the ministers of various countries in Japan immediately!" Do your best to replenish the combined fleet with warships! ”

In the Forbidden City of Beijing, Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi both received the news of the victory of the Beiyang Naval Division over the Japanese Combined Fleet, and also captured 5 large ships!

In the Xinuan Pavilion of the Forbidden City, Guangxu and a sixtieth official accompanied Cixi to talk. This Huajia official is Aixin Jueluo Yixun, one of the twelve iron hat kings of the Qing Dynasty, the sixth son of Emperor Daoguang, the half-brother of Emperor Xianfeng, and the posthumous edict of Emperor Daoguang was "Prince Gong". During the Xianfeng period, Yi Xun served as the Minister of Military Aircraft from 1853 to 1855.

In the Second ** War, Yi Xun was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary, responsible for negotiations with Britain, France, and Russia, and signed the "Treaty of Beijing". In 1861, Emperor Xianfeng died, and Yixun and the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces jointly launched the Xinyou Coup, successfully seized power, and was awarded the title of King of Parliament.

However, Yixun supported the Empress Dowager Cixi's coup d'état in Beijing, and although he was rewarded with a heavy task, it was followed by the continuous suppression of the Empress Dowager Cixi. So much so that Yixun was up and down after Cixi took power, his will was depressed, and he had nothing to achieve.

He was deposed because of the defeat in the Sino-French War in 1884, and now that the Qing Dynasty and Japan are fighting, he was reappointed by Cixi as the Minister of Military Aircraft and the Minister of Yamen, the Prime Minister of the Foreman!

Abundant? said to Guangxu and Cixi: "Lin Daxin, the general manager of this Sailor Academy on the war report, has outstanding achievements and was listed as the first merit by Ding Ruchang!" I don't know what the Queen Mother and the Emperor have to tell this person's reward? ”

Guangxu heard Yi? mentioned Lin Daxin, and said: "Although this Lin Daxin is meritorious, I heard that this person is unruly, and he should not be rewarded again!" I'll just have some silver! ”

Cixi said: "The mourning family thinks that it is still necessary to reward it!" The battle with the Japanese is not over yet! And rely on these minions who can fight! I will give that Lin Daxin official a promotion, a reward of 1,000 taels, a yellow coat, and the title of Baturu of the Qing Dynasty! ”

Abundant? echoed and said: "The Queen Mother has thought it through! ”

Guangxu heard Cixi's words and didn't say anything more.

Abundant? He also said: "But now the Italian minister has come to our prime minister's yamen and asked us to return Italy's four warships and more than 2,000 Italian naval personnel, otherwise Italy will be unkind to us!" ”

When the young Guangxu heard this, he couldn't suppress his anger and said: "Those Italians are too deceitful! They took a fancy to Qingdao in our Qing Dynasty and wanted to occupy Qingdao by force by the Japanese, so they leased 4 warships to the Japanese! Now the fight is lost, the warship is captured! I just want to go back to both people and warships without incident! Don't give! Say nothing and don't give! ”

Cixi frowned and looked at Guangxu and said, "You are the emperor!" Pay attention to etiquette! ”

When Guangxu heard this, he immediately wilted, bowed his head and said, "My father taught me a lesson!" I've just lost my honor! ”

Cixi against Yi? He commanded: "We are now fighting with Japan, so don't provoke the Italians anymore!" Give Ding Ruchang of the Beiyang Naval Division a decree, let the warships and people go! ”