The next day, Ren Chao personally entered the palace to ask to see Emperor Guangxu, and asked Emperor Guangxu to issue an order to send the first detachment of the Jiaolong Fleet south to Guangdong for the reason of integrating the navy of various ministries, responsible for the reorganization of the Guangdong naval division, and ordered Ding Ruchang, the secretary of the Navy Department, to accompany him.

Subsequently, Ding Ruchang boarded the Tianchao, the flagship of the first detachment of the Jiaolong fleet, at Dagukou, and came to Guangdong with the first detachment of the Jiaolong fleet.

This time, the Jiaolong Fleet dispatched a total of seven main warships, including the Celestial Empire, the flagship of the first detachment of the Jiaolong fleet, led by Zhang Haiping, commander of the first detachment of the Jiaolong fleet. In addition to the seven main warships, it was accompanied by five large troop carriers carrying 2,000 marines and 3,000 army soldiers.

The fleet went all the way south to Canton, and when it reached Guangdong, it immediately blockaded the mouth of the Pearl River. In the yamen of the governor of Liangguang, Li Hongzhang was still eating, and Zhang Peilun ran in in a panic, "Lord Zhongtang, it's not good that the Jiaolong fleet has blocked the mouth of the Pearl River." ”

"What are you panicking about? It's not that I don't know the news of the Jiaolong fleet going south, and it should arrive today before tomorrow, so what's the fuss. Li Hongzhang couldn't help but reprimand.

"Yes! It's the student who is rude. Zhang Peilun hurriedly confessed.

After such a fuss, Li Hongzhang lost his appetite, beckoned, and immediately a maid came over with a glass of water to rinse Li Hongzhang's mouth, after Li Hongzhang finished rinsing his mouth, he stood up and waved his hand, "Go!" Go to the study and talk. ”

After Li Hongzhang came to the study, soon some of Li Hongzhang's cronies, including his son and son-in-law, all came to the study.

"The Jiaolong fleet has blocked the mouth of the Pearl River, what do you think about this matter?" Li Hongzhang asked first.

As soon as Li Hongzhang's voice fell, the room fell into a short silence, and no one knew what Li Hongzhang was going to do, so the smart people chose to be silent for a while at this time, and wait to see Li Hongzhang's attitude, so as not to say the wrong thing.

"What else? He Ren Chao has already bullied him to the doorstep, as long as Lord Zhongtang gives an order. We're going to beat them away! At this time, a Qing army general stood up and said loudly.

"Hit? What to fight? It's the naval fleet! Li Hongzhang hated iron and couldn't make steel, and glanced at the reckless general.

"They have a navy, don't we also have a Guangdong naval division?" The general said with some unconvinced.

Li Hongzhang couldn't help laughing, others may not know, but he, Li Hongzhang, knows it clearly. Although the Guangdong Navy Division is also one of the four major naval fleets in China, the Guangdong Navy Division has a total of 37 ships with a total tonnage of 11,000 tons. However, this is the three cruisers of the Guangdong Naval Division, Guangjia, Guangyi, and Guangbing...... "Guangjia", "Guangyi", and "Guangbing" participated in the North and South Ocean Conference in 1894 and went north, and in the Sino-Japanese First Sino-Japanese War, they were under the command of the Beiyang Navy, and the two ships Guangjia and Guang B were destroyed in the Battle of the Yellow Sea and the Battle of Toshima respectively. As for Guang Bing, he also stayed in Beiyang later, and then he was absorbed by Ren Chaojiaolong's fleet. That is to say, the current Guangdong Navy Division only has a small gunboat, patrol boats and the like, although there are more than 30 of them, but they add up to only a few thousand tons, and the total tonnage of one Celestial Empire exceeds your fleet, how can this be fought!

"At present, our Guangdong Navy Division only has more than 30 gunboats, patrol boats and other small boats, and the largest is only a few hundred tons. The seven main warships from the Jiaolong fleet are all main warships with a displacement of more than 1,000 tons, and the largest Celestial Empire is even more than 10,000 tons, so our Guangdong Navy Division is not an opponent at all. Not even the strength of a battle! The Admiral of the Guangdong Navy lowered his head and said helplessly.

"If you can't beat it, you can't just surrender, right?" The general of the Huai Army still said without giving up.

"You can't beat it! Even if it has been fought, can this battle be fought? People are here by order, and if we fight, it will be rebellion! At this time, a civil official shook his head and said.

"Rebellious? He took the emperor hostage and falsely passed on the holy decree. He is the real rebel! Someone couldn't help but retort loudly.

Li Hongzhang shook his head and said, "His purpose for Ren Chao is just to force me to go north, since this battle can't be fought." If I can't win, then I have to go back to Beijing! ”

"Midori-sama, think twice! If the adult returns to Beijing, what if Ren Chao is not good for the adult? Zhang Peilun couldn't help but persuade.

"Yes! Father thinks twice, this Ren Chao is a complete madman, he can do everything, if you go back to Beijing, maybe this kid will treat your father and you! At present, the Tiger Ben Army is fighting with the Tsarist Russians, I'm afraid Ren Chao won't dare to force his father too hard, we can wait a little longer. Li Jingfang couldn't help but persuade.

"Now that Ren Chao has begun to negotiate peace with the Tsarist Russians, presumably this war is about to end! What's more, you said it, he Ren Chao is a madman who can do anything. If I insist on not returning to Beijing, what will happen to him? Li Hongzhang sighed helplessly.

"Since the Russians are no longer reliable, can we ask the British and Americans to put pressure on Ren Chao! Let Ren Chao promise his father to stay in Guangdong. Li Jingfang continued.

"These foreign devils only value their own interests, and no one will help us for no reason!" Li Hongzhang waved his hand and said, "And Ren Chao is also trying his best to win the support of the European powers, so who are these foreign devils helping, it's not sure?" ”

Just when Li Hongzhang and everyone were at a loss to discuss, at this time, someone walked in and reported, "Lord Qiqi Zhongtang, the Jiaolong Fleet sent someone to send a message that Lord Ding Ruchang, the secretary of the Admiralty, asked to come to Guangzhou to meet Lord Zhongtang. ”

"Then let him come!" Li Hongzhang thought for a while. This Ding Ruchang is Li Hongzhang's cronies, otherwise he, Li Hongzhang, would not have been relieved to hand over the Beiyang Naval Division to him. After Ren Chao forced the Beiyang Naval Division, Ren Chao did not embarrass Ding Ruchang, but appointed Ding Ruchang as the secretary of the newly established Admiralty. This time he went south with the fleet to act as a lobbyist to persuade Li Hongzhang to go north, Li Hongzhang naturally guessed this, since there is no good way to deal with it at present, then he might as well meet Ding Ruchang first and listen to Ren Chao's conditions.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Jiaolong fleet sailed into Huangpu Island, where the Guangdong Navy Division was stationed, but the Guangdong Navy Division could not stop it at all, and did not dare to stop it. The Marines then landed on Whampoa Island and took over the island's defense, as well as all the ships of the Canton Naval Division. Li Hongzhang could only turn a blind eye to this, but Li Hongzhang still secretly ordered the Guangzhou garrison to strengthen the vigilance in case the Tiger Ben army took the opportunity to attack Guangzhou. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to the starting point () to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support, is my biggest motivation. For mobile phone users, please go to M. to read. (To be continued......)

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