"That's right, it's just that the court has to think about it!"

No one can say anything about the construction of Mazu Temple and Dragon King Temple at the mouth of the Pearl River, but if you build a fort in other places, you may not be able to hide it!

"Poke the things that the English got out this time, I believe that the Governor's Mansion can also get some news that the English warships are gathering in the open sea, take this to make a fuss, and then call on the big families in the two Guangzhou, don't you donate money to repair the fort?"

The imperial court will definitely nod in this matter, but relying on the imperial court, this fort can't be repaired nine out of nine, let's do things, let the officials of the two Guangxi enjoy the blessings, anyway, it's just dragged on, few people will go to inspect, with the guise of the imperial court, it will be a provocation in England in the future, and we also have a saying.

If the situation is good, you are asking for the formation of artillery, and when the time comes, we will use our own people, and the period of building the fort is just the right time to attract a group of officials to lay the foundation for the new group of artillery. ”

The officialdom of the Qing Dynasty can't hide anything, you can't hide anything, as long as your mind is used, let alone a few forts, the emperor can die in vain.

Although Guangzhou is a place where the imperial court pays attention, Lao Taishan is the governor of Guangdong, and it is not difficult for him to take on many things.

"Hmmm! This method made me hide this matter a few days ago! With this statement, the officialdom of the two Guangxi provinces will also unite as one. ”

Using officialdom to do his own thing, Pan Shicheng is not as sophisticated as his son-in-law, he co-opts, corrupts, and deceives his superiors and subordinates, which can be regarded as being used by his son-in-law.

"Who surveyed the terrain before the fort was built? I'll take a look at it in the next two days. ”

Blockade of Lingdingyang, for the current Yang Meng. It's also a very difficult thing. Although there are countless islands in the Lingding Ocean. But to make Lingdingyang impregnable, it is not enough to simply point to the forts on the island.

"A few from the shipyard, as well as Yang Fuliang and Patrick's father and son, this time they also came back, when you go, remember to mention Pan Gui."

Public affairs are mixed with private affairs, this is the trouble of the family business, even Yang Meng is difficult to distinguish between public and private. The Yang family still has a long way to go if it wants to become a country.

"Zhilu Dao, I'll go over and take a look."

After explaining the matter, Yang Meng didn't stay long, for more than a month, he was nesting in Lixiang Garden, and it was not bad to go around, he brought a team of Jianxi, Ding Taichen and Wei Zhiqing didn't bring any of them, and Yang Meng quietly left Lixiang Garden.

Because of the relationship between clouds and smoke. Guangzhou is now the largest commercial port in the Qing Dynasty, and it is much more lively outside the city than in the city. The vicinity of the pier is even more lively, and a city outside the city is also being built around the pier.

These houses and streets, are Pan's private property, fifteen business alliances are suppliers, although it is just a casual turn, but Yang Meng also found a problem, more shipments than purchases, think about this thing, with Yang Pan two sitting in Guangzhou, there is not much space left for other small businesses, rather than in Guangzhou dry consumption, it is better to go to several other commercial ports to pan for gold.

Pan's wharf in Guangzhou is not the largest, but it is definitely the busiest, and after walking a few wharves with tax yamen, Yang Meng led people to slowly walk into Pan's private wharf in Guangzhou.

From the outside to the inside, it is only a few miles away, but there are as many as a dozen outposts in the coastal defense battalion, and thousands of soldiers of the coastal defense battalion are distributed among these dozen outposts.

"Not bad!"

The people in Jianxi said hello, Yang Meng and his party also had a smooth journey, Pan's wharf is on the edge of the sea, and it is very worry-free to load and unload goods.

"Third child, why are you here?"

"Yo...... Brother Gui, I heard your old man say, you got a few foreign girls, pull them out and take a look? ”

"Alas...... Don't mention it, when you get home, the old man won't let you enter the house, you have to dredge up this matter. ”

"It's done! Don't stand here, I've got something to do with Patrick and his son. ”

After a few trips to the sea, Pan Gui's body bones are obviously a lot stronger, and the meaning of walking a few times is become, Pan Gui's way is still in Guangzhou City.

"Your Lord!"

After a few years, Daniel became more and more composed, and the old Patrick's brow was no longer furrowed.

"Patrick, how have you been all these years?"

"Excellent! Very comfortable! ”

It's rare that Patrick has also learned Chinese, and he speaks it very slippery, so it seems that there is plenty of time at sea!

"Let's talk about it in two days! Blockade Lingdingyang, what plan do you have? ”

In the southeast peninsula, it is difficult to guarantee that England will not jump over the wall in a hurry, and if there is no shipyard in Guangzhou, there is no need to defend, but with the shipyard, Guangzhou must not be lost.

Just one Pearl River estuary is not enough to maintain the development of the navy, and as long as the internal and external Lingdingyang is locked, this is Yang Meng's bottom limit.

"The Wailingdingyang cannot be blocked, and the English who occupy Hong Kong Island, coupled with his powerful navy, even if we have more than 30 new warships, it is impossible for us to complete the task of blockading the Wailingdingyang.

The navy trained in the past few years, when the pirates were still successful, fought against the English navy, and the success rate was extremely slim.

With a tailwind, a huge ship, a superior position, and twice as many ships, we may be able to defeat the English Asian fleet, but there is no chance of victory.

There is a 30 percent chance of blockading the Inner Lingding Ocean, and only by deploying more than 68-pound howitzers and more than 20 warships on Qi'ao Island and Neilingding Island will we have a 30 percent success rate. ”

What do you have to say, Yang Meng's idea of blockading Lingdingyang is a bit whimsical in Patrick's opinion, although he is not very proficient in naval warfare, but Patrick, who has experienced war, has come up with a general estimate based on his own experience.

Even if a fort is erected between Qiao Island and Neilingding Island, due to the range relationship, if you want to blockade Neilingding Ocean, you must have the cooperation of warships, and twenty ships is only the minimum number, if there is no artillery battery on the shore, there is no hope.

"If it's just a blockade of the estuary, the Humen Fort, plus our two newly built forts, as long as they are fully equipped with artillery. Even if all the fleets on which the sun does not set are lined up. There is also no chance of landing.

With our current strength. Not to mention the blockade of the entire Lingding Ocean, even if it is only the Inner Lingding Ocean, it is extremely difficult. ”

Hold Guangzhou, the Yang family's current strength is enough, and the blockade of Lingdingyang can only be regarded as whimsical, I am afraid that Yang Meng will not know about the naval battle, Patrick added.

"What if you add a floating turret?"

Patrick said. On the one hand, he took out the chart of Lingdingyang, and as he said, with the fulcrum of Hong Kong Island, it was really a bit whimsical to blockade the entire Lingdingyang.

Although there is a gateway in the inner Lingdingyang, the range of the artillery cannot intersect, unless there is a fleet to cooperate, otherwise this is just an extravagant hope.

"Floating turrets? The season without wind and waves is still complete, if there are wind and waves. I'm afraid that the floating battery will fall apart in the sea!

Unless you can build a floating turret that is not afraid of big waves, but such a skill. We don't seem to have it. ”

A large floating fort is a good choice, but the floating fort is inconvenient and very unstrong, and it can still survive offshore, blocking the sea route between Qiao Island and Neilingding Island, but I am afraid that the season will be a big problem.

The boat can be sailed in strong winds and waves, but the floating battery cannot withstand such strong winds and waves, and cannot be used around the clock, so there is no point in blockading.

"Hmmm! This is the question, what if we build a batch of smaller floating batteries?

Do you think it is possible that these small floating batteries, each with one or two heavy shore defense guns mounted on them, connected by iron cables, towed by powered boats, and anchored at the four corners, are like barges selling tobacco and soil? ”

The floating fort is a thing used in the offshore sea, although the inner Lingding Ocean also belongs to the offshore sea, but the wind and waves are still too big, and it is easy to overturn, when it comes to this, Yang Meng is also a little lacking in confidence.

After listening to Yang Meng's opinion, Patrick did not speak, but picked up the chart and looked at it carefully, during which he also asked a few sailors, and it took about half an hour before Patrick spoke again.

"My lord, there is actually a simpler and more direct way, reclamation!

Blocking the sea route between Qi'ao Island and Neilingding Island, and allowing sea vessels entering and exiting Neilingding Ocean to sail along the edge of the two islands, our goal has been achieved, but the waters between the two islands are too large, and reclamation cannot be completed overnight. ”

Looking at the chart, and then at Patrick, Yang Meng directly rejected the simplest method, such a wide sea area, even if it sinks more than 3,000 tons of giant ships, it will have to be hundreds or thousands, the idea is good, but it is not capable of realizing it.

"! If only there were triggered mines!

So be it! Relying on our existing warships and floating batteries, you can develop a blockade plan!

There is no need for an all-weather blockade, in the outer Lingding Ocean, set up a large number of eyeliners, leave enough distance, as long as we see the fleet ahead, we will block the sea again.

Find a way to build a beacon tower on the sea, if you can get a telegraph, it would be the best. ”

Shore defense artillery, in addition to purchasing, Yunnan can also be cast, but if it can't be done, it can only be trapped at the mouth of the Pearl River. The idea is good, but there is no condition to implement it, so Yang Meng can only retreat and use the stupidest method to set up sentinels on the sea.

"Lord Lord, in fact, there is no need for us to blockade Lingdingyang, as long as we hold the mouth of the Pearl River, there will be no big problem.

As long as we set up a batch of shore defense artillery along the Humen Fort, it will be enough to block the Pearl River estuary.

The Pearl River has an advantage, that is, it can sail warships all the way to the vicinity of Guangzhou City, and in this area of the Pearl River Estuary, there are many places where docks can be built, and hundreds of warships can still be moored.

Our current purpose is only to develop the navy, there is no need to have too strong a sense of territory, as long as there is enough territory to manufacture warships and moor warships, the number and combat power are sufficient, and we don't need to blockade it, and the warships of other countries will not easily approach. ”

After listening to Patrick's words, Yang Meng knew that his plan had failed, and in this matter, Patrick was right, his own territory consciousness was too strong, and his own territory could not tolerate outsiders, so it seemed that he wanted to go wrong with this matter.

The blockade of the Pearl River Estuary was stillborn, and in the final analysis, the strength was still not successful, and the strength at sea could not be achieved, so it could only be blocked by others.

"That's it! Don't mention it, Patrick, in the past few days, you have people survey the geography near Humen, see which places are suitable for building forts, and we will only defend the Pearl River Estuary! ”

slapped his palm on the chart, Yang Meng could only take another step back, his strength was not good, and he was helpless!

"No need to survey, I have already surveyed it last time, this is the map.

As long as shore defense artillery with sufficient firing range is placed at these points, the Pearl River Estuary will be impregnable, and with this piece of water entering the sea, our warships will be able to conduct training. ”

took out a map, the location of the fort was clearly marked, and the required artillery parameters were also noted on the map, seeing the palm-sized water area on the map, Yang Meng could only look up to the sky and sigh.

"Alas...... Let's do it! In addition to the shore defense artillery, more mortar guns are also arranged to prevent the fleet from landing at close range, as long as it is within the range of the shore defense artillery, there must be corresponding large and small guns on the battery.

Similarly, the rear of the fort should also be set up with corresponding artillery, our strength in Guangzhou is not too strong, no one knows where the enemy will come from, the lessons of the Humen Fort being captured that year, we must keep in mind. ”

In the setting of artillery, in addition to the imaginary enemy in England, there is also the Qing court, if there is a large-scale war with the imperial court, tens of thousands of people in Guangzhou are not enough to defend the entire territory, with the fort as the base, set up several key areas to defend, it is also very necessary.

"This arrangement of the lord is really good!"

"Alas...... Let's develop the navy! When you get to the sea, you have to be the third grandson, you are really unwilling! Rest for two days first, and when Yang Fuliang comes, let's go to see the Harbour Master School together. (To be continued......)