On the same day, Xiao Yungui's Xiwang special train arrived in Shanghai, and after the completion of the first opening of the Jiangsu-Shanghai Railway, the commercial transportation and freight transportation of the Suzhou-Shanghai Railway began to enter the formal, and many gentry began to hold the mentality of giving it a try to reach the train to the provincial capital to play.

The locomotive running on the Suzhou-Shanghai Railway is a "planetary" locomotive purchased from the British Stephenson Engineering Company, the locomotive is equipped with a high-pressure boiler, and there is an exquisite steam pipe structure network and a pair of horizontal cylinders, which is the standard model of the future locomotive. These sturdy locomotives can tow 12 passenger or freight cars at speeds of up to 33 kilometers per hour.

The Suzhou-Shanghai railway from Suzhou North Railway Station to Shanghai Hongqiao Station is 93 kilometers long, deducting the stopping time of Xiangcheng, Kunshan, Jiading and other stations on the way, that is to say, it only takes more than 4 hours to take the train from Suzhou to Shanghai, compared to the previous boat or carriage and other means of transport, the speed has been greatly improved, and the capacity of the train is also very huge, and it is more reliable than the ship, some waterways are not navigable in the dry season, and the train has no impact at all, as long as there is coal and track, the train can run around the clock.

At the same time, under the trend of curiosity and fashionable mentality, many gentry and wealthy people in Shanghai tried to take the train. After the Xiwang special train arrived in Shanghai, Xiao Yungui saw a lot of gentry at Hongqiao Station getting on the passenger train, although the number was not large, but they did not run empty, and there were many Xidian officials among them. Recently, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Household Affairs often travel back and forth between Jiangsu and Shanghai, and after the train opened, the officials naturally chose to take the train.

At this time, the passenger carriage was not divided into VIP carriage and ordinary carriage, and the gentry officials all sat next to each other, which invisibly also narrowed the relationship between the gentry officials, and what Xiao Yungui did not expect was that in this case, the feudal hierarchy disappeared temporarily. Officials are no longer on top. Seeing several officials of the West Hall chatting with several gentry on the train, wearing dragon coats and red hoods, Xiao Yungui smiled knowingly, maybe this is what he wants to see.

However, Xiao Yungui also knows that this kind of scene will not last long, there will always be a hierarchy in human society, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is not exempt from vulgarity, and now ordinary people have not taken the train, and when the train is slowly accepted by ordinary people in the future, and the number of ordinary people who choose to travel by train increases, it will inevitably evolve into VIP carriages and ordinary carriages.

After returning to Xiwang's Shanghai Pavilion, Wang Minyun came quickly with several officials from the Shanghai Military Administration Department and the Japanese Department of the Ministry of Rites. They just finished signing with the Japanese. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, in the name of the Navy and the Naval Administration of Sufu Province, signed the "Shanghai, Nagasaki, and Hakodate Trade Treaty" with the Saga Domain and the Matsumae Domain of Japan to open ports and trade, but this treaty did not rise to the level of a treaty between the two countries and above, and the signing of the Treaty in the name of the Saga Domain and the Matsumae Domain between the two sides and above was the intention of the Western King, and he did not want to overstimulate the foreign powers.

In this treaty, both China and Japan got what they wanted, but it was only later that Japanese scholars found out. Since the signing of this treaty, Japan has become one of the dumping grounds for the goods of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Moreover, the promises of assistance from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom for the reform of the shogunate government also became investment projects by Chinese businessmen in Japan. It was the implementation of this treaty that made Japan go around in a big circle on the road of change and development, and this treaty is also known as the "Sino-Japanese Treaty".

After reading the treaty brought by Wang Minyun, Xiao Yungui showed a satisfied smile, and then arranged for Wang Minyun to select candidates to go to Japan, and explained a lot of details to them.

After the discussion was completed, Wang Minyun and the others left. Xiao Yungui summoned He Bin, Zhou Zhaoyao and others, the leaders of Bai Zetang in Shanghai, and told them to follow Wang Minyun's people to Japan, and let Zhou Zhaoyao be directly responsible for all the affairs of Bai Zetang in Japan.

After arranging Bai Zetang's affairs, Xiao Yungui met with Qian Jiang of the Intelligence Department again. The Intelligence Department will also send people to Japan to open up an intelligence network, and their identities are the same as Bai Zetang's, they are all disguised as businessmen, and their missions are not very different from Bai Zetang's. Bai Zetang was mainly responsible for eliminating the Japanese who were unfavorable to the Taiping Army, while the Intelligence Department was mainly responsible for collecting Japanese intelligence.

Zuihou, Xiao Yungui met with Mu Guandao and other former Shanghai gang bosses, as well as Tongbao monk and others, and the Shanghai gangsters and Ningbo pirates would also send people to Japan. Xiao Yungui believed that with Bai Zetang, the Intelligence Division, gangsters, and pirates, the merchant ships and merchants of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom would definitely be able to gain a firm foothold in Japan and compete for their own market.

After arranging these trivial affairs, Xiao Yungui ordered someone to set up lunch, and pulled Tang Erniu, Qian Jiang, Mu Guandao, and Zhou Xiuying, Mu Yinghong and other female officials in the Xiwang Courtyard to have lunch together. Xiao Yungui is very unaccustomed to eating alone, he always feels that everyone eats together to be lively, and the people in the West Palace also know the temper of the King of the West, many people have had lunch with the easy-going King of the West, and everyone does not shirk at the moment, and sits down to eat together.

was having lunch, but He Bin from Bai Zetang suddenly came to see him again, Xiao Yungui's heart suddenly burst, presumably something must have happened, and immediately put down the dishes and chopsticks and asked He Bin to wait in the study. Seeing that Xiao Yungui was leaving, everyone who accompanied the West King to eat got up together, Xiao Yungui waved his hand and said, "You go on eating, don't pay attention to this king." Then he hurried away.

When he arrived in the study, He Bin immediately sent a letter, and hurriedly said: "King Xi, there is news from the rudder of Bai Zetang in Hunan that there is an abnormal movement in the head of the Qing Demon Zeng, and more than 10,000 Xiangyong are marching towards Shaoguan, Guangdong. ”

Xiao Yungui hurriedly unfolded the letter and read it, then narrowed his eyes and asked, "What are your plans to analyze Xiang Yong's transfer?" ”

He Bin replied: "There are only two ways, one is to enter Guangdong, and it is very likely that the Qing Demon will increase troops in Guangdong because he heard the news of the big incident in Guangdong Tiandihui, and Ye Mingchen wants to borrow troops to help suppress it." Second, the sound of the east attacking the west, Hunan soldiers may also enter Guangxi from the west of Shaoguan to encircle and suppress Zhu Hongying, He Goubei and other troops. ”

Xiao Yungui pondered for a moment and said: "The Hunan soldiers will not go to Guangxi, it is barren and barren over there, and it is unprofitable, they must be going to Guangdong Tiandihui." As soon as Guangdong was in chaos, the largest treaty port of the Manchu Qing Dynasty was in danger of falling, and Guangdong was still the only province under the rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty that could have a surplus, so Ye Mingchen must have wanted to borrow troops to help suppress it. ”

He Bin lost his voice and said: "The previous Tong Qiangsheng Tong Boss spent a lot of effort in Guangdong to win over the leaders of the Guangdong Tiandi Society, seeing that as long as Li Shangshu hit Xiamen, the Guangdong Tiandi Society could hold high the banner of righteousness and welcome the Fujian Taiping Army into Guangdong Province. ”

Xiao Yungui frowned and said, "Is Li Kaifang still attacking Quanzhou?" ”

He Bin nodded and said, "Exactly, it's been more than ten days." ”

Xiao Yungui said with some dissatisfaction: "For more than ten days, Li Kaifang has only used more than 20 days to fight the Wentai defense line, how can a small Quanzhou fight for so long?" Speaking of this, Xiao Yungui himself stopped talking, Li Kaifang's difficulties he knew, since the end of the Fuzhou Campaign, Fujian has entered a frequent rainy season, and even experienced a typhoon in Fuzhou, the water in Fuzhou City is waist-deep, so that the transfer of materials is inconvenient, and Fujian has many mountains, plus the Taiping Army has been fighting in Fujian since the beginning of the year, Li Kaifang's troops have not been rested, and the soldiers are very tired.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yungui ordered He Bin to go back first, pay close attention to the movements of the Hunan army, and like Tong Qiangsheng, he issued an alarm, ordering him to rein in the Shili of the Guangdong Tiandihui, and strictly prevent the Qing soldiers from suddenly attacking, if the matter is urgent, there is no need to wait for Li Kaifang's army to start in advance.

Later, Xiao Yungui ordered his guards to summon Wang Minyun, Zhou Lichun, and Chen Yucheng and Li Xiucheng who were in the martial arts school to come over to discuss the matter.

Half an hour later, several people came to the study of the king of the west, Xiao Yungui did not talk nonsense, and directly told the fatigue of Li Kaifang's army in Fujian and the fact that the Hunan army was very likely to enter Guangdong, and then looked at Chen Yucheng and Li Xiucheng and asked: "Is the third batch of Xidian new army ready to fight?" ”

The first batch of new troops in Xidian followed Li Kaifang to fight in Fujian, and most of the second batch of reorganized men and horses were sent to Zhenjiang and Yangzhou under the command of Lin Fengxiang and Luo Xuan, and the third batch of new troops trained for more than five months and basically completed the reorganized training. The Second Army is now in Yangzhou to confront the soldiers and horses of the Qing army, which was ordered by the general Mianyu and the prince of Horqin, Monk Greenqin, and cannot be moved lightly, so Xiao Yungui can only mobilize the new Third Army to fight.

After Li Xiucheng was demoted to the martial arts academy, he has been studying Western military affairs in the martial arts academy in a low-key manner, and he has conscientiously led the officers and men to practice, and his new military discipline is also excellent, and he was recently promoted to the commander of the second division of the newly formed Third Army. At this time, the king of the west asked him and Chen Yucheng about the war in Fujian, and Li Xiucheng knew that the time had come for the king of the west to use him.

Chen Yucheng was the commander of the First Division of the Third Army, but Li Xiucheng was not good at trespassing, so he waited for Chen Yucheng to speak first. Chen Yucheng was not humble either, and immediately said: "The three new divisions of the Third Army, more than 35,000 people, can change equipment at any time to fight to support Li Shangshu in Fujian. ”

Xiao Yungui glanced at Wang Minyun and asked, "How is the equipment of the Third Army?" Can supplies support the war? ”

Wang Minyun said with some embarrassment: "At this time, the materials and equipment are only enough to assemble half of the people and horses of the Third Army, mainly because the firearms part is much worse, and the Shanghai and Suzhou Firearms Bureaus have been rushing to work overnight, but I am afraid that it will take five months to gather the firearms." ”

Xiao Yungui frowned and said: "This king can't wait for five days, Li Kaifang can't go south in time to meet the Guangdong Heaven and Earth Society, the righteous army over there is bound to fight alone, and the Qing Demon Hunan Army enters Guangdong to help make it even worse, if the Guangdong righteous army fails, it will be even more difficult for us to enter Guangdong in the future!" ”

Li Xiucheng suddenly said: "Li Shangshu's subordinates are tired, and it is difficult to supply materials, most of them are due to the lack of gunpowder, guns, shells and other materials, presumably the guns are still well preserved. The Third Army can first equip half of the supplies, and the rest of the men and horses can bring gunpowder, guns, and shells into Fujian to support, and after the Third Army enters Fujian, they can replace the First Army and continue to fight, so that the First Army can rest and wait for new equipment, so that both ends can be taken into account. ”

Xiao Yungui patted his thigh and said happily: "Yes, people don't stop shooting, the third army is equipped with half of the men, and the rest of the men and horses only bring cold weapons and ammunition to the south, and when they arrive in Fujian to receive the guns and equipment of the first army, the first army retreats to Fuzhou to rest, and the third army takes over the first army to continue to attack Quanzhou, so there is no need to wait for five months!" Xiucheng's method is good, you immediately negotiate the charter, prepare the troops and horses, and the Third Army is ready to enter Fujian to fight immediately! (To be continued......)