Kingdom of America, Virginia Region.

Harrison, a militia colonel in Virginia, accepted Wellesley's appointment and orders.

Swimming ashore in the middle of the James River, he summoned the fleeing routs from Richmond and Petersburg, and quickly established a rudimentary defensive line.

Canadian bicycle infantry arrived early the next morning.

In front of Harrison's humble position, they all dropped their bikes, drew their rifles, and lunged forward in skirmisher mode.

The two sides quickly exchanged fire.

Under normal circumstances, the chaotic militia organized by Harrison could not withstand the attack of the elite French troops.

Even the actual hysteresis effect is very limited.

They will soon be routed.

However, Wellesley messaged Nelson at the same time as he returned to Norfolk.

Nelson arranged for low-level cruisers with a shallow draft to sail directly into the James River to support Harrison with naval guns on the water.

With both sides fighting with light infantry, the power of the 160-mm naval guns was terrifying.

Suppressed by naval artillery, Harrison's troops barely withstood the Canadians' onslaught.

Wellesley was in full swing to build a new defensive line in the rear.

On the way to Norfolk in western Virginia, at the mouth of the last tributary of the lower James River, outside the city of Suffolk

Officers from the British mainland commanded the local militia, and the militia commanded the nearby estates to recruit seconded Moxi slaves, digging trenches and laying barbed wire.

The same line was being organized outside Williamsburg, upstream of Newport News.

Nelson commanded another group of low-rank cruisers into the bay next to Suffolk to support the line of defense as a maritime battery.

Wellesley stood on the floor, looking at the busy construction site with binoculars, looking at the standard line of defense line of barbed wire and trenches that had been laid, and his mood relaxed a little.

As long as this defensive line of defense on land and sea was established, it would be basically impossible for Napoleon to break this line of defense and capture the port of Norfolk unless all the heavy artillery was transferred.

After keeping the Norfolk military port, all you have to consider is how to counterattack and where to counterattack.

While Wellesley was thinking, Nelson walked in with a couple of telegrams:

"News from London, the United Kingdom and France have officially requested that the Ming send troops, and the Ming troops should enter the country soon.

"We must immediately issue an order for the troops everywhere to get out of the way of the borders and roads, and allow the Ming troops to go to the front line."

Wellesley, who had expected it, sighed softly, and said to himself while taking the telegram:

"So what is the cost......"

After reading a few words, Wellesley's eyes widened:

"Oh my God, there was a territorial exchange between the United Kingdom, France, and the Ming Dynasty.

"The Chesapeake Peninsula and Long Island were ceded to the Ming ......"

Nelson said quite contemplatively, self-deprecatingly:

"Yes, it was ceded to the Ming Dynasty, and in the future, we had another place of contact with the French and the Ming people.

"I hope the French and the Ming can become closer in the New York area......"

Wellesley also slowly calmed down, thinking through the significance of these territorial exchanges.

Examining the contents of the telegram again, Wellesley gave the order to completely open the border to the Ming forces.

Then he walked back and forth in the room, frowning and muttering to himself:

"The Ming might try to contact Adams and Napoleon, and they might try to go directly to Long Island and the Chesapeake.

"The point is, they have a chance to succeed.

"While Long Island and the Chesapeake Peninsula are important, the threat to the Ming is equally significant.

"If I were Adams or Napoleon, I wouldn't be in conflict with the Ming at this time.

"If we continue to think about it, once Daming's troops enter the front line, the fighting may stop......"

Nelson was noncommittal and said:

"And what the politicians asked of the Ming was only to help us hold the line and wait for our troops to arrive and counterattack.

"In other words, Da Ming has the opportunity to achieve their goal without harm and directly obtain 400,000 square kilometers of land."

Wellesley fell silent, and the scene fell silent, except for the distant sounds of the street and the construction site.

Wellesley's order to allow the Ming to cross the border was transmitted through the telegraph line throughout the remaining five southern states.

In Florida, Texas, New Orleans and other places, a large number of Ming troops were already gathered near the border.

Immediately after the Emperor's order was given, the relevant troops entered combat mode and began to communicate with the British on the other side of the border.

When Wellesley's order came down, the Ming army directly crossed the border between the two sides.

The great markets for the cotton and slave trade in western America, and the Hedong region of the lower reaches of the Honey River south of Memphis, later known as Mississippi, are still under the control of the American militia.

The seventh president of the United States in history, now Major General of the Tennessee Militia, Andrew Jackson, led the local militia of Memphis to organize a defensive line under the city of Memphis in advance.

Militias retreating from the front line are constantly being joined in a fierce battle with Canadian troops under the city of Memphis.

The Ming escort troops in the Ming settlement stronghold on the west bank of the Mihe River took a river boat docked in the river, landed on the land on the other bank, and joined the American defense line after landing.

Andrew Jackson has received the news and knows that the Ming are now his allies.

Although it sounds very weird, this news is really gratifying.

Although Chen Huacheng, the general of the Ming Dynasty who came to meet him, was a young colonel who was only thirty years old, Jackson did not dare to slack off, and immediately ran outside the city to greet him after hearing the news.

As soon as Jackson saw Chen Huacheng, he greeted him very warmly:

"It's really great, with the help of the Great Tomorrow soldiers, we will definitely be able to fight the hometown of the Canadian traitor!"

Chen Huacheng was not interested, and waved his hand helplessly and said:

"I do want to do this personally, but all we have been ordered is to help you hold the line......

Jackson was obviously stunned, and then said with some embarrassment:

"Defend the line, hold the line, these Canadians are on their bikes, running too fast."

Meanwhile, outside the city of Memphis.

On the Canadian side, Jean de Dieu Sirte, the commander in charge of operations in the west and one of the most famous marshals under Napoleon in history, heard the news that the attack under the city of Memphis had been blocked.

While they were thinking about how to respond, the guards sent a new message:

"The Ming troops entered Memphis? The Ming troops began to arm with the British? ”

The adjutant next to him was also obviously stunned:

"General, what should we do? Do you want to attack the Ming troops? ”

Soult waved his hand directly and said:

"No, according to the plan, we will try not to conflict with Daming as much as possible."

The adjutant said with some restraint:

"But the Ming people are clearly standing with the British! They are already our de facto enemies!

"If there are Ming people anywhere, we won't attack anywhere, then the Ming people will stand in a line on the border, will we just stop?"

Soult shook his head directly and said:

"Your Majesty will communicate with the Ming people, since the Ming people have entered the defense line, our first phase of the operation should be over.

"Pass my order, the troops under the city of Memphis, stop the offensive on all fronts, hold the current front, and wait for new orders.

"East of Memphis, wherever no Ming troops have entered, continue to assault at full speed.

"When the Ming troops appear at the front of the battlefield, when will the attack stop.

"Then begin to organize the defensive line and wait for the heavy weapons in the rear to follow."

Soul's adjutant was a little aggrieved, but he accepted Soult's order and quickly passed it on.

Above Memphis, the east bank of the upper and middle reaches of the Honey River is a Canadian-controlled area.

The Ming troops on the opposite bank did not immediately cross the river, but increased the size of the troops patrolling the river, and at the same time began to communicate with the French on the opposite bank, demanding that they stop attacking the United States.

In northern Canada, on all the borders adjacent to the Ming Dynasty, the garrisons of the Ming Dynasty also entered a combat state.

The Ming Honglu Temple also officially sent a diplomatic note to Napoleon and Adams, demanding that the other side immediately stop its offensive operations against the United States, otherwise the Ming Dynasty would enter the war as an ally of Britain and France.

Adams was basically only in charge of logistics, and Napoleon was organizing and directing the war, so after receiving the news, he immediately sent it to the previous Napoleon to ask for his opinion.

Zhu Jingyuan also sent a message directly to Napoleon through the West Factory, putting forward the requirements of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Jingyuan directly told Napoleon about the promises he had received from Britain and France.

Napoleon was asked to transfer these lands directly to the Ming Dynasty.

In the barracks beneath Richmond, Napoleon stood in his large tent, reading a short telegram.

Across the table in front of him sat a young man in his twenties, an Englishman, George Thomas Staunton.

He showed himself his identity, he was working for Daming's West Factory, he was a fan, a real fan.

He seemed a little nervous, but instead of being afraid, he was excited.

Staunton drank a cup of tea and looked at Napoleon opposite with a smile:

"How's that, General Bonaparte, have you decided what you're going to do?"

Napoleon sat opposite Staunton and placed the telegram on the table:

"If the Ming Dynasty can publicly recognize and guarantee Canada's independent status, publicly declare its recognition of my monarchy.

"At the same time, I promise never to attack our country, and I can accept Daming's conditions."

Staunton laughed and said:

"The general wants too much, and the news that Prince Da Shi asked the contemptible people to convey to you is actually the condition set by Da Ming.

"Daming has made deals with Britain and France, so it is necessary to maintain its political credibility, and Daming is the most honest.

"Until Britain and France recognize the independence of Canada and your monarchy, the Ming will not publicly recognize your status.

"If Canada is de facto independent, then the territorial scope must not extend beyond the current front.

"Because the current front is the line of defense that the Ming promised to help Britain and France maintain.

"If your troops force this border to protrude, then the Ming will take the initiative to participate in the war and maintain its credibility.

"But at the same time, if your troops do not exceed this limit, the Ming will not take the initiative to attack.

"Because Britain and France did not come up with enough conditions in exchange for the Ming Dynasty to help them quell the rebellion."

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