The Qing Dynasty is about to end
Chapter 219: The new army has not yet succeeded, and it still needs to work hard to deceive
Chapter 219: The new army has not yet succeeded, and it still needs to work hard to deceive (ask for monthly tickets and subscriptions)
“Sir, the welcoming banquet is ready,” Xu Yuegui came up with a smile and reported in a low voice, “It was sent by Master Cheng.”
“Oh,” Luo Yaoguo quickly regained his composure and bowed to Cheng Fupei, “Thank you, Brother Zengyi.”
Cheng Fupei waved his hands and said, “I am the one who should be thanking you. If you, Xueyan, hadn’t sent Nangan to escort me all the way, my sister and I would never have made it to Shanghai.”
“Are you okay along the way?” Luo Yaoguo asked with concern.
“It’s been smooth sailing.” Cheng Fupei nodded and said, “After arriving in Shanghai, Lord Wu took care of me. I finally settled down. I don’t know how long I can live in peace?”
What he said was quite meaningful – with Archangel Luo coming in person, Shanghai is likely to be in for a dramatic change!
“Don’t worry!” Luo Yaoguo looked at this good brother who “hit me right away” and said with a smile, “Lord Wu and I have discussed it. Let’s organize a group together to protect Shanghai!”
“That’s great.” Cheng Fupei nodded to Wu Jianzhang, his eyes a little complicated, and said, “Sir Wu, you and Xueyan will definitely do the right thing in organizing the militia together. Xueyan knows how to train soldiers in the Western way. Unfortunately, when Ru Weng invited him to Hunan, the Taiping rebels had already entered Changsha. Amidst all the difficulties, he only managed to train the Xuezi Battalion, but there were not enough foreign guns available.”
Wu Jianzhang nodded slightly. He was an old man of foreign affairs and had been a customs supervisor in Shanghai for several years. He knew what foreign soldiers looked like. When he saw the “Xuezi Camp” today, he knew that they were elite soldiers trained in foreign methods. Otherwise, he would not have thought of asking Luo Xueyan to stay and help protect Shanghai.
Cheng Fupei then said to Luo Yaoguo: “Xueyan, I will also be included in your and Lord Wu’s militia training. I will give you 100,000 taels of silver to help you, and I will also join your staff to help you with the paperwork and manuscripts.”
Luo Yaoguo immediately understood what Cheng Fupei, or Cheng Yancai, meant.
Old Chengtou has discovered an investment opportunity!
Now the situation of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is very good, Luo Yaoguo came to Shanghai and made it clear that he was going to launch an armed uprising. Old Chengtou has no chance in the Qing Dynasty, so of course he must seize the opportunity before the uprising in Shanghai and make a big investment. If he can become Luo Tianshi’s confidant, he is old and a loyal hero of the Qing Dynasty, so it is not convenient for him to come out. But his son has never been a minister of the Qing Dynasty, so it would be great if he could join the Heavenly Kingdom and become a founding hero. It really makes sense that there are three governors in one family. This family has a set of means to be officials!
Luo Yaoguo naturally welcomed Cheng Fupei to join the team. Although this man could not be considered a great talent, he was a genuine juren and had worked in his father’s staff for many years. In fact, he was his father’s chief military advisor. He had no shortage of administrative experience and his writing skills must be excellent. He was fully qualified to be a secretary-general.
Luo Yaoguo is currently lacking such talents.
Moreover, Cheng Yancai and Cheng Fupei would never betray the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. If Cheng spent money to help the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and became a great martyr, it would be a disgrace to all generations of his family. Emperor Xianfeng would not tolerate him, and the literati would not want him. He would get nothing by betraying Luo Yaoguo. It would be better for him to follow the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom wholeheartedly, and he himself would be a living martyr, and his son would be a founding hero of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. How nice it would be for both father and son to be “clean”?
“Thank you very much, Brother Zeng.” Luo Yaoguo smiled and bowed to Cheng Fupei, then called Wu Jianzhang and said, “Master Wu, let’s eat and talk at the same time. How about we first discuss how to organize a large-scale militia training in Shanghai?”
“Master Wu, Master Wang, Brother Fupei, Master Wu, what I mean is that since we have all come to Shanghai and want to create a new world in Shanghai, we should stop dividing ourselves. We are all Shanghainese, so let’s start a new Shanghai army together!”
At Tongshunlou, the table sent by Cheng Fupei had already been through five dishes and three rounds of wine. Luo Yaoguo, who had traveled a long way and had not had much to eat or drink, had already put down his chopsticks contentedly, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and started to talk business.
“Establish a new army in Shanghai?” Wu Jianzhang asked with interest, “I wonder how this new army will be established? What’s new about it?”
Luo Yaoguo replied: “The new army has several new features. First, the military system is new, second, the training is new, third, the military tactics are new, and fourth, the equipment is new.” “What do you mean by a new military system?” Wu Jianzhang asked following Luo Yaoguo’s words.
“The so-called new military system means adopting a Western military system. My idea is to introduce the military system of French Emperor Napoleon I. First, we will set up a division in Shanghai, with one division under two brigades, one brigade under two regiments, one regiment under two to three battalions, and one battalion under five to nine companies. Under the division headquarters, there will be one battalion each for artillery, engineering, logistics, and cavalry. A division will have a full strength of 9,000 and be equipped with 36 cannons.”
“Then what is new in training?” Wu Jianzhang asked.
“The so-called new training means, of course, adopting Western-style military drills and inviting officers and veterans from France, England, and America to help us train our soldiers.”
“So does the new military strategy need to use foreign military tactics?” Wu Jianzhang asked again.
“Of course, if you want to learn, you should learn the whole set!” Luo Yaoguo gave an affirmative answer, “We have learned the military system and drill manuals, so how can we not learn command and application? Moreover, the West has been engaged in wars for thousands of years, and has been attacking and conquering countless countries in the world since modern times. Their military science must be powerful. If China wants to stand tall among the great powers, we should learn from them to defeat them.”
Wu Jianzhang nodded slightly: “Then the new equipment must be the purchase of foreign guns and cannons?”
Luo Yaoguo said: “The new equipment is to use Western-style firearms and artillery. The infantry’s swords, shields and spears are all eliminated. They are all equipped with foreign rifles and bayonets. The artillery also uses foreign cannons!”
Wu Jianzhang tapped his fingers lightly on the table and whispered, “One division has nine thousand men and thirty-six artillery pieces. That means they must be equipped with at least six thousand foreign guns, right?
To be honest, I already have 4,000 foreign guns on hand, 1,000 of which I originally intended to use for the militia in Shanghai County, 1,000 are in the Tongshun Bank, and 2,000 are in the warehouse of the Qichang Bank, ready to be sent to Suzhou to the Yifutai. These can be moved first, so that there are 4,000 guns. The 2,000 brown bass and 18 12-pound cannons you bought from Matheson should be sold, the only problem is the price. In this way, the foreign guns will be complete, and the cannons are still 18 pieces short, so we can buy some more from the French and Americans. “
“We should buy as many foreign guns and cannons as possible,” Luo Yaoguo said. “First, Hunan still needs to train new troops; second, the foreigners have limited stocks in East Asia. If we buy them all, the Taiping Rebellion will not be able to buy them.
I have already prepared 500,000 taels of silver, and Brother Zengyi has invested another 100,000 taels.”
Luo Yaoguo stopped talking halfway and then looked at Wu Jianzhang. His meaning was clear: How much do you want to invest?
Wu Jianzhang was quite happy and said with a smile: “Brother Xuesong, I will invest 100,000 first and use the guns and cannons I bought from the foreigners before to pay for it!
If Major Ma Hui tomorrow, Consul Aitong the day after tomorrow, and Consul Aliguo the day after tomorrow all support us, then I will invest another 500,000! I have a group of more than 1,000 people in Shanghai County, and I will hand them over to Brother Xueyan when the time comes.
I have a grandson named Chaoyue, who knows a little about foreign affairs and can speak French and English. You can let him join your shogunate to help. He is very familiar with Ma Hui, the consul of the United States. Tomorrow, I and Chaoyue will go to invite Major Ma Hui to Tongshun Hall for a simple meal.
I have two subordinates, one named Liu Lichuan and the other named Li Yunxian. They are the ones who help me organize the militia in Shanghai. Once you have reached an agreement with Consul Aliguo, I will let them come to help you.”
Wu Jianzhang was still a bit cautious. Even though the Taiping Army was getting closer and closer, he was still unwilling to “invest blindly”. He had to wait until Luo Yaoguo and the three foreign consuls, Aliguo, Aitong and Ma Hui, had reached an agreement and obtained the full support of the foreigners before he was willing to make a big bet.
“Okay!” Luo Yaoguo said with a smile, “Then I will wait for Major Ma Hui to come to Tongshun Hall tomorrow, and I will also meet Master Wu by the way.”
(End of this chapter)