1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 350 Better sooner rather than later

Hong Mingxiang was more interested in smoothbore cannons, and Liang Yao was not too surprised. After all, smoothbore cannons were cheaper.

Moreover, in the middle of the 19th century, the artillery of the great powers was mainly equipped with smoothbore cannons. At this time, smoothbore cannons were not too outdated.

"If you buy 50 6-pound cannons and 30 12-pound cannons, can you buy them like guns and come with some shells?" Hong Mingxiang said in his mind after calculating the budget for the arms purchase.

"In addition, I also hope that Brother Liang can send some artillery instructors to help us train artillery. This purchase of artillery is just the beginning of our cooperation.

Governor Xu and Governor Ye also feel that the artillery on the Humen Fort is too old, and are also considering purchasing some better foreign cannons to replace the old cannons on the Humen Fort."

This is a large order of US$43,000, including US$125,000 for rifles, US$27,360 for pistols, and a total order of US$120,000 for five loach boats.

Guangdong has purchased arms worth US$315,360 from him at one time, which can be said to have been a huge investment.

"Each cannon comes with a hundred solid bullets. If Hong Junmen purchases ammunition in the future, how about I give Hong Junmen a discount?" Liang Yao said very generously.

"Since Hong Junmen trusts me, buying ammunition from me and training personnel are of course not a problem. I will send two teams of artillerymen to Guangdong to teach you how to operate artillery, and there will be no charge for it."

Hong Mingxiang was very happy when he heard this, and signed the order with Liang Yao after a short negotiation.

After the orders were signed, Hong Mingxiang paid for the orders in silver, with US$315,360 equivalent to 200,884 taels of silver.

Hong Mingxiang asked Liang Yao with a shy face if he could erase the fraction of 884 taels. Since the fraction was not too outrageous, Liang Yao agreed.

Except for the Loach-class patrol gunboats, which cannot be delivered in full because there are only two existing ships, Liang Yao can all deliver the rest of the arms in stock.

After the arms were loaded onto the ship, Hong Mingxiang, who was in a happy mood, came to bid farewell to Liang Yao and prepare to return to Guangzhou.

"Has Hong Junmen ever thought about buying the production line directly from me?"

On the occasion of parting, Liang Yao poured a glass of wine for Hong Mingxiang to see him off.

"Production line?" Hong Mingxiang took the wine from Liang Yao with a puzzled expression on her face.

"That is to directly move my artillery production workshop in the Sacramento Arsenal to Guangdong and manufacture artillery and shells by myself." Liang Yao said with a smile.

Liang Yao wants to eliminate the smoothbore cannon production line at the Sacramento Arsenal. If Guangdong is willing to take over this production line, that would be great.

As for selling the production line, which would destroy the Sacramento Arsenal's jobs, Liang Yao is not worried about this issue.

Firstly, what he wanted to transfer was the smoothbore cannon production line that was about to become obsolete. Secondly, with the inefficient and backward management methods of the Qing Dynasty, the artillery produced locally in the Qing Dynasty in the future would not pose a threat to his products.

You still have to pay for more advanced weapons from him.

Moreover, maintaining the production line also requires money. After transferring the production line, Liang Yao can still earn this money.

"Aren't you afraid of ruining your job in the arsenal?" Hong Mingxiang was very surprised.

"The Sacramento Arsenal doesn't just make this kind of cannon." Liang Yao said with a smile behind his hands, "I, Mr. Liang, don't just have this job, and I'm not afraid of losing my job."

"How much?"

Hong Mingxiang quickly became interested in Liang Yao's transfer of the production line, but he also knew that this was a huge amount of expenditure, and it was not up to him whether the matter would be successful or not.

"The price is 500,000 taels of silver." Liang Yao said with a smile.

"Brother Liang has an extraordinary appetite. This time I bought arms from you, but it only cost 200,000 taels of silver. You sold me 500,000 taels of silver for this production line." Hong Mingxiang shook his head after hearing this, "It's too expensive.

, too expensive.”

"When I sell you arms, I sell eggs, I sell you production lines, and I sell hens that can lay eggs. How can we generalize?" Liang Yao said.

500,000 taels of silver was just his asking price, and it was negotiable. Even if it was 300,000 taels of silver in the end, Liang Yao could accept it.

After drinking all the wine in the cup, Hong Mingxiang cupped his fists towards Liang Yao and said, "This matter needs to be decided by the Lord of the Ministry. When I go back, I will report this to the Lord of the Ministry. Brother Liang, take your leave!"

After speaking, Hong Mingxiang left San Francisco and returned to Guangzhou.

After Hong Mingxiang left, Liang Yao asked his fifth uncle Liang Shaoqiong about the situation of the Yue Yong camp: "Fifth uncle, how is the training of the Yue Yong camp?"

"Now 1,500 Yue Yong men have completed training and formed the Yue Yong Battalion." Liang Shaoqiong said, "After the fall of Jiangning, Chang Mao became more and more courageous in fighting, and even divided his troops for the Northern Expedition. People in the capital city are now in panic."

Before the Tianjing Incident in 1856, the combat effectiveness of the Taiping Army was still on the rise. Even if the Hunan Army and the Taiping Army fought, they might not be able to get any benefits.

"Has the imperial court approved the Yue Yong's mission to fight in Guangdong?" Liang Yao continued to ask.

The suppression of the Taiping Army was the only good opportunity for Han officials to gain real power in the more than two hundred years since the founding of the Qing Dynasty. It was also the hope for the Liang family to stand up.

Liang Yao did not want only the warlords and bureaucrats of Zeng Guofan's Hunan Army to gain real power after this incident.

After all, so far, he has had no interaction with the Hunan Army or Zeng Guofan.

"Last year General Pan petitioned the imperial court to allow Yue Yong to go out to fight in Guangdong, but the Holy Father only gave an instruction: Got it. He did not make a clear statement on the matter," Liang Shaoqiong said.

"However, since the fall of Jiangning, the imperial court issued a decree allowing Yue Yong to organize and train two more battalions to fight in Guangdong, and also approved 20,000 taels of silver for Yue Yong."

"Is Yue Yong ready to go to Guangdong to fight?" Liang Yao nodded.

Last year, the imperial court was hesitant about Yue Yong going to fight in Guangdong because the situation was not yet unmanageable.

No matter how fiercely the Taiping Army fought in cities such as Jintian, Yong'an, Guilin, Quanzhou, Changsha, Wuchang, Jiujiang, Hukou, and Anqing, in the eyes of the Qing court, they were just a group of bandits at best and nothing to fear.

But after the Taiping Army captured Nanjing, established its capital as a country, refused to leave, and began to establish a solid base, the situation was different.

As the capital of the former Ming Dynasty, Nanjing's political influence was not comparable to the cities previously captured by the Taiping Army.

Moreover, the area south of the Yangtze River occupied by the Taiping Army was not a remote and remote area of ​​Guangxi, but a fertile land. The Qing court's wealth center had threatened the foundation of the Qing Dynasty's rule.

The Taiping Army obviously wanted to compete with the Qing Dynasty and replace it with the Qing Dynasty. This was unacceptable to the Qing rulers.

Only then did the Qing government completely let go of the local Xiangyong and encouraged them to destroy the Taiping Army.

As long as Yue Yong can go out to fight in Guangdong, Yue Yong will have a chance to take the lead. Of course, Pan Shicheng and the Liang family who stayed in Xiangshan will also have a chance to take the lead.

"Shangmao has millions of men, and their morale is high. He also has generals like the False Wing King who are capable of conquering and fighting, but Yue Yong only has a thousand men. To be fair, General Shang Pan and I don't have much confidence.

"Liang Shaoqiong said truthfully.

"Before Changmao captured Jiangning, General Shang Pan thought that one battalion of Yue Yong could test their skills and go out to fight in Guangdong. But after Changmao captured Jiangning, General Shang Pan hoped that the other two battalions of Yue Yong would be trained and trained before going out to fight in Guangdong.

The reason I came to California this time is to purchase arms to arm the Guangdong New Battalion."

"It is better to go to Guangdong to fight sooner rather than later. When the local braves from other places have taken the limelight in the battle to kill the Taiping Army, the weight of the Guangdong braves in the eyes of the court will not be so important," Liang Yao said.

"When I went to conquer Japan, I only had two regiments with more than 2,000 soldiers. Didn't I still defeat Japan's 100,000-strong army and beat them to pieces? The quality of soldiers is more important than their numbers."

Liang Shaoqiong chewed the nephew's words carefully, and it made sense. When Liang Yao traveled far across the ocean to conquer the Japanese country, he did well, but when he came here, he was afraid of his actions.

With that said, Liang Yao patted Liang Shaoqiong on the shoulder and encouraged: "Fifth Uncle, whether our Liang family can make a difference depends on this time. We must win at any cost. Even if the start is unfavorable, we still have a chance. As long as we have

If I am here, the Liang family and Yue Yong can afford to lose."

"What you said made my blood boil." Liang Shaoqiong said with a smile, "After I go back, I will urge Mr. Pan to send troops as soon as possible, but my dear nephew, in addition to purchasing 4,000 foreign guns this time, our Guangdong Yong also wants to make up

Practice some artillery, you have to help me with this."

"Uncle Five's affairs are my business, and they are all my business." Liang Yao said, patting his chest.

"Guangdong Yong organizes and trains artillery, does my nephew have any suggestions?" Liang Shaoqiong asked Liang Yao for his suggestions.

He had been familiar with the classics and history since he was a child, and he had read some military books for fun in his spare time, but he had never led an army to fight in a war.

In terms of military affairs, this nephew who is already an American general is definitely better than himself, and it will not hurt him to listen to Liang Yao's advice.

"The Yue Yong currently only has one battalion of 1,500 men. It is definitely not the Yue Yong's turn to attack the city. Moreover, the Taiping Army is at its peak and the Qing Dynasty is on the defensive, so there are few opportunities to attack the city." Liang Yaomao

He said while stroking the hard stubble on his chin.

"The battles between the Yue Yong and the Taiping Army were mainly field battles and city defense battles. The Yue Yong wanted to train artillery. They could train field artillery equipped with 6-pound guns and 12-pound guns. 6-pound guns and 12-pound guns.

It is relatively lightweight and can be pulled by mules and horses to march with the army. As for the organization, it can be imitated my organization or the organization of the American artillery regiment, with 3 to 6 people serving one gun."

Liang Shaoqiong nodded with understanding, bearing Liang Yao's suggestion in mind.

However, he still had a concern: "The artillery training takes too long, and the Yue Yong is about to be released from seclusion. I am afraid that it will be difficult to train into an army in a short period of time and go out with the army."

"I can recruit some artillerymen with actual combat experience for you Yue Yong in California, let my officers command theirs, and join Yue Yong in the name of mercenaries to accompany the army on the expedition." Liang Yao gave a solution.

It was obviously impossible for the artillery company he had trained so hard to serve as mercenaries for the Guangdong Yong Battalion. Who knows how Pan Shicheng and Liang Shaoqiong, two people with no actual combat experience, would have fought the war.

He can support Yue Yong, but he will not put his precious artillery into it.

However, he could still do it by hiring a small group of retired artillerymen and sailors who had used naval guns for Yue Yong in California.

(End of chapter)