Australian Storm 1876

   Chapter 479

   Beating and scolding, Sato Youbei ordered his servant, Masaru Kobayashi, to invite him into the Japanese room to serve tea. He went to the back house to change into a loose kimono, and walked over with his clogs.

  To eliminate the bad effects brought about by the "Blasting Nagasaki Incident" and restore the calm of the market, you have to rely on the group of strong local powers in front of you. There is no other way than that.

   "3000 women from good families, how is this possible?" Kobayashi Shoji cried out in surprise. Others also whispered with ugly looks, apparently shocked by the news.

  The entire city of Nagasaki has more than 60,000 people. Among them, there are nearly 10,000 Chinese merchants from the Qing Dynasty, and nearly 1,000 foreigners from all over the world. If you add the surrounding villages and other small cities of Nagasaki, the total population is about 2.56 million.

  Young unmarried women waiting to be married, the total number may not be enough for three thousand.

"Shut up, idiot, this is not all your troubles." Sato Yobei's lips trembled with anger, pointing to the direction of the dock and said; "You saw the scene of that day with your own eyes. The powerful Qinglong battleship ruined the future of the Fuso National Navy. Now that the soldiers are crushing the border and the huge ships are gathered, how can it compete with it?"

  Your Excellency Commander has made it clear;

  He is trying his best to restrain his subordinates so as to avoid looting. You know that Nagasaki is all old wooden houses. If a big fire ignites, the whole city will be destroyed. Is this what you want to see?

  Don’t forget, Nagasaki is the base camp of your local vassals. In this critical moment, are you still reluctant to bear some women? "

  These words really hit the weak underbelly of Kobayashi and the others, and they all lay down on the ground and pleaded; "Sato-sama, please help me. I am so grateful."

"I have tried my best, and I have repeatedly pleaded in front of the commander. The original request was 5,000 people, and finally I let go of 3,000 good women, but among them, there must be 100 beauties, which are dedicated to the commander. , You have to get it out anyway.” Sato Youhei said that he was not relieved, his eyes scanned the crowd and said; “I can warn you, Lord Commander, don’t rub the sand in your eyes. It's not beautiful to cause thunderous anger, you should always remember it!"

  "100 beauties?"

  Masaka Kobayashi and the others looked at each other, and the girls of the good family were fortunate to say that they really can’t afford to buy some from the surrounding poor fishing villages, or coax them over in the name of part-time work, and how can they make up the numbers.

   But these 100 beauties can be difficult. Beautiful women are not Chinese cabbage. They are also rare on the impoverished Fusang Island.

  There are conditions for nurturing beautiful women. Good mountains and water are naturally indispensable, and beautiful women are also required to look dignified and beautiful, have a good body, and have white and tender skin to pinch water. There are a lot of various requirements.

  For example, a woman meets the requirements in all aspects, but her mouth is full of teeth, and she brushes it down, and she can never be called a beauty.

  For example, another woman meets the requirements in all aspects. She has a dignified appearance and good posture. However, due to working in the fields or fishing on the beach all the year round, her skin is dark and shiny, and she cannot be called a beauty in the current aesthetics.

Affected by Chinese Confucianism, the beautiful women considered by Fusang people are also dignified and beautiful, with fair skin, weak and boneless body, and Qianqianyu finger does not touch the spring water. Such women are generally born in the middle and above people, and they are small. Hu's daughter works in the fields and on the sea all year round. Most of her skin is dark in the sun and rain. How can she be so precious?

"Why not? You, you, you... and you Kobayashi Shoji, are there still few girls or maidservants of the right age in the family? Why can't you make up 100 beauties?" Sato Yoshibei roared loudly, using his fingers. One by one, they lighted the people in front of them, and then sternly accused Kobayashi Shoji;

  "It’s time to burn eyebrows, dare to hide privately?

  I remember that your daughter is fifteen years old and she is still in her boudoir. She looks outstanding and enchanting, so even if she is one, the Xiaolin family has a large population, so no matter what, 10 beauties must be brought together.

  And your Yasuda family, and 5 beauties have to come out.

The Sasaki family, Kimura family, and Shimadzu family have to have 4 beauties from each household. The rest of you go to Nagasaki Prefecture's high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants to share, rob, and coax, I don’t care what you use, anyway. How to gather 100 beauties for business, otherwise I can't bear the anger of the commander, and the entire Nagasaki will be buried for them.

  Now you all get out of me, and you will get people to me in three days.

  I want to see these 100 beauties in person, and if I dare to deal with errands, I will report to the commander, the main messenger behind the scenes, to reconsider, all the family wealth will be confiscated.

  I don’t want to say it a second time, now it’s all for me, a group of idiots who can’t see the situation clearly. "

  Xiao Lin Zheng'er and others were driven out in embarrassment. The courtyard door behind them was shut with a bang, leaving them staring at each other, like bereaved dogs.

Everyone's complexion here is not good, Yasuda Shijiro's complexion wrinkled into bitter gourd, and he sighed; "This is over. My Yasuda family can't make up 5 beauties anyway, how can this be good? "

   "Kun Yasuda, I remember that the daughter-in-law that your Yasuda married last year was very beautiful, why not offer it to relieve your urgent need?"

   "You... shameless."

"It's better to be shameless than to copy and slash. Those Australians can't speak well, they shout and yell at all times, and even dared to send warships to bomb Tokyo. They don't take His Majesty the Emperor in their eyes. Then there is nothing they can't do. Anyway, my Shimadzu family has to make up 4 beauties anyway. As long as we can survive this catastrophe, there will be everything in the future."

   "This is reasonable, so get together!"

   "Well, it is a woman's fate to sacrifice for the family."

  "Kobayashi-kun, your daughter..."

Kobayashi's face seemed to be constipated at this time, and he roared with black lines; "What can I do? For the survival of the family, only Michiko was sacrificed. Sato-sama can't hold the commander's anger. You think you can it's OK?"

After    finished speaking, he flew away angrily.

  The others touched their noses, and in a blink of an eye their expressions were scattered, and they all went back thinking about it.

  No matter what, the beauty must come out.

  Kanincho, Hirado District, Nagasaki

  Qing State Consulate

A grand diplomatic event is taking place here. The theme is to welcome the arrival of Major General Thomas Gresham, the commander of the British Far East Fleet. He leads a small fleet led by the second-class ironclad battleship "Rage", including a light cruiser. After arriving at Nagasaki Port with a coal supply ship, they took over the command of the joint fleet.

  With the arrogance of the Royal Navy of the British Empire, it is impossible to tolerate warships being commanded by outsiders, even in colonies belonging to the British Empire.

  The consulate is full of guests and friends.

Several high-ranking officials from Queensland gathered in the flower hall to chat. The politicians were headed by the representative of Tian Shan, and the military personnel had precious Brigadier General, Brigadier General He Fang, Colonel Zhao Jiaxiong, and they ridiculed the newly arrived Major General Thomas Gresham. meaning.

  "This annoying guy just arrived in Nagasaki, he couldn't wait to take over the command of the joint fleet. The most ridiculous thing is that he still wants to command my heavy cruiser Aolong. It is really wishful thinking."

He Fang shook his head kindly and funny, playing with an exquisite jade ornament carved by a famous Fuso craftsman. This superb quality jade piece is engraved with the family mark of the Tokugawa shogunate, which is an orderly heritage. The antiquities originated from the Warring States Period.

   "Master He, how did you deal with it?" Tian Shan asked.

"It's a pity that my ship, Qinglong, was slightly injured in the bombardment of Nagasaki that just ended. It needs to be repaired in the factory and is temporarily unable to perform the mission." He Fang spread his hands, with a helpless look on his face. , Drew a chuckle from everyone.

   "Where is the White Tiger?"

"According to the Red Fort, the White Tiger was placed under the jurisdiction of the Far East Fleet. It is based in Okinawa Port. Now it has nothing to do with the combined fleet. After all, we are the Queensland-owned fleet. All the orders of the Red Fort are based on the horse's head. We are not obliged to act for the British. fight."

"In that case, Major General Thomas Gresham can only command a few British warships under him. What about the Xuanwu Commander Geng brought this time?" Tian Shan could not hide a smile on his face, and immediately asked. One sentence.

  "It seems that this is indeed the case now, and there is no other way. As for the latter question, Commander Geng needs to answer, and I will not overstep it." A trace of complacency appeared in the corner of He Fang's mouth, and soon disappeared.

  Geng Baobao replied in a serious manner; "The reinforcement fleet I led has another mission and has not entered the joint fleet sequence, so it is no longer under consideration."

  Everyone looked at each other with smiles, and Major General Thomas Gresham’s wishful thinking would definitely come to an end.

  The current situation is relatively clear. After the threat of bombardment of Tokyo, the attitudes of the emperor and the cabinet have softened. The chief ministers of the Fuso Kingdom have collectively silenced, and it is estimated that the formal signing of the armistice agreement is just around the corner.

  The weak have no say, and can only accept the "Nagasaki Seventeen Articles" in their entirety.

At this time, the British Far East Fleet in Hong Kong sent a small fleet to Nagasaki. On the one hand, it was to show off its strength, and on the other hand, it was to go down the mountain to pick peaches. Do something.

This is probably the current situation. The Nagasaki incident and its evolution to the present point are purely accidental. Fuso is not a key area for the future development of the Red Fort. In the attitude of making a profit, the Red Fort is in control. Properly end this regional dispute as soon as possible.

  As long as the two parties sign the agreement, all the preferential conditions that can be obtained are obtained. Why do you not go to Lianzhan?

Is it difficult to change the long-term development strategy and change the focus of development to the Far East?

Not to mention that the contradictions here are extremely acute and complex, and the international environment is harsh. It is the focus of colonial powers such as Britain, France, Russia and Germany. Only one North Korean issue has involved the Qing, Britain, Russia, Fuso, the United States, France and other countries outside the region. The great distance is a major international issue that cannot be resolved by two wars.

  Getting out as soon as possible is a wise choice.

  Fusang country alone is not a good match. Although the navy is destroyed, the army is still strong, coupled with the country’s large population and complicated domestic contradictions, it is a big quagmire.

  The longer Tianshan stays here, the deeper I feel about it.

  It is really poor and evil. After the bombardment of Nagasaki, dozens of wandering warriors committed suicide by caesarean section in despair. You can see that this ghost place is really hard to handle, and it’s so evil.

  And Fusang country is really poor. Eating a rice dumpling can be called happiness. Sending hundreds of thousands of women to Nanyang to make money, how much oil and water can be scraped?

  The interests of the British as world hegemons are extremely wide, from Kamchatka Peninsula to North Korea, from Fuso to Manchu, from Australia to Malacca.

  Queensland is not interested in following in the footsteps of the British.

Juwen Island, a short distance from Fusang, was occupied by the British in order to prevent the influence of Tsarist Russia from going south. Major General Thomas Gresham, commander of the British Far East Fleet, took control of the combined fleet power, in case the "Qinglong" and "White Tiger" were brought in. "The heavy cruiser went north to confront the Tsarist Russian Far East Fleet. Should he go or not?

  It’s not for fun on the bar with Tsarist Russia, and the small body of Queensland can’t hold it.

  With the current strength of Queensland, at most, you can bully the downfall of the Netherlands and Portugal, bully the black uncles of Africa, and bully the indigenous kingdoms. Once you enter a map of higher difficulty, it is easy to destroy them.

   In a vain attempt to confront Tsarist Russia with a population of hundreds of millions, I really don’t know how to write the word "death".

  Even if there are British people in front, Queensland does not want to drip into this muddy water. Don't underestimate the British people's ability to engage in wind and rain, it is absolutely super-class.

   "Uh... in that case, will the fleet return soon?"

  "Not for the time being. Everything will be decided after the formal peace treaty is signed. At present, it is necessary to maintain a strong military deterrent for Fusang Country and promote its softening of its position."

   "Then...how did the British fool?"

"This is okay. I think Major General Thomas Gresham should be able to see the situation clearly. Although our main battleships are gathered in Nagasaki, they belong to three different fleets, and there is no affiliation with each other. They directly take orders from the Red Fort, the United Kingdom. Guy can't command it."

   "Before coming, Sir Henry, the British Minister, had a lot of complaints about this!" Tian Shan felt very troubled.

He Fang said, "Then we must rely on Representative Tian's good offices. At present, Australia has entered the stage of peace building, and all aspects of financial resources are tilted towards construction and development. Conventional military forces have shrunk severely. Take the Shangri-La garrison division of the Army General Reserve as an example. After successive transfers, reorganizations, and demobilization, the number of combatants has dropped sharply from the 14,000 super-management at the highest peak to less than 4,000 today. In this regard, Colonel Zhao Jiaxiong has the most say, let him talk about it."

Colonel Zhao Jiaxiong, who carried three silver stars on his shoulders, was the second regiment of Shangri-La Division. Seeing everyone's eyes were looking over, he stood up and saluteed and replied; Ladies and gentlemen, please explain.

  Now the organization of my Shangri-La Division has shrunk sharply. It can only be said to be a framework division. The number of recruits in the new year will not exceed 2,000. In the same year, the number of retired soldiers will reach more than 900, which is barely able to maintain the combat effectiveness of a dissatisfied formation.

This time I transferred my second regiment to Nagasaki to perform the mission. I brought 1,700 soldiers and almost all the combatants in the division were removed. Only artillery regiments, heavy regiments, division guard battalions and key officers and sergeants remained. , The combat effectiveness of the entire division is at stake, and it is no longer capable of deploying more than one battalion of soldiers to perform overseas missions.

Comparison

The situation of the Kalimantan 1st and 2nd Divisions is slightly better. The number of members is roughly between 4,000 and 5,000. There are 1 to 2 infantry regiments missing. The total number of our three infantry divisions does not exceed 12,500. The African Expeditionary Force is slightly more.

  According to the new annual recruitment plan issued by the Red Fort, in 1886, it was planned to recruit 8,500 new recruits, of which more than half belonged to the African Expeditionary Forces sequence. Our three infantry divisions in overseas territories can only maintain the veteran gap and greatly reduce the combat effectiveness.

   Therefore, the army forces have been used to the extreme, and they have no ability to support continued expansion. "

  Everyone here looked at each other, and they were silent.

  This matter is related to the military and political strategy of Lord Earl. The identities of everyone present are sensitive, so it is not appropriate to comment.

  (End of this chapter)