Dominate the Country

As time went into September, the Chinese envoys had arrived at Edo Bay and were accompanied by Matsudaira Yasufu, the elder councilor of the Tokugawa shogunate, to Kyoto. No one knew what the envoys had talked about with the Tokugawa shogunate during the days they stayed in Edo.

At this time of year, the south of China was still warm and gentle, but the austere atmosphere of late autumn had already swept the north. Inner Mongolia had already seen its first snowfall since the beginning of winter.

And in the more distant Lake Baikal and the area north of Heilongjiang, the snowflakes as thick as the thumb nail had accumulated on the ground.

Chen Ming's attention was diverted from the Outer Northeast in August. He was watching the preparations for the immigration of Nanmingzhou, and the disputes between the two factions in the court and the people, and then the Japanese came to get involved. This is a big country, where things that must be paid attention to are happening all the time, and people's energy is limited.

But no matter whether his eyes are on the Outer Northeast or not, the war that is going on there is still going on. For example, the Fu Han Army's preparations for the attack on Khabarovsk.

"Boli is the Eight Banners' defense focus in the Heilongjiang area. It is located on the east bank of the confluence of the Ussuri River and the Heilongjiang River, with a population of at least 10,000 to 20,000. Although most of the surrounding areas are mountainous, there are also enough plains that can be reclaimed as arable land. The pure area is enough for the Eight Banners' military and civilians here, and the fishery here is rich, and the waterway can directly reach the upper reaches of the Songhua River." If such a place is always in the hands of the remnant Qing Dynasty and they are managed as a solid stronghold, it will be difficult to deal with it.

Huang Jie, who is responsible for the battle in the Outer Northeast, introduced it to Chen Ming in this way. And this autumn and winter, the biggest task of his unit is to deal with Bili.

This city is not only one of the defense centers of the Eight Banners, but also the front-line command center of the Russians. The Amur River Governor's Jurisdiction of the Tsarist Russia is a new jurisdiction organization set up by the Russians against China's threats in the Far East after the battle of Lake Baikal. The Amur River refers to the Heilongjiang River, and the center is located in Nerchinsk, but the actual command center is in Bili. Governor Baron Faraleyev stays in Bili for 300 days a year.

He and the governor of Trans-Baikal Province, Akimovich, were the two most powerful people in Russia in the area east of Lake Baikal, although they often did not even have a regiment of troops.

After suppressing the Pugachev uprising, Russia exiled thousands of insurgents to Siberia, some of whom reached the Far East. They were the backbone of the entire Siberian Russian power in the past period of time. These people chose to fight against the Tsarist Russian army, but it did not mean that they would quickly turn to China.

Coupled with some troop reinforcements from Tsarist Russia to Siberia, the overall strength of the Russian army in Siberia was unprecedentedly close to the 10,000 mark, but in the contest with the Fu Han Army, they were still very miserable.

The resolution of the Grand Commandant's Office was to drive the remnants of the Eight Banners to the north of Heilongjiang within five years, and drive them all to the north of the Greater Khingan Range, and let the old Russians support them. Now it has been almost three years.

Coupled with the persistence of the front-line troops represented by Huang Jie, Chen Ming let Huang Jie go. So what if he lost? Just a lesson.

Baron Faraleyev was a major general in the Russian Army before he became the governor of the Amur River. He could sense the ambitions of the Fu Han Army for Khabarovsk, and he was actively preparing for the war.

Heavy snow and severe cold have enveloped this place. The Chinese are brave in battle, with fierce firepower and tenacious fighting will. Although Faraleyev is reluctant to admit it, he has to say that the enemy on the opposite side is a very good opponent. But they are not perfect either. The Chinese soldiers from the warm southern zone are most afraid of the severe cold here. And for any Slav, this severe cold is nothing at all.

The Amur River Basin is much warmer than the Arctic Circle, with brighter sunshine and a longer warm period.

If Russia wants to get all this, it must rely on war, and the three-year war, the current battle in Khabarovsk will be a very, very good opportunity.

As long as God suddenly sends a heavy snow when the war is fierce, the Chinese will suffer misfortune. "The severe cold of winter is Russia's best ally. The arrogant China challenges Russia in winter, and they will be punished by the severe winter." Faraleyev is full of confidence in this.

The Eight Banners garrison in Khabarovsk City is more than a thousand people, not including the bannermen who can be recruited at the last moment. Although the latter have no combat effectiveness at all, the overall number is there. In addition, there are four or five hundred Russian armed forces, including Russian regular troops, Cossacks, former uprising soldiers, and hunters from the Far East.

The person who led the Eight Banners in Khabarovsk City was Fu Kang'an. Fu Kang'an, who was beaten by the Fu Han Army with absolute superior combat effectiveness in Korea and fled north with his head in his arms, had won the trust of the Eight Banners with the previous war, and he had a good relationship with Faraleyev. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Agalizov, was a cavalry major of Cossack origin. This is a good soldier. He has rich war experience, but a bad temper.

The Fu Han Army has loaded bullets and arrows on the string! But at this time, Falaleyev received a letter from St. Petersburg, which gave him a headache. The Chinese had actually hooked up with the Ottoman Empire. A Chinese delegation entered Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, by land, and they were warmly welcomed by the Ottoman high-level officials. "This is too bad." It was beyond his expectations.

According to the Russian insider reports in the Ottomans, the Chinese brought cheap and large quantities of guns to the Ottomans, and the two sides formed an alliance. It is self-evident which country each other's spearheads are targeting. The pressure on the militant faction in St. Petersburg was great.

Falaleev called an emergency meeting of the Russians. Present at the meeting were commander Agalizov, quartermaster Fedorovich, liaison officer Yevgeny, and his own adjutant Alexandro.

"Gentlemen, the Chinese are in contact with Russia's mortal enemy, the Ottomans, and those distinguished gentlemen in St. Petersburg are under great pressure." Everyone here knows what the consequences will be for Russia after the Ottoman Empire joins forces with China.

"The Ottomans had just suffered a setback and they did not dare to start a war immediately."

"But China is powerful. In response to the war in Siberia, the empire has paid a great price. You all know how much the empire has spent to maintain the fight in the Far East and Lake Baikal. And what is very disappointing is that the cost The empire, which has paid a huge price, still has no hope of victory on the battlefield.”

"This is our shame!" Falaleev's voice contained endless anger.

Since the Golden Horde was destroyed by the Russians, Russia has suffered the most serious setback in its two-hundred-year journey to the west.

"The opposition to the war in St. Petersburg is getting stronger and stronger. Fortunately, we have the firm support of Her Majesty the Queen, who continues to support the war. She ordered the Orenburg Governorate to attack the Chinese across Lake Balkhash. But this is Maximum efforts. If Orenburg's army fails to achieve a noteworthy victory, the empire will have to negotiate peace with China. Once again, the Slavs' hopes of crossing the Amur River will be dashed. The agreement signed with the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

The atmosphere in the room was very tense. Falaleev explained the current situation in Russia clearly to everyone in just a few words.

The call for peace in St. Petersburg is very unfavorable to the warring factions. Even if Her Majesty supports the war, she cannot ignore the calls of countless people. More importantly, everyone present knows that Russia's national power is about to reach its limit. Otherwise, how could Pugachev provoke such a huge rebellion?

The Orenburg Border Region, the Urals, the Ural Mountains, Western Siberia, and the middle and lower reaches of the Volga River, the Russian Empire has very strong control in these places. Moreover, there were so many Yaik Cossacks and Cossack villages and towns on the Volga and Don rivers among the people who revolted.

Everyone knows what this means, and everyone knows what Russia needs most now.

Although Her Majesty the Queen has the heart of an emperor, Russia's national strength cannot support their army in an indefinite war.

"We cannot place our hopes on diplomacy. That is a sign of cowardice! And even if St. Petersburg agrees to negotiate with the Chinese, does the Governor think they will prepare the negotiating table? No, no. What the Chinese want is war. They will definitely start a war immediately, and use the war to seize Russia's influence in Central Asia before the great Russian Empire has recovered from the trauma of the war with the Ottomans. They have the caliphate of the Tianfang world as their ally."

The reckless commander Agalizov could not make such a big statement. The quartermaster Fedorovich was more of a businessman. The person who said this was the liaison officer Yepgeni.

Yepgeny has always been the staunchest holder of the "China is strong" theory within the Russian military. He even said after drinking once that Russia is not as powerful as China. His evidence is China's unimaginably large population of 20 million. How powerful is the war potential of a population of 20 million with the Han as the absolute majority ethnic group?

Falaleev was very disgusted with Yepgeni before. He did not expect Yepgeni to speak like this. He thought that Yepgeni was a "peace party" before. Now it seems that he has ‘misjudged’ Yepgeni.

Falaleev didn’t know much about the situation in Xinjiang, China, but thinking about the time when the Chinese had swept through the entire Xinjiang with great force, and made all the natives there surrender completely without any blood, his intuition told Falaleev - those who entered Xinjiang The Chinese army is a very powerful force. The Orenburg Governor-General experienced Pugachev's devastation. During the uprising, Orenburg was surrounded by Pugachev for half a year. Is the army there really capable of defeating China's garrison in Xinjiang?

If the attack launched by Orenburg ends in failure, no, even if a tie is reached, Russia must choose to negotiate peace. Because at that time Russia no longer had any means to threaten China.

Just like China occupies certain conveniences in the Far East, it also occupies certain conveniences in Lake Baikal in the middle. However, in their northwest direction, which is closer to the center of Russia, Russian talents have an advantage.

If Russia could not take advantage of China in its convenient Xinjiang, there would be no need to continue this war.

The war in Siberia was a drain on national power. Falaleev once believed that China had just changed its dynasty and its national power was at its weakest. Who would have imagined that they could survive in Siberia and Russia for more than two years. As one of the leaders of the Russian army in the Far East battlefield, Falaleev knew very well how much money Russia spent to support the Far East and the Eight Banners.

This is really a huge consumption!

"We should fight with all our strength to meet the next Battle of Khabarovsk. Yepgeni, you have to tell Fu this and let him tell his emperor. Fight this battle with all your strength.

If Orenburg's army loses the battle, the victory in Khabarovsk can give them the last chance. "

"Put aside all distractions and fight with all your strength. Use bayonets and bullets to teach the Chinese a lesson, and let them pay enough blood so that they will remember this lesson forever. This is the most important thing to do."

Falaleev became a little excited again. Because the outcome of the war here is also related to his prospects. The Amur Governorate will not have long life. If calm is restored between China and Russia, this institution will soon be changed into a province, and there will be a real leader on the head of this province and Transbaikal Province. Governor.

Falaleev very much hopes that he can take another step forward!

The war in the outer Northeast became extremely fierce without Chen Ming noticing. In the far northwest, the dispatch of the Russian army was reported to Gaopingshan by the people of Dayuzi. The Russian army, ready to go, had already followed Erqi. The Si River entered a place far away from the Balkhash River and Jaisampo.

Abu Ben Khan of Zhongyuzi was on both ends of the spectrum. He neither revealed information about the Russian army to China nor got involved with the Russian army. I don't know what he was thinking.

As a superior person, he should know that it is never a good idea to be independent of each other at this time. On the contrary, it will only make him a different person inside and outside. Perhaps he is very confident in the strength in his hands. After all, Zhongyuzi is a powerful force that can pull out 30,000 to 40,000 riders. In this era, no Russian dares to underestimate him.

It's just that at this time, Chen Ming didn't know what was happening in the northeast and northwest. He was now focused on Japan.

Mitsubishi Textile Company, a subsidiary of Wang Pingbei, has made a new move, and the influence of this move is rapidly spreading throughout Japan. Sanye Pingbei received a low-interest loan of 1 million yuan from the Commercial Bank of China. This is a new measure launched by major Chinese banks to provide preferential services to partners.

Wang Pingbei, who is still wearing the vest of Sanye Pingbei, is one of the largest partners of Commercial Bank in Japan. In addition, Misano Pingkita also took this opportunity to use his share of Mitsui Bank as collateral to obtain a loan of 300,000 yen from the Bank of Japan, and all of it was converted into gold instead of being repaid in silver. That is 60,000 taels [1 偁 = 3.759 grams], which is six thousand taels of gold in Chinese measurement units, which can be exchanged for about 1.3 million Chinese dollars. If the Bank of Japan gives you silver, it will be directly discounted by half. For half of the people, you really can’t achieve ‘pure gold’.

Funds worth a total of two million yuan were announced by Wang Pingbei to expand the industrial scale of Mitsubishi Textile Company, which he had just put into production.

"Sanye-kun really wants to spend two million yuan to expand his textile company's industry?"

Iemo Yamamoto, the Osaka devotee who came to Nagasaki from Osaka, spoke to Wang Pingbei in an equal and even respectful tone. Because he is the leader of Osaka, another commercial center in Japan, and Mitsubishi's second-phase industry has been clearly informed by Wang Pingbei that it is no longer prepared to be located in Nagasaki.

Today's steam engines cannot be perfectly combined with textile machines. Only spinning machines are driven by steam engines, and looms are still driven by water conservancy. Osaka is one of the most commercially prosperous and developed cities in Japan, and one of the cities with the most abundant water resources in Japan.

There are crisscrossing rivers in the city of Osaka, and the water area accounts for more than 1/10 of the city area. More than 1,400 unique bridges on the river connect the entire city. It is known as the "Water City" and "Osaka 888". bridge".

Most of these rivers originate from Lake Biwa, with the Yodogawa flowing through the northern part of Osaka City having the largest amount of water. With the convenience of water transportation, many markets were once gathered along the Yodogawa River, which was the main artery supporting Osaka's economy. Of course, the Yodogawa River is also a river prone to frequent floods.

"Yes. I have indeed prepared two million yuan to start the second phase of Mitsubishi Textile's project." Wang Pingbei's voice was full of disdain for the world. This is the power of money.

China's influence spurred changes in Japanese society. Although many of the Japanese samurai class, and even important figures in the Tokugawa shogunate, including daimyo from various places, continued to uphold the honor of samurai and rejected the development of business and the transformation of industry and commerce, becoming conservatives in Japan's period of change, but Japan's commercial power has been touched. And Osaka is completely the commercial capital of Japan, and that is Japan’s ‘Gangnan’.

Wang Pingbei's change in social status is a very striking example.

In Japan today, when you only have 10,000 yen, big city leaders like Yamamoto Iemo will not look down upon you; but when you have 100,000 yen, you enter the eyes of these big shots; when you have When your assets reach 500,000 yen, Yamamoto Iemo can only be on an equal footing with you.

Now Wang Pingbei is not only an important partner of the Mitsui family, but also a guest of Tanuma Yiji. Even the shogunate admired his talent in business. Because Wang Pingbei’s total assets exceed one million yen. The total scale of his industry has reached 2 million yen.