Wild North America 1846

Chapter 575 Trick

Author: Portuguese toothless

Chapter 575 Trick

The Tang Expeditionary Fleet consists of 23 ships of various types. Among them, the real warships are only 4 "Tornado" class armored cruisers, with a full load displacement of about 5,000 tons. They are equipped with 4 8-inch main naval guns (203 mm) and 10 7-guns.

inch secondary gun (178 mm), economic speed 10.5 knots.

There are also 12 converted coal ships, equipped with 4 to 5 seven-inch guns, with a displacement of more than 5,500 to 7,600 tons, and can be used as armed civilian ships.

The remaining 7 ships are oil and water supply ships and cargo ships, carrying a large number of machinery and equipment, including tractors, sawmills, oil mills, rice mills, flour mills, feed processing plants, woolen mills, weaving mills, and equipment needed to build brick kilns and coal kilns.

Building materials and other supplies and equipment, thousands of tons of cement and steel bars, a large number of tents, pots and pans and other daily utensils were all prepared.

Judging from this appearance, it seems that the plan is to take root in the long term.

The long fleet formed two long snake formations that went hand in hand, stretching for more than ten kilometers, riding the wind and waves south in the vast Pacific Ocean. The scene was spectacular.

The first stop of the expedition fleet is the port of Panama in Central America.

Then, follow the Pacific Rim Ocean Current all the way west from Panama to Donggang City, Paradise Island, which is the second stop of the expedition fleet.

On the flagship ironclad cruiser HMS Badwind

Inside the tall and spacious command tower

His Highness Tang Li Xin, who was leading the army on the expedition, was still excited and was chatting quietly with his staff. He could not suppress the excitement in his voice. What high-spirited young man did not have the dream of adventure?

"Brother Daqing, Egypt is one of the four ancient civilizations. The pyramids and the Sphinx in the long yellow sand are full of the mystery of foreign cities. There are also many famous historical sites. This time I finally have the opportunity to experience them."

"But Your Highness... I'm afraid our military strength is not enough to capture Cairo City. If we attack Cairo City, I'm afraid it will cause an uproar?"

"Humph, then it depends on whether Ismail, an old thief, understands current affairs? Otherwise, as soon as my army arrives, everything will be destroyed. Don't blame me for not predicting it!"

heard this

Liu Daqing looked at Colonel Pan Shouguo who was standing aside speechlessly, and saw that he was looking into the distance with a calm expression, as if he could find interesting things on the blue sea under the blue sky and white clouds, without any intention of participating.

Liu Daqing could only bite the bullet and persuaded: "Your Highness, this journey is long and long. Our expedition fleet is going deep alone. We should focus on "stability" and it is not suitable to go deep into danger. We will capture the city of Suez as planned in the early stage. This is an expedition.

The plan that was agreed upon beforehand cannot be changed arbitrarily!"

"Don't worry, Da Qing. I have my own plan to deal with it." His Highness Tang Li Xin responded with confidence.

Before going to war

He has done a lot of research on Egypt and collected information on Egypt's military, political and economic aspects through various channels. Basically, he has a good idea, so he can respond with confidence.

Egypt is now a province of the Ottoman Empire, but it is extremely independent.

Ismail Pasha was almost the uncrowned king of Egypt. Relying on his close relationship with Britain, France and other European powers, he ignored the empire's destiny.

In the 1840s, the Ottoman Empire also sent troops to attack this eccentric frontier governor, but was defeated twice by the Egyptian army. The European powers saw clearly the decadent nature of the Ottoman Empire, and became more unscrupulous in meddling in Near Eastern affairs.

Said Pasha died in 1863. The person who succeeded Said as governor was Ismail, the eldest grandson of Muhammad Ali. He served as the governor of Egypt and has been passed down for more than 60 years.

Egypt was still nominally a part of the Ottoman Empire. Under the intervention of the Ottoman Empire, the descendants of Muhammad Ali could hereditarily serve as the governor of Egypt, but the governor must be the eldest of Ali's living descendants, not the son after his father's death.

Egypt's Ismail Pasha was a relatively enlightened ruler who was obsessed with Europe's prosperous culture, art and science, and opened its doors to investment from Britain, France and other countries. This also led to the collapse of Egypt's traditional industries and a major blow to national industries.

Today, Egypt has 120,000 army soldiers trained by Western instructors and a Red Sea fleet composed of 18 old sailing warships. In the Middle East, it can punch Sudan, kick Syria, Jordan and Najd, and its strength ranks first in the Middle East.

.

But compared with the world's major powers, it's too much.

In order to support the expedition led by His Royal Highness Tang Li Xin, the eleventh son of the Emperor, the Tang Empire not only dispatched four powerful armored cruisers, but also equipped two fully-manned Royal Marine Divisions with a total strength of more than 32,000

people.

Now these two Royal Marine Divisions are undergoing training on the outskirts of Xinxi'an on Paradise Island. They have been training for more than two months and are ready to go out at any time.

According to the expedition plan;

It will take about one and a half to 50 days for the expedition fleet to arrive at the third stop, Xinxi'an City, where it will join the 3rd and 4th Royal Marine Divisions that have already been prepared, probably in mid-to-late November.

After a brief rest of more than ten days, the scale of the re-launched expeditionary fleet will more than triple. It will be accompanied by not only 32,000 expeditionary soldiers, but also more than 10,000 immigrants who participated in the early development of Eritrea. The lineup is unprecedentedly large.

shortly afterwards

Subsequent immigration fleets will also gradually arrive at the new colony on the Red Sea, transporting a total of no more than 20,000 Chinese immigrants to the East African continent, where they will establish towns, factories and plantations, and start all preparations for early colonization.

When the situation stabilizes, the empire will introduce preferential policies to mobilize Chinese from the Straits Settlements and Indochina to immigrate to Eritrea.

Today, there are an astonishing number of Chinese workers and Chinese businessmen in places such as Malaysia, Singapore, Penang, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand. There are hundreds of thousands of Chinese in Saigon, Vietnam alone, accounting for more than 1/3 of the population of Saigon, almost monopolizing

local commerce and port transportation industry.

In Chennai, India, there is also a Chinatown with a population of nearly 10,000 people. Compared with the original history, there are more people, more active, and a stronger sense of presence.

In the Tang Empire

There are not many shipping companies operating the Eurasian route. It cannot be compared with the busy Atlantic route and the circum-American route, and the total transportation volume only accounts for a small fraction.

There are only a few cargo ship liners every month, mainly transporting tea, porcelain, silk, bristle, tung oil and other products rich in the mainland to Europe. On the return journey, they transport British machine-made cloth, German machinery and equipment, French foreign guns and artillery, and some

European industrial products, as well as Southeast Asian spices, aluminum ingots, tin, rubber from Paradise Island, flour and canned fruits are transported to the mainland.

The news that the expedition fleet was sworn to set sail quickly spread throughout the world through newspaper and media propaganda, and also attracted the attention of the British.

London, Prime Minister's residence, Downing Street.

early in the morning

Prime Minister Lord William Ewart Gladstone came to the office with brisk steps. After nodding hello to the staff, he opened the door of the office.

In the office, William Cecil, Secretary of the Colonial Office, Lord George Stephen, the Secretary of the Admiralty, and Robert Jr., the Cabinet Secretary, were already waiting here. When they saw the Prime Minister pushing the door open, they all stood up and said their morning greetings in a very gentlemanly manner.

An Wenhou.

"Let's relax, gentlemen. Let's sit down and chat about topics of interest first. Please ask Miss Mary to make us a big pot of coffee. She is the best staff member in Downing Street. The coffee she makes is rich and delicious."

Prime Minister William said happily.

This past half a year

Seeing the French being beaten with no dignity by the Germans and humiliating themselves in front of the Tang Dynasty, the British took the opportunity to extort a lot of good things, and the Prime Minister, Lord William Ewart Gladstone, was always in a good mood.

Cabinet Secretary Robert Jr. spoke first;

“Dear Prime Minister;

According to the latest news from France, the Thiers government has issued a total of 2 billion francs of government bonds with an interest rate of 5%. Private subscriptions are very enthusiastic, and it is expected that all public bond issuance will be completed sometime in November.

to be honest

We were also shocked by this. Bismarck, the iron-blooded prime minister of the German Empire, also publicly stated that he had miscalculated.

He had expected;

It will take France 20 years or more to pay off this huge war compensation, but the German Empire can reasonably and legally occupy the northern provinces of France for 20 years. The Germans can collaborate with Tang Dynasty businessmen to openly smuggle on a large scale and make a lot of money again.

One stroke.

All the expenses of the German occupation forces stationed in France were borne by the French, which invisibly saved a large amount of military expenses.

Never thought that French people would be so wealthy?

Judging from this momentum of war bond subscription, the remaining 3 billion francs in war reparations does not seem to be a big problem?"

"If the United States of America had thought of this method earlier, it would not have been under military occupation for more than ten years. Those American fools with black fingernails seem to have never been very smart." Lord George Stephen, the Secretary of the Navy, curled his lips and said.

Colonial Secretary William Cecil, who had been silent, took the hot coffee from Lady Mary and said "thank you" very gentlemanly. After taking a sip, he put the coffee cup on the table and said;

"Dear Lord George, I cannot agree with you.

The situation in the United States of America is different from that of France. After five years of the North American War, the dollar has depreciated tens of thousands of times, and the entire country's financial credibility has been completely bankrupt.

From capitalists to workers, everyone was reduced to abject poverty. In the most exaggerated cases, it took more than 100,000 US dollars to buy a piece of bread. The Tang Yuan became the most valuable hard currency, and Tang soldiers could buy it in Manhattan, New York, with one month's salary.

Next 4 bedroom apartment.

After the defeat, all debts and huge war compensation of the United States of America were denominated in Tang Yuan. Even if government bonds were issued, where could ordinary people get such a huge amount of Tang Yuan?

France is different. The Franco-Prussian War lasted only a short time, and the credit system of the franc did not collapse. The franc is still a trustworthy hard currency in the world.

The Prussians have always wanted to copy the success of the Tang Dynasty, but they obviously miscalculated.

But this may be a good thing for London. Based on the "Continental Balance Policy", we do not want an overly weak France to exist, which will not achieve the purpose of restricting the increasingly prosperous German nation-state.

Only when France and Germany are evenly matched will they need British allies more, and this is where our value lies."

"That's very well said. I admire your foresight very much." Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone took the lead in applauding, and others followed suit.

Lord William Cecil stood up politely, caressed his chest as a gentleman, and responded: "I am very honored, Your Excellency the Prime Minister."

At this moment

The secretary, Robert Jr., said solemnly: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, my Lords, according to information from reliable sources at the top of the German Empire, Prime Minister Bismarck intends to launch the second Franco-Prussian War in an attempt to maintain a long-term military presence in the northern provinces of France.

Defeat France, this traditional enemy. Currently, it is still in the consultation stage.”

As soon as these words came out

All eyes were focused on Prime Minister William, who quickly calmed down, thought carefully for a while, and asked, "Is the news accurate?"

"The news comes from His Highness the Blood Prince Karl. Prime Minister Bismarck has privately consulted his opinion and the possible political impact of military operations. This cannot be wrong."

"We must stop them and stop the German ambitions." Prime Minister William slapped the table hard, causing the coffee cup on the table to jingle and almost fall over.

However, Prime Minister William did not pay attention to these details at all, but continued categorically; "I will immediately warn Kaiser Wilhelm I through diplomatic channels and state the position of the British Empire solemnly and unmistakably; London will never allow the German Empire's military

There is no doubt that the British Empire will take resolute intervention measures, including military measures, if it persists."

Cabinet Secretary Robert Jr. quickly recorded the Prime Minister's instructions. Prime Minister William raised a finger and continued to say sternly: "Well, add another one... warn Prime Minister Bismarck in a straightforward tone; the British Empire can both

The Germans can hold them up, but they can also throw them down hard. Never challenge the majesty of the British Empire at any time, they cannot afford that price."

"Yes, Prime Minister." Robert Jr. quickly recorded the order.

The resolute and tough orders of the Prime Minister have made the atmosphere of British pride in the office stronger and stronger, which is the strong self-confidence to dominate the world.

After Cabinet Secretary Robert Jr. recorded the order, he put down the pen in his hand, flipped through the documents and continued; "One more thing, according to news reports from the other side of the Atlantic, the Tang Dynasty's expedition fleet to conquer Egypt has already set off and is expected to arrive in

They will arrive in the Red Sea region at some point early next year, and they are really here this time."

"Oh, what's the specific situation?"

"The expedition fleet of the Tang Dynasty was led by His Royal Highness Tang Lixin, Duke of Colorado, the eleventh son of the Emperor, as the commander-in-chief. The navy included four 4,980-ton ironclad cruisers, 12 armed coal ships and other ships.

, a total of 23 ships." Robert looked at the document in his hand, turned to the next page and continued to introduce;

"The expedition fleet will meet the infantry here on Paradise Island. The 3rd and 4th Royal Marine Divisions and more than 10,000 Chinese immigrants will join the expedition fleet and march towards the Middle East in a mighty way.

Relevant information shows that Datang was very well prepared this time and may be planning to open up new colonies.

The two Marine Divisions have a total strength of about 32,000 people. Each has a cavalry regiment and an artillery regiment under its jurisdiction. They are all adapted from the original Army Field Divisions. Their combat effectiveness is estimated to be at the second-rate level in Europe.

Such an expeditionary army will cause a fatal blow to Egypt today."

After introduction

Walking into the office, there was silence. Everyone present felt that the situation was more difficult and that if it was not handled well, it would lead to big trouble.

Lord George Stephen, Lord Secretary of the Admiralty, took a sip from his coffee cup, hesitated for a moment, and then said;

"I would like to remind the Prime Minister that it is very important to maintain close and friendly relations with Datang and maintain the existing mutual assistance treaty at ports, which will help the Royal Navy and British commercial freighters to global trade.

The Tang Dynasty has actually occupied a dominant position in the entire Americas, and its influence has extended from North America, Central America to South America. On the other side of the Atlantic, without the assistance of the Tang Dynasty, it is almost impossible for us to obtain supplies at any port.

, except Canada.

No matter in the north and south of the United States, or in Brazil, Argentina or Venezuela in South America, no one wanted to offend Datang. This was a ruthless character who was determined to retaliate and almost beat up his neighbors.

The Egyptian issue should be handled with caution. In fact, this approach of setting up obstacles for Datang was completely unnecessary. Instead, it gave them an excuse to go to war and get angry.

Based on its own interests, the Royal Navy does not want to see bilateral relations deteriorate..."

Speaking of which

The Lord of the Admiralty, Lord George Stephen, seemed to want to explain the Admiralty's position in detail. After thinking about it for a moment, he shut his mouth tightly.

Caution in words and deeds is also effective in the London political circles. He neither wants to be seen as a military figure who speaks for the Tang Dynasty, nor does he want to interfere with the Prime Minister's judgment and decision-making. He can just state the Admiralty's position, and it is useless to talk more.

Colonial Secretary William Cecil frowned tightly and sighed, "This was originally the French guy's idea. After learning about it, Mr. Campbell, the chairman of the British board of directors of the Suez Canal Company, took advantage of the situation and pushed it forward."

The purpose was to obtain the shares of the canal in the hands of Datang and create some obstacles. Unexpectedly, the Oriental people directly overturned the table."

His gentle sigh contained a lot of helplessness.

The Tang Dynasty adopted the tricks and domineering habits that were originally used by the Western powers, Britain and France, to a full extent, which made these old powers feel helpless.

In particular, Britain and the Tang Dynasty were allies. They secretly collaborated with the French to cause mischief behind the scenes. It was definitely not possible to say it openly. It would be hard to sheath the sword!

"How many troops do we maintain in Egypt?" Prime Minister William asked.

Cabinet Secretary Robert Jr. quickly flipped through the information in his hand before replying: "We have an under-staffed division in Alexandria, consisting of the Scottish Highland Grenadier Regiment and the Chelsea Fusiliers, and we retain a cavalry division in the Canal Zone.

Together with other scattered garrisons, the total number is about 28,200.

The French have 13,500 troops stationed in Egypt, most of which are located in Port Said in the canal zone, and the cavalry has about two regiments."

The Prime Minister, Lord William Ewart Gladstone, had a headache after hearing the report. The relationship between Britain and France was now extremely bad, and even if he wanted to form an Anglo-French coalition, he would definitely be spit on by the French.

The army has never been an area where the British are good at, and their deterrent effect on the Tang Dynasty is almost non-existent.

This is called making a fool out of nothing, why bother?

(End of chapter)