Wild North America 1846

Chapter 604 Cologne

Author: Portuguese toothless

Chapter 604 Cologne

peacetime

There are seven military region-level permanent command structures under the Royal Army of the Datang Empire, namely the Northern Military Region (based in Chicago), the Southern Military Region (based in Mexico City), the Central Military Region (based in Los Angeles), the Overseas Military Region (based in Panama), and the Tang Dynasty Military Region.

Imperial General Headquarters in North America (based in New York), Fortress and Home Defense Command, and Andean Viceroyal Headquarters.

These seven military region-level agencies are all permanent military agencies in peacetime. Their total strength is maintained between 380,000 and 400,000, which fluctuates depending on the mission period.

If it comes to war

Elite troops were drawn from major military regions to form field corps, and were given temporary corps designations. After the war, they were revoked, and all the troops under their command were gradually returned to the army.

Among them, the one with the strongest financial strength is the General Headquarters of the Tang Empire in North America, which has more than 200,000 troops stationed in the United States of America all year round, with an average annual turnover of 42,000 to 45,000 troops.

The weakest on paper is the Andes Government House Command, which has only two field divisions and five garrison regiments. One of the field divisions is the 2nd Royal Marine Division, which is only temporarily under the command of the Andes Government House.

After staying briefly in Lake Bay City for a few days to inspect and issue programmatic directives on the local economic development, Emperor Richard and his entourage took the royal train again, passing through Costa Rica without stopping, and went straight to the southernmost province of the empire.

Panama.

Panama is the last province in the empire in terms of area. It is only over 60 kilometers at its narrowest point and has only two major cities.

One is Panama City, the provincial capital, on the Pacific side. This is a large city with a total population of more than 690,000 people, and it is also the largest city in the surrounding areas of Central America.

One is the city of Colon on the Caribbean side. The two cities are connected by a railway line about 78 kilometers long, called the Panama Railway.

This railway was the busiest commercial railway in the entire empire, undertaking the task of transporting countless quantities of materials to major cities on the Pacific coast, and the cities prospered as a result.

The export materials are transported by rail from Panama to Cologne, where they are loaded onto scheduled freighter flights to Europe and arrive at the Port of Portsmouth in the UK in about 17 days.

Imported supplies also landed in Cologne, were transported by rail to Panama, and then loaded onto cargo ships to major cities on the Pacific coast of the empire.

In terms of bulk material transportation

Low sea freight has a huge advantage. Even if it is transferred through Panama's land port, it is much cheaper than rail transportation.

From the prosperous metropolitan areas along the Pacific coast of the Tang Empire, there were four export channels to Europe, three of which were transported via railway lines.

The most convenient way is to go east to New York or Richmond, where you can ship to Europe. It only takes 12 days at the fastest.

The disadvantage is that cross-border transportation procedures are complicated and transportation costs are high. Due to the efficiency of terminals and railway stations, the timeliness is not strong.

On the contrary, goods are often lost, damaged, damp and other reasons, which are quite troublesome to solve. On the contrary, it is the most uneconomical and rarely used export channel.

The next step is to transport it northward by rail to Chicago or Detroit, from where it is shipped via the Great Lakes into the Atlantic Ocean, and finally to Europe.

This route takes about two weeks. Northern exporters will give priority to this route when transporting some higher-value goods.

The third option is to transport it south by rail to the Port of Houston in Texas, or various ports along the Gulf of Mexico, and then ship it to Europe, which takes about two weeks.

Most of the southern provinces export frozen beef and fruits in this way, which is relatively close and more convenient.

The fourth option is to ship by sea through Panama’s land ports. More than 70% of bulk exports are shipped by sea. Railway transportation of one or two thousand kilometers is expensive, but sea transportation is cheaper.

Even after 76 kilometers of railway transportation, it is much cheaper than long-distance railway transportation.

Cologne is a medium-sized city with a population of about 370,000. Its pillar industries are ocean cargo transshipment, railway transportation services and warehousing services. It has more than a dozen warehouse areas with a wide range of areas.

More than 80% of the residents of this city are engaged in various warehousing and transportation services. With years of prosperous trade, the economy is relatively prosperous.

The Royal Army Overseas Military Area Command is located in Cologne, as are the Royal Navy's Caribbean Squadron and several important naval bases.

some years later

The official opening of the Nicaragua Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, has had the greatest impact on the province's economy.

When the royal train arrived in Cologne, it was already early June 1873, and it was about to enter the hottest season of the year. The sun was quite hot during the day, with the highest temperature reaching 26 to 27 degrees.

This is a typical oceanic island climate. The strong sea breeze blows cool and pleasant in the morning and evening. It rains from time to time, making the air even more humid after the rain.

Cologne is an ancient city with a history of more than 760 years. The city still retains temple buildings and altars imprinted by the Inca civilization, as well as more Catholic churches and Mediterranean-style buildings built by the Spanish.

Over the past twenty years since the empire was established, along with economic prosperity and colonial expansion, this ancient city has also been revitalized with high-rise buildings rising from the ground.

nowadays

It has become one of the beautiful port cities on the Caribbean coast. The coconut breeze blows and the blue sea and silver sand present a romantic and beautiful scenery that often makes people forget to leave.

This is indeed a relaxed and livable city. You can often see officers and soldiers on vacation wearing military uniforms on the streets, including the army and the navy. They wander in the streets in small groups, or rush past on the streets with their girlfriends in their arms.

A series of envious glances were left behind.

Most of the people on the city streets are Chinese with black hair and black eyes. From the language to the dress, you can't tell who is an Indian?

Panama was one of the overseas provinces that was early integrated into the Tang Empire, and had already formed a trend of advocating imperial fashion.

Wearing light-colored loose Tang suits and light-colored wide-brimmed cowboy hats are common attire here. They communicate in Mandarin with a slight accent. It is difficult to distinguish them at first glance.

If you distinguish carefully, you can still feel the subtle differences.

The people of the Tang Dynasty appeared more high-spirited and confident, showing the pride and pride of the Heavenly Kingdom.

If the British are arrogant and the French are crazy confident, then the Tang Empire also developed its own characteristics.

He always shows a slight sense of superiority, subtle but not restrained.

that is

It can always make others feel the sense of superiority coming from the culture and strength of the Celestial Kingdom, but it is not strong or straightforward, reflecting the Chinese nation's golden mean.

The Holy Spirit arrived in Cologne secretly and without any fanfare.

But sensitive clone citizens can detect;

Almost all of the city's more than 130 police officers were deployed, and many military personnel were on duty to guard the roads. However, there were suddenly fewer officers and soldiers on vacation.

This has slowed down the business of the normally bustling bars, teahouses and brothels in the city. Could it be that some big shot has arrived?

On a teahouse near the bay

I don't know when Richard, who was dressed in disguise, slipped out again and sat alone on a seat near the window, drinking tea and watching the scenery, looking leisurely and contented.

At several other tables in the tea house, General Liu Wu, dressed in civilian attire, was sitting, along with Liang Bojun, Deputy Director of the Secretariat, and several skilled guards officers, looking at them with vigilant eyes.

Today, His Majesty the Emperor seems to be obsessed with private visits in private. When he is in the imperial capital Chang'an, he often disappears for a day or two or three, and no one knows where he has gone?

Now when I'm touring various provinces and places, I even sneak out to experience the fireworks in this market. I'm so energetic that I can't complain, just like young people.

Emperor Richard never cared about the thoughts of his men. He sipped tea leisurely and looked at the 8,600-ton iron-clad giant ship "Zhenhai" quietly moored in the harbor, with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

Thanks to the empire's rich experience in building ocean-going ships and the world's top level of steam machinery manufacturing, the 8,600-ton "Zhenyang" class iron-clad giant ship has maintained high reliability and maintainability since it entered service, and has won the favor of the Royal Navy.

favor.

There are three "Zhenyang"-class ironclad ships. The first ship "Zhenyang" and the second ship "Zhenhai" have been completed and put into service. The third ship "Zhenjiang" is still in the outfitting stage and is expected to be delivered to the Royal Navy by the end of the year.

The No. 2 ship "Zhenhai" is the flagship of the Caribbean Squadron. After it was officially commissioned, it sailed tens of thousands of kilometers south to Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of the world's landmass, passed through the Strait of Magellan and entered the Atlantic Ocean, stopping at Storm City and Glory City along the way.

It was not until February this year that it arrived at the Port of Colon, the base of the Caribbean Squadron. Calculated from the departure point of Salem Port, it completed a total of about 23,500 kilometers of sailing around the Americas.

Then from the end of February to May, he led the Caribbean Squadron to carry out a channel blockade operation. He successively seized several dozen French, Venezuelan, Colombian and Brazilian cargo ships, basically blocking the routes between these South American countries and Europe.

The blockade demonstrated absolute maritime dominance.

All these make it worthy of the title of "Zhenhai"!

In the entire Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding waters of Central and South America, the ironclad Zhenhai is an invincible presence.

Wherever the gun muzzle points, all the little Karami have to call "Daddy" obediently. The 305mm twin main naval guns it is equipped with are extremely convincing. No warship in the entire Americas can withstand its full blow.

The bright sunlight shines on the huge hull of the "Zhenhai", reflecting the cold sheen of steel.

The fist-sized rivets are clearly visible, densely spread all over it, and the huge muzzle is the best endorsement of the empire's powerful power.

No matter how stubborn people are, they will be convinced.

Looking at this sea monster that represented the world's top combat power in the steam age, Richard couldn't hide the admiration in his eyes. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

The Royal Navy's plan to develop a new class of 10,000-ton ironclads has been approved, officially named the Duke class, which is a top-level ironclad with a displacement of 11,000 tons.

The construction of the first ship "Duke of Hawaii" will begin next year, that is, the first steel plate will be cut at the end of February 1874. It is expected to be launched and outfitted in June 1875 and put into service by the end of the year.

The No. 2 ship, the USS Duke of Panama, the No. 3 ship, the USS Duke of Alaska, the No. 4 ship, the USS Duke of California, the No. 5 ship, the USS Duke of Costa Rica, and the No. 6 ship, the USS Duke of Colorado, will be deployed in the future.

The ships were built one after another within six years, basically one ship a year, and the construction work would continue until the beginning of 1880.

The construction and commissioning of this 10,000-ton ironclad ship, which represents the advanced level of the world's navy, was the first major decision made by Emperor Richard after breaking through the shackles of conventional thinking.

It has developed to its current size and is almost on par with the British Empire in terms of overall economic scale. It may be surpassed sometime next year or the year after. This is an indisputable fact.

Britain's defensive mentality against the Tang Dynasty is becoming increasingly serious, so there is no need to hide it, and it can directly speak with strength.

If the 8,600-ton ironclads are not loud enough, then these six 10,000-ton ironclads must be deafening and can make the British more patient, more understanding, and more cooperative.

At this moment

There was a loud noise below the teahouse, and then the sound of thumping up the stairs, which attracted the attention of Emperor Richard.

We have already agreed to reserve the second floor, why does the teahouse owner still let people come up?

The angry flames in General Liu Wu's eyes suddenly ignited. With a little signal, two guards officers disguised as civilians stood up and quickly blocked the stairs.

No one can afford to offend the Holy Master if he disturbs him.

"Hey, who are you, and why do you have the guts to block the way of our Mr. Lei?"

"You don't know the rules. You must be a foreigner. Get out of the way. Mr. Lei, we always drink tea in the private seats on the second floor. Don't force us to be violent!"

"Wait a minute... please step back and don't mess around." A young man with a arrogant expression, holding a folding fan, stood on the stairs and raised his hand to stop the armed entourage around him. It seemed to be Mr. Lei.

Mr. Lei obviously had extraordinary eyesight. He looked at the two strong men blocking the stairs with a stern look on his face. He hesitated and said with his hands raised;

"Two brothers, Lei Fengyun of the Lei family in Port Cologne is engaged in shipping and population business. There is no one in this city that I don't know.

Seeing as the two of you don't know each other, can we discuss it...

The second floor of this tea house is quite large. Lei only wants a private seat to entertain guests. He will not disturb the distinguished guests. Please make it a convenience.

Lei has been sailing and traveling with his fathers since he was a child, so he thinks he still has some good eyesight.

If you are allowed, you should be rewarded. Lei Fengyun has paid for all the tea on the second floor, it’s just a little thought."

These words are well-founded. Even if the nobles drink tea and have fun here, they have given enough cards, so maybe they won't mind.

Lei Fengyun saw the immovable demeanor of masters and a different kind of aura from the two people blocking the stairs, and he already had some guesses in his mind.

This may be a certain nobleman who has just arrived in Cologne. He may be drinking tea with his family and does not want others to disturb him.

But Lei Fengyun is a businessman, and the Lei family is also well-known in the Port of Cologne. Naturally, they need face when going out.

Isn't it embarrassing that half of the teahouse is blocked by people?

Things have gotten so stuck, even if you just go upstairs and leave, you can still save some face.

Never thought of it

The two strong men blocking the stairs had a cold look on their faces, lowered their voices, and yelled, "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Why don't you just get out of here."

"If you still have any hope, turn around and leave immediately. Don't cause trouble for your family. You can't afford such consequences."

I wipe...

Lei Fengyun's face turned red and white at these two words. He had seen arrogant people, but he had never seen such an arrogant person.

But he was not an impulsive person. He raised his finger and pointed at the two strong men at the top of the stairs and said, "outsiders, I admit that you are domineering enough. I hope you can have the ability to be domineering. I will find out how capable you are."

."

Leaving behind a few words, Lei Fengyun simply waved his hand and said: "Let's go, a good man will not suffer the immediate consequences."

As expected, this guy was a bachelor, and he walked cleanly and without any sloppiness.

Over there

Emperor Richard withdrew his gaze and slightly raised the corners of his mouth when he looked out the window again.

I never expected that such a person could exist in a small place like Port Cologne. His vision, knowledge and way of doing things are all excellent. This person is by no means mediocre.

After putting a simple label in his mind, Richard stopped paying attention.

This kind of little person at the bottom of society is not worth the effort. The Imperial Palace and the government have gathered elite talents from the Chinese nation. If you pick a low-level secretary at random, he is a capable talent selected from a million.

(End of chapter)