Wild North America 1846

Chapter 643: Treat each other with sincerity

Author: Portuguese toothless

Chapter 643: Treat each other with sincerity

More than ten days later

After several exchanges of transoceanic telegrams, the London government finally agreed to adopt a consistent stance with Tang on the Cuba issue and acquiesced to its colonial expansion in Central America and the Luzon Islands in the Western Pacific in exchange for strong support on the European Balkans issue.

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These officials in London changed their usual procrastinating style and responded quickly, mainly because the war situation in the Balkans was becoming increasingly corrupt and it was now an urgent matter.

Tsarist Russia's offensive was very rapid. Nine armies commanded by Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, totaling more than 320,000 people, formed the Caucasus Army and were launching a frenzied attack on the Danube front line at all costs.

Militia groups from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Osetia and other places also joined the Caucasus Army, which further expanded the total strength of the Caucasus Group to more than 380,000 people.

With a strength advantage of nearly three times, the Caucasus Army broke through the defense line of the Balkan Mountains after a hard battle, and the army directly threatened Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

The British reinforcements that the Ottoman Empire relied on were still missing. At this time of life and death, they had to grit their teeth and endure. Urgent calls for help were delivered to the desk of the Prime Minister's office in Downing Street almost every day.

At this critical moment, even if Tang's asking price was higher, Britain would have to bite the bullet and agree.

September 14, 1877

Downing Street rarely issued a harshly worded statement of condemnation, severely condemning the Spanish expeditionary force's bloody suppression of colonial people in Cuba, believing that "the bloody massacre is a humiliation to a civilized country" and so on.

This was a clear signal that Britain's Central American policy was in step with the Tang Dynasty. Both sides unanimously condemned Madrid's repressive atrocities, which aroused great concern among the Spaniards.

Accompanied by Zhu Yaqing, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Queen's Special Envoy Lord James Cleveland, who was visiting Los Angeles, immediately ended his trip and took a train back to the imperial capital Chang'an.

Things went smoothly. A few days later, Tang and Ying jointly issued a solemn statement in the imperial capital Chang'an;

We strongly condemn Tsarist Russia’s flagrant invasion of the Ottoman Empire. This kind of violent change in the European pattern must not be allowed or condoned.

Tang and Britain decided to form an expeditionary force to intervene in the war and provide necessary material assistance to the war-torn Ottoman Empire, demonstrating the powerful force of international peace and stability.

September 27, 1877

The Tang Dynasty announced that it would mobilize the first batch of expeditionary forces to gather in Chicago and New York Harbor. The total number of troops was about 46,000, and they would gradually go to the European Balkan battlefield.

The second batch of expeditionary forces is planned to set off at some time in October, followed by the third, fourth and fifth batches of transoceanic expeditionary troops to support the British-led world peace maintenance forces.

to be honest

London really likes to make deals with the Tang State. As long as the relevant exchange of interests is in place, the Tang State will fulfill its promises without delay and the actions will be immediate.

The British government announced simultaneously in London;

A powerful Royal Navy fleet will be dispatched to intervene in the war, which is a real threat to Tsarist Russia and its allies...

For a time, the sky over Europe was filled with war clouds, and the world's attention was all focused on this place.

Britain and Tang, as the world's top powers, are undoubtedly two heavyweight players. They have successively expressed their opinions and put great pressure on Tsarist Russia and its allies.

Tsar Alexander II made a speech in St. Petersburg on October 13 and stated publicly;

Tsarist Russia and its allies had no intention of overthrowing the current regime of the Ottoman Empire. The war action was only to support the oppressed Christians in Austria, including Orthodox and Catholic ethnic minorities.

Tsarist Russia is willing to engage in active dialogue with Britain, Tang and other countries to find a feasible path on the Balkan issue, without seeking confrontation or considering further escalating the war...

What he meant inside and outside his words was that he was cowardly. He showed a soft attitude towards the intervention of international powers in the war, which is rare to see in Tsarist Russia.

The British, along with the Tang Dynasty, blackmailed Tsarist Russia, but the effect was much better than that of the small northwestern European countries. I have to admire the British's sharp eyesight and their ability to see clearly into Tsarist Russia's thoughts.

Xinjiang, an inland area of ​​China tens of thousands of miles away

Zuo Zongtang's army has completely defeated the Agub rebel forces, and is making great efforts to eradicate the legacy of rogue bandits, crack down on sporadic horse bandits and Uyghur rebel forces, and strive to stabilize the situation across the Yangtze River.

The royal envoy of the Imperial Envoy in Urumqi

At this time, we have entered the cold and bleak winter. There was a heavy snowfall a few days ago, and there is still thick snow on the streets and in the courtyard. The cold wind howls through the town, making people's scalp numb.

General Liu Jintang, who led the army to conquer Urumqi, arrived in a warm sedan. There was already a steward waiting at the door to lead him around the main hall and to the study in the backyard.

"Brother Xianmo, we are urgently recruiting you because we have important matters to discuss. Please don't be surprised!" Zuo Zongtang had already come out to welcome him, and he held his hands in greetings.

Liu Jintang was in charge of administrative affairs, and also held the important posts of governor of Jiangsu and Gansu provinces. He was a third-rank political envoy. He was the powerful arm of Zuo Zongtang, the imperial minister, and one of the main heroes in the recovery of Xinjiang.

Seeing Master Zuo Zongtang coming out of the study, Liu Jintang hurriedly took a few steps, bent down, clasped his fists, saluted and said, "Why did the commander-in-chief say this? I don't dare to deserve it. I am ashamed and ashamed."

"It's freezing cold, let's go into the study and talk."

"Commander Qin, please move first."

"please!"

"please!"

The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then the butler next to them quickly lifted the cotton curtain and let the two adults enter the study one after another. Then they brought freshly brewed tea, then respectfully stepped out and closed the study door.

.

In the study

Zuo Zongtang solemnly picked up a thick letter, reached out and handed it over, and said, "Brother Xianmo, this is a letter that Hu Guangyong sent urgently through Junyi 600 miles away. It is..."

He pointed his hand to the east and said with respect in his expression: "This is the latest message from His Majesty on the other side of the Pacific. Can you read the content first? It depends on you and me as to how we decide."

Liu Jintang's expression straightened, he took the letter with respectful hands and read it carefully.

This time it took more than half an hour.

Zuo Zongtang's skill in cultivating his body and energy was really impressive. He neither urged nor showed any impatience on his face. After he received the 600-mile urgent letter yesterday and read it, he couldn't sleep in the middle of the night.

Zuo Zongtang was a very pragmatic minister. During his tenure as governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, he founded the Xi'an Machinery Bureau and the Lanzhou Manufacturing Bureau, mainly to build Western-style guns for the Western Expedition.

He transferred many gunnery experts and skilled workers from coastal provinces, manufactured a large number of Western-style weapons through factories, and also imitated German screw cannons and seven-shot breech rifles, fully preparing for the Western Expedition.

Zuo Zongtang, who paid close attention to the foreign situation, certainly knew a lot about the mythical history of the rise of the Tang Empire in North America, and he was very thorough about it, and he was very excited about it in his heart.

As one of the Han ministers, he often greedily read newspapers and various anecdotes from the Tang Dynasty in the dead of night. His heart was filled with excitement for that glorious empire, and he lamented that the Tang Dynasty had been in constant decline and had miraculously recovered.

Got up.

But all this can only be kept secret.

Having been immersed in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty for decades, he was used to seeing all kinds of corrupt officials and all kinds of estrangements between Manchus and Han people. Zuo Zongtang knew very well how afraid the Qing court was of the glorious empire on the other side of the Pacific.

Even if there is even the slightest hint of involvement, he will face crazy suppression from both the Qing court and the public.

It is a small matter to interrupt one's official career, but it is a big thing to fail to live up to one's ambition to serve the country in this life, so one must be cautious in words and deeds.

Liu Jintang is a like-minded person with the same interests as him, and he is also full of ambitions to serve the country. The two of them have a close relationship and can be entrusted with important tasks.

after a long time

Liu Jintang looked shocked after reading the letter. The amount of information in it was so huge that he could no longer bear it. It was like a heavenly book.

Now four of the five rebellious regimes in Xinjiang have been eliminated, leaving only the Tsarist Russian forces entrenched in Ili. This is a very troublesome foreign army that makes the Qing court extremely fearful.

Tsarist Russia supported the establishment of the Zhedeshar Khanate, occupying 9 towns with Ili as the core, and intended to split the nearly 700,000 square kilometers of outer northeastern territory.

Although Zuo Zongtang was the plenipotentiary imperial envoy in charge of Jiangsu affairs, he still had no decision-making power on the issue of war with Russia and had to report it to the court for decision.

So how many people are there in the Russian army in Ili?

During the Qing-Russia War from 1862 to 1864, Tsarist Russia invested nearly 30,000 troops in the Ili area, especially the Cossack cavalry, which was the most ferocious and caused great damage to the Qing army.

to this day

Tsarist Russia still maintains about 12,000 troops in the Ili region. In addition, the Zhedeshar Khanate's so-called 100,000-strong army is actually about 20,000 to 30,000 ragged puppet troops.

And the letter said;

In the Balkan War when Tsarist Russia invaded Europe against the Ottoman Empire, it dispatched more than 720,000 troops, totaling 48 divisions. This is simply unbelievable.

The Tsarist Russian army of just over 10,000 was difficult to deal with, let alone an army of 720,000. Just thinking about it makes one's calves weak.

"Foreign phobia" was very prevalent in the Manchu and Qing courts, and there were few officials who could escape the mire and remain untainted.

Fortunately, the letter clearly pointed out that due to the logistical limitations of long distances, the number of troops that Tsarist Russia could devote to Central Asia was limited, and it was impossible to launch two large-scale wars at the same time.

"Master Qin Shuai, are you..." General Liu Jintang asked with a solemn expression.

Zuo Zongtang did not shy away from his opinions. He was now 69 years old. He carried a coffin and went to war. In order to regain Xinjiang, he completely put aside his personal honor and disgrace. Just for the reward of driving away the Tartars and restoring China's passionate ambition.

He pondered for a moment and then said;

"Brother Xianmo, there is a very good saying in this letter: Territory that cannot be obtained on the battlefield should never be taken back from the negotiation table.

Although our country is huge, we don’t have an extra inch of land.

This time I entered the river, Zuo Zongtang was ready to bury this old bone here. I will bear all the responsibilities that the court will ask for.

If I don't accomplish all the work, I will die with my eyes closed.

This army's expedition to Ili can be said to be a rare opportunity. If we let it go, there will be no chance again when the war in Tsarist Russia in Europe stops and the war comes back."

Speaking of which

He cupped his fists and saluted the east, and continued with a solemn expression, "You must also know that His Majesty the Holy Emperor, who created such a huge empire all by himself, has been paying attention to the war in Xinjiang. The only reason is that China can not be bullied by foreign invaders, and the great rivers and mountains can be prosperous.

Instead of being divided, Kyushu will be unified.

We don't have to worry about the Tang Dynasty getting involved in Shenzhou. The world is so big that the Tang Dynasty can go there.

Nowadays, all the land with thousands of miles of territory is on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Here...I'll explain it to my brother Xianmo..."

Speaking of which

Zuo Zongtang lowered his voice and said in a whisper that only two people could hear; "There are two trump cards in this Western Expedition army. One is 16 American-made Maxim heavy machine guns, equipped with 1.2 million rounds of ammunition. One is

They are 24 German-made 12-pound field heavy artillery, used to overcome difficulties and seize passes.

With this sharp weapon in hand, why worry about accomplishing great things?"

Liu Jintang's heart was moved by these words. As a veteran on the battlefield, how could he not know about heavy machine guns that kill people like mowing grass?

It's just that this kind of firearm consumes too much ammunition, and even the great powers such as Britain and France rarely equip it. Human life is really worthless, and a heavy machine gun can't afford such a costly firearm!

There are still 24 12-pound field heavy artillery, so what kind of city cannot be defeated?

The generals who fight on the battlefield are rich and noble who risk their lives, and their courage is much stronger than that of ordinary civil servants.

Think again and again

Liu Jintang finally agreed and said, "Since the commander-in-chief does not mind Xian Mo's vulgarity and entrusts him with a heavy burden, why should Xian Mo be afraid of a mere warrior? We should help each other in the victory and add a small amount of strength."

"My brother Xianmo, please accept my obeisance." Zuo Zongtang stood up with a solemn expression and bowed with his hands clasped in fists.

He knew that Liu Jintang's promise was tantamount to committing all his wealth and life, and there was no way to retreat.

In the Manchu and Qing court

It's not that you can receive praise for regaining lost territory and strengthening our country's prestige. "Initiating border provocations without permission" is a serious crime that can be executed by everyone, especially Tsarist Russia, which frightens the court.

Now the emperor is young, only three years old, the empress dowagers of the two palaces listen to the government behind the curtain, the traitors in the court are in power, and there are a large number of court officials with serious "foreign phobia".

If I heard about the battle of the Qing army to regain Ili, I am afraid that most of my legs would be weak, and crazy criticism would follow immediately.

Liu Jintang hurriedly stepped forward, held his hands on Zuo Zongtang's trembling body as he was about to die in the next life, and said with red eyes;

"The commander-in-chief must not be like this. How can he be honored by you for showing such virtue? Don't kill me.

Expelling the Tartars and restoring our mountains and rivers is also Xianmo's long-cherished wish in his life, and he is willing to die for this purpose.

Today, I can attach myself to the commander-in-chief Wei Ji and help us win a victory together. Even if we die, we will have no regrets!

The glory and wealth are just fleeting, but Liu, a man of iron and steel, does not care about them in his heart."

"Brother Xianmo..." Zuo Zongtang held the other person's hand tightly, his voice choked with sobs.

The biggest difficulty faced by these two ministers is neither personal life and death, nor the fierce Tsarist Russian army, but the criticism from the court behind them, which is a great irony!

(End of chapter)