Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

At this time, China appeared in front of Alexander III.China has an army of one million, and the navy ranks sixth in the world (after the return of the two cruisers built by the United Kingdom at the beginning of the year, the total tonnage has surpassed that of the United States and the Netherlands. It ranks behind Britain, France, Russia, Germany, and Italy.) Although Alexander III also I also don't think that such strength can defeat the British.But the conditions proposed by the Chinese are too exciting.

Guan Xuqing proposed that while the Qing Army sent troops to Burma to deal with the British, Russia must simultaneously declare war on the UK and launch attacks against the British in the British territories of Turkey and Afghanistan.All Russian military expenses will be borne by the Qing Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty promised to return [-] cavalry for free, and is willing to lease Jiaozhou Bay to Russia to park warships.

Alexander III quickly found the crescent-shaped harbor on the map.The price is just a show in Afghanistan and Turkey, and then a few innocuous statements.Russia will have the first military port in the Far East. Compared with such a temptation, no matter how harsh the conditions are, she will agree.

Moreover, Alexander III still had a thought. Once all the Chinese troops fell into the war with the British in the south, then his northern frontier would be open to him. At that time, he would cut off a few pieces of land as a reward for helping them. Presumably the Chinese There is nothing to say.

And Guan Xuqing also had his own little calculations. The British attacked Burma, and the logistical supplies must be in Turkey or Afghanistan.It is the closest to Myanmar, and the supply line of the Qing Dynasty seems a bit long.Although military rations can be supplied from nearby Vietnam, guns, ammunition, etc. have to be transported from Hubei, and the rations, shoes and socks, medicines, tents, etc. used by the army all need to be transported across the entire Qing Dynasty from the southeast coast.

Therefore, it is best for the Russians to attack the British logistics base.Moreover, if the UK is on fire in the backyard, it will definitely give up attacking Burma and turn around to attack the Russians. When Britain and Russia become entangled in Turkey and Afghanistan, they can just send a large army northward from Heilongjiang, Mongolia, and Xinjiang. , Take back the land that was forcibly occupied by Russia.

As for Britain, after declaring war with Russia, it will definitely not make enemies on all sides, and I believe it will not attack the Qing Dynasty at the same time.The Jiaozhou Bay leased to Russia is just a sweet treat for the Russians. After the war between the two countries, I only hope that the Russians will not be so stupid as to park their warships in the military port of the Qing Dynasty, otherwise they will not escape being captured. fate.

On the premise that the leaders of the two countries have their own ghosts, they signed an alliance contract thinner than a hymen!

Just when the contract was signed, something happened in Myanmar...

"Your Majesty, look!" Zuo Zongtang flew into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Guan Xuqing took the telegram Zuo Zongtang took out from his sleeve, and saw that half of his brows were already frowned. "British demands to monitor Burma's foreign affairs?"

Zuo Zongtang nodded, and said: "This is just the British trying to test whether the Qing Dynasty will say anything. If we keep silent, there is no guarantee that they will not blackmail their rights and then swallow Myanmar for themselves. Now the United Kingdom has gone crazy. It's going to swallow the whole world!"

Guan Xuqing didn't expect the British to act so fast, and said slowly: "I have sent three troops, Nie Shicheng, Liu Mingchuan, and Liu Yongfu, into Vietnam. Now the 40 newly recruited troops are still training, and the weapons and equipment are not in place yet. It’s useless. You plan to transfer the Wuping Ministry in Heilongjiang and the Pandongmin Ministry in Gansu to Vietnam quickly, so that the Hubei Firearms Bureau can transport all the ammunition and armaments that have been manufactured to Vietnam.”

"Your Majesty, Mongolia has already opened its doors. If Heilongjiang withdraws its defenses again, will Lao Maozi take the opportunity to go south?" Zuo Zongtang asked in horror.

Guan Xuqing thought for a moment and said decisively: "Let Lu Yiwei's troops lose the three bidders to defend Shandong, and Dong Liang's original three bidders to defend Shandong go north to Heilongjiang."

"But, Your Majesty, if the Tsarist Russian soldiers come to invade, there is no danger to defend the plain from Mongolia to the capital, and it is only a few hundred miles away!! Their cavalry can arrive within a day, and there are no soldiers around the capital. Please think twice, Your Majesty." Zuo Zongtang knelt down and kowtowed to the ground.

"Zongtang, it's okay. I don't think the Russians will invade our Qing Dynasty at this time. Besides, Dalian still has a team of your favorite disciple Shen Danyang!! It only takes one day from Dalian to the capital, which is enough gone."

The Lion Awakens Chapter 79 The Mysterious American

The temptation of the British did not cause any heated debate in the court. In the eyes of civil and military officials, even the foreign affairs activities of the Qing Dynasty would be interfered by the foreign powers, let alone the nominal vassal state.

"Your Majesty, this is just a trivial matter, so why not agree to the British. Now that our Qing Dynasty has finally achieved such a peaceful situation, it is time to try our best to strengthen our country. If we can use this matter to exchange for the help of the British, it will be even better. Myanmar is a hundred times barren." Li Hongzhang said earnestly.

It cannot be said that Li Hongzhang’s words are unreasonable. Many people in later generations believe that this is the development path that China should take. This is also in line with the Chinese philosophy of life: "If you are successful, you will benefit the world, and if you are poor, you will be alone".In the ancient feudal society, when the state was almost semi-closed between countries, such a foreign policy may be correct.But when the world is moving towards integration and the exchanges between countries are getting closer, such a development path will not work. When others take the world's best raw materials, energy sources, and vast markets as their own, then Can this kind of development behind closed doors catch up with others?Throughout the history of every powerful country, all of them came from foreign expansion. Japan is a typical example. Japan dared to send troops to Taiwan and annex Ryukyu shortly after the Meiji Restoration. Britain's power gap is small.Expansion abroad is the best way to accumulate primitive capital. Otherwise, the only way is to exploit the farmers in the country and use the price difference between raw materials and products to accumulate primitive capital.Guan Xuqing wants to change China's idea of ​​sitting behind closed doors and having no worries in the world, which may lead China into the abyss of militarism, but in Guan Xuqing's view, this is more than the current "forbearance" and "forgiveness". strong thinking.

"Those are the lands passed down from the ancestors, so why don't we just want to let them go?" Guan Xuqing glanced around at all the civil and military officials standing in the Jinluan Hall.

After hearing this, Li Hongzhang said: "Your Majesty, the British have always been rich and despised the land. This time, they are just using British merchant ships to provoke and make trouble. As long as we agree to the British request as soon as possible and eliminate the excuses of the British, the British will have nothing to do." The reason for sending troops."

"Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. Let the king of Burma agree to the British's request as soon as possible, but that's all. If the British make further progress and want to send troops to Burma again, I swear to deal with them to the end." Guan Xuqing finished speaking, He flicked his sleeves and walked out.

"The emperor is wise." Seeing that the emperor finally let go, Li Hongzhang couldn't help showing joy, and knelt down with all his ministers.

Guan Xuqing returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation after retreating from the court, Wang Shang hurriedly followed in, and whispered: "Your Majesty, the servant you are looking for has already brought."

"Oh? Bring it in." Guan Xuqing's expression was full of surprise.

Wang Shang brought a foreigner in his 50s into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. This foreigner was wearing a simple tuxedo with a neatly buttoned bow tie on his chest. His hair had obviously been combed carefully, reflecting the identity of the owner.

"Honorable Your Majesty the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, it is a great pleasure to meet you."

"Haha, Mr. Jones. Welcome to Daqing, I hope my ministers have not neglected you."

Jones gracefully bowed to Guan Xuqing and said, "The beauty of China has opened my eyes. If I have time, I really want to visit it."

"There will be opportunities. The Qing Dynasty and the United States have many similarities, such as the same vast territory and rich products, but there are also many complementary places. The United States is prosperous in science, while China has the most abundant human resources in the world. The two countries Looking at each other across the ocean, it is actually very necessary to improve the relationship between the two countries.”

"That's one of the reasons our President sent me here."

Guan Xuqing continued: "President Cleveland must have a clear understanding of the current world situation. The strength of the United Kingdom is now at its weakest. Domestic industrial and agricultural reforms are slow, with serious problems, and there is little progress in military innovation. Shu, its navy has just gone through a dark period, and most of its warships are aging without replacement. Even in terms of tonnage, if China hadn't defeated the French Far East Fleet, I'm afraid the proud Royal Navy has now been surpassed by the French. And the British That stubborn and arrogant isolation policy has left them without a single friend in the whole world."

Jones didn't answer, and continued to listen carefully, with deep thinking on his face.

"However, the British occupy the most fertile land in the world after all. They have the gold coins they have searched for hundreds of years. Once they calm down, their strength will grow at a terrifying speed. Any country in such a competition It is impossible to defeat the United Kingdom. What I am worried about is that once the United Kingdom becomes strong again, it will inevitably start a new round of expansion... Don't say that your country does not have this concern. In Central America, in Venezuela, in Oregon, once the British Determined to obtain these benefits. Can your country tolerate it?"

As he spoke, Guan Xuqing became a little excited: "Instead of trying to curb the ambition of the British in the future, it is better to take advantage of their weakest moment. Let us unite to defeat the British. Or your country will help me defeat the British." People. Count the benefits? Your country will benefit from Central and South America. And the Pacific Ocean will be a pond for both of us."

Guan Xuqing's descendants have undergone quite strict speech skills training. He is engaged in the financial industry, and he can easily fool those clients who are more sophisticated than monkeys. What's more, in front of the existing factual basis, he can draw a blueprint that the other party cannot refuse. How he can not guarantee.

Jones nodded subconsciously, and Guan Xuqing's words described a wonderful prospect.The old world hegemon will be held back by China's wars, while America will truly take America into its own hands and rely on him to grow and thrive until finally the banner of world leadership emerges from the hands of Great Britain.At this time, the isolationist forces in the United States are far from being as serious as they were later, and many American elites are indeed considering such issues.

"Your Majesty, your proposals are indeed very sweet, and some of them have also been brought up by President Cleveland, which makes me wonder whether you have talked before. But you also know that the United States is a democratic country, and the government is actually Carrying out the demands of the people. Our people hate war, especially war with such a powerful country as Britain. Even if it is for a just cause, I think it will be difficult for the government to persuade the people to agree to send troops... But we may be able to give your country some funds and Technical support and mediation when necessary." Dulles said carefully.In fact, in his heart, he is very much in favor of forming an alliance with China. The current strength of the United States is not enough to affect the Far East, so the United States is at an absolute disadvantage in dividing up China's interests. After signing this alliance, the United States will own China, a huge country. market and established itself on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean.

If the alliance with Russia is to seek skin from a tiger in order to limit the military power of the United Kingdom in the short term, then the alliance with the United States is to provide a long-term boost to the strength of China.The United States can not only provide the capital and technology that China needs, but it is also a good helper when it comes to dealing with Britain now and Russia and Japan in the future.

After a week of secret negotiations, Jones finally boarded a ship from Tianjin to San Francisco with a contract he was satisfied with.This treaty includes the United States providing a loan of 2000 million U.S. dollars to help China carry out currency reform, and opening up the export of important industrial equipment such as steel, metallurgy, shipbuilding, and precision machinery to China. Subscribe for a $1000 million war bond and provide a $[-] million low-interest loan.However, in order to maintain a neutral image, the United States will not export strategic materials such as arms and steel to China during the war.

At that time, one tael of silver was equivalent to two dollars.

As a price, American goods will enter China with a tariff of less than 25%. It seems that China has suffered a lot. With the industrial strength of the United States, their products entering the Chinese market with low tariffs will definitely hurt China. The fledgling industry has caused a great impact, and looking at the treaty, the United States actually does not need to pay anything. Loans and war bonds must be repaid, and those industrial equipment must be bought with real money, for China's currency system The reform to provide a stabilization fund is a matter of great benefit to the United States.

In the treaty, the United States did not undertake an obligation, not even destroying its neutral image.However, Guan Xuqing had already obtained what he wanted. With China's education level, he wanted to train his own skilled technicians and invent good machine tools.Build up heavy industry step by step.I don't know how long it will take.And the great powers will not give China such time and environment.Only by implementing the doctrine of borrowing can China's national heavy industry be developed in the shortest possible time.

As for the issue of low tariffs, it is nothing to China now. According to the Sino-British "Beijing Treaty", China's current customs duties are still in the hands of the UK, and they will only be counted if they are withdrawn.

Lion Wakes Chapter 80 New Equipment

Zuo Zongtang rushed to Kunming one after another. This 70-year-old veteran has been running around for the Qing Dynasty all his life.But Guan Xuqing really didn't have any handsome talents who could be trusted and overwhelmed by so many generals.The only thing is to let the old general work hard for a few more years, and wait for the army officers who went to study in Germany to come back and take over.

Zuo Zongtang first arrived in Kunming, and it was recorded in the documents of the imperial military department that Kunming was garrisoned by the newly formed Feng Zicai Department.

Because of his outstanding performance in the Sino-Vietnamese War, Guan Xuqing specially promoted Feng Zicai to be a general. However, because the newly recruited soldiers are still in training and the equipment is not ready, there are no combat missions for the time being.However, as Feng Zicai's old superior, this time he went to Vietnam and passed by his residence, so he made a special trip to take a look.

The one who turned over from the horse was the Minister of Military Aircraft, Zuo Zongtang, Minister of the Ministry of War. He did not wear the court uniform today, but changed into his general's military uniform.Feng Zicai wanted to help him off the horse, but he refused, and jumped off the horse himself.

"See Commander." Feng Zicai knelt down on one knee and gave a standard military salute.

Behind Zuo Zongtang, Liu Yongfu, Liu Mingchuan, Wu Ping, Nie Shicheng and Pan Dongmin dismounted together.

Zuo Zongtang glanced at him as if, and said with a smile: "I heard that you, Feng Zi, have recently made a fortune. I came here to check on your vision. You won't hide it."

Since the last talk with Guan Xuqing, Zuo Zongtang has been ordered to leave Beijing secretly.Started to form the Southwest Group Army in Vietnam, with five troops of Nie Shicheng, Liu Mingchuan, Wu Ping, Liu Yongfu, and Pan Dongmin with 25 troops ready to enter Burma at any time.

Feng Zicai chuckled and said, "Why are you making a fortune? The poor are about to lose their pants, and the equipment and truckloads from the Hubei Firearms and Artillery Bureau are all sent to Vietnam. I'm so greedy. My brothers still don't have money. Practice assassination and aiming with a wooden gun. I have never practiced with live ammunition. The Mauser recoil is quite strong, and practice with live ammunition is equivalent to no practice.” He looked at the generals behind Zuo Zongtang, meaning that the equipment Let them take it.

"Go, go, who is talking nonsense to you. The emperor told me that a grenade recently developed by the Hubei Gun Bureau has been equipped with it for you, so that recruits are training. Walk around and take me there Look, what the hell is this thing?"

Not long after, everyone came to an open field, not far away, hundreds of soldiers were throwing things into circles drawn by some coal powder.Zuo Zongtang led the general behind him forward, picked up a black hard iron block on the ground, and said, "This is the grenade you are equipped with?"

Feng Zicai looked at the things in Zuo Zongtang's hand and said, "There are too few grenades, so I don't want to take them out for training. I usually use iron blocks of the same weight instead." Feng Zicai took an olive-shaped grenade and a grenade from the soldier next to him. A grenade with a wooden handle said: "This is the real thing."

Zuo Zongtang looked at it and said, "How to use it? Can you give me a ring?"