Eunuchs who traveled through the Qing Dynasty

Lin Qing'er took her hand and said with a smile: "You can think so, I'm really happy for my husband. Don't think that your husband was fierce to you in the past, but after a long time you will find that he loves his wife very much."

Xing Zizhen bowed her head, and it took a while to raise her head.He said softly but firmly: "I know. Sachiko grew up in the palace since she was a child, and was given a marriage at the age of six. Later, she married into the Tokugawa family. Although she is an imperial daughter, she is actually just a bargaining chip for power and politics. She is at the mercy of others. Treat me sincerely. The last time I was in Ueda Fan, my husband was able to sacrifice his life to save me, so I vowed to repay him forever. Being able to be with him is a blessing that I have cultivated in several lifetimes, and I am willing to be with my two sisters. Serve you with all your heart!"

Lin Qing'er suppressed her laughter, blinked her eyes, and said, "It's our duty to serve my husband well, so it goes without saying. But sisters..."

Xingzi was startled, then his expression darkened, and he said, "Sister said so. Is it because she doesn't want to recognize Xingzi as a younger sister?"

Lin Qinger giggled and said, "What are you talking about? I told you a long time ago that you are my sister. You see, I am the one who repents? What I want to tell you is that sisters are not just me and Zi Sunny!"

"Ah? It turns out...it turns out that Xianggong still has...?"

"Well, I have to do the math for you." Lin Qing'er pointed her fingers and said solemnly, "In addition to me and Sister Ziqing, there is also Sister Yuting. Sister Xueyao, Sister Ning Wei, Sister Ning Xin, Sister Xiaozhu Sister Xiaoyue..."

"..."

At this time, Xiao Ran was standing on the bow of the boat with Xu Shichang.Listening to the brisk sound of water splashing against the ship's side, I feel uplifted.

The current course of the fleet is heading west of Jeju Island.When he encountered a group of pirates during the last expedition, Xu Shichang grabbed two tongues and asked the island where the pirates lived. It turned out to be Dagong Island to the west of Jeju Island.According to the two captives, the two battleships and one three-masted cruiser that were killed last time were the main battleships of this group of pirates. There should be less than [-] people left on the island, and only a dozen small warships.

This gang of Japanese pirates burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of crimes. If they happened to kill them along the way, they could be regarded as doing justice for the heavens.When Xiao Ran heard that there was another opportunity to make a fortune, he was extremely excited, and immediately ordered the fleet to head towards Grand Duke Island.At this time, he was discussing with Xu Shichang the plan to attack the enemy.

Xu Shichang's body was thinner, he probably lived at sea since he was a child, his skin was tanned, his appearance was unattractive, and he was the kind who couldn't be found if he was thrown in the crowd.Since the army was always engaged in land warfare in the past, Xu Shichang's ability in all aspects was average, Sheng Zuo recommended him to be a team leader, and Xiao Ran didn't have a deep impression of him.But this expedition really impressed him. He was familiar with naval battles, and he was brave and resourceful. With a brig with no artillery, he abruptly killed three main battleships of thousands of tons of the enemy.

It is possessed by Jinfan thief, Gan Xingba on the sea!This is a rare talent who made up his mind secretly, and immediately let him run his new fleet after returning to Beijing.

The only fly in the ointment is that Xu Shichang seems to be a little helpless alone.It must be known that forming a navy is a big deal for the imperial court, no matter how powerful Xiao Ran is, he can't ignore it and make a big deal out of it.It is inevitable that people from the old-fashioned navy will be appointed here, and there will inevitably be new frictions and factional disputes.I have a lot of things to do, so I can't go to the navy to supervise the training every day, but it is really hard to find someone like Lao Xu who is familiar with naval warfare and can be trusted. It seems that this important task can only be carried by him alone. caught.

Seeing that Xiao Ran was silent, Xu Shichang hesitated and said, "My lord, do you think there is something wrong with the plan of attacking the enemy that I just mentioned?"

Xiao Ran waved his hands with a smile, and said: "No, you are an expert in naval battles, so of course it's all up to you. In a word, we will fight as you say!"

Xiao Ran has always been a person who knows how to delegate power, and never interferes with things he is not familiar with.But for Xu Shichang, who has personally experienced the darkness and decay of the Qing court navy, this is a great trust that he has never felt before.Therefore, after hearing his simple words, I was so excited that I knelt down on one knee, clasped my fists and said, "The ancients said that a scholar dies for his confidant. Shichang has no way to repay the kindness of your lord, but to serve his life with all his might!"

Xiao Ran laughed loudly, stretched out his hand to help him up, and said: "Damn it? The gods let our brothers get together for the purpose of making us do something good and seek wealth in the next life. How can we say death lightly? Brother Xu, if you still recognize me as an adult, you will collapse and say such things in the future."

Xu Shichang's chest felt hot when he said these words, but he couldn't utter a single word.Xiao Ran patted him on the shoulder, and said seriously: "Brother Xu, to tell you the truth, even though the brothers were together in the past, I didn't know that your brother has such an ability to overwhelm the rivers and seas. It is really a grievance to be a small leader in the team I'm sorry for you. When we finish fighting the Japanese pirates, we will return to the court triumphantly. You should make your first contribution to this expedition. After returning to Beijing, I will definitely go to the court and re-entrust you with important tasks..."

Before he finished speaking, Xu Shichang let out an "ah", grabbed Xiao Ran's arm, and said anxiously: "My lord, what did this subordinate do wrong? You...are you unwilling to take me in? I, Xu Shichang, once swore to I swear to follow my lord to the death, without any second thoughts! If you make any mistakes, let your lord deal with it, even if you cut off my head, you will never complain, but why do you want to drive me away?!"

"Damn, what nonsense are you talking about!" Xiao Ran looked at his frantic look, annoyed and funny, and said, "Who said we're going to drive you away? I mean, your specialty is naval battles. In our team, it's simply It is a waste of talents. After returning to the division, I want to play to the Ming court and form a navy, and you will..."

"Don't go, don't go! My old Xu is not going anywhere!" Xu Shichang said loudly, "To tell the truth, my lord, when Shichang lived in the Dagu Navy, it was to follow Chief Chen, otherwise, he would According to those bullshit officials of the Qing court, which one is in my eyes, Xu Shichang? The officialdom of the Qing court, intrigues, intrigues, bullying their own soldiers and people in every possible way, facing the burning, killing and looting of foreign devils, they will all be turned into shrinking turtles Becoming a slave to the Manchu Tartars, you have humiliated my ancestors of the Xu family!"

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I suddenly felt that something was wrong, and hurriedly knelt down on the ground, and said repeatedly: "My lord, I am not talking about you, I am talking about those servants of the Manchu Qing... Ah bah bah! I mean those officials Yes!...Ah, I, I..." The drawing became darker and darker, and I raised my arms anxiously, about to slap myself.

Xiao Ran grabbed his wrist and stared at him for a long time, which made Xu Shichang's heart tremble, and his intestines turned green with regret.Xiao Ran suddenly laughed loudly and said: "Okay, okay! Big brother Xu, I really did not misunderstand you! To tell you the truth, I want to recommend you to the imperial court for this reason. To tell you the truth, I not only want to protect you To be an official, you have to be a high official! Don’t even think about town signs, guerrillas, etc. I want you to be the admiral of the Lushun saliva division, and control the entire naval fleet in Liaodong Bay! I want you to make this navy fleet , to become the overlord of the sea, to become China's invincible fleet!"

"Ah?!" Xu Shichang looked at Xiao Ran with a bitter face, and said in a nasty voice: "My lord, you'd better shoot me to death. Anyway, I, Old Xu, have made up my mind after eating the weights, and I will not do anything for Man Qing Work hard!"

Xiao Ran suddenly raised his head, stared at the endless sea, took a deep breath, and said word by word: "No, it's not Manchu, it's China!"

Over the past few decades, China has experienced ups and downs. Brother Xu has seen more than I have. The Qing Dynasty has been rotten to the core, and it will only perish sooner or later.Because of this, we cannot let this power fall into the hands of the Qing court! "Xiao Ran helped Xu Shichang up, and said in a deep voice: "Brother Xu, you know how important the navy is, even if I don't tell you.This matter has a lot to do with it, and I can rest assured only if you go. Do you understand now? "

Xu Shichang suddenly realized, excited for a moment, and said: "So that's it! Don't worry, as long as you serve your lord, your subordinates will go all out and never dare to disappoint your lord's trust! But..." He frowned, and said: "The soldiers in the barracks In the middle of the war, it is inevitable that there will be various factions intriguing and vying for power. Even if I become the admiral of the navy, I am afraid that I will not be able to do it alone. Can my lord choose a few more capable people to help me?"

Xiao Ran sighed, and said: "Why don't I want to! But look at our team, how can there be a suitable candidate?"

In fact, not only the Daxingshan army, but even the entire Qing Dynasty, there are very few people who really understand naval warfare.The two discussed for a long time, and decided to transfer Cheng Tong first. On the one hand, they could develop shipborne artillery.

For several days, Xiao Ran, Xu Shichang, and Cheng Tong got together to discuss in detail the details of the preparations for the new navy.On this day, the fleet had already crossed Jeju Island, and further ahead was Dagong Island.This Dagong Island is said to be a stone that a certain god washes his feet here. The radius is only a few miles, so it is famous.It is because of the gang of pirates entrenched above, they are extremely vicious, plundering everywhere, and are notorious.

Before and after, Grand Duke Island was already in sight.Xu Shichang ordered the fleet to form up and advance at full speed.Prepare to bombard Japanese pirates.According to his estimation, relying on the strong firepower of the fleet, the battle can be resolved within half an hour, but no one expected that just as he was about to enter the predetermined sea area, the watchman on the ship screamed in shock. On the surface of less than a few nautical miles, another fleet was unexpectedly discovered!

Xu Shichang hurriedly climbed to the mast to see it himself.Use the binoculars from the little devil.You can clearly see a fleet of ships lined up in a V shape on the sea, with a total of more than ten ships.With years of experience, Xu Shichang judged at a glance that those were all large three-masted warships!

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.Xu Shichang slid down the mast and explained the situation to Xiao Ran. Xiao Ran was surprised: "Didn't the two captives say that the pirates on Dagong Island are only small brigs left? How could there be three-masted warships?"

Xu Shichang also felt baffled.The last time I encountered that group of pirates, I killed a total of two battleships and one cruiser. Generally speaking, this should be regarded as the main battleship of a group of large pirates.You must know that during the two Opium Wars, the British sent a total of only two battleships to China!So where did these three-masted ships come from?

The two tongues caught last time were executed long after the situation on the island was verified.Xu Shichang not only regretted his rashness.Purely in terms of strength, my three battleships of more than [-] tons and the seven cruisers of [-] tons or more on my side should not lose to the opponent, but once a war starts, I will inevitably lose something.You must know that besides the brothers from Daxingshan, what is installed on the ship is new equipment and Japanese craftsmen, and there is no room for any mistakes!

what to do?Xu Shichang decisively ordered the fleet to drop anchor.Line up and wait for the opponent's response; at the same time, two cruisers and two small brigantine gunboats were dispatched to patrol around Grand Duke Island to prevent the pirates on the island from escaping by boat.

The other party obviously also noticed the movement here.After anchoring, three smaller fast warships were dispatched to watch from a distance.After a while, as if they had discovered something suddenly, they anchored together, dispatched a small sampan, and rowed towards the fleet.

The snipers were all on alert at the side of the ship, and the water ghosts also changed into tight water tanks and were on standby at any time.As the board moved closer, a skinny man rushed to the boat and shouted, "Which country's fleet are you from? Why are you flying the dragon flag of the Qing Dynasty?"

This person speaks Chinese with a perfect accent and a slight Fujian-Zhejiang accent.Xu Shichang and Xiao Ran looked at each other, both felt strange, Xu Shichang shouted: "We are the fleet of the Qing Dynasty, why not fight the dragon flag?"

The skinny man was taken aback for a moment, and said, "Hey, are you Chinese?" Then he sneered and said, "Don't think that you can fool us by doing this. Where did the three-masted battleship come from in the Qing Dynasty? You are not the lackeys of Japanese slaves, are you? ? It's not that easy to be sloppy!"

When Xu Shichang heard this, he couldn't help being moved, and blurted out: "Ah, you are Chinese pirates! Who is your leader?"

The man looked at Xu Shichang vigilantly, and said, "Let's talk about you first, where did you come from! Otherwise, don't blame us for being rude!"

Sheng Zuo listened to his tone

Feeling uneasy, he saw a person on the sampan wearing a pointed bamboo hat, and said with a frown, "That man wearing a bamboo hat, be careful!" After aiming for a while, it was a shot, and the bamboo hat was thrown into the sea.There were seven or eight people on the board, who had never seen such precise marksmanship before. Shocked, they uttered a cry and dived into the water together.Xu Shichang pursed his lips and whistled, and jumped into the sea, and the water ghosts behind him jumped down like dumplings.

As far as the people in the sampan are not weak in water, but after all, two fists are no match for four hands, and after a while they were subdued and tied to the big boat one by one.What Xu Shichang caught was the skinny man, he was quite courageous, and said: "Shameless villain, if the two countries are at war with each other, you can't kill him. What is this? If you have the guts, I will be chopped off with a knife, and you will frown." Head, not a good man!"

Xiao Ran Shi Shiran stepped forward and said with a smile: "Don't be in a hurry, please come aboard, I just want you to see if we are the fleet of the Qing Dynasty. Can you see clearly this time?"

In ancient times, Chinese and Japanese costumes were quite different, and their appearance and dress were also different, which could be recognized at a glance.The man was surprised: "You...you are really the Chinese fleet? Then what happened to these Japanese sailors?"

Seeing that they were Chinese pirates, Xiao Ran no longer concealed them, and told him that this was the Japanese conquest fleet of the Qing Dynasty, and they were on their way back.The man was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear for a long time, and then he told the story, it turned out to be the pirate Feiyu gang in Zhoushan area, because the pirates on Dagong Island have repeatedly robbed merchant ships, and they came here this time to fight to the death with the pirates.

Xu Shichang laughed loudly after hearing the words Feiyu Gang, "Haha, it's not that the flood has washed into the Dragon King Temple, and the family doesn't recognize the family! That man, the leader of your gang, Lai Lao San, is on the boat?"

The man clasped his fists in surprise and said, "You recognize our guild leader? Dare I ask your surname Gao?"

Xu Shichang said: "My surname is Xu and my name is Shichang. I followed Chen Daya in the early years, and had a relationship with the third master on several occasions."

The man slapped his forehead, turned around and bowed, and said: "Master Xu is driving! Master Xu was a general under Chief Chen's command back then. How many times have I heard from the leader that the little one has eyes but can't see Mount Tai, so I beg for forgiveness." !"

It turned out that when Chen Daya was traveling across the sea, he had some friendship with the Flying Fish Gang, Xu Shichang, as a general under Chen Daya's command, was quite appreciated by Lai Lao San.It wasn't until Chen Daya recruited for the Qing court that he broke off contact, but ran into him here when he didn't want to.

Xu Shichang immediately ordered someone to buy wine to entertain the brothers.Discussed with Xiao Ran in private, since the two groups came to the same place, why not join forces to attack Grand Duke Island, and distribute the looted treasures according to the amount of effort.Xiao Ran readily agreed, so Xu Shichang told the skinny man nicknamed Loach about his idea.

In fact, this kind of practice is the traditional rule of pirates. Niu and others think it is fair, but they still need to report to the gang leader Lai Laosan.After drinking for a while, he drove the sampan back to report.After half an hour, it was reported that Lai Laosan had agreed, and it was agreed that at the time of tomorrow, the cannons would be fired as a signal to attack Dagong Island from the east and the west.

It was dusk at this time, and the two sides dispatched gunboats to cruise back and forth, enclosing Grand Duke Island like an iron barrel.The Japanese slaves on the island saw that the situation was not good, organized a few boats, and wanted to escape in the dark, but unfortunately they were all small two-masted boats, and the firepower and speed were too different, so they were sent back by a round of artillery from the cruiser.

Xu Shichang seemed a little absent-minded at this moment, walking up and down the bow of the boat non-stop.Xiao Ran said: "Brother Xu, do you feel uneasy about those people from the Feiyu Gang?"

Xu Shichang hurriedly said: "No, it's not. The so-called pirates have their own way, and there are rules at sea. Besides, Lai Laosan, I know a little bit about him. He has an upright personality. He had a good relationship with Chief Chen back then. Later, Chief Chen In order to recruit security for the imperial court, Lai Laosan even made a special trip to persuade him, saying that the Qing court was immoral and the officialdom was dark, so it might be a rare and peaceful end, so it would be better to be a pirate and be happy and at ease. Unexpectedly, he really hit what he said."

Xiao Ran said: "Oh, so to speak, Lai Lao San is quite an upright man. If that's the case, what are you worried about?"