After submitting a public petition every day for three consecutive days but still not receiving a satisfactory answer, Governor Yang finally left Mawei Port with his Second Division of the Biao Zhongyong Army, Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. The name was just decided. Since he
He is a first-class Zhongyong Bo, so naturally it is more appropriate to call him Zhongyongjun. Besides, everyone likes to give themselves nice names at this time. For example, Li Hongzhang’s Dingwu Army was called the new army he created later, so it is continued.
After that, Zhang Zhidong's army was called the Self-Strengthening Army, while Liu Kun adopted the title of the Changjie Army, where Zuo Zongtang served as a soldier, which probably feels a bit like a Phoenix veteran squatting behind a wall to brag.
Of course, the work that Yang Feng's loyal army has to do has nothing to do with this name. Eighteen thousand people are divided into six landing ships and six high-speed merchant ships. Under the escort of the predator fleet, they sail directly
Heading to Tianjin.
After learning the news, Cixi immediately ordered Liu Kunyi to dispatch the Nanyang Navy to intercept. It was a waste of time to intercept. The two battleships Liu Kunyi had just bought were still being repaired in the Mawei dock! Those old warships of the Nanyang Navy went out for a walk and returned.
He went back, and then the old guy quickly replied: "The ships under Governor Yang are moving very fast, and all the ships in the Nanyang Navy are slow and old ships, so they cannot catch up. I have sent a telegram to contact them, but there is no result yet."
Well, Cixi didn't expect him to be able to stop him, and then ordered Liu Buchan to have the Beiyang Navy go out to sea to intercept. However, he got a reply within a few minutes. Liu Buchan was ill, and he was so ill that he didn't know about his personnel.
It's broken and is being repaired now. It is estimated that it will be difficult to go to sea within ten days and a half.
After hearing the news, Cixi burst into anger and laughed.
"They are all a bunch of rebellious officials and traitors. The Ai family wants to see how many people still have not revealed their true colors." She said with a sneer. In fact, she also knew that Liu Buchan and others would definitely not be able to stop Yang Feng. These people were already thinking.
, plus we are all from Fujian, how could we possibly offend Yang Feng.
Fortunately, she still had two obedient warships. After receiving the order, the Kaiyuan and Zhuyuan, driven by Chilean mercenaries, immediately set sail out of Weihaiwei, bringing a group of gunboats, torpedo boat training ships and the like at the mouth of the Bohai Sea.
Patrolling, waiting to intercept Yang Feng's fleet. Of course, she did not expect that the interception at sea would have any effect. After her numerous instructions, Ronglu hurriedly returned to Tianjin and began to deploy the defense of Dagukou. The two Xieyi in the first town of the New Army
The Dagu fort was deployed from the south to the north. At the same time, the Second Town of the New Army and the Tianjin Patrol Team were deployed to defend Tianjin. The Third Town was temporarily stationed in Langfang to prepare for reinforcements. He had just completed the deployment, and the interceptor fleet at sea first encountered Yang Feng.
In fact, Yang Feng was not prepared to hide from them. This guy placed a pile of his governor's guard of honor on the deck of the Nautilus, and then led the fleet towards the largest smoke column in the distance in such a swagger.
The Kaiyuan was originally the Brancoen Calada that he wanted to imitate, but now this warship is actually an imitation of the Predator. The power systems of the two are exactly the same, and even the artillery layout is the same, so it seems
It looks just like the two brothers. Of course, this is just the appearance. The actual performance in all aspects, including speed, protection capability, and firepower, is worse than that of the Predator.
Under the command of Ronglu's confidant, Deputy Admiral Tieliang of the Beiyang Navy, two foreign aid cruisers rushed toward the huge fleet in front of them. Before they could get close, eight destroyers followed at a high speed of more than 30 knots.
Like a pride of lions preparing to hunt bison, the Chilean captains of the two cruisers were so frightened that they quickly stopped the ship according to the flags they flew. This kind of small warship is so famous that the Chilean Navy ordered two of them in Sweden at a high price.
The thought of those forty-eight steam gas torpedo tubes makes one shudder.
"Why stop?" Tie Liang shouted angrily.
"Your Excellency, Deputy Admiral, if we really fight, we will be beaten into scum within a minute." Kaiyuan Captain Salas reminded him kindly.
"Really?" Tie Liang said hesitantly.
"It only takes one heavy torpedo to sink us, and there are forty-eight of them." Salas nodded and said solemnly.
"Well, then, I don't know as much as this traitor. Send him a signal and tell him that the Queen Mother has an order for him to go back to where he came from." Tie Liang said with a stern voice.
The signal trooper on the Kaiyuan quickly typed the semaphore, and then received a reply, one word: "Get out!"
"This word in English means rolling. I don't know the specific meaning of this in Chinese." Salas explained that at this time, the flag commands were all expressed in English. The Iron Admiral would definitely not understand.
"Damn, this traitor is so arrogant!" Tie Liang said through gritted teeth, and then asked in a low voice: "Are their torpedoes really that powerful?"
"We have no hope of fighting. Of course, if you give the order, we will fight them to the end even if it is to protect the honor of a soldier," Salas said.
They can fight to the end, but Lord Tie is not in such a mood. Looking at the dozens of warships passing by in formation on the opposite side, he only has two warships with a bunch of soldiers and generals on his side. There is nothing to be ashamed of even if he lets them pass, so
He waved his hands solemnly and said: "Forget it, we are just here to send a message. It's all the people from the imperial court who are fighting! Send a telegram to Rong Zhongtang, saying that there are many pirate ships, and the whole army will be destroyed in the battle. Save the ship.
The best strategy is to control the enemy!"
"Your Excellency is wise!" Salas said quickly in blunt Chinese.
The news of the failed interception at sea did not make Cixi angry. Speaking of which, she knew the virtues of her men very well. Unless they were stronger than their opponents, they should not be expected to have the courage to fight. Anyway, Yang Feng was
We have to face the threshold of Daku Fort. When the time comes, let Ronglu go there in person with the imperial edict and read it out in person to see if he has any other reasons to quibble.
However, she was wrong this time. Yang Feng had no plans to go to Dagukou at all. He lacked large-caliber heavy artillery, and the largest was only 130-caliber. It was difficult to effectively deal with the solid coastal defense forts, unless he used poison gas bombs to smoke them.
, but using this method to deal with Luo Rongguang is a bit too cruel, and after all, the banner of his trip is to go to Beijing to appeal rather than go to Beijing to invade. The bombardment of Dagukou will not be conducive to the development of the follow-up plan, and will also cause trouble.
It has a very bad impact on your own image.
So he landed in a place no one would have imagined.
At Dagukou, Ronglu came anxiously from Tianjin, staring longingly at the sea in the distance, holding the imperial edict stamped with Guangxu's jade seal in his hand, and surrounded by a large group of reporters from various countries. Now Cixi has also learned,
We can't let Yang Feng talk nonsense and confuse right and wrong in newspapers every day. Doesn't he like to play with public opinion? Then play with him. In front of so many reporters, if he dares to disobey the imperial edict, then that's it.
It's enough for people all over the world to see clearly his paintings.
"Why hasn't it arrived yet?" Ronglu took out his pocket watch, looked at the time and then said doubtfully, today is not a good weather, the northwest wind is howling, the sky is as gloomy as lead, and occasionally a few small snowflakes are blowing.
Helpers were guarding the beach, many of whom were so cold that their faces turned blue, and even some reporters began to sneak away.
"I don't know, I guess it's time to arrive." Qing Heng, a close confidant next to him, wiped the cold snot from his nose and said with a puzzled look on his face.
At this moment, a small torpedo boat sailed into Dagukou. The captain hurriedly disembarked and ran to Ronglu, knelt down on one knee and said: "Master Zhongtang, Yang Feng's fleet went north three hours ago.
"
"Xiangbei, where are you going?" Ronglu was stunned for a moment, and he and Qingheng couldn't help but look at each other.
"Shanhaiguan!" said Luo Rongguang next to him.
"Immediately send a report to Yongping Mansion, ordering it to deploy troops to defend the coast, and at the same time order all the trains at Yuguan Station to leave!" Rong Lu woke up immediately, understood Yang Feng's intention, and hurriedly said to Qingheng.
Unfortunately, it was too late at this time. Yang Feng's six landing ships had already rushed directly to the blue sea and golden beach of Qinhuangdao under the stunned gaze of the fishermen on the beach. There was no defender here at all. Shanhaiguan was just a guerrilla, and all his men didn't know it.
Are there more than a hundred Green Camp soldiers? By the time the Yongping Prefecture received the telegram from Ronglu, more than 6,000 elite troops like wolves and tigers had completed the landing and cut off the Jingshan Railway. The fastest ones had already reached Shanhaiguan.
.
Because this is the terminal station of the Jingshan Railway, and the construction of the railway to the north has just begun. In order to transport road construction materials, several trains stop here every day, so they all fell into the hands of Yang Feng. After taking over the Shanhaiguan Railway Station,
A regiment quickly took over and blocked the passage into the customs, and then began to slowly use small boats to transfer soldiers and supplies from the troop ships.
"Sir, Governor Yongping is outside asking for an audience." Chen Zhong, commander of the Second Division, walked up to Governor Yang who was looking at the sea and playing with his heroic ambitions and said. He was the first overseas Chinese to follow Yang Feng in the United States. His ancestors were born with long hair. Originally, this
The position of division commander was given to Jiang Zikang, but the old guy didn't even want to be an official because he had more than 800,000 taels of silver, so the position of division commander was given to him.
"No, how can I see you casually? Before entering Beijing, I didn't see anyone, so they said I was sick and didn't dare to see you, even if Ronglu came." Yang Feng waved his hand and said, as long as
If you don't meet, you don't have to listen to any orders.
"What if someone comes with an imperial edict?" Chen Zhong is a very careful person.
"Imperial edict? Our soldiers are all rough men. How can they be literate? How can they know the imperial edict? Let alone the imperial edict, they don't even know the official title." Yang Feng said casually.
"Understood!" Chen Zhong said with a smile. Since we don't know each other, we can't be sure whether it's true or false. Governor Yang is already sick. You take something we don't recognize and say it's an imperial edict, suddenly asking us to disturb your sick body.