Great Qing Dynasty talker

Cam Ranh Bay Naval Port is as busy as a vegetable market.

At the dock, countless horse-drawn carriages shuttled back and forth, unloading supplies, and shirtless sailors walked on the gangplanks to carry them back and forth.

Gunpowder, cannonballs, baked bread, dried meat, fruits and vegetables, rum, cotton cloth, fuel, ropes, muskets, swords, navigation instruments, medicinal materials, various tools, and live poultry in bamboo cages~
As the eldest son of the empire, Annan tried its best to provide logistics.

Of course,
King Li Weiqi really hoped that the Wu army would be defeated.

If the Wu army is defeated and its strength is damaged, it will consider retreating, and Annan will have a chance to rise.

Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to move at all.

The four steam gunboats cruising on the Red River alone could make him the king of a fallen country at any time.

……

Before leaving the port, there is one personnel matter that cannot be avoided.

filter!
More than 3000 naturalized officers and mercenary sailors of the fleet stood at the crossroads of fate.

Liu Wu proposed two solutions:
1. If they are unwilling to participate in the war and kill their compatriots, they should retire immediately and go their separate ways from then on.

Second, swear allegiance to the Emperor Wu, and naturalize the sailors to receive a reward of 5 silver coins. Hired sailors will be naturalized immediately and become naval warrant officers.

502 people chose to retire.

The rest of the people swore an oath of allegiance in front of the gilded portrait of Emperor Wu and then boarded the ship.

The 502 people who were unwilling to participate in the war were ordered to take off their uniforms and hand over their swords on the spot. They would be sent to Lingao County, Qiongzhou Prefecture, to fend for themselves and could only leave after the war was over.

……

Liu Wu stood on the deck of the flagship, looking at this majestic navy, feeling excited.

"Combined Fleet, set off!"

"Victory~"

200 warships and 100 supply ships filed out and sailed into the blue sea.

When land was no longer in sight, the fleet began to form up.

The sailing frigate was in front and the steam ship was behind, heading towards the Strait of Malacca.

When the combined fleet was a hundred miles from the strait, it was discovered by a Saxon sloop of war. Immediately, Commodore Nelson led more than 1 warships to flee westward to avoid the battle.

The Combined Fleet relented and pursued the enemy through the strait.

……

As the fleet sailed out of the narrow Strait of Malacca, the view before us suddenly opened up to a vast expanse of blue and a warm breeze.

The pursuit process is boring.

One day, two days, four days, six days~
In this way, the two fleets crossed the Andaman Sea one after the other.

Commodore Nelson did not stop at the port of Pathein, but led his fleet directly to Bengal.

The Wu army's joint fleet was in an awkward situation. The steam warships did not have enough endurance, and even if the supply ships carried a large amount of coal, it was still not enough.

Helplessly, Liu Wu ordered to stop the pursuit and the fleet stopped at Yangon Port for supplies.

……

Myanmar is extremely rich in mineral resources, with abundant reserves of coal, iron, copper, lead, jade, rubies, gold and silver.

Five years ago, miners from the Wu State began mining along the river.

As early as two years ago, the Navy Department began to stockpile supplies and set up repair shops in Yangon.

However, there were disagreements within the fleet.

"The Saxons are avoiding battle, so we will seek it. We will continue to pursue them and clear the entire Indian Ocean in one battle."

"No, what if they hide in the port and don't come out? Without the army, we can't take the port artillery."

"Your Majesty has invested a huge amount of money to build a joint fleet. Are we going to return empty-handed?"

"The navy is different from the army. You must not rush into a fight without confidence. You must be cautious."

"Are you afraid of death?"

"Pooh."

……

Liu Wu looked at his subordinates who were quarreling with each other and felt conflicted.

Finally, reason prevailed over everything. He slowly stood up and the room became silent in an instant.

"This commander has issued the following military order. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd squadrons will jointly dispatch from Bengal to Ceylon, cruise along the coast, capture European merchant ships, and bombard the enemy's land strongholds."

"The 10th Squadron will cooperate with the Rangoon garrison to capture Pathein Port."

"The 5th Squadron returns to defend and assist the vassal army in capturing Malacca."

"The rest of the warships, stand by."

All the officers stood up and shouted:
"As ordered."

……

Each squadron of the Combined Fleet consists of 20 ships.

Among them, the 1st to 5th squadrons are sail-powered, and the 6th to 9th squadrons are steam-powered.

The 10th Squadron is quite special. It is a steam ship specially equipped with rockets and mortars, similar to a fire output platform.

At this time, there was abundant rain.

The temperature is around 30 degrees.

The weather is giving everyone a headache.

It is hot and humid with swarms of mosquitoes. This is a season when food spoils and various epidemics are prevalent.

But no way.

The current situation does not allow the Wu army to wait for half a year, and they must launch an attack immediately.

……

The port of Pathein was destroyed by fire.

Even though the weather was humid and drizzling, it still couldn't withstand the flames of Wu Jun's burning rockets.

The Navy has newly equipped itself with a rocket that is filled with a liquid obtained by distilling and stratifying light petroleum mined in Java, and has exceptional combustion performance.

The deck crane lifted rockets out of the cabin and loaded them onto the angle-adjustable launcher.

huh~
It broke through the rain curtain and fell into the port of Pathein.

A huge fire immediately rose up, with black smoke billowing, and it was difficult to put out by human power.

The 10th Squadron made great contributions.

……

In fact, the daily situation of the 10th Fleet was the most dangerous.

There was a blazing fire inside the steam engine.

Once the sparks ignite the rockets or shrapnel stored in other compartments, they will explode into pieces immediately. Therefore, the fleet places special emphasis on "fire prevention, safety, and cleanliness".

The Navy Department has also considered switching to sail power.

However, there is a high probability that the sail will be ignited when the rocket is launched, which poses a great hidden danger.

Another advantage of steam battleships is that their decks are open and there are no obstructive sails or ropes, making them convenient for use as weapons carrying platforms.

……

After the firepower is output, lower the sampan.

The 4th Army landed.

According to the old rules, the vassal army goes first and the heavenly soldiers supervise the battle.

Encouraged by the generous reward, 500 mixed vassal troops of Mon and Annamites launched a charge.

The lobster soldiers in Pathein Port drove the turban vassal army to counterattack.

There was no beauty in the battle, people were cowering, shooting randomly, advancing and retreating, it was a complete fight of attrition.

It was not until the third day that more Annan vassal troops arrived.

With the dual advantages of firepower and numbers, the 4th Army Corps managed to capture the port of Pathein and killed Major Buck and more than 100 lobster soldiers.

A five-color American flag that had been prepared long ago was hoisted over the port of Pathein.

Cheers, eyes filled with joy.

……

The military correspondent held a cigarette in his mouth and wrote in his notebook:
"The 4nd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment of the 2th Corps of the Imperial Army captured the important Nanyang town of Bassein, which was heavily guarded by Saxons, with negligible casualties!"

The handwriting is illegible.

After writing it, he handed it to the lieutenant beside him.

The lieutenant nodded with satisfaction after looking at it, and a few gold coins slipped into the reporter's coat pocket.

“This is very well written. Is the title too long?”

“Long titles attract people.”

“Will it seem tacky?”

"Today's readers just like vulgar things. Trust me, you won't go wrong."

News was in the service of the empire.

In this battle, although our side suffered heavy casualties, only 4 people from the 5th Corps died, 2 of whom died of malaria.

The corpses scattered all over the ground were those of the vassal army.

So, strictly speaking, this report did not violate basic principles and professional ethics.

……

Outside the city of Malacca, there were also corpses everywhere.

The Perak Sultanate's native troops, Siamese vassal troops, and Sulu vassal troops loyal to Wu Ting repeatedly attacked, suffering heavy casualties under the strong city defenses and the accurate gunfire of the lobster soldiers. On the sea, the 5th Squadron of the Combined Fleet provided long-range support with ship-borne artillery fire.

It is worth noting that the 5th Squadron only used muzzle-loading guns, no breech-loading guns, and no new shrapnel shells.

Following His Majesty's instructions:

Surprises should be saved until the last moment, and new weapons must not be revealed until the crucial battle.

……

The reason why the vassal army could endure high casualties was - generous rewards.

The first one to climb the ladder will be given an imperial rank, a warrant officer, a Chinese name, a large house, and 50 taels of gold.

For each level of head, 5 silver coins are rewarded, and 5 heads can be promoted by one level.

If killed in battle, the pension is 50 silver coins.

For disability, depending on the severity, a minimum of 30 silver coins will be given.

If anyone disobeyed military orders or escaped without permission, he would be shot on the spot once caught, and his family members would be forced to become mine slaves.

There will be no reward for those who die of illness or go missing.

If rewards and punishments are clearly defined, people will naturally be willing to work hard for them.

Wu Ting has always had a good reputation in terms of money and never defaults on his debts. Anyway, he is prepared to use the silver from all over the world to pay the military.
……

With hot weather comes all kinds of illnesses.

The Wu army temporarily retreated 5 miles and suspended the attack.

A large number of indigenous corpses were washed into the Malacca River by rainwater, where they fermented and rotted.

This river flows through the city and is one of the important sources of drinking water for the Saxons in the city.

quickly,

People in the city kept falling ill for unknown reasons, suffering from fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and eventually died.

Within a few days, even the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Raffles, became a corpse.

If we hold on any longer, no one in the city will be spared.

……

The terrified Saxons decided to abandon the city and break out in desperation.

So, on a hot sunny morning, more than 700 lobster soldiers, more than 3000 armed residents, and 1000 mercenaries suddenly left Malacca.

The vassal army was caught off guard and a hole was torn open.

However, the rainforests of the Malay Peninsula are dominated by indigenous people.

The native soldiers followed and chased the Saxons all the way, and finally, with the help of nature, they wiped out all the Saxons on the fourth day.

It turns out that the combat effectiveness of the natives equipped with Wu weapons has increased by more than one level compared to before.

……

Out of some concern, the commander of the 5th Squadron of the Combined Fleet counted the number of left ears and ordered the vassal army to immediately abandon the city of Malacca and march westward to the Perak Sultanate for rest.

Firstly, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and secondly to build Penang further west as the new capital of the Malay Peninsula.

There is already a consensus within the empire:

Tropical infectious diseases and war corpses are the biggest factors causing military casualties, far exceeding casualties caused by guns and artillery.

Therefore,
Transfer is a good solution.

During the journey, those who were infected with the disease kept falling behind and died helplessly, which made artificial screening a reality.

A few days later, the indigenous vassal army arrived at their destination.

A silver ship came from Guangzhou and began to distribute silver rewards on the spot.

At the same time, many merchant ships from the Wu State docked to sell alcohol, clothes, accessories, tobacco, betel nuts, knives, and medicinal liquor, and were warmly welcomed by the natives.

The goods sold out quickly.

Even the Sultan of Perak himself could not resist spending a lot of money, dressed in silk and satin, wearing a ruby-topped hollow silver helmet, holding a pipe in his left hand and a wine glass in his right hand, while enjoying the passionate hula dance.

……

The above is just one of the consumption closed-loop chains created by Wu Huang.

Although the empire's military expenditures seemed huge, in fact, after going around in circles, the money eventually returned to the treasury.

Within the empire, different consumption plans were tailored for the vassal armies.

Whether it is the Annan vassal army that claims to be the most civilized, or the ignorant tribal vassal army, the empire has a way to make you take out the silver rewards for military merit and spend it.

Tobacco, alcohol and silk are daily consumables.

Knives and guns are generally durable goods.

The most expensive purchase was to buy a small apartment in the concession, obtain permanent residency in the concession, and become a rich and powerful person from then on.

The effect is gratifying.

People who applied for admission by waving gold and silver were as numerous as crucian carp crossing the river.

Today, concessions are springing up in cities and ports across the protectorate.

The empire was responsible for enclosing land, and the tycoons were responsible for construction. According to prior contracts, half of the income from the concessions went to the tycoons who undertook the construction, and half went to the empire.

The area is very small at first, but it will gradually expand.

The significance of concessions is to continuously absorb the elites of the host country, absorb the host country's wealth, and export influence.

……

A strange scene occurred on the Indian Ocean battlefield.

The combined fleet was aggressive and took turns cruising the east coast of the South Asian subcontinent, bombarding European merchant ships, sinking five and capturing seven.

East Coast,
Wu colonial outpost, Chennai.

It became one of the fleet's cruise supply points and, together with Rangoon, became a support point for the combined fleet.

Compared with the rapid progress of the navy on the southern front, the army on the southern front did not seem to be so smooth.

100 miles away from Chennai, one would encounter a double blow from the Saxon East India Company and the Frankish East India Company's armies.

Generally speaking, the three colonies of the Wu State were in a defensive state.

The main reason is the numerical disadvantage.

……

Calcutta.

Naval officers from various countries, led by the Royal Navy, argued fiercely over whether to "go to war" or "avoid war".

Governor Adelaide felt a headache after hearing this, so he simply walked out of the meeting room and went to the rooftop to drink tea.

In the distance, 54 warships were anchored in the harbor.

The bored sailors drank, went shopping, gambled and wandered around.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps behind me.

"Your Majesty the Governor."

"Mr. Brigadier General, please give me a cup of Wuyi Mountain tea."

Nelson took the small cup, drank it all, and said with a smile, "Good tea."

Adelaide was very skilled at making tea and handed over another cup.

Suddenly, he held the small jade cup and said with emotion:

"Just for this light tea, countless people will be drawn into this terrible war."

"Yes, this is a tea war."

"Yes."

……

The two of them drank three rounds.

Nelson suddenly put down the cup, stood up, and straightened his uniform: "The Royal Navy always draws its sword in every battle. Nelson requests to go to war."

Adelaide held the small cup, her arm suspended in mid-air.

After a while.

"Mr. Commodore, you can only win and not lose."

……

The news that Commodore Nelson was about to lead 54 warships to fight against the Wu joint fleet spread throughout Kolkata like the sea breeze.

Serious officers, lazy sailors, and humble slaves were all making preparations before sailing.

Resupply materials and replenish ammunition.

The captain personally took charge and directed the sailors to make the final inspection of the warship before sailing, especially the stern rudder and locks.

And once again emphasized military discipline.

At the port, two sailors who violated military discipline were beaten to a bloody pulp.

……

Adelaide stands quietly high above the city, overlooking this vibrant scene.

He didn't want to play because a draw = a win.

Protecting the ships and defeating the enemy is a mature strategy for the country.
but,

The Wu army controlled the Indian Ocean and was sending reinforcements to Chennai by sea.

According to the company's intelligence, 20 ships of Wu's vassal troops carrying muskets have already landed on the land of Chennai Port. After a short rest, these soldiers began to attack everywhere, engaging in fierce exchanges of fire with the company's mercenaries.

If he did nothing, Wu's vassal troops would continue to land on the South Asian subcontinent.

Just one year~
Countless Wu vassal armies will launch military operations on the vast South Asian subcontinent. Adelaide felt desperate when she thought of that horrific scene. The Saxons were not good at land warfare. They were good at bullying the natives, but they had no chance of winning against the traditional land power. (End of this chapter)