The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 538: The New Celestial Empire Plan on the West Coast (Requesting Subscription and Tickets)
"The Russian Grand Lady is at the Gold Diggers Cafe," Wu Chongyao walked over to Hong Renzheng, took out an enamel tobacco box and placed it on the cast iron pulpit. With a light press, the lid popped open, revealing a volume of the Minor Prophets, "with the American lawyer named Abraham Lincoln."

"The future president?" Hong Renzheng was surprised, and then he took out an enamel tobacco box from his sleeve pocket. His tobacco box and the one Wu Chongyao had just taken out and placed in front of him both had the same white-headed eagle pattern on the surface. He still remembered what Luo Yaoguo said when he handed him the enamel tobacco box: "It would be best if there was a new dynasty on the west coast of North America."

"Although the Russian Grand Duchess didn't know that Lincoln would be the future president of the United States, she still wanted to use him to help the United States and Russia join forces. This woman has an extremely keen political sense!" Wu Chongyao's eyes swept over Hong Renzheng's enamel tobacco box - he got this new enamel tobacco box from the captain when he boarded the steam sailing ship "New Heavenly Dynasty" of Wu Jiayihe in New York City, and also got a handwritten letter from Luo Yaoguo. In this "destructible after reading" secret letter, Luo Yaoguo revealed to him a "New Heavenly Dynasty Plan" that the True Covenant faction was secretly promoting, and instructed him to make friends with the future president of the United States, Lincoln.

"The United States and Russia join forces?" Hong Renzheng's face flashed with murderous intent, "How does she want to join forces? Will it get in the way? Is it necessary..." He waved his right hand and made a killing gesture, "We can let the Japanese assassins of the Zhenyue faction do it, and make sure no one will know!"

"Oh?" Wu Chongyao raised his eyebrows. "The British gave us a lot of benefits, right?"

"The British gave us a city called Tianwang City. The area of ​​100 miles on the south bank of Burrard Bay is all within the scope of Tianwang City." Hong Renzheng looked proud. "Although it is in the north, the climate there is warm, the rain is abundant, and there is a lot of flat land. It is easy to cultivate and can support hundreds of thousands of people. It is the foundation of the hegemony of the new Celestial Empire on the west coast!"

Wu Chongyao laughed and said, "Why did the British give us such a good piece of land? Wasn't it because of the Russians on Vancouver Island?"

"What do you mean?" Hong Renzheng looked at Wu Chongyao, "to keep the enemy at bay?"

"That's not what I meant, but..." Wu Chongyao just pointed to the sky and didn't say anything else.

Hong Renzheng snorted: "I'm afraid the Russians and the Mormons will join forces!"

King City.

The roar of a steam engine could be heard from the window of the Central Military Office of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's New World Expedition Army, which was close to the coast. Two young generals who had just finished breakfast looked towards the port at the same time. The ram of the Dingyuan cruiser split the morning mist and appeared on the surface of Burrard Bay.

Luo Dagang stood on the flying bridge, holding a telescope with a gilded frame inscribed with "Made by Shanghai Optical Bureau in the fifth year of Tianli". He scanned the coastline through the telescope. Twelve 32-pound large-caliber coastal defense guns were protruding from the battlements of the simple bastion made of sandbags. If it was not the Dingyuan that approached today, but a Russian armed merchant ship, the most fierce rain of bullets would be waiting for him.

Meet Zhen Tian Hou! "

Yu Dabao presented the troop strength register: "The expeditionary force currently has 800 Saint Soldiers, 300 Irish Musketeers, and 200 Tlingit Musketeers."

Han Yulin took out another True Covenant militia book and said, "Reporting to the Heavenly Lord, the True Covenant sect in North America now has more than 200,000 followers, of which militia accounts for about 15%, a total of 30,000! The Chinese men and True Covenant Irish men in the logging camps and farms from Burrard Bay to the Zerret River are all registered militias, with a total number of no less than 3,000!"

"30,000 militiamen?" When Luo Dagang heard the number of militiamen, he suddenly felt that there was a vast sea and sky in front of him. "How are the equipment? How is the training?"

Han Yulin, who was in charge of the New World True Testament militia affairs, replied: "1841 militiamen, everyone has a gun, most of them are equipped with Mississippi rifles, and they train every Sunday."

"Is Sunday the first day of the week?" Luo Dagang asked.

"That's right!" Han Yulin replied, "Militiamen in the New World listen to sermons in church on Saturdays and train with guns on Sundays."

"Great, great!" Luo Dagang was overjoyed and clapped his hands, "There are 300 veterans from Guangdong and Guangxi who came ashore with me this time. Another 1,200 will come within a month. Together with the 1,300 existing expeditionary forces, the total will be 2,800. With another 30,000 militiamen, the entire West Coast will be at my disposal."

He was halfway through his words when he noticed that Yu Dabao and Han Yulin both frowned slightly, seemingly disagreeing. "What? What I said is wrong?" When Luo Dagang asked, he thought of an enamel tobacco box in his pocket - this tobacco box also contained a volume of the Book of the Minor Prophets, which predicted a key piece of information: the American Civil War, 1861-1865! It was only 1855, and there were still 1861 years to 6!

"Your Excellency doesn't know," Han Yulin said respectfully, "Everyone in the western part of North America has a gun, and the proportion of able-bodied white men serving as militiamen is even higher! If we can mobilize 3 militiamen, then the white Americans in California can mobilize 5 militiamen!"

"Fifty thousand." Luo Dagang reached into his arms, touched the enamel tobacco box, and then took out two envelopes. "This is what King Wu asked me to bring to the New World. It is a commendation order signed by him personally, commending you two for your contributions in the Battle of Petropavlovsk and the landing on the New World. From now on, you are both division commanders." He squinted his eyes and looked around, and found that the area nearby was quite desolate, and the town under construction was not big. "Tell me, how many people are there in Tianwang City, how many Russians are there on Vancouver Island opposite, and how many warships are there?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, there are about 3,000 Russian soldiers on Vancouver Island, and two steam-armed merchant ships."

As the three were talking, a steamboat flying the British flag sailed into the harbor. James Douglas, the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, walked down the gangway, tapping the dock with his cane, and his eyes swept over the Dingyuan ship, and then fell on Luo Dagang - this should be the new commander of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom! These cunning Orientals agreed to help the Hudson's Bay Company recapture Vancouver Island, but they have only taken benefits and done nothing in the past few months. When asked to send troops, they kept saying that they would wait for the new commander.

Now that people are here, what else is there to say?

Imperial Russian Consulate, San Francisco.

"Peter, is it really you? Is your father okay? How is the war in Crimea going? Can the Sevastopol fortress still be defended?"

In an office overlooking the blue bay of San Francisco, Major General Vasily Zavoyko, who was sent by Muravyov as a consul, met his old acquaintance in St. Petersburg, the son of Admiral Orlov, a blond, blue-eyed, very handsome, but limited-talented army major. After the meeting, the Russian Army Major General, who had come all the way from the Petropavlovsk Fortress to the New World, threw a lot of questions.

"The war situation on the Crimean Peninsula can still be maintained, and Sevastopol can definitely hold on. It looks like the war will be delayed until 1856 or even 1857!" Peter Orlov lowered his voice, "And the existence of devils or prophets in the East has been confirmed!"

"Oh," Major General Vasily Zavoyko's eyes widened, "You mean the Tsar was really cursed to death?"

Peter Orlov did not comment: "There is other evidence, but I cannot reveal it. In addition, the Tsar's special envoy, Grand Duchess Natalia, has also come to the United States and is now staying at the San Francisco Hotel!"

"What is she doing in America?" asked Vasily Zavoyko.

"I'm here to help you!" Peter Orlov said, "You must be in great need of help now. Tell me, what do you need most now?"

Vasily Zavoyko sighed, "We are short of everything. Manpower, weapons, ammunition, food! How much can the Grand Duchess help?"

"A lot!" Peter Orlov said, "She can help a lot! Please make arrangements. The Grand Duchess wants to go to Vancouver Island."

In a luxurious suite at the San Francisco Hotel, the tall and thin Lincoln brought a tall and sturdy middle-aged man with blond hair and a thick beard to Natalia: "Grand Duchess, let me introduce you. This is my old friend in the Whig Party, California Senator Sam Brannan, who is also a Mormon priest."

The middle-aged man with a thick beard bowed deeply to Natalia, then, like a European aristocrat, he took Natalia's hand and kissed it - this Mormon upstart made a fortune by collecting tithes from gold-digging Mormons, and was even elected to the Senate. He was in high spirits.

If there was anything that made him unhappy, there were only two problems. One was that he still lacked a wife of noble European descent. Natalia was very ideal. Americans these days were obsessed with European aristocrats. When Natalia was in New York, a lot of wealthy people were delighted by her, and that was even when she claimed to be a Polish aristocrat! If she revealed her identity as a Russian grand duchess, suitors would line up in a long line.

Second, the Christian heretic named Hong Renzheng just refused to die properly.
(End of this chapter)