The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 717: North Korean “Heavenly Soldiers” Raid Pearl Harbor
This Japanese named "Yamamoto" was a short, sturdy, dark-skinned castle soldier of the Satsuma Domain of Japan. He had a salary of 50 koku and was named Gonbei Morikei. "Mikei" was his real name, and "Gonbei" was his common name. That is, the head of the Yamamoto family had used this name for generations. His father was Gonbei, his grandfather was Gonbei, his great-grandfather was Gonbei, and his son was also Gonbei.

Although this "Yamamoto" is not "Five Sixteen", I was immediately excited when I heard that he was going to Hawaii! Is there any need to ask what a person with the last name "Yamamoto" should do when he is going to Hawaii?
Oh, I still have to ask.

So Yamamoto Gonbei stepped forward and asked, "Sir, are we going to enter Pearl Harbor?"

"Yes! Let's go to Pearl Harbor!" Lin Qirong, the Navy Minister of the Eastern Palace of the Korean Heavenly Kingdom, had no idea what Pearl Harbor was. The Eastern Palace had focused on two things over the years: the industrialization of Korea and the union of Korea and Japan. They had never paid attention to Hawaii. He wanted to go ashore and have a good rest for two days.
But Yamamoto Gonbei knew that Hawaii and Pearl Harbor were both strategic locations!
Hawaii has always been a transit point on the route from Japan to the west coast of North America. Steam-powered ships would add coal and water in Hawaii to free up more deadweight tonnage for shipping goods and passengers. Many immigrants from China and Japan saw that Hawaii was not bad, with a warm climate and abundant rainfall, which was particularly suitable for growing sugarcane and rice. In addition, the population was small and the land was cheap. So they did not go to the United States, but rented a piece of land in Hawaii to grow sugarcane and rice. Later, Hong Daquan discovered that there were many True Covenant believers in this Pacific island country, so he sent True Covenant priest Yoshida Toyo from Tosa to Hawaii to establish a church and parish.

However, Honolulu, the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, had long been a place where Britain, the United States and France were competing against each other. It was difficult for the Japanese Archdiocese to squeeze in, so Yoshida settled for the second best and retreated to Pearl Harbor next to Honolulu. There were many estates run by Japanese and Chinese in that area, as well as a natural harbor. There was also a small island in the bay, surrounded by water. Yoshida Toyo built a city on this small island, called "Pearl Island City". Now the Archbishop of the Japanese Archdiocese, Hong Renzheng, is staying in this Pearl Island City.

Hong Renzheng's refusal to leave the Kingdom of Hawaii also aroused the vigilance of Britain, France and the United States. A French warship named "Artemis" had been operating in the Hawaiian Islands since March 1861.

This is a "big ship" with a displacement of nearly 2000 tons and equipped with 8 160mm muzzle-loading rifled guns. Once it is parked in Hawaii, the real Treaty faction will not dare to move unless the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or the Kingdom of Korea can also send a similar "big ship" to Hawaii.

But Luo Yaoguo seemed not very interested in this matter - he knew with a quick calculation that neither Britain nor France could take Hawaii, and the United States was likely to compete with the true-Trump faction for Hawaii. However, before the Civil War, the Americans could do nothing. Moreover, the three states on the west coast of the United States were almost dyed yellow, so why fight for Hawaii? Turn the three Chinese states into four Chinese states? Do you think the true-Trump faction has too few votes in the Senate?

Therefore, Luo Yaoguo was not in a hurry to take over Hawaii, but let Hong Renzheng use the Hong family's resources to slowly manage it.
But unexpectedly, a Korean naval officer named "Yamamoto" received the order to "surprise attack on Pearl Harbor" from the seasick and confused Navy Minister of the East Prince's Palace!

"The Minister has ordered the fleet to turn to Hawaii and invade Pearl Harbor!"

As soon as Yamamoto Gonbei, a naval staff officer of the Eastern Palace, ran to the bridge excitedly and spoke, Zheng Yongning, the captain of the "Eastern", was shocked. This descendant of Zheng Chenggong's brother was also a graduate of the Shanghai Naval Academy. After graduation, he was recruited by Yang Xiuqing's Eastern Palace and became the head of the Busan Naval Academy. Yamamoto Gonbei was his student.

"What?" Zheng Yongning looked at Yamamoto in surprise, "Gonbei, are you sure?"

"Teacher, the invasion of Pearl Harbor was an order given by the Minister himself!" Yamamoto Gonbei gave a very affirmative answer.

However, Zheng Yongning was still a little worried - King Dong had told him that this time they were going to New York to express support to US President Lincoln, but he did not say that they were going to invade Pearl Harbor!
Thinking of this, he turned to the first mate of the "Eastern" and said, "Nanyun, go check it out!"

This "Nanyun" is of course not Nanyun Chuichi, but Nanyun Shichiroemon, an outer city samurai of Satsuma Domain, with a family salary of 150 koku, twice as much as Yamamoto Gonbei. Like Yamamoto, he was sent to Busan by the Shimazu family who defected to the True Prototype faction to study naval power. Yang Xiuqing's Kingdom of Korea absorbed a large number of Japanese talents, and his Busan Naval Academy was filled with Japanese, most of whom were samurai from Satsuma Domain.

When Nanyun heard about the "invasion" of Pearl Harbor, he was just as excited as Yamamoto. He rushed over and came back excitedly a few moments later: "Teacher, the Minister has ordered the invasion of Pearl Harbor. This is the token of the Minister!"

Nanyun was more reliable than Yamamoto in his work, and even asked the dazed Lin Qirong for a token.

Zheng Yongning took a look and saw that the tokens were there. There was no doubt that it must be the secret order from the King of the East to take Pearl Harbor.

Thinking of this, he also became excited and immediately ordered: "Change course, target Hawaii, Pearl Harbor!"

"Hai!"

There was jubilation inside the bridge!
Ten miles southwest of Honolulu, five streaks of coal smoke pierced the blue sky. The 2,000-ton Orient split the waves, its wrought iron armor majestic in the sun, and four 1,000-ton wooden steam gunboats followed closely in a goose formation. When the crescent-shaped bay of Pearl Harbor appeared in the telescope, Yamamoto Gonbei, a naval staff officer of the East Palace, trembled slightly with excitement.

There's Pearl Harbor ahead!

"Spot the French tricolor flag!" A roar came from the watchtower. Yamamoto quickly raised his telescope and saw a slender warship slowly coming out of the narrow bay exit of Pearl Harbor. The 160mm gun barrels protruded from the rotating turrets on both sides of the bow, and the blue, white and red tricolor flag on the top of the mast fluttered. At this moment, the alarm bell suddenly sounded on the watchtower of Pearl Island Castle in Pearl Harbor. The castle, which had been on high alert for more than two months, was now like a pile of dry firewood, and the alarm bell was a ball of fire. When the bell rang, all the True Covenant fighters rushed out of the barracks and rushed to their respective battle posts.

Hong Renzheng also stood up suddenly and climbed onto the "Stone Fort" of Pearl Island City under the escort of two Japanese female warriors. He raised the telescope and looked towards the entrance of the bay. He found that the French steam gunboat that had threatened him for two months was now blocking the entrance of the bay. Outside Pearl Harbor, five steam ships formed a V-shaped formation.

"Reinforcements are coming?" Hong Renzheng was overjoyed and quickly ordered his subordinates, "Light the beacon fire. All True Covenant militiamen are ready to fight!"

"Yes! Archbishop!"

Several small warriors left in response.

Hong Renzheng murmured, "Bishop? I want to be king!"

"Full ship combat configuration!"

Following Zheng Yongning's order, a battle alarm immediately sounded on the "Eastern" ironclad ship. The Korean sailors from Kyushu Island rushed out of the cabin, and the muzzle of the 32-pound rifled gun was pushed out of the gun cabin.

Yamamoto Gonbei stared at the French wooden-hulled cruiser in the distance - he knew the situation of the "Artemis". Although it was a new ship that entered service in 1857, it was an unarmored wooden-hulled ship. In the era when picric acid shells were already used in naval battles, wooden-hulled ships without iron armor were no match for ironclad ships equipped with picric acid shells.

If you get hit by a 32-pound picric acid shell,
Inside the bridge of the Artemis, Major Dupere's cigar fell on the nautical chart. The steam-powered ship with a red dragon flag in the telescope was actually covered in armor!

This is an ironclad ship!

And its gun ports are already open, it means it's ready to go to war!

Are those Chinese crazy?

They are actually going to go to war with France in the Pacific! What should we do?
The waves surged between the two ships, and the steam engine of the Oriental roared like a giant beast. The distance between the two sides was rapidly closing, and the "Chinese ironclad ship" on the opposite side showed no intention of retreating. The wrought iron armor reflected an unsettling cold light under the dazzling tropical sun! Dupere knew very well that this steel armor was enough to deflect all the ammunition fired by the "Artemis" - the "Artemis" did not carry picric acid shells, which were too dangerous and only warships that were truly prepared for battle would carry them.

The "Artemis" is only carrying out an ordinary "freedom of navigation mission". Don't risk your life!

"Raise the white flag." The French naval officer spoke stiffly. After giving the order to "raise the white flag", he did not forget to excuse himself, "We are not here to fight the Chinese, and Hawaii is not French territory. We have no obligation to defend Hawaii."

When the white flag flew over the French warship, the Pearl Island City erupted in earth-shaking shouts of "Long Live!" Hong Renzheng, who was standing in the stone fort, shed tears of excitement. The French actually retreated without a fight.

Russia's "share" in Hawaii had long been transferred to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and the United States had no time to take care of Hawaii. France's raising of the white flag meant that France's power in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was also transferred to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or the Korean Heavenly Kingdom.

Now, three quarters of the Hawaiian Kingdom have the surname Hong.
Zheng Yongning's telescope was always aimed at the French ship that was turning awkwardly. It was not until the white color completely disappeared on the horizon that he breathed a sigh of relief. He walked down the bridge and came to the cabin where Lin Qirong was. He saluted the dazed Minister of the Navy of the Eastern Palace and said, "Mr. Minister, I have been ordered to capture Pearl Harbor!"

(End of this chapter)