The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 857 The Red Wolves of France (asking for a guaranteed monthly ticket)
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On the 70th day of the first lunar month in the 1rd year of the Tianli calendar, the city of Tianjing was covered with light snow, and big red lanterns were hung everywhere in the streets and alleys. Luo Yaoguo's carriage rolled over the snow-covered bluestone slabs, and the wheels made a dull sound on the stone road. The charcoal basin in the carriage was warm, and the Navy Minister Wang Yan held the book, his fingers gently slid across the pages, and read: "Last year's crude steel production was 1.4 tons, while Britain produced 1300 million tons; coal was million tons, while Britain produced million tons; and the power generation was million kilowatt-hours, ranking first in the world!"

Ma Baocai, director of the National Defense Industry Commission, said, "The newly built ships are 28 tons, the British 55 tons, and the American only 20 tons." He paused and added, "Last year's fiscal revenue was 2.4 million silver dollars, second only to the British, the world's second."

Luo Yaoguo opened the curtain and looked out the window. At the Tianjing Riverside wharf in the snow, cranes stood in rows, steam engines spewed white smoke, and the workers had finished their annual leave and were busy again. In the distance, a newly launched ironclad ship was slowly sailing into the main channel of the Yangtze River, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's dragon flag on the bow fluttered in the cold wind.

"Our industry is 70% that of Britain, and our electricity is way ahead of the rest..." Luo Yaoguo muttered to himself, with a hint of a smile on his face, "In another ten years, we should be able to catch up with them."

However, his smile soon faded and his eyes darkened. He turned to Wang Yan and Ma Baocai and said in a low but firm voice: "However, will the British just sit there and watch? There will be a war in ten years, and we should prepare for war early."

Wang Yan nodded: "Don't worry, Prime Minister. The Navy has drawn up a ten-year expansion plan. New ironclad ships, torpedo boats, and coastal defense batteries are being built at an accelerated pace."

Ma Baocai frowned and said, "But British shipyards are also speeding up. Their Rafale-class ironclad warships have successfully completed sea trials, with a speed of 20.5 knots, which is faster than our Exocet-class."

Luo Yaoguo sneered, "So what if it's fast? Our 'Flying Fish II' has improved bulbous bow and propellers, with a theoretical maximum speed of 22 knots and a range of 4500 nautical miles, which is enough to cross the Pacific Ocean. Our -ton fast ironclad warship Flying Eagle was launched at the end of last year, and it will be outfitted and begin sea trials this year." He paused, a gleam in his eyes, "And no matter how fast the British warships are, they can't be faster than our determination."

The carriage passed through the main road of Tianjing City. There were shops and pedestrians on both sides of the street. The New Year atmosphere had not yet dissipated, but the busyness of the new year had already begun. The vendors were shouting, and the children were chasing and playing in the last few days of the winter vacation. It was a prosperous scene. Luo Yaoguo looked at all this, feeling both relieved and anxious. He knew that the new king of the world was rising, and the old king would definitely fight hard!
"Baocai," he suddenly said, "The National Defense Industry Committee must speed up technological research and development, especially steam engines and internal combustion engines. If we can build a three-expansion engine with 10,000 horsepower, our warships will be able to completely suppress Britain."

Ma Baocai solemnly responded: "Yes, Prime Minister. Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau has already trial-produced a 5000 horsepower triple expansion machine with the assistance of French engineers. The next step is to break through 7500 horsepower. Ten thousand horsepower will definitely be broken within five years."

Luo Yaoguo nodded with satisfaction and looked out the window again. The snow was getting heavier, but the lights in Tianjing City were still bright. He whispered to himself, "When the British have almost finished building all ten Rafales, our Flying Eagle should be able to run 24 knots on the sea. We will not lose this competition."

The carriage drove into Taiping University Hall. The campus was deserted, and only the sound of the Yangtze River could be heard from afar. The winter vacation had not yet ended, and most of the teachers and students were on vacation in their hometowns. Only a few research institutes were still lit.

In front of the Ship Research Institute, President Weng Tonghe had been waiting for a long time. When he saw the carriage stop, he hurried forward and said with a breath of white air: "Prime Minister, the psychic laboratory is ready!"

Luo Yaoguo stepped down from the carriage. The wind and snow were blowing in his face, but he was unaware of it. He looked straight at Zhang Zhidong who was standing at the entrance of the institute. The director of the Psychic Laboratory of Taiping University was wearing a work suit at the moment, with his cuffs stained with oil. It was obvious that he had just come out of the laboratory.

"Zhang Nanpi!" Luo Yaoguo laughed loudly, "I heard that you guys have the batteries and motors?"

Zhang Zhidong bowed, his cheeks slightly red from the cold wind, and whispered: "I will copy the 'Tianwai Motor' you gave me. The torque of the DC motor is equivalent to five handsome horses."

Luo Yaoguo laughed loudly and patted him on the shoulder: "Great! This achievement should be engraved on the river bank, so that future generations will know your name Zhang Nanpi!"

French expert Lome stood aside, his eyes sparkling with amazement, speaking in stiff Chinese: "With the motor invented by Professor Zhang, the biggest bottleneck in submarine manufacturing has been broken. However, the battery has limited energy storage, and charging in water is still a problem."

"Use a gasoline engine to charge it!" Luo Yaoguo said firmly.

Weng Tonghe quickly replied: "Professor de Rorschach made a trial four-stroke engine last month. Although it only has 1.5 horsepower, the principle is correct!"

Luo Mei's eyes lit up when she heard this: "Now everything is connected!"

Luo Yaoguo nodded with satisfaction, turned around and said to everyone, "Let's go in and talk in detail."

Inside the institute, a huge lead-acid battery pack was displayed in the center of the laboratory, and next to it was a successfully imitated DC motor, with the copper wire windings glowing metallically under the light. Zhang Zhidong demonstrated in person that when the motor started, it emitted a low humming sound, driving the transmission shaft to rotate at high speed.

"Prime Minister," Zhang Zhidong explained, "although this motor is not as sophisticated as the 'Tianwai Motor', it is far superior to the current level of various countries. If it is equipped with a new type of lead-acid battery, it is enough to drive a small submarine."

Luo Yaoguo carefully examined the motor structure and suddenly asked, "How is the submarine design?"

Lome unfolded a blueprint showing a streamlined submarine with a torpedo tube at the bow. He pointed to the blueprint and said, "This submarine is 15 meters long, 3 meters wide, has a displacement of 30 tons, and can carry 4 people. It can be driven by a gasoline engine on the surface and by an electric motor underwater. It has a speed of 5 knots and a range of 60 nautical miles."

Luo Yaoguo pondered for a moment and asked, "If we encounter a British ironclad ship, how should we deal with it?" Luo Mei smiled confidently, "We can sneak near the enemy ship and then launch a torpedo to attack it. No matter how strong the British ship is, it cannot defend against a torpedo attack from underwater."

Luo Yaoguo's eyes sparkled, and he slammed the table and said, "Okay! Start the project immediately and build two prototype boats first, codenamed 'Sea Wolf'!"

Weng Tonghe smiled and said, "Don't worry, Prime Minister. Taiping University will fully support you."

Luo Yaoguo looked around at everyone and said solemnly: "This is a national weapon, it must be kept strictly confidential! If Red France can have an underwater fleet in ten years, it will be possible to blockade the British Isles!"

In the spring of 1873, Osaka Sakai Port.

In the whistling sea breeze, Okubo Toshimichi walked down the gangway of the British merchant ship, holding his briefcase tightly. The scene in front of him made him frown - the cross of the True Joseph Cathedral stood tall between the flying eaves and brackets of the Chinese Concession; on the other side of the British Concession, the Indian patrol waved batons and scolded the ragged coolies.

"Japan...how could it become like this?" Okubo muttered to himself.

Yamamoto Gonbei sneered: "Hasn't Japan always been like this? The whole world is making progress, only we are standing still."

On the dock, teams of young women in coarse kimonos bowed their heads and lined up silently to board the ship. "They are Nanyang girls," Yamamoto Gonbei gritted his teeth and said, "poor girls who were sold to overseas brothels. They were sold for less than a small bag of rice. Before the Second Battle of Sekigahara, the Tokugawa Shogunate explicitly banned it, but now... no one cares!"

"The Second Battle of Sekigahara..." Okubo said bitterly, "It was just that the Tokugawa shogunate was replaced by the Shinjo Shrine. But in the hearts of those charlatans, how could Japan be considered?"

As they were talking, a bearded ronin suddenly bumped into them, forced two leaflets into their hands, and whispered, "For Japan!"

When Okubo unfolded it, he found that it was a leaflet from the "Four People's Association" with the slogan "Overthrow the Shinto Temple and establish a republic" written in cursive script.

Yamamoto Gonbei sneered: "They just want a republic and don't even want the emperor."

Okubo was silent for a long time. Finally, he just hugged the briefcase in his arms tightly, which contained the shipbuilding contract he signed with the British Admiralty Secretary, and whispered: "It doesn't matter... As long as the two ironclad ships 'Yamato' and 'Koryo' are built, everything will be fine."

The two walked through the chaotic streets towards the shipyard in Sakai City. On the way, they saw drunken British sailors hugging Japanese prostitutes and laughing wildly in the bars of the British Concession; in front of the business houses in the Chinese Concession, Chinese merchants directed coolies to move goods and ignored the Japanese passing by.

"Semi-colony..." Yamamoto gritted his teeth, "Not even as good as Goryeo!"

Okubo did not answer, but quickened his pace.
The two finally boarded the train from Sakai to Kyoto. With the long whistle, the train slowly started and passed through the abnormally prosperous city of Osaka. Through the window, they saw the former Osaka Castle, now the main altar of the Shinyo Shrine, and the magnificent palace shone brightly in the sun.

Suddenly, a huge procession of ceremonial guards appeared in sight. Sixteen priestesses carried a large gilded sedan chair with curtains hanging low, surrounded by hundreds of True Covenant warriors dressed in white and wearing long swords. Both sides of the street were filled with people kneeling in worship, their foreheads pressed against the ground.

"That should be Kusunoki Takashi, the heir of Kusunoki Domain and the young chief priest of Shinyo Shinto Shrine." Yamamoto snorted coldly, his eyes full of contempt, "A bastard woman actually climbed to such a position!"

Okubo looked at the grand scene gradually moving away outside the car window with a frown on his face.

"Is this the court we are loyal to?" Okubo asked in a low voice, his fingers unconsciously clenching the briefcase.

Yamamoto did not answer, but took out a newspaper from his pocket and started reading. The front page was printed with the news of "Fuso Ironclad Ship Keel Laying Ceremony", and the accompanying picture was a scene of the Shinyo Shinto Shrine's chief priest Inako performing a shaman dance and praying for blessings at the Sasebo Shipyard.

"Look, Okubo-kun," Yamamoto Gonbei said with a smile, "our Sasebo Shipyard has finally started building ironclad ships! There is still hope for Japan!"

(End of this chapter)