The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 876 Target, Tsushima!
On the night of the seventh day of the third month of the twenty-sixth year of the Tianli calendar, the Korean Strait was shrouded in layers of lead-gray rain. The "Flying Eagle" armored cruiser, flying the golden dragon flag of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the white filial piety banner of Korea, slowly entered the Busan Port. The waves split by the bow hit the stone shore of the pier, and the splashing water drops hit the iron plate of the deck with a fine "drip drip" sound.

Luo Yaoguo stood on the bridge, looking at the fleet in the harbor through the rain and fog. Kusunoki Takako stood with her hands down, the hem of her kimono soaked by the rain. Behind her, a young man in a white priest's uniform stood still like a pine tree - it was her younger brother, Shinyo Palace Chenghai, who had just turned thirteen this year, but was already the chief priest of Shinyo Shinto Temple. The boy's eyebrows and eyes had both the sharpness of Yang Xiuqing and the beauty of the Kusunoki family. What hung on his waist was not a samurai sword, but a short sword engraved with the Taiping Sutra.

According to the power structure that Yang Xiuqing had established for the Shinto Shrine, the highest priest was the chief priest, Nanmu Inako, who would be the representative of the "Amaterasu" of God's house in the world and would be in charge of the Shrine. Zhenyue Palace Chenghai, or Yang Chenghai, would be the future chief priest of the Shrine and hold real power. As the successor of the chief priest, Nanmu Takako would become the next chief priest.

Yang Chenghai had left Osaka Bay a month ago on a Zhenyuan-class ship to seek help from Luo Yaoguo in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The Kusunoki army had just been defeated on Shikoku Island by the Tosa-Iyo coalition of the Western Japanese Empire, and lost all of its bases on Shikoku Island. Another Kusunoki army was defeated by the Tokugawa army in Kanto, and lost Koshu, with Suruga also in danger.

"King Wu, please look," said Zhang Bao, the chief of naval staff of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, pointing to the berthing area. "The three Jeju-class landing ships ordered by the King of Korea have been urgently modified. This type of ship is specially developed for landing warfare. A total of four 4mm breech-loading guns are installed on the bow and sides of the ship, which can bombard the beachhead at close range. A battalion of troops can be stationed in the cabin!"

Luo Yaoguo nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over the black boats towed by the three so-called landing ships. Zhang Bao immediately introduced: "The landing craft of the 12th year of the Tianli period, specially made by Jiangnan Factory. The boat is 3 meters long, 1.2 meters wide, and has a draft of only 6 meters. The bow of the boat is equipped with a 4mm thick steel jump door that can block rifle bullets." He continued, "There are rowing positions in the boat. When necessary, it can be driven by a small steam engine, and the speed can reach knots."

Luo Yaoguo's eyes wandered around the harbor again. At this time, the Busan military port was already full of arrays. Two "Zhenyuan-class" ironclad ships were lying dormant like black giants, lying on the left wing of the harbor. The main guns were "wearing" gun jackets, but they still couldn't hide their murderous aura. Four "Flying Fish-class" cruisers were parked in the right wing. Two of them had smokestacks spewing thick smoke, ready to go to sea at any time. The deck sailors were checking something in the rain. And at the nearshore berths, behind the three "Jeju-class" landing ships, there were 18 square-headed landing craft towed by cables.

Zhenyue Palace Chenghai suddenly spoke up: "Your Highness, King Wu, the 10,000 guardian warriors of Zhenyue Palace have gathered in Osaka." The young man said in a cold voice, "Once we succeed in taking Tsushima, we can cross the sea and counterattack Shikoku."

Luo Yaoguo's gaze lingered on the boy's face for a moment: "How is your mother?"

"My mother prays day and night for the Father to appear in heaven." Cheng Hai stroked the golden cross on his chest - it was a holy object left by Yang Xiuqing, "She said that my father's spirit will surely bless this battle."

In the heavy rain, the mechanical clock on the top floor of the port building rang four times. Zhang Bao whispered: "The weather forecast says that tomorrow's weather will clear up, and the early morning is a good time to rush out of the port."

At three o'clock in the morning, the rain stopped a little. In the Busan Port Authority Building, Luo Yaoguo stared at the route marked on the nautical chart. Kusunoki Takako whispered, "My mother's telegram came again. According to the report of the spies lurking among the rebels in western Japan, the British expeditionary fleet is heading to Kyushu."

"Tell Daozi not to worry," Luo Yaoguo pointed his finger at Tsushima Island, "Within ten days, the Korean Heavenly Kingdom will have control of the sea near Japan. By then, the Korean Navy will go to Osaka Bay to help her land in Shikoku."

Suddenly, a long whistle blew outside the window. Six "Dongfang-class" ironclad ships (displacement of only 2000 tons) that truly belonged to the Kingdom of Korea weighed anchor first, their bows splitting the dark sea. The steam engines of three slower "Jeju-class" transport ships rumbled, and the towed landing craft swayed violently in their wakes.

Jin Yonghao, the son of a salt worker in Jeolla Province, a pariah who had turned over a new leaf, was now lying on the bottom of the landing craft vomiting. The sergeant kicked him and said, "Hold your gun tight! If you fall into the sea, I'll kill you!" The waves roared outside the boat, and the steel jump door was slammed against it.

On the deck of the Exocet-class cruiser Huizhou, Ding Ruchang was reviewing the battle plan with Yang Chengtian. "Your Highness," the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's naval veteran pointed to the sea chart, "Our army should first take Douying Bay, and then besiege Yanyuan Port." He glanced at Zhenyue Palace Chenghai standing on the dock not far away, and lowered his voice: "Can the people of the Japanese Zhenyue Shinto Palace be trusted?"

Yang Chengtian tightly grasped the Seven-Star Sword left by Yang Xiuqing: "The warriors of the Shinto Shrine hate the Satsuma and Choshu traitors more than we do!" He suddenly smiled bitterly, "It's just that Japan's future was cut off by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and there is no way to provide enough opportunities for 500,000 warriors."

At 3:30 am, the fleet quietly left the port under the cover of rain. The tow cable of the last landing craft suddenly broke, and it spun and drifted away in the waves. Zhang Bao looked at the gradually disappearing black spot and shook his head gently, saying, "This hastily made thing is really not very reliable."

At the hour of Yin on the eighth day of March, the east coast of Tsushima Island was shrouded in morning mist.

"Land spotted!" The lookout's scream woke Jin Yonghao up. He leaned over the edge of the boat and looked over. Suddenly, sparks exploded on the hazy coastline - the Japanese coastal defense artillery opened fire.

"Lower your head!" The sergeant pressed Jin Yonghao to the bottom of the cabin. The 64-pound shells raised water columns between the boats, but there was nothing else besides the water columns. This outdated muzzle-loading smoothbore cannon is no different from an antique.

In the distance, the main gun of the "Zhenyuan" roared, and the picric acid shells fired by the 200mm artillery shells instantly blew a turret into the sky.

"Long live!" Jin Yonghao's comrades shouted excitedly.

"Paddle the boat." The sergeant shouted, "The first to reach the summit is right before our eyes."

17 "hybrid" landing craft braved the wind and waves and rushed towards the beach of Tsushima Island.

Kobayashi Heizo, the leader of the Tsushima clan foot soldiers, lay in the trench, the barrel of his muzzle-loading rifle trembling uncontrollably. "Load!" he roared, watching the foot soldiers beside him trembling as they poured in the black powder. Two hundred steps away on the sea, those black iron monsters were approaching with tongues of fire (the Gatling guns on the landing craft were firing). "Aim. Fire!" Twenty rifled rifles fired at the same time, and the lead bullets clanged against the steel door of the landing craft, but they didn't even leave a dent. Kobayashi's eyes widened as he watched the bow jump door collapse with a bang, and dozens of white-clad Korean soldiers rushed over with shiny new rifles.

"Reload..." His command came to an abrupt end. The Gatling gun's bullets swept through the trenches, tearing the bodies of Kobayashi's soldiers into pieces. Kobayashi himself fell in a pool of blood. The last thing he saw was the flag of the Tsushima domain on the bayonet of a Korean soldier.

Jin Yonghao followed his squad leader onto the beach, and 75mm shells whizzed past his head, blowing up the Japanese second line of defense. Suddenly, the sand in front of him exploded - the ambushed mines lifted three of his comrades into the air. A roar of "board" rang out from behind the rock walls on both sides, and more than warriors rushed over with swords.

"Free fire!" The sergeant pulled the trigger, and the 7.8mm bullet penetrated the armor of three warriors. Jin Yonghao's hands were shaking so much that he couldn't pull the bolt, and he was knocked down by a one-eyed warrior. When he was dying, he saw the sergeant's sword was broken by the butt of the gun, and then the bayonet was stabbed into the other's throat.

At 12:30 pm, the Korean army finally occupied the beach. As Jin Yonghao was breathing heavily on the corpse of his comrade, a messenger came running over: "The Japanese pirate Zong Zhongzheng is retreating to Yanyuan Port! Prince Yang ordered the entire army to pursue him!"

"Long live."

Cheers rang out on the beach.

At 11:00 pm on the eighth day of the third lunar month, the meeting room of the Provisional Government in Sasebo was filled with smoke. British naval advisor Colonel William Montagu, smoking a pipe, simulated the war situation on a sand table. Behind him stood the brothers Saigo Takamori and Saigo Tsunemichi, as well as the gloomy-looking Yamagata Aritomo.

"Gentlemen," Montagu tapped the ironclad ship model on the sand table with his pipe, "According to the order of the Admiralty, we must verify the actual combat effectiveness of the 'Devastation Class' against rapid-fire guns." His blue eyes swept over the crowd, "This is not a request, it's an order."

Saigo stood up suddenly: "But the Taiping Army's 'Flying Fish' class's eight 8mm guns can fire twenty rounds per minute!"

"That's why we need close combat!" Montagu opened the file box and took out a stack of photos - all of which were test-firing images of the Rafale-class cruiser taken by a British shipyard. "Using large-caliber main guns to decide the outcome at a distance of 3000 yards, this is the data the Royal Navy wants!"

Yamagata Aritomo sneered: "Use the blood of Japanese samurai to verify your data?"

"Colonel," Saigo Takamori held down his furious brother, "What if our Yamato and Musashi can't sink the Exo? Also, what if the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom deploys their 10,000-ton ironclad ships?"

Montagu slowly loaded the tobacco: "If Yamato and Musashi can't beat the cruisers, then we will have to build large fast ironclad ships of 1.5 tons and 2 tons."

A whistle sounded outside the window. The attendant rushed in in a panic: "Urgent message from Tsushima - the main family has retreated to the Yanyuan Port Fortress, urgently requesting help!"

Montagu suddenly smiled: "It seems that you have no choice."

On the top floor of the Busan Port Authority Building, Luo Yaoguo stood in front of the telegraph machine, holding the battle report he had just translated. Kusunoki Takako knelt beside him, arranging the priest's clothes for his younger brother, Zhenyuegong Chenghai.

"Ding Ruchang called," Luo Yaoguo handed the message to Zhang Bao, "Tsushima has been defeated, the combined fleet will definitely come out in full force."

Zhang Bao frowned: "Should we send the Flying Eagle for support?"

Luo Yaoguo shook his head: "No need, the 6500-ton Exocet class is enough." He looked out the window at the junction of the sea and the sky, "Send an order: If you encounter British ships, sink them together."

The next morning, in the Tsushima Strait, Yang Chengtian stood on a fortress on Tsushima Island, looking at the smoke column appearing in the distance. Zhenyuegong Chenghai, who had just arrived, suddenly drew his sword and pointed to the sky: "Father in Heaven! Today, the Japanese pirates must pay with blood!"

Far away on the bridge of the Yamato, Commander Yamamoto of the Combined Fleet whispered to Montagu: "Sir, do you want to hold a combat meeting?"

The British colonel stroked the cross on his chest and said, "May God bless us and call all the captains of the ships!"

(End of this chapter)