Volume 1: The Battleship Yitian Changes into the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 Chapter 59: Golden Beauty Come Together
After much difficulty, they loaded all the gold onto the ship, and there were actually nine large boxes! Wang Dejun was so surprised that his eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw it. When he learned the origin of the gold, it was clear from his unpleasant expression that the "Feng Shui" theory was deeply rooted in him.
Since more than twenty Beiyang guards were injured by the "golden rain", the officers and soldiers who participated in the "treasure hunt" operation further deepened their fear of the gold. They believed that it was an unlucky thing and no one had any "unreasonable thoughts" about it. Some people even feared that it would cause an accident and prevent the warships from reaching Lushun. Wang Dejun seemed to have this idea too, because as soon as they got on the ship, he told Sun Gang that American warships were nearby.
American warships? Sun Gang immediately felt overwhelmed. What the hell were they all doing here? An international conference?
"A British warship from Jiangkou said that the Russians have occupied four islands north of Japan, and the two countries may have to go to war," said Wang Dejun.
Could the Russo-Japanese War break out earlier than expected? Is this also the "butterfly effect"?
"Hurry back." Sun Gang said. This news must be told to Li Hongzhang as soon as possible. He is now a little unsure of the future direction of history.
Along the way, Wang Dejun led the Ningyuan warship on the sea with great care, and warned Sun Gang from time to time that he should not spend the unexpected wealth. Sun Gang did not agree with their ideas. Isn't gold meant to be spent?
That morning, the warship was breaking through the waves at sea. Wang Dejun was afraid that something might happen at sea, so he put the entire ship on combat readiness! It was as if he would fight anyone who dared to provoke him! Sun Gang couldn't help but laugh at his nervous look, but he didn't say anything. He leisurely watched the gunners' drill on the deck. Watching these gunners skillfully operate the rapid-fire guns to fire practice shells, his thoughts somehow flew far away.
A balanced navy requires a certain number of surface ships and submarines. At present, with limited funds, which one should be developed first?
Something seemed to be bothering him. He thought hard and it gave him a headache, but he still couldn't figure it out.
The Beiyang Fleet already had three battleships, so the Japanese would probably have trouble sleeping. What other hidden assets did the Japanese have that would allow them to fight the Russians?
China has already bombed Shimonoseki, so let's not let the Russians bomb Mount Fuji this time, right? Thinking of this, a wicked smile appeared on his face.
Suddenly, a spark flashed in my mind.
Mount Fuji?!
What was the name of the battleship that the Japanese ordered from Britain in 1894 to deal with Dingyuan and Zhenyuan?
It seems to be called "Fuji"!
Yes! One is called "Fuji" and the other is called "Yashima"! His thoughts became clear instantly. They were two battleships designed based on the British "Majestic" class battleships. The displacement seemed to be over 12,000 tons!
If the Japanese had them, it would be a nightmare for the Chinese!
What a stupid fool! Why didn't I think of this when I signed the contract? He was immediately annoyed.
But why would the Japanese agree not to own warships with a displacement of more than 3,000 tons within 10 years?
Thinking that the two battleships should still be in the British shipyard, he felt relieved, but the ominous premonition still hung over him.
Why did the British make such great efforts to protect Japan? If they wanted help to curb the Russians, wouldn't the Qing Dynasty be better than Japan? Or was it because much of the money the Japanese used to wage war was foreign debts from Britain?
Could it be that Britain is worried that China having a strong navy would be disadvantageous to itself?
It's possible! The navies of China and Japan can be said to have been trained by British teachers. When the strength of the students threatens the teacher, it makes sense for the teacher to help the weaker and poorer student to suppress the stronger and richer student.
Besides, teachers always want to control their wealthy students . The British had the intention of taking advantage of Lang Weili's appointment as the chief inspector of the Beiyang Fleet to control the Chinese Navy. Later, Lang Weili was dismissed due to the "flag removal incident" in Hong Kong. It was a pity that Lang Weili, a diligent and competent instructor who made great contributions to the Beiyang Fleet, became a victim.
His thoughts gradually became clearer.
If the British were still somewhat on the sidelines before the war, then after the war, their actions in support of the Japanese were obvious.
Britain does not want China to have a strong navy.
For Japan, an island country with a small territory and scarce resources, its navy is surrounded by China, Russia, and even the United States. To the British, the threat may be much smaller.
But once a large navy appears in China, the situation will be completely different.
Therefore, the British did not want to see Japan unable to stand up again.
But I, a little butterfly, will make China stand up! Sun Gang thought fiercely.
Suddenly, a pleasant cough sounded from behind.
He turned around suddenly, and suddenly his eyes brightened.
It was as if a morning sun was rising before his eyes, bringing him a dreamy feeling of heartbeat. When she was unconscious that day, he was only amazed at her beauty but did not see those captivating eyes. Now he could understand why she had to wear a veil and hat when she went out.
Because no man can stand the gaze of these eyes.
And now, these eyes were looking at him silently, and there seemed to be a hint of mischief in those affectionate looks.
"I am Jin Shunji, and thank you for saving my life." She said slowly, word by word, "I am injured and cannot complete the ceremony. I hope you will forgive me." Her voice was sweet and pleasant, with clear and melodious pronunciation and a unique accent, which sounded indescribably beautiful.
Sun Gang looked at her in a daze, and her face slightly blushed. Ling'er and Xiao Yu'er beside her laughed, which made Sun Gang wake up from his stupid look.
"You're welcome, young lady." He managed to control his composure with great difficulty, and somehow said, "That's what I should do." He scratched his head embarrassedly. There was nothing he could do about it. When he was a kid, he had this problem when he saw a girl he liked.
The Korean beauty probably didn't expect him to say such a thing, or maybe her Chinese was limited, so she didn't know what to say for a moment. The atmosphere was a little awkward, but the rumbling sound of cannons around them saved them.
The three women were all shocked by the power displayed by the firing of the 150mm large-caliber rapid-fire cannon. The Korean beauty's clear eyes looked at the sea with their eyes wide open, as if she didn't believe what she saw was real. The shocked look in the beauty's eyes made the Minister of Shipbuilding feel particularly satisfied.
"If Korea also had warships and artillery like this, it wouldn't have been bullied so badly by the Japanese." Sun Gang looked at Jin Shunji and said, "Even the king and queen were captured by the Japanese."
After hearing his words, Jin Shunji's body trembled slightly. She turned her head, her soul-stirring eyes met Sun Gang's gaze, and she nodded slowly, saying, "Your Excellency is right. I am stupid. Only today did I see the might of the Qing Beiyang Fleet's ironclad warships, and then I realized the reason for my country's weakness. If it weren't for the Beiyang Fleet's victory in the Yellow Sea, my country's fate would be unimaginable. What I saw today is more than ten years of hard study. For your kindness in giving me a new life, I have nothing to thank you for now, but I hope to repay you in the future."
"Miss, you are too kind." Sun Gang said a little embarrassedly. He felt at a loss for some reason when facing her.
She was very smart and saw through his embarrassment. Somehow a hint of amusement flashed in her clear eyes. "Please do as you please, sir. I will take my leave now." As she said this, she returned to the cabin with the help of Ling'er and Xiao Yu'er.
But Ling'er secretly winked at him and made an OK gesture with her hand, which made him feel very strange.
Not far away, a warship came towards them at high speed. Sun Gang saw the dragon flag flying high on the ship and felt relieved.
It was Qiu Baoren who came to pick them up in the "Haining".
The fast cruiser "Haining", also from Chile, was just launched by the British Armstrong Company on September 9, 1893. The ship design is roughly the same as the "Yoshino" ship of the Japanese Navy, but the various equipment and facilities are more modern, with a larger tonnage and more powerful firepower. The displacement of this warship is as high as 4,568 tons, the length is 112.78 meters, the width is 14.17 meters, and the draft is 5.64 meters. The power system uses two triple expansion steam engines with a power of 14,600 horsepower. The speed is slightly lower than that of the "Yoshino", which is 22.8 knots. The standard capacity of the coal bunker is 350 tons, and the maximum coal load is 866 tons. The warship hull adopts a dome armor protection style, with a dome armor deck running through the entire ship. The inclined parts on both sides are 4 inches thick, the central flat part is nearly 2 inches thick , the gun cover is 6 inches thick, and the armored conning tower protection is also 6 inches thick, and the protection performance is much higher than that of the "Yoshino". Her armament configuration is quite advanced and complete. The main guns are two Armstrong 203mm 40-caliber rapid-fire guns, which are arranged at the bow and stern of the warship respectively. There are 10 ear platforms densely distributed on both sides of the main deck, equipped with 10 150mm 40-caliber Armstrong rapid-fire guns. In addition, there are 12 47mm and 25mm Hotchkiss small rapid-fire guns, as well as 5 18-inch caliber torpedo tubes.
What would the Battle of the Yellow Sea be like if warships with such powerful firepower had joined the Chinese Navy's ranks earlier?
Do the Japanese still dare to launch a war so arrogantly?
If it weren't for this little butterfly of his that changed the outcome of the Battle of the Yellow Sea, would he still have seen her, who belonged to China, on the sea?
He had money to pay compensation but no money to buy a ship? He felt depressed when he thought about it.
No! Even if I have money, I have to pay it in the name of the country! As soon as I get home, I will write a petition and ask the court to order Master Weng to transfer the money!
If you dare to say no, I will pull out your beard!
