Volume 1: The Battleship Yitian Changes into the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 Chapter 68: Court Discussion on Coastal Defense
It was already late when he came out from Li Hongzhang. He returned to the inn and found that the beautiful secretary had not slept yet and was still sorting out the copied newspapers.
"Don't work so hard, just pick out the main ones and show them to me." Sun Gang looked at her and said.
"It turns out that the people of the Qing Dynasty were also harmed so badly by the Japanese." Jin Shunji handed him a copy of the newspaper and said with some sobs. Sun Gang noticed that there seemed to be a gleam in her eyes.
Sun Gang took the copy of the newspaper curiously, took a look at it, and couldn't help but be secretly surprised.
This is the details of the Japanese warships invading the Fujian coast reported by the Fujian Governor: "…The Japanese warships attacked Meizhou. Wherever the artillery fire reached, everything was reduced to ruins. The fire lasted for three days and more than a thousand soldiers and civilians died. A few days later, they attacked Fuzhou again, went up the river, and bombarded the city walls with a series of artillery. The navy officers drove the boats to intercept them, but because the boats were small and the artillery was few, they were all defeated, and no one on the boats was left. The Japanese warships' artillery fire was very powerful. No matter whether it was wood or stone, it would catch fire and it was difficult to put out. The fire was carried by the wind and spread to the villages and towns, turning them into a sea of fire. When the officials and civilians heard that the Japanese warships were coming, they all looked at each other in horror, carrying the elderly and children and running inland. The crying shook the fields and was too tragic to bear to hear…"
Sun Gang was a little afraid to read on. He walked to her side and picked up another copy. It said, "When the Japanese ships arrived, they often bombarded our merchant ships, cut off our sea routes, killed our fishermen, and threw thousands of bodies into the sea. A foreign ship once reported that they did not use signs when entering the port, and used floating corpses on the sea as a guide..."
Only then did Sun Gang realize how much disaster the attack ship harassment tactics adopted by the Japanese after their defeat in the fleet decisive battle had caused to the Chinese people along the coast!
No wonder these provincial governors have begun to submit petitions one by one requesting the expansion of the navy!
For a moment, his mind was filled with the tragic scenes of innocent people crying and being displaced. He could not suppress the anger in his heart and punched the table hard!
Kim Sun-hee was startled by his action, but when she saw his fiery eyes, she said nothing.
A sleepless night.
The next morning, during the court meeting in the Qianqing Palace, Li Hongzhang and Sun Yuwen were surprised to find that the young man in front of them had red eyes and were full of bloodshot.
Considering the fact that he had just gotten married and hearing that he had a stunning beauty by his side, the two nodded in understanding.
"Young man, you should take care of yourself and live a long life." Sun Yuwen saw that others were not paying attention, patted his shoulder, and laughed, "It's better to control this kind of thing."
Sun Gang had not yet fully recovered from his shock. He had not slept the entire night before and had read through all the copied reports, including one from Liu Buchan, the newly appointed admiral of the Fujian Navy. "...According to the officers of the Navy, the Japanese warships have repeatedly invaded the seaports, causing great suffering to innocent merchants and civilians, and our ships are all small and cannot bear the consequences of fighting. Women came to the Navy camp with their babies burnt to charcoal in their arms and cried about their miserable lives. Some said that it was a waste of money and food for the country to support the army. The officers and soldiers all wept bitterly when they heard this. They risked their lives to sail their ships to attack, but all of them sank in the sea and none of them returned..."
Thinking of those tragic scenes, Sun Gang's heart seemed to explode.
How many more Deng Shichangs does China need to sacrifice before it can truly wake up!
For soldiers, falling behind means being beaten! But they cannot avoid being beaten!
Navy! Navy!
Li Hongzhang seemed to notice that something was wrong with his condition. His eyes were wide open and he looked like he wanted to eat someone. He couldn't ask him anything in front of so many officials, so he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Sun Gang remembered his current responsibilities, smiled embarrassedly at Li Hongzhang, took a deep breath, and calmed himself down.
Today's court meeting was presided over by Prince Gong. In the Qianqing Palace, all the main officials of various departments had arrived. The atmosphere was solemn and depressing. Emperor Guangxu sat on the throne, and he seemed to be in a bad mood. Subconsciously, he always regarded Master Weng as his father. It was certain that he felt unhappy to quarrel with the master he had always respected.
The crowd cheered, "Long live the emperor!" After the ceremony, Prince Gong Yixin said, "The Russians forced to occupy Lushun the other day. Although they did not succeed in their ambition, there is no guarantee that they will not come again. Now the governors of the coastal provinces have written to expand the naval forces. What suggestions do you have? I will report them to the emperor."
There was a sudden silence, and no one answered.
Ever since a large number of upright censors were driven out of the court last time, the remaining people have known nothing about the situation in China and abroad, and no one dares to speak carelessly anymore.
These officials, who were born in the imperial examination system and were well-versed in the eight-part essay examination skills, had already lost control of Chinese public opinion in the face of the Japanese artillery fire. For example, when the Russians forced to rent Lushun, they could not do anything except being filled with resentment, which made Emperor Guangxu very disappointed. When the Russians finally withdrew, these people accused the emperor of not being strict in rewards and punishments and the soldiers of not fearing their lives. Emperor Guangxu finally couldn't stand it anymore, so there was a big quarrel.
More than half a century had passed since the First Opium War, but the ideological consciousness of China's traditional intellectual class had not made the slightest progress, which made Sun Gang feel deeply sad.
However, judging from the copies of those memorials, the ordinary people and civilian gentry, facing the Japanese butcher knife, have awakened from the blood!
"Your Majesty, this time the Russians dared to attack Japan first and then planned to occupy our seaports, all relying on their strong and powerful iron ships to act recklessly. It has been more than ten years since our two ships, Ding and Zhen, were launched. The hulls are aging and are currently undergoing major modifications and overhauls in the dock. We only have one large iron ship, Kaiyuan, which may not be enough. I earnestly request Your Majesty to allow funding to purchase two more new large iron ships so that they can be used to defend the seaports." Li Hongzhang said.
"When Japan invaded our coastal areas, they used fast ships that came and went as fast as lightning. The large iron ships were heavy and difficult to move, so they could not be caught up at all. This time, the Russians forced to occupy the seaport, and several members of our navy attacked them with submarines and forced them to retreat. What's the use of this thing?" Master Weng immediately said, "The Chilean fast ships we bought last time all went to the Beiyang. There are already eight new fast ships, which Japan does not have. How can they not be enough to defend the port? Now that the war has ended and the people's strength is waiting to be restored, wasting the national treasury on useless things, I am afraid that the drunkard has other intentions?"
He is indeed an expert in court debate. At first glance, it is hard to find fault with what he said. Moreover, his words hinted that Li Hongzhang had the intention of corruption, which made it difficult to refute. He is indeed worthy of being called Master Weng!
It can be seen that Master Weng came prepared today, and he must have learned some naval business. However, his knowledge was so great that even Sun Gang, a half-baked naval officer, could surpass him.
Sun Gang was so angry that he was about to speak, but Sun Yuwen secretly shook his head at him. He remembered the last time he was summoned to the palace for an interview, and immediately shut his mouth.
"Lord Weng only knows one thing, not the other." Li Hongzhang said slowly and calmly, "Iron ships, speedboats, torpedo boats, and submarines are all ships with different functions in the navy. They complement each other and are indispensable. Iron ships are used to fight against the enemy on the sea and spread the country's prestige in the ocean; speedboats are used to patrol and scout the fleet, cover the attacks of iron ships, and harass the enemy's seaports; torpedo boats are used to sneak into the entrance and attack enemy ships; submarines lurk underwater and attack the enemy when the enemy is not prepared. It cannot be generalized. The Western countries commented on the Battle of Dadonggou, saying that Japan only valued speedboats and we only valued iron ships, which were all mistakes. No matter how strong the firepower of Japan's speedboats is, they cannot destroy our iron ships, while our iron ships can be destroyed with a few shots. The Japanese fast ships used fast ships to attack iron ships, which was a mistake of the Japanese. Although our iron ships have powerful guns and strong armor, they are as heavy as sea turtles. If the Japanese fast ships retreat quickly, our iron ships will not be able to catch up with them and there is nothing we can do. This is the mistake of our lack of fast ships. Nowadays, all countries in the world put the navy first. The sea borders of our Great Qing Dynasty stretch for thousands of miles, and there are only a few iron ships, fast ships, torpedo boats, and submarines in the navy. Once something happens at sea, the consequences will be disastrous. Although the cost is huge at present, once the sea borders are secured, the people of our Great Qing Dynasty can communicate with all countries, and the country will naturally become rich and strong. Iron ships are the backbone of the navy and the symbol of a great maritime power, so purchasing large iron ships is an urgent task that cannot be delayed at present."
The old fox is still smart! These words are reasonable, the analysis is very thorough, and there is also a hint of ridicule that Master Weng pretends to know everything, which makes Sun Gang secretly happy.
"Submarines can drive away iron ships, so it is convenient to build submarines to fight the enemy. Why do we give up cheap and good weapons and buy expensive and low-quality iron ships? I don't know why?" Master Weng asked unconvinced.
Sun Gang was a little amused after hearing what Master Weng said, and his previous resentment disappeared. There was so much that he should learn from this imperial teacher of two generations.
"Sun Gang, the Minister of the Beiyang Shipbuilding Bureau, once led submarines to attack the enemy and personally experienced the Battle of the Yellow Sea. Why don't you let him talk about which is better, submarines or large iron ships?" Sun Yuwen suddenly said.
Sun Gang originally thought that Li Hongzhang had said everything he wanted to say, and there was nothing for him to do and he only had to wait for the court to allocate money. However, Sun Yuwen suddenly fired this shot, which scared him.
"Every inch has its own strengths and weaknesses. Submarines are powerful weapons for attacking the enemy underwater, but they cannot travel far or dive too deep, so they can only be used for sneak attacks. To protect the coast, patrol and protect the people, and annihilate the enemy at sea, we must have ironclad ships." Sun Gang said: "The navies of Western countries are all based on ironclad ships as their backbone, and all other types of ships are auxiliary to the ships. For example, fast ships are used as escorts for the ships, and the ships are used as cover for the fast ships. In wartime, they can achieve mutual assistance. Our navy's fast ships now have a foundation, but what we lack are ironclad ships."
"According to what you said, both armored ships and fast ships are indispensable, right?" asked Emperor Guangxu, who had been silent all the time.
"Your Majesty is right." Sun Gang said, "The Russians dared to act recklessly this time because they had four large ironclad warships and fast ships as support. Our navy had fewer ironclad warships and fast ships than the Russians. We were lucky to force the Russians away this time. This can only happen once and not again. Without the new ironclad warships, we would not be able to withstand their sharp edge."
"Neither iron ships nor fast ships can be neglected. I have remembered this." Emperor Guangxu said slowly, looking at Weng Tonghe with some earnestness. However, Weng Tonghe did not meet the emperor's gaze, but looked away.
Emperor Guangxu sighed and said, "It is beyond our capability to build iron ships and fast ships at the same time. Do you have any good ideas?"
"Your Majesty, the Japanese envoy Komura demands that the indemnity be paid in one lump sum to the Qing Dynasty and Korea. Once the money arrives, it will not be difficult to handle both matters at the same time." Sun Yuwen said, and looked at Master Weng meaningfully.
Sun Gang almost jumped up when he saw Emperor Guangxu. The emperor took a deep breath and said slowly, "The Japanese are poor and have small lands. How can they come up with such a huge sum of money all at once?"
"Your Majesty, since the Japanese can make such a request, it proves that they have a way. I think we might as well agree to it. With the money in hand, Your Majesty won't have to worry about the navy having no money." Sun Yuwen said.
"Let's do it this way." The emperor nodded.
"Your Majesty , I have one more thing to ask for your approval." Li Hongzhang said, "Navy funds should be used for specific purposes and should be set as a regular practice. Every year, the funds should be raised and the matters to be handled should be made known to each naval department. The funds should be implemented accordingly, and the court will also know for sure where the funds are used. All Western countries manage their navies in this way, and our country should also manage it in this way, so as not to be criticized by those who are not aware of it."
The old fox threw back the basin of dirty water that Master Weng had just thrown at him.
"Draft a detailed proposal and submit it for approval and implementation," said Emperor Guangxu.
Sun Gang saw a barely perceptible smile on the old fox's face.
It seems that the old fox can see some things farther than him. The navy's funds are used for specific purposes, and Master Weng can't hold back.
Sometimes he even felt that his beloved wife had very unique vision in some aspects. He just remembered that one thing happened after another. Last time, he forgot about the two battleships that the Japanese were building, which was actually an unforgivable mistake. From that day on, he repeatedly reminded himself not to do it again!
