Chapter 246 Moving the Capital

In Haicheng, the north wind rolled up the scattered snow and roared over the small city. A huge handsome flag swayed with the wind, with a huge word "Song" on the flag. On the surface, this is the location of the headquarters of Sichuan Admiral Song Qing.

After Lushun lost, Song Qing's headquarters stationed by the Yalu River left the Yalu River defense line and the whole army attacked and advanced to the Liaodong Peninsula in an attempt to recapture Jinzhou, Dalian and Lushun.

Song Qing was appointed by the imperial court as the commander of the armies of Liaodong. His subordinates include his direct Yizi Army, Liu Shengxiu Mingzi Army, Zhang Gaoyuan Songwu Army, Xu Bangdao Arch Guard Army, Zhang Guangqian Qinqing Army, and Ye Zhichao, who retreated from North Korea to the Yalu River. Among them, the most effective one is Nie Shicheng's Wuyi Army. The total number of troops is 85 battalions, with a total strength of nearly 50,000.

At the same time, the 66th Battalion of General Yike Tang'a, the 40th Battalion of the governor Wu Dayu, and the 70 battalions of the generals and governors in Liaodong, with a total strength of about 70,000, were deployed on the front lines of Jinzhou, Niuzhuang, Anshan, Liaoyang and Gaoli City to cooperate with Song Qing's army to fight.

The total strength of the Qing army in Liaodong reached 130,000.

The total strength of the Japanese army in Liaodong is only two divisions and one brigade of the Second Army, with less than 40,000 troops.

Song Qing's troops launched three large-scale attacks on the Japanese army in Liaodong to recapture Jinzhou, Dalian and Lushun.

However, each attack not only failed to recover the lost land, but also caused the Japanese army to expand the occupied area.

In the first counterattack, Song Qing's troops took Wafangdian as the base and attacked Jinzhou directly. As a result, the whole army was defeated under Jinzhou City. The Japanese army took advantage of the victory to capture Wafangdian, and the Qing army had to retreat to Gaiping.

In the second counterattack, the Qing army went out of Gaiping and attacked Wafangdian. As a result, the Qing army collapsed in front of Wafangdian. The defeated army ran 300 miles and lost Gaiping. It was not until they arrived at Gangwazhai that they stopped defeat.

In the third counterattack, Song Qing once again integrated his troops and prepared to attack Gaiping with Gangwazhai as a fortress. However, before the troops rushed out of Gangwazhai, the first brigade of the Japanese Second Army launched an active attack on Gangwazhai. Major General Naim Hidian, the brigade commander of the first brigade, personally led the troops to launch the Gangwazhai Qing army. Crazy attack. Only two hours after the war, the Qing army's defense line collapsed, Gangwazhai was lost, and Song Qing led the defeated troops to retreat to Haicheng.

Naimu Xidian led the first brigade and took advantage of the victory to go straight to the city of Haicheng. The court found that the strategic position of Haicheng was extremely important and ordered Heilongjiang General Ike Tang Ah to quickly reinforce Haicheng. The strength of Haicheng reached 80,000, which stopped Naim Hidian's attack and saved Haicheng.

After three battles, the Qing army not only failed to recover the Liaodong Peninsula, but also became farther and farther away from Lushun.

Due to the unfavorable battle, Song Qing was held accountable by the court and retained the two levels. Xu Bangdao and Zhang Gaoyuan were also dismissed from their positions.

The originally low morale of the Qing army has fallen to an incompetence with repeated failures.

In the battle of Gangwazhai, the inscription army originally had a certain combat effectiveness. When it was besieged by the Japanese army, Song Qing's main force sat by and left the army in anger. The imperial court turned a deaf ear to Liu Shengxiu. This has once again dealt a heavy damage to the morale of the army.

In the Haicheng barracks, desertion has been repeatedly banned, and more and more soldiers have joined the ranks of escape. Even the battalion officers have closed their eyes. They are no longer interested in killing their subordinates. It is not easy for these subordinates to live until now.

As long as the Japanese army launches another attack on Haicheng, even a small encounter, 100,000 troops will be wiped out!

The whole sea city is completely immersed in a remnant cloud and mist.

Song Qing's handsome flag swayed in the cloudy sky. It didn't seem to be a handsome flag, but a spiritual flag!

Song Qing stood under the handsome body as a guilty man. His breath condensed into broken ice in the cold wind and hung on his snow-white beard. Song Qing was unaware of it.

Behind him are Xu Bangdao, Zhang Gaoyuan, Nie Shicheng and other generals who are also guilty.

Everyone is dejected.

In the distance, there was the hissing sound of the war horse, and Song Qing slowly raised his head.

A group of cavalry appeared from the northern horizon, and the horses' hoofs splashed with snow and fog.

With a "bang", the rifle in the hand of a soldier in front of the camp unexpectedly fell to the ground!

A sentry chief scolded angrily: "It's useless, that's an imperial envoy, not Japanese!"

Song Qing closed his eyes and sighed in his heart. The soldiers of the Qing Dynasty have been scared out by the Japanese!

The cavalry came to the handsome flag from far to near.

An old man in a military officer's uniform jumped off the war horse. The old man's beard crossed his chest, and his cold face was full of wrinkles carved like a knife. The old man is over 60 years old, but his skills are still so vigorous.

This old man is Liu Kunyi, the famous governor of Liangjiang and Minister of Nanyang Commerce.

Liu Kunyi, courtesy name Xunzhuang, is a general of the Xiang army. His Hunan military qualifications, even Zeng Guofan, are still early. After the rise of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Liu Kunyi, as a student, recruited Xiang Yong and devoted himself to Jiang Zhongyuan's headquarters of the Xiang Army and strangled the Tianping Army in Hunan and Jiangxi. At that time, Zeng Guofan was still fighting with local officials in Changsha City because of practicing bravery.

Liu Kunyi led the Hunan army to make repeated achievements in the war. He was promoted from a student to an oracle, a magistrate, a magistrate, a magistrate of Guangdong and a political envoy from Guangxi, and was promoted to governor of Jiangxi in 1865. Later, Liu Kunyi succeeded Zeng Guo-chun as the governor of Liangjiang, and then transferred to the governor of Liangguang. In 1890, he once again served as the governor of Liangjiang and the Minister of Nanyang Trade. His status was comparable to that of Zhili Governor and Minister of Beiyang Trade.

In the eyes of the world, Liu Kunyi belongs to Zeng Guofan's Hunan military system and is estranged from Li Hongzhang's Huai system. After Zeng Guofan's death, Liu Kunyi was regarded by the world as a Hunan flag bearer.

At this point in the Qing-Japanese War, the Huai army led by Li Hongzhang has been defeated, which seems to mean the decline of the Huai army. Therefore, the Empress Dowager remembered Liu Kunyi of the Hunan Department. She deprived Li Hongzhang of the command and appointed Liu Kunyi as the imperial envoy minister and the prime minister's war against Japan.

However, Liu Kunyi believes that he is neither Huai nor Xiang. Liu Kunyi is Liu Kunyi, and he does not belong to any system.

Song Qing led the generals to kneel to the ground: "The guilty minister Song Qing, led the generals to welcome Lord Liu Zhongtang."

Liu Kun threw a horse whip to the bodyguard beside him, glanced at the Qing general kneeling on the snow, and said lightly, "Admiral Song, please rise."

"Thank you, Lord Zhongtang." Song Qing stood up, and none of the generals behind him dared to stand up.

Liu Kunyi's prestige is enough to make every general kneel to the ground willingly.

"Let them all get up." Liu Kun said lightly.

Song Qing waved his hand, and the generals stood up carefully and stood down on both sides of the gate.

Song Qing made a gesture of invitation: "It's cold here. Lord Liu, please move to the military tent."

Liu Kun looked around and there was a small mountain bag not far away. The mountain bag was bare and full of snow.

"Admiral Song, let's go there." Liu Kun said slowly.

"This..." Song Qing looked at the mountain bag. A gust of wind rose, and the snow on the mountain bag was blown up and flew around: "The wind and snow there is too big, and Liu Zhongtang is old..."

"Is I old?" Liu Kun said in a low voice.

Song Qing said hurriedly, "Then go and walk. Liu Zhongtang, please!"

"Admiral Song, please."

Liu Kun took a big step and walked towards Shanbao, followed by a small officer.

Song Qing hurriedly took a few steps and followed. His guards hurriedly followed, but were stopped by Song Qing waving his hand.

Liu Kunyi and Song Qing walked out of a miles and went up to the mountain bag. They looked around. The generals and Liu Kunyi's entourage stood under the door and stared at them.

Only the small officer followed Liu Kun four or five meters behind him, keeping a close distance.

The north wind is raging, but Liu Kunyi's body is like an iron tower, motionless.

Song Qing secretly marveled that the governor of Liangjiang, who was born in the army, really lived up to his reputation.

"Lord Song, do you think Haicheng can be defended?" Liu Kun asked.

Song Qing took a look at the officer behind Liu Kun and meditated.

"Admiral Song, but it doesn't matter." Liu Kunyi said.

Song Qing sighed: "There is no morale, and it may be difficult to defend Haicheng!"

Liu Kun's little head: "Admiral Song is quick to speak. So, why do you still guard the sea city?

Song Qing looked up to the sky and sighed: "I was ordered to take back Jinzhou Lushun. Now not only did I not recapture the lost land, but I want to lose Haicheng. What face does Song Qing have to see the emperor and the Empress Dowager!"

Liu Kun said little by little: "Admiral Song, we are each other!"

The two were speechless. The two reached a tacit understanding - Liaodong couldn't hold on!

For a long time, Song Qing said, "Liu Zhongtang, Liaodong was defeated. I, Song Qing, am unforgivable. I am guilty and have no complaints. However, what should the Qing Dynasty do once it loses Liaodong? The Empress Dowager and the Emperor should have prepared early.

"How to prepare?"

Song Qing gritted his teeth and said, "Liu Zhongtang, please forgive your humble position and say frankly. Maybe you should consider moving the capital!"

"Relocation of the capital? Where can we move?" Liu Kun smiled bitterly: "Nanjing? Didn't Qianming move the capital to Nanjing? What was the result?

The small court of Nanming only supported Nanjing for a year, but it was still because of the support of Jiangnan scholars. If the Manchu Qing regime moves its capital to Nanjing, Jiangnan scholars will never support this court! The Qing court is likely to collapse more quickly and thoroughly than the Southern Ming Dynasty! Both of them know this.

Song Qing bowed his head and said no.

Liu Kunyi suddenly said, "Admiral Song, the court will never move the capital!"

"What about Liaodong?" Song Qing asked.

Liu Kunyi whispered, "The Prime Minister Zhang Menghuan and Hunan Governor Shao Youren have gone to Japan by the order of the Empress Dowager."

"What are you doing?"

"Talk!"

Song Qing smiled bitterly: "Japanese soldiers are under the city, and Liaodong and Shandong are within easy reach. How can they agree to peace talks?"

Liu Kun said in a low voice: "The Empress Dowager means to cede Liaodong and Shandong to Japan. This is originally in the pocket of Japanese people.

Song Qing was shocked and then sighed: "Maybe this is the only way."