Chapter 263 New Year's Eve 4
The Zhang army in North Korea, the Qing army in Shandong and Liaodong will all face a crazy attack by the Japanese army.
Only Zhang Jun in North Korea can fight with the Japanese army. As for Shandong and Liaodong, the Japanese army will be broken, and the collapse of the Qing army is inevitable.
Once the Qing army collapses in Shandong and Liaodong, the situation of the Qing Dynasty is difficult to deal with. Even if Zhang Jun can defend the Linjin River, it will be limited to fighting alone.
Once the Japanese army captures Shanhaiguan and occupies all Liaoning, they can free their hands and march into the Yalu River!
At that time, the Japanese army could launch a full-scale attack on the Zhang army in northern North Korea from both the north and south.
Zhang Jun must fall into a dangerous situation of being attacked by the enemy, and in the end, he can't escape the tragic ending of the destruction of the whole army.
If you want to defend North Korea, you must defend Liaodong. If you want to defend Liaodong, you must defend Shandong!
Many people can't see this logical relationship.
Zhou Charter saw it, but the Japanese army exerted all its strength to launch attacks in North Korea, Liaodong and Shandong at the same time. Zhang Jun was too busy to take care of Shandong!
However, the Japanese army's comprehensive attack seems to be seamless, but in fact, it is not flawless!
This flaw is very small, and hidden in the powerful attack power of the Japanese army, it is difficult to be noticed, even the Japanese themselves.
This flaw is Lushun!
Lushun, a fortress known as Eastern Gibraltar, is the base for Japan's full-scale attack on the Qing Dynasty.
From the Qing Dynasty to Japan, Lushun is the closest. Moreover, Lushun has all the geographical and material bases needed by the Japanese army to launch a comprehensive attack. There are military ports and wharfs, large ships can dock, and docks for ship replenishment and maintenance, which can provide maintenance for warships. Once the warships are damaged, they can quickly threaten to restore their combat effectiveness. There are barracks and granaries, which can be gathered. Thousands of troops; there are also arsenals and mine battalions, which can provide the necessary ordnance for the combat troops at any time.
Lushun can provide the Japanese army with all the conditions needed to fight in the Qing Dynasty. Without Lushun, it was impossible for the Japanese army to launch a large-scale attack directly from North Korea or Japan.
The Japanese army spread a big net to the Qing Dynasty, and Lushun was the mesh of this net!
To recapture Lushun is to tear the mesh! The Japanese attack in Shandong, Liaodong and North Korea will collapse!
However, it is difficult, even impossible to regain Lushun.
The Lushun Fortress built by the Qing Dynasty is indeed an oriental miracle. The defense system of this fortress is almost perfect. Of course, on the other hand, it is also a miracle that the Qing Dynasty lost Lushun.
The Japanese occupied the Lushun Fortress and would never easily lose Lushun like the Qing army.
What's more, Japan's defense over the Liaodong Peninsula has expanded to the north of Jinzhou to Haicheng.
In the vast area of Liaodong, it is difficult for the Qing army to get close to Lushun, and there is no way to recapture Lushun.
Therefore, neither the Japanese army nor the Qing army think that Lushun is a flaw in the Japanese army.
Only Zhou Charter saw this flaw!
Or, Zhou Charter saw not a flaw, but an extremely low probability opportunity. The possibility of Zhang Jun attacking Lushun only exists in theory.
However, he had no choice.
Either wait for death in North Korea or fight hard!
Even if you die under Lushun City, it is better than waiting for death in North Korea!
Now, Zhang Zhidong sent weapons and equipment. In the Qing Dynasty, Zhou Charter was not the only one who saw this opportunity!
Zhou Charter has confidence.
With the weapons of Hanyang Arsenal, this 2,000-strong Zhang army has far surpassed the Japanese army in Lushun. With the Type 88 continuous rifle, Maxim heavy machine gun, Kruper field artillery, mountain cannon, machine gun and Colt pistol, the firepower of this unit is three times higher than that of the Japanese army's same formed troops!
However, in Lushun and even the whole Liaodong, the Japanese army still has an overwhelming advantage. The total strength of the Japanese army stationed in Lushun is a unit directly under the First Division and a brigade, with a total strength of 5,000 people, while Zhang's army is only 2,000. Lushun Fortress is a complete defense system. Permanent and semi-permanent forts, fortresses and trenches rely on each other. More than 50 cannons of various calibers are set up on the forts and fortresses, including many large-caliber artillery, which were left to the Japanese by the Qing army, while Zhang Jun's offensive weapons were only mountain cannons and wild guns.
What is more serious is that Zhang Jun's alone army went deep into the Lushun Peninsula, and the nearest Qing army is still 500 kilometers away from the Yalu River. They can't provide reinforcements for Zhang Jun, and they will never provide support for Zhang Jun, because the Empress Dowager Buddha wants to see the demise of Zhou Charter!
Thinking of the Empress Dowager Buddha, Zhou Charter couldn't help but move.
"Grand Year." Zhou Charter shouted.
"There!" Shannian stood up. He held a Type 88 rifle in his hand, a pistol around his waist, a gray uniform, and a large brim hat. No one could see that he used to be a speculator!
"Your cousin Sheng Xuanhuai gave you so many weapons and equipment, what did he say to you?"
"He said it was a donation from the employees of the arsenal. He didn't say anything else. Shannian said, "Oh, by the way, he also gave me 100,000 silver tickets, saying that it was an errand fee." Shannian said and took out the silver ticket from his arms: "Master, I am willing to donate the errand fee."
"Since your uncle gave you the errand money, you can keep it."
Yao Xi whispered, "100,000 taels of silver! Do you have that life flower?"
In six hours, as soon as the cannon sounded, more than 2,000 soldiers under Erlong Mountain. I don't know who can see Lushun City alive.
Shannian stared at Yao Xi and said, "Teacher, Sheng Xuanhuai also asked me to bring you a gift. He said he wanted to make friends with you.
Shannian said and handed the red sandalwood box wrapped in yellow satin to Zhou Charter.
Zhou Charter untied the silk and looked at it through the moonlight, and his heart thumped.
The yellow satin wrapped in the wooden box is embroidered with a colorful phoenix that is about to fly.
Yellow is originally the royal color, and ordinary officials and people dare not use it indiscriminately, otherwise they will be guilty of treschiance.
And the colorful phoenix is a special ornament for the royal family. The phoenix and the dragon are relative. If there is a dragon, there must be a phoenix.
And on this yellow satin, there are only phoenixes and no dragons!
"Is this for you by Sheng Xuanhuai?" Zhou Charter asked.
Shannian Lizheng said, "Yes, he gave it to me with his own hands, and he repeatedly told me that I must hand it over to the teacher in person and not to anyone else!"
Zhou Charter opened the wooden box, in which there was a pocket watch imported from Switzerland, and the pointer was dripping.
Zhou Charter carefully picked up his pocket watch, but saw a white silk folded into a square under the pocket watch.
Zhou Charter picked up the white scroll, held it in his hand, and gently unfolded it. Looking at it through the moonlight, there was a beautiful fly-headed small regular script on the white silk:
"Zhou Charter, General Soldier of Yizhou, Prime Minister in North Korea, and Zhang Jun Division: Japanese pirates are rampant, national affairs are in danger, Li people are killed, and mountains and rivers are broken. However, the mercans are noisy in the temple, and the cowardly generals live in the battlefield. There is no good solution to be familiar with the collapse of the overall situation. There are many people who eat the emperor but do not know how to repay. With the unique Charter of Zhou Jun, he rose up in the army as a soldier, led the isolated army to fight on the battlefield, stopped the Japanese pirates, restored Pyongyang, lost the enemy, and raised the prestige of the country! Although Wu Mu was reborn and Jiguang was reborn, it was nothing more than that.
However, those who talk nonsense in the middle of the dynasty and those who are self-respecting in real power do not know the general situation, ignore the unparallable achievements of the Charter, and attack fierce slander with the stale words of Taoism, and do everything. The treacherous and obscene people took the opportunity to swim over the court and camped on the side of the empress dowager to slander the charter for personal gain. The Empress Dowager was blinded and did not appreciate Zhang Jun's achievements. On the contrary, she was constrained everywhere and wanted to cut off Zhang Jun. Fortunately, with the emperor's holy enlightenment, he tried his best to eliminate public discussion and maintain it from many sides, and Zhang's officers and soldiers were well sound!
Because of Zhang Jun, the Empress Dowager had a grudge against the emperor and often scolded him with words, but the emperor was unmoved and supported Zhang Jun. He should not have the original intention..."
Seeing this, Zhou Charter was suddenly enlightened. The court's attitude towards Zhang Jun was contradictory. It turned out that he was sandwiched between the empress dowager and the emperor. The Empress Dowager had a deep hostility to Zhang Jun, but the emperor deliberately defended it. Zhang Jun could stand in North Korea without the support of Emperor Guangxu.
Week Charter continues to watch:
"Now, the Japanese invaders want to invade our Shandong, and the situation in Shandong is in danger. Shandong is not in danger, and Zhili is in danger! The emperor was worried and angry day and night. Looking at our Qing army, only Zhang Jun could solve this dangerous situation. I hope that Master Zhou's charter can lead the division of the Zhang army of tigers and wolves to go out of Liaodong to attack the Japanese pirates and recover Lushun! This is the only way to solve this crisis. The emperor knows that it is difficult to attack Lushun, and Zhang Jun will make great sacrifices for this..."
Zhou Charter sighed in his heart. It seemed that Emperor Guangxu was not a mediocre king. His understanding of the war situation was extremely clear, and he was also like suffering from Zhang Jun's situation, which moved Zhou Charter.
"Kong said to take benevolence, and Meng said to take righteousness! Zhou Jun's charter is a high apprentice who will live up to the emperor's expectations and lead a benevolent and righteous division to Liaodong and attack Lushun. When dragons come out of the sea in the east, it is the day of Zhang Jun's success. My concubine must go to Zhang Jun in person to reward the loyal and righteous man!"
Zhou Charter was shocked when he saw the word "concubine" and hurriedly looked down. The signature said: Zhenfei is his wife.
Zhou Charter fully understood that this letter was written by Zhenfei. The views on the war situation in the letter and the sympathy for Zhang Jun's situation are all the meaning of Concubine Zhen, which has nothing to do with the emperor.
And Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, dared to secretly transport a large number of weapons and equipment to Liaodong, which must have been secretly instructed by Zhenfei.
Zhou Charter has heard that Concubine Zhen and Empress Dowager Cixi are at peace, and Empress Dowager Cixi has long wanted to abolish Concubine Zhen.
Concubine must have done this behind the back of the Empress Dowager Cixi.
If the Empress Dowager knew about this, she would be even more hostile to Zhang Jun. Because in her eyes, Zhenfei is colluding with Zhang Jun to consolidate her position, and Zhang Jun becomes Zhenfei's accomplice!
This is a struggle between two women, which is more cruel than the struggle between men!
Because women's way of thinking has always been linear, they will never let go of their enemies easily!
Zhang Jun is sandwiched between the two most noble women in the Qing Dynasty, and his prospects are worrying.