Chapter 182 Boat

Zhao Han was appointed by Zhou Charter and returned to Beijing from Taiwan. In addition to trying to save Zhao Qiaoer'er's family, there is also a more important task, which is to persuade Li Hongzhang to try to rescue Ding Ruchang and ask Ding Ruchang to bring Beiyang sailors to Taiwan to help the war.

Zhou Charter has long realized that it is not difficult to eliminate Taiwan's southern army. However, behind Noki no Kisuke, there is a strong Japanese backing, while behind Zhang Jun, it is empty.

Even if Zhang Jun succeeds in the Battle of Tainan and annihilates the main force of the Southern Army, Japan will continue to deliver troops and materials to Taiwan to continue the war. The Japanese Southern Fleet controlled the sea control of the Taiwan Strait, and the Japanese transport fleet could pass unimped. For a long time, the Japanese army and Zhang Jun fought a war of attrition. Even if the battle-injury ratio between Zhang Jun and the Japanese army reached 1-10, it was Zhang Jun who finally failed.

If you want to drive the Japanese out of Taiwan, Zhang Jun must have a strong navy to cut off the Japanese transportation line and make the Japanese sigh at Taiwan.

Although Zhangjun's existing navy has seven or eight gunships such as Zhenyuan ships, only three ships have the ability to fight far seas. The rest are old ships left by Fujian sailors, which can only carry out offshore defense. Moreover, due to lack of coal, Zhenyuan ships cannot continue long voyages.

Therefore, Zhou Charter focused on the Beiyang Marine.

It seems fantastic to make the Beiyang sailors of the Qing Dynasty turn against the water. If it had been a year ago, Zhou Charter would not have dared to think of it.

However, now, Zhou Charter sees an opportunity.

Li Hongzhang, the chief of Beiyang Marine Division, was regarded as a scapegoat for defeat by Empress Dowager Cixi, and was actually placed under house arrest in Beijing. The Empress Dowager Cixi may attack Li Hongzhang at any time. A significant signal is that the Empress Dowager Cixi is gradually clearing the military power of the Huai generals, from the Huai army to the Beiyang Marine Division, and gradually cleaning up. Once Li Hongzhang's cronies are cleared, Li Hongzhang is left alone and waiting to be cleaned up!

What a shrewd person Li Hongzhang is, how can he not see this, and how can he sit back and wait for death!

What's more, the Beiyang sailor is Li Hongzhang's heart, Ding Ruchang is Li Hongzhang's confidant, Li Hongzhang's son-in-law and Ding Ruchang are still brothers. Ding Ruchang is arrested, how can Li Hongzhang not have a sense of rabbit death!

After Zhao Han came to Beijing, he came to Xianliang Temple and handed over Zhou Charter's handwritten letter to Li Hongzhang. The letter persuaded Li Hongzhang to try to rescue Ding Ruchang and let him lead the Beiyang sailors to Taiwan to fight against the Japanese army. Zhou Charter said that the Beiyang Marine Division was Li Hongzhang's army whether in Taiwan or Weihaiwei. Zhou Charter only borrowed troops from Li Hongzhang, and the Beiyang Marine Division was still the first to see Li Hongzhang. Zhou Charter persuaded Li Hongzhang that as long as the Beiyang sailor held it in his hand, the court would not dare to touch him!

Li Hongzhang read the letter, shot the case, scolded Zhou Charter for being ridiculous, threw the letter into the brazier and burned it, and then shouted "send off guests" to drive Zhao Han out of Xianliang Temple.

When Zhao Han left Taiwan, Zhou Charter explained that he just need to send the letter, regardless of Li Hongzhang's attitude.

Zhao Han also has a lot in mind. Zhou Charter's letter is actually to encourage the Beiyang sailors to mutiny, which is equivalent to conspiracy. Li Hongzhang did not arrest her and send her to the court, that is, he was moved.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhao Han left, Li Hongzhang recruited Zhang Peilun and his wife to Xianliang Temple. After a secret conversation, Zhang Peilun returned to Tianjin and came to Dagukou and found Zhili Admiral Nie Shicheng. He asked Nie Shicheng for help to save Ding Ruchang.

Nie Shicheng didn't have any good impression on Ding Ruchang, but this was Zhou Charter's idea. Naturally, Nie Shicheng had nothing to say. He agreed to Zhang Peilun's request and sent his confidants to pretend to be the Dingwu army. He rushed to Xuzhou, sneaked into the Dingwu army camp and saved Ding Ruchang from the knife.

Originally, according to the plan negotiated between Nie Shicheng and Zhang Peilun, it was to send Ding Ruchang to Weihaiwei, encourage the Beiyang sailors to fight against the water, and lead the fleet to leave Hong Kong for Taiwan.

Coincidentally, Lv Tianqing happened to take the Dingyuan ship to Dagukou to prepare for Prince Duan. Nie Shicheng boarded the Dingyuan ship in the name of welcoming him and checked the reality of Dingyuan. Seeing that Lv Tianqing was completely unprepared, he got off the ship and discussed with Ding Ruchang and Zhang Peilun. He simply took over Dingyuan directly. Dingyuan was the flagship of the Beiyang Marine Division. Dingyuan solved it, and the whole fleet solved it.

At this time, Ding Ruchang was also irreseverable and agreed to board the Dingyuan ship under the escort of Wu Yi's army.

The Dingyuan ship was originally Ding Ruchang's ship. The officers and soldiers were all pulled up by Ding Ruchang. Ding Ruchang arrived without much words. Everyone followed the old officer. As long as the old officer ordered him, he would go through fire and water!

Ding Ruchang mastered Dingyuan without any effort. Next, he had to take Lv Tianqing. He knew very well that Lv Tianqing was the eyeliner of the Empress Dowager Cixi's Beiyang Marine Division. In the Yellow Sea, it was Lv Tianqing who forced Ding Ruchang to attack Zhou Charter. Finally, he blamed all the charges of assassinated Zhou Charter on Ding Ruchang. Let Ding Ruchang become a scapegoat. Ding Ruchang's hatred for Lv Tian to the bone.

Ding Ruchang shouted to the officers and soldiers, "I killed Lv Tianqing today, which is a double punishment for two crimes!" Half a year ago on the Yellow Sea, Lv Tianqing, as the ship leader of Zhenbei, escorted Zhou Charter, the commander of the Zhang Army, to North Korea. However, this person lost the next week's charter on the way, hung the Japanese military flag on the Zhenbei, and then abandoned the ship and reported to me. He found the Japanese warship. I did not investigate for a moment and ordered to fire fire to the north of the town, causing Zhou Charter to sink. Go to the sea. Fortunately, thanks to God's eyes, Zhou Charter escaped from death! Lv Tianqing framed Zhongliang, and his heart was vicious! Now he openly prostitutes on the warship. It's really crazy and shameless. It's unreasonable not to kill this man!" Ding Ruchang said the resentment in his heart and suddenly felt refreshed.

The officers and soldiers shouted in unison: "Kill!"

Knowing that the disaster was coming, Lv Tianqing knelt down in front of Ding Ruchang and burst into tears: "Admiral, the matter of Zhou Charter is the decree of the Empress Dowager Buddha, and the humble position is also involuntarily. Admiral forgive me. I, Lv Tianqing, want to break up with the Empress Dowager. From then on, I will change my mind and go through the fire for the Admiral..."

"It's late!" Ding Ruchang was originally weak and a peacemaker. After this change, he became a cold-blooded animal. As soon as he waved his hand, two sailors set up Lv Tianqing and dragged him out of the hall.

"Admiral, please spare my life..."

After a while, the sailor carried Lv Tianqing's bloody head and sent it to the hall.

"Don't dirty my Beiyang sailor, throw it into the sea to feed the fish!" Ding Ruchang shouted, "Take the anchor and go to Weihaiwei!"

Ding Ruchang is determined to pull away the whole Beiyang sailor. He knows that whether in the Qing Dynasty or Taiwan, strength is always hard currency. When he comes to Taiwan, if he wants to say something in front of Zhou Charter, there is not enough weight alone!

"Wait!" Zhang Pellen walked into the hall and saluted Ding Ruchang, "Please wait a moment. Someone wants to take Admiral Ding's downwind boat."

Ding Ruchang smiled and said, "I know that it is Zhao Qiaoer, the wife of Zhou Charter, the commander of the Zhang army. Mrs. Zhao is the first-class wife of the imperial court. It is an honor for all the officers and soldiers of Dingyuan to ride my Ding Ruchang. On behalf of all the officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Marine Division, I, Ding Ruchang, warmly welcome Mrs. Zhao to board the ship.

Zhang Peilun smiled and said, "Don't you welcome anyone except Mrs. Zhao?"

"Who else?"

Bear Zhang Peilun, an officer in a dark and light gray military uniform flashed. The military uniform was somewhat similar to Zhang Jun's military uniform, but it was made of wool and the material was much better. The officer pedaled horse boots, waist and a sword, and raised his hand to Ding Ruchang to give a Western military salute: "Feng Guozhang, commander of the third town of the new army, has seen Ding Ti. du.

"Feng Guozhang!" Ding Ruchang screamed, staversed and almost fell down: "What are you doing here?"

The new army of the small station is Yuan Shikai's army, and Yuan Shikai directly obeys the order of Ronglu, the governor of Zhili. Feng Guozhang is the confidant general of Yuan Shikai and is collectively known as the "Three Heroes of Beiyang" with Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui. Today, Feng Guozhang is under the command of the third town of the small station new army. The third town under his command is the most elite department of the Xiaozhan New Army. Team. Feng Guozhang suddenly boarded the Dingyuan ship. Ding Ruchang's first reaction was that Ronglu sent someone to arrest him!

Dingyuan is certainly a giant on the sea, but in the face of a powerful new army, he can only be captured!

Feng Guozhang smiled and said, "Lord Ding, the last man is here to take a boat."

"What kind of boat to take?" Ding Ruchang escaped from death once, and if he died again, he was really unwilling.

"The third town, no, all the officers and soldiers of the Fifth Division of Zhangjun want to take Lord Ding's downwind boat to Taiwan."

After the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, Zhou Charter fell into the sea, and his life and death were unknown, and Zhang Jun's brothers scattered everywhere. Feng Guozhang was dragged to the station by Yuan Shikai to help him train the new army. At that time, Zhou Charter's life and death were unknown, and Yuan Shikai also valued Feng Guozhang's talent and valued Feng Guozhang's request. Therefore, Feng Guozhang followed Yuan Shikai wholeheartedly. The three heroes of Beiyang are all dragons and phoenixes among people, and Feng Guozhang has experienced several battles of Zhang Jun, and his actual combat experience is particularly rich. Therefore, Yuan Shikai valued Feng Guozhang very seriously. Feng Guozhang's third town, both in terms of equipment and training level, is above other towns.

The establishment of the town is actually equivalent to the division in the Western army. However, Yuan Shikai's new army is located in the capital. Although the court attaches great importance to it, it does not dare to let Yuan Shikai expand its army infinitely and adopt various restrictions on the scale of the new army in the small station. Therefore, the new army's town has only about 3,000 troops, which is only equivalent to a strengthened regiment of Zhang Jun.

Because of this, Yuan Shikai has always had complaints in his heart. This time, through Ronglu, he finally obtained the right to compile ten towns.

Feng Guozhang is also conscientious in repaying Yuan Shikai's kindness. However, when he heard that Zhou Charter was still alive and led his brother Zhang Jun to Taiwan, Feng Guozhang couldn't sit still. He secretly connected in the army and wanted to leave the station to find Zhou Charter.