The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 159 Hailan Pao

On August 1727, 8, on the wide Jinqili River (that is, the Zeya River in Russia), a river gunboat equipped with six small cannons spewed black smoke and came from the upper reaches. When we were about to approach Hailanpao (now Blagoveshchensk, the capital of the Amur region in Russia), our speed gradually slowed down and we moved closer to the west bank, as if we wanted to take a closer look at the city that had just been established by the Qin Dynasty. A stronghold in the near future.

Hailanpao, which means "Elm House" among the local Daur population, happens to guard the intersection of the two rivers. If several heavy artillery are set up on the shore, it will echo the Aihun Fort on the south bank of Heilongjiang (today's Aihun District, Heihe City) , enough to block shipping between the two rivers, and threaten several counties and towns in Jiangdong Prefecture of the Bohai State.

"...A walled city of this size is estimated to be able to garrison 55 to soldiers. The weapons of the soldiers on the top of the city are a mixture of firearms and cold weapons. There is one cannon on the top of the city..., oh, no, that should be There are two of them, and judging from the model, they should be light artillery with a caliber of mm.”

"...There is a watchtower in the northeastern corner of the city wall, and there should be soldiers stationed on it. If several musketeers are deployed on it, they can block a large area near the northeastern city wall."

"...There is a simple wharf on the north side of the walled city, which should be the main ferry for the Qin army to travel between the two sides. ...There is no fort found nearby, which should be because the Qin army has not had time to build it."

"There are suspected signs of farming on the northwest side of the walled city..."

"...Attention, several cavalrymen of the Qin Army have rushed out of the city. They should be here to warn us not to spy on their defense situation. ...Inform the engineer to deviate slightly from the west bank and move towards the center of the river."

"..."

Several Bohai officers held up binoculars to observe Hailanpao's situation as the gunboat moved slowly, while constantly repeating the detected intelligence so that the intelligence staff could quickly record it.

In the command cabin of the gunboat, two officers wearing Qi Navy uniforms, probably to avoid irritating the Qin army on the shore, hid inside, sat leisurely on chairs, drank tea, and looked at the people on both sides of the ship. Bohai people's investigation of Hailanpao.

Although everyone knows that only the people of Qi have such advanced gadgets as inland river gunboats - of course, as a die-hard brother of Qi, Beiming also has a number of steam-powered ships, but they cherish them as treasures and usually deploy them. In the waters near Yunzhou and Zhenzhou, at most along the Heilongjiang estuary, Shangshuo to Boli, the capital of Dongdan, there is a fear of something going wrong - but as long as the Qi flag is not hoisted on the bow, naval officers and soldiers should not stand there in a grand manner. On the bow of the ship, would the Qin army still insist on "framing" the Qi people and threatening them with force on the river?

"What is the young prince thinking about? He is not thinking about manipulating the artillery to fire a few shots on the shore, right?" Su Zujie, the deputy captain of Beixue 6 and Captain Renyong (lieutenant), pursed his lips and motioned his companions to look at him. The gun emplacement in front of the gunboat.

"Probably not." Geng Shunyu, the military staff officer of the Qi Army stationed in the Bohai Sea and Yuwu Colonel (Captain), took a glance, smiled and shook his head and said: "Mostly he is thinking about the combat performance of this gunboat, and maybe he is also thinking, Can they also buy a few ships from us to enhance their Bohai State's defense capabilities? Decades ago, under the protection of our Qi State, coupled with the small military force deployed by the Qin State in the Heilongjiang Basin, the They do not feel threats from the outside, and there is no need to equip inland gunboats, a weapon of war on rivers. Now, the Qin State suddenly built fortresses at the intersection of these two rivers, and moved Han people from the interior to strengthen its control of the area. The actual control has created a sense of crisis in the Bohai Sea. Maybe they will sell the pot and buy more weapons and equipment from Qi."

Qi's inland river steam gunboats equipped with six small cannons are absolutely invincible on the Heilongjiang, Jingqili River, and even various rivers in the Lingbei region.

The gunboat has a full load displacement of only about one hundred tons. It has an iron-ribbed wooden hull. It is equipped with four 55mm cannons and two 75mm light cannons. It is fully driven by a steam engine. It has strong maneuverability and power on rivers with rugged rivers and complex hydrological conditions. The high speed and maneuverability are much more flexible than those ordinary paddle boats and small sampans. Coupled with its fierce firepower, even a dozen armed galleys are no match for it.

For the Far East and Lingbei regions, which are full of rivers, the demand for this kind of inland river gunboats should not be too strong!

The Dutch, who have a very close relationship with the Qi State, noticed the Qi people's inland shallow-water boats more than ten years ago and tried to acquire a few so that they could sail on the Rhine River, the Maas River, and the northwest coast. The IJsselmeer has certain advantages in water mobility. Whether it is transporting goods in peacetime or during war, blocking the river channel to prevent the invasion of the French can have unexpected effects.

However, in order to maintain its technological advantage, Qi declined the Dutch's request and only exported to them some equipment such as steam pumps and steam lifting machines with low technological level, low power, and not too advanced technology. In addition, there were Some steam power equipment used in the woolen textile industry - it is reported that England already has similar equipment, which gives their woolen industry a relative cost advantage and scale advantage in the European market. In order to create obstacles for the English, it will attack their steam engine research and manufacturing capabilities. , and at the same time, in order to support the traditional woolen industry in the Netherlands, Qi State opened its cotton textile production equipment to a limited extent.

The most famous Beetham Shipyard in the United Provinces can build an inland river or offshore vessel with a shallow draft and faster speed, but the power part has been unable to be solved. In other words, in the inland rivers and lakes, even if they could build small and fast ships, they would install sails on them instead of using steam engines as power like the people of Qi.

In this way, it actually doesn't make much sense, because inland river ships sail in rivers with complex waterways, and the maneuverability of the ship is a very important indicator. This is also the main reason why the Qi people installed small-horsepower steam engines for this ship. Here's why.

Due to deficiencies in materials, machining accuracy, and design, not only the Dutch, who have advanced shipbuilding technology, are temporarily unable to produce "advanced gadgets" such as river gunboats, but even the English, who have a certain industrial base, are looking forward to it and sighing. The main direction of attack can be invested in the research and development of steam engines for large sea ships.

However, with the update and iteration of Qi's steam engine technology, some outdated or slightly backward steam engine equipment and machines began to actively spread outwards. The Nanyang territories surrounding Hanzhou's mainland, close vassal states, and important regional allies, From mine pumps to sail-steam hybrid ships, from ordinary civilian steam-driven equipment to machine tools known as military weapons, even steam locomotives are being sold to these countries and regions in complete sets.

After all, some domestic industrial and mining enterprises also have needs for technological upgrading and upgrading, don’t they?

This is true in the civilian industry, and there is also a need for iteration in the military field. As the actual combat performance of the ironclads was verified in the Qi-British War, many relatively backward pure sail warships under the Navy will also face gradual elimination.

In the past few years, Qi State has finalized a series of warship transaction contracts with Shunguo, Weiguo, Luzon, and Beiming, and has successively sold eighteen sailing warships that have been in service for more than eight years at a 2-3% discount. prices sold to these countries.

At the same time, the Qi Navy also upgraded more than 20 of its 1,000-ton or above battleships, such as replacing more powerful steam engines, installing thicker protective armor on key parts, and improving the speed and maneuverability of the battleships. At the same time, its resistance to shock to a certain extent is correspondingly enhanced.

With dotted naval bases, large and powerful fleets, and many vassal states and strategic allies, it can be said that the Qi State has firmly controlled the Eastern Ocean World and has taken the region into its own power. within the range.

Although Qin has a large population and vast territory, it is of the same Chinese origin as Qi. Decades ago, the founding emperors of the two countries even reached a so-called century-old alliance, dreaming of building an Eastern Chinese world together.

However, with the rapid expansion of Qi's strength, ambitions naturally grew slowly, trying to serve as the leader and leader of the entire Eastern civilization. You, the Qin State, just be the younger brother of our Qi State!

Your huge population will become the source of our Qi's labor force, your vast territory will become the market for the dumping of our Qi's goods, and your powerful land military force will become our Qi's balancing hand on the Eurasian continent.

Therefore, Qi State does not care about Qin State's continuous expansion in Mobei, the Western Regions, Qinghai, and Uszang. As long as Qin State does not look at the sea, does not look at Nanyang, and does not touch Qi State's core interests, Not to mention destroying the many chess pieces placed by Qi State around Qin State, you can do whatever you want.

Well, our Qi State can even provide you with financial support, help you build railways, and guide and train your army. Your Qin State can only spend its abundant energy in border areas such as Mobei and the Western Regions. That would be the best. .

From the perspective of Qi State, whether it is Mobei or the Western Regions, due to the difficulties in long-distance supply, coupled with the strong mobility of the grassland forces, the war between Qin and Zhun may last for a long time. Even though Qin could defeat Junggar countless times with its advanced firearms and huge population resources, it could not do anything to this grassland empire.

Didn't you see, after the death of Batur Hutaiji and his son Sengge who founded Junggar, Galdan came out again, not only reunifying the Oirat tribes, but also condensing this loose alliance of tribes into The powerful Junggar Khanate completed the transition from the tribal alliance system to national power. After Galdan was "defunct", Cewang Alabutan rose up again. While continuing to invade Khalkha Mongolia eastward and fighting Qin in Mobei, he was still free to conquer the Kazakh Khanate. This former Central Asian steppe empire was smashed into several pieces and became a rear base for the Junggars to take whatever they wanted and plunder wantonly.

Looking at the past dynasties, almost no Central Plains dynasty can completely solve the northern border troubles. Even if your Qin State destroys Junggar, another grassland force may continue to pop up, endlessly, and it will consume all the vitality of your Qin State.

Of course, since we are all from the same Chinese civilization, our Qi State will not let your Qin State fall easily. While providing a large amount of economic assistance, we can also control your politics and military, which is what it should be. .

However, last year, Qi State learned an amazing news through various channels. Qin State secretly sent a mission to visit the Russian Empire in the west, preparing to establish some kind of military alliance with the other side, squeezing the Russian Empire from the east and west directions. Suppress the strategic space of the Junggar Khanate and eventually devour this grassland force.

Qin State actually has such a sense of the overall situation! ?

Facing two powerful empires whose national power far exceeds its own, the defeat of the Junggar Khanate may only be a matter of time.

It can be predicted that with the continuous advancement of Qin and Russia from the east and west directions, and with the blessing of firearms and fortresses, no grassland forces will have enough space to move around in the future.

When the news of the Qin army's victory in Ili spread, it not only frightened several neighboring countries and forces such as Manchuria, Bohai, Dongdan, and Beiming, but also felt a real threat. They began to strategize, connect with each other, and actively respond to Qin's attack. Even the Qi State was shaken by the aggressive momentum, and was considering whether to put some obstacles in the way of Qin's military operations in the northwest.

Therefore, when the Bohai State learned that the Qin State suddenly established forts in Hailanpao and Yakesa, moved the Han people from the interior to colonize, and prepared to strengthen the actual control of Heilongjiang, it proposed to carry out armed reconnaissance in the above two places. The country is about to provide the two inland river gunboats stationed in the Heilongjiang Basin to the Bohai State for use.

If there is an armed confrontation or conflict between Qin and Bohai in the north, can they divert their attention from the northwest region, thereby delaying the Qin army's continuous attack on the Junggar Khanate, so that the Mongols can take a breather? Reintegrate the power of the grassland and continue to fight against Qin.

"Thinking back on the many benevolent acts I, Emperor Taizu of Qi, did to the Qin State back then, it still makes people puzzling when I think about it."

The defenders of Hailanpao knew that they had nothing to do with this Qi people's inland river gunboat, so they could only be on full alert and stand ready to prevent the other party from making a sudden attack. The two small boats at the ferry were also towed ashore, lest the gunboat ram them and sink them. When the Qin officers and soldiers stood on the top of the city and watched the gunboat sail from the Jingqili River into Heilongjiang, and then puffed black smoke and sailed downstream, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, this fortress has just been established and its foundation is unstable. If the Bohai Kingdom raises its troops to attack, and there are gunboats crisscrossing the rivers to assist, it will definitely not be able to defend it with only a hundred soldiers stationed and hundreds of immigrants.

Geng Shunyu withdrew his gaze from Hai Lanpao's direction, shook his head and said: "At that time, our Qi State not only sent out its navy to blockade the mainland's coast and cut off the Yangtze River, but also sent its army deep into the hinterland of the Qin State to attack the active forces of the puppet Qing Dynasty. Effectively cooperated with the Qin army to unify the country. While supporting the three local forces of Beiming, Dongdan and Bohai, they also prohibited them from invading the Han Dynasty in Liaodong and dividing the Northeast. So now, Qin has a very favorable situation, through continuous immigration The real border eventually extended their tentacles to the Heilongjiang River Basin. If, decades ago, the Bohai State took advantage of the fierce battle between the Qin State and the Puppet Qing Dynasty to move the border south to the Songhua River and Nenjiang River, then they would have more or less Greater strategic depth can also capture more population resources.”

"Emperor Taizu and the first generation of pioneers were all born in the ancestral land. Maybe they had some affection for the mainland of China. They couldn't bear the wars on the mainland, let alone the division of the Han Dynasty, so they took care of the Qin Dynasty. Support." Su Zujie said: "Who would have thought that after decades of development, time has changed, and the power of the Qin State has become irresistible. The Chinese mainland is rich in resources and talents. If it is not curbed, it will definitely threaten our country in the future. Qi is safe."

"Do you think, one day in the future, will a war break out between our Qi State and the Qin State?"

"Perhaps." Su Zujie thought for a while and said hesitantly: "But if you think about it carefully, if there is a real fight, how can it feel like roommates fighting against each other!"

"You are overthinking. The monarchs and ministers of the Qin State, as well as the people in their country, may not regard our Qi State as a family."

"But our Qi State and Qin State have close economic ties, and people-to-people exchanges are becoming increasingly frequent. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Qin people immigrate to Hanzhou and overseas territories. It can be said that they are in harmony with each other and emotionally connected. Even if There are some disputes, but a war may not be possible.”

"...Not necessarily. If the Qin State attacks Bohai and Dongdan, or has a fierce conflict with the Northern Ming Dynasty, how will our Qi State choose? Also, if the Qin State supports Annan to go north to devour Liang State or go south to attack Guangnan, and then unify Annan, how can our Qi country stand idly by? Once they touch the core interests of our Qi country, and under the fierce public sentiment, they will not take into account the friendship between the two countries and the emotions of the people, and they will fight if they have no choice but to fight."

"But no matter what, I hope that our Qi State will not have a war with Qin State. I still remember when I was young, before my grandparents passed away, they were always dreaming about their hometown in China and wanted to return to the hometown where they were born and raised. ... After all, the mainland is The ancestral land of all us Qi people!"

(End of this chapter)