At this time, Sendai was the base for the shogunate to go to Hokkaido. The old shogunate who opposed the Meiji government, the remnants of the Aoyu vassal alliance, and people from other areas who were unwilling to submit to the Meiji government were all gathered here. They were all defeated soldiers, and although they were united because of their hostility to the Meiji government, the depression that is characteristic of defeated soldiers still lingered.
When they arrived at the Sendai port, these people were all refreshed. Ten medium-sized steam ships were moored at the port. These steam ships were constantly transporting people from the port to the big ships in the distance. Four or five small warships were patrolling near the port. In the distance, there were at least seven or eight large steam ships. Within the range of their vision, there were more than twenty warships. This number was far beyond the imagination of the defeated soldiers.
The Sendai port was not big. With thousands of people gathered, the port looked even narrower. However, this seemingly endless stream of people was continuously being sent onto the big ships. Those big ships with hazy figures seemed to be unable to fit as many people as they wanted. For the people on the port, this was simply against common sense.
After boarding the ships themselves, these defeated soldiers realized just how huge the ships they were riding on were. This was a cargo ship mobilized by the Liberation Army. The space inside the cargo ship was spacious. It took at most one day to travel from Sendai to Hakodate, so there was no need to set up beds for rest. The defeated soldiers did not care much. Except for a few people, it was the first time in their lives for everyone on board a ship with a tonnage of more than 7,000 tons. The Tsugaru Strait was very windy, but the more than 7,000 tons coal ship was very stable in the wind and waves, and there was no feeling of turbulence.
The cargo cabin and the deck were full of people. They boarded the ship at noon the first day and arrived at the waters near Hakodate the next afternoon. There, small and medium-sized steam ships took people from the big ships and sent them to the coast.
Hokkaido was an undeveloped area. As far as the eye could see, most of it was wasteland. The people who got off the ship were first sent to a circled area to be screened. The old shogunate and the remnants of the Aoyu vassal alliance were easier to deal with. They all knew each other, and there was a reliable person to vouch for them. They were divided into their respective areas.
Regardless of whether these troops had brought luggage or not, no one gave them a set of army-green bedding first, then gave them tools and began to go to the areas designated by the various troops to build their own camps and residences. The scattered personnel were more troublesome. At this time, when it was unclear whether they were enemies or allies, they had to be investigated.
These camps were set up around Hakodate's Western-style armed fortress, the Pentagonal Castle, in which the leaders of the Republic of Prawn were holding a meeting. On one side of the long table were the five commanders of the China Dispatch Army. Opposite them were the five leaders of the Republic of Prawn. Behind the leaders of the Republic of Prawn were the cadres of the Republic of Prawn. Among these cadres, there were not only Japanese, but also some French. France had always supported the shogunate. Even in this desperate situation, some of the French people did not abandon the shogunate.
"Does your country mean to request us to start farming in the Shrimp Islands?" Ben Takeo asked in surprise.
The political commissar of the China Dispatch Army, Zhou Xinhua, replied, "It's not that we're asking you to do anything. It's that your country claims to want to establish the Republic of Prawn. Since it's your goal, we think it's necessary for your country to implement a country's system in the Shrimp Islands. "
The leaders of the Republic of Prawn were all determined people, and there was no lack of smart people among them. But after listening to Zhou Xinhua's words, they were momentarily puzzled. The director of the Shinsengumi, Kondo Isami, had known Zhou Xinhua for a long time. In the first battle of Tobirama, they fought side by side with Zhou Xinhua and defeated the Tobaku. Based on this sense of identity, he was the first to understand Zhou Xinhua's meaning. Kondo Isami asked, "Zhou-san, do you think your navy can stop the traitors' navy?"
Zhou Xinhua nodded. "Yes, I think our navy can, of course, stop the Tobaku's navy. But now, the supplies supplied to the Republic of Prawn are all from us. I think everyone is very clear that our country can't overthrow the Meiji government that is currently in control of the Mikado. So, forcing the Meiji government to recognize the existence of the Republic of Prawn is our main goal. If the Republic of Prawn wants to continue like this, completing a self-sufficient national system is also a top priority. "
The leaders of the Republic of Prawn discussed Zhou Xinhua's words for a while. Ben Takeo asked, "If the traitors finally recognize the Republic of Prawn, and we can also be self-sufficient, will your country stop providing us with aid?"
"We may stop providing aid, but we hope to cooperate with your country," Zhou Xinhua said.
"What kind of cooperation?" The leaders of the Republic of Prawn held their breaths in concentration. This time, the Liberation Army did not come empty-handed. They brought tens of thousands of summer clothes, bedding, axes, plows, sickles, and other tools as aid. Most importantly, they brought over rifles, artillery, and rice that was enough to feed 20,000 people for a year. Of course, this was the "Japanese rice".
With these supplies, the people of the Republic of Prawn were greatly relieved. Even if the Japanese could survive by eating one rice ball a day. But with so many people crowded around Hakodate, the food supply would be a big problem. These supplies were provided by China. China could bring so much aid when they came. Once China left, what would the Republic of Prawn do in the future?
Hearing that the Republic of Prawn has the opportunity to cooperate with China in the future, the leaders of the Republic of Prawn pricked up their ears, waiting to hear how the cooperation would be carried out.
"Shrimp, this place is very suitable for raising horses. We hope to build a military horse farm here. Our country will provide the capital and technology, and your country will need the land for the horses, as well as the manpower for the horses. Moreover, there are coal mines and iron mines in Shrimp. We also hope to invest in the opening of coal mines and iron mines here to help your country build its own industry. In the future, your country can manufacture its own guns and cannons, as well as all kinds of civilian ships and ironclad warships. At that time, our country's investment will be profitable, and your country can rely on itself to protect itself. This is good for everyone. What do you think? "Zhou Xinhua asked.
The Republic of Prawn was just a group of old samurai who were determined not to surrender to the Meiji government. All they could think of was to fight and not lose. But what Zhou Xinhua described to them was a brand new future. In this future, not only would the Republic of Prawn be completely independent, but it would also be able to manufacture its own guns, cannons, and ironclad warships, as well as raise horses. With such a powerful force, given time, the Republic of Prawn could counterattack Honshu and overthrow the Meiji government.
But from the dead end to the hope of reviving their country, the leaders of the Republic of Prawn felt that this was too unreal. They wanted to believe in such a glorious future, but they couldn't believe that such a future would really befall them.
Looking at the excited and confused expressions of the leaders of the Republic of Prawn, Zhou Xinhua looked calm, but his heart was not calm. Zhou Xinhua was an excellent soldier, and he was barely competent in the ideological and political work of the army. But he was not a civil official. All of this was told to Zhou Xinhua by Vézé after he met Vézé before leaving Beijing.
To rely on their own strength to build a country, Zhou Xinhua could understand this problem. But the so-called Republic of Prawn was only a small territory, and its population was even smaller, probably only a few hundred thousand people. How could such a small territory and such a small population fight against the Japanese Meiji government for a long time? Even if what Vézé said about coal and iron was true, no matter how he looked at it, China was simply supporting the Republic of Prawn. The Republic of Prawn was a big burden for China.
Vézé's view was completely different. "The Republic of Prawn has a small population, which means that their market is small. There is no way to grow cotton in such a godforsaken place. If they do business with us, we can use textiles to exchange for coal and iron. We can even set up a military base in the Republic of Prawn and set up a supply station. You should also be very clear about the significance of a supply station that can produce its own coal for the navy. "
When Zhou Xinhua heard these words, he did not quite understand the significance of a supply station that can produce its own coal, but after participating in this military operation, he immediately understood. China's fleet had a total of 22 warships, of which six were transport ships with a tonnage of more than 7,000 tons. The largest logistics material carried by transport ships was coal. After the coal was unloaded at the port, the coal ship returned to Tianjin Port to continue loading coal. If this long-distance transportation could be directly eliminated, it could save a lot of resources and time.
Originally, the Republic of Prawn's strongest fleet was their fleet, the core of this fleet was the ironclad "Mizar" and several other warships. Because of the storm not long ago, these ships were damaged. The ironclad "Mizar" was damaged and could not be repaired in the port of the Republic of Prawn. After the loss of this powerful ironclad that could suppress the enemy, their naval advantage was gone. If the Republic of Prawn had a certain degree of industrial capacity, not only could their warships be repaired in Prawn, but China would also have a new repair point, which was very important for the fleet's navigation.
Zhou Xinhua was willing to obey orders to fight for the shogunate in Japan, but in his heart, he still felt unhappy. After the discussion with Vézé, Zhou Xinhua suddenly saw the light. There were many things that the shogunate could not support in the long run, so the Chinese army withdrew. It was possible that the shogunate's remnants would support them, so the Great Tang Squad returned. This understanding made Zhou Xinhua feel that his career had suddenly become a lot bigger. Strength and weakness, victory and defeat, suffering losses and gaining advantages, these seemingly contradictory things had an inherent unity. Even saying that it was a blessing in disguise was not enough to explain the change.
With the absolute advantage, China could have its own long-term plans, but the Republic of Prawn could not indulge in the beautiful fantasy of the future. Ben Takeo looked at Zhou Xinhua and said seriously, "On behalf of the Republic of Prawn, I would like to express my gratitude for your country's support. However, the future can be discussed in the future. The key now is to sink the Ironclad and at the same time, defend the Pentagonal Arc. I wonder how your country can help us in these matters? "
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
