1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 550 Vulnerable

In Xiangshan Port, Liang Yao waited impatiently for the outcome of this war.

If the British and French allied forces wanted to sacrifice human lives and insisted on taking Hong Kong Island, he really didn't have any good ideas.

After all, early machine guns were not very reliable. After several rounds of high-intensity shooting, it is estimated that more than half of the machine guns need to be repaired and troubleshooted. If the British and French forces insist on attacking Hong Kong Island, they will not give the mechanics of the machine gun regiment any time to repair the machine guns. .

"Retreat! The British and French forces retreat!"

Soon, Liang Yao received information that the British and French forces suffered heavy casualties in their first landing on Hong Kong Island. They also saw that Victoria Harbor had been destroyed, so they did not take advantage of the hard nut of Hong Kong Island.

The commander-in-chief of the British and French forces was far more courageous than Liang Yao expected.

The British and French allied forces not only gave up on retaking Hong Kong Island, but the main force also carried out plunder in Guangzhou City. After burning several government offices, they evacuated Guangzhou City with the captured officials and headed north.

What happens next is beyond Liang Yao's control.

Training troops, protecting Xiangshan, and seizing Hong Kong. Except for the goal of entering the embassy in Beijing, he has achieved all other goals.

He still needs the help of Britain and France to achieve the purpose of bringing the embassy to Beijing.

As for the next peace treaty signed between the Qing court and Britain and France that would be humiliating and humiliating to the country, as long as the land near Xiangshan is not cut off, it has little to do with him.

On January 15, 1857, the British and French forces captured Zhoushan again and hired local civilian workers to rebuild the Zhoushan Pier.

Why is it said to be rebuilt? Because after the last drug war, the British army occupied the Zhoushan Islands and built a harbor and berthed ships on the islands.

When negotiating to cede land in the Treaty of Nanjing, the British initially preferred to cede Zhoushan.

However, the Zhoushan area was an anti-Qing base for the remnants of the former Ming Dynasty. The Qing government was very sensitive to the Zhoushan area. In addition, Zhoushan was closer to the tax center in the south of the Yangtze River and closer to the capital. Therefore, the Qing government had a very tough stance on ceding Zhoushan. The British only The next best thing was to cede Hong Kong Island, which was less sensitive to the Qing government and more southerly.

However, after the Treaty of Nanjing was signed, the British used Zhoushan as collateral and refused to return Zhoushan on the grounds that the compensation of 21 million eagle oceans required collateral.

It was not until 1847 that the Qing government had repaid most of the loan, and the British were eager to enter Guangzhou for trade, so they returned Zhoushan Island to the Qing government.

The anti-barbarian sentiment in Ningbo Prefecture was not as strong as in the Guangfu area. After the British troops landed in Ningbo Prefecture, they easily hired local people to build Zhoushan Port for them with the property looted from Guangzhou City.

Because the wages paid by the British and French forces were very high, local people immediately joined the army to repair Zhoushan Port for the British and French forces.

The hard work and self-consciousness of the local people even astonished the British and French soldiers, especially the British soldiers who came from the Indian colonies. In India, when they hired Indians to work, they had to monitor them and beat them with whips and sticks from time to time. I won't cheat or cheat.

The British and French forces only occupied Zhoushan and not the surrounding state capitals, which also made local officials heave a sigh of relief.

They had a very tacit understanding with the British and French allied forces.

After all, if they want to commit a crime, they don't have the ability.

After establishing a foothold in Zhoushan.

The British envoy Earl Elgin and the French envoy Earl Geluo sent China Tongba Xiali to Shanghai to meet with He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang. They told He Guiqing that they had just occupied Guangzhou City and now occupied Zhoushan, and asked He Guiqing to come forward on behalf of the Qing government and Special envoys from Britain and France held peace talks.

Unexpectedly, He Guiqing was also a piece of meat on a hob. He made it clear that he was the governor of Liangjiang and that the affairs of Guangzhou City were not under his control but were under the control of Ye Mingchen, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi.

Park Li told He Guiqing very seriously that Ye Mingchen was now detained by them and was in Zhoushan.

He Guiqing became even more happy when he heard this, and told Ba Xiali that you and Ye Mingchen would have an agreement with Ye Mingchen Bingzhuye. I wish you could reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Bashali told Elgin about this, and Elgin was so angry that he stamped his feet. He understood that He Guiqing was pretending to be confused. If I want to be able to talk to Ye Mingchen, why do I need to come to you?

Elgin once again sent Park Li to visit He Guiqing and told He Guiqing in a tough manner that if He Guiqing was unwilling to negotiate peace on behalf of the Qing government, Zhoushan would not be returned.

He Guiqing still looked indifferent and told Basha Li that matters in Zhoushan were not under his control, but under the control of Wang Yide, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. If he wanted to discuss Zhoushan's affairs, he should go to Fuzhou to talk to Wang Yide, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang.

Elgin then asked Bashali to visit Fuzhou and interview Wang Yide.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yide also kicked the ball.

Elgin and Gro, who were kicked around like balls, finally lost their patience.

Elgin was furious and ordered the British and French forces to invade Shanghai.

The Yue Yong who were originally stationed in Shanghai had already moved north in advance. The local defenders had no intention of fighting. The British and French forces easily invaded Shanghai, captured He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang alive, and locked He Guiqing and Ye Mingchen in the same room.

The two feudal officials of the Qing Dynasty looked at each other in the room.

Now He Guiqing could not only have night talks with Pasha Li and Erjin Bingzhu, but also have a long talk with Ye Mingchen.

As for Wang Yide, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, he was lucky enough to escape because the British and French forces were not in his way.

After discussion, Elgin, Geluo and others decided not to waste time dealing with these useless governors, but to go directly north to attack Dagukou and go to the capital city to talk with Emperor Xianfeng.

After the logistics ships of the British and French coalition forces could be berthed in Zhoushan Port, the British and French coalition forces left a regiment of troops to guard Zhoushan, and the main force moved northward to approach Dagu.

April 20, 1857.

British and French warships arrived at the mouth of Dagu and bombarded it.

After losing three shallow-water heavy gunboats and 186 soldiers, the British and French coalition forces successfully landed at Dagukou with only more than 100 marines.

The resistance of the Qing army on the Dagukou Fort was far less intense than that of the Guangdong Navy on the Humen Fort. This was something that all British and French officers and soldiers did not expect.

This is the gateway to the capital of the Qing Dynasty! The intensity of the resistance was actually not as good as a fort group protecting the capital of Guangdong Province!

Once bitten, twice shy.

Due to the heavy losses in the landing operation on Hong Kong Island, the top brass of the British and French coalition forces became much more cautious when landing at Dagukou.

Only one company of Indian soldiers was dispatched to land and conduct reconnaissance firepower for the large forces in order to find out the reality of the Qing army at the Dagukou Fort.

When the Qing troops stationed at Baihe South Fort and Baihe North Fort saw that the British and French forces had landed, they abandoned the forts and fled.

When the foreigners came, they would have been able to afford the royal rations by firing a few cannons. It was not worth holding on and risking their lives on the fort.

Therefore, a very strange scene occurred. A company of British and Indian soldiers who had landed faced the empty Baihenan Fort and did not dare to approach.

Finally, under the constant urging of the British officers, they bravely rushed to the Baihe South Fort.

The British and Indian troops who rushed to the Baihe South Fort realized that it was just a false alarm, and they quickly occupied the Baihe North Fort.

At this point, the gate of the capital city is wide open.

The main forces of the British and French coalition forces landed continuously from Dagukou.

The key to the capital made by Prince Gong with 500,000 taels of silver from Yifei Kuping was vulnerable to the British and French forces. Even the British and French forces did not stop it for a day.

"Sir, the ammunition depots of both forts have been inspected and there is sufficient ammunition. The artillery on both forts is in good condition and can still be used."

A British major reported to Grant, Seymour, Montauban and others about the situation of the two forts at Dagukou.

Grant also personally inspected the artillery on the fort. These Napoleon cannons were all rifled, some were drilled before leaving the factory, and some were drilled later.

No matter what it is, these artillery are not inferior to the artillery they are equipped with.

"It seems that the Guangdong Navy and the Yue Yong gave us the illusion that most of the Qing Dynasty's troops are still as miserable as they were 16 years ago." Grant laughed.

Grant, who had captured the Dagukou Fort, was in a great mood.

He ordered his men to dismantle all the artillery on the Baihe South Fort and Baihe North Fort, and bring the ammunition stored in the two forts for use as field artillery.

After losing Hong Kong Island, the British and French allied forces lost the military supplies stored on Hong Kong Island. Their military supplies and ammunition reserves were not abundant.

These cannons in good condition and piles of ammunition at Dagukou Fort are simply gifts given to them by God.

"I think now, the proud Emperor of the Qing Dynasty must come forward and have a serious talk with us about setting up embassies in each other's capitals and compensating military expenses."

Elgin quickly wrote a letter and ordered Pashali to deliver it to the Qing emperor in the capital city.

Escorted by more than 50 cavalry, Parkes and others set out from Dagukou to the capital city with great fanfare.