Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 415 For reference only (fourth chapter)
The first year of Kaitai in the Tang Dynasty, 1856 in the Western calendar.

The tenth day of June.

That day, the sky is clear and the air is clear.

There is not a cloud in the sky!
The azure blue sea and the sky are connected as one.

A sea breeze blew, and the sails fluttered.

A large fleet slowly sailed out of Tianjin Port and headed northeast.

Leading the way were three steam-powered ironclad ships.

Behind these three steam ironclad ships was a fleet of sailing ships that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Although the Tang Dynasty is now fully developing the shipbuilding industry and building steam-clad ships on a large scale.

But after all, time is limited. Although the Bohai Fleet has three steam ironclad ships as the fleet's trump card and main force.

But the main body of the fleet is still those traditional sailing ships.

There are even quite a few flat-bottomed sand boats among them.

Chen Guotai stood on the deck of the ship, looking intently towards the northeast, his fists clenched, a wildfire burning in his heart.

After this battle, Chen Guotai will take a further step forward!
Beside him were Li Yiwen, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, and Yang Fuqing, the commander of the 9th Army Division responsible for the landing operation.

The fleet marched towards Liaodong in a mighty manner.

There is a burning ambition in everyone's heart.

……

The capital city is peaceful and tranquil.

Not long after Li Yi issued the order for the army to march out, he received another piece of important news.

"Your Majesty, urgent news from Europe."

"Tsar Nicholas I has died, and the new Tsar, Alexander II, is seeking to end the Crimean War through diplomatic means."

To put it bluntly, it means seeking peace.

The so-called attempt to end the war through diplomatic means was nothing more than a pretense by the Tsarist Russia to save face.

Li Liang appeared in front of Li Yi again and said with a serious expression.

When Li Yi heard this, his expression changed slightly.

"The Tsar is dead?"

"Is it because of the war in Crimea?"

If Li Yi remembered correctly, in the original history, Tsar Nicholas I committed suicide by taking poison because of the defeat in the Crimean War.

Now, he had just heard the news of the death of Nicholas I, and subconsciously thought of the Crimean battlefield.

Li Liang nodded.

"Your Majesty is wise, indeed."

"According to the information currently available to our Tang Dynasty, a major war broke out in Crimea. The British and French allied forces severely damaged the Tsarist Russian reinforcements led by Prince Menshikov in a battle in Balaklava, not far from the Sevastopol Fortress."

"Later, they captured Sevastopol and annihilated the Russian garrison in Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet."

"The Crimean War is over!"

Li Yi heard this with a serious expression.

"In this case, the strategic window for Tang Dynasty to expand into Southeast Asia may not last long..."

You know, the reason why the Tang Dynasty’s current expansion in Southeast Asia is so smooth.

This is because European powers such as Britain and France focused their main attention on the Crimean battlefield.

Unable to take care of Far Eastern affairs!

Otherwise, given Britain's trouble-making character, it would be impossible for them to watch the Tang Dynasty expand its interests in Southeast Asia without intervening.

Although in the Crimea situation, only Tsarist Russia expressed its desire for peace talks, the attitudes of Britain and France were not certain.

However, according to Li Yi's estimation, the Crimean War would not last long.

Taking a deep breath, Li Yi asked.

"What about the attitude of Britain and France?" "Do they also want to negotiate?"

Upon hearing this, Li Liang spoke with a somewhat conflicted expression.

"In reply to your Majesty, based on the information obtained by the Military Intelligence Department."

"The British government has just completed a cabinet change. The Aberdeen cabinet has stepped down, and the newly appointed Prime Minister Palmerston is a typical foreign policy hardliner."

"The British side was not enthusiastic about the peace talks expressed by Tsarist Russia."

"The French side seems to be interested in peace talks."

Li Yi stroked the beard on his chin and began to think.

Li Yi knew Palmerston, a notoriously hard-line prime minister in British history.

In history, he had pushed for the two Opium Wars, interfered in the Taiping Rebellion, sent troops to Crimea to fight for territory with Tsarist Russia, suppressed the Indian uprising, and got involved in the American Civil War...

A real war maniac!

Now that he is in power, Britain will most likely not stop there in Crimea, but will instead think about further expanding its war results and weakening Tsarist Russia's voice in the Middle East.

As for France?
It is normal for France to have this attitude.

The reason why France fanned the flames of Crimea was to get rid of the restrictions of the Holy Alliance.

But with the outbreak of the Crimean War, the Holy Alliance was broken up.

Having achieved his goal, it is understandable that Napoleon III wanted to quit while he was ahead.

After figuring this out, Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief and then said.

"If this is the case, the Crimean War will probably not end in a short time."

"The leader of this war is Britain, and France's attitude is for reference only."

"Since the British side still wants to continue the war, then the fight for Crimea will have to continue."

Taking a deep breath, Li Yi turned and said to Zhang Zhidong beside him.

"Summon the Russian envoy Nicholas and ask him to express my condolences to Nicholas I on my behalf."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhidong nodded to show that he understood.

He understood in his heart that Li Yi was probably preparing to add fuel to the fire in Crimea.

Well, Zhang Zhidong’s idea was correct, because Li Yi did have such a plan.

He doesn't want Britain and France to be able to take away Crimea easily!

As long as the Russians can keep Britain and France stuck in Crimea, Li Yi doesn't mind giving some support to the Russians who are isolated and helpless in diplomacy.

After saying this, Li Yi continued.

"Oh, by the way, send a message to the Military Affairs Council and have them immediately draw up a battle plan to capture Manila and Batavia, and prepare in advance for the war to conquer Southeast Asia."

"If the Crimean War is really going to end, my Tang Dynasty will take Manila and Batavia and control Southeast Asia before Britain and France withdraw from Crimea!"

"Even further explore the Strait of Malacca!"

Today, Malacca is not under the control of the Dutch, but is under the rule of the British Straits Settlements.

As early as 1824, in order to gain control of the entire island of Sumatra, the Netherlands signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 with Britain.

In the treaty, the Netherlands ceded Malacca on the Malay Peninsula to Britain in exchange for Britain giving up the Bencoolen region on Sumatra.

Just two years later, in 1826, the British East India Company decided to integrate its three port territories in Malaya, Singapore, Penang and Malacca to form the Straits Settlements.

The capital was originally located in Penang but was moved to Singapore in 1832.

To put it bluntly, Li Yi's intention to spy on Malacca is not just to target Jose.

The sword is also aimed at Britain!
In Li Yi's vision, the area east of Malacca must be the Tang Dynasty's private territory and belong to the East Asian Confucian cultural circle. No Western forces will be allowed to interfere!
Whoever reaches out will be chopped off!

……

PS: I have finished paying off the four chapters I owe.

Let’s talk about adding more!
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(End of this chapter)