Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Tianjin Prefecture

A mighty-looking general sat in the middle, holding a copy of "The Art of War" in his hand and reading it carefully.

At this time, Shi Rongchun walked in from outside and bowed, saying, "I pay my respects to the old prince!"

The person sitting on the seat was the pillar of the Qing Dynasty, Prince Senggelinqin of Khorchin, the famous monk king. Emperor Xianfeng had just appointed the monk king to supervise the military affairs of the capital and serve as an imperial commissioner.

Senggelinqin smiled and said, "Oh? Is it Yintang who is back? Come on, sit down, no need to be so polite!"

When Shi Rongchun sat down, Senggelinqin said with a smile, "Yintang, how was the inspection of the Dagu Fort today?"

Shi Rongchun sighed and replied, "Your Highness, aren't you aware of the situation? Although the imperial court has made great efforts to renovate the Dagu Fort, the soldiers still lack adequate training, and the fort is running low on ammunition. The men, in particular, haven't received their pay in three months, and morale is low. If the foreign fleet attacks, what will we do?"

Senggelinqin's face darkened, and he replied, "Rongchun, I know the truth. But money and grain, money and grain. The red-haired people have been making trouble for several years now. All the money and grain of our Qing Dynasty has been sent to the south. The treasury is empty. It is not easy to raise money and grain. Tomorrow morning, I will submit an official document to the court. At worst, I will go to the capital in person to get some military pay back..."

Shi Rongchun also knew Senggelinqin's difficulties. The national treasury was empty and the Ministry of Revenue had no money. Even if the King of Monks was extremely powerful, he could only sigh helplessly, nodded silently, and said nothing more.

Senggelinqin asked, "Rongchun, when you came in just now, I saw a hint of excitement on your face. Is there any good news?"

Shi Rongchun forced a smile and said, "Compared to the current situation, this kind of thing is not a big deal. I have discovered a talent in Dagukou, a talent you would never have thought of!"

"Oh?"

Senggelinqin showed a hint of surprise on his face. Shi Rongchun has always been strict in managing the army. Since he can call him a talent, he must have some ability.

Senggelinqin asked, "What unexpected talent?"

Shi Rongchun replied, "Because this guy is just a rookie who's been in the army for less than six months, in his twenties. When I arrived at the Dagu Fort, I happened to encounter a few veteran soldiers bullying him. Unexpectedly, this young man showed no fear at all. With a flurry of punches and kicks, he knocked over a dozen veterans down. Commander He Zhengqing tried to separate them, but he threw him from behind and sent him sprawling flat on his back. His skills are truly remarkable."

Senggelinqin nodded. He knew that any talent Shi Rongchun favored would have more than just this ability. If it was just martial arts, there were plenty of them in the army. At least among his generals, even if not all of them possessed this skill, it wouldn't be difficult to pick out a dozen. Even though He Zhengqing was known for his bravery, there were still experts in the army who could surpass him.

Shi Rongchun continued, "Your Highness, being good at boxing and kicking is a minor matter. The most important thing is that he is proficient in firearms, especially Western firearms!"

Senggelinqin raised his eyebrows and his expression finally became serious. Being proficient in Western firearms was rare in the army at that time, and those who could be called proficient were even rarer!

Senggelinqin asked, "Are you proficient in Western firearms?"

Shi Rongchun nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Highness. I have a set of American-made revolvers in my possession, as you know, but they were damaged some time ago. When I took out the revolvers, he actually recognized the names of the revolvers at a glance. Just based on this kind of eyesight, it is already amazing. I didn't expect that he would take the revolvers from my hands and dismantle them into a pile of parts in the blink of an eye..."

hiss!

Senggelinqin gasped. He had dismantled the pistol in a flash. This required not only skilled techniques but also courage! Without courage, which soldier would dare to grab the admiral's gun and dismantle it into pieces without asking for permission?

Shi Rongchun smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, this guy not only dismantled the pistol, but also fixed the problem in the blink of an eye, reassembled it, and with one shot, he broke the clothesline a hundred steps away..."

Snapped!

Senggelinqin's military manual fell to the ground, stunned! Senggelinqin was stunned for a moment longer than a month. He repaired the gun in a flash, and then shot down the clothesline a hundred steps away. I'm afraid there are only a few such talents in the entire Qing Dynasty!

What the Qing Dynasty lacks most now is talents who are proficient in Western weapons!

Senggelinqin grabbed Shi Rongchun by the collar and shouted, "Yintang, where is he? What's his name?"

Senggelinqin was really a little anxious. Seeing that the war was imminent, he had long experienced the power of the foreigners. The power of their firearms made even a brave general like Senggelinqin fearful. Senggelinqin had no chance of winning the upcoming war!

Now that I suddenly discovered such a talent, how can I not be moved?

Shi Rongchun replied, "Your Highness, I have temporarily left him at the North Fort to assist He Zhengqing in garrisoning the North Fort and conducting military training. The war is imminent, and He Zhengqing needs such help!"

"Asshole! I need help like this more!"

Senggelinqin roared angrily!

Shi Rongchun was somewhat surprised by Senggelinqin's attitude. He said nervously, "Your Highness, Your Highness, please be patient. I haven't finished what I want to say yet!"

Senggelinqin stopped indignantly and said, "Tell me, what else is so special about this kid?"

Shi Rongchun explained his inspection of the North Fort to Senggelinqin in detail. Senggelinqin sat silently in his chair. Talent, real talent, martial arts, skills, courage, and insight are all extraordinary. Such talents are what the court needs most! The entire South is now relying on Zeng Guofan for support, while the North is struggling to hold on. Although it is not as serious as the South, the threat of the Nian Army is getting heavier day by day. The foreign warships are crisscrossing the sea, threatening Tianjin at any time!

This is really a blessing from heaven. Even though this person is too young and lacks some experience, he will definitely be a talented person who can stand on his own in the future!

Senggelinqin asked, "Rongchun, why did you place him at the North Fort? Such a talent should be brought back to Tianjin to assist in military affairs! Don't you know how much pressure I am under right now? No one can predict when those foreign devils will enter Dagukou and launch a full-scale attack on us!"

Shi Rongchun sighed, "Your Highness, I know you're eager to recruit talented individuals, but he's just a rough diamond. To truly shine, he must be polished. A new recruit must be tempered on the battlefield. First, it helps him hone his morale. Second, we need to test his quality through the upcoming training. Without testing him, how can we know if he's Zhao Kuo, a man of few words but theory? My plan is to use the upcoming battle of Dagukou to test this kid's true capabilities!"

Senggelinqin nodded. Shi Rongchun's words were definitely wise words. Which famous general didn't fight his way through the battlefield? Perhaps this guy was blessed by God and had extraordinary talent, but without the experience of war, he ultimately lacked foundation!

Shi Rongchun nodded and replied, "Your Highness, since I've put Liu Ye in charge of the North Fort's training, I need to allocate enough ammunition for it. I've checked the ammunition depot, and the entire North Fort has only a few thousand ammunition. This amount of ammunition is not enough for fighting, so how can we use it for training..."