Chapter 143 Hong Xiuquan: Oh no, the clown is actually me?!
Nanyang Prefecture, inside the Taiping Army camp.
The Taiping Army led by Shi Dakai is undergoing training.
On the huge parade ground, soldiers training can be seen everywhere, constantly changing their formations.
Shouts and sounds of gunfire continued to ring out.
Along with it, there were bursts of horse hooves sounds.
A team of cavalrymen rode slowly, but occasionally someone fell off their horse, causing the formation to become chaotic and making them look very embarrassed.
When Shi Dakai saw this scene, the corner of his mouth twitched. He simply couldn't bear to watch it.
Taking his eyes off the parade ground, Shi Dakai spoke to his brother Shi Xiangzhen who was standing beside him.
"Our cavalry is still not good enough. We need to continue training."
"If you want to gain a foothold in the Central Plains, you can't do it without a cavalry."
Since the defeat at Luoyang, Shi Dakai realized how passive it would be to fight in the north without a strong cavalry.
Therefore, after settling down in Nanyang City, he began to train cavalry using the Qing army horses captured in the Battle of Bowangpo.
But the effect is somewhat unsatisfactory.
Just as people in the north are not good at water battles and can capsize when rowing a dragon boat, the Guangxi folks really have no talent for riding horses.
Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that a gifted squash might pop out from a group of potatoes.
But they are only a minority after all!
After practicing horse riding for a period of time, dozens of people have been killed or injured, but there is still no effect.
A walking horse is fine, but a galloping horse will surely fall.
Not to mention fighting on horseback or shooting arrows on horseback.
They really can't do it.
Shi Xiangzhen smiled bitterly when he heard this.
"King Yi, our brothers have really tried their best."
"This horse is sitting under my butt, but it won't obey no matter how I manipulate it..."
Shi Dakai was speechless when he heard this, but facing the facts, he had no choice but to speak.
"That still requires practice. Hard work can make up for lack of talent."
Suddenly, Shi Dakai seemed to remember something and spoke.
"By the way, I remember that there was also a Nianzi uprising in Henan against the Qing Dynasty, and they were not short of cavalry."
"How about this, send someone to contact them and see if we can recruit them."
"If we can recruit a group of Nian troops, then our cavalry will be ready."
Upon hearing this, Shi Xiangzhen nodded to show that he understood.
"I understand. I will order someone to do it."
After saying this, Shi Xiangzhen prepared to say goodbye and leave.
But at this moment, a group of people came from a distance.
The leader was a woman with a graceful figure and beautiful appearance. She was wearing plain mourning clothes, which made her look even more charming.
It was Hong Xuanjiao.
"Brother Yi Wang, someone from the Kingdom of Heaven sent a letter to you and me."
"Come and see!"
Hong Xuanjiao walked up to Shi Dakai and spoke with an excited look.
As he spoke, he handed a letter to Shi Dakai.
While Shi Dakai was reading the letter, Hong Xuanjiao explained.
"The letter is from the Heavenly King himself."
"The king expressed in the letter that he wanted us to return to heaven..."
Shi Dakai nodded and began to read the letter himself.
[From my brother and sister]
[My brother is in Tianjing, and suddenly heard the tragic news from Luoyang, that the King of the West has ascended to heaven. It is hard for me to be proud of myself, and I am so sad...]
[However, the dead are gone, and the living should still mourn. What happened in Changsha was an accident and should not have happened. Since you are gone, I cannot bear to see my brothers and sisters wandering outside and suffering. I hope my brothers and sisters can lead the people back to Tianjing and share the glory of the world...]
【My foolish brother Xiuquan pays respect to you. 】
Although Hong Xiuquan was a ridiculous person, he was quite serious when he was serious.
The content of the letter he wrote this time was very sincere.
He hoped to persuade Shi Dakai to lead his troops back to Tianjing.
Hong Xiuquan has now reacted.
The Southern King died in battle, the Western King died in battle, the Wing King fled, and the Northern King left the capital...
There is no longer any force in Tianjing City that can control and balance Yang Xiuqing.
Yang Xiuqing's power had begun to threaten Hong Xiuquan, the Heavenly King.
This was unacceptable to Hong Xiuquan.
In order to change the current situation, Hong Xiuquan urgently needed someone in Tianjing City who could check and balance Yang Xiuqing.
And Shi Dakai is the best candidate!
Shi Dakai closed the letter and turned to ask.
"What do the Hong sisters think about this? Should we lead our troops back to Tianjing?"
Hong Xuanjiao said immediately after hearing this.
"That's natural. We are already part of the kingdom of heaven."
"The reason why we left the Kingdom of Heaven before was purely an accident. No one could have imagined that the events in Changsha would turn out like this."
"Now that the Western King has ascended to heaven and the accident has been resolved, returning to heaven is our best option at the moment." Hong Xuanjiao is not only Xiao Chaogui's wife, but also Yang Xiuqing's sister.
Since her husband Xiao Chaogui died in the war, it is only natural for her to seek protection from her brother.
Well, actually Hong Xuanjiao’s original surname was Huang, but after she was adopted into the Yang family, she changed her surname to Yang. She and Yang Xiuqing were half-siblings.
The reason why she was called Hong Xuanjiao was because her identity in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was the daughter of Heavenly Father and the sister of Heavenly Brother, so she was falsely called Hong Xuanjiao.
Then, everyone started calling it that!
Upon hearing this, Shi Dakai did not immediately agree to it. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, looked thoughtful, and answered casually.
"I think this matter needs further consideration."
"After the Changsha Incident, my brother the Western King and I led our army to leave the Heavenly Kingdom, which undoubtedly offended the Eastern King to death."
"If we lead our army back to Heaven, I'm afraid we'll be held accountable in the future..."
Hong Xiujiao returned to heaven and was protected by Yang Xiuqing.
But what about Shi Dakai?
Returning to heaven is easy to say.
But why should he go back? To be bullied by both sides?
Upon hearing this, Hong Xuanjiao also nodded.
"Brother Xi Wang, what you said makes sense."
"So what do you think we should do next, Brother Xi Wang?"
Shi Dakai said with a frown.
"Either go west into Sichuan, or go south again and fight in Huguang."
"Our cavalry strength has always been a shortcoming. Without a strong cavalry, we will be at a great disadvantage in fighting in the Central Plains."
From the bottom of his heart, Shi Dakai preferred to enter Sichuan.
In his opinion, Sichuan is a good place.
With a large population, rich resources, and beautiful products, coupled with its easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain, as long as it can be conquered, it will be the foundation of kingship and hegemony.
The best proof is that Ji Han invaded Shu and then divided the world into three parts.
Of course, going south to Huguang is also a good idea.
In this way, he can contact the main force of the Heavenly Kingdom to the east and contact Li Yi's troops to the south.
We can support each other and better cope with the military pressure from the Qing demons!
But precisely because of this, Shi Dakai is still somewhat undecided.
West or south? That is the question!
Hong Xuanjiao had a thoughtful expression on her face. She glanced at Shi Dakai obscurely, then lowered her head again.
She thought that if Shi Dakai didn't want to return to Tianjing, then she would have to split up with Shi Dakai...
Anyway, she was planning to return to Tianjing!
Hong Xiuquan would never have imagined that his handwritten letter not only failed to bring back Shi Dakai, who could check and balance Yang Xiuqing, but instead called back Hong Xuanjiao, who was on Yang Xiuqing's side.
Hong Xiuquan: Oh no, the clown is actually me?!
……
Foshan, Arsenal!
Cenxi Arsenal moved to Foshan in early November last year.
Before the arsenal moved, Foshan had already started the preliminary preparations such as building factory buildings and recruiting workers under the instructions of Li Yi.
Therefore, after the experienced workers and equipment from Cenxi arrived in Foshan, the arsenal quickly resumed production after a brief adjustment.
Now it is the first year of Zhaowu in the Tang Dynasty and the end of the second year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty. Two months have passed in a flash. All aspects of the Foshan Arsenal have passed the running-in period and are gradually getting on the right track.
Production capacity began to develop explosively!
Li Yi, accompanied by Zhao Ke, the director of the Ordnance Department under the General Staff, came to the arsenal to inspect in person.
Well, after Li Yi proclaimed himself king and established the system, all levels of the Grand Marshal's Office were upgraded one level. The Department of Internal Affairs became the Ministry of the Interior, and the Department of General Staff became the General Staff Department.
All subordinate departments were also upgraded to departments.
"Please give me a detailed introduction to the development of our military arsenal."
Li Yi walked in the production workshop, touching various machines and equipment in the workshop from time to time and checking the workers' working environment.
He asked as he walked.
Zhao Ke heard this and spoke.
"Your Majesty, my Foshan Arsenal now has a total of ten workshops."
"They are rifles, pistols, artillery, gunpowder, knives, bullets, shells, rockets, grenades, protective gear, etc."
"Among them, the rifle workshop's production capacity has increased from the previous monthly production of 700 rear-mounted rifles to 1,200."
"The main product of the pistol workshop is the imitation Colt revolver, with a production capacity of 200 per month."
Pistols are mainly distributed to officers at all levels for combat supervision and self-defense purposes.
"As for artillery, the production capacity has been expanded from 40 artillery pieces per month to 70 artillery pieces per month."
"Among them, there are thirty five-jin cannons, twenty ten-jin cannons, ten fifteen-jin cannons, and the rest are twenty-jin cannons and five thirty-jin cannons of a larger caliber."
"The 15-pound, 20-pound, and 30-pound cannons of the Tang Dynasty are respectively comparable to the Western standard 18-pound, 24-pound, and 36-pound cannons. Whether in terms of range or power, they are no worse than the Western countries' cannons of the same caliber, and may even be stronger."
"That is to say, the Tang Dynasty now has a certain ability to produce large-caliber heavy artillery!"
Zhao Xiang began to explain, Li Yi nodded in satisfaction, and motioned for him to continue.
Zhao Ke nodded and continued.
"The production capacity of the gunpowder workshop has been expanded from 40,000 catties per month to 130,000 catties per month."
"The products of the knife workshop are mainly bayonets for rifles and officers' sabers."
"Among them, the production capacity of bayonets has reached 5,000 per month, and the production capacity of officers' sabers is 300 per month."
The reason why bayonets have such a large production capacity is mainly because the current Tang army is not only installing bayonets on newly produced breech-loading rifles.
Even the previous shotguns were equipped with bayonets after simple modifications.
There can be production capacity only when there is demand!
(End of this chapter)