C525 Pirates of Jiaozhou Bay (2/2)

The cannon emplacements on the mountain peak immediately lit up with fire. However, this round of cannons didn't cause any loss in numbers. If these robbers knew that there was no one on duty, they definitely wouldn't have wasted ammunition.

The soldiers who had taken off their military uniforms still fought in the same way. The citizens watched the dozens of boats sailing across the sea as fast as swordfish. Between the long oars, there was even a rhythm to the dragon boat.

”Mother …” Bandits have arrived... It's a long-haired bandit after all … ”Run …” The entire town seemed to explode as everyone ran towards the north. The fastest one was the garrison, and from beginning to end, they did not even shoot or pull a bow. Some of them even ran towards the mountains bare-footed.

From then on, it could be seen how decadent the Qing Dynasty was.

The women who had been humiliated were crying and the old man was screaming. In this small coastal village, it was not a place where there was a lot of business. Rather than saying that these Frenchmen were here to make a fortune, it would be more accurate to say that they were here to vent.

For the entire day, the pirates only managed to plunder three thousand taels of silvers. However, the number of civilians they killed was four thousand. The entire city was engulfed in flames.

When night fell, the robbers took the silver and actually carried several dozen pigs, over a hundred chickens and ducks along with a lot of flour on the boat. It seemed that their identities had changed quite quickly. They had adapted to the status of pirates in just a day.

The Zodiac and the Roman Empire had left, and the tragedy at Jiaozhou Bay only reached the Ji Nan Palace three days later. At this time, the great figure who spoke all the words in Shandong's land was none other than the founder of the future generation of Beiyang clan, Li Hongzhang.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was annihilated, but the Twisted Army was still not at peace, especially the Eastern Twisted Army, they had been active in the southern part of Shandong Province and had been annihilated several times by the imperial government. In fact, last year, 1865 was the year where the Twisted Army ambushed and killed all of Seng Gelinqin's cavalry, causing the entire imperial capital to shake, and even the foreign citizens of the East Crossing Folk Lane were shocked.

Although Seng Gelinqin was defeated by the English and French, the incident at the Six Li Bridge was still shocking to the Europeans. The West had always worshipped strong warriors, so although they did not like Seng Gelinqin, but there was still respect for him.

With the death of the Monk King, the imperial government was furious and immediately gathered Ceng Guofan to head north to pacify the Twisted Army. However, something strange happened. Long Hair, who could travel across half of China, actually became terrified in front of a group of rogue Twisted Army.

This battle was like a warm water, it did not show the power of the firearm battalion at all. The marshal simply came here for a public tour.

The clear contrast between Ceng Guofan's Warm Swallowing Water and First Class Uncle Su Yi was the one who rewarded the new star of the Great Qing political stage, Li Hongzhang, who wore a pair of flowery eyes. In the battle to pacify the Twisted Army, Li Hongzhang's Huai Army was shining brilliantly, with power and prestige on all sides. In the end, the imperial government even had the idea of using him to replace Li Hongzhang.

As far as Li Hongzhang and Ceng Guofan were concerned, there was something going on between them, which was not something that could be ignored by outsiders. But in the current Shandong Province, it was really ruled by Li Hongzhang's Huai Army, after all, it was still considered a period of war.

When the information regarding the tragedy at Jiaozhou Bay was sent to Li Hongzhang's desk, he still had two other files in front of him. Those two documents were information that his most loyal aides had compiled for him.

”Zuo Jigao is going to be transferred away? Go to pars dorsalis Gan Shan? ”Alright, alright, alright, as long as you leave the Central Plains, I will be the one to sing the rest of the play. I will take care of your trusted aide Hu Xueyan as well …”

”Foreign pirates attacked Jiaozhou? How could that be possible? Since when did pirate groups that were filled with foreigners appear in Jiaozhou? And he stole three thousand taels of silvers? Why does it feel like a pirate killing a soldier? ”

In Li Hongzhang's eyes, the loss of thousands of silver taels was nothing more than a small case. To pacify the dead, pacify the dead, pacify the Twisted Army, that war was not about the deaths of tens of thousands of people. In his eyes, the tragedy at Jiaozhou Bay was just a case.

Only the third scroll and the secret letter inside it gave Li Hongzhang a headache.

”Oh, Empress Dowager, you've given me a difficult question …” If I bring troops to the capital to assist, then I will be branded as the Empress Dowager Xi for the rest of my life. From today onwards, I will not be able to disembark from this ship … ”

Never would he have thought that the letter in front of Li Hongzhang was actually Ci Xi's own. This old granny actually wanted to ask him for help.

The relationship between Ci Xi and Li Hongzhang had been very complicated throughout the history, because after Ci Xi had completely taken control of the situation, the likes of Ceng Guofan and the rest of the important officials had also gradually fallen. Only Li Hongzhang had always been one of his important subjects among the Chinese people.

If they left Li Hongzhang's support, the Qing Dynasty would definitely die. This was a consensus among the higher ups of the imperial family, but Li Hongzhang was after all, the leader of the Chinese warlord.

In Ci Xi's eyes, he was still considered a Chinese warlord that he could fight for, which was why this secret letter was placed on Li Hongzhang's desk.