Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 405 Young Military Officers Part

"Brother Yang, Brother Xu, everyone in the military is discussing the selection of the captain of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser. Are you really not anxious?"

In an inn in the west city of Chang'an that specializes in hosting naval officers and soldiers, Lieutenant Commander Lu Wenhui asked, holding a glass of wine.

"There are many school-level officers eyeing the two captain positions. It's useless to just be anxious."

Xu Zhixuan laughed and said calmly.

"Brother Zhixuan, this is unlike you before. When you were studying in America, you were the most radical and impulsive. How come after returning to your home country for a few years and marrying Meizi, your personality has become more stable? It's really strange."

Chen Jurong, a naval lieutenant who also studied in the United States as a child and defected to the Han Kingdom in South America, joked.

"Haha, Brother Chen, you don't understand. Once you have a family and a beautiful wife waiting for you, even the hot temper will fade away."

"What Brother Lu said does make sense."

Chen Jurong slapped his head and realized, "It seems that next time I should ask my sister-in-law to find some gentle and considerate Japanese women to be my brothers' wives, preferably ladies from aristocratic families."

"It's okay for us to joke and chat in private, but if you see Mei Zi, don't discuss anything related to Japan. In order to follow me to South America, Mei Zi had already cut off contact with her Japanese family. If you mention the past in Japan again, it will inevitably make her sad."

"I actually forgot about this matter. Don't blame me, Brother Xu."

Chen Rongju filled a glass of wine, drank one as a punishment, and apologized.

"We all went to the United States to study when we were young and have known each other for more than ten years. There is no need to be so formal."

Xu Zhixuan generously disclosed the matter about his wife and said with a smile: "If Brother Lu and Brother Chen are interested in starting a family, why don't they make some arrangements in the capital? With your bright future in the navy, I'm afraid there will be many well-educated and well-mannered ladies vying to be your wives."

"Brother Lu and I are also worried about this matter. After arriving in the mainland at the end of 1882, our family members also moved to the mainland with the help of our colleagues in the Military Intelligence Department. In the past two years, my father and mother have introduced many girls in the capital to blind dates, but after meeting more than ten girls, there is no suitable candidate, so the marriage has been delayed until now and has not been resolved."

"Brother Chen, is it because your standards are too high that you look down on ordinary local women?"

"Brother Xu, you really flatter me. My family is not a noble family that followed His Majesty in the rebellion. Where do all these requirements and rules come from?"

Chen Jurong shook his head and complained, "My father and mother are conservative. The girls they introduced to me were all ladies from wealthy families who had just migrated from the Far East. Also, because of foot binding in childhood, most of them had bound feet.

Brother Xu and Brother Lu, you all know me, Old Chen. I went to sea when I was young and received nearly ten years of modern education in the United States. After returning to our homeland, I often received instruction from His Majesty at the Naval Academy and the Navy Headquarters. Do you think that passionate men of the new era like us can learn the backward ideas of the older generation and marry a conservative woman with bound feet and with whom we have no common language?
Moreover, the Imperial Army places the highest importance on the cultivation of its soldiers. If Chen follows his parents' wishes and marries a traditional woman, and later the couple becomes estranged and the news gets out, how can Chen have the face to continue to work in the Navy?"

"Haha, I never thought that the carefree Chen Rongju in the army would have such a side. It's really surprising!"

Xu Zhixuan had no intention of sympathizing with the other party and laughed loudly.

"Brother Zhixuan, this is really mean of you. Brother Lu and I have been so concerned about your candidacy for the captaincy of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser, but you don't appreciate our good intentions and instead make fun of our difficulties!
No, today's meal and wine must be paid for by you!"

"Okay, okay, I'll pay for the wine and the meal. Now please drink the wine in your glass. This will be my apology to you for my negligence just now."

Xu Zhixuan smiled and filled the other person's glass with wine, then raised his glass and toasted him.

"That's good enough." Chen Rongju drank the wine in the glass with satisfaction, not caring at all.

"Brother Xu, Brother Chen, Brother Lu, in my opinion, there are too many colonel-level officers competing for the captain positions of the two armored cruisers. I heard from several brothers in the Navy General Staff Headquarters that not only are there more than a dozen major-level officers striving for the captain positions, but even some lieutenant colonel-level officers are also participating in the competition.

Moreover, among the candidates, He Shulin, Yang Jiannian, Chen Binshi, and Wang Jinyong were the first batch of overseas students to receive military education from the German Navy. During the Argentine War, they participated in the battles against the Argentine and Brazilian navies. Their qualifications and combat experience are superior to ours. I am afraid that the position of captain of the armored cruiser will eventually fall into their hands. "

After the three of them joked, Yang Guangzong, who was sitting near the window at the main entrance, spoke seriously.

"In terms of actual combat experience, we are indeed not as good as Yang Jiannian, He Shulin and the other four."

Xu Zhixuan put down his wine glass and seriously acknowledged his competitor's advantage.

"However, in terms of our understanding of modern Western naval warfare technology, Xu believes that the four of us are one step ahead of the international students of Yang Jiannian and He Shulin's generation."

"What Brother Xu said is true. Although Major Yang and Major He are senior naval officers, in terms of the level of Western naval military education, we went to sea to study military affairs in 1872, while they went to sea to study in 1874 and returned to China in 1878. Compared with them, we studied abroad for nearly ten years and received a more systematic modern naval military education. We are more familiar with modern naval technology and applications than they are. Therefore, considering the two main factors of naval combat experience and naval military education, we are not completely without advantages."

"Yang also considered the advantages mentioned by Brother Xu and Brother Lu beforehand. However, I think that soldiers should not make rash decisions without the necessary certainty."

"Brother Yang, do you want to withdraw from the competition for the position of captain of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser?"

Chen Rongju looked a little drunk, but his mind was very clear.

"Yes, after the court session today, Yang submitted a petition to the Navy General Staff Headquarters, requesting to withdraw from the competition for the captain position of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser."

Yang Guangzong did not hide anything and directly told the three of them what he was thinking.

"After the New Year, the captain positions of two Vanguard-class armored cruisers became vacant. At the same time, two 2500-ton cruisers independently built by the three major domestic shipyards using the Vanguard-class armored cruiser construction technology were officially put into service. It seems that Brother Yang has set his sights on the position of captain of a 2500-ton cruiser."

Xu Zhixuan thought for a moment and understood Yang Guangzong's plan.

"I can't hide it from Brother Xu. Yang is indeed eyeing the position of captain of a 2500-ton cruiser."

Yang Guangzong openly admitted his plan and explained, "The Yangwu-class cruiser has a displacement of 2500 tons. Although it is built independently in China, the construction process may be slightly different from that of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser, which was built under the full guidance of German engineers. However, the total tonnage of the Yangwu-class cruiser exceeds two-thirds of the Vanguard-class. The power system and weapon system of the warship are both borrowed from the Vanguard-class armored cruiser. Its overall combat performance is not necessarily an irreparable gap compared with the Vanguard-class warship. Therefore, after considering the combat performance of the two classes of warships and the difficulty of competing for the captain position, I chose to withdraw from the competition for the captain position of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser."

"Both the Vanguard-class and Yangwu-class captain positions are at the lieutenant colonel level. Brother Yang took the initiative to give up the competition for the captain position of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser and instead strive for the captain position of the Yangwu-class cruiser. This is a relatively safe choice."

Xu Zhixuan nodded in approval of the other party's choice, then smiled and said, "The situation in Paraguay is unstable, and the Brazilian Republic is also ready to make a move. There may be a war in the next two years. At that time, there will be opportunities for brothers to fight and make meritorious contributions.

It doesn't matter whether I succeed in the election for the captaincy of the armored cruiser this time. Anyway, when the time comes for the navy to go into battle, I will still command a 1350-ton light cruiser, and we will not be afraid of those bastards of the Republic of Brazil!"

"Haha, that's right, that's right"......

The four men raised their glasses, their faces filled with the confidence unique to young officers of this era.

(End of this chapter)