Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 67 Meeting with Colonel West

Thanks to heInception for the reward.

With the help of the soldiers brought by Sun Bin, the weapons and equipment on the ship were quickly moved to the open space in front of the port. Sun Bin and Hoffman were responsible for the specific calculation of the number of weapons, while Sweet met with Li Mingyuan accompanied by Zhao Yan.

The process of Chinese from all over the country gathering in Arequipa is still continuing. Teams of Chinese can be seen everywhere on the road, led by officers, rushing to their respective bases.

"Sir, are they your soldiers?" West, who had come to land, changed into a military horse and pointed at the Chinese troops marching in a line.

Zhao Yan glanced at the team next to him and said with a smile, "Your Excellency has misunderstood. They are militia responsible for transporting logistical supplies, not field troops."

After hearing what Zhao Yan said, West was a little skeptical. He observed them carefully and found some clues. The soldiers in this team were relatively old, mostly around 30 years old.
Moreover, their physical fitness was relatively low, and many of them looked pale and thin, with a sickly look. However, they were strictly disciplined when marching, so West mistakenly thought they were regular troops.

"Your army's logistics troops have such a good appearance. I believe the regular army will be even more exciting." West praised.

"Your Excellency is too kind. The prince is fair and strict in his military management and is deeply loved by the soldiers. That is why the troops have strict discipline."

"Hearing what you said, I would like to meet your prince earlier." West said with a smile.

West has not seen the field army of the Chinese Independence Army yet, but judging from the performance of the logistics troops, the troop spirit and combat effectiveness of the field army will only become more rigorous and powerful.
This increased his curiosity about Li Mingyuan, who led this army.

On the way to Li Mingyuan's house, West had been carefully observing the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese Independence Army, and constantly improving his evaluation of the Chinese Independence Army in his heart.

West's meeting with Li Mingyuan was not just a matter of curiosity. The Kingdom of Prussia had just formed the North German Confederation.

As its strength grew, it also expanded its sights to the world outside Europe, hoping to find markets for its growing domestic industrial production.
Therefore, the sudden receipt of a huge arms order attracted their attention to this force, so they gave West the task of investigating the strength of the Chinese Independence Army so that they could determine the status of the Chinese Independence Army.

Li Mingyuan temporarily lives in a large courtyard in the city of Baranka. West and Zhao Yan were checked by the guards and walked into the reception hall.

"Prince, Colonel West is here to visit you." Zhao Yan introduced as he walked into the hall.

"Yes," Li Mingyuan nodded and signaled the soldiers to serve tea to the guests. The two soldiers beside him understood and left quickly.

"Hello, Colonel West. It's a pity that we didn't meet last time." Li Mingyuan said politely.

"Your Excellency, I am so surprised. I didn't expect you to be so young." West said in surprise.

"You're welcome, Colonel," Li Mingyuan nodded with a smile and asked West to sit down.

"I'm very curious about how you managed to turn a group of workers into a victorious army in just two or three months. I wonder if you could help me figure it out." West asked as he sat down.

"No hurry, Colonel, finish this cup of tea first," Li Mingyuan winked at the guard, and then the guard brought in three cups of tea and placed them in front of Li Mingyuan and the other two.

"Colonel, this is tea produced from tea trees transplanted from mainland China to Peru. I wonder if it suits your taste." Li Mingyuan asked after West finished a sip of tea.

Since tea from the East was introduced to Britain in the 16th century, it has gradually become a favorite of Western aristocrats. Therefore, West was not completely ignorant of the taste of tea in his mouth.

"The tea has a rich and sweet aroma. It is a rare good tea." West commented after savoring the taste of the tea.

"Sir, the tea is finished. You should answer my questions, right?" West asked after quickly finishing a cup of tea.

"Colonel West, listen to me slowly,"

Li Mingyuan took a sip of tea and said, "This kind of tea originally grew between high mountain peaks. Later, in order to increase tea production, tea farmers transplanted the tea trees to the foot of the mountain, which resulted in a lack of aroma and flavor. After this kind of tea trees were transplanted to the top of the mountains in Peru, due to the lack of water and other harsh environments, the tea trees desperately absorbed the morning dew in the mountains, so the quality and taste of the tea produced returned to its original level."

"Does what you said have anything to do with the combat effectiveness of your army?" West said in confusion.

Western culture emphasizes directness and clarity, unlike the euphemism and subtlety of Chinese classical culture. Therefore, Li Mingyuan stopped beating around the bush and explained:
"The Chinese nation is like this tea tree. The Chinese mainland has been accustomed to a long period of peaceful life, which has led to the slackness of military preparations. The Yuan and Qing dynasties took advantage of this opportunity and invaded the Central Plains. However, I believe that when facing the survival of the country, the Chinese will definitely regain their blood, expel the Tartars, and win national independence."

"I admire your patriotism, but I don't believe the Qing Dynasty will be overthrown in a short time.

Moreover, a large-scale peasant uprising in your country was suppressed by the Qing Dynasty a few years ago. The military strength of the Qing Dynasty should be at its peak at this stage. "

West understood Li Mingyuan's metaphor, but he was not optimistic about what Li Mingyuan said about Chinese independence.

Although the Taiping Rebellion dealt a heavy blow to the ruling foundation of the Qing Dynasty, it did not overthrow the Qing Dynasty.
During the Taiping Rebellion, the Qing Dynasty resumed its practices when it first entered the country. Every time it captured a city, it would plunder and massacre the residents in the city. As a result, after the war, the domestic population decreased by about 100 million, and domestic conflicts were alleviated to a certain extent.

This method was also a tried and tested method used by ethnic minorities to rule China. It killed the rebels and reduced the domestic population. Naturally, no one dared to resist in a short period of time. According to the Qing Dynasty's ruling strategy, if there had been no invasion by Western powers, the Qing Dynasty might have been the longest feudal dynasty to rule China.

Thinking that the Qing Dynasty would rule China for about half a century, Li Mingyuan did not refute West's point of view, but instead shifted the topic to the Chinese Independence Army.
"It is true that the Qing Dynasty survived a crisis, but I do not think its rule is unbreakable. Although the resistance forces in the Central Plains were wiped out, there are still many Chinese in overseas regions who are unwilling to submit. They have been fighting to restore national glory."

Li Mingyuan's words were sonorous and powerful, which moved West who was listening attentively.

"Your words remind me of my homeland, the great Kingdom of Prussia, which experienced the invasion of the Napoleonic Empire. The country was in ruins and the economy was in decline.

However, under such dire circumstances, all Prussians united together.
Farmers and workers lent their meager savings to the country to help restore the economy. King William III personally donated a palace where he lived to be used as a university campus.
After several decades of recuperation, the Kingdom of Prussia recovered its strength, defeated the Kingdom of Denmark and the Austrian Empire, won the leadership of the North German region, and achieved the status of a powerful country in Central Europe.

West said with emotion, his words revealing confidence and pride.

"The Kingdom of Prussia is a great country. I have great respect for your King Frederick the Great. He is a wise and intelligent monarch and a great patriot. During the reign of Frederick the Great, your country gained a large amount of territory, and its economy and culture also achieved tremendous development. I believe that your country's achievements today were determined during the reforms of Frederick the Great."

The success of the Kingdom of Prussia was inevitable, starting from 1701 when Prussia was upgraded to a kingdom until 1871 when the Kingdom of Germany was established.

Among all the kings of Prussia, except for the eleven years during the reign of Frederick William II, during which Prussia suffered defeat in the First Anti-French War and the national economy declined, the other generations of kings can be called wise rulers. They spent 171 years gradually strengthening the strength of the Kingdom of Prussia and eventually unified the German region.

The success of the Kingdom of Prussia has always been praised by later generations. Li Mingyuan also wanted to learn from the successful example of the Kingdom of Prussia to strengthen the new country to be established in the future.

"I didn't expect you to be so familiar with our country's history. Your erudition is admirable."

It is a proud thing to be praised by a foreigner, especially a capable military commander, so West was very happy after listening to Li Mingyuan's words.

"Colonel West, you are too kind. Your country's achievements are remarkable. I just want to find ways to learn from your success." Li Mingyuan waved his hand and smiled.

"I just saw your army's logistics troops on the road. They looked very majestic. I wonder if you would allow me to visit your regular troops." After chatting with Li Mingyuan for a while, West got to the point.

"Our army has only been established for a short time. Colonel, please point out any shortcomings and correct them." Li Mingyuan said modestly.

"I can't say for sure, but before I joined the navy, I served in the Prussian Royal Guards, so I have some experience in army combat." West's tone was flat, but from his expression it could be seen that he was very proud to be able to serve in the Guards.

"Haha, this is even better, Colonel West, we can watch the soldiers' drill now." Li Mingyuan smiled and went out with West. ...

(End of this chapter)