Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 473: Kaitai Four Years

While eating, Joseph subconsciously looked up and saw the look his wife was giving him.

The moment their eyes met, his heart couldn't help but tighten.

Under the dim light, Joseph suddenly realized that his wife had aged so much.

The originally smooth red curly hair became noticeably dry and dull, like dead grass.

Obvious crow's feet appeared at the corners of her eyes, all the jewelry on her body disappeared, and her clothes went from being bright and beautiful to being tattered, with several patches on her skirt.

The Mrs. Griffin, who used to be adorned with jewels and looked so noble, now looked like an old lady living in poverty.

Ever since the Tang Dynasty occupied Batavia, in just less than two years, this damn life has almost drained every bit of energy from Mrs. Griffin.

This made Mrs. Griffin look like this.

At this moment, the silence in their house formed a sharp contrast with the noisy laughter on the street outside and the smell of food coming from their neighbors' homes.

Joseph couldn't help but speak with a moved expression.

"Madam, you have suffered a lot in the past two years!"

Mrs. Griffin just shook her head when she heard that.

"Joseph, I won't be miserable following you."

Hearing this, Joseph took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and spoke.

"Ma'am, I'm going to quit my job at the dock and apply for a job at the factory."

"Tang State has recently built a lot of factories on Java Island. Many places are short of engineers. With my ability, I can definitely find a job with good pay..."

Joseph is a senior engineer who has skills.

The reason why he had to carry bags at the dock despite his skills was not because the Tang Dynasty was unwilling to give foreigners like him a job opportunity.

But he himself couldn't get over it!

Not willing to work for Datang!

You know, in this era when all countries are actively promoting industrialization and racing against time to catch up with the industrial revolution, skilled engineers are sought-after high-level talents no matter where they go.

As long as Joseph is willing to find a job, he will definitely find one. Even the Tang Dynasty might be willing to give this foreigner a chance to become a citizen.

Griffin heard this and asked with a slightly hesitant look.

"Joseph, have you figured it out?"

Joseph heard this and smiled bitterly.

"I really don't want to work for the Tang people."

"But I don't want to see you hungry, my love!"

"Griffin, I want you to live a good life again. As long as you can be happy, I am willing to go to hell..."

Griffin couldn't help being moved when he heard this. He took a few steps forward, shook Joseph's hand, and spoke with a slightly choking voice.

"Joseph, I love you..."

As they were talking, the two of them were already hugging and chewing the food together.

……

The end of the third year of Kaitai passed quickly.

The fourth year of Kaitai arrived in an atmosphere of prosperity, vitality and flourishing of all things.

As time goes by, the industrial revolution process in the Tang Dynasty is constantly advancing.

More and more railways are being built, infrastructure is constantly being improved and rebuilt, social security has improved significantly, and social conflicts have been significantly alleviated.

The country's national strength is becoming stronger and stronger!
Although there is no scientific GDP statistics method in the Tang Dynasty today.

However, just looking at the Tang Dynasty's fiscal revenue, we can tell that the Tang Dynasty has truly entered the fast lane in terms of industrialization.

Last year, Datang's fiscal revenue increased by more than 20 percent compared with the previous year.

Industrial parks are booming everywhere, and the proportion of industry in the national GDP continues to rise.

The trend of population urbanization is becoming more and more obvious!

Everything is developing in a good direction.

……

Dhaka, India!
Command post in Dhaka city.

Fang Haiyang hosted a banquet to entertain Bahadur Shah II who came from afar.

“Great Khan, welcome to Dhaka!”

"Since you have come to Dhaka, my soldiers and I will do our best to ensure your safety."

Bahadur Shah heard this and raised the glass in his hand to return the greeting.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, my Lord!"

Fang Haiyang nodded slightly, then drank the wine in the glass.

Seeing Fang Haiyang finish the wine in the glass, Bahadur Shah II could not help but ask.

"My Lord, when can I go to the Tang Dynasty?"

With the war situation in India collapsing, Bahadur Shah II was now completely discouraged.

He had completely lost interest in the current situation in India and only wanted to go to the Tang Dynasty as soon as possible to live a good life.

It’s a pity that after he arrived in Dhaka, the Tang Dynasty never said that they would send him to the mainland of Tang Dynasty.

Helplessly, Bahadur Shah II could only ask the question himself.

Upon hearing this, Fang Haiyang slowly shook his head and refused.

"The Khan should not even think about heading to the mainland of the Tang Dynasty."

"Your Majesty means that it would be best for the Khan to remain in India for the time being."

"According to the information we have received so far, there are still many rebels in India who are still fighting hard."

"Only if you, the Great Khan, continue to stay in India, will these rebels have the motivation to continue fighting."

It is true that the war situation in the Indian uprising had indeed collapsed.

But it was only the main force of the rebels that destroyed themselves. Except for the main forces in Kanpur and Lucknow, the remaining rebel forces were still fighting.

For example, Queen Zhangxi's troops are still fighting against the British army.

Therefore, Li Yi was not planning to let Bahadur Shah II go to the Tang Dynasty for the time being.

Instead, they wanted him to stay in India and continue to serve as a banner leading the uprising, thereby inspiring the various Indian rebel forces to continue their resistance.

As for whether Bahadur Shah II would be in danger if he continued to stay in India...

Let’s put it this way, this issue is not within Li Yi’s consideration.

Anyway, Bahadur Shah II's wife and children have now arrived in the Tang Dynasty. If anything happens to Bahadur Shah II, the Tang Dynasty can simply change its banner to support him.

In order to inspire the Indian people to unite against the British invasion, Li Yi even had the idea of ​​arranging for Bahadur Shah II to hang himself on a crooked tree outside the city of Dhaka if Dhaka was lost.

Let him also achieve the same achievement as Emperor Chongzhen, becoming a Great Khan who guards the national border and sacrifices his life for the country.

As for whether Bahadur Shah II was willing?

Well, Li Yi doesn't care about that.

Before the fall of Dhaka, Bahadur Shah II needed to stay in the city of Dhaka to call on various Indian rebel forces to come to Dhaka for reinforcement.

If the Tang Dynasty wants to defend Dhaka, the pressure would be too great if it relied solely on the Tang army.

It would be best if we could get some Indian troops to come and reinforce us.

I don't expect the Indian army to have strong combat effectiveness or to be of much help, but it would be good even if they can just be cannon fodder.

Upon hearing this, Bahadur Shah II opened his mouth subconsciously, his face looking a little ugly, but he couldn't say anything.

The current situation for him is that of being dependent on others.

Since he was living under someone else's roof, Bahadur Shah II would naturally have some sense of being a dependent.

Besides, he lost so much aid from the Tang Dynasty to India in one go, but the Tang Dynasty was still willing to protect him, so he should be grateful.

How dare I raise some different opinions?
Do you really think the Tang Dynasty is a good country?

Taking a deep breath, Bahadur Shah spoke.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"This is what I should do. I promise not to disappoint His Majesty the Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Haiyang just nodded, then raised his glass and invited Bahadur Shah II to have another drink with him.

Zhang Guoliang on the side also laughed.

"Drink, drink together!"

……

After Bahadur Shah II arrived in Dhaka, the Tang Dynasty continued to strengthen Dhaka's defenses.

Ships loaded with weapons, military supplies and soldiers came from Malacca and docked in Dhaka.

At the same time, at the request of the Tang Dynasty court, Myanmar sent reinforcements to Dhaka to strengthen Dhaka’s defense and prepare to fight the enemy together with the Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, even the various rebel forces in India gathered in Dhaka at the call of Bahadur Shah II.

Dhaka's defenses are gradually being strengthened.

The Tang Dynasty intended to build Dhaka into an iron wall.

At the same time, the British army also moved troops to advance towards Dhaka, and along the Ganges, fortresses were breached one after another. The rebel forces were suppressed one after another by the British army.

Wherever the British army passed, towns and cities were reduced to ruins in the flames of war.

Moreover, wherever the British army passed, they continued to kill and loot.

Along the way, countless Indian civilians died tragically at the hands of the British army.

By early June 1859, the British army had advanced all the way to the outskirts of Dhaka.

In addition, the Atlantic Fleet transferred from the Atlantic by the United Kingdom also arrived in Mumbai.

After a brief repair, the British Atlantic Fleet headed towards Dhaka, ready to cooperate with its own army to seize control of the city of Dhaka.

……

Inside Dhaka!

At the Tang Army Command, senior officials in Dhaka City gathered together to prepare for the meeting.

In addition to Fang Haiyang, Zhang Guoliang and other high-ranking Tang army officials, those attending the meeting also included Bahadur Shah II, Queen Jhansi, Bahd Khan and other high-ranking Indian rebel officials, as well as Mangchai, a general sent from Myanmar.

With all parties gathered together, the atmosphere in the conference room was a little solemn.

Looking around and seeing that everyone was seated, Fang Haiyang spoke.

"Everyone, according to the information we have received so far, the British army is divided into two routes, land and sea, and is about to attack Dhaka."

"Among them, the land force was led by British Governor-General of India Canning and Lieutenant General of the Indian Army Commander Kofman."

"The total force is about 17!"

"Among them, there are five British native soldiers and 120,000 colonial soldiers."

"As for the sea route, it is a joint fleet composed of the British Indian Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet."

"And the commanders are our old acquaintances, Earl Elgin and Lord Cummonston."

"The British combined fleet consisted of 56 steam ironclad ships, 179 sailing battleships, and countless armed merchant ships."

"The British army that invaded this time is very strong. If you have any ideas, please speak freely."

Fang Haiyang's expression was somewhat solemn when he said this.

This time, the battle between the Tang army and the British army was not like the previous small-scale skirmishes along the coast of China.

But the main force was really deployed!

Although Fang Haiyang was confident in the fighting power of the Tang army, he couldn't help but feel a little worried when he saw so many British troops coming at once.

Bahadur Shah II was the first to speak when he heard this.

"Commander, the British army that attacked this time is indeed strong, but I don't know how many troops our army has now?"

The defenders of Dhaka included not only the Tang army, but also the Indian army and the Burmese army. Among the Indian army, there were different leaders and the organization of each unit was rather chaotic.

Therefore, Bahadur Shah II was not very familiar with the garrison situation in Dhaka.

He could only have a general grasp of the situation of the Indian rebels.

Fang Haiyang heard this, pondered for a moment and then spoke.

“Our army’s current presence in Dhaka is mainly divided into two parts.”

"One is the army, and the other is the navy fleet."

"In the army, the main force is the army of our Tang Dynasty, which includes a reorganized infantry division and a marine brigade."

"The total force is about 22,000!"

"In addition, there are the Indian rebels and the reinforcements sent by Myanmar."

"Among them, there are 30,000 Indian troops and more than 20,000 Burmese troops."

In fact, the original Indian rebel army was also strong in men and horses. Although its combat effectiveness was a bit weak, its number was indeed large.

But there was nothing he could do, and Bahadur Shah II and his men died under the city of Delhi.

The main force of the Indian rebels was wiped out!

In addition, after the Second Battle of Delhi, the British army continued to advance, and the Indian army was defeated and suffered heavy casualties.

To put it bluntly, those who can gather in Dhaka right now are just a group of defeated soldiers.

Subsequently, the Tang Dynasty selected the best from these defeated troops and reorganized two divisions, which were respectively designated as the 1st and 2nd Divisions of the Indian Front and were placed under the command of the Tang Army's combat sequence.

We were able to reorganize 30,000 combat-ready soldiers, all thanks to the Tang Dynasty's financial, manpower and labor contributions.

Otherwise, the Indian uprising would have been completely suppressed by the British by now.

Although Myanmar sent only a small number of troops, only 20,000, it helped share more than half of the food and fodder supply for the Tang Dynasty's garrison in Dhaka.

Therefore, Myanmar also contributed.

Fang Haiyang continued.

"Besides that, there's the navy."

"At present, our Tang Dynasty has also gathered a considerable part of the naval fleet in Dhaka."

"The main forces of the South China Sea Fleet and the East China Sea Fleet have arrived. We have a total of four 4-ton battleships, 19 steam ironclad ships, 31 sailing battleships, and several armed merchant ships."

If we only look at the tonnage of the naval fleet, the Tang army's fleet is no match for the British fleet.

However, that’s not how the accounts are calculated.

Although the tonnage of Tang Dynasty's warships was not as large as that of the British, Tang Dynasty had 10,000-ton battleships. In terms of high-end combat power, Tang Dynasty's fleet had an advantage.

After all, those four 10,000-ton battleships are not just for show. It is not an exaggeration to say that a battleship can kill one traditional sailing ship with one shot as long as it can hit the target.

Therefore, even though the data on paper shows that the British army seems to have the upper hand, the outcome of the war is hard to predict.

After listening to Fang Haiyang's narration, Bahadur Shah II asked with a slightly doubtful expression.

"Commander, are we sure we can win this battle?"

"If we are not sure, should we prepare for evacuation in advance?"

Bahadur Shah II was still eager to escape, to escape from the quagmire of India.

Fang Haiyang said expressionlessly upon hearing this.

"Without the Emperor's order, no one is allowed to take a single step back!"

Upon seeing this, Bahadur Shah II opened his mouth but could only remain silent.

If the Tang army does not withdraw, he cannot retreat even if he wants to by himself!
Afterwards, Fang Haiyang began to arrange defenses.

The young and beautiful Queen of Jhansi, Lakshmi Payi, was the first to speak up.

"Commander, I request to lead the troops as the vanguard of this battle and be the first to meet the invading British army."

Originally in history, after Jhansi fell to the British army, the Queen of Jhansi should have led her troops to retreat to northern India and continue to resist.

However, in today's world, since the Tang Dynasty occupies Dhaka, Bahadur Shah II, the Khan of the Mughal Empire, is also in Dhaka.

So, after the fall of Jhansi, the Queen of Jhansi led her army to Dhaka.

Then her troops were incorporated into the garrison of Dhaka and were appointed as the 2nd Division of the Indian Front, with Queen Jhansi as the division commander.

Well, at present, she is also the only female division commander-level officer in the Tang army’s combat sequence.

Back in the Tang Dynasty, although Luo Dagang's wife Su Sanniang held a high position in the army, she was transferred out of the combat sequence and is now mainly responsible for propaganda work.

It’s different from a military commander like Queen Zhangxi!

Upon hearing this, Fang Haiyang looked deeply at Queen Zhangxi.

Obviously she had some doubts about his identity as a woman!
But in the end he nodded.

"can!"

"I'll write you a note later. Lakshmi, take your men to the quartermaster's office to collect a batch of weapons."

Upon hearing this, Queen Zhangxi just nodded.

"Don't worry, Commander. I will complete the mission."

Fang Haiyang nodded slightly, and then continued to make arrangements.

"The First Brigade led by Chen Shou is mainly responsible for guarding the Bodali Fort and the Pola Fort at the mouth of the Ganges River. They are responsible for cooperating with our fleet to resist the invasion of the British fleet."

"At any cost, the British fleet must not be allowed to enter the Ganges."

Bodali Fort and Pora Fort are located on the left and right sides of the Ganges estuary.

As long as the Tang army defends these two artillery batteries, the British fleet will never be able to enter the Ganges.

Chen Shou stood up and said after hearing this.

"I accept my order from my humble position!"

Fang Haiyang nodded and continued.

"The remaining troops of Wang Runchang of the Second Brigade, as well as the troops of Bahde Khan of the First Division of the Indian Front and Lakshmi Payi of the Second Division are responsible for guarding the Dhaka Fortress and resisting the invasion of the British Army."

"Among them, the Second Brigade is stationed at the outer defense line of the Dhaka Fortress and is responsible for protecting Dhaka."

"The Second Division of the Indian Front is stationed at Singail Fortress and will be the first to meet the enemy. The First Division of the Indian Front is mainly stationed at Dongi Fortress and is responsible for supporting the battles in the Dhaka and Singail directions."

The Tang Dynasty’s defense in Dhaka was not just the Dhaka Fortress.

A fort was also built to the north and east of Dhaka Fort.

They are Singail Fortress and Dongi Fortress.

The two fortresses support each other, depend on each other, and serve as each other's support, together forming Dhaka's outer defense line.

(End of this chapter)