The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 965 Australia, here we come!
On the first day of the first month of the thirty-fifth year of the Tianli reign, Tianjing City was shrouded in a festive red. Despite the fact that the war had lasted for three years, the capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom still maintained an astonishing vitality. From Zijin Mountain to Xuanwu Lake, from Xinjiekou to Xiaguan Wharf, lanterns and decorations were everywhere, and the sound of firecrackers rose and fell.

Luo Yaoguo stood at the window on the third floor of the Prime Minister's office, gazing at the bustling crowds on the street. His adjutant, Feng Guozhang, cautiously reminded him, "Prime Minister, the amount of gunpowder consumed in the entire city today is equivalent to the ammunition load of ten field artillery regiments."

"Let them set them off," Luo Yaoguo said without turning his head. "Chinese people just want a little bit of joy during the New Year. How can we not allow them to set off firecrackers? We'll just have the East Pacific Fleet take another ship of Inca saltpeter, and we'll have everything we need."

Outside the window, a group of Boy Scouts were performing a lion dance. These twelve- or thirteen-year-old boys, dressed in brand-new uniforms, leaped nimbly across the snow on stilts. The lion's head, made of red silk, shone brightly in the sunlight, drawing cheers from the onlookers.

"I heard that the Boy Scouts' new uniforms this year are made from captured British military wool?" Luo Yaoguo suddenly asked.

“Yes, Prime Minister,” Feng Guozhang replied, “the supplies were captured from the Singapore Fortress.”

Luo Yaoguo nodded and turned to walk towards the huge sand table in the center of the office. This exquisite sand table displayed the entire situation of the Pacific theater. Every key node, such as the Strait of Malacca, the Singapore fortress, and the Rabaul base, was clearly marked.

The most eye-catching feature is a small flag stuck at the edge of the sand table—the symbol of Maui, now bearing the Stars and Stripes of the United States.

"Premier, this is a summary of last year's war report, just sent by the Ministry of War." Luo Yaoguo's secretary, Yang Rui, handed over a document.

Luo Yaoguo opened the document, the scent of ink filling the air: Summary of Battle Results in the Thirty-Fourth Year of the Tianli Era: 1. Western Pacific: Complete control of the Strait of Malacca. 2. South Pacific: Construction of the Rabaul base is basically complete, and 24 280mm fortress guns have been deployed. 3. Eastern Pacific: The Blenka Bay has been blockaded, with the US Western Empire's Central American Expeditionary Force and the US Western Pacific Fleet responsible for surrounding the Blenka Bay fortress.

Bad news: Maui has fallen, and Christmas Island Atoll has been reinforced by the British!
Luo Yaoguo's finger lingered on the words "Maui" for a moment before he slammed the document shut. His gaze returned to the giant sand table, settling on the location of Christmas Island Atoll.

"How long have the British been operating here?" he suddenly asked.

“Eight years and four months, Premier.” Feng Guozhang replied immediately. “According to intelligence, they have built eight concrete piers that can simultaneously berth eight battleships.”

Luo Yaoguo frowned. Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

"Wishing my ninth brother a Happy New Year!"

With a loud greeting, Minister of War Shi Dakai strode in. Behind him followed Minister of the Navy Wang Yan, Chief of Staff of the Army Zhu Ba, Chief of Staff of the Navy Ding Ruchang, and Minister of Armaments Xu Shou. Each of them wore brand-new uniforms, their chests adorned with medals.

Luo Yaoguo smiled, a rare sight on his face: "You've come at the perfect time. I was just about to give you all red envelopes."

He took out five bulging red envelopes from the drawer and handed them to everyone one by one. When he handed one to Ding Ruchang, the naval chief of staff handed him a telegram first: "Premier, an urgent military report from Zhang Bao, admiral of the South Pacific Fleet."

The atmosphere in the room immediately turned serious. Luo Yaoguo put on his reading glasses and carefully read the telegram: South Pacific Fleet Command Urgent Report: 1. Construction of the Rabaul base is complete; the three floating docks can simultaneously repair three battleships. 2. Airship reconnaissance confirms that the main force of the British and Australian fleets has moved from Australia to Port Moresby, presumably to support Hawaii. 3. It is recommended to launch "Operation Kangaroo" when the opportunity arises, seizing Port Moresby while it is vulnerable.

After reading the telegram, Luo Yaoguo slowly walked to the giant sand table, and the others gathered around him.

"Is the plan to attack Australia ready?" Luo Yaoguo suddenly asked.

Navy Minister Wang Yan immediately replied, "The plan has been finalized, Premier. We plan to launch a two-pronged attack!"

He picked up his baton and drew two red lines on the nautical chart: "The first route: the main force of the South Sea Fleet will depart from Surabaya Port, pass through the Banda Sea into the Gulf of Papua, and head straight for Port Moresby."

"The second route is for the South Pacific Fleet to depart from Rabaul base, enter the Solomon Sea and the Coral Sea, and draw the main British forces into a decisive battle."

Navy Chief of Staff Ding Ruchang added: "To ensure victory, we need at least ten capital ships: eight 'Hailong' class and two 'Qianlong' class."

"How many 'Sea Dragon' class destroyers can we mobilize right now?" Luo Yaoguo asked.

“Eight ships are no problem,” Wang Yan replied. “Four of them are the latest ‘Hailong Kai’ class, with a standard displacement increased by 1200 tons and the main guns replaced with four twin 280mm guns. As for the ‘Qianlong Kai’ class…”

Wang Yan left this question to Xu Shou, the Minister of War.

Xu Shou immediately replied: "The Premier's 'Tianjing' has completed its major overhaul and refit, and the 'Beijing' was built according to the new standards. Both ships are now undergoing their final sea trials."

Luo Yaoguo pondered for a moment: "How long will the sea trial take?"

"At most three months," Xu Shou said confidently. "The workers at the Dalian Shipyard have been working three shifts for ninety days in a row, and dozens of them have collapsed from exhaustion at their posts."

Silence fell in the room again. After a long while, Luo Yaoguo suddenly asked, "Has the fleet commander been chosen?"

Everyone looked at Navy Chief of Staff Ding Ruchang. He took a deep breath and said a name: "Luo Xinhua." He paused, then added, "He is the Navy's most outstanding captain and fleet admiral, and he also commanded the Tianjing to achieve many victories."

Yellow Sea, Dalian Bay.

The sea breeze in late February was as sharp as a knife, but the dock was bustling with activity. Hundreds of workers were making final preparations for the departure of the battleship "Tianjing".

Lieutenant General Luo Xinhua, who had just returned from the front lines at Kulunka Bay before the Lunar New Year, shone his leather boots across the icy gangway with a crisp sound. Behind him followed several staff members, each wrapped in a thick woolen overcoat, their breath condensing rapidly in the cold wind.

"Reporting, Admiral! The main gun hydraulic loader test is complete; the fastest rate of fire reaches one round every two minutes!" The gunnery officer of the "Tianjing" saluted, his gloves still stained with machine oil. Luo Xinhua did not respond immediately. He slowly walked towards the massive 305mm main gun turret, reaching out to stroke the cold gun barrel. The carburized steel surface gleamed with a bluish-black sheen in the morning light.

“Three minutes is too slow.” He finally spoke, his voice calm but undeniable. “According to intelligence, the British 12-inch gun only needs one minute and forty-five seconds.”

The gunner's face flushed red: "But Commander, their shells are lighter than ours."

"Don't make excuses, intensify training, and make up for the firepower gap with faster reloading!" Luo Xinhua suddenly raised his voice. "What I want is to send the enemy to the bottom of the sea before they can fire their first volley of crossfire!"

His voice echoed across the dock, and the nearby workers stopped what they were doing. Luo Xinhua looked around and continued:
"This warship has 1200 officers and soldiers on board. It took the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom four million yuan and three years to build it. Each and every one of you is the most precious asset of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom."

He walked to the bow of the ship and pointed to the horizon where the sea met the sky in the distance: "There, the British fleet has returned. Their Dreadnought-class and Invincible-class warships will begin entering service in large numbers this year. These two classes of warships have powerful steam turbines, making them faster than our ships, and they also have the latest 305mm guns! But we have the best naval personnel in the world!"

Luo Xinhua turned around, his gaze sweeping over every young face: "Three months from now, we'll show them who truly owns the Pacific Ocean!"

A deafening cheer erupted from the dock. Just then, a troop of messengers ran in with a huge battle flag.

"Reporting to the Commander! Urgent document from the Prime Minister's Office!"

Luo Xinhua took the package, unwrapped the oilcloth, and a bright red battle flag fluttered in the cold wind. Seven large characters were embroidered on the flag in black thread:

"The Great Wall will never fall."

"Raise the flag!" Luo Xinhua commanded.

As the ship's horn sounded, a massive battle flag slowly rose onto the mainmast. At the same time, majestic military music resounded from the dock.

"Attention all units! Combat speed, target Rabaul!"

The triple-expansion steam engine roared to life, and the massive propellers churned the seawater. The enormous hull of the "Tianjing" slowly left the dock and headed towards the distant horizon.

On the bridge, Luo Xinhua received a telegram from a staff officer: Urgent telegram from Rabaul base: Half of the main force of the Anglo-Australian joint fleet has left Port Moresby and is heading northeast, suspected to be heading to Christmas Island Atoll. The South Pacific Fleet Command has decided to immediately execute "Operation Kangaroo".

Luo Xinhua's lips curled up slightly: "Reply to General Zhang: The 'Tianjing' has set sail and is expected to arrive in Rabaul within thirty days."

He turned to the navigator: "Full speed ahead! We need to reach the war zone by early March!"

Just as the "Tianjing" ship sailed out of Dalian Bay, a military conference was underway on Christmas Island Atoll, thousands of miles away.

Admiral George Dewey, commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, stood in front of the nautical chart, his baton pointing to the location of Pearl Harbor.

"Gentlemen, we want to raise the Stars and Stripes here by the end of April!"

A round of enthusiastic applause filled the conference room. Dewey continued:
"According to the latest intelligence, some of the main warships of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's South Pacific Fleet have returned to Rabaul. This is exactly what we want."

He turned to Rear Admiral John Fisher, commander of the Royal Navy's Australian Fleet Northbound Squadron: "General Fisher, is your fleet ready?"

Fisher stood up and straightened his uniform: "The Royal Navy's six battleships have been resupplyed and are ready to go at any time. Two of them are the Lord Nelson-class, two are the newest Dreadnought-class, and two are the formidable Majesty-class! They are the mainstay of the Australian fleet."

“Very good.” Dewey nodded. “Our plan is as follows,” he said, drawing an arc on the nautical chart with his baton: “The combined fleet will depart from Christmas Island and launch a feigned attack on Oahu. When the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s East Pacific Fleet comes out to meet us, General Fisher’s fleet will encircle us from the south and annihilate the enemy’s main force in one fell swoop.”

The staff officers began to discuss in hushed tones. Just then, a communications officer hurried into the meeting room and handed Dewey a telegram.

After reading the telegram, Dewey's expression turned grave: "Gentlemen, the situation has changed. Australian reconnaissance airships have discovered that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's South Sea Fleet is moving towards the Banda Sea."

The meeting room fell silent. Fisher was the first to react: "They're going to attack Port Moresby!"

Dewey pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "No, this is a trap. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom wants to lure us into diverting our troops back to defend, so they can gain a local advantage in Hawaii."

He turned to the communications officer: “Send a telegram to Port Moresby, ordering the garrison to be on high alert, but without my order, not a single warship is to return to its position!”

Fisher hesitated, "But what if Port Moresby falls?"

“No way,” Dewey said confidently. “The fortified cannons at Port Moresby can cover the entire bay, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s fleet simply cannot get close.”

He looked at the nautical chart again: "Our target remains Pearl Harbor. This was decided at the ongoing NATO summit in London. As long as we take Hawaii, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's defenses in the Pacific will collapse!"

After the meeting, Dewey stood alone on the deck, gazing at the coal-loading transport ships in the distance. Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, the battleship *Tianjing* was speeding towards the South Pacific, while at the Rabaul base, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's South Pacific Fleet had completed its final pre-battle preparations.

Another high-stakes gamble in the Pacific is about to begin!
(End of this chapter)