Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 215 Buying a Ship! Merchant Ship Renovation

The Japanese bombarded Tangshan Port!

For Beijing, Tangshan Port is also one of the gateways to Beijing.

Therefore,
Chen Jie knew very well how much pressure Xu Shichang was facing.

The Ministry of War has a large number of troops stationed at Tangshan Port, but their combat effectiveness is too poor.

Faced with the attack of Japanese warships, they were vulnerable.

If Xu Shichang could not resolve this crisis, he would probably be removed from his post less than a month after being promoted to the Minister of War.

After the Beiyang Fleet was completely sunk, the Daqian Dynasty no longer had any naval power.

Chen Jie knew very well that what the Daqian Dynasty urgently needed at the moment was also a fleet.

but,

He really had no way of solving this problem.

The maritime trade of the Daqian Dynasty was almost blocked by Western warships.

In particular, the Japanese fleet blockaded the Bohai Bay.

If we want to lift the blockade of the Japanese, we must fight.

Under such circumstances, only Western merchant ships could enter and exit Tianjin Port, and Daqian's merchant ships could not go out at all.

That night,

Xu Shichang arrived at the Ximen Hall headquarters camp.

He had no other choice but to seek help from Ximen Tang.

"Mr. Chen! You should know that the Japanese have blocked the Bohai Bay, right?"

"After they bombarded Tangshan Port, they did not occupy it. Their purpose was to put pressure on the imperial court."

Chen Jie nodded and said in a deep voice:

"The news that the Japanese have blocked Bohai Bay has spread."

"Their goal is to force Daqian to cede the Northeast, and at the same time assist the Western Allied Forces in ceding Shandong to the British Empire."

"According to news from all sides, people across Daqian are in a state of panic, and a full-scale war is imminent!"

"Maritime trade in various parts of the south has also been interrupted!"

Xu Shichang took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said:

"It was discussed at the Ministry of War meeting before I came here."

"I have already consulted the Sixth Prince and the Emperor. The Japanese have blockaded the Bohai Bay, and the Western fleet has even blockaded the East China Sea and the South China Sea."

"We must not show weakness in our military department. We must bombard their merchant ships directly!"

Chen Jie heard this and shook his head slightly.

"Lord Xu, bombarding merchant ships will not solve the fundamental problem. It will only bring about more severe retaliation from the Eastern Fleet."

"The Eastern warships have strong firepower and high speed, and the fleet is huge with a huge number of ships."

"They kept bombarding along the coastline, and then ran away after the attack!"

"Also, after each bombardment, they would go ashore and plunder."

"I believe that the imperial court has already put the blame for the revenge attack on Tangshan Port by the Eastern Fleet on you, right?"

"If the Eastern Battleships continue like this, how long can you last in the Ministry of War?"

Xu Shichang was speechless for a moment, and sighed: "This——!"

at this time,

His face looked a little ugly and he felt bitter inside.

Why doesn't he know this?
However, Daqian had no naval fleet and could not defeat the Japanese fleet at all.

As long as we go to war with the Japanese, we will be almost dead.

Fight once, lose once!
Not to mention that the fleet couldn't win, even after the Japanese landed, the Daqian army never won.

What's more, the Western fleet was docked in Dongying, watching covetously.

If merchant ships were bombarded, the consequences would be very serious.

At the moment, Xu Shichang really had no other choice. If he wanted to make the Japanese afraid to act rashly, the only way he could do was to bombard the merchant ships.

However, this approach can only express the attitude of the Ministry of War, but it does not have any deterrent effect.

"With the combat power of the Daqian Military Department, there is really no other way!"

Xu Shichang sighed and said, "Mr. Chen, do you have any better ideas?"

Chen Jie looked up at Xu Shichang and said calmly:

"There is a way, but our Ximen Hall has just stabilized the Dagukou Fortress and we are out of money!"

"The imperial court has no money and no food. How can we fight this war?"

He doesn't want to continue to be a scapegoat.

Previously, the purpose was to occupy the territory of Dagukou Fortress so that Ximen Hall would have enough room for development.

He brought a large amount of silver coins from that world, and added all the silver he had previously robbed from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Fighting the Japanese is not just Ximen Tang’s business.

Ok?
Is there really a way?
Xu Shichang opened his eyes wide, took a deep breath and said:
“Mr. Chen, as you just said, the blockade of the coastline of the Daqian Dynasty not only affects the court.”

"At the same time, it also had a great impact on the trade of the major families, causing them to suffer huge losses."

"If we can really lift the coastal blockade and raise some silver dollars from the major families, it shouldn't be a big problem if the amount is not too large."

"If you have any solution, just tell me!"

Chen Jie thought about it and said calmly:

"Before this, I had deliberately learned about business information from various places."

"There are eighteen Dutch merchant ships at the Huangpu Wharf in East China. We can buy these merchant ships and transform them into warships!"

"There are still many people left in the Beiyang Fleet, enough to form a new fleet and chase after the Easterners and Western warships at sea!"

Xu Shichang frowned and asked in surprise: "Buy Dutch merchant ships?"

Chen Jie nodded and said:
"After the naval blockade, the Dutch remained neutral and did not join the coalition forces. They were unable to transport Daqian's tea and porcelain to the sea."

"So, it's obviously not worth it for the Dutch to sail back with an empty ship. It's a very profitable deal for them to sell the merchant ship!"

"Of course, in terms of price, we must satisfy them."

"If we can capture these merchant ships, we will not only be able to lift the Japanese blockade at sea, but also allow Daqian to regain control of the sea."

Xu Shichang shook his head helplessly:

"What's the point of buying merchant ships? We can't buy the most advanced naval guns from the West."

"Moreover, the merchant ships are too slow. Once they encounter the Japanese fleet, they will be sunk again."

"The last time the Beiyang Fleet was sunk, it was because they were outgunned and their speed was also slower than that of the Dongyang Fleet."

Chen Jie said in a deep voice: "We at Ximen Hall can manufacture the most advanced artillery, and we are confident that we can suppress the Japanese!"

"As for the speed issue, I will find a way to solve it."

"The most urgent task is to capture these merchant ships first."

Xu Shichang was moved when he heard what Chen Jie said, and asked:
"How many silver dollars does a merchant ship cost?"

The last time Chen Jie inspected Tianjin Port, he had already learned about the prices of merchant ships.

He opened his mouth and said: "The price of Western merchant ships is calculated according to tonnage."

"Generally speaking, the price of a newly built merchant ship is about one hundred silver dollars per ton, and a merchant ship with a displacement of one thousand tons is about one hundred thousand silver dollars."

"These Dutch merchant ships are all old. If we discount them by 70%, each ship costs 70,000 silver dollars."

"If we can take all 18 merchant ships, we can lower the price a little bit. We estimate that we can get them for 1.2 million silver dollars."

hiss--!
Xu Shichang took a deep breath, shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly.

"One million and two hundred thousand silver dollars! And this is just a merchant ship!"

"Merchant ships also need to be equipped with additional cannons and modified with power. Are these cannons all provided by Ximen Tang?"

Chen Jie nodded and said in a deep voice:
"The artillery that Western warships can sell to Daqian is not only not powerful enough, but also has a short range, and the rate of fire of the shells is limited."

"If you want to transform merchant ships and increase their firepower, you must use artillery made by Ximen Tang!"

finished,

Chen Jie snorted coldly and said, "Now if you want to buy warships from the West, even if you borrow money, it will be difficult to buy the most advanced warships."

"Whether it's West Germany, the British Empire, or even the United States, it's impossible for them to sell warships to Daqian!"

"In the short term, if Daqian wants to build a fleet, the only option is to transform merchant ships."

Xu Shichang pondered for a moment and said, "Western merchant ships have no armor and cannot withstand bombardment. Has Mr. Chen ever considered this?"

Chen Jie said slowly: "We can add armor. It shouldn't be difficult for the shipyard." Xu Shichang lowered his head and thought without saying a word.

After a moment, he sighed and said:

"Since the sinking of the Beiyang Fleet, the Daqian Dynasty has completely lost control of the sea."

"If we can form a fleet again, it will be a rare opportunity for Daqian."

"But 1.2 million silver dollars is really impossible at the moment!"

"Even if the Sixth Prince summoned the noble families in the same camp to raise funds, he could only raise 500,000 silver dollars at most."

This was the best effort Xu Shichang could make.

In order to obtain this sum of silver dollars, the Sixth Prince has to show up in person.

otherwise,

It would be impossible to do it relying solely on Xu Shichang.

What Chen Jie needs is the full support of the "war faction".

The old emperor only expressed his support verbally, but never expressed anything.

Any support without money is empty.

Being able to raise 500,000 silver dollars at one time is equivalent to bleeding the "war faction" camp.

Chen Jie immediately smiled and said:
"Okay! You go discuss this with the Sixth Prince. I'll find a way to get the remaining funds and try to take down these 18 merchant ships at once."

"Ximentang bought the shipyard in Tianjin Port and was responsible for upgrading these merchant ships."

"Also, I have to say that after these merchant ships are renovated, the fleet will belong to Ximen Tang!"

"In return, we are responsible for opening the blockade at sea."

Xu Shichang said: "I'm going to go back and discuss this with the Sixth Prince——!"

Chen Jie also nodded and said, "I also want to go to the Dutch trading company in Tianjin!"

-

Tianjin, Dutch Trading Company!
Hendry's office.

"What did you say? You want to buy our merchant ships docked at the Huangpu Port in East China?"

Hendry was surprised when he heard why Chen Jie came.

Next,
He reacted and said hurriedly: "Hasn't your Daqian coastline near the Bohai Bay been blocked by the Japanese? What's the point of having merchant ships?"

Chen Jie smiled and said, "We at Ximentang need merchant ships to transport supplies. The Japanese dare to show off their power in other places, but they dare not come to Tianjin Port!"

indeed,

The Tianjin Dagukou Fortress has long-range artillery.

The Japanese warships did not dare to get too close to the shore, otherwise they would easily be sunk.

The artillery range of Dagukou Fortress reached 8 kilometers, which is almost as far as the large-caliber naval guns of Japanese warships.

The key is,
The artillery of Dagukou Fortress is a combination of 120mm mortars and Weiyuan cannons, and the mortars are very mobile.

The Japanese warships approaching Tianjin Port will become targets and they will definitely not gain any advantage.

After the Dutch merchant ships arrived in Daqian, they did not expect that maritime trade was monopolized and restricted by the British Empire, the United States, and the Japanese.

They were furious at their inability to ship their goods out of the country.

This trade trip caused huge losses to the Dutch trading company.

The office fell into silence.

After a while,
Chen Jie said: "Mr. Hendry, if you sell this batch of merchant ships to us, we, Ximen Hall, can guarantee your safety in any trade of your Dutch company in Tianjin!"

"Next, we will break the Japanese naval blockade."

"You won't suffer any loss if you trade with us."

Hendry hesitated for a moment and said, "The merchant ship is docked at the Huangpu Port in East China. If it wants to enter the Bohai Bay, the Japanese may not let it go."

Chen Jie lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said:
"How about you ask the British warship to escort you to Tianjin Port, and I'll pay for it?"

"The Japanese currently dare not take any other actions against the ships of the British Empire. The safety of merchant ships should be guaranteed."

Hendry thought about it and said readily, "Okay, deal!"

He is a businessman. How could he give up something profitable?

"Let's discuss the specific price. I also need to seek the advice of the business." Hendry said.

The shipbuilding industry in the Netherlands is very developed.

Even compared with the shipbuilding industry of the British Empire, it is not inferior.

"Eighteen merchant ships, I want them all!" said Chen Jie.

Hendry shook his head and said, "We don't have that much. We still need to ship some stuff back. We can only sell you twelve merchant ships at most."

Next,
It is a price negotiation between two parties.

Since the merchant ship is relatively new, it is not an old one.

The final price was much higher than Chen Jie had estimated. Including the transportation costs, the twelve merchant ships cost a total of one million silver dollars.

After the two sides reached an agreement, they agreed that the merchant ship would be delivered to Tianjin Port in four days.

Chen Jie seemed to see that Hendry was dissatisfied with the Japanese, so he smiled and said:
"Mr. Hendry, the Japanese blockaded the Bohai Bay, and the British Empire and the United States blockaded the maritime trade in the East China Sea and the South China Sea!"

"According to the current trend, they will blockade Daqian for quite some time, hoping to monopolize Daqian's maritime trade and continuously transport 'opium' into Daqian."

"We, the Daqian court, want to break this situation and hope to order four 3,000-ton cruisers from you, the Netherlands."

Hendry shook his head when he heard this, and said with embarrassment:

"If you want to order a 3,000-ton cruiser, it will probably take three years for it to be delivered!"

"According to the current situation of your Daqian Dynasty, unless you can pay more than 70% of the deposit in advance, we dare not easily accept your order."

indeed,

In its current state, the Daqian Dynasty is in danger.

Who knows what the situation will be like in three years?
What if the Daqian Dynasty was defeated and became a colony of the British Empire?

Now that the Netherlands has accepted the shipbuilding order, who will it sell the goods to?
suddenly,
Hendry remembered something and said:

"When you mentioned this, I suddenly remembered that the batch of six cruisers we ordered two years ago has been completed and docked in the Dutch port."

"Because the guns and powertrains ordered by France were never in place, they were not satisfied with the cruisers and gave up the order."

"If you want, I can negotiate with the shipyard and resell it to you, and send it to your Tianjin Port by tugboat."

"However, these six cruisers need to be equipped with artillery and powertrains by themselves. You can also entrust our shipyard to help with the installation."

After hearing this, Chen Jie's heart moved.

There is such a good thing! ?

The Dutch shipbuilding industry is one of the best in the world, and the six cruisers they produce are definitely the world's top warships.

Although the Netherlands has always remained neutral and no longer participated in the war.

but,

Their maritime trade is very prosperous and the strength of their shipbuilding industry is unquestionable.

Chen Jie agreed to purchase the six cruisers without any hesitation.

There is no naval gun or power train installed.

The price is similar to that of a merchant ship. A top-level armored cruiser costs less than 300,000 silver dollars, which is simply a bargain.

The key is,
It would take a long time to order cruisers from the West.

Now we have ready-made warships that can be delivered to Tianjin Port in a few months!
By the time,
It only takes a few months to modify.

Ximentang will have a first-class fleet.

You must know that high-speed ships converted from merchant ships can only fight in the near sea and do not have the ability to fight in the ocean.

but,

It's different with a cruiser.

Once the six cruisers are in place, Ximentang will have the power to conquer the oceans.

Chen Jie couldn't help but take a deep breath, pretended to hesitate for a moment, suppressed his inner excitement, and said:
"The territory of the Daqian Dynasty is vast. Even if the British Empire and the Orientals want to go to war, it will not end in the short term!"

"Since you have already produced warships, a three-month delivery period shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Hendry nodded and said, "Four months for delivery. I will arrange for someone to take a speedboat back to the Netherlands and try to deliver it within three months!"

"As for the funds, you need to pay 20 percent in advance!"

Chen Jie did not hesitate any longer, but said directly:

"Okay! Deal—!"

(End of this chapter)