Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Ten days later.

Xi Mentang was stationed in the capital, Chen Jie became the 'Prince Qian', and at the same time, the eight-year-old imperial grandson Li Heng ascended the throne. News of a new emperor spread throughout the Great Qian Dynasty.

Newspapers across the country began to publicize the news extensively.

The control of public opinion by Ximentang's secret forces played a significant role at this time.

The greater good of the nation!

The Crown Prince Li Heng's ascension to the throne was legitimate, and photos of the Imperial Seal and the late Emperor's edict were even printed in the newspapers.

The rebellions of the regional princes suddenly lost their moral high ground.

This also means that Ximentang has become the legitimate military force of the Great Qian Dynasty, and is qualified to suppress rebellions anywhere.

When this news was announced, some people were happy while others were sad.

The canal gang and many other forces that had submitted to Ximen Hall were naturally very happy.

With Ximen Hall's current stable position, it naturally brings many benefits to those forces that joined early. Not only can their interests be guaranteed, but they can also continue to grow stronger with Ximen Hall's support.

The other aristocratic families who fled after the fall of the capital were filled with deep regret.

Having lost their support in the capital, they were like rootless duckweed, and the entire family could only decline in the end.

After the situation in the capital stabilized, Chen Jie finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He originally planned to take advantage of the few days he had to announce his seclusion and go back home.

Although there was still plenty of time for the 'battle of the trapped beast', Chen Jie still planned to go back and rest for a few days in advance.

but,

He received a message from the military intelligence agency before he even left.

After Prince Ning, Li Mu, fled to the capital, all the various lords in the Northwest region who had previously submitted to him rose up in rebellion, declaring that they had nothing to do with him.

The three armies in the Great Northwest, including Li Feihu's, all rose up in rebellion.

Many powerful families who had fled the capital responded one after another, and in less than half a month, they completely divided up the territory that originally belonged to Prince Ning, Li Mu.

More than a dozen prefectures and counties in northern Shaanxi, as well as parts of Shanxi and Hebei, were in complete chaos.

Various factions responded, each carving out their own territory and proclaiming themselves kings.

The entire Northwest region was divided into hundreds of large and small "kingdoms," who fought for territory and began a chaotic war.

As a result,
Large numbers of refugees poured into Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing and other places.

After discussing the matter in a meeting, Chen Jie decided to set up 'refugee relief points' in Hebei and other places.

As long as refugees are able to endure hardship, they are not afraid of starving to death.

After Guan Qilin's army entered the grasslands, they cooperated with the Northern Russians and he even proclaimed himself "King of the Mongols" on the grasslands!
With the help of the Northern Russians, Guan Qilin's army also began to expand.

Not only did they begin to upgrade their equipment, but they also expanded their army to a million!

All of a sudden.

Guan Qilin's army became one of the biggest threats to the northern part of the Great Qian Dynasty.

However, it is clear that Guan Qilin has no plans to attack Daqian.

He is conserving his energy and waiting for the right opportunity.

Therefore,
On the surface, the situation in the Daqian Dynasty has calmed down after Ximentang moved into the capital.

but,

Beneath the calm exterior, undercurrents surge.

Not only was Guan Qilin's army continuously increasing its troops and strengthening its military power, but also the Eastern Ocean army, Prince Ning Li Mu, Prince Shu Li Chuang, and other regional princes were constantly expanding their armies.

therefore,

Xu Shichang suggested taking Tangshan in Hebei first, and bringing the bridgehead previously occupied by the Russians and Japanese under the complete military control of the capital.

At the same time, taking advantage of the chaos in various places, we can send troops to capture Shanhaiguan first.

With Ximentang's current troop strength and combat capability, taking Shanhaiguan should not be difficult.

If we were to fight the Japanese in the future, we would only need to occupy Shanhaiguan first.

Then,

Advance to attack, retreat to defend!

The entire situation is very favorable for Simon Hall.

While Chen Jie was discussing the situation in the north with Xu Shichang, Deng Yonghe, the commander of the First Fleet of Ximentang stationed in Tianjin Port, suddenly received military intelligence from the sea.

The 6th, 7th, and 8th Fleets of the Eastern Ocean launched a surprise attack on merchant ships at Huangpu Port and seized a batch of supplies purchased from Europe.

original,

Chen Jie led the Ximentang fleet to capture the Penghu Islands and stationed troops on the islands.

Although the entire island was under the control of Ximentang, not a single Japanese person was allowed to escape.

but,

After all, paper can't contain fire.

After Ximentang occupied the island, so much time had passed that the Japanese finally noticed something was different.

At least these past few days have passed, and there has been no news from the Japanese army, the troops stationed on the islands, or the pirates and merchant ships in Southeast Asia.

Although the Eastern Army had great confidence in Sakurai Chojiro's troops stationed on the island.

but,

After losing all contact with the island, not only the Japanese military but even Emperor Meiji had a bad feeling.

During this period, many Southeast Asian merchant ships traveled to the Eastern Empire.

Admiral Kazuo Kawahara of the Eastern Empire specifically inquired with some overseas merchants about the Penghu Islands.

Next.

Japan dispatched some warships to the island to investigate the specific situation.

unfortunately,

The ships were easily destroyed by the troops stationed on the Penghu Islands by Ximentang as soon as they arrived in the Penghu Islands area.

After Ximentang occupied the Penghu Islands area, it did not make a big show of it.

and,

Ostensibly, it was occupied by French mercenaries, but no Simon Church banners were displayed.

In this way, the Penghu Islands were no longer under the control of the Eastern Empire, and the situation did not have much impact.

therefore,

Many merchant ships from Southeast Asia, after passing through the Penghu Islands area, heard about the occupation of some 'islands,' but knew nothing about the specifics.

Even if someone knew the situation, they wouldn't dare say much after entering the Eastern Empire, lest they cause trouble for themselves.

Admiral Kazuo Kawahara of the Eastern Empire asked many merchants, but was ultimately left completely bewildered.

Sakurai Chojiro stationed 100,000 troops on the island.

How could it just disappear so suddenly and without a sound?
Damn it—!
Could it be that Sakurai Chojiro did this on purpose, wanting to break free from the control of the Eastern Empire?

but,

Based on information from various investigations, Kazuo Kawahara simply could not believe that the powerful Japanese garrison on the island had been completely wiped out.

Even if Sakurai Chojiro lost, he should at least be able to escape the pirates and return to the East.

not to mention,
There is also a Japanese princess on the island—Kaoru Umemiya.

The problem is that so much time has passed, and the entire island seems to have vanished without a trace.

As for Princess Umemiya Kaoru, there has been no news of her, which Kazuo Kawahara can understand.

After all, Princess Umemiya Kaoruko was essentially exiled to an 'island,' and she harbored resentment towards the Eastern Empire, so naturally she wouldn't send any messages back.

After confirming the information repeatedly.

Finally, Kazuo Kawahara realized that it was not the French Allied Forces that had occupied the Penghu Islands, but Simondang.

revenge!

Retaliation is imperative! Therefore,

Kazuo Kawahara and Iwao Oyama, the commander of the Eastern Army, held several discussions.

Finally, it was decided to send the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Fleets to the Penghu Islands area to investigate the situation and retake the 'islands'.

of course,

The three major fleets of the East Seas were mobilized not only to reclaim the waters around the Penghu Islands, but also to retaliate against Ximentang of the Daqian Dynasty.

Songjiang Prefecture Huangpu Port!
This is the most prosperous place for foreign trade in the Great Qian Dynasty, and it is also the largest commercial area in the Great Qian Dynasty at present.

By blocking the Huangpu Port, the economy of Ximentang can be restricted.

In the following period, the three major fleets of the East launched an attack on Huangpu Port in Songjiang Prefecture and seized several merchant ships carrying supplies.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Jie was unaware of the details of the Japanese military investigation.

However, he already understood the general situation.

After all, the three major fleets of the East were mobilized, with a total force of more than 100,000 men.

If they really want to retake the island, even if the other five fleets don't all go out, they will definitely come to their aid.

This intelligence was discovered by Deng Yonghe's maritime patrol team, not by the submarine force.

The navy in Ximentang has established a coast guard, so their intelligence should be reliable.

Since capturing and refitting the ships of the Western Fleet.

The combat power of the First and Second Fleets of the Ximen Hall is now vastly different from what it used to be.

Since the defeat of the Waldersee coalition, the East India Company is unlikely to send a large fleet to the Daqian Dynasty again in a short period of time.

Therefore,
Currently, only the Eastern Fleet is active in the waters of the Great Qian Dynasty.

In terms of overall combat strength, the eight fleets of the Eastern Ocean do indeed possess power in the Asian seas, and are even no weaker than the fleets of any Western country.

After hearing the news, Chen Jie immediately summoned Jack Bonaparte to inquire about the specific situation of the French mercenaries.

If the French fleet were to encounter the Eastern Fleet, what would be their chances of victory?

The Ximentang fleet had never engaged in a direct confrontation with the Eastern Fleet, and its assessment of the strength of both sides was not comprehensive.

Jack Bonaparte had combat experience with the Eastern Fleet and was well aware of its peak combat power.

After listening to Chen Jie's words, Jack Bonaparte lowered his head and pondered for a moment before saying:
"The Eastern Fleet is very large, especially in the last year, after the defeat of the Western Allied Forces at Waldersee, the size of the Eastern Fleet has expanded a lot."

"A fleet consists of eight cruisers, twelve gunboats, plus transport ships, etc., totaling about 30 warships."

"Although there are no battleships in the entire eight fleets of the East, the number of personnel is large."

"The ship-mounted guns equipped on the Japanese warships had very large calibers, exceeding 300mm."

"If our French fleet were to encounter an Eastern fleet, we could fight them with our ships' speed."

"However, if it exceeds two fleets, we will only be able to run away; we cannot win."

After listening, Chen Jie nodded slightly.

He gave the order: "Jack, this time the 6th, 7th and 8th Fleets of the East, with a total force of 100,000, attacked Huangpu Port in Songjiang Prefecture."

"I'm prepared to send the Second Fleet and your French Fleet to annihilate these three major fleets of the Japanese!"

The Westminster currently only has two fleets.

The First Fleet was stationed in Tianjin Port and was tasked with preventing other East Asian fleets from attacking the coastlines of Shandong, Hebei, and Tianjin.

Therefore,
To deal with the three major fleets of the East, the only option is to deploy the Second Fleet of the Western Pacific and the French mercenary group.

"Understood! I will immediately notify the French fleet to prepare!"

Jack Bonaparte said with delight upon hearing this.

During this period of time, although the French mercenary group fought alongside Simon, they mostly played a minor role.

Because the main fighting force of the French mercenaries was at sea.

Once they landed, they could only follow behind Simon, or serve as cannon fodder.

One day later.

Xiong Chao, who was stationed in Songjiang Prefecture, sent an urgent telegram to Chen Jie.

The three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean launched successive attacks on Huangpu Port and did not leave, completely blocking the coastline of the entire Songjiang Prefecture.

Although the Ximen Tang 'Kuanbu' fought a major battle with the Japanese fleet at Huangpu Port.

but,

The Eastern Fleet did not dock, but instead continued to attack merchant ships from 15 kilometers off the coast.

Also.

The Black Dragon Society's intelligence agents have made a comeback, becoming increasingly active in Nanjing, Songjiang Prefecture, and eastern Zhejiang.

News that Admiral Kazuo Kawahara of the Eastern Navy had dispatched three fleets to prepare for an attack on Matsue Prefecture quickly spread along the coast!

All of a sudden.

All trade and commerce in Songjiang Prefecture came to a sudden halt.

Even the shipping routes for various pig iron resources that Simon Tang imported from the West were forcibly cut off.

The inability of goods to enter Huangpu Port in Songjiang Prefecture caused anxiety not only among the Western trading companies but also among the trade officials at Ximentang!
Xiong Chao was so anxious that blisters appeared on the corners of his mouth.

Unfortunately, he commanded an army, which could only stop the Japanese fleet from landing, but could not stop the Japanese fleet from harassing him!

After receiving Xiong Chao's telegram, Chen Jie was basically certain that the Japanese were causing trouble in Songjiang Prefecture, and their real target was the 'island'!
That's right.

Kazuo Kawahara's order for the three fleets to attack Huangpu Port in Songjiang Prefecture was merely a feint.

Their real goal is to reclaim the 'island'!
therefore,

Chen Jie assembled the forces of the Second Fleet, preparing to confront the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean.

of course,

Before facing the three major fleets of the East, Chen Jie first needed to handle the internal affairs of the Ximen Hall.

Currently, Shandong, southern Jiangsu, northern Jiangsu, Songjiang Prefecture, and eastern Zhejiang have all entered a state of war preparedness.

Simultaneously,

The capital city has strengthened its defenses and is ready to go to war at any time.

Chen Jie agreed to Xu Shichang's suggestion that, while the Japanese were withdrawing from Shanhaiguan, Ximentang should first recapture Tangshan and other places.

Shanhaiguan was the northern gateway to the capital, after Guan Yu retreated to the grasslands.

Ximen Tang took over Shanhaiguan and ordered a large force to defend it, in order to stop the invasion of the Japanese army.

Currently,

The main focus of the army in Ximentang was still defense.

Because the new army of the Daqian Ministry of War is still undergoing intensive training, its combat effectiveness is limited.

Simultaneously,

Ximentang's "Tank Legion" has not yet been truly equipped and is limited in terms of the number of ground troops it can deploy.

Chen Jie sent a telegram to Zhang Wenbo, the head of the Second Fleet of the Ximentang.

He planned to personally lead the First Fleet to Qingdao, Shandong, and then board the ships of the Second Fleet to join Jack Bonaparte's French coalition forces.

Chen Jie was prepared to personally command this battle against the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean.

He not only mobilized fifty transport and supply ships, but also added five hundred long-range 240mm heavy artillery pieces.

Incendiary bombs, armor-piercing shells, and ordinary artillery shells were supplied to the ships as if they were free.

More importantly, all of the 'Storm' fast attack ships are equipped with 'M61A Vulcan cannons'!
The two fleets of Ximentang currently each have 24 'Storm' fast attack ships, and their firepower is incredibly strong!
Next.

Chen Jie instructed the main generals of Ximen Hall to focus on defense for the time being!
Also.

Both the Military Affairs Office and the Ximengtang Sub-Department closely monitored the movements of the Japanese army and the military in various regions.

Report any unusual activity immediately!

The most urgent task is to break the naval blockade and destroy the three major fleets of the East.

Although the Ximentang First Fleet is stationed at the Dagu Fortress port, it is ready to provide support at any time. (End of Chapter)