Chapter 652: Naked Treason
In a house by the Qinhuai River, a carriage with simple decorations walked gracefully in front of the gate.
Pierre himself greeted the visitors at the door. This is his trading partner in China for many years and an important trading partner.
The two of them made a formal appearance at the door just like it was a normal meeting and visit. But when the two of them arrived at the small flower hall and the servants who brought tea and water had all left, Pierre's expression changed, and so did his trading partner's expression, and both sides became serious.
Pierre looked at his old friend across from him with a firm look, like a desperado looking for his last resort after doing something big.
"This is a very, very confidential matter," Pierre said.
"Pierre, you know the rules of the people behind me. We have a long-term relationship and a friendship like friends. They will not treat their friends badly."
As a veteran of the Military Intelligence Agency, the man opposite Pierre sat upright. He knew Pierre very well, so he was sure that he would gain something big this time. It's really possible that Pierre got a piece of A-level intelligence.
"Dekelma communicated secretly with Perrier yesterday, and then I obtained the specific details of their conversation. I can swear to God that the Netherlands is approaching Paris!"
The Military Intelligence officer opposite Pierre turned pale with surprise.
"Yes, don't be surprised. The Netherlands is really getting closer to Paris!"
“The blockade policy adopted by the British has greatly harmed the interests of the Dutch. Amsterdam looked to London for a solution, but the results were not ideal.”
"And the British insisted that the Netherlands withdraw from the Armed Neutrality Alliance, and demanded that the Netherlands join the war and ban loans from France, America, and Spain."
No matter how specific the matter was, Pierre didn't know, not even Dekelma and Perrier. But in these two short sentences, the information revealed is extremely huge and important.
The British have seriously damaged the interests of the Netherlands. The windmill is going to kick off John Bull, a good friend, and live happily with the Gallic rooster? Is this a joke?
"Pierre, you really made a big deal. As long as we confirm the accuracy of this information, you will get the thing you have dreamed of for a long time."
Isn't it just a yellow book? As long as the superiors don't pursue it, even Pierre's contact person can handle it for Pierre.
After seeing him off, Pierre returned to the bedroom where he was alone. His whole body was shaking. Although this was not the first time he had made a deal with his old friend, Pierre knew the meaning of this time. .
Regardless of whether it is the East or the West, there is a crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason, and everyone will be beheaded.
What he is doing now is Hong Guoguo's treason.
But he has no choice. In a month's time, he will leave China. Leaving this place where he lived for many years and brought him great wealth. Aboard a French merchant ship loaded with arms, he crossed the ocean, broke through the British blockades at sea, arrived in Mysore, India, and taught all the arms to the Sultan of Mysore, Haider Ali Khan. , and then back to Europe, back to Paris.
Just thinking about the danger during this period would make him go crazy.
Therefore, he urgently needs a yellow book and obtain the family's permanent residence in China.
The Military Intelligence Bureau received this news like a treasure. If the Dutch suddenly quarreled with the British, Chen Han's navy and land army could instantly sweep through Batavia, completely destroy the last European colony in the East, and then pacify Batavia. The navy of the sea went straight to Ceylon, laying a solid foundation and providing the best convenience for China to penetrate into the Indian continent in the next step.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the significance of this matter involves the overall strategic situation.
Chen Liang immediately passed the news to Chen Ming, although the information provided by Pierre has not yet been confirmed.
"I remember that Perrier signed an arms agreement with the Logistics Department and took away 20,000 flintlock guns and one hundred five-pound cannons at one time, as well as the corresponding ammunition?"
"Keep an eye on this batch of arms."
If the Dutch and the French really had a tacit understanding, this batch of arms would definitely be facilitated when traveling to Ceylon through Malacca. According to the instructions of the French, this batch of arms was to be trafficked into Mysore. So how to overcome the British blockade and safely transfer the arms to the French unarmed port in Mysore depends on the Dutch. How convenient.
Whether the Netherlands is colluding with Paris or not, you can see the traces if you look at this batch of arms.
"Your Majesty is wise." Chen Liang said hurriedly.
Military Intelligence is actually already doing this. Even without Pierre's top-secret information, they would still be keeping a close eye on this batch of goods.
This is 20,000 guns.
"Haider Ali Khan of Mysore is really determined to fight the British. Since last year, Mysore has bought tens of thousands of guns and cannons from us, greatly expanding Mysore's Seoul's military strength, and now he has won the support of many Indian princes and the French. The French navy is expected to arrive in the Indian Ocean next year, and the British will also encounter powerful opponents at sea. "
"If the Dutch also take the opportunity to side with the French, British interests in India will undergo a major test."
Chen Liang's eyes were shining as he spoke. If the British suffered a disastrous defeat in India, the road for China to enter India would also be paved.
Even if the French regain their foothold in India, they can't compare with the British.
Chen Ming looked at Chen Liang calmly. He knew clearly that India would eventually become the brightest jewel in the British crown. In other words, the French, who had a great advantage in history, did not turn the tables. It is conceivable that the ending of Mysore must be very miserable.
Compared with outlining the plan based on the premise of the British failure, Chen Ming felt that it should be based on the premise of the British victory. Or this time, Britain and France will be evenly matched, because there is also a spoiler, Chen Han.
"Your Majesty, Mysore has an army of 100,000. Hyder Ali Khan has at least 40,000 musket troops, some of whom have been trained by the French. Mysore's cavalry is the best light cavalry in India, with a number of no less than 10,000. They also have a special artillery factory, which produced 18-pound artillery under the guidance of the French, and a considerable number of French gunners and officers serve in their artillery. In addition, Mysore also has a special rocket force and a naval force." Although Mysore's rockets are completely different from China's rocket forces.
But Mysore's strength should not be underestimated.
If the French batch of arms is successfully transported to Mysore, the latter's army will likely be fully equipped with muskets. The total strength of the British colonial troops and genuine red shrimp soldiers in India is less than 30,000.
Chen Ming did not speak, and Chen Erbao, who was present, shook his head first and said, "In a war, you cannot assume that whoever has more soldiers will be stronger. Although the Mysore army is large, most of them are a mob. Only a small number of people in Haider's firearms unit have undergone Western training, and most of the army can only stand still and shoot targets."
"The native troops of the British East India Company have always been the model for Mysore, Maratha and other Indian kingdoms to refer to when training new troops. These infantrymen trained according to European standards have an overwhelming advantage when facing old-style armies in wars between Indian princes, but they are not very effective when dealing with real European armies. "The Grand Governor's Office has also collected a lot of intelligence from neighboring countries in recent years, and India is the top priority.
"To build a truly new army, discipline, organization, weapons and equipment will cost a lot of money and time. Most of the troops that Mysore can put into the battlefield are still old-style troops, and they are vulnerable even if they are equipped with muskets. In addition, among Mysore's new army, the proportion of European officers is relatively small, while the British colonial army in Bengal has a high proportion of professional officers, because the income of officers in India is much higher than that in the mainland. Although there are dangers, there are still a large number of British officers who take the initiative to serve the East India Company. In general, in terms of specific military command, the British Indian colonial army is more professional and talented than the native Indians. Even if the number of Mysore's troops far exceeds that of the British Indian army in Bengal, it is not necessarily possible to win.
I personally think that the British have a greater chance of winning this battle."
In the Grand Governor's Mansion, Chen Ming emphasized to everyone more than once that China has only one opponent, that is Britain.
Although there are so many powerful countries in Europe, there are only two countries that can threaten China's base across Africa-the British and the French.
The political environment of the French here is too bad. Chen Ming has asserted that if the financial crisis of France cannot be reversed as soon as possible, it will sooner or later bring disaster to France. However, for Britain, Chen Ming praised this country for its unlimited possibilities.
So although Chen Erbao does not have any strategic vision for contact, he is very optimistic about Britain. Such an analysis is not unreasonable.
Chen Han himself is the most realistic example of "elite defeats mob".
With the current speed of news dissemination in the East and the West, which is "year", everything will not be clear until next year. Next year is 1780 in the Western calendar.
After Chen Liang and Chen Erbao left, only Chen Cong, Liu Wu, Liu Dezhao, Wang Huizu, Pang Zhenkun, and Xiong Bingzhang were left by Chen Ming's side.
The next thing to discuss is the adjustment of officials. Next year will be the second cabinet. Some people in the current cabinet are out of office, and there are a few old emperors like Cai Xin who should retire. The whole court will have changes.
Originally, the appointment of these ministers was in the hands of Chen Ming, and it was completely up to him.
But Chen Ming was unwilling to wait until the ministers he appointed made mistakes before making up for it. He hoped that the ministers he appointed were the best choices. Chen Ming wished that there was a system that digitized the abilities of all ministers, including loyalty, and then he could easily rank them by looking at the data. Unfortunately, his bug was not the system. Many things needed to be summarized from the boss's pile of information. In this way, the workload required was huge, and he could not take care of it alone.
The people in front of Chen Ming were even an audit team directly led by him.
Check the resumes and merits one by one, and then appeal to Chen Ming. This power is really unimaginable. Of course, it is also very hard.
"Pang Zhenkun, what's the matter with Wu Xueli's evaluation? You can't just promote the virtuous and avoid relatives just because he is your close friend?"
There are three or five candidates for each position. After Chen Cong and Liu Dezhao read a position, they used their own review to mark the following. First, the degree of compliance with the position, then personal ability, and then slightly detailed Comments. The final candidate will be decided after review by Chen Ming.
Wu Xueli's next positions were Xinjiang and Zhongyuan. Pang Zhenkun handed over a report. Wu Xueli's position matching with Xinjiang Governor's position was only two circles, and the total score was five circles.
"Returning to your majesty, I feel that Wu Xueli is not suitable to serve as governor in Xinjiang. Xinjiang is a border area with many ethnic groups and new immigrants, and there are huge conflicts over trivial matters. Although Wu Xueli is respectful and upright, and does his work honestly and in a general way, But he is cautious, sticks to grammar, and is not good at quick wits. "Compared with Xinjiang, the position of governor of the Central Plains is more suitable for Wu Xueli, but Pang Zhenkun also knows that the possibility of Wu Xueli becoming the governor of the Central Plains is almost zero.
…
North Korea, Seoul, Taiping Pavilion.
This was Chen Zhongsheng's official residence after arriving in North Korea. The envoys who came to the court during the Ming Dynasty all lived here, and most of the envoys from the Manchu and Qing Dynasties lived in Nanbie Palace.
Sun Xu originally thought that Chen Zhongsheng left him to discuss the recent changes in the situation in Seoul. Although Sun Xu spent more time traveling between North and South Korea, he was not completely unaware of the situation in Seoul. Especially since he had just returned to Seoul this time, he could feel a different atmosphere.
The mountain rain is about to come, the wind is filling the buildings, and the black clouds are pressing down on the city, threatening to destroy it.
But Sun Xu never expected that Chen Zhongsheng would reveal a piece of news that shocked him physically and mentally: "According to insider information, one of Li Yin's concubines may be pregnant. Li Yin's attitude recently... ..., it’s very different. “That is to say, Li Yin’s attitude has changed recently.
It was like a thunderbolt hitting Sun Xu on the head, making him dazzle with lightning.
This is a major event involving North Korea's internal dependence. Li Yin, who had previously shown an attitude of internalization, has recently changed her past pro-China rhetoric and clearly ignored Chen Zhongsheng. It's a real snub, not a false appearance.
The latter was sent by Chen Ming to visit the North Korean royal family. He has stayed in North Korea for a long time, like a great god who cannot be provoked, weighing on everyone's heads.
Because of his public attraction, the intelligence agency's operations in North Korea were greatly facilitated. Although Chen Zhongsheng himself is under the spotlight of North Koreans, he also enjoys respect here that he could not imagine in Nanjing.
But the news came so suddenly, and it was impossible to verify whether it was true or false. It is commendable that the secret lines laid by the intelligence agency inside North Korea were able to spread this news.
Sun Xu, who suddenly received this news, was so frightened that he almost peed. They had just sent good news to Nanjing not long ago. If this news was also sent to Nanjing, it would be equivalent to throwing away his and Chen Zhongsheng's future. .
Sun Xu's brain immediately began to shift gears, quickly putting aside the previous considerations about the Min family - the Jin family - the royal family, and instead began to think about the impact of this change. The more I think about it, the more I break into a cold sweat.
"No, no. Mr. Chen, there is something wrong with this matter." Sun Xu said with a cold expression on his face, "We all know that the North Korean monarch is in good health, but there has been no good news for many years. There are various factions in North Korea. There are a lot of rumors circulating, but now the North Korean monarch has just wanted to join the imperial court, and at this time, good news comes from his harem. Isn't it too coincidental? "
Although the news of Li Yin's pregnancy was still a secret, and although Li Yin's submission to Nanjing was also a secret, these were not real secrets.
Chen Zhongsheng's face was covered with frost, and Sun Xu's words could not make him smile at all. He originally thought that North Korea was already a ripe fruit, but now that he suddenly made such a mess, he was in a bad mood.
"The North Koreans have blocked the information very carefully. There is no way to find out whether it is true or not in a short period of time. They don't even know which daughter of the Andong Kim family is pregnant. "I only know that it is the daughter of the Andong Kim family. people.
"We have to think carefully about how to restore the situation in North Korea?"
Doesn’t Chen Zhongsheng himself doubt it? But this was useless. Li Yin's attitude changed, which was the biggest disadvantage for Chen Han.
What does Chen Ming want? It was the North Korean melon that fell into China's pocket. Now that something like this happened, Chen Zhongsheng felt like a cooked duck was about to fly away.
"Sir, the key to this matter is not our guess, but whether we can solidify the matter."
"Then since Li Yin didn't know what was good or bad, she killed him directly."
"As for now, while the news is still being kept secret, let's spread the news first. Let's just say that the Andong Kim clan has messed up the royal bloodline and wants to kill the North Korean monarch. "It's just a good time to take the blame.
A pregnant woman suddenly appeared among a group of women who had not shown any sign of pregnancy for many years. Immediately afterwards, the woman's husband died, leaving behind such a large family fortune. And this pregnant woman was her husband's largest partner, An The daughter of the Dongjin family, haha, it sounds weird no matter how you think about it, doesn’t it?
Sun Xu's face showed sternness.
At this time, there is no need to consider whether Li Yin really has a child, but whether Li Yin has "two minds".
His proposal to save Li Yin's life saved him from making trouble, and now he is even more determined in his attitude.
"Sir, we must restore this situation. Otherwise, how can we explain to His Majesty?" The two people who looked at each other coldly at the beginning are now grasshoppers tied to the same string.