A Romantic Detective in the Qing Dynasty [Complete] - 23

Part Four, The Road to Revitalization, Chapter Fourteen: The Power of Love.

When I received the call, my head exploded. It took me a while to regain my senses. I hurriedly said, "Don't worry, I'm coming right away. You guys keep searching!"

Shu'er, Li'er, and I flew to Yulin with two helicopters at noon. There we met Li Chunmin, the governor of Shaanxi, and some officials from the Yellow River Commission. They were organizing a search for Qingfei.

Upon seeing me, a young girl from the Yellow River Goddess Gang ran over, hugged me, and burst into tears, crying, "Your Majesty, please save my sister! She's been buried in the desert! The Yellow River can't be without Sister Qing!"

I hurriedly asked what had happened, and the girl said, "The entire Yellow River diversion channel has been laid out, and everything else is manageable, but the section through the desert... the soldiers dig for a whole day, but it's not enough for a gust of wind to bury her. Sister Qing said we must find the source of that desert and find a way to stop the shifting sands from blowing away! Yesterday, Sister Qing, along with Xiao Feng and that Kang Youwei, went towards Wushenzhao. They said they would be back that night, but they didn't return yesterday. There was a strong wind all night, and today we mobilized hundreds of people to search, but we haven't seen a trace of them!"

After clarifying the direction they went, I immediately ordered two planes to take off and search towards Wushenzhao.

On the plane, the little girl said, "Sister Qing brought a camel and two horses, so she should be relatively safe and easy to find, but we just couldn't find her! That's why I secretly called His Majesty to report the emergency. I don't know if I alarmed His Majesty! I'm at my wit's end!"

I said, "Thank you for your call. Otherwise, how would I know that Consort Qing was in trouble? I don't blame you; I should even reward you!"

The little girl cried and said, "As long as Sister Qing is alright, I'm at ease. I don't ask for any reward!"

I looked down through my binoculars. I knew that since Qing had brought a camel, she shouldn't be in too much danger, but if it went on for too long, she wouldn't be safe. So I was extremely anxious and kept circling the plane at low altitude.

Suddenly, I received a call from the other plane. Governor Li said they had found the camel. The little girl grinned upon hearing this: "If there's a camel, there's someone! Qing'er is saved!"

My heart, however, sank, and I couldn't feel happy. "Seeing a camel means the person and the camel aren't together, which means Qing'er's chances of being in danger have increased!"

I immediately ordered our plane to fly over.

The plane landed, and we saw the camel's head still protruding from the sand dune. We rushed over and dug frantically. The camel was alive; it shook off the sand and stood up. Next to it, we found a person—it was Kang Youwei! Li'er rushed to his aid, but found he was already dead, suffocated after being buried by the sandstorm.

Beside him, we also found a naan bread and a tent still tied up. This made everyone realize that Qingfei's chances of survival were slim! The little girl started crying again, sobbing and cursing, "You damned dumpling, why did you leave Sister Qing? If you're going to leave, fine, but why did you take the tent and water with you? With the tent and water, they wouldn't have gotten into any trouble. Now you're trying to kill Sister Qing! I told you long ago, this dumpling is no good. He's always complaining about his low rank and refuses to do anything. Who was so blind as to put him in our care? Letting him shovel manure wouldn't be beneath his crooked talents! And you, sister..." "Why bring that good-for-nothing? Why bring anyone else? They said they had to give him a chance to prove himself, but what can he prove? He's all talk and no action! You're already dead, why are you causing trouble even in your dying moments?"

Kang Youwei looked like a round-faced dumpling, with pouting lips between his mustache and a pair of cunning little eyes. He spent his days talking nonsense and doing nothing of substance. Even Qing'er's little helper disliked him intensely, calling him "good-for-nothing" to his face and behind his back.

My heart sank further. Without water and a tent, Qing'er's path to survival was completely blocked! I wondered, how did Kang Youwei separate from Qingfei? Had Qing'er and the others already encountered danger?

We continued digging, but found no one else. I searched the surrounding area but couldn't find her. I shouted, "Get on the plane, keep searching! My Qingfei shouldn't be dead! She can't die! She's the Yellow River Goddess, she's divinely protected!" But tears were already streaming down my face. I knew Qing'er was leaving me! I was heartbroken! Thinking of the warm days we spent together in this area, of her heroic figure directing the icebreaking, of our moments together on the train—it all seemed like a thing of the past! My heart ached so much!

The plane continued its flight. As evening fell, the wind picked up again, swirling sand and dust on the ground, creating a chaotic mess. The plane began to shake in the wind, and Shu'er and the little girl started vomiting. The pilot said worriedly, "Your Majesty, the wind is too strong. What if tomorrow—"

I immediately shouted, "Nonsense! Will my Consort Qing still be able to be saved tomorrow?"

The little girl wiped her mouth and said, "She has no appetite. What does that have to do with your plane? Just fly your plane properly! If we can't find Sister Qing, Your Majesty doesn't even need to issue a decree; our Goddess Gang can kill you!"

The plane struggled in the strong wind. Suddenly, I saw a red dot on the sand dune. I immediately ordered the plane to circle low. I saw clearly that it was the edge of Qing'er's red cloak still fluttering outside the dune.

I immediately shouted, "It's Consort Qing's cloak! Land quickly! She's here, she's right here!"

Before the plane had even come to a complete stop, I jumped off. The strong wind made it almost impossible for me to stand. I used my Xuanyuan Kung Fu to steady myself.

When I got to the spot, I hurriedly started digging. Everyone on the plane rushed over, and together we finally revealed two people embracing. I saw that it was Qing'er and Xiao Feng! I didn't care about anything else and went forward to pick up Qing'er! Huh, why is she so heavy? When I looked, I saw that Xiao Feng had been picked up as well. My goodness, the two of them were now tightly embracing each other, of course they couldn't be separated!

At this moment, the wind picked up again, making it hard to stand or stand steadily, but because I was holding two people, I was much more resistant to the wind! I hurriedly shouted, "Quick, everyone hold on to each other, get on the plane immediately!"

The wind howled and tore, making it difficult to move an inch! Holding Qing'er and Xiao Feng, I used my internal energy to run ahead first, and then shouted, "Quick, hold onto my clothes, bend over, and move forward!"

Li'er threw a large rope out of the plane, she and Shu'er held onto it, I handed the rope to everyone, and then I jumped onto the plane, put down the two people I was holding, and the three of us pulled together to get everyone who was getting off back on. The plane immediately closed the door and quickly took off.

Lily and I hurriedly checked on Qing'er and Xiao Feng. Qing'er had stopped breathing, but her heartbeat was still there. I immediately channeled my inner energy into her. After a while, Lily happily said, "How did they get like that? They're both safe; they're just temporarily unconscious!" I've already forgotten how they got like that. I only know that they were sitting there, hugging each other. Oh, it was that cloak covering them, forming a small tent, which helped them get through the most difficult part! Thank God, my Qingfei hasn't left me yet!

I held Qing'er in my arms, and Lily held Xiao Feng tightly. We didn't let go until the plane landed in Yulin.

Qing'er and Xiao Feng were immediately taken to the hospital. Kang Youwei's body was also brought back. I went to see it and ordered, "Take it to Luoyang for a proper burial, so that the people will remember that we also had people who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the Yellow River!"

Back in the ward, the little girl Feng'er was already awake, berating Kang Youwei to her group of girlfriends: "Without that bastard following us, would we have been in such danger? When the wind picked up, he was on his camel, repeatedly wanting to turn back. Sister Qing said the source of the sand dunes was just ahead, and the strong winds were perfect for observing the shifting sands. She also told him we had tents, so there wouldn't be any danger. To be considerate of him, being a scholar and older, Sister Qing had him wait for us there. We braved the wind and searched for ages, finally figuring out the direction the shifting sands were moving, but who knew that when we returned..." "He's gone! He'd actually taken the camels and run away while we were scouting ahead. We had no water, no tent—we were just handing ourselves over to the sandstorm! Running away now was practically murder! I was so angry I wanted to chase after him, but then the wind picked up. Qingjie, seeing the danger, quickly took off her cloak and made us sit on the ground, holding it up. Alas, the wind was trying to snatch the cloak from us! We held on with all our might, and then when no one tried, I passed out!"

The girls, upon hearing this, erupted in a cacophony of noise, immediately clamoring to smash Kang Youwei's corpse.

I waved my hand and said, "That's enough. He's dead; let's not talk about it anymore!"

Qing'er remained unconscious. I knew she had given all the air inside her cloak to Xiaofeng; her mouth wasn't inside the cloak, making her injuries far greater than Xiaofeng's!

I pressed my hand on Qing'er's back again and found that her internal energy was greatly depleted. Some of her meridians were blocked, and I had to reopen them. After thinking for a moment, I picked up Qing'er and left the hospital, heading to our bedroom.

Li'er was giving Shu'er acupuncture. After our treatment and massage, Shu'er's body had regained its former plumpness. Her beautiful breasts and round, pert buttocks had regained their alluring charm!

Seeing her covered in silver needles, like a little white hedgehog, I smiled. She looked up at me with a coquettish glare, her face flushing red! Oh, she knows how to be shy now; she's much better! But she still can't say a word, and I have to feed her. So wherever I go, I have to take her with me, otherwise she'll rather starve than eat or drink. Her attachment makes her an inseparable little shadow!

Seeing me bring Qing'er back, Li'er hurriedly asked, "Has Sister Qing woken up?"

I said, "Her meridians are severely damaged; they need some repair. Let's do a third repair later!"

Li'er paused for a moment, then thought for a second and said, "Your Majesty, I don't understand Your Majesty's meridian theory, but I think it wouldn't hurt to try. It won't do any harm anyway. Let's try it after I finish dealing with Seventh Sister's matter!"

After removing the silver needles from Shu'er's body, she went to cook, working up a sweat before bringing the food in.

Seeing Shu'er and Qing'er both in my arms, she said tearfully, "I don't know what happened, both of my sisters are like this, causing Your Majesty so much worry! I'm so useless!"

Yes, Shu'er was dazed, and Qing'er was unconscious; it was truly pitiful of me to be holding both of them! But weren't these two exquisite, charming girls all like this because of me, for the sake of this Great Qing Empire? How could I not cherish them, not hold them close, and repay their love for me?

I lovingly pulled them closer to me. Shu'er slipped her hands inside my shirt, her warm little hands gently caressing my skin, her head resting softly on my shoulder. Qing'er's eyes were still closed, but her heartbeat had returned to normal; she seemed to have just fallen asleep in my arms. I lowered my head and gently kissed her. Shu'er immediately protested, offering her bright red lips, her large, bright eyes fixed on me, waiting for my kiss.

I immediately pressed my lips to hers, taking her tender lips into my mouth.

Ah, how long it had been! I couldn't remember the last time I'd shared such a passionate kiss with Shu'er. We kissed passionately, until we were both breathless, before reluctantly parting.

Shu'er was panting, but her face was filled with happiness, her beautiful eyes fixed on me, unblinking, as if recalling something!

I continued feeding Shu'er spoonful by spoonful, but it was more troublesome than before. She would frequently latch onto my tongue, sucking on it for ages, refusing to let go. I had to pat her little bottom for a while before she finally released it, her face full of smugness and mischief!

After she finished her meal, my tongue was burning, but she was beaming with delight—what a little rascal!

After the meal, I took Shu'er to the next room, undressed Qing'er, and, together with Li'er, assumed the posture for the three cultivations. As soon as I entered Qing'er's body, she trembled. Just as I began channeling a large amount of true energy into her body and impacting her meridians, her eyes suddenly opened, and she tightly embraced me, beginning the true three cultivations! And within minutes, she shouted loudly, "Qing'er is so happy! Qing'er is with Wansui again!"

After the round ended, I saw Shu'er lying beside me, her big, expressive eyes blinking at me, filled with longing and love!

I tried to get up: "No, your body and your illness can't withstand this intense impact of love!"

But four hands held me down; it was Li'er and Qing'er holding me tightly. Li'er said, "Li'er believes in Wansui's meridian theory now. I think Seventh Sister might be like Qing'er, needing strong stimulation to open blocked meridians. Why don't you try the triple cultivation again?" She then assumed a cooperative stance!

What could I say? I could only gently enter her body. She looked at me with her delicate lips tightly pressed together, her eyes shimmering with waves of love and flames of desire. Suddenly, she let out a long, earth-shattering cry, followed by a shout: "Long live the Emperor! This is wonderful! Shu'er is so happy!"

The power of love is truly immense; we partied wildly all night, only falling asleep in each other's arms as dawn approached.

When Qing'er woke up, her maids, seeing that she was out of danger, cried and shouted with joy. They said they had gone to Kang Youwei's place intending to give his body a good thrashing, but seeing that His Majesty had already decreed a grand burial, they were unhappy and came to settle scores with me!

I said calmly, "Death is the greatest tragedy. Since he has already paid the price for his foolishness with his life, let him reflect on his actions in the afterlife!"

The young maids all pouted, but Qing'er comforted them, "Building our Great Qing requires the efforts of millions of people. Anyone with a little ability and willing to contribute to the Great Qing should be united with us! He's already dead, so let him rest in peace, considering his desire to do something for the Great Qing! A grand burial is for the living to see, so don't speak ill of him anymore. Actually, it's our fault for not explaining things clearly to him; we should have made it clear that he ran away because he was frightened by the sandstorm!"

I happily embraced her, "Qing'er is truly my good wife. She knows how to be lenient and strict in her judgment of issues and matters. I haven't misjudged you!"

Qing'er told Governor Li and me about the quicksand situation they had investigated, and she suggested organizing the people to plant windbreaks. Li Chunmin and I both thought it was a good idea!

The plan was finalized, and various localities organized the masses to implement it. Feedback came back within days, but the farmers' enthusiasm for desertification control was pitifully low; all they cared about was how many steamed buns they'd get for a day's work! I was extremely disgusted when I heard this: "Controlling the Yellow River is everyone's business, including their own. How can they only care about their own stomachs?"

Qing'er pulled me aside and said, "The farmers are suffering too much. Come on, let's go and see for ourselves!"

In the fifth part, "The Flames of War in Southern Xinjiang," Chapter One, "The Shocking Changes in Southern Xinjiang,

" we visited several villages and dozens of farmers' homes. The more I saw, the weaker my legs became, and the more my heart trembled. I never imagined that farmers' lives could be so hard! Drilling holes in the ground, living in abject poverty, eating chaff and wild vegetables—was this the life of my Great Qing subjects?

Agriculture, farmers, and rural areas—these three issues have always been a major problem plaguing the government in my world. I never imagined that farmers in the Qing Dynasty were living such a precarious existence! Investigations revealed that although land rents had decreased significantly, the various taxes imposed by the Qing Dynasty and by the provinces were still countless, placing an unbearable burden on the people. For example, the Yellow River control project alone had cost farmers countless amounts of labor and money over the years, yet floods persisted, and their homes were still inundated. The farmers no longer believed the propaganda they were being told.

I knew that without fundamentally solving the agricultural problem, the people would not prosper, and the nation would not be strong!

I immediately summoned Li Hongzhang, Zhang Zhidong, Wang Songwei, Tan Sitong, and Prince Chun Yixuan, the Minister of Agriculture and Industry, to Yulin. I showed them around farmers' homes, and then held a three-day conference on agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. Finally, we decided:

first, to transform all taxes into one fee—the land rent fee. Because the land reforms of the previous years had nationalized all the land, the land rent fee had become an important source of revenue for local governments. We would appropriately increase the existing land rent fee and cut all other taxes. Considering the insufficient local tax revenue after the tax cuts, the central government decided to invest heavily in developing local industry and commerce, supplementing income through increased industrial and commercial profits and tax revenue.

Secondly, a large-scale migration to new areas reduced the population of old areas, strengthening development and construction in new areas while increasing per capita arable land in old areas, ensuring that people could maintain a comfortable standard of living by owning land.

Thirdly, grain purchase prices were raised to ensure value for money. Private grain trading was abolished, and grain companies were established at the county and provincial levels to handle grain purchases and sales, reducing intermediaries and ensuring grain supply to urban residents and prices not exceeding current levels.

Fourthly, the state organized the cultivation of new grain varieties, increased fertilizer production, explored new models for increasing grain production, and taught farmers new scientific farming methods to improve land productivity.

Initially, farmers were reluctant to accept these four measures, so a large number of officials were dispatched to persuade and mobilize them, and implementation gradually began in the spring of the following year. This policy quickly demonstrated its enormous effect; by 1904, national grain production had doubled, industrial and commercial tax revenue had quadrupled, local economies began to thrive, and the country experienced a period of prosperity and strength.

Thanks to the efforts of Qing'er's Yellow River Management Committee, by 1904 the Yellow River had become a major granary for China, and the local people enjoyed a life of abundance.

Siberia, with its increasing immigration, was gradually developed and became a new economic zone for China.

Under the governance of Governor-General Huang Zunxian, East Asia, due to its advantageous location, experienced rapid development in foreign trade, leading to rapid economic growth and making it one of China's most economically developed regions. In 1903, Ryukyu, through a referendum, officially declared its annexation by China, establishing the Ryukyu Province. In

August 1901, the armies of Li Bingheng and Hai Bo, in coordination with the army of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, ultimately defeated the Russian army. The day after national unification, Catherine the Great of Moscow gave birth to Prince Puhong, and issued a decree declaring Puhong the sole heir to the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Nicholas II fled to France with his children, living as a recluse.
In 1904, the King of Korea began to rule in his own right and officially changed his surname to Puxin, honoring me as his father.

After the wars against Japan, Russia, and the Eight-Nation Alliance, China's status as a major power was fully established, making it an important force for stability and peace.

However, the short-sighted French devils, on February 10, 1905, concentrated 130,000 troops to launch a surprise attack on Guangxi and Yunnan, occupying large swathes of Guangxi and Yunnan.

Taking advantage of China's development and construction, France occupied all the countries in the Indochina Peninsula, controlled the Strait of Malacca, and felt it had the strength to challenge China. It then joined forces with Britain to attack China.

In recent years, the British army had completely occupied the Indian subcontinent, controlled the Indian Ocean, and connected with France's sphere of influence, becoming a regional hegemon. Seeing France's military action, and in order to extend its sphere of influence to Tibet, on February 11, Britain also dispatched 120,000 troops from the Brahmaputra River basin in India, launching a major offensive against Tibet, occupying large swathes of territory including Zayu and Cona.

On the 12th, the British fleet suddenly attacked three cruisers of the South China Sea Fleet anchored in Daya Bay, resulting in the sinking of one Chinese ship and damage to another. The British were then forced to retreat after three more British warships were sunk by coastal artillery fire.

That same day, the British deployed 50,000 troops from Hong Kong to attack Bao'an District, occupying Bao'an and Longgang, and beginning to advance towards Guangzhou.

Suddenly, the southern border was engulfed in flames, and war clouds loomed. The two long-established capitalist powers mobilized all their forces in Asia to attack China, declaring they would teach the "arrogant Guangxu Emperor" a lesson!

Seeing the British and French forces succeed, those other countries that had previously been taught a lesson by China, eager to seize the opportunity to gain a share of the spoils, immediately stepped forward, issuing statements and holding press conferences, all eager to stand with Britain and France and support their "just action" to teach China a lesson.

The US government issued a statement saying, "Stopping and eradicating the Yellow Peril is the top priority for all countries. The British and French armies have set a good example for us; we must smash China, this source of trouble! To this end, the US government has decided to send the US Pacific Fleet and 100,000 expeditionary troops to support the British and French forces." Sure enough, a fleet departed from the Florida peninsula and headed towards China. However, the cunning Uncle Sam stopped the fleet in Hawaii, ostensibly to replenish supplies, but then refused to leave.

At the same time, they informed China that their proposal to purchase Alaska would be handled according to China's wishes. The negotiations, which had dragged on for years and lasted four years, ended just as the US announced its military intervention in China—truly baffling! On

March 1, 1905, amidst the raging gunfire in southern China, Governor-General Huang Zunxian and his men took over Alaska in the East Asia region, and Commander Sheng Bao of the East Asia Theater immediately dispatched troops to the area.

I know the US had a ulterior motive: first, they could siphon Chinese resources to bolster their own national strength; second, they could curry favor with China and secure a way out; and third, they could temporarily entrust the land to China—if China were defeated, the land would still be US territory, meaning they'd essentially profited from China. Unfortunately, they miscalculated, only making China's first island chain slightly more complete. Having

learned from several defeats, the Japanese government knew Britain and France had little chance of winning, so it issued a vague statement, demanding China quickly recognize the interests of various countries in China while simultaneously stating that the Japanese people loved peace and did not advocate the use of force.

Germany knew China's military strength was no longer what it used to be, so it dared not act again, only issuing a statement hoping China would no longer be an enemy of other countries and would restore all the interests previously held by those countries in China. Germany offered to act as a mediator to persuade Britain and France to cease hostilities.

Austria-Hungary realized from China's invasion of Russia that its strength was far from being a match for China, and that Chinese troops were right on its doorstep. Provoking China might lead to a diversionary tactic, with China marching its troops into Austria-Hungary and forcing it to withdraw – a disastrous outcome! Therefore, Austria-Hungary remained silent, even sending envoys to China to extend invitations for Li Hongzhang and Zeng Jize to visit at an appropriate time. While other countries made

loud pronouncements, none actually mobilized troops.

This greatly disappointed Britain and France, who had contacted various capitalist nations beforehand, all of whom had indicated they would cooperate if Britain and France took the lead. However, once the war began, there was only shouting and no sign of a soldier.

On the same day I received the report, I instructed the Southern Commander Ding Baozhen and the Southwest Military Region Commander Chongqi not to counterattack for the time being, but to lure the enemy deep into our territory, using our terrain advantage to destroy their main force and reduce the trouble of our advance into Burma and Vietnam.

My orders emboldened the British and French armies, and their cavalry and artillery thundered into Chinese territory—reading the official gazette, I jumped up with joy: "Feier, Shuer, Qinger, Lier, follow me on the southern expedition, and fight our last battle in the Qing Dynasty!"

Part Five: The Flames of War in the Southern Frontier, Chapter Two: The Great Victory of Lang Son

Shu'er was already attached to me, but since she got sick, she's become even more clingy. Not only does she insist on me eating with her at every meal, but I also have to personally pick up her food and feed her before she'll start eating. Sometimes, if she wants a taste of wine, she has to drink the wine from my mouth. I have to take a sip, swallow half, leave the other half for her, and then feed it to her with my mouth. Although sometimes it's so spicy that it makes her nose and eyes water, she's all smiles, radiating happiness. Moreover, she has to have a couple of rounds of "Three Practices" with me every day, and if she doesn't finish the task, she won't sleep. She'll sit there waiting for me, and she won't sleep until I come home, until the "Three Practices" are finished, and until I can hold her!

What's even more surprising is that she's become much more cheerful and outgoing, a far cry from her previous composed demeanor. She loves to talk and laugh, and when she gets into a rage with her girlfriends, she's completely unrestrained. That day, we arrived in Nanning and checked into the guesthouse. After they ate and took a bath, because of the high temperature, the four women hadn't put on their clothes yet, so she started practicing her catwalk in the bedroom, wiggling her little bottom as she did her catwalk. This is what that girl Fei'er taught me. The little maids often put on their new clothes and twirl around the bedroom, saying it's to let His Majesty admire the beauty of the Qing Dynasty. But I do find it quite pleasing to the eye, so I'm happy to just sit back and enjoy it! Originally, it was supposed to be practiced while wearing clothes, but now it's developed into this.

Thanks to Li'er's treatment and my careful feeding, Shu'er has basically regained her former figure. Her full breasts, pert buttocks, and slender waist have revealed their captivating charm! Her still-moist breasts trembled slightly with her movements, a truly beautiful sight, and I couldn't help but be mesmerized!

She walked around, made an appearance, and suddenly saw me. Startled, she covered her private parts and jumped high into the bed, even covering her head! This caused the three women watching Shu'er's walk to burst into laughter. Fei'er clapped her hands and said, "Weren't you going to show His Majesty your new style of Shu'er model walk? Why did you run away? Come on, walk two more laps! You've really outdone Sister Yan'er. If His Majesty sees this, he'll definitely have to practice his three-stage cultivation with you a lot more today!"

Hearing this, Shu'er simply threw off the quilt and said, "His Majesty is our husband, what am I afraid of? We're practicing for our husband to see, why should I be ashamed if he sees us?" Saying this, she jumped down and walked another lap. But when she got to my side, she grabbed one of my arms and whistled. Li'er immediately flew over, and the two of them each grabbed one of my arms. They grabbed my arm, pulled me onto the bed, and the two of them exchanged a glance and nodded. Then, with a flurry of four hands, they stripped me naked in a moment, pulled the covers over my head, and began their three-part cultivation.

This illness forged a bond between Shu'er and Li'er, who became inseparable, even forming a couple in bed.

Fei'er, of course, wasn't going to be outdone. As soon as they finished, she grabbed Qing'er and pinned me down, resulting in me losing my virginity again! After

the family had their fun, Shu'er suddenly said, "Your Majesty, isn't it time to close the net? We should act when it's time to act, and we should close the net when it's time to close it. Be careful the fox escapes, or we won't get any fresh meat!"

I shook my head: "Unlikely. They're practically ready to swallow China whole right now. How can they easily withdraw?" "

Shu'er said, 'That's our problem. We're too protective of the people. We let them evacuate ahead of time, leaving the enemy with empty villages. While this might have served its purpose of scorched earth, it also made the enemy suspicious, making them think we were prepared. If they encountered a less arrogant general, if he used his brain even a little, he would realize we were setting a trap for him, and he would run away!'

I thought about it and felt that what she said made sense. Even Fei'er said, 'Seventh Sister is right. We have to be careful!'

Just as I was about to reach for the phone, it rang by itself.

It was Ding Baozhen calling. He said, 'The French troops attacking Guangxi have slipped away!'

I was shocked and hurriedly said, 'Catch them all immediately! Chase after those who have escaped and attack them. We can't let them have their way!'

The French commander attacking Guangxi was named Hearst. He drove his military vehicle into the Chinese border. After traveling about a hundred kilometers, he suddenly stopped the advancing troops: 'Quickly, the rear guard becomes the front guard, retreat into Vietnam immediately!'" "Don't ask why, just obey orders!"

His adjutant asked, puzzled, "We've been advancing like a whirlwind, the Chinese army is in complete disarray, why are we retreating? Isn't that just letting the Chinese army win? We could catch up with them if we chased them for a few dozen more miles, and we'd be on the verge of victory!"

He immediately said, "Don't ask anymore, immediately issue the order for a full retreat, no disobedience! We'll talk about it later. There's no time to say more now!"

Only after the troops had hastily retreated into Vietnam did he voice his three suspicions: "First, all the Chinese villages we see are empty. There isn't a single civilian, not even a grain of food, not even a chicken or duck. Could the civilians have retreated so cleanly after our sudden attack? Could they have taken everything with them? Clearly, they were prepared beforehand. Since they were prepared, think about it, given how fiercely they fought against Russia, would they have let us advance so easily? The smoother our progress, the more it proves they deliberately let us in. That means the deeper we go, the deeper we'll be trapped!" Secondly, the officer in charge of this area is Feng Zicai. He is very capable in military command, and his troops are extremely tenacious in battle. When we attacked their hilltops, even with only eight or ten men left, they refused to give up the hill, fighting until not a single one remained. But the resistance we encountered from the Chinese army was like tofu, crumbling at the slightest touch. This is very abnormal. There's no other explanation than this: they deliberately abandoned their positions. Thirdly, look closely. The areas the Chinese army gave us were all plains; they didn't give us any high mountains or dangerous ridges. Today's battle at Xiaocang Mountain is a prime example. Xiaocang Mountain has no roads or villages, yet they held their ground and refused to retreat. Here, the main road faces the sun, yet they let us move freely. The reason is simple: they are setting a trap for us, intending to encircle and devour us! They don't want to leave us easily defensible and difficult-to-attack areas, fearing the effort it would take to annihilate us later!

After his analysis, several officers slapped their foreheads and exclaimed, "This is too dangerous! We thought the Chinese army had let us fight like bears! It seems we really need to be careful of the Chinese! Commander, you are too wise!" "We are truly far behind!"

People say flattery will get you anywhere, and there's definitely some truth to that. Hearst listened to this with great satisfaction, feeling dizzy and thoroughly enjoying himself, and also very proud of his great military genius!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a scout reported, "The Chinese army has entered Vietnam and is heading towards us."

Hearst immediately ordered, "Set up an encirclement around the Chinese army right here! We'll trap them in a pocket!" "

The French army immediately laid a trap for the Chinese troops along the Lang Son line.

Shu'er, Li'er, and I personally followed Zuo Baogui's army into Vietnam. The army advanced rapidly, closing in on Lang Son.

Our convoy consisted of three armored vehicles, ten armored jeeps, and forty three-person motorcycles. This was only a small part of my guard regiment; I forced Fei'er to take the majority with her. She was going to deal with the British troops who had entered from Baoshan. She said, 'Hong Kong cannot be occupied by Britain any longer. We already have the first island chain, and the door to foreign relations is open. We don't need the British to act as intermediaries anymore. We cannot leave them a stepping stone to invade us! I'm going to take back Hong Kong and Macau; we cannot let them remain outside the motherland!'" "

He traveled with Ding Baozhen. In order not to let a single enemy escape, she also transferred Lin Taizeng's South China Sea Fleet, had them blockade the outer sea, and assigned them the task of destroying the British fleet.

Thirty kilometers from Lang Son, our convoy was intercepted by General Zuo Baogui.

He said to us seriously: "Principal, Chief of Staff, the situation ahead is not good. The enemy may have laid an ambush. We have stopped advancing."

Shu'er stood in the command vehicle, looking ahead. Suddenly, she chuckled, "General Zuo, you didn't quite get your own way, but you taught a French student! This Hearst has also tried to trap us! Unfortunately, your student didn't learn properly; it's full of holes. Look at that hilltop, he's stationed troops there, but he forgot to conceal his presence, disturbing the birds so they dare not return to their nests. Doesn't that expose his intentions?"

Zuo Baogui hurriedly asked, "Chief of Staff, what do you think we should do?"

Shu'er smiled, "Don't rush. Since he's set up a trap, let's enjoy it first, let them get bitten by mosquitoes first. You first order the troops to retreat ten miles, set up camp, and bring up the artillery to slowly gnaw on this old bone!"

After the artillery and tank crews arrived, Shu'er gathered everyone together and said, "This is a stinking bone for the French devils. Have you ever gnawed on a bone before? Like a..." "A roughneck can't just gulp it down; he can't swallow the bone. A lady can't gnaw on it with small bites either; she can't get the meat or the tendons. You have to open your mouth wide and gnaw bit by bit! Don't rush, don't be impatient. It's our bone anyway, and they've already made it seem like it's there for us to enjoy. Let's not be shy; let's just have a mutually agreeable approach. We'll gnaw on the meat and eat the tendons, and they can put on their act. Don't be swayed! So, this is how we'll fight today: we'll break the bone down into smaller sections, starting with the easier parts, gnawing on the sides first, and then finally sucking out the marrow!" Her

grand theory about gnawing bones made everyone laugh. Zuo Baogui said, "Don't laugh, Consort Shu's words are so true! It's a difficult matter, but Your Highness has made it so clear!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Based on the reports from the scouts, Shu'er then marked the enemy's battle deployment in Lang Son on the map. She said, "Look, everyone, which piece of meat is the thickest and easiest to gnaw on?"

Everyone looked and pointed to a hill in the west, saying, "It should be here, right? The enemy's forces are weaker here!"

Shu'er smiled slightly and said, "No, that's just easy to gnaw on, but there's not much meat. It doesn't fit our principle of 'gnawing on bones.' Look here, the enemy has 10,000 men lying in ambush, and there's a large-caliber artillery unit supporting them. We'll launch a sudden attack and take them out first." "To avoid his annoying artillery positions, we need to find a better spot on the enemy's eastern flank!" She was referring to an enemy position. Everyone looked at it, and finally, Zuo Baogui suddenly realized and said, "This isn't the same as actually attacking a bone; we need to consider how to reduce his ability to fight back!"

Shuzi laughed, "Okay, I understand! Let's rest immediately. Tonight, we'll launch a surprise attack on his artillery regiment, then launch an attack and take this piece of meat!"

The raid on the French artillery position was carried out by Zuo Baogui's special operations regiment. More than a thousand men sneaked up, stabbed them with knives, and wiped them out without firing a single shot. Then

they turned their cannons towards the more than ten thousand men and opened fire. As soon as their cannons fired, our cannons fired simultaneously, crushing the ten thousand men who were crying and screaming, fleeing in panic.

Zuo Baogui extended the cannons to fire at other enemy positions, blocking their reinforcements. Our tens of thousands of elite troops charged towards the enemy like tigers emerging from the mountains.

Tens of thousands of soldiers pounced on the 10,000 bewildered French troops. The outcome was predictable. By dawn, when the soldiers brought down over 6,000 prisoners, the French were still bewildered, unable to believe that 10,000 elite soldiers had been so easily wiped out!

In this battle, our army lost a significant amount of artillery shells, suffered over 300 minor wounds, and killed over 4,300 French soldiers. Our army suffered no casualties, setting a new record since the formation of Zuo Baogui's unit. Zuo Baogui was overjoyed, slapping his thigh: "That's what you call fighting! Chief of Staff, tell me, how do we gnaw on this bone next? I'll follow your lead!"

Consort Shu smiled, "That would be bad. If the general doesn't have his own ideas, how will we fight in the future?"

Hearst had set up an ambush, but the enemy didn't fall into it and instead lost 10,000 elite soldiers and half of his artillery. Now he realized how formidable the army before him truly was!

He hadn't even tasted the real danger yet. The next day, his headquarters suddenly erupted in chaos. A group of Chinese soldiers, all armed with light machine guns, stormed in. Officers and soldiers alike were mowed down, and they drove off with all their vehicles, leaving behind a trail of landmines. The arriving French reinforcements were trampled to pieces, leaving corpses strewn everywhere.

Hearst had gotten a stroke of luck that day. He and his Vietnamese sweetheart were having a wild time in bed when his bodyguard announced that his wife had brought men to capture him. Terrified, he and the Vietnamese woman jumped out of a window and hid in a nearby latrine. Although he was startled, he escaped the ensuing massacre. His wife, however, couldn't escape this unexpected disaster. She was frantically searching the headquarters for Hearst and his vixen, pistol in hand. When a group of armed soldiers stormed in, she yelled, "Are you all dead?" "Didn't you see who I am? I'm the Commander's wife, or I'll shoot you all! Get out of here!"

But she never expected that the men who came wouldn't understand what she was shouting. Seeing her waving her pistol, they first gave her a burst of bullets. Even after she lay on the ground, she was still cursing: "Hurst, you damned thing, you really dare to kill me!"

The next day, when Hearst emerged from the foxhole with the Vietnamese girl in his arms, he saw corpses all over the ground. This made him lose his mind, but he was glad that the Vietnamese girl was his lucky charm!

He immediately turned his back on his guard and condensed his troops in the Lang Son area, building fortifications and digging trenches around Lang Son, adopting a defensive posture.

Consort Shu laughed: "This time he's putting on a show of being beaten, let's give him a good beating and teach this scoundrel a lesson! Bring up the artillery unit we got from him, throw all the shells at him, and let them go to their mother's house for a visit!"

Zuo Baogui immediately brought up the artillery unit and ordered it to bombard the densely populated areas of the enemy.

Because the French troops were so concentrated, each artillery shell fired would wipe out a large number of them, causing the French soldiers to cry out in despair, while our soldiers were overjoyed.

Hearst hurriedly organized a counterattack with his artillery, shouting angrily, "Fire! Smash the arrogance of the Chinese army!"

The remaining French artillery began shelling the Chinese positions, and for a time, the two sides were engaged in a fierce battle.

Shu'er immediately had her staff write down the exact locations of the enemy artillery positions, and then handed them to Zuo Baogui, saying, "Let our artillery speak. We don't need them to fire elsewhere; just overturn these artillery positions!"

Our artillery immediately began firing, the artillery fire shaking the ground. By evening, the enemy's last cannon fell silent, and the artillery battle was completely over. As

soon as night fell, our night owl troops, who had slept all day, began to move out. Shu'er spotted a small village on the left side of Lang Son. He saw that it was situated on high ground, overlooking everything in Lang Son City, so he cordoned off the village. The five thousand enemy soldiers there never dreamed that their advantageous location would lead to their demise.

The battle began silently. The special forces infiltrated first, raiding the enemy command post, and then fired three signal flares. Our troops immediately rushed towards the small village. Only when gunfire erupted did Hearst realize the village was under attack. He immediately ordered other units to rush to its rescue, but they were immediately met with heavy Chinese firepower and made no progress. By dawn, Chinese artillery had been set up in the village, and began a continuous, targeted bombardment of Lang Son. After

several battles, coupled with the artillery barrage, nearly half of the French forces in Lang Son had been wiped out. The Chinese army had completely surrounded Lang Son. Hearst knew he had only two options: die fighting or surrender. There was no third choice!

The enemy in Haiphong and Hanoi wanted to come to their aid, but they were already preoccupied with their own problems. The veteran general Feng Zicai had already landed near Haiphong!

Having secured a strategic advantage, Shu'er was no longer in a hurry. While she and Li'er busied themselves packing, she told Zuo Baogui, "Let's bombard them slowly. Only stop when Hearst surrenders and raises the white flag! The next battle is Haiphong City. I heard the Vietnamese traitors there are quite formidable; be careful they don't bite us! The Vietnamese are similar to the Japanese; they're wolves too. Don't trust anyone!" She then pulled

me aside, saying, "Come on, get on the plane. Sister Fei is taking back Hong Kong; we need to deal with the British fleet first!"

Part Five: Southern Frontier War, Chapter Three: The South China Sea Battle.

On March 4th, our plane arrived in Huizhou, Guangdong, after flying for over two hours.

Commander Ding Baozhen, along with a large group of generals, greeted us at the airport.

Entering the operations room, Ding Baozhen pointed to the sand table and reported to me on the operational situation of our army along the Longgang line.

After 50,000 British troops advanced to the Xiegang-Huangjiang line, they received my order to attack. The Guangdong war zone troops immediately cut off the British retreat route back to Hong Kong from Bao'an and Shatoujiao. Now our army has compressed the British forces from all sides, surrounding them in the Longgang-Xinwei area, and is preparing to launch a general offensive in the coming days to completely annihilate this enemy.

I looked at the enemy's troop strength and said, "You can transfer some troops from the southeast and concentrate your forces to wipe out the enemy in Xinwei first. The southeast line of Longgang is a bit weak, which is perfect for letting the enemy escape to the Kuiyong line. Let them experience the sea breeze on the coast, forcing the British fleet to come out from Hong Kong to pick them up. We can then destroy their fleet in Dapeng Bay. As for when you will close the net, just wait for my order."

Ding Baozhen's troops transferred troops from the southeast line to the northeast that same day, captured Xinwei, and annihilated nearly 10,000 British troops. However, due to the relaxation of the defense on the southeast line, the British troops broke through our defenses and quickly fled southeast, occupying Kuiyong. However, since our army had already moved all the ships and planks away, the British army had no means of crossing the sea and was once again trapped in a situation where they were surrounded by Chinese troops on three sides and the sea on the other.

I said with satisfaction, "Good, let them urge the fleet to come to our rescue! With such a treacherous enemy, we don't have to worry about his fleet not coming out."

After leaving Huizhou, we flew for less than an hour and landed on the flagship battleship Longjian, commanded by Commander Lin Taizeng in the South China Sea.

Fei'er, Qing'er, Lin Taizeng, and others were waiting for us on the platform.

Entering the command center and checking the positions of the warships, I immediately said, "Our fleet will immediately lie in ambush in the vicinity of the Guozhou Islands and Tuoning Islands, preparing to annihilate the British Navy. Commander Ding has now surrounded all 50,000 British troops who have invaded from the land. In order to hold back this British fleet and prevent it from escaping, I have ordered it to be surrounded but not attacked. Now we must quickly annihilate this British Navy and then recapture Hong Kong in one fell swoop!"

I looked at the formation of the South China Sea Fleet, which now consists of:

the Longjian battleship (8,800 tons displacement), the Longfei battleship (8,000 tons displacement), the Longtao battleship (7,000 tons displacement), and the Longxing battleship (7,500 tons displacement).

Cruisers: Taishan (6000 tons displacement), Songshan (6000 tons displacement), Tianshan (5000 tons displacement), Huangshan (7000 tons displacement), Fushan (6500 tons displacement), Yanshan (6500 tons displacement), Yunshan (5800 tons displacement), Lingshan (6700 tons displacement).

Torpedo boats: Type 012, Type 013, Type 014, and Type 015.

Auxiliary ships: Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Leizhou, and Xinzhou.

I nodded: "The efforts of Queen Yan and Queen Fei over the past few years have not been in vain. Our naval power has grown considerably, and even the South China Sea Fleet is now quite formidable! Come, let's take a look at the situation of the British navy in Hong Kong!"

Lin Tai handed me the information on the British navy in Hong Kong. Currently, the British ships in Hong Kong include:

HMS Queen Elizabeth (8600 tons displacement), HMS Princess of Kashmir (7800 tons displacement); HMS Hero (7600 tons displacement), HMS Warrior (7600 tons displacement), and HMS David. The fleet included: HMS King Lear (7000 tons displacement), HMS Antey (6800 tons displacement), HMS Bombay (4200 tons displacement), HMS Derry (3400 tons displacement), HMS London (4200 tons displacement), and HMS Oxford (4200 tons displacement); and four torpedo boats: HMS Amur-01, HMS Amur-02, HMS Amur-03, and HMS Amur-04.

In terms of strength, we were superior to the British Navy, and our Dragon-class battleships possessed powerful 425mm guns with long range, resulting in a high hit rate for our sailors. However, it should also be noted that the British Navy has fought countless battles from thousands of miles away, possessing far greater combat experience than ours. Some of their officers are graduates of the Royal Naval College, while our officers are mostly demobilized army personnel who received short-term training at the Whampoa Naval Academy. This determines that we have both advantages and disadvantages, and the outcome is unpredictable.

After considering for a long time, Shu'er finally said, "Now we must find a way to leverage our advantages and attack the enemy's weaknesses! Because several of our Dragon-class ships have just joined the fleet, the enemy does not yet know our strength, so we must also be careful to conceal our main force and strive to catch the enemy off guard, annihilate their main warships, and at least destroy their battleships, the Ziyunying and the Kashmir Princess. For this reason, let's see if we should arrange it like this—"

Fei'er, Lin Tai, and I all nodded in agreement, and everyone thought the plan was feasible!

On the night of March 6th, under the repeated appeals of the British forces besieged in Kwai Chung, the enemy fleet set out in full force under the cover of darkness and headed towards Dapeng Bay.

A gentle sea breeze and lapping waves marked the quiet night as the British fleet silently entered Dapeng Bay.

At midnight, four Chinese warships—the cruisers Taishan, Songshan, Tianshan, and Huangshan—suddenly appeared on the flank of the British fleet, unleashing a barrage of fire. The Chinese frigate HMS London was sunk on the spot, and the cruiser HMS King Lear was damaged. The British ships immediately retaliated, and two of the four Chinese warships were hit and damaged. The Chinese fleet quickly fled eastward. The British deployed five battleships—HMS Ziyunying, HMS Kashmir Princess, HMS Hero, HMS Warrior, and HMS David—in hot pursuit. The Chinese

fleet, in a panic, fled eastward towards the Tuoning Islands. The British pursued and bombarded the fleet relentlessly, but the Chinese ships, being faster, were unable to catch up. After passing the Tuoning Islands, our ships slowed down significantly. Seeing an opportunity, the British ships immediately gave chase at full speed. Suddenly,

a hail of shells rained down on the British ships from both sides. Our battleships Longtao and Longxing, along with the cruisers Taishan, Songshan, Tianshan, and Huangshan, closed in on the enemy ships, while four torpedo boats also attacked from both sides like a barrage of cannon fire.

Instantly, the battleships HMS Ziyunying and HMS Kashmir Princess were both hit by our large-caliber shells, bursting into flames and spinning in circles at sea. The

British cruisers HMS Hero, HMS Warrior, and HMS David turned tail and fled, but HMS David was still hit on its port side by our torpedo boats. With a deafening roar, the ship broke in two and quickly sank to the bottom of the sea.

Sailors on the battleships HMS Purple Cloud and HMS Princess of Kashmir began jumping into the sea like dumplings being dropped into boiling water. Several of my torpedo boats quickly moved to the battleships HMS Purple Cloud and HMS Princess of Kashmir, fighting the fires and searching for any remaining enemies.

My warships also began retrieving British soldiers who had fallen into the water.

The British cruisers HMS Hero and HMS Warrior were fleeing at full speed, barely able to catch up with the British fleet heading towards Dapeng Bay. They had just breathed a sigh of relief when they discovered that four Chinese warships had blocked their path. They had no choice but to call for help from the British ships ahead while fleeing south. Our ships, however, maintained a close but steady pursuit, neither overtaking nor giving up.

Upon receiving the distress call, the British navy, which had just entered Dapeng Bay, mobilized its entire fleet and gave chase to our four warships.

The Chinese battleships Longjian, Longfei, Yanshan, and Yunshan, seeing the enemy ships drawn out of their hiding places, immediately increased their speed and quickly caught up with the British cruisers HMS Hero and HMS Warrior, launching an attack.

HMS Hero and HMS Warrior, discovering their reinforcements behind them, immediately adopted a decisive battle stance, returning fire on the four Chinese warships, attempting to annihilate them from both sides.

The swift destruction of those three British warships wasn't due to their inferior combat capabilities, but rather because the Chinese fleet's sudden attack caught them off guard, leaving them no time to react. Now, adopting a decisive battle stance, they immediately unleashed a barrage of artillery fire, aggressively pressing towards the Chinese warships.

The enemy ships possessed first-rate combat skills and navigation techniques, firing as they cruised. Despite the fleet's superior firepower, the enemy ships' rapid movement made it difficult to hit their targets, while the enemy ships repeatedly struck our Yunshan and Yanshan, causing flames to erupt on their decks.

Lin Taizeng immediately said, "Vice Principal Huang, you take command, I'll operate the cannons!" He then ran to the forward main gun position and personally cranked the cannon.

Phil immediately took command and shouted, "45 degrees to starboard, 645 meters, fire!"

Boom! A shot hit, and the hero died instantly. The shell struck the ship's engine room, causing a massive boiler explosion that triggered a chain reaction, resulting in a series of explosions. The ship sank to the bottom, becoming an upright, burning candle. The sailors jumped into the sea.

Phil turned and focused on another British warship, the Warrior. She shouted, "32.5 degrees to port, 848 meters, fire!"

Boom! A shot capsized the Warrior's forward main gun, and flames immediately engulfed the ship. The Warrior immediately raised a white flag, surrendering.

The two shots sealed the deal, and the fleet erupted in cheers. Our ship immediately launched lifeboats, carried people aboard the Warrior, and surrendered it.

Seeing Qing'er and Li'er's stunned expressions, Shu'er laughed: "You have no idea how many spankings Fei Jie endured from the Emperor to practice this move! That year, Yan Jie and Fei Jie had a contest of visual estimation. Whoever lost would get a slap on the Emperor's bottom. As a result, Fei Jie got slapped every day, her bottom turning bright red from the Emperor's beatings. They fought for a month before Fei Jie stopped getting slapped, but she didn't let Yan Jie get a single slap either. Fei Jie wasn't satisfied, so she practiced for another month. Only then did Yan Jie deliberately make a mistake, causing the Emperor to slap her, and the two stopped competing." "Yes. I thought it was just for fun at the time, but who knew it would come in handy today? That's what you call skill being useful! Let me tell you, the two of them practiced until they could see within a kilometer, and their accuracy was perfect, down to the last inch. Now, fighting something as big as the Japanese, how could they be wrong?"

Li'er said, "But these warships are living things, they're moving!"

Qing'er said, "That's simple. Measure the enemy ship's speed, and you'll know our warship's gun handling speed and shell velocity. That's all. Sister Fei is very thoughtful; when our warship fired, she must have already..." She's got it all figured out! But it's easier said than done; without an extremely sharp mind and lightning-fast reflexes, she couldn't do it! Sister Fei is just smarter than us!"

Li'er said, "Then I know! He spent the most time with Wan Sui and practiced the Three Cultivations the most, so of course he's the smartest! I need to practice the Three Cultivations more, or I'll become a big idiot!"

Qing'er immediately said, "You haven't done enough? Seventh Sister is the most favored among these sisters, and you've been quite biased towards her, isn't that enough?"

Shu'er protested, "How can I be the most favored? You..." "Which one of us doesn't love him? His Majesty is our husband. Anyone who doesn't love him has a problem. Tell me, are you keeping a gigolo outside?"

Qing'er immediately said, "You don't need to go outside to keep one! No one's face is as fair as our husband's. Why go out and look for someone when there's already one available? Are you stupid? Did a cat kick your head? Go and have your partner take a look!" Despite

their banter, I could see the situation was dire. The British rescue fleet was approaching our fleet, and Fei'er immediately ordered our warships to open fire to engage the enemy ships.

Now the enemy ships knew about our fleet, especially the power of the Dragon Sword, and concentrated their firepower from a distance, beginning to fire at the Dragon Sword.

The Dragon Sword was immediately engulfed in thick smoke and flames. While ordering the firefighting, Fei'er aimed at the leading British warship, HMS Sailor, and shouted, "24 degrees to starboard, 869 meters, fire!" Boom! Boom! Boom! The Dragon Sword's three main guns fired simultaneously, and amidst the continuous explosions, the British "sailors" plunged into the sea, becoming true sailors in name only.

"Starboard 32.4 degrees, 980 meters, fire!" Phil shouted without pausing.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Three deafening roars, and King Lear plunged into the Dragon Palace to reign supreme.

Having lost two warships in quick succession, the British ships immediately changed tactics, deploying torpedo boats at the front.

The slender torpedo boats darted up and down in the waves, difficult to spot. Phil began to sweat. I immediately said, "Launch chaff immediately, watch out for torpedoes."

Phil nodded, issuing orders while carefully observing the torpedo boats' trajectory. Suddenly, she shouted, "Port 42.15 degrees, three guns salvo, 568 meters. Fire!" Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom! With four deafening explosions, two British torpedo boats sank to the bottom of the sea. The Chinese cruiser Huangshan was hit by an enemy torpedo, a large hole torn in its port side, and its engine room damaged. The sailors quickly repaired the damage, and although it didn't sink, it was rendered combat ineffective and had to retreat.

Phil shouted again, "32 degrees 12 minutes starboard, rocket fire from port! Fire!" "35 degrees port, rocket fire from starboard!"

The shouts had barely stopped when a barrage of rockets slammed two more moving British torpedo boats into the sea.

The continuous losses of warships and torpedo boats put pressure on the British fleet. Their remaining five cruisers immediately turned to withdraw from the battle, but it was too late. The Chinese fleet, having dealt with the battleships Ziyunying and Kashmir Princess, had already swiftly returned, blocking the British retreat and pressing towards the British ships.

I immediately told Phil, "Order them to surrender, or annihilate them on the spot!"

Phil immediately issued orders to the British ships in both Chinese and English.

The British ships responded with cannon fire.

Phil shouted, "We'll have the Bombay frigate submerged right now, let's see if it can still resist!"

After shouting, she ordered, "42 degrees to starboard, 658 meters. Fire!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Three cannon shots rang out, and the Bombay frigate sank into the sea with a tremor.

The cruiser Antey was running frantically while returning fire, but suddenly it was hit on the foredeck, and flames engulfed it.

Then came the order from the Chinese warships: "Stop and surrender immediately, or the next shot will sink you into the sea."

The cruiser Antey finally stopped and raised a white flag. With a leader, the other British warships, which had been badly damaged by our warships, immediately followed suit.

The British fleet in the South China Sea was thus completely annihilated.

Once the British South China Sea Fleet was defeated, Ding Baozhen's troops immediately launched a powerful offensive against the besieged British forces. In just 23 hours, our army annihilated 21,000 British troops and captured 19,000. Adding the British troops eliminated in the Xinwei area, not a single one of the 50,000 invading British troops escaped. After the land battles concluded, on March 8th, Ding Baozhen's large army marched from Sha Tau Kok into Hong Kong, directly threatening the British Governor's House. On March 7th, our

South China Sea Fleet destroyed all the forts in Hong Kong, removing the obstacle to the advance. On March 8th, our forces landed at Tsim Sha Tsui, with our troops from both north and south directly approaching the Governor's House.

That same day, the British forces in Hong Kong surrendered, and 30,000 British troops and 18,000 public officials were disarmed and escorted back to prisoner-of-war camps in Guangzhou. The Governor of Guangdong immediately dispatched officials to take over the administration of Hong Kong, and Ding Baozhen also deployed troops to begin a permanent garrison in Hong Kong.

On March 10th, our army entered Macau, and 5,000 Portuguese troops surrendered, boarded Portuguese transport ships, and withdrew from Macau.

The last foreign concession in China was reclaimed. Seeing me wipe away the tears streaming down my cheeks, Fei'er nestled in my arms and whispered, "The troops are already in formation at Haiphong; we should go!" When we

arrived at

Haiphong, the 80-year-old General Feng Zicai, with the help of his two sons, Feng Xiangrong and Feng Xianghua, had already led his troops to conquer Haiphong and was preparing to advance on Hanoi. Seeing us arrive, the old general happily said, "His Majesty has given me a chance to fulfill my dream! This time, we will definitely drive the French devils back into the sea!"

Looking at the old man's aged face, I said with heartache, "General, please stay in Haiphong. Leave the troops to Xiangrong; I know he has already inherited your true skills! I believe he will lead the troops as well as you have!" The old general shook his head and said, "

I'm still in good health. I don't need to command the battle anymore, but I have to go and see how our Chinese Dragon Army teaches those invaders a lesson! See how our powerful Chinese army displays its might!"

I knew that the humiliating treaty after the last Sino-French war had left deep scars on the old man, and he needed to heal those wounds. I nodded, "Then you command the army, but Feng Xiangrong will have to shoulder more responsibility, don't tire the old general out!" The nearly forty-year-old Feng Xiangrong hurriedly said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will certainly serve the country with my life, and be loyal to Your Majesty!"

Zuo Baogui, who had forced the French army to finally raise the surrender flag in Lang Son, also led his troops to press towards Hanoi. The Governor-General of French Indochina, De Lafer, hurriedly mobilized more than 70,000 troops to dig trenches and repair fortifications in Hanoi, preparing to fight the Chinese army. On March 10, the French army, which had been routed in Haiphong, also fled to Hanoi, bringing the total number of French and Vietnamese troops in Hanoi to more than 90,000.

On March 11th, I took Fei'er and Shu'er to the joint command headquarters of Zuo Baogui and Feng Zicai outside Hanoi. We listened to a briefing on the enemy situation from Feng Xiangrong, the chief of staff of the Southern Theater Command and the eldest son of General Feng. He said that the French army had adopted a five-tiered defense. The first tier consisted of a ring of trenches densely packed with bunkers, with overlapping firing points controlling all the open ground in front, making our attack extremely difficult. In this line of defense, they had deployed 30,000 Vietnamese puppet troops. They had built a bunker every 50 meters, equipped with a Maxim machine gun and a mortar. These men were undoubtedly sent to guard the gates for the French, essentially suicide soldiers, but these small soldiers, who would bite the hand that fed them, felt justified in their defense, their bloodshot eyes fixed on a desperate stance. The second line of defense was an open area where the French were laying mines. They were laying them densely and haphazardly, meaning that almost every step we took forward could come at a bloody cost! But they also threw those Vietnamese soldiers out; for them, retreating back to Hanoi would be harder than climbing to heaven. The third line of defense was a trench twelve feet deep and twenty-four feet wide, clearly designed to stop our cavalry and tank units. The trench was filled with bamboo spikes and swarms of venomous snakes collected from who-knows-where. The stench of the snakes carried far and wide, enough to make anyone nauseous. A person falling in wouldn't last a minute. Inside this trench was the fourth line of defense, an ordinary trench held by 50,000 French troops. These French troops were extremely well-equipped, with a machine gun every few meters and plenty of grenades, ready to deal with any Chinese troops who breached the third line and climbed over the trench. The fifth line of defense consisted of urban warfare troops, numbering ten thousand, positioned near buildings and earthen houses throughout the city. They were deployed at all key intersections, meaning that every step forward would likely come at the cost of many lives! What's most troublesome about this defensive line is their artillery positions. These Frenchmen, for some reason, are using only German Krupp cannons, and their positions are quite well-hidden. We still haven't obtained their detailed deployment map! If we don't destroy these artillery positions, they will pose a significant threat when we break through the first line and advance into that open area!

After hearing the report, Fei'er and Shu'er didn't say anything. They just looked at each other and nodded. I knew they didn't have a mature battle plan yet; they needed to think it over carefully.

I said, "We shouldn't fight battles we're not confident of winning. Since we don't have a good attack method yet, and we don't know the enemy's artillery positions, let's surround them first and let them keep watching. Let our soldiers rest, and let each unit replenish its troops and supplies!"

Back at our quarters, Shu'er and Fei'er stayed in their small room for half a day without showing themselves. It wasn't until dinner time, after Qing'er and Li'er called them several times, that they finally emerged, their faces ashen.

Looking at their expressions, I knew they hadn't made any progress yet.

Sure enough, the two of them ate a few bites of food and then went back into the small house. I stared blankly at the map and related information about Hanoi.

Hanoi is located in the northwestern part of the Red River Delta, at the confluence of the Red River and the Tuan River, bordering the provinces of Hac Hoa, Bac Thai, Vinh Phu, and Ha Tay of Vietnam. The Red River flows gently past the city, reaching a width of about 2,000 meters at its widest point. The Truong Duong Bridge, Long Bien Bridge, and Thang Long Bridge connect the city and the suburbs from the east and north. Hanoi was originally called Dai La and served as the capital of the Ly, Tran, and Later Le dynasties of Vietnam, and is known as the "land of a thousand years of cultural relics." As early as the beginning of the 7th century, city walls began to be built here, then called Zi Cheng. In 1010, Ly Cong Uan (also known as Ly Thai To), the founder of the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225 AD), moved the capital here from Hoa Lu and named it Thang Long. With the reinforcement and expansion of the city walls, it was renamed Song Binh, La Cheng, and Dai La Cheng before the 10th century. With the passage of time, Thang Long was successively known as Chung Kinh, Dong Du, Dong Guan, Dong Jin, and Bac Thanh. It wasn't until the twelfth year of the Minh Mang reign of the Nguyen Dynasty (1831) that it was finally named Hanoi because the city was surrounded by the Er River (Red River) dike, a name it retains to this day. After the French occupation, the Governor-General's Office of the "French Indochina Federation" was built here.

I thought for a moment, then went into the small house, hugged my two beloved wives, and said, "Since this is such a tough nut to crack, let's surround it without actually attacking it. Let's annihilate the enemy outside first, and then attack them last!"

Faye looked up at me with her pretty face and said, "Shu'er also suggested this, but I always feel that taking Hanoi would force the French devils to surrender, reducing casualties among our soldiers! And once the outer enemy is eliminated, there won't be anything difficult to crack inside!"

I kissed her and laughed, "That's impossible. Although we've surrounded their Governor-General, the French devils have already established a second base in Phnom Penh, and the commander there, General Heysen, is actually the designated successor to Governor-General De La Fel. Once De La Fel..." With Phil dead, Hysen will soon establish a new governor's office. Now that Delafiel and Hysen are at odds, I think we should use this conflict to get Delafiel to send troops here, and we can have a big feast here!

Phil's eyes lit up: "Ambush and annihilate reinforcements?"

I nodded and said, "Yes!"

Shu'er thought for a moment and said, "Then we must also take down the outer defenses of Hanoi, making Delafiel feel threatened!"

Phil said, "Isn't that bringing us back to the point? The Vietnamese defense line is easy to deal with; a barrage of artillery fire will wipe it out. The difficult part is that open area. We can't possibly send our soldiers through their minefields, can we? Sending engineers to clear mines—how many engineers would be lost over such a large area?"

Shu'er said, "If only we could drive those Vietnamese pigs back in, they'd clear a path for us!"

Her mention of "Vietnamese pigs" suddenly reminded me of a battle example: Tian Dan's Fire Oxen Formation!

During the Warring States period, the Yan general Yue Yi led his troops to conquer over seventy cities of the Qi state. Only Ju and Jimo remained. The Qi officials of Ju installed the Qi king's son as King Xiang of Qi. Yue Yi sent troops to attack Jimo. The defending official of Jimo went out to resist but was wounded and died in battle. The people of Jimo elected Tian Dan as general to lead the defense. Tian Dan selected over a thousand oxen and adorned them. Each ox was covered with a blanket painted with bright red and green, strange and unusual patterns. Two sharp knives were tied to their horns, and a bundle of oil-soaked reeds was tied to their tails.

One midnight, Tian Dan ordered breaches in over a dozen sections of the city wall to be made, drove the oxen outside the city, and set fire to their tails. As soon as the oxen's tails caught fire, the more than a thousand oxen, enraged by the flames, charged towards the Yan army camp. Five thousand Qi soldiers, armed with broadswords and spears, followed closely behind, charging forward. In Jimo city, countless civilians rushed to the city walls, banging on bronze pots and basins.

The deafening shouts, drumbeats, and clanging of bronze instruments shattered the Yan people's slumber. Flames blazed, and hundreds upon hundreds of monsters with blades on their heads charged forward. Many soldiers were terrified, their legs buckling; they had no will to resist.

Not only did the blades tied to the oxen kill countless men, and the five thousand daredevils slaughter many, but countless Yan soldiers themselves were trampled to death in their chaotic retreat. In the end, Tian Dan led his troops to reclaim Qi territory and drive out the Yan army.

After I told the story, Fei sighed, "It's a pity this is modern warfare, we can't use that!"

Shu'er's eyes lit up, "Your Majesty wants to send the fire pigs to break through the minefield?"

Fei'er immediately jumped up, "Great! It can reduce casualties among our soldiers and force the enemy artillery to fire, allowing us to understand the enemy's artillery positions! But this has to be done at night, so the French devils won't know which unit is attacking and breaking through the minefield!"

Shu'er said, "Then let's let our artillery take care of those Vietnamese pigs first!"

I said, "No rush, we can do it all at once. But we can't use our artillery to deal with the Vietnamese pigs. We need to hide our artillery positions well, because we'll need them to take out the French devils' artillery positions! Let Feng Xiangrong handle these Vietnamese pigs. That kid is in charge. I'm planning to have the old general retire and let this kid take over his father's job!"

We discussed it and chose the southeast of Hanoi as the breakthrough point for our attack.

I assigned the task of breaking through the enemy lines to Feng Xiangrong. He asked me, "Your Majesty, when will we take them down?"

I said, "You just need to be ready fifteen days in advance!"

He thought for a moment and said, "I need to move the position forward a bit. Your Majesty won't object, will you?"

I said, "As long as there are no casualties among the soldiers, I won't object!"

He asked again, "We can't just use them all as targets, can we?"

I said, "The main direction of the attack is the southeast, but we can't let the enemy know that yet!"

He laughed, "That's good. Your Majesty, just wait and see!"

It was indeed not easy to gather such a large group of pigs at once. In order to keep our secret from the French army, we told the outside world that it was to celebrate the great victories in Lang Son and Haiphong, and that Your Majesty wanted to reward the soldiers. This task was handed over to Feng Xianghua, the second son of General Feng Zicai and the quartermaster of the Southern Theater Command.

Feng Xianghua was utterly bewildered. Back in his quarters, he flopped onto his bed and cursed, "Who came up with such a terrible idea? With the enemy at our doorstep, instead of thinking about how to kill them, we're only thinking about eating, drinking, and having fun! How the hell can we fight a good war?"

Feng Xiangrong looked at his second brother and burst into laughter, "Second brother, you're really not cut out for war. Even now you don't understand your own mission. Are you trying to make up the numbers at the execution ground?"

Feng Xianghua jumped up from the bed, "Isn't it just about eating, drinking, and having fun? What new tricks can you come up with?"

Feng Zicai, who hadn't been feeling well these past few days, leaned back in his armchair and said, "Do you think His Majesty is the kind of person who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun? Think things through before you speak. Go and complete the mission now, preferably exceeding the quota. We won't have enough landmine clearing supplies!"

Feng Xianghua was stunned, "We sent a whole bunch of pigs to clear landmines?"

Feng Xiangrong shushed him. He said, "The reason His Majesty is holding a grand banquet for the entire army is to prevent the secret from being revealed. Don't you dare let it slip, or we'll have prepared this for the Japanese for nothing!"

Feng Xianghua said discontentedly, "His Majesty is really biased. He can tell you and Dad, but not me?"

Feng Zicai laughed and said, "His Majesty hasn't revealed this plan to General Zuo or me yet. But you have to use your brain in war. If you think about His Majesty's usual style, you'll understand!"

Feng Xiangrong said, "I think His Majesty is going to hold a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast here and invite all the French devils to the banquet. So you'd better hurry up and prepare, don't delay our meal!"

Feng Xianghua rushed out like the wind: "It's just catching pigs, what's the big deal? Look, I'll catch a whole pen of fat pigs for you!"

This Feng Xianghua was really good at getting things done. In less than three days, three thousand squealing pigs were all brought to the military camp. And there were even more than twenty wild boars with serrated tusks and bristling bristles among them.

Shu'er watched the pigs frolicking in their pen and laughed, patting Fei'er on the shoulder, saying, "Your Majesty is truly loyal! Even in war, you don't forget to entertain the Japanese devils!"

Feng Xiangrong had been extremely busy these past few days, leading his troops to dig trenches in all directions, especially in the northwest. But that was mostly for show; the trenches that were actually dug the closest and longest were in the southeast. However, it was well hidden there, as the soil was all transported back and added to the ditches, so the Vietnamese pigs wouldn't know! By the evening of the 15th, his soldiers had dug trenches right under the noses of the Vietnamese soldiers.

When Feng Xiangrong returned to report, I said, "Select a few dozen men with good eyesight and surveying skills, find a high vantage point overlooking the city, and once the battle begins, have them observe the enemy's artillery positions and then deliver the information to the artillery immediately!"

Feng Xiangrong immediately replied, "Yes, I'll arrange it right away! Once the battle starts, should we also prepare our artillery?"

I laughed and said, "Not prepare, but have them wipe out the enemy's artillery immediately, and then bury that 'poisonous snake ditch' 500 meters deep!"

At 8 p.m. on the 16th, Feng Xiangrong's thousand soldiers, each carrying two baskets of grenades, entered the trenches they had dug, close to the Vietnamese pigs. Twenty mortars were also secretly aiming at the various bunkers from within the trenches.

At 8:30 AM, at my command, twenty mortars simultaneously emerged from the trenches, two mortars covering each bunker. In just one volley, ten Vietnamese bunkers were reduced to dust. Then, Feng Xiangrong's thousand men hurled grenades into the Vietnamese trenches, causing the Vietnamese soldiers to forget the death zone behind them and run back desperately, triggering a deafening explosion of landmines. Next, Zuo Baogui's soldiers, carrying "General Pig," rushed into the trenches where the Vietnamese soldiers had been, releasing all the fat Vietnamese pigs with long firecrackers trailing behind them. To encourage them to run boldly alongside the two-legged Vietnamese pigs, the soldiers not only lit firecrackers but also gave each pig a knife, stimulating them to leap and charge towards Hanoi. The three thousand mine-clearing soldiers immediately caused the minefield to explode one after another, alarming the French governor, who hurriedly ordered the artillery to quickly seal off the open area with fire, determined not to let the Chinese army advance.

The deafening explosions continued, and our soldiers squatted in the trenches, secretly laughing.

At 9:00 AM sharp, less than a thousand mine-clearing soldiers finally reached Poisonous Snake Gully. Upon smelling the stench, they turned back and rushed back into the trenches dug by the Vietnamese soldiers where our soldiers were staying, which resulted in us having a big feast afterwards.

The mine-clearing soldiers ran back and forth, clearing the mines from the 500-meter-wide minefield completely.

Just then, our artillery fired. The French artillery, which had just ceased firing, was suddenly bombarded by stray shells, sending men and guns flying. Then, our artillery fire contracted, bombarding the Poisonous Snake Gully and the French positions behind it. The Poisonous Snake Gully was flattened, and the French positions were devastated.

At 10:00 AM, Chinese bombers arrived, dropping bombs into the French fourth line of defense, causing the French to scream in terror and suffer heavy casualties.

At 10:30 AM, the powerful bugle call of the Chinese army sounded. The Chinese troops pounced from the breach like tigers descending a mountain, quickly advancing to both sides. By dawn, four of the five French lines of defense had been shattered, annihilating over 30,000 French soldiers and wiping out all 30,000 Vietnamese troops. The

French forces in Hanoi were reduced to only 20,000 survivors who had fled into the city, along with the original 10,000 French soldiers.

Hanoi was within our grasp.

But at that moment, I gave the order to halt the attack, and our troops retreated into the trenches of the enemy's newly constructed fourth line of defense.

The French governor, De la Fèvere, took a breath and hurriedly ordered nearby French troops to advance towards Hanoi to relieve the governor's palace, which was now hanging by a thread.

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