novelnext Chapter 107 Night View of Dinghai
Chapter 107 Night View of Dinghai
Holy Dragon Empire.
On the surface of the East China Sea.
Nineteen warships sailed on the vast blue sea, the eastern sun shining brightly on the water, and a refreshing sea breeze carried the fleet toward their common destination.
Dinghai City!
Wellesley.
Inside the ship's cabin, Bermay was having breakfast with several naval officers, during which they discussed the strategy for the upcoming operation.
"Gentlemen, our attack on the so-called Heavenly Kingdom is absolutely invincible!"
During the meal, a naval vice admiral raised a glass of wine beside him, indicating that he wanted to toast in advance to celebrate the victory in the war.
Under his leadership, the other generals also raised their glasses and clinked them in response.
Even Bermall, seated at the head table, smiled broadly and said, "Gentlemen, our British Empire has great power, and the victory of this war must belong to us!"
"Yes!"
Seeing how confident Bermall was, the generals below became even more proud, after all, they had been unrivaled in the world since the Industrial Revolution.
Even now, when facing this country that is said to be the most populous in the world, they are not afraid.
Because their Mr. Guo has lived in China for decades and has a thorough understanding of China's weapons, equipment, and military capabilities.
The swords and spears of the Chinese soldiers were of little use to the British soldiers, and the British soldiers were also poorly paid and lacked regular training.
They are also no match for the well-trained British Legion in terms of spiritual energy.
With a huge disadvantage in weaponry and a vast gap in strategic understanding, the British Empire was destined to win this battle no matter how it was fought.
I heard that the people of the Heavenly Kingdom believed that our legs could not be bent, like zombies.
The naval vice admiral turned to Mr. Guo and asked with a smile.
Mr. Guo, beaming, answered his deputy's question: "Oh, yeah, that's because they're so ignorant!"
Upon hearing this, Bermay immediately shook his head and chuckled, picking up his glass to clink glasses again, encouragingly saying, "Let's show them if our legs can bend!"
"Okay, let's drink to the victory of the war!"
Inside the ship, all the generals raised their glasses and clinked them with Bo Mai, indicating their confidence in capturing Dinghai.
After all, the Chinese people's understanding of them is still stuck one or two hundred years ago, but their understanding of the Chinese people is very deep.
In their view, this battle was as simple and easy as fighting natives on other continents.
Confident and lively sounds emanated from inside the cabin, while soldiers standing on the deck munching on barley bread were also celebrating.
They knew that once they captured Dinghai, they could obtain a great deal of treasure and food, and even women!
At this moment, in their eyes, Dinghai City was just a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, waiting to draw their swords.
With such high spirits on the main warship, the soldiers on the other warships were naturally also very excited; capturing Dinghai was their most important task.
And so, amidst a joyful atmosphere, the nineteen warships slowly sailed toward Dinghai City, as the sun gradually set behind them.
For them, this massive fleet would change the history of the Celestial Empire and undermine its national prestige.
Let these frogs in a well see the invincible navy of their British Empire!
……
Dinghai City.
As the sun completely set, a solitary moon replaced the previous fiery red, its cool light illuminating the entire city of Dinghai, yet revealing no sign of coldness.
Colorful ribbons hung on the city gate, the dark-colored city tower had flying eaves and green tiles, and horse-drawn carriages and vendors entered the city.
The city was bustling with activity, as people held a lively lantern festival on the main street. The streets were lined with all kinds of shops, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares rose and fell between them.
Beside the candied hawthorn stall, several children chewed on sweet hawthorns, held hands, and formed a circle to sing folk songs.
"Fly kites in the first month, peel melon seeds in the second month, carry sedan chairs in the third month for Qingming Festival, plant rice in the fourth month, eat zongzi in the fifth month, fan yourself in the hot sixth month, little devils take silver in the seventh month, mooncakes are filled in the eighth month, make dumplings in the ninth month for Double Ninth Festival, lotus flowers don't bear fruit in the tenth month, snow falls in the eleventh month, and dice are thrown in the twelfth month."
As for the children's mothers, they watched their own kids from the sidelines, chatting and laughing about the gossip of their neighbors in the urban village.
Passing by the food stalls, there are rows of dazzling jewelry and jade hairpins. Young couples are pausing here, and the husbands can't hide the joy in their eyes as they watch their wives select jewelry and treasures.
He usually works in the fields to make a living, so he doesn't have time to spend with his wife and nurture their love. It is only at this time that the two of them can share sweetness.
"Boss, how much is this jade hairpin?"
"Replying to Madam, this jade hairpin costs thirty taels, but today, due to the festivities, it's only twenty taels. What do you think?"
"Oh? Twenty taels is so expensive?" The woman's voice was filled with surprise and disappointment.
"It's alright, twenty taels it is, boss, I'll take it." The man didn't want to make things difficult for his wife, so he prepared to take out the silver.
"No, twenty taels of silver is our family's living expenses for more than half a year. We can't let our family go hungry for a jade hairpin," the woman said, stopping the man from taking out the money.
The man smiled happily, reached out and touched the woman's face, saying, "It's okay, I'll just do more work next year."
He always felt indebted to his wife; she had been married to him for six or seven years, and he had never bought her any jewelry.
This time, my wife really liked it, so I only bought it once.
Upon hearing this, the woman's cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly pulled the man forward and left the shop, whispering, "Let's buy it next time. There's no rush for the jade hairpin."
Knowing his wife was considerate, the man's smile deepened, and he let her lead him, saying, "Okay, I'll definitely buy it for you at the end of this year."
"Mmm, let's hurry up, there's something delicious ahead."
Besides the everyday warmth between couples, there are also many lovely couples admiring and praising calligraphy and paintings in front of the shops on the main street.
"Young Master Song, what do you think of this painting?" A young lady from an official family, holding a portrait of a fairy, smiled faintly at the refined young man behind her.
Young Master Song glanced at the portrait briefly before his gaze settled on the girl's face. He smiled and said, "Miss Lin, you have excellent taste, but I believe beauty is in the person."
Miss Lin was slightly taken aback, her ears turning a little red. She put away the portrait, covered her mouth, and chuckled, "I'll buy the painting first, and wait for you to return next month after passing the imperial examination."
"I will send this painting to your residence, and... of course, to the person here as well," Miss Lin said with a smile, waving her hand. The portrait's beautiful eyes sparkled with starlight.
A gentle night breeze blew, causing the girl's black hair to flutter and lightly conceal the blush on her cheeks. Her jade-like fingers tightened their grip on the portrait.
"Okay, then I'll definitely get into high school, and this painting is definitely mine, as is the fairy in the painting."
Jiazi Liangren's words quietly reached the ears of an elderly couple. They exchanged a glance, smiled, and helped each other past them.
"Old man, it seems you lied to me like this back then too."