Starting from the prison, an infinite simulation

Chapter 151 Xiamen Island in Peril!

Egret Island.

After Chu Ting's defeat, the British army turned its attention to this place.

After several battles, the British army was invincible, and the Chinese army could not stop them at all.

This made the British army realize that the supposedly mighty Celestial Empire was merely a hollow shell, rotten to the core and utterly vulnerable.

Therefore, their aggression will only become more ferocious until the Celestial Empire is willing to negotiate peace with them.

Or rather, the Celestial Empire is willing to offer higher bargaining chips in negotiations to fully satisfy their interests; otherwise, their offensive will not stop.

However, given the British's rampant attack, Yan Botao, the prefect of Xiamen, would not yield in the slightest; he was a staunch advocate of war.

Faced with the impending attack, he has always adopted a tough stance: the territory of the Celestial Empire is inviolable! The dignity of the Celestial Empire's people cannot be trampled upon!

Although the royal family received a false report of Chu Ting's defeat and ordered all coastal defenses to be withdrawn, Yan Botao, who was located on Ludao Island, was closer to Chu Ting and received the definite news of the defeat.

Therefore, he adopted a passive and delaying approach to the orders from above, while intensifying preparations for war on Xiamen Island.

He personally went to sea to scout the terrain around Xiamen Island and devised a battle strategy.

First, a stone wall was built on the southern part of Xiamen Island using granite. It was about 1.6 kilometers long, 3.3 meters high, and 2.6 meters thick. A gun hole was dug every sixteen meters on the stone wall, and a total of 100 cannons were installed.

Then, multiple artillery positions were built in places such as Gulangyu and Yuzaiwei, east and west of Shibi. Previously, three positions were set up in Shibi, with a total of 279 cannons, forming a three-point crossfire network.

They also deployed 1410 soldiers and 100 artillery pieces on the north and east coasts of Xiamen Island.

With this set of defensive measures in place, there were more than 400 cannons on the entire island of Xiamen, and a total of 5680 soldiers were stationed on the island to completely annihilate the British army when they attacked!

"Lord Yan, your deployment is absolutely perfect. I doubt there is any other coastal defense location in the entire empire as well-developed as Xiamen Island."

On the coast of Xiamen Island, Yan Botao was standing by a stone wall, observing the series of military facilities, when another general next to him flattered him.

"Yes, that's true. Chu Ting's previous defeat was due to the incompetence of those officials. Now that our Xiamen Island is militarily well-equipped, it's time to give the British a good beating and show them the might of the Celestial Empire!"

At this moment, Yan Botao looked up with unparalleled confidence at the military facilities he had planned and meticulously arranged.

"Yes, yes, when it comes to fighting, you are the best, sir!" The general continued to flatter Yan Botao.

Meanwhile, a large and imposing fleet was rapidly sailing towards Xiamen Island in the waters east of Xiamen.

This fleet consists of 10 warships with a total of 310 cannons, 4 armed steamships with a total of 16 cannons, and 22 transport ships carrying approximately 2500 army personnel.

The densely packed ships almost blocked out the rising sun in the east, resembling a giant sea monster circling in the sea.

These armed forces are far superior to the small wooden sails of the Celestial Empire.

"Gentlemen, the victory we are about to achieve is to show this ancient kingdom the mighty power of our British Empire."

On a main warship, a slightly overweight man in a blue tuxedo with a mustache looked at the faintly visible Egret Island ahead and said with a smile.

He is the newly appointed plenipotentiary of the British Army, Pottinger!

As for the former plenipotentiary representative Elliot, he has already been replaced by Prime Minister Palmerston and sent back to the country.

The reason given was that his attitude toward the Celestial Empire was not tough enough, so Prime Minister Palmerston, who was always tough on foreign affairs, sent Pottinger as the new plenipotentiary representative to conquer the Far East.

Pottinger's temperament was different from Elliot's, or rather, completely opposite. He was on the same side as the Prime Minister, advocating for the direct conquest of China by force, forcing it to submit to the negotiating table, gaining more leverage, and securing greater benefits for the British Empire.

A man on the warship, dressed in a brown tailcoat and wearing a black top hat, responded to Pottinger's words, saying, "Please rest assured, Commander. Our brave warriors of the British Empire will surely be able to destroy and completely occupy Ludao this time."

The man who spoke was the British Army Commander, Guo Fu.

He had spent many years in China and had a deep understanding of the internal situation there, which is why he dared to say such a thing.

If the three factions within the Imperial State were to unite, the Yingquan Clan would have no chance of invading.

Because the true power of the Imperial State is concentrated in the hands of three families, and the royal army is nothing more than a paper doll.

Guo Fu's words pleased Pottinger, who nodded, turned his gaze, and smiled, "What do you think, our naval commander?"

The tall, thin man standing nearby merely smiled dismissively and replied, "Dear Commander, the navy of our British Empire is invincible and has never had an opponent. China is like a lamb in a cage, and it is easy to take its life."

"Well, Mr. Baga, with such confidence, this battle is bound to be won."

Pottinger was very satisfied with Baga's answer. He was already a proponent of war, and now his soldiers were full of confidence and a sense of victory in the war.

For him, this was also a good thing, as the generals and soldiers were all in favor of war and would not become estranged from him.

He had initially feared that his generals and soldiers, like Elliot, would not adopt a tough stance but would instead wage war through negotiation.

However, it seems he was overthinking it. For this paper tiger, the Celestial Empire, we must give it a good beating to force it to spit out more flesh.

Therefore, in Pottinger's view, there is no other way to deal with the Celestial Empire except by force.

For the sake of trade and for the hegemony of the British Empire, they had to conquer the greatest obstacle in the Far East and open up the largest trading area in the region.

What will the people and military of the Celestial Empire think? And is this war just?

This was not within Pottinger's considerations. Right now, he was even more delighted, knowing that tomorrow's war would bring another great victory.

Every victory in the war against the Celestial Empire was not only about the acquisition of land resources, but also a demonstration of the British Dog Clan's control and influence over the world.

Of course, more importantly, it can increase trade and generate more profits.

"Come on, gentlemen, let's go back to the cabin and drink red wine to celebrate tomorrow's victory in advance!"

At Pottinger's suggestion, Guo Fu and Baga were more than happy to agree. The three figures slowly walked back to the cabin. At this moment, in the afterglow of the setting sun, the three dark figures appeared extremely distinct.

A massive and incredibly dangerous fleet gradually disappeared into the night...