Chapter 88: Hanoi

Shanxi.
A bellows, several large porcelain vats, along with raw ore visible everywhere—The entire factory was filled with the smell of sulfuric acid.
Yet everyone was in high spirits. They could clearly see the dilute sulfuric acid being produced. Jing Shiyi beamed with joy: “Indeed remarkable! Our sulfuric acid problem is solved.”
Xiliuying had long been constrained by its sulfuric acid production capacity, and now that this biggest bottleneck had been overcome, everyone turned their attention to Sister Teresa.
She remained as assertive as ever. Now, as a leading figure in Huajian, her surrender meant bringing dozens of valuable assets to Xiliuying. More importantly, she fulfilled her promise and enabled mass production of sulfuric acid in Xiliuying. The major problem that had plagued them for years was now resolved. To celebrate, Liu Yu gave her a Chinese name: Zining.
With a smiling face, she directed a group of military officials here and there. Jing Shiyi wanted to ask, “Madam Zining, how did you come up with this solution?”
Her method was quite primitive, recorded in Song Tianxing’s “Tiangong Kaiwu,” with only minor modifications. It involved using pyrite and charcoal in a furnace, followed by large porcelain vats as sulfuric acid towers.
Though simple, it produced large quantities of high-quality acid, with a concentration of around 95%. A further purification step would make it suitable as concentrated sulfuric acid—most importantly, the output was high.
Unlike the laboratory methods used by Xiliuying, this approach could easily produce dozens or even hundreds of tons. Of course, it had a drawback: significant pollution.
But with the current situation, pollution was no longer a concern. After all, Hanoi was downstream, so pollutants could be dumped there freely. The Jiaodong Eighth Route Army used the same method.
Yet Sister Teresa just smiled without answering. She glanced at Jing Shiyi and then pointed at Liu Yu: “Ask your commander.”
Liu Yu also smiled broadly. He said to Colonel Jeken and Liu Suiyun, “The task of handling mortars is yours. Remember, in the mobilization plan, I included mortars in the allocation.”
In Xiliuying’s overall mobilization plan, the 82mm mortars belonged to the artillery company, while the battalion mortars were 60mm mortars. These two types of weapons were now entrusted to Jeken.
Jeken immediately felt pressured. Liu Yu encouraged him again, “If you do well, I’ll make you a true army colonel.”
Jeken’s highest military rank had been private, not even reaching the sergeant level. Hearing this, he became excited: “Can I become a general by running an armory?”
“No problem!”
Liu Suiyun, however, had different thoughts. He asked Liu Yu, “Since Madam Zining can produce sulfuric acid in large quantities, could she also help us?”
Sister Teresa was usually assertive, but she hesitated for a moment facing such a question. As a carefully cultivated pawn by the church, though she had been exposed to some natural sciences under its guidance, she was certainly not a science fanatic.

The fact that she knew how to produce sulfuric acid on a large scale was purely a stroke of luck—she overheard someone mention that Xiliuying in Northern Vietnam could produce it on a small scale, but lacked the capability for industrial production, which was actually a relatively simple task. This issue came up because churches in the Tokyo area discovered that many Vietnamese Catholics, lured by profit, were smuggling sulfuric acid in various quantities for Xiliuying. It was a money-making opportunity accidentally uncovered by the Catholics: they could earn money by smuggling military materials for Xiliuying with low risk and high returns, as neither the Vietnamese nor the French would suspect a loyal Catholic. However, when this matter reached the Archdiocese of Hanoi, it became an issue of aiding the enemy, as everyone knew what sulfuric acid from Xiliuying was used for. The archdiocese secretly investigated a number of people, including a Spanish missionary. But when Sister Teresa casually asked, a Spanish missionary with knowledge of chemistry immediately told her several methods of producing sulfuric acid. In reality, his “teaching” was a pretense; knowing her high status and Vietnamese background, he saw smuggling as the easiest way to make money. Of course, since they were involved in smuggling sulfuric acid together, it would be best to start their own factory, as that would yield the highest profits and be less likely to be detected. Despite her strong personality, Sister Teresa was well aware of her status—she was just a Vietnamese nun with limited influence in the church, and even if she intervened, she would need to go through others. Still, she said, “If you encounter difficulties, I can bring someone in, though cost is an issue.” “Who?” Liu Suiyun immediately asked, concerned. “I can pay a high salary, but he might need to stay with us for a long time.” Mortars were Xiliuying’s top secret, so they certainly couldn’t be revealed to outsiders. But Liu Yu suggested carefully, “Let him study the shells; we can pay him a confidentiality fee.” Sister Teresa immediately replied, “A Spanish missionary.” In Vietnam, it wasn’t just the French church that held power; the Spanish church, having established itself earlier, also had significant influence. More importantly, this Spanish missionary belonged to the most corrupt clergy class. He stayed in Vietnam because scandals involving him and choir boys back in Spain had come to light, forcing him to leave Spain and turn to exploiting choir boys in Vietnam. There, relying on his Spanish identity, he committed many evil deeds. He usually bribed the choir boys with money, which he always seemed to lack. So when he heard that Xiliuying needed large amounts of sulfuric acid, he knew his chance had come. He was already one of Xiliuying’s secret suppliers, smuggling quite large quantities each time. He even offered on his own—“How about nitroglycerin? I can produce it easily; it’s much more powerful.”

Such a corrupt missionary yet represents the mainstream of Western missionaries. As the most conservative Catholic group, they are unaware of many dark secrets, and he shows no hesitation in smuggling into Xiliuying Camp—“If heaven falls, the French will hold it up; I’m just a Spaniard.”
However, Sister Teresa noticed the priest’s expertise in chemistry. Before becoming a clergyman, he was a professional armory technician and only became a qualified clergyman for special reasons.
“He needs money, but he’s not reliable enough. You should decide what to do, my husband.”
Liu Yu quickly came up with a plan: “In that case, I can make an exception and allow him to build a small church in Xinghua. What an achievement—that would make him the only Western missionary upstream of the Red River.”
“The only existing Catholic church, the only paradise for believers… Well, he must provide me with intelligence. Also… in the short term, I can guarantee his safety, but he cannot leave my control.”
“As for his despicable behavior, as long as it stays within the confines of Catholics, even if the French invade hell, I can ally with the devil.”
“Send him here. Tell him money isn’t a problem—he can ask me for as much franc as he wants!”
Sister Teresa’s eyes lit up: “Gold francs?”
“That’s right! Gold francs!”
…
Hanoi.
April 25, 1882.
The French forces led by Colonel Li Weiyeh had arrived in this city for over twenty days, and relations between the two sides were gradually easing.
But Huang Yao had no other choice but to strengthen fortifications. Now he had assembled 6,000 troops and 80 cannons. In addition, Governor Huang Zuoyan of Northern Tonkin had gathered 12,000 reinforcements in the provinces surrounding Hanoi, though these reinforcements were still on the sidelines.
Li Weiyeh was also strengthening his own forces. Warships from Haiphong brought explosives, bullets, and various military supplies. As commander of the Cochinchina Fleet, he could easily mobilize troops. Yesterday, he brought in 150 men from Haiphong, which gave him the confidence to act.
This old colonel with gray hair stood before the Marines and delivered his final speech: “Soldiers!”
“Not long after we arrived in Hanoi, we saw that the defending forces were strengthening their defenses day by day, forcing us to prepare for action as well.”
He was satisfied with his performance. Emperor Napoleon must have spoken to his soldiers in this way. He urged the soldiers loudly, “While making preparations, I sent a friendly message to Governor Huang, hoping kindly that he would dismantle all fortifications immediately. But I haven’t made a decision yet; the decision must be made once everything is ready.”
“Now I can tell you—everything is ready! See our strength.”
This was something Li Weiyeh took pride in—he possessed a powerful military force that this Eastern country could not resist. He looked proudly at each of his soldiers.

“I have 450 Marines, 20 artillerymen and three 4-cm guns, 50 indigenous infantrymen, 30 armed sailors, one 4-cm gun and one 12-cm gun belonging to the concession, two 4-cm guns taken from the ship Dijilxi, as well as ships like ‘Junle’, ‘Shuangqiang’, and ‘Masu’!”
“You are the best soldiers and officers. Long live France!”
The troops were not surprised by Li Weiyeh’s outburst. They hugged each other and cheered repeatedly, “Now we fear no enemy. This country can only tremble under our rule. Those barbarian armies are no match for us.”
Colonel Li Weiyeh said through tears, “I have some good news for you. I’m already in my fifties and can no longer hold any other positions. So, being the commander of the Cochinchina Fleet is my last military role in life. I also hope to gain another title…”
“The Conqueror and Protector of the Annam Kingdom!” Li Weiyeh took off his military cap, acting like any retiring elder. “I’m not only a competent commander but also a poet, novelist, and playwright. You all know that! I have my own romances in my dreams, but I hope even more to lead you to realize those romantic dreams!”
“Long live France!” The tricolor flag was raised, and the soldiers cheered, “Long live Commander Li Weiyeh!”
Colonel Li Zongye stood in the morning light, pointing at the towering city, “This is the best chance for us to realize our dreams. I’ll be the first to lead you to take this city, conquer the entire kingdom, and ensure that all French citizens remember your names.”
“Remember! There are 4,000 to 9,000 Vietnamese troops stationed here, along with dozens of excellent guns—all of which we sold to the Vietnamese. Soldiers of the Republic, do you have confidence?”
“For France!” The soldiers shook several tricolor flags vigorously, producing a loud noise. “For France!”
“For France!” Li Weiyeh was as excited as they were. “Do you know history? Do you know the achievements of Captain Anye?”
“Nine years ago, Captain Anye led 56 soldiers to support Lord Dubuyi’s operation. It was the same Hanoi castle before him, with 7,000 Vietnamese troops inside. Yet he conquered Hanoi in just one morning. Now let’s continue Captain Anye’s great legacy.”
“Long live the Republic! Long live France!”
Li Weiyeh said to them, “It’s exactly 7:20 in the morning. In another 40 minutes, the war can begin. I delivered the ultimatum to Governor Huang at 5 o’clock, giving him three hours to respond.”
In fact, it was impossible to respond within three hours. Li Weiyeh knew that clearly. News had already come in: “The governor has sent a messenger, hoping to delay it by one day.”
Li Weiyeh said to his soldiers, “Although the time I gave the governor is short, he won’t be surprised by our long-planned action. At 7:30, he sent a messenger asking us to delay it by one day. We won’t pay attention to such requests—we won’t agree to them. It’s now 8 o’clock… my deadline set for the governor.”

He shouted, “We can take action now!”
……
It was just before eleven o’clock. Li Weiyeh was already in Hanoi, writing his battle report.
“The Hanoi officials threatened our colonial establishment, shelling and occupying the city walls; four people were lightly injured. We still maintain relations with Annam.”
“The Annamite defenders numbered six thousand men with eighty cannons. All of these cannons were sold to them under the 1874 agreement. Forty Annamites were killed and twenty injured. These wounded have been taken care of by our field hospital. The actual number of casualties is higher, but those who could escape have already done so.”
“Captain Wei suffered a minor injury to his knee. Along with the other four wounded, they will recover quickly. The fact that this operation was completed so easily fully proves the weakness of the Annamites. This city, with its six thousand soldiers and eighty cannons, is nothing to fear—it was captured within minutes without a fight.”
Li Weiyeh continued writing his report: “I have ordered the takeover of the customs. It is said that forty thousand piastres in silver can be accepted in Hanoi, and even more in Haiphong. This will cover our occupation costs. Additionally, I believe it is necessary to add another marine battalion.”
Just one or two marine battalions would be enough for him to conquer this country.