Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 410 Tea Fragrance Yanglou Cave

Fukang'an inspected the training results of the officers and soldiers of Qingxinshui Battalion, and he was basically satisfied.The British of the East India Company also boasted vigorously, saying that once the Qing Empire has the five second-tier battleships, it will be invincible in the East Asian seas.

The problem is that when Marshal Fu thinks of the "super cannon" in the hands of the Beihai Navy that can destroy dozens of miles in one shot and the two large iron ships like mountains, he still feels guilty; The rapid-fire artillery with the sound of “da” made Fukang’s heart palpitate the most.

After thinking hard for two years, he felt that the only way to solve it was to reduce the weight of the artillery so that it could move quickly; at the same time, he had to increase the firing speed and quantity of the artillery.

If Zhao Xin uses five cannons, the imperial army will use five hundred cannons, which must be ten times stronger.The principle is to fight for firepower with quantity and speed, but what is actually fighting is national power!

Although the Qing army fought smoothly in the "Battle of Platforms", how can the bandits of the Tiandihui compare with the well-trained Beihai Navy.He had contacted the British and French in Guangzhou before, hoping to buy more rapid-fire artillery to save casting time in Hunchun.

Compared with the wax mold casting method that was still used in the manufacture of guns in the Qing Dynasty, European artillery at this time had already used the "wet mold casting method".Since 1764, French gunsmiths have mixed tin and copper at a ratio of 1:10 to make sand molds through high-quality casting sand and clay, and the molding steps are often completed with modules made of white tin.

The barrel of the gun was cast very strong and used a core to complete the inner tube.After demoulding and cooling, the holes can be drilled.Thanks to the drilling machine invented by the gunsmith Maritz in Strasbourg, the gun holes can be drilled accurately on the central axis and in the center of the central circle.

Because there are still many French missionaries serving in the Qing palace, both Qianlong and Fukang'an prefer to buy from the French.

However, the British who heard the news quit. They hoped to reach a comprehensive military cooperation with this old empire in order to expand their trade share.

So when the French boasted of their "Griberwa Artillery System" and provided test-fired field guns and howitzers of various types, the British immediately offered a big killer, that is, developed and finalized it ten years ago. The "Garang Cannon".They proposed to Fukang'an that on the five second-tier battleships delivered this year, [-]% of the naval guns will use the fast-firing Garland guns.

It is said that the technical route for the development of European cannons in the past was to shoot as far as possible.Because if you want to shoot far, the barrel has to be long, contain more gunpowder, and have a higher chamber pressure, so the barrel becomes thick and heavy.By the end of the 32th century, heavy cannons that fired 5-pound bombs had weighed about [-] tons. On sailing warships, such heavy cannons could only be installed on the lower gun deck, and the number should not be too large, otherwise the ship would be overwhelmed.

For example, in the [-]th century, the Vasa of the Swedish Navy was overturned by a gust of wind just before leaving the shore because it had too many guns and its center of gravity was too high.
After the Seven Years War, the British went the opposite direction on the technical route of the cannon, gave up the long-range range, and launched a simplified version of the cannon.By reducing the chamber pressure of the artillery and improving the matching accuracy of the shell and the chamber, the barrel is short and thin, and the weight of the artillery will be greatly reduced. At the same time, more artillery can be installed on the warship.

Early naval guns were prone to side exposure because the gap between the barrel and the projectile was too large. In addition, the machining accuracy of the barrel was not high and the shells of different sizes were very easy to explode.To avoid this problem, smoothbore guns have a gap between the barrel and the projectile.

How big is this gap?Can insert a chopstick.But in this way, the energy of the gunpowder is wasted.

When the shell is propelled by the gunpowder gas, it staggers along the way in the barrel, and when it exits the muzzle, the accuracy of the shell is not certain, and a large error will occur.Therefore, the early heavy cannons can theoretically hit several kilometers, but the actual combat distance is generally around 200 meters.

In this way, the weight of the cannon of the same caliber as the Cannon was reduced by a third.The first is that more artillery can be loaded on warships, and it can be easily moved on land.And because the barrel of the Garland gun is short, it is easy to load, and the shooting speed is much faster than that of ordinary cannons.

Historically, at the time of the Trafalgar naval battle, the British fleet endured the shelling of the French at the beginning, and kept approaching the French fleet. In the end, the French suffered heavy losses with only one shot from two Garland guns. Obediently surrendered.

Before leaving Guangzhou, Fukang'an initially reached an agreement with Britain and France through the Thirteen Banks, and wrote a memorial for Qianlong's approval.

He purchased not only two hundred 12-pound French guns with standardized components and high sportiness, but also two hundred 12-pound Garland guns.Compared with the weight of the French gun body of 431.8 kg, the weight of the British gun is only 330 kg.Once approved by Qianlong, the Ministry of War allocates funds for the purchase of artillery pieces, and all these artillery pieces will arrive in Guangzhou before the end of this year.

This time, those who followed him to Xiamen to inspect the water camp included people from the Admiral's Yamen of the Guangdong and Fujian Navy Divisions, the Governor's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi, and the Governor's Office of Minzhe, as well as many young Manchu and Han generals who stood out in the eradication of Lin Shuangwen.

These include Pu Erpu, De Chenger, Guole Minse, Shu Liang, Sai Chong'a, Yan Jibao, Hai Xing'a, etc.; in addition, a 29-year-old young general named Yang Yuchun also made Fu Kang An was very appreciative, and this time he took him by his side to go north together.

At this time, Yang Yuchun had just made his debut. In the 45th year of Qianlong, he had already followed Fukang to settle the "Tianwu Rebellion".He will take the lead in every battle, but miraculously, he has never been injured so far.

Originally, Fukang'an wanted to transfer Guangzhou, Fujian and Zhejiang to garrison the Eight Banners northward, but because the situation in Annan was not stable, the plan to transfer troops was shelved.

It's funny to say that last April, there was internal strife in Annan, and the Ruan family usurped the country. Li Weiqi, who escaped by chance, asked the Qing Dynasty for help.Qianlong Nian Li had always been obedient, and in order to maintain the suzerain-vassal system, he decided to restore the country for him.It was a smooth battle, but in the end it was anticlimactic and ended hastily.

In October, Sun Shiyi, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and Xu Shiheng, the governor of Guangxi, led [-] troops out of Zhennan Pass to serve as the main attack direction; Wu Dajing, the governor of Yunnan, led [-] troops out of Baima Pass as a partial division to cooperate in the battle.

From Qianlong's point of view, the Qing army could not defeat the Beihai Navy, and Annan, who had a big booger, couldn't deal with it anymore, so what's the talk of eight directions and the coming of the barbarians.Therefore, the Qing army's offensive from the east and the west was extremely fierce when it came up. Under the attack of the east and west armies, Ruan Hui's army was defeated despite desperate resistance.

On November 53, the 22rd year of Qianlong, Sun Shiyi, who conquered Licheng, held a canonization ceremony according to the instructions of Qianlong before the war. On behalf of the Qing court, Li Weiqi was formally canonized as the King of Annan, and the Li Dynasty was restored for the second time.Ruan Hui also sent someone to submit a letter to the Qing army camp first, begging for surrender with a humble resignation.

Unexpectedly, on the first day of the new year next year, Ruan Hui led the army to come here while the Qing army was drinking to welcome the New Year.The Qing army hastily defended against the enemy, but in the end they were outnumbered by the Ruan army's onslaught of elephant-laden cannons.After the battle, Sun Shiyi broke through the siege and crossed the Fuliang River, but the admiral Xu Shiheng, general Zhang Chaolong, Shang Weisheng and other officers and soldiers who were on the south bank of the Qiujiang River were unable to cross the river because of the bridge, and eventually died in battle.

When the news came back, Qianlong was furious. A local chieftain in Annan dared to resist the officers and soldiers and harm the officials of Tizhen, what a shame!So he appointed Fukang'an as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and led a large army to attack.

Don't look at Fukang'an defeating Zhao Xin twice, and being a prisoner for half a year, but for the southern surrounding vassal states, Fukang'an's reputation with the victory of the platform is too big.So before Marshal Fu reached Chaozhou, Ruan Hui sent envoys to plead guilty three times within one month, and begged for surrender.

Qianlong wanted to capture Ruan Hui, but he was also afraid that the Qing army would suffer heavy losses due to inaccurate conditions, just like the last time they conquered Burma.Even if the army pursued deeply and reached Guangnan, if Ruan Hui fled to the sea, it would be difficult to escape to nearby Siam, Nanzhang and other countries.And different from the history of another time and space, the biggest enemy of the Qing Dynasty today is Beihai Town. If Zhao Xin is not resolved with all his strength, Qianlong will have trouble sleeping and eating.

So Fukang'an stayed in Guangzhou after making four begging conditions with Ruan Hui's envoy.Later, because Fukang'an was awarded the "General of Dingbei", the negotiation with Annan was transferred to Sun Shiyi.

Just when Fukang'an started to go north, Zheng Wenxian, who had been promoted to the captain of Beihai No. [-], and "Shrimp Ball Boy" who changed his name to Lin Daosheng, under Zhao Xin's order, boarded a boat from northern Jiangsu and stopped at Sheyang Lake. After staying for three days, they set off to the south.

Apart from returning to Guangdong to get married this time, Zheng Wenxian is also shouldering the important task of opening up the tea road, in addition to fulfilling his father Zheng Lianchang's wish.

During the Qianlong period, the tea market in the mainland was mainly centered in Hankou and Fujian, and the two major factions involved in it were Shanxi merchants and Huizhou merchants.The development direction of Shanxi merchants is mainly aimed at the northwest, trade with Mongolia and Russia, while the direction of Huizhou merchants is mainly for trade with Guangzhou, Beijing and Jiangnan.

Merchants from Shexian County in Huizhou alone operated seven tea shops, 160 tea shops, and thousands of small tea shops in Beijing.In the cities along the Yangtze River such as Hankou, Jiujiang, Suzhou, and Shanghai, there are activities of Huizhou tea merchants almost everywhere; in many places in Zhejiang alone, almost all the tea shops are opened by Huizhou merchants.

After 20 years of Qianlong, the tea trade of Shanxi merchants gradually entered the stage of peak development.Historically, it continued until the middle of the Tongzhi period before gradually declining.At present, Shanxi merchants have more than 100 tea franchise stores, which are mainly divided into "Yuci Gang", "Taigu Gang" and "Qixian Gang".Although the Qing Dynasty temporarily interrupted the Qing-Russian trade, there are still as many as [-] merchants stationed in Kyakta all the year round.

Zhao Xin wants to monopolize the tea trade with Tsarist Russia and erode the Outer Mongolia tea market, so at present the main target is Shanxi merchants, and the specific opponents are Yuci Chang's and Qixian Qu's.

Right now, the head of the Qu family is named Qu Tonghai. Because he has been unwell since last year, his son Qu Yinghuang is in charge of the outside business. Their family's business name in Yangloudong is called Changyuanchuan.

To make a digression, the most famous descendant of the Qu family is Qu Benqiao, who not only established a national industry and commerce, but also served as the Consul General of the Qing Dynasty in Yokohama.

Although Beihai Town opened up the ginseng trade to the Chang family in Ningguta, Zhao Xin did not want Shanxi merchants to become the money bags of the Qing Dynasty, and it also involved the land issue behind, so he had to control the tea trade in the north In order to attack the Shanxi merchants who relied on the Manchu Qing Dynasty and support the forces pro-Beihai Town.

Because Zhao Xin decided on this task years ago, Zheng Wenxian, Lin Daosheng and others had their hair braided ahead of time, and Wang Changsheng, who stayed at the Sheyang Lake Farm, also completed the household registration and road guidance for Zheng Wenxian and others in advance. paperwork.

Zheng Wenxian and his party arrived at Hankou first, and then followed the tea-horse trade road to Yanglou Cave.If you want to control the tea trade, you must first control the tea source.Yanglou Cave, located at the junction of Hunan and Hubei, is the origin of green brick tea.

Laoqing tea belongs to the dark tea category, which is the favorite tea variety of Tsarist Russian businessmen.And because the main production began in Yanglou Cave, it is also called "Dongzhuan".In addition, in this era, in addition to Hubei, Anhua in Hunan is also the main origin of black tea.

In April, Yanglou Cave is very lively. There are row upon row of tea houses on both sides of the street, and the aroma of tea leaves wafts through the stone streets. All the shops are filled with tea merchants who purchase tea.

Although Zheng Wenxian and Lin Daosheng had been to Guangzhou City before, it was the first time they had seen such a large-scale tea town, and the group were all speechless.

A group of seven or eight of them first found an inn in the town to settle down. After a short rest, Zheng Wenxian decided to split up. We went in groups of two and went to various houses in the town to inquire about the price of brick tea first, so as to have an idea.

Zheng Wenxian and Lin Daosheng changed their clothes, and they looked like businessmen and servants from Guangzhou.The two left the inn, searched for the signboard of the shop all the way, and finally found the shop called "Ju Sheng Chuan" mentioned by Shen Jingdan.After the two entered the door, a waiter greeted them with a smile on his face, and said in a Shanxi accent, "Is the guest here to buy tea?"

Zheng Wenxian cupped his hands and said, "We are from out of town. I would like to ask you about the market price of your brick tea?"

The clerk looked at Zheng Wenxian's and Lin Daosheng's attire, and he had already figured it out, and said, "The accent is from Guangdong, right? Please sit inside."

After Zheng Wenxian entered the shop and sat down, the waiter personally brought out this year's newly made green tea for the two to taste.After Zheng Wenxian praised "good tea", the waiter asked: "May I ask the guest if you want twenty-seven, thirty-six or generous?"

Lin Daosheng, who was standing beside him, blinked and didn't understand at all, and hurriedly said: "Man, our young master wants to buy old green brick tea."

The clerk knew at a glance that the two people in front of him didn't understand anything, and they probably wouldn't be able to buy much, but he still explained: "This guest officer, the Erqi, Sanliu, and Dafang mentioned by the villain are all made of brick tea, and the servings are different. There is a difference. If the two of you are going to the north, Erqi and Sanliu are the best sellers. If you go to Guangzhou, it is more appropriate to be generous. If you only buy it for your own use, it depends on your own preferences."

After all, he introduced the prices of various brick teas.

Zheng Wenxian nodded, and then asked curiously: "Dare to ask my brother, I see that every tea shop on the street uses the word 'Chuan' as its name, I don't know why it is so particular?"

The man smiled and explained: "The word 'Chuan' means water. There are three springs in Yanglou Cave: Guanyin, Liangyin, and Shiren. The spring water is clear and sweet, dripping day and night. They all use Sichuan as their shop sign.”

Zheng Wenxian said: "I have learned a lot. When I was passing through Hankou this time, I heard that the tea market in Yangloudong was booming, so I stopped by to have a look. If the tea is good, I will naturally go to sea trade."

Upon hearing this, the clerk hurriedly asked: "I wonder how much you two want to buy? If there are too many, the villain can still ask the shopkeeper for a discount."

Zheng Wenxian thought for a while and said, "What price should I pay for [-] dan?"

The guy was startled, and almost suffocated to death without falling over.We must know that in the Qing Dynasty, a load of tea was 50 kilograms, and 25 loads of tea was 80 kilograms.At present, Shanxi merchants are all added, and the annual tea trade volume is only more than [-] kilograms.

Zheng Wenxian's mouth is [-] dan, which accounted for one-fifth of the total tea trade in Yangloudong last year. This is too frightening!
After a while, the shopkeeper who heard the news came forward.He cupped his hands at Zheng Wenxian and said, "Sir, please talk inside."

(End of this chapter)