Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 172: Zhengzhi is established by idealists and speculators!
Miao Youlin held up the head of the Changxing Camp guerrillas, as fierce as a tiger, and instantly suppressed all the officers and soldiers.

They all abandoned their weapons and surrendered, and became prisoners obediently.

Qingfeng Village selected dozens of people, and after submitting their names, they became their own.

The so-called vote is to kill some meat votes in the village with your own hands.

These meat tickets are from local gentry and merchants.

If you kill them, there will be no turning back.

Miao Youlin used to be the military attache of Guizhou Green Camp. With this status, he easily won the loyalty of these people.

The slogan is: Green Camp will not cheat Green Camp!
The power of Qingfeng Village expanded rapidly like a balloon, reaching more than 300 people.

As the situation waxes and wanes, people in Changxing County are in panic.

Except for the county seat, other areas have actually been separated from the jurisdiction of the county government.

The magistrate hid in the city and asked for help from Huzhou and Hangzhou Prefecture.

……

The old man of the Zhen family finally died of illness.

The Zhen family is widowed again, and the new and old widows have seamlessly transitioned.

Live up to your youth, live up to A Kun.

She became the new helmsman of the Zhen family ship. She eliminated some rebellious senior shopkeepers and hired a large number of young shopkeepers.

After a brief period of confusion, its business returned to normal.

The leading figures in Changxing County also discovered an unspeakable pattern.

The bandits in Qingfeng Village are so rampant, but they have never attacked Zhen's property or personnel.

Even the merchants who had close contacts with the Zhen family were safe and sound.

This is no coincidence!

The gentry and merchants of the Qing Dynasty were all excellent people, and they knew the philosophy of life of seeing things through but not telling them.

They came to visit one after another and took the initiative to start losing money.

Not seeking profit, just seeking a relationship with the Zhen family.

……

Midnight,

The Lijiaxiang Iron Mine encountered a symbolic rebellion.

The bandits holding torches made noise all night long, firing guns and cannons, and were finally driven back.

Immediately afterwards, Zhen applied to the county government to form a mine protection team.

The county magistrate was too preoccupied with himself to take care of himself, and he didn't say anything clearly. In short, he seemed to approve it, but also seemed not to approve it.

Mrs. Zhen understood this and formed a large-scale armed mine protection team after returning.

The county government is like a deaf person, indifferent to the matter.

The county magistrate will not "know" until the banditry is over.

But after the territory is peaceful, he will "know" it immediately, and then he will be surprised, shocked, and angry, and order the ban on the illegal mine protection team!
Fang Zhixian is a mature local official!
……

The gates of Suzhou Mansion are also closed.

Hu Zhihuang's city guard camp was urgently recalled.

The city is also extremely tense, and all kinds of rumors are spreading.

As Li Yu expected, all kinds of people chose to believe the rumor that suited them.

The common people believed that it was the Heaven and Earth Society that was "revolting against the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty" and was supported by evil forces outside the country.

Bannermen all over the city suspected that the Jiangnan gentry wanted to establish an autonomous "Yangtze River Delta Empire."

However, the Han officials and gentry vaguely felt that the Eight Banners were in civil strife and fighting for power.

The emperor is old and has not publicly established a crown prince.

Isn’t it reasonable for so many sons to do some bad things under the instigation of their own supportive forces?
The officials and gentry were all proficient in Confucianism and conspiracy. After deducing something in the secret room, they took action. That was how it happened.

Looking through the history books, is this kind of thing rare?
Fukangan's death meant that the prominent Fucha family had lost an arm.

So, which prince does the Fucha family support?Which prince did he have the fiercest fight with?
In the Forbidden City, a group of Han ministers also held the same view.

In particular, Minister of Military and Aircraft Yu Minzhong firmly believed that it was a "battle for power."

He said to his son in private: "There are no rebels anywhere. It's obviously an internal fight between their princes."

"Father said so."

"Oh, by the way, what the hell, did you go to Yangzhou to take up the post?"

"I was just about to tell my father that he couldn't get enough money to take office."

Yu Minzhong raised his cloudy eyes and said leisurely:
"It's not appropriate. Tell Tian Chengyuan's banknote number and give him a Beijing debt."

"Yes."

……

The desperate Lao Hu had just picked up his rice bowl when he heard a knock on the door.

When he opened the door, he saw a carriage parked at the door.

"Congratulations, Governor Hu."

"I am the shopkeeper of Chengyuan Bank Branch in Beijing. My surname is Huang. I heard that you are short of money~ I came here to make a good relationship."

Lao Hu still wanted to struggle, so he cleared his throat, stood with his hands behind his back, raised his chin, and said in an official tone:

"I don't like dealing with businessmen, nor do I like borrowing money."

Seeing how unruly he was, shopkeeper Huang smiled, leaned closer and said:

"The Ministry of Civil Affairs has long appointed you as the magistrate of Yangzhou, but you have been reluctant to leave. I left your house today, and within three days you will be dismissed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs for the crime of laziness and procrastination. This is a fat position for the magistrate of Yangzhou. It’s cheaper for others.”

After that, he rolled his sleeves and was ready to leave.

"Wait a minute."

"Shopkeeper Huang, please come into the room to talk in detail."

Lao Hu cupped his hands and bent down to the end, with his braids hanging to the ground.

Those who know the current affairs are distinguished. When living in the capital, the most important thing is to have good eyesight.

He already believed that shopkeeper Huang had the strength.There is no basis, it is just intuition.

"Brother Hu Xian, please."

"Brother Huang, please."

The two politely went to the back room and muttered for half an hour.

Shopkeeper Huang left quietly, leaving behind a thick stack of banknotes.

Lao Hu was counting them one by one under the oil lamp, very seriously.

At this moment, there was longing, greed, and tears in his eyes.

In the early morning of the next day, with a banknote to protect him, he quickly passed through the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate. He was a colleague from the same hometown and the same year~
He completed all the procedures at the speed of light and left the capital with his wife and children.

Passing five levels and killing six generals all depends on money!
When boarding the ship in Tongzhou, he looked back and whispered:
"Farewell, Forbidden City."

……

The boat ride was smooth and comfortable.

After he inadvertently revealed that he was the prefect of Yangzhou, the ship boss was even more surprised and humble.

Big man!
The ticket money will be refunded and daily meals will be delivered to the cabin.

Haha all the way until the boat arrived in Jiangsu.

"Master Fu, would you like to get off the boat and take a walk? Appreciate the local customs?"

"This place is bustling and bustling, but Qingjiangpu?"

"Oh, sir, you are worthy of being the Wenquxing who descended to earth. This is even better than that of a god."

"I don't go out, I know everything about the world, my knowledge is not worth mentioning, it is very shallow."

Seeing that the ship boss was so knowledgeable, Lao Hu decided to promote him.

"Don't sail the ship anymore, just wait for me to be your personal attendant."

"Thank you for your support, sir."

The boss of the ship knelt down and kowtowed several times.

He fawned over him all the way and served him like his own father, that's what he wanted.

The prefect's personal entourage can also be considered as ninth grade, right?

Arriving at Yangzhou Pier, Hu Yushi deeply understood for the first time why everyone was rushing to release it.

In the capital, censors live like ordinary people, without any interest.

Locally, it's different.

Dozens of police officers had familiar flattery smiles on their faces, holding water and fire sticks and lined up on both sides to welcome him.

A dozen businessmen in silk satins were bent over waiting.

There are also a group of people wearing red tassels on their heads. You can roughly judge their rank by looking at how they bend over.

Among them was one who had his hands behind his back and was not bending down. He was probably a local colleague who served as the temporary prefect.

"Hurry, hurry, Lord Fu, take the boat to the shore."

"Firecrackers, gongs and drums give a warm welcome."

After being beaten by the blows and blows, Magistrate Hu, who looked arrogant, got into the eight-carrying green cloth sedan and left the pier amidst the sound of gongs and drums clearing the way.

……

The bearers were of very high standard and there were no bumps along the way, just like walking on flat ground.

Inside the sedan,
It was warm as spring, with a faint fragrance, and there were all kinds of fresh fruits on the silver plate.

In addition to Magistrate Hu, there is also a petite and pretty maid. I wonder if this is considered overloaded.

"Sitting in a sedan chair is boring. I will accompany you to relax and talk."

"Hey, good, good."

Magistrate Hu was very excited, holding his little hand and asking many personal questions cordially.

The maid responded with ease, being naive and charming at one moment and stupid at the other.

The small fists made Lao Hu's heart go into chaos.

It's a pity that this is in a sedan chair and cannot be used.

That night, she went to Jiang Mansion.

Jiang Chun asked: "What is the quality of the new prefect?"

The maid replied: "He is an old man who has never eaten, played or seen. I can take him down with just a little effort."

"Could he be pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger?" "I guarantee with my life that this Magistrate Hu doesn't have a big appetite."

Jiang Chun smiled and waved.

The maid bowed slightly, exited the study, and left in a small sedan chair.

She is one of the dancers in the Jiang family's garden outside Yangzhou City. She is intelligent by nature and is the best at observing and pleasing people!
……

According to the rules, Magistrate Hu immediately visited the imperial envoy.

On the smelly river digging site, he was dumbfounded when he saw Qian Feng taking off his official boots and standing in the muddy water.

As a qualified bureaucrat, he did not hesitate and knelt down in the mud to pay tribute.

Qian Feng walked over with one foot deep and one foot shallow:

"Master Hu, you arrived too late. I have entrusted this section of the river to you."

Therefore, before he had time to enjoy the blessings, Magistrate Hu became a foreman.

The office is a row of dirty shacks.

What I see every day are country people with braids shouting slogans and digging rivers.

However, even such a hard and boring day did not last for 2 days.

Again, something happened again.

"It's so lucky, something was dug out."

The peasants ran ashore screaming, as if they had seen ghosts.

Magistrate Hu grabbed a subordinate who was supervising the work and said:

"What are you running for?"

"Sir, a large stone statue was dug out of the river. There is a line of writing on the back of the stone statue."

"What's all the fuss about, digging something out? Yangzhou has been prosperous since ancient times, so it wouldn't be surprising even if an ancient tomb from the Tang Dynasty was dug up. By the way, what is it about?"

The subordinate hesitated for a long time and then said:
"The little one is illiterate."

……

Magistrate Hu was confused, but he soon understood why the subordinate officials emphasized their illiteracy.

He dare not read!
On the back of the stone statue of Maitreya Buddha, there are six words engraved: Hongli died and was divided.

Boom, for a moment, he felt like there were 18 crazy women cursing in his head.

With stars in his eyes, ringing in his ears and dizziness, he staggered and sat in the muddy water.

Until the imperial envoy Qian Feng arrived, his expression changed drastically, and he immediately ordered:

"This is the work of the demon. We mobilized soldiers to block this section of the river and look for witnesses."

"Gather all the civilians who know about this matter together, and don't allow them to contact outsiders."

However, this was in vain.

The news that the stone man with the six-character motto was unearthed by dredging the river spread like wind throughout Yangzhou City.

Of course, this cannot be done without the help of caring people.

Funny to say, the White Lotus Sect’s Yangzhou sub-rudder played a big role.

Under Pan Saiyun's strict order, the local White Lotus cultists helped Li Yu do two major things.

The first thing is to pretend to rob the prison car and rescue Yu Bashi.

The second thing is to publicize the stone statues.

For White Lotus believers, they are happy to do anything that can disgust the court.

Moreover, this stone statue is also Maitreya Buddha, which is very friendly.

None of them realized that this was a huge conspiracy.

And the instigator, Li Yu, has been having a heated fight with Pan Saiyun recently.

The arms business was in full swing, and a lot of matchlock guns, swords, and even Qing army standard shotguns were sold.

He had only one purpose, to promote the "Jingxiang Great Rebellion" as soon as possible.

The uprising of the White Lotus Sect was like a bright light.

As for Jiangnan, it can be dark under the lamp.

In the name of local self-protection, they gain more power.

……

Judging from the newspapers collected by the Chief Envoy Yamen, what Pan Saiyun said was true.

At the junction of Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi, heavy snowfall caused disaster.

Thousands of houses were crushed, livestock were frozen to death, and crops were lost.

The local grain price has reached an astonishing figure, 200 yuan per catty.

What kind of concept is this?

A craftsman earns about 2 taels per month, which is about 2000 Wen, and can only buy 10 kilograms of white rice.

Replace it with whole grains, pick some wild vegetables, and mix it in together. You can support yourself, a woman and a child.

Just starving to death and barely surviving.

The rest of the family members can only die!

Moreover, this is a craftsman with special skills.

In the Qing Dynasty, the majority of the people had no craftsmanship and only one arm of strength. The situation of these people would only be more terrible.

Some people may say that it’s not too bad if farmers own the fields.

This is childish thinking.

The ancients summed it up: "Small disasters should be avoided in the city, and major disasters should be avoided in the wilds."

Famines, natural disasters and the like are all minor disasters.A war that overthrows a dynasty is considered a catastrophe.

Therefore, it is not difficult to infer that the countryside in Hubei, Henan, and Shaanxi is even worse at this time.

Li Yu read the newspaper and saw six words: Hungry in the old age, people cannibalize each other.

Mr. Hu boarded the ship yesterday and left.

After all, he was a highly paid staff member of the Governor of Water Transport, so he had to be loyal to his employer.

Although I can't help dredge the canal, I can help get rid of the blame.

"You both tell me?"

Hu Ling'er spoke first, frowning:
"I feel that if the White Lotus is causing trouble, Hubei will be corrupted, and it may even affect the Yangtze River Basin."

"Do you think the Qing court can't be pacified?"

"No, it is only a matter of time before it is put down, and how much money and food are wasted. I am just thinking that it is most beneficial to my husband to control the White Lotus Rebellion on a certain scale."

Li Yu shook his head:
"Don't worry about this. Soldiers, power, and water are unpredictable. Besides, my influence on Bai Lian is limited."

Yang Yunjiao said softly: "

"I feel that if the White Lotus Sect in Hubei is in chaos, the court's attention and troops will be concentrated there. We should seize this opportunity and develop quickly."

……

Li Yu took the time to meet with the meritorious officials, Wang Liu, Li Dahu, and Li Ergou.

The two adopted sons are as proud as roosters.

This made the guard captain Li Xiaowu greedy, and he also proposed the idea of ​​becoming a vanguard general.

Li Yu was noncommittal, but let Dahu serve as the deputy captain of the Guards.

At the same time, he also served as the gunnery instructor of the "Children's Camp".

The size of the children's camp has been expanding, reaching 500 people, but it has never officially participated in the war.

They are well-equipped and trained without fail, and they dare not relax in their loyalty education.

Every time they reviewed, everyone could see that the eyes of these young people were full of enthusiasm, a kind of worship to God.

Less than one-fifth of these girls also participate in military training.

Yang Yunjiao quietly suggested that as time goes by, it would be best to separate camps to avoid embarrassment.

So, Li Yu set up another camp for these girls.

Military training has been cut in half, and cultural education has been stepped up.

Let these adopted daughters gradually enter the internal affairs and logistics systems.

The teachers are myself, Hu Ling'er, and Yang Yunjiao respectively, and the teaching content is mainly practical.

After sending away his two adopted sons, Li Yu summoned Wang Liu alone.

"Meet the lord."

"Don't be too polite, just sit down."

Wang Liu looks a little more calm than before. The battlefield is a training exercise.

After a life-and-death battle, people are transformed.

Li Yu said nothing and just looked at him.

Wang Liu felt a little frightened. He raised his hands and asked, "Master, if you have any tasks, just give me your orders."

"I heard that you still want to work in industry and mining?"

"Yes, I'm going to have to work hard all my life. It's not suitable for me to be a civil servant or to lead the army."

"I'm glad you can be so honest."

Li Yu unfolded a map and signaled Wang Liu to come over.

"There is a coal mine here in Huizhou Prefecture, which is my property. Because it was purchased from other wealthy businessmen, there has been a lack of effective management. The output is low and the profits are weak. Do you want to be a mine manager?"

"In half a year, I will definitely make it look brand new."

"Organize the miners and build a small fortress. Coal production will double within half a year. Do you need any support?"

"Silver, and people."

"How about I give you 2000 taels of starting silver, and then select 50 people from Jiangbei Zaoding, equipped with firearms, to take up your post with you?"

"Thank you, Lord. Before I leave, I want to see the Erhu brothers. Is that okay?"

"Go and find him at Xujiang Pier."

……

Yang Yunjiao came out from behind the screen:
"Husband, this person is working abroad and owns territory. Could it be that he is returning home?"

Li Yu gave her a strange look and said:

"Principal governance is created by idealists and speculators steal the results!"

"Wang Liu is an idealist. Even if he separates one side, it's not a big concern. It's just to warm up the situation. In comparison, we should be more wary of Miao Youlin!"

(End of this chapter)