Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 184 Thanks to the Imperial Envoy Qian Feng, the White Lotus Sect in Hubei is finally in trouble

The subordinate said softly:

"Yesterday, the Imperial Envoy sent troops to seal the accounts of the Lianghuai Salt Affairs Office."

Tan Muguang chewed the salty old goose meat and asked, "What is this big deal?"

The subordinate official waved his hand:
"Old Tan, you are not a member of the officialdom, so you don't understand the power of this. Forget it, drink and drink!"

The conversation ends here,

After eating and drinking, we chatted for another hour when we heard gongs and shouts outside:

"We are preparing to open the locks. The fleet is weighing anchor. Keep distance between ships and be careful of collisions."

"Brother, I'm sorry, I have to go back to the ship."

"Have a nice trip, Lao Tan. Let's get together on the way back."

"necessary!"

Back on the ship, Tan Muguang thought for a while and sent one person to disembark temporarily.

Tell the lord the "secret" mentioned by the subordinate.

As for whether there is any mystery in it, I don't care.

People in the world really don’t understand the meaning of closing accounts.

All officials and merchants related to salt in Yangzhou City were in panic all day long.

Without warning, the imperial envoy Qian Feng mobilized troops to seal all the account books of Lianghuai Salt and arrested the relevant clerks and masters.

The imperial guards in yellow mandarin jackets stood guard in person.

He is going to overturn the table regardless of the overall situation!
It was already two days later that Li Yu knew about this.

……

The huge sluice located at the rear of the fleet, near the mouth of the Yangtze River, rumbled down, blocking the river water.

(Note: The water level of the Yangtze River is always higher than the water level of the canal.)
The green soldiers guarding the gate began to ring the bell.

After hearing the bell, a sluice located 3 miles away in front of the fleet began to slowly rise.

Due to the difference in water levels, the flow in the river quickly became turbulent.

The fleet, with the sails lowered, was still sailing at a fast speed.

All the sailors were holding long poles and standing on both sides of the ship, nervous and serious.

Because this is where collisions are most likely to occur.

Crossed the narrow Yizheng Canal and merged into the Grand Canal.

Tan Muguang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Raise the sail."

Behind him, sailors from one boat after another shouted to raise the sails and conveyed the order to the last tanker.

Li Xiaowu and three assistants were not idle either.

A simple map is finally released.

The width, depth, and distribution of water villages of the Yizheng Canal are all marked.

Finally, the date was written in the corner: the first day of April in the 41st year of Qianlong's reign.

And soon, he saw the tyranny of the Cao Gang.

A sailor stood on the bow of the ship and sounded a gong loudly.

The merchant ship in front saw it and immediately gave way and slowed down.

The long fleet of boats seemed to be coming from the Dragon King of the East China Sea, sailing in the middle of the canal.

Several fishing boats nearby also quickly put away their fishing nets and ducked toward the shore.

"Little Fifth Master, how are you?"

"Well, this is my first time with water transport. It's quite interesting."

"Hehehehe, our Caogang's reputation is earned through hard work. From Hangzhou to Tongzhou, there are countless local snakes along the way. Our Caogang suppresses those who pass by one by one. If they don't obey, we will beat them. We will beat them twice a year."

"What if we encounter an official ship?"

"If the people don't fight with the officials, we can't afford to provoke them."

This old sailor from Caobang was very honest, and he was responsible for answering all Li Xiaowu's doubts along the way.

It is a living map, with towns along the canal and countless levels.

……

Thousands of miles away, Liu Qian laughed.

"Prepare the carrier pigeon to bring good news to the Lord."

The White Lotus Sect finally moved, like bamboo shoots emerging from the ground, densely packed.

He was very lucky that he had not landed, otherwise he would have been coerced by the White Lotus cultists and rebelled together.

Two days ago, the official documents of the imperial envoy's departure arrived in the hands of the Hubei Chief Envoy.

Order the province's watercraft to set sail immediately.

The hundreds of watercraft that had been backlogged in Hanyang Mansion and the Hanshui section finally received the order to set off.

Sailors went ashore to replenish daily necessities, and the news of the voyage was known to everyone.

After hearing this, Hong Dachang, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, let out a long sigh.

Resolutely ordered the uprising.

The believers in Hanyang Prefecture immediately raised the flag of righteousness and took the lead in launching the campaign.

The vanguard of only 800 people captured all the grain and annihilated the nearby Green Camp who came for reinforcements.

Then, the believers in Xiangyang Prefecture also revolted and captured Guanghua and Gucheng in one fell swoop.

Yunyang Mansion was the latest to start the uprising, but it was also the largest!

The believers who came out of the mountains soon gathered tens of thousands of people.

The commander-in-chief of Yunyang Town led the 4th Battalion of Zhenbiao in an encirclement and suppression campaign. He wanted to gain some military exploits, but was defeated in one battle by the Bailian army with high morale.

The commander-in-chief fled into the city in embarrassment and lost almost all his soldiers.

The prefect of Yunyang was shocked. Only the garrison camp was left in the city, and the troops were empty.

Hong Dachang was high-spirited, wearing a yellow robe, standing on a slope five miles away from the city wall, observing the enemy's situation.

Behind him are six church masters, who can be regarded as the major shareholders of the sect.

"Yunyang Mansion, when should there be an uprising?"

"According to the prior agreement, tomorrow we will attack the north gate with all our strength, and they will open the south gate to receive the army."

"Okay, but in order to paralyze the Qing army, we still have to do what we should do."

"Abide by the Master's decree."

The White Lotus cultists cut down trees outside the city and built ladders.

The Qing troops on the city wall could see clearly, and everyone was nervous.

"Yunyang Town, you quickly go to the city to recruit strong people to help defend the city. Try to atone for your merits and offset your sins."

"Thank you, Mr. Fu, I will leave right now."

……

Recruiting Minzhuang is also very simple, as long as two meals are provided.

Food prices have soared, and there are many people in the city who are hungry.

The prefect stood on the city wall, watching the White Lotus sect kidnap dozens of grain ships moored on the Han River outside the city, and he was heartbroken and bleeding.

That's all his money!
I thought I could throw it out next month.

As a result, these hungry White Lotus bandits, instead of lying at home waiting to die, ran out and rebelled.

The gentry and rice shop owners in the city also became nervous.

They are smart people and realize the huge crisis.

In the words of Chairman Miye:

"If the city is destroyed, we and other rich people will definitely die without a burial place."

"If there is a stalemate in the battle to defend the city, the government will requisition our rice to support the troops, and we will lose all our money."

Everyone sighed and regretted endlessly.

Bai Lian could only pray silently, and Bai Lian was defeated quickly.

After returning home, the shopkeeper looked at his pregnant concubine with a frown on his face.

"Master, what's wrong?"

"The poor people outside the city rebelled."

"Ah? Then, will something happen to our city?"

"Hmph, they want to enter the city? When Jingzhou's flag soldiers arrive, they will all be killed by a thousand swords."

The maid Chuntao who was waiting on the side was trembling in her heart.

Her natal family is not far outside the city. What should she do if there is a military disaster?
Father, mother, brother Chunshou, please don’t get involved. Rebellion is no joke, you will be beheaded!

……

Outside the city, Hong Dachang sent people to set up a banner for people to eat food and join the religion.

Dozens of boatloads of rice are enough for him to win over people.

Hungry people outside the city came one after another to seek survival.

The survival instinct made them give up some illusions.

Whether it's white lotus or black lotus, I don't care about that much.

A bowl of porridge can help you live for at least two more days.

Hong Dachang was majestic. Surrounded by a group of armed believers, he stood on a high place and began to speak:

"Brothers and sisters, the end of the Qing Dynasty has come, and Maitreya Buddha is about to come to the world."

"Join Bai Lian, and together we will overthrow this dark government and build a little paradise on earth. We will eat together and wear the same clothes. Men are all brothers and women are all sisters. There will no longer be any officials or untouchables."

"You guys say, okay?"

The hungry people cheered.

He continued:
"One catty of old rice has been sold for 1 Wen. One stone of rice, converted into copper coins, needs to be pulled by a cart."

"What kind of world is this?"

"God, please open your eyes and see the world, right?"

The compassionate Master Hong fell to his knees on the ground, raised his hands in the air, looked at the sky, and shed tears.

Everyone present also knelt down and raised their hands.

Suddenly, a burst of thunder rolled past.

The rumbling thunder surprised everyone.

When he looked at Master Hong again, his eyes became a little more fanatical.

Leader Hong, who was wearing a yellow robe, was secretly happy. Could it be that he was really ordered by heaven?

He slowly straightened his body, and under the gaze of countless hot eyes, he drew his sword:
"Maitreya came to the world, and the white lotus flourished."

……

The next day, the White Lotus Sect began a large-scale attack on the city.The deeply inspired believers carried the ladders and rushed towards the city wall crazily.

They all drank the talisman water and it was time for them to go crazy.

On the city wall, the commander-in-chief of Yunyang Town had a distorted expression, brandishing his sword and shouting:

"Fire, shoot, shoot."

Suddenly, the roar of guns drowned everything.

Regardless of casualties, the White Lotus cultists set up the ladder on the city wall and began to climb crazily.

The Qing army also lifted rocks and smashed them down.

Siege warfare can be brutal, especially for a side lacking artillery.

One of the hall masters couldn't bear it and suggested:
"Leader, will you move the musket saints to the city to suppress the Qing army's firepower?"

"Do not."

Leader Hong stood under a bright yellow flag, very calm.

Looking at the tragic city, his expression remained unchanged.

Suddenly a sentence came out: "Recruit skilled craftsmen from various sources, especially those who can make artillery. If you can take the initiative to contribute, I will not treat you lightly."

The siege lasted for half an hour, and the Qing army struggled.

Bai Lian's madness and fearlessness made the Qing army feel a hint of fear.

The commander-in-chief of Yunyang Town stabbed to death a White Lotus cultivator who climbed up the city wall, and watched him fall back and fall down the city wall.

Another White Lotus cultist, who was as thin as a skeleton, appeared from behind. He was mumbling words and looking at himself as if he were looking at food.

Hold the pot lid and step on the city wall!

"go to hell."

The tall commander-in-chief of Yunyang Town drew out his saber and chopped the man over with one blow.

The unnamed cultist fell, killing his two companions who were looking up at him below.

……

Slowly, half of the Qing army gathered on the northern city wall.

In the city, a burst of cheers suddenly broke out from the south.

The commander-in-chief of Yunyang Town looked back, his hair standing on end.

The flag of White Lotus was erected on the south city wall.

The White Lotus cultists appeared out of nowhere and were slashing wildly.

"The city is broken, the city is broken."

At first it was just a handful of people shouting, but later it turned into hundreds of people shouting.

The Qing army collapsed, and everyone was frantically escaping from the northern city wall.

Throw away your sword, take off your uniform, and hide in a house in the city. Even if you can live a little longer, you must try your best.

A large number of White Lotus cultists poured into the city.

Yunyang Mansion fell in just one hour.

The prefect Sima Shang hesitated for a long time, but still did not commit suicide by jumping off the city wall.

The commander-in-chief of Yunyang Town did not commit suicide. Instead, he silently put down his sword and knelt at the door of the official office.

A man of letters and a man of arms, protecting the law from left to right.

The White Lotus believers despise such people who are greedy for life and afraid of death.

One person held a bloody saber and wanted to hack them to death.

"Wait a minute." Leader Hong stopped them, "Put them in jail temporarily until I, the leader, interrogate them."

"As ordered."

Seeing the hope of survival, the prefect lay on the ground like a dog and walked on his knees:
"Your Majesty is familiar with every plant and tree in this mansion. Your Majesty can lead the way and take you to the treasury and wealthy gentry."

Seeing that Master Hong didn’t respond,

He continued: "There are many people in the city who are very cunning. They bury their money underground and even the lower officials know about it!"

……

So, he got the opportunity to lead the way.

This guy was also a tough guy. He threw off his official hat and took off his official robe on the spot.

Licking his face, he tore off a piece of white cloth and covered his forehead.

He looked at the White Lotus cultists who were attacking the city. Many people were doing this. Although they didn't understand it, it didn't stop them from following the same example.

"what's your name?"

"The lower official's surname is Sima and his first name is Shang."

"Okay. If you want to save your life, it depends on your contribution."

Magistrate Sima was frantically giving directions in the city.

He led a large number of White Lotus followers and first sealed all the treasury in the city.

Then he pointed out all the gentry's houses and roughly estimated the amount of property.

This is really awesome. No one has said it publicly, but he can guess it.

Conveniently, he instructed the believers to tear down several walls, dig out several flower beds, and even the bottom of the pond.

It was an eye-opener for everyone in the White Lotus Sect. If they didn’t have any guidance, they might not be able to find it.

Hidden too deep!
Next, there is Midian.

"The soldiers and horses have not moved yet, but the food and grass go first. I want to do more for Bai Lian and atone for my sins."

Seeing him on the road like this, he is also very good at chatting.

Slowly, these White Lotus cultists put away their knives.

She restrained her murderous intention towards him, and her malice was greatly reduced.

Busy until late at night, Magistrate Sima even became brothers with the two believers.

I even learned about Master Hong’s little quirks from their mouths!
So, regardless of the hard work, he led people to search for the four beauties in his house.

After sending it to the big tent, he finally got the approval of Leader Hong.

"Well, you just stay under the tent and serve as a pawn in front of the army."

"Thank you, Master."

Magistrate Sima successfully and flexibly changed his identity and became a glorious White Lotus cultist.

The head is wrapped in white cloth and the jade Maitreya Buddha is hung on the neck.

All the officials and gentry in Yunyang Mansion were dug out.

Interrogated, tortured, and squeezed out the last taels of silver.

A ruthless person can get food anywhere, even blood-stained food.

……

After the White Lotus Sect captured Yunyang Mansion, they obtained a large amount of food, gold, silver, and weapons.

He also recruited more than 100 craftsmen of various types from the city and brought them to the camp with favorable treatment.

It's a pity that Yunyang Mansion lacks a military base.

No one knows how to cast a cannon, and drilling the barrel is difficult.

Sima Magistrate should be called Sima Shifu Commander at this time.

Leader Hong created a new set of official positions last night, and the tenth commander is the lowest-ranking officer.

He suggested sending people to Xiangyang Prefecture and Wuchang Prefecture to search for craftsmen.

These two prefectures are important military areas and have a higher level of military industry.

It would be even better if we could capture Jingzhou City. The Eight Banners' artillery and workshops are the best.

The general soldier of Yunyang Town, more than 40 officials from the city, and more than 120 gentry and merchants were taken to the execution ground.

The execution ground was set up outside the city, and tens of thousands of people came to watch.

First give a speech, then kill, then give porridge, and finally recruit soldiers.

In one breath, he absorbed more than 3000 young people.

Clothes are of various kinds, and the one that can be distributed uniformly is a white cloth belt wrapped around the forehead, which is used to identify friend or foe.

There is also a spear.

Wooden sticks are easy to find, and spearheads are stored in advance.

The believers dug iron ore and smelted iron deep in the mountains, and forged many crude cold weapons.

The reserve of spear heads alone is as high as 10.

The rest are swords and shields, with 1 sets in stock.

As for bows and arrows, the output of arrows is very low, only 2000.Mainly limited by raw materials.

Forget about firearms, we can only make three-eyed guns.

Although Master Hong likes to pretend to be gods and ghosts, he often has relationships with various gods in the sky.

But things are still very pragmatic. Spearmen are the best choice for poor people in the early stages of starting a business, bar none!

……

Weapons can give the wielder confidence.

This is DNA memory rooted in blood.

Thousands of young men, holding spears in their hands, were arranged neatly. It seemed that everyone had become extremely confident.

Yunyang Mansion (now Shiyan City) is located in the northwest region of Hubei Province, with dense mountains and forests.

For the rulers of the empire, great fame!

Nicknamed "The Refugee's Paradise".

Because this place is located in the heart of the empire and can strangle the Han River. The mountains are high and the valleys are deep, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

During the Hongwu period, Zhu Yuanzhang sent troops to drive away all the refugees in the mountain, and later sealed the mountain area.

By the time of Ming Yingzong,
Yunyang became a paradise for Huguang refugees again. The court drove them away again, and conflicts broke out between the two sides.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees revolted, and the Ming army raised their butcher knives and killed all the refugees.

Every piece of landscape in Yunyang Mansion is stained with blood!

Later, during the Chenghua period, desperate refugees gathered again in Yunyang Mountain, numbering more than 150 million.

The Ming court was greatly shocked, and after repeated deliberation, Yunyang Mansion was opened to resettle the refugees and create a register to receive food.

Only then did the fuse of this powder keg be pulled out.

The issue of Yunyang Prefecture is essentially a matter of people's livelihood.

The people are not afraid of death in order to survive, so why should weapons and weapons stop them?
……

[Controversy over when to raise the flag for rebellion?The author briefly explains that throughout history, most peasant uprisings shook the imperial court but could not be overthrown, and ended up making wedding dresses for others.This is the helpless fate of the pioneers and an inevitable choice of history.

Therefore, Li Yu tried his best to push the White Lotus Sect to the front, making them a tragic forerunner to welcome the Qing court's concentrated attack, so as to weaken each other.When the main force of the Qing army gathers in Hubei, wouldn't it be nice if the Li army rushes south of the Yangtze River and releases a big wave of troops? 】

(End of this chapter)