Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 185 If you have the guts, will he massacre Yangzhou City again?
Hong Dachang was much better than Li Yu in judging people, and in terms of dance, writing, and calligraphy.

He read a lot of books and carefully studied the history of Yunyang Mansion in the Ming Dynasty.

I have also read the official annals of this mansion and have a sufficient understanding of the geographical terrain, customs, and historical origins.

The main altar is located in Yunyang Mansion, which is very wonderful!
If we advance, we can control Jingxiang and move down the river, shaking the whole situation.

If you retreat, you can hold on to the dangerous mountain.

To put it harshly, even if you are defeated, there are many escape routes.

Running south is the Shennongjia primeval forest area.

Going north through Danshui, you can enter Shangluo Mountain.

If you run west, you can enter Daba Mountain in Qinling Mountains.

They are all good places. If you run in, you will be invisible and you will have food and drink.

Even if one million officers and soldiers come in to search the mountain, they may not be able to catch anyone.

The big tent is magnificent.

The floor was covered with a carpet of captured trophies, and on top were the trophies sent by Captain Sima Shifu.

The four beauties of Yunyang Prefecture absorb the aura of majestic mountains and open waters, which is quite delicious.

"You will serve me well. When my leader conquers Wuchang Mansion and builds the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus, I can make you my side concubine."

"Yes."

The two women lowered their eyebrows and recognized the reality.

The other two girls were cold and disdainful.

Master Hong is such a fine person, he understands women best.

He was not angry and walked outside the tent:

"Send these two witches to reward the soldiers who have made meritorious service in this siege."

"Thank you, Master."

……

In the big tent, silence returned.

Hong Dachang knew that it was not time to enjoy happiness yet, so military affairs should be the priority.

The number of soldiers under his command, the layout of the camp, the inventory of grain and grass, and the movements of the Qing army around him were all things he had to worry about.

"Send a ship down the Han River to meet the canal ships of Hanyang Prefecture. Now, as long as there is food, there will be soldiers."

"Send envoys to contact the refugees in the surrounding mountains. Tell them to enter the white lotus, eat white rice, worship Maitreya, and live in the world."

Soon, the 12-character slogan spread.

Many refugees in the mountains came down one after another to support Master Hong.

We drank white rice porridge and were given a white cloth to wrap our heads and a spear.

Only the most elite White Lotus Saint Soldiers uniformed their uniforms.

Wearing a gray cloth, the word "holy" is sewn on the front of the chest.

When new members of Bailian see the word "holy" on their clothes, they will know that they are seniors and follow his instructions.

"Master, Master Mingtang would like to see you."

"Let him in."

Hall Master Wang, who was a little fat, knelt down and saluted respectfully.

"Greetings to the leader, long live, long live, long live."

Hong Dachang was happy in his heart, but he said:

"Hey, brother Wang, you don't have to be like this. I haven't proclaimed myself emperor yet."

……

Half an hour later, Fatty Wang left the tent happily and had the dream of being a minister.

The leader promised him that after conquering Wuchang Mansion, he would make him the Minister of Household Affairs and manage the holy treasury.

Back in the tent, Fatty Wang thought about it for a while and decided to recruit a tailor to make a set of clothes for the emperor's trip.

Including bright yellow umbrella cover, bright yellow flag, and dragon robe.

The tailors in the city were trembling with fear and kowtowed as if they were smashing garlic, not daring to do such a thing that would kill the nine tribes.

So, 3 were clicked on the spot, and the rest woke up.

What is placed above the head now is not the government's sword, but Bailian's sword!

Fatty Wang was so angry that he couldn't speak. At the same time, he also lamented the profound power the Qing court had accumulated.

There is no reference for the shape of the dragon robe, we can only rely on imagination.

Even the most knowledgeable former prefect, Sima Shifu, shook his head and said that he had never met the emperor and did not know the pattern of the dragon robe.

In fact, as the prefect of Yunyang who was equally "charged, complicated, tired, and difficult", he was personally appointed by Qianlong.

Even though I was far away, I could still see the holy face.

But out of some fear, he deliberately concealed this experience.

His inner plan was that if the White Lotus Sect could capture Wuchang, he would continue to follow them.

If he could only enclose his territory in a ghost place like Yunyang Mansion, he would just run away at the right time.

From then on, he spent the rest of his life anonymously in a deep mountain.

As a smart man, he is well aware of the dangers of official career.

He had already considered a retreat. Two years ago, a natural cave in Daba Mountain to his west contained 2 taels of silver, 1000 glutinous rice bricks, and a basket of salt.

In another cave, a number of swords and fire-folded farm tools wrapped in oil-paper cloth were also hidden.

No one knows this secret.

It must be said that Commander Sima Shifu had a strong sense of worry.

Possibly the earliest post-apocalyptic survival enthusiast.

……

Leader Hong did not rush to march eastward, but instead concentrated his troops on the spot.

He had his own strategic considerations and had not told anyone about them.

The news of the uprising at the Bailian General Altar spread like wind to several surrounding provinces.

Many white lotus branches are either eager to try, or waiting to speculate.

Some clever ghosts even sent messengers to express their loyalty to recognize their ancestors and return to their clan.

Leader Hong agreed and encouraged him.

But he knew very well in his heart that these bastard helmsmen had no intention of fighting with the Qing court.

They are just waiting for a pioneer, that is themselves.

Only by capturing Wuchang, or defeating the Qing army in Hubei, and gaining local military advantage, will these people follow.

He sneered and made up his mind.

Wait until the Holy Kingdom gets on the right track, then free up your hands to deal with these impure-minded guys.

"Long live, it's late at night, why don't you take a rest?"

"Well, very good."

Seeing that this woman is so knowledgeable, Master Hong is also very pleased.

In today’s entrepreneurial stage, resources are limited.

Yunyang Mansion can't find many resources of this quality.

Kill one and save one, you have to save!

However, once Wuchang City is captured, things should be much better.

When the time comes, eating one, playing with one, and pushing one will no longer be a big problem!
The tired leader Hong took the villain and fell asleep deeply.

……

3000 miles away, Li Yu was awakened from his sleep.

Fortunately, he doesn't have the habit of killing people in his dreams.

Someone outside the house shouted in a low voice:

"My lord, Liu Qianfei Ge sent a message that the White Lotus Sect has rebelled!"

Li Yu sat up and asked someone to hold the lamp.

The Chaozhou Mansion maid who was resting on the side of the couch quickly put on her clothes and went out to take the note.

Li Yu took it and read it carefully.

Hu Ling'er on the side also put on a robe and came over to take a look.

"God's calculations are not as good as those of humans. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that Qian Feng has helped me a lot."

"Congratulations to my husband, you are destined to be your destiny."

"Well, God's will is inevitable, but you can't rely on God for everything."

The drowsiness was dismissed, and Li Yu couldn't fall asleep for a while.

I simply got dressed and went to the study for a while.

The maid helped make a pot of tea and walked away silently.

The group of women Du Ren brought from Chaozhou Prefecture are now deeply trusted.

They have no relatives in Jiangnan, and it is difficult to communicate through language, but they form a unique loyalty.

Hu Ling'er said that the inner house is naturally isolated from all interference from the outside world.

Neither the Li family army nor the other forces in Jiangnan could understand Li Yu's movements through the maids.

Over time, the language barrier has been overcome a lot.

The maids just couldn't speak, but they probably understood what their master meant.

After staying together for a long time, we have formed a tacit understanding on many things.

Hu Ling'er also specifically asked these maids if there was anyone or anything they missed in their hometown.

It's a good deal to spend a little money in exchange for absolute loyalty.

……

Chaozhou women of this era had deep-rooted ideas.

At home, you obey your father and elder brothers, and when you get married, you obey your husband's family, and you will always be at the back.

Li Yu has always maintained close contact (commerce) with the clan forces in Chaozhou Prefecture.

The princes need muskets, and the Li family army needs some Western gadgets.

It was a pleasure for both parties to cooperate and we learned from each other.

A certain Taigong named Huang even hoped to marry Li Yu. It didn't matter how big or small it was, as long as it was a marriage.

But Lai Er, who was based in Chaozhou Prefecture, said he couldn't agree!
Huang Taigong has a house full of granddaughters who are worthless at all.

Huang Taigong made a fortune in this marriage, but his lord suffered a huge loss.

Even if she is a concubine, she cannot agree.

The strategy of Guangdong and Guangxi is definitely a crucial chess piece.

But judging from the current situation, the time has not yet come.Standing firm in the south of the Yangtze River and guarding the Yangtze River are the current top priorities.

Li Yu drew a crude map along the river on paper.

He was thinking about several possibilities for the White Lotus Sect to start an uprising.

In the first type, Bailian captured Xiangyang and Wuchang and passed through Hubei, shocking the Qing court.

In the second type, Bailian was unable to capture the fortified city and was forced to fight on the move, without access to the base area.

The third type is that Bailian has no enterprising spirit and sticks to Yunyang Mansion, fighting defensive battles and tug-of-war, and is eventually exhausted by the Qing court.

No matter what the situation is, the Qing court will gather troops in Hubei.

Theoretically speaking, if he adds another fire at this time, the Qing army will really be busy running without caring about the head.

However, as a rational hero, he will choose the most self-interested plan.

That is: wait and see!

……

"Sir, will we still sell weapons to Bai Lian?"

"If they become bandits or stay in Yunyang Mansion, I will sell them at a high price. On the contrary, I will not sell even a single gun."

Hu Ling'er nodded, which was consistent with her thoughts.

Once Bailian controls Wuchang and strangles the Yangtze River, his power will expand rapidly.

At this time, if you continue to sell firearms, you will easily shoot yourself in the foot.

The Qing court is a tiger, so Bai Lian is not a wolf.

Li Yu smiled and said:

"I really didn't expect that this guy Qian Feng was so capable. He just blocked the canal transportation, which caused Master Hong to lose his position."

"Yes."

The two of them were filled with emotion that a landmine beneath their feet had just become misfired.

If the leader of Hongjiao tried his best to starve old and weak believers to death, Li Jiajun might really be forced to be exposed first.

Nowadays, a lot of gossip has begun to spread in Fucheng.

He said that he secretly amassed soldiers and committed evil acts in Taihu Lake, and even used firearms to threaten merchant ships.

Li Yu laughed it all off.

Without explanation, whether you believe it or not, I believe it is "slander".

Yang Yunjiao's Internal Affairs Department also encountered a strange incident.

At night, a small sampan wanted to approach Xishan Island, but was spotted by a dog when it approached the tidal flat.

Wang Wang team made great contributions!

The barking attracted the attention of the turrets on the hillside.

It was dark at night, and it was hard to tell whether it was an enemy or a false alarm.

He simply pointed his gun directly at the sparkling place under the moonlight and fired a shot.

The next day, a battered and abandoned sampan was found.

No one was there and no blood was found.

After Yang Yunjiao's investigation, he was convinced that the sampan did not belong to Xishan Island and was from outside.

……

After Li Yu heard this, he also increased his vigilance.

A curfew was ordered to be implemented, and anyone who walked to the beach at night for no reason could be shot directly.

A lot of hidden whistles and dogs have been added.

Animals are good friends of human beings and are very talented at sentrying and delivering messages.

Li Yu spent a lot of money to recruit pigeon breeders from among the people and established a pigeon base on Piaomiao Peak on Xishan Island.

Dogs are much easier to take care of, and pastoral dogs have excellent genes.

The dog who made great achievements received a medium-rare roast chicken.

In front of other dogs, he threw it into its food bowl.

"This is the reward for catching a thief. You all should learn from it."

The dogs were salivating, but it was unknown whether they understood human speech.

In short, Li Yu believes that everything has a spirit.

Since people die for money and birds die for food, dogs can do it too.

However, he did not trust his adopted son Li Ergou, so he specifically told him not to attack the dogs on his island.

Dog meat has a slippery tongue and the like, no more mentioning it.

Li Ergou naturally agreed wholeheartedly. He had been too busy recently and wanted to go to the Infantry Sergeant School for further studies.

However, he was rejected by his adoptive father.

……

The urgent report of the fall of Yunyang City and the looting of grain from the Han River was rushed to the Forbidden City for [-] miles.

According to the normal speed, Qianlong would know about it after 9 days.

In Yangzhou Prefecture, the imperial envoy Qian Feng was still checking the accounts.

All the previous account books of the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Department have been sealed.

He also called in salt merchants and asked them to hand over more account books.

There are dozens of salt fields in the Huaihe River and Huaihe River:
How much salt is produced every year?What's the purchase price?

How much does it cost to buy salt from Yanyun Yamen?How much does row salt cost?How much salt is produced each year?

How much money is deposited in the Lianghuai accounts?How much silver is actually in the official treasury?What's the difference?Where was the money spent?

Qian Feng asked nine questions!

Every question is like a knife thrust into the giant Lianghuai Salt Service.

Everyone was horrified, angry, and silent, silently planning how to respond.

Huang Desheng, the general merchant, came out of the imperial envoy's office and shouted angrily:

"He is trying to dig up the roots of our Yangzhou salt merchants and the ancestral graves of our Lianghuai salt people!"

The officials and salt merchants all nodded in approval, with fierce looks on their faces.

Even Jiang Chun, the usually calm and calm chief executive, put away his smile and showed a sneer that no one else had ever seen.

He said something and calmed everyone's hearts:

"The emperor visited the south three times, and the salt merchants responded. When fighting in the northwest, the salt merchants responded. When the Jinchuan was leveled in the southwest, the salt merchants responded. Every tael of this silver was spent on the blade. He wants to check, is it clear? ?”

"Mr. Jiang Shou said it well."

"Damn, a fool wants to bring down Yangzhou? Do you have the guts to massacre the city of Yangzhou again?"

These words were heard by the imperial guards at the gate of the imperial envoy's camp.

Although I really want to draw a knife and chop these arrogant old rich people, my reason tells me that these people can't afford to offend them.

The Yangzhou salt merchant's connections are also well-known in the capital.

When a convoy carrying the banner of a salt merchant enters Beijing, the Chongwenmen tax inspector will not be too difficult.

After collecting the tax and not checking the goods, they just waved them through!
Because, do you dare to ask what is in this fleet?

Gold is for the Minister of Military and Aircraft.The jewelry is for the prince.There are also all kinds of rare things for the six ministers and nine ministers.

What, you want to unpack it and take inventory?
……

Even Hai Lancha, a reckless man, asked Qian Feng worriedly:

"Searching for salt is a big deal. Which layer do you want to check? Do you need to ask for holy orders?"

Qian Feng was surprised, but still shook his head.

He feels that this is the pinnacle of his career and that he is already on the cusp of the storm.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he dug out a piece of carrion for Sheji.

After returning to Beijing, he was demoted and exiled, and he admitted it.

The salt tax was the second tax source of the empire, and the Lianghuai salt tax was the largest among them.

He has long known the tricks in this. If the long-standing abuses are eliminated, the court's tax revenue can increase by at least 300 million taels a year.

Everyone in the Qing Dynasty knew how to protect themselves, but I, Qian Feng, did not.

Although there are thousands of people, I will go too!
The history of Qing Dynasty is clear, and future generations will always remember that there was a "little Hai Rui" in the Qianlong Dynasty.

The emperor may be deceived for a while, but he will never be confused for the rest of his life. He will always realize the good intentions of me, Qian Feng.

He walked into the tent and found that the number of guards around him had doubled.

"You are this?"

A Lan Ling guard said respectfully:
"We have followed the military order from Commander Hai to strengthen our defense. From now on, your three meals a day will be cooked individually under the supervision of the brothers. Some of you will taste it first to prevent the young people from jumping over the wall."

Qian Feng nodded and walked into the tent without saying a word.

I thought to myself that Hailancha was not as cruel and absurd as the legend said, this man was still very thoughtful.

He washed his face with cold water, straightened his official robe, and loudly ordered:
"Come here, put all the account books into this imperial envoy's account."

"Whoo."

The imperial envoys were marching to the camp, and soldiers were coming in and out.

All around, there were people watching all this coldly.

……

Jiang Chun's mansion, guest room.

Two inconspicuous men sat opposite Jiang Chun.

"You two, do you need my cooperation?"

"Go to Suzhou Mansion, visit Li Yu in person, and test whether he has any objections."

"But at the moment, I really can't leave. The imperial commission sent Mr. Qian to inspect the salt and inform the salt merchants that they need to cooperate with his summons at any time."

The two looked at each other, and one of them spoke:

"You can go ahead, I will inform Qian Feng in advance."

"Okay, let me make some preparations first."

After leaving the house, Jiang Chun's face was heavy.

The two people in the room are the guards at Sticking Branch, the "Jin Yiwei" of the Qing Dynasty.

They were ordered by the emperor to investigate the situation in Jiangnan.

Li Yu attracted attention because he openly recruited local heroes and intervened in grain collection.

These are two things that serious people avoid.

He, a powerful man who is barely connected to the government, dares to get involved?
It's really suspicious!
What is different from ordinary people's imagination is that the spy organization does not search for suspects all over the world. Instead, it first screens out suspicious targets through official documents, newspapers, and rumors in the market.

In later generations, this was called "intelligence collection and research".

And Li Yu is not the only suspect. There are four people on the list of suspects at Sticky Rod, but Li Yu is at the top.

(End of this chapter)