Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 190: Hubei is in a tight spot, Jiangnan is in a tight spot, one in the east and one in the west, start fighting at the same time!
In Jiangnan, the market price of jadeite is rising sharply.

The price of a piece of jadeite the size of an egg and in good condition has exceeded 500 taels.

But there is a price but no market, and there is no stock!

Songjiang Fucheng, busy streets.

"Old Burmese jadeite, a family heirloom."

"Buy one, you can wear it, you can treasure it, and you can sell it when you are short of money in the future. A jade is passed down to three generations, and it will still be there when people leave."

The jade dealer shouted very enthusiastically and soon attracted many idle people.

"How did you sell it?"

"This is the most affordable one for you, it's only 300 taels."

"What, the average size of a jujube costs 300 taels. Do you think everyone in Songjiang Prefecture is stupid?"

The onlookers burst into laughter. To be honest, most people couldn't afford it.

The jade business never cheats the poor.

The vendor was not in a hurry and smiled:
"You don't know the goods, so I won't tell you. If it weren't for the emperor's wisdom and the power of the heavenly weapons, which frightened the king of Lao Burma, would this fine jade have been able to end up in the Qing Dynasty?"

"Today it's 300 taels, and next month it's 1000 taels if it's not guaranteed. Once you sell it, you'll make a lot of money."

……

Although the scene described by the vendor was very tempting, no one dared to be the first to eat the crab.

Investment is risky, and a few hundred taels is not a small amount.

Until, a fat man wearing a Suzhou embroidered robe and three big rings squeezed in:

"Outlander, do you want this jade to be authentic?"

"I swear to the mountain god, this is Laokeng ice species. Look at the purity, look at the texture. Just one word, moist!"

The fat man picked it up, looked at the sun for a while, and nodded:
"It's quite moist and translucent."

"Master, you know the goods. The price of this thing will only increase, not decrease. The more you keep it, the more valuable it will be."

"What?"

"Hehe, because the mountain being mined is the sacred mountain of Lao Burma, just like the dragon veins of our Qing Dynasty. Lao Burma was beaten to the ground by our heavenly soldiers, so they gave up and agreed to open the sacred mountain, but only for one year."

"What about a year from now?"

"After one year, it will be banned again. Anyone who breaks in will be killed."

The fat man slapped his forehead and his eyes lit up:

"Choose the best for me, don't fool me."

"Hey, hey."

In full view of everyone, the fat man took the jade worth 4000 taels.

But if you don’t have enough money on hand, you can only send someone home to get it.

It wasn't until the family went to the bank to get 4000 taels of silver notes that the business was considered over, and the money and goods were cleared.

……

Once the first one eats crabs, there will be a second one and a third one.

There is no shortage of gamblers in Songjiang Prefecture, and there is no shortage of careerists in Huangpu River.

The first big fat man to take advantage of the situation was the ruffian who made a fortune by retrieving the corpses of Fukang'an and other generals in an adventure last time. He is now the official Wang.

He bought several pieces of jadeite of different sizes and took a gamble.

Gamblers are like this, they won't give up after winning once, they will only become bolder and bolder.

The dealer left, and Songjiang Mansion returned to its former tranquility.

Until half a month later, suddenly several shops opened in the city with unfamiliar faces.

Hang a sign at the door: Purchase rough stones at high prices!
Wang Daguan, who was born as a rogue, came to the door with a group of idlers.

"Master, this is the new restaurant. The shopkeeper speaks a Beijing dialect, which is very unpleasant."

"Go, go in and have a look."

"Hey, gentlemen, please sit down and serve some tea. You all have extraordinary bearings. At first glance, you look like a good family with a wealth of poetry and books."

The shopkeeper was so good at complimenting others that official Wang's face turned slightly red.

He coughed twice and took out a piece of jade:
"Shopkeeper, can you give me an estimate?"

The skinny shopkeeper with a mustache suddenly became serious.

He took out a piece of white silk and spread it on the table. He picked up the jadeite through a piece of cloth in his right hand and carefully placed it in the middle of the silk cloth. He put on his tortoiseshell glasses and looked at it carefully.

This was not enough, so I found another piece of cotton cloth and wiped the surface repeatedly.

Seeing that the cotton cloth was not dyed, he nodded solemnly.

"Shopkeeper, what are you doing?"

"Hush, appraise the treasure."

The shopkeeper interrupted the high official's rudeness in a tone that left no room for doubt.

He rolled up his sleeves, held the jade carefully, and blew on it.

Then, I put it to my ear and listened.

The little eyes suddenly light up!

His expression was exaggerated, his body leaned back, and he sighed: "Oh."

……

The hearts of all the helpers were raised.

Can't it be a fake?A senior official can spend 800 taels.

The shopkeeper carefully put down the jade, walked to another table, and slammed the table:
"1500 taels, take the banknote."

After swiping, three banknotes with a face value of 3 taels were spread quietly on the table.

Wang Daguan's hands trembled slightly as he picked up the banknotes.

To be honest, he had been living in Songjiang Mansion for 30 years, and he had never been so nervous before, whether he was beaten, beaten, or imprisoned.

Even when I went to the Huangpu River and spent the night among the dead, I never felt so panicked.

"You, do you guarantee the authenticity of this banknote?"

"Turn right when you go out, cross two streets, and you will find the Tiancheng Yuan Bank. You can cash in the money. If there are any fake ones, come back and smash the store."

"well."

Wang Daguan rushed out like a wild dog, followed by a group of helpers.

Half an hour later, another wild dog rushed back.

The face shines:

"Shopkeeper, I still have 3 yuan, do you want to take it?"

"Take all orders!"

The news that Wang Daguan made 4 taels with just 2000 pieces of jade spread throughout the streets.

The rogue loves to brag, and with the help of a bunch of helpers, he can brag wherever he goes.

The deaf people in Songjiang City all know that Jade is popular.

……

Half a month later, another group of jade sellers came.

This time there was almost an accident, and countless people clamored to buy it.

The dealer even pulled out his knife, thinking he was being robbed.

Seeing so many buyers, I raised the price by 3% on the spot, but it was still sold out by enthusiastic people.

However, the jade shops were all closed and quiet.

The sign is: "Learning engraving crafts in other places, closed for half a month."

Slowly, many people began to become nervous and their sanity gradually returned.

If you get this in your hands, you will lose everything.

One or two thousand taels of silver is wasted, even a small gentleman is exhausted.

However, there are also people who are very calm, such as Wang Daguanren, who spent 8000 taels.

All his property, plus the borrowed money, and the helpers also chipped in.

He firmly believed that he would make a fortune.

Sure enough, half a month later, jade shops gradually resumed business.

The impatient person ships the goods immediately and makes a small profit.

There are also people who are calm and don't rush to sell. They wait for another month and end up making 1% ​​more.

Wang Daguanren is a typical example, and he makes a lot of money.

The heroic spirit is strong, this fortune is coming, and nothing can stop it.

In his words, what kind of business can double in one month?Even if you capture Chang'e, you still won't be able to sell it for this price.

Such scenes have appeared one after another in Songjiang Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, Hangzhou Prefecture, and Huzhou Prefecture.

There is no most exciting, only more exciting.

This month it’s 1000 taels, next month it’s 2000 taels, the next month it’s 4000 taels, and the next month it’s 8000 taels~
dare not think, dare not think!
In short, among the gentry and merchants, very few can remain calm.

Even some middle-income people from well-off families were jealous and wanted to get on the bus.

What if I don't have enough money?
Three or five families get together to buy it, and the money they make is divided equally.

Wang Shenxian's sleep has been getting worse and worse recently, worrying about gains and losses.

The principal is 10 taels, and he often sells it all.

If there was one mistake, it would be all over.

The Jiangnan gentry would not thank a boy who spread his wealth.

……

The most terrifying thing is that there is not enough jade in stock. If this plate cannot be picked up, won't it collapse?

So, he approached Li Yu.

"Wang Shenxian, why are your eyes so bloodshot?"

"Hey, forget it, I can't sleep. It's all a nightmare. I dreamed that all my money was wasted and I was begging for food on the street."

Phew, Li Ergou, the personal guard, laughed.

He glanced at the chubby Wang Shenxian and thought, if you go begging for food like this, you will starve to death. Who will give alms to a fat white man?

Li Yu glared at him and said kindly:
"Sit down and have breakfast together."

As he spoke, he cracked an egg for him, put it in his bowl, and pushed a soy sauce dish over. "Taste it?"

"Well, it tastes good."

The eggs rolled in a circle of soy sauce dish are quite delicious.

The egg white is bland and the soy sauce is mellow, it’s a perfect match!
Li Yu smiled and said: "Believe me, this deal can't be ruined. If you persist for a few more months, you can close the network."

“There’s not enough inventory to sell, what should I do?”

"Remember that pile of uncut stones I showed you last time?"

"Yes what's the matter?"

"Let's auction it off."

Wang Shenxian was stunned and said in disbelief: "Cut it up and sell it?"

"No, no cutting is allowed. It all depends on your eyesight, whether you like it or not, the one with the highest price will get it. Win or lose at your own risk."

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful."

Wang Shenxian's eyes shone brightly. He was a smart man and could tell everything clearly.

He already knows how to play the auction.

Let the shills go first, then one or two lucky ones, and then make crazy money!

"Brother Li, I have another idea, please listen to it."

"Well, I'm listening."

"How about I ask people to go to the mountains to pick up dozens of stones and mix them in and sell them together?"

He thought Li Yu would stop this greedy approach, but unexpectedly he heard: "Look for more, there are so many rich people in Jiangnan, how can a few dozen yuan satisfy the market? Let's give it ten times."

Wang Shenxian was so excited that the egg got stuck in his throat.

He quickly picked up the soy milk and drank it, and then he recovered.

"Salty?"

"Yes."

"That's not okay. How can soy milk be salty? It must be sweet."

Sweet parties and salty parties have always been inseparable.

In the end, Li Yu decided to add salt and sugar, focusing on shelving the controversy.

……

After Wang Shenxian left, Li Yu summoned publicity consultant Jia Xiaozhen.

"You make up some stories about jade to help increase the market price."

"Please give me your instructions, my lord."

"Two points: First, there is news that the Burmese king is not convinced and has blocked border trade. With the support of the British, he is likely to start another war with the Qing Dynasty. Second, the palace is preparing for the 90th birthday of the Queen Mother, and the royal merchants are preparing to acquire 5 Ten thousand catties of jade, build a jade tower.”

Jia Xiaozhen scribbled in his notebook, recorded the key points, and left happily.

Under the sun, the bald head is shiny, and all that shines is wisdom (bad water).

He is an expert at spreading rumors and making up stories.

Soon, the story of the added ingredients started to go viral.

So much so that Li Shiyao, the governor of Liangjiang who got off the bus at the beginning, heard about it as soon as he arrived at Jiangning Mansion.

He didn't take it as a rumor because the story was highly credible.

The British state had incentives to intervene.

The king of Burma was unwilling and resentful.

Burmese soldiers are also capable of fighting.

Coupled with the chaos caused by the Jingxiang religious bandits, the Qing Dynasty was unable to go south with all its strength. It was indeed a good opportunity to start a border provocation.

Although the Queen Mother's birthday is still several years away, preparations can be made in advance and extravagant arrangements are the characteristics of the Qing Dynasty.

As a high-ranking official of the imperial court, I have the obligation to remind the imperial court to be careful.

Li Shiyao secretly folded a copy and sent it to the Forbidden City as quickly as possible.

Although he had also heard that the price of jadeite on the market had skyrocketed, and the gentry were rushing to buy it.

But he only regarded it as a derivative and side effect of the border issue.

The backbone of the Li family army all knew that their lord was good at building momentum.

Spreading rumors is too ugly, smells of insidiousness and cunning, and it hurts the image.

The momentum building is different. When you hear it, it sounds like you are far-sighted and a hero!

……

In short, it added a lot of trouble to both Li Shiyao and the Qing court.

Qianlong was shocked when he saw the secret fold, and he also believed it.

If the Jingxiang religious bandits are not suppressed and war breaks out in the southwest border, this will be a troubled time for the Qing Dynasty.

"A decree has been sent to the governor of Yunnan to strictly guard against the enemy and build more strongholds. Don't lose an inch of land, otherwise he will be killed without mercy."

"Also, let him send envoys to Burma to warn the Burmese king not to act rashly, otherwise I will destroy his capital at any cost."

"Orally inform the Guangdong Customs Supervision that some concessions can be made in commercial negotiations with England. The number of treaty ports must not be increased, but tax rates and landing restrictions can be slightly favored."

"The slave obeys the order."

"Well, one more thing, don't damage the face of the Qing Dynasty."

He Shen didn't dare to raise his head, and secretly complained in his heart.

Your Majesty, you are making things difficult for the people below.

Only by making concessions can the British state be stabilized, but it is difficult to do so without losing face.

In the eyes of the Censor Yanguan, any English person strolling around in Guangzhou would be detrimental to the court's face and pollute the air.

He left Tiren Hall worriedly and met Yu Minzhong.

After greetings, Yu Minzhong asked:
"My lord, have you heard about the Queen Mother's 90th birthday?"

"Ah, I don't know."

"That's probably the news spread by people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It's going to cost a lot of money."

Heshen's scalp suddenly became numb. He needed money for wars and birthdays.

The poor people in the household department are all in trouble. As the minister of the household department, I am really frustrated.

Seeing his sad face, Yu Minzhong comforted him and said:

"You don't have to be like this, sir, the sky won't fall. Isn't it just a lack of money? Our Qing Dynasty is rich all over the world, how can we really be short of money?"

"It seems that I have to discuss this with the salt merchants and Shanxi merchants."

"My lord, you are a talented young man. From now on, the leader of the Military Aircraft Department must be you."

Yu Minzhong walked away slowly.

The courtiers didn't understand why the emperor refused to let this old minister retire and return to his hometown.

Is this the plan to let him die in office?

……

Two wars, one in the east and one in the west, started almost at the same time.

The battle of Jinshan Guards in Songjiang Prefecture was slightly smaller in scale.

The scale of this battle in Hubei is staggering.

More than 1 Qing troops gathered outside Junzhou City and camped along the Han River. The camp stretched for more than 10 miles.

Junzhou belongs to Xiangyang Prefecture, in its northwest direction.

The distance from Yunyang Mansion is only 300 miles.

The strength of the Qing army included 2000 Heilongjiang cavalry and 1500 Eight Banners garrisoned in Jingzhou.

In addition, there are the 3rd Battalion of the Governor of Huguang, the 2nd Battalion of the Governor of Hubei, the 4th Battalion of the Yichang Town General Soldier, and the Yuan'an Camp, Weichang Camp, Yidu Camp, Anlu Camp, Xiangyang Camp, etc. .

There are more than 8500 Green Camp soldiers in total.

The navy also has dozens of ships responsible for transporting ordnance, food and grass.

It can be said that the main force of the Qing army in Hubei has gathered here.

The governor of Huguang, Chen Huizu, was temporarily ordered by the emperor to command the war.

He was full of confidence in his heart, because although there were many White Lotus cultists, they were just a mob and hungry people.

But our own side has such luxurious equipment as the Heilongjiang Cavalry.

If there were only the Eight Banners of Jingzhou, he would still lack confidence.

But once the Heilongjiang cavalry arrived, he had nothing to worry about. This was the Qing Dynasty's Dinghai Shenzhen.

The only regret is that the 800 Sauron soldiers did not come.

Could it be that there is also a war over there?

Chen Huizu couldn't guess, and it was impossible to ask Qianlong, so he could only make good use of the troops at hand.

According to the tradition of the Qing army, the Green Battalion was in the vanguard and the Eight Banners were in the rear.

The precious Eight Flags cavalry will not attack easily, unless the enemy's defeat is certain, or the Green Camp is defeated, they will attack.

The army marched slowly, advancing only 35 miles per day.

Chen Huizu was in charge of the Chinese Army and advanced and retreated with the Eight Banners garrisoned in Jingzhou.

And Yichang Zhenbiao was at the forefront, serving as the pioneer of the entire army.

……

The Han River is a tributary of the Yangtze River.

The Shending River, which runs from north to south, is also a tributary of the Han River.

The White Lotus Sect army set up a 20-mile-long camp on the west bank of the Shending River.

The main force is up to 3 new believers, the backbone is more than 1 old brothers who have been believers for a long time, and the trump card is the 2500-person "Musket Holy Army" and the 1000-person "Protect Guard Army."

The formation of troops on this scale has long exceeded the military capabilities of Master Hong.

Therefore, he arrived with his people 3 days ago, leaving enough time to set up camp, being pragmatic!

"Master, the officers and soldiers are here."

"Ah."

Leader Hong stood on a high place and looked around.

On the east bank of the Shending River, flags filled the sky, and the Qing army's swords and spears were like a forest, slowly approaching.

(End of this chapter)