Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 228: Determined to cause trouble and fight for 50 taels for a wotou

The high temperature in Jiangnan continues, and the sun stays online from morning to night.

The Banqiao battlefield was in a stalemate. Both sides were frantically building fortifications, reinforcing temporary camps, blocking horses, fences, and low walls, layer upon layer.

Six miles away, the sound of golden drums can be faintly heard.

Li Yu sat in the big tent, sweat dripping down his cheeks.

Couldn't help but complain:

"This weather is too hot."

Lin Huaisheng also looked tired:
"Yeah, I'd rather fight in the winter."

……

The two inspected the camp and saw that most of the soldiers were hiding in the shade to avoid the sun.

Li Yu learned the good news that the naval warships led by Liu Wu had arrived on the river near Jiangning City and opened fire on the city wall.

Jiangxinzhou is located in the middle of the Yangtze River. As its name suggests, it is a large island in the Yangtze River.

It's time for lunch!

The sky is cloudless and the sun is fierce.

Whenever the water level rises in summer, low-lying areas will be submerged, making the living environment extremely harsh.

"Our army is in a dilemma, and Beijing Banner must be in the same situation. Why not give them a letter of challenge and fight quickly."

There was no thermometer, but Li Yu felt that the temperature was close to 40 degrees.

The officers were quarreling fiercely, which further aggravated the heat in the tent.

"Organize manpower to send the seriously ill patients back to the nearest city, and choose to march at night."

The people in the kitchen carried the big pot and knocked on the rim.

He turned around and ordered a personal guard:
"After this battle, remember to remind me to solve the problem of military rations."

"The weather is too hot. The meat from the pigs killed yesterday will no longer be fresh after overnight."

"Get up and drink some mung bean soup."

After reading the archery and writing book, the Qing army commander Fucha Mingliang tore it up without saying a word.

Liu Wu quickly took it and drank it all without caring about politeness. He was really hot.

"Put salt on it in advance, or put it into a well in a nearby village. Try your best. It was my mistake. I should have thought of it earlier."

"Lord, our army should fight the Eight Banners of the Capital as soon as possible, and then withdraw to Changzhou Mansion to rest and recuperate."

……

……

What the enemy expects is what I want to avoid.

Li Yu sighed:

The leader of the kitchen explained anxiously:

Li Shiyao dispatched 500 green battalion troops to garrison this choke point on the water. As a result, as soon as Liu Wu's navy arrived, these people surrendered.

Lin Huaisheng thought for a while and said:

Firstly, he felt that he could not defeat them, and secondly, he had lost Jiangning City’s supplies.

"A good man doesn't suffer the immediate consequences. The weather is so hot and the city wall of Jiangning is so thick. How can we fight?"

"In just two days, the number of sick people has exceeded 500, including heat stroke, diarrhea, and wind fever."

Li Yu made an impromptu decision and observed the food situation. It was found that the dry food carried by the soldiers was moldy and had green hair. I served another bowl of meat and found that it also had a slight smell.

"As ordered."

The baggage train team set up many temporary sunshades, with large pieces of linoleum supporting the sunshade above their heads. The surroundings were empty to facilitate ventilation.

Li Yu wiped his sweat:
"Send someone to try."

After that, we temporarily anchored at Jiangxinzhou on the west side of Jiangning City for the same reason: the heat.

"Keep digging tunnels and blasting."

"Everyone, we are facing a big problem now. The weather is too hot and the staff is severely reduced. Can we all discuss it? What should we do?"

If we fight in formation, countless people will suffer from heat stroke within half an hour. If you wear armor, you don't need to fight. If you stand under the sun for half an hour, your entire army will be wiped out.

"Greetings, my lord."

Li Yu sighed:

Back to the big tent,

"Lord, the number of patients is increasing rapidly."

"Ok?"

"What about Jiangning City? Are you just giving up?"

Since you really want to have a decisive battle, then we will stay behind closed doors and never have a decisive battle.

drag! Consumption!
Despite the weather, the bannermen from the capital were so hot that they had nowhere to hide and wanted to dig holes to escape the heat.

But he is not willing to help the enemy, and would rather die of heat than fight decisively.

It must be said that Mingliang is an excellent general. His steady demeanor made Li Yu anxious.

……

General Chongdao of Jiangning had 2000 cavalry under his command, but he was unwilling to dispatch.

Vice-capital Tongfu Chang'an came to visit again.

"I have an urgent military situation and I would like to see Lord Chong."

"Master Fu, please come this way."

The butler looked respectful on the surface, but he was rolling his eyes all the way.

My master has made it very clear that the overall situation is the top priority and no risks are allowed.

The young master of the Fucha clan was on the good side. He shamelessly admitted his mistake for his recklessness last time, but still asked for a fight, but his attitude changed for the better.

In the living room, Chongdao was wearing a plain robe. The left hand holds the scroll, and the right hand holds a purple clay pot.

"My nephew is here, please undress quickly and serve tea."

Although Fu Changan's face was covered with sweat, his clothes and armor were still neat, with a saber hanging on his waist.

"Old general, my nephew feels that there is still a chance now. We should get in touch with Deputy Commander Mingliang and make an appointment to attack from the north and south at the same time. We can defeat the main force of the bandits in one fell swoop and stabilize Jiangnan."

"Although my nephew is young, he is well versed in the art of war. It's not simple, it's not simple." Chongdao spoke amiably, like a spring breeze, "He is worthy of being a general's son, with profound family knowledge. Back then, when your father was still alive~"

Chongdao babbles, like a kind elder.

He recalled the time he spent working with Fu Changan's father, bachelor Fu Heng.

From the trivial matters in the capital, to the southern patrol, to the conquest of Burma, it is narrated. The lecture lasted half an hour, with rich details and sincere emotions, which made those who listened to it cry.

Fu Changan left sadly. He had really convinced Chongdao, an atypical flag official~
……

Chongdao took a sip of hot tea, put down the purple clay pot, and said to himself:
"Young, still too young. Fu Heng himself has not understood the essence of being an official. In addition, he died too early, let alone teach his two sons."

The housekeeper stood aside, not daring to make a sound.

Listening to my master, he continued to sigh:
"As a man, he is strong and easy to break. Even if he is serving the imperial court, he cannot contribute a lot of strength. Do you know how much strength is most suitable?"

The butler didn't dare to answer the conversation and said with a smile:
"Master is joking, but this slave doesn't understand."

Chongdao raised three fingers and shook them:

"Three points, just three points, no more."

"Give 3 points of effort, 7 points of credit, give 3 extra points to colleagues, and then allocate 2 points to subordinates. This is the best. It is easy to explain to both superiors and subordinates. When we are harmonious, everyone is doing well."

"Master is wise."

"No, no, I didn't realize it until I was old enough. When I was young, I was very high-spirited, with my sword unsheathed, and I wished I could open up thousands of miles of territory for our Qing Dynasty."

"Then what happened next?"

"Later I fell in love with Han people's books. The more I read, the more fascinated I became. The more I read, the clearer I became and realized~"

Chongdao suddenly stopped talking, jumped out, and grabbed his purple clay pot from the hands of the quiet and demonic little grandson.

"Grandpa, your pot is too dirty. Let me wash it for you."

"Hey, my little ancestor, this is the pot that grandpa has raised for 4 years. This is not dirt, this is tea dirt."

……

Jiangning City,
Liu Qian passed by the rice shop in a carriage and opened the curtain to take a look.

The price of rice has increased by 5 cents per catty.

This is a signal that Jiangning City is getting nervous.

It had been stable before because the Yangtze River route was open and grain ships from Jiangbei still sailed to Jiangning.

Nowadays, there are crazy rumors in the city that the thieves' warships are densely packed and have taken control of the Yangtze River. They also bombarded Yifengmen, killing more than a dozen soldiers and strong men.

He spent money to find out, and it was true.

In order to demonstrate, Liu Wu's navy saw that all the soldiers on the city wall were watching, stretching their necks with innocent and stupid eyes. So he ordered the cannon to be fired so that they would have a long memory.

In fact, these soldiers were so scattered because the intensity of Jiangning's defensive battle was too low.

Only the Jubao Gate area in the south of the city is the fighting area, and the other dozen city gates are free to come and go.

The Li family's army was too small in number and only blocked the area around the Jubao Gate. No troops were released at the other gates. There are a hundred ways for the defenders in Jiangning City to get out.

This is also the key reason why Fu Changan is extremely dissatisfied with the retreat tactics.

Even if you don't directly attack the bandits' camp, you can still use cavalry to attack the grain roads and cause as much trouble as possible to the bandits.

……

"I'm sorry, everyone, I'm late. I'll punish myself with three drinks." Liu Qian walked into the restaurant and immediately raised his hands in a circle.

"What's the matter, Mr. Niu? The road is not smooth?"

"I'm watching a bunch of people grabbing rice. Can Jiangning City be defended?"

A fat man held up his wine glass and said with a smile:

"Impregnable."

Everyone quickly raised their glasses to cheer for the impregnable soup.

An old man raised his hand to signal for silence:

"All of us here are powerful businessmen in Jiangning. Mr. Gao relies on his old age to sell his old age. Can you say a few words?"

"Jiangning is the most important town in the south, and reinforcements from the Eight Banners of the Capital have arrived. These traitors will definitely not be able to take advantage. Failure is only a matter of time, and then the problem will arise~"

The old man deliberately put it off, paused for a while, and then said:
"How about making a lot of money during this period of time? We are all our own people here. We are all talking about business. If you have any suggestions, can you speak freely?"

"Master Gao, you are really tall."

Everyone's eyes were excited and they started talking quietly.

Mr. Gao gave Liu Qian a color,
Liu Qian stood up immediately: "Everyone, it stands to reason that I am a foreign merchant, so I shouldn't speak first. But I have become very familiar with you these days, and I feel that if I am not honest, I would really be sorry for you."

Mr. Gao immediately answered:

"Master Niu doesn't need to see anyone outside, we are all family members."

"That's right, it doesn't matter where you are from. When you come to Jiangning, you are from Jiangning."

Liu Qian immediately burst into tears of gratitude:
"Jiangning is a good place, but it's hot in the sky."

Hahahahaha, everyone laughed.

Mr. Gao also stroked his beard and said with a smile:
"We integrated very quickly. If we marry another local concubine, we will be considered from Jiangning."

……

This is a typical Qing Dynasty dinner party.

Let’s talk about feelings first, drink wine, and heighten the atmosphere. As for the talking part, it only took up a short period of time.

Liu Qian just revealed to everyone present that he had some connections in the military! It can ensure the smooth flow of goods in and out, and will not make things difficult for the city gate defenders.

Everyone was in awe and toasted 2 more glasses.

With Gao Lao's endorsement, special connections, and his integration these days, Liu Qian successfully broke into this speculative circle.

Master Gao accepted his 500 taels of silver as a tribute, and thought his suggestion was very good and could indeed make money, so he became the lead initiator.

More than two dozen businessmen agreed on the proportion of investment, and each of them recruited some younger brothers to join the team, forming an alliance.

Of course, if you eat alone, you will be struck by lightning.

The Governor's Mansion has to send a copy.

Mr. Gao paid a visit to one of Li Shiyao's masters. The man didn't say a word but accepted the gift.

This attitude is enough.

It is impossible for the master to make any promises on behalf of the Governor's Mansion, but as long as it does not affect the overall situation and does not cause trouble, and the weight of the money is not light, then he can acquiesce on behalf of Governor Li.

Governor Li has a lot of things to do every day, and it is impossible for him to care about such trivial matters. He just needs to know that a businessman has paid a generous gift, that's enough.

……

In this world, it is impossible for everyone to win.

Someone wins, someone loses!

In this round, millions of people in Jiangning lost.

Rice prices and salt prices began to soar.

During the Qianlong period, the normal price of rice in the Jiangnan area was about 12 Wen per pound. Now in Jiangning City, the price of rice has exceeded 30 yuan. And looking at the momentum, 40 Wen is just around the corner.

And hundreds of rice shops, large and small, all over the city are closing earlier and earlier.

Panic is contagious!
Every morning, we start queuing up to buy rice, and the queue gets longer and longer.

People living in the city often don't have much rice to save. Many people only have enough rice for three to five days, and the same goes for dry firewood.

Fortunately, Li Yu did not cut off the channel of coal cakes and continued to sell them.

In his words, the purpose of war is not necessarily hatred, but profit!

The ship loaded with coal cakes still docked at Xiaguan Pier, collecting money with one hand and unloading the goods with the other.

The Jiangning Green Camp soldiers were determined not to allow anyone to disembark as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Only after monitoring the unloading is completed and the ship leaves can we rest assured.

But they didn't dare to attack the ship, otherwise the city would be deprived of food and everyone would be in trouble.

……

Liu Wu's navy began a scheduled cruise.

All ships heading to Jiangning will be detained. Those who disobey will be fired upon and sunk.

The Jiangning garrison also had some water warfare capabilities, but the ships were small and old, and could only barely manage daily cruising. Facing Li Jiajun's warship, it was like a mantis using its arms as a chariot.

Liu Wu mobilized a red single ship with a cost of 2200 materials and five Jikang warships, and firmly controlled the river.

A temporary barracks was built in Jiangxinzhou.

Cut down the wood, raise the foundation, and build a well-ventilated house for sailors who are not cruising to rest in.

The summer is so hot that people are dying from the sun on the deck. The cabin was like a steamer and the smell was disgusting.

The prevalence of the disease is particularly high among sailors who are on board ships for long periods of time.

Physical strength is fighting power.

In many cases, war is not about strength, but weakness.

After a battle, more people often die from illness and exhaustion than from fighting.

An army that cannot eat well and sleep well cannot fight a war. Hot meals and black powder were equally important.

There are exceptions to the above experience, but not many.

……

Mr. Gao runs a wide range of businesses.

It is involved in everything from medicinal materials to rice and cloth. In the bustling downtown of Jiangning, there is half a street of industries, and people give it the nickname Gao Banjie.

His younger brother worked as a staff member in the Anhui Governor's Yamen, and his son won the imperial examination.

He seems to be a prominent family in this mansion and the backbone of the businessmen.

At Liu Qian's suggestion, he first let it out and then hoarded it. He did not sell a single grain of rice to outsiders, but the listed price at the door changed every day.

Merchants pursued profits, and other small rice merchants followed suit. Today you get an increase of 4 cents, and tomorrow I will get an increase of 5 cents.

However, a problem soon arose.

The supply channels for most rice shops have been cut off. The five rice shops under Mr. Gao's name are the ones with the most rice in the city.

"Master Niu, you said that if I resell this batch of goods, I will make 4 times the profit. But what happens in the future? What should I do if the rice warehouse is sold short? I have asked around in the past few days, and it is not difficult to enter the city gate. It is difficult. Where do you get such a large amount of rice?"

Liu Qian remained silent and continued to ask:
"Why again?"

"Brother Niu has never done this rice business. Bulk sales must be transported by water. The cost of land transportation is too high. The most important thing is that the entire area around Jiangning City has been occupied. Small batches of white rice are easy to get, but large batches can only be done from Jiangbei."

"The pirate warships have blocked the Yangtze River. Can't we cross it?"

"Yes."

……

Mr. Gao shook his head regretfully, he could have made a mountain of silver.

Now~
All his men went out of the city, bought rice in the surrounding areas, and then quietly transported it into the city through the Taiping Gate.

Lord Duolong, the 3rd and 2nd assistant commander of the Zhenglan Banner, is stationed at Taipingmen.

Both wings of this gate are built against the mountains and are in an important position. There are 5 Eight Banners soldiers stationed in the area, as well as more than 200 green battalion soldiers and 32 artillery pieces.

Liu Qian kept his face secret. He had been keeping secret messages with his lord outside the city, and he knew the progress of the current situation and some of his lord's thoughts.

He reminded himself secretly that he had to hold back.

The heat is not here yet!
When the lord's army completely wipes out the Eight Banners reinforcements from the capital, and Jiangning becomes an isolated city, and people are in panic, then it's time to incite Mr. Gao to intensify his efforts and raise prices crazily.

What the lord wants is a Jiangning city with a relatively complete main city, as well as the incredible wealth accumulated over the past century by the largest city in the southeast! And hundreds of thousands of bankrupt residents!

This popular sentiment must not be left to the Qing court.

During the siege, they had to be ruthless to stir up trouble and fight for 50 taels of cornbread to smash the Qing government's popular support in Jiangning to pieces.

Then, the lord entered the city.

Announced that rice prices will be hit to the lowest point in history and supply will be opened up. And liquidate profiteers and old officials of the Qing court.

At that time, people all over the city will be filled with tears, kneeling on both sides of the road and shouting long live.

What floats in the Qinhuai River is the hearts of the people~
(End of this chapter)