Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 241 In negotiations between two parties, excessive personal enrichment of the other party can harm the interests of the other party's group.
General Fuyuan came to the battlefield in person, and the Dongting Lake Navy and Yuezhou Battalion quickly gathered thousands of people to choose the front line.

As soon as the warship docked, everyone armed with matchlocks, bows, arrows, swords and spears, howled and rushed towards the main Bailian baggage camp five miles away.

The morale of the Qing army was greatly boosted!

Bai Lian is panicked!

Emperor Hong Sheng also knew that the camp must not be lost. As soon as the people arrived on the north bank, he mobilized a large number of troops to intercept them and at the same time tried desperately to transfer food and grass.

The Qing army, which had been unable to attack for a long time, unloaded the artillery from the ship and used artillery shells to open Bailian's spear array.

The Qing troops in Wuchang City also took the opportunity to kill them.

Chen Huizu dared to take on this responsibility because he saw Agui's banner while standing on the city gate tower. He was worried that if he did not actively fight, he might be angered by Agui.

Although the Governor of Huguang was ranked in the feudal territory, he was a minor figure in front of Agui, the chief military minister, co-organizer of the Grand Bachelor, and General Fuyuan who controlled the military affairs of five provinces.

Bai Lian was completely defeated, and the army of hundreds of thousands collapsed in an instant.

Chen Huizu burst into tears:
"I am waiting for the death penalty. It has been too long since I let my holy face stretch out. The dragon's heart is so happy. I am so ashamed that I wish I could throw myself into the Han River."

After reading the secret decree, Li Shiyao changed his previous decadence and regained the grace and confidence of a feudal official.

Chen Huizu led the civil and military officials and personally went out of the city to greet Agui on his knees.

It's a pity that what he has is a navy.

The frightened companion turned pale, trembling and warned him:

Just avoid two or three bandit camps and have regular patrols. There is no iron wall as imagined, and there is no water leakage. There was no firing of guns or ants attacking the city,
Everything was so quiet, and it was easy to get the 40 taels of silver reward.

"Brother, what should I do?"

Asked in a low voice:
"Master, is there anything good you can do?"

If Agui had a cavalry force of two to three thousand men at this time, he would be sure to annihilate the remnants of Bailian and cut off Hong Dachang's head.

The discernible change fell into the eyes of the confidant and soldier captain who hurried over.

"Don't talk nonsense. If someone hears it, you will lose your head. You don't understand the things of adults."

"Holy grace is great. Master, you should keep yourself useful and bear the humiliation to support this crisis in the southeast."

The two of them knew very well that as long as they saw ships along the way, no matter if they were Bailian's or civilian's, they would just destroy them all.

Agui also wept silently, sighed, and covered her face with her sleeves.

The captain of the soldiers was in awe and complimented:

I sighed in my heart: Life is so easy, who wants to die? If possible, 120 years is too short.

A soldier standing guard outside the Governor's Palace was curious and couldn't help but ask in a low voice:
"Who's dead inside?"

What's even more terrible is that because the river was controlled by the Qing navy, the army was divided into two.

It would be forgivable if the thieves had to attack the city like crazy and the city defense could not catch them, and then break out of the siege. Several military planes and the governors of Su and Anhui had to win over them and let them prove that they were competent.

"Tell him to come to me in the study."

Agui felt deeply regretful and could only order Qizheng, the deputy commander of the Eight Banners garrisoned in Chengdu, and Shala Keba, the commander-in-chief of the Dongting Lake Navy Division, to each lead 6 warships to expand the results along the waterway.

Water Yong is far less professional than Lu Yong in combat. Infantry can defeat the enemy, but cavalry can completely annihilate the enemy.

"Well, the emperor's secret decree means that Jiangning can be lost, but I don't have to die in the city. I still need to take care of the mess in Liangjiang."

After collecting the treasury foundation and voluntary donations from the gentry, a banquet of hundreds of tables was held to reward the three armies. The announcement of the victory was quickly sent out after being jointly signed by officials of the third rank and above in the city.

This trip was much easier than he expected.

Li Shiyao nodded,

To carry out orders from superiors, you must learn to understand them yourself.

"There is no choice. Let the new recruits come back to intercept. The ten thousand people we have trained ourselves will go south! Bring the food and nothing else. Quick, quick, quick."

Wuchang City, with half of the city flooded, was finally able to hold on.

However, the emperor is mean and ungrateful, so we must check his pulse.

However, Zhang Liyong's troops were trapped on the south bank of the Yangtze River, and watched as the ships parked on the riverside were burned down by the Qing army.

Jiangning City,
The messenger who entered the city in a hanging basket finally breathed a sigh of relief and handed the imperial edict to Li Shiyao with relief.

……

……

However, there is a sentence in the secret decree that makes my hair stand on end after reading it:
"If something cannot be done, the essence of Jiangning must be destroyed. The food, wealth, and weapons must not be left to the thieves, absolutely~"

"Master is back?"

"Go back to the master, I'm waiting in the security room."

……

Kill and injure the enemy as much as possible, especially those civilian ships that are escaping in embarrassment. They must all be sunk so that Bailian completely loses the ability to use water transportation.

Emperor Hong Sheng led the remnant of the main force in Jiangbei to escape in the direction of Xiangyang.

All the civil and military officials in Wuchang beat the bear and stamped their feet, feeling very guilty.

The master left the city secretly just to negotiate with the thieves chief surnamed Liu, the naval commander in the west of the city. It would be best if he could recruit security. If he couldn't recruit security, at least the overall situation would be stabilized.

The master whispered:

"Dong Weng, this Hu Xueyu can still communicate."

"Oh? Tell me quickly."

"Mr. Hu has served as a master in many yamen. He is senior and cautious. By the way, he is from Shaoxing."

Li Shiyao suddenly realized that Master Shaoxing had to charge for speaking, so this is good!

"Secondly, Mr. Hu has a transcendent status. He is the father-in-law of the thief chief Li Yu. Therefore, he has a transcendent status in the thief camp and has a good relationship with the thief navy."

"Then he was secretly talking to us behind his son-in-law's back?"

"Yes and no. I can see that there are not many die-hard elements in the bandit camp, and most of them are flexible, just like the water in Liangshan~"

……

Li Shiyao slapped the table:
"I wanted to be an official, but I couldn't pass the imperial examination! So I rebelled and imitated Song Jiang, the little official with a pen and sword, and went all out to get an official position!"

"The one who rides on the horse, you bastard."

Seeing the proprietor overreacting,

The master coughed twice quickly and said softly:

"According to my observation, it seems that there is a curve to seek official status. It's just~"

"But what?"

"But they didn't expect that it would be so easy to rebel, and they would gain so much territory in one fell swoop. It's a bit, there's no going back."

After hearing this, Li Shiyao suddenly became discouraged again:

"He went too far. He killed Fukangan and tens of thousands of capital bannermen. There is no way the emperor can recruit him. Don't even think about it."

The master also nodded:

"We understand this, and so does the thief chief. So, hey~"

Li Shiyao also sighed: "Hey."

After a long silence, he asked:

"Why don't we put aside the controversy and talk about more realistic issues? For example~"

……

The master's eyes lit up and he finally returned to the serious topic.

He whispered:

"Master Hu hinted that you can let Dong Weng go, and even take away a small number of civil and military Manchu and Han officials~"

Li Shiyao sneered:
"What about the conditions?"

"A complete Jiang Ning! He also copied all the ticket numbers in the city, and the cash belongs to him."

"This is impossible. There are three voting companies in the city, and the shareholders behind them include princes, military aircraft, and descendants. If I cut off these people's money, they will do everything possible to cut off my livelihood."

"Yes, I refused at the time. After many negotiations, Master Hu agreed to change the conditions~"

"What conditions?"

"After the people from the Jiangning Chamber of Commerce left the city, they sent troops to massacre them. No one was left alive, and their bodies were abandoned in the river."

Boom, there was a thunder.

Li Shiyao trembled all over, and the sound of raindrops as big as soybeans hitting the roof made him feel uneasy.

"This, why is this?"

The master shook his head and looked at his proprietor with questioning eyes.

"Okay, I agree. You go and talk. You must not leave any paper evidence behind."

"Don't worry, Dong Weng."

……

When the master went out, the servant opened the oil-paper umbrella and disappeared into the rain.

He had a small matter that he hid from Li Shiyao.

Hu Xueyu promised to let his whole family and more than 30 relatives and fellow villagers leave Jiangning safely. We also gave away 2000 taels of silver coupons to cover the travel expenses.

When two parties negotiate, excessive personal enrichment of the other party can harm the interests of the other party's group. at this point,
The old Hu Xueyu knows it very well, and the young and shrewd Li Yu knows it even better.

In short, we must first accept Master Ding, and then accept Li Shiyao.

If the master refuses the kindness, after the city is destroyed, the whole family will be left alone! When playing games with smart people, you don’t need to say harsh words, you just need to let the other person understand it.

As both masters, communication is very efficient.

Assessing the situation, making appropriate concessions, and declaring a win-win situation, this outcome is unreasonable and expected.

……

"Husband, do you want to fight in person again?"

"Jiangning City is already a withered bone in a grave. It will collapse after being eaten and wiped clean. But this fat piece of Hangzhou City will make me greedy if I don't swallow it."

Yang Yunjiao chuckled, like a peony blooming.

She has been pregnant for a long time, her belly is obviously bigger, and she is a little rounder. Her belly is not as protruding as Hu Ling'er's.

Because Hu Ling'er has a petite frame, while Yang Yunjiao is bigger.

Although they are both from Jiangnan, the differences are quite big. It probably has something to do with her mother's genes. Yang Yunjiao's mother is from Shandong.

"Is there any problem with the trade department?"

"Inside reports indicate that Lai Er has minor flaws but no major mistakes. As a commercial officer, he has done his job fairly well."

"Ok?"

"All kinds of goods in short supply are purchased in cash at a premium. Some of the businessmen have very complex backgrounds, and even have a roundabout imperial merchant background."

"It doesn't matter, even if the slaves of the Aisin Gioro family come to do business, we will accept it. Are there many saltpeter dealers?"

"There are, but the quantity is far from enough. Hundreds or thousands of catties of saltpeter cannot solve our urgent needs at all."

"Is the Fan family stable during this period?"

"Nothing extraordinary was done."

Li Yu nodded and continued to wipe his flintlock pistol.

"Husband, I have some information that I think is strange."

"explain."

"Four days ago, a small boat came to trade saltpeter. The amount was not large, only 4 kilograms, but the purity was surprisingly high. I sent someone to keep an eye on it."

Li Yu stopped dismantling the gun and looked thoughtful.

……

During the Western Expedition to Jiangning, there were people in Su, Song, Hu, and Jiaji who were ready to make a move.

Now that King Li Yu has returned, he will naturally take action on these people.

There are many old officials among them.

But fortunately, several heavyweights who were demoted did not participate, otherwise Li Yuzhen would have lost patience and raised the butcher's knife.

After this test, he decided to use Huang Wenyun, Li Yuanwu, and Zhang Youdao, three former demoted officials from Suzhou Prefecture, to take charge of a certain field respectively.

Huang Wenyun is responsible for water conservancy and farmland irrigation.

Now is the flood season, and dredging the river is unrealistic. But digging a trench is just right and we can start working on it.

Although Jiangnan has a dense network of rivers, the "last mile" from the rivers to the paddy fields is still a headache.

"My lord, how many corvees can the lower officials collect?" Huang Wenyun asked respectfully and adjusted his position.

"No." Li Yu waved his hand, "I plan to gradually abolish the corvee system, but don't make any announcements yet."

Huang Wenyun, Li Yuanwu, and Zhang Youdao were all shocked. This was too sudden.

Big changes not seen in 2000!
"I'm serious. The land tax and business tax cannot be reduced. But I am ready to abolish the corvee."

"Lord, what if there is a large-scale project in the future?"

"Recruit workers and pay them."

……

"Li Yuanwu."

"My subordinate is here."

"I heard that you have a lot of research on building bridges and paving roads?"

"I don't dare. I only know a little bit about it."

"You make a plan to lay a cement road on the basis of the original official road. The requirements are: first, the width should be no less than 2 feet; second, it should connect all county towns and important docks. Third, there should be road shoulders, and the road shoulders should be added on both sides. It’s also 1 feet tall and made of cinders.”

Li Yuanwu was surprised and hesitated before speaking:

"My lord, I'm afraid the amount of money spent on such a large sum of money will be an astronomical figure. I'm worried~"

"I have a new type of building material called cement. You can contact Du Ren and you will understand. He will be responsible for supplying it to you. The total mileage of this plan is probably tens of thousands of miles. Take your time and prioritize repairs. One horizontal and one vertical."

"I obey your orders."

……

"Zhang Youdao."

"The subordinate is here."

"You are responsible for including the gentry and merchants in the six prefectures under your command on the list. Choose one person from each county to be the contact person, and some decisions will be conveyed to them. I will also try my best to take time to meet with their representatives, chat, and enhance mutual understanding. understanding.”

"May I ask, my lord, what criteria are used for screening?"

"The asset size should be more than 5000 taels. Grasp the big ones and let go the small ones."

"I obey your orders."

Li Yu waved them away, and Zhang Youdao walked at the end deliberately slowly.

"Are you okay?"

"My little girl has knitted a cloak with her own hands. My lord is going on a campaign in all directions, so it might be useful."

Wow, Li Yu's eyes lit up when he unfolded it.

One side is black and the other side is white. In summer, the white color faces outward and is cool. In winter, the black color faces outward and absorbs heat.

"Well, she took the trouble."

Li Yu accepted this elaborate gift, which would be used in the southern expedition to Hangzhou.

Zhang Youdao left with a smile on his face and took a proud little square step.

Sima Zhao's heart is known to everyone on the road. Not ashamed, but proud. After all, this is the Qing Dynasty.

The next day, Hu Ling'er heard what the maid said about this matter.

He spat coldly:

"Withered flowers and willows, you also want to eat swan meat?"

"Quickly find a few tailors. Use white silk for summer and black satin for winter. Make a few more pairs. Use the front side in winter and the back side in summer. Poor!"

The maid echoed: "Who says it's not the case? It's simply shameless."

The Chaozhou servant girl outside the door opened the curtain and reported:
"Madam, the second lady is here."

"Please."

……

Yang Yunjiao walked in slowly, holding her waist and smiling broadly:
"Sister, this room is so cool."

"Fire and salt will make ice, and I will send you a bowl of smooth ice later. In the Song Dynasty, businessmen in Bianjing City used this method to make money. My sister will have a bowl of smooth ice and watermelon."

The two of them sat and started chatting about their family affairs.

By the way, they reached a consensus on criticizing Zhang Youdao's shameless behavior.

Yang Yunjiao just took a brief taste, praised the delicious taste and put down the silver spoon. Let it melt slowly.

Before I knew it, the names of sister and sister were reversed.

Not by age, but by seating arrangement.

The seniority ranking in the houzhai is the same as that in Shuibo Liangshan. It does not look at age or the sequence of merit.

Watching Yang Yunjiao disappear, Hu Ling'er suddenly asked the maid:
"When I said that just now, was the second lady at the door? Go and ask the servant waiting at the door."

"Yes."

After a while, the maid came back and said with a smile:

"Don't worry, Madam, we're still far away."

Hu Ling'er also smiled and went back to her room to rest.

The greedy maid quickly ate up the bowl of watermelon smoothie that Yang Yunjiao had barely touched, and she was in a good mood.

This is a delicacy that is rarely seen in ordinary wealthy families.

Because Hu Ling'er was an only daughter and was favored by her father before she left the court, she spent an astonishing amount of money on daily expenses and never frowned when it came to food and clothing.

Yang Yunjiao was born as a salt merchant in Huizhou, so she is no stranger to making ice with salt water. But she resisted and did not follow suit, not because she was reluctant to spend the money, but because she knew that the current situation was extremely short of nitrate.

……

(End of this chapter)