Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 246: The Lord wants to get a haircut in Hangzhou City as an ordinary person, and the sound of gunshots serves as a signal to smash up the shop at any time.
Two cannons fired, and the noise was as loud as thunder in summer.

Li Yu felt the ground shaking slightly, and the war horse scratched its hooves uneasily.

The differences between Manchu and Han are also reflected on the city walls.

The walls all over the city did not collapse completely, but showed a strange curvature, like a spider web that had been smashed.

"Can you test the limit charge?"

Zhang Manku nodded, with a solemn expression, and ran over to discuss with the gunners for a while.

On the basis of the original powder, 50 kilograms of gunpowder were added.

"Evacuate all."

In fact, there was no need for the gunner to remind him, and everyone around him was so scared that he hid far away.

The gunner in charge of ignition deliberately intercepted a slightly longer fuse. After lighting it, he immediately threw away the long pole and ran away.

Banners all over the city fled in all directions and were intercepted everywhere.

"Light artillery cover, steady and steady attack."

After he took control of the horse, he felt some ringing in his ears. Looking at it intently, he almost burst into tears from laughter.

"Fire."

He firmly pulled the trigger of the flintlock gun and killed the kid who was rushing at the front.

Through the huge gap, I saw a group of Eight Banners soldiers who had been ordered to come for reinforcements, and were dumbfounded.

He ran 10 feet away and jumped into the ring fortification.

Street fighting is brutal.

Guns and artillery fired in unison, scattering the Eight Banners soldiers behind the gap.

……

After two volleys,
The Huaixi men of the first battalion raised their bayonets to fight.

On the roof of a shop facing the street, two people were squatting.

On the roof next door, there was a person standing. He was the clerk of the headquarters, holding a small cowhide book in his hand.

The brutal hand-to-hand combat was actually interspersed with sporadic gunshots.

No one heard because the gunfire was deafening.

The battalion commander Zheng Hean squatted at the window of a room.

No one can predict what ghost thing will emerge from the ruins at the next moment.

Under the command of Li Xiaowu, the Guards Corps moved forward.

Just filled in the moat!

"Master, what should I do?"

Hundreds of bannermen, including old, weak, women and children, rushed out of Pinghaimen, and then met the first battalion who had been waiting head-on.

There was a loud noise, and Li Yu's horse was frightened and jumped on the spot.

Zheng He'an was quite cunning. He arranged for dozens of people to go to the roof in advance and shoot from a high position to support the hand-to-hand combat.

……

On the contrary, after only resisting for a while, the bannermen broke out individually.

However, street fighting rarely occurred before modern times because the feudal army did not have such courage and morale, and neither did the Eight Banners in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou General Ruiming saw the huge and desperate gap as soon as he arrived at the west of the city, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

"There were no deserters in this battle. The first battalion received a collective fourth-class merit."

He sighed with emotion: "This gun is really good at riding horses."

He threw off his helmet and wailed:
"No surrender, no breakout. Guard every room and fight to the last man."

……

The highest level must be the merit of killing generals and seizing the flag and turning the tide. In principle, it is rarely awarded.

They instinctively ran east or south. Because these two places are relatively quiet, not many gunshots can be heard.

The corpses were spread from Yongjinmen (west) to Pinghaimen (east).

There are words in his mouth:

More than ten feet of city walls all over the city collapsed outwards.

"The first team charged forward with bayonets. It will be recorded as a third-class collective merit."

Ruiming's street fighting orders were not well implemented.

The musketeers advanced shoulder to shoulder, like a wall. The artillerymen cooperated and pushed a dozen 3-pound guns forward.

According to the regulations of the Li family army, collective military merit is divided into five levels: the corresponding rewards are 5 taels, 10 taels, 6 taels, 4 taels, and 2 tael per person.

One person is loading and the other is shooting, which is both tense and exciting.

An hour later, the sound of gunfire in the city gradually subsided.

Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief. After this battle, the Second Army Corps graduated!
Only by fighting a battle can you prove your strength.

It takes a battle to create cohesion.

The Second Army was very different from the First Army. The time these people set foot in Jiangnan was too short. A series of differences and contradictions such as region, culture, dialect, etc. can easily cause problems.

……

"My lord, the main city of Hangzhou and the whole city have fallen into the hands of our army. Each battalion is clearing out the remaining enemies in the city. There are also more than a thousand Hangzhou officials and gentry who fled from the east gate. Do you want to pursue them? Please give me your instructions, lord."

"No need to pursue, clear out the remaining enemies and restore order in the city as soon as possible."

"As ordered."

Li Yu took a tour of the city wall on horseback and was generally satisfied because the city of Hangzhou was relatively complete.

There are not many areas with black smoke, mainly concentrated in Mancheng and near Qingbo Gate.

Such a loss does not harm one's vitality.

People have been sent to occupy the treasury, government offices, arsenal, and military camps, and they must have gained a good harvest.

After a while, a personal guard came to report:
"Three representatives of the gentry and merchants in Hangzhou City are asking to see the lord."

"Bring it."

The three of them bent over and cupped their hands as soon as they met:

"Hangzhou merchants are willing to donate 10 taels of silver, and I beg the king not to harm our lives."

Li Xiaowu came over and whispered the identities of the three people.

Li Yu's face darkened, he snorted and drew out his sword.

The three of them were frightened and knelt down, kowtowing and banging their heads.

"You little characters dare to represent the city of Hangzhou. Are you embarrassed?"

"Hit with a stick."

"Go back and give everyone a message. I will summon them at the school grounds tomorrow morning. Think clearly and reply carefully. Otherwise~"

……

Before the sun sets,
Li Yu went out of the city to rest in the military camp. He didn't live in a house in the city because he was worried about his safety!

There are still a lot of remnants of the old forces in Hangzhou, so we must not be careless.

Cao Mengde spent the night in Wancheng, eating dumplings and playing with his aunt, but was attacked in the middle of the night and almost died.

In this regard, Li Yu is more rational and generally not casual.

The Second Army Corps controlled all the gates of Hangzhou City and set up checkpoints on the main streets, and everything was peaceful overnight.

Most of the people in Hangzhou were on tenterhooks and feared military disaster.

In the early morning of the next day, many people secretly opened the door and looked at it with lingering fear.

Although the Second Corps was newly established, its military discipline was acceptable. It was during training at the Chongming Recruitment Camp that he was beaten and scolded. Everyday military sticks, as well as more than a dozen unruly heads, cultivated the conditioned reflex of "not daring to disobey orders."

Li Yu needs a stable and complete Hangzhou city to stabilize the situation in northern Zhejiang and at the same time continue to draw wealth.

More than 200 gentry and merchants in the city gathered one after another at the school grounds in the west of the city.

This place was originally a military training ground for the Qing army in Hangzhou, and the place is spacious.

The blood stains on the ground are still clearly visible, and the flies are studying it with great interest.

……

Li Yu didn't give these people a good look, so he let it dry in the sun for half an hour.

Then, 200 fully armed guards entered and stood in front.

He slowly walked up to the stage where troops were ordered, and looked coldly at these upper-level people in the palace.

According to what we know about the Qing Dynasty, the net worth of these two to three hundred people is more than half of the total wealth of Hangzhou City.

The first sentence shocked four people.

"My subordinates suggest that I kill you all and then slowly ransack your homes."

Then he paused for a while and looked at these people who were pale and trembling. The effect of cooling down the heat was surprisingly good.

Then he continued slowly:

"I personally don't agree with the method of killing the goose to retrieve the eggs."

"I don't even agree with the ranking of scholars, farmers, industry and commerce. As long as they are people who have contributed to me, this identity should not be distinguished."

The merchants' expressions improved, although some couldn't believe it.

The expressions of the gentry immediately turned bad, and they were very worried.

The gentry in the Qing Dynasty actually did business, but they deliberately avoided mentioning it and always emphasized their identity as a pure white lotus.

The pure businessmen group is called merchants.

The fundamental difference between the two is whether there is an official within two generations of the family.

...Li Yu looked at their changes and continued:

"I am a contract-minded person and not very flexible. Everyone, do you understand?"

A group of people timidly replied: "Understood."

"I want to give you three options. The first one: Pay full tax. I want to collect land tax and commercial tax. The second one: You can leave the country, but you must leave half of your property. The third one: Pay 5 If the two invest in cotton and silk workshops or industrial and mining industries, the land tax will be exempted and only the commercial tax will be levied."

Everyone was stunned and couldn't react for a while.

"For specific details, you can ask the documents under my account. Within three days, everyone must give the answer."

Li Yu looked around coldly.
If you don't want to choose one of the three, then just wait for me to kill.

……

"Listen, people of Hangzhou. The army has entered the city without committing any crimes. People should perform their duties and go about their business. Don't panic."

"From now on, we will abolish the Qing Dynasty laws and all bad regulations on money, food and taxation, and replace them with temporary wartime laws."

The former Hangzhou government official was now on duty again.

Beat gongs and announce along the street.

They dare not disobey, and most of the subordinate staff are third-generation natives. If you dare to disobey, you will immediately eliminate Xiaole for three generations.

Miao Youlin warned them pitifully:

"I will only tell you the rules once. If you distort the execution of the rules in the slightest and I find out, guess what will happen?"

The government officials were silent as they understood the bloody smell behind the words.

However, there are exceptions. Some people take the opportunity to blackmail the shops along the street and collect them in the name of Li Jiajun.

After the incident was exposed, the three government officials involved in the case were beheaded in the street, their property confiscated, their family members worked as hard labor, and the money was returned to the shopkeeper.

No mercy, cold and determined.

The bottom line is the bottom line, and there is no room for any breakthrough.

……

The city of Hangzhou gradually became calm and orderly.

Li Yu couldn't help but think of something:

"Last time, my courier was offered a haircut of 500 taels in Hangzhou City. Xiaowu, why don't we change into casual clothes and go take a look?"

"what?"

"I want to shave my head as an ordinary person in Hangzhou!"

Li Xiaowu silently cupped his hands:

"Father, wait a moment, I'll go get ready."

The White Arowana suit is impossible and can easily be beaten.

Therefore, Brother No. 50 of the Guards changed out of his military uniform, put on civilian clothes and carried a short-handed blunderbuss and dagger and silently followed him. Just keep a distance from your lord and don't be too obvious to be seen.

Li Yu walked on the streets of downtown Hangzhou with a relaxed pace.

Various industries have recovered and there is a steady flow of people.

After eating a bowl of Pianerchuan, he dropped a bunch of copper coins and asked the shopkeeper:

"Which hair-shaving shop is the most expensive in Hangzhou?"

……

The shopkeeper who was busy kneading the dough had his eyes widened in surprise:
"Sir, are you a foreigner?"

"Yes."

"Listen to my advice, endure it for a few days, and then shave your head when you get home."

Li Yu almost couldn't hold it back and said in a serious and annoyed tone:
"No, my scalp is very itchy. It's just a head shave. How much can it cost?"

The shopkeeper shook his head and pointed forward:
"Go out to the east, go to the fork in the road, and there is a restaurant in the alley. It is the largest and most luxurious in the city. Sir, please remember, hair shaving is very valuable in Hangzhou!"

……

Li Yu took long strides, followed closely by Li Xiaowu.

The streets were bustling with people, and as soon as I turned into the alley, the world suddenly changed.

Clean, quiet, even a little weird.

The alley is very clean, and a two-story wooden building with a bay width of more than 10 feet suddenly appears in front of you. In terms of decoration, it is not inferior to any high-end restaurant.

Two beautiful girls stood at the door with smiling faces, very eye-catching.

Li Yu coughed twice with his hands behind his back and walked slowly over. The two girls who greeted him at the door immediately walked down the steps.

It is true that the two sides of the hunter and the prey are rushing towards each other!

Li Xiaowu turned around and winked at the Guards brothers in civilian clothes. Everyone understood and wandered around the alley in small groups.

The two girls’ eyes were bright and they bent down to salute:

"Sir, do you want to shave your head or shave your face?"

"All of them."

"Hey, look, you are a young master from a certain family, aren't you? You're not a local, are you?"

Li Yu nodded and took the initiative to claim his identity as a foreigner.

He looked the two girls up and down, and silently gave each of them a nickname: "Yourong" and "Rain Da".

To practice medicine in Hangzhou, it would be more appropriate to have a fancy name.

"A distinguished guest, please come inside."

……

When he walked up the steps, he didn't notice that the girl "Yuda" behind him looked happy and nodded heavily to the thin man inside.

"Sir, is this your first time coming to our store? Do you know any masters you know?"

"First time, first time."

"Yourong" girl's expression did not change, she was still smiling, and she took the initiative to walk in front of the stairs.

"Shave your head, why do you still need to go upstairs?"

"You are a distinguished guest. The second floor is clean and the service is more attentive."

Dong Dong Dong, the thin man came up, wearing a white robe and carrying a tray. There are various knives on the tray and snow-white towels. It looks very professional at first glance.

For now, let's call him "vinegar fish".

"Sir, let me introduce myself. I am the top barber here. I just returned from studying at Daming Tower by Slender West Lake in Yangzhou Prefecture last month."

Li Yu trembled for a moment. Why did he feel that this rhetoric was so familiar?

Oh, by the way, it was the trick I made in Suzhou Mansion.

Li Xiaowu stood quietly to the side, his hands wrapped in his sleeves.

Li Yu coughed twice and frowned:

"Wash your hair first."

"Who do you want to wash it?"

Li Yu was stunned, so complicated? However, he calmly sat down on the Huanghuali official hat chair:
"Who are you here?"

Like magic, 6 girls appeared, each with their own merits. The only thing they have in common is: white clothes.

"Master, would you choose one?"

Li Yu shook his head.

The "vinegar fish" master suddenly realized:
"I don't have a color I like, right? Change it to an auspicious color for you immediately. Come on."

In the innermost room, the wooden door opened with a creak, and a woman came out. She was dressed in pink silk and was heavily applied with powder. She was fragrant, radiant, and a confident queen, with a towel on her shoulders~
……

"Vinegar Fish" whispered, "Are you satisfied? Little widow."

Li Yu really broke his defense and asked with a big smile:

"She, the widow?"

"Correct."

"You were a widow last month, right?"

"Guest, please respect yourself. We are a serious shop. We only shave heads and shave faces. We only make clean money."

"Then what are you waiting for? Just come here."

Not to mention, Xiaowo’s skills in washing her face and hair are pretty good.

It's quite artistic, with the curtain pulled open and a stick of sandalwood burned. The strength is just right, the service is attentive and quite humane.

Suddenly, girl "Yuda" came in and brought two cups of tea.

Then he squatted down and said softly:

"Master, that's it. Why don't you save more money with us?"

Li Yu closed his eyes and kept his tone unchanged:
"Why should I save more money?"

"It's like this. Deposit 1000 taels and get 200 taels for free. From now on, you can have all your hair and face shaves done here, no limit on the number of times. How convenient is it for you?"

Li Yu opened his eyelids and glanced down, without looking back.

With a stiff tone, he refused:

"I don't live in Hangzhou soon, so I don't need it."

The girl "Rain Da" instantly stopped her professional smile and spoke in a polite and calm tone:

"Then there is no discount for your consumption today. I will charge you 800 taels, cash or banknote?"

……

(End of this chapter)