Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 287: If you wake up, you can't change the reality. It's better to have a muddleheaded carnival, at least you won't scare yourself to death in advance.

After Hu Xueyu heard about it, he immediately dissuaded him:
"My lord, this move will have endless consequences. Once the merchants rise, they may be in trouble."

Li Yu smiled:

"I sell the cannons and provide the gunpowder. There is an upper limit on the quantity, and they can't afford to make waves."

"Once a businessman has private arms, it is like a beast growing fangs. They will not be satisfied once they become big overseas~"

"It doesn't matter. Their roots are still on the land. If they are disobedient, I can eradicate their roots at any time."

Hu Xueyu was speechless for a moment.
After hesitating for a while, he asked:

"Does the prince have other plans?"

"As expected of the first-class master of Shaoxing Prefecture! You are right, route taxes and fees are secondary, and the most important thing is~" Li Yu softly spat out two words, "Sailor."

……

The navy is equipped with a higher level, which is in line with international practice. He is issued a large-brimmed hat and is recognized as the deputy captain of the Army Division, with the same rank as the ninth rank.

The Kong family will definitely look down on Li Yu now, and will only disdainfully call him "Jiangdong rat".

The true meaning of a century-old navy is not battleships or docks, but sailors who cannot be quickened.

……

Li Yu won't tell him.

The main targets for soliciting donations were three parties: Shanxi merchants, Jiangxi gentry, and the Guangdong Thirteenth Bank.

Support maritime trade and encourage navigation.

Although naval battles are risky, you can still be an official.

It is nonsense to say that important military equipment will never be sold outside.

The Military Aircraft Department took the lead, the Ministry of Household Affairs sponsored it, and local government offices co-organized it.

When the time comes, I will issue a recruitment order, and these merchant sailors will definitely come in droves.

Everyone thinks that Li Yu will treat Kong Mansion like this in the future.

Li Yu's toolbox has everything.

Merchant ships are their second navy.

……

of course,

As long as you have determination and enough money, it is not impossible to build a fleet!
The power of the Netherlands and Iberia in the Southeast Asia was declining year by year. They seized the opportunity and offered a generous price that they could not refuse. Their sail battleships were not impossible to buy.

At this point, the big navy plan has formed a perfect closed loop.

In this land, no one can resist the temptation of a fluttering black gauze hat.

Especially the last sentence:
"You are one of us, so there is no need to hide it from you."

……

Shandong Xuezheng visited several times before reluctantly asking for the 1 stones to donate food. Moreover, the Kong family of the chicken thieves did not clearly explain what kind of food these 1 stones of food were?

Otherwise, the Kong family in Qufu would have been uprooted long ago.

By the way, he responded to the call of the Qing court and donated 1 shi of grain.

Merchant sailors are an excellent source of navy sailors.

As long as one party is poor and heart-wrenching, the other party is asking for a high price and is heart-wrenching. It’s not like first-class battleships can’t be sold!

White rice? Black beans? Or chaff?
Anyway, it's possible.

As an important minister who understood both Qianlong's thoughts and the national conditions of the Qing Dynasty, his goal was very clear, which was to find donations from gentry and merchants!

Li Yu is the best at handling things. With the greedy businessman temperament of the two East India Companies, it was easy to control.

Only sailors have no solution.

No matter how high the remuneration in merchant ships is, who hasn’t become more motivated? Compared with being an official, everything else is useless.

Knives and hammers are not uncommon, rulers and nails are not uncommon, and there are all kinds of strange tools, unorthodox tools, any one of which can conquer a group of people.

He Shen is in charge of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and he is very worried about the current tight financial situation.

Although sailors have low salaries, they can become officers.

As soon as you get on the ship, you will get a sailor's monthly salary of 2 taels and the status of a ninth-grade official.

but,

The key technical factor in the weak maritime power of the Ming and Qing Dynasties was that there were not enough qualified ocean-going sailors!
After all, wood can be bought, drawings can be imitated, and even skilled craftsmen can be poached.

Hu Xueyu was stunned when he heard this, and was shocked by Li Yu's long-term calculation. I also felt a little ashamed because of this honesty.

The Confucius Mansion's 1 stone grains were mainly used to attract others.

Every time there was a change of dynasty, the founding kings would hold their noses and accept the disgusting surrender. I don't like it, but I think it's very useful.

One of the magic weapons for the Royal Navy of the Saxon Empire to travel across the five oceans was the merchant sailors.

According to the consistent virtue of the Confucius family, the possibility of donating moldy grains is higher than 7%.

The Shandong government could only accept it with pinched noses, and then report to the court. Afterwards, the Military Aircraft Department pinched its nose and told the world, pinning all kinds of flattering words on Kong's head.

The Confucian government has donated, so there is no reason why Jiangxi scholars should not donate, right?

This is righteousness!

Agui immediately ordered Wu Zhicheng, the governor of Jiangxi, to use this example to collect donations from the gentry of the province: to share the worries of the court and to help the province's suppression.

……

Fuliang County, Raozhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province.

This county seems unknown, but if you mention Jingdezhen under the jurisdiction of this county, everyone will know it.

The county magistrate took the lead,

Several gentry people sat at the top, and a dozen businessmen sat at the bottom, all with sad faces.

"Everyone, the puppet king of Wu is eyeing the attack and is about to attack this province. Raozhou and Jiujiang are the first to bear the brunt. Donating military pay is not only to serve the imperial court, but also to do one's best for the hometown."

"Ahem, why don't you guys just show your attitude?"

Squire Wang from this county raised three fingers:
"I donate 3000 shi of rice."

The Wang family is the most prominent family in the county, and his words set a benchmark for those behind him. So, "2000 stones", "1000 stones", "700 stones" one after another~
Donate food, not money.

This is obviously distrust of this officer.

Although the magistrate was a little unhappy, he still smiled and praised:

"You are truly the pillars of this county, and you can turn the tide in times of crisis. Okay, okay. I will definitely report to the general to clarify your sincerity."

……

Wang Xiangshen, his grandfathers have been magistrates, and his uncles have been magistrates.

He himself also served as a seventh-grade minor official in the capital. He later became an official for unknown reasons, but he had extensive contacts and often corresponded with the capital.

The sons' generation has mediocre qualifications and no talent for reading.

But there is a grandson who is extremely smart and is recognized by the county as the number one potential candidate in the imperial examination in the next 20 years.

The Wang family also owns three hills, five porcelain kilns and hundreds of craftsmen in Jingdezhen.

Common nickname:

The clay goes in and the silver comes out!
It's like magic. Once the fire burns, the value becomes a hundred times.

In a word: The Wang family is rich and powerful.

All the big families in the county respect the Wang family. A mere seventh-grade magistrate or official in the county may not be able to handle the Wang family!
……

"My lord, can you update us on the latest progress in suppressing bandits?"

The county magistrate cleared his throat with a smile on his face and said:
"The emperor is wise, General Fuyuan is wise, Lord Futai is clear, and all the Green Camp soldiers are working hard. The current battle line is probably around Dongliu County."

"Oh? It's still in Anhui."

All the gentry were delighted and smiled. It doesn't matter if Anhui's fight is worse, as long as the war doesn't reach Jiangxi.

However, Squire Wang suddenly said:
"The county official is very handsome. Although I am not talented, I have also served as a low-level official in the Ministry of War and Rites for several years. The biggest threat to our Fuliang County at present is probably not the bandit army attacking Dongliu County, but the army stationed in Huizhou Prefecture. The thief army.”

Everyone was stunned, with their poor military knowledge.

Can't understand!
The magistrate actually didn't understand either. He had despised all books other than classics in his life.

He often ridicules those miscellaneous schools of thought who know everything but failing to pass the examination:
"If you can't carry it clearly, it's all in vain."

……

"Senior Wang, would you like to tell me and the fellow villagers about the knowledge here?" The magistrate intended to make him look embarrassed.

Unexpectedly, Squire Wang did not pretend to understand, but really understood. He stood up and held his hands in a circle:
"Everyone knows that the army must choose mature roads when traveling. There are 9 post roads starting from She County, Huizhou. Folks jokingly call it Nine Dragons Going to the Sea?"

Everyone was at a loss, and a few people who passed by nodded.

"There is a ready-made post road from She County, Huizhou to our Fuliang County, called the Hui Fu Ancient Road. It is paved with stone strips throughout. Even cavalry can rein in their horses carefully and lead or ride slowly through."

The magistrate frowned:

"How do you know?"

Squire Wang heard the gloominess in these words, but he was not afraid at all:
"Everyone, if you want to say who is the most loyal to the imperial court in Fuliang County, it must be my king. Three generations of my family have been officials because the imperial court attaches great importance to the imperial examination. I am not loyal to the Qing Dynasty? Who else am I loyal to?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Even some officials from the county government nodded silently, feeling that the logic was clear and there was no need to doubt it.

The magistrate's face tightened slightly, and he felt angry.

……

"What I want to say is that once the bandits from Huizhou Prefecture take the ancient Huifu Road, Fuliang County will probably be in flames of war, and even Raozhou Prefecture will not have peace!"

Everyone was in an uproar and talking about it.

You must know that even in Li Yu's era. The proportion of geographical blindness is also much higher than that of blindness in other subjects.

What's more, this is an era without satellite mapping and scale maps.

Most people know nothing about the area outside their own county.

It is the caravans and the army who know geography best, because generations have measured it with their footsteps and blood.

Wang Xiangshen was able to have such a deep understanding of the strategic significance of the Huifu Ancient Road not only because of his experience in the Ministry of War, but also because of business.

The best raw materials for making porcelain are not in Jingdezhen.

Hundreds of miles away in Qimen County, Huizhou Prefecture, the porcelain fired from the white clay there is a work of art.

A few decades later, the porcelain fired from the white clay of Taihekeng in Qimen County became a tribute to the royal family because of its excellent quality.

The reputation of this association is not yet apparent.

This is also the reason why the products of Wang Xiangshen's porcelain kiln have long been ahead of their peers.

……

The magistrate stared at him:
"What you said may have some truth to it. I will report it to Mr. Futai. I cannot make the final decision on military matters."

"Then please ask the county magistrate to come forward as soon as possible and mobilize the elite green battalion to station in the northeast of the county to resist the bandits."

A campaign to persuade people to donate ended unhappy.

The magistrate felt that his face had been insulted and was very angry.

It's not that Wang Xiangshen didn't know that he would offend others when he stood out like this, but it was because it was related to his own property and he had to offend him.

Most of his property cannot be moved, and he doesn't have much cash, but he has many houses, acres of land, hills, and porcelain kilns.

Once Fuliang County falls,

Even if he ran away, he would still be almost pauper!

arrive home,

He gritted his teeth and wrote a letter to Fuyuan General Agui, analyzing the current war situation and sincerely inviting a green camp to be stationed. The local gentry could bear the cost.

……

In fact, most people in Fuliang County are not nervous.

As long as the cloud of war does not burn before your eyes, there is peace.

Maybe this is also a kind of happiness!
Because being awake can't change reality, it's better to have a muddleheaded carnival, at least you won't scare yourself to death in advance.

And the second hall of the county government office,
The magistrate of Fuliang became more and more angry and summoned the master:

"I want to cure that old bastard. Where should I start?"

When the master heard this, he knew it was Mr. Wang who was scolding him.

After thinking about it for a while, he still said comfortingly:

"I have at least 10 ways to manage the Wang family. But for the sake of Dong Weng's career, it's better not to offend this person."

"Does his family have any hard relations now?"

"There are no current officials in the family, but in one or two years, young people from the capital will come to visit the Wang family."

"What's the origin?"

"I don't know. Every time I carry some local specialties from the capital, and I carry them as a gift from my nephew."

"Unknown, what are you afraid of?"

"Hey, Dong Weng's words are wrong. Unknown things are scary."

The magistrate stopped drinking tea, puzzled.

……

The master then explained:
"The known things are very clear, so I don't worry. It's hard to say what's unknown. Maybe he's just an old friend from the capital, or maybe he's a big boss who hides his identity."

"Dong Weng, you are a big shot in Fuliang County and even Raozhou Prefecture. But in the capital, you are nothing. Any bullshit clerk in any government office who has a grudge can pinch us at the critical moment."

"You are an upright official, and you are doing upright things. If you don't understand the chaos in this world, even if a Beijing government clerk makes things difficult for you within the legal scope, it will make you miserable."

The magistrate was silent and his expression changed.

After a long while, he asked bitterly:

"I have trusted you for so many years. You have never made any mistakes in your work."

"It's just that I can't swallow this breath."

……

The master smiled reservedly and stroked his beard:

"Dong Weng, you have never defaulted on your annual salary of 1000 taels, and you are very trustworthy. I will keep this in mind."

"Although I am not as talented as Crouching Dragon and Phoenix, I am still the best among Shaoxing masters. I have a plan to relieve your anger, how about it?"

"Speaking!"

"Celebrating a birthday." The master seemed to be talking about cross talk, "In three days, your birthday will be celebrated. In five days, your concubine will celebrate her birthday. In seven days, your son's birthday will be celebrated. Let's continue like this~"

The magistrate did not react for a moment:

"It seems the birthday is wrong, right?"

"Dong Weng, you have to recruit members to celebrate your birthday. Do those people have to come to honor you? At that time, I will arrange for a bastard to be the Minister of Etiquette and sing out the gift list on the spot. If anyone is short of 50 taels of silver, stop him. He was humiliated at the door and refused to let anyone in."

The magistrate laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes.

After a long while, he pointed at the master and laughed and cursed:

"You guys, these Shaoxing masters, are really wicked. Damn, this is a really good idea. They can't talk about their sufferings, so they can only come to the banquet obediently."

"If Dong Weng has no objection, I will send someone to send out the invitation."

The magistrate restrained his smile and wiped away his tears:
"I don't worry about your work."

"These stingy gentry don't donate money or food. Hmm, don't you know what they have in mind?"

"Do it, accept the gift fiercely!"

……

Hukou County, Jiujiang Prefecture,

The gentry and merchants here are not so relaxed.

The number of soldiers in the city continues to increase. Horse pits were also dug outside the city, horses were placed, and trenches were dug.

Even the rare Eight Banners soldiers began to appear.

All signs point to one thing: the army of the false king of Wu is really coming.

The Qing court was not an idiot.

It was not difficult for them to sneak into the south of the Yangtze River with their careful work, and they discovered some patterns that could help judge Wu Jun's movements.

water transport!

Every large-scale mobilization of Wu's army must be accompanied by the assembly of a large number of ships.

So this time they sent the information 2 days in advance, and it was basically correct.

……

(End of this chapter)