Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 304 It’s a sad year for the capital! It’s difficult for the bannermen! Qianlong is even more difficult!
The last month of the forty-first year of Qianlong's reign is commonly known as the "twelfth lunar month".

The capital city is very lively as usual. The banner people of the Four and Nine Cities are preparing to celebrate the New Year. There are so many things to pay attention to, which ordinary people cannot learn at all.

There are still a few days left until the Yamen "Sealing Day".
Many families have already started to prepare New Year's goods.

The food consists of big heads, melons, fruits, wine and meat, meat and vegetable snacks, sheep heads and pig heads. We pay attention to the variety, and we can’t lack anything!
It is also necessary to wear brand new clothes, otherwise you will be laughed at by the neighbors for being poor and in rags when you go out!

Relatives, friends and bosses should also move around!
These expenses add up to a huge number. In fact, half of the people in Beijing Banner are so strapped for money that they pretend to be fat and borrow money to celebrate the New Year!

……

The Third Master, the official from the Zhenghongqi Banner who is on duty at the Lifanyuan Yamen, has been restless these days.

"Master, you run around like a headless fly every day. What's on your mind?"

"I, what's on my mind? I'm so full that I want to take a walk. What are you doing, a woman?"

"Come on, even the big yellow dogs in the yard can see it. You are worried about money!"

"When I went to Tai Feng Tower, an old friend who was an official in a poor county came to Beijing and invited me to talk. I haven't seen him in 10 years, and I miss him very much."

"Master, where are you going?"

The colleague who made the reservation was very loud despite his bright official robes.

The third master smiled and said:
"What are you doing?"

This is something that the Banner people feel is very embarrassing.

……

"He's from Jilin. We share the same father as an old man."

As he was about to leave the alley, he met a colleague from the Yamen again. He raised his hands and saluted:
"Master, what are you doing?"

along the way,

"Master, we're here."

The man lived in the east of the city, so he wandered to the west of the city to find a pawnshop, not because he was idle, but to hide his shame.

The men in the family are responsible for the money, otherwise she would be a clever woman who cannot make a living without straw.

The middle-aged fat woman smiled helplessly:
"I understand, family scandals should not be made public. Right?"

A carriage was hired to facilitate concealment.

The third master was startled: "Shh."

"Which country?"

"Our banner people live a decent life. We should avoid saying such dishonorable words in the future."

pawn,

“New Year’s Eve is sad!”

In short, only Jingqi is authentic.

Not to mention the bannermen of Heilongjiang, they are simply uncivilized savages.

I kept meeting acquaintances to say hello, and there was no chance to lower the car curtain.

Although they share the same origin, in the eyes of the Jingqi Banners, the Jilin Bannermen are all old haters.

Shengjing is slightly better, equivalent to a rural area like Langfang, Baoding.

The third master closed his eyes, sat upright, and said silently in his heart:

After leaving the acquaintance area, the handlebar type obviously speeded up and asked without looking back:

"Okay, you can sit still."

"Hey, your connections are really bottomless."

"Xi Shi Hutong."

The third master was pacing in the yard, determined to pawn a few things. I found a piece of blue silk cloth to wrap two pieces of ancestral porcelain.

The Eight Banners garrisoned within the pass must be treated differently. Those in the south are superior, while those in the northwest are miserable.

"Who says it isn't?"

The third master assumed the posture of a superior, condescending, and said with compassion:
"The new year is sad."

Although Xiangzi is from Langfang, he has been around the capital for a long time and is familiar with the virtues of men in this area. Quietly slowing down the car so that the customer could brag a little more.

The woman rolled her eyes and left, minding her own business, to go to a neighbor's house to eat melon seeds and chat.

"Oh, there are some poor relatives coming to the countryside. I am not going to a restaurant to book two tables. I can't lose the courtesy of our Beijing flag."

"Okay, take it for granted."

……

It is even worse than having a girl but not a son. After all, there is no son to blame the wife, and no money to blame.

……

In fact, I just went to the meat shop next door to buy some pork head meat, braised large intestine, fried peanuts, and 2 pounds of muddy wine. It's enough to fool the relatives from Jilin.

"Serve."

He took off the small stool and put it on the ground, then stretched out an arm to help the guest get off the car.

The third master's eyes never lingered on his face for a moment, and his movements when getting off the car were very noble and perfectly executed. A minute faster will show impatience, a minute slower will make you look older.

The deceased Amma once warned:
You can't treat ordinary people with dignity, otherwise they will look down on you and make fun of you. You smiled at him and he thought you were a bitch too. If you throw your face at him, he will think you are a noble person.

The door of the pawn shop,

Two big, round men with arms folded saw them, and immediately came over and smiled:

"Master, do you want to pawn something?"

The third master nodded reservedly, still looking intently, his eyes never lingering on the faces of the two thugs.

This kind of noble behavior is quite bluffing. At least the handlebars and thugs all think that Jie is a gentleman~
……

However, he entered a pawn shop.

A well-informed court official cannot hide anything.

He just raised his eyelids and saw through the character of this first customer who came to the door early in the morning.

Wearing a jade-inlaid melon-skin hat, a style from 5 years ago.

The dark-grained red silk jacket is worth a bit of money, but the fur on the edges is obviously dull and not fluffy. This is because it has been worn for a long time and washed too much. It means that this person usually sticks to this decent piece of clothing when going out and has no need to replace it!

The official steps in the aisle are quite standard.

However, there is no sedan chair or escort, indicating that although this person is in the Yamen, he is by no means an official.

He wouldn't be Qing Shuiguan from the Imperial Academy's Metropolitan Procuratorate, because he doesn't have the sour and arrogant air!

In a word: The great master of the Beijing flag who never loses his temper, the bran radish!

……

Chao Feng put down his brush and walked down the counter:
"Master, please."

"please."

It was as if they had been rehearsed, and they cooperated tacitly.

The third master placed the two porcelain bottles on the counter and untied the blue silk cloth. Take 2 steps back and sit down to drink tea.

Chaofeng picked it up and looked at it for a few times.

Then he put down the bottle and said with a smile:
"Your family background is not simple. Your ancestors must have produced second- and third-grade officials."

The third master said with a reserved smile:

"My ancestors only served as food ministers once or twice."

Chao Feng smiled and said:

"The food department of our Qing Dynasty is as solid as the second-grade officials. You, keep it secret. Let's get back to the subject. If you die, it's worth 50 taels. If you die, I can't help you, little one. The shop can only give you 25 taels.”

The man serving tea and water was heartbroken.

Paying 50 taels in death is a reasonable price, but paying 25 taels in life is a bit dark.

He was a little confused about the master's intention, so he could only wait until the guest left before asking more about the knowledge here.

……

The third master gracefully scratched the lid of the tea bowl, took a sip of tea, and spoke at a leisurely pace:
"Of course it's a good job!"

Chao Feng nodded, turned around and ordered:

"Go, write a check to this man and get some money."

"Yes." The big guy was quick with his hands and feet, and it was done in a short time.

When I came out, I could only hear the third master saying leisurely:

"It saves your worries to leave the things here. The space in the house is tight, and several of them were broken. The housekeeper felt distressed when he saw them, and nagged me over and over again. I said, keep them in a pawn shop. It's safe and worry-free."

"That's what you said."

The third master gently put down the tea bowl and picked up the silver wrapped in mulberry paper without opening it to count.

One hand:

"Goodbye!"

Chao Feng quickly handed over his hand, with a larger amplitude:
"Take care of me."

……

Looking at the third master's leaving figure, the big man asked in a low voice:
"Master, why didn't he choose a more cost-effective bet? Also, why didn't he count the amount of money?"

"Today I will teach you, the most profound knowledge in the pawn trade - look at people!" Chao Feng wiped the porcelain bottle, "Pawning is when the guest leaves a glimmer of hope for himself, and he may be able to redeem it in the future. He will never come again. But because of that arrogance, I would rather take the bull by the horns than be looked down upon by us.”

The big guy was enlightened and nodded:
"I understand. He doesn't count the money just to tell us that he is rich and doesn't take the money seriously. Master, what you said about his ancestors is to save his face."

"Yes."

Chaofeng seemed to be quite moved, and suddenly turned his head and said:

"Remember, when you meet this kind of customer in the future, you can lower the price, but you must not underpay the price. Don't show the slightest contempt in your words!"

"Yes."

The big guy didn't continue to ask.

Although he didn't understand a little, what the master said must be correct, just follow it!

He is the apprentice with the best eye for goods in this shop. But today I realized that being able to discern goods is just common, but being able to discern people is king.

"From tomorrow onwards, you will be considered an apprentice."

"Thank you, master."

The big man's eyes were red with excitement, and he knelt down and kowtowed twice.

Apprenticeships for six years only include food and accommodation, but no wages.

After you graduate, you will be able to get a salary of 2 taels per month, and it will increase in the future. Once you become the second shopkeeper, you can also get shares and dividends until you die.

Be lenient in entering and strict in exiting, this is the wisdom of Shanxi merchants!
……

After getting the money, the smart and capable women started purchasing in groups.

This year, the bargaining is particularly fierce!

The aunties of the Eight Banners formed a group to bargain for prices, and they talked so eloquently that even the shopkeeper couldn't resist.

Entering the twelfth lunar month, prices in Beijing have skyrocketed. They have risen so sharply that a pound of rice costs 30 yuan. And rice is the basis of people's livelihood, and its price rises hundreds of times.

Yutai Teahouse,

A group of banner men were angrily cursing those profiteers, and at the same time cursing Dutong Yamen and Shuntian Prefecture for being too weak.

This time everyone is standing in a trench, dissatisfied with their current lives. In fact, the Han people in the capital were also dissatisfied, but they dared not voice such treasonous complaints.

General resentment is intertwined with the joy of the upcoming New Year.

The atmosphere in Sijiucheng is very strange!
The atmosphere in the Forbidden City, the core of Forty-Nine City, is even weirder.

The guards' faces were solemn, and they were holding their swords like sculptures, without the usual sense of ease.

because,

The southern part of the empire was facing an unprecedented crisis.

In the 130 years since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, only the San Francisco Rebellion and the Junggar crisis could rival this crisis.

"A Gui, the sinner, weeps and weeps. The puppet king of Wu in the south of the Yangtze River commanded 10 troops and left Xiaraozhou in Huizhou. The Manchu and Han officers and soldiers in Hukou died in a bitter battle. The deputy capital commander Qi Zheng and the following dozens of Eight Banners officers and subordinates were killed in the battle, and the deputy general of the green battalion guerrillas There were no casualties, and an unknown number of soldiers were captured. The Yangtze River Navy was completely wiped out in the battle. More than ten people below the admiral were killed in the battle, and all the enemy forces were lost in the waters east of Poyang Lake. "

"Jiujiang is in emergency! Jiangxi is in emergency! Southeast is in emergency!"

……

All officials of the third rank and above in the capital were present in the palace.

Qin Si, the eunuch in charge, read the excerpts without emotion, making sure that the sound was loud enough for all the important officials to hear, but not too harsh. The tone is slightly sad and angry, but also upright and awe-inspiring, with hidden confidence.

With this broadcasting skill alone, if placed in the Peninsula Dynasty of a certain era, he could become a royal announcer.

After reading the poem, he quietly hid in the shadows of the palace.

Dead silence.

Everyone lowered their heads, silently digesting the shocking news of defeat.

Qianlong suddenly became furious:
"Are you all mute?"

Whoops, I fell to my knees in an instant.

The courtiers all touched their heads to the ground and pressed the gold bricks with their hands. From the back it looks a bit like practicing yoga!

After all, Yu Minzhong is old and a little dizzy.

He turned around and glanced at He Shen who was kneeling next to him, and saw that this kid was wandering around.

……

"Heshen, Yu Minzhong, what do you think I should do with Agui?"

He Shen raised his head and raised his body:
"The bandits in the south of the Yangtze River have become powerful. Now it is not appropriate to carry out a partial encirclement and suppression. The best troops from all over the country should be gathered in the south of the Yangtze River. Mount Tai is overwhelming. It is not suitable to start a war without 50 soldiers."

"My servant has also read the military report submitted by General Fuyuan to the Ministry of War, which mentioned that most of the elite members of the puppet King of Wu came from northern Anhui."

"Huh?" Qianlong's attention was suddenly diverted.

He quickly asked:

"Is this possible?"

The Minister of War immediately came out to prove that what He Shen said was true.

As a result, the issue of how to deal with Agui turned into a discussion of Huaixi folk customs.

"My slave suggests using Anhui to control Anhui."

The ministers sighed in their hearts and lamented that He Shen was really flexible and he summed it up again.

Sure enough, Qianlong nodded:
"Using Anhui to control Anhui is a subtle statement of great justice. I often feel this way when reading history. People in Huaixi have always been cruel. Li Ni from Jiangnan is really good at planning."

After some discussion,
The court reached a consensus to expand Anhui Green Camp.

To be precise, it is to build a new Anhui Green Camp Army, which is different from the old Green Camp.

The number of troops is directly set at 5!
The Ministry of Payroll Accounts will allocate half of the required amount, and the other half will be jointly constructed by Jiangsu and Anhui.

……

Yu Minzhong suddenly said:
"Your Majesty, I think the encirclement and suppression can be temporarily relaxed."

It immediately attracted everyone's attention. Qianlong was also a little angry and had a bad look in his eyes!
"The veteran feels that the puppet Wu regime in the south of the Yangtze River is different from any previous enemy. Perhaps we can temporarily abandon military offensives and focus on other aspects, such as business? Gentry? People's hearts?"

"I understand what Yu Aiqing means. It is not necessary to use a knife to kill. While the imperial court is gathering all the troops from all over the world, it is attacking on an invisible battlefield to paralyze the thieves in the south of the Yangtze River."

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

Yu Minzhong looked up at Qianlong.

Qianlong nodded, his favorable impression of this old guy rising to another level.

A comment comes to mind: What a cunning person!

"What the two beloved ministers said is a mature plan to seek the country. The encirclement and suppression of Jiangnan has always been too eager and too hasty. No matter how many green soldiers there are, they can't take the lead. It's me who underestimated this failed scholar."

The ministers in the palace immediately realized the taste.

Long live the Lord is still a sage, and he can actually admit his mistakes.

It seems that Agui's punishment is still raised high and dropped gently, and the punishment is not painful or itchy.

At the same time, I also admire the two military and aircraft ministers very much. No wonder they got here because of their vision. I knew I couldn't kill Agui this time, so I just didn't throw dirty water on him.

……

However, they still underestimated the cruelty of court strife.

The next day,

As soon as the young censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate handed over the papers to impeach Agui.

There were 5 crimes listed, the most terrible of which was: being self-willed and ignoring warnings, resulting in the fall of Raozhou Prefecture and blocking the army's southward retreat route!
(End of this chapter)