Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 367 The future is unpredictable and very worrying
Actually,
Hailancha's guess was basically correct.

Mingliang had already been defeated once, killing tens of thousands of Beijing flags.

Unless there is an order from the Ministry of War or Agui, it would take too much courage and stupidity for him to take the risk and do something that would put his life at risk.

It is normal to have a stable mentality.

……

The Jiangbei trio, Yu, Chang and Guan, met again.

"Can we get away with it this time?"

"Everything depends on human effort. As long as we are not suspected of this, the worst that can happen is that we will be demoted! We will not miss a single ounce of the three tributes sent to the capital every year."

Guan Mingen thought about it.

"It would be nice if someone could come forward and admit that he was the one who set the fire."

The other two nodded in agreement.

suddenly,

Yu Yunhe couldn't help but laugh:

"Isn't this just a death squad? It's not difficult."

"It's not difficult. I have one under my command, Old Chang. I have been supporting his entire family for eight years. It's time to feed them well."

……

After a moment of silence, Chang Huoyan suddenly said:

"It's best to make all those involved disappear."

Guan Mingen immediately shook his hand:
"No, no. There are hundreds of people here. It's not easy to silence them."

"Ahem, I mean to send them to Jiangnan."

"what?"

The other two were stunned and frightened by this bold suggestion.

However, after thinking about it several times, I found that it was really feasible. It was equivalent to putting the witness into a safe.

but,

"Are we hedging our bets?"

Chang Huoyan remained silent and did not directly answer the question.

……

Yu Yunhe thought for a while and said carefully:

"But the Qing still has dozens of provinces, a million-strong army, and hundreds of millions of civilians. It's a huge advantage. Isn't it too early for us to place our bets now?"

Guan Mingen curled his lips:

"Come on, I am a member of the Guarjia clan, and no one loves the Qing Dynasty more than me! We are not placing a bet. We have to get through this hurdle first, and then we can deal with it one step at a time. Alas, being an official is difficult. Being an official in the Qing Dynasty is difficult, difficult~"

Chang Huoyan nodded:
"Who says it's not true? If it weren't for this little bit of money, I would have wanted to retire long ago. The emperor and the ministers don't understand how difficult it is to be an official at the bottom. Who wants to be the prefect of Huai'an? I, Old Chang, will give up my position immediately."

The three of them said things that were not what they meant, and they were actually unsure in their hearts.

Suddenly, Guan Mingen said:

"It would be nice if a fight really broke out."

Yu Yunhe whispered:

"They said they were going to fight, but Anqing has been holding back. It is said that Lord Mingliang does not want to fight~"

Chang Huoyan suddenly became a little excited:
"How can this be? Why shouldn't he fight? This war must be fought, and fought vigorously. We, the officials and gentry of Jiangbei, will do our utmost to support the war."

……

Northwest of Nanchang City, Meiling Mountain.

In a makeshift wooden house.

Li Yu, wearing straw sandals, a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, silently inspected the army's situation surrounded by his guards.

Everywhere you look,
They are all swamps and emit unpleasant smells.

The army was basically unharmed, except for the loss of some baggage and war horses and mules.

It is still drizzling.

The soldiers either squatted or sat, wiping their weapons blankly.

We have been trapped in Meiling for 7 days. It can be predicted that it will take at least 10 days for the water in the plain to gradually recede.

Li Yu looked toward the southeast and said with emotion:

"I don't know what's happening in Nanchang City?"

Chief of Staff Tan Muguang said:
"Your Majesty, I think water has definitely entered the city, but it has not reached the city walls. The city walls are high and thick, and they will not collapse even if they are soaked for a month. As long as Li Ergou's mixed-class battalion has food to eat, it will be fine."

Huang Si smiled and said:

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Anyone could starve to death. Only Li Ergou will not starve to death. He is quite experienced in collecting food."

Everyone laughed.

The depressing atmosphere was swept away.

Li Yu also laughed:
"I believe it. In this regard, even Lin Huaisheng may not be able to surpass him."

……

At this time, the west city wall of Nanchang City.

Li Ergou was fishing on the city wall with his bare chest and wearing a bamboo hat.

That’s right, fishing!
The flood has reached 6 feet above the city wall.

The city had already been flooded, but not to the point where people could drown, probably only up to waist level.

A little further out of town,

The water level was so high that even the ripe, unharvested wheat turned into water weeds. The water level in some low-lying areas even exceeded 1 feet.

"Second Master, the float is moving."

"Shhh."

After a while, he suddenly lifted the bamboo pole.

A 2-jin fish came out of the water.
Everyone came over and boasted and flattered him.

Li Ergou was very proud and pointed at the fish jumping on the brick floor:

"Take it away and make fish soup for lunch. Add more chili."

"okay."

……

Li Ergou walked into the city gate tower and looked at the rice bags, wood and coal piled up inside, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

every day,

He would come to check on the food and then have a good sleep.

Continue to patrol the city walls.

When you walk to the northern section of the city wall, you can hear the noise of pigs and chickens from a distance, and the stench is overwhelming. There are more than 100 chickens and more than 10 pigs raised here.
"Second Master, the water outside the city is too deep to cut grass for pigs by rowing a boat."

"Kill half of them and have them for lunch. The rest you can't eat will be salted and hung on the city gate tower."

"Yes."

When the flood began to reach the base of the city wall,

Li Ergou sent soldiers to search the city treasury for necessary supplies again.

Salt, fuel, livestock. In the hot summer, it is not easy to preserve food. Living things are the best way.

The Royal Navy did the same thing, raising cattle, sheep and pigs in the bottom of the cabin during long voyages.

……

however,
The fresh vegetables and fruits on the city wall were gone on the second day after the flood officially entered the city.

With rice and meat, no one felt it was hard.

It was not until the 10th day that a small number of patients began to appear.

Vitamin deficiency can cause a series of problems such as drowsiness, bleeding gums, and loose gums.

This was the first time that the Wu army under Li Yu's command had a real encounter with scurvy.

When the flood receded, the horrific faces of several soldiers who died of severe scurvy frightened everyone, and even some ghost stories were heard!

……

After Li Ergou finished drinking the salty and spicy fish soup, he gulped down a large bowl of cold boiled water.

He tends to listen to Li Yu.

Li Yu asked for boiled water, and he drank it obediently.

As time goes by, the fresh water problem becomes more and more serious, and the fresh water stored in advance is almost exhausted.

As far as the eye can see, there is muddy floodwater.

After receiving reminders from his soldiers, Li Ergou had to face this problem.

“Take out any containers you have and collect as much rainwater as you can.”

"Yes."

Otherwise, there is no good solution.

The stairs leading into the city from the city wall have been submerged, and the wells in the city have been contaminated by the flood.

The residents' lives are much harder than those of the soldiers in the mixed battalion.
In the city,

There has been no smoke from cooking for three days, and it is dead silent.

What is more terrible than food being soaked in water is the lack of dry wood. Even if you have food, you will still be unable to cook.

……

Li Ergou has no compassion for the world, nor is he a pervert who likes to see mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

He had people shouting on the walls:
"All citizens can leave the city and find their own way out. Remove the door panels, tie them into rafts, and leave from the east gate."

"The city's treasuries have all been flooded, and the grain has gone moldy. It will completely rot in a few days. The sooner we leave, the better. We may be able to survive if we reach higher ground outside the city."

The flood came.

No one can tell where is safe, and everyone can only accept their fate. At the critical moment of life and death, the fierceness in the bones of Jiangxi people finally broke out.

Hundreds of young and hungry people in the city looked at the smoke rising from the west city wall, smelled the aroma of meat, and came wading through the water in groups.

The soldier on guard noticed it and immediately shouted:

"return to."

The hungry people did not retreat, and the leader shouted:

"Sir, there is no way out. Please give us something to eat. Even if you don't give us food, you can let us go up to the city wall and find a dry place to stay."

The sentry cracked the hammer, poured some primer into the powder pool, and raised the flintlock.

The hungry people still waded forward silently.

Bang, a gunshot rang out.

The bullet splashed in the water.

……

On the city wall, dozens of flintlock rifles were stretched out in unison and pointed at the civilians.

Li Ergou stood high on the parapet.
Raindrops flowed down the edge of his hat, and his eyes were firm and cruel.

"My fellow villagers, you will not be allowed to climb the city wall. We are an army and can kill both the Qing soldiers and the civilians. Retreat, find some food in the government treasury, and then leave Nanchang."

"If you dare to take another step forward, I will not be polite."

"Everyone listen to my command, get ready~"

Facing the guns raised in unison,

The hungry people silently turned around and walked to the other end.

Li Ergou breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief too.

The city of Nanchang is no longer like the human world. If a fight breaks out today, we will go straight to the 18th level of hell.

Li Ergou looked at the backs of these people and asked in a low voice:
"How long will our food last?"

"If you save some money, you can still have 30 days."

"We must keep a close eye on it. Food is our life."

"Yes."

The military judge looked painful, his gums were swollen and painful.

There are no medicinal herbs on the city wall!
There wasn't even a "Mongolian doctor" who was recognized for treating livestock, so we could only endure it.

……

"Tell the brothers to double up at night to prevent the hungry people in the city from rising up."

"Yes."

Li Ergou felt very sad when he saw the artillery pieces soaked in water in the city.

The biggest reason why Your Majesty kept him here was to guard these artillery pieces that couldn't be taken away!

For guns below 6 pounds, the soldiers of the mixed battalion unloaded the barrels and carried them up to the city.

Most of the 12-pound guns and above were soaked in water.
Especially the huge siege cannon, everyone felt extremely regretful.

After the flood receded,

Most of these rusty artillery pieces can only be towed back to the furnace and cannot be used any more.
"Second Master, you said we are so miserable. The Qing soldiers~"

"Humph, they will only be worse off."

……

Dozens of miles to the south,
More than 3000 remnants of the Guizhou Green Camp squatted on the top of the mountain and stared in a daze at the white water level around them.

The name of this hill is unknown.

Some people call it "Screw Pan Ding", some call it "Gou Tou Ling", and some call it "Bai Hu Ling". In short, it is a hill not far from Sanjiangkou Town.

The altitude is not high, but it is high enough compared to the flood.

"The ship is coming, the ship is coming."

Someone cheered.
In the distance, dozens of crude and simple large wooden floating vehicles that could barely be called "ships" were approaching.

The Guizhou Green Camp hastily built bamboo rafts, wooden rafts and ferries that travel back and forth every other day.

Pick up the people in the order in which they were drawn.

The injured Wang Shenglie was among the first to leave. He was now recuperating in a large manor on slightly higher ground in Fengcheng County, dozens of miles to the south.

The Guizhou Green Camp soldiers, who were deceived by Ma Zhongyi, the general of Nangan Town, had no place to vent their anger, so they killed hundreds of people in the village centered on this manor.

This is also a kind of "hate the whole dog" to a certain extent.

This village has a strong clan and people are united.

So the surrounding dams were well built and barely blocked the flood.

It is crowded to have thousands of soldiers stationed in a small village, but it is better than being drowned in water.

……

Ma Zhongyi, the general of Nangan Town, and his good brother Zheyong from the grassland, with their elite remaining soldiers, were living a happy life in Luoshan, which is located at the junction of Fengcheng, Chongren and Le'an counties.

There is food, drink and a place to live.

This was originally a bandit’s stronghold.

I've already been registered with the government, but I'm just too lazy to do anything.

Ma Zhongyi needed a place to stay, so he led his troops up the mountain and killed them all in less than a day. No matter how bad the Green Camp soldiers were, they were no match for the bandits.

In his words:
It is very difficult for me to fight Wu’s army, but it is very easy to fight some bandits.

The gold and silver in the bandit's nest were just right for rewarding the soldiers.

The women robbed from Huazhai will continue to be retained.

The hostages who had not yet been released had letters sent to their homes to ask for some money for their hard work. It was also very hard for the officers and soldiers to rescue the hostages.

No matter how much the bandits wanted, Ma Zhongyi only wanted half.

If the official document appointing him as the governor has arrived,

I’m afraid Ma Zhongyi will immediately raise funds from the gentry in southern Jiangxi!
If anyone doesn’t donate, the whole family won’t live long.

……

The most depressed were Zhang Liyong's troops in Wugong Mountain, Pingxiang County.

He abided by the agreement reached with the State of Wu and led his troops down the mountain to attack the Qing army's food supply route to support the Wu army.

Floods are raging in central Jiangxi.

Forced by the flood, the massive Qing army did not dare to pass Linjiang Prefecture, but turned west and entered Yuanzhou Prefecture and stationed in Yichun County, the prefectural capital.

Zhang Liyong's troops burned three granaries and destroyed four inspection stations.

Just about to take over Pingxiang County to increase the right to speak in the future~
A large number of Green Camp soldiers from Yunnan and Guangxi provinces came over from Yichun County in the east.

It is only a hundred miles from Yichun to Pingxiang, and the entire road is flat.

Zhang Liyong's troops, who were looting everywhere and were careless, were stunned by the Green Camp soldiers who were fully prepared.

At last,
Fortunately, there was an elite battalion composed of veteran White Lotus soldiers, who were as heroic as moths to a flame, with spears and shields lined up, shouting "White Lotus is coming", and covering the retreat of the army.

In the end, everyone died in battle.

This saved Zhang Liyong and half of the troops.

……

Back to Wugong Mountain,
Zhang Liyong cried bitterly, built a cenotaph for his dead brothers, and led all the officers to kneel, pour wine, and burn incense.

This stabilized the morale of the troops.

After experiencing this incident,
He hated Li Yu so much that he even hated the Qing court more than he hated Li Yu.

He gnashed his teeth and vowed to make the despicable Li Yu pay the price. He felt that Li Yu did it on purpose to let the two tigers fight each other and let Wu Jun easily take Jiangxi.

He told a meeting of his confidants:

"The Jiangdong rats are cunning and treacherous. Even if we are desperate and die of starvation, cold or war, we will never trust those bastards of the Wu Kingdom again."

"From now on, we will work together to manage our territory and try our best to avoid conflicts with officers and soldiers."

The Green Camp soldiers from the two provinces who took advantage of the victory to attack Wugong Mountain quickly withdrew.

If we attack Zhang Liyong's troops, who have been entrenched in the mountainous area for a long time, and who were derived from religious bandits and have absorbed the combat experience of officers and soldiers, and have thousands of troops, our side will suffer heavy casualties.

The reinforcements from the two provinces will not bother with such a tough task.

It would be better to withdraw to Yichun and wait for the next order from the court.

The rain in western Jiangxi is not as severe as in southern Jiangxi, so the water level of Yuanhe River has risen moderately and there is no sign of the dam collapsing, so Yichun County is safe.

……

Normally, after the flood receded, the government would begin organizing disaster relief.

But now that Nanchang has fallen and all the officials including the governor have been buried alive, no one cares about this matter anymore and we can only wait for the order from the Forbidden City.

Government offices at all levels can wait.

The people’s stomachs won’t wait.

The starving people in Fuzhou, Linjiang, Jianchang and Nanchang began to seek a way out on their own in groups.

Hundreds or thousands of people who had managed to escape the flood flocked to the wealthy households.

Qingjiang County, 5 miles outside Zhangshu Town.

The manor of a gentleman named Lu was surrounded by a large crowd of hungry people.

Lu Family,

He is in the business of medicinal materials and also lends money at high interest.

Just based on these two businesses, one can guess how strong the Lu family's background is. They are definitely local tyrants.

Outside the tall courtyard wall, the water level was over the knee.

Thousands of people stood in the sewage, with their heads held high, silently staring at the servants holding weapons on the courtyard wall.

"Master, please put some food."

The leader roared and others responded like clouds.

(End of this chapter)