Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 388: Instead of being sentenced to death by the emperor, why not die in a spectacular way?

Everyone's eyes turned to Hailancha.

"The bandits fight in a methodical and well-trained manner. They generally do not wear armor, and 8% of them are equipped with firearms. Such an army relies heavily on formations. If the formation is in place, the combat power is strong. If the formation is disorganized, they may not be as strong as the individual combat power of the Green Camp soldiers."

Fu Changan nodded, motioning for him to continue.

Hailancha continued to analyze:
"I want to gradually increase the number of troops, using square formations to fight against square formations, and fight the bandits head-on. When the bandit chieftain has no mobile forces left, I will use all my cavalry to attack from the flanks, so that one part will collapse and the entire line will collapse."

……

Fu Changan stared at Hailancha and asked:

"Have you considered artillery?"

"Reporting to the Governor, I have considered this. The artillery is heavy and difficult to move. If the enemy soldiers want to temporarily move the artillery position, then our cavalry will have the opportunity to eat them up. If they do not move, then the threat to the infantry who are stuck in the battle line will also be limited."

Zu Youen couldn't help but ask:

"General Hai, do the bandits have light artillery such as submachine guns?"

"Have!"

Zu Youen frowned. This thing posed a great threat to the cavalry.

But Hailancha's next sentence made him relax his brows:

"The Cavalry Battalion is composed of the Eight Banners of the capital. We won't use them to fill the Wu army's artillery fire. It is said that the Huaixi New Army is very brave?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. The Huaixi soldiers attacked the enemy's tower, one after another, very fiercely."

All the generals present were smiling happily, so they decided to make the Huaixi soldiers suffer.

……

The military meeting lasted for two hours.

A detailed discussion was held on various aspects including tactics, logistics, pay and coordination.

after the end,
Fu Chang'an wrote a letter and had it delivered to the capital.

even though,
Perhaps Qianlong's reply has not arrived yet, and the fight here may be over.

But this is an attitude.

The generals commanding troops at the front need to show their loyalty to the emperor at all times.

Although Fu Chang'an is young, he is well versed in the relationship between the ruler and his subjects, and has a style of doing things similar to his father's.

Strictly speaking,
The entire Fucha family is cautious and respectful of the imperial power.

……

After the meeting, the servant came quietly to report:

"Master, Lord Mingliang is here."

Fu Changan's pace slowed down and his expression looked somewhat painful.

"Tell him to wait for me in the hall."

"Yes."

Mingliang's face was covered in dust and gloom, and there was even a layer of fine hair growing on his forehead. He was dejected and shrank back into the official hat chair.

The defeated general
At least 2 quarters of an hour had passed.

Fu Changan just appeared at the door of the flower hall.

Mingliang jumped up instantly and asked anxiously in a low voice:

"Cousin, is there any news from the Ministry of War?"

Fu Chang'an stood with his hands behind his back, looking at his cousin Mingliang with a cold expression.

This attitude made the bright heart sink.

……

"The imperial edict has not yet arrived, but according to gossip in the capital, the emperor is not going to let you go."

When Fu Chang'an said this, he felt quite painful.

Mingliang sat back in his chair in a daze. The fates of Zhang Guangsi, Neqin, Erdeng'e and others appeared in his mind one by one.

"Your Majesty, you want to kill me?"

Fu Changan did not respond. The gossip in the capital was generally true.

The rule of the city: After everyone in the circle knows about it, the official document should be issued.

silence,

Until Mingliang's hoarse voice broke the enduring silence.

"Is there any possibility of recovery?"

Fu Changan shook his head.

"Okay." Mingliang was also quite quick and drew out his sword directly.

"Wait a minute~"

Fu Changan suddenly stopped his suicide attempt and whispered:
"Instead of dying in a cowardly way, why not die in a glorious way? So that you can be worthy of being a member of the noble Fucha family?"

……

Four major granaries along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal:

Huai'an Fengji Warehouse was burned down, and the closest place to transport grain is Xuzhou Guangyun Warehouse. Dezhou Warehouse and Linqing Warehouse are too far away, making it inconvenient to supply grain and grass.

Under Fu Changan,

An army of 14 has been assembled, and the daily rations are being consumed at a terrifying rate.

On the canal,
There was a constant stream of ships loaded with grain heading south, while empty ships were heading north.

The Shandong candidates have not yet arrived, so the grassroots governance in the entire Jiangbei area is not very flexible.

Although those civil servants who were promoted and had previously been on the bench were very motivated, they fell into depravity too quickly.

In nature, it may take some time for food to decay.

However, this group of people skipped the whole process and completed the transformation the moment they put on the new hat.

The reason is also very simple:
These people have been in officialdom for a long time.
We usually see and take the bad rules to heart.

There is no need to think about it, no need for guidance, and no psychological construction that breaks through morality. These people did not have the opportunity to be greedy before, not because they did not want to be greedy.

Just like a maid in a brothel, if she dresses up and goes to work, she is both a novice and a veteran.

……

As governor, Fu Chang'an focused most of his energy on military affairs.

He could only strictly order these newly appointed civil servants to collect the deficits of previous years and at the same time pre-collect part of this year's autumn grain (although the autumn harvest was still a long time away).

All the collected grain was sent to several government warehouses in Huai'an.

The granaries are temporarily under military control, and are carefully counted and strictly recorded.

At the same time, 2 corvée laborers were conscripted to build fortifications along the Grand Canal in Huai'an.

Zu Youen had a profound family background and a special liking for defending cities, and was also well versed in officialdom.

He submitted a detailed military report of several thousand words - "Summary of Experience of the Victory at Jiaoxiachang".

The content is very solid, and all the offensive process and experience of the day are recorded on paper.

Fu Chang'an was also interested in the hexagonal bastion.

While ordering people to build several pilot projects around Huai'an, he also sent this military report to the capital via the post station.

The young Fu Changan was proud and confident.

In his eyes,

The highlight of Zu Youen's military report is the analysis of the bastions being easy to defend but difficult to attack. In passing, he also affirmed the ferocity of the Huaixi soldiers.

In the eyes of Emperor Qianlong and a group of military ministers, the highlight of this military report is two words - "great victory".

……

The moment Qianlong saw these two words, he felt a spring breeze blowing on his face and the water calmed down.

It's hard to describe this feeling of relief.

Although it was only a small victory, in his eyes it was a signal that the imperial court's anti-bandit war was stable and improving and basically under control.

"Jiangsu map!"

The chief eunuch Qin Si was well prepared.

With a wave of his hand, two young eunuchs immediately came in carrying a map.

"Master, the corner field is right here."

"Good, good. This has defeated a small group of Wu Zetian's troops."

Qianlong wore crystal glasses and looked at the map carefully.

"Zu Youen fought well, and the Huaixi soldiers dared to risk their lives. If we allow the Wu bandits to land continuously from Jiaoxiechang, it would be like putting a sharp knife in the waist of my army. Huai'an is in danger."

How shrewd He Shen was.

He immediately praised Zu Youen for being the descendant of the famous general Zu Dashou.
Zujia may not have held high positions, but he was very good at amassing wealth, especially real estate. There were streets full of Zujia's properties.

Zu's family was quite understanding of human relationships, so they presented many gifts to Heshen, the favorite minister.

Last year during the Mid-Autumn Festival,

He even gave Heshen four shops on Qianmen Street as a New Year gift. Heshen was naturally impressed by such a generous gesture and returned the favor.

……

"Pass the decree, award Zu Youen the rank of First-Class Light Cavalry Commandant and 50 taels of silver from the imperial treasury. Also award him this ring of mine."

First-class light cavalry captain, sounds very unsophisticated.

In fact, it is a kind of title reward given by the Qing court to meritorious officials who are not members of the royal family or Mongolia, second only to duke, marquis, earl, viscount and baron.

Going further up, you will reach the Baron.

Before Heshen became famous, he only held the hereditary title of third-class light cavalry commander.

And being awarded a jade ring by the emperor is definitely a great honor.

As one of the Eight Great Families of the Han Army Banner, the Zu family was decorated with lights and was in a festive mood, and by the way, they expanded their network of contacts in the capital.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Heshen and Yu Minzhong sat carefully on the brocade stool.

Qianlong wore glasses.

He is carefully reading the memorial from the Minister in charge of the Gunpowder Bureau of the Ministry of Industry.

"The maritime ban is the foundation of the court and cannot be shaken. However, sulfur is indeed necessary for making gunpowder. I dare to suggest that the court make some concessions on overseas sulfur. No matter which ship comes to sell, the Ministry of Industry will buy it all."

"What do you think?"

"I think it's OK. Although our Great Qing also produces sulfur, the quantity is small and the purity is low. It is definitely not as good as the sulfur from Fusang."

"I also think it's OK, but it needs to be strictly controlled and the opening of sea trade cannot be expanded casually."

Qianlong nodded:
"Then do it."

suddenly,

He took off his glasses and asked:

"Frontline officers report that over 8% of the Wu bandits are equipped with firearms. Where does their sulfur come from? Do the Wu bandits produce their own gunpowder or buy it from overseas?"

……

Yu Minzhong stood in awe:
"Your Majesty is wise and insightful. This is a crucial issue."

Heshen was also thoughtful and felt that there was something fishy about this matter.

Qianlong thought for a moment:

"Draft an imperial decree to have the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Yi Erhang, and the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, Wang Danwang, help investigate the sea. No matter what method is used, it will be a great achievement to cut off the possible transportation line to Southeast Asia of the Wu bandits. By the way, send someone to find out whether the Fuso people have forgotten their loyalty for the sake of profit and sold sulfur to the Wu bandits?"

"Also, Liu Yong has been out of the capital for a long time to investigate saltpeter smuggling. Let him return to the capital. I have something I want to ask him in person."

"Tell Fu Changan to go for it."

A series of commands,
Qianlong's thinking and logic are clear, which makes people admire him.

"Heshen, you are also in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. You must give priority to guaranteeing the money for the Yangxin Palace Workshop and the Gunpowder Bureau of the Ministry of Works."

"I understand. If you want people, I will give them. If you want money, I will give you money. I would also like to ask for your permission to relocate more than 300 households outside You'anmen to make more space for the Gunpowder Bureau and the Imperial Household Department."

Qianlong agreed to all of them.

A few days ago, he promoted Helin and let him gradually take charge of the Yangxin Palace's workshop, in order to make the empire's gun production smoother and reduce all constraints.

Because of the relationship like brothers, the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department can be as close as a family.

Qianlong knew everything.
In the Qing Dynasty, even imperial edicts and court regulations might not be effective in getting things done, and one still had to rely on good personal relationships.

……

"Your Majesty, the governors of Anhui and Shandong have reported that there has been a severe drought this year and requested that the court allocate some silver for disaster relief. In addition, the autumn grain production may decrease."

"Also, Shaanxi-Gansu Governor-General Le Erjin and Gansu Governor Wang Tingzan jointly reported that Gansu was suffering from a severe drought, with thousands of miles of scorched land and no crops harvested~"

Qianlong's face was calm:

"They all ask me for money for disaster relief. Do I have a cornucopia? Tell them not to ask the court for money when they encounter problems. They should be self-reliant. The gentry can contribute money, and the people can contribute labor. If people don't help themselves, no one can help them. If you think it's too difficult, I can let them mourn and replace them with someone who can solve the problem as governor."

"Whoo."

Having said that, Heshen didn't dare to say more.

but,

He still put some eye drops on the stumbling block, Shandong Governor Guotai:
"Shandong wants to follow the old example of Gansu and sell the title of student supervisor, and use the money earned for disaster relief~"

Qianlong hesitated for a moment, which was rare.

Shandong and Gansu have very different positions in the imperial court.

Shandong is very close to the capital, and needs absolute stability, a steady supply of money and grain, the loyalty of the gentry, and orthodox customs.

But Gansu is different. It just needs to avoid causing trouble and provide troops for every war of the court.

"Tell Guotai that Shandong is the land of saints. There shouldn't be too many students. One or two hundred will be enough."

……

Yu Minzhong, who is now also the Minister of Rites, immediately expressed his opinion:
"I will definitely supervise this matter. My son is also in Shandong, supervising the coal mines. He can give me feedback on the reaction of the Shandong gentry to this matter."

Qianlong smiled:

"Your youngest son? Why doesn't he stay in the capital and work there, rather than being in charge of the coal mines?"

Yu Minzhong quickly explained:

"Your Majesty loves me. But I know my son well. He is ambitious but incompetent. He can't handle big things and looks down on small things. If he works in the government office in the capital, I am afraid he will be frivolous. If he works as a people-friendly official in the local area, I am afraid he will make trouble. So~"

These words were spoken with great sincerity.

Even a harsh person like Qianlong could not help but nod:

"My dear Yu, I understand you. I am also a father, and I have a group of carefree and ignorant children."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Sometimes I wonder, this person, what does it matter if he has a high position, a lot of money, or a lot of houses? In the end, isn't it all for nothing?"

He Shen was also quite moved, muttering:

"The humble room is empty, once the bed was covered with tablets. The withered grass and withered poplars were once a place for singing and dancing. The boxes full of gold and silver were once beggars, and everyone slandered them."

……

Qianlong was also infected by the atmosphere and slowly walked down from the imperial desk.

"It's good that you think so."

"Heshen, what poem did you just read?"

"Your Majesty, it is a short poem from The Story of the Stone. It was written by a descendant of the Cao family."

"Which Cao family?"

"The Jiangning Cao family, favored by the Holy Ancestor."

"No wonder, only people who have been rich and powerful can write such words. Are there any descendants of the Cao family? If there are, please take appropriate care of them."

"Your Majesty is merciful."

Qianlong always involuntarily moved closer to his grandfather Kangxi.

I support everything that Grandpa advocates, and I will abolish everything that Dad advocates.

……

The conversation between the emperor and his ministers ended in a relaxed atmosphere.

Two hall-of-fame film masters teamed up to perform a song for the old emperor.

Hundreds of years later,

This provides the highest emotional value.

Qianlong was the emperor and had everything he needed, except high-end emotional values.

There are many flatterers in the world, but the low-end emotional value they provide will only make true noble people feel nauseous.

High-end emotional value is more precious than gold!
It can only be sold to the imperial family.

The chief eunuch Qin Si listened to the whole thing.

I was full of admiration and cried out in my heart that I had learned something new. The two adults, He and Yu, had truly mastered the most essential knowledge in the world.

When Qianlong was taking a nap,
He found a copy of The Story of the Stone and asked his apprentice to read it to him, while he leaned back in a recliner and listened with his eyes closed.

Halfway through reading,
The apprentice sighed:

"Master, this book is really well written. What does Cao Xueqin do?"

"He is the son of the Jiangning Weaving Factory."

"This is the first time I've heard of such a noble man writing a book."

"Hehe, that's because I've fallen on hard times." Qin Si stood up, took a sip of tea, and sighed as he looked at the towering palace walls, "When people are in high spirits, with endless money to spend and endless fun to have, how could they condescend to sit at their desks and write a crappy book?"

(End of this chapter)