Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 420: Butterflies flap their wings, Guangdong suddenly changes

Liu Lu, a bondservant, was lying in a haystack, shivering from the cold. He was one of the few who had managed to escape the ice.
Howling cold wind and desolate wilderness.

That night, the soul returned to Liaodong.

He huddled up, his teeth chattering, muttering:

"Mr. Li has taken someone in. The master is dead~"

This night was a blur.
He figured out one thing - that bastard Zhang Liyong must have defected to Wu Jun.

The best proof is that the Wu cavalry appeared at the agreed location without saying a word.

What path should I take in the future?
It means to hide your identity and live as an ordinary citizen.

He decided to surrender to the imperial court with the golden seal of general in his arms and continue to be a loyal official of the Qing Dynasty.

Liu Lu was very confused. He was used to being a servant and suddenly he was not used to being himself.

……

And the Zhang Liyong tribe, whom he cursed, was still lingering at the gate of the King of Hell's Palace.

Zhang Liyong had served as the deputy general of the Green Camp and as the vanguard general of the White Lotus. He knew that there was no integrity among the big men and that it was all about deception and intrigue.

Ma Zhongyi's damn colleague actually wanted him to be the fool who pulled out the donkey's peg.

If you do this yourself,
Wu Jun immediately mobilized heavy troops and attacked him frantically.

It is not only for revenge, but also for the safety of Pingxiang coal mine.

At the beginning,

When Sima Shang went up the mountain to discuss cooperation, he hinted that Pingxiang was important because it had high-quality coal mines.

Zhang Liyong was very calm.

He saw the current situation clearly. The area around Pingxiang was Wu Ting's forbidden area, a reverse scale that could not be touched.

……

Zhang Liyong clearly distinguishes the big and small kings.

then,

He happily sold Ma Zhongyi for a good price.

The magistrate of Pingxiang County, Yuanzhou Prefecture, appointed by the Wu State, came forward and promised to allow the White Lotus Sect to cross the border and enter Hunan to compete with the Qing army for territory.

Hunan and Jiangxi provinces,

It is completely separated by the Luoxiao Mountains (in the south) and the Mulianjiu Mountains (in the north), with only one gap, which is Pingxiang-Liling.

The Governor of Huguang, Chen Zuluo, announced to the local officials of the two provinces that they had the responsibility to defend the territory! If the city was lost, they would be held accountable!
If you want to defend Changsha, you must first protect Liling.

Liling County and Pingxiang County are adjacent to each other, and have the only plain road between the two provinces that can be used for large armies to travel between them.

The Qing army assembled on a large scale in Liling County, Changsha Prefecture, with over 10,000 infantry and cavalry.

【Liling, pronounced as Li Ling. 】

……

Wu Simai, the commander-in-chief of the Light Cavalry Corps, had a red heart and was prepared for both situations.

Ma Zhongyi should be killed, and Zhang Liyong cannot be spared either.

"Suppress the White Lotus" or "drive out the White Lotus", in the end the civil and military officials reached a unanimous decision - to act according to circumstances.

Only then did the scene appear, where Wusimai's troops hurriedly returned to Pingxiang to provide support after annihilating the Qing troops in Nangan Town.

If you are sure, join forces to kill Bai Lian.

If you are not sure, monitor Bai Lian as he passes Pingxiang and enters Liling County, and let them and the Qing army kill him first.

There are no plans for large-scale military operations in winter.

But if this group of White Lotus rebels disrupt Changsha Prefecture, Wusimai and the Pingxiang garrison would not mind seizing the opportunity to expand their victory and enter Changsha to celebrate the New Year!

……

On the official road of Pingxiang County,
More than 2000 White Lotus members were divided into three groups, front and back, and marched silently.

At the front were the elite veterans, numbering only 200 people.

The middle is the main force, 1500 people.

The old, weak and sick are at the end~
Most of them were equipped with swords and spears, while a few carried muskets on their shoulders, their eyes filled with fear and alertness.

Zhang Liyong was in the last round. He looked calm on the surface, but his back was covered in cold sweat.

He raised his head and looked to the south, and saw columns of smoke rising in the valley. He guessed that the coal mine Sima Shang mentioned had started production.

A group of scattered Wu soldiers were like maggots on the heel, lingering around.

On the flank hill, there is an infantry company waiting eagerly.
In the infantry company formation, the Pingxiang County Magistrate put down his telescope.

"Second Lieutenant, are you sure you can fight a war of annihilation, or wipe out more than 8% of the White Lotus?"

The lieutenant shook his head.
"It was easy to defeat them. There was no way to stop them from fleeing into the mountains."

At the foot of the mountain, Bai Lian was seen marching very fast, as if there was a ghost behind him. Moreover, Wusimai's light cavalry failed to return in time.

The magistrate nodded and said silently:

"That's all. Drive away the wolf and devour the tiger."

……

"May Maitreya Buddha bless me. If I can escape danger today, I will be a steadfast believer in White Lotus for the rest of my life."

Maybe Maitreya Buddha heard his prayers, or maybe he was not destined to die.

The Wu army did not attack, but watched the last of the old and weak Bai Lian disappear into the skyline.

After another 20 miles of rapid progress,
Zhang Liyong excitedly unfolded the White Lotus flag and shouted:
"Maitreya is born to protect the believers."

Everyone also shouted slogans, and morale was high for a while.

After this dangerous experience, Zhang Liyong's prestige soared, and his self-proclaimed Great Protector was also recognized by everyone.

Hate Bai Lian, despise Bai Lian, understand Bai Lian, become Bai Lian~
Zhang Liyong was unknowingly taking the last step to surpass Bai Lian!

……

if we assume,
When he fled hastily from Hubei to Jiangxi, Zhang Liyong disdained the White Lotus Sect and thought it was all bullshit.

Now, as he hastily fled Jiangxi, he developed a reverence for the White Lotus doctrine.

It would be unbelievable if he was able to keep his soldiers under his command in such a difficult situation than if he were the Green Camp soldiers.

The Pingshui River was in the dry season, and after crossing the river, the Wu army scouts disappeared and no longer followed.

But Zhang Liyong soon discovered that all the villages he passed by were deserted, with only a few old, weak, sick and disabled people left to guard the villages. These people looked alert and knew nothing when asked.

My intuition tells me that there is a problem!

quickly,

He then understood why Wu Jun was so kind.

The Qing army's mounted scouts kept appearing around, spying back and forth.

It was difficult for our own soldiers, who were all infantry and extremely short of gunpowder, to disperse them.

……

Two Qing army scouts rode their horses boldly up a hill for close reconnaissance in an attempt to obtain more accurate intelligence.

suddenly,

Several White Lotus sect members emerged from the bushes and started shooting with guns, killing one Qing soldier and injuring one.

After interrogating the scouts, they learned that Liling County ahead was heavily guarded by Qing troops.

Just when Zhang Liyong was secretly complaining, someone suddenly came to report:

"Believers of the White Lotus Changsha Branch are here to pay their respects to the general."

An old man and a young boy, both dressed quite decently, started to "cut" as soon as they met.

Zhang Liyong also responded with a "cut".

As a person that Master Hong relied on, he was taught the Book of White Lotus Secrets.

After a few cuts,

The old and the young were shocked, bowed their heads and were overjoyed.

"Great Dharma Protector, I never thought that I would meet a noble person from our sect again in this life. What a magnificent army of protectors! Our sect has hope again."

"Master, excuse me. We have pursuers behind us and soldiers in front of us. It is really difficult for us to survive."

"Great Protector, why don't you go north?"

"Ok?"

"Into the mountains."

Zhang Liyong smiled bitterly and looked at the old Christian who was obviously of high social status:
"We just escaped from the mountains."

……

The old man in the black leather robe understood instantly, stroked his beard and smiled:

"This mountain is not that mountain. The army went north into the canyon, passed through Wangxian Town and Jingang Town, and captured Liuyang County. Do you know the geography of Liuyang, Great Protector?"

Zhang Liyong shook his head.

"Liuyang is a perfect place to hide troops in troubled times. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a long narrow plain in the middle. It is suitable for farming and is easy to defend. We don't need to be afraid of a small group of soldiers encircling us. We can just guard a few narrow entrances. When a large group of troops arrives, we can abandon the county town and go into the mountains. After the soldiers leave, we can go down the mountain."

Zhang Liyong's eyes flickered:
"It's a nice place indeed."

The old man lowered his voice and continued, "There's something even more interesting. People in Liuyang have been able to make fireworks since ancient times."

"Fireworks?"

Zhang Liyong was stunned for a few seconds before he asked anxiously:
"You mean, they can make gunpowder?"

"Since the Tang Dynasty, a man named Li from Liuyang has learned to use gunpowder to make fireworks, and this has been passed down from generation to generation for a thousand years. Great Dharma Protector, this is the guidance of the leader's spirit in heaven."

Zhang Liyong shook hands tightly with the old man:
"From today on, you are the left protector of our sect."

"Wang Xuanlin, a gentry of Liling County, respectfully obeys the order of the Great Protector of the Dharma."

……

The army passed through the town.

Zhang Liyong ordered the execution of gentry and merchants and the seizure of their property.

The things and food that could not be taken away were directly distributed to the nearby people to gain a good reputation.

If you want to cultivate Liuyang, you need to be close to the people. This is also emphasized in the doctrine.

As expected, there were two or three hundred new recruits in the team.

The next evening,

The sky was dark, and suddenly countless bright lights exploded in the distant sky.

"Fireworks, they are fireworks."

The team was suddenly in an uproar. Wang Xuanlin pointed at the fireworks exploding in the distance:
"Great Protector, that is Liuyang."

At midnight,

Zhang Liyong personally led the suicide squad to climb up the low city wall under the cover of night and easily captured the county town.

Kill the officials and gentry, open the granaries to release grain, concentrate the gunpowder craftsmen, and control the gunpowder workshops.

……

Confusion arose on both sides.

Six days later, the Qing army in Hunan discovered that a group of White Lotus bandits had attacked and controlled the small county of Liuyang. They judged that the White Lotus bandits might have defected to the thief Wu and were harassing Changsha as a vanguard, taking the gunpowder craftsmen with them.

But in the overall situation of the Changsha Defense War, there was no need to waste military forces on the small Liuyang.

Wu Jun of Jiangxi judged that
It is very likely that this White Lotus sect has found its way back into the old ways.

Wusimai was extremely upset and reported to His Majesty to apologize.

At the same time, a reward was offered in Yuanzhou and Ji'an. Anyone who found any trace of Bai Lian and reported it to the government would receive a reward of 200 taels of silver.

The misunderstanding between the two sides was profound.

This allowed Zhang Liyong's troops to gain valuable time in Liuyang County.

……

Anyway,

The bloody campaign in Jiangxi came to a perfect end before the Chinese New Year.

The city is full of Wu flags~
In the countryside, some people also posted notices from the new government to reassure the people!
There are two key points here.

The grain collection method that the people were familiar with was changed to a collection of 60 jin of grain per acre for spring and autumn grain, which had to be delivered to the county grain depot by the people themselves.

The corvée labor in this province will not be abolished for the time being.

The corvée can be cancelled for villages that have not resisted or leaked grain or colluded with the Qing government for one year in a row. The first batch of model villages exempted from corvée will be announced in the twelfth month of next year, with a total of 1 villages.

The people didn't dare to believe it.

After experiencing the Ming and Qing dynasties, even the most ignorant people understand that the Ming (Qing) Dynasty has its own national conditions.

There is often a mountain between theory and practice. If you strike a gong on one side of the mountain, you can hear the sound on the other side of the mountain, but it is just a sound.

……

The heavy snow fell again, covering the ruins and corpses, making this ugly world seem clean.

Facing the upcoming Spring Festival,
The reactions from all parties were completely different.

Except for the scouts and sentries, everyone else in the 5th Legion can relax a little.

The market in Nanxiong City is bustling with fair trade and a happy atmosphere.

Miao Youlin executed first and reported later.
A portion of the seized silver that should have been handed over to the public was temporarily distributed to the soldiers.

By then,

His Majesty will not blame you if you deduct it from the reward and military pay.

The people of Nanxiong are quite special. They are neither Cantonese, nor Hakka, nor Chaoshan people. They are just Nanxiong people.

This made Miao Youlin sigh, and he felt that he had found a foothold outside the vortex.

……

Jiaying Prefecture (the previous article wrote it wrong, it was called Jiaying Prefecture in the Qing Dynasty and was renamed Meizhou in modern times) The Hakka people once lived in the Central Plains, but they were not idle.

He vaguely saw the "dawn of a turnaround" and didn't want to let it go~
The Qing army carried out a frenzied massacre in southern Jiangxi, leaving Hakka corpses all over the ground.

To him this was a clear signal!

The Qing government raised the butcher knife to the Hakka people. The Qing government stood on the side of the Cantonese people.

This logic seems untenable, but from the perspective of the parties involved, it is logically rigorous and the motivation is clear.

The Hakka people are all refugees from the north and are considered outsiders.

From the moment they took root, natural conflicts arose between them and the local natives - disputes over land, water, and living space.

This struggle,

It will only become more tragic and irreconcilable.

……

Zeng Zhongyuan and a group of porters did not return home after receiving the reward money, but moved around the Hakka settlements in the mountainous areas of northern Guangdong.
He told everyone:

The Qing government took action against the Hakka people! The Qing soldiers indiscriminately destroyed the villages of the Hakka people in southern Jiangxi.

This news was like a bombshell, making everyone dizzy.

Then, the leaders of each village and village met.

They started building earthen buildings, digging fortifications, and cutting bamboo.

The young and strong men held simple long weapons and advanced and retreated in unison when the gong sounded. The big-footed women were responsible for building walls and digging ditches, waving flags and shouting cheers.

The air in the mountainous areas of northern Guangdong smells like gunpowder.

……

The local government immediately dispatched runners into the mountains to order all villages to behave themselves, pay fines, demolish their earthen buildings, and not to gather in large numbers.

otherwise,

The officers and soldiers will punish severely!
however,
This move further confirmed the rumors that the Qing government was planning to take drastic measures against the Hakka people.

The leaders of the Hakka villages retained their last bit of clarity and were unwilling to engage in armed confrontation with the government soldiers unless it was absolutely necessary.

however,
The people who were sent over mountains and across rivers to southern Jiangxi to inquire about the news came back one after another, confirming that the Qing army was indeed in Shan Village in southern Jiangxi.

……

The prefect of Jiaying asked for help from the provincial capital.

The Governor's Office was crowded with people wearing red tasseled hats and was completely silent.

Everyone's face was filled with fear.
Governor Zhao Shisheng's voice trembled a little:
"This must be the thief Wu who is stirring up trouble. We are in big trouble."

A senior staff member of the Governor's Office could not help but ask:
"Governor, is the massacre of villagers by officers and soldiers in southern Jiangxi a rumor? What is the purpose of General Ma being so crazy?"

Zhao Shisheng nodded in agreement.

Then he added:

"But he has fought and died for his country."

Governor Irhang also said silently:
"I also think that General Ma was too extreme. But he died on the battlefield after all. Never mind, never mind~"

Everyone who originally wanted to scold Ma Zhongyi was instantly speechless, and their anger could only turn into a long sigh.

Death is a big deal.

What's more, the man named Ma died in battle, so even if he made a big mistake, the court would not pursue it, and the emperor would have to issue an edict to praise him.

……

"The governor, the governor, and the prison warden of the government office request to see you."

"Ok?"

"The warden said there is important military information about the rebels. We cannot delay for even a moment and must report it to the two masters in person."

Yierhang and Zhao Shisheng looked at each other.

"Bring it in."

It was the first time for a ninth-rank prison warden to enter such a high-level occasion.

I was so scared that I dared not raise my head.

Kneeling down and bowing his head, he whispered:

"Reporting to the governor and governor, dozens of clans in Chaozhou Prefecture are plotting a rebellion~"

(End of this chapter)