Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 427 I ask you: Assassinate Li Ni at all costs!
Heshen's expression was sincere.

"The slave knows."

"You know? You still dare to suggest opening up local militias? What are you thinking?"

"The Qing Dynasty is unique in the world, and is different from the Tang, Han, and Ming dynasties. I feel that even if power is given up, it can still be controlled."

"Even before his death, Chongzhen refused to give up power. Am I not as courageous as him?"

……

He Shen was about to speak.

Suddenly, the chief eunuch Qin Si knocked on the door and whispered:

"Master, report to the Sticking Pole Department."

Qianlong took the sealed wax ball, took out the note inside, glanced at it, and handed it to Heshen with a sneer.

"I really underestimated Li Yu."

Coincidentally, the memorial from the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and the intelligence from the Sticking Rod Office both verified one thing - the State of Wu and the Yi people had close contacts.

He Shen said bitterly:
"I didn't expect that the strict maritime ban of the Qing Dynasty would benefit Li Ni."

"Yes."

Qianlong also laughed out of anger.

I am a man of steel and will not do business with foreign merchants.

Li Ni did it, and did it on a big scale.

Dozens of ships came to Jiangnan to purchase goods. How much silver would be given to the Wu bandits as military expenses?

Now that all of Jiangnan has been taken over by the thieves Wu, how big can Li Ni’s tea, silk and porcelain business be?

……

Qianlong stood up and fiddled with a jade ruyi.

Pretending to be nonchalant, he asked:
"Heshen, how much silver do you think Li Ni can earn in a year through maritime trade?"

"One hundred thousand taels."

Clang,

The jade ruyi fell into pieces.

"How many did you say?"

"I say that if Li Ni is ruthless enough, he can earn at least 2000 million taels of silver from the sea every year."

"How can it be so much?" Qianlong's face was distorted. "The Guangdong Customs is known as the Southern Treasury of the Son of Heaven. At its peak, it only had 800 million taels."

"Master, we are the government, we have to pay for things. But Li Ni is different, he is a thief, he can completely not give a penny to the tea farmers and silk farmers, he can even rob them openly~"

He Shen's analysis actually made Qianlong stunned. He looked at the snow outside the window and was speechless for a long time.
……

For two consecutive days, Qianlong had no appetite and was restless.

He suddenly realized a terrible reality - Li Yu's strength was about to surge again, and he would grow into a behemoth at a speed beyond everyone's imagination.

They have occupied the Jiangnan region, which ranks first in the country in terms of taxation and grain, and they also control the major grain-producing province of Jiangxi. Next, they will most likely occupy the commercially developed Guangdong.

When we fight, what we fight for is money and food.

Li Ni has gathered all the key elements, how can I counter him?
……

Ever since the smoke of war rose in Jiangnan,
This was the first time that Qianlong was so pessimistic about the current situation. Even though the losses in the Jiangbei Battle were so great and the Sauron troops were completely wiped out, he felt that he would be able to turn things around sooner or later.

The confidence comes from the empire's vast territory and almost endless war potential.

During the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, there were major military defeats.

Over ten thousand Eight Banners soldiers were killed in one battle, tens of thousands of Green Camp soldiers were killed in one battle, countless supplies and artillery were lost, and it was not uncommon for military expenditures to reach tens of millions.

None of this matters.

Although the Qing Dynasty was an agricultural country, its territory was incredibly large and its health was limitless.

All the wars,

It's like a 120kg ordinary athlete versus a 60kg athlete.

A 120kg competitor doesn't need any skills, just take the beating and crush the opponent with the advantage of tonnage.
No matter how many rounds,

In the end, the Qing Dynasty was able to raise its right hand with a bruised face and declare that it had won again!

……

"Master, I see your eyes are red from staying up late, so why don't you put the memorial aside for now?"

"I can't sleep."

Qianlong looked visibly haggard.

He had lived for more than 60 years and had always been in good health. He ate well, slept well, and rarely worried. But now, Li Yu had broken his defenses!

The 2000 million taels of silver lingered in his mind and he could not calm down for a long time.

At this moment,

Qin Si burst into tears, feeling extremely distressed.

Damn the traitor Li, damn the barbarians, they have brought so much suffering to our Qing Dynasty.

"Give this to the sticky rod department!"

"Whoo."

Qianlong finally made up his mind to assassinate Li Yu at all costs!

If we can get rid of this official, then we can achieve our goal.

The bandit chief's children are still young and cannot bear such a heavy burden, nor can they suppress the generals and officers under him.

Just like back then,

As soon as Wu Sangui died, the country instantly fell apart.

Now, if Li Yu died~
The aggressive Wu army would also lose its fighting spirit and fall into an endless battle.

……

The imperial physician rushed over and prescribed a tranquilizing decoction.
Qianlong finally fell into a deep sleep after taking it. The secret technique of the Forbidden City, the lead cream added is particularly good~
After sleeping for 6 hours,

The first words Qianlong said when he woke up were:

"Gather all the ministers. I have a difficult decision to make!"

Under the pressure of internal and external situations, and with the persuasion of his servant Heshen, Qianlong finally took the first step that was beyond his ability as an emperor - partially opening up militia training!
At the court meeting,
Many ministers of Han descent burst into tears on the spot and tried to persuade the emperor to retract his decision.

"Your Majesty, opening up the militia is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It cannot be done."

"Your Majesty, how can you allow local gentry to control the military power? Even if it's just the four provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Huguang, you can't do that."

Qianlong's expression was calm, and his eyes showed neither sadness nor joy.

Just tell these people firmly:

"My decision has been made."

After the meeting, he ordered an imperial decree to summon retired gentry and great scholars from the above four provinces who had sufficient weight to come to Nanyang.

Summon them one by one to stabilize people's hearts.

……

Tingji arrived in Wuchang first.

Chen Zulo could hardly believe his eyes. He read it four times, hoping to find some clues between the lines.

"Master, what do you think?"

The trusted aides were surprised at first, then hesitated.

After pondering for a long time, he finally said:

"Dong Weng, the court is overwhelmed!"

"Shh!"

Although Chen Zulo severely stopped his aide's outrageous remarks, he still wanted to continue listening to his analysis.

"Look, Mr. Dong, each province has a minister of militia, and the most popular ones are retired officials or old officials in mourning. They all hold a third-rank honorary title and must first meet the emperor in Nanyang. The court wants to use emotional ties to maintain limited loyalty."

"Each prefecture (state) has a militia commander, who is recommended by scholars and gentry. The court uses Confucian scholars to lead the troops to prevent them from becoming too powerful to be controlled."

"Each county has one to two regiment commanders, and the first choice is the sons of clan gentry, and the young and strong ones are given priority. Clan blood is the natural bond between officers and soldiers. One village has one station, and one township has one camp. Of course, the clans around Wuchang are not as good as those in Hunan, let alone Guangdong and Guangxi."

"The first choice for militia training is honest villagers, who are both soldiers and civilians. Local governments will provide their own food, wages, and weapons. The court does not need to spend a tael of silver, just a piece of paper, and a million militias can be obtained."

……

Chen Zuluo asked in a low voice:
“Is a mob useful?”

The staff smiled:

"Delaying the Wu army's advance, buying time for the imperial court, and expanding the hatred between the Wu army and the people. It should be somewhat useful."

"Master, what do you think the local gentry think?"

"Who wouldn't be tempted by such a rare opportunity? To put it bluntly, this is equivalent to starting a business independently within the framework of the court without having to rebel or violate the righteousness. Even if the rebellion is successfully suppressed in the future, the court will have to hold its nose and allow these people to be local emperors in exchange for their disarmament."

Chen Zuluo couldn't help but nodded.

……

The staff member continued:
"Violence is the endorsement of all power. Once the gentry have military power in their hands, they can kill whomever they want.

"Dong Weng! If it were me, even if I didn't want to get involved in this mess, I would have to hold my nose and spend all my family wealth to train the group. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"If I don't take up the position of militia training, someone else will. When the time comes, they will come to my door with knives in hand and ask me to donate money to support their troops. What do you think, should I donate or not?"

Chen Zuluo was instantly horrified.

This is equivalent to starting an arms race, which we can only escalate, not withdraw from.

If your neighbor is sharpening his knife, would you dare not sharpen yours?

……

The Shaoxing lawyer who had followed me for 3000 years with an annual salary of 10 taels was so terrifying!
The legal advisors were all scholars, most of whom had mediocre performance in the imperial examinations, but they had read history and human nature thoroughly, were good at calculating, and were keen on open schemes.

Senior staff members working in the ministries and governors-general are particularly particular about professional ethics. They always consider the position of their bosses first and never put the interests of the court or anyone else before their bosses.

This is the professional ethics passed down from generation to generation by Shaoxing lawyers, and it is also the core of their work in government offices.

Work hard for the owner until the contract expires or the owner collapses~
Unemployed legal advisors don’t have to worry, as other big shots will come to you soon and hire you for a large sum of money.

……

For a long time,

Chen Zuluo waved his hand:
"Don't change a word. Send it to a clear place." "Yes."

Jingxiang was shocked and Xianghu was shaken.

There was a sudden light in the eyes of the gentry and powerful people.

The common people, not knowing what was going on, were very worried. They watched the gentry riding in sedan chairs visiting and running back and forth, sometimes excited, sometimes nervous, and sometimes gritting their teeth.

Anyway,

The first prototypes of militia were born.

In Hubei and Hunan, people from all counties and villages ignored the cold weather and went to

One foot deep, one foot shallow, beating the gong and shouting:

"When busy, I work on the farm. When I'm free, I train. I protect my hometown and I am loyal to the court."

"Fellow villagers, join the militia and follow the local lord to fight against the bandits. It is better to chop off a head than to plant an acre of land, and it is more cost-effective than being a farmhand."

……

Cenxi County, Wuzhou Prefecture, Guangxi.

It is the season for planting sugarcane and the season for lychee harvest.
A barefoot, skinny young man came running towards them.

Barking with a voice that was still changing:

"Brothers, stop cutting sugar cane, there are good jobs out there."

A group of young boys came out rustling from a field of wild sugarcane that was taller than their heads.

"Master Lu is recruiting a group. Hey, where's Lao Bai?"

"Ah Huang, your father is here."

The teenagers laughed out loud~
Bai Jianren was able to become the leader of this group of teenagers because he was crazy about fighting and had many clever ideas.

……

"Lao Bai, can you please not call me Ah Huang in front of others? It makes me lose face."

Bai Jianren peeled a lychee and stuffed it into his mouth with a smile.

"Old Huang, stop being so pretentious. Tell me quickly, what good job is there?"

"Yes, cutting sugarcane is not a job for humans."

"Master Lu is recruiting militias, providing them with food and wages, and paying them 10 cents a day."

"What is group training?"

Before the young man surnamed Huang opened his mouth, someone next to him answered:
“Just get together and practice together.”

"..."

As expected, the wise boy was kicked several times and squatted aside, chewing wild sugarcane with a wronged look on his face.

This wasteland on the hillside is grown with wild sugarcane and miscellaneous trees.

The rich man promised,

Whoever can clear 2 mu of land will be given 100 coins.

The adults scoffed at such low wages.

In the end, it was taken over by this group of teenagers who had nowhere to work.

……

Bai Jianren was hungry and thin.

My waist became so thin that it could barely hold up my wide-leg trousers.

However, the head can fall off, but the pants cannot.

He tightened the hemp rope around his waist and successfully defended the last bit of dignity as a man.

He frowned and asked:

"Will Master Lu accept us? We don't have the same surname."

"I think so. There's a red notice posted at the entrance of the town. The gentleman said that local men who can fight are qualified."

The young men were instantly relieved, and finally they decided to go down the mountain to find a job with more promising prospects.

……

Due to the soaring food prices in the province,

Everyone's mouths were busy along the way, eating wild lychees, gnawing on unknown plants, and drinking mountain spring water.

Anyway,

Try to deceive your stomach as much as possible.

Having enough food to eat is currently a luxury for these poor young people in Guangxi.

If you open the history books, you will find that in the past 5000 years, people were not well fed for at least 4000 years.

These young people didn't think too much about it, they just wanted to join the militia, get meals every day, and get 10 cents pocket money.

10 cents, not a small amount~
……

We walked slowly and hurriedly, and finally reached the town entrance in half an hour.

Very lively,
A few old men were beating drums and gongs with their eyes slightly closed, and there was a lion dancer nearby.

"Recruiting the militia for training. Two thin meals in normal times, two dry meals in wartime. Don't train during the busy farming season, only during the slack season."

The county government sent an old bailiff in black clerk's uniform to serve as a credit endorsement!

Mr. Lu was in high spirits and kept bowing to his acquaintances.

Although he is not rich, he has considerable assets.

The most important thing is,

He has vision! He has courage!

……

The magistrate wrote on paper with a red seal, announcing the appointment of Mr. Lu as the commander of the county militia, and that the male members of the Lu clan would serve as officers at all levels of the militia.

Thus,
I have given an explanation to both my superiors and my subordinates.

In the first month of the year, the Governor-General urged all places to quickly organize militia.

Officials in various states and counties were hesitant, fearing that they would violate the law.

just in case,

Afterwards, the imperial court investigated the matter and everyone from the governor to the county magistrate was doomed.

Everyone can see how harsh Emperor Qianlong was.

If the governor, governor-general, minister, or general of the Eight Banners displeased the emperor, they would be punished or have their heads cut off.

After the imperial edict was issued.

Everyone finally let go of their ideological baggage and did it! Do it vigorously!
loyalty!

……

"Go away, kid, why are you making such a fuss?"

The young men felt that they were being humiliated in public, and they all straightened their skinny chests and slapped them hard to show off their masculinity.

"We are here to join the group training."

"you?"

"Correct."

"My arms are not as thick as a stick. Go back and eat for another three years."

Bai Jianren was helpless:

"We are so thin because we have no food at home. Don't underestimate us, we are very good at fighting."

"Okay. Do you see that basket of rice over there? 100 kilograms of rice, want to try?"

Bai Jianren separated the crowd and walked over.

I saw that the baskets at both ends of the shoulder pole were full of rice.

He seriously suspected that it was more than 100 pounds, but if he made excuses he would only be laughed at.

Again,
A man’s self-esteem cannot fall to the ground, but his head can fall to the ground.

Bai Jianren tightened the hemp rope around his waist again, making her look incredibly slender, something that ordinary women would envy.

……

He steadied the rope with his hands and took the weight on his shoulders.

"rise!"

"Come on, take two steps."

The Lu mansion's housekeeper hurriedly shouted.

Bai Jianren gritted his teeth and kept steady. As he walked, he felt his vision go dark because he was hungry.

Just when he was about to fall, he suddenly saw a beautiful figure.

Xiaoxiaosheng has a poem saying:

Her eyebrows are as dark as clouds, and her eyes are as beautiful as autumn water.

The embroidered shoes were half-folded into a small bow, and she laughed sweetly.

She wore a silk skirt cut to look like stars and the moon, and it was tightly tied around her slender waist.

The peach blossom's face is as white as jade and her skin is so beautiful that it cannot be described in words.

……

Bai Jianren swallowed the blood that was surging in his throat, carried the load and walked back and forth twice with steady steps.

The housekeeper was stunned.

He knew that this load of rice was not 100 kilograms, but 200 kilograms.

200 pounds!
It's nothing for a strong laborer, but it's like a mountain pressing down on the head for a skinny boy like this.

The old yamen runner came close to Master Lu and whispered:
"Stay here, you're not going to care about your life."

When he was young, Master Lu worked as a escort and a merchant. With good fortune, he accumulated a considerable fortune.
He knows the destructive power of the young and inexperienced people!

Nodding slightly:

"Sign up!"

(End of this chapter)