Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 447: The Minister of Militia Struggles Between Loyalty and Autonomy

The fall of Guangzhou shocked the entire province.

Especially the counties and cities in the Pearl River Basin that were still under the actual control of the Qing government were terrified.

quickly,

All places received the Wu army's flying horse message.

They were all in groups of two, traveling through counties and villages, shouting loudly and posting notices. Even when they entered enemy territory, they were rarely stopped.

……

Wen Yuande, a native of Kaiping County, Zhaoqing Prefecture, and former head of the Ministry of Rites and current imperially appointed Minister of the Guangdong Militia, was anxious and paced back and forth in the flower hall.

Even the most authentic herbal tea cannot suppress the heat in your heart.

"I would like to ask you, why don't the local garrison troops and militiamen capture and kill them?"

"This~"

Everyone looked around and talked about something else~
Seeing this, Wen Yuande sighed and stopped asking questions.

"You have all worked hard, go down now."

……

Just because he was an official in the Ministry of Rites doesn't mean he is pedantic.

Deciding by issuing an order is a tactic that only the side that has gained absolute advantage on the battlefield is qualified to play.

right now,

Anyone who dares to openly kill the Wu army's knights would be slapped in the face by Li.

When the thief gets angry, millions of people are killed.
When the main force of Wu’s army from Guangzhou arrived, revenge and killing were as easy as harvesting rice.

Wen Yuande sat back in his chair dejectedly.

He closed his eyes and sighed:
"The first bird to stick its head out gets shot, and the first rafter to stick out gets rotted first."

"It's not their fault. The Wu army is so fierce that even regular troops can't stop them, let alone a mob."

"What I lack most is time. If God can give me another year, no, three months would be fine."

……

Half an hour later,
Wen Yuande sent his trusted family member to Wuzhou Prefecture with a handwritten letter, which was quickly delivered to Nanyang Prefecture in Henan Province via the local post station.

He wanted to remind Qianlong:

The situation in the south is deteriorating faster than your Majesty expected!

In times of chaos, severe punishments should be used.

In troubled times, the right medicine is needed.

In troubled times, we should employ talented people without any restrictions.

It is best to put aside the ancestral laws of our Qing Dynasty for now.

……

There is a statue of Guanyin in Wen Yuande's study.

At this time, he knelt devoutly in front of the Guanyin statue.

There are words in his mouth:

"May the merciful Avalokitesvara bless us, and we must let the Wu army march east to attack Huizhou and Chaozhou. Or we can let the Wu army march west to attack Guangxi, which is also very good."

"Wu's army burned down the Guanyin Pavilion on Yuexiu Mountain, which was a blasphemy against the Bodhisattva. The believer made a vow that after the provincial capital was recovered, he would fund the reconstruction of the Guanyin Pavilion. The new pavilion will be five stories high and painted with gold powder on the outside."

……

After praying silently,

He stood up, put his palms together again and muttered something.

Back to the yard,
He used his robe to wipe the dust from the clay statue of the God of Land in the corner of the yard, which had fallen a few days ago.

Another promise~
Back to the study,

Wen Yuande summoned the housekeeper again.

ask:

"Do you know where the gentleman who drew the best fortune for me last month lives?"

"My Lord, I know his family."

"Take 10 silver coins as a fee for the divination."

"Yes."

……

After finishing this series of illusory things,

He put on a brand new official robe, took a deep breath, and strode towards the flower hall with his head held high.

In the flower hall,
The gentry, group leaders and clan elders from the four counties gathered together, waiting for the backbone.

As a middle-aged man with some success in his career, Wen Yuande actually believes in nothing, but also believes in a little bit of everything.

The reason is hard to explain.
Even if they are spoken out loud, the listeners will be embarrassed to find that these reasons are obviously contradictory and at odds with each other.

Anyway,

When people reach this age and reach this height, they can understand Lao Wen’s mood very well.

Like poetry and songs,

When one is young and just starts learning, one only has a superficial understanding of the literal meaning. But when one reaches middle age and looks back, one will burst into tears.

……

The so-called Four Counties of Cantonese (Enping, Xinhui, Xinning, Kaiping),

In fact, it is a relatively closed geographical area with Tanjiang as the center and surrounded by mountains.

Regardless of administrative divisions,

The four counties share a common language, ethnicity and culture.

Therefore,
It is easy to achieve the same advancement and retreat, and the same honor and disgrace.

later,

Some people also add Heshan County and call it the Wuyi.

Chixi can also be added and it is called Liuyi.

However, the Siyi version is the most authentic.

In general, Siyi culture is both conservative and bold.

Conservative means:

They adhered to various traditional customs, various ancestral halls, and unity and exclusion.

Bold means:

Many people from Siyi crossed the ocean and settled down there, so much so that Siyi dialect became the most common language in Chinatown.

……

Go to the side door of the flower hall,

Wen Yuande took another deep breath, and his whole body seemed to suddenly rise a few inches.

Lifting the corner of his robe,
He walked into the flower hall in a square step.

The discussion stopped abruptly.

Everyone bowed in unison:
"Greetings, Master Wen."

"Please take a seat, everyone. Tea is served."

Everyone was looking at the backbone's expression and pondering his tone.

……

Under heavy pressure,

Wen Yuande took a sip of tea and commented:

"Everyone says that Wuyi Mountain tea is good. In my opinion, Guangdong tea is not inferior at all. Everyone, would you like to try it?"

Everyone laughed.

Wen Yuande put down the teacup, took off his hat and handed it to the servant.

He bowed to the north void and said loudly:

"When I was in Nanyang Prefecture, the emperor was in high spirits and told me not to be anxious or panic. Even if this war lasts for five, ten or twenty years, the Qing will be the winner in the end."

"Everyone, do you know why?"

Everyone looked at each other and no one spoke.

Wen Yuande suddenly shouted:
"Because the Han people always have internal strife."

"Most of Wu Ni's court members are from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Jiangdong's cowards can divide themselves into dozens of factions and attack each other without anyone's instigation. When it comes to unity, we old Cantonese are the benchmark for the world."

"Therefore, I boldly conclude that Wu must be the second Southern Ming."

……

The head of the Xinhui group stood up, bowed and asked:

"May I ask, Master Wen, what should we do?"

"Fight! Fight Wu the thief! Losing once, twice, or ten times is nothing. With five million Cantonese people united as one, who in the world can defeat them?"

Everyone's blood is boiling~
Wen Yuande said again:
All Cantonese people, regardless of gender, age, east, west, south, or north, are united in protecting the land and the ancestral hall.

……

The atmosphere in the flower hall became more and more lively.

Wen Yuande lost no time in announcing the good news:

"Zhaoqing Prefecture sent us 800 matchlock rifles, and Guangxi also provided me with 2000 rifles."

The Governor of Guangxi and Wen Yuande were once colleagues in the Ministry of Rites and they had a good relationship.

Of course,
When important people do things, they always put public interest first, and personal friendship is only a small factor.

The governor of Guangxi presented guns mainly in the hope that the militia in western Guangdong would hold back Wu's army.

because,

The entire territory of Guangdong fell.

The next one may well be Guangxi’s turn.

……

Guangxi officials and gentry were also praying that Wu Jun's troops would not be directed at them for the time being. If they attacked Hunan, the people of Hunan would have plenty of food! If they attacked Fujian, the people of Hu Jian would have enough to eat!
but,

Some people are worried.
People in the south of the Yangtze River love sweet food.

We happen to have a lot of sugarcane in Guangxi.

Maybe it will attract Wu’s army and they will cut down our sugarcane.

Therefore,
It is difficult to say who Wu Jun will attack first after conquering the entire province of Guangdong.

……

Wen Yuande is relatively fair in his work.

The militia from the five counties of Enping, Xinhui, Xinning, Kaiping and Heshan each received 5 matchlock rifles.

He also led everyone to worship Guan Gong without the magnanimity of a great scholar to increase their sense of collective belonging.

The words of encouragement are also quite explicit:
"Everyone, heroes emerge in troubled times."

"Although I, Wen, have received great favors from the imperial court, I have not forgotten that I am from Siyi and will never do anything that betrays my own people. Organizing militia is for both the imperial court and our own people."

"You are all sensible people. If you want to speak loudly, you must have weapons in your hands!"

"I, Old Wen, have actually overstepped my authority today."

Everyone was quite excited.

They all stood up and bowed. The Cantonese are still united!
Wen Yuande screamed in his heart:

I knew you were this kind of person a long time ago! Fortunately, I was born and raised in Siyi, and I am familiar with the Guangdong culture.

When it comes to loyalty, you sneer.

When talking about self-government, you ruin your own homes to relieve the difficulties.

……

Wen Yuande had mixed feelings, but his expression was still normal.

He clapped his hands,

Shout loudly:
"Unfurl the flag."

Immediately, a servant walked into the flower hall holding a military flag.

Black background with red border and gold embroidery:
The four counties formed a coalition army.

After all this trouble,
He finally managed to unite the loosely-organized forces under his command and to gather some of the confused people's hearts.

Chen Shihao, the head of the Heshan group, suddenly asked:
"Master Wen, why don't we join forces?"

"Correct."

Everyone immediately agreed, feeling that in the current situation, if they divided their forces, they would be defeated one by one.

Wen Yuande is quick to follow good advice.

It takes time to mobilize troops.
It also takes time to store food.

Training and running-in require more time.

……

Wen Yuande proposed another strategy - never fire the first shot at the Wu army, but never compromise with Ke Yong.

The gentleman immediately praised:

"Master Wen, this is a wise and mature statement for the state."

There is no need to actively provoke the Wu army. The militia is immature, so they should avoid the sharp edge and build up their strength.

but,

The Ke Yong who are within reach must be killed.

Wen Yuande immediately expressed his position:
"To kill the Ke Yong is to train our troops and to maintain local peace."

An old man suddenly added:

"And we can also take their property, their land, and their women."

"What Elder Yu said is true." Wen Yuande said with a smile, "The leader of the Ke village is quite wealthy, the Ke women are also good at bearing children, and the land was also borrowed from our ancestors."

Speaking of which,
He paused suddenly and said loudly:
"I have a concubine, a guest girl, who has been in the palace for 12 years. Come, let her hang herself to calm the army."

The movement of the Siyi militia gathering troops was very loud.

In Heshan County, which was at the forefront of the armed conflict, many people retreated southward and entered the heart of the Siyi area to seek refuge.

The Hakka warriors in western Guangdong were also gathering their forces, collecting dry food, and preparing for a decisive battle.

The clouds of war are gradually dissipating.

……

Guangzhou Prefecture,
The former Governor's Office is now the Wu Army Headquarters.

Several staff officers are opening letters~
The feedback of the call is in these letters.

The staff officer summarized and Li Yu listened.

"Your Majesty, the governor of Fogang Hall is willing to surrender. I do not ask for official titles, but hope to become a rich man in the new dynasty. The seal and ribbon have been sent along with this letter, and I request that the army enter the city as soon as possible."

"The attitude is good. Approved. Send a platoon to take over the city."

"Yes."

"The governor of Luoding Prefecture is willing to surrender, but he is waiting for a price. Although the tone of the letter is humble, it does have the intention of bargaining."

Li Yu sneered:

"Arrogant, leave it alone for now."

……

"The prefect of Huizhou and the deputy general of Huizhou are willing to surrender, but the condition is to wait for one month to give their families in the north time to escape."

Li Yu flatly refused:

"No. Send another person to tell them to surrender or die."

Whether it is true or false,

It was impossible for Wu Jun to allow such an important city as Huizhou Prefecture to have the Qing Dynasty dragon flag flying for a month.

……

really,

The next letter proved that Li Yu was right.

"The Huizhou Tongzhi revealed that the prefect had falsely surrendered. He has joined forces with the Huizhou Xieyouying and is willing to cooperate with the army to capture the Huizhou prefectural city. At the same time, he hopes to continue to serve your majesty."

"Send an infantry battalion to contact this person in advance and try to avoid bloodshed."

"Yes."

"The Dongguan County Magistrate was willing to surrender, and hoped that the army would not harm the lives of the civilians and gentry in the city. He himself did not care and would do whatever he wanted. However, he also pointed out that the Dongguan militia was not under his control, and that the leader of the militia, Liang Hui, was a rebellious person with many desperate criminals under his command."

"Send an infantry company to first control Dongguan County, then drive out the surrendered soldiers in the city and put down the militia."

……

"Xin'an County is willing to surrender, and the magistrate has sent his son with the seal."

"Okay, that's a commendable attitude."

"Xiangshan County refused to surrender, insulting Your Majesty and colluding with the barbarians, ceding land and selling out their ancestors."

Li Yu suddenly asked:
"Is the Haojingao occupied by the French in Xiangshan County?"

"Your Majesty, Haojingao is located in the south of Xiangshan County, a tiny place."

"Don't move Xiangshan County yet. I have special arrangements for this place."

"Yes."

……

The new Chaozhou prefect and Chaozhou town commander are willing to surrender~
Sanshui County, Hua County and Shunde County under Guangzhou Prefecture were all willing to surrender.

Gaozhou Prefecture and Jiaying Prefecture have not responded yet.

Zhaoqing Prefecture explicitly refused and vowed to defend the Qing Dynasty to the death.

However, the two counties of Sihui and Gaoming under Zhaoqing were willing to surrender. The county magistrate led the gentry of the whole city to prepare camps, wine, meat, and silver for rewarding the soldiers, and requested Wu's army to move in quickly, quite urgently.

It is easy to understand by looking at the map. These two counties are very close to Guangzhou and Zhaoqing.

It's easy to get killed if you're caught in the middle.

Therefore,
The county magistrate and all the gentry in the city could not sleep at night, longing for the royal army to enter the county to supervise the defense.

Li Yu waved his hand:
"Each unit will send in a fully staffed infantry battalion."

So much attention,

This is because the number of Qing troops stationed in the western city of Zhaoqing is estimated to be no less than 1.

……

"Your Majesty, there are also some personal letters from gentry in various places."

"Nian~"

After listening to the letter, Li Yu fell into deep thought.

Five gentry from Sanshui County first expressed their loyalty and said they were willing to donate money to support the army.

Later, he mentioned the rumors in the market - Wu Jun supported Ke Yong and suppressed Guangfu. He angrily denounced that this might be spread by someone with ulterior motives, hoping that he would be able to see through it.

There was also a Hakka leader from western Guangdong named Zeng Huaigu, who begged the Wu court for reward and was willing to be the vanguard of the army to eliminate the Cantonese militia.

……

and also,

A special transfer letter.

The writer of the letter was the Hakka leader of Jiaying Prefecture, Zeng Zhongyuan.

The recipient is Miao Youlin.

The letter said,
Jiaying Prefecture is a purely Hakka prefecture and county.

Because the Qing court was unfair, the Hakka people cut bamboo to make weapons. If the Wu court called them, the Hakka people could go south or east at any time.

At the end of the letter,

There are also the crimson handprints of 16 leaders of Jiaying Prefecture.

When Miao Youlin opened the letter, he almost let out a sharp explosion.

Immediately transfer it to the Secretariat to clear suspicion.

otherwise,
Your Majesty still thinks he wants to be the King of Guangdong.

……

to be frank,
When Li Yu read the letter from Zeng Huaigu, the leader of the Hakka people in Heshan County, he was just unhappy. But when he read the letter from Zeng Zhongyuan in Jiaying Prefecture, his face became solemn and he read it twice.

then,

Ask someone to unfold the map of Guangdong and carefully examine the geography of Jiaying Prefecture.

Pure guest, mountain area, leader.

These three words made him feel uneasy.

once,
The problems in Jiaying Prefecture were not handled well.

This caused hundreds of thousands of Hakka people to become hostile and occupy the mountainous areas.

Ah ~
The familiar feeling is back.

Ma Zhongyi's ghost lingers on! His death was not unjust!

……

"Lu Zhou, what does Jiayingzhou look like?"

The secretariat guard, Lu Zhou, blurted out:

"Like a fang."

Li Yu moved his gaze from Jiaying Prefecture to the southern Fujian region.
Said to himself:
"And behind this tooth, there is a rich network of nerves that provide nutrition."

Lu Zhou said nothing.

As an imperial guard, he naturally knew what His Majesty was thinking.

……

Li Yu stood in front of the map and pondered for a long time without moving.

Wu Jun's work of taking over various cities in Guangdong is progressing in an orderly manner and the process is generally smooth.

but,

Li Yu still planned to give these surrendered officials and gentry a little warning.

First show kindness and then show power, people will feel resentful.

First show power, then show kindness, and people will be grateful.

Human nature is so despicable.

……

(End of this chapter)