Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 479 Who is in front of the emperor? Niu Hulu Hai Rui!

The Qing navy retreated southward, and the Wu navy returned northward.

The Yangtze River finally returned to calm, with only dead fish floating around.
……

In the reeds on the shore,

Suddenly, a lot of floating objects came out.

The people watched the entire bombardment, and then they rowed their own boats, rafts, and even barrels into the water, scrambling to get the spoils.

In order to reduce their load, the Qing and Wu fleets threw away a lot of supplies before the war.

The people can exchange the fish they catch for money.

The tranquility of the Yangtze River was broken again.

The floating dead fish, corpses and large pieces of wood were all fished out.

The fish can be eaten, the clothes from the corpse can be worn after washing, and the wooden boards can be used to block the wind for the adobe house.

The impoverished people have no taboos.

Many people also silently think that it would be great if they could have a water fight every month, which would surely make their family much richer.

……

Hell, captain's room.

Wessen, the Dutchman, and Witte, the Saxon, sat at the same table.

The two countries were enemies, but the two people were not.

Wesson:

"Why did the Royal Navy always have the upper hand when the warships of the two countries met at sea in the past?"

Witt:

"This is tradition. The Royal Navy must do its best to gain the upper hand. But, Captain, why do you always take the initiative to go to the leeward position and attack us against the wind?"

Wei Sen's face turned red.
Then he said:

"If you attack against the wind, you can quickly turn the ship around and escape if the battle goes against you. At this time, the wind is favorable, and the chances of escaping are very high."

……

Werther suddenly realized:

"~I really can't catch up."

Wesson added:

"And the rigging sail. You guys are starting to use that design, too."

Witt Heading:

“The staysail, other than the mess it looks like overhead, is a really great design.”

"Of course, the title of Sea Coachman is not for nothing."

[Stackle sail: A diagonal sail hung between different masts, which helps the ship's maneuverability and seaworthiness. The Dutch first invented it and used it skillfully.]

finally,
The two put aside their prejudices and came to a common conclusion:

The Dutch are better at controlling sails.

But the Saxons were clearly superior in artillery and overall quality.

Wei Sen recorded his battle experience in detail and submitted it after arriving in Wuchang.

If nothing goes wrong, the entire ship will get a very good reward.

Hundreds of naturalized sailors silently served Wu's army, not because of any international spirit, but for gold.

……

The Dongting Lake Navy is also quite humorous.

Escaped to Jiayu County in one breath.

Wang Lin ordered to stop the escape and rest.

To boost morale,
Naturally, it is inseparable from money and women.

He rolled his eyes and ordered the detention of the Jiayu County magistrate and gentry representatives who came to entertain the troops.

then,

He let his troops march into the county town.

As soon as the order was issued, the navy was excited and morale soared by 20 points.

Everyone was robbing and killing people without restraint.

First they emptied the government treasury, then looted the shops along the street, and finally plundered the gentry.

After thinking about it,
Just kill all the gentry.

This will save you from lawsuits and accusations in the future.

……

In Tangjia Bay, gunshots rang out.

Zhao Zhuangwen led a large group of people and rushed forward in one breath despite suffering casualties.

Wu Jun's 1 infantry squad can't stop him~
The main force went to the riverside to support friendly forces.

If you don't leave,

Tangjia Wan is Zhao Zhuangwen’s desperate place!
I can only say that this guy is not destined to die, and he fled madly all the way~
……

2 days later,

Army Minister Lin Huaisheng rushed to Wuchang.

He gave the main credit to the 4th Army, but also acknowledged the auxiliary contribution of the 2nd Army.

after that,

He gave Zheng Hean a chance.

"Huguang Governor Chen Zuluo has 10000 Mongolian cavalry and 10000 Green Camp soldiers stationed in the area south of the Han River. As long as they don't attack you, you don't have to worry about them. Your troops have two targets, Jingzhou City and Yichang City."

Zheng Hean found the location on the map.

There is no risk of getting lost when marching along the river.

This is important~
"Also, pay attention to seizing food. Don't give the Qing army the opportunity to burn the food."

"As ordered."

Zheng Hean left happily.

The wounded stayed in the city to recuperate, while the rest replenished their ammunition and prepared to cross the river.

……

On the Yangtze River,

Boats are like clouds, shuttling back and forth.

Transport the soldiers to the other side.

Guishan Fort has become a ruin.

After the fall of Wuchang,
The 500 new troops guarding the fort set fire to the fort and then fled.

Wu Jun was a little annoyed.

If it were the Green Camp soldiers, they would not have set this fire.

Because the Green Camp soldiers were all smart people, they knew that burning the spoils of the victorious side would mean damaging their financial resources.

that,
The victorious party may pursue to vent their anger.

……

As the Wu army took control of the area around Wuchang, the number of ships traveling on the river became increasingly dense.

Not a warship, but a civilian ship.

With 2 troops fighting on the front line, at least 10 civilian laborers are needed to transport them behind the scenes.

of course,

If it were water transport, 1 civilians and 3000 boats would be enough, saving countless manpower and material resources.
After several battles,

A consensus has been reached within Wu Jun to attach importance to shipping!

Rivers, lakes and ponds are all friendly forces of Wu.

On this basis, Li Yu further expanded the concept - the ocean is also a friendly force.

Compared with water transportation, land transportation is so weak that it is not worth mentioning.

A horse-drawn cart can pull 200 kilograms.

The starting weight of a canal boat is 1 jin.

The starting weight of a seagoing ship is 20 jin.

In comparison, the loss during transportation is even more outrageous. Wooden carts will fall apart, livestock will die of exhaustion, and ships must be maintained on time, so they can last for 10 years without any problems.

……

Recently,

Li Yu has been paying attention to reports on the use of steam engines for pumping water in major mines.

After it is basically mature,

Steam engines can be put into practical use - steam factories, steam ships, steam locomotives.

He has inherited the usual character of his fellow Jiangsu natives - lack of adventure but more calmness.

Readers please note:
When a Jiangsu person takes out 100 yuan and says "all in", he still has at least 1000 yuan in his pocket.

When a Fujianese takes out 100 yuan and says "all in", there is a high probability that there is only a knife left in his pocket.

……

The Dongting Lake navy continued to flee.

He entered the territory of Hunan and passed by Linxiang County.

The magistrate of Linxiang and the gentry were unwilling to pay money to reward the troops and their attitude was cold.
the reason is simple,
The navy in Hubei is a guest soldier, and guest soldiers ≈ bandits, so the local people in Hubei must serve them carefully.

Once you return to Hunan, you are no longer a foreign soldier.

If you dare to rob, the governor will punish you.

but,

The civil servants who have enjoyed peace for a long time have finally forgotten the premise of official rules - peacetime.

……

General Wang Lin thought about it.
If you can’t beat the Wu thieves, can’t you beat your fellow villagers?
He immediately ordered his navy to deploy their battle array and fire their cannons in unison, in order to go all out and capture another city.

This time it's even more cruel.
They even forced 2000 able-bodied men to join the navy.

The young women and silver money that were robbed filled four large ships.
"Brothers, cheer up."

"Shout it out to me! Great victory in Wuchang! The navy is returning triumphantly to its base at Dongting Lake."

"Whoo."

The morale of the newly defeated navy was greatly boosted.

With food, drink and rewards, life should not be too easy when you return to the base. …

By the time the news came that Wuchang had fallen and Hubei Governor Wang Jie had been killed, the people of Hunan were shocked, but that was already a story for later.

Wang Lin was a bandit and an official.

He sees things very clearly.

Huguang was corrupt and the situation was precarious. Who would dare to hold him accountable for allowing his soldiers to rob two county towns?

The 800-li Dongting Lake is our home ground.

In a hurry,

First, rob the area around Dongting Lake, and then announce your surrender to Wu.

It's not arrogance.

But he really has the confidence.

Dongting Lake is close to 6000 square kilometers, almost the total area of ​​Taihu Lake and Poyang Lake combined.

Who can do anything to himself?
As long as he can keep a firm grip on the warships and sailors in his hands, the imperial court will only send people to appease and reward him, and will not dare to say a word.

Troubled times,

Having soldiers in hand is better than anything else.

Wang Lin and the middle and senior military officers under him are sworn brothers every day. When the situation gets out of control, they have to rely on brotherhood to win over the hearts of the people.

……

Nanyang Prefecture Government Office, Henan Province.

Dozens of people in red tasseled hats lowered their heads and dared not utter a word.

When the latest military intelligence arrived, Qianlong was stunned on the spot.

The whole person was visibly hunched over, and his former confidence was gone.

"Wang Jie, Wang Jie~"

The voice is sad~
some days ago,
I have just received a memorial from Wang Jie, which expounds on his grand strategy - the idea of ​​using the fortified city of Wuchang to tie down the main force of the Wu army and cause it to suffer heavy casualties.

It's only been a few days and the coffin lid has been nailed shut.

Qianlong asked sadly:

"My dear ministers, what ability did Li Ni have to make the Eight Banners, the elite troops of Solon, and the Green Camps of various provinces all fall into his hands?"

"Why? Why?"

……

The elegant bird is silent.

Even Heshen didn't dare to step forward to speak.

however,
There is always a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger.

He Lin, who had just arrived from the capital, suddenly stepped out and said loudly:

"I think the defeat on the front line was not the fault of the war. On the surface, it was a military defeat, but in reality it was a political defeat."

rock-shattering,

Some timid ministers only felt like a thunderclap in their ears.

He Shen also looked terrified and grabbed He Lin's sleeve.

He shouted in a low voice:

"Rebellious, back off."

In everyone's eyes, it was obvious that the younger brother was young and energetic.
……

Qianlong's eyes were like knives scraping the boy's face.

The tone is cold:

"Go on, speak boldly! Today, I am innocent of the words I have spoken. I want to hear something harsh."

"Whoo."

He Lin took a deep breath.

continued:

"The ancestral system of our Great Qing Dynasty is meticulous and rigorous, with layers of interconnection and control, which is indeed an excellent system for the future generations. However, in the world, every advantage must have a disadvantage."

"The court's all-encompassing approach resulted in officials and civilians becoming numb, Manchus and Han people becoming suspicious of each other, and compromise being the priority."

"That's the slave's first argument - no **!"

He Shen interjected:

"Helin, you are so arrogant. You are making irresponsible remarks in front of the emperor. Why don't you shut up?"

Qianlong was furious:
"Heshen, shut up!"

……

Heshen retreated to one side in embarrassment, and his expression seemed to be expressing regret - he hated his brother for not being as good as he could be.

Helin seemed to be crazy.

Continue to speak out:

"Regardless of Manchus or Han people, as long as capable people are given autonomy, they can unleash terrifying fighting power and help the court resist the Wu bandits. Our Eight Banners warriors are good at riding and shooting, but the world is too big and there are too few Manchus. Therefore, the court still needs to rely on and trust the Han people more."

The officials present felt a chill down their spines.

What is freedom?
The original militia still had too many constraints, and the power over people, money and affairs had to be completely decentralized.

To put it more bluntly, it means tacitly approving the existence of local military governors and warlords.

Although the peeping emperor looked unhappy, he did not explode.

This shows that although these words were harsh, the emperor still listened to them.

……

He Lin is still in high spirits.

As soon as you open your mouth,
Everyone was trembling with fear:
"Wars are fought for money and food. Wu thieves have money, but does our Qing Dynasty have none?"

The officials around him bowed their heads.

Cursing in my heart,

He Shen and Lin, you two bastard brothers, how dare you ask this question? If we confiscate your mansion, it will be enough to cover the court's expenses for at least five years.

Qianlong nodded.

He agreed with this statement.

The Qing Dynasty definitely had money, but the money was not visible.

For a time,

He actually thought of the old days of Chongzhen, and his eyes became even colder.

……

He Lin continued passionately:
"If you have money, you have weapons. If you have money, you have strong soldiers."

"For example, the mortar cannon was used twice by Wu Zetian in Hubei, with remarkable killing effect. But doesn't the Qing Dynasty have it?"

Qianlong was stunned.

During the time of Emperor Kangxi, the imperial court had already mastered the technology of sky rockets.

It was kept as a top secret for a hundred years.

If it wasn't for the fact that the Jinchuan watchtowers were really impossible to build, he would never have sent He Guozong, the Vice Minister of Works, to Jinchuan to supervise the manufacture of the sky rockets and provide on-site guidance on the firing.

……

He Lin bluntly exposed:
"My second argument is no **. The Qing Dynasty should lift the restrictions on firearms. Let the frontline troops be equipped with the best weapons and fight against the Wu bandits."

Qianlong said nothing.

If it had happened five years ago, this bragging Niuhulu Hai Rui would have been exiled to Ningguta and spent the rest of his life in prison.

Actually, what Helin said makes a lot of sense.

If the restrictions are lifted, the officers and soldiers will have a chance to fight against the Wu bandits, instead of being suppressed and beaten by the Wu bandits like now, and fleeing in panic.
but,

The Manchus kept the Han people in check and balance mainly by relying on their military superiority.

But if the Han people mastered advanced firearms, would the Manchus’ horse riding and archery still have an advantage?

At least the advantage in the military field has almost disappeared, and the only way to maintain the world in the future is to rely on justice and checks and balances.

As a result,
Drive out the tiger from the front door and the wolf will come in from the back door.

I'm afraid that from now on, the Manchus and the Han will really share the world.

The emperor was conflicted and couldn't make a decision.

All of this fell quietly into Heshen's eyes.

……

And Lin's point of view,
To sum up:
In the current war, the Qing Dynasty was constrained and failed to exert its due strength.

There are two reasons for repeated failures:
No **, no **.

Finally, He Lin put forward a specific solution.

Three no strategies:

“No limits, no means, no cost.”

No restrictions - no restrictions on Manchus or Han people, no constraints, no restrictions on weapons.

Use any means necessary - including but not limited to assassination, attack, sabotage, rumor-mongering, bribery, whatever means necessary.

No matter the cost - as long as we can win, we can give up anything and any power.

……

One of the Han officials could not help but step out.
Asked:
"Lord Helin, have you ever thought about what the court would do if the Wu thieves were suppressed but the local powerful faction was still too powerful to be eliminated and held military power?"

He Lin said it very bluntly:
"Lord Wang, you must have read the history of the Southern Ming Dynasty. You Han people love fighting among yourselves the most. The more chaotic the situation, the more you fight. If the local forces headed by your Han officials could really unite as one, there would be no place for our Qing Dynasty."

As soon as this word comes out,
The person in front of him blushed and was choked and speechless.

because,

There are too many minefields. No matter what you say, you will get into trouble. It is better to remain silent.

Southern Ming,

That is really a good piece of history. After reading it, people can't raise their heads and dare not look directly at the sun and people's hearts.

……

Qianlong had a complicated expression.

After a long while, he said:

"This is a serious matter and requires long-term consideration."

"The Grand Council and the other ministers can discuss this further, and the governors of each province must also draft their own memorials on this matter and submit them to the emperor."

(End of this chapter)