Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 483 Qianlong: I don't have much time left, let's use the Western poison to attack the Wu poison~
"Unload the truck."

6 gunners and 4 abandoned cavalrymen cooperated.

Quick action~
The gunner hurriedly took aim from above the breech block, determined the direction, opened the flintlock, and poured fine-grained gunpowder into the powder pool.

The person takes 2 steps back and then 1 step to the right.

Make sure you are standing to the side of the cannon.

When the rope was pulled, the gun carriage suddenly moved backwards.

Everyone's ears were buzzing.
Looking at the originally crowded suspension bridge,
Half of it has been cleared out.

In this situation, everyone couldn't help but burst into wild cheers.

……

The drawbridge was in the middle, but the city gate was tilted to one side.

This is the wisdom of the ancients in designing the urn city.

otherwise,

The cavalry chased the fleeing soldiers and rushed directly into the city.

The artillery crew harnessed the horses again and towed the artillery to the flank to find an angle to fire at the city gate.

When the cannon was in position again,

Looking at the crowds at the city gate,

The gunner actually yelled:

"Double charge!"

He was experienced and knew that his artillery was of excellent quality and could withstand high chamber pressure.

This shot is quite filling!

……

The gun crew only felt tinnitus, their hearts were hammered, and they felt very uncomfortable.
Such behavior of disregarding the artillery manual and seriously overdrawing the life of the artillery is just to achieve maximum damage.

Inside the city wall,
It’s already hell on earth!

Three consecutive double-charged shells were fired with such force that the walls of the city were shattered into pieces of flesh and blood.

The Qing army's counterattack finally came.

A submachine gun and dozens of muskets fired at the same time!
The death artillery crew suffered heavy casualties, with 2 people killed on the spot and 3 injured.

Retreat in a panic!

……

Actually,
The defeated soldiers who gathered at the city gate and rushed into the city were still a minority.
More were chased by cavalry and forced to run aimlessly.
"Surrender without killing!"

As if listening to heavenly music, the deserters collectively broke through their defenses, threw away their weapons, knelt on the ground, and raised their hands~
The guest infantry who had just returned to the battlefield took over a glorious mission - to gather the surrendered soldiers.

I don't know who came up with the idea, but the order was issued that all the surrendered soldiers were not allowed to have even an inch of cloth on their bodies from head to toe, and they were not even allowed to wear straw sandals.

then,

The troops were divided into groups to drive these "naked prisoners" to the rear.

The scene is spectacular!

Jiangxi people say they love watching it~
……

Further away,

The cavalry easily caught up with those deserters who were good at running, stabbed them to death from behind one by one, or drove them into the Xiangjiang River.

Changsha,

Finally, they succeeded in retracting the drawbridge and closing the city gates. The city walls were covered in blood inside and outside.

Even a butcher like Zeng Di, after taking a look at the tragic scene inside the Huangdao Gate city wall, he leaned against the wall and vomited violently.

"Sin, devil, beast~"

however,
Bad news comes one after another.

The second and third sons of the Zeng family died in battle, and the fourth son is missing.
……

Zeng Di's eyes widened.

It took him a long time to come back to his senses, and he hit his forehead hard.

Heartache, indescribable pain.

That night,

He wrote a eulogy and burned it on the spot.
And he swore in public:
"Blood debt must be repaid with blood. If I ever lead my army to conquer Suzhou, there will be a mountain of heads and a lake of blood."

The next day,

early morning.

The sixth son of the Zeng family reported:

"Brother, more than half of our troops were killed in the battle yesterday. There are only more than 9000 green camps and more than 5000 militias left in the city."

"Where's the fourth child?"

"Didn't come back."

The two were dejected, as disappearance was actually equivalent to death.

only,
I just don’t know where he died.

For example, a layer of corpses floated in the moat, and were slowly washed into the Xiangjiang River by the river water circulation.

……

The whole city of Changsha was in a panic.

Morale is low and people are in panic.

Everyone is considering one question - where to go?
Inside the governor's yamen,
Zeng Di convened a secret military meeting and brought up the old issue again.

"Withdraw from Changsha and burn the entire city."

Although everyone present was surprised, no one openly objected.

Because the Changsha gentry were collectively excluded, otherwise they would have been furious.

Most of the Green Camp officers were temporary officials.

I don't have any feelings for Changsha.

A few families in Changsha were promised that their families could go with them.

……

The retreat was conducted in secrecy.

First they transported weapons, then gold and silver, and then women. This series of abnormal behaviors caused panic in the entire city of Changsha.

Rumors spread like wildfire~
"The officers and soldiers are going to run away."

however,
What can the people do?

What they encountered was the ferocious chieftain's soldiers who broke into the house and robbed.

Any resistance would be met with knives and axes.

……

The bodies outside the city began to stink because no one cleaned them up.

The Wu army scouts discovered that many boats were crossing the river at night and they were helpless.

Wu Simai had no navy and could only sigh at the sight of the Xiangjiang River.

The letter for help has been sent to Wuchang, but it may take a while for our navy to move south.

because,

Xiangyang and Jingzhou are more important than Changsha.

The ultimate goal of Wu’s army’s battle is food!
It is hard to say victory without taking the essence of the Jianghan Plain.

After controlling the Jianghan Plain,

Only then could the navy move south on a large scale, blockade the Xiangjiang River, and blast open the city of Changsha.

Therefore,
Zeng Di's decisive choice to escape was correct from a military perspective.

If you don't run,

All 11 sons of his family are buried here, and they will be Changsha people in their next life.

……

Wusimai did not continue the attack.

The guest group suffered more than 1800 casualties, and had to assign personnel to guard the prisoners, so the troops under their command were insufficient.

The losses of siege equipment and artillery were also considerable.

Facing the precarious city of Changsha,

He could only stare blankly!

The police stations in all counties of Yuanzhou Prefecture were asked to send people to pick up the prisoners.

There were more than 8000 prisoners in the prisoner camp, and they were simply screened based on their age and health.
Half of them were kept in custody, ready to be consumed in the next siege.

Half of it was sent to Jiangxi as assets.

Pingxiang Coal Mine and Ganjiang Water Conservancy Project both require a large number of workers.

Old rules,
If you work honestly for three years, you can be free.

……

As for,
Your Majesty, the term for placing the Jiangxi Green Camp prisoners in the Tongling Coal Mine was 2 years, but now it has become 3 years?
Is it a betrayal?
Of course not.

This is called changing times. As the power of the Wu State expanded, conditions naturally had to change accordingly.

……

Nanyang Prefecture, Henan Province.

A new problem was put before Qianlong!
Should the 10000 Mongolian cavalry stationed in the Jianghan Plain be withdrawn to the Central Plains?

Regarding this topic,

Disputes within the court do not count.

Retreat and you can save this army.

Can we win if we don’t retreat?
This was not the only thing that gave Qianlong a headache. Every ten days, the Beijing Sticking Rod Office would send him a "Daily Activity Note of Prince Jia".

Yongyan, this honest child, is not being honest at all now.

He was busy seizing power in the capital, cultivating his own trusted followers, and winning over people's hearts.

Stupid look!

Take down Yongyan? Who will be the next emperor?

Sit back and do nothing? Can the emperor have a good end?

Just when he was extremely entangled and manic,

The memorial from the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, Zhang Jia Agui, has arrived.

……

Qianlong read it carefully three times, then summoned Heshen to read it.

"Heshen, what do you think?"

"I don't understand military affairs, I will obey the emperor in everything."

"So what do you think of Agui's strategy of contraction?"

"I also think that might be right."

Qianlong suddenly became angry:

"Don't say ambiguous words like 'maybe' to me. Yes means yes, and no means no."

"The servant was wrong."

Do not know why,

Heshen's words always made Qianlong feel calm.

There was silence for a while,
He Shen whispered:

"Your Majesty, some memorials have been sent over from Wuchang." "Wang Jie? Didn't he die for his country?"

He Shen was sad:

"I think it was Wang Jie's last work before he conquered the city."

……

The messenger was the magistrate of Jianli County, Jingzhou Prefecture, who was entrusted by Zhao Zhuangwen.

at this time,

This small seventh-rank county magistrate knelt tremblingly before the emperor.

In front of foreign officials,
Still majestic:

"Jianli County, who gave you these letters?"

"Your Majesty, Governor Wang died heroically in Wuchang. One of his disciples risked his life to escape from Wuchang. When he went south to Jianli County, he fell seriously ill and had to entrust this matter to me. Your humble servant, your humble servant~"

He Shen observed the words and expressions of others.

"Jianli County, you go down first."

"Whoo."

The magistrate of Jianli breathed a sigh of relief.

He had selfish motives, and leaving the dangerous war zone under the pretext of delivering a letter did not count as deserting his post.

The reasons are sound and the motives are bright.

……

Anyway, it was commissioned by Zhao Zhuangwen.

All memorials and letters are available.

With the addition of filial piety and the 8 taels of silver from the adults, this hurdle will be passed.

8 million taels!

He worked diligently and uncomplainingly for two years to save up the money, and now he was giving it away with both hands, feeling quite painful.

But it's good enough to be able to save your life.

Jianli County is located on the north bank of Jingjiang River and has a strategic location.

More than 200 miles upstream is Jingzhou City, a place that is definitely a battleground for military strategists.

……

At this time, the Grey Wolf flag of the 2nd Legion had been hoisted over the Jianli County town.

The 2nd Legion is at the gates of the city.

There was no organized resistance in the city;

Because the county magistrate took the lead in running away, the remaining officials and gentry of the county decided to open the city and surrender.

Wu Ting's rules in Guangdong have spread.

Well-informed officials and gentry all knew:

"Wherever the heavenly soldiers arrive, if a city offers the slightest resistance, after the city is breached, all officials and gentry will be killed, and no wealthy family will be spared. If a city opens and surrenders, all will be pardoned. The Wu court will not bring up old scores, but will wait and see what happens next."

The rule formulated by Li Yu has a remarkable effect.

If we were to do something like what happened to Li Zicheng and Huang Chao, it would provoke a collective and frenzied counterattack from the gentry, and the resistance would be too great.

Let it go with appeasement?
It not only damages the national treasury, but also fails to deter people's hearts.

The existing rules strike a balance between cruelty and leniency.

Even though Wu's army wiped out all the gentry in Wuchang, it failed to arouse the hatred of the gentry in Jianli County.

……

Wu Jun enters the city
On the same day,

All the officials and gentry in the city cut off their braids, actively paid varying amounts of "repentance silver" and handwritten letters of repentance, and collectively bowed eastward to the Emperor Wu.

The five civilian officers, one chief and four deputy chiefs, who were accompanying the 2nd Corps, were all smiling and immediately took up their posts.

The Chief of Patrol Police sent by the Ministry of the Army also took up his post at the same time.

Jianli County is a place of peace and prosperity.

The officials and gentry pooled their money to buy fireworks and firecrackers, which were set off for three hours to celebrate the arrival of the royal army. All kinds of flattering couplets were hung on the city walls.

……

the next morning,

The whole city saw off the 2nd Legion as it continued its westward expedition, its target being Jingzhou City.

For now,
There are many examples like Jianli County in Hubei and Sanshui County in Guangdong. Sooner or later, the Qing court lost trust in the gentry group.

By then,

The gentry either had to endure the swords of the Eight Banners or surrender to Wu Ting voluntarily.

Anyway,

This is what the conspiracy is.

I am not afraid that you will see through it, nor am I afraid that you will repeatedly deduce it.

No solution!

……

but,
Something unexpected happened.

The Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Agui, brought 10 elite Goshahas, dressed in plain clothes, traveled through Huguang and arrived at Nanyang Prefecture.

When the chief eunuch Qin Si informed Emperor Qianlong,
The old emperor was stunned, his face full of surprise.

asked:

"Is it Ah Gui who is here? Is he here in person?"

"Your Majesty, yes. Ah Xiang is waiting outside the palace now."

"Quick, please come in."

"Whoo."

After a while,
A sturdy middle-aged man hurried into the hall and knelt down before he could even see where the emperor was.

"Master~"

"Agui, come here quickly." Qianlong changed his usual indifference and became very enthusiastic. "How long has it been since we last met? Yunnan and Guizhou are so remote, have you adapted to it?"

……

Ah Gui was also very surprised.
He instantly realized that the old emperor was probably also in a state of panic, and actually began to take the initiative to care about his subjects?

After some greetings between the king and his ministers, they were almost about to burst into tears.

Qin Si, who understood the Sacred Heart the best, quietly brought in a brocade stool~
Qianlong couldn't wait to ask:

"If you have something to say, just submit a petition. Why do you have to risk crossing the front line yourself?"

Ah Gui said respectfully:
"I am worried. This is related to the court's strategy and I am afraid that the memorial will not explain it clearly. Hu~"

Qianlong stopped him from speaking!

Turning his head and staring at Qin Si:

"No one is allowed outside the palace within 5 meters."

"The slave obeys the order."

……

quickly,

There was complete silence inside and outside the hall, with only the sound of the wind.

Qianlong regained his former composure.

"Agui, you can speak now."

"Your Majesty, I suggest peace talks!"

moment,

Ah Gui felt the sense of danger when he was being stared at coldly by wild beasts in the jungle while hunting.

but,

He still said sincerely:
"Your Majesty, our Qing Dynasty has reached a critical moment of life and death. We will not hesitate even if it means scraping bones to heal wounds. Time! What we need most right now is time! Therefore, I dare to suggest exchanging space for time."

Qianlong was rarely angry, and even his expression looked normal.

Like an outsider,

Asked seriously:

"Cede the states and counties, then buy some time for a truce, recuperate, and make a comeback?"

"Yes."

……

"Once the peace talks begin, what will people in the world think?"

"It doesn't matter what the world thinks, they will only submit to the final winner."

"What if Li Ni doesn't want to negotiate?"

"It is very likely. But we can talk first. Even if it can slow down the Wu thief's attack rhythm, it will be great. I think negotiation is a means, not an end. In addition, we can make a big fuss about it and let the people of the world realize who caused the war, the people's misery, and the soaring food prices. Let the people share the same hatred and make Wu thief lose the support of the people."

Qianlong smiled.

Zhengzhi brand is not out of the question.

……

"This is strange, what is right?"

"The military reform is correct! I dare to ask the emperor to approve the formation of a Western-style army of no less than 3 people, hire Western instructors, and purchase Western guns, artillery, and warships. Fight the Western poison with the Western poison, and fight a few more brutal wars of attrition with the Wu bandits to cooperate with the peace talks. The Wu people are businessmen, and if they lose, they will gain. Naturally, there will be people in the Wu who are willing to negotiate."

"You, Zhang Jia, are a noble family of the Qing Dynasty, and you share the same fate with the country. There are some things I don't need to hide from you. The Western poison is bewitching people's hearts. Once guns and ideas enter the country, they will definitely shake the foundation of our Qing Dynasty. My pen pal, Louis, has a deep understanding of this."

"I understand. So, I will only learn military affairs!"

……

There was silence in the hall.

Neither the emperor nor his ministers mentioned the previous incident of ordering the detention and killing of European merchants in Guangzhou.

This little disagreement is not worth mentioning.

Westerners value profit!

As long as the Qing Dynasty can come up with real gold and silver.

There must be European businessmen who would be willing to put aside their differences and resume business.

at this point,
The Qing court was not really arrogant. They saw through these Europeans.

What Westerners want is only money.

it means:
Everything has a price.

The death of envoys and damaged friendships can all be compensated with money.

……

To use an inappropriate analogy,
At this time, the attitude of European countries towards the Qing Dynasty was similar to that of a resentful woman who could not get what she wanted.

As long as the Qing Dynasty opens its heart, we can just bet on it.

All the women have arrived~
As for how to deal with this triangular relationship?
Paris’ Vanity Fair already had the answer.

A name is a great one.

Having no status is a small matter.

They have private contact from time to time, take advantage of each other, and each takes what they need. Once they leave the house, they refuse to acknowledge it and can cut off the relationship at any time.
Wu is bigger and Qing is smaller.

In addition to establishing friendly relations with the Wu State, the Europeans were also happy to make some undistinguished money.

If discovered,
It was immediately announced that it was not an official act but the personal behavior of a small group of businessmen, and they were punished and corrected.

(End of this chapter)