Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 489 4***** is not important, what is important is to conform to everyone's stereotype
Battle of Hutoushan

The Qing army had the advantage of terrain, while the Wu army had the advantage of artillery.

The Qing army fired their guns and cannons, and the Wu army fired their mortars accurately.

For a time,

It was in a bloody stalemate.

Both sides suffered heavy casualties!
……

The musketeers of the 4th Legion finally found their chance to shine.

As soon as the Qing soldiers leaned out of the battlements and threw stones out, they were immediately shot at.

After dozens of people were shot and killed, the Qing army finally stopped throwing stones.

No one dared to stay in the middle of the military camp.

Because what fell from the sky was no longer a solid iron ball, but a hot shotgun shell.

To avoid the shotgun shells falling from the sky,
The Qing army picked up the familiar bows and arrows, leaned against the relatively safe solid stone wall and fired according to the sound.

I don't hear the person, but I see the arrow flying~
Both sides played parabolic damage.

Zhang Laosan was hit by three arrows in a row, but he was wearing heavy armor and was not afraid at all.

He squinted his eyes at a mortar not far below.

If you want to charge, you have to wait until this thing stops bombarding.

……

An artillery lieutenant commanding the scene also realized this problem.

shouted:
"Mortar, cease fire."

The battlefield suddenly became quiet.
Zhang Laosan then moved the shield away from his face.

Yell:

"1st Expeditionary Force, charge!"

The soldiers holding swords and shields changed their previous huddled state, stood up and struggled to climb to the top of the mountain.

Many people even threw away their shields and climbed the mountain lightly.

……

Mountain top military stronghold,

The Qing army noticed the sudden quietness in the air.

Dozens of muskets were stretched out again to fire, and bursts of white smoke rose.

No matter how thick the armor was, it could not stop the close-range shooting of heavy muskets. The soldiers of the expeditionary army who were hit by bullets rolled down the mountain like stones.

Fortunately, the infantry of the 4th Corps following closely behind also opened fire in time to retaliate.

The muskets fired only for a moment.
Then there was no time to reload, as all kinds of arrows fell from the sky, wave after wave.

The soldiers didn't care.
He lowered his head and rushed forward, using his hands and feet to strive to reach the top.

Occasionally, there are people who are injured by arrows, mostly in the hands and feet where the protection is the weakest.

……

The first soldier climbed up the parapet wall of the Hutoushan military camp using a low ladder.

The stone wall is very solid.
But it is not high, less than 1 feet.

As soon as this brave warrior showed up, he was shot by countless arrows, and the sound of armor clanking was endless.

not tall,

He was hit in the face by an arrow and fell heavily on his back.

Then,

More soldiers climbed up the parapet and jumped into the military camp.

Among them is Zhang Laosan!

He did not throw away his shield until he jumped into the military camp and saw the vague figures of the Qing army through the iron masks.

Then I burst into laughter.
He casually threw away the shield and held the long sword with both hands.

Start killing indiscriminately.

Don't dodge or evade, just chop hard.

……

The commander stationed at Hutou Mountain was beheaded by Qian Zong as soon as they met.

Heavy armor and long sword, driving straight in.

No one can stop him wherever he goes.

The Green Camp soldiers in their coarse cloth uniforms had no power to block.

Zhang Laosan completely ignored the blades that were chopping towards him. This was the confidence that the plate armor gave him.

Each step,
It was all one-sided killing.

The warm plasma even splashed into the hollow mask, turning the surrounding scenery blood red.

There were only a few dozen soldiers.
The remaining 400-odd Qing troops were severely defeated.

……

The soldiers of the 4th Legion who arrived later simply stood on the parapet.

From a high position, shoot slowly and unhurriedly~
1 quarters of an hour later,
Peace returned to the military camp.

There were broken limbs and blood all over the ground.

Few of the bodies were intact, and most were incomplete.

The soldiers of the expeditionary army helped each other to take off their heavy armor and even their blood-stained gray robes.

He also fetched some fresh water from the military camp and used it to wash the blood off his face.

Friends who often kill people know that
If your skin is splashed with a large amount of blood and is not cleaned off in time, it will feel very uncomfortable after it dries.

Tightness, itching.

When you rub it with your hands, it seems like red flakes are flying around.

……

After washing away the blood,
The veterans of the expeditionary army began to plunder the silver in the military camp~
The new soldiers are responsible for cleaning up the bodies~
after that,

Water was drawn from the only well to wash the ground.

Although it is at the top of the mountain, the surrounding groundwater is extremely abundant, so digging a well is successful.

The 4th Legion did not intervene.

Before the attack,

They promised that all the property in the military camp would belong to the dispatched troops.

If you want people to work hard for you, you have to give them enough benefits.

Otherwise, the supervision team will not be able to hold down the pressure cooker that is constantly being pressurized.

Money is a pressure relief valve.

The dispatched troops found more than 8000 taels of silver, but they still cursed.

"A bunch of poor devils, you're willing to work so hard for the Tartars for just ten taels of silver?"

Zhang Laosan also muttered:

"This amount of money is not enough for my evening expenses. To hire two live girls and set out eight hot dishes and two jars of old wine would cost at least 30 taels."

……

The expeditionary force finally withdrew its troops down the mountain.

Those who survived would go back to claim their rewards and buy wine and meat from the army grocery store.

The injured were carried back for treatment. The military doctors performed miracles to restore the wounded, but their hearts were colder than their swords.
The dead should be buried on the spot!

Erect a monument:
"The Tomb of the Warriors of the Great Wu Empire's First Expeditionary Army."

A monument like this,
When we set off, the logistics department sent us 20 yuan.

It is said that if you use it slowly, it will be enough for a while.

Not surprisingly,

More than 40 people who deserted the battlefield were shot and their bodies were abandoned in the wilderness.

Before the sun sets,
The dispatched military camp was officially locked.

Bonfire, drums, drinks, chicken, duck, fish, and women's camp~
After one night,
Dozens more bodies were dragged out.

The causes of death are varied.
such as:

Some people drowned in their own vomit while drunk, some died from excessive bleeding from wounds, some died from falling, some died from accidental discharge of pistols, and some died for unknown reasons.

……

The employees of the business department who run the military grocery store are busy calculating their accounts.
About half an hour later,

The employee threw the abacus in his hand back into place with ease.

Pick up the pen,

Write in the ledger:
"On the fourth day of October, 1778, in the west of Xiangyang City. The 1st Expeditionary Army spent a total of 8319 taels and 5 cents, paid 7444 taels of silver, and had accounts receivable of 875 taels and 5 cents."

then,

Put your own stamp on it.

……

Your kind and generous Majesty has pioneered an extremely advanced business cycle.

On the surface,
The salaries and rewards for the soldiers of the expeditionary army were extremely high.

but,

The financial pressure is not great because of the continuous recovery of military pay.

The grocery store sells everything except alcohol, which is strictly controlled. However, the expeditionary force is not included.

According to statistics from the business sector,
Ranking of total consumption of each legion:

No. 1 - Send out the army and enjoy life while you can.

No. 2 - The 2nd Legion, the soldiers are young, homeless and unemployed, and dare to spend.

No. 3 - The 4th Legion, with money in their pockets~
In a safe place on the Han River not far from the battlefield, two large ships belonging to the Ministry of Commerce were anchored, brightly lit.

on board,

Hundreds of employees are busy meeting the soldiers' purchasing needs.

The most popular thing is always food!
People eat for food.

After the battle,
It’s not too much for the brothers in a class to pool their money to buy a few pounds of braised meat and a few roasted chickens to satisfy their hunger.

……

but,

The 4th Legion, which has always been the main purchasing force, was unusually not in the mood to spend this time.

Attacking Hutou Mountain from above,
The entire legion suffered more than 100 casualties, which was not too high, but it was an unbearable burden for a legion of pure-blooded merchants.

So people lost their appetite and lamented the cruelty of war.
So the group stayed up all night and decided to carry the cannon up the mountain.

It is inserted from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the mountain to provide lighting.

A former soldier,

Soldiers who had experience working at the docks,
Responsible for shouting:
"Brothers, the one carrying the cannon ...

"Come on, bang on Yanshan, bang on Yanshan."

……

The soldiers of the 4th Legion took turns to fight.

The two 2-pound cannons were disassembled and carried up to Hutou Mountain by manpower.

They didn't want to attack the main camp of Yanshan anymore.

The plan was to bombard them from a distance with artillery.

The top of Hutou Mountain is more than 300 meters above sea level.

Coincidentally, Yanshan is also more than 300 meters above sea level, and the heights of the two hillsides appear to be very close.

But the distance is a bit far.

The artillery observation post estimated that it might be 4 and a half miles, or even more.

It is impossible to accurately measure the distance late at night.

After everyone discussed it, they decided to transport the artillery up first!

Huang Si was very calm.
He has received the notice from the navy.

The ship-borne heavy artillery was unable to bring down the walls of Xiangyang.

The thickness of the city wall is too ridiculous.

The rammed earth layer inside is too thick, so it breaks but does not collapse.

To take Xiangyang,

If you don't want too many people to die, you must take down Yanshan.

This night,
The 4th Corps gnashed its teeth, and the expeditionary force lived in drunkenness and debauchery.

……

Yanshan main village,

The Qing army looked at the brightly lit Hutouzhai from afar in silence.

Liangshun was in a very low mood.

He couldn't figure it out.
With such a good geographical advantage and such a solid stone fortress, how could it fall so quickly?
of course,

He also couldn't figure out what the Wu army, which occupied the Hutoushan military camp, was doing at the moment.

The top of the mountain was brightly lit, and hundreds of people were busy.

"My Lord, are they planning to bombard us?"

Liangshun smiled:

"No way, absolutely impossible."

"It's out of reach!"

Seeing that people did not believe,
He also emphasized:

"I tried it with the General Cannon, but it couldn't reach it. It was quite far away."

The General Cannon, weighing 5000 kilograms, is a national treasure and represents the most advanced firepower of the Qing Dynasty.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

They stayed silent all night, each tossing and turning.

……

the next morning,

The crowd, with red eyes, looked at the rising sun.

2 most experienced gunners,

Climbed up the makeshift watchtower.

He used the brass gun-aiming quadrant and the navy-type telescope in his hand to repeatedly observe the main camp of Yanshan.

These two things,
They are all imported.

If the foreign merchants dare to sell, the Wu court will dare to buy.

The foreign merchants felt that the offer was quite unfair and they could not make any money.

Wu Ting felt that military supplies were not about money and he could make a fortune.

The current bilateral maritime trade,
Both the buyer and the seller felt extremely satisfied, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a honeymoon period.

……

Mainland Europe.

All kinds of mainstream newspapers boasted that His Majesty Emperor Wu was rare in the world and few on earth.

For his contribution to breaking the ice, Staunton was created Viscount Nottingham by George III.

He delivered an important speech in the House of Commons, hoping that Downing Street would show the utmost sincerity in supporting the rising Wu State.

Correct,
It's support.

Support the allies to sweep the stubborn and ugly Tatar nobles into the dustbin of history, let the enlightened Emperor Wu become the ruler of the East, and thus further open the country's doors.

He cried out:
London cannot lose Suzhou.

Just like the West cannot lose Jerusalem~
The butt determines the head, and the title also determines the head.

Mr. Viscount boasted about Eastern civilization regardless of the occasion or time.

His new mansion is a Chinese-style building, decorated in Chinese style, serves Chinese food for dinner, his bookshelves are filled with Confucius, Mencius, Laozi and Zhuangzi, and there is a scroll reading "The Highest Good is Like Water" hanging in his study.

……

At the end of the 18th century,
No one in Europe believed that sending a few warships and setting up a few cannons could conquer hundreds of millions of people.

People who think like this will be sent to a mental hospital and whipped.
As the supply of tea increased dramatically,

A large number of London's middle class, drinking relatively cheap mulberry leaf-flavored black tea, elegantly exchanged their views on international business.

Anyway,

Most people believe that Downing Street should show the greatest goodwill to such an enlightened monarch.

The trade deficit between Europe and the East has lasted for 500 years.

The deficit is growing and becoming more disturbing.

The hope of reversing the trade deficit has finally appeared, and we must not miss it.

……

In order to open up the huge Eastern market, London factory owners
They spared no expense in buying out mainstream newspapers and hiring cultural celebrities to write for them, and they forcibly created the concept of "30 Years of Gold Trade."

Whoever can form the strongest alliance with the East will dominate Europe.

If London missed, Paris picked it up.

A third-rate tabloid published an unconfirmed and explosive story:
The queen of the locksmith king was preparing to send her three most beautiful cousins ​​in the family and their husbands on a mission to the East.

Although it doesn't sound reliable at all.

But it fits the arrogant London gentleman's imagination of the Parisian Vanity Fair.

most of the time,
The truth is not important, what is more important is to conform to everyone's stereotypes.

……

18st century,

The Saxon middle class with a household income of more than 50 pounds is growing, and the literacy rate of the general public has exceeded 6%.

Newspaper sales double almost every five years.

In such an environment,
The newly promoted Viscount Staunton and the London factory owners hit it off and formed an unbreakable new alliance.

Their goals are the same.

Lobby Downing Street to promote further cooperation between the two countries.

Behind them,

There is also the shadow of the East India Company, and many invisible hands fueling the situation.
……

soon,

In a secret meeting in Downing Street, Staunton made a shocking statement.

He came up with a crazy idea - suggesting that the Royal Navy assist the Wu Kingdom in acquiring the Batavia colony.

Faced with overwhelming doubts,
Staunton explained:
The Eastern monarchs have a serious idea of ​​​​taking advantage of the land.

The Ngô emperor needed to be given a taste of the bloody sweetness of overseas colonies in order to suppress the opposition voices of the conservative aristocrats within the Ngô court (in fact, the ideas of Hong Renhui, a member of the mission, were plagiarized).

otherwise,

Once the country closes again~
……

Unfortunately,

The owner of Downing Street at this time was Lord North, a Tory.

Tory Party - protects the interests of the king and the great nobles.

Whig Party - Support the emerging bourgeoisie and be close to the middle class
Whigs have long been dissatisfied with Tory.
The Prime Minister himself is a typical aristocrat;
He has perfect qualifications but mediocre abilities. He is good at handling interpersonal relationships and advocates governing by doing nothing.

He was afraid of challenges and was not good at dealing with any unexpected problems, such as the Citibank Independence War that was taking place across the Atlantic.

……

Other than that,

Lord North was a little jealous of Staunton's good fortune.

finally,
Downing Street decided to authorize the East India Company to provide appropriate support to Wu in the fields of weapons, commerce, shipping, etc., but not to involve Wu in the Qing-Wu war.
Simultaneously,

Establish formal diplomatic relations and station plenipotentiary envoys to each other.

Reach an agreement in areas such as tariffs as soon as possible and put it on paper.

Staunton was very disappointed and turned around to join the Whig Party.
……

Closer to home,
Located in the south of Xiangyang City, the artillery battle between the Qing and Wu sides for the commanding heights finally began.

Hutoushan,
As the gunner pulled the rope, sparks from the flintlock machine drilled into the barrel through the small hole.

Almost at the same time,
A ball of flame burst out of the muzzle,
The soldiers of the 4th Legion stared with wide eyes at the shell that they had high hopes for.

As Liangshun said,

The distance is too far and I can’t reach it!

Under the watchful eyes of all,

The shell ran out of power and fell to the foot of Yanshan Mountain, with a circle of smoke and dust rising around the point where the shell landed.

The surrounding Qing troops burst into thunderous cheers.
Liangshun also excitedly shook his braid, raised his sword and shouted:

"As long as Yanshan remains, Xiangyang will never fall!"

(End of this chapter)