Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 513: After the capture of Wuzhou, the debate between the Kingly Way and the Commercial Way

"Report, Wuzhou Prefecture has been captured."

"How many troops does Wu have? Which route will they take?"

"The Xijiang River froze over, and the Guangdong Wu army marched on the ice all the way to Wuzhou City. There were about one or two thousand of them."

Lu Tingsheng looked shocked and unfolded the map.

Then his face changed drastically.

Realizing that this terrible weather had become Wu Jun's accomplice.

The Xijiang River originates in Yunnan, flows through Guizhou, Guangxi, and Guangdong, and finally flows into the sea at the Pearl River Estuary.

In terms of length, it is second only to the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.

In terms of shipping convenience, it is second only to the Yangtze River.

……

Lu Tingsheng suddenly asked back:

"That's not right. How did they walk on the ice? The ice is so slippery~"

"Horse-drawn sleigh!"

Miao Youlin, a lieutenant of the 5th Corps of the Wu Army stationed in Guangdong, decisively seized the opportunity without receiving any orders.

A large number of sleds were pulled by mules and horses to transport soldiers.

Zhaoqing Prefecture-Wuzhou City.

Due to the low friction coefficient of ice, transportation becomes extremely easy and fast.

The equivalent of an 18th century highway.

The vanguard of the Wu army, wearing thick coats and fur boots, arrived at the city of Wuzhou like a divine army descended from the sky.

Then they launched artillery fire to suppress the enemy and bravely climbed the city wall.

The Wuzhou defenders were stunned and caught off guard. In less than half an hour, their entire line was defeated.

The 5th Corps successfully entered Wuzhou.

The sled performed a great service.

……

The room was silent. No one expected Wu Jun to have such a wild imagination.

Lu Tingsheng sighed:
“I have heard that the Wu army is good at using water transportation when advancing, but this kind of use of the river is beyond my expectation.

He quickly wrote the letter and handed it to the visitor.

"Go back and tell Lu Tingwu to hold on to Teng County. I will mobilize reinforcements. By the way, you must find a way to dig through the ice."

"clear."

The scout was quick and decisive. He collected the letter and left.

Starting from Wuzhou Prefecture and going upstream along the Xijiang River, there are three cities in order: Tengxian, Guiping and Laibin.

If the Wu army's sleds cannot be stopped, the heart of Guangxi will be penetrated.

The consequences are horrific.

Lu Tingsheng thought for a moment and slapped the table:
"Someone is coming."

"Order Xunzhou, Pingle, and Liuzhou to send out troops together."

……

The Gui army under Lu Tingwu were working hard to shave ice between Wuzhou and Tengxian.

The gunpowder is limited, so I can’t bear to explode it.

The ice on the river was too thick, and a group of men tried hard for a long time with sledgehammers and iron fibers, but with little effect.

So they changed to burning.

Build a bonfire and burn the ice until it melts and collapses.

shore,

Lu Tingwu looked at the gradually collapsing ice layer, turned his head and said:

"Xiao Bai, how do you think we should fight this war from now on?"

Bai Jianren looked at the mountains in the distance and whispered:

"As usual, I will lead my men over the mountains and across the ridges to intercept their food supply."

"Can it be done?"

"It's definitely not possible now, but if Wu's army penetrates deep into the heart of Guangxi, I will have a chance."

Lu Tingwu pondered for a while and nodded slightly.

……

The two men discussed for a long time and felt that the only thing Wu’s army relied on was shipping.

As long as the Wu army is unable to use the water system to transport troops and food, they can still fight on land.

The reason is simple - Guangxi is mountainous.

Into the mountains,
The locals have 100 ways to deal with the enemy.

but now,
First of all, we have to pray that the temperature does not drop any further and the ice and snow melt as soon as possible.

Otherwise, the Gui army would have to send out a large number of people every day to melt the ice in the Xijiang River, which would be exhausting.

……

Fortunately, the Wu army that captured Wuzhou Prefecture did not take any action.

Busy supplying supplies and consolidating the city's defenses.

A lieutenant stood on the city wall of Wuzhou, looking at the frozen surface of the Xijiang River in the south, where horse-drawn sleighs were moving back and forth.

"Sir, why don't you seize the opportunity and attack Laibin County in Liuzhou Prefecture in one go?"

"No, Captain Miao has given orders. We must defend Wuzhou and not attack without authorization."

"Yes."

The lieutenant wrapped his military coat tightly, lowered the ears of his winter hat, walked down the city wall onto the ice, and requisitioned a sled to patrol the surroundings.

He found the wreck 2 miles downstream.

Through the ice, the mast can be vaguely seen.

The Gui army had already blocked the Xijiang waterway.

This means that Wu Jun's strategic plan to use warships to attack Guangxi by water after the spring would be difficult to achieve.

……

The military report reached Zhaoqing and then to Guangzhou.

Miao Youlin's instructions came soon.

"Wuzhou should be the outpost for our army's attack on Guangxi."

"It is difficult to dredge the waterway, and the mountains in Guidong are steep. Your troops should hold on to Wuzhou, ensure that there are sufficient supplies and ammunition, and be prepared to hold on alone."

"If the people of Wuzhou wish to leave the city, they will not be stopped. But they are not allowed to take away food, livestock, or cloth."

"Also, the mountains in Guidong are complex and the vegetation is dense. If you don't have to, try not to go into the mountains."

The lieutenant remained silent after reading it.

He had worked in mines in southern Zhejiang and knew the dangers of going into the mountains.

The captain is from Guizhou and is no stranger to going into the mountains.

If the Wu army's advantage in fighting on the plains was 100 points, it would only be 20 points when fighting in unfamiliar mountainous areas.

……

The lieutenant had no access to Wu Ting's lofty strategic ideas.

He would never guess that Captain Miao Youlin had another concern, which was fear of disrupting His Majesty's strategic arrangements.

After the spring of next year,
It is still unknown where the troops will be directed.

Some people suggested preparing for war for a year, launching the Northern Expedition in the second year, and taking the Forbidden City in one fell swoop.

Some people suggested encircling and suppressing the remaining soldiers in western Hunan and killing one to warn the rest.

Some people suggested attacking Guangxi, then invading Yunnan and killing Agui, the most influential Qing army commander in the south. Sichuan, Guizhou, and Fujian would be conquered as soon as the order was issued.

……

In short, there are great differences of opinion within the center.

The differences between the Northern Expedition faction and the Southern Expedition faction were actually nothing, after all, they were still military disputes.

current,

The biggest disagreement is whether the military should be the main focus or the political focus?

The faction of the father-in-law Hu Xueyu advocated 7% military and 3% political power.

The faction led by Economic Minister Fan Jing advocated 7% politics and 3% military.

Miao Youlin actually couldn't understand the mystery here, but his personal staff did.

The staff reminded the host to be vigilant and not to take sides casually.

Minister Fan's faction is the kingly way faction, and can also be called the old school.

Hu Guozhang's faction is a business-oriented faction, and can also be called a new faction.

……

At present, under the intimidation of Your Majesty's mighty power, both factions are relatively restrained.

No one dared to openly go against His Majesty's wishes, and they just wrestled with each other under the banner.

Behind Hu Guozhang were the Shaoxing civil service group and wealthy businessmen from various provinces.

Behind Minister Fan are the kingly way faction who are willing to accept reform.

On the bright side,
Everyone is wearing a layer of "Wu" skin.

Wu skin has Confucian bones, Wu skin has cultural bones.

of course,

Even within the same faction, there are differences among members, including conservatives, radicals, and moderates.

This is normal.

……

Most of Minister Fan’s faction were beneficiaries and supporters of the imperial examination system.

They also agreed that the old imperial examination system was indeed outdated and needed to be drastically revised to keep pace with the times.

The North Cave must be rectified.

If the situation cannot be resolved, replace Nan Kong.

If Nan Kong still doesn't listen, replace him with Nan Fan.

In short, it’s just a clay sculpture of a Buddha.

The content of the official selection examination should eliminate the eight-legged essay and increase practical knowledge (including mathematics, physics, and astronomy), but the good teachings of the sages cannot be discarded, and cultural content such as poetry and songs cannot be discarded.

To sum up, it is:

Old Confucianism, change to new Confucianism. …

Hu Guozhang's faction intended to completely bypass Confucianism and Legalism and start anew, using industry, commerce, science, and colonialism as the core knowledge of the future empire.

As for how to select officials, it goes without saying.

Nobles with military merit, industrialists and businessmen (family members, or supported figures in public), and scientific inventors will surely enter the court.

……

The staff's analysis was very logical.

Miao Youlin's heart started pounding when he heard this, and he felt a chill at his back.

After thinking about it, he suddenly laughed:
"Hu Guozhang was a juren. But he supported abolishing the imperial examination system and promoting industry and commerce."

"Minister Fan is only a student, and has not received any favor from the imperial examination, but he has devoted all his efforts to defending the orthodox teachings."

"This world is so humorous~"

The staff smiled slightly and saluted:
"Dong Weng, people are often forced to do things against their will. Once everyone trusts you and supports you and puts you on the stage, you are no longer yourself."

Miao Youlin sighed:

"clear."

……

The staff bowed and left.

If you work hard for your employer now, you will be able to enter the government smoothly in the future with a letter of recommendation.

South of the Yangtze River,

Few scholars are optimistic about the Qing dynasty anymore.

Most readers believe that:

Wu Ting’s worst achievement was to become the second Song Dynasty.

The best outcome for the Qing Dynasty would be the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun plus Liaodong.

……

There is never a shortage of talented people or smart people in the world.

All that’s missing is the platform.

The southern scholars collectively tried their best to get close to Wu Ting, forming a stampede-like competition.

The prices of Confucian books continue to fall.

It has reached the point where a set of printed versions of the Four Books and Five Classics is cheaper than a bag of rice.

the reason is simple:
Since reading the books of sages can’t help you become an official, why do you still read them?
Take ten thousand steps back and say,
Even if the new imperial examination system is revived someday, the contents of these books will be outdated. Who knows what the Four Books and Five Classics will look like after being edited and revised.

……

Miao Youlin shook his head and laughed silently.

He considered himself to be the smartest among the military officers.

But compared with the civil servants, his IQ is like that of a 7-year-old child.

He wrote a victory report on the Wuzhou battle and had it delivered to the post office, to be sent north when the weather improved.

Guangzhou prefect Fucheng also wrote a letter requesting the Coal Bureau to solve Guangdong's fuel shortage problem nearby.

The location has been decided.

Chenzhou, Hunan!

There are coal mines in Chenzhou with considerable reserves.

It borders Guangdong, making transportation easy.

After a period of land transportation, the goods can be transported via Zhangshui River-Wujiang River to the hinterland of Guangdong.

……

There are several common misconceptions about mining that people outside the industry have.

First, the reserves.

There is no point in mining a mine with too small a reserve.

Second, the burial depth.

Open-pit mines and shallow mines are more valuable for mining. Mines buried too deep underground are difficult to mine, have low output and high costs, and are not very meaningful in this era.

Finally, there is transportation.

The future of any mining area that cannot achieve nearby river, sea or sea shipping (short-distance land transportation) is limited.

There was already a consensus within the Wu Tribe:

Only when all the above three points are met can large-scale mining be carried out.

When developing industry, we must consider costs and be scientific from the very beginning.

……

Wuguo Honeycomb Briquette Factory No. 3 (Guangzhou),
The study found that:

The entire province of Guangdong has switched to using Chenzhou coal for civilian use, which is much cheaper than using Pingxiang coal in Jiangxi.

Once approved by the central government, the three factories immediately moved into Chenzhou to start mining coal on a large scale.

In less than half a year,
All the civilian honeycomb coal in Guangdong province can be replaced by Chenzhou coal, but industrial iron smelting coking coal still has to use Pingxiang coal.

……

December 25th,

The Wu Imperial Palace thousands of miles away.

In the wind and snow, carriages arrived one after another from the Jinji Lake official residence.

Enter the temple,

Everyone felt the warmth immediately and hung their outer cloaks on the hangers beside them.

After serving tea and snacks, the palace maid left quickly.

The moment the palace door closed, everyone realized that the meeting had entered its main topic.

Li Yu sat at the top of the long table in military uniform.

Civil and military officials sat on both sides.

"Everyone, after the spring, I want to take over the southwest. Please express your opinions."

……

Your Majesty sets the tone, and those below you cannot cross the line.

It is clear,
The group discussed it privately.

At the meeting, the disagreement focused on one point: whether to focus on military or political issues.

The atmosphere is tense and both sides have strong arguments.

There are advantages to fighting.

Talking has its advantages.

Li Yu just calmly looked at the ministers below who were talking eloquently.

A thought popped into my mind:
"The core of the empire has finally begun to form cliques and factions."

but,

There is nothing strange about this. It would be strange if there were no various hills.

……

Anyway,

Li Yu saw the two largest mountains in Jiangnan, which were majestic and magnificent.

Army Minister Lin Huaisheng was leading troops in Hunan and was unable to attend the meeting.

Li Yu looked at Tan Muguang, Minister of the General Staff.

"Do you suggest fighting or talking?"

"I suggest fighting and negotiating at the same time, and we will not stop until we achieve our goal."

Li Yu smiled and looked at Industry Minister Du Ren.

Du Ren and Hu Xueyu were close friends.

Now he said:

"I think we can talk if the conditions are right. Currently, more than 7% of the manpower of the Military Industry Bureau and the Metallurgical Bureau is invested in the mass production of steam engines. The output of arms has dropped significantly, and is only a quarter of the peak period."

really,

Hu Xueyu frowned slightly.

He glanced at his old friend casually, muttering that this guy should not be a member of Fan's party.

……

Foreign Minister Jia Xiaozhen was also forced to express his position:
"I also think we can negotiate."

Li Yu nodded and asked:

"But I am unwilling to give any official hats to the surrendered officials, and I am even unwilling to give the local tyrants the power they once had. Will the southwestern provinces be willing to negotiate?"

Hu Xueyu immediately echoed:

"Your Majesty is right. Only by fighting can we gain a secure territory. The chieftains in the southwest are deeply rooted. If we don't beat them hard and hurt them, how can we change them into chieftains? How can we turn them into commoners?"

Several directors of the Army Department agreed.

As a soldier, how can you achieve success without fighting?

Anyone can call for peace, except the War Department, which must be warlike.

……

Fan Jing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke:

"I think we should start from Guangxi and persuade the Han people in Guangxi to surrender by offering them military merit and land as rewards, so that they can serve as the vanguard for our army to sweep across the southwest."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Everyone was thinking about the intention behind this suggestion.

And Fan Jing said sincerely:

"The Wu army is well-equipped and has superb tactics, but the casualties will be high if we fight in the southwestern mountainous areas. Although I am a civilian, I know that cannons cannot go up the mountain. Marching on rugged mountain roads is prone to ambushes and logistics are easily harassed."

"Fighting in the mountains means giving up our advantages and fighting the enemy."

"We are not afraid of anyone, but the warriors on the front line should shed as little blood as possible."

These words were so correct that even the directors of the Army Department could only nod their heads.

……

Fan Jing observed the situation and put forward his final idea:
"Guangxi is located in the southern border area, and the people of Guangdong and Guangxi have always been dissatisfied with the Qing government. Moreover, they are all Han people, so it is expected that bilateral negotiations have a basis. If the negotiations can be successful, the court can conquer a province without bloodshed."

"Afterwards, the imperial court provided money, guns and officers to form a Guangxi Army~"

"With the precedent of Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan will surely be overwhelmed with surrender. If there are areas that stubbornly refuse our army, we can use the Guangxi army as the vanguard to push across the southwest."

"The imperial army only needs to watch from the sidelines in Hunan and conserve its remaining strength. When the time is right, we will sweep across the Central Plains and achieve your majesty's glorious hegemony."

(End of this chapter)