Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 519 Qianlong lives in the deep palace, why not kill his son first~
During the Qing Dynasty,
The capital city is divided into three areas: Outer City, Inner City, and Imperial City.

The Outer City is in the south, also known as the South City or the Mincheng. As the name suggests, it is the area where ordinary Han people live.

The inner city is where the descendants of the Eight Banners live.

Ministers would also live in the inner city for the convenience of attending court.

The imperial city is in the core of the inner city.

Looking at the map, the Eight Banners are surrounding the imperial city.

A little more detailed,
There is also the Forbidden City within the imperial city.

Layer upon layer of defenses protect the emperor, like a nesting doll.

……

Jiang Tianmu told the story slowly while Miao Renfeng drew the picture quickly.

As the most outstanding intelligence officer at the headquarters, Miao Renfeng has an extraordinary ability to summarize and generalize information.

One hour later,

He knocked on the door with a map.

"Come in."

"Master, this is a schematic diagram of the Imperial City. I think the Meridian Gate and the Dong'an Gate are the key points. Ministers usually go through the Meridian Gate when they go to court. The street outside the Dong'an Gate is the closest to the three main halls of the Forbidden City."

Liu Qian took the drawing and understood it after a quick glance.

After hesitating for a moment, he waved his hand and sent Miao Renfeng away.

……

The next day,

Jiang Tianmu knocked on the door of a small house near the He Mansion and completed the transaction with a mysterious person inside~
The payment has been made.

Heshen did not rob other criminals.

He has a good reputation and although he is greedy for money, he is righteous.

If thieves rob each other, there will be no future.

It is better to make money slowly and steadily.

After the transaction was completed, everyone drove the carriage out of the inner city and returned it to the escort agency.

after that,

Live outside Chongwenmen.

……

The core figures of the Intelligence Agency lived on Chongwen Nei Street, just one door away, but the rent was twice as much.

Location, location, location.

The landlord was a member of the Bordered White Banner, and his ancestors were once famous in Beijing. Now, his descendants, who have done nothing, can only live on tiles.

After taking some money, the whole family moved to another city and rented a house.

With such a replacement, the living standard is obviously improved.

"The servant greets the master."

"Wake up, it's good that you can turn from darkness to light."

Fushou stood up happily and stood aside with his hands hanging.

He felt no guilt at all for betraying the Qing Dynasty and his ancestors.

1 years ago,

He could still vividly remember the scene of himself being beaten in public by the thugs from the rice shop.

He had a strong hatred, thinking that it was the Qing Dynasty that wronged him first, and he betrayed the Qing Dynasty later.
……

Liu Qian asked a few simple questions and then waved Fu Shou away.

ask:

"Is it reliable?"

Jiang Tianmu nodded:
"He has already pledged his loyalty. He can't turn back."

"What is the name certificate?"

"The Temple of Heaven was set on fire, and Shuntian Prefecture was busy working for half the night. Because of this, Emperor Qianlong was furious, and five people in Shuntian Prefecture were beaten to death and 5 were exiled."

Liu Qian nodded, this token of allegiance was significant enough.

The Temple of Heaven is where the emperor offered sacrifices to heaven. One fire there is enough to wipe out entire clans.

This kid~no, this dog can be used.

Jiang Tianmu moved uneasily and asked:

"Master, are you going to attack the Forbidden City?"

"What, are you scared?"

"Don't worry. But there are so many guards in the imperial city that even if we all fight together, we won't be able to fill the gap."

……

"How many sons did Qianlong have?"

"There are 17 in total, and five of them are still alive today."

"Tell me?"

"The sixth son of the emperor is Yongrong. The eighth son of the emperor is Yongxuan. The eleventh son of the emperor is Yongyan. The fifteenth son of the emperor is the crown prince Yongyan. The seventeenth son of the emperor is Yonglin."

Liu Qian used the lid of the bowl to stir the tea leaves and said with a smile:
"Tomorrow you take Miao Renfeng to step on the plate, and let that Fu Shou lead the way."

Jiang Tianmu thought that the director was very generous and was planning to kill all of Qianlong's descendants.

……

When Fu Shou received the task, he was shocked at first, but then he became delighted and enthusiastic.

A strong master is a blessing for his servants.

As the saying goes, when you beat a dog, look at its owner.

Only when the owner is strong can the dog benefit from it.

but,

He also pointed out that four of the princes moved out of the palace and lived in other residences after they came of age, but Prince Jia Yongyan was the only special one, as he lived in the imperial city.

The eighth prince, Yongxuan, was the poorest.

The mansion was run-down, with few people coming to visit. There was only an old servant sitting at the door eating melon seeds.
After the carriage passed the door, Miao Renfeng said:

"We only need five good fighters to wipe out the entire Yongxuan sect."

Jiang Tianmu nodded.
At the same time, he also felt sad about the coldness of the royal family, just because Yongxuan was a cripple.

……

After this day, Fushou also figured out the trick.

Suddenly made a suggestion:

"Kill the young tiger and lure out the tiger king."

Miao Renfeng was so impressed at that time~
Even Liu Qian was quite interested in this and ordered to continue working on it and make sure the plan was as thorough as possible.

If there is any mistake in the assassination in enemy territory, the whole army will be wiped out.

How to safely evacuate the city after the action is also a big problem.

The city of Beijing is too big and full of good and bad people.

The advantage is that it is easy to conceal.

The downside is that it is difficult to evacuate before the city gates are closed.

If he couldn't get out of the city gate, it would be difficult to escape the subsequent rounds of searches. Liu Qian would never forget how he commanded the army to search the mountains in Mudu Town, Suzhou Prefecture.

Now, the offense and defense have changed.

……

The western warm room of the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City.

A disheveled, skinny man knelt on the carpet, crying and wiping his tears.

"Master, I never thought I would see Tian Yan again."

"I am guilty, and my whole army was annihilated. It was tragic. I was the only one who escaped."

Qianlong looked at this loyal servant calmly, and rarely got up from the kang, and helped him up.
"Yin Ta, you are not only innocent, but also meritorious."

"master?"

"You were able to blow up Li Ni's favorite concubine in front of him, which at least gave me some relief. I don't blame you, and I will promote you. You will be in charge of the Sticking Rod Department, promoted to a first-class guard, and I will also reward you with a house."

Yinta was very excited~
Qianlong asked in a calm tone:
"What should I do next? Do you need my advice?"

"I understand. I ask for your permission to expand the sticking rod department."

"well."

Qianlong nodded with satisfaction and instructed the chief eunuch Qin Si:

"Take Chief Yin to withdraw the money, and I will pay from the treasury."

"Whoo."

……

6 days ago,

Qianlong received a secret report from Fu Chang'an, the governor of Jiangsu Province, that the negotiation delegation stranded in Jiangbei was captured by Wu Ting, and they were collectively released after their braids and one ear were cut off.
then,

Then the news came that the assassination attempt on Li Yu by Nian Gang Chu failed, but the concubine was killed by a bomb.

Some prudent ministers within the Qing court believed that the assassination was too radical and would affect the overall situation of the peace talks.

But they dare not speak out.

Because Qianlong had fallen into obsession, anyone who dared to advise him might end up in danger of losing his entire family.

He even issued an edict to the Ministry of Justice, explicitly abolishing the system of reviewing death row prisoners and executing them after the autumn festival, and completely delegating the power to kill to the county level.

The Minister of Justice lamented:
The prosperous times are gone, and troubled times have arrived.

Since then,

The Ministry of Justice has completely become a marginal department, with the same status as the Ministry of Works.

The status of the Ministry of War increased significantly.

The status of the Ministry of Personnel declined and was put on par with the Ministry of Revenue.

……

When someone goes downhill, someone else must go uphill.

He Guozong, the left vice minister of the Ministry of Works, was promoted to the Minister of War.

The difference between Vice Minister and Minister is not one level, but three levels.

The six parts are divided into the noble part and the humble part.

The Ministry of Works is a lowly ministry, and the Ministry of Personnel is a high-ranking ministry.

When a Vice Minister of Works is promoted, he will usually be transferred to the Vice Minister of War first.

The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War can be promoted to the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Personnel.

then,

Only then could he be promoted to the Minister of Rites or the Minister of War.

Therefore,
He Guozong was promoted three levels in a row.

...He Guozong, a native of Daxing County, Shuntian Prefecture, was a Jinshi graduate and was particularly good at arithmetic and well versed in geometry.

A rare talent in science and engineering in the Qing Dynasty.

He once went to Huai'an to supervise the construction of dams and to Yili to draw maps.

He also went to the Jinchuan front to preside over the mortar casting project and commanded the bombardment of the blockhouse.

then,

All the Qing army gunners stood by and watched.

Watching the honorable Minister personally serving as the artillery commander, and a group of civil servants who had passed the imperial examinations serving as gunners, they blew down Jinchuan's most sturdy blockhouses one by one.

This was because the Qing government was "guarding against the weak Han people."

Ninety-nine percent of the gunners are illiterate, let alone know how to calculate trajectory.

The three emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong kept the firing principle of mortars a secret and circulated it only on a small scale.

……

If the Qing Dynasty's military power is compared to a broadsword, only the tip of the blade is made of fine steel, the blade is made of cast iron, and the handle is made of rotten wood.

When encountering ordinary enemies, the tip of the knife can solve the problem.

But if you encounter a stubborn and fierce enemy, it is easy to fail.

The Qing-Myanmar War is a good example.

now,

The tip of the knife has been broken, and the elite route is blocked.

After the failure of the Jianghan Campaign, Qianlong learned from his mistakes and decided to give up quality and pursue quantity!
And firearms restrictions have been relaxed.

The casting techniques of various advanced artillery pieces were deciphered, allowing the southern provinces to manufacture them themselves.

He even deliberately indulged the powerful Han Chinese in the southwest, appeased the southwestern chieftains, and conferred the title of King of Yunnan and Guizhou on the emperor.

……

Thinking of this, Qianlong's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

just in case,

What if we can’t defend the southwest?
Can the vast Central Plains stop Wu's Northern Expedition? Can the proud Manchu and Mongolian Eight Banners defeat Wu's infantry?

After calming down, Qianlong thought it was impossible.

"Come here, call He Guozong."

After a while, He Guozong arrived.

It came so quickly that Qianlong was surprised.

"Long live the emperor, long live."

"Without courtesy, I will give you a seat."

He Guozong was terrified, always feeling that good days were coming too quickly.

Scared.

……

"What were you busy with before entering the palace?"

"I went to the Firearms Bureau of the Ministry of Industry to discuss some details of ordnance manufacturing."

Qianlong nodded, then waved his hand:
"It is very inconvenient for the Ministry of War to set the pattern and the Ministry of Works to make guns. From now on, the Ministry of Works' Firearms Bureau will be assigned to you."

"Your Majesty, this goes against our ancestral rules."

"It's urgent."

He Guozong was inexplicably moved. When our emperor is wise, he is really extremely wise.

This move is of great significance.

The output and quality of weapons can be greatly improved.

……

"Tell me what you think about the manufacture of firearms for the imperial court?"

"I think we should manufacture more sophisticated light submachine guns, and replace the matchlock with the flintlock."

"Tell me the reason?"

"The density of firepower of flintlock rifles is high, while that of matchlock rifles is low. The density of firepower is a major disadvantage of officers and soldiers in field battles with bandits."

"But, I heard from my subordinates that our Qing Dynasty lacks high-quality flint~"

He Guozong was prepared and took out a cube from his sleeve.

The cut surface was smooth and gleaming with golden light.

At first glance I thought it was gold.

The chief eunuch Qin Si's eyes lit up as he stood by. Fool's gold, he was familiar with this thing.

……

"Your Majesty, this is called yellow iron, which looks very similar to gold. It is also called fool's gold among the people. 7% of the musketeers of Wu's side are equipped with this thing as flint."

Qianlong took the cube.

Is such a standard cube really a natural thing?
He Guozong bowed slightly.
explained:
"Your Majesty, this is what pyrite looks like when it is dug out."

"Where is it?"

“Gansu silver.”

Qin Si also spoke:

"Master, what Minister He said is correct. I am from Baiyin, Gansu, and I have seen this kind of objects when I was young. But I don't know whether it can be made into flint."

Qianlong was very happy.

"He Guozong, you did a great job."

"Order Gansu to vigorously excavate yellow iron and send it to the capital."

"If Li the thief can use it, I can use it too."

……

If Qianlong had heard the phrase "cross the river by feeling the stones", he would definitely have applauded.

Now, he is crossing the river by feeling Li Yu's way~
The Qing court did what the Wu court did.

He even added:
"In the past, King Wuling of Zhao wore Hu clothing and rode and shot arrows. I can do the same. We can emulate everything good from the Wu bandits."

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

"Do you have any suggestions about the Central Plains defense line?"

He Guozong calmed down a little and replied:

"I suggest defending."

"How to defend?"

"Bastion."

Qianlong neither agreed nor opposed.

Just raising a question:
"I ordered the construction of two bastions in Xiangshan for the Jianrui Battalion to practice. The Jianrui Battalion reported that the bastions were indeed effective in defending against artillery fire, but not as great as imagined."

……

He Guozong whispered:

"I went to the site and saw that the design was not sophisticated enough."

"Can you design?"

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask several missionaries in the palace to come forward to design it. I am not as good as them in this regard."

Qianlong waved his hand:
"Go, please come here."

Half an hour later,
Five Frank and French missionaries who had served the Qing court for a long time hurried over, stood in a row, and knelt on their knees.

"Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty."

The Chinese is quite standard, but it just feels weird.

Qin Si held back his laughter. He suddenly understood the meaning of Xi Shi imitating others.

……

These missionaries had been in the palace for a long time and were fluent in Chinese, so they had no problem communicating with Qianlong.

When he heard the emperor's temporary call,

Their eyes lit up.

Opportunity, opportunity is ahead.

God finally brought the gospel, and the door to missionary work in the East was just around the corner.

Frankish missionary Jiang Youren was the first to speak out:

"Dear Emperor, regarding the relationship between artillery and bastions, we hope to get a chance for a live demonstration."

"Okay, I will come and watch it myself."

Immediately,

Two imperial guards led the way and took the five missionaries to Xiangshan.

They drew up the blueprints and the Xishan Jianrui Battalion fully cooperated in building the fort.

……

This is a rare opportunity.

The missionaries decided to use all their life's knowledge to gain the emperor's friendship.

When we look through history books, it is not difficult to find that the Western missionaries who came to China in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties seemed to be omnipotent?

For example:

Matteo Ricci, Johann Adam Schall von Bell, and Ferdinand Verbiest.

Each of them is capable of both literature and martial arts. They can paint with a pen and cast cannons with their sleeves rolled up.

He was well-versed in architecture, navigation, astronomy, and calendar.

In fact, we can understand the reason by taking the life of Frankish missionary Jiang Youren as an example.

……

Jiang Youren,
Born into a wealthy Frank family, he was extremely intelligent and received the best education.

As a teenager, he had a firm desire to preach the gospel and joined the Society of Jesus, with his goal being the Qing Empire.

Before the mission,

He stayed in Paris for two years, and under the introduction of the Jesuits, he received tutoring from several members of the Academy of Sciences, and frantically absorbed knowledge in mathematics, physics, astronomy, architecture, ordnance, navigation, painting and other fields.

After entering the Qing Palace, he learned Chinese and Confucian classics.

They even translated the Book of Documents into Latin and sent some Han Chinese Christians to Europe.

In order to establish a good personal friendship with the emperor,

He presided over the construction of the 12 zodiac fountains in the Old Summer Palace, drew a world map, drew a revised version of the Imperial Map, taught Qianlong math, and painted a portrait of Qianlong.
……

So we can easily find that
The missionaries who came to China in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties were originally an elite class.

They were determined and well-educated. They left their homes, property, and families, and stayed in the distant foreign courts until their death.

There was only one purpose: to please the royal family and open the door to missionary work.

Put aside your position,

They are indeed a group of respectable and firm idealists!
(End of this chapter)