Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 532: I, Wang Shenglie of Guizhou, was the first to change my flag and sell it at a good price in Guangxi and Xiangxi

In the light of light,

The Xiangxi archers felt their eyes were dizzy and could not see the specific position of the enemy above, so they shot arrows blindly.

The Wu army's mountain infantry, crouching in the tree canopy, attacked from the dark with incredible accuracy.

Every time a gunshot was heard, someone would be shot and fall to the ground.

The Xiangxi armed forces could no longer hold on and fled in all directions.

The gunfire in the woods gradually died down, and the battle was put on hold.

……

But then came the trouble.

The fire is out of control~
Wu Jun, who was sitting on the tree due to the flames and smoke, could not stay there any longer and started coughing.

It is your own fault and you will not live.

"Retreat, retreat."

The embarrassed soldiers, carrying their thunder guns on their backs, quickly slid down the tree trunks and left the fire scene.

If you don't leave now, you will really be burned to death.

The Xiangxi armed forces, who had escaped a long way away, were also surprised to find blazing fires behind them.

Zhao Zhuangwen drew out his short knife:

"Brothers from Qianzhou, turn back and fight."

"kill!"

The remaining soldiers were aroused to ferocity again and turned around to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

……

After a chaotic burst of thunder gun gunfire, the two sides fought each other.

There are no hunters, no prey, no skills, only the bloodiest and most brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Blood splattered and metal clashed.

The sturdy men from western Hunan and the fierce men from western Yunnan fought with their lives.

One encounter, either life or death.

From time to time, people would hug each other and roll down the ravine, and their lives and deaths were in danger.

2 quarters of an hour later,
The two sides were left with nothing left and gradually lost contact.

The fire gradually spread, and the whole mountain was burning. The flames wiped out all traces of the war, and hatred and filth disappeared in the fire.

……

Dozens of miles away, the defenders of Yuanling County stood on the city wall, pointing at the flames in the sky and talking.

After dawn,
Zhao Zhuangwen gathered the remaining soldiers, and finally there were only more than 200 people left.

In Xindian Town outside the mountain, the mountain infantry battalion returned to the base, with only more than 90 people returning.

The brutality of the war surprised everyone.

Lin Huaisheng, the Minister of the Army stationed in Yuanling, ordered that the pension be doubled, and that the living people would be rewarded with a minimum of 100 silver coins regardless of how many heads they brought back.

After this battle,

East of Yuanling County, the attacks ceased.

The logistics fleet departed from Changde and reached Yuanling unimpeded.

But go forward~
The two sections of the river valley transportation lines from Luxi to Chenxi and from Chenxi County to Mayang County have become guerrilla holy lands.

Zeng's armed forces appeared back and forth.

The Wu army's logistics fleet moved at a snail's pace and was attacked eight times a day.

……

Changde Prefecture City.

A donkey cart carried Lieutenant Lu, a survivor from Luxi, into the government office.

The Fourth Corps collectively sent 38 officers to the Xiangxi front line, and in the end only Lu Hengshan was left.

After hearing the entire tragic story of the Battle of Luxi, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Lu Hengshan pointed at the boatmen:

"Where is the military judge? Give this man 500 silver coins first. He participated in the battle of Luxi, killed many enemy soldiers, and escorted me all the way to escape here."

The tracker bent over, smiling widely.

The military judge frowned:
"It is against military law. But since Lieutenant Lu can testify, I will give you 20 silver coins as a reward."

Lu Hengshan took out his pistol.

The tone is gloomy:

"I promised in public in Luxi County that I would give you 500 silver coins, not one less. If you don't give me the silver coins after I count to three, I will kill you~"

Just as the military judge was about to open his mouth, Lu Hengshan rushed over and kicked him in the vitals, then started punching and kicking him.

……

The tracker took 500 silver coins and crawled away.

Lu Hengshan was detained for beating a military judge in public.

He beat the military judge in public on purpose, and his merits and demerits were offset, so he left the army and returned home.

Business is the right way.

As a former military officer with connections, he could become a wealthy man in a few years by using both good and evil means.

Then he built roads and bridges, and tried to get the amulet of being appointed as the councilor of this prefecture.

Marry more wives and have more sons, and send them all to Dongshan to study and become civil servants.

……

Lu Hengshan was lying in the straw pile with a blank look in his eyes.

The night before the fall of Luxi City, the brothers' oath on the city wall once again came to their minds.

The Judge Advocate General!
Lu Hengshan raised his right hand and made a gun gesture towards the dark roof.
Gently speaking:

bang~
……

Where to go to work this year? Tongren, Guizhou is a good place - this was an advertisement next to the Jiangsu Expressway many years ago.

To this day, Xiaoxiaosheng is still deeply impressed.

Let’s put aside the topic of where to go to work.

In the Wang family manor in Tongren Prefecture, the atmosphere is cheerful.

There was a roar of gongs and drums on the stage.

Nuo opera is an ancient drama that resembles a sacrificial ceremony.

The old man of the Wang family sat in the front row, dressed in new clothes from head to toe.

The news released to the public was that the old man was celebrating his 70th birthday.

In fact, it was to protect his son, Wang Shenglie, the current Zhenyuan General, who sneaked back to meet Wu Ting's lobbyists.

"Sir, I'm sorry for the neglect of my humble residence for so long. My name is Wang Shenglie."

"Master Wang, have you finally made up your mind?"

"The Tartar court is unjust and has ruined our country. The Emperor of Wu has sent his army to recover our country. I am also a Han Chinese, so how can I not raise my flag and respond?"

The messenger smiled and said:

"After the matter is accomplished, His Majesty will take back your military power."

……

Wang Shenglie raised his head, righteous and awe-inspiring:

"Since this is a just cause, let's not talk about personal gain. When the heavenly soldiers enter Guizhou, all the soldiers in Zhenyuan will be disbanded."

"well."

The messenger was greatly surprised.

Open your right hand:

"50 taels of silver as a settlement allowance for Lord Wang."

"Where to move?"

"Songjiang Prefecture, Lord Wang can go there with one or two sons."

"Okay, okay. Songjiang is the capital of the world. I have long been fascinated by it."

I have to say that Wang Shenglie is very cooperative.

He even volunteered:

"Soon, I will personally lead the soldiers from Zhenyuan to block the border between Hunan and Guizhou to ensure that not a grain of rice or a pound of iron will flow into western Hunan."

"Lord Wang, your majesty is so righteous. I will report the truth to His Majesty."

……

That night,

The Wang family's father and son had a secret conversation.

"Son, have you thought it through?"

"Yes."

"Why choose this time?"

"Xiangxi is in a fierce battle, Guangxi is waiting for a good price, I am offering Qiandong at this time to show my sincerity and sell it at the highest point."

"Is it high?"

Wang Shenglie changed the subject:

"Zhang Youdao from Tongren wants to marry into my Wang family."

"what?"

"The daughter of the Zhang family is a widow, ahem, and wants to give me a legitimate son."

The old man was stunned for a while, then nodded slowly~
……

After a long while, he asked:
"Is there any hope for Ah Gui, the King of Yunnan and Guizhou?"

"No hope."

Tongren Prefecture borders Xiangxi, and the two places have close exchanges.

The Wang family has been closely following the war with their eastern neighbors.

The old man said:
"The fighting in Xiangxi was quite brutal. The Wu army was unfamiliar with the mountains and forests, and suffered heavy casualties during the attack. Do you want to watch it again~"

Wang Shenglie simply changed the question:

"Dad, what do you think is the most important thing in doing business?"

The old man did not hesitate:
"Capital!" "Yes, as long as the capital is deep enough, you can crush your competitors. Wu Ting has a lot of capital. If he can't win in one year, he can fight for three years. As long as there is money, the war can go on forever. Can Xiangxi afford it?"

……

Wang Shenglie elaborated on another possibility:
"Now the envoy of the Wu court offered me 50 taels to buy my change of flag, and I refused him. He turned around and went to find my deputy generals and guerrillas and offered them 5 taels each. If that doesn't work, he can also find the captains and battalion commanders and offer them 1 taels. Do you think anyone would be tempted?"

The old man looked solemn and nodded:

"Money moves people's hearts."

"Dad, to be honest, I'm afraid of the artillery shells over there, but I'm even more afraid of the silver bullets over there. Our Guizhou Army is used to being poor and can't stand seeing silver."

The old man stood up and struck the ground with his dragon head stick:

"Son, this is a good deal. My Wang family has invested in it."

……

Thousands of miles away, the Wu Palace.

Welcomed the Saxons who came from across the ocean.

A large delegation of more than 420 people set out from London and traveled tens of thousands of nautical miles to arrive in Suzhou Prefecture.

The salute boomed.

The guards drew their swords and pointed them at the sky at 45 degrees.

"Hold your guns and salute."

A hundred-man guard of honor stood in unison, holding guns with their spears pointed upwards.

On the left are 50 army soldiers wearing pure black tweed coats, and on the right are 50 navy soldiers wearing navy blue tweed coats. They are looking at the guests walking on the red carpet in the middle with sharp eyes.

Some of the Saxon naval and land officers instinctively took off their military caps and saluted, showing a favorable impression of their strange Eastern counterparts.

An army major muttered:

"The Prussians are just as uniform."

……

"play music."

The familiar music sounded and the delegation became excited.

The Duke of Kent thought to himself:

"God Save the King."

moment,

He felt that everything here was so pleasing and gentle. He took a deep breath of the sweet and humid air after the rain, as if he had returned to the suburbs of London.
Most of the worries have gone away at this time.

Kent is a close confidant of the current Prime Minister, Lord North, a backbone of the Tory Party and a core member of the Royalist Party.

When I saw Li Yushi wearing a military uniform.

He took off his beaver hat and knelt on one knee:
"I am here to pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor Wu, on behalf of His Majesty King George III. I wish the friendship between our two countries will be long-lasting and may His Majesty be in good health."

……

Li Yu noticed that about one-third of the delegation members standing in the front knelt on one knee, while the delegation members at the back knelt on both knees.

So he smiled and said:
"You all have come from afar, thank you for your hard work, please."

After the welcome banquet, the members of the delegation were accommodated in a newly completed group of civil servant residences nearby.

Kent and a few other members were placed in a corner of the palace.

The two sides had a tacit understanding and each sent low-level civil servants to contact each other privately and conduct tentative conversations.

Formal talks will only be held after the deal is basically done and there are no major objections to the terms.

On both sides of the long table, both the host and the guests were enjoying themselves.

The atmosphere was relaxed and the process went smoothly.

The formal "Suzhou Agreement" was signed, also known as the "Wu-Sariba Friendship Agreement".

……

The agreement includes:

The two countries stationed envoys to each other, determined tariffs, opened trading houses, exchanged science and technology, recognized the scope of overseas colonies, had royal exchanges, and free exchanges between private businesses, etc.

The clause does not address proselytizing.

because,

The gentlemen in London don't want to see kind-looking monks or thin and wise Taoists giving speeches on the banks of the Thames.

The gentlemen of Suzhou also did not want to see priests wearing silver crosses distributing eggs on the streets.

In a word,

In order to avoid a lose-lose situation, let's talk about practical matters.

After the agreement was announced,
The Propaganda Department collectively breathed a sigh of relief. They no longer had to go to Hanshan Temple to listen to Buddhist scriptures, nor did they have to go to Xuanmiao Temple to learn Taoism.

According to your majesty's instructions, the enemy can go, and I can go too.

If Westerners insisted on preaching, they would be the first group of "European monks" going to London to export culture.

Your Majesty is serious and Your Majesty is confident.

At the current stage,

The foreign strategy is divided into two parts: economic colonization and cultural export.

One in front and one behind, one real and one virtual.

Never underestimate the invisible and intangible cultural output, which is as effective as giant ships and cannons.

……

During lunch,
The Duke of Kent's favorable impression on Emperor Wu reached its peak.

He asked tentatively:

"What does your Majesty think of the rising bourgeoisie in Europe?"

Li Yu said modestly and proudly:

"The bourgeoisie should not have too many delusions. They should obey the king and actively pay taxes to serve the king."

The Duke of Kent's eyes lit up immediately, and he stood up and asked everyone in the delegation to raise their glasses to toast the wisdom of His Majesty the Emperor Wu.

Adelaide, Governor-General of the East India Company, smiled but said nothing.

That's right,

It was he who revealed the current political structure in London and the quality of the cabinet to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Hu Xueyu who came to visit him in advance.

Adelaide is a hereditary noble and a beneficiary of the current cabinet.

……

There are two groups in London.

The Tories support the king and the great nobles.

Whig Party, supported the emerging bourgeoisie.

After George III ascended the throne, he was quite skillful. He repeatedly attacked the Whig Party, took back the royal power, and appointed royalist confidants to the cabinet.

After pulling back and forth for many rounds,
He successfully created a North cabinet nicknamed "Friends of the King".

George III has the potential to be the little Emperor Qianlong of Europe.

He spent 20 years gradually undermining the monarchy-parliament dual system that had existed since the Glorious Revolution, successfully strengthening the monarchy and weakening parliament.

However, a gunshot was heard in Lexington.

The new Union Jack militia, armed with "overseas donations", were full of vigor and beat the old Union Jack on battlefields in the thirteen states.

……

Prime Minister North is a conservative who is good at interpersonal relationships and money, but not good at violence.

As a result, the Lobster Soldiers suffered occasional setbacks at Citigroup.

The treacherous ministers jumped out on their own, one was the Thirteen Citizens and the other was the Whig Party.

One of them was outside, the other was inside; one used force, the other used words; they attacked North's cabinet frantically.

Although Downing Street is full of people.

However, the treacherous officials used the light pounds and light newspapers to deceive the short-sighted common people.

The protests were massive.

Even the country gentlemen in England and Scotland were extremely dissatisfied with the current situation.

The burden of the two Lans and eighteen counties made Prime Minister North shaky and the weight of George III increased sharply.

……

The above was conveyed by Hu Xueyu and Your Majesty made up his own mind.

Although it is not completely consistent with reality, the error is not large.

Li Yu understood, completely understood.

The North Cabinet wanted to use the "power of Eastern foreigners" to suppress the domestic opponents.

Lord North is in trouble.

On the one hand, it is necessary to send more troops to the American colonies to fight, and on the other hand, it is necessary to send warships to cruise in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Indian Oceans to guard against Frank, Iberia, and the Netherlands.

These three countries have contributed money and guns, and are doing their utmost to cause trouble for London.

fight,

What is it about? Money.

The North cabinet is in urgent need of overseas donations.

……

That night,

The more Li Yu thought about it, the more excited he became, and he paced back and forth in the palace.

Sometimes he raised his arms high, sometimes he lowered his head and talked to himself.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a godsend."

"The North Cabinet cannot fall, Washington cannot win, and Louis XVI cannot stop. I must intervene!!"

The next day,

Finance Minister Hu Xueyu and Deputy Minister of the Navy Liu Wu jointly paid a visit to the Duke of Kent.

Statement:
"Your Majesty has instructed that our country firmly supports the position of the North Cabinet and firmly supports your army's great cause of suppressing the rebellion in the Citi Colony."

then,

Kent, the old Union Jack nobleman, had his beard curled up with excitement.

[The political structure of London in this chapter is true, and the author has developed it based on real history. 】

(End of this chapter)