Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 408 Qianlong's Unwillingness
In late March of the 54th year of Qianlong, the spies sent by the Qing court to Beihai Town finally sent back the exact news that the Beihai Navy fought against Russia last year. This really shocked the Manchu Qing from top to bottom. Qianlong was shocked.

It has been learned from many sources that last year the Northern Navy used 5000 men to attack the Ning Guta Camp, but Zhao Xin used only 600 men to stop the tens of thousands of Rakshasa troops in Aihui City!

After that, the Beihai Navy used a total of more than 8000 people to recover lost ground all the way northward along the Heilongjiang River. It defeated tens of thousands of Russian troops in Yaksa and captured dozens of opponents.Immediately afterwards, they fought non-stop from Nerchinsk all the way to Kyakta, and even captured the Russian Governor's Mansion in Eastern Siberia.

This series of news shocked all the princes and ministers of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and even Qianlong was stunned.

Is this Nima Zhao Xin still human?
From Fukang'an's first dispatch of troops to Hailancha's death in battle to Mingliang's defeat in the Ningguta camp, the Qing army was defeated three times from Fuerdan City to Ningguta, a palm-sized place, and died in battle. Although the number of people was not as large as that of the Junggar Khanate, Huojizhan, and Jinchuan before the destruction, the number of prisoners was a breakthrough in previous wars.

Although both the ruling and opposition parties were shocked by the combat power of the Northern Navy led by Zhao Xin, there was a distinctive feature of the Qing army's operations during the Qianlong period, that is, through extreme military strength and logistics delivery, it used its strong national power to repeatedly crush opponents. No matter how many times the Qing army is defeated, it can win the final victory.

Up to now, the old and strong Qianlong still believes that the failure of the Qing army in the previous few battles was due to improper use of tactics.Shocked, Qianlong vowed to fight Beihai Town to the end, and must completely wipe out the Han armed forces entrenched in the outer northeast.

At present, according to the analysis of a group of people led by Wang Jie and Dong Gao, Zhao Xin is likely to use troops against Khalkha Mongols.So Wang Jie, Minister of the Ministry of War, repeated the old tune, and once again asked the Zhangjiakou garrison and the Ningxia and Ganshan Green Battalions to go north and station in Kulun. In any case, they must prevent the Northern Navy from going south and entering Outer Mongolia.

A group of people headed by He Shen believed that the Beihai Navy would fight the Tsarist Russians in the next step. After all, Zhao Xin captured tens of thousands of Luocha, occupied Nerchinsk and the entire territory of Lake Baikal, and completely cut off the Qing-Russian trade.As long as the Qing Dynasty cooperates well with Tsarist Russia, it is still easy to achieve a situation of driving away tigers and devouring wolves, and finally reap the benefits of fishermen.

For example, Kemukmqik, led by Tannu Wulianghai Sizuo, opened up border trade with Tsarist Russia.It is a border town on the upper reaches of the Yenisei River, only more than 700 miles away from Uliasutai, where Deputy General Zuo Dingbian is located.

Compared with the expedition of the Mongolian teachers abroad, Qianlong still prefers Heshen's idea.If the Eight Banners were defeated in Outer Mongolia, all the ministries of Khalkha would be ready to move, and Outer Mongolia would fall into turmoil again.Although he was well aware of the wolfish ambitions of the Tsarist Russian Empire, he also knew that these barbarians needed tea and rhubarb from the Qing Dynasty more, so he sent a decree to the Lifan Academy to quickly contact the Russian side.At the same time, he also prepared the Ministry of War to send troops to Kulun in time if there were changes in Tsarist Russia.

It has been more than 50 years since Qianlong succeeded to the throne. He claimed to create a prosperous world and create a world that is not easy for all generations.If Beihai town is allowed to go on like this, after he closes his eyes, he won't even be able to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the Temple of Heaven!

(The ancestors of the Qing Dynasty said that if you lose the size of the soil, you will lose one point of territory, that is, the descendants of I love Xinjueluo are not allowed to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.)
For this reason, after repeated deliberation, he decided to replace Qing Gui, the Minister of Economics and Strategy, and recall him back to Beijing to enter the military plane, and arrest General Jilin Mingliang and put him in prison.At the same time, Fukang'an, who was receiving the British warship in Guangzhou, was ordered to be "General Dingbei", granted the seal of General Fuyuan, and managed Shengjing, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Khalkha Mongolia, and Horqin Mongolia.

A total of 8000 people went to Ula, Jilin, including [-] Jianrui battalions in Tiaojing City, [-] firearms battalions, [-] Xi'an Eight Banners, [-] Qinghai Eight Banners, [-] Junggar cavalry, and [-] Yarkand musketeers.

At the same time, he ordered He Guodong, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and French missionaries serving in the court to go to Hunchun and Jilin with [-] officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp and artillery battalions to strengthen artillery training; Tens of thousands of craftsmen left the customs and ordered Fukang'an to start casting the General Cannon weighing [-] catties in Hunchun and Jilin.

It is said that this kind of cannon was cast when the Qing army attacked the big and small Jinchuan, and the number of casts was not large at that time.This kind of super giant cannon that can fire 23 kilograms of shells (51 pounds) does not exist in European countries in this era.The largest artillery in Europe at the same time was the "Imperial Cannon" of Ottoman Turkey, which could fire 48-pound shells.

On the other hand, facing the ups and downs of the people in the ruling and opposition parties, some people even spread the saying in private that "the Northern Navy is invincible". , Several princes and ministers were dismissed.He ordered that any news about Beihai Town be strictly forbidden to be published in the future court manuscripts.

However, no matter how much the customs concealed it, the officers and soldiers of the Qing army who were on the front line of the Hunchun camp knew it clearly.

In order to paralyze the Northern Navy, at the end of March, Qianlong issued a decree to promote Hunchun from the co-leader's office to the deputy capital's office. On the south bank of the Mongolian River, and continue to be responsible for negotiating with Beihai Town about prisoners of war.

Outsiders looked at it, okay, cooperating with others who kept losing battles, Suo Nao went to Beijing to question the crime, but this one has nothing to do, luck is really enviable.

In fact, if it weren't for that Qitai sent someone to secretly send 20 taels of silver notes to Heshen's house, he would not only be kicked off as a second-class viscount, but demoted to a third-class to stay in office.

But Na Qitai himself panicked. As the Manchu Qing general who had the most contact with the Beihai Navy and even went to Beihai Town in person, after leading his troops into the Qing army camp on the Mongolian River, he began to have trouble sleeping all night.

If the Beihai Navy really attacked Hunchun, he would have no way out, and he had to bite the bullet and rush to the front line.Either die in battle, or wait for the old emperor to send someone to give him a knife or a glass of poisoned wine. As for whether there is a third way, Qitai dare not even think about it now.

However, everything has a disadvantage and an advantage.Since Na Qitai came to the Mongolian River camp in March, he negotiated with the Beihai Navy publicly about the captives, but privately let the Shanxi Changjia and the Beihai Trading Company negotiate the trade of fur and ginseng.

It is said that as a group of banner people, what they need in daily life is a face.Knowing that I am from outside the customs, I am afraid that I will be looked down upon by the Han people, so I not only stick to the "four dimensions and eight virtues", but also pay attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation.

The old saying "It is better to wear it through than to wear it wrong" is really appropriate for the bannerman.What kind of clothes to change and what materials to use in a few months of the year are all particular.

In the old days, they wore leather clothes. According to the seasonal temperature, they were divided into big hair, medium hair and small hair.Generally, when the winter is the coldest, they wear big fur clothes, such as fox fur, mink fur, and lynx catkin.In early winter and late winter, you should wear medium wool clothes, such as dark squirrel, squirrel, ermine and so on.In late autumn and early spring when it is "warm and cold", it is necessary to wear small wool clothes, called pearl fur.

Banner families, regardless of gender, have to make at least four sets of clothes throughout the year, so that it is decent to go out to visit relatives or visit elders.

However, the Beihai Navy occupied Ninggu Pagoda, Sanxing Dutong Yamen, and Aihui City, cutting off the source of Shang Wulin's furs, and the price of furs in the pass suddenly soared.However, it is necessary to be exquisite, so many moderately wealthy Banner families spend a lot more on clothing.

The other is ginseng, which is a daily necessity in those wealthy families.It can be used to nourish the body, take a piece of it when giving birth to replenish vitality, and even make soup to hang one's life. No matter how bad it is, you must prepare some ginseng whiskers, right?

However, the above two things are the most abundant in Jilin and Heilongjiang, and only a small part of ginseng is produced in Shengjing.Because of the large inventory in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there will be no shortage of Tai Hospital or Imperial Dining Room for a while, but most ordinary Banner families will not be able to, let alone those businesses that deal in medicinal materials from the Northland.

It is said that the phenomenon of stealing ginseng was very rampant in the Qing Dynasty. There were nearly a thousand wine shops in Shengjing City.

Before the Qing court lost Ningguta and Sanxing, the official ginseng bureau was mainly responsible for preventing the theft of ginseng.After the Beihai Navy came, with the end of the official ginseng bureau, ginseng poaching began to rampant again.

Beihai Town's punishment for ginseng thieves is very simple. In addition to confiscation, whoever digs one will plant twenty.The mining of ginseng is arranged by the Beihai Trading Company and the Ginseng Exchange under the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The confiscated ginseng and the ginseng purchased from the frontier residents are sent to the newly established ginseng exchange in Ningguta for sale.

A group of Shanxi merchants stranded in Ninggu Pagoda looked at the large amount of ginseng and leather goods in Beihai Town's hands very enviously, but due to the blockade of the Qing army in Hunchun, it was difficult for them to transport the ginseng out.This is not to bribe a few people, but to bribe a large group of people under the jurisdiction of General Jilin and General Shengjing.

The Manchu Qing Dynasty was not the muddle-headed Ming Dynasty who allowed Shanxi merchants to do business with the enemy and cut off their heads mercilessly.

However, Zhao Xin doesn't care anymore, Ningguta can't sell it here, and he can ask Shen Jingdan to arrange to transport it to the south through other channels.

Years ago when Na Qitai heard that Zhao Xin was getting married, he asked people from Yuci Chang's family to bring gifts and secretly went to Ninggu Pagoda.Because the Chang family has been engaged in the east port trade, whether it is from Zhangjiakou to Kulun, or from Shanhaiguan to Shengjing, there are shops and sales channels.

After some operations by Najitai and Chang's family, they quickly opened up the smuggling route from Ningguta via Alchuka, Berduna, Zhelimu League, and Shengjing.As a result, more than half of the [-] catties of ginseng released from the Ningguta Ginseng Exchange this spring, as well as various pickles, ginseng whiskers, and dregs, were bought by the Chang family, and they planned to enter the pass through this route.

The camp of the Qing army in Mongolia River, Na Qitai's handsome tent.

The so-called commander-in-chief tent was no longer the big tent in the picture in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the same is true of the Qing army commander-in-chief here on the Mongolian River.This is a courtyard with two entrances. The front yard is the meeting hall, which is commonly known as the "handsome tent", and the back yard is the house of the chief general.

The afternoon sun makes people drowsy, and Na Qitai is sitting on the grand teacher's chair in the main room in the backyard with his legs crossed, holding a Tianxiang cigarette in one hand, while listening to Chang Wu's report on the transportation of ginseng, his face is leisurely, and his heart Then I can't stop thinking about how much I can fall this time.

It's so good, if you can't beat it, don't fight it, everyone sit down and do business for a few years, isn't it good?As for what to do in the future, Na Qitai was really in no mood to think about it, and felt bad when he thought about it!

The two were hanging their tents, when a servant of the family suddenly called out from outside the house: "Master, someone from Hunchun City's family has come."

Na Qitai asked casually: "What happened? Let him in."

When the person came into the room, his expression was not quite right, and he wailed and said, "Master, I have had a low-grade fever since the [-]th day of last month and coughed non-stop. Grandma is in a hurry. I can't help it, let the little one report a letter to Grandpa."

Na Qitai became anxious when he heard that. He was nearly forty years old and had no children. A few years ago, his wife, Fujin, gave birth to three maids for him, and his stomach stopped moving. After that, he took in five concubines in a row until the year before last. Chang Wu's sister gave birth to a son for him, and only then would he have a future.Na Qitai doted on this young son very much, if it wasn't for the fact that he was away on an expedition, he would have liked to tie his son to his belt.

At this moment, after hearing what the servant said, he jumped up from the chair in a "bass", and asked eagerly, "Have you consulted the doctor?"

"I see. Grandma asked a doctor from Wula, Jilin, and said it was a 'chicken cough' disease. But the doctor said, said"

"What exactly did you say?!" The servant who reported the letter stammered, and Chang Wu who was beside him was also anxious. That was his own nephew, and his family's wealth and wealth could all be pointed at this child.

"The doctor said that the young master is already terminally ill, so I can only resign myself to fate."

The so-called chicken cough, also known as "heron cough" in ancient times, is actually the whooping cough of later generations.However, there was no such statement in the mid-Qing Dynasty. In the 40s, dozens of foreign Western physicians, dozens of Chinese Western physicians, and several Chinese physicians and scholars came to China successively. the name.

After hearing this, Na Qitai immediately fell back to the chair, his face was pale, tears streaming down his face.He remembered that he was past his age, and finally had such a son.If the son is gone, even if the tens of millions of family property is still useless, what the hell will be a cheap son-in-law in the future!
Chang Wu also looked depressed at this time, but suddenly he remembered something.So he first let Qitai's personal soldier lead the messenger to rest, then looked outside the door for a while, then closed the door, and whispered in Qitai's ear.

When he finished speaking, Na Qitai's eyes widened as if he had grasped a life-saving straw.He whispered: "Are you sure you can do it?"

"Master, I also heard that person say a lot when I went to buy goods a few days ago. I have to ask if it's okay."

"Quickly ask! If it works, I have to bring Changsheng over from Hunchun overnight!"

That day, Chang Wu got in touch with the Beihai Naval Station across the Mongolian River according to the previously agreed contact method.The clerk of the Beihai Trading Company who was in charge of the connection listened and asked Chang Wu to wait a while, then ran back to the military depot and called someone.Half an hour later, he came out of the military station and said to Chang Wu: "Okay, you guys bring the child here, don't delay any longer! If the virus enters the brain, it will be difficult to save."

Chang Wu almost knelt down at the other party when he heard this, he ran back to the Qing army camp opposite in a hurry, and told Na Qitai about the situation.Na Qitai had no other choice at the moment. With the mentality of a dead horse as a living horse doctor, he arranged for a few personal Geshiha to take his handwriting and headed to Hunchun overnight.

　Now the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the Temple of Heaven enshrines the tablets of the eight emperors of the Qing Dynasty, and there are none after Daoguang.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)