Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Although Beihai Town quickly made various arrangements, both Anping Port and Naha Port were thousands of miles away from Jiangning; both personnel and fleets would take at least two or three days to be deployed. And just in these few days, Prince Ding Mian'en was not idle either.

It is said that in the history of another time and space, Nurhaci's son, Sun Zhaoyi, the sixth generation of Prince Li Daishan, once wrote a book called "Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records", which recorded a large number of Qing Dynasty allusions, Manchu customs and the remains of clan officials. anecdote. In the fifth volume of the book, he specifically described Mian En, saying that he was handsome, tall and long-armed, good at riding and shooting, and he was well-mannered and courteous in his advance and retreat.

However, he changed the topic later and said that Mian En was a donkey dung ball with a smooth appearance, beautiful on the outside but dull on the inside. He was completely unfamiliar with government affairs. When reporting affairs, his subordinates could not analyze the merits and would only act like a noob.

As a contemporary of Mian'en, Zhaozhen's two paragraphs are simply not about the same person, which is very embarrassing.

You must know that Mian'en was Qianlong's most beloved grandson. He was smart and respectful since childhood, otherwise he would not have been allowed to command the imperial army, serve as Zongzheng of the Zongren Mansion, and even be in charge of the Imperial Library of Wuying Palace. Among the many grandsons of the Mian generation, he was the first to be promoted to a prince.

A North Korean envoy once reported to King Yeongjo after returning from a pilgrimage, believing that the next generation of emperor's successor would definitely be between Yeongyan and Mian'en, and Mian'en was more likely.

Dare I ask whether such a person is ignorant of government affairs?

To put it bluntly, Mian En was actually pretending to be stupid to protect himself. Even though Jiaqing was called "Renzong", in matters like the struggle for imperial power, whoever was benevolent was worth two hundred and fifty.

In this time and space, facing the situation where Beihai Town is surrounded from all sides, pressing every step of the way, and the Qing court building is about to collapse, as a powerful figure in the clan, it is no longer possible for Mian En to hide her clumsiness. It was precisely because of this that Jiaqing used the excuse of dealing with Yuan Mei to send his eldest nephew south on errands, taking the opportunity to adjust the personnel arrangements in the Beijing camp.

Compared with the lame prince Yongxuan, Mian En, who holds military power, is a greater threat. Jiaqing knew how much he weighed, and the only advantage he had was his status. However, there is no problem with things like status when it does not affect the survival of the country, but once the country is ruined and the family is destroyed, it makes sense to have a big fist.

Who can guarantee that after the imperial court's expedition to the west, the eldest nephew will be given a yellow robe?

In short, if Mian'en fails to do his errand this time and is disgraced by Beihai Town, he will naturally lose his prestige in the clan after returning. Even if he is lucky enough to get the job done, the Han officials in the court will have objections to him.

In fact, Mian'en had already guessed Jiaqing's intentions. Someone from the capital would go south to deliver secret reports to him every three days. As soon as he and his people passed Zhuozhou, Jiaqing went to the Old Summer Palace and summoned the wing commanders of the inner and outer battalions of the Hujun Camp, the Forward Battalion, the Xiaoqi Camp, the Internal and External Firearms Camp, the Old Summer Palace Guards Camp, and the Jianrui Camp respectively. He knew at that time that he was being plotted.

But there is no way, this is a conspiracy. If he were the emperor, he would have to do the same thing.

So he thought about it on the way south, and finally decided to only operate on Yuan Mei and let Zhao Yi go. The reason is that Yuan Mei's reputation among scholars is mixed, and many Han officials from the Neo-Confucian school have long wanted to deal with him. Zhao Yi, who did not leave Yangzhou, mainly considered that the other party had been an official for many years and had served in the Military Aircraft Department. He had too many old friends in the officialdom and his influence among Han officials would be too bad.

So, apart from personality problems, the princes and grandsons who came out of the strict royal education of the Manchu Qing Dynasty were useless in political struggles.

Think about it, a child starts attending classes at three in the morning every day from the age of six, has to study until one in the afternoon, and then practices riding and shooting until seven in the evening. Moreover, during the study period every day, apart from breakfast and lunch, I can only take one or two breaks, each time not exceeding 15 minutes. This life will last for ten years!
Zhao Yi once expressed emotion in his notes. He said that poor people like us, who rely solely on reading to earn food and clothing, are unable to get up at three o'clock, but the princes and grandsons who study in the study room actually do this every day! In addition to studying the Four Books and Five Classics, these children had to learn to compose poetry, learn Manchu from a Manchu master, and learn riding and shooting every day. They could not rest until dark. How can people who are educated in this way not be knowledgeable? How can one not be skilled in martial arts? Many princes and grandsons are proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting, and they are knowledgeable about the successes and failures of past dynasties.

As a witness to the Beihai Navy's bombardment of the Dagukou fort, Mian En knew very well that Beihai Town's methods were often unexpected and acted quickly, causing the court to often be slow at one step and slow at every step. So the day after he met Jiangning General Qinglin, he began to frequently secretly meet with Qing generals from all over Jiangnan and make preparations intensively.

On the morning of November 1794, 11, Mian En boarded a boat from Yanziji to cross the river. On a boat at Guazhou Ferry, he had a secret meeting with Cheng Ce, the deputy capital commander of Jingkou who came to see him in light armor.

As mentioned before, the Eight Banners garrisoned in Jingkou are all Mongolians who were separated from the Eight Banners in Jiangning. They have relatively fewer bad habits, are honest in their duties, and have stronger combat effectiveness.

After showing Cheng Ce Jiaqing's order, Mian En instructed him to select [-] elite soldiers from his troops within three days and be ready to cross the river at any time; as soon as he received his order, he would immediately go to Xiaocang Mountain, check Suiyuan.

In the afternoon of the same day, Mian En, who returned to Jiangning City, secretly met at Pilu Temple with the Jiangnan Admiral, Tongzhou Town Chief Soldier, Susong Town Chief Soldier, and Songtai Soldiers who had entered the city in civilian clothes. After some lectures, he declared as an imperial envoy In the name of the enemy, he ordered the green camps, water camps and forts in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to enter a state of preparation for war. This move made the four people present frightened.

From November 11th to 19st, Mian'en no longer concealed his identity, but showed off the honor guard of the imperial envoy. Accompanied by Funing, the governor of Liangjiang, Wang Bing, the admiral of Jiangnan, and Qi Feng'e, the governor of Jiangsu, he took a fast boat for three days to inspect. Went to Jiangyin and Wusongkou forts to inspect the combat readiness of each water camp.

While in Jiangyin, Mian En first went to the Huangshan Fort and spent half a day checking the number of soldiers at the head of the battalion and whether there was enough gunpowder for the artillery shells. Then he ordered the officers and soldiers of the fort to practice artillery firing on the spot.

For a time, the south bank of the Yangtze River was rumbled with gunfire and smoke filled the air. On the section of the river that had been cleared by the water camp, water columns exploded by solid iron bombs one after another. The Qing army's shouts of "Long Live Long Live" echoed one after another on the fort and on the river, which was so majestic and spectacular.

The problem is that it's OK to fool others by firing off guns and firecrackers, but it won't work here with Mian'en. He has been in charge of the firearms camp since the 34th year of Qianlong's reign, and he knows the ropes very well. The firearms battalions in the Qianlong era were not useless in later generations. They were drafted and sent to the front line in all wars. Although it cannot defeat the Northern Navy, it can still deal with Junggar, Huojizhan, Greater and Lesser Saroben, Burma, and Gorkha without any problem.

After watching the drill of the fort defenders, Mian En's face instantly dropped, and he was so angry that he wanted to kill someone. Not only the accuracy is terrible, but the rate of fire is also slow, so why do you still want to compete with the North Korean Navy's fast-moving cannons? Grandma!

There is no way, time is too tight, even if you change generals, it will be too late. Fortunately, the Jiangyin Fort has enough artillery. I hope the ants can kill the elephant.

In desperation, he checked hundreds of sand ships parked in Huangtian Port and Jingjiang Port.

These sand ships used to seal the river are all three thousand stone ships about ten feet in length, some with five masts and some with seven masts. Because of its square head and square tail, it is also called "square boat" in Jiangnan. Because the cabins were filled with green hemp stones and the waterline was pressed very low, these ships could not be parked on the shore. They could only be moored in deep water and guarded by soldiers day and night.

In front of Jiangnan Admiral Wang Bing, Mian'en warned the officers and soldiers guarding the sand ships that if a Northern Navy ship entered the Yangtze River estuary and saw a beacon fire alarm, there was no need to report it, and the ship would be immediately built to seal the river. Anyone who dares to be passive and let the Northern Navy ships pass through Jiangyin will be directly beheaded on the spot for collaborating with the enemy.

After being slapped, sweet dates must also be given. So in front of the officers and soldiers present, as an imperial envoy, he ordered Qifeng, the governor of Jiangsu, to allocate 10 taels of silver from the Jiangsu vassal treasury and issue a reward. This move made the green camp generals present rejoiced, and they all clapped their chests and made guarantees as if they had been given a shot of chicken blood.

On November 11, Mian En and his party arrived at Wusongkou Fort. After watching the test firing drill of the officers and soldiers of the fort, he was holding back his anger and went to Langshan Port and Fushan Port non-stop to inspect the Shuiying warships. The same admonition was given, and he was rewarded with silver hair from the vassal treasury.

Mian En felt that she had done everything she could, and that was all she could do. Do your best and obey fate!

In any case, his trip made the officers and soldiers of Green Camp along the river quite satisfied. Officials usually deduct their military pay in a small way, but this time they are able to make a profit; for soldiers, their daily salary is always deducted by their superiors, so even half of it this time is not bad. Besides, they always have a good meal before the war begins. They haven't seen the smell of meat for a long time.

On the evening of November 11, Mian En returned to Jiangning after touring the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The speed of his vigorous inspection was extremely uncomfortable for Jiangnan civil and military officials who were accustomed to the slow pace. For three days, it was like stepping on a hot wheel under their feet, and they didn't have time to even have a wine banquet. However, as soon as he got off the boat from Yanziji and returned to Pilu Temple, Buyan, the Jiangsu inspector who rushed over, reported something to him and Funing, the governor of Liangjiang.

"Your Majesty, Marshal, the afternoon before yesterday, ten unidentified people came to Suiyuan. As of yesterday morning, a sign saying 'Closed to thank guests' was hung on the main gate of Suiyuan."

"Are you sure only ten came?"

"determine."

"He came empty-handed?"

"No. Each of them is carrying a large bag half as tall as a person. It looks very heavy."

"What's the reason for closing the door and saying no to guests?"

"It is said that Yuan Zicai is ill."

Mian En snorted and sneered: "If you don't get sick sooner or later, you won't get sick later. You'll get sick when the reinforcements arrive!"

"Reinforcement?" Funing, the governor of Liangjiang, was very surprised.

Mian En nodded slightly, his tone became extremely solemn, and said: "The Northern Pirates already know that this king is coming! Those ten people are here to protect Yuan Mei's family!"

"How is that possible? The prince has only been in Jiangning for a few days. How could they..." Veins were twitching on Funing's forehead.

"You still don't understand?" Mian'en sat cross-legged on the couch, staring at Funing like a knife: "This Jiangnan has been poked with holes by Beihai pirates! Where you are, Qifeng'e is, and even... There are hidden stakes of the Northern Pirates in Qinglin! Alas! You don't know that the Northern Pirates have a way of sending messages quickly, faster than the Six Hundred Miles Express, and it is extremely hidden. The imperial court has not found out for so many years. "

Mian En looked at the increasingly gloomy night outside the window. He was lost in thought for a moment, and said decisively: "We can't delay Suiyuan's affairs any longer! If ten come today, a hundred will come tomorrow. We must cut through the mess quickly!"

Funing said in surprise: "Your Majesty, do you mean to do it tonight?"

Mian En pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said to Funing: "If you go to Mancheng, you won't be able to live in Pilu Temple."

After that, he said to Buyan: "We need to keep a close watch on Suiyuan. Don't alert others for the time being. Send someone to report to me every hour."

This night was destined to be sleepless for many people in Jiangning City.

Starting from the first watch of the morning in the early days of Xu, for some unknown reason, hundreds of armed soldiers came outside the governor's office of Liangjiang. The leader was a Qian general who was supervising Biao Zhongying. Under the astonished eyes of countless people, President Qian ordered that all those doing business and setting up stalls on both sides of the Governor's Yamen Zhaobi wall should be driven away.

In an instant, chickens and dogs were flying in Xihua Street and Liji Lane on the east side of the Textile Department, pots were turned over and bowls were smashed, and people screamed and horses neighed. The originally bustling streets and alleys looked like they had been hit by a military disaster. After just one meal, except for the torch-bearing pacesetters and the mess on the ground, not even a dog could be seen on the whole street.

At the second watch of the day, the city gates on the west, south and north sides of Jiangning City suddenly opened wide. Under the bright light of countless torches, thousands of Eight Banners armored soldiers filed out. They were ordered by Prince Ding Mian'en to take over the defense of the 31 gates in the inner and outer cities.

During this period, one messenger after another set off from the Governor's Office of Liangjiang and General Jiangning's Mansion, went to the Waijinchuan Gate in the northwest of the outer city, climbed down from the city wall, and took boats overnight to Jingkou, Anqing, Suzhou, Jiangyin, Songjiang and other places.

Time soon came to the early morning of November 11rd.

The weather today is extremely cold. It has been drizzling in Jiangning City since the early morning. In the morning, the biting cold wind was wrapped in drizzle and snow that looked like haze and fog, rippling in the streets and on the Qinhuai River.

As soon as it dawned in the morning, groups of troops sent by the Supervisory Biao Central Battalion began to walk in the streets and alleys of the city. They walked in groups of three and two, and loudly announced the orders issued by the Liangjiang Governor's Yamen as they walked. , followed by a watchman who kept yawning, and struck the gong before each sentence.

"According to the order of the Imperial Envoy and Prince Heshuoding, all the people in the city, except those who have no rice at home or those who are sick and need medical treatment, are not allowed to go out today and stay safe in their homes! Violators will be sentenced to ten days of shackles!"

For more than 150 years, Jiangning City has never been in such a state of turmoil. Many people are confused, what is going on?
Just after early morning, several flat-bottomed sand boats loaded with [-] Jingkou Eight Banners soldiers entered the ancient Yunliang River from the mouth of Sancha River. After making a big turn to the north, we stopped in front of Linjiang Bridge outside Jinchuan Gate.

The people sent by the Chinese Army, Governor Biao of Liangjiang, were already waiting on the shore. When all the armored soldiers on the ship disembarked and lined up, they entered the city through Jinchuan Gate under the guidance of the people who responded. They headed south along the Dashiqiao, Sanpailou, Laocai Market, Drum Tower, and Ganheyan, turned west on Banbian Street, and finally came to Yongqing Temple on the east side of Mount Wutai, which was the temporary foothold of the soldiers.

This place was first built during the period of Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. There is a five-level white pagoda built in the temple, which is also called the "White Pagoda Temple". Because the terrain here is the highest in the surrounding area and it is very close to Suiyuan, from the vegetable field behind the temple to the top of Wutai Mountain, you can overlook Suiyuan to the north.

Well, it’s said to be a bird’s eye view, but in fact not much can be seen clearly. In his early years, Yuan Mei planted a large bamboo forest on the mountain and lakeside south of Suiyuan. It's okay to look at the scenery, but it's basically impossible to see clearly what's inside.

Cheng Ce led people to climb to the top of the mountain behind the temple, carefully inspected the terrain around Suiyuan, and finally decided that the large group of people would not go through the gate to the west via the red clay bridge in the north, but instead go westward from the dry river bank to the vegetable field in Suiyuan. Go through it and you can reach the north bank of Shuanghu Lake directly. Then the troops were divided into two groups, one group entered the inner courtyard for inspection, and the other group went west via Taohua Embankment to Tianfeng Pavilion on the southwest side.

After deciding on a strategy, he immediately sent his men to Jiangning General's Mansion to report to Mian En, and the time to launch was set at the right time.

After the outbreak of the first Opium War in history, [-] British troops invaded Zhenjiang, while the Eight Banners in Jingkou had less than [-] troops, including [-] Qingzhou soldiers. Faced with being at a disadvantage in terms of numbers and weapons, the Eight Banners at Jingkou not only did not retreat, but put up a desperate resistance. All the young officers and soldiers in Zhenjiang died in the battle, and even women joined the battle, causing heavy losses to the British army.