The Truchen people did not rush to transport the mountains of clay from the ceramic kiln to Hong Kong Island. Naturally, they had an idea in mind - putting slag, lime, and clay together to calcine cement, although it was still quite primitive.

Cement is the strongest adhesive in the world today.

Timur was not afraid that the Qing people would find out the secret through their rush to transport these materials, but he was afraid that the foreigners gathering in the only trading port of the Qing Dynasty would know the secret.

Truchin's "secret" adhesive has now been studied by Europeans. Depending on their ability, it will be a matter of time before it is finally discovered, but the Qing people are obviously still in the clouds.

As for the clay, they finally found it on an island south of Hong Kong. They just dug it from there and transported it over. It is always better to keep it secret at sea than on densely populated land.

Of course, after the fifth day, the Truqin people also rushed to transport some finished products piled up in the kilns. Although the Truqin people did not care about these, they still had to do it.

......

Ten days later, everything was business as usual.

It is conceivable that the Manchu Eight Banners Cavalry, the most powerful in Guangdong Province, suffered a heavy loss. Those green soldiers obviously would not take the initiative to attack them, so the rush for the next five days was uneventful.

Guangzhou City, Mancheng (Inner City) General Mansion.

After the deposed crown prince Yin Feng, Guangzhou General Yong Wei, Guangdong and Guangxi Governor Li Shiyao, Guangzhou Magistrate Zhao Yi were serving as Dai Zui. After Li Wei, Guangdong Commander-in-Chief Li Xingyuan, Guangdong Navy Vice Admiral Huang Biao, Guangxi Governor E Bao, and

The envoys, chief envoys and others gathered together.

Originally, the status of the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi was slightly higher than that of the general of Guangzhou, but Yongwei was a member of the clan, so he naturally respected him. Moreover, Li Shiyao was the leader of the Han army flag Li Yongfang, who had the closest relationship with the Manchu royal family. Naturally, he understood the importance and took the initiative to obey.

Zhaoqing, where the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi is based, rushed here to attend the meeting.

Everyone is a high-ranking official, but Zhao Yi, who is famous for his literary talent, is just a mere prefect. Naturally, he is a little nervous and has only done half of his job.

Now it is up to Zhao Yi to report on the situation of the barbarian thieves.

"Zhao Mingfu, are you telling the truth? What the barbarians robbed the most were the worthless items?"

The governor of Guangxi, E Bao, is also a bannerman, and he is used to being arrogant. Even in front of his grand relative Yong Wei, he speaks unabashedly. As for the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, since he is also the governor of Guangdong, he is obviously a competitor. E Bao usually treats all

The governor just dealt with things perfunctorily, so he naturally didn't take Li Shiyao seriously.

After Zhao Yi finished his report, E Bao didn't wait for Yong Wei, and Li Shiyao took the lead in asking casually.

The 32-year-old Yong Wei looked normal. The deposed prince clan only started to be used in the Qianlong era. However, the painful experience of being imprisoned in the Kangxi Dynasty obviously made them very vigilant. Most of them have developed the habit of playing both sides and not offending anyone.

Habit.

Li Shiyao only raised his right eyelid and his right cheek slightly, but it was as usual.

The rest are all Han Chinese, so naturally the two adults are the only ones who can see this, so it is impossible for anything to cause trouble.

Zhao Yi knew how powerful this person was and quickly replied: "That's true."

"Then do you know what they used this thing for?"

"This... is probably used to pave roads and paint walls"

Li Shiyao knew that this man's strengths lay in corruption and romance, so he asked behind him: "Mr. Pan, what do you think?"

It turned out that there was another person sitting behind Zhao Yi. It was Pan Youwei, the fourth son of Pan Zhencheng, the head of the Thirteenth Group. Obviously, he could not sit with the other adults and could only sit on a pony.

It can be seen that he is very nervous, and there are some beads of sweat on his face.

Hearing the Governor's question, he quickly stood up.

Although he is a scholar, he is a businessman after all, and he still has some understanding of folk affairs.

"My lords, judging from the students, Lord Mingfu's guess is not bad. In addition to paving roads, there are also things used for building walls. Students have seen them in Annan Kingdom using these things to build thick walls.

When there is a shortage of eggs and glutinous rice, we can only use these things as a temporary substitute."

Although he knows a little more than everyone here, he obviously only "understands a little". In the countryside of the Qing Dynasty today, people often use gravel mixed with soil to build walls. Everyone nodded when he heard this.<

/p>

What's more, even if some of them get a glimpse of the secret, they still don't know the proportions of clay, lime, and slag, and they don't bother to know.

"Also, the students do know the secret of their black smoke-emitting ships"

"Oh?"

Now everyone is interested.

The Truchen battleship can destroy the fleet led by Admiral Wu Bida of the Guangdong Navy in a short period of time. This combat power is really frightening. If the Qing Dynasty also possesses such a secret skill, wouldn't it be possible to break with the Truchen people?

The strength of the wrist?

"My lords, students have learned from Westerners that a coal-burning machine has appeared in the West, which can replace human and animal power, but requires burning coal and water. Not only do students not know how to operate it, but Guangzhou's

Westerners don’t know either”

Navy Vice Admiral Huang Biao was most interested in this matter. He asked: "Then why didn't Western ships use this thing?"

"This..." Pan Youwei couldn't answer. At this time, a master sitting next to Yong Wei interjected: "Mostly, although Westerners also use this thing, they are not powerful enough to use it."

When we got to the ship, it seemed that the Truqin people were indeed quite capable in their strange and obscene skills."

Nowadays, officials in the Qing Dynasty basically use the methods of the late Ming Dynasty to handle government affairs, because in both the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were very few formal officials. In fact, those who handled government affairs were hired masters. Naturally, there were a large number of local scribes.

But as an outsider, you must be careful, and most likely you will hire yourself.

Senior officials like Yong Wei and Li Shiyao have naturally maintained a large team of masters for a long time. In addition to masters, there are also many guards and servants.

The salary of the imperial court obviously could not allow them to support so many people, so they could only commit corruption. This was an open secret during the Ming and Qing dynasties, or the entire feudal dynasty.

The annual income of chief masters such as Yong Wei and others in high positions will not be lower than that of the prefect of Guangzhou. In addition, they are all scholars themselves. Once there is a vacancy in an official position, they can be filled as soon as possible if they are around senior officials. After all, there are

The friendship between host and guest.

As for the magistrate of Guangzhou, the county magistrate of Nanhai County, and the county magistrate of Panyu, it is obvious that it cannot be filled by ordinary people. A large amount of money is also needed in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Anthology, and the Cleaning Department. Therefore, all officials from the local government to the central government

The chain of corruption is opened, forming a perfect closed loop.

If those who have no money are sent to a remote and poor lower county and have to hire a team of masters after taking office, not only will they not make money, but they will also be repaid. If they encounter bandits in the mountains, it will be even worse.

If the county magistrate wants to send the garrison to the mountains to clear out the troops, he won't do it without money. There aren't many wealthy families in the remote areas for you to coerce. Besides, since they are wealthy families, they all have backgrounds. You don't necessarily want to coerce them.

Can beat them.

I can only hold my nose and endure it, hoping that my term will end soon.

Nowadays, local officials in the Pearl River Delta will definitely not suffer, and even the worst can be saved.

Naturally, everyone here has no such doubts, and with the prosperity of Thirteen Lines, the money is coming in an endless stream like running water.

Such behavior is already a clear example in the officialdom. Even the emperor knows that as long as he doesn't go too far, he will turn a blind eye.

This kind of government has always been like this throughout the ages. It is not impossible, but impossible, to make him clean and honest, unless there is a super powerful official like Hai Rui who is energetic and handles everything on his own.

But there is only one Hai Rui.

Therefore, when Yongwei's master spoke, everyone did not look down upon him, but sat upright and listened.

"Then why did they stop again these days?"

It was Li Shiyao who asked the question, and the master replied: "From the student's point of view, since they are building massively on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Island, they must have built as many facilities as needed to seize them. Since they have stopped, it must be enough.

”

He added: "The students made a detailed investigation and found out that the lime, slag and other materials they took away were enough to build a county-sized city."

Upon hearing this, Li Xingyuan, who had done meritorious service and was brought to Guangzhou after Li Shiyao took office to command all the green battalions in Guangdong as a deputy general, thought to himself: "Even so, we should attack with all our strength before the barbarians arrive. Do we have to wait until they

Build the camp and then attack?"

Li Xingyuan was Li Shiyao's man. Yongwei caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye while drinking tea. He put down his tea cup and said, "The Truqin bandits are very powerful. In the past, in the northwest, they only had more than ten thousand people, and they were able to defeat our country."

Thirty thousand elite cavalry"

"You must not underestimate them. If you attack hastily and are unfortunately defeated, pirates will emerge in large numbers, and then induce civil unrest, it will be a crime that will harm the country!"

Li Shiyao's younger brother Li Fengyao died in the hands of the Truqin people. He also said: "What the general said is indeed a mature and prudent statement. How could Truqin, our country's number one enemy, send troops without permission without asking the Holy Mountain for instructions?"

”

E Bao, who had always been at odds with Li Shiyao, sneered: "Then just sit back and watch the thieves grow bigger?"

Li Shiyao's expression suddenly changed, and he snorted coldly: "Of course not. I'm calling you all here now to discuss the big plan together, isn't it?"

At this time, Li Shiyao's chief master also flashed out. This person was a Juren. He had been the magistrate of a small county before and was obviously very proficient in general affairs.

"Before you all arrived, the Governor had already discussed with the General and had some countermeasures. Now that you are here, you might as well speak freely."

Everyone started talking.

Some people said that they would immediately mobilize the troops of the whole province and even Guangdong and Guangxi to launch a massive attack while the bandits were not yet firmly established. Some people said that they would send a letter to Fuzhou and ask the Fuzhou Navy to come and attack.

There are also talks about holding a large-scale regiment training in Guangdong and using human wave tactics to bulldoze Hong Kong and Kowloon. Some even say that the Guangxi wolf soldiers are powerful and ask Mr. Obao to send an elite wolf soldier to help in the battle.

Most people don't have any opinions. They are just official bastards. If they can't fight, they say it's better to stay still and wait for the Holy Emperor's decree.

Only Huang Biao, the second-ranking figure in the Guangdong Navy after Wu Bida, was a pirate before joining the army and gained experience step by step in the army. He understood both the hardships of the people and the military affairs. Yong Wei saw him and never said a word.

, then looked at him: "General Huang, what do you have in mind?"

Huang Biao is only thirty years old this year. He is short and strong, but has a very fierce appearance. After listening to Yongwei's words, he stood up and clasped his fists and said: "In the past, whether our country attacked pirates or had conflicts with Western ships, there was always a way to solve it.

”

"The pirates' firepower is not strong, and they rely on the maneuverability of the small boats. They can take advantage of the clumsy sailing of the big ship to get close and engage in a battle to seize the ship's side. However, the navy has the advantage of firearms, so their actions will probably not be effective."

"The Western ships are huge and equipped with heavy artillery, but they focus on commerce and do not easily conflict with the government. Even if there is a conflict, their fleet only has three or four large ships at most, facing numerous naval forces.

The ships are helpless”

"But the Truchen warships are a different matter. They can sail without any sails and are faster than our sailboats. With the superiority of firearms, it is almost impossible to defeat them."

"What's more, their main force is still on Hong Kong Island, which is surrounded by sea. If there is no water advantage, even..."

Yong Wei smiled and said: "It's okay for the general to speak frankly."

Huang Biao nodded, "Thank you, General. What the ministry means is that even if we put all the efforts of the country to come here, I'm afraid it won't work."

"Bold!"
Chapter completed!