In late March of the 54th year of Qianlong's reign, the Qing government's secret agent stationed in Beihai Town finally sent back the exact news of the Beihai Navy's war against Russia last year. This really shocked the Manchu and Qing Dynasties from top to bottom.
Qianlong was greatly shocked.
I have learned from many sources that last year the Northern Navy used 5,000 men to attack the Ninggu Pagoda Camp, but Zhao Xin used only 600 men to stop the tens of thousands of Rakshasa troops in Aihui City!
After that, the Northern Navy recruited a total of more than 8,000 people. They continued to regain lost ground all the way north along the Heilongjiang River. They defeated tens of thousands of Russian troops in Yaksa and captured dozens of the opponent's generals. Then they rushed non-stop from Nerchinsk to Nerchinsk.
They fought all the way to Kyakhta, and even captured the Russian Governor's Palace in Eastern Siberia, leaving the Rakshasa people unable to fight back.
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 a human?
From Fukang'an for the first time when troops were sent out, leading to the death of Hailancha in battle, to Mingliang's defeat at Ningguta Camp, the Qing army was defeated three times in a palm-sized area from Fuldan City to Ningguta, and he died in battle.
Although the number of people was not as high as those who destroyed the Junggar Khanate, the Great and Small Huojizhan, and the Great and Small Jinchuan before, the number of prisoners was a breakthrough in all previous wars.
Although both the government and the public were shocked by the combat power of the Northern Navy led by Zhao Xin, the Qing army's operations during the Qianlong period had a distinctive feature, which was to use its powerful national power to repeatedly crush its opponents through extreme troop strength and logistical projection.
No matter how many times the Qing army was defeated, it could achieve final victory.
To this day, the old and strong Qianlong still believed that the Qing army's defeat in the previous battles was due to improper use of tactics. Shocked, Qianlong vowed to fight Beihai Town to the death and completely eliminate this force entrenched in the outer northeast.
of Han armed forces.
At present, a group of people headed by Wang Jie and Dong Gao analyzed that Zhao Xin is very likely to use troops against Khalkha Mongolia. So Wang Jie, the Minister of War, repeated his old tune and once again asked the Zhangjiakou garrison and Ningxia, Gansu and Shaanxi Green Camp to go north and station in Kulun
, we must prevent the Northern Navy from going south into Outer Mongolia no matter what.
A group of people headed by He Shen believed that the Northern Navy would fight the Tsarist Russians next. After all, Zhao Xin captured tens of thousands of Rakshasa, occupied Nerchinsk and the entire territory of Lake Baikal, and completely cut off Qing-Russian trade. As long as
If the Manchus and the Qing Dynasty cooperated well with Tsarist Russia, it would be easy to achieve a situation of driving away the tiger and swallowing the wolf, and finally reap the benefits of the fishermen.
For example, the border trade with Tsarist Russia was opened through Kemukemqik, the fourth commander of Tangnu Uryanghai. It was a border town on the upper reaches of the Yenisei River, only a short distance away from Ulyasutai, where the left deputy general of Dingbian was located.
A journey of more than seven hundred miles.
Compared with the expedition in Outer Mongolia, Qianlong still preferred Heshen's idea. If the Eight Banners were defeated in Outer Mongolia, the Khalkha tribes would definitely be ready to move, and Outer Mongolia would fall into turmoil again. Although he was well aware of the ambition of the Tsarist Empire, he also
Knowing that these barbarians needed tea and rhubarb from the Qing Dynasty, he sent a message to the vassal court and quickly contacted the Russian side. At the same time, he also asked the Ministry of War to be prepared to send troops to Kulun in time if there were changes in Tsarist Russia.
It has been more than fifty years since Qianlong succeeded to the throne. He boasts of creating a prosperous age and creating a world that will never be easy. If Beihai Town is allowed to continue like this, after he closes his eyes, the memorial tablet will not even be able to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven!
(There is a saying in the ancestral teachings of the Manchu Qing Dynasty that if you lose a size of land and reduce the territory by one point, that is, the descendants of Xinjieluo who are not my beloved will not be allowed to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests to worship.)
For this reason, after careful consideration, he decided to replace Qing Gui, the minister of economic and strategic affairs, and summoned him back to Beijing to join the military aircraft department. He took General Jilin Mingming and imprisoned him. At the same time, he ordered Fukang'an, who was receiving British warships in Guangzhou, to be "General Dingbei".
, was awarded the seal of General Fuyuan, and conducted military campaigns in Shengjing, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Khalkha Mongolia, and Horqin Mongolia.
We mobilized 3,000 Jianrui Battalion, 10,000 Firearms Battalion, 3,000 Xi'an Eight Banners, 2,000 Qinghai Eight Banners, 5,000 Junggar cavalry, and 5,000 Yarkand musketeers, for a total of 28,000 people to go to Jilin Ula.
He also ordered He Guodong, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and the French missionaries serving in the palace to go to Hunchun and Jilin with 5,000 officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp and artillery battalions from various places to strengthen artillery training. Subsequently, Qianlong learned from the previous shortage of artillery and mobilized it again.
Tens of thousands of craftsmen came out of the customs and ordered Fukang'an to cast large general cannons weighing 10,000 kilograms in Hunchun and Jilin.
It is said that this kind of cannon was cast when the Qing army attacked Jinchuan and Jinchuan. There were not many of them cast at that time. This kind of super cannon that can fire 23 kilogram shells (51 pounds) was not available in European countries at this time. At the same time,
The largest artillery piece in Europe is the Ottoman Turkish "Imperial Cannon", which can fire 48-pound shells.
On the other side, faced with the fluctuation of public opinion in both the government and the public, and some people even privately spread the idea that "the Northern Navy is invincible", Qianlong quickly took action and severely punished the source of the news, beating to death more than a dozen eunuchs in the palace with sticks.
, and dismissed several princes and ministers from their posts. He ordered that any news about Beihai Town be strictly prohibited from being published in future imperial manuscripts.
However, no matter how much the customs concealed it, the Qing officers and soldiers 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 an edict to promote Hunchun from Xie Ling Yamen to Deputy Capital Tong Yamen. Na Qitai was promoted to deputy capital commander of Hunchun Dutong Yamen, commanding the Hunchun camp with 5,000 soldiers and horses.
On the south bank of the Mongolian River, he continued to be responsible for negotiating prisoner of war matters with Beihai Town.
When outsiders look at it, they think, okay, he cooperated with others to suffer constant defeats, and Suo Nao went to Beijing to investigate, but this guy has nothing wrong with him. His luck is really enviable.
In fact, if Qitai hadn't sent someone secretly to deliver 200,000 taels of silver notes to Heshen's house, he would have been fired from the second rank of viscount and demoted to a third rank to remain 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, he began to have trouble sleeping all night after leading his army into the Qing army's camp stationed on the Mongolian River.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! If the Beihai Navy really attacks Hunchun, he will have no way out. He must bite the bullet and rush to the front line. Either die in battle, or wait for the old emperor's faction
If someone gives him a knife or a glass of poisonous wine... As for whether there is a third way, Qitai would not dare to think about it even if he were killed right now.
However, everything has its disadvantages and its advantages. Since Na Qitai came to the Mongolian River Camp in March, he openly negotiated with the Beihai Navy about the prisoners, but privately asked the Shanxi Chang family to communicate with the Beihai trading company about the fur and ginseng trade.
As a group of banner people, what they need in daily life is a face. Knowing that they are from outside the customs, they are afraid of being looked down upon by the Han people, so they not only adhere to the "Four Dimensions and Eight Virtues", but also pay particular attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation.
The old saying "It is better to wear something tattered than to wear something wrong" is really aptly applied to the people of the banner. There are certain things to pay attention to in what month of the year you change your clothes and what materials you use.
In the old days, fur coats were divided into large fur, medium fur, and small fur according to the seasonal temperature. Generally, fur coats were worn in the coldest time of winter, such as fox fur, mink fur, lynx, etc. In early winter and late winter, medium fur coats were worn.
, such as gray squirrels, gray squirrels, silver squirrels, etc. In late autumn and early spring when "warmth returns to cold", they need to wear small woolen clothes, called pearl wool.
Banner families, regardless of gender, have to make at least four pieces of clothing throughout the year, so that they don't lose their dignity when going out to visit relatives or visit elders.
And the Northern Navy occupied Ninggu Pagoda, and the three surnames ruled the Yamen and Aihui City, cutting off the source of furs for Shangwulin, and the price of furs in the pass suddenly skyrocketed. However, it is necessary to pay attention to it, so many moderately wealthy bannermen
Families suddenly spend a lot more on clothing.
The next thing is ginseng. This kind of medicine is a daily necessity in those wealthy families. It can nourish the body, take a piece of it when giving birth to replenish vitality, and even make soup and die. No matter how bad it is, it is necessary
Prepare some ginseng seeds, right?
Unfortunately, the above two items are only available in Jilin and Heilongjiang, and Shengjing only produces a small part of ginseng. In the Ministry of Internal Affairs, because of the large stock, the imperial hospital or the imperial kitchen are not in short supply for a while, but most ordinary banner families cannot.
, let alone those merchants dealing in medicinal materials from the North.
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. The customers there usually acted and drank, and sometimes they went into the mountains in groups to steal ginseng.
Before the Qing government lost Ninggu Pagoda and Sanxing, the main person responsible for preventing ginseng poaching was the Official Ginseng Bureau. After the Beihai Navy came, with the demise of the Official Ginseng Bureau, ginseng poaching began to become rampant again.
The punishment for ginseng thieves in Beihai Town is very simple. In addition to confiscation, whoever steals one will plant twenty ginseng until they can survive. Ginseng is harvested by the Beihai Trading Company and the Ginseng Exchange under the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Under unified arrangements, the confiscated ginseng and the ginseng purchased from border residents were sent to the newly established ginseng exchange in Ningguta for sale.
A group of Shanxi merchants stranded in Ningguta were very jealous of the large amount of ginseng and leather goods in Beihai Town. However, due to the blockade of the Qing army in Hunchun, it was difficult for them to transport the ginseng out. This was not about buying a few people, but buying them.
General Tong Jilin and General Shengjing have a large group of talented people in their jurisdiction. If not, they may lose their heads for the serious crime of collaborating with the enemy.
The Manchu Qing Dynasty was not the ignorant Ming Dynasty. It allowed Shanxi merchants to do business with the enemy and cut off their heads without mercy.
However, Zhao Xin didn't care. Since Ning Guta couldn't sell it, he could ask Shen Jingdan to arrange for it to be transported to the south through other channels.
Years ago, when Na Qitai heard that Zhao Xin was getting married, he asked the Chang family in Yuci to bring gifts and secretly went to Ninggu Pagoda. Because the Chang family had been engaged in east-port trade, whether it was from Zhangjiakou to Kulun or Shanhaiguan to
Shengjing's connections all have shops and sales channels.
After some operations by Naqitai and the Chang family, they quickly opened up the smuggling route from Ningguta through Alchuka, Boduna, Zhelim League, and Shengjing. So this spring, from Ningguta
More than half of the 50,000 kilograms of ginseng and various kinds of pickles, ginseng whiskers, residues and other items released from the ginseng exchange were bought by the Chang family, preparing to enter the customs through this route.
The Qing army camp in Mongolia River, the handsome tent of Qitai.
By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the so-called military tent was no longer the big tent in the picture, and the same was true for the Qing army's military tent here on the Mongolian River. This is a two-entry courtyard, and the front yard is the meeting hall, which is commonly known as "
"Commander's tent", and the backyard is the general's house.
The afternoon sun made people drowsy. Na Qitai was sitting with his legs crossed on the Taishi chair in the main room in the backyard, holding a Tianxiang cigarette in one hand while listening to Chang Wu's report on the transportation situation of ginseng. His face was leisurely and contented, and his heart was
Then he couldn't help but think about how much he could lose on this trip.
That's great. If you can't fight, don't fight. Wouldn't it be nice for everyone to sit down and do business for a few years? As for what to do in the future, Qitai is really not in the mood to think about it. He feels bad when he thinks about it!
The two of them were preparing their accounts when a servant of the family suddenly called out from outside the house: "Sir, someone is coming to the house in Hunchun City."
Na Qitai asked casually: "What happened? Let him in."
When the visitor entered the room, his expression was not right, and he said with a cry of mourning: "Sir, I have had a low fever since the night of the 12th of last month, and I have been coughing...
...Grandma was so anxious that she had no choice but to ask the younger one to send a message to me."
Na Qitai became anxious when he heard this. He was nearly forty years old and had never had any children. A few years ago, his wife, Fujin, gave birth to three girls and there was no movement in his stomach. After that, he had five concubines in a row until the year before last year.
Chang Wu's sister gave birth to a son for him, and he had an heir. Na Qitai doted on this young son so much that if it hadn't been for the war, he would have wanted to wear his son in his belt.
After listening to the servant's words, he jumped up from his chair and asked eagerly: "Have you seen a doctor?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Look. Grandma sent a doctor from Wula, Jilin, and said it was a 'chicken cough' syndrome. But the doctor said..."
"What on earth did you say?!" The servant who reported the news stammered, and Chang Wu on the side was also anxious. That was his nephew, and all his family's prosperity and wealth rested on this child.
"The doctor said that I am terminally ill and can only...I can only resign myself to fate."
The so-called chicken cough, also called "heron cough" in ancient times, was actually whooping cough in later generations. However, there was no such term in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. By the 1840s, dozens of foreign Western doctors came to China, and dozens of Chinese doctors came to China.
A Western doctor and several Chinese medicine doctors and scholars decided on this name after repeated deliberations.
After Na Qitai heard this, he immediately fell back on the chair, his face was pale, and tears kept flowing down. He remembered that he was already over 40 years old, and it was not easy for him to have such a son. If his son was gone, even if his family fortune worth tens of millions would still be there, he would still have such a son.
It’s useless, I’ll have to get a cheap son-in-law from now on!
Chang Wu also looked depressed at this time, but in the flash of lightning, he suddenly remembered something. So he first asked Qitai's personal soldiers to lead the servants who reported the message to rest, and then rushed outside the door to look out for a while.
After closing the door, he leaned into Na Qitai's ear and whispered.
When he finished speaking, Qitai seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw, his eyes widening wider and wider. He whispered: "You promise you can do it?"
"Sir, I also heard what the man said a few days ago when I went to buy goods. I have to ask if it's okay."
"Go and ask! If it's possible, we have to take Changsheng from Hunchun overnight!"
That night, Chang Wu contacted the Beihai Naval Military Station across the Mongolian River according to the previously agreed contact information. The clerk of the Beihai Trading Company who was in charge of the contact listened and asked Chang Wu to wait, and then ran back to the military station to call someone unknown.
The phone call. Half an hour later, he came out of the military station and said to Chang Wu: "Okay, you can bring the child over. Don't delay any more! If the virus gets into the brain, it will be difficult to save."
After hearing this, Chang Wu almost knelt down at the other party. He ran back to the Qing army camp opposite in a hurry and told Na Qitai about the situation. Na Qitai had no other option at the moment and acted like a dead horse.
, arranged for a few personal assistants to take his handwritten notes and headed to Hunchun overnight.