Chapter 450: Knocking on the Mountain and Shocking the Tiger
While Deng Fei and the others were waiting for soybeans to be shipped in Fuzhou Bay, Shengjing General Songchun also received a flight report from Fuzhou.
This clan member was sixty-five years old. He was so frightened that he first ordered people to send an emergency report to the Ministry of War in the capital and Fukang'an who was in charge of Jilin City. Then he fell ill and his old illness relapsed.
However, no matter how fast the horse ran, it could not be as fast as the boat. Vice-President Xiong Yue sent out an urgent report and it was delivered to Dagukou one day later.
I'll give it a try! The commander-in-chief of the Tianjin Navy Camp was frightened to death when they heard that a large ship from the North Sea entered the Bohai Bay and attacked the Jinzhou Water Camp.
The Tianjin Naval Battalion was re-established in the 50th year of Qianlong's reign. The early water camp had more than 2,000 troops and dozens of large and small equipment. However, because the Bohai Bay had always been peaceful and peaceful, wasting money and food, so in the 30th year of Qianlong's reign,
All troops were to be abolished in two years; the garrison soldiers were either transferred out or sent out to join the Green Camp.
After the Thunder God showed its prowess in the battle at the mouth of the Fuljiaha River, the Tianjin Water Camp was established again. Qianlong transferred Guangdong, Fujian, and Liangzhou to garrison the Eight Banners, and also allocated fifty large and small warships from Fujian and Guangdong. This was the Qing government's
The largest maritime force on the northern coast.
Starting from the 51st year of Qianlong's reign, in order to prevent Beihai ships from invading Tianjin from the sea, the Qing government built two circular forts on the north and south sides of the Haihe River estuary. There were four "Weiyuan Grand General" cannons weighing more than 10,000 kilograms, capable of firing
23 kilograms of artillery shells (51 pounds). The fort is made of wood inside and green bricks outside, and is grouted with white ash. It is very strong. The height of the fort is one foot and five feet, the width is nine feet, and the depth is six feet.
In addition, there are 10 earth forts and 10 earth forts built in the surrounding area, equipped with hundreds of cannons of various sizes, forming a relatively complete military defense system.
The elite artillery battalions of the Qianlong era were different from the ordinary green battalion artillerymen. Many of them had experienced many wars and were able to skillfully use the "gun sighting quadrant" to aim and shoot.
The problem is that when outsiders are watching the excitement, they know best how much they have. The cannons of the Northern Navy have long been famous, and they can blast cei (four blasts) from a distance of more than ten miles, which scares everyone.
At present, six huge ships have just arrived on the ocean outside Tanggu. Although I feel relieved, there are now a large number of dignitaries and dignitaries outside Tianjin, who are preparing to go out to sea for review. If something happens, I will grow up.
A hundred heads are not enough to chop off!
So he immediately sent someone to invite Mr. Qiao of Tianjin Dao. Unexpectedly, Qiao Renjie went to Wanghai Temple to pay homage to Heshen and Fu Changan early in the morning. Mr. Dutong had to go to Wanghai Temple on the north bank of the Sancha River mouth to look for him.
This time, a large number of people from the Qing court came to Tianjin with great momentum, and there was no way to arrange so many high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the city. So the Tianjin Taoist General renovated and cleaned the Haiguang Temple, Wanghai Temple and Chongxi Temple outside the city.
The three princes Yongyan, Yonglang, and Minen went to Haiguang Temple in the south of the city. Heshen and his best friend Fu Changan and others lived in Wanghai Temple on the north bank of Sancha River Estuary, while most of the other people lived in Wanghai Temple.
Chongxi concept.
Speaking of which, the reason why He Zhongtang lives here is that, first of all, Wanghai Temple is next to the Sancha River, which is convenient for going to the sea and returning to the capital; secondly, he can know about any movements in the capital immediately; and thirdly, it is convenient for making friends with admirals from other provinces.
He and the general soldiers took the opportunity to make money.
The thirty-nine-year-old Heshen could be said to have monopolized power in the imperial court and was trusted by Qianlong. Except for those few Qingliu and a few clan members, almost everyone fawned over him. Even Yongyan, the prince, was very afraid of him.
Without him, Heshen had many followers, and he was also in charge of the "Shangyu Reserve" for Qianlong.
What is different from the history of another time and space is that the normalization and standardization plan of the "criminal silver" that was originally only available in the 55th year of Qianlong's reign was completed by Heshen last year.
There is no way! A dog jumps over a wall in a hurry, and a pig climbs a tree in a hurry. In Jilin, the North Korean army gathered, and Qianlong still wanted to enjoy it, but he didn't have enough money to spend.
In Wanghai Temple, Qiao Daotai, who came out after hearing the news, felt his heart thump when he saw Shuiying Dutong's frightened expression. When he finished reading the emergency document sent by Xiong Yue, he was sweating profusely.
.
"It's been a bad year, it's been a bad year!" Qiao Renjie lamented in his heart. If the big ship of the Northern Navy sailed to Tanggu and sent troops ashore, all the civil and military officials in Tianjin would be screwed!
For a moment, Qiao Daotai thought of the Northern Navy attacking Tianjin, so he might as well surrender anyway...
Heshen and Fu Changan soon learned the news from Qiao Renjie and Shuiying Dutong, and they were immediately furious. They thought they would come sooner or later, but a large group of them had just arrived in Tianjin, and they were in Beijing.
The navy's fleet appeared in the Bohai Bay, and it was clearly aimed at us!
It seems that there must be a traitor in Beihai Town in the capital, and he can quickly learn about the movements of the DPRK. This is terrible, and must be investigated strictly!
So after He Shen discussed with Fu Chang'an, he decided to rush to the capital to report, and put the water camp on full alert, and all the forts were ready. After making these arrangements, he and Fu Chang'an rushed to Haiguang Temple together.
Since Yongyan was canonized as Prince Heshuojia, anyone with a discerning eye can understand that this person is already a proper crown prince. Therefore, even if Tianjin City falls, he cannot make any mistakes. Heshen will not show his loyalty by flattering him at this time.
when?
When Heshen and Fu Changan arrived, Yongyan, Yonglang, and Minen were sitting in the house chatting. After hearing their reports, the three of them behaved differently.
Yong Lang's face was pale and he was slumped in the chair; Min En, who had the ability to ride and shoot, and had been in charge of the forbidden brigade in the capital for a long time, the first thing he wanted to do was to go back and protect Qianlong; Yong Yan had a gloomy face and a deep frown.
"Your Majesty, I want to speak from the bottom of my heart. Nothing is as important as the Emperor's safety at the moment. Besides, a gentleman does not venture into dangerous places or build dangerous walls. I have the courage to invite the three princes to return to Beijing. I will bear all the responsibility for Tianjin."
Min En said: "He Zhongtang, after hearing what you said, do you plan to fight Zhao Ni to the death?"
He Shen said with a serious face: "No matter what, we must protect the safety of the emperor and the capital. Even if I die, I must keep Zhao Ni's men at sea."
Min En nodded after hearing this, leaned forward and said to Yong Yan, "Uncle Fifteen, what do you think?"
Yongyan also felt that this was a coincidence. As soon as he and a large number of officials arrived in Tianjin, a large ship from Beihai Town appeared in the Bohai Bay. It was obviously aimed at people like him. Who would believe that there was no conspiracy?
Just say that the imperial court has repeatedly failed outside the customs, but this is really too much!
Thinking of this, Yong Yan said to Min En: "Don't worry, He Zhongtang has sent someone back to Beijing to report, and there should be a decree coming tomorrow. Just listen to the emperor's arrangements for what to do specifically."
After that, he said to Fu Chang'an: "Chengzhai, you are the Minister of War, what do you think?"
Although this person is Heshen's best friend, he is not a loser. He had already thought about it on the way here, so he replied: "Fifteenth Master, Tianjin and Lushun are still different. Lushun Port is deep and has no forts. Beihai
Large ships can drive straight in and make a surprise attack; but the coastal waters of Tianjin are covered with large muddy tidal flats. If Zhao Ni's men dare to land, the forts on the north and south sides of Dagukou will surely cause them heavy casualties and defeat.
Besides, we now have heavy-gunned giant ships. Six warships, with rafts and oars like clouds, and hundreds of giant cannons. My servant once heard Yaolin say that when the Dingbei opened fire alone, the scene was truly incredible.
The earth shook and the mountains shook."
After everyone heard this, they felt a little relieved. However, now that the Northern Navy has come to their doorstep, and the great Qing Dynasty has been bullied like this by a rebel bandit, no one can swallow this tone.
At this time, the area near Dagukou was crowded with people, and even many wealthy people from Tianjin came over in horse-drawn carriages to view the Western scenery.
A few kilometers away in the southeast, six sailing battleships were moored quietly on the sea. The huge hulls and towering masts made the people on the shore exclaim in surprise.
On both sides of the ship, dark gun muzzles poked out of the window, announcing to everyone that they were the most powerful maritime fortresses of this era.
The British East India Company spent a lot of money on these six sailing battleships, and its purpose was to develop comprehensive trade relations with the Qing Dynasty. Each of the five second-class sailing ships cost more than 2,000 oak trees during construction, and three
More than ten tons of iron, equipped with the British Navy's latest carronade cannon and custom-loaded ammunition; if you take out one of them alone, it will dominate the seas of East Asia and South Asia.
From the British point of view, even the large iron ship in Beihai Town would become vulnerable if only two ships were dispatched.
At this moment, in the gun decks of various warships, the Qing gunners who came with the ships from Fujian were training under the supervision of the British.
"Cannon reset!"
"Clean the barrel!"
"aim!"
"Charge!"
"Load!"
"aim!"
"Fire!"
...
Major Thomas Anderson from the British Admiralty held a pocket watch and supervised the time it took the gunners to complete each step. When the gunners were all sweating profusely and panting from exhaustion, he signaled to the interpreter,
Tell the gunners to stop.
"Gentlemen, you only fired one shot in two minutes. That's not good! It's too slow! Faster, faster! Three shots in two minutes will do!"
After Major Anderson shouted, he looked at the dark-looking and thin gunners in front of him, shook his head, and said to the Qing army leader beside him: "Master Feng, your soldiers are too thin. They should be allowed to eat more meat every day.
Only in this way can you have enough physical strength.”
"Eat meat? Don't you eat fish every now and then?"
"No, I mean beef or pork."
"Cow? Absolutely not!" Feng Sheng'e waved his hands after hearing the interpreter's explanation. "Cows are used for plowing the land and cannot be eaten."
Major Anderson said: "Okay, then there's always pork and mutton, right?"
Feng Shengfengxin, okay? Thousands of sailors eat meat every day, which is better than what I usually eat? Now I have a full meal of brown rice, salt and fish. Compared with other battalions, I am already living a fairy life.
.Eating meat every day? Let’s not talk about whether there is such an expense, how much it would be hated!
He pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I will report this to the Admiral. Mr. An, you must know that we cannot be the master of such a big matter. We must have the emperor's will."
Anderson frowned and said, "Okay. I hope that the noble Emperor of your country can sympathize with his soldiers." After speaking, he said to the translator: "Let them practice twenty more times. The movements must be accurate and fast!"
In the Qing Dynasty, the total length of the post road from Tianjin to Beijing was more than 240 miles. According to the expedited speed of 600 miles, the report was sent out in the morning and sent to the Forbidden City at dusk.
Qianlong was shocked when he heard the news. He immediately issued an edict and quickly summoned Yongyan, Heshen and others back to Beijing. At the same time, he summoned the academicians in Beijing, the Minister of Military and Aircraft and relevant personnel from the Ministry of War to wait at Yangxin Hall to urgently discuss countermeasures.
After everyone arrived, Qianlong first asked about the defense strength of the Dagukou fort. Just as Fu Changan said, the summoned Minister of War carefully explained the situation of the fort and water camp. Then Qianlong talked about the large ships in the North Sea.
The capture of the Port Arthur Water Camp immediately shocked the Manchu and Han ministers present.
Just like Heshen and Yongyan thought, all the ministers, including Qianlong, believed that there were spies from Beihai Town in the court, otherwise the time would not be so accurate. When I thought of the court officials or spies in someone's house,
Everyone suddenly felt shuddering.
A Gui, a scholar present at the scene, immediately said: "I ask the emperor to move to the Old Summer Palace immediately, and to mobilize the Fengtai camp and the three banners of the inner government to jointly guard it to prevent any changes. Then let the infantry command the Yamen and Shuntian Prefecture to strictly inspect the various cities.
People entering and exiting the city must be careful to prevent chaos during the night."
Qianlong had no expression on his face and said slowly: "Ji Huang, what do you think?"
Ji Huang, a seventy-eight-year-old academician, sat on the embroidered pier and said tremblingly: "It is necessary to deploy troops to protect you and conduct a strict inspection of the city. I have no objection. However, I think that the emperor is the most powerful person. If
If the king suddenly leaves the imperial city, the people in the city may be in panic. Even if the king is moved, it should be done tomorrow."
Agui said: "Master Ji, the emperor is the lord of the world, and hundreds of millions of people are dependent on him. He just moved to the Old Summer Palace. It can't be said that the people are panicked, right?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Qianlong raised his eyebrows slightly, looked at Dongge University Scholar Wang Jie and co-organizer Liu Yong and said: "What do you two think?"
Wang Jie said: "I thought it might be inappropriate to leave the city suddenly at this moment. If the news spreads outside the palace, there might be some minor criticism."
Liu Yong said: "I agree with Mr. A's opinion. The emperor can travel in simple clothes, but it is safer to go to the Nanyuan Camp instead of the Old Summer Palace."
Agui said: "I second the proposal."
Dong Gao also kowtowed and said, "I would like to express my support to Lord Ji's proposal."
You can hear needles dropping in the West Nuan Pavilion of the Yangxin Hall. Qianlong was sitting cross-legged on the kang, his face so gloomy that water could drip from his face. He regretted letting Heshen go to Tianjin. Two of the four bachelors present disagreed.
He moved away for a while, and at this moment he was extremely angry.
The secret report sent to the Niangan office two days ago said that several unidentified scholars with southern accents appeared in Beihai Town. Remembering that Ji Huang was from Wuxi and Dong Gao was from Hangzhou, Qianlong looked at the two of them.
There was a bit more disgust in his eyes.
After all, the Han people cannot be trusted! From Kangxi to Yongzheng, and then to Qianlong himself, they have always been courting the Jiangnan literati and generously favoring them, but how do they treat themselves?
For the sake of clearing my name, I have resigned time and time again despite my kindness and sincere advice over the years, and I have to drag myself down time and time again to persuade you to stay.
That Cao Wenqian, because he was at odds with Heshen, requested to be adopted several times on the pretext of caring for his old mother. I obeyed his request, made him the crown prince and Taibao, and even gave it to his mother in my own handwriting. However, how did the Cao family treat me?
There was actually a descendant in the clan who defected to the Beihai rebels, openly resisted the court, criticized Liu Yong and scolded Huai. He was really worthy of death if he stepped on two boats!
(Cao Wenqi: "I am wronged! Liu Yong harmed me!")
Thinking of this, Qianlong's anger became more and more intense. He looked at the kneeling ministers at his feet expressionlessly and said: "According to the order, the nine admirals of the infantry commander's office will immediately send troops to guard all the gates in the city and strictly inspect all gates.
People going in and out of the city must be careful not to cause trouble during the night."
"Come on, obey the order."
"Also, I'm sending a message to Cao Wenqi. On my birthday next year, I ordered him not to go to the capital, but to spend more time with his old mother at home, and to think about his past behind closed doors." After Qianlong finished speaking, he said to the eunuch beside him: "Go and tell his son what I said.
Cao Zhenyong listened and ordered him to be careful in his words and deeds, so that he can understand my painstaking efforts."
The eunuch quickly kowtowed and said, "Hey, I obey the order."
Everyone present was stunned when they heard this. They thought that Cao Wenqian had retired and returned to his hometown. Besides, his son Cao Zhenyong was currently a bachelor's degree student at the Hanlin Academy. He was usually very cautious, so why did he bring him along with him?
However, whoever can be a bachelor is not a quick-thinking person. In a blink of an eye, everyone understood that Qianlong was knocking on the mountain to scare the tiger and kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. So Ji Huang, the bachelor of Wenyuange, and Wang Jie, the bachelor of Dongge, appeared on their foreheads.
A layer of sweat formed, and then his head hit the ground heavily.
"Come on, I obey your order."
At this time, Qianlong had decided to wait for Heshen to come back and ask about the five gunboats. If there were no problems, he would order two of them and the Dingbei to go to sea to wipe out the enemy, give Zhao Xin some color and at the same time shock him.
Those Han officials, don't think that the imperial court is weak and can be bullied!
When Qianlong asked everyone to retreat, he stopped Agui and Liu Yong. After that, he dismissed the eunuchs outside the palace and said to them: "Agui, I order you to go to the Fengtai camp with the command arrows, and the firearms battalion to go to the Old Summer Palace overnight to guard
.Liu Yong, you come with me and travel lightly to the Old Summer Palace."