Chapter 459: The unspeakable secret of He Zhongtang
When Deng Fei and his party left Chaoyin Temple, boarded the speedboat and sailed out of Dagokou, Jiang Fan's underwear was soaked through, and he murmured with lingering fear: "What a danger!"
Deng Fei noticed that Zhao Xin beside him was deep in thought and silent, so he asked loudly: "What did He Shen mean by what he said just now?"
"He knows who I am." The sound of the speedboat motor was so loud that Zhao Xin could only shout loudly. Now even Chen Jishan and Jiang Fan beside him heard it.
"Ah?!" The two of them looked stunned. Only Jiang Fan nodded heavily.
Zhao Xin thought about it and couldn't figure it out. He had never seen He Shen before, so how could he recognize him at a glance? Could it be Liu Yong? No, it was obviously He Shen who recognized him first, and only then did Liu Yong react.
Liu Quan? Ma 83? It's possible.
At this time, in Chaoyin Temple, Liu Yong blocked He Shen with an angry look. When everyone else went out and only Fu Changan, who looked confused, was left, he asked: "He Zhongtang, why didn't you order the guards outside to capture him just now?"
That animal?"
He Shen smiled faintly: "Brother Chongru, have you forgotten that night in Guangzhou two years ago?"
Liu Yong said: "So what?! Even if I risk my life, I will bite off a piece of Zhao Ni's body!"
"Haha!" He Shen shook his head and said, "He won't die if he loses a piece of meat."
Fu Chang'an understood what was going on at this time, and was stunned and said: "Zhizhai Gong, are you saying that the guard wearing a koji at the door just now is Zhao Ni himself?! Isn't this thief too courageous?"
"Keep your voice down!" He Shen glared at Fu Chang'an, and then smiled at Liu Yong and said, "Brother Chong Ru, the system of Beihai Town is different from that of the imperial court. Although Zhao Ni is the leader of the rebel bandit, everyone within him performs his own duties.
Each takes charge of his own affairs and does not interfere with each other.
Don't forget, that Liu Sheng didn't come this time. He has a fiery temper and is as good at fighting wolves as a tiger. I heard that this man is leading troops to deal with the Rakshasa army in Irkutsk. Even if Zhao Ni is defeated by you
I have killed Jade Stone Together, who can guarantee that he will not take over? Moreover, today’s surname is Deng. This person is very scheming and scheming, and he is not easy to get along with. If something happens to Zhao Ni, and eventually a large-scale landing in Beihai Town is triggered,
The country is in turmoil, and you and I are both eternal sinners!"
"Alas!" Liu Yong stamped his feet and let out a long sigh, knowing that what He Shen said was true. But he was really unwilling to miss such a good opportunity in vain. When Zhao Xin used Zhu Xi's words to criticize Sang and Huai, it tore away the pain in Liu Yong's heart.
Made him hate the other party.
He Shen cupped his hands toward the west and said, "I will report this matter to the emperor. I believe the emperor will be considerate of us."
Speaking of which, after their first contact, the British became more and more curious about Beihai Town. No matter which of the three ships in the distance they were, they were all salivating over the mystery and wanted to figure it out.
After Stanton and Nelson returned from the Thunderbolt, they described in detail what they saw and heard on the ship to Macartney, John Jervis and others. When they heard that the Thunderbolt was made of steel inside and out
, all the British people were so surprised that they were speechless.
"Their artillery is very strange. Although they are covered with tarps, I can still see that the length of the barrel is between 15.5 feet and 16.5 feet. However, the caliber of their barrels seems to be very small, with an outer diameter of only about 5 to 5 feet.
About 6 inches.”
"Thirty diameters?!" John Jervis and his men finished calculating on the paper, and then took a breath of air.
Among the artillery in active service in the British army, the 68-pound carronel gun has a caliber of 9 times, and the maximum range is 1377 yards, which is 1260 meters. Only the early long-barreled guns of coastal defense can reach 30 times the caliber, and the current range of European countries
Long-barreled guns are all around 26 times.
"The caliber is similar to that of a coastal defense gun, but how can it shoot so far?"
Nelson said regretfully: "I can't see it anymore."
"We have to find a way to see them again. These guys who call themselves Chinese are really weird. They don't have braids, don't wear Chinese robes, and possess such mysterious technology. They are completely like people from two different worlds from the Qing Empire."
Macartney thought for a moment and said, "Don't be impatient now. We'll wait until the envoys from the Qing Empire meet with them. We can start contacts in the name of helping them find out about the enemy."
So, in the afternoon after the talks between the Northern Navy and the Qing court, the British drove a small boat and went to visit the Thunderbolt again. Of course, as the "peace envoy", Staunton Jr. accompanied him again.
The child also remembered the sweets and desserts he had eaten in the Thunderbolt restaurant that day, his beautiful sister and the big orange cat. When he heard that he was going to the big iron ship, he immediately jumped for joy.
Naturally, the British movements could not be hidden from the Qing Dynasty. When Qiao Renjie found out, he immediately reported it to He Shen. However, after He Zhongtang heard about it, he decided to turn a blind eye.
Compared with other officials in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Heshen, who has been in charge of the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Internal Affairs for many years, clearly understands that the British are foreigners, and their admiration for Wang Hua is one thing, but their real purpose is to expand trade with the Qing Dynasty.
.
He Shen was very much in favor of the expansion of maritime trade. Although he didn't know how much he was greedy, the imperial court's revenue and expenditure accounts were very clear.
At present, the annual income of the Qing Dynasty is 43 million taels, which has dropped by 5 million compared with 20 years ago. This is mainly because natural disasters have occurred frequently in the past 20 years, and Qianlong has continued to save money and food in disaster-free areas.
.However, the cost of restoring the economy in the disaster-stricken areas after the disaster is very high. It also has to provide famine relief, dredging rivers, and distributing seeds. This is a lot of money.
However, due to the policy of "focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce", the development of industry and commerce was restricted, and there were only two ports of foreign trade, Guangzhou and Kyakhta; Kyakhta trade had stopped in recent years.
Therefore, the fiscal revenue of the Manchu Qing Dynasty could only be based on land tax. However, "never increase tax", "dividing a small amount into an acre", and the wasteland in the pass were completely cultivated, so the collection of land tax became a fixed quota, and only so much money was spent every year.
In the past two years, the imperial court has deployed troops everywhere, outside the customs, northwest, Taiwan, Annan, and southern Tibet. There have been frequent wars, and finances are extremely tight. Due to the ancestral system of "the country's access and expenditure are regulated," whenever Qianlong wants to spend money
, He Shen could only think of solutions from other places. Chongwenmen Customs, Salt Merchant, Thirteenth Bank, Copper Mine, and Crime Bank, that's all.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! So a few years ago when he heard that Zhao Xin sent people to dig gold mines on Solenji Island, He Shen wished he could send troops to take it back. This is why he strongly agreed with the imperial court to purchase
Sail gunboat, and the important reason to encourage Qianlong to agree.
In addition, even Heshen did not realize that the rising prices and inflation during the Qianlong period were also important factors in financial constraints.
Qing court officials only focused on food prices, and not having enough to eat was their biggest concern. However, once food prices stabilized, they believed that the weather would be smooth and the country and the people would be safe.
In fact, due to the rapid growth of China's population throughout the Qianlong period, too much currency in market circulation (inflation), and sufficient national granary reserves, prices increased year by year, and the people's living burden became increasingly heavy.
The large inflow of silver caused great changes in China's money-money relationship. At the same time as the large inflow of silver, the amount of money made by the Qing government in the circulation field also increased significantly; the increase in the amount of silver and money made "money is cheap"
The phenomenon of “expensive things” continues, which has a profound impact on the people.
Historically, starting from the Jiaqing period, Westerners used opium to drain a large amount of silver. Although there was less money, prices did not fall, and the taxes and taxes collected by the government did not fall. Coupled with the continuous wars and famines, people's livelihoods were in decline and the finances were in ruins.
Austerity means no amount of money is enough to spend.
And this is the truth behind the rapid decline after the glory of the "Qianlong Emperor".
The second reason why Heshen turned a blind eye to the behavior of the British was that he had an unspeakable problem and wanted to seek help from the British. He had tried all the doctors and medicines that could be seen by Chinese medicine, but he had never been able to cure it.
It’s the disease of willows, also known as “bayberry sores”.
Except for famous Neo-Confucian officials like Liu Yong and Wang Jie, who were strict in their personal health, other officials, not to mention He Shen, suffered from "bayberry sores" not too many; for example, Qiao Daotai.
The biggest problem with this thing is contagion. In these days, no one who likes "boudoir pleasure" and brothels can escape it.
So He Shen gave Qiao Renjie a task. While he was in contact with the British, he quietly inquired to see if there was any good medicine that could cure this disease. Qiao Renjie heard what he wanted, and he also had this unspeakable secret.
However, Macartney was at a loss after hearing Qiao Renjie's request: "I'm really sorry, we don't have such medicine."
At this time, Europe was at the end of the "era of court fornication." When aristocratic men and women interacted with each other and did not go to bed, it was called distrust of each other! The promiscuous aristocratic life and filthy living environment made Europeans regard "flower and willow disease" as common.
, love so and so!
It was mentioned in the famous satirical novel "Gulliver's Travels", first published in 1726: "Various types of syphilis have completely changed the face of the British, making them dwarfed.
Nerves are lax, muscles are flabby, complexion is sallow, and the fat smells bad.”
Not to mention the popular trend of young women taking tuberculosis to look pale and beautiful.
Mr. Qiao, why don't you try bleeding some blood? This is the most effective therapy! One cup is not enough, two cups is just right.
When Qiao Renjie heard this, he was so frightened that he shrank back and quickly thanked him. Then he explained what "the body's hair and skin are received by the parents and do not dare to damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety."
However, things happen by chance. On the third day after the negotiations, Macartney also boarded the HMS Thunder, bringing even more people and more gifts.
Among them are celestial orbits, monocular telescopes, globes, clocks, music boxes, wool tapestries and carpets, exquisite saddles, and even Mauser guns, repeating air guns for hunting, one-handed swords, and a 110-piece cannon.
warship model.
As a return gift, Zhao Xin took out a windproof lighter, a simple calculator using button batteries, a compass, a quartz watch, cigarettes, candies, several boxes of wine, instant coffee, and a military knife produced in Beihai Town. These things made Machar
Ni and others were filled with admiration and were deeply shocked by the industrial capabilities of Beihai Town.
The people in Beihai Town ignored the British request to visit the Thunderbolt's power and cockpit. Every time they boarded the ship, apart from the conference room and the restaurant, the only exception was that they visited Deng Fei's captain's quarters, and they packed up in advance.
Passed.
Whether it was Nelson, Sir Jervis or other officers, when they pretended to go to the deck to get some fresh air, they found that both the machine guns and cannons on the side of the ship were tightly covered.
By this time, the British had understood that obtaining the secrets of weapons and mechanical power was purely a dream. Moreover, Zhao Xin did not plan to buy any sailboats from the British. His next plan was to eliminate sailboats and build "
"Clipper ship" is specially used to transport goods and people.
Even so, the British still saw a lot of tricks from the Thunderbolt. For example, the bulbous bow that emerged from the water. In addition to saving fuel in later generations, the biggest role of this thing was to improve the wave resistance from transverse and oblique waves;
Another example is the winches and cranes on the deck.
Both Zhao Xin and Deng Fei understood that many things could not be hidden unless people were not allowed to approach or board the ship. However, it was hard to say how much technological progress these things would bring to the British.
When it came to the dinner party, Macartney and his party enjoyed the Chinese and Western delicacies provided by the restaurant while drinking the fine wine provided on the ship. In order to make a joke, Zhao Xin also brought out whiskey and brandy, which surprised the British
.
So when Macartney was drunk, he couldn't help but tell everyone that Qiao Renjie was looking for him as a joke.
After hearing this, Zhao Xin laughed and took the time to call Deng Fei out to whisper a few words. After Deng Fei came back, he said to Macartney: "Sir, you can ask him to come to me. I have this medicine."
"What?!" The British people present were stunned, and the faces of several of them suddenly appeared as if they were seeing God...
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! So after Macartney returned with large and small packages of gifts, he asked Qiao Daotai to come over tomorrow and said he had good news to tell
he.
After Qiao Renjie met Macartney with great hope, the first thing he asked was, Mr. Qiao, when can we go ashore? Even the enemies of your court can go ashore to negotiate. Those of us who have traveled thousands of miles to help the Qing Imperial Navy
I have been at sea for two months.
"Don't worry, Your Excellency. Maybe there will be news in the next day or two. I have already made your request clear to the Central Hall, and he has also reported it to the Emperor. Please be patient."
Well, Macartney shrugged helplessly and told Qiao Renjie about the news obtained on the Thunder.
Qiao Renjie did not show joy after hearing this, but asked with doubts on his face: "Is this true?"
Macartney said: "To be honest, there are several people among our people suffering from the same disease. The other party said that they can be treated together, but the dosage of the medicine can only be determined after examination, so the patients must go to the big iron in person.
Inspection on board.”
Qiao Renjie was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "At this time, I will allow you to go back and think about it."
Macartney advised: "Master Qiao, that Master Deng said that they have to leave once the negotiation agreement is signed. I think time is running out, isn't it?"
Half a day later, He Shen, who lived in Haiguang Temple, found out. He had to go in person and check on the spot to determine the dosage of the medicine.
This is troublesome. If he were like Qiao Renjie, he could just go there secretly. But now as a bachelor, military minister and negotiator, how could he go to the enemy ship?!
After thinking for a while, He Shen asked Qiao Renjie to go out and wait for a while, and then called Liu Quan into the room. The two closed the door and began to murmur.
Liu Quan listened for a while and then said in astonishment: "Sir, this slave is not a doctor."
"Stupid!" He Shen cursed and said, "I will write down the symptoms on paper in a while, and burn it when you memorize it. Then you say that I sent you back to Beijing for something. As for you, just take a detour to the university."
Find Qiao Hansan in Gukou and take the boat with him tomorrow. Remember, if you don’t understand anything, ask Zhao Xin. After all, I have been doing business with him for several years, so you have to give me this little face."
"Okay! Don't worry, sir, I will remember it."
Liu Quan raised his feet and was about to go out when He Shen stopped him again and said, "There is one more thing you should ask Zhao. Seventy percent of the ginseng outside the pass has now fallen into his territory. Now inside the pass
Ginseng is so expensive that even the Ministry of Internal Affairs doesn’t have much in stock. Let’s see if we can share it with each other. You can negotiate the price later.”