Compared to the awkward, make-shift, and ultimately unhappy interview three years later in another time and space, the attention and welcome received by the British mission in this time and space definitely exceeds that of other vassal states brought to the Qing Dynasty. Of course.
However, the debate over audience etiquette is still an irresolvable conflict.
Although Heshen talked about the past and the present, taking the example of the Netherlands and Portugal during the Shunzhi period, which required three kneels and nine kowtows, Macartney refused to obey. When He Zhongtang heard that the British's audience ceremony was to kneel down on one knee.
He knelt down, gently held the king's hand with one hand, and when he had to kiss it, he immediately felt unhappy. He took a step back and said, "You can't even kiss me. Who are you? How dare you hold the emperor's hand!"
As far as the feudal vassal system is concerned, there is no such thing as equal exchanges between countries. As long as it is a foreign country, it must be classified as a foreign vassal, and on the shores of the land, it must be the king's ministers. No matter what little things are in their hearts, they must be on the scene.
Kneeling three times and knocking nine times.
Except for Heshen, Yongyan, Fukang'an and others who were responsible for mediating, other Manchu officials were very puzzled. Since the British were unwilling to pay an audience, why should they be allowed to attend the celebration?
Little did they know that this incident actually originated from Sun Shiyi's memorial to the court the year before. The British letter of credence said "visit", but Sun Shiyi's staff translated it as "tribute".
After arguing and arguing, in order not to cause trouble, the Manchus finally pinched their noses and agreed to kneel down, but did not kiss the hands.
On the 13th day of the seventh lunar month, Qianlong still received an interview with the British delegation. Macartney discovered that the emperor, who was rumored to have been made ill by Beihai Town, was not as sickly, gloomy and depressed as the outside world said.
He still looked very happy.
Although Qianlong did not issue an order to expel the British envoy, he was really dissatisfied with the British envoy's arrogance. After Macartney and others completed their interview, Qianlong immediately issued a secret edict that all extra rewards to the British envoy would be waived; in Beijing
There is no need to entertain guests during this period; princes and ministers do not need to stand up when receiving Macartney.
"When I come to visit a foreign barbarian, if I am sincere and respectful, I will treat him with kindness and show my tenderness. If I am a little arrogant, he will not be blessed to receive the grace. At the same time, I will reduce the courtesy of receiving him to show the system of the heaven and control the foreign vassal.
The way is appropriate."
Of course, if you are unhappy, you still have to buy gunboats. After the Yangzhou Incident, the Qing court found that the river defense at Wusongkou was useless against the clippers of the Northern Navy, so the demand for British sailing gunboats became even stronger.
When the British mission returned to the capital, the two sides quickly entered into business negotiations. In addition to Heshen and Fukang'an, the two parties were responsible for this matter.
The Qing court proposed to purchase five more second-class sailing battleships. Macartney said there was no problem, and then put forward several requirements that he had already prepared.
For example, it allowed British businessmen to trade in Tianjin, Zhoushan and Ningbo, allowed British businessmen to open warehouses in the capital, and even proposed to lease a small island off the coast of Zhejiang and Guangzhou like Beihai Town did before, etc.
He Shen actually hopes to expand trade. After all, the Manchu Qing Dynasty's annual fiscal revenue is only so much. Not counting He Zhongtang's own greed, if the court wants to increase revenue, it can only start from trade. However, when he tactfully expressed his ideas to Qianlong
After reporting the matter, he was severely reprimanded by Qianlong.
It’s just that the imperial court couldn’t deal with the gang of traitors in Beihai Town, and it only allowed them to rent the Flower and Bird Island temporarily for five years. Who is Ying Chi? They bought a few gunboats to look up to him, but they actually dared to peek into the territory of the Chinese Empire?!
After that, what made Macartney even more depressed was that neither Fukangan nor other Manchu ministers looked at the British practice of shooting Brown Bess rifles, and they all dismissed it, which made him promote the rifle.
The idea failed and I was very depressed.
The British thought that the low cost of the short brown bass would definitely attract the Qing Empire to purchase it. The cost of each standard short brown bass rifle manufactured by the East India Company was about 2 pounds and 4 shillings, and the French flintlock rifles of the same period were similar.
This is the price. As mentioned before, at the end of the 18th century, one pound was equivalent to about 7.8 taels of silver. Even based on the cost price, each rifle cost 16 taels of silver.
What a joke! The "Zambala Big Bird Gun" manufactured by the Military Academy and the Ministry of Industry of the Qing Dynasty only cost a little more than seven taels per shot.
During the Yongzheng period, due to the failure of the "Battle of Hetongbo", the Manchu Qing Dynasty built "Zanbalak" muskets in Xi'an and the capital in order to gain technological advantages. The "Zanbarak big shotgun" was produced in Xi'an, which was a
A large matchlock gun between an eagle gun and a matchlock gun. In addition to the "Zanbarak big shotgun" built in the capital, there is also a small "Zanbalat shotgun" for cavalry.
In terms of weight, a brown bass is 4.5 kilograms, while a "Zambala Big Bird Gun" is a little heavier, only 7.8 kilograms, and for stability when shooting, either a gun fork or a saddle-shaped wooden
shelf.
In terms of weapon effectiveness, before the British discovered the optimal ratio of black powder, the optimal shooting distance of a flintlock gun was one hundred yards, or 91.44 meters, and the misfire rate was about 17%.
According to a shooting test using the New World version of the "Brown Bess" in another time and space in 1811, the target hit rate at a distance of 91.44 meters (100 yards) under windless conditions was 53%, and the hit rate at a distance of 182.88 meters (200 yards) was 53%.
The target rate is 30%, and the target rate at the distance of 274.32 meters (300 yards) is only 23%.
When the "Zambala Big Bird Gun" was shooting, it was accurate at a level of 200 steps; calculated based on five feet per step, it had reached more than 300 meters. Of course, in the Manchu armament organization, this thing was called "
"Return gun" is no longer considered a gun. As for the Zambalat shotgun, its effective shooting range is within one hundred meters, which is actually similar to a flintlock gun.
During the Qing-Burmese War, the two sides fought four times. Although many senior generals of the Qing army were shot and killed, the Qing army did not imitate flintlock guns after the war because they believed that the accuracy of flintlock guns was too poor. In Fu Heng's gift to Qianlong
It was mentioned in the memorial that "the automatic musket is easy to fire, but the hit is not as accurate as the match rope."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! If the flintlock muskets of the 18th century were really that useful, whether it was generals like A Gui or Fu Heng who had experienced hundreds of battles, whoever didn’t use them would be a fool! Even if
If they are not used by the Green Battalion, the firearms battalion in the capital must be equipped, right? The Manchus and Qing Dynasties even knew how to imitate the large guns of the Mughal Dynasty, but didn’t they also know how to imitate flintlock guns?
In the final analysis, it is still a matter of tactics. On the battlefield in these days, the firing range of the infantry of both sides was within 200 meters, and if line tactics wanted to achieve the maximum lethal effect, the distance had to be reduced to 50 or 60 meters. At such a close distance, the fire
The gun can shoot continuously in three or four rows, and the matchlock can also fire in three stages.
Who the hell is waiting for you to reload after that! Either charge with a bayonet, or greet with a bow and arrow. Before the Qing Dynasty, they repeatedly defeated their opponents with this hand. The Eight Banners' 120-pound compound bow at close range is no better than reloading a flintlock gun.
Fast? A fierce guy like Yang Yuchun can probably shoot two of them with one arrow.
Although the Qing court rejected Macartney's request, the British did not intend to give up. They had previously paid off the accompanying Han translator, and through bribery, received a message from the Court of Governors that Beihai Town had been very busy recently.
There may be a war with Tsarist Russia in the north.
So Macartney and his entourage stayed in Beijing by finalizing the purchase of warships. First, they wanted to continue to exert influence on He Zhongtang through diplomatic means, and second, they wanted to see the confrontation between Beihai Town and the old empire of Tsarist Russia.
the result.
When they were guests on the Thor, the British already knew in casual chat that the Northern Navy captured Eastern Siberia in Tsarist Russia, but they did not know the specific battle. In their view, the Russian strategic focus is on the Black Sea and Poland, and distant Siberia.
It's a vast area with few people, so it's actually very easy to attack by surprise.
In view of the fact that they are cooperating with the Qing Empire, the British have no plans to visit Beihai Town at the moment. However, Major General John Jervis, the leader of the officer corps, pointed out that although the Qing Empire is huge, it may not be the opponent of Beihai Town. Macartney said
He believed this deeply and wanted to wait for the outcome of this war before deciding on the next plan.
August 7, 1790, Irkutsk.
After the military meeting, Zhao Xin didn't go anywhere. He took Liu Sheng and asked his staff to do some homework on the map within a hundred kilometers north and west of Irkutsk, and looked at it.
Maps for several days.
There is no way, there are too many things during the day, and the only time I have free time is at night.
While they were looking at the map, they also compared it with the image data obtained by the reconnaissance team using the drone, trying to memorize the various data on the map. This was the preparation work that Zhao Xin had to do before the start of each battle.
The reason why Zhao Xin is able to know every battle well is because there is actually no other trick. The first is not to be lazy, and the second is to look at the map more. Whether it is a mountain or a river in the battle area, or even every road, every building
The location and characteristics of the village must be clear, and in the end it must be possible to command the battle without looking at the map.
Ever since he gave the first lesson to the officers below, he never taught these people those ancient military books that were too metaphysical, and he never asked his staff officers or regimental commanders to read "Sun Tzu's Art of War" or "The Art of War".
"Wu Zi's Art of War" is memorized like a stream.
Zhao Xin's requirements for the officers of lower-level regiments, battalions, companies, and platoons are mainly three points: memorize tactical rules, memorize maps, and carefully consider the worst-case scenarios in advance.
Battle has always been a very specific matter, and it is important to have a clear strategic intention, but as a commander, it is by no means as simple as issuing an order or making a decision. If you do not master the basic tactical rules, are unfamiliar with the battlefield, and do not know the enemy's situation clearly beforehand,
If you don't look for answers from the worst possible outcome, you can't win any battle.
This is definitely not something that can be solved with a few advanced rifles and long-range cannons. If you don't understand the command procedures and related tactics of various military operations, anyone who comes will be in trouble.
As a company platoon leader, how do you issue tactical commands?
After looking through the binoculars, point at the target and shout, "Brothers, rush for me, if you can't attack, shoot them"? Or maybe shout, "If you die, you will die for thousands of years," to boost morale?
Those are called bandits, not troops.
Some people may say that we already have drones and instant messaging radios. How the hell can we still win?! Come on, that is called "command information", which is different from the command program. The command program can be based on information
To optimize the process, it cannot be said that the information will automatically lead to procedures.
For example, if you encounter a river blocking the battlefield, everyone knows that you must cross the river, and crossing the river is a very specific tactical action.
As a commander, how do you make sure that the location you choose to cross the river is both strategically and tactically beneficial in terms of terrain? How to lay out cross-fire points? How to deploy artillery? How to organize and defend the enemy from crossing the river?
For another example, we all know the importance of infantry. It is the main branch of the army. How to deploy it on the battlefield? Everyone will say "three-three system", but what is the reasonable depth of the three-three system? How can a company attack?
How wide is the front?
Even though Liu Sheng and Wang Yuanfang had served as soldiers, the most they could master was the tactics of the infantry squad. They were also trying their best to learn, especially Liu Sheng, who, like Zhao Xin, was using the same stupid methods.
Go and slowly understand it. If you reach the position of division commander and still use the tactics of an infantry squad to fight, isn't that nonsense!
There are teachers who are in their twenties, and they have been here since ancient times. You can count them on ten fingers. No one is handsome right away, and the same goes for time travellers. They spend all their time picking up women and raising a harem.
Do you still want to rely on your own charm to let others fight for you? Do you think you can command thousands of troops with just a moment of bravery? What good thing are you thinking!
After breakfast every day, Zhao Xin would sleep for three or four hours in a hurry. Then he would have a coordination meeting with the staff of the Logistics Department and listen to their report on the logistics deployment;
The chief officer has a meeting.
According to the existing "Road Index Manual of the Tsarist Empire" of the 18th century, the distance from Irkutsk to Nizhniyutinsk is more than 500 kilometers, and the distance from Nizhniyutinsk to Yeniseysk is more than 600 kilometers. In addition, the distance from Irkutsk to Nizhniyutinsk is more than 600 kilometers.
It is 500 kilometers from Tsk to Ilimsk, and more than 1,000 kilometers from Ilimsk to Yeniseisk.
People in the Logistics Department must make a lot of calculations in advance based on the marching speed of the North Korean Navy, climate, water flow and other factors to determine the location and number of military stations, hospitals, ship maintenance points, and material supply points along the way, and then draw the conclusion
The number of ships mobilized and the number of people providing logistical support.
The Northern Navy is making intensive preparations, and the Russian army led by Rumyantsev has also begun to take action. The Russian army is divided into two groups. One group of 30,000 troops advances from Nizhny Uginsk to Qima in the northern Angara Basin, and the other group
An army of five thousand men advanced from the Angara River to Bratsk.
Two days later, when Liu Sheng learned the news, he said to Zhao Xin: "Do you want to knock down the Zaimka Fortress?"
"The important thing is not to capture the fortress, but to win the war. We must take it by surprise and catch the Russian army on the Western Front by surprise."
Zhao Xin shook his head and did not agree. If the Northern Navy's offensive is too fierce, the Russian army's western front troops may stagnate or shrink back to Uginsk. The only thing he cannot be sure of now is that the main force of the Russian army is passing through
Trends behind the Angara Basin.
In order to realize the planned plan, Zhao Xin has made a lot of preparations. He first adjusted the army deployment, concentrated the main force of the four regiments in the area between Usolye and Irkutsk, and used two regiments to
to protect his left wing.
On August 15, more than 3,000 Russian troops used the cover of heavy fog to attack three forward posts of the Northern Navy north of Usolye. After more than an hour of brief fierce fighting, the Russian troops quickly retreated.
.
Obviously, this Russian attack was a test of the North's naval power before the decisive battle.