Chapter 795: Who else do you want to entrust your plan to?
Although Beihai Town quickly made various arrangements, both Anping Port and Naha Port are thousands of miles away from Jiangning. Whether it is personnel or fleets, it will take two or three days at the fastest to be deployed. And just now
In the past few days, Prince Ding Mian'en has not been idle either.
It is said that in the history of another time and space, Nurhachi's son, Sun Zhaoyi, the sixth generation of Prince Li Daishan, once wrote a book called "Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records", which recorded a large number of Qing Dynasty allusions, Manchu customs and the remains of clan officials.
Anecdotes. In the fifth volume of the book, he specifically described Mian En, saying that he was a handsome man, tall and long-armed, good at riding and shooting, and he was well-mannered and courteous.
However, he changed the topic later and said that Mian En was a donkey dung ball with a smooth appearance, beautiful on the outside but dull on the inside. He was completely unfamiliar with government affairs. When reporting affairs, his subordinates could not analyze the merits and would only act like a noob.
As a contemporary of Mian'en, Zhaozhen's two paragraphs are simply not talking about the same person, which is very embarrassing.
You must know that Mian'en was Qianlong's most beloved grandson. He was smart and respectful since childhood, otherwise he would not have been allowed to command the Imperial Army, serve as Zongzheng of the Zongren Mansion, and even take charge of the Imperial Library of Wuying Palace. Among the many Mian-generation emperors and grandsons, he was still the third
A prince of Jin Dynasty.
A North Korean envoy once reported to King Yeongjo after returning from a pilgrimage, believing that the next generation of emperor's successor would definitely be between Yongyan and Mian'en, and Mian'en was more likely.
Dare I ask whether such a person would be ignorant of government affairs?
To put it bluntly, Mian En was actually pretending to be stupid to protect himself. Even though Jiaqing was called "Renzong", in matters like the struggle for imperial power, whoever was benevolent was worth two hundred and fifty.
In this time and space, facing the situation where Beihai Town is surrounded on all sides, pressing every step of the way, and the Qing court building is about to collapse, as a powerful person in the clan, it is impossible for Mian En to hide his clumsiness. It is precisely because of this that Jiaqing will
Using the excuse of dealing with Yuan Mei, he sent his eldest nephew south on errands and took the opportunity to adjust the personnel arrangements in the Beijing camp.
Compared with the lame prince Yongxuan, Mian En, who holds military power, is a greater threat. Jiaqing knows how much he weighs, and the only advantage he has is his status. However, when things like status do not affect the survival of the country, Jiaqing knows how much he has.
There is no problem, but once the country is ruined and the family is destroyed, it makes sense to have a big fist.
Who can guarantee that after the imperial court's expedition to the west, the eldest nephew will be given a yellow robe?
In short, if Mian'en fails to complete the errand this time and is disgraced by Beihai Town, he will naturally lose his prestige in the clan after returning. Even if he is lucky enough to be able to complete the errand, the Han officials in the court will have objections to him.
In fact, Mian'en had already guessed Jiaqing's intention. Every three days, someone from the capital would go south to deliver secret reports to him. As soon as he and his people passed Zhuozhou, Jiaqing went to the Old Summer Palace and summoned the Guards Camp, the Forward Camp, and the Qianfeng Camp.
The wing commanders of the Xiaoqi Battalion, the Internal and External Firearms Battalion, the Old Summer Palace Guards Camp, and the Jianrui Battalion. He knew at that time that he was being plotted.
But there is no way, this is a conspiracy. If he were the emperor, he would have to do this.
So he thought about it on the way south, and finally decided to only treat Yuan Mei and let Zhao Yi go. The reason was that Yuan Mei's reputation among scholars was mixed, and many Han officials from the Neo-Confucian school had long wanted to deal with him.
Zhao Yi did not leave Yangzhou mainly because he had been an official for many years and had served in the Military Aircraft Department. He had too many old friends in the officialdom and it would be too bad to influence his influence among the Han officials.
So, apart from personality problems, the princes and grandsons who came out of the strict royal education of the Qing Dynasty were useless in political struggles; they were more cunning and cunning than the others.
Think about it, a child starts attending classes at three in the morning every day from the age of six, has to study until one in the afternoon, and then practices riding and shooting until seven in the evening. Moreover, during the study period every day, apart from breakfast and lunch, he can only take one or two breaks.
times, no more than fifteen minutes each time. This kind of life will last for ten years!
Zhao Yi once expressed emotion in his notes. He said that poor people like us who rely exclusively on studying to earn food and clothing cannot get up at three o'clock, but the princes and grandsons who study in the Shangshu Room do this every day.
! In addition to studying the Four Books and Five Classics every day, these children have to learn to compose poems, learn Manchu from Manchu masters, and learn to ride and shoot. They can’t rest until dark. How can people who are educated in this way not be knowledgeable? How can they be martial arts?
Not skilled? Many princes and grandsons are proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting, and they know the lessons of success and failure of past dynasties very well.
As a witness to the Beihai Navy's bombardment of the Dagukou Fort, Mian'en knew very well that Beihai Town's methods were often unexpected and quick, causing the court to often be slow at one step and slow at every step. So when he met General Jiangning Qinglin
On the next day, he began to have frequent secret meetings with Qing generals from all over the south of the Yangtze River, and made intensive preparations.
On the morning of November 18, 1794, Mian En boarded a boat from Yanziji to cross the river. On a boat at Guazhou Ferry, he had a secret meeting with Cheng Ce, the deputy commander of Jingkou who came to pay a visit.
As mentioned before, the Eight Banners garrisoned in Jingkou are all Mongolians who were separated from the Eight Banners in Jiangning. They have relatively fewer bad habits, are honest in their duties, and have stronger combat effectiveness.
After showing Jiaqing's order to Cheng Ce, Mian'en instructed him to select 600 elite soldiers from his troops within three days to be ready to cross the river at any time; as soon as he received his order, he would immediately go to Xiaocang
Mountain, check Suiyuan.
In the afternoon of the same day, Mian En, who returned to Jiangning City, secretly met at Pilu Temple with the Jiangnan Admiral, Tongzhou Town Commander-in-Chief, Susong Town Commander-in-Chief and Songtai Soldiers who had entered the city in casual clothes.
In the name of the enemy, he ordered the green camps, water camps and forts in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to enter a state of preparation for war. This move made the four people present terrified.
From November 19th to 21st, Mian'en no longer concealed his identity, but showed off the imperial envoy's honor guard. Accompanied by Funing, the governor of Liangjiang, Wang Bing, the admiral of Jiangnan, and Qi Feng'e, the governor of Jiangsu, he took a fast boat for three days to inspect.
Went to Jiangyin and Wusongkou Fort to inspect the combat readiness of each water camp.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! When he was in Jiangyin, Mian En first went to the Huangshan Fort and spent half a day checking the number of soldiers at the head of the battalion to see if there was enough shells and gunpowder. Then he ordered the officers and soldiers of the fort to practice on the spot.
Artillery fire.
For a time, the sound of artillery boomed and smoke filled the air on the south bank of the Yangtze River. On the section of the river that had been emptied by the water camp, water columns exploded by solid iron bombs one after another. The Qing army's shouts of long live came one after another on the fort and the river, which was so majestic.
Spectacular.
The problem is that you can fool others by firing off guns and cannons, but you can't do it here with Mian'en. He has been in charge of the firearms camp since the 34th year of Qianlong's reign, and he knows the ropes very well. The firearms camp in the Qianlong era was not a waste of later generations.
Chai has been drafted and sent to the front lines in all wars. Although he cannot defeat the Northern Navy, he can conquer Junggar, Huojizhan, Greater and Lesser Saraben, Burma, and Gorkha without any problem.
After watching the drill of the fort defenders, Mian'en's face suddenly dropped, and he was so angry that he wanted to kill someone. Not to mention that the accuracy was terrible, and the rate of fire was still slow. Do you still want to compete with the clippers and artillery of the North Navy? Grandma
!
There is no way, the time is too tight, even if you change the general, it will be too late. Fortunately, the number of artillery in Jiangyin Fort is enough, I hope the ants can kill the elephant.
In desperation, he checked hundreds of sand ships parked in Huangtian Port and Jingjiang Port.
These sand ships used to seal the river are all three thousand stone ships with a length of about ten feet, some with five masts and some with seven masts. Because of their square heads and square sterns, they are also called "square sterns" in the south of the Yangtze River. Because
The cabins have been filled with green hemp stones, and the waterline has been pressed very low, so these ships cannot dock at the shore. They can only be moored in deep water and guarded by soldiers day and night.
In front of Jiangnan Admiral Wang Bing, Mian'en warned the officers and soldiers guarding the sand ships that if a Northern Navy ship enters the Yangtze River estuary, as long as it sees a beacon fire alarm, there is no need to report anymore, and the ship will be built immediately to seal the river. Who dares to be passive and let the Northern Navy sail?
The navy ship passed Jiangyin and was directly beheaded on the spot for collaborating with the enemy.
After being slapped, sweet dates must also be given. So in front of the officers and soldiers present, as an imperial envoy, he ordered Jiangsu Governor Qi Fengqi to transfer one hundred thousand taels of silver from the Jiangsu vassal treasury and issue a reward. This move made the green camp generals present
They were so happy and excited that they all patted their chests and made pledges, as if they had been given a shot of chicken blood.
On November 21, Mian En and his party arrived at the Wusongkou Fort. After watching the test firing drill of the officers and soldiers of the fort, he went to Langshan Port and Fushan Port non-stop, holding back his anger, and inspected the water camp warships.
After admonishing him, he was rewarded with silver hair from the vassal treasury.
Mian En feels that she has done everything she can, and this is all she can do. Do your best and obey fate!
In any case, his trip made the officers and soldiers of the Green Camp along the river quite satisfied. The officers usually deducted the military pay in a small way, but this time they were able to make a profit; for the soldiers, their daily pay was always deducted by the superior officers, and this time they were rewarded.
Half is not bad. Besides, they always have a good meal before the war. It has been a long time since they saw the smell of meat.
On the evening of November 22, Mian En returned to Jiangning after patrolling the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The speed of his vigorous inspection made Jiangnan civil and military officials who were accustomed to the slow pace extremely uncomfortable. Within three days, he was treading on the wind and fire under his feet.
The order was as tight as a wheel, and there was no time to eat even the wine banquet.
However, as soon as he got off the boat from Yanziji and returned to Pilu Temple, Buyan, the governor of Jiangsu, who hurried over, reported something to him and Funing, the governor of Liangjiang.
"Your Majesty, Marshal, the day before yesterday afternoon, ten unidentified people came to Suiyuan. As of yesterday morning, a sign saying 'Closed to thank guests' was hung on the main gate of Suiyuan."
"Are you sure only ten came?"
"Sure."
"Come empty-handed?"
"No. Each of them is carrying a large bag half as tall as a person. It looks very heavy."
"What's the reason for closing the door and thanking guests?"
"It is said that Yuan Zicai is ill."
Mian En snorted and sneered: "If you don't get sick sooner or later, you'll get sick later when the reinforcements arrive!"
"Reinforcement?" Funing, the governor of Liangjiang, was very surprised.
Mian En nodded slightly, his tone became extremely solemn, and said: "The Northern Pirates already know that this king is coming! Those ten people are here to protect Yuan Mei's family!"
"How is that possible? The prince has only been in Jiangning for a few days. How could they..." Veins were twitching on Funing's forehead.
"You still don't understand?" Mian'en sat cross-legged on the couch, staring at Funing like a knife: "This Jiangnan has been poked with holes by Beihai pirates! Where you are, Qifeng'e is, and even...
There are hidden stakes of the Northern Pirates in Qinglin! Alas! You don't know that the Northern Pirates have a way of sending messages quickly, which is faster than the Six Hundred Miles Express, and it is extremely hidden. The imperial court has not found out about it for so many years.
"
Mian'en looked out the window at the increasingly gloomy night. He was lost in thought for a moment and said decisively: "We can't delay Suiyuan's affairs any longer! If ten come today, there will be a hundred tomorrow. We must cut through the mess quickly!"
Funing said in surprise: "Your Majesty, do you mean to do it tonight?"
Mian En pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said to Funing: "If you go to Mancheng, you won't be able to live in Pilu Temple."
After that, he said to Buyan: "There must be strict surveillance in Suiyuan. Don't alert others for the time being. Send someone to report to me every hour."
This night was destined to be sleepless for many people in Jiangning City.
Starting from the first watch of the morning in the early days of Xu, hundreds of armed soldiers came outside the governor's office of Liangjiang for unknown reasons. The leader was a Qian general from Supervisory Biao Zhongying. In the astonished eyes of countless people, the Qian general
The general ordered that all those doing business and setting up stalls on both sides of the governor's Yamen Zhaobi wall should be driven away.
In an instant, chickens and dogs were flying in Xihua Street and Liji Lane on the east side of the Textile Department, pots were turned over and bowls were broken, and people screamed and horses neighed. The originally bustling streets and alleys looked like they had been hit by a military disaster. After only one meal
At that time, except for the torch-bearing pacesetters and the mess on the ground, not even a dog could be seen on the whole street.
At the second watch of the day, the city gates on the west, south, and north sides of Jiangning City suddenly opened wide. Under the light of countless torches, thousands of Eight Banners soldiers in helmets and armors filed out. They were entrusted to the prince.
Under Mian En's order, he took over the defense of thirty-one gates in the inner city and the outer city.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! During this period, one after another messengers set out from the Governor's Office of Liangjiang and General Jiangning's Mansion, and came to the Waijinchuan Gate in the northwest of the outer city and hung down on the city wall.
, took a boat overnight to Jingkou, Anqing, Suzhou, Jiangyin, Songjiang and other places.
Time soon came to the early morning of November 23rd.
Today's weather is extremely cold. It has been drizzling all over Jiangning City since the early morning. In the morning, the cold and biting wind is wrapped in haze-like mist-like drizzle and snow, which comes and goes slowly in the streets and alleys.
Ripples on the Qinhuai River.
As soon as it dawned in the morning, groups of troops sent by the Supervisory Biao Central Battalion began to walk in the streets and alleys of the city. They walked in groups of three and two, and loudly announced the orders issued by the Liangjiang Governor's Yamen as they walked.
, followed by a watchman who kept yawning, and struck the gong before each sentence.
"According to the order of the Imperial Envoy and Prince Heshuoding, all the people in the city, except those who have no rice at home and those who are sick and need medical treatment, are not allowed to go out today and stay safe in their homes! Violators will be sentenced to ten days of shackles!"
For more than 150 years, Jiangning City has never been in such a state of turmoil. Many people are puzzled, what is going on?
Just after early morning, several flat-bottomed sand boats loaded with 600 Jingkou Eight Banners soldiers entered the ancient Yunliang River from the mouth of Sancha River. After making a big bend to the north, they docked at Linjiang Bridge outside Jinchuan Gate.
forward.
The people sent by the Chinese Army, Governor Biao of Liangjiang, were already waiting on the shore. When all the armored soldiers on the ship disembarked and lined up, they led the way into the city through the Jinchuan Gate. They walked along the Dashiqiao and the three archways.
Go south along the Lao Cai Market, Drum Tower, and Ganhe River, then turn west on Banbian Street, and finally arrive at Yongqing Temple on the east side of Mount Wutai, which is the temporary stop of the soldiers.
This place was first built during the period of Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. There is a five-level white pagoda in the temple, which is also called the "White Pagoda Temple". Because the terrain here is the highest in the surrounding area and it is very close to Suiyuan. From the vegetable field behind the temple,
When you reach the top of Wutai Mountain, you can overlook Suiyuan to the north.
Well, it's said to be a bird's-eye view, but actually not much can be seen clearly. In his early years, Yuan Mei planted a large bamboo forest on the mountain and lakeside south of Suiyuan. It's possible to see the scenery, but it's basically impossible to see clearly what's inside.
.
Cheng Ce led people to climb to the top of the mountain behind the temple, carefully inspected the terrain around Suiyuan, and finally decided that the large group of people would not go through the gate to the west via the red earth bridge in the north, but instead go westward from the dry river bank to the vegetable field in Suiyuan.
Go through it so that you can reach the north bank of Shuanghu Lake directly. Then divide your troops into two groups, one going into the inner courtyard for inspection, and the other going west via Taohua Causeway to Tianfeng Pavilion on the southwest side.
After deciding on a strategy, he immediately sent his men to Jiangning General's Mansion to report to Mian En, and the time to launch was set at the right time.