Fadeyev was not afraid of the 'Tepukhin' in front of him at all because the garrison in the Far East had already compiled all the information about this greedy general and sent it to him. 81中 Ω文网
Why did Gogol and Furmanov take away seven thousand ounces of gold? It was not to pay tolls to the local people, their purpose was just to bribe the general.
Hunchun's name was definitely not on the Tsarist Russians' list of bribes, not least because Hunchun hated the Tsarist Russians and there was no relationship between the two parties at all.
What's more, Hunchun's defense area is on the south bank of Heilongjiang. Once the Cossacks cross Heilongjiang, they no longer need to look at anyone's face. The powerful Cossacks will naturally destroy all the mantises that dare to block the way.
In front of Fadeev, the scene that Tepuxin set up was just to squeeze out more money. An official who could sell his country's territory for gold, and an official who could even export his own people as goods. General, he has no limits or principles.
It was the norm for Manchu officials to create difficulties and raise prices. Once these weaklings encountered a tough opponent, they would immediately turn into tail-wagging dogs once the steel knife was placed on their necks.
The gold given to you now will be doubled one day. Not only that, but your land and population will also be taken away. Everything in the Far East belongs to us.
Of course Hunchun understood his opponent's threat, but he didn't want to reveal his true identity yet. He pretended to be panicked and said, "You...you dare to threaten me? Don't think that I will be afraid of you. Your vanguard has already fought hard with the volunteers." We're together! If you don't want to use the road, get out of here, I don't believe you don't care about the lives of those soldiers!"
Fadeev snorted coldly, "Be happy, how much do you want? I don't have time to ink with you anymore!"
Hunchun blinked and asked, "How much gold can you afford? I don't have time to waste with you!"
Fadeev squeezed the lambskin gloves squeaking loudly, which showed the anger in his heart. Facing these greedy Manchu officials, if he didn't ask for their help, he would really like to split their heads with a knife.
"Okay...I'll give you 20,000 taels. This is already the limit of the gold our army can carry! I won't give you one more point, and I don't have any more gold!"
"Twenty thousand taels is equivalent to thirty-five thousand ounces of gold. This is already an astronomical sum! In Europe, we can buy two or three yachts, and four or five manors!"
"I don't care how you distribute it. Even if you Tepuxin keeps all the gold for yourself, I don't care! I need food for 30,000 people and a lot of horse feed. The more the better..."
"I know you have a way. What you shameless officials are best at is making false accounts. It only takes one year for you to balance the accounts and report losses for these grains and horses! You have done this kind of thing too often. !”
"Hehehe... The gunpowder you sold to our garrison back then was just a loss in the end, wasn't it?"
Hunchun's eyelids trembled with anger and she said in her heart that Tepuxin must die and must not be allowed to stay. He actually dared to smuggle gunpowder to the Rakshasa ghost. He really wanted money at the expense of his life.
The fact is that when Tsarist Russia opened up the Far East, the Siberian Railway was not built at all, and Tsarist Russia's industrial equipment was all in the west of the empire. It was definitely a very difficult task to transport it to Far East Siberia.
The material supplies transported from Moscow to Vladivostok in the Far East basically cost 10,000 gold rubles for equipment and supplies, and the freight cost 20,000 gold rubles. This is no joke. In the era without railway transportation, the resources consumed by traveling over mountains and ridges were staggering. .
Take the Caucasus Mountains, for example, where manpower is often needed to carry supplies bit by bit. On a cold snowy night in the Mobei Grassland, a snowstorm may swallow up an entire transport team. This kind of loss even caused the Russian Empire to suffer. Can not afford.
Therefore, soldiers who survive in the Far East cherish supplies very much. They will never rely on Western Europe for supplies that can be obtained locally. They will never eat bread if they can hunt. Even consumables such as gunpowder can be smuggled from the Qing Dynasty. Will not rely on the imperial arsenal.
Fadeyev knew that without the smuggling network established by corrupt officials outside the Qing Dynasty, the garrison in the Far East would not have been able to survive at all. Gunpowder, ironware, salt, condiments, spirits, wound medicine... all kinds of supplies were needed. The Qing people came to provide it.
This situation was not completely resolved until the Siberian Railway was completed. It can be said that the corrupt officials and profiteers within the Manchu Qing Dynasty helped these Rakshasa ghosts get through the most difficult period.
Hunchun stamped his feet and said fiercely, "Add another two thousand taels! I will agree to your conditions!"
Fadeev was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. "Oh God! How could you be so greedy! Our brave Cossacks paid for all this gold with their lives! There are only 20,000 taels left, not even a penny more!"
"Hehehe... Tell the truth! It's still stolen! The Mobei Grassland was emptied by you... Okay, let's do what you said. Let your soldiers bring the gold up. I have to count it in person. …”
The northwest wind was howling, and the torches on the ice were blowing loudly. The long silhouettes of people on the ice were illuminated by the light of the torches, like groups of little ghosts.
Twenty thousand taels of gold is equivalent to thirty-five thousand ounces, one thousand kilograms, and one ton!
This mass is enough to collapse a piece of ice, so it must be spread out by soldiers for transportation.
The soldiers on the north bank divided the gold into different packages and leather bags, and then carried it on their backs like thieves and walked toward the middle of the river at night. On the south bank, many accountants and soldiers also came, waiting to be counted.
In the middle of the river in Heilongjiang, a transaction is going on.
Pack after pack of gold was spread out, and the golden light from the torch shone brightly. The shopkeepers and accountants of all the shops in Aihun City were invited out, and then the gold began to be counted.
You don't know if you don't look at it, but you will be shocked when you look at it. What kind of gold is this? This is the evidence of murder haunted by evil spirits. Gold hairpins, gold collars, gold cups, gold plates and various gold ornaments.
There are also jade, agate, various gemstones and even a small amount of gold and silver inlaid crafts.
What's even more frightening is that there are blood-stained gold teeth inside, and there are even a few fingers with gold rings. The accounting clerk almost vomited at that time.
At first glance, it was clear that these were fingers cut off from a human hand. When these robbers robbed the gold, they were probably too focused on efficiency. They didn't bother to pick them off and just cut off the fingers with a knife, leaving the gold with the flesh and blood. Lost in the trophy pile.
The accountant wanted to take the finger off, but a CIA official next to him shook his head, "Put it back. The gold will be evidence in the lawsuit in the future! Keep it..."
It took a full hour for the gold counting to be completed. There were 20,800 taels in total. Hunchun nodded with a smile and waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him began to retreat to the south bank carrying the gold on their backs.
