In a tent in Jurgen's military camp, Saimar was led in by Serdan. At this time, it was already dark outside, but the inside of the house was as bright as day. Saimar looked around in surprise and saw something on the roof emitting white light.
In a daze, Serdan patted Saimar on the shoulder and introduced to Zhao Xin and Liu Sheng who were sitting behind the table in the tent: "Sir, this is Saimar."
Zhao Xin and Liu Sheng stood up, smiled and said, "Please sit down."
Serdan introduced: "This is Mr. Zhao, and this is Mr. Liu."
Saimar didn't dare to breathe at this time. When he heard that the two burly men in front of him were the chief and deputy leaders of Beihai Town, he quickly knelt down to salute and said: " Saimar, a villager in Wuktun, Qiheichen Township, Meet you two adults."
Serdan said: "I told you, adults don't like people kneeling down, so get up quickly."
Saimar stood up quickly, bowed to indicate what the guards behind him were holding, and said, "This is a gift that Lord Ningguta Deputy Dutongna asked me to bring specially for you. Please accept it."
The guard carefully placed the two brocade boxes, one large and one small, on the table, then saluted and stood in the corner. The big box must be more than one meter long. Liu Sheng opened it and saw that it contained a ginseng root. The root was as big as Liu Sheng's palm. It was lumpy and the beard was covered with thick moss, making it difficult to see. length.
Saimal hadn't said anything yet. When Serdan saw the ginseng, he couldn't help but gasped and his eyes widened.
"This is a wild ginseng that is more than a hundred years old! It is said to be able to revive human flesh and bones."
Saimar smiled slightly, stretched out two fingers and said: "Two hundred years."
He Shen's trick was purely for the blind. Whether it is Zhao Xin or Liu Sheng, neither of them understands ginseng at all. So he had to pretend to nod, expressing satisfaction.
Zhao Xin stretched out his hand to open the small box. Inside were dozens of pearls the size of his little finger. They became more and more crystal clear under the light. Zhao Xin estimated the size and found it was about 7~8mm in diameter. If Director Liu saw this, he would definitely scream.
Zhao Xin still doesn’t understand this stuff. On a certain platform in another time and space, a 14cm freshwater pearl only costs more than 300 yuan. Why don't you give me some gold? How about two Song Dynasty calligraphy and paintings?
After closing the lid, Zhao Xin once again pointed to a chair opposite the table and said, "Please sit down."
Saimar bowed and said: "I don't dare! I will see the power of these two adults today. I am really frightened."
Zhao Xin smiled and said, "Are you from Hezhe?"
"yes."
"Where has the generosity of the Hezhe people gone in you? You went to the capital and married a Manchu wife. How did you become a mother-in-law?"
Saimar said sarcastically: "That villain is offended." After saying that, he sat down, raised his head and said to Zhao Xin: "I made you laugh. Your official words are really good."
Zhao Xinxin said that if I were to say Pianer Tang, you would be completely dizzy.
"Tell me about it. Why did Qitai ask you to come?" Liu Sheng asked with a frown.
"Yes, that's the case. The general asked the villain to come here to check the quilt, the master..."
Liu Sheng interrupted: "You want to see the condition of those prisoners, right?"
"Yes." Saimar let out a long breath and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his temples, thinking that he was so tired!
Liu Sheng said: "The conditions of the prisoners are currently very good. We have tried our best to treat the injured, and some of the amputees have survived."
"Huh?!" Saimar was a little surprised. He felt that the other party was telling lies. In this era, if a person loses his arms and legs, his chances of survival are slim.
Liu Sheng said: "If you don't believe it, I can take you to see it tomorrow."
"Don't dare!" Saimar felt his mouth was dry. He didn't expect that the other party actually let him see the prisoner. He thought for a while and continued to ask: "The general asked the villain to ask, I wonder how the two adults can release these people."
Well, it's time for Zhao Xin to take action.
"Pay the money and let him go. As for how much it will cost, I might as well reveal a number to you. You go back and show it to Na Qitai and let them think about it. The number of Qing soldiers we captured this time is..."
Zhao Xin lowered his head and glanced at the numbers on the paper in front of him. "There are 265 of the 18,000 people. Among them, 2,135 are wounded and 633 are seriously injured. As for the Qing troops killed by us, 5,722 were killed. Some others escaped into the mountains, but we haven't found them yet. Considering the current weather, if they are not local residents, they may not survive this winter."
"Ah!" Saimar was so shocked that his teeth began to chatter with fear. He didn't expect that the imperial court would be defeated so miserably! But what Zhao Xin said next made him even more shocked.
"Have you arrived at Ninggu Pagoda with your Excellency and Zhongtang?"
"Big, big, sir, this, this little people really don't know."
"He Shen?" Liu Sheng was also very surprised. He turned around and asked, "He is here? How did you know?"
"He's confused. But from the look on his face, it seems that I'm right." Zhao Xin pointed at the two boxes on the table and said, "The two-hundred-year-old ginseng and Dadongzhu are both tributes under the direct control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. . In the Northeast, the Dashou Ula Yamen is responsible for this, and General Jilin can't interfere. Give Na Qitai ten courages, and he wouldn't dare to bring tributes to us. The only person who can take charge of this is the Minister of Internal Affairs, or It means that the chief manager of Dashou Ula Yamen got Qianlong's secret order. Which one do you think is the most likely?"
Liu Sheng curiously asked Saimar: "What does He Shen look like? Is he fat, with a round face, a mustache, and a wicked smile?"
"..." The Manchu son-in-law was dumbfounded by the question. He looked at Zhao and Liu in confusion, speechless at all.
Zhao Xin smiled and said: "Saimar, when you go back, you can tell all the villagers that whether they are Hezhe Feyaka, Kuye Feyaka, Xibo, Oroqen, or even other ethnic groups, we welcome everyone to come to Fuldan City to do business. . If you want to come here to work part-time to earn money, we welcome you. In two or three years, we will turn this place into the largest town outside the customs."
"Huh?" Saimar hasn't woken up yet.
"Although you are the son-in-law of the Manchus, we welcome you to do business. Serdan must have told you what you want to exchange for this time. After visiting the prison camp tomorrow, you can go back with your things. I must The lord who is in charge of Ninggu Pagoda is already waiting impatiently."
As soon as Zhao Xin finished speaking, Liu Sheng added: "We welcome anyone who honestly does business and works to make money. If you dare to be a spy of the Manchu Qing and come to us to cause damage, then don't blame us for being rude!"
After Liu Sheng finished speaking, he slapped his hand on the table, making Saimar sit on the ground in fright.
"Don't dare! Don't dare!" Zhao Xin and Liu Sheng were both trying to win over each other, while the other was trying to be a bad person. They were half trying to win over each other, and half were beating them up, which made Saimar both frightened and frightened.
Zhao Xin was still smiling. "That's it. Serdan will take you to visit the prisoner camp tomorrow morning."
After the others were taken away by Serdan, Liu Sheng asked Zhao Xin: "He Shen is in Ninggu Pagoda, should we deal with him?"
Zhao Xin rolled his eyes and said, "Why do we deal with him? If you deal with him, who will pay the ransom? Who dares to negotiate with us again?"
Liu Sheng said: "He is the most corrupt official in history!"
"He is not greedy for us. Qianlong is not in a hurry. Why are you so anxious? This man is actually a capable official, but he is not used in the right place."
Early the next morning, Saimar and two of his men, led by Serdan, arrived at the area where Qing prisoners of war were held five miles north of Jurgen City.
As the old saying goes, if there are tens of thousands of people, there is no limit. This large-scale Qing prisoner-of-war camp had so many people that most of Beihai Town's troops in Fuldan City were sent to guard the prisoners.
The entire prisoner-of-war camp was divided into twenty-one areas, with each area holding about a thousand prisoners of war; among them, the wounded were divided into two areas. All prisoner-of-war camps are surrounded by wooden fences and barbed wire, with sentries at the four corners and wireless cameras set up. The residences of the Qing prisoners of war in the camp were just cellars.
It is said that cave dwelling was a common way of living for the Jurchens before the Jin Dynasty, and it has continued to be inhabited by people until the 21st century. The so-called "house without a house, with mountains and rivers on its back, ridges and beams on top, covered with earth."
There is nothing that can be done about cultivating the earth. When the battle with the Qing army ended, it was already late August. In order to relocate the prisoners as soon as possible, Chen Qingsong suggested digging the ground to build a cellar. This was much easier than building a wooden house and could also save a lot of wood. Although it is just a cellar, once it is built, it is no worse than a wood carving.
When it comes to the construction of prisoner camps, Chen Qingsong is thinking very long-term. Because once all the Qing prisoners of war are gone, the refugees from Henan and Shandong who will come next year will also have to arrange accommodation first. By cleaning the vacated cellar, several families can temporarily live in it.
The cells where the prisoners of war lived were facing south and facing north, with thirty people living in each room. When digging, first dig a rectangular four-foot-deep pit, and then use rough trimmed logs to erect several rows of house pillars with high middle and short sides. Purlins are laid on the pillars; the outer edges of the purlins are laid on On the ground beside the pit. The purlins of the roof must be tied with thick layers of dead grass and branches, and finally covered with half a foot of black soil and compacted. In addition to the doorway on the south, a light-transmitting window must be left in the southeast corner, and the remaining parts between the roof and the ground are sealed with earth walls.
Outside the cellar, a half-meter-high earthen wall is built around the house to prevent people from stepping on it. If earth walls were not erected, the roof would collapse if people stepped on it.
After this thing is built, it looks like half above ground and half underground from the outside. The height of the indoor space is about two meters. As soon as you enter the house, you will see a large shop in the shape of an inverted U, with a two-meter-wide aisle in the middle.
The entire bed is made of wooden frames, about half a meter high from the ground, and the wooden boards are covered with thick urala grass. Although the underground cellar is warm in winter and cool in summer, it is impossible to stay there without making a fire. So in the middle of the corridor were several heating stoves made of large gasoline barrels, and the heating fuel was also wood. The stove converted from a gasoline barrel surprised all the prisoners. In this era, a large iron pot was usually placed on the fire to keep warm.
The prisoners' bunks in the cellar were also ranked according to seniority. To the north and inward are the upper-ranking ones. Officials and generals of the Eight Banners in Beijing generally live here. The second-ranking ones live on the east and west sides, and those with the lowest status are near the coldest door.
The prisoners' food consisted of cornmeal and pickles. Each person's daily ration was half a catty of cornmeal (eight taels) and two taels of pickled radishes. Whether it was making porridge, steaming steamed buns, or pasting pancakes, the prisoners in each house cooked the food themselves. Cornmeal and pickles are distributed once a day. If you miss the time to receive them, the thirty people in the house will go hungry.
When it comes to the life of the banner people in the mid-Qing Dynasty, they were actually not that extravagant and extravagant. Individual princes and nobles could not represent the whole population.
Banner officials, although they received salary and gifts from the court, still lived in simple clothes and struggled to make ends meet. Once they resigned or were dismissed from office, their family's livelihood was often stretched thin. If there is a shortage of grain or a famine year, their life will be equally miserable.
During the Qianlong period, many bannermen who were stationed in the Eight Banners had to make a living on their own, living frugally, working, teaching, or doing business, which solved the temporary problem of food and clothing. However, such self-reliant bannermen account for only a small part. The vast majority of bannermen are still idle and rely on government relief. Once they are in trouble, they live on the streets and beg for food.
In a cellar in Camp No. 5, a soldier Buddha statue with a white flag from the Jingying Firearms Camp was carefully cooking cornmeal porridge over the fire. When the porridge was almost ready, he took a wooden bowl, scooped out two tablespoons of the thick consistency, walked slowly and leisurely to the bunk at the north end, and placed it on the edge of the kang. He respectfully said to a man in his forties who was sitting on it: "Sir, the porridge is ready, please use it."
"Yes." The middle-aged man wiped the mustache on his upper lip, raised his eyes and said, "Where is Wotou?"
"Sir, wait a moment, it's still baking on the stove. It will be needed soon."
"Hurry up!" the middle-aged man urged impatiently. This person's name is Enhai, he is a general of the Jingying Firearms Camp with a white flag, and he is the immediate superior of Buddha Biao.
After a while, the grilled steamed bun slices with a burnt aroma were also ready. The Buddha's label was served on a wooden plate, and then two pieces of pickled radish were put on it and brought to Enhai.
Enhai picked up the bowl and took a sip of the porridge. Then he picked up the radish and took a small bite, and finally picked up the steamed bun and started eating. After swallowing it in one mouthful, Enhai sighed with satisfaction: "This steamed bun must be steamed, cooled, cut into slices, and roasted on the fire. It doesn't have a special taste!"
"That's right! What you're saying is right!"
"That's right! This is called coarse grain production and careful cultivation."
"I think you have to look for deep and big nests at the bottom to be delicious."
"How did you say this?"
"Just think, when steamed, steamed buns like this will be full of steam and taste even more delicious!"
Someone continued: "Yeah. That's the truth. It's called 'eating cornucopia and being picky'."
At this time, a prisoner lying on the north side lifted the quilt and cursed angrily: "Eat your ass! You're so big-eyed, I'm a fucking prisoner!"
Enhai snorted softly and squinted: "Guan Bao, what kind of evil fire did you get so early in the morning? Brothers are all prisoners of others now, and they are just enjoying themselves in misery."
"That's right. Your Majesty, I will bring you a bowl of porridge first. After you finish it, it will warm you up."
"Alas!" The officer punched the bed and sighed heavily.
At this time, everyone only heard a "squeak", the door of the house was pushed open from the outside, and several Beihai Town soldiers with guns walked in. All the prisoners of the Qing soldiers quickly put down their bowls and chopsticks, got up and got off the bed, pulled on their shoes, and stood in front of the bed. The cursing official security officer reluctantly got out of bed, stood up, and looked coldly at the person at the door.
"Stand still, don't move!" Several Beihai Town soldiers pulled the bolts of their guns and were on guard.
"Oh my God! Are they coming to kill us?" A dozen Qing soldiers suddenly panicked, their legs trembling, and their whole bodies started to tremble. One guy actually peed his pants, and a smell of pee filled the cellar.
"Kill your mother, kill her! You weakling! If she wanted to kill her, she would have killed her earlier, and she wasted so many days of food in vain!" the official security officer yelled angrily.
A group of prisoners were muttering, and the door of the room rang again. A strong man in his forties, wearing the military uniform of Beihai Town, walked in with a man wearing a leather robe.
"Look, the people living here are all from the Jingying Firearms Camp. There are thirty people in total."
"Thank you, brother." Saimar hurriedly thanked him with his hands, then turned to look at the prisoners. All the Qing soldiers also looked at him curiously, their eyes wide open for a moment, wondering what this man did.
Saimar walked a few steps inside and looked at these people carefully. He was relieved when he saw that they were either sallow and thin or shivering from the cold.
"What do you do, man?" Enhai suddenly asked.
"This gentleman, I am here under the orders of Master Ninggu Pagoda Dutong Na to see how you are doing."
"What?! Is that kid Qitai okay?" Enhai asked in surprise.
"Ning Guta is not lost? Where is Hunchun? Where is Jilin Wula?" The official security officer stepped forward and asked loudly in a hurry.
"It's all okay, it's all okay. Please bear with me for a while longer, the court is thinking of a solution." Saimar was startled, and he quickly bowed and explained.
"I want to go home! I don't want to stay in this damn place all day!"
"That's right! My mother-in-law is over eighty. If I don't go back, I'm afraid I won't be able to see her!"
"My wife and children are still waiting for me to come back!"
"Shut up! Why are you making such a fuss!" Seldan yelled. "Who we let go or who we don't let go, that's up to us! Whoever talks too much will have their rations stopped for a day!"
As soon as this voice roared, the room suddenly became silent.
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