On February 18, representatives from Beihai Town and the Manchu Qing Dynasty began to handle the handover of prisoners at the military station on the north bank of the Mongolian River.
Beihai Town first submitted a roster of the first batch of two thousand people, which was inspected by representatives of the Qing army. After the Qing army completed the inspection and confirmed that it was correct, they lit torches to notify the Mongolian camp south of the river to transport the first ransom across the river.
The next step in Beihai Town is to test whether the ransom given by the Qing army is real gold. In order to ensure that the gold would not be stolen by Beihai Town, the Qing army sent a Bi Tie Shi and a military attache to supervise.
The pen-poster looked to be in his fifties. When he took off his hat to wipe his sweat, Zhao Xin noticed that the hair on the back of his head was very sparse. As for the military attaché, he was a co-leader of the Jianrui Battalion.
The first step in testing is to take a sample from the gold ingot to check its appearance. Because the higher the purity, the darker the color.
The gold ingots of the Qing Dynasty were not gold ingots, but rectangular ship shapes. Due to the unique ductility of gold, the surface will appear curved due to tension, so ancient gold ingots were not square.
It should be noted that whether it was the Qing Dynasty or the previous Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, gold and silver ingots were never made by the government, but were cast by private people and supervised by the government. Since gold ingots are relatively valuable, shops generally do not dare to play tricks on gold ingots to ensure that they are of sufficient quality.
The government only controls the casting of copper coins, so there are only copper coins in the treasury of the Ministry of Household Affairs, that is, "big money for the town treasury"; there are no officially produced gold and silver ingots for the town treasury, let alone gold ingots from the Qing Dynasty. A fabrication that spreads lies.
This batch of gold shipped from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Beijing is all twelve standard gold ingots. On the front, there are "red gold" stamps on the left and right sides, and in the middle is the silver number stamp responsible for the casting.
The second step is to check the scale. An electronic scale, a large beaker filled with more than half a cup of water, a string, and a calculator are all the testing tools. First, weigh the gold ingot on a scale and record the data; then place the beaker filled with water on the scale to clear it; then tie the gold ingot with a string and suspend it into the water in the beaker, and record the data again after it stabilizes; finally The first step is to calculate, divide the gold weight by the drainage weight and then divide it by the gold standard density (19.32). The decimal obtained is the gold content.
Because the density of gold is very different from the density of lead, if the other party uses lead blocks to paint gold paint and fakes it, it can be quickly detected through this method.
There is no need for Zhao Xin to do this kind of work. Several people from the civil affairs department are now proficient in using electronic scales and calculators. After sampling testing, the final gold content of more than a dozen gold ingots was basically around 0.95.
Bi Tie Shi, who was in charge of supervision, blinked at Beihai Town's operations and couldn't understand it at all. Both the electronic scale and the calculator shocked him to the core. This is much easier to use than weights and abacus!
He bowed his hands to Zhao Xin and said, "May I ask, sir, how much does it cost to buy these two things?"
Zhao Xin joked: "The calculator costs fifty taels of silver each. As long as there is light, this thing can be used forever. As for this scale, it can weigh silk. You can't use it without electricity."
The post said in surprise: "Electricity? You mean the thunder and lightning in the sky?"
The military attache on the side sneered, a bunch of monsters!
"Yeah, a lot of things can't be used without electricity."
"Then how can I use the thunder and lightning from the sky for this?"
"Well, the truth here is very complicated, and you wouldn't understand it even if I told you."
The note said to one's heart that this is something that can really be used to induce thunder and lightning. If you give it to me for free, I wouldn't dare to use it! In his heart, people like Zhao Xin have become monsters who use sorcery!
When Wang Yuanfang saw the test results, he said to Zhao Xin: "The gold content of this gold is only 95%!"
"Okay, don't worry about it, that's what gold is like these days. Haven't you heard of 'seven greens, eight yellows, and nine five reds'?"
The red gold in ancient times was of this level, and the gold content of the gold ingots from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was much stronger than the small gold from the shogunate next door. But what Zhao Xin didn't know was that in the history of gold smelting in China, there was a breakthrough during the Qianlong period, when 99% red gold was smelted for the first time. This batch of 99% red gold was later used by Qianlong to make top-grade gold objects. .
After the ransom was verified to be correct, Beihai Town began to release the prisoners one by one in groups of 100. After both parties confirmed their signatures on the inventory, every hundred people were led across the river by representatives of the Qing army.
By February 19, the number of prisoners returned expanded to 5,000, and Beihai Town dispatched three battalions to escort them all the way. Under Heshen's instruction, the Manchus and the Qing Dynasty no longer cared about border residents or not, as long as they were on the inventory, they would be counted.
On the fifth day, there were only more than 200 prisoners left in the last group. These people include Fukang'an, Duerjia, and the 97 Eight Banners soldiers and slaves with children captured by Beihai Town in the battle the year before last; Li Dagang, who refused to surrender, escaped from prison many times, and worked as a miner for several months, also in it.
As for the twelve armored soldiers led by Samusu that Zhao Xin and the others captured on Bear Island, there is no need to go back. Beihai Town had already taken their families back to Fuldan City after capturing Hunchun City. In addition, there are more than two hundred Han Chinese. Most of them have already joined the military and political system of Beihai Town like Zhang Fang or Monk Zhou, and some will be transported to Ezo Land to be responsible for the livestock and reclamation work there.
In addition to returning the living prisoners this time, Beihai Town also had the bodies of the war dead to dispose of. After the battle last year, Beihai Town buried all the corpses of the Qing soldiers under a hill on the south bank of the Suifen River. Because of the cold weather, the Qing army did not dig up the graves and take away the bodies this time. Instead, they agreed to send people to collect the bones after the ground thawed in the spring.
Just as Fukangan and the others were preparing to cross the river, a guard suddenly came to Zhao Xin.
"Chief, they have someone who wants to see you."
"who?"
"It's the clerk responsible for verifying the gold."
When Zhao Xin, accompanied by several guards, saw the post-writing style, the other party took off his hat and said to Zhao Xin with a smile: "Master Zhao is true to his word! Then let's talk about the next thing."
Zhao Xin looked at him strangely and asked, "Who is your Excellency?"
The man cupped his hands and said with a smile: "My surname is Liu, which is a full name."
When Fukang'an returned to the Qing army camp and saw He Shen who had been waiting for him for many days, he felt a mixture of sour, grateful and humiliating emotions.
He had never looked squarely at the person in front of him, even if the other person was in charge of the court's purse. He, Fukang'an, wants to send troops to fight, and no matter who is in charge of the household department, he must raise his military expenses.
In Fukang'an's eyes, a guy who relies on flattering Qianlong also wants to have friendship with him? joke! But now.
Fukang straightened the sleeves of his robe, raised his arms from bottom to top, and bowed to He Shen.
"To Brother Zhai, thank you for your kindness! I, Fu Kang'an, will remember it!"
"Brother Yaolin, you can't do it! You can't do it! You are trying to make me die of shame!" He Shen was startled, and then a trace of amusement flashed in his eyes. He quickly stepped forward and stretched out his hands to support the other party. "It's all thanks to the blessing of the Holy Emperor. Brother Yaolin returns to the sea today. I'm so happy and congratulated!"
Fukang'an looked pale and said with a wry smile: "Brother Zhizhai, the defeated general, please don't laugh at me."
At this time, a banquet had been set up in the tent. He Shen asked Fu Kangan to take a seat and said, "Brother Yaolin, where did you say this? To be honest, the emperor sent a secret edict asking about my brother's situation every time. I must rescue him as soon as possible. Now that Brother Yaolin is unharmed, he is really lucky! Before coming, I had already visited the old lady at her house. Someone and I swore to the old lady that Yaolin must be rescued. Brother Lin must take it all back with him tail-to-tail."
When Fukang'an heard that the other party mentioned Qianlong and his mother, he quickly stood up and stood facing south. He knelt down and kowtowed with tears streaming down his face and said: "I, Fukang'an, am unworthy of the emperor! You are truly an unfaithful and unfilial person!"
He Shen quickly helped him up, sat down and continued: "For me, taking Brother Yaolin and the soldiers back this time is just one of them. In the past few days, I have also seen the strength of the Zhao bandits with my own eyes. When I return to Beijing to meet the Holy Spirit, the Emperor will definitely ask questions. Don’t worry, brother, I will give the master a note later and explain clearly the situation of the Zhao thief. However, how much do you know about the internal situation of the Zhao thief? "
Fukangan picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it all in one gulp, choking and coughing. "It's been a few months, and I've seen some of it. I think Zhao Xin is very cunning! To be honest, after talking to him a few times, I suddenly understood why he wanted to stay in Jilin. This person is imitating my Qing Dynasty. What Ancestor Taizong did is really a serious problem for the imperial court!"
He Shen was stunned and asked hurriedly: "You mean, he imitated my imperial ancestor Taizong?"
"Yes! Occupying the scenic spot outside Guan, using force as the backing, assimilating the border people of various tribes in the name of Zhu Ming, integrating military and civilian affairs. I have seen the muskets used by the Zhao thief army several times. No matter the material or appearance, they are all unique to me. I have never seen it in my life. You can fire a gun by raising your hand, and you can fire continuously without filling the gun."
He Shen asked hurriedly: "What about the cannon?"
Fukang'an shook his head and said: "I have been imprisoned in the city. I can only stand at the door for a while every day to bask in the sun. I have never seen a cannon."
He Shen sighed: "I'm so sorry for Brother Yaolin!"
The two talked for a while again. Seeing that Fu Kang'an looked tired, He Shen ordered his men to vacate his residence for Fu Kang'an to rest. Fukangan refused to say anything at first, but Heshen kept his figure very low. After being respectful and humble, Fukangan couldn't take advantage of him anymore.
After sending Fu Kang'an away, He Shen ordered his people to remove all the food and wine, and he leaned on the back of the chair and closed his eyes to rest. After several months of hard work, the errands assigned by Qianlong were finally completed, and the position of head military minister was finally secured. Thinking of this, He Shen felt very proud.
At this moment, the curtain flickered, and Liu Quan, who had just changed into a pen-and-stick style, walked in.
"Master, I've asked everything clearly!"
"Oh, tell me quickly."
"The thing used for settling accounts is fifty taels each. It is said that it can be used when there is light. As for the scale, Zhao Thief said that it can only be used by attracting thunder and lightning from the sky. Tell me, isn't this a witchcraft?"
"What nonsense! When we went to Shandong to investigate the Cathay case, we met a few demons from the Qingshui Sect. They all said they knew some magic, but as soon as the big shackles were put on and the pipa bones were pierced, they couldn't use any magic. Come out! Liu Quan, you said that you are also traveling around, why do you still believe this kind of thing? How was the discussion over there? "
Liu Quan came over and whispered in his ear: "Sir, I told them about the landing on Flower and Bird Island and Guangzhou as you told them, and they all agreed. On April 20th, they sent the cargo to Flower and Bird Island. , they will go to Guangzhou after unloading the goods."
He Shen thought for a while and then said: "Guangzhou has to make an agreement with Mu Teng'e (Guangdong Customs Supervisor), and also send a letter to Cai Shiwen (one of the thirteen lines). You tell them that the ship must stop at You cannot enter the port from overseas; if you want to land, you must go through Cai Shiwen's ship. In addition, no more than ten people can land, and they can only live in Yiguan District. If anything happens, he is the only one to ask! I will leave this matter to you. ”
"嗻!"
That night, Liu Quan, as Heshen's representative, quietly went to the north bank of the Mongolian River. As a result, before Liu Quan saw Zhao Xin this time, he saw another strange object, an LED light bulb.
"Mr. Zhao, what is this? Can it make the room as bright as day?"
"Lamp." Zhao Xin emphasized the word "electricity" specially.
When Liu Quan heard this, he thought, forget it, this is a sorcery again! Thinking of this, he relayed He Shen's instructions; at the same time, he asked Zhao Xin to provide a list of goods for early arrangement.
Zhao Xin immediately took out the cargo list that had been prepared. Liu Quan took a closer look and saw that there were dozens of categories of goods, covering everything from food, clothing, housing and transportation. What caught his eye most were matches and large-format glass. In addition, there were calculators, glassware, enamelware, various fabrics, clothing, shoes and socks, clocks, pearls, animal skins, razors, etc. wait.
Liu Quan pointed at the pearl item and said, "This is not possible. Dongzhu cannot be included in the transaction."
Zhao Xin smiled and said: "Steward Liu misunderstood, this is not a Dongzhu, it is a freshwater pearl from the Ainu country. The Dongzhu you gave me before is far from this one." After speaking, He took out a bracelet made of cultured pearls from his pocket.
"Just think of it as a meeting gift, Mr. Liu."
This is a purple round pearl bracelet that Zhao Xin bought from another time and space. Each pearl is 12 millimeters in diameter. A single bead is worth several hundred yuan. There are 19 beads in each string, reflecting under the light. Breathtaking light!
Liu Quan was stunned when he saw the pearl bracelet, and the blood all over his body rushed to the top of his head. This is a priceless treasure!
"You guys, are you going to sell this to Guangzhou in the future?" Liu Quan's voice was trembling as he spoke.
"How is that possible! These are only one of a million. The ones sold in Guangzhou are all white. They are only half the size, but they are all the same round shape."
"That's good, that's good. To be honest, the rare goods purchased from Thirteenth Bank must be sent directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs through Guangdong Customs."
"Understand, understand."
The so-called Guangdong Customs was actually Qianlong's private treasury, and the relevant taxes were turned over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs; imported goods of good quality were also sent directly to Da Nei, and ordinary people had no chance to see them.
"What about you? You just want money?"
"Mr. Liu, of course silver is a good thing, but other things such as tea and silk are also fine, but you'd better help get some antique calligraphy and paintings when the time comes."
When Liu Quan heard this, he thought it was too simple! I heard Zhao Xin say again: "However, only ten people can log in, which is not good. At least forty people are required!"
"Forty people!" Liu Quan was stunned upon hearing this. "May I ask Mr. Zhao, who are these forty of you? Sailors?"
"How could he be a sailor? He is a member of the trade group. Accountant, business representative, public relations, marketing planning, legal affairs, security."
Zhao Xin made nonsense, which made Liu Quan blink. Except for the accountant and the security guard, who he knew were the bookkeepers and the bodyguards, he didn't understand anything else!
"Wait a minute, Mr. Zhao, what are you talking about?"
"Mr. Liu doesn't know something. We in Beihai Town have a detailed division of labor and each has his own specialty."
Zhao Xin's nonsense not only made his own mouth dry, but also completely made Liu Quan faint. For Zhao Xin, as long as he can get a platoon of people ashore, even if he tells Liu Quan that there is an IT department in Beihai Town, he can tell him something.
Guangzhou will build an intelligence station in the future. By then, Liu Zheng would be in the densely populated Yiguan District. If there were not enough manpower, safety would not be guaranteed.
Liu Quan was so confused by what Zhao Xin said that he finally agreed. Anyway, there is a governor's battalion guarding the gate outside Yiguan District in Guangzhou. Forty people are under heavy guard, so I don't think he can make any tricks. He finally agreed with Zhao Xin that on July 20, the two parties would meet at Flower and Bird Island; then Liu Quanhui would send someone to accompany him south to be responsible for contacting him about landing in Guangzhou.
On February 24, the Qing army on the south bank of the Mongolian River began to break camp and move south. Zhao Xin also led his team back to the city with Huang Jin.
At this point, a war that lasted nearly a year from the beginning to the end finally came to an end. After this battle, the Manchu and Qing court lost money and lost face, and began to regard Beihai Town as a serious problem.
However, the severe drought that began last year has affected Zhejiang, Jiangxi and other places, and even the water level of Hangzhou's West Lake has dropped by half. The Qing government, unwilling to give up, could only deal with the disasters in various places, and Beihai Town also ushered in a calm buffer period.
(End of chapter)
