In late March of the 53rd year of Qianlong's reign, the undercover agent stationed in Beihai Town by the Qing government finally returned the exact news of the Beihai Navy's war against Russia last year. This really shocked the Manchu Qing Dynasty from top to bottom. , which shocked Qianlong.
I have learned from many sources that last year the Northern Navy used 5,000 men to attack the Ninggu Pagoda Camp, but Zhao Xin used only 600 men to stop the tens of thousands of Rakshasa troops in Aihui City!
After that, the Northern Navy recruited a total of more than 8,000 people, and continued to regain lost ground all the way north along the Heilongjiang River. They defeated tens of thousands of Russian troops in Yaksa and captured dozens of the opponent's generals. Immediately afterwards, they fought non-stop from Nerchinsk to Kyaktu, and even captured the Russian Governor's Palace in Eastern Siberia, leaving the Rakshasa people unable to fight back.
This series of news shocked all the princes and ministers of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Even Qianlong was stunned.
Is this Nima Zhao Xin still a human being?
From Fukang'an for the first time when troops were sent out, leading to Hailancha's death in battle, to Mingliang's defeat at Ningguta Camp, the Qing army was defeated three times in a palm-sized area from Fuldan City to Ningguta, and he died in battle. Although the number of people was not as high as that of the previous annihilations of the Junggar Khanate, Big and Little Huojizhan, and Big and Little Jinchuan, the number of prisoners was a breakthrough in all previous wars.
Although everyone in the government and the public was shocked by the combat power of the Northern Navy led by Zhao Xin, the Qing army's operations during the Qianlong period had a distinctive feature, which was to use its powerful national power to repeatedly crush its opponents through extreme troop and logistical projection. No matter how many times the Qing army was defeated, it could achieve final victory.
To this day, the old and strong Qianlong still believes that the Qing army's failures in previous battles were due to improper use of tactics. After being shocked, Qianlong vowed to fight to the end with Beihai Town and must completely eliminate the Han armed forces entrenched in the outer northeast.
At present, a group of people headed by Wang Jie and Dong Gao analyzed that Zhao Xin is likely to use troops against Khalkha Mongolia. So Wang Jie, the Minister of War, reiterated his old tune and once again asked the Zhangjiakou garrison and the green battalions of Ningxia, Gansu and Shaanxi to go north and station in Kulun, in order to prevent the Northern Navy from going south into Outer Mongolia no matter what.
A group of people headed by He Shen believed that the Northern Navy would fight the Tsarist Russians next. After all, Zhao Xin captured tens of thousands of Rakshasa, occupied Nerchinsk and the entire territory of Lake Baikal, and completely cut off Qing-Russian trade. As long as the Manchus and the Qing Dynasty cooperated with Tsarist Russia, it would be easy to achieve a situation of driving away the tiger and swallowing the wolf, and finally reap the benefits of the fishermen.
For example, border trade with Tsarist Russia was opened through Kemukemqik, the fourth commander of Tangnu Uryanghai. It was a border town on the upper reaches of the Yenisei River, only more than 700 miles away from Ulyasutai, where the deputy general Zuo of Dingbian was located.
Compared with the expedition in Outer Mongolia, Qianlong still preferred He Shen's idea. He was well aware of the ambitions of the Russian Empire, but he also knew that these barbarians needed tea and rhubarb from the Qing Dynasty, so he sent a decree to the vassal court and quickly established contact with the Russian side. At the same time, he also asked the Ministry of War to be prepared to send troops to Cullen in time if there were changes in Tsarist Russia.
It has been more than fifty years since Qianlong succeeded to the throne. He boasted of creating a prosperous era and creating a country that would never be easy to change. If Beihai Town is allowed to continue like this, after he closes his eyes, the memorial tablet will not even be able to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven!
(There is a saying in the ancestral teachings of the Qing Dynasty that if you lose a certain amount of land and reduce the territory by one point, that is, the descendants of Xinjieluo who are not my beloved will not be allowed to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests to worship.)
For this reason, after repeated careful consideration, he decided to replace Qing Gui, the minister of economic and strategic affairs, recall him back to Beijing to join the military aircraft department, and lock General Jilin Mingliang into prison. At the same time, Fukang'an, who was receiving British warships in Guangzhou, was appointed as "General Dingbei", granted the seal of General Fuyuan, and conducted military campaigns in Shengjing, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Khalkha Mongolia, and Horqin Mongolia.
Three thousand Jianrui Battalion, 10,000 Firearms Battalion, 3,000 Xi'an Eight Banners, 2,000 Qinghai Eight Banners, 5,000 Junggar cavalry, and 5,000 Yarkand musketeers were transferred to Jilin Ula, totaling 28,000 people.
He also ordered He Guodong, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and the French missionaries serving in the palace to go to Hunchun and Jilin with 5,000 officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp and artillery battalions from various places to strengthen artillery training. Subsequently, Qianlong learned from the previous shortage of artillery and mobilized it again. Tens of thousands of craftsmen came out of seclusion and ordered Fukang'an to cast large general cannons weighing 10,000 kilograms in Hunchun and Jilin.
It is said that this kind of cannon was cast when the Qing army attacked Jinchuan and Jinchuan, and the number cast at that time was not large. This kind of super cannon that can fire 23 kilogram shells (51 pounds) is not available in European countries in this era. The largest artillery in Europe during this period was the Ottoman Turkish "Imperial Cannon", which could only fire 48-pound shells.
On the other side, in the face of the fluctuation of public opinion in both the government and the public, some people even shouted that "the Northern Navy is completely invincible". Qianlong quickly took action and severely punished the source of the news, beating to death more than a dozen eunuchs in the palace with sticks. , several princes and ministers were dismissed from their posts. He ordered that any news about Beihai Town be strictly prohibited from being published in future imperial manuscripts.
However, no matter how much they concealed it within the customs, the Qing officers and soldiers on the front line of the Hunchun camp knew it clearly.
In order to paralyze the Northern Navy, at the end of March, Qianlong issued an edict to promote Hunchun from Xie Ling Yamen to Deputy Capital Tong Yamen. Na Qitai was promoted to deputy capital commander of Hunchun Dutong Yamen and commanded the Hunchun camp with 5,000 soldiers and horses. On the south bank of the Mongolian River, he continued to be responsible for negotiating prisoner of war matters with Beihai Town.
When an outsider looks at it, okay, he cooperates with others to suffer constant defeats, and Suo Nao goes to Beijing to investigate, but this guy has nothing wrong with him. His luck is really enviable.
In fact, if Qitai hadn't secretly sent someone to Heshen's house with a banknote of 200,000 taels, he would not have just been kicked off the second rank of viscount and demoted to a third rank to stay in office.
But Na Qitai himself panicked. As the Manchu Qing general who had the most contact with the Beihai Navy and even went to Beihai Town in person, he began to have trouble sleeping all night after leading his army into the Qing army camp stationed on the Mongolian River.
If the Beihai Navy really attacked Hunchun, he would have no way out and would have to bite the bullet and rush to the front line. Either die in battle, or wait for the old emperor to send someone to give him a knife or a glass of poisonous wine... As for whether there is a third way, Qitai doesn't even dare to think about it now.
However, everything has a disadvantage and an advantage. Since Na Qitai came to the Mongolian River Camp in March, he openly negotiated with the Beihai Navy about the prisoners, but privately asked the Shanxi Chang family to communicate with the Beihai trading company about the fur and ginseng trade.
As a group of bannermen, all they need in daily life is a face. Knowing that he was from outside the country, he was afraid of being looked down upon by the Han people, so he not only abided by the "Four Dimensions and Eight Virtues", but also paid particular attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation.
The old saying "It's better to wear something tattered than something wrong" is really aptly applied to the bannermen. Which month of the year comes and what clothes you change into and what materials you use are all very particular.
In the old days, leather jackets were divided into large, medium and small fur according to the seasonal temperature. Generally, in the coldest time of winter, people wear large fur clothes, such as fox fur, mink fur, lynx fur, etc. In early winter and late winter, you should wear medium-haired clothes, such as dark gray squirrel, gray squirrel, silver squirrel, etc. In late autumn and early spring when "warmth returns to cold", small woolen clothes are worn, called pearl wool.
Banner families, regardless of gender, must make at least four pieces of clothing throughout the year, so that they do not lose their dignity when going out to visit relatives or visit elders.
The Northern Navy occupied Ninggu Pagoda, Sanxing Dutong Yamen and Aihui City, cutting off the source of furs for Shangwulin, and the price of furs in the pass suddenly skyrocketed. However, it is necessary to pay attention to it, so many moderately wealthy banner families spend a lot more on clothing.
Then there is ginseng, which is a daily necessity in wealthy families. It can be used to replenish the body, take one tablet to replenish vitality during childbirth, or even make soup to survive. Even if it doesn't work, you have to prepare some ginseng seeds, right?
Unfortunately, the above two things are only available in Jilin and Heilongjiang. Due to the large inventory in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there is no shortage of hospitals or imperial kitchens for a while, but most ordinary banner families cannot, let alone those who run the North. A merchant of medicinal materials.
It is said that the phenomenon of stealing ginseng was very rampant in the Qing Dynasty. There were nearly a thousand wine shops in Shengjing City. The guests there usually acted and drank, and sometimes they went into the mountains in groups to steal ginseng.
Before the Qing government lost Ninggu Pagoda and Sanxing, the main person responsible for preventing ginseng poaching was the Official Ginseng Bureau. After the Beihai Navy came, and the official ginseng bureau was destroyed, ginseng poachers became rampant again.
The punishment for ginseng thieves in Beihai Town is very simple. In addition to confiscation, if one is stolen, twenty will be planted. The harvesting of ginseng was coordinated by the Beihai Trading Company and the Ginseng Exchange under the Civil Affairs Bureau. The confiscated ginseng and the ginseng purchased from border residents were sent to the newly established Ginseng Exchange in Ningguta for sale.
A group of Shanxi merchants stranded in Ningguta were extremely jealous of the large number of ginseng and leather goods in Beihai Town. However, due to the blockade of the Qing army in Hunchun, it was difficult for them to transport the ginseng out. This is not about bribing a few people, but about bribing a large group of people from General Jilin's Mansion and General Shengjing's deputy. If not, you may end up losing your head for the serious crime of collaborating with the enemy.
The Manchu Qing Dynasty was not a muddle-headed Ming Dynasty. They allowed Shanxi merchants to do business with their enemies and cut off their heads without mercy.
However, Zhao Xin didn't care. Since Ning Guta couldn't sell it, he could ask Shen Jingdan to arrange for it to be transported to the south through other channels.
Years ago, when Na Qitai heard that Zhao Xin was getting married, he asked people from the Chang family in Yuci to bring gifts and secretly went to Ninggu Pagoda. Because the Chang family has always been engaged in east-kou trade, they have shops and trade channels from Zhangjiakou to Kulun, or from Shanhaiguan to Shengjing.
After some operations by Naqitai and the Chang family, they quickly opened up the smuggling route from Ningguta through Alchuka, Boduna, Zhelimeng and Shengjing. As a result, more than half of the 50,000 kilograms of ginseng and various kinds of pickled dices, ginseng whiskers, residue and other items released from the Ningguta Ginseng Exchange this spring were bought by the Chang family, preparing to enter the customs via this route.
The Qing army's camp on the Mongolian River, the strange and handsome tent.
By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the so-called military tents were no longer the big tents in the pictures, and the same was true for the Qing army's military tents here on the Mongolian River. This is a courtyard with two entrances. The front yard is the meeting hall, also known as the "handsome tent", and the back yard is the general's house.
The afternoon sunshine made people drowsy. Na Qitai was sitting with his legs crossed on the Taishi chair in the main room in the backyard, holding a Tianxiang cigarette in one hand while listening to Chang Wu's report on the transportation situation of ginseng. His face was leisurely and contented, and his heart was Then he kept thinking about how much he could lose on this trip.
That's great. If you can't defeat it, don't do it. Wouldn't it be nice for everyone to sit down and do business for a few years? As for what to do in the future, Qitai is really not in the mood to think about it. He feels terrible when he thinks about it!
The two of them were settling accounts when a servant of the family suddenly called out from outside the house: "Sir, someone is coming to the house in Hunchun City."
Na Qitai asked casually: "What happened? Let him in."
When the visitor entered the room, his expression was not right, and he said as if he was mourning: "Sir, I have had a low fever since the night of the 12th of last month, and I have been coughing... ...Grandma is so anxious that she has no choice but to ask the younger one to send a message to me."
Na Qitai became anxious when he heard this. He was nearly forty years old and had never had any children. A few years ago, his wife, Fujin, gave birth to three girls and there was no movement in his stomach. After that, he had five concubines in a row until the year before last year Chang Wu's sister gave birth to a son for him, and he had a wife. Na Qitai doted on this young son so much that if it hadn't been for the war, he would have wanted to tie his son to his belt.
After listening to the servant's words, he jumped up from his chair and asked eagerly: "Have you seen a doctor?"
"Look. Grandma asked a doctor to be hired from Wula, Jilin, and said it was 'chicken cough'. But the doctor said..."
"What on earth did you say?!" the servant who reported the news stammered, and Chang Wu on the side was also anxious. That was his nephew, and all his family's prosperity and wealth rested on this child.
"The doctor said that I am terminally ill and can only...I can only resign myself to fate."
The so-called chicken cough was also called "heron cough" in ancient times, but it was actually whooping cough in later generations. However, there was no such statement in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. By the 1840s, more than a dozen foreign Western physicians who came to China, dozens of Chinese Western physicians, and several Chinese physicians and scholars came to China after repeated discussions. The name was determined.
After Na Qitai heard this, he immediately fell back on his chair, his face pale. He remembered that he was already over forty and it was not easy for him to have such a son. If the son is gone, even if the tens of millions of family assets are useless, the son-in-law will have to be cheap in the future!
Chang Wu also looked frustrated at this time, but in the flash of lightning, he suddenly remembered something. So he first asked Na Qitai's personal soldiers to lead the servants who reported the news to rest, and then rushed outside the door for a while, then closed the door and whispered in Na Qitai's ear.
When he finished speaking, Qitai seemed to be grasping at a life-saving straw, his eyes widening. He whispered: "You promise you can do it?"
"Sir, I also heard what the man said when I went to buy the goods a few days ago. I have to ask if it's okay."
"Go and ask! If it works, we have to take Changsheng from Hunchun overnight!"
That night, Chang Wu made contact with the Beihai Naval Station across the Mongolian River according to the previously agreed contact information. The clerk of Beihai Trading Company who was in charge of the contact heard this and asked Chang Wu to wait. Then he returned to the military station and made a call to someone unknown. Half an hour later, he came out of the military station and said to Chang Wu: "Okay, bring the child over. Don't delay any more! If the virus gets into the brain, it will be difficult to save."
After hearing this, Chang Wu almost knelt down at the other party. He anxiously ran back to the Qing army camp opposite and told Na Qitai about the situation. Na Qitai had no other option at the moment, and with the mentality of treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor, he arranged for a few personal Goshiha to take his handwriting and go to Hunchun overnight.
