The defeats of Wu Ping'an and Jin Kaijun greatly shocked Zhang Jingxuan. He finally realized how ridiculous his previous thoughts were, and he actually thought about fighting with Zhao Xin. All he could do now was wait and be patient.
It has been a year since he came to Irkutsk, but the local Northern Navy, under the leadership of Liu Sheng and Fan Tong, is unable to penetrate the enemy's territory. He had already given vague hints to several company commanders before, but compared with what Zhao Xin could offer, the conditions Zhang Jingxuan could provide were simply ridiculous.
He originally thought that he would be a qualified manager, just in charge of a group of ancient NPCs. Unexpectedly, it was only two months after I took office that I realized that my advanced vision and abilities were nothing compared to the businessmen of the five major families, and they were nothing after they were fresh.
Whether it is Nerchinsk or Usolye, from the Nercha River to the Angara River, all towns and villages developed from prisons one by one. And those who dreamed of getting rich or were exiled here relied on violence to become long-term residents of the local area, and even became famous.
The development of every silver mine is accompanied by killing and bloodshed. In addition to joining forces to deal with outsiders, internal wrestling among the five families also often occurs, and the final result is based on strength.
The five major merchant families of Siberiakov, Milenkov, Basnin, Dudorovsky, and Suledovs have almost monopolized all product trade in Eastern Siberia. Each of them is operating in a world of ice and snow. The family business that took two or three generations to fight for is the kind of fight that either you die or I die.
You must know that before Bei Haijun came, the local laws were ineffective for the five major families, because these were the people who made the laws in the city council.
For Ivan Jacobi, whose hand was chopped off by Zhao Xin, all he cared about before was how much tax revenue Eastern Siberia could bring to the Governor's Mansion.
If Zhao Xin hadn't sent telegrams every now and then to inquire about the progress, and even occasionally showed up, Zhang Jingxuan might have been played to death by those people.
Basnin, who was very polite to him, was a cunning old fox under his gentle appearance; and the former mayor Siberiakov, who made his fortune with his fists, when he first met Zhang Jingxuan, he started to recognize Zhang Jingxuan from the other side's words. There was a trace of nervousness in his expression; as for Suredofus, he also sent his own baby daughter to confuse Zhang Jingxuan as soon as he came up. If Liu Sheng hadn't reminded him, he almost fell into the trap and became his wife. Home son-in-law.
After all, fair-skinned and beautiful blonde girls are hard to come by.
The reason why these people obeyed at first was mainly because they were afraid of Zhao Xin. After all, it was he who led the army to conquer Irkutsk. His indifference to life coupled with the coveted tea, rhubarb and silk were the so-called carrots in one hand and a big stick in the other.
In Zhao Xin's plan, when the North Korean navy and Tsarist Russia finish fighting again and the two sides can sit down and negotiate, the five families will have no use value and can go wherever they like.
It is precisely because of this that Zhao Xin told Zhang Jingxuan before that he could either conquer them with his own ability or cultivate a new group of people.
The problem is that it’s okay for modern people to talk nonsense, and they can say kill this or that at will; when faced with it in real terms, the law-abiding habits developed in the past or the fear of life and death will make it difficult for people to ignore life. .
"PTSD" is very scary, often accompanying a person's life, and even completely changing a person's personality. In the past two years, under Wang Zhong's advice, Zhao Xin read a lot of Confucian books to adjust himself, and his sleep quality has improved a lot.
So when Henry Cheung realized that he was still just a baby in front of the five major families, he could only focus on immigration first. The five families then let Liu Sheng and Zhao Xin deal with it.
In the year 1789, Eastern Siberia successively received 20,000 people, less than half of whom were naturalized citizens of the island country, and they had to be old residents. Only those who have lived in Beihai Town for more than two years will be familiar with the management system of Beihai Town, will not be so timid in dealing with people, and can quickly control the management rights of the village and town.
Like pepper noodles, these people were placed in several villages and towns along the Nercha River from west to east, from Nerchinsk to Irkutsk. In Beihai Town's plan, at least 50,000 immigrants would be sent to the Beihai Special Zone in 1790 to form an absolute advantage in the population composition.
There were not many local Cossack residents in the first place, with an average of one or two thousand people in each village or town. This move by Beihai Town has deeply disturbed the old residents who have lived there for decades.
However, when they discovered that the new residents had arrived, they were not so arrogant and domineering, but put all their passion into the land. Their attitude of eager to grow food and vegetables on every inch of their cultivated land without wasting a single penny deeply impressed the old residents. Those honest and dutiful Cossack families gradually felt that having such an extra neighbor was still a problem. not bad.
Although the hostility has not been completely eliminated, and although there are different beliefs, Beihai Town has abolished many exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes under the tsar's rule, so the people's hearts have gradually stabilized.
"Bang!" In a mansion in Irkutsk, Sibiliakov slammed an application document onto the desk.
"The proposal to participate in the construction of a new hospital has been rejected again. Gentlemen, if this continues, we will have less and less say in the city!"
Basnin, who was in his fifties, remained calm, picked up the tea cup and took a sip of black tea, and then said: "Dear Vasilyevich, it is obvious that the gentleman just wants us to do business honestly. Interfere in municipal affairs.”
"But I am the mayor! You are all council members!"
"Vasilievich, you are just the former mayor. That Markovich is the Chinese bastard. It has been more than a year, how come you still can't see the situation clearly?" Suledovs always spoke slowly. With his kind appearance and gray beard and hair, many people who meet him for the first time will leave the first impression that he has a good heart.
After listening to Suledovs' words, Sibiliakov took off his monocle from his eyes, rubbed his eyes and said: "If he goes there, I have to use my fists to let him know who is the owner of this place. "
Basning took out a flat square box with a silver shell from his coat pocket, and pressed it lightly on the edge. The box suddenly popped open, revealing the high-end cigarettes produced in Beihai Town; golden cigarette holders, sold per box. The price is 5 silver rubles. After he lit the cigarette with a match and puffed out the smoke leisurely, he said: "We need to make a decision early. The colonel sent someone again yesterday."
He didn't mention anyone by name, but everyone else knew who he was talking about. Mihai Nikolayevich, Marshal Rumyantsev's right-hand man; this person has currently led troops to the "Zaimka Fortress" and is also responsible for intelligence spying in the direction of Irkutsk.
Sibiliakov asked disdainfully: "What does he want this time? Money or food? We have provided enough support. If the Chinese find out, it will be a very serious crime. You, I , none of us can run away."
"He wants information about the Chinese troops, especially their artillery." Basnin said in a heavy tone.
Suledovs said with some dissatisfaction: "What the hell, why should we get involved in this kind of thing?"
"Why? Our Lady will not allow such a large piece of land to be lost. Last year's proclamation said that we cannot turn a blind eye to Russia being invaded, nor to turning a blind eye to the threats to the security of the Empire, its dignity and sacred rights."
Basnin's tone particularly emphasized "divine rights", as if this is the essence. After all, those Chinese people do not believe in God at all.
“…Our Lady’s will is: to open up the territory of the Far East on a solid basis, to use all our strength to recapture Eastern Siberia at all costs, and to reignite the war on the Amur River.”
"Fantasy! How did the general fail? Couldn't the Lord Governor's broken arm still wake up those people in Petersburg?"
"Gold," Basnin put out his cigarette butt and whispered: "A high-grade gold mine was discovered in the Lena River. This incident greatly stimulated those in Petersburg. They thought that there might be gold in the upper reaches of the Amur River. More. Gentlemen, that’s what it’s for.”
He said the final words with the air of telling a shocking secret. After hearing this, several people in the room showed thoughtful expressions; gold, who doesn't like it?
"Let's go have dinner first." Sibiliakov hesitated, sighed, got up and walked towards the door.
Several people left the study and walked into a very luxuriously decorated restaurant. Everything inside, from napkins to silverware, porcelain and crystal glassware, all revealed two words: I am rich, and extremely rich.
At this time, the female relatives of each family also came from the small living room, and what they talked about was also about the war.
"Stop talking about Constantinople! Maybe I don't understand anything, but compared to the unrealistic Holy Roman Empire, Irkutsk is the most important. That fool Jacobi instigated it for greed We started a war with the Chinese, what was the result?"
"The Holy Mother should send someone to have a good talk with the Qing emperor. God's people paid their blood, and we must repay this blood debt. Our queen never covets the slightest selfish gain, she always wants to benefit the whole world. I Trust only in God, and in the noble destiny of our wise monarch!…”
"I think those Chinese people are pretty good, well, except for the fact that they don't believe in God. The gifts that the governor sent a few days ago are really rare!"
"What kind of governor is he? He's just a young man with a hairless mouth."
Halfway through the dinner, Sibiliakov's wife Maria Lilovna suddenly mentioned something.
"I heard that the Tatars, oh, no, I mean the Chinese, are going to set up a new police department. Poor Anna came to me crying today because her husband is going to lose his job."
Basning said: "This is inevitable. How did the Chinese say that? There is one emperor and one courtier."
"Hell, let's not speak Chinese at the dinner table. I hate their language and their tone of voice."
"Who knows if the new police chief is good-looking?"
...
On February 10, 1790, two infantry regiments that had just arrived in Kazan camped one kilometer away from the city, preparing to wait for Marshal Rumyantsev to review the army. The next morning, what had been a loose mob the night before turned into an orderly army of 4,000 men.
"The marshal is here!"
Following the notice from the messenger, the two regiment commanders mounted their horses, and when their bodies stabilized, they drew their sabers. The general leading the team looked happy and determined, and was ready to shout commands. The two phalanxes composed of four thousand people suddenly became quiet, and everyone remained motionless.
"Stand straight!"
A tall sky-blue Viennese carriage driven by four horses in a row galloped along the road covered with ice and snow, and the carriage's springs made a slight rumble. Attendants wearing thick military coats galloped behind the car on light cavalry.
When the carriage stopped in front of the regiment's queue, Rumyantsev was still talking softly to someone in the carriage. When he took heavy steps and stretched his legs from the pedal, it was as if there were not four thousand soldiers in front of him who were holding their breath and watching him and the regiment leader.
As several commands sounded, the quiet phalanx began to move, and the soldiers raised their guns in salute, making a sonorous sound. In the deathly solemnity, the voice of the old marshal could be heard clearly.
The soldiers shouted together at the top of their lungs: "Sir! I wish you health and a long life!"
After shouting one sentence, everyone held their breath again. Rumyantsev, accompanied by his attendants, began to inspect on foot along the queue. The old marshal would sometimes stop to say a few jokes to the officers he had met during the Turkish War, and sometimes he would say a few words of encouragement to the soldiers. However, his eyes looked a little melancholy regarding the weapons in the hands of the soldiers.
After in-depth discussions with Suvorov and combined with the little intelligence he had at hand, Rumyantsev already knew that it would be difficult to fight a positional battle against the North Korean Navy with only front-loaded smoothbore rifles and long-barreled guns. Fighting can only lead to death in vain. The two regiments will move towards the Yenisei River next month and eventually reach the Russian defense line on the Angara River.
With the end of the "Battle of the Lemnik River" that took place in September last year, the Russian-Austrian coalition forces defeated the Ottoman Empire army in Fokshani. Because of Suvorov's absence, Kutuzov, who led the Brig Cavalry Corps, stood out. More than 100,000 Turkish troops suffered heavy losses from the deeply deployed Russian assault troops. They successively lost the Targukukuli barracks, Martineshti fortification barracks and Odaya barracks, resulting in more than 10,000 casualties.
The victory on the Western Front allowed the Russian army to free up some of its forces to mobilize to the east. In a letter to Catherine II, Rumyantsev stated that he planned to advance the front lines to Lake Baikal before the autumn of 1790.
The specific tactic is to use powerful forces to suppress the opponent, and at the same time use the rapid maneuverability of the cavalry to conduct surprise operations. First capture Irkutsk and force the Chinese to retreat to the east coast of Lake Baiga.
"Dear Holy Mother, if we can fully concentrate our troops, this number should be no less than 50,000. If we launch a sudden and rapid attack this summer, we will surely annihilate most of the enemy in one fell swoop. Because we have recaptured Irkutsk, Then we can continue to control the favorable situation of Lake Baikal; therefore, if the enemy does not take the initiative to attack, we will be able to cut off the enemy's lines of communication at any time. If the enemy wants to invade with all his troops, I will never allow him to realize this attempt. Therefore, I We need more troops, we need them to cheer up and complete their preparations for war this winter, and then if we work together from top to bottom, it will not be difficult to find good opportunities to make the enemy face the fate that he deserves."
