Duerjia's death and the rapid defeat of the Manchus in various parts of Heilongjiang caused the people in the capital to criticize the Eight Banners generals for their immorality and incompetence. In fact, this situation has existed since the Manchu and Qing Dynasties lost Khalkha. Nowadays, a proverb that even children can sing is spread quietly inside and outside the capital. After hearing it, the Eight Banners officers and soldiers were all angry, but they could not argue.
In a barracks at Jianrui Camp at the foot of Xiangshan Mountain in the western suburbs of the capital, a Qing soldier was telling several companions what he had heard.
"The Firearms Camp is a flower-splitting spirit; the Jianrui Camp is to climb high; the good fighting camp is to crawl on the ground. A hundred and eighty years of one move, you can't defeat a gun with bare hands; don't look at people showing off their power in front of others, but they will definitely defeat the pirates in the North Sea. ..."
"He's got a swollen forehead, and he's making a fool of himself. I have to chop him!"
"The people from the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Department are investigating. It's just kidding in the streets. We can't arrest the kid, right?"
"Let me tell you, facing the Northern Pirates now is not just a bare-handed confrontation with a gun, it's basically a bare-handed confrontation with a fast gun or a cannon. Let's use our two hundred kilograms to exchange for that one bullet!"
"Tell me, what's the use of this bare-handed kung fu nowadays? When it comes to Buku tricks and mounted archery, I don't believe that the Beihai soldiers can win against a few of our brothers. But they have the most powerful murderer in the world. Weapons can hit us from one mile or even ten miles away! And our muskets and general cannons can’t even reach them!”
"You all know the left-wing striker Berna, right? He used to be such a strong man, and even Gerda (the chief instructor) could not compare with him in martial arts. But since he came back from Jilin due to injury the year before last, he has contracted brain disease. Ren'er is in pain."
"No, the gunshot wound on his leg hasn't healed yet?"
"The gunshot wound has long since healed... Last month I went to his house for a visit. I was very happy to chat after not seeing each other for a long time. Guess what, I asked, and then my face changed drastically, I held my head and shouted pain."
"What did you ask?"
"Oh~~~ You blame me for talking too much, haven't we never fought against the North Sea pirates? I asked him, I heard that the North Sea pirates also recruit soldiers from the Sauron tribe, and they all wear tiger head armbands on their arms. Have you ever encountered them? How does it compare with us?"
"That's it?"
"No! That's it, I lied to you!" Surle, the deputy forward of the Mongolian Banner, stretched out his hand and made a bastard gesture.
"..."
The more the flag soldiers talked, the heavier they became. They were not only worried about the future of the country they led the Qing Dynasty, but also worried about the future of themselves and their families. While they were talking, a battalion soldier ran in and said to everyone: "You guys, stop talking! Gerda is calling for us!"
"What's up?"
"That man came again, and brought a few sheep with him, but he attracted the wolves. Gerda asked us to go out and watch."
Upon hearing this, all the armored soldiers stood up quickly, took their bows and muskets, bags filled with arrows, and tin pots filled with gunpowder and lead, and went out. When they arrived at the place, they saw a group of wolves in the bushes on the mountainside opposite, ready to move and advancing forward. The farmer on the side had just brought the sheep over, and the imam had not yet started chanting sutras and praying.
It is said that Xiangshan Camp is an old camp site left behind in the Ming Dynasty for the purpose of practicing mountain climbing and fighting. After the Jianrui Battalion was established in the 14th year of Qianlong's reign, in order to demonstrate how to attack the tall and strong Jinchuan Watchtowers, this place was chosen as the camp, and dozens of stone watchtowers were built outside the city of the martial arts group, so it was also called "Xishan Jianrui Camp". The entire northeast of Xiangshan Mountain to the back mountain is where the granary, firewood, warehouses and livestock sheds of Jianrui Camp are located. It is also the shooting range for practicing firecrackers and bows and arrows.
In the old forest of Beihou Mountain, which is full of thorns, packs of wolves, tigers and leopards often appear; the most helpless among them are the wild wolves that have been growing here for generations. These guys not only attack the pig pens in the camp and steal the fat pigs, but also frighten the ferocious Ujimqin horses to the point where they dare not take a nap during the day and night. They often become lean and lose weight, even if the old scalpers are there. I don’t dare to pull a trailer at night. The animals are so careful, and the people are even more wary. Even the flag soldiers of Jianrui Battalion never dare to walk alone at night.
Animals like wolves begin to reproduce in late spring and early summer. After birth, the wolf pups are crying for food, and the male and female wolves have to look for food everywhere. They dare not go to far places. If they are hungry, they will become a group of wolves and invade the camp.
When Surle and others arrived, the "Master" he was talking about and two of his men were raising their bows to shoot at wolves. Behind him, there was a middle-aged man about the same age as him, holding a strange-shaped musket, ready to fire at the charging wolf at any time.
Facing a pack of wolves, Prince Jia Yongyan said he was not afraid, which was definitely a lie. No one would believe that these "big-mouthed wild dogs" that look like small donkeys in front of them are big bad wolves unless they see them with their own eyes. When his guards drew their bows to shoot at wolves, he, who boasted that he was good at riding and shooting, also picked up another bow and shot out the arrowheads in the bag one after another. Unexpectedly, the pack of wolves on the opposite side had been fighting with the people of Camp Jianrui for many years. They were all very thieves, and often when the arrows were about to be fired, the big bad wolf only had to dodge with a slight dodge.
Yong Yan thought that he had followed Qianlong to Rehe for hunting for many years and it was easy to shoot a few wolves. However, as the saying goes, if you look at the mountain and run to death, when hunting in Rehe, someone would drive the prey in front of his horse. This situation is completely different. When shooting prey with bows and arrows, one must measure the distance. Several people present violated this taboo and therefore failed to hit any of them.
Seeing that the long arrow in the bag was empty, Yong Yan was so angry that he picked up the musket in the hand of Prince Hou Rui Chunying, took aim and pulled the trigger. The sound was so loud that all the Jianrui battalion soldiers present were frightened. One jump. What kind of musket is this? The movement was actually louder than the two people carrying it?
"Tum!"
A burst of fire accompanied by white smoke spurted from the muzzle, and a 15mm-caliber pointed mini bullet roared out. A blood hole burst out on the head of a big bad wolf that was lingering dozens of steps away, and his body tilted. , plopped to the ground. The wolves were frightened and immediately scattered.
Unexpectedly, something went wrong in the rush. Because Yong Yan was anxious, his shoulder did not close to the butt of the gun, and his collarbone was hit hard by the hard catalpa wooden butt. As a result, the majestic King Jiaqing was knocked backward by the recoil of the shot, and couldn't help but "Well ” made a sound.
The two guards and Chunying behind him suddenly changed their expressions when they saw this, and hurriedly stepped forward to help him up. Yong Yan held the injured area and rubbed it twice. He grimaced in pain and was sweating profusely. He had to take off his outer silk robe and vest.
At first, no one around him paid much attention to what he was wearing. You must know that Yong Yan has been coming to Jianrui camp every now and then for a walk since two months ago. He usually rides a horse with two attendants, sometimes with Prince Rui Chunying or his younger brother Beile Yonglin. However, he never revealed his identity. He only wore a half-worn brown silk robe and a patched Batulu vest. Every time he was led into the camp by the chief instructor of Jianrui Camp. After walking around for a long time, he then We went to see the flag soldiers of the Jianrui Camp climbing the city tower, and sometimes went around the camp to enjoy the wild scenery.
But today, when he was lying on the ground and his silk robe was opened, he accidentally revealed the beige Wolong belt around his waist, which made everyone present dumbfounded.
Because the generals of Jianrui Battalion must enter the Forbidden City and Old Summer Palace several times a year, they are no strangers to the rank of court officials. I saw the bright gold coiled dragon on the belt, which was clearly a decoration only worn by Prince Heshuo. Everyone present winked at each other and yelled loudly: "Greetings to the prince!"
At this moment, the sheep butchers, wolf hunters, imams, farmers, flag soldiers, and flag people knelt down halfway up the hillside with cheers. These people never dreamed that any prince would come to visit this dirty place. Qianlong used to come often, and from time to time he would call a few guards to compete with the camp soldiers, but since he got older, he hasn't come for many years.
"Ouch~~ Please help me first, without any courtesy." Yong Yan's collarbone hurt so much that he couldn't bear the thought of having to give a big gift without anyone to help him. When he was helped up by the people around him, there were beads of cold sweat on his head, and his face was blue and white. The chief instructor on the side saw him and hurriedly called the camp doctor.
Not long after, the camp doctor trotted over. He first untied Yong Yan's clothes on his chest and touched the bones. When he realized that the bones were not broken, he took a deep breath and took something from the medicine box he carried with him. I put some ointment on him. After a while, the medicine took effect, Yong Yan's pain became lighter and his complexion gradually softened.
As the designated heir of Qianlong, Prince Jia Yong Yan is 33 years old this year. He is about 1.75 meters tall, has a fair and plump face, a pair of big ears that look very blessed, and drooping eyebrows. Cool like his mother. He is also humble and polite, and treats others very peacefully. If he didn't reveal his identity, everyone would think that he was a well-mannered Mr. Yixue.
.
He came to Jianrui Camp these days not for anything else but just to relax. As the Northern Navy landed in Jiaodong, they showed a posture of taking root and would not leave. News of the fall of the General Mansion in Heilongjiang and even the Northern Navy's large-scale attack on Wula, Jilin kept coming back, which made Yong Yan's psychological pressure increase. He knew very well that he only had a few days left in Beijing.
The problem is that now the situation has reached the point where the building is about to collapse. The country and the country are in danger, but the officialdom in various places is getting worse and worse. Officials are arrogant and extravagant, and the clan is also indulged in sensuality. The eighty-two-year-old Qianlong still clings to power. The worse the situation becomes, the more he will let go of his own son, for fear that he will become the second in command of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Yong Yan felt sad in his heart, so he had to take advantage of his free time to come to Xiangshan to relax.
Speaking of which, although the Emperor Jiaqing in history had the title of "Renzong", he was actually just a mediocre and good-hearted person. As he himself said, the heart of the emperor's examination is the heart, and the rule of the emperor's examination is the rule. The reason why Qianlong chose him as his heir apparent back then was mainly because of his own sins. There were only three candidates left, so he had to choose the general from among others and choose the most obedient one.
Suerle couldn't help but glance at the musket used by Yong Yan, and plucked up the courage to ask: "Your Majesty, your musket is much more powerful than the shotgun we use. Is it made by the Military Academy or a tribute from a foreign vassal?"
The guard on the side scolded: "Talk too much! Don't be rude to the prince!"
Everyone present couldn't help but become nervous, but Yong Yan stopped him and said with a smile: "Hey, our Mongolian relatives have this temperament, so it's okay."
Surle's unstinting energy also increased. He tilted his head and said to the guard: "The prince is not angry, so what kind of bird are you? A prairie marmot can only scare a camel if he can't offend the big bad wolf. .Hmph! I am a descendant of the Great Khan."
The words made Yong Yan and Prince Rui Chunying next to him laugh. The guard lost his temper and could only give Surle a fierce look.
Yong Yan pointed at the wolves in the bushes opposite and said to the soldiers: "I want to see your string skills today. This is the skill passed down from our ancestors as Manchus. The one who shot the most today will be this one." Give him a musket!"
At this moment, the wolves were eager to try again under the encouragement of a big bad wolf. Everyone put on their finger rings one after another, set up their bows and drew arrows and started shooting.
"Pa!" Surle let go, and an iron arrow more than three feet long flew out like lightning, nailing the eyes of a big bad wolf hard, and the arrowhead came out of the top of his head. The wolf jumped and jumped in pain, rolling and grinding on the ground, clawing at the injured area with its front paws, roaring continuously, and streams of blood spurted out from the top of its head. Surle then shot another arrow, hitting it in the neck!
As several wolves fell to the ground one after another, either dead or struggling, the wolves were so frightened that they ran back and disappeared on the hillside in the blink of an eye.
"Good string technique! Good~~" Yong Yan, who was already feeling better, stood up and shouted in surprise. Seeing this, Surle said to the imam behind him: "Uncle Imam, kill the wolf, skin it, and give it to the prince!"
After everyone counted them, it turned out that Surle had shot the most wolves. Yong Yan admired the straightforward Mongolian man very much, so he rewarded him with the strange-style musket, and asked the guard to pick it up from the bag on his horse. I took two paper boxes, one large and one small, and brought them over.
Suerle curiously opened the two paper boxes and saw rows of golden gadgets in the small one that looked like copper buttons, while the larger one contained a long tube wrapped in yellow kraft paper, with a cone exposed at the top. shaped warhead.
"Your Majesty, what is this?" As a forward, he had to be proficient in the bow, saber, sword and gun as well as the shotgun in his daily training. However, the musket in front of me is completely different from the standard weapon of the Qing army; not to mention that it is much lighter than the shotgun, the workmanship is exquisite, and it does not have a wooden fork and a faucet to lock the match rope, so it was a bit confusing for a while. mind.
Although the guard who was scolded by him just lost face, he was very impressed by Surle's superb archery skills, so he explained: "This big box is a blunderbuss. When loading, first bite open the tail to remove the gunpowder inside." Pour them all in, and then use the gun probe to poke the musket and the paper bag into the bottom together. This small box is called a flash cap. Every time you shoot, take one and put it on the anvil under the hammer, and then cock it. Just open the hammer and you can aim and fire. You have accurate aim within 200 steps."
Surle was happy in his heart and loaded the bullets and weapons according to the other party's instructions.
Then he took a few steps and aimed at a small tree eighty steps away for a long time before finally pulling the trigger. There was only a "bang" sound, and the tree trunk as thick as a thumb was cut off with a single shot. The surrounding camp soldiers were all dumbfounded, and then they cheered loudly.
"Your Majesty, this is the first time this servant has seen such a good musket! If we had one each, we would surely be able to defeat the Northern Pirates!"
Unexpectedly, as soon as these words were spoken, Yong Yan's face suddenly became ugly. He waved his hands without saying a word, then got on the horse with the help of a guard and Prince Rui Chunying, and left slowly with a desolate expression.
"I, what did I say wrong?" Surle, who was kneeling on the ground to thank him, was confused. He turned to look at the chief instructor, who also looked confused and didn't understand.
At this time, another guard rode up to him, leaned down and whispered: "You are a killer! This gun was made by the North Sea Pirates!"
"ah!"
