When He Lin returned to Beijing, it was already the end of June in the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong's reign.
Returning from the vast snowy plateau to the colorful world of fireworks, we can no longer hear the roar of cannons and guns, let alone the cunning time signals, and can no longer see the tragic scenes of two armies fighting and bloody fights. From the shepherd boys chasing sheep in the Qinghai grassland, to the Xintian Tour of the northwest horse herders, to the zither strings and flute music on the pavilion of the Xi'an City Song Pavilion, and the thirty-six rows of streets shouting and selling...all kinds of worldly customs made the group feel strange. It’s novel and feels like a world away.
Because Emperor Qianlong instructed Fukang An to stay in Tibet, he would work with the Eighth Emperor, the Seventh Panchen Lama, ministers stationed in Tibet, and local officials in Tibet to finalize the "Imperial Regulations on Dealing with the Disaster in Tibet" and to stabilize the local situation in Tibet, so he returned to Beijing to present the prisoners. It fell on the head of the deputy and Lin.
The ancients said that the great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs. Before setting off for an expedition, people would worship the heaven, earth and ancestors to boost morale; when news of success came back, a sacrificial ceremony would also be held to fulfill the promises made during the previous sacrifices.
Since the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs, although internal and external wars have been frequent and many prisoners have been captured, since the Kangxi era, there has been a practice of "not offering prisoners to suppress thieves in the interior, but offering prisoners to foreign barbarians". In the Qianlong era, whether it was the Battle of Jinchuan or Jinchuan, or the pacification of Junggar and Hui tribes, military wars to open up territories were frequent, and prisoner offerings and acceptance ceremonies were often held, which satisfied Qianlong's desire to achieve great success.
Nowadays, Beihai Town has repeatedly defeated the Qing army on the battlefield outside the Pass, and the trend of sending troops into the Pass has become increasingly clear. Under such circumstances, the victory of the Qingkong War became the only bright spot for many years, so a prisoner presentation ceremony used to praise virtues, whitewash peace, and boost morale became inevitable.
As the younger brother of He Shen, He Lin was also the imperial envoy and minister stationed in Tibet. He was deeply appreciated by Qianlong. He was so popular that from the moment he arrived in Xining, wherever he went, he was greeted with flattering smiles. People like this, all they hear are flattering words. However, the more this happened, the worse his mood became.
After the large group arrived at the Fengtai camp, Helin handed over the Gorkha regent Badur Saye and several leaders to people from the Ministry of War. The following specific procedures were handled by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Etiquette. He only had to follow them. good. Because he had to go to the Old Summer Palace to see Qianlong tomorrow, and He Lin couldn't go home, he only ordered someone to send a notice to the military base. After completing the formalities, he took his staff and long entourage and moved into the building inside Xibianmen. Posthouse.
At dusk, after a hasty dinner, he took his staff out for a walk. At this time, the golden crow is falling in the west, the tired bird is lonely, and every house in the city is filled with smoke. Walking on the street, I could vaguely hear the sweet clanging sound of the bells in Baiyun Temple. The tall pheasants of the Xibian Gate and the cornices of the palace half-hidden in the lush bamboo forest were all coated with a layer of golden-red light.
Somehow, He Lin suddenly remembered Kong Shaoan whom he had met at Anping Port. In the imperial palace, the young man with a reserved face is now the big boss of Beihai Town in charge of the four counties of Jiaodong. His official title is strange, "Administrative Commissioner". He couldn't help but think of a treasonous thought. If he went to work for Zhao Xinjun like this, I wonder what kind of official position he could be given?
The staff member who followed him was Shen Shijie, a native of Shaoxing. He had been working with him as a master since he became an agent for Hangzhou Weaving in the 51st year of Qianlong's reign. Shen Shijie and Lin remained silent, laughing and asking: "Dong Weng, are you thinking about playing the right thing tomorrow?"
"It's easy to tell if Zuo is right." He Lin came back to her senses and said in a deep voice with her hands behind her back: "I was wondering when the emperor would let me go back to Gorkha. There are many mountains and barren land, and the only place that can be cultivated is Yangbu. In the river valley, it may be difficult to maintain the annual output.”
Shen Shijie nodded and said: "The situation in Gurkha is indeed very troublesome. Hasn't He Taiyan already signed terms with the British? The next step is to determine the boundary between the two sides. There shouldn't be a big problem. This time Dong Weng and Marshal Fu worked together to draw up the terms According to the provisions of the "Regulations on the Aftermath", and the "Golden Pemba" system has been fully implemented, and you have made outstanding achievements, the emperor will transfer you back to Beijing this time, fearing that you will be appointed elsewhere. "
"That's what I'm worried about. The English people in the south are by no means a friendly people. The people like Taiyan are talented in literature, but I'm afraid they are not good at political affairs."
Shen Shijie has been following He Lin for seven years and understands his thoughts very well. There are two brothers in the He family, one civilized and one military. No matter how hard He Lin tries in terms of civil and political affairs, it is impossible for him to become a bachelor and enter the military base to succeed He Shen; the only chance is the military.
Fa Fu and Kang An, make a general of the Shangzhu Kingdom, a hereditary first-class Duke. However, He Lin was definitely not as good as Fukang'an in Qianlong's mind. If he wanted to make a difference, he couldn't stay in Tibet and strike out, and He Shen would not agree.
"According to my knowledge, Dong Weng should have a good discussion with Zhongtang and let him help you use your strength. Zhao Ni didn't stop after he defeated Jilin this time. Yesterday's document said that the Beihai Pirates' troops were leaving Yi Tuen Gate. There are still twenty miles, and the person coming is not good."
While the two were talking, they suddenly heard a muffled thunder rumble across the sky from the west. Although it was not very loud, it made people's hearts tremble. Then a cool breeze swept over the ground, carrying a slight smell of rain. He Lin raised her head and looked to the west, only to see that the sunset glow in the sky had disappeared at some point, black clouds were rolling in, and lightning appeared and disappeared. In just a moment, the entire city of Beijing was shrouded in gloomy twilight. middle.
He Lin said: "It looks like it's going to hail. Let's go back to the inn."
The two of them entered the door of the inn with their front feet, and the crackling hailstones were already falling down overwhelmingly. Yi Cheng, who had been waiting outside the door for a long time, hurriedly took up an umbrella to cover He Lin. After stepping on the ice particles on the ground, he returned to the courtyard where he stayed. As soon as he walked to the corridor, the Yi Cheng said: "Sir, someone just sent it off A letter came, saying it was from the Zhongtang Mansion. I wanted your Goshiha to come out to pick it up, but unexpectedly the man put down the letter and left in a hurry. He couldn't stop shouting. It's really strange."
After saying that, he took out a letter from his arms and handed it over respectfully. He Lin and Shen Shijie looked at each other, feeling very surprised. At noon, Heshen had already sent Liu Quan's son Liu Yin to the Fengtai camp. He had said everything that needed to be said, so why was he still delivering the letter? Could something have happened?
However, when he went back to the room alone and sat under the lamp, he took out the letter and read it for a few times, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. This is not a letter from Hefu. It was clearly given to him by someone from Beihai Town, and it was signed by Zhao Xin.
"Here comes someone!" Helin stood up suddenly, and a moment later, Geshiha walked in from the next room.
"Go to the Yi Cheng immediately and ask him what the messenger looks like, how old he is, and his accent. Don't miss any details."
"Master, what happened?"
"Don't ask too many questions."
After the servants went out, He Lin returned to the lamp, took the letter and read it carefully. Every time he read a few lines, he would stop and think about it, and then read it again, repeating this process many times. After watching it for the first time, Ghoshhar has come back.
"Sir, this servant has asked clearly. Yi Cheng said that the person who delivered the letter was about fifty years old, wearing a long blue muslin gown and a bamboo hat. He was more than seven feet tall, with a slim appearance, and a horned beard. His accent sounded like he was from the capital city. Yes. However, several disciples at the inn said they had never seen this person before."
He Lin walked back and forth in the room with her hands behind her back, and said in a deep voice, "You can go and have a rest. Remember, don't mention this to anyone."
"嗻!" Goshiha was confused, hesitated for a moment, and then retreated.
At this time, Shen Shijie, who was next door, had changed his clothes and walked in. He saw He Lin's serious face and asked hurriedly. He Lin casually handed over the letter. Shen Shijie sat under the lamp and looked carefully for a moment, with a look of shock on his face.
"Do you understand? People have been watching our every move! In my opinion, the pirates in the north of the capital must have a lot of spies now. What do Shuntian Mansion and Wucheng Soldiers and Horses Division do?"
He Lin slapped the table angrily, then sighed and sat down on the chair. Shen Shijie blinked, stood up, picked up the teapot and poured the other party a cup of tea, then pondered for a moment under the lamp, and then said: "Dong Weng, where is the Jamuna River mentioned in this letter?"
He Lin really knew that because the Gorkhas once invaded Zhemengxiong, he basically kept all the mountains and rivers inside and outside the Tibetan border in mind, and said solemnly: "It is the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River, east of Lukba. Yes. Yes, I have a picture in my bag!"
After that, he stood up and took the baggage from the table, took out a folded sheepskin, opened it and spread it out on the table, revealing a one-foot-square map. This was drawn by himself when he was in Gorkha, based on the surrounding conditions described by local businessmen. It was also used as a reference for negotiations with Major Patrick of the East India Company. Although the drawing is not very accurate, whether it is Gurkha, Chemengxiong, Bulukba, or the British East India Company and other princely states in the south,
Basically everything is displayed on it, and the mountains and rivers that should be there are also marked.
The two of them lay under the lamp and looked at the rough map carefully, and from time to time they compared it with the contents in the letter. The room became silent for a while. At this time, the hail outside had stopped and turned to the sound of rain. I don’t know how long it took, but the lanterns on the table suddenly exploded, and the lanterns on the table suddenly exploded. Shen Shijie was so shocked that he shuddered!
After a long while, he took a breath of cold air, pointed to a certain place on the map and said, "Dong Weng, the Beihai pirates are so cruel! Then Zhao Xin wants us to snatch food from his tiger's mouth!"
He Lin was immediately clear, and her mind instantly became clear.
Well, as soon as He Ning signed the agreement with the British, Zhao Xin encouraged him to go to North Bengal to grab territory. And it's not just the Jamuna Valley plain. Zhao Xin also proposed in the letter that he would support the imperial court with another batch of arms and supplies, with the purpose of allowing the imperial court to conquer all the land north of Awa in Myanmar. When Fu Heng fell ill and died in Yixue What a shame for not withdrawing our troops!
The guy also said in the letter that the so-called miasma was caused by drinking unclean water and local food, which caused malaria. No matter taking cinchona cream or taking vaginal medicine for this disease, the only specific medicine is available only in Beihai Town. Nowadays, whether they are fighting in Annan or Java, their troops have never been reduced in number due to miasma. Therefore, in order to ensure the health of the Qing troops going south, he will give away a batch of special anti-miasma medicines free of charge. In addition, he will also provide a batch of high-yielding rice seeds with a yield of more than 500 kilograms per mu. As long as these two areas are captured and cultivated for military settlements, the imperial court will definitely not be short of food after moving westward.
"Bang!" He Lin's face turned livid, and the tea cup in her hand was slammed to the ground by him, smashing it into pieces!
Geshiha in the next room heard the noise and hurriedly came over to check. However, as soon as he opened the door, He Lin inside the room said angrily: "Get out!"
When Shen Shijie on the side saw this, he stood up and walked outside the door to whisper a few instructions. Ghoshha nodded ignorantly, and then quietly went to guard the courtyard door.
Shen Shijie was also shocked by the contents of the letter. He had lived for almost fifty years. Although he was not a scholar who was familiar with classics and history, he was still a well-read scholar. From ancient times to the present, there has never been such a traitor in any dynasty or generation. In the eyes of this man, the majestic Celestial Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty turned into a little pusher who opened up territories for him. He was acting like a monkey! Isn't this too shameless? ! He could imagine that if Qianlong saw this letter, he would be furious.
However, as a Han Chinese, Shen Shijie suddenly felt a sense of joy in his heart for no reason, and a smile appeared on his face. Fortunately, it was a dark day so no one could see him. He stood on the porch for a moment, letting the cool breeze stir up his hot, sweat-soaked body. He shivered, then regained his calm demeanor and entered the house.
At this time, He Lin in the room had overcome the previous rage, but what followed was shock. The pirates in the North Sea actually don't even take the terrifying miasma seriously, and they even have special medicine. This is too shocking! If this is true, then the smoky land in the south will no longer be the harsh and barbaric land that the people in the north turn to when they hear it.
I don't know how long it took, but He Lin, who was sitting under the lamp, became more and more surprised by Zhao Xin's strange methods. Is it true that this person has supernatural powers as the rumors say? When the mighty Qing Dynasty encountered such an opponent, was it really destined that the Hulu would not be lucky for a hundred years? But it has been 130 years since the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, so what can we say?
Early the next morning, He Lin went to the Old Summer Palace to deliver the sign to Qianlong. Because the other party was very interested and asked about Gorkha and Tibet in detail, he didn't dare to mention what he wrote last night. After meeting him, he went straight to Shuchun Garden, He Shen's residence near the Old Summer Palace. The two brothers closed the door and talked for nearly a night. Except for Liu Quan, no one else knew what they said.
Three days later, a prisoner presentation ceremony was held as scheduled.
First, the Ministry of War led a group of soldiers from the Firearms Battalion, Jianrui Battalion, and Shanpu Battalion, escorting the Gorkha Regent and several leaders who were tied around the neck by Bai Lian, and entered Chang'an Street through the right gate of Chang'an, and then entered Chang'an Street from the *** Enter through the west gate, come to the gate of Taimiao Street, and stand facing north. When Prince Jia Yongyan, who was in charge of the memorial service, arrived with several royal family princes and civil and military officials from various ministries, everyone immediately entered the Taimiao Temple to hold the sacrificial ceremony.
After the ceremony, the prisoners were escorted to Sheji by the soldiers.
Outside the street gate, stand facing north. Yong Yan and others then entered through the Nantian Gate of the Sheji Altar and performed the ceremony as if they were in a Spring and Autumn Festival ceremony.
When the sacrificial ceremonies at the two places were over, the prisoners were escorted back the same way, from the west gate of Jiangxi to the right gate of Chang'an, while the officials who accompanied the sacrifice went to the Meridian Gate. A group of Gurkha prisoners had never seen this before. They were escorted around by the tough Eight Banners guards, kneeling and standing. They were already dizzy by the time they reached the Meridian Gate.
At this time, outside the Meridian Gate, a large number of princes, civil and military ministers and their official ceremonial guards gathered together. It was so majestic that you could hear a pin drop in the venue. At two o'clock in the morning, nine trumpets were fired from the Meridian Gate, and the drum music suddenly burst into action. Sixty-four drums were played by Changyin Pavilion, and a melodious and deep song immediately sounded:
"Haotian has the destiny to succeed, and he accepts this Piji. Wu Liewenmo, Shigu is Yi. Qianqian my emperor, restrains the Honggui. Apply to the sky, and everything is right. When you understand Qin Ruo Haotian, apply the time to interpret Thinking. Don’t ask for help from the people, stay up late and ask for advice... The emperor’s holy spirit, the heroic figure of Tianxi. Hearing and seeing, the French method produces knowledge. The whole body is nourished, and the strings are played. The benevolence is generous, and the vitality is dripping. Long live Qianqiu, I will look at you and Ji again..."
Amidst the sound of drum music, the 82-year-old Qianlong, with a smile on his face, accompanied by Yong Yan, sat on the Xumi throne located in the front couplet of the Meridian Gate Tower, and the real capture ceremony began.
The commander of Manchuria with a white flag and the minister of the Ministry of Industry, He Lin, led the generals who escorted the prisoners, and escorted the Gorkha regent Badur Saye to the Meridian Gate. First, they ordered him to kneel down to the emperor on the tower, and then a group of soldiers Place the box containing the Gurkha head on the ground.
Qinggui, Minister of the Ministry of War, knelt forward and shouted: "Pinded Gorkha, captured the rebel chief Batur Saye...etc., and obtained twenty heads of the rebel chieftain. I would like to offer it to the palace." Down."
Qianlong, whose beard and hair were all white on the throne, immediately said in a deep voice: "Send it to the Ministry of Punishment for discussion and wait for the verdict."
As the eunuch's confident voice came out, a fat old man in his seventies, wearing a top-notch top-notch hat, walked to the foot of the city tower, knelt down on the ground with horse-hoove sleeves, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty Su Ling'a Take the decree."
When the prisoners were taken away from the right gate of Tianan by the soldiers, all the princes and officials from the Meridian Gate came to the scene to congratulate Qianlong. At this time, a wave of shouts rang out: "I congratulate the emperor! Long live the great emperor! Long live the emperor!"
Although He Lin, who was kneeling in the crowd, had the same excited and indescribable expression as everyone else, but for some reason, he suddenly felt that the scene in front of him was extremely ridiculous, and even he himself was attracted by such thoughts. I was startled, and sweat broke out on my back.
