Dominate the Country

[Thanks to book friend ‘wq007_007’588 for the tip, thank you]

On a sunny morning in late July, a middle-aged man wearing a shabby gown walked into the city of Wuxi County with the city gate open.

The war made this prosperous city in the south of the Yangtze River half a year ago much more desolate. The Fuhan army once again retreated to Changzhou, but no Qing army came to occupy Wuxi County. It became an isolation zone between the two sides, further exacerbating the chaos of local order. , which also forced more people to flee their homes.

The man has a very gentle appearance, about thirty-five or six years old, with a pale complexion, and his greasy braids exude a smell. His old blue gown is also stained with stains, and he looks quite down-and-out. It's just that the cuffs are slightly open, and the skin exposed is white and thin, not like what people who live in a difficult life can have. The bridge of the nose is high, the eyes are deep and lively, and the steps seem a bit inconvenient and drag the floor. A pair of cotton shoes still had holes exposed. The feeling of a down-and-out scholar. And he is Chen Zicheng.

Beijing did not give a clear explanation of the competition between Fujian, Zhejiang and Liangjiang in terms of money, food and military supplies. Surder, Duan Xiulin and Wu Bida each had a fifty-fifty battle, especially Surder, who had lost face in Suzhou. He has clearly resigned. But Chen Zicheng, a little shrimp, suffered a lot. When Duan Xiulin was reprimanded, he was also imprisoned. If Surder hadn't betrayed Rong Bao a few days ago, Chen Zicheng would still be in prison. Rong Bao would let him out now just to disgust Surder.

Many of the houses and shops facing the streets on both sides of Wuxi County Avenue have been destroyed or destroyed by war. Those charred and messy ruins combined with the still intact storefronts make the entire county avenue seem like continuous hills, rising and falling together like giant waves.

As soon as he walked past the Confucius Temple, he saw another familiar but unfamiliar archway. As a native of Suzhou, Chen Zicheng had been to Wuxi more than once in the first thirty years of his life, and he had also seen this archway in front of him more than once. , this is the Renlun Archway, also called the Jishan Pavilion Old Archway. It is the largest stone archway in the history of Wuxi. The owner of the archway, Ji Zengjun, was a Jinshi in the 45th year of Kangxi's reign. He made great contributions to the management of the Yellow River. He was awarded the bachelor's degree in Wenhua Palace in the 11th year of Yongzheng's reign, so people in Wuxi called him "Ji Ge Lao". In the second year of Qianlong's reign, Emperor Qianlong wrote a plaque of "Human Lun Fang Biao", which was engraved on this large archway.

This is the glory of Wuxi people, but now this large archway, which is more than three feet high, is scarred and reeks of war.

Just past the archway is the former residence of the Ji family. It is quite dilapidated and there is not a single Ji family member inside. The Ji family fled south long ago. The main gate has been destroyed and is now occupied by a group of refugees. A side entrance to the courtyard has been opened directly to the street. There is a guise hanging outside and it has become a teahouse.

The person who opened the teahouse used bricks to block the passage between the side courtyard and the main courtyard, as if to stand on his own. There was a small cart in front of the door, as well as a stone trough and a horse stake. There were golden chrysanthemum petals spread out on several dustpans, and there was a pile of dried rice stalks in the corner.

Chen Zi's legs and feet had been tortured and it was difficult to walk. When he got off the boat from Wuxi Pier and walked here, he was already aching. He walked into the teahouse to take a rest and casually ask the waiter for some news.

The sunlight was warm and pleasant, and a few birds sat on the wall, chirping melodiously.

Chen Zicheng stopped when he walked through the steps, bent down and took a closer look at the vortex on the corner of the stone steps. The vortex was not big, but it seemed to be a mold of a sphere. The boy who came out of the store to greet him said with a smile: "Sir, this was hit by the cannon fired by the officers and soldiers into the city."

Then he went on to say:

"A little higher, above the gate, where is the open window. The open window is the hole made by the cannon. The house was built solidly, otherwise it wouldn't have collapsed."

"This is the old home of the Ji family. Mr. Ji Huang [Ji Zengjunzi] is currently the governor of the Donghe River (based in Jining, Shandong). You are occupying the Ji family's hometown in a grand manner. Aren't you afraid that the Ji family will return one day and cause you trouble?" "

Chen Zicheng sat down at the table and ordered a pot of tea and two plates of snacks. He could already tell that this teahouse was run by a family. The shopkeeper at the counter looked very similar to the waiter in front of me.

The waiter smiled again: "Of course we have to be afraid of the Ji family and the officials. But when the Ji family returned to Wuxi, we would have left long ago, right? No one will stay here and wait for them to come back to get us. Huh? "Xiao Min's cunning is so straightforward, Chen Zicheng is both funny and amused.

"Uncle, are you from this county? Where are you going?"

"I am from Suzhou. My family is ruined and I am lonely and come to Caijia Lane to visit my relatives."

"Caijia Alley?" The waiter obviously knew Caijia Alley, with a smile on his face: "Then you are at the right time this time. Caijia Alley is protected by God, and when the army attacked the city, only the cannons fell I haven't heard of any casualties there. Your relative must still be there."

Chen Zicheng also had a smile on his face, and he seemed to have relieved a heavy burden in his heart. He cupped his hands and thanked her: "Thank you for your kind words. If I can really see my aunt, Chen will definitely come back to say thanks."

The old shopkeeper on the counter raised his eyes to look at Chen Zicheng, then lowered his head and continued to count his seemingly endless accounts.

The waiter was very talkative, and there were no other customers in the teahouse at this time. Chen Zicheng led him to talk about the local people's customs and livelihood in Wuxi. His mouth was like running water, balabal, balabala...

Until he sent Chen Ziting away with a warm face, returned to collect the teacups and plates and sent them to the counter, he was glared at by the old shopkeeper's father. "You blind thing, don't you see who the other person is, babble, your two mouths are itchy if you don't talk, right?"

"What's wrong with me? There are no customers here. Just keep chatting..."

"Get lost." The shopkeeper looked at his son and scolded him angrily. Although the man was dressed in shabby clothes, the fabric was Mianyang blue. He had a gentle face, but his eyes were very bright. His accent was indeed that of Suzhou. He had injuries on his legs and feet, and also on his fingers. If the shopkeeper's eyes were not blurry, the injuries on his fingers should have been caused by the clamps, but others didn't hit him hard. The injuries on his legs and feet were obviously caused by being beaten with a stick.

People like this should be avoided, and only a fool like his youngest son would go up to him after a few words. If he hadn't seen that his son's words and deeds were not taboo, he would have interrupted him long ago.

Chen Ziying did go to Caijiaxiang, but he was not going to visit relatives, but to visit friends. The friend he visited was not surnamed Cai, but Qin. He was from the famous Qin family in Wuxi, the Wuxi Qin family whose old house was in Xiaolouxiang.

The Wuxi Qin family is a famous Jiangnan family, a family of imperial examinations in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and a descendant of Qin Guan, a famous poet in the Northern Song Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were dozens of Jinshi, fifty or sixty Juren, and more than ten Hanlin.

When Emperor Kangxi visited Qin Garden in the south in the 42nd year of his reign, Qin Daoran was ordered to accompany the emperor to Beijing and teach at the place of the ninth son of the emperor, Yunlu. Later, he passed the imperial examination and became a clerk in the Ministry of Rites. He was appointed as the governor of Yunlu's Beizi Mansion as a Han Chinese. When Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne, he demoted Yunlu. One of Yunlu's crimes was to appoint Qin Daoran, a Han Chinese, as the governor. Qin Daoran was dismissed from his post and imprisoned, and his family property was confiscated, including Jichang Garden.

In the first year of Qianlong's reign, Qin Daoran's son Qin Huitian participated in the imperial examination and won the third place in the first class. He petitioned and was willing to redeem his father's crime with his own official position. Qin Daoran was released and returned home. Later, Qin Huitian was promoted to the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Works and the Minister of Punishment, and served as the chief examiner of the imperial examination twice. The Qin family in Wuxi prospered very well.

Qin Huitian died in the 29th year of Qianlong's reign. By the 33rd year of Qianlong's reign, if Chen Ming had not caused trouble, the Qin family would have lived a prosperous life. As a result, the Fu Han Army killed its way to Jiangnan, conquered Nanjing, and took Suzhou. Although Wuxi was abandoned twice by the Fu Han Army, the main branch of the Qin family fled south early, just like the children of the Ji family. The only people who stayed in Wuxi were a few distant branches who served as guards for the ancestral home and Jichang Garden.

The friend that Chen Ziying was looking for was Qin Youzi, who was a classmate of Chen Ziying at Ziyang College and one of the members of the Qin family who stayed in Wuxi. Chen Ziying was not particularly happy for escaping the disaster. Wu Xiongguang's "glory" contrasted with his grimy face, and jealousy was like a poisonous snake devouring his soul.

Chen Ziying was envious and jealous.

And Beijing officially issued an edict to the world: Encourage gentry to organize militia and protect their hometowns.

Chen Ziying had fallen far behind Wu Xiongguang in Suzhou, and his family property had been almost squandered by him. If he continued to stay in Suzhou, it would be difficult for him to make a comeback. His eyes were fixed on Wuxi, a dangerous place sandwiched between the two armies.

"As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger. Now the world is in turmoil, chaos is rising in all directions. If you don't take risks, how can you get rich? If you don't take risks, how can you get fame and fortune?" Qin Youzi was sitting opposite Chen Ziying.

He was trying his best to seduce Qin Youzi, because Chen Ziting wanted to organize a militia in Wuxi, and he couldn't do without Qin Youzi's help. Otherwise, as a Suzhou native, even if he was a juren, what appeal could he have in Wuxi?

Chen Ziting's eyes were sharp, and he cited the example of Wu Xiongguang, whom he envied the most. After shooting and killing Jiang Tianfang of the Fu Han Army, Wu Xiongguang's father was exchanged for Jiang Tianfang's corpse, and no one accused him of colluding with the Fu Han Army. Moreover, because he killed the Fu Han Army's thief general, he was recommended by Rong Bao as a rank 6 Tongpan.

Isn't Qin Youzi envious?

Chen Ziting was a juren after all, and even if his family was ruined, he could take the jinshi exam in the future. In the 34th year of Qianlong's reign, the Beijing city had no intention of stopping the exam. And what about Qin Youzi? He was about the same age as Chen Ziting, in his early thirties, and he also had parents and a wife and children, but he was still just a little scholar. He is also a member of the Qin family who is not valued. Otherwise, why would he be chosen to stay in Wuxi and guard the old house, which is so dangerous?

Fame and fortune are the most attractive to people. Chen Ziying doesn't believe that Qin Youzi is not tempted. With Wu Xiongguang as a living example, who the hell is not tempted? Chen Ziying's "unyielding" and getting to the bottom of things, isn't it also to relieve jealousy?

Wu Xiongguang, a young man, can be a sixth-rank official. Why can't I be the same? Or even higher?

"Fujian is in chaos, and Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangxi provinces are all suffering from it. Not to mention the problem of money and grain, the difficulty of military force alone has made the court stretched. Otherwise, how could the emperor issue an edict to local gentry to organize militia and defend their hometowns?"

"Brother Xiyan, this is a good time for our generation to rise. Wu Xiongguan, a mere child can usurp the sixth rank, so can't we get a position?"

"Wuxi is in a very sensitive position. The government troops dare not enter lightly, for fear of alarming the rebels in Changzhou. This is a godsend opportunity for us. Raise the flag to organize militia, improve people's livelihood, stabilize the local area, and protect the hometown. If the rebels in Changzhou do not feel threatened, then we will be equivalent to recovering Wuxi County. In the future, when the government troops suppress the rebellion, our contributions will not let Wu Xiongguan alone..."

When people are driven by desire, their inner power is so strong that outsiders dare not believe it. When the news that Chen Ziting was organizing a militia in Wuxi reached Suzhou, countless people in Suzhou who knew his previous experience showed incredible expressions. They really couldn't understand Chen Ziting's idea. In Wuxi, a sensitive place..., everyone was shocked.

When the news reached Chen Ming, Chen Ming was in Yancheng County Government. In the battle of Desheng Lake, the right battalion of the imperial guards followed the passage cleared by the cannons and rushed out from the southwest corner of the Qing army, laying the foundation for the victory of the Fu Han Army in that fierce battle.

However, when the war finally ended, it was still afternoon, and the Fu Han Army suffered nearly a thousand casualties. More than 200 people were killed and wounded in the cavalry battalion, and Chen Kaishan was heartbroken. In the final pursuit, the guards of the artillery unit rushed up.

The tank team defeated the entire Huai'an City Defense Camp, and was rushed by a team of Eight Banners Cavalry in the middle, but the tank battalion withstood the pressure and taught the Eight Banners Cavalry how to behave with their swords, axes, spears and iron rods. The musket battalion defeated the Eight Banners soldiers of the Firearms Battalion and the bird gun soldiers of the Shandong Wendeng Battalion with volley guns, and then rushed the entire Shandong Wendeng Battalion with bayonets...

The Fu Han Army suffered heavy losses in the battle of Desheng Lake, and they were all veterans who had fought in Henan. The Qing Army suffered even greater losses. The elite Qing soldiers of 10,000 people in northern Jiangsu died on the spot, and 3,000 prisoners of war were captured one after another, and more than half of the soldiers were lost in the battle. It was just that those Portuguese ran too fast. Except for three who were in the chaos, the rest ran away.

The Fu Han Army seized hundreds of war horses and nags. The former supplemented the cavalry battalion, which made Chen Kaishan feel better, and the latter strengthened the artillery battalion. As for the captured prisoners of war, no matter they were Manchu, Mongolian or Han, they were all beheaded beside the Victory Lake. Even among the captured Han soldiers, many of them had ferocious faces and were beheaded together with the Green Camp officers. They were not even dragged back to let the captives "test the sword". Chen Ming was also extremely angry!

Nearly a thousand casualties, nearly four hundred deaths in battle, and a batch of injured veterans will die one after another, plus the disabled retired. This battle destroyed Chen Ming's elite of one and a half battalions. He wanted to bury all the prisoners alive.

The war was won. Some unsolved mysteries before the war were also solved. The Qing army had a total of twelve Portuguese cannons, and the gun bodies were engraved with foreign words. The firing ports of the twelve cannons were all nailed shut, and the gun carriages were also deliberately damaged. However, Chen Ming did not attach much importance to these cannons. What he valued more among the things left on the battlefield were the Portuguese shrapnel and buckshot. The Fu Han Army had already started to manufacture shrapnel. This thing was not difficult to make, but the product safety was too poor, and the proportion of duds on the ground was too high. Some things cannot be imitated just by having information, and long-term experience is required. Now that there are definite objects, it will be of certain help to the Fu Han Army's research and development of shrapnel, including buckshot.

Then there are the Qing Army's flintlock rifles, and their custom-made paper bullets.

Chen Ming knew that after such a long war, some things with little technical content could not be kept completely secret. The paper bullet in front of him was a very clear example, and there was also the Qing Army's bayonet, which even imitated the Fu Han Army in terms of appearance and length.

Even the black gunpowder in the Qing Army's paper bullets was granulated. "Fuck!" Chen Ming cursed, feeling angry and furious.

Why didn't this old Qianlong compare himself with his grandson and great-grandson? If he had been a coward like Daoguang and Xianfeng, holding on to the old ways, the process of the Fu Han Army overthrowing the Qing Dynasty would definitely be much easier and faster than it is now. Now the Fu Han Army's barrel production capacity is still limited. There are only more than 3,000 finished flintlock rifles in the old nest and stored in the military warehouse. Even if all the 40,000 to 50,000 Fu Han Army musketeers in the base are counted, the number of flintlock rifles is only 7,000 to 8,000, and many of them are second-hand goods transformed from captured bird guns.

From the wailing and cursing of the captured bannermen in the firearms camp before their death, Chen Ming also heard a familiar term: the Eight Banners New Army.

Chen Guang, the person in charge of the Northern Dark Camp, mentioned these four words in the letter from the north. This is a new army of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, and the number of soldiers comes from the Beijing Banner and the outside of the Great Wall. Many bannermen in Beijing compare this army to the second Xishan Jianrui Camp, and their combat effectiveness is quite exaggerated.

The number of people is still uncertain, but it can be guaranteed that it will not be less than 3,000, and no more than 10,000. But the muskets used can be confirmed. They are no longer the old matchlock muskets, but flintlock muskets. The cannons produced by the three artillery factories in Beijing are also given priority to this new army. Anyway, the weapons, food and wages are the best in the Manchu Beijing Banner.

Of course, the training of this army is very strict. Many people in it are transferred from the cold land outside the northeast. They can endure hardships, which is different from the Eight Banners of the Beijing Banner. The general and deputy general are Feng Sheng'e and Hailancha. Chen Ming remembered that these two people were both meritorious officials and famous generals whose portraits were painted in the Purple Light Pavilion during the Qianlong Dynasty. There was a military parade at the Meridian Gate before, but the spies of the Fu Han Army in Beijing could not enter that occasion. Only some information can be obtained from the officials and the Eight Banners children who watched the military parade. The description sent by the secret camp made Chen Ming feel that this army is very similar to the Fu Han Army's musket battalion.

The captives of the firearms battalion believed that they were not as good as the Eight Banners New Army. He shouted that if they were killed, there would be others to come. The Eight Banners soldiers would definitely avenge them, and would definitely kill all the Chen family members and make all the Fu Han army go to hell. If the latter part was not inconsistent with the gcd, the former part would really have some gcd style.

It doesn't matter if I get beheaded, as long as the doctrine is true;

Kill me, there will be others to come.

Chen Ming is not afraid of the threat of the Eight Banners Tartars. Such curses will only come from the mouths of losers. Moreover, how many batches of such new troops can the Qing Dynasty form? Does Qianlong still have money? How many brave warriors are there in the eight banners of more than one million Manchu, Han and Mongolian? One less person like this will be one less.

Of course, Chen Ming also had to consider the threat of this new army of the Eight Banners. He had already sent a letter to Chen Guang to focus on finding out the news of the new army of the Eight Banners, but now it seems that this matter needs to be mentioned to the first person in charge of the Northern Bureau of the Dark Camp.

After winning the battle of Desheng Lake, Chen Ming then led his troops to Caoyanchang, and then led the army along the Yunyan River to Yancheng. At the same time, the Fu Han Army in the south also advanced to Nantongzhou City, and the Guangdong Navy and Land Forces and the Fujian and Shandong Ocean Navy retreated to Haimen Hall or anchored on islands in the middle of the river.

Chen Ming has urgently transferred part of the main force to the north, and he wants to touch Huai'an City. If the situation permits, Chen Ming will lead his troops to attack Yancheng westward, and Huang Jie, who has returned to Gaoyou Prefecture, will lead his troops northward along the canal. The two routes will advance together to remove the thorn of Huai'an!