Before the troops and horses move, the rations and fodder move first. At least he understood this principle. He forced Shang Shubao of the Ministry of Revenue? Find a way to get food. The Minister of Revenue was the highest-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue, equivalent to the Minister of Finance. Naturally, it was the Minister of Revenue's job to obtain food.
Treasure? The Manchu Qing Dynasty was very different from other dynasties. The members of the Manchu Qing Dynasty could hold high positions in the imperial court and wield great power. Hearing the words "Congratulate Wang Yi"? My request, Bao? First, he scolded Luo Xiansheng. B?? Desert Cistanche was stunned? Play with cars? Boasting about Si Yunchun? Copy Douyuan by Yi Ben? Overstepping my authority? Polypus? Stalling and wandering? Excuse me, may I serve you??? To which bridge should I return to with the Emperor's official seal? Return to the Neon Baking Rubbing Aluminum Si Warning
Listen, treasure? He cursed Luo Xiang. Huh?? Zi Yin was still D, so he could only wait. In the Qing Dynasty, there were six ministries. Each ministry had a Manchu minister and a Han minister. Although they were equal in name, it was only limited to when the two of them had the same opinion. In reality, Minister Man was the head minister and Minister Han was the deputy minister. The real power of each ministry was in the hands of Minister Man. Generally speaking, the Manchu Qing rulers would trust and support the Manchu ministers more, but in reality, they would support the Han ministers more. This was something that could not be helped. After all, in terms of official duties, the Manchu Qing people were indeed not as capable as the Han people. Treasure? Why was he scolding Luo Xiang? Eh? Eh? Slug color and leech? The heavy pressure was too much for him to bear.
But just scolding Luo? Is it better to drink at dusk than to be able to last? Distressed Wei Wei Snail Quality How to Serve You? After cursing for more than ten minutes, he was exhausted and stopped. It was a hot summer day. After cursing for more than ten minutes, his forehead was full of sweat.
Dear Prince Yi? When he heard this, he did not feel angry at all. There were too many officials in the capital who had escaped. If he was really angry, it would not be enough to anger him to death. He asked, "When can you get the food?"
Treasure? He painfully shook his head, "Gong Prince, this matter isn't easy. Now the road has been cut off by the bandits. Let's not talk about whether we can receive food, even if we can, we won't be able to transport it in. "
"What about the Imperial Plantation's grain?" He asked.
"Imperial Plantation?" Treasure? He was stunned. He never thought that Prince Yi would be the one to congratulate Prince Yi. Was his guts this big? Or perhaps it could be said that when a cornered dog jumps over the wall, Gong Prince wouldn't care about anything else. In theory, the Imperial Plantation could provide a large amount of food, but that was all the private plots of the various princes. If they were to use the Imperial Plantation's harvest, it was easy to imagine the resistance they would encounter.
Treasure? He did not object immediately. Instead, he began to talk about the stories of the Eight Banners Army.
Manchu Qing had hoped that the Eight Banners Army could become professional soldiers that could support the country. However, things did not go as he wished. After entering the pass, the Eight Banners Army's combat ability declined sharply. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the three border defenses were suppressed and Taiwan was taken over by the Green Camp. The Eight Banners Army did not perform well in several battles against the Dzungar Mongols. For example, the Battle of Ulan Butong. The Eight Banners Army had 100,000 soldiers, but they were disorganized and poorly commanded. In addition, the commander was afraid to fight. Not only did they fail to destroy the enemy, which only had 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers, but they also suffered heavy casualties.
Minister Tong Guogang (Kangxi's uncle) was killed. By the reign of Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing, the Eight Banners Army had basically lost their ability to fight. During training, the Eight Banners Army lost their ability to fight. During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong, only a small number of the Eight Banners Army participated, but some of the elite Eight Banners Army did not perform as well as the Green Camp Army.
From Jiaqing to the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Eight Banners Army gradually evolved into a social relief organization that relied solely on the support of the state. It could not be called an army at all. In 1799, when the Qing Army was suppressing the great uprising of the White Lotus Cult, they had sent the most elite troops of the Capital's Eight Banners, the Health Battalion and the Firearms Battalion, to the front line. In the end, because of the corruption of military discipline, they did not obey the restrictions and were forced to withdraw back to the Capital before they could participate in the battle.
Gong Prince was prepared to send the Eight Banners into battle. This was an understandable attitude, but the fighting power of the Eight Banners Army was truly untrustworthy. Treasure? This was a very subtle reminder to the Gong Prince.
Did he listen to Minister of Revenue Shubao? Thank you for reminding Prince Yi? He had no intention of compromising. He replied, "It is because we are too dependent on the Han people that the Manchus have come to this stage. The less the Eight Banners fought, the less they knew how to fight. Right now, we're only asking them to fight the Nian bandits. If they can't even fight the Nian bandits, and we ask them to fight the Guangdong bandits or Wei Ze, can they do it? "
Treasure? Hearing Prince Gong's angry reply, she somewhat agreed with him. Being in the Capital, their days were becoming more and more bitter. This really made the Manchu Qing officials very unhappy. How was this what the Capital should be like? Now that the price of rice and flour had skyrocketed, it seemed that the basic necessities of life would not be enough. If they could send the Eight Banners out to fight, they would be able to plunder some things from the local areas and relieve the pressure on supplies within the Capital.
Thinking of this, Treasure? He said, "Gong Prince, it's not that there is no way to get food."
Gong Prince Yi? Originally believed in Treasure? He could probably think of a way. He signaled Treasure? Continue.
Treasure? He replied, "Right now, the ships of the foreigners are doing business in Tianjin and other places. Those ships carry food. The price is not bad. "
"Then why not buy it?" Gong Prince hurriedly asked.
"I don't have money!" Minister of Revenue Shubao? Minister of Revenue Shubao answered awkwardly.
Speaking of foreigners, Gong Prince Yi? His head was full of anger. Gong Prince Yi? His nickname was Devil Six because he was ranked sixth. Because in the Manchu Qing Imperial Clan, Gong Prince Yi? Was the person who understood the foreign devils the most. Of course, this understanding was only relative. Gong Prince Yi? s level of diplomacy couldn't be compared to the foreign ministers of the new government established by Vézé. But compared to the upper echelons of the Manchu Qing, Gong Prince could still understand the foreign devils. He was very clear about the attitude of the foreign devils that wholeheartedly sought profit.
In order to gain profit, the foreign devils could start a war and beat the Xianfeng Emperor to flee Beijing. But seeing that the Manchu Qing couldn't withstand it anymore, the foreign devils ran away. They didn't even have the intention to fight the Manchu Qing. In the "Treaty of Beijing". The foreign devils forced the establishment of an embassy in Beijing. At that time, the upper echelons of the Manchu Qing were worried that the foreign devils in Beijing knew of the country's important affairs.
Now, in order to be able to contact the foreign devils, Gong Prince Yi? Hoped that the foreign devils could establish an embassy in Beijing. But now, not only did the foreign devils not have an embassy, even their consulate in Tianjin had disappeared. Thinking of this, Gong Prince said angrily, "You are heartless, I am unjust. Since that's the case, let's get the food first and not give them money! "
Treasure? With a wry smile, he said, "Gong Prince, if only that was the case. The foreign devils are very smart. Their food ships haven't even reached the shore! "
Hearing treasure? In that case, Gong Prince could probably confirm that Treasure? He also had the intention of not giving money. But obviously, this idea didn't become a reality.
Just as the upper echelons of the Manchu Qing were discussing the food problem, a fleet was parked outside the Bohai Sea. The core of this fleet was three merchant ships of more than six thousand tons, and the escorts were four ironclad warships. The thickness of the iron hull of each ironclad warship was about 80 to 100 millimeters. This was the most recent achievement of the Liberation Army.
At first, it was limited to shipbuilding, and the iron armor was only 15 to 20 millimeters thick. After a large number of sea trials, it endured wind and waves. The navy gradually increased the thickness of the iron armor. According to intelligence, the iron armor of the foreign ironclad warships was about 200 millimeters thick. Even heavy artillery bombardment couldn't penetrate this kind of armor. Although the navy of the Liberation Army didn't have the time to fight a few battles with the foreign devils, it should be enough to deal with the navy of the Manchu Qing. 100 millimeters of iron armor couldn't withstand heavy artillery, but 100 millimeters of iron armor could definitely withstand the artillery of the Manchu Qing navy. With this kind of main naval escort, the navy could rest assured to let the merchant ships of more than six thousand tons do business outside the Bohai Sea.
At this time, the discussion on the warship was very theoretical. Vézé wrote the first draft of "Sea Rights". In "Sea Rights", Vézé raised the issue of shipping rights, and also raised the issue of global sea rights. In the 20 years after the Southeast Asian financial crisis in 1996, China won the first world war without shedding a drop of blood.
All the markets in the world opened their doors to China, and in the competition with China, a large number of industries closed down. The first to collapse was Southeast Asia, followed by many industries in Europe.
But under the surface, there was a foundation for global freedom of navigation. This was decided by the Americans after World War II. Before World War II, the various maritime powers were caged. In order to operate their own powerful navies, they had to charge a lot of money to buy roads.
Vézé didn't read Mahan's "Sea Rights", but he himself came up with Vézé's design for the future based on his own understanding. This design for the future Chinese Navy was Vézé's "Sea Rights". In this, Vézé determined to build a strong navy and absolute dominance of the sea route. Absolute dominance was not only to exclude foreign navies, but also to eliminate pirates and establish sea route services. Of course, China, who opened up such a sea route, naturally had to charge a certain fee.
China might be able to win the first world war in the 21st century without shedding a drop of blood because of the world situation, but in the latter half of the 19th century, Vézé could only use military power to get his own benefits. Hoping for peace was a complete fantasy.
Seriously studying and seriously discussing "Sea Rights" was the basic arrangement of the navy officers and soldiers. However, this kind of action to beat time was not the main purpose of this trip. The main purpose of this trip was to come to the north to do business.
The Liberation Army didn't participate in the war against Manchu Qing with military action, but this didn't mean that the Liberation Army was ready to sit back and watch Manchu Qing be destroyed silently. Before the destruction of any dynasty, there would be a final stage of struggle, and Manchu Qing should be the same. The price of food in the capital soared. After the Liberation Army got the news, it sent a fleet to sell food to the north.
In the past, food went through the canal. Now Miao Peilin, who occupied Jining, called himself the Prince Of Qi, and had the intention of building a country. Of course, Miao Peilin didn't dare to attack the Liberation Army, but the Liberation Army didn't want to gamble. Steamships were also very important materials. If there were losses, everyone would be heartbroken. More importantly, the efficiency of going through the canal was too low. Ships of more than 6,000 tons filled with food and other materials in Hunan and other places at once, went down the river, and went straight to the Bohai Sea. It was actually quite easy.
Soon, the figures of other ships appeared on the periphery. This time, the Liberation Army didn't only have big ships, but also a group of small ships. The small ships formed a defensive line on the periphery, and the two sides quickly began to negotiate. The two sides first discussed the price, then inspected the goods. Then they loaded and unloaded at sea. This was all technical work, and many people in the Liberation Army had died in order to master these skills.
After the loading and unloading, the small ships left to transport food or other daily necessities to the north. The Liberation Army's fleet was waiting for the next round of people who came to do business.
On the fifth day of the trade, a fleet finally came. This fleet looked very unusual. They were dragging something behind them, and when they got closer, they could clearly see that it was a huge tree trunk. There were huge wooden rafts behind these ships, and every piece of wood looked like a big tree that was more than a hundred years old. The personnel of the Liberation Army's navy were all excited. The gold and silver earned was actually nothing special. The navy actually couldn't get a share of these things, and they had to spend effort to secure the trade.
But these trees were completely different. The Liberation Army's navy needed these trees very much. It was good to import the finest oak from the United States, but it was too expensive. His Majesty Emperor Vézé had said that the future Liberation Army's navy warships would all be made of steel, and they would have a tonnage of 15,000 tons. But that was just a future narrative. The current warships that were made of ironclad wood and covered with iron armor needed a lot of high-quality wood. It was really not cost-effective to cross the Pacific Ocean to get the wood, so using the wood from the north was a very important method.
"Where did the wood come from?" This was one of the things that the army cared about the most. When the whole country was liberated, everyone would also go to those places to cut wood.
"Probably from a place called Manchu Qing, where the dragon thrives," a navy personnel who understood the situation replied.
"The dragon thrives? What the hell is that? "The soldiers didn't understand this.
The person who spoke didn't quite understand either. The Liberation Army didn't have the ability to stick their hands in that place that was close to the north. And the wood seller didn't have any explanation for this. They only said that it came from the north. All the information was occasionally mentioned by the Tianjin merchants in the middle of the transaction. The Liberation Army didn't dare to take this seriously at all.
At this time, the people sent by Prince Gong also took a ship to the periphery to do business with the "foreign devils." The Liberation Army wasn't so stupid that they didn't cover up at all. At least they put two or three hired foreign devils on each ship as shills. Anyway, the foreign devils didn't know how to speak Chinese, so whatever the Liberation Army translators said was the same. The guy doing business on the other side didn't understand either.
And Vézé very mischievously used this flag to become the flag of the European Union. On the blue flag, white stars formed a circle. When the Chinese people asked, the Liberation Army Navy said that this was the flag of the "European Union." Manchu Qing didn't even know what Europe was, and even if he did, he didn't know what this European Union was. In short, they were scared stiff.
So when the people sent by Prince Gong heard the foreign devils on the ship yelling in a foreign language for a while, and they even burst into laughter with the translators, Prince Gong's subordinates were sure that this was indeed the fleet of foreign devils. It was just that the foreign devils had hired a group of Chinese sailors. Looking up at the strange flag, Prince Gong's subordinates could only feel that it was strange.
Everyone discussed the price of the grain. The Liberation Army was quite generous, and the price of the grain was about the same as the price of the water transport. Of course, this was already an extremely profitable business for the Liberation Army. The grain transported from Hunan had to pay a grain tax, and shipping it by sea was even cheaper. The navy was also considered a combat training course, so this business still made a lot of money overall. In addition to making money, there were many things to consider.
When Prince Gong's subordinates saw that the price of the grain was about the same as what they had heard, they were relieved. But he completely didn't expect that this price was specially designed by the Liberation Army. Because of the Liberation Army's trade, foreign merchants weren't very willing to do business with Manchu Qing. And the bulk of China's foreign trade was to buy metal currency from all over the world. Mexico's silver and America's silver were all sold in China. Without trade, there wouldn't be the import of this kind of silver.
"Sirs, can you make it a bit cheaper?" The subordinate of the Gong Prince asked with a humble expression unique to the Manchurian Qing.
The Liberation Army's negotiator was a member of the Ministry of Commerce. He sneered in fluent Shandong Mandarin, "You can earn several times the money by shipping the grain ashore, and now you're asking me if I can make it cheaper? Isn't this a joke? If we could make it cheaper, we would have done it long ago. "
"Your grain price really isn't that expensive, but we really don't have any silver right now!" Prince Gong's subordinates said half-truthfully.
Of course, the Liberation Army's Ministry of Commerce knew that Manchu Qing didn't have silver. The Liberation Army's purpose of shipping the grain that Manchu Qing needed to the north was to create a money shortage. After the central government of Manchu Qing lost the ability to suck blood from the whole country, it fell into a complete depression. The reason why the Liberation Army sold the grain to Manchu Qing at a very low price was to be able to reach a trade agreement with Manchu Qing.
Every tael of silver and every copper coin, once they fell into the hands of the Liberation Army, would completely leave the pool of Manchu Qing. A money shortage would cause the market to be priceless or priceless, but the result would be the ruthless destruction of the market trade in the north.
If the market trade in the north was destroyed, not only would Manchu Qing suffer, but the Nian Army and Taiping army operating in the north would also suffer. On this point, Vézé's attitude had always been firm, and his methods were vicious enough.
"Gentlemen, are you interested in antiques?" Prince Gong's subordinate asked.
Although he was tempted, the member of the Ministry of Commerce smiled and said, "Gentlemen, do you think the foreign devils know about our antiques? They just looked at it as if it was rare. They've come all this way just to make some money. If you want to buy, then buy. If not, then don't delay our business! "
Although Prince Gong's words were polite, he couldn't accept such a rebuke. However, when he looked at the ironclad warship in the distance, he immediately suppressed his displeasure and replied, "I'll go back and talk to my master. I hope these gentlemen can wait for me a little longer. "
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