Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 471 I'm going to Beijing!
The development of mathematics cannot be separated from its practical application.

Historically, major discoveries and breakthroughs in mathematics have often stemmed from the need to solve practical problems, and these practical applications, in turn, have promoted the deepening and improvement of mathematical theories.

Take land measurement, which is extremely important to agricultural society.

In ancient mathematical works such as the Zhoubi Suanjing and the Jiuzhang Suanshu, mathematical methods such as fraction operations and area calculations are recorded in detail. These methods are widely used in land surveying and agricultural production.

The "Square Field" chapter in "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" provides complete rules for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, reduction and common denominator operations of fractions, which are crucial for calculating land area.

Another example is the water conservancy projects in ancient China that achieved remarkable results.

A lot of geometric knowledge is required in its construction and maintenance process for the purposes of measurement, calculation and design. In turn, these practical application scenarios have promoted the development of Chinese mathematics in the field of geometry, and a large number of related works have been born.

The geometry part of "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" contains many geometric problems related to water conservancy projects.

For example, the chapters "Corn", "Decline and Dividends", and "Equal Distribution" in "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" focus on discussing proportion issues, while "Surplus and Insufficiency" is a method of finding solutions to difficult arithmetic problems through two assumptions, based on profit and loss problems.

The Ji Gu Suan Jing records the solutions to cubic equations of the form x3+px2+qx=A and x3+px2=A;

The "Nine Chapters on Mathematics" proposed the method of positive and negative square roots, which is the numerical solution of higher-order equations;
The "Si Yuan Yu Jian" further developed the attempt at algebraic symbolization and invented the "Si Yuan Shu".

There are countless examples like this, and if I were to list them one by one, the number of words would be too long.

In short, ancient China not only had a large number of practical scenarios that could promote the development of mathematics, but its existence was also consistent and could be traced back to an extremely clear context.

In contrast, related research in some places has sprung up like mushrooms after the opening of the Maritime Silk Road. It is indeed regrettable that they have neither the support of real needs nor a consistent context.

Closer to home.

With the help of calculations by officials from the Imperial Observatory, the two armies found the right location to build high ground, and the artillery on the city of Yangzhou became just a decoration.

However, the construction of such high ground requires a large amount of manpower, and it is impossible to accommodate too many artillery. Compared with when the Tartars went south, the speed of breaking the city was naturally much slower.

But then again, since the high ground had been occupied, it was only a matter of time to capture the city. Ever since the heavy artillery of the rear army came on stage, the fall of Yangzhou was no longer a foregone conclusion.

Faced with such a situation, Zhumala, who had fought on horseback all his life, had no choice but to do nothing as the defender of Yangzhou. Letters requesting tactical guidance were sent one after another to the Qing army camp in Huai'an.

"Zhang Shiyi is a loyal minister."

After listening to the soldier's report, before Lekedehun could say anything, a middle-aged man sitting at the head of the military tent sighed first. Then Lekedehun signaled the soldier to retreat, and after looking at the middle-aged man, he picked up Zhumala's letter again.

The middle-aged man’s surname is Tong and his given name is Yangjia. He belongs to the Zhenglan Banner of the Han Army.

The Tong family was originally a merchant family in Fushun, and was a local powerful family with its huge assets.

After the establishment of the Later Jin Dynasty, his cousin secretly funded Nurhaci, which was discovered by the border officials of the Ming Dynasty.

It was a tradition at the end of the dynasty. Such evildoers who communicated with the rebels escaped from the predicament with the help of money, and the Tong family returned to the Later Jin.

It's the same as the story of the red hat and the white hat. When the Han Dynasty was strong, all ethnic groups tried their best to find a Han ancestor for themselves, but the Tong family created a story after they returned to the Jin Dynasty.

It is said that their ancestors were originally Jurchens, who lived in Tongjia and took the place as their surname. In the early Ming Dynasty, a man named Daerhaqi entered the Ming Dynasty as a businessman, moved from Kaiyuan to Fushun, and settled in Ming. He was the ancestor of the Tong family.

Ha ha.

But to be honest, the Aisin-Gioro family did attach great importance to the Tong family.

As soon as Tong Yangjia's cousin returned to the Jurchens, Nurhaci married his granddaughter to him, and gave him the title of "Shi Wuli Efu" and granted him the title of the third-class male.

After that, Wuzhen Chaoha was established, and Tong Yangjia's cousin naturally became the first commander of this artillery unit.

Of course, the Tong family came from a merchant family and were accustomed to buying low and selling high, so they were not outstanding in military strategy. After the Three Shun Kings surrendered to the Later Jin, Wuzhen Chaoha's power gradually dispersed to them.

In the original history, the Tong family gradually became civil servants after the Qing Dynasty unified the country, and during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, they were even known as Tong Banchao.

However, the wheel of history eventually went in a different direction due to the flapping of some small wings. At this time, the Qing Dynasty suffered a series of defeats, and its ability to control the regime was no longer what it used to be.

As a result, the Qing Dynasty was much more prepared against the Han surrendered troops than before, and this half-Manchu, half-Han family regained control of Wuzhen Chaoha.

"If it doesn't work, let Zhumala hold on. If Yangzhou is lost too easily, it will inevitably arouse the suspicion of the Southern Army."

Seeing that the other party ignored him, Tong Yangjia said another sentence, and then Lekedehun put the letter, which had nothing new, on the table, and after hesitating for a moment, he slowly spoke.

"It's not impossible to hold on to the end. Although the Southern Army can rely on the sharp firearms to break into the city, they are no match for our elite Eight Banners in close combat. However, Prince Rui has already made a plan. If Zhumala is trapped in Yangzhou, it will be useless. It's better to let them hold on for a while and then withdraw."

Lekedehun spoke very lightly, as if the gains and losses of Yangzhou were insignificant. But if it were that simple, his military order should have been issued when Zhumala's first letter arrived. Why would he have thought about it for so long?

It is said that it is difficult to be poor.

Although the Qing Dynasty's territory is several times larger than when it was outside the Great Wall, the failures in previous wars have made the Qing Dynasty's situation even more difficult than when Dongjiang Town was there.

Otherwise, according to Duoduo's plan when he returned north, he should have relied on Hong Chengchou and made use of Zhang Shiyi. Why would he send Zhang Shiyi to guard the river mouth after the arrival of this half-Manchu, half-Han guy?

"Well, that's true, but you still have to pretend. The little emperor is very cunning, and if you let him slip, he will inevitably become suspicious."

Lekedehun nodded when he heard the words, then he scribbled a few words on the paper, called a soldier and ordered him to go to Yangzhou to deliver the order.

He hesitated for a long time about Zhang Shiyi's arrangement.

He not only presided over the construction of the river defense system, but was also the only general in the army capable of commanding naval operations.

According to common sense, even if one or two people need to be dealt with, it should be done after the war is over. However, in reality, the military and political power of the entire Huai River region is already in the hands of the Han people. If these half-Manchu and half-Han guys are added to the mix, the court will no longer be able to check and balance the Huai River region.

If these people really had any intentions, not only this piece of land, but also Lekedehun's army would be in danger. To put it bluntly, this is the disadvantage of repeated defeats.

In the past, a soldier of the Eight Banners of Niulu could openly control thousands of Han troops, but now, even with thousands of troops under his command, he could not be sure that he could control the situation in Lianghuai.

However, Beijing's original intention was just to use this battle to ease the morale, and they did not expect to defend the two Huai regions with these troops. So although the situation was difficult, they could still maintain it.

Lekedehun knew everything about the situation in Lianghuai, and Tong Yangjia was also aware of it. It was just that the two of them had been together in a large camp for some time, and had said everything that should and should not be said. At this point, no sound came from the military tent, and the atmosphere gradually became awkward.

According to common sense, Tong Yangjia should have taken the initiative to leave in such a situation, but to Lekedehun's surprise, after the two of them sat there for a long time, not only did he not show any intention of leaving, he even started to make small talk.

"My Lord, I heard that Li Benshen and his troops were transferred to the north of the Yellow River?"

"Ah, that's what happened."

"Speaking of which, these people have seen battles before. Why didn't Master Hong draw out the best troops from their ranks, but instead sent some showpieces to Zhang Shiyi?"

At first, Lekedehun thought that Tong Yangjia was just chatting, but after asking this question, he felt that there seemed to be other intentions behind the other party's words.

Seeing this, he became somewhat alert, and the words he was about to utter changed slightly.

"The Southern Army is good at naval warfare. No matter what the final outcome of this battle is, we must retreat to the north of the Yellow River. Rather than trapping them here, it is better to retreat to the rear so that we can make some arrangements in advance."

After he finished speaking, Lekedehun glanced at Tong Yangjia's expression as if inadvertently, but Tong Yangjia seemed to be lost in thought because of these words and did not notice his gaze.

Lekedehun was quite puzzled about Tong Yangjia's performance.

Although this person was not in charge of Lianghuai, given his status, he should not be completely ignorant of the deployment of friendly forces.

Fortunately, Tong Yangjia did not fall into his own thoughts for a long time. After only seven or eight breaths, he took the initiative to solve Lekedehun's doubts.

"My Lord, forgive me for being blunt, but the princes know too little about firearms, so they think we can't hold on," Tong Yangjia paused, and after glancing at Lekede's face, he continued, "I dare to guarantee with my head that if we can mobilize all of Li Benshen and his troops this time, we will definitely win the battle with the prince's arrangement."

When Tong Yangjia spoke, his eyes were full of expectation, and he was obviously expecting the other party's approval. However, there was no reaction from Lekedehun for a long time after he finished speaking. When the expectation in his eyes was about to disappear, the voice of words was heard.

"The princes have already made this decision. Even though we are the leaders of the army, we cannot easily change it."

Seeing the other party's statement, Tong Yangjia planned to explain his thoughts in detail, but before he opened his mouth, Lekedehun had found an excuse to leave the military tent, and his reason was choked in his throat.

Things had come to this point, and he was also clear about the other party's attitude. However, the vast area south of Huai'an was not only preserved during the bandit riots, but was also not greatly affected when the army marched south.

By this time, almost all the territories controlled by the Qing Dynasty had been devastated by war, but this place still looked like a paradise.

Tong Yangjia, a military commander who came from a merchant family, was also somewhat unwilling to accept this.

These Manchus still fail to understand the overall situation. Why not go find Academician Hong?

After leaving Lekedehun's tent, an idea came to Tong Yangjia's mind. He then informed his personal soldiers and left the camp and went straight to the city.

Unexpectedly, Hong Chengchou was not in the mansion, but went to Hongguang. Thinking of the benefits of this fertile land, he threw all his taboos out of his mind and changed direction.

Since the Northerners were sent here, Hong Chengchou and Hongguang had actually only met a few times. Apart from the monthly court meetings, both of them observed certain taboos.

Today is an exception. The news of the Ming army's Northern Expedition is already known to everyone. Even though Hongguang has very few channels of communication with the outside world, he can still hear some rumors.

However, the court officials still acted as if nothing had happened, so he had to find someone to inquire about the situation.

But what good will it do to ask?

As the prime minister sent by the Qing court, Hong Chengchou only said to this theoretical emperor, "The court has made arrangements" and "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry."

By this time, the two had met for more than half an hour. Apart from confirming that Zhu Cilang had already launched the Northern Expedition, Hongguang had not received any accurate information from his prime minister. Even though he knew his own situation, he could not help but express some emotion in his words.

"Prime Minister, I know I am just a show-off, but for the sake of face, you and I are also the monarch and the subject. Can't you talk to Beijing for this relationship?"

When the Qing court decided to allow him to set up another court in Huai'an, Hongguang thought it was a good thing.

After all, even if he was a puppet, he could still be alone in this "temporary palace". In comparison, his situation after being escorted to Beijing was hard to describe.

But as the wars ended, he changed his mind.

After all, the Manchus would most likely not take his life, but that kid would have to pay back everything he had suffered.

At this point, Hong Chengchou was still responding with such lies, so he couldn't help but make some sarcastic remarks.

just
"Your Majesty, rest assured. The court is fully prepared and will be able to keep the Southern Army out of the city."

"Prime Minister, I am not a child. The Southern Army has just crossed the river and you are planning to stop them outside the city. How can I feel at ease?"

Hongguang had a sneer on his face and was less reserved in his words.

Seeing this, Hong Chengchou was naturally full of contempt, but his words had already been exposed, and he could not continue to deceive with lies. Then he pondered in his mind, and waited until the other party's face gradually turned red before he slowly spoke.

"Your Majesty, I did not lie to you. The court has indeed made arrangements. However, if you feel that there is something wrong with Huai'an, I will send you to Beijing at the appropriate time."

When the words came out, Hongguang nodded hurriedly, but he always felt that the so-called "right time" was a little inappropriate, so he wanted to negotiate with Hong Chengchou again, but before he could think of what to say, there was a noise outside, and then the door was pushed open from the outside, followed by a loud shout.

"Master Hong, I have something important to discuss with you!"

(End of this chapter)