There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 360 Two Governors
Kang Jitian, the Governor-General of the Jiangnan Waterways, commanded a force of over 11,000 men.

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, Tie Bao, had a force of over four thousand men.

One was in charge of the waterways, and the other was in charge of the grain transport. Together, their forces numbered 15,000, roughly equivalent to more than half of the Jiangsu Green Standard Army.

There was no other way; the Grand Canal was just too important. If the canal were to stop flowing under normal circumstances, all those Manchu nobles in the capital would go hungry.

Even though the Grand Canal transport hasn't stopped running yet, the lives of the Eight Banners men in the capital are actually much harder than before the war. It's not that they're starving; the Eight Banners men aren't worried about food. No one should suffer as much as the Eight Banners men.

The real reason was that there wasn't enough grain. A large part of the reason why grain prices in Jiangnan could rise so quickly was that grain was transported to the capital via the Grand Canal to ensure that grain prices in the capital wouldn't rise too fast or too outrageously.

Moreover, rice prices in the capital continued to rise, as did prices for all kinds of goods. Many Manchu nobles in the capital began to lose interest in going out to walk their birds or listen to operas.

The salary from the imperial court, along with the money from their families, was not enough for them to squander.

Emperor Renzong of Qing, Jiaqing, naturally sympathized with the plight of these Manchu nobles. He first bestowed the mansions confiscated by Heshen upon several princes, and then lavishly rewarded and bestowed gifts upon the Manchu nobles.

Then, he issued an imperial edict to Kang Jitian and Tie Bao, instructing them to ensure the smooth transport of grain.

That's why the two of them didn't dare to take any risks when faced with Fu Chang's request for help, and refused to send troops no matter what.

Huai'an, the office of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner.

"I told you long ago, Jiangning Prefecture controls the Yangtze River defense line and is an important town in Jiangnan. Now it is besieged by the Han traitor's army, and even the false Han king Nie has come in person. What do you think we should do now?"

Kang Jitian, the Jiangnan River Governor who had already led 8,000 troops south to Huai'an, immediately launched a tirade against Tie Bao, the Grand Canal Transport Governor.

Tie Bao was not one to be trifled with, especially after being insulted by Kang Jitian, a Han official. He immediately retorted, "Kang Jitian, don't push your luck! I am a member of the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner, of the Dong E clan, while you are just a mere Nikan Han official! What right do you have to question this governor here?"

“Don’t even mention the Plain Yellow Banner, even if you were to be promoted to the Bordered Yellow Banner right away, as long as Jiangning is lost, the Grand Canal will be doomed. Neither of us will have an easy time!” Kang Jitian retorted angrily without fear.

Indeed, there is no fear. If Jiangning is lost, Tiebao might be able to barely escape and save his life by virtue of his family and Manchu identity, or even just barely. But Kang Jitian is definitely doomed.

Even the Kang family will likely be implicated, with the least severe punishment being exile to Ningguta.

Kang Jitian's words were too blunt, and he was also throwing caution to the wind. If he couldn't protect Jiangning, he would definitely be finished, so there was no need to be afraid of Tie Bao.

With Jiangning secured, the matter of Tiebao can be addressed later. There's always a way to survive. His ability to rise to the position of River Supervisor in Jiangnan as a Han official wasn't solely due to his personal achievements; money and connections were equally important.

Despite being bombarded with criticism by Kang Jitian, Tie Bao wasn't as angry as expected; instead, he quickly calmed down.

Those who could become the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner were certainly not all fools. Kang Jitian's words were harsh, but the reasoning behind them was sound.

Tie Bao calmed himself down slightly and said, "Given the current situation, arguing here is pointless. The most urgent task is to find a way to rescue Jiangning. Let me first tell you about my situation. Although the news of Jiangning's siege only just reached us, in fact, half a month ago, no messengers from Huai'an Prefecture had come to report from Jiangning. Based on the current military reports, the Han rebel army must have arrived in Jiangning half a month ago, and may have even blocked the Yangtze River, making it difficult for Jiangning to send out messages."

After listening, Kang Jitian frowned and said, "If we calculate it this way, Jiangning has been besieged for at least half a month. Fuchang didn't dare to decide to recruit and train more soldiers on his own, so he borrowed reinforcements from us. Now, in Jiangning, including the Eight Banners Army of Jiangning and the Green Standard Army of Xuzhou Town, there are no more than 10,000 troops at most. However, military reports show that the Han rebel army has arrived with 100,000 troops, and rumors from all over the country say that the Han rebel army has arrived with 50,000 to 60,000 troops. If we compromise, the Han rebel army is probably no less than 50,000."

"How can 10,000 men possibly defend against 50,000?"

Let alone whether Jiangning can be defended, it's uncertain whether their current army can even defeat the Han army.

Including the 8,000 Qing soldiers he brought with him for the river transport, there were 2,000 more that the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner could mobilize at full capacity, and another 2,000 to ensure the safety of the canal transport.

No crisis could compare to the paramount importance of the Grand Canal. Even the mobilization of troops for them wasn't because of Jiangning. Rather, it was because if Jiangning fell into the hands of the Han army, it would undoubtedly deal a devastating blow to the Qing Dynasty's Grand Canal transport, forcing them to send troops. Tie Bao thought for a moment and said, "Although Jiangning has fewer troops, it is still a vital town in Jiangnan. Don't you Han people like to describe Jiangning as a place where 'tiger crouches and dragon coils'? It might be difficult for 10,000 men to defeat 50,000 Han rebels, but with Jiangning's high walls and strong defenses, and by recruiting more able-bodied men to defend the city, it shouldn't fall so quickly. If it does fall, we will definitely receive the news very soon, and even Yangzhou will likely fall first."

Kang Jitian asked, "So, you mean..."

"Send troops," Tie Bao said decisively.

Kang Jitian hesitated, "But our total strength is only about ten thousand troops. If we send ten thousand troops to Jiangning, it probably won't even be enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of the Han rebels' army. This time, the false Han king, Nie, has even personally come to Jiangning. It's clear that he won't stop until he takes Jiangning. If we send troops so rashly, I'm afraid..."

Kang Jitian was clearly somewhat fearful. Despite leading eight thousand men south, he was ultimately hesitant to fight.

After all, his 8,000 river patrol troops looked impressive, but in reality, they had never fought a battle; at most, they had only fought a few waves of river bandits. Moreover, his own forces were insufficient; even with Tie Bao's troops combined, they were still not enough. Could such an army really defeat the Han army?

Tie Bao sensed Kang Jitian's fear, but he couldn't bring himself to criticize him, because he himself was genuinely unsure.

They can mobilize 10,000 troops, and even including the several thousand troops from Jiangning Prefecture, the total number won't exceed 20,000.

A 20,000 against a 50,000? It looks suspicious no matter how you look at it!
Suppressing his panic, Tie Baoqiang said, "If we send troops, there is still a glimmer of hope. If we don't, and Jiangning falls, the Han rebels will surely advance straight in along the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal. At that time, not only will Jiangnan be in danger, but even the capital will be in danger."

"Moreover, if Jiangning falls, the canal transport will be cut off, and our heads will be on our shoulders as well. Whether or not to send troops is something you should think carefully about!"

Kang Jitian closed his eyes and sighed, "Then let's send troops!"

Once the resolution was passed, the railway guards began transporting money, grain, and supplies that very day, and also forcibly requisitioned able-bodied men for work on the Grand Canal.

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner had the power to command the canal workers, but not the power to command them to work as laborers. Tie Bao's actions constituted an overreach of authority, and a serious one at that.

Tie Bao understood things better than Fu Chang. If Jiangning was saved, he would have made a great contribution no matter what. At worst, he would be dismissed from his post. However, as a member of the Dong E clan of the Plain Yellow Banner, he was certain that nothing serious would happen to him.

But if Jiangning is lost, even if you join the Bordered Yellow Banner, you will still be in trouble. You can't escape it, and it's even uncertain whether the Qing Dynasty can survive.

With the 8,000 river supervisors brought by Kang Jitian and the 2,000 grain transport supervisors mobilized by Tie Bao, the Qing army strength reached 10,000 men.

Tie Bao then forcibly conscripted nearly 30,000 laborers and canal workers on the canal within a few days.

Now, the Qing army's strength was finally close to that of the Han army, and in fact, it even had 10,000 more troops than the Han army.

It's hard to say about their combat strength, but the discipline and execution ability of the canal workers were definitely much stronger than those of ordinary civilian laborers.

Several days later, the Qing army marched south from Huai'an Prefecture.

Traveling along the Grand Canal, they soon arrived at Yangzhou Prefecture, where wealthy salt merchants contributed money and grain.

Tie Bao and Kang Jitian rested for a day in Yangzhou Prefecture, where they also transferred to a large Yangtze River ship, ready to continue their journey to Jiangning Prefecture for rescue.

"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! Your Excellencies, Jiangning... Jiangning City has fallen!"

"What!?"

(End of this chapter)