Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 630 The Arrogant Qing Army

‘Crack! Click! ’

Flashes went off as Lin Dao, camera in hand, took pictures inside and outside the city of Quanzhou.

In the 29th year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign, the English invented the stereoscopic camera.

Although they cannot compare to the industrial products in Lin Dao's hands, compared to the Qing Dynasty, which severely suppressed technological progress, and the Confucianists, who dismissed technology as a strange and frivolous skill, the former barbarians have always been on the right path.

The Qing dynasty and Confucianism, who actively forced everyone to become ignorant, deserve to die!

"Meeting Head~"

After finishing the first round of cleaning, Yang Xiuqing asked curiously, "What is this?"

"A camera is an industrial product that can record images."

Lin Dao, who was taking the photo, casually replied, "It's like capturing a moment from the long river of time and presenting it in a direct way."

Yang Xiuqing tilted her head and blinked her one eye.

He really didn't understand.

However, the topic couldn't be left unfinished: "Chief, why are you using this object to flash around inside and outside the city?"

"To avoid being framed."

Lin Dao, looking down at the Nike camera with the cover and checking the photos on the memory card, casually replied, "History is something that some people embellish in various ways."

"Traitors can be whitewashed into heroes, and heroes can naturally be falsely accused of being villains who hinder integration."

He finally raised his head to "record the truth of the entire city and cut off future generations from the slander of massacring the city."

"There is no battlefield without killing, but the Taiping army only killed those who deserved to die."

"The massacre of the city was clearly done by the Qing demons. We can't give them a chance to turn the tables."

Many later accounts describe the Battle of Quanzhou as an act of venting anger by massacring the city's inhabitants.

However, some sources say that after the Taiping army captured the city, they only killed the defending soldiers and did not massacre the city's inhabitants.

To find out the truth, we need to look at what both sides did before and after, and we'll have a clear understanding.

Apart from the city of Manchuria, the Taiping army never massacred any city.

As for the Qing rebels, whether they were from the Eight Banners, the Green Standard Army, or local militias.

They massacred at least 100 million people!

Compared to them, the Japanese are nothing but small fry.

They slaughtered so many people, yet they still blamed the Taiping Army, claiming that the Taiping Army was massacring cities everywhere.

Even so, a hundred years later, people are still trying to whitewash them, even praising them as heroes.

The hero who shaved his head, the hero who signed a treaty that betrayed the country~
With nothing else to do, Lin Dao decided to take his camera and document the real history.

"You took the wrong memory card."

This card contains artistic photos of him exploring the origins of life with beauties from various times and places.
"Head."

Yang Xiuqing stepped forward and asked, "When will the troops leave Yongzhou Prefecture?"

"Not urgent."

When Lin Dao was replacing the memory card, he casually replied, "Once the various places are settled, we will repel the Qing troops coming from Yunnan and Guizhou."

"Also, help to restrain the Qing troops in Guangdong and provide support to the God Worshipping Father Society."

"All the leaders have gathered in Quanzhou. I need to hold a meeting here to discuss who should stay to preside over the military and political affairs of Guangxi."

He looked up and said, "Xiang Rong ran to Yongzhou Prefecture to gather the remaining troops and build a defensive line."

"This man is a rare general among the Qing demons; we must not act rashly."

Despite being subjected to intense bombing and multiple interceptions, they still managed to escape.

Besides ability, you also need luck.

Lin Dao will give Xiang Rong, a renowned general who is both capable and lucky, the utmost respect.

After all, this person was indeed quite capable. According to historical records, during the Battle of Suoyidu, more than 3,000 elite Taiping soldiers were killed, and their plan to cross the river was also thwarted.

In addition, another reason is to accelerate night school education in the military.

The local ruling institutions and foundations of the Mite-Clearing regime have been basically uprooted in Guangxi.

Instead, they were replaced by retired veterans and wounded soldiers of the Taiping Army, as well as soldiers who were not suitable for long-distance expeditions.

These soldiers were highly motivated, and their level of integrity was worlds apart from that of the corrupt officials.

However, the training period was too short, making them a truly makeshift team.

Lin Dao decided to give them more time and strengthen their training.

It's not just about training in Guangxi; the entire army needs to participate.

Once the army marches north into Hunan, it must ensure that there are enough administrative personnel to maintain the social functioning of the places it conquers along the way.

The last reason was to give the Qing army time to assemble.

Compared to the Qing army's attacks from all directions, which killed anyone they saw, this was a stark contrast.

This allows them to concentrate their forces and then wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Lin Dao prefers to fight large-scale, decisive battles and annihilation campaigns.

It can eliminate the enemy's manpower to the greatest extent, which can not only accelerate the annihilation of the opponent, but also reduce the destruction of the local area by the fleeing soldiers.

Lin Dao put away his camera. "A one-month intensive study plan for the entire army."

"We must make the soldiers understand that only by learning knowledge can they better eliminate the Qing demons and restore the Central Plains."

"I have prepared the syllabus, textbooks, learning materials, paper, pens, and teaching materials for the study, and will distribute them to each department as quickly as possible."

In Yongzhou Prefecture, Xiang Rong, who had escaped, greeted the imperial envoy along the official road with local officials.

The repeated urgent military reports, delivered over 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers), finally alarmed Emperor Xianfeng.

Under his urging, Sai Shang'a, who replaced the seriously ill Lin Yuanfu as Imperial Commissioner, dared not delay and rode south all the way to finally arrive.

The sound of galloping hooves filled the air as a large number of Eight Banner soldiers in armor appeared on the official road.

Upon seeing this, Xiang Rong and the others immediately frowned.

You're crazy~
Who wears armor when marching? Wouldn't that exhaust the men and horses?

Moreover, these armors of various colors were bright and shiny, clearly having been repaired and polished beforehand. Was this a show of force?

Recalling the Taiping Army's terrifying firepower, Xiang Rong looked at the Eight Banners soldiers in their armor with a slightly cold gaze, as if he were looking at dead men.

What era are we living in? What good are these armors against firearms and cannons?

When Sai Shang'a's carriage appeared, the local civil and military officials stepped forward to pay their respects.

After going through all the tedious procedures, a large group of people entered the city.

The imperial envoy declined the welcoming banquet, citing illness.

He instructed local officials to treat the imperial troops well.

Sai Shang'a did not come directly to Yongzhou. He went south from Changsha into Guangdong and joined up with the reinforcements sent by Guangdong before arriving.

Along the way, many reinforcements from various places, as well as local militias, joined the effort.

These men and horses numbered over ten thousand, including both Manchus and Han Chinese.

The Manchu bannermen, Green Standard Army, and local militia were all mixed together, creating a chaotic mess.

The local officials in Yongzhou were so busy that their legs barely touched the ground.

First, they took good care of the Manchu nobles, sending them wine, meat, chicken, and duck to their camp, and even finding beautiful women from the city to serve the generals.

As for the pro-independence camp, their treatment immediately dropped.

Only basic food and supplies were available; meat, wine, chicken, and duck were only provided to officers of the rank of commander or above.

Hong Gu also exists, but basically only those at the deputy general or commander-in-chief level can have her.

When it's time for team practice, just ignore it and go eat by yourselves.

The expenditures on these goods and materials were, on the books, accounted for by the government, and the prices were far higher than supermarket prices.

In reality, the government didn't contribute a single penny or a single bushel of rice; it was all forced upon the local gentry and landlords.

In this way, not only can both sides make a fortune, but many long-standing debts can also be settled.

For the local officials, it was a lavish feast.

The unfortunate ones were the local gentry and common people.

The gentry and landlords were extorted for money, grain, and supplies.

Although he was unwilling, in the current environment of suppressing bandits, it would be useless to use connections to file a complaint. He could only secretly curse them to defeat and then find a way to kick them when they were down.

Even worse off are the local people.

The army of Manqing is not an army; it's a bandit group.

Whether they were well-fed and well-fed Eight Banner soldiers or local militias who raised their own supplies, they all plundered in all directions.

He still has some humanity; he only steals things and women, and occasionally kills people.

Those who lack humanity will simply massacre villages and towns, behead their children, cut off their queues, and impersonate Taiping soldiers to earn military merit.

Everyone, from the imperial envoy Sai Shang'a to the local officials and constables, understood what was going on.

But everyone pretended to be unconscious, so they didn't see anything.

And this is the most authentic mite-killing agent!

Sai Shang'a rested for three days straight, and only recovered with the help of his concubines when he passed through Jinling and Changsha.

He gathered all the various forces together and convened a military council.

"To the Admiral."

The military council began with a tense atmosphere. Sai Shang'a, with a stern face and an air of official authority, glared at Xiang Rong with his triangular eyes and asked, "Having lost troops and territory, do you have anything else to say?"

"Being guilty is a crime."

Xiang Rong didn't argue and readily admitted his guilt, saying, "I deserve to die."

"Humph."

"I have already reported this matter to His Majesty."

"How to deal with him is up to the Emperor. You should atone for your crimes by performing good deeds."

Having already made an example of him and shown his power, Sai Shang'a nodded in satisfaction as he saw that all the generals looked solemn and respectful.

"Tell me your plans."

Ulantai, the Deputy Military Governor of Guangdong who came as reinforcements from Guangdong, stepped forward first to pay his respects without hesitation.

"My lord, I believe that while the morale of all the troops is high, we should take advantage of this and march straight in to find the main force of the rebels and defeat them in one battle!"

Because Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan's worship of Heaven and Earth Society shifted its activities to the Chaoshan region, the pressure on Guangzhou was greatly reduced.

Furthermore, Emperor Xianfeng and Sai Shang'a successively ordered Guangdong to send troops, which is why Ulantai led troops to provide support.

Although they were given a good lesson by Feng Yunshan in Sanyuanli, Wulantai and the others remained arrogant and unrepentant.

They believed that the rebels in Guangdong had won their battles because they had received funding from foreigners, acquired advanced guns and cannons, and relied on surprise attacks and ambushes.

Even in a head-on confrontation, they remain undaunted by the rebels.

After all, our ancestors were invincible in the world, conquering a vast empire with their archery and horsemanship.

They still retain this pride.

Sai Shang'a, having taken out his snuff bottle, looked at Qin Dingsan, the General Commander of Zhenyuan County in Guizhou, and asked, "What do you say?"

"You can fight."

Qin Dingsan pondered for a moment, then said, "However, we must be cautious in our military operations."

"The rebels in Guangxi are very capable fighters."

Ulantai chuckled, but Qin Dingsan also agreed to send troops, so he didn't say anything more.

Afterwards, Sai Shang'a, who was sniffing the snuff bottle, inquired about the generals of Tianjin Town, Liangzhou Town, Shao Heling, the general of Yunyang Town in Hubei, and Dong Guangjia, the deputy general of Jingziguan.

Everyone's opinion was similar; they all wanted to fight.

As for the local militias, Saishana didn't even allow them to attend the military council.

After enjoying himself, Saisanga put away his snuff bottle and stood up.

"In that case, let the entire army eat their fill for three days, distribute the necessary funds for departure, and march south to take Quanzhou first!"

(End of this chapter)