Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 652 The fate of the Qing Dynasty rests on this battle. All soldiers must fight bravely to protect the foundation of our ancestors!
"The livelihoods of millions of grain transport workers depend on them!"

The group of canal gang leaders, tears and snot streaming down their faces, wailed and kowtowed repeatedly to Lin Dao, begging for mercy, "Boss!"

Along the forest road leading north along the Grand Canal, while cleaning up the local area, they also took the opportunity to clear out the canal gangs.

Those members of the secret canal gangs were either planted in the Grand Canal or hung on the banks.

All the monsters and demons along the way are part of this special group.

What was even more fatal for the canal transport gangs was that Lin Dao made it clear that there would be no more canal transport after the expulsion of the Manchus.

After the Grand Canal, it became the simplest waterway for freight transport.

Without a doubt, the entire canal transport community, which relied on the water for their livelihood, was devastated.

"Don't put on an act for me." Lin Dao lowered his head and trimmed his nails. "I know very well what your Canal Gang is all about."

"If we manage our business well and transport goods to and from the north and south, we can make a living."

"You want to make money off me?"

"dream!"

In the world of Dream of the Red Chamber, Lin Dao once reorganized the Grand Canal Gang.

I understand the intricacies of it all very clearly.

Leaving aside the wicked and wicked Dark Hall, we'll just wipe it out completely.

As for the waterborne business, they colluded with government officials at all levels to manipulate grain transport, employing all sorts of bizarre and unconventional methods—there was nothing they couldn't do.

The sand barges used for grain transport were tax-free, so carrying local specialties along the way was a piece of cake.

Every time they transported grain by canal, they made a fortune.

However, the majority of these profits flowed into the pockets of the princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials in the capital.

A small portion fell into the hands of local officials along the Grand Canal transport route.

Finally, the scraps that dripped from between the fingers were divided up by the managers of the canal gang.

Those million canal workers, at best, just managed to fill their bellies.

"The canal gang shall be disbanded from this day forward."

Lin Dao continued to throw out bombshells: "The vessels belong to individuals and are registered for transport work."

"All overall management is the responsibility of the Grand Canal management department."

"As for you."

Looking at the drastically changed expressions of the canal gang leaders, Lin Dao slowly said, "You all know what you've done."

"If you turn yourself in and confess, you might get a lighter sentence."

"If you're hoping to get away with it, then just wait for the investigation to come back to you."

The canal gangs tied to the Grand Canal were involved in far too many shady dealings.

Lin Dao didn't have the time or energy to reorganize and reform them, so he simply wiped them all out at once.

After the grain transport ceased, goods were transported using waybills issued by the Grand Canal management department.

Many more will be absorbed into the navy and used as a reserve force for overseas immigration.

The large population in northern China led to extremely barren land and harsh living conditions.

In this situation, instead of expending great effort on local redevelopment and improving living standards, it would be better to send the surplus population to prosperous overseas destinations.

Just leave an appropriate population proportion.

"There's no need for infighting; go out and compete with others!"

As the saying goes, cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.

Lin Dao directly cut off the canal gang's path to survival, and even took away the millions of canal workers they controlled from their hands, severing the path of exploitation.

Undoubtedly, this enraged a group of canal gang leaders.

"The meeting begins!"

Someone on the spot immediately threatened, "If the livelihoods of millions of canal workers are cut off, we, the canal transport guild, will not stand for it!"

Everyone looked up, their eyes filled with threat.

"You've had it too good."

This level of threat is nothing to Lin Dao.

He smiled casually and said, "Don't keep talking about a million canal workers. If you could really mobilize a million people, you would have been executed long ago."

"I will give the canal workers a new life, a better life."

As for you guys~

"They came of their own accord, which saved me the trouble of sending people to search for them."

"Yang Xiuqing".

Yang Xiuqing, who was standing not far away, immediately stepped forward and saluted, "Your subordinate is here!"

"Take them in for a proper interrogation."

"Find the real canal workers to identify them."

“Those who are guilty will be planted in the Grand Canal.”

Yang Xiuqing's one eye shone with a joyful light.

He responded loudly, "Your subordinate obeys!"

The boy soldiers swarmed forward and dragged out the group of fools who thought they could coerce Lin Dao with the help of a million laborers.

Although they weren't from the Dark Hall, none of these canal gang leaders were clean.

After the canal workers identified them, being planted at the bottom of the river was their final fate.

For Lin Dao, the matter of the Grand Canal Gang was just a minor episode.

His real purpose was to head north and reach the capital.

“I am not worried about the resistance of the Qing army, nor do I care about the long journey.”

"What really worries me is that the mite colonists might escape."

The capital city was not far from the pass. If Emperor Xianfeng made up his mind and acted quickly, it would only take a few days to escape the pass.

It's not that you can't fight once you leave the pass, but rather that the nobles and nobles who are concentrated in one city can easily disperse to different places once they leave the pass.

A manhunt would consume a lot of time and energy.

In contrast, annihilating them within the capital is the best option.

"We have to find a way to keep all the powerful and influential people of the Qing Dynasty here." While Lin Dao was thinking about how to keep the powerful and influential people of the Qing Dynasty here, the capital was also making its last struggle.

"The fate of the Qing Dynasty is now in your hands."

Outside the Qianqing Palace, the solemn-looking Emperor Xianfeng personally came to see off the soldiers who were about to go to war.

Imperial Commissioner Sheng Bao, General Mianyu, and Assistant Minister Senggelinqin, among others, were ordered to attend.

"This sword is named the Sharp-Edged Sword." Emperor Xianfeng handed a famous sword to Mianyu, saying, "The ancestral legacy is entrusted to your uncle!"

Prince Hui, Mianyu, knelt respectfully and raised both hands to receive the knife.

He bowed his head and shouted loudly, "Your subject will surely repay the country with his life!"

Princes and princes do not need to refer to themselves as servants; they all refer to themselves as subjects.

Mianyu was Emperor Xianfeng's uncle. At this time, he was appointed as the Grand General by imperial decree, which was also because he was forced into a corner.

After all, their family's empire is really on the verge of collapse.

After offering a few words of reassurance, Emperor Xianfeng took out a precious sword and handed it to Senggelinqin.

"This sword is named Nekunisuguang. May you wield this sword to slay traitors and protect the Qing Dynasty!"

Senggelinqin bowed respectfully, saying, "This servant will repay Your Majesty with his life!"

Everyone was talking about death, which made Emperor Xianfeng uneasy.

But things have already come to this point, and he has no other choice.

"My beloved ministers."

"The fate of the Qing Dynasty rests on this battle. All soldiers must fight bravely to protect the foundation of our ancestors!"

The numerous generals, ministers, military commanders, deputy military commanders, ministers of the Imperial Court, ministers of the Grand Council, ministers of the Imperial Household Department, and others who were scheduled to go on the expedition all saluted and shouted for a fight to the death!

Emperor Xianfeng himself wanted to withdraw from the area beyond the Great Wall.

However, the Manchu nobles were reluctant to give up the luxurious world inside the Great Wall.

Moreover, they still have troops at their disposal, so they have to fight a battle at all costs.

In this campaign to confront the bandits, the entire Qing army was mobilized.

The Jianrui Battalion, the Outer Firearms Battalion, the Vanguard Battalions on both wings, the Eight Banners Guard Battalion, and even the Fifth Patrol Battalion were almost all mobilized.

In order to make up the numbers, many bannermen from the Eight Banners in Beijing were even conscripted.

Even the general in Heilongjiang recruited a large number of Eight Banner soldiers from outside the Great Wall.

In addition, the Eight Banners of Mongolia also underwent a large-scale mobilization.

The cavalry of various Chahar tribes, as well as the three leagues of Zhelimu, Zhuosuotu, and Zhaowuda East, and the Mongol princes from even more distant regions, also brought large numbers of cavalry.

The Green Standard Army and other groups from Shanxi, Beizhili and other places were to be incorporated into the army.

As for the troops in other places, they were either too far away to come, or they were used to resist the Taiping army on other routes.

The Mite-Cleansing colonists were also determined this time, mobilizing almost all available resources and resolved to fight to the death.

However, many things had already happened before the army even set off.

Of those Manchu bannermen in Beijing who received the conscription order, less than one-tenth actually reported on it.

After two hundred years of comfortable life, why send men to fight and risk their lives?

How can it be!

Not only did they refuse to be drafted for various reasons, but when they were walking their birds in teahouses and other places, they would also make various sarcastic remarks about the incompetence of those in power.

Emperor Xianfeng was furious when he learned of this.

There was no way around it; the Eight Banners in Beijing had an extremely complex network of relationships.

Don't be fooled by the fact that some people are so poor they can't even afford to eat; they might have connections with a royal family and be able to speak to the prince.

Some of them even have yellow or red ribbons, making it difficult to punish them.

This is just the beginning.

When the order to deploy troops was issued, large numbers of deserters appeared in the elite battalion, the firearms battalion, the vanguard battalion, the guard battalion, and so on.

Calling them deserters isn't entirely accurate.

It probably means taking sick leave, or paying someone to cover your shift.

Two hundred years of life as a parasite had long since turned the Eight Banners in Beijing into true parasites.

They make a living off their meager income, spending their days bragging and joking around.

fight?

Just kidding.

The reasons given for taking leave are incredibly varied; some even say their eighty-year-old mother wants to remarry, while others say their aunt's grandson's brother-in-law needs to take a concubine.
Undoubtedly, this irresponsible behavior greatly angered Emperor Xianfeng and the princes and nobles.

'We've raised you for two hundred years, and this is how you pull this stunt when we need your help?'

Under Mianyu's strong suppression, including arresting and imprisoning a number of people, the trend was only slightly curbed.

However, many people still managed to get leave and escape.

There's no way around it; the network of relationships here is just too complicated.

Faced with all sorts of favors and requests, Mianyu couldn't refuse them all.

As for hiring someone to cover for her, the exhausted Mianyu could only turn a blind eye.

At least we've gathered enough people.

However, these thugs and even beggars who filled in to make up the numbers were just there to show up for the day, at most shouting and running around listlessly.

But who would have thought that this time they would be directly dragged into the army's expedition?

That won't do!
They were filling in for others to earn some spare change, not to risk their lives.

After leaving the city, countless soldiers deserted along the way.

Especially at night, countless people, despite suffering from night blindness, would try to escape from the military camp.

Upon hearing the news, Mianyu was so angry she almost fainted.

Senggelinqin personally led a Mongolian cavalry team to capture him.

There's no need to be polite to those who are filling in for others.

Only after cutting off hundreds of heads was the trend of desertion finally brought under control.

The Mite-Cleansing Army, hailed as the nation's elite force, stumbled and struggled its way to Linqing Prefecture.

In the south, Lin Dao is personally leading a large army and is rushing over!
(End of this chapter)