1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 180 The Immortal of Trading
The morning mist was just beginning to clear, and the sky was still dim.

On the shimmering surface of the Liujiang River, a large ship flying a blue flag rests quietly on the water.

Five or six soldiers of the Left Army, each with a waist knife, a stern expression, and eyes fixed straight ahead, stood on the longboat.

Inside the not-so-spacious cabin, there was a small round table made of bamboo.

Luo Dagang and Qiu Zhongliang sat facing each other.

Luo Dagang was fiddling with a bronze seal of the county magistrate that had just been delivered to him.

The bottom of the bronze seal is inscribed with the "Hanging Dew" seal script, measuring 2.1 inches square and 4.4 fen thick, with "Luorong County Seal" engraved on it.

Qiu Zhongliang was reading Peng Gang's letter aloud.

The letter said that Zuo Jun had captured Luorong County and Luzhai Town in one day.

Luo Dagang understood that Peng Gang had specially sent him the Luorong County seal in order to increase his bargaining power in doing business with the Qing army garrison commander of Ma Pingcheng.

Use this incident to give the Qing army commander guarding Maping City a warning, so that it will be easier to lower the price.

On the riverside city wall, not far away.

Qin Dingsan and Zhou Fengqi, two Qing generals in Maning City of Liuzhou Prefecture, were looking at the few small boats moored on the Liujiang River with unease.

The people on those small boats were their most formidable enemy: the Taiping Army's Left Wing.

Qin Dingsan had personally led his troops to fight against the Taiping Army's Left Wing Army and had experienced their methods firsthand, so he dared not make any rash moves.

Although Zhou Fengqi had never fought against the Taiping Army.

But he knew that Qin Dingsan was a famous general from the southwest who had won the second-highest rank in the imperial examination.

He once quelled rebellions by local chieftains and bandits of the Heaven and Earth Society in Guizhou and Xinjiang, achieving numerous military exploits and being awarded the title of Baturu.

Before his defeat at the hands of the short-haired cult bandits, Qin Dingsan was a promising general who had accumulated merits and was promoted to the rank of admiral.

In terms of ability, Zhou Fengqi believed he was no match for Qin Dingsan, much less for Zhang Bilu.

Even Qin Dingsan dared not provoke these bandits, so Zhou Fengqi naturally had no intention of going out of the city to fight them. He just wanted to guard Ma Ning Fortress and get by, dealing with the tasks assigned to him.

"It is said that the short-haired cult bandits are the most cunning and have a notorious reputation. I am afraid that there may be a trap if I invite them to meet on the boat."

After reading Luo Dagang's letter, Zhou Fengqi felt that this was a conspiracy by the Short-Haired Cult bandits, who claimed to be buying grain but actually wanted to lure them out and capture them alive.

Qin Dingsan, on the other hand, was more quick-witted.

The Battle of Mocun not only shattered Qin Dingsan's confidence but also interrupted his path to advancement.

Before this, Qin Dingsan was only one step away from becoming the governor.

After that, unless Qin Dingsan can achieve even more brilliant results than Jiang Zhongyuan, he can forget about being appointed as the admiral. It would be a great favor from the emperor if he could continue to serve as the commander-in-chief until retirement.

Qin Dingsan, the long-haired rebel, still had the idea of ​​going to war, since they hadn't actually fought each other yet.

As for the short-haired soldiers, let's forget about them. We don't want to give away the Guizhou soldiers that we've worked so hard to feed.

"They may be ruthless, but this time they're not here to attack the city; they're here to beg for grain. If it weren't for you and me holding Ma Ping City, they wouldn't dare to make a move, and they wouldn't be so humble as to come and negotiate a deal."

Qin Dingsan paced back and forth on the city wall, glancing occasionally at the small boats on the Liujiang River, clutching the letter delivered by Luo Dagang in his hand.

After some hesitation, Qin Dingsan felt that the Short Hair bandit leader had a good reputation. After defeating Zhang Bilu, he even made a good coffin for Zhang Bilu and returned his body, which showed that the Short Hair bandit leader was a man of integrity.

After much deliberation, he finally decided to go to Liujiang to meet with Luo Dagang.

Firstly, he didn't want the short-haired man to look down on him, thinking that Qin Dingsan was cowardly and dared not keep the appointment. Secondly, he wanted to take this opportunity to talk to the short-haired man about other transactions besides grain.

"General Zhou, I'm going out of the city to meet with Duanmao. I'll entrust the defense of Maping City to you, General Zhou."

Zhou Fengqi couldn't help but admire Qin Dingsan for daring to keep the appointment with Duanmao: "General Qin has great courage! He has the style of Guan Yu going to the meeting alone! General Qin, rest assured, with so many soldiers and cannons in the city, I, Zhou, am capable of defending the city and can ensure that Maping City is safe."

Qin Dingsan strode down the city wall, took a dozen personal guards, and boarded a boat to go to the meeting on the river.

Qin Dingsan first looked around and saw that although the short-haired guards on the long ship were well-trained, their numbers were not large.

None of the other small boats around him seemed inclined to surround him or try to capture him, so Qin Dingsan mustered his courage and boarded Luo Dagang's large longboat.

With steady steps and a calculating look in his eyes, Qin Dingsan looked at a short-haired middle-aged man in a homespun round-necked robe in the cabin, clasped his hands and introduced himself: "I am Qin Dingsan, the General of Zhenyuan, Guizhou. Your Excellency is Deputy Commander Luo?"

“Indeed.” Luo Dagang stood up and bowed to Qin Dingsan. “General Qin, please take a seat.”

Qin Dingsan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down cross-legged in a very generous manner.

The fact that the short-haired people bought grain from them indicates that they were short of food and were wary of the high walls and deep moats of Maping City, so they did not dare to attack the city rashly and thus resorted to this inferior strategy.

Qin Dingsan thought he had the weakness of the Left Army's lack of food, and was about to ask for an exorbitant price to fleece the short-haired man.

Before Qin Dingsan could speak, Luo Dagang placed the bronze seal of the county magistrate, engraved with "Seal of Luorong County," in front of Qin Dingsan and asked knowingly, "Does General Qin recognize this?"

Qin Dingsan picked up the bronze seal with a suspicious look in his eyes.

He was the second-highest scorer in the martial arts examination, a position earned through his own merit. While he wouldn't be considered a master of both martial arts and literature, he was certainly literate.

Before long, he recognized the bronze seal as belonging to Luorong County.

Not only do the specifications match, but the seals have also developed a patina from handling, making them impossible to be counterfeit.

Qin Dingsan was startled; the short-haired man's movements were far too fast.

Qin Dingsan knew a little about the situation in Luorong County and knew that it was definitely not safe from the short-haired rebels; it was only a matter of time before it fell.

However, the fact that the short-haired Mao could capture Luorong County in such a short time was still beyond Qin Dingsan's expectations.

"Is Vice Commander Luo threatening this town?" Qin Dingsan's face darkened.

"I wouldn't dare," Luo Dagang said calmly. "I just want to tell General Qin that our army has not fired a single shot at Maping City so far. We have come with sincerity and genuinely want to bring you wealth and honor."

Qin Dingsan knew, of course, that these were just polite words.

Short-haired Mao was unwilling to gnaw on Ma Pingcheng because Ma Pingcheng was a tough nut to crack.

If Ma Pingcheng's defenses are weak, the short-haired rebels will naturally not sit calmly on their boats to discuss grain trade with him; instead, they will directly attack the city and take it for themselves.

"How much grain do you want to buy?" Qin Dingsan didn't ask Luo Dagang and the others how much they were willing to pay, but instead asked them how much grain they wanted.

“Thirty thousand shi.” Qiu Zhongliang, who was admiring the scenery of Ma Ping City through the small window of the cabin, turned his gaze back into the cabin and gestured three to Qin Dingsan.

"This young general asked for ten thousand shi of rice right off the bat, which puts me in a difficult position," Qin Dingsan said, taking a sip of tea and shaking his head.

Even though it's difficult, we still have to keep going.

Short-haired people were short of grain, and grain trade negotiations failed, making it difficult for Qin Dingsan to negotiate another deal.

"The grain reserves in Maping City are not as much as you think; even the soldiers' rations are tight. I, Qin, simply cannot produce 30,000 shi of grain."

As you both know, Guangxi has suffered from natural disasters in recent years, including droughts, locust plagues, and floods. I must tell you the truth: the Liuzhou government granary doesn't even have 30,000 shi of grain on its books.”

The grain reserves in Maping, Liuzhou Prefecture, were indeed among the best in Guangxi.

However, in the past year, the consumption of grain reserves in Liuzhou has also been quite alarming.

The rations for the out-of-province soldiers who transited through Liuzhou to Xunzhou Prefecture were provided by the prefectural granaries and military warehouses of Liuzhou.

When there was a shortage of military provisions, Lin Zexu would also transfer grain from Liuzhou to meet the emergency. At present, the official granaries and military depots in Maping, Liuzhou Prefecture, were indeed unable to immediately produce 30,000 shi of grain for sale.

"How much is General Qin willing to sell for?" Qiu Zhongliang asked.

Qiu Zhongliang only wanted to find out how much grain was stored in Liuzhou Prefecture.

Even if Qin Dingsan could really sell them 30,000 shi of grain, the Left Army wouldn't have enough ships to haul it away from Liujiang.

"At most five thousand shi." Qin Dingsan gestured the number five.

“Five thousand shi is too little, ten thousand shi!” Qiu Zhongliang said, frowning.

Qin Dingsan shook his head with a wry smile: "I am here with sincerity, risking my life to help you two. If the court holds you accountable in the future, will you take the blame for me? How about this, if you two agree to one request of mine, I am willing to add another two thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), and I will sell it to you at a price of three taels and five qian (another unit of dry measure) of silver per shi, is that alright? What I am selling to you is all rice, not miscellaneous grains."

Currently, Guangxi is suffering from continuous famine, so Qin Dingsan is offering a price that is higher than the market price.

Considering the current situation of rice being scarce and expensive in Guangxi, Qin Dingsan's offer was considered fair.

Everyone in the world is benefiting.

After all, it was a business that could cost him his life, so Qin Dingsan had to leave himself some money to support his personal guards.

"What are the conditions?" Luo Dagang had no idea what Qin Dingsan was up to.

"When you withdraw from Luorong County, could you leave behind some of your Left Army's weapons, flags, and uniforms in the city?" Qin Dingsan revealed his true intentions.

Qin Dingsan was willing to take the risk to come here; making money by selling grain was secondary.

Money can be earned anytime.

But there are some things that money can't buy.

For example, military achievements in suppressing religious bandits, especially in suppressing short-haired religious bandits.

Since the uprising of the God Society, the military merits earned from suppressing the Heaven and Earth Society and the rebellious chieftains in the southwest have been greatly devalued.

There were many Green Standard Army officers capable of suppressing the Heaven and Earth Society bandits and the rebellious chieftains in the southwest.

Not to mention Qin Dingsan, Zhou Fengqi, who is waiting for news of him in Ma Pingcheng, also has the ability to wipe him out.

There were very few generals capable of suppressing the God Society bandits.

If Qin Dingsan wanted to catch the eye of Emperor Xianfeng and the Ministry of War, he could be included in the list of candidates for the position of Admiral.

Suppressing a hundred Heaven and Earth Society gangs is not as effective as achieving one victory against the short-haired bandits of the God Society.

Even if this victory was obtained by Qin Dingsan through dishonorable means and a transaction.

Others who want to trade with short-haired animals don't even have the opportunity or connections.

Qin Dingsan thought so.

Qin Dingsan wanted the weapons, flags, and uniforms of the Left Army. Luo Dagang and Qiu Zhongliang knew perfectly well what Qin Dingsan wanted.

As Luo Dagang pondered whether to agree, Qiu Zhongliang cleared his throat and said, "General Qin wants to buy a victory, and we are willing to do so."

Luo Dagang was in charge of this transaction, but Qiu Zhongliang suddenly interrupted and agreed without discussion, which made Luo Dagang somewhat unhappy.

Words spoken are like water spilled; once spilled, they cannot be taken back.

Luo Dagang didn't want to interrupt Qiu Zhongliang in front of Qin Dingsan, so he just winked at Qiu Zhongliang to signal him to be careful.

"Does this young general mean he agrees?" Qin Dingsan's joy was palpable upon hearing that the other party was willing to give him credit.

"If we want to buy Czechoslovakia, the price we originally agreed on is no longer suitable. My Zuo Jun has been invincible since its formation and has never suffered a defeat."

"General Qin bought off my Left Army's defeat, and my Left Army's reputation will inevitably be damaged. General Qin must give us some compensation, right?" Qiu Zhongliang said unhurriedly.

"No problem, no problem. I can sell you the grain at a lower price," Qin Dingsan said readily, suppressing his excitement.

For him, the small profit from selling grain was insignificant compared to the military merits earned by the short-haired rebels.

As a rank-and-file general, he has no shortage of ways to make money; it's just a matter of how much he makes.

"Since General Qin is so sincere, how can we take advantage of him? We will not only keep the price of grain the same, but we are also willing to increase it to five taels of silver per shi (unit of dry measure) for General Qin." Qiu Zhongliang shook his head, indicating that he did not want any preferential treatment on the price of grain.

The Zuo Jun Sheng Ku (a military treasury) was never short of gold and silver, and this time Luo Rong County would also receive a considerable amount of gold and silver.

Luo Dagang was somewhat confused about what Qiu Zhongliang was trying to do. What kind of business was Qiu Zhongliang doing this? Not only did he not try to get a discount, but he also tried to haggle in the opposite direction.

Zuo Jun does have some gold and silver, but that gold and silver was earned with the blood of his brothers. How can Qiu Zhongliang be allowed to squander it at will?

Unable to contain himself any longer, Luo Dagang tugged at Qiu Zhongliang's hem in front of Qin Dingsan, reminding Qiu Zhongliang not to forget why he came to Ma Pingcheng.

"You don't actually want the Red Cannon, do you? The Red Cannon isn't for sale!" Qin Dingsan said warily.

On the one hand, the imperial court kept a close eye on the Hongyi cannons, so Qin Dingsan dared to secretly sell some grain, but he really dared not sell the Hongyi cannons.

On the other hand, the Hongyi cannons were Qin Dingsan's greatest asset and source of confidence in defending the city.

Qin Dingsan was worried that Duanmao would change his mind after buying the Hongyi cannons and use them to attack the city to take the grain himself.

Qiu Zhongliang didn't intend to take the Hongyi cannon. Although the Hongyi cannon was good, it was too heavy to move.

They even considered heavy artillery weighing 800 jin (400 kg) too heavy, let alone the several thousand jin (3,000 kg) Hongyi cannons in Ma Pingcheng.

"Eight hundred bushels of gunpowder in exchange for the military merit of recapturing Luorong County." What Qiu Zhongliang really wanted was gunpowder.

Qiu Zhongliang had seen heavy artillery firing in succession. The heavy artillery was simply a behemoth that devoured gunpowder, and the amount of gunpowder used for each shot was calculated by the kilogram.

With so many heavy cannons in Maping City, the city's gunpowder reserves must have been considerable.

The Left Army was not only short of food, but also of gunpowder. Moreover, gunpowder was even more difficult to replenish than food.

Qiu Zhongliang believed that Peng Gang would agree to make some concessions in the grain trade in exchange for gunpowder.

"Eight hundred shi of gunpowder!" Qin Dingsan stood up abruptly upon hearing this number. "Are you buying grain or gunpowder?"

Luo Dagang, who was standing to the side, almost jumped when he heard the number. He had underestimated Qiu Zhongliang. His worries were unnecessary.

This is the first time I've ever heard of gunpowder being bought by the stone.

"If General Qin is unwilling to provide these 800 shi of gunpowder, then I will not see you off."

Qiu Zhongliang adopted a gesture of seeing him off. He had figured out that Qin Dingsan's trip was for military merit. The military merit that Qin Dingsan wanted could only be given by the Left Army at present. However, the Left Army had already captured Luorong County and was not as eager for food as before.

Thinking of this, Qiu Zhongliang felt he had Qin Dingsan completely under his control.

Qin Dingsan made a move to get up and leave, and Qiu Zhongliang did not stop him, allowing Qin Dingsan to leave the cabin and get off the ship.

Qin Dingsan stepped out of the cabin and, seeing that the other party had no intention of stopping him, cursed under his breath and gritted his teeth as he returned to the cabin: "I don't have eight hundred shi, how about five hundred shi? But if you take this gunpowder, you must launch a feigned attack on Maping City and fire a few cannons at me, otherwise I won't be able to explain myself."

Qiu Zhongliang looked at Luo Dagang. Such a big decision as launching a feigned attack was something that a battalion commander like him couldn't make on his own. It depended on Luo Dagang's opinion.

"make a deal."

Luo Dagang nodded in agreement, agreeing to help Qin Dingsan balance the accounts in exchange for the 500 shi of gunpowder.

(End of this chapter)