Dominate the Country

Qianlong is very worried now. In front of him, there are a pile of memorials submitted by local officials. Henan, Anhui and Shandong provinces are all short of food. Even the price of food in Beijing has risen sharply.

Nanjing was captured by the Fu Han Army, and Zhenjiang fell into Chen Ming's hands earlier than Nanjing. The grain transport was blocked, and tens of thousands of boatmen along the canal in northern Jiangsu and Shandong were on the verge of unemployment. More importantly, the interruption of grain transport has reduced the guarantee of 4 million shi of grain in the Beijing-Tianjin area, which has caused panic in the entire Beijing-Tianjin area.

Since March, the price of grain in Beijing has changed slightly every five days and changed significantly every ten days. It has been soaring.

In previous years, the Grand Canal's grain transport time was from March 1st to October 1st of the lunar calendar every year. A steady stream of grain, local products from the south of the Yangtze River and some other items arrived in Beijing along the Grand Canal. The glory along the way is still constantly nourishing the canal coastline in northern Jiangsu and western Shandong.

In this era, the canal ships could openly carry local products, such as grain or other things. After hundreds of years, such rules made the Grand Canal develop into the most densely populated urban cluster in China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

But this year is different. The Fu Han Army pointed its sword at Nanjing. The Governor-General of Liangjiang and General Jiangning were all looking at the Fu Han Army. Gao Jin had no time to care about the canal. As a result, after the Fu Han Army arrived in Nanjing, it rushed to Jingkou without stopping, where it seized hundreds of thousands of stones of grain and hundreds of canal ships that failed to escape.

Moreover, because of the closure of Jingkou, the entire canal artery was blocked. After that day, no grain was transported from Jiangnan to Shandong and Beijing and Tianjin.

With the arrival of April, Henan, which was severely affected by the war, was the first to be short of food, followed by northern Anhui. When the Qing court was drawing troops, financial resources and material resources to support Henan, it must have been nearby. The local officials in Anhui had squeezed and plundered many times, and now northern Anhui was short of food. And Shandong, in previous years, the grain and rice materials carried by the canal could reach about 20% of the stipulated cargo. The grain and local products of Jiangnan were not all taken to Beitongzhou by the canal ships, but were "consumed" along the Grand Canal, which created a temporary prosperity in Huai'an, Linze and other places.

Now that the canal transportation has been cut off, the business opportunities of Huai'an and Linze are gone and will never come back.

Shandong Province is still far away from the battlefield in Henan, and has not been greatly affected by the Fu Han Army in terms of agricultural farming, but the densely populated urban areas along the canal are really short of food. In addition, since the autumn and winter of last year, a large number of Henan people have fled there in groups, and that is in the millions, which has added a burden on Shandong in terms of food. Now many places have gradually experienced food shortages.

What can Qianlong do? He can't use the grain reserves in Beijing and Tianjin to provide relief to Henan, northern Anhui and Shandong. In that case, the price of rice in Beijing will rise to five taels tomorrow. Henan, northern Anhui and Shandong can all be in chaos, but Beijing and Beijing and Tianjin cannot be in chaos.

"Your Majesty, Fuheng wants to see you."

"Let him in."

Qianlong took a sip of ginseng soup and said to Wu Shulai.

"Your servant Fuheng greets Your Majesty." Fuheng knelt on the ground in a proper manner as soon as he came in. For thirty years, he has been able to maintain his position in Qianlong's heart. This character of not being arrogant, not arrogant, not impatient, is the most important. As Qianlong's brother-in-law, his sister is Qianlong's empress. Fuheng is almost fifty years old. His eldest son Fuling'an died in Yunnan last year. He didn't die in battle, but died of illness.

In history, Fuheng also died of illness in Yunnan because he went there to command troops and supervise the war. A small country like Myanmar has destroyed half of the Fucha family, the first wealthy family in the early and middle period of Qianlong's reign. But as Qianlong accepted Myanmar's ceasefire and peace talks, Fuheng, who is still in good health, may live past fifty years old. And his second son Fulong'an, who is only twenty-three years old, has just been promoted to the Minister of Works and the Military Affairs Office. Obviously, this was Qianlong's compensation to Fu Cha, compensating for Fu Cha Mingrui's death. He used the promotion and reward of Fu Longan to show that he still favored Fu Cha.

"Your Majesty, Cui Yingjie, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, made an urgent report."

Fu Heng raised his head, and his face flushed for many times. Cui Yingjie's urgent report was a relief.

After Nanjing was besieged, Jingkou was occupied, and the grain transport was cut off, the people who paid attention to this matter were not only in Beijing, but also in the governors and governors all over the country. These people knew the importance of 4 million shi of grain to Beijing, Tianjin and the Qing court. One day the grain was cut off, the lifeline of the Qing Dynasty was strangled by the rebels.

Cui Yingjie and Xiong Xuepeng, the governor of Zhejiang, not only looked at sea transportation, but also really bent down to understand sea transportation, as well as the main ship of sea transportation, the sand ship.

Although there are not many wooden sailing ships with a maximum load of 5,000 dan on the southeast coast, they have been around for a long time and their performance and safety are trustworthy. Cui Yingjie reported that he was going to set off in Ningbo with 40 wooden sailing ships for trial operation. If it is feasible, Fujian and Zhejiang will replace river transportation with sea transportation to supply the needs of Beijing and Tianjin.

If the sea transportation of grain is put in peacetime, it will definitely cause an uproar in the court. This will lead to the collapse of the traditional river transportation system of official transportation, the decline of the river transportation and grain shipping industry, and the decline of towns along the Grand Canal. Whoever dares to make such a suggestion will be cursed by thousands of people every night and hated with gnashing teeth.

But now is the war era, Nanjing has fallen, and Jingkou has been changed back to Zhenjiang by the Fu Han Army. In this case, being able to transport grain to Beijing and Tianjin is the first talent. Changing river transportation to sea transportation is a capable official praised by all.

Qianlong picked up the memorial and read it in detail. The sadness on his face dissipated a lot. Cui Yingjie and Xiong Xuepeng were commendable. The memorial mentioned the maritime transport of the Yuan Dynasty. Indeed, during the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties, sea transport was available for the spring and summer transportation. Why can't we in the Qing Dynasty?

Chen Ming, this clown, thought he was blocking Jingkou and the Grand Canal, so I was at a loss. That's delusional!

"I have decreed that all the officials in Beijing should review their own ancient books, and all the books and documents related to the Mongolian and Yuan grain transportation can be submitted to me for reading."

Qianlong restored the graceful demeanor of the emperor, and he wanted to publicize this matter in a big way. Let’s not talk about whether shipping grain by sea can really work. If this matter is spread among the people, it can solve the urgent task of the court and stabilize the people’s hearts.

"It is my decree that Cui Yingjie and Xiong Xuepeng are dedicated to serving the country and are commendable for their loyalty. They will be given flowers and feathers for their eyes."

It was as if a big stone pressing on his chest had been removed. Emperor Qianlong felt light and airy at this time. Shipping, yes, we can’t count on canals, but there is still shipping. As long as money and food from Jiangnan and Guangxi are continuously transported to the capital, why worry about being unable to put down the bandits in western Henan?

The thieves' armor is sharp and their guns are outstanding, so the imperial court also made them! And it's already being built.

The cotton armor of the Qing Dynasty was tested by war. Could it be that the guns of the Qing Dynasty were no better than a group of rebels? Among the missionaries in Beijing, there is no second Tang Ruowang or Nan Huairen. As long as the court needs it, among the thousands of scholars in the Qing Dynasty, can't you find a second Dai Zi?

The Qing Dynasty is rich in the world, and the Qing Dynasty is rich in the whole world. As long as the sea route is opened, the shortage of food in Beijing and Tianjin will be solved, and the country will be stable. Isn't it easy to select a strong army capable of fighting from hundreds of thousands of national athletes?

Qianlong breathed a long breath to the sky. Ever since the price of food in Beijing and Tianjin soared, and he had received a memorial from the local government regarding food shortage, he finally let out the suffocating breath in his chest.

His face, which had been a bit gray in the past few days, was instantly filled with a healthy red light. Qianlong laughed, Lu Shan, Chen Hui, Chen Ming, and the clown Er.

Beijing City, Si Hai Sheng Ping Tea House.

Yu Zecheng didn't sit behind the counter. He was the big boss, not the shopkeeper. A few months later, Yu Zecheng had already opened a restaurant and a hotel in the east part of the city. In the Henan Guild Hall in Beijing, Yu Zecheng came and went and became familiar with many Henan businessmen in Beijing. Relying on the introductions of these people, he also established relationships with two officials from Henan Prefecture. It's just that these two officials are minor officials of the fifth and sixth grades.

A man with a very honest appearance carried a load into the backyard. After a while, he came to Yu Zecheng, also known as Gao Jingcheng, in his room. "Boss, the price of food in the capital has risen again. A bucket of rice costs three cents." The money seems to be doubled now..." The boy's honest face was filled with a smile. The Fuhan Army cut off water transportation, and Beijing's grain and rice supply increased accordingly. Nowadays, a bushel of rice costs three cents and three cents of silver, which means that a stone of rice costs three cents, two cents, and three cents of silver. A doubling of grain prices is still far away, but the premium is more than half.

"The Governor-General captured the city of Nanjing and cut off the Grand Canal. The Manchu Tatars really couldn't sit still." Gao Jingcheng knew clearly that in these days, no matter it was a teahouse or a restaurant. There were many more Eight Banner disciples shouting and cursing than before, and their tone was much more hateful.

"Boss, it's the Governor who is really close to them. Once the grain supply is cut off, it's hard to say how much hardcore crops the bannermen will have. Of course they will jump up like a rabbit whose tail has been stepped on."

It has been a few months since the guy came to Beijing. He has seen through these 'nations', and all his skills lie in his mouth. In the words of the Grand Governor, they were so loud that when they were used, their claws were all numb.

Before the Fuhan Army approached Jiangnan, this group of people gave people a show-off anger when they talked about the Fuhan Army. The insults they gave to the Fuhan Army and Chen Hui, Chen Ming and his son in public were more eye-catching. , look at my awesome performance. In any case, the monthly salary and grain they should receive would not be less than a penny, and there was no need for them to work hard. Naturally, they were happy to show their anger and bravery in full view of the public. It’s like ‘brush that thing’, if you brush it today, then I will brush it even better than you tomorrow.

Even when news of the Jingzhou incident spread, the bannermen in Beijing quickly returned to their original state after a few days of genuine anger. And the "incompetence" above was faintly sprayed out.

In the Battle of Nanjing, the Qing army was absolutely useless. Fortunately, Gao Jin and Rong Bao were incompetent, but they ran out of Nanjing with tens of thousands of bannermen, although they suffered a major defeat later. That team was dispersed in Jurong, but it was not heard that many bannermen were captured by the Fuhan Army. Coupled with the previous occupation of Jingkou and the interruption of water transportation, the price of grain in Beijing has skyrocketed...

The disciples of the Eight Banners who were really affected by the actions of the Fuhan Army were busy expressing their extreme hatred for the Fuhan Army. It seemed that not many people paid attention to the fate of the Eight Banners garrisoned in Nanjing and their families.