Chapter 246: Killing the Tartars on August 15th
In Taiwan Prefecture, the prefect Zou Yingyuan has been in a good mood these days. Are people in high spirits when happy events happen? In the blink of an eye, it’s time to collect summer taxes in Taiwan again. Isn’t Zou Yingyuan’s ‘happy event’ already around the corner?
The Manchu Qing Dynasty gave Taiwan government special treatment, with millions of people, countless acres of land, and only a small amount of tax every year. The Taiwanese government has not applied for a promotion to a higher education in twenty years, and has not been blamed or reprimanded by the higher authorities. Taiwan only collects 4,746 taels of silver and 108,570 taels of grain a year. As for Taiwan's current products, they are completely a drop in the bucket.
Similarly, in order to keep the government quiet, the wealthy gentry and country squires in Taiwan would diligently come to the government offices to visit bureaucrats at all levels every time it was time to collect taxes. This was also the time when Taiwan's government was getting rich. When making an account. From the magistrates and generals to the Taiwan Military Preparation Road, which was just purchased last year, to the petty officials in the government offices, everyone will have their mouths full of fat.
The current Taiwan military officer is a Shanxi native, Sun Xiaoyu, who is fifty-two years old and just took office in May. So this year's summer tax Zou Yingyuan can still eat a big meal. When the autumn grain or next summer tax comes, if Sun Xiaoyu doesn't step in to stir things up, haha, Zou Yingyuan can write his last name backwards.
So, Zou Yingyuan's frown and confusion a few days ago were relieved again. If your hometown's property is ruined, it will be ruined. No matter how resentful you are, you can't undo the losses you've already suffered, right? But as long as he is still sitting in the position of Taiwan's prefect, isn't it easy to earn another family fortune? Zou Yingyuan's hometown is in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. All the property in the old house was wiped out by the Fuhan Army. If it weren't for the Zou family's land, even if the Fuhan Army divided it, no one would have dared to take it. The Zou family would not even be able to keep their last property.
After becoming a high school scholar in the 16th year of Qianlong's reign, Zou Yingyuan has not been a prosperous official and salary for the past 17 years, but he can't be said to be poor either. Officials like him occupied the main position in the entire Qing Dynasty bureaucracy, and it was difficult for them to achieve the position of feudal official in their lifetime. The third-rank official was the ceiling for them, but how many feudal official and six ministerial positions were there in the whole of China? Besides, there are still so many positions reserved for the Eight Banners of Manchuria and Mongolia? People like Zou Yingyuan are already pretty good, they are the middle level of the entire system and they are also the pillars of the entire system. For such an official, as long as he is still alive, it is not difficult to earn a share of the family business again.
"Master, master..."
Zou Yingyuan liked to drink tea very much, and he had a stamped square teapot in his hand. According to legend, it was made by Shi Dabin, a master of purple clay teapots in the Qing Dynasty. It was extremely precious. Zou Yingyuan's favorite thing to do is to make a pot of good tea and read a book leisurely by himself, enjoying himself. Zou Yingyuan especially enjoys the indifference and tranquility.
As a result, the tranquility was broken by his personal attendant.
"Master, Fengshan, someone in Fengshan County rebelled..." Chang Suiran was out of breath, but he didn't miss the anger on Zou Yingyuan's face and reported quickly. This was a big deal. As soon as he received the news, he was like a rabbit whose tail was stepped on, running all the way to find Zou Yingyuan who was having fun. For such a large magistrate's office, the distance from the front hall to the backyard is quite long.
The anger that had just appeared on Zou Yingyuan's face was wiped away. He stood up suddenly and looked at Chang Sui with a look of disbelief on his face. The book in his hand fell to his feet without even realizing it.
"Master, there is really a rebellion, really. A man named Huang Jiao from Fengshan County raised a flag and captured the Gangshan Flood Camp, killing more than fifty officers and soldiers. Now they are gathering hundreds of people to attack Fengshan County."
Zou Yingyuan was dizzy for a while, his whole body swayed, and he was a little unsteady. His legs gave out and he fell down on the recliner. The recliner collided with the coffee table next to him. Zou Yingyuan's most treasured square pot with seals on it. It shattered into pieces with a crash.
But no one cares about Zou Yingyuan or his long-term follower at this time.
Zou Yingyuan subconsciously wanted to stand up, but his legs were still limp. He held on to the handles with both hands to push himself up, but he failed to stand up. But this time it seemed that he had exhausted all his strength. He closed his eyes slightly and fell into the recliner again in despair.
"Master, master..." Chang Sui jumped up anxiously. At this time, my master cannot afford to stand up.
"Stop shouting." Zou Yingyuan was upset by the call. He let out a low growl, and his face regained a third of its vitality. "Heir, prepare the sedan. I'm going to see Sun Xiantai." The so-called Xiantai, in the Qing Dynasty, was the honorific title for officials above the prefect and below the 'Three Constitutions'. To be precise, it was called Daotai.
As Taiwan's military commander, Sun Xiaoyu is the highest officer in Taiwan. Even the second-rank military attache and the commander-in-chief of Taiwan Town must obey Sun Xiaoyu's orders. Chen Ming wanted to see how good Wang Wei was. As the prefect of Taiwan, Zou Yingyuan had worked with Wang Wei for many days, but he knew that this guy was an old cunning guy. It was a dream to expect him to quickly wipe out the rebels in a short time. Tan.
"The main town cannot be maintained. In Taiwan, who does Brother Qingyuan [Zou Yingyuan] think can be used?"
"Penghu Navy Vice Admiral Ye Xiangde is a capable person."
"How can a mere soldier leave a whole town vacant and use a Xietai? When I go to Fuzhou, it will be decided by Master Futai and Master General." Sun Xiaoyu would not take risks. He wanted to report to Fuzhou and ask Fuzhou's Fujian Governor Ening and Fuzhou General Ming Fuli to come at most. They are the two most powerful people in Fujian at the moment. Because Cui Yingjie, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang who was also stationed in Fuzhou, had already rushed to Zhejiang.
On June 15, the 33rd year of Qianlong's reign, the Gangshan Yellow Sect raised the flag against the Qing Dynasty, gathered more than 500 poor peasants, and directly attacked the camp where the officers and soldiers of Gangshan were stationed. They defeated the Qing soldiers, seized hundreds of weapons and military equipment, and then besieged Fengshan County. The surrounding poor people enthusiastically joined the rebel army. When Wang Wei, the general of Taiwan Town, led his troops to arrive, the Yellow Sect's rebel army had grown to two or three thousand people. Wang Wei was terrified, "waiting and watching for a few days, and then leading the troops to advance. A few miles away from the enemy, they would station, fire empty guns, and burn their own tents."
Before this message was delivered to the hands of the old man Qianlong, Chen Ming had already received the secret report forwarded by the dark camp. This Wang Wei is a complete fool, and even more timid and cowardly. The Yellow Sect's rebel army has only two or three thousand people so far, and there are also some women and children. Wang Wei led more than 5,000 troops, but did not dare to attack.
Now Yan Yan, the leader of the Tiandihui in the northern part of Taiwan, is about to launch an uprising in advance. Wang Wei's incompetence is beyond expectations. With such a general, it is an opportunity given by God. If we don't take advantage of this great opportunity to launch an uprising, should we wait until the Qing army comes back and the head of the Yellow Sect is chopped off before launching an uprising?
Chen Ming was speechless for a long time after receiving the news from the dark camp. Taiwan is going to be in chaos, and the whole of Fujian is also going to be in chaos. When the remaining garrisons in Fujian are transferred to Taiwan to suppress the rebels, the Tiandihui in Fujian will then erupt in an uprising. They are the biggest foreshadowing buried by Chen Ming. According to the original plan, the uprising of the Tiandihui in Fujian will break out on August 15, which is based on the ancient legend that Chen Ming knows: "Kill the Tartars on August 15", but the fact is-that is a fabrication. This sentence has never been circulated among the people in the middle of Qianlong. Now it is only the 15th of June. Plans really can't keep up with changes.
June 20th, Xidi Amiri Village, Changhua County, Taiwan, a very remote village. Although this village is small, it is surrounded by mountains and streams, and the scenery is very beautiful. Today, in a small courtyard on the east side of the village, more than 20 strong young men came one after another. Following closely, a middle-aged man also came on the back mountain path. This strong man looked to be in his forties, with a beard all over his face. He was not tall, but very strong and powerful. Behind him followed four young men in their early twenties, each holding a gun and a sword, with a fierce and brave look.
If you want to know who this middle-aged man is, he is the chief leader of the Tiandihui in the counties of Taiwan North Road - Yan Yan. Speaking of this man's name, everyone in the area of Taiwan North Road, including the entire southern Fujian area, knows him. He was introduced to the Tiandihui by a Cantonese in the 17th year of Qianlong.
He was a wanted criminal by the Fujian government ten years ago. In the autumn of the 32nd year of Qianlong's reign, the news of the Lushan Chen family's uprising reached Fujian. Yan Yan was very excited after hearing it. In addition, the Fujian government was very hard at that time to hunt him down, so Yan Yan changed his name to Huo Yin and crossed the sea to Taiwan. Because of his high reputation and rich experience, he quickly became the chief leader of the northern route of Taiwan Tiandihui.
After Yan Yan arrived in Taiwan, he first opened a cloth shop in Changhua County as a cover. His public identity was the owner of the cloth shop, but he secretly contacted fellow villagers from Zhangzhou. Since most people in Changhua were from Zhangzhou, Yan Yan quickly became familiar with the situation here and mixed like a fish in water. He also pulled several new Zhangzhou people he met into the group. Among them was a young man named Lin Shuangwen, who was from the same county as Yan Yan. He had good boxing skills and was very favored by Yan Yan. Lin Shuangwen was also a poor family. The Lin family was extremely poor in Zhangzhou. In the spring of the 33rd year, a large number of Fujian naval and land soldiers were transferred to the north. Fujian's money and grain increased sharply. The local government took the opportunity to exploit the people more. The poor Lin family could not even fill their stomachs, so where would they get the money to pay taxes? They had no choice but to cross the sea to Taiwan.
Lin Shuangwen was enthusiastic and good at fighting. He was full of resentment towards the Qing government. He was easily pulled into the group by Yan Yan. Chen Sheng, Chen Pan, Wang Fen and others also joined.
Today is a very important day in Taiwan's local history. Yan Yan believes that the time is ripe. Wang Wei, the general of Taiwan Town, led more than 5,000 soldiers to Fengshan in the south. The Taiwan North Road Camp was almost pulled out, and Taipei was empty. In Yan Yan's eyes, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Yan Yan convened a meeting of the core members of the Tiandihui in the north route in this remote village. Those who attended the meeting included Lin Shuangwen, Yang Zhenguo, and Chen Pan from Changhua County, the latter being the head of the Zhangzhou People's Congress in Lukang, Yang Guangxun, Huang Zhong, and Zhang Lie from Zhuluo County, Wang Zuo and Lin Xiaowen from Tamsui Hall, and Zhuang Datian and Zhuang Xishe from Fengshan County in the south route. The southern route of Taiwan is much smaller than the northern route, and the Tiandihui in various places in the south route are mostly independent, and there is no one with prestige and qualifications like Yan Yan. Zhuang Datian and Zhuang Xishe came from Fengshan County, but they each represented the Zhangzhou and Quanzhou people of the Tiandihui in the south route.
Zhuang Datian is from Zhangzhou, and Zhuang Xishe is from Quanzhou.
Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, in the history of immigration in Taiwan, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou frequently fought, and the government could not stop them at all, and there were hundreds or thousands of people involved, and both sides had irreconcilable hatred and resentment. Therefore, Yan Yan, who was born in Zhangzhou, could easily become the chief leader of the Tiandihui in the northern part of Taiwan, but could not become the chief leader of the Tiandihui in the northern and southern parts of Taiwan. The regional division of Taiwan is a headache for even gods.
June 20th has extremely important significance in the local history of Taiwan in later generations. On this day, the Tiandihui established the general policy of early uprising. When Yan Yan handed over the final results of the discussion of the leaders of the Tiandihui in various counties in Taiwan to Chen Liang, Chen Liang was also quite sad.
He knew that the day for him to leave Zhangpu had come.
The Tiandihui uprising was imminent, and his mission to Fujian was also completed. Once Taiwan was in chaos, the sulfur source would be cut off, and he would have no reason to stay here any longer.
He needs to go to Guangzhou and work hard on the Thirteen Hongs and the Portuguese in Macau.
Chen Ming told him: Foreigners value money and profit but are untrustworthy. As long as you can come up with a lot of silver, it is not impossible to buy the foreigners' ships directly. For example, the foreign artillery drills that the dark camp had developed in the foreign barracks in Macau before.