Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 515
The sixth mission to China mentioned by Ekaterina II traced back to the origin, which started after the Battle of Yaxa.

From the Shunzhi era to the Kangxi era, the Qing court captured nearly a hundred Cossack prisoners of war in several confrontations between Yaksa and Tsarist Russia. After these people came to Beijing, they were incorporated into Manchuria with the Yellow Banner, and established the "Russian Zuoling" independently. It was placed in Pepper Garden Hutong (later called Hujiayuan Hutong) in the northeast corner of Beijing.

Of course, the Cossacks who entered the flag would not be kept in vain. Some of them were sent to the anti-Russian front line in Heilongjiang to serve as front-line reconnaissance, battlefield recruitment and translation, and they were very effective.

Since ancient times, China has adopted the principle of "governing according to customs" for foreign races outside the Central Plains. In other words, as long as households can be registered and the government can be unified, there is no need to change their living customs and religious beliefs.

It is precisely because of this that when the Battle of Yaksa subsided, these people from the "Russian Zuoling" were quickly assimilated after living in Beijing for more than ten years, and they were no different from other bannermen in the late Kangxi period.

These people don't know any crafts. Although they have more than ten taels of grain and rice every month, because they are not good at managing money, they just carry cages and birds all day long, hang out in casino theater troupes, and are proper "Masters of the Eight Banners".

Among the early prisoners of war was a man named Maxim Leontiev, who was originally a priest of the Yaksa Church. After he was captured, he stayed in the "St. Prisoners of war conduct religious services.Later, following the needs of Peter I to develop Sino-Russian trade, Tsarist Russia began to send missionary missions to China after many consultations with the Qing court.

The funniest thing about the first Orthodox Mission to Beijing was that Kangxi, in order to show the style of a great power, even added officials and silver to these missionaries and students, and incorporated them into the Eight Banners.For example, the chief priest of the regiment is given the fifth rank of officials, the priest and the assistant priest are given the seventh rank, and other accompanying church students also become members of the "Russian leader". The Lifan Academy provides housing, living expenses and everything they ask Items, and even looking for a wife, those missionaries who did it have huge heads.

Right now, the old lady of the empress said that she wanted to find two clerics from the former missions stationed in China who could understand Chinese to join the negotiating team.

His name is Agafonov Alexei Semyonovich, he is 44 years old, and he is proficient in Chinese and Manchu. After returning to China in 1782, he worked as an interpreter under the Irkutsk governor Ivan Jacobi, the man whose hand was cut off by Zhao Xin, and was later transferred to the Foreign Affairs Committee of St. Petersburg, which was the earliest in Russian history. One of the Sinologists.

The diplomatic mission for negotiating with Beihai Town started to be formed on the third day after Rumyantsev’s mourning event. It was planned to consist of 150 people. In addition to the Queen’s Guards Cavalry, the Military Council and the Senate’s foreign affairs and trade departments also dispatched personnel.The deputies were Count Alexei Grigorievich Orlov and Count Mujin, and Agafonov was accompanying him as an interpreter.

Speaking of Orlov, the head of the regiment, he was ranked third among the famous "Five Orlov Brothers".Their five brothers all assisted Catherine II in launching a coup, and it is said that this was the one who killed Peter III himself.Although Count Orlov fell out of favor 15 years ago, after all, he served as the commander-in-chief of the Tsarist Russian Empire's navy and formulated the first expedition to the archipelago, so he can be regarded as half a military strategist.

The members of the mission will leave in mid-December. Since the journey is more than 12 kilometers long, they will leave after arriving in Kazan to celebrate the Russian New Year (seven days later than the Gregorian calendar).As a result, the arrival of the Russians in Krasnoyarsk will have to wait until mid-March next year at the earliest.

Since the Northern Navy completed the population checks of Krasnoyarsk and Yeniseysk, they waited until Krutogorov arrived with his own troops in early December, and then they came forward and ordered the city of Russian citizens began to relocate.

When Zhao Xin returned to Yeniseysk, the Jewish community in the city that had not yet moved became extremely disturbed by the arrival of the Cossack soldiers attached to Beihai Town.Many people lined up outside the military control committee to apply for a pass to Tulum or Nizhny Uginsk.

The reason why the Jews are like this is because the Cossacks are the natural enemies of the Jews, and the two sides have been at odds for a long time.It's ridiculous to say that these two types of minority groups are homeless people who lack national identity and no sense of belonging, but there are great differences and oppositions in living customs and values.

The Cossacks were originally a group that was constantly being supplemented by new entrants, and those who came regardless of their ethnic origin, such as Tatars, Kalmyks, and Buryat Mongols, could join. The predatory Cossacks are also afraid of avoiding it, and never get involved in this group.

". Cossack brothers! I call on you in the name of the Siberian Cossack Emirate, to join this group! Just like the Cossacks in Zaporozhye, build our own free country! Smash those nobles who joined us Shackles on the head!"

In the Church of the Assumption in Yeniseysk, Mikhail, Krutogrove's number one dog leg, is giving an impassioned speech.On both sides of him are more than 400 men with revolvers on their waists; in front of him are more than [-] local Cossack men who have been "summoned".

"Wait, Mikhail?" A short and stocky Cossack came out from the back of the silent crowd.He coughed, rubbed his long hands that looked like old washed oak roots, and looked at Krutogrove with light green eyes that looked like young pasted leaves and smiled slightly. , asked: "You just talked about breaking the shackles... Then what kind of shackles will the new emirates put on us after the establishment?"

"What's the matter with you, do you have your own people who put shackles on you?"

The short and stout Cossack asked persistently: "What does this "self" mean?"

Mikhail said: "That's what it means. Do you know who is in power in the Cossack Emirate of Siberia? It is the Verkhovna Rada Congress, where everyone can speak. If everyone elects you, you will be in power; or he , or this uncle was elected to power. Do you understand?"

"Then who is the supreme power in the Verkhovna Radari?"

"Mitrich, it's only been 15 years since the Zaporozhye Fortress was blown up by that vicious woman, have you forgotten all about it?"

In 1775, following the conclusion of a peace treaty after many victories over Turkey, the Tsarist Russian Empire gained access to the Black Sea and the Dnieper River defense line, so the Zaporozhye Cossack Emirate, which was once located on the border, became inland, and there was no need to maintain it. Such a huge armed force.

At the same time, conflicts occurred from time to time between the grassroots Cossacks and the tsarist government, which by this time had begun to actively develop the lands of New Russia.Due to land disputes, the Cossacks repeatedly destroyed the settler camps in Tavria.

In view of this, Catherine II took advantage of the opportunity after Pugachev's uprising and decided to liquidate the Zaporozhye region.

The sudden action of tens of thousands of Russian troops caught the Cossacks by surprise. Unlike those military leaders who were willing to surrender, most ordinary Cossacks would rather have a fight with the Tsarist army.However, under the persuasion of the Orthodox priests and the Cossack nobles, they finally gave up resistance, and then the tsarist army razed the Zaporozhye fortress to the ground with cannons.

Mikhail said loudly: "In the future, the Rada Assembly will be the supreme governing body of the emirate, with Ataman as the national leader and military leader! Of course, elections must also be passed. If you are elected-you will take power from above. "

"Really? Are you talking nonsense?"

I heard another person say: "Then what about the land?"

"Are we going to hand over the land here?"

"According to the order of the military ataman of the emirate, each of you will be given [-] dessias of land on the plain west of the Yenisei River, tax-free for five years! We will cancel the poll tax! We will only levy on commodity transactions in the future! Taxes! The land is yours, so you can grow whatever you want. By the way, you can grow a beard if you want, and no one will charge you beard tax any more.”

All the Cossacks present laughed, and immediately talked at the same time,
"Maybe, it's just talking about it now, in order to trick everyone into supporting them."

"Tell us your conscience!"

"We are like bears now, running around in the dark!"

"It's dangerous to listen to outsiders."

"The military uniforms they wear are exactly the same as those Chinese."

Mikhail said: "The Rada meeting will be held here tomorrow, and two local atamans will be elected. He will become the political councilor of the emirate!"

The Cossack named Mitrich said with a smile: "Great! Everyone choose me! I will definitely speak for the poor!"

"Let all Cossacks have the right to speak!"

Mikhail turned around, observing the reactions of the Cossacks.With the experience of agitating in the prisoner-of-war camps of Yaxa and Usoliya, he had no doubts about the success of his operation.Every time as long as he can grasp the emotions of the Cossacks present, he knows that victory is in sight.

In Yeniseysk's military control committee, Krutogorov, who served as the Cossack military ataman, was reporting to Zhao Xin respectfully.

"Because of the rush of time, we only recruited 500 people at Usolie. But don't worry, I have reserved some eloquent guys and let them continue to recruit."

"Discipline, we must pay close attention to military discipline!" Zhao Xin emphasized again.The reason for saying this is because the more than 3000 people brought by Krutogorov were dragging their feet on the way here, arriving three days later than the scheduled time.

The Cossacks of this age were notoriously undisciplined.Wu Siyu had complained many times that the basic queue training for these Cossacks was exhausting, and they could always find various reasons to escape.

The problem is that the strength of the Northern Navy along the Yenisei River is only so small. Zhao Xin also pointed out that Krutogorov's troops can help attract part of the firepower.

Zhao Xin had a headache about the servant army, but Deng Fei and the others who were far away in Hoi An recruited local soldiers very smoothly, and there was a long queue of people at the recruiting office in front of Chenghan Palace.

The North Navy posted a notice on the day it entered Hoi An City.Jiang Fan's brilliant pen was brilliant, and he actually wrote an Anmin notice into a call for thieves, which made the Chinese people in Datang Street and Mingxiang Club excited.

"Annan is close to China. Since Qin Zhao received the destiny to unify the Huan area, King Wu of Zhao expanded the land of Baiyue, and Han Wu set up three counties and they were unified. Later, Li Li returned to the Ming Dynasty, bestowed nobles and favors, and inherited many generations. Over the years. The thief Ruan Wenyue's brother was originally from the same clan as the Hu family. They were ministers and assistants in Guangnan.

These three men were good at wielding sabers and killing their masters with their own hands, benefiting Zhang Weifu.Ruan Guangping, with evil intentions, set up an ambush on the territory, recruited pirates, and plundered the sea.

Ruan Wenyue, because of the death of a general, angered Jiading, regarded the Chinese as enemies, and killed more than [-] innocent people.From Niu Xin to the firewood stick, the corpse is lying on the pillow, and the river is abandoned, and the water does not flow.After February and March, people dare not eat fish and shrimp in the river.Violent and violent, abused in a country, the vegetation, animals, and beasts have no peace, and the heaven, earth, ghosts and gods are all angry.

But the Ruan bandits in Xishan are so wicked that they cannot be tolerated.The people of other countries have been tortured and poisoned for decades, and they are deeply pitiful.The Beihai Navy came to relieve the hardships of the people, and extended the spirit of more than ten thousand lonely souls in the sky.It has been strictly ordered that the officers and men will not commit any crimes, but they can all be blocked as before, so don't be suspicious.He threatened to obey the officials, but he did not follow his heart, but he could serve in his post without adding any crime.

Now Beihai town is recruiting soldiers, the people of the country will benefit, and those who capture Ruan Wenyue alive will be rewarded heavily.Dare to be in a coma, help the evil and refuse to die, with a finger of Tian Ge, sweep away everything.On the day when the Xishan Ruan family was captured, when Xueyou was wronged in the ground, she would hang upside down in the middle of the country, with the heart of the Chinese people, and the hope of the people. "

Next to the Anmin notice, another conscription notice was posted. The above requirements were first of all Chinese, aged 25 to 1.56. Because southerners were not tall, the height was limited to [-] feet [-] inches, which is [-] meters.In addition, those with facial features are not required, and those who smoke opium are not accepted.

As I said before, many Tang people in Hoi An had relatives who were massacred in Jiading, but Ruan Fuying in Guangnan was too cowardly, and the Xishan Army was brutal, so no one dared to resist these years.

But with the arrival of the Ye family father and son and He Xiwen, all the Tang people in Hoi An knew about the North Navy's victory over Hue, and the entire Tang Street was a sensation.Almost from the third day after entering the city, recruitment started smoothly.

Deng Fei and Wang Yuanfang thought that it would be good to recruit 1000 recruits, but after a few days, the number of qualified recruits has exceeded 500, and there are still an endless stream of applicants.

"We can't recruit any more, it's already exceeded [-]!" Wang Yuanfang stopped immediately after seeing the number of recruits on the recruit register.Although the Chinese businessmen in the city were either forced by the prestige of Beihai Town, or wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make connections, they donated money and goods, but so many people had to find a place to settle.

As for the training, Wang Yuanfang originally wanted to use He Xiwen's men, but after careful questioning, he found out that this group of people had no training at all, and after many years of pirate career, these people only had to dare to fight.In desperation, he could only transfer a company from the Marine Battalion to give these "recruits" basic training first.

Looking at the recruit barracks rising up in front of him, Wang Yuanfang sighed and said, "It seems that this new year will be spent in Hoi An."

(End of this chapter)