Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 577 The Interweaving of Shock and Despair
The operation of the weapons test firing team of the Beihai Town Armory greatly shocked He Lin and several Ouchi guards. At the same time, they were also very surprised by the excellent workmanship of the weapons provided by Beihai Town.

In their view, the shotguns of the Beihai Navy are so exquisite that all parts of different rifles can be interchanged; as for the artillery, except for the entire gun body, gun mount, and even the ammunition cart, which are all made of steel, the firing gauges are also completely identical to the same caliber. Universal, this is definitely a very miraculous thing for Manchu.

What shocked Helin the most was that through the weapons of the Beihai Navy, he finally realized a completely different model from the existing firearms system of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. He also understood what Kong Shaoan meant by "weapon generation difference".Thinking that the weapons used by the Beihai Navy are more sophisticated and more powerful than the ones in front of them, a wave of despair can't help but well up in my heart.

Speaking of the application of artillery, there are actually three aspects, the first is casting and metallurgy, the second is chemistry, and the third is training and use.

In terms of casting, when the Manchu Qing Dynasty was in Kangxi, under the guidance of Jesuit missionaries headed by Nan Huairen, the Armed Forces Institute cast the first batch of standard cannons that completely conformed to Western theories.The length, weight, caliber, double diameter, and even parts of this batch of artillery are extremely accurate, and they have become the template for all subsequent artillery.

Since the end of Ming Dynasty, due to the poor quality of pig iron in China, the casting of artillery has adopted a composite structure process; the barrel is generally made of two or even three materials, that is, the iron core and copper body.Although the West and Central Asia had similar techniques at the same time, their level of composite casting was as high as that of China, so there was no need to take a step back.

However, as Watt improved the steam engine, Westerners—especially the British jumped back to the previous era.This is the case with the Caron gun sold by the British to Erka afterwards, using the "solid boring technology".

On the other hand, in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, there have been innovations since before Nan Huairen.Whether the Manchu Qing Dynasty could produce excellent weapons, we must know that the best weapon-making craftsmen in the whole of China were located in the Armed Forces Institute and the Royal Shotgun. To counteract the disadvantages under the equipment system.

And because the number of recastings of the standard cannon samples in the Kangxi era has become less and less, the error has also become smaller and smaller.When the history came to the Daoguang Dynasty, the artillery cast by the Qing court was already "the circumference of the head and tail can be calculated, and it can be as small or large as you want, and one style per person." It is also a cannon that hits ten catties of shells. It was four thousand catties, and the seventh time it became four thousand less catties.

After the outbreak of the Opium War in 1835, the Qing government had previously purchased 59 new 10-jin and [-]-jin small cannons in various forts in Humen, Guangdong. And wounded two soldiers.

The problem under chemistry is actually gunpowder.The power of a firearm is first determined by the gunpowder, and the proportion of the gunpowder formula has little to do with the burning speed and storage.In terms of white gunpowder, the formula ratio of gunpowder and gunpowder is completely the same.

Before the first Opium War, Chen Jieping, the admiral of Fujian at that time, tried his best to buy a large pack of British gunpowder. Before he tried to shoot with a raised gun, he found that the range reached 770 bows, which is 700 meters.The gun is still the original gun, but with a new type of gunpowder, the range is suddenly reduced.Before Daoguang ordered the Ministry of War to modify the ratio of gunpowder and promote it nationwide.

There is no more training.During the Shunzhi and Kangxi eras, because wars were resting, the Qing government stipulated that in April or October every year, gun training would be held on the west side of Lugou Bridge for ten days, and each cannon should be fired one hundred times.Come here and change it to practice artillery on "July and Fourth" in spring and autumn.

In 87, after a few adjustments, the training time was finally determined to be seven times a month, eight shots were fired each time, with a shooting distance of 172.5 meters, and the target rate reached [-] rounds and [-] hits to qualify.

The following is the training standard of the Beijing Firearms Battalion, and the Four Banners and Green Battalions in various places can speak for themselves.The artillery training in those years must have been the first priority, and the most important thing was to operate the artillery, derust the artillery, and deal with the inspection by the subordinates.Therefore, how far to shoot, how much to lower the muzzle, how to aim the star, and whether the gun position is usable are all at a loss.

According to Li Yansheng, the co-leader of the Bailongjiang Artillery Battalion of the post-Qing Army, after raising troops in Beihai Town, the Bailongjiang City Firearms Battalion should have been trained for eight days a year, but since Li Yansheng became an official, he has never fired a single artillery piece. It wasn't until Tsarist Russia hit the door that our so-called "artillerymen" rushed to fight.

Since Chengping succeeded to the throne, when the Qing army needed elite gunners in all previous small-scale wars, they were sometimes transferred from the Beijing Firearms Battalion and Armed Forces Institute, and they had to take the quadrant outside the building office.

The first point is the Qing army's firearms combat mode.

The development of the Qing army's firearms phalanx began with the "Battle of Ulan Butong" in the Kangxi era, and reached the "Battle of Zhaomoshao" in the decisive battle with Galdan, which established the basic mode of combat in the plains.That is to use long-range firepower to weaken the morale of the enemy army, and when it is on the verge of collapse, open the gap with cavalry flanking, and then defeat it in one fell swoop.

In the history of another time and space, that pattern continued until the "Battle of the Four Outer Bridges" before it came to an end.

In the mid-Elkha period, as the use of troops in the northwest came to an end, the military center of the Qing court ended and turned to the southwest. Due to the deep and dangerous mountains in this area, it was difficult to set up a square formation of firearms, so the way of using firearms changed from emphasizing battle formation training to In order to emphasize personal bravery, its representative is the "Battle of Little Big Jinchuan".

According to the official records of the Qing Dynasty, Xiaoda Jinchuan, located in the lowlands of northwest Sichuan, is all mountains in size and steep, and there are no watchtowers at the pass. Forty or four feet, more than ten feet, or even seventeen or eight feet.There are no large holes on the lower and upper sides of the seven circles to look out and fire guns. Blockhouses are set up in the most dangerous places, which are doubly strong, and they are called "war blockhouses".

That kind of watchtower can be shot at least through the stone wall with an eight-pound gun, and even if it collapses, it is even more interesting to smash the mountain.Not to mention the Qing army, even if the European army of the same era came, it would still be beaten like a squirrel and suffered heavy losses.

During the Seventh Battle of Jinchuan, the Qing army's guns, guns and even gunpowder bombs were dropped, and the daily gunpowder consumption of the West Route Army alone was [-] jin.Due to terrain problems, there are few places where it is possible to use artillery to shoot flat. We can only build a low platform that is lower than the opponent's watchtower, and then hang the artillery down to fire from a low position.It's the same as blowing up a blockhouse, one by one, and you have to rush down to fight melee if it collapses a little bit.

At first, the Qing court had no choice but to use the era's "Sky Cannon", which is the siege mortar, to destroy the country as soon as it saw a watchtower.

The two "Little Big Jinchuan Battles" had a profound impact on the fighting methods of the Qing army.In terms of infantry and cavalry, due to terrain constraints, it is difficult to launch a battle formation, and the opponent is not an upright division, so lower requirements are placed on individual combat capabilities; study.

Because of this, compared with the rate of fire, the range and power of individual firearms are more understated, and the appearance of raising guns is the most typical representative.

In terms of artillery, the heavy artillery with minimal lethality in the plains and wilderness is like a waste in the dangerous mountains. Its power is as powerful as the sky cannon, and its weight is as heavy as carrying a gun, so it is gradually marginalized.

Under the test range on the beach, guns roared, and those who tried to watch the silence were separated by the northern navy on guard.The guards scratched their ears and scratched their cheeks as they watched, and they were itching unbearably. They learned how to use those weapons from the test shooter's instructions.Cheng Pingqin inadvertently discovered that He Lin's face became extremely ugly.How should I put it, it's like the expression I had when I found out that my sister was ill.
While waiting for the goods to be loaded on board, when He Lin was going through the handover procedures with Ulia, taking advantage of the fact that there were people on Qishang, he finally couldn't help asking a question.

"Brother Kong, he sincerely asks for advice on something, and I hope that brother is stingy."

Cheng Pingqin said politely: "You and the villain are welcome, you will definitely say what you can say."

"After King Zhao's uprising, your country is peaceful and the people are peaceful, the river is clear and the sea is peaceful, and the seven people live and work in peace and contentment. Since the holy ancestor, eight generations of kings have worked hard to govern, and their martial arts and martial arts have surpassed the generations. It has created the most prosperous era since the Kaiyuan, even Zhenguan Kaiyuan. Besides, the Chengxu of the later Ming Dynasty is gone, so why bother to let Tiantian get involved in the chaos of war again? You see, the man is a good-looking talent, why use his small talents to serve the court?"

"It's clear," Ulia almost slipped her mouth. I think He Lin's question is really ridiculous. Am I being vague about what's going on?

From the day I came to Beihai Town, I have been impressed by the little things in this time and space. I only hope that Zhao Xin's project will be stopped, so that I have no money to earn.

After working in the power plant for two years, Uriah has never been to Whale Harbor to see the tragic situation of the refugees on board, and of course he has also been to a bloody battlefield.I think these have something to do with me, as long as I keep my head down and do the power plant well.Before the incident of Wu Dangerous and Jin Kaijun came out, I realized the cruelty of fighting for power and profit, and Zhao Xin's tactics, and I became more cautious before.

Until I went to Civil Affairs to work as Chen Qingsong's assistant, I accompanied Chen Qingsong to inspect the farmland construction projects for the first time. Every time I saw the villagers, I was at a loss for their hospitality and simplicity. Gradually, I I also learned about the tragic experiences of those people in the Qing dynasty.

Only then did Uriyana understand that Zhao Xin and we were playing a small hegemony game, but saving lives.From this, I also learned that the so-called "Erkha Prosperity" was actually the apex of the large-scale agricultural economy in feudal society, and political corruption and social conflicts intensified.Since China in history has fallen into decline, there may be no way out for Zhao Xin and what we do.

After a moment of silence, Cheng Pingqin lit a cigarette for both He Lin and herself, and then hurriedly said: "He villain, since he asked that, you are telling the truth."

"What did his little brother do, does he know anything about it? It's hundreds of millions of taels of silver! Erka is hearing and asking, only caring about his own enjoyment, and the local government is even more corrupt. You only need to pay a small amount of money to be exonerated, it is ridiculous! According to you, this little Qing is already rotten to the bone!"

"You" heard the other party coming down and took He Shen as an example, and He Lin froze immediately, I wish I had to find a place to retreat.

The disappointment with Lin lasted for several days before, and when the fleet full of cargo returned to Xiaogukou, I reluctantly cheered up with Ma 48's consolation.

At this time, Cheng Ping had already returned to the Old Summer Palace, and when he learned that there were no weapons besides the materials brought back by He Lin, both I and Yong Yan were extremely surprised.Before handing over a sign to Lin to ask for a meeting, I reported the whole process of the trip in detail. Erka thought that I was doing something wrong, so he praised me very much.

At the beginning of November, all the materials arrived at Fengtai Xiaoying. Erka asked Jiaqing Wang Yongyan, He Shen, Fu Changan, Wang Jie and others to go to Xiaoying to check all kinds of materials provided by Beihai Town and arrange seven days The weapons of the North Navy were tested at the artillery range of Lugouqiao.

It is said that the lower classes of the Qing court finally saw Beihai Town’s industrial products other than luxury goods. However, apart from the heating treasures that caused a small sensation, the canned pork and beef made everyone wonder whether the other things had the expected effect. .Whether it is essential oils or cotton-padded clothes, cotton hats, leather boots and other things made in Beihai Town, they are all scoffed at.

The results of the previously arranged test firing are self-explanatory. Both the range and the power of the shot made the ministers present look stunned.However, when they learned that Beihai Town's gunpowder formula was a "legendary secret", they had to spend money to buy it if they wanted to add it before.Before Erka learned of the situation, he immediately issued an order to order the Armed Forces Institute and the Royal Shotgun Office to retreat and imitate.

What?Steel cannon shooting requires something called a "pull tube" to ignite the propellant, what a joke!The fire fork is still used.

Gunpowder is the secret recipe?Give me a break!You are full of skillful craftsmen, Xiaoqing, so how can you still be stumped by such tricks?
The quadrant is so ingeniously made, it's meaningless!The manufacturing office must imitate it.We made the steel ones, but the copper ones are the same, and the things of the North Sea Pirates are so vulgar that they don't even have carved inscriptions.

It's the smallest group of people ever, and there are even Baitang Amen at the Royal Shotgun.Before the craftsmen sloppyly studied the breech-loading muskets in Beihai Town, they felt that they were not a little crazy; other things were fine, but what exactly was the "fire cap"? !

During that period, He Lin found an opportunity to have a deep talk with He Shen. I expressed my despair to my brother, and He Shen was also terrified.I immediately decided to ask Ma 48 to quietly transfer some of the family's silver and treasures to the warehouse we leased in Anping Port.

At the beginning of July, as the gunners of the Firearms Battalion became less and less able to operate Beihai Town's 12-pound guns, Helin's long-awaited appointment finally arrived.I was appointed by Erka as Fukang'an's deputy, and I followed the Firearms Battalion with 200 gunners and 700 shotgunners.Escort military supplies and rush to Tibet.

At this time, Fukang'an had already retreated towards Xining with his hands in hand. Even if I entered Tibet, I would immediately start a fight with Kuo Qianlong. It didn't matter if the military supplies arrived a month or two late.

After the military operation was launched, I had to make extensive contacts with the Tibetan grassroots, to gain support from political subordinates, and to pave the way for the establishment of a good charter before the war.At the same time, in order to outline Qianlong, I had to issue an appeal to the two vassal states of Brukba (Shidan) and Zhe Mengxiong (Sikkim).

On the other hand, the Limon troops of the Northern Navy immediately dispatched another regiment and the main force of the southern line detachment after occupying Kongshaoan Sutai and retreated for a short rest, and set off again. Huji was appointed as the commander-in-chief of this operation, Mishilan And monk Zhou as deputy.

After trekking through the wind and snow, and before crossing the vast hills and the Gobi, the troops arrived at the Sarabulak Station, ten miles away from Kobu Shaocheng, in mid-July.

Zhao Xin once again played the trick of the magic stick. I took a car from Kongshao Ansutai in another time and space to Kebu Shao, and then drove north to join the troops.To be honest, if I come, Huji and our seven thousand people will be frozen to death and starved to death in the Mongolian lowlands.

It is the same as Chengping Qinsutai, a small paddock-like wooden city. Kebu Shaocheng suffered a flood in Erka in 71. The old city that had been battered by war has been abandoned since then, and the new city is completely built according to the style of Guannei. The city wall is less than one foot low, more than seven feet thick, and more than seven hundred feet in circumference, with no turrets built around seven weeks.

Dingbian Right Deputy General Bao Ning and a group of Mongolian princes who fled here originally thought that the Beihai Navy would have to survive the winter anyway and would not act until the spring of next year.So those people staged a looting scene again, ransacking Cobb Shaocheng, engulfing the soldiers and family members of the green battalion in the local farmland, and advancing westward along the northern foothills of Altan Mountain, leaving behind troops for the Northern Navy. A group of Han merchants and Mongolian merchants who were about to cry and cry.

However, the tens of thousands of people that Baoning followed were extremely high in terms of military spirit and morale, and the various Zasak lords could no longer restrain their hands.The point is that the Mongolian soldiers saw that they were getting farther and farther away from home, so they sneaked out at night one after another.

My family members are still far away waiting for me to go back. If I have to go further south, I am afraid I will go back in my life!Forget it, anyway, wherever you go, you will be killed as an errand, let's run!

At the end of July in Erka 78, the Northern Navy's offensive in Kaqianlong Mongolia finally stopped.Because of the loss of the eight central towns of Kulun, Kongshaoansutai, and Kebushao, the Manchu Qing basically lost control of the eight stations in Limeng.

At this time, the lords of each Zhasak in the Seven Divisions of Kachengping were panicked, and we were destined to have a good hot winter.

(End of this chapter)