Great Qing Dynasty talker

July 1797.

On the banks of the Huangpu River, hundreds of thousands of people were waiting with bated breath, each craning their necks to look towards the north.

Skyline~
Black smoke billowed into the sky.

"Here he comes, here he comes, His Majesty is back."

"Everyone, take your positions and follow my orders. Your eyes should be burning, your smiles should be warm, and your applause should be loud. We must show the loyalty of our subjects!"

The crowd was in a commotion.

The director and actors were in position in an instant, waiting for that moment to come.

……

A quarter of an hour later, the fleet slowly appeared in everyone's sight.

The director waved the flag in his hand, and instantly firecrackers blasted, gongs and drums roared, flags fluttered, and people cheered "Long live the people"!
The first ship's deck.

The "Emperor Wu's stand-in", dressed in full military uniform and wearing a gold-thread hollow helmet and mask, waved frequently to the welcoming crowd on the shore, standing straight, and his gold-plated armor sparkled in the sun.

Like a god descending from heaven~
The people were overjoyed to see the emperor so heroic. Their cheers were like waves, one higher than the other, pushing the atmosphere to its climax.

……

Li Yu was alone in the cabin, calmly writing "The Emperor's Diary".

The roar and sea outside has nothing to do with me.

Today, I have become immune to this kind of vulgar pleasure, and the grand occasion of being admired by the people can no longer stir my heart.

Besides, there are so many people outside that it is easy to be attacked if you show up.

A stand-in is a must.

For Li Yu, writing a diary is the real thing.

In the future, these manuscripts of mine will be studied repeatedly by future generations.

So it has to be carefully crafted.

Deletion is necessary, beautification is also necessary, and it is imperative to leave a glorious image of the hexagonal emperor to future generations.

Complete the affairs of the world and win fame in life and after death~
……

"Your Majesty is welcome to return to the court."

Led by Finance Minister Hu Xueyu and Economic Minister Fan Jing, all civil and military officials, merchants, and celebrities knelt on the ground, and naturally hundreds of thousands of common people also knelt.

The "Stand-In Emperor" slowly walked down the gangway and said:
"Flat body."

Then, I dared not say a word.

The sound is impossible to imitate and can be easily recognized by those who are familiar with it.

The guard behind him immediately stepped forward: "His Majesty has ordered that the returning souls of the empire's warriors be welcomed with the highest etiquette."

……

"Raise your guns and salute."

All the soldiers present instantly got into shape, thousands of people seemed like one, bayonets were like a forest, and the atmosphere was solemn.

The ministers knelt on one knee.

The people knelt on their knees.

All I saw were carts of white porcelain jars filled with ashes rolling across the red carpet, heading for the Shangfangshan Army Collective Cemetery.

At that time, there will be three consecutive days of water and land rituals, with hundreds of eminent monks performing on-site prayers.

Behind the convoy were soldiers holding urns of ashes, one team after another, and it seemed like they would never end.

Countless soldiers had red eyes and countless civilians were trembling in their hearts.

This is war~
……

Western Expedition to Europe
The number of the vassal soldiers killed or missing totaled more than 60, and the number of wounded and disabled was countless. The number of the Wu army killed, died of disease, or missing exceeded 12, and the number of wounded and disabled exceeded 6.

There was no statistics on the casualties among the soldiers and civilians.

If immigrants are included, at least one million people gave their lives for the empire.

The amount of money invested cannot be accurately calculated and must be an astronomical figure.

Fortunately, the Empire won.

The war plunder and reparations from various countries brought in at least 2000 tons of gold. It also gained a series of overseas colonies and intangible assets derived from its "hegemonic status".

With the support of the military band, 3000 soldiers of the Guards Corps held a grand parade ceremony on the spot, with swords and guns drawn, bright uniforms and sonorous steps.

The "stand-in emperor" inspects the parade on horseback.

……

Li Yu avoided the crowd and boarded a small inland steamer in plain clothes to return to his familiar hometown.

There is a waterway on the Huangpu River that goes directly to Taihu Lake. Some of the narrower waterways have undergone multiple rounds of dredging by the government, and the waterway is now unobstructed.

The boat moved slowly along the way because there were so many boats.

Li Yu also wanted to understand the customs of the people along the way, so he did not hoist the flag while on the boat.

Just as he visited many colonies when he returned from Europe, the purpose was the same.

Li Yu knew very well that if his subordinates joined hands to deceive the emperor, who had lived in the deep palace for a long time, would only be able to see false memorials on the desk, which would be basically the same as a blind person.

……

A small town appeared ahead, and Li Yu suddenly spoke:
"Stop ahead."

"Yes."

The steamer slowly approached the pier.

After the boat stopped, Li Yu, wearing soft armor inside and a brocade robe outside, strolled ashore accompanied by four plainclothes officers.

Strolling around the garden, it seems like sightseeing.

In fact, it is about looking at the roads, the farmlands, the houses, and the expressions of the pedestrians.

The town is very quiet.

After a tour, Li Yu could almost conclude that the living standards here had reached one percent of those in the empire at the end of the 18th century.

More than 70% of the houses are brick and tile houses.

The main roads are basically hardened.

Although the pedestrians were busy, they rarely had any food and patches on their clothes were extremely rare.

……

Passing by a wonton stall, Li Yu sat down with great interest and ordered a few bowls of wontons and freshly baked sesame cakes.

When the food was served, the captain of the guard said softly, "Master, I am hungry. Let me eat something first."

"Ah."

The captain of the guard ate voraciously, taking a bite of sesame bun and another bite of wonton.

Li Yu chatted with the stall owner from time to time.

It seems that the master is being lenient to his servants, but in fact it is to prevent the food from being poisonous.

After a long time, Li Yu leisurely picked up the coarse porcelain bowl and tasted this folk food.

……

"How's life, old man?"

"Good."

"Really? What's so good about it?"

"you are?"

"I am a passing merchant."

The stall owner smiled and said, "Your Majesty is kind and compassionate to Jiangnan. We pay less taxes, are exempted from labor service, and earn more money."

"How's your business going on weekdays?"

"Okay, very good. There's a textile factory two miles ahead. It's full right after work."

The stall owner said this as he rolled the wontons quickly.

Seeing that he had prepared so many semi-finished products in advance, Li Yu smiled, feeling sure that the wontons on this stall would sell well.

……

The middle-aged man who was slurping wontons next to him was not calm.

He is Na Wu, a former member of the Zhenghong Banner in Sijiu City, and now an exile in Songjiang Prefecture. He works as a "hanger-on". He does not have to endure the hardships of farming, but his family has no worries about food and drink.

In addition, the old man learned his lesson and no longer purchased a house in Songjiang Prefecture.

Spend whatever comes into the account, and buy gold jewellery if you can’t spend it. Live a smooth life.

He turned his head for the second time and his eyes accidentally met with the guard's~
Na Wu lowered his head to drink the soup, his heart pounding.

People who have lived in the imperial city for a long time have a nose for identifying noble people instantly.

Noble people have noble airs.

Especially for the guards around the nobles, no matter what clothes they wear, their sharpness cannot be concealed at all. This is the key~
……

Na Wu finished his wontons, gently put down the bowl, turned around, and spread his hands in front of him intentionally or unintentionally.

laughed:

"The shopkeeper can't explain, so I'll explain it for him. Life is better now, but it can't be simply explained by less taxes and more money." Li Yu nodded slightly.

"Please go ahead~"

During those five moments, my heart rate exceeded 130 beats, but my expression remained unchanged.

At this moment, one of the guards suddenly stood up, dragged his stool and moved to another position, just blocking him and Li Yu, and casually passed out a cigarette.

moment,

The five people shouted in their hearts: Imperial Guards! !

……

"Sir, my name is Na Wu. I am a former Qing bannerman. My family originally lived in Zhengyang Gate in Yanjing. Logically speaking, a remnant of the previous dynasty like me should not speak well of the current dynasty~"

"But, we are human beings first, and bannermen second. As human beings, we must have a conscience."

"Let's be honest. Emperor Qianlong was an excellent ruler, but compared to the current emperor, he is like the difference between this wonton stall and Deyue Tower."

The shopkeeper paused in rolling the wonton wrappers, rolled his eyes, and thought, why are you stepping on me when you're bragging?
The plainclothes guard laughed.

Li Yu also smiled and looked him up and down, suspecting that this was a mood created by the ministers.

……

The five words were pronounced in a clear and slow voice:
"Your Majesty is a unique ruler who combines the qualities of Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Wu of Han into one."

"Wen, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish, making money in a proper way, keeping it among the people, and never disturbing them."

"Wu, conquered the European continent, stepped into Central Asia, suppressed Fusang, and advanced triumphantly all the way. Fenglangjuxu cannot describe it."

"Tell me, is there any emperor in this world who can achieve the achievements of Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu at the same time?" Na Wu seemed to be in the actor's state, "So, the fall of the Qing Dynasty was not unjust at all. If Emperor Qianlong could live to this day, he would also submit and kneel. If he doesn't kneel, I, Na Wu, will press his head to make him kneel. This is called justice in the hearts of the people~"

……

This horse p is really in place~
Li Yu couldn't help laughing, took off his jade pendant and placed it on the table, then got up and left.

A plainclothes guard picked up the jade pendant and handed it to Na Wu.

"My master gave it to you."

"The servant dare not."

"Take it."

The five men quickly stood up, straightened their clothes, knelt on the ground, took the jade pendant, kowtowed, and shouted:
"Slave, thank you for the reward."

"Long live the empire, long live your majesty."

……

The wonton stall owner was stunned.

Staring at the figures of Li Yu and his group going away, he whispered to the five with red faces:
"Why are you shouting long live?"

"Shopkeeper, didn't you see that? That's the real dragon emperor!"

"what?"

"Shopkeeper, you are blessed."

"what?"

"Your Majesty has tasted the wontons. You can figure it out slowly by yourself."

The five men walked with their hands behind their backs, as if they had been given a shot of steroids. Their legs were strong and they walked dozens of miles in one breath back to the bannerman settlement on the north bank of the Suzhou River. They showed off their "imperial treasures" everywhere and told people about the lucky moment they had seen the emperor.

After someone from the Songjiang government office confirmed that the imperial treasure was authentic, the Fifth Master and his family moved smoothly into the new city of Songjiang.

Less than half a year later...

He then became a member of the Imperial Propaganda Department, responsible for touring various places to give lectures on His Majesty's national policies.

Every tour has achieved remarkable results.

Putting aside the character of the old artist, his performing arts are indeed of high quality.

……

"Going into the sea" is becoming more and more popular.

The atmosphere in the provinces of the empire was refreshed.

Go to Southeast Asia, North America, South Asia, Australia, the Nile River, the Dnieper Plain, Paris, Vienna~
Become a farmer, an explorer, a sea merchant, a sailor, an armed guard, a Chinese teacher, a Feng Shui master, or marry a wife~
That's right.

The Tea War and the Anti-French War led to a generational gap among young people on the European continent.

The former killed more than 500 million young people.

The latter has been fought intermittently and is still being fought sporadically today, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 million young people and the complete destruction of the mature areas in northern Frankish territory.

……

Although the Wu army withdrew, the war on the European continent was not over. The Franks were still a thorn in the eyes of various countries and were excluded and isolated.

However, the anti-French alliance completely disintegrated.

The Saxon Kingdom, because of its meritorious service in the backstab, preserved most of its strength in this war and became the number one in Europe and the second in the world, doing quite well.

Relying on the powerful Royal Navy, Saxon seized commercial routes of various countries and the North Sea fishing grounds, and the domestic industrial revolution was booming.

The lives of London workers are still miserable, but there are fewer complaints, at least they are alive.

In contrast, in European countries, there are more boys than girls, the ratio is extremely inverted, and it is difficult for women to get married.

Berlin, Vienna, Warsaw and Paris are no longer as prosperous as they once were.

Whenever a young man with intact arms and legs walked by, he would attract great attention from the women.

Before the reserved young woman could react, the bold one had already taken action. The process can be summarized as: he chatted up the man on the same day, went home on the same day, and cooked on the same day.

……

Hundreds of newspaper workers returned from Wu.

Each of them was like a spokesperson for Eastern culture, visiting friends in a horse-drawn carriage during the day and writing manuscripts under kerosene lamps at night.

The future is immeasurable.

The impact cannot be ignored.

They joined the "World Taoism and Ethics Association" established by the Wu State in Vienna, referred to as the "Daodi Association", the association's funds were allocated by the Wu Royal Asset Management Group.

Crown Prince Lee Won-jeong serves as honorary president.

The author of the popular comic strip "La Dame aux Camélias" won the highest civilization award and became the talk of the town.

……

Li Yu worked non-stop and wove several large nets in one breath~
The first one is a person:
The embassy, ​​local merchants and Asiatic immigrants are a trinity.

The second one is business:

Tea export - cultural output - brand cultivation complement each other.

The third one is force:

Overseas garrisons - human resources and intelligence network - mercenaries, working together.

……

The Tea War, which lasted for several years and once involved more than a dozen kingdoms, ended successfully.

The people of Europe did not direct all their hatred towards the Wu State. The hatred was shared, with the Saxons getting a large piece and the feudal monarchs of various countries also getting a lot.

There was no spontaneous wave of boycotting tea among the people in Europe.

Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief, goal achieved!
A very crucial factor - the teacher has a legitimate reason!
From before the war to the end of the war, Li Yu kept shouting to the world that he was the victim and that he sent troops only to punish those monarchs who tore up the contract at will.

The three major treaties were signed well, international trade was going on smoothly, and you bastard monarchs broke the treaties without saying a word?
Can I, the Emperor Wu, tolerate this? Doesn’t I, the Emperor Wu, have any respect?
Where is justice? Where is civilization? Where is justice?

After repeated propaganda in newspapers, the people in Europe could no longer hate the Wu Kingdom.

There are also a series of civilized operations such as "wounded soldiers' pensions", "highest civilization award", "3% surplus fund return", etc., just to eliminate the dissatisfaction of the European people as much as possible.

Hatred is the best glue. Once the Wu army is over-exploited, it is likely to lead to the unity of the European continent.

Forgive and forgive!
Don't try to solve all the problems at once. That is impossible, and even if you solve them, new problems will arise.

The next Tea War will break out again, and it is very likely that it will be initiated by Napoleon.

Wu will use the next tea war to break up the European continent again and break the European continent's ambition to covet the throne of hegemony within a hundred years~
……

During the long westward expedition, the Wu army's "slightly rough" behavior mainly occurred in the territory of Rakshasa.

Because the Rakshasas are born rough and are very insensitive, they can endure it.

Moreover, the Russians arranged a "scorched earth strategy" for themselves and fled far to the north, which was a self-exile and cut themselves off from the European continent.

In the next 50 years, Li Yu will manipulate public opinion to gradually marginalize and barbarize the Rakshasa Principality. At the same time, he will actively support various forces to compress its living space, gradually forcing it to become a northern tribe and the second Eskimo.

Let the Don Cossacks graze their horses and settle down on the old Russian land.

The Cossacks are a good group of fighters, but they will never amount to anything, so there is no need to worry too much.

……

Frankly speaking, Li Yu’s series of measures are very insidious, even "shameless."

but,

He felt no guilt.

If the east wind does not prevail over the west wind, the west wind will prevail over the east wind.

Friendship is a helpless compromise! Consultation is a test to assess the situation!
Business rule: big stores bully customers, big customers bully stores.

Only after the shopkeeper beat up the customer, can the business be prosperous, the restaurant be full of guests, and people get along with each other in a civilized manner. (End of this chapter)