Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 517 Another Day

When the huge hot air balloon took off into the sky, Li Yuan fell into a daze. Not to mention Li Yuan, most of the new army soldiers had never seen this thing.

The balloon slowly flew up to the sky above the fortress area. Below it were the new army soldiers who, after a brief pause, kept cheering.

On the other hand, for the Spanish, it was as if the end of the world had come.

"Oh God, have you abandoned your people?" The priest who was performing a blessing ceremony for the Spanish militia looked at the hot air balloon floating in the distance, knelt down suddenly, stopped the blessing ceremony, and desperately made the sign of the cross in front of the wall, hoping that God would hear his prayers.

The Spanish militiamen who were receiving the blessing ceremony were completely terrified. Some of them kept muttering to themselves: "Devil, this is the devil's flying boat. God, your lamb is praying!"

Everyone on the ground knelt down and prayed, but the prayers were useless. Although the hot air balloon was fast, it was floating steadily towards the fortress area.

Well, you don’t have to kneel when you go to church to worship, but you need to kneel down to God’s messenger on earth when you confess.

"Sir, is this the product of practical learning?" Li Yuan asked loudly, pulling Jia Lian's hand in an inappropriate manner.

Jia Lian smiled and said, "I prefer to call it the study of things, or physics."

Li Yuan suddenly slapped his forehead and shouted, "That's right, the saints were not wrong, it's the later generations who were wrong. Study things to gain knowledge, exhaust all physics. I understand, I understand!"

Seeing Li Yuan talking to himself like a madman, Jia Lian had to interrupt him to prevent him from having hysteria.

"Understand what?"

"Everything is too much or too little, the sages have long said that the doctrine of the mean. After Neo-Confucianism, people emphasized morality and form, but that does not mean that the result is not important. It's just that the Taoists in later generations used form to cover up their selfish purposes for their own interests. Those in power cannot only talk about morality, but also use national laws to restrain officials. Morality is what people want, and national laws are the shackles of officials. There is no contradiction between the two, but they complement each other. My father rectified the administration of officials because he saw that the administration was corrupt. The court officials only knew how to talk about morality, but all they did were for their own interests. I was wrong, I was very wrong. To see whether a person is a gentleman or a villain, don't look at what he says, but look at who benefits from his actions."

Jia Lian looked at Li Yuan with mixed feelings. This prince had good understanding. Although his logic seemed wrong to Jia Lian, the result was right. It was like the process of calculation was wrong, but the result was right.

Another example is that the motivation is bad, but the result is good.

Of course, you can't tell him about the theory of materialism. If you bring up this theory now, it's called dragon-slaying tactics and will be considered treason.

"Back then, those people around me said all kinds of things about the R&D Department in front of me, not because the R&D Department did anything wrong, but because they were eyeing the benefits of the R&D Department. They attacked you because you blocked their way to wealth. Although the R&D Department was created by you, for them, if they see any benefit, they must get it, and whoever blocks the way will be eliminated. This is what the villain thinks. You are a gentleman, although you love money, you get it in a proper way. Most of the money earned by the R&D Department is used by the country. You villain, you really deserve to die!"

Seeing that Li Yuan was about to go to extremes again, Jia Lian quickly spoke up to correct him.

"Your Highness just mentioned moderation, why do you want to say something excessive? Remember one thing, a successful ruler should not only use gentlemen, but also villains. Unless the ruler wants to rebel, in order to achieve a good result, he must unite the majority. How to unite the majority, Your Highness, go back and think about this question carefully."

Jia Lian assigned homework again, which was better than letting Li Yuan keep asking questions on the side.

Alas, the more progress Li Yuan made, the more Jia Lian wanted to keep him in Nanyang to be a local lord.

When the hot air balloon arrived right above the fortress area, all the Spaniards in the fortress area were in chaos. Countless people knelt on the street and prayed for God's help.

The Spanish Governor was high up in the fortress, standing at the window, looking at the hot air balloon above his head, his whole body slumped against the windowsill.

“God is!”

The bishop knelt down facing the wall and prayed continuously, hoping that the holy light of God would appear and destroy the pagans' magic.

The sudden appearance of the hot air balloon brought the morale of the Spaniards in the entire fortress area to its lowest point.

Almost at the same time, the natives launched an attack on the expatriate community. Not just one side, but the natives from all directions rushed towards the core area of ​​the expatriate community like a tide.

They shouted with ferocious faces, and the deafening shouts seemed to bring shocking morale to the natives.

"No firing without orders." The officers shouted loudly behind the breastwork. The expressions of the expatriates holding muskets and the bandits under Hai Longtou were clearly different.

The expatriates were very nervous, their hands were shaking. The gangsters had different expressions, some were smoking and squinting, some were chewing betel nuts, and some were serious, staring at the opposite side without saying a word.

The rapid-fire cannon behind the sandbags was ready, just waiting for the red-hot iron stick to be poked into the medicine pool.

It is impossible to count exactly how many people came up in this wave of attack, but it is obvious that the natives are attacking in waves.

Maybe they know very well in their hearts that if they fail to win this time, it will be difficult to succeed next time.

The indigenous people's impression of the Chinese is that they all look gentle and hardworking. But how can I put it? It is because you look gentle that they want to bully you.

The Spaniards are not gentle, so would the natives dare to show their teeth to them?
"Fire!" A hoarse roar sounded, and the people who had been preparing for a long time pulled the trigger at the same time. The lit fuse ignited the gunpowder pool. The burning gunpowder was converted into a powerful thrust in the closed space, pushing the bullet out of the barrel and flying towards the natives who were less than a hundred meters away.

Bang bang bang...!
Plumes of smoke rose up, and from a distance it looked like a wall of white smoke rising behind the breastwork.

After the shooting, some people were busy reloading and didn't care about their hands being burned by the fuse. Few people paid attention to the natives outside and only thought about reloading as quickly as possible.

The natives who started running knew very well that they had to give it their all to cover this distance, otherwise they would die on the spot if they were slower.

The dense rain of bullets acted like a breakwater, fiercely suppressing the waves. There was the sound of bullets drilling into flesh. The person who was shot took a few steps forward due to inertia and then fell forward. Some of the people behind him were tripped, while others jumped over their companions' bodies and continued to rush forward.

Another round of shooting, repeated again and again, more and more people fell to the ground, the barefoot natives stepped on the blood, although they were afraid, they were pushed forward by the inertia of the crowd.

Fifty meters!
"Boom boom boom!" The rapid-fire cannon opened fire. The French rapid-fire cannon had a short range, but its firing rate was extremely fast in this era, even faster than a rifle.

The disadvantages are obvious, of course, the caliber is insufficient and the coverage is small. But there are too many!

Jia Lian gave all the rapid-fire cannons and matchlock rifles of the Guangdong garrison to Hai Longtou, a total of more than a hundred guns.

With the addition of rapid-fire cannons, the distance of fifty meters became a dead line, and no native could cross this line.

The brave natives rushed to the front and were also the first to fall.

When the bloody smell in the air was so thick that it could not dissipate, it penetrated into the nostrils and severely stimulated the following natives. When all they saw were the corpses of their companions, fear emerged.

The artillery on the opposite side was still spitting out deadly flames, and the muskets were also firing non-stop.

The screams of the survivors were so loud that even the sound of the cannon could not suppress them, and they reached the ears of the following natives. Cui Lu had been paying attention to the overall situation. It was true that they were attacked from all sides, but they defended very well. The performance of the overseas Chinese might be a little worse, but the fierce bandits under Hai Longtou made up for it. This group of people could not fight the regular army, but they were very good at fighting the natives. When he found that the formation of the natives in the due north direction began to loosen, he immediately ordered: "Send flags, the whole battalion will charge, due north."

After issuing the order, Cui Lu jumped off the tower and ran forward. The First Battalion, which had been ready to go, immediately assembled in the north direction after receiving the order.

"Everyone, bayonet! Follow me!"

Cui Lu jumped up, stood on the breastwork, and waved his hand forward. The flag bearer beside him crossed the breastwork, jumped over the trench, and led the soldiers of the entire battalion to launch a counterattack against the retreating enemy.

The young and strong expatriates behind the breastwork stopped shooting. The bandits reacted the fastest and picked up their weapons, launching a counterattack behind the new army soldiers. The expatriates were the last to fall behind.

Perhaps in their minds, they just needed to hold on until the enemy retreated. Although they were one step behind, the young and strong overseas Chinese were eager to follow, picking up their weapons.

Under the guidance of the military flag and led by the officers and soldiers of the first battalion, the counterattack from the north rolled forward like a torrent, unstoppable.

When Hai Longtou saw Cui Lu taking the lead in launching a counterattack, he was so angry that he yelled, "You bastard! Wait for me to shock you!"

It is very difficult for the defeated party to organize an effective counterattack on the battlefield. The First Battalion led by Cui Lu is the most elite unit of the new army. Their counterattack is swift and resolute. Whenever the natives try to gather together and reorganize, the officers and soldiers of the First Battalion will rush forward, first firing and then charging forward with bayonets.

The natives were originally a motley crowd, and even when they were fighting the Spaniards, they had never seen such an elite fighting method.

A complete defeat became inevitable. People were constantly caught up and fiercely stabbed in the back with ridged bayonets. The enemy troops in the north were directly rushed and scattered. After the natives in other directions reacted, they also began to retreat. Cui Lu did not intend to give the natives a chance to regroup in a short time. He led the first battalion and rushed and attacked fiercely, chasing them for two miles before stopping.

The following overseas Chinese and bandits harvested some leeks, and when they saw the people in front had stopped, they also stopped and began to clean up the battlefield.

Until dark, the natives did not appear in large numbers again. The expatriates and bandits hurried to clean up the battlefield.

The natives suffered heavy casualties, with more than 1,200 dead and wounded left at the scene, including more than 600 left in the north.

"The weather is too hot. We can't leave the bodies outside, otherwise a plague will definitely break out." Cui Lu found Boss Chen and Hai Longtou and told them the seriousness of the situation.

"Pile them up and burn them. They should be burned up in one night. We have no shortage of firewood anyway." Boss Chen came up with a solution. Hai Longtou had no objection. After all, they were not on the sea and could be buried at sea.

As they were discussing, there was a burst of exclamations: "Look, what is that?"

Hai Longtou pointed to the sky, with an expression of disbelief and shock. Cui Lu knew what this thing was, and after taking a look at it, he said, "What a fuss! This is a hot air balloon from the General Staff Office, used for reconnaissance."

After learning that the hot air balloon was released by the new army, the entire overseas Chinese community cheered and morale instantly reached its peak. If the natives came again, they would rush forward and fight for another three hundred rounds.

No one could understand the principle behind this. Just knowing that it belonged to their own people was enough to make the overseas Chinese excited.

The sun was setting, and the third day after the landing was about to pass. The beach was still busy, all the artillery had been unloaded, and more supplies were still coming ashore.

Jia Lian, who received the battle report from the front, replied: "Don't be careless, be prepared for any unexpected events."

The officers of the New Army were very clear about Jia Lian's command style. They did not seek a quick victory, and would never take risks if possible, but only sought to be invincible.

After nightfall, Jia Lian arranged his shifts and lay down to sleep. After a busy day, he had no time to care about mosquito bites.

This kind of tiredness is not physical tiredness, but the tiredness of being highly mentally tense and always in a state of tension.

Although they had participated in many wars, this time was different. Being thousands of miles away in the South Seas, they really couldn't afford to make the slightest mistake, for fear that if they were defeated, they might be thrown into the sea to feed the fish.

When Jia Lian woke up after a night's sleep, it was just dawn. He washed himself casually and wiped himself with a towel. He hadn't taken a bath for three days. Although he felt uncomfortable, he couldn't take care of it for a while. He was still better. The soldiers in the front were the ones who suffered. In this hot season, especially in Southeast Asia, their clothes had already gone bad and they had no time to wash and change clothes. There was no way, this was war.

Li Yuan did not sleep well last night. Jia Lian's questions came one after another. Li Yuan felt that if he could figure out all of them, he would be a qualified ruler in the future.

After washing up and eating some porridge, Li Yuan found Jia Lian again.

Jia Lian, who had just finished a bowl of noodles, put down his chopsticks and stood up: "Second Prince, have you had breakfast?"

"I have used it. Let me answer your question." Li Yuan seemed very anxious, and he really felt like he was on the eve of breaking out of his cocoon.

Jia Lian lit a cigarette and said as he walked, "It seems that Your Highness has thought it through."

"It takes three to make a hero. No matter who you are, you can't accomplish anything by yourself. Therefore, you must gather more people around you, regardless of whether they are gentlemen or villains. With more people, the benefits will flow out in more ways. The superiors must allocate the benefits well so that everyone can accept and obey their orders. But there must be a bottom line, and the foundation of the country must not be damaged."

Jia Lian smiled when he heard Li Yuan's answer and said, "Does your Highness think it is possible to do this without damaging the foundation of the country?"

Li Yuan was silent. The idea was good, but it was difficult to achieve in reality. He could only try to reduce the damage to the foundation of the country, but it was like cannibalism. A little today, a little tomorrow. There were so many officials and gentry in the world. They did not need to bear taxes, and eventually all the burdens would fall on the common people. It was fine for one or two days, but what about a year, ten years, or a hundred years?

Li Yuan himself is a beneficiary of privilege, so it is not difficult for him to guess what those people who surround him are trying to achieve.

"Greeds are hard to satisfy. When peace lasts too long, the number of meat-eaters increases day by day. It's difficult! As for the cycle of order and chaos, I have figured it out. The contradictions between people and the enemy intensify without waiting for anyone, and the rentiers have already been completely rotten first. These are all recorded in history books. Many times, the internal friction among the rentiers can quickly cause the court to self-destruct even if the country is in a good state. The Western Jin Dynasty is an example. The Rebellion of the Eight Kings was a fight to the death, and in the end it benefited the foreign races, and then there was the Five Barbarians Invasion." Li Yuan couldn't find a good way, so he could only sigh and admit that he couldn't do it, at least not now.

Jia Lian smiled but said nothing. Li Yuan seemed to be encouraged and continued, "The collapse of the empire must have started from within. From the history books, in order to avoid the chaos of the feudal lords, the Northern Song Dynasty suppressed the military commanders and took advantage of the impact of the chaotic times on the aristocratic families. It emphasized the imperial examinations, gave opportunities to the poor, and indirectly weakened the aristocratic families. Therefore, after the Song Dynasty, there were no aristocratic families or aristocratic families. The aristocratic families disappeared, but continued to exist in another way, but they were much weaker when it came to a specific family or surname. The imperial power was further strengthened."

Jia Lian was somewhat surprised to hear the end. Li Yuan was quite bold. Seeing that there was no one around, Jia Lian felt relieved.

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. Walls have ears." Well, he still gave a reminder.

Li Yuan just smiled and said, "After I left the capital, I knew it would be difficult to return. When I was in the capital, I was known as a wise king, but I didn't know that my father hated me deeply while I was complacent."

Jia Lian was stunned and laughed out loud, "That's not the case. Your Majesty is kind and gracious. As a subject, I feel deeply about your sincere love for the two princes."

Li Yuan smiled but said nothing. Jia Lian walked a few steps, stopped, and turned back to say, "Second Prince, with my limited knowledge, I can only say that the current situation of the court is symmetrical with the national strength. How to avoid the cycle of order and chaos, just look at what Your Majesty is doing now. Internally, we should rectify the administration of officials while increasing revenue to supplement national expenditure. Increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, these four simple words are easier said than done. Jia's original intention of setting up the R&D department was to open up new sources of revenue for national expenditure. Externally, we will start a new round of expansion. If there are no outsiders, we will not talk about educating foreigners. After occupying new land, we will immigrate abroad to ease the contradiction between people and land. As landlords, when there are fewer people farming for them, the gentry in the folk will naturally be smart and start to treat the tenants well. A country is made up of people, and where there are people, there are conflicts between people. As long as the country's policies are in the interests of the majority, they can ease social conflicts and prevent them from erupting in an all-round way."

It was very difficult. Jia Lian took great pains to explain the principles of productivity and production relations in words that Li Yuan could understand.

"The Qin laws were harsh and the people could not bear it, so they called it tyrannical. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rose up and shouted, 'Are there any kings, princes, generals or ministers of different races?' But later generations failed to learn from their mistakes. How sad!"

Li Yuan made a series of flowery exclamations and Jia Lian remained silent. The lesson mankind has learned from history is that they never learn any lessons.

(End of this chapter)