The Red Mansion Big Liar.

Chapter 760 The good times don’t last long
As it turned out, Miaoyu was still too young.

I thought that manpower was limited, but with Xing Xiuyan sharing the burden, it was two against one, and the advantage was on me. I could also relax a little and avoid being choked.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yun逸 became more and more courageous as the fight went on. Even with the addition of Zhineng'er, not only did he fail to avoid embarrassment, but there was also another audience member who saw him being choked and burst into tears.

Fortunately, Xing Xiuyan and Zhineng'er were not much better than her. The eldest sister did not laugh at the second sister, but reluctantly accepted this reality.

She secretly speculated that it was no wonder that Princess Beijing wanted to drag her sister into this.

However, this also aroused her curiosity, wondering where Zhang Yunyi's limits are.

Zhang Yun逸 was a man who would always take advantage of an inch. At first, he still remembered the agreement he had made with Miaoyu and planned to proceed step by step.

However, they did not expect that taking advantage of the opportunity when Princess Beijing came to Longcui Temple, they could bring the two best friends together again with just a little test.

Afterwards, Xing Xiuyan was also brought along, and he also enjoyed it.

The family was thriving and good things were happening in the court.

As the emperor's condition worsened, gossip about the little prince gradually spread.

Although he was not diagnosed with dementia, he was almost one year old and could not speak. He could not even walk or crawl, and he could not even grasp anything.

This is not the case. It can be explained by speaking or walking slowly.

The ruler is weak and the ministers are strong. If the future emperor is also born with deficiencies, it can be said that it is fate's trick.

Unfortunately, the good times don't last long.

In early May, the Red Hairs suddenly launched an attack on Humen. The defenders of Humen were caught off guard and were captured in a few days under the suppression of the fleet's artillery fire.

Originally, Red Hair's firearms had not yet reached the point where they could completely crush cold weapons.

Even if we are not the opponent in a naval battle, once we are on land, if we adopt appropriate tactics and use the advantage in military strength, the outcome is still uncertain.

In addition, the Reds are short of soldiers. If they rely on the high city walls and thick walls, the situation will at least be a stalemate.

However, since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty, it has never lost an inch of land. The Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi wanted to redeem himself for meritorious service and tried to achieve quick results while the Red Hairs were still unstable.

Instead, the Reds relied on their defense and the cover of artillery fire from naval warships to defeat them.

Afterwards, having tasted the sweetness, the red-haired people hurriedly dispatched the vassal troops from nearby colonies for support, while at the same time heading straight for Guangzhou via the Pearl River Estuary.

In less than two months, they conquered Guangzhou and most of the surrounding areas.

By July, Zhaoqing and Qingyuan were also in danger.

Voices began to emerge in the court, saying that the Red Hairs were invincible and that peace must be sought as soon as possible.

Zhang Yun逸 also knew that the defeat was overwhelming and that they could not delay any longer.

He ordered the armored fleet, which had been on standby for a long time, to attack the Red-haired troops' rear in the name of escort. They engaged in an encounter battle with the Red-haired fleet that was transporting the vassal troops and cruising at sea, and defeated the Red-haired fleet with overwhelming advantage.

However, they were not in a hurry to attack. They only firmly occupied the mouth of the Pearl River, cut off the Red Hairs' supplies, and sent a small force ashore to gather the defeated remnants of Guangdong and Guangxi.

By early September, Fang united the remnants of his army and, in a decisive battle, attacked Guangzhou from all directions and strangled the Reds whose supplies were almost exhausted.

The good news was reported back to the capital, which boosted the morale of the court and the people and seemed to give the emperor some comfort.

In the Jinluan Palace.

Emperor Wanlong, with a dejected look on his face, leaned weakly on the dragon throne, looking at His Highness Zhang Yunyi with complicated eyes.

"My dear, your contribution this time is great..."

"Your Majesty!" Before Emperor Wanlong finished speaking, the Minister of War Chai Hong stepped out and said, "Although Duke Wei has made great contributions, if our Guangdong and Guangxi soldiers can be equipped with firearms in advance, the Red Hairs will not have the upper hand. Such battlefield weapons should still be produced and managed by the Ordnance Department."

Emperor Wanlong did not comment, looked at Zhang Yunyi, and said weakly: "What do you think, my dear minister?"

"Your Majesty, what Minister Chai said is absolutely right. The Tiangong Institute was originally established to serve Your Majesty. I have only made some improvements to the firearms that were originally stored in the Ordnance Department."

Zhang Yunyi changed the subject and said, "However, firearms are not like swords, guns, bows and crossbows. There is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of range and accuracy. Tiangong Academy is still in the exploratory stage. If we hand it over to the Ordnance Department for production now, I am afraid we will be complacent. It would be better for Tiangong Academy to continue to be responsible for production and research and development, and the firearms produced should be managed by the Ordnance Department."

As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Chai Hong was in charge of the Armoury Department, whether it was the emperor's instruction or he was trying to seize power for himself.

Zhang Yun逸 had no reason to object, and he could only use the excuse of research and development to firmly grasp production.

Chai Hong snorted coldly: "What a joke! If we hand it over to Tiangong Institute for production, who can guarantee that it won't leak out? What if someone with ulterior motives gets it and causes a disaster? Wouldn't we just be arguing with each other then?"

"Minister Chai, you are joking. The Tiangong Academy is also your Majesty's Tiangong Academy. Does it mean that in Minister Chai's eyes, only the Ministry of War is the government office?"

If the Ministry of War belongs to the imperial court, then the Tiangongyuan is the emperor's private property.

At least in name only.

Zhang Yunyi tried to distance himself from the issue for a moment, then continued, "Besides, the Tiangong Institute has also made some preparations. The firearms it produces have corresponding numbers. The Ordnance Department only needs to store them according to the numbers, and the responsibilities and powers are clear."

"But who knows..."

"Alright! Cough cough cough..."

Emperor Wanlong interrupted Chai Hong. He also knew that Zhang Yun逸 had just made a great contribution, and it was inevitable that people would feel disheartened when he was so eager to seize the production and management rights of firearms.

However, the weakness of the Guangdong and Guangxi defenders when facing the Red Hairs, and the thousands of soldiers escorting Zhang Yun逸 in the face of the Red Hairs' unstoppable force, made him feel uneasy and vigilant.

In addition, he knew that he didn't have much time left and didn't have time to achieve perfection. In order to avoid a monopoly and an unmanageable situation, he didn't care about superficial work.

However, Zhang Yunyi's words also reminded him that although he had to be on guard against Zhang Yunyi, he had to be even more on guard against Zhou Xianzu, who was a relative by marriage and held a high position in the imperial court.

On the contrary, splitting production and management rights is more in line with the current situation.

Emperor Wanlong coughed for a while before continuing, "The soldiers have worked hard this time. They are so brave and good at fighting, but it is really unfair for them to only be escorted by the Maritime Customs. Let them go to the capital to receive their rewards first, and I will think about how to arrange it."

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Yunyi said hurriedly, "This time the red-haired people invaded the border, we should take it as a warning. Why not form a navy? Even if we can't expand our territory, we can keep the enemy out of the country!"

Emperor Wanlong had a complicated expression, and after a long struggle, he said leisurely, "The land of the barbarians is tasteless to eat, but it is a pity to abandon it. It is really useless. The red-haired people are already terrified by the war. It is a waste of money and manpower to set up a navy, so let's forget about it!"

If it were not for health reasons, the emperor would naturally hope to expand his territory.

Otherwise, after the assassination attempt at the Spring Farming Ceremony, when Zhang Yun逸 proposed to form a navy, Emperor Wanlong would not have been tempted.

However, times have changed. Now that they have witnessed the power of ironclad ships, they are worried that they will be out of control and may backfire on the future emperor.

Originally, the emperor had other arrangements for the escort fleet, and Zhang Yun逸 wanted to go with the flow, but now, not only has his proposal been refuted.

Even whether the existing ones can be preserved is still uncertain.

However, Zhang Yunyi looked at the emperor sitting on the dragon throne with a gloomy face, and finally held back from speaking any more.

"Red Hair is now a lost dog, and winter is almost here. We should get the soldiers to the capital to receive their rewards before the New Year. Let them clean up the mess in Guangdong and Guangxi on their own!"

Emperor Wanlong looked around at his courtiers and said, "Since the red-haired people want to negotiate peace, let them send an envoy to Beijing as soon as possible. Let's stop here today!"

After Chai Hong interrupted, Emperor Wanlong seemed to have forgotten about it and never mentioned Zhang Yun逸's contribution again from beginning to end.

……

(End of this chapter)