The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 432 What? The Qing Dynasty is going to go to war with Russia? (Please subscribe, please vote)

The autumn wind finally arrived, dispelling the last trace of scorching heat that enveloped the city of Beijing. Zhengyangmen Street has also become bustling these days, with the people coming and going being the Eight Banners descendants. They have all spent all their savings to buy winter clothes and hire servants. It seems that they are preparing to go on a long journey to the far north.

These Eight Banners children used to be leisurely people with cages and birds, but now, they all looked sad, like eggplants hit by frost. They no longer hang out in Yutai Teahouse, play with birds, drink tea, or even brag about the glorious deeds of their ancestors. After leaving Zhengyang Gate, they went straight to the fur shops opened by Shanxi merchants. When they got there, they didn't care whether the style was good or not, or what the quality was, as long as it could keep them warm, they would buy it as if they were robbing it, for fear that they would miss it if they were late.

Wang Youli, a waiter at Yutai Teahouse, was sitting on the threshold of the teahouse with his big teapot in his hand, staring at the old fur shop across the street. The shop was very busy and doing a booming business. Wang Youli wondered: What's wrong with these Eight Banners uncles? Have they changed their nature and stopped playing with birds and drinking tea and started playing with furs? Otherwise... I should change my career and sell furs, maybe I can make a fortune.

Just as I was thinking about it, I suddenly saw an old man swaggering out from the opposite Bada Hutong. This old man was extraordinary, with a burly figure, dressed very elegantly, holding a bird cage in his hand, humming a little tune, and heading straight for Yutai Teahouse.

This old man is Zeng Jia Guofan's stepfather, a second-class guard and imperial attendant Zeng Jia Linshu. He is a frequent visitor to Yutai Teahouse. After strolling around the Eight Great Hutongs, he always comes here to drink tea and eat some snacks. He is very familiar with the waiter Wang Youli. When he saw Wang Youli sitting on the doorstep, he said cheerfully, "Brother Wang, you look quite free. Are you waiting for me to bring you business?"

"Oh, Mr. Zeng is here." Wang Youli saw that it was a familiar customer and quickly stood up to greet him.

At this time, Zeng Jia Linshu stopped and turned to look at the fur shop across the street. Wang Youli thought that the old man also wanted to buy furs, so he smiled and said, "Mr. Zeng, do you want to buy some furs too? I'm very familiar with the guys across the street. How about I help you run a trip and ask them to find a good one for you and send it directly to your house? What do you think?"

"Well, I don't need it." Zeng Jia. Lin Shu sighed and said, "I'm not going to Heilongjiang to fight against the Russian soldiers, why do I need such a thick leather? I don't want to be wrapped like a big dumpling."

"What? Fighting with Russian soldiers?" Wang Youli's eyes widened in fear. "We haven't even finished fighting the Taiping Rebellion yet, why are we fighting with Russians again? Your Majesty's brain is too quick, what is he thinking?"

Zeng Jia Linshu smiled bitterly and said, "It's not that we want to fight Luosha, it's Luosha that is looking for trouble with us. The Luosha fleet has already sailed to Heilongjiang, and they are still building fortresses on both sides of the river. They have also occupied more than half of Sakhalin Island. The Northeast outside the Great Wall is the birthplace of our Qing Dynasty. How can the emperor not be angry? After the emperor was furious, and the two guys, England and France, have been trying to win us over to fight Luosha together, so the emperor made up his mind to send the Eight Banners New Army to the expedition to Heilongjiang. Think about it, the cold in Heilongjiang is so cold that it can freeze a person's nose off. It would be okay if you don't wear more thick clothes."

Wang Youli took a deep breath after hearing this and asked casually, "Master Zeng, you are not going there too, are you?"

"Why should I go?" Zeng Jia Linshu glared at Wang Youli. "You kid, are you cursing me? I am a second-class guard, walking in front of the emperor, and my mission is to protect the emperor. If I go, those hairy 'angels' in the south sneak into the Forbidden City with divine spears and kill the emperor, what should I do then?"

"Yes, yes, yes, the emperor can't do without your protection! Look at my mouth, I really deserve a slap!" Wang Youli said as he pretended to slap himself in the face.

"Stop pretending!" Zeng Jia. Lin Shu waved his hand and said, "Quickly make me a pot of good tea and two more steamed buns. After I'm full, I have to go to the garden to protect the emperor. I can't let the emperor have any mishaps."

"Okay! A pot of good tea, two trays of steamed buns..."

Jin Aduo, with his head hanging down and carrying a big bag, walked out of Longxing Fur Shop dejectedly. He glanced at the deserted Yutai Teahouse across the street, sighed, and limped over there.

Speaking of Jin Aduo, he is now the lieutenant of the Left Auxiliary Vanguard Battalion of the First Regiment of the Eight Banners New Army. He is in charge of 800 infantrymen carrying foreign rifles, 200 of whom are bannermen, and the rest are Han Chinese. This lieutenant is a third-rank military officer, and he is also the leader of the new army's foreign rifle team. His future is really bright. It seems that he will be promoted all the way. It is not a piece of cake to get a first or second rank. If he is lucky, he may even get a frontier minister.

But who knows, the emperor suddenly got the urge to fight the Russian Empire before he could even get over the excitement. He even had to mobilize the Eight Banners Army to fight the Russians. This is really life-threatening! The Eight Banners Army was supposed to fight the Taiping rebels, why did they change to fight the Russians? The Russians have been invading the Northeast for a long time. Why did they choose to fight them earlier or later, and then go north to fight the Russians when the internal problems have not been solved? And they had to mobilize the Eight Banners Army. Isn't this a hassle?
Jin Aduo felt so miserable that he couldn't help but sigh: "This is really a matter of life and death!" In the middle of winter, going to the icy and snowy outside to fight the Russians is going to freeze to death. Just thinking about it makes him feel cold all over.

However, Jin Aduo, who was in the army, had no choice but to smile bitterly, shook his head, and walked towards the Yutai Teahouse opposite.

"Mr. Jin, please come in!" Wang Youli greeted him with a big smile on his face. "Is it the same as before? A pot of good tea, a bowl of big meat noodles, and a tray of buns?" Jin Aduo heard it and walked into the teahouse with a swagger. He looked around and saw that there were not many customers, only an old man who was drinking tea and eating buns leisurely. He found a seat by the window and sat down, saying to Wang Youli: "First, a bowl of big meat noodles to fill your stomach!"

"Okay, here comes a bowl of meat noodles!"

"There's one more thing," Jin Aduo saw Wang Youli turning around and about to leave, and hurriedly called him, "Have you found the person I asked you to find last time?"

"I've found it, Mr. Jin." Wang Youli replied with a smile.

"Then call someone over to let me take a look."

"Okay, I'll go right away. Please wait." Wang Youli happily saluted Jin Aduo, turned around and ran out of Yutai Teahouse. When he reached the main street outside Zhengyangmen, he jogged along the street, then turned a corner and went into an alley. There were a bunch of beggars wrapped in rags in the alley, and there were two people lying at the entrance of the alley, almost dying.

Wang Youli glanced at them casually and then shouted at the top of his voice: "Xiao Duozi, Xiao Duozi, are you still there?"

"Here I am, here I am!" A skinny boy of about 13 or 14 years old came out from the crowd of beggars. It was Zhao Sanduo. He ran to Wang Youli like a gust of wind and said, "Brother Wang, are you looking for me?"

Wang Youli waved at him and said, "Come with me, Sanduo. You are lucky. Master Jin wants to hire you as his personal attendant."

"Oh, that's great, thank you Brother Wang for your cultivation!" Zhao Sanduo was so moved that tears almost came out when he heard it, and he was about to kneel down to Wang Youli.

"Don't bow, don't bow," Wang Youli waved his hand quickly, "Go quickly, I still have something to say to you."

As he said that, he led Zhao Sanduo out of the alley and walked along Zhengyangmenwai Street towards Yutai Teahouse. As they walked, he said to Zhao Sanduo: "Sanduo, I told you last time that Master Jin is a senior officer in the Eight Banners New Army. He will go to the battlefield to fight this time, so he has to hire a few long-term followers to follow him. They will go to the battlefield together. Are you afraid?"

"No!" Zhao Sanduo shook his head like a rattle. "I, Zhao Sanduo, am worthless. I am not afraid of death!"

Wang Youli asked again: "We are going to Heilongjiang to fight the Russians this time. The Russians are foreign devils. Are you afraid?"

“Foreign devils?” Zhao Sanduo gritted his teeth when he heard it, “Don’t be afraid! Foreign devils are so bad!”

"Oh?" Wang Youli stopped and looked back at Zhao Sanduo. "How come the foreign devils have offended you?"

"Of course!" Zhao Sanduo's eyes were full of hatred. "My father was addicted to opium. He lost his family and even his life... These foreign devils are so hateful!"

Wang Youli listened, nodded approvingly and said, "Okay, Master Jin wants you to be like this! Come on, follow me to see Master Jin!"

(End of this chapter)