Chapter 21: Children of the Eight Banners
The next day and the last court, Guangxu read out the holy decree:
"Since Daoguang, the Western powers have opened the door of our Great Qing Dynasty with guns. The Qing Dynasty was forced to sign the Sino-British Treaty of Nanjing. From this point on, the Western powers took a fancy to this place where they could take what they wanted. Since then, the Treaty of Whampoa, the Treaty of Tianjin, and the Treaty of Yantai. One treaty after another, we regard the Qing Dynasty as their paradise, a low-cost supply of raw materials, and a product dumping area. The "Aihui Treaty" and the "Yanjing Treaty" directly cut off the land of Longxing in the Qing Dynasty.
Since the rebellion of Yang Hong, the first emperor Xianfeng also saw that the Qing Dynasty was weak, so he set up foreign affairs, "the long skills of Shiyi to improve themselves". Fuzhou Shipbuilding Bureau, Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Kaiping Coal Mine, etc., all kinds of foreign affairs have been opened in the land of China. It is also the establishment of the Sanyo Naval Division. Finally create a situation of Tongzhi Zhongxing.
From November of the 9th year of Guangxu to February of the 11th year of Guangxu, the war of our Qing Dynasty against France tested the results of the establishment of foreign affairs over the years. Although I lost the naval battle of Daqing, I won the road battle. However, the Sino-French Peace Treaty was signed. Why? Unable to fight again. I have 40,000,000 people in the Qing Dynasty, and I can't even come up with an army that can fight the enemy. Every time I think about this, I feel heartbroken.
Due to the defeat in the naval battle, I made up my mind to build a decent navy. This has the sixth in the world and the first in Asia. There are Beiyang sailors leaning on the Great Wall of the Qing Dynasty on the sea. also trained the elite Huai Army.
However, the territory of our Great Qing Dynasty has tens of millions of square kilometers, and no matter how elite the Huai Army is, it cannot hold the vast land of our Great Qing Dynasty.
I think back to the time when Taizu started an incident with thirteen pairs of armor, and finally created the foundation of my Qing Dynasty. My Qing Dynasty only used tens of thousands of elite cavalry to defeat the millions of troops of the former Ming Dynasty. Full riding is not 10,000, and more than 10,000 is invincible. The words are still in my ears. In recent years, when I used troops in the Qing Dynasty, I rarely saw the figure of my Eight Banners. The elite division of the past, where is he now?
Therefore, I made up my mind to select the strong and brave children among my Eight Banners. Build a new army in a town, and I personally lead it, thinking that it is an example for the world.
I am scheduled to be on May 18, the 18th year of Guangxu, and will be personally selected at the Chengdong Campus in the capital, and all the soldiers in the flag in the world can go to be reviewed. Our Lady of the Queen Mother will also attend the ceremony. I hope that my Eight Banners disciples will reproduce the courage of the past and ensure that my Qing Dynasty will be forever.
Chin this"
Guangxu's holy decree stirred up rumors in the capital, and the teahouse and wine shop were very lively. Three or five people gathered around a table, and everyone said a word.
"Did you hear that the emperor had already issued an order saying that after the fifth day, he would personally inspect and select the children of the Eight Banners in the east of the city?"
"I heard about it, and said that even the Queen Mother would come this time."
"yes, I just don't know what the conditions are. It would be nice to stay in the new army. No matter how you say it, the army led by the emperor can't be short of money. ”
"That's that, no matter how much the army led by the emperor can't be without money. It's been a bad year. ”
Just when this group of people was chatting happily, an older flag man with a birdcage came in from outside the door of the teahouse: "Yo, the Queen Mother Lafayette has to go in person, then I have to go home to practice." Fight to stay in the new army. Don't you know, the emperor has built a new school for this pro-army, what is it called? ”
"Second Master Fu, you don't even know what your name is, and you say you know!"
For a while, the room was full of laughter. This rich second master's name is Fushan, and his original surname is Bayan, and Bayan means rich in Manchu. The rich second master's hand holding the birdcage trembled a little: "What do you know, I just forgot for a while." Tell you about these little rabbits, my brother's brother is in the military department. The Ministry of War knows no, all military affairs in the Qing Dynasty are under the control of the Ministry of War, I still don't know. The rich second master looked at the young man with contempt, and said disdainfully: "That's called the New Road Army Officer School." Do you know what to do? Those who can come out of it are officers. ”
"You rich second master, you are in this grade, so can the emperor still take a fancy to you? You don't even know how to ride a horse, do you? Another full house laugh.
"Besides, second master, if I remember correctly, you are a leader. That's an officer, too. Then what kind of road army school should be similar to you, you can't hold this hardcore crop? One of them said.
Toyama's face turned red for a while: "What do you know, the emperor's army, that is the Son of Heaven Guard." Coupled with the relationship between my brothers, this future is needless to say. Besides, if you can enter this new army, then the third child of my family will be able to make up for the lack and eat food. You don't know, there are too many children in the family, and there is not enough money. ”
In the Eight Banners system of the Qing Dynasty, it was stipulated that the "children of the Eight Banners" were not allowed to leave their own banners casually, and those who were in Beijing were not allowed to leave Beijing at will. Because of their meritorious participation in the "founding of the country" and their special status, they have been fed or taken care of for generations. In particular, the "subordinates" of the Manchurian Banner enjoy a special status, they are probably Manchurians, but there are also Han people whose ancestors followed the Qing clan to fight everywhere in the early years, that is, the "old people" who have been attached to them for a long time. They rely on the blessings of their ancestors, and many of them have an official title for generations, and they receive monthly money to live. Many of the "subordinates" are very hedonistic and very afraid of labor. There's plenty to do all day long. Men play tea circles, thrush accumulation, and play tickets (playing tickets refer to non-professional actors engaged in opera performances). The women also have their own ways of fooling around.
If the ordinary banner man wants to do something, he has to become a soldier and receive a share of money and food. But the family multiplied, and there were more and more people. The number of flag soldiers is limited, and it is impossible to enter the camp casually. Due to the result of the large number of children and grandchildren, the "monthly money" of each family cannot be progressive, and "less porridge and more monks" will thin the income. Some people are still nominally leading the staff, but in fact they no longer lead troops, and some people are still nominally riding schools, but they no longer know how to ride horses. What's more, coupled with the corruption of the upper echelons, the number of flag soldiers who can enter the camp is relatively limited. In this way, from generation to generation, many "subordinates" have become impoverished. When the family road is gradually declining and becoming more and more unable to make ends meet, relying on a special identity and clever tongue, he will do tricks and deceptions. They probably like to buy things on credit, and they obviously have money in their pockets, but they want to take credit, and they still want to take credit when they have already eaten food. Some of them also feel that they have been idle for many years, and it is not a way to sit and eat, and some of them have to learn crafts. But such people, on the contrary, are coldly regarded by the flag people, thinking that they have no future. He was supposed to go as a soldier, ride a horse and shoot arrows, and defend the Qing Dynasty. However, the population of the banner clan is increasing, and the number of cavalry is fixed. As a result, the eldest and second may make up for the shortage and eat food, while the third and fourth children have no choice but to be idle. In this way, if there are a few white dings in the family, life cannot but become more and more difficult. Because they are not allowed to leave their own banner and leave Beijing at will, they have gradually lost their freedom and self-confidence, and many people have been unemployed for life.
Toyama's words resonated with this group of people, and it was hard to say that he was too old to be old. Everyone nodded yes.
"That rich second master, you ask your brother to help inquire. What are the conditions for entering the new army? ”
"Conditions?" A young man at the table stood up and patted the yellow belt tied around his waist: "Ye is a true yellow belt, with this identity, can this new army still enter?" ”
"That's, what are you. Joining this new army is not something you want to do or not. Toyama accompanied the smiling face: "But our identity is not as good as yours." From now on, you have to take care of it. ”
"It's easy to say, hahaha......"
Because of Guangxu's holy decree, there are different opinions in the capital now. Those who want to leave the relationship are moving their own networks, and those who have no relationship are doing everything possible to inquire about the pro-army. In a short time, the whole capital moved.
;