Text/Liu Xiaodao
Dai Zi, a firearms expert in the Qing Dynasty
If Dai Zi, the weapon genius, is not guilty,
Not exiled to the bitter cold northeast,
And make weapons infinitely powerful,
Will the Manchus stand alone?
01
Before the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, China, as an eastern power, dominated the world for thousands of years.
Whether it is the Han Dynasty's chiseling through the "Silk Road" or the Ming Dynasty's feat of creating "Zheng He's Seven Voyages to the West", they all fully demonstrate China's strong and majestic style.
Back then, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and other countries were still in what we call the "barbarian" stage of ignorance and non-enlightenment.
When he arrived at the Qing Dynasty, just after the prosperity of Kangqian, he entered the fast lane towards decay and destruction.
Just as the so-called success is also Xiao He, defeat is also Xiao He ——
Under the administration of Kangxi, the Qing Dynasty was indeed stronger; but it was also in the Kangxi Dynasty that arrogance and self-sufficiency also became a turning point in the decline of the Qing Dynasty.
In this regard, just looking at Dai Zi's unfortunate encounter, we may be able to glimpse it.
02
Dai Zi, in the sixth year of Qing Shunzhi (1649 AD), was born in a family of officials in Renhe (present-day Hangzhou), Zhejiang, with the character Wenkai, and called himself the old man who cultivated tobacco, known as Mr. Gengyan.
Mr. Gengyan has been brilliant since childhood, "holding the general outline of the world, all the elephants, the Pythagoreans, the battle front, the river canal, do not investigate", at the age of 11, he wrote the verse "There is a ability to Kuang Sheji, there is no way to retreat from hunger and cold".
In the thirteenth year of the Kangxi Dynasty (1674 AD), Geng Jingzhong, the king of Jingnan in Fujian, responded to Wu Sangui and rebelled and invaded Zhejiang.
Seated statue of Kangxi
Upon hearing the news, Jie Shu, the Prince of Qikang, led an army to Fujian and Zhejiang to recruit Geng Jingzhong, and Dai Zi applied for the conscription in cloth.
The rebellion was put down, and Dai Zi followed Jie Shu to Beijing and was summoned by Kangxi.
The reason why Kangxi valued him was not only because he was able to write poetry and write good literature and regain Jiangshan City, but more importantly, this old Dai Shan made firearms and was a rare weapons expert!
According to the "Biography of Dai Zi in the First Compilation of the Provincial Dedication expedition of the State Dynasty", Kangxi was able to quell the "Rebellion of The Three Domains", and the powerful military force could make the enemy feel frightened, largely due to the "Lianzhu Fire Hammer" developed by Dai Zi.
Even the beads of fire
However, it was such a minister who had made great achievements, but in the end he was killed by the good-looking Kangxi-
03
In the West, which was the same period as the kangqian dynasty, science and technology also developed by leaps and bounds.
Under the influence of Marco Polo, all the European countries thought that China was full of gold and silver jewelry, rich and fat flowing oil.
Therefore, they dreamed of grabbing profits from China, so they sent envoys across the ocean to inquire about the military situation of the Qing Dynasty.
In the twenty-fifth year of the Kangxi Dynasty (1686 AD), the Dutch sent emissaries to Visit China and paid tribute to a "cockroach shotgun".
The Dutch Mission
"What's this thing?" Kangxi squinted and asked.
"Lianzhu Thunderbolt (the name of Lao Wang's blind breaking)." The Dutch emissary made an introduction while coaxing and coaxing, and showed a powerful power in front of the Manchu Qing courtiers, "Haven't you seen it, is it powerful?" ”
"Hey, what thunderbolt, don't you just hit the bird's shotgun?" The Great Qing has it. ”
Kangxi skimmed his lips, looked up at Dai Zi, who was then the attendant of the Hanlin Academy, and wrote lightly: "Old Dai, come and go without being rude, send him ten." ”
When the Dutch emissary heard this, he was surprised-
Ten? Bragging, right?
Kangxi was really bragging, and the Great Qing didn't have this thing. However, there are capable people in the Great Qing Dynasty who wear it.
Day and night, the axis rotated continuously, and soon, Dai Zi imitated 10 "cockroach shotguns" and gave them back to the Dutch emissaries.
The Dutch emissary looked over and over again, and knelt down on the spot, full of capital letters:
The Qing Dynasty is too powerful!
"The Biography of Dai Zi in the First Compilation of the Provincial Tribute of the State Dynasty":
When the Dutch came to offer the sausage shotgun. Ten guns were given to him.
Not long after, Spanish and Portuguese envoys also came to pay tribute to Kangxi for the advanced artillery they had developed.
Kangxi had a good face, and naturally refused to accept defeat, so he gave the job of "gao imitation" to Dai Zi.
Dai Zi did not let the boss punch his face, and it took only 5 days to imitate the "Flang Machine", which made the messenger almost drop his jaw to the ground in shock.
04
In the twenty-sixth year of The Kangxi Dynasty, the Belgian missionary Ferdinand Verbiest (Zi DunBo, especially good at mechanical manufacturing, one of the most influential missionaries to China in the early Qing Dynasty) visited Kangxi.
Missionary Nam Huai-jin
Saying that it is a visit, it is actually a display, and it is said that their country has made a "cupola cannon" that is unparalleled in the world.
Unique? This is not to put me and Daqing in the eyes. Kangxi was not convinced, and aimed at Dai Zi again.
Alas, the boss bragged about the dirty ass, when the courtiers must be wiped!
Old Dai used his brain again, a lot of thinking, don't say, really to the drum out, and the power is amazing ——
"The son is in the mother's womb, and the mother sends the child out, falling from the sky, and the pieces are broken, and the sharpness is unbearable."
Kangxi Shuangji was given the name "Weiyuan General Cannon".
General Weiyuan cannon
As soon as this cannon was released, it greatly strengthened the military strength of the Qing Dynasty.
Nan Huairen lost face, so he held a grudge against Dai Zi, and secretly wanted to get rid of this firearms expert who was extremely strong.
05
As the saying goes: If you are not afraid of thieves, you are afraid of thieves, and if you show your wood in the forest, the wind will destroy it——
Later, because Dai Zi's talent was too outstanding, he was jealous of his colleagues, coupled with his upright temperament and dared to speak out, he also offended many people in the DPRK;
Zhang Xianzhong's adopted son Chen Hongxun (陈弘勋) joined forces with Nan Huairen to set up a trap to frame him for adultery with the East and not to be clear with Wu Kou.
At this time, Kangxi was really confused, and he actually believed the rumors and indiscriminately sent Dai Zi to Shengjing (present-day Shenyang).
"In the winter, the cold kang is lying in the cold kang, and in the early morning, the ice is broken into the mountains to collect hazelnuts to cure hunger..."
In the bitter cold land of the northeast, Dai Zi was poor and destitute, and after living a difficult life for more than 30 years, he died of illness in Tieling at the age of 77.
Some people say that if it were not for Kangxi's favor and adultery, and the death of Dai Zi, the most cattle weapons expert in history, perhaps, the weapons of the Great Qing would have led the world, and they would have easily dealt with it when the late Qing Dynasty was invaded by the great powers.
Unfortunately, history never has a if.
Even so, Lao Wang still wanted to think about it:
If Dai Zi had not been convicted, and had made his weapons divine and infinitely powerful, and had pursued the strategy of closing the country and becoming more and more decayed and corrupt, could he really defy the great powers and be invincible to the world?
Tell me about it?