Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The capital city conducted a thorough investigation of the national treasury, as well as the local provincial treasuries and judicial offices, resulting in a massive number of executions.

From then on, anyone entering the Qing Dynasty's treasury had to have their anus checked. This became a rule, and even those who had used hemorrhoid suppositories would find it difficult to get in.
Then, the petty thieves in the national treasury were temporarily contained, but the matter was far from over.

There are still many things that Emperor Daoguang needs to personally oversee.

Because the British could threaten the coastline, both Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing were interested in coastal defense, and Emperor Qianlong's interest in first-class warships was not known to outsiders.

Solovyov brought out a whole bunch of ships, which really opened Jiaqing's eyes. Moreover, the Russians were willing to sell warships, and the heavy frigates were at a friendly price. They could even order brand new ones.

Teak from Myanmar, oak from Siberia and North America, and many other high-quality timbers could be used to build ships in shipyards in Russia, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Alternatively, the blueprints could be given to the Qing Dynasty, allowing them to use the timber themselves.

This all happened while the Jiaqing Emperor was still alive. Given that Britain was a formidable adversary, and according to Solovyov, its navy was exceptionally strong, it was given special attention.

However, the wood needs to be stored and air-dried, and undergo multiple processing steps to make it more durable.

Many of the warships that the Swedes had previously defeated by the Russians were extremely durable, with a typical service life of over fifty years.

In this respect, even steel warships may be inferior.

After all, damaged wood can be replaced, and the equipment is simpler. Times have changed, so the difficulty is different now.

Some of the warships ordered by Emperor Jiaqing were second-hand and could be delivered immediately.

Therefore, four Dutch frigates have now arrived in Guangzhou, all with Dutch crews, but they will be taken over by the Guangdong Navy.

The name, however, is quite unoriginal; it sounds like a typical Guangdong naval name.

The four frigates were named "Guangjia" in the order of A, B, C, and D, and the Qing Dynasty's yellow dragon flag was raised.

Besides, the warships of the Guangdong Navy were all the same type of ships as the Fujian ships of the past, which Europeans generally referred to as "junks".

However, even such a navy is already a very powerful force in East Asia.

In the past, when pirates might harass the coastal waters, it was necessary for local governors to coordinate defenses, use fishing boats to enforce the law, and find ways to eliminate them on certain islands and bays. Lin Zexu was very qualified to speak on this matter.

If a few frigates were to set sail now, it would be a deterrent to pirate strongholds in places like Greater Luzon and Palawan.

Moreover, the Qing navy, aside from other factors, was quite familiar with the local hydrology and meteorology.

These four frigates were all purchased at a friendly price, and they did not serve in the Dutch Navy for long before being sold to the Qing Dynasty.

As for the Russian heavy frigates, they will arrive soon.

The waters of East Asia really don't need warships of second class or higher. Generally, the navies of European countries wouldn't send such a large vessel so far away.

During the Napoleonic Wars, a third-class warship, the "Radiant," was already able to roam freely in the Indian Ocean.

It turns out that when the Royal Navy and the French Navy were fighting, the Royal Navy was overwhelmed by the French pirate ships and frigates. In the end, it was a group fight, with a dozen or so warships against three or five French frigates, and the Royal Navy crushed the French with sheer size.

The main task of the Qing Dynasty's navy was to use heavy and fast frigates to deal with pirates and protect European merchant ships that approached the Qing Dynasty. Even this money, which was once considered a "bad practice", was still legal income. The fire loss silver was distributed among the naval admiral and officers, and the remainder was used to maintain the warships, purchase weapons, and train the sailors.

Being able to board the most powerful warship in the Qing Dynasty was a very prestigious thing.

Because these four frigates could generate revenue, Emperor Daoguang was not concerned about the cost and even approved the purchase of several more frigates for the Guangdong Navy.

As for the Fujian Navy and other naval forces, Emperor Daoguang was rather stingy in providing them with new ships.

And there was an even larger vessel, which was being operated by French sailors, passing the Cape of Good Hope, crossing the Indian Ocean, rounding Singapore, and arriving in China.

This warship is the French Navy's "Austritz". It remained in port throughout the Napoleonic Wars and after its completion, it did nothing in the French Navy.

Although the British were always watching the French, they never imagined that the Far East voyage that this warship embarked on, accompanied by two escort ships, would result in all three warships being delivered to the Qing Dynasty.

For the French Navy, this warship had never been used before; it was a completely new Type 122 warship, an improvement on the Marseille Commercial class.

Before setting off, the interior of Toulon was renovated, and under the guidance of sinologists, it was transformed into a Qing Dynasty style.

The problem was that the Chinese-style rigid sail was simply too difficult to handle, and the French already had very good rigging and sails. The French had provided the Qing Dynasty with a number of instructors.

As for this warship, it was one of Napoleon's unrealistic shipbuilding plans. During his reign, the French Navy's battleships were merely existing in the fleet and did not play a significant role.

However, when facing the Royal Navy in the future, there will always be a batch of first-class ships available.

When Napoleon heard that his wife had sold the ship named after his most glorious battle, he couldn't help but write to inquire about the situation.

But Catherine's answer was straightforward: France couldn't afford to support so many money-devouring beasts right now, but they could sell them to friendly countries for money.

She also sent Chinese porcelain, silk, and some works of art to her husband by ship.

Napoleon did not continue to protest, but continued to be the island tycoon of Santo Domingo, while also instructing his former adjutant Bolívar on how to fight the Spanish colonial army.

After all, his wife still has feelings for him, even if she probably has a lover over there, the care he provides is still very thorough.

In particular, these are imperial porcelains presented as gifts by Qing Dynasty emperors. The porcelains that Jiaqing gave to Alexander, Nicholas, Catherine, and Napoleon were all of the highest imperial quality.

Meanwhile, the "Austritz" arrived in Tianjin. It was a scene of great fanfare, with drums and firecrackers going off.

The fast horse soon arrived in the capital, and when Emperor Daoguang heard about it, even his wrinkled and grimy face was greatly pleased.

"I will go in person!"

So he came to Tianjin with only a few followers, but he didn't learn anything.

Seeing this giant ship was quite awe-inspiring.

Emperor Daoguang thought to himself, "It's fortunate that this ship is a new ship that the French used themselves and is being sold as a second-hand ship. This will save a lot of money. When Father Emperor paid for it, Solovyov offered a discount of 200,000 taels of silver to both the Russian and French warships, which is equivalent to the annual salary of several princes."

The original cost was 350,000 taels of silver, but some unscrupulous merchants might sell it for 500,000 taels.

What reassured Emperor Daoguang was the Sultan of Oman, who was surprisingly generous and magnanimous.

He could send a battleship to the Royal Navy, which meant that when he made a "tribute" to Emperor Daoguang, he could say: "Hey boss, I'll cover the cost of this ship."

In order to exchange for the right of the Sultanate of Oman to open Guangzhou as a port, and also to send people to Huaisheng Mosque for pilgrimage.

After all, this mosque in Guangzhou is said to have been built by the Prophet's uncle, so it has a very long history.

Emperor Daoguang was naturally willing to take advantage of this opportunity to save money.

Although it is a celestial empire, having a stingy emperor can sometimes make things seem particularly ridiculous.

However, in Daoguang's view, the decorations on this warship were a bit excessive.

But Cao Zhenyong then said that this was also a matter of face for the imperial court, not to mention there were 130 cannons there. Only then did Daoguang give up. This warship had cannons ranging from 12 pounds to 32 pounds, and they were extremely powerful.

The French captain in charge of sailing the warship even fired in front of Emperor Daoguang. The power of the cannon was probably even greater than that of Solovyov's flagship "Grace" back then, because it was a new ship with new cannons.

After reading it, Emperor Daoguang also praised it.

"Your Majesty, this giant ship also needs a name."

"It is to be given a name."

So, Emperor Daoguang took out a brush and ink and wrote the three characters "Wan Nian Qing" (meaning "May the Qing Dynasty last for ten thousand years").

This first-class warship could carry 130 cannons, had a crew of 1200, and a full-load displacement of 5000 tons. Before the appearance of the last two four-deck monsters among sailing battleships, it was the most powerful type of sailing warship.

Even if this ship sails to the Indian Ocean, the British will have a headache.

Needless to say, if any fleet dares to come to the Chinese coast in the future, they should pray that they don't run into such a big guy.

As for the Qing Dynasty itself, it was actually capable of building its own warships if it had the resources.

However, some people argue that building a new warship is too expensive, and it would be better to buy second-hand warships from foreigners, especially since these ships are currently in relatively good condition.

Emperor Daoguang's biggest flaw was his fear of spending money, so he naturally granted the request.

However, some small boats could still be built by themselves, but even so, Emperor Daoguang would feel the pinch when he spent the money.

Meanwhile, the British were unaware of the extent of the commotion the French had caused in the Far East this time.

What they were more concerned about was what the Russians were doing at that time.

After all, the Russian trading post in Guangzhou created competition with the British East India Company.

In addition, the British obtained information from pro-British diplomats within the Russian Foreign Ministry that the Qing Dynasty and Russia were secretly plotting something in Central Asia.

However, the other party did not mention any specific details, as they were not the official directly in charge of the project.

If Solovyov hadn't gone to Crimea, he probably would have led the army into battle this time.

The Russian governor of Orenburg, on the one hand, was seizing the opportunity to gradually annex Kazakhstan, and on the other hand, he also found a chance.

After all, the Khanate of Kokand's instigation of Zhang Ge'er to cause trouble in Kashgar and other places has already triggered the terms of the secret treaty between the Qing Dynasty and Russia.

For this reason, Baron Essen, the Governor of Orenburg, wrote a letter to the Qing Dynasty's General of Ili.

The border crossing between the two countries in Tarbagatai was under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Siberia.

Speransky himself was a civil servant, and he didn't have much interest in managing military affairs.

However, the governor of Orenburg, like other military governors, held a military post.

If war is to break out, Russia should inform the General of Ili.

Then the General of Yili also had to submit a memorial to Emperor Daoguang, asking the emperor what should be done.

Having just witnessed the Qing Dynasty's first first-class warship, the "Wannianqing," Emperor Daoguang was in high spirits when he received a report from the General of Yili.

The governor of Orenburg, Russia, had raised the issue a few months earlier, noting that activities in Kokand were rampant and that Russian-backed Kazakh caravans had learned of some of their movements after arriving there.

In addition, Zhang Ge'er did indeed go to southern Xinjiang, which, in the view of the Governor of Orenburg, triggered the terms of the secret agreement between the two countries.

However, neither the General of Ili nor the Governor of Orenburg could act on their own initiative and start a border conflict; they also had to report to their respective emperors.

On Alexander's side, Arakcheyev instructed Baron Essen to await news from the Qing Dynasty.

As for Emperor Daoguang, looking at the memorials, he felt that joint military operations would also cost money.

Historically, wars in the Northwest have always been fought over money and supplies, as the consumption of resources is simply too great.

Therefore, Emperor Daoguang was not very interested in directly dealing with the Khanate of Kokand through military action.

Moreover, the governor of Orenburg decades ago had taken in Amursana, also known as Amursana.

During this period, Emperor Daoguang was aware of the stories from the Qianlong era.

As for the ministers, they do not advocate fighting at this time.

Zhang Ge'er's side, in particular, had become like stray dogs, and was directly driven away by the local garrison.

On the side of the Khanate of Kokand, they were unaware that these two behemoths were now considering severing all ties with this small state that falsely claimed to be a descendant of Babur.

In addition, the tribal names of the Khanate of Kokand are somewhat taboo.

Due to a translation error, whether intentional or unintentional, by the Russians, the "Mingge" tribe was referred to as the "Ming" tribe when it was handed over to the Qing Dynasty.

Solovyov heartlessly sent Prussian troops to be stationed among the unruly people of the Vendée region, and it took several months for the people to experience his depravity.

When Emperor Daoguang saw this, he was so angry he almost laughed.

"Do they really use 'Ming' as their name?"

"If this is the case in the land of Kokand, it would be a laughing stock."

Several Grand Councilors nodded in agreement. Cao Zhenyong had seen the problem, but he was unwilling to say more.

Emperor Daoguang himself didn't take good care of his teeth due to his diet, and he had to be careful to avoid drafts when he smiled.

"Your Majesty, why not question Kokand?"

"Accurate."

"However, the journey to and from the General of Yili is time-consuming and prone to errors. If Kokand takes the risk of aiding Zhang the Rebel with his troops, I fear the Northwest will be at war again."

After all, during the Jiaqing era, the killing of a Hezha from the Black Mountain faction due to a local conflict had already brought considerable trouble to the Qing Dynasty's rule in the southern border regions.

Otherwise, Zhang Geer wouldn't be wandering around the area all day long.

Although there is a powerful move to directly expose Zhang Ge'er's identity, it remains to be seen whether his followers will accept it.

The Khanate of Kokand is also about to cause a major upheaval, one that even Russia couldn't have anticipated. (End of Chapter)