Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 176 Answer me, isn't this betraying one's master and ancestors?
Yang Xianzun's subsequent itinerary was basically filled with worship and cheers.

Although the local officials along the way adopted a stance of non-violent non-cooperation, or as some might say, a "what's the worst that can happen?" attitude, allowing his procession to pass through, the people's welcoming ceremonies were irrelevant to them.

The law doesn't punish everyone!
Tricky people!

They're all troublemakers!

Because they were cut off from information from the imperial court...

Although there was actually another route to Haizhou, the problem was that a large number of defeated soldiers and bandits appeared in Haizhou immediately afterward.

It appeared at just the right time.

However, this did indeed lead to the severing of the official road leading south from Haizhou.

In short, the only way for the loyal and righteous people in Jiangnan to get news from the wise and benevolent ruler was by sea or by going through the distant Sichuan.

However, it is common knowledge that the Qing Dynasty was underdeveloped at sea.

After all, the maritime ban had only been in effect for a short time. Back then, not only were merchant ships forbidden, but even fishermen were not allowed to build ships. It was truly a case of not being allowed to set sail. Fishermen in Andongwei were struggling to survive, and local officials petitioned the emperor, ultimately receiving leniency from the Ma family before being permitted to fish, but still not to build ships, only rafts. Even then, the local officials boasted that this was the result of their advocacy for the people. Therefore, it's understandable that they can't receive news from the imperial court at sea, let alone transport grain. After half a century of being barred from sailing, the people no longer have the capability. They can only watch helplessly as millions of bushels of grain remain stranded in Zhenjiang, their hearts filled with righteous indignation.

Your Majesty, it's not that we don't want to send grain to the capital, it's just that we simply can't!
Please wait a little longer. We will detour through Sichuan to deliver it to you. You and your hundreds of thousands of loyal customers can just wait patiently in Beijing!
Moreover, since the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Gali, was defeated and captured, Liangjiang was without a governor-general. Therefore, the Jiangsu Governor, Zhang Boxing, had no choice but to temporarily act as governor-general. Although there was no imperial decree, the problem was that there was no one available.

General Jiangning?

He died of illness.

General Eksun of Jiangning was already over seventy years old; otherwise, why wouldn't he have led his troops north? However, upon learning of Gali's defeat, he disregarded his advanced age and attempted to lead his army north. But he drank too much at the farewell banquet held by Jiangning officials and suffered a stroke upon returning home, dying instantly. After his death, Cao Yin, the Jiangning textile commissioner who was in Yangzhou raising funds for the army, hurriedly returned. However, just outside Yangzhou, he was robbed by a group of routed soldiers. He and his Eight Banners guards fought bravely, but were unfortunately struck by a stray bullet, thus dying a loyal death for the wise and benevolent ruler.

In short, within just half a month, several high-ranking officials of the Qing Dynasty in Jiangnan suffered misfortunes, including sudden illnesses, being killed by bandits, and even Li Xu, the Suzhou magistrate, drowning.

It's absolutely astonishing.

He actually fell into the calm waters of Taihu Lake and drowned.

In short, the once harmonious Jiangnan region suddenly seemed to be invaded by an evil spirit, and all sorts of strange things began to happen.

Weird.

This is the eerie.

Moreover, this strange phenomenon wasn't limited to Jiangsu; it continued to spread. A large-scale food poisoning incident even occurred among the Eight Banners garrison in Hangzhou. It was said that a banquet for the son of an Eight Banners general was left uncleaned, resulting in nearly a hundred deaths from food poisoning. The Hangzhou general suspected poisoning and, in a fit of rage, wanted to lead troops to search for the perpetrators. However, the Zhejiang governor, Wang Duzhao, argued his case forcefully, causing panic among the people of Hangzhou and nearly leading to a civil uprising. Ultimately, the Hangzhou general prioritized the greater good, and it was confirmed that the meat used for the banquet had indeed been left out for too long, thus preventing a major upheaval.

It is said that the Green Camp had already entered the city at that time.

The overall situation is paramount!

At this point, we can only prioritize the overall situation.

Ultimately, the Eight Banners in Jiangnan consisted of only three garrison generals. Gali transferred most of the Eight Banners garrisoned in Jiangning. Although he was the governor-general and couldn't control the garrison generals, he was a close confidant of Ma Ge. Therefore, the Eight Banners garrisoned in Jingkou were even personally led by the general, resulting in a complete defeat. It can't be said that he was foolish; in fact, it was the wisest choice. After all, if Xuzhou couldn't be held, the Eight Banners garrison in Jiangnan would be useless, as that small number of men couldn't possibly intimidate Jiangnan.

The key to their usefulness lay in the fact that the Eight Banners of the north could move south, not in the fact that their mere ten thousand men could suppress the Jiangnan region.

Rather, it was the main force of the Eight Banners army behind them.

But if the latter simply marches south, then their small, isolated army will be a perfect opportunity for the people of Jiangnan to vent their anger.

The reason it hasn't developed to that point yet is simply because the style of this immortal deity doesn't appeal to the gentry of Jiangnan.

They need to take a look first.

But if these garrisoned Manchu bannermen don't know their place, then people won't tolerate them anymore.

Therefore, the general of Hangzhou had no choice but to prioritize the overall situation.

Of course, the rapid decline of the Qing Dynasty's rule in Jiangnan had nothing to do with Yang Feng, who was heading south. He eventually arrived in Yangzhou amidst the worship and cheers of the people of Huaiyang.

Yangzhou.

The procession of prison vans slowly drove into the new city.

"Look at this corrupt official!"

"Kill him!"

……

The people on both sides of the road looked at Gali and Langtingji in the prison cart and shouted with obvious joy, while also throwing all sorts of random things at them.

Their reactions to Dezhao were not that intense. After all, it had been almost seventy years, and there were hardly any survivors left. Even the younger generation might not know about it. But Gali and Langting were very different. The former was the number one corrupt official of the Qing Dynasty, and a well-known one at that. It was no exaggeration for the Green Standard Army general to say that he was the object of the people's anger in the two rivers region. He truly had a huge public outrage.

Lang Tingji was the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, and he was also a familiar figure to the people of Yangzhou.

He was actually Lang Tingzuo's cousin who had tricked Zheng Chenggong back then. His father was Lang Tingzuo's uncle, but in such a large family, the age gap between cousins ​​was quite large.

They were the two main culprits in the prison van who attracted the most hatred.

However, some elderly people were helped out to recount their crimes from back then.

Yang Feng remained seated in his palace. Because the palace was too large, he could not enter the city gate of Yangzhou. However, this was a minor matter; it was just the city wall blocking his way.

Just peel it open.

So the accompanying engineers were preparing to blow up the structure not far away.

He calmly observed the elderly people making their accusations. These couldn't possibly be just from Yangzhou itself; few locals would still be alive today. But the number from all over Jiangnan was considerable, and these people had clearly been deliberately sent here. The officials and gentry of Jiangnan wouldn't openly welcome the Immortal Venerable, but stirring up hatred among the common people was essential. This was also the purpose of bribing the Green Standard Army to manipulate the war's outcome—to bring him to Yangzhou and then expose the Qing Dynasty's past, which had been covered up by bloodshed.

Then they manipulate public opinion.

As for the ultimate goal, that depends on the performance of the Immortal Venerable.

"Immortal Venerable, a scholar named Qingyao requests an audience."

The attendant went up to the palace to report.

"Qingyao Hanlin?"

Yang Feng was surprised.

In fact, up to this point, not a single scholar of Hanlin rank has taken the initiative to come and see him...

Of course, in reality, apart from those who were arrested and begged for mercy, no officials actually took the initiative to see him. This was mainly because his style was so vile that any official with a shred of dignity would not consider associating with him.

Furthermore, even if those Han Chinese officials were indeed no longer loyal to Ma Ge, they would still have to think twice before joining him. Firstly, their paths were different, and secondly, compared to him, Ma Ge truly resembled a wise and benevolent ruler. Of course, these were not the most important factors. The most important factor was that, up to this point, he had no former officials or gentry under his command. He didn't employ them, and even if they wanted to join him, they had no way to do so. His forces were militia-like throughout the region, with battalion commanders elected by the common people based on population, neighborhoods, and villages, who also managed both the military and civilian affairs.

It's a very simple system. It even has a somewhat ancient feel.

A battalion commander is in charge of about a thousand households, and then he selects his own team leader, who is in charge of about a hundred households. This forms the basic system.

As for the prefectural and county officials, Yang Feng appointed them.

But in reality, they were selected from among the battalion commanders or officers of the elite troops who performed well.

There was no central authority or similar body to the imperial court; he simply had a select group of young and intelligent men serving as his attendants.

He issued orders for the lower ranks to follow; if he didn't issue orders, the lower ranks would handle the problems themselves, reporting to him only if they couldn't resolve them. In reality, they rarely reported to him, mainly because he was often unavailable, and the issues were usually resolved internally. As for the scholars, some certainly worked for him, but they were all at the lower levels. When the battalion commanders and captains selected assistants, they inevitably had a habit of giving scholars a higher regard, but these scholars were definitely not gentry; they could only be the poor scholars or lowly students they were familiar with, who were originally just tutors or minor officials. Therefore, those selected were certainly not the incompetent.

The battalion commanders are all elected, and at least for now, the elections are genuine; they are universally recognized by the people as capable and fair-minded.

Ultimately, there was no place for Hanlin scholars within this system.

"Bring it over!"

Yang Feng said.

Soon the scholar was taken to the imperial palace.

This guy, who was around forty, knelt down and kowtowed in a very standard manner, just like he was seeing Brother Ma.

"This humble citizen, Zhang Tingyu, kowtows to the venerable immortal."

He said.

"Didn't you call yourself a Hanlin scholar? How come you've become a commoner now?"

Yang Feng said.

“I was indeed a Hanlin scholar in the capital before, but I have been in mourning for three years. Although the mourning period has ended, I have already resigned from my official position under the puppet Qing dynasty, so I call myself a commoner.”

Zhang Tingyu quickly said.

Of course, the main reason is that we can't go to the capital.

His father, Zhang Ying, died of illness in the 47th year of his reign. He observed mourning until the end of last year, but by then Yang Feng had already started causing trouble. He had to travel north from Tongcheng by land through the war zone, and the canal was frozen. So when spring came this year, he encountered Yang Feng heading south again, and the canal was also cut off. At this point, unless he traveled by sea or went back to Sichuan, he really couldn't go north. If he passed through the militia-controlled area, the only result would be that his queue would be cut off. Moreover, with his status and appearance, it would be difficult for him to pass through without being able to withstand the militia's strict inspection.

The family of a prime minister!
Even with makeup, it would be difficult for someone with that appearance to blend in with ordinary people.

“I have obtained a portrait. Since you are a Hanlin scholar, even if you are a Hanlin scholar of the Qing Dynasty, you are still a Confucian scholar. So I should let you see it.”

Yang Feng said.

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand.

A servant immediately stepped forward and stood in front of Zhang Tingyu, unfolding the document.

Above it was a Confucius with a rat's tail, staring at Zhang Tingyu, whose queue had just been forcibly cut off.

The scene was quite comical.

Yang Feng came here to cut off his queue; Baltu had also cut it off when he went to see him before.

“I am truly heartbroken. I have already shown it to Confucius, and he is also heartbroken. He never imagined that later generations of Confucian scholars would be so shameless.”

Where have all the principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame gone?

This is treason and disloyalty to one's master!

Yang Feng said with a pained expression.

Zhang Tingyu lay there speechless for a moment.

These kinds of portraits are actually everywhere. It's common for local Confucian temples to display one. Although it's true that it's a bit shameful, compared to one's future, this shame is negligible. Besides, you get used to it after a while. In a few years, if they make one that doesn't have the money-rat tail, it might look strange to them.

"Immortal Venerable, the previous dynasty was actually destroyed by bandits. The Qing invaders came south. Although they were inherently cruel and slaughtered many, they eventually wiped out the bandits and brought peace to the world. The scholars were forced to serve them. Their original intention was to educate the people with poetry, books, rites and music, to weaken their ferocity and reduce their claws. In the process, it was inevitable that they would follow their wishes, just like taming wild beasts and catering to their nature to teach them in a close way."

He finally spoke slowly.

"So, are you taming them, or are they taming you? You're taming wild beasts? I think they're taming slaves!"

Yang Feng sneered.

Zhang Tingyu was speechless again.

"I don't want to talk to you about the previous dynasty. The Zhu family descendants were incompetent, and they deserved to lose the country. I also don't want to talk to you about the Qing demons. They were destined to be destroyed. There's nothing to discuss about a group of people who are destined to be destroyed. I just want to ask you about this portrait. Doesn't this count as betraying one's master and ancestors?"

Yang Feng said.

This guy was clearly trying to test whether he, this demon, could change.

The situation is now clear: Ma Ge is doomed. It's obvious; if the canal is cut off for a year, Ma Ge will have to kill people without food. Moreover, Jiangnan is clearly playing the game of self-preservation and separatism. Even if this "demon" were to leave Yangzhou now, the Jiangnan gentry would still find excuses not to transport grain north. The Green Standard Army has been bought off, or rather, they were always on their side. These bastards listen to whoever pays them, and the Jiangnan gentry have no shortage of money.

Even if Yang Feng were to vacate the Xuzhou-Yangzhou line now, Ma Ge wouldn't even have the ability to reopen the canal, since he's still waiting for the heavenly army to launch the Northern Expedition!

The Qing Dynasty ship is already sinking; it hasn't reached the bottom yet only because it's quite large and needs some time.

Therefore, for a top-tier family like the Zhang family, it's time to consider finding a more worthy patron!
Or perhaps those aristocratic families who have served in the imperial court for generations and have served through successive dynasties all need to find a new and wise ruler. If Yang Feng can give them what they want, then he is a wise ruler. If Yang Feng were to say now, "Let bygones be bygones, from now on, the ruler is the ruler and the subject is the subject, let's start anew," then Zhang Tingyu would not hesitate to shout "Long live the Emperor!" and immediately go to Nanjing to summon all the wise men to come and welcome him.

The latter would also enable him to quickly establish a new dynasty.

The whole world sings of a prosperous age!

but……

"Wouldn't this be considered betraying one's master and ancestors?"

Yang Feng simply held up a portrait of Confucius with a rat tail and asked him this question, which clearly had no other answer.

You don't think so?
This guy would say he personally asked Confucius, which is tantamount to betraying one's teacher and ancestors.

It's up to you.

On what grounds should the gentry be forgiven?
"Answer me, isn't this betraying one's master and ancestors?"

Yang Feng shouted.

Zhang Tingyu lay there, still trembling with fear...

(End of this chapter)