There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 361 Nanjing Mancheng
Rewind to a few days earlier, in Nanjing.

The city of Nanjing was very large. As a major city in Jiangnan that served as the capital of the Ming Dynasty, it had a strategic military and geographical advantage. Even though the Qing Dynasty did not establish its capital here, it still designated it as the location of the Viceroy of Liangjiang's office.

Previously, Ailonga told Fuchang that the reason why 6,000 troops could not defend Nanjing was largely because Nanjing was simply too big, and the pressure on the city's defenses was ridiculously high.

There were eighteen city gates alone, and the city walls were continuously built and reinforced by various dynasties. The puppet Qing dynasty also built a Manchu city in Nanjing.

Six thousand Qing troops were barely able to defend the vast city of Nanjing, and they had to further divert manpower to protect the Manchu city inside.

This resulted in a severe shortage of Qing troops defending the outer city walls of Nanjing, while the Manchu city inside was also severely under-defended.

With its forces stretched thin to this point, even General Fu Chang of Jiangning was still hesitating, wondering whether to protect Nanjing or his family's future.

Fu Chang hesitated, and Ai Long'a dared not make a decision on his own, so Nanjing could only wait and see.

Outside the city, the Han army had already begun openly digging tunnels, while simultaneously sending laborers to fill in the moat and build temporary city bridges.

Chen Lin and other members of the Great Han Intelligence Division are stirring up trouble throughout Nanjing and secretly connecting with those who want to start a rebellion.

Everyone was gathering strength, preparing for an uprising and rebellion.

Nanjing is full of people.

While Fu Chang and Ai Long'a were not paying attention, Jiangning Deputy Commander Geng Yinsu secretly slipped back to Mancheng.

"You dog slave, lie down now, ride the big horse, ride the big horse!"

As soon as Gengyinsu entered the house, he saw his young son, who was a few years old, holding a bamboo whip and lashing his old servant Nikan again and again.

Normally, Gengyinsu would be very pleased, feeling that his son had grown up, knew that Manchus were superior to Han Chinese Nikans, and understood how to oppress and enslave these Nikan Han people.

But today, Geng Yinsu realized why he had sneaked back. He hadn't come back specifically to see his son. He quickly took his son off the old servant's back and kicked the old servant to the ground.

Geng Yinsu angrily rebuked, "Quickly, go and call the Princess Consort to the study. My master has something to tell me."

The Qing court had a strict hierarchical system. Apart from the nobles of the Aisin Gioro family, others were not allowed to call their wives Fujin. However, Manchus with titles and official positions could privately refer to themselves as Fujin, and as long as it was not made public, no one would care.

"Father, put me down! I still want to ride my horse! Don't you dare leave, you dog servant!"

Seeing that the master and the young master gave different orders, the old servant, who always knew that Geng Yinsu doted on his son, was in a dilemma.

Seeing this, Geng Yinsu kicked him again, sending him tumbling twice: "Hurry up and go! You're just a child who doesn't know any better. Calling you a dog slave, do you, old Nikan, really think you're qualified to be a slave?"

The old servant dared not overstep the bounds and scrambled down the stairs.

Before long, Gengyinsu's wife arrived.

Gengyinsu's wife was different from him. Although she came from the Lower Five Banners, she was a noble Manchu bannerwoman, not a second-class Mongol bannerwoman.

"Master... um!"

When Geng Yinsu saw his wife approaching, he didn't wait for the maids and servants to leave before grabbing her around the waist and carrying her all the way into the study, where he simply drew the curtains.

After a moment, rough growls and panting came from inside the study. The maids and servants looked at each other, not daring to leave, and could only stand outside the study and listen to the whole scene.

Fortunately, it didn't last long, only a few minutes. The panting in the study stopped, and the sound of you getting dressed could be heard.

Geng Yinsu, having only put on a mandarin jacket, came out and instructed the maids and servants, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and fetch some hot water, and bring me a cup of hot tea."

"Whoo!"

The servants hurriedly retreated as if fleeing.

Just then, Geng Yinsu's wife, who had just put on her inner garment, also came out and asked Geng Yinsu softly, "Master, why are you back so early today? I didn't have time to prepare in advance."

Geng Yinsu said, "I didn't come back so early today. I secretly ran back without telling General Fuchang. I have to rush back immediately afterward, and I'm afraid I won't be able to come back for the next few days."

"Ah? What serious incident has occurred? Why won't General Fuchang allow anyone to return?" Geng Yinsu's wife asked, frowning.

Geng Yinsu shook her head: "That's why I came back today. What I'm about to say, you must not tell anyone, not even a few close neighbors. If this situation continues, I'm afraid Jiangning Prefecture will soon fall!"

Upon hearing this, Gengyinsu's wife was greatly alarmed and even loosened her grip on her clothes.

“Jiangning…Jiangning can’t be defended? But General Fuchang just said a few days ago…that those Nikan Han traitors outside are nothing to worry about.”

Geng Yinsu immediately sneered, "Do you believe that stupid donkey Fu Chang, or your man?"

Upon hearing Gengyinsu call Fuchang a stupid donkey, the Fujin immediately fell silent.

Geng Yinsu didn't care and continued, "Jiangning Prefecture is absolutely indefensible. That Fu Chang is a complete idiot. Does he really think that with just a few thousand men, he can defend Jiangning and stop tens of thousands of Han bandits outside? Hasn't he heard that Han bandits are invincible if they number less than ten thousand, but if they number ten thousand?"

These angry words, coming from the mouth of Gengyinsu, a Manchu, sounded rather comical.

The Han traitors number less than ten thousand, but are invincible if they number ten thousand?
Although there is some exaggeration in the rumors, just looking at the rate of dissemination, even the deputy commander of the Eight Banners in Jiangning chose to believe it, which shows that the Han army's reputation in the Jiangnan region is truly widespread.

After finishing her tirade against Fuchang, Gengyinsu continued, "In short, Jiangning is no longer defensible. Once Jiangning falls, the Han traitors' army will enter the city and slaughter the entire city. Therefore, you should immediately prepare to pack your valuables. Take what you can, and leave the city with your son."

Goodness, they've gone in a huge circle; they've prepared an escape route!

As for the area outside the city, which is already surrounded by the Han army, even if they manage to escape, where can they go?
It's quite simple. Since he had already decided to let his wife and children escape from the city, Geng Yinsu naturally wouldn't cause trouble for no reason and would continue to fight desperately to defend Nanjing.

As mentioned earlier, the reason why the Eight Banners of Jiangning were willing to defend Nanjing to the death was because they were afraid of death and dared not surrender. But if they were already afraid of death, how could they be willing to die for the sake of defending the city?

Therefore, seeing that Nanjing could not be defended, all the Eight Banners in Jiangning were secretly plotting to escape with their families and valuables.

"Better to die than for me! If Fuchang is willing to die, then let him die!"
Anyway, these Jiangning Eight Banners were all noble Eight Banners nobles, born superior people, how could they lose their lives for a broken city?

……

The following morning, Geng Yinsu's wife packed up her silver notes and valuables, and several carriages carrying all the wealth Geng Yinsu had amassed over the years prepared to exit the inner city through the Xihua Gate. The location of the Manchu city in Nanjing was rather unique; it enclosed a portion of the Ming imperial city in Nanjing and transformed it into barracks for the Eight Banners.

The Manchu city of Nanjing covered an area of ​​about 20% of the city of Nanjing. The Manchu Eight Banners family members inside numbered about 30,000. In order to distinguish the Manchu city from the outer city of Nanjing, the main city gates of the Manchu city were usually closed. Only the Xihua Gate and Xiaomen Gate on the west side and the Beian Gate on the north side were opened to connect with the inner city of Nanjing.

In the past, this was nothing unusual; it even became a status symbol for these Manchu nobles.

The Manchu nobles not only had to live in the Manchu city, but the Manchu city was also not allowed to communicate with the Han people in the outer city. It was almost like two independent cities, only the inner and outer walls were connected.

However, in the present day, the problem is much bigger. Several major city gates are closed, and even the wife of Geng Yinsu, the deputy commander of Jiangning, cannot order the gates to be opened. They can only enter and exit through the Xihua Gate on the west side.

Geng Yinsu told his wife not to make a fuss, but he never considered how much wealth he had embezzled over the years. With so much wealth piled up, even Geng Yinsu himself would be reluctant to part with it, let alone his wife, who was a woman.
So much wealth was transported by horse-drawn carriages, and even then, they couldn't finish. Several carriages had to be hired. The scene was so grand that it almost looked like Geng Yinsu was moving house.

The commotion was so great that although his wife didn't tell anyone, it was practically the same as telling anyone openly.

In order to get there faster, the old servant of the Gengyin Su family simply revealed the banner of the Deputy Commander of Jiangning and ordered the guards to let him pass immediately.

It would have been better if they hadn't shown their flag yet; once they did, things immediately became very serious.

Although these Manchu people in the city were used to acting arrogantly and domineeringly, it didn't mean they were really stupid.

"It really is the carriage of the Gengyin Su family. What are they doing out of the city?"

"With so many carriages, how much wealth and valuables must be loaded on them?"

"Wait a minute, speaking of which, aren't the Han rebels' armies raging outside Jiangning City right now? General Fuchang seemed to have said that the Han rebels were nothing to fear before, so how come the Su family's carriage is carrying so much wealth and has left the city?"

"..."

"Oh no! Go back and inform the master immediately!"

"Go, go, go!"

The Manchu servants who saw the Gengyinsu family's carriage were initially puzzled, but then quickly realized what was happening and rushed back to inform their masters.

The message was fine at first; it simply said that they had seen the Gengyin Su family's carriage leave Mancheng and didn't know what had happened.
But as the news spread, it quickly changed, becoming that Nanjing was about to fall and that Geng Yinsu was already preparing to flee with his family.

Although it was just a rumor, the news was indeed true, and most of the Manchus in the city were willing to believe it was true.

then……

The whole city was in an uproar!
The city of over 30,000 people was thrown into chaos.

All the Manchus in the city frantically packed up their belongings and hired carriages everywhere to escape from the city.

There are only so many carriages in the entire city of Nanjing, and all 30,000-plus Manchu people in the city are trying to escape. With so many people vying for hire, there aren't enough carriages to carry people, let alone goods and valuables.

Unable to seize a carriage, countless Manchus resorted to gathering their servants and even personally engaging in fierce battles throughout the city.

Their commotion immediately alerted the city's patrol soldiers, who hurriedly went to inform General Fu Chang of Jiangning.

"General, something terrible has happened! General, the wife of Deputy Commander Gengyinsu has fled in a carriage, causing all the Manchu bannermen in the city to flee in panic. The entire city is now in chaos!"

"what?"

When General Fu Chang of Jiangning received the news, he was furious. He was doing his best to defend Jiangning City, but his own deputy commander betrayed him.

Fu Chang roared, "Send down the order to arrest that bastard Geng Yinsu immediately, and have the others come with me to Mancheng to suppress him. We must not let these Manchu bannermen leave the city."

The Manchu people in the city were the Achilles' heel of his 4,000 Eight Banners troops. If these Manchu people were allowed to escape, the morale of the 4,000 Eight Banners troops would be completely shattered.

Unfortunately, Fu Chang's move came a step too late.

The chaos caused by more than 30,000 Manchu bannermen in the city was not something that could be easily quelled.

In particular, they were all Manchus. Half of the patrolling soldiers in the city were also family members of these Manchus, and the other half were Green Standard Army soldiers from Xuzhou Town. They were all Han Chinese, so how could they dare to fight against the noble Manchu lords?
The uncontrolled unrest in the city quickly spread to the inner city of Nanjing, which was inhabited by wealthy and powerful families, second only to the Manchu gentry.

When Nanjing was besieged by the Han army, they were already somewhat hesitant. However, the Han army's three-step policy of distributing land, families, and freeing slaves made them hesitate, so they chose to remain on the sidelines and wait for the situation in Nanjing to evolve.

Now, the whole city is suddenly in chaos!

The reason for the chaos seems to be that all the Manchu lords in the city wanted to flee.

The Manchu lord is about to flee; it seems that Nanjing is truly indefensible.

While the Han army was besieging the city, they could waver. Now that the situation has evolved to a certain point, it's time to take sides and make a statement.

Chen Lin was still in the outer city of Nanjing, and his contacts were limited to a few gentry, grain merchants, and salt merchants in the outer city. His power was far from sufficient, which is why he had been trying to make connections and preparations.

He had just learned of the unrest spreading throughout Nanjing when the wealthy and powerful families in the inner city of Nanjing seized the opportunity to mobilize their servants and guards to start a rebellion.

Fu Chang led more than two hundred Eight Banners personal guards, preparing to return to Manchuria to oversee the suppression.

Upon arriving in the inner city of Nanjing, they found it filled with chaotic thugs and ruffians who were smashing, burning, and looting.

Fu Chang revealed his identity as the Jiangning General and was about to force his way through.

Suddenly, a large group of men sprang out from the corner. They were all servants and guards of wealthy and powerful families in the inner city. Each carried swords and knives, and some wore simple leather armor. Their numbers totaled at least four or five hundred. The leader, seeing Fu Chang, excitedly shouted, "Brothers, neighbors! That's the Manchu general ahead! A big shot! Jiangning City is about to fall, and the Han will soon take over! Now, follow me and capture this general! Not only will everyone escape punishment, but you'll also be rewarded for your service!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the thugs who had just been smashing, burning, and looting suddenly turned their eyes toward Fuchang with gleam in their eyes.

The number of wealthy gentry and their servants totaled five hundred. Adding in the local ruffians and thugs, the two hundred and eight bannermen around Fuchang, who had no intention of fighting in the first place, turned around and scattered and fled at the sight of this situation.

Originally, the wealthy gentry, their servants, and local ruffians still had some regard for the Eight Banners soldiers, but once they saw that the Eight Banners soldiers had all run away, what were they afraid of?

Hundreds of men grabbed knives and charged. Fu Chang didn't even have time to escape before he was captured alive in such a hasty manner.

(End of this chapter)