Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 657 Mianyu~ Return my troops!!
Chongwenmenwai Street.

Vendors of all sizes, bustling with activity.

The tax collectors, dressed in their uniforms, stared menacingly at everyone entering the city.

They were the famous Chongwenmen tax collectors, known as the most powerful tax collectors in the country, who showed no respect to anyone and made everyone who entered the city pay taxes.

As the number one customs post in the land, it can collect hundreds of thousands of taels of tax revenue every year.

The Chongwenmen Customs House did not collect taxes only at Chongwenmen.

In fact, the taxes collected from the nine gates of the capital were all under their management.

Because the government office was located inside Chongwen Gate, it was collectively referred to as Chongwen Gate Customs.

The reason it was located at Chongwenmen was because the Tonghui River Wharf was right under the Datong Bridge.

Chongwenmen, located just a stone's throw from Datong Bridge, naturally became a distribution center for various goods and a gathering place for wholesalers, as well as the best place to collect various commercial taxes.

Compared to the lucrative commercial taxes, the paltry profits from the city entry tax were beneath the notice of the supervisors, the general manager, and the assistants.

However, for the tax collectors at the bottom, it is their main source of income.

This is why they are extremely serious about their work, not letting even a single penny slip by, and they have always been known for their viciousness among the people.

"I wonder if the imperial army has won the battle?"

"Whether they win or not is none of your business. We're just collecting our taxes. Even if—" At this point, the tax collector lowered his voice and pointed to the sky, "even if the heavens change, they still have to collect taxes, don't they?"

"That's true, someone has to do the work and collect taxes."

The tax collectors chatted idly, watching everyone heading towards the city gate.

Suddenly, they saw two strange men walking into the city, not only voluntarily paying the city entrance tax, but also not even glancing at the tax collectors.

The tax collectors weren't angry; instead, they exchanged glances and smiled.

Another sheep to slaughter!
What they like best are those who don't pay taxes; they can arrest them and rip off a hefty sum.

"Hello~~~"

A tax collector swaggered forward and slapped Lin Dao on the shoulder, saying, "You guys~"

With a loud 'smack!', Lin Dao slapped the tax collector across the face, sending him flying with a single blow.

After landing in the air, his neck was already broken, and he lay on the ground convulsing.

The smiles of the nearby tax collectors froze instantly.

A moment later, they came to their senses and screamed at the top of their lungs.
"Murder!"

The gatekeepers, dressed in uniforms and carrying red-tasseled spears, rushed forward.

Lin Dao didn't waste any words with them. He rushed into the crowd and started punching and kicking, quickly knocking these weaklings to the ground.

A large crowd of onlookers gathered around, cheering and applauding Lin Dao, with some even throwing copper coins at him.

There was nothing the people could do; they had long suffered under the tax collectors at Chongwen Gate.
Lin Dao adjusted his dog-skin hat and beckoned Zuo Zongtang behind him to enter the city together.

He had no intention of hiding his whereabouts.

He's just a mere Tartar, a Tartar rotten to the core, he has no right to force him to change his ways.

As for the purpose of this urgent trip to Beijing...
"Block the Tartars from leaving the pass."

Beside the alley, at a braised pork stall, Lin Dao ate his chopsticks with lightning speed, constantly muttering, "We must annihilate them within the Great Wall."

Zuo Zongtang nodded repeatedly in agreement, ate a piece of tripe, and asked in a low voice, "There are only two of us. If the Tartars want to escape, how can two people stop them?"

He believed that Lin Dao, who had displayed extraordinary abilities in public, was absolutely a god-level fighter.

But if the Tartars are determined to escape, they can't possibly block all the city gates.

"Shopkeeper, two more plates of tripe, please!" Lin Dao called out, then explained to Zuo Zongtang, "Just grab their emperor."

"The important thing now is for Yang Xiuqing and the others to get here as quickly as possible and block all escape routes."

"What the leader says is quite right," Zuo Zongtang replied earnestly. "Then let's find a place to settle them first?"

In the modern world, when people from other places arrive in a new city, hotels are their first choice for lodging.

There are naturally inns similar to hotels in this space-time, but Lin Dao knows very well what kind of environment an inn is.

The clean, superior rooms depicted in movies and TV dramas are all nonsense; real inns are just large, shared dormitories.

If you bring your own bedding, it's fine, but if you use the inn's bedding, it's incredibly dirty.

In a dormitory-style room with men on either side, all sorts of insects crawled around everywhere; people in the modern world would absolutely find it unbearable.

If you really want to stay somewhere with a better environment, then you should go to the local associations or clubs.

It's like a Guangdong Guild Hall or a Shanxi Guild Hall; the environment is quite nice.

However, these places generally only receive people of status, such as local students coming to Beijing to take the imperial examinations, officials coming to Beijing on business, and people with status and connections, similar to those stationed in a certain office.

As a rebel, Lin Dao definitely couldn't go.

Another option is to seek refuge with relatives and friends. Zuo Zongtang had some connections in this regard, but the court already knew that he had joined the Taiping rebels, so it was unlikely that any relative or friend would dare to take him in.

Finally, there was only one place where not only was the environment good enough, but also no identity checks were required; as long as you paid enough money, you could stay.

That's right, it's a temple that does things for money!

Puan Temple, meditation room.

Lin Dao retrieved the radio and, at the agreed time, turned it on to contact the radio stations of the various Taiping Army units.

He received many telegrams, and even Ren Wenbing, who was far away in Guangxi, sent a telegram saying that Annam in the south was restless and had gathered troops in the border area, with the intention of invading.

Lin Dao's response was simple, just one sentence: "Then you lead your troops south and crush them!"

Feng Yunshan from Guangdong also sent a telegram, saying that the siege of Guangzhou had been going on for some time.

The English on Xiangjiang Island had been sending ships to aid the Qing forces in the city, but they were finding it difficult to break through.

Also, recently a group of foreign monks claiming to be from some imperial lineage said they wanted to discuss Buddhism with Hong Xiuquan. They were so excited, it was like they had lost their father.

The reply to Feng Yunshan was: "Keep calling. Once I'm done here, I'll have time to deal with those foreign devils."

He also specifically instructed Feng Yunshan to "send more men to Southeast Asia to establish close contact with the local Chinese people, investigate the situation, and ascertain their strengths and weaknesses; they will be of great use in the future."

In Lin Dao’s eyes, Feng Yunshan and Hong Xiuquan’s Heavenly Father Worship Society was his subordinate organization, an important force for expansion after the Tartars were dealt with.

When they went out, Hong Xiuquan dealt with the missionaries who were causing trouble everywhere from the root, with Feng Yunshan leading the vanguard, and then he himself would deliver the final blow.

He also maintained regular contact with various Taiping Army units afterward.

Shi Dakai, who was besieging Chengdu, Chen Yagui, who had already entered Guanzhong, and various Taiping Army units leading their troops to rush towards the capital and surrounding areas, etc.

By the time I finished my work and shut down the computer, it was already dark.

Leaving a few books and a complete geographical guide to Northwest China for Zuo Zongtang, Lin Dao set off for another time and place.

Not long after he left, a fast horse carrying urgent messages rushed into the capital and headed straight for the palace.

Emperor Xianfeng has been experiencing poor sleep quality lately.

I frequently wake up in the middle of the night.

The reason is simple: he receives urgent military reports almost every day, traveling 400, 600, or even 800 li (approximately 200-400 km).

To make matters worse, all of these military reports were about defeat!
The foundation laid by our ancestors is now ravaged by war; today we have lost this place, and yesterday we suffered heavy losses.

Even the most mentally strong person would find it unbearable to read these depressing military reports all day long.

What bothered him even more was that a rumor that had been circulating in the capital recently had angered him.

It is said that after he ascended the throne, there was no good news in the Qing Dynasty. War was raging everywhere, and the rebels were about to reach the capital.

If it had been Japanese Prince Rokuro who succeeded him, things might have been very different.

Emperor Xianfeng's biggest regret in his life was that he was not as good as his sixth son.

From ability to physical health, he is inferior to the sixth brother in every aspect.

He himself admitted it.

He obtained the throne only by relying on the imperial strategies taught to him by Professor Du Shoutian.

This is his biggest sore spot.

When all sorts of bad luck come together, it's quite normal to feel physically unwell due to mental and physical exhaustion.

After taking the medicine for several days, the military reports that were sent were all the usual news of defeats and losses of territory. Emperor Xianfeng felt that his health had improved and couldn't wait to choose a concubine.

Because military reports were often delivered in the middle of the night—after all, they were urgent dispatches, and it was impossible for them to arrive outside the palace while the emperor was still asleep.

Even if the emperor is having sex, he has to take out the key first and receive the military report before he can do anything else.

After this happened a few times before, Emperor Xianfeng simply adjusted his schedule and went to bed as soon as it got dark.

The Xianfeng Emperor, whose health has improved somewhat, is currently reviewing foreign languages ​​with his beloved concubine, Consort Yi.

Just as their enthusiasm for learning was at its peak, a military report arrived with urgent delivery.

Emperor Xianfeng, who was on the verge of exploding, suddenly slammed on the brakes, his mood extremely bad.

There was nothing he could do; only he could receive it, and no one dared to stop him.

After hurriedly tidying everything up, I took the military report, opened it, and took a look...
Emperor Xianfeng swayed... swayed again... swayed a third time...
Looking at the military report, which stated that the last main force of the Qing Dynasty, led by Sheng Bao and others, had been completely wiped out, Emperor Xianfeng felt his ears ringing and his vision blurring.

Who...who is calling for me?

In his dazed state, Emperor Xianfeng heard a murmur that seemed to come from beyond the heavens, as if someone was calling his name.

He felt extremely dizzy and shook his head vigorously.

Close your eyes, take a breath, and then slowly open them again.

The tinnitus gradually subsided, and my vision gradually became clearer.

Finally, I can see it clearly!
The Grand Councilors, eunuchs, palace maids, and Consort Yi all surrounded him, talking incessantly, though it was unclear what they were saying.

They all looked anxious and flustered; what kind of behavior was that?

Soon, several familiar figures hurriedly came to his side.

Oh, it's the imperial physician.

When she delivered the medicine at noon, she also advised me to continue to take care of my health and not to rush into intimacy with women, making me sound like a lustful ghost.
Pooh!
You old men with white beards, you have sons and even grandsons now, let alone sons.

How could anyone understand my burning anxiety at not having a son yet!
If he never has a son and something happens to him, wouldn't the world fall into the hands of the sixth son?!

uh~
The bandits are almost at the capital; it wouldn't be a bad idea to pass the buck to Lao Liu.
By the way, the bandits~
I think I was reading a military report earlier, which said that the imperial army was gone?
As the memories in his mind gradually became clearer, Emperor Xianfeng's face grew increasingly pale.

He felt a heat on his nose and instinctively wiped it.

My hands are covered in bright red blood.
I finally remembered that bastard Mianyu had ruined the last army of the Qing Dynasty!

"Mianyu~~~"

"Give me back my troops!!!"

(End of this chapter)