Qing Yao

Chapter 404 The Strongest Army Makes the Emperor
A real person must become a dead person, because only a dead person can keep a secret.

Any official could rise to prominence based on this list, but unfortunately, Liu Zhenren never dreamed that Lord Zhao, who mobilized the entire Anhui province's Green Standard Army to launch a frenzied attack on them, was actually a staunch anti-Qing fighter.

Or perhaps, Lord Zhao was also a Qing demon.

However, this Qing demon is not the same as that Qing demon.

The great achievement of destroying the White Lotus Sect in one fell swoop, both theoretically and practically, would allow Zhao An to be directly appointed as the Governor of Anhui, becoming a true regional official.

The problem is that Zhao An's ambition is not to become a governor, a viceroy, or a minister or a high-ranking official, but to bring down the old master's family and settle accounts with the blood debts of the past hundred years.

Thus, the White Lotus Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty, which had lasted for several years, could not have been aborted; otherwise, Zhao An would not have had the opportunity to "fish in troubled waters."

The decision to prematurely remove the Eight Banners army from history and make Han Chinese troops the sole central army of the Qing Dynasty was entirely based on the White Lotus Rebellion.

Therefore, Liu Zhenren, whose will to fight was not firm, had no choice but to leave first. Besides, keeping him around was no different from keeping a time bomb.

Today, the true man can betray the White Lotus Sect; tomorrow, he can also betray Lord Zhao.

Loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyal!
The body was quickly carried away, and soldiers came over with buckets of water to wash the ground.

Ye, Xu, and Baili stood there motionless, as if nothing had happened. They had never heard of Master Liu, the White Lotus Sect Leader, the eldest disciple, or the Heavenly Fortune Army.

They only knew the young lord.

Without Shaojun, they wouldn't be where they are today, and the 40,000 brothers of the Yangzhou branch wouldn't have such a good life!
Zhao An wiped the blood off his face with a towel, then casually tossed the towel on the table and instructed Ye Zhigui, "Take care of the people this sorcerer brought. Make sure they're clean and no one sees them."

"Yes, young lord!"

Ye Zhigui went out to handle the matter as instructed. Being a seasoned veteran, he acted ruthlessly and returned calmly in no time.

Clearly, Master Liu's trusted disciples rode cranes with their master.

They died unjustly, since Zhao An promised that those who surrendered would be spared.

If anyone is to blame, it's their deceased master for being too weak-willed in the struggle. Even if he had directly persuaded Zhao An to join the White Lotus Sect as its leader, he might not have died.

As a result, they confessed to everything without any severe torture.

Being a traitor is not that easy!
Unsure of how many White Lotus secrets Master Liu's disciples possessed, Zhao An had no choice but to eliminate them all; otherwise, if the information leaked, his entire plan would be ruined.

When it really matters, Zhao An won't be swayed by sentimentality.

Zhao An also planned to confide in his three trusted confidants about the White Lotus Sect. Although the three were very loyal to him as the young master, they had to be cautious because it concerned the great cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, instead of directly "greeting" them, he slowly swept his gaze over the three of them and said in a deep voice, "What do you think about the White Lotus Sect's plot to rebel?"

"what?"

Xu Lin subconsciously said, "Young Master, let them rebel, why should we care? As long as they don't provoke us, that's fine. Besides, if anyone should worry, it's the court. Why should we bother?"

The implication was that everyone should mind their own business, and as long as the White Lotus Sect didn't cause trouble in Anhui, it was none of their concern if things turned upside down in other provinces.

After listening, Ye Zhigui also expressed his opinion, saying, "When I was wandering the martial world, I had dealings with the White Lotus Sect. These people are mysterious and don't seem like people who are going to do great things. I think they are definitely not going to succeed."

This view aligns with objective facts; historically, the White Lotus Rebellion failed even after eight years of fighting.

Zhao An nodded and looked at Baili Yunlong, who had been silent all along: "Yunlong, what do you think?"

Baili Yunlong pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and said, “Young Master, if what this sorcerer says is true, the White Lotus Sect bandits in the four provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hubei are plotting a rebellion. If they were to launch an attack at the same time, the local governments would certainly be caught off guard. Therefore, I believe that these four provinces will definitely be in chaos, and the White Lotus Sect might even take over them.”

"Keep talking!"

Zhao An looked at Baili Yunlong with encouraging eyes.

As Baili said, although the White Lotus Rebellion ultimately failed, it truly turned the Qing court upside down in the first three years. Apart from some major cities such as provincial capitals that were not occupied, many prefectures and counties were captured. The reason was that the Qing court had no contingency plan for a large-scale uprising by the White Lotus Rebellion, and did not pay enough attention to it for a considerable period of time after the incident.

By the time the Qing court realized the situation was dire, it was already in a terrible state. No matter how many Green Standard Army and Eight Banner troops they mobilized, it wouldn't be enough to defeat the White Lotus Rebellion. In the end, they had no choice but to resort to the local militia as a magic weapon to stabilize the situation, and then rely on the strength of the whole country to slowly wear down the rebels.

This process of attrition lasted for five years, during which the Qing army suffered heavy casualties, to the point that Emperor Jiaqing had to write a poem lamenting the extent of the damage this White Lotus Disaster had inflicted on the Qing Dynasty.

Encouraged by the young lord, Baili Yunlong continued, "If the four provinces are in chaos, the imperial court will surely mobilize troops to quell the rebellion. I believe this may be an opportunity for the young lord."

"Chance?"

Xu Lin asked curiously, "What opportunity?"

"A chance for the young lord to soar to great heights!"

As he spoke, a glint flashed in Baili Yunlong's eyes, and his voice became more resolute. He clasped his hands and said, "Young Master, in my humble opinion, the White Lotus Sect's disturbance at your hands is a godsend! Anhui is located in a strategic position in the Central Plains, bordering both Henan and Hubei provinces. If these two provinces are in danger, the court will surely send our Anhui Green Standard Army to quell the rebellion nearby."
Young Master, you have already achieved a great victory in Suzhou and now you have accomplished the task of suppressing bandits at Wulong Ridge. In the eyes of the court, you are both a man of letters and a man of martial prowess. The court will surely entrust you with the important task of commanding troops.

In this way, the young lord can legitimately control the Anhui Green Standard Army and expand his forces during the bandit suppression. Once the Anhui troops become the main force in quelling the rebellion, the young lord will be seen as a pillar of the state in the eyes of the court! Furthermore…

At this point, Baili Yunlong lowered his voice, "If Young Master were to command a formidable army that even the imperial court fears, then perhaps the Qing Dynasty should be under Young Master's rule!"

"Young Master, you've made the decision?!"

Xu Lin was so shocked by Baili Yunlong's words that he gasped and his eyes widened. Although he was somewhat rough, he was not unaware of the deeper meaning behind Baili Yunlong's words.

If the young emperor takes the lead, doesn't that mean the dragon throne in the Forbidden City will be changed?
Be nice!

Ye Zhigui was visibly shaken. He had even dared to kill the General of Fuzhou. He felt a surge of heat rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his cheeks flushed with excitement: "Damn it! Brother Baili is absolutely right. If the young lord has a large army, what is the imperial court worth!"

Without thinking, he raised his fist at Zhao An and said, "I've heard storytellers say that emperors are all men with strong and powerful armies. If you, young lord, have strong and powerful armies, then you should be the emperor!"

If the young emperor becomes the ruler, what are we?
Xu Lin’s eyes shone brightly. He, who was looked down upon and miserable, never dared to dream that one day he could be ennobled and become a founding hero!
But this dream seems to be real!
A year ago, could he have believed he could become an official?
"Young Master!"

Baili Yunlong's eyes gleamed as he stared intently at the young man before him who had risen from a minor official to a second-rank official in just over a year.

If the White Lotus Sect were to launch a major uprising, this young man might very well rise to great heights!
Zhao An's expression was extremely calm. He slowly walked up to the three men and said in a deep voice, "Yunlong saw the momentum, and Zhigui pointed out the reason. You are both right. The rise and fall of the red towers, and who sits on the dragon throne, is never predetermined by heaven! Are kings and generals born with a special destiny? Back then, Chen Sheng, a mere soldier, could still ask this question. Am I, a young ruler, even inferior to the ancients?"

These words require no explanation.

Those with strong armies and powerful horses will not become emperors, but will surely be killed by them!

After signaling to his three trusted confidants not to get too excited, Zhao An's voice became extremely deep, carrying a weight of history and a murderous intent to avenge their humiliation. "Others may forget the blood debt of the ten days in Yangzhou, but we, the people of Yangzhou, will never forget it! We will take advantage of the White Lotus Sect's momentum to make our Anhui troops a truly ferocious and ruthless force!"

Zhao An's voice brooked no argument: "Only tigers and wolves can devour beasts!"

Three days later, on Wulong Ridge.

Knowing that all was lost, Xie Hongyi summoned the remaining hundreds of his followers to the Hall of Righteousness. His parched lips moved as he managed to utter a strained voice: "You are all my good brothers who have followed me for many years. I am deeply grateful that you are still with me today. However, the current situation is unbearable, and there is absolutely no hope of survival. I beg you brothers to come down the mountain and find a way to survive!"

After speaking, Xie Hongyi knelt down in front of everyone, which made the remaining bandits' noses tingle and their eyes red, but no tears came out.

Hunger and thirst have left them with no tears to shed.

"Marshal, we'll die together, we'll surrender together!"

"We have followed the Marshal for so many years, and the Marshal has always treated us as brothers. Even if we die, we will stay with the Marshal!"

"At worst, we'll fight the Qing demons to the death!"

"."

Those who insisted on staying on the ridge were naturally not cowards, but how could Xie Hongyi allow these old brothers to be buried with him on the ridge?

"I appreciate the brothers' good intentions, but it is my fault, Xie Hongyi, that has led them to this predicament. Even if I don't consider the brothers, I should at least think about their parents, wives, and children!"

Slowly rising to his feet, Xie Hongyi looked at his old brothers with pain and waved his hand weakly: "Go down the mountain. Just burn some paper money for me during festivals."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he walked alone into the Hall of Righteousness.

The ridge was deathly silent.

"Marshal, take care!"

One by one, figures knelt down in front of the Hall of Righteousness, then helped each other down the mountain.

After the crowd gradually dispersed, a dozen or so older brothers quietly entered the Hall of Righteousness.

Looking at the faces of these familiar old brothers, Xie Hongyi was overcome with sorrow and burst into laughter, his laughter filled with both grief and relief.

The remaining bandits, who were descending the mountain in the distance, suddenly discovered that a raging fire had broken out in the direction of Juyitang. Fueled by the wind, the fire quickly engulfed Juyitang and all the nearby buildings.

At the Qing army camp below the mountain, Zhao An stood outside the commander's tent, quietly watching the fire on the ridge. After a long while, he sighed softly, "Choosing such a way to die, Xie Hongyi is quite a character."

In the distance, Xie Hongwu, who witnessed the fire on the ridge, knelt on the ground and wailed, no matter how his companions tried to persuade him.

The following morning, Ye Zhigui led the Qing army cautiously up Wulong Ridge. The ridge was already deathly silent, and the air was filled with the smell of burnt meat and an indescribable odor of roasted meat.

After the fire, Juyitang was reduced to a white wasteland. Ye Zhigui led his men to search the ruins and found more than a dozen charred corpses.

"Brother! Brother!"

Stumbling up the ridge, Xie Hongwu ignored the flames still burning in the ruins and found his elder brother's remains among the charred corpses. He held them in his arms and cried uncontrollably until he fainted on the spot.

The deep bond between siblings is truly touching.

"Find a good coffin for Xie Hongyi. Whether to bury him on the spot or transport him back to his hometown for burial is up to his brother Xie Hongwu."

Zhao An had no complaints about Xie Hongwu's behavior. It was only natural for brothers to be so affectionate. If he didn't have that much magnanimity, how could he possibly drive tigers and wolves to devour beasts?

The work of counting the seized items then began.

When the Qing army opened several extremely well-hidden caves behind the ridge that had not been affected by the fire, everyone was shocked by the sight before them.

The cave contained not military equipment and provisions, but boxes and boxes of silver!
Silver ingots, silver coins, silver cakes...

All sorts of items were neatly stacked in boxes.

It wasn't that Xie Hongyi didn't want to burn it before he died, but rather that the gold and silver simply couldn't be destroyed.

There were also several smaller boxes nearby, which, when opened, revealed gleaming gold ingots, gold bars, and various jewelry and jade artifacts.

"so much!"

Chen Zhijie, who was in charge of the inventory, counted the items three times before reporting to Zhao An: "Sir, the preliminary count shows that there are 318,400 taels of silver, 14,200 taels of gold, and various jewelry and antiques valued at no less than 50,000 taels!"

“Carry them all down the mountain.”

Zhao An wasn't too surprised. If a major salt smuggler like Xie Hongyi didn't have hundreds of thousands of assets, wouldn't all his more than twenty years of private salt trading have been for nothing?

These days, the profit margin on salt is no less than that on oil.

Moreover, Xie Hongyi's assets must be much more than this. After all, he was the head of a salt smuggling group in several prefectures in northern Anhui. He must have hidden wealth in other places and bought a lot of houses and land.

The same applies to other salt bandit leaders, both big and small.

However, Zhao An had no intention of continuing to pursue the stolen goods, firstly to appease the surrendered bandits, and secondly because it was morally impermissible.

Regardless of the circumstances, Xie Hongyi and his group could be considered members of the anti-Qing front.

Although Zhao An suppressed them because of their different anti-Qing methods and beliefs, it did not mean that he intended to impose "collective punishment" on them.

Consider those "stolen goods" as compensation from Zhao An to their families.

Xie Hongyi's death meant the end of the more than three-month-long bandit suppression campaign. According to regulations, Zhao An was to submit a detailed report on the bandit suppression to the court, and at the same time, to request commendations for the soldiers and officials who participated in the campaign.

In his memorial, Zhao An detailed the course of the battle. Just like his previous reports of victory, there was no exaggeration or embellishment. He truthfully reported the tactic of "forming a fortified camp and fighting a tough battle." He then attributed all the credit to the imperial court's power and the emperor's wisdom, as well as the bravery of the soldiers on the front lines. He summarized his own achievements with just eight words: "dutifully performed his duties and did his utmost."

As for the stolen goods seized, they were truthfully reported to the imperial court without any concealment or embezzlement.

Afterwards, an order was issued to rename Jiushan to Anqingshan, meaning "to stabilize the Qing Dynasty".

This volume is now complete. The next volume will be titled "The High-Ranking Officials of the Frontier".

(End of this chapter)