You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 126 To succeed in politics, you need three types of men and two types of women.
The fourteenth of the first lunar month.

It was the day before the four Han princes who commanded troops—Kong Youde, Prince of Dingnan; Shang Kexi, Prince of Pingnan; Geng Jimao, Prince of Jingnan; and Wu Sangui, Prince of Pingxi—left the capital for the front lines.

A high-profile farewell banquet was held in the palace.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Shunzhi personally attended the event, and all officials of the third rank and above in Beijing, as well as princes and ministers residing in the capital, were present, showing them great respect.

At the banquet~
Emperor Shunzhi bestowed imperial wine upon the four men.

"Kill Zhu Youlang, wipe out the Ming army, and accomplish the task in one battle. I will not hesitate to bestow rewards and grant him land and titles, in accordance with Mu Ying's previous deeds."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The four of them had tears in their eyes, deeply grateful.

Wu Sangui didn't know whether the other three believed him or not, but he certainly didn't.

As a member of a military family in Liaodong, he experienced countless people and events, and he no longer believed that there was any "true affection" in this world. He believed that there was only "helpless compromise, friendship based on weighing the pros and cons, and reckoning that came late."

……

Jiang Qingyun is now a third-rank Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, and is qualified to attend the banquet.

He was seated towards the back, making it convenient for him to eat and drink, and the poignant scene of loyalty between the emperor and his subjects was none of his concern.

However, he ran into an acquaintance.

Kong Sizhen!
She sat obediently next to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, glancing at herself out of the corner of her eye. The position she was sitting in resembled that of a female teacher sitting on a podium in school, looking down at her.

Jiang Qingyun had a premonition that this kind of woman would not be content with her lot.

really!

Midway~
When he slipped out to use the restroom, he encountered a maid who looked nervous and glanced around.

The maidservant's eyes lit up when she saw him, she coughed twice loudly, threw a crumpled piece of paper on the ground, and strode away.

Jiang Qingyun looked around to make sure no one was there before walking over and picking it up.

……

Open it and take a look.

The handwriting is elegant, but the content is extremely wild.

"Tomorrow, I will accompany my father south. You must be at the Yuelai Inn on the second floor outside Chongwen Gate before Shenshi (3-5 PM) today. If you dare to break your promise, I will report you, Qiangjian, to the Empress Dowager!"

Jiang Qingyun rubbed his forehead.

She knew to send a message through a maid, knew not to sign her real name, and knew that adultery was shameful. This shows that Kong Sizhen still retained some rationality, but not much.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and Jiang Qingyun quickly threw the crumpled paper into the latrine.

Wu Sangui has arrived.

Meeting in a place like this creates an awkward atmosphere.

Jiang Qingyun knew:
If the Qing Dynasty were to enjoy peace and tranquility, it would lose its room for maneuver. The Qing Dynasty would inevitably descend into chaos, at least a minor one, especially in the capital.

"Prince Pingxi, I wish you swift success and the conquest of vast territories."

"Ah."

Wu Sangui remained calm, appearing as a loyal subject.

Jiang Qingyun smiled, cupped his hands in farewell, and took his leave.

Everyone has inner demons, and he was certain that he had released Wu Sangui's inner demons more than 10 years ahead of time.

……

Inside the hall, everyone was drinking heartily.

A round-faced Mongolian man with a full beard approached.

"Hey, where's the 50 taels of gold you owe me?"

Jiang Qingyun looked at him suspiciously.

"Have it?"

“You said it yourself at the last New Year’s Eve banquet.”

"Oh, you mean horse racing? The race hasn't even started yet, has it?"

"Since you're going to lose anyway, you might as well just admit defeat and give me the gold."

"How can that be the same? You set a date, and we'll go outside the city for a horse race."

"Are you the kind of person who won't die unless you see the Yellow River?"

That's called "not giving up until the Yellow River is reached".

The round-faced, bearded, burly man chuckled and said, "Almost. I'll be waiting for you outside Chaoyang Gate on the 29th of the first lunar month."

……

After three rounds of drinking.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang descended the imperial steps.

"Prince Pingxi, you and your son have fought for the country and made great contributions. I wish to bestow upon Wu Yingxiong the title of Prince and keep him in the capital. What do you think, Prince Pingxi?" The surroundings fell silent instantly.

The incident happened suddenly, without any prior warning. But the shrewd Wu Sangui made the right decision in the shortest possible time.

He pulled Wu Yingxiong down to kneel.

"Your Majesty and your son kowtow to express our gratitude for Your Majesty's grace. Your Majesty's kindness is boundless; may Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

"Get up quickly."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang personally helped the two of them up.

Upon seeing this, those around him offered another round of insincere compliments.

Shunzhi was slightly surprised, as the bestowal of the title of prince was an impromptu decision by his mother, who had not consulted him beforehand. He immediately realized that his mother did not trust Wu Sangui, the military leader.

……

Jiang Qingyun was secretly delighted.

Want to improve politics~
There are three types of men who are indispensable: the first is a trusted subordinate, the second is an ally with interests, and the third is a brother.

There are two types of women who are indispensable: the first is the woman in an arranged marriage, and the second is the beautiful woman.

It would be advantageous for Wu Yingxiong to remain in Beijing as a hostage, as it would also add another ally to his position.

Currently~
Feng Shuan, Ning Wanwo, Wu Yingxiong, Ao Bai, and Sony were all his allies. To some extent, Emperor Shunzhi was also his ally, and Li Shuaitai would soon be as well.

While pondering, Jiang Qingyun devoured sea cucumbers and deer antlers to conserve his strength in preparation for the battle against Kong Sizhen.

One hour later~
The farewell banquet ended in a lively atmosphere.

All the officials in the capital stood up, bowed, and clasped their hands in greeting.

"Your humble servants respectfully bid farewell to the Prince of Dingnan, the Prince of Pingnan, the Prince of Jingnan, and the Prince of Pingxi."

Jiang Qingyun looked up slightly and saw Kong Sizhen following behind Kong Youde, obedient and sweet, following closely behind, looking every bit the virtuous and gentle noblewoman. However, as she passed by him, she actually glared at him fiercely.

"These women are itching for a beating."

……

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone exchanged pleasantries, which were utterly devoid of any real substance.

Then they each returned to their residences.

Jiang Qingyun didn't rush to leave. He first went to the Thirteen Offices' Bureau of Ceremonies to familiarize himself with the work environment and his subordinates. Among the people in charge of the Bureau of Ceremonies were several eunuchs and a few bondservant officers from the Two Yellow Banners.

The daily affairs of the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs were managed by a young eunuch named "Eunuch De".

This man was the adopted son of the chief eunuch Wu Liangfu. His eyes darted around, and he was clearly no pushover.

"Doctor Jiang, do you have any further instructions?"

"Xiao Dezi, I don't usually have time to manage the specific affairs of the Bureau of Ceremonies, so you can make the decisions. Submit a work report twice a month."

What is a work briefing?

"It's about recording daily affairs, internal rewards and punishments, personnel transfers, and changes in funding."

"But this servant cannot read."

“You dictate, and find someone who can read to record it for you.”

"Whoo."

Xiao Dezi knelt down and respectfully saw Jiang Qingyun off.

……

After leaving the Meridian Gate~
Jiang Qingyun didn't even change out of his official robes before riding straight to the Yuelai Inn outside Chongwen Gate.

Chongwenwai Street was unusually lively.

This is the most typical urban consumer area in the southern part of the city, mainly for ordinary people and everyday consumption.

Yuelai Inn is not luxurious, but its excellent location is its biggest advantage.

"You all wait outside."

"Whoo."

Jiang Qingyun strode into the inn, startling the innkeeper who immediately came out to greet him.

Are there any guests upstairs?

"Ah, there's a young lady on the second floor who paid a lot of money; she covered everything."

Jiang Qingyun lifted his leg and stepped up the wooden stairs, quickly reaching the top.

At the top of the stairs, two maids, their eyes smiling, bowed in greeting.

"Young master, please~"

The third floor, the top-class room.

Jiang Qingyun hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pushed open the door. With a creak, there was no one inside. Jiang Qingyun thought for a moment, then placed his hand on the hilt of his knife and stepped across the threshold.

(End of this chapter)