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

Chapter 14 The Female Archer Disguised as a Man
Jiang Qingyun saw that this person carried a bow and arrows and moved as nimbly as a cat. He climbed onto the roof of the wooden building behind him, and after gaining a firm footing, he immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

huh~
A scream came from a distant rooftop.

huh~
Another scream.

The arrow flew like a shooting star without being aimed, indicating that the person had an excellent feel for the arrow.

Jiang Qingyun felt slightly ashamed. An amateur bodyguard's archery skills were better than his own, a professional. No wonder his father always said that his archery skills were terrible.

Half an incense stick later, the archer jumped down from the second-floor roof.

Jiang Qingyun kept his word and immediately took out several silver ingots from his satchel.

"Take it."

The archer, with his rear end tucked in, walked over and bent down to receive the silver.

The moment the silver passed through his hand, Jiang Qingyun felt its softness and couldn't help but stare at the man for a closer look, only to discover that the man had no Adam's apple.

My gaze shifts downwards; my chest is flat.

……

"Keep your head up!"

To my surprise, this person not only didn't look up, but also turned and walked away. In my panic, her back view instantly revealed her true gender: a round and large bottom.

Jiang Qingyun was shocked!
Jiang Deshun, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) standing nearby, quickly forced a smile and explained:

"Please excuse my poor daughter, Lord Jiang. She grew up in a security escort agency and practiced archery and martial arts with her senior brothers. She's quite wild. Her archery skills are nothing compared to yours."

"That's it~"

Jiang Qingyun seemed to be deep in thought.

"Your daughter is an excellent archer. Have her stay close to me and protect me at all times."

"..."

The 30 action teams of the Southern City Military Command launched attacks in all directions, like ice cubes falling into a pot of boiling oil, crackling and popping, and the entire Southern City was in an uproar.

Many people gathered to watch, their expressions excited. They were more interested in the excitement than the danger.

The government arrests people—a truly dramatic scene.

The once-powerful local bullies were now bound together with a long rope, behaving incredibly obediently.

"Sir, a gang called Vigtang is holding the courtyard, and two squads of brothers have failed to take it down."

"Come, take me to see this."

……

Tofu Alley is a hutong (traditional alleyway) not far from the central axis of Beijing.

More than 50 bodyguards squatted at the entrance of the alley, itching with anxiety, but no one dared to rush in.

bang~
A gunshot!
Jiang Qingyun instantly became excited. "A ruthless bandit! He has a gun!"

Beside him lay a bodyguard with a face as pale as paper. He had been shot a short while ago and was the only one who had been hit.

"Take him away quickly and find a doctor. His medical expenses will be covered by the Military Command, plus 20 taels of silver for treatment. If he is crippled or dies, I will add another 20 taels for his funeral expenses."

"Thank you, sir."

The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) standing nearby were moved to tears.

……

Just then, the other four commanders arrived, and the chief officers of the Five Cities Garrison were all gathered together.

The commander of the Eastern City Military Command was dumbfounded:
"We're here for a banquet, what are you doing?"

Jiang Qingyun, fully armored, looked at the four men and smiled:

"Today's bandit suppression is the result of the joint efforts of our five families. I especially want to share the credit with my four older brothers, but..."

"Brother, can we talk in private for a moment?"

The five people briefly distanced themselves from the crowd, whispered among themselves, and after some haggling, they all joined the fray.

"What is the purpose of this Vig Hall?"

"The leader of this smuggling ring has connections within the government and is a man of extravagance. He's usually low-key, like a dog that bites but doesn't bark."

The men of Vigtang were guarding a courtyard house with blue brick walls and a tightly closed gate. There were shadowy figures moving around on the walls, and occasionally a shot would be fired.

Jiang Qingyun: "Gather the archers and prepare the shield carts and shields."

……

"on!"

Four hastily assembled shield carts led the way, followed by 30 archers and then 10 spearmen—a configuration that could be considered luxurious for suppressing bandits in the city.

Jiang Qingyun did not go to the front line in person, but watched from afar.

Bang ~ bang bang ~
The shotgun fired at the shield vehicle, sending up clouds of dust.

The Vig Hall members who were holding out in the courtyard set the study on fire, and one of their leaders roared, "Grab your weapons! When we hear the cannon fire, we'll all rush out together. As many as we can escape, that's what we'll do!"

"...Release the arrows!"

A hail of arrows rose from behind the shield cart and fell into the courtyard.

"Put it back!"

"Bump the door!"

The elm wood gate collapsed with a crash.

"Brother Jiang, it's all set. Let's go, let's go too." The commander of the East City Military Command was eager to try.

"superior."

Jiang Qingyun rose from behind his shield and strode forward. The small Vig Hall, even with some martial prowess, was utterly insignificant.

Jiang Nan, the archer, followed silently, her eyes fixed on the courtyard wall. Suddenly, she kicked Jiang Qingyun in the side.

"Be careful, sir."

……

Boom! A plume of white smoke rose from the opposite side.

Smoke filled the alley, and many people fell to the ground after being hit by buckshot, running around in panic.

This Vig Hall was indeed extraordinary; it actually possessed a small Franconian cannon.

The careless commander of the East City Garrison was hit by a shot that pierced his armor, causing him to bleed profusely. He died very quickly.

Vigtang has begun its breakout!

Jiang Qingyun, who had been kicked over, fell behind the shield vehicle and thus escaped this ordeal. His back was sore, but he was in a good mood.

The presence of ruthless bandits in the southern part of the city proved my judgment to be correct.

Only then would the Qing court cede more power to him, allowing him to expand the Southern City Military Command, and turn a blind eye to any slightly outrageous behavior.

……

Jiangnan, who had been unremarkable on the chest, suddenly erupted.

She kept getting up and firing arrows, the arrows flying like meteors, killing many of the enemy in succession.

Jiang Qingyun rolled his eyes, aimed at Jiang Nan's round buttocks, raised his foot, exerted force, and kicked her, easily sending the woman tumbling forward.

He shouted:
"Danger."

"Get out, get out."

The already panicked crowd hastily retreated.

Fortunately, the archers fired a barrage of arrows, which brought them back into control.

Amidst the smoke of battle, it was vaguely visible that some survivors had escaped from Vigtang; their number was unknown.

Jiang Qingyun was a veteran of the government. "When the appendix was removed on the operating table, a piece of gauze was left behind to facilitate a second incision later."

……

After one incense stick~
"Brothers, charge in!"

The crowd surged into the courtyard like a rising tide, clearing the battlefield and seizing the spoils.

Two quarters of an hour later,

“大人，缴获鸟枪3杆、弓1张、箭矢2壶、佩刀6把、长矛11支，弗朗机小铜炮1尊。”

Everyone gasped in shock. This wasn't a gang; it was clearly an army.

Jiang Qingyun remained calm and composed, and immediately wrote a report on the suppression of the bandits.

Jiangnan walked over hesitantly: "Sir, why did you kick my butt so hard back then?"

"You're standing so high, I'm afraid you'll get shot!"

……

Evening~
The operation concluded with remarkable results.

A total of 56 gangs were wiped out, 130 gang members were killed or wounded, more than 500 gang members were arrested, 332 weapons of various kinds were seized, and 12000 taels of silver were confiscated from their homes.

The commotion was so great that before the report could even be submitted, the Forbidden City sent people to investigate.

In front of the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Shunzhi, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, and their high-ranking officials stared into deep thought as they looked at the small bronze cannon that the imperial guards had just brought back. This was a serious matter.

Emperor Shunzhi shouted: "Investigate! Investigate the origin of this cannon!"

That night!

The Forbidden City was heavily guarded and brightly lit.

The guards of the two yellow banners searched the inner court again, looking under every bed in every palace, for fear of hidden assassins.

Send cavalry forward to scout towards Datong, and make sure to find out Dorgon's movements.

(End of this chapter)