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

Chapter 156 Shunzhi was coerced~
The atmosphere inside the hall was slightly awkward.

Clearly, a serious disagreement has once again arisen between the emperor and his ministers.

Jiang Qingyun was well aware that the disagreement behind the "dispute over the number of troops to be sent" was actually about seizing power.

Each banner lord hoped that their banners would send more soldiers and accumulate more military merits, so that they could obtain more official titles and ranks after the war. Banner soldiers who became officials could then give back to their banner lords.

Sure enough~
Shunzhi gave himself a sharp look, realizing that it was time for his loyal minister to step in.

Jiang Qingyun stood up and began with a classic sentence:
"Your Highnesses, I would like to say a few words of fairness."

"Jiang Qingyun, you lowly Han Banner slave, we are discussing the noble Manchu Bannermen, who are you to speak?"

Nikan is still the same Nikan; he hurts people with every word he utters.

……

But Jiang Qingyun didn't care at all and continued:
"Your Highness, please calm down. I may have spoken rashly. However, this matter is of great importance, and I must say a few words of justice, otherwise, the nation will be in danger."

"What? If we don't listen to you, will the Qing Dynasty perish?"

"Hard to say."

Emperor Shunzhi's face was grim, but he had not yet spoken a word of reprimand.

Zirhalang spoke first:

"Prince Jingjin, let him finish speaking."

Nikan sat down angrily.

Jirhalang cast a cryptic glance at Jiang Qingyun, revealing some expectation in him.

The reason is that if you vigorously promote war and stir up the blood of the entire city's soldiers, will you support sending troops or oppose sending troops?

The answer is obvious.

As expected, Jiang Qingyun's opening statement was ambiguous about friend or foe.

"Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, I would like to speak frankly: there is never a sure thing in war, and given the infectious diseases in the south, there are indeed risks involved in sending a large number of bannermen south."

"If something were to happen, the Qing Dynasty certainly wouldn't be able to withstand it."

"However, the significance of sending troops is also very important. First, it can provide benefits for the idle bannermen in the capital. Second, the military merits of destroying the Ming Dynasty are too great, and the Three Princes and the Prince of Pingxi must share some of the military merits, which is also to protect them. Third, after the war to destroy the Ming Dynasty ends, with the Manchu bannermen in the south to guard the area, the court can resolve the matter of the four princes taking up their fiefs more smoothly."

Jirhalang was secretly pleased, but still frowned.

"So, according to you, how many troops should be deployed?"

"Mobilizing the Manchu bannermen is a major undertaking, and I, a mere Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, dare not speak lightly. However, I am pondering whether the style of warfare could be more cautious? For example, the bannermen could supervise the battle from a distance of a hundred miles, avoiding getting too close to the battlefield. If the Three Princes are defeated, the army should advance swiftly. If the Three Princes are victorious, the army should press on with full force."

……

Everyone present nodded in agreement.

"Although Imperial Censor Jiang is young, his idea is mature."

"Although Imperial Censor Jiang is impulsive, his words are still reasonable."

"Censor Jiang finally spoke a fair word."

The Grand Secretaries of the Three Inner Courts, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and others also expressed their opinions, all of which were compromise opinions that only scratched the surface.

Politics is the art of compromise. If an emperor cannot compromise, he will lose the support of his subjects. Therefore, he must compromise when necessary.

Emperor Shunzhi and his mother exchanged a glance.

Then, Shunzhi got up:
"What you all say makes a lot of sense. Let the Ministry of War, together with the Council of Princes and Ministers, draft a plan first, and we will discuss it again at the morning court tomorrow."

"The ministers obey the order."

The crowd left Qianqing Palace in a chaotic manner, but Jiang Qingyun was left behind.

Emperor Shunzhi had an unfriendly gaze.

"My dear minister, why didn't you stand with me just now?"

"Your Majesty, please allow me to explain in detail."

"Go ahead and tell me."

"Your Majesty, we can't suppress it, we mustn't suppress it. The court is being swept up by the clamor of public opinion."

Emperor Shunzhi was startled; his hair stood on end.

"My dear minister, where does the will of the people come from?"

"Your Majesty, public opinion is formed spontaneously. Now that the world is about to be unified, everyone wants to be an official and everyone wants to get rich, so everyone wants to join the southern expedition. Public opinion is like a flood, and when the flood comes, it is like Mount Tai pressing down. The court can only follow the trend and must not go against it, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable."

Emperor Shunzhi's face finally darkened.

……

The next day.

At the morning court session, the matter of sending troops was discussed again.

really!

Almost all Manchu officials unequivocally supported the court's dispatch of more Manchu bannermen to the south. The consensus on the spot was even less than the disagreements when visiting a brothel.

With the Manchu officials so united, the Han officials naturally dared not utter a word. Looking at his impassioned ministers below, Shunzhi felt a chill run down his spine.

He looked calmly at Jiang Qingyun.

Jiang Qingyun looked at him calmly.

The exchange of glances between the two was roughly as follows:

"My dear minister, I have been swayed by the will of the people."

"Your Majesty, we should take this as a warning."

The morning court debate lasted for a full hour, and the original plan to send troops was completely overturned.

The new proposal is:

The Plain Yellow Banner produces 4000 Manchu bannermen, the Bordered Yellow Banner produces 4000, the Bordered Blue Banner produces 3000, the Plain Red Banner produces 2500, the Bordered Red Banner produces 2500, the Plain White Banner produces 1500, and the Bordered White Banner produces 1500.

A total of 19000 Manchu bannermen.

In addition, each banner will contribute 1000 Mongol bannermen and 1000 Han bannermen.
A total of 14000 soldiers.

The Eight Banners troops totaled 33000 men.

"Nikan, I entrust the army to you."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, this servant will definitely cut off the heads of Zhu Youlang, Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, and Mu Tianbo and send them to the Forbidden City."

"Bolo".

"The slave is here."

Prince Boluo, who had been confined to his home for his crimes, has finally been reinstated.

"In this expedition, Nikan will be the commander and you will be the deputy commander. I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself through meritorious service. You must not disappoint my expectations."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will certainly prove myself."

Bolrobi was more composed than before. As he stood up, he casually glanced at Jiang Qingyun, who had taken control of the Ministry of Revenue from him.

……

After leaving court.

When the news reached the Meridian Gate, the Manchu soldiers gathered outside shouted "Long live the Emperor!" Their cheers were like waves crashing on the shore.

The Forbidden City, the Imperial Garden.

While fishing, Emperor Shunzhi sneered, "My dear minister, did you hear that?"

"Your Majesty, I heard it."

"What did you hear?"

"Noise! ​​The Empire should not have such noise; the Empire should only have one voice."

"Ok?"

He saw that Shunzhi was pretending to be stupid.

Jiang Qingyun simply laid it all out on him.

"What I fear is that once they succeed, they will succeed twice, and once they succeed twice, they will succeed three times. This time they have succeeded and tasted the sweetness. Next time, they may interfere with the court's military strategy. And the next time, I don't even dare to think about what they will do."

"Okay, stop talking."

Shunzhi was indeed furious.

……

After a while.

The fish that Shunzhi was riding floated to the surface.

"Your Majesty, there is fish."

"Shh~"

Emperor Shunzhi held his breath and pulled sharply, and whoosh, an ugly catfish was brought ashore.

Trash fish!

Worthless trash!

In a bad mood, Emperor Shunzhi threw down his fishing rod.

"My dear minister, tell me, how can we avoid being dragged into the clutches of the small fry?"

Logically speaking, this sentence is grammatically incorrect. But Jiang Qingyun still understood it smoothly, perhaps because they were telepathically connected.

"My suggestion is to let there be only one voice in Beijing."

"Can it be done?"

"Your subject has made up his mind, unafraid of sacrifice, to overcome all difficulties and strive for final victory."

(End of this chapter)