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

Chapter 199 Your Highness, You've Been Added to the List

dinner.

Dozens of candles were lit on both sides of the room, and a long table made up of four tables was filled with various dishes.

Jiang Qingyun sat down at the top of the long table in a friendly manner.

"Gentlemen, today there is no great general, only brothers who have shared life and death. Please be seated."

Everyone had just taken their seats.

"The first cup of wine is offered to His Majesty."

"The second cup of wine is for the brothers who died in battle."

"The third toast is to everyone present."

Jiang Qingyun firmly controlled the rhythm of the whole event. After three rounds of drinks, everyone started eating. The atmosphere was lively, and the spicy Hunan cuisine made the drinks even more enjoyable.

The long-standing tensions between the two sides have eased somewhat.

That's the significance of a drinking party~
……

Jiang Qingyun stood up, and asked, slightly drunk:

"Gentlemen, we have all been through thick and thin, crawled out of the fire and blood. What opinions do you have about me? What do you not understand? Take this opportunity to speak your mind boldly."

There was a brief silence at the table.

Shuo Dai, a fierce general of the Plain White Banner, was the first to stand up and cup his hands in greeting:

"General, there is something I don't understand. In the Battle of Songzi, why did you send the Eight Banners officers to lead the charge?"

"Okay, okay, sit down."

Jiang Qingyun looked around at everyone and saw that they all looked confused.

"It seems that our Eight Banners have been decadent for too long, to the point that you have all forgotten how our ancestors fought. When the Great Khan conquered the surrounding tribes, wasn't it always the nobles who charged ahead? The officer suicide squad is an excellent tradition of our Great Qing, but unfortunately, you have all forgotten it."

Everyone looked slightly embarrassed.

"Of course, I can understand. After generations and decades, we've finally come to power, and everyone wants to enjoy life."

Everyone laughed.

“Enjoying life in moderation is human nature and understandable. But everything must be done in moderation. If the court loses Jingzhou and Xiangyang, it will have to divide the country with the Ming army along the river. The war may last for a hundred years. The country will be in turmoil. How can we enjoy life then? How can we possibly enjoy ourselves?”

Everyone was solemn.

Under the candlelight, General Dingyuan appeared like a loving father, his every word conveying a sense of high status.

Jiang Qingyun sighed again.

"In the Battle of Songzi, although the officers' suicide squad suffered over 1000 casualties, we fought with great prestige and opened up the situation. It's like splitting bamboo with a machete; once you break through the first joint, the rest is easy. Gentlemen, after the Battle of Songzi, our army barely lost any men and used very few arrows, yet we easily recovered two provinces. Aren't these facts?"

Shuo Dai picked up a wine jar, speaking in a deep, resonant voice.

"General, I was wrong. I will punish myself with a jar of wine."

Gudu Gudu~
After downing a jar of old wine, Shuo Dai staggered, leaning on the table, and bowed, saying, "General, I am a rough man. From now on, wherever you point, I will fight."

Jiang Qingyun nodded slightly.

……

Beller Bashar:
"General, there is still one thing I don't understand."

"Just ask."

"You lost over a thousand officers in one battle. If there are many more battles like this, our Qing Dynasty will fall apart. You should know that it is very difficult to replenish the ranks of officers. Once a generation is lost, it is very difficult to continue the line."

“Bashar, your political stance is too low.”

"Please enlighten me, General."

"First, such a battle only needs to be fought once to defeat the enemy. Second, officers leading the charge can inspire the morale of the Eight Banners soldiers. Although the number of officers is reduced, their morale is boosted. I can assert that in one or two years, the combat effectiveness of our Qing army will definitely increase by two levels."

"Thank you for your guidance, General."

Bashar, feeling frustrated, punished himself with three drinks. He felt that what Jiang Qingyun said made a lot of sense, but something still didn't quite feel right, so he could only drink in silence.

Jiang Qingyun glanced at him and muttered to himself: "Your Highness, you've been added to the list."

……

Zhuobutai, the younger brother of Aobai and a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner, asked:

"General, I also have a question. There is infighting within the Ming court, and Li Dingguo's foothold in Guangxi is unstable. He is flanked by the Prince of Pingnan to the east and the Prince of Pingxi to the west. Logically speaking, this is the best opportunity for us to attack, but you say that is not the case. I am puzzled."

“Zhuobutai, from a military perspective, you are not wrong. But like Bashar, your problem lies in your positioning; both of you are positioned too low.” “Could the General please explain further?”

"Why should we, the Manchus, shed blood when the Han armies of the two vassal states can resolve this matter by shedding blood?"

Everyone was confused.

No, just now, weren't you passionately arguing for the necessity of the Manchu bannermen shedding blood?

Jiang Qingyun looked at him with a disappointed expression.

"Dialectical! Dialectical! You must look at the problem dialectically!!"

"Wu Sangui commands 80,000 troops, and Shang Kexi commands 40,000 troops. These two will soon be enfeoffed in Guangdong and Yunnan. They will be in charge of the army, the people, and everything else. They can even appoint civil and military officials within their own territories. Let them attack Li Dingguo, deplete their troops, and test their loyalty. This will greatly benefit the court."

"Everyone, do you understand?"

Everyone bowed in unison.

"The general understands."

"Okay, remember, you must keep what I said today to yourself."

"Whoo."

……

At last.

Jiang Qingyun stood up to give a concluding speech.

"The war to destroy the Ming Dynasty may continue for some time, but for me and for all of you here, the war is already over."

"I hope that everyone here will have a smooth career and rise higher and higher. I will try my best to secure more promotion opportunities from the court. Therefore, in the coming days, we should report more military achievements and fewer casualties."

"Thank you, General."

Everyone immediately rose from their seats and knelt on one knee.

Jiang Qingyun raised his wine glass meaningfully.

"Gentlemen, if there are no objections, drink this cup to the brim, and let's call it a day."

"Respectfully seeing off the General."

After Jiang Qingyun left, everyone was about to return to their respective tents.

Jiang Bei walked into the room carrying a stack of folded documents.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. These are memorials that will be urgently sent to the capital. The General said that you are requested to sign them together. The content of the memorials has been slightly technically adjusted in order to reassure the people and please His Majesty."

After everyone read it, they gasped in shock.

Jiang Qingyun actually reduced the number of officers who died in the Songzi battle from more than a thousand to two hundred, and evenly distributed the casualty figures across a series of fictitious battles.

for example:

In the Battle of Nanchang, five cavalry captains and one lieutenant commander were killed in action.

In the Battle of Hengzhou, 11 elite cavalry officers and 3 lieutenant commanders were killed in action.

~
Bellerbasha couldn't help but ask:

"How will they manage to hide like this in the future?"

"The general said that he would immediately promote a group of young soldiers to fill the officer vacancies."

"No, no, what I mean is, these people clearly died in battle, but if we don't report it, what will happen to their families after we return to the capital? What if their families cause trouble? What if the court finds out?"

"The General said that it will be considered as if we died in battle, and our families will receive the full compensation they are entitled to. He will find a way to cover the expenses. As long as you gentlemen don't spread rumors, how will the court find out?"

The atmosphere inside was unusually cold.

Jiangbei then whispered:
"I would like to remind you gentlemen that the General was poisoned at the time and his mind must have been confused. If I may be so bold as to say that under such circumstances, it is understandable that the General might make some mistakes in commanding the battle."

"Which is more important, the casualties of over a thousand officers or the decision to divide the country along the river?"

"Besides, the court has already acknowledged the General's report of victory in the Battle of Songzi. Gentlemen, why embarrass the General, the court, all the soldiers who are about to be promoted and made rich, and even the Emperor?"

"Are the facts really that important?"

The group exchanged glances.

Clearly, Jiangbei's rhetoric came from Jiang Qingyun. Whoever exposes the truth offends three parties at the same time and will be in big trouble.

Moreover, those who do not sign may not be able to return to the capital alive.

sign!
(End of this chapter)