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

Chapter 201 Sun Kewang, put on your deer antler hat~
Changsha Prefecture, the headquarters of General Dingyuan.

Nearly a hundred civil and military officials stood on both sides, their expressions solemn, and not one dared to whisper among themselves.

Occasionally, someone would glance up at the empty chair above. The chair's owner now held the golden seal of the Dingyuan General, commanding the army on horseback and governing the people on foot. He could decide the appointment of Green Standard Army officers and county officials with a single word.

A veritable local vice-emperor in the south!

I waited for a full fifteen minutes.
Everyone remained respectful, and even the governors standing at the front of the line dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction.

The arrogant young Jiang is terrifying.

Xiao Jiang, whose mental illness is suspected to be lingering, is even more terrifying.

……

The guards shouted:

"The Great General has arrived!"

The crowd quickly clapped their horseshoe sleeves, knelt down, and shouted, "Greetings, General Dingyuan!"

Jiang Qingyun sat down easily and took off his official hat.

"Everyone, please stand up."

"Thank you, General."

"I have just learned of two major events from the imperial court. First, the court has officially conferred the title of Prince of Pingxi, to be permanently stationed in Yunnan. It has also conferred the title of Prince of Pingnan, to be permanently stationed in Guangdong. Second, a grand imperial examination has been held to select scholars for official positions."

There was a great deal of discussion in the lobby.

The civil officials were very interested in the Kai Enke.

The military officers, on the other hand, were filled with envy for the two princes.

Beile Basha cupped his hands and asked, "General, has His Majesty given any instructions regarding the war to destroy the Ming Dynasty?"

"Your Highness, the Emperor has thought of everything you've considered. After the Prince of Pingxi and the Prince of Pingnan are enfeoffed, they will join forces to attack Li Dingguo. There's no need for us to worry about it. My important task today is to reward the meritorious generals and summarize the experience of victory."

"Thank you, General."

Everyone only heard about rewarding meritorious soldiers, but ignored the second half of the sentence: experience? What is experience?

……

The soldiers who had just received their reward were all smiles. The general was generous and the reward was extremely generous. All their resentment vanished instantly. They were all just working people. They weren't afraid of a boss who was unreasonable, but they were afraid of a boss who was stingy.

The Battle of Songzi resulted in the deaths of over a thousand mid- to low-ranking officers, and Jiang Qingyun promoted over a thousand new officers in one go.

Human joys and sorrows are never shared.

"Oh my, Commander Bu, may you be blessed."

"Lord Xiaoji, may you also be blessed. If you ask me, we should wish the General good fortune."

"Yep."

The two young bannermen, who had been promoted from low-ranking uniforms to sixth-rank military officers, could not hide their excitement. Facing west, they clapped their sleeves, kowtowed, and shouted.

"May the Great General be blessed."

The flag bearers nearby followed suit, even though the general couldn't see them, they couldn't neglect their filial piety.

The Manchus in our capital city are the most knowledgeable about etiquette.

Jiang Qingyun recommended talented individuals without regard to personal relationships.

The Tongzhou Green Standard Army dispatched 1000 men, promoted 400 of them, and requested that the former General Jiang Zhongcheng be appointed as the Zhili Green Standard Army Commander-in-Chief, and the former Assistant General Zheng Siwei be appointed as the Tongzhou Garrison Commander-in-Chief.

When the news arrived, the camp erupted in jubilation, and everyone chipped in to buy wine and meat to celebrate.

The drunkards were lying all over the ground, muttering to themselves.

"The general is wise."

"Following the young master, one can enjoy a life of luxury."

The situation wasn't much better in the Banner Camp. Some Banner soldiers got drunk and jumped into the Xiang River to swim, only to drown. Their bodies were later retrieved downstream.

What a scene of leisurely pursuits!
……

When the envoys sent by the Prince of Pingxi and the Prince of Pingnan to pay homage to the emperor passed through Changsha, they patted their chests and declared: "We have no way to repay the great kindness of the court. We will spare no expense to wipe out the Ming army and cut off the heads of Li Dingguo and Zhu Youlang to present to the capital."

Jiang Qingyun smiled but remained silent.

He predicted that Li Dingguo's troops were about to face a brutal encirclement and annihilation, and would suffer heavy losses.

However, I had personally hinted to Wu Sangui in the capital that "we must not let the southwest be peaceful for even a day," so I thought that he would spare the remnants of the Ming army when the time came.

If Li Dingguo survives this encirclement and suppression campaign, his military skills will reach a new level, especially in mountain guerrilla warfare. When the time is right, he may be able to utilize these skills for his own purposes.

In terms of fighting, even 100 Chiang Kai-sheks couldn't defeat Li Dingguo.

In politics, even 1000 Li Dingguos couldn't outmaneuver Chiang Kai-shek.

War is never just war itself, but an extension of politics. Jiang Qingyun couldn't be happier with a ruthless general who understood neither politics nor civil administration.

……

evening.

Wu Sangui's strategist Liu Xuanchu came to the door and presented a list of gifts.

"General, please accept this small token of my master's appreciation."

The gift list boldly stated: 10,000 taels of gold and a box of jewels.

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

“The Prince of Pingxi is a man of his word, and so am I. Tomorrow, I will personally deal with Sun Kewang.”

"what?"

"What? You don't believe it?"

"No, no, the General is decisive and efficient, truly a pillar of the court."

Jiang Qingyun picked up the teacup, implying that the guest was to leave.

Liu Xuanchu hesitated. "Hmm?"

"General, could you write a reply slip? I'll be able to explain to the Prince when I get back, so he won't be suspicious."

Jiang Qingyun said meaningfully:

“Mr. Liu, have you ever heard the saying, ‘Once a word enters the public office, nine oxen cannot pull it back’?”

Liu Xuanchu was startled and quickly bowed his head and clasped his hands in greeting.

"It was my mistake. I shall take my leave."

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

Jiang Qingyun stared thoughtfully at his retreating figure. The earlier probing was either because Liu Xuanchu didn't trust him, or because Wu Sangui didn't trust him.

We'll see~
……

The next day.

Hunting in the west of Changsha.

Jiang Qingyun took the lead, firing arrows continuously, displaying great prowess. Occasionally, his arrows would hit the prey he was aiming at, and the crowd would cheer loudly.

Three out of ten
Such archery skills are already quite excellent for a politician.

While resting on the hilltop, Shuo Dai boasted:
"The general's archery skills are extraordinary, and his progress is rapid. One year of his archery skills is equivalent to three years, no, five years for others. I dare say that in a few years, the general's archery skills will definitely surpass Yablan's."

Yablan was slightly taken aback.

Jiang Qingyun beamed. He could see that Shuo Dai was not a stupid, uncouth man, but a clever one, someone who could be of great use.

"Shuodai, here you go."

"Thank you, General."

Shuo Dai took a piece of half-cooked roast meat and buried his head in it, eating it voraciously.

"How about it?"

"good to eat."

"General Shuodai is a member of the Upper Three Banners. He comes from a good family, is skilled in martial arts, and is loyal. After we return to the capital, I will strongly recommend you to the Emperor."

"Thank you, General."

Shuo Dai bowed down and kowtowed three times.

……

Jiang Qingyun gripped the short knife and stabbed at another piece of meat, glancing at the humble figure in the corner.

"King Qin, you should have a share too."

"Thank you, General, for the meat."

This piece of meat is from the tail of a pheasant, and it tastes terrible.

Sun Kewang desperately suppressed the urge to vomit, fearing he might anger the arrogant General Dingyuan, but things didn't go as planned; the more he wanted to do something, the less he could accomplish it.

vomit~
He vomited immediately.

Jiang Qingyun's expression changed instantly, and he shouted sternly, "Sun Kewang, the imperial court has already issued an edict to confer upon you the title of Prince. Are you dissatisfied with this reward?"

Sun Kewang kowtowed repeatedly.

"I don't dare, my subordinates."

“You are a prince, you don’t need to address me as your subordinate, I can’t accept that.”

"General, I caught a chill last night, which is why I lost my composure..."

Jiang Qingyun's expression softened slightly.

"I see. It's understandable that you're ill. It's alright, it's alright. My attitude was a bit rough, please don't take offense."

"Don't dare."

"Bring me a deer antler hat."

Jiang Qingyun held up a beautiful stag hat, with towering antlers and vibrant fur.

"If you wear it to lure deer, will you be able to call out like a deer?"

Instantly, Sun Kewang's face turned bright red, and he made two incoherent noises.

Shuo Dai: "No, no, that's clearly the sound of a wild boar. That's how a deer sounds, 'Yo yo yo,' you need to strain your voice."

The crowd roared with laughter.

Sun Kewang awkwardly bowed and hurriedly left amidst the malicious laughter of the crowd.

Surprisingly, no one present thought Jiang Qingyun had gone too far. In their eyes, it was an excessive reward from the court for a traitor who led a mere 500 remnants of his army to be granted the title of Prince, even if it was just a nominal title.

……

Sun Kewang, along with a few trusted followers, awkwardly imitated deer calls in the woods, feeling both grief and indignation. But there was nothing he could do; when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

after a long time.

Jiang Qingyun led a large group of Manchu nobles into the woods.

"Gentlemen, shoot freely."

"Whoo."

The group avoided the mountain path and hid in the woods on both sides. They dispersed and frequently drew their bows, arrows flying like lightning, and their prey fell to the ground one after another.

Jiang Qingyun deliberately lagged behind by a few feet, walking slowly behind Basha. After walking several dozen feet, he saw a wild rabbit that had been shot by an arrow.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching him, he quickly stepped on the rabbit, pulled out the arrow, and looked closely. The arrow shaft was engraved with the words: Basha.

My lord, may I borrow your arrow?

(End of this chapter)