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

Chapter 21 Sword and Shoes Enter the Palace, Pray and Pay Homage Without Name, Patrol the Harem – This is How a True Man Should Be!
Black smoke rose from Caijia Hutong.

Many people were shouting, "Fire!"

A nearby watchtower immediately sounded a gong as a warning.

The guards were a little nervous, and they all turned their eyes to Shunzhi.

Emperor Shunzhi, seeing that the black smoke was at least 60 zhang away from him, waved his hand, indicating that he should continue drinking tea.

Before long, the Nancheng fire brigade arrived at the fire scene in a flash and began fighting the fire.

The firefighting team worked in an orderly manner, first creating firebreaks in all directions.

"One, two, pull!"

Boom~
Pulled by numerous hook-and-sickle spears, a house that had just burned down collapsed with a roar.

Water was then drawn from a nearby ditch and poured over the burning houses. As the three houses gradually collapsed, flames scattered everywhere. The surrounding ground was damp and there were no flammable materials, so the remaining flames were quickly extinguished.

Shunzhi watched with great interest, finding it all quite novel.

This method of firefighting is simple, brutal, but reasonable.

……

"Lord Jiang has arrived!"

Someone on the outside shouted, and the crowd immediately made way.

Jiang Qingyun, mounted on his horse, glanced at the fire site, which was now extinguished.

"Brothers in the fire brigade, you've worked hard. You must put out all the embers below to prevent them from reigniting."

"For the Qing Dynasty! For Nancheng!"

The slogans were perfectly synchronized, and Emperor Shunzhi was overjoyed. What loyal subjects!
A constable approached Jiang Qingyun and whispered, "Sir, that group of people over there doesn't look quite right."

Jiang Qingyun turned his head to look at the tea stall, and an alarm bell rang instantly.

Dozens of plainclothes men were arranged in a fan shape, with a sharp and capable demeanor and keen eyes. Some had bulging waists, while others had bulging arms, clearly indicating that they were carrying sharp weapons.

"grown ups?"

"Quickly order the people to disperse and return home."

……

Jiang Qingyun could almost conclude that such attire meant the person was either an official or a thief.

The probability of it being a thief is small, while the probability of it being an official is large.

A bold idea popped into his head, and his heart pounded: this might be a golden opportunity.

"Drive~"

He reined in his horse and slowly approached the tea stall.

As he approached halfway, he made another discovery: although the group's clothing varied, their boots were identical. Furthermore, the way they looked at him was arrogant, the gaze of a superior looking at a subordinate.

Imperial bodyguards!

The Emperor is here.

Thinking of this, Jiang Qingyun hung his sword on the side of the saddle, nimbly dismounted, and walked over step by step.

10 feet~7 feet~4 feet~
A man across from them reached out and stopped them without saying a word.

Jiang Qingyun took out a copper seal from his waist and handed it over without saying a word.

"You, stay where you are." The man said calmly, took the copper seal, and then turned and walked into the teahouse.

……

Inside the tea shed.

The shopkeeper also sensed something was wrong, and his arms began to tremble.

Seeing this, a guard stepped forward, took the bronze pot from his hand, and gestured for him to leave.

At this time, apart from Emperor Shunzhi, there was no one else sitting in the teahouse.

"Your Majesty, Jiang Qingyun, the commander of the Southern City Garrison, requests an audience. This is his official seal."

"How would he know?"

"The true emperor is here, shrouded in purple aura; it's not surprising that he could spot him," the guard flattered discreetly.

"Let him come."

"Whoo."

A moment later, Jiang Qingyun strode into the tea stall.

Silence, kneeling, kowtowing.

Although unwilling, there was nothing they could do. A higher-ranking official can have absolute power, especially when the person before them was the emperor.

At that moment, a phrase flashed through his mind: "To enter the palace with a sword and shoes, to bow without naming one's name, and to inspect the inner palace—this is how a true man should be."

……

"Raise your head." "Take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Jiang Qingyun keenly sensed that the young emperor had a good impression of him. Although he didn't know why, he was sure his intuition was right.

"You did a good job in the South City, worthy of being a member of the Two Yellow Banners."

"I am a servant who receives the emperor's salary and shares his burdens. Doing what I can for the people of Nancheng is simply my duty and does not deserve praise."

"Someone has impeached you for being arrogant and domineering in office and for keeping a private army. Will you defend yourself?"

“Your Majesty, I have a clear conscience. In Beijing, doing anything practical will offend people, but if you do nothing, you can live in harmony.”

Shunzhi was satisfied with the answer and waved for the guards to stand further away.

There were originally four guards in the teahouse, two standing behind the emperor and two standing behind Jiang Qingyun, but they now silently retreated.

……

Shunzhi beckoned Jiang Qingyun to come closer. The two were separated only by a simple tea table, practically inches apart.

"I ask you, is the capital in danger?"

"Have."

"explain."

"Many of the Regent's henchmen are within the White Banners and Plain Blue Banners; they will not be loyal to the Emperor, and they will not accept defeat."

"What do you propose?"

"Kill him."

"I am the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty. The Eight Banners are the foundation of our nation. If we kill three banners, leaving only five, wouldn't that be digging our own grave?"

"Your Majesty's idea is to kill only the officials of these three banners."

"You also believe that even if Dorgon dies, his followers will not be loyal to me?"

"Your Majesty is wise. To give you an analogy, trust is like a woman's chastity; it either exists from the beginning or it never does."

Emperor Shunzhi seemed to be deep in thought; the metaphor was crude but amusing.

"Your Majesty is a sage ruler and should make decisions independently. Your humble servant is willing to fight on behalf of Your Majesty and clear away any obstacles."

Shunzhi's breathing quickened noticeably, but he quickly regained his composure and simply gazed tenderly at Jiang Qingyun.

"I verbally grant you permission to recruit two to three hundred elite soldiers from the Han troops who have retired from military service in the Zhili region. If necessary, you may also take control of Daxing and Wanping counties to ensure the loyalty of the Southern City. However, you must abide by the laws of the court and not be ostentatious. I will never mistreat loyal people. I'm leaving now."

Shunzhi spoke in an extremely soft voice, but the content was very bold.

……

Jiang Qingyun sat on the empty tea stall for a long time. At this moment, the most fitting lines of poetry were: "A storm is brewing, the wind fills the tower; dark clouds press down on the city, threatening to crush it!"

He drank his sip of Gao Sui while pondering the meaning behind Shunzhi's words.

On the surface, the young emperor was wary of Dorgon, but in reality, he was also wary of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.

The phrase "rule of power alone" seems to have struck a chord with the young emperor.

At that time, the young Wanli Emperor felt helpless and had mixed feelings of love and hate towards Empress Dowager Li.

Wasn't Shunzhi the same?
The conversation took place without a third party present, and no written decree or gifts were bestowed. This indicates that Shunzhi still harbored some reservations.

"grown ups?"

The tea stall owner returned, trembling with fear.

Jiang Qingyun tossed down a small piece of silver and said in a gentle tone, "Forget about today's events. Don't think about them or talk about them. Just focus on doing business."

"I understand."

"Also, if you discover any suspicious people or things around you in the future, feel free to report them to the Military Command. It's okay if you're wrong, but you'll be rewarded if you're right."

"I understand, I certainly do."

……

After Jiang Qingyun left the tea stall, his expression remained normal.

He slowed his horse and inspected the area along the overpass, then turned into Zhushikou Street, and finally arrived at Shijia Hutong near Chongfu Temple (renamed Fayuan Temple during the Qianlong era).

The construction site is bustling with activity, with more than 200 craftsmen working diligently.

"This is none of your business, get back to work." The clerk from the military command rushed over. "Sir, what brings you here?"

"I am not at ease."

"My lord, please look, in order are Puji Hall, Orphanage, and Dwelling Place. The craftsmen strictly followed your design and construction, using clear red bricks, one brick to the top. The monks of Chongfu Temple said that you, my lord, have the heart of a Bodhisattva and the methods of an Arhat."

Jiang Qingyun frowned and asked:

Which monk?

"I don't know him. But he's very tall, standing there like a pine tree. He has a dignified appearance, and you can tell at a glance that he is a good monk with profound spiritual cultivation and great compassion."

(End of this chapter)