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

Chapter 212 Imperial Advice, Initiating Political Tutelage

Shenwu Gate.

Sony and Wu Liangfu stood on either side of the city gate.

"Brother Jiang, I've missed you so much."

"Lord Suo, you flatter me! What are you doing?"

Sony smiled reservedly: "His Majesty personally appointed me. From this day forward, I am honored to serve as the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard."

Jiang Qingyun nodded and sighed, "Congratulations, brother. It's just a pity about Brother Ao."

"Yes. After we finish our shift, shall we go to his residence together and take a look?"

"Okay."

Wu Liangfu seized the opportunity and quickly spoke up: "Chief Censor Jiang, His Majesty has summoned you in the Imperial Garden."

"A fishing pond?"

"Yes."

Sony: "Brother, you'd better hurry up and go. Don't keep the Emperor waiting. These days, the two Yellow Banners can't do without you, no matter who you are."

Jiang Qingyun's smile faded, and he said seriously, "The imperial guards are a top-notch duty, and the two Yellow Banners are determined to defend the imperial power to the death. Brother Suo, you must not be careless."

……

After walking for a while, Jiang Qingyun suddenly quickened his pace to keep up with Wu Liangfu and started chatting.

"Steward Wu, it's been a long time. You look much better than before."

"really?"

"People are in high spirits when they have good things happening. I guess Steward Wu must have encountered some good news recently?"

"What joy could a eunuch like me have? All I do every day is serve the emperor."

Seeing that this guy was pretending to be stupid and avoiding the key topic, Jiang Qingyun relentlessly sent him enemy-or-foe identification radar waves.

"Steward Wu, can't you smell the enemy?"

"Where is the enemy? Where is the enemy?"

"The enemy is in the capital, in the imperial court, and in the Eight Banners."

"Oh my goodness, Your Honor, you're saying such terrifying things! It's making my heart pound! I can't listen to this! I won't listen!"

Wu Liangfu panicked and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Steward Wu, do you think I am loyal?"

"Of course you're loyal!"

"Didn't you ever doubt me?"

What are you talking about?

Wu Liangfu was visibly nervous, while Jiang Qingyun looked solemn. The two stopped and looked at each other.

"Chief Steward Wu, I believe I am the most loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty. My loyalty to the Emperor is as clear as day and night. Logically speaking, no one in the court should doubt my loyalty. But I heard that your Thirteen Offices are secretly investigating me?"

"Who told you that?"

"Ao Bai!"

"No, no, absolutely not."

"It's fine if you don't."

Jiang Qingyun's smile was sinister:
"Actually, it's good to investigate. Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who doesn't understand the bigger picture. I'm upright and honest, so it doesn't matter if you plant a few spies in my residence. However, you'd better arrange for a few pretty girls to be my spies, so that even if I find out, I won't feel bad!"

After speaking, he walked away.

Wu Liangfu stood there, and only when he came to his senses did he realize that his official robe was soaked with sweat—he had actually wet himself in fright!
……

The Imperial Garden, the fishing pond.

Jiang Qingyun took a deep breath, her eyes slightly moist, and her voice trembling slightly.

"emperor!"

"My dear minister, is your injury?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have fully recovered. I am now drawing a strong bow and riding a spirited horse."

"Alright, alright, I've really had a bit of a change while you've been away from court. Sit down, let's talk while we fish~"

Shunzhi's attitude was unusually good.

"The minister obeys the order."

Jiang Qingyun picked up a fishing rod and skillfully performed the feint of baiting the hook.

swoosh~
Casting an empty hook. The fishing competition in the Forbidden City has begun again, fishing for human relationships, for harmonious relations between ruler and subject, and for the ultimate power.

"My dear minister, you should know what I am thinking right now."

"Your Majesty, I understand perfectly. I am willing to fight for you."

"I want to give a good beating to a dog that's fallen into the water, but there's a lot of opposition from both the court and the public, even from the Empress Dowager~"

Shunzhi's face instantly darkened.

"I would like to reiterate my point. Your Majesty's matters, if they can be handled, will certainly be handled; if they cannot be handled, we will find a way to handle them. I have thought it over and I have a solution."

"What method?"

"They don't explicitly ban it, but they secretly undermine it."

"How can it be considered fictional?"

"The day after tomorrow, when the court is full of officials, I will lead the petition to Your Majesty to step forward and announce to the world that our Great Qing has officially entered the period of tutelage."

What is the meaning of "tutelage"?

"Your Majesty, the tutelage is a transitional form after the new dynasty has established its rule over the world. Simply put, the court establishes a special agency to promulgate a series of detailed temporary regulations to govern the people, mainly officials and the army."

"What's the purpose?"

"Unify thought and government decrees, and make imperial power supreme once again."

"Can it be done?"

"Yes. Your Majesty. I plan to eliminate a group of stubborn bannermen and correct a group of wavering bannermen. By suspending the emperor's rule, I will sever the bond between the bannermen and the bannermen, and let the million bannermen directly obey Your Majesty."

"It sounds similar to your previous report suggesting the promotion of the successful experience of the Songzi Battle?"

"Your Majesty is wise. Because the situation has changed, and the Empress Dowager has sided with the wrong side, I have no choice but to take a roundabout approach."

The ministers' criticism of the Empress Dowager was indeed an overreach, but Emperor Shunzhi seemed not to hear it.

This indicates that the struggle between the mother and son has escalated to a rather intense level, and tensions are running high.

……

"My dear minister, what did you mean by elimination just now?"

"Your Majesty, the only way to maintain the purity of the Eight Banners is to kill all the stubborn elements whose thinking cannot be corrected."

Shunzhi remained silent. He was conflicted; he wanted to kill them, but he couldn't bear to, because the Manchu bannermen were extremely valuable.

"My dear minister, you just mentioned wanting to establish a special agency?"

"Yes, in order to avoid being hampered, I suggest that this special agency be independent of all government offices in the capital, with its own funding. In addition, I would also like to include the You'anmen Prison, the Five City Garrison, and the Nine Gates Commanders in this new agency."

"I'm sure."

Shunzhi nodded.

If we're going to use people, we must delegate authority. The organization must be powerful, the fist must be firm, and the stance must be lofty in order to effectively educate dissidents.

"Your Majesty, please decide on the name of the new institution. I have considered a few candidates: the Capital Pacification Office? Or the Capital Police Department? Or the Office of the Commander of the Nine Gates Infantry and Five Battalions?"

Emperor Shunzhi frowned. The first name was strange, the second name was good, but the third name was even more Qing Dynasty.

"The third one is the Office of the Commander of the Nine Gates Infantry and the Five Battalions of the Patrol and Constables! The quota for civil officials and clerks is 500. In addition, the Green Standard Army cavalry and infantry of the capital will also be included in your office."

"The minister obeys the order."

……

suddenly~
Shunzhi lifted the rod and caught a fish.

The eunuchs who had been watching from afar quickly and happily ran over to complete all the remaining procedures, ensuring the emperor's hands weren't dirty.

Jiang Qingyun also raised his fishing rod, looked at the empty hook, and chuckled to himself.

"Your Majesty, I had bad luck; I must have run into a very cunning fish."

"This stupid fish that I caught must have been raised by Emperor Chongzhen."

Emperor Shunzhi was in a great mood today and even made a witty remark.

"Your Majesty has set the stage for further discussion, and I would also like to tell a joke."

"speak."

"It is said that during the reign of Emperor Tianqi of the Ming Dynasty, a scholar in the capital accidentally slipped and fell into Shichahai Lake. A group of imperial guards happened to be passing by, and the scholar shouted for help, but no one paid him any attention. Seeing that he was about to drown, the scholar shouted, 'Down with Wei Zhongxian!' The imperial guards were terrified and immediately jumped in to pull him out, and sentenced him to exile in Lingnan."

After hearing this, Shunzhi was stunned for a long time and did not laugh.

“My dear minister, this is not a joke. It is a little story with profound implications, containing complex political logic.”

(End of this chapter)