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

Chapter 220 The Ninth Banner is lurking among us!

Jiang Qingyun reached out again and firmly helped him up.

"The officialdom is treacherous; those who navigate it can be killed and their families wiped out if they are not careful. Third Eunuch, don't take it to heart. I'm not only wary of you, but also of others."

"The servant understands."

"Third Master, we are destined to meet. Now I need your help with something."

"This servant is willing to go through fire and water for my benefactor."

“Wu Liangfu has widely deployed his elite guards to monitor all officials, deceive the emperor, and persecute loyal and virtuous people. His crimes are heinous, and I am preparing to deal with him.”

"My benefactor hates evil as if it were his enemy, and I am willing to be his vanguard."

"He is the chief eunuch of the Forbidden City, and you are the seventh-rank head eunuch of the Qianqing Palace. The difference in your status is huge. Are you afraid?"

"Hehe, fortune favors the bold, and besides, I've disliked him for a long time."

"Come closer and listen to me."

……

Half an hour later~
Feeling refreshed, the Third Eunuch left first, his steps light and quick. Having opened his heart today, he had finally boarded the fastest train in the Qing Dynasty's central government.

After a while~
Jiang Qingyun quietly left, exiting the palace through the Xihua Gate and heading straight for Qianliang Hutong in the eastern part of the city.

Light snow fell, and the air was crisp and cold.

The streets along the way were deserted, with no pedestrians, like a ghost town.

Dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin, and various other pleasurable substances were released rapidly, and Jiang Qingyun felt a surge of heroic spirit and high morale.

The warhorse beneath him sensed its master's excitement and spurred its horse to gallop faster.

A voice cried out in Jiang Qingyun's heart:

What are you afraid of?
The greater the danger, the greater the conquest!
The mighty Eight Banners troops trembled under my iron hooves, the sacred and incomparable capital city wailed softly beneath my feet, and the lives and deaths of countless people were all in my hands.

Rush!
March forward toward that supreme throne of God!
……

Cining Palace.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang suddenly asked suspiciously, "What day of the twelfth lunar month is it today?"

"Your Majesty, I am twenty."

"That's strange. I remember that in previous years, many people would have already started setting off firecrackers by this time. Why is it so quiet this year?"

"Perhaps it's snowing outside, and everyone's hibernating."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang continued reading, completely unaware of the changes taking place in the capital city at that moment.

Under the command of an ambitious young man, tens of thousands of Manchu, Mongol, and Han soldiers united as one and used resolute force to arrest dissidents in Manchuria, Mongolia, and the Han army, interrogating them quickly and executing them on the spot.

The fire raged day and night.

Countless flag bearers were reduced to ashes.

The palace maid suddenly whispered:

"Your Majesty, someone has set off firecrackers."

The faint sound of firecrackers drifted into the Forbidden City.

"Hmm, at least it feels a bit like the New Year."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang continued reading, and happened to come across the scene of Cui Yingying's tearful farewell at the ten-mile pavilion, where she shed tears for Zhang Sheng. She found herself yearning for it. Women, indeed, can never resist the bittersweetness of love.

"The Romance of the Western Chamber" is really good!
……

"Bump the door."

"Whoo."

A burly armored soldier, wielding a bronze hammer, smashed the door down with two loud thuds.

A beginner's guide to shield-bearing.

bang~
A dull blast of musket fire followed, and the powerful lead bullet shattered the shield and wounded the shield bearer.

"Quick, rush in!"

The Manchu cavalry commander in charge drew his sword and roared, as a group of archers rushed into the courtyard. The bowstrings snapped repeatedly, followed by screams from inside.

The armed guards who resisted arrest were caught off guard and, without having time to reload, abandoned their weapons and charged forward with knives, were hit by three arrows.

The cavalry captain entered the courtyard and slowly drew his sword. With a single slash, blood spurted out.

"what happened?"

A guard wearing a blue-tasseled hat entered; he had heard the gunshot earlier.

“There is a dissident who is resisting the law.”

"What dissidents? They are clearly rebels from the Ninth Banner."

"Brother, what is the Ninth Banner?"

The elite cavalry officers belonged to the Left Battalion of the Garrison Command and were military personnel. The elite guards, on the other hand, belonged to the Training Command and were political officers. There were significant differences between the two.

"The Admiral clearly pointed out that a small group of dissidents are attempting to establish a new banner outside the Eight Banners—the Ninth Banner. They are well-organized, have a clear program, and most of them are in a state of infiltration."

"Grass."

The captain cursed.

The imperial guards went straight into the house and searched it thoroughly. When they came out, they had some fireworks in their hands.

咻咻 咻 ~
Fireworks exploded in the sky.

The soldiers looked up, but could only hear the sound, not see the light. That's how fireworks are set off in broad daylight.

"Hey bro, what are you doing setting off fireworks?"

"There was a gunshot just now, let's set off some fireworks to distract them. It's the Lunar New Year, the atmosphere should be relaxed, not tense."

Tiqi is professional.

……

You can't expect all the flag bearers on the list to be cowards; there will always be some who are unwilling to surrender. But their resistance is weak, and their cries are futile.

Jiang Qingyun's organized army crushed the unorganized bannermen like cutting butter with a hot knife.

Prince Li's Mansion.

Hailin, the officer in charge of the watch, led his soldiers in and arrested three stewards, one guard, and two servants.

"Where is your prince?"

"The prince is inside."

Hailin sneered.

"If they don't come out, we'll go in."

They kicked open the door.

Hailin's eyes were fierce, and his voice was shrill:
"...Upon investigation, it was found that these six individuals secretly joined the Ninth Banner in an attempt to assassinate General Dingyuan. These six individuals are guilty of heinous crimes and shall be beheaded immediately."

"Your Highness, please understand my situation."

With a wave of his hand, Hailin immediately created six headless corpses in the courtyard.

Reading books is nowhere near as fun as catching people.

Hailin is extremely satisfied with his current life.

The entire Prince's residence was in a state of panic, except for Prince Abuna of Chahar, who saw an opportunity. He was there on the Empress Dowager's orders to escort his cousin from the Chahar tribe to Prince Li's residence to become his primary wife, which was why he was at the residence.

The glory of the Golden Family and the regret of his father, Lin Danhan, surged into his heart.

……

The search and arrest of Prince Li's residence was an order personally issued by Jiang Qingyun. With a written order, his subordinates had no worries when carrying out military orders.

You can't kill your master, but you can kill your servant.

You can't physically eliminate the enemy, but you can break their spirit.

In just a few days, the officers and soldiers of the Infantry Commander's Office fell into a strange state of mind: mania, irritability, and aggression, with a desire to destroy everything.

Destruction and killing are addictive; once started, it's hard to stop.

This is human nature.

Even the trader himself is no exception.

Jiang Qingyun's eyes were bloodshot from the stimulation of the rapidly secreted dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin. After assigning the task of "moving Wu Liangfu's house in Qianliang Hutong," he urged his horse to return home.

Heading straight to the inner courtyard, to the rooms in the Jiangnan style.

"You all get out."

"Yes."

The maids and old women left and closed the door behind them.

"Husband, you haven't been home for the past few days. You must be busy with official business at the yamen."

"Business matters are not important; there is a very important personal matter at hand."

"What? Huh?"

Jiangnan was not intimidated, but boldly met the challenge. The expensive Suzhou embroidered inner garment was torn apart by the enormous force and turned into fluttering butterflies, falling down in a flurry.

The dragon weaves through the air, inadvertently stirring up thousands of layers of snow waves.

Fortunately, Jiangnan, who had practiced martial arts for many years, was in good physical condition and was able to fight back and forth with the Qing Banner's General Jiang, who was in a bloodthirsty frenzy. This was quite remarkable.

After a long while, a roar erupted.

Listen to the dragon's roar~
(End of this chapter)