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

Chapter 228 There is no Saint Helena Island in the East, only Caishikou.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang leaned forward.

“Li Lutai, you are the son of Li Yongfang. Among all the families of Long Hanchen, your Li family is the most loyal. I have no doubt that your Li family will stand with the country through thick and thin.”

"Empress Dowager~"

Li Shuotai knelt down with a thud and burst into tears.

"It's Jiang Qingyun. He's been carrying out a massive crackdown on Manchus in the capital. He, he, he..."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's heart sank. She clenched her fists, trying to keep her tone calm, and asked, "How do we hunt them?"

"Empress Dowager, he controls the Nine Gates Infantry and the Five Battalions of Police."

How many Manchus did he capture and kill?

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?? You're the Minister of Justice, how could you not know?"

“The Infantry Commander’s office is a self-contained entity, and no one else can interfere with what he does. I know he has arrested many people, but I really don’t know the exact number. I can swear to my ancestors that if I have uttered even the slightest lie, may the Li family be wiped out.”

……

Empress Xiaozhuang's head was buzzing.

"I ask you again, what is his reason for capturing and killing the bannermen?"

"He claimed that he killed dissidents of the Ninth Banner."

What is the Ninth Banner?

"I do not know."

"Absurd, ridiculous! With so many princes and ministers in the capital, isn't there a single person who will stand up and stop him?"

He said he was acting under orders.

Suddenly, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang remembered something unbelievable, and her hair stood on end.

"Do you remember when the Emperor and Jiang Qingyun colluded to sideline the Council of Princes and Ministers during the morning court session a few days ago?"

"Of course I remember. Before the morning court session, Jiang Qingyun personally came to see me."

"He went to your residence?"

"Yes, he visited each of the six ministries, nine ministers, dukes, and princes in the capital and persuaded them all."

"He doesn't seem to have killed any princes or ministers?"

"Yes."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang seemed to be deep in thought. If she had arbitrarily executed princes and ministers, she would have been exposed at the New Year's Eve banquet a few days earlier.

"Your Majesty, there is another rumor circulating in the capital."

"Ok?"

"It is said that when Jiang Qingyun served as the General of Dingyuan, he forcibly drove the Eight Banners officers to charge into battle, causing heavy casualties among the officers."

"What? He didn't mention it at all?"

"Your Majesty, this person must not be allowed to live."

"I will remember your loyalty. You may go back now."

"Thank you, Queen Mother."

Li Shuotai kowtowed deeply, then left Cining Palace with his back hunched. He didn't notice that an inconspicuous old eunuch had followed him for several dozen steps.

……

Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Shunzhi was furious.

Empress Dowager summoned foreign officials for half an hour without any reason. What ulterior motive did she have?

"The imperial decree states that Li Shuaitai, the Minister of Justice, has been negligent and careless in his duties. His attitude in investigating the assassination of General Dingyuan by a servant of Prince Li has been perfunctory and has failed to live up to the Emperor's expectations. He is hereby dismissed from his post as Minister of Justice and demoted to Prefect of Guangzhou, with a deadline of 15 days to leave the capital and assume his post."

Emperor Shunzhi dictated the instructions, Wu Liangfu recorded them, and the Third Inner Court followed suit.

The efficiency is exceptionally high.

Half a day later, Li Shuotai received the imperial decree of his demotion. He was slightly taken aback, but then overjoyed.

His wife, who was of royal lineage and quite plump, panicked: "Husband, I will go to the palace to pull some strings and try my best to keep you in the capital."

"Wait a minute."

"What's wrong?"

“I appreciate your kindness, Madam, but you must not enter the palace now. Otherwise, I will surely die a horrible death.”

"why?"

"Madam, it's a long story."

Fifteen minutes later~
The lady, who came from the Aisin Gioro imperial family, turned deathly pale. She hadn't expected the current situation to be so perilous. First, she was caught up in the conflict between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor; second, she had offended Jiang Qingyun, the most notorious villain in the capital. She muttered to herself, "My Great Qing should not be like this."

“Madam, we are in a very dangerous situation right now. It would definitely be a good thing if I could leave the capital for a while. Jiang Qingyun can’t cover up everything. I’ll go back to the capital after he’s finished. I’ll leave tomorrow. The sooner I leave, the safer I will be.”

"Then you are not allowed to take a concubine when you go to Guangzhou. You must remain chaste."

"Don't worry, my lady. The women from Guangdong are not very beautiful. I am content with just you in this life."

That night.

The Li residence was brightly lit.

The following day at noon, Li Shuotai led a team of guards and quickly left the capital.

……

On the day.

South of the city, at the Chiang Kai-shek residence.

Feng Shuan, the Minister of Personnel, who was always quick to sense things, personally came to visit and stated his purpose as soon as they met.

"Your Excellency, please dismiss those around you."

Jiang Qingyun, who was petting the cat on the recliner, immediately waved everyone away and sat up straight.

“Your Excellency, there is a personnel change that is very strange.”

"please say."

"Yesterday, the Emperor suddenly issued an edict appointing the new Imperial Brother-in-law, Tong Guogang, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, as Minister of Justice, while the original Minister, Li Shuaitai, was demoted to Prefect of Guangzhou."

Jiang Qingyun was stunned, and his smile froze.

How do you determine this?

“I can’t say for sure either, but this matter is strange and there may be a major change involved. Now is a critical period for the Prime Minister’s career advancement, and I am worried that it will affect you. Personnel changes are no small matter, and we should be overly cautious rather than careless.”

Feng Shuan, whose temples were graying, spoke very seriously. At this point, anyone who wasn't a fool could see that Jiang Qingyun was hiding huge political ambitions.

“Old Feng, you don’t need to be so modest. You are already a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, and I cannot promote you.”

"But I still have children, grandchildren, and nephews who all need your care. My esteemed minister, let's establish a new school of thought!"

The words have been quite explicit.

To establish a sect or faction means to formally raise the banner, to recruit members as widely as the Donglin Party or the eunuch party, to dominate the court, and to rival the imperial power.

Jiang Qingyun remained silent, but gently closed the calico cat's ears.

Feng Shuan gritted his teeth and simply spoke his mind.

"If Your Excellency were to raise your voice and call upon all scholars, they would all eagerly follow you. At that time, the court would be filled with upright officials, and we, the disciples of the sage, would work together to rectify the world, restore order, and soon rebuild the land of China!"

"Eunxiang?"

"Eunxiang!!"

"Minister Feng, I see your sincerity, and I will keep it in my heart. But the timing is still a little off, and we still need to be patient. Now, you should go back first."

"Yes."

Feng Shuan took a step back and bowed deeply.

……

About half an hour after Feng Shuan left.

Jiangbei returned in a hurry:

"My lord, it has now been confirmed that Li Shuaitai and his party have left the capital, and they left through Yongding Gate."

"When did you leave?"

"They had been walking for about one or two hours. The city gate official said that Li Shuotai and his party were walking in a very hurry, as if..."

"Like what?"

"It feels like someone is chasing us!"

Jiang Qingyun was instantly terrified.

"Gather 500 armored soldiers and come with me back to the yamen."

"As ordered."

Jiangbei hurriedly left to gather troops next door. Next door was the former site of the South City Military Command, now the barracks of the Central Camp of the Infantry Commander's Office.

In political struggles, a slight misstep can lead to total defeat.

No matter how many times you've won before, if you lose just once, you'll have to give it all back. Money is a small matter; the real problem is that you'll die and your entire clan will be wiped out.

There is no Saint Helena Island in the East; there is only Caishikou in the East.

(End of this chapter)