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

Chapter 23 When drawing a bow, one should aim for the strongest possible outcome.
"Ache~"

Jiang Qingyun, who had returned to the rear office of the Military Command in the rain, was surrounded by three women and a cat.

He closed his eyes slightly and opened his arms.

Before long, a puddle of rainwater gathered on the blue bricks underfoot.

His soaked official robes and boots were removed, and he was replaced with a dry cotton robe. If you ignored the braid at the back of his head, he would look exactly like a dashing young man from the Song Dynasty.

The women in the household also primarily wore Song Dynasty clothing on a daily basis.

I'm not worried about my clothes causing trouble.

Five years after the Qing army entered the pass, although they had established an empire, the flames of war had not yet been extinguished on all sides, with battles raging in Hunan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Shaanxi. The Yongli regime still had the strength to fight, and its generals included Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Bai Wenxuan, and Zheng Chenggong, so the Qing court simply could not attend to the details.

Compared to the all-pervasive rule during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, it was like heaven and earth.

Seize this precious window of opportunity; there is much to be gained!
……

"My lord, please don't be so reckless next time. Getting caught in the rain can cause typhoid fever."

Jiangnan was dressed as a woman, her brows and eyes filled with worry.

Green Pearl remained silent. When the principal wife was present, she was merely a concubine. When the principal wife was absent, she was truly herself.

In late spring, she was most cunning, wearing only a lotus root pink bodice, her eyes darting around.

"I'm tired, I'll rest for a while."

Jiang Qingyun remained calm and then walked into the inner room.

The women looked at each other, but didn't think much of it, assuming it was just fatigue from their work.

The rain stopped.

In the courtyard, Wan Chun was singing a tune. Her voice was melodious and rather charming.

The door was pushed open.
"My husband, I've made a bowl of ginger soup."

Jiang Nan watched as Jiang Qingyun stood up, downed his drink in one gulp, and then stared at her with eyes as red as burning coals. She felt a little embarrassed; as a newlywed, she knew what that look meant.

The calico cat closed its eyes slightly and automatically bent its ears, displaying its noble feline virtues!
……

"Madam, I have nothing to do today, and I would like to see your archery skills."

"Please examine me, my lord."

"You said it'll be a martial arts test, so I'm all fired up." Jiang Nan changed out of her casual dress and into a black hunting outfit. The entire time, Jiang Qingyun stared intently at her.

"Husband, help me pull it tighter."

Why is it wrapped so tightly?

"The arrow must be wound flat before shooting, otherwise I'll die if the bowstring snags."

The courtyard was small, and the target was only about 9 zhang away. Jiangnan held a soft bow and light arrows, and the arrows hit the bullseye repeatedly without any challenge.

"Let's go to the outskirts."

Jiang Qingyun and his wife, accompanied by four guards, rode out of the yamen and sped south, gradually thinning out the streets.

……

The guards set up four archery targets 25 zhang away, which looked very small from a distance.

Jiangnan still didn't aim, the bowstring snapped, and the arrows whistled out, all hitting the target, with two arrows even hitting the very center of the red bullseye.

The arrow trajectory clearly follows a parabola.

"Husband, come here."

The result was somewhat embarrassing; Jiang Qingyun hit only 1 out of 4 arrows, just as his father had commented: "His martial arts skills are mediocre" and "He's just not skilled enough."

"My lord, may I borrow your bow?"

"Take it."

Jiangnan got used to it a little, and although the first arrow went slightly astray, he continued to hit the target with every arrow after that.

"Madam, I have found several skilled craftsmen to make bows and crossbows and soft armor for you. For escorting goods and killing bandits, a soft bow is sufficient. If you are going to work in the government, you should draw a strong bow and capture the king first."

"what?"

Jiangnan was somewhat surprised, "Your officialdom feels like a battlefield!"

Jiang Qingyun with his hands behind his back:
"Now that you are also an official's wife, there are some things you can know. The Regent is seriously ill and his death is only a matter of time. His cronies may not surrender obediently, so our family must prepare to treat Beijing as a battlefield."

"You must protect the rest of the family, and protect me if necessary. Cough cough, after all, I am a civil official, and I am not very skilled in archery and horsemanship."

Jiangnan showed no fear whatsoever; in fact, some were even eager to try.

She has worked as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), killed people, and has a clear understanding of the animalistic nature of this world.

"Madam, what other weapons do you use?" "Throwing knives!"

brush~
A finely crafted throwing knife appeared on the adobe wall three zhang away.

……

Jiangnan, wielding a long spear, moved with practiced precision, thrusting, parrying, and agile movements.

Jiang Qingyun asked in a low voice:
"Uncle Zheng, will Madam's martial arts skills be effective on the battlefield?"

"Madam is skilled in one-on-one combat with a bow and arrow and a long spear. As long as she is not surrounded or in a melee between two armies, she should be fine. I suggest that you replace her with armor-piercing arrows."

Jiang Qingyun thought for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Zheng, where is your hometown?"

"Dezhou, Shandong".

Are there many young men in your hometown who are related to you?

"There are probably a dozen or twenty in the village, young master. What's wrong?"

"Take some travel money back to your hometown and recruit seven or eight cousins ​​to serve as soldiers in the capital. I won't mistreat them; they'll all receive double pay. Time is short, so you should leave today."

"Young Master, is something about to happen in the capital?"

"Hmm. It's only a matter of time, don't ask."

……

In the distance, a rider galloped swiftly towards them.

"Young master, a guest has arrived at the Military Command. He says he works as a clerk in the Ministry of Personnel and his surname is Zhou."

"Let's go back to the government office."

After an incense stick had burned, Jiang Qingyun met Zhou Shao, who had a bundle and a letter beside him.

"Brother Zhou, what's going on?"

"Shh~ I asked you to get vaccinated. This bundle contains my change of clothes and my will. Just in case something happens, I want to make sure everything is clear beforehand."

Call ~
Jiang Qingyun breathed a long sigh of relief.

By evening, he personally inoculated more than twenty people, including Zhou Shao, with smallpox.

Smallpox treatment carries risks, but I've also figured out some tricks along the way.

For example, try to select safe, mature seedlings, extract them from scabs rather than pus, dry and crush them into powder, place them in a bottle, let them sit in the soil for several days, and then mix them with water to make water seedlings, which greatly reduces the risk factor.

……

After vaccination, a person needs to rest, and redness and swelling of the arm and low-grade fever are normal reactions.

If it fails, then you will directly become a smallpox patient, but it will not be too severe, and most cases will be mild.

The group from Baoding unanimously agreed that "fate is determined by destiny," "let's take a gamble," "the master would never lie to us," and "Master Zhou's life is more valuable than ours."

After 10 days.

One person failed, developed a fever and pox, while the others were successfully vaccinated.

Those who failed were transferred to the South Garden outside the city for treatment.

Jiang Qingyun pulled Zhou Shao aside to a secluded spot and deliberately asked, "Brother Zhou, what if I were to offer this prescription to the imperial court?"

"No, absolutely not. If any member of the royal family fails to be vaccinated and actually contracts smallpox, you're finished."

"Oh, Brother Zhou is right."

Jiang Qingyun immediately accepted the offer and rejected the idea of ​​being a "loyal minister." In reality, he knew perfectly well that it was just a test.

"Brother Jiang, who have you planted this for?"

"First it was the Military Commandery, then the West Pass Escort Agency, and now they're secretly planting it for the local people."

Are there many failures?

"cream of the crop."

"That's already a miracle. By the way, did you inoculate people with smallpox in the name of the Military Command?"

"No. It's through a subordinate who then directs a quack doctor selling plasters."

"Young man, you are steady and reliable, and your future is limitless."

"Don't refrain from doing good just because it's a small act."

"Brother Jiang has the demeanor of an ancient gentleman. Have your small kitchen serve wine and dishes. I won't leave until I'm drunk tonight," Zhou Shao said, quite excitedly.

(End of this chapter)