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

Chapter 246 Young Jiang gently educated Shunzhi.

To demonstrate his sincerity, Jiang Qingyun ordered a halt to the shelling, allowing small vendors to cross the defensive line and enter the area between the two armies to sell various daily necessities.

Firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, charcoal, cloth, medicinal herbs, needles and thread~
At first, the rebels were very nervous.

But after a few days, they couldn't help but lower their guard.

With limited supplies and few remaining, the small vendors greatly helped to alleviate the rebels' shortage of resources.

The royalists shout slogans every day.

"All the Eight Banners are brothers; there is no hatred that cannot be overcome."

"Internal conflicts should be resolved internally."

"Let's talk things over. Don't let the Han people laugh at us."

……

Jiang Qingyun opened his binoculars to look at the front line and smiled.

"Recently, our side has bombarded the rebel positions with thousands of smoke bombs and sugar-coated bullets, which have greatly weakened the rebels and reduced their combat effectiveness. They will collapse soon."

Everyone offered their flattery.

"The Grand Secretary is wise."

"The Grand Secretary is truly a renowned general of our time."

"Even if Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were reborn, they could not match the abilities of the chief minister."

"This humble general believes that the court should bestow upon him the title of Grand Secretary and First Baturu of the Great Qing Dynasty."

Faced with the flood of flattery, Jiang Qingyun was excited, but then became vigilant again, reminding himself repeatedly that war is dangerous and he must not be careless. He had to ensure that he had an overwhelming advantage and a precipitous lead over the enemy.

Are there many defectors who surrendered?

"More than 100 people have already volunteered, most of them bringing their families."

"Our promises must be kept. Politics that lacks credibility is doomed to failure. We must never emulate the oath made at Luoshui."

"As ordered."

Despite the constant urging from the Forbidden City, Jiang Qingyun ignored them all and only sent two calligraphy scrolls with him.

The first piece of calligraphy, in regular script: "Without Your Majesty, I would not be where I am today. Without Your Majesty, I would not be able to live out my remaining years."

The second piece of calligraphy, in cursive script: "Brothers quarrel within the walls; if possible, avoid killing them."

The third piece of calligraphy, in the Slender Gold style: "May the mountains and rivers be unified, and may the Great Qing last ten thousand years!"

Emperor Shunzhi finally stopped pressuring him.

……

East side of Chongwenmen Inner Street.

An officer smashed the rusty lock and pushed open the long-sealed wooden door, revealing a yard overgrown with weeds and exuding an air of decay.

"Alinbao, this house is yours from now on."

"All of them are mine?"

"The Grand Secretary's words are law. Ah Linbao, the Red Banner Cavalryman, promptly defected and was promoted to the rank of Ninth-Rank Blue-Feathered Captain. Considering his large family, he was also granted a courtyard house. Once the rebels are dealt with, your old house will still be yours. You must not forget this profound kindness."

"This humble servant thanks the Grand Secretary."

The poorly dressed Alinbao and his family immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

Suddenly, a suppressed sob came from next door.

The officer laughed:

"Next door are the families of the rebels from the Plain Blue Banner, an old woman and a young girl. They are weeping, perhaps because their lives are so hard and they are suffering unspeakably. As the victor, you can conscript them at any time. I still have a few families to settle, so I'll take my leave now."

"This servant respectfully sees you off, my lord."

After the officer left, Alinbao sprinted up the wall and jumped into the next room. The whole action was smooth and fluid, demonstrating the excellent combat skills of an old bannerman.

A short while later, he returned through the courtyard gate, carrying a woman under each arm, beaming with joy.

"Father, leave the younger one to me, I'm already 13 this year!" the eldest son exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"The old one is yours."

"What?"

"You don't understand, the old man is trying to cool down his body, Dad is doing this for your own good."

From then on, the impoverished Alinbao family finally began to live a better life.

……

Zhou Shao is back, and he's lost weight.

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary, with the cooperation of your father, I have executed 134 key officials of the prefectures and counties, and all the cities in Zhili Province are now in our hands."

"We have notified wealthy households in various regions to seek refuge in the city, otherwise their lives and property will be in danger."

"The Vice Minister of the Granary has been notified to strengthen the defenses of the Tongzhou granary. If it cannot be defended, set it on fire immediately and never give it to the enemy."

"We have dispatched express messengers to notify the wharves along the Tongzhou Canal that cargo ships should immediately return south."

Jiang Qingyun breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Brother, there's no need for formalities. Go and rest for a day, eat well and sleep well. I'll need you again tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Zhou Shao replied respectfully, his manners impeccable. Jiang Qingyun watched his departing figure and let out a barely perceptible sigh.

Suddenly an old friend comes to mind; looking back, the mountains and rivers are already in autumn.

……

As time passed, the negotiations continued, and Jiang Qingyun made concessions one after another, getting closer to Jirhalang's expectations.

Behind the frantic release of smoke bombs lies a fierce and intense final battle.

Jiang Qingyun already had 129 battalions, 700 million taels of military funds, and 15 catties of gunpowder.

More than 300 households of rebels voluntarily joined the movement. When Jirhalang and Rokodo realized the serious problem of their people being poached, they quickly strengthened the patrols at the front.

Once captured, they will be beheaded on the spot.

This move temporarily curbed the ambitions of some lower-ranking bannermen who coveted wealth and status.

Military affairs are an extension of politics.

Military affairs are always subject to politics.

When politicians take action, military strategists can't stand it.

When Jiang Qingyun made his move, no one in the Qing Dynasty could withstand it.

……

The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs.

Is it a native turtle?

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary, it was just pulled out of the Yongding River, it's definitely local."

"let's start."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the turtle was dismembered into eight pieces, and its fresh shell was placed in a large fire to roast.

You can't go wrong with indulging in a little superstition.

Click~
The tortoise shell finally cracked.

After carefully examining the evidence, Yang Guangxian, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, smiled with satisfaction.

"Good luck."

Jiang Qingyun felt relieved, and everyone's confidence increased greatly.

On that day, a batch of highly toxic rice, highly toxic tea, and arsenic were mixed in with normal goods and sold to the rebels.

……

The next morning, Yongding Gate had just opened.

Jiang Zhongcheng, the commander of the Zhili Green Standard Army, led more than 2 Green Standard Army soldiers into the southern part of the city. In battle, fathers and sons fight side by side; in critical moments, you still have to rely on your own people.

Not yet.

The Infantry Commander's Office.

The 11th round of negotiations began on schedule.

Luo Keduo's brother-in-law said, "Prime Minister, we can only give up two more Niru troops. No more than that."

Jiang Qingyun smiled and shook his head.

"Three Niru?"

Jiang Qingyun shook his head again.

"What do you mean?"

"Prince Zheng and Prince Keqin must surrender to the court unconditionally."

"What do you mean?"

"Literally, go back and tell your prince that if he doesn't surrender, he'll be waiting to die."

……

Roccodo's brother-in-law managed to remain calm.

"Farewell."

"No delivery."

As he was leaving, he was astonished to find that the officers and soldiers were changing shifts. All the original soldiers had been withdrawn and replaced by the more unfamiliar Green Standard Army soldiers and Eight Banner soldiers.

The artillery began to take its positions.

The shield vehicle is now in position.

It was reinforced with multiple iron hoops on the outside, and the hollowed-out roots of a century-old tree were buried in the ground inside.

Several catapults once again unleashed the "final ultimatum" onto the Blue Banner position.

The note read:

Final ultimatum!

Within one day, those who surrender can still enjoy the conditions originally promised.

One day later, all the previously promised conditions were null and void. Wherever the heavenly army went, no one was spared, young or old, and everyone was slaughtered.

(End of this chapter)