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

Chapter 251 The Second Conquest!

By candlelight.

Jiang Qingyun paced back and forth in the room, as if Cao Zhi had been reincarnated, able to devise a brilliant plan in seven steps.

In just four years, under the control of an invisible hand, half of the total population of the Eight Banners in the capital disappeared. If word got out, local governments would default on their grain and salary payments within two years, and war would break out in five years.

"Brother, besides you, how many other people know the total number of casualties among the Banner soldiers?"

"Only I know."

"Thank goodness! Once you get back, destroy all materials related to this matter immediately. The true death toll is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me."

"Yes."

"Grand Secretary, with such a great upheaval in the capital, can it be kept secret?"

"We'll keep it a secret as long as we can, and we'll try to hide as much as we can. Let's drag it out."

……

dinner time.

The manor's kitchen delivered a charcoal stove and copper brazier.

The charcoal fire was blazing hot, and steam billowed from the copper pot.

Lamb should only be cooked for three seconds; any longer and it won't taste authentic.

Jiang Qingyun picked up a few slices of mutton with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, rolled them in the sesame sauce on the plate, and put them in his mouth to chew carefully.

"Brother, do you still remember what I said to you when we were having hot pot in Dashilan?"

"Remember!"

“Our ideals have become reality. Now, we have the final say in the central government. I plan to transfer Suksaha to the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Revenue will be in your hands. Finance is the lifeblood of the empire, and you need to get a clear picture of the situation as soon as possible.”

"I will definitely take good care of your money."

……

The next day, at 7:00 AM.

The Meridian Gate slowly opened.

After taking office, Chief Minister Chiang postponed the morning court session to Chenshi (7-9 AM), but the frequency remained once every five days.

Civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate, crossed the square, and entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live."

After the three kowtows and nine prostrations, Feng Shuan, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary's foot ailment has not yet healed, and he is unable to travel far. May His Majesty grant him permission to travel by sedan chair or horse to the Hall of Supreme Harmony? This would also demonstrate Your Majesty's compassion for the meritorious officials who have helped quell the rebellion."

Emperor Shunzhi clenched his fist and slowly uttered a single word: "Granted!"

Feng Shuan turned around and shouted loudly.

"By imperial decree, Grand Secretary Jiang Qingyun has made great contributions and, considering his foot ailment, is hereby granted permission to not use his name when paying homage, not to hasten his arrival in court, and to wear a sword and shoes in the palace."

A commotion broke out inside the hall.

The three eunuchs walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony with small, quick steps and went to the Meridian Gate to deliver the imperial decree.

……

Outside the Meridian Gate.

Beside the carriage where Jiang Qingyun was riding.

“My benefactor, the Emperor has decreed that you are granted special permission to pay homage without using your name, to enter the court without having to hasten your departure, and to wear a sword and shoes in the palace.”

"understood."

Jiangbei roared:

"Everyone will obey the order."

"The general is here!"

"Dismount and follow the Grand Secretary into the palace."

"As ordered."

The crowd dismounted and formed two columns to enter the Meridian Gate, escorting the carriage slowly through the gate.

The guards at the Meridian Gate looked flustered, but none dared to stop them. With their current weak military strength, they couldn't possibly stop them anyway.

……

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Hearing the rustling of armor plates and the orderly footsteps outside, everyone knew that an army had entered, and they were all filled with fear and unease.

Shunzhi gritted his teeth. The immature young man felt extremely humiliated, a hundred times worse than the humiliation of Dorgon taking his mother for himself.

Regret is like ants, gnawing at the heart.

I regret that I trusted the treacherous officials in the first place, which led to the loss of political power.

"The Grand Secretary has arrived!" Jiang Qingyun stepped confidently across the threshold, his hand on his sword hilt. His towering figure even blocked out the sunlight, causing a moment of darkness for everyone in the Golden Palace.

Terror, like a mountain, loomed over us.

Feng Shuan and Zhou Shao led the way by bowing.

"Welcome, Grand Secretary."

Some timid officials echoed the sentiment, while others remained silent and unmoved, displaying extreme rebellion.

With a wave of his hand, the Third Eunuch immediately had four young eunuchs bring over a heavy rosewood official's hat chair.

"Your Majesty is so kind. Please have a seat, Grand Secretary."

Jiang Qingyun sat down and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."

Shunzhi remained silent, a gesture that expressed his resentment, dissatisfaction, and unwillingness to submit to fate.

……

Suksaha stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the incident in the capital has far-reaching consequences, with heavy casualties among the Eight Banners troops in the capital. Fortunately, the wise and mighty Grand Secretary swiftly and decisively annihilated the rebel army and executed the three traitorous princes. I believe that the court should generously reward the Grand Secretary for his merits."

"Suksaha, what do you think should be done to reward him?"

"He should be enfeoffed as a king of a different surname, with a fief of 100,000 mu. Only in this way can he match the Grand Secretary's merit in mending the heavens."

Shunzhi's face instantly turned red, and Jiang Qingyun took in the indignant expressions of the many ministers in the hall.

He waved his hand:

“Suksaha’s words are inappropriate. Serving the court is the duty of a subject. If Your Majesty believes that I have made some minor contributions, please grant me a thousand acres of land in Miyun for my recuperation.”

"allow."

Shunzhi uttered a single word with difficulty.

Jiang Qingyun smiled. What had just happened was merely a collective test to identify traitors.

……

"Gentlemen, the Eight Banners are the foundation of our Great Qing Dynasty. Without the Eight Banners, there would be no Great Qing Dynasty. The Beijing Incident can be described as a great calamity for the country."

"In order to mitigate the impact, I have a few suggestions, which I would like Your Majesty and your colleagues to consider."

"First, establish an emergency cabinet, with myself as the chief minister, and the proposed cabinet members are Prince An, Zu Dashou, Suksaha, Feng Shuan, and Zhou Shao."

"Second, the Beijing Incident was characterized as an attempted coup initiated by three princes. The participants were all heinous, and not a single one of the Bordered Blue Banner or Bordered Red Banner was spared."

"Third, let the world know that the total number of casualties in this incident is more than 3000. Anyone who makes unfounded comments or spreads rumors will be executed without mercy."

Jiang Qingyun's impassioned voice echoed throughout the hall.

……

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was deathly silent.

Suddenly, someone roared.

"Jiang traitor! Your true intentions are obvious to everyone. You were the one who instigated this mutiny, yet you act like a loyal and virtuous general."

Jiang Qingyun turned his head and saw that it was Tang Bin, the Minister in charge of the treasury.

"Good, the traitor has jumped out on his own."

A squad of armored soldiers stormed into the Golden Palace, dragged the enraged Tang Bin out, and beheaded him outside the Meridian Gate. Silence returned to the palace once more.

……

Jiang Qingyun stood up and looked at Shunzhi on the imperial steps.

"Your Majesty, do you believe that it was I, or Shuo Sai and Jirhalang, who launched the coup to seize the throne?"

Faced with the pressure from the powerful minister, beads of sweat dripped continuously from Shunzhi's forehead.

After a while~
He managed to utter, "The traitors are Shuo Sai, Jirhalang, and Rokodo."

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

Jiang Qingyun turned around and faced the assembled ministers.

“Since there is a sacred instruction, this matter is settled. Anyone who slanders me behind my back in the future will suffer the same fate as Tang Bin.”

"Whoo."

Today's coercion of Shunzhi to submit in court is not an act of impulse, but a necessary step.

Analyzing it from the perspective of male-female relationships is called a breakthrough!
In a relationship, once a man and woman break through the other's self-esteem, the other person essentially loses their dignity, and from then on, they can be taken from and manipulated at will.

From a political perspective, this is called the Second Conquest!
The first conquest makes it difficult to establish order in the occupied territory. The second conquest is different; dissidents in the occupied territory fall like cherry blossoms.

Dorgon's edict to shave heads was a typical example of a second conquest!

(End of this chapter)