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

Chapter 267 Thinking it was just an ordinary day, they mistakenly took the Tianbao era for the Kaiyuan era.

New Year's Eve was exceptionally cold.

But the sound of firecrackers was constant inside and outside the capital, business was booming, and pedestrians were everywhere. Both the Manchus in the inner city and the Han people in the southern city had a happy Spring Festival.

Coal from Mentougou, rice from Huguang, seafood from Shandong, cotton cloth from Jiangnan, pigs and sheep from Zhili, and cattle and sheep from beyond the Great Wall flowed into thousands of households in Beijing.

Everything is thanks to the Grand Secretary, Chiang Ching-yun.

As heavy snow fell, a long queue formed outside the Eight Banners Salary Office.

An officer shouted:

"The Grand Secretary has specially approved a holiday allowance of 7 taels of silver! 7 taels!"

The Manchu people in line looked delighted and whispered among themselves, knowing that this would give them more money to buy more New Year's goods.

The two Manchus, who were standing in line one after the other, had nothing to do, so they started chatting.

"Hey, finally we're living a good life."

"Who can disagree? This year is all good news! We're getting houses, our banner pay is going up, our ranks are being upgraded, and we're getting urban construction done. The good days for us Eight Banners descendants have finally arrived."

"Eight Banners? It's Five Banners!"

"Shh, you mustn't say such treasonous things."

……

After receiving their holiday bonuses, everyone headed towards Chongwen Gate, passing under the plaque that read, "Forget the past, forget right and wrong, face the future."
Go to Chongwenmenwai Street in the south of the city to buy more and better New Year's goods.

Jellyfish, sea cucumber, salted meat, wild game, salted fish, tea, dried fruit, melon seeds, peanuts, candy—I bought whatever I saw and spent as much as I could get.

Manchus have always spent money in this way.

Suddenly, a grand procession appeared in the distance, and everyone quickly stepped aside and knelt on one knee.

"The Grand Secretary has arrived!"

The crowd stole glances and saw that Chief Minister Jiang, the most powerful official in the capital, was wearing a soft armor underneath a black fox fur cloak, and a warm hat with red tassels on his head. He was an imposing figure, both scholarly and martial.

The Grand Secretary's guards, wearing blue-tasseled hats and gray overcoats, instantly caused the hearts of the Manchu people to clench, their breathing to become unsteady, and some even felt like wailing.

PTSD, something I'll never be able to get over in this lifetime.

Jiang Qingyun walked towards the stall, sometimes picking up peanuts to squeeze, sometimes scooping up jellyfish to smell, and sometimes pinching salted meat.

"Shopkeeper, how's business?"

"Thanks to the master, the shop's business is booming. We can sell 400 catties of peanuts and melon seeds and 150 catties of jellyfish every day."

“Good, very good, excellent.” Jiang Qingyun said with great interest. “Currently, the capital city is extremely well-supplied, living conditions have greatly improved, and order is extremely stable. I believe we are not far from a golden age.”

Someone started clapping.
Everyone applauded enthusiastically.

Although I couldn't understand it, I felt that the Prime Minister's words were visionary and inspiring.

……

"Grand Secretary, why don't you suggest a suggestion?"

Shuntian Prefecture Assistant Wu Jinyan accurately hit the Prime Minister's sweet spot.

Immediately, guards brought a table from a nearby shop, spread out Xuan paper, placed a paperweight on it, and ground the ink.

Jiang Qingyun pondered for a moment.
He picked up his pen and wrote: "Every household in the capital should have a chicken in their pot, a horse in their stable, a wife on their kang (heated brick bed), and a job outside."

A biting wind howled, and snowflakes drifted down.

Jiang Qingyun took out his personal seal, breathed on it, and stamped it with a snap.

That day, the "April 1st Goal" was hung at the entrance of the Chongwenmenwai Street Market for passersby to admire.

The situation is very good.

The Manchu bannermen took their banner stipends and spent them in the southern part of the city, causing the income of the people in the southern part of the city to skyrocket. This Spring Festival, everyone felt a long-lost happiness.

Xiaoxiaosheng copied a poem that reads: "The market is filled with pearls and jewels, and every household is overflowing with silks and brocades, vying in extravagance. They thought it was just ordinary at the time, but they mistakenly took the Tianbao era for the Kaiyuan era."

Jiang Qingyun, a wise and virtuous prime minister throughout the ages!
……

The holiday break for the first month of the lunar calendar is not yet over.

A shocking piece of news quickly spread throughout the officialdom of the capital.

"Is the Grand Secretary going on a southern tour? Is that accurate?"

"Absolutely true!"

The officials reacted with a range of emotions: excitement, fear, schadenfreude, and repeated contemplation.

Soon, the Forbidden City also learned of this, and Emperor Shunzhi was so excited that he couldn't sleep. He went to the Buddhist hall every day to pray that Jiang Qingyun would leave the capital as soon as possible.

Throughout history, powerful ministers have never left the capital, because given the transportation conditions in ancient times, a trip to the provinces could take a year or two, giving the emperor a chance to turn the tide.

One factor that cannot be ignored: the tradition of Taoism.

Emperors naturally possess the advantage of legitimacy and find it easier to win the hearts of the people.

With powerful ministers in the capital, everyone was intimidated by their tyranny and dared not approach the emperor.

The powerful minister has left the capital, hehehe.

……

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

Visitors came in droves.

Minister of Personnel Feng Shuan was the first to visit. "Your Excellency, you absolutely mustn't!"

"Old Feng, sit down and tell me slowly."

"Your Excellency, you absolutely cannot leave the capital, otherwise, unpredictable things will happen."

"Isn't that an exaggeration?"

“Your Excellency, you are confused. Those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts. Those Manchu Eight Banners cannot be trusted.”

Looking at the anxious Feng Shuan, Jiang Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief.

"Old Feng, I did it on purpose~"

Blah blah blah~ Half an hour later, Feng Shuan left the Jiang residence with a big smile on his face.

……

Zu Dashou also came.

Upon meeting, he stared intently at Jiang Qingyun without saying a word.

"Grand Secretary, is something about to happen in the capital again?"

"No, I just want to go south for an inspection tour."

"Does the Grand Secretary not trust me?"

"No." Jiang Qingyun picked up his teacup and took two slow sips. "Ancestor, let me ask you, have you exchanged letters with the Prince of Pingxi?"

“Yes!” Zu Dashou hesitated for a moment, “He gave me 1000 taels of gold and asked me to inquire about the military strength in the capital.”

"Then how did you reply?"

“I told him that my position was nominal, that I couldn’t do anything, and that I didn’t want to. What he wanted to do was none of my business.”

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

"Ancestor, let's put aside our positions and concerns and have a casual chat. Do you think Wu Sangui would dare to rebel?"

"dare!"

"He really dares?"

“My nephew is very ambitious and suspicious. If he thinks the time is ripe, he will raise an army!”

"Alright. Let me ask you another question: Which was better, the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty?"

Zu Dashou was startled.

……

No sooner had Zu Dashou left than Prince An, Yue Le, arrived.

Jiang Qingyun smiled as soon as she saw him.

"Your Highness, are you here to persuade me to abandon the southern tour as well?"

"No, no," Yue Le waved his hand. "The Grand Secretary is so wise; why should we interfere in his decisions? But are you really going on a southern tour?"

"Yes."

"What will the cabinet do during your southern tour?"

"The sky won't fall down; one person can be chosen to act as a substitute."

"Minister Zhou is exceptionally capable and diligent; I believe he is the most suitable candidate."

"No, Zhou Shao will leave the capital with me."

"what?"

Yue Le blinked, her expression a mixture of confusion, suspicion, and eagerness.

Jiang Qingyun sighed inwardly, "As expected, those who are not of my kind are bound to have different hearts. I haven't even left yet, and your thoughts are already stirring."

……

The next day, the Third Grandfather also arrived.

He knelt down as soon as he saw Jiang Qingyun.

"Grand Steward, why have you come to this?"

“Your Excellency, you cannot leave the capital. If you do, our cause will be abandoned halfway.”

"Oh? What kind of business?"

The third eunuch stomped his foot.

“My lord, you are Zhang Juzheng. I’ll reluctantly play the role of Feng Bao to make up the numbers. You can choose another Empress Dowager Li. Ten years later, the world will be at peace and a golden age will be restored.”

Jiang Qingyun deliberately asked:
"Third Eunuch, it seems you miss the Ming Dynasty very much?"

"No, I hate the Ming Dynasty."

"Oh?"

"When the Ming Dynasty was in power, my whole family died, leaving me as a lonely ghost. When the Qing Dynasty came, although I became a eunuch, at least I had enough to eat."

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

I understand now. This kid is no ordinary person. He has great ambitions and dares to compare himself to Feng Bao. Moreover, his stance is not entirely the same as mine. He is not against the emperor; he is a true supporter of the emperor.

Eunuchs all protect the emperor.

(End of this chapter)