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

Chapter 271 Donglin is not dead, it has merely faded away.
Changzhou Prefecture, Wuxi County.

Donglin Academy.

There is a famous couplet at the entrance: "The sound of wind, rain, and reading enters the ear; family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs are all of concern."

Everyone eagerly awaited the answer.

"They're here! They're here!!"

Everyone craned their necks, and Qian Qianyi, looking travel-worn, appeared in their sight with his wife Liu Rushi.

"Is Alliance Leader Qian well?"

"Time is of the essence, everyone, let's go inside and talk."

"Please, Alliance Leader Qian~"

"Please, everyone~"

After a few feigned gestures of deference, Qian Qianyi went first, followed by Wu Weiye, and then a large group of gentry.

……

After entering the house~
Qian Qianyi looked around at everyone and bowed to them.

"Gentlemen, Donglin is not dead, but withered away. Today, for the sake of the orthodox tradition, we have gathered together again. How wonderful, how truly wonderful."

Everyone wept bitterly.

Liu Rushi felt a little sad at this scene, but not very sad.

The water is too cold~
I've seen through it all, I no longer believe in it, I no longer love it, and I can't empathize with it at all.

After everyone had fully expressed their strong feelings of concern for the country and its people, Qian Qianyi took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe away his tears. When he looked up again, his eyes had become resolute.

"I come from the capital, and I want to describe the current political landscape of the Qing Dynasty."

Everyone immediately wiped away their tears and took their seats.

Qian Qianyi was a literary master in Southeast China, and his words were always exquisite.

"The land of China was in ruins, Confucianism was dimmed, the Donglin Academy was in decline, the people were displaced, and the orthodox tradition was lost."

"Fortunately, Heaven had eyes. Several mutinies occurred in the capital. Jiang Qingyun, a Han Bannerman, rose through the ranks and eventually became the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. He held absolute power and no one dared to disobey him."

"Leader Qian, do those Manchu Eight Banner soldiers also obey his command?"

"Yes."

Wow~
An uproar erupted inside the room.

The discussion was heated, and various doubts arose.

"Is it true?" Liu Rushi couldn't help but bend down and ask in a low voice.

"it is true."

……

Qian Qianyi stood up, signaling for quiet.

"Gentlemen, Chief Minister Chiang's talent is in no way inferior to that of Donglin founder Xiancheng. He is adept at social maneuvering and has managed to subdue the Eight Banners."

"Leader Qian, I don't understand why the Manchu Eight Banners soldiers don't resist?"

"good question!"

Qian Qianyi stood up.

“Let me tell you, because he killed people from the high ground of righteousness, he incited the enemy to kill the enemy, he seized power through a mutiny, he terrified everyone, he won the emperor’s favor, he used the emperor’s favor, he held the emperor hostage to command the princes, his methods are ten times more powerful than those of Duke Xiancheng.”

The room was deathly silent.

Someone else asked, "What is his ultimate goal?"

Qian Qianyi seemed to have returned to the glorious moment 20 years ago when he took the stage to preach, pointing out the state of affairs and attracting a large audience.

"His purpose is not important. What is important is that this is a golden opportunity for us Donglin gentlemen to make a comeback. He has no other choice but to rely on us."

A man in tattered clothes stood up.

"Leader Qian, I, Zhang Dai, will never serve any foreign race in my life."

Qian Qianyi cursed inwardly, "Zhang Dai, you good-for-nothing good-for-nothing, stop pretending! We're all cunning old foxes, we all know what's on everyone's mind."

"No! Brother Zhang, you are mistaken. The Qing Dynasty of today has undergone earth-shattering changes compared to the Qing Dynasty when it first entered the pass. Due to the constant coups in the capital and the internal fighting among the Eight Banners, countless people have died. The remaining people are no longer able to support the overall situation. I can say with certainty that Chiang Kai-shek's cabinet is now mired in a quagmire, and his trip to the south is to find new political allies."

Zhang Dai seemed to understand, yet also seemed not to.

Qian Qianyi no longer wanted to associate with this down-on-his-luck young master who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun.

He stood up and proudly raised his right arm.

"Gentlemen, I have an eight-character strategy: borrow a chicken to lay eggs, borrow a corpse to revive a soul. We must actively integrate into the new cabinet, quickly occupy a favorable position, and then govern the country according to our ideas. In less than ten years, the court will be under the control of our Donglin faction, which is equivalent to the return of the Ming Dynasty."

"Gentlemen, are you in favor or against?"

After a moment's hesitation, everyone inside the room raised their hands. ...

Zhang Dai was unconvinced and asked again, "Leader Qian, when you went to the capital to offer birthday greetings, what official position did Chief Minister Jiang appoint for you? And what official positions did he appoint for us?"

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it, because once it was brought up, Qian Qianyi would have been furious.

"Zhang Dai, do you think politics is a child's game? You think people will hand over power to you with just a few words? Politics is something you have to fight for, through strength and skill. Do you think Chief Minister Jiang is like you, giving away thousands of taels of silver to friends whenever he's happy?"

"absurd!"

"childish!"

"Incomprehensible!"

Qian Qianyi's words were piercing, and Zhang Dai's face turned red from his scolding.

"I...I...I quit."

"No delivery."

"Farewell!"

Zhang Dai stormed out of the house.

Qian Qianyi: "Remove Zhang Dai from the list. We, the Donglin Party, do not need such a playboy."

……

After lunch, the meeting continued.

Since it concerned high-ranking officials and generous salaries, everyone was particularly enthusiastic about the topic.

"Chief Qian, does Chief Minister Jiang want to obtain our money and grain from Jiangnan?"

"Of course!"

"That won't work."

"No, no. Money and grain are our bargaining tools. My idea is to exchange money and grain from Jiangnan for a seat in the cabinet."

"How many seats?"

“Besides him, there are 5 seats. We want 3 seats.”

"The Alliance Leader is wise."

Wu Weiye asked in a low voice:
What if he doesn't agree?

"Then don't blame us for overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming. We still have connections. We've always maintained contact with Zhang Huangyan in Zhoushan and Zheng Sen in Jinsha, and we occasionally secretly provide them with some money and supplies."

Everyone nodded.

"Leader, besides our Donglin faction, does Chief Minister Jiang have any other options?"

"No. Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. He can never truly tame the Eight Banners. Moreover, I have discovered that he has no scholarly staff under his command, only a group of military men. If he respects the Donglin Party, it will be a win-win situation. If he does not respect the Donglin Party, it will be a lose-lose situation."

……

at dusk.

"Report! Governor Zhu Guozhi of Jiangsu has sent a messenger with an invitation."

"Bring it here."

Qian Qianyi opened it, took a look, and laughed.

"On the eighth day of the fifth month, the Imperial Envoy's fleet will arrive at Hengtang Wharf in Suzhou Prefecture. We all need to go to the wharf to greet him. Let's gather a gift and send someone to the north bank of the river to deliver it to the Imperial Envoy."

Everyone nodded
at dusk.

Qian Qianyi then proposed another solution.

“Simply showing goodwill is not enough. We need to let Premier Chiang see the true strength of the Donglin Party before he will value and respect us. We need to make him understand that the Donglin Party is his partner, not his subordinate.”

"What does the alliance leader mean?"

"Give him a hard time when you welcome him that day!"

Everyone looked at each other.

Qian Qianyi stroked his long beard with a smug look.

"As soon as the imperial envoy's entourage arrived, all the disciples of Donglin came out in unison, holding up a portrait of Confucius, and impeached the Jiangsu governor Zhu Guozhi for being cruel and inhumane."

What if he doesn't listen?

"If someone were to kneel before him while carrying the Great Sage Confucius, would he dare accept it?"

Everyone nodded in agreement; it made sense.

"Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant plan!"

(End of this chapter)