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

Chapter 272 The Great Sage Confucius Kneels Before the Grand Secretary!
North bank of the Yangtze River.

Jiang Qingyun held the calico cat, while the monk Tianji clutched his prayer beads, gazing at the rolling Yangtze River below, speechless for a long time.

"Monk, do you still remember what you said to me on that day of the torrential rain at Chongfu Temple?"

"Remember!"

Say it again.

“I said at the time that although there are a small group of people who have seen through the six realms, they are ultimately too soft-hearted and too weak-willed. They can only complain and write some pretentious articles in an attempt to awaken the world. Only people like you and me, who have demonic nature but also compassion, can change this filthy world.”

Jiang Qingyun gently closed the kitten's ears, and the sensible kitten in her arms automatically closed its eyes.

If a cat doesn't look or listen, its heart is pure.

Cats don't need to struggle; cats can just lie around!
Jiang Qingyun gazed at the rolling river flowing eastward, his tone extremely calm.

"Behind me are the beastmen of the demon realm, and in front of me are the insects of the human realm. Soon, I will lead the beast army across the river to slaughter these cunning insects."

“The benefactor has great compassion.”

“Monk, why don’t you return to secular life? Public service is a good way to cultivate oneself. Once you have power in your hands, you can save countless people.”

Tianji shook his head.

"No, this humble monk only wishes to save one person."

"Who?"

"emperor."

Jiang Qingyun released the calico cat from her arms and watched the now-adult kitten run along the riverbank, catching butterflies and dragonflies, having a great time.

“The wheat has ripened 3000 times, and the emperor has become a monk for the first time. This will be a great experiment worthy of being recorded in history, and I do not object to it in principle.”

……

Yizheng, a small town under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou Prefecture, is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.

The imperial envoy's residence stretched for ten miles, flags fluttering, quiet and orderly.

The bloodstains on the walls of Yangzhou were still wet, and it was not advisable to excessively agitate the people. The prefect of Yangzhou organized laborers to deliver food and supplies to them daily, showing great deference.

This arrangement is good for both sides.

For Jiang Qingyun, the Manchu Eight Banners was a handy machete, and he couldn't lose it before leaving the mountains.

I come from the Demon Realm!
Lawful evil!

As the monk Tianji said:
A humble gentleman cannot change the world!

A true gentleman simply cannot tolerate the filth and corruption of politics!
A gentleman can't change anything at all; he can only change the area in front of and behind his house, but that's already quite good!
……

Inside the account.

The cook brought in the food, and the third eunuch used silver chopsticks to pick out some and put it into a silver bowl to test for poison!
Zhou Cang curled his lip speechlessly. He thought this damned eunuch was just greedy. Testing poison was a great job! Eating the same food as the Grand Secretary, how wonderful!

Actually, he didn't understand eunuchs.

Although the Third Eunuch came from a humble background, he was very shrewd and clever.

He knew very well that if Shunzhi had trusted him before, after the farewell at Yongding Gate, Shunzhi would no longer trust him at all.

He was prominently labeled a "Chiang Kai-shek supporter".

The three eunuchs were forced to sever ties with imperial power.

There was only one path before the three eunuchs—to cling tightly to Chief Minister Jiang's coattails for the rest of their lives, to follow Chief Minister Jiang's lead without question, and to place Chief Minister Jiang before the emperor.

Two quarters of an hour later~
Jiang Qingyun began to eat slowly and deliberately. As the saying goes, if you live near the mountains, you should eat what the mountains provide; if you live near the Yangtze River, you should eat river fish!

Frying, stir-frying, braising, stewing, simmering, smoking, grilling, steaming, and cold dishes – every meal is different!
We only eat live fish!

I ate half of the fish.

Someone reported it.

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary, Qian Qianyi has sent someone across the river to deliver a list of gifts."

"Bring it here."

"Yes."

10 Snowflake Silver!

10 stunningly beautiful women!
10 fine horses!
10 gardens!
10 Buddha statues!
The gift list, meant to symbolize perfection, was followed by a densely packed list of Donglin Party members written in small regular script, resembling ants.

Jiang Qingyun casually tossed it aside.

"Take it."

"Yes."

……

Three days later, the typhoon finally moved away.

The imperial envoy's camp was moved across the Yangtze River, a process that lasted a full three days. The lower reaches of the Yangtze are wide and can be considered a natural barrier, giving the south a military advantage, but in reality, this was not the case.

Zhenjiang – Wuxi – Suzhou.

Located at Hengtang Wharf in the northwest of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Governor Zhu Guozhi, along with civil and military officials, gentry, and elders, eagerly awaited the arrival of the east wind. Drums, music, and firecrackers were all ready, waiting only for the east wind.

Such a grand event attracted people of any standing in the Jiangnan region.

More than 300 members of the Donglin Party arrived, all dressed in uniform blue scholar's robes, creating a magnificent sight.

Qian Qianyi stood at the very front of Donglin with his hands behind his back, exuding an elegant and refined air.

Zhu Guozhi felt uneasy. Would those bastards from Donglin cause trouble?
……

"coming!"

"The Imperial Envoy has arrived!"

Instantly, the dock was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, firecrackers, and smiling faces.

The fleet was moving slowly.

Half an hour later, the fleet of ships flying bright yellow flags arrived at the dock and began to lower gangplanks.

The procession was magnificent, with guards as numerous as clouds, just like an emperor's procession.

Wu Weiye watched this scene with a bit of nervousness.

"Old Qian, I'm a little worried."

Qian Qianyi didn't even turn his head.

"Old Wu, don't be afraid. Show some backbone like Donglin. At worst, we'll just die."

As we were talking~
On deck, the three chief ministers announced in their voices: "The Grand Secretary, appointed by imperial decree to inspect the finances, provisions, and military affairs of the four provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi, has arrived!"

Jiang Qingyun walked to the ship's side, waving frequently with a broad smile.

The gongs and drums are loud, and the firecrackers are all fired.

Zhu Guozhi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and happened to see Qian Qianyi turn around and wave his arms at the Donglin members.

Oh no~
Something bad is about to happen.
Zhu Guozhi whispered instructions to his advisor.

"Go and warn Qian Qianyi not to cause trouble at this critical juncture, or I will not let him off the hook."

……

late!

Qian Qianyi, Wu Weiye, and three other core figures of the Donglin Party have brought out a wooden statue of Confucius.

Behind me~
More than a dozen scholars held up wooden plaques that read "Supreme Sage and Teacher", "Great Accomplished Sage and Teacher of Literature", "Mysterious Sage and Teacher of Literature", "First Teacher and Father of the Nun", and so on.

Qian Qianyi raised his arm and cried out: "Donglin scholars, speak out for the people! The Su Fu is cruel, and resisting taxes is justified!"

Hundreds of scholars followed suit, raising their arms and shouting the leader's sixteen-character slogan.

"The Donglin scholars spoke out for the people, criticizing the tyranny of the Su Fu regime and arguing that their resistance to taxes was justified."

Instantly, the dock fell silent.

Everyone was stunned by this scene, and Zhu Guozhi, the governor of Jiangsu, was so angry that he lost his mind.

"Reverse, reverse!"

"Qian Qianyi, that old pig-dog, is causing trouble for Jiangsu at this critical juncture. I simply do not believe that he is not being instigated by anti-Ming forces."

The deputy general of Fubiao bowed:

"Governor, shall we arrest them?"

"No."

"This humble general will lead the troops to disperse them!"

"Wait!"

Zhu Guozhi was a ruthless man, but his ruthlessness was directed at his subordinates. Without the approval of Chief Minister Jiang, how could he dare to issue orders?

Overstepping one's bounds is a major taboo in officialdom.

He looked up and saw that Chief Minister Chiang was standing by the ship's railing, whispering and pointing at several of his attendants, without any anger on his face.

Why wasn't Chiang Kai-shek panicked?

Why didn't Chiang Kai-shek fly into a rage?
How does Premier Chiang plan to respond?

……

On the tall deck of the imperial ship, Jiang Qingyun stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the kind-faced wooden statue, a strange smile on his face.

"Imperial Envoy's Guard, obey orders."

(End of this chapter)