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

Chapter 282 Speeding Through Hangzhou and Mancheng

evening.

Jiang Qingyun was clad in armor, with the Emperor's Sword hanging at his waist and a long spear in his hand. On one side of his saddle was a bow and arrow, and on the other side was a matchlock gun. His baggage on his back contained dry rations.

Wen repeatedly tried to dissuade him.

"Yun'er, do you really have to take the risk yourself?"

“Mother, the key to the surprise attack on Hangzhou is the aftermath. No one else can do it; it must be done by me, the Grand Secretary, personally.”

"Then you must be very careful."

Wen's face showed worry.

Liu Rushi's eyes reddened slightly. She was used to seeing high-ranking literati who spent lavishly, but she had never seen a high-ranking civil official who dared to go into battle.

Since ancient times, beauties have loved heroes, which is actually an admiration for strength.

……

Jiang Qingyun tightened his cloak and raised his right hand.

"Mount."

Everyone jumped onto the horse in unison.

"Brothers, from Suzhou to Hangzhou is only 300 li. Before sunset tomorrow, I will lead you into the city of Hangzhou and make a name for yourselves in this one battle."

"set off!"

300 men with white flags, 200 men with green flags, one man on two horses, the vanguard squad carrying torches, followed closely by the main force, disappeared into the night.

300 Manchu soldiers constitute one Niru (a military unit).

A surprise attack was enough.

Marching at night is risky.

Fortunately, we've already traveled this route once.

They sped along, and anyone who fell off their horse was responsible for their own care and should not be a burden to the main group.

As dawn broke, Jiang Qingyun was exhausted and his whole body ached as if he had been trampled by an elephant, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered.

……

They marched silently, changing horses every half hour and feeding them fine rations every hour.

Jiang Qingyun was a good horseman. He stood in the stirrups in a relatively relaxed posture, like waves crashing on the shore, trying to minimize his physical exertion.

Despite this, he was exhausted and persevered only through sheer willpower.

At noon, they had traveled 20 li (approximately 10 kilometers) to the outskirts of

The group rested briefly in a secluded grove, feeding the horses, eating, and checking their weapons.

Jiang Qingyun's eyes were bloodshot, his face was covered in dust, and his voice was slightly hoarse.

"Guide well, and I'll appoint you as an inspector afterwards."

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

The guide was a courier who had been to Mancheng, Hangzhou many times.

"Brothers, tie on your motivational belts."

The soldiers took out white cloth strips inscribed with "Seven lives to serve the country, eight directions to one universe" and tied them to their foreheads.

"Brothers, drink this encouraging drink."

Before setting off, Jiang Qingyun had ten gourds filled with potent liquor prepared according to the recipe. Each person took a sip and then passed it on to the others until it was all gone.

Morale began to rise, energy began to increase, and spirits began to soar.

Traditional Chinese medicine has remarkable effects in stimulating the body!

……

"All troops, mount up and launch a surprise attack on Hangzhou."

Jiang Qingyun chewed on a slice of ginseng, pushing one horse to its limits to conserve the strength of the other.

Pedestrians quickly dodged, and the once crowded official road was soon deserted!
In the distance, a plainclothes motorcyclist was running at high speed.

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary, the city gates have been opened."

Jiang Qingyun quickly reined in his horse, changed horses, and pointed his spear forward.

"rush!"

Following suit, everyone began their final sprint.

At the city gate, the Eight Banners soldiers stationed in Hangzhou were stunned.

"Where did these soldiers come from?"

"Quickly, pull up the suspension bridge."

Too late~
The large contingent rushed into the city gate at high speed. The excited knights repeatedly drew their bows and shot down their kinsmen who tried to stop them, and then headed straight for the Hangzhou General's Mansion.

However, the damn guide got lost and kept going around in circles.

"No, I remember it being on this street."

Jiang Qingyun flew into a rage, stabbing the guide off his horse with his spear. He then dismounted and walked into the alley where a Manchu girl was too frightened to move.

Hello, young lady.

"I come from the capital. My name is Nalan Xingde, and I have an urgent official business to attend to. May I ask where the General's Mansion is? I can't find it on the Ministry of War's map."

...A powerful aura, a gentle tone, and a handsome face~
Without hesitation, the girl said, "Go straight ahead, turn left at the second intersection, and then walk another half mile."

"Thank you girl."

Jiang Qingyun bowed and then mounted his horse.

"go!"

The cavalrymen roared away.

200 breaths later, they stormed into the Hangzhou General's Mansion and killed everyone, including the gatekeepers, guards, and even the family members and women.

Blood splattered from the screen wall all the way to the back courtyard.

General Ke Kui of Hangzhou, who had just gotten up, rushed out of the house with his sword in hand, and bumped into Jiang Qingyun, who was leading a group of menacing soldiers in.

He didn't know Jiang Qingyun, but he blurted it out.

"You're Jiang Qingyun?"

Jiang Qingyun remained silent, but shot an arrow. Ke Kui was hit by the arrow and fell to the ground, whereupon he was hacked to death by the charging soldiers.

"Prime Minister, the troops from Hangzhou have arrived."

Jiang Qingyun beheaded Ke Kui with a single stroke and kicked the head far away.

"Ke Kui! He has colluded with the Donglin Party and resisted the imperial court. His crimes are heinous. The people and soldiers of Hangzhou shall obey my command. Those who obey me shall live, and those who oppose me shall die."

"Take Ke Kui's head out and tell the people outside that the imperial army will be here soon!"

……

Two quarters of an hour later~
The entire city gave up resistance, and the bannermen stationed in Hangzhou, though shocked and furious, still chose to submit.

Give both grace and power.

Suppression by imperial power.

In this battle, Jiang Qingyun led 500 men on a long-distance raid and quickly reached Hangzhou Mancheng at a negligible cost.

The entire general's mansion was wiped out.

There was very little bloodshed throughout the city.

That evening, all the bannermen were gathered at the drill ground for a meeting, where they were appeased by a combination of kindness and severity.

That evening, civil and military officials in Hangzhou were ordered to report outside the city. Soldiers were ordered to detain the governor, provincial treasurer, provincial judge, and prefect, and their trusted officers who had accompanied the expedition took over the government offices.

That night, the night watchman announced to the people of the whole city that the Grand Secretary had arrived and everything was fine.

The next day.

As the sun rose, public notices bearing the bright red seals of the three levels of civil officials—the Imperial Grand Secretary, the Governor of Zhejiang, and the Prefect of Hangzhou—were posted all over the city of Hangzhou.

……

As evening approached, upon hearing a commotion in the distance, Jiang Qingyun, whose nerves had been on edge, immediately gripped his sword and rushed out of the prefectural government's inner quarters.

"what's the situation?"

Before long, a soldier from the city wall came to report.

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary, a large contingent from Suzhou Prefecture has arrived."

A quarter of an hour later, the large entourage thundered into the city gate, and Jiang Qingyun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Having not slept for two days and two nights, he was utterly exhausted. He lay down fully clothed, still wearing his armor. When he woke up, the room was dimly lit, with an oil lamp lit on the table.

Liu Rushi lay face down on the table.

Jiang Qingyun slowly got up, and the sound of his armor rubbing against his body woke Liu Rushi.

"Prime Minister, you're finally awake?"

"How long have I slept?"

"At least 11 hours."

"You've been here the whole time?"

"The old lady also stayed with us for a long time."

Liu Rushi's eyes were watery, and she didn't mind getting close to the filthy armor.

……

Jiang Qingyun suddenly felt an unbearable hunger.

"Go, prepare some wine and dishes, and a wooden bucket of hot water."

"Yes."

Liu Rushi departed gracefully.

Fifteen minutes later~
The room was filled with candles, the table was laden with food and wine, and steam rose from the wooden barrel.

Jiang Qingyun quickly ate half a roast chicken, stood up, and opened his arms.

"Remove your armor from me."

"Yes."

Soaking in the wooden tub, Jiang Qingyun simply opened his mouth, and wine, meat, and soup were served to him in turn. Such an experience was quite enjoyable.

Liu Rushi said with deep affection: "I have lived for more than thirty years, and only today do I know what a hero looks like! To be able to serve the Grand Secretary is enough for me in this life."

Professionals are truly different; they provide a wealth of emotional value.

(End of this chapter)