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

Chapter 289: Heaven Punishes the Traitors! Begins!
Jiang Qingyun stroked his bald head, filled with emotion. For some reason, after shaving his head, he suddenly felt full of confidence in the future.

He nodded to the group of young, white-flag-clad daredevils who had followed him through the entire city of Hangzhou.

Everyone understood immediately and shouted in unison:
"Everyone, two people per group, shave each other's heads, execute immediately."

Half an hour later~
Except for the Manchu women, everyone in the Xishan camp was shaved. Only three incidents of resistance occurred during the shaving process, resulting in a total of 11 deaths.

The formidable Eight Banners of the capital were like a sturdy iron wire, repeatedly bent and straightened by Jiang Qingyun, who also put them on a fire to bake and in water to cool them down.

Even the toughest wire couldn't withstand such torment.

If the Eight Banners of the capital did not accept them in their hearts, there would be no "Marshal Mac" style welcoming ceremony upon entering the city and no order for them to collectively leave the city to set up camp.

This is the human heart!
……

Jiang Qingyun suddenly drew his sword:
"I hereby declare that from this day forward, the flags will be red, white, blue, and yellow; people will be male, female, young, or old; and the land will be east, west, south, or north. The old Eight Banners will be reborn from the ashes, and the new Eight Banners will be great once again."

"In order to reunite, you need to train hard!"

"Whoo."

Everyone present raised their weapons above their heads in response and cheered.

New leader, new Eight Banners, seven lives dedicated to the country, eight directions under one sky, inexplicably tragic, blood boiling.

October in the North.

The autumn wind was cold, but the air inside the Xishan camp was warm.

The following is from the perspective of 11-year-old Dinghablin.

At 4:45 AM, the wake-up drum sounded, and I, still half asleep, crawled out of the large communal bed.

Although it was bitterly cold outside, my companions and I went out for a run wearing only coarse cloth shorts and a white motivational ribbon tied around our necks.

The wind was chilly, but I wouldn't allow myself to be a coward.

After our run, we went to the riverbank, broke the ice on the surface, and washed ourselves with cold water!
This was a daunting group activity; my teeth chattered, my whole body trembled, and my skin felt like it was being cut by knives. Fortunately, I gritted my teeth and persevered.

Grandpa said I was great.

After enduring more than ten days of this, I started to enjoy cold water baths.

The wise and capable Premier Chiang was right.

Cold water baths can temper our will and strengthen our physique. We should emulate our ancestors in Liaodong, who were strong-willed, brave, and willing to endure hardship and danger.

Willpower is the most elite armor!
Willpower is the sharpest steel blade!

Before enjoying a hearty breakfast, we would collectively shout three times, "Unite our will, defend the court, and safeguard the chief minister," before burying ourselves in our food.

Good breakfast!

The morning was filled with intense military training.

Horse riding, archery, armor, charging into battle, and foot combat.

Those who slack off during training will be severely punished in public; officers will beat their buttocks with short elm sticks, using extremely harsh methods.

That's called a "spirit injection stick".

If you make a small mistake, you'll get slapped.

There was a special group of people in the camp, whom we called "flag captains" or "model soldiers". They had high military skills and were the leaders during training.

Lunch was also quite good.

The afternoon session consisted of armed hiking and running training.

Everyone had to be fully armored, carry bows and guns, and bring dry rations to quickly walk 10 li (approximately 5 kilometers). Those who performed well would be incorporated into the "New Eight Banners Assault Daredevil Team".

I envy them because, in addition to the drinking privileges, they can also go to the Manchu girls' camp next door every five days.

There are storytelling performances every day.

This is the happiest time of our day.

Occasionally there would be theatrical performances, but they were different from the plays I had heard before. All the plays in Xishan Camp had only one protagonist: Chief Minister Jiang!
A Few Things About Chiang Kai-shek's Reading

Chiang Kai-shek's Three Thousand Mile Suppression of Bandits

Chief Minister Chiang Saves the Nation from Collapse

Chiang Kai-shek Discusses Total War

Chiang Kai-shek's Private Visits

I especially enjoy watching the TV series "Chiang Kai-shek's Private Visits," which is composed of a series of short stories.

For example: Chiang Kai-shek fiercely fought against local thugs, Chiang Kai-shek angrily beheaded corrupt officials, Chiang Kai-shek cleverly killed Donglin Party members, Chiang Kai-shek governed the Yellow River, Chiang Kai-shek generously donated money, and Chiang Kai-shek indulged in pleasure.

Dinner was so-so.

After the meal, everyone volunteered to share their experiences of living in the Xishan camp and their expectations for the "future total war," organized by cabin or tent.

After a drumbeat, everyone went to sleep. The day's training was busy and fulfilling; I enjoyed this kind of group life.

Chiang Kai-shek would occasionally visit the camp to inspect the training and the quality of the food.

I look forward to going into battle and killing the enemy as soon as possible.

……

The following is from the perspective of Guarjia Liushu, a 16-year-old banner girl (a member of the Ninth Banner).

Early morning~
The wake-up drumbeats were incredibly annoying, and my sisters and I woke up from the large communal sleeping area covered with straw.

Without salt or willow branches, without rouge or face powder, without silk or satin, without maids to serve us, we must go out half-naked and take a collective cold shower!

Some people were so cold they cried.

Someone got sick from the cold.

Someone went crazy from the cold.

A very small number of mentally unstable women actually accepted this kind of life. They became the prime minister's lackeys, using mental injection sticks to beat us.

In the morning, we will conduct matchlock gun shooting training.

The Eight Banners were inherently martial, and as a descendant of the Bannermen, I do not reject training.

In the afternoon, we learned embroidery, shouted slogans, and listened to storytelling.

How ridiculous!
In the evening, members of the New Eight Banners Assault Suicide Squad from the neighboring camp would come over to express their admiration for us.

"For the sake of the Great Qing Dynasty, I will have sexual relations with you."

"For the sake of serving the country, men shed blood and women sweat."

It's shameless beyond imagination.

Animals!

The only good news is that some of the brothers from the Ninth Banner have infiltrated the New Eight Banners Assault Suicide Squad, and they will secretly tell me some of the outside developments.

The provinces outwardly complied with the Qing Dynasty but inwardly defied it, almost to the point of independence.

I have no regrets about this.

.........

The following is from the perspective of Suhetai, the leader of the Ninth Banner.

Before the thieves returned to the capital, I was already seriously ill, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. During my time in the Xishan Camp's sick ward, I was close to death several times.

Unexpectedly, a young doctor surnamed Wu saved my life.

What seems like a loss may actually be a blessing in disguise.
Later I learned that during my coma, several groups of imperial guards came to visit me very kindly. They only gave up their suspicions after seeing that I was indeed dying.

The poisoning of the wells eventually alerted the enemy. My judgment was based on the fact that all the wells near the Xishan camp were under close surveillance.

Furthermore, all the Eight Banners members in the capital recognized the enemy as their father.

In light of this situation, I have informed all the brothers and sisters of the Ninth Banner to abandon their sabotage and remain in hiding for an extended period.

During this period of intensive training, I will train diligently and perform conscientiously, striving for promotion as soon as possible, so that in the future, at a crucial time and place, I can deliver a decisive blow to Chief Minister Chiang.

I look forward to that day!

……

As training progresses.

The atmosphere at the Xishan camp grew increasingly enthusiastic, with people frequently raising their arms and shouting, "Seven lives for the country, eight directions under one sky!" and the response came in droves.

Having experienced confusion and despair, the Eight Banners are now quite content with their current situation.

Feeling that the time was right, Jiang Qingyun issued a secret order, and his elite guards raided and arrested more than 700 nobles of the Eight Banners in the capital, including Manchus, Mongols, and Han Chinese.

Xishan Camp.

Everyone assemble.

Why did the Qing Dynasty become what it is today?

"why?"

"It's all because of these damned nobles!!"

"While we were fighting the Ming army on the front lines, these nobles were making money and indulging in women in the rear. Look, the golden toilet in Prince Zheng's mansion, the white jade floor tiles in Prince Li's mansion, and the jadeite couch in Prince Jingjin's mansion."

"May the traitor be punished by Heaven!"

The soldiers untied the ropes binding the traitors' wrists, and the traitors scattered and fled for their lives, only to be chased down and hacked to pieces by countless people.

(End of this chapter)