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

Chapter 297 Bloodbath of Shanxi Merchants~
A lieutenant came to report.

"Prime Minister, Taiyuan has fallen!"

"Issue the order: the Imperial Guards will enter the city to maintain order and enforce the law freely. All banner captains are requested to cooperate fully. Proclaim to the entire army that the elite Eight Banners will not tolerate anyone who disregards military discipline."

"Whoo."

Jiang Qingyun glanced at the officer.

"The old Eight Banners were tempered and reborn, and the new Eight Banners were reborn from the ashes. Our hairstyles must be changed, our customs must be changed, and our military orders must be changed. From now on, we shall be called 'Obeyers'."

"As ordered."

Jiang Qingyun raised his riding whip and pointed it towards Taiyuan City.

"Come, follow me into the city."

……

There was little resistance within Taiyuan city.

Before the 20th century, urban warfare was rare. This was because the conditions for urban warfare to break out were too demanding, requiring sufficient hatred and a strong sense of national consciousness.

The Qing army launched a city-wide manhunt, targeting Shanxi merchant families and the garrison troops.

Inevitably, some killings occurred during this process. The Eight Banners soldiers were inherently cruel, and they disregarded all life to the core.

When passing by a small bridge.

A heavily made-up woman jumped into the river, sobbing uncontrollably.

Behind them, several flag bearers who had followed them found bamboo poles, preparing to pull the person out.

Jiang Qingyun reined in his horse, his gaze cold and stern as he looked across the river.

As if suppressed by bloodline, the flag soldiers who were laughing and joking on the other side were so frightened that their blood turned to ice, and they knelt down with a thud, like mice encountering a cat, unable to muster the slightest thought of resistance.

Who doesn't recognize that black dragon banner on the other side of the river?

A group of imperial guards crossed the river and drew their swords, holding them to the necks of four bannermen.

……

More and more flag bearers gathered around, silent and menacing.

Jiang Qingyun reined in his horse and slowly walked across the stone arch bridge until he reached the four kneeling bannermen.

"Prime Minister, we were wrong."

"Forgive me."

Ignoring the hard bluestone bricks on the ground, the four men kowtowed desperately, their heads bleeding profusely, begging for forgiveness.

Jiang Qingyun:
"Only 10 years after entering the pass, our Great Qing Dynasty already showed signs of collapse, with various regions declaring independence. Have you ever thought about why this is?"

Everyone was silent.

"All of this is due to the collective degeneration of the Eight Banners! And the first step in this degeneration is the laxity of military discipline."

"The four of you, come with me."

Jiang Qingyun pointed to a nearby house.

……

Half an hour later~
The four people walked out of the house, looking utterly dejected, and onto the bridge.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, they drew their swords and held them to their own necks; before they could utter a word, tears streamed down their faces.

One of them roared in despair:

“Brothers, do not follow our example.”

"Depravity is the enemy!"

After shouting, they all committed suicide, and their four bloody corpses fell into the river, becoming water ghosts along with the woman who had jumped in earlier.

This result was unexpected by everyone.

The scene was completely silent!

Suicide is the best course of action.

In full view of everyone, these four men voluntarily cut their throats to atone for their sins, so that the onlookers would not harbor any resentment towards Chief Minister Chiang.

In that room, the four men also received a face-to-face promise from Premier Chiang Kai-shek—that their families would be treated well and their pensions would be doubled.

The subsequent search operation became much more orderly. The Eight Banner soldiers, like ferocious beasts on reins, though their faces were menacing, dared not act rashly. From that day on, another important decree was added to Chiang Kai-shek's pronouncements—corruption is the enemy!
……

As Jiang Qingyun said when he was stationed on the north bank of the Yangtze River: I will lead the beast army across the river to wipe out the human insects.

The humanoid insectoids have the physical appearance of humans, but their souls belong to the animal kingdom.

When the Human Emperor wants to suppress the human insectoids, the human army will be hesitant, restrained, reluctant, and will secretly collude.

The orc army was different.

Killing is their instinct!
Once the military order is given, the Eight Banners troops will not hesitate to massacre all the corrupt officials, including those from the Donglin Party, Shanxi merchants, the Confucius family, gentry, scholars, and clerks.

Based on the above considerations, Jiang Qingyun, who intends to become the Human Emperor, will long maintain control of a small but extremely elite beastman army.

Of the eight imperial merchants, only Huang Yunfa was missing. He escaped the calamity because he was not in Taiyuan.

Wang Dengku committed suicide by self-immolation.

Tian Shenglan committed suicide.

Fan Yongdou attempted suicide by poisoning himself, but the poison was slower to take effect than the soldiers could break down the door, so he was saved by being forced to vomit with excrement.

They knew better than anyone else the brutality of the Eight Banners soldiers.

I only wish for a swift death!

……

"An investigation has revealed that 23 individuals, including Fan Yongdou, a prominent merchant from Shanxi, have committed heinous crimes. The details of their crimes are as follows."

"His first crime was to privately establish an armed force and attempt to become independent. He stole the imperial grain paid by the people of Shanxi for his own use, failing both the court and the people."

"His second crime was to control pawnshops and issue usurious loans, causing ordinary people to sell their children."

"His third crime was instigating the people of Shanxi to resist the imperial court, resulting in widespread suffering and death."

"His fourth crime was manipulating grain prices."

"The Imperial Grand Secretary Jiang Qingyun led 800,000 heavenly troops to annihilate the Shanxi merchants and uphold justice."

"The Grand Secretary hereby proclaims to all the people of Shanxi that all loans owed to pawnshops, landlords, merchants, and local ruffians in this province at exorbitant interest rates (above 3% per month), regardless of the amount or the length of time, are hereby written off and need not be repaid. If there are any debt collection attempts, they may be brought to the yamen. Any creditor who dares to collect the debt will be regarded as a remnant of rebellion and will be executed without mercy."

“Arrears of taxes and grain before the eleventh year of the Shunzhi reign shall be written off and never be pursued again. From the twelfth year of the Shunzhi reign onwards, any people who owe taxes shall be regarded as troublemakers and shall not be spared by the law.”

The above notices, along with the military might, were posted in every county town, every pass, and every patrol station in Shanxi.

Shanxi is shocked!

The people are overjoyed!

5 days later.

Outside Taiyuan city.

The Eight Banners soldiers beheaded more than 500 people, including Shanxi merchants, Shanxi military officers, and local officials, achieving a true bloodbath.

The once-prominent group of Shanxi merchants vanished into thin air. Thousands of their families, trusted managers, and employees fell into the Yellow River's ice hole during their exile when the ice unexpectedly broke.

From then on, Shanxi's local power never recovered.

A just cause requires massive amounts of wealth to support it.

Countless houses, silver, fields, forests, and minerals fell into Jiang Qingyun's hands, and the investigation lasted for two years before it was completely completed.

However, the westward trade routes accumulated by generations of Shanxi merchants also disappeared, triggering a series of chain reactions in the Russian Empire, but that's another story.

……

On the way from Taiyuan Prefecture to Puzhou Prefecture, Jiang Qingyun did not ride a horse, but instead rode in an extra-large, luxurious four-wheeled carriage.

This carriage, built by craftsmen in St. Petersburg, originally belonged to the royal merchant Wangdenku!
Now, it has become the Prime Minister's vehicle.

The interior of the carriage was extremely luxurious, allowing the owner to work, rest, drink tea, eat, and engage in sexual activity while traveling.

Jiang Qingyun does not reject moderate material enjoyment.

Just like now, he closed his eyes and leaned against the soft mink back.

Two pretty maids, one reading aloud a satirical novel written by a scholar from the Ming Dynasty, the other gently massaging her shoulders.

The Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu, Meng Qiaofang, led 10,000 Green Standard Army soldiers to garrison in Ruicheng County, Puzhou Prefecture, Shanxi Province.

This person is crucial, and Jiang Qingyun intends to meet him personally. For this purpose, he brings 6000 Manchu cavalry with him.

(End of this chapter)