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

Chapter 338 Jiang's Persuasive Rhetoric

Time is passing by day by day.

Both sides have amassed more than 30 troops throughout Hunan. Currently, Wu Sangui's forces appear to be twice the size of Jiang Qingyun's, but there are still many uncertainties.

As is well known, in the wars at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, it was difficult to distinguish between enemy and friendly forces until the very last moment.

"Grand Secretary, a letter from Chen Yuanyuan."

Zhou Cang admired the chief minister to the point of prostration. The ability to get the enemy chieftain's beloved concubine, whom he had kept for many years, to voluntarily provide intelligence was beyond description.

The stationery is exquisite.

The clear plum blossom pattern highlights the owner's noble character.

The subtle fragrance reveals the owner's elegant taste.

The dried tear stains at the signature reveal the owner's confusion, helplessness, weakness, and fear.

The content is even more interesting, containing information that the author wants to know, subtly offering himself as a concubine, and also subtly putting down Liu Rushi.

What a perfect pledge of allegiance, with all its appealing color, aroma, and taste!
As the saying goes: a tranquil brothel cannot nurture a treasure of a woman; only a top-tier hellish place like the Qinhuai River can produce such gems.

After Jiang Qingyun finished browsing, he casually tossed the item into the brazier.

"You were born before I was born, and I was born after you had grown old. What a pity that I did not live in that era of moral decay and social upheaval, when the Eight Beauties had faded away and all was tasteless. What a great regret."

"Zhou Cang".

"The end will be here."

"Send people to deliver official robes, official seals, and letters of appointment to Wang Fuchen, Ma Bao, and Liu Xuanchu. Make sure there is a lot of fanfare along the way, the more high-profile the better, so that everyone knows about it."

"As ordered."

……

after a few days.

Jiang Qingyun personally received a group of captured Wu army officers and even served them tea.

"Let me introduce myself. I am the current Grand Secretary, and my surname is Chiang."

"Brothers, after you return, be sure to tell Ma Bao, Liu Xuanchu, and Wang Fuchen that I am eager to find talented people, and that the three of them have no future following Wu Sangui."

"Recognize the situation in time. The court will be generous with official titles and ranks. They will become high-ranking officials in charge of the provinces, and you former subordinates will also benefit from it. There will be prefects, governors, county magistrates, and so on. If you want to be an official, you should be a civil official. You don't have to risk your life every day, and the pay is much better."

"When you get back, tell the rest of the army what I mean and ask them to persuade the three of them to stop being stubborn. They joined the army to earn a living and strive for a better future. Only by serving the court can they have a bright future."

The prisoners were moved to tears and kept kowtowing.

They were deeply moved by the Prime Minister's words, only regretting that their official rank was too low to be qualified to acknowledge him as their godfather on the spot.

Jiang Qingyun had a kind face and was amiable. He helped each of the officers up, asked them their names and ranks, and then ordered wine and drinks to be prepared.

"Gentlemen, I'm waiting for your good news. Cheers!"

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

The prisoners left the camp with a gleam in their eyes.

……

The siege of Changsha has been lifted for several days.

Wang Pingfan still dared not be careless, and ordered his soldiers to be vigilant every day, patrolling day and night, and never daring to relax.

But often, trouble arises from within, and betrayal from within is the most terrifying.

In the city, a gentry's residence.

After the three captured officers, who were personally released by Jiang Qingyun, entered the city, they busied themselves inquiring everywhere and finally found the residence of their former master, Wang Fuchen.

"The Grand Secretary is truly acting out of kindness, brother, you must accept it."

"Yes, the Prime Minister's words were truly from the bottom of his heart; I almost cried when I heard them."

“Brother, if you become a high-ranking official, all of us brothers will benefit. Even if it's just for the sake of us brothers, you have to abandon the darkness and embrace the light.”

Wang Fuchen was an unfaithful and disloyal man, and now that the situation was pressing him, he had long harbored the urge to switch sides.

However, when you're under someone else's roof, you have to pretend to be a loyal and virtuous minister for a while.

"Keep your voices down. The soldiers outside are sent by Wang Pingfan to monitor me. Changsha is someone else's territory. We brothers can't cause any big trouble. Let's be patient and see what happens."

With that said, everyone nodded vigorously.

It's not that they won't lower the price, it's that they'll lower it later. It's not that they won't lower the price, it's that they'll lower it gradually. With great wealth seemingly within reach, everyone's hearts are filled with excitement.

……

Luzhou, Sichuan.

The Ancient Tea Horse Road.

The first major route on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is surrounded by steep mountains. In gentler sections, three mules and horses can travel together, while in more treacherous sections, only one person can lead a horse slowly.

Guo Zhuangtu gazed at the rushing river beneath his feet, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

What kind of river is this?

"The Chishui River." "Why is it called the Chishui River? The water looks quite clear to me."

"When it rains, the river turns blood red, hence the name Chishui River (Red Water River)."

"is it?"

"Hahaha, look how scared you are. The banks of this river are all red soil. When it rains, the red soil is washed into the riverbed, and the river water looks blood red."

Guo Zhuangtu also laughed heartily. At this moment, the pine forests on both sides of the mountain road were shrouded in mist, making them a natural ambush point.

But no one was nervous.

Since setting foot on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, the 7000-strong army had been traversing environments perfect for ambushes, and their nerves had long since become numb from the tension.

After walking another half mile, Guo Zhuangtu intercepted two of his trusted men and whispered, "You two must keep a close watch on Zhang Yong and not leave him for a moment. If you find that he is cheating, kill him."

"Whoo."

……

"dinner time."

The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, tied up their horses, and then sat in small groups by the roadside eating dry rations and drinking some hot water.

The forwards and defenders were separated by dozens of miles.

Such an environment, if ambushed, is a nightmare for any general.

Guo Zhuangtu was the most cautious of Wu Sangui's three sons-in-law. While drinking tea, he pondered where there might be an ambush.

"You guys go scout this area and meet up here later."

"Whoo."

A dozen or so soldiers hurriedly left.

Zhang Yong, sitting to one side, remained calm and composed.

"Old Guo, I'll treat you to drinks after we take Chengdu."

"I heard that tigers roam the streets of Chengdu in broad daylight?"

"Yes, not just in Chengdu, tigers are everywhere in Sichuan. So many people died in the war a few years ago that the tigers are so hungry they've gone mad from eating the corpses."

Guo Zhuangtu was munching on a dry biscuit and drinking hot soup when he suddenly blurted out something.

"When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer. When a dynasty falls, the people suffer. Which suffers more?"

"For us warriors, chaotic times are good. At least we can control our own destiny. After we wipe out Li Guoying, shall we hunt down a tiger skin to use as a mattress?"

"Okay."

……

"Let's get going!"

At the scout's shout, the well-trained soldiers immediately got up and packed their belongings. A hundred breaths later, the column began to move.

However, it was already half an hour later when the defenders 20 miles away started to move.

The further we went, the more treacherous the mountain path became.

It is only wide enough for one person to barely pass through.

Suddenly, one of the warhorses broke free of its reins and galloped wildly forward, rushing off the cliff and plunging into the Chishui River in full view of everyone.

"snake."

"There are snakes."

The soldiers attacked with swords and spears, and quickly killed more than a dozen snakes.

Guo Zhuangtu frowned as he looked at these repulsive things.

"what happened?"

"Nothing strange about it, there are many snakes near the Chishui River."

The team moved on.

Arrive at the ferry terminal.

Suddenly, a rumble of thunder sounded in the sky, followed by lightning that ripped through the night.

"Oh no, it's going to rain."

"Zhang Yong, are there any towns nearby?"

"Yes, there's a town about two miles across the river. The wine there is pretty good. Lao Guo, shall we cross the river first?"

"No rush, let the brothers pass first."

Guo Zhuangtu remained vigilant.

At this time~
The first batch of cavalrymen who crossed the Chishui River dispersed and took control of several high points in the surrounding area, waving small red flags to indicate that everything was normal and they could continue crossing the river.

(End of this chapter)