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

Chapter 347 Change to Appeasement~
Changsha has changed hands once again.

A black dragon banner was raised atop the city wall.

The Han Dynasty favored red and black.

Civil officials wore black robes, while military officials wore red robes.

In light of the above factors, Jiang Qingyun personally designed the new imperial flag. The background was jet black, with a soaring red dragon in the center, making it highly recognizable.

early summer.

The temperature in Changsha was sweltering, but fortunately the fighting had ended, and the battalions were resting and taking shelter from the heat.

Except for a few areas in western Hunan, the entire province was pacified by issuing proclamations.

……

Changsha government office.

Jiang Qingyun stole half a day of leisure and danced with his wife in the courtyard, their affection for each other tender and deep.

suddenly~
The subordinate rushed in.

"Report! Li Dingguo's troops have broken camp and advanced westward. They have now seized Yunnan and Guizhou. He has also adopted Li Zicheng's slogan and is recruiting soldiers on a large scale in the area."

"What slogan?"

"Eat his mother's food, wear his mother's clothes, and when Yongli comes, we won't pay taxes."

Jiang Qingyun sheathed his sword in surprise.

"Sure?"

"Yes, our scouts in plainclothes infiltrated and brought back a notice. Please take a look."

Jiang Qingyun chuckled to himself; politics is indeed a magical thing.

"The generals asked the chief minister whether they should take advantage of the Ming army's unstable foothold and send a large army to invade Yunnan."
How many troops does Li Dingguo currently have?

"According to intelligence, Li Dingguo commanded more than 7000 troops when he was in Guangxi."

Jiang Qingyun made up his mind after a moment's thought.

"No rush. With war raging and the country in turmoil, for the sake of the nation and its people, I have decided to send envoys to Kunming, Kinmen, Guangzhou, and Zhoushan to offer them generous terms of pacification."

……

Jiang Nan tossed his sword to the maid and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Jiang Qingyun's face.

"My husband, shall we take a bath and change our clothes?"

"Ah."

After a quick shower, Jiang Qingyun went into his study alone to quietly contemplate how to launch a large-scale social experiment on the land beneath his feet and even on the land of the world.

On his way to the kitchen to personally oversee the meals, Jiangnan encountered Liu Rushi.

"This humble servant greets Madam."

"Are you waiting for me?"

"Yes."

"What's the matter with you?"

Jiangnan's attitude was neither warm nor cold. Compared to before, she was now more elegant and shrewd. One could only say that status makes one more refined.

"The Hengzhou Prefecture has sent Chen Yuanyuan here. I am worried that this will affect the Grand Secretary's reputation."

"is it?"

Jiang Nan smiled faintly, staring at Liu Rushi with a look full of mockery in his eyes.

"Madam, please forgive me. If Chen Yuanyuan were to enter the household, there would be two major drawbacks. First, when Wu Sangui surrendered to the Qing at Shanhaiguan, the world called him 'angry for a beauty.' The Grand Secretary's southern expedition was for the country and the people, but some people might secretly slander him, saying that the Grand Secretary was also angry for a beauty, and that he was fighting Wu Sangui for Chen Yuanyuan. Second, if Chen Yuanyuan becomes pregnant quickly after entering the household, it might be difficult to explain."

After listening, Jiangnan left without saying a word.

She was the legal wife, and could rightfully manage the household affairs.

As a result, Chen Yuanyuan completely lost the opportunity to enter the mansion.

Although Jiang Qingyun is indiscriminate in his sexuality and doesn't distinguish between young and old, the saying "to risk everything for a woman" is really disgusting, and just thinking about it makes me feel nauseous.

Therefore, he reluctantly gave up his desire to collect Chen Yuanyuan.

……

After completely destroying Wu Sangui's group by force, Jiang Qingyun was busy with the aftermath, providing compensation, rewards, and promotions to those who deserved them.

Ma Yaozi Wang Fuchen made great contributions, killing generals and seizing flags in one fell swoop, and also forcing Ma Bao to rebel.

In the Battle of Changsha, he was undoubtedly the MVP.

But~
Jiang Qingyun really wanted to kill him.

A servant of nine surnames is worse than dog excrement.

But we can't kill him now; we can only grit our teeth and give him an official position and a reward, and then settle accounts with him later when we find a suitable charge.

This is politics!
"This humble general pays his respects to His Excellency the Grand Secretary."

As soon as Wang Fuchen entered the door, he knelt down and kowtowed three times.

Jiang Qingyun did not rush to speak, nor did he ask him to get up. Instead, he deliberately remained silent for more than ten breaths, a common tactic used by those in power.

"Wang Fuchen".

"The end will be here."

"You have rendered great service by capturing enemy generals and seizing their flags. I have decided to appoint you as the Governor of Hunan. Go and make preparations, and take office in the next few days. Also, the owners of several houses in Changsha died in the war, and I will reward you with those as well."

"Thank you, Chief Minister." Although it wasn't the promised Governor of Hubei, Wang Fuchen, who had no political sense, completely failed to grasp the intriguing implications.

"Wang Fuchen, are Ma Bao and Liu Xuanchu truly surrendering?"

Yes.

"Go down."

Wang Fuchen bowed and respectfully withdrew from the room.

My back was covered in sweat.

For some reason, he was terrified of Jiang Qingyun. This was a fear he had never felt before when he had changed allegiances and served his previous masters. It was as if his bloodline was being suppressed, like a wolf encountering a tiger, unable to muster even the slightest thought of resistance.

……

The next person to be received was Meng Qiaomei, the younger brother of Meng Qiaofang, the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu, and the current Commander-in-Chief of Xi'an Garrison.

"This humble general pays his respects to the Grand Secretary."

"Qiao Mei, no need for formalities. Sit down and have some tea."

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

"Are the brothers in the Shaanxi-Gansu Green Standard Army facing any difficulties? Are they satisfied with their pensions, pay, rewards, and promotions?"

"Reporting back to the Grand Secretary, I am extremely satisfied."

"That's good. Tell me about yourself?"

"I will have no complaints as the Grand Secretary makes the arrangements."

"I want you to be the governor of a province, not limited to Hunan, any province south of the Yangtze River will do, you can choose yourself. My promise to you that you can freely form 2000 elite troops and 50 mid- to high-ranking officers remains unchanged, and I will give you and your brothers an additional 25 taels of silver for settling down."

Jiang Qingyun smiled.

Meng Qiaomei stood up excitedly and knelt on one knee.

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

"Please get up quickly."

"This humble general does not care which province he goes to; he only wants to fight for the imperial court and make meritorious contributions. Please advise me, Grand Secretary."

"There are opportunities in Hunan and Fujian."

"Then let's go to Hunan. I'm not good at naval warfare, so going to Fujian wouldn't be suitable."

"it is good."

Jiang Qingyun even invited Meng Qiaomei to stay for a casual meal, treating her with the warmth and kindness of family.

After Meng Qiaomei left, she sighed.

He was not the kind of simple-minded military general who lacked political acumen. He had been well-versed in the classics and history since childhood and could easily pass the imperial examinations. However, in front of this Chief Minister Chiang, he felt as simple as a rustic country bumpkin, completely powerless in politics.

……

The third people to be received were Ma Bao and Liu Xuanchu.

The two looked extremely dejected.

"Greetings, Grand Secretary."

"Get up, Liu Xuan Chu. Do you remember the first time we met?"

“I remember. It was inside Deshengmen at the time. I was entering the capital with the Prince and his son, and you were standing upstairs.”

"Several years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the world has changed beyond recognition."

"Prime Minister, please allow me to bury the remains of the Prince and his son."

Liu Xuanchu's request was very bold, or rather, he had become indifferent to life and death, which Jiang Qingyun understood perfectly.

"You will be allowed to collect the body and bury it a month from now. Also, I want to ask you two a question: if Wang Fuchen hadn't shouted that, would you have turned your guns on each other?"

Ma Bao remained silent.

Liu Xuan Chu said softly, "No!"

Jiang Qingyun nodded slowly. He thought so too, but he just wanted to verify it.

“I am a man of my word. If you had come to me from Pingxiang back then, you would have been appointed as governors or provincial treasurers without a doubt. But now, I can only send you two to Zhili to be county magistrates or assistant county magistrates.”

"Prime Minister, could you please let us go home and farm?"

"No."

Liu Xuanchu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Ma Bao, you can go out first."

"Yes."

When only two people remained in the room.

"What do you want to ask? Go ahead and ask."

"May I ask you, Grand Secretary, what exactly do you intend to do?"

What do you think I want to do?

"I want to be the emperor!"

Jiang Qingyun smiled, neither confirming nor denying; he couldn't answer that question at the moment.

(End of this chapter)