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

Chapter 348 Precisely Differentiating the Southwestern Ming Court
"Liu Xuanchu, you were originally a strategist under the King of Shu, and later joined the army of the King of Pingxi. Tell me, what is your greatest goal in this life?"

"Assist our lord in destroying the Qing dynasty."

"Only destroying the Qing?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"The atrocities committed by the Eight Banners are outrageous. The land is sinking, the traditional moral order is lost, and people are all like beasts. If this continues, the country will perish and the race will be wiped out."

"In that case, our goals are aligned. I am currently building a united empire. You should send a letter to Liu Wenxiu informing him that the Qing Dynasty is effectively dead, and the secret is only being kept quiet because the time is not yet ripe. Have him tell Zhu Youlang and Li Dingguo to put aside their hatred, take the initiative to come out of seclusion, and work together to do something practical for the people. If they refuse, I will send troops to wipe them out."

Done.

Jiang Qingyun got up and strode away.

That night.

In the stillness of the night, alone with the moon, he sighed:
Three thousand years of history reading, all it's about vying to become emperor.

At the beginning of my time travel, my bottom line was a constitutional monarchy.

If possible, strive for further improvement.

But who knows which bastard planted the seed of becoming emperor in his heart? Nourished by time, this damned seed has now sprouted.

Gradually, he began to want to be emperor more and more!

From deputy section chief to emperor, the temptation is irresistible.

However, whether one can become emperor depends on whether one can have a son.
To put it more bluntly~
If a son is born, a new feudal empire under Chiang Kai-shek will rise.

If he cannot give birth to a son, 2000 years of feudal history will surely end in his hands, and history will rush into a brand new stage.

Public-spiritedness and private-spiritedness coexist.

……

Kunming.

Emperor Yongli received the envoy sent by Jiang Qingyun.

"What brings you here, esteemed envoy?"

"I am a disciple of Huang Zongxi, a great Confucian scholar from Zhejiang. I resisted the Qing for four years along the Zhejiang coast and personally killed two Qing soldiers and a traitor."

Before the words were even finished, Li Dingguo's confidant, Ma Jixiang, immediately stepped forward.

"If that's the case, why does your esteemed envoy recognize a thief as his father?"

"You are mistaken, Grand Secretary. Do you see me wearing Qing Dynasty official robes?"

The envoy spread his arms to show off his Song-style casual clothes.

"Clothing doesn't tell you anything."

Ma Jixiang retorted.

The messenger smiled and took off his hat.

Everyone gasped in surprise; it was a hairstyle commonly seen on men in the Ming Dynasty.

"Gentlemen, when the Qing army entered the pass, my whole family was killed, and I was the only one who survived. I resisted the Qing for four years and suffered countless defeats. I once thought that I would never see the day when China was restored."

The eyes of everyone in the hall were red.

The messenger then said loudly:

"But I never expected that Prime Minister Chiang would restore the Chinese tradition single-handedly. Now, the Qing Emperor is under house arrest, and the Qing court exists in name only. The Prime Minister is planning to build a united empire. Gentlemen, let's do something practical for the country, for the world, and for the people."

……

Duke Wuerte of Liao walked up to them.

"In the Battle of Changsha, Jiang Qingyun commanded tens of thousands of Eight Banners troops from the capital to fight for him. Your Excellency, may I ask what a court with the Eight Banners as its military core should be called if not the Great Qing?"

A slight commotion arose among the crowd.

The envoy asked politely.

"Who is your Excellency?"

"This is the Duke of Liao."

"The Grand Secretary commands a million armored soldiers, but the Eight Banners only make up a small percentage of them. If we follow what the Duke of Liao just said, your court should also be called the Great Qing."

"Be bold!"

Ma Jixiang was furious.

The envoy remained neither humble nor arrogant, and surveyed the crowd.

"Is this Duke of Liao a Manchu? And are these imperial guards in the palace also Manchus? What should a court that employs Manchu military forces be called?"

"That's right, I come from the Plain Blue Banner, so what?"

Uert's argument was illogical.

The surrounding civil officials all shook their heads; logically speaking, the Duke had already lost.

Ulte was enraged.

"Colleagues, never trust Jiang Qingyun. He's full of tricks and his character is utterly despicable."

"Could the Duke provide a few examples?"

"Jiang Qingyun persecuted the Manchu people in the capital in various ways, sparing neither the elderly nor children. He also fabricated a charge, calling anyone he disliked a member of the Ninth Banner, arresting them, subjecting them to torture, and then secretly executing them, scattering their ashes into the Yongding River by the cartload. It was he who forced our Plain Blue Banner to rebel in the 226 Mutiny."

When he got to the sad part, Uert almost burst into tears.

Kerkun, who was standing to the side, also stepped forward.

“I can testify that Jiang Qingyun sent people to assassinate my entire family.”

"We can also prove it."

A group of guards from the Plain Blue Banner stepped forward.

Everyone was stunned; they suddenly had to accept some of the facts.

Chiang Kai-shek was also part of the resistance against the Qing dynasty.

Chief Minister Chiang was one of their own.

Chief Minister Chiang Kai-shek was handsome with delicate features.

So, Chief Minister Jiang was the Chief Minister of our Great Ming Dynasty.

……

The envoy chuckled inwardly, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Uert, not with any particular intention, but simply to sincerely thank him for his divine assistance.

Then, he stared at Li Dingguo.

"Your Highness Prince Jin, do you still remember the Battle of Songzi several years ago?"

"Remember!"

"Someone infiltrated the central command tent and poisoned Ao Bai. Later, Chief Minister Chiang took over command. Do you remember how he commanded the battle?"

Li Dingguo took a deep breath. Yes, Jiang Qingyun was an amateur.

Could it be?

Could it be Infernal Affairs?

Emperor Yongli stood up excitedly.

"Your Excellency, do you mean that my Great Ming Dynasty has been restored?"

"Your Majesty, I must correct you. It is not the Great Ming Dynasty, but the United Empire!"

"The name of the nation, 'Sun and Moon Bright,' was personally chosen by Emperor Taizu and must never be changed."

A commotion broke out among the ministers in the palace.

Ma Jixiang quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

He was a shrewd and pragmatic man. He didn't care what the country was called; he only cared about whether he could return to the Forbidden City and enjoy wealth and luxury.

"May I ask your Excellency, is Grand Secretary Jiang preparing to welcome the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty back to the Forbidden City?"

"This is a matter of great importance. The Grand Secretary has invited representatives from all sides to participate in the Jiangning peace talks and discuss the new order for the future. The Grand Secretary hopes that the Grand Secretary and His Highness Prince Jin can make time to attend."

"A loyal minister lies far away; may Heaven bless Your Majesty."

Ma Jixiang led the kneeling, and the hall erupted in cheers.

The wind shifted so quickly today that everyone was stunned.

Just a few months ago, everyone was struggling in the mountains of Guangxi, with no hope for the future. How come they can be back in the imperial court as big shots in the blink of an eye?

Although it seems like a dream, everyone hopes it's real.

This is human nature.

Only Duke Wuerte of Liao turned pale and clenched his fists.

Disappointment, anger~
The envoy surveyed the crowd's reactions, a cold smile playing on his lips. "A bunch of vermin," he thought. "It's a good thing I've witnessed the absurdity of the Hongguang and Lu Prince regimes, which has completely extinguished my will to protect the Ming Dynasty."

……

"Wait, I have a few questions."

"Who is your Excellency?"

"Mu Tianbo, Duke of Qian".

Mu Tianbo was tall and strong. He was a descendant of Mu Ying, and his family had guarded Yunnan for generations, sharing the fate of the country. In terms of loyalty, the Mu family was impeccable.

"Please enlighten me, Your Excellency?"

"May I ask your esteemed envoy, after joining the United Empire, how does your Chief Minister Jiang plan to deal with the army of our Great Ming? How does he plan to settle your esteemed officials? And how does he plan to settle the Emperor of our Great Ming?"

(End of this chapter)