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

Chapter 362 Little Jiang Urges Shunzhi to Worship Buddha
Zheng Sen paced back and forth in the room, filled with doubt.

When Jiangning was last visited, Liu Guoxuan was the deputy envoy. Was there any collusion between them? Or was it that the man surnamed Jiang was deliberately sowing discord?
"Someone is coming."

"The end will be here."

“Select a few trusted guards to secretly monitor Liu Guoxuan and keep an eye on whether any strangers visit his home.”

"Yes."

It wasn't that Zheng Sen was overly suspicious, but rather that there were simply too many traitors during the late Ming and early Qing periods, making it necessary to be wary.

Who will be the head coach?

Zhou Quanbin and Ma Xin are clearly better at land warfare, so they are not very suitable.

I can't just take command myself, can I?

Just as Zheng Sen was having a headache, his personal guards came to report.

"Your Highness, Imperial Censor Wang has come again."

……

"This humble official pays his respects to Prince Yanping."

"sit."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I am bothering you today because of that matter. Your Highness needs to move to Fuzhou as soon as possible to fulfill your duties as governor."

"Isn't Xiamen good?"

"No matter how good Xiamen is, it's not the provincial capital."

"Very well, I promise you, I will set off within five days."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I have another matter to discuss. The Ministry of Personnel has approved the list of Fujian officials you submitted. These individuals are required to assume their posts and fulfill their duties as soon as possible. If they fail to perform their duties adequately, I, as the Censor-in-Chief, acting on behalf of the Emperor, will certainly impeach them."

Zheng Sen's smile vanished instantly.

"What do you mean?"

"According to the agreement, Fujian is not required to pay a single grain of rice or a single tael of silver to the imperial court. However, these officials, as local officials, are still required to do a good job in educating the people, providing disaster relief, protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people, and so on. If they do not do a good job, I will impeach them. Of course, the dismissal of officials requires the prince's approval."

"Who will succeed him after his removal from office?"

"It will still be recommended by the Prince and approved by the Ministry of Personnel."

Zheng Sen's expression softened.

"Your Highness, once you become an official, you must bring benefits to the people, not exploit them and hold a position without doing your job. Don't you agree?"

"of course."

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Highness to give me a written instruction that after taking office, I must always keep in mind the teachings of the sage and fulfill my duties."

"You need not worry about that. I have always been strict in disciplining my troops, and I never forgive those who make mistakes."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Imperial Censor Wang bowed and left.

Zheng Sen watched his departing figure thoughtfully.

Since he announced the change of allegiance, the central government readily ceded the entire territory of Fujian, withdrew all the officials from the capital, and, apart from sending eight censors to Fujian, did not station a single soldier there.

Their credit is good.

But I always felt he had ulterior motives.

……

Zheng Sen could not resist the temptation of changing the flag and exchanging territory.

Small Jinsha, Big Fujian.

With control of Fujian, Zheng's prestige soared, and his fiscal revenue skyrocketed, with monthly protection fees from merchant ships reaching as high as 15 taels.

Maritime trade profits have soared fourfold.

That month.

Groups of Zheng's generals, still smelling of the sea, landed ashore and transformed into county magistrates, prefects, and circuit intendants.

Everyone is happy.

Everyone risked their lives to follow the prince in conquering the land, all for this day.

The infantry troops stationed in Kinmen and Xiamen also landed one after another and garrisoned key locations.

Zheng Sen himself kept his promise and moved his office to Fuzhou city.

After taking office, he personally inspected several key passes, including Xianxia Pass, and sent Feng Xifan with a large sum of money to visit Zhou Shao, the Governor-General of Liangjiang.

Fujian is characterized by eight parts mountains, one part water, and one part farmland, making it unable to meet its own food needs for a long time.

Guangdong is also short of food, so we can't count on them.

Jiangxi is the only province that produces a lot of grain, but now that Jiangxi has been incorporated into the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Liangjiang, one must cultivate a good personal relationship with Zhou Shao to ensure a smooth grain purchase.

On his way back from inspecting Xianxia Pass, Zheng Sen thought to himself that when the time was right, he should prepare to attack Chikan City on Dayuan Island, which was held by the Dutch.

Taking down a high-ranking official brings many benefits.

Firstly, it could turn the strait into its backyard, allowing it to control maritime trade within a 2,000-nautical-mile radius.

Secondly, it can alleviate the food crisis, as Dayuan is a fertile agricultural land waiting to be developed.

……

After the birth of the United Empire, the common people, who had suffered from war for many years, finally breathed a sigh of relief. They were not afraid of hardship as long as there was peace.

The war is focused on Shanhaiguan.

Reports of troops being dispatched from various sides arrived in the capital one after another. Sichuan dispatched 5000 troops.

Yunnan and Guizhou sent 7000 troops.

Fujian sent 10000 troops.
Guangdong deployed 40000 troops.
Shaanxi and Gansu sent 10000 troops.
Other provinces also mobilized more than half of their Green Standard Army troops.

Due to the poor transportation conditions, it took troops from various provinces more than half a year to reach Shanhaiguan.

During these past six months, Jiang Qingyun has been busy with three main things.

First, there is the matter of sexual relations.

Secondly, they forced Shunzhi to become a monk.

Third, the Eight Banners Army was renamed the Imperial Banner Guard.

Jiang Qingyun is a man with both sophisticated and base tastes. His sophisticated tastes are comparable to those of Confucius and Mencius, while his base tastes rival those of Ximen Qing.

Yuquan Mountain, Imperial Palace.

Having dressed up for an hour, Liu Rushi gracefully entered the room, radiating beauty.

"This humble servant greets the Grand Secretary."

Ah, you look great today.

Liu Rushi smiled gently and walked to the desk.

"Little sister, let me do it."

"it is good."

Green Pearl voluntarily relinquished her position.

Liu Rushi rolled up her sleeves, revealing her lotus-root-like white arms, and began to grind ink.

Grinding ink may seem simple, but it actually involves a lot of knowledge. Grinding it well is called "adding fragrance to the red sleeves," which is a high-level aesthetic of the feudal scholar-official class.

Green Pearl stood aside, secretly imitating.

As a woman herself, she also found Liu Rushi's movements very beautiful; seemingly casual, yet full of charm.

……

Jiang Qingyun suddenly asked, "Liu Rushi, you are older and more knowledgeable. You must have your own experience regarding having a boy or a girl. I would like to hear your opinion?"

"Yes."

"I have studied it carefully. The Prime Minister already has six daughters, which proves that he is vigorous and has outstanding natural talents."

"So where did the problem lie?"

"I suggest we seek help from a reclusive master. For some things, we have to believe in metaphysics."

Jiang Qingyun sighed, thinking of the monk Tianji.

Former comrades, now going their separate ways.

That damn bald monk~
"I heard years ago that there is a celestial master on Mount Longhu who is skilled in the art of health preservation. Perhaps..."

"That's right."

"I have also heard of monks from the Western Regions who are skilled in the art of male-female co-cultivation."

"Approved. Please bring them all to the capital."

Liu Rushi thought for a moment and then said, "The chief minister is no ordinary person; all his private affairs are national affairs. This matter is of great importance and has far-reaching implications. It would be inappropriate to entrust it to someone else."

Green Pearl: "Why don't I take care of it myself?"

Jiang Qingyun thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Go and make the preparations. We'll set off tomorrow."

"Yes."

Green Pearl bowed in greeting and then left.

……

Liu Rushi hesitated for a moment: "I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

"speak."

"I believe that if the Grand Secretary were to set aside all state affairs and choose a scenic spot to relax and do nothing for several months, he could have a remarkable effect."

Jiang Qingyun sighed, put down his brush, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

Based on his own experience, he believed that Liu Rushi's judgment was reasonable.

for example:

Overworked and exhausted mental workers tend to have more daughters.

Whether it's colleagues or historical figures, there are many examples that conform to the above pattern.

Liu Rushi quietly removed the knee-length vest that covered her body, went behind the chair, and helped massage her head.

……

After a long time~
Jiang Qingyun spoke up:

"Your suggestion makes a lot of sense upon careful consideration, but I cannot leave for the time being. There are countless matters to attend to in court affairs, and if I were to relinquish my duties, the enemy would immediately launch a counterattack."

"The Grand Secretary is in his prime, so there's no rush. It's not too late to wait until the court is more stable."

"It's a word."

Liu Rushi's cheeks flushed:
“Sister Green Pearl will be away for at least half a year. Liu Shu has grown up. Why not let her serve the writing brush and ink?”

Jiang Qingyun thought for a moment, then shook his head:
"Ah, this may not conform to the rites of Zhou. Never mind, I just happen to be going to check on Shunzhi's Buddhist practices. You will come with me."

(End of this chapter)