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

Chapter 385 A Palace Banquet Dedicated to Humiliating Emperor Shunzhi
The next day.

Zhu Youlang, who was seriously injured, came again. His head was covered with gauze, and he walked unsteadily, but his spirit was strong.

"Fulin, your great-grandfather from the Ming Dynasty is here again."

"Fulin, you despicable and shameless villain, for the throne, you offered your mother as a child and your concubine as an adult. Ah, I forgot, patience—it seems to be an ancestral skill of your Aisin Gioro family."

"Fulin, you'd better come out here if you dare."

"I, Zhu Youlang, swear before my ancestors today that the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty cannot coexist in the world! Nor can we coexist in the Forbidden City!"

He cursed so hard that blood seeped from his forehead.

Zhu Youlang staggered and broke the rules of their usual civilized brawl, walking up to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and banging on the door desperately.

thump~
dong dong~
At that moment, he seemed to find the passion of Emperor Chongzhen and the fierceness of Emperor Chengzu.

……

Dust settled on the palace gates.

Dong Eshi hugged her quilt and huddled in a corner, talking to herself.

Emperor Shunzhi was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

The injured Zhu Youlang was too weak after all. After hitting the door more than a dozen times, he felt dizzy and his vision went black. He collapsed at the entrance of the palace.

They were quickly carried back to Yuqing Palace.

Both sides suffer losses.
However, Zhu Youlang's tenacity managed to salvage some face for the exiled court, much like Don Quixote's duel with windmills—laughable, but not tragic.

Five days later.

The fatal blow has finally arrived.

A group of eunuchs broke into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"The Grand Secretary personally painted a picture of a nude woman and bestowed it upon the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

Emperor Shunzhi was thunderstruck; the lady in the painting was actually Lady Dong'e! He vomited blood and fainted on the spot.

The eunuchs abandoned the painting and left.

It caused a sensation in Beijing that day.

……

Afternoon the next day.

"The Grand Secretary has ordered that Fulin and Lady Dong'e be summoned to Yuquan Mountain for singing and dancing to entertain them."

"You two, please."

The emperor and empress, both in a daze, were forcibly put into a soft palanquin and sent out of Xuanwu Gate and Desheng Gate, parading through the city and attracting countless onlookers.

The emperor's dignity was shattered.

Dong Eshi covered her face throughout the entire process.

Emperor Shunzhi remained silent, indignant, tearful, and motionless, showing no signs of human life.

As Huang Zongxi passed by the Ministry of Rites, he gazed at this scene and vaguely sensed that something extraordinary was happening in the world!

Yuquan Mountain.

The Prime Minister is shooting targets with his wife!

In the distance, in a trench about one meter deep, several soldiers walked back and forth holding long targets, forming a moving target.

bang~
A lead bullet hit the edge of the target.

"My husband is a master archer."

Jiangnan was in high spirits, raised his hand and fired a shot, successfully hitting the edge of the target.

Husband and wife in harmony, full of martial virtue.

Upon seeing Shunzhi arrive, Jiang Qingyun tossed the flintlock pistol in his hand to a guard.

"Madam, you may practice your target shooting here."

"Yes."

Jiangnan glanced at Shunzhi and Dong Eshi, who looked like quails in the distance, but his heart remained unmoved. He continued to concentrate on target practice, the gunshots never ceasing.

"You guys, come along too."

"As ordered."

Several young and robust female guards each picked up a flintlock pistol and began loading and firing.

Jiangnan, obeying her husband's wishes, is preparing to establish a women's musket corps. For women, the power of muskets far surpasses that of bows and arrows, giving them a clear advantage.

……

On Yuquan Mountain, there is a nunnery.

The nunnery was guarded outside and supervised by strong women inside. The security was so tight because the nuns practicing there were not ordinary people, such as Liu Zhangtai and Chen Yuanyuan.

When Chen Yuanyuan and Liu Rushi, these two rivals in the same profession, met again, the atmosphere was quite awkward.

Chen Yuanyuan clasped her hands together in prayer.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you, but your voice and smile are just as beautiful as they were back then."

"My sister is actually practicing Buddhism while wearing makeup?"

"Cultivation lies in the heart, not in the actions."

“My sister is right. Let’s go, there’s a sedan chair waiting outside.”

"where to?"

"There is a banquet at the imperial palace, and the Grand Secretary wants you to attend as well."

"Ah, please allow me to quickly wash up."

"I think there's no need for any washing or grooming. Get in the sedan chair quickly, so as not to keep the Grand Secretary waiting anxiously."

On the way~
Chen Yuanyuan's eyes were slightly red, and she was very excited.

She rearranged her black robe, making sure it was loose where it should be loose and tight where it should be tight, so that when they met, every glance and every bend would be full of charm.

……

However, things didn't go as planned. They arrived at the imperial palace.

She was placed in a very simple little house and began a long wait.

"Granny, when will the Grand Secretary summon me?"

The old woman standing to the side simply shook her head.

"Could you find some rouge and face powder?"

Mammy shook her head.

"Do you have any tea?"

The old woman shook her head again.

Faced with such terrible treatment, Chen Yuanyuan took a deep breath, sat down, closed her eyes to rest. Liu Rushi had given her a hard time, but she couldn't make a scene.

Men in high positions hate it when women around them cause them trouble, no matter what the reason.

Therefore, we need to stay calm.

We've already endured these past few years, what's a little more?

evening.

"Master, please eat."

Looking at the coarse food in front of her, Chen Yuanyuan became wary and shook her head, saying, "Granny, this humble nun is used to not eating after noon. Thank you."

outside the house.

"Madam, she won't eat."

"It's ok."

Liu Rushi smiled gently, turned and left.

……

The banquet was in full swing.

Emperor Shunzhi sat at the end of the table, feeling weak, helpless, and indignant.

Jiang Qingyun sat at the head of the table, frequently raising his glass, creating a lively atmosphere.

Liu Rushi quietly emerged from behind the curtain and half-squatted to pour wine.

"Is Chen Yuanyuan ready?"

"not yet."

"Ok?"

Seeing Jiang Qingyun's angry expression, Liu Rushi quickly explained in a low voice, "Yuanyuan didn't do it on purpose, she just happened to be in the toilet."

Jiang Qingyun frowned.

"Hurry her up."

"Yes."

……

There are poems:
With lotus on her back, she dances like a demon, and at the tender age of sixteen, she rivals the moon goddess.

Originally a Buddhist chant from the West River, it has now been turned into a song performed before the palace banquet.

The Tibetan monk Diehua from the Western Regions recreated the "Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance," a favorite of the deposed Emperor Yuan Shundi, for the esteemed Grand Secretary.

This dance is special~
Sixteen songstresses styled their hair into numerous small braids, wore ivory Buddha crowns, draped with tassels, and dressed in bright red short skirts, gold-threaded jackets, and cloud-like shawls, exuding extreme allure.

Each person holds a ritual implement.

The one holding the bell and pestle leads the dance.

Dong Eshi was forced to play one of the roles—Miao Le Nu—barefoot, and she was filled with grief and indignation.

It's hard to describe the essence of the Heavenly Demon Dance, but it's probably like doing the most despicable things in the most solemn name.

behind the scenes.

Through a semi-transparent gauze curtain, Chen Yuanyuan focused intently on painting her work – "Chief Minister Chiang's Night Banquet".

Liu Rushi lowered her head and poured wine.

Emperor Shunzhi was heartbroken.

Jiang Qingyun's words were meaningful.

……

Logically speaking, such decadent music should not have been presented to the Grand Secretary, but everyone in the court remained silent, the implication of which is intriguing.

The Tibetan monk Diehua said, "The Grand Secretary has a great affinity with Buddhism."

"is it?"

"Exactly."

Diehua wanted to use the Sixteen-Day Demon Dance to win favor, become the national advisor of the United Empire, and incidentally kick out the monk Tianji.

After the party ended~
A eunuch shouted:
"The Grand Secretary has ordered that Fulin return to the palace, while Dong Eshi shall remain."

The crowd chuckled, and Shunzhi's face turned as red as blood.

Dong Eshi trembled with fear.

……

Jiang Qingyun suddenly thought of Chen Yuanyuan again, so he asked, "Let Chen Yuanyuan come to drink."

Liu Rushi went around to the backstage and took a look.

"Yuanyuan went to the toilet again."

Jiang Qingyun, feeling utterly bored, remarked, "Yuanyuan is old; can she still eat?"

The answer is obvious.

The old woman couldn't eat!
(End of this chapter)