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

Chapter 387 The wheat ripened three thousand times, and the emperor became a monk for the first time.

Jiang Qingyun stared at Nan Huairen with a sinister look. Nan Huairen, unperturbed, cut off a piece of the wooden stick.

Wow~
The once-stable building collapsed instantly.

"Prime Minister, this model shows that too much pressure is not good. Why not give that young deposed emperor some freedom? He will collapse even faster."

Jiang Qingyun pointed to the messy scene.

Is this science or theology?

"science."

"Father Nan, what is the difference between science and theology?"

What we already know belongs to the realm of science; what we don't yet know belongs to the realm of theology. Today's theology may very well be tomorrow's science. Humans are insignificant, yet the world holds so many unknowns.

Ferdinand Verbiest spoke with great seriousness.

Jiang Qingyun listened thoughtfully.

After several years of contact, even Jiang Qingyun, an atheist, unconsciously lowered his resistance to Christianity.

The power of charlatans is terrifying!
……

That night, there was thunder and lightning.

The terrifying Chief Minister Jiang once again favored the weak Dong E clan, demonstrating the abundant and unreleased martial spirit of the nascent united empire.

The next day, it was released back into the wild.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Emperor Shunzhi stared at Consort Dong'e, who had suddenly appeared at the door, and could hardly believe his eyes.

"My beloved concubine!"

"emperor!"

The star-crossed lovers embraced tightly, unwilling to part for a long time.

Consort Dong'e, with tears streaming down her face, said, "Your Majesty, please become a nun."

A couple in love reunite and, from night to morning, from morning to night, they are unable to control themselves.

Little did they know~
The meals delivered to the Hall of Mental Cultivation were all spiked with ingredients.

The newly formed United Empire was keen on developing various stimulating Chinese medicines and using them extensively in various situations, such as war, palace intrigue, and reproduction.

As Lu Xun said: Men will discover their true selves when they reach a certain age!

Lu Xun was definitely right.

At the young age of 26, Chief Minister Chiang could no longer hide his true nature. He went further and further down the romantic path, unable to turn back.

Love had numbed Shunzhi, and his mind finally began to waver. Rather than fighting Zhu Youlang every day in the Forbidden City, he thought it better to become a monk and escape the world to live out his remaining years in peace.

……

Two weeks later~
Consort Dong'e suddenly fell ill with a fever.

Despite his gaunt appearance, Emperor Shunzhi remained tireless in his efforts.

After another sexual encounter, Shunzhi, still feeling unsatisfied, looked at the red pimples that resembled plum blossoms blooming in the snow and was terrified.

"It's smallpox!!"

Consort Dong'e was stunned.

Emperor Shunzhi rushed out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation like a madman and headed for the Imperial Pharmacy.

bang~
The door was slammed open, and Liu Zhengzong, the Imperial Physician who was inside pondering whether to bleach tiger bone or deer antler today, was startled.

He was about to curse when he saw the disheveled Shunzhi.

"Ahem, what's wrong?"

"Doctor Liu, help me!"

"Please don't rush, sit down and tell me slowly."

"Please save Consort Dong'e."

"What happened to the lady?"

"She has smallpox!"

Liu Zhengzong instantly realized that this was a huge political vortex, a massive palace conspiracy, and as a royal physician, he absolutely could not get involved.

"Ah~ smallpox is a terrible disease, I'll think about it."

"I beg you, Physician Liu."

"It's difficult, so difficult."

Looking at Liu Zhengzong, who had a troubled expression.

Emperor Shunzhi suddenly woke up. He found it no use asking the imperial physician, so he had to go and beg that damned Jiang Qingyun!

……

Yuquan Mountain!
Emperor Shunzhi went up the mountain shirtless and carried thorns on his back to apologize.

When the former ruler and his minister met again, Jiang Qingyun felt a pang of sadness.

The emperor was filthy, with disheveled hair, emaciated appearance, and sunken eyes. He had no dignity whatsoever and looked just like a dog.

"Someone, help Fulin change his clothes."

"No, Grand Secretary! I was wrong. I am willing to abdicate the throne to you, just please save the poor Consort Dong'e. I will not be the emperor anymore, and I will become a monk with her."

Jiang Qingyun seemed tempted and pondered for a moment.

Fu Lin simply knelt down.

"Grand Chancellor, please help me out of our past relationship as ruler and subject. I don't want the empire, I don't want anything, I only want the Dong E clan."

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

"Someone is coming."

"exist."

"Take my imperial edict and rush down the mountain. Order the Imperial Medical Academy to do everything in its power to treat Dong Eshi. If she can be saved, a reward of one hundred gold pieces will be given."

"As ordered."

……

Imperial Medical Academy. Liu Zhengzong stared at the imperial edict, his brow furrowed.

As a descendant of a famous family of imperial physicians who had cured two emperors of the Ming Dynasty, he was well aware of the treacherous nature of court intrigues, hence his hesitation.

dong dong~
There was a knock on the door.

"Please come in."

The third uncle entered the house with a smile.

"Where is the Grand Councilor?"

"Yes. Father-in-law, are you feeling unwell?"

"I haven't been able to sleep well lately."

"Oh?"

"Perhaps she's under too much pressure and has too many worries on her mind."

Liu Zhengzong immediately realized that the dead eunuch's words had a hidden meaning, and slowly removed three fingers from his pulse.

What kind of pressure is your father-in-law under?

"As a servant, I am always afraid of misjudging my master's thoughts and making a big mistake."

"But is it about being extremely cautious, as if walking on thin ice?"

"Yes."

"I understand."

The three eunuchs and Liu Zhengzong looked at each other and smiled.

……

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was filled with the strong smell of medicine.

Emperor Shunzhi showed no signs of being the emperor. He personally prepared medicine every day. As time passed, Dong E's condition fluctuated, sometimes improving and sometimes reversing.

Liu Zhengzong comes to see patients once a day.

All kinds of medicinal herbs were brought over for free.

Zhu Youlang, a neighbor, would occasionally stroll around the vicinity of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and curse from afar: "Bah, you little Tartar, you're still a romantic. The Ming army will tolerate you for a few days."

Then, he walked away.

He understood the pain of being all alone.

We're in the same boat, after all.

Although Zhu Youlang temporarily abandoned his attack on the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he found a particularly straight tree branch in the Imperial Garden to use as his sword and practiced swordsmanship diligently every day.

He was prepared for a seven-year war, a ten-year war, or even a thirty-year war.

……

10 days later.

The poor Consort Dong'e was critically ill and on the verge of death.

Emperor Shunzhi was in tears, his heart breaking.

"My beloved consort, I can't bear to part with you. If you leave, how will I live alone?"

The emaciated Dong E struggled to her feet.

Those who frequently reincarnate know that this is called a final burst of energy before death.

Consort Dong'e wiped away Emperor Shunzhi's tears.

"Your Majesty, please do not grieve after my death. My grandmother was a Buddhist. My mother was also a Buddhist, and I am a devout Buddhist myself. Everything is the Buddha's arrangement. After Your Majesty becomes a monk, you will help people and devote yourself to spiritual practice. Perhaps we will meet again someday."

Emperor Shunzhi wept bitterly.

"Your Majesty, I have also prepared a Buddhist name for you."

"You said."

"A wanderer's madness".

……

The wheat ripened three thousand times, and the emperor became a monk for the first time.

Just in case, 15000 fully armed new soldiers entered the nine gates, and the capital was placed under martial law.

No one could have predicted the chain reaction.

If Emperor Shunzhi were to commit suicide, would the bannermen in the inner city accept it?

If Emperor Shunzhi were to become a monk, what would be the reaction of the bannermen in the inner city?
If Emperor Shunzhi chooses to resist to the end, how should this be dealt with?
Jiang Qingyun was at Yuquan Mountain, where he prepared many contingency plans. In short, even if the capital city was stained with blood, he would defy fate.

Consort Dong'e finally died.

Fu Lin wailed over the corpse all night, and Zhu Youlang didn't sleep a wink.

The next morning.

Inside the hall, Emperor Shunzhi personally composed himself and shook hands with the emperor for the last time.

"Third Grandfather."

"The slave is here."

"Please shave my head."

"Whoo."

Strands of Shunzhi's hair fell to the ground.

Suddenly, the third eunuch's arm trembled, and blood started flowing from Shunzhi's ear.

"Your Majesty, forgive me."

"It's alright. From now on, there will be no more Emperor Shunzhi in the world, only the monk Xingchi."

The tonsure is complete.

Emperor Shunzhi donned a cassock and slowly pushed open the palace door.

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, officials gathered in large numbers.

As everyone gazed at the now-monastic Shunzhi, they couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. After all, he was once the emperor, the Son of Heaven.

(End of this chapter)