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

Fuzhou, Gushan.

A secluded canyon, with soldiers guarding the entrance.

"The student pays respects to his teacher's wife."

Zheng Sen's expression was serious. He reminded himself that things had changed, and his master's wife was now the Grand Secretary's concubine. She was likely here as an intermediary.

"Damu~"

Liu Rushi turned around, removed her veil, and revealed a carefully made-up face.

There's no way around it~
Even the most stunningly beautiful woman cannot escape the ravages of time; she needs to wear very, very thick makeup.

……

Liu Rushi was a shrewd person, and she immediately noticed the wariness on Zheng Sen's face. She untied her cloak, took two steps forward, and her eyes reddened.

"Damu, you've had a tough time these past few years, haven't you?"

With just one sentence, Zheng Sen's defenses were shattered.

Yes, apart from my mother, who has ever cared about how hard I've been all these years?
Zheng Sen was moved to tears.

Men don't easily shed tears, unless they're truly heartbroken. With his father dead, mother gone, ruler and father deceased, and his son unfilial, his life was far too bitter.

"It's alright, it's all over now."

Liu Rushi gently handed over the handkerchief.

Zheng Sen took it, and the touch of their fingers meeting was heart-stopping. Zheng Sen felt inexplicably ashamed and silently wiped away his tears with the handkerchief that still had the warmth of his teacher's wife's body.

My master taught me!

My teacher's wife understands me!

The Grand Secretary insulted me!

……

Beside the babbling brook.

The two sat on stones, about half a zhang apart.

"Master's wife, how have you been these years?"

"With the country destroyed and the family ruined, and people scattered and displaced, what can a mere woman like my master do? She can only drift with the tide."

"If my master's wife is to act as an intermediary for the Grand Secretary, I am afraid I cannot comply."

Liu Rushi turned around, her brows furrowed.

Zheng Sen instantly felt as if he had returned to the autumn outing in Jiangning more than ten years ago, when the scholars were indulging in unrestrained behavior and his teacher's wife had frowned just like she did today.

Time is like a wild donkey.

Liu Ru said very seriously:
“Damu, I’ve always thought of you as a great hero. You shouldn’t be trapped here. You deserve a wider world.”

Where else can I go?

"Expel foreign barbarians and establish a nation overseas."

"Did he mean that?"

Liu Rushi instantly sensed the strong smell of jealousy and calmly shook her head.

"He has a good impression of you. He said it himself, and he doesn't want to go to war with you because he doesn't want to be infamous."

"He's too arrogant."

"Damu, he has men in your team."

"what?"

The sun was shining brightly, and Zheng Sen felt a chill run down his spine.

"who is it?"

“I don’t know, and he can’t possibly tell me everything, but I have a vague feeling that he has people among your subordinates.”

……

Zheng Sen stood up and stood by the water with his hands behind his back.

A faint fragrance wafted from behind me.

Liu Rushi walked behind him and stared at Zheng Sen's broad back.

“Damu, when Muzhai was alive, he once said that you were his most outstanding student. You are proud by nature and you are suited to soaring freely. Why not expel the foreign barbarians and take over the South Seas? Firstly, you can avoid falling out with the central government, and secondly, you can leave your name in history.”

"Master's wife, how is he any different from Qin Shi Huang burning books and burying scholars alive?"

“Da Mu, he is like Liu Bang, and you are like Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Ying Bu. Don’t fight with him. I don’t want you to be covered in wounds.”

Zheng Sen closed his eyes in pain.

“Da Mu, you command a massive fleet; you are a dragon. The shore is not your domain. Leave this filthy land and build a new kingdom in the South Seas. There, you can revitalize pure Confucianism, and I think Mu Zhai would rest in peace.”

After a while~
Zheng Sen looked pained, took a step back, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands in a salute.

"Master's wife, I will consider it. Please take care."

Liu Rushi felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and tears streamed down her face.

Throughout the entire process, neither of them deviated from the prescribed Zhou etiquette.

Liu Rushi burst into tears. She knew that the simple-minded and proud Zheng Sen was no match for Jiang Qingyun. On the political stage, those who are overly emotional don't go far.

Excessive humanity is a burden for politicians.

Zheng Sen, your days are numbered.
……

Jiangning, Governor's Mansion.

A military officer from Gansu Province quickly left the Governor-General's Mansion, and several low-ranking officers from Shaanxi and Gansu who were waiting outside immediately surrounded him.

"How about it?"

"The Governor-General refuses to suppress it."

The officers, still not giving up, asked again, "What if those thugs mixed in with the crowd are carrying sharp weapons and attack the government troops first?"

"There was no further instruction."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
Damn it, the military merit that was within my grasp is gone. I'm so disappointed.

Within Jiangning City,

The operation was in full swing, with shouts echoing across the scene and a huge crowd of onlookers.

A captain from Liangzhou, Gansu, rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and whispered to his companion.

"If only I could make the decision."

"how?"

"If I could make the decision, I would issue a military order right now to withdraw all the soldiers and encourage them to set fires and loot. When Jiangning is engulfed in smoke, the governor-general would issue a military order, and hey, that would be perfect for suppressing the fire with force!"

"You know what, you really shouldn't say it."

"Damn it, I can't wait to stain my official hat with the blood of these scoundrels."

A group of junior officers were eager to try.

……

All parties are eager to make their move.

A passenger ship slowly sails along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Inside the cabin, a distinguished gathering of experts had arrived.

"Everything is going well now."

“We have sent people to Fujian to contact the Prince of Yanping. If the Prince of Yanping gathers troops to help us, we are willing to elect him as the new emperor.”

“The Prince of Yanping is sincere and a student of the great Confucian scholar Qian Qianyi. If he becomes emperor, he will surely be a great man. We must learn from the painful experience of the past ten years. After all, the new emperor is one of our own. Foreigners and heretics are not acceptable.”

Everyone agreed with this.

Having experienced the transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasty, and from the Qing to the United Empire, everyone learned a painful lesson.
"Everyone, be quiet."

"In addition, some chivalrous people from the underworld are also willing to join us. Right now, we need to try our best to win over all parties. We can bring in anyone who is willing to support us. We are willing to give anything as long as we can drive away the traitor Chiang Kai-shek."

Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then slowly nodded.

……

October.

The capital city, the Yuquanshan Imperial Palace.

"Prime Minister, shall we?"

"Let them do whatever they want, I won't interfere."

"Yes."

Huang Zongxi was actually very clear about Jiang Qingyun's plans.

"Grand Secretary, these are extraordinary times. Governor-General Zhou Shao of Liangjiang is a scholar; what if he has any ulterior motives?"

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

“What you said makes sense. Zhou Shao is indeed a gentleman. Let’s transfer him back to the capital to serve as Minister of Revenue and join the cabinet. Let’s replace him with a more reliable person to take charge of Jiangning.”

"So best."

Jiang Qingyun decided to send his brother-in-law Jiangbei to oversee the Liangjiang region, as this was a critical moment and trust was paramount in his decision.

……

October.

News kept coming back from various provinces.

Chengdu.

Li Guoying and Zhang Yong worked together to suppress the crowd, arresting 51 people at the scene, but none of them died.

Kunming.

Mu Tianbo's attitude was ambiguous, and there was even suspicion that he was secretly colluding with someone.

Li Dingguo was undecided and submitted a memorial to the central government for instructions.

Hunan.

Admiral Meng Qiaomei deployed troops to quell the unrest, resulting in at least 30 casualties.

Jiangxi.

Despite receiving a clear military order from the governor to suppress the unrest, Admiral Wang Fuchen was perfunctory, deploying only a hundred or so elderly and weak soldiers, resulting in a poor response. (Guangdong)

Shang Zhixin personally supervised the battle, bombarding the city with cannons, causing rivers of blood to flow within Guangzhou.

……

November.

Jiangning, Yanziji Wharf.

Zhou Shao, who had just stepped down as Governor-General of Liangjiang, glanced back at Jiangning, but unfortunately the fog was too thick today, and he couldn't see the outline of the city wall at all.

He was more than happy to step down as Governor-General of Liangjiang.

The current situation is very dangerous. The Confucian scholars are becoming increasingly aggressive, and the central government is deliberately showing weakness. Sooner or later, this will lead to an uncontrollable disaster.

Zhou Shao was a traditional scholar; he did not want to get his hands stained with blood.

suddenly~
The sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar at the dock.

"Lord Zhou, please wait."

Zhou Shao looked closely and was surprised to see that it was Zhao Liangdong, the fierce general from Shaanxi and Gansu whom he had personally promoted!

One hundred and ten breaths later~
Travel-worn Zhao Liangdong rushed onto the deck, his movements powerful and unstoppable.

"I rushed as fast as I could, and finally made it."

"How did you come?"

"This humble general was ordered to return to Jiangning to report on his duties. I happened to hear that Lord Zhou was returning to the capital, so I came to see him off. Luckily, I made it in time. Do you have any water?"

"Have."

Zhou Shao personally handed over the teacup.

Zhao Liangdong took it and drank it all in one gulp.

Zhou Shao's words were meaningful:

"General Zhao is now concurrently serving as the Zhejiang Green Standard Army Commander, and his future is limitless."

"It's all thanks to the Grand Secretary's favor and Lord Zhou's cultivation."

In officialdom, people are often forgotten once they leave. Seeing Zhao Liangdong's deep affection, Zhou Shao decided to chat with him a bit more, just to make a good connection.

"Zhao Liangdong."

"The end will be here."

"Sit down, no need for formalities."

"In front of my benefactor, I dare not be disrespectful."

"Let you sit, just sit."

"Thank you, my benefactor."

"Let me give you a piece of advice: the situation is very turbulent right now, and your opportunity to make a name for yourself has arrived. You should seize it."

"This humble general is of dull and untalented nature, and begs for your guidance, benefactor."

Zhao Liangdong looked dumbfounded.

Zhou Shao gestured for the guards to move away, then lowered his voice.

"Zhao Liangdong, the empire is currently in turmoil! There are disloyal people stirring things up from within, and the Prince of Yanping is eyeing us covetously from without. And your defense zone happens to be the first to bear the brunt. I ask you, if chaos breaks out, what will you do?"

"This humble general is a rough man. Whoever the court orders me to kill, I will kill."

"You have a bright future ahead of you." Zhou Shao felt inexplicably sad and patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, let's go back."

"Take care, my esteemed sir! If I ever have the opportunity to travel to the capital in the future, I will definitely visit you and ask for a drink."

With tears in his eyes, Zhao Liangdong walked off the gangplank, turning back every few steps. He stood motionless on the dock, gazing at the official ship slowly leaving the shore. He wasn't sure if Zhou Shao would suddenly come out of the cabin, so he just stood there.

It's better to do more than to do less.

They took the act of parting with reluctance to the extreme.

……

After Zhou Shao's official boat completely disappeared from sight, an old scholar slowly emerged from behind the dock.

"Dongweng, how is it?"

"Hehehe, Master, you're amazing."

Zhao Liangdong excitedly recounted all the conversations the two had on the boat.

"If that's the case, what about my annual stipend of 1000 taels?"

"Don't worry, I'd rather sell everything I own than shortchange you on your fees. Now, tell me more about the ways of being an official."

The advisor gestured for Zhao Liangdong to walk away.

The dock, in a remote place.

The two found a clean box and sat down opposite each other.

advisor:

“Master Dong, today I will teach you everything I have learned in my life.”

"The key to being an official lies in one word: loyalty. Loyalty is not to any specific individual, but to the central government. Whoever is in the central government, you should be loyal to them."

"However, Your Excellency, you must not get involved in court politics. Politics is unpredictable; today the east wind blows, tomorrow it may be the west wind. If you always try to chase the wind, you may inadvertently become a clown. Being a clown is the least of your worries; you might even lose your life."

"From now on, you need to cultivate the image of a loyal, honest, and reckless man, focusing solely on fighting and ignoring everything else."

"As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. The wisdom of the current chief minister is unfathomable. The more reckless and naive you appear, the brighter your future will be."

"Dongweng, have you remembered?"

……

Zhao Liangdong nodded vigorously.

“I’ve memorized it perfectly. Master, I’ve been poor since I was a child and can barely read. Now that I’ve been promoted, cough cough, shall I study some more?”

The advisor waved his hand repeatedly.

"Old Master Dong is completely wrong. What's the use of studying? It's useless."

"Books are useless if you read too many. The more you read, the more confused you become, the dumber you become, and the less promising you are. When I was a teenager, I was known as a child prodigy in the county. I was well-versed in the classics, history, philosophy, and literature, and I could compose poems and essays on the spot. But I have never been able to get an official position in my life."

"Do you think reading so many books is useful?"

Zhao Liangdong was dumbfounded.

He finally began to understand why high-ranking officials had to spend large sums of money to hire advisors.

Because a small group of scholars who served as advisors were truly eccentric; although they never entered officialdom, they understood officialdom better than those who actually held office.

Thinking of this, Zhao Liangdong straightened his clothes and bowed respectfully.

“Master, from today onwards, you are my godfather, and my nephew is my half-brother. I will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days. I will burn paper money and kowtow to you. From now on, please teach me more.”

"Master Dong, you are perfectly suited to the ways of officialdom."

The advisor grinned, revealing his toothless mouth.

Zhao Liangdong smiled too.

……

The harsh winter of 1663 arrived.

Auspicious snow fell from the sky, and the temperature plummeted.

The unrest has finally subsided in various places, but anyone with a discerning eye knows that this is not the end, but rather a halftime break.

The central command was unusually silent.

This matter concerns the very foundation of the nation, yet the Grand Secretary has not uttered a single instruction.

This is very abnormal.

An eerie atmosphere enveloped the empire.

Officials, gentry, and wealthy families in various places are still actively lobbying and taking action. They have no intention of kneeling; they only want to fight until one side falls.

This was a war between the Grand Secretary and the gentry.

……

Fuzhou.

It became everyone's hope.

Dozens of scholars from various places knelt in front of the governor's office, refusing to get up no matter how much they were persuaded.

Finally, Feng Xifan came out.

"Everyone, get up."

Everyone refused.

“Lord Feng, if the Prince of Yanping refuses to send troops, we will kneel here and die. Since the orthodox tradition is lost, there is no need for us to live on.”

"War is not child's play; it cannot be started on a whim. Even if war breaks out, it requires planning, observation, and strategic thinking."

A scholar glared at Feng Xifan.

"If they are crooked, we will be straight; if they are exhausted, we will be full. What is there to worry about?"

This translates to: The other side is in the wrong, while we are in the right. Their morale is low, while ours is high. What are you afraid of?

Feng Xifan was speechless, then turned and left.

……

The back residence of the government office.

Zheng Sen and Feng Xifan had a heated argument.

“King Yanping, you are a pedantic scholar and cannot be relied upon. Do not treat the lives of 30 soldiers as a game. Otherwise, how will history judge you a hundred years from now?”

"Feng Xifan, you are arrogant."

“Prince Yanping, this is not just my opinion, but the sentiment of 30 soldiers.”

This statement already contains an implicit threat.

Zheng Sen stared incredulously at his loyal subordinate, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"What do you mean?" (End of Chapter)