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

Looking at Cui'er, who was kneeling stiffly, Jiang Qingyun slapped her lightly.

slap~
Two ripples spread out.

"well."

The Grand Secretary praised it twice, fully expressing his joy.

Slap his butt!

If there are no ripples, it means it's a man.

If there is only one ripple, it means the skin is too dry and lacks fat.

If there are more than three ripples, it indicates that the person is old or overweight.

Under the dim candlelight, Jiang Qingyun was engrossed in tinkering. Tired of delicacies, he found the simple farmhouse meal particularly refreshing.

……

next door.

The three eunuchs listened intently.

"Monk, stop pretending to be asleep."

Do not listen to what is improper.

"Pah! What indecent behavior? Master is clearly practicing the Zhou ritual! Sexual relations are a refined custom."

The monk Tianji was speechless.

The old man pressed his ear against the wall, still feeling unsatisfied, so he found a tiny crack in the adobe wall and stared intently inside.

If you look into the light from the darkness, you can indeed see it.

The monk Tianji scrambled to his feet.

"That's going too far."

“Monk, I am a eunuch. I am not a man. I can see. I can even go in and serve my master in bed.”

The third eunuch spoke with absolute confidence.

The monk Tianji was speechless once again.

The three eunuchs, beaming with pride, continued to peer through the crack in the wall, not out of malicious intent, but primarily to record the "Daily Records of the Emperor's Activities."

……

The young master was in high spirits.

Green Pearl saw this and was delighted.

She is now over thirty years old, and according to the Zhou Dynasty's rites, she is no longer suitable to serve the young master in bed, but she can still shine and help relieve his fatigue.

Young Master is the helmsman of the United Empire, and he is extremely busy. If he doesn't have any entertainment or leisure activities, how will he get through the days?

After a lot of trouble.

The Grand Secretary lay sprawled out on the straw mat, fast asleep.

Cui'er's eyes were filled with tears.

"Sister, I'm scared~"

"Silly girl, don't be afraid."

"Just in case~"

"What if? What if? That's a blessing you've earned through eight lifetimes."

Green Pearl gently comforted her.

The current Prime Minister has nine daughters but no sons. It has been four years since his youngest daughter was born!
Green Pearl gently comforted her, then held up an oil lamp and took a bundle of slightly blood-stained straw to the neighbor's house.

"It's done."

"Yes."

The Third Eunuch was overjoyed. After returning to the Grand Secretary's side, his greatest responsibility was to record the "Daily Records of the Emperor's Activities" and to assist in managing the inner palace.

……

The next day.

The rooster crows three times.

Jiang Qingyun had not yet gotten up.

Because there weren't enough rooms, Brother Zhao, who was staying at his neighbor's house, stared in disbelief at his unmarried daughter walking out of the guest's room.

"You, you~"

"Fifth Brother, you're so lucky!" The Third Eunuch hurriedly stepped forward and put his arm around the honest man's shoulder. "That Master Wen inside has taken a liking to your daughter. Master Wen is a big shot in the capital."

"Then can he marry Cui'er?"

"This is the deposit for taking a concubine."

Zhao Wuge looked at the gold leaf in his hand, then at his daughter, and for a moment he didn't know whether to feel sad or happy.

After a while~
He then remembered the crucial question.

"What does Master Wen do?"

“When you’re an official in the capital, if your county magistrate comes, you have to kneel outside his courtyard.”

Zhao Wuge was clearly an honest man; he nervously rubbed his hands together.

"Cui'er is a country girl who has done farm work since she was little. She doesn't understand the rules of wealthy families, and I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

……

For three consecutive days, Jiang Qingyun stayed at the Zhao family's house, engaging in sexual activity at night and wandering around during the day, and all sorts of gossip soon followed.

A market town a few miles outside the village.

A few idle men drinking tea were gossiping behind his back.

"Zhao Laowu looks honest, but he's a ruthless businessman. He goes out to farm and leaves his unmarried daughters at home to entertain passing merchants. Tsk tsk."

"You know what, that merchant looked like he had money."

"Maybe he's a scammer."

"It can't be a scam, that merchant brought several servants with him."

“Zhao Laowu goes to the market every day to buy wine, meat, bedding, and silk. How can he afford all that?”

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

A member of the Bagua Cult who was drinking tea at the stall overheard this and immediately went back to report it.

"Rich people from out of town?"

"It's true."

"Alright, send someone to keep an eye on their movements."

"Yes."

……

The village where Brother Zhao lives is called Zhao Family Village. Half of the villagers are surnamed Zhao, which is nothing special, except that there are many mules and donkeys.

Every day, Jiang Qingyun would wander around the village with his hands behind his back, chatting with the neighbors to the east and checking on their granaries to the west.

Zhao Family Village remains unchanged.

The only change is that there are far more out-of-town peddlers coming to the village every day to sell their wares.

"Sir, have a pear."

An old man suddenly appeared.

"Ah."

Jiang Qingyun took the clean pear and started eating it, while the Third Eunuch, who was following behind, silently tossed down a handful of copper coins.

"Too much, far too much."

"Just take it if I give it to you, why are you asking so many questions?"

The Third Grandfather disliked this hypocritical old man.

Jiang Qingyun took a bite of the crisp pear.

"Fellow villager, when are you going to pay your taxes?"

"No."

The atmosphere was slightly awkward.

Jiang Qingyun took a deep breath and asked, "You dare not pay the imperial taxes? What about the land deeds?"

The old man's eyes were full of cunning: "You can't believe what the officials say. The land will be taken away sooner or later. Plant one season at a time. Only a fool would pay taxes to the emperor."

"That's right."

Jiang Qingyun shook his head and walked away on his own.

The Third Eunuch followed.

“Master, bad people come from poor and remote areas. A beating will do the trick.”

……

At noon, wisps of smoke rose from the village chimneys.

Jiang Qingyun took a bite of rice and suddenly asked, "Fifth Brother, so many people in the village don't pay their taxes, why do you pay yours?"

Brother Zhao swallowed the rice in his mouth and said with a wry smile, "Farming and delivering grain is a matter of course. One must have a conscience."

The monk Tianji nodded repeatedly.

The third eunuch covered his mouth and chuckled.

Jiang Qingyun picked up a piece of pork and put it into Cui'er's bowl, sighing, "Yes, don't these people have any conscience?"

Brother Zhao Wu: "Heaven is watching what people do."

Green Pearl spoke up, which was rare for her: "Good people are rewarded, and evil people are punished."

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

The old eunuch thought to himself, "It's over. These unruly people are all going to be in trouble."

Halfway through the meal.

A shout came from outside.

"Trading chicken feathers for sugar!"

The third eunuch was taken aback, then stood up and shouted.

"Candy seller, come in."

Two unfamiliar, burly men entered with the plainclothes guards disguised as peddlers, leaving everyone stunned.

uninvited guest!
……

One of the strangers glanced around at the crowd, then fixed his gaze on Jiang Qingyun's face and bowed slightly.

"You must be the benevolent and charitable Mr. Wen? I've heard so much about you."

"you are?"

"I am the leader of the Bagua Sect, surnamed Peng, and the third child in my family."

Jiang Qingyun put down his chopsticks and gave him a very impolite look, scanning him from head to toe without saying a word.

Clearly, this is a local tyrant.

The visitor is up to no good.
Safety isn't a concern; the peddler can easily take on two opponents.

Peng Laosan was unhappy.

"I have practiced martial arts since I was a child. I worked in the county's fast-track police force for seven years. I have connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. I am known in the martial arts world as Iron Palm Third Master."

"Not a government official? But a江湖江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and outlaws) persona?"

"Exactly."

"why?"

"Hehe, it's a long story. In short, being a government official these days is restrictive, while roaming the underworld is more promising."

Jiang Qingyun seemed to be deep in thought. So, under the manipulation of his invisible hand, the world had become like this.

"May I ask which route you take, Master Wen?"

"merchant."

"No, you're definitely not a businessman."

“How come you see?”

"You don't smell of money."

"Then tell me, what kind of person am I?"

Jiang Qingyun spoke calmly, but Peng Laosan felt immense psychological pressure, just like when he first entered the county government office and received his red token.

Looking at the androgynous, neither-nor-male-nor-female-nor-female demeanor next to him, he was suddenly quite frightened.

Could it be that...
Could it be...?
……

But then Peng Laosan thought he was overthinking it. How could that be? Those were just storytelling tales.

He stared intently at Jiang Qingyun.

"Master Wen, would you be willing to join our humble sect?"

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then you won't be able to get out."

The words have not yet fallen.

The seemingly harmless peddler in the corner quickly pulled a short knife from his carrying pole and stabbed it into Peng Laosan's ribs with lightning speed, twisting it violently.

"Leader!!"

"Quickly, call for backup!"

Peng Laosan staggered to the ground, clutching his wound and crying out in grief.

The thug pulled a firecracker out of his pocket.

call out.

An arrow pierces the clouds, and thousands of troops come to meet you.

After firing the signal flare, the thugs abandoned their leader without any sense of loyalty and tried to escape by climbing the wall. They were shot in the back halfway up the wall, and blood splattered everywhere.

outside the village.

The guards quickly mounted their horses.

"Escort!"

A dozen or so believers excitedly pulled out daggers, axes, and short knives.

"Protect the leader!"

……

The peddler dropped his empty pistol and stood at the gate of the courtyard, knife in hand.

Peng Laosan was bleeding profusely from his side.

"You, who are you?"

"you guess?"

"You...you are the Emperor?"

Jiang Qingyun neither confirmed nor denied it.

"Peng Laosan, answer me a question: If I spare your entire family, why don't you become a yamen runner?"

"The government offices can't handle things anymore; the underworld is a much more lucrative place."

"understood."

Not long after~
A huge commotion erupted in the village.

Because of that rocket that shot into the sky, the cavalry escorting the emperor into the village ran right into the Bagua Sect members who were also escorting the emperor, resulting in a bloodbath.

A young military officer rushed into the hospital and knelt on one knee.

"This humble servant has arrived late to escort Your Majesty; please forgive me, Grand Secretary."

"No problem. Issue the order to execute all members of the Eight Trigrams Cult and exile their families to Liaodong. Fifth Brother~"

Zhao Wuge's knees buckled, and he knelt down with a thud.

"Come back to the capital with me."

Jiang Qingyun strode out of the courtyard.

The third eunuch quickly pulled out a yellow riding jacket, held it high, and followed behind.

Along the way~
The soldiers all knelt down on one knee.

"Long live!"

The people of Zhaojiatun knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

Jiang Qingyun glanced casually at the old man who refused to pay his taxes, and the old man's eyelids rolled back, and he fell to the ground and died.

……

During an incognito visit, a true dragon appeared, shocking all sides.

The next day.

A battalion of new army dragoons stationed in Xuzhou arrived.

The battalion officer knelt on one knee, holding up his sword.

"This humble servant, Yu Chenglong, a graduate of the first class of the Baoding Military Academy, pays his respects to His Excellency the Grand Secretary."

"Suppress all gang members, eradicate evil completely, and restore a bright and clear world for the people."

"I humble my duty and obey my orders."

Over the next two weeks, the army dispersed in all directions, beheading all gang members, all thugs and ruffians, and finally, beheading all those with tattoos.

More than 800 bloody heads.

More than 2000 people were exiled to Liaodong.

The prime minister's words, "Eliminate evil completely," shocked the surrounding area within a radius of five hundred miles. Gangsters, thugs, and ruffians fled overnight, not daring to look back.

……

Cui'er, a farm girl, could no longer treat Jiang Qingyun normally. Whenever they met, she would either kneel down with weak knees or stand stiffly like a dead fish.

This made Jiang Qingyun feel extremely bored.

Green Pearl tried to persuade him many times, but to no avail.

"Young Master, Cui'er is afraid..."

"Alright, you stay here for a month. If she is pregnant, take her back to the capital. If not, reward her family with 200 taels of silver and send her younger brother to study at the Baoding Military Academy."

"Yes."

"Don't use public funds, use my family's money."

"Yes."

Peng Laosan was right about one thing: Jiang Qingyun really didn't have the air of money about him. He was indifferent to money and was even unaware that his family had been in a long-term financial deficit.

The Zhao family felt as if they had been granted a pardon.

For his family, staying was actually the best option.

A brand new house with a single tile roof, bowing and scraping villagers, a familiar living environment, and ample family finances—it's like stepping into heaven in one fell swoop.

……

At the scene of the Grand Secretary's return to the capital, tens of thousands of people spontaneously came to see him off.

New troops lead the way!
The people knelt in farewell!
The atmosphere was lively!

"Long live! Long live!"

The cheers from the crowd crashed against everyone's eardrums like waves.

The Grand Secretary wrote the following words on the spot: "We must pay the imperial taxes!"

With these four words in place, no one within a hundred miles dared to refuse to pay their taxes. The common people were cunning; slapping the emperor in the face had severe consequences.

Back in Beijing, we took a boat along the Grand Canal.

Jiang Qingyun gained a lot from this incognito visit, and he gained a deeper understanding of the underlying logic of the empire.

The first conclusion is that a power vacuum is dangerous.

As government offices continued to retreat, the resulting vacuum was filled by various gangs and churches.

If left unchecked, it will eventually breed a giant poison, like the White Lotus Sect.

Peng Laosan is by no means an isolated case.

Officials have a much more acute sense of smell than ordinary people.

After returning to the capital, Jiang Qingyun decided to launch a large-scale crackdown operation within the empire. Local officials and imperial inspectors would jointly submit a list of local gang leaders, which would then be handed over to the army.

Justice will prevail.

We must nip this group in the bud.

……

Second conclusion.

Most nobles are no good!
Most gentry are no good!
Many ordinary people aren't actually good people either!

Besides lazy people, those who refuse to pay their taxes, or those who pay less than their share, there are also many who secretly pay taxes with grain that has not been fully dried.

That's just how people are.

Therefore, institutional constraints and ideological education are needed.

The human heart is neither inherently good nor inherently evil.

The key lies in how you guide and educate people's hearts. Most people are malleable, while the few who are not malleable can only be dealt with by force.

Exile to a foreign land is also a good option.

As Lu Xun once said, the influence of evil culture is extremely terrifying, just like a drop of ink can pollute a vat of water.

If one day, women in Paris were to bind their feet, men in London were to learn to toast, and nobles in St. Petersburg were to greet each other with a deep bow, the world would surely be an extraordinary place.

Was cultural export in the 17th century worthwhile?

The answer is: Especially.

Jiang Qingyun really wanted to change the world.

A month later.

The imperial physician examined Cui'er's pulse.

"The Empress is not pregnant."

"Okay, you go down."

"Yes."

Green Pearl took out a slip of paper from her bosom.

"Fifth Brother, the Grand Secretary asked me to tell you that Cui'er can remarry."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

Brother Zhao was terrified.

How can a woman who has been favored by the emperor remarry?

Green Pearl stood up:

"This is the imperial edict, and I will read it to you. Cui'er is young and honest, and does not need to remain chaste. She can choose a good husband and get married in a year or two."

It is followed by a signature and seal.

"Take it."

Brother Zhao Wu was so moved that he burst into tears, exclaiming that his ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke, for he had actually encountered an emperor whose moral standards were comparable to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. (End of this chapter)