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

Spring of 1772.

The long-peaceful Goryeo Kingdom was thrown into turmoil, the cause of which was both laughable and absurd.

Jeolla Province.

Cui Family Manor.

When Cui Zhen, an imperial censor from the Censorate, returned to his homeland to visit his family, he was warmly welcomed by his clan. The scene was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, firecrackers, and the presence of all his relatives.

When they saw Cui Zhen, dressed in Ming Dynasty attire, step out of the sedan chair carried by four men, the clan chief led everyone to kneel down.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Choi Jin thought this scene was normal, and everyone else thought it was normal too.

As a Goryeo person, even being a dog of the superior country would be a great happiness, let alone becoming an official of the superior country, which goes beyond mere glory to one's ancestors.

Cui Zhen turned her head and saw a person standing there staring straight ahead.

"Who is he?"

The person next to him quickly explained, "This is Lord Park, the Governor of Jeolla Province. He came to pay his respects upon learning that you had returned home to visit your family."

……

Park Eung-moon, a second-rank official from Jeolla Province, bowed slightly from a distance to show goodwill.

Logically speaking, for a high-ranking official who is one of the eight regional governors, to personally visit, bring gifts, and even offer a cupped-hand salute would be more than enough.

Cui Zhen should be extremely grateful.

But now, everything is different.

Cui Zhen's face darkened, and he turned and left.

Humiliated, Park Eung-moon's face changed drastically. He wanted to lash out, but he held back. He then mounted his horse, surrounded by his entourage, and prepared to return home.

"Little Cui, that's Lord Park, a second-rank official."

"Yes, yes, after all, he is our local official, the governor of Jeolla Province."

The clansmen all tried to persuade him to stop.

Cui Zhen scoffed.

"What's a second-rank official? When I handle cases in the Censorate of the Upper Kingdom, I never look at rank. From the highest-ranking official to the common people, those who should be arrested are arrested, and those who should be killed are killed."

Choi Jin's voice was very loud.

Park Eung-moon heard it too, and couldn't hold back any longer.

"How dare you! Who do you think you are, spouting such nonsense in front of me?"

"How dare you be so disrespectful to the imperial envoy of the superior nation!"

Park Eung-moon laughed in exasperation:

"Judging from your attire, you are only a seventh-rank official in the superior country. There has been no urgent message from the post station, so you are just going home to visit your family."

"Your Majesty!"

Cui Zhen roared.

The atmosphere at the scene instantly became terrifyingly oppressive.

"What did you say?"

"I'll make you kneel down!"

"Rebellion! Rebellion! Guards, seize this traitor!"

A group of soldiers dressed in brightly colored clothes rushed up.

Instead of surrendering, Cui Zhen took a few steps forward, pointed to his Ming Dynasty attire, and roared at the soldiers.

"This is the attire of the Ming Dynasty, and I am an official of this superior nation. Who dares to arrest me?"

The soldiers dared not advance, and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Take down Choi Jin! Otherwise, I'll kill your whole family."

Park Eung-moon was furious.

……

Cui Zhen was finally bound hand and foot and taken back to Jeonju, but he refused to back down and kept shouting, "Quickly send someone to inform the superior nation!"

He remained arrogant during the transport.

"Give me some water."

The soldiers pretended not to hear.

“I tell you, if you dare to mistreat the imperial envoy of the superior nation, when the heavenly army arrives, not a single chicken or dog will be spared in Jeolla Province.”

The soldiers were terrified and obediently fetched clean water.

"No, I want honey water."

"Sir, where can we find honey water in this desolate wilderness?"

"Nonsense. When I was working at the Censorate in the capital, I rode in a sedan chair, drank honey water, ate meat and wine, and handled major cases that reached the highest levels of power. You all go and find honey water at once."

Upon arriving at Jeonju Prison, Choi Jin was able to eat meat and drink alcohol and stay in a single cell.

The jailers treated him like royalty. There was no way around it; they couldn't afford to offend even the dogs of the great kingdom, let alone an official from the capital.

……

The case began to escalate, with arguments raging throughout Jeolla Province and the capital about how to deal with Choi Jin.

Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Lee Ho's face was ashen as he desperately suppressed his anger.

The ministers below were divided into two factions and were arguing fiercely.

Moderates:
"Park Eung-moon is inconsiderate. Let him go and apologize to Choi Jin!"

"Yes, offending the superior nation will lead to the downfall of the country!"

Hardliners:
"Cui Zhen is, after all, a Goryeo person. He acts lawlessly in his own country; it's only right that he be taught a lesson."

There are also neutral parties:
"Alright, alright, let Cui Zhen go, let's each take a step back."

Left State Councilor Kim Yu remained silent.

At lunchtime, he was summoned to his bedchamber.

"My dear minister, why did you remain silent just now?"

“Your Highness, I suspect that Cui Zhen is carrying out a special mission for the superior nation.”

"What do you mean?"

"Chief Minister Chiang of the superior country wants to use force against our country, but he needs a pretext for it."

"Are you crazy? Goryeo was a vassal state, why would he attack a vassal state?"

Jin Yu shook his head and sighed.
He was one of the few people within the Goryeo Kingdom who had met Chief Minister Jiang.

……

Half a month later, 50 elite cavalrymen carrying black and red dragon banners suddenly stormed into the Goryeo capital and headed straight for Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Soon~
Lee Ho's angry roar echoed throughout the low-ceilinged palace.

"Didn't you repeatedly assure me that Cui Zhen is absolutely not an imperial envoy from the superior country?"

"We really didn't receive any notification from the superior country before."

"Then what is this?"

Everyone looked at each other.

A fact that no one dared to admit was right before their eyes: in order to support Cui Zhen, the Upper Kingdom even went so far as to fabricate Cui Zhen's identity.

They carefully added the title of imperial envoy to his resume.

The Goryeo court was in a panic.

While secretly preparing for war, Lee Ho ordered the release of Choi Jin.

……

Quanzhou.

Park Eung-moon, who was being severely punished for mistreating the imperial envoy, committed suicide in the government office.

Even if he doesn't die, it won't work.

The envoy from the capital stood by and watched him die.

The instigator, Cui Zhenquan, returned home unscathed and announced the establishment of the "Fundamentalist Confucian and Mencian Reading Club" in his hometown, recruiting talented individuals.

Ambitious people flocked to it.

Cui Zhen sat cross-legged on the stage giving a lecture.

"For so many years, our Goryeo Confucian scholars have been reading the classics incorrectly. Confucius and Mencius are not read like this; they should be read like this."

"From today onwards, we must emulate the successful experience of the superior nation in rectifying its ways."

"Bring the heretics here."

“Bring up those books that heretics read.”

In full view.

Cui Zhen raised his arm and shouted, "Burn!"

Dozens of Confucian scholars screamed in agony amidst the flames, and thousands of books were reduced to ashes.

The Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars: Jeolla Province Edition!
Choi Jin rose to fame after the battle and quickly became the unofficial Minister of Personnel in Jeolla Province, appointing officials with impunity as if he were the king of Goryeo.

Cui Zhen's power comes from the superior country.

When everyone believed that he represented the superior nation, he was the de facto governor of Jeolla Province!

……

Empire.

King Yi Ho of Goryeo was shocked upon hearing the news and immediately began to assemble his army.

Due to its depleted finances, the Goryeo Kingdom possessed only a small standing army, mainly composed of noble sons.

Only when the kingdom needs to wage war internally will it temporarily recruit soldiers to form a large-scale army, with noble sons serving as officers.

The military is a luxury.

Small countries simply cannot afford to maintain a standing army of more than 10,000 people.

The royal city is in complete chaos!
Left Councilor Jin Yu hurriedly entered the palace to advise, "Your Highness, you mustn't!"

Lee Ho: "Choi Jin is openly plotting a rebellion, how can I tolerate it?"

"Your Highness, we should at least wait for the official response from the Upper Cabinet on this matter."

"How many days has it been since our messenger set off?"

"It has been 12 days."

"Alright, then wait another three days. If there is no response after three days, I will lead my troops to Jeolla Province to annihilate Choi Jin, and then send an envoy to the superior country to apologize and give the superior country face. I do not believe that the superior country would launch a war against its vassal state for the sake of two impoverished young men."

Jin Yu opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He was one of the very few Goryeo officials who had personally witnessed the Grand Secretary's demeanor. Lacking the king's confidence, he fearfully told his family that the heavenly army could arrive at any moment. ...

Beijing.

Yuquanshan Imperial Palace.

Jiang Qingyun was shooting at a target, while Newton stood beside him, holding a telescope and watching the target while counting off.

"10 rings~"

"9 rings~"

"10 rings~"

After firing five flintlock muskets in a row, Jiang Qingyun took a wet towel to wipe the gunpowder residue off his hands and face.

Newton exclaimed, "The Prime Minister is a brilliant archer!"

"Would you like to try it?"

bang~
Newton missed the target, which was exactly right.

"Let's go~"

The two sat down and drank wine in a grass pavilion not far away.

"Tell me about the progress of the gold standard?"

"Yes."

Newton carefully lowered the rim of his wine glass slightly, clinking it against the Prime Minister's glass to ensure it conformed to the Zhou etiquette.

"I believe the United Empire can completely abolish the poll tax and instead replenish its treasury through overseas trade, currency issuance, and salt tax."

Seeing that the Prime Minister had finished drinking, Newton quickly helped to pour more wine.

"Trade between countries faces a major challenge in terms of which currency to use for payment. However, the value of each country's currency differs, making it difficult to determine exchange rates. Our new currency uses gold coins as the main currency, silver coins as a supplementary currency, and copper coins to meet the needs of small-scale transactions among the people."

Jiang Qingyun glanced at the gold coin with his own image printed on it.

"The gold coin must contain gold."

"Yes."

……

The two of them drank another glass.

Jiang Qingyun did not inquire about the specific implementation details of the salt tax, but simply followed the same approach as with the oil industry.

The wine had made them drunk.

The song ends and everyone disperses.

Lying on the soft couch in the palace, Jiang Qingyun thought to himself, "If I can establish a global imperial examination system and a global currency in my lifetime, the future of the empire will be limitless."

Use external forces to control internal forces, and use internal forces to attack external forces.

Sudden.

He heard a faint commotion outside, but before he could ask, a guard officer rushed in.

"Prime Minister, a group of military officers are requesting an audience at the foot of the mountain."

"Where did this officer come from?"

"A Green Standard Army officer from Zhili Province."

Jiang Qingyun was taken aback, his expression turned serious, and he quickly dressed and left the palace.

at the foot of the mountain.

More than 50 officers from Zhili stood in neat rows, facing the guards who were tense and had their swords drawn.

The atmosphere is very strange.

……

Jiang Qingyun's eye twitched visibly, burning with rage, but unsurprisingly, this day had finally arrived.

All the officers knelt down on one knee in unison, their voices booming.

"Greetings, Your Excellency the Grand Secretary."

"Please, Your Excellency, follow the will of the army and ascend the throne as Emperor."

The place was eerily quiet.

Are you trying to force me to abdicate?

"We dare not. We urge the Grand Secretary to ascend the throne in accordance with the will of the people."

"Let's go back."

Jiang Qingyun neither agreed nor disagreed, and turned to leave.

The officers looked at each other in bewilderment and stood there until evening before slinking away.

This was just a minor incident, but it triggered a chain reaction like dominoes, causing undercurrents in the capital. Various "favored ministers" met frequently, with most of them being high-ranking officers from the Zhili Green Standard Army.

……

With the introduction of the concept of a global currency and the lifting of the mining ban by the cabinet, the empire's mining industry experienced a period of rapid development.

Among them, Shandong and Yunnan were the most prosperous.

Shandong produces gold.

Yunnan produces silver and brass.

Newton's proposed global monetary plan required substantial support from gold and silver, resulting in strong demand.

Yunnan, Lin'an Prefecture, Jianshui County, Gejiu.

The newly opened mine resembled the surface of the moon, and young, shirtless miners, like worker bees, crawled in and out of the mine.

131 mine owners gathered together.

"Lord Li, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, has arrived!"

Everyone stood up in unison and knelt on both knees.

The next second, Li Sixing, who served as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, walked into the room with an imposing air and looked around at everyone.

"As instructed by the Cabinet, the Ministry of Revenue has issued a new mining tax decree. Effective immediately, all mine owners within the Empire must declare their annual mining output, and the court will collect mining tax based on a rate of one-thirtieth."

The crowd was in an uproar.

……

A shifty-eyed mine owner cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask, Your Excellency, does the imperial court have any guidelines for the annual mining volume?"

"Yes, yes, we're just afraid the court won't be satisfied with the numbers we report."

Everyone's thoughts are as clear as day.

But Li Sixing feigned ignorance, cupping his hands towards the north and saying, "Master Jiang said: Honesty is the foundation of being a person. You should all uphold the principle of honesty, report your figures truthfully, and pay your taxes honestly. Guards!"

Two minor officials entered.

"Distribute the agreements to the mine owners."

"Yes."

"Agreement on Mining Owners' Commitment to Paying Taxes to the Imperial Court Accurately".

"Gentlemen, take this back and examine it carefully. After signing and affixing your seal, hand it over to the tax ambassador of the Ministry of Revenue stationed in Jianshui County at the foot of the mountain."

"As ordered."

After Li Sixing, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, left, everyone smiled excitedly. They could definitely underreport their mining volume; less would mean more profit!
No merchant is honest, and no merchant is honest.

Many mine owners didn't even read the contents of the agreement before signing it and handing it over to the tax experts down the mountain.

……

Logically speaking, there's no need for a Right Vice Minister to handle such a task.

The specifications are too high.

The cabinet sent Li Sixing to Yunnan on official business mainly because he was Li Dingguo's son, and could return home to visit his family after completing his official duties.

Suburbs of Kunming.

Li Sixing finally saw his father after a long separation.

"Dad~"

"Get up quickly. You are wearing official robes; you cannot kneel."

"Yes."

Looking at his son's official robes, Li Dingguo was filled with emotion; the Ming Dynasty had returned.

That's right~
The official robes of the United Empire were based on the official robes of the Ming Dynasty, with slight modifications, mainly to perfectly inherit the influence of the Ming Dynasty.

When scholars saw it, they felt it was their own imperial court.

When the vassal states met him, they felt as if he were their own father.

……

Father and son reunited, reminisced about the past, and were filled with emotion.

"Come on, let's go hunting tomorrow."

"Yes, father."

The next day.

The father and son, along with a dozen servants, went hunting in the mountains a hundred miles away. They were in high spirits, as they were descendants of military generals and were skilled in archery and horsemanship.

While grilling the game, Li Dingguo looked at Li Sixing's military uniform with some confusion.

"Xing'er, what are you wearing?"

"It was also an official robe."

"Aren't you a civil official?"

"Every civil official in the capital is issued a military uniform. The Grand Secretary said that civil officials must not be weak; they must be able to command troops on horseback and sit in court on foot, so..."

"The Grand Secretary is wise. Such a man, who is both literate and martial, strategist and dashing, is rare in this world."

Li Dingguo genuinely admired his sworn brother surnamed Jiang, who was thousands of miles away. Just the fact that he had brought down the Qing Dynasty made him feel no desire to resist.

……

Sudden.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the bushes not far away, and seven or eight barbarian men emerged, holding bows and arrows, their eyes filled with hostility.

"Get out of our hunting grounds."

The servants all raised their muskets in unison.

"Father, who are these people?"

"Barbarian soldiers."

Li Dingguo suddenly sprang into action, his arrow flying like a meteor straight towards the barbarian soldiers with earrings.

Gunshots echoed through the valley. (End of Chapter)