After my inner voice was eavesdropped, I became the favorite of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 42

"Is it true?" The queen was shocked when she heard this. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She held the armrests of the chair tightly, as if she was looking for a sense of security.

Upon seeing this, Madam Rong hurriedly stepped forward and said steadily, "It is absolutely true. The emperor was furious during the morning court session and offered a reward of 10,000 gold coins to capture the green-faced woman alive." Although her voice was steady, her eyes revealed a hint of excitement that was hard to conceal.

The queen's face changed slightly when she heard this, but then an elusive smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She gently patted the back of Rong Mama's hand and said with a smile: "After Fu Heng's death, the Fucha family has been mostly ruined. This is good news for us." There was a hint of imperceptible relief and joy in her voice.

Rong Mama also laughed and agreed, "That's right. When you first became the queen, rumors came out from nowhere, saying that you killed Empress Yuan for the position of queen. Although the queen mother tried her best to protect you, the rumors never stopped. The people of the Fucha family all believed it. For more than ten years, they have been like mad dogs, constantly making trouble for you. They also teamed up with Empress Yuan's daughter Princess Hejing to help Concubine Ling fight for favor and the throne, which caused us a lot of trouble. Now Fu Heng is dead, and Fu Ling'an is also involved. Let's see how long that fox demon Concubine Ling can be proud? This time, I really have to thank that green-faced woman."

As she spoke, Rong Mama's face showed a long-lost expression of joy and relief. She glanced at the queen, who was squinting her eyes with a smug smile on her lips. Rong Mama knew that the queen was so happy that she wanted to set off firecrackers to celebrate.

At this time, Concubine Ling was in stark contrast to the Empress. She sat in the magnificent palace, but her face was pale and her eyes were empty. When she heard the news of Fu Heng's death, she seemed to have lost her soul and sat there motionless.

She was originally a bondservant, with no family background to rely on. Over the years, she was able to compete with the empress in the harem by relying on the secret support of Princess Hejing and the Fucha family. Now, with the death of Fuheng, she seemed to have lost her most powerful support, and her heart was filled with endless panic and anxiety.

This spring, news came from Shoukang Palace where the Empress Dowager lived that the Emperor was planning to confer titles on the six palaces in the fall. She was still thinking about striking while the iron was hot and being promoted to Imperial Concubine. Now that Fu Heng was dead, her hope of promotion was probably dashed. Concubine Ling was filled with hatred, thinking: Why did I die at this time instead of earlier? It really killed me.

Her fingers were tightly twisted together, the joints turning white due to the force. Her eyes were full of resentment and unwillingness, as if she wanted to blame all the misfortunes on the dead Fu Heng and the mysterious green-faced woman.

Emperor Qianlong was determined to catch Li Qingge. He sat on the dragon throne, frowning, his eyes flashing with anger and determination. He hated the green-faced woman who dared to resist him and vowed to bring her alive.

But he had no idea that the person he hated so much was actually his own daughter who was living away from home. This secret was buried deep in the palace and no one knew about it.

Mingrui received the order and ordered his troops to go south to suppress the bandits. He knew the difficulty and importance of this mission, so he did not dare to slack off. He mobilized 100,000 troops, 5,000 artillerymen and 100 cannons, vowing to annihilate Li Qingge in one fell swoop.

Yangzhou, a hub city for the transportation of goods between the north and the south, was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. The tax revenue from the Lianghuai Salt Administration accounted for a quarter of the national finances, and Emperor Qianlong attached great importance to this place. He ordered Mingrui to retake Yangzhou as soon as possible, and not to be polite to the rebels. If they dared to resist, they would be bombarded directly.

Mingrui was full of confidence in this battle. He thought that although Li Qingge's martial arts were high, he could not withstand the power of the red-coated cannon. As long as he found an opportunity and fired a cannon, the rebels would be leaderless and it would be easy to destroy them.

However, the reality was not as he wished. Li Qingge was not an ordinary rebel. She had extraordinary wisdom and courage. When Mingrui's army was still struggling on the road, she had already captured Gusu, Huai'an, Zhenjiang, Jiaxing and other large areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Mingrui was shocked and angry when he heard the news. He didn't expect Li Qingge to be so bold and arrogant under his nose. He swore that this time he would make these traitors disappear into ashes under the red cannon.

But before he could give the order, Li Qingge had already received the news. She had already ordered a thousand White Horses to ambush the Qing army's camp, waiting to give the Qing army a fatal blow.

At midnight, at the command, the ambushed White Horse Army rushed out like a tide. They were dressed in white, holding long swords, and began to harvest death like cutting melons and vegetables. The Qing army was immersed in sleep, and suddenly heard the deafening shouts of killing from outside, and woke up one after another. They ran out of the tent and saw the crazy White Horse Army rushing over, and they were all stunned.

These Qing soldiers thought that the rebels who captured Yangzhou were all peasants and had little fighting power. But they did not expect that these white horse soldiers were so agile and had such strong sneak attack capabilities. Before they could react, the white horse soldiers had already rushed in front of them and hacked and killed them.

In the blink of an eye, more than 10,000 of the 100,000 elite soldiers died. Mingrui was almost torn apart by the sight. He did not expect so many people to die so soon after the battle began. He was shocked and hurriedly ordered the drums to be beaten to gather the army, determined to wipe out these daring rebels.

However, Li Qingge did not give him this opportunity. She knew that a thousand white horse soldiers were not enough to fight against a hundred thousand elite soldiers. This move was just to gain the upper hand and dampen the spirit of the Qing army. Seeing that the goal had been achieved, Shi Shuyu, who was in charge of the surprise attack, heard the drum and hurriedly ordered the white horse army to retreat.

The Qing army nearby tried to stop them, but the White Horse Army had amazing fighting power. After a few sword strikes, the Qing army that blocked the way fell one after another. When other troops rushed over, the White Horse Army had disappeared without a trace. The surprise attack that night was fast, accurate, and ruthless, and it dealt a precise blow to the morale of the Qing army.

Ming Rui was so angry that he saw that the morale of the army had been frustrated, so he ordered 5,000 artillerymen to line up their artillery in a row, wanting to bombard these rebellious traitors to death. However, he didn't know that Li Qingge had already made preparations.

Li Qingge had long known that Mingrui had brought a lot of artillery with him when he led his troops south, but she was not panicked at all. Because the third item in the novice gift package given by the system was a thousand artillery. She had a thousand artillery pieces, while the Qing army had a hundred, which was definitely an overwhelming advantage.

However, the power of the red cannon should not be underestimated. If the Qing army ignited it and fired shells that fell on the city wall or into the city, who knows how many people would be killed or injured. Those powerful people can ignore the lives of the people, but Li Qingge, as a modern person who traveled through time, can't do that.

She knew that both civilians and soldiers were raised by their parents and had broken families, so she decided to destroy these red cannons to protect innocent lives.

Li Qingge inquired and learned that the Qing army had a special artillery battalion. She decided to take the initiative and destroy the enemy's artillery with her own artillery, so that Mingrui and others would not pose a threat.

The person in charge of the artillery and guns is a 30-something-year-old sister named Zhang Shengnan. She is wearing a military uniform, with clean, experienced short hair, and looks heroic and handsome. Her eyes are firm and resolute, as if she can see through everything.

Following Li Qingge's instructions, Zhang Shengnan quickly aimed at the Qing army's artillery battalion and ordered to open fire. With a few loud "booms", the Qing army's artillery was instantly blown to pieces. Before Mingrui and others could react, they had already lost their most important weapon.

In this battle, Li Qingge defeated the enemy with fewer troops and the weaker ones with the stronger ones. She used her wisdom and courage to successfully defeat the morale of the Qing army and laid a solid foundation for the next battle. Mingrui and others were dejected and demoralized, and could no longer compete with Li Qingge.

At this time, the sky was gray and dark clouds were hanging low, as if they would pour down at any time. The Qing soldiers gritted their teeth, their foreheads were bulging with veins, and they held the wooden wheels of the artillery cart with both hands, pushing the red cannon weighing thousands of pounds with all their strength. Their faces were covered with sweat, mixed with mud and gunpowder, and they looked extremely tired. The sound of their panting echoed in the silent battlefield, like a tragic labor song.

In this tense and depressing atmosphere, who would have thought that this group of peasant uprisings, seemingly poorly equipped and poorly trained, actually hid artillery that was more powerful than the Qing army. It was said that these artillery pieces were collected from all over by the mysterious green-faced female leader, Li Qingge, and each piece contained astonishing destructive power.

"Bang, bang, bang!" Dozens of cannons fired almost simultaneously, spitting out angry flames, and shells rained down on the Qing artillery camp. The air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur, accompanied by deafening explosions. Twenty red cannons were blown to pieces in the blink of an eye, with fragments flying everywhere and smoke filling the air, as if the gates of hell were suddenly pushed open.

"Oh no! Run!" The Qing soldiers cried out in panic, with fear and despair intertwined on their faces. They fled everywhere, but there was nowhere to hide. The shells seemed to have eyes, accurately chasing every target.

"Damn it, where did this cannonball come from?" a Qing soldier shouted in horror, his voice trembling and his eyes full of disbelief.

"How could these rebels have artillery?" another soldier roared in despair. His face was covered in dirt and blood, making him look particularly hideous.

The Qing army's artillery camp suddenly became a mess, with shouts, screams, and explosions intertwined together, forming a chaotic and terrifying picture.

Zhang Shengnan, the heroic female general, saw the Qing army artillery camp being attacked from afar, and she was surprised and happy. She was worried that the firepower was not enough to completely destroy the cannons, so she decisively waved the flag in her hand and commanded the artillery to concentrate fire for several consecutive times. The artillery fire was continuous, and the flames shot up into the sky. Every shell landed accurately in the Qing army artillery camp, turning it into a sea of ​​fire.

After rounds of strafing, the artillery camp was finally reduced to ruins. Flames shot up into the sky, and the explosions were deafening. The thrilling sound could be heard ten miles away. The smoke filled the air, covering the sky and the sun, as if the whole world was engulfed by this cruel war.

Mingrui, the commander of the Qing army, turned pale when he saw this scene and almost fainted. He was young and strong, but at this moment he felt dizzy and weak. Twenty red cannons were gone in just a short while. His heart was filled with anger and resentment, but more of it was fear and curiosity about the green-faced female leader.

Aren't the rebels led by the green-faced woman peasants? How could there be a sneak attack team that is ten times more elite than the regular army? How could there be such a powerful artillery? These questions lingered in Mingrui's mind, making him confused and uneasy.

The deputy general at the side also had a pale face. He hurriedly said: "General, let's retreat quickly! The rebels' firepower is too strong, we are no match for them at all. If we stay here, we will only die!" His voice trembled, and his eyes were full of fear and despair.

The power of the rebels' artillery is more than ten times stronger than the red cannon. If they are hit by a few more shots, even if they have ten lives, they will not be able to resist. The deputy general's words made Mingrui feel chilled, but he was not willing to retreat. He opened his eyes wide, his eyes were red, as if they were about to spit fire.

"You can't retreat! I'm ordered to quell the rebellion, and I won't stop until I chop off the head of the Green-Faced Woman!" Ming Rui roared and ordered, his voice full of firmness and determination. The Green-Faced Woman killed his uncle and brother, leaving the Fucha clan without a pillar. This hatred will never end until one dies. Moreover, he was the commander-in-chief who went south to suppress the rebellion, and he fled before the battle even started. How could he explain to the Fucha clan and the emperor?
"Attack! Attack!" Mingrui roared the order again. His voice was a little hoarse, but full of unquestionable majesty.

The deputy general said in horror: "General, the rebels have artillery..." There was obvious fear and uneasiness in his words.

Ming Rui interrupted him sharply: "So what if we have artillery? We have many people and a hundred thousand elite soldiers coming together. No amount of firepower can stop us!" His words were full of confidence and arrogance, but more of it was the desire for victory and the obsession with revenge.

He pointed at his deputy general and said, "Go and capture a group of civilians nearby, have them wear military uniforms, and attract the rebels' firepower. When they run out of shells, we will attack together." His plan was sinister and vicious, but it ignored the kindness and justice of human nature.

When the deputy general heard this, he was stunned at first, then he said with a smile: "General, you are wise! Let the people serve as human shields in the front. If the Green-Faced Woman kills the people regardless of their lives, the other rebels will definitely feel sympathy and the army will be in chaos." His smile was full of cunning and cruelty.

"On the other hand, if the Green-faced Woman is hesitant and dares not fire, then our chance will come." Ming Rui continued, with a sinister smile on his face. He seemed to have seen the dawn of victory and the scene of the Green-faced Woman being trampled under his feet.

"That's right!" The deputy general nodded and flattered, "The general is indeed wise!" His voice was full of flattery and compliments.

However, at this moment, an officer who still had a conscience couldn't help but say: "General, these people are also the emperor's subjects. If you do this, I'm afraid..." His voice was weak and trembling, and he was obviously dissatisfied and worried about Mingrui's plan.

"What are you afraid of?" Ming Rui glared at him and shouted angrily, "You are too soft-hearted! As long as we can wipe out the rebels and kill the Green-Faced Woman, what do we care about if a few more civilians die?" His voice was cold and ruthless, as if the lives of those people were meaningless to him.

For the sake of Fucha's reputation and his own future, he would not hesitate to sacrifice the people or even 100,000 elite soldiers as long as he could achieve his goal. Mingrui's determination and cruelty shocked and frightened everyone present.

However, he still underestimated Li Qingge. This green-faced female leader was not only intelligent and brave, but also thoughtful and good at perceiving people's hearts. The surprise attack last night was not only to dampen the spirit of the Qing army, but also to lay a foreshadowing. She knew Mingrui's insidiousness and cunningness, so she had already prepared to deal with it.

The ancients said it well: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles." Li Qingge believed this sentence without a doubt. During the surprise attack, while the Qing army was in chaos, several White Horse Army soldiers quietly dragged the bodies of the Qing army to a remote corner and changed into their clothes. This move seemed insignificant, but it laid an important foreshadowing for the subsequent battles.

At this time, a soldier of the White Horse Army was hiding in the tent. After hearing Mingrui's vicious plan, he was terrified and quickly passed the news to Li Qingge. When Li Qingge heard it, her face immediately darkened, and a trace of anger and determination flashed in her eyes.

"What a vicious plan! Fu Cha Mingrui, you deserve to die!" Li Qingge gnashed her teeth and said, her voice full of anger and hatred. She had originally wanted to negotiate with the Qing army, but now she heard that Mingrui wanted to use innocent people as human shields, how could she tolerate it?
Li Qingge immediately summoned Shi Shuyu and Zhang Shengnan and ordered them to fight quickly. Her voice was firm and decisive, as if she had seen the dawn of victory. After receiving the order, Shi Shuyu and Zhang Shengnan immediately took action. They knew Li Qingge's wisdom and courage, and they also knew that this battle was difficult and dangerous. But they were not afraid, because they believed in Li Qingge and believed that their leader could lead them to victory.

Although Mingrui's plan was sinister and powerful, it overlooked a key issue. This time, the south was hit by continuous heavy rains, floods and food disasters. The people were hungry and cold, and their faces were pale and thin. The Qing army led by Mingrui, because they were the Eight Banners Army, had generous salaries and excellent food. Each of them had a sleek face and a burly figure. Anyone with a little bit of brains could tell who was the Eight Banners soldier and who was the Qing army at a glance. Not to mention the White Horse Army, which was ten times more elite than the regular army.

Seeing the Qing army pushing innocent people to charge into battle, Shi Shuyu's heart tightened, but he quickly calmed down. He commanded the White Horse Army to follow the trend. They quickly and agilely subdued the people with their small grappling skills and placed them in a safe place in the rear. These White Horse Army soldiers were skilled and coordinated, as if they had been trained thousands of times. Their eyes were full of determination and courage, like fearless warriors.

After all the people were settled, Shi Shuyu fired a flare. The flare streaked across the sky, leaving a beautiful arc. When Zhang Shengnan saw the flare, he immediately ordered the artillery battalion to open fire.

"Fire! Blast these bastards to death!" Zhang Shengnan's voice resounded through the sky, and her eyes flashed with anger and determination. Although she was sent by the system, she had an independent personality and thoughts. She hated Mingrui's despicable behavior, so she gave the order to fire without hesitation.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Shells fell like meteorites, blasting waves of fire. The Qing army was unable to dodge and was instantly engulfed by the waves of fire. Their screams and wails intertwined, forming a tragic and bloody picture. After rounds of artillery fire, one-third of the Qing army died in the artillery fire. The remaining one-third was also frightened out of their wits, lost all their will to fight, and was defeated. Seeing that the situation was not good, Mingrui hurriedly fled with the remnants of his army. His figure looked particularly embarrassed and desolate in the smoke and fire. He originally thought that his strategy could wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop, but he didn't expect to fall into the opponent's trap instead. His heart was full of unwillingness and anger, but more of it was fear and awe of Li Qingge.

Seeing this, Li Qingge immediately ordered Shi Shuyu to pursue. She didn't want to miss this opportunity to beat the fallen dog. Her voice was firm and decisive, as if she had seen the dawn of victory. After receiving the order, Shi Shuyu immediately led the White Horse Army soldiers to pursue. Their figures flickered in the smoke and fire, like a group of brave warriors.

It doesn't matter if my enemy escapes, but I must catch Mingrui, the general who claims to be the pillar of the court, and make him pay the price for his arrogance and ignorance.

Mingrui was filled with pride at the beginning. He led 100,000 cavalrymen, like a black torrent, rolling southward, vowing to quell the rebellion in the south. Behind him were 20 red cannons, each of which seemed to be able to spit out flames and turn the enemy into ashes. At that time, he seemed to have seen the dawn of victory, with a contemptuous smile on his lips and a belief in victory in his heart.

However, the cruelty of the battlefield was far beyond his imagination. The enemy was not a mob as he imagined, but a well-trained elite with amazing combat effectiveness. Their artillery was more advanced than the red cannon, and every roar was accompanied by the wailing of the Qing soldiers. Mingrui's army was defeated in this artillery fire like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

When Mingrui fled in a panic, his heart was filled with despair. He drew the sword from his waist, and the cold blade reflected his pale face. He wanted to cut his neck and end this shameful life. But as soon as the blade touched his neck, he hesitated again. He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of the future of his family. The Fucha family had already lost Fuheng and his son. If he died again, where would the family go?

He comforted himself that victory and defeat are common in the military. This failure was only due to insufficient preparation, and he would be able to avenge the previous defeat next time. He imagined returning to the capital and reporting the battle situation to the emperor. With the face of Empress Xiaoxian, the emperor would not punish him severely. At most, he would be demoted, which was no big deal.

However, his fantasy was soon shattered by reality. Shi Shuyu rushed over like a tiger descending from the mountain and kicked him off his horse. He was tied up tightly like a lamb to be slaughtered and brought before Li Qingge.

Li Qingge sat on the armchair, her eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if she could see into people's hearts. She was dressed in a battle robe, heroic and valiant, completely different from those weak women. She was surrounded by a group of loyal soldiers, all of whom were heroes who defected to her during the wars in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. There were scholars who had failed in the exams many times, their eyes flashing with a desire for knowledge and dissatisfaction with the Qing court; there were people who had practiced martial arts for many years but had no way to serve their country, their muscles contained infinite strength and persistence in justice; there were also righteous men who had long been dissatisfied with the Qing court and held the banner of anti-Qing and restoration of Ming, their hearts burning with a desire for freedom and a longing for their homeland.

They saw Mingrui, a minister of the Fucha family who was born in an aristocratic family and had a close relationship with the emperor, become their prisoner and kneel before them, and their hearts were filled with pleasure and the pleasure of revenge. They seemed to see the corruption and darkness of the Qing court being gradually revealed, revealing its ugly true face.

Ming Rui was so ashamed that he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. He roared: "Green-faced woman, you traitor! I am an important official of the court, how dare you treat me like this? If you don't want to die, let me go quickly, otherwise once the court's army arrives, you will all be crushed to pieces and have no place to bury your bodies!"

Li Qingge sneered, her voice piercing like ice: "A defeated general dares to brag. If the imperial court was really that powerful, with your 100,000 elite soldiers, you would have beaten us to pieces long ago. Why wait until today? Don't fool yourself. The so-called Kangxi and Qianlong prosperity is actually an empty shell. It is rotten from top to bottom. It can't win wars, it can't govern the country well, and corruption is everywhere."

Ming Rui was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Li Qingge's nose and cursed: "How dare you! How dare you belittle the prosperity of the emperor and the Holy Ancestor Kangxi... You ignorant and shameless bitch..."

Li Qingge interrupted him coldly: "I dare to rebel against the emperor, so what else can I not dare to do? People like you who are insidious, despicable, and take human lives lightly, are you qualified to accuse me? Humph, others are afraid of you Fucha family, but I am not. You fell into my hands today, this is the law of nature, retribution is inevitable!"

After that, she shouted, "Come here, drag this thief away, beat him to death with sticks, and feed his body to the dogs!"

Mingrui was stunned when he heard this. He originally thought that Li Qingge captured him alive because she was afraid of the power of the court and the Fucha family and did not dare to kill him. He did not expect that she would be so bold and so determined. He struggled and shouted, "Green-faced woman, you can't kill me. I am a favorite of the emperor. My cousin is Empress Xiaoxian. If you kill me, the emperor will definitely not let you go."

Li Qingge's eyes were as calm as water, and his voice was as cold as ice: "Ever since the day I raised my army and started the uprising, I have been fighting to the death with the court. Even if I let you go, the court will not let me go. It's a capital crime anyway, so what's the harm in killing a few more people? Drag them on!"

Mingrui's face was distorted, and he screamed like a pig being slaughtered, but he was eventually dragged away. Soon, his screams could be heard from outside, and the sound became weaker and weaker until it disappeared. Shi Shuyu came in and reported, "The man has been beaten to death." Li Qingge waved his hand and said, "Drag him away and feed him to the dogs!"

Seeing Li Qingge easily get rid of a loyal minister of the Qing court, everyone shuddered. This woman is so cruel! But on second thought, those who have achieved great things in the past are all such ruthless characters who kill without blinking an eye. If you are too kind, it will only do harm! The more cruel Li Qingge is, the more they feel that they have followed the right person.

The news that the 100,000-man army was annihilated by the Green-Faced Woman spread quickly throughout the capital like a cold wind. At this time, Emperor Qianlong was admiring the newly fired porcelain from the Jingdezhen official kiln in the imperial garden. The bright red, green, blue and pink colors on those porcelains made him love them. He seemed to see the prosperity and prosperity of the Qing Dynasty, just like these porcelains, colorful and beautiful.

However, the sudden news of the defeat was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the joy in his heart. His face turned livid in an instant, and the pink and white revolving vase in his hand, which was the painstaking work of the craftsmen, was also smashed to pieces in anger. One hundred thousand troops, a full hundred thousand troops! Nurhaci, the first ancestor he worshipped the second most, defeated the Ming army in the Battle of Sarhu with only 50,000 elite soldiers. Now he has invested twice as many troops and added twenty top red cannons, but he can't beat a group of traitors composed of untouchables!

This is such a shame! A great shame! Since the Qing Dynasty entered the Pass, it has never fought such a humiliating war. How could Emperor Qianlong, who loved face and glory the most, bear this? He seemed to see those traitors laughing at him and saw the dignity of the Qing Dynasty being lost bit by bit.

Qianlong felt more and more frustrated, so he smashed everything in the palace. After venting his anger, he summoned the ministers to the Yangxin Palace to discuss countermeasures. He glared at the ministers kneeling on the ground and shouted, "You useless people! You have 100,000 elite soldiers, but you can't even beat a bunch of rabble. What's the point of keeping you?"

The ministers were trembling with fear, and they didn't know what to do. But the emperor was angry, so they could only give in to him and kowtow to admit their mistakes. They kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"

Qianlong was getting more and more annoyed when he saw that the ministers could only kowtow and apologize. He shook his sleeves and said, "Okay, okay, stop kowtowing. Think about what to do next."

Yin Jishan said quickly, "Your Majesty, these rebels are so rebellious that they dare to go against the court. They must be wiped out as soon as possible, otherwise your majesty will be damaged. Therefore, I suggest that the court select a general who is good at fighting and send troops to Yangzhou as soon as possible to eliminate these rebels in the shortest possible time."

Qianlong listened to Yin Jishan's words and nodded slightly. He knew the importance of this battle, which was not only related to the dignity of the Qing Dynasty, but also to his face. He must choose a general who is good at fighting to wipe out those traitors and restore the glory of the Qing Dynasty.

Emperor Qianlong sat on the dragon throne in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his brows knitted tightly, his eyes revealing an unquestionable majesty. He nodded slowly and said in a deep voice: "You are right. I will not be at peace until those traitors are eliminated. Especially that green-faced woman. As a woman, she did not observe the virtuous code of conduct for women and betrayed the court. She deserves death and should be cut into pieces. Even her nine clans will not be spared!"

At this moment, if Li Qingge was in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity and heard this, she would definitely sneer and mock herself in her heart: "Hmph, my nine clans? That's your Aisin-Gioro family. If you have the courage, come and try!" In her imagination, her face was cold and resolute, as if she could penetrate the barriers of time and space and look directly into Qianlong's eyes.

Grand Secretary Ji Xiaolan, dressed in court robes with fluttering sleeves, stood up and said in a steady and wise voice: "Your Majesty, I think this matter should not be rushed. We need to take a long-term view and find a proper solution."

Emperor Qianlong's expression changed slightly when he heard this, as if he was surprised by Ji Xiaolan's caution. Seeing this, Ji Xiaolan hurriedly continued, "General Mingrui is brave and good at fighting. This time he led an elite 100,000 Eight Banners soldiers. Logically, the Green-Faced Woman's rebels should be difficult to resist. However, the result was that the whole army was annihilated. There must be something fishy behind this."

He Shen, the Minister of Imperial Guards, usually liked to argue with Ji Xiaolan, but at this moment he agreed with him. He stepped forward and said to Qianlong, "Your Majesty, I also think this is quite strange. How could a hundred thousand elite soldiers be defeated by a mob? There must be something behind it. If we rashly send troops, defeat is still a small matter, but if it damages the majesty's dignity and face, it will be a big deal."

He Shen's words were full of flattery for Emperor Qianlong, but Emperor Qianlong did not get angry. Instead, he pondered for a moment and asked, "How do you think this matter should be handled?"

He Shen bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, I think that before sending troops, we should first find out the cause of the defeat and the details of the rebels. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle."

"Then go check it out!" Qianlong's voice was firm and powerful. His confidence in the Eight Banners soldiers had never wavered. He believed that they were still the invincible tiger and wolf division they had been in the past. This tragic defeat must have been caused by the rebels using despicable means. If the cause was not investigated, sending more troops would only increase casualties.

Following Qianlong's order, all the ministers took action immediately. Soon after, a detailed report was delivered to Qianlong's desk.

Qianlong opened the report and was shocked after just one glance. He never expected that the rebels would have such a powerful weapon. No wonder General Mingrui was defeated so miserably! The power of this artillery is more than ten times stronger than the red cannon. If we send more people, they will just die. What should we do?
Qianlong was worried and hurriedly summoned Heshen and Ji Xiaolan into the palace.

"Your Highness!" The two men came to the Yangxin Palace and knelt down to pay their respects when they saw Qianlong. Qianlong waved his hand for them to stand up, handed over the report and said, "Look at this together!"

The two took the report and read it carefully, their faces changed greatly. Although Ji Xiaolan was a little undisciplined in his private life, he was never vague when it came to major events. Seeing that the rebels were so powerful, he could not think of any solution for a while.

He Shen, however, was very quick-witted. He rolled his eyes and came up with a plan: "Your Majesty, I have a way that may be able to solve this dilemma."

When Qianlong heard this, he was overjoyed and asked immediately, "What's the solution?"

He Shen raised his eyebrows and said, "The rebels' artillery is extremely powerful. If we confront them head-on, we will certainly not gain any advantage. Therefore, we cannot fight head-on, we can only outwit them."

Qianlong frowned and asked, "How do we take it by surprise?"

He Shen smiled and said, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, when shooting a man, shoot the horse first; when capturing a thief, capture the leader first!"

Qianlong's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and laughed: "What a good way to catch a thief first! He Aiqing is worthy of being my right-hand man, and he is indeed knowledgeable."

He knew very well that the reason why the rebels were so powerful was not because of their artillery, but because of the leadership of the green-faced woman. Although Qianlong increasingly despised women and treated them as playthings, he had to admit that the green-faced woman was the most terrifying and well-organized rebel he had encountered since he ascended the throne. If it weren't for her collective efforts, her expertise in brainwashing, and her ability to unite the rebels, the local government would have suppressed the rebellion long ago.

After listening to He Shen's words, Ji Xiaolan, although he looked down on He Shen's character, had to admire his wit. Under the current circumstances, assassinating the Green-faced Woman was undoubtedly the best solution. As long as she died, the rebels would be leaderless and in chaos, and they could be defeated one by one. At that time, no matter how powerful the rebels' artillery was, it would be useless.

However, Qianlong was happy for a short while before he frowned again: "But the Green-faced Woman is a martial arts expert with unrivaled courage. Even Fu Heng and his son died in her hands. It may not be easy to kill her."

He Shen smiled and said, "This is an easy thing. A big reward will surely attract brave men. As long as the emperor is willing to reward them with high positions and generous salaries, there will naturally be talented people who will serve the emperor."

Qianlong smiled from ear to ear: "Yes, I am the emperor, rich and powerful. As long as I am willing to reward, why should I worry about not having warriors?"

He looked at Heshen and said, "My dear, I leave this matter to you. If you do it well, I will reward you handsomely."

He Shen was dumbfounded when he heard this. He had originally wanted to come up with an idea to please the emperor, but he had no intention of actually doing it. He had never expected that this matter would fall on his head. If he did it well, it would be fine; but if he did not do it well, and the emperor was furious and vented his anger from the previous defeat, wouldn't he lose his head?
At this moment, He Shen felt like he had lost his soul, and he wanted to slap himself twice. He muttered to himself: I told you not to talk too much! I told you not to talk too much!
Ji Xiaolan had a blank expression on his face, but he was actually laughing happily in his heart. This was really shooting himself in the foot!

Although it is said that there will always be brave men under a big reward, those truly capable masters have their own pride and are unwilling to work for the Qing court. There are only two types of people who can be driven by the court and have high martial arts skills: one is the eunuch group represented by those who practice Tiangang Tongzi Gong and "Sunflower Manual"; the other is the Tibetan lamas who practice Tantric exercises.

The Qing court learned the lesson of the Ming Dynasty's eunuchs' disorderly politics and imposed more restrictions on eunuchs: they were not allowed to read, learn to read, practice martial arts, or get involved in politics, otherwise they would be executed without mercy. Therefore, there were no eunuchs with strong martial arts skills in the Qing palace.

He Shen searched around and could only place his hope on the lamas. The Qing imperial family believed in Tibetan Buddhism and often invited lamas to the palace to preach. It was not difficult to find a few lamas with deep merits, but whether they could successfully assassinate the green-faced woman was an unknown.

The sunset glowed half the sky red that day. Li Qingge came back from a military inspection, dressed in military uniform and looking heroic. She sat at the table, looking at the flickering candlelight, and fell into deep thought. What should she do next? How can she completely defeat the Qing Dynasty and realize her ideal?

Suddenly, she felt a strange aura spreading around her. Strange figures flashed by quickly under the candlelight. Although these figures were extremely fast, they could not be hidden from her eyes.

Li Qingge stood up suddenly and shouted coldly: "Who are you, you sneaking around? Get out here now!" Her voice echoed in the night sky, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

As she shouted, several figures flashed out from the darkness and landed in front of her. These people were dressed in black, with black veils covering their faces, revealing only pairs of eyes flashing with cold light. They were the Lama masters sent by Heshen to assassinate Li Qingge.

Facing these unexpected enemies, Li Qingge did not show any panic. She glanced at them coldly, and was ready to fight. A life-and-death battle was about to unfold quietly in the night...

(End of this chapter)