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

Chapter 38 The First Turn of the Tide Between Emperor Shunzhi and His Mother

The inner hall of the Censorate.

"Greetings, Grand Scholar Ning."

"Sit down and have some tea." The attitude of Ning Wanwo, the Left Censor-in-Chief, was polite, but there was something strange about it.

Jiang Qingyun patiently savored the tea, sip after sip. The tea was so delicious that he couldn't put it down.

Those who work in officialdom are all about maintaining composure.

Whoever gets anxious first loses.

Seeing that the boy was not speaking for a long time, Ning Wanwo couldn't hold back any longer. He put down his teacup and cleared his throat.

“Censor Jiang, you’ve really stirred up trouble. This morning at court, the Vice Minister of War impeached you for your arrogance, and the Emperor was furious and exiled you to Ningguta on the spot.”

"My loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon."

"By the way, you might not know this, but the Emperor personally sentenced Ajige to death during the morning court session. He will be beheaded at Caishikou and his home will be confiscated."

……

Everything is just as it has happened in history.

This is one of the only two advantages that time travelers have—the advantage of information.

Furthermore, Jiang Qingyun discovered that his 20 years of work experience were quite useful in the Qing Dynasty; with a little adaptation, the methods were basically compatible. He could find corresponding colleagues, superiors, or subordinates for everyone he encountered in the Qing Dynasty.

The impact of technological backwardness is actually not that significant.

Although there was no running water, there were maids.

Although there was no internet, there were maids.

Although there was no car, there were maids.

Although there was no air conditioning, there were maids.

Although there was no electricity, there were maids.

Although there was no clean toilet paper, there were maids.

Of course, "maid" here is a general term with rich connotations. It simply expresses the concept that for a very small number of people, abundant human resources can replace the vast majority of industrial products.

……

Seeing Jiang Qingyun lost in thought, Ning Wanwo coughed softly twice.

"Young Jiang, if you encounter any difficulties in life, be sure to speak up promptly. I still have high hopes for you."

"Thank you, General Secretary."

Seeing the immense gratitude on the young man's face, I gained another assessment of him—he doesn't believe in empty words, he believes in self-interest.

"You did a good job this time. You must have a lot of brothers who made contributions, right?"

"Yes, there are twenty or thirty."

"Report your names, and I will try my best to give you a future. If I really can't arrange anything, I'll just give you more money."

"Your Excellency, I thank you."

This time, Jiang Qingyun's attitude was clearly more serious. He rose from his seat, cupped his hands in a gesture of gratitude, and the curve of his bow conveyed deep appreciation.

……

"I also want to discuss something with you. In the future, before you plan to target anyone, could you please give me a heads-up in private? Like yesterday, you put me in a very passive position."

"It's all my fault for not considering things thoroughly."

"It's not your fault. Yesterday, I was outside Dongzhimen welcoming the Regent's coffin. When the news of what happened at Xizhimen got out, all my colleagues were looking at me. I was completely baffled."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will definitely report in advance next time."

"Good. With you in the Censorate, it's like adding wings to a tiger."

"I believe this is not enough; the oversight of officials can be strengthened."

"I agree with strengthening the oversight of officials. By the way, Censor Fan has been actively lobbying for a transfer to another ministry lately. What do you think?"

"Like father, like son. You absolutely must not let Fan Chengmo get away. These are turbulent times. If he runs away, we'll lose a scapegoat."

Ning finished and I spat out a mouthful of tea.

"No, no, no."

“You should say that if he leaves, the Censorate will lose a powerful ally, and Old Fan has to think about Young Fan.” Ning Wan wiped his mouth and said, “Here, pack half a pound of tea for Censor Jiang to take away.”

……

The conversation is over.

Ning Wan was in a good mood. He felt he had figured Jiang Qingyun out of the water and knew that his enemies in officialdom included Hong Chengchou, Fan Wencheng, and Dorgon's cronies. Having a fierce dog under his command was a great advantage to his position.

Among the three giants of the Han Dynasty in Beijing, this kid has two enemies.

It seems that the seventh year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign will be filled with bloodshed and turmoil in the court.

3 days later.

Martial law in the capital was lifted.

Dorgon's body was buried hastily and with the utmost honor.

Ajige was executed at Caishikou for treason, and his family was exiled, disappearing from the annals of history.

Many people breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the matter was over.

But those in power knew that the real storm was yet to come, and the execution of Ajige was merely the calm before the storm.

……

Forbidden City.

The mother and son had their first conflict.

The eunuchs and palace maids trembled and knelt, not daring to raise their heads.

"Fulin, Dorgon is already dead. As the saying goes, when a person dies, all debts are settled. Why do you still insist on pursuing this matter?"

"Mother, Dorgon is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He has always wanted to be emperor. If he had a son, he probably would have led troops to force the emperor to abdicate long ago, right?"

"But in the end you still won, you should be magnanimous!"

Emperor Shunzhi's eyes were practically spitting fire.

"My late father was Emperor Taizong, not Dorgon. The title of Regent Prince was imposed on me by him. If I don't exhume his remains and expose his crimes, how will the world judge me a hundred years from now? Cowardly! Timid! Recognizing a thief as my father!"

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang trembled with anger. She gripped the corner of the table and, after calming herself, slowly said, "Fulin, the emperor is not an ordinary person. He must be able to endure what ordinary people cannot. You are right, Dorgon has indeed overstepped his bounds and has wronged you, but he has done good for the Qing Dynasty."

"Mother, my mind is made up."

"Good, good, you have assumed full power. You can handle the affairs of state yourself."

Empress Xiaozhuang turned and left.
Shunzhi stood there for a long time, feeling pained and angry, overwhelmed by a strange sense of humiliation.

……

At 14 years old, he was already aware of human affairs.

That night, as he went to bed, strange scenarios reappeared in his dreams.

For example:

Dorgon, sword in hand and shoes, entered the palace, bowed respectfully without mentioning his name, plopped down next to the dragon throne, put his arm around his own shoulder, and said, "I have conquered your mother, what can you do to me?"

Instantly, the intense sense of humiliation jolted the young emperor awake.

Even after waking up, Shunzhi could still feel the intense stimulation from his dream.

"Someone is coming."

"The slave is here."

"I will leave the palace tomorrow morning and summon Jirhalang, Sony, and Jiang Qingyun. After the morning court session, I will meet them in the Imperial Garden."

……

The following morning after the court session.

In the pavilion of the Imperial Garden.

“Your subjects Jirhalang, Sony, and Jiang Qingyun pay their respects to Your Majesty.”

“My three ministers are all my trusted advisors. Please sit down and let us speak.”

Beside the stone table.

The emperor and his four ministers were seated, while the guards stood at a distance.

"I intend to exhume Dorgon's remains and execute him in a public ceremony. What do you three ministers think?"

Prince Zheng, Jirhalang, was startled, while Sony hesitated.

Although these two men had been severely suppressed by Dorgon, they always felt guilty about opening the coffin and mutilating the corpse, fearing it would cause controversy in the court and among the public.

Jiang Qingyun:
"I believe this is not enough. In addition to exhuming the body and mutilating it, and holding civil and military officials accountable for the crime, we should also purge his cronies hidden among the Eight Banners."

"I have always believed that there is a small group of conspirators hiding among the Eight Banners in the capital."

(End of this chapter)