I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

what?

Not only Wan Yunlong, but also Tong Guowei and the guards standing to the side were completely dumbfounded.

What... what kind of operation is this?!

A wanted criminal who assassinated the regent! A traitor of the Heaven and Earth Society!

Not only was he not subjected to severe torture, but instead... he was treated to wine and meat, he had imperial physicians to heal his wounds, and even... he even had beautiful women serving him?!

Has His Majesty gone mad?

Looking at their stunned and disoriented expressions, Hong Xiguan's smile grew increasingly enigmatic.

With a gentle wave of his hand, the guards, though full of doubts, dared not disobey the emperor's order. They could only lift the still-dazed Wan Yunlong and walk outside.

Tong Guowei finally couldn't hold back any longer and quickly caught up, asking with a puzzled look, "Your Majesty... what... what do you mean by this? That's a vicious traitor! You're treating him so well, isn't that...?"

Hong Xiguan stopped and, with his hands behind his back, said, "Do you think that torture alone is enough to deal with such a tough nut to crack?"

"Look at him, even if you cut him into a thousand pieces, he wouldn't utter a single word. He would only ensure his name as a loyal martyr will be remembered for generations."

Tong Guowei nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"I am a benevolent ruler, therefore, I will deal with him in a benevolent manner."

"Therefore, I will corrupt him! I will break his will! I refuse to believe that these sugar-coated bullets cannot pry open his mouth or melt his heart!"

"Once he's gotten used to delicacies, will he still be able to swallow coarse food? Once he's gotten used to silk and satin, will he still be able to stand a straw mat and a wooden bed? Once he's gotten used to the comforts of a gentle home, let's see if he still has the mind to think about those illusory 'overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming' ideals!"

"This is called winning hearts and minds! Do you understand?"

After he finished speaking, Tong Guowei felt as if a sudden enlightenment had dawned on him!

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

Killing someone is a poor strategy! Destroying their spirit is the best strategy!

The Emperor's actions, though seemingly absurd, actually reveal unparalleled imperial cunning! Using wealth and glory to erode a hero's fighting spirit is more vicious and effective than any form of torture!

Tong Guowei immediately knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily to Hong Xiguan, his face full of fervent worship.

"Your Majesty is wise! This servant...this servant is foolish! Your Majesty's extraordinary talent and unfathomable wisdom are truly a blessing for our Great Qing Dynasty and for the entire world!"

This flattery was heartfelt and sincere.

Hong Xiguan looked at him, smiled slightly, and kept his merits and fame hidden.

……

Afterwards, someone reported the young emperor's "shocking" behavior to Ao Bai.

Martha, a close confidante of Ao Bai, said with great concern:

"Your Excellency, this young emperor has not only taken in traitors from the Heaven and Earth Society, but also shown them great favor. Could it be that he... he intends to secretly ally with the Heaven and Earth Society against us?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Bai laughed disdainfully.

"Him?" Ao Bai picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. "His identity as Kangxi is that of the Emperor of the Great Qing! Even if it's a fake, he's still a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan, sitting on the dragon throne of my Great Qing! He represents the interests of my Eight Banners!"

"What was the mission of the Heaven and Earth Society? It was 'Overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!'"

"Do you really think a bunch of peasants who keep shouting about killing all the Manchus and restoring the Han dynasty would help a Manchu emperor eliminate me, the regent, so that he can consolidate his power?"

"Stop dreaming!" Ao Bai tapped the table with his fingers, his eyes filled with shrewd insight. "As long as the Aisin Gioro family remains on this dragon throne, those Heaven and Earth Society members will rebel! They wish they could tear Emperor Kangxi to pieces; why would they help him?"

"It's just a kid's nonsense, let him be. I want to see what kind of sweet treat he can turn a stone from a latrine into!"

Ao Bai's laughter echoed in the hall.

He thought he had seen through everything.

Little did he know that the "child" in his eyes had been replaced with someone else, and was no longer a member of the Aisin Gioro family.

.......

South Study Room.

Hong Xiguan closed a half-read copy of the Zizhi Tongjian, shifting his gaze from the pages to Cao Yin, who was standing beside him.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly, casting dappled light and shadow on the gold-brick floor through the window.

Thinking that these bondservants had been loyal to the Qing emperor since birth, Hong Xiguan suddenly had some concerns.

I'm Han Chinese, but these people don't know that. What should I do?

"Cao Yin".

"Your servant is here." Cao Yin immediately bowed, his posture humble.

"You're a bondservant, right?"

Here we go! Moral education class is officially starting!

If I don't correct your servile mentality, how can I expect you to do important things for me in the future?

Cao Yin's heart skipped a beat, wondering why the Emperor had suddenly asked this, but he still answered honestly:

"Your Majesty, my grandfather was originally a Han Chinese from Shandong. During the chaos at the end of the Ming Dynasty, he was... he was taken to Liaodong by the army. Later... later, thanks to Your Majesty's grace, he was incorporated into the Plain White Banner of the Imperial Household Department as a bondservant."

He carefully used words like "coerced" and "blessed by the master" to whitewash that blood-and-tears family history as a "lucky" past.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Hong Xiguan's mouth.

"Oh? Then let me ask you, do you harbor any resentment about this?"

Come, let me see just how deep your roots are, you lackey.

This question, like a sharp knife, pierced Cao Yin unexpectedly.

Cao Yin's body suddenly stiffened.

But almost instinctively, he immediately knelt down, his forehead striking the cold gold bricks hard, his voice both fearful and resolute.

"Your Majesty! This servant...this servant harbors no resentment! To be a bondservant (household slave), serving my master for generations, is an honor I have accumulated over eight lifetimes! This servant feels only gratitude towards the Qing Dynasty and towards Your Majesty!"

Goodness! That's a perfect answer!

With this level of ideological awareness, back in our day, we wouldn't even need to write our own applications to join the Party!

Looking at his "loyal" appearance, Hong Xiguan's anger suddenly surged up!

He suddenly stood up from behind his desk, took a step forward, raised his foot, and kicked Cao Yin directly in the shoulder!

Although the kick wasn't very powerful, it was extremely insulting!

"Bang!"

Cao Yin was kicked so hard he staggered, completely stunned. He knelt on the ground, bewildered, not knowing what he had said wrong.

Li Xu, Zhao Chang, Liang Jiugong, and the others standing nearby were so frightened that they all knelt down on the ground, not daring to breathe.

Suddenly, the Emperor roared, "What the hell are you spouting, you piece of shit and toad-like farts!"

Damn it! I can't hold back anymore! Today I'm going to be a "troll"!

Hong Xiguan pointed at Cao Yin's nose and cursed, "Honor?! You call this an honor?!"

"Your ancestors were abducted from their hometown, their wives and children torn apart! They were held at knifepoint, their spines broken, forced to kneel and acknowledge a master! Generation after generation, they were slaves, enduring endless humiliation! And now you tell me you have no complaints? You even consider it an honor?!"

"You spineless coward! Is what flows through your veins blood or water?! You have no backbone at all!"

This extremely vulgar yet resounding rant left Cao Yin completely dumbfounded.

He looked up in shock at the furious young emperor before him, his mind blank, unsure how to respond.

resentment?

How could I not feel resentment?

In the dead of night, he also listened to his father, with tears in his eyes, recount the inhumane treatment his ancestors had suffered during that war.

But what can he do?

They are slaves, the private property of their masters.

Resist? That means death!

Since you can't resist, you can only enjoy it.

This is the survival rule ingrained in the bones of all bondservants.

Over time, they even began to genuinely feel that being a slave was an "honor".

Hong Xiguan sighed inwardly as he looked at their numb and fearful expressions.

He knew that deep-seated problems don't arise overnight, and it was impossible to awaken them with a few harsh words.

He paced back and forth, his gaze sweeping over the few Haha Beads kneeling on the ground, his voice becoming deep and magnetic.

"A man may kneel before his parents, he may kneel before his king, but the backbone in his heart must never break!"

"Cao Yin, remember this! You have roots! Your roots are in Shandong, in the Central Plains, on that Han land that gave you birth and nurtured you!"

As he spoke, Hong Xiguan looked at Zhao Chang and Liang Jiugong, who had just been castrated and whose faces were still somewhat pale.

"Of course." Her tone suddenly softened: "Just because you're rootless doesn't mean you're spineless or lack courage."

He misspoke! He almost accidentally hurt those two eunuchs!

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chang and Liang Jiugong trembled violently, and tears welled up in their eyes instantly!

"Those without roots aren't necessarily without seeds..."

Your Majesty... Your Majesty actually understands us!

Who would willingly be born a slave? Who would willingly suffer a fatal injury at a young age, forever losing the ability to distinguish between life and death?

It's all because their ancestors were bondservants; they had no choice!