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

In recruiting the thirteen families of Kuidong, besides sending Xiong Cili and Gao Shougui on the surface, Hong Xiguan also kept a secret plan and planted a hidden agent.

That evening, Cao Yin went to the Leopard House in the Western Garden as ordered.

This place used to be where the emperor had fun; now, it's perfect for doing some shady private business.

As soon as Cao Yin opened the door, a dark figure darted out from the corner, knelt down on one knee with a thud, and moved swiftly and decisively.

"Greetings, Young Master!"

The newcomer was Wan Yunlong, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society. He raised his head, his eyes filled with fanaticism.

In his view, the man before him was the imperial grandson who had endured humiliation and infiltrated the enemy camp for many years, and who had now figured out how to navigate the Forbidden City.

Get up.

Cao Yin has been playing the role of "the son of the Third Prince of Zhu" for quite some time now; he's practically memorized it. The perfectly measured melancholy on his face doesn't need any preparation; it's just a natural performance.

"Yunlong, are you familiar with that area in eastern Sichuan?"

Cao Yin lowered his voice, sounding as if he had something on his mind.

"Young Master, I have connections with several leaders of the Thirteen Families of Kuidong, especially Li Laiheng. Although we have never met, we have known each other for a long time."

"very good."

Cao Yin was too lazy to waste words. He briefly explained the Qing court's intention to offer amnesty to the thirteen families of Kuidong, then took out a token from his pocket and threw it over.

"You must set off immediately and take the Jianghu route. You must meet Li Laiheng before those people in the imperial court."

He paused, his eyes becoming unfathomable: "Tell him... this offer of amnesty is 'that person's' idea."

"That person?" Wan Yunlong was stunned for a moment, then his mind went blank as if struck by lightning. He trembled with excitement, "I understand! It's...it's the Third Prince Zhu's intention!"

"Yes." Cao Yin nodded emphatically: "The Qing court offered a very high price this time, so let him accept it without hesitation. This 'Xingshan County' is a base we will reserve for our future anti-… cough, for our future restoration cause!"

"If Li Laiheng accepts this offer of amnesty, not only will no more people die, but he will also leave the Ming Dynasty with a well-organized and powerful army! This is true loyalty!"

Wan Yunlong was so excited that he almost burst into tears on the spot.

"Young Master is wise! Young Master is farsighted! I will go immediately! Even if it takes ten horses to die, I guarantee I will deliver the message!"

.......

Spring of the fifth year of the Kangxi reign.

Maolu Mountain in eastern Sichuan.

This place is surrounded by mountains, shrouded in mist and clouds year-round, making it a nightmare for the officers and soldiers.

The imperial envoys led by Xiong Cili and Gao Shougui, pulling carts laden with gold and silver treasures, were struggling to climb the mountain road.

Three days before them, Wan Yunlong had already sneaked into the Maolu Mountain camp like a ghost.

The atmosphere in the Hall of Gathering Righteousness was incredibly lively.

The appearance of Wan Yunlong surprised these veterans and hooligans who had been fighting against the Qing dynasty for twenty years.

Wan Yunlong was no ordinary leader of the Heaven and Earth Society; he was one of its founders, holding a position similar to that of the Grand Master Chen Yonghua. He was a prominent figure among the old officials of the Southern Ming Dynasty.

In recent years, it was through the intelligence network of the Heaven and Earth Society that he helped the Thirteen Families of Kuidong escape the Qing army's encirclement and suppression on several occasions.

Everyone here remembers this kindness.

Therefore, Li Laiheng treated Wan Yunlong with great courtesy when they met.

"Duke Lin, don't rush to reminisce."

Wan Yunlong cut to the chase: "I have some incredibly important information!"

As he spoke, he poured out all the details of the Qing court's offer of amnesty, along with those outrageous conditions.

"Recruit them to the imperial court?" Li Laiheng's face changed instantly, his murderous eyes fixed on Wan Yunlong.

"Duke Lin, it's not what you think!" Wan Yunlong quickly explained.

"No need to shave our heads! No need to change our clothes! We'll be the 'local tyrants' right here in Xingshan! And we'll keep our army! The young master said, 'As long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn!' As long as we're alive and have our guns, there's always hope!"

As he spoke, Wan Yunlong pulled out another secret letter and tearfully recounted how difficult it was for the "young master" in the palace, how he outwitted and outmaneuvered the old thief Ao Bai, and how he went to great lengths to protect their Han lineage.

"What a wonderful saying, 'Where there's life, there's hope'..."

Li Laiheng touched the sword at his waist, the sword that had accompanied him in killing people for twenty years.

Looking at his brothers outside the tent, their faces sallow and thin, their clothes tattered, but their eyes still like those of wolves, he sighed deeply.

Twenty years have passed.

They fought their way from Shaanxi to Hubei, and then from Hubei into Sichuan.

Of the hundreds of thousands of brothers back then, only this little bit of property remains.

Do you still fight?

If we continue fighting, what good will it do to earn a reputation for "loyalty" and be completely wiped out, except for the fact that we can only be called "loyal and heroic"?

Li Laiheng turned back, his voice hoarse, and asked, "Master Wanxiang, are the conditions offered by the Qing court... true?"

He couldn't believe it; when had the Qing court ever been so generous?

Any one of these conditions sounds like a dream come true.

"Absolutely true!" Wan Yunlong nodded vigorously, then explained the specific terms in detail again.

Li Laiheng silently poured Wan Yunlong a bowl of wine, but his expression grew increasingly solemn.

"I still can't believe that the little Manchu emperor could really tolerate us 'remnants of the previous dynasty' who don't shave our heads. This is like digging up their ancestral graves."

Although he was a military general, after twenty years of fighting, he was more cunning than a monkey.

"The Qing Dynasty has killed millions of people in the twenty years since it entered the pass, all to implement that damned 'shaving order'. Now, in order to appease us, they've actually opened this door? This doesn't make sense."

Li Laiheng stared intently at Wan Yunlong, his gaze sharp: "Unless... there's more to this than meets the eye."

Wan Yunlong took a deep breath, put down his wine bowl, walked to the tent entrance and glanced outside to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then walked back and said in an almost whispered voice, "The Duke of Lin is indeed a wise man."

"To tell you the truth, this imperial edict, which seems to be the will of that brat Kangxi, is actually... the work of 'that person'."

Li Laiheng shuddered, as if he'd been electrocuted: "That one? You mean... Zhu San Taizi's...?"

Wan Yunlong nodded emphatically, his eyes gleaming with fervor: "Indeed! Your Highness!"

"Think about it, how old is that Kangxi kid? He's just a twelve or thirteen-year-old child! All the power in the court is in the hands of that old scoundrel Aobai. With Aobai's temperament, he'd love to wipe us out. How could he possibly agree to such a 'one country, two systems' condition?"

Li Laiheng frowned: "Then this imperial edict..."

"This is His Highness the Imperial Grandson's doing!"

Wan Yunlong began his "imaginary drama," or rather, he recounted the script Cao Yin had written for him:

"Your Highness, the Imperial Grandson, is a man of extraordinary talent. Having infiltrated the palace for many years, he has already gained the absolute trust of that young Emperor Kangxi. Now, that little emperor is nothing more than a puppet in Your Highness's hands!"

"Your Highness went to great lengths in the palace to persuade the emperor to surrender. First, he took advantage of the young emperor's desire to rule in his own right and sowed discord between the emperor and Ao Bai. Then, he joined forces with Han officials in the court and forced Ao Bai to abandon his campaign by claiming that the national treasury was empty."

"Most importantly, the clause 'no need to shave one's head and change clothes' was something His Highness risked exposing his identity by forcing the young emperor to add!"

At this point, Wan Yunlong's eyes filled with tears as he bowed to the north: "His Highness said: 'The thirteen families of Kuidong are the last backbone of our Han people. As long as we can preserve this army and these tens of thousands of Han soldiers, even if we bear the infamy of surrendering, even if we suffer all kinds of grievances, it will be worth it!'"

"This Xingshan Prefecture, on the surface, is territory of the Qing Dynasty, but in reality... it is a base that His Highness left behind for the revival of our Ming Dynasty!"

"Bang!"

Li Laiheng slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly.

Now, all the logic makes sense!

No wonder the conditions are so favorable! No wonder they can retain their army! No wonder they don't need to shave their heads!

It turns out this wasn't charity from the Qing court; it was the result of the young master's desperate struggle within the enemy camp!

"Your Highness... you have endured such humiliation and burden... We... are filled with shame! We are filled with shame!"

Li Laiheng, a man who would rather bleed than shed tears, was now in tears.

He always thought he was fighting alone and that the Ming Dynasty was already dead.

Unexpectedly, in the heart of the Forbidden City, there was a "grandson of the emperor" who was navigating dangerous situations and dealing with Manchu nobles for their sake!

"Master of Ten Thousand Fragrances!"

Li Laiheng grabbed Wan Yunlong's hand with astonishing strength.

"Please tell Your Highness! From this day forward, my head and my life belong to Your Highness!"

"These 50,000 elite troops of Xingshan County, while outwardly submitting to the Qing court, in reality... obey only Your Highness's orders!"

"If Your Highness desires us in the future, a single secret decree will suffice, and we will brave fire and water to storm Beijing and welcome Your Highness back to the throne!"

Wan Yunlong, equally excited, grasped his hand in return: "Don't worry, Duke Lin! I will definitely convey your message!"

The two men looked into each other's eyes, as if they saw a glimmer of hope for the great cause of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming.