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

Three days later, the entourage of Xiong Cili, the Qing imperial commissioner, finally arrived at the Maolushan camp.

There was no scene of surrender with people baring their chests and weeping, as I had imagined.

On the contrary, the atmosphere here is so bizarre that you'd think you'd wandered into the wrong place.

On one side was Xiong Cilu, the Imperial Tutor, dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes with a long braid, and a group of Green Standard Army soldiers. They all looked embarrassed and uncomfortable, as if they had accidentally wandered into some terrible movie set.

On the other side were tens of thousands of Ming (Shun) veterans, clad in tattered armor, with nets wrapped around their heads, and still sporting their hair in topknots.

They gripped the hilts of their swords, their eyes defiant as they looked at their compatriots who had "shaved their heads and changed their clothes," their gazes carrying a mixture of contempt and wariness.

Normally, if these two groups met, they would fight tooth and nail.

But at this moment, they are handing over defense duties.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

Xiong Cilu's voice trembled as he read the imperial edict, because he could feel the murderous intent emanating from the tens of thousands of eyes around him, an intent that could have torn him to pieces.

In particular, when the article "Heungsan County is granted autonomy and is not required to shave its head or change its clothes" was read, an uncontrollable commotion broke out in the crowd.

It was shock, disbelief, and the ecstasy of escaping death.

Li Laiheng stood at the front, wearing the faded Qilin robe (a robe bestowed by the Ming emperor).

As he listened to the imperial edict, his hands trembled slightly and his eyes reddened.

Twenty years have passed.

How many brothers died and how much blood was shed for the sake of a few hairs on their heads and the clothes they wore?

Today, it was finally saved.

Although we nominally submitted to the Qing Dynasty, as long as our clothes and formalities remain, our souls remain!

The imperial decree has been read.

Li Laiheng did not perform the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows; instead, he led his generals in a simple, expressionless bow towards the north.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Xiong Cili breathed a sigh of relief and quickly wiped away his sweat.

That's fine, that's fine! The Emperor has instructed that as long as they accept the decree, it's a victory. As for whether they kneel or not... let them be. Anyway, the Emperor is far away and can't see us.

……

The Forbidden City, the Qianqing Palace.

Hong Xiguan sat on the dragon throne, holding an urgent secret letter sent back by Wan Yunlong through the Heaven and Earth Society's secret channel.

After reading the letter, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"What a talent! This Wan Yunlong is simply a top-notch marketing writer! With that kind of imagination, it's a shame he's not writing novels."

He handed the letter to a young guard beside him.

The guard was handsome and refined; he was none other than Cao Yin.

"Look at my 'Grandson of the Emperor'," Hong Xiguan said mockingly. "Look at your image in Li Laiheng's eyes. How lofty and majestic you are, how much you endure humiliation and hardship."

Cao Yin took the letter, but after reading only a few lines, his hands began to tremble and his face turned pale.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Cao Yin was so frightened that he knelt down immediately, his voice trembling with tears.

"This servant...this servant deserves to die! How dare this servant claim to be a grandson of the emperor! This servant is nothing but a dog by the emperor's side! This...this Wan Yunlong is talking nonsense! If this gets out, his entire family will be exterminated!"

Cao Yin was genuinely afraid.

Although he was the emperor's confidant and knew it was the emperor's scheme, playing the role of "son of the former crown prince" was like dancing on a knife's edge. If the emperor changed his mind one day, this would be ready-made evidence of treason!

"Get up, why are you kneeling?"

Hong Xiguan walked over, kicked him, and sent him flying.

"I'm telling you to act, so you act. This is called 'Infernal Affairs,' understand?"

Hong Xiguan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the sky outside the window, his eyes becoming deep and cold.

"Cao Yin, you must understand my good intentions."

"These thirteen families of Kuidong are remnants of the former Ming dynasty and the remnants of the Shun army. They have a blood feud with the Manchu Eight Banners. If I, as the 'Emperor of the Great Qing,' try to recruit them, even if they surrender, it will only be out of necessity and they will not be truly convinced. Given the opportunity, they will rebel at any time."

"But if you are a 'grandson of the Ming emperor,' then it's different."

"They will see you as their pillar of support, their last hope, and they will be devoted to you."

Hong Xiguan turned around, stared at Cao Yin, and a wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "And you, are my servant, my childhood friend."

"Their loyalty to you is their loyalty to me!"

"I have added a lock to this 'knife' that only I can unlock."

"In the future, when Ao Bai thinks he has all the military power in the world, I will show him what...surprise" truly means!"

Hearing these words and looking at his master, who was even younger than himself, Cao Yin felt a deep chill and... an even more fervent worship.

Is this even human?

This is simply monstrous!

They turned the rebels of the previous dynasty into their own private army, and made them grateful and believe that they were "opposing the Qing and restoring the Ming".

That was a brilliant move!

"This servant...understands."

Cao Yin wiped away his cold sweat, his eyes hardening: "This servant's life belongs to the Emperor. The Emperor has commanded this servant to play the role of the Imperial Grandson, and this servant will risk his life to perform this role well!"

"That's right."

Hong Xiguan nodded in satisfaction.

This series of brilliant moves not only won over the hearts of the people, but also directly changed the political landscape of the court.

The offer of amnesty was successful.

When the news reached Beijing, it caused a stir both in the government and among the public.

Ao Bai's residence.

I learned that the thirteen families of Kuidong had really surrendered, and that it was the scholar Xiong Cili who had settled the matter with just a few words.

Ao Bai was completely distraught.

He sat on a tiger-skin chair, holding two iron balls in his hands, spinning them rapidly and making a "clicking" sound.

Something's not right...

Something's not right.

Although Ao Bai was reckless, he was not stupid.

"Li Laiheng was such a tough nut to crack; even my tens of thousands of troops couldn't make him bow down back then. How come he surrendered just because Xiong Cili read out an imperial edict?"

"Although the conditions are quite favorable—no need to shave heads, no need to change clothes... it's still a surrender!"

The advisor beside him cautiously said, "Your Excellency, perhaps... they really can't hold on any longer? After all, they've been hiding in the mountains for twenty years, lacking food and clothing."

"fart!"

Ao Bai cursed.

"I know those bandits' tenacity better than anyone; there's definitely something fishy going on here!"

But no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't figure out that the trick lay in the character of "Your Highness the Imperial Grandson".

In Ao Bai's view, this was simply a fantasy.

Ultimately, Ao Bai's downfall can only be attributed to the young emperor's good fortune, or the Han people's weak backbone, who accepted any benefits as soon as they were available.

"Hmph! Since they've surrendered, let's keep them for now."

A ruthless glint flashed in Ao Bai's eyes.

"Refusing to shave their heads and wear the official robes? That's a weakness! Once I've dealt with those old fogies in the court, I'll be the first to target Xingshan County! I'll accuse them of treason and wipe them all out!"

"In the end, military power is only truly secure when it is in the hands of the Eight Banners."

……