The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

What followed was another scene of kneeling on the ground. Cixi looked at this group of royal family members, her eyes without any emotion, only the majesty of a politician who once controlled the entire country.

Under Cixi's gaze, everyone couldn't help but lower their heads.

"Tieliang, I want to ask you, are the Eight Banners soldiers ready to go on the expedition? Have you made any arrangements for this?"

Tieliang bowed his head even deeper after hearing Cixi's words. Tieliang's demand for punishment of the New Army wasn't because he, like the New Army, didn't want the Eight Banners to go to war. Rather, if the New Army that caused trouble wasn't punished, he was afraid that some within the Eight Banners would take advantage of the situation and create an excuse to not send troops. If the Eight Banners wanted to fight, even sows would climb trees. Tieliang understood this, as did Yuan Shikai, all the generals, and even Cixi.

So Cixi didn't ask anything else, but directly hit the crux of the matter, leaving Tieliang himself at a loss for words. Say he was ready? That would offend a bunch of Manchu officials. Say he wasn't ready? Wouldn't that make him appear incompetent?

Now has come to the critical moment of life and death for our Qing Dynasty. If the Eight Banners soldiers continue to act like the Qing court does, like a big boss, and wait for the Green Camp and the New Army to fight for them, then the court will be dragged down by this group of Eight Banners soldiers, and the situation will only get worse.

But now Tieliang was proving Murphy's Law: what you fear will surely come true. Faced with the Eight Banners Army's calls for severe punishment of the New Army, the Eight Banners commanders not only failed to appease the troops, but instead fanned the flames, taking the opportunity to escalate the problem, thereby delaying the dispatch of troops, or even hoping to cancel it.

It is obvious that Cixi saw through the Eight Banners' fancy tricks at a glance and directly asked the key to the problem. Cixi solved the problem, but she put Tieliang on the fire.

Could the New Army be offended at this moment? Tie Liang knew very well that the New Army could not be offended now. Otherwise, if there was a mutiny, the Qing Dynasty would collapse on its own without the Red Bandits attacking. However, he also knew that the Eight Banners soldiers did not really want to do anything to the New Army. All of them had only one goal, which was to buy time. As long as they did not send troops and stayed in the capital, everything would be fine.

Even if all the new troops were chopped into pieces, the Eight Banners would still find new excuses not to send troops. There are always more solutions than problems. As long as they are determined not to send troops, there will always be ways to stop them.

Cixi was used to playing these power games, so she naturally figured out what the people below were thinking. Seeing Tieliang not daring to speak and Yuan Datou trembling with fear, she stopped forcing them and said directly: "I think we should make a decision after the Eight Banners troops are dispatched. If the Eight Banners fight,

If we want to win the battle, then the new army will be at the disposal of the Eight Banners. At this time, the Qing Dynasty is in need of talents, so let the new army temporarily make meritorious contributions while bearing the responsibility of serving their sentence."

Cixi's solution was brilliant. No matter what reasons the Eight Banners had for delaying the dispatch of troops, she could solve the problem by simply winning the battle first. At worst, if they won, everything would naturally end.

Tieliang finally felt relieved after hearing what Cixi said. He glanced at Yuan Datou and saw that Yuan Datou's mouth twitched slightly, wondering if he was mocking him. However, Tieliang didn't care about that at this point. As long as he could use this legitimate and reasonable excuse to trick the Eight Banners into sending troops, everything else would be easy.

The New Army cannot be dealt with at this time. Letting them grumble or even pushing them to the point of rebellion will not benefit the Qing court in the slightest. If the Eight Banners remain unable to fight, they will still have to rely on these New Army. If they start killing each other at this time, then the Qing Dynasty will collapse in an instant.

Cixi solved the problem with just a few words, leaving the princes looking at each other in dismay, their gazes filled with even more awe. Tieliang and Yuan Datou, however, shouted in unison, "The Empress Dowager is wise and wise."

Cixi ignored the two men and turned to look at the other princes and ministers, saying coldly: "What do you think?"

These princes and royal family members knew that this was the only way to go. If they objected, they would be in danger of losing their crown feathers. Moreover, Cixi's words left them no room for rebuttal, so they could only kneel and shout: "The old Buddha is wise."

Cixi first asked these princes and ministers to go back and quickly reorganize the Eight Banners Army. After they left, Cixi allowed Yuan Datou to stand up and speak. Kneeling for so long, even a young man would not be able to bear it, let alone Yuan Datou, who was already forty-six or forty-seven years old. After kneeling for so long, he tried hard to stand up, but his legs were no longer very obedient.

Cixi waved her hand gently, and Li Lianying immediately understood. He signaled with his eyes for the two eunuchs to quickly step forward and help Yuan Datou. Yuan Datou usually behaved like a soldier. Whether standing or sitting, he always held his back straight, even at home. If dealing with the people in the New Army had not had a serious impact, he would never have come to suffer this punishment.

"Please take a seat." Cixi said lightly.

Yuan Datou was about to kneel down to express his gratitude, but was stopped by Cixi. He could only bow and say, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yuan Datou was sitting on a square chair with half his buttocks, listening carefully to Cixi's questions. Then Cixi asked: "Yuan Datou, I know your loyalty. There is no need to mention the fight with the Eight Banners now. You are more familiar with the march and the battle. Tell us!"

"Empress Dowager, the New Army will fight to the death against the Red Bandits. We will fight for the Qing Dynasty until our death!"

Cixi did not express her opinion. She just hummed softly and continued, "So what do you have to say about the Eight Banners' march and battle?"

"Empress Dowager, if the Eight Banners are to go out to fight, firearms are indispensable. In the current situation, swords and spears are no longer enough to win a battle."

Yuan Datou did not mention that the Qing Dynasty started with bows and arrows, after all, it would sound a bit unpleasant to say it.

After hearing this, Cixi nodded slightly, looked at Tieliang and said, "Tieliang, are the firearms ready?"

To be honest, the Qing dynasty's weapons purchases were quite similar to those of later India, and they were quite generous in their spending. Although the weapons were made in various countries, the quantity was indeed quite large. Although many weapons were looted from the arsenal during the invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Alliance, with proper organization and collection, the Eight Banners could have been fully equipped with firearms. However, as for logistics, there was no need to worry about it, as they were just disposable troops. Of course, this issue is extremely complex, so naturally, no one would bring it up to cause trouble.

"Your Majesty, it's still a little short, but it's barely enough." "Very good, let the Eight Banners leave the capital as soon as possible!"

Cixi's words determined the fate of these Eight Banners children. For the Qing court and the Eight Banners children, whether it was a blessing or a curse was still unknown!

It was a pity that Fuchun's idea failed. It was a joke. It would be worse than not letting the Eight Banners guard the city. If these people were left alone, the capital would be destroyed in just a few days. The Qing officials would never agree to such a proposal and naturally rejected it without a second thought.

When Fuchun woke up at noon the next day, he heard an order that filled him with despair. The time had finally come for the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty to march off to war. A wave of mourning permeated the entire capital. The families of the Eight Banners, those with connections, went to the palace to plead and cry, while those without connections knelt at the gates. However, Cixi, Tieliang, and the others had already made up their minds and would not change their minds. In the end, they could only rush to the city gates to bid the Eight Banners off. Their cries were earth-shattering, and the atmosphere was filled with tragic grandeur.

The families of the Eight Banners stood at the city gates, women weeping, men weeping, old weeping, young weeping, men and women, young and old, all weeping together at the city gates. It was truly a rare scene in the world. These Eight Banners descendants didn't know if they would be able to return alive this time. They cried and looked back every few steps, unwilling to leave this majestic capital. But now that Cixi had spoken, they had no choice but to send troops. Even if they were given the courage to mutiny or something, they wouldn't dare.

"These bastards are finally gone!"

Tieliang stood in the distance, quietly watching the group of Eight Banners children finally leave the capital, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He had been very annoyed during this period, with a lot of people begging for mercy, lobbying, and giving gifts, and even pointing fingers at Tieliang and scolding him. Now these living ancestors have finally left, and he has finally gotten rid of this heavy burden. However, when Tieliang thought of the current fiscal revenue, he sighed again. The state affairs were difficult. Tieliang really couldn't understand why the situation changed so quickly. Such a big court was about to collapse. Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard someone talking next to him.

"Are you worried about money, sir?"

Tieliang regained consciousness and saw Kuijun standing beside him, looking at him with a profound expression. This gentleman had lost Sichuan, but he had brought back a lot of news. Li Hongzhang and others had interceded for him, and he was one of the four richest men in the capital, the Guarjia clan, and he had donated a lot of money. Not only did he save his life, but he was still thriving.

"Oh, what good plan does Master Kuijun have?"

As one of the most influential figures in the capital, no news from the palace could escape the eyes and ears of Kui Jun and his men. So Kui Jun stopped talking and said, "I have the means to purchase large quantities of grain, so making money is a piece of cake. But we must control the grain supply in the capital, including the grain in the imperial farms, and then raise the price. That way, the court will have more money, right?"

Tieliang knew what was going on the moment he heard it. This was a classic case of hoarding, speculation, and market manipulation to profit from the national crisis. However, Tieliang also knew that Kuijun was just a representative of a group, and there were huge interests involved. So he didn't refuse outright, but said, "We need to discuss this matter further. I can't make the decision alone. Once we have a result, I will definitely need your help."

Kui Jun had no way to force him. Now that things had come to this, everyone naturally knew what he meant.

When Kui Jun returned to the palace, a large group of people came to question him. Everyone was delighted by Tieliang's answer. You know, grain prices had skyrocketed recently, and the princes and nobles who owned the imperial estates had made a lot of money. But then, a large amount of smuggled grain entered the capital, causing grain prices to fall slightly, which was completely against the interests of the imperial estates. Then, when they heard that the Empress Dowager was planning to take over the imperial estates, they were naturally anxious.

When they heard Tieliang wanted to monopolize the grain trade in the capital, they naturally knew what was going on. This job definitely needed someone to do it, so they immediately became interested. As long as they got involved, controlled the entire grain trade in the capital, and kept the price of grain at a high level, they would definitely make a lot of money.

Of course, these princes and nobles would not talk about making money in such a vulgar way. They would naturally not leave their mouths with high-sounding words. They would share the country's worries and give them the task of controlling grain to save money for the court. They would not charge labor fees, increase the court's income, and plug the loopholes of smuggling...

These princes and nobles naturally knew the current state of the Qing court, and at this point, they naturally had no intention of dying for the Qing. They were all aware of the strength of the People's Liberation Army, and naturally, they were focused on maximizing their own interests. Right now, they were busy with one thing: making money, then finding ways to deposit it in foreign banks and then transfer it abroad. This was their only concern. As long as they had money, they were powerful wherever they went, and the fall of the Qing Dynasty was irrelevant. They could flee to the concessions or even abroad and continue to live a good life.

Chapter 582: Book friends all over the world, sharing the beauty of the moon with you even though we are thousands of miles apart!

The Eight Banners, fresh out of the capital to suppress bandits, initially faced an unfamiliar environment and remained remarkably united and cautious. However, it wasn't long before they sensed something was amiss. Soon, they reverted to their old ways, displaying the arrogance they had displayed in the capital, even beginning to act with a certain arrogance.

Unlike the initial tears they cried when they left Kyoto, the Eight Banners were now in high spirits. At first, they marched slowly from the capital to Shandong. In order to avoid fighting, they marched as slowly as possible. People who didn't know them would think that these Eight Banners were not going to suppress bandits, but to travel.

But an army is an army. No matter how shabby it is, its organization must be tightly controlled from top to bottom. When the first Eight Banners member lost control of himself and began to reach out to the homes of local people. When the first Eight Banners member lost control of his lower body and broke into people's houses. When they faced the local landlords and gentry who were submissive and obedient, when they accepted gifts and were overwhelmed, they finally covered their mouths...

It turns out they are still so powerful. It turns out the outside world is still a paradise for the Eight Banners. It turns out that the Eight Banners are like the emperors when they go to the local areas. It turns out that the truth behind the looting by the Eight Banners ancestors in history is like this! It turns out that I can also dominate the world like my ancestors...

If Zhang Yinghao saw this situation, he would only say that the bad habits of the Eight Banners descendants were developed by local officials and landlords and gentry, and that they were submissive and were indulged by Chinese tradition.

Faced with countless benefits along the way, the Eight Banners troops really began to get carried away and started to do whatever they wanted. Countless young women and wives along the way suffered, and countless civilian families were completely plundered by these Eight Banners. Seeing that these civilians were still submissive and dared not resist them, the Eight Banners children immediately evolved again, and immediately developed from doing whatever they wanted to doing whatever they wanted.

These Eight Banners descendants really had never studied organizational science, and did not know the huge difference in power between being organized and not being organized; nor did they know that by doing this they were speeding up the process of digging the Qing Dynasty's grave. But at this time, if anyone of the Eight Banners descendants who had tasted the sweetness dared to stop them from reaping the benefits, they would immediately tear that person to pieces.

Even more bizarre was the fact that, faced with the people along the way offering them gifts and kneeling in obeisance, these Eight Banners descendants immediately became arrogant and treated the Han Chinese as slaves, beating and kicking anyone who displeased them. They paid no attention to the imperial propaganda about the unity of the Manchus and the Han, and regardless of whether you were a landlord or a commoner, they were determined not to miss anyone and would exploit the land wherever they passed.

At this time, they have begun to feel a little reluctant to leave. Living in the capital and enjoying the hard-earned food is not as good as living outside. Money and beauties,

Drinking big mouthfuls of wine and eating big chunks of meat, this is the treatment that the Eight Banners troops deserve. As for those Beiyang New Army who had offended them before, their previous reluctance to leave the capital, and the threats from the red bandits in various places, they had long forgotten about them. In short,

In a word, these Eight Banners children have become wild after leaving the cage of the capital!

So these Eight Banners children walked along the way, causing trouble along the way, leaving a mess behind. Countless people gnashed their teeth at the backs of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, but what could they do? After all, individuals are powerless. At most, they would spit and say, "What a joke!"

Of course, the actions of the Eight Banners soon spread to the capital. Except for a very few people, everyone else knew that the Eight Banners' actions were inappropriate. But what good was it to know? What could they do? The Qing Dynasty had no money and no food. Now it was completely unable to support these Eight Banners. If they were not allowed to go out to hunt for food, would they starve to death?

Moreover, not long after these Eight Banners children left, they had already sent a lot of supplies to the capital. Not to mention money, there was also a lot of food and cloth. This effectively alleviated the shortage of supplies and money in the capital. Tie Liang and his men were naturally happy about this. They just quietly issued an order, a few mild reprimands, and then told them to suppress the bandits, but not to go too far.

The Eight Banners officers who received the order were overjoyed. In their minds, this immediately became an act of following orders, so they became even more extreme. Perhaps in their eyes, not going too far meant not killing people indiscriminately. As for bullying the Han dogs below, it naturally could not be considered excessive.

From their initial stealthiness to their subsequent unbridled freedom, it seemed as if no further learning was needed. Rather, it was an innate talent, a natural progression, something etched deep within these Eight Banners children, only now finding the opportunity to display it. This wasn't surprising, after all, they'd grown up hearing stories of their ancestors' "heroic" exploits. Even if they hadn't personally committed plunder, they'd surely rehearsed it countless times in their heads. Now, with their own hands-on experience, combining theory with practice, their progress was naturally rapid. These were all simple tricks, effortlessly mastered.

However, with the emergence of the revolutionary army, the Qing Dynasty began to allow local militias to form. Therefore, landlords, gentry, and merchants with some power and ability began to collude with each other and jointly form militias. Forming militias required extorting land from local people, and these landlords and gentry could not afford to pay for it all themselves. The arrival of these Eight Banners descendants naturally led to conflicts of interest with these militias.

The militias knew their legitimacy came from the Qing's recognition, so as long as the Eight Banners had completed their mission, they would leave or not go too far. They mostly maintained a tolerant attitude, and at most, they would only dare to let these Eight Banners encounter a soft resistance. However, there are exceptions to everything, and this exception is the one they fear most.

That day, Fuchun, the deputy commander, was enjoying himself with his fellow thugs. He drank some baijiu and suddenly became excited and eager to take action. The alcohol fueled his spirits, and he led his thugs through Guangrao searching for anyone colluding with the "bandits."

Fuchun wandered around but couldn't find anyone worthy of colluding with the "bandits", which made him feel embarrassed in front of his brothers. So he simply led his men to the main road and waited. He waited and waited, almost getting tired of it. Finally, his efforts paid off and he saw a big fat sheep.

When the convoy approached, Fuchun was stunned. There were more than fifty rubber-wheeled carts pulled by horses, all packed to the brim and covered tightly. However, from the outlines, it was clear that they were filled with neatly stacked boxes. Such a large amount of goods must be worth a lot of silver!

Behind the caravan of rubber-wheeled carts were several horse-drawn carriages. Needless to say, they were for the families of the host family, shopkeepers and other distinguished people.

The carriage drivers and servants numbered sixty or seventy people. They wore wide-brimmed straw hats, short black cloth jackets, linen trousers, and black cloth shoes. Each of them had a broadsword, a spear, and other weapons. Some servants even carried long guns and short cannons on their backs, making a terrifying sight. However, no matter how powerful they were, they still stopped when they arrived in front of Fuchun, because Fuchun and her men had their guns pointed at them.

The shopkeeper, who had received the message long ago, quickly pulled back the curtain, jumped off the carriage, and strode up to Fuchun. He clasped his hands together, bowed, and said with a smile, "Sir, we are from the Liu Tongji Trading Company in Qingdao. The boss has asked us to escort our family to Qingdao. Please take care of us, gentlemen. Thank you for your kindness!"

After saying this, the shopkeeper immediately pulled a stack of silver dollars from his pocket and handed it to Fuchun. After all, he was the shopkeeper of the Liu Tongji Trading Company, a man who had seen a lot of the world, so he remained calm when meeting Fuchun, an Eight Banners officer.

Fuchun took the silver dollar and stuffed it into his trouser pocket. Without even looking at the shopkeeper, he walked towards the rubber-wheeled cart and ordered the driver: "We have orders from above to strictly check all goods and pedestrians passing through to prevent anyone from colluding with bandits. Open them! Open them all, I want to check!"

The shopkeeper panicked when he saw this. He rushed over and said to Fuchun, "Sir, our boss does business in Qingdao and is also friends with the magistrate of Guangrao County. I have a certificate from the Germans in Qingdao. Please take a look!"

Opening the goods was not a big deal, but the attitude of the officer in front of him made the shopkeeper feel suspicious. It had never been like this before. How could he not do his job after receiving the money? Moreover, after opening the goods, he would have to pack them again. Not only was it troublesome, but what if these soldiers' rough hands and feet damaged the goods?

The shopkeeper knew that the soldiers feared foreigners the most, so he not only brought in the county magistrate, but also the Germans to back him up. If it had been not long ago, or even back in the capital, Fuchun would have been trembling with fear, but after a few days of wandering around, his heart had become wild. Moreover, as a newcomer to the Eight Banners, he didn't know the rules of the road. Add to that the fact that he'd been drinking, and showing off in front of his brothers was a refreshing thing to do, so he naturally wanted to have a good time.

Fuchun took the pass from the shopkeeper, gave it a pretentious glance, and said slowly, "Bandits from the Yimeng Mountains have begun to appear in Guangrao. They're very skilled at forging lies and deceiving us. Perhaps this pass was forged by them. Come on, take away their guns and open the box. I need to check carefully to see if there are any supplies hidden inside for the bandits!"

"Sir, we are all honest businessmen. How could we be collaborating with bandits? We all know that collaborating with bandits is punishable by death. Sir, please be kind and let us go. I thank you here."

After saying this, the shopkeeper kept bowing, then took out a stack of silver dollars from his pocket and was about to hand them to Fuchun.

After Fuchun took it, he pondered it in his hand and said coldly: "A serious businessman?"

"Yes, yes, yes. A serious businessman."

"Hmph, honest businessmen, why are you bribing soldiers? Why are honest businessmen carrying guns?"

"This, this is to prevent bandits!"

"It's broad daylight, and you say we're on guard against bandits. Where are these bandits? Are you saying we're incompetent? I think you're bandits. If you're not, you're definitely collaborating with them. Come on, take their guns away first."

Well, it's hard to explain a scholar to a soldier, especially since the soldier is an uneducated and unskilled Eight Banners kid. At this moment, Fuchun completely despised the little money the shopkeeper had just given her. So many carriages and horses, who knows how much gold and silver they are worth. Does the shopkeeper think he doesn't know what they are worth? Even if he reported it to the county magistrate, would they dare to intervene in the affairs of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty? That would be really outrageous. After leaving the capital, the Eight Banners realized how useful their identities were. As long as they said they were from the Eight Banners, wouldn't those officials immediately obey?

As soon as the shopkeeper saw Fuchun's taunting, he knew trouble was coming, big trouble even. He was claiming it was broad daylight, but now he was being robbed even more brazenly than a bandit. This guy was trying to embezzle his property, and maybe even kill to silence him. The shopkeeper quickly stood in front of Fuchun, still smiling, and said, "Sir, you're joking. Our boss is a friend of the foreigners. He even invited the German commander in Qingdao to dinner. They also issued the certificate. How could it be forged by bandits? Please, sir, please don't make things difficult for us errand boys."

Fuchun slapped the shopkeeper in the face, making him stumble and curse: "Go to hell, who the hell are you? How dare you yell in front of our Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty? I am selfless and I will check it if I say so. I will check it now. I am so bored that I have nothing better to do than to argue with you, a piece of shit! Check it!"

At this moment, a clear female voice came from a carriage: "Stop it! How dare you do that!"

Then, the carriage curtain opened, and out jumped a pure, innocent girl next door with a cherry mouth, willow-shaped eyebrows, a pure white dress, two large braids, and a small folding fan in her hand. Just looking at her angry expression and her cute face instantly aroused a man's protective desire, especially with a gun in hand. He could live and die for her!

The guards didn't dare look at the girl, but Fuchun and the other eight bannermen were so shocked that they lowered their guns unconsciously, fearing that the innocent girl next door might be injured. Unexpectedly, the girl wasn't the real boss, but just a little girl. She lifted the curtain of the sedan again and said, "Second Miss, please come in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a girl of about eighteen years old bent down and stuck her head out of the car. The girl had an oval face with two small dimples on her face that seemed pure and charming. She had beautiful eyebrows, bright eyes and white teeth. She was indescribably beautiful and moving.

Then the girl from the Liu family came out wearing a dress with small floral patterns. She jumped out of the carriage with the help of her maid like a fairy. She had a silver watch on her wrist, which sparkled and made her look graceful and elegant.

Fuchun suddenly felt like he was in love. His heart was beating wildly, his heart was numb, and his whole body felt full of strength yet also weak. Fuchun had been hanging out in the Eight Great Hutongs since he was a child. He had seen all kinds of women. What kind of person could make him so obsessed? Even Fuchun was like this, let alone his subordinates?

The Liu family girl saw a group of people looking at her stupidly, but she was not embarrassed. She just said in a pleasant voice: "Why did you hit our shopkeeper?"

"Oh, God! This is a fairy descending to earth."

Fuchun felt his heart suddenly melt. With his limited knowledge, he couldn't find the words to describe the Liu family girl. The wine doesn't intoxicate, but the person is intoxicated. Now he was completely dizzy. Fuchun suddenly felt an itch in his nose. He touched it with his hand and found that his nose was bleeding all over the floor. At this moment, a devilish voice kept echoing in Fuchun's mind.

"No matter the cost, even if it means death, I must get her. I must get her, I must get her..."

It was the indulgence during this period that made Fuchun obsessed. Otherwise, if he was in the capital, how could he have such thoughts? Of course, men are like this. When the lower body is in a dominant state, they don't care about anything, even their own lives are a joke, just for that passionate moment, just to leave behind excellent offspring.

Fuchun's face turned pale, then blue. Sometimes he suddenly became ferocious, but then immediately became gentle as water. Suddenly he turned vicious again, and then became stupid again...

The shopkeeper, a man of the world, knew from the look on the Qing officer's face that things were going to get bad, and he could only jump in frustration. He had long ago instructed his young lady not to show up; no matter what, they would only suffer a small financial loss. But now his young lady refused to show up, and now they were in big trouble. It was truly a disaster for the country and its people.

The Liu family girl frowned slightly when she saw Fuchun's appearance. Seeing the fairy frowning in front of her, Fuchun finally woke up from her dazed state and had already come up with several strategies in her mind. No matter what kind of person this Liu family girl was, she was a descendant of the Eight Banners and a deputy commander. It would be a great honor for this Liu family girl to marry him.

With this change of mind, Fuchun had already completed the transformation of a warlord. He immediately laughed and waved his hand and said, "Take down all their guns."

Fuchun had no idea how many people he had harmed recently, but he already had plans for this Miss Liu. Regardless of whether her family had any feelings for him, he believed they would soon "fall in love." Besides, there was no such thing as free love in this day and age. He was going to marry Miss Liu right now, forcing her into a fait accompli. Anyone who dared to object would have to ask the man in his hand first.

Fuchun glanced around and saw that the servants' guns were taken away by his men, and he suddenly felt very proud.

"In the face of absolute power, everything is nothing."

Fuchun reached into his pocket and took out the silver and money that the shopkeeper had just given him, and threw it to the shopkeeper.

"This is the down payment for marrying your daughter. I'll take her away now. We'll go meet my father-in-law in a couple of days. Haha..."

Chapter 583: First update, please vote!

This was said as if it were a matter of course, with full confidence and dominance. He didn't care about other people's reactions after saying this, and walked over directly, intending to immediately take the Liu family girl away in a princess hug. It was the first time Liu Wanrong had seen such a domineering person. For a moment, she was actually in a state of confusion and forgot to resist.

However, Fuchun's words and actions immediately aroused the anger of the crowd. The others were held at bay by the Eight Banners soldiers with guns and bayonets, but the maid was still free and immediately rushed forward to fight back. Suddenly, she slapped Fuchun in the face. Unfortunately, Fuchun didn't take the girl seriously at this time and said viciously: "If you hit me again, I will hand you over to my men."

Unfortunately, the maid completely ignored Fuchun's threats and still wanted to fight. Fuchun was slapped before because of carelessness. Now the little girl wanted to hit her, so forget it. Suddenly, Fuchun bumped the maid lightly with her shoulder. At this time, she lost her balance and immediately fell on her buttocks. Then, when the Liu family girl woke up and wanted to resist, he picked her up.

After all, Fuchun had been around the Eight Great Hutongs for over ten or twenty years, so dealing with a young girl was a piece of cake. Before the Liu family girl could struggle, Fuchun quietly placed one hand on a certain part of her body and then pinched it. Liu Wanrong, a young girl, was so frightened that she didn't dare to move an inch.

Fuchun was so daring at this point that he was so brazen in his lust that he abducted a woman in broad daylight. After all, the down payment for the bride price had already been paid, and no one could say anything more. At most, he would have to make amends in the future. Marrying such a woman was worth it, even if it meant he would live ten years less. With his own men and guns, who would dare to act rashly?

Fuchun, holding Liu Wanrong in his arms, laughed heartily as he boarded the carriage Liu Wanrong had previously ridden. His subordinates, the Eight Banners, had already developed a tacit understanding for these matters. Someone immediately jumped aboard and began to drive. The servants, naturally unwilling to watch their young lady being abducted, immediately tried to dissuade them. However, the Eight Banners were also very experienced in this matter. The few who were responsible for the rearguard immediately drew their swords and began hacking away, leaving no one able to pass. The servants and grooms could only slowly follow behind the remaining Eight Banners.

The shopkeeper was nearly succumbing to anger, but thanks to his experience, he managed to calm himself and immediately grabbed a servant, sending him on horseback to report the news. Meanwhile, the maidservant had lost all her previous expression and could only squat on the ground, weeping and wiping away tears.

Fuchun's intentions were good. Life was difficult in that era, and the oppression of men and women by landlords and gentry was commonplace. Countless people sold their children. In ancient times, having a daughter was a financial loss. The primary use for a poor family was likely to be to find a new wife for their son. If the bride price was high enough, their families would be complicit in the abuse. The simple words of "parents' orders" and "matchmakers' orders" suppressed any resistance from women. The saying, "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog" sealed their fate.

But Liu Wanrong, the daughter of the Liu family, was no ordinary person. She was the daughter of a wealthy comprador, having studied abroad and seen the world. Furthermore, Fuchun's claim that the Liu family was colluding with bandits was absolutely correct. In this day and age, doing business required connections, both inside and outside the courts. It was all unspoken, but if you kept silent and I didn't, who would investigate? Although Liu Wanrong was a woman, she was no pushover. She had even practiced a few techniques and had fired a gun.

Fuchun and his fellow Eight Banners soldiers had just arrived in Shandong, and Fuchun was also new to Guangrao, so naturally they weren't fully familiar with the local situation. Pressured by the revolutionary army's land distribution, the Qing Dynasty reinstituted militia training to suppress bandits. Local militias and merchant armed forces seized the opportunity, gradually losing control. The Qing Dynasty's control over the local areas was already weak, and with the militia, their control over the countryside was practically zero.