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

Chapter 51 All factors are unfavorable
The seventh year of the Shunzhi reign, the twelfth day of the second month in the lunar calendar.

Although it was early spring, the air was still bitterly cold.

After assuming personal rule, Emperor Shunzhi was ambitious and determined to emulate the Qin and Han emperors and make a name for himself in history.

He used a knife to carve on the pillars of the Hall of Supreme Harmony: "Civil Achievements, Military Merits, and All Nations Paying Tribute."

In the imperial court, he continuously appointed officials from the two Yellow Banners and Han Chinese officials, placing them in key positions in various departments to gradually gain control of the discourse.

Within the harem, four concubines and three ladies-in-waiting have already been recruited.

You'll know the true flavor once you taste the marrow!
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang also fell silent, spending her days tending to flowers and birds, only sending a message through Sony.

"Don't bring up Dorgon's past mistakes. You can arrest or exile Dorgon's confidants who should be arrested. It's not too late to bring up his past mistakes in two or three years."

After calming down, Shunzhi reluctantly agreed.

The relationship between mother and son has eased somewhat.

……

Wenhua Hall.

Emperor Shunzhi listened to the latest military reports from the southwest here.

"Pingnan Prince Shang Kexi reported that the army had captured Shaoguan, Nanxiong, and Meiling, and the Yongli Emperor Zhu Youlang had fled to Wuzhou, Guangxi. The factional struggle within the Ming court was intensifying."

"Kong Youde, Prince of Dingnan, reported that Du Yinxi, Grand Secretary and Commander-in-Chief of the Ming Dynasty, has died of illness."

"Wu Sangui, the Prince of Pingxi, reported that the suppression of bandits in Shaanxi has been a great success, and the entire province is now pacified."

"it is good!"

Emperor Shunzhi was full of ambition, for the dawn of unifying the country had already appeared.

He said loudly:

"Hang this huge map here to mark the progress of the battlefield. I want to see a complete and intact empire as soon as possible. Issue an edict to the Ministry of Revenue to reward the soldiers at the front generously and ensure that the military supplies at the front are guaranteed."

"According to the order!"

Even after leaving the Wenhua Hall, Shunzhi's interest remained high.

"Ao Bai".

"The slave is here."

"What's wrong with the brains of Zhu Youlang's men? Our army is pressing in, and they're still busy fighting amongst themselves. Kong Youde said that even Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang's relationship has soured. I just can't understand it. Can't they put the bigger picture first? Hahahaha~."

"His Majesty is blessed with boundless good fortune."

"Yes, you're right, it really is God's help."

Upon seeing Ao Bai, Shunzhi suddenly thought of someone.

……

What has Jiang Qingyun been up to lately?

"Your Majesty, he is verifying the military achievements reported in the Shanxi campaign. Several people have claimed credit for others, such as a bondservant named Cao Xi."

"Ok?"

"This man actually said in his confession that he had killed 40 Ming soldiers without ever changing his sword."

Seeing Shunzhi's surprise, Aobai quickly explained.

"This servant is a military officer. He knows that even the best sword will dull after cutting down five or six people, and then he will have to change swords to fight again. This man's boasting only proves that he knows nothing about the battlefield."

"What exactly did this scoundrel do while serving in the army?"

Shunzhi blushed slightly; he didn't actually know this common knowledge either.

"Cao Xi was a bondservant of the Plain White Banner. During the campaign against Shanxi, he always served Dorgon outside the tent and never went into battle."

……

"Ao Bai, what do you think of Jiang Qingyun?"

"This man is loyal, courageous, and heroic; he is an exceptionally straightforward man. Such men are rare among Han Chinese, unlike us Manchus."

Ao Bai had a very good impression of Jiang Qingyun.

Shunzhi nodded:
"By imperial decree, Jiang Qingyun is promoted to Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a fourth-rank official, and will continue to concurrently serve as the commander of the Five City Garrison."

Where there is reward, there is punishment.

Shunzhi suddenly asked with a cold face:

"What has Hong Chengchou been doing lately? The mass vaccination of the Eight Banners is a major event for the court and cannot be delayed any longer. Tell him to hurry up and complete the pilot program for the Plain Blue Banner within one month, or he will lose his head."

"Whoo."

……

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang knew the importance of Hong Chengchou!
The Three Princes were at best generals, while Hong Chengchou had served as a high-ranking official and military commander, leading hundreds of thousands of troops in coordinated operations. If he were to rebel, the danger would be immense. Therefore, he needed to be kept in the capital, both for his use and for defense.

The situation at the front is progressing smoothly, the Qing army has a huge advantage, and Hong Chengchou is a pawn to be discarded.

With the front lines fraught with danger and the Qing army in crisis, Hong Chengchou became highly sought after.

This is also true in real history.

Now that things are going well at the front, Shunzhi felt there was no need to treat the old man with excessive courtesy.

This is very Qing Dynasty!

……

It can only be said that Hong Chengchou was having a run of bad luck.

All current factors are working against him.

Under immense pressure, the Hong family father and son even moved their bedding to a "seedling production workshop" dozens of miles outside Deshengmen, working day and night to urge production.

“Father, those soldiers sent to collect smallpox scabs are utterly foolish! They even collected scabs from newly infected patients, those who had just died, and those who were seriously ill. This isn't inoculation; it's poisoning!”

Hong Chengchou glanced at his son, who was in a fit of rage.

“Ming’er, anger harms the liver. Sit down and have a cup of tea with this old man.”

Hong Shiming looked disheveled and lost all his former elegant demeanor.

“Father, why don’t I go and beg Jiang Qingyun again? If he’s willing to help, our family can get through this.”

"Father?"

Hong Chengchou shook his head.

"After you finish this cup of tea, come with me outside for some fresh air."

……

After leaving the camp, the father and son rode their horses leisurely up a small hill.

Hong Chengchou raised his hand to shade his eyes and looked south.

The outline of the mountains is faintly visible.

“That’s Jingshan Park. Six years ago, Emperor Chongzhen was buried here.”

Hong Shiming was startled and quickly turned his head to confirm that the guards accompanying him were all 15 zhang away.

"Father, be careful what you say."

"Ming'er, dismount. I have something to tell you."

The father and son sat on the ground, and Hong Chengchou took a deep breath: "Ming'er, my life is coming to an end."

"Father?"

"Calm down, don't make a sound, let me finish."

……

Hong Chengchou remained calm:

"Only now do I realize that I have been pushed step by step into the death trap of presiding over smallpox vaccination in the inner city, and I can't get out."

"Originally, the imperial court would not have carried out large-scale smallpox vaccination, but Jiang Qingyun's success in the southern city and the emperor's recent assumption of power and ambitious plans led to this."

“When we took over, we found that the prescription, the personnel, and the selection of materials were all flawed. These shortcomings combined led to a smallpox incidence rate of up to 4% among the senior officers of Zhenglan Banner in the previous round.”

"Father, are you saying that Jiang Qingyun deceived everyone?"

Hong Chengchou waved his hand.

"At this point, the truth is no longer important. What matters is that the Emperor believes it, and I've been put on the fire."

"So, Father, are you resigning now?"

“Even if I resign, I will still die. I have read the official gazette. Zhu Youlang is muddleheaded and the war is a complete mess. It is only a matter of time before the Ming army loses Guangzhou. Once Guangzhou is lost, Wuzhou will soon follow, and the Guangdong and Guangxi regions will soon follow as well. The collapse of the Yongli regime is imminent. Therefore, I am no longer of any use to the Qing court.”

"Let's plant it! Let's take a gamble!"

"The result of large-scale variolation was that half of the people in Zhenglan Banner got smallpox, and I still wouldn't have survived."

……

“Father, let’s write a letter exposing Jiang Qingyun’s deception! Even if we die, we’ll take him down with us.”

"It's no use. He's enjoying the Emperor's favor right now; we can't bring him down. A turnaround will take time, but my son and I don't have that time left."

A cold wind blew across the mountaintop, and the father and son sat there blankly, lost in a long silence.

Hong Shiming asked unwillingly, "Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"

(End of this chapter)