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

Chapter 69 contains the list of names.
Shunzhi's voice was exceptionally loud, carrying far beyond the palace walls.

On the square.

Empress Xiaozhuang, who had rushed over in a great hurry, stopped in her tracks upon hearing her son's angry roar.

Anxiety caused my heart to race and my blood pressure to rise.

What's done is done, there's nothing that can be done.

"Queen Mother?"

"Let's go back to the palace."

"Whoo."

Eunuchs and palace maids helped the dizzy Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang back to Cining Palace, after which she summoned the Imperial Hospital to examine her pulse.

……

Emperor Shunzhi, fueled by passion, unleashed his full power.

He stepped down from the imperial steps and asked face to face:

"Grand Secretaries of the Three Inner Courts, what are your opinions?"

"Your Majesty is wise; we will follow Your Majesty's lead without question."

Fan Wencheng, Grand Secretary of the Secretariat, Ning Wanwo, Grand Secretary of the Hongwen Academy, and Chen Mingxia, Grand Secretary of the National History Academy, spoke in unison, their eyes resolute.

"Prince Li Mandahai, Prince Jingjin Nikan, Prince Duanzhong Bolo, Prince Shuncheng Lekedehun, Prince Zhuang Shuo Sai, and Prince An Yue Le. Do you agree or disagree?"

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

The Sixth Prince looked helpless and frustrated.

Emperor Shunzhi felt completely relaxed and his blood was flowing smoothly.

He strode up the steps, sat back on the dragon throne, and waved his hand: "Do it immediately, court adjourned."

……

The imperial palace returned to silence, but the entire capital city was far from calm.

On that day, the six ministers of the State Council jointly requested an audience with Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.

Long wait.

The chief eunuch came out.

"Your Highnesses, the Empress Dowager is unwell, please return."

Prince Li, Mandahai: "Your Excellency, does the Empress Dowager know about today's morning court session?"

The head eunuch said, "The Empress Dowager says that now that the Emperor has assumed full power, it is no longer appropriate for her to concern herself with state affairs. She will simply enjoy her retirement, tending to her flowers and feeding her cats. Gentlemen, please return."

The six princes left the Forbidden City in disappointment.

On that day, the Inner Court issued an imperial edict at the fastest speed, which was sent to the Six Ministries, copied to governors and viceroys throughout the country, and announced to all Manchus in the capital.

The ten crimes are all shocking and appalling.

The city of Beijing was shaken.

Dorgon's coffin was opened, his body mutilated, chopped into dozens of pieces, smeared with grease, and burned to ashes.

……

Shunzhi felt that he had vented all the resentment he had accumulated over the past ten years in one day, and his blood and energy flowed smoothly. That night, he had sex with three palace maids, but he was still not satisfied and felt that something was missing.

But they couldn't quite put their finger on what exactly was wrong with it.

That day, I passed by the Eight Great Hutongs. The girl singing by the railing was no longer clearly visible, but her voice, her clothes, her figure, and her temperament were captivating.

Gazing at the bright yellow canopy, Shunzhi murmured to himself.

Are women really all the same?

……

After the court session ended, Jiang Qingyun declined all invitations to banquets.

Right now, he needs to do two things: one is to seize power, and the other is to meet with his two sworn brothers.

The first thing is the most important.

How to seize power?

They formed their own cliques and placed these people in various government departments to occupy many official positions, thereby indirectly gaining more power.

With the authority of the imperial court at their disposal, the difficulties have diminished.

However, it is still necessary to maintain a good relationship with the Ministry of Personnel. In any era, procedural legality is very important in officialdom.

The next day.

Jiang Qingyun handed over the task of hosting the dinner to Zhou Shao.

Zhou Shaoyuan was a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, and he knew many people, which made it easy for him to make connections. He himself waited for distinguished guests to come to his private restaurant in the south of the city.

Private restaurants are like private clubs before time travel.

Different names, same essence.

Just as Jiang Qingyun had predicted, the private restaurant became an instant hit. Secluded in its own courtyard, without any signboard or signage, offering only one table per day, it was quiet, elegant, private, and upscale.

It is especially suitable for the physique of high-ranking officials and gentry in our Great Qing Dynasty.

……

For example, this place doesn't have a formal name; it's just called "Number 13" to the public.

The courtyard is designed in the style of a southern garden, with artificial hills, ponds, pavilions and towers, all within a small space.

The cuisine mainly features Shandong dishes.

The porcelain bowls and chopsticks were all top-quality products from Jingdezhen, on par with imperial porcelain, only differing in patterns and colors.

The female shopkeeper, Qian Lihua, originally came from the Qingyin Xiaoban troupe in the Eight Great Hutongs. She transformed herself by changing her stage name, makeup, hairstyle, and clothes, and then started her own business.

She was essentially a socialite. "My lord, I've brewed you a pot of tea."

"Leave it alone."

"Yes. Your Excellency must be tired after court. Shall I give you a massage to help you relax?"

……

The flower tea has a rich aroma and contains deer antler and brown sugar, which are both nourishing to the yin and yang.

The pure white gaiwan in my hand has a simple design, but it is not vulgar. The only vulgar thing is the erotic pattern inside the lid. If you like to look at it, you can look at it more; if you don't like to look at it, you can ignore it.

Jiang Qingyun is a free spirit; he simply flipped the page to read it.

Qian Lihua chuckled. Having seen so many hypocrites, she wasn't quite used to encountering a real rogue.

"Sir, have our distinguished guests arrived yet?"

"Ah."

"I have just enough time, and I'm feeling refreshed, so why don't you serve me?"

"No. I know your intentions are good, but you haven't considered things thoroughly. What if a distinguished guest arrives midway? Wouldn't I be in a dilemma? My health could be compromised in an instant."

Qian Lihua smiled radiantly, her cheeks flushed.

"Sir, you are truly a remarkable person."

"Come closer~"

After receiving these instructions, Qian Lihua was stunned and twisted her fingers.

"do you understand?"

"understand!"

Do you understand the stakes involved?

"know."

"Remember, the sky over the south of the city belongs to the Jiang family. Go down now, you'll be greeting guests at the entrance later."

"Yes."

Qian Lihua's heart pounded, and she quickly lifted the hem of her skirt and went downstairs.

From this day forward, she will have an additional identity: eyes and ears!

Not only her, but all the female owners of private restaurants in Nancheng were informants. They had to transcribe the guest lists every day, report them up the chain of command, and finally get to Jiang Qingyun.

In official circles, who dines with whom privately is itself a signal.

……

Jiang Qingyun peeked out and saw that Feng Shuan, Minister of Personnel, Ji Zheng, Director of the Selection Department, and Zhou Shao, Ambassador of the Western Depot of the Precious Coin Bureau, had arrived together.

He quickly cupped his hands in greeting:

"Welcome, distinguished guest!"

"Hello, Imperial Censor Jiang."

Minister of Personnel Feng Shuan waved enthusiastically as he scurried towards the stairs. Seeing his superior's enthusiasm, Ji Zheng, the Assistant Director of the Selection Department, could only follow suit.

Jiang Qingyun was extremely puzzled and gave Zhou Shao a look.

Zhou Shao shook his head.

Although the three sworn brothers, Zhou, Wu, and Jiang, had different personalities, they were all very experienced in officialdom.

Let's take the example from earlier.

Jiang Qingyun's glance implied: "Why is a Minister of Personnel being so attentive to me?"

Zhou Shao shaking his head meant, "I don't know."

……

Jiang Qingyun waited at the top of the stairs and reached out his hand from afar.

As soon as Feng Shuan reached the top of the stairs, he took three steps at a time, stretched out his hands, and acted unusually attentive.

Their hands were clasped tightly together.

They have met victoriously.

"The arrival of the Heavenly Official brings great honor to our humble abode."

"I hit it off immediately with Imperial Censor Jiang. Good, good. Let's not talk about official positions today, let's just treat this as a gathering of literary friends, shall we?"

"Being respectful is worse than obeying orders."

"happy."

The two walked hand in hand to the table.

"This table of dishes looks and smells delicious; I'm actually quite hungry."

"please!"

"please!"

After two rounds of drinks, Feng Shuan even started blaming Zhou Shao.

“Master Zhou, why didn’t you introduce Brother Qingyun to me sooner? Such a talented young man, if I had met him earlier, I, Feng Shuan, would have definitely taken him as my grandson-in-law and given him a dowry of 100,000, no, 200,000 taels.”

Zhou Shao, being a man of social standing, quickly brought himself three empty wine glasses.

"Your criticism is absolutely correct; it's my fault. Shall I punish myself with three drinks?"

"He deserves to be punished, he deserves to be punished."

The over-50-year-old Minister of Personnel, Feng Shuan, slammed his fist on the table, disregarding his image.

[It will be available for purchase tomorrow at noon, with a large update schedule!]

(End of this chapter)