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

Chapter 75 Big Win, Small Loss

"Imperial Censor Jiang, what did you say?"

Chen Mingxia could hardly believe his ears.

"Public-mindedness!"

"you******."

Prince Jingjin, Nikan, could no longer contain himself, rolled up his sleeves, and began to curse.

Emperor Shunzhi rose angrily.

“Nika, mind your place. This is the Golden Palace.”

Nikan clenched his fists, his expression fierce, and took a few steps back. He had really wanted to punch Jiang Qingyun and beat him to a pulp.

……

Prince Zhuang coughed twice.

"Censor Jiang, why don't you explain it more clearly? What is meant by impartiality?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jiang Qingyun stared at Shuo Sai's face and suddenly bowed sincerely.

"However, before explaining my public-spiritedness, I would like to apologize to you first. On the very night that the Prince Rui's mansion was raided, a caravan from your residence wanted to visit someone in the south, but was stopped by the patrolling soldiers of the Five Cities Garrison. I was the one who issued the curfew order, so please do not blame those soldiers; it is all my fault."

There are several other princely residences south of Prince Zhuang's residence, which suggests that they were colluding in advance.

With a single move, he pierced the lungs.

The hall fell silent once more.

Shuo Sai, trying to remain calm, explained:

"That was the work of a few unruly servants in the Prince's mansion. I already know about it."

……

Chen Mingxia, a scholar from the National History Museum, quickly interrupted and pointed at Jiang Qingyun.

"Lord Jiang, I warn you, don't try to evade the issue. Explain immediately why you haven't sent troops to rescue the Six Ministries."

"Scholar Chen, would you like to play chess?"

"Bo? Or Yi?"

(博 refers to Go, 弈 refers to Chinese chess)

"Yi" (弈).

"Imperial Censor Jiang may not know, but I am quite knowledgeable about chess."

Jiang Qingyun nodded, then faced the assembled officials and spoke loudly.

"The world is like a game of chess. Chess has many rules, but the only rule is to protect the king. To protect the king, pawns can die, rooks, knights, and cannons can die, and when necessary, even bishops and advisors can be sacrificed."

"To protect the Forbidden City and the Emperor, any pawn can be sacrificed. Grand Secretary Chen, don't you agree?"

Chen Mingxia's face turned deathly pale.

Immediately respond loudly:
"Correct!"

"If necessary, we, your subjects, are all willing to die for Your Majesty."

"However, what does this have to do with your refusal to send troops to rescue the Six Ministries? Weren't you defending the Forbidden City at the time?"

……

"My lords, the Plain Blue Banner has suddenly besieged the Forbidden City. If I lead my troops into the city, will this be considered loyal to the emperor or a coup?"

"Don't try to deny it. Grand Secretary Fan went to the South City in person."

"But he doesn't have an imperial edict; his words are just empty promises."

Are you questioning Lord Fan Wencheng's loyalty?

Jiang Qingyun finally snapped and slapped Chen Mingxia's finger away.

"Lord Chen, under those circumstances, how could I dare to assume someone's loyalty? The Plain Blue Banner has already rebelled, so is it surprising that a Grand Secretary would rebel as well?"

Thump~
In the corner, Fan Wencheng felt a sudden pang of fear and collapsed on the spot.

Those around him quickly helped him up.

……

"Grand Secretary Chen, don't pretend to be a loyal minister and general in front of me. You are a traitor who has served three masters. Do you deserve to talk about loyalty? You are just a remnant of the Donglin Party who only knows how to talk."

"In that situation, only ambitious people would lead troops into the city. If the Plain Blue Banner won, they would assassinate the emperor. If the Plain Blue Banner lost, they would come to the emperor's aid. That was the ambitious people's wishful thinking."

"The Forbidden City is heavily fortified, and its guards are all loyal sons of the Two Yellow Banners. Rebel armies cannot breach the Forbidden City, but if an ambitious individual were to lead troops into the city..."

"Therefore, my greatest act of loyalty is to remain inactive! Even if all the people in the Six Ministries are dead, we haven't lost this game, because the king is still here."

"Chen Mingxia, do you understand?"

……

Chen Mingxia could no longer stand. His insides were burning, and his mind went blank. He staggered forward two steps and collapsed at the foot of the steps like a dead dog.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! I cannot defend myself." Shunzhi gave him a look of disgust.

"Chen Mingxia, I also feel that you really have nothing to say."

The hall fell silent once more.

Everyone knew that Chen Mingxia was finished; his career was over, and he was likely to lose his life as well.

Ning Wanwo, the Grand Academician of the Hongwen Academy and concurrently the Left Censor-in-Chief, was overjoyed and even had to deliberately lower his head to hide the joy on his face.

He roared in his heart—"Iron-toothed Imperial Censor Jiang, slaughtering all sides and overwhelming all heroes."

Awesome, awesome!

The struggle between the old and new parties needs you.

We must drag this kid into the Liaodong old party and tear the Northern and Southern parties apart.

(In the eyes of Ning Wanwo's faction, the North and South parties are collectively referred to as the New Party. The distinction between the old and new parties here is based on the time of entering officialdom and the region, rather than their ideology.)

……

Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, Sony: "This servant believes that Imperial Censor Jiang is right. At that time, it was right for him to remain inactive."

Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, Aobai, also spoke up: "This servant also believes that Imperial Censor Jiang handled the matter appropriately."

The two yellow flags and twin stars speaking together carry significant weight.

Left Censor-in-Chief Ning Wanwo also sided with the victors, loudly proclaiming, "I would stake my life on the fact that Censor Jiang is loyal."

Fan Wencheng also got up and said weakly:

“I was the person involved. The first time I only received a verbal order, and the second time I received the imperial edict. After thinking about it, I think Imperial Censor Jiang was right. In such a critical moment, he should not have trusted me.”

Immediately afterwards, the Censorate and the two Yellow Banners expressed their support for Jiang Qingyun.

Call ~
Emperor Shunzhi let out a long sigh of relief and looked around at the crowd below.

"My esteemed ministers, is there anyone else who wants to impeach Censor Jiang? Since we've already started, if so, let's just impeach them all at once."

Quiet.

It was exceptionally quiet.

……

"I'll ask you one more time, is there any more?"

"Have!"

Minister of Works Jiang Hede stepped forward.

"I impeach Jiang Qingyun's father, Jiang Zhongcheng, the deputy captain of the Xiaoji Battalion infantry, for embezzling 800 taels of silver, accepting 200 taels of silver in gifts from his subordinates, and bringing two concubines into the camp."

The hall fell silent once more.

Everyone stared at Jiang Hede with a strange look. He had joined the Shengjing Literary Academy in the third year of the Tiancong reign and was a civil official cultivated by the Qing Dynasty itself.

With impeccable roots and noble lineage.

They are definitely one of our own, with a foundation as solid as the Yanshan Mountains.

"My dear minister, do you have any evidence?"

"Yes. We have both witnesses and physical evidence, which are available for inspection at any time."

Shunzhi turned his head and looked at Jiang Qingyun.

"what do you say?"

"Your subject confesses his guilt on behalf of his father."

"So, Imperial Censor Jiang knew beforehand?" Jiang Hede asked calmly.

"Yes."

……

The hall was in turmoil once again.

Jiang Qingyun said very sincerely:
“Your Majesty, and all my colleagues, I am indeed aware of what my father did. But a son should not speak ill of his father, and I have no choice but to accept this. I beg Your Majesty for leniency, and I am willing to share the blame for my father.”

Emperor Shunzhi nodded thoughtfully.

He felt that Jiang Qingyun's words made a lot of sense and were very frank, and there really wasn't a better way. He couldn't expect his son to report his father; that would be against human ethics.
"My esteemed ministers, what do you suggest we do?"

Sony preemptively suggested: "This servant recommends punishing the son with silver and demoting the father."

……

Emperor Shunzhi nodded.

"Jiang Zhongcheng deserves punishment for his crimes. He is hereby demoted to the garrison commander of the Green Standard Army in Tongzhou Town, Zhili Province. In addition, his son Jiang Qingyun is fined 1000 taels of silver."

"The court session is adjourned."

The ministers shouted in unison:

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

(End of this chapter)