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

Chapter 80 You call me godfather?
Suksaha's heart skipped a beat, and just as he was about to say something, the deputy executioner arrived.

"My lord, it is already noon."

"Execution."

Jiang Qingyun pulled a red stick from the divination tube in front of him and threw it on the ground.

The drumming suddenly stopped.
The executioners raised their swords, took a deep breath, and held their breath. Their apprentices pulled off the red badges from the backs of the condemned prisoners, grabbed their braids, and yanked them hard.

"Execution!"

At the deputy executioner's command, 14 large swords fell simultaneously.

Blood gushing out~
The onlookers collectively took two steps back, then erupted in cheers. The drums sounded again, terrifying the evil spirits.

The executioners tossed their blood-stained daggers to their apprentices and left.

For each person killed, a reward of 2 taels of silver will be given.

Today is different; since those who have been beheaded are all important figures, the reward is as high as 5 taels of silver.

The executioner, though seemingly lowly, was like the imperial physician; his livelihood could be passed down through generations, and he was indispensable regardless of the changing dynasties.

……

Jiang Qingyun quietly left the stage.

As a modern person, he was disgusted by bloodshed. But since he had transmigrated to this era, he had to adapt to local customs and, when necessary, be more ruthless than the enemy.

Aura is a very subtle thing; it cannot be seen or touched, but it certainly exists.

At this moment, Jiang Qingyun's aura was astonishing.

Suksaha followed closely behind, acting like a little follower. Although many people privately despised such fawning behavior, he remained unperturbed.

There's no other reason than fear of death.

He was genuinely afraid of Jiang Qingyun.

Submission is ingrained in our blood!
Less than six months after Dorgon's death, the matter was far from settled.

The 14 severed heads were just the beginning, not the end. Who was Dorgon's remnant and who was not was entirely up to Jiang Qingyun.

……

A teahouse not far away, with private seating on the second floor.

Hong Shiming, sitting by the window, was trembling uncontrollably, causing the tea in his teacup to ripple slightly. He and Suksaha shared the same fear: being purged.

Although he had his father's letter of recommendation as a shield, it was still not entirely safe, as there were countless underhanded tricks in officialdom.

The most urgent task is to completely dispel Jiang Qingyun's fear of him.

How to dispel it?

He needed to make Jiang Qingyun genuinely believe that he was unaware of the "father's revenge" and that he would wholeheartedly serve as his loyal dog.

Leaving the teahouse~
Hong Shiming walked to the empty market entrance, looked down at the dried bloodstains on the ground, and tried to stimulate himself with this tragic scene so that he would give up his aristocratic pride as soon as possible.

Seeing that he was lingering, someone sneakily approached him.

"Young master, would you like some blood-soaked buns?"

"what?"

"50 coins each, specially for treating tuberculosis. Don't worry, they're fresh."

As he spoke, he pulled a steamed bun from his pocket.

"Young master, you'll feel better after eating this."

Clearly, this person mistook Hong Shiming, who looked pale and thin, for a tuberculosis patient.

"I can't swallow it."

"Oh, young master, even if it's disgusting, it's still better than dying, right?"

How many do you have?

"4."

"I want them all."

Hong Shiming took out some loose silver, took the blood-soaked bun, and stuffed it into his mouth in large mouthfuls.

It smells fishy and makes me want to vomit.

His stomach was pushing upwards, and he tried desperately to swallow.

A voice roared in my heart:

I want to be like Goujian!
I will be even more despicable than what Goujian did!
……

The next day.

Jiang Qingyun went out early in the morning to inspect the South City Training Ground.

Recruit soldiers!

Hiring! In the past few days, the news of the vacancy in the Five Cities Military Command has spread like wildfire throughout Beijing, and people are flocking to apply.

There were four main categories of people who applied: people from Baoding, Han Bannermen, young men from Nancheng, and bodyguards.

The queue was incredibly long.

There are three hurdles to overcome.

The first challenge is running, which involves running 10 laps around the training ground.

The second test is obedience: stand still for one hour, and anyone who talks, moves, or expresses dissatisfaction will be eliminated.

The third test is health, which is handled by Zhang Jing, a former itinerant doctor who has become a medical officer. Those with infectious diseases, skin diseases, or severe tooth decay are all eliminated.

There's actually another hurdle—family background.

Those without fathers, mothers, wives, or children will all be eliminated.

……

The Eight Banners military group had strict rules, and to replace it, the Chiang Kai-shek group's rules had to be more advanced and stricter, requiring only one brain.

Jiang's pragmatist philosophy—replacing thinking with rules.

Rules govern every place in the recruit camp, every place in the military headquarters, and every place in the southern city.

When Jiang Qingyun took the stage, the first sentence of his speech to the 250 new recruits was: "Our Five Cities Garrison is the first line of defense for the capital. Always keep in mind these eight words: unite our will, and protect the Emperor."

Before each meal, the soldiers would collectively shout: "Obedience is a soldier's duty."

Caution is still necessary, and loyalty should be constantly on one's lips. In time, someone will inevitably spread the military command's slogans into the Forbidden City.

……

Noon~
As Jiang Qingyun was about to leave, he noticed a person standing quietly at the entrance of the training ground.

"Brother Shiming, what are you doing here?"

Hong Shiming led his horse alone, looking forlorn. Dressed in casual clothes, he looked like a scholar from out of town who had come to the capital to take the imperial examination.

"Brother Jiang, would you like to come to my house for a simple meal?"

"I appreciate your kindness, but I'm very busy with official duties and can't get away. This afternoon, I have to go to the Censorate; I have a lot of official business to attend to."

Thump~
Hong Shiming knelt down again.

"When the official in charge of the ceremonial system failed to extort a bribe from me, he became enraged and threw me into the music department to manage sacrificial music. My family had a villa in Nanluoguxiang, and my neighbor actually climbed over the wall and cut down the trees in the yard."

"Alas, the way of the world is to fawn over the powerful and flatter the weak."

Looking at this person of the same age, Jiang Qingyun spoke his mind, something he rarely did.

……

"Godfather~"

A fawning shout, so obsequious it nearly made Jiang Qingyun fall off his horse, giving him goosebumps.

"What did you just call me?"

"Godfather~ Can I recognize you as my godfather?"

"Bullshit!"

Jiang Qingyun dismounted, intending to forcibly help the insane fellow up before riding away.

Unexpectedly, this guy clung tightly to his leg.

“My father is dead, I have no one to rely on, I can’t go on living, I really can’t go on living. All my relatives and friends are ungrateful. I want to recognize you as my godfather, and I will definitely take good care of you.”

"Bullshit, we're the same age, that's ridiculous."

……

Jiang Qingyun gave him a wink.

Two guards immediately stepped forward and forcefully pried the shameless man apart.

"Father is not defined by age, but by virtue and prestige. Godfather, Father, Father~ please accept me as your son. I will definitely fulfill my duty as a son and be filial to you."

Jiang Qingyun felt unwell, extremely unwell, so he rode away.

Looking at his retreating figure, Hong Shiming roared wildly.

"Godfather, if you don't accept me as your son, I will have no face to live. I will die right now."

Jiang Qingyun didn't look back and spurred his horse away.

Hong Shiming wanted to give chase, but Jiang Bei stopped him with a copper rod.

"Young master, please have some self-respect."

Hong Shiming's face turned red and his whole body trembled. Suddenly, he howled and rushed towards the pond not far away, and jumped in.

Thump~
It created a huge splash.

(End of this chapter)