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

Chapter 86 I need a prison big enough to hold dissidents
Seven days after the audience in the Imperial Study, Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, Ao Bai, arrived.

"Brother Ao, how have you been lately?"

Jiang Qingyun smiled and swiped his sash.

"Brother Qingyun, why be so formal with me? Come on, let's go for a drink, you pay up."

After several rounds of drinks, Ao Bai finally revealed his purpose.

"Brother Qingyun, congratulations! You're about to rise to great heights."

"Oh?"

"This is an imperial edict. Take it and read it yourself."

……

South City.

Inside the Right Anmen Gate.

Jiang Qingyun held the imperial edict and read it aloud:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: With the precedent of the Plain Blue Banner mutiny before us, I am uneasy. Therefore, a special agency has been temporarily established under the jurisdiction of the Five City Garrison Command, and will be headed by the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief Jiang Qingyun, who will be responsible for the screening and education of all people in the capital and the surrounding areas."

"This institution is subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, and the Eight Banners Commandery."

"All death sentences must be reported to the emperor, reviewed by the four government offices mentioned above, and then submitted to the emperor for approval before execution."

"I hereby order~"

Thousands of soldiers and clerks were extremely excited.

From this day forward, the Censor-in-Chief will be the iron-pen judge, and everyone else will be the Black and White Impermanence before the palace, taking whose life they wish.

……

Jiang Qingyun raised his right arm, signaling for silence.

“Brothers, there are two things to do right now. First, build a large prison here. Second, arrest people in an orderly manner according to the list.”

"As ordered."

Building a prison doesn't need to be too elaborate, as long as the prisoners can't escape. But then again, where can they run to? They can't hide from the temple.

They weren't necessarily guilty; whoever ran away was guilty.

The prison was only protected by a wooden fence, and people were arrested as soon as construction began.

……

Dongcheng, Zhengbaiqi Defense Zone.

Second Alley.

It is home to 29 ordinary Manchu families.

Shu Tong was one of them. He was just an ordinary soldier from an ordinary family. He had followed Prince Yu, Dorgon, in battles across several provinces. He was tall, strong, and powerful.

"Honey, please fetch a bucket of well water."

"Ah."

Shu Tong was distracted and had only picked up half of it when suddenly the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out outside the courtyard, followed by urgent knocking on the door.

"Open the door!"

thump~
The bucket fell into the well.

Shu Tong opened the door, but there was no one outside.

A patrol of soldiers escorted their neighbor, Gui Wu, out of the city. Gui Wu was a personal guard of Prince Yu, Dorgon, and had once served as a county magistrate in Hubei.

Later, he resigned from his official post and returned home to recuperate due to malaria.

Gui Wu struggled desperately, roaring angrily, "Petitioning is not a crime, I am not a crime."

The patrolling soldiers roughly forced the man into the prison cart and then drove away.

……

Gui Wu's wife arrived, crying.

"Brother Shu, what should we do?"

"Quickly, send the money."

"Hey, hey."

Before long, Gui Wu's wife caught up with the prison cart, clutching two silver ingots, and handed them to the soldiers escorting them.

"Sir, the rope is loose."

"Madam, don't be afraid. Your husband will go there, explain his problems properly, and repent sincerely. He will be released."

"Won't the imperial court kill him?"

"I definitely won't kill him, but he can't commit suicide."

The soldiers, grinning, weighed the silver in their hands as they headed back to the south city, bathed in the rising sun.

……

Dongcheng is the hardest-hit area.

Those who held the two white flags were the main force in submitting petitions, and naturally, they also suffered a great disaster at this time.

The next morning, Shu Tong had just gotten up.

The sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed outside the courtyard, banging on the door.

Shu Tong gripped his sword, his face deathly pale. He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to stab the person who rushed in or simply stab himself.

"Honey, what are you doing?"

“The one who got arrested is Shaqbadah, who’s right next door. Put your knife down now.”

The commotion was so loud that all the neighbors came out to watch the prison van leave.

Shaqbad was clearly more astute, shouting all the way: "Brothers of the Two White Flags, take my example, be careful with your words and actions, be careful with your words and actions, and don't cause any more trouble."

Unfortunately, the bannermen were known for their skill in archery and horsemanship, but were unfamiliar with Confucianism, so they probably couldn't understand it.

……

The patrolmen of the Five Cities Garrison arrest people every morning, rain or shine.

As soon as the nine gates opened, the prison wagon drove into the inner city. Jiang Qingyun only provided a list of 10 people each day, never more. The arrest team was equipped with 20 armored soldiers to escort each prison wagon.

Ensure safety and order.

Catch 10 every day, and 300 every month.

If all 500 people listed on Shunzhi's imperial desk were arrested, it would take almost two months, which is quite a long timeframe.

The cold air was transmitted to every Manchu family.

They instilled panic in every Manchu family.

Censor Jiang single-handedly held up the sky in the southern part of the city, and in the future, he will also hold up the sky in the capital. Right now, this is just the beginning; the Manchu bannermen's children are still at least a central axis away from turning pale at the mere mention of "Jiang."

……

Fan Wencheng's residence.

The Fan family father and son stood on their own viewing tower, watching the prison carts pass by outside the mansion.

“Father, you are right. We really can’t afford to offend Jiang Qingyun. Yesterday, I heard from the neighbors that someone was arrested in the alley west of our house, and as a result, someone in that alley died of fright and someone went insane.”

"He's a devil."

"Father, Hong Shiming has left the capital and released the fourth-rank grain commissioner of Fujian. The war in Zhangzhou is not tense now, so he can steadily rack up military merits."

"Hard to say."

"Isn't that right?"

“I don’t know much about the front lines, but I do know Jiang Qingyun. He’s definitely up to no good.”

As the prison van drove away, cries and screams echoed from outside the courtyard.

There was a faint sound of someone shouting.

"Oh no, someone has jumped into the well!"

……

On the 23rd day of the operation, there was strong wind and heavy rain.

The patrol soldiers once again arrived at Dongcheng Ertiao Hutong, which is what is meant by being undeterred by wind or rain and fulfilling their mission.

This time, they smashed Shu Tong's courtyard gate.

"Open the door!"

The door refused to be opened, no matter what.

"Captain, what should I do?"

"You, climb over the wall, go in, and open the door."

The two squatted down, and one person stepped on their shoulders to climb onto the top of the wall.

huh~
An arrow struck him squarely in the face.

The body fell backward, splashing water.

The captain grabbed the bone flute hanging around his neck, blew it hard, and the whistling sound pierced through the rain and carried far away.

Half an incense stick later, reinforcements arrived.

……

"Break the door."

With a series of powerful blows, the gate collapsed under the weight of the sledgehammer.

Fully armored, Shu Tong stood in the rain like a cold statue, holding a sword and shield, and silently charged forward.

Today is windy and rainy, not suitable for bows and arrows.

Otherwise, when enforcing the law in the inner city of the Military Command, the crossbowmen would generally be in front, followed by the spearmen, and then the swordsmen and shieldmen.

at this time,

Only spearmen can take their place.

After a brief but fierce battle, Shu Tong, outnumbered, fell, his blood mingling with the rain, his eyes wide open in death.

Two of the patrolling soldiers, also clad in armor, were killed and four were wounded.

This is the difference between a field soldier and a temporary worker.

"Seize their homes, arrest them."

The clerk who arrived promptly gave the order.

Shu Tong's wife was quite fierce and resisted with a knife, but was killed on the spot by the patrolling soldiers. Shu Tong's elderly mother, son, and daughter were arrested, and three sets of armor and five swords, spears, and halberds were found in their home.

……

The Jiang Mansion in the southern part of the city.

Jiang Qingyun remained in Wanchun's room.

Through the window, the butler called out softly:
"Young master, the military police have arrived."

"what's up?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, this morning, Shu Tong, a cavalryman from the Plain White Banner, violently resisted the law and has now been executed. Two of our patrol soldiers were killed and four were wounded."

"Did they fire?"

"No."

It was quiet inside for a while.

"I reiterate once again, the use of guns is absolutely prohibited for law enforcement within the inner city. Send someone to the Ministry of War to apply for some small crossbows."

"Yes."

Jiang Qingyun didn't care about the minor bloodshed; he put his hands behind his head and drifted off into thought.

Late spring climbed up.

"What are you thinking about, my husband?"

"Ah, taking a concubine~"

(End of this chapter)