The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

"If you have nothing to say, then you're admitting your guilt! Guards!" Shen Lian roared.

"Sir, I..."

"Zhang Dabiao embezzled military pay, bullied soldiers, and forcibly abducted women... For these multiple crimes, I sentence him to immediate execution! Drag him out and behead him right now!" Shen Lian said directly, ignoring Zhang Dabiao's rebuttal.

"Ah! My lord, spare my life!" Only then did Zhang Dabiao realize that Shen Lian wanted to kill him, and he hurriedly begged for mercy.

Lu Da, who was already prepared, dragged Zhang Dabiao out.

"Shen Lian, this is retaliation. Using someone else to do your dirty work, I fucking..." Lu Da grabbed Zhang Dabiao by the neck, silencing him.

You're right, I was retaliating. I even framed you! Who told you to attack me twice! Heh heh! I never hold a grudge overnight; you'd better watch out in your next life!

"Ah!" A scream rang out, startling some officials. Then a bloody human head was brought up.

The civil officials were so frightened that they quickly turned their heads away, while the military officers also felt a chill run down their spines. They hadn't expected Shen Lian to be so ruthless, casually beheading a fifth-rank garrison commander.

"Zhou Xiong, are you satisfied with this outcome?" Shen Lian asked, suppressing his nausea.

"Thank you, sir, for standing up for us!" The officers kowtowed in gratitude.

"Take this head out and tell the soldiers that Zhang Dabiao has been executed! Tell them all to return to camp immediately. I will not hold them accountable. I guarantee the issue of military pay will be resolved within three days."

"You've all seen it! What happens when you mistreat your soldiers? You should take this as a warning! Otherwise, it will be too late to regret it!" Shen Lian said, taking a sip of tea to suppress his displeasure.

"Your humble servants will remember your teachings, sir!" The group of military officers immediately knelt down.

"And you too, don't think that just because the soldiers' mutiny has nothing to do with you, it's all over! The reason why the Boxer Rebellion is getting more and more intense in Shandong is because there are too many corrupt officials. The people are being oppressed to the point that they can't survive, so they rebel."

"Once we get back, I will carry out the tasks I assigned immediately. If any more trouble arises anywhere, don't think I only kill military officers!" Shen Lian said coldly.

"We will certainly remember this!" The civil officials also bowed and said.

"Alright, get up! I know these measures will inevitably reduce your income significantly. But they are necessary to stabilize the area as soon as possible. I hope you understand."

"To compensate everyone for their losses, I have also prepared some silver. You can collect it at the Daotai's office later! Five thousand taels for the prefect, three thousand taels for the prefect, and two thousand taels for the county magistrate."

"You too, the Commander-in-Chief will receive three thousand taels, and the Captain will receive two thousand taels!"

The show of force just now clearly terrified these officials, and Shen Lian had achieved his goal of making an example of them. He wanted to give them a taste of their kindness after the punishment, hoping they would behave themselves and not cause him trouble, allowing him to focus on training his troops.

"Sir, this..." The officials stared at each other in disbelief. It was always subordinates who gave gifts to their superiors. This was the first time in their decades of life that they had ever seen a superior give money to a subordinate.

"What, you think it's not enough?" Shen Lian frowned.

"No, sir! How could we accept your money!" The officials quickly shook their heads.

"Hey! I know it's not easy for anyone, many of you are not well-off. You need money to entertain guests and support your families."

"But please, stop taking advantage of ordinary people. They've suffered enough! Trust me! Give me a few years, and I guarantee everyone will be rich."

"Your Excellency!" A seventh-rank county magistrate was so moved that tears streamed down his face, and he knelt down with a thud.

"Your Excellency truly loves the people like your own children and cares deeply for your subordinates!" The officials all bowed down in praise.

"Alright, get up now. Go back to work! Doing your jobs well is the greatest reward you can give me."

After the officials returned, Shen Lian's reputation for loving the people like his own children and caring for his subordinates resounded throughout the land of Qilu.

Of course, many officials and gentry secretly cursed Shen Lian for trying to win people's hearts, and many more secretly mocked him. Let's see how much silver Shen Zhiyuan squanders!

Actually, it was only during the late Qing Dynasty. If it had been during the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, Shen Lian would have been executed and his family property confiscated in no time if he dared to do such a thing.

Ignoring the commotion outside, Shen Lian was in his father's room, explaining to his father why he killed Zhang Dabiao.

Shen Lian had already arranged for his mistress to spy on the crowd, and he was certain that the person she saw was Zhang Dabiao before he made the fatal move.

"Hmph! Good riddance! I never expected that bastard Zhang Dabiao to be so vicious. It's a good thing I've relied on him all these years." Shen Hu slammed his fist on the table in anger after hearing Shen Lian's explanation.

Because he was afraid of worrying him and didn't want to alert the enemy, Shen Lian didn't tell the old man about all of this.

"Fortunately, my son is blessed with good fortune and the protection of our ancestors. Not only did he turn misfortune into good luck, but he has now become a fourth-rank Daotai." Shen Hu said with relief. He couldn't even imagine how desperate he would have been if he had fallen into Zhang Dabiao's hands.

"Dad, don't worry! It's all over now. Just get well soon and get ready to hold your grandson! Haha!"

. . . . . .

The October morning was already quite cold, even though it hadn't snowed yet. A layer of white frost could already be seen on the thatched roofs.

Zhang Tieniu opened the door to his house with a serious expression, followed by his wife, Nenniang, whose eyes were red.

"Tie Niu, do you really have to go? What will happen to me and the children if you leave!" the young woman said, her voice trembling.

"Mother, we really can't make ends meet at home. If I don't go out and try my luck again, we might all starve to death!"

Zhang Tieniu didn't want to leave home, but his family was truly in dire straits. The few acres of land they owned yielded meager harvests, barely enough to feed them. He then rented another ten acres of land from the village elder.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he worked and paid all sorts of taxes, his family still couldn't get enough to eat all year round. And now, before winter even arrived, it looked like they were about to go hungry.

"It doesn't matter if I starve to death! But you, the children, and Mom, my younger brother and sister-in-law... I must go for your sake!" Zhang Tieniu said through gritted teeth.

"My second uncle said that Lord Shen is an upright and just official. If you join his army, you will receive a settlement allowance of ten taels of silver, and even auxiliary soldiers will receive two taels of silver in military pay. If you are selected as a combat soldier, you will receive five taels of silver per month."

“Besides, the military camp provides food and lodging! Once I receive my resettlement allowance, if you're frugal, the whole family can live on it for several months. Then my military salary will be sent back every month, and Xiao Niu and Ya Ya will never go hungry again,” Zhang Tie Niu comforted his wife, stroking her hand.

"But what about Mother? What if she finds out you've joined the army..."

"Let's keep it from her for now! Just tell her I went out to work." Zhang Tieniu felt a pang of pain in his heart at the thought of his blind mother.

"Brother Tie Niu, let's go! It's getting late!" Just as the two were talking, a fellow villager called out from afar.

"Yes! I'll be right there! Mother, I'm leaving the house to you. Take good care of the children, your mother, and Erniu!" Zhang Tieniu turned to leave.