059 Trouble—There’s Someone Behind the Scenes in the Palace of Heavenly Purity

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The side hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Shunzhi waved his hand: "No one is to be within ten zhang outside the hall."
"By imperial decree."
The eunuchs and palace maids swiftly withdrew from the hall, leaving only three inside: Jiang Qingyun, Shunzhi, and behind the curtain, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
A profound silence filled the room.
...
Jiang Qingyun was deep in thought, but to Shunzhi, he appeared as a loyal minister earnestly contemplating his memorial, so he waited patiently.
When Jiang finally looked up, their eyes met Shunzhi’s eager and expectant gaze.
“Your Majesty, I believe that since the incident has occurred, we must do our utmost to mitigate its negative aftermath.”
“The attack on the Imperial City by the Plain Blue Banner has caused too much noise; simply concealing it is impossible.”
“The more we hide it, the more the common folk will fabricate wild rumors, which will spread far and wide, ultimately harming the court’s reputation. Therefore, rather than letting others slander us, it is better for the court to define the nature of this matter first.”
“I suggest we categorize the Plain Blue Banner’s siege of the Imperial City as an armed palace coup, instigated by the disgruntled remnants of the Regent Prince, supported secretly by agents within the Ming court.”
Shunzhi’s expression suddenly changed drastically.
Behind the curtain, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang clenched her fists, practically burning with rage—she wished to kill Jiang immediately, then exhume and utterly destroy Hong Chengchou’s bones.
...
Jiang Qingyun quickly sensed Shunzhi’s unease, his heart jolting.
This is bad!
The Regent Prince governs from behind the curtain, with powerful backers.
How could he have forgotten this? He had inadvertently created a formidable enemy, the strongest in the empire.
He swiftly composed himself.
“Your Majesty, given the unstable situation, perhaps it would be best not to define the Regent Prince’s role for the time being.”
“How so?”
“Simply punish the Regent’s close confidants, such as He Luohui and Tan Tai, branding them as resentful of Your Majesty’s direct rule, secretly accepting bribes from Zhu Youlang to incite the Plain Blue Banner’s assault on the Forbidden City.”
Shunzhi nodded.
“These people sowed discord in the Regent’s ear, interfering with succession. It is only right to eliminate them.”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
At this moment, Jiang was nearly certain that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was in the hall.
Shunzhi’s unease, his restless gaze, and his eagerness to pin the charge of interfering with imperial authority on He Luohui and others all confirmed Jiang’s suspicion.
...
“My trusted minister, do you think I should issue a self-criticism edict?”
Shunzhi feigned melancholy.
“Absolutely not!”
Jiang Qingyun suddenly raised his voice, blurting out.
“Your Majesty, forgive my presumption. Since ancient times, every decision an emperor makes is always correct. No matter the outcome, Your Majesty is right. If there is fault, it lies with the subjects.”

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“Why do you say that?”
“The emperor shines with radiant glory, a Son of Heaven, unlike ordinary men. Only mortals err; the emperor does not. If the emperor admits fault, it abandons his sacred nature and shakes the foundation of the realm. With all due respect, a sage ruler never admits mistakes! Only a doomed monarch does!”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang clenched her small fists, wishing she could peer into Jiang Qingyun’s heart to see if it was black or red—behind the scenes, this man always seemed so inscrutable!
Shunzhi felt his blood stir with fervor.
...
“But my tutor told me that the founding emperors of the Ming dynasty—Taizu, Xuanzong, Yingzong, Daizong, Xianzong, Xiaozong, Wuzong, Shizong, Shenzong, and Sizong—all issued self-criticism edicts!”
“So the Ming dynasty fell.”
Shunzhi was stunned, unable to utter a word for a long moment.
“Your Majesty, this is all a conspiracy of the Donglin faction. They aim to tear the emperor from his pedestal. The flood of self-criticism edicts caused not the fall of the dynasty, but the loss of the people's hearts.”
“What about Emperor Taizong of Tang?”
“That was a different time. The Three Departments and Six Ministries, the Five Clans and Seven Nobles, the Eight Great Families of Guanzhong—all these indicate that Emperor Taizong’s power was limited and could not rule absolutely. His self-criticism edict was to demonstrate magnanimity, attract talented commoners into government, and wrest control of the provinces from the aristocracy.”
Jiang Qingyun’s logic was clear and to the point.
Shunzhi nodded thoughtfully in silence.
For a moment, he wished to appoint Jiang as his imperial tutor to teach the art of rulership.
“I understand now. I will never admit fault!”
“Your Majesty, the court must let the world know that the fault lies with He Luohui, Tan Tai, and the ignorant Plain Blue Banner. Your Majesty is not only without fault but is actively correcting errors.”
...
“I believe the Qing must be confident! Resolute! Believe in strength! Like heavily armored cavalry charging forward, regardless of walls or ditches ahead, we do not detour. Spur the steed, break through, crash down all obstacles!”
“My minister’s words are loyal and patriotic. I deeply admire them.”
Shunzhi rose excitedly from his throne, pacing the hall, his pale face flushed, arms trembling slightly with excitement.
Jiang’s bold and fervent rhetoric struck the young emperor’s heart.
In his mind’s eye, he saw ten thousand riders charging, iron-blooded men never turning back, smashing walls to rubble, filling ditches flat—a magnificent spectacle!
Simple! Brutal! Resolute!
The Qing must be confident!
Never admit fault!
These five words echoed like a mighty bell, striking repeatedly at Shunzhi’s heart.
“I fully understand your meaning. You may withdraw now. Prepare yourself—I will employ you greatly. Do not disappoint me.”
“By imperial decree.”
Before leaving, Jiang raised his tea bowl and drained it without leaving a drop or a single tea leaf.
Shunzhi saw this and felt Jiang was genuine, unpretentious, bold in love and hate—his impression of Jiang rose another notch.
...
Above the Forbidden City, the sky was bright and clear blue.
Winter had passed, and spring had arrived.
Yet, the winds of change were approaching swiftly.
Jiang Qingyun walked through the Forbidden City, led by a eunuch ahead and flanked by guards behind, his posture proud and commanding.
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To succeed in officialdom, one must not fear open or covert attacks. As he had said in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, heavily armored cavalry never detours when facing the enemy. One word: crush!
Within the Forbidden City, officials hurried to and fro.
Suddenly, a square-shaped wild goose rank badge appeared, indicating a fourth-rank civil official.
The man immediately stopped and bowed slightly.
“Inspector Jiang, greetings.”
“Hm.”
Jiang Qingyun stood with hands behind his back, snorting softly.
“You are fourth rank, and so am I. Clearly, I am your superior.”
...
A few steps further, he encountered a peacock rank badge.
Third-rank civil official!
The man hesitated for a few seconds, then stopped, smiling and nodding politely, taking the initiative to greet him.
“Brother Jiang, I hope all is well.”
“Hm.”
Jiang remained arrogant, merely nodding slightly, hands behind his back as he passed.
“You’re third rank; I’m fourth rank—obviously, I’m your superior!”
The yellow-bannered guard Suleda behind him gaped in astonishment, mentally shouting, “Awesome!”
...
Turning a corner, they entered a somewhat narrow alley.
Unluckily, they encountered a square-shaped crane rank badge.
It was the Grand Secretary of the Secretariat, Fan Wencheng.
Suleda thought, “Brother, better kneel—this is a first-rank civil official!”
Yet, Jiang Qingyun stood tall, chest out and head high, staring directly at Fan Wencheng.
Usually cautious, Fan inwardly panicked. This arrogant bastard’s fierce gaze clearly meant trouble.
Taking a step back brings peace and quiet.
Never mind, better to endure this time.
Fan chose a way to save face:
“Inspector Jiang, you have imperial duties and cannot be delayed, please—”
With that, he stepped aside, pressed his back to the wall, sucked in his belly, and ensured enough space for the broad-shouldered Inspector Jiang to pass first.
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