Xie Ming

Chapter 266 Northbound News
At the temporary camping spot, next to the fire in front of the tent, before they could eat the roast chicken, Qi Gang came through the forest with news from the north!

"General Xiao!"

"Ti Shuai (referring to Qiu Zhizhong)!"

"The operatives sent from the north to the capital have sent back news!" Qi Gang replied respectfully.

Xiao and Qiu, who had just been relaxed and contented, calmed down and exchanged glances after hearing this.

This was a secret mission that Xiao Jingchuan had planned long before the eve of the Battle of Baoding.

He wanted Qi Gang to select some talented people who could be used. After the enemy army was defeated and retreated, he must disguise himself and follow them in the direction of the capital, so as to find out the current situation in the east of the capital.

Sui Gang and Qi Gang were talking about the news from the north. Xiao Lang and Tong Zhizhong understood what he meant and smiled at each other.

"hehe."

"Qi Gang, you are very efficient!"

"What a fast speed!"

"It's much earlier than I expected!"

"Tell me quickly, what is the current situation near the capital?!" Qiu Zhizhong was the first to speak and asked.

Xiao Lang, who was standing by, also agreed with a smile.

Seeing this, Qi Gang nodded, clasped his fists and responded with a serious expression.

"Yes, Tishuai!"

"In fact, our men were secretly dispatched before the battle of Baoding!"

"I'm afraid that this will delay the important matter for you and the general!"

"Based on this news, we turned back so quickly!"

"kindness"

"Let me first tell you something that is certain, something that was witnessed by the secret agents themselves!"

"That means the Jiannu soldiers who had intended to attack Baoding Prefecture a few days ago, as well as their commander Ajige, Wu Sangui and others, have all returned to the capital with their remaining troops!"

"These soldiers and bandits have a big target. Many people have reported that this is the case. I don't think there will be any omissions!"

"So I think that Baoding City should be worry-free in a short time!"

After receiving the first important intelligence in brief, Qi Gang, who was well-informed, paused and went to see his two superiors, Xiao and Qiu, to see if they had any additional advice.

When Xiao Lang heard this, he thought it was within his expectations, so he didn't say much, just smiled and responded, and continued to listen to the rest of the story.

Seeing this, Qi Gang understood and didn't wait any longer, and continued the conversation.

"In addition, according to the secret investigations by the people sent out, it is also clear that this time, the Jiannu Yi Ding is coming with great force!"

"As if they had prepared in advance, there are more than 100,000 people entering the country!"

"Add to that the Mongolian troops from the outer vassal states, the three Shun kings, the one Shun duke, and part of Wu Sangui's Guanning army that surrendered to the rebels. All together, there are no less than 150,000 troops. If we exaggerate a bit, it's possible that the number could be around 200,000!"

"These troops and horses fought a fierce battle with Li Zicheng's main force at Yipanshi in the east of Ji, killing and defeating the Dashun army!"

"Dorgon, the commander-in-chief of the Jiannu army, led his troops straight to the capital!" Qi Gang told the story.

As they were talking, Qiu Zhizhong frowned, picked out the most important thing, and interrupted them to ask.

"So, what is the current situation in the capital?!"

"Is there any massacre in the city?" he asked.

"Oh, Commander Ti!"

"It's not that bad!"

"According to intelligence reports, the nine cities of the capital seem to be more peaceful now than when Li Zicheng occupied them!"

"There wasn't much commotion in the city!"

"Well, I guess this has something to do with the military order issued in time by Dorgon!"

"After this Jiannu Yi Ding led his troops into the city, he first issued a clear military order that the soldiers were not allowed to harm the people in the city, rob, rape or kill!"

"Later, we also reinstated a number of former Ming dynasty ministers who had surrendered and restored them to their original positions to assist in carrying out the mission."

"Moreover, these barbarians actually openly mourned for our Ming Emperor Chongzhen!"

"Oh yes!"

"There was a surrendered minister named Feng Quan, who was cited as a role model by Dorgon."

"It is said that during the parliament, he could even stand in front of the Manchurian Grand Secretary!" "There was also a Han Chinese from Liaodong named Fan Wencheng, who was of a very noble status and was highly valued by Dorgon as a close adviser."

"After occupying Jidong, Fan Wencheng had made many suggestions and advised Dorgon that the capital should prioritize stabilizing social order!"

"The Sui'na Yi people are the ones who can keep the capital city in good order!"

"Later, in order to solve the problem of the source of military pay, Dorgon actually took over the Changlu Salt Field in Cang County ahead of time!" Qi Gang collected information from multiple sources and reported it all at once, with many key points.

Just as he was talking to this point, Xiao Lang suddenly became nervous when he heard the words "Changlu Salt Field".

"Changlu Salt Field!"

"Alas, most of the salt used in Hebei Province is produced here!"

"So, Dorgon really planned a lot in advance!"

"If we can get this place, the salt tax, which is the biggest source of tax revenue in the northern Zhili area, will be in our hands!"

"The military supplies for the barbarian army will be settled in a short period of time!" Xiao Lang kept muttering these words to himself with a sigh on his face.

"Also, not long ago, Dorgon abolished the three taxes in the prefectures and counties occupied by Northern Zhili!" Qi Gang added.

"hehe."

"They all say that the Jiannu are barbarians, rude and ignorant, and only fight with blood and courage!"

"But from what I can see now, Dorgon is a very good person!"

"Compared with the huge fortune earned from the salt fields, the three taxes of several northern prefectures are not that serious!" Zhizhong also made sarcastic remarks, feeling regretful about the current situation.

"Yes! Yes!"

"Who would have thought that the long-standing system of additional taxes in the Ming Dynasty would be abolished by a bunch of Tartars?!"

"It's really embarrassing!"

"The people of our country, our own government has no sympathy for them, but instead lets outsiders take advantage of them!"

"Just thinking about it makes me angry!"

After saying that, Xiao Jingchuan let out a long sigh, slapped his thigh, half-knelt down, tore off a chicken leg from the roasted pheasant, and chewed it hard into his mouth.

"Hey! Qi Gang!"

"You just told me bad news!"

"Let me ask you, did you hear about the shaving order?!"

"Have there been any unusual movements in the prefectures and counties near the capital in southern Ji?!" Xiao Lang asked these questions casually and for no apparent reason.

Hearing this, Qiu Zhizhong, who was standing beside him, frowned, not understanding what he meant.

On the contrary, Qi Gang was suddenly shocked when he heard Xiao Lang say this.

"oh?!"

"General!"

"How did you know about this massacre in Jinan first?!"

"Could it be that, in addition to the spies like us, you have also arranged another line to be laid out?!"

Qi Gang was stunned and panicked for a moment, and his words seemed a little abrupt.

By the time he reacted, the words had already been spoken and he couldn't help but regret it in his heart.

After all, as a low-ranking official, and also because he was doing such a secretive business, he had to be more cautious than ordinary people regarding the rules of seeking information.

He just failed to hold back his words and ended up asking a different question. This is a big taboo in the intelligence industry!
It's really wrong!

But now Xiao Lang doesn't seem to care too much about it.

He was still chewing the chicken leg and said casually: "Huh?! What's the other line?"

"I don't have the time for that!"

"That's what I got from divination! Haha." Xiao Lang evaded the question.

"Hi!"

"alright!"

"Look at your expression, you must have guessed it right!"

"Tell me quickly! What happened to the massacre?" Xiao Jingchuan forced the topic back to the topic.

(End of this chapter)