Chapter 176: Can You Be Called Human?

"Subject, Hong Chengchou, Grand Secretary of the Qing Secretariat, pays respects to the Great Commander~~~"

In the main hall of the Jia Ding Marquis's residence, Hong Chengchou, who represented the Qing in peace negotiations, finally met Lin Dao.

He was also complaining in his heart: "Why not stay in the palace and instead live at the Imperial Uncle's residence? What is he thinking?"

Lin Dao looked at Hong Chengchou and burst into laughter.

"Grand Secretary?"

"Aren't you a bondservant of the Bordered Yellow Banner?"

Hitting someone in the face, specifically exposing their scars.

After Hong Chengchou surrendered, Huang Taiji did not grant him an official title, but instead arranged for him to enter the bondservant company of the Bordered Yellow Banner.

It was only after Dorgon came to power, finding no one else available, that he was finally pulled out.

Hong Chengchou immediately became angry.

Great Commander Lin, you are far too impolite!

If you had rebelled a few years earlier, how could I, Hong, have fallen to this state!

"Great Commander, please do not mock me."

Hong Chengchou, displeased, shook his head with a stern expression: "Subject has come here to cease the warfare between the two states."

"Two states?"

"A group of monkeys wearing hats, these bandits, dare to speak of a state!"

Lin Dao's voice was like thunder, crashing like lightning: "Here, there is only the suppression of bandits, no peace negotiations between two states!"

Inside the great hall, Hong Chengchou stared blankly at Lin Dao, his eyes full of confusion.

"Great Commander, if you had no such intention, why meet with us?"

If there was no such intention, you could simply refuse the meeting and send us away; why receive us at all?

Is this not a redundant effort?

Lin Dao's gaze was sharp as he looked at Hong Chengchou and slowly asked: "At Songshan, why did you not die for your country?"

Hong Chengchou's body trembled violently, and the rat-tail queue behind his head shook as well.

This blow struck straight into his heart.

Lin Dao drew his blade and stabbed him again: "Losing the army and the territory, how great is your crime?"

"You read Confucian books; with so many works by Confucian sages, do they not teach you what loyalty and righteousness are, what responsibility is?"

On this side, Hong Chengchou's face turned pale, his figure swaying as if about to collapse.

Lin Dao drew his blade and stabbed again: "The generals fought to the death; Cao Bianjiao's desperate counterattack almost killed Huang Taiji."

"The officials held out until the end, and were all killed for their country."

"As the Governor of Jiliao, your military officers and soldiers all died under your command, so why are you still alive?"

"Not only are you alive, but you became a dog for the Tartars who slaughtered your subordinates."

"Now you come here with a shameless face, speaking arrogantly."

"Still 'Great Qing', still 'Grand Secretary'?"

Lin Dao stood up and walked toward him step by step.

At this moment, Hong Chengchou had collapsed to the ground, trembling like a defeated dog.

Looking down at him, Lin Dao's face was cold as frost.

"A stray dog on the roadside; throw it a bone, and it knows to wag its tail and thank you."

"The people of the Great Ming supported you, and tens of thousands of soldiers followed you to the battlefield."

"You sacrificed countless soldiers and caused countless families to lose their loved ones."

"Can you even be called a human?"

"Are you even worthy!"

Collapsed on the ground, Hong Chengchou's face turned blue, his throat felt sweet, and his vision went dark with ringing in his ears.

In a daze, it seemed as if tens of thousands of soldiers from within Songshan City had gathered around him.

Wang Tingchen, Cao Bianjiao, Fu Qiumin, and others all had hideous faces, baring their teeth and claws toward him, shouting loudly.

"Why didn't you die~~~"

In a daze, he only heard Lin Dao's voice as if coming from the horizon.

"Drag him to West Market Execution Ground, rip out his heart and lungs, to sacrifice to the soldiers who died at Songshan."

A guard reported in a low voice.

"Great Commander, executions in the capital are carried out at Xisi Paillou."

"From now on, change it to West Market Execution Ground!"

"Received your order!"

The disposal of Hong Chengchou was merely a small interlude.

As for the Tartars, once the capital's requisition of supplies ends, it will be their time of death.

Actually, the Tartars' situation was already very dire.

The two great wars with Lin Dao caused the Tartars to lose almost an entire generation; the sharp decline in able-bodied men left them unable to suppress the Mongol tribes and Han people under their command.

Various disturbances and killings continued endlessly; even Joseon was quietly mobilizing troops.

This is what is called "when the wall falls, everyone pushes."

Huang Taiji and Dai Shan still had some vision.

They directly threw the fertile land of Liaodong as bait, drawing in various forces to form a buffer.

Preserving their remaining strength and retreating to the distant Hetu Ala to lick their wounds was the best option.

Unfortunately, the younger generation of Tartars were unwilling to part with the rich meat.

As a result, they became entangled in slaughter with the Mongol Tribes, the Han Army Bondservants, and even the Koreans.

Their last bit of leverage was completely exhausted, and they were held fast, unable to move.

Lin Dao did not live in the Imperial Palace; he moved into Zhou Kui's Prefecture.

It was Zhou Guozhang, the Chongzhen Emperor's father-in-law, whose daughter had raised silver for him to lead in serving the Emperor, yet he skimmed a portion for himself.

Greed and shamelessness reached such a degree; among the high ranks of the Great Ming, this was a common occurrence.

Everyone was the same.

"Grand Marshal."

A guard delivered a statistical list: "The list of those who died for the Chongzhen Emperor has been compiled."

Taking the list and scanning it, at first glance he saw the name of Grand Secretary and University Scholar Zhou Yanru.

"I never expected it, I truly never expected it."

"This man is a great traitor in the history books, yet he did something thousands of people dare not do."

"As expected, the history books written by the Tartars are too false."

"They even said Cao Huachun opened the city gates to welcome the Chuang King, but Cao Huachun had retired to his hometown years ago—did he fly over to open the gates?"

"It was clearly the civil officials and Meritorious Nobles who opened the city gates."

"A group of shameless Scholars, beautifying those House Slaves, actually splashing filth onto a retired Eunuch."

Putting down the list, Lin Dao instructed: "They are all men of loyalty and righteousness; bury them all lavishly."

"By the way, don't forget the extortion from their homes."

"Loyalty is loyalty, but the blood-and-sweat money they swallowed from the people of the world must still be returned."

Extortion, a word that made all officials tremble.

Soldiers came to the door, raiding homes and seizing people.

Imprisoned in Laoyu, the jailers brought out various instruments of torture to greet them.

"Qin Official, your annual salary is only a few coins?"

"How can you afford a three-section residence, raise over a hundred Bi Nv Nu Pu, and keep seven or eight concubines?"

"Where did all those paintings, antiques, books, and silver in your Prefecture come from?"

"What? You say it's your wife's dowry?"

"Fine, bring Qin Lady over for torture."

Qin Lady, dressed in Ling Luo Luo Duan, was brought over; seeing the table full of various torture instruments, she fainted on the spot.

Cold water was splashed on her, and Qin Lady woke up.

Facing the many torture instruments, she learned that Qin Official said the silver in his home was his own.

Qin Lady immediately pointed at Qin Official and cursed him bitterly.

"The silver was all embezzled by him; it has nothing to do with me, Concubine!"

The jailers stepped forward with torture instruments: "Qin Official, you are not being honest."

After a set of leg-squeezers, Qin Official said whatever he was asked.

The family assets in his home, hidden properties, shares held in various places, and mistresses kept outside, etc.

Only begging not to suffer anymore.

A similar scene repeated itself endlessly.

The soldiers of the Guan Ning Army, wielding weapons, stared at them with covetous eyes.

They each had their own KPIs; if not completed, military law would await them.

The Guan Ning Army pressured the jailers, and the jailers pressured the officials.

In the prison there were no days or months, only endless torture and screams.

Every day, flatbed carts dragged numerous Corpses away.

The Guan Ning Army seized vast wealth—gold, silver, pearls, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, spices, medicinal herbs, etc., piled up like mountains.

As for land deeds, salt permits, and the like, they were too numerous to count.

"Elder Chang."

Lin Dao smiled kindly: "I am a man of my word."

"As agreed before, half of the seized silver goes to the Guan Ning Army."

"What is the total?"

Wu Sangui, smiling obsequiously on the side, said: "Replying to the Grand Marshal, it is ninety-one million four hundred seventy-five thousand two hundred taels."

"Fine." Lin Dao slapped the table: "Then round off the remainder and give the Guan Ning Army four million five hundred thousand taels."

Wu Sangui hurriedly saluted: "Thank you for the reward, Grand Marshal~~~"

"The matter here is settled." Lin Dao changed the subject: "The Guan Ning Army lost so many people to the Tartars; have they not thought of revenge?"

Wu Sangui's hand trembled slightly.

He did not raise his head, shouting loudly: "Replying to the Grand Marshal!"

"The Guan Ning Army, from top to bottom, wishes to exterminate the Tartars! Skin them, eat their flesh!"

"I beg the Grand Marshal to give the Guan Ning Army a chance to seek revenge against the Tartars!"

He now understood that Lin Dao's silver was not given for nothing.

Taking the Grand Marshal's silver meant serving the Grand Marshal.

Fortunately, the Tartars had already been defanged and declawed, no longer as fearsome as before.

"Still the same words." Lin Dao sat there expressionless, without a hint of emotion: "Exterminate the Tartars; the Guan Ning Army may take half of the seized silver."

"Yes, yes." Wu Sangui saluted repeatedly. "Commander, rest assured, this End Commandant will surely eradicate evil completely!"

"Commander."

Wu Sangui lowered his head. "This End Commandant has a request."

Lin Dao narrowed his eyes, surveying Wu Sangui. "Speak."

"This End Commandant requests to obtain the Tartar women and families."

Lin Dao had thought he would bring up the matter of Zu Dashou confiscating the Jin Merchants' property, to take a share of the benefits.

He never expected it would be this kind of request.

Lin Dao asked, "What are you thinking?"

"Replying to the Commander." Wu Sangui was extremely respectful. "This End Commandant plans to sell off the Tartar women and families."

"Of the income obtained, seven-tenths will be handed over to the Commander."

Lin Dao stared at him, his gaze cold.

After a moment he grinned. "Agreed."

"The Guan Ning Army is not allowed to recruit soldiers."

"Only clansmen may join the Guan Ning Army."

Wu Sangui, head lowered, wore a smile, yet that smile was quite terrifying.

"Received the order!"

With the Capital matter settled, next he should go seek Li Zicheng who has already established the Shun.

The bandits have for so many years gone everywhere massacring cities, capturing subjects as slaves, driving subjects to fill moats, starving countless to death.

There are also the countless wronged souls from the breaching of the Yellow River Embankment, all waiting for the bandits to take revenge.

Yonghe Spacetime.

"With grain collected, we can breathe a bit easier."

Lin Dao and Wang Meng sat facing each other playing chess. "Now that the world is settled, several hundred thousand begging-to-survive troops, it's not good to just let them waste away like this."

"Lord."

Wang Meng, having placed his stone without regret, raised his head to look at Lin Dao. "Is there a target?"

"There is."

Lin Dao fingered a chess piece. "Arrange for Qin Lang to take a batch of people across the Sanguo lands, sail to the Wokou Country."

"After arriving, clear it out completely, keep the land but not the people."

"The Wokou Country is not worth mentioning." Wang Meng's gaze was burning. "They are not yet worthy of the Lord's concern."

Lin Dao raised his head, his gaze fixed on Wang Meng. "The Wokou Country is merely scraps."

"Let Ran Min and them go to the Western Regions."

"The Jie People came from Central Asia, harming the Central Plains countless times."

"Bandits can go there, I can also go there."

"First retake the Western Regions, then continue west to the Qianghu's homeland."

"Whatever the Qianghu did in the Central Plains, the Begging-to-Survive Army will go there and return it tenfold, a hundredfold!"

(End of Chapter)