Chapter 6, Cultivating Thieves and Self-Respect (Part 2)

"Your Highness, the reasoning is quite simple," Feng Xiang replied calmly. "Mr. Wang Shirong's strategy is presumably aimed at testing the court's true attitude towards Your Highness. Now that the court has already provided a response, has the objective not been achieved? What is the court's current attitude towards Your Highness? Surely, Your Highness is not unaware of this?"

Mr. Mao Xia's words are reasonable, so let it be. Wu Sangui was indeed obedient to Liu Xuanchu and immediately agreed. Although Feng Xiang and Wu Yingqi were reluctant, they did not dare to openly oppose Wu Sangui's decision and could only comply. In the end, Feng Xiang still muttered to himself, "Oh sun, historically, Liu Xuanchu does not seem to be a person who is jealous of the talented. Why is it that he does not allow me to work under Wu Yingqi? If I cannot get close to the core figures of Wu Sangui's group and participate in their high-level decisions, how can I incite the old traitor Wu Sangui to rebel against the Qing?"

"Your Highness, I have an idea that could allow Lu Yifeng to undergo more training," Liu Xuanchu said as he picked up his pipe. Wu Sangui first took the flint and steel to light Liu Xuanchu's pipe before saying, "If Mr. Maoxia has any good suggestions, please feel free to share. This prince has plenty of military generals under his command, but what I lack the most are civil officials. I am even more eager to recruit talented individuals than you, Mr. Maoxia."

Wu Sangui was surprised and exchanged a glance with Liu Xuanchu, only to realize that they had been preoccupied with the loss of local civil administration authority in the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, and the headache of the various measures that the Qing dynasty would undoubtedly employ to curtail their power after losing it, completely forgetting their original purpose of probing. At this moment, Wu Yingqi interjected, asking: "Lu Yifeng, your point has some merit, but is it not too unprofitable for the king to lose the local governance authority in Yunnan and Guizhou just for the sake of such a probing purpose?"

Mr. Mao Xia wants this king to raise thieves and maintain self-respect? Wu Sangui gradually began to accept the presence of Feng Xiang in front of him. In front of Feng Xiang, Wu Sangui even directly spoke the words of raising thieves and maintaining self-respect. After pondering for a moment, Wu Sangui slowly said while tapping the table with his fingers: "But as a minister of the Qing Dynasty, bearing the grace of the country, is it not too ungrateful to the court to do such a thing?"

I have also heard several pieces of news. Feng Xiang quickly replied: It is said that there are still some remnants of the former Ming dynasty within Myanmar and Annam, and recently there seem to be some signs of restlessness.

"When Mr. Wang Shirong presented his plan to the prince, did he not consider how to handle the aftermath?" Feng Xiang asked in surprise. "Did he not think about the possibility that the court might readily agree to the prince's request and take the opportunity to weaken the prince's local control over the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou? Was he not prepared for the subsequent measures?"

"Your Highness, please forgive me for my bold words." Feng Xiang took the opportunity to incite further, saying: "In the seventeenth year of Shunzhi, before Your Highness's first military reduction, the local chieftains in Yunnan and Guizhou were in rebellion, and the remnants of the former Ming dynasty were lurking nearby, watching closely. The court was indeed responsive to Your Highness's needs, bestowing heavy rewards and leniency! However, after Your Highness quelled these rebels and subsequently reduced over seventy percent of the army twice, have you received even greater and heavier favors? Therefore, I feel that the stronger Your Highness's power becomes, the more bandits there are in Yunnan and Guizhou and its surrounding areas, and the less the court dares to act against Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness feels the same way." After Your Highness quelled these rebels and subsequently reduced over seventy percent of the army twice, have you received even greater and heavier favors? Therefore, I feel that the stronger Your Highness's power becomes, the more bandits there are in Yunnan and Guizhou and its surrounding areas, and the less the court dares to act against Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness feels the same way.

Is it really that simple? Feng Xiang's eyes darted around, filled with suspicion. He thought to himself: With Wu Sangui's cunning and shrewdness, how could he possibly adopt such a suggestion from Wang Shirong, which lacks thorough consideration? Has he not thought about the tragic consequences? Or is there some hidden truth behind this, which the old traitor Wu Sangui does not wish to reveal? What is he concealing from me?

"Bah! You shameless old traitor!" Feng Xiang cursed loudly in his heart, "If you truly had any loyalty, why did you invite the Tartars into the borders back then? Why did you execute the Southern Ming Emperor Yongli? To hell with you! I don't care whether you are genuinely loyal to the mites or not. Since I am here, I will make sure to turn you against them, so that neither you nor the mites will have a good day!"

If that fool had considered the consequences, it would have been better!" Wu Yingqi replied irritably. Over there, Wu Sangui responded: "In this regard, Mr. Mao Xia had warned us in advance, but at that time, I was eager to ascertain the court's attitude. Considering that the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou are located on the border, with a mixed population of various ethnic groups, and the situation is complex and difficult to manage, it was essential for me to be stationed there, which is why I agreed to this proposal. However, I never expected that the court would agree to it outright. Afterward, your immediate superior, Bian Sanyuan, and others submitted a memorial to reverse it, but it was also immediately rejected.

"Fool, shut your mouth!" Wu Sangui scolded his son, then turned to Feng Xiang and asked, "Lord Lu, just the remnants of the traitor Long Jizhao may not be enough, right?"

Feng Xiang pretended to be flattered, bowing and expressing gratitude, while continuously toasting Wu Sangui with cup after cup of the intoxicating brew. Wu Sangui smiled as he drank both the wine and the soup one by one, and at the same time began to inquire about Feng Xiang's background. Feng Xiang answered truthfully to each question. Upon realizing that Feng Xiang indeed had no connections to Beijing, Wu Sangui was greatly pleased, patting Feng Xiang on the shoulder and saying, "Do well in Qujing, and if you perform well, this prince will not treat you unfairly"

"Your Highness, Lu Yifeng is indeed a rare talent, but he is still too inexperienced," Liu Xuanchu replied calmly. "Consider, Your Highness, how much danger Lu Yifeng exposed himself to today in order to showcase his abilities? With such a penchant for risk-taking, how can he achieve greatness without further tempering? Moreover, I have been observing Lu Yifeng and found that although he is naturally intelligent and quick-witted, his depth of character is somewhat lacking. Especially after you mentioned that Bian Sanyuan and the others were rejected when they submitted their petition, Lu Yifeng immediately sensed that you had not finished your statement. Although he did not dare to question you directly, his expression was quite unnatural—can we entrust such a young and impetuous individual with significant responsibilities?"

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will certainly work diligently in Qujing, striving to live up to Your Highness's kindness and the recommendation of the Second Prince," Feng Xiang replied with great joy. Beside him, Wu Yingqi was struck by a thought, reflecting that he had not expected that the person he had promoted to the position of County Magistrate of Qujing, in exchange for silver, would be someone admired by both the King and Liu Xuanchu. If he could keep this individual by his side as an advisor, it would surely make things much easier for him in front of the King in the future. With this in mind, Wu Yingqi took the initiative to say, "Father, after listening to Lord Lu's eloquence, I believe that such talent is rare, and it is truly a waste for him to serve as the County Magistrate in Qujing. I dare to suggest that Lord Lu be transferred to serve under me, assisting me with military and political affairs. I hope for your approval, Father."

After the banquet, Wu Sangui and Feng Xiang agreed to let Feng Xiang pay a visit another day. Wu Yingqi personally escorted Feng Xiang out of the residence. It was only after both Feng Xiang and Wu Yingqi had left the guest room that Wu Sangui smiled and asked Liu Xuanchu: "Mr. Mao Xia, what do you think of that fellow Lu Yifeng? Yingqi intends to keep him under his command, so why do you want to stop him? In my impression, Mr. Mao Xia, you do not seem to be someone who is jealous of the talented and capable, do you?"

Wu Sangui fell silent, his triangular eyes darting around as he quickly calculated in his mind. Liu Xuanchu then said: "Your Highness, I believe that Lord Lu's words are quite reasonable. The military forces of Geng Jimao and his son Geng Jingzhong in Fujian far exceed yours, and their military expenditures are also significantly greater. However, due to the presence of Zheng Jing from Taiwan nearby, there is very little unfavorable commentary about them in the court. Similarly, if there are some dangerous bandit leaders like Zheng Jing within and around Yunnan-Guizhou, I believe your days in the court would be much better."

My lord, I have recently heard some news," Feng Xiang said hesitantly. "I have heard that after the lord eliminated the rebel Long Jizhao, the Manao Tusi in Xingren, Guizhou, in the seventeenth year of Shunzhi, there are still remnants hiding in the Yunnan-Guizhou region, contacting various local tribal leaders who refuse to submit to the rule of the Qing dynasty, plotting something sinister. It is possible that they may rise up against the Qing soon—however, I am uncertain about the authenticity of this matter.

Wu Sangui actually wanted to bring the rare talent Feng Xiang into his service. Of course, Feng Xiang did not wish to go to Qujing to serve as a minor official, so he quickly sat up straight, preparing to accept the invitation from Wu Yingqi. Unexpectedly, Liu Xuanchu beside him suddenly said: "Your Highness, Second Prince, I believe this is inappropriate. The arrangement for Lord Lu to serve as the magistrate of Qujing has already been reported to the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry has issued an order for Lord Lu to enter the capital to meet the Emperor. At this time, to rashly change Lord Lu's official appointment may invite slander and gossip about Your Highness attracting treacherous ministers and flatterers. Therefore, I believe it would be better for Lord Lu to first go to the capital and then return to Qujing to take up his post, and later promote him gradually. After all, Qujing is not far from Kunming, and even if Your Highness and the Second Prince have need of Lord Lu, he can be summoned at any time."

"Is the remnant of the Ma Nai Tusi causing chaos?" Both Wu Sangui and Liu Xuanchu's eyes lit up. Beside them, Wu Yingqi foolishly said, "Lu Yifeng, what kind of joke are you making? Of course, that is not the case. Seven years ago, we wiped out the entire Long Jizhao family, leaving only Long Jizhao's daughter who managed to escape. Most of Long Jizhao's accomplices and followers have also been killed. How could they possibly rise up and rebel again?"

Your Highness, since Lu Yifeng is coming to the capital to meet the Emperor, why not let him take a detour to Guangdong and handle the matter that your student suggested last night? Liu Xuanchu said while smoking, "Originally, this matter is not of great significance to Your Highness, and the chances of it succeeding are not very high. Rather than having someone else make a separate trip to Guangdong, wasting time and resources, it would be better to send Lu Yifeng. If it succeeds, it would be an unexpected joy; even if it does not, Lu Yifeng can gain some experience and grow, which will be beneficial for Your Highness in the future. It also serves as a test for him, to see if he is truly worthy of Your Highness's trust with important responsibilities, and to assess his loyalty to you."

After being incited by the two great pests of the Qing Dynasty, Bei Fengxiang and Liu Xuanchu, Wu Sangui suddenly realized that some of his previous actions were indeed foolish. Not only did he voluntarily submit a request to reduce troops and dig his own grave, but he also, in an effort to demonstrate loyalty to the Manchu court, completely eradicated the anti-Qing forces within and around Yunnan and Guizhou, even personally executing the Southern Ming Emperor Yongli. As a result, while he had eliminated all the rabbits, his own loyal old hunting dog now faced the danger of being turned into Huajiang dog meat. Regretful as he was, Wu Sangui would not admit his mistakes in front of his trusted subordinates. After pondering for a long time, Wu Sangui raised his chopsticks and invited, "Let’s talk about these matters later; let’s eat and drink first, the dishes are getting cold. Come, come, Lord Lu, try the skills of my palace chef; if you like it, eat more."

"That's a good idea." Wu Sangui pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "Then let him go to Guangdong. If he can truly accomplish this task for me, it would indeed be an unexpected delight."

"Your Highness, before the birds take flight, the arrows will not be hidden in the box," Liu Xuanchu said leisurely. "In the same vein, as long as there are bandits within and around the Yunnan-Guizhou region that pose a threat to the safety of the court, Your Highness can remain as steady as Mount Tai in Yunnan and Guizhou. At the very least, those treacherous officials and tyrannical rulers who look down upon Your Highness will not dare to be so arrogant."

After pondering for a moment, Feng Xiang, who clearly lacked sufficient information, shook his head and decided to temporarily set aside his curiosity about the investigation. Liu Xuanchu, who had been observing Feng Xiang's expression, slightly nodded and gave Feng Xiang's face a meaningful glance before asking, "Lord Lu, since you have understood the course of events, what do you think the prince should do to extricate himself from the current predicament? There is no need for modesty or hesitation; the prince is a gentleman who values the worthy."

"Indeed, this young man is quite bold and somewhat too fond of taking risks," Wu Sangui nodded and smiled as he spoke. "If it weren't for his considerable luck in encountering someone as loyal and eager for talent as you, Mr. Mao Xia, I would have long since dealt with him decisively! Such a person should be rigorously trained, so that in the future, he might have the potential to become an aide to me, just like you, Mr. Mao Xia."