Chapter 52

Taizu once said, "Strategically, we must despise the enemy, but tactically, we must take the enemy seriously." This statement is truly profound, and Xiao Letian has always regarded it as a golden rule. For example, when dealing with the current Qingliu faction, which is numerous and powerful.

From a long-term perspective, the Qingliu faction, represented by the corrupt scholars of late Qing, is destined to be swept into the dustbin of history. Even the imperial tutor, Weng Tonghe, was eventually exiled by Empress Dowager Cixi, stripped of all his official positions, and died in depression.

In the grand tide of history, the scholars who cling to the subtle meanings of the sages have no resistance against the roar of the Industrial Revolution and the overwhelming impact of natural sciences. Now, they can only rely on the inertia of thousands of years and a bit of ignorance policy to maintain their last bit of dignity.

Strategically, the Qingliu faction is no match for Xiao Letian. They are not even worth his effort and will eventually end up in the dustbin of history on their own.

However, tactically, you must never underestimate the power in the hands of the Qingliu faction. From the temple fair kidnapping case to the various difficulties that Third Master Qing has encountered, any discerning person can see who is behind these black hands.

Why is the Qingliu faction so formidable? Because they have control over the entire imperial examination system from the grassroots to the upper levels. From basic talent cultivation to the major exams in Beijing, these are all traditional strongholds of the Qingliu faction. They use the teacher-student relationship to form a vast network that, during a specific historical period, even the imperial power cannot control.

Moreover, these scholars control public opinion in the countryside. In the naturally formed villages of the empire, where illiterate farmers live, who else would they listen to if not the scholars? The mouths of these scholars in the towns and villages form the most basic public opinion circle in feudal China. They are part-time media people, living newspapers, and living networks.

Xiao Letian can imagine that these malicious scholars are fabricating one lie after another to deceive the people of the Qing. In their mouths, Xiao Letian has become a demon, with a green face and fangs, eating human flesh, and leading foreign ghosts to attempt to overthrow the Qing dynasty.

"Ah!" Xiao Letian sighed deeply. "Third Master, you are a descendant of a meritorious family, a genuine Manchu noble. These scholars dare not do much to you, and the strategies they use against you can be considered the most 'gentle.' If I were to join this field investigation, the vicious schemes those Qingliu people would come up with would be beyond your imagination... Forget it, I would rather die than get involved!"

Xiao Letian ultimately decided to ignore Third Master Qing's plea for help. When Fu Hui learned of this, she looked like a wronged woman, and even Hu Niu noticed the problem. "Third Master has done us a favor. Can't you help him? It's just a field investigation. You've traveled all over Europe, are you afraid of investigating in the Qing territory?"

Xiao Letian's face turned bitter. "You don't understand. The difficulties Third Master is facing are already discounted. If I go, the difficulties he faces will double. You're not asking me to put out a fire; you're asking me to start one..."

Fu Hui, being a lady of the Eight Banners in Beijing, was not far from politics. Hearing Xiao Letian's words, she was stunned. "Are you saying someone is setting traps for my brother?"

Xiao Letian shook his head. "Isn't that obvious? If the industrial special zone succeeds, it will inevitably attract countless commoners to work there, and the necessary technical training will be required. Once people broaden their horizons, it becomes difficult to deceive them. These workers, who have received Western technical education, will quickly discard those lies..."

"The Qingliu faction is causing trouble because they are too afraid. They fear the day when all the people no longer believe in their set of beliefs, and the sayings of the sages and the subtle meanings are all negated. What will they use to deceive the people then? Therefore, all the difficulties Third Master is facing are organized by people..."

"Rest assured, Third Master is a Manchu noble. Those troublemakers won't dare to go too far. On the contrary, if I were to intervene, you would witness a grand scene of a thousand people cursing, and some might even die of anger..." Xiao Letian drank a cup of wine helplessly.

With a slap, Fu Hui angrily threw her chopsticks on the table. "Dare to touch my brother, these bastards don't want to live. I'll go to the palace and find the Empress Dowager. I'll seek help from the Old Buddha..." With that, Fu Hui stood up and was about to leave.

"Ah? Go to the palace to find the Empress Dowager! You're joking..." Xiao Letian's question earned him a glare from Fu Hui. "I am the daughter of the Fucha family, and we have been intermarrying with the imperial family for generations. Even Empress Dowager Cixi was familiar with me before she entered the palace..."

"Really?" Xiao Letian subconsciously stood up and grabbed Fu Hui's small hand, making her blush.

"This... This is nothing to... to lie about. The Empress Dowager's mother is a woman of the Fucha family. By seniority, I should call her aunt, and she... she is my cousin..." Fu Hui's voice grew softer, and she finally blushed and lowered her head to her chest.

Xiao Letian was completely stunned. He was very familiar with Cixi's life, but he knew nothing about her mother's identity, a result of the ancient custom of not recording women in history, leading to the omission of many historical figures' maternal clans.

Cixi's father, Hui Zheng, was a provincial official, and her mother was from the Fucha family. This means that Fu Qing and his sister are cousins to Cixi, and they should call her cousin.

"How can this be? Third Master has such good relatives, why does he need to buy an official position?" Xiao Letian asked in confusion.

"Hey! Though the relatives are close, don't forget that 'one cousin is three thousand miles away.' According to the family tree, the relationship is not particularly close. I only met her three times when I was young, and we only spoke a few dozen words... Besides, the Empress Dowager has already helped Fu Qing with his position in Xiling. She hasn't forgotten us..."

Xiao Letian was now excited. He finally understood how the Fu family, despite their decline, could still connect with the princes. The roots lie here. The vast Fucha family is a major clan among the Manchus, with a network of relationships accumulated over hundreds of years that outsiders cannot imagine.

The ancient Chinese had a strong sense of clan, and the Eight Banners system was like a super-large clan, naturally divided into different levels based on titles. Families intermarried, and in Beijing, any Banner person could claim kinship with another.

This is a treasure, a real treasure. With Fu Hui's network and Xiao Letian's financial support, she would be a perfect high-level mole. What secrets of the Qing dynasty could Fu Hui not uncover?

Cough, cough, cough... As Xiao Letian was lost in thought, a coughing sound came from behind him. He turned to see A Chou glaring at him. Xiao Letian had been holding Fu Hui's hand for a long time, turning it red.

Hu Niu looked awkwardly at Xiao Letian and Fu Hui, her mind struggling to understand. She seemed to realize something but was hesitant to confirm it. A Chou, however, had no such qualms and issued a stern warning to Xiao Letian.

"Ha... Haha..." Xiao Letian quickly let go and scratched his head. "Sister Hui, don't be in a hurry. Sit down and relax. It's just Third Master's issue, it's easy, very easy..."

Xiao Letian avoided A Chou's angry gaze and Hu Niu's reproachful eyes, took a sip of wine to calm himself, and said, "Sister Hui, in Beijing, I knew you were a famous lady of the Manchus, familiar with every household. Whether in the palace or among the princes, you have close friends in every household. This is your network, and you must use it..."

"With your extensive network, helping Third Master with a small problem is a piece of cake, right?" As he said this, Xiao Letian whispered something in Hu Niu's ear, and she nodded and walked into the inner study.

Under Fu Hui's puzzled gaze, Hu Niu carried a one-foot-square wooden box and placed it on the table with difficulty. "Sister Hui, open it and take a look..." When Fu Hui opened the box, the glittering jewels inside made her eyes widen.

Jewelry, a box full of women's favorite jewelry—emeralds, cat's eyes, jade, carnelian, pearls—various hairpins, rings, and bracelets filled the box. On top of the jewels was a roll of silver bills.

"This... This... Why are you giving me these things?" Fu Hui was confused. Is Xiao Letian trying to keep me as a mistress? Pah, pah, pah, what a shameless thought.

Xiao Letian, unaware of Fu Hui's thoughts, continued, "Sister Hui, these jewels are worth about 40,000 silver taels, and here are 60,000 silver bills. The purpose of these jewels and money is to help you build relationships. Spend it freely, and if it runs out, I'll give you more..."

"In a while, my trading company will open, and Fu Qing will have a share. At that time, Sister Hui, you won't have to worry about money anymore."

"Don't be a miser. Spend the money to gather intelligence and build relationships. Whether Xiao Letian and Third Master can make money and avoid trouble in the future depends on you, Sister Hui..." With that, Xiao Letian bowed deeply, paying his respects to Fu Hui.

Fu Hui was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. She had been struggling with money for years, and maintaining a household was not easy. Her brother's salary was limited, and the Banner's fixed income was meager. She couldn't let her family's status decline. Even with the talent of Wang Xifeng, she didn't have the resources of the Rongguo Mansion to manage.

A fortune of 100,000 taels was hidden in this one-foot-square box, and all the difficulties her family faced could be solved immediately. With these exquisite jewels, she could even build a relationship with the Empress Dowager in the palace.

"Brother Xiao... What can I say..." Fu Hui wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. Xiao Letian smiled and comforted her, "Don't be like this. Third Master and I are life-and-death friends. A gentleman shares his wealth. Besides, I'm not giving you this for nothing. I want you to help us gather more intelligence. Without money, how can we achieve anything?"

Just as Fu Hui was deeply moved, Sima Yun suddenly appeared at the door. "Mr. Xiao, please come out for a moment, I have something to report..."

When the two walked to the osmanthus tree, Sima Yun frowned and whispered, "Advisor, the 20,000 taels of silver we transported from Beijing were robbed by the Taiping Dao... The robber was just one person..."

Xiao Letian was stunned. "20,000 taels robbed by one person? That's a 15-man combat team, and we chose the best soldiers from the mountain. How could they be robbed?"

Xiao Letian's question almost embarrassed Sima Yun. "I am at fault. Xiao He Xin has already rushed ahead, and the men have sworn to find that bastard, even if it costs their lives..."