Chapter 72

Xiao Letian has always believed in one principle: when your enemy has no shame, you must be even more shameless. This is especially effective when dealing with moral coercion.

These so-called "pure" scholars in the capital and the Huang Juren are trying to challenge Xiao Letian's limits with their low tactics. As long as he still has a bit of outdated moral integrity, he will be completely defeated.

Aren't you a great master of Western learning? Don't you have to maintain your dignity? The mob is coming at you, and if you dare to take action, the death of just one person will make you a target of eternal condemnation.

If you don't dare to fight back, you can only run away, leaving behind a dilapidated shop and retreating to the deep mountains. From now on, you will be a laughingstock to all the merchants in the Qing Dynasty.

If you neither fight back nor run away, and just stand there, it will be even simpler. The situation will gradually escalate, and even some innocent people might die. In the end, the blame will still fall on your head.

You don't agree? You don't have the right to disagree. We are many, and our voices can overwhelm you. You can't possibly explain yourself to every single person; you'll be exhausted.

The scholars have never used knives to kill; they use their tongues like venomous snakes. This tactic has been almost infallible in ancient China.

Unfortunately, they miscalculated today. This poisonous plan works well on idealists like Fu Qing, but it's a complete joke when faced with someone as shameless as Xiao Letian.

Xiao Letian follows one principle: make the situation as big as possible, big enough to disrupt the political balance of the court, big enough to involve foreigners, big enough to implicate the scholars' political enemies, and big enough that the scholars can't control the situation. This has always been the key point the scholars have guarded against. As long as the chaos is big enough to be out of control, the scholars will hide like Huang Juren, who will wet his pants first. No one will take responsibility.

When Xiao Letian first arrived in Tanggu, his intelligence network was already in operation. Xiang Shaolong and his team of experts were already hiding in the residences of important figures in Tanggu, and they had already gathered all the enemy's plans.

With Xiao Letian, an expert in military strategy, overseeing the operation, the Le Tian Trading Company had already simulated several enemy plans, and everything was under control.

Special forces were hidden among the mob, private soldiers were kept inside the trading company, and even a pre-arranged alliance with General Zeng Guoquan was part of Xiao Letian's plan.

In Beijing, Xiao Letian and General Zeng Guoquan maintained a subtle connection after their initial meeting. Both the eagle and Xiang Shaolong became dedicated messengers.

The communication between the two old foxes was not about conspiracy or rebellion. Instead, they discussed academic topics and debated the future direction of the Qing Dynasty. Because of this, Xiao Letian invited General Zeng to support him, and Zeng Guoquan naturally agreed, though everything was done in secret.

However, Xiao Letian had secretly included him in his plan. When the situation became so serious that even Xiao Letian frowned, Zeng Guoquan transformed into a shield, successfully blocking Ma Bao's final desperate attack.

The old man shook his head and sighed, "Poor Ma Bao, who made me take the clear path? Who made us need someone to take the blame? The scholars wanted Xiao Letian to take the blame, but he refused, and I refused, so it can only be you. Child, don't oppose Xiao Letian in your next life..."

As General Zeng shook his head, the eagle threw three thunderclaps into the air. After the dull explosions echoed throughout Tanggu, the doors of several warehouses near the dock creaked open.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of hooves pounding on the stone pavement reached everyone's ears. Fully armed warhorses galloped out of the warehouses, each carrying a rider in chainmail.

"General Zeng's order... raise the flag..." The eagle shouted, and suddenly, as if by magic, the triangular Qing flags were raised, fluttering in the wind, each bearing a large 'Ji' character.

"It's the Ji Camp! Oh, it's the Xiang Army's Ji Camp..." Merchants with some knowledge, and even foreigners, recognized the flag. This was the famous Ji Camp of the Xiang Army, a core military force under Zeng Guoquan.

"Children, show them the power of the Xiang Army..." The old man's voice was powerful and thunderous.

"For General Zeng, we will fight to the death..." The roar of over a hundred heavy cavalry shook the entire city of Tanggu like a thunderclap.

Zeng Guoquan did not bring many guards, only a few hundred cavalry secretly transported by merchant ships, totaling about 150. These cavalry were divided into small units of 30, hidden in the warehouses near the dock, fully armed and waiting for the general's orders. Zeng Guoquan, who had emerged from a sea of blood, would never relax his guard.

Now, right now, this elite force, bound by family and hometown, was unleashing its bloody tactics in northern China for the first time, and their opponents were their own colleagues in the Qing Dynasty's Green Standard Army.

Thirty riders formed a small unit, and five units moved in parallel, their horses leaping across the ground, all clad in armor. The cold steel glinted like a tidal wave, and the earth seemed to shift. A massive wave crashed onto the pier as 150 killing machines simultaneously charged into the loosely formed infantry.

"Kill... Kill... Kill..." The Ji flags fluttered in the wind. This unit, which had participated in the massacre of Nanjing, was shrouded in the aura of countless souls and blood. Each elite had taken hundreds of lives. For them, as long as the general gave the order, they would charge into the depths of hell.

Ma Bao went mad. He watched helplessly as over a hundred heavy cavalry charged into the side of his formation, and his old comrades were thrown into the air like rag dolls and trampled into the ground.

Five unstoppable iron plows moved through the formation like plowing soft soil, reaping lives. The riders didn't even bother to use their weapons, relying solely on their horse control.

What was even more terrifying was that the horses were also killers, each with extensive experience. They didn't foolishly use their heads to hit the enemy; instead, they skillfully used their shoulder blades to strike, which highlighted the advantage of their armor.

"Mad! Are you all mad? These are the Green Standard soldiers of the Qing Dynasty, this is the Emperor's Tanggu! How can you all rebel... The Ji Camp is rebelling..." Ma Bao screamed like a frightened little girl, but no one paid him any attention.

Five battle flags galloped across the square at the dock, and the silent riders reaped lives. Zeng Guoquan, his adrenaline pumping, smiled coldly, "Hehehe... Children, show the foreigners on the merchant ships the power of the Xiang Army... Raise your weapons, kill all the rebels, leave none alive..."

Xiao Letian felt goosebumps all over his back when he heard this cold voice. He didn't recognize this old man, and he finally recalled the historical records of Zeng Guoquan. This brother, who suppressed rebels and civilians, only knew one word: kill. After the fall of Nanjing last year, the city was left nearly empty after three days of uncontrolled killing.

Today, Zeng Guoquan issued another order to massacre, and his opponents were the Green Standard soldiers of the Qing Dynasty. Xiao Letian didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

"General Zeng's order, kill all..." The eagle delivered the order without emotion, as if slaughtering a herd of pigs.

"General Zeng's order, kill all..." The 150 cavalry raised their weapons, and Xiao Letian felt as if he had fallen into a museum of weapons. Each of their weapons was unique, with a distinct personal style.

A single-handed hammer with a dagger? A two-handed heavy sword not yet sharpened? A mace with a shield? My God, why are they all using heavy blunt weapons?

The eagle saw the confusion in Xiao Letian's eyes and said calmly, "Blunt weapons are efficient in killing, ignoring any armor. These veterans are the general's personal guards, and they have the right to bring their preferred weapons..."

This was a one-sided massacre. The Green Standard Army in the late Qing Dynasty had little combat capability. Most of the time, they were just a police force, capable of suppressing small bands of bandits but unable to defend against the peak Xiang Army.

The Green Standard soldiers were in chaos, soldiers couldn't find their officers, and officers couldn't find their soldiers. Everyone was like a confused fly, running around aimlessly, and most were already terrified, not even knowing how to scatter.

Hooves trampled back and forth, heavy blunt weapons swung with great force, and cavalry crossbows and muskets picked off the fleeing. Throughout the massacre, the 150 cavalry showed no change in expression, as if they were having breakfast, calmly reaping lives.

"Mr. Xiao, do you think I am too cruel?" Zeng Guoquan suddenly said softly beside Xiao Letian. "You forced me to act, didn't you? You wanted to shift the blame back, didn't you? You gradually escalated the situation, didn't you? Isn't your goal the same as mine?"

Zeng Guoquan leaned close to Xiao Letian's ear and whispered, "I am teaching you how to survive in the Qing Dynasty. If we only killed Ma Bao, it would just be a regular political struggle, and the Empress would think of settling the matter peacefully..."

"But if we add 700 Green Standard soldiers and even thousands of Tanggu civilians, this will become a bomb in the court. Want to smooth things over? Want to minimize the issue? That's a dream. For the sake of face, the court will have to take strict action, but who will they punish?"

Xiao Letian jumped up, "Dead people! I understand. Only by punishing the dead can both sides accept the outcome, and it's the only way to quell the chaos. So, the more people die, the more Ma Bao and his backers will have to take the blame, and they can't escape it..."

"Ha ha ha... You are a quick learner, worthy of your seven-perfect heart, worthy of being a great master of Western learning..."

Watching Zeng Guoquan's mad laughter, Xiao Letian felt a deep sense of sorrow. This is the real Qing Dynasty of history, not a play, not a modern drama. There is no warmth and tenderness; the bloodshed in the court will likely never dissipate for centuries.