Reality is not a novel; reality is often more absurd than fiction.
Antagonists in novels always favor attrition tactics, frequently employing the trope of defeating a lesser foe only to provoke their stronger senior, much like experience points lining up to boost the protagonist's growth.
Villains in reality rarely act this way. Take Qianlong, for instance. The moment he discovered Zhu Xiaosong's existence might tarnish the glorious image of the Great Qing and impede his leisurely inspection of the Grand Canal projects, Qianlong unhesitatingly dispatched Fu Kangan.
Fu Kangan was a formidable figure. He had once quelled the rebellions in Jiajin and Jinchuan, subsequently receiving seven promotions in titles and official positions within a single year. Qianlong personally bestowed upon him a horse with imperial tack and commissioned a portrait in the Hall of Military Merit. He was also granted the double-eyed peacock feather ornament and the privilege of riding within the Forbidden City.
There were even rumors that Fu Kangan was Qianlong's illegitimate son, given that Fu Kangan's brother married a princess, while Fu Kangan, despite such favor, did not.
Of course, the truth of this matter is not for us to scrutinize. Qianlong's family life was notoriously chaotic, to the point where even his own lineage was unclear. Therefore, it is understandable that Qianlong might have had a few more illegitimate sons and daughters scattered about.
Just like Princess Huandian and that nine-year-old county magistrate who enjoyed matching couplets.
Now, with the supposedly illegitimate Fu Kangan personally taking the field, it was truly a case of a celestial being passing wind – extraordinary! Fu Kangan could freely command the Eight Banners and Green Standard Army that Shandong Governor Ming Xing could not, and he could also command the Imperial Guard (Zhan Gan Chu) that Ming Xing was unable to mobilize.
Upon arriving at Sixian County, Fu Kangan summoned Shandong Governor Ming Xing, Yanzhou Prefect Wu Zude, Jining Subprefect Zhan Hongbo, Jining Grand Canal Governor Chen Tailai, Palace Guard Colonel Liu Cheng, and the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household.
Fu Kangan, clad in a qilin robe adorned with nine coiled dragons and five-clawed dragons, his head topped with a ruby-encrusted cap, sat with his legs spread wide. With his left hand, he held a teacup, and with his right, he used the lid to gently skim the foam from the tea. His gaze, from the corner of his eye, fell upon Ming Xing and the others: "A Shandong Governor, a Yanzhou Prefect, a Jining Subprefect, and a Grand Canal Governor – all of you are exhausted by a mere Zhu Xiaosong. Truly commendable!"
Ming Xing immediately knelt on the ground, offering no defense: "Your subordinate is unable to share the burden with my lord; I deserve death!"
Seeing their immediate superior kneel, Zhan Hongbo, Wu Zude, and the others also dropped to their knees, all exclaiming in unison: "We your subordinates are incompetent and unable to share the burden with His Majesty; we deserve death!"
Fu Kangan ignored Ming Xing and the others, his gaze shifting to Palace Guard Colonel Liu Cheng and the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household: "And the two of you. One a Palace Guard Colonel, the other the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household. Not only did you fail to protect the palace, but you even have the audacity to falsely report military achievements?"
Liu Cheng immediately knelt, about to protest his innocence, when the Chief Eunuch beside him prostrated himself and declared: "This servant deserves death!"
Fu Kangan sneered and commanded: "Guards! Drag these two scoundrels out and behead them for public display!"
After Palace Guard Colonel Liu Cheng and the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household were dragged away, Fu Kangan took a sip of tea from his cup, set it down, then drew a dispatch from the table. He toyed with it for a moment before looking askance at the remaining officials and stating: "The rebel Zhu originated from Liu Temple Village in Ningyang County. The unruly villagers of Liu Temple Village concealed his presence. Executethem!"
As the words fell, the dispatch skittered to a halt before Ming Xing. However, Ming Xing did not pick it up, but instead bowed his head again: "Reporting to Lord Fu, the unruly villagers of Liu Temple Village..."
Seeing Ming Xing stammering and hesitant to continue, Fu Kangan frowned and asked: "What about those unruly villagers?"
Ming Xing's heart trembled. It seemed as if his entire frame had lost its structure as he knelt on the ground and replied: "The unruly villagers of Liu Temple Village, they have all... they have all disappeared!"
Fu Kangan frowned and cursed them as useless. He then continued: "This supervisor did not order you to go to Ningyang County to kill those unruly villagers, but to encircle and suppress them in Yimeng."
"The rebel Zhu appeared successively in Wenshang, Dawenkou, Sixian County, and Quanlin Palace, all to attract your attention, allowing those unruly villagers of Liu Temple Village to transfer to Yimeng."
"Unfortunately, you fools are truly too dim-witted to see through such a simple matter. You are being led around by a mere teenager? I truly cannot comprehend how, as useless as you are for failing to share the burden with your lord, you still have the face to live in this world?"
Ming Xing was somewhat bewildered.
Being scolded by Lord Fu a few times was nothing. He knew his own situation.
If his family hadn't also been surnamed Fucha, like this Lord Fu before him, would he have managed to become the Shandong Governor? Merely his name was enough to cause his entire family to be wiped out! To be reprimanded by Lord Fu Kangan was his honor!
The problem was that Lord Fu's demands were deadly!
Yimeng was not a single geographical location. Yimeng Mountain was not just one mountain, but comprised mountain ranges such as Yishan and Mengshan. The only way to find the villagers of Liu Temple Village in Yimeng was to replicate Wanyan Zongbi's search of the mountains to capture Zhao Gou, relying on numerical superiority to comb through Yimeng.
But were the villagers of Liu Temple Village indeed on one of Yimeng's mountains? And if so, which one?
Moreover, judging by the rebel Zhu's past conduct, it was likely that he had already swept through the villages in Yimeng. Once the army began its campaign, who could guarantee that no one would inform the rebel Zhu?
Did they truly need to剿 (suppress/eradicate) the entire Yimeng?
If massacring Liu Temple Village could be considered justifiable, then encircling and suppressing the entire Yimeng would truly be a case of the officials forcing the people to rebel!
The key was that Lord Fu did not need to care, but he, the Shandong Governor, had to be responsible for the entire mess!
However, upon further consideration, Ming Xing suddenly felt at ease.
As a servant, as long as one served the master well, all the messy official positions and wealth were given by the master. He was the master's servant, but those behind him were not!
With this thought, Ming Xing immediately bowed and replied: "Your subordinate deserves death! Your subordinate will dispatch people to Yimeng to suppress those unruly villagers immediately!"
...
Zhu Lao San stroked his slicked-back head and then his queue behind his head. He then patted his belly, which was full of tea, and couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly. He crossed the threshold with his right foot first.
After entering the tea house and reaching a table, he placed his hands on either side of the table and shouted loudly: "Waiter, bring tea!"
The waiter, who had been waiting, immediately scurried over and asked: "What kind of tea does Young Master wish for?"
Zhu Lao San, carefully remembering Zhu Xiaosong's instructions, replied: "I want red tea!" (Hong)
The waiter acknowledged him, then brought over a cup of tea on a tray, a small plate of snacks, and a pair of chopsticks. He arranged them on the table in the same manner.
Zhu Lao San took the chopsticks and placed them to the left of the teacup, then placed the teacup lid upside down to the left of the chopsticks.
The waiter glanced at Zhu Xiaosong and asked: "Does Young Master wish to eat anything else?"
Zhu Lao San replied: "I want to eat grain."
The waiter asked: "Where does Young Master come from?"
Zhu Lao San answered: "From the mountains." (Shan)
The waiter asked: "Where is Young Master going?"
Zhu Lao San replied: "Returning home by water." (Shui)
The waiter then asked: "Where is Young Master's residence?"
Zhu Lao San answered again: "My home is in Tangtou village." (Tang, Xiang)
The waiter finally asked: "What is Young Master's esteemed surname and given name? How many brothers do you have?"
Zhu Lao San replied: "My surname is Zhu, my given name is Lao San. I am the third, but I am neither in the eldest nor the second branch. I am related to Wan Yunlong, and I have come to find him this time."
Hearing this, the waiter couldn't help but frown slightly and ask: "If Young Master needs to relieve himself, I can lead you to the privy."
Zhu Lao San nodded and followed the waiter to a room. The waiter then asked: "Did Young Master arrive by carriage? Or by boat?"
Zhu Lao San replied: "By boat. I am unlearned and only know that there are thirty-six Heavenly Spirits and seventy-two Earthly Fiends on the boat, totaling one hundred and eight planks. The boat has three hundred and sixty-five nails, and two inverted willow trees. That is the rudder at the stern, the protective board of the mainmast, and on the mast, there are bright pearls as treasures. The poem says: 'Bright pearls on the mast anchor the five oceans, and the red boat is full of loyal and virtuous people.'"
The waiter then asked: "What are the four pillars of your esteemed mountain? What is the esteemed surname and given name of the master of the house? What is your relation to Wan Yunlong?"
Zhu Lao San did not directly answer the waiter's question, but chuckled: "Wan Yunlong bears my Zhu family's surname. I have come on my elder brother's orders to find him, to see if he still recognizes my family's lineage."
The waiter was almost driven mad by Zhu Lao San – he answered everything correctly at first, but then gave irrelevant answers, and spoke with considerable arrogance, starting with whether Wan Yunlong still recognized his family's lineage!
After much thought, unable to figure out what was going on, the waiter could only say: "Young Master, please wait, I will go invite the shopkeeper."
When the shopkeeper arrived, he asked: "Does Young Master truly bear the surname Zhu? The Zhu surname that Wan Yunlong bears? Do you have any proof?"
Zhu Lao San nodded and said: "The Zhu that Wan Yunlong bears is naturally my family's Zhu. As for proof, Ke Mingzhi of Qingmu Hall, who burned three and a half incense sticks, has seen it before."
Upon hearing the name Ke Zhiming, the shopkeeper no longer doubted him. He immediately bowed with clasped hands and said: "Wan Yunlong has long intended to acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan, but he does not know who is currently in charge of the family. Since leaving Yuhuang Mountain, Wan Yunlong has not known where to find the head of the family!"
Zhu Lao San replied: "The head of the family is my elder brother. If..."
Before Zhu Lao San could finish speaking, the shopkeeper's expression suddenly changed, and he asked: "Does Young Master know that Fu Kangan has left the capital?"
Zhu Lao San replied: "I do not know."
The shopkeeper said: "Upon learning of the destruction of the palace, the Emperor Qianlong was furious in the capital. Fu Kangan was dispatched from the capital under Qianlong's orders and should have arrived in Sixian County this afternoon. Please, Young Master, find a way to notify the head of the family to avoid trouble as soon as possible!"
Zhu Lao San nodded and said: "If that is the case, then I shall take my leave. As for Wan Yunlong's wish to meet my elder brother, it will have to be postponed for now."
The shopkeeper, however, stopped Zhu Lao San and clasped his hands: "I have over twenty skilled men here, all loyal and good fellows to the family. They know how to contact relatives in various regions. If Young Master trusts me, I can let them accompany you back."
Zhu Lao San, thinking of Zhu Xiaosong's instructions, immediately let out a loud laugh and said: "What is there not to trust? Please ask the shopkeeper to summon them immediately!"
After Zhu Xiaosong departed, the shopkeeper's expression changed repeatedly. After a long while, he suddenly gritted his teeth and instructed the waiter: "Send someone to contact the Bagua Sect and the White Lotus Society, and invite them to rise up immediately. Send someone to notify Wan Yunlong and tell him that Qingmu Hall has found the young master. Ask him if he will come to pay his respects to the young master, or if he wishes the young master to go to the island."
The waiter hesitated slightly and asked: "Isn't this too hasty? Putting aside whether this young master is real or fake, even if he is real, is it necessary to invite the White Lotus Society and the Bagua Sect to rise up?"
The shopkeeper shook his head and said: "Since the Zhu San Taizi incident, the anti-Qing forces in the world have been a scattered mess. Today you rebel, tomorrow I rebel, always being defeated one by one by the Tatars. Therefore, whether the young master is real or fake, he must be real!"
The waiter nodded and replied: "If that is the case, then I will send someone to contact the White Lotus Society and the Bagua Sect."