Chapter 141 Zhang Chao and Zhuangyuan Tower: The Triumphant Return Online - The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

Chapter 141 Zhang Chao and Zhuangyuan Tower: The Triumphant Return

After listening, Liu Mu looked at Yang Fengxiang, and then curiously circled around him. Yang Fengxiang was usually taciturn, but he turned out to be a very focused person.

Sending this kind of person to Luzon would be the most reassuring thing for Liu Mu; he wouldn't have to worry about them being ambushed by the natives. With this in mind, Liu Mu had already decided to use this man, and thus gave the order.

"Yang Fengxiang, I hereby appoint you as Governor-General of Luzon, and Tang Tiechui as Military Supervisor of Luzon. As there are not many large ships, preparations shall begin today, and ships shall depart for Luzon in batches!"

"Watch out for Taiwan, and try not to get too close!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Fengxiang and Tang Tiechui immediately knelt down on one knee.

"We will certainly not fail Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Mu nodded and left with the Imperial Guards, sending Tang Tiechui to Luzon as a military supervisor. This was mainly because he knew Tang Tiechui well; Tang Tiechui had a wife and children in Beijing, as did his younger brother, Tang Sanchui.

Such a person, if sent to Luzon, would not betray the Han unless absolutely necessary, making him a more reliable choice.

For the next two months, the Han garrison army, along with its captured troops, successively recovered Zhejiang and Fujian, completely taking over the mess left by Geng Jingzhong.

Historically, after the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, the entire Chinese nation suffered a severe decline in people's livelihoods. Coupled with the unrestrained exploitation by the Manchu Qing dynasty, even the prosperous Jiangnan region experienced a surge in displaced people.

Although the situation has ended ahead of schedule, the situation in the southwest is even more serious, and the population is expected to decline again.

Before Liu Mu led his army back to Beijing, he selected key personnel from the 60,000-strong Beijing garrison and Pan Yulong reorganized ten guards to garrison Fuzhou and Zhangzhou and Quanzhou respectively.

He himself was stationed in Anqing, guarding the throat of southern Zhili, while keeping a close eye on Jiangxi.

Meanwhile, Zhao Liangdong's 30,000 troops continued to garrison Fengyang Prefecture and Xuzhou Prefecture, keeping an eye on the Henan region.

Over the course of two months, Yang Fengxiang sailed out to sea on merchant ships in batches, heading to Luzon Island.

They didn't need to bring weapons. Spain had a large stockpile of flintlock muskets and cold weapons on Luzon Island; the only problem was that the warhorses had to be shipped there slowly.

Not too many are needed, five hundred cavalry will suffice!

In 1675 AD, on the first day of the tenth month of the Han Dynasty, Liu Mu led an army of 120,000 back to Beijing.

These ten extra garrisons, totaling more than 60,000 troops, were all brought back from the Huai River region. They included prisoners of war, militia members, and civilians, and have already been established as garrisons in the area.

This return to the capital is also about mentoring the new and experienced soldiers. We need to quickly get them into a fighting force. As the emperor, having 120,000 troops by my side is both prestigious and reassuring.

The main army went directly to the military camp at Andingmen, while the Imperial Guards escorted the women back to the capital from Yongdingmen.

Liu Mu, along with Liu Dingbian, disguised themselves and strolled around Beijing, wanting to see how the city fared after nearly three years of governance by the Han Dynasty.

It's still Zhengyangmen, still the noodle shop of Pan Feng's mother-in-law, but now it's been upgraded again, with three shops and four floors. Jin Hua Noodle Shop has been renamed Zhuangyuanlou.

Xie Bo'an, the first newly appointed top scholar of the Han Dynasty, was brought into the palace here, making the name of the Zhuangyuan Tower legitimate.

Even though the imperial examinations, held only once every three years, will not be held until the year after next, people still come and go at this time. In the main hall, some scholars hold folding fans and gather together to discuss refined matters.

There were also some wealthy merchants dressed in brocade robes, sitting together at a table, discussing some kind of business.

Liu Mu was dressed in a beige robe, with a jade crown and a ribbon on his head, looking every bit like a rich young master.

Upon seeing this, Pan Feng's mother-in-law's eyes lit up, and she immediately stepped forward to greet him, waving a palm-leaf fan in her hand.

"Oh my, young master!"

"Are you here for a meal or to stay at an inn?"

Before Liu Mu arrived, he had already inquired about the fact that the fourth floor of the Zhuangyuan Tower was reserved for Xie Bo'an and her son-in-law Pan Feng, and was not open to others.

The third floor is the real gem, offering a panoramic view of the area outside Zhengyang Gate. Even though the table fee is three taels of silver, it's still packed with people.

Liu Dingbian took out a ten-tael silver ingot from his bag and tossed it over expressionlessly.

"Third floor, private room please!"

"Nine delicious dishes and a pot of fine wine!"

Although Liu Dingbian had restrained his murderous aura, he still smelled of blood. However, Pan Feng's mother-in-law was fearless and accepted the silver, gesturing for her to come inside.

"Honored guest, please come upstairs!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Mu put his hands behind his back and walked up the wooden ladder as if admiring the scenery.

The second floor, in contrast to the lobby, was filled with high-ranking individuals—either gentry and wealthy merchants from the inner city, or high-ranking officials—sitting by the windows enjoying drinks, such as Ouyang Jing, who sat on the north side.

This guy was dressed simply, and although he looked drunk, Liu Mu could see from his angle that he was secretly watching three wealthy businessmen at a table.

"Take them to the private room!"

After Liu Mu finished speaking, he led five imperial guards upstairs.

The third floor has only ten private rooms, all of which are partitioned off, with an empty space in the middle containing a porcelain vase that is more than two meters tall.

Inside the private room, two well-proportioned young girls, who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, were already preparing tea and warming wine for the upcoming guests.

This surprised Liu Mu. He hadn't stopped at all, so how did they know he was coming in advance?

Liu Mu immediately frowned. Before the army set off, Liu Mu had already abolished the buying and selling of people.

All Han Chinese citizens with household registration who work for a master are entitled to wages. If the master beats or scolds them, they can file a lawsuit against the authorities.

However, the government neither cares about nor can it control women who willingly choose to patronize brothels.

If Pan Feng were to break the law, Liu Mu would not allow him to live. After taking the seat of honor, he asked the two maids for their opinions.

"What is your background?"

Those who came to the third floor were all rich and powerful, but the two young girls were not intimidated at all, with the older one even taking a step forward.

"We are all from outside the city, from families with only children and widows. The landlady here is very kind; she specifically sought us out. Every month she makes tea, tidies the tables and chairs, provides room and board, and even gives us three taels of silver!"

Liu Mu was very satisfied upon hearing this. This mother-in-law of Pan Feng was quite nice; she actually went out of her way to find jobs for widowed and orphaned families.

"Orphanages" refers to households without male members, most of whom were either seized by the Eight Banners or killed directly.

The Han Dynasty was newly established and its strength was indeed insufficient. The only way to deal with them was to let them rely on the garrison soldiers and take on some sewing, mending and washing jobs so that they could barely survive.

Liu Dingbian poured himself a cup of tea, gulped it down, and nodded only after confirming that everything was alright.

Liu Mu was very cautious, knowing he only had one life.

Just as Liu Mu was enjoying his tea, Ouyang Jing pushed open the door, came to Liu Mu's side, and bowed.

"Your Majesty, you summoned me?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Mu was annoyed, realizing that Ouyang Jing didn't even know what he had done wrong, so he started teasing him.

"The Minister of Works, with an annual salary of 360 taels of silver, I wonder how many times he could come to Zhuangyuanlou?"