Therefore, isn't it only natural that every transmigrator who fails in his rebellion is protected by several innate masters?
After thinking for a moment, Lin Yang said, "Marquis Yanping, along the way, I've discovered that the strength of the imperial court, or rather, the strength of the various sects, is actually not weak. If that's the case, how could we have lost to the British in the Opium War? Could it be that the British were too strong?"
It's important to understand that in this world, the Han people's martial prowess is by no means weak. Moreover, given their large population, even if only one expert out of every ten thousand people could overwhelm the more than twenty thousand Anglo-French allied troops.
“Yes, even with sheer numbers, they shouldn’t have been able to drive over 20,000 Anglo-French troops all the way to Beijing,” Shi A said with great curiosity.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hong smiled disdainfully and said, "Hey, you all said it yourselves, the Han people are not weak. But the imperial court is Manchu."
"In terms of experts, the imperial court is actually not weak. Each of the Eight Banners leaders is a third-rank grandmaster. However, these eight grandmasters are the ones who suppress the fate of the Manchu dynasty, so they naturally cannot compete with the British in a war of attrition."
"There are certainly several grandmasters in the royal family, but as I said before, suppressing the Han people is the court's top priority. The British cannot destroy the court. Even if they are defeated, at most they will only cede a few islands and pay some compensation."
"So why should the imperial court exert any effort? In any case, even if it's an indemnity, it will ultimately fall on the shoulders of the common people. The Manchus don't have to pay anything. Even if it's ceding territory, it's only a few islands at a time, right? Anyway, China is so big, even if it's ceded every year, it can be done for a hundred or two hundred years."
“But if we squander all our resources, won’t the court be finished? Won’t the Manchus be finished? At that time, all the high-ranking officials will be Han Chinese, and even the governors-general of various regions might be Han Chinese. Tell me, if you were the emperor in the palace in the capital, could you still sleep soundly?” As he spoke, Zheng Hong shook his head with a wry smile.
However, Lin Yang finally understood why a small Anglo-French allied force of just over 20,000 men could directly attack Beijing.
The local Green Standard Army was loyal, but in terms of actual combat strength, they were truly incompetent. Let alone one-on-one, even one against five might not be a match for the Anglo-French allied forces.
Therefore, with the British navy guaranteeing supplies, the more than 20,000 British and French troops were able to remain invincible.
However, these are not the main reasons. The main reason is that the court is Manchu. The world also belongs to the Manchus. They have never considered themselves Han Chinese rulers; they have merely been appeasing, deceiving, and suppressing the Han people to maintain their rule.
To put it simply, it boils down to four words: the difference between Manchu and Han.
No wonder so many people in this world rebelled. If Lin Yang were to transmigrate to this world, he would definitely rebel as well.
This imperial court is utterly heartless. What kind of imperial court is this? They have no regard for the interests of the people. They are acting like foreigners who have occupied China and are carrying out colonial rule.
However, if you think about the history of the Manchu Qing dynasty, wasn't it just that foreign barbarians (in the late Ming dynasty, the Jurchens were indeed foreign barbarians) occupied the Central Plains, and then used it as pasture, with Han people as their assistants, to carry out colonial rule?
"Phew, this is truly an era where rebellion is justified," Lin Yang concluded.
“Yes, if we don’t rebel, we have no way to survive,” Shi A chimed in.
"Hehe, it's good that you guys understand. Unlike those cynics, who all say that the Manchu Qing dynasty is the legitimate dynasty and that rebellion is a heinous crime. They even say that the pig's tail is an ancestral tradition. To hell with ancestral traditions!" Zheng Hong became more and more excited as he spoke.
"Oh, Marquis Yanping, why worry? Anyway, I, Zhu Jishi, will not employ such a cynic. (In fact, the cynic also looks down on Zhu Jishi.)" A young man dressed in a yellow robe, who looked very capable, said with a smile.
Needless to say, this man is none other than the famous Zhu Jishi, the overseas emperor. He has a broad forehead, large eyes, and a very kind smile.
Moreover, the fact that they were willing to personally come to the dock to welcome the three of them already showed great sincerity.
Zhu Jishi was surrounded by a beautiful woman in military uniform, a dozen capable guards, and a scholar who kept fanning himself with a goose feather fan.
With a sweep of his divine eye, Lin Yang discovered that Zhu Jishi possessed an exceptionally strong aura of fortune. This aura stemmed from his own strength, the support of the British, the influence of overseas Chinese after the occupation of Borneo, and the divine mandate bestowed upon him after his rebellion.
In short, he was probably not far from becoming a true emperor. At this point, he had money, food, soldiers, and a complete team. He could be called a dragon after conquering Guangzhou, and a true emperor after conquering the south.
"These three are the brave warriors who fought against the Qing Dynasty. May I ask their names?" Zhu Jishi asked with a smile, looking at Lin Yang and the other two. He was genuinely pleased; in his perception, all three were unfathomable.
It should be noted that Zhu Jishi has now reached the peak of the fourth rank, which is the peak of the innate realm, through continuous cultivation. He is only one step away from becoming a grandmaster and suppressing the destiny of a region.
The reason they hesitated to capture Guangzhou was out of fear of being directly targeted by a Grandmaster or Great Grandmaster from the enemy. Now, with three Grandmasters suddenly joining their ranks, how could they not be overjoyed?
"My name is Lin Yang (Cai Yan) (Shi A)."
"My name is Zuo Jinliang."
"I am..."
Upon hearing the name Zuo Jinliang, Lin Yang's eyes widened, for he knew that "Jinliang" was merely an alias. This man's true identity was none other than the renowned Zuo Zongtang.
The reason he is using an alias now is because he is rebelling, and he is using the alias Jinliang in order not to implicate his clansmen.
Even though Lin Yang's history isn't particularly impressive, it's known that he possessed the talent of a prime minister. Historically, he, along with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang, helped save the Qing Dynasty. They not only suppressed the Taiping Rebellion but also the Shaanxi-Gansu Hui Rebellion, quelled the Nian Rebellion, and recovered Xinjiang.
The great cause of rebellion cannot be separated from talent, and the imperial court's suppression of rebellion also cannot be separated from talent, especially top talent like Zuo Zongtang. But now, it seems that such a talent has already sided with Emperor Zhu.
This is destiny, this is fate!
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Chapter Thirty-Four: Lord Ye's Love of Dragons and the Troubles of Happiness
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
With three different voices, Lin Yang and the other two clasped their fists and said in unison, "This is how the relationship between ruler and subject is established."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jishi's mouth stretched into a wide grin. To be honest, since the rebellion began, Zhu Jishi had been secretly worried, but being rather optimistic, he hadn't shown it.
But today, he was genuinely happy. These were three Grandmasters of the third rank! On his side, there were only Zheng Hong, Zuo Zongtang, and the French Grandmaster Pierre. Now, the number had doubled, which naturally made him very excited.
"Good, good, we're all on the same side now. I'm so happy today. Oh, by the way, let me give you all an official position first," Zhu Jishi said with a smile. Then he frowned; it was really not easy to give you an official position.
If we appoint officers, the three men haven't yet achieved any merit. If we appoint them too lowly, it would be disrespectful. If we appoint them too high, it would be unfair to our old comrades, and they would certainly resent it. If soldiers disobey their commanders and commanders look down on their soldiers, how can we fight a war?
So, regarding appointing a civil official, Zhu Jishi glanced at Zuo Zongtang beside him and immediately abandoned the idea. Zuo Zongtang, nicknamed "Left Mule," was a man particularly fond of lobbying; appointing a civil official would only make him Zuo Zongtang's deputy. Wouldn't that render him merely a figurehead?
But we can't just leave everything unregulated, can we? That would offend even more people. Sigh, before, I always felt there were too few experts, but now that experts have arrived, I suddenly find it difficult to manage them. Isn't this a case of "professing love for something but fearing its consequences"? It's truly a happy dilemma.
Seeing Zhu Jishi's troubled expression, Lin Yang's eyes lit up and he immediately understood what Zhu was thinking. Even if military and civil officials were appointed, the three of them would be unwilling.
Have you ever seen a civil servant or military officer who frequently disappears? It's truly unbelievable that someone who mysteriously vanishes for months at a time could become a high-ranking official.
Therefore, seeing Zhu Jishi in a dilemma, Zuo Luozi with a somewhat gloomy face, and Zheng Hong standing aside looking up at the sky, Lin Yang stepped forward and said with a smile, "My lord, there is no need to worry. We observed the celestial phenomena last night and discovered that a magnificent era has begun. Therefore, we have descended the mountain to assist the true dragon emperor. Thus, we do not seek any high-ranking official positions, only the title of True Person. As for the rest, we will serve as advisors."