Chapter Two

When it came to the supremely enigmatic subject of the people's economy, Lin Feng was almost entirely ignorant. Though he hailed from the magnificent twenty-first century, expecting a graduate from a third-rate university to single-handedly devise grand blueprints that would determine the future path of millions was nothing short of a nightmare—disastrous for both himself and the people under his rule. Up to now, he had no developed plan for growth, no lofty ideals to pursue. In truth, he was much like the lyrics of a well-known song—fumbling along, following his instincts. Luckily, as the supreme leader, he was spared the tedious, practical labors of governance; his responsibilities were largely to sing high praises and occasionally issue some grand, guiding opinions. Unseemly as that may seem, it was perhaps an essential trait for a politician—without a touch of shamelessness, one could hardly survive in such a role.

When the Shanxi and Anhui merchants joined forces to rescue the market, Chen Menglei led his network of agents—large and small—under Li Guangdi's coordination, launching a swift and decisive purge. The unlucky souls previously identified in investigations fell from grace one after another. For a time, the entire capital region was gripped by unprecedented political tension; soldiers marched through the streets in the dead of night, officials shouted commands, and the once-glorious new elites saw their fortunes evaporate. The aged gentry and idle heirs of the capital felt a chill in their hearts, fearing they might be next. Yet when the dust settled, it was, in the end, a false alarm.

The facts of the cases themselves were not complex—almost everyone’s path to corruption followed the same pattern: arrive in the city—change residence—change wife—take a concubine—make money—amass great wealth...

The dossier before Lin Feng was damning. The story was not one of a moment’s weakness or a single misstep. The subject of the file was Duan Siwen, the company commander of the central army guards whom Lin Feng had met in Tianjin just days before. Chen Menglei had meticulously compiled all available information. Previously, Duan had been an honest, taciturn farmer—the sort who could barely be roused to speak. But somehow, after a few months in Lin Feng’s service, he had transformed utterly. Now he was not only coarse and violent, but also insatiably greedy. After the Han army captured Beijing, in just half a month he had forcibly taken four concubines, seized two mansions from former Bannermen nobles, and extorted food and water from the Eight Banners women and children imprisoned in the inner city. At the same time, he had even raped two girls from the Plain Yellow Banner, both under twelve years old. Lin Feng could only marvel; villainy was one thing, but the man’s physical stamina was something else entirely—such frequent, intense sexual activity was beyond the endurance of most men.

What was truly terrifying was that men like Duan Siwen were not rare among the officer corps. If Lin Feng were to execute them all as originally planned, he would lose sixty percent of his mid- and lower-level officers. Carrying out such a purge would require mobilizing ten to twenty thousand troops, and at the end of it all, Lin Feng himself would be left a commander without an army, having lost all control over his forces.

Thus, the Han army’s first major anti-corruption campaign was stillborn. Lin Feng’s compromise with the military was disconcerting to both Li Guangdi and Chen Menglei. After Lin Feng issued his final orders to the last detachment of military police, Chen Menglei could hold back no longer. “My lord, might this matter still warrant further discussion?”

“Oh? Zhezhen, do you have any suggestions?” Lin Feng looked at Chen Menglei in surprise.

“My lord,” Chen Menglei frowned, “I am suddenly reminded of the fate of Li Chuang’s Dashun regime...” Catching Lin Feng’s sudden change of expression, he quickly bowed deeply, hands clasped. “Forgive me, my lord. It is said: honest counsel may be unpleasant to the ear, but I hope you will reflect deeply.”

“No need to worry, Zhezhen. Don’t you know me by now?” Lin Feng waved dismissively, smiling. “You mean that now that our Han officers have gotten rich, they’ll become timid in battle? That the army will lose its fighting spirit—is that it?”

Chen Menglei and Li Guangdi exchanged glances and nodded gravely.

“Later, Zhezhen, I’ll need you to draft a few private letters to our commanders in the field. Explain the reasons for my decision clearly—they’re not fools. Zhao Guangyuan, Old Liu—they’ve all fought Li Zicheng’s remnants before. They know all too well the consequences of indulging their troops’ vices. Make it clear in the letters that I’m sending my own military police to supervise discipline—these men report only to me, and won’t interfere with other matters. Make sure everyone knows to behave! Otherwise, I will not be so lenient next time!” Lin Feng’s tone was harsh, his jaw clenched. Glancing back at the anxious Chen Menglei, he forced a smile and added, “Don’t be so tense, Zhezhen. Don’t you still have your propaganda teams in every unit? I’m formally authorizing you now—send in more sharp-eyed men to keep watch on those officers with black marks on their record! Remember, the measures I just mentioned are only temporary expedients. The real work of restoring discipline will be long and arduous. Your propaganda teams are key—not just for explaining government policy to the people, but for indoctrinating the troops as well. Whether the soldiers will follow us faithfully depends entirely on this. Do you understand?”

Chen Menglei gaped, confused by Lin Feng’s reasoning.

“Never mind, it’s a bit strange to explain. I’ll teach you more about it later. Not to boast, but when it comes to brainwashing, this marshal really does have a few tricks up his sleeve!”

Seeing Lin Feng’s self-satisfied grin, Chen Menglei and Li Guangdi exchanged looks of disbelief. Li Guangdi swallowed, then stepped forward. “My lord, what about the original plan to execute those traitors?”

“Oh, proceed as planned!” Lin Feng pinched his nose in embarrassment. “But, well, Jin Qing, when you return, be sure to find a real expert to draft the public announcement. Say these scoundrels were collaborators with Tuhai, that they tried to bribe our Han officers with gold, silver, and women in a despicable attempt to corrupt our ‘pure’ forces. Of course, this vile scheme failed in the end, so today we’re exterminating their households. Here, these files—Duan Siwen and the others—take them away and execute them along with the rest. Announce that these ‘isolated degenerates’ could not resist the Manchu spies’ temptations and betrayed us, becoming the vilest of traitors!” Lin Feng smiled, flashing his white teeth. “We’ve arrested a good number of people these past days—if we don’t execute a few as a warning, no one will take it seriously!”

Li Guangdi nodded in agreement, saluted, and smiled. “Is there anything else, my lord? If not, I’ll get to work on this immediately!”

“No, nothing else,” Lin Feng replied with a casual wave. “Just remember: this round of executions is for treason, not corruption or military discipline. The vast majority of our Han soldiers are pure and unblemished—only a few have weak wills and fell astray.”