Chapter 179

Zhao An did not go to join the crowd out of idle curiosity; he wanted to gauge the situation. Under the Great Qing, there were four high-ranking commanders of the Eight Banners central military forces stationed in the southeast: the Jiangning General ranked first, followed by the Hangzhou General, the Fuzhou General, and the Guangzhou General. Each of these four commanders possessed a "Manchu City," garrisoned by varying numbers of Eight Banners troops. These fortresses served as the Qing court’s colonial bulwarks to monitor Han officials and commoners. The Banners stationed within them were much like the Japanese squadrons Zhao An had seen garrisoned in bunkers and watchtowers in his previous life, while the Green Standard Army served the role of the puppet troops. The commander of the central military was a man of immense importance. If such a distinguished figure had nearly drowned in a "traffic accident" while crossing the Yangtze, would he simply swallow his pride? If he were to hear that the Yangzhou section of the Grand Canal was paralyzed, he would undoubtedly grow suspicious. Should he uncover something and start whispering poison into the ears of the Old Ancestor, the Canal Laborers would be in grave danger. Therefore, Zhao An had to see for himself to assess the situation. If Commander Kui was unharmed, all the better; if not, he would have to find a solution immediately.