The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 70: Winning over and being won over
Li Yan knew that even if he started working hard now, he might not be as diligent and effective as Yinzhen later. Moreover, he studied hard and made progress with an open mind just to secure his throne, and he was unwilling to waste his limited time and energy on the endless and tedious state affairs. Since he was unwilling to work hard, he naturally had to use a group of capable people who were willing and able to do things.

But when it comes to people who can really get things done, we still have to rely on Yinzhen. Only with Yinzhen presiding over the overall situation can people like Li Wei, Tian Wenjing, Sun Jiagan and others play their roles.

With these people working diligently to help govern the country, I can be free to enjoy life. After all, even if I want to have fun, I have to have a stable country. If I lose the country, I will be a tyrant! Of course, even if I don't care about the inheritance of the country, it doesn't mean I am willing to accept the fate of the previous emperor Chongzhen!

It is really sad that he spent his whole life worrying about things and ended up hanging himself on Coal Hill.

Thinking of this, Li Yan became more urgent and eager, and was particularly friendly and attentive to Yinzhen.

Yinzhen's idea was similar to Li Yan's, except that the parties had changed positions. If he could succeed to the throne, he would let Li Yan work for him. Yinzhen really wanted to work hard and do it himself, because there was no one else to use. The appearance of Li Yan made Yinzhen see a good horse. With the help of the Thirteenth and Tenth Brothers, he could deal with the Eighth Brother's group, rectify the administration, tax reform, land reform, etc., and it would be much easier for him.

By then, he will be able to stand above them, balance both sides, and have the confidence to clean up the mess left by Kangxi.

Just like that, both of them wanted to make friends with each other!
In the friendly atmosphere of toasting and complimenting each other, the relationship soon became much closer, and it felt like brothers.

Thirteenth Brother Yinxiang smiled as he ate and watched the two men bonding. Seeing that they were both drunk, he thought of something and asked, "By the way, Tenth Brother, when you went to the Lifanyuan to pick me up just now, you said that the Emperor had given you a job. Can you tell me what it was?"

When Yinzhen heard this, he put down his chopsticks and looked at Li Yan with a questioning look.

Li Yan thought about it.
This matter would probably spread tomorrow, so it wouldn't be a big deal to tell it now, so he said, "Oh, it's like this. The Emperor saw that I had nothing to do all day, so he asked me to help him manage the Zhenghuang Banner and learn to organize the troops and handle military affairs when I have nothing to do."

"ho"

The two were shocked when they heard this! They couldn't help but take a breath, and the casualness on their faces disappeared instantly, and the drunkenness was also reduced a lot.

Yinxiang said with a serious face: "The Zhenghuang Banner is stationed in Xishan, also known as Xishan Ruijian Camp, with 50,000 soldiers and horses. It has always been managed by the emperor himself and has never been allowed to be managed by others. This time, you are asked to manage it. Are you responsible for the overall management or just a part of it?"

Li Yan said nonchalantly, "The Emperor said that he wanted me to supervise. As you all know, I have never led troops before and I don't know anything, so I wanted to refuse. But the Emperor said that he just wanted me to go over and take a look, learn some experience in leading troops, and understand military affairs. If there is anything specific, I can ask him for permission to implement it, and I don't have to do anything."

"I thought, I am too old to play all day, I should share some of the worries for the Emperor, and this is not a difficult task, so I accepted it."

After saying this, he took out the handwritten letter from his arms and showed it to the two of them.

Yinzhen grabbed it and opened it to read carefully. It was just a line of words. Yinzhen read it back and forth several times, then slowly raised his head and looked at Li Yan with complicated eyes: "Tenth brother, this is not a small matter, this is a huge matter! The Zhenghuang Banner guards the west of the capital. With this decree, the emperor has handed the safety of half of Beijing to you. Don't take it lightly."

Yinxiang also took the imperial edict and looked at it carefully. It was indeed about supervising the Zhenghuang Banner, not being a deputy governor-general. With this imperial edict, he could legitimately extend his hand to the Zhenghuang Banner army.

In case of emergency, these tens of thousands of troops can also be mobilized. From then on, the Tenth Prince is no longer a figurehead, but a person who actually holds military power, and will be won over by all parties. The most important thing is not here. Fifty thousand troops are still secondary. There are many generals in the Qing Dynasty, and there are also some who command 100,000 troops. It's just that they are all in the border areas or other provinces, while the Xishan Ruijian Camp is an army stationed near Beijing. It is directly related to the safety of the capital. It is a heavy responsibility to protect the capital. Everyone who is appointed to command the army is the emperor's most trusted person.

From then on, the Tenth Prince was also among those trusted by the emperor.

This made the Fourth and Thirteenth Brothers feel envious. Neither of them had ever been given such trust, but now the Tenth Brother had obtained it.

"I also know that it is a heavy responsibility, but I have never been in charge of military affairs, and I am afraid of missing the job. But the Emperor asked me to help him look after it, and I can just go and see it when I have nothing to do. Anyway, he can't go there once a year, so I can just go to him if there is anything. I thought that the Emperor saw that I was idle all day long, and last time I did a disaster relief work, it was a mess. I guess he wants to raise me to be a general so that I can fight for the country and defend the territory in the future." Li Yan said with a smile.

Yinxiang handed the imperial edict to Li Yan and said solemnly, "We must not be careless about military affairs. Tenth brother, since the emperor trusts you and has given you the Zhenghuang Banner, you can't be half-hearted. You must work hard and manage the army seriously. If you are really careless and something goes wrong, it will be a huge trouble. From now on, this will be your responsibility!"

"That's right. There is a famous saying in ancient times that the most important affairs of a country are sacrifice and war. This war refers to war. The army is the cornerstone of national stability. Tenth brother, you must take it seriously and not be careless."

"Fourth brother, thirteenth brother, don't worry. Since the emperor trusts me, I will definitely not be careless. I will familiarize myself with the situation as quickly as possible, and there will be no problems." Li Yan also became serious.

After that, he smiled relaxedly: "However, you don't have to take it too seriously. Maybe it's just a momentary impulse of the emperor. He wants to test me. Maybe one day, an imperial decree will come down and take it back."

Yinzhen and Yinxiang thought about it and realized that it made sense. The emperor was old and saw that the tenth son was not familiar with government affairs, so it was possible that he would be placed in the army to gain some experience. Didn't the thirteenth son Yinxiang and the fourteenth son Yinzhen both serve in the army? Thinking of this, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief, but they were frightened by the old man putting the tenth son in such a high position.

But Yinzhen quickly thought about it and realized that it was the same for all of them, the princes and grandsons of the emperor. The prince was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, the eighth prince was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and he was in charge of the Ministry of Works. It was the same for all of them.

The Tenth Prince is not in charge of the Ministry of War yet, he is only in charge of the Plain Yellow Banner. However, this is a position that actually carries power, and it is sensitive military power, and it is located near the capital, which makes people quite nervous.

"To be honest, I'm still clueless about military affairs. Thirteenth brother has led troops before, so I will need your advice in the future. Don't keep anything to myself when the time comes!" Li Yan thought about this kind of thing and realized that he really had to ask Thirteenth brother for advice. In the future, he could use this as an excuse to visit Thirteenth brother often and build a good relationship with him.

It will be useful when I become emperor.
Nian Gengyao is a very bold guy. It is better to keep him under my supervision, lest he makes a big mistake in the end and get killed by me, which will affect Qiuyue and my own mission.

"No problem. As long as it's your tenth brother's business, it's my thirteenth brother's business. No questions asked. Come on, tenth brother, I'll toast you a glass. Let's eat. There are so many delicious dishes. Let's not just chat. Come on, fourth brother, raise your glass too. The three of us won't leave until we're drunk tonight."

"Okay, I won't leave until I'm drunk. Drink!"

"drink"

Yinzhen and Yinxiang became even more enthusiastic, and the three of them kept drinking and chatting until the afternoon, when all three of them were drunk. Li Yan finally passed out from drinking and was sent back to the Tenth Master's Mansion by the guards from the Fourth Master's Mansion.

(End of this chapter)