The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 166 The Most Unretainable
Qianlong was a man with many labels and a wide range of interests, but his favorite was poetry.

In other words, Qianlong did not love poetry, but wanted to use poetry to show off and to elevate himself to the altar of a perfect emperor who was unprecedented and unparalleled.

Because throughout Chinese history, whether it is calligraphy or painting skills, it requires a certain level of appreciation to appreciate it.

However, poetry, especially since its rapid development in the Tang Dynasty, has been the top trend in Chinese culture.

In particular, during the highly economically developed eras of the Southern Song Dynasty and the late Ming Dynasty, ordinary people in the Jiangnan region could appreciate it.

Even in a dynasty like the Qing Dynasty, which reduced the national literacy rate to 5/1000 for the purpose of cruel rule, the status of poetry remained unshakable.

This shows how widely it spreads and how great its influence is.

At this time, Lin Tong's arrogance was also aroused, because Emperor Qianlong and his ministers could ridicule him, Lin Tong, and could ridicule the tiny country of Hexian.

But they cannot ridicule this eternal quatrain, nor can they blaspheme the word "wen".

Lin Tong immediately paced slowly several times before sighing, "What is the saddest thing in this world? It is naturally the passing of time and the aging of years.

On the Double Ninth Festival two years ago, my lord was murdered by treacherous officials and had to flee in panic. When he returned home, he saw his father, Shi Lin, who was very old and frail, and his mother's black hair had turned white. He was deeply moved and wrote a quatrain that will be remembered forever.

He said: "The most unforgettable thing in the world is the red face leaving the mirror and the flowers leaving the trees."

Please appreciate it. If anyone can write a complete article that matches it, I will be happy to present it to you."

With a click, the enamel tea bowl in Qianlong's hand fell straight to the ground. Shiquan Laoer stood up excitedly and chanted softly.

Yes! How he wanted to keep his youth!
Looking at his cheeks that were beginning to look like chicken skin, the drooping eye bags, the muscles that often ached, the sore waist muscles, the head with some white hair, and the strength to shoot a tiger with a bow that was long gone, and the confidence as a man that could not continue after just one try.

Qianlong had never thought that any other poem could touch his heart so deeply. It was the nostalgia and unwillingness of human beings for the passing of their best days.

How great it would be if I could do these two sentences!

This idea crept up like a creeper in Qianlong's mind.

But suddenly, alarm bells rang in Qianlong's heart, and murderous intent suddenly leaked out, which scared Yongrong, who was closest to him.

'These former Ming loyalists seem to be able to contribute these two eternal quatrains.

Could it be that this is directed at me?

Judging others by his own standards, Qianlong felt that even Li Bai could not write many quatrains of this level in his entire life.

As long as one is a human being, he will not be willing to give it to others, even if his head is chopped off!

Who is it? Who revealed his secret?
Who let outsiders know that he loves poetry the most and likes to use poetry to package his personality?

Qianlong looked around grimly, until he saw Lin Tong's arrogant look, the alarm bells in his heart suddenly stopped ringing.

Qianlong has always believed in a principle: everything in this world is related to interests, money, status, fame and fortune, no one can escape.

And it is obvious that these Mingxiang people cannot give benefits that would make them give up their wealth and even their lives to get close to them.

It is very likely that this River Fairy envoy, and the Mingxiang people behind them, thought that no one could continue this eternal quatrain, implying a provocation.

Shiquan was furious at these damned former Ming loyalists. It seemed that although they had been defeated, they were still not convinced in their hearts.

They still believed that even though they had fled to the wilderness and had to beg for mercy from the imperial court, they were still superior in culture.

What's wrong with the Han people? Are they destined to be better than the Banner people in literary works such as poetry and songs?

Uh... Qianlong was stunned for a moment, as if he was indeed better.

At this moment, Shiquan's deep-seated cultural inferiority complex began to flare up again.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his origin as an old forest man from Liaodong could not compare to other people's thousands of years of inheritance.

When Qianlong thought about the powerful Han Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and how Li Bai and Su Shi had nothing to do with him, he felt depressed and wanted to howl.

However, he really wanted this poem.

The thought of being able to leave a title of "Poet-Emperor" in the history of painting made Qianlong feel hot all over.

In the Ziguang Pavilion, everyone stood still, looking at their toes.

The emperor was obviously lost in his imagination. If you still dare to look around at this time, with Qianlong's temper, you will definitely suffer the consequences when he realizes what is happening.

Moreover, the cultural level of these people is definitely the best in the Qing Dynasty, and is not comparable to the level of a college student like Qianlong.

After Liu Tongxun recited the line "What cannot be retained in the human world is the red face leaving the mirror and the flowers leaving the trees" in a low voice, he knew that this must have been written by a Mingxiang person.

Because this sentence seems to be describing the aging and fading appearance of parents, but in fact it is a different story.

On the surface, it is the injustice of being unable to do anything but run away when faced with misfortune.

Deeper inside, lies the meaning the author most wants to express.

Zhu is the surname of the former Ming Dynasty, and it also means red and prosperous. Zhu Yan's departure from the mirror, flowers and trees implies the sadness of the country's demise.

If we add the sentence that nothing can be left in this world, the sadness and sorrow of the country being destroyed, the family being ruined, and being unable to change the situation will be overwhelming.

If the sadness index of these two sentences is 100 when separated individually, the total index is at least 10,000.

This is not just about the aging of beauties, it is about the sorrow of losing one's country and family, and it also implies the determination to stick to one's clothes and etiquette.

I can't keep you but I will never forget you. Zhu Yan (Ming) has passed away, but my heart remains unchanged.

At this moment, Liu Tongxun suddenly felt an extreme sadness that enveloped him.

By the time Qianlong woke up from his imagination, almost five minutes had passed, but everyone still had their heads down and didn't dare to raise them.

He nodded with complete satisfaction. His demeanor and mood had completely recovered. It must be said that his ability to adjust himself was very strong.

Seeing that the emperor had regained his composure, Liu Tongxun, Yu Minzhong, Ji Yun, and the others, now safely within their grasp, exchanged glances, though their hearts were filled with melancholy and their spirits were low. "Do you call these people shameless?" Well, that depends. They've never received a salary from the Ming Dynasty, so calling them shameless traitors seems a bit harsh.

But from the perspective of the Han nationality, even from the perspective of Confucianism, they cannot be said to be very clean.

As for the former Ming Dynasty, they would naturally avoid any involvement if possible, but it cannot be said that they had no concerns about the foreigners ruling China.

The two sentences that Mo Zibu plagiarized from Mr. Wang Guowei still touched these people quite a bit.

Although it won't have much effect, I think if Hexian wants something from the Qing Dynasty in the future, these Han officials will do some favors out of their kinship.

When this unspoken understanding spread throughout the entire continent, people from Hexian would always gain some sympathy when they went to provinces, prefectures, and counties to do business.

It can be said that this is an invisible benefit that cannot be brought about by any amount of bribes.

Seeing that the emperor and his ministers were not very interested in the conversation, the chief eunuch Wu Shulai, who accompanied Qianlong day and night, knew what to do with just one look from Qianlong without waiting for him to speak.

Immediately, Wu Shu came to ask for permission. After rewarding Lin Tong with gold, silver, and silk as per the rules, he took him away. This meeting ended there.

As for how Ha Tien would cooperate with the Qing Dynasty in attacking the Konbaung Dynasty, it was of course impossible for Qianlong to discuss it with Lin Tong.

Now that the situation was generally clear, it was natural for Qianlong to summon the ministers of the Grand Council and the Grand Secretaries to formulate a strategy, and then inform Lin Tong, asking Lin Tong to report back to Mo Zibu and have him carry it out.

Discuss, you, Baili Hou, are worthy of discussing with me, Qianlong!

After Lin Tong left, Qianlong did not mention what had just happened.

The Manchu and Han officials of the Purple Light Pavilion also understood that whatever they had just discovered must be kept secret and taken to their graves.

Even the next time I come across this quatrain, I will pretend to be surprised and delighted as if I had heard it suddenly.

Because the emperor was obviously going to accept this quatrain with a smile.

Liu Tongxun, who was cunning and familiar with Qianlong, even knew that the emperor would soon reward them with something to shut them up.

Sure enough, not long after, Qianlong, who was obviously very excited, rewarded each person with thirty pieces of top-grade tribute silk from Hangzhou on the grounds that they had a very pleasant conversation about calligraphy and painting today.

When the ministers left, Qianlong looked at Ji Yun meaningfully and pretended to casually mention the salt business in Lianghuai.

Ji Dayanpipe was so scared that his soul almost died, because at this time, his son-in-law's grandfather Lu Jianzeng was involved in the Lianghuai Salt Case, and Ji Yun was involved because he tipped off the case.

When Big Tobacco Pipe saw Qianlong's eyes, he immediately understood that his act of leaking information had been exposed, but the emperor was currently trying to prove the Lianghuai Salt Case, so he had not yet spared the time to punish him.

Now it seems that if he cannot complete this quatrain, it will be a blessing for him to be able to go to Yili to raise horses.

However, Ji Yun felt like crying. It was so difficult to complete these two lines of poetry with an artistic level as high as that of Li Bai and Su Dongpo.

He pondered over it for a few sentences and intuitively felt that it was more like a verse than a poem.

What's more troublesome is that this poem implies the sadness of the country's destruction and the family's demise. If he wants to supplement it, he must express this emotion in an obscure way and make it as sad and powerful as possible.

If he couldn't make up for this, one can imagine what history books would say about Ji Xiaolan. He prided himself on his literary talent and could not accept being laughed at by future generations.

However, if he really made up for it, it would be easy for people to find fault with him. If he was accused of missing the former Ming Dynasty, his whole family would probably be ruined.

Damn it, looking at this, it’s better to go to Yili to raise horses!
. . . .

Two days later, Qianlong once again summoned his closest scholars to appreciate these two lines. Then, with the reminder of others, Qianlong finally understood what these two lines of poetry were about.

At that moment, Shiquan Laoer was deeply moved. He thought that this was the character of a scholar.

All of a sudden, the images of Jizi, Tian Heng, and Su Wu all came to mind.

For more than a hundred years, these Mingxiang people still remember their homeland, express their aspirations in poetry, and dare to bring it to their own eyes.

Really
That's a lot of courage.

As the saying goes, the more you lack something, the more you want it. There is no need to talk about the character of literati in the Qing Dynasty.

However, Qianlong's education was in the style of Han civilization, so he naturally yearned for the character of scholars, loyal ministers and righteous men, and had this spiritual need.

But during the Qing Dynasty, uh...it cannot be said that there were no such versions at all. There were still some beggar's versions, but they could not satisfy the spiritual needs of Emperor Qianlong at all.

There were also a few Koreans in Haidong, but Qianlong's reaction to this was furious.

You Korean bastards, your ancestors are similar to mine, and you dare to talk about integrity after reading a few books?

Qianlong mostly sneered at those Korean ministers, and would severely punish them if they angered him, as if to say, "Do you fucking deserve to be named Zhao?"

But Lin Tong and He Xian behind him are different. They are Han Chinese and remnants of the Ming Dynasty, so they are qualified.

Therefore, putting aside the political background, Qianlong still had some good feelings towards Lin Tong and the people behind him.

The next day, Emperor Qianlong secretly ordered Li Shiyao, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, to thoroughly investigate Hexian's background and to keep a close watch on him in the future to distinguish his loyalty from his treachery.

If you really just want to be a Western Liao, then the economic requirements may be met as appropriate, but you must not allow the people of Hexian to live on the mainland for a long time, or even spread "evil words".

No military strategic materials such as guns, fine iron, warships, etc. may be exported.

Five days later, as Qianlong treated the people from Hexian with a very friendly attitude, the Manchu nobles headed by the sixth prince Yongrong began to frequently invite Lin Tong to various cocktail parties and allowed Lin Tong to move freely in the capital.

A few days later, Emperor Qianlong issued an order to give Ou Tianci, the lord of Hexian, a jade ruyi, a sandalwood walking stick, three strings of golden bodhi beads, and countless porcelains, tea, and palace satin.

He gave Lin Tong a set of brocade robes and a jade belt, and allowed He Xianlai to purchase two ships of best-selling goods such as porcelain, tea, rhubarb, and silk in Suzhou and Hangzhou when he returned.

On the second day, he gave another 300 iron pots as a reward.

Lin Tong personally went to Dong'anmen to express his gratitude, and immediately sent someone to Guangzhou to inform Wu Shiying.

The highest road was finally opened, and Wu Shiying could start bribing officials of all ranks in Huizhou and Jiayingzhou, and prepare to bring people to Southeast Asia.

　I really want to take a leave. I feel like my brain is not enough.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)