Qing Yao

Chapter 465 What is Zhao Youlu doing in the capital?
"Fellow villager" is a fitting term, since we're all from the same banner.

It can also be understood that Deputy Commander Zhao's accent had not changed. After all, people from the same village or town in the Jianghuai region are called "fellow villagers," while in Jiangxi they are called "fellow cousins."

Being from the same banner is essentially no different from being from the same village or hometown.

Therefore, the term "fellow villager" is a manifestation of Zhao's genuine feelings.

Of course, the Taiping Zuo Ling was unfamiliar with the term "fellow townsman". After all, as a true native of the capital, the Taiping Zuo Ling had never left the capital city in his life, so it was normal for him not to know about the customs of other places.

Seeing that the Grand Commander hadn't grasped the true meaning of "fellow countryman" for a while, Zhao An changed his words and looked at the other party with admiration: "Your profound awareness is not only a blessing for me, the Deputy Commander, but also a blessing for my Bordered Yellow Banner. If the Grand Secretary knew, he would certainly be very pleased."

His tone was earnest, as if the person standing before him was not a subordinate he had made things difficult for nine times, but a close friend or relative he had been separated from for many years and had just reunited with.

"You have deeply realized the root of the problem. What is the root of the problem? It's that you were carrying too heavy a mental burden before. Now, you have finally completely unloaded this mental burden, crushed it, and thrown it into the moat. If you don't make progress, who will?"

While the Taizuoling was talking in a daze, Zhao An took a brand new sheet of Xuan paper and, without even looking at the Taizuoling's crude draft, began to write with flowing strokes.

At times he quoted classical texts, at other times he expressed deep sorrow and indignation, and at still other times he was filled with gratitude. He transformed what was originally a dry letter of repentance into a model document that was full of tears, insightful reflections, profound gratitude for the Emperor's great grace, and boundless enthusiasm for the future of the Banner.

"Copy it again according to this."

Zhao An handed the still-wet ink model text to the dumbfounded, or rather, dazed, Tai Zuo Ling.

Without any preamble or insincere pleasantries, they got straight to work.

He had been waiting for this day, or rather, for this person, until his throat was hoarse.

"Whoo!"

Although he didn't quite understand what Deputy Commander Zhao meant, the Taizuoling quickly copied it down, writing very carefully, afraid of making a single mistake.

Zhao An wrote it down in the time it takes to burn one incense stick, but the Grand Commandant copied it for the time it takes to burn two incense sticks.

Inefficient, but with the right attitude.

After reviewing the copy made by the Grand Colonel, Zhao An nodded with satisfaction, then smiled and patted the Grand Colonel on the shoulder: "Go back and wait for news."

"what?"

The Grand Commander still seemed confused, only feeling that Deputy Commander Zhao's eyes and smile were unfathomable.

His intuition told him that happiness was about to knock on his door.

Zhao An couldn't explain too much to Taiping, so he carefully sealed the copy and the three thousand taels of silver notes into a brocade box, then called Yang Xiaoshuan, who was helping in the printing room, and asked him to take his waist token and deliver the items to the Grand Council immediately for He Zhongtang to "sign for receipt".

He then instructed Xiao Shuan, "Tell the Grand Secretary that this is a horse bone."

What does "horse bone" mean? And what does "middle hall door clear" mean?

After reading Zuo Ling Taiping's profound self-criticism, the Grand Secretary smiled knowingly, then stuffed the items into his sleeve and went into the palace.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, but there was always a faint scent of old age in the fragrance.

The old man's health was like the plum rain season in Jiangnan; sometimes the clouds would part and the sun would shine, and in the next moment it would be raining continuously.

When Heshen arrived, the old man was dozing on the bed. His age spots were more pronounced, and his breathing was much heavier than usual.

Upon hearing from Eunuch Li that Heshen was requesting an audience, the old man raised his hand with some difficulty, too lazy to even speak, uttering only a muffled syllable.

Li Gonggong, who had been with the old man for over thirty years, immediately understood that this meant approval.

"Your humble servant Heshen respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health!"

Heshen entered the room and bowed swiftly, his voice soft and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the old master in the slightest.

"Ah."

The old man responded with a snort, his eyelids not even fully lifted, looking utterly exhausted.

Seeing the old man's appearance, Heshen felt a sudden pang of sadness, and he quickly lowered his eyelids to hide the tears that were about to spill from his eyes, and carefully took a few steps forward.

His posture was not like that of a subject paying homage to a king, but rather like that of a son approaching his elderly, frail, and bedridden father, his heart filled with unspeakable fear and tenderness.

"master,"

Heshen felt a real pang of pain in his heart. He felt pain that the once mighty ruler who had dominated the world had been worn down by the dull knife of time, to the point that he could barely speak and looked as if he might pass away at any moment.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are irreversible. If the old man really passes away one day, he can't imagine how much he will cry.

Li Gonggong, who witnessed the relationship between the emperor and his minister, watched silently from the side. He knew that Heshen's demeanor was not an act. He had the respect a subject had for his emperor, the reliance a disciple had for his teacher, the affection a child had for his parents, and the bewilderment of a vine coexisting with a giant tree.

If the giant tree falls, where will the vines cling to?

Eunuch Li's eyelids twitched twice for no apparent reason.

"Heshen," the old man mumbled incoherently, his withered arm struggling to lift. Upon seeing this, Eunuch Li instinctively stepped forward to help him up, as it was his duty as a servant.

But the old man's murky gaze only fell on Heshen's face.

Eunuch Li understood this subtle difference.

When the princes and grandsons came, the old man might be able to say a few words if he was in a good mood, but if he was in a bad mood or really unwell, he would mostly just lie there with his head tilted to one side, too lazy to even lift his eyelids.

The only person who could make him struggle to sit up was the one in front of him and the Grand Secretary; even Grand Secretary Fu and the others didn't have that qualification.

"Master, let this servant help you."

Heshen almost rushed forward, one hand steadily supporting the old man's back, the other hand carefully supporting the old man's arm. He controlled the pressure perfectly, giving the old man enough support while being careful not to hurt the old man's frail body.

"Master, please slow down, please slow down."

Heshen looked like he was coaxing a child, but the old man was quite pleased and struggled to sit up straight with Heshen's help.

However, this simple action took a lot of the old man's strength. After sitting down, his breathing became more rapid, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

Eunuch Li then placed a thick, bright yellow cushion behind the old man's waist.

After sitting there catching his breath for a while and feeling a bit better, the old man finally raised his droopy eyelids. His gaze lingered for a moment on Heshen's incredibly handsome face, which was now filled with worry. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to give Heshen a reassuring smile, but ultimately he failed.

Eunuch Li noticed his master's subtle action and knew that the old master's behavior was not merely a matter of favoritism towards Heshen, but rather a close relationship bordering on dependence.

"When I was dozing off just now,"

The old man's voice was a little hoarse, and his gaze was also a little off, as if his thoughts were still wandering in some corner of his memories. "I thought of a lot of things, fragmented and scattered, like a revolving lantern."

"What is your master thinking?"

Heshen took the tea made from ginseng, poria cocos and other ingredients from the eunuch who came over quietly and presented it to the old master.

The old man casually took it but didn't drink it; instead, he gently placed it aside.

"I recall that in the fifty-sixth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, I was only this short,"

The old man gestured with his hand to indicate a short height in front of him, his withered fingers trembling slightly. "The first time I was brought to this Hall of Mental Cultivation by the Holy Ancestor, I was young then, and the Holy Ancestor doted on me, allowing me to run around freely in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. When I grew older, I saw my father sitting here. My father had a bigger temper than the Imperial Ancestor, and I didn't even dare to breathe loudly back then."

Heshen knelt quietly at the old man's feet, listening intently like a devoted listener.

"Later, I also took up this seat."

The old man's tone carried an indescribable complexity of emotion, "I've been sitting here for over fifty years... I'm tired of it all."

The old man's face was full of melancholy as he said this.

Heshen dared not respond, for he did not know what the old master meant.

The old man spoke again, but this time his words made Heshen's heart skip a beat.

"He Shen, tell me, is that thing still behind the 'Upright and Just' plaque?"

These words were like a thunderclap in Heshen's ears, making him freeze and his scalp tingle instantly, a chill running down his spine to the top of his head.

Is the master considering his affairs after death, or is he simply confirming the safety of the secret edict?

Or is he criticizing himself?

Heshen reacted with lightning speed, immediately bowing even lower and saying in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the Qianqing Palace is a forbidden area of ​​utmost importance, and the plaque of 'Upright and Bright' is of vital importance to the nation. The palace is under strict control, and no one else in the world knows the decree behind it except Your Majesty!"

"Oh."

The old man's face, covered with age spots, showed no expression, except that his cloudy eyes seemed to flicker for a moment before gradually dimming.

It was as if he had only confirmed a trivial matter, and then he fell into that listless state of exhaustion again. The question that had just frightened Heshen's scalp seemed to be just a rambling in the old man's delirium.

Heshen dared not say much, and gently placed the tea in the old man's hand, his heart pounding with curiosity.

Who is the crown prince whose name is behind the plaque that reads "Upright and Bright"?
Why did the master suddenly bring this up?

Without the master's permission, who in the Qing Dynasty would dare to take out what was behind that plaque?
The old man hummed in agreement, took two sips of tea, put down his cup, and looked at Heshen with a gentle gaze: "Speak, what brings you here today?"

"master,"

Heshen quickly composed himself, and with a hint of joy, said, "Zhao Youlu, the Manchu Deputy Commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner, has made considerable progress in reorganizing the banner affairs. This servant has come to report to Your Majesty so that Your Majesty may also be pleased."

"Zhao Youlu?"

The old man strained to open his cloudy eyes, his brows furrowing repeatedly, before finally remembering who this person was. He then asked with some surprise, "Didn't I remember sending him back to Anhui to serve? Why is he still in the capital? When did he become the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Manchuria?"

(End of this chapter)