My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 38 Exile to Ningguta

"The immortal in the moon cave sews a white robe, while the resentful girl in the autumn chamber tries to weep."

"To whom can I tell my silent shyness? I lean wearily against the west wind as the night deepens."

After Hongli finished reading the poem, Princess Shushen pondered for a long while and said with emotion: "This author is really rare!"

Then Princess Shushen asked Hongli, "What about Baochai's writing?"

"Baochai's is:"

"Treasure your beauty, close the door during the day, and fill the basin with your own hand-held jar."

"Rouge washes out the shadows of the autumn steps, ice and snow invite dew that penetrates the soul."

"Only when one is indifferent can one know the beauty of flowers. When one is filled with sorrow, how can jade be without marks?"

"If you want to repay the White Emperor, you should be clean. Without saying a word, the sun is setting again."

Hongli then began to recite the poem "Ode to the White Begonia" written by Baochai during this episode in "Dream of the Red Chamber".

What Hongli had to admit was that "Dream of Red Mansions" was indeed a dimensionality-reduction attack on literary women.

Princess Shushen, an aristocratic woman who was educated in the palace to be familiar with all kinds of poetry and verses, and who was also familiar with the popular Nalan Ci because of her noble status, was now completely intoxicated by the talents of Baoyu and Daiyu.

"Who's better, Baochai or Daiyu? They both feel good!"

Then, Princess Shushen, like many readers of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in later generations, began to mutter to herself, wondering whose poem was better, Daiyu or Chai's.

Hongli just smiled at this, then took a sip of tea, took out a piece of fresh chestnut flour cake steamed with osmanthus sugar from the silk box, put it in his mouth and chewed it carefully.

"Keep talking!"

Princess Shushen suddenly spoke.

After Hongli finished swallowing the food in his mouth, he said, "Imperial sister, let's talk about it next time. That gentleman only sent me this little manuscript recently."

"Can't you ask him to come back soon and tell him that you've been waiting and can't sleep all night?"

"Tell him that if he does it faster, you'll reward him handsomely."

"If all else fails, have someone send him a knife and let him know that if he doesn't behave, he'll lose his head!"

Princess Shushen stood up excitedly and asked.

Hongli said: "Royal sister, don't get excited!"

"Slow work produces fine results. It can't be rushed, and certainly not frightened out."

Hongli really didn't intend to finish speaking in one breath.

Because he still planned to make the imperial sister continue to work for him, so if he did not keep some time to talk about "Dream of Red Mansions", he was afraid that Princess Shushen would use him in return.

After hearing this, Princess Shushen naturally looked disappointed.

And Hongli said goodbye and left next.

But as soon as he left, he was summoned by Kangxi.

Kangxi met him for no other reason than to let him read several memorials impeaching Hongchun.

This forced Hongli to admit that the Qing court was also a sieve.

Not long after Hongchun was imprisoned, some officials outside began to impeach Hongchun for some of his evil deeds.

Of course, as the eldest son of the fourteenth prince, Hongchun was naturally the political enemy of some royal nobles who were participating in the fight for the throne.

Therefore, the rumors heard by some officials outside were undoubtedly leaked by Hongchun’s political enemies.

Moreover, these officials' impeachment of Hongchun was naturally instigated by his political enemies.

"What do you think should be done with your cousin?"

After Hongli read the memorials impeaching Hongchun, Kangxi asked Hongli about it.

Hongli knew that Kangxi was intentionally testing his attitude towards his uncles and brothers.

And from the way Kangxi mentioned Hongchun, and thinking about the way he criticized Hongchun before, as well as the treatment of the old crown prince Yinreng, the thirteenth prince Yinxiang, and the eldest prince Yinzhi, etc.

Hongli knew that although Kangxi had a strong desire for power and was extremely afraid of being sidelined and usurped, he really couldn't bear to kill his sons and grandsons.

Kangxi was similar to Zhu Yuanzhang in this respect. No matter how egregious his descendants' actions were, he could not bring himself to execute them. Confinement and a warning were the most severe punishments.

"My grandson feels that, no matter what, Hongli should not make arbitrary comments on Brother Hongchun."

"But since Khan Mafa has asked, I have to answer. In my humble opinion, Brother Hongchun's fault may be related to the fact that Fourteenth Uncle has been leading troops away in recent years and has neglected to discipline him."

"Plus, the Hahazhuzi around him probably didn't fulfill their duties as servants and deliberately instigated Brother Hongchun and led him astray."

"That's why Brother Hongchun is like this now. Instead of punishing him personally, it's better to severely punish Hahazhuzi who is by his side."

"Brother Hongchun will be released after he has been locked up for a while and reflected on his actions. Khanmafa! I believe that when the time comes, Uncle Fourteen will definitely discipline him properly."

It was at this time that Hongli proposed to severely punish only Hahazhuzi, who was close to Hongchun, and to let Hongchun go lightly, so that Kangxi would know that he was concerned about the affection of the royal family, and if he really became the emperor in the future, he would not be too cruel to his relatives.

Although, this method is a bit unfair to Hahazhuzi, Hongchun's personal servant.

After all, they are just slaves, how can they really control their masters?
But they are not completely wronged.

Because even if these Hahazhuzi who follow Hongchun are not bad by nature, they also enjoy the privileges brought by being around Hongchun.

Not to mention, if one has a bad nature, he will take advantage of the power of others and do immoral things.

Therefore, it is not too unfair for them to be implicated.

This is just like when the houses of many criminal officials are raided, many of their family members who did not directly commit evil are not absolutely innocent.

The families of these criminal officials enjoyed the benefits brought by their masters' exploitation of others when they were in power. When the masters failed, they had to bear the corresponding consequences, so they cannot be considered completely innocent.

As for Hongli, although he knew that it was impossible for him to do anything to Hongchun when Kangxi was in power, it was also a good thing to be able to use this opportunity to clip the wings around Hongchun.

Of course, Hongli also knew that emperors who had never dared to be cruel to their own descendants or even relatives would be able to accept blaming those around them.

For example, when Zhu Yuanzhang saw his son doing something wrong, he would punish his chief secretary and other staff members in the palace. Even his nephew Li Wenzhong, because he offended him, he chose to execute all the Confucian scholars around Li Wenzhong instead of doing anything to Li Wenzhong himself.

Therefore, Hongli earnestly requested that the main focus be on dealing with the Haha beads around Hongchun.

Hongli's words really hit the mark of Kangxi's heart, and made him feel particularly satisfied.

"Hengchen!"

Kangxi nodded at this time and summoned Zhang Tingyu over.

Zhang Tingyu immediately bowed and said, "I am here!"

"Draft an imperial decree. Imprison Hongchun for three months and order him to reflect seriously in the clan residence. Hahazhuzi, his attendant, has slandered the emperor and deceived him. Their crimes are unforgivable. They should all be exiled to Ningguta and made slaves of the armored men!"

"After Hongchun is released, have the clan office reselect the Haha beads for him."

Kangxi ordered.

"The minister obeys the order!"

Kangxi then smiled and took Hongli's arm and said, "It's rare that you have such a kind heart to treat your brothers well, yet you still have the tact to do so. As your brother, Hongchun should learn from you!"

Hongli just smiled slightly, his expression calm and natural.

Time flies.

Suddenly, it was September of the sixty-first year of the Kangxi reign.

As the saying goes, old people are cold in spring and hot in autumn.

Since the beginning of autumn, some of the chronic underlying diseases that Kangxi had previously suffered from, such as hypertension and hyperglycemia, which were later considered to be chronic diseases in later generations, began to worsen.

But it was also during this period that Kangxi suddenly issued an edict, sending Hongli back to Prince Yong's Mansion on the grounds that Hongli did not need my personal education.

At the same time, Kangxi appointed Turichen as the commander of the city guard camp and dismissed Ede on the grounds that Ede was seeking revenge and stirring up trouble.

This made many people outside not understand why Kangxi suddenly did this, but Hongli himself knew Kangxi's deep meaning, and he was not angry, and was even quite happy.

Because he knew that Turichen was now his teacher.

What Kangxi did was equivalent to nominally placing this newly established mobile force in the capital under the control of his trusted commander of the guards, but actually handing it over to him.

This made Hongli even more certain that Kangxi really wanted to pass the throne to the fourth son.

(End of this chapter)