Emperor Qianlong: the beginning of his glory

Chapter 53
Zhang Tingyu came down from the Xihua Gate in a sedan chair. When he looked at his watch, it was already the end of Shenyang and the beginning of the year. His family watched him eagerly at the door. Seeing him get off the sedan chair, they rushed to bring him robes, gowns, crown belts, and court beads, and put them on the side of the sedan chair. Outside, he drank another bowl of ginseng soup, then entered the palace, and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to meet Qianlong.I saw all the eunuchs outside Yangxin Hall held their breaths and bowed and stood carefully, as if something had happened, he stood under the dripping eaves to collect himself, heard no movement inside, coughed lightly and said: "Old minister Zhang Tingyu respectfully See you soon."

"Please come in." Qianlong replied in the hall.

When Zhang Tingyu entered the hall, he felt that the atmosphere was different from usual.Qianlong sat cross-legged on the big kang in the East Nuan Pavilion, with a gloomy expression.Prince Zhuang and Neqin below both knelt upright without saying a word, and only Ertai sat beside him, also silent.Seeing Zhang Tingyu hunched over and wanted to salute, Qianlong ordered: "Don't salute, you sit on the chair over there."

"Thank you, master." Zhang Tingyu looked at Yunlu, sat down on his back, and felt uneasy: Although according to the rules, no matter whether the prince or minister saw him, they would all answer on their knees.However, the emperor has always been very polite, and the minister of military affairs will give him a seat when he sees him.What's the matter today?Zhang Tingyu said: "The minister is a little late. Fu Heng is going to Shanxi, and I have to tell him some small things."

Qianlong nodded, and said: "Liu Kang is Liu Kang, Yue Jun is Yue Jun, what are you talking about? Neqin, this is not good for you. Even Li Wei, a patient, got involved. At the time, Shandong's Santai yamen, Plus the general, who doesn’t know He Li’s lawsuit? But only one Li Wei accepted the case. Now those who refused to accept the case have become meritorious ministers, and the only one who accepted the petition has become a criminal! Prince Zhuang, dare you say Aren’t you being selfish? Liu Kang was captured at a banquet at your house, if someone colludes with you, how can you not be convinced?” Zhang Tingyu then knew the reason for Qianlong’s anger just now, it was probably because of his nephew’s pursuit of Yue Junbao Zou Liu Kang was promoted to Shandong and Taiwan, and Yunlu demanded to investigate and deal with Li Wei's concealment of the case and not to report it.Thinking that Liu Kangsheng's transfer to Shanxi chief envoy was drafted by himself, I couldn't help but feel a chill.Ertai said from the side: "My lord, it is unreasonable to bring Li Wei into the case. When Li Wei handled this case, he speculated on the Sacred Heart, and he did not report it to the Ming court in time. He is not guilty. It is Yue Jun, who The governor, knowing that He Li's family has filed a lawsuit, still recommended Liu Kang. The deceased was wronged in the ground, but the murderer went all the way, and he could not escape the crime of ignorance. This is what I think in my heart, and I dare not deceive the king." Qianlong was silent after hearing this, and stopped After a while, he asked Zhang Tingyu, "How do you think about it?"

"In any case, this is not a decent thing." Zhang Tingyu sighed, "I think it's better to divide it into two levels, the inside and the outside. Anyone who commits crimes with Liu Kang must be dealt with strictly, and it will be public. Distinguish the seriousness of the circumstances or give strict orders, or lower the tone and punish and dismiss. What to do, just don’t make a big show, and don’t tell the lower officials to think that the emperor has changed the purpose of "government with leniency", and people's hearts will naturally be stable."

"He really lost the court!" Qianlong said angrily, "and asked Liu Tongxun to find out Jing Zhaoyin on the spot. Yang Zengzhen usually saw him as good, but he was so worthless!" Ertai said: "Liu Tongxun is also reckless. Can't you investigate calmly? Without requesting an order, without discussing with Alongke, just strip off the robes of a third-rank official! ——There is a system!"

Zhang Tingyu said coldly: "I don't think so. Although I didn't go, my family came back to learn, and I appreciate his talent for changing things. If this kind of matter is not dealt with on the spot, I don't know what to do next, and how much trouble will be involved." People. Isn’t that even more difficult? Liu Kang has endured five punishments and refused to plead guilty, with a stinking posture, without this thunderous blow, I’m afraid he might not be willing to plead guilty.” Ertai was not polite, and immediately pushed back "What if I made a mistake?" Zhang Tingyu said with a smile: "The general is defeated, and he will take the blame."

"What is this matter for?" Seeing Ertai, Qianlong wanted to ask, and interjected lightly, and Zhang and E immediately returned to normal.Qianlong held the bowl, picked up the floating tea with the bowl cover, and said: "The fact is that the pick is right, and the general's life will not be tolerated! But this kind of thing can't be an exception. What I appreciate is that Liu Tongxun does not avoid resentment. The action is done out of a public mind. Even if there is a small mistake, who can be innocent?" He raised his eyebrows, got off the imperial couch, and walked slowly in the Nuan Pavilion while saying, "I have thought about it again and again, this case must be Do it openly and aboveboard. Now some officials below have misunderstood my purpose, thinking that "government with leniency" means "harmony with light and dust", which is to whitewash the peace and play without scruples. The situation is extremely hateful! All those who should be punished Officials, those who should be reprimanded by the decree, and those that should be published in the residence newspaper, will all be handled as usual. The administration of officials is a big article, and this article cannot be corrupted by lenient administration.

"However, the purpose of using leniency as a policy cannot be changed," Qianlong said with radiant eyes, "All the officials who investigate and deal with must distinguish their responsibilities, such as Yue Jun, Li Wei, Qian Du, Yang Zeng, and the Dezhou government. The officials working with Liu Kang must distinguish the plot, what is the matter and what is the matter, which is not directly related to the case, and cannot be forced into it like Yunlu and Neqin said. This order cannot be messed up, and the case cannot be used to create a big prison. "

His words actually refuted all the people present, but the tone and rhetoric were not harsh: "I rule the world with the heart of justice, I can't change the king's rules casually, and I want to set an example for the future generations of the world. I don't use power tactics. Wang De is like the wind, and the spirit of the people is like grass. When the wind blows, the grass will fall to that side. How dare you not be cautious?" Zhang Tingyu originally thought that Qianlong still appreciated his own opinion, and only slightly changed it to save the dignity of the other ministers.Hearing these words of cruelty, he couldn't help blushing, and bowed his head in silence.

"You still have to take care of your face," Qianlong smiled, "Uncle Sixteen and Neqin, after you go down, write down a note of apology, and I will keep it in the middle and not publish it. Today's Xiaochao meeting, in line with the words, is not guilty. But you participate in impeachment Yue Jun and Li Wei's brochures have already been handed in, without this festival, I can't say what others have to say. Will it work?"

Prince Zhuang felt a chill in his heart.On the surface, this emperor was far different from his father Yongzheng's sternness and sternness, and he was full of benevolence and open-mindedness. In fact, he was more ruthless than Yongzheng in terms of vigor.When Yongzheng encountered this kind of thing, he was only furious and scolded;Thinking about it, Yun Lu swallowed a mouthful of saliva.He kowtowed with Neqin, and said: "The emperor's caring and considerate heart is as clear as the sun and the moon. I would like to ask for strict punishment, and the emperor does not have to stay in the middle." Qianlong smiled without answering, turned to look at Zhang Tingyu, and said , "Old Master Hengchen, what do you think Liu Kang will do with it?"

"Ling Chi." Zhang Tingyu said without hesitation, "According to the usual crime of murder, Liu Kang can only be killed by beheading. But he has violated the ten evil laws, he is rebellious and immoral, and cannot be arrested by ordinary laws." Ertai said: " The ten heinous crimes are only pardonable and unforgivable. It seems inappropriate to add more crimes. But Liu Kang’s crimes are beyond normal. The servant can’t think of how to deal with this thing for a while!”

Qianlong said to Yunlu and Yunlu, "Get up and sit down and talk." Turning his face, he said, "Liu Kang's evil rebellion is not only against He Luying, but also against the late emperor and me! Considering his crimes, Ling Chi is not enough to vent Public outrage. This kind of case is rare not only in my court, but also in the history of the ages. Of course, it cannot be dealt with by common law." He bit his lip with his fine white teeth for a long time before saying, "Ling Chi, gouge out his heart, and chop it into pieces together with three evil slaves. Before He Luying dies! Otherwise, I can’t comfort Yu Zhonghun!”

The four ministers shuddered together.Knowing that this kind of punishment is too cruel, but they have encountered enough nails today, and no one wants to find themselves in trouble again.

Qianlong sent four auxiliary ministers to withdraw, and immediately ordered the sedan chair to rush to Li Wei's mansion.The gatekeeper saw that it was Qianlong who came, and when he wanted to go in to report, Qianlong stopped him with a wave of his hand, and asked, "How is your lord? How is your wife?"

"Our master has not been well these few days." The family member said with tears in their eyes, choked up, "Madam is angry, but she dare not cry in front of him. Even if we are servants watching from the side, it is really sad."

"Well?"

"Master told us not to say..."

"Even me?"

Hearing the threat in the voice, the family looked timidly at the wall of the west courtyard, and murmured silently.Qianlong followed his gaze to the west, only to see the dust flying outside the western cave door, as if there was a big construction.While he was in a daze, with a bang, the flower wall as tall as a person was knocked down neatly. An overseer stood on the stone steps in front of Li Wei's original study and said loudly: "Pick up the bricks and stack them here. Mr. Li's place is cleaned up, not a single piece of floating dirt is allowed! - Be quiet, why are you making such a fuss?"

"What is that doing?" Qianlong was dazzled by the dust blown by the west wind, rubbed his eyes, and asked, "Why did you demolish the house and flatten the garden? Li Wei is so sick now, why do he still want to do this?" The family He said in a muffled voice, "I've been tossing and tossing for four days. It's from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It turns out that this mansion was rewarded by the late emperor. Even the garden, no one has ever said anything. In the past few days, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has come to a surname. Huang's hall official said that the House of Internal Affairs wanted to take over the garden. Because the master was sick, the wife was afraid that he would be angry and too noisy, so she moved the master to the east study. There was nothing the wife could do if it was like this all night long. ..." Just as I was talking, a girl came from the east and shouted: "Mrs. Luo's, Madam told you to take a few people to the room to cover the things. If the smoke shakes the ground, I am afraid that the things rewarded by the emperor will be polluted. I can't hand it over—you heard?" Just after she finished speaking, the girl suddenly recognized Qianlong, stood there with her mouth open, paused, and then ran away.

Qianlong's heart sank first, and then a sour and hot air surged up, his face flushed, he turned around and slapped Gao Wuyong slapped, half of Gao Wuyong's face turned purple.Gao Wuyong said in a low voice: "Master, master... this is not about slaves, slaves don't know..."

"I gave medicine to Li Wei two days ago, didn't you come? What did you eat?" Qianlong was furious and said to his family, "Go, call the supervisor over there!"

The family walked over quickly, and he was angry, so he refused to speak out, but said: "Huang Touer, a master told you to go over here. You are messing around here, and the master is also disturbed..."

"What the hell is it?" Huang Tou'er patted the floating dirt on his body, and said in a nonchalant manner as he walked, "I'm in the dirt nest all day, so I'm 'safe'?"

(End of this chapter)