Emperor Qianlong: the beginning of his glory

Chapter 76
Qianlong was so shocked that his whole body trembled!He stood there blankly looking out of the study, and gradually regained his sanity.His eyes were like cats with a faint green light, as if to penetrate the dark night outside.Without saying a word, he held out his hand.Gao Wuyong was already so frightened that he knelt down on the ground, looking at this cast-iron supreme in horror, crawled on all fours to pick up the memorial full of rumors, kneeled in front of Qianlong and handed it to Qianlong.Qianlong didn't look at it any more, stuffed it into his sleeve, turned his face and returned to his seat, as if wanting to pour out all his grievances, he took a deep breath and took a sip of tea.Everyone thought he was bound to have another seizure, but Qianlong laughed and said, "It's a great joy. At least I got out of the mist. Since I ascended the throne, everything is going well, but sometimes I see some strange things, and I often have doubts in my heart." , I don’t know why, today I seem to see the opponent vaguely. God, it never disappoints those who have a heart.” After finishing speaking, he said: “Eighteen Gege and his wife are asking to see each other tonight, I think there must be something important. I thought the old eunuch's tongue in the palace couldn't translate any words? So when I came to Tingyu, I didn't expect to read a strange article first. I don't know what she is going to say. Sister, just tell me!"

"This..." Eighteen Gege muttered for a while, glanced at the people in the room, didn't know what to say for a while, and then murmured after a long while: "Your Majesty, is it..." Everyone here is a genius, and no one dares to say anything. Get what she means?Even Zhang Tingyu and Neqin stood up, bowed to Qianlong and said: "The princess wants to make a secret report at a thousand years old, and the servants should avoid it." Qianlong shook his head and said, "No need. This is my beloved sister, who can do harm? You He is my trusted minister, who would betray me? Don't do this, since it is a confidential state matter, everyone can discuss it." Shiba Gege then repeated in detail what Ge Shanting said just now.He continued: "I think, there are so many rumors outside, and there are people who are pushing the Eight Banners iron hat king to go to Beijing. No one can tell what the article is, anyway, it is not good for the emperor. The emperor has loved me, a little girl, since I was a child. I heard this outside. Say, don’t talk, I can’t sleep tonight, talk about it during the day, how can he see you alone in his position?”

Qianlong listened quietly, and said with a smile: "Officials in the Jinzhi country have custom-made rules, and they should not be lightly granted. The first emperor had a secret book system, and I have not had time to restore it since I came to the throne. I am also a little worried about secret books. Some have no roots. It is easy to injure people by making up preconceptions, and it is easy to use this to be confident and scare people in tiger skin. I am indeed hesitant. Looking at it now, I am afraid that it is not enough without this kind of eyes and ears. Tonight, I will give you this right. If something happened, I sealed it in a yellow box and sent it directly to me. Tonight, you all have your own opinions, which are just rumors, such as Sun Jiagan’s excerpts and the stories about Shiba Gege. You can say what you have to say. There is no record here, and no daily life. Note. I only listen and never care about right and wrong.”

"Master!" Qian Du cleared his throat, and said slowly, "I went to see Li Wei a few days ago, and he was too sick to speak at all. I saw him, and he recognized him, just shaking his head in tears. I came out to talk to him Madam spoke. I said: "I think Mr. Li has a heart disease. Madam can often persuade you when you are in front of me. The emperor still loves Mr. Li very much in his heart. Don't worry about such a trivial matter, just keep it in your heart - Mr. Li entered the official career." , All the way to the spring breeze, so I can’t think about it when I have a small setback. Like me, after such a big lawsuit, why don’t you come here? Doesn’t the emperor still trust you?” Mrs. Li said: “Why don’t I know that he has a heart disease? Don’t let him go. Seeing that he is usually open-minded, he never told me these things. Half a month ago, I went to Mr. Sun Jiagan’s house. He was also sick. I asked Mrs. Sun what’s wrong with Mrs. Sun? It is true that he is seriously ill after suffering from a cold. In fact——his illness became like this after Prince Yi visited him. The two whispered in the room for half an hour—after Prince Yi left, He can't get up anymore. I think he is sad!' I came back and thought carefully, my beggar man seemed to be sad too! It is said that the emperor came back, and no one dared to abuse him. How could this happen? Even I can’t understand it!’ The servant thought, there is no basis for this statement, Mrs. Sun and Li are both the late emperor and the emperor’s most trusted ministers, so why do the wives say exactly the same thing, they all say yes Are you worried? What and who can scare them?" Qian Du was eloquent at first, but he became more sophisticated after the court order, and everyone was stunned after hearing this statement.He raised his eyebrows and continued to say: "Looking at it together, someone actually forged Sun Jiagan's papers, which has never been found in all historical records. This kind of thing has also come out. Why? Just because Sun Jiagan once admonished the late emperor" Baxi Soldier, flesh and blood', the sound is shocking the world, this stolen goods are easy to plant! Those who spread rumors secretly want to provoke the discord between the emperor and the late emperor's survivors, and to provoke the discord between the old ministers and the new ministers..."

"Compared to Tuhai, Zhao Liangdong, Zhou Peigong, and Cai Yurong in the days of the ancestors and emperors, and Nian Gengyao who did something bad before, even the blind can see it. Zhang Guangsi's 'credit' is really not worth mentioning. "Qian Du frowned and lowered his head in thought, and continued to talk like no one else, "Why is he so domineering? The minister is not an unreasonable suspect, and Agui is his subordinate. But Agui is the emperor's trustworthy minister; Fu Heng is young. After all, he is an imperial envoy, so he dared to dispatch the army on his behalf in advance. Afterwards, he listened to the slander and impeached the meritorious officials. Let me assume that the power of the Eight Banners to discuss politics has long been abolished. He is in charge of the court's military administration and even the pedestrians and officials can't bear to say things; but the military power in the hands of the Eight Banners King has long been deprived of by the late emperor. Where are those soldiers? Now Zhang Guangsi has them. Did Zhang Guangsi hear some rumors, or someone secretly passed some words, He felt that no matter which side of the court was in power, he was inseparable from him as the "Generalissimo of the World's Soldiers and Horses", so he ran amok. You know, he witnessed Nian Gengyao's death with his own eyes!" Qianlong Seeing that his analysis was clear but not concluded, he couldn't help asking: "You said this, why do you think it is?"

Qian Du smiled, and said slowly: "There are treacherous ministers in the court, and in secret, they are so well-planned, their moves are steady and accurate, like the layout of a national player, they have already forced them up step by step!"

Everyone shuddered at the attack of these chilling words.Qianlong thought for a while, then turned to Zhang Tingyu and asked, "Hengchen, what do you think of Qian Du and Ji Yun's words?" Zhang Tingyu gasped and said, "It's the prime minister's responsibility to make trouble. But according to the old The servant sees that even if it is true, the situation is different from that of Lord Shunzhi. Today, the authority of the emperor can determine the life and death of all the ministers and workers, and even the king of iron hats cannot restore the old system of eight banners. I can't be 'Cao Cao'. The master can feel at ease, and the minister thought of a few things. All the officers and soldiers of the Gyeonggi Defense Company were transferred to the Mulan and Rehe areas, and Wu Jinshi from the first year of Qianlong was recruited to serve as middle- and lower-level officials. Guards, except One or two reliable personal guards will be kept, and the rest will be assigned to serve in various armies across the country. Neqin will personally find guards from among the children of the royal family and trusted ministers. After the Fengtai camp was transferred, 3 people were allocated from the green camps in various provinces to fill in. , ready for training. The infantry commanding the yamen’s soldiers can be used for defense, but they have no power in the field, so only the officials are changed, not the soldiers. This way of handling, even if something happens, it will be wiped out on the spot! The rest of the officials arrange I can't discuss it in detail tonight. With this purpose in mind, the slaves, Neqin and Ertai made detailed arrangements, and asked the emperor to review them before implementing them. As for treacherous ministers, it seems that there must be some, and they are extremely vicious. But based on the deeds seen today, the crime is not obvious. Therefore, we must investigate carefully before we can be convicted."

"Governor of Zhili is the most important position." Qianlong raised his face and thought for a while, "Li Wei is sick, this vacancy is actually vacant. To give Li Wei a higher level of support, this vacancy will be taken by Yue Zhongqi, who will also manage Fengtai Admiral. Fu Heng played a powerful role in this battle. He was transferred back to the capital and served as the admiral of the Nine Gates. That Li Shiyao will sit in the office. I think it's almost the same. The guards will be selected by Neqin, and everything will be ready within three months. That's it. Once it is arranged, it may scare away some people's delusions."

Qian Du listened, Zhang Tingyu was really Jiang Gui's nature, old and hot, and he admired him very much.But this time, Li Shiyao took the lead and commanded the inner city defense power with 2 horses, so he felt a little jealous.He was about to speak, when E Shan, who had been silent all this time, said: "Master Hengchen is old-fashioned in plotting the country, what he said is very true. However, since it is a pustule, it must be squeezed out. In fact, it just scares them away. Conspiracy, once you have the opportunity, you still have to make trouble. According to the knowledge of the slaves, taking advantage of the three-year military examination in Qianlong, and the Wu Jinshi of Enke in front, there are about 700 people, and then mobilize military officers from various provinces In Fengtai for training, they made up for the Fengtai Camp on the spot, and Neqin, who served as the admiral of Fengtai Camp, stabilized Fengtai's military affairs, and the defense of Gyeonggi was already safe. If the emperor is uneasy, he can manage politics in Changchun Garden. It is a large barracks, and no one dares to act rashly after eating a leopard. The slaves still dare not agree with the word "someone is making trouble", and they can only say "someone is making trouble" in front of them, wanting to create chaos. Instead." As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Tingyu immediately agreed, "E Shan is worthy of coming out of the Ministry of War, and he has achieved success in foreign experience. This idea is not bad. Sigh... the state is exempt from taxation, and it does cost too much to do it like I do. too much."

"At this point in the discussion, this matter is almost over," Qianlong relaxed and became very easy-going, but his tone was slow and heavy: "The matter of the fake memorial was clearly reported, and it must be investigated clearly. The main author, who planned it, and whose instigation must be investigated to the end. I will hand it over to Liu Tongxun to handle it. Tingyu, you still take care of your government affairs, and you are young, and these are extra laborious, so let him handle it. Tonight's matter When it comes to military and state secrets, those who should know have their own reasons, and those who shouldn’t know don’t need to let others know. You little people should know well. I rule the world with benevolence and morality. I don’t even want to trample ants to death. But Wang Zhang Guoxian is ruthless. Whoever dares to speak falsely, whether intentionally or not, will be punished for the crime of disordering the country. Liu Kang sighed before his execution, and the sky could not save him! I warn you a few words, just do it yourself." After all, he laughed and called Yin Jishan: "You didn't say a word! When did you come to Beijing? Why didn't you hand over the sign to see me?"

Yin Jishan came to the capital on purpose because of the household department's grain collection. He didn't expect to hear so many chilling secrets in Zhang Tingyu's study, and he didn't expect to meet the current emperor here and listen to Qianlong's questioning before returning. Overwhelmed, he leaned over and smiled and said, "It's like a dream tonight, my slave! I'm outside, how can I expect that someone will have the idea of ​​the emperor. I just arrived at Luhe Station today and evening, and I didn't dare to go home. The sign is already late. Chen Shiguan from Haining also came here. The Ministry of Households this year asked us to pay an extra 100 million stone grains because the military grain depot was empty. The ancestors once had a hadith that they would never pay more, and told the common people to pay more. There is no reason to pay the grain. It is really embarrassing for the servant to have such a side issue for no reason. So I have to ask the king for an order and see what to do."

"I know about this." Qianlong said with a smile, "Don't I know about Chen Shiguan? He always shed tears in front of the late emperor and begged for the lives of the common people. If you bring him up, it's nothing more than a ring. Jiangnan is well-known, and Zhejiang is also well-known. , 100 million shimi will be difficult for you, Xiao Yin?"

"There is plenty of rice." Yin Jishan blinked unwillingly, "A bucket of rice is three coins, and one million shi is three million taels of silver. Jiangnan's treasury..."

Before he finished speaking, Qianlong had already stood up with a smile: "I know it well, I can't trouble you, Yin Jishan! Commercial tax, salt tax, and customs tax are all flowing to you like sea water! Don't be so hard to give up! Customs lijin Although it’s not in your charge, you still get a lot of dock tax. You just want to build an academy in Xuanwu Lake, but you’re afraid of losing your treasury principal. If you don’t take advantage of the good year to collect more food, what will you do in the poor year? What if the country is about to rejuvenate the army? You should die as soon as possible. I don’t want to discuss this with you. Tomorrow, if you hand over the sign, I want to discuss with you the affair of Jiangnan literati and scholars!” A few words Yin Jishan also grinned at the words, Qianlong looked at Ji Yun again, and said with a smile: "Ming'er and Xiao Yin will hand in the sign together. Don't underestimate this matter. On that day, Prince Cheng edited a "Collection of Ancient and Modern Books", I want to compile a bigger and more complete book, so you have to take care of it!"

After Qianlong said that, he left. After the group of people knelt to send the holy driver off, they returned to the study and discussed excitedly for more than an hour before they dispersed.

(End of this chapter)