The swansong of the swansong

Chapter 247 Seizing Military Power

Soon, the palace issued an imperial decree, appointing Tulichen as the governor of Sichuan.

After taking his leave of the capital, before departing from the capital, Tulichen visited Yinwu to inquire about strategies for pacifying Sichuan.

"Yaopu, when you go to Sichuan, other matters are secondary. The four thousand Green Standard Army soldiers under your command must have sufficient food and pay, excellent equipment, and be diligently trained." Yinwu stared intently at Tulichen's face and instructed, "The training of soldiers must not be neglected. In addition, you must invite the scholars in Chengdu to teach the soldiers to read. Do not forget this."

Tulichen stood up, bowed, and said, "My lord, although this servant is dull-witted, I understand one principle: whoever has soldiers is king!"

Yinwu chuckled to himself, thinking that Tulichen was indeed a shrewd and insightful person!

The first half of the saying "With soldiers, there is king" is precisely: "In times of chaos."

If Emperor Kangxi hadn't closed his eyes, where would this chaotic era have come from?
In the Qing Dynasty, officials below the rank of Daoyuan only needed to focus on their work and did not need to worry too much about choosing sides in the court.

For officials of the third rank and above, only those who understand the general trend of the court and have a solid backer can have a smooth career path!

As everyone knows, Tulichen was a disciple of Prince Yu, who had words tattooed on his forehead.

It's no exaggeration to say that without Yinwu's strong support, Tulichen would be nothing!

In the Qing Dynasty, three-legged toads were hard to find, but two-legged people were everywhere.

Previously, Tulichen, who was merely a minor official of the sixth rank, was sent home and lived in seclusion for seven years because he had no powerful backing and had only lost a dozen or so horses.

"Here, this is the training strategy I've drafted. When you go to Sichuan, be sure to follow it." Yinwu knew that Tulichen had never led troops before, let alone knew how to train an elite army.

However, Tulichen's personal martial prowess must have been considerable; otherwise, he would not have been able to pass the archery and horsemanship exams and enter officialdom as a scribe.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, this servant knows what is important." Tu Lichen deliberately lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, Your Majesty, in times of crisis, this servant is afraid that distant water cannot quench immediate thirst."

Yinwu nodded and smiled, "You just need to focus on training the troops; you don't need to worry about anything else." He seemed confident.

Tulichen immediately realized that Yinwu must have other plans, and then he felt relieved!
As the saying goes, a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on!

Why did Xiang Yu find himself in a desperate situation, surrounded by enemies on all sides?
It wasn't just his old subordinates who realized that Xiang Yu's ships were about to sink.
The ship is sinking, and if you don't jump ship, you'll be going to die with it!
Despite holding a high position and wielding real power, Yinwu always kept a low profile and never violated Kangxi's taboos.

Although Tu Lichen had never been to the Yongqin Prince's Mansion of the Fourth Prince, he was a confidant of the Yu Party and vaguely knew a fact: the Fourth Prince, Yinwu, and the Thirteenth Prince were an unbreakable political alliance of an iron triangle.

The fourth prince had long controlled the court's purse strings, and Yinwu held great power over the imperial guards and the infantry. In a true crisis, they were capable of fighting to the death.

One undeniable fact is that if Yinwu were to fall from power, Tulichen would certainly face political retribution!

Tulichen had no other choice but to follow Yinwu down this dark path!
Because of their special relationship, Yinwu invited Tulichen to stay for dinner and also invited He Jin to join them.

He Jin, formerly an assistant director of the Ministry of Revenue's Donation Office and now a director of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Office, is a highly experienced official and was the first mid-level official to join Yinwu's faction.

In this dynasty, all officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital were appointed by imperial decree.

However, the Manchu and Han officials in the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department were an exception; they all needed to submit their documents to Emperor Kangxi for review beforehand.

Since Yinwu was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, as long as he did not have any intention of completely controlling the Selection Department, and was merely promoting a trusted confidant to the position of Director, Kangxi would have no reason to object.

Because the officials in the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department were not just one person, but more than ten.

Previously, when Yinwu served as the director of the municipal finance bureau, the appointment and removal of the budget section chief often required prior approval from the main leaders of the municipal government.

Because the budget is the key to finance!

After the banquet began, Yinwu sat in the center, with Tulichen on his left and He Jin on his right. "Yaopu, this cup of wine is to wish you all the best." Yinwu raised his wine cup and gently clinked it with Tulichen's.

"Thank you for your concern, Master!" Tulichen tilted his head back and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Since it was a family dinner, the dishes on the table weren't too fancy; they were mostly everyday fare.

Yinwu paid great attention to health and ate a steamed fish, two ounces of lean meat, a chicken leg, and at least two pounds of leafy green vegetables every day without fail.

Yinwu almost never touches any food that causes a rapid rise in blood sugar.

The reason is actually quite simple: the genes of the entire royal family may carry the three highs (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol) as a genetic trait.

Of the three highs (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol), diabetes is the most dangerous. Therefore, Yinwu could only eat two ounces of white rice a day at most.

According to Yinwu's private observations, less than a quarter of all members of the imperial family were fortunate enough to live past the age of forty.

Just last month, Prince Chang, who was only eighteen years old, suddenly suffered a stroke and became paralyzed in bed, which aroused Yinwu's high vigilance.

"You should also take good care of yourselves and pay close attention to your diet. Try to eat less salt and oil, avoid fatty meat, and eat more vegetables!" Yinwu kindly reminded Tulichen and He Jin.

"This servant will obey Your Majesty's teachings!" Tulichen knew that Yinwu was criticizing him without naming him.

This is because Tulichen has a very strong palate and almost never eats vegetables!
He Jin smiled and said, "Sir, the student's taste is quite light, but he has a bit of a sweet tooth."

He is from Kunshan, Suzhou, and his daily eating habits are relatively healthy.

Yinwu smiled and reminded him, "I'm not too worried about your health. But you must remember to rinse your mouth and brush your teeth after meals."

If you don't brush your teeth after eating sweets, you are more likely to develop cavities.

Unlike Tu Lichen, who took a shortcut to officialdom, He Jin was a genuine third-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), with an exceptionally solid academic foundation.

Unfortunately, He Jin, who lacked a powerful patron, spent more than 20 years in the officialdom and only managed to become a fifth-rank official.

If He Jin had not sided with Yinwu, his career prospects would have been bleak, with no hope of rising to prominence.

Without connections in the government, it's really hard to climb the ranks!

After the banquet ended, and after drinking half a cup of tea, Yinwu told Tulichen to go back first, since Tulichen was now a high-ranking official appointed to a remote region and his position was rather sensitive.

After Tu Lichen left, He Jin whispered, "Sir, we have checked the old files and inquired carefully. Most of the people recommended by the Fourteenth Prince have some connection with Bo Qi."

Yinwu couldn't help but smile. Boqi was Consort De's younger brother, and thus the maternal uncle of the fourth and fourteenth princes.

Logically speaking, since the fourth and fourteenth sons are both Boqi's nephews, regardless of their private relationship, they should be treated equally on the surface.

However, Boqi was heavily influenced by Consort De and treated the Fourteenth Prince even better than his own son, granting his every request.

The fourth prince once complained to Yinwu in private that before he was granted the title of Beile, no matter how tight his finances were, Boqi would always turn a blind eye.

To be honest, Consort De and her maternal relatives were so biased that even Yinwu, an outsider, couldn't stand it anymore.

P.S.: I've been really busy lately, so I can only promise to keep updating.

(End of this chapter)