Qing Yao

Chapter 189 There are no benefits to being a slave
The Imperial Censor in Charge of Transport was also a seventh-rank official, and like the Commissioner for Education, he had the power to inspect, investigate, impeach, and submit memorials.

It's a tattling that can reach right up to the old man's desk.

There was no fixed number of people; sometimes there were four, sometimes six, and sometimes more than ten. In the seventeenth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, four additional imperial censors were dispatched to Tongzhou.

To put it bluntly, the old master can send as many people as he wants; the Censorate has no say in it, nor does the Ministry of Personnel.

If you really want to manage things, what does the old man care?
According to regulations, only those who have passed the imperial examinations can serve as censors. Zhao Youlu was specially granted the title of Jinshi, which complies with the regulations and is not considered to be overstepping the bounds.

Heshen deduced that the old master meant to send Zhao Youlu, who had become a bondservant of the Imperial Household Department, to Huai'an to investigate the actual situation, find out the truth of the matter, and report it, because there was no one more trustworthy than a servant.

There were two lackeys in the Lianghuai region: one was the salt commissioner Akedang'a, and the other was the salt inspector Zheng Bowen. However, neither of them submitted a memorial to the court to report the chaos on the Yangzhou Grand Canal, which means that these two lackeys were either indifferent to the matter or had some private dealings with the canal transport authorities.

Some lackeys, having served as officials in the provinces for a long time, inevitably develop complex and intertwined relationships with local authorities, making them hesitant to speak frankly when faced with problems. On the other hand, some new lackeys dare to report truthfully, unafraid of powerful figures.

Undoubtedly, Zhao Youlu was a new servant, and he immediately reported the chaos on the Yangzhou Grand Canal to the court, providing a very organized analysis. He seemed to be an expert, so the old master naturally wanted to give this new servant more responsibilities.

In addition, Kui Lun said that Zhao Youlu was Heshen's dog, and that it was certainly a good thing for Heshen that his own dog could be valued by the emperor and given more tasks.

This at least shows that in the old master's heart, his and the Grand Master's positions were irreplaceable.

They immediately followed the old master's instructions.

Zhao Youlu's concurrent appointment as the Imperial Censor of the Grand Canal was arranged by the Grand Council and handled by the Censorate. However, the Grand Canal Gang had to notify Fu Song, the Jiangsu Governor who was acting as the Governor-General of Liangjiang, to relay the message.

The dragon-headed staff, a token bestowed upon the Grand Canal Gang by the old master, was locked inside the Viceroy of Liangjiang's yamen.

Heshen didn't know much about the Grand Canal Gang. He only knew that his grandfather had some dealings with them when he went to the south of the Yangtze River in his early years, but he didn't know the specifics of those dealings.

The old man also seemed unwilling to talk about his early days with the canal gang, probably because there was some secret involved.

According to the old people in the palace, the death of Empress Nara, who was deposed and imprisoned in the cold palace, seems to be related to the canal gang. It is said that when the old master took Empress Nara on a southern tour, he became very close to a woman from the canal gang. Empress Nara couldn't stand it and said a few words of advice, which angered the old master, who deposed Empress Nara in a fit of rage.

Whether this was true or not, Heshen dared not investigate further, because the death of Empress Nara was a thorn in the old master's side. If anyone dared to mention Empress Nara even half a word in front of him, the old master would surely fly into a rage.

In Yangzhou, Zhao An is receiving treatment from Physician He.

Also present were Vice Principal Ma and Magistrate Cui of Yangzhou, who had accompanied Physician He.

Besides Physician He, two staff members from the Imperial Household Department also came to process Zhao An's formalities for joining the ranks of servants.

Since they were just ordinary staff members and their rank was not high enough, it was enough for Magistrate Cui to accompany them.

After introducing the person, Cui Tongzhi took his leave, as the year was drawing to a close and there were still many things to do before the end of the year.

Anyone who can be a royal physician must have some skills. After briefly examining Committee Member Zhao's buttocks, Physician He ordered his attendant to bring his medicine box, from which he took out the medicine he had prepared while in the capital and applied it to Committee Member Zhao.

A chilling sensation ran through me.

It looks like a good medicine; I guess it contains menthol.

In fact, both sides knew that this was just a symbolic medical ceremony. The reason why the emperor sent Physician He was simply to make the Jiangsu officials re-evaluate the status and value of Commissioner Zhao.

The subtext should be: "Youlu is my man, so give him some face and don't cause him any more trouble, or I will be very unhappy."

"Thank you for your trouble, Imperial Physician!" Zhao An, who was feeling cool, knew how to behave. A five-hundred-tael silver note easily fell into Imperial Physician He's pocket, while the four attendants who accompanied him each received a one-hundred-tael red envelope.

It far exceeds the normal specifications.

"Lord Zhao suffered only minor injuries; with proper care, he'll be fine. There's nothing seriously wrong with him."

Physician He had come all this way, so he couldn't go back empty-handed. When he saw that Commissioner Zhao had given him five hundred taels of silver, he was overjoyed. You should know that when he went to the mansions of princes and ministers in the capital to treat patients, the red envelopes he received were at most a little over one hundred taels of silver.

The stingiest one was Prince Yongxing. Last year, when the prince's wife fell ill, he was assigned by the Imperial Hospital to go to the prince's residence to treat her. As a result, the prince only gave him a bag of pastries and fifty copper coins.

Even so, Prince Cheng acted particularly generous, which angered Imperial Physician He so much that he cursed Prince Cheng as a stingy wretch as soon as he left the palace.

Of course, I was cursing him in my heart.

Compared to Prince Cheng, Commissioner Zhao is practically treated like a prince with a hat, or even a crown prince.

Seeing that the imperial physician had cured the "bondservant," two staff members from the Imperial Household Department quickly came over to process the formalities for Lord Zhao.

It's just a simple household registration transfer procedure.

As instructed by Manager Shi, Zhao An had prepared all the necessary materials, including household registration, ID card, academic credentials, and official documents.

Seeing that Lord Zhao had prepared the materials thoroughly, the two staff members did not hesitate and started working on the spot.

It is very efficient.

How could it not be high?

Two hundred taels per person!
Zhao An thought for a moment and asked one of the staff members, "Now that I've been registered with the Imperial Household Department, are there any arrangements for me in the capital?"

The staff member surnamed Guan asked, puzzled, "What arrangements are you referring to, sir?"

Zhao An was too embarrassed to speak directly, but Vice Principal Ma quickly came to the principal's rescue, pointing out that the arrangements included housing, salary, benefits, and so on.

The salary and benefits actually refer to whether or not there is a "guaranteed income" like that of the Eight Banners.

After understanding, the staff member surnamed Guan smiled and said, "Lord Zhao is currently only nominally the seventeenth Zuo Ling of the Gongzhong. Unless you go to the capital to take up a post, the capital will not provide you with accommodation. As for your salary, although you are a seventh-rank commissioner, you receive the salary of a professor at the prefectural school. This salary is paid by the Provincial Administration Commission. The Imperial Household Department does not provide you with any allowance."

The staff member surnamed Guan had something else to say: even if you, Commissioner Zhao, were to take up a post in Beijing, those below the third rank would not be eligible for housing provided by the imperial court; you would have to pay for it yourself from the housing department of the Imperial Household Department, either to buy or rent a house.

To put it bluntly, he has nothing but a reputation as a "lackey".

In fact, having this reputation is enough. Who would dare to offend the emperor's servant?
The registration also included "Zhao Youlu" and his wife Luo Chunlan and daughter Zhao Xiaoxiao. Zhao Youlu's parents were not transferred to the bondservants' register and remained as civilians.

This part is actually to give "Zhao Youlu" a chance to perform well in the future. If he performs well, he can also change his parents from commoners to slaves.

It's more of an honorary title.

Similar to the yellow jacket and peacock feather.

After the formalities were completed, Zhao An looked at Vice Principal Ma and solemnly instructed him: "It is a rare occasion for Physician He and the two gentlemen Guan and Zhang to come to Yangzhou. I am currently unwell, so you will be in charge of entertaining the three of you. Make sure you feel at home and leave a wonderful impression of Yangzhou."

(End of this chapter)