Qing Yao

Chapter 268 If you want to thank someone, thank the Emperor!

At the Jiangning Provincial Governor's Office, Moergenge, who had absolutely no social experience, frankly admitted that he had come to Jiangning to investigate Zhao Youlu on a secret imperial decree.

He also mentioned that he wasn't the only one who came; Cao Zhenyong, a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy, was also there.

In other words, in order to investigate Zhao Youlu, the Emperor not only sent his personal bodyguard, but also a personal secretary who was equivalent to the deputy director of the Imperial Office.

In terms of the scale of the investigation alone, although it is not the highest level, it is undoubtedly of great importance.

Fuchang's understanding was that illegitimate children were a matter of royal honor, and if a member of the imperial family were sent to investigate, it would cause a great uproar and have a negative impact on the emperor.

Moreover, if word gets out, it's easy for people to think that the emperor is a bit like Chen Shimei, that is, a bit heartless and ungrateful. Otherwise, how could he let his own flesh and blood wander among the common people?

Therefore, the Emperor deliberately lowered the level of the investigation team in order to reduce the negative impact on public opinion.

So what is the purpose of this investigation?
On the surface, it was to inquire about Zhao Youlu's reputation as an official in the local area, but in reality, it was to pave the way for his further promotion and important appointment!

Fu Chang, who sought stability throughout his life, already knew the emperor's intentions from the outset, so he naturally praised Zhao An highly without hesitation, saying only good things about him, almost to the point of bestowing upon this fifth prince the reputation of the most honest official in the Qing Dynasty and the most capable minister in Liangjiang.

Moergenge did not express any opinion; as a neutral third party with no vested interest, his task was simply to report the facts.

I will honestly record whatever I hear and see, without expressing any personal opinions.

That's not stupid of them.

After the conversation ended, Fu Chang, being very shrewd, ordered someone to present him with two hundred taels of silver as a travel gift. Mo Ergeng'e was very happy to receive the silver and took his leave in high spirits.

Not long after, Master Chen came to report to his benefactor that the imperial guards who came to investigate Zhao Youlu had gone to the Jiangning Prefectural Government Office after leaving the Provincial Governor's Office, seemingly to continue to investigate Zhao Youlu.

"Sure enough!"

The provincial governor looked shrewd and calculating. "It seems that Governor Zhao will be promoted soon. Perhaps our Great Qing Dynasty will produce another young governor after Nian Gengyao."

Nian Gengyao was 29 years old when he became governor, while Zhao Youlu's official records state that he was 22. How could someone become governor at the age of 22?

Master Chen found it hard to believe, thinking that even if Zhao Youlu had Heshen as his powerful backer, it was impossible for him to be promoted to governor at such a young age.

The governor is a powerful official who governs a province!
"Why not?"

The provincial governor thought this was perfectly normal, because the other two emperors' illegitimate sons were living examples.

Fukang'an, nicknamed "Sanfu'er," was appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue (a second-rank official) and Deputy Commander of the Bordered Blue Banner Mongol Army at the age of 16, a position equivalent to that of a provincial governor. Two years later, at the age of 18, he was appointed as a Grand Councilor, a position equivalent to that of a deputy prime minister, while serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Fu Chang'an, one of the "Four Lucky Ones," became the Deputy Commander of the Manchu Plain Red Banner and Minister of the Imperial Household Department at the age of 15. This position was one rank higher than that of the Governor. Although he entered the Grand Council five years later than his brother, Fu Chang'an was still working in the Grand Council at the age of 20.

The meaning of "trainee Grand Councilor".

Subsequently, he concurrently managed the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Guard, the Grand Minister of the Interior, and the Grand Minister of the Imperial Court.
Now he has only a few less part-time jobs than Heshen.

With two brothers who set a good example, what's so impossible about "Five Blessed Ones" becoming governor at the age of 22?
To be honest, the Emperor has clearly mistreated Wu Fu'er.

Judging from the speed at which Sanfu and Sifu were promoted, Wufu should at least be a governor now, or a vice minister in the capital.

Fu Chang suspected that this was because the emperor only learned about the existence of this illegitimate child last year, and it was also related to the fact that the illegitimate child was born to a Han woman. This is why Wu Fu'er's promotion speed is now much slower than that of the other two "Fu'er".

Master Chen was utterly astonished by his benefactor's assessment, exclaiming, "Sir, even if this person is truly someone of great importance, he is still a Han Chinese. How could he possibly be..."

The implication is that the imperial court has a ceiling on the appointment and selection of Han Chinese officials. No matter how powerful Zhao Youlu's background is, he cannot become a governor in his early twenties; he must be at least thirty.

Typically, Han Chinese officials serving as governors are around forty years old.

The reason why Nian Gengyao became governor at the age of 29 was because he was not a Han Chinese, but a bannerman from the Bordered White Banner of the Han Army.

Can the appointment of bannermen and Han officials be the same?

“Zhao Liangdao is not a Han Chinese.”

The provincial governor chuckled softly and informed Chen, the clerk, that last year Zhao Youlu had been granted a place in the Imperial Household Department's bondservant system by the emperor's favor, so Zhao Youlu was no longer a Han Chinese, but rather a "banana"—a person who was half Han and half Manchu.

In terms of closeness, the bondservant status of the Imperial Household Department was closer to the emperor than that of the five lower Manchu banners.

This incident further convinced the provincial governor that Zhao Youlu was the emperor's illegitimate son. Entering the Imperial Household Department as a bondservant was only the first step; the next step would surely be for the emperor to elevate him to the Upper Three Banners of Manchuria.

In earlier years, Consort Chunhui, née Su, who served the emperor, was originally a Han Chinese of commoner status. Later, the emperor granted her the status of a bondservant in the Imperial Household Department, and her whole family was then transferred to the Manchu Plain White Banner.

During the reigns of Shunzhi, Kangxi, and Yongzheng, the practice of elevating banners usually involved first elevating the banners to the Han Chinese Eight Banners, and then to the Manchu Eight Banners.

They were rarely directly incorporated into the Manchu Eight Banners.

Emperor Qianlong of this dynasty broke with this tradition, granting the privilege of being raised to Manchu status by first placing the person in the Imperial Household Department as a bondservant and then seeking an opportunity to promote them to Manchu.

The reason is that the Han Army Eight Banners were completely abolished and no longer existed in fact. Therefore, the only option was to let the bondservant officers of the Imperial Household Department serve as the "turning point" or "stepping stone" for raising the banner.

However, there was a prerequisite for the Imperial Household Department to bring bondservants into Manchuria: they had to have military merits.

Military merit might be an incredible achievement for others, but for "Wu Fu'er," the provincial governor considered it just a matter of submitting a few reports.

A sedan chair is carried by many people; who would be so bored as to go against a prince?

Master Chen was also a bit confused. If his benefactor's judgment was correct, then Zhao Youlu's background must be incredibly powerful.

What kind of background would allow someone so young to be appointed as a high-ranking official in charge of a region, and even attract the attention of palace guards who came to investigate secretly?
He was promoted ten ranks in one year, and the emperor specially granted him the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), bestowed upon him the status of a Baoyi (a person in charge of official duties), and awarded him a yellow riding jacket.
Furthermore, given his master's deliberate flattery of Zhao Youlu, a second-rank provincial governor, even the slow-witted Chen Shiye grasped the situation and couldn't help but click his tongue, "Could it be that this Zhao Youlu has connections with the palace?"

It's quite possible that there's a connection. After all, the emperor had many romantic affairs during his several southern tours, so it's not impossible that some princes were lost and forgotten among the common people.

Seeing that Master Chen had also guessed this, the provincial governor felt a sense of kinship, but solemnly said, "Sir, you should keep this matter to yourself and not spread it. It involves the face of the royal family, so we should pretend to be deaf and dumb to avoid causing unnecessary trouble."

"Yes, yes, the student understands, understands."

Having worked as a secretary for decades, how could Secretary Chen not understand the stakes involved? Even if Zhao Youlu really was the emperor's illegitimate son, they couldn't discuss it openly.

This is called avoiding mentioning the words of a respected person.

Unless the emperor takes the initiative to acknowledge his kinship, the identity of "Prince Zhao" will forever remain hidden in the water and never surface.

Everyone knows this, but we just can't point it out.

Regardless of the circumstances, allowing one's own flesh and blood to be scattered among the common people is a mistake that the emperor cannot shirk.

An emperor can never make a mistake!
Thus, Prince Zhao will likely only be able to enjoy the benefits of his princely status throughout his life, but he will not be able to be officially included in the family genealogy, let alone be able to enjoy the company of his father, the Emperor.

While marveling at the truth, Master Chen had a thought: Zhao had only been the new grain transport commissioner for a short time, and it seemed that he did not have a capable advisor by his side.

He happened to have several friends who were looking for jobs. If he could recommend them, not only would their careers improve, but he could also get in touch with Prince Zhao. Wouldn't that be wonderful? He then remembered that the imperial guard had gone to Jiangning Prefecture, and that the advisor to Prefect Li of Jiangning was a friend of his. They were all in the same "circle of friends." He needed to quickly send someone to remind him, lest Prefect Li, unaware of the intricacies of the situation, say something that might jeopardize his future.

Meanwhile, Morgeng'e continued to responsibly inquire about Zhao Youlu's reputation through official channels.

Cao Zhenyong told him to listen and observe more, and not to blindly believe one side's opinion.

Therefore, Moergeng'e planned to visit all the government offices, big and small, in Jiangning City.

He was received by Li Yaodong, the prefect of Jiangning. When he heard that the guard had come to inquire about the grain transport commissioner of Anhui, Prefect Li was in a dilemma, because he and Zhao Youlu had no dealings other than the Huimin River project.

To say that Zhao Youlu was good would be a bit unfair, because that guy went to great lengths to portray himself as an honest official, earning unanimous praise from the people of Jiangning, which made all the local officials in Jiangning look utterly worthless in comparison.

It is truly hateful.

If we're going to say something negative, judging from the guard's demeanor, he'll probably go to other government offices to inquire, so it wouldn't be appropriate for him to only say bad things.

After careful consideration, a tone was quickly set: neither saying much good nor much bad.

The Doctrine of the Mean.

Although the Jiangning Prefecture's account differed slightly from that of the Provincial Governor, Moergenge did not show much surprise, but listened attentively.

After talking for a while, the clerk suddenly appeared in the side room and anxiously gave the prefect a meaningful look. Seeing this, Prefect Li made an excuse to go and see what was going on.

Unexpectedly, the clerk stuffed a note into his hand. When he opened it, there were only eight hastily written characters on it: "You can only say good things, not bad things."

Who delivered it?

Prefect Li looked at his advisor, Wang, with a puzzled expression, not understanding his meaning.

Master Wang hurriedly said, "This was sent by Mr. Chen from the Provincial Governor's Office. He said it was the Provincial Governor's intention, and if the Governor does not do as it says on this paper, there may be trouble in the future."

"this?"

Prefect Li was baffled. Was he going to be in big trouble if he didn't speak well of Zhao Youlu?

That's illogical.

After much deliberation, he returned to the hall and immediately changed the subject: "To be honest, although I am not familiar with Zhao Youlu, I do know a thing or two about the good things he has done for the people since he took office."

After the conversation, Prefect Li remarked with emotion, "If all the officials of our Great Qing Dynasty were as devoted to the people as Zhao Youlu, it would not only be a blessing for the people, but also for the court and the emperor."

At the end of the conversation, as was customary, Prefect Li presented 160 taels of silver.

Moergeng'e happily accepted the gift and headed to the Shangyuan County government office.

Kong Qingguang, the magistrate of Shangyuan County, was a descendant of Confucius. Upon learning that the palace guards had arrived, he hurriedly came to pay his respects. After learning their purpose, he immediately said, "Lord Zhao is a role model for us to learn from, and an exemplary incorruptible official whom we officials should strive to emulate."

The advisor to Magistrate Kong was also a member of the Shaoxing social circle.

This is true in Shangyuan County, and even more so in Jiangning County.

After visiting several government offices, large and small, Morgeng'e not only received high praise and admiration for Zhao Youlu, but also a large bag full of silver.

He was supposed to return to the inn to meet Cao Zhenyong, but he was drawn to the city in the distance. He thought to himself that besides the Jiangning officials, there was also a Jiangning general in the city.

I did not plan to visit the Viceroy of Liangjiang's office, because the Grand Council had instructed me before leaving Beijing that this secret visit should bypass the Viceroy of Liangjiang's office.

The reason is unknown.

It wasn't said that I couldn't go to the Viceroy's Office of Liangjiang, nor was it said that I couldn't go to the Jiangning General's Office either.

Although the Manchus and Han Chinese were not subordinate to each other, they were both in Jiangning City, and the General of Jiangning should have heard of Zhao Youlu to some extent.

After all, this person was a fourth-rank official, an official in Anhui, but in Jiangning City, he was second only to the governor-general, the general, and the provincial governor, making him the fourth most important person in the city.

They immediately turned their horses around and headed straight for Mancheng.

With the palace guard's iron badge and identification, they easily entered the Manchu city and smoothly entered the general's mansion.

Like Fu Chang, the current Jiangning General Yongqing also didn't know why the palace guards wanted to see him. When he heard that they wanted to inquire about Zhao Youlu, the Anhui grain commissioner stationed in the city, Yongqing was in a dilemma. It wasn't that he was unwilling to answer, but that he really didn't know who Zhao Youlu was, because he rarely left the city and had little contact with officials outside the city.

I don't even know which one it is, so how can I evaluate it?

Just as he was about to speak the truth, Yongqing's advisor, Master Dong, whispered something in his ear. Yongqing suddenly understood, then chuckled and said, "This Zhao Youlu you asked about is indeed a rare and excellent official."

During the conversation, General Jiangning practically vouched for Zhao Youlu's character, arguing that he was a capable and competent official who could be put to great use, and hoped that Imperial Guard Mo would report the truth to the Emperor.

The feedback that Morgeng'e received from the Jiangning Provincial Administration Office, the Jiangning Prefectural Government Office, the Shangyuan County Government Office, and even the Jiangning General's Office was surprisingly consistent—Zhao Youlu was a good official!
The information Cao Zhenyong himself gathered from two teahouses and one restaurant also indicated that Zhao Youlu was an unparalleled honest and capable official.

It's not impossible that officials colluded with each other, and that the entire Jiangning bureaucracy was bribed by Zhao Youlu to speak well of him.

But could Zhao Youlu possibly bribe all the people of Jiangning City?

The facts are conclusive; Zhao Youlu was indeed a good official.

Moergenge meant to return to the capital and report truthfully to the court, but Cao Zhenyong, being cautious, decided to go to the grain transport office again.

Seeing is believing.

Actually, I was really puzzled by how a petty person who had risen through the ranks suddenly became a praised honest official, and I really wanted to see what this lucky guy who had been promoted ten ranks in a year looked like.

Moergeng'e's name was Cao Zhenyong, which piqued his curiosity, so he went with him to the grain transport office.

According to the locals, the grain transport office did not restrict people from entering and exiting. In fact, they even demolished the main gate to make it easier for people to go in and do business. When the two arrived at the place, they found that the grain transport office did not have a main gate at all!

Looking around, he saw that ordinary people were coming and going normally, and no one was stopping them. Out of curiosity, he stopped a yamen runner who was out on business and asked why the main gate had been demolished and no gatehouse had been set up. Wasn't he afraid that villains would come in and assassinate him?

"Only corrupt officials are afraid of bad people. My Lord Zhao is a well-known honest and good official. What is there for him to be afraid of?"

After the constable finished speaking, he assumed the two were going to the yamen to handle some business, and kindly gave them directions.

"That makes some sense."

Cao Zhenyong said this, but in his heart he was somewhat disapproving. If an official really had no official dignity at all, it would damage the face of the court and would not be in accordance with the teachings of the sages.

As they were talking, Tongmoergenge was about to enter the yamen to see what was going on when a young man helped an old woman out of the yamen. As they walked, the young man said, “Old lady, you don’t need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank the Emperor. If the Emperor hadn’t appointed Zhao Youlu as the Jiang’an Grain Commissioner, how could I, Zhao Youlu, have done anything for you people? Please take this basket of eggs back with you. I, Zhao Youlu, never take a single needle or thread from the people.”

As he spoke, he handed the old woman a bamboo basket full of eggs that he was carrying in his left hand.

(End of this chapter)