Qing Yao

Chapter 272 Good Grandson

The capital city, the Grand Council.

The Office of Transmission has just submitted an interesting report from the Governor of Zhejiang Province. It states that several days ago, during a torrential rainstorm at Zhaobao Mountain in Ningbo, three giant dragons were seen fighting. One dragon was severely injured and fell to its death; its flesh was then shared and eaten by the local people. The other two dragons then continued their fight before flying into the East China Sea and disappearing from sight.

A mountain dweller obtained the dragon's jawbone from the severely injured dragon and sold it to a local wealthy merchant for 20 taels of silver.

The current governor of Zhejiang, Changlin, is a member of the imperial family. He previously served as governor of Jiangsu. Later, because Fusong, the then governor of Zhejiang, was good at managing the treasury and was acting as the governor-general of Liangjiang, and there were still deficits that could not be paid off, the old master had Fusong and Changlin, the two regional "managers", switch positions.

The Grand Councilors on duty today are Heshen and Dong Gao.

The Grand Councilors each had their own responsibilities. Dong Gao was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Han Dynasty Minister of Revenue, and also served as the Chief Administrator of the Wuying Hall. He was twice commissioned to have his portrait displayed in the Ziguang Pavilion.

He ranked fifth in the Grand Council, higher than Wang Jie, who was in charge of the Ministry of Rites, and Song Yun, who succeeded Sun Shiyi in the Grand Council.

The report from Zhejiang about this strange and interesting story about dragons reminded Dong Gao of an old incident from three years ago. He said to Heshen, "In the fifty-third year of Qianlong's reign, Jiangsu reported that fishermen in Taihu Lake witnessed three giant dragons fighting: a golden dragon, a white dragon, and a green dragon. The golden dragon eventually won against the other two. The fishermen said that the golden dragon was fierce and agile, and it disappeared after the wind and thunder subsided. Now Zhejiang has reported three dragons fighting again. Could it be related to those three dragons in Taihu Lake?"

"Oh?"

Heshen took the memorial handed to him by Dong Gao, and after reading it, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "There is no such thing as a dragon in this world. How could Changlin present such nonsense to the court? If there really is a dragon, why not send the dragon's jawbone to the capital? I think that so-called dragon's jawbone is mostly a trick by mountain people to deceive the rich with the bones of other livestock."

He put down the folded document and said with a smile, "Last year, Anhui also reported that Qianshan was hit by a thunderstorm, which killed a giant snake in a pond and a monkey-shaped monster hiding in a willow tree. They said that the snake was a real dragon that failed to transcend its tribulation. In my opinion, that's all nonsense."

Heshen didn't believe any of the strange tales reported by the local authorities. With his keen political sense, he instructed Dong Gao, "Send this memorial back and don't let the Emperor know about it."

"this?"

Dong Gao was clearly not as "professional" as He Shen and did not realize the problem.

Heshen explained, "If there really are three dragons, then who in my Great Qing is the Golden Dragon, who is the White Dragon, and who is the Azure Dragon? And what kind of dragon was the one that was seriously injured and fell to its death this time? There can't be two suns in the sky, let alone three dragons?"

Upon hearing Heshen's words, Dong Gao immediately became alert and secretly cursed the Zhejiang governor, Chang Lin, for being so foolish as to report such rumors to the court as a serious matter.

If we were to actually present it, the Emperor would surely be furious.

While Heshen continued processing official documents, General Fukang'an, who was leading the army to conquer the plateau, submitted a memorial stating that his troops lacked sufficient warhorses and requested the court to allocate more.

Such a trivial matter need not be alarmed by the old master. Heshen directly drafted an edict in the old master's voice for Le Bao, the governor-general of Shaanxi and Gansu, ordering him to transfer 1500 horses from the Gansu Green Standard Army under his command for the use of the Fukang Army. In addition, he ordered Kui Shu, the minister in charge of Qinghai affairs, to purchase more than 3000 horses from various banners through the Qinghai Mongol princes for the use of the Solon Daur cavalry.

He also ordered Shaanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan to set up more relay stations for transmitting documents and information along the way into the plateau, and to send Green Standard Army soldiers and local Mongol soldiers to guard them together to ensure smooth communication.

The handling was extremely appropriate and there was nothing wrong with it.

After finishing drafting, he put down his pen and prepared to close his eyes and rest for a while when Zhang Jing brought in two more special reports.

One was from Zhu Gui, the governor of Anhui, and the other was from Sun Shiyi, the governor-general of Liangjiang.

The former was actually Zhao Youlu, the grain commissioner of Jiang'an, who opened the granaries without permission and distributed grain under the guise of saving the people, in order to conceal the fact of the deficit. We request the court to severely punish Zhao Youlu.

The latter report to the imperial court stated that many parts of Anhui Province had experienced drought this year, with some areas not receiving a single drop of rain for more than half a year, leading to severe drought conditions. In some areas, people had resorted to cannibalism, and the sale of children, wives, and children was a common phenomenon.

Sun Shiyi's report only contained details about the disaster situation and did not point out any shortcomings in the disaster relief efforts in Anhui Province; it appeared to be a very objective report.

After reading them, Heshen frowned and asked the secretary who submitted the memorials, "How did these two memorials come about?"

The clerk hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, the Governor of Anhui sends a special memorial to the capital, while the Governor-General of Liangjiang sends a fast courier."

There are generally two types of special reports sent to the capital. One type is sent to the capital through normal channels, which is called a special report and is sent through the post road. It usually takes three to five days.

Another type is the express courier service, similar to the urgent 800-li courier service, which can deliver goods in as little as two days.

After listening, Heshen looked thoughtfully at Dong Gao and asked, "What is your opinion on these two matters, Lord Dong?"

"It is a serious crime for the grain commissioner to release grain without permission. However, if it is done for the purpose of saving the people, it is not only not a crime but also a meritorious act. However,"

There were some things that Dong Gao could not say openly, because the governor of Anhui was not impeaching Zhao Youlu for opening the granary without authorization, but for using the distribution of grain as a pretext to conceal the fact that the government was embezzling funds.

The two things are completely different in nature.

Moreover, it is common knowledge that Zhao Youlu is one of your and the Grand Secretary's men. So, what can Dong Gao say?
"Lord He, shall we hand it over?"

Zhu Gui, the governor of Anhui, was the "grain supervisor" Zhao Youlu. According to regulations, the Grand Council had to present the memorial to the emperor for his decision as soon as possible.

Heshen did not reply immediately, but instead summoned a clerk and asked him where the emperor was.

The scribe reported, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is inspecting the studies of the imperial grandsons in the Xiefang Hall. Prince Cheng, Prince Jia, and Prince Yi are all present."

"Just back off."

Heshen waved his hand. Xiefang Hall was a place specifically for the emperor's grandson to study, and the emperor would regularly go there to review the grandson's studies. This was also a time when the bond between grandfather and grandson was strong, so he hesitated whether going to Xiefang Hall to report matters now would displease the emperor.

Dong Gao knew Heshen's concerns, but the two parties involved in the "impeachment" were the governor and the grain commissioner, respectively, and it concerned the disaster situation in Anhui. The matter was of great importance, so he believed that even if the emperor was displeased, they, as his subjects, should report the truth.

Heshen remained silent for a moment, then agreed to go to the Xiefang Hall to report on matters.

Although Dong Gao was not on the same side as him and often held different opinions on some matters, he was much more tactful than Wang Jie, so there was no reason to worry that Dong Gao would side with Zhu Gui.

Since both of them had been granted the privilege of riding horses in the Forbidden City by the old master, they rode together to the Xiefang Hall.

Inside the Xiefang Palace, the old master was testing the studies of his ten-year-old grandson, Mianning, who was the second son of Prince Jia, Yongyan.

Because Yongyan's eldest son died at the age of two, Mianning was actually Yongyan's eldest son.

The old master clearly adored Mianning, his ten-year-old grandson, and specially appointed Wang Tingzhen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Xu Ting, a Hanlin Academician, as Mianning's tutors.

Besides Mianning, those studying at Xiefang Hall included Mianqing, the son of the late Prince Zhi, and Mianmao, the second son of Prince Yi.

These are all imperial grandsons who are not yet adults.

None of Prince Cheng's adult sons studied at Xiefang Palace. His second son, Mianyi, was adopted by the deceased third prince, Yongzhang, and inherited the title of Beile. His fourth son, Miansi, was adopted by the twelfth prince, Yongqi, and inherited the title of Beile. Currently, only his eldest son, Mianqin, and third son, Mianzong, are still under his name.

This also shows that the old master favored Yongxing, because none of the other brothers' children were adopted, only Yongxing's children were adopted by the deceased brothers as heirs.

The old man then casually opened the Analects of Confucius, pointed to a sentence, and asked Mianning, "What is the meaning of the sentence 'Restrain oneself and return to propriety'?"

Mianning tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said loudly in his childish voice, "Grandson believes that this means that only by restraining selfish desires can one return to the rites of Zhou. For example, the Emperor's daily rise at dawn to review memorials was self-restraint; revising the Siku Quanshu to demonstrate civil administration was precisely a return to the rites."

"Oh? Well said, well said!"

Mianning's answer pleased the old master, who said to his sons who were standing by his side, including the teachers who were in charge of teaching the princes, "Mianning is just like me when I was a child. I remember that the Holy Ancestor tested me in the same way, but my answer was not as good as Mianning's."

Upon hearing this, Prince Cheng, Yongxing, immediately changed his expression and looked at his younger brother, Prince Jia, Yongyan. He found that his younger brother only had a faint smile on his face praising his son, and did not show any joy at the fact that his son had received praise from his father.

Prince Yongxuan noticed Yongxing's change in expression, but he just snorted and didn't seem to care about anything. He had no interest in which younger brother would become emperor or which nephew would become emperor in the future, because he knew that his father, the Emperor, did not like him and was a cripple himself, so he had no chance of the throne. He simply decided to stay out of it and remain an outsider.

He would serve as a mere figurehead if his father wanted him to, and would go home to drink and embrace beautiful women if his father didn't. This temperament was very similar to that of his seventeenth brother, Yonglin, who was only granted the title of Dorobele.

"Your Majesty, these are the textbooks for several of the imperial grandsons."

The person who presented the textbooks for the imperial grandsons was Dr. Wu Weiping, who had recently been transferred from the Imperial Academy to the Xiefang Hall as an "assistant teacher." He had only come to the capital last year to take up his post. Initially, he was assigned to teach at the Imperial Academy. Later, when other doctors were selected to teach the imperial grandsons as "assistant teachers," they all complained about the hardship, but Wu Weiping volunteered and was naturally assigned to the post.

Unlike lecturers, teaching assistants have a very tiring job.

It's more accurate to call them errand runners than teaching assistants. They not only had to help the lecturers prepare lessons, but also take care of the imperial grandsons' lives—all sorts of trivial matters.

This position was previously held by eunuchs, also known as "Daban".

This dynasty does not employ eunuchs, so it selects learned individuals from the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Academy, and these individuals must be graduates of the imperial examinations.

The Hall of Fragrant Blossoms is where the grandson of the emperor studies, not the prince. Therefore, even those who are "opportunistic" are few and far between. After all, the time limit for such "opportunism" is too long, and the grandson might die before he becomes a prince.

The reason Wu Weiping was willing to come was simply because he was old and his career prospects were basically nonexistent, so he didn't really care.

However, Wu Weiping took great care of Prince Jia's son, Mianning, in the Xiefang Hall, so much so that young Mianning was very fond of Teacher Wu.

Teacher Wu presented the textbook for the grandson of the emperor to the old man, and Xiao Mianning was also the first to receive it.

This seemingly ordinary action made Prince Jia glance at Teacher Wu a few more times. The old master, on the other hand, was also looking at Mianning's textbook. Seeing that little Mianning's handwriting was neat and her homework was quite good, he couldn't help but like her even more. He took little Mianning's hand and said, "How about we go horseback riding and hunting in Mulan in the autumn?"

"it is good!"

Xiao Mianning's voice came back very loudly because he had heard his father say that the Emperor was old and his hearing was not very good.

He made the old man, whose eyesight was failing, laugh so hard that he developed several more wrinkles.

Even Yongxing, the uncle, showed his approval to his nephew. Whatever was going on in private in Xiefang Hall, on the surface it was undoubtedly a grand parent-child show of the Aisin Gioro family.

Unfortunately, Heshen and Dong Gao, unaware of the consequences, came and ruined this family parent-child show.

"Why does Zhao Youlu always cause me trouble!"

The old master was indeed very unhappy, and he didn't even look at the memorial that Heshen handed over.

“Master, Zhu Gui is Zhao Youlu who picked ginseng, and this servant dares not suppress this information.”

As Heshen explained, he opened the memorial from Sun Shiyi, the Governor-General of Liangjiang. "The disaster situation in Anhui is also very serious. Sun Shiyi said that in some places people are even resorting to cannibalism. If what Sun Shiyi said is true, then Zhao Youlu's unauthorized opening of the official granary to distribute grain is understandable. As for Zhu Gui's report that he used the distribution of grain as a pretext to cover up embezzlement, I think it is necessary to have someone thoroughly investigate. If it is true, I ask Your Majesty to punish him severely. If it is not true, I also ask Your Majesty to give him justice."

"Is the disaster in Anhui that serious? Why wasn't it reported in Anhui before?"

The old man frowned and asked Heshen to read Sun Shiyi's memorial to him.

Heshen read it aloud.

Dong Gao remained silent, but glanced at Prince Jia, Yongyan, almost imperceptibly.

Unexpectedly, the old master suddenly looked at Prince Jia and asked, "Yongyan, Zhu Gui is your teacher. Such a big thing has happened in Anhui. What are your opinions?"

Yongyan hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Father, Zhu Gui is my teacher, and I dare not speak ill of my teacher."

The old man nodded, saying that it was a sage's teaching to avoid speaking ill of one's teacher, and that regardless of whether Yongyan spoke well or badly of his teacher, it would be against the proper conduct of a student.

Dong Gao spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that someone should be sent to Anhui to investigate the disaster situation. If the report by the Governor-General of Liangjiang is true, then the Ministry of Revenue should immediately allocate disaster relief funds to prevent the people from being displaced."

The old man nodded and said, "Since you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, have the Ministry send someone to Anhui to take a look."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Dong Gao agreed.

Prince Yongxing spoke up, saying, "Father, the disaster in Anhui is certainly important, but it is unheard of in our dynasty for a provincial governor to impeach a provincial grain commissioner. I believe this matter should be investigated thoroughly to avoid confusion."

"That's what I meant too."

When Heshen saw the old master about to get up, he quickly stepped forward to help him. Unexpectedly, the old master waved his hand to indicate that he did not need to help him. Instead, he took the hand of Prince Jia's son, Xiao Mianning, and slowly walked outside. Then, he bent down and asked Xiao Mianning, "Grandfather, let me test you. If you were in this situation, how would you handle it?"

Xiao Mianning was taken aback by the question his grandfather had posed. He instinctively looked at his father, only to see his father shaking his head slightly. Not knowing what his father meant by shaking his head, he said, "Grandfather, the governor of Anhui is impeaching the circuit intendant of Anhui. I think there is something wrong with Anhui. Why not let officials from other provinces investigate this matter, so that the officials in Anhui don't collude to conceal it from you?"

Upon hearing his grandson's answer, the old man was taken aback for a moment, then laughed heartily: "Then which province's official do you think should be sent to investigate Anhui?"

"Of course, it's the neighboring provinces. Which provinces are neighboring Anhui?"

Xiao Mianning tilted her head. "Is it Jiangsu, Emperor?"

(End of this chapter)