Qing Yao

Chapter 342 Appreciating the Double-Eyed Flower Feather

The old master's imperial carriage arrived in the capital a few days ago. The retired chief Grand Councilor, Agui, led the civil and military officials of the capital to welcome the emperor at Deshengmen.

The old man was eighty-one years old after all, and the journey had been tiring, so he only said a few words to Agui before ordering the carriage to return to the palace.

No one knows what was said to Agui, because at the time it was just the old man and Agui.

After completing his "Prime Minister" welcoming ceremony, Agui did not go into the palace with the others, but went directly back to his own residence. When Agui left, Heshen wanted to go up and greet his "old leader," but Agui kept a distance of several dozen steps from him, never giving Heshen the opportunity.

Seeing this, Heshen knew that Agui harbored deep resentment towards him, and he felt a mix of emotions. Fortunately, Agui was old and sick and no longer participated in court affairs. The Grand Council was currently controlled by him and Fu Chang'an, so he abandoned his intention to ease relations with Agui and respectfully accompanied the old master back to the palace.

The next day, an imperial decree suddenly came from the palace, in which the old master betrothed Niohuru, a Manchu of the Bordered Yellow Banner and daughter of Gongala, the Minister of Rites, to Prince Jia as his secondary consort.

Niohuru was only sixteen years old. She had previously been the Tenth Princess's study companion. The young girl was very calm and composed, and was well-liked by the old master and the Tenth Princess.

This arranged marriage did not attract much attention from the court or the public, because Prince Jia's concubine, Lady Wanyan, had recently passed away. It was only natural for the emperor's father, the old master, to arrange another concubine for his son.

The focus of both the ruling and opposition parties is currently on the high-altitude conflict and two personnel adjustments.

On the plateau, General Fukang'an did not follow the Ministry of War's strategy of changing the route, but insisted on taking the original route. He has now led several thousand soldiers deep into the plateau. The latest news indicates that the Qing army's food and logistics supplies are not keeping up. Therefore, there is much discussion in the court and among the people about whether Fukang'an can safely reach the plateau.

The old master also took this matter very seriously and did not blame Fukang'an for not changing his route. He simply instructed the Grand Council to draft an edict urging Gansu Provincial Governor Fu Ning to ensure the army's food and supplies. To prevent any mishaps with Fukang'an's army, he also ordered Sichuan Governor-General Li Shijie to dispatch another Green Standard Army force from Xikang to approach the plateau.

Li Shijie had repeatedly petitioned to retire and return to his hometown. The old emperor also held this veteran official in high regard for his meritorious service in pacifying the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions. Therefore, on his way back to the capital, the old emperor instructed the relevant departments to recommend a candidate for Governor-General of Sichuan, so as to prevent the seriously ill Li Shijie from working himself to death in office.

There were two frontrunners for the position of Governor-General of Sichuan: He Lin, nominated by Heshen's faction, and Sun Shiyi, who was to be appointed Governor-General of Liangjiang.

Previously, Fu Kang'an had proposed that He Lin, who was serving as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Han Army, replace Li Shijie as the Governor-General of Sichuan. However, this proposal was opposed not only by Grand Councilor Wang Jie, but also by his elder brother He Shen. Besides He Lin's lack of experience, He Shen also hoped that He Lin could gain experience under Fu Kang'an and accumulate military merits, thus laying the foundation for him to rightfully seize military power in the future.

Now, because of Fukang'an's disdain for him, Heshen decided that he could no longer put all his eggs in one basket with the Fu family. In addition to secretly ordering Fu Ning, the provincial governor of Gansu, to "cut off his salary to make him perish," he also set his sights on the position of governor-general of Sichuan.

Although the Governor-General of Sichuan ranked after the Governor-General of Zhili and the Governor-General of Liangjiang, he commanded the largest number of troops in the region. The pacification of the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan Wars further elevated the Governor-General of Sichuan's status. It was also an important base for entering the plateau. If He Lin could become the Governor-General of Sichuan and Fukang'an returned empty-handed or even defeated, then He Lin, as the Governor-General of Sichuan, would be the best candidate to replace the Grand General.

If Gao Yuan can achieve a great victory over He Lin, the prestige of the He brothers will be no less than that of Fukang'an!

Therefore, Heshen had already instructed his cronies to speak out for Helin. However, although the old master was quite senile, he seemed to have no intention of letting Helin succeed Li Shijie, but rather wanted Sun Shiyi to be transferred to Sichuan.

If Sun Shiyi is transferred to the position of Governor-General of Sichuan, who will succeed him as Governor-General of Liangjiang?
A carrot and a pit.

The governor-general held more power than the provincial governor or provincial governor; his actions had far-reaching consequences.

The most popular candidate for Governor-General of Liangjiang was Fu Song, the Jiangsu Governor who had previously served as acting Governor-General of the province. However, Fu Song was not a member of Heshen's faction. If Sun Shiyi were to be transferred to the position of Governor-General of Sichuan and Fu Song were to take over as Governor-General of Liangjiang, it would mean that these two important regional officials had no connection with Heshen. This was certainly not a situation that Heshen would want to see.

The old man's side also did not make a clear decision, so all parties were openly and covertly vying for the position of Governor-General of Sichuan.

The personnel reshuffle in Anhui also drew attention from both the court and the public. A person who had donated his position as a junior official and was a ninth-rank academic official just over a year ago was suddenly promoted to a second-rank provincial governor. This certainly caused some people to be envious and others to criticize.

However, Heshen wielded immense power, and Zhao Youlu had indeed rendered meritorious service, so no one dared to submit a memorial questioning the appointment.

Zhu Gui, the former governor of Anhui, has arrived in Beijing. His transfer from a high-ranking official to the position of vice minister of rites is undoubtedly a major setback in his career.

Rumors about Zhu Gui being "Zhu Gui" also spread in the capital. Although most officials did not believe it at all, it was an indisputable fact that the White Lotus Rebellion had resurfaced in Anhui during Zhu Gui's tenure, leading to great chaos. Therefore, some officials inevitably looked at Zhu Gui with strange eyes.

A rumor was also circulating in the capital that Zhu Gui was indeed a descendant of the Ming imperial family, not only because his name conformed to the naming habits of the Ming dynasty, but also because his son Zhu Xijin did.

These rumors greatly distressed Zhu Gui. To prove his innocence, he submitted a memorial after arriving in the capital. The memorial contained nothing other than his family genealogy.

When Zhu Gui presented his memorial, the old master was leaning against a soft couch in the East Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation with his eyes slightly closed, with Heshen, Fu Chang'an, Dong Gao and other Grand Councilors standing in front of him.

After Heshen briefly recounted the contents of Zhu Gui's memorial, the old master didn't even open his eyes. He gently raised his right hand and said, "Issue my decree: Zhu Gui is hereby appointed Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, but will continue to serve in the Ministry of Rites."

The old master's decision stunned Heshen, who was about to kick Zhu Gui when he was down. He wondered to himself how the master was still protecting Zhu Gui even after he had lost face and made such a big mistake.

Could it be?

A daring idea flashed into Heshen's mind, startling him.

He immediately thought it impossible, because judging from the old master's behavior in recent years, it was very likely that he would pass the throne to Prince Cheng, Yongxing, otherwise he would not have put Yongxing in charge of the Manchu Eight Banners. Even if it was not Yongxing, it was highly likely that the throne would pass to the grandson Mian'en, who would be promoted to prince next year. How could it possibly pass the throne to Prince Jia?

If they truly intend to make the fifteenth prince the crown prince, why have they been constantly "suppressing" him all these years, while continuously elevating the status of the thirteenth prince's brothers-in-law?

After much thought, it must be Zhu Gui's status as the leader of the Qingliu faction that caused this problem.

Thinking of this, Heshen felt quite helpless.

It's unclear what the old man was thinking. Knowing that Wang Jie, Zhu Gui, and their ilk were at odds with Heshen, he refused to grant his wish to expel them from the court.

This must be what is known as the art of imperial power.

Beside him, Fu Chang'an, who held the positions of Minister of War and Minister of Revenue, was loudly reading Zhao An's meticulously revised battle report to the old man.

This battle report, compared to the one submitted by the guard Qingyao, was almost entirely truthful and clearly described the actual situation at the time.

The old man listened quietly, his age-spotted fingers unconsciously twirling a string of amber prayer beads. Once Fu Chang'an finished reading, he gently put the beads down, raised his wrinkled face, and smiled, “That makes more sense. Last year, Zhao Youlu was just a minor official, but this year he dared to take up arms and pacify a region for me. His courage is commendable, and he certainly has the guts, but the battle was indeed fought very easily. What ability could a bunch of rabble possibly have? However, it's also commendable of Zhao Youlu.”

The old man looked aged and his eyes were cloudy, but he was still in good spirits.

At least I didn't doze off, nor did I actually fall asleep.

Perhaps the familiar Hall of Mental Cultivation made him more comfortable.

The old master then asked Fu Chang'an, "What's the story behind the person named Qingyao on this merit request list?"

Fu Chang'an hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, Qingyao is a second-class guard of the Eagle and Hound Bureau. It was he who, without fear, shot the bandit Li Jie with an arrow amidst the rebels at the gates of Suzhou, causing chaos in the enemy ranks. This allowed our army to seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack and secure victory. Oh, Your Majesty, Qingyao is also a member of the imperial family, a descendant of Prince Gong Changning."

"Oh?"

A smile appeared on the old patriarch's face, as if his own child had made something of himself. He nodded repeatedly: "Good. It is my honor and the honor of my Great Qing to see a member of the imperial family succeed. Issue an edict to promote Qingyao to First-Class Imperial Guard, and bestow upon him the honor of wearing a peacock feather. He shall serve at the Qianqing Gate from now on."

"Whoo!"

Fu Chang'an quickly agreed.

"The remaining meritorious personnel shall be promoted as requested by Zhao Youlu, and rewarded with silver as appropriate. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel shall review and approve the matter and process it as soon as possible. The fallen soldiers shall be given preferential treatment and no reduction shall be made."

The old master has always been very generous when it comes to rewarding military merits since he ascended the throne, and this time is no exception.

After a moment's consideration, Fu Chang'an said, "My lord, although the White Lotus Rebellion in northern Anhui is not a large-scale uprising, its location in the heart of the Central Plains means that if it is allowed to spread, it will surely cause great trouble and may even disrupt our grain transport, making it impossible for our Great Qing to communicate with the north and south."
This humble servant believes that Zhao Youlu's decisive action in swiftly quelling the unrest was truly meritorious. Since taking office in Anhui, his efforts in reforming the grain transport system, supervising disaster relief, and suppressing religious rebellions have all been commendable. Wherever he went, corruption was eradicated and the atmosphere became clean and orderly; his actions were swift and decisive. He is truly a rare and capable official. What is even more commendable is Zhao Youlu's incorruptibility as an official.
Although he has now been promoted to Provincial Treasurer and Acting Governor, his meritorious service is outstanding, and it seems he should be further rewarded to demonstrate His Majesty's generous rewarding of meritorious officials.

"Um,"

The old man twirled his prayer beads, looking at Fu Chang'an, who resembled him greatly in his youth. "Fourth Fu'er, in your opinion, how should we bestow favor upon him? He is already a second-rank official, acting as governor of a region. He is so young and has already received immense favor. We can't really give him the position of governor of Anhui, can we?"

Fu Chang'an, already having a plan in mind, quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The position of governor concerns the livelihood and governance of a province, and only someone with deep experience can be competent. Although Zhao Youlu is capable, he is still relatively young. Suddenly appointing him to the substantive position of governor may cause controversy. In my humble opinion, although his official rank should not be promoted further, he can be granted special favors." "Special favors?"

The old man was somewhat surprised and gestured for Fu Chang'an to continue.

"Your Majesty, Zhao Youlu is a bondservant registered in the Imperial Household Department. Why doesn't His Majesty bestow a special decree to elevate his entire family to the Han Banner? This would both reward his service and elevate him from humble beginnings, making him even more grateful to His Majesty for his dedication to the country!"

Fu Chang'an's proposed solution was to raise the flag.

Raising a banner was a great favor bestowed by the Qing Dynasty upon meritorious officials. Although the Han Chinese Eight Banners had been largely abolished and were now merely nominal, the status of the bannermen was undoubtedly a level higher than that of the bondservants.

Becoming a Manchu also had many advantages, at least in terms of a qualitative leap in social status. For Zhao An, the status of a Manchu member also helped him to further "deter" the officialdom in Anhui.

At least, when others criticize him, they can no longer call him "that lackey".

Why is Fu Chang'an so good to Zhao An?

Is it really true that he is doing everything he can for Heshen without reservation?
surely not.

Si Fu'er had her own selfish motives. No matter how truthful or humble Zhao An's report was, his feat of defeating 100,000 with only 800 was not false.

This greatly piqued Sifu'er's interest.

If the older brother has Yang Yuchun, why can't the younger brother have Zhao Youlu?

Who says that those promoted by Heshen cannot be used by his Fu family!
It would be best to show favor and goodwill to win people over, but it doesn't matter if you can't, since he and Heshen are essentially one entity anyway.

It cannot be said that they put in a lot of effort.

However, as soon as this suggestion was made, Grand Councilor Dong Gao, who had been silent all along, immediately frowned. This Grand Councilor Dong was always particular about the proper etiquette of the court and valued the legitimate origins of officials.

In his view, Zhao An was known for his "favoritism" and although he now had a good reputation and was capable in his work, he was still someone promoted by Heshen's faction and belonged to the category of "petty villains". If Zhao An was given a promotion and special favor because of his military achievements, it would be tantamount to encouraging scheming and corrupting the atmosphere of officialdom.

He immediately disregarded what Heshen and Fu Chang'an thought of him, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Lord Fu's proposal is inappropriate."

"Oh?"

The old man looked at Dong Gao and asked, "What's wrong with it?"

"emperor!"

Dong Gao spoke in a clear and resonant voice, his tone neither servile nor arrogant: "The favor of elevating someone to a higher rank is extraordinary. It has always been bestowed upon meritorious families, officials with generations of merit, or the maternal relatives of empresses, as a sign of special favor. Although Zhao Youlu has made some minor contributions, his rise to power was improper, and his sudden ascension has already drawn criticism from both the court and the public. If he is further elevated, I fear the scholars of the land will be disheartened, thinking that the court values ​​personal gain over reputation, opens the door to favoritism, and undermines the tradition of focusing on fundamental principles and practical matters."
Moreover, his merit lies in quelling a local rebellion, which is still inferior to the achievements of a frontier general who wins battles a thousand miles away, slaying enemy generals and capturing enemy flags. I hope Your Majesty will consider this carefully!

Dong Gao's words caused the atmosphere in the pavilion to become somewhat tense.

Fu Chang'an cursed Dong Gao for being a troublemaker but dared not refute him directly, because what Dong Gao said was indeed reasonable and proper.

Heshen glanced at Dong Gao but remained silent, because he couldn't openly support Fu Chang'an's proposal in front of the old master.

The old man remained silent, slowly twirling the prayer beads in his hand. He knew perfectly well that Dong Gao was right, but he had his own logic when it came to employing people. No matter how poor Zhao Youlu's background was, as long as he could get things done and dared to do things, that was enough.

If people were to be selected based on their birth status, many things in the Qing Dynasty would be impossible to implement or get done.

For example, matters concerning fines for crimes, matters concerning the Imperial Household Department.

How should these tasks be handled by upright officials?
Therefore, in the old master's view, no matter how right Dong Gao was, he was wrong. However, directly refuting Dong Gao would inevitably make this old minister feel disheartened.

At this moment, Heshen, who had been standing by the old master's bedside quietly instructing the eunuchs to add tea and water, bowed slightly and said with a humble smile, "Your Majesty, this servant has a humble opinion."

The old man turned his gaze to Heshen: "Speak."

Heshen smiled and said, "Lord Dong's words on being wise and prudent in governing the country are all reasonable. The favor of raising one's banner should not be granted lightly. However, Lord Fu's eagerness to appreciate talent is also out of public interest. Zhao Youlu has not only made great contributions in quelling the rebellion, but also in disaster relief. Therefore, Your Majesty should reward him generously. I think that the way to reward him should not only focus on his official rank and place of origin. Perhaps we can discuss it elsewhere."

At this point, Heshen paused.

"Go on, Heshen. When did you learn to play riddles with me?"

The old man smiled and slightly raised his right hand as if to tap Heshen's forehead.

"How dare this servant play games with his master?"

As Heshen brought his forehead closer to the old man's hand, he smiled and said, "What this servant means is that Zhao Youlu is already a second-rank official, and it is indeed inappropriate for him to be promoted further. The favor of raising his banner is also related to the Eight Banners system, so Your Majesty can postpone it for now. However, in our dynasty's method of rewarding merit, in addition to official titles, there are also special honors, such as the peacock feather."

The "peacock feather," especially the double-eyed peacock feather, was an extremely high honor bestowed by the emperor upon meritorious ministers. It was not something that ordinary officials could obtain, and it represented the emperor's extreme favor and grace.

"Zhao Youlu quelled the rebellion and provided effective disaster relief. Although his achievements are not as great as the border victories, eliminating a major threat in the heartland is still a remarkable feat. Why doesn't Your Majesty bestow upon him the double-eyed peacock feather? This would not only be in accordance with the established system but also far exceed the usual rewards for promotion, demonstrating the Emperor's boundless grace and making him grateful. It would also let all civil and military officials in the land know that Your Majesty is never stingy in rewarding merit!"

After Heshen finished speaking, the expressions of everyone in the warm pavilion varied.

"wonderful!"

Fu Chang'an secretly praised Heshen's idea. The double-eyed peacock feather was an honor that many first and second-rank officials dreamed of but could not obtain. Giving it to Zhao Youlu would be more effective than a half-rank promotion or even raising the flag, thus demonstrating the emperor's favor.

Moreover, as Heshen said, the peacock feather was an honor, and even if those upright officials wanted to oppose it, they would find it difficult to find a direct excuse to attack.

Because Zhao Youlu truly deserved credit.

However, his suggestion to raise the flag turned into Heshen being granted a peacock feather. If the master really approved it, Zhao Youlu would definitely be grateful to Heshen, but probably wouldn't feel much gratitude towards him, Fu Zhongtang.

This made Sifu'er frown slightly.

Dong Gao was also helpless. Although being awarded the peacock feather was an honor, it did not involve a promotion in official rank or a change in status. If he were to strongly object, it would seem too harsh and unreasonable.

It would be unwise to oppose Fu Chang'an now and then oppose Heshen as well.

In the end, Dong Gao opened his mouth, but remained silent.

“What Heshen said is quite in line with my thoughts.”

The old man glanced at Heshen, then at Dong Gao and Fu Chang'an, and slowly nodded. "Zhao Youlu has made great contributions this time. He is hereby awarded a double-eyed peacock feather as a sign of his favor. As for the rest of the matters concerning merit and compensation, they shall be handled as soon as possible by the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Revenue, as previously discussed."

"Whoo!"

Heshen was the first to respond.

"in addition,"

As if remembering something, the old man added, "Tell Zhao Youlu that I rewarded him with the double-eyed peacock feather so that he would continue to serve me well and govern Anhui well. If he makes a mistake, I can take back what I have given him. He should take care of himself."

(End of this chapter)