Qing Yao

Chapter 412: Life is with the party, death is with ghosts

Heshen!

This name, which has left a profound mark on Chinese history, made Zhao An's heart seem to stop beating, and the air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.

There is such a handsome man in the world!

Zhao An knew that Heshen was a handsome man, but he never expected that he would maintain such a youthful appearance.

In my memory, Heshen was in his forties when the old master abdicated, and now he is at most in his early forties, but he looks like he is only thirty years old. The idiom "a refined gentleman" is most appropriate to describe Heshen.

The appearance and performance of that fat Wang in the previous life were a huge insult to Heshen!

At this moment, Zhao An must have been shocked, but he tried his best to remain calm and dared not show any surprise. He then flicked his sleeves and knelt down without hesitation before the legendary figure of the Qing Dynasty in front of him, saying respectfully, "This humble official, Zhao Youlu, the acting governor of Anhui, pays his respects to Your Excellency!"

Sitting on the old wooden chair, Heshen seemed to be in his own luxurious mansion. Looking at Zhao An, who was kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise his head and sticking his buttocks up high, the smile on his lips deepened.

After a moment, he said calmly, "Lord Zhao, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise."

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Zhao An slowly rose as instructed, maintaining a humble demeanor and not daring to look directly at Heshen.

"Lord Zhao was a brilliant young man who quickly won the Emperor's favor. He was appointed a second-rank official at a young age. Now, he has been ordered to come to the capital to meet the Emperor, yet he is willing to live in such a humble abode. He has done a great job of maintaining his integrity and self-discipline."

Heshen looked at Zhao An with admiration. Zhao An's appearance was not so much handsome as practical, but rather down-to-earth, giving people a sense of reliability, trustworthiness and competence.

If you were to put on a suit and take a formal photo in your previous life, you would at least look like a section-level leader.

With such a face, not only Heshen, but even the old master would nod in approval upon seeing him.

Zhao An dared not casually respond to Heshen's praise, but Heshen suddenly changed the subject, looking directly at Zhao An and smiling slightly: "I just don't know if Lord Zhao's integrity is genuine self-discipline, or if it's just for the Emperor and for me to see?"

Zhao An immediately bowed and said, “Your Excellency, it is true that Anhui is impoverished and the examination halls in the capital have been in disrepair for many years. I am already very fortunate to have a place to stay in the capital this time. How dare I complain? As for whether I am honest or not, it is not for show, but the duty of an official. I am a person who values ​​practical matters and dislikes empty formalities.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Heshen's eyes, which quickly turned into appreciation. He had seen countless people, and it was truly rare for someone like Zhao An, who had suddenly risen to a high position at such a young age, to be able to respond so calmly and eloquently in the face of his sudden arrival.

He immediately gave it a compliment in his mind: "Mature beyond his years."

He then laughed and said, "If Lord Zhao is truly a pragmatic person who dislikes empty formalities, what is the explanation for the 80,000 taels last year?"

Giving gifts is definitely incompatible with the persona Zhao An has cultivated, and it's quite contradictory.

Zhao An replied, "Does Your Excellency not think that these 80,000 taels are clear proof of my pragmatism?"

"Oh?"

Heshen, being a shrewd man, couldn't help but smile and say, "What you say makes sense, but why do I feel that you, Lord Zhao, are using my money to do your own thing?"

The implication is that the 100,000 taels you borrowed from Hengli Loan was secured by the tuition fees for studying at Yangzhou Prefectural School. Now, the tuition fees for all prefectural schools in Jiangsu, including Yangzhou Prefectural School, are collected by the Imperial Household Department, which is controlled by Heshen. Isn't this just using Heshen's money to do your own thing?

Actually, this argument is quite shameless. After all, it was Zhao An's idea to allow students to study at the prefectural school. Without Zhao An, there would be no such thing as allowing students to study at the prefectural school. How could the Imperial Household Department possibly have a large sum of money for allowing students to study at the prefectural school out of thin air?

But Zhao An certainly couldn't call Heshen a scoundrel, especially since Heshen might have known the intricacies of the matter; he was just using it as a topic of conversation.

Therefore, he replied very seriously: "Your Excellency, I believe that as long as the matter can be accomplished, it is not important whose money is spent. What is important is whether the money can be spent to achieve the goal. If it can be accomplished, then no matter how much money is spent, it must be spent. If it cannot be accomplished, then consider it a gamble lost, and I will repay it with my life."

"interesting."

Heshen raised his hand and gently stroked the smooth fur of the black fox cloak, carefully examining the young man who was twenty years younger than him. "Do you know that this trip to the capital to meet the Emperor is due to my efforts in speaking on your behalf before the Emperor?"

"I will forever remember Your Excellency's kindness in promoting me!"

Zhao An quickly bowed again, looking sincere. "I have only recently entered officialdom and know nothing about the affairs of the court. I do not know why His Majesty summoned me and how I should respond. I beg Your Excellency to give me some guidance!"

He Shen laughed heartily upon hearing this: "What a fine way to serve the king and repay the emperor's favor! Zhao Youlu, you are quite eloquent and clever, otherwise you wouldn't be where you are today."

Hearing the name "Zhao Youlu" fill Zhao An with joy; it was clear that Heshen accepted and approved of him. As they spoke, Heshen slowly rose and walked to the charcoal stove, toying with a piece of warm jade that looked quite valuable.

“Youlu, do you know that even with a heart full of loyalty to the emperor and a desire to serve the country, one cannot move an inch in the imperial court without the help of others? The emperor is busy with countless affairs of state and has countless ministers. Can he pay attention to you at all times? The six ministries of the court operate and the military council holds discussions. There are countless memorials every day. If no one is there to help you, will your memorials be able to reach the emperor’s ears smoothly?”

At this point, Heshen paused, turned slightly to look at Zhao An, who was listening attentively, and said, "Take your Anhui examination hall for example. Why has this once prestigious examination hall fallen into such a state of disrepair? Is it really because the successive governors and provincial treasurers were incompetent and did not know the importance of the examination hall's appearance? No! It's simply because there is no profit to be made!"
The world is full of noise and clamor, all driven by the pursuit of profit.

In Anhui, which of the canal transport, salt administration, and customs offices isn't rife with intertwined interests?
If you wish to achieve anything in Anhui, you'll be challenging far more than just the local power structures there. Without the support of the capital, what good is being the acting governor, or even the de facto governor? Without connections in the court, even the greatest abilities are useless.

Zhao An remained silent, knowing that what Heshen said was true. His initial foothold in Anhui was less due to the "magic weapon" given to him by his grandfather, and more due to the support of Heshen, the powerful prime minister of the Qing Dynasty.

Without Heshen, the old man probably wouldn't even remember his name!
But what was Heshen's purpose in saying these words?
It was clear that Zhao An needed to know that everything he had today was thanks to Heshen, and not anyone else.

From now on, we should follow Heshen's lead in everything!

"Your teachings are indeed correct!"

Zhao An took half a step forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said something else entirely: "This humble official knows that being an official is difficult. Without Your Excellency, I would not be where I am today. However, in my humble opinion, the most important thing for an official to benefit the people in his jurisdiction is to be dedicated to his duties. If one only seeks personal gain, forms cliques, and engages in self-serving activities, it is not a long-term solution and would also be a disservice to Your Majesty's grace."

The implication was that they wanted to maintain a certain degree of "independence".

"Oh?"

As Heshen watched Zhao An, a slight change in his expression occurred. He had seen too many officials eager to curry favor with him, flattering him to the extreme and obeying his every whim. They were more like sycophants or yes-men than officials. Few were like Zhao An, who knew that relying on him was the only way to rise to prominence, yet still maintained his principles.

A person who is principled, capable, and adaptable is far more valuable than a sycophantic yes-man!
However, loyalty that isn't absolute can be absolutely disloyal.

"Forming cliques for personal gain?"

After a light laugh, Heshen shook his head. "Youlu, you're overthinking it. What I've done is merely to share the Emperor's burdens and unite capable officials to work together for this great undertaking. The Emperor is in the prime of his life, but he still needs the concerted efforts of us officials to ensure the Qing Dynasty's stability and the long-lasting prosperity of this golden age."
For example, if you, Zhao Youlu, want to revitalize Anhui Province through industry and commerce, but the Ministry of Revenue obstructs you on various tariffs, the Ministry of Works submits several memorials against your projects, and the Ministry of Personnel delays appointing the officials you want to use, how can you get things done?

If I, an official, were to intervene on your behalf in court, wouldn't these problems be easily solved?

After speaking, Heshen rubbed his hands, which were burning from the charcoal stove, and said, “Your success today is certainly due to the Emperor’s and my exceptional appointment of you. But in the end, you, Zhao Youlu, are not stupid. Whether you call it taking advantage of the situation or trying to please others, the Emperor and I have seen and approved of everything you have done.”

"I've come to see you today, the day you arrived, for two reasons: first, to see what kind of person you, Zhao Youlu, are; and second, to let you make your own choice."

The subtext couldn't be clearer.

After a moment's thought, Zhao An looked up, his eyes clear and unwavering, and said, "This humble official is young and inexperienced. In the future, when I govern the local area, I will inevitably have to rely on Your Excellency. If Your Excellency has any requests, this humble official will do my best to repay Your Excellency's kindness!"

"He's a sensible man; it wasn't in vain that I came all this way."

Heshen clapped his hands and chuckled, "If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you are welcome to come to me."

As he spoke, he placed the warm jade he had been playing with on the table. “Consider this little trinket my gift to you. It’s cold in the capital, so you can keep your hands warm by playing with it. Besides, you are a second-rank official, and it’s really unfair that you live in such a simple place. I have a quiet courtyard near Chongwen Gate. I will send someone to pick you up tomorrow so you can stay there and wait for the Emperor’s summons.”

"Your Excellency's generous gift is too much for me to refuse!"

Without hesitation, Zhao An reached out and picked up the warm jade. It was indeed warm and smooth to the touch. "As for accommodation, I thank Your Excellency for your kindness. However, I feel that although the examination hall is simple, it allows me to understand the hardships of the scholars from our province who come to the capital. It may be helpful for me to understand the situation in Anhui. Therefore, it is better not to stay here."

Heshen gave a slight "hmm" and said with a smile, "Since you insist, I won't force you. You must be very tired from the bumpy journey. You should rest well and wait for the imperial decree."

After saying this, Heshen put his hat back on, displaying an air of elegance and nobility that seemed completely out of place in the humble examination hall.

"I would like to send you my respectful greetings, Lord Zhongtang!"

Zhao An wanted to see Heshen downstairs, but Heshen waved his hand, signaling him to stay. The door opened again, and Heshen stepped out with a smile, disappearing silently at the top of the stairs, surrounded by several guards in yellow jackets.

The people downstairs, including Manager Qian, didn't dare to breathe loudly the entire time.

Outside the examination hall, more than 300 guards from the Eight Banners' elite battalion stood motionless in the bitter cold, swords and spears at their sides.

They were all dressed in identical yellow jackets.

(End of this chapter)