Qing Yao

Chapter 435 Raising the Flag and Conferring Titles
What is a Nascent Soul Great Perfection expert?
Heshen was one of them!

The law follows the words.

The nature of it was defined in a single sentence.

Stepping into the duty room, his gaze lingered briefly on Feng Shenjilun and Jin Jian's faces, nodding slightly in acknowledgment, a hint of barely perceptible wariness flashing in his eyes. He then glanced at Yiling'a and Shuwen and nodded indifferently.

Finally, his gaze fell on Yunbu, who was in charge of the Imperial Household Department's bondservants' guards. Although his eyes were calm as water, they made Yunbu, who was sitting there, unconsciously lift his buttocks: "Lord He!"

"Lord He!"

The others also stood up one after another, and even someone as noble as Fengshen Jilun dared not be negligent in the slightest.

"This servant greets Your Excellency!"

Uya from the Accounting Department even knelt down on the ground with a thud and performed a grand salute.

"Please have a seat, everyone."

Heshen waved his hand, his face solemn. "I am already aware of the matter. Rules are rules, and the authority of the Imperial Household Department cannot be trampled on. Zhao Youlu has become arrogant and brazen, openly assaulting the banner commander in charge. If he is not severely punished, who among the tens of thousands of bondservants in the Imperial Household Department will be willing to abide by the rules in the future?"
"As Lord Zhongyong and Lord Jin have suggested, we shall immediately submit a report to His Majesty detailing the entire matter and our agreed-upon request for severe punishment."

Yilinga and Shuwen exchanged a glance. Although they were puzzled as to why Heshen did not help his lackeys resolve this crisis, they dared not say anything and bowed in agreement.

A hint of surprise flashed in Fengshen Jilun's eyes. He was puzzled as to why Heshen did not protect his own. Everyone knew that Zhao Youlu was a lackey of Heshen. If it weren't for Heshen's strong support, how could Zhao Youlu have achieved his current status and become famous in the capital?

If Heshen were to offer to protect Zhao Youlu, Fengshen Jilun, even if displeased, would not refuse Heshen's request. However, Heshen's current act of being righteous and understanding has left this loyal and brave Duke, who was deeply favored by his maternal grandfather and grew up by his grandfather's side and was raised by a prince, somewhat puzzled.

Jin Jian stroked his beard and nodded, expressing his approval of Heshen's profound understanding of righteousness.

This old minister has no other thoughts; rules are rules, and they cannot be broken!
The reason why Heshen did not protect Zhao An was that he knew the old master's temperament well. The old master could break the rules to show favor and promote people in an extraordinary way, such as when he promoted Zhao An from a third-class guard to a Grand Councilor at the age of only 25, and appointed a group of teenagers to high-ranking positions. He could even promote a soldier directly to a general. But he would never allow his subjects to challenge the rules.

The fact that Zhao Youlu assaulted someone is undeniable and there is no possibility of overturning the verdict. Therefore, if Heshen were to blindly favor him, it would only leave the old master with the impression that he was forming cliques, disregarding the law, and breaking the rules.

It would be better to demonstrate that you are wise and just, both by respecting the wishes of Fengshen Jilun and Jin Jian to uphold the rules, and by showing the old master that you are fair in your dealings.

More importantly, Heshen believed that even if Zhao An punched the banner commander, or even killed the commander, the old master would not be furious.

The blessings bestowed by the "Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity" zodiac sign are not something that can simply vanish!
If that's the case, why show favoritism and invite criticism?

Soon, a memorial drafted by Jin Jian and jointly signed by several ministers of the Imperial Household Department was prepared, detailing the incident in which Zhao An beat up Zuo Ling Quan De.

In their memorial, Fengshen Jilun and Jin Jian insisted that "Zhao Youlu's beating of the banner commander must not be allowed to continue, because his behavior is no longer a simple fight, but a contempt for the fundamental laws of the inner court and an undermining of the foundation of the bondservants' management. If he is not severely punished, the discipline will be ruined." They strongly demanded that he be severely punished.

Yilinga and Shuwen seconded the view that "there was a reason for the incident" and hoped that the old man would deal with it leniently.

Yunbu had no objection to the compromise; even if he did, everything was to be decided by the old master.

The memorial was delivered to the West Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation by Heshen and Fengshen Jilun.

When the two arrived, the old man was listening to a storyteller.

The head eunuch, Li Yu, was reading the last forty chapters of "The Story of the Stone" to the old master.

Heshen greatly admired the book "The Story of the Stone" and recommended it to his father many times. However, Heshen always felt that the last forty chapters of the manuscript were regrettable to read, so he asked the scholars Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E to "carefully revise and supplement the manuscript" to complete the last forty chapters. Thus, "The Story of the Stone" was completed.

Li Yu was reading the last forty chapters, and the old master listened with great interest. When he paused to drink tea, he said to Li Yu, "If I'm not mistaken, this book is about the affairs of Mingzhu's family."

These words made Li Yu's heart skip a beat, because it was widely rumored that "The Story of the Stone" was about the Cao family, the textile manufacturers in Jiangnan during the Kangxi era. How come it turned out to be about the Mingzhu family in the master's hands?

Although puzzled, he dared not speak rashly. Just as he was about to continue reading, a young eunuch came to report that He Zhongtang and Duke Fengshen Jilun were requesting an audience with the old master.

Upon hearing that it was Heshen and his favorite grandson who had come, the old master was naturally delighted and called for Xuan to come in.

After the two entered, they naturally bowed to the old man, who happily gestured for his grandson to come closer and speak.

The grandfather personally named his grandson Fengshen Jilun, which in Manchu means "lasting good fortune, saving the world and governing the country, and exceptional intelligence."

According to ancestral rules, sons born to princesses are not granted official ranks.

However, the old master doted on his grandson Fengshen Jilun so much that, in order to grant him an official title, he issued a special edict when Fengshen Jilun was 13 years old: any son born to a princess in the capital who reaches the age of thirteen, whose father is a Gulun Efu (a high-ranking imperial consort), will also enjoy the rank and privileges of a Gulun Efu; if the father is a Heshuo Efu, the son will also enjoy the rank and privileges of a Heshuo Efu. Thus, Fengshen Jilun received the same Heshuo Efu privileges as his father, Fulongan, and at the age of 17, he was appointed as a second-rank military commander. Now, he holds even more important positions and is highly regarded by the old master.

Rumors circulated that Fengshen Jilun was the third-generation head of the Fu family and would succeed his third and fourth uncles as the pillar of the Qing Dynasty, the one who would hold up the sky and the beam that would support the sea!

The grandfather and grandson were enjoying themselves immensely, with Heshen also smiling beside them. After a while, the old man realized that Heshen and his grandson must have come for a reason, so he asked his grandson what business they had come for.

"emperor,"

Fengshen Jilun hurriedly handed over the memorial in his hand, and Li Yu, seeing this, quickly presented him with a magnifying glass.

Taking the magnifying glass, the old man opened the memorial and began to read it carefully.

"master,"

Heshen was worried that the old master would be influenced by his grandson and would punish Zhao An severely, so he tried to objectively recount the process of Quan De accepting the courtesy according to the rules but making provocative remarks, which led to Zhao An's anger and attack. He emphasized Quan De's words, "Do you still remember that you are a bondservant?" In order to show that he had no bias, he also relayed Fengshen Jilun and Jin Jian's characterization of Zhao An as "shaking the foundation of the bondservant management".

Heshen had a good grasp of the timing; by the time the old master finished reading the memorial, he had just finished his own.

Fengshen Jilun did not interrupt. Although he knew that Heshen was actually protecting his lackeys, Heshen's words were not exaggerated or false, and it would be inappropriate for him to interrupt rashly.

"Oh, so that's what you came for."

After closing the document, the old man remained silent for a moment. He then remembered who Zhao Youlu was. Wasn't he the "Fu Lu Shou" (福禄寿) who protected the Qing Dynasty on New Year's Eve, increased the salaries of officials, and extended his own life?

That child is very good.

He waved his hand and chuckled, saying, "This Zhao Youlu is someone who doesn't like to suffer losses. All those who have led troops are like that. Quan De, that lackey, is also a bit foul-mouthed."

These words, though spoken softly, stirred something within Heshen, for the old master's favoritism towards Zhao An was already evident.

"master,"

Heshen cautiously stepped forward and said, “The Imperial Household Department has strict rules. What Lord Zhongyong and Lord Jin said is reasonable. Zhao Youlu was definitely wrong to hit Quande. This servant thinks that if he is not punished, it will be difficult to convince the public.”

“The rules cannot be abolished. If everyone does this, it will really shake the foundation of the bondservants.”

The old man nodded, not at all confused, and immediately gave his punishment decision—Zhao Youlu, who had assaulted someone, would have his salary reduced by six months.

That means withholding six months' salary.

A six-month salary deduction would certainly be a severe punishment for a low-ranking official, but for a second-rank acting governor, it was merely a symbolic penalty.

Fengshen Jilun frowned slightly, but dared not question his grandfather's decision.

Let alone his grandson, even if his father were alive, he wouldn't dare to object.

With his mind completely at ease, Heshen saw that Li Yu was holding "The Story of the Stone" and knew that the old master was listening to a story. He prepared to take his leave, but the old master seemed to remember something and said, "Zhao Youlu's words, 'How dare a mere Zuo Ling make a high-ranking official kneel down,' are well said!"

He raised his hand to signal Li Yu to help him sit up, but his good grandson Ji Lun didn't need Li Yu's help and carefully helped his grandfather sit up.

"When did my blessings of fortune, prosperity, and longevity fall to a servant who abuses the rules to act arrogantly? Is Quan De's behavior a sign of loyalty to his master? I think his heart is despicable. He dares to overstep the bounds of the court by relying on a little bit of power!

"Today you dare to insult my blessings of fortune, prosperity, and longevity; tomorrow will you dare to disregard me? This is true contempt for the law and a threat to the very foundation of the nation!"

As he said this, the old man's face clearly showed anger. He then pointed at Heshen and said, "Zuo Ling Quan De is of bad character. He relies on the rules of the inner palace to humiliate ministers. His heart is treacherous! He is hereby dismissed from his post as Zuo Ling. Considering that his ancestors had made some contributions, he is spared the death penalty and sent to the mansions of princes and nobles as slaves. He will never be employed again!"

"Whoo!"

The old master's decision to punish Quan De delighted Heshen. If this matter were to spread, the outside world would not feel sorry for Quan De, a mere captain, but would only be more convinced of one fact: that no one he and the Grand Secretary employed could be beaten or touched except by the old master!
It's not just about protecting Zhao Youlu, but also about protecting Heshen!
The old master's biased decision must have left his grandson Fengshen Jilun feeling uneasy. He dealt with Zhao Youlu with a heavy hand but a light hand, while sending Quande, the "victim," to the mansion of a prince or nobleman as a slave. If he had known that his grandfather would handle things this way, he would have preferred to listen to Yiling'a and the others and handle it internally behind closed doors.

The old man clearly had more to say. He spat a mouthful of phlegm into the spittoon that Li Yu handed him, and after a moment of reflection, he said, "Since Fu Lu Shou is unwilling to endure the filth of his servants, I think he no longer needs to be a servant of the Imperial Household Department. Issue my decree to elevate Zhao Youlu to the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner and grant him the hereditary title of Third-Class Light Cavalry Captain."

He paused, then said, "From now on, let him be a respectable Manchu subject and a good servant of mine."

(End of this chapter)