Qing Yao

Chapter 445 The Manchu Noble Lord Zhao

"Loyalty that is not absolute is absolutely not loyal!"

The way the old man looked at Zhao An made Heshen, who was standing next to him, feel as if he were seeing himself twenty years ago. It was so similar, so very similar.

However, Heshen felt no jealousy towards Zhao An; on the contrary, he admired him even more.

Given their status, age, and rank, if we were to describe them in terms of tiers, He Zhongtang would be in the first tier protecting the emperor, while Zhao An would be in the second tier, ready to charge into battle and take over from He Zhongtang at any time.

As long as the party has a continuous supply of new talent, and each generation has capable ministers and leaders like Zhao An, there will be no worries about future changes, ensuring that He Zhongtang can retire smoothly and enjoy his later years.

Heshen understood this better than anyone else, and therefore, the more the old master appreciated Zhao An, the more beneficial it was for Heshen.

They even hoped that the old master could replace Fukang'an with Zhao An, so that they could seize control of the Eight Banners military without any trouble.

Unfortunately, it’s just something I can think about.

Sanfu'er held such a high position in the old master's heart that even he and Heshen dared not speak ill of him, and could only arrange for their cronies to sabotage him in private.

Frankly speaking, Zhao An's statement, "Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty," is more ruthless and decisive than Heshen's statement, "The one who guards the position cannot escape blame." It also directly hits the most sensitive nerve in the old man's heart, making the 82-year-old man, who already liked young people, feel a rare sense of "kinship" with the "young man" in front of him.

Three years later, the matter of abdication was publicly announced to the world, and there was no going back.

But the old man never said that he, as the retired emperor, should really live a secluded life in the palace and completely detached from worldly affairs. He still planned to steer the ship for the new emperor for another ten years or so.

Without his own behind-the-scenes leadership, could the fifteenth prince truly steer the giant ship that is the Qing Dynasty?
Regardless of whether the old master was willing or not, three years later a group of "imperial faction" members would inevitably appear around the new emperor. No matter how filial the son was, he could not withstand the constant whispers in the ear of those "imperial faction" members who wanted to seize power.

How many times has this happened throughout history?

Just in case, the old master must have a group of capable and absolutely loyal ministers who will speak on his behalf in the future court, keep watch for him, and prevent any possible "isolation from the outside world" from happening.

Heshen was undoubtedly an excellent choice to oversee the overall situation.

No one was more loyal to himself than Heshen, and no one understood him better than Heshen.

But the old man also knew that although Heshen, who had already reached the pinnacle of power, held immense influence in the court with his tacit approval, there were actually not many people who could be truly used by Heshen, including his own "Fourth Blessing".

Most of the so-called "He Party" members were nothing more than sycophants. It was unrealistic to expect these people to follow Heshen and "cheering for" the old master against the new emperor at crucial moments.

Given the choice between an eighty-year-old retired emperor and a thirty-something-year-old new emperor, even a fool would know which to choose.

The problem is, the old man refuses to actually retire!
Therefore, we need to make arrangements in advance.

There were many things that Heshen couldn't do directly; he needed a capable ally who could fight on his behalf at crucial moments and indirectly carry out the old master's will.

Or rather, the old man didn't want to assign a henchman to Heshen, but rather to assign himself a henchman to do the "dirty work."

The matter of the Marquis of Jinghai is a signal.

This dirty work couldn't be done by Heshen. After all, Shi Lang had made contributions to the Qing Dynasty. If Heshen were to step in, it would easily give outsiders the impression that the old patriarch was mistreating his meritorious officials, which would be inconsistent with the benevolent image the old patriarch had cultivated in his later years.

Thinking of this, a glint flashed in the old man's cloudy eyes. He glanced at Zhao An, who was prostrate on the ground, utterly loyal, and then at Heshen, who stood calmly with his hands at his sides. He had already made his decision. "Zhao Youlu,"

The old man spoke slowly.

"The slave is here!"

Few people in this world can express the phrase "This servant is here" as aptly as Zhao An. How to describe "This servant is here"? It's roughly like hearing "Are you playing around or not?" as soon as you get off at the train station in a certain place in later generations.

"You did a good job in Anhui. You were meticulous and your loyalty was truly commendable. I am already rewarding you with a higher rank and title, but I never expected you to suffer such an injustice. Tell me, how else would you like me to reward you?"

The old man's voice was very pleasant to hear.

Zhao An's heart skipped a beat. Suppressing his excitement, he kowtowed and said, "It is my greatest blessing to be able to share my master's burdens. I dare not ask for any reward!"

"If you dare not ask for a reward, then I will reward you anyway."

The old man smiled slightly, "You said that as long as I am wise and enlightened, and reward and punish fairly, all officials will be able to do their jobs and thus increase their salaries. That makes sense."

After saying this, the old man turned to Heshen with a questioning look: "Do you think the position of deputy commander-in-chief for Shi Bingren will be awarded to this child?"

Upon hearing this, not only was Zhao An stunned, but even Heshen's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible surprise.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Bordered Yellow Banner Manchuria!

Although this was only a second-rank military officer position in the Eight Banners, unlike Zhao An's second-rank acting governor, the Manchu Deputy Commander was among the most prominent figures in the Eight Banners!

The deputy commanders of the Upper Three Banners were core generals of the Eight Banners of the Beijing Garrison. They were usually senior banner officials, those with outstanding military achievements, or descendants of meritorious officials. Once they were appointed to other posts, they were important candidates for garrison generals in various places.

Without this position of deputy military governor, no matter how well Zhao An performed in Anhui, even if he became the governor-general of Liangjiang, he would not be able to control the local Eight Banners garrison.

But with this additional title of Deputy Commander-in-Chief, he would be the first candidate for General of Jiangning.

Before this, there had never been a precedent of a newly promoted official being granted the title of Deputy Commander-in-Chief. The old master had truly made an unprecedented and great favor!
What is Master trying to do?
Heshen realized something and reacted quickly, immediately bowing and replying: "Marquis Jinghai Shi Bingren is arrogant and rebellious. His position as Deputy Commander of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner should be removed. Zhao Youlu is loyal and dedicated, and I think it is not inappropriate for him to concurrently hold this position."

"it is good."

Seeing that Heshen seemed to understand his meaning, the old man nodded slightly, then made the final decision, looking at Zhao An with encouraging eyes: "Zhao Youlu, I will reward you with this post. From today onwards, you will serve me well. After the affairs in the capital are settled and you return to Anhui, you must do your job well and not let me down."

"lackey. lackey"

Zhao An was so excited that he could hardly speak. He kowtowed heavily to the ground, his face full of gratitude: "Your Majesty's kindness is beyond repayment, beyond repayment!"

He was genuinely excited, and he would be willing to hug his grandfather's leg and call him "Dad!"

As the Deputy Commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner Manchu, Zhao An was a typical member of the Eight Banners aristocracy. With this title, his career prospects were not limited to being an official outside the capital, but rather he could penetrate deep into the heart of the enemy—the Eight Banners of the Central Army—at any time.

This is a qualitative leap, a stroke of genius.

Grandpa, I swear I won't dig you up, okay?
(End of this chapter)