Qing Yao

Chapter 454 Good son-in-law, do a good job, your father supports you!
Zhao An's meaning was simple: since he was worried that Fu San would have nothing to do but return to the capital to fight for power, then he should find something for him to do.

What's the matter?
Of course, it's about rebellion, uprising, and uprisings.

He had connections in this area and was skilled in the work; he could easily throw out a few militia manuals along with tutorials on how to rebel.

They can even provide funding, personnel, weapons, and strategic planning, teaching you step-by-step from scratch.

The biggest resource for rebellion was undoubtedly the White Lotus Sect, their "old flame".

When Master Liu surrendered, he revealed the complete list of high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect. Zhao An also "turned" a group of White Lotus Sect members to act as inside agents. If needed, a push could make the White Lotus Sect move again.

Now Fu San has work to do.

However, as far as I can remember, Fu San did not die in the White Lotus Rebellion, but rather in the Miao uprising in western Hunan.

This suggests that before the White Lotus Rebellion broke out, a large-scale anti-Qing uprising had already broken out in Hunan and Guizhou, and this uprising may have been the trigger for the White Lotus Rebellion.

Fukang'an died in this Miao uprising, as did Heshen's younger brother, Helin.

Given this, there was really no need to go to such lengths to give Heshen any "bad advice".

But this "bad idea" had to be come up; there was no other way, it was a matter of perfect timing, location, and people.

It's important to know that Zhao An knew everything that Heshen didn't!

This information gap not only allowed Zhao An to reap the benefits, but also made him a true right-hand man in Heshen's eyes. When problems arose, the first person Heshen thought of was not anyone else, but, "My son, Lu An, is here!"

In Heshen's heart, there was no difference between Jian and the old master's heart.

Because Heshen didn't mention it, the senile old man couldn't remember Zhao An's "Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity".

If Zhao An had told Heshen directly that Fu San, whom he feared most, would only live for three more years and there was no need for such fear and worry, Zhao An probably wouldn't have survived even three days.

How could Zhao An cleverly turn a large-scale anti-Qing uprising that was bound to happen into a "means" for Heshen to use against Fu San? Would Heshen love Zhao An to death?
The answer is yes.

In short, it boils down to four words: making trouble out of nothing!
"What do you mean by that?"

Heshen was putting on an act this time; as shrewd as he was, how could he not know Zhao An's meaning?

But no matter how much a "leader" pretends, he is still a "leader"!

Therefore, Zhao An had to reveal all his conspiracies and schemes to a trusted strategist, and he used the image of a "firefighter" to describe Fukang'an.

It refers to Fukang'an, who, after becoming the youngest Grand Councilor of the Qing Dynasty at the age of seventeen, led troops on expeditions, much like the Qing Dynasty's fire chief, leading people everywhere to put out fires.

Because Fukang'an had accumulated rich experience in fighting fires on numerous occasions, the old master would think of him first whenever the country was in trouble. Now, he was being groomed to be the top military officer and a pillar of the Eight Banners and even the Qing Dynasty. His prestige and power directly threatened Heshen's position.

Therefore, in order to eliminate the threat posed by Fukang'an, the fire chief, entering Beijing, it was necessary to deliberately set fires in various places.

This would not only remove Fukang'an from the capital, the center of power, but also deplete his energy. If handled properly, it could even allow for some maneuvering in areas such as military spending and logistics.

That's a very insightful point.

There were costs involved. Local unrest was certainly not a good thing for the Qing Dynasty and would greatly affect the value of the Kangxi and Qianlong era of prosperity.

In which prosperous era did he have rebellions every year?

It might not be good for the image of the Qing Dynasty's golden age, but it would be absolutely beneficial for you, Heshen. Now it all depends on whether you and the Grand Secretary have that ruthless and decisive spirit.

Only by sacrificing for the greater good can you have a happy family.

Heshen's expression shifted between light and shadow as he stared at Zhao An for a long time, his heart filled with astonishment. He had never imagined that the young Zhao An would be so vicious, offering such a treacherous and disastrous plan to help him deal with Fukang'an!
On second thought, isn't this the greatest loyalty the young man in front of me can show?

Even if it were someone else, even his own brother and Lin, they probably wouldn't have been able to do this.

It's not that He Lin was disloyal to her brother, but rather that He Lin lacked the ruthlessness to take a desperate gamble and fight to the death.

If He Lin can't do it, then no one else can either.

Only Zhao Youlu, who is as fearless as a newborn calf, can do it!

Thinking of this, Heshen felt inexplicably much better. His earlier frustration about the old master wanting to bestow a prince title on Fu San had also dissipated considerably. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "Youlu, do you mean to create some commotion in the local areas?"

Zhao An remained silent, his loyalty written all over his face.

The voice-over should be, "Why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

“This method is indeed a brilliant idea, but it is far too risky.” Heshen shook his head, tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, and sighed softly, “If it gets too out of hand and affects the country, it will not be a good thing. Even if I, Heshen, have a thousand faults, I will not treat the Qing Dynasty’s country and its people as a joke. This kind of thing is extremely difficult to judge. If we do not do it properly, you and I will be the eternal sinners of the Qing Dynasty.”

Seeing that Heshen was worried about this, Zhao An quickly "coaxed" him, saying, "Your Excellency, rest assured, this matter will be handled by me. I will select some trustworthy people to stir up trouble in those remote prefectures and counties. Local officials are most afraid of taking responsibility, and they only know how to exaggerate when something happens. They will make small things seem big and big things seem urgent. When the time comes, His Majesty will definitely send Fukang'an to lead troops to quell the rebellion. In this way, Your Excellency will not only be relieved of your great worries, but the local areas will also not become too corrupt."

"This is a good thing, but it's ultimately just a temporary solution."

Heshen still did not adopt Zhao An's opinion, believing that small-scale disturbances were insignificant and that Fukang'an had led troops on expeditions for many years and had the elite Solon troops under his command. He believed that the rebellions in one or two prefectures and counties could be quelled in a month or so, and that he would still have to return to the capital then.

We can't instigate rebellions in Hubei and Hunan today, then in Yunnan and Guizhou tomorrow, and then cause trouble in Shandong the day after.

How could Heshen face the old man who had favored and trusted him for over twenty years if he did this?

If you do a lot of things, who dares to say they won't slip up?
If you walk along the riverbank often, you're bound to slip and fall.

Hesitant and unable to make a decision.

Having no other choice, Zhao An didn't bother with further words. He knelt down with a thud and offered his final solution, saying in a deep voice, "Forgive this servant for being so bold, but since Your Excellency has reservations about this servant's proposal, why not eliminate Fukang'an once and for all!"

"you!"

Heshen was so startled by Zhao An's words that the teacup in his hand shook violently, and he didn't even notice the tea splashing onto his sleeve. He just stared at Zhao An kneeling in front of him and said in a trembling voice, "Zhao Youlu, do you know what you're saying!"

"This servant understands perfectly well!"

Zhao An raised his head, his face showing loyalty to Heshen, and his eyes reflecting boundless admiration and concern for him. "Even a clay pot will break when it's near the well, and a general will inevitably die on the battlefield! Your Majesty, on the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes. If Fukang'an leads his army deep into dangerous territory and his supply lines are cut off, or if he is overconfident and advances alone and gets ambushed, even if the Emperor wants to investigate, he can only blame the enemy for being cunning and Heaven for not protecting the Qing Dynasty!"

Some things don't need to be said so explicitly.

If someone is determined to kill Fukang'an, there are several ways to kill him, even if his supply lines are not cut off or he is not ambushed.

There's no reason to guard against thieves every single day.

Moreover, it's to guard against thieves within the family!

Has the practice of shooting someone in the back or firing a shot from behind been rare throughout history?
"With Fukang'an dead, the Grand Secretary can rest easy, and our Great Qing will no longer have to worry about internal troubles!"

To solidify Heshen's resolve, Zhao An slammed his knees at Heshen's feet with a thud, his voice choked with sobs, his eyes bloodshot. "This servant's current wealth and honor are all bestowed upon me by Your Excellency. Without Your Excellency, how could I exist? Therefore, Your Excellency's troubles are my troubles! As long as I can relieve Your Excellency's worries, even if it means going through fire and water, I will do it willingly!"

"you,"

Seeing Zhao An, who was already sobbing and had red eyes, deeply moved, Heshen was taken aback and subconsciously got up and paced around the room. After a long while, he stopped at the window and stared blankly at the old tree in the courtyard that had been there for hundreds of years.

"If anything goes wrong in this matter, our entire families will be executed."

A voice, almost a whisper, reached Zhao An's ears.

"It was all my idea, and has absolutely nothing to do with Your Excellency!"

Zhao An crawled on his knees and turned to look at Heshen with unwavering determination. "This servant can keep a group of assassins in Anhui. As long as they are properly arranged, they will be foolproof!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sudden gust of wind rose outside. With a "bang," the window was blown open by the wind, and the cold wind that rushed in stung Heshen's cheek as he stood on the windowsill, and even straightened Zhao An's braid as he knelt on the ground.

After gently closing the window again, Heshen stood motionless in front of it.

Because Heshen's back was to Zhao An, Zhao An could not see Heshen's facial expression clearly, but he could vaguely see that the shoulders of this "second emperor" of the Qing Dynasty seemed to be trembling slightly, and the ten fingers of his hands behind his back were also wriggling irregularly.

It seems that Heshen was torn between his conscience and his conscience.

After all, the Second Emperor had never before considered dealing with Fukang'an in such a drastic manner, nor had he ever imagined that one day he would disregard national interests for the sake of power and position.

It's inevitable to feel tormented.

Is this how you treat your master?
Fukang'an, Fukang'an, Fukang'an!
As Heshen stood there quietly, all that flashed through his mind was that face that was even younger than himself, that series of military achievements and honors, and the enduring favor of the Fucha family.
Gradually, these all transformed into swords and blades, and ferocious beasts.
Finally, the image freezes on the younger brother and Lin's faces.

As Heshen turned around, the last trace of hesitation on his face had turned into an icy calm. He stepped forward slowly, bent down and helped Zhao An, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet. His gaze became incredibly gentle: "Remember, what you say today will be heard by me."

"The slave understands."

Zhao An nodded emphatically. He knew that Heshen was moved. From this moment on, he had truly entered the heart of this "second emperor" of the Qing Dynasty.

"Keep this matter to yourself. It will take several months to decide the outcome on the plateau. Let's see what the Emperor decides. If things don't work out, then follow your plan."

After saying this, like a kind elder, Heshen gently dusted off non-existent dust from Zhao An's official robe, and his voice was so soft it was almost like a dream: "After this is done, you and I will address each other as father-in-law and son-in-law."

(End of this chapter)