Qing Yao

Chapter 467 Give Me an Explanation

"Rewarding horses for the imperial court" refers to the privilege of riding horses within the Forbidden City.

According to the regulations of the Kangxi era, civil officials had to be at least 65 years old, and military officials had to be at least 55 years old, and only those of the first rank or above were eligible to receive it.

However, in the old man's eyes, these regulations were just "tight rules."

Throughout his life, the old master hated nothing more than the word "rules," and his approach to personnel management was so outrageous that it left the court officials speechless.

Manchu nobles such as Heshen, the four Fu brothers, Mingliang, and Mingrui were granted the privilege of riding horses to court by the old master when they were in their twenties. Last year, the old master issued an imperial edict clarifying that ministers who had difficulty even riding horses could be further granted the privilege of being carried by two people.

"Two people carrying" is exactly what it sounds like: a small sedan chair carried by two people.

Currently, only three people have obtained the qualification of "two-person escort": one is Prime Minister Agui, another is "Second Emperor" Heshen, and the third is Heshen's "arch-enemy" Wang Jie.

About thirty people received the "reward of a court horse" treatment. They were either Grand Councilors, Ministers of the Imperial Guard, or Ministers of the Imperial Court, and none of them were below the first rank.

Therefore, Zhao An, who successfully became the second-rank governor of Anhui, was granted the privilege of being awarded a "court horse," which was an exceptional case of imperial favor. It was a great honor to give face to the favored minister Heshen. Of course, it may also have been for the sake of his "successor," Yongyan.

Whatever the reason, the old master's extraordinary favor was absolutely appropriate, to the point that Heshen had to kowtow and thank the heavens on behalf of Zhao An, and his impression of Yongyan improved somewhat as a result.

Whatever Yongyan's true purpose may be, he has at least been of great help in this matter. If Yongyan has other motives, then he has only shot himself in the foot.

"Alright, go draft the decree. I'm getting a little tired too."

The old man waved his hand wearily, his eyelids drooping noticeably, and his spirits were clearly low again.

"Then please rest, Your Majesty. This servant will go to the Grand Council to draft an imperial edict."

Heshen dared not delay the old master's rest, so he slowly retreated and quietly left the warm pavilion to return to the Grand Council to handle his business.

After watching Heshen leave with a smile on his face, the old man seemed to have exhausted his energy as well. He then slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep like an old monk in meditation.

Silence returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, with only the ticking of the Western-style clock.

When the chief eunuch Li Yu saw that the old master had fallen asleep, he hurriedly stepped forward and took a black fox fur cloak, which was a tribute from the Jiangning Textile Bureau. Just as he was about to put it on the old master, he was suddenly met with a pair of eyes that had suddenly opened.

Those eyes were no longer as murky and confused as usual; they were now clear as a drawn blade, a sharp look that Eunuch Li hadn't seen in a long time.

The gaze that belongs only to emperors!

This immediately made the chief eunuch shudder.

“Li Yu,”

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an invisible pressure.

"The slave is here!"

Startled, Eunuch Li quickly bowed and asked, "What are your orders, Master?"

"I just remembered that the one in charge of the affairs of the Manchu Eight Banners Commander-in-Chief is the eleventh prince, Yongxing, isn't he?"

The old man's tone sounded like a question, and very calm, but Li Yu's heart involuntarily pounded. "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is Prince Cheng."

At this moment, Eunuch Li's heart was practically in his throat.

"Oh."

The old man nodded slightly, tapping the armrest a few times with the index and middle fingers of his withered right hand. “Zhao Youlu’s reorganization of the Bordered Yellow Banner has caused such a commotion, how come Yongxing, the Grand Minister in charge of the Eight Banners, hasn’t submitted a single memorial?”

Li Yu held her breath, not daring to respond.

"Does Yongxing think that banner affairs are trivial matters and do not need to be reported to me? Or does this chief minister simply not take the tasks I have assigned him seriously? Or perhaps, Yongxing is getting too close to someone and is only concerned with trying to figure out my thoughts, thus forgetting all about my duties? Li Yu, you have been with me for decades, tell me, what exactly is Yongxing thinking?"

Before the old man could finish speaking, Li Yu was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground with a thud: "This servant is stupid!"

“Stupid? I see you are all very shrewd.”

The old man's words revealed no emotion, and his gaze towards Li Yu was as calm as still water.

By now, fine beads of sweat had already seeped from Li Gonggong's forehead. How could he not know that Prince Cheng Yongxing was extremely close to Heshen? He also knew that the "whom" the old master was referring to was Heshen.

Throughout history, it has been a major taboo for emperors for princes to have close relationships with powerful ministers!

The old master had long known that he suspected Heshen had "bribed" him. Just as he was feeling anxious, the old master suddenly changed the subject and snorted: "And Yongyan, he doesn't care about the affairs of the commander-in-chief, so why did he submit this memorial? Is he on good terms with Zhao Youlu? He doesn't remember how his two tutors returned to the capital, but I do."

As he spoke, the old man slowly closed his eyes, but Li Yu did not believe that his master had fallen asleep again.

Terrified, the old master who had ruled the world for fifty-three years was usually confused and hard of hearing, but when he was sober, he was like a sleeping lion awakening, terrifying to behold.

After a moment, the old man opened his eyes again, looked at Li Yu who was kneeling there with his head down, and slowly said: "The Infantry Commander's Office is in charge of the capital's imperial guards and is of great importance to the safety of the country. It cannot be left unattended for long. I hereby issue an imperial decree that Prince Mian'en be appointed as the Infantry Commander and take office immediately."

This imperial decree sent another shock through Eunuch Li, who was already filled with fear.

The Infantry Commander, commonly known as the Commander of the Nine Gates, held a high position and wielded great power. He was in charge of the defense of the capital and could directly mobilize more than 40,000 Manchu, Mongol, and Han Eight Banners infantry and Green Standard Army cavalry and infantry.

Prince Mian'en is the son of the late eldest son of the Emperor, Yonghuang, and is currently the de facto eldest grandson of the Emperor. He is of noble status and has always been calm and capable. He has previously commanded the Firearms Battalion, the Jianrui Battalion, the Tiger Spear Battalion, the Eight Banners of Yuanmingyuan, and the Imperial Household Department's Bondservant Guard Battalion. He is the only one among the princes and grandsons to lead troops.

Now, he has been appointed as the Commander of the Nine Gates, which means that military power inside and outside the capital is completely in the hands of Mian'en, far surpassing that of his uncles.

Could it be?

Li Yu's heart skipped a beat. Combining this with what his master had asked Heshen about the things behind the "Upright and Bright" plaque, he instinctively had a bold yet seemingly reasonable thought—could his master really be going to follow the example of the Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, abandoning his son and establishing his grandson?
The news about this matter had been circulating in the capital for several months; how could Li Yu not have heard about it?

Amidst the surprise and doubt, the old man's voice came again.

"Go and convey my oral decree to Yongxing. Since I have put him in charge of the Eight Banners Manchu Commandery, he must manage it well for me. If he can't even handle this small task properly, I don't think he necessarily wants to hold this position."

After a moment's thought, the old master waved his right hand slightly, "Go to Prince Jia's residence again, and when you see Yongyan, ask him why a prince who doesn't handle banner affairs would show favor to a minister. Make him give me an explanation."

(End of this chapter)