My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 140: Khan Ama will definitely give the answer!
The next day.

Hongli was summoned by Yongzheng early in the morning.

To Hongli's surprise, Hongshi and Hongzhou were also summoned by Yongzheng.

"Hmph, this eighth brother actually requested that Sehengtu inherit the title of Prince of Anjun, saying that he would not do so to win people's hearts, but that the fire loss should not be returned to the public."

"It seems he's implying that if I don't agree with him, he won't support my implementation of the 'fire tax reform' policy."

When Hongli and others came before him, Yongzheng bluntly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Eighth Prince.

Upon hearing this, Hongshi's expression changed slightly.

At this moment, Hongli began to ponder what Yongzheng's purpose was in summoning him, Hongshi, and Hongzhou to accuse the Eighth Prince in front of them.

Hongzhou also looked puzzled.

These days, Hongli had also heard about the reform of the fire tax system, and knew that this was a major national policy that Yongzheng planned to promote after the trial implementation of the land tax reform.

It is clear that Yongzheng was eager to implement the new policies.

At the beginning of the first year of Yongzheng's reign, he began to make up for the deficit, abolish some of the low-class status, and establish a secret system for designating an heir.

By the end of the first year of the Yongzheng reign, he began to work on the matter of merging the poll tax into the land tax.

Now, at the beginning of the second year of Yongzheng's reign, Yongzheng was already impatiently trying to implement the policy of returning the fire tax to the public treasury.

He could understand why Yongzheng was so eager to reform, unwilling to give powerful officials any breathing room.

After all, Emperor Yongzheng was quite old, and it was unclear when he would pass away.

Two years, three years, five years, or even ten or twenty years?
It's hard to say.

Although Hongli himself knew that Emperor Yongzheng had reigned for thirteen years in history, people of that era, including Yongzheng himself, did not know this.

Therefore, Emperor Yongzheng naturally wished to implement all the new policies he wanted to promote as soon as possible.

If it weren't for the fact that Emperor Yongzheng was also afraid of causing chaos by being too hasty, he probably would have already abolished the fire tax last year, instead of just letting the princes and ministers discuss this policy as it is now.

Hongli felt that Yongzheng's raising of this issue at this time also meant that he wanted to hear the opinions of his people on the return of the fire tax to the public treasury.

Because this means whether his national policies can be inherited in the future.

Since Fu Hui was still young, he could only ask the three older princes, Hongli, Hongshi, and Hongzhou.

Although Hongli knew that he was now the prince with the greatest hope of becoming the future emperor, Yongzheng had also clearly told him last night that his favor towards Nian Gengyao and his affection for Fu Hui were only to protect him, and that he also genuinely wanted to spend more time with Fu Hui so that Fu Hui could grow up happier and healthier.

However, Hongli also understood that things were unpredictable, so Yongzheng still had to pay special attention to Hongli while also observing the attitudes of Hongshi and Hongzhou.

After all, Emperor Yongzheng did not have many sons.

Aside from someone like Hongli who knew the answers to history, even Emperor Yongzheng himself couldn't completely guarantee that Hongli would be the one to inherit his throne.

But because of this, Hongli became increasingly curious about what Hongshi had done in history that, given that Yongzheng did not have many sons, meaning that there were not many candidates for the crown prince, he was still adopted by Yongzheng to the eighth prince a little over a year later.

Of course, Hongli couldn't think about this too much right now. He just asked Yongzheng seriously, "Father, Uncle Ba may be worried that the implementation of the 'fire tax reform' will further offend powerful officials and bureaucrats across the country."

Upon hearing Hongli's words, Yongzheng's face immediately turned icy.

Hongshi and Hongzhou also suddenly changed their expressions and looked at Hongli.

They never expected that Hongli would be so bold as to speak up for the Eighth Prince!

Don't die?

Hongshi was even secretly pleased.

At this moment, Yongzheng chuckled coldly: "You're quite good at making excuses for your eighth uncle."

"Your Majesty, I am not trying to exonerate my Eighth Uncle. I am merely speculating on his motives. However, I disagree with his decision to use this method of currying favor with a guilty member of the royal family under such circumstances."

"Because, in my humble opinion, allowing the sons of the Prince of An to inherit the title will not make the powerful and wealthy officials grateful. They will only regard the title as their due, and the powerful and wealthy officials in the world will still be dissatisfied with the return of the fire tax to the public."

"After all, once the fire loss tax is returned to the public treasury, it will affect the income of the powerful and wealthy in the capital for the festivals and birthdays, the tributes of ice and charcoal given twice a year, and the income of local officials."

"To truly resolve this matter, we must guide the entire bureaucracy with benefits, not simply curry favor with a few princes and ministers. What you're doing, Uncle Ba, isn't the right solution!"

"Therefore, I humbly believe..."

As Hongli spoke, Yongzheng listened intently, nodding repeatedly, his expression gradually softening: "Go on! What do you think we should do?"

"While the waste tax is returned to the public treasury, a system of allowances for maintaining integrity should be implemented!"

Hongli gave his answer.

Knowing the answers to the history questions, he answered without hesitation, as if it were an open-book exam.

Yongzheng's eyes lit up.

Because Hongli had truly touched his heart!
But at the same time, Yongzheng frowned and asked Hongli, "How did you come up with this?"

"During this period of time, I consulted with my thirteenth uncle about the matter of the fire loss being returned to the public."

Hongli replied at this time.

"Therefore, I know that while the benefits of returning the fire tax to the public are that it clarifies the standards for fire tax, makes taxes clear, and restricts some officials from levying taxes privately and arbitrarily, and concentrates financial power in the court, the drawbacks are that it increases the financial difficulties of local areas, reduces the ability of local areas to provide flexible disaster relief and suppress rebellions, and limits the ability of local officials to amass wealth."

"Therefore, I think that in order to prevent local officials from being forced to create other expenses on top of the already deducted fire tax to maintain the operation of their offices due to excessive shortages of local funds and grain, or even to be forced to accept bribes from local gentry and wealthy families to keep the offices running, we should give local officials a sum of money after deducting the fire tax to maintain their expenses, so as to prevent them from losing their integrity under the guise of maintaining local stability."

"so……"

"It also allows for ample funds to maintain relationships with superiors and to entertain high-ranking officials transiting through the country."

As far as Hongli knew, the biggest expenses for Qing Dynasty officials were often not for their own personal enjoyment, but for giving gifts to their superiors and entertaining officials who passed through their territory. These two items were the biggest expenses.

Zhang Jixing, a high-ranking official in the late Qing Dynasty, recalled his time as a grain transport official, saying that just for the three major festivals and two birthdays of the Xi'an General, he had to send 800 taels of silver each time, plus eight kinds of gifts and water gifts, and 40 taels of silver in door money each time. For the two military commanders, he also had to send 200 taels of silver each festival, plus four kinds of water gifts; in addition…

He also had to coordinate local arrangements for entertaining high-ranking officials transiting through the area.

Each time a banquet is held, there are fifty tables for the highest-ranking guests and fourteen tables for the middle-ranking guests. The highest-ranking guests must have bird's nest and deer tail, while the middle-ranking guests must have shark fin and sea cucumber.

The key point is that grand banquets are held without the moon, and small banquets are held without the sun.

In addition, travel expenses must be prepared. Even a minor official like a secretary passing through the area must prepare travel expenses ranging from 10 to 20 taels to 40 to 50 taels.

As the grain transport commissioner, he also had to prepare 50,000 taels of silver annually for the officials in the capital as tribute for charcoal.

His annual income from grain transport was only about 60,000 taels.

Therefore, when income and expenditure were insufficient, according to his own recollection, he relied entirely on the allowance for maintaining integrity to support the daily operation of the government office.

During the Qing Dynasty, although there was no allowance for officials to maintain integrity at the local level, the revenue from fire loss was used to cover the daily operating expenses after gifts and entertainment.

Emperor Yongzheng centralized the collection of fire tax revenue, which standardized and clarified the revenue, but it did indeed affect the operation of local governments.

Hongli then took this opportunity to bring up the issue.

"In that case, I thought of the term 'integrity allowance'."

"As the name suggests, the imperial court allocated extra money to local officials in order to encourage them to be honest and upright."

"In this way, anyone with a shred of decency will not be excessively greedy and allow the practice of collecting taxes from the public to become a corrupt practice."

"As for those who are excessively greedy and who levy additional taxes on top of the officially set fire loss standard after the implementation of the anti-corruption allowance system, when they are punished by the court, they have no reason to argue that they had to levy additional taxes in order to stabilize the local area."

"More importantly, the imperial court gives the money to local officials instead of letting them collect it themselves through clerks and gentry. This will give the officials more power to control the local area without having to be subservient to the gentry, wealthy families, or even clerks."

"In this way, the power of people-friendly officials in local areas has been strengthened invisibly."

After speaking, Hongli bowed to Yongzheng and said, "If I have said anything incorrect, please correct me, Father."

"What you say is very good; you and I are of the same mind!"

Yongzheng said with a smile.

Both Hongshi and Hongzhou were somewhat taken aback.

They didn't expect that Hongli would guess what Yongzheng was thinking.

But then, Hiroshi couldn't help but secretly purse his lips.

He suddenly remembered that Emperor Yongzheng had kept Hongli (Emperor Hongli) for a late-night chat in the Hall of Mental Cultivation the previous night.

He felt that it was very likely that Yongzheng had informed Hongli in advance, deliberately making Hongli behave this way in front of him and Hongzhou today.

This made him feel even more that his father, the Khan, was too biased towards Hongli, even personally giving Hongli an opportunity to demonstrate his governing abilities!
At the same time, Hongshi was even more confused, unable to understand why Yongzheng treated Hongli so well.

Jealousy was driving Hongshi to the brink of madness.

As for Yongzheng, he did not notice the change in Hongshi's expression, but suddenly said with a solemn expression:

"Your Eighth Uncle's act of using the fire tax as a pretext to ask for titles for his wife's family is an act of using public office for private gain and harboring ulterior motives. It is very likely that he was instructed by the Eighth Prince's wife!"

"But he is still your eighth uncle. I cannot bear to punish him for this, nor can I punish him for his incorrect suggestions on politics. I can only issue a strict decree to reprimand him, and I intend to send you there, so as to give your eighth uncle some face. Who of you is willing to accept the decree to reprimand your eighth uncle?"

Hongli thought about it and realized that Yongzheng was testing them to see how steadfast their loyalty to the new policies and to him, their father.

Hesitation at this moment would only lead to accepting the task and would make Yongzheng believe that the person subconsciously sympathizes with the Eighth Prince.

Therefore, Hongli took the initiative to step forward and said, "Your subject is willing to go!"

Seeing that Hongli had said so, Hongzhou also came out and said, "Your subject is also willing to go!"

Hongshi did not stand up immediately.

He could stop associating with Lao Ba, but he couldn't bring himself to reprimand Lao Ba as ordered, because he feared that without Lao Ba's support, he would have nothing and lose everything completely.

Furthermore, his relationship with the Eighth Prince was different from that of Hongli and Hongzhou with the Eighth Prince.

He had more contact with the eighth and ninth princes since childhood. Even when Yongzheng had a good relationship with the eighth prince, he was already a frequent visitor to the eighth prince's home, and he also devoted a lot of energy to the eighth prince.

Therefore, Hongshi hesitated.

"Hongshi, what are you hesitating about?"

At this moment, Yongzheng also looked at Hongshi.

When Hongshi heard Yongzheng ask this question, he trembled and immediately cupped his hands and said, "Father, I was thinking that I have more contact with my Eighth Uncle. If I were to suddenly agree at this time, it might seem too heartless."

Hongshi remembered the method that the Eighth Prince had taught him: when you don't know what to do, just be honest with Yongzheng.

Yongzheng's expression did soften somewhat, but he chuckled and said, "How can you accomplish great things if you are so concerned with personal feelings? How can you prevent those with ulterior motives from easily using you and using your name to oppose me and national policies?"

"You don't want to go, but I'll make you go anyway. Besides, you deserve to go even more!"

Then Yongzheng spoke again.

Hongshi dared not refuse after hearing this, and could only grit his teeth and bow: "Father is right to rebuke me, I understand, I am willing to accept the decree to reprimand my Eighth Uncle!"

Hongli glanced at Hongshi.

In his view, Yongzheng did this for Hongshi's own good, so that Hongshi would use this method to make it difficult for those who wanted to oppose reforms in Hongshi's name to contact him again.

It is evident that even now, Yongzheng is still trying to win over his third son, Hongshi, to his side. Whether he can succeed depends on Hongshi's own understanding and choices.

"How do you think we should discipline your eighth uncle?"

(End of this chapter)