My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 151 Request the execution of Nian Gengyao and his wife, the Eighth Prince.
Hongli then looked up at Su Ben and nodded with a smile.

He had to admit that Suben, this Mongol official, was even more shrewd than Fobiao.

The latter merely described his own political achievements, while the former took the initiative to spread his benevolence throughout the grasslands, so that the lower-class Mongols would know about the kindness of this fourth prince.

Hongli also needs to establish influence in the Mongol Eight Banners.

Therefore, he is undoubtedly someone who knows very well how to cater to his own needs.

This made Hongli very willing to recommend and promote this person when a suitable opportunity arises in the future.

Time flies.

Not long after Hongli began his apprenticeship in government affairs at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it was February of the third year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign.

As the ice and snow melt, spring returns to the earth.

At this time, Nian Gengyao's memorial impeaching Longkodo for abusing power and selling official positions also arrived in the capital and was seen by Hongli, who was learning about politics in the East Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Because Nian Gengyao already knew that Yongzheng had promoted a large number of officials who were close to Hongli and appointed these officials to almost all the important positions in Liangjiang and Fujian-Zhejiang.

Therefore, this greatly angered Nian Gengyao, who would later become their personal fiefdom.

It should be noted that Nian Gengyao had already won over many officials in the Northwest to his faction.

He was waiting for his people to infiltrate the Yangtze River Delta and Fujian and Zhejiang regions.

In this way, he could control the wealth of the rich regions of the Qing Dynasty in one hand and the elite Green Standard Army in the Northwest, which was currently the most skilled in battle, in the other, and thus completely control the overall situation.

After all, this means that you have both the gun and the money in your own hands.

Although Nian Gengyao's plan was well-conceived, Yongzheng was not a fool and trusted him to the point of having no suspicion whatsoever.

When he appointed his own people as provincial inspectors in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Yongzheng had already become wary.

Hongli was unsure whether Nian Gengyao had realized that Yongzheng was beginning to be wary of him, or whether he simply thought that Longkodo was joining forces with him to compete for power.

However, he knew that Nian Gengyao's impeachment of Longkodo for abusing power and selling official positions was clearly due to his dissatisfaction with the promotion of his close associates to important positions such as governors and viceroys in the south.

However, Nian Gengyao couldn't directly target his fourth son, so he only aimed his attacks at Longkodo.

For this reason, Emperor Yongzheng summoned the three prime ministers, the eighth prince, the thirteenth prince, and Longkodo, to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

As for Ma Qi, he hasn't arrived yet because he's on sick leave.

In fact, since becoming the Prime Minister's Minister of Affairs, Mazi has always claimed to be sick or to feign ignorance and remain silent.

The current Ma Qi is completely different from the tough style of the Kangxi Emperor during his reign, when he dared to openly contradict him.

For this, Emperor Yongzheng even issued an imperial edict reprimanding him, saying that he was unwilling to do his job conscientiously and was careless.

As far as Hongli knew, Ma Qi was not only shirking his responsibilities, but also began to abandon his moral bottom line. During the negotiations with the Russian Kingdom to determine the border, he accepted bribes from missionaries and betrayed his own bottom line to the Russian Kingdom, making the negotiation results more favorable to the Russian Kingdom.

Hongli felt that it would be better for someone like Ma Qi, who no longer wanted to serve loyally, to retire early.

After the Eighth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince, and Longkodo came to the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yongzheng asked the three of them, "What do you think of Nian Gengyao's criticism of the Ministry of Personnel?"

"Your Majesty, this involves me, and I request permission to avoid answering without suspicion."

Longkodo replied.

"allow!"

In the East Warm Pavilion, which was separated from the main room only by a door, Hongli could hear their conversation and Longkodo's reply.

Hongli could tell that Longkodo was completely fearless, so he directly requested permission to recuse himself.

After all, Longkodo himself knew that these people were not people he could control. For example, when Nian Gengyao attacked the Ministry of Personnel and him, it wasn't directed at him personally.

"The Imperial Brother-in-law is in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, a power granted to him by my fourth brother. Nian Gengyao has no reason to interfere. As for selling official positions, that's pure fabrication. If there were any selling of official positions, the official in charge of donations in the Ministry of Revenue would be the first to complain to my brother about the Imperial Brother-in-law!"

"In my opinion, Nian Gengyao, that lackey, is becoming increasingly outrageous and needs to be reprimanded."

The thirteenth prince made his stance clear first.

He was already very dissatisfied with Nian Gengyao's interference in the Ministry of Revenue.

Seeing that Nian Gengyao was still not enlightened and was still looking down on Yongzheng, he simply became the first Grand Minister of State Affairs to directly express his dissatisfaction with Nian Gengyao.

After hearing this, Yongzheng looked at the Eighth Prince and asked, "Eighth Prince, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty, I originally thought that Nian Gengyao was merely a bit arrogant, but now it seems that he harbors rebellious intentions, otherwise he would not be so angry about this matter!"

"He has long been colluding with disloyal gentry in the south, wanting to seize the wealth of the southeast, control the Green Standard Army in the northwest, and then threaten the imperial court!"

At this point, the eighth prince bowed deeply and said, "Therefore, your humble servant requests that Nian Gengyao be executed!"

Lao Ba's words surprised everyone present.

Including Emperor Yongzheng himself.

At this moment, Hongli couldn't help but put down the memorial in his hand, pick up his pen, and peek over.

He was very curious about the expression on Lao Ba's face when he said those words, as he was the first to demand the execution of Nian Gengyao.

However, as soon as Hongli poked half his head out, Yongzheng noticed him: "Come out!"

Hongli then handed the pen to Ma Jiayunjin, put on his boots, and went to the main room. He first performed the first round of greetings, and then stood obediently on the side with his back to the East Warm Pavilion.

Do you think Nian Gengyao deserved to be killed?

At this point, Yongzheng asked Hongli about it. Hongli cleverly replied, "Father, this is not a matter for me to discuss. After all, I am still young, and my thoughts on such important matters may not be correct."

"I'm just letting you say it, not actually letting you decide."

Yongzheng said.

When Hongli heard Yongzheng say this, he bowed again and said, "Then I dare to speak frankly, Nian Gengyao should not be killed. After all, he has made great contributions to our Great Qing. Besides, killing him should take into account the feelings of my eighth brother and Consort Dun's mother. My eighth brother and Consort Dun's mother are already in poor health."

He knew that Yongzheng would eventually kill Nian Gengyao.

But he knew even better that Yongzheng's execution of Nian Gengyao was particularly convoluted. He demoted him again and again, dragging it out for almost a year, and only after Consort Nian's death did he order him to commit suicide, showing that he was very unwilling to kill him.

At this time, Hongli was naturally willing to play along with Yongzheng and pretend that he couldn't bear to kill Nian Gengyao, so that Yongzheng would know that he cared about his eighth brother.

The Eighth Prince was not disappointed because Hongli disagreed with him; instead, he looked at Hongli with great surprise.

He had to admit that Hongli was indeed an admirablely intelligent child, because he knew how to respond without being taught and had the ability to handle things independently.

Yongzheng then looked at the Eighth Prince and said in a rather unfriendly tone, "Did you hear that, Eighth Prince? Hongli understands things better than you do!"

"Fourth Brother is right!"

"Your Majesty, I was overcome with anger and acted without thinking. I am willing to accept punishment."

The Eighth Prince was not angry because of Yongzheng's reprimand; he simply accepted the criticism calmly.

"That's it!"

"I only hope that you are not saying this because you want me to have a cruel reputation for killing meritorious officials."

Emperor Yongzheng made this very sarcastic remark.

Lao Ba didn't refute it; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Hongli knew why he felt relieved; it was simply because he believed that by advocating for the execution of Nian Gengyao, Yongzheng would not suspect that he had colluded with Nian Gengyao.

"However, let's forget about issuing an imperial decree to reprimand him, as the thirteenth brother suggested. Let's just give him a warning indirectly."

"Revise the memorial submitted by Hu Qiheng, the Governor of Shaanxi, impeaching Jin Nanying, the Shaanxi Postal Commissioner, and deem it a false accusation. Instruct Nian Gengyao not to attack Prince Yi's people, and hand it over to the Ministry of Personnel for deliberation and punishment."

Emperor Yongzheng then issued such instructions.

"Whoo!"

Jin Nanying was an official recommended by the thirteenth prince, and therefore was disliked by Nian Gengyao. As a result, he was impeached by Nian's faction, which served as an initial test to bring down Prince Yi.

Now, Yongzheng is only using this incident to reprimand Nian Gengyao, which clearly shows that he is still tolerating Nian Gengyao's arrogance.

This makes it easy for those who don't know the situation to think that Yongzheng still couldn't bear to turn against Nian Gengyao, but simply didn't want him to fight with Prince Yi.

Nian Gengyao himself may have thought so.

However, after giving this instruction, Yongzheng then ordered: "Issue an imperial edict to grant Prince Yi's request to suspend the Ministry of Revenue's donation system!"

Hongli noticed that the thirteenth prince looked very pleased.

He also knew very well that the Qing court's financial resources during the Yongzheng era no longer required a donation system. At the same time, this completely dashed Nian Gengyao's hopes of promoting the donation system in the Northwest.

The situation was already quietly beginning to develop in a direction unfavorable to Nian Gengyao.

However, Nian Gengyao himself would have to be willing to turn back.

"Eighth Brother, you may all leave now."

Then Yongzheng gave another instruction.

"Whoo!"

Hongli then returned to the East Warm Pavilion.

But as soon as he returned, he heard Yongzheng say to the Eighth Prince, "When do you plan to divorce that rude and jealous woman in your household?"

These words struck Hongli like a thunderbolt.

He never expected that Yongzheng would actually begin to explicitly tell the Eighth Prince to divorce his wife!
Tsk tsk.

How much does her cheap father hate the Eighth Prince's wife!

However, Hongli had to admit that Yongzheng had presented the Eighth Prince with an even bigger problem.

Because the Eighth Prince's primary consort, Lady Guoluo, was not an ordinary Manchu woman. She was the daughter of Heshuo Efu Mingshang and the granddaughter of Prince An Yue Le, belonging to the imperial clan.

If the Eighth Prince were to divorce his primary wife, the entire Manchu aristocratic class would believe that he no longer cared about the dignity of the Manchu nobility in order to protect himself.

Then his reputation as the Eighth Prince would be greatly diminished.

Moreover, his base of support among the Manchu Eight Banners nobles was more or less related to the family of the Eighth Prince's wife.

If the Eighth Prince were to do this, it would be tantamount to cutting off his own arms, leaving him with only the identity of the Emperor's younger brother.

His maternal family background was not good, and without the support of his wife's family, what could he use to manipulate the officialdom?

Hongli turned around and glanced back.

Seeing that the Eighth Prince had already knelt down, he said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Lady Guoluo was the primary consort bestowed upon me by the late Emperor, and she is also a noblewoman of royal lineage. I find it very difficult to request that she be divorced and sent home. I am willing to exchange my title of Prince and the power to manage affairs for the humiliation of being divorced!"

(End of this chapter)