My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 157 Tie Jia Guan Zhi Si (Official Order to Die)

Azitu was indeed a strongman.

Therefore, Nian Xing's mouth was knocked crooked on the spot.

His head was shaking incessantly, like a rattle drum.

Teeth fell to the ground like ripe fruit.

"can!"

After a long while, Nian Xing, his face covered in blood, finally responded in a faint voice.

Hongli pointed to the two teeth that had fallen to the ground in front of him and instructed Li Yu, "Send someone to Nian's residence and tell Nian Fu that if he wants his younger brother Nian Xing to return home alive, he should prepare a generous gift and come to the Infantry Commander's office to apologize to me!"

“Tell him it must be twice as generous a gift as the one he gave to Longkodo!”

Hongli gave the order in a deep voice.

"Whoo!"

Li Yu responded.

Then, Hongli ordered Aqitu to have Nianxing locked up.

He himself went to sit in the main hall of the Infantry Commander's Office.

Emperor Yongzheng asked him to test his "Year of Abundance" and "Year of Prosperity" traits.

He would naturally give Nian Fu another chance.

The infantry commander, Aqitu, followed him into the main hall and stood obediently to Hongli's left, offering him a cup of tea.

Hongli accepted it: "You sit down too."

"Thank you, Fourth Master!"

Aqitu thanked the emperor and sat down in the first chair on the left, but only on one side, respectfully looking at Hongli.

He never expected that Nian Gengyao's two sons in the capital would anger the Fourth Master in front of him.

But he at least understood that the Fourth Master in front of him was not only good at bestowing favors, but also ruthless and intimidating when it came to disciplining people.

At this point, Hongli asked Aqitu, "How is your investigation going regarding the anonymous whistleblower post?"

"Your Highness, this servant is still investigating."

Azitu replied.

Hongli nodded: "As long as it's not because they're afraid of offending the Nian family that they're unwilling to investigate, that's fine."

"Slave dare not!"

Azitu hurriedly knelt down, a chill running down his spine. He hadn't expected that the Fourth Master's words would be so terrifying!
“This servant is not stupid. Now that His Majesty has clearly stated that this servant should work with the Fourth Prince, how could this servant not understand the reason behind it?”

"This servant dares to say something taboo in front of you. This servant has already seen that this world will belong to you sooner or later, Fourth Master. Even if this servant is tired of living, there is no need to seek death in front of you and cause trouble for his descendants."

Azitu had no choice but to explain truthfully, and he became even more respectful and honest.

After taking a sip of tea, Hongli placed it on the table and said, "It's good that you understand."

"Get up!"

"Thank you, Fourth Master!"

Then, Hongli sighed: "But some people just don't understand. They insist that because they are relatives of the emperor, they feel different from others!"

"But in the end, a servant is still a servant. The respect given to him by his master is the respect he deserves. If his master doesn't give him any respect, he can't put on a show for himself."

"Fourth Master is right!"

Aqitu replied with a smirk, and in order to distance himself from the Nian family and show that he was not afraid of offending them, he took the initiative to express his loyalty to Hongli, saying: "Your Highness, you can decide how to sentence the two Nian brothers for their crimes!"

"As for how to interpret the Qing Dynasty's laws on dealing with Manchus, the power lies with this servant, and this servant is willing to do as you wish!"

"Speak! Tell me what crime to pin on them, and I'll charge them with whatever crime—treason, anything!"

Both Nianfu and Nianxing belonged to the Manchu bannermen and were members of the Eight Banners nobility.

Therefore, since the two men had broken the law, the only authority that could be responsible for their trial and conviction was the Infantry Commander's Office.

Hongli nodded in agreement: "Let's see how he behaves in his prime."

"Whoo!"

Half an hour later, Li Yu returned.

When Hongli saw that only he had returned, he asked, "Why didn't Nianfu come?"

Li Yu knelt down and said, "Fourth Master, Nian Fu only said that Nian Xing offended you, and that the Infantry Commander's Office should handle the matter according to the law!"

boom!
Hongli slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his heart burning with rage.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that the people of this day and age were indeed all foolish and wicked.

If someone is just stupid, they can still live, since they pose no threat and at most become a laughing stock.

But someone who's both stupid and wicked really can't live!
Nian Zhai (年宅).

Nian Fu was drinking tea when his younger sister, Nian Zhu, who was engaged to the Kong family of Qufu, paced anxiously back and forth in front of him, saying:
"Second Brother, are you really not going to apologize to the Fourth Prince? He's in his hands!"

"The Fourth Prince is a kind and benevolent man. How could he possibly demand such a generous gift? It must be his servants deliberately extorting him!"

"Moreover, I bet the Fourth Prince will never do anything to our Fourth Brother, because he has to consider the Emperor's feelings. Even the Emperor doesn't intend to do anything to our Nian family, so what can he do? Besides, there's still my aunt and the Eighth Prince in the palace."

Nianfu replied dismissively.

Nianzhu replied, "However, the Fourth Prince's men made it clear that if you don't apologize, don't even think about letting our Fourth Prince go home alive."

"It's just intimidation."

"Fourth Brother will just suffer some hardship at the Infantry Commander's Office and get a few slaps, so that Fourth Prince can vent his anger!"

The young man returned home.

Nianzhu stamped her foot anxiously: "Second Brother!"

"enough!"

"With Father away in the capital, I'm the one who calls the shots in this household!"

“If our Nian family were to obediently submit to the Fourth Prince, do you know how much less tribute we would receive?”

"At that time, the officials in the country will only think that our Nian family is nothing in front of the emperor, and is only fit to be the fourth prince's lackeys. They won't need to send us much tribute!"

"At the same time, those who hate us will take the opportunity to attack us and force the Fourth Prince to abandon us! In that case, not only will our income be greatly reduced, but we might not even be able to save our lives!"

"Therefore, we can only believe that the Emperor still values ​​our Nian family, and we can only prove to the world in this way that we do not need to cling to the Fourth Prince to beg for a living, and that our father can still serve as the General of Hangzhou, simply because the Emperor still values ​​our Nian family!"

After shouting, Nian Fu sneered, "Just you wait and see. In less than three days, the Fourth Prince will have Aqitu release the Fourth Brother. I just didn't expect that the Infantry Commander Aqitu is also one of the Fourth Prince's men."

…… ……

Hongli once again arrived at the cell where Nian Xing was imprisoned: "Nian Xing, your elder brother Nian Fu refuses to come to see me on your behalf!"

Nian Xing knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "All the faults are mine. I was ungrateful and didn't know what was good for me. Please, Fourth Master, spare my life and let me go! I am willing to prepare generous gifts to express my gratitude!"

"Do you really think I care about that generous gift from your Nian family?"

"Am I someone who lacks generous gifts?"

Hongli asked in a cold voice.

Nian Xing said very respectfully, "Of course Fourth Master doesn't lack anything. This matter is the fault of this servant and my brother. This servant only wants to ask Fourth Master for mercy and hopes to have a chance to make up for his mistakes!"

"late!"

Hongli replied indifferently.

then.

Hongli looked at Aqitu: "Impose Nian Xing in a memorial. Find the reasons yourself and sentence him to death."

"Then this servant suggests sentencing him to death by a thousand cuts, giving His Majesty an extra clemency to preserve his whole body, as a chance to show mercy."

Azitu then made the suggestion.

Hongli nodded: "Granted!"

Nian Xing opened his mouth wide at this moment.

He never expected that the Fourth Prince would want his life.

"Fourth Master!"

Nian Xing had no choice but to shout.

Hongli ignored him and returned to the main hall.

Nian Xing had no choice but to walk to the prison gate and shout urgently, "Fourth Master, please have mercy! This servant was really wrong, and my brother was wrong too. Please don't hold this servant and my brother against us!"

"Fourth Master!"

"Please give this servant a chance to start anew!"

"Woo!"

Nianxing shouted for a long time until he was hoarse and exhausted. Finally, he sat down and started sobbing.

As the commander of the infantry, Aqitu quickly submitted a memorial requesting that Nianxing be sentenced to death by slow slicing for his rebellious, lawless, and insulting crimes against the prince.

Emperor Yongzheng immediately replied: Although he has broken the law, he is, after all, the nephew of Consort Dun. His father was extremely disrespectful, and I cannot bear to kill him. Therefore, the execution by dismemberment is not feasible. Instead, I will grant him an official title and order his death.

Therefore, after receiving the decree, Azitu conveyed the final edict to Nianxing.

Upon hearing this, Nian Xing turned deathly pale, looking utterly dejected.
"How could this be? How could His Majesty listen to the Fourth Prince so much that he would kill me?"

"Who gave you the confidence that your father wouldn't kill you because of me?"

Hongli then came over, looking at Nianxing with a stern face.

"Fourth Master!"

When Nian Xing saw Hongli appear, he knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face: "This servant was really wrong! This servant should not have listened to elder brother, should not have disregarded you, should not have offended your people, and should not have preferred to seek an audience with Longkodo rather than come to pay respects to you and thank you for pleading for my father."

Snapped!
Nian Xing, with a crooked mouth, kowtowed again, "Please, Fourth Master, spare my life!"

"Promote him."

Hongli only said this one sentence.

"Whoo!"

After Azitu agreed, he waved his hand.

The officers from the Infantry Commander's Office opened the cell where Nian Xing was located and dragged him out.

"Fourth Master, this servant doesn't want to die!"

"This servant doesn't want to die!"

Nian Xing struggled desperately, and began to urinate under his clothes.

When Nian Xing was pressed down onto the stool used for official appointments, his breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved.

When he was promoted, Nian Xing's chest heaved even more violently, and his legs even began to kick forward until he suffocated to death, after which he stopped moving.

"Carry it back to the Nian family!"

“Tell Nian Fu that I said he will not be able to see Nian Xing return home alive unless he comes to apologize and beg for forgiveness.”

"Furthermore, let me add one more thing: if he still refuses to come to the Infantry Commander's office to plead guilty, he can forget about leaving here alive. I have nine ways to kill him!"

After Nian Xing was sentenced to death, Hongli gave the orders and then turned and left the prison of the Infantry Commander's Office.

Nian Xing's body was indeed carried back to the Nian family home.

"Second Master!"

Because Nian Fu was the second son of Nian Gengyao, the servants of the Nian family called him Second Master.

At this moment, Nian An, who was in charge of the gatehouse, hurriedly came to report the matter to Nian Fu after Nian Xing was carried back by the men of the Infantry Commander's Office.

After hearing this, Nian Fu casually flicked his nails, then stood up and smiled at Nian Zhu, saying, "I knew it. The Fourth Prince, who is cautious and kind by nature, wouldn't really do anything to our Nian family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have released the Fourth Prince so quickly."

Nian Fu then asked Nian An, "How is your Fourth Master? Is he injured anywhere?"

"This servant doesn't know anything else, but I saw that Fourth Master was carried back."

Nian An returned home.

Upon hearing this, Nian Zhu's heart tightened, and she looked at Nian Fu: "Second Brother!"

Nian Fu waved his hand: "It's alright. He probably just got a few lashes at the Infantry Commander's office. The Fourth Prince was just venting his anger. He'll be fine after a while."

"I'll go check on him first."

As Nian Fu spoke, he walked over and arrived outside the hanging flower gate. There he saw the men from the Infantry Commander's Office carrying his younger brother, Nian Xing.

Nian Fu bowed first, saying, "Brothers from the Infantry Commander's Office, please!"

"Don't rush to invite us. We've come to deliver your brother's body and also to convey the Fourth Prince's decree."

Among the men of the infantry commander's office, a lieutenant raised his hand and replied.

Nian Fu was shocked upon hearing this.

"Corpse?"

(End of this chapter)