My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 205 Abolish the Eight Banners System?
When Lu Shengnan saw that Hongli was asking him, he turned around and replied frankly, "Your Majesty, I dare not hide anything from you. I hate such cruel officials so much that I wish I could eat their flesh and sleep on their skin. They are beyond respect."

At this point, Tian Wenjing's long face had turned a liverish color.

"Your Majesty, I take my leave!"

Lu Shengnan appeared very righteous and awe-inspiring. After respectfully bowing to Hongli, he turned and left.

"stop!"

Hongli shouted again.

Lu Shengnan had no choice but to turn around: "Does Fourth Master have any further instructions?"

“I don’t care if you have any grudges or misunderstandings with Tian Wenjing, but that’s not a reason for you to directly call him a cruel official.”

"Neither the imperial constitution nor the laws of the country grant you such power to criticize a second-rank official of the court without authorization!"

"Don't say you can't. Even I, as a prince, cannot criticize ministers at will. Unless the emperor has issued a clear edict saying that he is a cruel official, they must all be loyal and virtuous ministers. There are no treacherous ministers, let alone cruel officials!"

"Furthermore, your dissatisfaction with Tian Wenjing is not a reason for you to have a sour face and be disrespectful!"

Hongli then reprimanded Lu Shengnan.

Lu Shengnan's face turned ashen, and he took a deep breath.

At this moment, Hongli instructed Li Yu, the Haha Pearl, "Slap his mouth to teach him a lesson and make him speak recklessly!"

"Whoo!"

Li Yu then stepped forward, rolled up his sleeves, and slapped Lu Shengnan twice across the face.

Lu Shengnan's face immediately swelled up like a pig's head.

"Do you know your crime?"

Hongli asked.

Lu Shengnan knelt down and said in a weak voice, "Your subject knows his crime!"

"Now that you know you are guilty, hand over your official hat to prove your sincerity. I will decide whether to return it to you after I report back to the Khan."

Hongli then ordered Lu Shengnan to remove his official hat.

"Whoo!"

Lu Shengnan did not dare to disobey Hongli's wishes, so he reluctantly took off his official hat and presented it to Hongli.

Hongli had another double-beaded hat ornament taken from him.

Afterwards, he left with Lu Shengnan's official hat.

Lu Shengnan also left with a look of regret, naturally without speaking to Tian Wenjing.

Tian Wenjing simply snorted, then solemnly bowed to Hongli's retreating figure before leaving as well.

“Your subject has been taught by you, Master, that it is important to strictly abide by etiquette and law. Therefore, I ordered Haha Zhuzi to slap Lu Shengnan for his rudeness and to admonish him. I also ordered him to remove his official hat to prove his willingness to confess his guilt.”

"In that case, whether Lu Shengnan should be dealt with or not, please let Father decide."

After meeting Yongzheng, Hongli first told him about his admonition to Lu Shengnan.

Yongzheng nodded, then asked Hongli, "How is Ma Qi?"

“My uncle just caught a cold. The imperial physician said there was nothing serious. He also asked me to convey his deep gratitude to Father.”

Hongli replied.

Emperor Yongzheng nodded: "That's good!"

Then, Yongzheng brought up Lu Shengnan: "That Lu Shengnan came from the imperial examination system, not from the system of purchasing official positions. He should still be used if he can be employed."

"Besides, this person has always been upright and outspoken, but he likes to make grand pronouncements and talk about people. If you teach him a lesson, hopefully he will learn his lesson and know what he should and shouldn't say."

"Keep his official hat with you for now. You can return it to him after he apologizes to Tian Wenjing in front of you."

Emperor Yongzheng then wrote such an edict to his guards.

On his way back, Lu Shengnan met Li Fu.

Li Fu was then serving as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Because in this life, the ninth prince was not imprisoned in Baoding, and Li Fu was not assigned by Yongzheng to serve as the governor of Zhili, but was instead kept in the capital.

When Li Fu saw that Lu Shengnan's face was red and somewhat swollen, and that he was missing his official hat, he asked him after the two exchanged greetings, "Who hit you? Where is your official hat?"

Lu Shengnan cupped his hands and said, "Fourth Master ordered the beating, and it was also Fourth Master who wanted the official hat. Because I did not pay my respects to Tian Wenjing, he even called him a cruel official."

Li Fu was also dissatisfied with Tian Wenjing, and in the third year of Yongzheng's reign, he impeached Tian Wenjing.

Therefore, after hearing Lu Shengnan say this, Li Fu frowned: "How could Fourth Master do this?"

"Fourth Master is very particular about etiquette and says that no one except the Emperor has the right to criticize the ministers of the court. He can't stand that I refuse to pay my respects to Tian Wenjing."

Lu Shengnan replied.

Li Fu looked astonished upon hearing this: "I didn't expect Fourth Master to value etiquette so much!"

"What you say is true, but I don't know if His Majesty will punish me for it after seeing my official hat."

Lu Shengnan replied.

Just then, a guard caught up and said to Lu Shengnan, "By imperial decree!"

Lu Shengnan and Li Fu then knelt down.

"Lu Shengnan was rude and arrogant, but considering that he has already shown remorse, he is hereby ordered to apologize to Tian Wenjing. After that, he can ask the fourth prince, Prince Bao, Hongli, to return his official hat. So be it."

After the guard finished reading the imperial edict, he turned and left. Lu Shengnan and Li Fu knelt on the ground for a long time before standing up.

Lu Shengnan's lips even trembled slightly: "Asking me to apologize to Tian Wenjing, I can't do it, I really can't do it."

“I will go to see Master Zhu and ask him to mediate and let Fourth Master off the hook for now. Maybe then we won’t have to apologize to Tian Wenjing.”

After saying this with great loyalty, Li Fu went to the room of the Nine Ministers.

The "Zhu Gong" he mentioned was Zhu Shi.

Zhu Shi is currently serving as the Minister of Personnel, so he needs to go to the office of the Nine Ministers.

After meeting Zhu Shi, Li Fu explained his purpose to him.

"Tian Wenjing's abuse of the gentry in Henan has aroused the wrath of both heaven and man. Lu Shengnan hates him to the bone, which is a clear manifestation of a gentleman's love and hate. Fourth Master's criticism of his rudeness is obviously too harsh on a gentleman!"

"You have a teacher-student relationship with the Fourth Master, so you may meet with him privately."

"Therefore, I implore you to speak on behalf of Lu Shengnan and persuade Fourth Master to spare the gentleman and not embolden the petty man!"

After speaking, Li Fu bowed to Zhu Shi.

Zhu Shi glanced at Li Fu, remained silent for a long while, and then said, "Fourth Master did not do anything wrong. Propriety is the foundation for all discerning right from wrong and good from evil. If propriety is not upheld, then justice will not prevail!"

Zhu Shi's answer left Li Fu speechless.

"Where do you mean by that?"

Li Fu asked Zhu Shi about this.

Zhu Shi stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said, "This is how I have always taught Fourth Master. That's why Fourth Master doesn't care whether Tian Wenjing is a cruel official or Lu Shengnan is a gentleman. Whoever is rude is a thief and should be punished. At best, he will be reprimanded; at worst, he will be punished!"

"Is rudeness a form of theft?"

Li Fu asked in astonishment.

Zhu Shi nodded: "Exactly!"

Seeing this, Li Fu chuckled coldly and asked, "So, you think that what Fourth Master is doing is in line with your wishes?"

"Of course, but more accurately, it is in accordance with propriety and the way of the gentleman!"

"Because the lessons of the previous dynasty are still fresh in our minds. When rites and music collapsed, what were the consequences? You should understand."

As Zhu Shi spoke, Li Fu, whose face had initially turned ashen, gradually softened his expression, though he remained serious and solemn.

Then, Li Fu sighed and said, "Very well! What you say makes sense. One cannot be rude in this world. Fourth Master's actions are indeed wise, but this will undoubtedly encourage the petty ambitions of people like Tian Wenjing!"

Zhu Shi smiled and said, "I know that you advocate lenient governance and have long been dissatisfied with Tian Wenjing's harsh behavior. But as a gentleman, even when dealing with someone you are dissatisfied with, you cannot overstep the bounds of propriety and law!"

Li Fu bowed respectfully, saying, "I humbly accept your instruction!"

Li Fu then smiled and said to Zhu Shi, "So, under your tutelage, Fourth Master is a man of propriety and morality. If he truly becomes a ruler in the future, he will be a wise and virtuous one! Perhaps even a benevolent one, after all, Fourth Master was able to plead for Nian Gengyao, and even Tian Wenjing was willing to protect him for the sake of propriety and morality."

Zhu Shi nodded: "That's right! Fourth Master is very generous. Even though Tian Wenjing has offended everyone in the world, he is still willing to protect him. As long as you, a gentleman, are treated with respect, we will naturally treat you with even greater courtesy!"

Li Fu nodded in agreement and took his leave.

Not long after Li Fu left, Lu Shengnan came to see Li Fu and asked about the matter: "How did it go?"

Li Fu shook his head and sighed, saying, "Fourth Master has a far greater understanding than us, and Master Zhu clearly understands Fourth Master better. He also knows that compared to public opinion on right and wrong, propriety is more important, and anyone who does not observe propriety is a thief!"

At this point, Li Fu looked at Lu Shengnan and said, "So, the Fourth Prince's protection of Tian Wenjing was not for Tian Wenjing himself, but for the sake of propriety. His order for the eunuch to beat you and for you to offer your official hat was not because he disliked you, but because you had indeed violated propriety. Naturally, Zhu Gong had no reason to persuade the Fourth Prince to disregard propriety and return your official hat."

Upon hearing this, Lu Shengnan's mouth dropped open, and he involuntarily took a few steps back.

"However, you cannot apologize to Tian Wenjing for this rudeness and be ridiculed for it, with people thinking you are only apologizing to keep your official position."

At this point, Li Fu patted him on the shoulder and said, "You should resign. It's better to give up this position than to abandon your reputation and apologize."

"Actually, Zhu Gong was right to teach Fourth Master that way, and Fourth Master was right to discipline me that way too."

"Etiquette is indeed very important."

"If one does not observe propriety, one is not even human."

Lu Shengnan suddenly spoke up, said with a smile, and then said, "I will still obey the imperial decree to go to Tian Wenjing to apologize. Of course, I am not doing this because I care about my official position. I just don't want to be a thief who disrespects etiquette and law!"

Li Fu remained silent.

"Wait a minute, do you dare say you weren't only willing to apologize to Tian Wenjing for the sake of your own official position?"

Li Fu asked Lu Shengnan about this.

Lu Shengnan replied, "Of course not, I did it for your sake."

Li Fu: "..."

Lu Shengnan didn't say anything more to him and hurriedly left.

Li Fu now only laments that the Qing Dynasty was ultimately not the Ming Dynasty.

Because, in the Ming Dynasty, even a prince could not arbitrarily punish a civil official who had passed the imperial examinations, and a civil official who had passed the imperial examinations would certainly not sacrifice his reputation for the sake of his official hat.

However, in the Qing Dynasty, apart from those who came from the imperial examination system, anyone among the Manchu bannermen who could write and calculate could become an official, and even a high-ranking one. They would even be given priority in selection. This made it difficult for those who came from the imperial examination system to become officials, especially to become officials with real power.

Therefore, if someone who came from a scholarly background were to easily give up their official position for the sake of their reputation, they might never be able to hold office again or return to their original position.

With scholars across the land divided into Bannermen and Han scholars due to the Eight Banners system, and with Bannermen given a higher status, the emperor naturally no longer needed to cater to the whims of the scholars.

"I really hope that the Eight Banners system can be abolished in the future, so that scholar-officials will not have to give up their reputation for an official position."

Li Fu sighed inwardly.

(End of this chapter)