My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 206 Hongli stamps the seal, the reform enters the deep water zone!

Langrun Garden.

Hongli, dressed in casual home clothes, with his hands behind his back on a golden belt, was admiring the "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" painting on the table.

The painting is both magnificent and full of details, which Emperor Hongli could look at repeatedly without getting tired of it, as if he were appreciating a national treasure.

He had to admit that Emperor Yongzheng had really put thought into rewarding him with paintings.

Lu Shengnan also arrived at Hongli's place at this time, standing with his head bowed, not daring to look at the painting on the corner of the table.

Only when he saw the inscription on the painting did Hongli ask Lu Shengnan, "Are you really willing to apologize to Tian Wenjing?"

Lu Shengnan nodded: "I am grateful for Fourth Prince's teachings, and I dare not be a rude person."

"Don't you think it's shabby?"

Hongli asked with a smile.

Lu Shengnan pursed his lips: "Not shabby at all!"

Hongli nodded: "Then summon Tian Wenjing, the governor of Henan."

Therefore, Tian Wenjing came to Langrun Garden, and Lu Shengnan apologized to Tian Wenjing in front of Hongli.

Hongli then returned Lu Shengnan's official hat to him as ordered.

After Tian Wenjing and Lu Shengnan left, Hongli gave a cold laugh: "What a character!"

Then, he began to admire the painting in front of him, and his hand unconsciously rested on the private seal carved from the finest Hetian jade.

The jade seal was smooth and cool, like touching a maiden's snow-white skin.

But he ultimately didn't cover it.

Because he suddenly felt that he was not yet qualified to leave his mark on this masterpiece of beauty.

One must have made some great contribution to the whole of China to be qualified to have their signature on it.

Otherwise, it would feel like we are not worthy of possessing this national treasure.

Let's talk about it after I become emperor and accomplish great things!

Now that the matter between Tian Wenjing and Lu Shengnan was over, Hongli needed to go to the palace to report to Yongzheng.

He doesn't want to slack off.

It's better to consult with the emperor, report to him, and run around more than to stay in your room and ponder things aimlessly.

After all, the emperor in one's imagination may be wise, decisive, and strict, but only after getting to know him does one realize that even the most powerful monarch is just like a normal person. He cares about other people's opinions, hesitates when he needs to make a decision, and is even fearful, irritable, and loses his temper when faced with unexpected events.

It was late afternoon.

When Hongli arrived at Yongzheng's place, he saw that Xiao Fuhui was still taking a nap, his eyes closed, with only his long eyelashes showing. Upon closer inspection, he found that he did indeed look very similar to Consort Nian.

In Hongli's view, Yongzheng keeping Xiao Fuhui by his side might also be an attempt to alleviate his longing for Consort Nian.

However, Hongli noticed that the crystal bottle he had given to Xiao Fuhui was not on the table at this time.

When he looked at Yongzheng, he discovered that the crystal bottle was with Yongzheng.

At this moment, Yongzheng was opening the slips of paper in the crystal bottle one by one.

“Father, it’s not appropriate for you to peek at what your eighth brother wrote to his mother, Consort Dun!”

Hongli reminded Yongzheng of this.

As Yongzheng continued to take out slips of paper from the bottle, open them and look at them, he said to Hongli, "Whenever he is unhappy, he will secretly write something on a slip of paper and put it in this bottle. I really can't hold back anymore and want to see what he wrote and whether he has any complaints about me."

Hongli secretly shook his head at this.

He didn't expect that Yongzheng would even care about Xiao Fu Hui's opinion of him.

"Put these notes that I have already read back in his hand, and don't tell him that I have read them."

At this moment, Yongzheng gave instructions to Hongli.

Hongli followed the imperial decree and carried it out.

At that moment, Yongzheng suddenly sighed, "This child really misses his mother."

"It hasn't been a year since Consort Dun passed away, and not only Xiao Fu Hui, but even I often think of her."

Hongli replied.

Emperor Yongzheng nodded: "And I am no different."

Then, Yongzheng frowned, holding a piece of paper: "He says I'm fierce again, but when have I ever been fierce to him?"

Yongzheng looked wronged and wished he could wake Xiao Fuhui up immediately to ask her what was wrong. He believed that he had already been very indulgent towards Xiao Fuhui because she was weak and sickly, and he had not been in a hurry to push her in her studies.

"It turns out that he thought I was fierce because he saw me lose my temper with the ministers."

After speaking, Yongzheng sighed.

"It seems I must exercise restraint as much as possible!"

Hongli comforted Yongzheng, saying, "He'll understand you, Father, when he's older."

"Now I understand it a little better."

Yongzheng suddenly smiled and said something else.

Because, in another note, he saw that Xiao Fu Hui said he understood why his father was often easily angered. It was because his fourth brother had told him that his father was carrying out major reforms and eliminating abuses that many emperors dared not do, which inevitably led to many selfish people angering his father by opposing the new policies.

After looking at a few more pages, Yongzheng stopped looking and just sat there in a daze. He then turned his head to look at the sleeping Xiao Fu Hui.

Upon seeing this, Hongli asked Yongzheng in a low voice, "Father, aren't you going to read it?"

"I'm not going to look anymore. This child is so unhappy. Only when you come to play with him do the few notes he wrote down contain happy words."

Yongzheng suddenly looked melancholy.

Then, Yongzheng said to Hongli, "That's why he listened to your words, understood my hardships, and didn't dislike me."

“Even if I don’t say it, my eighth brother will not hate his father. There is no son in the world who hates his father.”

Hongli replied.

Yongzheng smiled.

Hongli then put the note back into the crystal bottle, closed it, and placed it back on the table. He then asked Yongzheng if he wanted it placed there, and Yongzheng nodded.

When Hongli returned to Yongzheng, Yongzheng said, "It would be good if this child were happier; it would be better for his health."

After thinking for a moment, Hongli suggested, "Why don't we let my eighth brother go to my Langrun Garden for a couple of days? I'll also bring Fuheng from the Fucha family here so he can have a playmate and relax."

"Li Rongbao's youngest son?"

Emperor Yongzheng asked.

Hongli nodded: "When I visited the Fucha family this time, I found him to be very intelligent. He should get along well with Fu Hui."

After hearing this, Yongzheng said nothing, but asked Hongli, "Has Lu Shengnan's official hat been returned to him?"

“I have returned it,” Hongli replied.

Yongzheng nodded, began reading the memorial, and waved for Hongli to leave.

After returning, Hongli went to the archery pavilion to practice riding and archery for a while as usual, before going home to bathe and then to Jiaohui Garden.

After he and his thirteenth uncle moved to a garden near the Old Summer Palace, the location for his evening lessons with the thirteenth uncle changed from the Maoqin Hall of the Qianqing Palace to the thirteenth uncle's Jiaohui Garden.

This was done so that the thirteenth prince wouldn't have to work too hard.

When Hongli met the thirteenth prince, the thirteenth prince told him about Tian Wenjing in Henan.

"An urgent report came from Henan: the gentry Fan Gu died on the river embankment after being forced to repair it by Tian Wenjing. His son, Fan Hu, filed a lawsuit accusing Tian Wenjing of abusing the gentry, which aroused the sympathy of many students and led to a call to boycott the provincial examination."

The thirteenth prince said to Hongli.

Hongli asked, "Does Father know?"

The thirteenth prince nodded.

Hongli said nothing more.

Regarding matters of state, unless Emperor Yongzheng asked him directly, he was not allowed to express his opinion.

At the same time, he was also happy that Yongzheng would complete the radical distribution system reform first, so that when he became emperor in the future, it would be much easier for him to exercise power domestically and he would have more resources to expand the pie.

The thirteenth prince did not press Hongli for his opinion on the matter, but continued talking about it.

Meanwhile, Tian Wenjing has now finished his work report and is on his way back to Henan.

After learning that the discontent among the people of Henan was boiling over, he hurriedly rushed back.

As soon as he arrived at the Henan Provincial Government Office, he saw two large white characters painted on the main gate: Cruel Official!

This immediately turned Tian Wenjing's expression cold.

Not long after.

Tian Wenjing saw a large group of scholars walking towards him, their faces stern and their eyes cold as ice. The scholar at the very front and center was carrying a tablet of Confucius.

"What are you doing carrying the tablet of the Most Holy Teacher? Do you want to go and cry at the temple?"

Tian Wenjing loudly questioned these scholars.

The scholars did not answer, but instead walked towards Tian Wenjing.

Tian Wenjing's face gradually darkened, turning as dark as a storm cloud.

"We just want to ask the Grand Secretary, do you still acknowledge me, the Most Holy Teacher?"

At this moment, a scholar carrying the memorial tablet asked Tian Wenjing in a deep voice, when he was only twenty paces away from Tian Wenjing's entourage.

Tian Wenjing said with a stern face, "Why don't you admit it?"

"Why does the Grand Secretary not kneel before the Holy Teacher?"

The scholar continued to ask questions.

"Why don't you kneel!"

"Why don't you kneel!"

"Why don't you kneel!"

……

Other scholars joined in questioning Tian Wenjing, their voices resounding throughout the world.

Tian Wenjing gritted his teeth, but finally knelt down, patted his sleeves, and kowtowed in respect.

In the very center of the procession, a scholar holding a tablet of Confucius, his expression stern, sneered, a smug look on his face.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that this person is still wearing mourning clothes, clearly indicating that he is Fan Gu's nephew or son.

"Since the Grand Secretary acknowledges me as the Supreme Sage and Teacher, he should respect scholars and value morality, stop officials and gentry from paying taxes and performing official duties at the same rate, and clearly distinguish between the noble and the lowly!"

At this moment, the scholar solemnly demanded of Tian Wenjing.

Tian Wenjing was not frightened. After kowtowing to the memorial tablet, he stood up and said, "In our Great Qing Dynasty, the distinction between noble and lowly is determined by the Emperor. Officials and gentry are all equal in paying taxes and performing duties. It is not something you can presume to discuss."

"This court orders you to leave immediately. If you do not leave and insist on disrupting the court's official business or forcibly breaking into the court's ceremonial procession, you will be charged with treason and executed without mercy!"

As he spoke, Tian Wenjing instructed one of his aides: "Go see the city garrison commander and have him seal off the city. He is also to cooperate with the court in sending troops to apprehend the rebels within the city!"

"Whoo!"

So Tian Wenjing's advisors led two soldiers to the city garrison headquarters.

A characteristic of the Qing Dynasty was that Eight Banners troops were stationed in important inland areas, and they were divided into generals, deputy commanders, and city garrison commanders according to the number of troops stationed there.

The Henan governor's office was also stationed in Kaifeng, where several hundred Eight Banner soldiers were stationed, specifically responsible for the city's defense.

During the Yongzheng era, the Eight Banners troops in the interior had not yet degenerated to the level of the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. Although they were not as good as in the early period, they were still capable of suppressing peasant uprisings.

In addition, the Eight Banners troops stationed in the Qing Dynasty lived in separate cities and did not have contact with Han people. They were even forbidden from intermarrying, engaging in commerce, or selling land, making it difficult for them to be bribed or to form kinship or protégé relationships.

Therefore, when the scholars saw Tian Wenjing ordering the Eight Banners troops to seal off the city, their expressions changed.

At this moment, Tian Wenjing issued another order to his accompanying officers and soldiers: "Prepare for battle!"

As a result, the Green Standard Army soldiers of the governor's battalion all stepped forward with their guns.

Although the Green Standard Army soldiers were recruited Han soldiers, their military officers were mostly Manchus, and they were not part of the local gentry system.

The scholars, of course, had no way to deal with these Green Standard Army members.

(End of this chapter)