My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 230 The Empress Makes Hongli Look Good

Lagujinsky was stunned for a long time after hearing Hongli's words.

"Please don't misunderstand!"

"I did this in the hope that you would understand the importance of reaching a border agreement as soon as possible for the peace and stability of the border towns of the two countries."

"Because we believe you will be a benevolent ruler who loves his people like his own children and dislikes war and aggression."

Laguchinsky replied with a forced smile.

Hongli looked at the hairy white man bowing before him and asked coldly, "So, a benevolent ruler should be threatened and have a knife pointed at him?"

Laguchinsky was speechless for a moment.

After a while, Raguginsky replied, "You have only yourself to blame; it is you who refuses to cooperate with us secretly!"

"Therefore, I beg you, Fourth Prince, not to hold this against me, and to help me get out."

"Rest assured, after I leave, I will persuade His Majesty never to wage war against your country again."

"You won't get out of here alive, not even your emperor can save you!"

"Our Great Qing Dynasty has no need to consider the feelings of your Emperor."

Hongli then replied in a deep voice.

Laguchinsky looked surprised.

He naturally didn't want to believe what Hongli said.

"Why do you say that, Fourth Prince?"

Hongli took out a copy of the "Capital News" from his sleeve and handed it to Lagukinsky through the crack in the prison door: "Take a look for yourself. The true situation of your country is now known to almost everyone in my Celestial Empire through this newspaper!"

Ragukinsky accepted the copy of the "Beijing News".

Having read Chinese characters, he stared wide-eyed after reading the "Capital News" for a short while.

Because it describes the situation in the Rakshasa Kingdom in such great detail!
It even comes with illustrations!

The illustrations and text vividly demonstrate that it was difficult for Russia to wage large-scale warfare against the Qing Dynasty.

Raguginsky understood that their attempt to extort more territory from the Qing Dynasty through intimidation would be thwarted.

Faced with irrefutable facts, even the most conservative Qing officials and gentry could not come up with enough reasons to persuade the emperor to achieve peace through the foolish method of ceding land.

Unless, Emperor Yongzheng was truly so foolish as to fear even a small number of Russian soldiers like a tiger.

But in the Qing Dynasty at this time, this situation would not occur.

What frustrated Ragujinsky even more was that the "Beijing News" specifically focused on reporting on Russia, deliberately leading the public to believe that Russia had many and serious problems.

The Rakshasa Kingdom was on the verge of collapse and destruction.

Therefore, even if the Russian Empire were to launch a large-scale military campaign against the Qing Dynasty, it would only lead to its own destruction and benefit the Qing Dynasty.

What infuriated Ragujinsky most was that the author of the famous article "Hu Zhiying" in the newspaper even declared: "Whether the negotiations succeed or not, the Qing Dynasty will win!"
The only difference is whether it's a big win or a small win, and whether it will be a win-win situation.

Ragukinsky therefore knew that even if the current Qing emperor were willing to exchange land for peace, it would probably not be understood by the people who only saw the advantages of the Qing Dynasty.

Laguchinsky looked at Hongli and asked, "How do you know so much about my Russian Kingdom now, and how did you come up with the idea of ​​using this 'Capital News'?"

"Furthermore, not everything stated here is true; much of it is deliberately exaggerated or generalized from limited information!"

"We are not so poor that if we wage war against you, we will really be partitioned by the Ottomans and Sweden!"

"Your tribes outside the pass are not actually that loyal to your country. In fact, they hate your nobles to the bone, simply because you restrict their entry into the pass and even restrict their agricultural development!"

Ragukinsky began to speak in a deep voice.

Hongli smiled faintly and asked Ragukinsky in return, "Is that important?"

Lagudinsky fell silent, his gaze fixed solely on Hongli.

He could already guess from Hongli's expression that he wanted to know the answer.

He understood that the mastermind behind the Qing Dynasty's growing understanding of Russia, and the Qing Dynasty's ability to make the Russian state very clear to everyone through the "Beijing News," even leading them to believe that Russia was very weak, must be the Fourth Prince in front of him!
Ragujinski realized that he had misjudged the fourth prince.

I had underestimated this Fourth Prince.

This fourth prince is more resourceful than I imagined.

To achieve their goal of avoiding threats themselves, and even the Qing Dynasty, they were willing to resort to such a proactive tactic of making the public more aware of the current situation. This is terrifying!

Lagudinsky was terrified by this.

at the same time!

He also realized that the fact that Hongli dared to confront him now meant that he truly had no intention of letting him live any longer.

His past threats against Hongli had finally angered the fourth prince.

"This prince is very vengeful!"

He concluded to himself.

But Lagukinsky still wanted to live.

After all, he was a nobleman from the Rakshasa Kingdom, and he didn't want to die here in vain.

Finally, Ragujinsky bent his knees and knelt before Hongli, kowtowing and weeping: "I apologize for my past disrespectful behavior, please just give me a way out."

"You asked me to give you a way out, but have you given the people of the occupied territories of the Qing Dynasty a way out?"

Hongli looked down at Ragukinsky and asked.

Laguchinsky looked up at Hongli and said, "If you spare my life, I will serve you and do anything for you. Please believe in my worth, Fourth Prince!"

Hongli came to see Ragudinsky to see if he was willing to betray his country. Upon seeing this, he smiled and said, "You are indeed a smart man!"

Laguzinsky breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, Hongli said, "Then you must tell me everything you know about the Rakshasa Kingdom. Also, write some articles for us. As for what to write, I will have someone inform you."

"Thank you, Fourth Prince, for giving me this opportunity."

Ragukinsky kowtowed.

Then, Hongli turned and left, instructing the officials of the Ministry of Justice: "After he has finished confessing everything he needs to confess and writing all the articles and letters he needs to write, give him more moldy peanuts to eat."

"Whoo!"

"Then how should the Ministry of Justice sentence him? Please enlighten us, Fourth Master."

"Let's use castration as punishment."

……

……

Ragujinski then began to reveal everything he knew about the Russian Empire's secrets. At the same time, as requested by Emperor Qianlong, he wrote a letter to the rulers in China, explaining how powerful the Qing Dynasty was and how much it would be detrimental to Russia to be its enemy.

At the same time, Ragukinsky also wrote an article for the "Beijing News" explaining how ambitious his Russian kingdom was and how bloody and cruel its policies would be towards the tribes that submitted to him.

As an envoy of the Rakshasa Kingdom, his persuasive power was naturally very strong.

This would force more Qing officials and gentry to strengthen their vigilance against Russia.

Meanwhile, during the rescue of Raguginsky, the deputy envoy Langk saw Raguginsky's article in the "Beijing News".

Langke therefore chose to return to Russia immediately, and said to the Russian officials accompanying him: "That despicable Ragujinsky has betrayed our Russia, he has become a traitor! Through this damned 'Beijing News,' he has made it difficult for the Qing Dynasty to have anyone who trusts us anymore!"

"And this 'Capital News' made it difficult for anyone in the Qing Dynasty to believe that agreeing on borders could bring peace!"

"We must inform His Majesty of this situation as soon as possible!"

……

……

When Langke left the capital, Hongli moved into his Prince's Mansion.

This prince's mansion, originally the residence of Emperor Yongzheng before he became emperor, now serves as the residence of Hongli (Emperor Hongli), naturally carrying special symbolic significance.

Therefore, on the day that Hongli moved into the Yongwang Mansion, many princes and ministers came, and the entire sedan hall was filled with sedan chairs, and the hitching posts were also full of horses.

Even the Empress sent gifts, and the chief eunuch Chen Shishun was dispatched to deliver the imperial decree, loudly proclaiming: "By imperial decree, the fourth prince, Prince Bao, Hongli, is hereby rewarded with ten gold items, twenty silver items, and fifty bronze items, to add to the joy of the Prince's residence!"

Hongli knew that the Empress was trying to make him look good by deliberately giving him a generous gift when he moved to a new house, so that the princes and ministers would know that he, her adopted son, was well-liked by her and the Emperor.

(End of this chapter)