My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 256 Investigating the Land, the Princes and Officials Turned pale!
"Get up."

Hongli smiled and raised his hand, then stepped into the Banner Registration Office. After inspecting it for a while, he went to other offices.

Other officials in the department also paid their respects to him, but basically only doctors could register their names with him and thus have the opportunity to be recognized by him.

Finally, Hongli chose the east courtyard of the Banner Registration Office as his duty room because it was not far from Yunli's duty room.

After choosing the East Courtyard, Hongli sat down in the main hall and sent Haha Zhuzi Shuangding to summon Nayantai.

"What are your orders, Fourth Master?"

Nayantai arrived at Hongli's place quickly, and asked with a fawning smile.

Logically, the Banner Registration Office should have three secretaries: one Manchu and two Mongolian.

However, since Su Qin, the former Manchu physician, had just been promoted to deputy commander, and another Mongolian physician, Bulile, had returned home to observe mourning for his parents, and the Ministry of Personnel had not yet filled these two vacancies, the Banner Registration Department now only has Nayantai as a physician.

"Go and get me the detailed land division of each banner in Mongolia, including both Manchu and Han documents."

Hongli ordered.

Nayantai immediately agreed.

The Lifan Yuan (Court of Colonial Affairs) had Manchu and Han archives, which were responsible for storing relevant documents and materials.

In the Qing Dynasty, official documents were divided into Manchu and Chinese versions, just as many imperial edicts were also divided into Manchu and Chinese versions.

The official in charge of managing the Manchu and Han archives was called the Archives Management Officer, and was usually a Langzhong or Yuanwailang.

"Fourth Master is diligent; he has just arrived and immediately wants to check the land division situation of the various banners of Mongolia."

Nayantai arrived at the office first and explained his purpose to the physician Shuoerzhu. Shuoerzhu then had his men fetch him the medicine and also had tea served to Nayantai. Nayantai, while drinking tea in Shuoerzhu's office, brought up Hongli.

Shuoerzhu cautiously asked, "Can Fourth Master see anything?"

Nayantai laughed and said, "You shouldn't be able to tell. The Mongol banners are so vast, but they are only about 20 or 30 li away from the actual land boundaries. How could Fourth Master possibly know that?"

"Don't underestimate the difference of ten or twenty li! If a certain banner of Mongols loses ten or twenty li of grazing land, it will have to support a lot fewer people, and more Mongols will defect to Russia for survival, which will in turn embolden that country."

After obtaining the Manchu and Han archives regarding the latest land division of the Mongol banners, Hongli brought these archives back to the Prince's Palace and carefully examined them at Ping An Residence, even speaking with Li Yu.

Because Li Yu had just told him that his spy, who had been a scribe in the Manchu archives of the Court of Colonial Affairs, had brought back the contents of the conversation between Nayantai and Shuoerzhu.

Li Yu smiled and chimed in, "Fourth Master is right, these two officials have underestimated their master!"

Hongli smiled slightly and got up to compare the geographical boundaries of each banner recorded in the archives with the scale map he had commissioned to be drawn.

In order to avoid being disadvantaged by geographical information in negotiations with the Russian Kingdom and to better carry out military conquests in the future, Hongli had been spending a lot of money to select mathematical and scientific talents from the servants under his banner commanders and bondservants commanders, and had them study surveying and mapping, and under the guise of merchants, go to the border areas outside the Great Wall to conduct surveys.

The surveying activities organized by Emperor Qianlong took into account the curvature of the Earth and the height of mountains for the first time, and introduced contour lines, making them more accurate than the traditional square maps of the Qing Dynasty.

After several years of such surveying, Hongli could be said to have possessed the most accurate surveying maps in the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, despite the vast nomadic areas of the various banners of Mongolia outside the Great Wall, he was still able to find the loopholes in the land division archives through his own scaled maps and mark them one by one.

When Hongli was investigating the land division of the various banners of Mongolia, the opinion of the Court of Colonial Affairs not to replace Longkodo and to impeach Longkodo for giving up too much land also reached the front line of negotiations—the banks of the Bur River.

"The Lifan Yuan (Court of Colonial Affairs) believed that, in order to maintain the overall negotiation situation and lay the foundation for peace between the two countries as soon as possible, they advocated not changing the personnel; however, they also clearly stated that Longkodo had indeed been too accommodating, giving up land that, according to historical and cultural context, had a strong reason to belong to China's own territory!"

"Therefore, the Court of Colonial Affairs hopes that Longkodo can do his utmost to fight for his rights and interests, and not become a sinner in history, so that he will be despised by 200 million people!"

The Mongol prince Yanbuchubdorji mentioned the draft resolution that had been criticized by the Court of Colonial Affairs to Prince Tsering of Doruo County.

Tsering looked at him in astonishment: "How could Bogda Khan agree to such a proposal?"

During the Qing Dynasty, Mongolian princes generally addressed the Qing emperor as Bogda Khan, a transliteration of the Mongolian word meaning "holy monarch," similar to how the Turks would use "Heavenly Khan" to specifically refer to Li Shimin.

Those who were more willing to submit to the Qing Dynasty were also more willing to use this title.

Tsering remained loyal to the Qing Dynasty because he was Emperor Kangxi's son-in-law and deeply loved Kangxi's daughter. Historically, he strongly requested to be buried with the princess on his deathbed.

After Tsering asked this question, Yanbuchubdorji only smiled and replied, "It may be related to the fact that now that there is the 'Capital News,' too many people know about the details of the agreed border and the actual situation between the two countries. Bogda Khan and the Court of Colonial Affairs cannot show too much tolerance."

"But the Rakshasa Kingdom has already deployed troops to the border and built numerous fortresses. Doing so could easily make the negotiations stalled."

"That's right. The Russian Empire is unable to send a large number of troops here, but they can nibble away at and plunder our Khalkha Mongols. They will also unscrupulously recruit our Khalkha Mongols' refugees!"

"The Dzungars will continue to act with impunity and cause trouble in our western border!"

At this point, Celing put his hands on his hips and said, "I can't persuade all the Mongol princes of the northern deserts not to directly side with the Russian Kingdom in the future."

“I must submit a memorial to persuade Bogda Khan to replace Longkodo, and request to go to the capital to meet the Emperor.”

Celing said this.

When the Russian envoy Langke learned that Emperor Yongzheng had not decided to replace Longkodo and even blamed Longkodo for ceding too much land, he felt extremely troubled.
"Do we really have to keep at odds with this arrogant Chinese minister and keep trying to persuade His Majesty to back down?"

Langk's deputy, Korychev, said, "I think we should first find out China's bottom line, and second, we should meet with the Mongol Khans again! Especially the son-in-law of their Bogda Khan, the Prince, it would be best to reach some agreements with him privately." Langk nodded, "That's true, we can't send the border guards from Tobolsk for nothing! We should tell them that if they don't reach an agreement with us, we will continue to increase the number of outposts to the south."

then.

Following this, Langke and other Russian envoys ceased negotiations and instead chose to make private contact with the Mongol princes of the northern steppes.

During his investigation into the land division of the various banners in Mongolia, Hongli also learned that Langke had stopped negotiations.

Hongli was not surprised by this.

He knew that the Russians were greedy for land and would not give up easily.

He also knew that the Russians liked to delay negotiations and then do things behind the scenes, such as adding outposts with few people in more distant places to prove that these lands were their territory, and they would also instigate and bribe stakeholders.

"Fourth Master, have you been staying at Ping An Residence very late these days?"

Prince Bao's Palace.

After finding an opportunity to get close to Sun Cong, a junior eunuch working at Ping An Ju, Wang Chun asked him about it.

Sun Cong replied, "It's because Fourth Master is now managing the Court of Colonial Affairs, and his performance has displeased His Majesty. I heard he was reprimanded for his incompetence, so he has to be more serious now!"

After hearing this, Wang Chun relayed the news to Hongxi.

When Hongxi learned of this, he took the news very seriously and began to think about it carefully. He said to his confidant Wang Tingcheng, "Hongli's performance in the Court of Colonial Affairs has displeased the Emperor. It is probably related to the border negotiations with Russia. Hongli's efforts to protect Longkodo have delayed the negotiation process and made the Emperor unhappy!"

“What Your Highness says is true. The Fourth Prince is biased towards Longkodo. But in reality, no one can tolerate Longkodo’s overly assertive negotiating style. Longkodo’s servant, Niu Lun, has been arrested for soliciting bribes. During his interrogation, he confessed to secretly possessing the imperial genealogy, which will make the Emperor even more dissatisfied with Longkodo.”

Wang Tingcheng chimed in, bringing up the matter of Longkodo's private possession of the jade tablets.

Hongxi laughed and said, "The princes and dukes of the northern Mongolia also have a grudge against Longkodo."

Speaking of it.

Hongxi stood up and said, “Write a letter to my uncle for me, telling him that the Emperor is not satisfied with the attitude of the Court of Colonial Affairs, and that court officials who hope for peace in the country as soon as possible have discovered Longkodo’s crime of secretly possessing the imperial genealogy. Ask him to request an imperial decree to come to the capital to lobby for the emperor. In this way, there may still be a chance for the negotiations to turn around.”

"Whoo!"

Hongli also heard about Longkodo's secret possession of the imperial genealogy.

This made him frown, and he asked Yuzhu, "Whose jade register did your father secretly keep?"

"Seth Black."

Yu Zhu replied.

After hearing this, Hongli asked, "Why did you keep it to yourself?"

Yu Zhu said, "I kept a record in case I was afraid I would have to change it back in the future."

"Confused!"

Hongli shouted a stern rebuke.

Yu Zhu lowered his head.

After Hongli said this, Li Yu arrived: "Fourth Master, I just learned that the Prince Consort (Celing) has submitted a memorial requesting to go to the capital and insists on replacing Longkodo. He said that because Longkodo was arrogant, the Russian Kingdom built a large number of outposts in the Selenge River area and sent troops deep into the Kulun area, making the Mongol princes increasingly uneasy!"

"Map of the Northern Desert!"

Hongli called out.

Li Zhenxia immediately took out the map of northern Mongolia.

As Hongli looked at it, he asked, "What is Father Khan's attitude?"

"The Khan ordered the ministers of the Council of Princes to discuss and respond to the proposal of the Prince Consort, and did not allow the Court of Colonial Affairs to continue discussing the matter."

Yu Zhu replied.

Upon hearing this, Hongli felt a pang of anxiety and thought to himself, "Could it be that Yongzheng really intends to cede territory and sue for peace just for the sake of temporary tranquility?"

Yu Zhu was also quite uneasy, feeling that Yongzheng was going to punish Longkodo, so he immediately knelt down: "Fourth Prince, please save my father!"

Li Yu then reported, "Fourth Master, this servant also knows something else: Young Master Long has also submitted a memorial impeaching his father for corruption and perverting the law!"

Hongli frowned upon hearing this.

At this moment, Yuzhu opened his mouth wide.

"Prepare the horses, I'm going to the palace!"

(End of this chapter)