My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 270 Yongzheng: Striving to accumulate even greater wealth for Hongli!

"Impressed!"

"Completely convinced!"

"From this day forward, I, Longkodo, will admire Fourth Master from the bottom of my heart!"

When Longkodo saw Kolychev being forced to kneel on the riverbank, he was stunned and speechless, and then he couldn't help but say these words.

Tulichen, who was with him, nodded silently in agreement.

He had no doubt that Longkodo was lying at this moment, even though Longkodo was known for his boastful and exaggerated talk.

Having had contact with the Rakshasa for many years, he understood how rare it was to get the proud Rakshasa to offer up their noble criminals.

And the Fourth Prince Hongli actually succeeded in making the Russians compromise!

"Could it be that persisting in a hardline stance is the best way to ensure the long-term stability of the Qing Dynasty and deal with foreign invaders?"

Tulichen couldn't help but ask himself this question.

He seemed to have gained a new understanding of foreign affairs.

Longkodo immediately sent men to receive Kolychev and sent troops to escort him to the capital.

Meanwhile, Kolychev remained silent the entire way.

But as he was being escorted to the Qing court, he kept shouting at Langke: "Langke, you despicable bastard! You actually betrayed a general who was most loyal to His Majesty just to make peace with the Qing! You will die a horrible death and become a coward hated by all the people of our country!"

Kolychev was furious.

He felt betrayed.

Langk not only decisively betrayed him, but also ordered the withdrawal of Russian mercenaries who continued to invade the disputed territory and even the heart of Khalkha, and proactively dismantled some outposts.

After all, the Mongols, led by Tsering, are launching constant counterattacks.

They were all like they'd been injected with chicken blood, all trying to secure exemptions from military service and taxes for their families. In addition, the economy of Mongolia was very simple, and in order to make a lot of money, they really didn't care about their own lives. Naturally, they were more courageous than the Russians who only wanted to plunder and make a fortune.

And Langk didn't know when this counterattack would end.

Because he didn't know how long the Fourth Prince Hongli of the Qing Dynasty would continue to subsidize Celing.

But he couldn't withstand such a drain on his resources.

Therefore, he had no choice but to take the initiative to withdraw and implement a strategic contraction.

Otherwise, he will only lose more new territories and find himself in a more passive position during negotiations.

The Mongol princes in the northern desert breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, they couldn't help but gain a new understanding of the Russian Kingdom, realizing that it was nothing special after all.

Even the Mongol princes in the northern deserts are now beginning to feel more fear towards the Qing court.

Because Hongli, who was in charge of the Court of Colonial Affairs, really wanted to kill them.

Therefore, the Mongol princes in the northern desert had no choice but to continue sending tributes to Hongli, and even took the initiative to increase the amount of tributes sent.

Hongli soon learned that Kolychev had been handed over by Langk.

But Hongli was not too happy about this.

Because the speed at which the Rakshasa Kingdom compromised exceeded his expectations.

"They knelt down too quickly!"

Hongli shook his head and sighed.

That's right!

He originally thought that the Russian Kingdom could hold out for a while longer, and that he would spend the two million taels of silver that he had given to Celing after that.

The key point is that he hasn't even received a share of what the Russians plundered in Siberia!

Although there aren't many, even a small mosquito is still meat!
Moreover, Hongli felt that he didn't care how much money he got; he just liked spending money to get things done.

Importantly, this would allow ordinary Mongols to profit from the war for a longer period, create more deep-seated hatred with the Russians, and make them more willing to become subjects of the Qing Dynasty.

However, the Rakshasa Kingdom agreed to his request.

Therefore, Hongli, on behalf of the Court of Colonial Affairs, proposed to renegotiate, arguing that the Russian Kingdom was indeed sincere enough.

Emperor Yongzheng was also very pleased that Russia handed over Kolychev, which made him even more convinced that making foreign barbarians fear was the truth and that the path of being the emperor of China was correct!

to this end.

He also said to the thirteenth minister of the Council of Kings, "This Rakshasa Kingdom is indeed strong on the outside but weak on the inside. We really have to be tough on them to make them behave."

The thirteenth prince nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, that's a common trick of the barbarians!" "First, they intimidate the other country to see if they are afraid. If not, they instigate and bribe those who are complacent and dissatisfied with the status quo to create panic, so that the decision-makers are confused and even their own will wavers."

"Only if the above methods fail completely will we respect your abilities and decide to take things seriously."

"Back then, the late emperor repeatedly tried to negotiate the undetermined border with him, but he refused and only knew how to threaten. It wasn't until the late emperor angrily cut off his trade that he was willing to talk things out properly."

Because Emperor Yongzheng was influenced by the "Beijing News" during his lifetime, he had a clearer understanding of Russia, so the thirteenth prince elaborated on it a bit more.

After hearing this, Yongzheng continued to nod: "It can be said that they had no intention of living in peace with our Great Qing, nor did they have any intention of respecting our Great Qing. They only became willing to respect our Great Qing when they had no other choice. These barbarian countries that wish to devour the world can never be trusted."

Speaking of it.

Yongzheng then smiled and said, "What is rare is that Hongli was able to remain steadfast in his commitment to the administration of the vassal states this time, unswayed by external threats and internal criticisms, and persevered to the very end."

The thirteenth prince nodded and said with a playful smile, "There's one downside: he's too willing to spend money. He can throw away millions of taels of silver without hesitation. The ninth prince was generous back then, but he was only generous to his brothers and nephews. Hongli, on the other hand, is generous in spending money on the common people."

"This is how Hongli spends his money—that's true spending!"

Yongzheng made no attempt to hide his support for Hongli.

"It can be said that by doing this, he was accumulating merit for the Qing Dynasty and benefiting the country."

Yongzheng replied.

The thirteenth prince nodded.

At this moment, Yongzheng suddenly said, "But his style of spending a lot of money to accomplish important things will probably cost a lot of money in the future. However, for the sake of the Qing Dynasty, we have no choice but to support him in doing so. Therefore, I need to work hard to accumulate a larger fortune for him!"

Yongzheng sighed as he finished speaking, and braced himself with his hands on his crossed legs.

The thirteenth prince smiled and said, "That's what I meant just now. It's better for you, fourth brother, to save up the money first than for him to do it himself. After all, supplies are the first priority before troops can move."

"indeed!"

Yongzheng nodded.

Then, Yongzheng added, "Therefore, we must register these shantytown residents as soon as possible, and strive to make them new sources of tax revenue in the future!"

"Then, for those registered in the shantytowns, the land tax will be exempted for three or five years. For those who are willing to move to the wasteland in Sichuan, Yunnan and other places, in addition to the tax exemption, those who are registered will be given a resettlement allowance."

"Furthermore, the local people do not welcome the shantytown dwellers, and often regard them as thieves. This is also related to their concern that they will not only compete for land but also for the opportunity to take the imperial examinations. It would be better to increase the number of students and candidates for the imperial examinations for those registered in the shantytowns according to a certain ratio, thereby reducing the competition between the host and the guest and making it easier to register households and make the people more evenly distributed."

"In this way, although it may not seem like it will increase tax revenue in the short term, the effect will be significant in five or six years, or even ten or twenty years."

The thirteenth brother put forward his own ideas.

Emperor Yongzheng agreed, saying, "After all, you are the thirteenth prince. Let the Ministry of Revenue do as you wish."

"Whoo!"

Furthermore, Hongli's insistence on confronting the Russian Kingdom and the Mongol princes left the officials and gentry within the Great Wall, who were unaware that the Russian Kingdom had already surrendered Korychev, feeling puzzled and even dissatisfied.

In particular, after Hongli also dealt with Zhang Tingshu, the Minister of Justice who had raised dissenting opinions, and charged him with treason, many princes and ministers in the court and the country did not understand this. They felt that Hongli not only took this opportunity to promote the negotiation process, but also went too far, and in addition to confronting the Russian and Mongol princes, he also confronted the Han gentry.

Because Emperor Yongzheng treated the Eighth Prince less harshly in this lifetime, Man Duhu was more cooperative, and thus became one of the ministers in the council. After Emperor Yongzheng met with the Thirteenth Prince, Man Duhu, along with Tao Lai, the Minister of Justice, met with Emperor Yongzheng and said:

"Your Majesty, Fourth Brother, Hongli's ability to handle the affairs of the vassal states is truly appalling. Not only is he inflexible, but he is also stubborn and self-willed, disregarding the overall situation!"

Tao Lai also chimed in, "That's right. As you said, although Zhang Tingshu once supported Prince Cheng, he was an upright official and worth employing. Now, however, he is accused of treason for advising the Fourth Prince. This really makes the Fourth Prince seem intolerant. A prince in charge of vassal administration in the Qing Dynasty should not have such a demeanor!"

After hearing this, Yongzheng asked, "So, you still question his ability to handle practical affairs?"

"Exactly!"

"Many princes and ministers have doubts. State affairs are not child's play. Hongli clearly still needs more experience!"

"First of all, his reciprocal retaliation is not in line with the magnanimity of a great power like China, and it is likely to make Russia hold a grudge. Fortunately, Russia itself has the magnanimity of a great power and is still willing to continue negotiations."

"Yet he still demands that the Russian Kingdom hand over Korychev and ask for the nobles of those who died for the common people. This is simply contrary to human sentiment and national etiquette!"

"This will make the Russian Kingdom completely unwilling to negotiate! They might even become enraged and lose their minds, directly turning against our Great Qing!"

"Therefore, Your Majesty, please make a wise decision. It is advisable to dismiss Hongli from his post and impose a light punishment. Otherwise, the Russian Kingdom may really be unwilling to negotiate any further."

"This servant seconded that Zhang Tingshu should be pardoned to avoid panic among the gentry, which would fuel the ambitions of the Russian Kingdom and make them even less willing to negotiate."

At this moment, Yongzheng sneered, "But the Russian Kingdom has sent a letter of credence, expressing its willingness to continue peace talks, and has also handed over Korychev to us as requested."

The two men's expressions changed immediately upon hearing this.

"Summon Heng Chen!"

"Summon Hongli!"

(End of this chapter)