My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 275 The Effects of Yongzheng's Strict Governance: Hongli Spends Money to Accomplish Important Things Again!
Boom!

However, before Wang Lansheng could finish speaking, gunshots rang out from outside.

At that moment, government troops were suppressing tax evaders and rioters. A young scholar was shot on the spot and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Inside the governor's office, Wang Lansheng, the Zhejiang provincial education commissioner, immediately changed his expression.

Luo Jinwen and other Zhejiang gentry also suddenly turned pale.

Fahai himself immediately asked, "What happened?"

"Step aside!"

Before long, Wang Guodong arrived, even pushing aside the officials from the governor's office who were blocking his way with the imperial edict, and stood before Fahai:

"By imperial decree, those who resist taxes and cause trouble will be punished as treason and suppressed. The head of the family and the clan chief will be imprisoned and executed. Those in the clan who have received official titles will have their titles revoked!"

"Furthermore, the provincial and metropolitan examinations for Zhejiang scholars are to be suspended, and the examinations for Zhejiang tribute students who took the provincial examination in Shuntian are also to be suspended!"

"I have now been appointed as the Commissioner for Inspecting Customs and Rectifying Morals in Zhejiang, and I hope that you gentlemen will assist and cooperate with me!"

Luo Jinwen was shocked upon hearing this.

The officials, including Fahai, who had already knelt down, were also very surprised, but they still accepted the decree.

"Your Excellency, please help us! We are willing to persuade the villagers to understand the court and pay their taxes diligently. If there are any more tax arrears, we are willing to accept the punishment of being implicated!"

Luo Jinwen couldn't help but shout.

Other gentry members echoed this sentiment.

But Wang Guodong still ordered the arrest of these gentry.

When Luo Jinwen and others were taken to Hangzhou to cause trouble and be tortured, they couldn't help but burst into tears, lamenting in their hearts: "This life is unfortunate, to have encountered such a cruel and ungrateful tyrant! His brutality is unprecedented in history!"

While gentry such as Luo Jinwen were beheaded in the marketplace for their clansmen resisting taxes, the imperial edict issued by Emperor Yongzheng to suspend the Zhejiang provincial and metropolitan examinations also spread rapidly among Zhejiang scholars.

This forced Gao Dai, grandson of Gao Shiqi, a famous minister during the Kangxi era, and Chen Shikan, younger brother of Chen Shiguan, the Minister of Rites, to seek an audience with Wang Guodong.

Moreover, these people all expressed that the scholars in Zhejiang would actively cooperate in promoting and rectifying the scholarly atmosphere and customs, but they requested that Wang Guodong request the Emperor to grant permission for Zhejiang to hold the provincial examinations so that scholars could participate in the metropolitan examinations!
Wang Guodong readily agreed and instructed them to properly educate and persuade the villagers to pay their taxes and to actively provide relief to the poor.

The two obediently agreed, but secretly they resented Yongzheng's strictness.

"If this were during the Ming Dynasty, such a tyrannical and cruel ruler would probably have been strangled long ago!"

Gao Dai said in a low voice,
Chen Shikan sighed, "What's the point of saying all this! This is the Qing Dynasty now, not the Ming Dynasty. I can only hope that the new emperor will be better."

Because of Yongzheng's unwavering and rigid style, some officials among the Han gentry and even the Manchu and Mongol nobles were very dissatisfied. As a result, the rumors about Yongzheng's lack of morality and tyranny began to spread more and more.

After failing the imperial examination once again, Zeng Jing, who was in Hunan, heard many rumors about Emperor Yongzheng's immorality and tyranny.

"He murdered his father, forced his mother to abdicate, killed his brother, killed his younger brother, was greedy for money, and loved killing. When his evil deeds reached their peak, he was even worse than Liu Ziye!"

"If the eighth or fourteenth son of the late emperor had taken over the Qing Dynasty, it would have been even more prosperous. Now that this person is in power, the country is not far from its demise!"

Zeng Jing even heard evaluations of Yongzheng from the Manchu people stationed in Hunan.

This made Zeng Jing even more interested, realizing that Yongzheng might have caused deep resentment within the Eight Banners, and that the opportunity to change dynasties and seek wealth and power was really coming!

Hongli knew that Yongzheng's style of governance and his ambition to become the emperor of China would offend many large landowners and high-ranking officials.

After all, many Han Chinese elites accepted the rule of the Qing Dynasty, not because they truly wanted the Qing emperors to be the rulers of China.

This is because many Han Chinese elites, during the reign of Han Chinese emperors, did not want the Han Chinese emperors to treat the Han Chinese people as human beings, nor did they want the Han Chinese emperors to truly reform and eliminate abuses for the long-term stability of China.

Therefore, it was inevitable that some people would smear Yongzheng behind the scenes.

Hongli knew this was inevitable. But he couldn't stop supporting Yongzheng's efforts in this direction, thus laying a solid domestic and economic foundation for his future imperial cause.

Anyway, if he really becomes emperor in the future, he can rightfully legitimize Yongzheng's rule.

Hongli now focuses on doing the things that Yongzheng has entrusted to him, so that Yongzheng will be more motivated to do things that will benefit future generations.

As the person in charge of the vassal states, he naturally dealt with matters concerning both the vassal states and foreign states.

The most important thing right now is negotiation.

After the Russian Tsar's plenipotentiary representative, Langke, handed over Kolychev, Yongzheng also agreed to Hongli's proposal to restart the border negotiations, and allowed Longkodo to continue negotiations with Langke.

Because Celeng's army, with the support of Hongli, had been intensifying its sweeping operations in the Lake Baikal area and even showed signs of continuing its westward advance at any time, the negotiations proceeded very smoothly.

Langk ultimately accepted most of Longkodo's conditions, only demanding that the area from the Inie River to the Angar River belong to them.

However, Longkodo, citing the fact that many Mongol tribes in the area had not clearly submitted to the Qing Dynasty, demanded that the dispute be set aside and that the Qing cooperate with the local Mongols to develop the area, with further discussions to be held in the future. In the meantime, he insisted that the area east of Tobasdabahan, south of the Lena River, west of the Weidimu River, and the eastern section of the Greater Khingan Mountains and east of the Ergun River be designated as Qing territory.

As a result, important strongholds such as Nerchinsk and Kyakhta came under the control of the Qing Dynasty.

Considering the threat posed by Celen's troops, Langke ultimately chose to accept the terms and signed a treaty with Longkodo, agreeing to address trade and religious issues later.

Meanwhile, Emperor Qianlong also received Lang Ke, who had come to the capital to exchange views with the Court of Colonial Affairs on trade and religion, by imperial decree.

But Langke looked worried when he saw Hongli.

Because he knew that although the Tsar had accepted the outcome of the negotiations, as the chief person in charge of the Russian side, he would definitely be discarded by the Tsar after returning home, in order to quell the public resentment that would inevitably arise in Russia for failing to gain any advantage in these negotiations.

Seeing this, Hongli knew what he was worried about, so he smiled and comforted him, saying, "You don't need to worry. I have already obtained the Khan's consent to request your country to guarantee the safety of you and your family!"

"Otherwise, it will be considered that your country intends to no longer recognize the treaty agreed upon by both parties. Therefore, you can return to your country with peace of mind."

Langke was overjoyed upon hearing this, and quickly bowed to express his gratitude, then asked:

"Why does Prince Bao treat me, a foreign subject, with such favor?"

"Naturally, it is because you have made outstanding contributions to the peace between our two countries, so I have great respect and admiration for you!"

"Furthermore, I also intend to request that a monument be erected in Kyakhta, Nerchinsk, or even in the translation office established by the Court of Colonial Affairs for your country to commemorate your merits."

Langke glanced at Hongli with great surprise, then said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Prince Bao, but there's no need to erect a monument. I can't claim to have done anything of great merit!"

"How can you say that? It is because of your public service and sense of righteousness that the two countries will have peace in the future and will not see war!"

As Hongli finished speaking, Langke gave a bitter smile, and at the same time, became even more worried about his future fate.

Upon seeing this, Hongli smiled and said, "If you are truly worried about your future and destiny, you are always welcome to serve as a subject of my Great Qing."

"I have already requested permission to establish an office within the Court of Colonial Affairs to investigate Western customs and traditions, and I will also appoint an additional Vice Minister to oversee Western affairs."

"And the Khan has agreed that this position will be reserved for you. As long as you are willing to come to our Great Qing and serve as a minister, you can be directly appointed as a vice minister, and may even be granted a title for your meritorious service in pacifying the border."

Hongli knew that Langke was no longer tolerated by the Russians, so he intended to use generous salaries and rewards to develop him into a Russian traitor.

Because the Qing Dynasty now desperately needs these high-value Russian traitors who come from Russian noble families.

So, Hongli took out a draft and said, "This is a draft for 100,000 taels of silver, which I have privately given to you. If you really do not want to come to the Great Qing, you can take this money back to your country to make arrangements. You can also send your children over to me for protection. I can guarantee that they will be safer in the Great Qing than they are with you in your own country!"

Looking at the enormous amount of the bill, Langke's heart pounded. He never expected that his concessions and compromises to the Qing Dynasty would yield such a great reward.

Hongli didn't rush to force him to make a choice. He simply smiled faintly, picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and at the same time smiled and advised Lang Ke:

"Let's taste the tea first. There's no need to answer me right away. This is Biluochun tea, brewed with water from Yuquan Mountain. Its color and flavor are both top-notch!"

(End of this chapter)