My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 295: The Prince's Retinue is Doubled, and He is Granted the Treatment of a Vice Emperor!

At the same time, Yongzheng also gave Hongli an approving look.

The more unwilling Lu Shengnan was, the more it proved to Yongzheng that Hongli's suggestion was excellent.

So, Yongzheng calmly said, "Your book, though unorthodox, will not be destroyed by me!"

Yongzheng's answer stunned Lu Shengnan.

Many of the ministers present were also somewhat taken aback.

Hongli was not surprised; he knew this was Yongzheng!

Unlike Emperor Qianlong in history, Emperor Yongzheng would not destroy books that were detrimental to his rule. Instead, he would actively promote them, analyze the errors in their contents for the people, and try to clarify their misconceptions.

"I will personally criticize it, promote it throughout the land, and also let my ministers criticize it!"

And then Yongzheng said the same thing.

Hongli sighed softly.

But then, he was also puzzled: hadn't Yongzheng already realized that everyone had their own stance? Why would he still do this?
Perhaps, the emperor's mind is not so simple.

Hongli could only tell himself this.

"But you will still have to go to the Mongolian steppe. Go and reflect carefully. I will personally review your reflections and see how well you have reflected on them and whether you have realized that your stance was problematic."

Yongzheng continued.

Hongli couldn't help but sigh again, thinking to himself, "Yongzheng is indeed Yongzheng. In principle, such things that are not conducive to the rule should be destroyed. But he insists on personally criticizing them and letting the world see them, just like the 'Record of Awakening from Delusion'. He even wants to see if Lu Shengnan will change his stance."

They weren't afraid of getting tired.

But is it really worth the Emperor's personal attention that Lu Shengnan, a mere minor official, can change his stance?
Hongli didn't quite understand Yongzheng's motives, but he guessed that Yongzheng might still have some human touch by nature and be a true Confucian, and didn't actually govern people with Legalism in practice.

The ministers of the Council of State were also surprised, but they didn't say anything.

If the emperor, despite his busy schedule, were to painstakingly refute a book written privately by a Han official, word by word, could they possibly stop him?

They could only be emperors because they did have a love of debate.

Lu Shengnan himself was also a bit confused by Yongzheng's actions.

He himself was not a strict Confucian believer; he was merely using Confucianism as a facade to advocate for his own interests.

Therefore, he felt that the emperor should be just like him and would be happy to destroy such a treasonous book upon seeing it.

But Yongzheng did not do so, so Lu Shengnan could only kowtow and once again show his remorse and awakening, saying: "My arrogant and rebellious words are not worthy to be seen by the world!"

"I am willing to be beheaded in the marketplace, have my property confiscated, and even have all twenty-six members of my family executed as a warning to others!"

"Please grant my request, Your Majesty!"

boom!
Lu Shengnan gritted his teeth and kowtowed heavily.

He was making a deal with Yongzheng, saying that he would rather be killed or even have his whole family killed than be sent to the northern desert to live an inhuman life.

It is worth mentioning that Lu Shengnan was a sophisticated egoist who did not treat his family members as human beings, but only as his appendages. Therefore, he expressed his willingness to let them die with him without any scruples, hoping to please Yongzheng more.

This was not uncommon in the history of Confucianism after its distortion; when one was about to die for one's principles, one felt that the whole family should die with one's principles.

And family members naturally have no right to refuse.

His willingness to die, and even his willingness to have his whole family killed, cannot be considered a sign of Yongzheng's ruthlessness. Rather, it can be seen as Yongzheng granting his wish, so that Yongzheng would not have to worry about being branded as too bloodthirsty.

But this made Yongzheng's thick eyebrows furrow, and he immediately flew into a rage: "In your eyes, aren't your family members human beings too?!"

"Tell me, are they human beings?!"

Yongzheng then questioned Lu Shengnan again.

Hongli looked at Yongzheng and knew that this emperor still had some humanity left and was not completely a political machine, which was why he was so angry because of Lu Shengnan's statement.

Lu Shengnan was stumped by the question and did not answer it.

"Retreat!"

"Issue an imperial edict to the Court of Colonial Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel to have him escorted to the northern desert immediately, and have Celeng arrange for him to be a minor official in a certain banner!"

Emperor Yongzheng stormed off in a rage.

Lu Shengnan glanced longingly at Yongzheng, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"Whoo!"

After responding, the princes and ministers left the Qianqing Gate one after another.

Lu Shengnan was subsequently taken to Mongolia in northern Mongolia. The person in charge of escorting Lu Shengnan was Fucha Fuqing, a second-class imperial guard.

When Fucha Fuqing was escorting Lu Shengnan to the Mongolian steppe, he saw Lu Shengnan repeatedly banging his head against the prison cart.

Seeing this, Fucha Fuqing stopped him: "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"My head hurts so badly that I dare not exert myself. Could you please help me? I will be eternally grateful!"

Lu Shengnan said with an awkward smile.

Fucha Fuqing immediately ordered, "Wrap his prison cart with thick felt all around!"

Then, Fucha Fuqing said, "I can't let you die. Your master has ordered that you must live to go to the northern desert to experience the feudal life you admire!"

Lu Shengnan gave a bitter laugh and then said nothing more.

After attending the political discussion at Qianqing Gate, Hongli went to the Ministry of Rites first.

After a major fire at the Ministry of Rites, the examination for the erudite scholars was able to continue because the archives were undamaged and the examiners, including Liu Tongxun, and the candidates were all unharmed.

Ultimately, seven people were selected as first-class scholars and appointed as editors; fifteen people were selected as second-class scholars and appointed as probationary officials.

Of the nearly two hundred scholars who took the exam, twenty-two passed, which is actually a very high percentage.

However, Zeng Jing still failed the exam.

After all, he was even more extreme than Lu Shengnan.

He demanded that the emperor be like a sage, or else he should be overthrown.

Although Zeng Jing did not express her views so explicitly in the exam, it was still difficult to hide her excessive advocacy of the Confucian scholar's supremacy.

The reason why Liu Tongxun and Huang You, both Hanlin scholars, were able to become examiners was because their thoughts, as reflected in their articles published in the "Journal of the Imperial University of Peking," were consistent with those of Emperor Yongzheng.

Therefore, Liu Tongxun and Huang You eliminated Zeng Jing.

Zeng Jing was naturally even more disappointed by this, and said to his student Zhang Xi: "The Qing Dynasty forced members of the imperial family to their deaths and executed many members of the Hanlin Academy. Those selected were all people without real talent or learning. The Qing Dynasty is truly on the verge of collapse!"

"But I heard that this fourth prince is highly regarded by scholars and even wants to establish a larger-scale official school."

Zhang Xi said.

Zeng Jing nodded: "This Fourth Prince has good methods. He uses the guise of copying books from periodicals to support many scholars and literati, making them bow down for him. But he is not the emperor now. If the Qing Dynasty is really going to perish in the hands of a cruel and tyrannical emperor like Yongzheng, there is nothing he can do!"

“We should go back as soon as possible, and then you can go to the Northwest for me, see Yue Zhongqi, and give him a letter.”

"If we raise an army to rebel against the Qing before the Fourth Prince ascends the throne, we will surely succeed! Otherwise, once the Fourth Prince ascends the throne, the opportunity will not be so good!"

Zeng Jing had clearly made up her mind to oppose the Qing Dynasty.

However, just as in history, he placed his hopes for overthrowing the Qing dynasty on Yue Zhongqi, a Green Standard Army general who was highly trusted by Emperor Yongzheng, rather than mobilizing the people himself.

Of course, he also lacked the latter's ability and awareness.

However, the erudite scholars examination was successfully completed, and the selected scholars were assigned to compile unified historical and theoretical textbooks.

Hongli, as the prince in charge of the Ministry of Rites, was also commended by Emperor Yongzheng.

"By imperial decree, the fourth son of the Emperor, Prince Bao, Hongli, will have his ceremonial regalia doubled, and will concurrently assume the position of Director of the Imperial Academy. This is the imperial decree!"

As a result, Hongli received double the ceremonial regalia of a prince, which undoubtedly meant that he, like Yunxiang, had the treatment of a vice emperor.

Because Yunxiang, who was like the executive vice emperor in the Qing Dynasty, was also granted double the regalia of a prince by Yongzheng.

This symbolizes that the prince is more powerful and prestigious.

However, Emperor Yongzheng also put him in charge of the Imperial Academy, which meant that he was truly in charge of the entire education system and the work of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department.

As for Prince Guo, Yunli, who was originally in charge, he also became a Prince Regent and concurrently held four positions: Commander-in-Chief of the Plain Yellow Banner Mongol Army, Commander-in-Chief of the Bordered Red Banner Manchu Army, Commander-in-Chief of the Bordered Blue Banner Han Army, and Commander-in-Chief of the Bordered Blue Banner Mongol Army, in charge of the affairs of the four banners.

Not long after, Hongli, with twice the size of his princely retinue, first inspected the Eight Banners official schools under the Imperial College to demonstrate his emphasis on the education of the Eight Banners children.

Yin Jishan, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Minister of the Imperial Academy, had also learned of Hongli's impending arrival and led a group of academic officials to wait for him outside the gate of the Imperial Academy.

Putting aside the fact that Hongli was likely to become the future emperor, Yin Jishan also harbored a great deal of goodwill towards Hongli.

Because he had also received a substantial reward for publishing articles in the *Journal of the Imperial University of Peking*, he said to Sun Jiagan, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, while welcoming Hongli:
"Fourth Master is generous in supporting scholars and values ​​education. It's just a pity that the quality of our Eight Banners official school students is uneven, and they are mostly not as good as the commoner students of the Imperial Academy. I'm afraid this will displease Fourth Master!"

Sun Jiagan simply smiled after hearing this.

At this moment, Hongli's princely retinue also appeared at the Imperial Academy, and Yin Jishan and others immediately performed a grand salute: "Greetings, Fourth Prince!"

(End of this chapter)