My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 305 The Great Purge (Part 2)
Outside the main gate of the Yuanmingyuan, the sun was still blazing.

The Manchu bannermen who came to plead for the throne were still kneeling there, each of them staring intently at the palace gate, their eyes revealing arrogance and confidence.

Indeed, it was arrogance and overconfidence!

Having enjoyed peace and privilege for too long, the Manchu people, who were at least small landowners with stable landholdings, have forgotten that they rose to prominence because they were the emperor's servants, not because they had been well-educated in Confucianism.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for a minority of them to ride roughshod over the majority of Han Chinese.

Despite their constant claims of being slaves.

But they have actually contracted the arrogance that many Han Chinese elites suffer from.

Inside the Yuanmingyuan Garden, after Marseille and Yunlu left, Yongzheng instructed Yunli: "Take the guards and arrest Hongxi and Yin Jishan. Put Hongxi in the Imperial Clan Court and Yin Jishan in the Imperial Household Department's Criminal Division!"

"Whoo!"

Thus, these Manchu bannermen, who had forgotten how they obtained their privileges, were unwilling to strive for progress, and had even acquired some of the bad habits of Han elites, first witnessed Prince Li Hongxi and Yin Jishan being arrested by the guards of the Upper Three Banners of the Imperial Household Department.

"Why are you arresting me?"

"Seventeenth Uncle, what about Hongli? How is Hongli?"

Hongxi, who was being held captive by the guards, was very surprised and specifically asked Hongli about it.

Yunli said coldly, "That's not something you should be asking."

Hongxi's eyes darted around, and he said, "Seventeenth Uncle, please tell the Emperor that I was the one who instigated Hongli to come and plead for mercy. Please don't blame Hongli!"

"That will only make Fourth Brother disappointed in Hongli!"

"Therefore, I cannot relay these words."

"You should go and stay at the Imperial Clan Court for now!"

Yunli waved his hand, ordering the guards to quickly escort Hongxi to the Imperial Clan Court.

Hongxi looked disappointed, and when no one was paying attention to him, he secretly grimaced.

At this moment, Yin Jishan asked Yunli, "Prince Guo, if I may be so bold as to ask, what is the current condition of my father?"

When Yin Jishan asked this question, all the Manchus present who had volunteered looked towards Prince Guo.

"Yes, Prince Guo, how are Mr. Zideng and Mr. Wanghe doing now?"

At this point, a Manchu asked about Yunli.

Some Manchus even thought that Yunli had come out on imperial orders to persuade them to return. One Manchu even shouted, "Prince Guo, please tell the master that if he does not forgive Mr. Zideng and Mr. Wanghe, this servant Qingsheng will not return. I am willing to exchange my two great Manchu scholars' lives for the position of Zuo Ling, which was hereditary by my ancestors!"

"This servant feels the same way, please have mercy, Master!"

Yunli remained silent, only calmly entering the garden after Yin Jishan was escorted to the Infantry Commander's office.

Da da!

Da da!

"Your Mr. Zideng and Mr. Wanghe have arrived!"

A rapid sound of hooves approached, and Yunlu dismounted first, carrying two blood orbs covered with pale hair, and arrived there.

Upon seeing this, many of the Manchus who volunteered immediately widened their eyes.

Qing Sheng even stood up at this moment, looking shocked and angry, and said: "Why did Master still want to kill the two gentlemen!"

boom!
Suddenly, gunshots rang out.

Qingsheng felt as if he had been pushed backward, and then he was shocked to find that there were several holes in his abdomen, and blood was gushing out.

At that time, many of the Manchus who volunteered were also shot.

When they saw rows of Green Standard Army soldiers appear, they all picked up their new muskets without matchlocks.

Those were new muskets manufactured by the Ministry of War, and I heard that they were supervised by Fifth Master Hongzhou.

But these Manchu bannermen who volunteered never imagined that one day, these muskets would be turned against them. "Master! Why are you killing us!"

"Master! Why is this happening? Why are you sending the Han army against us? What have we done wrong?!"

"Master! Is it wrong to admire Confucianism?!"

Many of the Manchus who volunteered were very puzzled, and before they fell to the ground, they uttered their final questions.

But the only response they received was the gun barrel constantly billowing white smoke.

Soon.

The area outside the palace gates was shrouded in white smoke and dust.

Bright red blood spread from the smoke and dust, like an octopus extending its tentacles, rewriting its magnificent chapter on the ground.

Yunlu stood behind these Green Standard Army soldiers and exchanged a glance with Marseille.

The two remained silent as all the Manchu bannermen who had volunteered were wiped out.

After all the Manchus who volunteered perished and were carried away one after another, the blood-stained ground was washed away with buckets of clean water by the Green Standard Army who had been prepared in advance. The white smoke and dust had completely dissipated, and everything became clear and quiet.

However, the sun still hung high in the sky.

The curtain has fallen, and the blood, washed away by the clear water, entered the sewers and flowed into the farmland on the outskirts of Beijing, beginning to nourish the Qing Dynasty.

Upon hearing the gunfire cease, Emperor Yongzheng, like a general who had just finished a battle, was both exhausted and exhilarated.

He believed that this whirlwind of action would prolong the Qing Dynasty's fate.

The execution of two Manchu Confucian officials and the purging of a large number of bannermen were not a step backward for the Qing Dynasty, but rather a step towards a new peak, a step towards becoming more like China, the China he understood!
Hongli, who was also in the garden, was even more certain than Yongzheng, because history had proven that Yongzheng's iron-fisted internal management of his Eight Banners base gave him, the future Qianlong Emperor, the opportunity to lead the Qing Dynasty into an unprecedented period of prosperity.

However, as the saying goes, "when things reach their peak, they decline," and Emperor Qianlong in history did not make full use of the foundation laid by Emperor Yongzheng.

Yongzheng noticed that Hongli's expression was much more composed than that of Yunxiang, Longkodo, Funingan, Zhang Tingyu, Jiang Tingxi, and others present.

This delighted him greatly, so he calmly walked up to the steps and sat solemnly behind the imperial desk: "Do you know why I promoted Lu Shengnan's outrageous words instead of destroying them?"

"I intend to use this method to draw out those who have the wrong stance, especially those among our Manchu people who have the wrong stance!"

"The more thoroughly they are eliminated, the better!"

"Because the lack of unity among us Manchus is far more terrifying than the lack of unity among the Han Chinese!"

Yongzheng spoke louder and louder, his voice booming like thunder in the hall.

At this moment, Yunxiang asked Yongzheng in a very cooperative manner: "But Fourth Brother, won't our own Manchus resent being treated like this? In any case, they are the foundation upon which our Great Qing Dynasty is able to resist local powerful figures!"

"There's no need to worry about that. Their family won't give up their Manchu identity for them and actually become traitors to the Qing Dynasty!"

"The titles of the murdered shall still be inherited by their brothers and nephews; their positions shall also be taken over by their brothers and nephews; I still believe in the loyalty of their families!"

"I also believe that my Eight Banners will not fall apart because of this, and I will still use them to be in charge of the Imperial Guard."

Yongzheng spoke with great confidence, seemingly unconcerned that any Manchu bannermen might suddenly rebel and assassinate him while on duty in the inner court.

Hongli admired Yongzheng even more because of this.

In his view, if Yongzheng only dared to purge his own people, it would only show that he had an iron fist. But the fact that he was willing to trust his own people after purging them made Hongli even more astonished and admiring.

He admired Yongzheng's magnanimity and courage.

Not only him, but also the councilors and ministers present were convinced and said nothing more.

But what Hongli didn't know was that it was precisely because of his performance that Yongzheng had such a great ambition.

At this moment, Yongzheng smiled slightly at Hongli and asked him seriously, "Why did you come here today to plead for these traitors?"

Hongli knew he couldn't say that his thirteenth uncle had sent Hongxi to persuade him to come, so he simply replied, "Your son had no choice but to come. Father, you have used ruthless methods, so your son must win people's hearts with gentleness."

(End of this chapter)