My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 339 A figure even more powerful than Emperor Yongzheng appears, domineering and arrogant!
Marseille, Zhang Tingyu, and other Grand Councilors all widened their eyes upon seeing this.

Because Hongli was being unfairly accused.

Emperor Yongzheng merely criticized people for forming cliques.

Emperor Qianlong, on the other hand, accused others of going against the way of the sages.

Double it directly!

Miao Shou was also stunned by Hongli's words.

He hurriedly explained, "I have not opposed the way of the sages. I just feel that since our Great Qing relies on the gentry to govern the people, we should treat the gentry with courtesy."

"When did the Qing Dynasty ever govern the people by the gentry? Was it because the emperors of the Qing Dynasty were incompetent?"

"Where do you place this wise and virtuous ruler?"

Hongli countered with a question.

Miao Shou fell silent.

"Impossible!"

"All those years of studying were for nothing."

"You are subtly mocking your sovereign and father!"

"As a son, if I don't kill you, I would be violating my filial duty!"

"A subject should die for his ruler's honor. As a subject myself, if I do not kill you, I would be going against my duty!"

Hongli said in a deep voice.

Miao Shou was even more terrified and began to tremble. He thought to himself, "This Fourth Master is nothing like the magnanimous person he's been rumored to be."

The Grand Councilors were increasingly dumbfounded.

Even those who wanted to plead for him dared not speak up.

After all, Hongli had gone so far as to say that if he didn't kill Miao Shou, he himself would be disloyal and unfilial.

Hongli then sat back down.

“But you are an official who speaks out, and I am only the regent now.”

"If I were to kill you, it would damage my holy virtue and be unfilial!"

"Therefore, I will not kill you now, but only in the future, when I have the opportunity to kill you."

Hongli's words were tantamount to telling Miao Shou, "Just you wait, once I become emperor, I will cut off your head."

Because once he becomes emperor, he naturally won't care about his empty title, but will only do his best to uphold filial piety.

This means that Miao Shou either hoped that Yongzheng would live a long time, or he hoped that Yongzheng could save him once in the will.

"But I can't do nothing."

"If you have any remorse, you should personally go to various places to visit and inquire about the situation of the gentry."

"Prove with your actions that not all the gentry you speak of are virtuous and kind."

"Then, you report these gentry as unworthy and immoral, proving that you were wrong, wrong in that you presumptuously slandered your sovereign!"

"You should tell the world that if the Qing Dynasty had not been so wise and virtuous, it would have perished long ago due to the sabotage of many wicked gentry!"

At this point, Hongli said meaningfully, "People must save themselves before Heaven can save them."

Upon hearing Hongli's words, Miao Shou naturally understood that he was being told to swallow back every single word he had said.

Marseille, Zhang Tingyu, and other Grand Councilors exchanged glances.

None of them expected that the Fourth Master would do such a thing.

In their minds, Yongzheng's ability to choose to debate with those who opposed him and leave them utterly humiliated was impressive enough.

However, although this Fourth Master did not kill those who opposed him, he made those who opposed him retract their words.

This is tantamount to slapping oneself in the face, only admitting one's own mistakes, and praising the emperor's wisdom.

“A decree was drafted to order Imperial Censor Miao Shou to investigate the conduct of scholars in various provinces. He was to pay for his own travel expenses and to instruct the gentry in the prefectures and counties along the way not to provide him with any assistance.”

After giving the instructions, Hongli said to Miao Shou, "Go."

Miao Shou trembled and kowtowed, saying, "Fourth Master, I had no intention of mocking the Emperor and Father, truly not!"

"Drag it!"

Hongli waved his hand.

So the guards forcibly dragged Miao Shou out.

"Fourth Master!"

"Fourth Master!"

Miao Shou shouted loudly outside, and then returned to the Censorate as if he had lost his parents.

Upon seeing this, his colleague and friend Tao Zhengzhong came to ask him, "Fourth Master didn't do anything to you?"

"What can we do?"

Miao Shou gave a bitter laugh and replied, "Fourth Master is a benevolent and filial prince. He didn't do anything to me; he just asked me to investigate the customs of scholars in various provinces."

"Could you lend me some money? I'll pay you back when I get back," Miao Shou said, asking Tao Zhengzhong for a loan.

Tao Zhengzhong said, "With such a good job, why do you need to borrow money?"

"Have you ever seen a Beijing official go out to investigate alone and have to pay for it himself?"

Tao Zhengzhong looked at Miao Shou with envy as he said this: "I never expected that you would not only be unharmed after submitting a memorial to the gentry of Shu to gain fame, but also get a job to go out and investigate on your own."

For officials in the capital, going out on inspection tours alone was indeed a coveted job.

Because officials at all levels would give gifts, including many gentry, and there was no one to supervise them.

This made Tao Zhengzhong want to submit a memorial to speak for the gentry of Sichuan.

The thought that he could lose his head at any moment because of the new emperor's ascension to the throne made Miao Shou suddenly burst into tears, saying, "Fourth Master wants me to pay for my own travel expenses and also wants me to prove that the Qing Dynasty is not peaceful and prosperous because of the gentry, but because of the emperor! If I don't prove it, I will surely die without a burial place!"

Upon hearing this, Tao Zhengzhong's eyes widened, and he no longer dared to speak up for the gentry of Shu.

Moreover, Tao Zhengzhong did not lend money to Miao Shou, saying only, "How could I possibly lend money to a traitor like you who would not hesitate to subtly criticize the emperor and father in order to gain a reputation for integrity?"

After saying this, Tao Zhengzhong turned and left, his footsteps creating a gust of wind.

There was nothing he could do; anyone who had offended the future emperor would naturally try to stay as far away as possible. He was now filled with regret, thinking that the other party had truly been forgiven by the Fourth Prince and had become a loyal minister who had won over the Fourth Prince!

Miao Shou stared blankly at his retreating figure.

He offended the Fourth Master on behalf of the gentry, so why did Tao Zhengzhong, who was also from the gentry class, scold him like that?
"Am I criticizing the red and black register system just for my own benefit?"

"Don't I deserve fair treatment?"

Even as he chartered a boat to sail south, gazing at the vast sky, Miao Shou couldn't help but feel indignant in his heart.

Overall, however, the red and black register system did make the internal affairs more orderly. For Sichuan, an important logistical support base for the Northwest War, the implementation of this system was more beneficial than harmful to the victory in the Northwest War.

Galdan Tsering's red and black register system inspired Han gentry in Sichuan to enthusiastically support the army. Inside the main tent, with a flushed face, he said, "It was this Fourth Prince who created this system again!"

What angered Galdan Tsering even more was that he learned from the returning envoy Telei that the regent Hongli had rejected his peace offer and only demanded that he bind himself and plead guilty.

"Our delaying tactic didn't fool him at all!"

Therefore, when Ce Ling learned that Hong Li had rejected him, he gave a cold laugh with a look of disappointment.

The elder statesman Tsering Dondrup, who was close to Galdan Tsering, was known for his shrewdness. Upon learning of this matter, he frowned and said, "It is this Hongli who has repeatedly ruined our plans! It seems that his regency is not a good thing for us Dzungars!"

Speaking of which,

Da Tsering Dundub then said to Tsering, "Great Khan, why don't we have our spies spread rumors in the Qing court, saying that this Fourth Prince is plotting a rebellion to usurp the throne!"

"Throughout history, emperors have been suspicious and most afraid of losing power. This has led to many fathers and sons becoming enemies, such as Emperor Taizong of Tang and his son Li Chengqian in the distant past, and Emperor Kangxi and his sons in more recent times!"

After hearing this, Ce Ling looked up and asked, "Can Yongzheng be trusted?"

Da Celeng Dunduobu sneered: "If I were Yongzheng, I would naturally prefer to believe it to be true rather than not. For example, Celeng and Yue Zhongqi wanted to help him rebel, so they were recommended by him, Hongli, and were just waiting to wipe out my Dzungars in one fell swoop to make an unparalleled contribution before returning to force the emperor to abdicate!"

Ce Ling nodded thoughtfully: "If we can make Yongzheng believe it, that would be excellent; if Yongzheng doesn't believe it, there will always be others who will, which will at least sow discord among the people of the Qing court."

"That's right!"

As the Han people say, let's wait and see whether there are dates or not!

"As long as Yongzheng suspends the fourth prince's power of regent."

"And let Yongzheng, that foolish emperor who couldn't even draw a big bow, and who was so stupid as to have previously withdrawn the Northwest army in order to seek peace, take power himself."

"Who knows, we might be able to seize Koshetu, annex Khalkha, or even take over its territory!"

Da Tsering Dondrup replied.

Ce Ling said, "They haven't changed generals for so long, probably because Hongli is determined not to. He didn't take my words about Marsai and Fuerdan seriously. So they need to continue spreading the word that the Fourth Prince Hongli is determined not to change people so that those who want to help him force the abdication can make great contributions!"

"Great Khan, you are brilliant!"

"Even if Emperor Yongzheng doesn't believe it, there will definitely be people in the Manchu Eight Banners who will!"

Da Tsering Dondrup replied with a smile.

Ce Ling smiled and nodded, "You really are my Zhuge Liang!"

"Your Majesty flatters me, but I fear that if this happens, his fourth son, Hongli, will hate my Dzungar Khanate to the core."

Da Tsering Dondrup said again.

"Let him hate! Even if Hongli becomes the emperor of the Qing Dynasty in the future, can he possibly destroy my powerful Dzungar Khanate?"

At this time, the Dzungar Khanate had already destroyed the Kazakhs of later generations and expanded its territory to more than seven million square kilometers. Therefore, its Great Khan Galdan Tseren certainly had reason to be arrogant.

Yuqing Palace.

Hongli looked at the newly hung map of the Dzungar Khanate, crossed his arms, and asked Marsai, "How are the provisions for the army to conquer the Dzungar Khanate?"

"It's faster than expected."

"The Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Cha Lang'a, said that the gentry in Sichuan were so enthusiastic that they donated more than 200,000 shi of grain, which greatly offset the losses incurred in transporting grain along the way!"

"The army estimates that it will be able to advance smoothly to Kobdo in June."

Marseille replied with a smile.

After hearing this, Hongli smiled and then said to the Grand Councilors, "All's fair in war! There are rumors circulating that the Dzungars are most afraid of you, Marsai and Fu'erdan. What do you say, how about we also create some rumors about the Dzungars?"

(End of this chapter)