My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 372 Lessons from the Qing Dynasty: Strengthen Local Control!
Hongli's words not only caught the eye of Yongzheng, but also drew the attention of the princes and ministers present.

Even Hongxi looked at Hongli with a look of admiration.

They never expected that this crown prince, in addition to being good at getting things done with money, could also accomplish great things with little money.

Simply building an official Tibetan Buddhist temple in the capital would be enough to pacify the Mongols.

No one doubts that this method will not be effective.

Because everyone knows that the Mongol princes of this era are truly unable to separate themselves from Tibetan Buddhism.

By controlling the administration of Tibetan Buddhism, the Qing Dynasty effectively controlled all of Mongolia.

For the Qing Dynasty, which was not a theocratic state, achieving this was not a difficult task.

Hongli dared to make this suggestion because he knew this.

Of course, he remembered very clearly that this was something that the Qianlong Emperor had done in history, and it was also during the Qianlong Emperor's reign that the central government further standardized the system for recognizing reincarnated Living Buddhas.

"Excellent suggestion!"

"The Grand Council will then draft an edict according to the Crown Prince's wishes and carry it out."

Yongzheng smiled and said something, then went up to the steps and patted Hongli's arm.

Hongli quickly bowed humbly and looked at him for a moment before following him up the steps and standing beside Yongzheng.

The ministers, however, continued to watch Hongli intently.

The silence was broken only when Minister of War Fu Min stepped forward and reported: "Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, Gao Qizhuo, reports that Diao Xingguo, the chieftain of the Pusi Miao people, instigated the Kucong Miao people to rebel and colluded with the Miao people of the four villages of Yuanjiang to join the rebellion. The official Zhang Lun, sent by the court to Youle City, has been killed."

Upon hearing this, Yongzheng frowned and glanced at Ortai: "So many years have passed since the abolition of the hereditary chieftain system and the replacement of local officials with centrally appointed officials, yet there is still a Miao rebellion! Ortai, why is it that the rebellion in the southwest, which was part of the abolition of the hereditary chieftain system and the replacement of local officials with centrally appointed officials, has not been quelled yet?"

Ortai immediately stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, this is all because the Eight Banners soldiers who were suppressing the Miao people took the opportunity to seize Miao land, rape and plunder. If the officials and generals condone this, it will become even more serious. Therefore, the chieftains have the opportunity to incite the southwestern barbarians to launch a rebellion!"

"Tell Gao Qizhuo to strictly enforce military discipline!"

"The Miao people are also my children, and should not be treated like weeds!"

"For rebels, appease them if possible. The imperial court's policy of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials is not intended to reduce the population of the southwest, but to increase the imperial court's tax revenue. For those suffering from natural disasters and man-made calamities, we should request imperial relief. For those who are unable to pay taxes immediately, we should promptly request a temporary exemption."

Yongzheng solemnly instructed him.

But Hongli, who was listening nearby, could tell that Yongzheng was clearly very dissatisfied with the constant rebellions that had occurred during the process of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials.

What Emperor Qianlong appreciated was that Ortai did not completely cover up his mistakes, but boldly admitted that the constant rebellions were related to the poor discipline of Qing officers and soldiers, instead of making excuses such as the inherently wicked nature of the Miao people.

"Whoo!"

Ortai responded with a sound of agreement.

In Hongli's memory, the Miao rebellion brought about by the abolition of the hereditary chieftain system accompanied him throughout the later years of his reign and was expected to continue until he ascended the throne.

It can be said that the reform of replacing native chieftains with centrally appointed officials in the southwest was never an easy task.

But no matter how difficult it is, we have to do it.

One of the important lessons the Qing Dynasty learned from the fall of the Ming Dynasty was the need to strengthen its control over local areas.

And not just in places like Jiangnan and the Central Plains, but also in the southwest and even the northwest.

We must strengthen practical control over everything!

This shows that the ruling model of the Qing Dynasty was very different from the tax farming system of the Yuan Dynasty that the Han Chinese officials and landlords hoped for, and even more different from the pre-Qin feudal system that some Confucian scholars hoped for. It was even less free than the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, even though the process of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials was fraught with rebellions and numerous errors in its implementation, Emperor Yongzheng had no intention of giving up, nor did he blame Ortai, the leader of the reform, too much.

At this time, Yunli reported on the affairs of the Southern Camp of the State Taxation Bureau.

"The Southern Battalion of the National Tax Service has been established and trained. We request that an acting officer be appointed to inspect customs duties along the southern coast."

Yunli reported this to the emperor.

Yongzheng then looked at Hongli and asked, "Your Highness, who do you think is the most suitable to send?"

Without a second thought, Hongli replied, "It would be more appropriate to let Fifth Brother go. Fifth Brother is too impulsive in his actions and needs to go to the South to temper himself and learn how to act more subtly and elegantly."

Emperor Yongzheng nodded in satisfaction: "You're right!"

"Draft an imperial edict to send Hongzhou to act as the commander of the Southern Camp. Since he is so willing to kill people, let him go to the south and kill more smugglers, traitors, and corrupt officials! It will save him from being stuck in the north and making the Mongol princes and nobles feel uneasy."

After Yongzheng made this decision, many Mongol princes in Beijing who were in charge of government affairs breathed a sigh of relief.

But many Han officials from the south were terrified.

But they dared not stop Yongzheng. Therefore, no one came forward to oppose him.

Hongxi did not refute this further, but sighed inwardly that Hongli had indeed not appointed him to command the Southern Camp of the State Taxation Bureau.

This greatly frustrated Hongxi, and upon returning to Zhengjiazhuang, he complained to Wang Tingcheng, "I have always shown sufficient loyalty, yet Hongli still doesn't trust me! He's still wary of me!"

How exactly did he see through me?

Hongxi spread his hands in response, then put his hands on his hips and kicked the chair leg in front of him with a frustrated look.

Wang Tingcheng also looked completely puzzled.

He thought about it for a long time before saying, "It's probably because you've been too loyal, which doesn't match your status as the eldest grandson."

"Perhaps, being too clever for one's own good is a mistake!"

"But Hongli's prudence and shrewdness are truly admirable. He actually thought of entrusting the matter of building up his reputation by holding an alliance with the Mongols to his twelfth uncle; he also persuaded Yongzheng and the Mongol princes in the capital by setting up the Yellow Teaching Academy in the capital, so that he himself would not have to leave the capital and could stay by his father's side."

Hongxi sighed as he finished speaking.

Wang Tingcheng nodded in agreement: "That's truly terrifying! The same applies to the Northwest and the appeasement of the Mongol princes. Won't his actions be too blatant, making the Emperor even more suspicious?"

"That makes sense! It seems his cleverness backfired!"

Hongxi sneered at this.

……

Hongxi's performance today convinced Hongli that among Kangxi's grandsons, there were indeed still those whose ambitions had not been extinguished.

Those who were much older than him still could not accept the huge difference in status that came with the emperor's grandson becoming the emperor's nephew.

Hongli then had an idea.

One day, when he saw Fu'erdan, the Grand Councilor who also served as the Minister of the Imperial Guard, walking alone from the latrine, Hongli waved to him.

Fu'erdan understood and went to the secluded place with Hongli.

"Whether in the garden or the palace, we must be on high alert and not make any mistakes."

Hongli gave this indifferent instruction.

But Fu'erdan understood that Hongli was testing his political inclinations, though not in a direct way.

During his regency, Fu'erdan was one of the Grand Councilors and was impressed by the military capabilities demonstrated by the Crown Prince.

Therefore, Fu'erdan decisively bowed and said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, as long as I am on duty, I will keep a close watch on every place to protect your safety!"

Hongli nodded and waved for Fuerdan to leave first.

However, less than an hour later, just as Yongzheng finished reviewing a secret memorial, Su Peisheng came over and said to Yongzheng, "Your Majesty, someone has come to report that Fu'erdan and the Crown Prince had a secret discussion in the garden for a while. I dare not conceal this, so I have come to report it."

Upon hearing this, Yongzheng frowned.

Then, Yongzheng asked Su Peisheng, "Who saw it?"

"Li Pan, the eunuch in charge of the princes' quarters in the Yuanmingyuan Garden."

Su Peisheng replied.

"understood."

"Go and summon the Grand Councilors."

Therefore, Yongzheng said.

Before long, several Grand Councilors arrived before the Emperor.

"Hengchen, draft the imperial edict."

Yongzheng gave the order first.

Then, Yongzheng issued an edict saying: "Grand Secretary, Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, and Minister of Personnel Fu'erdan is hereby dismissed and interrogated. Ortai is hereby appointed concurrently as Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard. Ten eunuchs and ten palace maids are hereby granted to serve at Yuqing Palace!"

Fuerdan immediately knelt down: "Thank you for your mercy, Master!"

Then, he took off the hat on his head.

The other Grand Councilors looked astonished.

Hongli soon received the imperial edict, and when he went to the palace to thank Yongzheng, he went straight to the point and asked with a smile, "Father, do you know about my secret instructions to Fu'erdan?"

(End of this chapter)