My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 380 Conferring of the Imperial Seal and Ascension to the Throne: Emperor Qianlong Officially Ascends the Throne!
Hongli's main principle was to clearly distinguish between gratitude and resentment.

As he told Yongzheng, unity is achieved through struggle.

Although he needs to ease the relationship between the royal family and the royal clan, he will not achieve unity through appeasement, but rather by deliberately targeting whoever is dishonest.

He believed that Hong Sheng would understand why he was being treated differently.

He also believed that the other members of the royal family would understand why they were not being treated differently.

Furthermore, Hongli also informed Yongzheng that he had chosen "Qianlong" as his reign title.

"Setting the reign title as Qianlong, as a young emperor, he should have such ambition!"

"But while it's good to have ambition, don't be too stubborn and self-willed. You should listen to the advice of your senior ministers."

"Even if you sometimes feel that the opinions of your old ministers are inappropriate, or that they are outdated and rigid, you should be lenient and not criticize them too much. Don't be like your father when he first came to power and became aggressive. That would be a loss of the demeanor of a ruler."

Emperor Yongzheng then gave him instructions, even using himself as a negative example to criticize his own mistake of being too hasty in ascending the throne.

Hongli knew that Yongzheng, a person prone to low self-esteem, liked to belittle himself, and even when educating others, he would actively use himself as a negative example.

But this doesn't mean he can follow suit and say the same thing about Yongzheng.

That would make Yongzheng even more withdrawn, and he would no longer be willing to confide in him, and it would also easily make Yongzheng angry.

After all, just because someone is willing to make fun of themselves doesn't mean you can join in the mockery.

Therefore, Hongli simply smiled and said, "Father had no choice but to act hastily back then. After all, one cannot overcorrect a wrong. I should be more composed and confident now, but the source of my composure and confidence is also what Father entrusted to me."

As if struck by lightning, Yongzheng felt a warm current that made his whole body tingle, and said, "Yes, correcting a wrong cannot be too extreme. Only you truly understand me!"

"Emperor Qianlong".

Then, Yongzheng read aloud the reign title that Hongli had chosen.

After thinking about it, Yongzheng couldn't help but smile slightly, his eyes revealing a look of longing.

Hongli also smiled.

Afterwards, Yongzheng said to Hongzhou and Fuhui, who were still attending to him during his illness, "You must carefully understand what your master, the Emperor, has said. Once you understand it, you will know how to behave well in the new dynasty!"

"Whoo!"

The two of them responded.

Hongli stopped smiling.

Yongzheng's words had suddenly struck a chord with him.

He knew that once he had made it clear that he would become the new emperor, everyone in the world, except his parents, would have to become his slaves under the laws of the Qing Dynasty.

of course!

For Hongli to officially become the ruler of the world, he still had to go through the process of ascending the throne.

Hongli now only hopes that the ascension to the throne will proceed smoothly and that nothing unexpected will happen.

Therefore, Hongli remained relatively restrained in his actions and conduct, and did not fully reveal his political beliefs to the outside world.

Therefore, Hongli brought up the matter of how the eunuchs around him were arranged to handle various affairs with Yongzheng, saying, "There is something I still need to discuss with Father. What do you think is the best way to arrange for the eunuchs who have served Father, such as Su Peisheng, Zhang Qilin, and Li Pan?"

"Your subject originally intended to continue to give those who should be given important positions, but I thought that Father, you might not be able to do without them."

"So, I came to ask."

After Hongli explained it this way, Yongzheng said, "Except for Su Peisheng, who can stay by my side, you can arrange things for them as you see fit. Those who want to retire and enjoy their retirement can be allowed to do so, and those who want to continue to be given important positions can be given important positions."

"Whoo!"

Hongli was not surprised by this.

He knew that apart from Su Peisheng, whom he couldn't do without, Yongzheng didn't care about any other eunuchs.

When Yongzheng said this, it meant that, apart from Su Peisheng, any of the other eunuchs who had served him could be dealt with however he pleased if they offended him, and Yongzheng would not turn against them because of it.

Therefore, Hongli instructed Li Yu to convey his words to the eunuchs working in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and the Hall of Diligent Governance and Kindness.

The eunuchs in both places were Yongzheng's confidants, people who had served Yongzheng since childhood.

Then, Hongli went to the Grand Council and instructed Zhang Tingyu and other Grand Councilors:
"Draft an edict!"

Su Peisheng was transferred to the position of Chief Eunuch of the Changchun Immortal Pavilion, while retaining the title of General Manager.

Zhang Qilin is promoted to Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department.

"Wang Changgui, the chief eunuch of Yuqing Palace, is promoted to deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department."

"Li Yu, the chief eunuch of Yuqing Palace, was transferred to serve as the chief eunuch of Qinzheng Qinxian Hall, Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall and Yangxin Hall."

"Whoo!"

Although Yongzheng allowed him to dispose of all the eunuchs who had served him except Su Peisheng, Hongli did not immediately replace all of Yongzheng's trusted eunuchs.

Firstly, it was not appropriate to purge all of Yongzheng's people immediately after his abdication. Instead, a gradual approach was necessary to maintain human touch and ensure stability for both father and son, as well as within the palace.

Secondly, although the power of eunuchs in the Qing Dynasty was greatly reduced, they still had to manage many affairs of the inner court. Eunuchs around him, such as Li Yu, could not rashly take charge and needed to learn some procedures from those around Yongzheng first.

Therefore, Hongli first promoted Zhang Qilin, the old eunuch who had served Yongzheng, to chief eunuch, while Wang Changgui, who had been sent by Yongzheng to the Eastern Palace as the chief eunuch, was promoted to deputy chief eunuch by imperial decree.

As for his personal eunuch, Li Yu, he was only temporarily transferred to a lateral position, but in reality, his power was also promoted.

In the Qing Dynasty, palace eunuchs were divided into six ranks: chief eunuch, deputy chief eunuch, head eunuch, senior eunuch, supervisor, and unranked eunuch.

However, Hongli has only arranged new chief eunuchs and deputy chief eunuchs for the time being, and at the same time changed the position of Li Yu, his favorite eunuch. He plans to arrange other eunuchs after seeing how things go.

They might have to take some action to establish authority, rather than just showing favor.

Soon, the eunuchs in the inner court also learned about the personnel changes within their own circles.

"This humble servant, Xiao Li, greets His Majesty."

Therefore, on this day, after finishing his official duties at the Hall of Diligent Governance and Appreciation of the Virtuous, when Hongli returned to the Hall of Tranquil Peace in the Nine Provinces, he saw Li Pan, the chief eunuch of the Princes' quarters at the Yuanmingyuan, suddenly appear and kneel before him. Hongli stopped and raised his hand, saying, "Rise."

"Thank you, Master!"

Li Pan immediately stood up.

Hongli then asked, "How are the princes doing in the garden? Are they all well?"

"Thanks to the Emperor, the princes are all doing very well in the garden. The Eighth Prince even received a reward from the Emperor for his good studies."

Li Pan replied with a fawning smile.

Hongli nodded.

He could tell that Li Pan was reporting to him about Yongzheng's interactions with the other princes, clearly trying to curry favor with him and advance his career. So he didn't hesitate to betray Yongzheng's information.

"You're clever."

"From now on, don't stay with the princes. Come to the Hall of Diligent Governance and Become a Leading Eunuch and Teach Li Yu and the others the relevant rules."

Hongli smiled at this and gave Li Pan the opportunity to improve himself.

Li Pan immediately knelt down with great joy and kowtowed, saying, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your kindness! I will do my best to serve Your Majesty and help Eunuch Li and the others become familiar with the relevant rules as soon as possible!"

"That's it!"

After saying this, Hongli left and returned to the Jiuzhou Qingyan Palace.

When Li Yu accompanied Hongli back to the Qingyan Palace in Kyushu, he said to him, "Master, Li Pan changed his mind too quickly; I'm afraid he can't be relied on!"

"I know he can't be trusted!"

"But one shouldn't hit a smiling face."

"With the coronation imminent, anyone who tries to curry favor must first be given a kind welcome."

At this point, Hongli instructed Li Yu, "But you must send someone to keep a close eye on him. You are in charge of this! Also, regarding the position of chief eunuch in charge of the princes' quarters at the Yuanmingyuan, keep a close eye on who is suitable and recommend them!"

"Whoo!"

Li Yu's face lit up with joy upon hearing this.

Although he has not yet been promoted to the position of chief eunuch, the fact that Hongli asked him to recommend a chief eunuch for the princes' quarters at the Yuanmingyuan Garden is also an opportunity for him to gain favor and benefit.

By doing this, Hongli not only kept the eunuchs who had served Yongzheng in check, but also kept the eunuchs around him in check.

That night.

Inside a secluded mansion, a man in a python robe sighed and laughed after learning of Hongli's arrangement: "Well done, Hongli! He's truly remarkable, leaving no room for error! This way, no one can make a fuss about the ascension to the throne!"

Before they knew it, it was the 25th day of the fifth month of the thirteenth year of Yongzheng's reign.

This day was the day that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had decided would mark Hongli's ascension to the throne, and also the day that Yongzheng would abdicate.

Therefore, before Hongli ascended the throne, the abdication and investiture ceremony was held first.

Therefore, the day before this day, Yongzheng returned to the palace and temporarily resided in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

When the day dawned, Su Peisheng took the initiative to ask Yongzheng: "Your Majesty, when bestowing the seal, will it be just the sandalwood seal or the jade seal as well?"

As a servant of Emperor Yongzheng, Su Peisheng had no choice but to confirm it once again.

Because the "Emperor's Seal," which symbolizes imperial power, came in two forms during the Qing Dynasty: one was a sandalwood seal, and the other was a jade seal.

However, the imperial edict was issued by the jade seal.

The sandalwood seal has only symbolic meaning.

Therefore, if Yongzheng only gave Hongli the sandalwood seal, it meant that he only gave Hongli the title of Emperor, but not the real power.

Su Peisheng confirmed it again, and it was indeed confirmed.

"Since the reign title has been established as Qianlong and the palace has been moved, it is natural that both seals will be granted!"

Emperor Yongzheng responded with the following statement.

He also specifically mentioned the issue of the reign title.

Clearly, Hongli's choice of the reign title "Qianlong" made him even more willing to relinquish power.

of course!

The premise is that even Emperor Yongzheng has no choice but to relinquish the position.

After all, he had completely offended all the bureaucrats.

However, Hongli's behavior made him more magnanimous in relinquishing power.

At dawn, as the drums and music sounded, Yongzheng arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony and, with the help of Su Peisheng, ascended the throne with difficulty.

After he sat down, panting, Hongli, who had changed into a bright yellow imperial robe, knelt before him.

Emperor Yongzheng then instructed the investiture envoys Zhang Tingyu and Ortai to hand over the two "Emperor's Seals" to Hongli.

Then, Yongzheng returned to the palace and went back to the Yuanmingyuan.

Hongli himself then ascended the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

After the sound of whips and new drums and music appeared, the princes and ministers outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony bowed and kowtowed to Hongli three times and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Hongli sat on the high Taihe Hall, unable to see the princes and ministers bowing and kowtowing. He only saw the layers of white marble platforms reflecting the shimmering golden light of the morning sun.

At the same time, he could only hear a series of sounds, like a roaring mountain and a tsunami, drifting in from outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

This immediately stirred his emotions.

He felt as if he was hearing not only the court officials submitting to him, but all the subjects of the world kneeling down to show their submission!
This gave Hongli a sense of superiority and arrogance, as if he were standing on a cloud, looking down on all living beings.

Hongli knew that from this moment on, he had truly become the supreme ruler of the Qing Dynasty!
(End of this chapter)