My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 385 Emperor Qianlong Reveals His Domineering Side, Shocking All Officials!

After the Grand Councilors left, Hongli read through the memorial submitted by Gao Qi, the Minister of War, and then wrote his reply in vermilion ink, based on the opinions he had discussed with the Grand Councilors.

Cao Lu then brought over a watermelon.

Hongli reached out and took a piece, and instructed Cao Lu to bring him the terraced field technology data that he had previously had Li Wei and others collect in the mountainous areas of Jiangxi and Huguang in the south.

In Hongli's view, for the reform of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials to be carried out effectively, it would be impossible without improving local agricultural productivity.

Besides popularizing their own fertilizers and new crops, the way to improve local agricultural productivity is to popularize terracing technology!
Terracing techniques have now reached a high level of sophistication in the mountainous areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

First, in terms of crop adaptation, the focus has shifted from a single grain to a combination of grain and cash crops.

In terms of soil protection, we have also progressed from extensive planting to a combination of cultivation and maintenance.

In terms of supporting water conservancy, reservoirs and multi-level water diversion canals have been built to achieve tiered water supply. Mountain canals have also been designed, water gates have been used to control the water volume, and stone-built field ridges combined with tree planting have been implemented to prevent soil erosion.

In addition, the promotion of human-powered plows in mountainous areas has greatly increased the arable mountainous areas and yields.

This is also a method of intensive farming created by farmers who were forced to reclaim wasteland in the mountains after the population explosion and serious land consolidation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

After all, in order to gain the support of the landlord class after entering the pass, the Qing Dynasty did not eliminate landlords on a large scale, but instead helped suppress peasant uprisings and recognized the legitimacy of landlords' land.

Therefore, although much land in the capital area was seized, the problem of land annexation, which had intensified since the mid-Ming Dynasty, remained unresolved in the south.

In any case, the latest terraced field technology in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is naturally much more efficient than the burning and clearing of land in many parts of the southwest where seedlings are still being grown, and at least it causes less damage to the forests in the southwest.

In addition, he is now manufacturing fertilizers and promoting new crops such as sweet potatoes.

Wouldn't agricultural productivity in the southwest region take off then?

With agricultural productivity soaring in the southwest region, using it as a logistical base would naturally allow for further strengthening of actual control over Tibet.

In the future, crossing the Himalayas to advance into the Ganges, or crossing the Hundred Thousand Mountains to destroy Myanmar and restore Annam, will become a reality!
However, many officials in the court had little interest in increasing productivity and expanding Chinese civilization.

Most of them still held the same ideas as when the Three Yangs persuaded Emperor Xuanzong of Ming to abandon Jiaozhi: to avoid unnecessary trouble and save financial and human resources.

Because that's how landlords think: managing their own land well is enough; why take the risks and costs of reclaiming wasteland?

Rather than letting their sons and the common people die on the road to reclaim wasteland or on the battlefield, it would be better for them to honestly serve as officials or tenant farmers in the interior.

Therefore, although Neqin also decided not to participate in factional struggles involving Miao affairs because of Zhang Tingyu's reprimand.

However, other ministers in the court also continued to discuss the Miao matter.

"Zhang Zhongtang is mature and prudent, and it is inconvenient for him to go against the policies implemented during the reign of the retired emperor when the new emperor has just ascended the throne; but we gentlemen in the court cannot sit idly by and watch our master be misled by the current situation and refuse to abandon the Miao cause!"

"Although the national treasury is now full and the annual revenue has reached an unprecedented scale, it is not a good practice to continue to expend troops in the southwest, which will breed resentment among the Miao people and is not conducive to the stability of the country."

"Moreover, even if the conversion of native chieftains to centrally appointed officials in the southwest is successful, the increase will be limited, and it will probably only be enough to support the people. Therefore, it would be better for you all to submit more memorials to report on this matter."

At this time, in the Nine Ministers' Chamber, Gao Qi, the Minister of War, expressed his views on the Miao matter.

"This is the proper way. We should follow the example of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, who abandoned Jiaozhi and adopted a policy of appeasement. This is the best way to allow the people to rest and recuperate."

Minister of Justice Zhang Zhao echoed this sentiment, saying, "I have already submitted a memorial requesting an imperial decree to pacify the Miao region. We must not allow the Hubei faction to continue to poison the Miao region!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Qi bowed to Zhang Zhao with his sleeves folded.

The next day, after paying his respects to Emperor Yongzheng, Hongli went to the Hall of Diligent Governance and Befriended the Worthy to begin his audience with the emperor.

When Emperor Qianlong held court, he could hear the opinions of not only the Grand Councilors but also the Grand Secretaries and ministers of various ministries.

During the court hearing on this day, Gao Qixian, the Minister of War, expressed his views on Emperor Qianlong's reply from the previous day.

"Yesterday, His Majesty approved the Ministry of War's memorial in vermilion ink, saying that it would be appropriate to first send an imperial envoy to investigate the Miao affairs. This servant wholeheartedly agrees and recommends Zhang Zhao, the Minister of Justice, as the Minister in charge of pacifying the Miao region and investigating the Miao affairs."

After Gao Qi said this, Zhang Zhao, the Minister of Justice, also left the court and presented his memorial with both hands: "Your Majesty, I recommend myself to pacify the Miao people, and I beg Your Majesty's permission!"

Hongli knew that most officials wanted to abandon the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials in Miao areas and disapproved of such a wasteful effort to strengthen control over Miao areas. Therefore, they all pretended to be ignorant and did not recommend Zhang Guangsi or other officials familiar with Miao affairs.

It should be noted that Zhang Zhao is different from Neqin. He came from a scholarly family and had never served as a local official. It would be fine to appoint him as a local education commissioner, but to investigate Miao affairs would undoubtedly be treating the affairs of the court as a joke. He could only prejudicially deny the Miao affairs or simply use excessive enforcement to defy the emperor's will.

Historically, Emperor Yongzheng blindly trusted Zhang Zhao's self-recommendation and sent him to pacify the Miao region, which resulted in the Miao situation becoming increasingly worse.

Because after Zhang Zhao took office as the Minister in charge of pacifying the Miao region, he single-mindedly sought to negate Ortai and the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials. He only instigated generals to impeach Ortai, while turning a blind eye to the killing of surrendered soldiers by Ha Yuansheng, Dong Fang, and others. He deliberately provoked the Miao people, leading to a more serious Miao rebellion and a stronger will to resist the central government. In the end, it was Hongli, who was then just a prince, who, when assigned by Yongzheng to handle Miao affairs in the Grand Council, overruled the objections and replaced Zhang Zhao with Zhang Guangsi. Based on the actual situation, he adopted a flexible policy of both suppression and appeasement, which greatly improved the Miao situation. Finally, in the early years of Qianlong's reign, the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials, which Yongzheng had not completed, was finally realized.

The fact that the "pure stream" faction loved factional strife and was prone to misleading the country was a recurring theme in the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, Emperor Hongli in this lifetime would not appoint Zhang Zhao as the minister in charge of pacifying the Miao region.

Emperor Qianlong thus decided to exercise absolute power.

At this moment, Hongli said in a deep voice: "Zhang Zhao, you have not been appointed to a frontier post and do not know the conditions of the Miao people. How can you pacify the Miao region?"

Zhang Zhao was speechless.

Hongli then looked at Gao Qi: "As a soldier, why do you recommend a man of integrity who has not held an official position in Miao territory?"

Gao Qi was also stunned and stood there in shock.

But then Zhang Zhao spoke up: "Your Majesty, please allow me to say that most of the officials in the Miao region were recommended by Ortai, and they mostly blindly follow Ortai's orders. Now that the situation in the Miao region has deteriorated, isn't this related to Ortai forming cliques for personal gain and recommending many treacherous officials?"

"Therefore, neither I nor I dare to recommend officials who have held positions in Miao territory to the Emperor, especially those like Zhang Guangsi!"

Upon hearing Zhang Zhao's words, Gao Qi seemed to suddenly understand and echoed, "Just as the Grand Minister of Justice said, this servant indeed dares not recommend those who have served as officials in Miao territory, but can only recommend upright officials in the court."

"You mean, Ortai is forming a faction?"

Hongli asked.

Both of them fell silent.

Hongli's voice grew even colder: "What, you dare not answer me? Are you afraid of Ortai, or are you afraid of me?"

"Your Majesty, I was hesitant to attack court officials so soon after Your Majesty ascended the throne, but since Your Majesty has asked, I will answer truthfully: Ortai is indeed forming a faction!"

"Everyone in the world knows!"

Zhang Zhao replied.

Seeing this, Gao Qi didn't dare to say anything more, but he was just as bold as Zhang Zhao.

Hongli knew, of course, that Ortai was no saint either, and that he was indeed very adept at vying for power and profit.

But Ortai also has his strengths, namely, he is pragmatic!

In the matter of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials, Ortai certainly formed cliques and pursued personal gain, but he didn't use entirely useless people. If Ortai's entire faction were to be overthrown, then there would truly be no hope for the Miao cause to continue.

Seeing that Hongli remained silent, Zhang Zhao's eyes revealed a smug look.

Ortai then stepped forward, his face flushed, and said, "My lord, you are wise!"

But Hongli then gestured to stop Ortai from speaking, and continued to ask Zhang Zhao and Gao Qi: "Then what do you think should be done with Ortai!"

"Behead!"

"Behead!"

"Behead!"

……

Immediately after Zhang Zhao spoke first, many officials stepped forward.

Zhang Zhao secretly sneered at this.

Hongli, on the contrary, made up his mind: "I think Ortai did not form a faction, otherwise, so many people would not want to kill him. On the contrary, it is you who are forming a faction!"

"The party leader is Zhang Zhao!"

"Imprison Zhang Zhao and deliberate on his punishment!"

"I have decided to appoint Zhang Guangsi as the minister to pacify the Miao region! Draft an edict accordingly!"

(End of this chapter)