Colonial Era: From Remnants to European Dominator

In the fourth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, at the end of the Year of the Goat (Yiwei year), the capital city was completely covered in snow. Cold air from Siberia crossed the Taihang Mountains and swept across the entire Yan and Zhao region, causing the prices of coal and firewood to soar.

On the street, the story of the charcoal seller is unfolding. In the past, a piece of coal made from broken coal only cost three coins, but today, the price has risen to four and a half coins. This is nothing to the Manchu nobles in the capital, who can only drink a few less ounces of tea. But for the poor Han people living in the outer city, it is the livelihood of a family of three.

At that time, the lowest-level laborers only earned between twenty and thirty coins a day. After deducting the daily food expenses, there was very little money left for burning charcoal for heating, and they could not buy more than a few coins a day.

The saying "The poor man is dressed in thin clothes, but he worries that the charcoal is cheap and wishes for cold weather" is nothing more than the mutual torment between the charcoal seller and the poor. For the Manchu nobles in the inner city, the cold winter is a good time to eat hot pot, sing songs, and play with birds. Take the crickets that the Manchus love most, for example. They are kept in the warm room in winter from summer. The house is full of charcoal fires. They eat hot pot with mutton and listen to the chirping of insects. For them, it is like winter outside and summer inside.

For the Eight Banners descendants of this dynasty, the so-called worldly pleasures are simply the navigation they are born with, their journey beginning the moment they are born.

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Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a respectful voice announcing good news rang out:

"Your Majesty, congratulations! A great victory has been achieved on the western border. More than a thousand Turkic bandit leaders were killed in battle outside Kobdo. The garrison commander of Hanse presented the military flag and a golden sword to the capital. The good news travels a thousand miles to report the victory. The victory in defending the border is truly a model for our Eight Banners warriors and a blessing for the Great Qing."

Outside the screen, Ortai, a Grand Councilor wearing an official hat and peacock feather, knelt on the floor with a plush cushion, holding an urgent official letter without raising his head, to report the good news to the yet-to-be-revealed Qing Emperor.

"Old military advisor, get moving quickly! If you injure yourself, who will I use then?"

A young man wearing a dragon-patterned mandarin jacket and a jade ruyi hat walked out from behind the screen. As soon as he appeared, he stepped forward and helped up the old minister Ortai, who was over sixty years old.

[It's actually a melon-shaped hat, a royal-style exquisite version, mainly designed to cover the bald top of the head and conceal the money-tail ornament at the back.]

"With such great favor from His Majesty, how dare this humble servant neglect his duties and jeopardize the affairs of the nation?"

Despite saying this, he followed Hongli's hand and plopped down on the chair brought by the eunuch. He showed no fear as he had said, but instead appeared quite content. This displeased Hongli, who had been observing him, and he thought to himself that the other party was still putting on airs as a veteran official of the Yongzheng era.

As soon as he sat down, Ortai cupped his hands and said:

"Kobdo is located in the remote and desolate western border region. Due to the poverty of the people and the inconvenience of transportation, it cannot support a large garrison. The annual troop strength has always been around 1,500 men. This time, with the victory report, Hanse has led his army to defeat and kill more than a thousand Turkic barbarians. It can be said that the soldiers have risked their lives to repay the court. Long live the Emperor!"

"Rest assured, Grand Councilor, I will reward you and will never let any meritorious official feel disheartened."

Before Ortai could finish speaking, Hongli, who had only been on the throne for four years, interrupted him and continued:

"If I remember correctly, Hanse is a Beile of the Plain White Banner. He only took up his post in Kobdo a few months ago. Before that, he had been serving as a minor official in the capital. How could he have made such a great contribution as soon as he took office? It's really strange."

The young Hongli had a fairly good memory. He knew about 60-70% of the origins of the officials who were sent to the capital, if not all of them. Hanse, who was sent to guard the border, was naturally a key target of his attention.

"Hansai is a warrior. Since his ancestors followed him into the pass, his family has either guarded the border or served in the capital's military camp. His family tradition is pure, and practicing martial arts and discussing military strategy is his duty. If there are any doubts about fighting the Dzungars, then let alone a thousand, even if there are many more, I would believe it!!"

Ortai's words reassured Hongli somewhat, but he quickly picked up a "Comprehensive Compendium of Altai Turks" from the table and handed it to Ortai, who was sitting in a chair:

"The Jinshan Turks mentioned above are no ordinary people. They began to distinguish themselves on the border during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng. Their chieftain was surnamed Li. They built a city and surrendered to the Dzungar Khanate. They had more than a thousand soldiers. Were they Turks or Han Chinese?"

Ortai flipped through the pages a few times, first frowning, then smiling at Hongli:

"The Yelü clan of the Liao Dynasty, whose Han surname was Liu, and whose Xiao clan descended from Xiao He, a founding meritorious official of the Han Dynasty, and the Shatuo of the Later Han Dynasty, also had the surname Liu. Were they all Han people?"

"All the rulers of the Western Xia dynasty were surnamed Li; were they also Han Chinese?"

"It is perfectly normal for barbarians to have Han surnames in historical records. Why should Your Majesty be troubled? The Jinshan Li family that I have witnessed since the reign of Emperor Yongzheng was just a Turk with the surname Li. Even if they changed their surname to Liu tomorrow, I would not be surprised at all."

"It's just a nomadic tribe finding a famous ancestor for themselves, nothing to brag about!"

Ortai's words completely relieved Hongli's previously troubled and inquisitive mind, and he then joked along:

"Who knows, they might one day usurp the imperial title and call themselves the Tang Dynasty."

"Ha ha----"

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the hearty laughter subsided after a while, and then Hongli asked Ortai:

"Has Hanse rendered meritorious service; what reward should he receive?"

"Since the founding of the country and the entry into the pass, all those who have made military achievements that greatly benefit the country have been promoted to higher ranks and given generous rewards. However, Hanse is already a Beile (prince), and it would be controversial to grant him a title at such a young age. In my opinion, he should be rewarded with gold, silk and official position to appease the soldiers on the frontier."

Hongli, hands behind his back, clutching Buddhist prayer beads, his young face displaying imperial majesty, looked at Ortai on the chair with resolute words:

"A reward of silver and an official position are to be bestowed upon him; he must return to the capital to report on his duties without fail!!"

"The rest of the soldiers will all be rewarded!!"

Ortai immediately agreed, looking down at the Qing emperor who had only been on the throne for four years. He compared the emperor's actions over the years with those of the deceased Yongzheng Emperor. Although the emperor had not achieved much, he certainly had the ways of an emperor in terms of managing people and employing officials.

Thinking of this, he shifted his seat forward, only daring to sit on one side. Hongli, who had been observing all this, spun his prayer beads faster and faster behind his back, though his face remained unchanged. However, he had already figured out the thoughts of old ministers like Ortai.

-------

Early in the morning, the area outside the Qianqing Palace was teeming with officials. Even the officials of the prefectural government, who were usually hailed as upright and just by the common people, were nothing more than ants who couldn't even get through the palace gates.

High-ranking local officials of the third or fourth rank were everywhere outside the palace gates. Only those above the second rank could be addressed as "Your Excellency" by eunuchs. As for the others, it was already good enough if they glanced at you sideways. Even if they were hungry, they had to buy expensive steamed buns from the imperial kitchen.

It's only five hundred coins each.

"Officials enter the court—"

Accompanied by a sharp eunuch's voice, a group of hungry Beijing officials marched in orderly ranks into the vast Qianqing Palace. In their eyes, the empty dragon throne at the very back was the true symbol of the Qing Dynasty.

Waiting is always agonizing. Some officials slumped their heads, others yawned, and you could even hear their stomachs rumbling. Only the old ministers, long accustomed to it all, quietly closed their eyes to rest, waiting for that one sound:

"His Majesty has arrived!!"

A row of people knelt down on the ground with a thud, not a single person could be seen. Everyone, regardless of rank, knelt on the cold floor, and then all cried out:

"Wishing Your Majesty good health and peace----"

Compared to the scenes in later TV dramas where people would shout "Long live the Emperor!", the formal court sessions were actually quite concise in terms of address. The phrase "Long live the Emperor!" was mostly used when there were foreign envoys, sacrifices, or important national events. On ordinary days, a simple "Holy Peace" would suffice.

Sitting upright on the dragon throne, Emperor Hongli wore a court hat, and the court beads around his neck jingled as he walked. When some courtiers peeked while kneeling, they could only see a pair of bright yellow dragon-patterned court boots and the obviously raised soles.

"Rise."

"Rise and take your place----"

After Hongli finished speaking, the eunuch from the Ministry of Rites shouted for the court officials who had gotten up to return to their places and await the emperor's question.

"Your Majesty, the winter is getting colder and colder in the capital, and the people are suffering more and more each day. I humbly request that winter allowances be issued to alleviate the hardship, so as to show the court's great benevolence."

Before long, a third-rank official stepped forward and knelt down to report on the snow situation. As for the common people he mentioned, they were actually the Eight Banners descendants in the inner city. The so-called winter silver was actually part of the Eight Banners' iron-pole crops. These people not only had a stipend on a regular basis, but also received a stipend and meat during festivals. Even when it was cold, there were still people who thought about their charcoal money. Searching through the history books, where in the past dynasties were there such comfortable descendants of meritorious officials?

Only the Qing Dynasty was an exception!

When someone spoke up, the Manchu officials naturally united and knelt on the ground, saying, "The people are suffering, and they can hardly survive."

Most of the Han officials stood awkwardly to the side, not daring to speak. Only a few shameless ones echoed the plight of the people and the need for disaster relief. Even so, in the eyes of those bannermen, a slave was a slave, utterly despicable. They were spending the Han people's tax money to support the bannermen, and yet they still echoed them. It was utterly despicable.

As for Emperor Hongli of the Qing Dynasty, he was well aware of the money spent on the Eight Banners. Thirty percent of the court's silver was used to support these so-called important families who defended the country. It would be a lie to say that he didn't feel the pinch. However, the rules set by his ancestors and his own status made him unconsciously lean towards this side.

"Each household will receive two taels of silver, five dou of rice, and ten jin of meat."

"Your Majesty's grace is unprecedented in history; it is truly a blessing for our Great Qing Dynasty!"

Hongli opened a crack, and the banner officers naturally crawled in one by one. The Han officials who witnessed all this could only echo "Your Majesty is wise." Only a few with a conscience lowered their heads and remained silent. After offering their congratulations, they said nothing more and simply waited quietly for it to end.

After this matter was over, Hongli probably felt that the atmosphere was still not lively enough, so he smiled and said to everyone:

"Yesterday, an urgent message arrived from the border: Hanse, the garrison commander of Kobdo on the western frontier, a man of the Plain White Banner, had slain over a thousand Turkic barbarians outside the city and even presented a golden sword and military banner. Such a great achievement, what do you suggest we reward him for?"

This question, though seemingly posed, was actually a pre-determined decision. Sure enough, as soon as the words were spoken, Ortai stepped forward:

"Military merit is a great achievement for the country and should be richly rewarded. I believe that Han Sai should be promoted to the rank of Zhaowu Duwei, a fourth-rank official, and given overall command of the western border regions. He should be rewarded with three thousand taels of silver, and also be given armor and banners as his title. He should be in charge of guarding the border against the Turkic barbarians."

"The remaining soldiers will be rewarded for their merits, and will be granted silver and promoted!"

"good!!"

Hongli nodded in agreement, and the waiting officials rushed forward, knelt down, and shouted:

"A blessing for the Qing Dynasty!!"

Then some topics about disaster relief and floods in the Northwest were raised. Some solutions were to distribute silver, some to discuss temporarily, and some to simply ignore. After all, the national treasury didn't have that much money. After giving it to the Manchus, what could be given to the Han people was already a limited amount of funds. If more was used, it would naturally not be enough.

Perhaps it was nearing the end of the court assembly, or perhaps he had thought of something, but Hongli suddenly smiled and said:

"Do my beloved ministers know where the slain Turk came from?"

Anyone who knows the truth should report it immediately:

"Returning to the Emperor, this place is located on the side of the Altai Mountains, the former site of the Turkic royal court, which was later seized by the Turkic Li family and became known as Jinshan Prefecture."

"Li, haha, how can a little Turkic bandit call himself a Han surname? He is truly disobedient to his ancestors and has utterly disgraced them."

"A laughingstock for all time!!"

Some court officials joined in the mockery, and soon the entire court was filled with ridicule of the Jinshan Li family.

Hongli then said, "In the past, Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang Dynasty was also of Turkic origin, a branch of the Shatuo tribe. He was granted the surname Li by the Tang emperor because of his ancestors' meritorious service."

"The Li clan of Turks, who are entrenched in the Altai Mountains, may have been following in their footsteps. They just wanted to claim a Han Chinese ancestor to make themselves seem less barbaric."

As soon as such boastful remarks about history were uttered, people immediately began to flatter him:

"Your Majesty is wise and learned, truly knowledgeable in both ancient and modern times. We, your humble servants, are suddenly enlightened by Your Majesty's guidance."

Perhaps inspired by all this, Emperor Hongli, or perhaps he had prepared it all along and was just waiting to show it off, casually recited:

"Originally a wolf of the grasslands, where did this Han sheep come from? The felt hat shakes three times, and the barbarian child mistakes his mother for his own!"

Upon hearing it, the court officials all exclaimed, "What a fine poem!" Some even said:

"His Majesty's poem rivals that of Li Bai and Du Fu, and will surely be passed down through the ages. The Jinshan Turks and Li Man are also lucky; they have benefited from His Majesty's glory and left a lowly name in the annals of history, stealing a divine secret."

The entire court was filled with laughter, all fawning over Emperor Hongli, while degrading the Li family of Jinshan Prefecture to the level of being no better than ordinary savages.

Even Hongli himself was getting a little carried away. Leaning to the side, he gazed at the vast and magnificent palaces outside the Qianqing Palace, their view gradually blurring before brightening again. He spoke flippantly:

"Next year, I will lead a million-strong army to sweep away the rebellious Dzungar barbarians. When the army reaches the Altai Mountains, I will make that Li family, who is a fake Han but a true Turk, dance for my Great Qing. Back in the Tang Dynasty, when the Turkic Khan, Jieli Khan, presented prisoners to Chang'an, Emperor Taizong had him dance to entertain the guests."

"When the Dzungar Khanate is pacified in the future, we will surely complete this beautiful story."

Emperor Hongli's lofty ambitions drew praise from the court officials, with some sycophantic ministers even prostrating themselves on the ground and shouting:

"If His Majesty's ambition is fulfilled, then Heaven will bless the Qing Dynasty, His achievements will benefit generations to come, and His accomplishments will be comparable to those of the Holy Ancestor, the Taizong Emperor, and the Wudi Emperor, yet none would dare to claim the title of First."

Hongli, sitting on the dragon throne, was slightly intoxicated. He was fantasizing about how wonderful that day would be and how magnificent the dance would be.

At this moment, Hongli's dream and the Qing Dynasty seemed to become one, or perhaps he was the only one.