The key to unlocking the problem

"Mother, look at this, this is fragrant." Wu Yunzhu smiled and held a wintersweet planted in a small flowerpot, and came to Shujia to show off the treasure.

Shujia's nose twitched slightly, and she smiled and said, "It smells good." She turned to Hesheli and said, "You smell it too."

Wu Yunzhu said to Hesheli: "Sister-in-law, try this."

"Yes," Hesheli blinked, "Do you like this?"

"Not really," Wu Yunzhu looked around with her quick eyes, "That one isn't bad either, it looks pretty."

This group of women had gathered because Shujia, bored and with too much free time, had invited everyone to enjoy the plum blossoms. Yinreng's illness had caused a lot of trouble for everyone and himself, but he had finally recovered. With his recovery, Shujia naturally had no reason to continue meddling in government affairs. She had been feeling exhausted both physically and mentally these days, and it was time to retire and recuperate. Furthermore, she held a deep respect for those who had been involved in state affairs for years. Such psychological pressure was unbearable for ordinary people.

Now that she had retired, it was only natural for her to call her daughters (only Wu Yunzhu was present) and daughters-in-law to enjoy the flowers together. She did not invite Shuyi, Shuhui, Xinping, and Xinan, but just had the women of the family play together in Changchun Garden.

Because she had kept the harem in good order, the previous dynasty had no objections to the queen's participation in government affairs; because she had performed well in the previous dynasty and had not caused any problems, she was further promoted after returning to the harem. Naturally, when she gave the order, everyone responded in droves, without any objections.

She just wanted to relax and didn't need any "refined interests", so naturally she didn't hold any poetry gatherings, at most just a tea party. Yinreng recovered in the autumn, and she had already held a chrysanthemum viewing party, with thousands of pots of chrysanthemums piled together, which was a beautiful sight.

As they grew older, Yinreng and Shujia preferred Changchun Garden to the Forbidden City. With the added bonus of self-cultivation, they settled in with their extended family. Since early summer, Changchun Garden's atmosphere has become increasingly relaxed, making it the perfect place for a flower viewing event.

Everyone drinks tea, chats, looks at the scenery, and gets together to gossip about family matters. This is life!

Shujia watched Wu Yunzhu and Hesheli talking, reached out and plucked a small yellow flower, and put it to her nose to smell it. With Yinreng in front of her and Hongdan after her death, she could finally calm down. Hongdan was quite intelligent when he was young, but for some reason, he became more and more rigid as he grew older, which made her want to sigh. It’s not that he doesn’t meet the requirements of a crown prince, but that he meets them too well. This kind of meeting without any breakthrough can easily lead to complacency and complacency. The worry is that he will become an NPC emperor in novels about palace fighting or officialdom, because the emperor’s mind is too focused on the art of power and intrigue, making a mess of everything, and becoming a stereotyped character that anyone can immediately understand and use. He is not a fool, but worse than a fool.

Now, at least, the sense of crisis has made Hongdan take a long-term view and broaden his mind. In direct confrontations with the kings and ministers, he has also matured, found more confidence, become more cheerful, and learned to joke.

But… Glancing at Hesheli, she was smiling. She carefully stood up and discussed with Wuyunzhu which plum blossoms were in full bloom. She added, "They're so heavy. Don't hold them all the time. You'll get your clothes dirty."

She was unable to give birth at first. Since she gave birth to Yonglian, she had one misfortune after another. Her second child was a daughter. At that time, she jokingly said that it was a blessing to have both a son and a daughter. This time, when she got pregnant again, she really hoped to have a son as a double insurance.

In contrast, Wang and Zhao had a daughter as their first child, but then a son. She had voted for this daughter-in-law, and now she was the mother of her grandson. She couldn't afford to disrespect her, even if it meant looking at the Buddha's face. Honestly, Hesheli was more obedient and attentive to her duties as a daughter-in-law than the others.

After knocking on the handrail, Shujia had a plan in mind.

————————————————————————————————————————

"Is that so?" Yinreng pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's fine. I've been busy lately," he sighed. He had been absent from school for too long, and with the college entrance exam review coming up, he was naturally incredibly busy. "Please take care of me."

After the flower viewing party, Shujia proposed to Yinreng that they take Hongdan's son, Yonglian, into her care. Since Hongbing was already of school age, she wouldn't need to look after him during the day. Given the relationship between the emperor and empress, Shujia's raising him was equivalent to Yinreng raising him, which would also benefit Yonglian and the Hesheli clan, and demonstrate his approval of Hongdan. This would help maintain stability. With the precedent of Kangxi personally raising Hongdan, this approach was easily accepted.

Yinreng also thought this was a good idea. Yonglian was already four years old, so it looked unlikely that he would die young, and he wouldn't be too uncomfortable living away from his mother. Originally, it would have been a good idea for Yinreng to take Yonglian home to raise him, but he was too busy.

Just after agreeing, Yinreng said again: "In the Qianqing Palace, clean up a room for Hongdan in the room where he used to live." He was quick to react and figured out the connection. Instead of leaving Yonglian with Shujia, it would be better to register him under the name of Qianqing Palace, and then leave him with Shujia and let Shujia take care of him. When he is old enough to go to school, he can be sent to live in Qianqing Palace permanently.

This will increase your value.

Shujia had no objection: "Okay. Hong Bing's original house is still here with me. It has all the necessary furniture. We can use it after we clean it up." She then asked, "Are we going back to the palace now?"

Yinreng replied, "Let's pack up first. It's not appropriate to spend the New Year in Changchun Garden. The New Year's celebrations, tributes from foreign vassals, and the grand New Year ceremony must all be held in the palace." The palace was becoming increasingly secluded and cold. He didn't want to go back unless it was necessary for the ceremony.

"Okay." As long as they didn't separate, Shujia didn't care where they lived.

When the news reached Wuyi Zhai, Hongdan and his wife were extremely happy. They were reluctant to let go, but they had no reason to resist. Hesheli packed her son's luggage regardless of her health, while Hongdan called Yonglian to his side and gave him instructions.

After a while, he began to lose his temper. Yonglian was really listening attentively, but he was too young, too young to even be accepted into kindergarten, so it was undoubtedly difficult for him to remember so much. After a pause, Hongdan changed his tone: "Listen to your Mafa and Mama, and don't move around. Got it?"

Yonglian nodded obediently. He was still a little kid, standing obediently on the ground listening to his father's lecture. When he heard Hongdan say, "Lift your head and look at me," he struggled to tilt his head back a great angle to see his father's face clearly, and inadvertently, he almost fell over.

Hongdan jumped off the couch, scooped up his son, and looked around. Fortunately, he hadn't fallen. He was about to lose his temper, but seeing his son's face pale with fear, and thinking that he would soon leave him, he remembered the time he left his parents, and his heart softened. He held his son in his arms and spoke to him softly, all based on his own experience.

Hesheli was busy running around, with Zhao and Wang following her, constantly urging her not to overwork herself, saying that it was a great blessing for Yonglian to be raised by the Emperor and Empress. Hesheli was delighted by their words, but her joy lasted only a short while before she remembered that her son would no longer live with her, and she couldn't help but feel sad. Zhao and Wang's words went in one ear and out the other, and after a while, she sent them back to see Yonglian herself.

Hearing that Yonglian had been summoned by Hongdan, she went to his study again. Fortunately, Wuyi Studio wasn't too big, so even a pregnant woman like her walked around without getting tired. When she reached the door, she heard voices from inside and stopped again. Someone must be giving instructions.

Shujia often lamented that their parents were forced to age by their children, but in Hesheli's case, it was her children who brought her to maturity. Women, because of their children, become strong and brave enough to face anything. Hesheli was no exception. Her son's future, the impending separation from him, the only son she had, and Wang Shi giving birth to another, meant the concubine's son would have more contact with Hongdan...

With all the advantages and disadvantages before her, and all the worries surrounding her, a flash of lightning suddenly struck Hesheli. Her mother-in-law had gone through the same thing, right? What had she done? How had she gotten to this point? How...

Hesheli suddenly realized that she seemed to have misunderstood before. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. No wonder her mother-in-law called her "royal daughter-in-law"! No wonder Wu Yunzhu often said such strange things to her. She thought at the time that these words were a bit cliché, and seemed to be a warning to her. After a long time, it was indeed a warning, a reminder to her: Hey, you've taken the wrong path. Do you really understand your situation?

For a long time, she had listened to the teachings on virtue, words, merit and appearance, memorized the female precepts by heart, and could handle some household chores, thinking she had mastered the essence of it. Now, she thought, she was just a superficial imitation. How did her mother-in-law, the Crown Princess, do it?

She felt her mother-in-law was being partial. She was a daughter-in-law, and she was doing just as well as her sisters-in-law. Yet, she wasn't receiving genuine affection, only a formal "favor." This made her feel frustrated. Suddenly, she understood that this "favor" was exactly what she needed. As the Crown Princess, she couldn't be held to the same standards as her sisters-in-law.

Positioning, positioning. It's not like you know you're the Crown Princess. Even if the positioning is ready, what's the follow-up?

Hesheli wanted to laugh out loud.

"My lady, it's cold outside, and you are still pregnant." The maidservant beside her had to mention Hesheli. The time the Crown Princess had been standing outside was long enough for a pregnant woman.

Hesheli patted her face and slowly walked into the room: "Yonglian."

————————————————————————————————————————

As the crown prince's eldest son, Yonglian had plenty of opportunities to meet his grandparents, and even when he met Shujia, he wasn't shy. Shujia had to admit that Hesheli had raised Yonglian well. The little fellow's movements were still jerky, but he was already quite accomplished. He greeted them in a babyish voice, then stood up with the help of his nurse, refusing to be held.

"Have you met your Mafa?" Shujia spoke to Yonglian in a soft voice.

"In reply to Mama, I went to Mafa to pay my respects first. Mafa asked me to come and pay my respects to Mama, and told me to listen to Mama and live with her without worry."

Well, you've learned to speak well. A eunuch from Danning Residence had already taken a shortcut and reported this to Shujia, and that was about it.

Shujia beckoned him to sit next to her, holding Yonglian in her arms, and said to Hesheli, "His room has been cleaned up. Hongbing has gone to study and can no longer live with me. It's just right that he can live here. You can go and see what Yonglian likes and give them some advice on how to decorate it."

Hesheli laughed and said, "How could Mother treat him badly? Besides, he's just a little kid, what's there to be picky about?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Yonglian, who also stared at his mother with wide eyes. Shujia touched Yonglian's head and said, "Just think of him as starting school two years early. He's with me, so you don't have to see him every day." She sighed, "When Hongdan followed the late emperor, it was really..."

Hesheli felt sympathetic and reluctant to let go, but she also didn't wish for it.

Hesheli was still driven by Shujia to take a look at Yonglian's new residence. This place was originally cleaned up by Shujia for her own sons to live in. Several of her sons had lived with her when they were young. She also had experience in raising children and had cleaned it up to make it very suitable for children to live in.

Even though she was reluctant to leave, Hesheli didn't stay too long in front of Shujia. She winked at Yonglian's nurse and wet nurse before leaving and going home. She had a lot of things to do at home, and she was not feeling well enough to stay out for long.

Only after Hesheli's departure did Shujia begin to pepper Yonglian with questions, both long and short. She'd had plenty of contact before, but nothing compared to raising him personally. She had to ask him detailed questions about what he liked to eat, what he played, and what time he got up. The nanny pricked up her ears, afraid to miss a single word, always ready to intervene if Yonglian couldn't answer.

Yonglian's answer was quite clear: "I usually eat what I like, but as for playing... well... I can't play too much."

Shujia couldn't help laughing: "If I don't play now, do I have to wait until I grow up to play? That won't work. I should play when it's time to play, and do business when it's time to do business."

Was Hongdan like this in front of Kangxi when he was little? Twenty years later, Shujia felt distressed again.

She had wanted to ask Yonglian how many words he could recognize, but seeing Yonglian acting like a grown-up, Shujia put that aside and asked about his sisters. Yonglian couldn't stand seeing his sisters, because they were both young, and because Hesheli was very strict with him and didn't let him play much.

He only remembered: "The older sister loves to cry, and the younger sister is pretty."

Time flew by as they exchanged questions and answers, and the snacks were served. Yonglian ate his meals with his own chopsticks, his nanny placing food on his plate, and he ate slowly. Hesheli felt she had only learned the basics of her mother-in-law's ways, but she had managed to imitate them closely enough in her daily routines.

When Shujia gave birth to Hongbing, she had already entered the palace and witnessed how Shujia raised her son. Although she felt a little uncomfortable with the idea of ​​letting her child do things by himself from a young age, she copied her behavior for the sake of face. Yonglian had no difficulty adapting to the new place of residence and living habits.

Yinreng arrived at dinner time, putting on a dignified face and waiting for Yonglian to pay his respects. Then, with a kind face, he called his grandson over and held him in his arms, asking him what he had done today, whether Mama's snacks were delicious, and whether he missed his father and mother.

Shujia calling herself "Ma Ma" is fine, considering she already has several grandchildren, but hearing the word from Yinreng's mouth is strange: they are already so old! As we listen further, we find that Yinreng is tending to become a nagging mother-in-law. Although he is patient with his children, he has never been so kind.

It's really... jaw-dropping!

Throughout the meal, Yinreng showed his full face to Shujia, making her lose her mind and frightened her half to death. After dinner, Yinreng patiently asked about his grandson's studies and even taught him how to write, praising him: "You hold the pen very well."

————————————————————————————————————————

Only after sending the nanny to take Yonglian for a walk did Yinreng say to Shujia, "Take good care of him, or the court will cause trouble again."

"?"

"The court held a meeting, and the Beijing flags returned to the camp."

"What?" Shujia gasped. Were they going to be lumped together? Ordinary bannermen also had to work. Although they still had privileges, it was already a big step forward.

Beyond Shanhaiguan, known as the ancestral homeland of the Qing dynasty, and home to local specialties like ginseng, non-indigenous people rarely had the opportunity to cross there, except through exile, banishment, or official appointments. This was to preserve these resources, allowing them to return if they could no longer stay in the Central Plains. The land there is fertile, vast, and sparsely populated.

These are not the main points. The main point is: "How many people from the Jing Banner are willing to return to the villages? And how can they go back? For nearly a hundred years, many people have been accustomed to eating the crops and are lazy and don't know the difference between grains. How can we ask them to farm?"

Shujia was still very concerned about the distinction between Manchus and Han people. She once couldn't help but say, "Aren't the Manchus and Han people one family?"

A sharp glint flashed in Yinreng's eyes: "It's indeed not. If it were... just comparing the numbers, in a few decades, we would be forgotten by the crowd! By then, where can you find the Qing Dynasty?"

Unexpectedly, Yinreng had now decided to overturn the original idea that he had opposed more than half a year ago and to stop maintaining the transcendent status of the bannermen.

"This isn't a solution." Yinreng smiled bitterly. They had targeted the gentry, not the bannermen. But since the reform had taken place, with such a formality, some people naturally asked if the bannermen should also participate. Moreover, the bannermen were not engaged in production, originally so that they could maintain their military capabilities. Now what? They were just a bunch of useless people!

Another, Hongdan, took advantage of the land tax system to learn about the country's farming and population situation. He boldly asked his father: "If the bannermen continue to multiply, how will we feed them?" While serving and paying taxes together was a good idea, it solved the immediate crisis and laid a good foundation for the country's long-term development.

This made the distinction between the Manchus and the common people even more distinct. Previously, there had been a group of officials and gentry with the privilege of not paying taxes, acting as a buffer between the two sides. This made the country appear to be divided into three groups: the common people, the privileged officials and gentry, and the Manchus, making the distinction between Manchus and Han less pronounced.

Now that the privileges of the privileged official and gentry groups have been stripped of their most fundamental elements, if the privileges of the bannermen continue to be granted, the opposition will become even more pronounced. One cannot help but worry that if the contradictions intensify in the future, the banner of nationalism will be able to recruit a large number of people—from all classes—to oppose the current regime.

Moreover, the number of bannermen had increased significantly compared to when Yinreng was still the crown prince. They all needed money to support them, and the budget was insufficient, so they had to pay them a 30% discount on their salaries.

Sometimes, the locals are more open-minded than the time travelers imagine. The knowledgeable ones among them are much more familiar with the current situation than the time travelers, and are more likely to adjust policies according to the actual situation. Their openness will definitely surprise the time travelers who have stereotypes about the ancients.

Of course, Yinreng was not so stupid as to give up the foundation of his rule. He meant that he still would not allow the Han people to freely settle outside the Great Wall, so he had to transfer the bannermen.

Shujia: “…”

However, they had just offended the official and gentry group, so it was not appropriate to take action against the bannermen at the moment. Therefore, although Yinreng had this intention, Hongdan had this intention, and the entire court had this awareness, no one raised it openly.

Just like the land tax distribution, this matter involves the specific distribution of land, so we have to conduct a thorough investigation, right?

Shujia thought about it for three days, and finally asked Yinreng carefully: "Have you ever thought about it?"

"What?"

"The Manchus and the Han are truly one family."

"Um?"

In Shujia's mind, treating people separately and constantly on guard against them was truly pointless. If you consider yourself a barbarian, you'll always be a barbarian! Emperor Wen of Sui claimed to be a descendant of the Han Dynasty's Grand Marshal, and his wife was definitely a Hu person. Their relatives, Li Yuan and his family, claimed to be descendants of Laozi and the Longxi Li clan, but a closer look at the family tree revealed Hu ancestry as well.

Even so, no Han Chinese would deny these two. Why?

Prosperous and open.

It’s mainly about positioning, where you position your regime.

Why not prosper together? Why be enemies?

How did the once-powerful Mongol Yuan Dynasty fall so completely? They did have a clear division of people into four classes.

Yinreng's face was grim: "Emperor Xiaowen of Wei did become sinicized, but what was the result? He lost his country, his family, and even the names of his ancestors." Even if he had to give in, he still had reservations.

"In today's world, apart from wearing Manchu clothes and shaving the head and tying the braid, what else are the Manchu customs? Are those who quibble with words all Han people? How many Manchus are good at riding and shooting? The country has spent so much effort to protect the martial spirit of the bannermen, but compared with the early years of the founding of the country, if we ask ourselves, it is far behind! Not to mention now, even during the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories, there was only peace for 30 or 40 years, and they were no longer as brave as they used to be, right? Also, speaking of surnames, who calls them Lord Guaerjia or Lord Niuhulu?" Their family is an example.

Without this hurdle, there will be no further development. Slow assimilation is too slow, and there's no telling where it will end!

Yinreng also knew that this was the right thing to do, but he still couldn't make up his mind. This was a big gamble.

What Shujia was thinking was that instead of passively taking the whip and moving, it would be better to take the initiative in her hands and coexist and prosper together.

In a bewitching tone, he said, "The division between the Manchus and the Han is the greatest concern. As long as this issue is resolved, there will be nothing to worry about in the world. Think about it, in one thing, you don't have to worry about the balance, you don't have to worry about whether someone's heart is trustworthy, just ask whether he can do it..."

Yinreng shook his head violently, and Shujia sighed heavily: "Do you have any other ideas?"

No, if there were, there wouldn't be a 30% discount on state subsidies for bannermen, and then there wouldn't be a need to deliberately force them to farm. It's clear that the current form of rule is no longer sustainable. The people who inhabit this land possess a tenacious vitality. If the occupiers and invaders can't assimilate them, they're doomed!

Without exception.

Yinreng's heart sank: "I need to think about it."

Shujia's status convinced Yinreng she had no ulterior motives, so he was willing to listen. With the facts before him, he had to find a way out. The Manchu-Han divide was a natural part of the dynasty, and those at the center of power subconsciously avoided tampering with it. Naturally, the solution hidden within... no one sought to uncover it.

Yinreng was not content to linger on, deceiving himself and others. He wanted to be remembered for eternity as a sage ruler. How could a sage ruler confine himself to a shackled territory? Which sage ruler was not a man of leniency?

Yinreng hesitated.

Mongol Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Xiaowen, Emperor Taizong of Tang, which one do you want to be? Which one do you have the confidence to be?

The author has something to say: I am worried. Whenever I write about reform, I am always worried that there will be loopholes, and that the writing will be too jumpy or too fanciful.