The storm is coming

Yinreng was full of confidence and used the military victory and the good news that the queen had given birth to a child as an excuse to celebrate with everyone. So he issued an edict: "In this prosperous era, the population will increase and taxes will never be increased." As soon as the edict was issued, the court and the people praised it.

"Khan-Ama's desk is nearly overwhelmed with congratulatory memorials," Hongdan and Hongtong sat in Kunning, with Hongdan speaking. "Khan-Ama can barely keep up. A couple of days ago, he'd glance at each one, but now he's just asking the Grand Secretary to sort through them, one for governors, one for the central government, and one for the Eight Banners. He'll just pick one out at random, glance at it, and file it away."

Hongdan said this with a smile. The supply lines for the northwest campaign were extremely long, and logistics were even more demanding than those on the front lines. Prince Yong, in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, was undoubtedly overwhelmed. As the crown prince, one of the officials in charge of overall affairs, Hongdan not only had to keep track of logistics, but also the situation on the front lines, where the garrisons could be deployed for reinforcement, and so on. He also had to have contingency plans for all the events that concerned Yinreng. He was truly busier than the emperor.

After the battle on the front line ended, he put aside the three matters of logistics, front line and dispatch at once, and felt indescribably relieved.

Shujia glanced at her son and thought, "Your father has bestowed all the grace, so you can't be a good person anymore." "There's little originality in eulogizing the emperor. One observation reveals a hundred lessons. Your father has a lot to do, so it's not uncommon for him to get bored reading. Every year, we send you New Year's greetings. Has he ever read them all?"

These words were only spoken behind closed doors by the family and must not be spread outside the palace, otherwise Yinreng would inevitably be known as someone who did not value his subjects.

Hong Dan said, "Everyone who does or sees these things on stage knows that they are a matter of face, but without them, nothing can be done."

Hongtong was a bit depressed. He now had a wife and a child, and his life was going well, but his career was a bit lacking. Not to mention that Hongdan, now the crown prince, had already been involved in government affairs, but even his half-brother Hongxi, who was born to a different mother, had gone to the front lines to gain some experience, and then returned to participate in the formulation of the Lifanyuan's policy towards Tibet, gaining enough political capital that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had already built a Prince's Mansion for him outside the palace.

On the other hand, he just listens to everyone's lively discussions every day, and doesn't have to worry about anything. He wants to show his abilities, but there is no stage. What a shame! %……

Shujia had already noticed her son and asked him, "How about you? How is Su Rige?"

Suruge was Hongtong's eldest son. He was not even a year old and had not yet been given a name. His mother, who was Mongolian, gave him a Mongolian nickname. Suruge is a transliteration, which literally means "in groups," implying a wish for a large family with many descendants.

In comparison, Su Rige's uncle did not have a formal name. He was generally called "Eighth Prince" and officially called "Eighth Prince of the Emperor".

When talking about children, Hongdan's eyes dimmed, but he concealed it well and his expression was still appropriate.

When talking about his son, Hongtong also became excited: "How old is he? He just eats and sleeps all day long." He used a disdainful tone to hide the pride and satisfaction of being a father.

"You were like this when you were his age. Don't laugh at me!" Shujia scolded with a smile, "All children are like this. You're already a father, and you're still so childish."

Hongtong's heart moved, and he said casually: "Even if I become Mafa, I am still my mother's son." He said to himself, "It is really hard to be idle all day long."

Before Shujia could speak, Hongdan stopped him and said, "Don't you also stand in the court when the government is in session? Use your brain more, there will always be something useful."

It was a consensus among the government and the public that his mother could influence his father. Hongtong was determined to seize this opportunity, so he sneered, "What's the point of talking about it on paper? I'll just watch and listen."

Shujia just watched without saying anything. Hongdan was helpless and whispered, "What kind of job do you want? You've never had a job before, so it's not your turn to handle big things. I have no choice but to start with small things. If you are given trivial matters, wouldn't it lower your status? I've been keeping an eye on it for a long time."

Shujia then said, "That's the truth. No matter what mission you're on, with your uncle Wang and Hongxi here, they'll definitely help you."

"Then I'm not afraid. Even veterans started out as novices."

Shujia looked at Hongdan, and Hongdan's helplessness deepened: "I will go back and think of a way for him. But there is one thing, you should not interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue. He will be scolded for his job next, and I can't let him go." The last sentence was said to Shujia.

Shujia thought silently that after the tax was no longer increased, the land tax would be distributed according to the land, and the gentry would serve as officials and pay taxes together. It really was a job that would attract criticism! She nodded and said, "That's the truth."

Hongtong was thinking, however, that wealth and honor are sought in danger: "I want the horse to run, but I don't want it to eat grass. Where in the world can such a cheap thing be waiting for me? Even if I get scolded, it doesn't matter."

Shujia was deeply unhappy. No mother wants her son to take advantage of the situation. Yongzheng was arguably the most reviled of all Qing emperors. Did he do anything unjust? In Shujia's limited knowledge of Qing history, Yongzheng's most notable achievements were his domestic policies. The equalization of the land tax, the public ownership of the fire consumption tax, and the integration of gentry into official positions were key to his political achievements. Just from his name, you can tell he deeply offended the educated and intellectually inclined. Those who held the power of speech would never say a good word for him.

Hongdan's heart moved, and he shook his head: "It depends on what Khan Ama thinks."

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

What Yinreng meant was, "Go to the Ministry of Revenue, help your fourth uncle, and learn more from him."

A huge pie fell from the sky! Hongtong's eyes were filled with surprise, and he said loudly: "My son will definitely live up to your trust!"

Yinreng was startled by him: "You are already my father's wife, but you are still so impulsive. You are not allowed to be like this when you go to the Ministry of Revenue. You must be calm and steady, understand?"

Hongtong's eyes sparkled as he nodded repeatedly, "Son, I understand."

Yinreng was amused by him. This guy was like this when he was a child. That time when he was given a jeweled dagger, he had the same expression. Yinreng couldn't help but reach out and rub Hongtong's head. Hongtong's eyes widened instantly. A grin appeared on the corner of his mouth again. This pie tastes pretty good.

It burned my mouth and made blisters!

Hongtong stared blankly at the pile of account books in front of him and asked his fourth uncle foolishly, "Fourth Uncle, what are you doing?"

The Northwest no longer had to fight, and Prince Yong breathed a sigh of relief. After tallying up the rewards and compensation figures, the only thing left for him to do in the Northwest war was to "reserve some funds for emergencies." After all, the salt tax had been implemented nationwide, so he still had some spare money.

Unexpectedly, his second brother found him another job - helping to take care of the children!

The breath that Prince Yong had let out came back to his chest.

Hongtong was still very motivated, which pleased his uncle. He believed that a child who was willing to work was a good child! He enthusiastically summoned the Ministry of Revenue and introduced Hongtong to the following positions: Manchu and Han ministers, Manchu and Han left and right assistant ministers, doctors, secretaries, and officials... one after another.

"It's okay if you can't remember it right away. You'll remember it after a few days. I have a list of officials from the Ministry of Revenue here. You can take it and look at it later."

Hongdan had already given it in advance, so Hongtong concealed this part and just said, "Then my nephew would like to thank Fourth Uncle in advance."

Prince Yong coughed and nodded, "Come with me." He needed to first check his nephew's current math skills before deciding how to lead him. Thank goodness, Hongtong still knew numbers. Prince Yong briefly explained the internal structure of the Ministry of Revenue, which still had a large staff. He also explained how the national accounts were divided into several departments and how each account was calculated. He also asked where military funds and other expenses would come from.

The next task was to teach Hongtong some basic statistics and give him an abacus. He also brought in a skilled hand and explained how to use an abacus: "You don't need to be too familiar with it, just know how to calculate. You rarely need to see it in person, but you should know a little bit."

Then they looked at the account books. Hongtong was very depressed: "Fourth Uncle, can't you take your time to look at these? Right now, the tax is exempted, not increased."

Prince Yong said in annoyance: "Do you think the Ministry of Revenue is just in charge of the warehouse? If you don't understand these, you won't even know if your subordinates are fooling you!" He began to teach, explaining how to record receipts and expenditures, and how to check them.

Hongtong was quite clever and quickly mastered the idea. His uncle, pleased, took him with him to handle the affairs of the department. Among these was the follow-up issue of "never increasing taxes." "Never increasing taxes" meant that the capitation tax had been fixed, and now preparations had to be made for the "spreading capitation tax per mu."

To Hongtong's surprise, this impressive-sounding job turned out to be incredibly boring! How much land was there in the country? How many grades of land were there? What were the different proportions of the tax paid to different types of land? There was also the issue of regional disparities. The fertility of the land varied from province to province. How could this be handled fairly?

The only suggestion he could offer was, "If new farmland is opened up in the future, won't it be free of tax? What if the people, driven by profit, open up all the new farmland and abandon the old?"

Prince Yong considered it carefully. "That's right. Newly reclaimed land will be taxed the same as equivalent local land, depending on its fertility."

After making suggestions, Hongtong put the annoying statistics behind his mind and listened attentively to what Shi Shilun said: "The implementation of new policies requires capable officials to take charge." He also refrained from speaking.

Unexpectedly, at the end of the meeting, his uncle threw a pile of account books at him and said, "Look carefully at these. You're not supposed to take the Ministry of Revenue's account books home. Try to read as much as you can here. Since you're in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, you can't just know how much tax was collected each year. You also have to understand the specific conditions of each province and prefecture. Otherwise, you won't be able to do your job well. For example, a disaster in Jiangsu and Zhejiang will have a different impact on the country than a disaster in Mongolia."

Hongtong stared blankly at the pile of account books as his uncle said, "Read these first. I'll give you the others after you're done. You don't need me to teach you how to manage subordinates. If you want to achieve anything in the Ministry of Revenue, it's not enough to just be able to check and balance; you also need to have real skills."

Hong Tong: “…”

From then on, the two Fourth Masters taught and learned from each other in the Ministry of Revenue.

Yinreng was greatly comforted by the success of his sons, who all had established careers. He often praised his sons to Shujia: "Hongdan is thoughtful and experienced, Hongxi is calm, and even Hongtong can do his job with all his heart."

However, in front of his son, he put on a stern face again: "You still need to work hard. Studying is like sailing against the current, and the same is true for doing business. Don't be arrogant or impatient, and learn more from your uncles and kings."

The comparison between the two is really laughable.

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

The second half of the sixth year of Changtai to the seventh year of Changtai was the most comfortable time that Yinreng had lived in these years.

The newborn son seemed to bring him endless energy. Seeing the sweet-smelling baby reminded him of his first time as a father, when he was still young. He also felt young now, even though he had grown the signature mustache of a badass, and even though his grandson was older than his youngest son.

Many of the tasks that followed had been prepared for a long time and were just waiting to be executed, so Yinreng really had a lot of free time and sometimes even went to Kunning Palace to visit his son and daughter.

In October, Yinreng and his family moved back to the palace. The distance between Kunning Palace and Qianqing Palace was nothing to Yinreng. And here he is again.

Wu Yunzhu took off her shoes and knelt on the south edge of the kang, holding a colorful hydrangea with an apricot-yellow tassel dangling from its base. A foot below the tassel lay her brother's plump hands. Xiao Ba was laid face-up on the kang, his hands already unswaddled, stretching out to reach for the hydrangea.

Wu Yunzhu covered her mouth with her left hand, giggling. She held the hydrangea in her right hand, lifting it up and down. She lowered it slowly, then, just as Xiao Ba's chubby paw was about to grab the ear of berries, she yanked it upwards. Xiao Ba missed, and his paw dropped. She lowered the hydrangea again, repeating the process.

Until Xiao Ba's babbling turned into sobbing, Si Gege couldn't stand it anymore: "Oh, stop teasing him, don't make him cry."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yinreng came over and picked up his son with a very standard posture: "My dear son, don't cry." After weighing him, Xiao Bayi reached out and grabbed his lapel and pulled it back and forth. He didn't get angry, but made faces at his son. The Fourth Princess turned her face away in pain, and Wu Yunzhu opened her eyes wide.

Shujia patted the Fourth Princess's shoulder and said, "You two should go see the Third Girl." Seeing Wu Yunzhu had put on her shoes, the Fourth Princess said goodbye with her and went to see the Third Princess. The Third Princess's wedding was scheduled for the following spring. Young women waiting to be married were shy and would inevitably be teased if they went out, so apart from paying their respects, they rarely went out.

After seeing her daughters leave, Shujia said to Yinreng, "Are you particularly happy today?" He was so proud that he got carried away.

Yinreng actually nodded and said, "That's right," and handed his son to the wet nurse, then turned to Shujia and said, "Today they have drafted the matter of the minister stationed in Tibet." If these projects were really accomplished, Tibet would not only be under tributary rule, but also have a much closer relationship with the central government, even though it was not directly ruled!

Shujia was very interested in this and said happily, "Really?"

Yinreng rubbed his hands and talked about his measures in Tibet. They were nothing more than political (selecting ministers to Tibet), economic (collecting a fixed amount of taxes), military (stationing a 2,000-man army in Lhasa, under the pretext of protecting the Dalai Lama from invasions like the one this time by the Dzungars, with a righteous reason), and cultural (allowing 20 children of Tibetan leaders to study in Beijing).

Shujia asked, "Didn't you say that the importance of Tibet lies in the two Living Buddhas? How come... these don't involve them?"

Yinreng's smile turned into a sigh. "The two Living Buddhas are revered as gods in Tibet. How can they be easily moved?" He lowered his voice and said, "Even that fake lama, before he was proven to be a fake lama, Khan Ama could only tolerate him. Even after it was confirmed that he was a fake lama, Khan Zang sent him to Beijing. Not only in Tibet, but also in Qinghai, there were still believers who clamored and refused to let him go east." It almost caused another uprising, which shows how huge the impact was! How could they challenge their authority so casually?

The government wasn't particularly afraid of this, but a quasi-military group was still watching closely. If we didn't handle it properly, it would give them an excuse. The consequences would be serious.

Shujia still remembers how the custom was formed. Only when the central government issued a golden seal and a golden book could the Living Buddha be considered legal. The golden urn drawing was also valid only when the central government had members "supervise the voting".

He said in a roundabout way, "I heard Hongxi say last time that when choosing a Living Buddha in Tibet, they often try to use the emperor as a lever to control the other princes. There was once a time when a Living Buddha was being chosen in Tibet, and a prince, wanting to maintain his status, had the lama who was searching for the reincarnated lama tell him that the princess was pregnant with the Living Buddha. Unfortunately, the princess gave birth to a girl. What if it was a boy, and his father had ulterior motives? What would happen? Even if they found out it was fake, it wouldn't be a very interesting story."

This remark struck a chord with Yinreng. Tsangyang Gyatso was merely the Diba's puppet in government affairs. How many of the orders against the central government had come from the Diba? He muttered to himself, "How can I prevent this? Even if I send someone to search for the reincarnated soul boy, I'm afraid it won't work..."

Shujia stopped interrupting, as she thought that saying too much would lead to mistakes. Besides, once Yinreng noticed this matter, there would be no need to worry that he would not be able to find a solution.

Sure enough, a few days later, Hongxi, who came to pay his respects, said, "Khan Ama has asked us to add a few more items and will issue them to the Living Buddha."

This is how the Qing court operated historically: they refused to recognize any Living Buddha who hadn't applied for the title. In terms of political wisdom, later generations truly needn't worry about the ancients. At least, we shouldn't worry about the ancients today. Yinreng didn't act recklessly. Regarding the terms, he specifically consulted with the two Living Buddhas, and after much bargaining, he finally arrived at a mutually acceptable agreement.

In the first month of the seventh year of the Changtai reign, the Regulations on the Residency in Tibet were officially promulgated. Yinreng also ordered the Imperial Household Department to hastily produce the golden books and seals of the current Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama. These, along with other items such as palace satin, brocade satin, python satin, tea, silver, and Buddhist scriptures, were then taken to Tibet by the imperial envoy and the minister stationed in Tibet.

Because Tibet was not "reformed into a state of local authority," central government taxation was merely improved upon and reduced based on the tax system established by Lhazang Khan, thus reducing the economic burden on Tibet. The Resident Minister, nominally equal in status to the two Living Buddhas, did not interfere much in Tibetan affairs, merely hosting regular meals with the community, collecting taxes, and occasionally helping them solicit awards from the central government.

They get along with each other harmoniously.

At the end of April, Yunxiang finally returned to the capital with the two Living Buddhas' special envoys and the imperial envoys who delivered the imperial edict. To the great relief of the people in the capital, the two Living Buddhas' special envoys also brought gifts and letters of thanks from the Living Buddhas, and they both accepted the canonization!

The overall situation has been determined!

Yunzhi colluded with others at all levels and submitted a petition with Beizi Sunu, Grand Secretary Ma Qi, Li Guangdi and others, requesting the title of emperor.

As long as the emperor was alive and lived long enough, it was always necessary to add honorific titles. Especially when he had made great achievements, he would write a letter of praise to let everyone know.

This time, Yinreng refused. He was quite proud. Although Tibet had no itinerant officials, he could still be considered to have made contributions to the expansion of the territory. However, he said, "I have been on the throne for less than ten years, and it would seem frivolous to give me an honorific title already." He rubbed his hands and said, "In three to five years, I will accomplish two more great things, and then this honorific title will be truly deserved."

Shujia: "..." This guy even planned to write a letter of praise to himself, how shameless! Judging from the meaning revealed in Yinreng's words, she absolutely believed that even if Yunzhi couldn't wait for the letter, Yinreng would find a way to praise himself when he felt it was appropriate.

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

Happy events followed one after another. They celebrated a birthday they didn't particularly enjoy, married off their adopted daughter, the third princess, and had their first birthdays. Thankfully, they survived the year most prone to premature death; after that, it all depended on how well they were taken care of.

After his son's first birthday, Hongtong took on a new job, dealing with numbers and managing finances all day. Just as he was feeling elated, Shujia's gaze turned to him with a slightly complicated expression. The reason was simple: the day before yesterday, Zichang had reported, "This servant was also negligent. I only realized these past two days that the Fourth Master... uh, has taken in a servant."

Shujia lowered her eyes. She didn't support or oppose the situation, and as long as it didn't cause any trouble, she wouldn't express her opinion. For now, she had no choice but to adhere to these three principles. People sometimes have to compromise with reality, and as they get older, they become more adept at doing so. Especially when the person being compromised is their own son, it's usually the parents who compromise.

Generally speaking, Hongtong didn't favor a concubine over his wife, and he didn't even bring her to Kunning Palace for show, so she clearly wasn't a concubine. Furthermore, he let his wife give birth to their first son. There was nothing wrong with him, and Shujia couldn't force Hongtong to be monogamous.

Hongtong was so excited that he accidentally let out a sentence: "My fourth uncle and I are still planning a big thing, and mother will know about it when the time comes." He just stopped there because he had not received a clear answer from Yinreng and the content could not be leaked.

But Shujia soon learned the truth from Yinreng: "The fourth brother," he paused, specifying the two fourth brothers, "we have submitted a petition together, requesting that all the fire consumption be returned to the public. They are really at fault. The evil of fire consumption has been going on for a long time. Whether it harms the people depends entirely on the integrity of the governors. It would be better to return it all to the public. Officials will have nothing to gain from it and will naturally stop. It will also save the governors from being exhausted. I receive memorials complaining every day."

According to Yinreng's regulations, the fire consumption tax was to be collected at a rate of 10%. Of course, in practice, the lower levels would certainly collect more. However, this regulation alone allowed the national tax revenue to increase steadily by 10% each year. In the past, this money had benefited the rats.

Shujia was shocked: "Without this income, how can the people below survive relying solely on salaries?"

Yinreng said proudly: "There is also money for maintaining integrity!"

"Where did Bing Jing and Tan Jing come from?"

Are you kidding? The fire consumption revenue is going to be returned to the public? The maintenance money? The maintenance money you give out is definitely not as much as what they're embezzling! If the fire consumption revenue is handed over to you, and they get the maintenance money, and their livelihood is secure, will they stop being greedy? Yes, they can restrain some people who face financial difficulties. But don't forget... they have social engagements, and the amount is definitely not small. Let them pay out of their own pocket to honor the top striker?

The ice and charcoal tributes in Beijing are all paid from these exorbitant taxes and fees, and they will definitely create other items and collect additional taxes and fees. We can wait and see.

Yinreng was no fool, and he immediately realized what was going on. He said coldly, "Giving them money to maintain their integrity is like adding to their salaries, which is enough for them to live comfortably. If they were to engage in corruption for personal gain, wouldn't I have drastic measures?"

Shujia: ...The following is not something she can participate in the discussion.