Chapter 58 Don't Ask Around
On the way back to the palace, Hong Zhou advised Yong Lian, "Don't easily agree to other people's requests. If you succeed, it's fine. But if you fail, those people will blame you."
Yonglian tilted his head. "I only agreed to report the situation. I didn't say I would help them persuade Khan Ama."
"But among the brothers and sisters of the Fucha family, even if you agree, when they quarrel, they will say that you also support Fu Liang to inherit the title." Hong Zhou knew too well the ability of these people to use the tiger's skin as a banner.
Yonglian frowned. He really hoped that Fu Liang would inherit the title.
Originally, Emperor Qianlong followed Ma Qi's instructions and gave the title to Fu Xing. However, Fu Xing was late for the empress's funeral and left early, and was stripped of his title. The title ultimately fell to Fu Liang.
Fu Xing has been slacking off for more than a day or two. Previously, he was reported by his clansmen for hanging his underwear in the ancestral hall.
Because this incident was so outrageous, Yonglian was deeply impressed.
What made Yonglian even more speechless was that when Qianlong criticized Fu Xing, he said that it was the Queen who suggested giving the title to Fu Xing.
This was clearly Ma Qi's idea, how did it become the Queen's suggestion?
Yonglian didn't believe that the Empress Dowager had the right to speak.
Yonglian was really afraid that if the title was given to Fu Xing, if something happened to Fu Xing one day, Khan's father would come and shift the blame, and this time he could not only shift it to his mother, but also to himself.
Yonglian didn't want to take the blame. And knowing Fu Xing wasn't reliable, why did he give the family business to him? His older brothers and sisters didn't respect him, and if they started to quarrel, it would only bring shame to his mother's family.
Seeing his nephew's face wrinkled in confusion, Hong Zhou rubbed her head and said, "It's not a big deal. At worst, your uncle will testify for you."
"Uncle Wu, you are such a good man!"
"Go away, do you even need to tell me that?" Hong Zhou pushed Yonglian's little head that was leaning over.
The uncle and nephew talked about the eyewear business again. The imperial physician had already made the eye protection watch. Hong Zhou planned to try it out on some elders of the royal family first and customize glasses for them.
Yonglian said that he would advertise the eye protection watch in the newspaper next month.
The carriage stopped outside the garden, and the two men got out. Yonglian saw an elderly figure walking out of the garden. It was their former Chinese teacher Fang Bao.
Fang Bao also saw Yonglian and knelt down in his direction. "My Lord, I will not be able to teach you anymore. I kowtow to you here and wish you a bright future..."
He started to sob as he spoke. Yonglian was stunned for a moment before he stepped forward to help him. "Master Fang Bao, please slow down."
"I am foolish and unworthy of being your master." Fang Bao burst into tears. "But I sincerely hope for the best for you. I have done my best to teach you. The last time I wrote the imperial decree..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Hong Zhou who came over quickly. "Alright, stop pretending to be pitiful." He said, pulling Yong Lian, "Let's go. Your Khan Ama is waiting for us to report back."
Yonglian had no choice but to let go of Fang Bao. Seeing the old man crying pitifully, he comforted him, "You are old, and it is time for you to enjoy your retirement at home. Take care of yourself." After that, he followed Hongzhou away.
Before Yonglian could ask, Hong Zhou started complaining, "This old man wasn't careful with his words. He was imprisoned during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, but he didn't learn his lesson. If it weren't for the fact that Emperor Kangxi saw that he was well-educated and pardoned his crime and even allowed him to work in the Southern Study, how could he be where he is today? Who would have thought that his old habits would recur?"
Yonglian knew Fang Bao had been in prison, and he was curious, "The same old problem? Did he say something wrong again? Or did he write something bad?" He hoped it wasn't a literary inquisition! He hadn't figured out how to avoid the horrific literary inquisition during the Qianlong reign.
"He told others what he said in private before the emperor." Hong Zhou said, "How can you tell others about this? He's so old, and yet he's still so unreliable? Moreover, he strongly recommended Wei Tingzhen to your Khan Ama. If your Khan Ama checked, you'd find out that the house he's living in now belongs to Wei Tingzhen."
Yonglian: "..." I hope it's not a literary inquisition. This matter is indeed Fang Bao's fault. He gave up the thought of pleading for him.
There is another thing that Hong Zhou didn't mention. Fang Bao and Zhang Tingyu are fellow Anhui natives, and are considered to be members of the well-known Zhang Party. The emperor has been cracking down on the E Party recently, so he also has to give the Zhang Party a warning.
Yonglian couldn't help but sigh, "No matter how learned a person is, he can't avoid being misled by selfishness."
The uncle and nephew arrived at Jiuzhou Qingyan, where the queen was also. They talked about Ma Qi's future, but they were both worried about Yonglian, fearing that the boy would not perform well.
Hearing Hong Zhou praising Yong Lian for speaking very appropriately in front of old Master Ma Qi, the couple both breathed a sigh of relief.
After Hong Zhou finished his report, he went to Shoukang Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager. Qianlong then looked at Yonglian, "Your fifth uncle said that after you saw Ma Qi, you went to see Prince Lu's wife. What did she say to you?"
Yonglian had to admit that Khan Ama was really sharp.
"It's all about the title." Yonglian said.
Upon hearing this, Qianlong looked at the empress and asked, "What did I say?"
The Queen said, "Your Majesty is very good at predicting things. My cousin probably disagrees with the old man."
Yonglian laughed, "Mother is also very good at predicting things."
Qianlong laughed and said, "After all, your mother's surname is Fucha. How can she not know her own family's affairs?"
Yonglian asked Khan Ama directly, "Who do you think should inherit the title?"
Qianlong: "We have to listen to Ma Qi's opinion on this matter. He is determined to let his youngest son inherit the title."
Yonglian said, "Ma Qi has no say in this matter. We must listen to Khan Ama's opinion. After all, the title was given by the emperor."
Qianlong smiled and said, "What you said makes sense. Then, please help Khan Ama think about who should be given this title?"
Upon hearing this, the queen immediately became nervous for her son.
Yonglian hummed: "You already have an idea."
"I have no idea either. I originally wanted to listen to Ma Qi, but now I want to listen to you." Qianlong said with a smile.
"Master Ma Qi wanted to give the title to Fu Xing because he wanted his second wife and youngest son to live a good life." Yonglian said, "But I think giving this title to Fu Xing and his mother will ruin their peaceful lives."
Qianlong raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"
"Firstly, Fu Xing doesn't look like someone who can achieve great things. He has been in Baitang'a for two years and his performance is mediocre. He may not be able to inherit the connections and relationships that old Master Ma Qi had in the past. Secondly, his older brothers and sisters do not respect him and will definitely want to find something to hold against him. He is so naive and ignorant, won't they be able to catch him if they do?" Yonglian said.
"Besides, although I haven't met Master Ma Qi's second wife, I can imagine that she is not a powerful figure. Otherwise, she would have won over those married ladies long ago."
After hearing this, Qianlong couldn't help laughing, and the queen couldn't help but frown.
"Father, Mother, what are you laughing at?" Yonglian groaned. "Does what I said make sense?"
"Yes, that makes perfect sense." Qianlong rubbed his son's bald forehead. "Your mother and I are worried that you are not sensible."
Yonglian raised his chin proudly and said, "I am a big boy now."
The Queen laughed and said, "You look so proud and want to be praised. You don't act like a big child."
Qianlong said to the empress, "Go back and persuade Ma Qi's wife. As long as Fu Jin works hard, I will not treat him unfairly. As his mother, she should not spoil the child blindly."
The Queen responded. She had little say in matters like this, and since her relatives were involved, it was even harder for her to get involved. The Emperor had summoned her not only to discuss Ma Qi's funeral, but also to test her stance. She didn't dare express any subjective opinions.
But she also hoped that Fu Liang would inherit the title. Although he was born out of wedlock, he was smart and capable. If her uncle's family business and connections were handed over to him, they would not be wasted.
Fu Liang also knew that his background was a disadvantage, so in order to protect his title, he would definitely not treat his stepmother and younger brother harshly. This way, his uncle's family would live in peace.
I just hope that after my uncle leaves, Fu Xing can fight for his dignity.
Qianlong discussed with the empress again that there would surely be many people paying their respects at Ma Qi's funeral, and he planned to ask all the guards to go and help.
The queen thanked him with great fear and trepidation.
Yonglian was eating cherries beside them, and would feed one to his father and mother from time to time.
After the emperor and empress finished discussing their business, Qianlong found that the brat was still eating cherries with a pile of cherry pits in front of him. He couldn't help but knock him on the head, "Why are you still sitting here? Look at what time it is?" Fortunately, there was only Manchu class today, otherwise he would have missed a lot of homework.
Yonglian: "Ah! It's almost time for dinner. Is my son here to eat?"
Qianlong: “…”
The Queen said, "Your Khan Ama has been fasting these days."
Yonglian: "Then my mother and I will go back to Changchun Xianguan for dinner."
Before he could finish his words, Qianlong grabbed him and said, "Accompany me to have a vegetarian meal."
Yonglian: “…”
The emperor often needed to fast, and the imperial kitchen was very skilled in making vegetarian meals. Yonglian ate them with great relish.
Everyone thought that Ma Qi had died in the past two days and had already started preparing for his funeral. Qianlong had even arranged the guards' shifts.
But the old man managed to hold on for a few more days. By then, Qianlong had already finished his fast and could have gone to visit him in person, but he didn't.
This is enough to show that Qianlong and Ma Qi himself did not have much affection for each other as monarch and subject.
After two more days, the old man finally passed away. Qianlong once again sent Hong Zhou, Yong Lian and Li Wei to pay tribute to him.
The three of them didn't stay long and left in a hurry after the memorial service.
Fu Xing originally planned to ask the Second Prince to say a few good words, but with Li Wei beside him, he didn't dare to bring up the matter of the title. He only said that his mother had fainted from crying several times.
He wanted the second prince to go and see his own mother, after all, she was a relative and elder.
Yonglian just asked the old lady to take care of herself. After returning to the palace, he sent some medicinal herbs to relieve the heat in the name of the queen.
After Fang Bao was dismissed from his post, Emperor Qianlong was unable to find a new Chinese teacher for them for the time being, so he asked Yunmi to take over the lessons for a few days.
Although Qianlong also asked Yunmi to teach Balzhuer and others, he was actually a hands-off boss. He would only visit the palace once every ten days or half a month. On weekdays, he either interacted with literati or stayed at home to play with his daughter.
Now he has to go into the garden every day to teach the princes, and Yunmi is really not used to it.
Moreover, he had to return to his master what he had learned in the Shangshufang, and he also had to prepare lessons at the last minute.
When Yunlu learned that his twenty-fourth brother also wanted to be a teacher for Yonghuang and the others, he warned him, "Don't be perfunctory about this matter. If the emperor finds out, he will be really angry."
Yun Mi drooped his head, "How can I possibly pretend to be perfunctory? The Emperor wants to read my sermons. Does my Sixteenth Brother need to write sermons to teach them mathematics?"
Yunlu shook his head and said, "I usually report in person, but the emperor doesn't understand much." Especially recently when he started teaching geometry, every time he reported to the emperor about what he taught in class, the emperor looked confused.
Yun Mi: “…”
"The meaning of Chinese classics is not as good as mathematics. The emperor is well versed in the classics and can tell if you say a word wrong." Yunlu smiled evilly.
Yun Mi: "... Twenty-first brother is more knowledgeable than me, why doesn't the emperor let him teach the younger brothers?"
"Your twenty-first brother is very busy lately." Yunlu said.
"What are you busy with?" Yun Mi thought about his twenty-first brother's position, "Did something happen in the royal family?" He was still wondering because he hadn't heard any gossip recently.
"You'll know in a few days," Yunlu said, patting his brother's shoulder. "You're so lucky."
Yun Mi was confused and went to ask his seventeenth brother, but Yun Li would not tell him.
Yun Mi thought it was just some gossip and asked around among the royal family. But Hong Zhou, who grew up with him, was kind enough to quietly remind him, "Uncle Twenty-one, don't ask around. It's not a good thing."
Yun Mi: "Whose family? Prince Xian? Prince Ping? Or my brothers?"
"It's your eldest nephew." Hong Zhou still couldn't keep the secret. "He asked someone to tell his fortune at home, and let my brother know."
"Just tell your fortune, I've done it before." Yun Mi said.
Hong Zhou: "...Who are you?"
Yun Mi: "I'll be having a son someday." He now has four daughters but no son. Although his daughters are very cute, he should at least have a son to inherit the title!
Hong Zhou: “…Then it’s okay.”
Yun Mi was curious: "What about Hong Xi? He has quite a few children." His title was already a prince, that was the end of it.
Hong Zhou: "I dare not say, any of the four questions would be treasonous."
Yunmi was shocked, "Is Hongxi crazy?"
"Isn't it?" Hong Zhou couldn't help but mutter to his uncle, "He seems to have inherited his father's madness. It's the Qianlong Emperor's reign, and he's still dreaming about that."
Yun Mi: "Are you going to convict Hong Xi?"
"It's only been a few months." Hong Zhou said, "My royal brother still wants to use him to catch some big fish."
Yun Mi smelled a dangerous aura and dared not ask any more questions. "Forget it, forget it. I'd better just teach Yong Huang and the others honestly. The emperor is not easy to fool. Your two nephews are also smart guys. The questions they ask are more tricky than the last."
"Yonghuang is an honest kid, but he can also ask tricky questions?" Hong Zhou was curious.
"He seems quite honest and serious about knowledge." Yun Mi said. Anyway, he couldn't ask such difficult questions when he was in his teens.
"That's good. I can help you review your homework at the same time." Hong Zhou said with a smile.
Yun Mi thought to himself that he would not be taking the imperial examination in the future, so why should he review this stuff?
As the two were talking, a steward came in to report to Hong Zhou, "The glasses for the four gentlemen, Ortai, Zhang Tingyu, Li Wei, and Xu Yuanmeng, have been delivered."
Hong Zhou nodded and looked at Yun Mi, "I also ordered one for your father-in-law Hai Wang. He often looks at blueprints, and his eyesight is not very good."
"When did you become so generous and give glasses away everywhere?" Yun Mi asked, and which of these old people doesn't have glasses?
"The glasses this time are different. The doctor used a goggles to tailor-make them for them," Hong Zhou said.
Yunmi was curious and said that he wanted to try it too.
Hong Zhou took him to test his eye protection watch. Prince Zhen, who didn't like reading very much, had very good eyesight.
Yun Mi heard Hong Zhou say that in the future, not only glasses but also frames and cases could be customized. Of course, the price would be beyond the reach of most people. He couldn't help but sigh, "You kid, you have so many ways to make money."
Hong Zhou said, "I just make a little money."
Compared to those corrupt officials and wealthy businessmen, his earnings were nothing. Furthermore, as he learned more about glass, he realized that to make money from glass in the long term, coal must be in sufficient supply.
But now two-wheeled carts, three-wheeled carts and new looms require a lot of iron, and iron smelting also requires coal.
If coal production cannot keep up, other industries will be restricted.
Thinking of this, Hong Zhou couldn't help but sigh. Although Hong Xi was a bit crazy, he sometimes had a long-term vision. He actually wanted to win over Shanxi merchants and control the big coal mines in Shanxi, either to make a profit or to cause trouble for his brother. If this method really succeeded, it would be really troublesome.
But he forgot that there were many other purposes for controlling coal mines, such as smelting iron and casting weapons.
Just for this one thing, the emperor can charge him with the crime of treason, and no one can find any fault with him.
Now we just have to wait for Nianqin to go to Shanxi to deal with those officials and Shanxi merchants who are in collusion with Hongxi. Those whose property should be confiscated should be confiscated, and those whose crimes are less serious can pay some silver to avoid punishment.
Then use the money to hire people to continue mining coal, casting iron and making steel.
This was exactly what Qianlong arranged, and he even sent Nianqin for this purpose. Because officials and gentry had to serve and pay taxes together, he had a bad relationship with the local officials in Shanxi, so he didn't have to worry about them shielding each other.
He even expected that Hongxi would not only seek his own death, but also provide a way for the court to make money.
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