Chapter 65 No Reward
"Mother and my sister read Miss Shu's manuscript and liked it very much. But Mother wouldn't let me read it."
The next day, Shuhede went directly to ask Yonglian. He was worried that the two children had met in the palace or had spoken privately. His daughter had not told him.
It's no wonder Shuhede thinks too much. It's just that his daughter has been very opinionated since she was young, and she has done many things without consulting anyone.
Unexpectedly, Yonglian said that it was because Shu Nan's manuscript fell into the hands of the Queen.
Shuhede was not sure what his daughter had written. He must have thought that the Queen and the Third Princess had praised their daughter's literary talent, so the Second Prince was willing to let her publish her work in the newspaper.
"What kind of story does the Second Prince want her to write?" asked Shuhede.
Yonglian wanted to tell the story of Liu Bei and the Jade Emperor, but was afraid the plot would be too explosive for readers. So he said, "As long as it's positive and uplifting, punishing evil and promoting good, it's fine, regardless of the subject matter. But I can't make the final decision on this matter; it still needs to be approved by Prince Yi."
Because Hongxiao loved reading novels and stories, he personally reviewed the manuscripts. Although Yonglian wanted to give Shu Nan a chance, he couldn't break the rules.
Shu Hede nodded and agreed to let Shu Nan try.
Shu Nan was both happy and nervous when he learned that he really had a chance to have his work published in the newspaper.
She gave herself the pseudonym "Nanxing" and began to write her first novel.
Two weeks later, Shu Hede told Yonglian, "My daughter has sent the manuscript to the book repair office. She said it's all up to Prince Yi to decide. It would be an honor for her to be selected, but if she's not, that's fine. She'll try again when she has a better idea."
Yonglian nodded, then asked curiously, "What alias did she use?"
Shu Hede smiled helplessly: "That girl didn't tell me, only she and a little boy at home knew."
Yonglian thought about it and decided that this was a good idea. Since he had to use a pseudonym and was afraid that it would affect her reputation, he shouldn't tell anyone else.
Because the serialization period of novels and stories in newspapers is relatively long, not many people submit their works. It is very likely that if you submit your work in August this year, it will not be officially published until January next year.
Hong Xiao was not in a hurry to review the manuscript. He would finalize the next article when the current one was almost halfway through.
This summer, Miao people in the Huguang region protested taxation and rioted, a remnant of the "reform of the native system." This, coupled with the initial attempts of local officials to appease them, escalated the situation considerably, prompting Emperor Qianlong to dispatch Zhang Guangsi, Du Kai, and others to quell the rebellion, with Governor-General Bandi of Huguang taking overall command.
By the end of July, the rebellion had finally subsided. But everyone in the court knew that this was temporary, and the chieftains in Miao areas might not give up their resistance.
Next, we have to use methods such as appeasement and decentralization to disintegrate these chieftains in Miao areas one by one.
This year is Emperor Qianlong's 30th birthday. Officials have already submitted petitions expressing their desire to go to Beijing to celebrate his birthday, and some officials are preparing to present birthday gifts and congratulatory messages.
Qianlong issued an edict several months in advance, stating that officials from various provinces did not need to pay tribute or gifts for this matter. He was young and strong, and it was not yet time for a grand birthday banquet.
Shuhede and Agui both talked about this matter in class, saying that the current emperor is sympathetic to his subjects and puts an end to extravagant habits, which makes him a wise ruler.
Yonglian couldn't believe it. Was this still the Emperor Qianlong who loved to show off?
Qianlong naturally enjoyed festivities, but now he valued his reputation more than anything else. The previous emperor, renowned for his diligence and pragmatism, had never celebrated his birthday with much fanfare. If he celebrated too lavishly, officials would inevitably compare him to the previous emperor.
It wouldn't be too late to wait until she was in her fifties or sixties. By then, Yonglian and the others would be grown up, and he could let his sons help him organize a birthday banquet. Just thinking about it made him happy.
Although officials from all over the country are not allowed to give gifts or hold banquets, the birthday celebration is still special.
Qianlong would go to Fengxian Hall and Shouhuang Hall to pay his respects, and to the Empress Dowager. Then he would go to Taihe Hall to receive the congratulations of all officials.
On the day of the Emperor's birthday, Qianlong had to go to various places to pay his respects, so he got up two quarters of an hour earlier than usual. As soon as he had finished washing up, an official from the Ministry of Rites came to request that Qianlong go to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.
Qianlong was hurriedly preparing to go to Shoukang Palace. Halfway there, someone from Shoukang Palace came and said that the empress dowager had not yet gotten up.
Both Qianlong and the officials of the Ministry of Rites were embarrassed.
He had no choice but to go to Fengxian Hall to pay his respects first. After the Empress Dowager got up, Qianlong went to Shoukang Palace.
The Empress Dowager woke up early in the morning and heard that the Emperor had just prepared to pay his respects but had turned back halfway. She blamed herself, "It's my fault. I knew he had a full schedule today, so I should have gotten up earlier to accept his greetings."
Concubine Yu comforted her, "You can't be blamed for this. You didn't tell us that the emperor would come early."
The Queen Mother sighed, "I should have thought of that."
When Qianlong came to pay his respects in the morning, the empress dowager was in a very low mood. She kept saying that she was getting more and more confused as she got older, and that such a situation had happened on Qianlong's 30th birthday.
At this time, the children were all there, and Yonglian said, "How can you blame the Queen Mother for this? You didn't get up late, it was the Khan Ama who came early."
Niu Lun said hurriedly: "This cannot be blamed on Khan Ama. Khan Ama was following the arrangements of the officials of the Ministry of Rites."
Qianlong: "Empress Dowager, please don't blame yourself. This is ultimately the fault of those people in the Ministry of Rites. They didn't take this matter seriously enough."
"This is the emperor's first full birthday since he ascended the throne, so the Ministry of Rites is bound to be in a state of chaos," said the queen.
The Empress Dowager passed away early during the reign of the previous emperor, and there had been no procedure for paying respects to the Empress Dowager for many years. The officials of the Ministry of Rites were somewhat negligent in arranging it.
Qianlong would never tolerate such a thing. If he didn't punish those officials in the Ministry of Rites, they might just make a joke of it. The emperor went to pay his respects to the empress dowager, but she was still sleeping in.
Because the Empress Dowager was not favored during the previous emperor's reign, what Qianlong feared most was that officials would look down on the Empress Dowager.
Seeing that Khan Ama still had a gloomy face, Yonglian changed the subject and asked, "When are we going to present a birthday gift to Khan Ama?"
Qianlong laughed and said, "Oh, what valuable gift are you giving me that makes you so impatient?"
Yonglian smiled and said, "It is indeed a valuable item, so heavy that even my son cannot carry it. I'd like you to go to the Imperial Household Department to see it."
Qianlong speculated, "Could it be a steam engine?"
Yonglian: "Khan Ama is indeed a master of prediction."
"What's the suspense about this?" Qianlong snorted. If there was no one around at this time, he would definitely say that this kid was trying to gain an advantage by borrowing flowers to offer gifts to Buddha, as the steam engine was obviously designed by Khan Ama.
However, Yonglian did make a contribution in this matter. At first, he wanted to make a pressure cooker, and when he realized steam power, Khan Ama was inspired and came up with the steam engine. Yonglian not only drew a blueprint, but also often paid attention to the subsequent progress.
Qianlong finally smiled, "After I go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to receive the congratulations of all the officials, I will take you to see the steam engine."
After Qianlong left, Yonghuang, Niu Lun and Hongzhou became excited and surrounded Yonglian to ask what a steam engine looked like.
Yonglian kept it a secret, "You'll know when you see him later."
Xiao Yongzhang didn't know what a steam engine was, but he had eaten meat cooked in a pressure cooker. He heard that the steam engine was an improvement on this pressure cooker.
He thought it was kitchen utensils, and when he heard his eldest and second brothers discussing something about a boiler, Yongzhang became even more certain.
Yongzhang was not interested in most foods, but the food made by his second brother never disappointed him.
Xiao Yongzhang was looking forward to it, but at noon when everyone went to see the steam engine, they came to a well near the Imperial Household Department.
Several craftsmen from the Imperial Household Department were already there. After greeting the emperor, they began to demonstrate how the steam engine could pump water.
The steam engine pumped water faster than any other machine Qianlong had ever seen, and the large water tanks nearby were soon filled.
Qianlong was very excited. Using this pump to irrigate farmland could increase the efficiency several times.
For this reason alone, Yonglian's gift deserves the word "precious".
Yonghuang and Niu Lun also stared at it intently, but it was a pity that this thing was not used in the palace.
Qianlong rewarded the craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department generously.
The craftsmen all thought that the steam engine was designed by the second prince, and that the one who deserved the reward the most was the second prince.
But after a few days, the second prince did not receive any reward.
Even Haiwang, Yunlu and others felt a little unfair for Yonglian.
Yunlu couldn't help but grumble to his seventeenth brother, "The emperor is so stingy. The child designed such a useful thing, but he didn't show any appreciation at all."
Yunli said, "Yonglian is a very capable child. Your Majesty dare not praise him too highly."
"He praises him a lot. Every time that kid paints a picture, the emperor will show it off to us for a long time." Yunlu said.
"Those were just a few words of praise." Yunli felt that Qianlong was afraid that Yonglian would become too famous among the people, so starting with the newspapers, he never told the public that these things were done by Yonglian.
The only impression Yonglian left on the people was that he opened a canteen to benefit the people, but this was only known to the people in the capital.
Newspapers and steam engines are both beneficial to the country and the people, especially steam engines, which will not only be used in agriculture and sericulture, but will also be promoted to coal mines.
If everyone knew that such a great thing was invented by the Second Prince, wouldn’t the Second Prince become too famous?
The Second Prince is eleven years old this year. He will enter the court to take up an official post in four or five years. With such a reputation and an identity that everyone knows, how can the emperor not be wary of him?
Yunli told his sixteenth brother about his guess, and Yunlu felt even more sorry for his nephew. "Bring him a math book tomorrow. He likes math."
When Yonglian received the mathematics book from his sixteenth uncle, his expression was indescribable.
What had he done wrong? Why was he punishing himself with such a difficult problem?
Hai Wang also felt that the Second Prince had a hard time, but he couldn't send anything to the Second Prince. He could only urge the craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department to make the steam locomotive that the Prince wanted as soon as possible.
The Imperial Household Department had to build steam locomotives and mass-produce steam pumps at the same time, and it was short of manpower.
Yunlu suggested recruiting some bannermen to help the Imperial Household Department.
But not everyone can manufacture machines. The newly recruited Sullas did not understand the principles of steam engines, and the parts they manufactured were substandard, resulting in the scrapping of several machines.
There was once a fire that almost happened, but fortunately the palace had complete fire prevention measures.
When Emperor Qianlong learned about this, he was a little frightened and punished Sura, who had operated improperly.
Yonglian said, "It's not their fault. Those craftsmen had to learn from their masters for several years before they could master the craft. These Sauras should also have received rigorous training. Steam engines are used in many places. Pistons, valves, and various parts need to be produced in large quantities. The number of people needed will only increase, not decrease. Khan Ama should open a separate room in Jingshan Official School to train them in these matters. After they graduate, they can be directly assigned to the Imperial Household Department and the Glass Factory."
Qianlong said, "The bannermen go to the official school to study in order to become officials. Who would want to study this?"
Although the upper three banners were just household slaves, many of them held official positions, including Cao Yin and Li Xu during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, Gao Bin and Sanbao during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, and Haibao, who embezzled over 200,000 taels of silver to bribe Emperor Yunlu. They were all from the Baoyi Banner.
But most of the people in the Imperial Household Department have been craftsmen all their lives, so it would be difficult for them to become officials in local areas.
Yonglian said, "It will be different in the future. If we want to promote steam engines throughout the country, we can't just have the craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department know how to make them. The Jiangnan General Manufacturing Bureau can also produce steam engines. Then we'll need people from the Imperial Household Department to go there. After training, can't those with experience be in charge there?"
"Look at the managers at the glass factory. They were all promoted from ordinary craftsmen. My fifth uncle told me that they make quite a lot of money."
Qianlong thought about it and asked Yonglian to write a set of rules. This was the business of the Imperial Household Department, so it was not a big problem for Yonglian to participate.
Yonglian started writing that night. For this matter, he stayed up half an hour later. The next day, he took the draft he had written to ask Shuhede for advice.
Shuhede's first thought after reading it was that the emperor really valued the second prince. Although he seemed to be not involved in court affairs, he was subtly influencing the court situation.
Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, the status of craftsmen, who are ranked second to last, will gradually improve.
Shuhede couldn't tell whether this was good or bad, but considering the court's current need for talents, it had to be done.
Shuhede only modified some of Yonglian's wording, and Yonglian copied it and presented it to Qianlong.
Qianlong was very satisfied and showed Yonglian's memorial to several eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department.
Yunlu thought that his nephew was an honest child. He was not disappointed even though he made contributions but did not get any benefits. He continued to help and give advice.
He praised this idea.
At the end of the year, when this news got out, the bannermen were discussing whether to send their children to learn a craft.
Respectable families would still prefer their children to learn clerical skills and become clerks in the future.
There were also some families whose ancestors had been low-level servants in the Imperial Household Department. They heard that the craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department were rewarded generously every now and then, and that the one who had invented a loom had even been promoted to a doctor. They were a little tempted.
Although learning to make machines cannot compare to the noble status of officials, it is better than being a slave in the palace or royal palace.
There were more people who signed up than Qianlong had imagined, and interviews were required, so in the end only fifty people were accepted.
Over the winter, the Imperial Household Department produced more than a dozen water pumps.
Half of it was reserved for transportation to Beijing for irrigation of farmland next year, and the other half was transported to the coal mines in Zhili for trial use.
Every time a machine is released, a dedicated person is required to explain everything from how to use it to how to repair it.
This was all ordered by Yonglian. He wanted more people to participate in the invention of machines and could not always rely on the people in the Imperial Household Department.
This will allow miners to better understand the specific conditions of coal mines and the principles of steam engines, and they can then improve steam engines that are more suitable for use in coal mines.
During the Chinese New Year, when Qianlong was offering sacrifices at the Taimiao, he told the soul of Yongzheng the good news and brought a small steam engine model to be placed in front of Yongzheng's ancestral tablet.
Yongzheng was very happy when he heard that the coal mine had been used.
He vaguely felt that the Qing Dynasty was about to enter a new era and would usher in tremendous changes.
His own good grandson Sun Yonglian made great contributions. Yongzheng asked Yonglian, "You have made such a useful thing. What reward did your Khan Father give you?"
"Reward, Khan Ama didn't give me any reward. Wasn't this steam engine designed by the Emperor?" Yonglian was a little puzzled.
Yongzheng was a little unhappy, "But people outside think you invented it." Yonglian: "In fact, not many people know about it, only Sixteenth Uncle, Hai Wang and a few people in charge of the Imperial Household Department."
After hearing what Yonglian said, Qianlong could guess what Khan Ama was asking, so he explained to Khan Ama's ancestral tablet: "Khan Ama, this steam engine has not yet been put into large-scale use, so your son dare not give rewards rashly. When the steam engine can be truly popularized next year and the people can truly benefit from it, I will reward Yonglian. I plan to make him a prince. What do you think?"
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