Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Talking about Marriage
After reading Nanxing's "Journey to the West Unofficial Edition", Emperor Qianlong just wanted to say... This book is really ridiculous.
He knew at first glance that the author was not the kind of scholar who grew up reading books of sages, because this book did not have the aloof and pedantic flavor of a scholar, but instead used a very down-to-earth way to write stories about gods and immortals.
Many minor monsters, briefly mentioned in Journey to the West, now play a significant role in this spin-off. The monsters themselves have their own existential struggles. Just like ordinary people in the world, they strive for wealth, power, and descendants.
The writing is fluent, the language humorous yet thought-provoking. The author frequently pokes fun at the three schools of thought: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. However, there are also stories that promote Buddhist compassion, Taoist freedom, and Confucian loyalty.
Qianlong had to admit that this book was more interesting than the clichéd novels about talented scholars and beautiful women.
In Qianlong's imagination, Nanxing should be a young man in his early twenties with a bit of a chivalrous spirit. Some of the words used in the book can be seen as a person from the capital. Qianlong guessed that Nanxing was a child of the Eight Banners from a wealthy family. Like Hongxiao, he liked to read miscellaneous books and had the opportunity to interact with people from Buddhism and Taoism. He did not have to take the imperial examination and was not so reverent to Confucius.
Qianlong then surveyed his guards and officials in the Southern Study. The guards, who came from Manchu noble families, all enjoyed Nanxing's books, and Fu Wen was an avid reader. The civil servants in the Southern Study, on the other hand, showed little interest in such stories about gods, ghosts, and spirits, especially since they frequently mocked pedantic scholars.
The poems in this book are even worse than those in Journey to the West, lacking any artistic conception. The civil servants all said Nanxing was a literate storyteller in a teahouse.
Although they hated the book, they had no reason to stop the emperor from reading it, because the main purpose of the book was to encourage good deeds.
Qianlong thought that the content of this book was very suitable for being put on the stage, with the little monsters playing lively and cheerfully, and everyone enjoyed watching it during festivals and holidays.
He then called the people from the Southern Palace to select one or two stories from the book and rehearse them.
"Try to arrange it before Prince Hui's birthday." The princes in the palace had always kept their birthdays simple, simply paying their respects to Khan Ama E Niang and eating a bowl of longevity noodles. While they might have received gifts as children, after entering the Shangshufang, gifts were no longer necessary.
This year, it’s Yonglian’s birthday, so I let him watch a play as a birthday gift from myself.
As for Yonglian's marriage problem, his son is not smart enough, so he, the Khan's father, has to worry about it.
At the same time, Qianlong had been paying attention to Yonglian's marriage.
Next year will be another election year, and Yonglian’s wife will be chosen from among the group of beauties next year.
Before the selection, Qianlong wanted to find out if there were any girls of the right age among the Manchu nobles other than the Fucha family.
Recently, when Qianlong met officials in their thirties and forties, he asked about their children, and many officials guessed what he meant.
Niuhulu's family had many brothers and children, and Aibida, Aligun and others were very active.
Qianlong was also optimistic about their family and considered them one of the alternatives.
The Ortai family was well-known for its good family traditions, and the girls in the family were well-educated and well-mannered. Although Qianlong was suppressing the Ortai Party, Ortai was gradually aging and no longer a threat, so choosing a girl from his family was not a bad idea.
However, there were too many children from these two families serving as officials in the court. If one or two of them failed to live up to their expectations, it would bring trouble to the wife. And if it brought trouble to the wife, it would bring trouble to Yonglian.
Qianlong planned to observe the situation further. That day, Ah Gui and Shu Hede came to report on the princes' studies at the Shangshufang. Yonghuang hadn't been at the Shangshufang every day since his marriage. This past spring, during the annual examinations at the Shangshufang, it was Yonghuang who led the team to preside over them. Now, he was largely in charge of the Shangshufang affairs. Occasionally, when there was clerical work at the Lifanyuan, Yonghuang also arranged for staff.
Therefore, Yonglian was the only one who studied diligently in the Shangshufang every day. Shuhede and Agui took advantage of this time to give Yonglian some education on how to be the crown prince.
Qianlong also acquiesced to this arrangement.
Yonglian was in great pain. He could see that these things were not something an ordinary prince should learn. But he couldn't say that since he probably wouldn't become an emperor in the future, it would be useless to learn them. He was a bit perfunctory.
Shu Hede was very worried when he saw the article Yonglian handed in. The Second Prince was obviously a man who could handle great things and knew how to deal with those in the officialdom, but this article was obviously not well thought out.
Shuhede tactfully asked Qianlong whether the second prince had any new hobbies recently.
Qianlong thought for a moment. "He's just concerned about the Imperial Household Department—oh, it should be called the Manufacturing Bureau now. He's visited the machine tools they've developed several times. He also loves reading novels and stories, like those serialized in the Guochao News. He buys most of them in full, especially the books written by Nanxing. He's particularly fond of them."
Shu Hede: "..."
Qianlong saw a strange expression on Shuhede's face and avoided his gaze.
Qianlong raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong? Shu Qing also likes to read Nanxing's books?"
Shu Hede said, "That book uses gods and ghosts to reflect the lives of ordinary people. It's quite interesting, but the language is too vulgar. It's fine for killing time, but Second Prince shouldn't waste his time on such books."
Qianlong nodded. "That's right. Fortunately, there aren't many novels of this style. You should remind Yonglian often that instead of reading these books, he should read more classics, history books, and collections of literature. If he wants to relax, he can delve into poetry and lyrics. Among my sons, the younger ones are not as talented as I am. Yonghuang, Yonglian, and Yongzhang are not like me. They don't have any poetic talent. Only the princess likes to write poetry."
Shu Hede came to his senses and thought, forget about poetry. The emperor, who loved poetry so much, hadn't even raised a son who loved poetry. As his teacher, he certainly didn't have the ability. Besides, for the crown prince, focusing on poetry and lyrics was no better than reading novels and storybooks.
"By the way, how are your children? I remember that your daughter is also literate." Qianlong remembered that Shuhede's daughter was about the same age as Yonglian, and asked hurriedly.
Shu Hede said, "My daughter also likes to read some miscellaneous books, but she doesn't have any talent for poetry."
Qianlong asked, "How is her health after the vaccination?"
"She has always been in good health and has never been sick in all these years." Shuhede expressed his gratitude again. It was because he had been vaccinated against smallpox in the palace that his daughter was so healthy.
Qianlong was concerned about Shu Chang again and heard that he had entered the official school and had good grades.
Shu Hede dared to say this in front of the emperor, which proved that Shu Chang's performance was really good.
After Shu Hede left, Qianlong sent someone to inquire about Shu Chang's school. He learned that Shu Chang had ranked first in all the tests in his first year of school. This year, the banner school was reformed, and the teachers all said that Shu Chang would definitely be a good student who could get a scholarship.
That evening, Qianlong said to the empress, "The girl from Shumulu's family who was vaccinated against cowpox last time is about the same age as Yonglian. It will be time for her to participate in the selection next year. You should pay more attention to her."
The Queen had never met Shu Nan in person, but she had read the manuscripts she had written, and she felt that she was quite special.
At this time, Shu Hede was reading his daughter's manuscript in the study. Ever since he learned that the second prince liked his daughter's novel, he felt very bad and even regretted letting his daughter publish a book.
"Journey to the West" had already been published, so there was no point in checking it now. Shu Nan was working on a new book, "The Romance of Heaven," which hadn't been finalized yet, so Shu Hede planned to check it word by word.
After reading it, he felt that there were many things that needed to be revised. He called Shu Nan to his study and said, "This little demon speaks too vulgarly. And this Nezha, he doesn't speak respectfully to his parents. How can the Jade Emperor be a lustful person?"
Shu Nan: ???
"The little demon has never been to school, so of course his speech is vulgar. Nezha is inherently rebellious, so he wouldn't be the one to be respectful. Why can't the Jade Emperor be a lecher?"
"What if someone says that you, the Jade Emperor, are an allusion to the Emperor?" Shuhede frowned.
Shu Nan also frowned, "If that's the case, I can't write the book."
"If you don't want to write it, then don't write it. You will be participating in the talent show next year, so you should learn some rules and etiquette," said Shu Hede.
When Shu Nan heard this, his heart sank and his eyes suddenly turned red.
She knew that this day would come sooner or later. At home, she had her father to protect her and could create under a pseudonym. After she got married, her husband's family would not allow her to spend her time and energy on this.
"Father, can you let me finish writing this book?" Shu Nan said, "I will definitely finish it before the auditions."
Shu Hede was not a conservative person, otherwise he would not have allowed his daughter to write novels. He felt a little sorry when he heard his daughter say this.
"Never mind, take your time writing, but try to use more elegant language. Even the masters in the palace are reading your book."
Shu Nan knew that his book was very popular among the Manchu nobles. Many of his father's friends had read it, and his father would tell him their thoughts after reading it.
Shu Nan was amused to hear that many people thought he was a lazy Eight Banners descendant. To some extent, this assumption was correct.
She was indeed from the Eight Banners, and indeed had little to do, so she enjoyed reading miscellaneous books. Because her mother was a Buddhist and her mother was a Taoist, there were often Taoist nuns and Taoist priestesses in the house. She was also very familiar with some of the activities of these two families.
Some of the stories were told by my father, especially in the past two years when he served as the governor of the Nine Gates and encountered many interesting cases.
This is all Shu Nan’s inspiration.
Her book was originally published in "Guochao News", so it is normal that the Second Prince and Prince Yi read it.
Shu Nan smiled and said, "If my book really contained any disrespectful remarks towards the royal family, or if it contained content unsuitable for nobles to read, the bookshop and the editorial team of Guochao News would have definitely warned me. But they haven't said anything yet, so why should I be so cautious?"
The fact that it could pass the screening of "Guochao News" proves that the main idea is correct and is consistent with the direction of the court educating the people. As for some details, you don't have to pay too much attention to them. Although the nobles in the palace are her readers, this book is not just written for the nobles.
"But, but the Second Prince is watching too." Shu Hede said, "The Second Prince is the daughter of the Empress, so he has a special status."
Shu Nan tilted his head and thought for a moment, "I heard that the crown prince position has been decided, and the second prince is the crown prince?"
Shuhede nodded.
"That's nothing, and the Crown Prince should read some novels that reflect the lives of ordinary people. How can he govern the country in the future if he stays in the palace and knows nothing about the affairs of the people?"
Shu Hede: "...your novel is just a leisurely read for Second Prince to pass the time. If he really relies on your book to understand the people's lives, then I, as his teacher, should be worried."
Shu Nan: "...Since it's just to kill time, there's no need to be too serious. If it's written too seriously and Second Prince is unhappy reading it, it's my fault."
Shu Hede: "..."
Shu Hede couldn't help but knocked his daughter on the head, "You are so smart!"
Shu Nan pursed his lips and smiled.
Shu Hede returned the manuscript to Shu Nan and told her to go back, "Don't write under the lamp, it's bad for your eyes."
Shu Nan responded and walked out.
Shuhede looked at his daughter's back and couldn't help feeling worried. He had only wanted his daughter to develop her talents, allowing her to read miscellaneous books, write novels, and manage her mother's business, which led to her developing a somewhat eccentric personality.
Now that she is at the age of getting married, where can she find a husband who can tolerate her personality?
Shuhede couldn't help but think that it would be better to teach her to be a virtuous girl from the beginning. Although this would restrict her talents, it would make her life easier.
Although Shuhede was known as a tough guy, he had good connections in the court. His colleagues during the Yongzheng era included Zhao Hui, Agui, whom he later met in the Shangshufang, and the brothers of the Niuhulu family, whom he had known since childhood.
It was not difficult to choose a family for his daughter among the Manchu nobles, but Shuhede knew the situation of these families very well. Every family had some dirty things, and being the mistress of these families would inevitably lead to grievances.
But Shuhede was even more reluctant to let his daughter marry down. Besides, the family of low status was only tolerant of his daughter for his sake, and they might not really understand her. Once he was gone or his family lost power, they would definitely turn against him.
A few days later, Shu Hede and Zhao Hui talked about this matter, and Zhao Hui said, "Aren't those students of yours about the same age as your sister Nan?"
Shuhede was stunned. It was true, but Erdeng'e had already arranged marriage, so Mingrui was the only one left.
Mingrui is a handsome boy with good character, and his knowledge of riding and shooting is impeccable.
Shuhede was very satisfied with Mingrui, but he was a little worried that there were too many members of the Fucha family. After his daughter got married, she would have to deal with the relationships between aunts, sisters-in-law, and sisters-in-law. His daughter had a sharp temper and was not forgiving with her words. If she offended someone, it would be bad if she reported it to the Empress Dowager.
Zhao Hui suggested a few more families, but Shuhede thought none of them were good. Either they were unsuccessful or they had bad family backgrounds. For those with good family backgrounds and good individuals, he was worried that they would restrict his daughter.
Zhao Hui was annoyed. "If you keep choosing like this, Nan Jie'er will never get married."
Shu Hede sighed, "If only she really didn't have to get married. I'm willing to support her."
Zhao Hui knew that Lao Shu's ideas were sometimes different from those of ordinary people, so she snorted, "Don't be so picky. You'll end up delaying Sister Nan."
Shu Hede also knew this, so he asked his wife to contact Fu Wen's wife to ask whether their family had arranged a marriage for their child, and whether they had arranged a concubine for Mingrui.
At the same time, Fu Wen's wife came to the palace to pay her respects, and the queen asked her to ask Shu Hede's wife about Shu Nan's situation.
The two ladies met at the birthday of Prince Lu's wife. When Mrs. Shu heard Fu Wen's wife asking about Shu Nan's age, she thought that the Fucha family also intended to marry into their family.
Mrs. Shu was in a complicated mood. She didn't like Shu Nan very much. Firstly, it was because her husband favored her and paid less attention to his own daughter. Secondly, it was because the girl was too opinionated. She was respectful to her stepmother on the surface, but in fact, she didn't listen to her at all.
Mrs. Shu knew that Shu Nan was writing a novel. If she hadn't been afraid of affecting the reputation of her younger brothers and sisters, she would have spread the news long ago.
However, no matter how much she disliked Shu Nan, she was her own child after all. If she married well, it would also be helpful to her younger siblings.
Fu Cha Mingrui is the second prince's cousin and study partner, and his future is limitless.
Mrs. Shu hesitated for a moment, but still praised Shu Nan in front of Fu Wen's wife.
After praising her own child, Mrs. Shu asked about Mingrui's situation. Speaking of her own Mingrui, Fu Wenzhi's wife was also very proud, but after all, he was her own son, so she had to be humble.
Madam Shu asked Mingrui whether he had started discussing marriage. Fu Wen's wife said, "His father has taken a fancy to several girls, but I don't think they are good enough. Let's decide after the selection is over next year." In her opinion, her own Mingrui is the best, and no one else is worthy of her son.
Madam Shu smiled and said, "Our master said the same thing. He will look for our sister Nan after the selection is over."
After hearing what she said, Fu Wen's wife realized belatedly that the Shu family had set their sights on their own Mingrui.
Her smile froze. "I have no say in Mingrui's marriage. I have to listen to the Empress and our master."
To Mrs. Shu, this was a polite refusal.
She sneered in her heart. As expected, the Fucha family looked down on Shu Nan.
She felt a little gloating and told Shuhede about it when she got home.
"I don't like your precious daughter. Master, please find another good husband for her."
Shu Hede: "..."
Fu Wen's wife also hurried to the palace to see the Queen and told her about Shu Nan's situation. She couldn't say that the Shu family had taken a fancy to her own Ming Rui, so she could only say, "The Shu family is also looking for a man for their daughter. If the Queen is interested in their girl, you might as well give them a word and tell them not to rush into the match."
The Queen nodded, "That's right." She turned her attention to Mingrui's marriage, "The Emperor wants to arrange a marriage for Mingrui during next year's election. Tell me in advance which family you and Fourth Brother have chosen."
This was a favor that Yonglian had requested for Mingrui. Qianlong and the Queen also liked Mingrui very much, so they agreed.
It was an honor to be chosen by the Emperor. Fu Wen's wife thanked him immediately, but she didn't have any favorite girls, so she said, "It's all up to the Master."
The Queen said, "This matter still needs to be decided by you and Fourth Brother. How about this? During the election, if I find someone suitable, I will tell you. If you are satisfied, I will issue an edict to grant the marriage."
Fu Wen's wife kowtowed repeatedly to express her gratitude. Not to mention ordinary ministers, even other princes in the palace might not have such a blessing.
Yonglian requested an arranged marriage for Mingrui because later generations had it that Mingrui's mother was a wicked mother-in-law. Mingrui married three wives, all of whom were driven out by his mother. He later married Chang, a woman of deep love. However, after only two years, Mingrui was killed in the Burmese expedition, and Chang also died for love.
The authenticity of this story remains to be verified, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Yonglian does not want his friend to experience such a bumpy marriage.
If Mingrui's wife was arranged by the emperor, even if Fourth Aunt didn't like her daughter-in-law, she wouldn't dare to do anything to her.
Yonglian and the Queen talked about Mingrui's marriage, and the Queen joked with him, "You only worry about others, but what about yourself?"
"I have already told Khan Ama and Mother my son's request. The rest is up to you two to arrange." Yonglian said.
"We will arrange for the principal wife, but what about the concubine?" asked the queen.
"Ah? Is it necessary to have a concubine?" Yonglian frowned when he heard this. "I don't want a concubine. My eldest brother doesn't have one."
The Queen: "...Look at your expression. I'm not harming you by giving you a concubine. Forget it, if you don't want it, then don't want it. You don't want a concubine either?"
Yonglian shook his head like a rattle.
Queen: “…”
The queen thought that her son was not like the emperor in this respect, but from the perspective of her future daughter-in-law, this was a good thing.
After Yonghuang got married, he and his first wife were in love with each other, and the empress would not arrange concubines for him at this time.
The eldest wife was very respectful to her stepmother and served her diligently every day.
The Queen was also very kind to her. Although the palace was frugal in spending, she still gave some jewelry and fabrics to the First Concubine, and also gave some things as rewards to the First Concubine's mother.
Since woolen cloth could be produced in China, its price dropped, and even Xitala's concubines could afford to wear woolen cloth.
There are also new wool blankets and velvet blankets from Shanxi, which are especially warm to cover yourself with in winter.
Knowing that this business was good, the Xitala family set up several shops in their family to specialize in selling these wool blankets, velvet rugs, satin and foreign cloth.
With a way to make money, Lai Bao no longer cared about the money given by his subordinates. He refused all the money he should not accept.
Many families in Beijing are similar to Xitala's. They take advantage of the favorable economic situation and make a fortune by selling textiles or coffee. They would rather spend their energy on business than accept gifts from their descendants.
After all, if you accept a gift and have to do something, you may be bitten back if you fail to do it, which is not worth it.
But not everyone thinks this way. Many people are greedy and want to get involved when they see that overseas trade is so profitable.
However, overseas trade was controlled by the imperial court, and others who wanted to make money could only resort to smuggling.
In the second half of the year, several smuggling cases occurred in coastal areas such as Guangdong and Zhejiang.
Not only did they smuggle wool, silk, tea, and the like, but there were also people selling grain.
Qianlong was furious and launched a thorough investigation. The investigation led to the discovery of a servant of Gao Heng, the son of Gao Bin, the governor of Zhili.
Without Gao Heng's protection, how could his servants dare to engage in smuggling?
Yonglian knew that Gao Heng had been extremely corrupt in his post as the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner and that he should not be given a high position. When he learned that Gao Heng was in trouble, he added fuel to the fire.
Gao Heng worked in the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for taxation in Zhangjiakou and other places. When Yonglian and his entourage toured the east last year, they met Gao Heng, who was collecting taxes in the local area.
Yonglian said that Gao Heng looked like a capable minister, but in fact he was very cunning and not as diligent as his father.
Qianlong listened to it. In the evening, Concubine Gao pleaded for her brother again. Qianlong showed some impatience and thought to himself that even Yonglian had realized that Gao Heng was a bad person, and there was solid evidence of smuggling. What else did you have to say?
"If I show leniency to Gao Heng, people outside will definitely think that you are pleading for him, and even your reputation will be affected." After Qianlong said this, he stood up and was about to leave, letting the imperial concubine think about it herself.
Because the imperial concubine was in poor health, Qianlong had always been very fond of her and spoke to her in a gentle voice. This was the first time he had shown a cold face in front of the imperial concubine.
The imperial concubine was upset because of her brother's incompetence and became ill. By winter, she was so sick that she could not get out of bed.
Qianlong wanted to pardon Gao Heng several times to reassure the imperial concubine, but he held back when he thought that such a person would cause trouble to his son in the future if he stayed in the court.
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