Chapter 89 Chapter 89 End of the text
The reform of the chieftain system went smoothly. Facts proved that as long as there were enough incentives, the chieftains would not be so tough.
The trade between Yunnan and Guizhou provinces and Annan and Myanmar is in full swing, and the prices of tea and coffee are rising. This year, E Rong'an personally went to Nanzhang and Java and signed several large orders.
Even if the chieftains had the ability to trade with the Southeast Asian countries without going through the imperial court, they would have no competitiveness in front of the imperial court.
What's more, they simply don't have the ability to do so. The Tibetan lamas are willing to support these chieftains, but the road to Tibet is so difficult to travel that the chieftains can't make any money at all.
If it were in the past, it would be fine. The surrounding villages that surrendered to the court were also very poor. These big chieftains relied on exploiting the people and robbing merchants to appear quite rich.
But seeing the villages that surrendered to the imperial court making a fortune, and the merchants and travelers being escorted by imperial guards, the chieftains were envious.
Fuheng and his men used the new firearms to intimidate the chieftains, and they surrendered one after another.
The imperial court needs to send some tough officials to Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan to keep an eye on these chieftains, and the garrison troops must also be elite.
Qianlong certainly didn't want Fuheng to stay in the southwest for a long time, but Agui could stay there for a few more years.
Agui was promoted to the Governor of Sichuan at a young age, a promotion speed even faster than in history.
It’s a pity that Agui probably won’t have the chance to return to Beijing to attend Yonglian’s child’s full moon ceremony.
Niu Lun's wedding was in June. Qianlong broke the rules again and went to the princess's mansion in person. The old father burst into tears.
Yonghuang and Yonglian looked disgusted at first, but after attending the banquet and leaving the princess's mansion, the two brothers couldn't help but feel a lump in their throats.
Yonglian, who couldn't even write a poem for his own wedding, wiped his tears and continued to write Khan Ama's poem. The more he wrote, the sadder he became. When he returned to the Old Summer Palace, his eyes were swollen from crying.
He had originally wanted to go find Khan Ama to reminisce about Niu Lun's childhood, but then he heard the usually energetic Fu Jin call him weakly, "Yong Lian, I feel so bad."
The two of them always called each other by their names in private, and only in public would Shu Nan respectfully call him "Prince".
Upon hearing this, Yonglian quickly squatted down in front of her and carefully examined her face, which was quite pale. "Lie down. I'll send for the imperial physician."
The man who was drunk just now suddenly sobered up. While asking someone to call the imperial physician, he asked Shu Nan's maid to come in and help her lie down. He guessed that she had heatstroke and poured her a cup of tea.
Unexpectedly, Shu Nan took the tea and took a sip, then he couldn't help but retching.
Yonglian was really panicking now, "He must have had heatstroke."
Shu Nan: "Probably not."
"Of course it is... It's too hot today, and you've been running around with Niu Lun, so you've sweated a lot... Oh, why hasn't the doctor come yet..."
Shu Nan grabbed the person spinning in front of her and said, "I might be pregnant."
"ah?"
The imperial physician arrived quickly, and after taking Shu Nan's pulse, he knelt down to congratulate the two.
Yonglian hurriedly sent someone to give the reward and personally went to Jiuzhou Qingyan to report the news.
In order to go faster, he rode a two-wheeled vehicle all the way there.
When Qianlong learned about this, he was overjoyed and said, "Today is a double blessing!"
Qianlong was about to reward everyone in the garden, but was stopped by Yonglian. After all, he didn't do this when his wife was pregnant.
Qianlong: "...I am just testing you to see if you have become too proud."
Yonglian: ...Hehe
Qianlong went to report the good news to the Empress Dowager in person, while Yonglian rode his bicycle to Changchun Xianguan.
The Queen was delighted to learn of this, but worried that Shu Nan, who had been busy with Niu Lun's wedding, might be tired, she quickly called in the imperial physician to inquire about Shu Nan's condition. She was relieved to hear that the pregnancy was stable.
The Queen took Yonglian aside and gave him some instructions before letting him go back to accompany his wife.
Shu Nan appeared very calm, even with a hint of worry between his brows.
Yonglian asked softly, "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere else?"
Shu Nan shook her head and told Yonglian her concerns. "It's not appropriate for a pregnant woman to attend a wedding. Will I offend the princess?" She was a little annoyed. "I should have asked the imperial physician earlier. I was so busy the past few days that I forgot about it."
The eldest wife was due the following month, so she naturally did not attend the wedding. Several other wives of the imperial clan also did not attend due to pregnancy.
Yonglian was heartbroken. What a mess of taboos.
He hugged his wife and said, "This is all nonsense. It's not credible. Khan Ama and Mother are very happy, so my sister won't care. Maybe she wants to share in our happiness."
As for the others, they all depend on the emperor's mood. Since Qianlong doesn't care, no one will mention this matter.
Shu Nan was worried about the Emperor's taboos. The Emperor attached great importance to etiquette and doted on the princess. What if...
"Khan Ama's attitude towards this kind of thing has always been that he believes it if he wants to, and doesn't believe it if he doesn't want to. You can tell from his attitude towards Erhe." Disability and Buddha's hand were just a matter of one word from Emperor Qianlong.
Yonglian touched her belly and said, "If he dares to blame you for this, mother will be the first one to be unhappy. Mother just said that you have been tired these past few days, so she asked me to help you share some of the work in the yard in the next two days. I can't let you worry too much."
Shu Nan felt relieved after hearing what he said.
Qianlong and the empress were immersed in joy. It was several days later that Qianlong remembered that Shu Nan had gone to attend Niu Lun's wedding.
Not only did he not feel shy about this, he also felt that it was not easy for the second brother and his wife. They were so busy with their sister's wedding that they even neglected such a big thing.
Shu Nan's pregnancy reaction was quite severe. She couldn't eat and was visibly losing weight.
Yonglian was obsessed with his wife and wished he could be with her twelve hours a day.
Qianlong was too embarrassed to ask him for help. So Yonglian became free again. Apart from taking care of the work of the Manufacturing Bureau, he spent most of his time at home with his wife.
The first wife gave birth to a boy in July, and Emperor Qianlong personally named him "Mian De".
This is the emperor's eldest grandson. Emperor Qianlong and the empress are very happy, and the empress dowager loves her great-grandson even more.
The full-moon ceremony was held with great ceremony, but only the people in Yonghuang Courtyard knew how difficult it was to raise this child.
Yonglian woke up early that day and went to the manufacturing bureau. He met Yonghuang, who had dark circles under his eyes. He was about to go up to him to express his concern when he heard Yonghuang hold up two fingers and say, "Two, no more."
Yonglian: “???”
Yonghuang said, "I have discussed with my wife that we only want two children. We can't bear any more."
Yonghuang had never had a good sleep, and since he had this little ancestor, he had never had a good night's sleep.
"I can only experience this feeling once more." Yonghuang said painfully.
Yonglian comforted his eldest brother, saying, "If you and your sister-in-law really can't stand it, let the wet nurse and the child live in the wing room."
Yonghuang frowned upon hearing this, "How can that be possible? What if the wet nurse fails to take good care of the child? We won't even know about it."
Yonglian: “…”
Yonglian was thinking at the time that when their child was born, if he made trouble, he would let the wet nurse live in the side room with the child so that he would not let the child disturb his and his wife's sleep.
In addition to being responsible for the affairs of the study, Yonghuang now also serves as the deputy chief officer of the "Da Qing Hui Dian".
Zhang Tingyu was one of the chief executives, but this old man was just a figurehead; the real work was done by his subordinates.
Yonghuang occasionally went to see Zhang Tingyu about the statutes and found that the old man walked unsteadily and spoke incoherently. He could not help but murmur to Yonglian: "Zhang Tingyu is in such a good state that I am really afraid that he will die in the duty room of the Military Affairs Office one day."
Yonglian sighed, "He submitted petitions to Khan Ama several times, begging for his ashes, but Khan Ama refused."
But it’s really time to retire. Now the old man needs his son Zhang Ruoqing to support him on a daily basis.
"It's so pitiful." Yonghuang said, "I'm afraid he'll make a wrong decision one day and lose his integrity in his later years."
Yonglian thought that in history, this old man had indeed lost his integrity in his later years and almost lost the honor of being enshrined in the Taimiao. It turned out that this matter was somewhat related to his eldest brother.
But now many things have changed, and the tragedy should not happen again.
In the autumn, Zhang Tingyu caught a cold and recuperated at home for a few days. Qianlong even sent Yonglian to visit him in person. When Yonglian came back, he said to Khan Ama: "Let's allow him to retire and return home. He looks like he can't do it anymore."
"Now that he has retired, who should take over as the chief military advisor?" Qianlong looked at Yonglian.
Yonglian shook his head, "I don't know!" Isn't this a question for Khan Ama to consider? Why ask him?
Qianlong: "..." He thought Yonglian would recommend Haiwang, Shuhede or Fuheng, but this guy just said he didn't know...
"Let him hold on for a few more months and wait for your uncle to come back." Qianlong said.
Yonglian was shocked. "You want my uncle to replace Zhang Tingyu? No, no, my uncle is too young."
Qianlong slapped Yonglian on the head and said, "You are deliberately looking for trouble, aren't you? Zhang Tingyu is too old, and Fuheng is too young. Get out of here! This matter is not your turn to make the decision!"
Yonglian: “…”
Qianlong drove the brat away and paced around the room for a few steps. Regardless of whether the brat was truly selfless or cunning and was acting in front of him, he was very satisfied with his performance just now.
Fuheng returned to the capital to report on his work a few years ago. Qianlong promoted him to the first-rank Grand Secretary of Baohe Hall and Minister of Works on the grounds of his contribution to the reform of the aboriginal system.
Zhang Tingyu also proposed to retire at the right time. Qianlong refused it once. Zhang Tingyu continued to petition, and Qianlong refused it again. After the New Year, Zhang Tingyu petitioned for the third time, and Qianlong reluctantly agreed. He also rewarded Zhang Tingyu with 500 taels of silver as travel expenses for his return home.
Zhang Tingyu breathed a sigh of relief and finally retired safely.
But he still remembered the promise of the late emperor to allow him to be enshrined in the Taimiao.
The old man wanted to go to the emperor to ask for confirmation, but Yonglian happened to come to the Grand Council to discuss with the officials about going to Tianjin to test the steamship in two days.
Zhang Tingyu suddenly had an idea. The emperor's moods were unpredictable. If he asked him himself, it would be bad if he upset him. It would be better to mention it to the second prince in a tactful way. Then he could ask the second prince to remind the emperor.
But the Grand Council was full of people and didn't allow for much discussion. It was also not easy to directly invite the Second Prince to his house.
Zhang Tingyu thought about it and went to the Manufacturing Bureau to find Yonglian, wanting to buy a car.
The Zhang family was originally a farming and reading family with abundant assets. Even if Zhang Ying, Zhang Tingyu and others were honest officials, they could still come up with 100,000 taels of silver if their families pooled their money.
Yonglian was very considerate of the old minister and gave him a 20% discount, only giving him 80,000 taels.
Because Zhang Tingyu was going back to Tongcheng, Anhui, he had to pick up the car from the capital and drive all the way back. It would be troublesome if the car broke down on the way.
Yonglian told Zhang Tingyu to go directly to the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau to pick up the car.
After finishing the main business, Zhang Tingyu hesitantly talked about the matter of being enshrined in the Taimiao.
Yonglian didn't wait for him to finish and said hurriedly, "Don't worry, Khan Ama will remember it. If he forgets, I will remind him. This is the last wish of the Emperor. You have worked diligently for so many years and have never made any mistakes. How can we go back on our word? If we do that, where will the reputation of the imperial family be?"
With the Second Prince's guarantee, Zhang Tingyu breathed a sigh of relief. Even if the emperor went back on his word, the Second Prince would definitely restore his eligibility to the Taimiao after he ascended the throne.
Yonglian reminded him again, "Please don't talk about this in front of Khan Ama. He will get annoyed if you talk too much. He will cause trouble for your family again."
Zhang Tingyu nodded repeatedly, thinking that the Second Prince was a very down-to-earth child who spoke without much roundabout way. No wonder Hai Wang and others liked to be close to him.
Zhang Tingyu came to see Yonglian in the afternoon, and Qianlong found out about it in the evening. The next day, when Yonglian went to pay his respects, Qianlong casually asked, "I heard that Zhang Tingyu wants to buy a car?"
Yonglian nodded. "The old man wants a black one. I told him to go to the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau to pick it up."
Qianlong snorted, "This is truly a glorious return home!"
"I have worked all my life and served three generations of emperors. It is only right for me to show off now that I am old." Yonglian smiled.
"You don't understand him. This isn't what he cares about most," Qianlong said. "Right now, all he's thinking about is being honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."
Yonglian said, "This is something that the Emperor has already agreed to. What can he possibly think of? Can we really go back on our word?"
"Of course. How could I disobey Khan Ama's wishes?"
Yonglian was going to Tianjin in the spring to test the steamship and inspect the navy.
Qianlong originally wanted to go, but Fuheng had just taken over as the chief military councilor. Qianlong was afraid that someone would be dissatisfied and cause trouble, so he had to stay in the capital.
Before leaving, Yonglian gave instructions to everyone in the yard and asked them to take good care of Shu Nan.
"Don't worry, it'll only take four or five days." Shu Nan was annoyed by his nagging.
Yonglian said, "If you feel unwell, tell Mother and Sister-in-law. Don't try to show off by going to Changchun Garden to pay your respects. The Empress Dowager doesn't care about these empty formalities."
A few days ago, Shu Nan and the first wife went to Changchun Garden to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was heartbroken to see Shu Nan still going there despite her swollen feet. She called Yonglian over and gave him a lecture.
"It's cold today, and Madam Fu is heavy, so wearing thick clothes would be inconvenient. Why bother coming here again? You really don't have any sympathy for me."
After the Empress Dowager had taught Yonglian a lesson, she also told Emperor Qianlong and the Empress to excuse Shu Nan from paying her respects. If there was any ice or snow that had not been cleared away on the road, it would be no joke if he slipped.
When Qianlong heard what the Empress Dowager said, he quickly agreed.
What Shu Nan wanted was the emperor's approval.
Although Yonglian repeatedly advised Shu Nan to be more relaxed, there were two elders above him who attached great importance to etiquette. The emperor would go to pay his respects to the empress dowager regardless of wind or rain, and the empress was even more cautious and could not find any fault with her etiquette.
Only when Emperor Qianlong gave the order personally could Shu Nan rest in peace.
Yonglian didn't like grand ceremonies, so he notified the officials in Tianjin in advance, asking them not to be too fancy and to show their real abilities.
The person in charge of training the Tianjin Navy was Yonglian's cousin Baozhu. This man really put in the effort to train the soldiers. He led by example, and the soldiers under him felt embarrassed to be too careless.
Yonglian did not expect that this man would directly conduct a water combat exercise. Yonglian and some officials from the Manufacturing Bureau and the Ministry of War watched very carefully with binoculars.
Bao Zhu was still explaining that the inspiration for this exercise came from Hong Tao, and he had increased the difficulty a bit, after all, the enemy also needed to improve.
Yonglian was very satisfied, but Baozhu was in poor health. He fell ill after the exercise and was unable to participate in Yonglian's trial run of the steamship the next day.
Yonglian directly sent someone back to Beijing to invite an imperial physician for his cousin. In his opinion, this uncle was definitely a rare military talent and must be cherished.
He also asked someone returning to Beijing to bring a memorial to Emperor Qianlong. This was the first time Yonglian had asked for credit for someone else.
After reading the memorial, Qianlong's first reaction was that Fuheng should not see it. If he knew that Yonglian did not promote his own uncle and praised Baozhu highly, he would definitely feel bad.
However, Qianlong still promoted Baozhu, conferred on him the title of Prince Taibao, and sent two imperial doctors to treat him.
The steamboat trial went smoothly. The people on the shore had no time to sigh in admiration as they were busy measuring the speed and observing the water level.
Yonglian ordered the steamships of various sizes to be built. Some were better suited for transporting cargo, others for Emperor Qianlong's southern tours, and still others were more suitable for long-distance voyages. At the end of the year, some soldiers would be dispatched to Libya on a steamship.
After finishing his work in Tianjin, Yonglian immediately returned to Beijing and wrote a thick memorial to Qianlong.
With the advent of steamships, overseas trade will enter a new era. Four ports of trade are far from enough, and because the current four ports are all in the south, uneven development between the north and the south will gradually emerge. In order to make up for this, the court can open a trading port in Dalian, which will be mainly responsible for trade with Korea, Dongying and other countries, and can also drive development outside the Great Wall.
Yonglian also listed the problems that would arise in establishing a port outside the Great Wall in his memorial, but he said that one should not throw the baby out with the bathwater and must face the challenges head-on.
Just then, Zhang Tingyu came to say goodbye, and Qianlong showed him the memorial, saying, "Don't say you can't keep up with the times. Even I don't have the same vigor and vitality as Yonglian."
After reading the memorial, Zhang Tingyu secretly congratulated himself on his timely departure. He left Fu Heng with such a difficult task. He smiled and said, "It is precisely because of the Emperor's presence that His Majesty dares to propose such a challenging idea."
Qianlong snorted when he heard this. This kid seemed to have grown up, but in fact he was still dependent on him. He smiled indulgently and helplessly, "Forget it, while I am still confused and can cover for him, let him do whatever he wants."
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