103. Chapter 103
"none"
Even in Guangzhou, autumn had arrived, and the weather was still scorching. It rained in the afternoon, but stopped in the evening, bringing a cooler air. Qi You returned home from the General Administration of Customs, still sweating profusely.
Five-year-old Hong Nuan was sitting at the table writing. When she saw Qi You enter the room, she put down her pen, jumped lightly from her chair, ran over to greet him, bowed, and called out "Ama" crisply.
Qi You looked at his daughter's eyes, which were brighter than the stars, and couldn't help but smile. He touched the little bag on her head.
Over there, two-and-a-half-year-old Hongshu looked back, clasped his hands together and greeted from afar, then continued to climb up onto the kang, playing his favorite game of getting on and off the kang.
"Grandpa, go wash up first." After making arrangements for Qi You, Haiho Na smiled and said to Hong Nuan, "Nuan Nuan, go write quickly. We can go out and play after dinner. It just rained outside, and the ground is wet. Be careful not to get your shoes wet, or you'll get sick."
Every day when Qi You came back from outside, he would take the siblings out to play for a while. Hong Nuan heard Hai Huo Na's objection, but Qi You would basically agree to anything she objected to.
Hong Nuan pouted as her wish to go out and play was dashed, and she obediently went to do her homework.
Haihona went into the house and took out Qi You's clean clothes from the box. She spoke softly about family matters and said helplessly, "Nuannuan has just recovered from her illness. We can't spoil her."
Qi You took the clothes, nodded seriously, and agreed to everything.
Seeing Qi You act like his two children were being lectured, Haihona was amused by him and said angrily, "Stop being naughty. The children are all so close to you, and it makes me look like a bad person."
Qi You smiled good-naturedly and said, "You've worked hard. They usually take extra care of you. Of course, your decision is the final word."
Haihona was about to say something when she heard Hongshu whining and Hongnuan shouting angrily, "No!" She knew the siblings had started fighting again, so she ran over to stop them.
The brother and sister quarreled all day long. Qi You was not surprised and went into the bathroom to change clothes and wash up.
After changing into dry clothes, Qi You checked Hong Nuan's handwriting and began to teach her Latin.
Hongshu was still climbing up and down happily. After climbing up the bed, he felt bored and ran over to climb on Qiyou.
Qi You simply picked him up, holding him in his arms and not letting him move. He gently touched the scratch on his right cheek and asked, "Does it still hurt?"
Hong Shu was usually silent, but when he heard Qi You's question, he blurted out a single word and answered concisely: "It hurts."
Qi You smiled and continued, "If you crawl randomly, you will fall, and it will hurt. Will you still want to crawl in the future?"
Hong Shu opened his dark eyes wide and looked at Qi You, and answered directly: "Yes!"
Qi You was at a loss for words. The two or three-year-old child seemed to understand what adults said but was still full of energy. Even a dog would dislike him.
Fortunately, although the brother and sister both had their own personalities, they were well-behaved and did not make any mistakes when they returned to the palace in the capital.
It has been almost nine years since Qi You left the capital after getting married.
The Qing Dynasty opened four checkpoints for maritime trade, namely Jianghai Customs, Zhejiang Customs, Fujian Customs, and Guangdong Customs.
The officials in charge of the customs were called "customs supervisors," and the imperial court was very considerate. To prevent corruption, they were only allowed to serve in their local post for one year and were not allowed to serve in the same position at other checkpoints.
The court's starting point seemed good, but in fact it was still a mess inside.
First of all, the most important thing for a customs office is to understand taxation. Qi You remembered that in his previous life, during the late Qing Dynasty, the chief tax official was a British.
It was unbelievable that a British person would be the chief tax official of the Qing Dynasty. Qi You had only been in the customs for less than a day when he fully understood the Qing court's stupidity and helplessness.
All customs supervisors sent from the court came from the Imperial Household Department, were appointed by Emperor Kangxi, and took orders directly from him. Local officials had no right to interfere.
First of all, they have to face the language barrier.
If you don't understand the language, you can ask the postman for help. But customs translation involves not only many professional terms and vocabulary, but also complex economic and trade issues. The interpreter is not well-educated, and after translating the text over and over again, Qi You see a mess.
Taxation is complicated. When it comes to the subject of international trade, the people in the Imperial Household Department are very scheming, but when it comes to professional knowledge, they are complete laymen.
Again, there is the issue of tax confusion.
Although the term of office of customs supervisors was only one year, when they took office, they brought a bunch of family members and relatives with them to collect taxes and try their best to put the money into their own pockets.
In the eyes of Kangxi's confidants, since the Westerners came from thousands of miles away and wanted to do business with the Qing Dynasty, they had to obey and pay money.
Otherwise, they would get angry and refuse to buy their goods, or even refuse to sell them goods, making them make a wasted trip. Anyway, they could just report it to Kangxi casually, and no one would know that a few ships were missing.
Kangxi was most concerned about coastal defense. As long as the customs supervisors did not cause unrest at sea, and they embezzled money from the situation, nothing would go wrong.
The Qing Dynasty only opened four checkpoints and restricted the size of ships going out to sea. Kangxi was worried about rebellion and many ships did not return within the stipulated time after going out to sea and never returned.
Kangxi's concerns were somewhat justified, but the measures he took were only temporary solutions and did not address the root cause.
Qi You has been working hard to build up his navy, such as the navy on the Heilongjiang River, which is now famous and intimidates the Luosha Kingdom. They must have been secretly trading with the Junggar, but they no longer dared to openly discuss it.
The reason why ships went out to sea and did not return to the Qing Dynasty was nothing more than that they had committed a crime and were fleeing, or were forced to leave their homeland. Life in the Qing Dynasty was not as good as that overseas.
If the Qing Dynasty could make money and live a stable life, who would leave their homeland and go to a completely unfamiliar country to make a living?
With Kangxi's intelligence, it is impossible for him not to have thought of this. As for whether he ever reflected on this, Qi You did not know.
After Qi You arrived at the customs, he carried out drastic reforms.
First, he brought all the officials in to study, so that they at least understood the most basic economic and trade principles, such as the pros and cons of trade surpluses and deficits, how to control and balance them, etc.
After completing the study, you will take an exam. Only if you pass the exam can you continue to work. Otherwise, you will be dismissed.
Secondly, with the addition of professional translators to the General Administration of Customs, students of the Jueluo School had another place to display their talents.
Finally, he subdivided the duties and responsibilities of the customs office, clearly defining their responsibilities. He set different tariff rates for each type of traded goods and established categories of goods that were strictly prohibited from import and export through maritime trade.
With current medical technology, opium and other addictive drugs cannot be safely used for medical treatment. Qi You simply banned them completely. Anyone who dared to plant or trade them would be punished with a serious crime.
The export of weapons, minerals, and grain was generally strictly prohibited. However, grain imported from overseas, brass from Japan, and cannons and firearms from Portugal and other countries were all exempt from tax. Other luxury items, such as jewelry, were subject to heavy taxes.
Customs trade items and tax standards will change according to actual circumstances.
Personnel changes in the various departments under the Customs Office can only be adjusted and transferred after a minimum of two years, unless there is a confirmed crime.
This can, to a certain extent, prevent the situation where the customs supervisor immediately places his own people in lucrative tax collection posts. Once the person leaves, the atmosphere becomes cold and the successor is reluctant to employ the previous official's people after he is dismissed a year later.
After rectifying and sorting out the situation, Qi You persuaded Kangxi to relax the restrictions on sea vessels and allow large ships to go out to sea.
The large ship that went out to sea returned as scheduled, bringing back food and various rare treasures.
Kangxi was relieved and pleased to hear that the ship had returned to the Qing Dynasty. The Ministry of Revenue's customs duties were increasing year by year, and the national treasury was rarely full.
He agreed readily to Qi You's idea about the navy in his memorial.
Qi You bought many large guns from the West and sent some back to the capital for them to research and manufacture.
In addition, he transferred naval commanders from the Heilongjiang River, and with their help, built sea vessels in Ningbo and Guangzhou to strengthen the navy.
Qi You was very busy outside, and the capital was also very lively.
Since Soetu was imprisoned and sentenced to death, not only has the Crown Prince's relationship with the Prince of Zhi become more and more treacherous, but the conflict between him and Kangxi has also become increasingly irreconcilable.
In the end, the Prince of Zhi was imprisoned, the Thirteenth Prince almost disappeared from the court, and the Crown Prince was deposed twice.
History seemed to be moving forward unchanged, yet it also seemed to be changing. Now, it was the second year since the crown prince was deposed. Kangxi wrote a letter and ordered Qi You to return to Beijing.
Because his two children were young and the journey was long, Qi You returned to Beijing alone when he went to Ningbo three years ago.
The situation in the capital was chaotic, the Cao and Li families were still there, and the Eighth Prince rose again as Qi You had predicted.
However, Qi You had nearly cut off the Eighth Prince's influence, leaving him with no income from the salt industry. He then attempted to dabble in maritime trade. Taking advantage of the fact that large ships were allowed to sail, they followed with two ships.
It is not easy to sail out to sea. The climate at sea is changeable, and once you are overseas, the title of prince is no longer valid.
The ship returned with great difficulty, pulling some food as a disguise, inside which were hidden some music boxes, various jewels and perfumes, in an attempt to evade taxes.
The goods were discovered by the General Administration of Customs. Qi You happened to be at the Jiang Customs, so he had them seized and dealt with according to the law.
The capital was far away, beyond the reach of the Eighth Prince's power, nor could they reach it quickly. The losses were severe, and they had lost almost everything.
Without the money, the Eighth Prince's reputation among the scholars in Jiangnan was not as great. Although he was not well-respected in the court, Kangxi was constantly pressured by court officials to appoint a crown prince, and he was also in trouble.
Qi You estimated that Kangxi didn't trust any of his sons in the capital, except for the younger ones. This son, who was far away from the vortex, was now on Kangxi's mind.
Qi You certainly wouldn't think that it was a sign of deep father-son affection. Could it be that Kangxi pulled him back because of two reasons?
First, Kangxi was always suspicious of others and wanted to use him to deal with court officials and his other adult sons.
Qi You also thought that it was time for him to return to Beijing.
After Hong Nuan and Hong Shu fell asleep, Qi You told Hai Huo Na about her return to Beijing and said, "We probably won't be coming back. The house is rented, so just return it to the owner. The rest, such as books, can be dealt with as before."
They moved so often that Hehona was already very familiar with handling household items.
Qi You read a lot of books and was a book lover, but he never kept any of them and donated them all to the local school.
Other things, such as household items and unused clothes, were pawned, and the money was used to buy rice and flour, which were distributed to the poor people.
At first, Haihona didn't understand Qi You's behavior. He told her that the furniture in the house and the clothes they wore were not very expensive. For poor people, they were out of reach.
If you give them valuable things, they will secretly sell them in exchange for other practical things. It is better to give them the food they need most.
Haihona learned a lesson from this: kindness must be bestowed accurately. Qi You is the kind of person who truly makes people feel comfortable and warm, and can reach people's hearts directly.
After getting married, the two never had a quarrel. Qi You was very patient and would explain everything Haihona didn't understand to her.
Over the years, Qi You had lived with her alone. Officials had also sent women to him, but he had rejected them all. He had kept his promise when they got married, giving her ample freedom and respect.
Hehona read many books and traveled to countless places. Her horizons were broadening, and she was constantly enriching herself to keep up with him.
Even though, he would always stop to wait for her, she would not let him wait for long and would chase him with all her might.
Before she got married, her mother told her that while it was important for a man to respect his wife, the most important thing was to favor her. Just like the concubines in the palace, the treatment of those who were favored and those who were not was very different.
After marrying Qi You, Haihona believed that Enie was wrong. For a couple, it is more important to be able to move forward side by side and maintain their own identity and independence.
They can watch the sunrise and sunset together, and she can also appreciate the flowers blooming alone when he is busy away.
Even after having children, she still wanted to take care of herself first and then take care of them.
Their children are now smart and clever, unlike the children of other noble families, whose faces are as dull as if covered with a layer of wax.
As a wife, Haihona saw what Qi You did, and she deeply believed that he should have a broader world and should not be trapped in the customs office.
They will have to go back to the capital one day, and they will definitely be comfortable away from home. She has enjoyed the best time of her life in these years away from the capital, which is enough and she has no regrets.
Haihona smiled brightly and said, "I was planning to ask if I should go back to Beijing for the New Year. I went to the shop to buy some local specialties these past two days, and I have to bring back some New Year gifts. What do you think I should give to the emperor?"
Qi You smiled and said, "Bring back an extra bottle of red wine. Khan Ama likes to drink it. He knows we have no money and won't mind it."
Haihona always listened to Qi You. When she went out to buy New Year gifts, she bought Dai Jiashi a lot of sea pearls and balsam and ointments from overseas. These gifts were many times more valuable than those she had given her own mother.
After settling down and packing up, the family of four returned to the capital just as a heavy snowstorm fell. Accustomed to warmth, the siblings were not ill at all when they first arrived in the cold. Instead, they were thrilled to see the rare sight of snow, eager to roll in it.
Qi You first went into the palace to pay homage to Kangxi. The Palace of Heavenly Purity still looked magnificent.
It was unknown whether it was because Kangxi usually lived in Changchun Garden for a long time and no one had lived in the palace for a long time. As soon as he entered the East Warm Pavilion, Qi You felt a faint smell of decay coming towards him.
Kangxi was so thin that the skin on his cheekbones was practically drooping. The bags under his eyes looked like two large and small pockets. Although he looked energetic, he couldn't hide his age.
Qi You stepped forward and greeted him. Kangxi called out to him, squinted his eyes, and looked at him carefully.
After not seeing him for a few years, this son seems to have changed, or he seems to have not changed at all.
What has changed is that due to the hard work of traveling and the constant exposure to the sea breeze, he has become darker and thinner, and looks a little tired.
What hasn't changed is his upright figure and gentle expression. He's still like water, a calm lake before, but now he's like the sea.
As described in Bai Juyi's poem, the sea is "vast and boundless, with no bottom and no edge."
Kangxi's chest was filled with inexplicable emotions, which froze for a moment. A smile appeared on his face, and he said, "You're back, finally back. It's good to be back. Come and sit down. Why didn't you bring Hongshu into the palace? I haven't even met him yet."
Qi You thanked him and sat down, saying helplessly, "They are too naughty. They couldn't sit still during the whole journey. They were tired and fell asleep earlier. I was afraid that if I brought them in, they would cry and disturb Khan Ama. I will bring them in to pay their respects to Khan Ama after they wake up."
When Kangxi heard Qi You mention Hong Nuan, he paused and said, "I heard that Hong Nuan is already studying?"
Qi You said yes, "After the New Year, I plan to send her to Shunyi School."
Kangxi frowned, but didn't say much. He asked Qiyou about the situation at the customs.
Qi You answered truthfully, and Kangxi was extremely satisfied. With the military strengthened and the Ministry of Revenue now flush with money, the situation was no longer a problem. A smile spread across his face as he said, "With Ningbo and Guangzhou, plus the navy along the Heilongjiang River, there's nothing to worry about on the sea. We don't need to fear Japan, and we're even less afraid of Russia."
Kangxi talked about the developments in Dzungar. What he regretted most was the situation in Xinjiang: "There is really no one useful among those people in the capital. I think back to the old prince..."
When Kangxi mentioned the former Prince of Zhi and the former Crown Prince, his face darkened and his voice became cold as he said, "As their father, I don't think I've done anything wrong to them, but I've raised two ungrateful people!"
Qi You pondered for a moment, then looked up at Kangxi and said sincerely, "Khan Ama, I brought New Year gifts to my eldest and second brothers when I returned to Beijing this time. I want to deliver them in person and visit them."
Kangxi froze, staring at Qi You without blinking, and remained silent for a long time.
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-12-12 23:11:41 and 2022-12-13 23:42:22~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 1 bottle of sweet porridge;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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