114. Extra four
"none"
It's June in Beijing, the sun high in the sky, the sky cloudless. The flowers and trees, vibrant and energetic in the morning, finally give up and wilt by noon.
The usually tireless cicadas became much hoarser under the scorching sun, and only called out a few times weakly.
Inside Danning Residence, an ice jar was placed, slowly emitting cool air. The court officials, wearing thin court robes adapted to the seasons, were still sweating profusely and their faces flushed from the heated debate.
Qi You sat at the head of the table, looking indifferently at the courtiers. After a brief eye contact, Longkodo, who had been spitting and rambling nonstop, froze like a goose suddenly strangled by the neck. His voice caught in his throat, making a strange sound that sounded like a wail, a whoosh.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being too impatient and violating the rules." Longkodo came to his senses and quickly apologized.
After Qi You officially ascended the throne, the first imperial decree he issued was: court officials can speak freely and put forward their opinions and views.
However, indiscriminate attacks are not allowed. For every policy, if you refute it, you must point out the inappropriateness of the policy one by one and put forward corresponding modification suggestions.
Each issue should be discussed separately. All arguments must be related to the issue at hand. Avoid changing the subject or asking someone a question and then answering someone else's question.
It is forbidden to answer questions with specious, ambiguous and unprovable views that are detached from the facts of the matter, and it is strictly forbidden to make analogies with exaggerated fallacies.
Qi You had a deep understanding of the court officials' style of deliberation. Even if he had a good temper, he was almost laughed out of anger.
For example, the most frequent statement they make is: Putting aside the facts, this matter or this person still has some merits and cannot be generalized.
When asked about the weather, answer the four seasons; when asked about the four seasons, talk back to the weather.
It's complete nonsense and a waste of energy.
Once this order was issued, the efficiency of court meetings was greatly improved.
Today's court meeting was to abolish the Council and to make the laws the same for the Han and Qi peoples.
As soon as this resolution was announced, the government and the opposition were shocked. The atmosphere was unprecedentedly heated, and they even ignored the rules.
The cause of the incident was very minor. It was just a verbal dispute between a Han Chinese civilian in the capital and a member of the Red Banner. They argued back and forth and finally started fighting.
Both sides suffered some injuries, and the Manchus, known for their dominance, took the Han Chinese to court. The Council took over the case and sentenced the Han Chinese to pay for the medicine and ten strokes of the cane.
The Han man was beaten to death on the spot, and died within two days of returning home. The Han man's wife was also very bold and daring. She asked her brothers from her natal family to drag the body, and after deliberately going around in front of the Council Office, she dragged the body to the door of the bannerman's house and placed it there, crying and demanding that the man pay with his life.
This incident turned into a dispute between the Manchus and the Han.
Qi You soon learned about this matter and ordered the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Censorate to conduct a thorough investigation.
The case was simple, and it was quickly brought to Qi You's attention. After reviewing it, he determined that, according to the law, the Council had not made a wrongful conviction.
Qi You certainly knew where the source of the error lay. After spending a day making a rough statistical analysis of the Manchu-Han marriages in recent years, he directly summoned all the ministers to revise the Qing laws.
The abolition of the Council Chamber, logically speaking, should be the highest jump they. However, Qi You in the plan, made a proper placement for them.
In addition to changing the laws, Qi You plans to either cut or merge redundant government offices to establish new ones.
Under the current Qing dynasty system, cases were handled by four offices: the Censorate, the Infantry Commander's Office, the Tongzhengshi (Commissioner of Internal Affairs), and the Lifanyuan (Court of Internal Affairs), with the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court reviewing the cases. This created a chaotic and unclear system of responsibilities, leading to low efficiency.
Qi You separated several government offices, just like in later generations, with case handling, prosecution, and trial agencies separated and each performing their own duties.
For example, the Lifanyuan, which was responsible for handling tribal affairs such as border affairs, had its case-handling functions revoked and was only responsible for the etiquette, folk customs and other affairs of each tribe.
All tribes in the Qing Dynasty were required to follow the laws of the Qing Dynasty, and tribal rules were prohibited from being above the laws of the Qing Dynasty.
Of course, Han officials strongly supported the unified laws for both Bannermen and Han. Even Han officials who usually played it safe stood up and supported the court's changes.
Among the Banner officials, some remained neutral, a very few supported it, and the majority opposed it.
Whether they support or oppose it is based on their position and identity. Qi You can understand it, but it is still regretful.
Not to mention that none of them considers the long-term overall situation, very few of them even think about the current situation.
The Bannermen made up less than 5% of the total population. If the Han Chinese really wanted to rebel, even if the Bannermen had weapons, the population gap was too great and they would definitely not be a match.
Of course, the Bannermen are happy to be superior to others. Anyone would be dissatisfied if they lowered their status.
Qi You also knew the thoughts of those officials who expressed support for the Bannermen.
Over the years, Qi You increased the proportion of Han soldiers and released some bannermen.
Banner soldiers are no longer lifelong soldiers. After serving for a certain number of years, unless they can become officers through assessment, all others will be discharged and return home.
The Ministry of Revenue of the imperial court has silver, and Qi You has expenditures for military supplies every year. This silver is earmarked for a specific purpose and is all used for the army.
Soldiers returning home from military service had two options. The imperial court arranged for some of them to transfer to other posts, either as constables or in the newly established Fire Department. Those without assignments received compensation. Those with disabilities also received special disability allowances.
The same goes for Han soldiers, who enjoy the same treatment as Bannermen soldiers.
Bannermen did not have to risk their lives fighting on the battlefield and could still live a stable life. The supportive Bannermen officials also saw this.
No policy will satisfy everyone. The loss of their iron rice bowls by the flag soldiers also drew complaints from them, but the proportion was extremely small, almost negligible.
The smooth implementation of the military reform was due to the court's liberalization of the bannermen's business activities. Bannermen families already had their share of land, and with the compensation, they could return home to farm or start small businesses, which allowed them to make ends meet.
Longkodo and other old nobles were the ones who were most reluctant to see reform. After Qi You came to power, they were restricted in every way and had long been dissatisfied.
He was so excited that he forgot the rules of the court meeting. When his eyes met Qi You, his scalp tightened instantly, and the excitement and dissatisfaction in his heart disappeared without a trace.
Qi You is no different from the previous emperor Kangxi. He has been regent for many years, and after ascending the throne, he worked hard to govern the country. The court has been completely renewed, the government orders are smooth, and the administration is clean.
The court allowed officials and common people to speak freely without fear of punishment. However, those who violated the law were dealt with strictly according to the law. This was unlike the previous emperor's time, when laws were merely formalities, subject to arbitrary fines or reprimands.
Qi You's imperial majesty was unfathomable, but what frightened court officials the most was the increasingly perfect and thoroughly enforced laws.
Apart from the invisible and intangible morals of being a human being and an official, the law is the tight hoop on their heads.
The opposing officials argued for a long time but could not come to a conclusion. They could not directly say in front of the Han officials that they wanted to be superior.
As in the previous emperor's time, the excuse of sending bannermen to fight in the battlefield to protect the country is no longer valid today.
As early as when Qi You ordered the recovery of the western border and raised a large army to attack Tsewang Arabtan, as well as the chieftains in Guizhou, Yunnan and other places, the troops of the Qi and Han had already accounted for half each.
After the recovery of Western Xinjiang and the restoration of peace in Yunnan and Guizhou, the soldiers stationed there were not only Han soldiers, but also soldiers from the Miao and Tu tribes. Today, the proportion of banner soldiers in the military camp is only about 70% of what it used to be.
Since there was no immediate outcome, Qi You wanted to wait for them to calm down and listen to their honest and reliable opinions after careful consideration. He ordered the court to adjourn and ordered everyone to go back and discuss carefully and come up with a practical plan.
The fourth brother watched the debate among the court officials calmly, and was genuinely surprised.
After Qi You ascended the throne, the Southern Study was almost empty. The Fourth Prince did not understand at the time. In his opinion, the Southern Study alone was far from enough and should be expanded to strengthen centralization.
However, Qi You not only failed to strengthen the imperial power, but also took the initiative to delegate power, restricting the imperial power in many ways.
But it has been five years since Qi You ascended the throne, and the Qing Dynasty has truly been peaceful and prosperous, with stable government.
The fourth brother was very confused. On the one hand, he insisted on his own ideas, and on the other hand, the facts were right in front of him.
Before issuing any decree, Qi You would first consult with the Grand Secretary and other important officials. This time, he made a sudden announcement, and the Fourth Brother suspected that he had long intended to impose the same laws on both the Han and the Qi peoples.
As a bannerman, the fourth brother's deepest thoughts were, of course, that bannermen were superior to others. But as a member of the Jueluo clan, the fourth brother was not so sure.
The end of the Yuan Dynasty is the most powerful evidence.
The fourth brother knew Qi You's style of doing things very well, so he asked bluntly, "Your Majesty, there's something I don't understand. Your Majesty is determined to have the same laws for both the Han and the Banner peoples and to abolish the Council?"
Regardless of whether they were Bannermen or Han people, officials all paid homage to Qi You and no longer called themselves slaves.
The fourth brother now managed the Ministry of Revenue and was considered a court official, so he didn't need to call himself a slave. In addition, since they were brothers, Qi You asked them to call themselves "I" in private.
Qi You did not hide it. He admitted it immediately and explained clearly the population ratio of the Banner Han people today: "Any enlightened and tolerant dynasty should not divide the people into high and low classes."
The fourth brother hesitated for a moment, then told the truth: "When the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, the population of the bannermen was even smaller, and the Han people still did not dare to resist."
Qi You laughed and said, "The threat to the Qing Dynasty has never been the Han people, but other countries. The outside world is developing rapidly, which can be clearly seen from the merchant ships entering through the major ports and the various news coming from the West. In the past, the bannermen suppressed the Han people and dared not resist. Over time, the Han people did not truly submit, but became numb."
As Western countries fought each other, England's development momentum became increasingly strong, and the number of merchant ships heading to the Qing Dynasty gradually increased.
The fourth official was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. He knew more about the development of Western, Japanese and other countries than other officials, and nodded frequently as he listened.
Qi You said solemnly, "What's most terrifying? Numbness and rigidity are the most terrifying. The Qing Dynasty at that time was like stagnant water without vitality. The court was stable, but what's the point of this kind of stability? What I want is a vibrant and vigorous country. They are the most powerful deterrent to foreign enemies."
The fourth brother was stunned for a moment, but soon he was convinced and said, "It's my shortsightedness that has prevented me from seeing further. But Your Majesty, many of the Bannermen officials are opposed to this, so it's really difficult to change it!"
Qi You smiled and said calmly: "Don't worry, after they go back, they have to consider the reputation of their relatives and friends and can't offend them too much."
Since intermarriage between Bannermen and Han Chinese was allowed, Bannermen and Han Chinese have been marrying frequently, and every family has a Han Chinese relative. If you insist on opposing it, you should also consider the opinions of your wife, daughter-in-law, or daughters.
In the past, women were confined to the inner chambers and had no say at home. But since He Ye and her group of girls started working, and since the princesses were all studying in the academy, women were able to work outside and their influence gradually increased.
As far as the fourth brother knew, several of the Banner officials who voiced the loudest opposition had their wives who had the final say at home.
The fourth brother put the matter aside, and after much consideration, he finally asked the question that had been accumulating in his heart for a long time: "Your Majesty, why didn't you keep the Southern Study?"
Qi You was silent for a moment, a sense of melancholy flashing through his mind. Finally, he said calmly, "Power and desire are a double-edged sword. Once a person has tasted the sweetness of supreme power, it is difficult to let go. It breeds arrogance, stupidity, and mediocrity. I am a human being, and I would never dare to claim that I can resist temptation. The abolition of the Southern Study is to remind and restrict myself, and also to serve as a warning to future generations."
The fourth brother's heart suddenly felt extremely complicated. He was moved and admired.
Faced with the biggest temptation in the world, it is easy to say that you want to give up, but it is very difficult to do it.
For the throne, the brothers once fought to the death in private.
The fourth brother recalled Qi You's words at the coronation ceremony, which puzzled everyone: "I am the monarch, but not the monarch. I am only serving you and the Qing Dynasty."
Today, the fourth brother finally fully understood the meaning of Qi You’s words.
Qi You became the final winner, but did not become a real emperor.
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-12-23 23:39:46 and 2022-12-24 23:36:04~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 10 bottles;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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