Another spring is here
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Whether the officials cried or not was not Yinreng's primary concern; he was solely concerned with the outcome. As for whether there would be widespread criticism, he had already devised a way to deflect the blame. He now had one thing to worry about: re-evaluating the officials, especially the provincial governors, as well as those in the court who had the potential to become "honest officials," in preparation for the implementation of the new policy.
Chinese New Year was approaching, and in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Yinreng was scrawling the character "Fu" (meaning "blessing") with the same enthusiasm he'd employed in school, copying it a hundred and twenty times. Qing Palace tradition dictated that during Chinese New Year, the emperor would write numerous "Fu" characters and distribute them to various locations. This was mandatory homework, and you couldn't escape it, and you'd likely have to write it more than a hundred and twenty times.
The writing is familiar, so it doesn't require much effort. Yinreng wrote mechanically, his mind still thinking about something.
Putting aside the issue of reemployment of surplus rural labor, if you want to distribute the tax based on land use, someone has to enforce it, right?
The key to implementing new policies lies in execution. Wang Anshi's reforms weren't badly motivated, nor were Wang Mang's ideas wrong. The difficulty lies in execution. A mismatch between ability and thinking can only lead to tragedy.
You mean the newly minted Jinshi? They're the reserve force, the pillars of the future, but they can't yet hold such high positions. These clean officials can be used to spur public opinion when investigating deficits, and they can be used to fill suitable vacancies, but important positions like governors and governors-general cannot be given to these newcomers.
Hey, have you ever seen a provincial governor being selected from freshly graduated college graduates during the civil service exam? Are you kidding me?
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are qualified bureaucrats forged in a day. They must possess not only the ability to handle government affairs but also the ability to socialize and understand the intricacies of government. If implementing good policies were that easy, Yinreng wouldn't have to work so hard.
There were candidates. Zhang Boxing was one, a decent man without many of the flaws of the officialdom. He wasn't perfect, but at least he was a capable person. Yinreng also remembered Yang Mingshi, a student of Li Guangdi. He had made a minor mistake during Kangxi's western tour, but overall he was a good person. However, he was currently at home observing mourning.
E'hai is an honest official and can be used... Yinreng thought of several people one after another and felt that if he did a pilot project first, it would be enough.
But! The remaining people were a headache for him. Current officials, both at the central and local levels, shared one characteristic: no one is perfect. Sometimes, people describe someone as "perfect with a slight flaw," and honestly, that's pretty good. We're all human; who doesn't make small mistakes? Who can be perfect all the time?
The problem Yinreng now faces is that if one is a perfect jade, then many of the officials he manages are no longer just "slightly flawed" but rather half-broken (this broken half must include their moral integrity), yet the remaining half is still moist and lustrous...
I hate it so much! My hand follows my heart and I ruin a piece of paper. I peel it off and throw it aside, then I gather my mind and continue writing.
I'll keep you for now and replace you when I find the right person! It won't take too long, at most ten years, and someone capable will emerge. Yinreng thought bitterly that he must select a good group of people for next year's Spring Examination, and the chief examiner, as the emperor had tacitly decided, would still be Zhao Shenqiao.
Of course, Yinreng would not reveal the answer now.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd already written quite a bit today. I put down my pen and washed my hands. Sipping tea, I pondered quietly: The tax system must be reformed, but the specific steps still need to be carefully discussed, and the pilot provinces must also be carefully selected. The various government offices will be sealed, and this will be the first thing to discuss after the spring.
When Ma Qi entered, he saw Yinreng's inscrutable expression, and he felt a little disapproving. Old officials inevitably compared the new emperor with the previous one. Kangxi was indeed a bit of a mountain, and Yinreng was not particularly mature politically.
After all, she's a promising talent. Ma Qi muttered to himself, then reported: "Your servants request an imperial decree. At the end of the year, sacrifices should be offered to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. In addition, officials should be sent to offer sacrifices to the Yongling Mausoleum, the Fuling Mausoleum, the Zhaoling Mausoleum, the Temporary Resting Hall, the Xiaoling Mausoleum, the Jingling Mausoleum, and the tombs of Empress Renxiao, Empress Xiaozhao, and Empress Xiaoyi."
Of course, Yinreng went to offer sacrifices to the Taimiao himself, but he had to send people to the other mausoleums. Ma Qi had also drawn up a list of candidates, and Yinreng took a look at them and thought they were all suitable: "Let's do it this way."
Ma Qi added: "The kings, beile, beizi, gong and taiji of Khorchin and Ordos of Outer Mongolia... Ongniud, Khalkha, Balin, Aohan, Abagai, Kharachin and Tumed have arrived in Beijing." They will be given a banquet, and red envelopes will also be given to them during the New Year.
Yinreng's forehead twitched. "I see. Speaking of the temporary burial hall, Empress Xiaozhuang Wen's eternal resting place has been chosen. Let's have the Imperial Household Department, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Works build it."
Xiaozhuang has not yet been laid to rest, and Kangxi may have been reluctant to bury his grandmother. But when it comes to Yinreng, he has to bury her.
Xiaozhuang wasn't reburied in Shengjing to be buried alongside Huang Taiji, as the unofficial history suggests. This was a will from Xiaozhuang, and the subsequent meeting approved it. According to burial rules, the inferior should not be moved to the superior. The husband is the most respected. Huang Taiji had been dead for decades. Digging up his grave and inserting another person in order to bury Xiaozhuang was inappropriate. Xiaozhuang also wanted to see her children and grandchildren.
If we insist on saying that Xiaozhuang really had some "love affair", it was probably because there was another person named Hai Lanzhu hiding next to Huang Taiji. [1]
This is something that must be done. We cannot save money on this. Ma Qi obeys the order.
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Unlike the previous dynasty which was full of lawsuits and calculations, the harem was still very peaceful.
In fact, Manchus paid more attention to pomp and ceremony in mourning, and some rituals seemed much less formal than those of the Han people. The maids in the harem, such as those in the Empress Dowager's chamber, had already changed into brightly colored clothes. Everyone was busy pasting up blessing characters, hanging door gods, and hanging couplets that looked like elegiac couplets...it was quite lively.
Shujia clutched a list in her hand, a list given by Yinreng. Thanks to it, her database of important officials and new generation heads of aristocratic families had been updated. Yinreng's original intention was to use it as a reference for selecting daughters-in-law, but for well-known reasons, the fathers of the concubines were inevitably on the list.
Shujia's only concern now was how to arrange for the ladies of high rank to bring their daughters with them during the Lunar New Year audience. She already had a four-tenths say on the matter, with Yinreng making the final decision five points and the others contributing one point.
Sad, very sad!
A son must prove his maturity by getting married, but...it's no exaggeration to say that this is about deciding the future mistress of the empire. Shujia's future mother-in-law's pettiness is causing her no peace of mind. The Grand Empress Dowager is now effectively a figurehead. Shujia knows she has no ill intentions, and the Grand Empress Dowager won't argue. What if she winds up with a daughter-in-law who casts her aside...
A quick glance at the list revealed that the Tonggiya clan had completely disappeared. There was still one from the Niuhulu clan, and a few from the Guargiya clan. Furthermore, "famous clans" like the Dong'e clan were also prominently listed. Shujia even spotted the Han army flag on the list, and her eyes nearly popped out: a woman of a very young age.
The last time the girls were chosen, the marriages were arranged hastily, and all the thirteen-year-old girls were sent home first, leaving them to be chosen again this time. Nian Xialing's daughter, Nian Shi, was among them.
Shujia stared at the list for a moment. It couldn't be that bad, could it? Nian Shi didn't look like someone who could be chosen as the Crown Princess.
After dinner, she asked Yinreng: "Is there anything special about this Nian? Should she be given to Hongdan?" She was quite concerned about Nian. The last time she saw her, she just thought she was a pretty girl with a good appearance, but she looked a little weak, not a standard daughter-in-law.
Yinreng said, "If you like her, you can leave her to Hongdan as a concubine." Hongdan would be seventeen next year, so there was nothing wrong with appointing her as a concubine first. "If you are not satisfied with her, don't be too cold-hearted. I will appoint someone else. The Nian family has several capable people." The dowry should be very generous, which is a good prize. [2]
Shujia: "..." Don't worry, I will definitely not leave her here.
The New Year was approaching in the blink of an eye. Shujia had been through this before and was gradually getting used to such large-scale celebrations. This year's event was slightly smaller than last year's, making it easier to handle.
Because she wasn't the one who made the final decision, Shujia didn't show any particular interest in anyone when she summoned the ladies and their daughters, but she already had a few in mind. Grand Secretary Ma Qi's family had a pretty good girl, and so did the daughter of the Imperial Guards' Grand Secretary Fu Erdan, Gua Erjia. The Third Lady's nieces also had good children.
Compared with "choosing a daughter-in-law", the legendary Concubine Nian is not worth mentioning.
Nian's background determined that she could not become the Crown Princess. This was not just a problem with the Han Army Banner. The Han Army Banner itself was not the problem. The main reason was that the Nian family was not considered an aristocratic family among the bannermen. If you are not a candidate for my daughter-in-law, why should I care about you?
Nian, fifteen years old, was her father's daughter. She should have been pampered, yet she had received a good upbringing. With an oval face and delicate features, she possessed a certain grace despite her youth. She spoke softly and slowly, a pleasant sound.
Shujia finally eliminated Nian and said to Yinreng, "She looks a little delicate. I can't say what's wrong with her, but she just doesn't suit your eyes." Yinreng nodded and said, "I see." The daughters of the Nian family will have no trouble finding a husband. If she is not suitable for their son, they can just find another one.
Unexpectedly, she had eliminated Nian in her heart, but someone else took a fancy to her and wanted to make her his daughter-in-law.
"You want to give her to your family?" Shujia looked at Ning Hui in surprise.
Ning Hui nodded: "The maid is one year older than me. I have been accompanying the master and watching her coldly for many days. She is a person who does not speak nonsense and is well-mannered. She also has a good family background." If Ning Hui was not familiar with Shujia, she would never say this. The emperor's family has not been selected yet, why are you trying to grab it first?
Now that they had this "harmony of people" condition, and since Nian Shi couldn't become the Crown Princess, and Prince Jian was a royal prince, they still had face and a say in their children's marriages. Ning Huixin thought it would be fine to bring it up informally.
Shujia said, "Then you have to think it over carefully."
Ning Hui wondered, "Is there something wrong with her?" In Ning Hui's opinion, Nian was good-looking, had a good temper, her father and brothers were capable, and the Nian family had many children. There was nothing to complain about.
Shujia deliberately eliminated Nian, not because of any "history," but purely because of reality. A single imperial concubine had Hongxi running amok, and Nian's brother, Nian Gengyao, was no quiet man. Hongxi's father-in-law at least had the "Mongolian" amulet to protect him from certain death, but Nian Gengyao's temper would set him on fire if exposed to even a little sunlight.
During Emperor Kangxi's lifetime, Nian Gengyao was appointed Governor of Sichuan. Nian was a capable man, having achieved considerable success in his post, recently uncovering numerous hidden farmlands in Chengdu (as mentioned above). However, one incident clearly reveals his character: when Emperor Kangxi assigned him to work with the Sichuan governor to suppress bandits, Nian, believing the governor alone could handle the task, simply returned without even saying hello to his boss, and not even mentioning the incident in his report (as mentioned above).
It's understandable that someone with some education might be a bit arrogant, but being so arrogant that you don't even take your boss seriously is a grave sin.
Nian Gengyao was a man of ability and temper. Even if you don't know history, you can make the assertion with a little vigilance: if you give him a chance to make a contribution, he will definitely make a shocking reversal, use the opportunity of making a contribution to be rude to his boss, and finally be killed by the boss who can no longer tolerate it.
Even though you are a bannerman, there is still a big difference between the Han Army Banner and the Manchu Banner. The probability of beheading the Han Army Banner is much higher than that of the Manchu Banner.
This is not a matter of being too successful and thus threatening the ruler, but a matter of character determining destiny.
Shujia organized her words: "Her brother Nian Gengyao doesn't seem like a quiet man. Don't let him become a burden to your family."
Ning Hui just thought it was a joke. "How could that be? I know Nian Gengyao too. He's a scholar, the son-in-law of Nalan Rongruo. How bad could he be?"
Shujia thought about it. If Yongzheng hadn't taken the throne, Nian Gengyao wouldn't be the emperor's pseudo-brother-in-law, and the likelihood of him causing trouble would be much smaller. Because other people's sons weren't as important as her own, Shujia didn't try to dissuade him. With her own son, she would find a way to eliminate any danger, but with other people's sons, she could leave it to their parents to worry about.
"I'll let the emperor know first, and tell him to take care of Nian Shi and not ask Prince Jian to come forward."
"I save that." Ning Hui smiled with satisfaction.
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At the same time, the one who has the decision-making power over marriage matters is suffering.
"Bring some water, I want to take a shower." A stiff and upright voice.
There was a rustling sound.
"Your Majesty, the water has arrived."
"Who told you to bring hot water?! I want cold water!"
"Your Majesty, it's not even the end of the first lunar month yet. Using cold water will harm the dragon's body..."
"Get lost! Why are you talking so much nonsense?" Yinreng's temper suddenly flared up. "Go get some cold water!"
A man in his prime who hasn't had sex for over a year is either impotent or... he's in mourning.
The author has something to say:
[1] This is my guess.
[2] Nian MM was a member of the regular Eight Banners and was selected through the imperial selection process, requiring the emperor to arrange a marriage; she was not a bannerman, so the prince could marry her at will. Nian Gengyao was not originally a disciple of the Fourth Prince. Nian was given the position of Governor of Sichuan by Emperor Kangxi, and his sister was not married to Emperor Yongzheng at that time. There is no such absurd proposition that he married Nian to exploit the Nian family. Nian Gengyao only became a so-called "disciple" after the entire zuoling he was in was given by Emperor Kangxi to the then Prince Yong.
If we have to say it was a conspiracy, it was approved by Kangxi.
PS: Nian MM gave birth to many children for the Fourth Master, but unfortunately none of them survived. For the Fourth Master, who had few offspring... everyone knows that he would never joke about his offspring.
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