Can't think of a suitable title
Li Guangdi could be said to have been honored after his death. The princes paid tribute, provided funeral expenses, bestowed a posthumous title, and provided blessings to his descendants. However, the dead are dead, like a light extinguished, while the living must continue. Yinreng only felt regret for a moment, then became sad. After all, if more people are involved in a bad thing, the criticism will be shared by everyone, and the burden will be much less. Although Yinreng was not afraid of the criticism, he always thought that it was better for everything to go smoothly.
But right now...
Yinreng's face was gloomy for several days. His plan was disrupted, and this was what made him most angry. Things that were not under control were always annoying. Well, Li Guangdi was absent, so what? Could it be that without Li Xueshi, the court would not function?
Yinreng sneered. He had already taken care of the matter! He wanted to see if anyone could slander the Supreme Emperor!
In the next few days, the court officials who came to the court accidentally caught a glimpse of the emperor's smile and felt a chill down their spines, wondering what tricks this emperor was up to.
However, what needed to be said still needed to be said. Ma Qi, the chief academician, was pushed out to take the blame: "Your Majesty, Li Guangdi has passed away. Should we choose someone to replace him as the academician?"
This is also a concern for many people. The title of Grand Secretary is not just a casual official position, nor is it just a scholar as the name suggests. In the Qing Dynasty, it was roughly equivalent to the Prime Minister. Although the Qing Dynasty's monarchical centralization of power reached its peak, with the emperor's power being more important and the prime minister's power being less, and the glory of "sitting and discussing the truth" was no longer there, the weight of the Grand Secretary was still not light.
Yinreng said, "I understand."
Hongdan moved slightly, then tightened his lips again.
"You haven't decided yet?" Shujia asked curiously. Her sons, who worked as officials, came to pay their respects after work, sharing their work and daily lives. This allowed Shujia to pick up on some of the outside world's trends, ensuring she wasn't completely ignorant. The sons also took the opportunity to express their own opinions, and if they could influence their mother, they could indirectly influence their father. This indirect influence might not be significant, but just one, if any, was a windfall.
Hong Dan nodded: "This is not a small matter. Li Guangdi passed away suddenly, and there was no one to replace him in such a hurry."
Honggui sneered, "There are still several Grand Secretaries, and there are still people who can do the work. There's no need to rush." He paused, "Li Guangdi's family hasn't even returned home with the coffin yet." He was ordered to pay his respects, and although he normally had a neutral opinion of Li Guangdi, the grief he witnessed had a slight impact on him. Upon his return, he saw that few were truly sad; they all looked at Li Guangdi's vacant seat with green eyes, which made him feel a little unhappy.
Hong Dan said, "That's not the case. There are so many things going on in the court right now. Look at how much thinner the Fourth Prince has become. One more person means more strength. State affairs are very important."
Honggui shut his mouth. Hongtong said lazily, "As long as they don't hold us back, that's all that matters. I don't expect them to do anything practical."
Such remarks were naturally reprimanded by Hong Dan: "Ministers are the pillars of the country, how can you say that about them?!"
Honggui said drily, "Could I have been wrong? Li Guangdi was born into the common people. If he were to go, the replacement would have to be a commoner, not a bannerman. Commoner officials are almost all educated. These people, huh." The image of the scholar was truly unsatisfactory by now. Flaws like reciting poetry and couplets, rigidity, ignorance of ordinary affairs, and a rigid mind were already established. Officials in the court were also subject to several additional accusations, such as forming factions to seize power and attacking each other. It was quite annoying.
Hong Dan was a little annoyed and said, "Yang Mingshi, the one you are using successfully now, was a student of Li Guangdi, and Fourth Uncle also praised him well. How can he not be a scholar?"
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Hongtong's face. He coughed and turned his head away.
Hongchen worked at the Ministry of War and had no interest in the Ministry of Revenue's affairs—even if he were interested, he wouldn't have the energy to care. Military deployment was a major matter, a matter that reached the emperor. No matter who was appointed Grand Secretary, he couldn't hinder the matter, so he felt reassured. Adjusting his sitting position, he watched his two brothers argue with a sense of peace.
Shujia stepped in to smooth things over: "Who will be chosen in the end depends on what your father thinks. When it comes to hiring people, we shouldn't ask where a hero comes from, as long as he is competent for the job."
The sons were all thoughtful: What does Khan Ama think?
Competent? Hongdan tentatively said, "Zhao Shenqiao has made great achievements in every position he has held. He is a normal and selfless person. Khan Ama is a great ruler who aspires to achieve great things. It is appropriate to employ such an upright person." Moreover, although Zhao Shenqiao did not raise a good son, he himself was quite good, especially a person who adhered to etiquette and law. If this person were a Grand Secretary, he would definitely stand on the side of justice.
Hong Tong also agreed. From his point of view, Zhao Shenqiao was a man who was loyal to his country. He nodded and said, "Not bad."
Honggui and Hongchen also had to admit that Zhao Shenqiao was a qualified minister, loyal to the court and with few selfish motives. Honggui thought for a moment and said, "Zhao Shenqiao is a civil servant, having served as a governor, minister, and censor. His qualifications are sufficient."
It seems that the four sons have all had a good opinion of Zhao Shenqiao and feel that he is acceptable. Shujia smiled and said, "Don't harm him."
"?" Question marks flashed in all four pairs of eyes.
Events proved their mother right. Yinreng had not appointed Zhao Shenqiao as Grand Secretary, but had Wang Xuling fill Li Guangdi's vacancy. Hongdan was glad that he had restrained himself from praising Zhao Shenqiao too much in front of Yinreng these past few days, but he was also puzzled. His father-in-law wanted to do great things, and he had to employ people who were not afraid of offending others, who were not willing to compromise, who had principles and stood their ground. So why didn't he let Zhao Shenqiao become Grand Secretary?
Even if it wasn't Zhao Shenqiao, it certainly wasn't Wang Xuling! Guo Xiu impeached him, saying, "Gao Shiqi, Wang Hongxu, Chen Yuanlong, He Kai, Wang Xuling, etc., have the nature of wolves, the heart of snakes and scorpions, and the appearance of devils." Gao Shiqi did at least accept bribes, and he also formed a clique with Wang Hongxu and Chen Yuanlong. Wang Xuling's inclusion in the same category shows that his character wasn't that good.
Shujia said: "The strong are easily broken. Zhao Shenqiao is a good person. He can be a governor and a censor, but he cannot be a grand councilor. No matter what position he holds, he always reports on others. His uprightness is good, but he does not have the temperament of a prime minister." Things in the world are not black and white. Sometimes, the monarch will even deliberately use people with bad character.
Hongdan was quite regretful. Shujia said, "Look, with his personality, even when it comes to giving advice, he's always straightforward. If his opinion is right, then he can be straightforward. Your father will be tolerant. But if his opinion is wrong, but he still insists on it and keeps being stubborn, how will it end?"
Hongdan sighed, "As expected."
He did have some thoughts about bringing in someone who was at least neutral. His elder brother, Hongxi, though a concubine's son, had been granted a title and a residence, and was currently continuing his military exploits on the front lines. He had three sons, and Hongxi was still very young, with great prospects for development. His younger brothers, all legitimate sons, each had their own strengths, and as they grew older, they each received a position of authority.
While he couldn't be said to suspect his brothers of a vying for the throne, it certainly triggered a sense of crisis in Hongdan. If he were emperor now, he'd be delighted by his brothers' abilities. Unfortunately, he was only the crown prince, and while his position was secure, he still felt a slight sense of conflict. He subconsciously defined his relationship with his brothers as one of competition, competing in performance, talent, connections, and so on.
Putting that aside, he spoke to his mother about his eldest son: "They say his nose looks like me, and I think his eyebrows and eyes are quite similar, too."
Shujia noticed that Hongdan was in a bad mood and wondered: What's wrong with him? I haven't heard that he has encountered any bad things!
Hongdan just had everything going too smoothly in the past!
Shujia had never imagined her son had a problem. Unable to find out, Shujia simply asked directly. Hongdan couldn't answer. He had this little secret in mind, so vague that he didn't even dare to tell her. To suspect a brother of a younger brother was foolish.
————————————————————————————————————————
The brothers, whom their prince regarded as rivals, were unaware of this. They were not as well-known as Hongdan in terms of status, were still young, and had just started their work. They did not have any achievements to show for themselves. Who would be so full of themselves as to compare themselves with Hongdan? Each of them was busy with their own affairs.
Hongtong was still busy, working himself to death. He needed to keep track of the repayment status of officials from various ministries and regions who owed money to the treasury. To be honest, some of these officials were still useful, but Yinreng had a rule that no one could be promoted until they paid back their debts. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Personnel was short of people for some difficult positions, so he would come and urge them from time to time: "Has that so-and-so paid back his debts? If so, we can send him to Yunnan/Dajianlu/Qiongzhou."
In some places, conditions so dire they were designated as key national poverty alleviation areas centuries later, some officials simply accepted official documents but refused to take up their posts. The Ministry of Personnel, aware of this, was helpless. These officials happened to be victims of criminal records, perhaps even sworn enemies who were being targeted. It was truly a tailor-made situation!
Furthermore, the land tax is not so easy to implement. The land tax varies depending on the fertility of the land. After the pilot program in one province, it will be rolled out in succession. The Ministry of War and the front lines are constantly demanding food and wages...
At this critical juncture, his fourth uncle was even sick from exhaustion!
Hongtong went to visit his fourth uncle at his home and saw him lying exhausted in bed. He couldn't help but sigh. Prince Yong was tired and sick! He was responsible for so many things, and he personally did every bit of preliminary work. Prince Yong was also a rather meticulous person. When he believed something was right, he worked tirelessly day and night.
Now that his senior who was familiar with the situation was sick, Hongtong, a rookie who was not very familiar with the situation, was immediately in a panic.
Unable to urge people to go to work, Hongtong said bitterly: "Fourth uncle, you should rest assured and recuperate. The imperial physician also said that you are tired. I will do my best to take care of the affairs of the ministry. If it really doesn't work, there are Shi Shilun and others. Khan Ama is still watching over it, so nothing will happen." He also had to comfort the patient.
Hongchen faced an even greater challenge. His thirteenth uncle, originally from the Ministry of War, was now accompanying the army on its campaign. The Ministry of War was constantly receiving requests from individuals from the royal family who wanted their sons to serve on the front lines, earning a small commission and a promising future, hoping to have their names included on the list of candidates for the Tibetan rotation. The prince himself was also eager to serve his country. He also needed to provide timely feedback on various news from the front, as well as respond to various requests from the front.
Honggui was better off, but he had to constantly interact with his third uncle. When his third uncle, who was working on a book, saw him, he would tell him about a bunch of rare copies of this book that he had found somewhere and that were about to be lost, but were fortunately discovered and saved.
Besides work, Honggui and Hongchen were also grooms-to-be, taking measurements for their clothes, visiting their new home from time to time to check on the renovation progress, and inspecting the inheritance allocated to them. Furthermore, a prince's wedding couldn't be left alone; at the very least, he had to go to his father-in-law's house in person.
Hongchen felt more comfortable. He was staying at his uncle's house. Although he had never met his fiancée before, he was quite familiar with the other members of his uncle's family. Especially his brothers-in-law, who had served as guards in the palace and knew them well. From his brothers-in-law to his fiancée, he figured she would be a good wife in the future. Hongchen was even more satisfied.
Arriving at Li Rongbao's home, Honggui had a completely different experience. This family... was truly well-behaved! Honggui had a good opinion of Fucha, saying she followed etiquette and knew when to advance and retreat. Li Rongbao was a high-ranking official, his abilities difficult to assess, but his demeanor was respectful. Upon meeting his future son-in-law, he was neither overly servile nor deliberately pretentious. With this in mind, Honggui was quite satisfied. To marry someone whose name wouldn't make anyone frown was truly a blessing from heaven.
————————————————————————————————————————
Although the country was at war, people still had to get married. Since the battlefield was far away, the scale of the wedding in the capital did not decrease at all. It was just that many relatives were away, so there were fewer people and it was a little less lively.
After a series of preparations, Honggui married Li Rongbao's daughter Fucha in February of the tenth year of Changtai.
Shujia naturally had a strong impression of Fucha, a lady who had been selected through the selection process. She was a perfect example of a lady from a noble family, gentle and charming, not a hard-nosed person. She got along well with Gegentana, Hesheli, and Borjigit. It was a shame none of them liked playing cards, otherwise they could have easily gotten together for a mahjong table.
The number of daughters-in-law was increasing, but the number of daughters was decreasing. Yinreng conferred the title of Princess on the fourth daughter, giving her the name Zhuangke. As usual, the Princess's Mansion was built first, but the decree of marriage was not issued.
The Shi family, whose daughter was about to become the prince's wife, was busy. Yinreng issued an order to let Guanyinbao go to the front line, take over the firearms battalion, and exchange Qingde!
For a prince to marry, the first official decree must come from the wife's father. Since Qingde was on the front lines at the time, this formality hadn't been completed yet. Now, everything was ready, only Qingde was missing; he had to be brought back. As for letting Guanyin take the throne, Yinreng had considered it carefully. The current Firearms Battalion was led by Qingde, and changing commanders mid-battle was a taboo. However, the duration of this battle was unknown, and his son's marriage couldn't be delayed.
Guanyinbao is Qingde's younger brother. With this identity, he can integrate the team as soon as possible. And with his younger brother taking over, Qingde will probably be more dedicated to helping his younger brother get started in the limited time without delaying things.
The decree was passed, and the Shi family was busy. Nalan was busy asking her second sister-in-law, Jueluo, for advice on what practical things to bring to the battle. Jueluo asked Guanyinbao to take a letter to Qingde. Xiluo had something to tell Guanyinbao, and Xinle wanted to pay her respects to her uncle, who could not attend her wedding.
Guanyinbao took up his post amidst the swirling sand and rocks. Arriving at the edge of the land, he first bowed to the mountain. The central army was stationed in Xining, at a high altitude, and Guanyinbao was already experiencing some altitude sickness. Chong'an, upon receiving the order, went to meet him. Seeing his condition, he said, "Uncle, you'll have to hold on for the next two days. Get some sleep when you can, and you'll be fine after a while. My father said that we have to capture these troops before we can rest in peace."
From Yarjiang'a on down, he met everyone he needed to know, and then went over all the necessary details with Qingde. As Yinreng had expected, the handling of affairs went quite smoothly. Qingde was a smooth man, and while he didn't completely obey his subordinates, he at least enforced their orders. Guanyinbao, with his noble title, was also able to endure hardships and was relatively fair, so he had no difficulty finding his footing.
The hard part is next!
Soldiers always rely on their combat performance to speak for themselves. Without major battles and decisive engagements, the firearms battalion could not fully realize its role. They could only drill and drill again, with small groups of firearms battalion soldiers armed with hand guns cooperating with the cavalry in small battles, but they could not fully commit to combat.
Guanyinbao was scratching his head.
"Brother, is this battle really that difficult?" Guanyinbao stopped Qingde from fleeing. Yarjiang'a had given the two brothers three days to complete their assignments and make arrangements. During these three days, Guanyinbao's mind was flooded with information. He had a specific sequence for dealing with problems: first, understanding the basic situation of the Firearms Battalion, then the relationship with friendly forces, and finally the battlefield situation.
Qingde said, "Do you think fighting is so easy? Especially on a long expedition? The current situation is good. You must not rush into anything!"
Guanyinbao was shocked. It has been almost two years since the fight began, and we still have to wait?
Qingde looked at him seriously: "The Junggar are not easy to deal with. If we are not careful, they will take advantage of our weaknesses. The two attacks we encountered were due to our carelessness."
Guanyinbao took note of it and said, "I can't go to my niece's wedding. When I get back, I have to make up for it."
Qingde sneered, "You can't tell a joke, so stop it. I'm waiting for your triumphant return!"
Qingde first went to the Qianqing Palace to report the situation to Yinreng and answer many questions about the front line. He specifically defended the army, saying, "We can only win now, not lose. We must win with absolute certainty, which is why Prince Jian is so cautious. Furthermore, the Junggars have a significant number of troops. Although our army is large, we must be wary of them splitting up and launching surprise attacks. Prince Jian's intention is to fight them decisively, and the outcome will be decided in one battle. We must defeat them. We can't let them flee today and return tomorrow, otherwise we'll be exhausted."
"To decide in one battle?" Yinreng smiled bitterly, "To decide in one battle, I have to fight to reach Junggar and capture Tsewang Arabtan! Otherwise, it will not be decided in one battle. The country now..." It doesn't have the strength! "It will be enough to eat up this army and hurt its vitality, so as to buy me a few years." By that time, the internal reforms will be completed, the national strength will be greatly increased, and another expedition will be launched, and the decision will be decided in one battle.
Qing Deton said, "It is our incompetence that has caused our master to worry."
Yinreng waved his hands and said, "Stop saying these polite words." He smiled and said, "You and I will soon become in-laws. You should go home early and come to receive the imperial edict tomorrow."
————————————————————————————————————————
With Qingde's return, Hongchen's wedding officially began. Receiving an imperial decree could be done at any time, provided the decree and the necessary personnel were present. However, the betrothal and betrothal gifts required the lunar calendar. Qingde returned to the capital at the end of April, and the decree was received the next day. It took another month before the auspicious date arrived. Since the imperial family had already moved to Changchun Garden for summer vacation, and since Fu Jin's father was supposed to go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to receive the decree, Yinreng had no choice but to bring his ministers to the Palace of Heavenly Purity that day, present the decree, and then return to Changchun Garden.
Next came the marriage proposal, which took quite some time.
The wedding was set for October, after Empress Xiaohuizhang's death anniversary. The royal family had moved back to the Forbidden City, and Hongchen's new room had already been decorated. The Shi family's dowry delivery team also began to move.
The Shi family was adept at choosing a daughter as a consort, and every detail was considered. Shujia was restless in Kunning Palace, still worried about inbreeding. She couldn't figure out how to treat her daughters-in-law equally, but she couldn't help but feel a bit partial to her niece. Shujia, somewhat fussy, began pacing the room.
Seeing this, Hongxiu smiled secretly. The Queen was indeed caring for her family. She came up and said, "My Lady, don't worry. The bride will come to visit you tomorrow."
Shujia smiled bitterly: "I always feel uneasy."
"Even if you're worried about the Sixth Lady's youth, don't you trust her family's training?"
That's right, her father is a cunning man. No! I'm worried about inbreeding.
Come on, only one of your sons is from a consanguineous marriage, so if you have to worry about genetic problems, it's only for one. There's another killer weapon that makes you worry about the remaining couples.
As the newlyweds paid their respects, Shujia realized another issue that could affect the relationship between husband and wife even more than visiting relatives and getting married. Aside from Consort Mao and Consort Qian, the only visitors to Kunning Palace were her juniors, and all the daughters-in-law came to serve them without exception.
Shujia glanced around and suddenly realized that these daughters-in-law were all "similar." The new bride Xinle, on the other hand, had a bit of freshness and became a reference point.
Royal daughter-in-law, royal daughter-in-law, the selection criteria are already ridiculous, and they have to act pretentiously all the time in their future lives. No wonder, no wonder, no wonder Kangxi took great pains to select so many daughters-in-law, but in the end, only a few of them had a good relationship with their husband!
Maybe they all have a special side in private, but when they meet people, they are afraid of losing their identity, and they are all trying to be more "proper". Not to mention their young sons, even I, a mother-in-law who is a bit older, would not like it particularly!
Wrong, wrong! I had taken the wrong direction from the very beginning. Perhaps after listening to my own suggestions, Hesheli had a more distorted understanding.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
