Let us be together through life and death
Sitting under the shade of the flowering trees, the two faced each other, enjoying the gentle breeze.
It would be a beautiful sight if these two people were not "one fat and one thin, the fat one is like a meat dumpling, the thin one is like a bamboo pole". Moreover, their faces are not beautiful at all!
The thin one, with a goatee and a walnut-shaped face, had a pair of sparkling eyes. The fatter one was a ball, with narrow eyes that would occasionally "flash an evil gleam."
This was a father-in-law and son-in-law pair, neither of whom was particularly favored by Yinreng. The father-in-law's name was Qishi, and the son-in-law's name was now Yunlu. Qishi had been personally given the nickname "Macaque Commander" by Yinreng, and Yunlu had long ignored his second brother.
These two people are not good-looking. As a face control, Yinreng naturally despises them. Their personalities are not pleasing. They are greedy for profit and have no limit to their bottom line, which is very annoying.
To save face, Yinreng hadn't touched them yet, but these two were no ordinary people and soon sensed something was up. Aren't they discussing a countermeasure? A secret rendezvous in Changchun Garden was something they hadn't wanted to do. With Yunluo held captive by him, only Qishi had quietly slipped in to see his son-in-law under the pretext of something going on.
"Greetings, Master Jiu."
"Oh, why are you being so polite to me?" Yunluo waved his folding fan desperately. Even fat people are afraid of heat.
Qi Shi came forward and said, "Then I won't be polite with you, let's just speak frankly."
"become!"
Qi Shidao said, "The anniversary of the late emperor's death is approaching, and you are about to leave the palace. Don't you have any plans in advance?"
"What do you mean?" Yunlu became interested. In his eyes, his father-in-law was a wise and knowledgeable man.
Qi Shi cleared his throat: "Let's be honest," and pointed his finger to the sky, "this person doesn't like you or me very much. So, shouldn't we think about it in advance? It will be too late to think about it when the time comes!" Yinreng didn't like him, but Qi Shi was not a fool. On the contrary, he was very smart, and it was only a matter of time before he realized it.
Even before Yunti was imprisoned, he had some thoughts. Being called a macaque was something he could not tolerate. A macaque, also known as a muhou, has an idiom called "Muhou Erguan", which means that even if you put on clothes, you are not a human being.
"What was I thinking? So that's what it is!" Yunluo didn't care at all. "I'm the son of the Holy Ancestor. I'm not like that idiot, the eldest brother. If I commit a crime, someone will hold me responsible. Who can do anything to me? At most, I won't be a servant and have a free time! You too, how bad can the situation get? I just want to be a rich man. I can still do it."
Yunluo didn't expect to be promoted to a higher rank; he just wanted to be free, or rather, to make money lawlessly. Jiu Ye had many children! Although his first wife only had one daughter, he had many concubines, and the survival rate of his illegitimate sons and daughters was extremely high. When they grew up, they would all cost money! Children are debts; they all cost money—as Jiu Ye said.
Qi Shi was a bit anxious. Yunlu's troubles weren't big, but his were. Yinreng might show some mercy to his brother, but not necessarily to others. If he were to be reduced to a blank slate, life would be difficult. Qi Shi had taken advantage of others in his prime, but if he was to be counterattacked now, the emperor probably wouldn't support him. His son-in-law... was just another money-grabbing stunt!
Qi Shi's eyes rolled, and he instantly thought of a way: "You want to be a rich man? There is a good way to kill two birds with one stone."
"Oh? Tell me about it." Yunlu confirmed again that his father-in-law was smart enough.
Qi Shi's idea was, hadn't the Eastern Palace previously exploited the right timing, location, and people to resell Western goods? Now that all the money in the world belonged to them, they didn't care about this small profit; it wouldn't be good if it got out. But we don't want fame, uh, no, we need to make a living. Should we invest in some stocks?
"Well..." Yunluo put away his fan and touched his chin. "It sounds like it's true, but this matter involves not only the Eastern Palace, but also the Shi and Tong families." Do you think I haven't used my brain? Back then, I was not afraid of the Shi family, but I was very afraid of Orondai, that gangster. Now Orondai is nothing, and it's not easy to touch the financial resources of the Queen's family.
Qi Shi came up with this idea mainly because he saw it as a way to establish a connection with the Shi family, so as to persuade them with all his strength: "The Shi family is an old-fashioned family with strict rules. They don't care about these things. I know what Master Jiu is capable of. If you invest in them, they can earn more--" He dragged out the lingering sound.
While Yunlu was thinking, Qi Shi continued to lobby him, starting from the fact that Yunlu's children had no say in their own marriages, and going on to say that if he could get a name with the Queen, it would also be helpful to Yunlu's other businesses: "Since she entered the Eastern Palace, she has not had any illegitimate children. Don't you think it's amazing?" Pillow talk is more brutal than any other wind.
After considering many aspects, Yunlu nodded and said, "Go back and ask Fu Jin to meet the Queen. They live close to each other anyway." After all, he had some connections and had given Wei Zhu a lot of money. He knew that Yinreng might be planning a severe crackdown recently.
Whose daughter it is, only he knows. Qi Shidao said: "I am afraid that Fu Jin can't explain it clearly."
Yunluo gritted his teeth and said, "I'll think of a way." Qi Shi didn't say it explicitly, but he guessed what he meant. Anyway, he had to make money, and it would be best to drag another person on board.
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"My lady, the Empress Dowager has sent the steward to present the rewards." Hongxiu reported to Shujia with a happy face.
Shujia said angrily, "Why are you still smiling foolishly here?"
Lu Yun came over to present the reward first. Since he represented the Grand Empress Dowager, Shujia had to greet him with courtesy. After receiving the reward, Lu Yun stepped forward and, with Zhao Guoshi on either side, helped Shujia to sit on the throne. Then, he came down and saluted Shujia: "Your servant Lu Yun wishes the master a long life."
Shujia's birthday was on April 16th, and it was the first time that anyone in the family (except Hongdan) had celebrated the Queen's birthday since she transitioned from second-in-command to first-in-command. The Qing Empire was even more pitiful; it hadn't celebrated the Queen's birthday in decades.
Shujia also told Yinreng that the "Qianqiu" celebration should not be grand. Last year, the Empress Dowager's birthday was reduced, and this year, when the mourning period had not yet begun, it would be inappropriate to hold a grand ceremony. Yinreng waved his hand and said, "I have my own ideas. You don't need to worry about this matter. Just enjoy it with peace of mind."
Yinreng had a plan, too. He was always showing off his favors, always wanting to demonstrate his authority. This authority couldn't be easily killed (understandably), so he had to put on a show to show everyone who was in charge. The emperor, still grappling with his father's death, couldn't overdo it, so he resorted to using his wife as a scapegoat. This kind of thing was common in officialdom; the wives' diplomacy was a crucial aspect.
Besides, Yinreng's own birthday was a bit embarrassing. It was his mother's death anniversary, so he really didn't feel like celebrating. He had to use his wife's birthday as an excuse.
After all, it's not appropriate to hold a grand ceremony in the palace during the mourning period. Since everyone is enjoying the summer heat in Changchun Garden, there's no need to rush to the palace. Let's celebrate here. The scenery is pleasant, and it's not too serious. It's a perfect place for a birthday party. There won't be any entertainment or drinking, but worship is a must. Oh, and get your gifts ready.
Several days before the actual day, people began to "bring in" Qianqiu Festival gifts. There were golden Buddhas and jade Guanyins, jewelry boxes, various ornaments, and all kinds of curios. There were also ruyi (ruyi) and folding screens, and all kinds of fabrics... It's impossible to count them all.
According to national laws, the queen can receive benefits on her birthday, including nine taels of gold, nine hundred taels of silver, and sixty-three pieces of jewelry.
They were all moved here one by one.
The children also received gifts. The minors received their own copies of the Book of Filial Piety as homework, while others presented various small toys that they claimed to have made by hand as gifts. Wu Yunzhu had not yet started learning the craft, so she had to give the purse that she had "robbed" from her father to her mother.
Shujia looked at her daughter Xianbao's face, feeling both amused and sad. She even kissed her cheek and said, "Baby is so good."
Xi Que bit her lower lip tightly, afraid of laughing out loud: Princess, that purse was embroidered by your mother for your father.
Four more newly adopted daughters came, each bringing a gift of needlework. Due to the arrival of these adopted daughters, the emperor's daughters had to be reordered, with the eldest daughter being called the second daughter, and Wu Yunzhu becoming the fifth. Fortunately, everyone still called her "Little Princess."
Hongxi, who is already married and has a job, made a long list, probably written by his wife, as the items are quite complete.
As for Hongdan, he would ask Guo Chaoyong to prepare it, and then he would review it himself. Yinreng had learned from his own mistakes—even as a crown prince he was still very short of money—and the daily expenses of the Eastern Palace were still paid by the Imperial Household Department. However, he gave his son private money, farms, and shops as wages, not as wages, but as pocket money. The annual allowance was slightly higher than the double salary of a prince, and he would find excuses to give his son money during festivals.
The most helpless one was Hongyu, whose family was poor, so he had to copy the scriptures himself. Yinreng couldn't stand it anymore, so he hinted to Kuixu, who had returned to the position of President of the Hanlin Academy, to keep an eye on him.
The heaviest red envelope, however, was Yunlu's. Shujia wasn't surprised he could afford it; Laojiu was a treasure trove. The strange thing was, why was he so willing to spend so much? He'd already given Hongdan a generous gift for his birthday last month, and now he was being generous even to himself. Was he going to leave?
For Shujia, the biggest benefit of celebrating her birthday is no longer the opportunity to collect money, but the opportunity to see her family. Since Shi Wenbing's death, the Shi family has been staying at home and has closed the door to visitors, so Shujia can no longer invite her family to come over.
But the Qianqiu Festival was different. She was the most important on this day, and Yinreng also discussed with the Empress Dowager to allow the women of the Shi family to come and meet the Queen.
After the instructions came down, Shujia went to the Empress Dowager to thank her for her thoughtfulness. The Empress Dowager's residence was very lively today. Since Yinreng moved his office to Changchun Garden, his brothers also brought their families here to escape the summer heat, and the concubines who left the palace to serve him also lived closer.
Changchun Garden seemed more relaxed than the Imperial Palace, and the concubines often came in to accompany the old lady. The scenery of Changchun Garden was more beautiful than that of the prince's villa.
Before she even reached the house, she heard laughter. She recognized the clearest voice; it belonged to Concubine Yi. Concubine Yi was delighted to be able to see her youngest son more often. Although Yunluo's mansion had been built and his own courtyard had been renovated, his second brother was keeping him in mourning, making it more difficult for Concubine Yi to see her son even after leaving the palace.
After entering the room, the room was cool and refreshing. The Empress Dowager beckoned, "Come and sit down. Have a piece of watermelon. You must be hot coming from outside, right?"
Shujia smiled and said, "It rained the other day, and it feels much cooler now." This watermelon is the first crop, so it's still quite rare. I cut it open, dug out the pulp, removed the seeds, and let it sit in the well for a while. Tasting a piece is truly refreshing.
Of course, everyone greeted the birthday boy in unison.
Shujia said, "You are making fun of me again. Now I am afraid of growing older."
She was teased again. Shujia also laughed and thanked the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager said, "You work so hard all year long, and I can't help you much. Just relax and get back to work."
“Hmm~”
After everyone chatted and laughed for a while, the concubines all said, "It's getting late, we won't disturb the old ancestor's lunch break." They all stood up and said goodbye.
Shujia looked at the time and saw that it was indeed late. She hurriedly said to the Grand Empress Dowager, "Grandfather, please stop working. I will see my mother off."
The concubines kept saying they dared not to and watched her leave. Shujia came back to say goodbye to the Empress Dowager. A smile appeared on her face, thinking that she would soon see her family. Just when she was feeling happy, she met Yunlu on the way!
This shouldn't happen!
Since ancient times, uncles and aunts have not had any contact with each other, unless "the sister-in-law is drowning, and the uncle helps her with his hand."
Yunlu seemed to have something to say, and instead of avoiding the question, he called out, "Sister-in-law."
Shujia had no choice but to stop the chariot: "Ninth brother."
Yunluo finally got the chance, and he wanted to interrupt Shujia and talk. Naturally, he would not say "Hello, sister-in-law, goodbye, sister-in-law". He simply said, "I have something to ask of you, sister-in-law."
Shujia patted the armrests and lowered the sedan chair. Zhao Guoshi stepped forward and helped Shujia down. "That's strange. How can I help you? You've made your sister-in-law angry, and you want me to be your lobbyist?"
"How could that be possible?" Yunluo didn't go too far forward. "That's right," he looked around, "I heard that the business in Guangdong and Guangxi..."
He explained it clearly enough, and Shujia answered straightforwardly: "That was originally my dowry. I don't mind adding a little money for cosmetics. If you're interested, I'll give my share. Not to you, but to my sister-in-law."
Yunluo laughed: "That's unacceptable. I only invested a share. How could I take my sister-in-law's private money?"
"You're a straightforward person, and I'll be honest. This isn't just mine. There are three other families in the Cheng'en Mansion, and they're all busy with their own things. You suddenly want to invest, and they're not in the mood to do this. I'll transfer my share to my sister-in-law, and they won't be able to say anything."
"Don't you need something to keep you company?"
"What else do I need?"
"Uh," why didn't I find her so difficult before, "Second sister-in-law, to be honest, you have to be prepared, right?" It is probably a woman's nature to save some private money to prepare for old age and to prepare for her husband, right?
Shujia understood. Yinreng was truly thinking of her. Two days ago, she would have listened, but now she didn't think so. The day before yesterday, she had made a bowl of soup herself and brought it to Yinreng. Yinreng drank it all without even asking.
Jiu Ye, even if I offered him a bowl of poison, he would drink it without a word. What else can I rely on? Who should I be wary of? I don't care what he does in the future. Now that he's like this, I have no choice but to give in.
"If you're fake yourself, how can you expect others to be genuine?" Shujia asked. She didn't know how capable Yunlu was, but... as someone rumored to be hated by Yongzheng, no one would believe him if he said he was incompetent. If he could help Yinreng, or not hinder him, it would be a win-win situation.
"Really?" Yunlu had never been stupid. None of Kangxi's sons were stupid. Well, except maybe Yunti? He'd messed around with the Eighth Brother and ignored the Second Brother. How could the Second Brother not have a grudge now?
"It's true that I was jealous, but how could I bother him with that? Everything else is true."
"..." This woman actually said it! Yunlu was stunned. Aren't you afraid that others will hear it? Then he realized that she really wasn't afraid. What did she say? It was all frank. Even if it reached Yinreng's ears, she was still a good person.
However, I do have my own step.
Yunluo folded his hands and said, "Then I thank my sister-in-law."
Jiu Ye has a flexible mind that is inversely proportional to his body size, and he really guessed that it would be "spread out".
In Shujia's opinion, the idea of "I'm silently working for you behind your back and never telling you anything" is a terrible idea! If you're hiding something from someone, don't blame them for not appreciating your kindness, and don't call them a scumbag in the end—they don't know about it. The other person is also unlucky, knowing nothing and still being scolded.
She had intentionally not stopped the spread of this conversation, as it would be best if the content of the conversation could reach Yinreng's ears quickly. Meetings between uncles and sisters-in-law were still somewhat taboo. Once the content was spread, it would be a clear path.
Yinreng overheard this conversation while working hard and ran to Shujia to confirm: "You were jealous?!"
"Really? How come I didn't know that?" Blink, blink again.
Yinreng laughed: "Well, no, that's right."
Since the emperor thought being afraid of his wife was not a bad thing, then being abused by his wife should also be acceptable. After his arm was pinched twice, Yinreng jumped back and said with a smile: "No more playing, no more playing."
Well, Your Majesty, you've had enough fun, go back to your residence and take a shower and sleep, you can't stay here overnight. Oh, by the way, you can't take a shower and sleep yet, you still have a lot of troubles to deal with.
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It rained, though a little late, as summer had already arrived. It was better than nothing. Starting with Yinreng, the entire court breathed a sigh of relief. Then, the Third Prince Consort was escorted to the capital, and this guy was a bit of a headache. One characteristic of the current court is that it rarely kills people.
Yes, even though the term "slaughter" was used during the initial march south, for the bannermen, especially the Manchus and Mongols, the death penalty was the limit for ordinary people who broke the law. The so-called "punishment by association" was almost never carried out. At most, descendants of the same ancestor were prohibited from holding official positions. After ten years, no one would remember them, and they would return as brave men again. If the prisoner's status was more special, the most they would receive was imprisonment, and their relatives would not be punished, such as Yunti.
The Third Prince Consort was a man of "special status within the Manchu and Mongolian banners," so of course, killing him was impossible. Even if the Third Prince Consort occasionally expressed some dissatisfaction with the current government, this was understandable. The princess was married to him to appease and reconcile, not to strengthen the alliance.
Yinreng could only hold his anger and find a place to lock him up, letting this relative-in-law go to jail.
After imprisoning the three princes, Yinreng felt a little better. His ability to endure things also became stronger with the passage of time. The higher he went, the more he saw, and the time that such things could affect his mood became shorter and shorter.
Yinreng now had a more important task to attend to: reviewing the memorials left behind by the late emperor, especially the secret memorials from various places. He had only heard of them before, but had rarely seen them. Now that these things were in his possession, he naturally had to study them carefully.
After studying the memorials submitted, Yinreng discovered that it was common for reports from various regions to denounce one another. Furthermore, they also included information on local customs, rice, and vegetable prices, which was also an important channel for understanding national conditions. This indicated that the three weaving factories stationed in Jiangnan by the previous emperor were indeed useful, and he must find a way to place some of them there. The people left behind by the previous emperor were all old.
He read the memorial for a while, then lost in thought. Cao Yin was indeed quite capable. Kangxi had secretly ordered him to send people to investigate the situation in Japan in preparation for lifting the maritime ban. Maritime transport was of great benefit to the economy. Yinreng couldn't help scratching his ears. He knew the benefits of maritime transport, but the problem was that the Eight Banners had a small population. It would be better to limit it to a few ports for now. If it were to be fully launched, it would be difficult to control the situation.
He was about to call someone to discuss things, but then he remembered that Li Guangdi, always the most astute, had called in sick. The weather had been hot lately, and Li Guangdi was an elderly man, so this had probably given him a fever. Occasionally, a cicada chirped outside the window, and a guard would come with gluten to pick it up.
Yinreng let out a sigh of relief. The Third Prince Consort, Galzang, had committed serious offenses and had always been a thorn in his side. Of course, they wanted to use this opportunity to cut him into pieces and let their younger brother, Seleng, inherit the title. The imperial court couldn't take back the Mongolian title!
Even though Yinreng had been acting as the imperial governor for many years, he was gradually finding it difficult to handle such a situation. Last year, everyone was preoccupied with the late emperor's important task, prioritizing stability and minimizing all expenses. This year, with the beginning of spring, everyone became more active, not only among officials but also among the rebels below them.
Now, the Sichuan savages rebelled again. Fortunately, the Governor-General Nian Gengyao and the Admiral Yue Shenglong were quite capable and quickly suppressed the rebels.
Let's just call it a draw. According to the usual practice, we should reward the soldiers according to their merits and provide compensation to the fallen soldiers. But I didn't expect that there is a long-standing tradition after the war: settling accounts after the autumn.
Nian Gengyao was impeached, and the imperial decree was intended for him and Yue Shenglong. However, when Nian Gengyao saw the savages' battle formation on the way, he snorted, patted his butt and left, leaving the matter to Yue Shenglong. It wasn't that he was afraid, but probably just looked down on them.
In fact, this campaign resulted in the killing of around seventy rebels and the capture of one hundred and forty, totaling to around two hundred men. Nian felt it was beneath him to assign a provincial governor to lead the campaign. Yue Shenglong lived up to his trust and directly wiped out the savages.
Now exposed, Nian Gengyao submitted a confession, stating, "Because I, Yue Shenglong, have apprehended the chief culprit of the aboriginals, Luo Du and three others, I am therefore returning to my office midway." Yinreng, sensing the underlying meaning, thought, "What a fuss over nothing!" He was both infuriated and amused, but, constrained by the circumstances, he had no choice but to reform his position to "dismissal from office, but retaining office with leniency." This meant a note was made in his file, and he remained governor.
I finally understood that it was not because Kangxi was too old and unwilling to take ruthless action, but because it was not easy to do so.
Yinreng gave a wry smile. Nian Gengyao's father, Nian Xialing, and his brother, Nian Xiyao, were no pushovers either. His first and second wives came from prominent families, and his second wife was a member of the imperial clan. With so many concerns, the most he could do was write a letter to scold Nian Gengyao.
This can't go on! Yinreng didn't want to tolerate it anymore. The best way was to promote new people to replace the old ones. If talent was hard to find, he would first use some stubborn, stubborn people with good reputations, who would be recorded in history books a thousand years ago as "cruel officials" who made the powerful tremble with fear. Let them come and strike a blow against the arrogance of these bastards.
With this in mind, Yinreng started to think and dug out a few people. Chen Shu, Chen Pengnian, and Shi Shilun were all honest and capable people who had always held good positions in government. They had a good reputation and were also capable of doing practical work. If he didn't use such people, what kind of people should he use?
He had heard of the name for a long time when he was regent, and knew that the rumors were true. Coincidentally, Shi Shilun was still serving as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, which was a suitable position for him. Yinreng intended to let Shi Shilun take care of the coinage issue while serving as the Minister, and then let him be in charge of the economic-related area.
There is also Zhang Boxing, who is in a fierce lawsuit with Galin. This person is honest, but during the conflict between Manchus and Han people, even though they know that Galin is not a good person, they still have to give Zhang Boxing a cold shoulder for a while.
There is a lot of work to be done. It sounds exaggerated, but it is the real situation that the new king faces.
Let's do it one by one, Yinreng rolled up his sleeves. Before doing these, he had to find a few coolies for himself: I will pay your high salaries in the future, and it won't be unfair to let you do some work!
Lao Jiu, you took my wife’s money and now you have to do things for me!
The author has something to say:
Today's topic is ridiculous! ! ! Actually, it's because it's exactly seven characters long, neat. Okay, I have obsessive compulsive disorder...
It’s difficult to write about relationship issues, as most of the time it’s just guessing between the two sides.
But I have to guess. I always feel it is strange for a couple to lay out everything one by one as if they were negotiating a contract. Although marriage can be called a contract, there are always some vague factors involved.
But if some things are not made clear, it is easy to cause all kinds of melodrama.
It's so difficult~
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