Model feudal emperor
Not to mention that he had already realized that there could be a simpler, more effective and less noticeable way to deal with the eldest prince and the crown prince who was struggling to gain enlightenment, Kangxi was also making intensive preparations for his trip.
Kangxi frowned in consideration as he received a memorial from Ma Sika, the newly appointed General Zhaowu, the Minister of the Imperial Guard, who had been dispatched to Ningxia a few days earlier. With his own perspective as Minister of the Imperial Household, Ma Sika commented, "From the capital, through Zhili, Mongolia, and other regions, to Ningxia, I have witnessed a desolate and desolate situation. Galdan is at the end of his strength. However, we must guard against his resurgence. When the grass grows in late spring, Galdan will regain his power."
Masika reiterated the most troublesome issues for a country that is mainly based on agriculture when fighting against nomadic peoples: seasonal issues and supply issues.
It was because the country was big and had sufficient power to support it that Kangxi dared to go on the expedition at this time.
The stark contrast to the lean seasons of agricultural civilization is the scarcity of supplies faced by nomadic peoples in late winter and early spring. As nomads, due to their mobility, they are not good at storing supplies. Their greatest wealth is what they can move with them and the grasslands beneath their feet.
Now, in the capital, spring has just arrived, and the frost hasn't completely melted yet. Further north, the grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see, only getting colder, with no grass to grow. Even if a warrior tried to break through the ice, there wouldn't be enough for the horses and cattle to graze! The war horses are generally emaciated, unable to be driven. And the cattle and sheep that serve as food have become pitifully thin after a winter of consumption. Even cheese and other items have been almost completely consumed over the winter.
Once war breaks out, the consumption of these supplies will only accelerate. Late winter and early spring are the best times to strike back at nomadic tribes. Once you miss this opportunity, you'll never find it again. Once the grass grows and the cattle and sheep multiply, Galdan will emerge as an invincible cockroach. Last year, when we selected our troops for the expedition, we took this into consideration, and we defeated Galdan relentlessly.
Even so, Galdan suffered a lot, and Kangxi was not at ease either. Even though they had set up warehouses to store grain in Shaanxi and Ningxia several years ago, they were still not close to the battlefield, and there was loss along the way. It was considered a good thing if 60% to 70% of the grain could be left by the time it reached the front line, and some dry food had to be left for the return trip.
There was also the loss of horses. Winter horse breeding, especially for war horses, required concentrated feed mixed with coarse grains, which was also a significant expense. Then there was the issue of attrition among the Eight Banners, the issue of extra pay, and the loss of supplies.
Moreover, the emperor had returned triumphantly the previous year, and had left many soldiers in Mongolia and other places to continue the struggle, providing them with food, travel allowances, death and injury compensation, and New Year and festival allowances...
Kangxi had already calculated how much grain was stored in each region, and after doing so, he felt that this war would not completely wipe out the family's wealth. With the north pacified, the people could live and work in peace and contentment. More importantly, we could continue to collect taxes, and the treasury would gradually fill up. It was still a good deal.
He picked up a pen to write an order, and allocated food and horses.
After it was written, he summoned the Grand Secretary and sent it out immediately.
Ethan, the unlucky kid, had been demoted three levels due to his horse selection problem. He was in the middle of his performance when he hurried out. Outside the door, he almost bumped into the eldest brother, who was also rushing in to perform.
Yinzhi was in high spirits. Khan Ama had brought him along again this time, and had asked him to lead the procession. What an honorable job! He had to accompany the emperor and do his job properly. Then, while Khan Ama was in a good mood, he could show some concern for his younger brother, the crown prince.
The young eunuch outside had seen him coming and hurried to the palace to report to Kangxi. Yinzhi heard Kangxi's voice faintly from inside: "Announce it." He quickly straightened his collar and adjusted his hat, then strode up the steps. Only when he reached the threshold did he slow down his pace.
Lifting his skirt, he strode into the Palace of Heavenly Purity with considerable energy. Entering from the outside, the change in light made his eyes momentarily uncomfortable. Yinzhi narrowed his eyes, straightening his expression. He paused outside the warm chamber door and announced his name again. This time, Kangxi's voice was clear, allowing him in.
Yinzhi approached with small steps and saw Kangxi sitting on the south kang, several memorials on the table before him. He swiftly rolled up his sleeves and greeted him. He heard Kangxi say from above, "You're here? Get up. Let the eldest prince have a seat."
Yinzhi thanked him, rolled up his sleeves, and sat down. Kangxi placed his pen on the pen holder, turned around, and stood up. The young eunuch hurried over to put on his boots, and Yinzhi stood up as well. Listening to Kangxi's footsteps making a heavy, almost inaudible sound on the carpet, he began to report: "This morning, my son took people to check with the Imperial Guard, and checked the procession again with the Imperial Envoy Longkodo. Everything is ready. At the end of the morning hour, we went from the palace gate to Deshengmen to check again, and then went to the Infantry Commander's Office. Kaiyinbu said that capable people have been selected to clear the road and set up defenses from the palace gate to Deshengmen..."
Yinzhi was very proud of his meticulous and thoughtful handling of the matter, and his tone gradually became more excited.
Kangxi, seeing his eldest son already married and had children, was currently indulgent. He smiled and said, "I understand. Go and say goodbye to your wife, as you have to get up early tomorrow. Kneel and greet me."
"Yeah!" The answer was loud and crisp, "Son, take your leave."
After Yinzhi left, Kangxi's eyes returned to a hint of melancholy. He'd been chosen for three campaigns, and now it was the third time, so why was he still so excited? He still needed to be tempered! He should be reminded to learn more from Prince Yu, so that he could protect himself and his descendants. Since he'd already decided to keep him by his side, he could put this aside for now and teach him by example later.
After Kangxi stretched his muscles on the ground, he sat down on the kang again. The eunuch came over and took off his boots.
Kangxi opened a memorial and read it, feeling both angry and amused. It was submitted by Zhou Shihuang, the Censor of Shanxi Province. It said the clown was extremely poor and would soon be killed, and requested that the emperor not return to the desert.
Kangxi took up his pen and explained to the Grand Secretary: "Although it is natural for a subject to read Emperor Zhou Shihuang's memorial, Emperor Zhou Shihuang is unaware of the underlying reasons. Galdan's viciousness cannot be tolerated for a day. He was previously rampant and rebellious in Wulanbutong. I sent troops to defeat him, but he still refuses to repent and has now lurked in our Kerulen region... The three previous rebels rebelled... Now that we have pacified them so long ago, people have begun to take it for granted. Furthermore, I strongly warn against his excessive military spending and his pursuit of grand achievements... I hereby inform Emperor Zhou Shihuang that although his memorial is inappropriate, I do not punish him."
Zhou Shihuang of Shanxi's inner voice: "Emperor, whenever you travel, you'll have to pass through Shanxi. Shanxi will have to pay again. The provincial treasury is short on funds, and the local officials are demanding donations even though they want to resign. Should I report them, or not? Please, don't make things worse. Shanxi is poor."
Unfortunately, he dared not say this outright, so he had to write a memorial hinting at it. Kangxi took this as a suspicion of grandeur. After the imperial edict was issued, Emperor Zhou Shihuang was left with only a bitter face. He began to think: Even if we heard rumors, we shouldn't write about them exploiting the people. If we investigated, it would be revealed that they embezzled money to entertain the emperor, which would be embarrassing. Instead of writing about corruption and bribery, let's just accuse them of dereliction of duty, incompetence, or neglect of recordkeeping... At least we'd report them.
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Kangxi expressed his feelings and felt relieved, and called Yinreng over to talk.
He was about to go on a long journey, so of course he had to give his son at home a few more words: "This time is different from the past. Galdan's downfall is imminent, so you don't have to worry."
Yinreng spent the night trying to understand the ways of the dark side, achieving some minor success. He looked worried, "Having said that, my son, I've heard there's a saying: 'A thousand days at home is good, but a moment away is hard' (his wife said this, mumbling it to him while preparing food for his second brother-in-law). Khan Ama, please take care of yourself."
The same words were often said when sending Kangxi off before, but this time there was no such saying, which made it seem more humane. Kangxi said with relief: "Don't worry, I will be accompanied by the Imperial Household Department, and I will be served by the attendants and the concubines. I won't suffer any hardship."
Yinreng agreed, but he was still worried. Even though his father wasn't going to fight the enemy himself, the son was still worried. Furthermore, Kangxi was bringing his eldest son with him. Last time, Yinzhi had already reported him, so who knew what would happen next.
Gritting his teeth, Yinreng abandoned his usual pretentious principles of "I love you but can't express it" and "If I care about someone, I should do everything for them, it's enough; saying it out loud is embarrassing," and continued to express his longing for his father. He had spent half the night yesterday meditating—he didn't even realize his wife had stripped him nearly naked, and when he came to, he was already in pajamas and tucked into the quilt—and finally decided to show more concern for Khan Ama.
Didn't my wife say that fathers and sons are natural? He compared them and saw the problem... If I just act cute, I'll definitely earn more than you! Besides, it's not like I don't care about my father, so how can I let you cover it up? When no one is around, be a little cheesy, and when there are people around, restrain yourself a little and then accidentally let your true feelings show. Wouldn't that be better?
I made up my mind and glanced at my wife. With this innocent girl as a template, I'll just follow her example! My father-in-law will be accompanying me too, so I'll tease her and see what she says...
"Khan Ama's actions are for the sake of the Qing Dynasty's eternal prosperity. His son has to live in seclusion in a blessed place, unable to share his worries. It's really... really..." (My Ama did this for the sake of the whole family. He's so old and still in poor health. I'm really worried about him.)
Kangxi enjoyed the meal very much and repeatedly told Yinreng that even though we were far apart, could we still write to each other every day? You know I am doing this for you and for the country, so you should accept my kindness and study and work hard in the back. Oh, and write to me!
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Here, the father and son were eating happily.
Over there, the Empress Dowager also invited the Crown Princess to dinner. The young grandson of the Emperor, Hongdan, brought his own mobile lunch stand: his mother and two wet nurses also invited food.
As they evolved from reptiles to primates, children's desire to express themselves became stronger and stronger. This morning, when Shujia was leaving for the Ningshou Palace, he kept babbling, sometimes high and sometimes low, and then suddenly turned up his voice to the maximum and made several consecutive "ahhhhh" sounds.
Shujia had the nanny hold him and was about to leave when the fat kid took out his arms and started thrashing around, finally bursting into tears... sobbing heartbreakingly. "I don't want to be locked up in this room. It's so boring. I want to find another place to continue crawling..."
As soon as Shujia held him, he calmed down. She checked the clock: it was getting late. She looked up at the sky: it was cloudless and the sun was out. She wrapped the fat boy in a small quilt, making him a cornmeal bun, and took him to Ningshou Palace. Her arms were stiff from exhaustion, and she vowed to help the little fat boy lose weight after his first birthday.
The little fat girl had already fallen asleep, so when the concubines arrived, they just stood by and watched. The Empress Dowager said, "The Emperor will be leaving tomorrow. You should all go back early." After staying in the palace for so long, she still had some sense. The concubines left, and the Empress Dowager invited Shujia to dinner.
Shujia asked the nurse to wake the little fat boy up and wipe his face. While the Empress Dowager was serving the food, she reached out and poked the little fat boy's fat belly, finally waking him up completely. "Okay, now you're happy, let's keep eating."
After breakfast, they continued chatting. Little Hongdan felt a little sleepy and sneezed. The Empress Dowager took him to the inner room and asked the nanny to watch him sleep. The Crown Princess chatted with the Empress Dowager: "Alas, the Emperor is talking to the Crown Prince. I will say goodbye to him later. Please talk to me, otherwise I will be anxious."
Shujia took the order and told the Empress Dowager that his brother was also accompanying the emperor this time. The Empress Dowager said, "I seem to remember that your father and brother went last time? And who else from your family went there?"
Shujia said: "He is my father's cousin. He and my second brother are already in front of Fei Yanggu's army."
The Empress Dowager said with great concern, "He's gone again! They're suffering so much in the army. Did they bring any personal attendants with them? Last time, the Emperor and his brothers only brought some eunuchs. I told you, even eunuchs are not as attentive as women..."
Shujia: "Grandfather, bringing women into the army is taboo. Even if you're the emperor, you'll be ridiculed if you don't do it right. If you're a prince, your rank might be downgraded several notches when you return. If you're a minister, you'll be punished when you return."
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager was relieved again: "That's good, that's good. This time the Emperor has listened. When you leave tomorrow, you must take Xu Changzai and... two promised... which two are they?"
Lu Yun smiled and said, "It's Ling Da Ying and Shuang Da Ying."
"Yes, yes, yes! Look at my memory, it's those three!" The Empress Dowager laughed.
The Crown Princess was stunned. [1]
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Kangxi was a principled emperor. He saw this campaign as more than just a personal expedition. After defeating Galdan, he would also take the opportunity to assess the people's sentiments and liaise with the Mongols. He brought concubines and maids with him, not concubines or imperial concubines, to take care of his daily life, not to satisfy his sexual desires. Ahem, if they served both functions, the former was the primary one.
He was a very standard or exemplary feudal emperor with astonishing self-control.
At the same time, while he was humane in his personal lives, he was rational, bordering on apathetic, in his public life. For example, he now trusted the Crown Prince, leaving him in Beijing to handle various matters without worrying about him creating a small court that would undermine him. For example, he wasn't confident in the eldest prince's abilities, so he kept him by his side, educating and guiding him. He positioned the eldest prince as a virtuous and powerful king capable of suppressing rebellion and stabilizing the country.
He was worried about Mingzhu and Suo'etu's factional strife, so he simply took them with him wherever he went. Don't think he couldn't do without these two old men. He wasn't that picky. He was just being cautious.
Men are different from women, and the former dynasty is different from the harem.
Of course, a woman he likes and trusts should be kept by his side (except for this time when he is on a military expedition) and treated well. Even so, because of her background, the noble lady Wang, who has given birth to a prince, has not yet been promoted to a higher position, although her treatment has been improved.
Men were different. Among men, there were jesters and important officials. Jesters, like poets, were meant to entertain and amuse the emperor, so it was fine to have them around. Important officials were placed in important positions, acting as the emperor's avatars, doing things he couldn't handle. Such people required the emperor's deep trust, as the emperor only sent them because he was overwhelmed, meaning he didn't have the energy to monitor or guide them. The emperor needed to be reassured.
This was a typical emperor, so rational that... it was a bit scary, even though he was actually quite kind to me. The above was Shujia's analysis after she finally calmed down after being struck by lightning for a long time.
It seems that the father-in-law and my husband have a strong father-son relationship, and the emperor trusts the prince very much and has no intention of training someone else to replace him.
Shujia patted her chest and stopped a reptile that was crawling forward with its head down and about to hit the edge of the kang table.
The little fat boy tugged at his mother's sleeve, and he actually...staggered to his feet! His two soft legs were still trembling, and two seconds later, he sat down on the kang again! But he really stood up! Shujia blinked, and the nannies were stunned for a moment. Sehetu said in surprise: "Is our brother going to leave?"
Shujia confirmed again and again: "I didn't pull him just now, did I?"
Fang said, "Yes, it was the young prince who pulled your sleeve and helped you stand up."
Unfortunately, no matter how much they threatened or bribed him, the little fat boy turned back into a reptile...
The women: “…”
Shujia: Which comes first, walking or talking? They have potential! No, when did Guanyinbao and Ruixi learn to walk? Damn, I have no idea.
The author has something to say: [1] This is a true story. It was mentioned in the seventeen letters Kangxi wrote to the eunuch Gu of the Qianqing Palace during his personal expedition. He also asked the concubines of the Yanxi Palace to make clothes for these three people, saying that they did not have enough clothes to wear when they were away from home.
Well, it’s so early!
Finally, I have to say something about yesterday... those five seconds were completely unexpected. I thought the update would be this morning, and then... I just assumed it was already updated today and could slack off. Apparently, God has made it so I can update every day. Sighing with emotion.
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