Opportunities and challenges coexist
Regardless of the kind of diligent and dedicated emperor Yinreng sought to be, he needed a comprehensive and detailed plan. Kangxi's education, criticized by Shujia, was characterized as damaging to children's physical and mental health, lacking respect for teachers, and neglecting moral education. The list is inexhaustible. However, Kangxi's sons' high standards proved his approach effective. His most striking characteristic was his meticulous attention to detail, a characteristic of Kangxi's own style: he was known for his demanding and demanding approach.
Even Shujia, who did not have such a genuine respect for Kangxi, had to admit that Kangxi's sons had very strong business capabilities. As long as they focused on their work and were not perfunctory, they would be meticulous and thoughtful.
Yinreng, who inherited a lot of Kangxi's true teachings, was also deeply influenced by his father in all aspects. Even though he had some romantic ideas in his mind that made his blood boil, once he looked at practical affairs, he quickly became pragmatic.
Ideals are grand, but reality is harsh. This is the situation facing Yinreng. No matter how ambitious he is, he has to start from scratch. Although the goal is grand, it cannot be achieved overnight. If he really woke up one day and ordered that Manchus and Han people be treated equally, his reign as emperor would be over. Everyone must have thought he was "disordering orders" and that a previous serious illness had burned his brain!
The road must be taken step by step and the meal must be eaten bite by bite. "Sneaking into the night like the wind, moistening things silently" is the highest realm of reform.
Well, of course this gradual process is relative, and there will inevitably be twists and turns during the period. However, twists and turns are not turmoil, let alone revolution.
With his head down, Yinreng carefully considered the situation outside the Great Wall, compared it with the situation of the bannermen under his command, and listed all the necessary precautions for returning to the settlements. From the type of people to be mobilized, the proportion of each banner, to where to assign them residence, and the selection of officials, everything had to be carefully considered. Just for the first batch of bannermen returning to the settlements, it would take at least five years for them to adapt to life without the state's worries.
Taking this step was tantamount to admitting that the previous policy was no longer viable and that the state could no longer support the Bannermen. Was the difference between Bannermen, who already farmed and worked, and the Han people still that great?
Yinreng understood this principle, Hongdan understood it, and all the court officials who made decisions also understood it. A policy change doesn't necessarily require announcing to the world that the approach is no longer suitable for the current situation. Simply by observing whether the new policy continues the old one, you can tell whether it's on the verge of extinction.
The central government had been planning the return of the Beijing Banners to their settlements for months, and in February of the 13th year of the Changtai reign, the decree was officially issued. This timing was carefully chosen: the spring chill had passed, and the weather would only get warmer. Although it was summer in the Northeast, it was still pleasantly cool. They could gradually settle down there, acclimatizing to the arrival of winter, and avoid being frozen by the sudden arrival of a severe winter.
As for the issue of the spring plowing season being wasted after the Huitun settled, Prince Yong said: "No one expects them to have a harvest in the first year. It is more important to move there first. Do you think they will come back after they go? They are already receiving state salaries. Even if there is no harvest in the first year, they will not starve to death. After a period of hunger and hardship, they will be able to pick up a hoe. I have already prepared the first batch of oxen, seeds, and furniture. Buildings for the Huitun Banner are also being built in Shengjing and other places."
Inspired by his words, Hongtong added, "These people have been receiving state money and rations for generations. Now, their duties are simply being changed from garrisoning to farming, and the crops they grow belong to them. Why are they not happy?"
The implementation of the "return of the Beijing Banners to their settlements" once again demonstrates the "superiority" of the pernicious communist system. There's no need to consult the masses, and almost no need for explanation. The higher-ups have issued orders, and you're supposed to do them. Failure to do so is disobeying orders. This is the current state of our nation. If the higher-ups "arbitrarily issue orders," they're wrong, but if you oppose them on this basis, you're not a good person either!
However, the resistance among the bannermen to this matter was not as fierce as imagined - the population was expanding, but the number of positions could not expand at a corresponding rate. Ordinary bannermen had fewer and fewer opportunities to get jobs, and the discounts on state subsidies were getting bigger and bigger. The trend of comparison in the capital was getting more and more serious, and they could no longer make ends meet.
Now that the emperor has issued his decree, the chosen ones are bound to grumble. After all, life in the capital is much more convenient, but returning home isn't an unacceptable option. After all, the Bannermen still enjoy tax exemptions. Qing Dynasty policies mean that the land outside the Great Wall is truly vast and sparsely populated, with every adult receiving dozens of acres of land. Besides, it doesn't say they can't hire people to farm, right?
Even so, this policy still encountered a lot of problems. For example, who would lead the team?
Many of the bannermen had banner masters. It was almost impossible for the banner masters themselves to go north. So who should they send their sons? It always felt a bit like exile.
Relying on these people alone wasn't enough. Yinreng knew that many of the bannermen had become idle and idle, and that the imperial clan had also become awash with dandy young men. He needed officials to accompany him. They had to be knowledgeable about farming, skilled in detail, and unafraid of power. Beyond the Great Wall, the Bannermen's stronghold, naturally became more resistant. Ordinary Han officials simply couldn't control these "masters."
Yinreng sneered and dispatched several heirs. The first one named was Hongsheng, his third brother's beloved son and his wife's nephew-in-law. He wasn't going alone, but with his wife. Hongzhao was young, so his brother Hongshi was also sent. Yunqi, Yunyou, and the others also had their sons sent north with their own assistant commanders. Hongwang was also young, and Yunsi had no other sons, so he had to stay in the capital.
Yinreng started with his brothers' sons, letting them take the lead. His most ruthless move was to send Hongtong with the first group to lead the charge. The emperor's sons are all there, so what are you guys so proud of?
Hongtong, originally the head of the Ministry of Revenue, was familiar with the situation and held a high enough status to suppress those who, believing the emperor was far away, acted recklessly. Furthermore, due to their natural father-son relationship, he could promptly report the situation to the capital without worrying about the trust issues between the emperor and his subjects. His mother was still alive, so he could still smooth things over; a child with a mother is a treasure!
Among the people assigned to Hongtong was Qingde, a rogue to begin with, whose smoothness in dealing with things was unmatched by others. Given the arrogance of the Qing Dynasty's uncles, even if Hongtong had something urgent to do or was occasionally on sick leave, his status was enough to allow him to control the situation.
Originally, Yinreng wanted to give this task to the Hesheli family - the Soni branch of the Hesheli clan. However, considering that in his uncle's family, except for Soetu (who was already dead), the rest were scolded by Kangxi as "lazy" and unwilling to take on any work, and some would skip work even when on duty, he had to give up the idea.
Then, the Ministry of Personnel selected "honest officials" from various regions who were skilled in civil affairs, and each of them received an audience with the emperor. Yinreng cordially spoke to these low-ranking officials, who rarely had the opportunity to see the emperor in daily life, commending their work and highly praising them. While they were deeply moved, he told them: "Now is the time for you to make great achievements. I have a good thing for you to do. This is a place that ordinary people cannot go, and now I give you this special honor to serve as officials there."
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I thought that with such a team, with both status and capable officials, it should be enough, right?
However, Yinreng forgot that not everyone has both status and ability. Those with status may not have ability, and those with ability may be suppressed by their status.
In addition, when the bannermen saw their young masters going outside the Great Wall, they followed them obediently. However, they had been living a life of luxury for decades. Although they were just ordinary bannermen and each of them might have two sets of decent clothes per season, they still developed the habit of caring about face and showing off. If your family could live a life of ease and luxury without being a working class for eighty years, you would also be able to be prestigious.
It was the state's policy of confinement that completely eroded the Bannermen's spirit. Initially, the state didn't explicitly prohibit ordinary Bannermen from engaging in commerce or farming; the restrictions were imposed on officials. Of course, officials disdained to engage in such activities themselves, instead directing their servants to do the work (= =). Over time, the perception that supporting oneself through labor was considered inferior grew.
Some families had large families and large fields, and couldn't cultivate them themselves. This was understandable, as they lacked the technical experience. So they adapted and recruited a number of hired farmhands! Ordinary Han people were not allowed to go outside the Great Wall, but if you were a slave or tenant of a bannerman's family, you could still go there using this excuse.
Many clever Bannermen had already thought about this before receiving the relocation order. Once they were in the field, they wouldn't have to work hard, just sit back and collect rent and still be able to feed their families. What a great idea!
Speaking of which, since the Kangxi Emperor's forty-year reign, the country has suffered from famine and many people have been unable to eat. Because of these proletarians, there have been many riots. These rioters were all good citizens in good years, which shows that the country is not short of farmers.
Because of the equalization of land tax and the permanent non-tax increase, the surplus population increased, the state relaxed its restrictions on people, and it became easier to recruit people.
The sudden appearance of so many people startled the Ministry of Revenue, which had been prepared. The Ministry had anticipated that some people would bring slaves with them (such as Hong Tong and others), but most of them were ordinary bannermen. How could there be so many extra people?
After finding out the situation, King Yong was so angry that he was stunned: "What a useless thing!" He was not angry that the bannermen were the local landlords. He was just angry about this spirit. Were they so unwilling to work hard?
Yinreng said, "What a bunch of bastards! The state only provides housing and food for the bannermen, but doesn't care about the food rations for these hired servants! If so many people go there and they don't have enough to eat, there will be chaos!"
This was again a messy response.
Yinreng, who had rarely explained anything to anyone, had no choice but to soften his tone and tell the bannermen, "You've brought so many people with you, and there's not enough food there to feed your slaves!" He was earnestly trying to persuade them.
Only then did we stop this trend.
Immediately afterwards, friction arose between the Huitunjing Banner.
"Bang!" Yinreng threw the memorial to the ground, pinched his nose, and felt a severe headache.
Hongdan stood below with his hands hanging down. He knew the content of the memorial, which was nothing more than the distinction between fertile and poor land, and the arguments about which banner had the best distribution and which had the worst, and whose land was fertile and whose was poor.
"Fight, fight, fight! All you know is to fight! If they all feel they've been wronged, then let them switch sides! The Zhenglan Banner feels they've been wronged? Tell them to switch sides with the Zhenghong Banner!"
"Khan, no!" Hongdan knelt down. "This will cause chaos. In the early years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the ministers quarreled over the land exchange, and even spared a second-rank official. Besides, if they don't stop, the court will have to do what they want. If this continues, I'm afraid everything will be ruined."
This is about the feuds in the early years of Emperor Kangxi's reign, which ended with Oboi's victory. Several ministers were killed during this period. In addition to some other things, Suksaha, one of the four ministers, was also killed by Oboi.
Finally, the orders were issued to the small masters of each banner: "Don't condone the mischief of your subordinates, and don't believe everything you hear!" You must investigate the facts and report them. Anyone who speaks nonsense will be punished. You all have titles, so don't appear unworthy of this responsibility.
In reality, there was some imbalance in the distribution, which was inevitable. The Eight Banners had to be ranked, and officials from different banners would have some personal influence. But generally speaking, it was balanced. Yinreng and others wanted to make a good start, so they put in a lot of effort, and fortunately, the matter did not become a big deal.
"I just hope they can be more presentable next year!"
Next year! In the autumn of that year, when I returned to Tunjing Banner, a rather big incident occurred.
This incident was extremely embarrassing, and the one who got into trouble was Hongshi. For a long time, Hongshi was the darling of the Yong family. It was because his brothers died so frequently. He had been in the spotlight for a while. Moreover, although his father was strict, his mother loved him like the apple of her eye, and the Fourth Lady had to treat him well. He didn't know why, but he had grown up a little bit crooked.
To reward Prince Yong's diligence, Yinreng granted Hongshi the title of Beizi before releasing him. Hongdan was the type of person who possessed talent but lacked ability. His status was not to be ignored; he could still submit a memorial directly to the emperor. His own limited ability would be fine, but it would also be good for his vision. He lacked vision, recommending several people, leading to corruption and other issues.
The Huitun Retreat was jointly organized by several departments, but due to the status of Prince Yong, he was the one who was in overall charge of this matter. If my son doesn't live up to his expectations, it could really cost me my life!
Prince Yong wanted to fly straight to Shengjing and kill Hongshi! In a fit of rage, Prince Yong ran to ask for permission: "Your humble servant, please go to Shengjing and deal with this evildoer!"
Yinreng blinked. He wasn't as angry as Prince Yong. For such a large operation, only one high-level unreliable person had appeared so far, which was already a good result. But Hongshi was really hard to deal with. If he wasn't recruited, he might cause more trouble. Recruiting him would also be a slap in the face.
His father is still in charge of this matter.
Yinreng looked at the paperweight on the imperial desk for a long time, as if it had suddenly become a rare treasure. He said, "Choose someone you trust to help Hongshi."
After his impulsiveness subsided, Prince Yong listened to his second brother's advice. Instead of choosing a candidate, he wrote a long letter, in which he hurled insults at Hongshi and warned him, "I've chosen someone for you. He represents me, and you must obey him! If anything goes wrong again, I won't care about my reputation and will directly ask for your execution!" This wasn't necessarily just a rant.
The following year, some of the crown princes and eldest sons were rotated and recalled to the capital, while some remained in Shengjing, and all of them received some praise. Among those recalled was Hongshi, so Hongzhao was sent there again and stayed there for two years before being recalled.
It is worth mentioning that when Hongshi came back to see the emperor, his title was not stripped. Instead, he was punished by his father by being beaten with twenty boards until his skin was torn and then locked up to study.
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Facing the worried face of the Fourth Lady, all Shujia could say was, "I'll write to Qingde and ask him to help if he can. You don't have to worry too much. The child's father has someone to take care of him there."
King Yong still insisted on sending his youngest son, arguing that he couldn't ask for special treatment, and certainly couldn't mess up the Huitun because of him asking for special treatment. If other sons could go, his son could go too. Since Hongshi had basically returned in disgrace, he had to send another son to save face.
The Fourth Lady only has this one son, and she is worried a lot. In these matters, women are always at a disadvantage against men, and can only watch her beloved baby suffer.
The Fourth Lady cursed Hongshi inwardly, "What a worthless fellow! He's messed up a job that was so gilded!" Look at all the people who returned from Shengjing: those who hadn't been officially crowned had news of theirs, and those who weren't destined for the throne had also received prestigious titles. But he was the one who had to suffer such a disgrace.
"Don't laugh at me, he's my only hope. By the way, how many princes did Prince Yu replace this time?"
The one who went in the place of Shujia was Guang, Shuyi's nephew. Originally, he was the son of a second wife, not the eldest son, and his title was only eight-tenths of a rank. Yet, this time, he went north with the title of Duke of Fuguo. The Emperor and Empress' intentions were clear. He had the Emperor and Empress's protection, and he had an uncle, a cousin, and a brother-in-law in Shengjing. It was also where his uncle Jiang Ting had served as an official, so he had some connections.
It is true that it is easier to become an official if you have someone in the court.
"No matter who he is, he's just a kid. Just be good and don't cause trouble." Shujia said this, but in fact, she also gave him many warnings in private. However, in front of the Fourth Lady, she couldn't act too serious.
At this moment, Shujia still didn't know that the great turning point she had been dreaming about had already begun thousands of miles away. And the gears of fate were about to start turning.
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Yinreng nearly exhausted his energy and reputation for the country, yet he still couldn't find a way out. Initially, he thought he had found it, that the problem was almost solved. Later, he realized that his efforts were merely trying to stop the boiling water from boiling. However, removing the fuel from the cauldron is not so easy; if he's not careful, he could end up burning himself.
He found a breakthrough by trying to stop the boiling water and ease the financial pressure.
He was at a loss as to how to remove the fuel from the fire and reduce the division between the Manchus and the Han.
It wasn't until three years later that Nian Gengyao's letter of apology was delivered to his desk. This fellow had the audacity to provoke border conflicts!
When Yinreng saw this memorial, his first thought was: He is worthy of being a Jinshi, this article is so beautifully written!
You were so desperate you actually traveled thousands of miles to Luzon to pursue them? Do you think I'm too old to remember your request a few years ago to reorganize the navy to "fight pirates and bandits"? You've been planning this since then, right? The Qing navy, well, before, they didn't suppress pirates but recruited them. Don't you think I don't know their combat effectiveness? Without a major overhaul, they couldn't possibly fight this well!
The Reds have been plundering the people of the Qing Dynasty and enslaving them? Damn it! What do you mean by "always"? You knew this a long time ago, and you were able to endure it for years. What were you doing before?
But the temptation of this letter is too great!
Nian Gengyao had laid out more than one bait. For example, the merits of expanding territory. Another example was the fact that Luzon had a pleasant climate, guaranteeing a triple harvest of rice. Another example was that our people had been kidnapped and suffered, hoping for the royal army to rescue them from this precarious situation. Furthermore, the original power in this area had been severely bullied by the Red Hairs. This matter had always been a vassal state of our court, and we should shoulder the responsibilities of a suzerain.
The plantations there alone were enough to excite Yinreng, not to mention that Nian Gengyao also said that there were abundant mineral resources on that large island.
Ancient China implemented a silver and copper standard. Telling you that there was a silver and copper deposit somewhere meant telling you that there was a lot of money there, and you didn't need to exchange it, you just had to go and move it.
Yinreng was short of money and food, but that place had both—though it took some effort to "haul" them. Crucially, thanks to his thorough intelligence preparation, Nian Gengyao's report, composed entirely of numbers, was incredibly convincing and didn't seem fabricated at all. He even included some useful information: several people from Southeast Asia.
But should we go to war? Yinreng shook his head. No, if he gave the order openly, there would surely be countless people who would oppose him. Better to act in secret. Even a wise ruler, as long as he was not crazy, would have a dark side.
After Yinreng suppressed his excitement and secretly sent someone to inquire about the news again, Nian Gengyao received a secret order: act according to your own circumstances and do not disturb the people. The people here, of course, refer to the local residents.
Yinreng had a beautiful vision: to reap the benefits without suffering any harm. Nian Gengyao was able to win a battle and, reportedly, rescue several kidnapped civilians, along with some spoils. This suggested that Nian's navy was quite capable. If they could win, they would have secured such a vast and fertile land for free. Yinreng wouldn't mind helping him clean up the mess.
At that time, the emperor and his minister would put on another drama, with Nian Gengyao submitting a memorial to polish the contents of today's memorial, and Yinreng would continue the performance, stating his own just position and taking over this place legitimately and "reluctantly" - then someone from Nian said that the local indigenous king was killed by the red-haired people, and his entire family was killed - he really got the advantage and still acted like a good boy!
How could such an easy thing happen? The first enemy the emperor and his ministers encountered was not the Dutch colonists, but the people within the imperial court.
Nian Gengyao's reorganization of the navy was arguably necessary to suppress banditry. In fact, the task of suppressing bandits often fell under the leadership of governors and governors-general. But how could it be possible that no one knew about your expedition, returning triumphantly and with such eloquence? Even if news spread slowly, someone would still hear about it.
Nian Gengyao was right to apologize, because many people had already written memorials to accuse him of "provoking border conflicts without authorization."
The current focus of the imperial court is on civil affairs and solving economic problems. With this goal in mind, many officials are focused on maintaining stability. You suddenly came up with this, costing military funds for a war and disturbing the people! Report you! I'll report you to death!
The matter really got out of hand.
A situation that made Yinreng laugh and cry alike arose. Although Nian Gengyao acted on his own initiative, his actions were currently beneficial to Yinreng. However, those who opposed Nian Gengyao were not treacherous ministers. On the contrary, they were all people who worked wholeheartedly for Yinreng's cause. They withstood pressure from all sides and worked hard to promote the equalization of land tax and the unified service system, and were willing to serve the country and the people.
But these people don’t know that in the history textbooks that Shujia studied, whenever they recited the imperialists’ changes and foreign expansion wars of aggression, there was always a background mentioned: how the ruling class diverted domestic contradictions and passed on the crisis.
Many people still don't clearly understand that war is part of politics and economics, a kind of business. From a purely cost-effective perspective, it can be categorized as either profitable or unprofitable. Spending money to save face isn't cost-effective, but if it's an investment that generates a return, then it's worthwhile.
North America VS Southeast Asia, isn’t this too big a difference?
The confused empress was completely dumbfounded after hearing the emperor's plan. This really is... an expansion with specific local characteristics! And: "Is that place really that good?"
You can't blame her; a time traveler's impression of America is definitely much deeper than that of Southeast Asia! If she had bothered to do the math, she would have realized that the area had been thoroughly traversed by the Spanish, Portuguese, British, and French.
At this moment, the emperor and the empress were only thinking about how great that place was, and completely forgot one thing: that place was also occupied by someone. Although that person was also a robber, whether he could get the things in his hands depended on his ability.
Are things really going so smoothly?
The author has something to say: Ahem, the YY begins.
So, the countdown to the end has begun?
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