The Second Emperor's Trap
"Our little prince is such a lucky star. There has been drought for such a long time. The Ministry of Rites has been praying for rain for more than ten days, but no raindrops have fallen from the sky. As soon as our little prince came, it started raining." Shuhui teased the baby.
Shujia chuckled. This spring had been somewhat dry again. By April, the court had finally lost its patience, and officials were once again pretending to be diviners, praying for rain. In fact, it had already rained somewhere on the third day of the fifth lunar month, Yinreng's birthday. Her youngest son was born ten days later. This rain had absolutely nothing to do with whether or not this boy was a lucky star.
But since Shuhui said this, Shujia just smiled and listened. She was still in confinement, and since it had rained, Changchun Garden was especially comfortable. She listened to her sister's compliments without pointing them out. She just casually asked, "What is Old Fifteen busy with now?"
Shuhui smiled and said, "Preparing for the little prince's full moon banquet." Shuhui was happy that Yunyu had something to do. She understood that the more opportunities her husband had to work, the greater the benefits he would get when he was granted a title in the future.
"While you're still young, do more things. Don't think the work of the Imperial Household Department is messy and tiring; it's also a form of experience."
Shuhui repeatedly said, "That's what the Concubine Tai and I said. Our master is also in high spirits. He dare not be careless in his work now."
"That's not the worst part. He just doesn't do his job carefully. At most, he will lose his job. It's no big deal. Don't do anything wrong. If you get punished, it will be embarrassing and your future will be bad." After giving many earnest instructions, he asked about Shuhui's son again.
Shuhui has two sons, and when she heard about them, she beamed: "They're both doing well. I just happened to have something I wanted to ask my sister."
"What's up?"
"Our eldest son, Hongyan, is seeking a favor to be sent to the palace to study..."
Kangxi had so many grandchildren that he was almost unable to come up with names for them, and competition for school places was fierce. Shuhui and her husband weren't too worried. They thought the emperor would approve if each of their brothers sent a nephew to study, and since the empress was his biological sister, there was no reason for her not to help.
As expected, Shujia didn't say anything about the principles of brotherly love and respect: "Go back and ask the fifteenth brother to ask for permission. The emperor will make the decision."
Shuhui thanked him cheerfully, then looked at her nephew for a moment before she stood up to leave. Shujia said, "When you leave, stop by Wuyi Zhai and help me check on the Crown Princess. She's probably feeling a bit unhappy right now, so go and comfort her."
"Ah? Yeah."
Seeing Shujia resting her eyes, Shuhui didn't dare delay any longer. She stood up and walked back. Hongxiu led the way and walked Shuhui to Wuyi Zhai to meet her husband. Then she retreated outside and waited. After Shuhui finished chatting with Hesheli, Hongxiu walked forward and walked Shuhui out of Changchun Garden.
When Hongxiu returned to the Queen's residence, Shujia had already sat up, leaning on the bed to listen to the Fourth Princess reading. Hearing footsteps, the Fourth Princess continued to read quietly, and only looked up when the light and shadow approached. Seeing Hongxiu approaching, she stopped talking with a gesture of greeting. She looked at Shujia, who nodded and said, "Go ahead, talk to your sister and your third sister more. She is going to marry far away, and I'm afraid we won't have many opportunities to be so close in the future."
The third princess, Princess Rongshou, was betrothed to Khalkha Ulang Azirmo clan Namuse. This surname is a transliteration and is actually the same surname as Gegentana.
The Fourth Princess stood up, put down her book, and knelt in greeting. She was no longer in the mood to think about what Hongxiu would report. Her only thought was: I'm next. Where will I be married? Should I talk to "Third Uncle and Third Aunt"? They won't sit idly by and watch me marry poorly, right? It's hard to say... Hadn't my grandfather's own daughter married a shambolic man like Second Lady's father? And she was his own daughter.
I was filled with sorrow and worry.
Inside the room, before Shujia could ask, Hongxiu reported what she had seen and heard: "The Fifteenth Lady arrived at Wuyi Pavilion and spoke with the Crown Princess for a quarter of an hour. The Crown Princess personally escorted the Fifteenth Lady out. Both of them were smiling, and I guess they got along well."
Shujia said self-deprecatingly, "Giving birth to her is exhausting. This past month, I've had a rare moment of peace and quiet." With the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager, there was no one in the palace worthy of Shujia's attention. Every morning, the palace ladies could wake up at least half an hour later, and the Empress had one less place to while away her time. It was awkward for her daughter-in-law to care for her mother-in-law during her confinement. Xiluotai was elderly, and Shujia didn't want to burden her. The crowds around her were much less frequent. She couldn't leave the house, so she stayed cooped up in her room. Compared to her former busy life, the quiet felt excessive.
Hongxiu said, "So many things await your decision. I'm afraid you won't be idle for long." She knew that even during her confinement, her mistress maintained her control over the harem. Day and night, countless maids and eunuchs were ordered to shuttle between the Central Palace and the other imperial courts. Was this just exercise?
Shujia remained confined to her house, yet she maintained her control over the palace. She had her own people, including the imperial concubines, the imperial concubines Mao and Qian, the daughters-in-law, the children, and even Yinreng. From her inception in the Eastern Palace, she had been the head of the household, and with twenty years of accumulated authority, she knew where to find someone without her help. It was she who ordered the imperial concubines Mao and Qian to copy the sutras, it was she who provided the summer iced drinks for the tutors of the princes and princesses, and it was she who distributed the tributes to the imperial concubines.
"I'd rather be able to relax! Watch Wu Yi Zhai carefully and see how the Crown Princess behaves lately."
"Huh." Was this a test? Hongxiu was also worried about Hesheli.
"What is the emperor busy with?"
This time it was Zhao Guoshi who answered. He and Jia Yingxuan were old colleagues, so exchanging information was easy. He bowed and said, "The emperor's affairs are still the same. Military and national affairs are not something that servants should know. The emperor has been staying alone in Danning Residence these past few days."
"Hmm." Shujia didn't want to pry into any military or national affairs. If she really wanted to know, she could ask Hongdan or Yinreng directly. Why bother sneaking around and leaving room for gossip? Hearing that Yinreng had been sleeping alone, Shujia felt relieved.
————————————————————————————————————————
Yinreng was busy with something.
In such a vast country, there are many things happening, big and small, but the most important ones are just a few: the Northwest military, the salt law reform, and the new policy of allocating land tax.
The salt law here has been proven to be very effective. After being implemented nationwide, only its benefits have been seen without any disadvantages, so let's put it aside for now.
There are two other things to worry about.
The military situation in the northwest remained stalemated. Although military expenses were covered by the increased revenue from the salt tax, and thus had no impact on the national treasury, it was nonetheless a war of attrition. Every month, casualties from the front were reported, along with requests for the transfer of logistical supplies. Although the Western Expedition troops had become relatively acclimated to the local climate, fighting on an away field, both non-combat and combat casualties continued unabated. Not only were some killed or wounded, but others fell ill due to acclimatization, requiring resettlement and compensation.
Yarjiang'a's memorial also stated: "The army has been losing men, and I request more troops to make up for the losses." The army is short of ten men, and the court may need to prepare fifteen. Because these fifteen men are not locals, some of them will inevitably fall ill. After eliminating them, the remaining ten most suitable ones will be sent to the front line.
Meanwhile, Prince Yong, acting as the Minister of Logistics, also submitted a petition requesting the implementation of the "tax increase per mu" policy. This policy was a two-step process: first, the number of people in the household must be fixed, which was the principle of "never increasing taxes." The court had not yet implemented even this policy nationwide.
Then the number of adults is evenly distributed among the number of acres of land, and taxes are collected only based on the number of acres of land.
King Yong was forced into a corner.
"Northwest military expenses are supported by the increased salt tax, so the two are evenly matched." These two could be rolled up and thrown aside. "As a rule, every year, some counties and prefectures are hit by disasters. Some have to be exempted from taxes and levies, while others have to have their arrears remitted. The hardest-hit areas also need relief. The national treasury is already tight, and this year we had heavy rains, and we need to repair dams. The river works still have to be paid for by the Ministry of Revenue, which will cost hundreds of thousands of yuan. Furthermore, the imperial family population is growing, and the number of noble royals is also increasing. The population of the Eight Banners is also surging. All of these people need to be supported by the state, and small amounts add up to a large amount, requiring an additional hundreds of thousands of silver and tens of thousands of dan of rice each year. Furthermore, the court wants to annex Tibet, and whether it's stationing troops or sending ministers, it all costs money, and this annual expenditure will also reach tens of thousands of yuan."
In short, the war was still going on for who knows how long, and the money from the salt tax had already been used up. No matter how well the salt tax was managed, it would only prevent the war from constantly exacerbating the country's suffering. It was like there would be no salt reform even if there was no war. Other national expenditures were still increasing, and we had to find another way.
"I had originally thought that the Zunghars were nothing but clowns, and that the arrival of the Heavenly Army would soon quell their rebellion. For the sake of safety, it would be wise to wait until the war subsided before reforming domestic affairs. But right now... I simply can't wait any longer!"
Actually, the situation wasn't particularly bad. Historically, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the Qing dynasty first fought against Tsewang Arabtan, a war that lasted for several years. Even without reforming the salt tax, the Qing dynasty managed to survive. When Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne, he implemented the land tax system while simultaneously fighting against Lobsang Danjin, and still managed to hold out. Of course, Emperor Yongzheng's life was quite difficult.
But as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, Prince Yong didn't want to be forced to the point of suicide before initiating reforms. Who wants to tighten their belts when they can live leisurely? The situation is already dire!
Yinreng also knew that what Prince Yong said was true, so he wanted to be cautious: "The war hasn't ended yet, so we have to reduce taxes first?" Increasing expenses without increasing taxes is the same as reducing taxes.
Hongdan thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Khan Ama, this doesn't really count as a tax reduction. Even if the court wanted to collect these taxes, they wouldn't be able to pay them, and they would accumulate into arrears over the years. Khan Ama, as a sign of benevolence, would still have to exempt them."
Yinreng still did not agree and just said he would think about it again.
————————————————————————————————————————
In the distant Junggar, Yinreng's rival Tsewang Arabtan was also meeting with his ministers, and Tsewang Arabtan's son Galdan Tsering was also present.
The cause was a letter received by Tsewang Arabtan from his general, Da Tseling Dundup: "Tseling Dundup said that we are now in a stalemate with the Qing army and our supplies are running low. We want to withdraw."
Little Celingdundub had already returned and said, "Isn't this a complete failure?" A scowl could be seen on his face. "It was all for nothing. So many people died, so much money was spent, and we almost let the Russians take advantage. How can I swallow this anger?!"
Galdan Tsering frowned, and said after a long time: "Not entirely. We have losses, but aren't the Qing Dynasty's losses even greater? But they can hold on better for now. Besides, are we closer to Tibet or the Qing Dynasty? Let's retreat now. If we retreat, how can the tens of thousands of Qing Dynasty soldiers stay in Tibet with food and horses? After they leave, we will have rested, and the army and light cavalry can reach the city of Lhasa within a few days. By then, the Qing Dynasty will have to spend money on fighting again, hehe." Dragging them to death!
The decision to withdraw troops was an infuriating one for Tsewang Arabtan, who had never suffered such a loss in his entire history of Central Asia. From a ruler's perspective, Da Tsering Dundub's suggestion was sound, and Tsewang Arabtan had no choice but to accept it—though he still felt uncomfortable.
Yet, Tsewang Arabtan felt relieved by his son's progress. What was this minor setback? Having a qualified successor was far more meaningful than winning a single battle. He hadn't shown Da Tse Ling's letter to his son beforehand, and it was truly commendable that his son had such insight!
This was a strategic retreat, not a flight. When a bird of prey is about to strike, it folds its wings and flies low. That's how it should be.
"That's it!" As for how to retreat without being taken advantage of by the Qing army, Tsewang Arabtan was not worried at all. If Da Ce Ling didn't even know this, he would not be the famous general who led 6,000 people to conquer Tibet.
The Qing army was cautious. Their commanders, through repeated encounters with the Dzungar, understood the formidable nature of their adversary and the inferior quality of their own troops. Da Ce Ling launched a massive offensive, and the Qing army, fearing no delay, prepared for it. They even deployed a separate force to prevent the Dzungar from storming Lhasa and taking the Living Buddha hostage.
After waiting for a long time and seeing no one attacking, I carefully sent scouts to check. Da Ce Lingxu was still setting up his tent, but I had already fled with my troops.
Fearing it was a ruse, Yarjiang'a sent scouts to investigate and ordered everyone to be on high alert and to retreat, fearing Da Celing was just bluffing and launching a surprise attack elsewhere. Only after Da Celing had fled back to Junggar did he feel certain he had won.
What a ridiculously inexplicable victory! The Qing army was left in a state of confusion. If the enemy had fled after a major battle, they would have been shouting. This enemy had been holding their ground, in a stalemate, showing no signs of fatigue, and yet they vanished overnight. Everyone was in a state of dismay, even celebrating the victory seemed strange.
Anyway, everyone can go home now.
When Yinreng, far away in the capital, received the victory report, he was also quite dumbfounded. Before that, he had only heard the good news that the Dzungar had been driven out of Lhasa, and since then, there had been minor battles in Lhasa. Yarjiang'a's battle report was also quite strange. It did not mention "our army's great victory" at all, but only said that "the enemy army fled."
If Yinreng had not known that Yarjiang'a would never joke about his iron hat, he would have suspected that Yarjiang'a had reached some secret agreement with the Junggar tribe that was hidden from his superiors and subordinates.
Yarjiang'a knew that with so many people on this expedition, there would be a lot of gossip. If he boasted about the great victory and the Junggar fleeing at the sight of the enemy, he would most likely be exposed. Even if there were no major battles, so what? After all, it was King Jian who led the troops to recapture Tibet, so he was the first to share the credit.
This is written literally.
Thus, Yinreng in Changchun Garden was in disarray in the golden wind of September.
——————————————————————————————————————————
"Establish a resident minister in Tibet...to oversee Tibetan affairs...with equal status to the Dalai Lama and Panchen Erdeni..."
Since the decision has been made to take Tibet into control in order to better control the religious believers in Qinghai and Mongolia, this project cannot be small.
Yunsi was fortunate to have endured such a major event after several years in the Lifanyuan. Yinreng was a bit petty, but his transfer of Yunsi seemed a bit too deliberate, and Yunsi could still remain in the Lifanyuan. Similarly, Yinreng, being petty, did not want to give all the credit to Yunsi, so he issued an edict: the Yaerjiang Aya formation was to slow down, leaving his younger brother Yunxiang to temporarily lead 10,000 troops in Tibet, while the second son Hongxi and the crown prince Hongsheng of Prince Cheng were to lead their forces back to the capital to report on the battle. Qingde was to lead the Firearms Battalion to protect these two important figures on their way back to the capital.
After his son and nephew returned from their long journey, Yinreng announced that the court would discuss Tibetan affairs, and no one would understand the current situation in Tibet better than the Western Expedition Army. "It's just right, Hongxi and Hongsheng are both back. You should both join the discussion. Oh, Qingde, you should come and join the discussion as well."
Yinreng had good intentions in making such an arrangement. He still remembered how good his eighth brother was at winning people over. If his sons and nephews were fooled by their eighth uncle, there was Qingde in charge, so they wouldn't be exploited by the eighth uncle.
With the momentum of the Western Expedition's "remarkable victory," the Lifanyuan would have been forced to accept even ten, let alone three, powerful figures. Furthermore, Yinreng was a meticulous individual. If he wanted Tibet, he wanted it completely compliant and obedient. The handling of Tibet demanded perfection, with every possible consideration. Preliminary estimates suggest no fewer than a hundred clauses, encompassing military, political, economic, cultural, and other aspects. The workload was truly immense!
The Lifanyuan was discussing the Tibetan issue, and Yinreng summoned the Crown Prince, the Grand Secretary, and the Ministry of War to commend the meritorious generals. Prince Jian had no rank to be promoted, so he was awarded the stipends of his two parents. Hongsheng, already a crown prince, had no other reward, so he was granted a farm. The remaining thirteen and fourteen were promoted to beile, and Hongxi was also granted a beile and a government office.
When he became a general in the army, Fu Erdan was already a duke and the minister of the imperial guards, so he gave his family a hereditary position. Fu Ning'an was promoted three levels above his original level, and Qingde was promoted to the third-class earl. The Shi family became very powerful.
Everyone else had a note added to their resumes. Those in the royal family who were expected to inherit a title had their titles finalized, and those who performed well were given new assignments. Those who went out on the expedition were also promoted and rewarded.
At the same time, rewards were given to Mongol tribes that actively influenced the central government, based on their contributions. Meanwhile, after a few days of whispering with Prince Jian, Yinreng went on a spree of marrying off noble women from the imperial clan. After arranging a marriage for his adopted daughter, the Third Princess, he then arranged for his cousin, Prince Yuxian's youngest daughter, to marry Cangjin, Prince of Wengniute Doroduleng. Cangjin was originally Kangxi's son-in-law, but the princess he married had died. To win him over, Yinreng married off his cousin.
At the same time, he also gave titles and arranged marriages for his younger brothers' daughters. Girls of marriageable age from the royal family were also affected, and it was almost time for a collective wedding.
The Prince of Yong twitched his lips. He had only one adult daughter, and she had already been snatched away and married off. This arranged marriage had nothing to do with his family. He simply ignored it and focused on his duties. "On the occasion of this great victory, the whole world celebrates. I, your brother, beg you to permanently refrain from increasing taxes."
There was no need to fight a war. Although there were follow-up arrangements, there was still a missing item. As for the cost of maintaining the Tibetan agency: "Could it be that Lazang Khan did not collect taxes when he was in Tibet?"
Although Yinreng was somewhat concerned about not completely annihilating the invading Junggar, wondering what would happen if they returned, he also acknowledged that the current situation was most suitable for domestic tax reform.
With the military might of defeating the invading enemy, it was a good opportunity to implement reforms at home. However, Yinreng had other plans for this step.
First, "During the prosperous times, the population will increase, and taxes will never be increased," and everyone in the world is grateful. Then, with the people's gratitude and the emperor's good reputation, he will clean up the bureaucracy, thus using the people to suppress the officials.
After the administration of officials was cleaned up, the court and the people at all levels strictly followed the emperor's orders and stopped cheating and slacking off. Then, a sudden change of tactics was implemented, and the "taxation on each acre" was implemented. This was to suppress the gentry with officials.
That's right, Yinreng knew with his toes that the gentry and landlords naturally held the most land in the world. If he started to cause trouble for them right away, the emperor would also be in trouble. He needed to plan step by step, and finally surround the gentry from all sides and catch them off guard.
Yes, who could have thought that such a good emperor supported by all the people would take action against the gentry?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
