Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 1161 Respect and Fear

When the two rode to Cao's house, Cao Yong also figured out what happened to the land loss.

More than 100 years later, Cixi said, "It is better to be with friends than domestic slaves"; and nearly a century later, President Jiang said, "If you fight against the outside world, you must first settle down at home."

Yongzheng's choice was similar to those two.

The inferiority of Chinese people, internal fighting is always higher than resisting foreign humiliation.

Perhaps it was in Yongzheng's view that Longkodo's "not giving up an inch of land" was not loyal and patriotic, but had ulterior motives and wanted to provoke disputes between the two countries, causing the Qing Dynasty to ignite the flames of war.

As a result, a territory the size of Zhili was given up in exchange for diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The imperial court felt confident and wanted to increase the garrisons in Hami and Urumqi to deter Zhungeer.

Cao Yong sighed in his heart, and he was not as angry as Brother Sixteen.Confucian ethics and foreign rule have wiped out the blood of the people of the country.This kind of land cutting will never happen like this.

Until 200 years later, China's territory was getting smaller and smaller.

"Where is Duke Long? I haven't heard of his arrest." Cao Yong asked.

"Pull in the Changchun Garden, with the current effort, even if the emperor despises him, he will not touch him." Elder Sixteen said: "It will take a year or so, everyone forgets about Nian Gengyao, and we will settle down again." his sin."

"Nian Gengyao's charges have been settled?" Cao Yong asked.

Both Nian Gengyao and Longkodo were highly valued by Yongzheng. If they were convicted at the same time, it would inevitably lead to speculation.

"The ministry discussed 92 crimes, including treason, deceit, usurpation, rebellion, arbitrariness, greed, corruption, and jealousy. There are more than 30 crimes that should be punished with capital punishment and beheaded. He is the only one who is dissatisfied. , is already a grace." Elder Sixteen snorted coldly, and said: "You are not in Beijing, and you haven't seen the ugliness of those people, wishing everyone would rush to step on them. Even if he is wrong, left and right are dead, It’s heartbreaking to be so bad.”

Although there is no subject in the latter sentence, Cao Yong can also hear that it is the Ninth Five-Year Lord.

Cao Yong couldn't help but wonder, seeing Brother Sixteen like this, he seemed to be resentful towards Yongzheng.

Is it because of the Sixteen Fujins, or something else?Anyway, it would never be to report dissatisfaction for Longkodo and Nian Gengyao. Elder Sixteen has no friendship with those two, even if one is in-laws, he rarely communicates with them.

Seeing Cao Yong staring at him silently, Elder Sixteen also realized that he had slipped his words, lowered his head, and said, "I've been feeling uncomfortable these days, don't be bothered by Fu Ruo's long-winded words."

"What's bothering Lord Sixteen? You can tell me, even if I can't share my worries for Lord Sixteen, I can always be an audience." Cao Yong said.

The friendship between the two, they knew everything, but it was related to the inner court and the scandal of the Tian family, Brother Sixteen could only shake his head helplessly, and said: "It's nothing serious, I just feel bored." Speaking of this, he suddenly After a pause, he said: "After waiting for a while, I want to let go of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It's too trivial. I've been taking care of it for ten years, and it's enough."

Although Elder Sixteen didn't tell the truth, his decision can also show his alienation from Yongzheng.

Elder Sixteen looked complicated, looked at Cao Yong and said: "These days, some gossip has come out in the capital, saying that the emperor killed Nian Gengyao, and there is something else hidden."

When Cao Yong heard this, he frowned, looked at Elder Sixteen and said, "Master Sixteen, gossip, wind has no trace, how can you take it seriously?"

The so-called gossip is nothing more than questioning the legitimacy of Yongzheng's succession, and describing Yongzheng as a hypocrite who conspired to snatch the throne of the fourteenth prince.It is said that the first emperor had sent it to the northwest with a decree, but was intercepted by Nian Gengyao or something.In this way, Yongzheng's punishment of Nian Gengyao was described as "killing people to silence them".

No matter what the truth is, at this time, if you take the "gossip" seriously, you will be full.

After three years of operation, Yongzheng has firmly secured the throne, and no one can shake it.

Seeing that Cao Yong did not hesitate, Elder Sixteen couldn't help being stunned, then he let out a long breath and said with a wry smile: "Yes, Feng Guo Wuhen, it's just gossip."

Seeing that he was disheartened, Cao Yong thought for a while and said, "Could it be that there is any change in the matter of the fifteenth master's canonization?"

Brother Sixteen shook his head upon hearing this.

"Is that because the emperor still angered Sixteen Fujin, making it difficult for Lord Sixteen?" Cao Yong asked again.

"No, the emperor is busy with state affairs, how can he take these trivial matters to heart." Elder Sixteen shook his head accordingly.

"Is that because the empress dowager has been slighted in the palace, and her life is not happy?" Cao Yong continued to ask.

"No, Er Niang's life is better, playing cards with a few concubines every day to relieve boredom, I went to pay my respects yesterday, and told me cheerfully that I have been lucky recently and won a lot of golden beans." Brother Sixteen glared at Cao Yong, and said, "Hey, where are you going? You're hoping for my bad luck, aren't you?"

Hearing this, Cao Yong felt more at ease, and said with a smile: "Didn't I see that Master Sixteen was in a bad mood, and I was afraid that Master Sixteen would be wronged? Since everything is fine with Master Sixteen, Master Sixteen should not blame him. Why does it seem like there is dissatisfaction?"

Brother Sixteen froze when he heard this, and said in a deep voice, "So obvious?"

Cao Yong saw that his face was pale, and there was a hint of horror in his eyes, and he hurriedly said: "It's not obvious, it's not obvious. Before, I just thought that the sixteenth master was not in a good mood. This is what I said, so I felt a little angry. But ten There is no need for Sixth Master to worry, presumably these words, besides me, Sixteenth Master would not easily say these words to others."

Brother Sixteen breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the words, and said: "It's okay, it's okay, I've been in a daze these days. I used to respect and fear that person before, but now I can't reverence, this fear But double it."

Cao Yong remained calm, but his heart was running fast.

If there is no respect, it means that Yongzheng's personal virtues are at a disadvantage.

In terms of court inner curtains, the topics related to Yongzheng's virtues are "forcing fathers", "killing mothers" and "humilating concubine mothers".

"Forcing the father" and "murdering the mother" are two major events that shake the foundation of the country. If the sixteenth brother really finds the clues in this regard, he will hold his breath and pretend that he doesn't know before it's too late. How can he feel contemptuous?
Let him look down on him, lose respect for Yongzheng, and even resign from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, only the last one.

This is not a big deal, even if there are rules of etiquette, these dirty things are indispensable in the courts of all dynasties.

Brother Sixteen and Cao Yong looked at each other, and then they both changed the subject.

Brother Sixteen just held back hard, and after venting this, he felt much more at ease.

Seeing Cao Yong's busy life, the sixteenth elder brother didn't stay long, got up and said, "I'm the one who is muddled. I live in a muddleheaded way, but with my little cleverness, I think I'm a sensible person. As Fu Ruo said, I You are living a beautiful life, why bother to worry about it, when you should be confused, you should still be confused..."

Because this time Cao Yong wanted to stay in Beijing for a few days, not for one or two days, so Elder Sixteen said goodbye. Only then turned back to the mansion.

Wutong Garden has been empty for nearly a year, so the room is a bit gloomy and cold, and since several charcoal basins have been added, it is also uncomfortable.Cao Yong asked someone to burn the ground dragon in the Nuan Pavilion and ordered the bedding to be moved to the Nuan Pavilion.

After taking a hot bath, Cao Yong felt that the chill had been dispelled.

Most of the big maids in Wutong Garden accompanied Chuyu to Qingyuan, leaving only one Lemei and two young maids to look after the house.

After Cao Yong took a bath, Le Mei combed and braided his hair.

From Xiyun, Xicai, to Lemei and the others, there have been two big maidservants in Wutong Garden.

This Lemei, sixteen or seventeen years old, pretty, is the son of the Cao family and the niece of Zhao Tong.From the time she kept her head, she worked as an errand in Wutong Garden. She was a girl with a sharp personality and was promoted to a big maid step by step.

Seeing her, Cao Yong thought of Zhao Tong.

Although Zhao Tong is still serving as the magistrate of the county, he has been transferred from simple to complex.If there are no accidents, after this term expires, he will be promoted by one liter.

Before Cao Yong returned to Beijing, Zhao Tong's New Year's goods had been sent to Qingyuan. Although they were not worth much money, they were all local specialties that couldn't be bought outside, which showed that he had put his heart into it.

"It will be the new year, has your uncle sent a letter to Beijing?" Cao Yong asked.

"Here we come, Second Aunt has a new cousin. The servants and maidservants are so happy that they put on a longevity lock and prepared '[-]-year-old clothes'. When the weather is warmer, they will find someone to bring them over." Le Mei replied with a smile.

Cao Yong listened, and also laughed.

Among the children born in Cao's family, Zhang Yi and Zhao Tong stayed by his side the longest, so naturally they should pay more attention to them.

Judging from every letter from Zhao Tong, he is more interested in criminal cases.Waiting for a few more years of experience outside, if you want to return to Beijing, you can transfer to Dali Temple or the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment.

Zhao Tong is the No. 1 official with a surname inside and outside the Cao Mansion, and Wei Wenzhi is the second.

Although they don't have the surname Cao, they are closely related to the Cao family, and they are both prosperous and humiliated.

As soon as the braids were braided here, there was a message from the little maid, Cao Yuan, the chief manager, brought several stewards to see him.

This is to report back to the family. Cao Yong asked Lemei to find a big cloak to wear, and got up and left the house.

There are only two masters in the mansion, one has not come back from the palace, and the other has just arrived at the mansion, Le Mei had to ask one more question, "Master, do you have any orders for dinner?"

Cao Yong paused when he heard the words, and said: "It's cold, add a pot, and the rest can be determined according to the second master's recipe..."

*
Hall of Mental Cultivation, East Nuan Pavilion.

Yongzheng put down the vermilion pen in his hand, looked at the thirteenth elder brother who hurried back, and waved away the servants in the house.

There were only two brothers left in the room, Yongzheng Fang said: "What did he say, can he plead guilty and admit death?"

The thirteenth elder brother bowed and said: "The younger brother saw what he meant, but he still kept his thoughts on life. After seeing the younger brother, he knelt down and kowtowed, tears continued, and begged the younger brother to help him pass the confession in front of the imperial court." Said Then, he pulled out the folder from his sleeve, and put his hands in front of the imperial court.

When Yongzheng heard this, he couldn't help frowning, took the thirteen folds, and opened them to read.

Familiar fonts, lost the free and easy of the past, and saw that it said: "I am [-] aware of my sins today. If the master is gracious, I will pity the minister and insult the sin. I beg the master to forgive the minister. I am not old, and I will leave it as a crime." Dogs and horses work on their own, and slowly serve the master."

Tears are stained, through this book, it seems to see the scene of Nian Gengyao kneeling and begging for mercy.

Yongzheng only felt disgusted for a while, then threw away the booklet, snorted coldly, and said: "Greed is not enough, the crime of a hundred deaths, not implicating the lives of his father, brother, nephew, it is already cheaper for him..."

*
Tears, Xiao Jiu begged for a monthly ticket. .

(End of this chapter)