Emperor Qianlong: the beginning of his glory

Chapter 45 Zhen Qian Gang E Shan Tortures Torture Officials Bestowing Soup Pots on the Emperor’s Mercy (2)
"This person is quite diligent in his work." Liu Tongxun knew at the first glance that it was for today's affairs of the Ministry of Criminal Justice. He was secretly surprised that Qianlong was well-informed. Very good. Since I was transferred to Shanxi, there have been some criticisms in the official circles. I think too much about the friendship between my colleagues and colleagues, and I look like a person who is all round. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to make progress when I become a big official? This is also because of this. In fact, I am ordinary The Lu case really has nothing to do with him, and Qian Du's troubles made me think it was too much. This is a private warning, something that can be dealt with secretly, so why make it public?" Qianlong couldn't help smiling after hearing this: "This It means that there are deficiencies in the middle and it will show on the outside. Both are good, and they are enough. But Qian Du is gold in front of him. He does not love money but cherishes fame. He has the intention of gaining fame and has some minor problems. Listen to Shanxi The general said, Liu Kang didn't accept gifts before doing things, but he dared to accept them after finishing things. I don't know if it's true or not. I remember that he was a private school teacher, and he was extremely poor. He donated ten thousand silver in one go to Shandong for disaster relief. He is an honest official , Where did the silver come from? Alas... there are too many things that cannot be guessed in the world." Liu Tongxun hurriedly bowed and smiled: "Yes. I read the mansion newspaper, Fu Heng's memorial, and the Lord regards leniency as the policy. In order to seek medical treatment, the subordinate officials tried their best to flatter the holy will and whitewash the peace. In order to gain the reputation of simple administration and smooth litigation, some county magistrates dared to sue the plaintiff and the defendant with a stick, which is unbelievable. "

Qianlong nodded as he listened, and sighed: "Free money and food, and repairing river defenses, these are great policies. No matter what, the subjects of the world will still get real benefits. It's just that in some places, they can't be considerate of my wishes. They either resist or don't do it, or they are negligent and slack. It's so strange that all the obvious good things have been done crookedly! There are cults in the disaster-prone places, which is a disease of scabies. These words have a lot of insight. I was born in a commoner, and I know the meaning of the situation. Most scholars have the ambition to save the world and benefit the people when they are not officials. Once they are officials, they forget these fundamentals; when they are small officials, they think of big officials. If you become a high official and want to enter the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister, it all depends on the color of the superior, and it has nothing to do with the common people. Who would think about reading sage books and setting up the country? Xian favored it. So those who went to the yellow door gave money, and those who went to the popular door gave women away, all kinds of strange and scandalous things came out. It's just white cloth, soaking it in this dye vat, is there something good?" Qianlong laughed loudly and said: "Yi Looking at you, Liu Tongxun, how should you correct it?"

"There is no way." Liu Tongxun shook his head with a smile, "Since Zulong, there have been 270 emperors, and no one has cured this. In the past, Empress Wu Zetian claimed control, hated corrupt officials and set up a whistleblower box, allowed the people to report directly to the imperial court, and appointed cruel officials to investigate openly and secretly. , the officials killed batch after batch, and every time a new jinshi entered the imperial court, the eunuchs said, "There is another batch of dead ghosts"—they are still corrupt officials who can't stop killing them. Why? The weight, the glory of the ancestors, the jade hall, the golden horse, the fine wine, the taste is irreplaceable. Only human beings can observe the sentiments of the people and take the will of the people as God’s will. We must fight like walking on thin ice, correct the current problems at any time, and the common people can almost delay the revolution.”

Qianlong and the queen couldn't help being terrified when they heard his remarks.After meditating for a long time, Qianlong got up, paced back and forth, and suddenly turned around and said: "Tomorrow, the decree will be issued, and you will also be the left deputy capital censor, um - Fu Heng will be out for a long time, and you will be an imperial envoy." Let me inspect Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Gansu, Shanxi, and Zhili for me, and tell me the truth about the situation below. It’s getting late, so please kneel down and talk about it tomorrow.”

Qianlong stayed at the Queen's place that night.Knowing that the empress was weak and hot, and had a slight cough, Qianlong was startled, and only after careful inquiry did he find out that the Fucha family hadn't come to Guishui for two months.Qianlong laughed and said, "It's shocking, it turned out to be Xi! I'm going to add another dragon son!" The queen seemed to be very worried, her petite body nestled in Qianlong's arms, she shook her head slightly and said, "It's Xi. I have a body too. Sickness. This nameless fever has been going on for some time." Qianlong stroked her hair, and said slowly: "You always lose your energy, your talent is weak, and you have a little cold and fever, how can you not be sick? Empress of love, mother of the world, everything I have is yours, you should be cheerful and happy!"

The queen didn't answer, for a long time, she turned around slowly, and even pulled off the handkerchief to wipe her tears quietly.

"what happened?"

"Nothing, happy."

"Crying when you're happy?"

"Women are not as happy as men are."

"I don't know why." Qianlong couldn't help laughing, and was about to speak, but the queen said, "If I die, what posthumous title will the emperor give me?"

The smile froze on Qianlong's face. Huo Di sat up, held Fucha's shoulders, and asked eagerly: "What's wrong with you? What's wrong?" The queen sat up, looked at the candlelight in the gauze lantern, sighed and smiled and said: "I'm thinking of the old concubine Guerjia, who also had a nameless fever, coughing, and before she was 20 years old... she didn't even have a posthumous title. It was in vain that the first emperor loved her. I was going to die, and the emperor added it to me. With the word 'filial piety', I will rest in peace." Before she finished speaking, Qianlong covered her mouth and said, "I won't allow you to say such things again. There have been many things since you ascended to the throne, and your body has changed Not good, I didn’t stay with you too much. Since we were young, you still don’t know me? Don’t think about it... sleep..."

The next day, Qianlong woke up at dawn, and saw the queen with her snowy arms exposed outside the quilt, breathing evenly, sleeping peacefully, with tears hanging from the corners of her eyes, and gently covering the corners of the quilt for her, wearing a middle coat, quietly Foot out to the outer hall.Several maids of the night watch came over to serve in a hurry, Qianlong waved his hand away, and asked Qin Meimei to come over and ask, "How much food does the empress eat a day?" Seeing Qianlong's gloomy face, Qin Meimei carefully whispered: "Your Majesty's food is not tasty, All vegetarian meals, two regular meals, the slave watched from the side, one meal was no more than two taels of old rice. Occasionally, a little lychee, melon and fruit were added in leisure time. However, the meat dishes prepared by the front cook Zheng Er were delicious. After Zheng Er left, The servant has never seen your mother eat meat and vegetables." Qianlong asked: "Where is Zheng Er now?" Qin Meimei smiled and said: "He stole a chicken blood red porcelain bottle from the imperial kitchen, buried it in a cinder cart and transported it outside, and asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to find out. , hit——" Before he finished chattering, Qianlong waved his hand and stopped, saying: "You will pass the decree in a while, and ask Zheng Er to come in and wait on him, and the monthly routine will be increased. If you have money, you will stop stealing. Tell me Zheng Er, if the master and wife buy a tael of meat, I will reward him with a tael of silver!"

"Ah, Za!"

Qianlong paused for a moment and asked again: "Who is the imperial physician who showed your pulse?" Nameless fever, exhausted heart and blood, need to use fresh bear bile. This medicine is too rare in winter. Dogs and cats don’t leave their nests in winter, where did they get so many fresh bear bile?” “You should go back to these things I." Qianlong said with a blank face, "there are more than a dozen bears in the animal nursery of Changchun Garden! I will use it first. I will ask General Heilongjiang to catch live bears and send them here. What a joke! Can't Maodong catch bears? When Qianlong said this, he felt a little cold, so he realized that he was speaking in a small coat. When he got up and entered the room, Fucha had already woken up, his eyes were shining. Fate is short. I will not be able to do anything for a while. Your Majesty, you are too serious, but I can't bear it."

"Respect the destiny and do your best, otherwise what do you want people to do?" Qianlong laughed, "You should relax your mind, and I will know it after asking." A few court ladies knelt or stood hurriedly to dress Qianlong, and put A mink fur golden dragon coat with a stone blue silk tapestry was worn over a black fox golden dragon robe with a yellow tapestry two-color gold surface, a pair of green satin felted soap boots, and a mid-hair smoked mink satin Taizheng bead crown on the head. .The queen met her, and personally came over to tie a gold-encrusted and jade-encrusted tie for Qianlong, revealing the golden silk tassels, and then said with satisfaction: "You go to serious business." When she looked up, she saw Niu Hulu standing on the bead curtain Before that, he asked: "When did you come in, I don't know."

Niu Hulu looked at the loving couple with a slightly sour face. Hearing the queen's question, she quickly squatted down and said with a smile, "I just came from Lafayette's side. Lafayette said, go and see the bones of the mistress, I It doesn't matter, the empress's kang table is not heavy. I went to see it yesterday. It looks much better, and it can still be lifted..." She said that Qianlong laughed, and said: "The empress is used to you, so why not even her?" I made fun of you. You go to the Palace of Compassion and Ning first, and when I come back from holding the incense, I will go there to greet my mother. Whoever orders the foreign officials to come in, make a list for me and the queen to see." Niu Hulu turned his lips and smiled: " Shan Zi has entered the Compassionate Ning Palace! Your Majesty, rest assured, you will be able to see what you should and want to see!"

"That's good." Qianlong heard the chiming bell strike seven times in a row, without further delay, he said, "I'll go over when I burn the incense." Then he came out and sat in the warm sedan chair, and the eunuchs Ma Baoyu and Wu Jinxi who were in charge of the stove led him to Outside the Shunzhen Gate, guards Selenge and Su Lun had already received the driver, and the old guard Zhang Wuge led the way. He first went to Dagao Hall to burn incense, then turned to Shouhuang Hall to salute, and then went to Qin'an Hall and Doutan to burn incense and pay respects. The west case, north case, and Zao Jun of Kunning Palace were also sacrificed, and they went to the East Nuan Pavilion to respectfully salute in front of the god tablet and Buddha.Just passing by the hall where Jinxia committed suicide, Qianlong's heart moved, and he ordered Chengyu to stop, and Ma Baoyu, who was accompanying him, smiled and said: "This hall has been deserted for a year, and the list of rites and ceremonies sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not arrange sacrifices. This palace..." Before he finished speaking, Qianlong's eyes swept over him, which made Ma Baoyu tremble.Qianlong said: "Did I listen to the Ministry of Rites, or did the Ministry of Rites listen to me? If I don't go anywhere else, I must sacrifice to this palace. Open it!"

This partial palace has been locked up since Jinxia's death, people in the palace heard that there were often crying and crying inside at night, and the night watchmen all walked around the road.Qianlong pushed open the gate, and immediately a few snow chickens flew out screaming and screaming. The eunuchs were startled, so they had to follow Qianlong in, but the wormwood growing from the cracks in the green bricks was as tall as a person. , The dust locks the key, and the verandah is as silent as an ancient temple that has been abandoned for many years.Qianlong's face was sad and joyful, and he walked to the front of Jinxia's original house on the dry wormwood path. When he looked in through the window paper, the light was very dark, and he saw dust everywhere, which seemed to be printed with many mice and weasels. A few old books were piled up in front of the tavern, and the sea-red curtain beside the bed was still drawn—everything was the same as that night, except a stool was overturned under the corner of the beam, and a statue of Maitreya Buddha on the wall had disappeared. It became dark, Buddha's belly half opened, and he looked at the room with a smile, as if he wanted to say something... Qianlong couldn't help trembling: Jinxia put the silk rope around her neck on this stool!
"I missed you, I failed you..." Qianlong took a step back and bowed slightly to the window lattice, and said with tears in his eyes, he lit three sticks of incense and placed the small incense burner on the stone steps, thinking silently: "This life is destined for this life Goodbye, I have no destiny in this life and wish to have a next life..." In the desolate wild smoke and vines, he paced back and forth, moaning sadly:
The old dressing table in the remnant palace is full of wormwood.

Where is the pink now?But Yu Yi shed tears!

Just as he was full of regrets and had nothing to do, Gao Wuyong hurried in, stood behind Qianlong and said: "Your Majesty, the Neqin Zhongtang has called the slaves to come over to ask for an order. All the officials above the second rank in Beijing have been gathered in Qianqing Palace. Please go and accept the order." Congratulations." "It's gone." Qianlong waved his hand, "Tell them to kowtow to the throne and go back for the festival!"

"tie!"

"Come back." Qianlong suddenly changed his mind again, "I'll go there now!"

(End of this chapter)