Chapter 33: Gifts from the Jiangnan Gentry
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“Within vermilion gates, meat and wine rot; outside, people freeze to death.”
In ancient times, this was a common sight.
The Great Qing was no exception.
It was merely that Yongzheng happened to notice it.
Because Yongzheng’s gaze had fallen there, Hongli followed his eyes.
What he remembered clearly was that, after ascending the throne, Yongzheng had immediately issued an edict lifting the prohibition against bannermen farming. He had forcibly sent landless bannermen from the capital region to Rehe to reclaim wasteland.
Rehe was where the rulers of the Qing gathered the Mongol tribes, and it was also a strategic stronghold for controlling them.
Sending bannermen to Rehe to cultivate the land had both economic and political significance.
Allowing bannermen to farm, however, meant breaking with the ancestral institutions of the Qing and violating the interests of the conservative faction.
That Yongzheng had dared to do so, rather than improve the bannermen’s plight by plundering the Han people even more heavily, was a rare virtue in an emperor of the Qing.
Thus, even if Hongli had not been Yongzheng’s son, he would still have supported Yongzheng’s succession.
“Father, the newly established City Guard Camps and Auxiliary Administration Camps in the capital can support only too few people. If we could extend them to all the major cities across the empire, that would be even better.”
At that moment, Hongli brought up the idea of expanding the City Guard Camps and Auxiliary Administration Camps to the great cities throughout the country.
Yongzheng was pleased that Hongli, like himself, was thinking of the common people. Even so, he laughed at Hongli’s naivety. “Whether the City Guard Camps and Auxiliary Administration Camps you and Hongxi petitioned to establish in the capital can be maintained is already a question. And you expect to establish them elsewhere?”
“You are right, Father. If not for the deep grievances between Second Uncle’s faction and Eighth Uncle and the others, it would have been difficult even in the capital to carry out such a measure.”
“But I believe that, if you become ruler of the empire one day, Father, the City Guard Camps and Auxiliary Administration Camps in the capital will certainly be maintained, and the system will be extended elsewhere as well.”
Hongli cautiously voiced several taboo remarks, hoping to determine whether Yongzheng truly regarded him as someone he could trust completely.
After hearing him, Yongzheng merely smiled. He did not erupt in anger; he did not even furrow his brows.
Hongli secretly rejoiced. He knew that, for the time being, Yongzheng truly had no defenses against him.
When they reached the northern gate of the Garden of Flourishing Spring, Hongli took his leave of Yongzheng.
However, as soon as Hongli presented his pass and entered the garden, he saw Hongchun heading in another direction, followed by several servants.
The servants were carrying numerous gift trays covered with brocade cloths.
Hongli could guess that the treasures on those trays had been bestowed upon Hongchun by Kangxi.
The Fourteenth Prince was leading troops in the northwest and had won a victory. Kangxi often summoned Hongchun to the palace and bestowed various treasures upon him.
Hongli knew this well.
But he had no intention of cultivating a closer relationship with Hongchun. He pretended not to see him and took another path toward the Clear Stream Study beside the Rear Lake.
Kangxi would not return to the palace until the following day, so Hongli and Princess Shushen naturally had to continue staying at the Garden of Flourishing Spring.
After returning, Hongli also still had to go first to Kangxi’s residence to pay his respects.
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Unfortunately, according to the eunuch who had remained at the Clear Stream Study, Kangxi was currently at the Hall of Spring Radiance, summoning ministers to discuss affairs.
Hongli therefore had no choice but to go to the Phoenix Gathering Pavilion to see Princess Shushen.
The princess’s impression of him had now improved greatly. The moment she saw him return to the garden, she happily welcomed him inside.
“Good little brother, take a look. Do you know what this is?”
After Hongli entered the room with Princess Shushen, he saw her open a brocade box.
Hongli stepped closer and saw a lifelike golden rabbit, exquisitely carved.
He could not help turning to Princess Shushen. “Elder Sister, what is this?”
“Grand Academician Wang asked my brother to pass this toy on to you. My brother left it with me and asked me to give it to you. There are too many people outside, and ears are everywhere. Besides, the Wang family is a prestigious scholarly household, so it would naturally be inappropriate for him to hand it to you directly.”
Princess Shushen replied with a smile.
Hongli asked, “If Grand Academician Wang comes from such a reputable scholarly household, why would he give me such an expensive toy?”
“Because you have given the people of my father’s faction hope that my father may be restored,” Princess Shushen said.
Hongli’s expression grew solemn.
“Elder Sister, you should remember what I told you.”
“Moreover, you are often at Grandfather’s side. You should understand his thoughts as well.”
Hongli spoke to Princess Shushen with great seriousness.
Princess Shushen nodded solemnly.
“Sometimes Grandfather treats Fourteenth Uncle well, and sometimes he draws close to Fourth Uncle. He even restored Eighth Uncle to the rank of Beile. It seems that he still does not know whom to designate—or perhaps he is deliberately obscuring the truth so that no one can discern his intentions.”
“But my father must truly have no hope. Otherwise, he would not have gone nine years without being restored.”
“Yet one cannot see the true face of Mount Lu simply because one is within the mountain. My brother and Grand Academician Wang have already spent so much effort on this matter. How could they give up completely just because they were told to?”
As she spoke, Princess Shushen looked toward Hongli.
Then she clutched at her chest and said, “Even I often worry about what my situation will be after Grandfather’s death. If Fourteenth Uncle or Eighth Uncle truly inherits the throne, where will that leave me? Will I be married off to some even more distant place?”
“Do not worry too much. Even if Eighth Uncle or Fourteenth Uncle takes power in the future, neither of them will do anything to you, Elder Sister.”
Hongli comforted Princess Shushen, though he could not tell her the truth.
He had no way to tell it.
Not long afterward, Hongli chatted with Princess Shushen for a while longer before returning to the Waterside Pavilion where he lived.
He took the golden rabbit bestowed by Wang Shan with him and placed it on his writing desk.
Since it was still early for bed, Hongli sat behind the desk and began reading. When Begonia later had another brazier of charcoal brought in, he merely asked her to open the windows wider for ventilation.
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Kangxi returned to the Clear Stream Study. Just as he was about to enter, he noticed that the Waterside Pavilion was still lit. He stopped and asked Yan Jin, the eunuch who had remained behind, “When did Hongli return?”
“Your Majesty, he returned half an hour ago,” Yan Jin replied.
Kangxi nodded and stepped inside.
“Leave only Yan Jin here to attend me.”
Kangxi waved his hand, dismissing the eunuchs Liang Jiugong, Wei Zhu, and the others.
Yan Jin was overjoyed. He hurried forward to remove Kangxi’s cloak, then went to the brazier and stirred the charcoal.
Kangxi sat on a brocade cushion covered with gray sable fur and held his hands over the fire. “While I was away, did either of the two young masters cause any trouble?”
“Your Majesty, no. It was only that…”
Yan Jin stopped himself.
Kangxi raised his head and stared at him. “Only what?”
Yan Jin lowered his head. “This servant heard that, after the Fourth Prince returned, Princess Shushen gave him a golden rabbit. It is said to have been sent by Grand Academician Wang.”
“Wang Shan?”
Kangxi’s eyes narrowed.
In his later years, merely hearing Wang Shan’s name was enough to give Kangxi a headache, even to arouse his disgust.
Wang Shan’s support for the deposed Crown Prince Yinreng could only be described as stubborn to the extreme, and it had always caused Kangxi considerable distress.
Kangxi continued, “Hongli accepted it?”
“He did.”
The moment Kangxi heard Yan Jin’s reply, he sprang to his feet and strode toward the Waterside Pavilion.
Yan Jin hurried after him, carrying Kangxi’s cloak. Unable to conceal the smile at the corners of his mouth, he called out from behind, “Your Majesty, please put on your cloak first!”
“How could he accept it?”
When Kangxi arrived at the Waterside Pavilion, Hongli was still reading, while the golden rabbit sat conspicuously upon the writing desk.
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