Chapter 40: Bestowing Silver upon Ortai

Hongli then smiled and asked E'ertai, "How have you managed to make the banner company under your jurisdiction so prosperous?"

"In reply to my master, because I serve in the Imperial Household Department, I have access to many exotic goods. This allowed me to experiment with planting new varieties, and I eventually discovered that corn is extremely suitable for cultivation on barren, mountainous terrain."

"I purchased large amounts of cheap mountain land at a low price, registered it as banner property, and recruited displaced peasants to settle there as tenant households. This allowed them to sustain themselves and pay their grain taxes, thereby supporting more banner families."

"Furthermore, although banner people are forbidden from farming, there is no rule saying they cannot understand it. Thus, I hired elderly Han farmers to teach the banner people how to make compost, raise cattle, and manage irrigation. Even though the banner people under my command do not farm themselves, many have become specialists in agricultural support."

E'ertai recounted his efforts as if describing his most prized possessions. Hongli nodded, quite satisfied. Since arriving in this world, he had realized that the "exotic corn" mentioned was simply maize. Of course, the historical record of maize being referred to as "fanmai" only appeared during the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras. The poet Ma Guohan of that period once wrote in a poem, "Corn stalks stand tall like pestles, fragrant wormwood adorned with beads."

Hongli now understood why E'ertai had been such a staunch advocate for the policy of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials and developing the great Southwest during the Yongzheng era. It turned out that even when he was a junior official in the Imperial Household Department, he had already been experimenting with promoting new crops and agricultural productivity in his own banner company. The Southwest was mountainous; for the policy of replacing native chieftains to be of any value, the land first had to be worth developing. The imperial court's military campaigns in the region had to be cost-effective.

"Very good. Reward him with five hundred taels of silver! Additionally, present E'ertai with the copies of *The Military and Civil Dual-Use Manual*, *The Health and Rescue Manual*, *Geography and Climate of the Southwest*, and *New Compilation of Mathematics* that I have recently authored."

Hongli ordered a generous reward for E'ertai and gifted him the instructional booklets he had written based on the rudimentary knowledge he retained from his future life. (Note: The protagonist had not actually memorized these manuals; he merely borrowed the titles to record the superficial knowledge he possessed).

Setting aside E'ertai’s immense potential, even if he had none, it was a case of "paying a thousand gold for a horse’s bones." E'ertai was his first banner servant and the first to come to pay his respects; he naturally had to reward him handsomely. Five hundred taels was no small sum. During this period, imperial rewards rarely exceeded one thousand taels, and often they did not even reach one hundred. The only exception was when granting funeral funds for high-ranking officials.

Knowing that E'ertai was a man of action who took pride in his achievements, Hongli hoped these books would assist him in managing his company. The affairs of the Eight Banners, which were essentially independent military units with their own manor economies, were complex and comprehensive, involving military, political, economic, medical, and ethnic matters.

"Your servant E'ertai thanks you for your profound grace, Master!" E'ertai hurriedly flipped his horse-hoof cuffs and performed a deep bow. Hongli smiled slightly and gestured for him to rise.

***

After receiving the silver and the books, E'ertai was initially pleased by the reward, but after perusing the texts, he realized the five hundred taels were inconsequential compared to the knowledge within.

"Extraordinary! Where did the young master acquire such insight? Could he have truly learned secrets unknown to the outside world from the Emperor himself within the Forbidden City?" That night, E'ertai read by candlelight, marveling at the contents. He was most intrigued by *Geography and Climate of the Southwest*, as Hongli had outlined a vision for the future replacement of native chieftains in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.

Hongli had originally written this as reference material for when his father, the future Emperor Yongzheng, would eventually implement the policy. By gifting it to E'ertai, he intended to help him understand the situation in the Southwest and Southeast Asia in advance. E'ertai gained significant inspiration from it, standing up in excitement: "This is a grand strategy for the nation! It is my life's fortune to serve Master Hongli!" He even commissioned someone from the Ministry of War to obtain a map of the Southwest to compare with Hongli's book.

Hongli’s ambitions went far beyond the Southwest, but he could not yet fully reveal his grand design. After all, it was only the sixty-first year of the Kangxi era, and his own golden age had not yet dawned.

After meeting E'ertai, Hongli returned to the small courtyard he shared with his mother, Lady Niuhuru. Just as he reached the garden of the Prince Yong mansion, he saw Hongzhou running toward him with a smile. "Fourth Brother!" Hongli stopped and walked toward him.

Unexpectedly, Hongshi emerged from a nearby pavilion, calling out to Hongzhou, who was passing by: "Hongzhou, stop right there!"

Hongzhou halted and bowed, "Third Brother!"

"Come back. Don't get too close to certain people!" Hongshi said with a cold glare.

"Who are you referring to, Third Brother?" Hongzhou asked.

"You know exactly who. Those who are short-sighted, those who rely on their own cleverness and favor to act without proper reverence!" Hongshi scolded, glancing askance at Hongli.

Hongli’s lips curled slightly. He did not argue, nor did he intend to change anyone’s perspective. Prejudices in the human heart are like great mountains; they cannot be easily moved. Teaching through words is often of little value; one must teach through actions.

Hongli heard Hongzhou reply, "Third Brother, Fourth Brother is neither short-sighted nor lacking in reverence. Otherwise, Grandfather and Father would not favor him so much, don't you think?"

"Perhaps it is simply that you do not yet understand Fourth Brother well enough, or you lack the insight of Grandfather and Father, which is why you think this way!"

Hongshi was rendered speechless by Hongzhou's retort. Unwilling to admit that his younger brother understood more than he did, or that Hongli was more politically astute, he resorted to sophistry: "I am doing this for your own good! Getting too close to him will do you no favors."

Hongzhou thought for a moment and said, "Third Brother, how could you be doing this for my own good? You are the one who doesn't even care about my birthday." With that, Hongzhou turned and walked toward Hongli without hesitation.

Hongli was taken aback. He had not expected such a retort from Hongzhou.

"Who told you to speak like that!" Hongshi’s face flushed with anger.

Seeing that Hongshi was about to lose his temper, Hongli stepped forward and bowed to him, redirecting his focus: "Greetings, Third Brother." In the banner culture, the etiquette between brothers was strict. With the succession battle at a critical juncture, Hongli did not want to provide any ammunition for criticism, as one never knew if Kangxi had spies within the Prince Yong mansion.

Hongshi ignored him, offered a cold, mocking laugh, and walked away, throwing back a final remark: "You two just wait and regret this."

After Hongshi left, Hongzhou frowned and asked, "Fourth Brother, who will become the Emperor? Is it really likely to be Fourteenth Uncle?"

Hongli smiled, "Why the sudden curiosity? You were quite bold in standing up to Third Brother just now; I thought you didn't care about such things."

"I was just annoyed by him!" Hongzhou replied. "He keeps telling me to stay away from you, saying you've offended Hongchun and disappointed Eighth and Ninth Uncles. He also says that with Grandfather critically ill and the decree already issued for Fourteenth Uncle to return to the capital, the sky over the Qing Dynasty is about to change. He claims that once Fourteenth Uncle returns and becomes Emperor, those close to you will surely meet a bitter end."

"But I don't want to be so worldly. It’s just that Third Brother keeps nagging me, and everyone else has been discussing it—even the servants are whispering in the dark. It’s started to worry me. Just now, when he said he was doing it for my own good, it truly repulsed me, because I know for certain he is not a man who acts for my benefit. That is why I answered him that way."