Leaning on the soft couch for half a day, Qianlong, the old dog, could only helplessly accept the reality that our Great Qing was in trouble.
Of course, as a man praised by his bondservants as disciplined, cruel, ruthless, meticulous, and highly intelligent, Qianlong, the old dog, was not willing to accept defeat just like that.
After a moment of silent calculation, Qianlong, the old dog, instructed Heshen, the Zhongtang: "As you suggested, send people to negotiate peace with these two rebels."
After Heshen, the Zhongtang, bowed and agreed with a "Zhe," Qianlong, the old dog, inexplicably added: "The foundation of our Great Qing is, after all, those loyal tenants. If we push them all to the point of rebellion, our Great Qing will truly be finished."
Heshen, the Zhongtang, bowed and agreed again with a "Zhe."
Heshen, the Zhongtang, understood that Qianlong, the old dog, was asking him to take out silver to appease those loyal tenants with flag silver. If these loyal tenants could be appeased, then everyone would be happy. If these loyal tenants could not be pacified, then no matter how favored he was by Qianlong, he might not escape the fate of a grain transport official under Prime Minister Cao.
However, the thought of the fate of that grain transport official under Prime Minister Cao made Heshen, the Zhongtang, feel a little uncomfortable.
Was the grain transport official under Prime Minister Cao guilty? No, but he still died.
Was Heshen, the Zhongtang, guilty? No.
And yet, you still want me to die?
While Heshen, the Zhongtang, was thinking these jumbled thoughts, Qianlong, the old dog, who was half-reclining on the soft couch, spoke: "I am tired, you may withdraw."
Upon hearing this, Heshen, the Zhongtang, immediately flicked his horse-tail sleeves, performed a kneeling bow, and said: "Zhe, your servant takes his leave."
After leaving the palace, Heshen, the Zhongtang's, expression turned grim.
To say that Heshen, the Zhongtang, was loyal to Qianlong, the old dog, was a preposterous claim that only those bondservants would believe.
Heshen, the Zhongtang, even dared to covet the women in Qianlong, the old dog's, harem.
In fact, if he hadn't known the fate of those loyal tenants who fell into Zhu Jinsong's hands, Heshen, the Zhongtang, would have even wanted to lead the surrender himself.
Therefore, after hearing Qianlong, the old dog's, suggestion to appease those loyal tenants with silver, Heshen, the Zhongtang, began to ponder in his mind.
Surrendering to the rebel Zhu was out of the question. But if Qianlong, the old dog, continued to mess around like this, then our Great Qing was destined to perish.
Since that was the case…
Upon returning to his Tenth Princess's mansion, Heshen, the Zhongtang, summoned his most trusted servant to the study.
Heshen, the Zhongtang, held a cup of tea, slowly using the lid to skim the foam from the tea. Only when the tea was at a suitable temperature did he take a sip and then look at the servant before him, smiling and saying: "Liuquan'er, I heard that there is a Heavenly Principle Sect in our capital, and its influence has been growing recently?"
Hearing his master's question, Liuquan immediately bowed and replied: "My master sees clearly. There is indeed a Heavenly Principle Sect in our capital, and it has been recruiting believers recently."
"According to your servant, this Heavenly Principle Sect is a combination of the Red Yang Sect, the Kan Gua Sect, the Zhen Gua Sect, the Rong Hua Society, the White Yang Sect, the Green Yang Sect, and others from the capital region. Among them, the Red Yang Sect was originally a branch of the Kan Gua Sect of the Eight Trigrams Sect. During the transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasties, it had already been circulating among the people in the capital and the surrounding areas, especially in the Wanping and Daxing regions."
"In recent years, the Heavenly Principle Sect has been recruiting many women by offering medical treatment. The Red Yang Sect branch in Shulu County, Zhili, has even specifically recruited widows whose husbands have died and who have no sons."
At this point, Liuquan pointed to the ceiling and said: "According to your servant, not only in the palace, but also the son of Prince Yu, Yufeng, the commander of the infantry, Jilun, and the general guarding the Meridian Gate, Celing, all have people in their families who have joined the Heavenly Principle Sect. As for Jilun and Celing, they are directly leaders within the Heavenly Principle Sect."
Hearing Liuquan's detailed knowledge of the Heavenly Principle Sect, Heshen, the Zhongtang, couldn't help but look at Liuquan with surprise: "Oh, you know so much about the Heavenly Principle Sect. Could it be that you have also joined this sect?"
Liuquan chuckled, bowed, and flatteringly replied: "My master, with your protection, I eat well and sleep well every day, and my body has always been strong. I have no illnesses or misfortunes, so why would I join the Heavenly Principle Sect?"
"The reason your servant knows all this is entirely thanks to my master. I heard it from the eunuchs in the palace and from the servants of other families."
Heshen, the Zhongtang, hummed and began to ponder in his mind.
Jilun, the commander of the infantry, was from the Bordered Blue Banner. Celing, the general guarding the Meridian Gate, was the son of Prince Chao Yong, Heshuo Efu Celing. Although he was of the Borjigin clan, Celing was not from the Khorchin tribe, but from the Khalkha tribe. Celing must know what kind of treatment our Great Qing gives to those poor relatives on the grasslands.
As for Yufeng, the son of Prince Yu, Aisin Gioro·Yufeng… the old Prince Yu, Aisin Gioro·Xiuling, is old, and this fellow Yufeng can basically represent the entire Prince Yu's mansion.
These people are believers or leaders of the Heavenly Principle Sect. The Heavenly Principle Sect is a sect formed by the Zhen Gua Sect, the Kan Gua Sect, and the Red Yang Sect. Among them, the Rong Hua Society, the White Yang Sect, the Red Yang Sect, the Green Yang Sect, and the Eight Trigrams Sect, from which the Zhen Gua Sect and Kan Gua Sect were split, were all derived from the White Lotus Sect.
In other words, from Yufeng, the son of Prince Yu, to Jilun, the commander of the infantry, and Celing, the general guarding the Meridian Gate, these people can all be considered members of the White Lotus Sect.
Heshen, the Zhongtang, chuckled inwardly, then asked Liuquan with a solemn expression: "Liuquan'er, how have I treated you?"
Liuquan immediately cried out in a high voice, bowed, and flatteringly replied: "My master has treated your servant extremely well. You allowed me to study and even found a wife for me. To speak of it, the master's kindness to your servant is even greater than the kindness of my parents who gave birth to me!"
Heshen, the Zhongtang, hummed, took a sip of tea, and said: "I have something to entrust to you, and you must handle it properly for me. If there is any mistake, you will have to answer for your own head."
Liuquan immediately bowed to the ground, pledging his loyalty: "My master, please rest assured. Whatever you entrust to your servant, even if it means sacrificing this life, I will handle it properly. If there is any mistake, you don't need to say anything, your servant will remove this dog's head himself!"
Heshen, the Zhongtang, hummed again and instructed: "Go, invite Yufeng, the son of Prince Yu, over. But listen to me carefully, this matter can only be handled privately. Do you understand?"
Liuquan immediately kowtowed and said: "Zhe, your servant understands!"
Servants like Liuquan may not be good at other things, but when it comes to doing shady business, they are all more skilled than the next.
Especially Liuquan, as Heshen, the Zhongtang's, trusted servant, his status in the capital's servant circles is no longer simply that of a seventh-rank official under the prime minister. Even Yufeng, the eldest son of the old Prince Yu, Aisin Gioro·Xiuling, who is almost certainly the next Prince Yu, has to show some respect to Liuquan.
Just as the old Prince Yu, Aisin Gioro·Xiuling, has to show some respect to Heshen, the Zhongtang.
Therefore, Liuquan quickly and stealthily invited Yufeng, the son of the old Prince Yu, to the Tenth Princess's mansion.
After Yufeng arrived at Heshen, the Zhongtang's, study, Heshen, the Zhongtang, put on a stern face and shouted: "Your Highness Prince, you are quite bold!"
Yufeng was somewhat bewildered by Heshen, the Zhongtang's, behavior.
That's right, you, Heshen, the Zhongtang, are favored by His Majesty, but no matter how favored you are, you are still a dog raised by our Aisin Gioro family. What, just because I haven't inherited the title yet, you dare to bare your teeth at me?
Damn it, if I don't teach you a lesson today, won't you be riding on my neck tomorrow?
Thinking of this, Yufeng's expression also darkened. He said in a sarcastic tone: "What's this? Does Heshen, the Zhongtang, think he has forgotten his origins and has grown so bold as to bare his teeth at his master?"
Heshen, the Zhongtang, however, chuckled and said: "I, Heshen, know that I am a dog raised by His Majesty. Whoever His Majesty tells me to bare my teeth at, I will bare my teeth at. Towards the masters of the household, I naturally retract my teeth."
Having said that, Heshen, the Zhongtang, changed the subject and sneered: "However, some masters do not consider themselves masters and instead mingle with the servants of the household. Your Highness Prince, what do you think should be done if you encounter such a situation?"
Yufeng was startled and frowned: "He'er, I know you are called the 'Second Emperor' in the capital. I will show you some respect, but don't push your luck too far. Just say what you have to say!"
Heshen, the Zhongtang, chuckled again and said in a low voice: "Then, according to Your Highness Prince's opinion, if His Majesty knew that you joined the Heavenly Principle Sect, and that the Heavenly Principle Sect is a branch of the White Lotus Sect, what do you think His Majesty would think?"
Upon hearing the words "Heavenly Principle Sect" and "White Lotus Sect," Yufeng's expression changed drastically, and he was no longer as calm as before.
Given Yufeng's status, joining the Heavenly Principle Sect was a matter that could be either serious or trivial. If officials impeached him, it would be a minor issue that wouldn't amount to much; at most, he would be scolded and confined to his mansion for a few years.
But if Heshen, this dog servant, took notice, then the Prince Yu's mansion would at least be severely wounded, if not stripped of its title.
The key point was, who knew if this matter today was Heshen, the Second Emperor's, own idea or the idea of the one in the imperial palace?
Thinking of this, Yufeng frowned and asked: "What do you want?"
Heshen, the Zhongtang, however, did not answer Yufeng's question. Instead, he sighed and said: "Your Highness Prince may not know this yet, but the Fifteenth Prince and Eldengbao went to Shanxi to suppress bandits, but they lost their generals in a small county town called Lingqiu."
Heshen, the Zhongtang, held up four fingers and gestured: "Forty thousand, a full forty thousand troops, including ten thousand Mongolian Banners, ten thousand Manchu Banner soldiers, and ten thousand Manchu infantry. They didn't even reach the city gate of Lingqiu County before they were scattered by the rebel army's artillery."
Yufeng, with a grim expression on his donkey-like face, grunted and asked: "And then?"
Heshen, the Zhongtang, sighed again and said: "Our Great Qing's ancestors conquered the eighteen provinces of Han territory. Now, only Zhili province remains. Without the tax revenue from the other seventeen provinces, not only are our Banner's loyal tenants struggling, but I'm afraid Your Highness Prince's days are also not easy, right?"
Yufeng did not answer, but looked at Heshen, the Zhongtang, with suspicion.
According to our Great Qing's regulations, a Prince Heshuo like Prince Yu has the highest treatment among all royal titles, with an annual stipend of ten thousand taels of silver and ten thousand hu of grain. As for Yufeng, a Prince, he also receives an annual stipend of six thousand taels and six thousand hu of grain.
Of course, these are only the nominal amounts. In reality, no prince or prince expects to live on this stipend and grain alone; otherwise, they would have starved to death long ago.
However, as Qianlong the old dog resorted to a strategy of shrinking his influence, the loyal tenants naturally need not be mentioned. Those who used to receive flag silver every month might not receive eighty percent of the original amount now. Even a Prince Heshuo like Prince Yu was inevitably affected, and his monthly life became tighter.
The question was, why was Heshen, the Second Emperor, saying this?
What did this dog servant want to do?