My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 121 It's so blissful to be with you!
December of the first year of the Yongzheng reign.

First, in the first year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the Imperial Clan Court reported that the characters in the names of princes and other princes were the same as the imperial taboo name, and requested that they be changed.

Emperor Yongzheng, citing that his name was personally chosen by the late emperor and he could not bear to change it, convened a meeting of the Ministry of Rites.

The Ministry of Rites then requested the Empress Dowager to make a decision.

However, the Empress Dowager passed away in August of the first year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, before she could make a decision on this matter.

Even now, when the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court report this matter again, Yongzheng issues an edict saying, "I have previously reported to the Empress Dowager that the name of each prince should be changed to 'Yun'."

At the same time, Emperor Yongzheng issued an edict stating that his younger brother, Prince Yi, need not avoid using his name and should continue to use his original name.

This imperial edict caused an uproar throughout the court and the public.

People were generally accepting of the taboo against using certain names. Even the Manchu princes, influenced by Sinicization, supported this cultural system that established a fixed hierarchy.

But they couldn't accept that the thirteenth prince could be exempted from changing his name.

No one knows what Yongzheng was really thinking.

Everyone felt that if they weren't going to avoid it, they should just not avoid it at all; if they were going to avoid it, they should all avoid it.

Because avoiding taboos is a Confucian tradition, not a Manchu tradition.

If Yongzheng was unwilling to completely Sinicize and wanted to retain a trace of Manchu tradition, he could have refrained from using taboo words. However, if he truly intended to make Sinicization more thorough through institutional means, he should have strictly enforced the taboo system. There was no way he would have given special privileges to certain brothers regarding taboo words.

Moreover, according to the logic of Confucian ethics, doing so would have special political significance, as it would allow a younger brother of the emperor to distinguish himself from other younger brothers without having to avoid using the emperor's name!
This could easily lead people to speculate whether Prince Yi might still become the Crown Prince.

Did Emperor Yongzheng disregard his father's dying wish to pass the throne to his younger brother, and thus decide to test the waters by using a method that would not require the thirteenth prince to avoid the issue?

In particular, even the eighth prince, who is the chief prime minister, had to change his name, but the thirteenth prince did not have to.

This naturally makes one wonder even more.

Although it was obvious to everyone that Yongzheng held Hongli in high regard.

However, Yongzheng's actions still inevitably raise some questions.

After all, even the smallest stone, if thrown into unfathomable water, will inevitably cause ripples.

The same applies to the arena of power.

Even if someone holds supreme power unintentionally makes a casual move in the unfathomable arena of power, it will inevitably cause ripples and even storms.

The Third Prince Hongshi came to see the Eighth Prince and asked him about the matter: "Eighth Uncle, why does Father not allow the Thirteenth Uncle to avoid using the word?"

"Fourth Brother's thoughts are hard to fathom!"

Lao Ba also sighed.

Then, the Eighth Prince added, "I don't know if he's putting more pressure on the princes because he doesn't care whether the throne can be passed on to his own son, or if he's just testing the Thirteenth Prince and preparing to give him more important responsibilities?"

"Although I prefer to believe the latter, I think it's not impossible that my father did pass the throne to my thirteenth uncle!"

"Because the Khan's actions are never predictable by common sense; he always issues some incomprehensible imperial edicts!"

"For example, instead of granting a title to me, an adult prince, or sending me, an adult prince, to perform the sacrificial rites at the late emperor's mausoleum, they first granted titles to their own nephews Hongxi, Hongchang, and Hongchun, and then sent Hongli to perform the sacrificial rites on their behalf."

Hongshi replied with a frown.

The eighth brother could tell that Hongshi still harbored resentment towards his fourth brother.

The eighth brother was overjoyed and said to Hongshi with a smile, "Here's what we'll do, Hongshi, go see Hongli and talk to him about this. Tell him your concerns. In any case, neither of you brothers would want your thirteenth uncle to be treated so specially. Hongli might even be more unwilling than you."

"To see Hongli?"

Hongshi looked at Lao Ba with some surprise.

Lao Ba nodded: "That's right!"

"If Hongli can be the one to take the lead, it will be entirely beneficial for you."

"Firstly, if he succeeds in stopping this, it will prevent the situation you're worried about from happening. Secondly, he can subtly sow discord between your thirteenth uncle and Hongli afterward."

"Secondly, if he can't stop it, he will anger Fourth Brother, which would be a good thing for you."

"Uncle Ba is right!"

Hongshi clenched one fist, opened the other hand into a palm, then made a fist-and-palm gesture in his arms and nodded excitedly.

He also began to think that this was a good idea, forcing Hongli to become a pawn he could use.

In fact, Hongli himself was not surprised by the fact that the thirteenth prince did not shy away from talking about it.

Who told him he knew this would happen?
Moreover, he knew that the thirteenth prince would actively and strongly request Yongzheng to rescind the order.

However, in history, after the death of his thirteenth son, Emperor Yongzheng issued an edict to restore Yinxiang's original name, with the purpose of "expressing my remembrance."

At that time, the thirteenth prince was no longer alive, so he could no longer stop Yongzheng and could only passively accept that his original name had been restored.

Therefore, Hongli did not think much of it, nor was he uneasy. He continued to sleep soundly with the crabapple blossoms as usual and enjoyed the delicious food.

But after Hongli finished practicing riding and archery that day, Hongshi came to see him and invited him to have a private chat in the back corridor of the imperial kitchen.

Hongli then came here alone with Hongshi and asked Hongshi, "Why did Third Brother suddenly seek me out?"

Hongshi was somewhat surprised to see Hongli's calm expression.

But he also guessed that Hongli might only be pretending to be calm, and that he might actually be extremely anxious inside, so he still asked Hongli:

"Fourth Brother should already know about what Thirteenth Uncle doesn't need to hide, right?"

Hongli nodded: "I am aware of this matter."

He had basically guessed Hongshi's intentions, so he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking, "So you, Hongshi, want to take advantage of me?"
If one thing Yongzheng did can make you restless, then what about other even more unbelievable things in the future, such as giving the imperial mausoleum land to the thirteenth prince for his future burial site? Won't that make your heads spin even more?

"What does Fourth Brother think about this matter?"

Hongshi then continued to ask Hongli questions.

Hongli naturally had no intention of falling for Hongshi's trick, and simply smiled and said, "I think Father Khan must have his reasons for doing this."

"That's it?"

Hongshi was somewhat disappointed. He hadn't expected that Hongli, despite his young age, would be so slick and unwilling to reveal any of his attitude.

Hongshi frowned at this: "Fourth brother, although I don't want to interfere with your studies and therefore don't interact with you much, we are brothers after all. There's no need for you to hold back your true feelings in front of me, is there?"

Hongli smiled nonchalantly and said, "Third Brother, you've misunderstood me! I think that Father Khan really values ​​Uncle Thirteen, especially with the current new policies. Father Khan still needs Uncle Thirteen's assistance, so it's inevitable that he will show more favor to Uncle Thirteen."

"That's why I said that the Khan must have had his reasons for doing this. We may not understand it, but we can't criticize His Majesty's will just because we don't understand it. What do you think?"

Hongshi was momentarily speechless after being retorted by Hongli's words.

He hesitated for a long while before finally speaking:

"However, no matter how much the Khan favors his thirteenth uncle, and no matter how much he needs him, he shouldn't do this. It will draw criticism from the officials and put his thirteenth uncle in a difficult position!"

“What Fourth Brother said makes sense, but we can’t stop speaking up for Thirteenth Uncle just because we don’t understand, nor can we keep Father Khan from knowing what we mean.” “What do you say, Fourth Brother?”

Hongshi asked about Hongli.

Hongli then asked Hongshi with feigned seriousness, "What does Third Brother mean?"

“Of the three of us brothers, you, the fourth brother, have always had the best relationship with your thirteenth uncle, and he is now one of your husbands; more importantly, Father has always valued your opinions more.”

"Therefore, I think that the only one who can persuade Father Khan to retract the matter that Uncle Thirteen did not avoid!"

"That way, Uncle Thirteen will be grateful that you, his student, have taken him to heart!"

Hongshi revealed his true purpose, and then smiled as he looked at Hongli.

Hongli shook his head and then cupped his hands: "Third brother has his considerations, and I have my own ideas, so please forgive me, third brother. I cannot persuade Father to withdraw this edict."

"Why?"

"You'll disappoint Uncle Thirteen!"

"You never know, the Khan might be disappointed too, because he might be waiting for you to persuade him to retract his decision, and to see if you have the courage to speak frankly and offer your advice!"

Hongshi stared at Hongli with considerable disappointment.

Hongli nodded solemnly.

Hongshi saw Hongli's burning gaze and wished he could just tie Hongli up and take him to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Hongli then became even more serious and said to Hongshi, "Third brother is thinking of me and cares about me. Now that you've come to tell me this, you're giving me face. So I'm very happy, and I'm willing to give you face. But I also have my principles."

"I absolutely cannot do this."

"The new policy of merging the poll tax into the land tax has been ordered to be discussed by the nine ministers by the Khan, which clearly shows that he intends to implement it. I cannot ruin the Khan's overall plan to implement the new policy at this time."

After saying this, Hongli turned and left.

Hongshi opened his mouth to speak again, but saw that Hongli had already walked away. Not knowing how to continue to persuade him, he could only shut his mouth and clench his fists tighter.

"You, Hongli, actually didn't fall for it? Could it be that you don't covet the throne?"

"If you don't covet the throne, why do you actively try to make the world believe that the late emperor chose you as his father?"

Hongshi questioned himself, his tone a mix of affability and cold sneer:

"Now that I think about it, it would be a good thing if Father really let Uncle Thirteen succeed to the throne. That way, at least you, Hongli, can taste the regret I've experienced!"

As soon as Hongli returned to the palace, he saw Hongzhou waiting for him at the inner right gate.

"Fourth Brother, do you know about something that Uncle Thirteen doesn't need to hide?"

When Hongzhou met Hongli, he also asked about this matter.

Hongli nodded again.

Hongzhou then asked Hongli, "What do you mean by 'Father Khan'?"

Hongli smiled and said, "You will make all sorts of guesses based on your thoughts. So instead of thinking so much, it's better to observe the situation. Didn't I teach you before? In unpredictable situations, the one who acts first is often controlled by others, while the one who acts later is often able to control others."

"Fourth Brother is right. I'm just worried about you. I don't care about myself."

"As long as you, Fourth Brother, are not worried, that's fine."

"I myself do not have the ambition to reach the clouds, and besides, I myself am indeed incapable of doing so."

At this moment, Hongzhou revealed his true intentions.

Hongli smiled and patted Hongzhou on the shoulder. Without saying anything more, he and Hongzhou returned to their respective palaces.

Not long after Hongli returned to the palace, Yongzheng summoned him.

After meeting Hongli, Yongzheng asked him, "Do you know that I told you that your thirteenth uncle doesn't need to change his name to avoid using the taboo?"

"My son, I know!"

Hongli nodded.

Yongzheng asked, "But your thirteenth uncle has now submitted a memorial insisting on changing his name as well. What do you think of this?"

Hongli glanced at Yongzheng and sighed inwardly. Although Yongzheng was now his biological father, he was still the emperor and always liked to test him. He even deliberately dug pits for him to test him.

"What are you thinking?"

Seeing that Hongli had not answered, Yongzheng asked in a deep voice.

Hongli immediately looked up and said, "Your subject is thinking, it is truly important to accompany Your Majesty."

"Really what?"

Before Hongli could finish speaking, Yongzheng interrupted him and asked a question.

Hongli smiled brightly and cheerfully: "It's such a blessing to be with you!"

Yongzheng chuckled.

He naturally didn't believe that Hongli was telling the truth.

After all, he had been an emperor for over forty years, so how could he not know what it was like to serve the emperor? He knew that serving the emperor was like walking on a narrow bridge across a cliff.

Even if a prince is favored today, it doesn't mean he won't be completely suppressed or even treated harshly in the future.

The second, eighth, and thirteenth sons had similar experiences.

Even Emperor Yongzheng himself was once criticized by Emperor Kangxi for being "unpredictable and rash" when Emperor Kangxi was dissatisfied with him. This frightened Yongzheng so much that he once thought he would have no chance of ascending the throne.

However, Yongzheng could not deny that Hongli's words were wrong, nor could he expose that he was lying, since it would be contrary to the principles of loyalty and filial piety to bluntly say that serving the emperor was not good.

Therefore, Yongzheng simply nodded and said, "Let's get down to business!"

"Whoo!"

"Your subject believes that it is unnecessary to agree."

Hongli didn't know if Emperor Qianlong in history had ever been questioned by Emperor Yongzheng about this matter, nor did he know how Emperor Qianlong in history had answered.

But he knew that Yongzheng truly did not want to change the name of the thirteenth prince; otherwise, he would not have persisted until the eighth year of Yongzheng's reign when he still issued an edict to restore the thirteenth prince's original name.

So he answered in the same way.

He couldn't let Yongzheng feel that he was unwilling to see Yongzheng giving the thirteenth prince special treatment now so that he could become emperor in the future.

In his view, even if the thirteenth prince were to change his name, it would only be possible if the thirteenth prince himself strongly requested Yongzheng to change it. The one who could truly make Yongzheng compromise and change his mind was not him, but the thirteenth prince!
After all, the usually unyielding and indomitable Yongzheng Emperor only compromised when Prince Yi's expression changed.

"Fourth Brother, why don't you first give me a cup of poisoned wine and kill me! Then issue an edict forbidding me from changing my name!"

At this moment, the thirteenth brother's voice came from outside, and his tone was quite strange.

(End of this chapter)