My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 409 Emperor Qianlong Proposes Officials to be Honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple
Hongli stood up, casually walked over to Zhang Tingyu, and looked at the blue sky outside the hall: "I will not grant it."

"And none of them are allowed."

"You are neither allowed to abolish the fire tax and return it to the public, nor are you allowed to resign, Hengchen."

"I only wish that a portion of the surcharges collected from the public office, after deducting the allowances for maintaining integrity, be allocated to the county government!"

After Hongli finished speaking, Zhang Tingyu simply closed his eyes slightly, showing no surprise.

"Are there any county magistrates in Shanxi with good reputations lately?"

Hongli then suddenly asked Zhang Tingyu about something else.

Zhang Tingyu immediately turned to Hongli and replied, "Yu Shizhi, the magistrate of Pingyao County, has a well-known reputation for integrity and is praised by the educational commissioner Shen Wengao."

Hongli nodded: "Then the court will send an imperial edict to Liu Tongxun, instructing him to pilot this system with this man."

"Whoo!"

Zhang Tingyu then returned to the Grand Council.

Perhaps because his request to resign was not granted, Zhang Tingyu became increasingly dejected.

When Ortai saw him return to the Grand Council in such a state, he assumed that he had been rebuffed by Emperor Hongli, so he smiled and asked, "Hengchen, what happened?"

Zhang Tingyu forced a smile: "Thank you for your concern, but it's nothing."

Afterwards, Zhang Tingyu drafted an imperial edict for Yu Shizhi, the magistrate of Pingyao County, and handed it to the military secretary on duty, saying, "Check this edict immediately, do not delay!"

"Whoo!"

Ortai looked at Zhang Tingyu in surprise.

The important duty of the Grand Councilors was to receive imperial edicts, draft them, and then have them checked by the Grand Council secretaries. The Grand Councilors themselves would then personally check and revise the edicts before submitting them to the Emperor for review, and finally issue them under the name of the Imperial Court.

The fact that Zhang Tingyu was still able to carry out the imperial edict naturally shows that the emperor still trusted him and entrusted him with conveying the edict.

Therefore, this greatly surprised Ortai, who thought that Zhang Tingyu had also incurred the emperor's displeasure.

However, Ortai didn't dare to ask Zhang Tingyu what edict he had drafted; he just felt a little uneasy.

Because the emperor did not convey the imperial edict through him!
After delivering the imperial edict, Zhang Tingyu still looked dejected, as if he had lost the emperor's favor.

Ortai, who was already feeling uneasy, became even more breathless.

Zhang Tingyu never expected that this would anger Ortai.

His mind was now preoccupied with the contradiction between Hongli's unwillingness to abolish the fire tax system and the Han gentry's desire for him to represent the Han officials in persuading the emperor to abolish the fire tax system.

Therefore, after returning to his residence, Zhang Tingyu summoned Zhu Quan again and said to him, "The reform of the fire tax to the public was created by the retired emperor. If it is abolished, it would be contrary to filial piety. His Majesty is a benevolent and filial son and will not agree to it. You should tell the scholars in the south not to have such thoughts."

Zhu Quan pursed her lips, but her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into fists, making her muscles bulge.

However, Zhu Quan still smiled and said, "Your Excellency is right; I recently heard that Liu Yanqing, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet from Shandong, has been appointed Governor of Shanxi and is quite favored by the Emperor. I wonder if Your Excellency could write a letter to him and ask him to advise on this matter?"

Zhang Tingyu suddenly opened his eyes wide and glared at Zhu Quan.

Zhu Quan hurriedly lowered his head: "I have been disrespectful!"

"Although I and Liu Yanqing are both Han officials, that does not mean that Han officials should waver in the Emperor's will along with other Han officials!"

"You know that scholars from the North and South have never been of one mind throughout history!"

Zhang Tingyu reprimanded Zhu Quan in an unusually stern tone.

Zhu Quan chuckled awkwardly: "Your Excellency is right to criticize me; it is I who have been inconsiderate."

"You may step down! Be sure to tell the wise men of the South that they cannot lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains. There are some things that can be done, but there are some things that cannot be done."

"Abolishing the fire tax and turning it to the public makes it easier for them to manipulate local officials, so that local officials can only negotiate with them to set the fire tax, instead of forcing the people to pay the fixed fire tax in the name of the imperial court."

"But what good is it for us gentry to fight for these powers and profits, even at the cost of morality?"

Zhang Tingyu waved his hand and said a few words, his tone very unpleasant.

"Your humble servant Zhu Quan will keep in mind what you have said, sir!"

Zhu Quan solemnly agreed.

However, after leaving Zhang Tingyu, he spat and his face darkened: "Cowardly old fool, afraid of offending the emperor, he insists on talking about filial piety, which is laughable!"

Zhu Quan then chuckled and said, "Just because you don't write to Liu Tongxun doesn't mean we wouldn't dare to imitate your handwriting and write to Liu Tongxun."

Liu Tongxun advocated frugality.

Therefore, after receiving the imperial edict announcing his promotion to Governor of Shanxi and going to the palace to express his gratitude, he simply invited his fellow townsmen and classmates who came to congratulate him at the cheapest restaurant in the capital, as was customary.

However, none of his fellow townsmen or classmates called him stingy; they all praised him for his noble character and integrity.

Liu Tongxun himself didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Because, in his memory, from the time he passed the imperial examination, was selected as a Hanlin scholar, and even became the Hanlin Chamberlain to the Crown Prince, no one around him had ever spoken ill of him or ridiculed him; they had all praised him. Liu Tongxun even arrived at the banquet for his fellow townsmen and fellow graduates, dressed as usual in his patched everyday clothes, just like when he was at leisure.

This stunned his fellow villagers and classmates.

"Yanqing truly deserves to be called a frugal and honest gentleman; we admire him greatly!"

"With a diligent and frugal official like Yan Qing going to Shanxi, the gentry and people of Shanxi will have a righteous ruler!"

"His Majesty employed Yan Qing precisely because of his integrity and frugality!"

While they were stunned, his fellow townsmen and classmates also began to affirm Liu Tongxun's abilities.

Liu Tongxun was getting a little tired of listening to it, so he just smiled faintly and then went to the head seat.

But as soon as Liu Tongxun sat down, he laughed again: "You all praise me, Liu Tongxun, for being frugal and simple, but you don't know that I, Liu, am not only frugal and simple, but also aloof and unyielding!"

talking.

Liu Tongxun took out a letter from his sleeve and waved it in his hand: "So, I have to show this letter from Zhang Zhongtang before I took office to everyone, to show that I, Liu, will not do anything for that powerful person, but will only obey the imperial edict!"

"Because, in my eyes, there is only one person who can make me obey his every word."

"That is the Emperor!"

As Liu Tongxun spoke, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the north.

At this moment, the restaurant lobby had fallen completely silent, and everyone was terrified.

Firstly, no one expected that Zhang Tingyu would privately instruct Liu Tongxun.

Secondly, what no one expected was that Liu Tongxun would directly publish Zhang Tingyu's letter to the public!

However, Zhang Tingyu's letter was like a bomb about to explode, startling everyone so much that they all left in surprise.

Those who wanted to ask Liu Tongxun for favors all slunk away without daring to utter a word.

After all, if Liu Tongxun wouldn't even give face to Zhang Tingyu, then naturally he wouldn't give face to anyone else.

"Well done, Liu Tongxun!"

"I was right about him after all."

When Hongli learned of this, he was quite pleased and couldn't help but rub his hands together.

However, at the same time, he faced a problem: should he deal with Zhang Tingyu's request?

After receiving the letter from Liu Tongxun, Hongli specifically asked Zhang Tingyu: "Hengchen, if you want to advise me to abolish the fire tax and return it to the public treasury, you can speak frankly. Why go through Liu Tongxun? Even if you really want him to advise me in Shanxi based on the results of his on-site investigation, you don't have to do it so secretly."

Having already learned of this matter, Zhang Tingyu hurriedly prostrated himself and begged for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I never asked Liu Tongxun for anything. Someone is impersonating me. Please, Your Majesty, see the truth!"

After hearing this, Hongli fell silent, frowning as if he were thinking seriously.

Oh!

Oh!

Suddenly, Hongli tore up the letter.

"Get up."

"I believe you!"

"The Emperor Emeritus said that you are a minister worthy of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

Hongli tossed a pile of white scraps of paper into Li Yu's hand, then clapped his hands.

Zhang Tingyu had already raised his head, staring intently at Li Yu's clenched hand, his eyes filled with surprise, which gradually became as clear and lustrous as a deep black pool.

To be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

His Majesty actually thinks I am qualified?
Zhang Tingyu expressed his gratitude and, after standing up, resolutely replied, "Your Majesty, I dare not conceal the truth from you. Zhu Quan, the literary advisor recommended by my fellow townsman Wang Shichao (Wang Youdun), did indeed mention to me the intention of the scholars in the South to abolish the fire tax and return it to the public treasury!"

"What do you mean by 'Southern Worthies'?!"

"There will always be a foolish ruler, but there will always be talented and virtuous people."

"Am I a tyrant, or is the retired emperor a tyrant?"

Hongli suddenly spoke solemnly again.

Zhang Tingyu's eyes widened, and he immediately prostrated himself again: "Your subject was muddle-headed and spoke out of turn; this is the fault of the gentry in the south."

At this moment, Hongli suddenly realized that Zhang Tingyu seemed to have really aged, which was why he unconsciously said such muddled things in front of scholars. But no matter how old Zhang Tingyu was, he was still better than the other Han officials at this time.

Therefore, Hongli once again made Zhang Tingyu stand up, saying, "Don't worry too much. I am not an immoral ruler who would severely punish his officials for minor mistakes!"

(End of this chapter)