My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 413 The Temptation of Being Honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple: Zhao Hui Devours the Flesh of the Barbarians!

Imperial Ancestral Temple.

On the first day of the fourth month of the first year of the Qianlong reign, a gentle breeze blew, and the face was not cold.

The sunlight shone on the white marble platform, as if it had been sprinkled with a layer of shimmering gold dust.

Emperor Hongli is performing the rites of honor for the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple here.

Along with these ancestors, sixteen princes and ministers also shared incense offerings.

Apart from the founding princes, only six princes and ministers were enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple during the Kangxi reign.

But for princes and ministers, this was indeed the highest honor after death.

Because as long as the Qing Dynasty existed, the descendants of the princes and ministers who received this honor would naturally continue to be treated favorably, and saying "My ancestors are worthy of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple" in front of others could intimidate many newly rich.

Shi Xiang is a sacrificial ceremony held on the first day of the first month of each season.

Logically, the emperor could have chosen not to come in person, but instead sent an official to perform the sacrifice on his behalf.

But this year is, after all, the first year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, and it is also the first time that Hongli has performed the seasonal offering ceremony as the emperor.

He didn't ask anyone else to do it for him.

In other words, he was still excited about being emperor and was willing to try many things himself.

After all, many of the princes and grandsons of the Kangxi Emperor no longer had the qualifications to do so.

When the chief Grand Councilors Ortai and Zhang Tingyu accompanied Hongli to the grand ceremony, their eyes were fixed intently on the memorial tablets in the halls of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Consequently, the fourteenth prince, who accompanied the group as a prince, also harbored ulterior motives.

It seems that if Hongli were to grant him the title of "Iron-Cap Prince," he should be qualified to be invited to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to give him prestige.

For those born into wealth and privilege, all they cared about was their reputation before and after death.

Hongli could also see that their eyes were full of longing, unlike Yuntao and Yunlu, who were complacent and showed no excitement at participating in the event.

This made it difficult for him, the emperor, to lure these people in. It seemed that no matter how much benefit he gave them, it would be in vain. Only by occasionally giving them a warning would it work.

He finally understood why Emperor Yongzheng would sometimes praise and sometimes criticize these two people during his reign—it was because these two were the type who couldn't be manipulated!
"How is the Miao matter progressing?"

After performing the ritual of offering sacrifices and hosting a banquet for the princes and ministers at the Xinghuachun Pavilion in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, Emperor Hongli, leaving only Ortai and Zhang Tingyu, the Grand Councilors, asked Ortai about the situation regarding the Miao people.

Ortai, clearly more energetic than before, replied in a strong voice, "Reporting to Master, Zhang Guangsi has deployed the Eighth Route Army and completed the encirclement of Niupidaqing. It is expected that the Miao rebellion will be completely quelled this spring."

Hongli nodded after hearing this.

Once the Miao region is completely pacified, a group of capable officials and soldiers adapted to the southern climate can be dispatched to carry out the land survey and redistribution.

Niupi Daqing is the last stronghold of Baoli, the Miao leader who is currently determined to resist the central government's policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials.

Therefore, once Niupi Daqing is breached, it means that the Miao region has been basically pacified.

However, the Yunnan-Guizhou region is characterized by high mountains, treacherous waters, and dense forests, making it no easy task to conquer Niupidaqing.

However, completing the encirclement was equally difficult.

Once the encirclement is complete, breaking through is only a matter of time.

After all, attrition can wear down the defender.

Because in China, local forces generally find it very difficult to sustain a confrontation with a central dynastic regime that possesses strong mobilization capabilities.

After arriving in Guizhou, Zhang Guangsi used his knowledge of Miao language and familiarity with local customs to conduct a survey of the local situation in plain clothes. He then reported his findings to the court in detail, including issues such as discord among generals, poor command, and miscalculations in suppressing and appeasing the enemy.

As a result, Hongli dismissed Dong Fang and others from their posts and arrested them for questioning. He also stripped Ha Yuansheng of his rank of General Yangwei, leaving him only with the position of Governor of Guizhou, to be at the beck and call of Zhang Guangsi. He also appointed Zhang Guangsi as the Governor of Guizhou, in charge of all military and political power in Guizhou.

Based on his understanding of the Miao region, Zhang Guangsi proposed a strategy that combined suppression and appeasement, prioritizing appeasement of established Miao groups before eliminating nascent ones. This strategy proved more effective than the previous approaches proposed by Zhang Zhao, which focused primarily on appeasement, and those proposed by Ortai, which emphasized suppression.

In less than a year, the Miao rebellion that had spread across Yunnan and Guizhou provinces was mostly quelled, leaving only Niupidaqing as a stronghold. Zhao Hui, who went to the Miao region with Zhang Guangsi, also accompanied Zhang Guangsi in the Yunnan-Guizhou area, recording a great deal of information about the distances, the rugged terrain, the situation, the locations for storing supplies, and the suitability for both offense and defense.

He even personally participated in military operations and civil affairs, including pacification and logistical work.

On this day, Zhao Hui volunteered to lead a team of elite soldiers, a mix of Miao and Han people, across the misty rain to the Wunuoqing area of ​​Niupi Daqing, intending to block the last escape route that Bao Li could take.

Despite this, the biggest problem in marching and fighting in the southwest was that it was difficult to start a fire and cook because of the frequent rain, and it was also difficult to carry enough dry food because of the need to trek through mountains and rivers.

But for Zhao Hui, who eats everything and has a healthy digestive system and is naturally resistant to raw and cold foods, this is not a problem.

Therefore, unlike many Manchu officials from the north, Zhao Hui was able to accept the local people's consumption of houttuynia cordata, snakes, scorpions, and various mushrooms.

When they stopped to rest near Wunuoqing, he was chewing on fish mint while also gnawing on snake meat.

The soldiers from the southwest who came with him also greatly admired him, a military leader who was originally a civil official.

"Lord Bu, we never expected you to actually join us in eating snake meat and wild vegetables."

Guerrilla commander Yue Zhonghuang dared to strike up a conversation with Zhao Hui because his cousin was the Minister of War.

Zhao Hui smiled and said, "What's so special about that? Didn't your ancestors also write a poem called 'Man Jiang Hong' that says that brave men eat the flesh of barbarians when hungry and drink the blood of Huns when thirsty? I really want to taste the flesh of barbarians in the future!"

Yue Zhonghuang was speechless, not knowing how to respond.

Because he felt that it always sounded a bit strange coming from Zhao Hui's mouth.

Zhao Hui didn't find it strange.

Historically, Zhao Hui, who recited the poem "If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, the barbarian horses would not dare to cross the Yin Mountains" in front of Emperor Qianlong to flatter him and express his ambition, indeed did not realize that he himself was a barbarian.

After finishing the snake meat in his mouth, Zhao Hui clapped his hands and stood up: "Wu Nuoqing is just ahead. Let's rush over immediately before the fog clears and catch him off guard!"

"Whoo!"

Not long after, Zhao Hui suddenly appeared in Wunuoqing with Yue Zhonghuang and others.

The rebellious descendants of Wu Nuoqing never expected Zhao Hui to appear out of nowhere, and they were all wiped out in no time.

Upon learning of this result, Zhang Guangsi was overjoyed and immediately ordered a general offensive to be launched the next day. He also sent people in advance to the various strongholds to convey the message that the rebellious Miao could be captured and executed to absolve themselves of their crimes.

The rebellious Miao people, who originally intended to hold onto Niupi Daqing, all started to have new ideas after hearing this.

Tens of thousands of people from the lower classes, who were considered rebels, knew that they could not ultimately defeat the Qing army that surrounded them. So, on the day of the final attack, they began to kill their own comrades.

"What a vicious plan! How could Zhang Guangsi come up with such a thing!"

Bao Li was furious and fled to Wu Nuo Qing without much resistance.

But as soon as he arrived at Wunuoqing, Zhao Hui, Yue Zhonghuang, and others surrounded him and captured him.

After seeing Bao Li and other rebellious Miao chieftains with his own eyes, Zhang Guangsi was naturally overjoyed and immediately ordered, "Immediately send a fast horse to the capital to report to the emperor that the rebellious Miao tribes entrenched in Niupi Daqing have been completely pacified!"

……

……

Zhang Guangsi quelled the rebellious Miao people who had taken over Niupidaqing in early April of the first year of the Qianlong reign.

However, since it takes time for news to travel, Hongli was naturally unaware of this matter. After asking Ortai about the Miao affairs, he inquired with Zhang Tingyu about the land survey and redistribution that he had been tasked with overseeing: "How does Hengchen intend to carry out the land survey and redistribution?"

Zhang Tingyu replied, "I would like to request that an Imperial Survey Office be established first, and a Department of Calculation be opened. Scholars skilled in calculation should be recruited and appointed as Imperial Survey Censors and probationary Imperial Censors. At present, the imperial treasury is full, and land surveying is a prosperous time. It can be done more leisurely, without having local officials take time out of their busy schedules to conduct the surveys! This will also prevent those with ulterior motives from creating a popular uprising and preventing local officials from conducting the land surveys."

"Very well, permission is granted!"

Hongli nodded, then looked at the two men and said, "Zhu Quan has been captured and is being held at the Sticky Rod Office. He has confessed to the involvement of several powerful families in the south. Next, we will target these families first, using Zhang Qingzhang as an excuse!"

(End of this chapter)