My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 434 Emperor Qianlong supports his fourteenth son, defending the dignity of the imperial clan!

"The master has no intention of recalling the royal family."

Kaifeng, Henan.

Ortai sat in a red lacquered armchair, gripping the armrests with both hands, looking sternly at the provincial officials of Henan.

His words left all the officials in Henan speechless.

"No, Your Excellency, shouldn't Prince Xun, a member of the imperial clan who easily gains prestige among the Manchu and Mongol princes, be recalled?"

Chang An asked Ortai with a bitter smile, unable to hide his disappointment.

Jin Guotai couldn't wait to chime in: "Yes, this is actually a way to protect Prince Xun! When he's out there, there will be villains who use his name to cause trouble. There was a time when his eunuchs secretly left the capital to contact military generals."

"As a key minister, for the sake of the nation and its people, I cannot fail to take precautions against potential troubles that could unsettle the world! The calamities suffered by the imperial clan are a stark reminder of this; let's not even mention the distant past, just look at the Ming Dynasty..."

Fang Zhaolun then clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and made the proposal.

Ortai waved his hand to stop Fang Zhaolun, saying, "There's no need to discuss this further. His Majesty has already made it clear that he trusts Prince Xun. Anyone who dares to question Prince Xun is questioning the Emperor, and I can execute them on the spot without mercy!"

"Whoo!"

Officials from both Chang'an and Henan were terrified.

Meanwhile, Yunti himself had also heard rumors that he was going to rebel.

He heard it outside the city of Weihui.

When he learned that the city gates of Weihui Prefecture were closed, preventing merchants from traveling, he prepared to come to Weihui Prefecture to inquire about the situation.

However, he was stopped outside the city by Prefect Xu Shilin.

Xu Shilin's reason was that he feared the other party intended to rebel and would first create chaos in Weihui City.

As a minister defending the territory, he had an obligation to be responsible for the country and its people, and could not easily open the city gates.

“Prince Xun, if you have any questions, please ask them from below the city walls. If you need supervision, please do so at the construction site. Please do not enter the city.”

"I had no other choice but to do this."

Xu Shilin was on the city wall talking loudly to Yunti.

Yunti's face was ashen: "How could I rebel against my own court? If I really wanted to rebel, why would I wait until now? I think you are clearly trying to cut off trade and travel, leaving the people in the city and the laborers outside the city without a livelihood, and using this to force me to leave!"

"If Prince Xun himself won't rebel, doesn't that mean someone else might rebel in your name?!"

"Especially when you were not in the capital and were under strict surveillance!"

"Wang Wu from Shanxi is proof of this!"

After saying this loudly, Xu Shilin gave a cold laugh.

Yunti's breathing became increasingly rapid: "Fine, you wait, wait until I submit a memorial to impeach you."

"What crime have I committed by offending powerful figures while defending the city's people and the nation?"

Xu Shilin replied in a deep voice.

"My grandfather is right!"

"My husband's great-grandfather is righteous!"

"Our ancestor was truly a capable minister of our time, and should be enshrined in the Temple of Worthies!"

Several local officials who supported Xu Shilin and also wanted the fourteenth prince to leave so that they could work with the government to make the people suffer under the guise of the construction project joined in at this time.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, local gentry and commoners often addressed prefects and governors of the rank of "Grandpa" or "Grandfather," so these local officials also began to address Xu Shilin in the same way.

Xu Shilin became even more smug and raised his eyebrows.

Yunti's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and his fists were clenched tightly.

“Prince Xun, please forgive my impertinence, but your status makes many people uneasy, especially after the Empress Dowager’s words back then. When the people of the world heard about it, they all worried that you would harbor rebellious intentions because of it.”

"That's why the Emperor Emeritus was worried about you and decided to imprison you back then!"

"And His Majesty the present day! Does he not truly trust you completely? If you really want to prevent the Qing Dynasty from falling into chaos, what you should do now is not to argue with a lowly official like me, but to immediately submit a memorial requesting to return to the capital to show your loyalty!" Xu Shilin then gently instructed Yunti on how to do things.

Yunti almost ground his teeth to powder as Xu Shilin spoke these words, because he had actually been taught a lesson by this mere prefect.

"Surely Prince Xun wouldn't be less concerned about the safety of the Qing Dynasty than a lowly official like myself?"

Xu Shilin then asked a question in return.

At this moment, Baodun, the first-class bodyguard beside Yunti, couldn't help but tighten his grip on his knife and asked Yunti, "Your Highness?"

Yunti waved his hand, suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon, and said, "Go back. Tell them to prepare the writing materials. I need to write a memorial to the Emperor requesting to return to the capital!"

"Your Majesty?"

Paulun was shocked and asked again.

"go with!"

Yunti gave the order in a deep voice.

"Whoo!"

After Baodun left, Yunti also left Weihui Prefecture.

Upon seeing this, Xu Shilin and several local officials laughed.

"This Prince Xun is still the same as before, all talk and no action, he never dares to take a gamble at crucial moments!"

"Yes, now it depends on whether His Majesty will agree to this request to return to the capital after seeing this imperial uncle's memorial, so as to put his mind at ease and put the court at ease."

“As soon as this Prince Xun returns to the capital, the money will no longer flow into the hands of the common people, but will return to the hands of the scholar-officials to protect the righteous path.”

……

“Grandfather, please look, that is the ceremonial guard of the Grand Master.”

"The Grand Secretary has actually come to Henan."

As Xu Shilin chatted and laughed with several local gentry, one of them suddenly pointed to the rows of flags and soldiers under them on the main road outside the city and began to speak.

Xu Shilin's eyes widened as well.

He is now facing a dilemma: whether or not to open the city gates to welcome them.

But he had just been greeted by someone as noble as Prince Yunti, who had not even opened the city gates to welcome him.

Yunti did not notice that Ortai had appeared there.

To show his respect for Prince Yunti, Ortai did not have gongs and drums played, nor did he make a grand display by having various prefectures and counties pave the way. Instead, he arrived quietly with only flags and ceremonial guards.

He came here, naturally, to see Yunti and reassure him.

Yinzhen was unsure at this point, fearing that Hongli might not trust him, just as Yongzheng had not trusted him in the past.

Moreover, he refused the opportunity to make money with Lao Jiu, and naturally he was afraid that there were other members of the imperial clan like Lao Jiu around him who would try to persuade him to go back.

of course!

Yunti also knew that the ministers were even more eager for him to return.

Therefore, Yunti was now in a state of great turmoil, and at the same time, he had no choice but to follow Xu Shilin's advice and first submit a memorial requesting to return to the capital to show his loyalty.

However, as Ortai's entourage drew closer, Yunti, after being reminded by his guards, finally noticed Ortai's procession.

Not long after, Ortai came to see Yunti and made a gesture of respect to him: "This servant greets Prince Xun. I heard that Prince Xun was going to Weihui Prefecture on business, so I came to see you. I just don't know why Prince Xun has returned?"

“The prefect of Weihui Prefecture and several local officials wouldn’t let me in, saying I was plotting a rebellion, so they dared not let me in.”

Yunti replied.

Upon hearing this, Ortai's face darkened: "Outrageous!"

"Take my golden token and arrow to see Xu Shilin and order him to open the city gates immediately. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to call in the nearest artillery to blast open the city gates and punish him for rebelling against the city!"

(End of this chapter)