My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 88 Are the Eight Banners Leaders Afraid of Imperial Power? (Bonus Chapter, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Hongli knew that Narsu, the banner chief of the Bordered Red Banner, was a descendant of Yuetuo, the grandson of Nurhaci, and also the son-in-law of Cao Yin. His primary wife was Cao Jia.

According to what he had heard, there was a theory that this Cao Jia was the prototype of the Imperial Concubine Yuan in "Dream of the Red Chamber".

However, Narsu was of a very low generation in the imperial clan, so he referred to himself as his nephew in front of Hongli.

Of course, according to national etiquette, as a prince, Narsu did not need to pay homage to Hongli first; on the contrary, Hongli should be more respectful to him.

However, as Narsu said, Hongli had secured a five-year grace period for the Cao family, so Narsu needed to express his gratitude to Hongli and take this opportunity to get closer to the popular fourth prince.

However, Narsu did care about the Cao family, mainly because he had a good relationship with Cao Jia.

Cao Jiashi bore four sons for Narsu. Her eldest son, Fu Peng, was very well-educated and far more accomplished than most of the degenerate Eight Banners children. He was later trusted by Emperor Yongzheng and served as the General of Dingbian in Yongzheng's later years.

Hongli helped Narsu up and said with a smile, "Prince Ping, there's no need for this."

As Hongli helped Narsu up, he noticed that Beile Sunu was glancing at Narsu with a slight smirk, seemingly disdainful that Narsu was disregarding the dignity of a prince and being overly humble to him, the fourth prince.

Sunu noticed that Hongli was looking at him, so when Prince Ping went to talk to Prince Yu Baotai, he came over, cupped his hands and waved slightly: "Fourth Prince".

Hongli returned the greeting: "Greetings, Grandfather!"

Unlike Narsu, who was of a lower generation, Sunu was of a much higher generation, even a generation above Yongzheng. In the Aisin Gioro family, he was of the same generation as Kangxi, so Hongli had to call him Tangmafa.

Sunu helped Hongli up and said with a smile, "I have long heard of the Fourth Prince's benevolence. He not only obtained a five-year grace period for the Cao family of Jiangning to make up for their deficit, but also helped Prince Dun pay off his debts. It is clear that the Fourth Prince has the legacy of the late emperor."

Hongli could tell that although Sunu was praising him, he was also implying his dissatisfaction with Yongzheng.

If he thinks he's like the late emperor, does that mean the current emperor isn't like him? Otherwise, why would the son have to give the Cao family a five-year grace period and help the tenth prince pay off his debts?

Hongli simply smiled and said, "You flatter me, Grandfather."

Sunu then asked Hongli, "I wonder what the Fourth Prince thinks of His Majesty's current plan to send the Manchu bannermen from the capital to the border regions to cultivate land?"

"I'd like to hear the opinions of Tangmafa and all the royal uncles and elders."

After Sunu asked this question, many banner lords looked over, including Prince Yu, but Hongli only replied with this one sentence and said nothing more.

He wouldn't easily reveal his own opinions.

Because if he were to express his opposition, these people would surely say, "Look, even Hongli, whom the late emperor valued, opposes it. If he were to support it, they would first question him about why he disregards ancestral rules."

Therefore, Hongli simply pretended to be naive, put on a smiling face, and did not reveal any of his opinions.

Everyone was stunned and stood there in shock.

The Eighth Prince smiled slightly and exchanged a glance with Prince Yu, Baotai.

Sunu didn't know how to respond either.

After Hongli finished speaking, he saw Yinlu arrive, so he quickly left Sunu behind and bowed deeply to Yinlu, saying, "Greetings to my sixteenth uncle!"

"Get up!"

The sixteenth prince, Yinlu, smiled at Hongli.

However, when Yinlu arrived, Sunu turned to leave without offering any greetings.

However, the Manchu people of the Qing Dynasty are now very particular about etiquette and rules.

As a prince, Sunu turned away immediately upon seeing the sixteenth prince, which could be interpreted as arrogance and disrespect towards the prince, or even as dissatisfaction with the emperor.

Of course, the reason why Hongli could guess this was that Sunu was probably like some other princes and nobles, dissatisfied that the title of Prince Zhuang had fallen to Yinlu.

However, they dared not express their dissatisfaction directly to Yongzheng, so they could only show their displeasure in front of Yinlu.

Yinlu blushed and clenched his fists upon seeing this.

He knew that many members of the imperial clan were unhappy with his succession to the title of Prince Zhuang, but Yongzheng had already told him that he had to inherit it, as only in this way could Yongzheng's reign as emperor be more secure.

Therefore, Yinlu chose to accept it, knowing that no matter how embarrassed he felt inside, he had to ask everyone to accept him as Prince Zhuang.

Hongli was also aware of this.

Therefore, he did not want Yongzheng to be disappointed in his lack of enthusiasm in upholding etiquette. In addition, he felt that people like Sunu should be disciplined for daring to make things difficult for him, the fourth prince, to his face.

Therefore, Hongli immediately went over and stopped Sunu: "Tangmafa, you are a prince, you should pay your respects to your sixteenth uncle!"

Sunu was taken aback.

"Tangmafa, do you want to be a rude person?!"

Hongli then asked Sunu a question in a deep voice.

Sunu's face immediately turned liver-colored, and he stood there pursing his lips for a long time.

Finally, Sunu had no choice but to grit his teeth, turn around, and bow deeply to the sixteenth prince, saying, "Greetings to Prince Zhuang!"

"That's it!"

Yinlu gave a faint reply and walked forward, giving Hongli an approving look. He then pulled Hongli along, whispering with a smile:
“It was more appropriate for you to speak than for me to speak in person. If I were to directly ask Sunu, these banner leaders who are dissatisfied with Fourth Brother would add another charge of being arrogant because of his status.”

"You, Hongli, never disappoint. You always know when to uphold the principles of propriety and imperial authority!"

Hongli replied, "This is what I should do. As a scholar, how can I not uphold propriety?"

Yinzhi then came over and said, "Hongli is right, etiquette cannot be abandoned."

As he spoke, Yinzhi looked at Sunu and said with a smile, "Uncle, you can't disregard the etiquette of our Great Qing Dynasty just because you prefer dealing with foreigners!"

"Prince Lian is right to criticize us; it is thanks to the Fourth Prince's reminder that we are relieved."

Sunu replied with an awkward laugh, and also glanced at Hongli with a complicated expression.

Then Yinzhi started chatting with the sixteenth prince.

However, before long, Yinzhi spent more time with Baotai and Sunu.

When Su Nu was alone with Yin Si, he sighed softly to Yin Si: "Prince Lian, although I have long heard that this Fourth Prince is intelligent at a young age, I did not expect him to be so capable. Even I, at my age, have lost face in front of him."

"Uncle, please don't think that our new fourth prince is just a kind and humble young man."

Yinzhi replied with a smile.

Before long, Prince Yi, the thirteenth son, and Prince Dun, the tenth son, along with other banner leaders, also arrived.

Furthermore, one of Kangxi's main tasks during the last thirty years of his reign was to divide the power of the original banner leaders, turning many of them into his own princes and grandsons.

Therefore, many princes and grandsons of the emperor attended the flag affairs meeting, and members of the imperial family such as Prince Lian, Prince Yi, and Prince Dun even sat in relatively forward positions.

Since Yinlu has now become Prince Zhuang and the head of the Bordered Blue Banner, he sits at the front, even in front of Yin.

Today, the power of the banners in the Qing Dynasty is jointly determined and supervised by the banner commanders and the major and minor banner chiefs, but the main power has been transferred to the commanders, because the commanders are appointed by the emperor, are responsible to the emperor, and are more trusted by the emperor.

Therefore, to the disappointment of the banner people who hoped that the banner leaders would put up a fight, the banner leaders did not dare to openly oppose the land reclamation during the meeting.

No one wanted to openly oppose the emperor's appointment of a commander-in-chief to seize the banner's property from other banner leaders within the same banner.

Hongli, a minor banner leader, wouldn't offer any opinions; he was just going through the motions.

The matter of the Manchu people set up for reclamation, which was discussed by the Prime Minister, the Minister of War, the Commander-in-Chief, and the Banner Chiefs, was quickly submitted to the Emperor. The Emperor requested that 800 proletarian Manchus be sent to the border areas for reclamation, and that these reclamation sites be set up as Rehe Prefecture, with a Manchu Directorate appointed to manage the affairs of the Manchu people.

Although the official document states that there are 800 Ding (a type of official), there are actually 800 households.

After all, the bannermen would bring their families with them.

When Yongzheng received the memorial, he learned about the meeting and that Hongli had pointed out Sunu's impoliteness.

Therefore, Yongzheng summoned Hongli and said, "You did well. If others disrespect your sixteenth uncle, they are disrespecting me."

"Father is right. I just feel that when it comes to upholding propriety, it is not the time to seek fame for virtue!"

Hongli replied.

Yongzheng nodded: "That's right. It's your eighth uncle who's burdened by his reputation for virtue! The reason he doesn't stand up to criticize Sunu is clearly because Sunu is his uncle. He has to consider his own reputation for virtue among the princes and nobles. But he's a subject, what use is a reputation for virtue to him?"

Hongli knew that Yongzheng was suspicious of Yinsi. At this time, in order to prevent Yongzheng from suspecting him, he needed to express his dissatisfaction with Yinsi. So he said, "Eighth Uncle probably doesn't want to offend anyone, so the princes all like to fawn over him!"

(End of this chapter)