I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

Above them was a mighty wind, below them a surging sea of ​​clouds, and rising incense, along with hundreds and thousands of Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries stretching endlessly.

Li Lin, who was sitting diagonally on the white deer, seemed to be in a daze, with his eyes slightly closed and one foot dangling in the air.

However, the moment Li Lin closed his eyes, the surging sea of ​​clouds beneath the white deer's feet was tinged with a fiery crimson!

In the blink of an eye, crimson clouds, like a canopy, spread across the sky between Zhurong Peak, Jixian Peak, Ruiying Peak, and Zhibo Peak.

Amidst the peaks of Hengshan Mountain, a dazzling fire rises, as if scorching the sky.

Amidst the blazing flames, the leaping figure of a white deer on a green cliff could be seen, but it vanished in an instant, and the graceful silhouette draped in golden and purple clouds could no longer be discerned.

The entire Hengshan Mountain was shaking, and on the dark green tabletop that Li Lin could see, the lights formed by Saturn's power were shining brightly.

At the same time, the rarely visited Bright Platform on Jinjian Peak also lit up, with a harmonious golden halo slowly rising.

Fate is casting its gaze upon you.

"I request the White-Day Casting Furnace."

Half-asleep, Li Lin put his hands in his sleeves and muttered to himself.

In an instant, the words on the dark green tabletop were erased again, and the intense firelight blocked the view from the Forbidden City.

Then the entire Hengshan Mountain seemed to transform into a forge, and within that forge, the colossal figure of the Sun-Casting Machine God appeared and disappeared.

As the pillar representing fire among the Five Sacred Mountains, symbolizing the reforging of the raging flames, Li Lin placed the "seat" of the Sun-Casting Machine God here. After he uttered the secret phrase "Invite the White Sun Casting Furnace," he was able to take this opportunity to open the hole in this secret history.

Li Lin opened his eyes.

Amidst the crimson flames that filled the mountains and sky, every pilgrim and monk was unharmed, except for the solemn and majestic temple, which was burned to ashes.

The fire burned for eight hundred miles along Mount Heng.

434 Classes are full tomorrow

Forbidden City, Hall of Nourishing Heart.

The Qing emperors usually loved the East Warm Pavilion in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, simply because it was the only place in the palace with glass windows, making it bright and spacious.

A small table was set up on the kang (heated brick bed) in front of the window of the East Warm Pavilion, which often replaced the writing desk in the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and became the place where Emperor Qianlong reviewed memorials.

On this day, as usual, a stack of memorials from governors and viceroys, about a foot high, was piled on the small table, one of which was being read by the master of the palace.

The current emperor, who has ruled the empire for decades, no longer possesses the dashing appearance of the high-nosed, big-eyed man depicted in later fictional accounts. However, his mustache is still meticulously groomed, and his skin is not yet completely sagging. As for the flattering words from the eunuchs, such as "Your Majesty is in the prime of life," these words still please this still powerful ruler of the Eight Banners.

Of course, this Emperor Qianlong did not resemble Zhang Li or Zhang Lin.

This is a memorial bearing the official seals of three people: the General of Guangdong, the Governor of Guangdong, and the Assistant Magistrate of Guangdong. They jointly reported on the auspicious "Five-Colored Deer".

Emperor Qianlong felt he had a firm grasp on the subtle thoughts of his ministers. After reading this unusual memorial jointly submitted by three local officials, praising the "auspicious omen," he didn't simply write "Understood" or "Speaking of auspicious omens without reason, as he had done more than forty years ago. Instead, he picked up the memorial and looked at it again.

Three high-ranking officials jointly submitted a memorial reporting auspicious omens. Their report was detailed and detailed, which was a rare occurrence not only during the Qianlong era but also during the Yongzheng era, when auspicious omens were common.

Even Emperor Qianlong, who usually claimed that he disliked his ministers reporting auspicious omens, felt that this was probably not the nonsense of decades ago about "ten thousand silkworms weaving a single cocoon" and "nine stalks of grain growing on the same branch".

After thinking it over, Emperor Qianlong, who was secretly pleased, made an exception and did not reply with "I understand" but instead wrote a red annotation.

"You have handled this matter very well, and the auspicious omens are real, not all false. Since they are true, you should report them to me. In the end, you three are honest servants."

In Emperor Qianlong's eyes, such a comment was already a remarkable compliment. It was only because Qianlong was in a good mood today that he was willing to write a few more words; otherwise, he would have simply written "Understood" and called it a day.

After reviewing the memorial, Emperor Qianlong felt somewhat tired. He stood up and walked around for a while, when he heard a eunuch report that Heshen was requesting an audience.

By the time Emperor Qianlong reached that age, handsome, brave, and vigorous officials like Heshen and Fukang'an became his favorites.

Upon hearing Heshen's request for an audience, Emperor Qianlong smiled and granted him permission to enter.

Having received the imperial decree, Heshen strode into the Hall of Mental Cultivation with a beaming smile. Emperor Qianlong also sat down on the kang (heated brick bed) again and casually picked up a memorial to read.

Upon entering, Qianlong's gaze involuntarily fell upon Heshen's face—that handsome and spirited face, though bearded, still exuded a charming and smiling aura, possessing both elegance and grace, instantly pleasing Qianlong to the eye.

Anyway, it doesn't look like Wang ●.

Heshen was well aware of the meaningful look in Qianlong's eyes, but he just smiled and kowtowed.

—According to later legends, when Qianlong was young, he fell in love with Consort Ma Jia, a concubine of Emperor Yongzheng. However, Empress Dowager Chongqing Niohuru poisoned Consort Ma Jia. In his grief, Qianlong put a dot of cinnabar on Consort Ma Jia's neck and made a promise to meet again in twenty years. Consort Ma Jia's reincarnation was undoubtedly Heshen.

The Qianlong Emperor here is neither like Zhang Lin nor Zhang Li; Heshen is not like Wang.

The idea of ​​reincarnation is, of course, nonsense, but the Qianlong era was an era in which male homosexuality was prevalent. As for what would happen to the Manchu imperial family, who called themselves "dirty Tang, smelly Han, and snotty Qing"... well, that goes without saying.

Emperor Qianlong chuckled, shook his head, and casually unfolded the memorial in his hand. He glanced at it twice, then raised an eyebrow and handed the memorial to Heshen.

"Auspicious omens, yet another auspicious omens! That servant Fu Ning is truly incompetent. I appointed him Governor-General of Huguang precisely because he is honest and dutiful. Yet, I never expected him to be so muddleheaded, daring to report even something as auspicious as the Hengshan fire!"

Heshen, who rose through the ranks from a guard in the Imperial Guard to become a Grand Councilor, always had a keen understanding of his master's psychology.

Although the Five Sacred Mountains have always been mentioned together, only Mount Tai and Mount Heng have received the utmost attention from the imperial family.

Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak, is the place where the Fengshan ceremony was performed, which goes without saying. Mount Heng, the Southern Peak, is also known as the "Longevity Peak" and has always been a place for royal prayers.

After glancing at the memorial, the quick-witted Heshen immediately drafted his response in his mind, and after some contemplation, he kowtowed and said...

“This servant has no connection with Fu Ning, but Fu Ning is a cautious person and would not speak nonsense.”

The memorial states that the people of Hengyang witnessed the divine manifestation of the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, which is perhaps just ignorant speculation by foolish men and women. As for the "red clouds covering the mountain" and "not dissipating for several days," in my humble opinion, it is probably just a great fire on Mount Heng that burned down all the temples in the mountain, and the ignorant people mistook the flames covering the mountain for auspicious red clouds.

These words made Emperor Qianlong nod slightly, finding them quite reasonable.

At this point, Heshen smiled and said, "However, according to Fu Ning's memorial, not a single person was injured in this fire. This must be because Your Majesty's benevolence has benefited the whole world. Even the god of Hengshan could not bear to see such a tragedy happen in Your Majesty's great and prosperous era."

Listening to Heshen's analysis, which was full of flattery, Qianlong was pleased and couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh: "Well done, Heshen! Your knowledge and understanding have improved a lot! But in my opinion, besides the divine intervention, it is also because the climate in the south is humid now, so even if there is a big fire, it will not cause a major disaster."

Here, Emperor Qianlong made his pronouncement, and Heshen naturally smiled broadly and echoed, "In the end, what the master says is right."

......

In this uplifting and harmonious atmosphere, Li Lin and his entourage arrived in Beijing.

During the "peaceful years" of the Qianlong reign, almost every prefecture and county, from north to south, suffered from natural disasters and man-made calamities, with floods, droughts, locust plagues, and other calamities occurring in various forms.

However, there are always a few cities that enjoy exemptions, which makes them all the more endearing.

Yangzhou, which flourished due to the extravagant spending of salt merchants, needs no introduction: this most prosperous canal city in 18th-century China nurtured the largest urban population and produced the most musicians, playwrights, gourmets, garden architects, and literati painters and calligraphers in the Qing Dynasty.

While the capital city was indeed a metropolis supported by the royal family, imperial clansmen, nobles, and officials for hundreds of years, the lives of ordinary people were not bad either.

As you walk past the melon stall, you hear the melon seller shouting: "Big slices, thick flesh, like mooncake filling, one big coin for a broken watermelon, better than a small cool boat in Tongzhou!"

The peach sellers were not to be outdone. Although their calls were not as lively as those of the melon sellers, their calls were like those of the best actors singing: "Thirsty? Come here! Peaches to feed you! Big, juicy peaches, sour yet sweet! Agate-red peaches, big and juicy, even bees will mistake them for honey and build their nests here!"

The plum juice vendors and the chilled cheese shops catering to Manchus were naturally not to be outdone, but since they mostly had their own storefronts, they were a bit more reserved when they called out their wares.

"It's thirst-quenching and refreshing, with rose petals and sugar added. If you don't believe me, just try a bowl. It's a plum soup with a completely different flavor."

"Iced ice cream, snowflake cream, red plum dessert, please come and have a taste."

Some people who prefer quiet would go to Tanzhe Temple or Wofo Temple to chat with the abbot about Zen koans and enjoy a simple yet exquisite vegetarian meal.

When the milk grapes, a favorite among Beijingers, began to appear in the private rooms of restaurants and the fruit platters of scholars' studies, officials who had long resided in the capital began to express their longing for the water shield and perch of their hometown, and incidentally wrote a few poems about this rare delicacy from the south.

With the advent of milk grapes, people realized that summer was over and autumn was approaching, and it was time to take out the lined robes stored away at the bottom of the trunk and air them out.

On the fourth day of September, Li Lin and his party stopped outside Chongwen Gate.

435 I, I, the dog-footed emperor!

Chongwenmen, located on the southern part of the capital, was named after the place. It was a government office, neither too big nor too small, and was known as the Chongwenmen Customs Office.

This yamen was established during the Shunzhi era. It was a Manchu-seat department under the Imperial Household Department, and it's debatable whether it had any official rank. It was a place for idle people to go.

However, as time passed into the Qianlong era, the Chongwenmen Customs Office alone generated hundreds of thousands of taels of silver annually, making it the most lucrative position among Beijing officials!

This lucrative position could only fall into the hands of a Manchu Grand Secretary or a loyal Aisin Gioro servant like the Eight Banners Commander. In the past, the position of the Chongwen Gate Customs was firmly held by Grand Secretary Fu Heng. After his death, the position fell into the hands of his son, Fucha Fu Chang'an, and has since been held by Heshen to this day.

The Chongwenmen Customs Office differed from other government offices.

The positions in the river management and salt administration offices were top-notch lucrative posts. Not to mention the heads like the river governor and salt supervisor, even the lower-level officials were making a fortune and living a life of luxury. However, the river patrol soldiers and salt officials who actually did the hard work generally did not receive these benefits and were not as well off as the gatekeepers, who were commonly known as "second masters," who received more bribes from the gatekeepers!

However, the Chongwenmen Customs Office was quite different. Not only were the officials in charge of this office, but even the gatekeepers and soldiers were all Manchu bannermen of impeccable lineage. Anyone who wasn't a Zhenguo Duke or Fuguo Duke wouldn't even be qualified to be a gatekeeper. While the daily toll fees were first paid to bigwigs like Heshen and Fu Chang'an, the imperial family members below also received their share.

Manchu elders have many etiquettes and high expenses. Not to mention the far-reaching matters of training hawks, walking dogs, and walking orioles, even small things like chewing betel nuts and smoking snuff must be done with a grand display. If they can use a snuff bottle made of four-sided sugar-coated Hetian jade, they will never use one with crystal inside painting. If they use a colorful agate or cloisonné, they will definitely get angry with the person.

With such a group of old men who are neither allowed to look at nor touch the gate, the Chongwenmen toll tax must be sky-high, which is outrageous.

As long as you pass by Chongwen Gate, let alone the living, even the coffin skin of the dead being used for funerals can be scraped off three pounds of nails. And even with such treatment, the Eight Banners officials still felt it wasn't enough. Even when officials from outside the capital came to report on their duties, they would be skinned alive. The play depicts poor counties being blocked at the gates of the capital, but it comes from real life.

"Of course, from the perspective of these Manchu nobles, it's not hard to understand why they're doing this." Li Lin looked at the soldiers shouting outside the curtain. "After all, this is the land our ancestors conquered with their queues. The taxes they collect here aren't even worth the interest. Who in the world doesn't know that the Qing Dynasty is forever secure, and that Emperor Qianlong's reign will last forever? Even more than two hundred years later, there are still people like Yan Chongnian who fawn over it."

Chen Shoutin, listening from the other side, broke out in a cold sweat, his lips trembling, and remained silent.

"However, the summer heat has not yet subsided, so these guards are probably not those idle Manchu gentlemen. They must have been hired by the Manchu gentlemen."

Li Lin patted Chen Shouting on the shoulder: "I suppose these people have to make sure they get enough money for the customs, feed the Manchu nobles, and get benefits for themselves, so they're going to be several times more ruthless. I hope you have enough money."

Cold sweat poured down Chen Shoutin's face again.

At this moment, a number of mule carts were already lined up in front of Chongwen Gate. The drivers had small silver ingots stuck in the brim of their hats, which was to facilitate the tax collectors to collect taxes per person.

There's a specific requirement for the silver on these hats: they must all be square ingots made by Shanxi money shops, not the small round silver ingots from the south. This is to prevent the Manchu gentlemen from slipping and dropping the silver, which would mean losing it all and having to prepare a fresh set.

These tax collectors, hired by the Manchu officials to fill in for the workers, wore jackets made of either hemp gauze or satin, and their shoes and socks were all made of blue satin, which were many times more expensive than the Liuyang summer cloth used by ordinary people.

Compared to this impressive attire, the listless coachmen could only be more cautious, keeping their heads down as the tax collectors took their money one by one.