Chapter 57: Yongzheng Instructs Hongli

In an instant, the heavy fog lifted from the Yongzheng Emperor’s mood, clearing away entirely.

"I understand!"

"Reward the servants sent by the various imperial consorts and mothers with ten taels of silver each. Tell them they have worked hard in serving the imperial consorts and mothers, and instruct them to attend with the utmost care. If there is any neglect, I shall certainly not show mercy!"

Speaking outward, the Yongzheng Emperor instantly changed his countenance, his face beaming with smiles, as warm as the arrival of spring.

Hongli could tell that the Yongzheng Emperor truly hoped for harmony within the entire imperial family.

No matter what, family harmony brings prosperity to all endeavors.

This fundamental truth was not lost upon the Yongzheng Emperor.

As for what the future might hold, heaven alone knew.

Yet, this did not prevent the Yongzheng Emperor from profoundly desiring a smooth and auspicious transition of supreme imperial power at this very moment.

Naturally, Hongli shared this exact sentiment.

Although political struggles inevitably involved bloodshed, minimizing bloodshed and maximizing exile would prove to be a blessing of eternal benefit for this multi-ethnic empire.

The Yongzheng Emperor gazed upon these routine memorial greetings as if they were treasures of immeasurable value, seemingly counting which imperial consorts had submitted them.

Perhaps because all of Emperor Kangxi's consorts had submitted inquiries, the Yongzheng Emperor's appetite was suddenly revived, and he ordered another bowl of congee to be brought to him.

Simultaneously, upon hearing the sound of Hongli’s stomach rumbling, the Emperor asked, "Are you hungry?"

Hongli nodded.

In this era, fulfilling the filial duties of morning and evening greetings as a son and grandson consumed a considerable amount of time.

He had not yet partaken of the morning meal.

Moreover, the Forbidden City was vast, and Consort Dowager De resided in the Palace of Eternal Harmony on the eastern side. Traveling back and forth from the western side with his Primary Consort required a significant exertion of foot power.

Whenever Hongli thought of the matters concerning the Palace of Eternal Harmony, he recalled that, historically, besides uttering that astonishing remark at the very beginning of the Yongzheng Emperor's ascension, Consort Dowager De had also created a commotion by refusing to move into the Palace of Ningshou that the Yongzheng Emperor had arranged for her when she was designated Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager's refusal to relocate caused the Yongzheng Emperor to lose all face, turning him into a laughingstock before the entire realm.

It could be said that the increasing extremity of the Yongzheng Emperor’s personality in later years was inextricably linked to this very Consort Dowager De.

Hongli sincerely hoped that, through his own persuasive efforts, Consort Dowager De would cause fewer bizarre disturbances in the future. Not only would she keep her previous indiscretion from spreading, but she would also cooperate with the relocation.

That way, he could be spared the ordeal of watching the Yongzheng Emperor's facial expression grow increasingly grim day by day.

"Select whatever you wish to eat, and sit right across from me to partake."

Being in high spirits, the Yongzheng Emperor gestured toward the two imperial desks before him, which were laden with a wide array of breakfast dishes.

"Thank you, Imperial Father!"

Without standing on ceremony, Hongli selected a bowl of hot noodle soup, brought it over, and began to eat right before the Yongzheng Emperor.

Before long, after finishing his meal, Hongli felt beads of perspiration forming on his forehead.

The Yongzheng Emperor also began to sweat slightly and said to Hongli, "You have rendered a great service in this matter. You have saved your Imperial Father from the embarrassment of having the imperial consorts fail to send inquiries, and more importantly, you have swiftly established your Empress Mother's reality as the mistress of the Middle Court. Once she is firmly established in the Middle Court, it will be easier for me to firmly establish my position in the Outer Court."

"This is merely what your son ought to do," Hongli replied.

The Yongzheng Emperor let out a sigh and engaged in self-reflection, saying, "Your Imperial Grandfather was right; at times, I am indeed far too hasty!"

"Hongli, tell me, was I just now harboring excessive hostility toward your Eighth Uncle and the others?"

"Logically speaking, even if the various imperial consorts had not sent people to pay their respects at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it should only be attributed to a lack of cooperation from your Consort Grandmother, causing them to feel apprehensive. After all, your Eighth Uncle and the others could hardly manipulate the entire inner palace of consorts to give me a difficult time within a single day."

"The only one with that capability is your Consort Grandmother!"

The Yongzheng Emperor was actually seeking counsel from Hongli.

Hongli felt momentarily startled by the Emperor's words.

An emperor who would reflect upon himself?

Yet, when he considered that this convenient father of his was capable of writing *The Record of Awakening from Delusion* and personally descending into the arena to debate with Zeng Jing, he no longer found it strange.

In his view, the Yongzheng Emperor lacked a sense of inner security due to decades of bitter struggles for the imperial succession.

Consequently, he had developed a habitual inclination toward self-reflection and self-dissection, actively analyzing himself to others. When he lost his temper, he would exaggerate the threat posed by his political rivals, but once reason returned, he was prone to reasoning with them by presenting facts and logic.

In contrast, the historical Qianlong Emperor possessed an astonishingly stable temperament and never suffered from internal emotional friction.

Cases like that of Wang Danwang or Yin Jiaquan—he ordered executions and confiscations without the slightest hesitation or fear of defamation.

Even when the military campaign against Burma was poorly fought, he expressed little remorse or regret.

Perhaps this was also the reason why the Qianlong Emperor lived to be the longest-lived among all the emperors.

Hongli did not wish to see the Yongzheng Emperor plunge into endless self-consumption and neglect state affairs, so he merely smiled and said, "You are only realizing this now? However, this cannot entirely be blamed upon you. Eighth Uncle truly should not have muddled the truth back then, continuing to harbor covetous designs even after Imperial Grandfather had explicitly declared who would inherit the grand throne."

The Yongzheng Emperor nodded.

Now in high spirits and having regained his reason—partly to guide Hongli—he spoke with magnanimity: "Yet I am now the Son of Heaven; I must possess a different breadth of mind."

Hongli smiled. "They always say Eighth Uncle is a virtuous prince, but in your son's eyes, Imperial Father, you are virtuous as well—you are a truly virtuous monarch!"

The Yongzheng Emperor chuckled lightly. "I certainly aspire to be a virtuous monarch, but my virtue lies in my ability to accomplish deeds. If one possesses virtue yet lacks ability, that is no good."

As he spoke, the Yongzheng Emperor patted Hongli on the shoulder. "Therefore, Hongli, you must remember that virtue exists to serve ability; otherwise, so-called moral virtue is entirely meaningless."

Hongli nodded.

Unable to resist, the Yongzheng Emperor stood up, placed his hands on his hips, thoroughly enjoying the profound satisfaction of instructing his son, and continued with a sigh: "Your Eighth Uncle’s virtue lay in buying people’s hearts, which is a perilous path, and that is why your Imperial Grandfather did not choose him. However, if he undergoes reflection and possesses both virtue and ability, I would be more than willing to let him remain a virtuous prince and bring our relationship to a wholesome and peaceful conclusion."

Hongli smiled faintly, uncertain of how Yinsi would ultimately choose.

Yet he could perceive that how the Yongzheng Emperor would deal with Yinsi depended largely on Yinsi’s own choices.

Perhaps for a visionary and reform-minded statesman like the Yongzheng Emperor, the true catalyst for striking down the Eighth and Ninth Princes was not merely personal grudges or old grievances.

After all, the Yongzheng Emperor was someone who could spare even Zeng Jing; he was not entirely devoid of the capacity to tolerate the Eighth and Ninth Princes.

"I have already selected a new Confucian tutor for you—the great Confucian scholar Zhu Shi!"

"I have already issued an imperial edict instructing him to set up a lecturing platform in the Maoqin Palace. From this moment onward, you shall proceed to the Maoqin Palace to perform the ceremony of paying respects to your master. Hereafter, every morning after offering your greetings and paying homage to the Greatly Departed Emperor, you will go to the Maoqin Palace to study Han learning under Master Zhu. As for Hongzhou, he will study in the Imperial Study, instructed by the original tutors of the princely mansion."

"In the afternoons, however, both of you shall follow your Sixteenth Uncle to learn about firearms, and follow your Twenty-first Uncle to study archery and horsemanship."

"In the evenings, your Thirteenth Uncle will personally instruct you in the Imperial Study on military strategy, the Manchu and Mongolian languages, and Western learning and other diverse subjects. I am not having Zhu Shi and your Thirteenth Uncle teach Hongzhou because his academic progress falls short of yours, to avoid the perils of forcing growth by pulling on the shoots."

Thus the Yongzheng Emperor laid out the educational arrangements for the two same-aged princes, Hongli and Hongzhou.

Hongli was forced to admit that the Yongzheng Emperor's administrative style was truly thunderous and decisive. Having given him merely a single day of rest, he had already arranged his tutors, commanded him to resume his studies, and assigned him an even heavier workload than Hongzhou.

Naturally, Hongli bowed and offered his profound thanks for the decree, while inwardly sighing that being an imperial prince of the Qing dynasty indeed required mastering a vast multitude of subjects.

He had heard of Zhu Shi before, knowing him not merely as a great scholar of the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism, but also as a pragmatic statesman who had risen through the ranks from a licentiate and magistrate to a provincial governor, and ultimately to the Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

Later on, this man was even promoted by the Yongzheng Emperor to serve as the chief compiler of the *Veritable Records of Emperor Shengzu*.

It was evident that the Yongzheng Emperor appointing such a figure as his tutor for further studies in Han learning was not intended to train him merely into a scholarly academic, but rather to impart practical administrative skills and the art of governing the masses.