"Fourth, Eighth, Fourteenth, how did you three end up like this?"
Yin Ti, Yin Reng and others had just rushed into the main hall of the Qianqing Palace, and when they saw the sloppy appearance of the fleeing trio, their eyes widened in shock.
Yinreng took a quick glance at Khan Amma, who was sitting on the carved armchairs, frowning, slightly lowering his head and flipping through the blood-stained ledger in his hand, and couldn't wait to ask the three younger brothers on the southern tour.
"Yes, is fourth brother's right arm broken? Why is it still hanging on his chest with a bandage?"
Yinxiang, who was standing next to Yinzhen, also pointed at the right arm on Yinzhen's chest and asked anxiously.
Yinzhen did not answer the questions of his second brother and thirteenth brother. He just pursed his thin lips and stared at the expression on his mother's face with a cold expression.
Sitting next to him, Yinsu always had a smile on his face all day long and a very gentle temper, but now he also had a solemn look on his face, as if something big had happened.
The two elder brothers did not speak. The fourteenth old man raised his neck and drank the tea that Liang Jiugong brought him. After taking a sip of tea on his lips, he stood up from the armchair with a snap, faced his brothers angrily, cursed and explained indignantly:
"Eldest brother, Prince, second brother, third brother, fifth brother, sixth brother, seventh brother, ninth brother, tenth brother, eleventh brother, twelfth brother, thirteenth brother, you don't know, the south is in chaos now and has become lawless. Already."
"Originally, Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother and I thought that the Cao family was the most powerful over there. The corruption situation in big and powerful families like the Li family was more serious. How could we have thought that as long as there was an official in Jiangnan, the family would have nothing to do with it? There’s stolen money!”
"The atmosphere in the officialdom there is simply unspeakable. When new officials take office there, if you are not corrupt and do not choose to collude with them, even if your official position is small, the senior officials above will put pressure on your political achievements. , I won’t let you take the lead; if you have a high official position and you want to stick to your true intentions and are unwilling to step into this filthy mud, then the officials below you will not pay attention to you at all when you issue the decree. You treat it like a mascot sent by the imperial court, so do you! Just like how Khan Amma was ousted from power by Obai, Khan Amma’s imperial edict cannot leave the Qianqing Palace.
"Woo?" Before Yinzhen finished speaking, everyone saw Yinzhen stand up from the armchair with a "swish", stretched out his uninjured left arm, and quickly covered the old man with his left hand. Fourteen's mouth.
Kangxi: "..."
Yinti, Yinreng and others: "...Fourteenth brother, you can actually use another person to compare."
But even though all the brothers winked at Old Fourteenth, Yinzhen didn't see his Khan Ama's face getting darker.
He used a little force to pull off his fourth brother's left hand that was covering his mouth. He opened his mouth like a machine gun, his face turned red with anger, and he continued talking and gesticulating:
"In such an official environment, as long as you are a wealthy person, you will not be able to help but follow the crowd and go to your own house to get free money. Moreover, there are a lot of collusion between officials and businessmen there. Some wealthy businessmen will
Sending one's pretty daughter to a high official's mansion to be a concubine is simply a sinister act from top to bottom. If it weren't for the high temperature in the south, which is suitable for growing food, and the sea trade has opened up in recent years, and the economy has developed.
The people over there are having a hard time!"
"Ouch! The three of us were so angry after all the secret inspections. Finally, those corrupt officials found out that our three brothers were not going to the White Lotus Sect's den, but to cut off their way of making money. Those corrupt officials even jumped at the wall.
, they want me, fourth brother, and eighth brother to die directly on the North Return Road. They even dare to kill the emperor! Brothers, you can imagine how dark and ruthless these rats are! If it were me
This time I went out with a big hammer. I had already rushed into the government office and smashed the heads of these dog officials!"
In one breath, Yinzhen let out all the words he had been holding back.
Yinti, Yinreng, Yinzhi and others were almost dumbfounded. They never expected that the officialdom in the south would be like this. It would be an exaggeration to call it a spider's web!
"Bah! These people are really taking advantage of being far away from the capital! Their ambitions are endless. Khan Ama, let's just take this opportunity to kill the officials in the south, replace them with a wave of fresh blood, and be done with it.
Bar!"
When Yinti thought that the soldiers at the border were still suffering and garrisoned at the border, and that these officials were not satisfied with sleeping peacefully every day, and that corruption had become a local custom, he was so angry that his face turned red and his neck was thick.
.
He subconsciously wanted to reach out and lift the table and kick the bench to express his anger, but as soon as his big hand touched the edge of the table, and after seeing Liang Jiugong, he realized that this was in the Qianqing Palace, so he had to stretch out his big hand in frustration.
Received it back.
"Hey, brother, what you said is easy. It's not easy to train an official who can do things. If we listen to you and cut off all these officials in the south, even if we reluctantly replace them with new officials, it won't take many years.
These new officials will definitely fall into this kind of corruption again, and I think the root cause is that the officialdom in the south needs to be eliminated."
When Yinzhi heard the previous words of Yinzhi, he mistakenly thought that Yinzhi was interceding for the rats in the south, and the anger in his heart became even stronger. After hearing the next words, Yinzhi felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on him.
Everyone was discouraged.
He frowned and asked with a headache:
"Then how can we reverse the trend in Jiangnan? Or we can frequently transfer an official's position to prevent them from having the opportunity to cultivate their own influence locally."
"Brother, it is not reliable to transfer an official's position frequently. This can easily cause an official to be transferred to another place by the court just after he has figured out the situation of the city under his administration.
, This is not good for the local people. The people watch their parents come and go from one official to another all day long, but when they go to the government office to report something, no official is willing to do it for them. Those who suffer like this are still the ones below.
Common people."
Yinxiang rubbed his fingers, thought for a moment and said.
"I feel that the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty needs to be completely rectified." After listening to what his brothers said, Yinreng, who was standing among the brothers, finally spoke.
He glanced at Kangxi who was still sitting in the armchair with his head down and flipping through the account books, then he pressed the jade ring on his hand, frowned at his brothers and said:
"Since Khan Amma came to power, from San Francisco and Baodao in the south to Zhungar in the west, the focus of the court in the past few decades has been on fighting wars and stabilizing rivers and mountains, and there has been almost no improvement in officialdom."
"Gu believes that we should re-modify the current term of office of officials, stipulating that an official can only serve for a maximum of a few years. After setting a limit standard, we should develop a set of effective supervision, reporting, and review standards. Only in this way can we
It will play a positive role in clearing up the atmosphere in the officialdom.”
"For example, it is absolutely undesirable for the Cao family and the Li family to have sons inherit their father's legacy and serve as officials in a certain place for decades, turning their family into a local emperor."
"Haha - the second brother of the prince is right! Then the Cao and Li families are not like the local emperors of Jiangnan."
Yinzhen couldn't control his bad temper again. With a stern look on his face, he opened his mouth and added angrily:
"If we hadn't conducted an unannounced visit this time, we would never have thought that there is still such a saying in Jiangnan: 'To worship the Bodhisattva and kneel down to worship the emperor, it is better to ask the Cao family to ask Mr. Sun to say a good word for you.'"
"Bah! Each mouse stole the owner's clothes and secretly put them on themselves. Not only did they feel like they were a human being, they also thought they were the overlord!"
"Khan Ama, those officials in Jiangnan are really hopeless. How do you plan to deal with this matter?"
Yinsu was not as venomous as his fourth brother. He carefully looked at Kangxi's expression and found that there was no joy or anger on their Khan's face, so he couldn't help but ask in a warm voice.
After hearing what Babele said, Yinti, Yinreng, Yinzhi and others stopped discussing how to clean up the atmosphere in Jiangnan, and all turned their attention to Kangxi.
Kangxi finished flipping through the account book in his hand, closed it with a snap, and threw it on the table aside.
After listening to his sons' discussion just now, he felt very happy, at least they could still find some ideas.
He shifted his gaze to Yinreng and took a deep look at his precious son.
Yinreng didn't understand why his Khan Ama was looking at him. Just when he was about to speak, he heard Kangxi ask:
"Lao Si, Xiao Ba, Xiao Fourteen, where did you get this account book?"
Hearing this, Yinzhen replied reluctantly:
"Khan Ama, this account book is hidden at the bottom of the lotus-shaped jade pond in the Cao family's courtyard, and the Cao family's corrupt money is hidden in those low mountains."
"Gan!"
"The Cao family is too bold. This is really the most dangerous place and the safest place!"
Brothers Yinzhen and Yiner thought of the jade pond with koi carps and the low mountain with many lights that they saw in the Cao family's courtyard, and they said in shock one after the other.
Kangxi tightly clenched the two fists hanging by his sides and asked again:
"How do you know where this ledger is?"
Yinhu replied:
"Khan Ama, this is the account book Cao Yin gave us."
Everyone was stunned when they heard this unexpected answer.
Kangxi couldn't help but have a hint of complexity in his eyes.
Yinsu recalled Cao Yin's expression when he secretly gave them the three account books in private, imitating Cao Yin's slightly melancholy tone at that time, and continued:
"Cao Yin, he said that when he presented memorials to Khan Amma in the past two years, Khan Amma never drew red flowers on his memorials. He knew that the Cao family had done something wrong and did not dare to ask for forgiveness from the Holy One.
, but I still hope that Khan Amma can give everyone in the Cao family a way out for the sake of handing over the key account books and making up for his mistakes."
As soon as Babeile finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent for an instant.
Yinzhen turned his head to the side with a dark face. He felt that he was born to be in conflict with the Cao family and had no good impression of the Cao family at all.
Kangxi, on the other hand, seemed to be moved by Cao Yin's words. He sighed and said with his fourteen sons:
"I have a good idea of Jiangnan's affairs. I will wait until next year to deal with Jiangnan's affairs."
Upon hearing Kangxi's words, the fourteen brothers Yinti and Yinreng all showed puzzled and dissatisfied expressions on their faces.
They don't understand what their Khan Amma is thinking in his mind. Cao Yin's handing over the account book is equivalent to selling out all the officials in the south and opening up the fig leaf of the southern officialdom. If Khan Amma doesn't deal with these moths in time, how could it be possible?
If not, do we have to keep them for another year?
The straight-tempered boss and the fourteenth son couldn't help but refute him loudly.
Kangxi reached for another envelope and said to his sons:
"The news I received two days ago is that after Galdan's death, his nephew Cewang Alabutan took over the Jungar Department. Cewang Alabutan is not a fuel-efficient person. I am ready to send troops again to conquer the country in one fell swoop.
The whole of Moxi has been pacified."
When they heard about the war, the eyes of Yinti and Yinzhen suddenly lit up, and the fourteenth man was so excited that the blood in his body boiled.
Kangxi turned the jade ring on his hand, looked at his youngest son and said:
"Fourteen, your performance on the front line was very impressive last time. I am going to appoint you as the General of Fuyuan this time, and send you 30,000 elite troops, who can equal one to five, so that you can pacify Moxi.
Do you have confidence?"
"Khan Ama, I'm going! If I don't pacify Mosi, I won't marry Fujin next year!"
Yinzhen howled excitedly.
This is General Fuyuan!
The others were shocked when they heard Kangxi's words. Old Fourteen will not turn eighteen until November this year. Wouldn't it be too risky to become a general at this age?
A trace of disappointment flashed across Yinti's eyes.
At this time Kangxi spoke again:
"Boss, the Japanese country is disrespectful to the Qing Dynasty. I am planning to use troops against the Japanese country in the second half of the year. When the time comes, I will send you across the sea as the general to conquer Japan. Are you willing?"
After Yinti heard the words "General of the Conquest of Japan", his eyes immediately lit up and he nodded with joy.
Yinreng's brows couldn't help but frown, and he couldn't help but look at their Khan Ama inquiringly. How did he feel that his Khan Ama was trying to follow some timeline and rush to do something? This year, the northwest was pacified.
Do we need to rush to clean up the Japanese country at the same time?
Yinzhen was so angry with his father that he lost his temper. His face was as black as a piece of charcoal, and his thin lips had been pressed tightly into a thin line. He closed his eyes and was too lazy to speak.
He knew that his father only liked fighting and did not like regulating officials at all. The original topic was still on the officialdom in the south, but when the two wars were brought up, his brothers were directly diverted.
Look at Old Fourteen being so happy that he seems to have forgotten that he is still wearing a dirty and tattered escape suit!
Yinsu also looked at his fourth brother with a sympathetic expression, and then at his second brother, the prince, who had a helpless expression. A ridiculous idea suddenly came to his mind, thinking whether it was possible that their Khan Ama was planning to bring the people of the south to the throne.
Will the old ministers be left to their second brother, the crown prince? When the new emperor, the second brother of the prince, ascends the throne, he will be the emperor and his ministers. The old ministers left behind by Khan Amma will not be merciful, but can they also use this matter to establish their authority?
But in this case, doesn’t it mean that Khan Amma will abdicate next year?
His Khan Amma is not yet fifty years old. Is this impossible?
Yinsu hurriedly shook his head to dispel this idea that even he himself did not believe.
However, Babele didn't know that this time he had accidentally guessed Khan Amma's thoughts.
The Longevity Festival was celebrated in mid-March.
In early April, Xie Beile, as the youngest general of Fuyuan since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, led 30,000 elite soldiers and ran to the northwest in high spirits.
At the beginning of May, Prince Zhi also said goodbye to his family and went to Fujian and Baodao to train the navy and prepare for next year's naval battle.
The officials in the south have been uneasy since Si Beile, Eight Beile and Xen Beile fled back to the capital. Even when they sleep, they will dream that Long Live Lord has sent a prince to visit their home.
But who could have imagined that more than three months have passed and not only have they not been punished, even the most capable Prince Zhi and Xun Beile are no longer in the capital.
Officials in the south couldn't help but relax a little, thinking that it was very possible that Four Beile, Eight Beile, and Xen Beile had not found any tangible evidence to prove their corruption in Jiangnan at that time, or that Long Live the Lord was too old to have any evidence.
I’ll focus on fixing the bad debts in the south.
Most people had forgotten about the fact that the three princes came to Jiangnan to conduct secret inspections, and continued to live their lives in their own way.
But Cao Yin knew that this was their last carnival, and he couldn't eat or sleep well.
He understood that if Long Live Lord really took action, and Long Live Lord had always pursued benevolent policies, they would at most be sentenced to confiscation of their homes and use their property to make up for the financial shortfall. They might even be lucky enough to be ordinary people, relying on their ancestors.
Live on the property left behind.
But now that Long Live Lord has not taken action to deal with them, it is obvious that he wants to leave them to the Crown Prince and other princes to practice.
None of the fourteen sons of the emperor is a good person. If these people fall into the hands of the princes, they may not even have a bone and dregs...
The days passed by like pages in a book.
At the end of July, the weather in Beijing was so hot that it felt like it was on fire. People would break out in hot sweat soon after walking on the road.
Good news finally came from the northwest, Xie Beile set a new record in his second expedition.
It took Xenbeile nearly four months to completely annihilate the Zhungeer tribe with 30,000 elite troops, and included the entire Western Desert into the territory of the Qing Dynasty. The entire map of the Qing Dynasty was redrawn again, turning it into a beautiful patch of autumn leaves and crabapples.