Chapter 541: "War" (Part 2)

In the Ganqing Palace, the East Warm Pavilion.

Cao Yong was ordered to see the emperor and had been kneeling for a quarter of an hour, but he had not heard Kangxi scream. He lowered his head, was shocked and suspicious, and had all his recent words and deeds in his mind.

It was not until he repeatedly confirmed that there was no braid to catch someone, that Cao Yong felt more at ease. He remembered a sentence in his heart: "It is better to be silent than to say a thousand words."

Zhang Tingyu, a famous minister during the Kanggan period, has not yet emerged. He has been in the office for more than ten years and has only been a fourth-rank Hanlin Academy bachelor's lecturer.

Although his grade is not high, he can always accompany him in the Nanshu. Those who can stay in the Hanlin Academy are all talented men from professional backgrounds, so there is no need to say about their knowledge.

Compared with others, Zhang Tingyu was born in the prime minister's family and acted respectfully, so he was favored by Kangxi.

When Cao Yong was a guard a few years ago, he paid special attention to this name. However, because Zhang Tingyu was worried that Cao Yong had not seen him.

When he got back on his feet, Cao Yong had already gone to the Ministry of Revenue to work as a servant.

Cao Yong has met Zhang Tingyu several times in the past two years. Although he is a bit elegant, he does not look different from ordinary people.

Although Zhang Tingyu was not very enthusiastic about Cao Yong, he was not very cold. When he occasionally met him, he could say a few words, but he was always "tea". He had a good taste, that is, he was addicted to tea as his life.

The so-called Hanlin is just a secretary around the emperor, either drafting documents or reading classics and history.

It is easy to be respected by the emperor for a long time, so it is easier for Hanlin to be promoted than outside. However, due to his limited status, the emperor always has a guard against the Han people. It is not easy to make it happen.

When Cao Yong thought of Zhang Tingyu, he couldn't help but feel a little envious.

If you have been doing paperwork for half your life and burying your desk, you can get out of the title of court and minister. I have been working hard in Beijing and outside the country for several years. Although I have not achieved anything, I have done my best.

Those who work diligently and endure heart and soul, and deal with the struggles of all parties. If they catch up with the emperor's distraction, they will be inexplicably reported to kneel over for a quarter of an hour.

"Accompanying the king is like accompanying a tiger", it is true.

Cao Yong smiled bitterly in his heart. Someone gave him eye drops in front of Kangxi, but the censor impeached him?

Before, he had already heard that a censor wanted to impeach, and the charge was "lazy, stupid, and let down the holy grace", and it was about the death of a horse in the Taipu Temple ranch.

It's just a search for fame. Someone behind this wants to try whether Cao Yong, who was demoted, has lost his holy heart.

Cao Yong believed that he was guilty and did not take it seriously.

Although he has encountered some twists and turns over the years, because Kangxi treated him differently, he has also achieved success in his career.

Before he knew it, Cao Yong's fear of Kangxi was reduced a lot, thinking that he would protect him.

Thinking of this, Cao Yong couldn't help but wake up, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

After two years of peace, my heart became arrogant and I shouldn’t have been. After all, I have been an emperor for most of my life and I am very good at winning over people’s hearts.

Even Cao Yong, a person who had lived for two lifetimes, lost his vigilance like a frog boiled in warm water due to Kangxi's warm concerns.

"Do you know you're wrong?" Kangxi's low and majestic voice broke the silence in the room.

Although Kangxi's tone sounded bad, Cao Yong breathed a sigh of relief.

It is "wrong" not "sin". If it is "wrong", it is just a reprimand; if it is "sin", it is necessary to hold accountable.

However, Cao Yong was also stupid and didn't know what Kangxi was talking about.

Isn’t the censor impeached the matter of the ranch? The conscience of heaven and earth is, that is a natural disaster, how can he control it?

Cao Yong called "injustice" in his heart, but he could only respectfully and weigh the words.

There is no way. Since the man on the kang said that he was "wrong" with "golden mouth and jade teeth", he could only accept it.

After a little thought, Cao Yong said, "I know I am wrong when I say that to Master Long Sui. If I had thought about the trouble of rain and snow, I would have prepared for the pasture early, and I would have killed fewer animals."

Cao Yong originally thought about whether to add a few words to ask for punishment, but when he thought of the reward and punishment system on the ranch, he closed his mouth again. The acceptance there was a need to be whipped.

There are tens of thousands of livestock in the two-wing pasture of Taipu Temple, and 30% of them were lost from last winter to this spring. Even if you want to make a difference, you may still have to whip it.

He had no tendency to be abused, so he stopped saying this, intending to listen to what Kangxi meant first.

Kangxi did not speak immediately, but got up from the kang, wandered on the ground for a while, and finally stood in front of Cao Yong, saying, "I speak clearly and speak very well. It seems that I have sobered up. Get up, I have something to ask you."

Cao Yan just drank and looked drunk. He knew that Kangxi had summoned him, and his drunkenness had disappeared.

He felt a little whispered in his heart, responded with a embarrassed look, and secretly glanced at Kangxi.

Kangxi's expression was never tired before, his brows were frowning tightly without a smile.

When Cao Yan saw him, he thought, what bad news is there?

This solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, mountain torrents and dams destroyed, has caused rumors; if there are more others, I still don’t know how people’s hearts will fluctuate.

"I heard that there are many people who have gone to Outer Mongolia to collect felt and sheepskin recently. Do you know why?" Kangxi asked in a deep voice.

When he actually asked about this, Cao Yan leaned over and replied, "If you say "Long Live, this minister will know a little."

"I know one or two? Didn't you give me the idea?" Kangxi walked to the side of the kang and frowned and said, "I have asked Yaerjiang. Although you have not participated in this, you can't get rid of it. Okay, don't bow your head and stick it down. Tell me about the situation in Mongolia. What's the snow in the middle of the country? Move him a seat."

The next sentence was to instruct Wei Zhuer to stand at the door.

"Yeah!" Wei Zhu'er bowed and responded, moved a round stool, and placed it two steps behind Cao Jun.

This is because of the preservation of Cao Yan. Although Cao Yan sobered up, he still smelled of alcohol. If the distance was close and it would be a great sin to be disrespectful.

The eunuchs, palace maids, and guards who serve in the imperial court have taboos in their diet, so that they do not have any odor on their bodies.

Cao Yan turned around and knew Wei Zhuer's kindness and felt secretly grateful.

Kangxi felt a little far away and ordered, "Move to the front!" As he said that, he pointed to the place two steps away from his left hand.

According to the rules, Cao Yan thanked the grace again and then turned sideways and half pulled his butt.

Since Kangxi asked, Cao Yan originally told his experiences in Mongolia two months ago from beginning to end.

The merchants blocked in Zhangjiakou, the snow on the horse's legs, the lost path in the wind and snow, the Mongolian herders who lost their livelihoods, and the animals who starved to death in the pasture...

At the end of the talk, Cao Yan couldn't help but feel heavy.

Telling Cui Fei about the acquisition of felt and sheepskin was profitable. Through him, the news was transmitted to the powerful people in the capital, which was the only way Cao Yong could think of to help those herdsmen.

Now, although it is a goal to achieve, there have been many merchants who have collected fur and felt from the capital, but they have gone to make money, so those simple herdsmen are not their opponents.

After this sale, even if those herders can survive this year, their lives will be difficult.

When survival is at risk, there is no need to worry about anything else. All you can do is pray that the snow will be smaller this winter so that the herdsmen can breathe a sigh of relief.

Kangxi's expression became deeper and he could not sense his joy and anger. After a long time, he asked, "You have never been troubled. This time I have been slapping in front of Yaerjiang's servants, but I don't worry about your benefactor's family?"

The court received a memorial from Mongolian princes and only gave them food, but asked the herdsmen to "teach them fishing."

It was all about the grace of the court, but in fact it was just to put it nicely.

Except for the powerful and slaves, the Mongolians were mostly nomadic and scattered on the grassland. How could they “give” them?

Cao Yong is not a fool, and he will not be so reckless that he will be punished for his own "injustice".

When he mentioned it with Cui Fei, Cao Yong had already thought of the shield: "When I say to Master Long Live, my ministers have selfish intentions and dare not forget their own affairs. To drive them to benefit and protect the Mongolian people is for the stability of the Qing Dynasty and northern borders. In peace, the Mongolians can hinder the ambitions of Oros; if there are unofficial people who can raise smoke of gunpowder, the Mongolians can also strengthen our Qing army's power."

This is not that Cao Yong was unscrupulous and proposed to let the Mongols be cannon fodder against his conscience. It was just a practical explanation. Because Kangxi did this more than 20 years ago when Galdan rebelled.

Exorcizing the Mongolians as front pawns is also one of the forms of the imperial court implementing the "reduction of taxes" policy.

"The snow is heavy and there is no food. Mongolia is probably going to be in chaos." Kangxi said slowly: "The Mongols are the most greedy and used to plundering. Other tribes are not bad, but the Eruts are the most capricious and remote. There are also the Oros people who are fueling the fire. I don't know what kind of trouble will happen. A few days ago, the comments from Khalkha mentioned that the Eruts were restless again last winter."

This is only the 54th year of Kangxi, and how many years should there be before the fourteenth prince's Western Expedition in history. Will the war be ahead of schedule?

According to later generations, Manchus and Mongolians were all part of the Chinese nation.

The Eight Manchu Banners sent troops to quell the Mongolian rebellion in the Xinjiang region, which was considered a civil war. As a Han Chinese, Cao Yong should have a neutral position.

At this moment, he knew that there were Russians involved, but he changed his mind. Whether it was Xinjiang or Tibet that Cewang Alabutan peeped at, they were all indispensable territory for China.

If Xinjiang is lost, the Russians can directly kill Shaanxi and Gansu and force them into the capital; if Tibet is unstable, the British colony will be next to it.

Collecting felt and sheepskin from Mongolia to provide military supplies to the Eight Banners is a profitable deal for the powerful and wealthy people in the capital. In fact, Cao Yong came up with this method to kill two birds with one stone. It not only helped the Mongolians, but also strengthened his military.

If we were going to fight now, how could that be?

Not to mention anything else, even the horses on the Eight Banners Ranch may not be able to be used for the expedition. There is also a problem with logistics supply, and there is no money in the treasury.

A few years ago, I collected some of the treasury silver, but I collected some of it, but the first two years was the fifty years since Kangxi ascended the throne, and then Jiazi's longevity, with only grace, reducing taxes from many provinces.

The amount of money that is small, but the expenditure is very small, so the treasury is naturally empty again.

When Galdan rebelled, most of the logistics supply was provided by the Khalkha Mongolia, except for the grain sent to Guanli, such as horses, flocks, felts, sheepskins and other items.

In addition, the Mongols were the front pawns of the imperial army, the so-called "rebellion suppression" were actually the Mongols' killing each other.

Now, I can't count on Khalkha.

The court suffered a lot of losses in the snow disaster last winter and this spring, let alone Khalkha Mongolia. The geographical location there is north, the snow is even greater, and the disaster will only be more severe.

Not to mention supplying the imperial army, even themselves, they have to rely on the imperial court to be kind. It will take three to five years to calm down.

This is really a difficult problem. It is about to fight, but there is no money. Cao Yong couldn't help but frown and thought hard, but he couldn't think of a solution.

"A good woman can't cook without rice." In this marching and war, the logistics supply cannot be guaranteed, so what else can I do?

Something was wrong, and Cao Yong noticed something strange.

This military and national affairs should be the emperor's concern. Even if Kangxi wanted to discuss it, he would have to look for the kings Beile, the Manchu and Chinese scholars, and the six ministries and nine ministers. How could he find him, a fifth-rank doctor?
To be continued...