Chapter 82: The Qing Dynasty's Comprehensive Jade World

  The Forbidden City, Dong San Soo, a chubby-looking half-grown boy stood in the courtyard with pursed lips. There was no one around him, and the guards were all outside Dong San Soo. Only a small eunuch stood with his head bowed in the dark corner of the courtyard, and if you didn't pay attention, you probably wouldn't notice that there was a small eunuch here.

  "Xiao Haizi, will Eighth Uncle really come?" The moon was already in the middle of the sky, and young Yong Zhuo couldn't help but furrow his brow as he asked. Too many things had happened during the day, and he not only had to devise strategies for Huang E Mama, but also protect himself; even after practicing martial arts for many years, it was still a bit too much to bear.

  The little eunuch in the corner half-knelt and gave a thousand: "Master, the news has been passed on before, I think it should be here soon. I'll go get a chair for the master to come out, the master is also tired today."

  Yong Ruo heard the words, and his dark eyes flashed, finally nodding. Watching the eunuch's back as he went into the inner room, a mix of emotions rose up in his heart. The older he got, the more he admired Eighth Uncle Hongshi, whose power reached every corner of the imperial palace without being discovered by the Emperor.

  If it weren't for Eighth Uncle's selection, he and the Empress Dowager probably wouldn't be living so dignifiedly now. This imperial palace has always been about elevating some while suppressing others; even as the Empress Dowager is the empress of the Qing dynasty and he is the only surviving legitimate son of the Qing, without the emperor's favor and actual power in the harem, they are nothing.

  Huang E Niang had always protected him well, and if not for Eighth Uncle's appearance to arrange a lot of lessons for him, he would probably have really treated that Commandery Princess as a good person just like in his own dreams.

  Are there good people among the women in the harem?

  He slightly hooked the corner of his lips, and Yong Zhuo sat down on a chair carried by Xiao Haizi and another eunuch. In fact, they had all advised him to wait in the house, but today was really too special for him. He wasn't that he hadn't seen Eighth Uncle before, but it was always at the annual Aixinjueluo family dinner party during Chinese New Year, from afar, and he couldn't see clearly.

  However, Yongzheng knew that his eighth uncle was a true handsome man. Even at the age of eighty now, he looked like he was in his forties. His Majesty's mother had not envied the eighth uncle's health regimen, but Qianlong would never be able to cultivate his body and nature like the eighth uncle.

  The eighth uncle only had one woman, the eighth aunt, and after she left, he became even more chaste. But his imperial father's harem women were so numerous that two palms plus a foot couldn't count them all! The emperor may not have been debauched every night, but how could he favor the palace women ten or more times in just one month?

  Nowadays, Yongzheng under the arrangement of Ya Ge's crowd control/teaching understands the darkness of the harem and has transferred his infatuation with Qianlong to Ya Ge. The more he understands Qianlong's personality, the more Yongzheng is disappointed in him. Compared to Emperor Kangxi and Shengzu, Qianlong is not a good emperor after all.

  Moreover, Ya Ge's teachings to Yong Zhuo were not limited to the harem and the Qing Dynasty. Thinking of that hidden world map, as well as those industrial revolution materials and various technological developments, Yong Zhuo couldn't help but worry more about the future of the Qing Dynasty.

  With Ah Jiao's guidance, plus the short 25 years of his life in his dream, Yong Ruo's growth was rapid. It was also because of this that Ah Jiao was satisfied with him. If it wasn't for Yong Ruo being truly a talented person, Ah Jiao wouldn't necessarily have to let his legitimate son inherit the position!

  "What are you doing sitting here? Don't you know it's cold at night?"

  Some slightly chilly voices echoed in the yard, and Yong Zhuang turned his head to see that a figure in a blue long gown, Ya Ge, was standing there with an upright posture. Thinking of the superior martial arts he had learned, which were several levels higher than those of the imperial guards, Yong Zhuang suddenly understood why he hadn't noticed the arrival of Eighth Uncle Gong.

  He got up, and with a respectful attitude, came to Yage's side, knelt down and knocked three loud heads. Yage did not avoid him, whether it was his generation or what he had done for this little fatty, he could bear it. And if he couldn't bear it, this little fatty would have no idea what to think about. Even though this little fatty had a broad mind under his upbringing, the small-mindedness of the Aixinjueluo family... Yage also had to admire the wonder of heredity.

  "Everything is about to settle down, are you ready?" Yaqi asked faintly as she sat down on the chair with Yongzhuo's support.

  Yong Ruo narrowed her eyes: "I was raised by Eighth Uncle Gong, and he still doesn't trust me?"

  "Ah, you little scamp!" After teasing him for a moment, Yage looked at Xiaopang with affection. "You've had it tough all these years, Yongzhuo."

  Yong Ruo shook his head and said hastily: "Eighth Uncle, Yong Ruo is not suffering. If it weren't for Eighth Uncle, Yong Ruo would be the one who's truly suffering."

  The Empress Dowager cut off her hair to persuade the Emperor not to marry Xiaoyingying, but was instead shunned by the Emperor. Although she was not explicitly deposed, all her imperial regalia were taken away, what's the difference with being deposed? She died in the Cold Palace, only accompanied by Concubine Yu... As for him, it wasn't until he turned 20 that Qianlong assigned a wife to him under the Empress Dowager's reminder, a Borjigit princess. He died at just 25 years old, not even a Beile!

  If it weren't for Eighth Uncle, he wouldn't have understood the hardships of Empress Dowager. If Eighth Uncle hadn't stood behind him, even after experiencing those dreams, he wouldn't have had the power he has today. If he hadn't truly grown up, Empress Dowager wouldn't have listened to his advice, and would only have repeated the mistakes of her past.

  The Empress Dowager truly regarded the Emperor as her husband and attached great importance to the dignity of the Aixinjueluo family. She couldn't stand that little concubine, she was enduring for the sake of this son!

  Yong Ruo didn't understand why the Empress Dowager was so fond of that ignorant and untalented little swallow, but he knew that going against the Empress Dowager would bring no good results for him or his mother. The Empress Dowager's heart had always been biased, and to her, etiquette and rules were nothing.

  So this is why Emperor A'Ma dotes on Little Swallow? Because they are actually both disdainful of rules and conventions at heart?

  "You've really grown up, Yongzhuo." Yage said with delight.

  Historically and in the novel "The Legend of Zhen Huan", the ending for this 12th prince was not good. Qianlong disliked him very much, apart from being angry with him because of the Empress, probably his personality was also not good. But this little fatty in front of him, although still young, is already capable of taking on the heavy responsibility of being the master of the Qing dynasty.

  "Eight Uncle, if Yongzheng doesn't grow up, neither he nor the Empress will have a good ending." He is the eldest son, the Empress is the Queen, and they will forever be thorns in the eyes of other concubines and princes.

  "Yong Ruo, this world is very big." Ya Ge's face was gentle, but her tone was very serious. "When you sit in that position, don't be arrogant like your Emperor Father, or it would be bad."

  "Eight Uncle, Yong Ruo knows what to do!" Yong Ruo squatted down and leaned his head against Ya Ge's thigh. "Yong Ruo will not let the Aixinjueluo family be despised by future generations!"

  Stroking Yongzhong's occipital bone, Yage said word by word: "Yongzhong, Eighth Uncle believes in you."

  He chose the little fat man, not a reborn person. Yong Zhuang's dreams were also some of his means. He combined history and "Huanzhu Gege" to let Yong Zhuang know the tragic ending of himself and his queen mother, and even made him dream of what would happen if history developed in that way.

  The Opium War, ceding territory and paying indemnity, a hundred years of shame for the Chinese nation.

  Only in this way can Little Fatty go on as he has planned.

  Yajiao didn't feel guilty for using these tactics on Xiao Pangzi. If it wasn't for his intervention, Xiao Pangzi and his Empress Mother wouldn't have ended up well either. In this way, he didn't owe them any karma.

  After Ya Ge left, Yong Zhuang's expression became even more determined. He was about to take that position, and he would not disappoint Eighth Uncle's teachings for so many years!

  Three days later, Qianlong was finally rescued by the imperial physicians, but due to a stroke, he became unable to continue as emperor. The officials and princes took down the secret edict that Qianlong had left behind in the Nurturing Heart Palace, which was written in three languages - Manchu, Mongolian, and Chinese. If anything unexpected happened to Qianlong, Prince Yongqi, the fifth son, would succeed him as emperor.

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, now that the Emperor was so angry with this Fifth Prince, would he still let him ascend to the throne? Indeed, when the imperial edict was placed before Qianlong, his eyes were filled with extreme anger!

  "Your Majesty, but is this imperial edict valid?" Fu Heng asked cautiously, as one of Qianlong's most trusted confidants.

  Qianlong controlled his body and nodded slightly with great difficulty.

  "Which of the brothers do you like?"

  Qianlong understood that he really couldn't be the emperor anymore, but he was also unwilling to hand over his power so easily. Therefore, in the end, he chose the twelfth prince Yongzhao. This prince was a legitimate son, and neither Manchu nor Han officials would oppose him. Moreover, he was still young and would certainly have to rely on this retired emperor, so Qianlong didn't need to worry about losing his power.

  Thus, after receiving the news, Empress Dowager Niuhuru returned to the Forbidden City overnight, and everything had already been settled. Qianlong abdicated as Emperor and became Taishang Huangdi, and the new emperor of the Qing dynasty was Yongzhao, the twelfth prince. She became Taihuangtaihou, while Ulanara became Taihou, and Qianlong's consorts all became Tai Fei.

  The next year's era name, Yongzheng, has also been decided, and it will be inherited from Zheng.

  Even if the heart is dissatisfied with Yongzhao's promotion, Nian Xialu can only hold it in her heart. The fifth prince Yongqi was so out of tune that he had to face the Tibetan local officials in front of the Taishang Huangdi, which was unbearable.

  Nian Xunyu could only secretly resent Yongqi's absurdity, which ultimately benefited the Empress and Yongjun. The fifth prince's maternal clan was not prominent, and he was also the son of Man Fuyi, the only adult in Qianlong's harem, making him the best choice for Nian Xunyu. Although she did not want her own son to get into trouble, preparing for a rainy day was something she had to consider.

  She not only had to consider her own power, but also the future of the Nian family. The Nian family's daughter who entered the palace in the 22nd year of Qianlong's reign had not given birth to a single child in over two years and was only ranked as a Guiren. Now she was just Lan Taigui Ren, and with the Emperor's current health condition, it was impossible for her to regain favor.

  Now Nian Xialu can only choose to win over Empress Dowager Ulanara and the new emperor Yongzheng. Fortunately, she had been good to Empress Dowager Ulanara for the sake of balance in the harem before, and except for her affection towards Yongqi who was once under the name of Empress Xiaoxian, she treated all other princes equally on the surface at least. It should be easy to control Yongzheng who is well protected by the empress dowager.

  Isn't this the reason why your own son chose Yong Zhuang?!

  But what everyone did not expect was that after Cheng Zheng Emperor ascended to the throne, he completely eliminated the obstacles on the court with a thunderous momentum, successfully securing his position as emperor and even completely overshadowing the Taishang Huang Di Qinglong.

  Until this time, the imperial clansmen and officials who had always neglected this former Twelfth Prince finally realized that this eldest son had been secretly accumulating power all along! Just look at how many forces have gathered around him. The Ula Nara clan doesn't count, as it's his mother's birth family, but even the powerful nobles with military authority like Fuca and Zhangjia, or imperial clansmen like Prince Gong of Dong and Prince Yi of Ji, are all supporters of the new emperor!

  The Empress Dowager Ulanara was also shocked. Although this son had been growing more mature and sensible day by day since he left her for the Aguo, even giving her a lot of advice, she never thought that he would develop to this point. Originally, she was thinking of pleasing the Grand Empress Dowager and the Supreme Emperor well, now it seems that she doesn't need to be so self-deprecating anymore.

  She really gave birth to a good son!

  Yongzheng, no matter how busy he was with government affairs, would come to Cining Palace every morning to pay his respects to her and have dinner together in the evening, chatting with her before returning to Yangxindian. Although Yongzheng was still young and had no imperial concubines, Empress Dowager Chongqing still lived in Shou'angong, she brought Qianlong's many consorts to move into Cining Palace.

  Living in the palace where Empress Xiaozhuang had once lived, Ulanara was satisfied. Her ancestor, Empress Dowager Abahai, had not become an empress dowager, but now her descendant had succeeded!

  After Qianlong abdicated to Yongzheng, he moved out of the Nourishing Heart Palace and went to his residence, Chonghua Palace. However, he was very dissatisfied with the Xiangfang Studio, and it seemed that he had already ordered the Imperial Household Department to rebuild it. After several months of recuperation, Qianlong's body recovered a lot, at least he could say a few words. He was not angry about Yongzheng taking power after his abdication, but unfortunately, he couldn't do anything and could only redecorate his Chonghua Palace.

  Historically, he abdicated and gave the throne to Jiaqing, living in Ning Shou Palace. Unfortunately, there was not much time for him to arrange things here, and now it is still a place of worship within the palace, so it's impossible for him to move in.

  What about Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi?

  The Aixinjueluo family does not kill their sons, so Yongzheng could not do anything to his own brother. He directly gave him the title of Beile and threw him out of the palace, also abolishing the martial arts of that little swallow and sending her to his backyard. Yongzheng thought he had been very kind and righteous towards this brother, but according to the Taishang Huang's idea, it should have been killing the little swallow and imprisoning Yongqi! Now it can only be considered a soft imprisonment, and also gave him the woman he wanted most, which should be considered very happy.

  The empress, after the initial shock of the change in dynasty had passed, obediently moved into the back hall of Cining Palace. She was now a dowager princess and still being well-behaved. The imperial physician had already said that this child would be an heir, and as long as she gave birth to this healthy son and waited for him to grow up, he could take her out of the palace and support her. She had always been a person with her own ideas, but now that the situation was settled, she could only try to make her life better.

  Day by day, the Qing Dynasty became more and more prosperous under Yongzheng's rule. With Yajiao's secret support, he opened up maritime trade, vigorously developed commerce, built schools, and established a navy. And those firearms, cannons, and steam-powered textile machines that Yajiao brought out enabled the Qing Dynasty to take off in quality.

  When Yongzheng was at the age of Emperor, Qing had completely grasped his hands. He married Fu Heng's youngest daughter as Empress and rejected the minister's petition to widely select imperial consorts, issuing an edict declaring that he would only have one empress and no other women!

  Although this caused a stir, it was eventually carried out smoothly under Yongzhao's strong leadership. Yongzhao knew how much his eighth uncle had helped him in private, but he didn't have the slightest fear of his eighth uncle. He understood that if his eighth uncle hadn't been thinking about the future of the Qing dynasty, he wouldn't have intervened in these matters at all; instead, he preferred to stay in his villa, drinking tea and feeding fish.

  Yongzhao and the Empress Dowager had a good relationship, and in order not to let the senior officials bother them with the issue of descendants, they jointly raised four sons and three daughters. And he quietly made the distinction between Manchu and Han less obvious, and because of the education of the people, the development of productivity and economy, "democracy" was mentioned more and more times.

  In the 20th year of Chengzheng, Yage passed away at the age of 100. Yongrui suspended court for three days and the whole country mourned.

  In the 30th year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign, an imperial edict was issued that shocked yet seemed inevitable to all under heaven. The Qing Dynasty changed its name to Huaxia and henceforth adopted a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary system, the Aisin Gioro clan becoming the symbolic royal family of the Qing, while more power was handed over to the people.

  Although Aixinjueluo Zongshu was dissatisfied with this, it was the will of the people under heaven, and they could only reluctantly accept reality. Huaxia began its rapid development, with the data left by Yage, Huaxia became a world power overnight! Gone were the hundred years of humiliation, and in World War I and II, as a neutral country, it reaped many benefits.

  Facing a majestic China like a lion, even if the emperor of that island nation has any ideas, they can only give up and continue to be their obedient vassals.

  Hundreds of years later, modern historians are particularly interested in that period of history. If it weren't for the reforms and swift abdication of Emperor Cheng, China would still be unknown as to what kind of country it would have become. As an Eastern Empire with gold everywhere, Western powers would definitely be very interested. If China hadn't risen rapidly after that, it's highly likely that China would have become a colony of Western countries!

  The advanced thinking of Emperor Chengzong made the Aixinjueluo clan still the royal family of China to this day, although the royal family no longer has as much power as before, but at least their status is still extraordinary. According to historical records, Emperor Chengzong had nothing special before his accession, but after his accession, he showed a strong and powerful performance that was inconsistent with his previous one, which can be regarded as an eternal mystery, making historians especially interested.

  It wasn't until the year 2036, four hundred years after the founding of the Qing dynasty, that the Aisin Gioro imperial family released some manuals and materials left behind by Emperor Chengzong, that this ancient mystery was finally solved. It turned out that the "Eight Wise Kings" who had passed on the title of Prince to his son and retreated to a villa, enduring through the Kangxi and Yongzheng dynasties, were actually the masterminds behind all these events!

  This wise king had been planning and scheming since his youth, until at the age of eighty he finally pushed onto the highest position of the Qing dynasty the Emperor Chengzong whom he had personally raised and educated. He formally began the reforms that he had long planned. The handbooks and materials he left behind for the Aixinjueluo family enabled China to take step by step to where it is today. The series of far-sighted plans in the handbook made historians marvel, and also made the Chinese people begin to revere this "Eighth Wise King".

  It can be said that without this "Eighth Sage King", there would be no present-day China!

  Men admire Yagao's power and strategy, while women adore his deep emotions. Yagao himself would never have imagined that after leaving this mortal world for hundreds of years, he would become an idol to the people!

  While the "Eight Wise Kings" craze was rising in Huaxia, a young man with a cold face in a residential house in the capital threw away his modern history textbook.

  What a loving Aixinjueluo. Yinxiang, he trusted him so much, yet he still secretly developed his power pretending not to know, and this is how he repaid him, protecting the Great Qing like this?! Although the Aixinjueluo family is still the imperial clan now, it's completely different from what he had in mind. There is no more hierarchical Qing with master-slave levels, only democratic and equal China!

  It's probably for the best anyway.

  The young man picked up the book with a slight bow, and let out a soft sigh. Compared to another Qing dynasty he had experienced, this place was indeed much better.

  At least one Aixinjueluo family is not a traitor in the mouths of historians.

  No Empress Dowager Cixi, no fake Manchu, no invasion by Japanese pirates, and no civil war. It's really great this way.

  But which of the eight brothers in the world is his real eighth brother?

  What he experienced in the Qing dynasty, due to the existence of Yago, there was no tragic nine-dragon struggle for the throne. After he ascended to become Yongzheng, although there was no brotherly love and respect, at least they were brothers with a common heart. In another great Qing dynasty's later history, what he saw was truly unbelievable, and it also pained him deeply.

  It's really good this way now.

  Of course, if he had the chance to meet that elegant and refined Aixinjueluo Yintang again, he would definitely beat him up severely!

  He's been led astray by Xiao Yongquan, talking about constitutional monarchy. Even if it's the best choice, he still feels uncomfortable in his heart!

  This world is finally over, and the potato's promise has been fulfilled.

  The main text + extra 6K words, and the additional 3K words at the back are the benefits for those who purchased it earlier ~

  Next world, "Law and Order 3", probably won't be too long, yeah. Potato is still thinking about combining some worlds together, after all Yaka isn't suitable to be a CP with EVA, he's got cleanliness issues so it's better for him to be EVA's younger brother...

  Finally, thank you to Jun Chen and Yu Yu for the landmine, you guys are so generous! Potato will work hard on writing!