My father-in-law is Kangxi

Chapter 1772 I'm afraid it won't be comprehensive
Qianqing Palace, Xinuang Pavilion.

Kangxi raised his hand and said, "Get up."

"Hmm..." Fusong responded, got up from the ground and looked down at the gold bricks on the ground.

Kangxi looked at Fusong. He had a tall and straight figure, clear eyes and eyebrows, and a yellow belt around his waist. He was a handsome young man.

Among the royal family members, it is very rare to find someone who is both civil and military, not arrogant or impatient, and has served as an official for several years.

The promotion of smallpox vaccine is a royal grace and cannot be led by ministers. It is more appropriate for members of the royal family to come forward.

He was also afraid that the person in charge would use this to seek fame, so it would be difficult to choose someone from among the princes.

Kangxi said, "This time the smallpox epidemic is fierce and has killed thousands of people from the Eight Banners. I will set up a smallpox vaccination center in the capital. In the future, all newborns from the Eight Banners, regardless of gender, between the ages of one and six, except for the sick and disabled, will be vaccinated."

Fusong listened and seemed to understand something.

He was in charge of the trial of the new smallpox vaccine back then, and this time the smallpox vaccine institute also needs an expert to look after it.

I guess they just pulled me out to make up the numbers.

He thought of Montenegro and felt a little nervous.

I hope it is a temporary job, not a long-term one.

After Heishan was transferred out of the Beile Mansion, he returned to the Zhenghong Banner and never came back.

Kangxi continued, "Each banner shall select four idle members of the royal family and four red belts to be responsible for the smallpox vaccination inspection. You will hand over the work of the Prince's Mansion and temporarily manage the smallpox vaccination center. You will be in charge of this matter. The required houses will be selected from the idle official houses outside Deshengmen..."

This was an oral order, and Fusong had no room to question it.

But Fusong did not accept the order directly, but said: "Your Majesty, I am young and can run errands and do odd jobs, but I am afraid that there are some shortcomings in taking charge of this matter."

Not to mention anything else, just the fact that each banner selects members of the royal family and those with red belts makes it difficult for him to stand out.

The bannermen are precious, and the royal family has even less choice.

All of a sudden, there are sixty-four more vacancies, which means sixty-four futures.

Which royal palace doesn’t have side branches and concubines?

Who will have the final say in the selection then?
The clerks and Baitang'a who are serving below will be selected and submitted to the Ministry of Personnel for examination.

The imperial court had rules on how to take exams and how to select people.

There has never been any standard for filling vacancies for members of the royal family and those with red belts; the quotas are simply allocated according to the flags.

As for who will receive this quota, there is no definite number.

Kangxi glanced at Fusong and was very pleased with his humility.

He was a promising child. He worked in the Ninth Prince's Mansion for several years but was always cautious and did not feel proud of his status.

He pondered for a moment, thought about the princes of the royal family, and said, "Prince Jian will be the chief, and Prince Yu will be the deputy, leading this matter. If there are any difficulties, you can report to the two of you for decision."

Fu Song finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I will obey your order."

After finishing the business, Kangxi's expression was relaxed, and he said to Fusong: "Since you are a relative, you don't have to be so reserved."

Fusong is the great-great-grandson of Amin, one of the four founding beiles. In terms of seniority, he is the nephew of Kangxi.

Fu Song said softly with some excitement and shyness, "In front of the emperor, I am terrified and dare not be presumptuous."

Kangxi said, "You've worked hard, too. You got hit by the smallpox right after you got married. You haven't been home for a long time, right?"

Fu Song answered honestly, "It has been a month and a half since the first day of October..."

Kangxi remembered that Fusong's wife was a daughter of Zhang, and he missed his old minister. He said, "I heard that you went to Tongcheng this summer. How is your life in the countryside, Mr. Zhang?"

Fu Song said thoughtfully, "Master Zhang built a garden and expanded the private school. He also occasionally gave lectures to the students in the private school. Many local gentry wanted to send their children to Zhang's private school, but Master Zhang said that he didn't have enough energy, so he limited the number of students and only accepted the children of his clan and in-laws."

Kangxi also knew something about Zhang Ying.

He thought of the fact that scholars in the south of the Yangtze River were related to each other and formed a group with their hometown. They also supported each other in the officialdom. He pondered and said, "I heard that Zhang Ying took his married daughter back and was criticized. Is this true?"

A married woman obeys her husband; an unmarried woman obeys her father.

If she were a widow, it would be fine, but the widow and orphan would have to depend on her parents' family.

However, the girl from the Zhang family did not remain a widow. After being married for many years, she was taken to her parents' home and settled down with them, which was not in line with social norms.

Fusong could not tell whether Kangxi was happy or annoyed, nor did he dare to express his own likes and dislikes. He just said plainly, "The third uncle of the Zhang family is pedantic, has failed in the examinations many times, and cannot support the family. They live in poverty. When Mr. Zhang returned to his hometown to build a garden, he built a small building for the third aunt and ordered her and her family to live there. Now the third aunt's eldest son is also being taught by Mr. Zhang. In two years, he will be able to take the boy's examination."

Kangxi snorted and said, "Your father-in-law was very concerned about his reputation in his early years. He was afraid that the villagers would criticize him for being rich and unjust, so most of his children were married to old relatives. Now he has the heart of a loving father..."

Fusong couldn't follow and comment on his elders, so he could only remain silent.

Kangxi thought of how Zhang Ying had been in official service for more than 30 years and that he had promoted him personally, and any discomfort he had felt in the past disappeared.

When the southern tour comes next year, I can show some mercy to Zhang Ying and order him to come to the court...

Fusong came out of the Qianqing Palace and went straight back to the Ninth Prince's Mansion without any delay.

The Ninth Prince got the news and knew that Fusong had returned from the palace, so he went to the front yard again.

After hearing Fu Song's explanation, the Ninth Prince realized something was wrong and said, "This doesn't sound like a temporary assignment, but rather a long-term one..."

Fu Song nodded and said, "That should be the case. It will take three to five years to popularize smallpox vaccination for the newborns of the Eight Banners. Master of Ceremonies, Master Jiu, please recommend someone else."

The Ninth Prince said, "Don't worry about that. Just promote Cao Shun. He was originally appointed as your deputy."

Fu Song said: "Among the people in the mansion, Cao Shun is indeed more thoughtful than others."

The Ninth Prince said, "This smallpox vaccination office is newly established. What is the rank of the seal holder? Has your rank been promoted?"

Fu Song: “…”

Seeing his expression, the Ninth Prince gasped and said, "No way, Khan Ama didn't mention the rank? You didn't even ask?"

Fu Song thought for a moment and said, "It's probably a fourth-rank government office, or a third-rank government office."

At his age, the fourth rank is not considered low, and there is no reason for him to be promoted rashly.

Besides, this yamen is small. Apart from the idle royal family members and red belts from each banner, there are also some similar clerks and Baitang'a to do miscellaneous work, which makes about a hundred people.

The Ninth Prince asked, "Is it under the Ministry of Revenue or the Infantry Commander's Office?"

Fu Song shook his head and said, "The emperor didn't mention it. It should be a separate one, with Prince Jian and Prince Yu as prime ministers. I will be responsible for the specific tasks. Each flag will select four idle royal family members and red belts."

The Ninth Prince listened to the personnel configuration and said, "Then it won't be posted in the clan house anymore. This is good too. There will be fewer mothers-in-law above..."

Although Prince Jian Yaerjiang'a is arrogant, he is from the same royal family as Fusong, and in fact, he is Fusong's cousin.

Prince Yu is about the same age as Fuk Song and has a gentle personality.

"These two are good people. They are not the old men who take advantage of their age. They have a good relationship with the Prince's Mansion. Whether it is for the sake of the master and the wife, or for other reasons, they will not embarrass you..."

Fu Song also knew that this was a good job, so he cupped his hands and said, "I still have to thank Master Jiu. If you hadn't handed the cowpox issue to me, there wouldn't be any follow-up today."

The Ninth Prince waved his hand and said, "We are all family members, why are you saying such foreign words?"

It was also because of Fusong's hard work and his ability to show off wherever he went that he caught the emperor's eye.

In recent years, the Emperor has become increasingly fond of younger generations who are both talented in literature and martial arts.

Thinking of this, the Ninth Prince felt a little sad and said to Fusong, "In a few years, Fengsheng and Akdan will start to learn archery. You should teach them well. It would be great if they can surpass you."

Fu Song said solemnly: "I will definitely teach you with all my heart."

He had been a member of a clan with no future, but he had come this far, partly due to the education he received from the Military Governor's Office, and partly due to the support of the Ninth Prince and his wife.

The kindness of raising us must be repaid, and the kindness of guiding us must also be repaid.

The Ninth Prince said, "Since Khan Ama has arranged it, don't delay and go to the Ministry of Personnel to hand in your work!"

While the smallpox epidemic is still going on, it is time to implement compulsory vaccination as this will result in the least resistance.

Fu Song looked reluctant, and after a while he said, "When will the back yard be vacated?"

The Ninth Prince thought for a moment and said, "After the New Year, if you want to separate the family, then don't come over. Just pack up the new house and move in."

Fu Song was a little sad and said, "By then I will be far away from my sister and brother-in-law."

The Ninth Prince said, "Nonsense! If you quit your job, you are no longer my brother to my wife. It's just that we must distinguish between public and private matters. Now that you have officially entered the court, you should separate your relationship with the Prince's Mansion more clearly. When you hand over the job of the smallpox vaccination center, you will have more room for promotion."

It's just a secondary courtyard, who cares who lives there?

The Ninth Prince is not a stingy person.

But that would do more harm than good to Fusong.

The Ninth Prince has thought more now and knows that if he wants to rise to a higher position, he can only have one master.

Zhang Tingzan did not move out because he also worked in the Beile Mansion and was considered one of the Ninth Prince's teachers, so it was convenient for them to live next to each other.

Now that Fusong has quit his job, there is no need for him to live here.

Fusong is a smart man, he was just sentimental at the time.

He nodded and said, "I was wrong. I'll ask someone to clean up the yard in Shichahai."

He had three houses under his name. One was a small courtyard on his grandfather's side, located in the Bordered Blue Banner; one was purchased by the Governor-General's Mansion, located in the Plain Red Banner; and one was purchased by Shushu, located in Shichahai.

Shichahai is between Dutong Mansion and Beile Mansion.

The Ninth Prince said, "That's great, isn't it? It's close to here, so if we want to talk, we can just walk over..."

For Fu Song's age, the job of master of ceremonies is not very suitable for his retirement, and there is no place for him to make achievements.

A job like the Smallpox Vaccine Institute is a truly good job.

Under constant surveillance for three to five years, as long as there are no major mistakes, he will be rewarded with a merit. Even if he is not conferred a title this time, it will be his turn next time.

After Fusong left the Ninth Prince's Mansion, he did not rush to the Ministry of Personnel to resign. Instead, he returned to the Governor's Mansion to report the matter to Qi Xi and his wife.

Qi Xi listened and said, "That's good, that's good. Being able to manage a business on your own is the best experience."

Jueluo was worried.

This person is in charge of the smallpox vaccination center, and he comes into contact with smallpox patients all year round, which makes people worry.

Fusong comforted him, "Don't worry, Enie. Cowpox is different from human pox. There are fewer casualties and the symptoms are mild. So far, I haven't heard of secondary infection..."

Jueluo said: "It's no big deal to be careful. You are not only our son, you have a family, you are a husband, and you will be a father in the future. You have to be the pillar of the family, so you need to take good care of yourself."

Fusong agreed solemnly.

Seeing his wife's worry, Qi Xi said, "You're overthinking. Prince Jian and Prince Yu are also inside. If it's not safe, the emperor wouldn't have chosen those two..."

Jueluo nodded and said, "That's true, but considering how severe the smallpox epidemic is this time, it's still scary."

Qi Xi thought for a moment and said, "Fusong is a familiar figure, so there will be no problem for me. When Zhang gives birth to children in the future, I can vaccinate them in advance. This time, the princesses and princes of the Seventh Prince's Mansion were vaccinated a few months ago, and they were all safe."

Jueluo looked at Fusong and said, "Please pay more attention. This is what I am worried about."

Fu Song nodded, took note of the matter, and asked Jueluo, "I heard that Fu Yu's wedding date has also been postponed?"

Fu Yu is Fu Song's half-sister. In her early years, she was not called this name, but just Da Niu.

Later, Fuk Song returned to the yellow belt, and Fuk Song's stepmother changed her daughter's name to this one.

Jueluo said: "It has been postponed. The date is uncertain. It should be the same as Zhuliang's, after the New Year. In the current situation, no one dares to come to the house for a wedding before the New Year..."

(End of this chapter)