[Qing Chuan] Mu Emperor's Grace

"Leave? Me?" A question suddenly came from behind Hongli.

Hongli turned his head in surprise, and saw He Shen standing not far away, looking at him with a smile.

He Shen stepped forward and straightened the broken petals on Hongli's shoulder: "My feeling tells me that the emperor is very disturbed, why?"

Hongli was a little ashamed to speak, and told him from Xiao'eniang and the palace people that the king should not be trapped by love, even if he likes someone very much, he should keep a clear head and moderate grace.

But Hongli is probably a lover. He only knows that when he opens his eyes every day, the first thing he does is to look for the figure of He Shen. To a certain extent, Hongli also began to worry about gains and losses in his heart.

Especially since Macartney's visit to China, Hongli discovered for the first time that keeping He Shen in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty was really too much talent.Many of his bold ideas and unconstrained proposals are even out of step with this era.

Every time Hongli heard Heshen's thoughts, he realized again that this young man did not belong to this time and space.In He Shen's eyes, what is such a strong feeling like mine?It was the first time that the king who looked down upon the world cautiously tried to guess a person's mind.

Hongli said slowly: "He Shen, this is the first time I have discovered that you know so much. In your hometown, you must be a very good person." He Shen was startled, as if he didn't understand the emperor's brain circuit : "In my hometown? I'm just an ordinary person."

Shen He in the modern world has always had a strong interest in history. When he chose a major as an undergraduate, he insisted on choosing a history that was not easy to find a job. Go down and end up becoming a history lecturer.Compared with many young people who avoided employment, Shen He really had a strong interest in those volumes of history books.

However, in the modern age when cultural and entertainment activities are so prosperous, hobbies like Shen He's seem a little different among the same-oriented crowd. Sometimes he even feels that maybe he can't find a suitable person, so he just lives with his cat ancestor in a plain way. Live your life.

Junior sisters often say that he is like a clear spring, and you have to taste it carefully to know the sweetness in it, but times have changed. Carbonated soda, fruit tea and coffee, any of them are more delicious than clear springs.It is obviously the healthiest thirst-quenching drink, but it is ignored because of its blandness.

Hongli didn't believe He Shen's words, he just thought that the young man was comforting him: "I often feel that the thoughts in your mind are one after another, and many things have never been touched by me."

He Shen maintained a calm smile on his face, but his heart became a flower of happiness-is this a beauty in the eye of the beholder?

"Sometimes I feel that your pace is too fast, and I'm afraid that if I don't pay attention, I won't be able to keep up with you." Hongli looked at the young man's face with nostalgia, hesitated for a moment, and said what was in his heart .

"Did I make the emperor feel tired?" He Shen stared at the man in front of him. In this life, he had given himself too much tolerance, and he became more and more informal in front of him.But He Shen has always understood that no matter how many people he meets here, he can truly relax only by being with Hongli, and only Hongli knows that the current He Shen does not belong to this world at all.

Hongli didn't answer the young man's question, he just stroked the young man's eyebrows with his fingertips, and said in a hoarse voice, "You won't leave, right?"

He Shen smiled: "No matter how fast I walk, the thread in my heart is always in the hands of the emperor, so where can I go?"

Hongli stared into the young man's eyes until he confirmed that there was no joke in this sentence, then he took He Shen's hand: "Let's go."

Macartney may not be able to understand the ever-changing Chinese, but his senses are still very keen. When Hongli led He Shen and others back, his mood was obviously much clearer.

Macartney seized the opportunity and said to Hongli: "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, before I left, my government had appointed me to request your country to open the trading ports. Establish an embassy to expand business cooperation between the two countries."

As soon as this remark came out, all the officials were in an uproar. For the Qing Dynasty, where agriculture was the foundation and business was the end, such a request was really shocking.

Before Hongli could speak, Liu Yong and other civil servants stood up and objected: "Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible. Agriculture has been the foundation of the country since ancient times, and there is absolutely no reason to abandon agriculture and go to business."

"Your Majesty, the Westerners use trade as an excuse to create disasters along the coast. Your Majesty must not be careless."

"Your Majesty, there has been no precedent for the establishment of an embassy since ancient times. How can we tolerate foreigners occupying land in our land in the Qing Dynasty?"

Hongli was given a headache by the noise of all kinds of voices. He said in a deep voice: "Enough, I have made my own decision on this matter, and you don't need to say more." There was a crack in his expression, as if the whole person had relaxed.

He Shen expected that Macartney would make a request to open the trade port at the right time; he also expected that this proposal would cause an uproar.What he was most afraid of was that Hongli would reject Macartney's request before he had time to persuade him.

However, to his delight, Hongli did not bite him to death, which meant that there was still room for maneuver.

Macartney and the Naxi craftsmen looked at each other in blank dismay. They didn't understand why the officials of the Qing Dynasty became excited all of a sudden.

He Shen stepped forward to appease Macartney and asked him to direct the craftsmen to unload the foreign cannon, and then followed Hongli back to the palace.

Three days later, He Shen was in the main hall, and saw the emperor who was frowning and thinking, and the papers on the imperial case were piled high.

He Shen walked forward with the food box in hand: "Your Majesty, please eat first."

Hongli glanced at the vermilion food box, but didn't say anything to stop it. Seeing this, He Shen took the fried bowl and mutton soup out of the food box and put them on the imperial case.

The tempting aroma finally made Hongli feel hungry, seeing that the emperor was finally willing to eat, Wu Shulai almost burst into tears with excitement.

While drinking the mutton soup, Hongli pointed to the pile of booklets: "Look, they are all trying to persuade me to think twice, saying that the foreigner has evil intentions, and that opening ports for business is against the ancestral system. What do you think?"

He Shen was not in a hurry to answer, he read one or two papers carefully, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, your lords are right."

Hongli raised his eyebrows in surprise, he thought that He Shen would insist on objecting, but now this is?

He Shen also saw the surprise in Hongli's eyebrows and said with a smile: "Although the words are reasonable, they are not necessarily true."

Hongli thought that sure enough, there is still a turning point waiting.

"Your Majesty, if you can give me a guarantee that no matter what I said today, you will not pursue it, and I will talk about the joints in it."

"Let's talk." Hongli raised his hand and stuffed a siu mai into He Shen's mouth, seeing his astonished eyes and agitated cheeks, he was in a good mood immediately.

He Shen chewed for a long time, and finally swallowed the food in his mouth: "Your Majesty, what do you think of those remnants of the Ming Dynasty who refused to surrender?"

Hongli's subordinates paused, and the relaxed expression on his face disappeared: "Stubborn, ignorant of current affairs!" After a while, seeing that He Shen did not speak, Hongli sighed as if in compromise: "As a king, I respect These courtiers with integrity, but who told me that I was the monarch of the Qing Dynasty? I think back then, the holy ancestor Kangxi fought with them for so many years, and finally got a situation of "Man and Han family". " Hongli waved his hand. Waving: "Forget it, it's all over, don't worry about it."

He Shen didn't want to end this topic easily, he said slowly: "Your Majesty, in my hometown, many people admire Ming Chen's integrity, but some people think that it is wise to choose Ming Lord to live in."

Hearing the words, Hongli slowly put down the chopsticks in his hand. He endured it again and again, and finally broke out: "It's ridiculous!"

Hongli's breath was choked in his throat, and he couldn't get up or swallow it, which made him feel uncomfortable.

Although He Shen's words are indeed boasting that Qing is a wise master, but "choosing the master and living there" is a big taboo.In the Taiping era of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, it was inappropriate to rashly mention Mingchen. Coupled with such a shocking point of view, Hongli couldn't help but change his face even though he was mentally prepared.

"Choose an enlightened lord to live in, who gave you the courage to eat the king's salary, the matter of loyalty to the king, where have you read all these sage books?"

He Shen knew that Hongli was really angry, but he still made up his mind and said: "If an official can put the country as the most important thing and the king is the least, then those insightful people in the Ming Dynasty will be able to do it for you. I use it in my court, as the saying goes, those who know current affairs are heroes, your majesty..."

"Enough!" Hongli stopped drinking, only to hear a "pop", and the bowl carrying the mutton soup fell to pieces.

"He Shen, I can ignore the words you said today, so get up."

He Shen still knelt on the ground, he gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, those who know the current affairs are heroes. People are like this, so is the country. China has been in China for 5000 years, and we can still change dynasties. Now we have opened so many ports to do business with that foreigner. What else counts?"

Hearing the words, Hongli leaned his whole body on the dragon chair, and he didn't know how long it took before he said in a deep voice: "He Shen, do you know that based on what you said today, I can..."

In the blink of an eye, Hongli pulled out the saber from its sheath, and pointed the sword point at He Shen: "I can put you on the spot." Hongli looked at the person kneeling on the ground with red eyes, and his voice was hoarse Out of shape.

"I know..." He Shen suddenly raised his face, the smile on his face was vivid and decisive: "That's why I implore the emperor, no matter what I said, forgive me for my crime of disrespect, after all, I still want to, Spend more time with the emperor."

Hongli stared at the young man on the ground, the tip of his sword trembled, and finally hung down as if he lost his strength: "He Shen, you have spotted me, and if you saw me, I dare not hurt you, dare not touch you, you win gone."

With a bang, the sword in Hongli's hand fell to the ground.

He Shen leaned forward and grabbed the hem of Hongli's clothes. He said in a hoarse voice: "Hongli, I never thought of threatening you, or in other words, from the day I fell in love with you, I Try to treat you as an ordinary person, you will forget to eat when you are angry, you will snore when you are asleep, and you will feel uncomfortable when you are sick. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, you have me by your side. Whether it is the emperor or not, there is no necessary connection."

Hongli stared at him blankly, and finally reached out to help him up.

The emperor stared at He Shen, and suddenly smiled and said: "It is worthwhile to hear your thoughts. But He Shen, loyal to the emperor, is the foundation of a person's life. Choosing the master to live in is really risking the world." It's a shame."

He Shen paused, then softened his tone and said: "I understand, but this loyalty cannot be foolish loyalty. I firmly believe that the ministers in the world, who have read poems and books, and serve the imperial court, should benefit the people. If The people themselves have no well-being to speak of, and such a monarch does not deserve the allegiance of his ministers."

Hongli stared at the young man for a long time, until Heshen thought that there would be no more words, Hongli said slowly: "Heshen, why don't I understand these principles, and I will tell you the truth, if The courtiers of the whole court think like you, the country and mountains of the Qing Dynasty will be wiped out in an instant. Once the monarch, how can everyone be wise and capable, because there are these foolish and loyal people in the court. The play can go on and on.”

He Shen looked at Hongli with tears in his eyes: "Your Majesty, if the show can't go on, there will always be a day when the show will end, and there will always be a shocking side that wakes up everyone in the play. But at the end of the play, everyone When it is scattered, maybe there are only ruins and broken rivers and mountains left."

When Hongli heard the words, his eyes were closed tightly, as if there was a crystal slip.

The emperor's voice floated in the empty hall.

"Really, is there no other way?"

He Shen had never bowed to Hongli so solemnly and said: "Your Majesty, enlightening the people's wisdom is the only way. Only in this way can the throne of the Qing Dynasty be passed on. For the emperor, Aixinjueluo's descendants, from now on To become the emperor of Xiaoyao and the prince of Xiaoyao, with no worries about food and clothing, and a life of prosperity, may be the best ending."

Hongli opened his eyes and looked at a small sliver of daylight coming in from the gate of the palace, as if he saw the future of the Qing Dynasty and the life he had stolen.

He slowly stretched out his hand towards He Shen, and watched He Shen walk towards him as he did at the beginning, until he clenched his hands tightly.At that moment, both of them realized like a blessed soul: it turns out that in this life, there were many mistakes and going around, just to meet you.

A few days ago, the civil servants who were full of confidence and ambition could hardly believe their ears when they heard the imperial decree outside the hall.

According to historical records of later generations, Aixinjueluo Hongli, Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty, was diligent, self-denying, and hard-working. His actions such as opening up ports for trade and establishing Chinese and Western schools contributed to the continuous success of the Qing Dynasty.

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