Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

Chapter 1261 Zhen Huan Enlarged to 184

The opportunity for Zhang Tingyu to open up to Emperor Qianlong was actually brought to him by lychees, which have small fruits but actually represent a great and even profound meaning.

Zhang Tingyu really couldn't understand it. Qianlong had witnessed the crazy and extravagant behavior of the Yangzhou salt merchants with his own eyes, and he hated it at the time. But when he arrived in Hangzhou, he didn't do anything about the widespread practice among the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River to transport fruit-bearing lychee trees from Guangdong and Guangxi to satisfy their own appetites. He even seemed to agree with it vaguely.

Zhang Tingyu advised earnestly: "Your Majesty, for the sake of a small appetite, you have people transport living or even fruit-bearing lychee trees from Guangdong and Guangxi to Jiangnan. This is really -"

Zhang Tingyu was speechless because he was too angry, but his look of disappointment showed that he hated it deeply. He came today to persuade Qianlong to find a way to stop such extravagance as soon as possible, even though the purpose of Qianlong's trip to the south of the Yangtze River was to appease the gentry and people in the south of the Yangtze River.

When Qianlong saw Zhang Tingyu's grief-stricken look, most of his awe for Zhang Tingyu's "authority" disappeared.

That day, Qianlong asked Jiang Xinxin for advice, hoping that Zhang Tingyu would stop always going against him. Although he failed, he took Jiang Xinxin's words to heart. So even if he was impatient with Zhang Tingyu now, he was willing to give Zhang Tingyu a chance.

However, Qianlong could not explain to Zhang Tingyu, showing weakness. He just asked Zhang Tingyu: "Mr. Zhang, you think this move is a waste of money and labor. Do the people you think you have troubled think the same as you? Or who do you think the Jiangnan gentry has hurt?"

"Or today you pointed out that the gentry in Jiangnan are extravagant and wasteful, but you are actually blaming the Queen Mother for starting this trend?!"

Zhang Tingyu was so angry that he almost jumped up and pointed at Qianlong's nose and cursed.

However, even though Zhang Tingyu still remembered Qianlong's identity, he calmed down a little, but still couldn't help but say something accusingly: "Your Majesty, do you think anyone is qualified to compare with the Empress Dowager?"

Although Zhang Tingyu had never communicated with Jiang Xinxin, Big Fat Ju was a particular person. He would always mention Jiang Xinxin when doing things, and occasionally even discuss with Zhang Tingyu the meaning behind Jiang Xinxin's various actions. Therefore, Zhang Tingyu believed that he knew Jiang Xinxin very well, and he himself admired Jiang Xinxin's character.

If there was anyone in the court who didn't think Jiang Xinxin had feelings for the queen, Zhang Tingyu would be the first one.

Qianlong realized that he had misunderstood Zhang Tingyu, but his prejudice against Zhang Tingyu and his status prevented him from saying a soft word. He turned away and said, "As long as the people of the world do not waste money and do not exploit or oppress others, then all their actions are beyond reproach."

Zhang Tingyu was deeply disappointed with Qianlong's remarks. In his opinion, Qianlong really let down the previous emperor's painstaking efforts and was even unable to maintain the good situation left by the previous emperor.

However, as a subject, Zhang Tingyu felt that he could not give up advising Qianlong, even if it was just to repay the late emperor's kindness. But now Qianlong obviously would not listen to any more words like wasting money and manpower, so he could only find another direction to advise: "Has the emperor forgotten that the shipping of lychee trees by sea was initiated by the Empress Dowager?"

"If this extravagant behavior cannot be stopped in time, tomorrow the imperial court will be filled with memorials impeaching the Empress Dowager!"

Zhang Tingyu almost pointed at Qianlong and scolded him for being a rogue and not taking the country seriously. He couldn't let the reputation of Jiang Xinxin, the empress dowager who was highly praised by the people, be tarnished!

Qianlong felt that he had been talking to Zhang Tingyu for so long, but he was still talking to a deaf person. He felt more and more aggrieved, but he could not give up: "I have no such intention. It's just that the Empress Dowager has heard about this matter, and her view on this matter is the same as mine. As long as the other party does not take it by force or oppress and intimidate by using his status, there is nothing to prohibit."

Coincidentally, Zhang Tingyu also felt that he couldn't make it through with Emperor Qianlong, so he asked Emperor Qianlong to see Jiang Xinxin, "Your Majesty, I request to see the Empress Dowager to discuss this matter with her."

Qianlong was overjoyed when he heard this, but he immediately suppressed his excitement. He turned around and looked at Zhang Tingyu. After taking a few deep breaths, he finally calmed down a little and agreed with his decision to find a new way. "Since Lord Zhang said so, I am not an unreasonable person. You can hand the sign to the Empress Dowager."

To be honest, Zhang Tingyu was really choked by Qianlong's decisiveness.

He did want to find another way through Jiang Xinxin, but seeing that Qianlong agreed to let him meet Jiang Xinxin so readily, he couldn't help but wonder if Qianlong had already brainwashed Jiang Xinxin in advance. No, he had convinced Jiang Xinxin in advance, so he was so confident in letting him meet Jiang Xinxin.

But he didn't have time to think too much. In the afternoon, under Qianlong's arrangement, he met Jiang Xinxin, who was dressed in a soft lake blue gauze.

Zhang Tingyu walked over and knelt down to greet her. It was also the first time that Jiang Xinxin met Zhang Tingyu alone in private. Although this old guy's beard and hair were all gray, he was still handsome. It was obvious that he must have had an extraordinary appearance when he was young.

After a short break, Jiang Xinxin called out with a smile, "Master Zhang, please get up. Jianqiu, please take a seat."

Zhang Tingyu, dressed in an official uniform, sat respectfully on the embroidered cushion brought by Jianqiu. He was no longer in a hurry. He first expressed his concern for Jiang Xinxin's food, clothing, housing and transportation, then missed the late emperor and recalled his merits and demerits over the years. Then he said the purpose of his visit: "Empress Dowager, now the gentry and merchants in Jiangnan are following your example of shipping lychee trees from Guangdong and Guangxi. I am worried that this move will waste people's money and labor, and will bring unnecessary criticism to your Majesty."

Jiang Xinxin accepted Zhang Tingyu's kindness, but was not prepared to change her mind. She said, "Zhang Tingyu, Zhang Tingyu, there are always some areas in this world that you are not good at. In order not to make mistakes in these areas and not to cause trouble for the emperor, your best approach is to not interfere."

As soon as these words came out, Zhang Tingyu was more certain that Jiang Xinxin had been persuaded by Qianlong. He was so anxious that his eyes turned red and tears flashed: "Empress Dowager!"

"I am truly selfless and loyal to the Emperor and the Queen Mother!"

Jiang Xinxin realized that she had added fuel to the fire, so she quickly explained, "I was the one who had the intention to guide the rich to spend their money. As long as the way they spend money does not involve plunder or other illegal acts, we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater."

"For example, the matter of the lychee trees. Everyone knows that I am wealthy and have a fleet under my control. So even though I spent a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources to transport four lychee trees from Guangdong and Guangxi, outsiders would at most say that I am extravagant, but they would not suspect that I was wasting money or robbing people."

"It's just like the Japanese palace nowadays has people go to the bun shops on the street to buy all the leftover buns and send them to the Children's Bureau. The palace spends money, the elderly, the weak and the disabled in the Children's Bureau get a good meal, and the bun shop owner may be inspired to buy some meat for his family because of the unexpected money and enjoy a meat meal."

"So the money I spent went from the bun seller to the butcher, and the butcher used the money to buy pigs, so the money went to the pig farmer."

Needless to say, Zhang Tingyu has already figured out the rest.