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  "Why don't you come out and share my worries?" To say that there are not many ministers who can be used, it is possible that only Li Wei, Ertai, Tian Wenjing and a few others can be trusted. If Li Rongbao can also take on a practical position, it would be even better.

  Yongzheng is quite a person with human feelings. Since becoming in-laws with Li Rongbao, whom he admires, he would often take time out to have meals and rest on schedule, and occasionally summon several of his brothers to the Qianqing Palace for a chat and to maintain their relationship. After early court sessions, when there were no other matters to attend to, he would sometimes keep Li Rongbao and Woshitu, another in-law, behind for a conversation. However, Woshitu adhered strictly to the rules of monarch and subject, whereas Li Rongbao was more casual and equal in his demeanor, giving Yongzheng a sense of "friendship" and "familial intimacy", which pleased him greatly.

  Poor Yongzheng, he had few friends when he was not an emperor, and after becoming the emperor, even his close brother Yunxiang became more and more formal with him, making him increasingly isolated.

  It's okay, the situation is improving now. Not only the thirteenth brother, but also the sixteenth and seventeenth brothers have become more affectionate towards me. It seems that my previous harsh treatment of my brothers has intimidated them.

  "My sons are all grown up and have taken office, the Emperor has also granted me a noble title... Enough, what's the point of having the whole family squeeze into the imperial court!"

  Yongzheng was taken aback by the words, and someone else complained that there were too many officials in their household. "You're still so healthy but not striving to make progress, how can you bear it?" The words carried a hint of unconscious resentment.

  He didn't know that Li Rongbao was also being hinted at by the woman, and since he himself thought it wasn't a formal court meeting and they weren't discussing state affairs, he acted like this. Otherwise, with his usual dignified and respectful demeanor in front of the emperor, he wouldn't have been so casual, even though they had a brief period of friendship when they were young.

  But since chatting with the emperor a few times, he couldn't help but sympathize with this cold-faced and warm-hearted emperor, feeling that his series of tough measures made himself hated by everyone without anyone close to him was really pitiful (his daughter had hinted at it before)...... felt that if he could guide him in life and make him live more comfortably, it wouldn't be bad.

  Li Rongbao's current life is wonderful, his son is successful, his daughter is sensible, the family is harmonious, and the clan is prosperous... all of this is thanks to the superior being a wise ruler, who knows people and uses them well, and is not stingy with rewards. As a minister, it's also acceptable to repay him slightly.

  "The emperor doesn't understand this, the children of poor people have to take responsibility early on and can't do small things. How will they do big things? They need to be tempered from the bottom up, so that when they go to the battlefield, they'll have a better chance of survival. An easily obtained family business won't make people cherish it, gains without hard work are easily squandered... I'm also tempering them to be self-reliant and independent. Isn't it said that jade must be carved to become a useful vessel? That's what I mean."

  "Besides, I've been quite interested in going abroad recently. After the New Year, I plan to discuss with my second brother and let some of our younger generation go out and broaden their horizons."

  Are the children of poor people ready to take charge early? If small things are not done, how can big things be done? Let them be tempered from the grassroots, and when they go to the battlefield in the future, they will have a chance to survive. The family business that is too easily obtained will not make people cherish it, and the harvest without hard work will be easily squandered...

  Yongzheng suddenly felt that his tempering of his son was still too shallow. Wasn't he himself, because in his early years as a prince, often personally went to the local areas to provide disaster relief and saw with his own eyes the difficulties of the common people, thus firmly establishing his determination to build a strong and prosperous Qing dynasty, allowing the common people to live a warm, full, and stable life? Wasn't he himself, while serving in the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue, aware that the national treasury was empty and the country's finances were difficult, thus forgetting sleep and food, working hard to do practical things, striving to revive the Qing dynasty?

  Shouldn't they also let Hongli and Hongxu suffer a bit, experience the difficulties of the people's lives, and understand the various predicaments that the Qing dynasty is currently facing?! Otherwise, if they are raised like Eighth Brother Yunxi, with all their talents wasted on just being called "Wise King", how will I be able to face my ancestors after I die?!

  The idea flashed through his mind and he took note of it.

  "It's not the New Year yet, there are still more than half a year to go before the Spring Festival." Now I'm starting to realize that I don't have to do everything myself, but you guys aren't coming out to help me, it's really unreasonable.

  Li Rongbao was somewhat unhappy when he mentioned this. "I still have to prepare for my daughter's wedding." Yunzhu is just coming of age, is it necessary to rush into marriage like this?

  Yongzheng felt a bit uneasy, coughed lightly and picked up his cup to drink tea. "Why are you suddenly interested in overseas?" As soon as he mentioned overseas, he thought of the missionaries who were expelled recently, and his eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.

  "The other day, the missionaries made a big fuss. I discussed it with several sons at home and my daughter overheard us. She said something that makes sense to me. She said: 'Why do other countries send missionaries to our Great Qing? Why don't they leave even when we ask them to? Far away from their hometown, who doesn't miss their home? Is our Great Qing really that good or is there another purpose? I think our Great Qing should also send people to understand their country.'"

  Yongzheng was silent. Since the end of Kangxi's reign, the number and influence of missionaries in the Qing Dynasty had been increasing day by day. He also thought that there might be ulterior motives behind these missionaries, but the Qing Dynasty alone made him exhausted, and he really couldn't spare his hands to deal with those overseas barbarians, so he only took the action of expulsion.

  "This is a good idea." He tapped his hand on the kang table, "The other day I heard that your twelfth brother said that Hongshi also wants to go out to sea and take a look. Why don't you just follow along with Ai Cheng's relatives at that time? There will be someone to take care of you."

  Zhen Guo Gong Yun You has been restored to the title of Duoluo Lüguang Wang, three years earlier than in history. The third son of the emperor, Hongshi, died on August 6th as recorded in history, but in reality, he was allowed by Yun You to continue living with a Han Chinese household registration under the name Chen Hongyi in Haining.

  "Your Majesty, this... the risk of going out to sea is very great, there's always a possibility of being buried at sea..." Li Rongbao furrowed his brow. A prince, although "already dead", but after all, the Emperor knew he was alive. If he followed his own son and nephews out to sea, wouldn't that be like offering sacrifices to the Buddha?!

  Yongzheng waved his hand, "I and the 12th brother have already told him carefully, that kid is a stubborn one who refuses to listen to advice, let him be, ah!" He sighed, looking worried, "If something happens, it's also his fate, I won't blame him."

  The emperor said so, Li Rongbao couldn't say anything to oppose it, and had no choice but to tell his daughter about the various diseases that might occur at sea, the risks they might encounter, and reported them all to Yongzheng. In his words, he also mentioned that the Qing dynasty's tea leaves, porcelain, and silk were very popular in foreign countries, and could be disguised as merchants... He was just afraid of being attacked by pirates and so on.

  Li Rongbao said with a straight face, talking about the ocean and merchants... his words couldn't hide his worry. Yongzheng almost wanted to laugh, but suddenly remembered Yunzhu investing half of her dowry in maritime trade and her words "With reason, you can travel all over the world; without money, it's hard to take a step". His face stiffened instantly, he still hadn't forgotten her words "Otherwise, go ask the Emperor".

  Control the twitching corners of her mouth, and only she dared to speak out her difficulties openly. Even if she herself couldn't shout everywhere, she resented those dissatisfied people who thought that obtaining this world was a great blessing for me.

  No money, every step is difficult to take. One cannot just point to the integrity of officials and the meager blood-and-sweat earnings of the people from their land... Is maritime trade not also a matter of competing with the people for profit? Anyway, it's not as if they are the "people" of the Qing dynasty, even if they were, what then?

  If there is only risk and no huge profit on the ocean, why would foreigners travel thousands of miles by boat? Shouldn't the Qing dynasty also establish its own naval force?! Yongzheng narrowed his eyes like a black slate, let the Fuca family try the water first, and he still had to sort out this land of the Qing dynasty...

  At this time, Li Rongbao was still thinking that he had already taken preventive measures with the emperor, and when Fu Ning and Fu Yu returned from their voyage, many materials could be presented to the emperor directly... He didn't expect at all that a year later, when he saw Chen Hongyi leading over a dozen ships of goods and soldiers as he sent off his son and nephew, he would be left staring blankly in shock.

  After more than a dozen days, Hongli processed the memorials and materials he had reviewed, gradually getting to the bottom of the Qing dynasty.

  Really poor and pale!

  Money is needed everywhere!!

  Hongli suddenly discovered that he, as an imperial prince, was also very "poor".

  He broke out in a cold sweat, thinking that the imperial court under Emperor Wu's rule was harmonious and prosperous, but beneath it was such a corrupt bureaucracy. His father, the emperor, had a reputation for being strict and harsh, mostly due to his relentless pursuit of collecting debts owed to the national treasury...

  After the emperor ascended to the throne, a large part of his national policy was devoted to developing people's livelihoods. For the border areas, he vigorously developed the economy, stabilized the herdsmen, restored trade between regions, and implemented the policy of "changing the soil and returning to the flow" in the southwestern region, opening up wasteland and planting, strengthening central control over local governance. These policies had a great impact on the interests of the western frontier tribal leaders and the southwestern tusi, so there were many regional ethnic rebellions in these years...

  The Qing soldiers need to suppress the rebellion, but they need sufficient food and grass. The problem is that the Qing dynasty inherited by the emperor has no money and no grain... No wonder the emperor is so strict and heavily punishes corruption! No wonder the eighth uncle and others were not willing to give up the fight for the throne and spread rumors and created trouble, making the emperor so angry!!!

  He severely cracked down on his friends and political enemies, even stripping his own brothers of their titles and imprisoning them... Sometimes even he felt it was too much! But now, he thought it was too lenient! Weren't they also descendants of the Aisin Gioro family?! As soon as he thought about the hardships his imperial father had endured every day for these past few years, a feeling of heartache rose up in his chest for the first time.

  Dazed, he returned to the Yonghe Palace from the Qianqing Palace, completely unaware of Wu Shu's worried gaze behind him. He needed a good rest, a long sleep, or a good release...

  "Grandfather, what's wrong? Are you heat-stroked?" Fu Cha Fuling saw him unlike his usual steady and cheerful self, with sweat beading on his forehead in the evening sun. She couldn't help but throw away her original intention of pretending to run into him, and instead rushed forward to support him, saying to Autumn Leaf beside her: "Quickly, quickly go back and prepare some mung bean soup..."

  "Yes." Akira hurriedly returned to the courtyard where Fucha's residence was located to prepare hot water.

  "I'm fine." Hongli nodded slightly and followed Fulinga back to her courtyard, where he drank a bowl of iced green bean soup under her service, and the sulking in his heart indeed dissipated a lot. "You're thoughtful!"

  "Look, I'm telling you, your healthy body is our blessing." Seeing the annoyance and depression in Hongli's heart, Fulinga carefully didn't ask anything, only attentively brought over a refreshing green tea, knowing he was hungry she also had someone bring up some light porridge dishes, and then gently served him as he washed up... taking care of everything with consideration.

  On the other side, Gao Lü heard from someone below that Hong Li had been intercepted by Fucha's sister and was so angry that she smashed several teacups.

  This anger continued into the second day and turned into a deep-seated resentment: "How could he have stayed with that cheap woman for a whole day and night?!"

  It's too exaggerated to say that it was a whole day and night, at most from last night till the early morning of the second day. However, the angry Gao Lü Mi wouldn't calculate so precisely. Since she entered the Forbidden City, she had never seen Emperor Qianlong spend an entire night with any princess or concubine, let alone adding the time from dusk onwards.

  Nor did I know what kind of wicked trickery that despicable woman Fuling had come up with...

  Since Dr. Liu diagnosed her and confirmed that she had been given a large dose of infertility medicine, she was in a state of extreme anger, and the target was naturally Fulin'A, another princess. Who else would have dared to do this to her? Zhangshi and Liushi? Hmph.

  Fortunately, Dr. Liu said that the colorless and tasteless contraceptive pill generally has a mild effect, as long as you take good care of yourself for a few years, you can still eliminate some of the medicinal effects... Otherwise, she would have to kill that cheap woman immediately! If this revenge is not avenged, she will not be Gao Lüwei!!