Rong Lu naturally also heard the dissatisfaction in Yuan Bao's words, but he didn't know how to comfort his brother either.
In fact, such dissatisfaction is relatively common among the Manchu men within the Forbidden City.
The Manchu men don't have to worry about eating, as they have a steady income from their land and their job is relatively easy to obtain. They don't have to borrow money like Chinese officials and scholars to buy their position. However, they also have their own hardships. They are "big head not hungry, small head hungry" - the eight banners are difficult to marry!
They are governed by the ancestral laws of not marrying between Manchus and Han, although it is not impossible for a Manchu man to marry a Han woman, but it is still quite troublesome. This involves the problem of raising the flag status of a Han woman, and there are many joints to be cleared. After all, these Manchu women also have an iron rod farm to eat.
Bringing in one means a fixed expenditure!
The various headquarters of the eight banners wouldn't be able to let people in, would they? That's impossible!
Moreover, since the Qing Emperor Gongzong Qianlong's reign, the Manchu flag group has begun to expel many descendants of Han collaborators who helped the Qing dynasty across the river. They have been expelled from the flag and become commoners!
Under such circumstances, the quota for bringing people in is very limited.
Among the Manchu women, those between the ages of 13 and 16 are required to participate in the interior ministry's selection.
This is not just a selection made by the emperor himself, but also involves a large number of Prince gongzis, gongwangs, beilus, and beisus of the Aisin Gioro family, as well as various hereditary generals.
The leftovers from the emperor's selection are then picked over by a myriad of royal households, beile households, beizi households, and general households. It is only after this picking and choosing that the ordinary children of the eight banners get a turn.
In addition, the daughters of the inferior eunuchs are also selected to be palace maids and attendants to the noble families. Even if they are not employed by their masters, they must wait until they reach the age of 25 before being released.
This way, not to mention the ordinary Manchu flag children, even for the eighth flag children at the level of Yuan Bao and Rong Lu, it is a bit difficult to marry a wife who can make ends meet.
And due to the Aisin Gioro family's generation after generation of "cherry picking," constantly taking in the most attractive-looking Manchu sisters, the appearances of both the Manchu sons and daughters have gradually declined.
A face like that of Lan Guiren or Li Guiren would only be considered middle to upper level in Han Chinese women, but among the Manchu women in Beijing, these were sky-high beauties. These two flowers were planted in the compost pile of Xianfeng!
You can just say how annoying it is!
Even more outrageous! The eighth flag children cannot even marry a better-looking eighth flag sister, let alone an ugly one, but when fighting the Taiping army, they still have to go and die!
Rong Lu's father and uncle both sent, Yuan Bao almost sent. In the past two years, there have been many lower-ranking Manchu children who were also sent away.
Many people didn't even get to marry and gave their lives for nothing!
Thinking about this, Rong Lu's tears couldn't help but come, but he still said to Yuan Bao, "Brother Yuan, don't say these things. It's not good for people to hear it. Besides, today the country is in chaos and facing a crisis. This is the time for our eighth-flag children to achieve great things. As long as there are days of becoming a marquis or a minister, there will be no lack of good matches."
"Accomplish great deeds?" Yuan Bao flipped his eyelid and looked at his cousin, "Zhonghua, do you really want to accomplish great deeds?"
"Yes!" Rong Lu nodded resolutely, "My father and uncle were killed by the Taiping rebels! How can one not avenge national and family grievances?" He sighed again, "Moreover, the pillar of my family has been broken. If I don't take over, our family may collapse."
"Okay!" Yuan Bao nodded, put down his cup, and smiled, "You are indeed a good son of the Guali Jia family. Rest assured, brother will lead you to accomplish great deeds!"
"Truly!" Rong Lu gratefully looked at Yuan Bao.
"Of course it's true!" Yuan Bao slammed his hand on the table, "Send someone to pay for me, Zhonghua. Come with your brother!"
"Where are we going?" Rong Lu asked.
Yuan Bao smiled: "Let's go to the eight great alleys and visit the brothels!"
"This, this isn't appropriate, is it?" Rong Lu was a bit embarrassed, not realizing that visiting the eight great alleys was considered to be accumulating good deeds. "I'm still in mourning. What if someone reports it up?"
"Don't worry about it!" Yuan Bao waved his hand and smiled, "You're going to war to fight demons and monsters. Who can blame you? Will anyone stop you from going to war?"
Come with me tonight. Let's be men! Don't die still a virgin!”
"Ke Zhai, today I spoke to the emperor and told him to let you take Yuan Bao, Bai S Wen, Tu Lama, and a thousand strong Manchu troops from Beijing southward to fight demons and evil spirits! You must do well, and make our Xiang Bai flag proud!"
"Gongye, this is a rare opportunity!"
"Hmm, this is indeed a rare opportunity. I have a few dependable bodyguards in my residence, let's bring them along as well! Old-in-law, do you have anyone you can recommend?"
"Prince, my distant nephew Wen Xiang is a talented person."
"Alright, let him go with us and gain some experience! It would be best if we could find an opportunity to take some troops under our command, so we won't feel anxious!"
"Prince, this is.
"This day and age is troubled. The emperor is weak and has no offspring. If anything were to happen..."
In the former Qing Prince's mansion, the returning Gong Xinfu was giving his trusted aide Sheng Bao and his father-in-law Guiliang the task of fighting demons and evil spirits!
Of course, while fighting demons and evil spirits, Gong Prince still wants to seize some military power!
Although he himself is not a "Great Qing heavenly appointed person," it seems that the history of the Qing Dynasty has not produced a regent prince like his uncle before.
And just thinking about the fate of that regent prince, Gong Xinfu tightly clenched his fists!
On the same evening, the Jiu Zhou Qing Yan Hall in the Yuan Mingyuan Imperial Garden echoed with the unrestrained laughter of Emperor Aisin Gioro Yazhu: "Ha ha ha! The mooncake of this Niulala demon is indeed marvelous! I have not felt this unrestricted for a long time!"
"This is not the wonder of the Niulao demon's mooncake, but rather the majesty and might of Your Imperial Majesty!"
Lan Guiren gathered her hair into a braid, and a few drops of sweat rolled down her white neck. Her beautiful face with delicate eyes staring straight at Xianfeng's muddy face, but Xianfeng said:
"Lan'er, I will flip your tablet tomorrow, and you must bear a son for me so that my dynasty can continue!"
Xianfeng's greatest concern at the moment is not the Taiping Rebellion in the south, nor are the foreigners far away across the seas. It is actually his good brother, Prince Gong Yi Xun.
To be honest, if Xianfeng dies suddenly tonight, Prince Gong Yixun will be the natural successor tomorrow!
Xianfeng thought about this, and he really couldn't sleep peacefully!
"Yes, your servant will do her best," Guiren Guiren pursed her lips, knelt on the kang (heated bed), and bowed to Xianfeng, "Your servant, with the grace of Your Imperial Majesty, would like to serve Your Majesty once more."
Xianfeng laughed loudly and said, "Good! I haven't enjoyed myself yet!"
"Sirs, Sirs! Great calamity has befallen!"
That same night, in the round garden, at the office of the military affairs ministers on duty, the ministers Pan Yunzhang and Mu Yin, who were dozing off, were abruptly woken by a series of urgent knocks on the door.
The two military affairs ministers looked at each other, and Mu Yin, who was younger in rank, immediately asked: "What's going on?"
An urgent and quick voice of a young official came from outside: "The second ministers, an urgent dispatch from the commissioner's office of Qinzhou and the General Government of Guangdong Province. The rebel bandits suddenly invaded the territory of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, capturing the county town of Guan Yang and besieging the city of Lianzhu!"
"Captured Guan Yang and besieged Lianzhou?" The military affairs minister Pan Yunzhang was shocked, "This just happened a few days after the death of Yu Wanqing and the fall of Daozhou City!"
Mu Yin said: "Isn't the target of the Yue bandits the two Guangdong provinces? The Yue bandits are believers in Western magic, attacking two Guangdong is to betray the country and conspire with Western demons?"
The military affairs official outside added: "The second ministers, there is more! The Yue bandits have divided lands and abolished debts in the territories of Yongfu and Guiyang, spreading the 'Book of Treachery' everywhere. They want to induce the officials of the Qing Dynasty and the scholars all over the world to rebel!"
"Is that true? What exactly do these rebels want to do?"
"There's no need to guess. They definitely want to incite the poor people all over the world to become enemies of our Qing Dynasty!"
