Liu Yong (Complete Two Volumes)

Author: Zhao Hui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-12-01
Features: Liu Yong (1719—1804), styled Chongru, known as Shian, was a native of Zhucheng, Shandong. Son of Grand Secretary Liu Tongxun, he passed the imperial examination in the sixteenth year of the Qianlong reign and was later appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He rose to the position of Grand Secretary of the Tiren Pavilion and was granted the title of Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince. Liu Yong's life was full of hardships, and he was physically disabled, yet he was a honest official, a wise man, a humorist, and also a poet and calligrapher. This book takes Liu Yong as the main character, with tangential references to historical figures such as the Qianlong Emperor, Heshen, and the Jiaqing Emperor, among others. The narrative follows a chronological timeline as the thread, with Liu Yong's struggles against Heshen, his playful interactions with the Qianlong Emperor, and his efforts to uphold justice for the people as the weft, creating a rich and diverse tapestry. It presents readers with a fresh perspective on Liu Yong, known as "Liu Luogu." Scenes such as the theft of the Yongle Dadian, his rivalry with the Qianlong Emperor over marriage, his playful exchanges with foreign women, and his recruitment of the White Lotus Sect are all little-known stories. With his wit and humor, he carried a bold ambition and was hailed as the "White-faced Bao Gong" of the Great Qing Dynasty. Heshen glanced around, dismissed his attendants, and then said, "Hefu, come here—" Hefu stepped forward, and Heshen whispered to him. After listening, Hefu patted his chest and said, "It's nothing serious, Your Excellency. Don't worry, I'll have someone take care of it within three days." Before leaving, Heshen added, "Make sure not to reveal your identity. The person you're looking for must be thorough and leave no trace. As for gold and silver, do as you see fit. Just go directly to the accountant in charge of the treasury for any amount needed. Don't come to me unless there's something urgent!" "Yes, Your Excellency, I will obey!" That day, Liu Yong was in his mansion, assisting his father with medicine. Due to his father's serious illness, Liu Yong had taken leave from his duties at the Wuying Hall for several days. Just then, someone from the Hanlin Academy came looking for Liu Yong, reporting a major incident: eight volumes of the imperial collection of the Yongle Dadian stored in the Wuying Hall had gone missing overnight. Liu Yong heard this and was frantic. He quickly called for his family to give instructions and then rushed straight to the Wuying Hall's book repair office. When Liu Yong arrived, he found Ji Xiaolan, Gao E, and others waiting outside. After briefly learning the situation, he ordered someone to report the matter to the authorities while personally going to the palace to inform the emperor. The Qianlong Emperor was playing chess with Heshen in the Yangxin Hall when he heard that eight volumes of the Yongle Dadian had been stolen from the Wuying Hall. With a loud bang, he threw the chess piece onto the table and roared, "Preposterous! How dare someone dare to steal from the Wuying Hall! If this gets out, the whole world will laugh at us! Bring in Grand Secretary Fu Dong, the head of the palace guards, and ask him who was on duty last night. How is it that the theft in the palace went unnoticed? If this continues, it'll be as if assassins can come and go freely in the imperial palace!" Heshen, seeing that the emperor was not blaming Liu Yong but instead scolding the palace guards, felt slightly disappointed but said nothing. After the Qianlong Emperor's anger subsided slightly, he said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the theft of the Yongle Dadian may not necessarily mean that the palace's security is lax. Please consider this: if a common thief were to enter the palace to steal, there are countless treasures here—why would they target a few worn books? There must be something more to this—" Heshen deliberately trailed off. The Qianlong Emperor nodded, as if he had understood, and asked, "Heshen, what do you think?" "In my humble opinion, the person who stole the Yongle Dadian must be a book lover, someone who lives and breathes books. The Wuying Hall has always been heavily guarded, so how could an outsider get in? Besides, the Yongle Dadian was never stored in the Wuying Hall in the first place. It was only moved there recently for the compilation of the Siku Quanshu. Few common people, and even fewer officials in the court, knew that the Yongle Dadian was in the Wuying Hall. Therefore, I believe the thief must be someone from the Siku Quanshu compilation team." Heshen said this, glancing at Liu Yong and inwardly smirking, before calmly adding, "Your Majesty, solving this case won't be difficult. We just need to arrest all the members of the compilation team, subject them to harsh interrogation, and search their homes." "Hmm, Heshen, if you say so, you have confidence in solving this case. Very well, then I will entrust this case to you—" "Your Majesty, this method is absolutely not to be used!" Liu Yong knelt and pleaded before the emperor even finished speaking. "Why not?" "Because—"