Chapter Thirty-Four

Emperor Kangxi already knew about what happened at the palace banquet.

The fact that Consort Suo'etu had so boldly and arrogantly insulted the Crown Princess, especially Consort Fucha's charge of 'disrespecting the royal family,' indeed displeased Emperor Kangxi.

Even though she was a member of the royal family, there was still a significant difference between the royal family and the imperial family.

Moreover, what does the matter of the crown prince have to do with the Hesheli?

Soetu's reach is truly long. If Bao Cheng hadn't been so astute in discovering that the woman was a traitor, the news of the Qing Crown Prince's murder in his maternal clan would have spread throughout the court and the country, and the Qing imperial family would have been utterly disgraced.

He couldn't even manage his wife properly, so the matter of being reinstated to his original position was left unresolved and shelved.

At the same time, an imperial edict was issued to reprimand Consort Hesheli. When Consort Hesheli received the imperial edict, her father-in-law had not yet read it and thought that the emperor had taken a liking to her daughter and wanted to send her to Yuqing Palace.

After all, none of the women in Yuqing Palace were of any use, but her daughter was different; she was plump and radiant, clearly a woman who could bear children easily.

The Crown Prince currently has no children. If a son born out of wedlock were to be born, he would certainly be made a Noble Consort or even an Imperial Noble Consort upon ascending the throne, effectively becoming a secondary empress, with limitless potential...

Soetu thought the emperor was forgiving his previous foolish behavior and was full of anticipation.

Both women were filled with anticipation, but when the imperial edict was read, the expressions of both Suo'etu and Hesheli Fujin immediately darkened.

However, the emperor's decree was an act of grace, and they had no choice but to kneel and express their gratitude, forcing smiles on their faces, not daring to let the eunuch delivering the decree discover their dissatisfaction.

After seeing off the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, Suo'etu glared fiercely at his wife.

Consort Hesheli felt that the Emperor was making a mountain out of a molehill. She hadn't done anything at all; she had only encouraged the royal family to have children. Wasn't it only natural for her to marry into Yuqing Palace and have children for the Crown Prince?

Since the Crown Princess is not suitable, let's replace her with another princess.

Little did he know that Empress Hesheli's sarcastic remarks were interpreted by Kangxi as insults directed at the Crown Prince. This was something only he knew... oh, and the imperial physician, Liang Jiugong, and the Crown Prince knew as well.

Both Liang Jiugong and the imperial physician preferred to remain unaware of this secret.

In addition to reprimanding Hesheli Fujin, the imperial edict also scolded Suo'etu for his lax discipline and ordered him to stay home and reflect on his actions for three more years.

One year, then three years...

Soetu was so angry with his wife that he could only beat his son severely. He couldn't go to court, so his son had to make progress.

If the son can't do it, then the nephew will have to take his place.

At the same time, Suo'etu also took on the responsibility of arranging concubines for his son, but then felt it was not appropriate. He figured that if the first concubine was gone, there was no time to raise a second one.

Using a two-pronged approach, it's clear that Algishan and his wife didn't inherit his intelligence; you can tell just by looking at how foolish the Fujin was.

As for the Fujin's mention of sending her daughter to Yuqing Palace, Suo'etu simply ignored it. Don't you see that the Emperor and the Crown Prince don't like them very much now?

Damn it, it's all that stupid wife's fault.

However, he overlooked the fact that he was the one who initially angered His Highness the Crown Prince and the Emperor. After stripping away a layer of skin from the group of officials who belonged to the Crown Prince's faction, those official positions were replaced by a group of people, most of whom did not belong to the Crown Prince's faction.

Suo'etu felt a bit choked up, but there was nothing he could do; he was no longer the prime minister Suo.

Emperor Kangxi had little objection to Suo'etu's recent ruthless purge of the corrupt officials. After all, such a foolish act of being bribed to plot against the crown prince showed that he was not very intelligent and only knew how to exploit the local people.

As for the others in Hesheli, Kangxi did not condemn them all; after careful selection, there were one or two who were worth considering.

After all, it was the Crown Prince's maternal clan, while Suo'etu was just a maternal uncle. What difference would it make if they were replaced?

Soetu was hoping that after he had properly taught his sons and his wife, and once the Emperor and the Crown Prince had calmed down, he could return to the court.

After all, as an important figure in the princeling faction, Songgotu was indispensable.

At the same time, Kangxi also heard the recent rumors circulating in the palace, which were about Yuqing Palace again.

However, this time it wasn't because of Bao Cheng, but because of the Crown Princess.

The Crown Princess monopolizes the Crown Prince? She can't bear children herself and won't let others have them? Is she jealous?

Kangxi: Nonsense! It was clearly Bao Cheng who listened to me and insisted on drinking aphrodisiac soup to favor the Crown Princess, hoping to give birth to the eldest grandson as soon as possible.

That morning, Kangxi saw the Crown Prince's pale and haggard face, and in order to share the good news with him, he tried his best to cheer up and pretend to be very happy.

What Kangxi didn't know was that just yesterday, Yinreng had finished with the Crown Princess, and the Crown Princess suddenly had a stomachache. He was so frightened that he thought he had hurt the Crown Princess, and then he worried that the Crown Princess's unborn child might be in danger.

A mixture of surprise and anxiety made it difficult for him to sleep soundly that night, which led to his unusual expression when he met Emperor Kangxi the next day.

That's how misunderstandings arise.

Otherwise, why would Emperor Kangxi have told Bao Cheng to take good care of his health? Wasn't it because he was worried that Bao Cheng had overexerted himself and might die before he could recover?

No matter how important a grandson is, he is not as important as preserving the dynasty.

With Kangxi's intervention, the rumors were suppressed without even a ripple.

As one of the powerful figures in the harem, Consort Yi and Consort Rong naturally heard the news, but it was quickly suppressed, and they immediately knew that it was the Emperor's doing.

News from Yuqing Palace has been difficult to get quickly since so many different servants and maids have changed, but has the Crown Princess really monopolized the Crown Prince?

After all this time, doesn't the Emperor care at all?

That shouldn't be the case; isn't this what the Emperor detests the most?

The Crown Princess is so jealous, isn't that a slap in the face to the Emperor? She was chosen by the Emperor with great care, her character and temperament should be top-notch.

There's definitely something fishy going on here.

However, while sending people to gather information, they also instructed the people in their palace to keep their distance from Yuqing Palace. It's possible that a storm might break out soon.

The Crown Prince knew that Jialuo had been angered by Consort Hesheli, so he told Jialuo about the aftermath of the incident.

As for Jialuo's concern, Yinreng said that as a man, how could he lower himself to coax a woman? It would only make her take advantage of him.

At most, his tone was slightly arrogant: "You are carrying my child, so take good care of yourself and keep a good mood. Don't worry about the women in the backyard, I will handle them."

Look how domineering that tone is! The Crown Princess would definitely cheer for me if she heard that. As her god, how could I not protect her? At the very least, pregnant women should keep themselves happy, both physically and mentally.

Jialuo had no feelings for the princesses in the backyard, nor did she torment or pay them any special attention. She followed the usual allowances, since she was using the prince's money anyway.

Because she was in charge of managing the household affairs, she knew exactly how much money was spent in the household, and she wouldn't try to save money for a man.

I spend all of my maximum allowance every day, making a fuss about eating, drinking, and having fun.

After learning that Hesheli Fujin was imprisoned at home to learn manners, Jialuo thought of her four tutors. Oh dear, what a pity! They've all become grandmothers, yet they still have to learn manners.

That's what you call killing someone by destroying their spirit.

Jialuo nodded with a grin. "Not bad, not bad. This kind of punishment is already quite severe. You shouldn't have to be beheaded just because someone insulted you, right?"

Listening to Jia Luo's thoughts, His Highness the Crown Prince slightly raised his eyelids. Execution? How could that be? The Crown Princess's thought process was just that simple.

"By the way, Your Highness, I have something very serious to tell you." Jialuo looked at the Crown Prince seriously; this matter was so important that it concerned her future happiness.

Seeing her serious and earnest expression, and knowing that it concerned their future happiness, Yinreng's expression immediately became serious as well.

"Your Highness, do you know how much our Yuqing Palace spends every day?" Jialuo was only responsible for managing the accounts, not for making money.

Her dowry was so much, but it was her private property. They say that a woman marries a man because she is supported by him in terms of food and clothing.

His Highness the Crown Prince was slightly taken aback. However, he hadn't really calculated the expenses in detail. The men were already exhausted from handling matters in the court, so how could they possibly deal with such trivial matters?

"I don't know, what's wrong?" Yinreng knew that the Crown Princess's sudden question was definitely not about how much the daily expenses of Yuqing Palace were.

Jialuo took out an account book and spread it out in front of His Highness the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, do you know how much our Yuqing Palace spends each month? Our Yuqing Palace is out of money."

When Jialuo said this, she covered her face in surprise and exclaimed, "Your Highness, we're out of money! Do you know that? Can we even afford to raise our child?"

Who would have thought that the crown prince, the heir apparent of a nation, would be penniless? No one would believe it!!!

With a heart full of outcry, she cried out, "The Crown Prince can't afford to support women, he can't afford to raise children, does he expect me, the Crown Princess, to support women for him? No way!!!"

The exclamations and shouts brought the Crown Prince to silence, and he retorted, "How could that be? How could I be poor? My father bestows gifts upon me every year, and there's also the dowry left by my mother..."

“Your Highness, the items bestowed by the Emperor cannot be sold; they can only be viewed and displayed. The Empress Dowager’s shop has been losing money every year, with little income. So… we have no choice but to sell those dowry items.”

Jialuo still remembered, "Your Highness, have you forgotten that some of the embezzled funds that the several matrons and stewards seized were used to compensate the oppressed people, some to cover the deficit, and a lot of the Empress Dowager's dowry?"

"In addition, the expenses in the backyard are indeed quite large, Your Highness." Jialuo also looked through the supplies of several princesses. The broken porcelain and the fine items were sent by people from the Imperial Household Department (bondservant families)... It will have to be accounted for by Yuqing Palace.

Jialuo wouldn't let others mistreat her; sure enough, the money was gone in a flash.

Your Highness: ...

He reached out and took the ledger. Having recently been examining the palace's ledgers, he was quite familiar with them. At a glance, the table Jia Luo had prepared was clear and concise. The expenses of several princesses combined were more than those of Jia Luo, the Crown Princess.

The crown prince immediately became displeased.

On what grounds?

These women are completely useless, yet they dare to waste so much?

At the same time, he was blaming Jialuo, "They used too much, why didn't you stop them?"

“Your Highness, as the Crown Princess, you cannot be harsh or abusive towards the princesses of Yuqing Palace,” the nannies said. They explained that she had just married into Yuqing Palace and had not yet established herself, so she should not do anything harsh to the princesses in the inner quarters, as it would damage her reputation.

Jialuo originally thought... Shouldn't the expenses be managed by her, the Crown Princess who was in charge of the household affairs?

Later, I thought I should at least tell the Crown Prince about what happened at Yuqing Palace. However, the Crown Prince seemed to be busy with something at the time, so he just replied, "Let them do as they please," and left.

[It's all because you said you could do whatever you wanted with them. I thought you were really that capable, with so much money to support such a rich and carefree life.]

After Jialuo's explanation, Yinreng recalled what had happened before. Oh, he was busy competing with his boss at the time and didn't have time to pay attention to these trivial matters, so he just gave a casual reply.

"Actually, it's not that we're broke, it's just that we can't keep going for too long. At our current rate of spending, we'll be broke after the New Year."

Jialuo didn't want to say those words either. Her bright eyes looked at the Crown Prince, as if she were saying to him: Your Highness, I believe you can support me, right?

Your Highness: ...

"Of course." As the crown prince, how could he be broke? He didn't believe it, but he had to accept that the money in the account had been spent. "I'll give it to you tomorrow."

His attitude of "I have plenty of money in my front yard" made Jialuo beam with joy. She knew that His Highness could not possibly be short of money.

The radiance that shone was dazzling. The Crown Prince, who was being praised, was bursting with confidence. As a man, how could he let his woman worry about such a trivial matter?

However, the princesses in the backyard are consuming so much, we must stop them. If they use more than their allotted allowance next time, they should pay for it themselves!

Also, why did Father Emperor send so many women over? He's not going to support them!

While the Crown Prince appeared calm and composed in front of Jia Luo, he was actually agonizing over this problem when he returned to his study in the front courtyard.

The ledgers for the front and back yards were kept separate, so Jialuo was unaware that the Crown Prince in the front yard was out of money.

How can I get money?

While His Highness the Crown Prince was agonizing over this problem in the front courtyard, the princesses in the back courtyard received an imperial edict from him: their allowances wouldn't be reduced, but if they wanted more, they could pay for it themselves.

Princesses: It must be the Crown Princess who spoke ill of them in front of the Crown Prince, deliberately tormenting them.

For the sake of her future life, Princess Li Jia personally went to the kitchen to give some pointers on soup-making techniques. Then, she had someone carry this "soup she had personally prepared" to the study in the front courtyard to request an audience with the Crown Prince.

The Crown Princess just doesn't like them and deliberately torments and abuses them. Waaah, Your Highness, you must stand up for us!

Princess Li Jia had already prepared her lines in her mind, figuring out how to shed tears to win the Crown Prince's pity.

If His Highness the Crown Prince allows me to stay overnight in the front courtyard, I can give birth to a son...

However, to Li Jia's surprise, all her thoughts remained focused on the fact that she was blocked at the entrance of the study in the front courtyard, and His Highness the Crown Prince had no intention of letting her in.

Immediately, Li Jiage was so angry that she stomped her feet.

“Eunuch Shun, I really have something urgent to discuss with His Highness the Crown Prince. It concerns the Crown Princess. Please, please go and inform him.”

How could Princess Li Jia be willing to leave? While pleading with Xiao Shunzi, she even slipped a large silver note into his hand.

Upon hearing that it was about the Crown Princess, Xiao Shunzi immediately became nervous. He knew very well how much the Crown Prince doted on the Crown Princess.

Clutching the silver notes in his hand, Xiao Shunzi glanced at Li Jia Gege as if he were not paying attention. He hadn't expected Li Jia Gege to be so rich.

Upon entering, she first bowed to His Highness the Crown Prince before speaking, "Your Highness, Consort Li Jia is requesting an audience outside. She says she has something to tell you about the Crown Princess."

Yinreng looked up. The Crown Princess? What is it? "Let her in."

Princess Li Jia was quite happy, thinking that His Highness the Crown Prince had finally grown tired of the Crown Princess. She was excited to be the first to try something new.

Upon entering the outer room of the study, Princess Li Jia gazed at His Highness the Crown Prince with tender affection, her delicate figure wanting to present her most beautiful side to him.

She was dressed rather lightly when she arrived, which showed off her graceful figure, but because she had been standing outside for a while, her nose turned red from the cold.

Just as she was about to pay her respects, she sneezed, leaving Xiao Shunzi speechless as he looked at Li Jia Gege. How dare she come before His Highness the Crown Prince when she's sick? Was she trying to infect him?

"Princess Li Jia, are you sick?" If you are sick, stand further away and don't get so close to their Crown Prince.

Princess Li Jia also felt extremely embarrassed. She had just wanted to greet the Crown Prince in a charming manner, but this embarrassing thing happened, and then Eunuch Shun reminded her in such a tone.

Princess Li Jia looked at His Highness the Crown Prince and said, "This humble servant, Li Jia, greets Your Highness. Your Highness, I have come here today to ask for your permission."

Yinreng gave a curt "hmm," revealing their inner thoughts. He knew that Princess Li Jia had only come to complain about being "limited her allowance."

Yinreng felt he had done more than enough, supporting these useless women, letting them eat and drink for free...

It's heartbreaking to even think about it.

No, he's the crown prince, how can he be so petty?

Yinreng then recalled when he had developed this stingy habit. However, thinking about the large expenses of the main courtyard, and the fact that he would have a son in the future, he knew it would be even more.

To make money, you need to increase revenue and reduce expenditure.

Seeing that His Highness the Crown Prince ignored her, Princess Li Jia continued, "Originally, since the Crown Princess is in charge of managing the household affairs, we should listen to her. However, the Crown Princess is also cutting back on the allowances of the maids and concubines. Your Highness, the Crown Princess is really going too far. No matter what, the maids and concubines are still Your Highness's people!"

Her tone was filled with sorrow and grievance, clearly indicating her intention to ask His Highness the Crown Prince to make the decision, and she was trying to sow discord between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.

However, what Princess Li Jia didn't know was that His Highness the Crown Prince's expression grew even colder upon hearing her words.

"It was my order." Yinreng had no liking for Princess Li Jia and immediately placed her under house arrest. The previous confinement period was not long enough, so three years would be it.

After this scare, the princesses in the backyard immediately... shrank back and pretended they didn't exist.

Because of the Crown Prince's authority, the princesses in the inner palace dared not do anything.

However, Emperor Kangxi learned of this matter.

Sigh, why is the Crown Prince still so naive at times? How can he trust the Qing Dynasty to be handed over to the Crown Prince?

Then, summon the Crown Prince and give him a proper lesson. As the heir apparent, interfering in matters of the inner court is petty. A man's vision should be focused on the court and on the Qing Dynasty.

What about the Crown Princess? What does she do?

Yinreng listened to his father's teachings and nodded, looking very obedient, but Kangxi still vaguely sensed the restlessness in Yinreng's heart.

What happened?

After Yinreng left, Kangxi ordered an investigation and discovered that Yinreng had borrowed 100,000 taels from the Ministry of Revenue. Only then did he realize a problem: Baocheng was... short of money?

Emperor Kangxi never considered this question. As the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, Bao Cheng was of the highest rank and privilege; how could he possibly lack money?

However, reality told him that yes, that was right, his prince was indeed short of money.

After an investigation, it was discovered that, oh, it turns out that he really was out of money. The Crown Prince's previous shops had all gone bankrupt, and the princesses in the backyard... In Kangxi's view, the expenses were not much, and there were even more beauties in the harem, so how could he afford to support them?

However, one issue was overlooked: he was the emperor of the country, and the entire Imperial Household Department served him. The emperor's private treasury was inherited, accumulated by several generations of emperors. Kangxi also knew very well how to take back the wealthy properties for himself.

Therefore, Emperor Kangxi truly never worried about money.

Yinreng was different. He grew up in the palace without an imperial mother to take care of him. The emperor was not a very meticulous person. He had food, drink and servants in the palace. Who would have thought that the crown prince would need money?

Nearly twenty years have passed since the assets left by Empress Hesheli were seized. Without a master to control them, everyone below knew how to deceive the Crown Prince, since the Crown Prince didn't care anyway.

Emperor Kangxi felt helpless and sent 300,000 taels of silver to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Princess did own several shops that were quite profitable, but Emperor Kangxi would never do something as shameful as having his daughter-in-law support his son.

When Yinreng received the 300,000 taels of silver notes from his father, the Emperor, his face turned red with embarrassment.

But, the Emperor is his father, father, and father. As his son, it's not a problem for him to use a little bit, right?

Then, with a very calm and composed attitude, he placed 200,000 taels in front of the Crown Princess and said: If it's not enough in the future, just ask me for more.

Seeing his smug and boastful expression, Jialuo didn't suspect anything and looked at the Crown Prince with sparkling eyes, "Your Highness, you're amazing."

[Your Highness is truly wealthy. It seems I don't need to use my dowry to support myself and my son. I was so wrong to doubt Bao Cheng. Waaah, as punishment, I'm not allowed to hug him tonight.]

Yinreng was praised, but then received the consequence of being forbidden from being hugged. How could he possibly be willing to accept that?

Silly Jialuo.

He murmured affectionately in his heart, hugged the Crown Princess, and sat her on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, which was still about the same as before, only slightly... rounder.

After finishing the plagiarism, he knew that the 200,000 taels he had couldn't last forever, and he had to find another source of income.

Doing business...

His Highness the Crown Prince had no knowledge of this matter; he was merely looking it up in books and couldn't learn anything from it.

distressed.

Then he thought of those ledgers again, so many records of embezzlement and bribery. As the crown prince, he couldn't possibly have done such things.

I suddenly remembered that Lao Jiu said before that he wanted to do business and make a lot of money. I wonder if Lao Jiu is reliable.

However, Lao Jiu is still too young and lacks maturity.

As for seeking out the Crown Princess? Impossible! In the Crown Princess's heart, I am an absolutely powerful pillar of support. How could I possibly tarnish my image in her eyes?

Yinreng handed over the palace ledgers he had compiled to Kangxi for processing. When Kangxi checked them, he also discovered that the Imperial Household Department was a truly intricate and complex place.

Of course, after handing over the ledger, he also mentioned the Crown Princess's contributions, which made Kangxi frown.

He had never seen the account books. Previously, the two empresses managed them, and later the Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia (Empress Xiaoyi) managed them. Later, she fell ill and handed over the management of the harem to the four consorts to jointly manage.

When Kangxi saw these account books, especially the quotes from the Imperial Household Department, which were increasingly outrageous, his face darkened.

“Father, you once said that water that is too clear has no fish, but if you let the people below be greedy, it will only eat away at the entire country.” Yinreng always remembered his father’s teachings, but sometimes, some things cannot be tolerated.

"I know." Kangxi gave Yinreng a disapproving look. There was no need for him to teach him this kind of thing!

After that, Yinreng didn't concern himself with the matter, trusting that his father, the Emperor, would handle it.

Sure enough, more than half a month later, many of the bondservant members of the Imperial Household Department were investigated and punished. The only thing that Yinreng regretted was: Could I do the job of confiscating their property?

Because Yinreng discovered that confiscating property seemed to be quite lucrative.

Yinreng sent people to observe, and found that the officials who were investigated were all secretly pocketing a little something, and the higher-ups turned a blind eye to it.

Sure enough, Yinreng secretly began to set his sights on other corrupt officials, but because of his status as the crown prince, he was unable to take action for a long time. His father, the emperor, actually forbade him to confiscate their property. How despicable!

When the Imperial Household Department was raided, the first to be affected was the Uya family, headed by Consort De. Since Consort De came to power, the large Uya family had been led by her, Amauya Weiwu, who was later promoted to the position of Captain of the Bondservants' Guard.

The Uya clan, the Zhangjia clan, the Daijia clan, the Guoluo clan...

When Emperor Kangxi saw the list of those most severely corrupt, the surnames on it made him pause slightly. Most of these families belonged to the consorts of imperial princes…

(End of this chapter)