Chapter 43 Regent

Regent

Chen Guanxue watched them run past the corner, then sat down in the pavilion with Fu Shou in her arms.

There weren't many children in the palace, and because of the various rules and regulations, it lacked a bit of liveliness.

She was planning to find some playmates for Fu Shou in the future, including the eunuchs who would serve him, preferably those who had grown up with him since childhood.

Time flies, and Chen Guanxue's wish is fulfilled.

In the 47th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Fushou was eleven years old. After a good nap at noon, he rushed into the house.

Chen Guanxue wiped his face with a handkerchief, then looked at Princess Yushu, who was also panting heavily behind him, and pulled her to sit down.

"Why are you running so fast like your seventeenth uncle? What if you fall?"

The Crown Prince's eldest daughter is eleven years old this year. She has grown up to be the best of both the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, and is becoming more and more beautiful.

"Your Highness, please don't blame Seventeenth Uncle. He's been very good to me."

Yu Shu obediently let her wipe her sweat, while explaining the whole story.

It turned out that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had invited several wives from various families to the palace, ostensibly to admire the flowers, but in reality, they wanted to arrange a marriage for her.

At this point, Fu Shou stuffed the snack in his hand into his mouth and shouted.

“Yu Shu is still young and doesn’t even know what marriage is. How can she be married off so easily?”

Chen Guanxue almost burst out laughing when she heard him say that.

There were few children in the palace, but Yushu was the only one his age. Yuqing Palace wasn't far away, and with the Crown Princess's interest, the two uncles and nephews grew up like siblings.

She knew a little about what was going on in the court these past few years.

Even if she doesn't care, people will still talk about it in her ear, whether it's Consort Tong or Emperor Kangxi.

Knowing that the Crown Prince's health was not as good as before, the eldest prince, the fourth prince, the eighth prince, and the fourteenth prince, who had risen to prominence, also caught Kangxi's eye.

It seems I'll have to choose one from these few.

Chen Guanxue felt that perhaps the Crown Prince still preferred the Fourth Prince, after all, he had followed him since childhood, and among the princes, his personality was considered the best.

Yes, without the infighting that has exhausted their kinship, the brothers' relationship is neither particularly close nor mutually repulsive.

"So you brought Yu Shu back?" Chen Guanxue focused her attention on the present.

Fu Shou turned his head away, looking at the flowers, the grass, the table, and the chairs, but not at her.

“There aren’t many good men in the capital. Even if there are, you should get engaged as soon as possible.” Chen Guanxue thought Fu Shou didn’t understand, so she explained it to him in detail. “After Yu Shu gets engaged, the future Prince Consort’s elders will teach him well and they can also develop feelings for each other. So when they get married in the future, it won’t be considered an arranged marriage.”

The two children exchanged a glance and both frowned.

"Since the reason for inviting the wives to the palace is under the pretext of flower viewing, it is only a verbal agreement and no imperial decree has been issued. If a woman grows out of shape in the future, she can simply not marry him."

Chen Guanxue was able to read the Crown Princess's mind, and Lady Guarjia even prepared people for her.

Thinking of this, she said to Fushou, "Didn't you want to go see your fourteenth brother? I'll keep Yushu here to talk to him."

Fu Shou hesitated for a moment, then left.

It's obvious that his mother wanted to have a private conversation with Yushu.

After everyone left, Chen Guanxue said to Yushu, "If you are worried about marrying the wrong person, you can also take a look at your cousins ​​who are beyond the fifth degree of kinship. The Crown Princess arranged all this today because she was afraid that you would not like her maternal clan interfering in your marriage."

"Your father and mother have doted on you all these years. Not to mention those of us in the palace who have seen it, even your uncles and aunts have said a lot about your father. Your father and mother are your support. What are you afraid of?"

Chen Guanxue was afraid that she wouldn't understand and would ruin her life.

She only understood the meaning of the saying, "Raising a child means worrying about ninety-nine out of a hundred years of life."

Yu Shu was someone she had watched grow up, so she was practically like a daughter to her. Some things the Crown Prince and Crown Princess said were different from what she said.

Since the Crown Princess had Fu Shou bring her here, she must have had the same intention.

Chen Guanxue then granted her wish as a loving mother.

"Yu Shu understands."

The two exchanged a few more words before Yu Shu left.

Emperor Kangxi emerged from behind the screen, holding a collection of books and paintings bound together over the years, and handed them to her to look at.

"well."

This was his sigh.

Chen Guanxue raised an eyebrow, her hand still flipping through the picture book, pretending not to hear.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Kangxi sighed again and then said to himself, "The Crown Prince's health probably needs to be rested. He wants to arrange a marriage for Yushu as soon as possible, probably to test the intentions of those families."

What were they thinking? They were just wondering if, after the Crown Prince fell, he would still be as obedient to Yu Shu as ever.

“Yushu is a princess, and will be my wife in the future. If I only obey her, what difference is there between my life and not getting married at all?”

Chen Guanxue looked at the infant Fu Shou in the painting, touched him with a smile, and then turned to the next page.

Kangxi wanted to refute her, but his experience over the years told him that she was right.

She was never respectful to him either; she was always temperamental. When she was in a good mood, she would go along with him, but when she was in a bad mood, she would kick and bite him.

It seems that, if rules are abandoned, this is all there is to a marriage.

"At that time, I will leave an imperial edict for Yushu."

Kangxi's words were vague, and Chen Guanxue didn't want to guess. It was nothing more than allowing her to divorce her husband if she was unhappy, or to be made a princess.

"Both the Emperor and the Crown Prince love their son dearly."

Who can say otherwise? One loves her son so much that she loves everything about him, while the other worries about her daughter and is hesitant to change her mind.

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Kangxi waved his hand, sat down beside her as if he had no bones, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Next month I will take you to Yangzhou to see the beautiful scenery."

Chen Guanxue suddenly remembered what he had said many years ago: that he would take her to see Yangzhou.

A smile played on her lips. "Okay."

Although it's not March, the scenery changes every year. As long as the same person is standing next to you, any scenery is beautiful.

The last time Kangxi went to Yangzhou to inspect water conservancy was more than a decade ago. In recent years, the court has been clean and efficient, and with the help of the princes, Kangxi has had a much easier time.

The reasons for this trip to Yangzhou are twofold: firstly, the water conservancy projects along the way have been completed, and secondly, I want to take people to see them while I'm still young.

This trip out of the palace involved a large entourage and incurred considerable expenses. Fortunately, the national treasury is currently well-stocked; otherwise, all the officials would have been pleading poverty and offering advice.

When the emperor leaves the palace, there must naturally be someone to oversee the country.

In the past, the crown prince was the one who oversaw the country, but this time it was different.

Emperor Kangxi issued an imperial edict summoning several important officials to the palace and asking them if they had any candidates for regent.

"Your Majesty, it was always the Crown Prince in the past..."

Emperor Kangxi waved his hand and said, "The Crown Prince will accompany me on this trip."

This is rather intriguing.

Generally, in order to ensure the stability of the country, if the emperor goes out, the crown prince must stay behind; if the crown prince goes out, the emperor will stay in the capital.

If one person dies in an accident, the other can still be saved.

It can also allow the crown prince to boost his reputation.

now……

The ministers exchanged a subtle glance, their brows furrowed.

Considering the Crown Prince's behavior over the years, I can guess what's going on.

Since the Emperor has brought it up, they don't need to beat around the bush or speak vaguely, lest they anger the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, if the Crown Prince were to accompany the emperor, Prince Zhi would be the most suitable candidate to command respect. However, Prince Zhi is far away on the border, so I would recommend Prince Cheng."

Yeah, the eldest and the third.

"Your Majesty, although there is an order of seniority, how can one judge a person's ability by their age? I recommend Prince Yong."

Fourth brother.

"Your Majesty, it is good that Prince Yong enforces the law strictly, but in terms of governing the country, the Eighth Prince is more outstanding."

Eighth Brother.

Then the group mentioned the tenth and fourteenth princes.

In the end, neither side would give in, and they almost came to blows.

Kangxi watched his ministers arguing like fighting cocks, and with amusement, he roughly understood the weight these ministers held in their hearts.

"What you all say is correct. Since it is correct, then the eldest, third, fourth, eighth, and fourteenth princes shall jointly oversee the country."

With a wave of his hand, Emperor Kangxi finished writing the imperial edict before they could even voice their objections.

His ministers, seeing his decisive actions, all suspected that the imperial edict had been written long ago and that Kangxi simply wanted to see them argue.

"well."

Everyone sighed.

Although some of the princes were not yet princes of the first rank or dukes, they could still be considered as five princes overseeing the country.

This is to let them all show their skills.

They could all imagine how lively the days would be after this imperial edict was issued.

Sure enough, the imperial edict was delivered to the residences of the various princes, and before Emperor Kangxi even went to Jiangnan, things became lively.

The princes, annoyed by the situation, retreated to the Crown Prince's Yuqing Palace.

They looked at each other, their heads drooping and dejected, like eagles that had been up for two days and two nights. Compared to the prince's leisurely drinking, they looked like eagles that had been up for two days and two nights.

"Second brother, did you do this to us?" the eldest brother asked.

"No," the crown prince replied.

"Father is still thinking about it."

I've been thinking about it for so long, but I still haven't figured it out.

Yinreng was somewhat disgusted.

In recent years, Emperor Kangxi has been completely immersed in the pleasures of women, becoming much more peaceful and attentive to them.

Perhaps it was because Fu Shou had developed a bit of a fatherly heart that he saw the strengths of several people, and he accepted the Crown Prince's offer to quit.

But without a crown prince, choosing the next one won't be so easy.

"Why is Father Emperor hesitating like this...?"

Old Ten muttered like an idiot.

He has no chance of ascending the throne, and he spoke bluntly about it.

Others dared not agree, but only nodded in their hearts.

In fact, over the years, they have not fought each other. Instead, they have cooperated many times under the Crown Prince's guidance and have tasted the benefits of cooperation.

As for the brothers, it's still uncertain who will ascend the throne and who won't, except for who they'll have to kneel to in the future. They're all destined to be the brothers' right-hand men in the future.

"Let's not talk about that. Second brother, could you take my son with you when you go to Yangzhou this time?"

The one speaking was Lao Shi. His child was just as noisy as him, and he found it annoying to keep him at home.

"Sure." The crown prince was very agreeable.

The family members with a demon king in their household exchanged glances and said in unison, "Then let's bring mine along too!"