Chapter 66 News didn't arrive until 9 PM...

News didn't come until 9 PM that the Crown Prince had been confined to his quarters.

Although confinement was not a severe punishment, it was a first for the Crown Prince.

Besides Emperor Kangxi's consistent affection for this son, there was also the factor of deliberately protecting the crown prince's position. Therefore, no matter what mistakes the crown prince made, he would at most be reprimanded.

Yinzhen and Yinsi had long been sent back to the Fifth Palace in Qianxi to rest by Wenshan. The two of them had dark circles under their eyes, which made Wenshan feel sorry for them, so she urged them to go back to sleep. Yinxiang was young and needed a lot of sleep, but he insisted on staying up to wait for news. He was also drowsy next to Wenshan.

He only came to his senses after hearing the outcome of the investigation.

“Then this isn’t a setup by my elder brother,” Yinxiang said.

They didn't interfere in this matter. If it was done by the eldest prince, Kangxi could have found out with a simple investigation. Since the crown prince was punished, it means that the crown prince did indeed send someone to do it.

But this was so absurd that even Wen Shan found it hard to understand. Why would the Crown Prince create trouble for himself?

It was getting late, and Wen Shan thought about it for a moment and then stopped worrying about it. She and Yinxiang tidied up and went to bed.

Yinxiang hadn't slept with Wenshan for a long time, and he snuggled up to her and slept soundly all night, even sleeping late the next day.

"When did Mother get up?"

Yinxiang got out of bed, but the seat next to him was already empty. Hearing the noise, Amber came in to help him get dressed and wash up.

"The master woke up at dawn. The fourth prince and the eighth prince just arrived and are talking to the master in the outer room."

Upon hearing that his fourth and eighth brothers had arrived, Yinxiang quickly tidied himself up and ran out. When Wenshan saw that he had gotten up, she had the palace servants bring out breakfast.

"Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, did you hear the news this morning?"

Yinxiang sat down and poured himself a glass of plum juice.

"He will be punished for multiple offenses, confined for three months, and forced to copy the Three Character Classic and the Book of Rites three hundred times," Yinzhi said coldly.

Wen Shan served the three of them porridge and said, "How did the Emperor come up with the idea of ​​punishing them by making them copy the Three Character Classic?"

Even Wen Shan could feel the intense humiliation from this punishment.

The Three Character Classic is the first book children read when they begin their education, so the implication of punishing the prince by making him copy it is self-evident.

The Book of Rites is even more targeted.

It can only be said that he truly lived up to his reputation as Emperor Kangxi; no one could surpass him in the art of using sarcasm and insidious tactics to kill and destroy one's spirit.

However, Yinzhi still found it strange: "Even if the Crown Prince is confused, he shouldn't do such a thing."

He always felt there was something fishy going on, and Yinzhen nodded in agreement.

Yinxiang thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps the Crown Prince has been having bad luck lately and has lost his mind, who knows?"

After all, the crown prince's personality was rather impetuous, and he often made impulsive decisions when provoked.

After pondering for a while, Yinzhi suddenly said, "Could it have been Tong Guowei who did it?"

This is very much in line with that old fox's style of always pulling off something big when he makes a move.

The Crown Prince is embroiled in this turmoil, and not only does the First Prince not want to let it go, but Tong Guowei, who is now part of the Eighth Prince's faction, certainly doesn't want to let it go either.

Speaking of Tong Guowei, Wen Shan casually mentioned, "A few days ago, the Emperor said he intended to take Tong Guowei's second daughter into the palace. It has been decided that he will give her the rank of Consort and let her live in Empress Xiaoyi's Chengqian Palace."

I reckon it'll happen in the next few days.

That's nothing. They knew that Xiao Tongjia would enter the palace. After Consort Niohuru passed away in their previous life, Xiao Tongjia was in charge of the harem. Until Emperor Kangxi passed away, Xiao Tongjia was in charge of the harem as a consort. The other four consorts focused their attention on their sons.

Yinzhi nodded. Just as he finished speaking, he sent someone to investigate the matter more carefully, and then Kangxi issued another decree.

"The Emperor has ordered the three close attendants of the Crown Prince to be beaten to death, and Lin Jiang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, has been dismissed and imprisoned." Baoquan came in after hearing the news and reported, "It is said that the reason is that he had ulterior motives and incited the Crown Prince to commit treasonous acts."

Both Yinzhen and Yinsi were quite familiar with Lin Jiang, a staunch member of the Crown Prince's faction who was promoted by Suo'etu.

"Could it be that this Lin guy instigated the Crown Prince to do this stupid thing?" Yinxiang asked while eating a steamed bun.

Yinzhi seemed to be deep in thought, and Yinzhen thought for a moment and said, "This Lin Jiang has always liked to flatter and fawn, and he has little talent, but he has managed to win the Crown Prince's favor."

Yinzhen had met this person quite a few times recently while accompanying the Crown Prince to discuss politics.

Yinzhi still felt that Tong Guowei was involved, and just as he was about to send Xiaoshunzi to investigate, a palace servant came in to report that Emperor Kangxi had given Yinzhi a reward, which was personally delivered by Longkodo.

Longkodo was imprisoned in the palace for a month, but was released some time ago and returned to serve as a first-class bodyguard to Emperor Kangxi. However, he had much less contact with the First Prince, who naturally noticed this. He felt something was wrong when Longkodo suddenly took a month's sick leave.

The fact that Longkodo had become increasingly distant after continuing in his post further convinced him that Tong Guowei must look down on him, which was why he didn't allow the already designated next leader of the Tong family to get too close to him.

However, he himself did not achieve any great merit in this campaign against Galdan, so he could only bear it.

But he didn't give Tong Guowei a kind look at all.

Tong Guowei naturally didn't take the First Prince's attitude towards him to heart. The First Prince was now a lone commander. Although he had followers in the court, there weren't many high-ranking and powerful ones. Most of them were low-ranking officials, not worth worrying about.

Longkodo has indeed become much more obedient and has begun to keep a low profile, no longer maintaining close relationships with any of the princes. It seems that he has truly listened to his father's words and is preparing to become a loyal subject who is devoted only to Kangxi.

When Emperor Kangxi gave them a reward, they had to stop eating and go to the main hall to receive the gift. Longkodo stood at the front holding a sandalwood box, followed by several eunuchs who were also carrying trays covered with red cloth, the contents of which were unknown.

"Greetings to Consort Xuan, Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, and Thirteenth Prince."

Longkodo politely greeted them.

"Get up," Wen Shan said with a smile. "I heard that His Majesty has bestowed something upon Yinzhen?"

"Your Highness, the Emperor has decreed that this Dragon Tiger General Sword be bestowed upon the Fourth Prince as a reward for his meritorious service in overseeing the country."

Longkodo stepped forward and opened the box. Inside lay a rather plain-looking sword, but the three brothers, including Yinzhen, gasped in shock and exchanged glances.

"This sword was once held by my ancestor Nurhaci, and it is extremely valuable. I cannot accept it." Yinzhen said after calming himself down. "Please, Lord Long, take the sword back. I will personally go to apologize to Father Emperor later."

Longkodo didn't even look up, and respectfully said, "His Majesty instructed that if the Fourth Prince declined, this servant should deliver a message."

"The Emperor's decree is nothing more than a sword. If I say you can bear it, then you can bear it."

This meant that Yinzhen had no choice but to accept it.

Since that was the case, Yinzhen had no choice but to step forward and take it, feeling as if he were holding a hot potato.

As for what the little eunuch behind him was holding, it was much more normal in comparison, but it wasn't quite normal either.

Instead of the usual scholar's studio items bestowed upon princes, jade and antiques were replaced with jewelry, brocade, and silk.

After delivering the gift, Longkodo took his leave without lingering.

Yinzhi suddenly said, "Mother, I'll go see Lord Long off."

Wenshan glanced at him and nodded.

Longkodo did not refuse, and Yinzhi went out with Longkodo.

"Pearl, put all those things away and give them to the Fourth Prince to take back to the Fifth Palace in Ganxi later," Wen Shan said.

Pearl suppressed a laugh: "Your Majesty, these jewels and ornaments were obviously given to you by the Emperor in the name of the Fourth Prince. Please accept them."

The two had been in a cold war, or rather, a one-sided cold war by Kangxi, for more than a month. This could be considered as Kangxi bowing his head and seeking reconciliation first.

Wen Shan feigned ignorance: "In two more years, Yinzhen will be married. Who knows, the Emperor might bestow several wives upon him. I dare not keep them."

Yinzhen also said, "Then consider it a gift from your son to Mother, please accept it."

The gifts that Kangxi sent were indeed quite impressive, and this time the gifts looked like they were carefully selected and were all things that Wen Shan liked.

"Alright, since it's a gift from Yinzhen, I'll accept it."

Wen Shan wouldn't be so obsessed with jewelry.

"Was this sword used by Nurhaci?" After putting away the jewels, Wen Shan curiously touched the sword that Emperor Kangxi had bestowed upon Yinzhen.

It does look quite old.

"This sword was bestowed upon us by the Ming Dynasty government after our ancestor was awarded the title of Dragon and Tiger General for his meritorious service in resisting Japanese pirates." Yinxiang also examined the sword while crossing his legs.

Yinzhen glanced at it a few times and said calmly, "At that time, the Dragon and Tiger General was the highest official title for us Manchus. It was from then on that Nurhaci's ancestor's status in the clan was established. Even when he raised an army in the Ming Dynasty, our ancestor cherished this precious sword."

Wen Shan nodded: "No wonder you all reacted that way just now."

This sword has been passed down for so many generations, so it must be considered one of the family heirlooms of the Aisin Gioro family.

"Father bestowed this sword upon Fourth Brother." Yinxiang said thoughtfully, "The meaning behind this is not simple."

"And the reason given was to commend the regent for his meritorious service to the country."

Yinzhen closed the box and had a palace servant take it away to put it away properly.

"The one overseeing the country is the Crown Prince, Fourth Brother," Yinxiang said. "The Crown Prince was just confined to his quarters, and Father Emperor bestowed this upon you. What does that mean?"

Yinzhen smiled and said, "Who can truly understand Father Emperor's thoughts?"

"But don't worry, we've made thorough preparations, there won't be any mistakes."

Although Yinxiang didn't participate much in matters outside the palace, he still had some understanding of Yinzhen and Yinxiang's plans.

They have made arrangements both in the capital and in the provinces. In a few years, when the fourth and eighth brothers enter the court to take charge of the Six Ministries, the network will be connected.

If they want to fight the Emperor then, they might have a chance of winning.

There's just no need to go that far.

After listening to them for a while, Wen Shan also peeked out and asked, "Why hasn't Yinzhi returned yet?"

"My brother has something to ask, and I reckon it's about time," Yinxiang said vaguely, forking a piece of watermelon.

Yinzhi and Longkodo walked to the corridor. Longkodo cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Eighth Prince. We'll see you off here."

Yinzhi smiled slightly: "Alright, then please, Lord Long."

Longkodo looked up at Yinzhi, took a few steps forward, and then stepped back.

"Eighth Prince, may I speak to you in private?"

Yinzhi chuckled. This kid was trying to act high and mighty in front of him, waiting for him to speak first.

It seems that Tong Guowei still hasn't managed to discipline his son properly.

Yinzhi gave Longkodo this face and walked a few steps with him to the flower garden.

Longkodo looked around and saw many palace servants from Xianfu Palace: "Eighth Prince, this..."

"It's alright," Yinzhi said calmly.

Longkodo said in a low voice, "Eighth Prince, your father has something to tell you."

"What did Lord Tong say?"

Longkodo said, "Your Majesty's current actions against the Crown Prince show that you are undermining his authority, and you should also understand the meaning behind your praise of the Fourth Prince."

"The Third Prince also assisted the Crown Prince in overseeing the country, but he received no reward whatsoever."

Yinzhi didn't respond to his words, but suddenly changed the subject to the Crown Prince: "You were the one who assassinated the princess, weren't you?"

Longkodo was shocked, not expecting Yinzhi to ask about this, and with such a nonchalant yet resolute tone.

He took a deep breath and thought to himself that his father was right; the Eighth Prince's intelligence was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"What do you mean by that, Eighth Prince? This servant doesn't understand."

Following Tong Guowei's instructions, Longkodo reluctantly denied it.

"Alright, this was handled well, very efficiently. I understand what Tong Guowei meant," Yinzhi said with a smile. "Father Emperor needs people around him, hurry back and serve him."

Longkodo returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in a daze, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

Originally, Tong Guowei asked him to test the Eighth Prince today, but it seems that he was the one being tested by the Eighth Prince instead.

He was pondering when Liang Jiugong came out.

"Lord Long, His Majesty requests your presence."

Longkodo snapped out of his daze and quickly agreed.

Emperor Kangxi was reading memorials in the palace when he heard Longkodo greeting him. He lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.

"Have all the items been delivered?"

Longkodo said, "Your Majesty, it has been sent."

Kangxi said "Oh" and then asked casually, "What did the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince say?"

Longkodo looked up and keenly sensed the hidden meaning in Kangxi's words.

It's normal for the Emperor to ask about the reward given to the Fourth Prince, but asking about the Eighth Prince implies...

"Your Majesty, as you predicted, the Fourth Prince initially dared not accept it and asked me to bring it back. He then came to apologize to you in person. After I told him what Your Majesty had said, the Fourth Prince accepted it."

"The Eighth Prince didn't say anything, and his expression remained normal."

Kangxi's expression didn't change much. Longkodo secretly looked up and sized up Kangxi, thinking to himself that everyone said the thirteenth prince looked like the emperor, but he thought the eighth prince was the one who looked most like the emperor.

After asking the question, Kangxi casually asked, "What did Consort Xuan say?"

Longkodo thought for a moment and honestly replied, "The Imperial Concubine didn't say anything."

"..."

That heartless little brat, he knew it all along.

Everyone in the palace says that Consort Xuan has the gentlest nature, but over the years, whenever she and Wen Shan have a cold war, she has never been the one to back down first.

I must have owed her something in my past life.

"I have another decree. You can take it back to the Tong family later." Kangxi handed a written imperial edict to Liang Jiugong.

Liang Jiugong presented the gift with both hands to Longkodo.

Longkodo was somewhat bewildered, not knowing what kind of decree this was.

"You've done a good job in the palace, and your father often praises you in front of me." Kangxi glanced at him and said, "If you want to take on the responsibility of the Tong family, you still need more experience."

Instantly, Longkodo felt a chill and broke out in a cold sweat.

What does His Majesty mean by those words?

Did he know about the Crown Prince's affairs, just like the Eighth Prince?

Longkodo held the imperial edict like a hot potato, but since Kangxi had specifically designated it for Tong Guowei, he didn't dare to open it. He returned home trembling with fear, afraid that what he found inside would be an edict of punishment.

He only felt relieved when he opened his mouth with trembling hands.

It was an imperial decree to confer the title of imperial concubine upon his second sister, who would enter the palace on the tenth of next month.

"Look at your pathetic self." Tong Guowei glared at him irritably: "The Emperor only said one casual remark and you're already this scared. What can we expect you to do in the future?"

The emperor performed the Empty City Stratagem, easily probing Longkodo's ulterior motives.

They will probably be wary of Longkodo from now on.

"Father, do you think the Emperor knows or not..."

Tong Guowei interrupted him: "If the Emperor knew that you were still able to walk in standing today, you would have been carried back long ago!"

The Emperor's affection for the Crown Prince was genuine. If he were to find out, even though Longkodo was the Tong family's chosen successor, he would still be severely punished.

He could be dismissed, imprisoned, or even executed.

Longkodo wiped the sweat from his forehead and then told Tong Guowei about Yinzhi.

"Father, you truly have a discerning eye for choosing the Eighth Prince," Longkodo exclaimed.

He was still somewhat resentful when he returned to the palace to serve after being confined at home for a month. It seemed that his father disapproved of all his decisions since he was a child, so he wanted to make some achievements to prove himself.

Tong Guowei was forced to reveal the truth to him, telling him to stop making trouble.

Tong Guowei scoffed: "The Emperor is right, you still have much experience to gain."

"Then, Fourth Prince, what do you think, Father?" Longkodo asked immediately afterward.

The Fourth Prince is currently very popular.

Tong Guowei stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Now, apart from the Crown Prince and the First Prince, there are only the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince who can be considered grown up."

When Tong Guowei said "grown up," he meant a prince who would soon be able to enter the court and assume political power.

“The Third Prince is of mediocre ability. If His Majesty wants to select someone to compete with the Crown Prince, the only one left is the Fourth Prince,” Tong Guowei said.

Longkodo thought about it and it seemed to be true.

"But this also shows that the Emperor still has some favoritism towards the Fourth Prince," Longkodo pondered. "Father, the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince are both being raised under Consort Xuan's care. Do you think there's any chance to get the Fourth Prince to switch allegiance to the Eighth Prince..."

"Although the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince were raised together as brothers, now that they have the opportunity to ascend to that position, how could they be willing to submit to others?"

...

At first, Emperor Kangxi handled the Crown Prince's troubles in a hesitant and haphazard manner, but once he made up his mind, he acted swiftly and decisively.

The Crown Prince was confined to his quarters, the Fourth Prince was bestowed with the Dragon and Tiger General Sword by the Emperor, a sword of great significance, and there was another major event in the court: Mingzhu was also reinstated.

Although he, like Songgotu, did not rejoin the cabinet, at least he no longer had to guard the palace gates all the time.

Unlike Suo'etu, Mingzhu withdrew from the princely factional struggles after being disciplined by Kangxi and settled down to be an official.

The eldest prince was naturally unwilling for Mingzhu to disembark so easily, but Mingzhu, being an old fox, was more than capable of dealing with the eldest prince, who could only return empty-handed.

The imperial edict bestowing the title of Lady Tongjia upon her rarely caused a stir in the palace.

Consort Niohuru was very hostile to the young Tongjia woman. She and Empress Tongjia had always been at odds. The fact that this woman, who had entered the palace as the younger sister of the late Empress, and was immediately granted the title of Consort, made Consort Niohuru feel some pressure for the first time.

Although Chengqian Palace hadn't been vacant for long, it still needed renovation. Consort Niohuru assigned this task to Consort De, who had the deepest grudge against Empress Tongjia, which was practically sending lambs to the slaughter.

Consort De reluctantly went to repair Chengqian Palace. The arrival of Xiao Tongjia was a major event that she dared not be perfunctory about, but the work itself was also disgusting.

She hadn't stepped into Chengqian Palace for several years.

The Imperial Household Department completed the renovations in about half a month and handed them in; Consort De should go and take a look herself.

"Chengqian Palace is still the same as before." Consort De held the hand of her personal maid Xia Yun. "The osmanthus tree is still there, but it doesn't grow as festively as it used to."

Xia Yun said, "Your Majesty has a good eye. Chengqian Palace was filled with illness a few years ago, and it has been vacant for two years now. This servant finds it quite eerie."

Consort De chuckled: "What's there to be afraid of? The person is gone."

"By the way, did Yinzhen go to see the Eighth Prince today?" Consort De suddenly asked. "Have someone report back to him at all times and keep an eye on the Fourteenth Prince."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, our Fourteenth Prince went to stroll in the garden with the Eighth Prince, the Ninth Prince, and the Tenth Prince. They said they were going fishing together."

"What kind of fish are you fishing for in this freezing weather?" Consort De pouted. "I don't know what's so great about the Eighth Prince. Yinzhen, the Ninth Prince, and the Tenth Prince all like to hang around him."

Xia Yun smiled and said, "The Fourteenth Prince is still young, and he is at the age where he likes to play with his brothers."

Consort De remained noncommittal, but upon entering the main hall of Chengqian Palace and seeing the magnificent attire, she was somewhat taken aback.

"Empress Xiaoyi was frugal and had never seen Chengqian Palace so magnificent."

This was also Consort De's arrangement, so that she wouldn't be accused of a perfunctory crime while still disgusting Empress Tongjia and Little Tongjia.

Consort De had never strolled around Chengqian Palace so leisurely before, as if she had finally brought down the Tongjia clan.

She wandered around Chengqian Palace again, and when she arrived at the side hall where Yinzhen had lived, she hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open and going in.

The contents inside had long been cleared out; it was completely empty except for a brush washer that Yinzhen had once used, which remained on the table.

Consort De touched it; the brush washer was engraved with Yinzhen's name. It was quite old, so Yinzhen must have used it for quite some time.

Xia Yun observed Consort De's expression and said, "These servants are so careless. How come the Fourth Prince's things are still here? I'll have someone send them to the Fourth Prince."

Consort De looked around the side hall where Yinzhen had lived, then tapped the brush washer and said indifferently, "No need. I suppose the Fourth Prince hasn't used it for a long time. Take it out and throw it away."