Chapter 227 Live Broadcast from the Sky 7

After seeing the layout of their residences, which was almost identical except for the secret passage, both Yinzhen and Yinsi knelt down.

"Your Majesty, you are wise. Although my residence and my fourth brother's residence are connected, there is no secret passage between them."

"Your subject has no private dealings with your eighth brother."

It wasn't that the two were overly nervous; in principle, there was nothing wrong with the two brothers having a good relationship. However, one of them was a member of the Crown Prince's faction, and the other was a member of the First Prince's faction, both of whom were "regents" tacitly approved by Emperor Kangxi.

If the two of them really got together, not only Emperor Kangxi, but also the Crown Prince, the First Prince, and their followers would not be satisfied.

"Alright, I wasn't talking about you guys. Get up."

Kangxi didn't seem to care much, but he wasn't the only one with some doubts; others also harbored suspicions. After all, in their memory, the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince had a good relationship when they were young, otherwise they wouldn't have lived together after establishing their own residences.

Could the two of them really be having an affair?

Yinzhen and Yinsi, who had long since parted ways due to their differing stances, exchanged a glance, realizing with despair that they truly couldn't explain themselves. Others might harbor doubts, but further explanation would only breed more distrust. However, their positions within their respective factions were predictably bleak, their futures hanging by a thread.

I'd always hoped that Tianmu would talk about the Qing Dynasty, and now it's finally happening! Although it's not the same timeline, they've already "dealt with" Songgotu, and now they're targeting the princes.

Yinzhi was helpless. He had endured and schemed for more than ten years, only to have all his efforts go to waste in one fell swoop. At least the fourth prince had a connection with the Yongzheng Emperor in the sky, while he... it was too late for regrets, so he could only remain silent and continue watching the content on the sky.

I'm sure all you fans of the "Eighth Prince" (Yongzheng Emperor) wouldn't miss "The Secret History of Yongzheng," right? Unlike others who secretly kept little diaries, our "Eighth Prince" Lian Prince Yinzhi wrote something big. In his later years, he oversaw the compilation of "The Secret History of Yongzheng," ostensibly to record and praise Yongzheng's merits. In reality, however, he included his own personal agenda, writing down details of his interactions with Yongzheng.

They really turned their diary into history, making history remember their brotherhood. Who wouldn't be moved by that?

He wrote about the whole story of his birth mother's promotion in this book. After reading it, who wouldn't want to be Yongzheng's brother or sister? It's really great. He really thinks of his good brother when there's something good.

Everyone knows about the secret passage between the two mansions. According to Prince Lian's records, the two brothers met and chatted through the secret passage many times.

Not long after Yongzheng recovered from his illness and visited Kangxi and the Crown Prince, the two had a private conversation at the residence of the Fourth Prince.

This private meeting marked the beginning of their public parting of ways.

Why did he do this? Mainly because of the factional struggles at the time. As the Crown Prince grew up, Kangxi became wary and wanted to maintain a balance among his sons. The Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince were the candidates Kangxi chose to serve the Crown Prince and the First Prince, respectively.

Of course, Emperor Yongzheng understood this very well. Therefore, he warned Yinzhi that from now on, the two of them should not get too close.

Furthermore, because he altered the imperial genealogy, he was very likely to become more than just a follower of the Crown Prince; he might become the Crown Prince's second stepping stone after the First Prince, Yinzhi. This isn't just something I made up; it's from Yongzheng's own words during a secret conversation, as recorded in *The Secret History of Yongzheng*.

"Tsk, having many sons means you can afford to squander them." Upon hearing from the heavens that Emperor Kangxi was trying to balance his sons and even choosing a whetstone, Emperor Renzong of Song, who was 28 years old at the time and had no heir, was extremely envious.

"Alas, being the Crown Prince is not easy." Sitting with his parents watching the sky, Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh as he thought about his difficult life as Crown Prince.

"What's wrong with Kangxi? Isn't the Crown Prince his beloved son?" Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, couldn't understand Kangxi's actions. What was there to be afraid of about his own son? If Biao'er wanted to be emperor, he would have abdicated. Why would he need to maintain some kind of balance?

...

I don't know how people in other timelines criticize him, but Kangxi only felt that his reputation had been damaged. Although it's true, you shouldn't say it out loud. Doesn't an emperor have any dignity? Besides, he did this with political purposes; it was just a test for Baocheng.

Yinreng sneered silently to the side. Sure enough, no matter what, his father was still suspicious and dissatisfied with him. Thinking about it, being the crown prince was quite meaningless.

So from this point on, the two openly drifted further and further apart. But privately, Yongzheng revealed a piece of news to the Eighth Prince. What news was it? It was that Kangxi intended to promote the concubines in the harem.

What an obvious hint! Knowing that the Eighth Prince's unresolved issue was that his birth mother, Lady Wei, had always been a concubine and lived an ordinary life, Yongzheng's implication was quite clear: he wanted the Eighth Prince to take this opportunity to perform well and elevate his birth mother's rank.

Not only did he give him information, but Yongzheng also used some methods to subtly place Yinzhi in the inspection team of the Yongding River, and then privately gave Yinzhi exam questions.

Yes, Yongzheng was also a master at predicting exam questions. He really understood Kangxi; he could guess exactly what Kangxi would ask and then tell Yinzhi. Yinzhi was essentially answering the questions with the answers in hand. Coupled with his shrewd and charming nature, he naturally managed to win Kangxi's favor.

The reason why Yinzhi was able to complete the tasks assigned by Kangxi so well was naturally because he had Yongzheng as his strategist.

Therefore, I don't actually agree with the claim that Yongzheng was a rising star.

Although Emperor Yongzheng appeared obscure and less prominent than his brothers in his early years, he was simply being discreet and understood Emperor Kangxi's temperament, so he didn't show off much.

In fact, Yongzheng was the only prince, besides the then-Crown Prince, to hold a rotating position in one of the Six Ministries. Don't be fooled by his long tenure in the Ministry of Revenue; he was knowledgeable in all areas, from personnel and household affairs to rites, military affairs, law, public works, and even water management and military matters. Otherwise, why do you think Kangxi always took this quiet son on his travels? Of course, it was because he valued his abilities.

In his early years, Emperor Yongzheng did not like to show off, but you can see that whether it was the active Eighth Prince Yinsi, the Thirteenth Prince Yinxiang who was favored by Emperor Kangxi, or the Seventeenth Prince Guo Yinli who was Emperor Chengtai's right-hand man in the later period, they were all trained by him.

These are all factual records in historical materials; otherwise, how could Yongzheng have had such a good relationship with his brothers? It is often said that there is no father-son affection in the imperial family, but Yongzheng truly gave his all, and his relationship with his brothers can be described as "a teacher, a friend, and a brother."

Of course, there are some differences. The ninth prince, Yinzhen, and the fourth prince followed a true love-hate relationship, which we will discuss in detail later.

Next, I'd like to discuss a famous historical event that best exemplifies Emperor Yongzheng's upright and incorruptible character, particularly his willingness to sacrifice even his own family for the greater good. We'll see how Yongzheng single-handedly brought down Emperor Kangxi's maternal clan.