Chapter 112 It's Him Again (Part 2): "It's him again?" "Who else could it be?" "We..."

"It's him again?"

"Who else could it be but him?"

“Our Crown Prince is sentimental. He’s had this guard by his side for so many years, and he still thinks of him in everything he does.”

"The Crown Prince has always been like this. If you ask me, before we Manchus entered the pass, we didn't have any Crown Princes or Crown Princes. It was only to cater to the Han people all over the world that His Majesty established such a Crown Prince."

"You know that the whole world is made up of Han Chinese. Don't say such things again, or don't blame me for killing you."

Yinzhi glanced coldly at his attendant, a man selected from the Mongol Eight Banners, highly skilled in martial arts and exceptionally adept at horsemanship and archery. His physique was as strong as a door, and his hands as large as palm-leaf fans; one slap from him could truly kill a person.

He was assigned to Yinzhi's command during both campaigns against Galdan. After returning to the capital, Yinzhi tried to bring him to his side. Unfortunately, while he was skilled in martial arts, he wasn't very bright; he could say such stupid things, which was really a headache.

When Emperor Kangxi fought Galdan, Yinzhi followed him. Twice, as the eldest son of the emperor, he led troops to pursue Galdan's forces. Unlike his younger brothers who sat in the tent beside the emperor and each led a banner, he genuinely led troops into battle and killed Galdan's generals, thus earning merit.

The only regret was that he hadn't been able to capture Galdan alive or kill him with his own hands. It was bad enough that he hadn't been able to achieve this merit, but Yulang, who was by the Crown Prince's side, had gotten the huge benefit. Even though almost two years had passed, Yinzhi still felt sad when he thought about it.

What was even more upsetting was that after returning to the capital from the campaign against Galdan, all the meritorious generals and officials were rewarded, but he was treated the same as the other princes, and was simply suppressed and never mentioned.

As always, so many people are crammed into the tiny space of Gan Dong Wu Suo. At night, let alone doing anything, even arguing has to be done in hushed tones, for fear of being overheard and becoming a laughing stock.

Sometimes it's no wonder that Yinzhi was envious of Yinreng's position. Even setting aside the fact that Kangxi's favoritism towards his eldest son was too deceptive, Mingzhu's faction coaxed Yinzhi like a baby, painting him with those rosy promises of being the eldest son that could choke anyone. Who wouldn't be tempted?

However, in Shen Wanqing's opinion, this man really misplaced his focus; he even got his own ultimate goal wrong.

My goodness, you're always watching the Crown Prince like a hawk, wishing you could pull Yinreng off the throne tomorrow, but all you're thinking about is becoming the next emperor. Your goals and actions are completely distorted!

The difference between the eldest son becoming emperor and the eldest son killing the crown prince, becoming the crown prince himself, and then waiting for the emperor to die so he can ascend the throne is enormous.

Although taking over the position of Crown Prince from Kangxi and then waiting for him to pass the throne to the Crown Prince after his death would be the most legitimate and uncontroversial path, who was Kangxi? Would someone want to take the throne from him and care about how graceful it looked? Don't be ridiculous.

Let's look at how the Fourth Prince acted in history. Of course, one reason was that the Crown Prince had already been deposed and Kangxi did not want to appoint another Crown Prince.

Also, everyone was getting on in years, and they didn't have the time to waste energy on other things. After all, if things continued to go down the wrong path, the sons might die before Kangxi even died. Crown Prince? They were all old enough to be grandfathers, what was the point of being a crown prince?

But in essence, it was because Yinzhen was aiming to become emperor from the very beginning. He was fighting against Kangxi and striving for his own path to imperial power.

Yinzhi's daily obsession with whether I or Xu Gongmei is more qualified to be the heir apparent, or whether I or the Crown Prince, is meaningless. My obsession with pulling Yinreng down from the position of heir apparent is pointless.

What's the difference between being the Crown Prince's grandson and being the First Prince's grandson?

Unfortunately, Shen Wanqing did not transmigrate to Consort Hui's maternal clan, so she had no right to say these things and could not say them herself.

At this moment, Yinzhi, unsurprisingly, went astray and began to focus on why he had not yet been granted a title and why he had not been allowed to leave the palace to establish his own residence.

Mingzhu is such a shrewd person. Even though the eldest prince has been married to his wife for so many years, he has never asked for any title for the eldest prince. Those who stay in the palace and do not come out to be sons are not considered to have separated from the family. Even if they covet the position of crown prince and are at odds with the crown prince, they will certainly have a better chance if they stay in the palace.

Once a prince leaves the palace and establishes his own household, regardless of whether he is a Beile, a Junwang, or a Qinwang, he ultimately becomes a subject. Being a subject before a son naturally distances him from the position of crown prince.

The logic is there; whether Yinzhi listens or not is up to him. Besides, they have their own reasons, which they can articulate so convincingly that they could leave Mingzhu speechless.

Yinzhi felt that the Crown Prince's position was still very secure, so he naturally had to make other plans. If he couldn't become the Crown Prince, could he not even become a Prince?

As a second-best option, the eldest prince repeatedly had his subordinates submit memorials to the emperor, saying that the princes were all getting old and it was not good for them to all be crammed into the palace.

Several princes had followed the emperor on the expedition against Galdan and made great contributions. Logically, they should have been granted titles and established their own residences and left the palace as soon as possible. Only in this way could they truly be the heads of their own households and then devote themselves more to participating in the affairs of state and sharing the emperor's burdens.

The words were spoken in a grand and dignified manner, but even a fool could see who was behind this memorial. Consort Hui was so angry that she grabbed Yinzhi's ear and twisted it back and forth, causing the eldest prince to jump up and down in pain, yet he was powerless against his own mother.

Consort Hui thought her son was too straightforward. So many princes were eagerly waiting, why was he the only one who couldn't wait and wanted to leave the palace?

To put it nicely, you're the oldest and want to settle down and start a family, to share your father's burdens. To put it bluntly, you've grown too big for your britches and want to leave the palace to become your own eldest prince, no longer wanting to stay in the palace every day being suppressed by your father.

Yinzhi was also angry. He complained to Consort Hui with his neck stiffened. He said that he had earned his merits by fighting his way through the enemy, and it was already frustrating enough that he had to share the title with those little brats. Why was she still dragging her feet on giving it to him?

Besides, there's not enough room in the palace. He married his eldest son the earliest, and since the Grand Consort Yiergen Gioro entered the family in the 26th year of Kangxi's reign, they've had four princesses! The daughters don't even have their own courtyards, and the whole family is crammed together. It's uncomfortable for them, but it's also uncomfortable for the children.

Yinzhi spoke with such conviction that Consort Hui had no choice but to comply. She knew her son still had something on his mind that he hadn't spoken aloud: he felt the palace's feng shui was bad. Otherwise, how come Yuqing Palace hadn't been able to raise a single child in years, while she herself had given birth to four daughters without a single prince? Change! This place must be changed.

Let them change it. It's not like Emperor Kangxi necessarily wanted to keep all his adult sons confined to the palace. He didn't grant titles to his sons before because it would cost money, and after a war, there weren't enough funds and manpower to do that.

Now that the trade along the northern desert has taken shape, and the restoration along the northwest route is gradually getting back on track, Kangxi can naturally free up his hands to deal with his sons.

The Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department had been summoned to the Qianqing Palace several times. The specifics of the discussions were not entirely clear, but Yinzhi had roughly found out how the titles would be awarded. He was confident that he would be able to obtain the title of Prince of the Second Rank.

The regulations governing the residences of princes were subject to specific restrictions, such as the number of rooms in the buildings, the size and layout of the main hall, and the decorations, all of which could not exceed the prescribed limits.

However, daily life mostly takes place in the east and west courtyards, as well as the side courtyards that extend out from the two courtyards. There are no restrictions on the courtyards used for living on both sides. Within the area of ​​the mansion, it is not a problem to separate several courtyards.

This time, when he left the palace to build his own residence, the mansion and the money for dividing the family property were all provided by his father, the Emperor. Now that he had been given this much, he would have to earn his own living for the next few years. The more Yinzhi thought about it, the more he felt that he couldn't afford to be taken advantage of, so he naturally developed the idea of ​​placing his own people in the Ministry of Works.

But no sooner had the idea crossed her mind than she sent someone to inquire about any positions available in the Ministry of Works, only to learn that the Crown Prince had already decided on the position of Director of the Construction and Maintenance Department, specifically naming Yu Lang for it.

The Office of Construction and Maintenance of Qingli had four secretaries, two Manchu and two Han. By convention, the Han secretaries were in charge of the case and the Manchu secretaries were in charge of the seal. In simpler terms, the Han secretaries who entered officialdom through the imperial examination were in charge of the specific operations, while the Manchu nobles who were promoted through hereditary privilege or by the path of imperial bodyguards were in charge of the approval and reporting.

This also reflects a distinction between those close to the government and those distant from it. Otherwise, if official positions were established solely based on merit, how could these Manchu youths possibly compete with those ordinary officials who had studied diligently for over a decade or even several decades and then spent many years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom?

Such a large office as the Construction and Maintenance Bureau only had four directors. The assistant directors and clerks below them were only responsible for specific tasks and could not be considered officials at the decision-making level. Each position was filled by a specific person, and now that the Crown Prince had already promoted Yulang to fill one, Yinzhi really couldn't take another one.

Yinzhi was furious, and he had clearly felt that the Crown Prince and the Emperor had a good relationship recently. He wanted to argue but couldn't win, and his guards and attendants were useless. After he finished being angry, he had to give up. He left the study with his head down and went into the room of the First Consort.

“If you want to give me a hard time, you can leave my house first. I have a temper and can’t stand your temper.”

"Master just got back, and you want him to go out again. Why don't you ask him what's wrong that's making him unhappy? What kind of wife are you?"

Yinzhi's displeasure was written all over his face. He had just sat down after entering the room and hadn't even had a chance to speak when he was choked up by the First Princess Consort.

With a snap, he put the teacup he had just picked up back on the table, making a bit of a commotion and spilling some tea. This made Lady Irgen Gioro frown, and Yinzhi immediately reached out and wiped the spilled tea away with his hand, afraid that his wife would use this as a pretext to find fault with him.

"Princess Consort, please ask me why I'm so angry today. Ask me, ask me."

"I won't ask. It's all the same old stuff outside. Either you took advantage of the Crown Prince or the Crown Prince took advantage of you. There's nothing to ask."

Irgen Gioro was the first prince's wife to marry into the family. When she was pregnant with the eldest princess, the Empress Dowager passed away. As a newlywed, she experienced such a grand funeral as the eldest grandson's wife. Irgen Gioro, who had matured early, was very careful and cautious about her own position.

It's enough that Yinzhi is the only one in the family who charges forward recklessly. She has to keep things stable at the back, otherwise, with Yinzhi's personality, he might drag the whole family down with him one day.

At first, Yinzhi thought his wife was boring, always spoiling his moments of triumph. Later, he gradually realized that she actually enjoyed coming to his wife every now and then to cause trouble.

Irgen Gioro didn't ask any questions, but Yinzhi still recounted the whole story in detail. She was completely bewildered and looked at her husband with some helplessness.

"Even without the Crown Prince's intervention, are you absolutely certain you can arrange for your preferred person to go there?"

How will you know if you don't try?

"You put people in the Ministry of Works simply so they would be more diligent in building the mansion. What else is there?"

"Isn't that enough? Don't think this is as simple as building a mansion, Princess. If you don't have your own people here, no matter what master you are, they will find ways to cut corners. In the end, if you feel uncomfortable or uncomfortable about something, you won't be able to say anything."

Yinzhi knew all too well how cunning these officials and servants were. From childhood to adulthood, the gap between him and the Crown Prince, and between him and the other princes, was such that no one could find fault with him on the surface, but they could make you uncomfortable in the smallest details.

"There's no need to send one of our own people in. The Crown Prince has arranged for a physician, so there are still three left."

"There are three left: two Han doctors and one Manchu doctor. The other Manchu doctor is Father Emperor's man. How much courage do I need to try to steal Father Emperor's man?"

Lady Irgen Gioro sighed deeply and remained silent, staring intently at Yinzhi. She wanted to see how her eldest son would manage to get through this.

"Tsk, those two chief clerks are in charge of specific tasks, but the decisions are still made by those two Manchu doctors. As for me..."

"Isn't all you want is for the work to be done well? If that's the case, why not just recruit someone who can do the work? Why are you so angry?"

The Fifth Palace in Gandong is only so big, and in recent years several more wives have married into the family. As the eldest sister-in-law, she naturally couldn't just focus on her own little life.

She also had to balance the relationships between so many sisters-in-law on a daily basis. Could she win over the head maids in the harem under the Noble Consort and the Four Consorts, or win over the eunuchs in the Emperor's palace? She couldn't do either, so she could only develop the small palace maids and eunuchs who could obey her.

The First Princess knew that this palace was not her permanent home, so she didn't feel that it was beneath her status to win over those lowly eunuchs and stewards who were only concerned with their duties. All their busy work and desires ultimately came down to wanting to live comfortably. Since that was the case, as long as she could live comfortably, nothing else mattered.

After speaking, Lady Irgen Gioro got up and walked out. She had four daughters in the backyard, the oldest being eight years old and the youngest four. Even with nannies and palace maids by her side, how could she truly feel at ease without watching them constantly?

As for what Yinzhi ultimately wants to do, that's his own business. He manages external affairs while she manages internal affairs; the First Princess Consort is always happy to let go of matters that aren't her concern.

Yu Lang was unaware that the eldest prince had his eye on him. In fact, he hadn't inquired further. No matter which position the crown prince wanted to place him in the Ministry of Works, it was all the same; he had no choice and didn't need to choose.

After leaving Yuqing Palace, Yulang continued to live his life as usual. In the morning, he would go to the training ground to train his troops, in the afternoon he would go to the yamen to handle flag affairs, and in the evening he would return home to serve his mistress.

It wasn't until he returned home that evening, before he had even changed out of his robe, that he heard Shen Wanqing say that Fuxuan and Decheng were leaving the capital to return to Jingzhou the day after tomorrow. Only then did he realize that Fuxuan's family had indeed stopped causing trouble for him and Shen Wanqing.

Those who have truly experienced the realities of officialdom are indeed different from before. He Yi said five days, and that meant five days. The imperial physicians at Tongjia's side administered acupuncture for five consecutive days. After the condition stabilized, He Yi led his men to Dong'e's residence.

Shen Wanqing didn't ask what He Yi said to Dong E's family in detail. She only knew that De Cheng promised He Yi that he would not take any more concubines within three years. If Fu Xuan still had no children after three years, then Fu Xuan, as the legal wife, would step forward to choose a concubine for De Cheng.

Yi An's birthday is July 20th, and less than a month after his first birthday celebration, it's Mid-Autumn Festival. This year, the second master, He Yi, has returned, as have his two great-aunts, Zhen Xuan and Fu Xuan.

With Tu Nan's marriage settled, the family now had another in-law to visit, and there were also a constant stream of matchmakers coming to Fang Yi's door to arrange marriages. In addition, Shen Wanlan had returned from the west, so she really didn't have time to deal with Fu Xuan's petty affairs.

Galdan conquered the Dzungar Khanate, but the original Galdan tribe could not be considered completely recovered. Now, Galdan's nephew, Tsewang Arabtan, is in charge of the Dzungar Khanate. According to the original course of history, there will still be fighting around the Dzungar Khanate.

After Emperor Kangxi defeated the fourth prince, he fought the fourth prince, and then the fourth prince fought the youngest prince. It was only during the youngest prince's reign that the Dzungar Khanate was truly defeated.

But the silent yet undeniable variables brought about by Shen Wanqing, this beautiful little butterfly, still caused things to change.

When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; if a person is alive, everything is still negotiable. Galdan, captured alive and brought back to Beijing, became a hostage in the capital, which was the most powerful deterrent to the Mongol tribes.

Although the Dzungar Khanate was taken over by Galdan's nephew, Tsewang Arabtan, the fact that Galdan was still alive naturally led to the formation of two factions within the tribe: one supporting Tsewang Arabtan and the other remaining loyal to Galdan.

With this check in place, the imperial court had much more leeway in what measures it would take against the Dzungars. Take trade and market exchanges, for example. In the past, the Dzungars could turn on you at any time, and they were capable of murder and plunder.

Now they dare not do it anymore. Not only do they dare not, but they have also reopened the border market. Shen Wanqing's caravan tried to make two trips this year, earning a lot of money from the tea, silk, and cloth they brought back. The quality of the specialties they brought back along the way, such as goji berries and Hetian jade, is also much better. Shen Wanqing has already started to think about whether she should open another shop.

Money! Making money! Who in this world would complain about having too much money? With serious matters to attend to, Shen Wanqing, who could have treated Fu Xuan's affairs as a bit of fun, was completely unable to care about them anymore.

"My second uncle said that Aunt Fu will not be allowed to stay in the capital. He has already suppressed Decheng. Three years is enough time for Aunt Fu to make a good living. But if she still can't make a good living, then it will make no difference whether it's another three or six years."

The Dong'e family was weak after all, and Yu Lang was clearly unwilling to lend a hand. He Yi, as the elder brother-in-law, personally stepped forward. Three years was neither a short nor a long time. Since the threat failed, there was naturally no need to completely break ties with the Hesheli family.

"Three years, then another three years. If Aunt still can't have a child in three more years, there's no reason for our family to stop him from taking a concubine. But this time, Aunt Fu caused someone to lose their child. Is De Cheng really going to let it go so easily?"

"Have you forgotten that Second Uncle is now the official in charge of grain transport? Jingzhou is also an important town for grain transport. He said he wrote a letter to Decheng. When he returns to Jingzhou, Decheng can take the letter to the local official in charge of grain transport. They will then cooperate with Decheng to open a grain shop. In a few years, Aunt Fu's losses will naturally be recovered."

It would take two or three years for the grain shops to get on track and stabilize, and this window of opportunity coincided with the time that He Yi had bought for Fu Xuan. Therefore, there was no fear that De Cheng would turn his back on him after returning to Jingzhou, since as long as He Yi was still in charge of the grain supply, De Cheng would have to be careful.

"I'll make time to take her there the day after tomorrow."

“I’ll go too. After we’re there, we’ll go straight to the village and stay for two days. Zhuang Ming has sent people to ask me several times. He’s hoping I’ll go and see his breeding farm and cave goods.”

Yu Lang nodded. Seeing a maid bring in water to tidy the table and prepare dinner, he got up and went to the next room to bring Yi An over.

He grabbed his son's chubby hand and dipped it into the copper basin. The little guy can now eat some vegetable soup and porridge. Yu Lang's favorite thing is to close the door, hold him, and sit peacefully with Shen Wanqing to eat and talk. This is the best day.