Chapter 14 Crown Prince Yinreng: Shen Wanqing couldn't be happy. On the other side, the atmosphere in Jide Hall of Yuqing Palace was also heavy, with Ling Pu and Wang Yan...

Shen Wanqing couldn't be happy. On the other side, the atmosphere in Jide Hall of Yuqing Palace was also heavy. Ling Pu and Wang Yan stood aside, neither daring to speak first.

"Lingpu, how's the investigation going with what I asked you to do?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, we have inquired about the guards and servants who were dismissed by His Majesty, and they are all doing well. We heard that His Majesty sent someone to specifically ask them, and they were all extremely grateful..."

"Is this what I want to hear? Everyone says that Lord Lingpu's tone of voice has changed since he was promoted to Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department. I didn't believe it at first, but now it seems it's not entirely untrue. Who gave you the audacity to say such things to me? Do you think I'm a fool?"

“Your Highness, please calm down. This servant would never dare to deceive you. However, it is not appropriate for you to inquire about this matter, and even I cannot openly send someone to ask. I had someone else find the excuse of a happy occasion in the family and take the opportunity to visit various households. Your Highness, you must be careful now.”

Lingpu's wife was Yinreng's wet nurse. Empress Yuan died early, and the Crown Prince didn't even know what his mother looked like. Therefore, Yinreng always treated his wet nurse and her whole family well, which is why Lingpu dared to speak so frankly at this moment.

Last July, Emperor Kangxi was on a campaign against Galdan when he fell ill and urgently summoned Yinreng to go with him. As the Crown Prince who was in charge of the country, Yinreng was terrified when he received this imperial edict. The edict also mentioned that the third prince, Yinzhi, should go with him. The two left the capital that very night and rushed to the emperor's presence, changing horses but not their riders.

Yinreng was a child raised by Emperor Kangxi from a young age. He was the crown prince and also the emperor's most beloved and valued son. The affection was mutual; Kangxi gave his son everything he had, and Yinreng, as the crown prince, always kept Kangxi in his thoughts and concerns.

But he was, after all, the crown prince. He was made crown prince at the age of two and entered the palace for the first time at the age of six (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning). Emperor Kangxi appointed two great Confucian scholars, Tang Bin and Geng Jie, to tutor the crown prince.

That time, the crown prince's departure was merely symbolic. Firstly, it signified that the position of crown prince was now secure, and secondly, it was meant to show the Han people and scholars that the Qing court, which had only been in power for a few decades, had also learned the Han people's orthodox succession system.

Then, until five years ago, when Yinreng was thirteen years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), he moved to Yuqing Palace alone, began to attend court and participate in government affairs, and performed sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on behalf of Emperor Kangxi, which was considered his formal entry into the imperial family.

Yinreng had been the crown prince since he was old enough to understand things, and his education from childhood to university was all about governance. On his way to the emperor, he was naturally worried about his father, but he also had to consider what he would do if something happened while he was being summoned to the emperor's presence in such a hurry.

People are most afraid of scaring themselves. Yinreng was scared the whole way there. When he finally met Kangxi, the Crown Prince, who should have been worried about his father, looked gloomy.

To outsiders, this gesture might seem like the Crown Prince was worried about the Emperor's health. But Emperor Kangxi was his father, and an extremely wise monarch; how could he not see through what the Crown Prince was thinking?

The emperor immediately rebuked the crown prince for his lack of concern and care, leaving everyone in the tent dumbfounded. They just stared blankly as the ailing emperor berated the crown prince mercilessly.

What could Yinreng say? He couldn't say anything and had no way to say anything. He could only kneel down and kowtow repeatedly. That night, he stayed in Kangxi's tent. The dignified crown prince was no different from a eunuch, sleeping on the footstool next to Kangxi's bed all night to attend to him.

After all, he was her most beloved son. After getting angry, she tried to make amends for him. Yinreng was only eighteen, hadn't even married a crown princess, and didn't have a child to raise in Yuqing Palace. People who have never been fathers are still children themselves, so how could they understand what kind of heart a father has?

After making amends, Kangxi returned to the capital and found the Crown Prince to be quite good. At the same time, as an emperor, he began to ponder the people around his son.

I raised my son myself, and I've been involved in every little detail of his life, from his studies and writing to his daily needs. Since my son is good in every way, the bad ones must be the people around him.

The term "faction" was a grave taboo for Emperor Kangxi.

Whether it was the struggle between the eunuch faction and the Donglin Party at the end of the previous dynasty, or the Eight Princes' Council and the Four Regents in the early years, in the final analysis, it was all because the ministers below had too much power, and the emperor sitting on the dragon throne became a mere figurehead.

Emperor Kangxi would never allow such a thing to happen, and he would never allow his ministers and lackeys to use the name of Crown Prince Yinreng to build up the Crown Prince's faction. If that day ever came, Crown Prince Yinreng would be deposed.

After returning to Beijing, Kangxi first used the pretext of "examining the students' studies" to find a lot of faults in the Crown Prince, and completely took back the Crown Prince's power to act as regent. Apart from attending court and listening to government affairs, the Crown Prince had few opportunities to participate in important government affairs.

With this action, many people who relied on the Crown Prince for power were exposed, and many who couldn't hold back were dealt with by Kangxi as a warning to others.

At the beginning of this year, Zhang Ying and others were appointed as tutors to the Crown Prince, and Gu Badai and Gao Shiqi were sent to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices as Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master, in order to restrain Suo'etu and Lingpu.

Yinreng's Chamberlain's Office was completely different from the Chamberlain's Office of the previous dynasty. The Chamberlain's Office of the previous dynasty, and even the Tang Dynasty, could be described as a small court centered on the Crown Prince. Yinreng's Chamberlain's Office was a group of people personally selected by his father to assist and teach the Crown Prince, and to keep an eye on him at all times so that he would not go astray.

The Imperial Household Department was originally filled with Kangxi's people, so it didn't really matter who was replaced or who was added. Yinreng understood that these changes were due to what happened in the main tent last year. This matter had become a thorn in his father's side, and it would never be over until his father got over it.

Sure enough, after finally enjoying six months of peace, a month ago, because of a trivial matter, he insisted that the people serving the Crown Prince were not attentive enough, punished many servants and guards, and after being beaten, they were all dismissed from Yuqing Palace, without even the chance to return to the guard post to guard the palace gate.

Yinreng remained silent with a somber face. He was well aware of his situation, and hearing Lingpu say it aloud gave him a completely different feeling. He desperately wanted to rush to the Qianqing Palace right now and confess his true feelings to his father, the Emperor.

She explained to her father that she was not a fool, that she knew what the officials were trying to achieve by attaching themselves to the Crown Prince, and that she did not hope that he would fall ill and she would ascend the throne.

But he couldn't say these things, nor dared he. Not only could he not say them, but he also had to pretend that he didn't find anything wrong with the Emperor's arrangements and actions. As the Crown Prince, he had to be the son who could best understand his father's good intentions.

"Who will replace these guards who have been dismissed?"

The guards, eunuchs, palace maids, and even the lowest-ranking servants in Yuqing Palace were all personally appointed by Emperor Kangxi. At this moment, Yinreng asked with a stern face when the missing personnel would be replaced. He seemed to be burning with anger, but Lingpu and Wang Tan both knew that the Crown Prince was truly at his wit's end.

"Your Highness, Li Yu has already sent over the supplementary list, and the shift changes will be completed the day after tomorrow." Ling Pu took out a folded document from his sleeve and presented it to the Crown Prince's desk with both hands. "Li Yu also said that His Majesty is considerate of His Majesty and has left three vacancies for guards, pending His Majesty's decision."

Look at how considerate Kangxi is of his son. Even though Yinreng knows this is just a sweet treat after a big stick, he can't help but feel a secret joy, thinking that his father must still care about him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left three guards for him to choose from.

Yinreng did not consult with anyone else about how to choose among these three. The first one he wanted was Geng'e, a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner. He had entered the Imperial Guard in the twentieth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign and had been promoted to First-Class Imperial Guard two years earlier, making him a trusted confidant of the Emperor.

By requesting this person from his father, Yinreng was essentially showing weakness to Kangxi: by bringing this person from his father's inner circle, he, as the crown prince, was assured that his every word and action would be under Kangxi's watchful eye. He wouldn't need Kangxi's people to secretly report to him; he would lay everything bare, without hiding anything.

The second person Yinreng wanted was Eshan from the Bordered White Banner. This man had previously served under Yinreng, but he didn't come with the Crown Prince when he moved to Yuqing Palace. Yinreng's insistence on him now shows his nostalgia.

It's not a bad thing that the Crown Prince is sentimental. For the ministers who depend on him, those who are sentimental are mostly soft-hearted, and a soft-hearted master is better than a hard-hearted one. For Emperor Kangxi, although a soft-hearted crown prince is not the way of a ruler, having such a son is better than having a crown prince who is flawless.

As for the third one, Yinreng thought for a long time before asking about Hesheli Yulang, whom he had met at the palace gate on the day he returned from Nanyuan.

The Nanyuan Hunting Grounds are close to the palace, making them the most frequent hunting grounds for the princes whenever they have free time. Because of their proximity, going to Nanyuan only requires reporting to the palace and bringing along guards.

But this freedom was not something Yinreng could have. As the crown prince, he had to clear the streets before he could leave the palace. During this period, the people around Yinreng were replaced without any reason. As one of the sweet treats Kangxi gave his son, he allowed him to take his men to Nanyuan for a few days to relax.

When he returned, he happened to run into Yu Lang carrying wine and walking towards the guard post of the military camp. Perhaps Yu Lang's spirited appearance was too eye-catching, because the Crown Prince raised his chin and had the guards around him summon Yu Lang.

Upon arriving and asking, it was discovered that Yulang was from the Hesheli family. Although only Heyi from Xifu's lineage had managed to make a name for himself before the emperor in recent years, for Yinreng, whose mother had passed away at a young age, the Hesheli family naturally felt closer to him than others.

The two were born in the same year. Yulang was born in the first month of the lunar calendar, while Yinreng was born on the third day of the fifth month. That day was also the day Empress Hesheli passed away. It can only be said that the Hesheli family experienced great joy and sorrow that year, with indescribable feelings stuck in their hearts.

After finding out that Yulang had just gotten married and was planning to give some wine to his fellow guards, Yinreng casually asked him if he could also have a drink of his wedding wine.

These words, though seemingly a great favor, also put Yu Lang in a difficult position. The Crown Prince is of noble birth; his own wine is certainly safe. But if the Crown Prince were to drink it and something went wrong, he would be in deep trouble.

Fortunately, Yinreng was just saying it casually; he didn't have the habit of making things difficult for his subordinates. He sat upright on his horse and said, "Next time. Remember this meal for me, and I'll ask you for more next time I have some free time."

"Go and ask him if his marriage is finished. He still owes me a jar of wedding wine." Yinreng thought for a moment and continued, "If it's finished, bring him here to see."