Chapter 217 The main text ends. At the same time that Yongxi was conferred the title, Ten...

At the same time as Yongxi was conferred the title, Shi □□ returned from Xining in a dusty state. However, he did not have the high spirits and grand momentum as when he set out. In fact, if he had not gone to the palace to pay his respects, few people would have noticed that he was back.

The couple had long felt that Kangxi's behavior regarding the Fourteenth Prince was somewhat strange. Qi Buchen was very concerned about the Fourteenth Prince's return this time: "How is it going?"

Yinzhen frowned slightly: "The Emperor didn't see him."

Qi Buchen also frowned: "How could it be."

Yinzhen pondered for a moment, then said with a rare lack of confidence, "There will be a grand court meeting the day after tomorrow. Let's wait and see."

At the grand court meeting, the court officials held their breath. Even though they tried to suppress it, the horror still burst out, making them stare at Hongxi standing in the center in amazement.

The eldest son of the deposed crown prince was impeaching his fourteenth uncle at this time. What was he impeaching?

He formed a clique for personal gain, secretly befriended Longkodo and Wei Zhu, and spied on the emperor's whereabouts with great ambitions.

Are you trying to kill the Fourteenth Prince?!

Don’t forget, the Fourteenth Prince was leading an army of over 100,000 a few months ago!

But they suddenly remembered why the Fourteenth Prince had returned to the capital. It was the Emperor who summoned him to make an unnecessary self-defense.

so……

Yinzhen glanced at the pale-faced Hongxi, then glanced at the emperor sitting on the throne, lowered his head, and Prince Yong, who was as motionless as the wind.

Fourteen was already furious. He had never expected to be stabbed in the back by this nephew whom he hadn't taken seriously. "Hongxi! Do you know what you're saying?! How have I ever wronged you? Why are you slandering me like this?!"

He rushed forward impulsively, grabbed Hongxi by the collar, his eyes filled with uncontrollable violence: "Tell me! Who ordered you to do this?!"

He stared directly at Yinzhen, who was watching his nose and his heart. "Is it you? My dear Fourth Brother! Are you so impatient? Aren't you avoiding politics? Aren't you devoted to the countryside? What's going on? You finally can't help it?"

It was on his way back that he learned about the accident of Longkodo and Wei Zhu. At that time, Longkodo was already on the way to exile. He was heartbroken to lose two of his two right-hand men at once, but he never connected the accident between the two with himself, because they had such close contact that he didn't even tell his wife.

Yinzhen looked up at him expressionlessly: "You are a noble prince, have some judgment and don't bite anyone you catch like a mad dog."

This sentence immediately triggered Fourteenth's emotions. He rushed forward and punched Yinzhen in the face.

Before Yinzhen could fight back, Kangxi's angry rebuke came from above: "How dare you!"

Yinzhen clenched his fists, turned around and knelt down: "Your son is rude and disrespectful in front of the emperor. Please forgive me, father."

Fourteen stood there, took two breaths, and then knelt down: "Your son... is rude, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Punish me?" Kangxi's voice was as cold as ice. "How dare I! The Fourteenth Prince is the General of Fuyuan. How dare I punish you?"

Fourteenth raised his head abruptly and said anxiously, "Father, I dare not! Please do not listen to my nonsense. I have absolutely never done such a thing, nor have I ever had such thoughts."

"Really?" Kangxi said in a steady voice, "Hongxi, do you have any evidence for what you said?"

Hongxi had been standing the whole time. Now he bent down, took out a pile of things from his pocket, and presented them: "Yes."

Liang Jiugong stepped forward eagerly, took it, and presented it to Kangxi.

Kangxi looked at it silently, then handed it to Liang Jiugong: "Give it to the Fourteenth Prince."

Fourteen still held onto hope until this moment. He took the thing Liang Jiugong handed over, and the more he looked at it, the more his hands trembled.

These, these, these are not something Hongxi can find out at all.

Who is it? Who is it!

It’s Yinzhen, yes, it must be Yinzhen!

"Father Emperor, this must be Prince Yong's slander..."

"Enough!" Kangxi interrupted angrily. "Fourteenth Prince, you formed a clique for personal gain, spied on the emperor's whereabouts, and harbored grand ambitions. You shall be stripped of your title, demoted to a commoner, and imprisoned for life!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, no, no, I didn't do that." Fourteen felt as if the sky had fallen, crawling forward on his knees, as if trying to crawl to Kangxi's feet. "Your Majesty, I absolutely don't have such thoughts. Your Majesty, if you believe me, it's all slander, it's slander, Your Majesty!"

Kangxi remained unmoved: "Why don't you drag him down!"

The guards outside the hall rushed forward and dragged Fourteen away.

Fourteenth's voice still rang out from afar: "Father, please believe me. It was Fourth Brother who harmed me. It was Fourth Brother who wanted to harm me!"

Yinzhen knelt there from beginning to end without moving or saying a word.

After a stifling silence, Kangxi finally said, "Dismiss the court."

"Farewell, Your Majesty."

After Kangxi left, Yinzhen slowly stood up, ignoring the subtle gazes around him, and ignoring Hongxi who was hesitant to speak, and slowly walked out.

Father Emperor, are you already so weak?

When Yinzhen returned to his house, the first thing he said to Qi Buchen was, "I need to find a quiet job."

Don't attract the emperor's attention.

In a blink of an eye, Yongxi is three years old.

"Grandma, grandma." Before anyone arrived, Yongxi's baby voice was heard.

Qi Buchen's smile was as warm as the sun. He took the initiative to go out and pick up his granddaughter who was running towards him: "Grandma's little darling, how come you run so fast? Aren't you afraid of falling?"

Yongxi hugged her neck proudly: "Yongxi runs well and won't fall."

Qi Buchen's smile widened: "Really? Then our Yongxi is really amazing."

After the grandparents and grandchildren finished being intimate, Qi Buchen looked at Fan Zhengya with a smile: "Why are you here at this time?"

In the past two years, Qi Buchen still lived in the Old Summer Palace most of the time. One reason was that Kangxi lived in Changchun Garden more often in the past two years, and the other was that the high-yield and high-quality varieties had been made public, so she could finally expand the scale and no longer conduct research in secret.

Prince Yong's Palace was handed over to Honghui and Fan Zhengya to manage. Apart from the triplets' wedding, Qi Buchen basically never asked about the affairs of the palace.

It was neither a festival nor a day off, and the sun was getting higher, but Fan Zhengya brought Yongxi here. It seemed that something big had happened.

Having someone take Yongxi down to play, Fan Zhengya said solemnly, "News has come from the palace that Empress Defei is not well."

Concubine De, Qi Buchen was a little dazed.

Two years ago, Yinzhen was imprisoned. Concubine De knelt outside the Qianqing Palace for three days and fainted several times. Then, Emperor Kangxi ordered her to be sent back to the Yonghe Palace to recuperate.

The disease lasted for two years, and Qi Buchen never saw her again. He could only send things to the palace every month.

Qi Buchen was in a trance for a while before asking, "Is the news accurate?"

Fan Zhengya nodded: "My daughter-in-law sent someone to find Doctor Fu, and the Imperial Hospital has not blocked the news."

This means that Kangxi knew it long ago.

Qi Buchen stood up and ordered, "Pack your things and go back home."

As soon as he returned to Prince Yong's mansion, Qi Buchen sent someone to pass a sign to the palace. In just a few minutes, the servant returned with a report: "The palace said that Fu Jin will enter the palace tomorrow."

It seems that things are really bad.

Later, Yinzhen returned, and Qi Buchen went to greet him personally, asking worriedly, "Got it?"

"Yes." Yinzhen took her hand, but his expression was not as lively as hers. "You can go to the palace and take a look tomorrow."

Qi Buchen squeezed his hand slightly: "I have already handed over the sign."

The two walked into the house without saying a word, washed quietly, and lay down on the couch hugging each other.

Qi Buchen patted Yinzhen's back gently, and neither of them felt sleepy.

Yinzhen suddenly said, "The textbook is coming to an end."

Two years ago, Yinzhen came back and told her that he wanted to change to a quiet job. He knew that the craftsmen under Qi Buchen had developed cement, and his original intention was to offer the cement recipe. Then he would take the job of using cement to build roads and water conservancy projects in various places. It would be quiet, would not attract the attention of the emperor, and would benefit the country and the people.

After hearing the whole story, Qi Buchen understood what he was thinking. But after thinking about it, while it was certainly good for the country and the people, it wasn't the right time to do it. She hadn't said that just because Wu Cunli had just been executed, it didn't mean the court was truly clean. Kangxi's lenient policies over the years had definitely produced more than one Wu Cunli. Furthermore, the treasury wasn't well-off. If they were to undertake such a major project at this time, it wouldn't be enough to have limited funds and food. The biggest concern was cutting corners, which would turn a good thing into a bad one, a thankless task.

Qi Buchen's final advice to Yinzhen was to unify official schools and private academies and compile textbooks.

At that time, there was no such thing as textbooks, and it seemed unnecessary. After all, whether it was a public school or a private academy, they all taught the Four Books and Five Classics.

With all these classics, what else do we need textbooks for? What textbook can compare to the Four Books and Five Classics?

But in fact, the Four Books and Five Classics are the Four Books and Five Classics, but the interpretation is up to the scholars, and there is a lot of room for personal opinion to be smuggled in.

As a prince, how could Yinzhen not know the trick here? In the case of Dai Mingshi, it was certainly because of his own careless words and the court's desire to make an example of him, but other than that, it is hard to say that it had nothing to do with his wide circle of friends, numerous students, and the promotion of his own theories.

If the teaching content can be unified and the thoughts of students all over the world can be unified, it will be a great weapon for the court's rule.

Therefore, as soon as Qi Buchen proposed it, Yinzhen saw the benefits in it. Moreover, this matter not only has the benefit of ideological control, but it can also bring those literati who are outside the court into the court and better manage them.

The most important thing is that this textbook is unprecedented. If it can be completed, it will definitely go down in history.

This is something that the emperor absolutely cannot refuse.

Sure enough, after Yinzhen raised this matter, Kangxi burst out with great enthusiasm. If his body did not allow it, he would even want to personally participate in the compilation of textbooks.

If even Kangxi was like this, what about others?

As the proposer and final executor, Yinzhen certainly also gained some benefits.

Now that the textbook is completed, some things should be settled.

The Yonghe Palace, with its once low-key and gorgeous decorations, now exudes a fading luster.

Qi Buchen and the Thirteenth Concubine met the drowsy and confused Concubine De and the taciturn Fourteenth Concubine.

Concubine De was extremely thin, while Lady Fourteen had gained some weight, but she was not in very good spirits.

After asking about Concubine De's illness, the three sisters-in-law fell silent. They wanted to greet each other but didn't know where to start.

When it was time to take the medicine, the imperial physician came to give her acupuncture. Concubine De regained consciousness. Her cloudy eyes swept over the people gathered around the bed, but she didn't know if they saw clearly. Suddenly, she stretched out her hand and said, "Yinzhen, Yinzhen..."

Yinzhen? Or Yinzhen?

The Thirteenth Lady looked hesitantly at this and that.

The Fourteenth Lady's eyes moved, but she remained silent in the end.

Qi Buchen took a breath, stepped forward, held Defei's hand, and said gently: "Mother, your daughter-in-law is here."

Defei didn't know where she got the strength from, and she shook off Qi Buchen's hand with a "snap".

Those who saw this scene wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it immediately, and the air in the house became even more suffocating.

Qi Buchen paused, his expression unchanged. He held Concubine De's hand again and slowly put it under the quilt. He said, "Mother is weak and needs to be taken care of. Our master is worried about her every day and can't sleep at night. He wishes he could take her place. Only when Mother gets better soon can our master rest assured."

After saying that, he stood up and moved aside: "Fourteenth sister-in-law, you should also talk to mother."

The Fourteenth Lady replied softly, "Yes."

Qi Buchen simply took the others out and left the space to them.

After only a quarter of an hour, the Fourteenth Lady came out and said, "Mother has fallen asleep."

Qi Buchen stood up and said, "Then let's not disturb Mother's rest."

After leaving the palace, Qi Buchen said goodbye to the Fourteenth Lady: "You, take care. If you need anything, send someone to find me."

The Fourteenth Prince was imprisoned, but he was not really isolated from the world. The guards and the people who delivered supplies from the Imperial Household Department could all help pass on messages.

Be more open and aboveboard, don't engage in collusion, and no one will hold you accountable.

Soon after this visit, Yinzhen presented the compiled textbook to Kangxi. Kangxi was very pleased and ordered a grand celebration of his birthday.

However, on the eve of the Wanshou Festival, the Imperial Hospital made the final conclusion on Concubine De.

Yinzhen, Yinxiang, Yinzhen, and their respective families gathered in Yonghe Palace.

When they met again, Yinzhen no longer had the resentment he had at the court meeting. However, he did not even look at Yinzhen from beginning to end.

The same was true for Yinzhen.

The brothers are now strangers.

After sitting there for a long time, the imperial physician came and asked, "Would you like to give the Empress Defei acupuncture?"

They say it's a last glimmer of life, but Concubine De remained unconscious, showing no signs of waking up. Acupuncture at this moment was meant to forcibly wake her up and allow her to see him one last time.

Yinzhen stood up quickly: "Shi!"

Yinzhen said, "Send someone to ask the Emperor."

Yinzhen stared at Yinzhen and sat back without saying a word.

Liang Jiugong came in person and ordered the imperial physician to give Defei acupuncture.

Defei woke up slowly, and when she saw the three families neatly arranged in the house, she suddenly understood something.

"Fourteen." Concubine De stretched out her hand, her expression full of pity. "How did you become so thin?"

Fourteenth threw himself on the bed, holding Concubine De's hand and crying loudly: "Mother, Mother!"

De Fei seemed to have returned to the time when Fourteen was born, and said anxiously: "Don't cry, don't cry, Mother is here, Mother is here, it's okay, it's okay."

Fourteen couldn't hold back any longer, crying as if he was about to faint: "Mother, mother, I am an unfilial son, an unfilial son."

De Fei said anxiously, "What are you talking about..." She took a deep breath, "What nonsense... Mother's Fourteenth is the most filial... cough cough."

The violent coughing frightened Fourteen, who hurriedly called out, "Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"

What could the imperial physician do but give the patient two injections to stop the coughing so violently. He couldn't even tell him to stop getting too excited.

Fourteen knelt in front of the bed and asked anxiously, "Are you feeling better? Is mother feeling better?"

Concubine De smiled slightly. "Much better, Fourteenth. You have to take care of yourself. Eat well, dress well, sleep well. You have to...be a little fatter...a little stronger...that way...no one can bully...bully you..."

The sound gradually faded.

"Stop talking, mother, stop talking." Fourteenth said sadly, "I know, I will be obedient, please stop talking..."

“…Mother…I’m worried…about you…” He closed his eyes.

Fourteen felt his hand slip and then be held tightly by him, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something and he couldn't make a sound.

The imperial physician stepped forward, carefully examined her, then knelt down and cried, "Empress Defei has passed away."

Yinzhen, who had witnessed such a loving mother and filial son, took the lead in kneeling down and said with a sob, "Send it off, mother."

Qi Buchen and the others also knelt down: "Send mother away."

Everyone knelt inside and outside the Yonghe Palace: "Send off the Virtuous Consort."

Kangxi's decree came quickly, and Concubine Yunde was buried with the ceremony of a noble concubine.

Five days after Concubine De passed away, Qi Buchen entered the palace to attend the Emperor's birthday celebration. The palace was full of joy and there was no sign that anyone had died.

Qi Buchen drank plain water and ate from a dish of fried bamboo shoots in oil in front of him, and lasted the whole time.

After meeting Yinzhen at the palace gate and getting on the carriage, Qi Buchen took out the vegetarian snacks he had prepared long ago and said, "You must be very hungry."

The De Consort went first, and they had to observe mourning. But no matter how great the De Consort was, could she be greater than Kangxi? So the two of them had to attend the Wanshou Festival.

It was impossible for Kangxi's birthday banquet to be a vegetarian banquet for Concubine De, so the two of them did not dare to break the rules and could only endure it.

After stuffing a few snacks into his stomach, the burning hunger in his stomach was slightly suppressed. Qi Buchen asked, "Is everything okay during the meal?"

Yinzhen nodded, then shook his head.

Qi Buchen looked at him puzzledly.

Yinzhen was lost in thought for a moment before he said, "The Emperor has asked Honghui to enter the palace to serve as his attendant."

Qi Buchen was stunned: "This..."

Is that a good thing?

It should be considered a good thing, at least Prince Cheng was so jealous that he smashed several cups in the study.

After Honghui entered the palace, Yinzhen became free and stayed at home to observe mourning. He would read books related to water conservancy and tease Yongxi from time to time.

Qi Buchen is actually busier than him, after all, he has so many businesses under his control.

Time passed slowly as everyone knew it. As the weather in the 61st year of Kangxi's reign gradually became colder, Qi Buchen became anxious.

Yinzhen asked with concern: "What's wrong? You seem so restless."

Qi Buchen bit his lower lip and said, "I, don't feel well."

Yinzhen paused, remained silent for a moment, then put his arm around her shoulders and said soothingly, "Don't let your imagination run wild. Relax."

Qi Buchen refuses to relent. With only two months left in the sixty-one years, will they finally get what they want? Will Yinzhen finally be able to establish his authority? Will Kangxi pull off a final, daring move?

Qi Buchen tossed and turned at night and couldn't fall asleep. Yinzhen hugged her and coaxed her to sleep, murmuring, "Don't worry, don't worry."

How can I not be anxious?

Qi Buchen bit his ear: "What if it doesn't work."

Yinzhen patted her back again and again, and after a long time he said, "It has to be done whether it works or not." His tone was firm and decisive.

Now that things have come to this, it will be difficult to get him to change his mind.

Qi Buchen rubbed his neck with his chin: "I want you to be justified."

The authenticity of the will? The mystery of the succession? These things must not happen to her Yinzhen.

Yinzhen felt tickled by her rubbing, and laughed a few times in his throat: "No one is more legitimate than me."

On November 12, there was a layer of white snow on the ground, and countless carriages set out from all over the place and converged into Changchun Garden.

Yinzhen and Yinzhi took the lead and stood outside the hall for three hours, from dusk to dawn.

Honghui came out of the hall, his hands slightly lowered, and said, "The Emperor summons you all to see me."

They came in one after another.

The hall was hot and everyone who had been frozen all night was sweating instantly.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the Emperor."

There was silence for about ten seconds before Kangxi's slightly muddy voice rang out: "Stand up."

Everyone stood up and saw out of the corner of their eyes that Kangxi was actually sitting down, wrapped in thick fur.

Without waiting for Yinzhen and the others to express their concern, Kangxi said, "Announce it."

Liang Jiugong then stepped forward, unfolded a bright yellow scroll, and said, "My Lords, receive my command."

The people who had just stood up fell to their knees again.

"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: I, young as I am, have assumed great responsibility and have reigned for sixty-one years..."

The imperial edict was very long, but everyone in the hall listened to it very carefully, wishing they could chew and swallow every word.

"...Yinzhen, the fourth son of Prince Yong, is a man of noble character, a perfect reflection of myself..."

Yinzhen slowly exhaled and said with the others, "Your Highness and I obey your command. Long live the Emperor."

There was no "Stand Up" for a long time.

Yinzhen looked up in surprise, only to see that the emperor, who was sitting upright, had his head tilted.

The main text is over.