Conversely, the Fourth Prince was highly regarded by Emperor Kangxi.

Having lived through a dream, Yinzhen had a clearer understanding of many things. Although he was decisive in his actions and his methods were not exactly gentle, he acted with a sense of propriety. Kangxi nodded in approval of his actions.

Emperor Kangxi saw many good qualities in his taciturn son and felt that he was truly worthy of being his son, and that his cousin had done a good job in educating him.

As for Consort De, who gave birth to Yinzhen, Kangxi did not want to associate her with Yinzhen at all. The matter of choosing the "Fourth Prince Consort" was still fresh in Kangxi's mind!

If you don't value his son, then you might as well stay quietly in Yonghe Palace!

Emperor Kangxi was also a very temperamental emperor. If he was unhappy, then she wouldn't be happy either.

The matter of Yinzhen and the Third Prince investigating the Imperial Household Department together, although it was an internal matter of the royal family, caused quite a stir.

The bondservants existed as soon as the Qing army entered the pass. Through several generations of intermarriage, their relationships had become deeply intertwined. Although not as complex as those of the Manchu clans, they were still a force that could not be ignored.

Yinzhen investigated thoroughly and became increasingly alarmed. In his view, this was no small matter.

He saw the relationships between the bondservants of the Imperial Household Department and thought long-term. Everyone in the palace had their food, clothing, housing and transportation controlled by the bondservants. Even the midwives who gave birth to the concubines and the wet nurses of the princes were all handled by the Imperial Household Department.

The Imperial Household Department was a place where the bondservant groups had deeply entrenched relationships and interests. It didn't matter if the rulers were wise, but if they were even slightly muddle-headed, then the Qing Dynasty's empire could basically be said to be in the hands of these bondservants.

This inevitably reminded Yinzhen of the Eastern and Western Depots of the previous dynasty, where eunuchs controlled the government. He thought he might have been emperor for a while in a dream. The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. So he reported the matter to Kangxi "properly".

As for the initial purpose of the investigation, it became secondary. However, the Imperial Household Department did have a habit of embezzling good things, and the explanation was indeed as Tong Cheng'er said: they were afraid that the nobles would be used to good things and they would not be able to afford so many, thus offending people.

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen wanted to curse. He thought that if something was rare, he should keep it for himself. If it was really not enough, he could just supply it to his father, the Emperor. No one else would dare to say anything. It was a lame excuse. To put it bluntly, it was just insatiable greed.

Yinzhen presented the findings to Kangxi's desk and said, "Your Majesty, I have written down everything I have found in this memorial. Please review it."

Knowing the sincerity of his investigation, Kangxi picked up the memorial and said, "Very well, let me take a look."

Emperor Kangxi understood the principle that "too much clarity leaves no fish," and he knew that this memorial was unlikely to be very good. However, when he actually saw it, he was still shocked and then furious.

"These lackeys are really good at lining their own pockets. They eat and use better things than I do. They dare not give me rare things, but they use them themselves. They are really capable. Their wealth is almost as big as my private treasury. Do they really think I am just a decoration?"

Yinzhen was not surprised by his father's fury. He knelt down and said, "Please calm down, Father. It's not worth getting angry over these people."

Kangxi calmed his anger and then said to Yinzhen, "You have done very well. The Imperial Household Department is responsible for the royal family's food, clothing and daily necessities. Such embezzlement is a contempt for the royal family's dignity, and I will never tolerate it. I entrust this matter to you and the Crown Prince. Investigate what needs to be investigated, and confiscate what needs to be confiscated."

Emperor Kangxi was furious. He considered himself a wise emperor comparable to Emperor Taizong of Tang, but his servants dared to be so disobedient and enjoyed better food and supplies than he did.

This result made Kangxi waver. Could he really be compared to Emperor Taizong of Tang? Was he really a wise emperor?

If the Imperial Household Department dared to deceive him, what about the civil and military officials?

Kangxi only doubted himself for a moment, but then he strengthened his resolve. He couldn't think like that. As long as he worked hard to rectify the situation, there was still a chance.

Yinzhen was somewhat surprised to hear this. He had handled the matter with the Third Prince, but the Crown Prince ended up investigating and confiscating the property with him.

"Father, where is Third Brother?"

After this investigation of the Imperial Household Department, Emperor Kangxi had a problem with his son Yinzhi. Since he was unwilling to offend anyone, he decided to stay in the Imperial Study for a couple more years to learn how to be a good ruler and a good son.

"Third brother, I have other plans for you. You may leave."

That same day, the Crown Prince received a message from Emperor Kangxi ordering him and Yinzhen to thoroughly investigate the Imperial Household Department. The Emperor also stated that no one involved would be tolerated and that a copy of Yinzhen's report would be transcribed for the Crown Prince.

After reading it, the Crown Prince was surprised to find his maternal father, the Emperor, furious. He felt uncomfortable just looking at the memorial. As the Crown Prince, there were many things he had never used, yet the bondservant servants of the Imperial Household Department could use them in private.

No wonder the Emperor was angry.

However, the Crown Prince was also a little troubled by the thought of investigating the Imperial Household Department. After all, his wet nurse was among the people in charge of the Imperial Household Department. It would be difficult to remain unscathed in the midst of the turmoil, and he was afraid that the investigation would eventually find his own people.

However, considering that the world will eventually belong to him, and that the current embezzlement by the Imperial Household Department is partly his, it's time for a thorough investigation.

With this in mind, the Crown Prince ordered someone to find his wet nurse, Lingpu, to discuss how to resolve the troubles of the Imperial Household Department.

On the other hand, around the same time as the Crown Prince, the Third Prince received an imperial edict from Emperor Kangxi ordering him to go to the Imperial Study to relearn.

The Third Prince had just come out of the Imperial Study to carry out his duties, but before he could even finish his first task, he was thrown back into the Imperial Study. This means that Emperor Kangxi was very dissatisfied with his ability to handle official duties, otherwise why would he have to relearn the skills?

Moreover, this was the highest level of treatment among the princes, which made him look bad both inside and out. The Third Prince was furious, but he didn't dare to vent his anger on Emperor Kangxi, so he held a grudge against Yinzhen. If Emperor Kangxi hadn't investigated so thoroughly, his bad reputation wouldn't have been exposed.

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