105. Chapter 105

"none"

Qi You crumpled the smoothed paper into a ball and tossed it into the charcoal basin. Flames shot up, quickly reducing it to ash. Without looking at it again, he began to sort out the documents he would hand over to Kangxi.

There is no free lunch in the world, and when people leave, the tea gets cold.

These two sentences may not be the truth, but they contain most of the truth.

The struggle for power is a bloodless sword, and it is a double-edged sword for Qi You. He is not aloof and arrogant, and he disdains to form cliques.

Those who have different ideals cannot work together.

What Qi You needs is a partner with the same ideals as him, not a helper who stands on his side for wealth and glory.

Once you get their support, you will need to pay corresponding rewards in the future.

How to repay?

Promote their families and promise them high positions and generous salaries. Or, when the birds are all shot, the good bows are put away and the rabbits are cooked.

In the former case, he had to sacrifice the interests of the people of the world in exchange for his own advancement. How was his approach different from that of the former crown prince and the Prince of Zhi?

The latter is indeed not what a gentleman would do, and I cannot agree with it.

He has persevered through all these years and laid a broad foundation, from Shunyi to Beidi, and then to several major checkpoints.

With soldiers, culture, economy and people's livelihood, Qi You no longer needs too much support.

The louder the calls, the worse it was for Kangxi.

Of course, these people are not completely useless to Qi You. He just wants them to remain neutral.

When Qi You told Yinreng that he was willing to accept defeat, he was actually telling himself.

No matter what the result is, he must be able to accept it. Not all efforts are rewarded, so keep a calm mind. Big mistakes can happen in a hurry.

Qi You checked all the documents and when the time came, he returned to his bedroom to rest. He lay down and closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, he got up early, packed up, and went to the palace. In the carriage, he narrowed his eyes as usual, thinking about what he had to do that day and checking if there were any omissions.

Haihona brought her siblings into the palace to meet Dai Jia and Kangxi. Hong Nuan was curious, so she picked up the curtain to block the cold wind and looked at the street outside.

Hongshu climbed up and down silently, his butt sticking out, just like before. Seeing Qiyou deep in thought, Haihona hugged him, who refused to stop for a moment, and looked into his eyes. She whispered to him, "When you go to the palace and see Khan Mafa later, do you remember what to do?"

Hongshu froze, blinking his dark eyes as he thought for a moment. He clenched his fat fists, nodded his head, made a gesture of greeting, and then twisted his body to slide down.

It was cold and dark outside, and Hong Nuan felt bored after watching it, so she lowered the curtains and sat back. Seeing Hong Shu making a fuss, she pulled him over, giggling and rubbing his chubby cheeks.

Hongshu's fat face was squeezed into a ball, his mouth opened into a circle, and crystal saliva hung tremblingly in front of him.

Hong Nuan groaned and let go of him in disgust.

"Sister, come again." Hong Shu seemed to be enjoying the game and reached out to pull Hong Nuan's hand and put it on his face.

Haihona found it funny and skillfully wiped the saliva from the corner of Hongshu's mouth with a handkerchief, but at the same time she felt worried.

Hongshu looks so silly with saliva all over his body. I wonder if Kangxi will dislike him later.

Looking at Qi You who was calm and composed beside her, Haihona felt relieved again.

With him around, she had nothing to fear. She also didn't worry that Kangxi and Dai Jia would force Qi You to marry another concubine and have more children to expand the family.

When they got off the carriage at Shenwu Gate, Qi You held Hong Shu in his arms, while Hai Huo Na led Hong Nuan hand in hand, and they headed towards the Palace of Heavenly Purity. It was still dark, and the surroundings were decorated with lanterns, creating a solemn and solemn atmosphere.

Hong Shu was quiet for a rare moment, nestling in Qi You's arms. Hong Nuan moved closer to Qi You, looked up at him, and whispered, "Father, it's so quiet."

Qi You smiled gently at Hong Nuan, freeing his hand to stroke her head. "Don't be afraid, Father and Mother are here."

Hong Nuan hummed, and a smile appeared on his face again. Hong Shu hugged Qi You's fat arms tighter, and leaned against his shoulders obediently.

Qi You looked at the carved white jade railings in front of him. The snow had been cleared, but it was still bitterly cold and the air seemed frozen.

Like Hong Nuan, he has never liked the Forbidden City since he was a child.

Especially in winter, when the air was filled with only coldness, he would get up early to go to school, and walk along the long street, feeling empty and lonely.

Now walking with his wife and children, Qi You did not feel at ease. It was not that the warmth of family affection was not enough to offset the desolation, but the significance brought by the dense palace.

Strict, cruel, confining, and bloody.

The Qianqing Palace was ablaze with lights. Kangxi always rose around the hour of Yin, regardless of whether he was attending court or not. By this time, he had already finished breakfast and was sitting in his imperial study. He held a memorial in his hand, which he had been flipping through for a while. His mind was a mess, as he thought about Qi You's events yesterday and hadn't read a single word.

Liang Jiugong was old, always hunched over, like a shrunken shrimp. He stepped forward lightly and said softly, "Your Majesty, Prince Chun is here."

Kangxi said "Announce", put down the memorial, moved involuntarily in his chair, and looked out the door.

Qi You and Hai Huona entered the house together and led the siblings forward to pay their respects.

Kangxi looked at the two people who looked very much like Qi You. Hong Nuan was lovely and graceful, while Hong Shu was naive and cute. Their eyes were as bright as stars and full of spirit.

His heart warmed, he was filled with indescribable joy, and he smiled from ear to ear, saying repeatedly: "Okay, okay, get up quickly and come to Khan Mafa, so that Khan Ama can take a good look at you."

Hongshu tilted his head, curiously examining Kangxi. Hongnuan, understanding, hurriedly pulled him over. She called out "Hanmafa" crisply again, while Hongshu stared at the imperial desk.

Kangxi followed Hongshu's gaze and teased him with a smile: "What do you want to play, Hongshu?"

Hongshu didn't answer, but stood on tiptoe to look up. He was wearing thick clothes and couldn't stand steadily. He staggered and fell to the ground. He was stunned for a moment, patting his chest with his chubby hands and said, "Ouch, you scared me."

When Kangxi saw Hongshu fall, he thought he would cry, but when he saw that he behaved like an adult, he was amused and laughed so hard that he couldn't help but go forward and help him up.

Hongshu supported himself on the ground and climbed up skillfully and flexibly. Seeing Kangxi extending his hand to him, he took it and without hesitation raised his legs to climb up.

Haihona was watching nervously, but when she saw Qi You smiling without saying anything, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and watched with a smile on her face.

Kangxi picked up Hongshu and imitated him in groaning, "You look so small, but you're actually quite strong. Hey, how did your face get hurt?"

Hong Shu answered fluently: "I fell and got hurt."

Kangxi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing again. He pulled Hong Nuan, whose eyes were curved with laughter, to his side and said to Qi You, "Look, his face is injured, but he doesn't care. You should pay more attention to him. If you, as a father, don't feel sorry for him when he comes out with a scar on his face, I, as a Khan, will not agree."

Qi You responded with a smile, "He's always been naughty. If you don't keep an eye on him, he'll run off somewhere and get into trouble. It's better for children to be tougher. Everyone grows up through falls and falls. When Hong Nuan was his age, he also loved to run around and jump around. Now that he's older, he's better."

Kangxi looked at Qi You deeply and hummed without comment. Hong Shu leaned forward to look at the imperial desk. Kangxi smiled and asked, "What are you looking for?"

Hongshu answered loudly: "Sugar!"

Kangxi was stunned for a moment, then smiled and patted his butt, "You greedy guy, there's no candy here, go ask your father for it!"

Qi You saw Kangxi being tortured by Hongshu, with sweat on his forehead, and hurried forward to grab him and put him on the ground. Hongshu did not cry or make a fuss. There were too many new and interesting things in the imperial study, and he ran towards the wardrobe again with a glare.

Kangxi kept looking at Hongshu, afraid that he would fall, and asked Hongnuan lovingly, "What do you usually play at home?"

Hong Nuan replied crisply, "To Khanmafa, at home, I usually have to go to school, read and write. I can only play for a while after finishing my homework. My father taught me to make a schedule, and I have to work according to the twelve-hour schedule. It's very hard work."

Kangxi suddenly recalled the young Qi You. When he was Hong Nuan's age, he studied hard every day and excelled in his studies. In the upper study room, he left all his brothers far behind.

Now, they have grown up, have children, and he is almost an adult.

The world is changing, and the sons he personally raised, poured countless efforts into, and hoped for their success, are now sharpening their swords, ready to fight against him, their biological father.

Kangxi asked a few questions about Hongnuan's studies. He was very pleased and praised her non-stop. He then said to Haihona, "You have taught them siblings very well. Bring them to the palace to pay respects more often in the future. Jingren Palace is quite deserted, and having the children here will make it lively."

Hai Hona agreed, and Kangxi rewarded her with a jade ruyi and a pocket watch for each of the siblings. He then asked them to go to Jingren Palace and left Qi You to talk.

Kangxi drank a sip of tea and said with deep emotion: "Now that I am old, I look forward to having many children and grandchildren and living happily together as a family."

Qi You glanced at Kangxi's gloomy face and took the initiative to tell him about his meeting with Yinreng and Yinzhi. "Khan Ama, seeing that the New Year is approaching and the weather is too cold, I prepared some charcoal, thick clothes and food for my eldest and second brothers to send in."

Kangxi snorted coldly and said to Qi You sideways, "You are so kind! The eldest brother has a bad temper and disregards the relationship between brothers and fathers. The second brother is arrogant and incompetent. He always thinks he has extraordinary talents and can't wait to become the master of the Qing Dynasty. He can't even manage the eunuchs around him, so how can he manage the whole country? He has long forgotten his surname is Jueluo and thinks he is Hesheli!"

Qi You watched Kangxi curse non-stop, his lips moving up and down, his beard twitching wildly. He suddenly realized that his mannerisms when cursing looked quite similar to Yinzhi's. They were indeed worthy of being father and son.

They have never done anything wrong; it is the world that has let them down.

Kangxi scolded until his mouth was dry. He paused, took a sip of tea, and glared at Qi You, saying, "Leave them alone in the future. They've been raised in luxury. It's simply too good to be true. It's time to let them experience the life of eating bran and pickled vegetables, so they don't become so self-righteous all the time."

Qi You smiled good-naturedly and told us about his plan to send Hong Nuan and his cousins ​​to study in Shunyi next year.

"They are supposed to study in the upper study, but Khan, father, I dare not hide the truth from you. Although they have servants to serve them, the servants are just serving them. Without anyone to supervise them, they will eventually become spoiled and unruly. It is better to send them to the academy so that they can learn to be independent sooner rather than later. They can live in the academy and be supervised by the warden. Let Nara stay there for a while in the early stage to help them get used to it and settle down. Shunyi is close by, and I will go visit in a few days."

Kangxi knew very well the fate of Yinzhi and Yinreng's younger children.

Since they were imprisoned, Hongxi and the others had grown up and were frightened, and Concubine Hui was in a constant state of panic.

The other little ones were served by the wet nurse's personal servants, who could not really serve them wholeheartedly. They looked at them as small and did not know how to bully them secretly.

Apart from Qi You, no one had ever taken care of them. Prince Cheng and the others were all in the capital, and these uncles had never offered them a helping hand.

After all, they were his own sons and grandsons, so Kangxi couldn't bear it and felt even more resentful towards his other sons.

They had to go to school alone far away from the capital with no one to serve them, so Kangxi was still a little worried. Firstly, he was afraid that they could not take care of themselves, and secondly, he was afraid that they would be instigated by people with ulterior motives.

When Kangxi heard that Qi You had also sent Hong Nuan there, and that he would visit regularly, he immediately felt relieved and agreed: "Studying in the Jueluo family school can be considered a family education. But Seventh Brother, you only have one son and one daughter now, you should have more. Back then you said you didn't know each other well and didn't want a concubine. After the new year, I plan to give you brothers another concubine. You only have Nara in your family, you will be laughed at."

Qi You smiled and said, "Khan Ama, having children is not something you can do just by wanting them; it depends on fate. I'm not greedy, I just want to do my best to raise Hong Nuan and Hong Shu well. As for concubines and princesses, I don't want them. It's enough for a couple to live together. Adding more people will only make the house noisy and crowded. Let them laugh at me. Their own backyard is a mess, how can they have the nerve to laugh at me?"

Kangxi thought about his many children, who were quarreling with each other and wanted to kill each other. There were even more concubines in the harem, so how could they really live in harmony in private?

The feeling of being so angry at Qi You that his teeth itched, but unable to say it out loud, and feeling so powerless, all suddenly flooded into his mind.

Kangxi stared at Qi You angrily, wanting to call him a bastard, but when he opened his mouth, he laughed instead. He shook his head helplessly and said, "After all these years, you're the only one who hasn't changed at all."

Qi You smiled apologetically, took out the sorted documents and handed them over, saying, "Khan Ama, please take a look at this."

Kangxi glanced at Qi You and said with a smile as he turned the pages, "You've been busy since you came back, without even taking a few days off."

After looking through it for a while, Kangxi frowned, his expression changing constantly, and he said, "Is it really so?"

Qi You said yes, "I wouldn't dare say this data is 100% accurate, but at least 99% is correct. When I went to Shunyi, refugees came from all over. I heard them gossiping, such as which family in the village has a fool, or someone with a mental disability, or someone with an incurable disease. After hearing about the marriages of their ancestors, I became more concerned. This involves in-laws and also affects future generations, so I dare not make a decision easily. I have been collecting data since I went to the north and other places. After analysis, if close relatives get married, the offspring they give birth to are very likely to be stupid or at risk of illness."

Many years ago, Qi You had considered changing the rule of different laws for Manchus and Han people, but the timing was not right and he was too busy to do so.

Over the years, Qi You had collected enough data samples to be more convincing. Taking advantage of next year's draft, after which Bannermen families would be busy arranging marriages, he could publish this data and begin promoting genuine marriages between Bannermen and Han people.

Once the Bannermen and the Han become relatives by marriage, the resistance encountered when proposing to amend the law will be less.

Kangxi was puzzled and said, "People of the same clan don't marry each other, but this is a cousin marriage, how can there be any problem?"

Several sisters of the Tonggiya clan entered the palace, plus women from the Khorchin Mongols were sent into the palace. There were many cousins ​​of Kangxi in the harem. Qi You did not miss the embarrassment that flashed across his face.

"It's said that children are the flesh and blood of both their parents. Some come from the father, and naturally some come from the mother. This is also true for cousins ​​and relatives of the same clan."

Qi You tried his best to explain in a way Kangxi could understand. After a moment's thought, he simply said, "There are only so many Bannermen. They all know each other and are related to each other. Bannermen can take Han women as concubines, and some even marry Han women privately. It would be better if Bannermen girls could also marry Han men, truly liberalizing intermarriage. Firstly, I don't want to see Bannermen produce a bunch of sick and idiotic offspring in the future. Secondly, this move can truly promote harmony between Manchus and Han people."

Shunzhi tried his best to promote marriage between the Manchus and the Han people, but unfortunately he died early, and the move was opposed by the Manchus and was changed back.

Kangxi liked the gentleness and kindness of Han girls. The older he got, the more Han girls he placed in places like the Rehe Palace.

Liking Han girls was only one of the reasons, and this reason could not be brought to the surface. Truly promoting the relationship between Manchus and Han people was of great importance to Kangxi.

The most important point is that Qi You did not gain any benefit from this incident. The censors reported him to the emperor and scholars wrote articles to criticize him.

Kangxi could imagine that once this move was made, Qi You would definitely be scolded by many people who had married into the family of their cousins. Among the powerful officials in the capital, there were many such officials.

He began to worry about Qi You's reputation being too high. Kangxi thought about him being scolded and became unhappy. He said in a deep voice: "Don't let this matter out for now. Wait until the government office opens after the New Year to bring it up. At that time, I plan to seal you brothers with a letter."

When Qi You heard Kangxi mention the title for the second time, he felt something in his heart.

By conferring titles, Kangxi wanted to see clearly which son had greater prestige in the court.

Qi You also wanted to see with his own eyes how many people supported the Eighth Prince and what actions the Fourth Prince would take.

The author has something to say:

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2022-12-14 23:22:11 and 2022-12-15 23:40:49~

Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: 1 child trapped in time;

Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient solution: 15 bottles of Balala Spicy; 1 bottle of Green Moss, Sweet Zhouzhou, and Green Xiaomei Qinglian;

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!