I'm sick at a really bad time.

Yinreng put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth and washed his hands hurriedly. Shujia stood up and helped him straighten his clothes: "Be careful on the road."

Yinreng nodded and said, "You can eat first, no need to wait for me. I will send someone to give you a message later."

"I don't want to know anything else, just two things: how is Khan Ama's health, and what happened to Hongdan." Speaking of which, besides Kangxi, the most embarrassed person today was Hongdan. Originally, this wife was the best the emperor could ask for, her family background was decent, and she was supposedly a decent person. But now, at the last minute, she's been slapped in the face.

"I understand." Yinreng sighed and led his men straight to the Qianqing Palace.

The palace gates were already locked, but fortunately I had emergency passes issued by the Qianqing Palace and the Eastern Palace, so I ran to the destination without any obstacles.

After entering the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he ran to Kangxi's bedside as if he knew the way there well. Hongdan was already there. He called out softly, "Father." Yinreng waved his hand and walked forward to look at Kangxi: "Father." There was no response either.

Yinreng asked, "What on earth is going on?"

"I heard some commotion in the room, and when I rushed over, Mafa looked like this," Hongdan lowered his voice. "I've already sent for the imperial physician."

Kangxi hadn't eaten, and certainly hadn't turned over his cards. He recalled how he'd spent the day focusing on the Tong family's troubles, leaving behind unapproved memorials. He was now busy reviewing them. The more he looked, the angrier he became. In recent years, there had been fewer memorials about good weather and harvests, and more about famine. Kangxi leaned back and gulped.

Liang Jiugong was on duty that day and was shocked when he saw this. He called out twice but no one answered. Liang Jiugong panicked and hurriedly called two young eunuchs to help. They helped Kangxi lie on the bed and quickly sent someone to find Hongdan.

Hongdan was having a very hard time today. He knew a thing or two about Longkodo's affairs, but he couldn't speak out. Beating a dog depends on the owner. Even if the matter were exposed, it wouldn't be a serious crime. But then, seeing that his face was no longer a concern, he got bit by the dog and was bleeding profusely.

Nearly a hundred years had passed since the rebellion against the Ming dynasty began. Which of the prominent families under their control didn't have something to point fingers at? Of the Niuhulu clan, there's Alinga, needless to say; the Guwalgiya clan produced the elusive figure of Oboi; even the Crown Princess's family, Huashan, was a man who mocked the Iron Hat Prince in public. The glorious deeds of Hongdan's great-grandfather were also widely circulated, still being recounted centuries later.

Seriously speaking, no one is so innocent. Don't laugh at anyone else if they put soy sauce in a black bowl.

Given the less-than-friendly relationship between the Eastern Palace and Tong Guowei's household, Hongdan was reluctant about the arranged marriage. Although Kangxi hadn't been so open-minded as to allow him to go on a blind date beforehand, Hongdan sensed this and discussed countermeasures with his parents after returning home.

The East Palace's opinion, Kangxi has this intention. If you want to object, you must have a reasonable reason. You can't just say you don't like her. Choosing a wife is not a beauty pageant, it's a father-in-law selection. Yinreng smiled sinisterly: "There are many people who are dissatisfied. There is no need to tell the old man. If your mother asks the other girls a few more times, someone will find a way."

Hongdan quickly grasped his father's intentions: the Empress Dowager lacked a strong opinion, and even if she did, it would be easily deflected. The Crown Princess's skill in deflecting rumors was truly breathtaking. Even if the Empress Dowager had received Kangxi's hint to show greater concern for the Tong family's daughter, and she knew it, that didn't mean she wouldn't be sidetracked. This certainly required skill, and it wasn't impossible to give the Tong family face and continue to ignore them. In short, she had to be thorough in giving people the illusion of success.

That's good. Otherwise, there's no other way.

Hongdan was unmarried and still studying. Even after class, when the court meeting was still going on, he had no idea what was going on. He summoned a eunuch to question him, and when the young eunuch hesitantly revealed the secret, Hongdan felt the blood rush to his head.

No one expected Alinga to use such a mean trick! What was also unexpected was that Tong Guowei kept rushing forward even when something went wrong at home.

Finally, Mars hit the Earth.

I didn't expect things to be so bad!

For the Eastern Palace, the Tong family was eliminated without any intervention on their part. The perpetrator was none other than Alinga (who was unexpected, considering he had once been involved with Longkodo and Yinsi). The two unpleasant individuals walked out hand in hand, and this was the ultimate victory. This avoided a confrontation with the Tong family and the displeasure of the Emperor—how unkind! You've treated me like this while I'm alive, and now, how do you plan to treat them when I die?

Victory always comes at a price. How could a small incident shake the Tong family? If they wanted to make a fuss, they had to make it bigger, and if they wanted to slap someone in the face, they had to hit them harder. In this whole thing, the Eastern Palace was the victim. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess could be angry, but the Crown Prince would be embarrassed!

He was mentally prepared; wanting to see the excitement was one thing, but being hit by a stray bullet was quite another. Hongdan was so angry he couldn't eat. Guo Chaoyong persuaded him to eat a small bowl of rice porridge. He was lost in thought at his desk when he heard a noise in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

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Yinreng was silent for a moment: "You have been wronged."

Hongdan grinned and looked at Kangxi who was lying there: "It's nothing." It's better than marrying someone you don't like, even though he has never seen the real person.

The imperial physician appeared at the right moment, led by the judge of the court, and accompanied by a group of medical experts, they ran and sweated, trembling as they tried to pay their respects. Yinreng impatiently shouted, "Don't waste time!"

The imperial doctors took turns examining the patient and concluded it was a stroke, which was not too serious. Yinreng said, "Let's put the other things aside for now. The patient needs to wake up first!"

The imperial doctors quickly agreed, saying, "We think so too." They met again to discuss the prescription, and after deciding on one, they showed it to Yinreng. Yinreng glanced at it quickly, saw nothing to criticize, and ordered the medicine to be prepared immediately.

When the medicine was ready, Yinreng and Hongdan worked together to administer it to Kangxi. The Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, who had been hesitant to enter the Emperor's chambers, now saw the chief officer arrive and joined in his duties. The clock hand skipped a tick, and Kangxi slowly awoke.

If you're angry, just let it out right away. Even if you spit out blood, you can slowly recover. The most frightening thing is Kangxi: forcing himself to hold it in. If you keep everything bottled up, the next illness will be serious.

Kangxi was ill, very ill. What was it like to feel ashamed in front of his descendants? As a father and grandfather, he should have been a benchmark, a role model, a model, a role model. But now… Kangxi was not one to dread difficulties. No matter how high the climb, he would keep moving forward. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Whatever he wanted to say was forgotten.

Yinreng was so anxious that he almost grabbed the judge's neck and shook him back and forth.

The judge wiped his sweat. Strokes are inherently difficult to treat, but this was still considered a good outcome. It wasn't too serious, and the diagnosis and treatment were timely, using authentic herbs. A longer delay could have left someone paralyzed. He couldn't complain directly to the Crown Prince, so he patiently replied, "Illness comes like a mountain falling, and goes like a thread being pulled."

Yinreng was at his wit's end, so he leaned forward and said to Kangxi, "Khan Ama, I'll tell them to treat you diligently. Don't worry. Tomorrow morning, with another dose of medicine, maybe you'll be all right. As for the Empress Dowager, I'll tell them not to talk nonsense. Send Liang Jiugong to the six palaces in the east and west to tell the Imperial Concubine. If you're still not well tomorrow morning, call your brothers. What do you think?"

Kangxi's eyelids moved.

Yinreng said, "My son, I will watch them write the prescription. Hongdan is here with you." Before leaving, he took the opportunity to send someone back to the East Palace to tell her that he and his son were both attending to the patient, and everything was peaceful at the moment, so he asked the Crown Princess to close the door and go to sleep first.

Shujia knew the situation was serious when she received the news. Either something major had happened, or the three of them were discussing something important. She was a little uneasy and didn't sleep well all night.

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True to the court judge's words, "The disease fades like a thread being pulled out," the next day, Kangxi, relying on his relatively good physical condition, seemed to be getting better. With support, he was able to sit up in bed and take medicine. Although his mouth was a little crooked, he couldn't speak or move much, but he looked much better than the frightening state he had been the night before.

Yinreng barely slept all night. Seeing Kangxi's state, he sent someone to inform the princes and ordered the Grand Secretary to temporarily handle government affairs. He also informed everyone that the emperor had taken sick leave - the emperor was also human and could get sick. Ningshou Palace and Chengqian Palace were also notified. At the same time, he also saw his sons who had been sent by his wife.

The little megaphones reported to their father: everything is fine at home.

Yinreng glanced at his sons and said, "Hongdan and Hongxi, stay here. The others, go back and listen to your mother's instructions." Having assigned them, he turned to Kangxi. Kangxi raised his hand with difficulty, only to drop it again. Yinreng hurried over to follow his movements and guess what was going on.

"Khan Amar, if there is any major military event, the Grand Secretary will report it. Your son will read it to you."

Kangxi was a little anxious. What he meant was: You should deal with the urgent matters first!

The princes who lived in the palace had arrived again, a distance advantage. Each one looked anxious, sweat dripping from their foreheads. "Han Ama!" The chaos was so intense that the younger Twentieth Prince nearly burst into tears. Princes from outside the palace also arrived, taking advantage of the chaos, adding to the chaos.

Yinreng made a prompt decision: "Take the 20th prince away and take good care of him. Anyone who dares to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble will be punished at the Ministry of Punishment." The rest of the people were to prepare to attend to the sick. The brothers arranged their shifts. They also asked the imperial physician to report a prescription. Yinreng asked Yinzhi: "You know more, is this prescription still effective?"

Yinzhi asked for the prescription and squinted his eyes to examine it. After a while, he said, "It's not bad."

As the medicine continued to be boiled, Baotai and other members of the imperial clan arrived. The Aisin-Gioro clan had grown to such a large degree that only those of the rank of prince could enter to see Kangxi. The Grand Secretary arrived, and Yinreng had no choice but to send those who had no business to report or were not on duty to attend to the emperor's illness away. The Qianqing Palace was quite large, but the bedrooms couldn't accommodate so many people.

Yinreng discussed with Li Guangdi, "Call Tuoheqi. He's the commander of the infantry, so we need to have him be more careful right now. We shouldn't call anyone else for now, just to prevent ignorant people from panicking and causing a huge scene, which would be bad."

Li Guangdi immediately seconded the motion, and Kangxi also expressed his agreement with difficulty.

Soon, the news of the emperor's illness spread, and the security in the capital was relatively stable. The emperor was just sick, not dead. Even if he died, there was still the prince, so there would not be a big chaos anyway.

There was no major chaos in the capital, but there was a mansion that was really in chaos.

Tong Guowei learned the news a little later. He had just used the family law last night to beat Longkodo to a pulp. Longkodo had the audacity to not return Si'er. "You say she's a maid?" Fine! We'll buy her back from them.

Tong Guowei was furious, but when disaster struck, his potential was unleashed, and he finally managed to cut the Gordian knot. Yuzhu was first imprisoned, awaiting exile. Si'er sent his trusted servant to tie him up and send him to his in-laws' home. Then he ordered, "Tidy up this evil boy and beat him!"

I'll beat you to death! The whole family watched coldly, especially Longkodo's brothers. They were so angry! Originally, the marriage was almost arranged, but now it was ruined! Everyone ran away as fast as they could, some to supervise Yuzhu, some to ask for Si'er to be sent back, and some to go to see Hesheli.

Tong Guowei said, "Stop right there! Look at this example!"

The sound of bamboo cudgels echoed through the air. Longkodo, originally appointed by Emperor Kangxi to attend to his illness, now needed someone else. Tong Guowei nominated Yue Xing'a. Yue Xing'a, nursing both his father and his mother, watched over new injuries and bruises, his life so full of activity that his mind was completely distracted.

Tong Guowei was still giving orders: "Go to the Fifth Princess's Mansion, find the Fifth Prince Consort, and ask him to come into the palace to see the situation!" He also asked another daughter-in-law to apply to go to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine.

The application was rejected: "The palace is in chaos and has no time to deal with such matters." Of course, the palace didn't explain much, just two words: "No."

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The palace was truly in turmoil. The imperial court was concerned about official titles, while the harem was concerned about their livelihoods. The harem, in particular, depended on the emperor. Even if you had a son, you still had to stay in the palace as a widow. [1] Furthermore, the wives of the concubines were not having a good time either.

When the emperor fell ill, the princes first attended to him. The daughters-in-law also had to come together to pay their respects. Due to strict gender separation, they only came together to pay their respects and were not allowed to "attend to the sick." While it might seem like a lot of relief, the women were actually quite busy. The Crown Princess was the busiest of them all.

The first person to deal with was the Empress Dowager, who was incredibly worried. She personally visited Kangxi, but he was barely able to speak, which drove the Empress Dowager to tears. She didn't yet know why Kangxi was ill; if she had, she would have scolded him. Then, she confronted two people she trusted—the Crown Princess and the Imperial Concubine—and vented her frustrations.

Concubine Tong wanted to die. It didn't matter why Kangxi was sick. What mattered most was why everyone thought he was sick! The Crown Prince sent someone to come solemnly. Liang Jiugong was someone she knew. She told him everything in front of the heavy red envelope. Concubine Tong wanted to apologize. The Qianqing Palace was full of princes. She couldn't force her way in. The Empress Dowager was still crying: "What can I do? The Emperor has never been so sick before!"

She wanted to explain to the Crown Princess, but she didn't know what to say. Concubine Tong cried with the Queen Mother. After crying for a long time, the Queen Mother fell asleep due to exhaustion. Concubine Tong finally asked to talk to the Crown Princess alone. Shujia was overwhelmed.

Concubine Tong truly had no idea what Longkodo had done. At most, she knew his wife was bedridden and couldn't leave the house. Who could have imagined not only the abuse she endured, but also the series of problems it would cause? If Kangxi had died of rage over this, imagine the consequences. The Eastern Palace would certainly not be pleased by the scandal surrounding their impending arranged marriage.

Concubine Tong could only hold on to Si'er and at most take Longkodo with her in order to minimize the family's losses.

Shujia didn't dare to say anything final, so she just said, "Khan Ama has made the arrangements, and we women have no choice but to follow his orders."

This is one.

Furthermore, Shuhui was pregnant and in the crucial period of maintaining her pregnancy. As the elder sister, Shujia was once again worried. What if the Fifteenth Prince couldn't resist taking a concubine? What if he gave birth to a daughter? She also had two nieces living with the concubines. What if they caught the attention and panicked? And so on and so forth. She was so anxious that her mouth was covered in blisters. Why did the emperor fall ill at this time? He should get well soon!

Kangxi felt that he owed the crown prince and his grandson something if he stayed away from them, so he would recover faster. Yinreng and Hongdan still respectfully went to "attend to the illness", which objectively increased their psychological burden.

The author has something to say:

[1] Emperor Kangxi made the rule before his death that the concubines should be taken care of by their sons after leaving the palace. Before that, they would die of old age in the palace.

The discussions have been lively these past two days, and I'm really enjoying them. Because the original building was built so high, my replies might not be visible, so I've decided to share them here.

As is my old habit, I'll list a few things. Deeply influenced by the Second Miss and the Empress Dowager, I'm not responsible for any deviations from the original.

1. Regarding Xiaobao's building: Looking up, it's truly tall (Xiaobao, points for long reviews have been sent, remember to check, I've been feeling really nauseous lately). I'll summarize two points: 1. The difference between ancient monogamy and polygamy and modern infidelity; 2. The attitude toward "anti-three" (the third person or woman).

1. Ancient China practiced monogamy with multiple concubines, not polygamy. If you insist, the numerous concubines of the early Qing dynasty could be considered polygamous. However, since the term "concubine" (臺fujin) has the word "concubine" in it, it doesn't qualify as a wife. To call a concubine a mistress is inappropriate, both institutionally and practically. Of course, emotionally, it's difficult for modern people to accept this, as it easily leads to associations.

The contradiction here is perhaps similar to the second girl's mindset when she sees her father's concubines. Being a concubine is quite pitiful, as others sit while she stands, and watch others eat while she watches, yet she doesn't actively criticize them. However, when these people infringe on her interests, there's no room for negotiation. Perhaps it's the same thought she had when she was furious: "Even if you're pitiful, I can't give you my father as compensation." So, what would her mother do? Would she want to have the barbecued pork melted?

The contradiction is irreconcilable and cannot be reconciled unless this detrimental system is abolished. The only way to achieve a balance of power is to balance the forces. Even in ancient times, this involved issues such as the living conditions of children.

Under this crappy system, understanding is one thing, but everyone has their own stance.

The treatment of those unfortunate enough to become concubines, maids, concubines' children, or even maids' children improved during the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, during the Tang Dynasty and even earlier, it's hard to say. They're very sympathetic. It's just a matter of perspective.

As for supporting the principal wife, the entire family is subject to the punishment of the wife's clan. I've never heard of a rule that also punishes the family of a concubine. Given this, the husband's family must have a conscience, right? Even those involved in the underworld value loyalty. Modern readers would be furious if they saw a husband harming the interests of his wife and legitimate children for the sake of a concubine or illegitimate child. This requires specific analysis and cannot be generalized.

2. The readers were generally quite friendly, and aside from Si'er, they didn't criticize the concubines mentioned in this article. Then, Xiao Bao was probably upset because of everyone's discussion about the Crown Prince, right?

Everyone thinks of themselves as the protagonist, so it's natural to discuss what situation is best for the protagonist. If the protagonist is the wife, everyone tends to think about how to benefit her. (Am I glad I'm writing about the wife and haven't corrupted children?) It doesn't necessarily mean they have any real opinions about the crown prince.

The prince has not done anything excessive, so it is too early to draw conclusions now.

As for the anti-three, modern society certainly opposes it thoroughly. Even in ancient times, it varied depending on the circumstances. It's not accurate to say there were "three" in ancient times, but in essence, the anti-three should be "opposition to marriage destroyers."

Marriage has never been just about two people. In ancient times, it was a union between two families, with shared interests. At least in my understanding of classical Chinese, the original meaning of the word "marriage" refers to the fathers of both spouses. In modern times, it's the trust I ask you to sign on the operating table, binding us together for life and death. Love may be a matter between two people, but in this world, too many people, under the guise of love, exploit the fruits of others' labor, using love as a fig leaf—a disgusting act.

The family is the cell of society. Destroying marriages is equivalent to destroying the family, causing the cells of society to become cancerous. Once the entire organism dies, it becomes impossible to remain unscathed. This is why everyone opposes immoral behavior.

As mentioned earlier, unless the system is abolished, a balance of power must be achieved. In the process of achieving this balance, we have also witnessed the actions of Si'er and Longkodo. Even if there is only one such example in the world, how can a wife be careless? A spoiled child is not cultivated in a day, and a wife cannot be blindly tolerant.

Similarly, if a concubine is forced to be a concubine (those who dream of climbing into the master's bed don't count; they'd be beaten to death), and she lives an honest life, there's no reason to abuse her. Speaking of which, the Crown Prince's two concubines, regardless of whether they intended it or not, after being suppressed by the Crown Princess, there's no legitimate reason to further suppress them. If they want to make a name for themselves, they can suppress them. As for monopolizing her husband...

Students, it’s a matter of stance, stance.

This brings us back to the saying "A mother is strong." "Strong" should mean "finding the most suitable method for survival," right? Here, let me just throw in the towel and talk about the Crown Prince's performance. It's the same old saying: "He already has a legitimate wife and son. He can handle everything just by watching from the sidelines. Why jump out and self-destruct? Is he going to create enemies even if there aren't any?"

Regarding the issue of men in the women's war, in one sentence, where would there be three without men?

For those worried girls, I've already written about the prince, "Why couldn't he be a good husband?" With that line, I thought the conflict was resolved. ^0^ If there are still those who think it's unresolved, please scroll down and I'll write more about it.

The above is my opinion on wives and concubines in ancient times and the modern anti-third party system.

2. Regarding the punishment of the Tong family.

1. This is a process of cutting meat with a blunt knife. Basically, in the feudal era, unless it involves a serious crime such as treason, or when the family becomes too powerful to be eliminated, it is difficult to bring down a family like the Tong family.

It's unrealistic for Kangxi to be brutally cruel to his uncle. Longkodo and Si'er's actions were considered deserving of death, but at the time, they weren't considered particularly serious. If it weren't for the selection, Longkodo would have been a complete failure.

In my personal opinion, Kangxi's move was actually quite cruel.

Happiness is giving you what you want and what you lack.

So-called abuse means taking away what you care about most, right?

2. The rest of the Tong family, especially Tong Guowei and his wife, and Yue Xing'a. It cannot be said that they were completely unaware of the situation, but there is a question: how can normal people understand perverted thoughts?

Tong Guowei wouldn't have bothered to visit his son's backyard unless it was necessary, and it's likely no one would have bothered to gossip about him. He was lucky enough to know that Longkodo favored his concubine, but if he tried to intervene, it would have hindered his son—Longkodo himself was beaten. His biggest mistake was not seeing the big picture and taking drastic action when Longkodo was about to take his fourth son to pay his respects.

Even if Hesheli knew her daughter-in-law was being bullied, she couldn't imagine it was so miserable. Furthermore, as a mother-in-law, how long could she protect her daughter-in-law? She already had more than one daughter-in-law. If the daughter-in-law didn't live up to her expectations, and she had such a close relationship with Si'er, it was inevitable that she would be disliked by her mother-in-law.

Yue Xing'a was probably a bit cowardly. His parents had a cold relationship, and he probably wasn't particularly liked by his father. Having been in such an environment for a long time, his weak character was understandable. In such an environment where filial piety was paramount, if he wanted to resist Longkodo, he would be crushed before he even left the house. He might not have dared to stand up.

3. The prince’s personality and behavioral issues.

1. His personality hasn't changed. From what I've read in the available literature, the early prince was truly an artistic young man! Wasn't he all sorts of corny with his father?! Those corny memorials mentioned above, especially the classical ones, are original texts scavenged from various sources. They're all true! He may have a certain amount of arrogance, but that doesn't mean he has to act like Old E!

However, in the later stages, various brothers came up and there were a group of pig-like teammates. The psychological pressure was too great. He was almost split personality because of being forced. He beat people all the time. Besides, the clan members he fought were all his juniors. Nersu was still his grandson = =

2. Behavior issues: It seems he didn't accomplish much. During Kangxi's travels, the crown prince was the regent. During his personal campaigns, the crown prince was in charge of the rear. The country remained stable under his leadership, and the logistics were excellent, earning Kangxi numerous praises. If this doesn't count as accomplishment, what does? You don't have to act drastically to attract attention.

The one who had inserted the flower before, "He already has a legitimate wife and son. He can handle everything just by watching coldly. Why would he jump out and hurt himself? Even if there are no enemies, he will create enemies anyway?" One person accidentally jumped on the emperor's nerves... Is he really not afraid of his god-like opponent?

Let's see what kind of trouble you can make. I don't want to argue with you and get my hands dirty.