Powerful demolition team

The Fifth Princess passed away. Although she was young, she was already a married princess, and the proper ceremonies were still followed. Her coffin was escorted back to the capital by a minister from each wing, along with ten guards.

Yinreng clutched the imperial report, his thoughts swirling. Although he was recuperating in Changchun Garden and not involved in much government affairs, others would still tell him what he needed to know. The older princes remaining in the capital were the Third Prince Yinzhi, the Fifth Prince Yinqi, the Seventh Prince Yinyou, the Eighth Prince Yinsi, the Ninth Prince Yin'er, the Tenth Prince Yin'e, and the Twelfth Prince Yinluo.

After compiling the reports from various regions, they were first sent to the Imperial Court, and then to Changchun Garden for the Crown Prince to review. Although eager to demonstrate their abilities while taking on the important responsibilities, the princes knew they could not deliberately ignore the Crown Prince, as the Emperor would surely reprimand them if they learned of the matter. Kangxi also ordered a copy of the Imperial Court's reports to be sent to Changchun Garden.

Therefore, Yinreng still knows what he should know now.

Knowing it but not giving orders was the rule Yinreng set for himself: when recuperating, he had to act like he was recuperating.

"The Fifth Princess's coffin is returning to the capital and needs to be welcomed. The court ministers will make the arrangements, and the Third Prince and the others will do their best," Yinreng slowly placed the official report on the tray beside him and said to Shujia, "Calculate the date and ask Hongxi for leave. Tell him to prepare and go to welcome my aunt."

Shujia peeled a grape, put it into Yinreng's mouth, wiped her hands and said, "Okay."

Yinreng spat out grape seeds and said, "Hongtong is still young, there's no need to welcome her. We can just go to the princess's mansion when the time comes."

Shujia handed him a wet towel and asked, "Should we go over and take a look too?"

Yinreng wiped his mouth and said, "Of course. I'll send someone to call the Third Brother and the others to discuss this. You can also meet their family there."

What neither of them explicitly stated was that this massive mobilization was partly a display of friendship from the Eastern Palace, and partly a way of judging Kangxi's attitude. Yinreng and Shujia could both see that Kangxi was deeply concerned about the Fifth Princess, and that she had always been the most favored of all the other princesses.

After Yinreng finished discussing matters with Shujia, he rose to write a letter to Kangxi. The Crown Prince now seemed like a lazy second-in-command, willing to do nothing but cling to his superiors. If he wasn't allowed to take charge, he'd simply let it go. When his younger brothers submitted written reports to him, they'd slip in reminders about what they'd missed.

Such reminders are not given every time, it all depends on your mood.

He was very attentive to the letters he wrote to Kangxi, as if this illness had made the Crown Prince realize the importance of family. He nagged his father, his son, his grandmother... Now that he knew his sister was dead, he was even more concerned to write letters to comfort the family.

He first expressed his grief, then reminisced about the Fifth Princess's kindness. God knows his interactions with the Fifth Princess were actually quite limited. Then, he posted a plea to Kangxi to take care of himself, "Khan Ama, please take care of yourself. If you do, the Fifth Princess will be relieved to know..."

Finally, he added a few more words: Everything is fine in Beijing, I am recuperating, I am very well behaved, don't worry.

After it was written and sealed, someone was sent to deliver it to the camp.

Shujia also sent out invitations, inviting all the concubines in Beijing to come to Changchun Garden to discuss matters. Even the Ninth and Tenth Concubines, who lived in the Forbidden City, came along.

The Ninth and Tenth Concubines were visiting Changchun Garden for the first time, and everything was new to them. They were both newlyweds, and Kangxi had kept the Ninth and Tenth Concubines, partly to allow them to start helping their older brothers with the household chores, but also to allow the young couples to interact more.

In Wuyizhai, the Crown Prince ran to the back to look at the vegetable garden, and the Crown Princess came out to entertain the sisters-in-law.

The eldest wife went with the eldest prince. Since she was the eldest prince among the people left behind and had a high position, there was no need for courtesy and she took the first seat directly.

The Third Lady had decided not to take the lead. She had the Crown Princess for respect, the Fourth Lady for kinship, and the Eighth Lady for initiative. She simply followed the crowd. This discussion was indeed centered around these three people. The Crown Princess started the conversation: "The Fifth Princess passed away at such a young age. We really should have seen her off."

The first person to speak was not the Eighth Concubine but the Fourth Concubine.

The Fifth Princess was the Fourth Prince's biological sister, so naturally, she would consult the Fourth Lady if she had anything to ask. The Fourth Lady had already gone to Yonghe Palace and cried with Concubine De. Her eyes were still red, and her voice hadn't recovered yet. "You're right. The Princess's Mansion has already begun preparations. We're just waiting for the Princess's coffin... the coffin to return."

He choked up again as he spoke.

The Fifth Princess had just passed away in her early twenties, in the prime of her life. It was inevitable that those present felt a sense of sadness. As for crying just talking about her, that wasn't the case. It was a matter of face, and even if the heart wasn't truly broken, one had to pretend it was genuine.

For a moment, crying sounds were heard everywhere in Wuyi Zhai.

The Tenth Lady looked from one to another, touched a sachet tucked into her sleeve by the Tenth Prince's nurse, sniffed it, and began to cry. Tears streamed down her face, and she cursed inwardly. She was a Mongolian noblewoman, well-educated from a young age, but the ability to weep and laugh at the drop of a hat required further practice. Her skills were limited by her equipment, so the Tenth Lady was forced to resort to props.

I suffered such a torture in Yonghe Palace early in the morning.

She wasn't as old as the Fifth Princess, and having just gotten married, she wasn't very experienced in handling such a matter. She had heard the news yesterday. The Tenth Prince had sent a young eunuch back to tell her, "Pack up, change into plain clothes, ask the maids if you have any questions, and then ask your Ninth Sister-in-law to go to Yonghe Palace and apologize to Concubine De."

The Tenth Concubine hadn't recovered from the news yet. She had met the Fifth Princess when she was married to Yin'e. She was a very quiet and gentle person, and she had a good impression of her. Upon hearing that she had died, a trace of sadness appeared on her face. At such a young age...it was time to comfort Concubine De. She quickly sent for someone to change her travel clothes.

After she changed her clothes, the nanny rummaged through the drawers and hurriedly found a sachet and stuffed it into her hand: "I didn't expect that Fu Jin would use this so soon." Really, who would think of stuffing a funeral prop into the bride's hand on such a happy day?

The Tenth Lady was still puzzled, turning the book over and over in her hands. Nanny whispered in her ear, "Lady, don't mess with this yet. Put it quietly in your sleeve and don't let it fall out. When you get to Yonghe Palace later, if you can't stop crying, put it under your nose and smell it. Remember, don't let anyone see it."

The Tenth Lady was stunned and blinked. The nanny said anxiously, "My dear Lady, you must remember this: in this palace, you should cry when you should cry and laugh when you should laugh. If you can't cry when you should cry, it will cause trouble. We need to find a way... This is the way."

The Tenth Lady was not stupid after all: "Come with me."

The nanny was thinking this: "I obey your orders."

It just so happened that the Ninth Lady had also received the news and was already prepared, so the two of them met, and went straight to Yonghe Palace.

In Yonghe Palace, Concubine De burst into tears upon receiving the letter. She had three sons and three daughters, two of whom were surviving sons, and this was her only daughter. Now, she was seeing her son die young, how could she not be heartbroken? Concubine Tong, who had received the news earlier, came to see her immediately and cried with her.

The Ninth and Tenth Concubines, the only legitimate wives of the princes in the palace, quickly came to comfort her and cried with her. Having lived in the capital for a long time, the Ninth Concubine was well acquainted with the world of noble ladies, and these little tricks were well-known to her, making her cry quite an experience. The Tenth Concubine finally understood the purpose of the sachet the nanny had given her. She wrapped it in a handkerchief and wiped her tears as she cried, the more she wiped, the more she wanted to cry.

The earlier feeling of pity for the Fifth Princess was almost washed away by the tears that flowed out.

Finally, Concubine De was persuaded to stop crying. The nanny was there to accompany her, not only to cry but also to observe. When she saw that Concubine De had stopped, she reached out a finger through the crease in the back of the chair and poked the Tenth Lady, whose head was already swelling from crying. The Tenth Lady put away her handkerchief and took a deep breath of fresh air.

De Fei said, "It's hard for you to come and see me."

The Ninth Concubine said, "It's my duty." The Tenth Concubine nodded.

De Fei said, "You are so thoughtful. I... can't hold on any longer... You should rest too. The Fifth Princess has always been kind and knows how sad you are. She, she..."

The Tenth Lady was about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking she could finally go back and wash her face, when the Fourth Lady, who lived outside the palace, rushed over!

She received a letter from the Fourth Prince, and without having to go through so many formalities, she learned the bad news. After reading the letter, she hurried over to accompany her mother-in-law. The reason she was so late was because her family lived outside the palace.

The Tenth Lady was about to stand up and say goodbye, but now she had no choice but to stand up and greet the Fourth Sister-in-law and cry with her. She thought to herself, don't wait for the Third Sister-in-law, the Fifth Sister-in-law, the Seventh Sister-in-law, and the Eighth Sister-in-law to come!

The third and fifth sisters-in-law didn't come, and neither did the eighth sister-in-law. The second sister-in-law sent someone to Changchun Garden, but when they got there, they saw that the third, fifth, seventh, and eighth sisters-in-law had all been taken away by the second sister-in-law.

When sisters-in-law meet, they get straight to the point: Come on, cry.

Tenth Lady: I ​​just got married! My honeymoon is just over.

After crying for a while, they discussed the matter again. Shujia said, "The Fifth Princess's coffin hasn't arrived yet, and the Princess's Mansion hasn't been set up yet. We should go to Yonghe Palace to visit Concubine De's mother. As for other matters, we'll first see how the Ministry of Rites arranges them, such as when to arrive in Beijing and when the funeral will be held."

Those who had not seen Concubine De naturally agreed, and those who had seen it were unlikely to object. The Tenth Lady was depressed again: I still have to go and cry!

Defei came out again and cried with her until she fainted. Only then did the other concubines return having completed their mission.

Shujia returned to Wuyi Zhai, where Yinreng was reviewing the funeral process. A princess's funeral had its own set of rules, but because the fifth princess was raised by the Empress Dowager and was a favorite of Emperor Kangxi, everyone had to be cautious and even asked the Crown Prince for advice.

"Are you back? As soon as you went to the palace, the third brother and the others came here." Yinreng sneered.

Shujia took the hot, damp handkerchief and applied it to her eyes. "The Empress Dowager and Khan Ama both like the Fifth Princess quite a bit, so it's only right that they be more cautious."

Yinreng said, "Khan Ama loves all of his children."

Shujia took the tea. She had cried with her sisters-in-law in Changchun Garden and again in Yonghe Palace, and needed to hydrate. Yinreng stopped her, saying, "Don't drink cold tea; it's bad for your throat. You just cried, so use something warm."

"Eh? Eh."

Shujia sipped the warm tea slowly, thinking that Yinreng was getting more and more witty. Yinreng was already saying, "There are many things that worry me lately. The Fifth Princess's coffin is coming soon. After the Emperor returns to the capital in August, it will be the matter of the concubines. We can only rest until then."

Shujia calculated the days: "It's the intercalary sixth month this year, so there are still nearly three months left. You..."

"I'll just take a rest," Yinreng said nonchalantly, "How can you ruin me in three months?"

When Shujia heard the word "waste", her ears jumped: "What are you talking about? Rest up, but after you're done, you still have to get up and work."

Yinreng smiled and said, "That's right. Only after a good rest can you have the energy to continue playing."

Shujia felt that he was becoming more and more like a charlatan.

"These people forgot a piece of news this morning. Khan Ama was so sad after the fifth princess died that he skipped a meal. I have to continue writing a memorial..."

The Crown Prince was accumulating strength for future "play", while Kangxi was getting extremely worried.

The Fifth Princess had just passed away, and he was grieving. The Empress Dowager was an old lady who needed comfort, and bringing the Fifth Princess with him might have been a relief, but the Fifth Princess's death had brought the Empress Dowager grief.

After all, it's normal for a father to be so grief-stricken after his daughter's death that he can't eat. But when it came to the emperor's family, the moment he stopped eating, everyone panicked. First, the princes, led by Yinzhi, who had just been crying with Kangxi, lined up to comfort him when they heard he hadn't eaten: "You can't ruin your health. You have to eat as much as you can!"

Yinzhi's advice to Kangxi was absolutely sincere. Kangxi was already quite old, and it was normal for him to have an accident at this age. Being in a bad mood made him prone to illness, and if he didn't eat, if something unexpected happened... the Crown Prince would be happy, and the eldest prince would be in trouble.

Yinzhi was the most diligent in his persuasion. The Fourth Prince had lost his younger sister, and the Fourteenth Prince had lost his older sister, and they were both still feeling depressed, so how could they possibly persuade Kangxi? The other princes were younger, so Yinzhi was very proactive: "Khan Ama, even if you are sad, you must take care of yourself! The dead are gone, but the living are still here. If you don't eat, and the Empress Dowager doesn't eat either, your sons are terrified..." He even cried as he spoke.

In Kangxi's view, Yinzhi was foolish and reckless, but he had one strength: a strong sense of family. As the saying goes, justice is in the heart of the people. Yinzhi's small family was a model of a well-regulated feudal society. He was the best among the other princes in maintaining family order, a fact that Yinreng could not deny. Seeing that it was Yinzhi who came to persuade him, Kangxi, who had always poured so much effort into him, sighed deeply. Seeing his children and grandchildren by his side, he felt a deep sense of comfort in his heart after the loss of his daughter.

Kangxi's grief began to fade. Then, after a brief meeting, the ministers came to ask the emperor to mourn and put the country first. Kangxi's grief gradually faded, and his rationality returned: "I'm going to see the Empress Dowager. You should come too. Talk to her. Maybe it will make her feel better."

Seeing Hongdan was there, she wanted to take him with her too. The Empress Dowager would be less grief-stricken when she saw her great-grandson: "Bring a plate of snacks for Prince Hongdan." She touched Hongdan's head and said, "Eat a little first. After you finish, we will go see the Empress Dowager."

Hongdan grabbed Kangxi's sleeve and said, "Even if Mafa doesn't eat, I'm not hungry either. I'll go with Mafa now."

Yinzhi cursed in his heart: Your father is bad, and you are even more insidious!

Kangxi held Hongdan's hand and bent down: "Let's go see the Empress Dowager now."

The Empress Dowager was a simple person. She was grieving for the Fifth Princess. Seeing Kangxi's grief, she began to worry about him: "Emperor! What's wrong with you? The child is gone. You shouldn't be like this."

Hongdan tactfully complained, "Mafa heard that you didn't eat, so she didn't eat either."

The Empress Dowager was anxious: "Emperor!"

Kangxi deliberately glared at Hongdan and then advised the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty and I share the same thoughts, the same grief, and the same regrets. You are sad, and I am sad too, but life must go on. Look, you still have these children and grandchildren, right?"

The Empress Dowager was confused by the crowd of similarities and was easily persuaded. Kangxi watched her eat a bowl of rice and some side dishes before coming back to eat.

Yinzhi and others wanted to come over and persuade Kangxi to eat, but Kangxi waved his hand and said, "It's all right with me. You can go and eat too. When the Fifth Princess returns to the capital, you can go and see her off."

Yinzhi looked at Kangxi eagerly as he pointed at a dish of beef stew and said, "Serve this to Prince Hongdan." He said to his grandson with concern, "It is forbidden to slaughter cattle in China. Even I, if I want to eat beef, I have to wait until I go to the grassland every year to satisfy my craving."

Hong Dan nodded. "The oxen we have here are valuable and should be used for farming. The cattle and sheep here are used for food. They have different uses."

"Exactly."

Yinzhi stamped his foot and left. Kangxi narrowed his eyes, too lazy to argue with him, and lowered his eyes to look at Hongdan. Hongdan was just getting up to take the plate of beef that Wei Zhusheng had brought out, and he paid no attention to his uncle's rude behavior.

After the two of them finished their meal, Kangxi said to Hongdan, "Your fourteenth uncle is upset, so I'll ask your thirteenth uncle to teach you these few days." Hongdan nodded sensibly, "Grandson, I understand. Can I wait and see my fourth and fourteenth uncles before taking the lesson?"

Kangxi stood up and took a walk with Hongdan to help digest the food. "Alright. Let's go take a look and come back. Don't bother him for too long."

“Yeah.”

"Do you remember what I told you yesterday? How many regions are there in Mongolia? Which one is closest to Beijing?"

"My grandson recited it yesterday..."

Questions and answers followed, and then a full circle of activity followed. Those who attended school went to school, those who attended work. While Hongdan went to comfort his uncle, Kangxi had to focus on another matter: a Miao uprising in Geyi Village, Guizhou. This had occurred before Kangxi's departure for Rehe. By the time he arrived, the front lines hadn't been resolved. He still prioritized state affairs, constantly deploying troops.

The Miao Rebellion was not very large in scope, smaller than the previous Yao Rebellion. It was just that the Yao had not been pacified before, and now the Miao had risen again. It seemed like a war was raging everywhere, so Kangxi hoped to pacify the Miao and Yao as soon as possible.

When the Yao rebellion was large, Kangxi personally dispatched personnel from several provinces to make detailed arrangements. When the Miao rebellion was small, Kangxi wanted to use it as a training ground for his sons, asking them to write plans and then point out any shortcomings, thereby discovering their strengths.

Kangxi was unsatisfied with the proposals put forward by the princes, and he painstakingly revised them. These children were still too inexperienced and needed some experience. Deploying troops? That would require a pay raise, but you haven't accounted for that. Post-war compensation hasn't been properly planned. You've only considered the fallen soldiers, but forgotten to resettle those who surrendered. If they don't properly resettle them, they'll rebel again after the soldiers leave.

What's going on in the south? The situation in Guangdong and Guangxi hasn't been resolved yet, and Guizhou is already stirring up trouble.

At this point, I couldn't help but recall the benefits of the Crown Prince's reign. The recently demoted ant princes worked hard, but they were still considered new to the forum, and the multi-party politics still had internal friction. They couldn't compare to the Crown Prince, who had been acting as the head of state for over a decade, making decisions with clean, efficient decisions. Back when the Galdan Rebellion was underway, the Crown Prince was in charge, managing a much larger task and facing a more severe situation, yet he managed it. Now, even with these issues, there's still no comprehensive plan.

After modifying the plan, I sent it back for execution, and then added a sentence: Take a good look at how I deal with it. You should learn from the experience and find out the shortcomings!

After reviewing the memorial, he wrote to Yinreng: "You must get better soon! Your father needs you!"

——————————————————————————

To suppress what mainstream society then labeled "rebellion," coordination and cooperation were essential. Military logistics, encirclement and reinforcements, the relationship between the military and administrative systems, and so on—it was a massive undertaking. And just the previous year, there had been a Yao rebellion close to Guizhou, and numerous troops had been dispatched from all over to support the Yao.

Now there was another disturbance. How to coordinate the relations between the various tribes, so that the place where the troops were withdrawn could maintain stability and unity, and how to select another army from elsewhere to help pacify the Miao village. These were things that the brothers had not yet begun to deal with. Even with the help of the ministers, they were still in a mess.

Yinsi was the one who got the hang of things quickly, and Yinzhi was the one who came into contact earlier, but these two were still very indecisive - their strengths were mainly in areas involving civil affairs. As for military affairs, they only went on an expedition with Kangxi once, and that time the logistics were provided by the prince who was in charge of the capital.

Now it was their turn to provide military supplies, and they discovered the myriad complications involved. For example, when it came to mobilizing horses, northern horses were prone to disease when brought south, so where would they come from? Similarly, when it came to mobilizing troops, Guizhou was a land of uneven terrain, with no clear skies for three days, and it was summer. Where would the troops be sent from? Many of the surrounding troops were already supporting the Pingyao campaign.

Before writing their reports, several princes tentatively asked Yinreng what he thought. Yinreng was recovering from illness at the time and remained silent. Only after seeing Kangxi's letter asking him to get well soon did he write to Kangxi: "I have read the summary of your reports. It seems a bit rough, so I have no further comment. I believe that Khan Ama is employing you to test your abilities and promote your talents. As jade cannot be made into a useful object without being polished, the missions Khan Ama assigns to you are meant to train you. Now that you have gained experience, you will be able to help Khan Ama with his worries next time. I only wish Khan Ama would observe this."

Kangxi's anxiety was only momentary. After seeing Yinreng's letter, he calmed down and replied: "You are right. Without my order, they cannot make decisions on military and national affairs. I am in charge of everything. You rest assured and recuperate. I also hope that you will recover soon so that you can help me."

Yinzhi and his companions followed Kangxi's instructions, learning from their mistakes and formulating new plans. Yinsi, known for his talent in these matters, was the first to come up with a follow-up plan, but Yinzhi was unconvinced. He felt that as the elder brother, Yinsi's younger brother had come up with the solution first, which would be embarrassing for him. He tried to find some flaws, but after much scrutiny, he could find none.

Finally, Yinzhi said, "The Crown Prince is still in the capital. How about asking for his instructions?" After all, Khan Ama's decree mentioned, 'During the previous campaign against Galdan, the Crown Prince stayed behind, and everything he did was in line with my wishes. You should study diligently.' How long have you, Yinsi, been at this job? Even if this plan has some merit, it can't compare to the Crown Prince's experience. The Crown Prince would surely capture all of your merits with a single stroke.

Yinsi said, "Khan Ama gave us the mission, and this is a matter of national and military importance. It is unreasonable for the person in charge of the mission to leak it out without asking Khan Ama for permission."

Yinzhi considered himself a man of literary talent, refined and amiable character, and as a result, people were more willing to be close to Yinsi. Now, hearing Yinsi's opposition to him, new and old hatreds surged in his heart, and he also argued: "Didn't Khan Ama also say before he left, 'Anything that happens in the court must be made known to the Crown Prince'?"

"Informing is not making a decision."

"Why don't you want to ask the Crown Prince's opinion?" Don't you have the Crown Prince in your eyes?

The dispute continues and they want to take a vote.

All the grown-up princes who stayed in Beijing were here, and the fifth and seventh princes were just backdrops, so they simply said, "We'll listen to everyone."

The debate began, with the third and eighth sons each arguing. Yinzhi offered only one answer: "Last time, our memorial was not satisfactory to Khan Ama, who also said, 'Anything that happens in the court must be made known to the Crown Prince.' Now the military situation is urgent, and Khan Ama is unsure of our opinion. Why can't we ask the Crown Prince for a decision?"

That's right, the fifth and seventh brothers have become more relaxed.

Yinsi said, "Khan Ama only said to inform the Crown Prince, but he didn't leave everything to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is recuperating, and if we bother him with this, will he help us or not? If he helps, it means he is helping us complete the task, but the task was given to us by Khan Ama. If he doesn't help, we are afraid that it will lose our face. This will embarrass the Crown Prince, how can he be happy?"

You've offended someone, don't you? If he helps us, it's him overstepping his bounds, and it's our incompetence. If he doesn't help us, even after you've begged, it's embarrassing for our brother. You think you're flattering the prince, but you have to see if the prince is showing off. The prince seems unyielding! If you put him on the fire, do you believe he'll come back and push you into the fire?

The ninth brother supported the eighth brother. "What the eighth brother said is true. This is the task given to us by Khan Ama. How can we trouble the crown prince? Third brother, is it possible that Khan Ama asked you to do your homework, but you can't do it, so you ask the crown prince to do it for you? If the crown prince doesn't help you, it means he is not being kind to you, his younger brother. If he helps you, it means he is deceiving Khan Ama." He tilted his head and looked around, looking for someone who agreed with him. "Don't you think so?"

The tenth and twelfth brothers were ready to listen to what they had to say, but when they heard what the ninth brother said, they both felt it made sense.

The fifth and seventh brothers stood back up.

Yinluo said, "Third brother, what Ninth brother said is right. We should not embarrass the Crown Prince. We still have Khan Ama around. We are not afraid of making small mistakes. If we know where we are lacking, we can correct it next time. If we always let the Crown Prince make the decision, we will still not do it next time. Isn't it embarrassing?"

Yin'e didn't say anything, he just nodded.

Yinzhen was quite proud: "The Crown Prince is recuperating, so we can't embarrass him. Third brother doesn't want to make the decision, so how about letting eighth brother take charge of this matter?"

Although the fifth and seventh brothers were older brothers, they were both very gentle in their temper when it came to state affairs: "Eighth brother, give us a general idea, and we'll take a look. If there's no major problem, we can sign it jointly." When Yinzhi saw that the situation was hopeless, he simply stopped talking.

Yin'er smiled smugly at Yinsi, earning him a look of reproach. Yin'er didn't take it seriously and asked Yin'e, "Tenth brother, what do you think?"

Yin'e was unhappy. Yin'e's words were a blow to Yinsi, cutting off everyone's path to advancement. After all, he was the son of a noble concubine, and he had pride and ambitions, and there was no situation forcing him to join anyone. Who wouldn't want to show off in front of the Khan?

Even if Yinzhi is wrong, there is no need to let Yinsi handle everything, right? This old ninth brother!

Although he nodded, his expression was not good. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "How should I explain this to the Crown Prince? Even if I don't ask the Crown Prince for his decision, I will tell him."

Yinzhi snorted, "Why not tell the Crown Prince? Khan Ama has already added to and changed most of our ideas. How can we still show them to the Crown Prince?"

Yin'e rolled up his sleeves. Yin'e pulled his sleeves down. "My dear brother, why don't you tell the Crown Prince about the battle situation at the front? As for the aftermath, we have already discussed the plan and reported it to the Emperor."

Yinsi looked around the room. Except for Ant Yinzhi, no one in the forum opposed him. He looked at Yinzhi apologetically and said, "Tenth brother is right." Then he looked at his brothers and said, "Let's discuss and write a copy each, and then we can finalize it together."

Yinzhen laughed and said, "Our writing is not as good as that of Big Brother. We will probably need yours as a draft."

Yinsi refused to agree: "You also said that we have to do all the homework assigned by Khan Ama."

Everyone responded randomly, many of them already thinking the same thing as Yinzhen. Yinzhi saw that the situation was hopeless and wanted to put the fan in his hand to his mouth and chew it.

———————————————————————————

Yinzhi was defeated with a big score and went home in a depressed mood.

Yinsi was in a hurry to write a plan and do his business.

The rest of the people were in twos and threes, some acting as backdrops, others visiting Su Malagu. Yin'er and Yin'e lived close to each other and worked together, walking and talking together. Yin'e had a problem with Yin'er and kept silent. Yin'er was still excited: "Ha! Look at the sour look on the third brother's face!"

Yin'e didn't respond. Yin'er didn't notice his brother's mood and continued to be happy for his elder brother: "If my brother comes up with an abridgement this time, the third brother will be slapped in the face, hehe. What do you think, when Khan Ama sees the abridgement written by my brother and says it's good, how will the third brother be so upset?"

Yin'e couldn't help but say, "Ninth Brother, this matter isn't just for Eighth Brother alone, everyone needs to sign it."

Yinzhen waved his hand and said, "What's the big deal? Khan Ama is back, let's be honest. It was Eighth Brother who took the lead. Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother are like Bodhisattvas, and Twelfth Brother is not a serious person, so they will not refute it. Let's just say that Third Brother is unwilling to do it..."

"Third brother clearly said that he could consult the prince, and it was you who asked eighth brother to take the lead. We should have each written a brief summary, discussed it, and then jointly signed the final draft. Now you have dug third brother out and asked eighth brother to do it alone. This is not appropriate." Third brother is not dumb, you can criticize him as you like.

"Why are you talking like that? You seem to be on Lao San's side. How has my brother treated you and me over the years? How can you not side with my brother?"

Yin'e was stunned. He was very depressed. He had neither snatched the credit from Yinsi nor patted Yinsi in the back. How could he be regarded as an ungrateful person?

Seeing Yin'e stop, Yin'e also stopped, with an expression that looked like he wanted an explanation: "Tell me, how did Big Brother treat you badly?"

“…” Yin’e felt that he was becoming stupid, otherwise why couldn’t he understand what Yin’e said?

Yinzhen said earnestly, "Tenth brother, Eighth Brother has been good to us, so of course we should side with him. Why not let him take the lead in something he can do well?"

One of them must have a screw loose! Yin'e believed that the one with the short circuit in his brain was definitely not him.

The younger brother tried to reason with him: "How am I heartless? How am I not on my side?"

The elder brother who seemed to be being unreasonable: "Then why didn't you join me in refutation of the third brother? Why didn't you go along with me when I said that Eighth Brother should lead alone? If Eighth Brother does a good job this time, he will be promoted to a higher level in Khan Ama Kaoyu. Over time, I'm afraid he will also make some progress in his title. Why didn't you think of that?"

Yin'e was speechless again.

Ninth Brother, are you kidding me? Eighth Brother is good to me, but there's no need to go to such lengths to flatter him, right? We're all brothers, okay? I don't want to be a background person, okay? After all, I grew up studying three languages, I have all my limbs intact, and I have good looks... Why can't I just write an assignment and ask my dad to praise me? I haven't even been knighted yet, so can't I just start from a higher level?

Seeing that Yin'e was still unconvinced and wanted to say something, Yin'e saw that there were already some suspicious onlookers around, so he pulled Yin'e to his own residence. After the study door was closed, Yin'e tried his best to persuade Yin'e: "When you were sick, others were just going through the motions, but my brother came to see you every day. After Concubine Wenxi passed away, my brother came to comfort you from time to time..."

In Yin'er's mind, the three brothers, all of whom were close in age and close friends when they were young, formed a small group. Yinsi was kind and amiable, and he had already made him the leader of his group. Even after Yinsi moved out of the palace, he often visited him, maintaining a close relationship and a lasting friendship. "Whoever I treat well, I hold in high esteem, and no one can look down on those I favor." He considered Yin'e one of his own, and Yin'e, in turn, acted closer to him and Yinsi than anyone else. He held Yin'e in high regard, and was particularly intolerant of his "inconsistencies."

As for Yin'e, he was indeed closer to Yinsi and Yin'e as a child, but that was simply due to their age proximity. It's true that his relationship was better than the other brothers, and he wasn't above helping them when he could. But his sense of belonging wasn't as strong as Yin'e's. Brothers, you treat me well, and I treat you well too. We're equals, right? Why does Old Nine act as if I have to lead the charge for Eighth Brother? How humiliating!

At the time, Concubine Yi was worried about the Empress Dowager's crippling of the fifth son and was pondering how to restore him. She had relaxed her control over Yin'e a bit, while Concubine Wenxi, as she had only one son, naturally cared for him like a treasure. The two had different lengths of contact with Yinsi. Yin'e didn't have time to appreciate the greatness of Yinsi's charisma, nor did he feel the pressure of a prince whose behavior was rebellious and disrespectful to his brothers. He didn't need a leader to guide him to a bright future; he needed to express himself and warm each other's hearts.

When everyone's ideas overlap, it's naturally good for everyone. But once there are disagreements, it's natural for everyone to go their separate ways. Think about when Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Yu were colleagues at the Whampoa Military Academy, and Lin Biao, Chen Geng and others were their students.

As long as Yin'e was not forced to support Yinsi, he would have differences with Yin'e, a die-hard fan of Yinsi, and these differences were differences in interests. To make up for this, not only the right time and place but also the crown prince was needed.

Yin'e looked at Yin'e like a fallen XX, and was heartbroken. Yin'e looked at Yin'e like a fanatic who had been brainwashed by a pyramid scheme and was trying to brainwash others.

"Ninth Brother, do you admire Eighth Brother so much?"

Yin'er looked at Yin'e with a strange look: "Isn't my brother worth it?"

He had a good impression of the Eighth Brother since childhood, and looked down on others, and this had gradually developed into a habit. Moreover, Yinsi had always performed really well, so he could not find any reason to distance himself from Yinsi.

Yin'e calmed himself down, trying to make his movements appear more relaxed. He asked casually, "Eighth Brother has always been very kind to me—what does Ninth Brother think of me? What does Ninth Brother need to do to make sure Eighth Brother doesn't feel wronged?"

After a long conversation that went on between them, Yin'e finally understood what Yin'e meant. Was it wrong not to be a die-hard fan of his big brother? Was that really necessary?

Yin'e retreated. Just who do you think my dear brother is? Do you have any idea? Among the brothers, there's a prince who towers over us all. That was a fait accompli before we were born. He's also Empress Renxiao's only son, so we can only accept it. Besides, if the eldest brother were to show up, everyone would laugh at him. Are you putting my dear brother on the fire?

The princes went back to do their homework, and after finishing it, they handed it to Kangxi.

The seventh princess's funeral also began in the capital.

The women went there to cry, trying to maintain their appearance while crying sadly. The Fourth and Eighth Concubines were neighbors of the Fifth Princess. After returning from the Seventh Princess's funeral, they took turns inviting their sisters-in-law to their homes to rest and chat.

The men didn't need to be gloomy when they attended. After stating their positions, they all headed to Changchun Garden. While the Crown Prince was recuperating, the princes would still gather in groups every few days to observe the scene and write a report back to the Emperor. They were all very familiar with Wuyi Zhai.

Yinreng's sharp figure was almost invisible. Standing with Yinzhi, he looked even more like a refined scholar than his third brother. He sat down at the main seat and spoke to everyone in a friendly manner: "It's hot in the palace. Are you all doing well?"

The Third Prince bowed and said, "Although it's hot in the palace, there's ice and water, so it's not bad."

The Ninth Prince asked, "Doesn't Third Brother live outside the palace?"

The Eighth Prince quickly tried to smooth things over: "Third Brother also has to go to the palace to discuss government affairs every day, right?"

When discussing government affairs, the discussion was inevitably mixed. The Ninth Prince mocked the Third Prince for his inability to come up with a plan, while praising the Eighth Prince for his excellent writing. Yinreng said with interest, "I only heard that your summary was submitted to Khan Ama, but I didn't know you were still writing your own. Why didn't you write one together?"

This is rather awkward to explain, as everyone vaguely said that this was for brainstorming, with everyone writing their own ideas and then drawing on the strengths of others so as not to drown out one person's ideas.

Yinreng asked, "What did you each write? I saw Khan Ama's letter, and he said it was better than the last time." He pointed out one of the items and asked whose idea it was and who thought of that item.

The fifth, seventh, and twelfth princes were just there to make cameos, the third prince gritted his teeth but it wasn't his forte, the ninth prince immediately praised his eighth brother, and finally it was the eighth prince who excelled the most, and Yinreng said fairly, "Eighth brother has grasped the general outline, and tenth brother has also thought very well about these two points."

Two people were actually highlighted. Yin'e was somewhat happy, while Yin'er was somewhat unhappy.

Yinreng's eyes flickered across the crowd, and he saw the crux of the matter. Just as Yinzhi and Yinreng were always at odds, it was also a well-known fact that Yinsi and Yin'er were too close. What was the situation now?

Yinreng watched the tea leaves floating up and down in the tea bowl and came up with an idea.

It is said that over three hundred years later, there was a famous saying: "There are no inseparable couples, only mistresses who don't work hard." Yin'e wasn't completely devoted to Yinsi, but Yin'er was. And the Crown Prince couldn't be considered an intruder. Break up, break up, break up, it would be strange if we can't break them up!

Yin'e himself is quite capable. Against the backdrop of a few supporting characters, he manages to shine under Yinsi's aura. Yinreng's praise of him isn't necessarily flattery. Yinreng doesn't consider Yinsi a rival; the reason he wants to break up their relationship is simple: the brothers are too close together, and he feels insecure. Anyway, you're not close enough, so I never considered breaking up the Eighth and Ninth Brothers.

Yinreng then, intentionally or unintentionally, praised Yin'e: "Eighth brother, you are very thoughtful. It is rare that tenth brother is two years younger and has insights. If he is tempered more, he will definitely achieve great things in the future. You and I brothers must work together to share the worries of Khan Ama."

Two days after the brothers' meeting, Kangxi sent a letter of praise.

Yinzhen then pulled his tenth brother over for a heart-to-heart talk: "Khan Ama praised you in his imperial edict. Congratulations."

"Ninth brother, you are too kind. Khan Ama should praise eighth brother even more."

"How did Khan Ama know which ones were your ideas and which ones were Bage's?" Damn! I haven't even waited for Khan Ama to come back and praise Bage in person, and you're already... How did you tell Khan Ama?!

Master Jiu, the one among you brothers who communicates the most with the emperor has always been the crown prince!

"Well?"

"The prince? How could he... Well, you should tell the prince that this was also myna's suggestion. We usually have a lot of homework that myna helps us with."

What his ninth brother meant was: No matter how much you are praised, you should thank the eighth brother first? When I was a child, the eighth brother explained the problem to me, but now I came up with this idea myself!

Yin'e said in a deep voice: "What I dare not forget the most is Khan Ama's teachings. Without Khan Ama's teachings, I would not be where I am today. What the prince wants to say is not my business?" Is it okay to be appreciated by the prince? The prince did not take away the credit for the mynah bird!

Yin'er pounded the table, and Yin'e turned away his sleeves.

The problems that Kangxi wanted to use to train his sons ended up causing problems for his sons.

After Yin'e left in anger, he felt somewhat sorry for Yinsi. Yinsi always gave people a gentle impression, and Yin'e judged Yin'er's aggressiveness as self-willed. However, Yinsi also sincerely congratulated him when he saw him again. This made Yin'e feel very sorry.

Once again, after Yin'e had an idea, he tactfully approached his second brother to give him a heads-up and to praise his eighth brother's achievements.

Yinreng asked in surprise, "Tenth brother, aren't those two ideas yours?"

"Of course it was my brother's idea."

"Then—why didn't you let me tell you? Or even if I find out it was you who did it, you can't tell me? What happened to you? What happened to you?"

“…”

"Besides, I can see it all. With Khan Ama's wisdom, how could he not see it? What's good for Eighth Brother is Eighth Brother's, and what's good for you is yours. Of course Khan Ama can tell the difference."

Yin'e returned in dismay. He was also a prince, so he didn't want to be a shadowy hero forever, right? What good would that do him?

Yinreng's goal was soon achieved.

Yin'e was quite dissatisfied with Yin'e. On the one hand, Yin'e had a good impression of Yinsi, but on the other hand, he could not let go of his ambition as a man. Finally, after being looked at by Yin'e's resentful eyes, he also felt alienated from Yinsi. In this matter, Yin'e played the same role as Soetu did to the prince - offending people.

Yinreng gradually began to sense that Yin'e's tone of voice was showing more sincerity in his respect for him. Feelings are subtle and hard to describe, but Yinreng could sense them. If this is a bit abstract, then let's provide a comparison group: Yin'e. Just by looking at Yin'e's attitude towards him and seeing how much of Yin'e's attitude towards Yinsi compares to, Yinreng could make a relatively accurate assessment.

Yinreng was also puzzled. Why was Yin'er so devoted to Yinsi? The fifth brother was apparently a peaceful person, yet he had such a, uh, strong-willed, no, emotionally obvious brother? Um, where was his emotionally obvious brother?

Regardless, Yinreng was quite satisfied with the results. Regardless of his brothers' plans, if they could split up a couple, they would split up a couple. If the process brought them closer to him, that would be even better.

He continued to comment on his brothers' work in a seemingly fair manner, not only praising Yin'e, but also pointing out the strengths of Yinqi and others, such as Yinlu's talent for details, in order to conceal his true purpose.

When Kangxi returned, he highly praised the Eighth Prince for his outstanding contributions among the remaining princes, followed by the Tenth Prince. He asked the Fifth Prince and the Twelfth Prince not to do anything else in the future, and said he would give them special errands to prevent them from slacking off again.

At the same time, they announced: "Thirteenth Prince, Fourteenth Prince, while everyone is here, please take care of your concubine's affairs. Eighth Prince, you should also join in the fun. Twelfth Prince, when we return from Jiangnan, it will be your turn to get married."

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The author has something to say: I'm finally back~TT, the journey was tough, I didn't fall asleep until after 2am. After lunch, I went to see my grandpa, and it was already 4am when I got home ==! Is this chapter okay?