The Dark One's First Trial

Kangxi set off, looking back every few steps. His beloved prince accompanied him all the way out of the city. The father and son sat in the same carriage and did not return until they were twenty miles away from the suburbs.

Yinreng returned, feeling melancholy. He had hoped to see his plump son and draw wisdom from his naive wife, but first he had to report to the Empress Dowager on his early morning observations. As he emerged from Ningshou Palace, he was met by a young eunuch blocking the entrance. They were sent by the two remaining Grand Secretaries, Zhang Yushu and Li Tianfu, who had come to address the Crown Prince regarding an urgent matter.

The position of Han people in the central government is always rather awkward. Even if they hold high official positions, they always have to act with caution.

Today, by chance, the crown prince was accompanying the emperor. They had originally followed the crown prince to see him off, and on his way back, he kept looking back. They saw the young eunuch making a gesture, as if killing a chicken and wiping its neck. When they went over to ask, they learned that just as they had left the Forbidden City, a pile of documents had arrived.

When the Emperor was traveling, the following regulations were in place: daily affairs did not need to be submitted to the Emperor, but were all handled by the Crown Prince. Only extremely urgent or special documents were submitted directly to the Emperor.

The timing of this return was truly unfortunate. When this memorial was sent, it was reported directly to the emperor. While it was en route, the emperor circled the date chosen by the Imperial Observatory. By the time it arrived, the emperor had already left. So, it was left to the crown prince. There were quite a few similar documents.

Yinreng would select the secret memorials, unopened, and deliver them by express horse to Kangxi for his personal perusal. As for the other documents, he would first read them, write a note, and sometimes even write a statement. Finally, he would prepare a copy and forward it all to the emperor. Of course, the classification work was done upfront by the Grand Secretaries and the Imperial Secretariat, so he only had to review and organize them afterwards.

Entering the palace area of ​​the Qianqing Palace, Zhang and Li were waiting by the palace gate from a distance. Seeing Yinreng, they hurried back to greet him: "Your Highness, there are secret memorials to be submitted today, but the Emperor has already left the capital." Yinreng made an inward assessment and pointed forward: "Let's go in and talk."

Arriving at the site, he saw a pile of documents piled on the table. Zhang Yushu and Li Tianfu had already sorted them, awaiting his decision. Yinreng said, "Send the secret memorial to the emperor immediately by express horseback." Zhang Yushu gave a look, and two eunuchs came up, checked the seals, and counted the number of documents. They left and handed them to the guards, who then passed them to the messenger.

Yinreng turned around and began to read the memorial, and saw a piece of good news - Abida reported to Hami that he had captured Tukqihashaha, an Eleuth, who was the main culprit in the murder of envoy Madi.

"This Hami!" Yinreng stretched out his right index and middle fingers, tapping the memorial with the backs of his fingers. "He's really doing good! He's done another great deed."

Zhang and Li both took a quick look and knew that this was referring to the Hami Hui tribe, who first captured Galdan's son and then arrested the main culprit who plotted to murder the imperial envoy.

While he was speaking, Yinreng had already glanced at the most important pile of memorials. Then he said to the young eunuch, "Why are you so blind? Show the two Grand Secretaries their seats."

What seats are there? There were already embroidered cushions, but no one dared to sit down without his permission. The two thanked him for the seats and sat down on either side, one host and two guests, discussing various matters.

It was not until midday that Yinreng finished reviewing and forwarding what needed to be reviewed. He then picked up his pen and wrote another memorial of his own. As he wrote, he said, "Please wait a moment, both of you." The two, not knowing what else he wanted to say, swallowed their words of excuse themselves. When Yinreng finished writing, he let it air out, packed it up, and sent it away by express delivery. It was already three hours past mealtime. Yinreng smiled and invited the two to have dinner together. He said shyly, "I'm hungry. I forgot the time. Are you both hungry? Fortunately, everything is done. I don't have to think about the memorials I haven't read while I eat."

The two exchanged bewilderment, enjoying a strange working lunch with the Crown Prince. Something was off about this Crown Prince. Very off! The Crown Prince would invite his subjects to dinner when he was in a good mood, but this attitude was a bit too easygoing, wasn't it?

The Crown Prince learned a new skill last night: to be kind to others.

The Crown Princess treated the people in Ningshou Palace, Qianqing Palace, and other places very well, so much so that the Crown Prince was a little dissatisfied: "Don't lower your status." But the fool said seriously: "You should also be polite to those who serve the elders. If you are kind to them, they will do what they say and do in front of the elders."

The Crown Prince, who thought he had been quite polite to the Ningshou Palace and the Qianqing Palace, pondered and began to interpret the situation: Politeness and amicability are two different things. If they were polite, at most they wouldn't say bad things about you; if they were amicable, they might even say good things about you. He didn't mind it, but because they were close to him, it was quite amusing to intentionally or unintentionally trip up those he disliked.

This... the skill of making up lies has reached a considerable level.

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The silly daughter-in-law of the Crown Prince is now unable to devote all her energy to the Second Crown Prince. She has to do many things at once. In addition to daily chatting (with the Empress Dowager), socializing (with sisters-in-law and occasionally with sister-in-law), and housework, the Crown Princess also has to worry about her husband (this has become less common at the moment), take care of her son (she is trying hard to teach him to speak and walk), and now there is one more thing to worry about - her father and brothers on the front line.

After leaving the Empress Dowager's residence, Shujia strolled slowly with the Third and Fourth Concubines, chatting and saying goodbye. The concubines had dispersed so they could go about their business. The Third Concubine said, "Since our concubine left with the Emperor, the house is in such a mess that we still have to clean up. Is it the same with my sister-in-law? You're still a married woman, so you have to take care of yourself."

Shujia said, "I don't have to worry about that, but I am worried about my father and brother."

The Fourth Lady's belly was already quite large, and she was supported by a young palace maid even when walking, fearing for accidents. With one hand resting on her waist, she whispered, "I don't have to do anything about household matters myself, as long as I give instructions. There aren't many people from my family accompanying me, but... my twelfth sister hasn't been feeling well lately, so I need to go and see her."

The Third Lady asked, "Didn't you say it was just a cold?"

Shujia also asked: "When did it happen? I didn't know. I just knew that my mother was a little unwell, but she is fine now. Why is my sister--"

As they spoke, the concubines had mostly dispersed. The Fourth Lady briefly explained, "I only fell ill yesterday. Because Khan-Ama was about to leave, I didn't dare disturb everyone. Perhaps it was because I was tired from tending to my mother when she was ill."

Well, the third and fourth daughters lived close together. If one knew, the other would likely get wind of it, too. It wasn't that she didn't care about her sister-in-law, so Shujia felt a little relieved. She calculated that the seventh princess (the emperor's twelfth daughter) was only three months away from turning eleven, well past the age of premature death, so there was no need to make a big deal about it. However, she still needed to go and take a look.

At that moment, Shujia asked, "Are you going alone, or are you bringing a gift? I didn't know about this before, and I haven't had time to prepare a gift."

The Fourth Lady said, "I'm only sending some needlework and toys. It wouldn't be nice to give too much when visiting a young girl." Shujia said, "In that case, I'd like to go too." Halfway through her words, Wu Mingli took off running, rushing back to inform her that he had prepared some gifts and brought them back. "Will Third Sister-in-law come too?"

The Third Lady thought about it and agreed immediately: "Okay." Her eunuch also ran away.

The eunuch was agile and in five minutes he reached the edge of the field. Panting, he told the guards, "Hurry, the Seventh Princess is feeling unwell and the master needs to go see her. Open the storeroom and get a few things from the shelf in the southeast corner. They were all gathered together earlier for the visits to the little princesses."

After checking to make sure there was nothing damaged, he packed it up neatly and took it back.

The whole process took no more than twenty minutes. He was so exhausted that he was panting like an ox, and he didn't dare to take a deep breath in front of his masters. Shujia felt sorry for him and said, "You don't need to run around here anymore. You're so pitiful. Go back and rest. Tell Qiao'er to pack up those big sweaters I found yesterday. I need them. There's no rush. Just walk back slowly."

The Third Lady smiled and said, "Second sister-in-law is still very attentive."

The Crown Princess was reluctant to travel around the palace in her standard, ostentatious sedan chair, so whenever she paid her respects, she would have the eunuchs accompany her in a small sedan chair. If anything happened, she could just step on the sedan chair and leave without losing her status. Normally, she would have them carry the empty chair along.

It happened to be used today, so the three of them got on the sedan chair and went to Zhaoxiang’s office.

The Seventh Princess's place was quite nice. Her mother was quite a bitch, so naturally, she was treated well. The room was warm, the doors and windows were closed. The Seventh Princess wore a small red silk jacket, her hair tied up in a simple bun, and she looked a little listless. Seeing her sisters-in-law approach, she hurriedly greeted them.

Shujia saw that she was pale and her cheeks were a little red. She didn't know what the symptoms were, so she didn't dare to comment. She just didn't think it looked serious. She just said, "You rest. We'll take a look and then leave. You can rest and don't worry about us." She pulled the third lady to sit down with her.

The Fourth Lady stepped forward with some difficulty, took the Seventh Princess's hand, and asked about her life. She also asked the Seventh Princess's wet nurse, "How has the princess been eating these past two days? Has she lost weight? What medicine is she taking?"

The nurse replied as if reciting a book, "The princess hasn't enjoyed her meals these past two days. She only had a bowl of millet porridge in the morning. The imperial physician took her pulse yesterday and prescribed a prescription. It's being prepared outside today..."

Only the Fourth Lady and the Seventh Princess were somewhat familiar with each other and had something to say. Shujia and the Third Lady were merely spectators, there to make their position clear. Occasionally, they'd say, "Don't worry, the illness will subside slowly, just recuperate slowly." "Whatever you want to eat or play, if you're too embarrassed to tell them, just send someone to get it from me and your sister-in-law will get it for you."

After sitting for a while, seeing that the Seventh Princess was a little tired, the three sisters-in-law stood up to say goodbye. Before leaving, Shujia stretched out her hand and gently pressed her: "Don't get up. We are here to visit you, not to tire you out. All etiquette aside, when you feel better, you can come to your brothers' homes to visit your sisters-in-law."

Everyone laughed at what she said. The Seventh Princess finally stood up and let her sisters-in-law go out before returning.

The three married women went home separately. The Third and Fourth Fujins went together, while the Crown Princess returned to Yuqing Palace alone. Originally, the Third Fujin and Shujia had a good relationship, but now it seemed that the relationship between the Third Fujin and the Fourth Fujin had progressed by leaps and bounds.

Shujia sighed, "Yuqing Palace, what a rotten place! Look, the sisters-in-law are neighbors, sharing what they have, and their relationship is growing stronger and stronger. What about you? You're so far away from them, you almost have to pay a toll. Just the physical distance makes it hard to get close. You have to make a special trip just to talk, how can you compare to them being able to talk through the walls?"

From his own perspective, the relationship between Yinreng and his brothers was probably similar. If you want to be close, you must first overcome objective conditions. This... is a huge problem.

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After sighing all the way back home, I saw the little fat boy struggling to stand and then slumping on the kang, and my mood brightened up again. The little fat boy is more than ten months old. Judging from various indicators, he is developing faster than other children. However, it still cannot change the fact that this son of a phoenix and a dragon is still a weakling. Look, he is slumping again.

Fortunately, the weather was not too hot yet, he was dressed warmly, and since he was moving around on the big kang, there was no need to worry about him getting hurt. Shujia had already ordered everyone to put away the kang table, fearing that he would get hurt.

Seeing his mother coming, the little fat boy who had just fallen headfirst onto the kang pouted, but didn't cry. Instead, he stretched out his fat hands for a hug.

Shujia's heart was swept away. She walked over, picked up the little fat boy and kissed him twice: "My dear son, do you miss your mother? If you are tired of falling, let's take a break. We will continue to fall tomorrow. Come on, call your mother and let her hear it."

Hongxiu: "Master...how can you speak of your own son like that?"

Shujia ignored her and kept asking the fat boy to call her. He should be able to do it now, right?

wrong!

Fang stepped forward cautiously and said, "Master, it's early now. If you listen carefully, it will be done in another month."

Nonsense!

The little fat boy called Yinreng "Ama" at night.

Shujia was very annoyed. "Who takes care of you, little brat? You actually called him first!" Yinreng was very proud. He held his son and started to prick his face again: "My son is so smart~" After the prick, he held him up and rocked him.

Shujia told herself that this brat simply didn't understand the meaning, he just kept saying "Ahhhhh". The reason why Yinreng was so proud was because the pronunciation of "father" in Manchu was too similar to the baby's innate speech system. Maybe the little fat boy was just saying "Ahwu".

If you don't believe me, just listen to 'amu'.

Yinreng was so amused that he started teasing his son: "My dear son, call your mother. If you don't, she will be angry. If she gets angry, you won't have milk to drink tomorrow. No matter how capable a man is, he still has to ask women for food. You can't offend your mother, and you can't offend your wife either..."

Depend on!

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The next day, Yinreng went to work. Shujia reported to the Empress Dowager and then sent someone to ask the Seventh Princess about it. There was no such thing as a magic pill that would work overnight. It was still dragging on, but it was true that the condition hadn't gotten any worse.

Shujia returned and continued to discipline her son. The fat boy, terrified by his mother's torment, went on strike.

Shujia looked at the fat boy lying on the kang with his face buried in it and his round butt sticking up high. She couldn't help but slap him twice.

The nannies and wet nurses laughed together. Sehetu quietly went over and turned the little fat boy over, and found... he was asleep...

=囗=

Qiao'er came over and helped Shujia sit on the other side of the chair. She also pulled out a large square pillow to prop her back for comfort. Then she asked, "Master, yesterday you sent Wu Mingli to tell me to prepare those large woolen clothes. Is there anything you need them for?"

Shujia looked at the fat boy sleeping soundly under his little quilt and said, "I forgot everything because of him. Where is the thing?"

Qiao'er said, "There are six pieces in total, too many to display in one place. They are all placed in the cabinet. Master, do you want to see them? I'll go get them." She led two little palace maids to get out a pile of clothes.

Last year, Kangxi's travels were fruitful, and the Yuqing Palace was among the first to be selected. Shujia already had quite a bit on hand. Yinreng requested a large fur coat, specifically a lynx fur coat. Shujia thought it would be a good opportunity to make a few more, perhaps as a reward or a favor. In the end, Shujia made two lynx fur coats, two wolf fur coats, and two fox fur coats. Once they were finished, he threw the wolf fur coats aside, claiming they were too heavy. He only wore one of the lynx fur coats; he already had quite a few large fur coats, so he didn't care for them. The rest ended up in the closet. If Yinreng didn't remember them this winter, he'd probably have to throw away at least the two wolf fur coats. Of course, the Crown Princess knew how to live, so perhaps she'd given them to the guards or the officials in the Imperial Household Department as a favor.

Now Shujia remembered how cold the north was! A minor cold snap had arrived, and the vast grasslands were flat, with no mountains blocking the way. What if they got cold? Although she had distributed the furs to many close relatives and even her own family after receiving them last year, she still felt uneasy. She ordered them all to be dug out and sent to the front. Well, the materials were a gift from the Emperor Kangxi, so she had to show her appreciation.

Well, it was not nice to use Yinreng's clothes to reward her own family members without permission, so she found a few spare ones she had. Because the sizes were slightly looser, taller people could also wear them - these were well-made and were prepared as "rewards" for the guards.

The items presented to Kangxi couldn't be too shabby; it seemed fitting to use items that Yinreng hadn't worn. Because these items were reviewed by Shujia, the patterns were very low-key, and the silk used had a dark pattern. This also showed Kangxi that the style and taste of the Yuqing Palace had changed.

"Pack up these two wolfskins, that fox fur, and the lynx fur the prince hasn't worn. Each one is wrapped separately, and use a piece of cloth to mark which is which. Wrap up these six pieces as well, and write the same notes on them."

The problem now is to discuss with Yinreng how to send it over.

There's a war going on up ahead, and you're asking him to sign for a package. Isn't that... idiotic? There has to be a good excuse, and it has to be hidden. However, Shujia always felt that a battle like this, where both the concubine and the concubine were involved, wouldn't be strictly enforced, so this little trick was still feasible.

Yinreng walked in with a look of delight on his face. Seeing the bundles scattered around, he almost thought his wife was going back to her parents' home. Shujia knew he was coming from the whistles outside and stood up and asked, "What are you so happy about?" In a good mood? How about taking this opportunity to make a small request?

"Ah," Yinreng replied absentmindedly, "Abida reported to Hami that he had captured Tukqihashaha, the Eleuth, the ringleader in the murder of the envoy, Madi. Today, Khan Ama's imperial edict has arrived, ordering his execution and his children to be enslaved by Madi's family. Well, what are you planning to do?"

It was Shujia's turn to be dumbfounded. Comrade Kangxi, you've brought the plot from your YY novel into reality! Perhaps, the novel isn't YY, and they were reading your deeds when they wrote it. This plot of 'giving your children to the enemy as servants' really sounds like the beginning of a melodramatic novel.

He answered casually, "The wind started blowing again yesterday. It's a bit of a cold snap in late spring. I thought it must be even colder since Khan Ama is out. I thought I should pack a few big sweaters and bring them in. My Ama and brother are over there too, so it's a good opportunity to take some with me."

Yinreng sighed again, his wife was just stupid: "Khan Ama has the Imperial Household Department to serve him, so he won't be short of money. Your Ama's family must also have provisions. Don't forget, your mother is Mongolian and knows the climate."

"My mother grew up in the capital. Oh, I've gotten off topic. I mean, it's not that I lack anything, but a thought is a thought. You're short of something? During the New Year, Khan Ama will give you the same reward? Khan Ama has taken care of us a lot, and we should think more about him. For example, I've never lacked anything. That year, my brother secretly gave me a set of hairpins. I still remember it..." He lowered his voice, "The fourth brother and Concubine De's mother had a gap, but it was just a matter of face. They didn't care about each other, but he loved Fourteenth Brother deeply. Fourth Brother's wife came to serve her every day, and Concubine De's mother treated her daughter-in-law more affectionately than her son. This is still the closest mother and son."

It seemed to make sense. When the Crown Princess sent someone to deliver something to the family, the Crown Prince realized a new skill: relationships are built through interaction. Blood ties are just the beginning, a kind of fate. To turn fate into destiny, one must cultivate it with care.

"Hey, you can't do that. If it's something for Khan Ama, then of course you can send it. But if you also specify that you want to bring something for your Ama, then people will talk about it, and it will also damage your Ama's reputation."

"Well..." he said a little disappointedly, "I'll send someone back tomorrow to ask. If they brought big sweaters, then we won't have to mention it."

Yinreng smiled, rolled up his sleeves and picked up the pen: "Watch me."

I wrote a sincere letter to Kangxi, the gist of which was this: "Women are more troublesome than men. Ever since you took my second brother-in-law away, my wife has been complaining non-stop, worrying about being cold today, hungry tomorrow, and sick the day after tomorrow. I used to laugh at her. But this time, since you left, I woke up and suddenly felt worried too. There was a strong wind last night. What if you caught a cold? It just so happens that last year you gave me a lot of furs, and I made some clothes, all a little larger. My troublesome wife said they were to prepare for me in case I gained weight next year, and now you can use them. Wear a small cotton jacket inside and this outside, and you'll be very warm. I also have a few pieces that are the wrong size, so I packed them up in case they need extra use."

"Pack two boxes! How can these pieces be enough? I need twenty or so. Khan Ama can't wear them all himself, so he will definitely give them away as gifts." Hehe. I mentioned my wife in the letter, and when my father saw your father, he probably gave them away without leaving any trace.

Shujia: That's a good idea, but the more I think about it, the more it seems off. He seems to be getting more lively...

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Emperor Kangxi had just sent a letter to Eunuch Gu, giving him instructions: "On the eighth day of the first lunar month, I will camp in Huailai County. The weather is very different from that in Beijing and will be quite cold. The warehouse is making a wolfskin coat and a fox fur coat, both of which have yet to be made. Take these two coats, using rain satin for the sleeves and lingning silk for the body. Report back when you're done. Don't make them too tight. Report back first because if they're too tight, they'll be very uncomfortable. Be careful." An hour later, the prince received two large boxes of fur coats. One can imagine how warm he felt; his son was a caring little cotton-padded jacket.

When he opened the box, he found a long gown and a short jacket, along with a letter explaining: "... I received this as a reward from Khan Ama last year. I thought about it again and again, and out of gratitude for Khan Ama's care, I ordered a tube leather jacket and a long gown made for me. Wearing them makes me feel as if Khan Ama's care is all around me. Now Khan Ama is away and in urgent need, I have the audacity to present them to you. All the clothes I have given you are unworn and in good condition. There are some pieces of paper on the bundle, please choose whichever you like. If you don't like them, you can throw them away or give them to someone else."

Kangxi even pretended to be dissatisfied: "How much did he get last year? And you are sending it to me again! What a waste of manpower." If his hands had not been lingeringly stroking the clothes on his body, his words would have been a little more convincing.

Yinzhi: That fellow who had been nestling in the capital and enjoying his comforts for the past year was the first to pick on the leather! He took away all the good tributes, and gave you the ones that slipped through his teeth, and you're so happy!

After a brief flaunting of his attire, Kangxi finally felt a pang of conscience and summoned his in-laws: "The Yuqing Palace has sent a box of large woolen coats. Their filial piety is truly commendable." He generously gave one to his in-laws, then another to each of his brothers. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he gave one to Fei Yanggu, who was working hard outside. Remembering that Qingde's uncle and nephew were also with Fei Yanggu, he reluctantly gave one as a favor as well. The Crown Prince's expectations were fully realized.

Yinzhi saw that Kangxi was only doing favors for the crown prince, always saying, "The crown prince is concerned about the cold weather and is showing his filial respect to me. I thought you were away from home..." He actually personally promoted the crown prince. It was infuriating! He was clearly misusing public resources for personal gain! Yinzhi vowed never to wear Yuqing Palace clothes again.

Kangxi was very happy to receive the clothes, but Fei Yanggu was almost in tears when he received the clothes. It was already mid-February when he received the clothes. The weather had warmed up and it was not too cold. He did not feel the warmth. When he remembered that the clothes were sent from Yuqing Palace, he felt a chill in his bones when he put them on.

—Qingde, the Crown Prince's second brother-in-law, the Crown Princess's elder brother, and a good boy in Kangxi's eyes, was missing. His uncle was so worried that he almost hanged himself.

The author has something to say: Continue to fight the Dzungars to the death...