There are many things to do when a new emperor ascends the throne

As a new emperor, Yinreng had a lot to deal with: matters at court, within the clan, and in domestic and foreign affairs. The 49th year of Kangxi's reign was indeed quite hectic. Every day, apart from going to the coffin to express his innermost thoughts, apart from eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom, he had to dive into official business. He had devoted most of his energy in the first month to mourning Kangxi, and had fallen behind in much work, which he now had to catch up on.

Now that the late emperor's coffin had been moved from the Palace of Heavenly Purity, it couldn't be said that the traces of the previous owner had been completely erased; a new era must begin. Each department had a backlog of issues to report on, and Yinreng dove into the pile of documents, trying to catch up.

First, the cases that had infuriated the old man must now be resolved. By choosing this as a breakthrough point, Yinreng was abusing his power for personal gain. "Three years without changing one's father's ways," as the legitimate heir, it was best to follow the most reasonable path.

Regardless of whether they were drawing salaries without paying or embezzling funds from the treasury, all previous sentences were overturned and they were all sentenced to severe punishment. Those who had committed wrongdoings were to be dismissed without a single thought of escaping. Seeing Zhao Shenqiao's name, Yinreng paused. He knew this man; he bore a strong resemblance to Shi Shilun, and the allegations he had made were all true.

Yinreng stroked the short, newly grown mustache on his chin and asked Li Guangdi, "This Zhao Shenqiao was previously dismissed from his post and is awaiting trial. Is he in Beijing now?"

Li Guangdi bowed and said, "That's right. He, Yu Yimo, Tang Zhikui, Li Rusong and others are all in Beijing."

"Yu Yimo, Tang Zhikui, and Li Rusong have been dismissed from their posts and sent back to their hometowns. Zhao Shenqiao... go and see if you can find a way to allow him to stay in Beijing for a while. I want to see him in a couple of days."

Li Guangdi agreed.

Then there was the issue of the Ministry of Revenue's treasury silver. No room for negotiation, it had to be recovered! Yinreng was thinking about changing the personnel department, but he couldn't say anything about it just yet.

After discussing these two matters, Hai Zhang, the head of the Imperial Household Department, had another matter to report. The Imperial Household Department was arguably the busiest department this year, and Hai Zhang had a lot to report: "Yuanwailang Dorji's daughter, Sehetu, was a woman registered during the reign of the previous emperor. After the late emperor's death, Sehetu committed suicide. Dorji is unsure how to arrange his funeral, and I beg Your Majesty's instructions."

Yinreng sighed, "She does have a conscience," and after a pause, he said, "Muhelun, you two will handle this matter. Sehetu will be buried in Jingling Mausoleum with the ceremony of a noble lady."

Hai Zhang uttered a "huh" and continued his report: "When the late emperor was alive, Yun'e was appointed Beile, and Yunlu, Yunlu, Yunxiang, and Yunzhen were appointed Beizi. The sites for their residences have been selected and built. Please, Your Majesty, direct when they will be ordered to move out?"

"Move out? Move out of what?" Yinreng lowered his eyes and looked at the paperweight at his hand. "Khan Ama's mausoleum has not been moved yet, and as a son, I have to move out? We'll discuss it later!" He had other plans. During this time, he would observe his brothers again, and re-evaluate who is good and who is not. Then... before they moved out of the palace, he would give some of them a promotion.

Hai Zhang didn't dare to speak. He was told not to confront his master about the late emperor; they had already reached a consensus. Okay, forget about that one then. Hai Zhang read the next item, a joint document signed with the Ministry of Rites: "The six palaces, east and west, are the residences of the emperor and his concubines. With the late emperor's passing, his concubines must be relocated to the Cining Palace and the Ningshou Palace."

Yinreng had no objection to this point. The problem lay with Haizhang's request: "The Empress Dowager now resides in Ningshou Palace, which is cramped and insufficient for her use. I request your approval to repair Ningshou Palace and Cining Palace to accommodate the late emperor's concubines."

Normally, when the late emperor passed away, the concubines of the previous emperor should be moved out of the harem to make room for the successor emperor's family.

Yinreng thought about it and decided that renovation was necessary. The Empress Dowager was currently living in the Ningshou Palace. The old lady had originally lived there with Shunzhi's concubines. Later, the concubines died and there were only a few left. Many rooms were locked and needed to be tidied up.

"Isn't Ningshou Palace big enough to accommodate people?" Are we going to open up Cining Palace as well? It could accommodate Shunzhi's concubines back then, but now it can't accommodate the late emperor's concubines? How hypocritical!

Hai Zhang moved his lips and finally couldn't help reporting a series of titles and numbers, which made Yinreng stunned: "The late emperor had one imperial concubine, four concubines, two imperial concubines..." Fortunately, the new emperor was quite knowledgeable and had a good brain. After listening to Hai Zhang's report and combining it with his own impression, he nodded at the heads and found that Ningshou Palace alone was indeed not enough to accommodate them. He was immediately dumbfounded.

Look, the Imperial Concubine Tong Jia, Concubine Hui, Concubine Yi [1], Concubine De, Concubine Rong, Concubine He, and Concubine Liang, these seven were all the main positions. In addition, there were those whose sons grew up but did not get the title of the main position, such as Dai Jia, the mother of Yunqi, Wan Liuha, the mother of Yunlu, Wang, the mother of Yunyu, Chen, the mother of Yunli, and Gao, the mother of Yinyi. There were also the noble ladies Nara and Guo Luoluo, whose daughters married Mongolian nobles.

These fourteen people need to be taken care of seriously. We should not consider the monk's face but the Buddha's face, especially the first seven. It is only right that each of them has his own courtyard, right?

Then, Emperor Kangxi also left behind a number of noble ladies, concubines, and maids, enough to form a reinforced platoon. Wouldn't each of them have their own courtyard, or at least their own room? Even if they were allowed to live with the dozen or so people who came before them, how many people could fit into one courtyard? The courtyard of Ningshou Palace was definitely not as large as a single palace in the harem. And how many palace maids and eunuchs would each have to attend them?

Ningshou Palace doesn’t have so many houses!

Ningshou Palace covers a considerable area. With the filial son Kangxi at his side, he provided the Empress Dowager with all the necessary living and entertainment facilities. There were gardens, a newly built stage, and a small kitchen. As the residence of the Empress Dowager during the Kangxi era, the front hall where she received greetings was also built according to regulations.

Apart from these, there wasn't much room for people to live in. Oh, Shunzhi's Consort Shuhui, the Empress Dowager's sister, was still alive, though she was always ill. She also had her own fixed territory. Seniority was there, and no newcomers were allowed to encroach!

You mentioned a Cining Palace? That place hasn't been inhabited for over twenty years, it's long been deserted. Throwing someone there would be blatant abuse. Furthermore, the late emperor has no living empress, so there's no legitimate leader to move there.

Hai Zhang knew this, but the Imperial Household Department was responsible for the relocation, so he couldn't avoid it. He had to politely point out the difficulty: there are too many people and too little space to accommodate them! Emperor, please find a solution.

Yinreng said very bluntly: "The late emperor's body is still warm, and I can't bear to ask the concubines to move all at once. After the mausoleum is moved, I will ask the concubines to move to another palace. You, clean up the Ningshou Palace first." This was a delaying tactic. It was not realistic to ask him to clean up the Cining Palace again, whether it was to move the Grand Empress Dowager or Kangxi's concubines.

The old lady was old. If anything happened to her while she was being moved, who would be held responsible? Oh, the Grand Empress Dowager wouldn't move in. If it was the Empress Dowager, that would be fine, but otherwise, which concubine would be qualified to move in? Yinreng was in a state of great distress. Who said women's affairs weren't troublesome? While ensuring per capita living space, they could either increase the residential area or reduce the number of people. The palace was so small, and he couldn't kill a few people, so Yinreng put this matter aside for the time being.

"What else?"

Hai Zhang had been rejected twice, so he encouraged himself in his heart that he must pass this time!

"Your Majesty has already established the Queen, but the enthronement ceremony has not yet been held, and the princesses, wives, and ladies of state have not yet performed the ceremony of congratulations. According to the rules, the Queen should receive congratulations in the Jiaotai Hall. Also, the Queen should live in the Kunning Palace, which is the position of the main empress. Now the two palaces have not been used for a long time, so please allow them to be repaired." You seem to have a good relationship with your wife, right?

The horse’s legs were photographed again!

He has a good relationship with his wife and is happy for you to flatter his wife. It's okay to build the Jiaotai Hall, but you shouldn't mention the Kunning Palace.

Yinreng's face darkened and he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay!" Can't you just talk about something happy?

Hai Zhang reported tremblingly again: "Your Majesty has already appointed a crown prince, but the enthronement ceremony has not yet been held."

Finally, something went smoothly! Yinreng breathed a sigh of relief: "Isn't this a precedent? Just do it. Have the Imperial Astronomical Observatory choose an auspicious day, and have the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department prepare all the imperial seals, ceremonial weapons, and utensils for the Empress and the Empress Dowager."

Hai Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, finally receiving confirmation. Mu Helun was delighted that he wouldn't have to deal with any unlucky events. Next, he submitted a memorial about the shrines and posthumous titles for Kangxi's empresses.

Yinreng said, "Please leave this memorial with me. I want to study it carefully."

Mu Helun also had a pile of questions to ask: "Your Majesty, you respect the Grand Empress Dowager, but the late Emperor is in mourning and has not yet been able to present the imperial seal, nor has anyone inside or outside the palace been able to pay their respects. I would like to ask your permission. I wonder if the ceremony for the Grand Empress Dowager is similar to that for Empress Xiaozhuang Wen."

This is also easy to do. Yinreng said, "If there is a precedent, then follow it. You and Haizhang will do this together. Choose an auspicious day. First, offer the ceremony to the Grand Empress Dowager, then the Empress, and then the Crown Prince."

Mu Helun went down and planned not to mention it.

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At the same time, the new queen who was taking care of the patient in Ningshou Palace did not know that she would not have to move in the short term.

The Empress Dowager was old and her mental endurance was not high. Kangxi was her pillar of support. Now that Kangxi was gone, she was heartbroken and crying, and her illness was too normal. The old lady was a little confused because of her illness. Seeing Shujia beside her, she took her hand and said, "Crown Princess, I dreamed of the Emperor."

Shujia's heart ached: "Is Khan Ama okay?"

"Okay...but I can't see his face clearly. I'm really old and my eyes are useless."

Concubine Tong and others were standing in the room. They really had nothing to do now. The list of palace personnel had all been handed over to the Queen. The only thing left for them, the concubines and grand concubines, was to serve the Empress Dowager.

The princesses who had come to Beijing for the funeral hadn't left yet. When Princess Rongxian saw the palace maids bringing the medicine, she hurriedly tested the temperature of the bowl on the tray and carefully brought it to Shujia at the bedside. Concubine Tong and the other princesses came forward to help, helping the Empress Dowager to her feet. Shujia fed the old lady the medicine drop by drop.

Although she was very careful, some brown medicine still flowed from the corner of the old lady's mouth and wet her clothes.

After drinking the medicine, the Empress Dowager fell asleep. Yingge came in and asked the Empress to go to the meeting. The arrangements for the palace affairs today still needed the Empress's decision.

Shujia's primary mission now was to stabilize the harem, care for the Grand Empress Dowager and her children, and manage harem affairs. Kangxi was truly kind to Yinreng, assigning him capable eunuchs, and Shujia benefited from this. After taking over palace affairs, she relied heavily on the efforts of several people. Gao Sanxie and Jia Yingxuan were particularly attentive. They were taciturn, but they knew everything they needed to know.

Shujia also understood that the two men's enthusiasm was due not only to their years of interaction, but also to the fact that Liang Jiugong and other old associates of Emperor Kangxi were still serving in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. She knew this, but she didn't point it out, just watching their performance.

With these people around, Shujia saved herself a lot of work and had more energy to think about other things. She thought about moving, but she couldn't bring it up with Yinreng. It wasn't her place to bring it up. So she made preparations in secret. When the time came, she would give the order and someone would take away the belongings and put them away, and the move would be done neatly.

She had time to think carefully about who would move where, what staff would be assigned, and how the Eastern Palace would be arranged. The Crown Prince's family and the Emperor's family would be treated differently, and the number of palace maids and eunuchs would increase. She also had to consider the treatment of Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi.

Should Hongdan live here, or in Yuqing Palace? Shujia preferred her son to live in the Eastern Palace, but would her younger sons live in the East and West Five Residences? Who would they bring with them? Everything needed to be figured out.

That night, Yinreng went back to the Eastern Palace again and gathered everyone in the palace: "The late emperor's body is still warm, so it is not appropriate for the concubines and mothers to move now. You should stay in your original places and mourn first." He sent them away with just one sentence. The reason he came in person instead of asking a eunuch to pass on the message was because he had something to say to his wife.

Shujia touched his face and said, "You've lost weight again." She prepared food for him. She still remembered how fast he ate after he came back that time.

Yinreng said, "Let them do it, and we can talk."

"good."

Being an emperor is not easy. This statement specifically refers to wanting to be a good emperor, one who is accomplished, prestigious, and admired by the people. Yinreng was striving for this, so he toiled. The famine continued, the economy continued to decline, the officials continued to be corrupt, and the Eight Banners continued to rot... but these were still relatively good things; he was a skilled worker at handling them.

What really gave him a headache were the complicated relationships. For example, what should he do with the late emperor's concubine? This was a family matter, not suitable for sharing with outsiders. But what about telling his brothers? It also involved their mother. So he had to come back and tell his wife.

Shujia listened carefully but refused to offer any further advice. This matter involved not only the concubines but also their sons. She said, "Yes, we must find a place where we can provide for them properly. We can't just send them away to become nuns."

"You've said it, but it's as good as nothing," Yinreng suddenly had an idea. "Go out and find a place for them to live? That's fine..." His expression darkened. It suddenly occurred to him that he could have his brothers take the concubine in and take care of her. He was filled with regret that he couldn't see his biological mother, so why not help others?

He was filled with envy, jealousy, hatred, and other emotions. You are all lucky, you have a mother to take care of you! Gritting his teeth, Yinreng suddenly felt unhappy.

Shujia was in a good mood, as she didn't have to move now, which was exactly what she wanted.

Honestly, she didn't like the current Kunning Palace. It hadn't been occupied in years, and now it had some mysterious purpose. She felt uncomfortable no matter how she thought about it. Furthermore, this was Yinreng's birthplace. Empress Renxiao gave birth to Yinreng here, and she died there the same day. It would be strange if Yinreng was truly yearning for it! Perhaps the psychological trauma of this place was making them uncomfortable as a couple.

Therefore, not moving for the time being is not a bad thing for her.

But she had to live in Kunning Palace!

The phrases "Princely Empress" and "Prime Empress" all emphasize the importance of "Princely" and "Central". If she doesn't live as the Princely Empress, the Empress' status is discounted, and a discounted Empress is worthless. She must live in a proper and dignified position. She has children, so she must be "prime".

How to live in Kunning Palace, relieve Yinreng's worries, and have a satisfactory outcome was quite a thought. She had to think and make arrangements.

Dinner arrived, awakening the two people who were immersed in their own world. Shujia regretted her loss of concentration and pulled herself together to let Yinreng eat: "When a car reaches the mountain, there will always be a way; when a boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten itself out."

Yinreng laughed: "What if there really is no way out?"

"Opening the mountain," Shujia answered simply. "Come, have dinner. I don't believe there is anything that can stump you."

"Opening a mountain? I'm also demolishing bridges!" Yinreng finally laughed heartily, "What a good idea!"

His mind had been preoccupied with other things just now, but now he was inspired and thought of a violent method.

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After the new emperor ascended the throne, the court remained largely unchanged. The busiest departments were the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Rites. The Ministry of Rites was tasked with negotiating various ceremonial arrangements, from the old emperor's funeral to the new emperor's coronation. The Imperial Household Department was even busier, undertaking not only the aforementioned tasks but also the production of various utensils.

According to Qing court tradition, when an emperor, empress, queen dowager, or concubine passed away, any belongings they had used during their lifetime were burned if possible, or buried with them—except for bequests. Since the Forbidden City couldn't be burned, a temporary room built to house the coffins was burned instead.

The things used by the old emperor were burned, and the new emperor also had to make a living, so he had clothes tailored to the emperor's body, fired porcelain, cast gold objects, made ceremonial objects... and so on, as these were all urgently needed.

In addition, with each succession of the throne, the new emperor's family also upgraded. This time was particularly special: they hadn't made supplies for the queen for decades, and they couldn't make any mistakes.

In addition, the treatment standards for people the emperor and empress want to use have been raised, and the number of servants needs to be increased, so some more palace maids and eunuchs have to be prepared to fill the vacancies.

Ah! I still need to repair the house!

If you want to get rich, do projects.

Just when the Imperial Household Department was taking advantage of the project to make money and lamenting the hard work, the Emperor took action!

The original attempt to recover the stolen money was ineffective, and the main person responsible had his house confiscated and his entire family was sent to Ningguta to be slaves of the armored men. The person who was the first to get involved in the military corruption case was not only dismissed from his post, but also "never to be employed again."

The matter was not over yet. Yue Xing'a, who was at home taking care of his sick parents, was dismissed on the grounds of being "lazy and unwilling to do his job with all his heart". Then, many people in the Tong family were dismissed from their posts or investigated. In the end, only Tong Guowei, a duke (conferred because of his father, the queen), and a prince consort were left in Tong Guowei's line.

Tong Guogang's line was not so bad. Orondai made repeated mistakes, so Kangxi tolerated them. However, Yinreng dug up past mistakes and was stripped of his position, but his title remained (he was granted the title of Duke because of Empress Xiaokang. Tong Guogang's line was the eldest son, so his eldest son Orondai inherited it). The rest of the people were only demoted a few levels.

Thirty of the original forty-five captains were also taken back.

Then, Alinga was stripped of his title for being disloyal and unfilial, and the title was returned to Faka, but the rest of the people were left untouched.

The court and the public were glaring in anger.

Not a single word! Why did the late emperor go? Everyone knows it, but no one talks about it.

The Bannermen were concerned about Da Tiao and knew the inside story.

Han people: What does that have to do with us?

This is just the beginning!

The author has something to say:

[1] When conferring titles on the imperial concubines, the order was Hui, Yi, De, and Rong. When crying at the funeral, I probably went before Defei, as a habit.