"I think we should try to get this job."
Soetu waved his hand, echoing the Crown Prince's sentiment: the eldest prince's lineage should not be given any chance.
Regardless of what Mingzhu thinks, this person is definitely not one of his kind.
Since we're not on the same path, then we're enemies.
If you treat your enemies with leniency, what if they later use tricks to trap you?
Soetu's words surprised everyone at first, but then they all chimed in to agree.
"Your Excellency is Highly Righteous"
"Your Excellency is wise"
"..."
The flattery was deafening.
Soetu stroked his beard with satisfaction. "Let's discuss it. Send someone to do it."
We can't let him personally take the lead. After all, he's the head of a faction. Don't be fooled by how much Suo'etu fawns over the Crown Prince; he's very particular when it comes to me.
Of course, being particular is never a bad thing; in fact, it's even better for these subordinates.
It's more reassuring to have a leader who only shows concern occasionally than one who constantly keeps an eye on you.
Both inside and outside the palace reacted to the trouble caused by the construction of the dam.
Some fought for it with all their might, some remained untouched, and some simply watched the show from the sidelines.
Without exception, the commotion they caused was noticed by Emperor Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi sat in his study in the Qianqing Palace, not far from him was Li Dequan, who was bowing his head and reporting.
Li Dequan's business scope is now much wider, encompassing everything from clothing, food, housing, and transportation to political affairs; he knows and understands far more than the average person.
Through years of hard work and advancement, Li Dequan finally replaced Liang Jiugong, who had previously served Emperor Kangxi, and became the emperor's most favored person.
Conversely, the relationship with Qixiang Palace has been fading in recent years.
It wasn't just Li Dequan's idea; Xiuning also tacitly distanced herself from him. After all, one was a favored concubine and the other a favored minister, and if Kangxi discovered the problem, it would be of no benefit to them.
This isn't a mathematical problem where 1+1>2. The results of many years are about to mature, and Xiuning doesn't want to cause unnecessary trouble at this crucial moment.
"Ha, they all have their own agendas. They truly are my capable ministers."
Kangxi gave a mocking smile, which not only made Li Dequan, who was standing to the side, even more terrified, but also added a veil to his good mood.
It was truly unpleasant. Every day, the moment he opened his eyes, he was being schemed against by various forces. Even though this was something that emperors inevitably had to face, it had been going on for decades. No matter how calm and collected Kangxi was, he couldn't bear it.
Li Dequan simply wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
Sigh, who isn't?
Li Dequan had served Emperor Kangxi for many years and knew a great deal about the emperor's unpredictable temper.
Tsk, she's angry again.
As for the reason for the anger, didn't you see that it was mentioned that it was a court official? It must have been caused by the court official.
Honestly, these are all ministers promoted by the emperor, yet they don't focus all their attention on state affairs. Instead, they're always jumping around and meddling in other people's business. Don't they ever think for themselves whether it's appropriate for them, as ministers, to meddle in other people's affairs?
Li Dequan looked down on these people. He believed that although the future emperor would be important, he would be far less useful than the current emperor.
Although the transition between the old and the new is something that no one can avoid.
However, time needs to be considered.
In other words, there was no other possibility for Kangxi to step down from the throne unless he did so willingly or his health deteriorated.
But Emperor Kangxi is currently in good health, and imperial offspring are born in the harem every year. How could such a person have health problems?
Li Dequan shook his head, pursed his lips, and continued to report the information he had obtained.
"...The main standards are those of Lord Mingzhu and Lord Suo'etu."
These two men's residences were frequently visited by court officials, who would often gather for an entire day.
As for what these people said and did when they gathered together, Li Dequan kept quiet and gave Kangxi enough face.
"Staying there all day long, ugh!"
Kangxi thought to himself that they were not this attentive when attending court, but they were very dedicated to pleasing Mingzhu and Suo'etu.
If it weren't for the fact that the Qing Dynasty was ruled by the Aisin Gioro family, he would have thought that the country was about to change hands.
Li Dequan sighed inwardly, then proceeded to talk about other news.
There were not only ministers outside the palace, but also many princes who had moved out after receiving their titles.
Starting with the eldest prince and ending with the eighth prince.
Li Dequan gave brief comments on each of them, focusing more on the eldest prince and the crown prince, while glossing over the rest.
Upon hearing this, Kangxi smiled even more broadly, realizing that his earlier sullenness was unnecessary.
If the ministers are dishonest, he can say it's because they don't want to be content and it's all their own problem. But then his own sons aren't exactly well-behaved either. Tsk, could it really be a problem with their upbringing?
Emperor Kangxi had to reflect on some of his arrangements, especially since his previous plans were quite rosy. He thought that a hero needs three helpers, and that for the Qing Dynasty to be stable and developed, he should let a trusted junior take over.
Since court officials were not surnamed Aisin Gioro, they were certainly unreliable, so he spent a lot of effort cultivating his own sons, sparing neither civil nor military officials.
The result was that they were all trained, but after being trained, their ambitions grew, and they might become even less able to stabilize the Qing Dynasty.
Emperor Kangxi's mood was neither good nor bad. He didn't feel he had lost out because the meat was rotten in the pot, but he was still not entirely satisfied because his sons' growth was deviating from his plans.
"Tell me, to whom should I entrust the task of building the dikes?"
As soon as Kangxi finished speaking, Li Dequan knelt down on the ground without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. This servant dares not speak recklessly about matters of state."
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