Chapter Ninety-Four
When the Eighth Prince Yinzhi heard the Crown Prince's words, his expression slightly changed, as if he was both suppressing his emotions and humbly obeying. "Yes, Your Highness."
With his many older brothers having gone on a voyage, Yinzhi could no longer suppress the boundless ambition in his heart.
However, Yinzhi also knew that it would be difficult for him to bring down the Crown Prince on his own.
He once thought that he was backed by Prince Yinti, after all, he was born in Yanxi Palace and had a natural status there. After his elder brother brought down the Crown Prince, he would go it alone... well, and take his elder brother's group of men with him.
Who knew that accidents would happen faster than expected? For example, my elder brother isn't even in Beijing now; instead, he's gone on a sea voyage, supposedly to the Western Ocean.
They took the old, seventh, ninth, and tenth brothers with them, and even the twelfth brother, who was barely noticeable, with them.
The fourth prince is now a supporter of the crown prince, while the fifth prince is a natural candidate to be abandoned on the throne. He has no intention of siding with either of them. In any case, whoever comes to power will not treat him badly.
The tenth prince is still young, and I heard that Father Emperor is preparing to let him enter the court.
However, Yinzhi used to be indifferent to the Tenth Prince... no, our relationship can only be described as 'not very close', but the Fourth Prince and the Tenth Prince are quite close.
this……
Fourteen is still young, and it will be several years before he grows up. How can he, all alone, compete with the Crown Prince, who is favored by the Emperor?
Therefore, when facing His Highness the Crown Prince, Yinzhi presented himself as a respectful younger brother, but his heart was filled with bitter jealousy.
Yinreng, standing in front of him, could clearly hear the thoughts swirling in Yinsi's mind. Indeed, you are a talented person, but it is a pity that you have not put your brilliant mind to good use.
Compared to whether he could ascend to the throne, it was not so important. The crown prince, who had been taught since childhood, still cared deeply about the Qing Dynasty.
More importantly, the Qing Dynasty is still in power, which is good enough.
When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, none of them spoke, and they waited quietly for their father's summons.
At this moment, in the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi learned from his servants that they were all at the door, and coldly told them to come in.
He immediately spotted the two slightly disheveled wives of the seventh and eighth princes, and then thought about the baptism of the fifth prince's legitimate son today. Regardless of whether the officials went or not, the imperial relatives certainly did.
The thought of losing face in front of his relatives made even the proud Kangxi feel like he was suffocating.
The royal consorts actually fought in front of so many relatives, during the baptism of her sister-in-law's legitimate son?
"Your subject (daughter-in-law) greets Father Emperor." The group bowed together, but no one called them to stand up. For a moment, several of them were filled with apprehension.
The Seventh Prince's wife and the Eighth Prince's wife, in particular, were filled with regret. They wished they hadn't acted so impulsively and had just been more patient.
"They've really grown up, daring to fight in front of the imperial relatives and ministers?" Kangxi snorted coldly. What sins had they committed that made his wife, who had no sons, so uneasy?
The eldest son's wife gave birth to four princesses in a row, but the eldest son still insisted on having a legitimate son. Emperor Kangxi worried about this son for a long time.
The Crown Princess... The Crown Princess is alright. Despite the Crown Prince's health, she was able to give birth to four legitimate sons for him and manage the Yuqing Palace and the harem very well.
Kangxi later had his doubts about whether the news that the Crown Prince was unwell was true, after all, Guarjia had mentioned that he had two sons born out of wedlock in his previous life... As a result, after taking his pulse, several imperial physicians said that he was really not going to make it (thankfully, Yinreng had the ability to read minds and was prepared in advance).
Previously, the old lady had been retaliated against by the concubines for plotting against the sons of concubines in the household. Now, in addition to the legitimate son, there are two sons of concubines and several young princesses in the old household.
Don't even mention the fourth prince's wife; she's a vicious woman.
The Fifth Prince's wife... used to always have a face full of resentment and bitterness, as if he owed her something. She was always unpleasant to look at, causing unrest in the Fifth Prince's household. Now things are a bit better, and she has even given birth to a legitimate son.
The seventh prince's wife is alright, nothing much has happened in the inner quarters yet, but now... she lacks the demeanor and style of a royal consort. When she fights with her sister-in-law, she doesn't even know to close the door first...
The wife of the Eighth Prince was even worse. The Eighth Prince had no children in his harem, yet this jealous woman was so disrespectful to her sister-in-law!
The ninth and tenth brothers were so unreliable that I felt a little guilty about it...
"Please calm down, Father Emperor..." Upon hearing Kangxi's slightly sarcastic tone, the others immediately knelt down and begged their father for forgiveness.
"Calm down? How can you expect me to calm down? Huh? Royal consorts, fighting in front of all the ministers and relatives? Where is the dignity of the royal family?" He slammed his fist on the table in anger and continued to berate them.
Then she turned her gaze to the Eighth Prince and his wife, "Guo Luoluo, especially you, you are arrogant and domineering outside, and mistreat your concubines at home. You are so jealous, you are unworthy of being a royal wife. Do you know your crime?"
Even though Emperor Kangxi knew that the Eighth Prince would become the "Eighth Prince of Virtue" and could easily mobilize most of his ministers to pressure him to appoint a crown prince, he still had a little bit of affection for the Eighth Prince.
When the Eighth Prince passed away, he only had one son and one daughter, both of whom were born out of wedlock. It must have been the fault of the Eighth Prince's wife.
No matter how rebellious his sons were, Emperor Kangxi hoped that they would have many descendants and continue the family line. How could he possibly want his sons to have their lineage cut off?
Upon hearing Kangxi's words, the Eighth Prince's wife's face immediately turned pale and filled with fear. She knelt there, trembling with fear, "Your Majesty, Father, your daughter-in-law did not."
How could the Eighth Prince's wife not know that her father was dissatisfied with her, or even extremely dissatisfied?
"No? If not, why hasn't a child appeared? Not even the good news of a pregnancy. Besides, wasn't it you who provoked us? I know the Seventh Prince's wife's character; she's definitely not the kind of person who stirs up trouble."
Kangxi's angry rebuke brought relief and comfort to the seventh prince's wife, but also filled the eighth prince's wife with grief and indignation. If the seventh prince's wife wasn't the one, then was she?
The Eighth Prince knelt beside him, but remained silent, seemingly feeling extremely guilty about the situation before him, as if he dared not and was unworthy to speak.
"Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and Fifth Prince, please rise." Kangxi looked around, glanced at the people kneeling on the ground, and said in a cold, deep voice.
"Thank you, Father Emperor." No one wanted to kneel if they could stand. Crown Prince Yinreng, Crown Princess Jialuo, and Prince Heng, Yinqi, stood up gratefully and moved to the side.
Only the Seventh Prince's wife, the Eighth Prince's wife, and the Eighth Prince were kneeling on the ground.
After scolding the Eighth Prince's wife, she looked at the Eighth Prince Yinzhi and felt that the Eighth Prince was really too weak in dealing with his wife.
"Eighth Prince, you are my son, the offspring of the Aisin Gioro clan. How can I entrust you with the affairs of the court if you are so weak and incompetent?" He can clearly keep so many court officials in check, yet he can't even handle a woman in the inner quarters.
In Kangxi's view, it wasn't that he couldn't handle it, but that he had fallen in love with it.
Let's not repeat the mistakes of the late Emperor and Emperor Taizong, who disregarded the Qing Dynasty for a woman and still had the nerve to ask so many officials to support him as the crown prince.
If the Qing Dynasty were handed over to him, it would be ruined!
The reprimanding tone, mixed with disappointment, left Yinzhi feeling desolate and filled with fear. Did his father... think he had done something wrong?
Is he weak and incompetent?
Yinzhi never imagined that he was seen as such in his father's eyes. Then, wouldn't his ambitions be even more impossible to realize?
Yes, yes, how could the throne be handed over to a weak and incompetent man?
A chill settled in his heart. Did this mean that he would only ever be in this position for the rest of his life, and would never be given an important position by his father?
Yinreng glanced at Yinsi, not expecting that Yinsi was thinking about his own ambitions at this moment? That's right, Yinsi had such ambitions a long time ago.
It's good that he can understand. He's weak and incompetent... Why did Father Emperor suddenly bring up the Eighth Prince like that?
Aside from his treatment of his wife, Yinreng felt that Yinsi was quite good in all aspects. For example, he was quite capable when collecting debts from the national treasury.
However, at this moment, Yinreng did not speak up to help his father in his rage.
His crown princess had to kneel for so long and was scolded by her father (Kangxi: Did I scold your crown princess? I scolded all of you!).
Anyway, it's just a few scoldings from Father Emperor. I've been by Father Emperor's side for so long since I was a child, haven't I been scolded enough? It's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh.
Yinzhi did not have the same good mindset as Yinreng. He had not spent much time with Kangxi to begin with, and he felt a mixture of respect, fear, and admiration for his imperial father. Now, the official seal of "weak and incompetent" was stamped on him, as if negating everything he had ever achieved.
How could he accept that?
When the Eighth Prince's wife heard her father speak of Yinzhi in such a way, she felt even more dissatisfied. What right did her father have to say such things about Yinzhi? Didn't her father see how hard-working and capable her son was?
And... what does Father Emperor mean by saying that?
Suddenly, a sense of unease crept into the Eighth Prince's wife's heart, but at that moment, she had no idea what was going to happen.
Kangxi ignored the Eighth Prince's wife and looked at the Seventh Prince's wife. "Seventh Prince's wife, no matter what, you must always remember that you are a royal consort. You should never do things like fighting in public again."
Kangxi knew that it was the Eighth Prince's wife who had a sharp tongue, and that she had slapped the Seventh Prince's wife, who was her sister-in-law, for such a rebellious act.
As the daughter of a disgraced official, it was already an immense blessing for her to become a royal consort, yet she was so ungrateful.
However, seeing how badly they had fought, Kangxi did not order them to be punished with caning. Instead, he confined them to their quarters for a year and deducted their annual salary.
Step down.
As for the fifth prince... he was given some rewards as a form of appeasement. At the same time, because his eldest son had been wronged, Kangxi also bestowed a name upon the eldest son of the fifth prince's wife, and recorded him in the imperial register.
He also warned the fifth prince not to follow Longkodo's example, favoring his concubine over his wife, "Do you understand? I will absolutely not allow it!"
Faced with his father's reprimand and instruction, could Yinqi possibly refuse? "I will obey your teachings, Father."
Kangxi didn't want to pay attention to the fifth prince, but he only had a few older princes left. "By the way, where is the fourth prince?"
"Reporting to Father Emperor, the Fourth Prince's residence has informed us that the young prince is ill, and he rushed back to see him." Yinreng did not believe that the Fourth Prince had anything to do with it; the imperial offspring were more important.
"Hmm." Kangxi knew that the fourth prince had taken his two sons to the front yard to raise them himself, which could be considered a sign of a loving father.
Then he kicked them out, including the Crown Prince, telling them not to get in his way. Now, Kangxi felt dizzy just looking at his sons.
The Seventh Prince's wife and the Eighth Prince's wife, who were being punished, did not look too good. At the beginning of the beating, they were still angry and thought, "Why are you hitting me? I can't let you get the short end of the stick."
Now that he knew how frightened he was, he left the palace without saying a word and went back to his residence.
The seventh prince's wife didn't think there was anything wrong with being confined to her quarters. She didn't have to attend palace banquets, could eat and drink well in the mansion, and no one dared to give her a hard time.
The Eighth Prince's wife was different; she was a person who loved to show off, and she went out to build relationships with the Eighth Prince.
However, looking at Yinzhi's unpleasant expression, the Eighth Prince's wife didn't know how to coax him.
It's understandable that she felt bad after being scolded by her father, but she also felt that her father was right.
"Yin Si, don't be too upset. In my heart, you are a pillar of strength." The Eighth Prince's wife wanted to go with him, but Yin Si was not in the mood to talk to her about this.
"My lady, I want to be alone for a while." Yinzhi's expression was indifferent, lacking his former gentleness, and his tone was somewhat cold.
The Eighth Prince's wife was a spoiled person. Ever since she married Yinzhi, she acted arrogantly and domineeringly in Yinzhi's princely residence and beile residence. Yinzhi always had to lower himself to coax her.
Now……
The Eighth Prince's wife was also displeased by his expression and tone. What was he doing? I was trying to coax you, and you still acted like this?
"Then you can have some peace and quiet." The Eighth Prince's wife declared, "I'm not serving you anymore, hmph."
Yinzhi showed no change in expression at the Eighth Prince's wife's outburst of temper. He walked unsteadily towards the front yard and returned to his study.
Weak and incompetent...
How could Yinzhi accept that his father, the Emperor, viewed him this way? Yet, he didn't want to be labeled with this image by his father for the rest of his life.
In any case, the former subordinates of Prince An, Yue Le, under the Princess Consort's control have been mostly won over by her.
besides……
The Emperor values the issue of offspring very much. He and his wife have been married for many years, and unlike his fifth and seventh wives, he always stays in the main courtyard whenever his wife is not menstruating.
So why did the princess still not get pregnant?
Like the eldest brother, although he wanted to have a legitimate son, at least his sister-in-law had been pregnant one child after another.
Not to mention the Crown Princess's second sister-in-law, she became pregnant just two months after marrying into Yuqing Palace and gave birth to a son.
Having spent the entire afternoon in the study, as night fell, the young eunuch beside Yinzhi, worried about his well-being, gently knocked on the door and softly reminded him with a concerned tone, "Your Highness, it's time for dinner..."
"Serve the meal." At this moment, Yinzhi was unsure how to face his wife.
Yinzhi was well aware of his own political abilities, and he did not believe that he was inferior to the other princes.
Now, because of his wife, Yinzhi actually likes the bright and flamboyant nature of the Eighth Prince's wife, but he also hates her bad temper. She throws tantrums at the drop of a hat and he has to humbly coax her.
Who is he? The Emperor's eighth son, a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan, the Eighth Prince.
Who was Guo Luoluo? The daughter of the disgraced official Ming Shang…
After thinking about it all afternoon, Yinzhi finally understood why his father looked down on him so much. If he had a son like that in the future, and he was still in his position, would he be willing to hand over the throne to such a son?
impossible.
He didn't believe that a man who was controlled by women even in his own backyard could have much ability.
That evening, in the main courtyard of the Eighth Prince's residence, the Eighth Prince's wife, Lady Guoluo, sat in her boudoir. As darkness fell, she kept glancing at the entrance, but no one appeared.
Somewhat disappointed, he asked the person beside him, "Master, didn't he come?"
"Reporting to Madam, the master has already ordered the meal in the front courtyard. I suppose he won't be coming tonight. Madam, please have your meal first..." The nanny beside her advised. She had also heard about what happened today, and the master must be somewhat annoyed.
"Madam, the master is probably upset because he felt he lost face today. You should try to appease him again tomorrow..."
Unfortunately, the Eighth Prince's wife did not heed the nanny's advice. "Why should I try to appease him? I've suffered so much today, why can't he come and comfort me?"
As she spoke, she touched her face, which was covered in bruises from the beating, even though she had already applied medicine to it.
Didn't Yinzhi see it? He must have seen it, so why didn't he come and comfort him?
He felt wronged, and so did he.
"Granny, serve the meal." Not wanting to listen to the nanny anymore, the Eighth Prince's wife called out in a dissatisfied tone. She only served the meal, but looking at the colorful and fragrant food in front of her, the Eighth Prince's wife had no appetite. She ate a few bites hastily and then asked the meal to be taken away.
The old woman was very worried about the princess's condition and wanted to say a few more words of advice, but the princess found her annoying.
What could the nanny do? She couldn't very well risk being disliked by the Princess Consort by offering advice, could she? She might just collapse even faster than the Princess Consort herself!
The Eighth Prince's wife lay in bed, thinking that if Yinzhi didn't come to coax her this time, she would never talk to him again, hmph!
the next day.
The Emperor bestowed a marriage upon Yinzhi, knowing that the Eighth Prince's wife was using her status to make things difficult for the concubines and even force-feeding them contraceptive soup. So he directly bestowed two concubines of high status upon Yinzhi.
One was from the Hesheli family, and the other from the Fucha family; both were members of the Crown Prince's faction.
At this time, he was in his prime and favored the Crown Prince. The Hesheli clan, as the Crown Prince's maternal clan, and the Fucha clan, as the Crown Princess's maternal family, could not possibly support Yinzhi.
Yinzhi was aware of this as well, and he never dared to dream that he could win over Hesheli and the Fucha family. It would have been a waste of effort and would have only exposed his ambition.
She was not the legitimate daughter of the main family, but a princess from a collateral branch, and a rather feisty princess even when she was still in the mansion. Note: feisty, not dashing and bright.
The power of the bondservant banners has been diminished time and again after being purged by Emperor Kangxi so many times.
Kangxi also looked down on him. Since Yinzhi could be manipulated by the daughter of a disgraced official, he should stay at home and raise children properly. At least he shouldn't be forty years old and still only have one sickly son. If he dies young, wouldn't the family line end?
When Yinzhi received the imperial edict, he was still somewhat dazed. His father had never cared about him so much before. Although his status and family background were high, it did not bring him any benefit.
Yinzhi had already made up his mind that he would take over the power held by his wife before taking a concubine. Many wealthy merchants wanted to climb up to the royal family but were not qualified.
The positions of princess and concubine in their own residence are still empty.
They could have amassed a large sum of money from it, but now… “Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness.”
Meanwhile, the Eighth Prince's wife, who was still having breakfast, was quite relaxed and had no idea what had happened. She thought, "So be it, I'll just stay home and keep Yinzhi company."
Then, a servant rushed over to report, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has bestowed a marriage upon the master!"
"What?" The Eighth Prince's wife, who was still holding a teacup, stood up in shock upon hearing this, dropping the cup and spilling it all over the floor.
The Eighth Prince's wife had no time to care about that now. "What marriage is the Emperor bestowing upon my master? I am still here!"
"No, Madam, His Majesty bestowed two concubines upon the master, one is a princess from the Hesheli family, and the other is a princess from the Fucha family..."
The servant was also anxious. These two princesses from powerful families, and even concubines, were a formidable force.
Despite being a prince, he was entitled to only one secondary consort. Only when one's rank was that of a prince could one be granted two secondary consorts.
But at this moment, the emperor didn't care about that.
"What? No, this princess must go and see." The Eighth Princess slammed her fist on the table with such force that her fist turned red.
Her mind was entirely focused on the Emperor's bestowal of marriage, and she hurried outside. How could the Emperor bestow marriage, and even two concubines?
How could this be! It's the Hesheli family and the Fucha family! Your Majesty, isn't Your Majesty worried that Yinzhi might use them to win over... Oh, right, one is the Crown Prince's maternal family, and the other is the Crown Princess's maternal family. How could they possibly be won over?
But what about myself?
The Eighth Prince's wife wasn't unaware of her status, but all her inferiority complex was hidden beneath her arrogant face. Dare to talk about her status? She'd better take a slap first.
It was precisely because of the Eighth Prince's wife's behavior that those who knew her identity dared not speak directly to her.
As long as she's happy, what does it matter if people talk behind her back? If it doesn't reach my ears, I'll pretend no one said it. But if it does reach my ears? I'll make trouble for you next time.
But now...
What she could think of, Yinzhi could also think of.
At first, he wondered if his father was giving him a warning, why he had bestowed two concubines upon him. Then he thought, as a prince, how could he have two concubines? Did his father intend to make him a duke?
Yes, definitely.
All of my older brothers have gone to sea, and the only ones I can rely on are my fourth and fifth brothers, so I'm the only one left.
The fourth and fifth princes are both princes of the second rank, so why can't I be one? And when my father scolded me yesterday, it was definitely a reminder and warning, trying to get me to change this bad habit.
A weak and incompetent man who is not controlled by women is the only one who has the potential to sit in that position, since the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics.
When Yinzhi was scolded, he was indeed somewhat desperate, but he had a strong mental fortitude. Just like in history, when he was scolded by Kangxi as "the son of a lowly woman from the Imperial Household Department" and "a wicked woman who has become wicked," he was not defeated. He rallied and continued to try again. He was even able to cause Yongzheng a lot of trouble after Yongzheng ascended the throne.
Unlike Yonghuang, the eldest son of Emperor Qianlong, who was scolded and slapped by his empress Fucha during a sacrificial ceremony and fell ill and died in depression within two years.
The ambitious Yinzhi was unlikely to be discouraged. Even when things didn't make sense, he could extract information that was beneficial to him through psychological reassurance, and thus forge ahead.
The Eighth Prince's wife had already arrived at the front courtyard. She was already holding back her anger because Yinzhi hadn't come to coax her, and now that the Emperor had bestowed a marriage upon her, how could she possibly be calm?
"Yin Si? What's going on? Why would Father Emperor suddenly bestow two concubines upon you?" The words came out in a questioning tone, venting all her dissatisfaction on Yin Si.
When the Eighth Prince's wife came over, Yinzhi was still feeling a little guilty and was thinking about how to tell her this when he heard Lady Guoluo directly questioning him.
Her guilty conscience turned into dissatisfaction, and her expression returned to calm indifference. "Princess Consort, this is the Emperor's decree. Have you forgotten what the Emperor said yesterday?"
Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince's wife, Lady Guoluo, became somewhat uncomfortable.
But she didn't want to let it go like that in front of Yinzhi. "Well, it can't be said to be my fault. It's all the fault of my fifth and seventh sisters-in-law. They were laughing at me behind my back..."
"Hmm." Yinzhi didn't know the situation, but he knew his wife's temperament. Maybe she was the one who started it... cough, "Let bygones be bygones. From now on, don't treat the two secondary wives like you would your concubines, understand?"
Yinzhi did not want his family to be in turmoil, nor did he want the label of 'weak and incompetent' to remain on his forehead. He wanted his father, the Emperor, to see his changes and progress.
"Yin Si, how could you... you haven't even married into the family yet, and you've already started to favor them?" This was the only conclusion the Eighth Prince's wife could draw from Yin Si's words.
What do you mean by not treating the two secondary consorts like concubines? How did I treat the concubines? Aren't secondary consorts also concubines?
The relationship between the wife and the concubines is like that of the east wind and the west wind; it's either one of you dominating the other, so how can things possibly be peaceful?
Among the imperial relatives and ministers, how many wives were overshadowed by concubines? Even the fifth and seventh wives were not as well off as a concubine in the inner quarters. Was she destined to live such a life?
"Do you have any conscience? I gave you all the tokens from Guo Luoma's old subordinates." Speaking of this, the Eighth Prince's wife felt that she had sacrificed so much for him, yet Yinzhi treated her like this?
It would have been better if the Eighth Prince's wife hadn't brought it up, because the moment she did, Yinzhi felt that she was looking down on him and that his past behavior was that of someone who lived off a woman...
"Does the Princess Consort think that a mere token is enough to command those arrogant old subordinates?" Yinzhi said coldly. When he took the token, not a single one listened to him.
In the end, wouldn't he still have to go to great lengths to subdue them one by one? The token given by the Princess Consort was just an ornament.
"Isn't that so?" The Eighth Princess Consort hadn't paid any attention to those old subordinates for a long time, and being in her position, she naturally felt that as long as she revealed her identity and took out her token, none of those lackeys would dare to disobey her.
Yinzhi felt that there was nothing to talk about with his wife. She was a woman with limited perspective and no knowledge. He had been swayed by his wife's words before, no wonder his father thought he was weak and incompetent.
"If there's nothing else, Madam, please leave. I have many things to attend to." He coldly dismissed her, but how could the spoiled Eighth Madam possibly leave?
Moreover, at this critical juncture, she believes that the Eighth Prince no longer loves her, has changed his mind, and has turned his back on her after taking her token.
If he dared to fight with the Seventh Prince's wife, he would naturally dare to tear apart the Eighth Prince.
then……
Forced to take leave from court, Yinzhi was confined to his residence to recover from his injuries; he truly deserved to die.
If word gets out, how will he save face?
Guo Luoluo really deserves a good talking-to.
They immediately ordered Guo Luoluo to be confined to her quarters for a month so she could reflect on her actions.
The two concubines who were betrothed were rather shrewish and not very obedient. They had their own opinions, and their marriages... truly required the Emperor's arrangement, as other suitors were not suitable.
When she learned that she had been betrothed to the Eighth Prince as a secondary consort, everyone around her, including her family, was overjoyed.
Be patient for a while and get pregnant first. Otherwise, it will be difficult to have a child later when you fall out of favor.
As for the Eighth Prince's wife, they've all heard of her. At most, she can only use her status as a prince's wife to bully people. Don't be afraid, child. If they dare to bully you, then fight back. We're not afraid of the Guo Luo Luo family. Anyway, the Prince An's Mansion doesn't care about the Eighth Prince's wife anymore.
The princess nodded in agreement. She would get pregnant first, and then reveal her true nature after giving birth to a son. At that time, no one would care about them, and they could do whatever they wanted.
If the princess dares to waste time, she should rely on her maternal family; her influence will not falter.
Whether you, the Eighth Prince, are ambitious or not, you are still a collateral branch and have no right to control the family. The family will never abandon the Crown Prince for the sake of the Eighth Prince, do you understand?
We need to tell our daughter this first, lest she be fooled by the Eighth Prince and cause a family feud. If she does, don't blame us for not warning her; we won't be responsible for her.
“Look at Eighth Prince’s wife. I heard that Yue Le gave her all the favors she was given to Eighth Prince. It’s clear that Eighth Prince knows how to charm women. You mustn’t do something so foolish.” Stroking her daughter’s head, she wondered what the people above were thinking.
All I want is for my own children to have a better life. Being clear-headed is much more comfortable than being hopelessly in love with the Eighth Prince.
The fact that the Eighth Prince was trying to win over Yue Le's old subordinates was not something that went unnoticed by the people in the court.
One was a deceased prince, and the other was a prince of the current dynasty. Neither of them was willing to offend the Eighth Prince for the sake of a deceased person.
Besides, since no one from Prince An's mansion has taken any action, what does it have to do with me?
"Understood, Mother." She nodded obediently. She wasn't stupid. No matter how much she liked the Eighth Prince, she couldn't hand over her livelihood to someone else, could she? Wouldn't that be like a tiger with its teeth pulled out?
Both Hesheli and Fucha families had intelligent people who naturally knew how to educate their children, especially the princesses who were about to get married.
After Emperor Kangxi bestowed the marriage upon them, he didn't care what they did. He had many important national affairs to attend to, and the training of an heir was also urgent and needed to be kept a close eye on.
Previously, the focus was on the Crown Prince; now, it's on Hongyao.
Even on this southern tour, he wanted to bring Hongyao along so that he could see what the people's suffering was like. He didn't want the person who would take over the Qing Dynasty in the future to be a monarch who thought, "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"
Upon hearing that his father was going on a southern tour, Yinreng was the first to come over and request that his son be taken along.
However, Emperor Kangxi did not allow it. Now that several princes had gone to sea, leaving behind the Crown Prince, the fourth prince, the fifth prince, and the eighth prince, who were older, what if something happened to them? They would take Hongyao with them, and the Crown Prince would also go with them. Wouldn't that mean everyone would be caught in the crossfire?
The Yuqing Palace lineage was destroyed. He didn't believe that ambitious people like the fourth and eighth princes would willingly let a four-year-old baby ascend the throne.
The Empress Dowager was not the Grand Empress Dowager and would not wholeheartedly support the Yuqing Palace lineage's ascension to the throne. Even the Hesheli clan and the Fucha clan could not withstand the coercion from the imperial relatives and other ministers.
"Baocheng, as the Crown Prince, you must stay and oversee the capital. Do not cause trouble." Kangxi said sternly. This was not the time for the Crown Prince to cause trouble. What kind of place was Jiangnan? It was a place with a large Han population.
No one knew whether the Heaven and Earth Society and the White Lotus Society were hiding among them. The prince he had painstakingly trained still hoped to ascend the throne and lead the Qing Dynasty to the future.
The fourth prince, Yinzhen, was a meticulous and upright man who was strict with others. He was also suspicious and liked to do things himself. If the fourth prince were to ascend the throne, he would probably be able to guess what would happen.
Yinreng was firmly rejected, but he didn't foolishly try to sneak off and go with them.
Besides, the eldest son and the others have gone to sea, leaving behind a lot of government affairs that need to be broken down and assigned to other officials. Now, the Emperor is entrusting me with more and more government affairs.
Yinreng suspected that his father, the Emperor, simply liked to slack off.
He's just a tool now, working hard and diligently, but in the future he'll still have to step down and hand over the reins to someone else.
then……
After Emperor Kangxi set off on his southern tour, Yinreng immediately summoned his fourth son, Yinzhen. Yinreng's strict nature was well-suited to handling trivial matters, making it less likely for Yinzhen to make mistakes.
Meanwhile, on his way to the south, Emperor Kangxi took Hongyao to his carriage, where he taught Hongyao while occasionally asking him about Baocheng.
Although Hongyao doesn't live in Yuqing Palace often, he's very close to a chubby little boy, who often stays by his mother's side. Sometimes, his father and mother don't even consider their presence when they talk, and that's how the news got to Hongyao.
During the conversation, it was inadvertently revealed that Yinreng felt it was too much for his eldest son to run away without him and that he felt cooped up in the capital and wanted to go out for a walk, which made Kangxi somewhat depressed.
Little did they know, this was something Hongyao had deliberately revealed.
Hongyao, after studying history, would know that being the crown prince was not easy, and very few crown princes could actually ascend to the throne.
It was either other princes vying for power or the aging emperor being wary of him. He didn't want his father to become such a deposed crown prince, because none of them had a good ending.
His father is so good. If his grandfather really had such thoughts, his father would be better off going out to sea to see a wider world, just like his uncles.
Uncle Nine said that there are still many places, like the backward ancient times, and he is willing to fight alongside Father to conquer all directions and establish a country that belongs to Father.
Unfortunately, Hongyao could not tell anyone about his filial piety. He never even mentioned it to Yinreng and Jialuo, but only made a vow in his heart.
There's no need to tell anyone; just remember it yourself, and that's enough.
Kangxi was naturally unaware of Hongyao's ulterior motives. His heart skipped a beat, realizing that it was indeed the Ninth and Tenth Princes who had set a good example.
Now they've not only taken away the eldest brother and the others, but they've also stolen the crown prince's heart?
“Is it really that good to be overseas? The ocean is vast, and who knows how many dangers there are.” Kangxi coaxed his little grandson, “Our Hongyao must know that a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, and he cannot risk his life because of some provocation.”
Don't follow your uncles' example; they are not good examples. Staying in the Emperor's safe zone is the best course of action.
"Also, you should remind your father regularly that not just anyone is qualified to oversee the country; only the crown prince can do so. In the future, he will have to take over the Qing Dynasty. If he doesn't start learning how to manage it now, he'll be in a complete mess later..."
Your father is doing all this for your own good, for your own good. But your father is never satisfied; you need to persuade him more.
Trying to run away?
No way!
(End of this chapter)
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