Chapter Seventy-Six
Emperor Kangxi was naturally furious at what the Crown Prince said, but after his anger subsided, he reflected on it for a while.
Indeed, why can the Western barbarians do it, but they can't?
Having been in power for many years, the Qing Dynasty considered itself to have inherited the glory of the Ming Dynasty and naturally believed itself to be the superior nation, richer and more powerful than people from all other countries.
However, according to the results of Songgotu's investigation, the Qing Dynasty had no one who could manufacture Western clocks and other similar items.
For Emperor Kangxi, the combination of opium and cannons was yet another devastating blow.
When it comes to diplomacy, Emperor Kangxi always believed that no country could compare to the Great Qing Dynasty.
No matter what the circumstances, they can't possibly be stronger than our Great Qing Dynasty.
But now... the important thing is, I remember Yinreng once told him, "If Westerners can cross the ocean to come to our Great Qing, then why can't we? Are we inferior to them?"
fart!
How could we possibly fail? Have we forgotten Zheng He's voyages to the West?
Yinreng: Father Emperor, now it is our Great Qing Dynasty. What does the glory of the previous dynasty have to do with us?
Emperor Kangxi was even angrier, mainly because it was his crown prince who raised the issue. If this matter wasn't resolved, things would definitely get worse in the future.
It leaves the crown prince with the impression that the Qing Dynasty is inferior to other countries. Who knows what the crown prince will do after he takes the throne? How despicable.
Inside the tent, the Emperor's furious outburst left the other princes looking at each other in bewilderment.
Father Emperor... what's wrong?
"He was angered by Galdan?" That shouldn't be the case. The Emperor is not the type to have such poor self-control. He has personally led three campaigns. If he were really angry over something trivial, he would have died of anger long ago.
Fortunately, he didn't say the last part aloud; otherwise, Emperor Kangxi would have been driven to his death by such a filial son.
"Perhaps he was angered by the Crown Prince?" Yinti raised this objection immediately. Although the relationship between Yinti and Yinreng had improved a lot because of the 'secret formula for having a child', their years of confrontation and his words reflected his long-standing habits.
“Brother, how could the Crown Prince, who is overseeing the country in the capital, possibly anger Father Emperor to this extent?” Yinzhen thought his eldest son was talking nonsense. The Crown Prince was upright and honest, and was the heir apparent whom Father Emperor had personally raised. How could he possibly do something inappropriate?
"Who says the Crown Prince can't make mistakes?" Yinti was a stubborn and proud man. To this extent, in front of so many of his younger brothers, would he admit his mistake? Impossible! He stubbornly retorted, his neck stiff.
Anyway, if I say it's the Crown Prince's fault, then it's the Crown Prince's fault.
With that, he turned and left, determined not to give anyone a chance to laugh at him.
However, to Yinti's surprise, as soon as he left, the other princes heard their father scolding the crown prince from inside, and he even mentioned the name Yinreng.
visible……
So, was the Emperor really angered by the Crown Prince?
So, Your Highness, what inappropriate thing did you do that angered Father Emperor so much?
Immediately afterwards, Kangxi summoned all the generals, determined to eliminate Galdan and his entire force this time.
Then, he would return to the capital to teach the Crown Prince a lesson.
No one else dared to ask Kangxi what was wrong. Anyway... since the Emperor doted on the Crown Prince so much, if they interrupted, it would only make the Emperor take his anger out on them. Who knew if they would be all lovey-dovey again once they returned to the capital?
Yinreng didn't know what Kangxi, who was far away on the battlefield, was thinking, but he had already sent the letter.
Soon, it will be our little darling Hongyao's fifth birthday.
Emperor Kangxi and the other princes were not present, so his uncles, from the Ninth Prince to the Sixteenth Prince, were summoned. Hmm... the Ninth Prince was originally only going to summon the Fourteenth Prince, as he wasn't very familiar with the other two.
But Yinreng felt that since they had already been summoned, leaving only two people behind would seem like deliberately isolating the other party, so he sent someone to invite them all over.
The birth mother of the Fifteenth Prince and the Sixteenth Prince, Consort Wang, was a genuine Han woman who knew that her sons would certainly have no chance of ascending the throne.
In addition, the Crown Prince's position as heir apparent seems particularly secure, and being able to cultivate a good relationship with the next emperor will benefit the future development of his own children.
To put it bluntly, the emperor might not even live to see his child grow up before he dies. As for titles and such... wouldn't they all depend on the next emperor?
They sent the person over without the slightest reluctance. The Fifteenth Prince and the Sixteenth Prince had gotten along quite well with Hongyao when they were vaccinated against smallpox.
Unlike the fifteenth and sixteenth princes who were left in the palace, they were somewhat introverted. However, the favored Hongyao was arrogant and flamboyant. With a wave of his hand, he acted like a little captain, as if saying, "You all play with me."
Under Yinti's influence, his eldest daughter, Buerhe, and second daughter, Erlinzhu, also became tomboyish and easygoing, and they had a lot of fun with the royal family members.
Sure enough, as soon as the Fifteenth Prince and the Sixteenth Prince arrived, they were like birds entering the forest, calling out, "Hongyao, Hongyao, Uncle Fifteen is here."
"Sixteen, Uncle Sixteen is here too." Although he was younger than Hongyao, he didn't lose out at all when calling out his name. He blushed shyly and held a wooden box in his hands, which was a gift that his mother had prepared for Hongyao.
"Uncle Fourteen is here too." Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen glared at Fifteenth Prince and Sixteenth Prince. He was Hongyao's favorite uncle, but he had just been busy lately and hadn't visited Hongyao in a long, long time.
"Tch, Fourteenth Prince, you? Of course, it's me and Ninth Prince who are Hongyao's favorite uncles." While glaring at the Fifteenth Prince and the Sixteenth Prince, Fourteenth Prince accidentally blurted out that sentence. Upon hearing it, the Tenth Prince immediately laughed and raised his voice.
"Right? Ninth Brother?" Fourteenth Brother, who rarely sets foot in Yuqing Palace, actually thinks he's Hongyao's favorite uncle? Bah! Shameless.
“That’s right, Hongyao, tell me, aren’t Ninth Uncle and Tenth Uncle the ones who visit you the most often? Aren’t you the ones who like Ninth Uncle and Tenth Uncle the most? Every time we come, we bring you a lot of gifts. Are they really that diligent in visiting you? Not at all.” Ninth Prince turned to look at Hongyao. How could they not be diligent? They come to deliver dividends once a month.
Since they had come and brought money, the Crown Prince naturally invited them to dine out of brotherly affection. Hongyao would come over most of the time, unless he went to the Qianqing Palace.
“That’s right, that’s correct…” Hongyao naturally understood what Yintang and Yin’e meant, and nodded hesitantly. Just as he was about to add something, he was lifted up by the Tenth Prince Yin’e.
"Hongyao, you are also the nephew that your tenth uncle likes the most!" How could the tenth prince, Yin'e, not be happy? Apart from his mother, he was not the one that anyone else liked the most.
Ninth Brother's best brother is, of course, him.
But others...
The Emperor's favorite son is the Crown Prince, while the Empress Dowager's favorite son is the Fifth Prince...
The others were even more so, but he never expected that he held such a high position in Hongyao's heart. Waaah, I am Hongyao's favorite uncle.
Although he is only one of them, it doesn't matter, since he is on par with Ninth Brother anyway.
Hongyao was lifted up, and as he was airborne, he swung his little feet and cried out, "Ouch, Uncle Ten, put me down!"
You may be touched, but please don't get too excited, okay?
Also, the question I just answered was "Is he/she the most frequent visitor?" not "Is he/she the most favorite?"
"Tenth Brother, you've frightened Hongyao." The Thirteenth Prince quickly went over and grabbed the Tenth Prince Yin'e's clothes, telling him not to be so loud.
"Yes, yes, come here, Hongyao, this is your birthday gift. You've grown another year older, you're a big boy now."
"This belongs to Uncle Jiu."
"Hongyao, this is for you from Erlinzhu and me..."
One by one, they stuffed their gifts into Hongyao's arms, their faces beaming with joy. Not far away were three small cradles with babies who were just over six months old and couldn't speak yet, only able to make sounds like "da da da" to express themselves.
“Hongyang looks just like my second brother.” Neither the mother of the twelfth prince nor I was favored, so we had no chance to come to Yuqing Palace.
I only saw the three young princes at their one-month celebration.
Hongyang resembles the Crown Prince and Hongyao, Hongxuan looks more like the Crown Princess, and Hongtun resembles the Emperor. They are all quite different, but it must be said that just because Hongtun looks like the Emperor, this child's future will definitely be smooth.
Who would dare to make things difficult for them?
This is disrespectful to the Emperor.
"Hongtun, come here, let your tenth uncle hug you." It's normal to pinch his little cheek occasionally while hugging him, right? It's like he's teasing his father, so happy.
Of course, I couldn't show these thoughts; I could only express that I liked Hongtun very much, as it was my way of showing respect to my father, the Emperor.
The Ninth Prince and Yin'e have been brothers for so long, don't they understand?
So he went over there too.
The other younger brothers surrounded Hongyang, occasionally glancing up to say a few words to Hongyao. Hongxuan, who resembled the Crown Princess, was surrounded by Erlinzhu and Buerhe, with the Crown Princess also nearby.
"Second Aunt, you're amazing." Bu'erhe sat down next to the Crown Princess. She was the eldest of the children in this generation and knew about how her mother and father had always wanted to have a legitimate son, but ultimately failed.
Father and Mother had only given birth to the four sisters over the years, but... the Crown Princess gave birth to four legitimate sons.
At her age, to be honest, she's almost old enough to get married.
For a woman, being a good wife and mother is the most basic thing, but the prerequisite for raising a son is to have a son.
Everyone says that the Crown Princess has a secret formula for getting pregnant easily.
"Hmm? I think our Buerhe is amazing too. He's good-looking, lively and cheerful, healthy and filial..." As the leader of the Praise Club, how could Jialuo not know how to praise people?
"Tap tap..." The little one in the cradle saw his mother chatting with others and ignoring him, so he swung his little feet, trying hard to attract Jialuo's attention.
"What's wrong with Hongxuan? This is your older sister, Buerhe." Jialuo picked up little Hongxuan and greeted Buerhe.
Looking at the delicate and adorable girl who resembled the Crown Princess, Bu Erhe smiled gently. "Hongxuan."
As she spoke, she raised her head and looked at Jialuo, "Second Aunt, may I...can I hug Hongxuan?"
So cute.
Is this the legitimate son that Father and Mother have longed for but could never have? The younger brother is indeed quite charming.
Suddenly, I seem to understand my father and mother.
"Hongyao, Hongyao, can I hug Hongyang?" Twelve, Thirteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, and several others surrounded Hongyang and turned to ask Hongyao.
At this moment, the Fourteenth Prince had already squeezed in with the Ninth and Tenth Princes, accompanying 'Little Emperor' Hongtun as he bullied them.
Yinreng, who was standing nearby, watched this scene without saying a word.
Ha, if Father Emperor finds out how much resentment you all hold towards him, he will definitely give you a loving lesson.
Hongyao glanced at Thirteen's forearm. Hmm... it's not small anymore. He's already started learning to ride a horse, shoot arrows, and fight buks. He nodded reluctantly, "Okay, but you need to hold on tight."
The Fifteenth Prince and the Sixteenth Prince also gathered around Hongyao, saying, "Hongyao, Hongyao, I want to hug my little nephew too."
I'm an uncle, you know!
Hongyao looked at his two uncles with some difficulty. "You two are so thin and weak. What if you fall and hurt your little brother?"
But those pleading eyes were a little heart-melting, and Hongyao couldn't bear it. He opened his arms and said, "If you can lift me up, I'll let you hold me."
The Fifteenth Prince was a little embarrassed. "No, Hongyao, I meant to hug Hongyang, not you."
Don't you know how chubby and fat you are?
"You can't even lift me, how can you lift Hongyang? What if he falls and hurts his little brother?" He raised his brothers with his own hands and feet, they are all his precious treasures, okay?
The Fifteenth Prince was in a dilemma and looked at the Thirteenth Prince, but the Thirteenth Prince was obviously several years older than him and could carry Hongyao.
A few seconds later, in order to show off, he stepped forward, with an expression of facing certain death, and was about to lift Hongyao up.
With all her might, she lifted chubby Hongyao with her little arms, then put him down in a couple of seconds, panting, "Now, can I... hold my little nephew?"
Yinreng: It's clear that this younger brother is a stubborn and strong-willed person.
Hongyao nodded reluctantly, "You'd better hold on tight, this is my precious little brother."
Then, Hongyao told them how he was a master at taking care of his younger brother, and everyone else exclaimed "Wow!"
"Hongyao, you are such a good older brother."
"Hongyao, you've worked hard. If Hongyang and the others don't respect you in the future, your tenth uncle will beat them up for you."
“That’s right, especially Hongtun. He should be spanked if he doesn’t listen to our brother Hongyao.”
In the past, they were always the ones who got punished; they dared not do anything to the Emperor, but...
"Ahem." Beside them, Yinreng looked at them with a cold gaze, and the fake cough sent a chill down the spines of the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince.
Huh? What happened?
Is Father Emperor talking about me behind my back?
Then, they saw the Crown Prince's cold, noble, and arrogant face, his eyes seemingly filled with murderous intent as he looked at them.
Did I... I didn't do anything, did I? Did I accidentally blurt out my thoughts?
The Yuqing Palace was bustling with activity that day.
Originally, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince wanted to take Hongyao, who was celebrating his birthday, out of the palace for a trip, but looking at so many children, well... let's just forget about it.
Emperor Kangxi returned victorious in August.
The first thing he did after returning to the capital was to summon the Crown Prince... and Suo'etu.
When Songgotu learned that the Emperor had summoned him, he was overjoyed, as if he could fly. He was excited and thrilled. The Emperor had finally summoned him!
Ahh ...
Sure enough, sure enough, His Highness the Crown Prince's arrangements for me must be correct. Doesn't that mean I can return to the court?
At that time, he changed into his best new clothes, tidied his hair and beard, and stepped out of the gate of the Hesheli Palace with great spirit.
When Suo'etu saw the Qianqing Palace again, he was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them with the back of his hand, shook his energetic body, and said, "Today, I am much better than that old bastard Mingzhu."
If it weren't for the prohibition, Songgotu would have liked to bring his two cannons directly into the palace.
This was my proof, but in the end, I thought that the emperor might think I was going to storm the palace, and the emperor hadn't allowed me to bring cannons into the palace, so I decided to give up.
Kangxi was unaware that his order had excited his former minister so much that he wanted to send him cannons.
Fortunately, Songgotu did not send him away; otherwise, he would have ended up in prison instead of the palace.
"Your servant greets Your Majesty! Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!" The excited Soetu had not seen the Emperor for years... no, it was years since he had performed such a courtly ceremony, he was almost ready to kowtow every three steps.
Kangxi naturally noticed the excitement expressed in Suo'etu's words and expression. He looked at this former minister with a subtle expression. If a young and beautiful woman had looked at him with such an expression, Kangxi might have felt a little pity for her.
But... that wrinkled face, like an old orange, said, "Rise."
His tone was calm and even. In Kangxi's view, it was normal for him, as the emperor, and Suo'etu, as a servant, to be so excited about his summons, especially since Suo'etu had always wanted to return to the court.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Soetu felt that his hope of returning to the court had come, so in the conspiracy against the Westerners, he exaggerated their vicious intentions and huge ambitions, as well as... fierce war.
In fact, the Western cannons of that era were not particularly powerful; his two cannons were already quite capable.
However, Suo'etu did not believe it. If it were so ordinary, how could the emperor still rely on him if he figured it out?
I have many other uses, Your Majesty, look at me, look at me.
Hearing Suo'etu's thoughts, Yinreng did not remind his father that paying attention to the West was the right thing to do now, and that closing the country off would only make it fall further behind and fail to keep up with the development of others.
Under Soetu's persuasive words, Kangxi began to take it seriously. He had only heard of the two cannons but had never seen them.
Get up immediately and show me around.
When Consort Yi learned that the Emperor had returned, she quickly asked the Imperial Observatory to select an auspicious date for the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince's wedding.
The Imperial Observatory didn't refuse either. Since they figured if they didn't choose now, the Emperor would have to ask them anyway after he finished his busy period, they simply selected two or three auspicious days for the Emperor and Consort Yi to choose from.
Consort Yi got her hands on it as soon as possible, the faster the better, she'll be the first one! Mid-October, and the Tenth Prince will get it in December.
Then, after Kangxi returned to the palace, he immediately sent someone to invite the emperor to Yikun Palace.
Emperor Kangxi had just returned from inspecting the two cannons. He was aware of Songgotu's capabilities. If the Westerners were truly this powerful, then what about those missionaries like Ferdinand Verbiest...?
"Father, does our Qing Dynasty not have such cannons? Is it because we are inferior to others?" Yinreng didn't know how to give his father any face and asked directly, without showing any displeasure.
Yinreng: Anyway, I'll be deposed sooner or later. I'll be deposed whether I act like a grandson or act recklessly...
"Father, if others can build these cannons, they must have at least a few skilled technicians. Does our Great Qing not have a single person who knows how to build cannons?"
Another painful blow struck Kangxi's heart, so much so that he couldn't even speak.
What... what do you mean by "nothing"?
"Father, you wouldn't be suggesting that it's Lord Ferdinand and his group, would you? They claim to be missionaries? What does that mean? It means someone who spreads and transmits their religious beliefs. But they are originally from their own country, loyal and fervent followers of Catholicism. How could they possibly be genuinely good to our Great Qing?"
"It's like peepholes and clocks. I don't think they really know nothing, but have they said a single word? No, they only provide convenience for their Westerners. Father, you can't possibly not understand these things, can you?"
"Oh, right, Father Emperor, I remember there used to be someone who could make cannons, what was his name again? And you exiled him? A traitor to the Westerners? It seems that it was Lord Ferdinand and his men who reported him..."
Suddenly, Yinreng remembered this matter. At that time, he had not yet entered the court and had only heard about it, but he had not taken it to heart.
But now that I think about it, the look in his eyes when he looked at Kangxi was full of surprise and doubt, as if he was wondering how his wise and powerful father could have become so foolish.
Of course, the phrase "wise and powerful" was added by Kangxi himself after he understood the look in Yinreng's eyes.
In short, after Yinreng pointed this out, Kangxi's expression turned ugly. "I was just being wary of those Han people. If weapons as powerful as cannons fall into their hands, the Qing Dynasty will be in danger."
How could he not know that many of the Han people below him were secretly plotting to overthrow him, the emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty?
Hearing Kangxi's troubles, Yinreng was silent for a few seconds. "Father, the common people don't really care who is the emperor. As long as they can be fed and clothed and live a good life."
Yinreng did not come to this realization on his own; he gleaned it not only from the Crown Princess's sentiments but also from the sentiments of the officials, servants, maids, and nannies.
In fact, he had never actually been to the very bottom of society.
Emperor Kangxi patted Yinreng on the shoulder with great satisfaction, "I am very pleased that you can understand this."
Yes, people at the bottom of society are just that simple and cruel; they'll follow whoever can lead them to a better life.
No matter who you are.
The Yuan Dynasty was driven out of the Central Plains in less than a century, not only because it classified Han Chinese and Southern Chinese as the lowest class, but also because the status of Semu people was higher than that of Han Chinese.
The so-called "Semu people" refer to the former Western Xia and Uyghur people, etc.; "Han people" refers to the Han, Khitan, and Jurchen people, etc., in the former Jin-ruled areas; "Southern people" refers to the Han and other ethnic groups in the former Southern Song-ruled areas. (Source: Sogou Data)
When a large ethnic group cannot live a good life, and even selling their children cannot provide enough food, then that country is truly doomed.
“Father, you shouldn’t only target the Han people. The Western barbarians are eyeing us covetously. What if we defeat the former Ming Dynasty but lose to the Western barbarians? The Western barbarians once bowed down to the former Ming Dynasty. Our Great Qing will not be so bad.”
The young and ambitious Prince Yinreng could not bear to see the Qing Dynasty lose. Since others were on the path of progress, we should progress together and even take the lead.
That's why young monarchs should lead the country to new heights of vitality; they dare to take risks and fight for success.
Emperor Kangxi, seeking victory through stability, did not reprimand Yinreng for his impoliteness. Although his words were unpleasant to hear, Kangxi still listened to them.
The fact that Emperor Kangxi, still in his prime, dared to personally lead an expedition and go to the battlefield shows that his ambition as a monarch to dominate a region had not yet faded away.
To make him admit that the Qing Dynasty was inferior to the Western barbarians? Impossible.
After returning to the palace, he pondered the matter with great concern. The maritime ban policy did not begin with him; it had already existed during the reign of the previous emperor.
When he heard his subordinates report that Consort Yi wanted him to go to Yikun Palace, he was already annoyed and waved his hand dismissively.
Consort Yi was quite annoyed that Kangxi had refused her arrival. She wanted to see which little slut had stolen her thunder.
However, the Emperor did not go anywhere else; he stayed in the Qianqing Palace and even summoned several important officials.
After that... she didn't know what happened, she only knew that there were important matters in the court.
Alright, alright, Consort Yi looked at the auspicious date and time she had on hand and suddenly remembered something important... Consort De seemed to have passed away not long ago!
Damn it!
That damned woman, why did she have to die so early or so late?
The Imperial Observatory is only responsible for choosing the date; when you hold the ceremony is your business. Whether it conforms to etiquette or not? Isn't there the Ministry of Rites for that?
When Consort Yi was being chosen, she didn't discuss it with anyone else; she just wanted to find Emperor Kangxi as soon as possible. Only now has she remembered this important issue.
Forget it, it doesn't matter whether the marriage happens or not. Let's just urge the fifth son to marry his wife... Forget about that.
Sigh, my son is a burden.
None of them made her feel comfortable.
Guo Luoluo, from the moment she entered the palace, was favored by the emperor. In the grand harem, she was granted the title of concubine despite having no children or family background, which is enough to prove the extent of her favor.
She gave birth to a son and was favored by the emperor for more than a decade, living a life of smooth sailing.
Among the concubines Huiyi and Derong, only Consort Hui, who gave birth to the eldest son of the emperor, could be above her. Oh... the women of the Tong family don't count.
Who knew that the eldest son doted on his concubine, whose wife was a complainer, and the ninth son was always thinking about business and had no ambition whatsoever.
When Emperor Kangxi summoned his ministers, it was naturally to discuss matters concerning the Western Seas. The maritime ban had been in effect for many years, and it couldn't be opened up simply by wishing to; policies had to be formulated.
If the policies once used to resist Japanese pirates are liberalized, how should we handle the prevention of Japanese pirates?
He first discussed the matter with his senior officials, and then brought it up in court.
However, contrary to Kangxi's expectations, most of his officials disagreed with lifting the maritime ban.
Firstly, there are precedents from the past, and we cannot go against the policies established by our ancestors.
Secondly, the Japanese pirates were fierce...
They went on and on, basically saying that they disagreed, and some officials even submitted memorials to advise against it, suggesting that whoever proposed the matter must be suspected of jeopardizing the stability of the country.
When Emperor Kangxi heard this, his face turned dark. Who would want to endanger the country?
At this moment, standing at the front of the court were several of Kangxi's sons, from the eldest to the tenth.
As Yinreng listened to the rebuttals of these officials, he realized that despite their outwardly righteous demeanor, they all harbored their own ulterior motives.
Before the lifting of the maritime ban, those merchants naturally conducted maritime trade secretly, and more importantly... they didn't have to pay taxes.
Some colluded with Japanese pirates, and the salt and iron trade was extremely profitable.
As for why these officials knew this, it's because they were the protectors!
Yinreng's expression remained aloof and dignified, but as soon as the court session ended, he went to find Suo'etu.
Send Songgotu to investigate those officials and the wealthy merchants they colluded with. Confiscate their property first. The Yellow River is flooding, and Father Emperor has spent a lot of money from the national treasury on war.
Soetu had originally planned to board this ship and re-enter the court after the lifting of the sea ban, but now someone was trying to block his way?
How could this be?!
Immediately, he became full of fighting spirit, "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will definitely investigate them thoroughly."
Damn it, how dare you block my way?
Seeing that Suo'etu looked fierce and was about to cause trouble, Yinreng wore a gentle and refined smile, "I knew it. It would be most appropriate to leave it to you, Uncle."
After receiving a carrot, Suo'etu seemed to lose his mind, his wrinkled, orange-like face beaming like a chrysanthemum. "Your Highness, rest assured, when has this servant ever failed to handle your orders properly?"
The hanging carrot was so delicious, how could Suo'etu not do his best?
Kangxi knew that Yinreng had gone to see Suo'etu and even knew what they had discussed. However, was it collusion with wealthy merchants? Did Yinreng know something, or was he simply looking for trouble?
After court, Ninth Prince Yin Tang immediately went to see Emperor Kangxi and said, “Father, Westerners can come to our Great Qing, but we can’t go to their world. Your son wants to build big ships to tell everyone that our Great Qing is no worse than theirs.”
Kangxi looked at his infuriating son. When Suo'etu reported the cannon matter to the Crown Prince, both Yinzhen and Yin'e were there and heard what the Crown Prince said. They must have been led astray.
Who, who said that our Great Qing Dynasty is inferior to the people of the Western barbarians?
Nonsense!
However, Kangxi was somewhat tempted by Yinzhen's suggestion. If they could come over, why couldn't they go over?
Just as Bao Cheng said, Nan Huairen and his group were not to be trusted, and Dai Zi had already been secretly brought back by him.
"The national treasury has no money, but you have money, so make it yourselves." Although Kangxi also wanted to make it, the reality did not allow it. The money from confiscating property had been used to fight wars.
Fortunately, Galdan was captured.
Otherwise, we would really suffer a huge loss.
That region in the northern desert has been stable for... decades, hasn't it?
But now there's another enemy, not just one, but a whole bunch, and we still don't know where they'll come from.
Historically, after Emperor Kangxi quelled the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories, pacified Galdan, and [unclear], he believed that his tasks were complete and that the great purge would bring peace.
He began to enjoy himself, and in his later years, he felt that as an emperor, he should be lenient with his subordinates. He forgave officials for corruption and bribery, and the national treasury even began to run out of money.
The money was only recovered after Yinzhen urged the collection of debts owed to the national treasury, which led to Yinzhen becoming a lone official.
Only he dared to offend all the ministers during the succession struggle at that time, and perhaps this is why he gained Kangxi's trust and eventually sat on that throne.
Now……
Emperor Kangxi knew that the national treasury was in such a state because of foreign debts... but as the emperor, he couldn't bring himself to urge his ministers to repay the money.
Now, Yinzhen wants to use the national treasury to build large ships? No money!
"How could that be? Father Emperor, what about the national treasury's tax revenue?" He remembered that the Minister of Revenue had submitted annual tax revenue reports to his father, the kind that had been compiled. Yinzhen had heard of it before; anyway, it was a lot, a lot.
"The taxes from the national treasury are used for the people of the Qing Dynasty, for disaster relief and rescue. Is that money for you to use for this?" Kangxi thought what Yinzhen said was really harsh. National treasury taxes? That was the money that ran the entire Qing Dynasty.
Yin Tang didn't believe it. When his father forbade it, he stormed out of the palace and went to the Ministry of Revenue.
He wants to see the ledgers.
No money? How could that be?
When Yinzhen went to find his father, Yin'e waited for him outside. As soon as he saw Yinzhen come out of the Qianqing Palace in a huff, he ran over with great concern, "Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother, what's wrong?"
The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, has something to do today; his wife had already made an appointment with him.
He's not here right now.
"Let's go to the Ministry of Revenue. I want to see who stole the money I used to build the ship." The Ministry of Revenue has so much tax revenue, how could it be short of money? It's just a few tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands... that's all. We can always squeeze some out.
"What? Someone actually dared to steal your money, Ninth Brother?" Yin'e immediately rolled up his sleeves in anger, ready to fight Ninth Brother. Damn it, don't they know that our backer is Father Emperor?
They're really tired of living.
After court, the Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, went to the Ministry of Revenue to work. He was quite surprised to see the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince arrive.
But his face remained impassive, his expressionless face still cold and indifferent. "Why are you all here?"
"Fourth Brother, we'd like to take a look at the Ministry of Revenue's accounts. We just asked Father Emperor to build a large ship for the Western Ocean, and he said our national treasury is empty? Only half the year has passed, how can we be out of money?"
No, if we consider the autumn harvest season each year, it should have just passed recently.
It doesn't matter when you start counting; in short, how could the national treasury be out of money?
After listening to the Ninth Prince's words, Yinzhen remained silent for two seconds, then turned around and went to get the account book.
Yinzhen and Yin'e immediately gathered around, opened the book, and saw page after page of records of ministers borrowing money from the national treasury.
"Why do we only see people borrowing money but never paying it back?" Yin'e caught the key point and immediately shouted.
Yinzhen remained very calm.
Yinzhen slammed his fist on the table in anger. "What?! This is outrageous! Look at this! One hundred thousand taels! What? They dare to lend two hundred thousand taels? What have the Tong family been eating?"
"Fourth Brother, how could you lend them money so easily?" I was furious. This was all money I needed to build a big ship. If just a few of them paid it back, I'd have enough to build the ship.
"These are the account books I borrowed before I took office. There's another stack over there." Pointing to a corner, the Emperor explained that in order to treat his subjects well, he had specially allowed them to borrow money from the national treasury to make ends meet, so that they would have the support and assistance of the state and the court when they were poor.
However, the Emperor's preferential treatment became a bargaining chip for their extravagant spending.
Yinzhen was furious. "Fourth Brother, I need to borrow money too! I need to borrow one million taels!"
If they won't give me funding, I'll borrow money. And once I borrow... I don't have to pay it back anyway.
"Yes, Fourth Brother, I want to borrow too. I'll borrow one million taels, or five hundred thousand taels... or even two hundred thousand taels." Seeing his Fourth Brother's face getting worse and worse, Yin'e started to back down.
It has to be said that after going to the battlefield, Fourth Brother became increasingly ruthless when he had a cold face...
He's become more imposing, especially when he's glaring at people.
Yin'e's cowardly appearance earned him a slap on the back of the head from Yin'tang. "Fourth Brother, when can the funds be allocated? I need them right away."
I can't wait to build a big ship.
"No." Yinzhen coldly refused.
"What? Fourth Brother, how could you do this? It's too cruel. You lend money to others, but not to me." Yin Tang was unhappy and about to lose his temper.
Yinzhen's face was cold, showing great indifference towards this younger brother he disliked, and he spoke in a businesslike manner, "The reason for borrowing the money, the amount, and when it will be repaid, write down the note, and after the investigation and approval, it can be given to you."
Yinzhen said that he made this rule after he joined the company, and it was not targeting him, but everyone.
Yinzhen frowned, and suddenly, he thought of another way.
He grabbed the account book, pulled Yin'e along, and ran outside. His excited manner made Yinzhen frown slightly, but he didn't have anyone stop him. That account book...
If Lao Jiu loses it, it will all be blamed on him.
She mentally calculated that from Consort Yi to the Guo Luoluo clan, they would surely be willing to take on this responsibility for the Ninth Prince, so that the national treasury could be even fuller.
At this time, reports of the Yellow River flooding were received, and Yinreng was applying to go to the disaster relief site.
He has never left the capital on official business, while everyone else has. As the crown prince of a country, if he doesn't even care about the common people at the bottom of society and doesn't even know what they want, how can he shoulder the important responsibility of the Qing Dynasty in the future?
A huge responsibility has been placed on him. If such a heavy burden is not entrusted to the crown prince, how can he grow up?
Then, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince came running over. Seeing them excitedly carrying account books, Kangxi thought that they had found a place with money that they could divert to build large ships for them.
He gave the order directly: "We have no money. The money is going to disaster relief. You all go with His Highness the Crown Prince to provide disaster relief!"
Then, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince reported that a large number of imperial relatives and officials had borrowed money from the national treasury and had not repaid it, amounting to at least tens of millions of taels.
"Father, these are simply parasites draining the national treasury."
"That's right, Father Emperor, are we still your sons or not? Look at them, they can live a life of extravagance and debauchery. When they're short of money, they just borrow from the national treasury. They either go to brothels or buy crickets. And what about us? We have to get up at dawn every day and study at night!"
"Father, your son is wronged. I want to build a big ship but I don't have the money. They can lend me millions or hundreds of thousands."
The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were both shameless people, especially the Tenth Prince, who was crying loudly and uncontrollably.
Kangxi felt like he was going deaf from listening to this, and he really wanted to beat up the tenth prince.
But the implication in his words made Kangxi's face darken. "Liang Jiugong, bring the account books here."
Before Liang Jiugong could react, the Tenth Prince had already rushed to Kangxi with the account book in hand, wiped away his tears, and opened the account book. "Father, look, the Tong family borrowed 200,000 taels here, and the Hesheli family here..."
“Father, this is just one of the account books. Fourth Brother said there’s another stack of account books, about this tall.” Yin’e gestured with his hand to indicate the height. “Father, our national treasury is empty because it’s been stolen!”
"That's right, tens of millions of taels, which is equivalent to the Qing Dynasty's annual tax revenue!"
Amidst the back-and-forth between the Ninth Prince Yin Tang and the Tenth Prince Yin E, Kangxi looked at the account book, and with the Crown Prince adding insult to injury by saying things like, "Father Emperor said he had no money for disaster relief, but now he has money to squander on others," it was no wonder he was furious.
He slammed his fist on the table, summoned Yinzhen, and ordered him to bring all the account books of loans made by the imperial relatives and ministers.
Yinreng stood there smiling, appearing as if he were a decorative vase.
But then he remembered what the Guarjia clan had said years ago: "The national treasury is collecting debts..." So that's what they meant?
When Prince Yong (Yinzhen) was collecting debts, he offended all the ministers and became a legitimate lone minister, loyal only to his father, the Emperor.
Indeed, this was the right move.
All the princes were eyeing the throne under their father's backside, forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. How could the emperor not trust the fourth prince?
He didn't plan to participate, but he heard that the Eighth Prince was eloquent and could befriend most of the ministers to become the Eighth Wise Prince. Would it be more effective to collect debts together?
Looking at the Ninth and Tenth Princes, Yinreng had already made up his mind to take them with him to the disaster relief effort.
perhaps……
Seeing the plight of the disaster victims, the ninth and tenth brothers, with their kind hearts, decided to offer one-tenth of their money to the victims.
At this moment, Yinzhen and Yin'e felt a chill run down their spines again, as if... someone was plotting against them again?
Who is it?
Yinreng continued to smile without saying a word, "It's me, you two little fools."
(End of this chapter)
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