Chapter 75 Consort Hui Deposes the Crown Prince
Emperor Kangxi had a very regular schedule. He advocated going to bed early to maintain health. Although he was currently on tour, his good routine had already made him feel a little sleepy.
Setting down the memorial in his hand, Kangxi rubbed his temples: "Liang Jiugong."
"Your servant is here."
"Turn off the lights."
Only a soft, non-glaring candlelight remained inside the imperial tent.
Because of the guards blocking the entrance to the imperial tent, Bao Qing and the Crown Prince somehow managed to get behind the tent. Bao Qing lowered his voice and asked, "Do you think Father Emperor is asleep yet?"
People of this age sleep less, and Baoqing thought that the Emperor probably hadn't slept, but he wasn't entirely sure.
He held out his hand: "Give me your dagger."
The crown prince felt their current behavior was inappropriate, but still handed the dagger to Baoqing.
Crackling sound.
The dagger cut through iron like mud; in just a few seconds, Baoqing had cut a small, square hole in the imperial tent.
He pressed his face against the royal tent, peering inside with one eye.
Oh, Eunuch Liang is still standing. Father Emperor must not be asleep.
Just as Bao Qing had thought, Kangxi was getting old and it wasn't so easy for him to fall asleep. Most importantly, he heard faint noises outside the tent.
Emperor Kangxi listened intently for a while.
It wasn't the sound of armor clashing as guards patrolled; it sounded more like people talking quietly outside, only their voices were low and hard to hear clearly.
Kangxi became suspicious again and sat up abruptly.
A group of guards carrying torches passed by the Crown Prince and Baoqing and noticed an unusual light coming from somewhere inside the tent. Kangxi stopped Liang Jiugong from asking any questions and personally put on soft-soled shoes and walked over.
Baoqing was calling to the Crown Prince: "Come and see if Father Emperor has settled down for the night."
Just as the prince was imitating Bao Qing by pressing his right eye against the slit cut made by the dagger, he was met with a pair of unfathomable eyes.
Father Emperor!
The prince's breathing stopped abruptly.
Kangxi's expressionless face was just a foot away, and the Crown Prince felt as if he had seen a ghost—or rather, seeing a ghost wasn't as terrifying.
Cold sweat broke out on his back. Seeing that the Crown Prince was neither moving nor speaking, Bao Qing gently nudged him: "Is Father Emperor asleep or not?"
Although he lowered his voice, Kangxi remembered Baoqing's voice even in his dreams.
The prince's throat was a little hoarse. He immediately put away the dagger and pulled Bao Qing, who staggered to the entrance of the camp.
Whoosh!
The two had just stood at the door when the thick curtain of the imperial tent was suddenly ripped open from the inside.
Kangxi stood with his back turned, exuding an immense sense of oppression: "Spying on the imperial tent at night?"
Liang Jiugong followed behind Kangxi, his eyes filled with confusion, wondering why the emperor had suddenly strode to the door.
When Kangxi asked the question, Liang Jiugong, seeing the honest-looking Prince Zhi and the somewhat pale-faced Crown Prince, quite tactfully dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs on night watch in the tent and sent them to the doorway, while he continued to stand guard behind Kangxi.
Bao Qing and the Crown Prince entered the tent and knelt down skillfully.
If the Emperor had been furious, it would have been better, but instead, he simply stared at them silently…
Both of them felt uneasy.
Kangxi's composure was frightening: "What do you two want to do?"
For some reason, looking into his father’s calm eyes, the words the Crown Prince had prepared stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.
Baoqing, however, hadn't realized anything and explained, "Father, I just want to see if you are sleeping peacefully."
Kangxi, his expression unreadable, asked in return, "You just want to see if I'm sleeping soundly?"
He gazed at his two sons, who were in the prime of their lives, and gradually became lost in thought.
What was he doing in his thirties? He defeated the Three Feudatories, won a great victory over Galdan, and was in high spirits with his court officials bowing down to him. The whole world was in his hands.
He is radical and unafraid of any challenge.
But what about now?
Emperor Kangxi had to admit a fact he had repeatedly tried to avoid—he was old, reaching the age of fifty.
But power is such a tempting thing. In his youth, he went to great lengths to regain power, even using the position of empress as a bargaining chip.
He was unwilling to relinquish power.
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It is unknown what the group discussed that night, but Kangxi issued an imperial edict as soon as they returned to the capital.
The deposed Crown Prince Yinreng was demoted to Prince Li. The eldest son, Yinti, was enfeoffed as Prince Zhi; the third son, Yinzhi, as Prince Cheng; the fourth son, Yinzhen, as Prince Yong; the fifth son, Yinqi, as Prince Heng; the seventh son, Yinyou, as Prince Jun; the eighth son, Yinsi, as Prince Jun; the tenth son, Yindun, as Prince Jun; the ninth son, Yintang; the twelfth son, Yintao; the thirteenth son, Yinxiang; and the fourteenth son, Yinti, were all enfeoffed as Beile.
The imperial edict sent shockwaves through the court and the public.
They had no objection to the subsequent appointment of princes, but the Emperor hadn't consulted them beforehand about such a major matter as deposing the Crown Prince!
Emperor Kangxi did not give his court officials time to react, and immediately issued another decree—the court officials should discuss the succession.
In short, he wanted to choose a successor from among his princes and asked his ministers to recommend candidates.
After being stripped of his title, Mingzhu became depressed. The doctor diagnosed him with the end of his life. However, upon hearing the news of the Crown Prince's dethronement, the dying man's hope was rekindled—to establish the eldest son as heir!
He can do it again!
-
The affairs of the previous dynasty inevitably affected the inner palace. Yunyun felt that the world outside was changing too fast, and she couldn't quite understand it.
The crown prince has been deposed?
Oh, this seems to have been expected.
Bao Qing was granted the title of Prince?
This is a joyous occasion.
Surprisingly, the most popular candidates among the court officials for the heir apparent were Bao Qing and Xiao Ba.
Although Mingzhu was now a blank slate, even a broken ship has three thousand nails. Under Mingzhu's influence, many ministers submitted memorials recommending Prince Zhi.
If Bao Qing's legacy is the greatest meritorious contributor, then the Eighth Prince's success is entirely due to his personal charisma. The high-ranking officials of the court, led by Tong Guowei, Ma Qi, Aling'a, Orondai, Kui Xu, and Wang Hongxu, jointly recommended Prince Lian, which even surprised the Eighth Prince himself.
The two princes most likely to become the crown prince were Consort Hui's biological son and her adopted son, making Yanxi Palace an extremely popular hotspot.
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