Chapter 45 Yinzhi felt something was amiss…
Yinzhi sensed something was amiss and keenly realized that his father's visit today might be aimed at their Xianfu Palace.
However, there are no clues yet, so he could only answer the questions in a proper manner, neither outstanding nor mediocre.
Kangxi nodded repeatedly and said to the ministers beside him, "My Eighth Prince Yinzhi has been intelligent since childhood. He can learn anything very quickly. Apart from the Crown Prince, he is my favorite. Moreover, he is respectful and humble, and can serve as a model for all the princes."
As soon as Kangxi finished speaking, Yinzhi felt the First Prince's displeased gaze fall upon him.
Yinzhi ignored him. His elder brother had a temper like a firecracker, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. Yet, he was obedient only to the literal meaning of words, and he couldn't even understand his father's obvious ulterior motives.
The ministers who came today are all shrewd and capable of sitting in this position. Judging from Kangxi's tone, they knew that the main character they had sent to see today was the Eighth Prince.
Although they still couldn't figure out what the Emperor wanted to do, since the Emperor had already elevated the Eighth Prince to such a high level, they could only offer a few words of praise.
"Father, you flatter me. My brothers' learning and character are all superior to mine."
Yinzhi had no choice but to try to salvage the situation.
Kangxi didn't reply, so he called Yinzhen up again.
"Yinzhen, you speak. You and Yinsi were raised together under Consort Xuan's care since childhood. How do you view your eighth brother?"
What could Yinzhen think? Kangxi had already set the tone, and he couldn't refute it. He could only say, "As Father Emperor said, Eighth Brother is intelligent and has a very high talent."
"Since the Imperial Noble Consort's health deteriorated, Yinzhen has made great progress under the care of Noble Consort Xuan, which shows how well Noble Consort Xuan has taken care of you."
Kangxi's main approach today was to offer empty praise, praising everything Yinzhen and Yinsi said.
Moreover, because Tong Guowei was present, he claimed that the reason Yinzhen was taken away from the Imperial Noble Consort was because the Imperial Noble Consort was unwell and had no time to take care of him.
Emperor Kangxi gave special instructions to the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince, and repeatedly mentioned Consort Xuan, leaving these shrewd ministers somewhat confused.
What does the Emperor mean by this? Does he intend to bestow honors upon Consort Xuan and elevate the status of her three sons?
Although the Imperial Noble Consort was seriously ill, she was still alive. According to the family rules of the ancestors, there could only be one Imperial Noble Consort, so the next one above her could only be the Empress.
After careful consideration, the group realized that Consort Xuan's family background was perfectly qualified.
Born into the Khorchin Mongols, and from the most distinguished branch among them, Consort Xuan's grandmother was Princess Heshuo, the adopted daughter of Emperor Taizong. Consort Dao of Emperor Shizu was Consort Xuan's aunt, and her elder brother married Princess Gulun Duanmin. She had very close kinship ties with the Aisin Gioro clan.
Her family background is impeccable. Although she has no children of her own, she is raising three princes. Today, apart from the youngest prince, the thirteenth prince, the emperor is praising the fourth and eighth princes to the skies, and keeps emphasizing that this is all thanks to Consort Xuan's good upbringing.
If you think about it this way, it seems that the Emperor intends to make Consort Xuan Empress.
Soetu and the others rarely saw the princes, as they had not yet entered the court. Today, even among a group of princes with dragon-like bearing and phoenix-like appearance, the fourth prince and the eighth prince stood out. The fourth prince was clearly a very upright person. They had long heard of his stubborn nature, but now, upon seeing him again, he was also upright in appearance, dignified, and composed.
Needless to say, the Eighth Prince was humble and had an outstanding demeanor. Although he didn't say much, his interactions with the Emperor were always appropriate, showing the bearing of a prince.
Last year, the Eighth Prince was also successfully vaccinated against smallpox, and they are now grown up. These two outstanding princes are being raised under the care of Consort Xuan. If Consort Xuan is made Empress, they will have half the status of legitimate children.
Moreover, it is said that the Emperor also promised the Empress Dowager that he would change the imperial genealogy of one of the princes to the name of Consort Xuan, so that he would not only be a half-born son but a true legitimate son.
Suo'etu and Mingzhu exchanged a glance, both feeling a sense of foreboding.
If Consort Xuan were to be made Empress, it would not be good news for the Crown Prince and the First Prince.
Apart from a few ministers, the princes present, except for the Fifth Prince and the Tenth Prince who were naturally slow to react and didn't care about such things, also understood Kangxi's meaning.
Suddenly, the entire study was in turmoil, but Kangxi, who had stirred up the waters, said nothing more. He simply chuckled and left with his ministers, saying that it wouldn't disturb their continued lessons.
"Eighth Brother, what did Father mean by those words today..." After class at noon, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were allowed to leave school. Before leaving, the Ninth Prince secretly ran over to talk to Yinzhi.
Yinzhi was tidying up his writing materials when he saw him coming over. He just smiled and said, "Father Emperor was just in a good mood today and said it offhand. When you and your tenth brother grow up, Father Emperor will find that all of your younger brothers are more talented than me."
The Ninth Prince scratched his head and, seeing that Yinzhi was unwilling to say more, left first.
A short while later, Pearl came with a food box to deliver lunch to Yinzhen and Yinsi. Before leaving, Yinzhen said, "Sister Pearl, go back and tell Mother that this afternoon we should find some excuse to close the door to guests and not see anyone."
Although Pearl didn't know why, since the princes had grown up, Yinzhen and Yinsi had basically made the decisions in Xianfu Palace, so she directly agreed.
The sun rose in the west today, and the Crown Prince was actually having a meal with the First Prince. As usual, the Fifth Prince came over hoping to freeload. Knowing that the Fifth Prince would come to freeload, Wen Shan usually cooked enough for three people. However, today Yinzhen and Yinsi had something to talk about, so she separated the Fifth Prince's portion and let him eat it separately.
The Fifth Prince muttered that the two of them were stingy, then turned around and happily went to find the Seventh Prince to have a meal with.
Yinzhen glanced at the Crown Prince and the First Prince chatting happily in the distance, and said in a deep voice, "Did Father Emperor come here today to say these things in order to make enemies for Mother and us?"
This is blatant flattery that could be detrimental.
It was impossible for the Emperor to make his mother Empress. After Yinzhi and Yinxiang told him how the Emperor had single-handedly ensured the restoration of the Crown Prince after the entire court recommended his eighth brother as the new Crown Prince, Yinzhen understood that the Crown Prince was not only the son raised by the Emperor, but also the greatest political achievement of his life.
Even though the Crown Prince, who had already shown signs of incompetence and tyranny, had his father, the Emperor, brought up the absurd reason that the Empress Dowager had appeared to him in a dream and wanted to reinstate the Crown Prince, all to resist the opposition of the court officials. Not to mention the current Crown Prince, who is excellent in everything and has no faults.
Making the Empress Dowager a son would greatly threaten the Crown Prince's position. Unless the Emperor is insane, he would never do such a thing.
The problem is that while a few of them knew how much the Emperor favored and protected the Crown Prince, the ministers and the other princes probably didn't even know it themselves.
Judging from the expressions of Songgotu and the others today, they must also think that their father is going to make their mother empress. This is just a heads-up for them.
Yinzhi poked at the vegetables on his plate for a while, thinking.
"Father Emperor is trying to use the court and the harem to prevent our imperial genealogy from being changed to Mother's name."
Yinzhen understood immediately after Yinsi explained.
The Emperor's actions today are certainly unacceptable to both the court officials and the harem. They would not want the Emperor to give one of his sons to his mother according to the Empress Dowager's last wish.
It's one thing for the mother to become empress, but it's quite another to have an extra legitimate son.
"Moreover, the brilliance of Father Emperor's move lies in the fact that even if Mother is never made Empress, the court officials will not be willing to change the imperial genealogy. Today, it can be said that Father Emperor reminded everyone that there is still Consort Xuan in the harem who has a good family background, an adopted son, and has been in the palace for many years without making any mistakes. She is eligible to be made Empress."
The more Yinzhi thought about it, the angrier he became. His father was really undermining him. Since he was bound by filial piety and had no other choice, he should ask the court and the harem to help him figure out how to change the imperial genealogy to his mother's name.
As expected, Father Emperor is still the master of manipulating people's hearts.
Yinzhen rubbed his temples: "We are not yet fully developed and cannot contend with Father Emperor."
Yinzhi thought for a moment and said firmly, "No, brother, you must get your imperial genealogy changed to Mother's name. If we can't do it now while we have the chance to do it now, then it will be even more impossible in the future."
"Let's think of another way. Let's go back tonight and talk to the thirteenth brother and we brothers can come up with another idea."
Wenshan was also a little confused when she received the message that Pearl brought back.
"Did something happen in the Imperial Study today?" Wen Shan asked.
Pearl said, "This servant does not know, but today it seems that His Majesty took several officials, including Suo'etu, to the Imperial Study to visit the princes."
Although I don't know what happened, it's always right to listen to Yinzhen.
Wen Shan continued arranging the few pots of peonies that had just been delivered from the flower shop, then waved her hand and said, "Then let's listen to Yinzhen and say that I am not feeling well today and will not see anyone."
Before taking her afternoon nap, Wen Shan took a moment to ponder who might come looking for her: Consort Niohuru, Consort Rong, or Consort Hui?
Unexpectedly, when she woke up, she saw a long list of names that Pearl had sent over.
From Consort Niohuru to several Noble Ladies and Attendants, half of the people in the palace came, and they all came in groups.
Wenshan felt like a monkey in a zoo being lined up for people to observe.
"This servant said that Her Majesty was not feeling well and was resting, so the ladies all went back. However, some ladies brought a lot of gifts, and we could not refuse them, so we accepted them for the time being and left them in the palace."
When Yinzhen and Yinsi returned from the Imperial Study that evening, they saw a mountain of boxes piled up on the table in the main hall.
"Wow, Mother, I never expected someone to send you a gift. The ladies are so generous." Yinzhi stepped forward with his hands behind his back and casually flipped through the gifts.
"The ruby that Consort Rong gave me is so big! And this jade and pearl hairpin is quite nice; it should suit Mother's taste. It was given by Consort Dong..."
"Eighth Brother, stop flipping through it!" Yinxiang waited anxiously from the side. "Is it true that Father Emperor intends to make Mother Empress?"
The news reached Xianfu Palace that afternoon, startling Wen Shan and Yinxiang. However, they were unaware of the details and could only wait until Yinzhen and Yinsi returned to discuss it further.
Yinzhen had already taken his seat opposite Yinxiang, and Yinsi rubbed Yinxiang's head before lifting his robe and sitting down next to him.
Wenshan looked at them expectantly: "What exactly happened today?"
"Mother, don't worry," Yinzhen comforted her. "It's nothing serious, let Eighth Brother tell you."
When Yinzhi recounted what had happened in the Imperial Study that day, as well as his and Yinzhen's speculations, Wenshan immediately became agitated.
"Isn't this a big deal?" Wen Shan asked hurriedly, "Hasn't the Emperor started to be wary of the two of you?"
How could placing Yinzhen and Yinsi on opposite sides of the Crown Prince be a good thing?
“Mother, it’s not that serious. Father Emperor probably just doesn’t want to change the imperial genealogy of any of us. My fourth brother and I haven’t even entered the court yet, so how could we possibly shake the Crown Prince’s position?” Yinzhi said.
Father Emperor is simply using someone else's strength against them.
Yinxiang, resting his head on his hand, listened for a long time before suddenly blurting out, "Since Father Emperor doesn't want to change the imperial genealogy, does that mean he won't send me away?"
"You only know how to think of yourself." Yinzhi tapped Yinxiang's little head.
Yinxiang retorted, "At least this way we won't suffer a complete defeat."
There's still some good news, isn't there?
Unexpectedly, Yinzhen looked grave: "Since Father has started to take action against us, it may not be limited to this."
"I think it's more likely that they sent the thirteenth brother away."
Yinzhi nodded in agreement: "I think the same as Fourth Brother. Since Father wants to deal with Mother and the three of us brothers, he can't just stop the fire with a few words. He has to take the root of the problem. So I'm afraid he will bring up the matter of taking Thirteenth Brother away soon."
Ultimately, the problem stemmed from Wen Shan's powerful family background and the large number of princes she controlled. By leveraging the influence of so many people in the court and the harem, the matter of altering the imperial genealogy was temporarily put on hold. Once Kangxi had the time, he wanted to address the issue at its root.
Wenshan's background is untouchable, and the Khorchin have a long-standing and friendly relationship with the royal family, so the only thing that can be done is to target these children.
Like Yinzhen and the others, they thought that since Yinzhen and Yinsi were already grown up, the best thing to do was to find someone else to raise Yinxiang.
Yinxiang's expression immediately changed 180 degrees; before he could be happy for long, he was already looking miserable again.
Wenshan frowned and said, "Then, how about we return these things first?"
"Why return them when they've already been given?" Yinzhi said with a smile. "Your mother didn't even see them or say anything. The concubines all had their own suitable reasons for sending these things. Your mother can keep them to play with."
Wen Shan: "..."
This is the ultimate example of getting something for nothing!
Yinzhen also said, "Mother, please continue to pretend you don't know about this matter. If you really find it troublesome, you can stay in the palace for the next few days. I believe there will be a result soon."
Yinxiang raised his hand and jumped around in front of his two older brothers, saying, "What should I do, Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother? Think of something!"
Yinzhen pressed him down: "You just stay here and keep your mother company. These things are none of your business."
Yinzhi was telling Wenshan what to do if her father mentioned taking away the thirteenth prince. After all, Wenshan was a Noble Consort. Unless she made a serious mistake like the former Imperial Noble Consort, Kangxi would definitely mention it to her in person if he wanted to take away the prince raised by her.
Before the explanation was finished, Liang Jiugong arrived, saying that Emperor Kangxi would be coming to Xianfu Palace later.
Everything was predicted correctly.
With Emperor Kangxi's arrival, it was no longer appropriate for Yinzhen and Yinsi to stay there. The two of them went to Qianxi Wusuo together, saying that they had some matters to discuss.
Kangxi arrived not long after the two left.
After entering the hall, Kangxi casually roused himself and sat down on the couch, asking, "Where are Yinzhen and Yinsi? Why aren't they here?"
"It's getting late, and it's inconvenient for Yinzhen to stay in the inner palace, so he has already returned to the Qianxi Fifth Palace. Yinsi had some academic questions in the Imperial Study today, so he went with Yinzhen." Wenshan served tea to Kangxi.
Kangxi nodded.
Yinxiang was placed in a small bed. When he entered the room, he greeted Kangxi and Kangxi picked him up and put him in his lap.
Now, while teasing Yinxiang, he said, "I went to the Imperial Study today to see how they were studying. They are all doing well and have made great progress."
Yinzhen and Yinsi had told her that no matter how fierce the rumors spread outside, their father would not mention it in front of her. This was the father's cleverness; he left some of the meaning in his words for everyone to guess. No matter what was said, it wouldn't affect him. After all, today he had only praised his son for his good studies in the Imperial Study and also casually praised Wenshan for her good upbringing.
So since Kangxi won't mention Wenshan, we just need to pretend to be stupid.
Emperor Kangxi picked up Yinxiang and weighed him in his arms, saying, "When I hold Yinxiang, he feels heavier than Yinzhen and Yinsi were when they were young."
Wen Shan smiled ingratiatingly, thinking to herself that she didn't know that Yinzhen hadn't held Yinsi much even at his age.
"But Xiao Jiu was the fattest, and he's gotten a bit better now that he's older." Kangxi put Yinxiang down and casually picked up a grape to feed him.
Kangxi's sudden casual conversation left Wen Shan a little confused. What did he mean by this?
There's no hidden agenda in what I'm saying, is there?
But she couldn't just smile and remain silent, so she could only say, "The Ninth Prince was born stronger than other children, so he hasn't had any illnesses all these years."
Kangxi nodded: "That's true. Yin'e is always sick and aches every few days. No matter how hard Consort Niohuru tries, he is still born with some kind of deficiency. When the princess died recently, I saw that Consort Niohuru had lost a lot of weight. It must have been really hard for her to take care of Yin'e."
Wenshan: "All mothers are like this."
After a long period of idle chatter, Emperor Kangxi finally got to the point using this incident as a pretext.
"Consort Niohuru is heartbroken over the death of the princess. I see that you are also working hard on the funeral arrangements for the Empress Dowager, and you look quite haggard."
When Empress Dowager Wen Shan was mentioned, she became somewhat melancholy and said only, "The Empress Dowager has taken great care of me, and this is not enough to repay even a fraction of her kindness."
Wen Shan's grief and her sincere mourning these past few days were genuine, and Kangxi was also moved. He took her hand and said, "Now that the mourning period for the Empress Dowager is over, you can rest. If you feel tired, you might as well send Yinxiang to Consort Min first."
While it may be touching, it's a different story when it comes to politics.
Emperor Kangxi did not forget the primary purpose of his visit today, and took the opportunity to bring up the matter of raising Yinxiang.
Upon hearing this, Yinxiang's ears perked up immediately. He knew Kangxi very well. His father had always doted on him, especially after his mother's death, when he felt great pity for her. He often took only Yinxiang and the Crown Prince on hunting trips. Later, he did his best to cultivate Yinxiang into a strong support for the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, the ending was not as his father had predicted, with brotherly love, filial piety, and paternal affection. In the end, the father and son parted ways and their relationship was severed.
The more this was the case, the more he knew that when it came to matters of state, his father, the Emperor, was the most ruthless and heartless person in the world.
Wen Shan felt a sense of unease upon hearing this. Now that Yinxiang was being sent back to Consort Min, she would find a pretext in a few days to completely hand him over to someone else to raise.
The four of them, mother and children, had already analyzed these situations and guessed Kangxi's arrangements.
So Yinxiang innocently said, "Father, Mother has been saddened by the loss of Mother Wuku lately. Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother have been spending all their time in the Imperial Study. So Yinxiang wants to stay with Mother, otherwise Mother will be so sad."
Only Yinxiang, who is still a little over one year old, could say such a thing.
Children are innocent and speak without restraint.
Yinxiang meant that Wenshan was in mourning for the Empress Dowager, and now that the mourning period was over, he wanted to take away her only son who could stay by her side. It seemed a bit excessive.
However, Yinxiang's words were so straightforward that Kangxi had no way to refute them and could only praise him with a slightly embarrassed expression: "Yinxiang is very filial."
Wen Shan then said softly, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. Some time ago, I was keeping vigil for the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace, and Consort Min often came to Xianfu Palace to help me take care of the Thirteenth Prince. Now that the mourning period is over, it would be good for Consort Min to rest."
“Now that Yinzhen and Yinsi are grown up, I don’t need to worry about them much. They were all taught by Your Majesty. Only Yinxiang is someone I can take care of to some extent, and it doesn’t take much effort.”
The mother and son sang in unison, Wen Shan was filial, Yin Xiang was filial, so who wasn't?
The pressure of filial piety weighed heavily on Emperor Kangxi, leaving him with no choice but to hastily end the topic. After sitting for a short while, he said he had other matters to attend to at the Hall of Mental Cultivation and left.
As soon as Kangxi left, Wenshan breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her chest and saying, "I was so scared. Luckily, I had prepared all of these words in advance."
Yinxiang sat down next to Wenshan and earnestly massaged her arms: "Mother, don't worry, Father Emperor shouldn't bring this up again anytime soon. Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother have also made arrangements for what will happen next."
Mentioning Yinzhen and Yinsi, Wenshan hurriedly called Zhenzhu in and asked her to take some soup and food to Ganxi Wusuo, watch over the two of them while they ate, and then pick up Yinsi on the way.
Meanwhile, Yinzhen and Yinsi, who were in the Fifth Palace of Ganxi, also looked solemn. During this time, the First Prince even came to visit. "Why did you come today, Eighth Brother?" The First Prince came in with a little eunuch. When he saw that Yinzhen and Yinsi were both there, he raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised.
“I didn’t understand some of what Master said today, so I came to discuss it with Fourth Brother,” Yinzhi said.
The eldest prince didn't act like an outsider at all. He picked up a chair, sat down, and beckoned to the little eunuch to open the food box he was carrying, which contained several plates of pastries.
"I originally wanted to come and chat with my fourth brother, but I couldn't come empty-handed, so I brought some late-night snacks. They certainly can't compare to what Consort Xuan makes, but please make do with them, my two brothers."
The eldest prince's attitude was very humble, which was not like his usual self. Yinzhen and Yinsi exchanged a glance and knew what was going on. It was probably because Mingzhu had given them some pointers in private.
Yinzhi smiled and said, "Brother, you're too kind. There's nothing between us brothers that can be negotiated. It's an honor for you to come."
The eldest prince probably came here to try and get some information from Yinzhen, but unfortunately Yinsi was also there. Although Yinsi was a few years younger, the eldest prince knew that he was a slippery fellow and might be able to trick him into revealing information, so he left after only a few words.
"Judging by the days, Mingzhu will be dismissed and investigated next year," Yinzhi said leisurely, watching the eldest prince's departing figure.
After Suo'etu's downfall, Mingzhu not only took over his position as Grand Secretary, but also learned his skills in forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices to a full extent. He even went so far as to sell official positions, and it seemed that he was about to be purged by Emperor Kangxi.
After Mingzhu fell from grace, the eldest prince became much more obedient. The next time he would rise to prominence, it would be by personally leading an expedition against Galdan alongside Emperor Kangxi and achieving military merit.
"We need to start preparing for what we discussed earlier." Yinzhen pondered for a moment. "We must protect the thirteenth brother, but be careful in everything we do."
"Don't worry, Fourth Brother, everything is ready. With the list given by Mother Wuku, many things will be much easier to handle," Yinzhi said with a slight smile.
He looked confident and assured.
Yinzhi was more suitable to manage the affairs of the inner palace than Yinzhen and Yinxiang, so Yinzhi was currently handling these matters and personnel, with Yinzhen assisting him. Ministers from both the court and the countryside began to contact Yinzhi and intentionally let Yinzhen gradually take over.
"Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, Her Highness the Imperial Concubine has sent me to bring you two some late-night snacks." Pearl's voice rang out from outside the door.
Yinzhen and Yinsi exchanged a smile, both knowing that their mother was reminding them not to work too late and to get some rest.
Wen Shan prepared yam and pork rib soup and taro and sweet potato cakes. After Yinzhen and Yinsi finished eating together, Yinsi prepared to leave with Zhenzhu.
After watching Yinsi leave, Yinzhen rubbed his temples and prepared to wash up and rest. Just as he was about to call someone in to serve Yinsi, Yinsi secretly slipped back.
"Fourth Brother, there's something else I want to tell you."
Yinzhen pulled him inside. Although it was almost summer, it had rained a bit and was quite chilly outside. "What's wrong?"
“Brother, I’ve thought about this for a long time and finally made up my mind today.” Yinzhi said slowly, raising his head and saying firmly and forcefully, “I have already made up my mind. From now on, you and the thirteenth brother will continue to pretend to stand on the side of the crown prince, and I will continue to be the Eighth Prince and compete with the crown prince as before.”
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