Chapter 88 Even a pearl is clearly...
Even Mingzhu was clearly shocked by Kangxi's words.
"Your Majesty, you..."
If Suo'etu were to rebel, what would it be for if not for the Crown Prince? If things really develop to that point, the Crown Prince would inevitably be dragged down with him. If Suo'etu is killed, what will happen to the Crown Prince?
Kangxi's order seemed clear and decisive, but the most important issue, the crown prince, remained unresolved.
They dug a hole for Mingzhu.
Recently, there have been increasing rumors in the court that the emperor may depose the crown prince, causing widespread anxiety among the officials. Although Mingzhu has faded from the core decision-making circle, it is impossible for him to be unaware of such an important matter. However, Mingzhu's views differ somewhat from those of the majority.
He felt that Emperor Kangxi would not depose the crown prince.
Or at least up to now, Kangxi still has some expectations for the crown prince.
After all, the reason he was demoted from Grand Secretary to a palace gate guard under Songgotu was because he bet on the First Prince and the Crown Prince to oppose each other.
Mingzhu was one of the people who personally experienced the depth of Emperor Kangxi's love and favoritism towards this son.
Emperor Kangxi laughed when he saw Mingzhu's astonished expression.
"What, you've been comrades with Songgotu for so many years and can't bear to do it?"
No, that's not it.
He was still sharpening his knives as he sent Suo'etu on his way, but the matter was clearly not that simple.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Suo is now quite old. Why not let him retire and return to his hometown to enjoy his remaining years? That would be a great favor."
Mingzhu and Suo'etu had been at odds for decades, and he never imagined that he would one day plead for Suo'etu.
It's hard to say what the Emperor's attitude towards the Crown Prince is, but Suo'etu has clearly become a thorn in the Emperor's side.
Since Mingzhu couldn't and wouldn't ask Kangxi how to deal with the Crown Prince, the only solution was to address the root cause and let Suo'etu retire and stop causing trouble.
As expected, Kangxi slowly picked up his tea, took a sip, and said, "It's rare to hear such a sentence from you."
"There are no outsiders in this hall today, so please speak your mind."
Mingzhu cupped his hands and said, "As the ancients said, 'A leaf before the eyes can block out Mount Tai.' My loyalty to the Qing Dynasty and the Emperor is as clear as the sun and moon. It's just that in recent years, as I've grown older, my eyes have been clouded by blood ties."
"Just these past few years?" Kangxi chuckled. "Just because I don't say doesn't mean I don't know. In the past, he was just a little cautious in his actions, so I didn't bother to interfere. But now it's different. For the glory of the entire Hesheli clan, this old man is really going all out."
Mingzhu thought to herself, "Wasn't that because the Crown Prince was still young before, and you deliberately indulged Suo'etu to support him?"
On the surface, Mingzhu remained silent and could only nod in agreement.
"The preparations for the Dzungar campaign have been long in the making and cannot be delayed again because of these trivial matters. However, Songgotu has been in the court for a long time, and his methods and schemes are probably beyond the capabilities of Yinzhen and Yinsi. That is why I summoned you here."
Emperor Kangxi remarked with emotion, "I will also instruct Yinzhen to consult you for advice should anything happen."
Since Emperor Kangxi had already said so much, Mingzhu had no choice but to take the blame, and he should be grateful for it.
"Your Majesty, I will do my utmost and will not fail to live up to your trust."
Kangxi nodded slightly and glanced at the imperial guards standing at the door, their figures upright and their shadows cast on the door frame motionless.
"There's one more person you need to keep an eye on for me," Kangxi said in a low voice, "Tong Guowei."
Kangxi and Yinzhen were all busy, some making plans and others preparing to break the deadlock, but Wenshan was unaware of all this.
Yinzhen and the others didn't reveal a word to her, so even in this tense situation, Wenshan still had the leisure to figure out how to make cream. Once she made it, she could make ice cream and desserts for Yinzhen and the others.
"Thank goodness we have this, otherwise we would all be suffering from the heat this year."
While busy with her work, Wen Shan glanced at the fan spinning beside her and said with a smile, "I heard that a Master Su has even started researching electricity without a teacher?"
They are currently escaping the summer heat in Changchun Garden. It is so hot that Emperor Kangxi has surprisingly acted as a kind father, giving the younger students who are still studying a two-day break to escape the heat. So, Yinzhen, Yinsi, and Yinxiang are all enjoying the cool air and chatting with Wenshan.
“It’s not even a prototype yet,” Yinzhi said. “This thing is very troublesome, and I don’t know when it will be completed.”
The description of electricity by Wen Shan was indeed very attractive, and the three of them remembered it well. In their eyes, the energy of the steam engine was already amazing enough, but the electricity that Wen Shan described as having a wider range of applications and bringing about rapid changes made them even more eager to use it.
So when they talked to the other craftsmen in the villa, they also talked about this matter. However, compared to the steam engine, electricity was really a bit vague and ethereal. They couldn't figure it out and didn't know where to start. But unexpectedly, a craftsman surnamed Su became obsessed with it. He racked his brains for more than a year and only seemed to have found a clue through Wen Shan's description.
Wenshan was overjoyed when she heard the news. Could it be that she was finally going to have electricity?
Wenshan herself knew that this was too difficult. Not to mention the electrical appliances, electricity was already difficult to achieve in the Qing Dynasty.
Realistically speaking, it might take at least a hundred years to develop.
Although she is a person from the future who can cheat, she can only provide some relatively superficial theoretical knowledge. It is still very difficult to actually do it.
But Wenshan was already very happy with this theoretical breakthrough.
Yinzhen and the others knew that such things couldn't be rushed or accomplished overnight. However, after witnessing the terrifying creativity and practicality of the inventions of the people in the villa, their opinion had changed to: regardless of whether it succeeds or not, they would just spend money to support it.
But with only a few dozen people, supporting them for a lifetime isn't a big deal.
Let them eat and drink well and use their brains. If they achieve results, great; if not, consider it laying the foundation.
After hearing this, Wenshan gave them a thumbs up and then told them that this kind of behavior is called investing.
These three brothers are clearly already angel investors.
Yinzhi had even begun to look for some talented children to send to the villa to become apprentices of these masters, so that the tradition could be passed down from generation to generation and one day their Qing Dynasty could also achieve the kind of convenient life that Wenshan had described.
Listening to Yinzhi's grand ambitions, Wenshan thought that even without developing technology, such a convenient life could be achieved in a few hundred years.
After all, her era was only about a hundred years after the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
But of course, these words couldn't be said to discourage the children.
"The wheels of history keep rolling forward, and this is an inevitable trend," Wen Shan said with a smile. "It would be enough if we could catch up or even surpass them by just a little bit."
Yinzhi lay on the couch and shook his head in a nonchalant manner.
"Mother, Grandmother's birthday is in a few days. What are you planning to give her?"
If nothing unexpected happens, Father Emperor plans to send troops after Grandmother Emperor's birthday, when the weather will be cooler.
Wenshan sighed when this matter was brought up.
"The Fifth Prince's wedding is next month. The Empress Dowager is keeping a close eye on the Fifth Prince's wedding and is making us all pay more attention to it. She doesn't care about her own birthday at all."
She and Lady Xiaotongjia mentioned several times how they wanted to arrange the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration this year, but the Empress Dowager always turned them down, instructing them not to worry about the birthday banquet and to leave it to the Imperial Household Department, so that they could focus their attention on the Fifth Prince's marriage.
Despite the sweltering heat, the Empress Dowager, despite her advanced age, visited the Fifth Prince's residence outside the palace several times, much to the dismay of the Ministry of Works officials. Each time the Empress Dowager went, there were always complaints about what was not right or what was lacking, and the officials had to renovate it again and again.
Even Consort Rong was green with envy. She had never even visited the Third Prince's residence. With the Empress Dowager valuing the Fifth Prince's residence so much, who knows how the people from the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Household Department might be treating the Third Prince so perfunctorily.
When it comes to the Empress Dowager's affection for the Fifth Prince, Yinzhen and the others have nothing to say.
Wen Shan handed the things in her hands to Pearl, washed her hands and said, "The Empress Dowager said that this year is not a birthday celebration and there is no need for a big celebration, but your Emperor Father wants to have a big festivities, which is also troublesome."
Before setting off on the expedition, the only two happy events were the Empress Dowager's birthday and the Fifth Prince's wedding. Kangxi naturally wanted to have a good time and celebrate.
Yinzhi smiled and said, "Mother, you don't need to worry. There are people from the Imperial Household Department watching over us. And if things don't go well, we still have your son."
Wen Shan patted his head: "You're already so busy all day, so don't worry about these trivial matters in the palace."
Although Wen Shan has always been lazy, she has been in the palace for so many years and has become quite adept at handling birthday banquets and weddings.
Suddenly, Yinxiang started yelling, "Mother, Mother, the ice is melting!"
Yinxiang was most afraid of the heat. He was comfortably talking to Yinzhen on the couch with the wind blowing, but he immediately felt the temperature rise as soon as it increased slightly.
Wen Shan was both amused and exasperated, and quickly ordered the palace servants to bring up fresh ice.
According to the way the Imperial Household Department used the funds in their palace, it was indeed a bit tight. Fortunately, Yinzhen and Yinsi brought in a lot of money from outside the palace, which allowed Yinxiang to "spend so extravagantly".
As the palace servants were changing the ice, Yinxiang suddenly said, "Eighth Brother, I heard that you sent a lot of ice to Mingzhu's residence a few days ago?"
Yinzhi glanced at him sideways: "Where did you hear that you can't even leave the palace?"
Yinxiang decisively betrayed Yinzhen.
Yinzhen coughed with his fist: "It was just something we talked about casually."
"Kuixu is the Eighth Prince's right-hand man. Is he worried that he can't stand the heat?" Yinxiang teased.
Mingzhu's second son was a core member of the Eighth Prince's faction. Although he was eventually purged after the Fourth Prince ascended the throne, he remained loyal to the Eighth Prince until his death.
"Mingzhu's family is short of ice?" Wenshan was a little surprised to hear this.
Ice is indeed a rare commodity in the sweltering summer, but that's only for ordinary families. The Yehenara clan is a prestigious family with a history of over a hundred years, so how could they lack such things?
“It’s not for the Yehenara family,” Yinzhi said. “Don’t listen to the thirteenth prince’s gossip. He’s just a busybody now and loves to spread rumors.”
"Who said I'm just a nobody!" Yinxiang retorted.
He single-handedly handled the defense of the capital a few days ago!
Wen Shan smiled helplessly, then looked at Yinzhen beside her.
"Don't be too busy these days. Spend more time with your wife. She came to visit a few days ago and I noticed she looked a little pale. I wonder if she has heatstroke."
Even on such a hot day, Lady Fucha still insisted on visiting Wenshan every morning and evening to pay her respects. Since Yinzhen was not often in the palace, Lady Fucha would usually spend half a day there, talking with Wenshan.
When Wenshan came a few days ago, she noticed that Wenshan was not in good spirits, so she told her not to come every day, but only once on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, so as not to make her too hot.
Fucha simply smiled and said that she had always been like this since she was a child, and that she would feel a little unwell in the summer, but that sleeping more would make her fine.
Yinzhen was a purely career-oriented man. Even after his marriage, he didn't seem to indulge in romantic feelings much, and he was no different from before the marriage. Although Fucha and her family weren't exactly living alone, their marriage was somewhat bland and tasteless. However, Fucha understood that it was normal for Yinzhen to be indifferent to such things given the tense situation, not to mention that Yinzhen's personality was somewhat cold.
He only showed his true feelings to Wen Shan and Yin Si and Yin Xiang on ordinary days.
Wen Shan liked Lady Fucha and also wanted Yinzhen to have someone who cared for him. If the couple had a good relationship, it would give Yinzhen more time to relax and breathe.
Yinzhen nodded and said, "I have already sent someone to invite Physician Zhang to treat the Princess Consort."
Although Yinzhen was aloof, he was by no means a careless person. On the contrary, he was very meticulous in his observation of people and things. Although he did not spend much time with the women in the inner courtyard, he could see Lady Fucha at least once a day.
He had noticed that Lady Fucha had been lacking energy these past few days, so before leaving home today, he sent someone to fetch Physician Zhang.
It just looks like there's nothing seriously wrong.
As they were talking, Amber rushed in excitedly, quickly bowed, and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness, congratulations, Fourth Prince! Fourth Princess Consort has just been diagnosed with a month of pregnancy."
Wen Shan nearly dropped the cup in her hand: "What did you say?"
Yinzhen was also somewhat surprised, but as a first-time father, joy quickly filled his heart.
Yinzhi and Yinxiang were also happy for Yinzhen. Yinzhi patted Yinzhen on the shoulder and said, "Congratulations, Fourth Brother. I didn't expect that we would have a little nephew so soon."
Wen Shan was also overjoyed. While instructing Pearl and the others to prepare some nourishing foods, she turned her head and said, "Whether it's a boy or a girl, it's fine. If it's a well-behaved daughter, Mother will be happy too."
Yinzhen nodded in agreement, saying, "Mother is right, both men and women are fine."
Yinzhen and Fucha had been married for over a year. The child was neither too early nor too late. Although Fucha was still a bit young in Wenshan's eyes, having just turned nineteen, Wenshan could only take extra care of her now that they were pregnant.
However, at least she didn't have a child at the age of fourteen or fifteen, so as long as she takes good care of herself, there shouldn't be any major problems.
When Lady Fucha became pregnant, Yinzhen wanted to go back to be with her. Wenshan hurriedly prepared a lot of things for Yinzhen to take back with him.
Seeing Wen Shan's anxious and flustered appearance, Yin Si smiled and said, "Mother, you don't need to be in such a hurry. There's still a long time before you give birth. The servants at Fourth Brother's place will definitely take good care of you."
Wen Shan glared at him. This was Yinzhen's first child and her first grandchild. How could she not worry about him?
"You'll be getting married next year, so I'm telling you, you and Guo Luoluo should postpone having children. Guo Luoluo is too young, and having a baby too early will harm her health," Wen Shan said, reminding her.
Yinzhi will get married a little earlier, and he will only be sixteen next year. Lady Guoluo is a little over a year younger than Yinzhi, so she is barely fifteen. If she also has a child within a year like Yinzhen, it will be troublesome.
Yinzhi and Lady Guoluo were both young. In addition to worrying that the child they would have would be weak, Wenshan was more concerned that having a child too early would harm Lady Guoluo's health.
"Mother has been saying this since last year," Yinzhi said with a smile. "I've remembered it all, Mother, don't worry."
Because the Emperor arranged his marriage so early, his mother had a long argument with the Emperor.
Moreover, he was not in a hurry to have children. In his previous life, he and Guo Luoluo had no children. However, he did not care about these things and valued the affection between the two of them more. Therefore, he still married Guo Luoluo in this life.
Yinxiang chimed in, "Mother, don't worry about Eighth Brother. He can't have a baby even if he wanted to... Hmm!"
Yinzhi shoved him down and said in a sinister tone, "What are you saying?"
I almost forgot there was someone here who knew about the past life.
...
When Mingzhu returned to the mansion, he saw his wife and daughter muttering to themselves in the front hall in front of several large boxes.
"Master, you're finally back! This was just delivered by Prince Li. It's really strange, our family has never had any dealings with Prince Li."
Lady Yehenara stepped forward and said, "You've sent such a generous gift; I don't know whether I should accept it or not."
Mingzhu stepped forward, glanced at it, and calmly walked to the front to sit down.
"What did the person who came say?"
"I only said that Prince Li was celebrating Yu'er's childbirth, so I called Yu'er back."
The daughter standing to the side also said, "Father, I have never met Prince Li, and my husband's family has no dealings with me."
"The person who gave the gift just threw it down and left, the way they did it..." Lady Yehenara said with a bitter face, "I've never seen a gift-giving ceremony like that."
Although Prince Li was a member of the imperial family, he was merely a member of the imperial clan who was not active in public. In the past, he would never have dared to be so rude, sending a gift as if it were a threat.
It's because Mingzhu is not what it used to be.
Therefore, Lady Yehenara was not in a good mood either.
"Perhaps I shall send someone to return it to Prince Li?"
The daughter beside her poured Mingzhu some tea: "Father, it's hot, please have a cup of cool tea first."
Mingzhu patted her daughter's hand and said, "You just gave birth not long ago, and your mother still called you back in this hot weather. Go back and rest."
The daughter said gently, "Mother was just worried about me. Besides, we came back in a sedan chair all the way, so it wasn't hot."
Lady Yehenara felt somewhat embarrassed as she watched the father and daughter chatting away and ignoring her.
Yu'er was Mingzhu's most beloved daughter. From food, clothing, housing, transportation to marriage and childbirth, everything was meticulously arranged for her by Mingzhu. Although Lady Yehenara was the birth mother, she sometimes found it difficult to understand why Mingzhu liked Yu'er so much. It wasn't that she was jealous, but rather that she couldn't understand why Mingzhu liked her other children so much.
Neither the eldest son nor the youngest daughter was as favored as Yu'er, who was in the middle.
The fact that Mingzhu didn't seem to care much about her youngest daughter's marriage a few days ago made Lady Yehenara even more resentful.
"It's so hot today. Are you and your grandson doing well? If you feel uncomfortable, just send someone to tell your father. Don't worry about the rules of the Sebutu family, like not being able to use ice after giving birth."
“Father sent some ice, enough for us.”
Mingzhu nodded: "That's good then."
The thought of where this ice came from gave Mingzhu an even bigger headache.
After Mingzhu finished speaking with her daughter, she looked at Lady Yehenara and said, "There's no need to send it back. Since it's a congratulatory gift from Prince Li to Yu'er, let Yu'er take it back later."
Lady Yehenara had no choice but to agree and ordered people to load all the items onto the carriage.
Then she went out with her daughter.
Soon after, Mingzhu's second son, Kuixu, arrived.
“Father, you’re back.”
Mingzhu nodded and then said, "Prince Li sent a congratulatory gift to your sister. Since it has come to our house, we should return the favor. Your mother is a bit muddle-headed, so you'll have to take good care of her."
Kui Xu said, “Prince Li… he is from the same lineage as the Crown Prince and Suo’etu. Although they don’t interact much on a regular basis, he should not be underestimated.”
Mingzhu said, "How could I not know that he is the Crown Prince's man? The Emperor summoned me today because of the Crown Prince's matter."
Kui Xu came here to inquire about this matter, and upon hearing Mingzhu mention it and seeing his father's expression, he knew it was probably not a good job.
"Father, is the Emperor planning to take action against the Crown Prince and Suo'etu?"
Mingzhu was somewhat pleased: "It seems you have made great progress in the past few years, but it's only because of Suo'etu and has nothing to do with the Crown Prince."
Kui Xu twitched the corners of his mouth. Anyone could sever ties with the Crown Prince except for Suo'etu. The Emperor's words were somewhat self-deceptive.
“My father and Songgotu have been fighting for years, but I never imagined it would end like this,” Mingzhu sighed. “It’s a pity that the old man was so stubborn. Thinking about his eventual disgrace and a hasty end, and perhaps even the downfall of the Hesheli clan as well, I…”
Mingzhu's expression changed.
"I'm so happy! You must have a few drinks with your father today."
Kui Xu said helplessly, "Father, since that's the case, then what the Eighth Prince said to you the other day..."
"Let's not talk about anything else today, just celebrate that old bastard Suo'etu's impending death." Mingzhu said with a smile, "Go and call your elder brother over too, so he doesn't spend all his time reading those pretentious poems."
Seeing that Mingzhu still didn't want to mention it, Kui Xu had no choice but to obey the order and go down to call his elder brother to drink with his father.
Mingzhu watched Kui Xu's departing figure, feeling both gratified and uneasy.
He had only three sons. His eldest son, Nalan Xingde, was a reincarnation of a poet, obsessed with poetry and songs, and it seemed he was not of much use in his official career. His youngest son was still young, and Mingzhu, judging from his temperament, only cared about not causing trouble for the Yehenara clan in the future.
Nalan Kuixu, the second son, indeed grew rapidly within a few years after his demotion, and the future of the Yehenara family could only be entrusted to him.
Mingzhu was surprised that Kui Xu had sided with the Eighth Prince so quickly, and that he seemed to be following him wholeheartedly.
Mingzhu shook her head at this thought, unsure whether the decision was right or wrong.
Emperor Kangxi soon learned of Empress Fucha's pregnancy and was extremely pleased. After rewarding Yinzhen and Empress Fucha with many gifts, he also made a special trip to Wenshan's place.
"Now that Yinzhen has a child, and it's a legitimate son, I feel much more at ease," Kangxi said with a smile.
Wen Shan served him tea: "The imperial physician said that Lady Fucha is in good health and will surely give birth to the child smoothly."
"Hmm." Kangxi took Wenshan's hand and helped her sit down. "Now that Lady Fucha is pregnant and living in the palace, please take good care of her."
"Of course, I should take care of my daughter-in-law." Wen Shan found it strange that there was anything special to tell her.
Emperor Kangxi smiled but remained silent, ultimately saying nothing.
However, it was clear that the news of Yinzhen's wife's pregnancy was not good news for many people.
Especially the crown prince, who has been confined to his quarters for many days.
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