Chapter 98 This victory was complete...
This great victory completely wiped out the Dzungars, and thankfully, there was no need to fight a third battle.
Among these, the most significant factors were undoubtedly the firearms and the new steelmaking methods. The first decree issued by Emperor Kangxi upon his return to the palace was to bestow the title of Duke of Zhenguo upon both Dai Zi and Wang Chongyu.
However, Kangxi seemed to deliberately set aside the question of how to deal with the Crown Prince and the faction of Suo'etu, without mentioning it at all.
Even if Kangxi didn't mention it, Yinzhen and the other two would pretend not to know, but eventually some court officials would come forward to speak up.
After all, Prime Minister Suo'etu and Commander of the Nine Gates Tuoheqi were still imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, and the Fourteenth Prince was still detained in the Imperial Clan Court. This was not something that could be easily dealt with.
The reason Kangxi didn't mention it was simply because he hadn't yet decided how to handle the situation.
Although he had long suspected the Crown Prince and Suo'etu's plot to rebel and had even taken precautions in advance, Kangxi surprisingly avoided the question of how to deal with the two men once the plot was exposed.
He didn't dare to think about it until he received the secret letter and learned that the Crown Prince was indeed plotting a rebellion.
Such a big matter could not be ignored by Kangxi. The next day at court, a group of people submitted memorials impeaching the Crown Prince and Suo'etu.
There were even censors who spoke out in court, saying that the Crown Prince and Suo'etu had committed treason and that Kangxi should deal with them severely.
The Crown Prince's faction was speechless at this point; the ironclad facts were undeniable, so they all cowered and acted like quails.
Yinzhen and Yinsi exchanged a glance but said nothing.
Emperor Kangxi rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Finally, due to the utter indignation of the court officials, Kangxi issued an edict to execute Suo'etu, Tuoheqi, and other traitors. As for the Crown Prince, he was to first reflect on his mistakes and then be dealt with after he had apologized to Heaven and his ancestors.
As for the Fourteenth Prince, he should have been confined to the Imperial Clan Court, but considering his young age, he was given a special exception and placed under the supervision and upbringing of the Empress Dowager.
Kangxi then issued his first decree after returning to the palace.
The princes were granted official titles.
The eldest prince was brave and made many military achievements in this battle, and was granted the title of Prince Zhi. The third prince was granted the title of Prince Cheng because he was the eldest son in the line and Emperor Kangxi always liked this son. The fifth prince was granted the title of Prince Heng because he had the Empress Dowager's backing and could not get any good things.
The seventh prince was granted the title of Beile, and Yinzhi was granted the title of Prince Lian for his meritorious service in overseeing the country. The princes after him were too young to be granted titles.
Yinzhen, on the other hand, was conspicuously promoted to the title of Prince by Kangxi.
He was granted the title of Prince Yong.
The meaning of this decree was immediately clear to everyone.
As expected, the Emperor still favored the Fourth Prince.
The eldest prince's merits were due to his military achievements, while the third and fifth princes' merits were due to his age and the Empress Dowager, respectively, and were of little reference value. Apart from these, the most conspicuous one was the eighth prince, Yinzhi.
The Seventh Prince was granted the title of Beile, while the Eighth Prince was granted the title of Junwang. Moreover, after the Eighth Prince, no further titles were conferred on the grounds that he was still too young, which is quite a subtle matter.
Besides, the ministers below were all somewhat surprised that the emperor still showed a shred of mercy even though the crown prince had already raised an army in rebellion.
As expected, Tong Guowei found an opportunity to meet with Yinzhi privately after the court session ended.
"This old minister congratulates Prince Lian."
Yinzhi smiled slightly: "Lord Tong, please don't make fun of me. It's obvious that Fourth Brother has the upper hand again in this grand conferment of titles on princes."
"No, no, the Fourth Prince is currently serving as regent amidst such a major upheaval. The Emperor, protecting the Crown Prince, naturally needs to appease the Fourth Prince, so bestowing upon him the title of Prince is only natural." Tong Guowei was quite optimistic. "As for you, Prince of the Second Rank, the Emperor has made an exception and granted you the title of Prince of the Second Rank." Yinzhi: "So, according to you, Lord Tong, Father Emperor won't depose the Crown Prince this time?"
“The Crown Prince must be deposed. How can we quell the public outcry if he isn’t?” Tong Guowei said. “Back then, we were sitting on the sidelines watching the tigers fight because we wanted the Fourth Prince to bring down the Crown Prince and then have him speak up to depose him. The Emperor would then be wary of the Fourth Prince. Now, we’re just one step away from that.”
There is nothing to say about Kangxi's fatherly affection for the Crown Prince. If Yinzhen were to force Kangxi to depose the Crown Prince, it would indeed provoke dissatisfaction.
“That’s a bit difficult,” Yinzhi said slowly. “Fourth Brother is always calm and composed; it’s probably not feasible for him to take such a rash step.”
“Your Highness’s concerns are well-founded, so this old minister has already chosen someone to speak on behalf of Prince Yong.”
Yinzhi thought for a moment: "Tian Wenjing?"
Tong Guowei nodded and stroked his beard: "Among all the officials in the court, only Tian Wenjing is a well-known man of Prince Yong. Moreover, he is always straightforward and will surely submit a memorial to depose the Crown Prince without much effort."
"Lord Tong truly lives up to his reputation as the 'Half-Court Tong,' for he has his own set of strategies in mind." Yinzhi looked at him with a half-smile.
Tong Guowei waved his hands repeatedly: "This old minister has only done his bit, but now that His Majesty has returned to the capital, it seems a bit inappropriate for Longkodo to temporarily assume the position of Commander of the Nine Gates."
Yinzhi understood what the old fox meant, and immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Tong, we will naturally make Longkodo's name legitimate."
Tong Guowei was satisfied now; dealing with smart people was indeed worry-free and effortless.
Tong Guowei took his leave, satisfied. Xiao Shunzi followed behind Yinzhi and asked, "Master, shall we go to Xianfu Palace to pay our respects to the Imperial Concubine?"
“Mother is probably in the Empress Dowager’s palace right now.” Yinzhi thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go back to the Fifth Palace in Qianxi first. There are some things I need to think about.”
After receiving the imperial decree conferring upon them the title of Duke of Zhenguo, Dai Zi and Wang Chongyu were both somewhat alarmed and rushed to Chonghua Palace to seek advice from Yinzhen.
"Both of you are now meritorious officials. Your contributions in eliminating Galdan this time are indispensable. The title of Duke of Zhenguo is nothing to you," Yinzhen said.
Over the years, influenced by Wen Shan, Yin Zhen and his sons developed an unprecedented respect for these craftsmen. Therefore, Yin Zhen genuinely felt that the reward given to Dai Zi and Wang Chongyu was nothing, and even thought that Kangxi's reward was too meager.
The two were relieved to hear what Yinzhen said, and after exchanging a few words, they took their leave.
Dai Zi's daughter had just given birth a while ago, and was born a fair-skinned and beautiful baby girl. Tian Wenjing was overjoyed and practically wanted to treat her like royalty. She even went to the palace to ask Yinzhen to name her daughter. Yinzhen was both amused and exasperated, and after thinking for a whole night, he finally came up with the name "Mao".
After Wenshan found out, she thought about it over and over again and felt that the name didn't sound very good for a girl.
Tian Mao... is a bit strange.
“As the saying goes, ‘Mao’ means beauty. How can it not be suitable for girls?” Yinzhen argued vehemently.
He thought about it all night. With the New Year approaching, the name "Turning Around to Spring" was a perfect fit.
Moreover, "茂" (mào) implies lush and vigorous growth, making it an ideal choice for children.
"...Alright, as long as Tian Wenjing and his wife are satisfied."
Tian Wenjing's thinking was on the same wavelength as Yinzhen's. Without waiting for Yinzhen to explain why he chose this character, he immediately exclaimed how wonderful it was, overjoyed, and excitedly went home to tell his wife that their daughter had a name.
Wen Shan: "..."
It's confirmed that it wasn't due to Yinzhen's tyranny... Wait, if it were Tian Wenjing, it probably wouldn't be like that.
Empress Fucha is now in labor and could give birth at any time. Moreover, the imperial physician's diagnosis that she is carrying twins has shocked everyone.
When Physician Zhang made this diagnosis, Lady Fucha was already almost six months pregnant, and he himself was sweating profusely.
It took him six months to diagnose this, which is a huge dereliction of duty.
That day, Wen Shan also went to Chonghua Palace to visit Lady Fucha. Upon hearing what Physician Zhang said, her expression immediately changed.
"Twins? How come it was only diagnosed now?"
Wen Shan examined Fucha's belly and found it wasn't particularly large; otherwise, they would have suspected it was twins long ago.
Physician Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Highness, the Fourth Princess Consort is indeed carrying twins. However, one of the babies is rather weak and its pulse has been very faint, so it was not detected when the pregnancy was still in its early stages. It is only now that it has become apparent."
"Frail? You mean one of your children is unwell?" Wen Shan became even more anxious upon hearing this.
No wonder you couldn't tell from her appearance; she was actually quite thin.
Lady Fucha also gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, feeling extremely nervous.
Physician Zhang hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I just checked the pulse of the Fourth Princess Consort and both of the young princes are healthy. However, this is a common occurrence with twin pregnancies; one child is usually stronger, while the other is relatively weaker."
"As for not being able to tell... Fourth Princess Consort is slender, so it's not that obvious to begin with. Besides, I've seen many pregnant women who are five or six months pregnant and still only have a slight bulge. It's nothing to worry about."
Wen Shan recalled that in modern times, she had a cousin who also gave birth to twins, and one of the twins was indeed smaller than the older one.
Even with modern medical technology, twins are generally impossible to deliver vaginally and require a cesarean section. In the Qing Dynasty, childbirth was already difficult for women, especially twins...
Empress Fucha will suffer even more.
When Lady Fucha heard that the two children in her womb were healthy, she was overjoyed. Many children bring many blessings, so it was naturally something to be happy about that she was carrying two children.
"Mother, don't worry. The servants are taking good care of you. Nothing will go wrong," Fucha said, comforting Wenshan when she saw her looking at her with concern.
Seizing the opportunity, Physician Zhang quickly slipped away to prepare medicine for Lady Fucha to nourish her pregnancy.
At that time, Yinzhen was in the Imperial Study with several ministers and was not in Chonghua Palace. Wenshan was very anxious and instructed Zhenzhu to find more midwives who had delivered twins, and to find more experienced imperial physicians, or to summon doctors from the common people who were good at this to the palace.
Fucha felt comforted, but still advised, "Mother, you don't need to make such a fuss for your daughter-in-law. The two little ones in her belly are very well-behaved and won't cause her too much suffering."
From a young age, Fucha was taught that bearing children was a woman's duty, and that all women had to go through this process. Only by having children could a woman gain a foothold in her husband's family, let alone in the royal family. Moreover, as the situation gradually became clearer and the possibility of Yinzhen ascending the throne in the future became greater and greater, she naturally hoped to have more children.
So she wasn't afraid; on the contrary, she was looking forward to it.
Wenshan patted her hand and said, "Childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell for a woman, let alone twins. You need to make sure you have everything prepared."
When Yinzhen, Yinsi, and Yinxiang returned happily after receiving the news, Wenshan was already thinking about how to set up a hospital that specialized in the study of women's childbirth.
That is, obstetrics and gynecology.
We need to train more female doctors; such an important matter should be handled by specialists.
When Wen Shan shared her thoughts with Yin Zhen and the others, they also felt that there was some truth to it. Women's childbirth is a major event in population growth and should not be taken lightly.
Yinzhi took the matter upon himself and said he would handle it.
Yinzhi was always meticulous in his work, which put Wenshan at ease.
When Emperor Kangxi returned to the palace, Empress Fucha was already nine months pregnant. Around the seventh or eighth month, her belly suddenly grew rapidly, like an inflating balloon, which frightened Empress Fucha, who was not usually afraid of childbirth.
Physician Zhang said this was a normal phenomenon and that they shouldn't panic. Coincidentally, Fucha went into labor on the very day that Emperor Kangxi bestowed titles upon the princes.
As soon as Yinzhen finished court, a eunuch guarding the door informed him that Empress Fucha was about to give birth. Some ministers nearby overheard this and offered their congratulations to Yinzhen.
"Prince Yong is truly blessed with double happiness!"
Congratulations!
Yinzhen was in a hurry to get back to Chonghua Palace, so he didn't bother with any formalities and rushed back as fast as he could.
The ministers didn't pay any attention.
"It's his first time being a father, after all. Even the usually composed Prince Yong is so flustered at times, and he's even laughing."
"He was just granted the title of Prince and now he has an heir. Prince Yong is indeed a blessed man."
The ministers chatted for a few minutes and then dispersed and left the palace.
Only Li Guangdi was stopped by Liang Jiugong, who said that Kangxi had something else to tell him privately.
Li Guangdi entered the inner hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where Emperor Kangxi was reviewing memorials sent from the capital regarding the Crown Prince's alleged rebellion.
"Guangdi, please have a seat."
Without even looking up, Kangxi had Liang Jiugong bring Li Guangdi a stool.
"Lord Li, please."
After expressing his gratitude, Li Guangdi sat down and asked, "I wonder what Your Majesty has summoned me for?"
Emperor Kangxi put down the memorial in his hand and said, "You did not say a word about the Crown Prince at the court meeting just now, and you happened to be in the capital when the incident occurred, so I would like to hear your thoughts."
Li Guangdi was a favorite minister of Emperor Kangxi and a very typical Confucian Han official. He regarded the traditional Chinese values of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher as the guiding principles, especially the principle of primogeniture, which was the Han Chinese custom for the eldest son to inherit the family business. Although Li Guangdi did not participate in the princes' struggle for the throne, Emperor Kangxi knew that he supported the Crown Prince.
“The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and there is a distinction between ruler and subject; it is not appropriate for a subject to speak against the Crown Prince, hence he remained silent,” Li Guangdi said.
Emperor Kangxi nodded in satisfaction: "If only all the ministers in the court could understand this principle."
Kangxi handed the memorial to Liang Jiugong.
"Look, this is the secret memorial that Yinzhen sent that day."
Liang Jiugong handed the secret memorial to Li Guangdi, and then returned to Kangxi's side.
Li Guangdi opened it and took a look.
"What is written here is indeed the truth; Prince Yong reported it truthfully."
"I know," Kangxi said. "What I want to ask you is whether Suo'etu coerced the Crown Prince?"
Li Guangdi: "...This subject does not know."
Even if Li Guangdi was foolish, he would understand that Kangxi wanted to protect the crown prince after hearing Kangxi's words.
Even Li Guangdi, a Han Chinese official who advocated primogeniture, felt that Kangxi had indeed gone a bit too crazy this time.
The eldest son inheriting the throne is in accordance with Confucianism and Legalism, but rebelling is an even greater act of treason. How can these be confused?
Moreover, he was not a pedantic scholar. Although the eldest son of the legitimate wife was of noble status, not all eldest sons of the legitimate wife were virtuous. If a person as immoral as the Crown Prince were to hand over the Qing Dynasty to him, in a few years the banner of "overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming" would probably be spread all over half of the Qing Dynasty.
Emperor Kangxi knew in his heart that the Crown Prince could not be entrusted with anything. He summoned Li Guangdi only to have Li Guangdi take the lead in finding a reason to give the Crown Prince a lighter punishment.
If things were to proceed as they were, the Crown Prince would inevitably be stripped of his title and imprisoned until his death. However, Kangxi was still reluctant to do so and wanted to remove the Crown Prince from the list. He would simply depose him and make him an ordinary prince, and after a few years, grant him the title of Prince of the First Rank so that he could live a peaceful life.
The Crown Prince was now powerless to reverse the situation. Even if Emperor Kangxi favored his ministers, he could not allow a Crown Prince who had rebelled to ascend the throne. Therefore, Li Guangdi pretended to be ignorant and answered whatever Emperor Kangxi said perfunctorily.
Kangxi thought Li Guangdi understood his meaning and nodded in satisfaction, preparing to have Li Guangdi stay in the palace for lunch.
Just then, a eunuch came in beaming and reported, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is overjoyed! The Princess Consort of Prince Yong has just given birth to twins, a boy and a girl."
Emperor Kangxi only learned yesterday, after returning to the capital, that Empress Fucha was carrying twins; he never expected that she would give birth today.
The idea of twins, a boy and a girl, symbolizes good weather and auspiciousness, which greatly pleased Emperor Kangxi.
"Good! Lady Fucha is indeed a promising woman."
Li Guangdi added from the side, "Today, Prince Yong is being conferred a title and his wife is giving birth to twins, a truly double celebration."
"Yes, it seems these two children are blessed." Kangxi smiled from ear to ear. Apart from the Crown Prince, whose son Yinzhen had been adopted into the imperial clan, this eldest son was Kangxi's first legitimate grandson.
Kangxi then prepared to go to Chonghua Palace to see his two newly born grandsons and granddaughters.
Wen Shan was also waiting at Chonghua Palace. Fucha had gone into labor early this morning after Yinzhen went to court. They thought Yinzhen would return soon, but the court session on the first day of the resumption of court lasted for three hours. Fucha took good care of herself and the baby was in a good position. There were five or six midwives in Chonghua Palace who had delivered twins before, as well as two female doctors that Yinsi had specially prepared according to Wen Shan's wishes. With everyone's concerted efforts, the two children were born before Yinzhen returned from court.
Twins are extremely dangerous, and Wen Shan didn't care about those formalities. She stayed in the delivery room with Fucha Shi, so as soon as the baby was born, the midwife quickly brought it to Wen Shan to see.
"Congratulations, Your Highness! It's a little prince and a little princess, twins, a truly auspicious and joyous occasion!"
Although Fucha was feeling somewhat weak and still conscious, she had swallowed several bowls of ginseng and invigorating soup. Upon hearing that they were twins, she smiled weakly.
For her, having a son and a daughter was enough to make a perfect family.
Wen Shan glanced at the baby and quickly told the nanny to bring the baby to Fucha's side. Both babies had loud cries and looked healthy, but the boy was thinner than the girl, which should be the baby with an unclear pulse that Physician Zhang had mentioned before.
The two children were waving their little hands and lying on either side of Fucha, and Fucha couldn't take them all in and couldn't help but laugh.
“It’s a brother and a sister,” Wen Shan said softly. “Although the brother is a bit small, he was the first one to come out.”
Fucha nodded and said, "Brother and sister are good friends, and I can take care of my sister in the future."
Seeing that Yinzhen and Lady Fucha had both a son and a daughter, Wenshan couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion and wanted to shed tears.
A palace maid wiped the sweat from Fucha's forehead. Fucha's expression suddenly changed and she let out a muffled groan. A female physician was administering acupuncture to Fucha.
"Madam, you must not get excited now. You should avoid extreme sadness or joy. Giving birth to twins is already dangerous, and you are already showing signs of postpartum hemorrhage. You must not have any more emotional fluctuations, as this could trigger the hemorrhage."
Wenshan panicked when she heard that there was a risk of postpartum hemorrhage. A few years ago, a woman had suffered postpartum hemorrhage and both she and her child died. Wenshan was still terrified when she thought about that scene.
The midwives who had been delivering babies for many years were also shocked to hear this.
"Hemorrhage? What should we do?"
"This kind of hemorrhage is extremely dangerous, with a very low chance of survival!"
Fucha was also shocked to hear this. In her panic, she grabbed Wenshan's hand and said, "Mother, if anything happens to your daughter-in-law, please take good care of these two children."
Wen Shan, holding Fucha's hand, turned her head and saw the two female doctors still administering acupuncture. She quickly asked, "Is this serious?"
One of the younger ones replied, "Your Majesty and the Princess Consort, please rest assured. It's just a sign of severe bleeding. My master and I are giving the Princess Consort acupuncture. As long as the Princess Consort stays calm, there shouldn't be any major problems."
"Did you hear that? It's nothing serious. Just stay calm and let the doctor administer acupuncture," Wen Shan said.
Fucha nodded, took a few deep breaths, and Wenshan quickly had someone take the two children away first.
Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm. After the acupuncture, Fucha's condition stabilized, and the midwives checked her over and confirmed that there was nothing to worry about.
"I've never heard of acupuncture being able to treat metrorrhagia before. I've really seen something new today."
"Young lady, I wonder if you could teach us your acupuncture technique? It would be helpful if we encountered a similar situation again in the future, so we could save lives."
"Yes, yes, countless women die from postpartum hemorrhage every year."
The female doctor wiped the sweat from her forehead and said with a smile, "It is only right for doctors to practice medicine and save lives. However, acupuncture cannot be mastered overnight, otherwise it will only harm people. You all still need to practice diligently."
Wen Shan, who was feeding Fucha ginseng soup, was a little confused: "Didn't she not have a hemorrhage just now?"
"Just now, I was afraid that Your Highness and the Princess Consort would panic, so I only said that there was a sign of hemorrhage. In fact, the Princess Consort has already started to hemorrhage," the younger female doctor said.
If it were just a sign of severe hemorrhage, they wouldn't have said it out loud and caused unnecessary fear; they only said it because they couldn't help but see it.
Fortunately, the midwives were quick-witted and understood their meaning in an instant, and cooperated to continue the performance.
Wen Shan was still in shock, never expecting that what had just happened was truly a close call.
Just then, someone came to announce that Emperor Kangxi, Yinzhen, and Yinsi had arrived.
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