Chapter 44 Kangxi thought about the Empress Dowager…
Emperor Kangxi had considered what the Empress Dowager might ask for on behalf of Wen Shan, but he never expected her to ask for such a great favor.
The fact that Wen Shan was able to raise three princes was not only because of his affection for Wen Shan, but also because he was exceptionally lenient towards the Empress Dowager. Although none of them were registered under her name, raising so many princes was unique in the entire palace.
If one of the imperial genealogies were to be transferred to Wen Shan's name, it would disrupt Kangxi's plan to balance the harem and stabilize the crown prince's position.
"Grandmother." Kangxi thought for a moment, and although the Empress Dowager was on her deathbed, he still said, "Both Yinzhen and Yinsi are filial. Even without this title, they would still take care of Consort Xuan."
Yinxiang was still young, so Kangxi did not include him in the calculations.
"How can that be the same?" The Empress Dowager forced herself to stay awake. "The three of them each have their own birth mothers. When they leave the palace and establish their own residences, they will each have two mothers living with them. Wen Shan will inevitably feel awkward and will not have a pleasant life."
To be honest, in Kangxi's eyes, the Empress Dowager was being a bit too demanding. Wen Shan had no children of her own, and if it weren't for these adopted sons, she would have had to spend her days in Shou Kang Palace with the other concubines. The fact that her sons were able to take her out to live a life of luxury was already something the Empress Dowager had planned for her in every way. Now, however, she was starting to plan that she would not want to live in the same residence as the birth mothers of Yinzhen and the others in the future.
However, he wasn't completely unable to understand what the Empress Dowager was saying.
That's definitely the truth.
The Empress Dowager noticed Kangxi's hesitation and continued, "Your Majesty may not like what I have to say, or you may feel that I am being too biased towards her. But there is one thing... Over the years, Wenshan has been by my side to fulfill her filial duties for Your Majesty, and she has never been tired for a single day. Just for this reason, Your Majesty should reward her with something."
The Empress Dowager spoke at such a long time with great effort, and even then she was losing strength. Kangxi could not bear to see his grandmother, who had raised him since childhood, plead so earnestly on her deathbed.
In addition, the Empress Dowager did not intend to win over her grandson with affection alone, so in the end she brought up filial piety.
Since Emperor Kangxi assumed personal rule, the relationship between him and his grandson had not been as close as before. Emperor Kangxi also did not visit Cining Palace often. It was indeed because Consort Wenshan was often by his side that it could be said to outsiders that the emperor was busy with state affairs and that Consort Wenshan was fulfilling his filial duties on his behalf.
With his sore spot exposed and the Empress Dowager nearing her deathbed, Kangxi had no choice but to agree to give Wenshan a child, but the child would be decided at a later date.
This leaves some room for maneuver in the matter.
The Empress Dowager was finally relieved when she saw that he had agreed. She glanced outside and said, "It's a pity we didn't see any snow this year."
...
Wen Shan waited anxiously outside for almost the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before Kangxi finally came out. When Wen Shan saw his expression, her heart skipped a beat and she knew something was wrong. She immediately rushed inside without thinking, but Kangxi grabbed her and stopped her.
"Grandmother has passed away; prepare for her funeral."
Wen Shan suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady on her feet. Fortunately, Kangxi caught her quickly and helped her sit down in his arms.
"I want to go and see our ancestors one more time."
Wen Shan sat for a while before she came to her senses. She grabbed Kangxi's arm and pleaded tearfully.
Emperor Kangxi sighed and gestured for her to enter.
In the twenty-sixth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the Empress Dowager, who had lived through the ups and downs of three reigns, passed away.
Emperor Kangxi suspended court for 100 days to mourn the Empress Dowager and officially established her posthumous title as "Empress Xiaozhuangwen". Kangxi kept vigil for many days, even refusing to eat or drink.
Finally, it was only after Wen Shan, who was also exhausted from crying, and Consort Niohuru took turns persuading Kangxi that he returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to rest for a day.
Yinzhen and Yinsi also came to keep vigil for the Empress Dowager every day. The princes and princesses knelt on the other side of the concubines, with the Crown Prince leading the way and all secretly shedding tears.
Wen Shan didn't have much of an appetite and couldn't eat anything, but seeing that the children had been kneeling all day, she still mustered up her energy and made some vegetarian food for Yinzhen and Yinsi.
The other princes and princesses also had their own mothers to take care of them.
"Mother, please eat something too," Yinzhen said with concern, noticing how much weight Wenshan had lost in just a few days.
Yinzhi also advised, "You've only drunk a little water all day, so please use some more."
Wenshan patted their heads and said, "I really can't eat anymore. You two are growing, so please eat."
Having no other choice, Yinzhen and Yinsi tried every possible method before they could barely get Wenshan to use some of the products.
Since they still had to keep vigil that night, the concubines didn't leave either. The imperial kitchen and their respective small kitchens sent over food, so everyone made do in the side hall.
Wen Shan took Yinzhen and Yinsi to a small room in Cining Palace for their meal. She was a frequent visitor to Cining Palace and knew it very well, so they didn't eat in a side hall. Seeing that Wen Shan wasn't there, Consort Hui started gossiping about her.
"I heard that before the Empress Dowager passed away, she asked the Emperor to change the imperial genealogy of one of the Fourth Prince, the Eighth Prince, or the Thirteenth Prince to the name of Consort Xuan?"
Consort Hui was simply watching the spectacle; after she finished speaking, her gaze shifted to Consort De, Noble Lady Liang, and Noble Lady Min.
Consort De and the Fifth Princess seemed not to hear anything, only feeding the Fifth Princess her dinner. Consort Liang and Consort Min, who had always had a good relationship with Wen Shan, also did not react much, each busy with their own affairs.
After taking care of the Tenth Prince, Consort Niohuru looked up and said, "With so many princes and princesses here, Consort Hui, why are you saying all this?"
Consort Ping chimed in, "The mourning period for the Empress Dowager is not over yet. Isn't it extremely disrespectful for Consort Hui to speak of the Empress Dowager like this?"
Only some of the younger princes and princesses were having their meals in a side hall with their mothers. The eldest prince, the crown prince, and the third prince were all elsewhere, so even with Consort Ping's heavy accusation, the eldest prince couldn't defend his mother.
"What Consort Ping said is too frightening. I was just saying it casually. With the Empress Dowager's memorial tablet above, no one would dare to be disrespectful."
Seeing that no one seemed inclined to discuss the matter, Consort Hui realized that now was not the right time, so she decisively chose to leave the scene quickly.
Meanwhile, Yinzhi also inquired about this matter with Wenshan.
Wen Shan was somewhat surprised: "How did you know? These were the Empress Dowager's last words, which she only spoke to the Emperor. I only found out because Su Ma La Gu told me privately that the Empress Dowager would ask the Emperor for this favor."
"It's already spread throughout the palace, Mother," Yinzhi said. "It's just that you're so heartbroken over Mother Wuku that you don't know."
The Empress Dowager passed away in the afternoon, and by evening the news had spread throughout the palace.
It certainly wasn't Kangxi who spread it, so there's only one possibility left: the Empress Dowager deliberately let everyone know. Although Kangxi would most likely fulfill his promise before her death, it was still hard to guarantee. So the Empress Dowager chose to spread the news, thus putting Kangxi in a position where he couldn't and wouldn't go back on his word.
Wen Shan felt a mix of emotions. She had raised the three brothers and treated them well not so that they would support her in her old age or change their birth charts to make them her children in name.
With them at Xianfu Palace, her monotonous life became much more fun and happy, and she was already content.
Especially for Consort Min and Consort Wei, who only have one child, Yinzhi and Yinxiang, if the child is transferred to their names, they will be extremely upset.
She could comfort herself by saying that it was the tradition of her ancestors that she could raise the child she had given birth to with great difficulty, and that the child could come back when he grew up, and that she would have her son to take care of her when she got old. But now the child has become someone else's son. If she were in his shoes, she would definitely not agree to it.
So she thought for a moment and said carefully, "How about I go and tell the Emperor that none of the three of you need to change your imperial genealogy? If I step in, the Emperor will have a way out and he'll be able to back down."
Since she, the person involved, has said so, Kangxi could simply back down.
Yinzhen and Yinsi naturally understood what Wenshan was thinking. Yinsi said, "Mother, what's done is done. Since Father has already agreed, it will only delay things for a while. Besides, this is also the Empress Dowager's last wish. Out of filial piety, Father cannot go back on his word. If you talk about it now, it will only make Father think that you are using retreat as a means to advance, forcing him to make a decision quickly."
"..."
Their minds are truly full of twists and turns.
"My fourth brother, thirteenth brother, and I have already discussed it and will do our best to get Father Emperor to change my fourth brother's imperial genealogy to your name."
As soon as the news spread, the three brothers quickly held a small meeting. The best course of action now was to put the fourth brother under their mother's name. That way, when the fourth brother ascended the throne in the future, he would no longer need to honor Consort De as Empress Dowager. After all, in the previous life, Consort De had caused a lot of trouble for the fourteenth prince. Even after the fourth brother ascended the throne, he refused to acknowledge his throne and publicly stated that he was unwilling to be the Empress Dowager. It would be better to take this opportunity to completely sever ties with Consort De.
When they reached this conclusion, Yinzhen remained silent for a while before nodding in agreement.
"Your sons will figure something out, Mother, you don't need to worry. After you finish mourning for Mother Wuku, you can rest for a few days." Yinzhi felt extremely sorry for Wenshan when he saw her.
Emperor Kangxi is also having a headache over this matter. Due to his imperial mindset, he is unwilling to let Wen Shan have her own prince. Her background is what it is. Changing the imperial genealogy is equivalent to having a biological child. This prince, with two brothers raised together since childhood to help him, would be truly unique in the palace.
Although Consort Yi had three biological sons, the Fifth Prince had been raised by the Empress Dowager since childhood and was not outstanding. Emperor Kangxi had already tacitly agreed that he would be a son who could spend his life eating, drinking and having fun as long as he didn't commit any serious crimes.
The Ninth Prince and the Eleventh Prince are too young; we can wait and see.
Although the thirteenth prince was younger, Yinzhen and Yinsi were, in all fairness, already considered to be among his two most outstanding sons, and they had a close relationship since childhood.
Kangxi thought that since Wenshan was determined to have a child, it would be better to take Yinxiang away and raise him elsewhere, which would balance things out a bit.
Moreover, Emperor Kangxi was more inclined to give Yinzhi to Wenshan between Yinzhen and Yinzhi. After all, Consort De had just lost the Sixth Prince, and Emperor Kangxi would feel somewhat reluctant to change Yinzhen's imperial genealogy. On the other hand, Yinzhi's birth mother came from a humble background, which would also elevate the child's status.
The more Kangxi thought about it, the more he felt that this was the most appropriate way: register Yinzhi under Wenshan's name and take Yinxiang to be raised elsewhere. This way, there would be no problem.
Then Yinzhen and the others predicted his prediction.
"Considering the bigger picture, Father Emperor will definitely register me under Mother's name," Yinzhi said.
The three held a meeting in the east side hall of Xianfu Palace. There were many snacks on the table. Now that the mourning period for the Empress Dowager had passed, they no longer needed to keep vigil every day.
"Moreover, he might take the thirteenth brother to another concubine's palace to raise, which would be in line with Father Emperor's consistent style of doing things."
Upon hearing this, Yinxiang immediately refused. He was quite content staying with his fourth and eighth brothers in Xianfu Palace, and he could also visit Consort Min frequently. He didn't want to go to other concubines' places!
After thinking about it for a moment, Yinzhen also felt that what Yinsi said was very realistic, and that his father would most likely really do that.
These days, whenever he returns from the Imperial Study, Yinzhen grabs Yinsi and Yinxiang to go over the events of their previous life. Neither of them expected to be forced to go over the events of their past life from beginning to end.
Yinxiang spoke with great passion, recounting in a powerful and stirring manner how he and Yinzhen, in their previous life, supported each other through the struggle for the throne among the nine princes, trampling on the eighth prince and punching the crown prince to carve out a bloody path.
As for Yinzhi... it's a bit hard to say about the tricks he secretly used against his fourth brother in his previous life.
So Yinzhi began to try to cover up some things, but Yinxiang ruthlessly exposed them.
He was such a well-behaved younger brother in front of his fourth brother!
That wretched thirteenth prince!
So Yinzhi and Yinxiang secretly harbored resentment against each other again, and the two started fighting once more.
So when Yinxiang, who was still not able to walk properly, knew that he might be sent away, he immediately asked his two older brothers for help.
"Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, you two need to think of something."
Yinzhi rested his chin on his hand and looked at him, pretending to be troubled: "Thirteenth brother, you know very well that there is little room for maneuver in this matter."
Yinzhen was helpless; his eighth brother was just taking every opportunity to tease his thirteenth brother.
"Go in peace. Your fourth brother and I will remember the sacrifice you made."
Yinxiang: "..."
"Fourth Brother, you're unreliable!" Yinxiang looked at Yinzhen with a tearful expression.
Yinxiang immediately reached out and turned his little face towards him: "Why are you looking at your fourth brother? This matter is not your responsibility. Just say a few nice words and your eighth brother will come up with a solution for you."
Ever since Yinzhen learned about his past life, his doting on Yinsi has become even more excessive, so now he can only helplessly watch the two of them fooling around.
Three black lines flashed through Yinxiang's mind. He finally understood that the one who was truly unreliable was his fourth brother!
Helpless, Yinxiang could only mimic how Wenshan usually praised them, and with a blank face, he said, "Eighth Brother, you are the best brother in the world, I love you the most..."
"Stop, stop!"
Yinzhi rubbed his arms. "Why does that sound so creepy, Your Majesty?"
Yinxiang snorted. If they're going to blackmail him, how can they expect him to have any feelings?
"Thirteenth Brother, let me teach you a lesson: one must be observant and flexible, and never let others know one's joy or anger. Don't wear your heart on your sleeve." Yinzhi pinched his cheek. "Because I am your brother, I will help you. But if you ask others for help, there are plenty of people who are even more rude than me."
The thirteenth prince's downfall in his past life was his straightforwardness and his tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve, which led to his imprisonment by his father for so many years. Later, when his fourth brother ascended the throne, he was released and hit it off with his even more straightforward brother. He remained the same in temperament until his death.
The thirteenth prince despised these pretentious and frivolous practices the most, but he was not a fool. He knew that Yinzhi was doing it for his own good, and he humbly accepted this instruction.
But accepting something is one thing, doing it is another.
Anyway, he's the youngest, and with his myna bird helping him out in this life, he can be more open and honest about being who he wants to be.
Yinzhi was unaware that his painstaking efforts to change his younger brother's temperament had resulted in him being seen as a professional mess cleaner by Yinxiang.
The memorial service for the Empress Dowager continued until April of the following year. The coffin was temporarily placed in the Temporary Anfeng Hall, a decision made by Emperor Kangxi after much deliberation.
The Empress Dowager did not want to be buried with Emperor Wen in Zhaoling and wanted to be buried next to the late Emperor's Xiaoling Mausoleum. However, this was against etiquette, and the court was in an uproar over the matter without any solution. In the end, Emperor Kangxi decided not to bury her yet and to place her coffin in the temporary Anfeng Hall. As for where the Empress Dowager's mausoleum should be built, since it could not be discussed now, it would be discussed later.
The astute officials were already fully aware that the Emperor intended to bury the Empress Dowager at Xiaoling Mausoleum according to her last wish. However, since so many court officials opposed it, they couldn't force the matter to proceed. So they delayed until the matter became less urgent and the Empress Dowager could be buried at Xiaoling Mausoleum, which was nearby.
The matter of where the Empress Dowager would be buried was delayed, as was Kangxi's promise to transfer a prince's imperial genealogy to Wen Shan's name.
Several months passed without Emperor Kangxi mentioning the matter.
Yinzhen and the others were bewildered by Kangxi's delaying tactics. They had considered countless possibilities, but they never expected that Kangxi would suppress the matter.
Anyway, when Kangxi agreed to the Empress Dowager's request, he said he would discuss it later.
Of course, we can wait until the so-called right time to discuss it.
However, although the matter of altering the imperial genealogy was delayed, which was unexpected by Yinzhen and the others, they did anticipate that Kangxi would want to take Yinxiang to another palace to raise.
After the mourning period ended, Emperor Kangxi began to favor the women in the harem. Not long after, Consort De and Consort Min became pregnant one after the other.
Wen Shan couldn't help but marvel at Consort De's remarkable constitution, but it was also quite difficult for her to have such frequent pregnancies and births, especially with the loss of her children in between.
This child was none other than the famous Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen, also known as the Great General.
The fact that two concubines in the harem were pregnant dispelled the gloom brought about by the death of the Empress Dowager. In addition, everything in the court was going smoothly, so Kangxi was in a good mood. One day, after meeting with the court officials, he suddenly became interested and took Ma Qi, Mingzhu, Suo'etu and others to the study to watch the princes study.
The eldest prince was originally scheduled to get married this year, but the wedding was postponed because the Empress Dowager passed away and he had to observe three years of national mourning. In addition, Emperor Kangxi found out about his secret acceptance of bribes some time ago and placed him under house arrest. After that, Emperor Kangxi stopped him from attending court and participating in government affairs, saying that he should study the classics again. He then sent him back to the Imperial Study. The remaining princes continued to study in the Imperial Study until the tenth prince reached the age.
Today, Zhang Ying is giving a lecture in the Imperial Study. When he saw that Emperor Kangxi had arrived with a large group of important court officials, he quickly joined the princes in paying their respects.
"No need for formalities, please rise." Kangxi waved his hand casually and walked to the head of the table to sit down: "Today I brought these ministers to see how you study. Don't be shy. Zhang Ying, you continue your lecture."
"yes."
The Crown Prince exchanged a glance with Suo'etu privately. Suo'etu nodded slightly, indicating that there was nothing wrong today and that it was indeed the Emperor's sudden decision to bring a group of ministers to come and take a look.
Mingzhu and the First Prince are still maintaining contact privately, so in public, especially in front of Emperor Kangxi, they pretend not to know each other.
The remaining Tong Guowei and his group haven't placed any bets on either side. The emperor is in his prime, and they don't have the ambition of Mingzhu to gamble on the next emperor right now. Since there are no daughters in their families who have given birth to princes, they simply want to be loyal subjects and only be loyal to Kangxi.
Zhang Ying picked up the book with a normal expression and began teaching as usual, seemingly not taking Emperor Kangxi sitting at the head of the table and the row of important court officials standing beside him seriously.
But before he could speak, he was interrupted by Emperor Kangxi.
"Were we discussing the History of Ming today?" Kangxi flipped through the History of Ming on the table and happened to come across the chapter on the Jingnan Campaign.
Starting in the 18th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the emperor appointed Xu Yuanwen, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, to supervise the compilation of the History of Ming. However, the work was never completed, so this History of Ming is only the first half of the final draft.
Zhang Ying cupped his hands and said, "Yes."
"Good, studying the history of the Ming Dynasty is good." Kangxi picked up the book of the history of the Ming Dynasty and patted it in front of everyone. "By taking history as a mirror, we can understand the rise and fall of dynasties. Reading the history of the Ming Dynasty will also let you know how the Ming Dynasty gradually lost the hearts of the people and finally perished, and how our Great Qing Dynasty was able to unify the world and recover the Central Plains. There is a lot to learn here."
"Father is right, we all feel that we have benefited greatly from it," the eldest prince quickly flattered.
Kangxi put the book down, glanced at him, and said, "Is that so? Since the eldest prince has such thoughts, then tell me what lessons you have learned from it."
Although the eldest prince was somewhat arrogant, he was still quite diligent in his studies. When Emperor Kangxi asked him any tricky questions, he immediately began to talk eloquently.
"Didn't Father Emperor say that Master Zhang would give the lecture? Why are you asking about elder brother's history books again?" The Fifth Prince lowered his voice and tugged at Yinzhen's sleeve from behind, complaining to him.
He was not good at these historical books and classics, and he would usually get sleepy when listening to them. He would also try to slack off in class. Today, he unfortunately encountered Emperor Kangxi coming to inspect the classroom and was forced to sit up straight and listen attentively, which made him feel uncomfortable as if ants were crawling on his body.
Yinzhen said in a low voice, "Don't make a sound, just listen carefully."
While the two were talking, the eldest prince had already finished answering. It was clear that Kangxi had not come to make things difficult for the eldest prince today, so he also gave him a few words of praise. Soetu and the others also flattered the eldest prince.
After the eldest prince finished answering Kangxi, he looked at the crown prince again.
"Yinreng, why don't you speak too?"
This level of question was no challenge for the First Prince, nor for the Crown Prince; his explanation was insightful and to the point.
Up until this point, everyone present thought that Kangxi was just showing off how outstanding his sons were, until Yinzhi was suddenly called out.
Having bypassed Yinzhen, Yinqi, and Yinyou in the middle, Kangxi directly promoted Yinsi, who was ranked at the back.
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