Chapter 117 Granting fiefs to brothers
At the first grand court assembly after ascending the throne, Yinzhen announced that he would observe a three-year mourning period for the late emperor, or more precisely, 27 months.
In other words, during these 27 months, Yinzhen will not visit the harem, nor will he hold a selection of concubines, and no new children will be born. Fortunately, he already has quite a few children, and the court officials can accept his filial piety.
After Yinzhen announced the matter, it was time for the court officials to "present their reports if they had anything to say, and dismiss the court if they had nothing to say." Logically speaking, with the new emperor having just ascended the throne, no one would be so tactless as to step forward and disturb him at this time.
The civil and military officials remained silent in unison, waiting for the court to adjourn. But under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, stepped forward.
Everyone couldn't help but glance at him. Was this guy... going to cause trouble?
"I have something to report."
Regardless of the strange or worried looks from his brothers, Yinzhi stepped forward with a smile, his demeanor dignified, cheerful, and refined, displaying the air of a wise prince.
"What is it, Eighth Brother?"
Yinzhen sat at the head of the table, looking at him with a smile in his eyes, his tone gentle. But the courtiers below were too far away, and they only felt that the emperor's voice was full of warning.
"Your Majesty, I request that, in accordance with precedent, the character '胤' in the names of all the princes be changed to '允' to avoid using the taboo character."
Upon hearing Yinzhi's words, the clamor of the court officials suddenly ceased. "Huh? You said that? Is this something you should be saying? Eighth Prince, didn't you submit too quickly? Isn't the person sitting above your rival?"
"My eighth brother's intentions are commendable; I grant them."
"Your Majesty is wise."
It wasn't until Yinzhi—or rather, Yunzhi at this moment—returned to the ranks that the princes came to their senses. In a flash, Yunzhi connected the dots with various clues from the past and instantly understood everything.
"Myna, you and..."
Yun Si gave Yun Tang an apologetic smile, and the brothers who were secretly watching from the side saw many meanings in Yun Si's smile.
Prince Li, Yinreng, and the First Prince, Yinzhi, exchanged a glance and smiled calmly. Their defeat was not unjust. If the Eighth Prince hadn't stepped forward today, who would have guessed that the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince were in cahoots?
Once he was sure no one else had anything to say, Yinzhen had Su Peisheng announce the imperial decree and begin bestowing titles upon the princes.
The eldest prince, Yunzhi, was appointed Prince Zhi and entered the Ministry of War, where he was in charge of training the Eight Banners troops.
The second prince, Yinreng, was appointed Prince Li and entered the Censorate, where he was responsible for supervising all officials.
The third prince, Yunzhi, was made Prince Cheng and entered the Hanlin Academy, where he was responsible for compiling historical records.
The Fifth Prince Yunqi was named Prince Heng, and the Seventh Prince Yunyou was named Prince Chun. They jointly served as the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department.
The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, was granted the title of Prince Lian, a hereditary title. He was then appointed to the Ministry of Personnel, where he was responsible for evaluating officials.
The Ninth Prince, Yun Tang, was appointed Prince Yu and entered the Ministry of Revenue, where he was ordered to make money.
The tenth prince was granted the title of Prince Dun, and the twelfth prince was granted the title of Prince Lü. They were both placed in the Ministry of Rites, mainly responsible for matters concerning the imperial clan, which was considered a sinecure.
The thirteenth prince, Yunxiang, was appointed Prince Yi and entered the Ministry of Justice to be in charge of case review.
The fourteenth prince, Yunzhen, was promoted to Prince Xun and entered the Ministry of War, where he was in charge of the firearms battalion.
The seventeenth prince, Yunli, was granted the title of Prince Guo, while the other princes were all granted the title of Beile. None of them were of age to attend court, so they were studying in the palace.
After hearing the new emperor's series of generous bestowals, he really stopped pretending at all.
Even if the Eighth Prince hadn't stepped forward today, the moment this imperial edict of investiture was issued, everyone could see the problem. All the princes above him were Princes of the Second Rank, yet the Eighth Prince stood out by being granted the title of Prince of the First Rank, and he was the only one among all the princes whose title could be inherited indefinitely. Who wouldn't see something amiss?
But what could the court officials say besides being shocked by what had happened? The new emperor truly trusted his brothers and promoted them without any hesitation.
However, considering the cunning of the new emperor and the eighth prince in manipulating everyone, they certainly have the confidence to act without restraint.
Among the court officials, a small group had very unpleasant expressions. Their faces darkened as soon as they discovered the good relationship between the Eighth Prince and the new emperor. When they heard that the new emperor had appointed the Eighth Prince to the Ministry of Personnel to be in charge of evaluating officials, their hearts sank even further.
"That's it!" Thinking back to the secrets they'd exposed to the Eighth Prince in their past attempts to gain favor, the group felt a wave of despair wash over them. "Fine, fine, we'll pledge our loyalty, you two brothers are conspiring to outsmart us, aren't you?"
The court assembly ended, and the men felt their lives were about to end. Before they could even think of a solution, they were apprehended by officials from the Ministry of Justice who had been waiting for them as soon as they stepped out of the Golden Palace.
"Ministers, please."
Seeing his colleagues being taken away and some commotion in the crowd, Yun Si still stepped forward with a smile and reassured them, "My lords, there is no need to panic. It is just the arrest of some officials who neglected their duties. I believe you are all innocent and have nothing to worry about."
Those with keen eyes recognized these as several officials who used to frequent the Eighth Prince's side. Looking at Yinzhi, who was smiling warmly, they felt a chill in their hearts.
Good, good, good. As expected of the new emperor's good brother, with this kind of tactic, who wouldn't be able to tell that you two had coordinated beforehand?
Suddenly, all the officials saw the shadow of the former Prince Yong in the current Prince Lian. The imperial family's hearts are truly filthy; they're still talking about succession, aren't they? Is the title of "Xiezhi" going to be passed down to Prince Lian?
Good news: the new emperor has learned a little bit of tolerance; bad news: Prince Lian has inherited the new emperor's absolute strictness.
Even though it had nothing to do with them, the ministers walked back to their residences with much heavier steps, feeling that the road ahead would be difficult. They had to find a way to educate their children and relatives well, so that they wouldn't end up in the nine generations of their families who were implicated.
After the court session ended and all the ministers had left, the princes remained motionless, each one staring intently at Yinzhi.
Under the watchful eyes of his brothers, Yun Si suddenly felt some pressure and was feeling guilty when Su Peisheng appeared just in time.
"My lords, the Emperor summons you."
Yinzhi breathed a sigh of relief and was the first to agree, following behind Su Peisheng as he hurried toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation, trying to avoid the piercing gaze from behind.
"Yin Si greets Your Majesty."
Yinzhen leaned back in his chair, a relaxed smile on his face, and teased, feigning ignorance, "Get up, what's wrong?"
Yinzhi laughed in exasperation, looked at Yinzhen, stood up gracefully, and said slowly, "Fourth Brother, do you think you can escape?"
"Tsk," Yinzhen looked at Yunsi, who seemed to want to see a good show, and said confidently, "I am the emperor, and I do not live outside the palace."
The implication was that even if he couldn't escape, he would only be "punished" for a short while, while Yinzhi, who lived outside the palace, would not be able to escape prolonged harassment.
Yinsi understood, and thinking of Yintang's personality and his troublesome fourteenth brother, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. He should have known better than to suddenly reveal it to catch those officials off guard; he should have laid the groundwork with his ninth brother and the others beforehand.
"Myna, myna, why are you running so fast? Are you feeling guilty?"
Outside the palace, Yunzhen's shouts could be heard, clearly indicating that his words were not only directed at Yunsi.
Yinzhi and Yinzhen exchanged a glance, unable to suppress their schadenfreude. He couldn't escape it. But that didn't stop them from watching their fourth brother make a fool of himself; good brothers share troubles, after all.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Seeing a large group of brothers rushing over and bowing in unison, their respect tinged with a hint of gritted teeth, Yinzhen felt a rare, slight sense of unease.
"Cough cough cough... We're all brothers, no need to be so polite, get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, we're all brothers..." The eldest brother was the first to stand up, unable to resist speaking sarcastically.
Yunreng chimed in, "Yeah, but they're all good brothers..."
The remaining people seemed to have been inspired, and looking at Yinzhen and Yunsi, they all echoed their agreement.
"That's right, we're all brothers—"
"We're all brothers—"
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