Chapter 86 Conversation
Prince Yong fell and injured himself while entering the palace to pay his respects, and was sent back to his residence to recuperate.
Who wouldn't feel terrible upon hearing this news? Prince Yong has been having a run of bad luck lately. Some opportunists even sent invitations to Prince Yong's residence recommending several highly effective temples.
Of course, those with a keen eye wouldn't think there was anything unexpected. So many guards in front of the emperor were punished for this matter, how could they not harbor any resentment? They would secretly reveal some clues, and naturally, the truth would be pieced together.
The Crown Prince was arrogant and reckless, severely injuring Prince Yong in public, showing no filial piety or brotherly love. This aroused dissatisfaction among many people.
Upon receiving the news, Mingzhu felt a chill run down her spine. The Emperor was... he was putting the Crown Prince and the other princes on the same level.
It seems the Emperor still harbors suspicions; otherwise, given his past care and protection of the Crown Prince, this matter would not have ended in this way.
They could either punish the Crown Prince on the spot, giving him a lenient sentence, and then not say much about the others after punishing them; or if they wanted to keep it a secret, they would do so so that it would be impossible for anyone in the imperial court to leak it.
It's unclear whether the Emperor still harbors some affection for the Crown Prince, or if he's simply used to protecting him but isn't putting much effort into it anymore.
Do you think the Emperor wouldn't know the background of the Imperial Guards? This could be a way to sever the Crown Prince's ties with powerful families.
Mingzhu saw not a trace of maternal love in Kangxi's words, only his intention to weaken factional power and maintain a balance of power. He had a premonition that, in order to uphold imperial rule and legitimacy, the Crown Prince's faction would rise again. But they would never be as powerful as before, nor would they dominate the court.
Now, in the imperial court, without Tong Guowei and without Suo'etu, only Nalan Mingzhu stands out from the crowd!
...
More than half of the turbulent forty-two years had passed. It was September, and it was clear to everyone that the Emperor had restored his trust in the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince's wavering position had been stabilized.
Before everyone could help but marvel at the Crown Prince's favor, Nalan Mingzhu, a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, requested to resign in court, citing "weak health and many illnesses" as the reason for his retirement.
Everyone was initially surprised, but considering that Mingzhu had often taken sick leave recently, it was not hard to understand.
Emperor Kangxi tried to persuade Mingzhu to stay twice, but seeing that Mingzhu was determined, he finally agreed.
With Mingzhu's retirement, the three most powerful and influential officials in the first half of the Kangxi reign all disappeared, leaving the long-time colleagues sighing with regret.
On the day that Mingzhu bid farewell to the court with Kangxi's approval, Yinzhi received an invitation to meet with the eldest prince, Yinzhi.
"Big brother."
"Eighth brother is here, please sit down."
At the residence of Prince Zhi, Yinzhi sat in the pavilion. When Yinsi arrived, he calmly invited him to sit down. His attitude was gentle, quite different from before, and there was no trace of the arrogance that Prince Zhi once had.
The injuries from the fall from the horse have made him less robust than before, and now he looks more like a scholar.
Yinzhi, who hadn't seen him for a while, was also a little stunned. Compared to the last time, Yinzhi had changed a lot. It was as if he had broken free of his shackles, and his appearance looked much gentler.
"What, don't you recognize your elder brother?" Yinzhi smiled when he saw Yinzhi's expression.
“My elder brother has changed a lot.” Yinzhi sat down opposite Yinzhi and answered frankly.
"Is that so?" Yinzhi's expression drifted away, then he picked up his teacup. "I'm not feeling well, so I'll offer you a cup of tea instead of wine."
Yinzhi also picked up his teacup and exchanged a sip with Yinzhi.
Yinzhi put down his teacup, suddenly laughed, swirled the teacup, and smiled at Yinsi, saying, "In the past, I couldn't drink alcohol because of illness, and I only felt restless and uneasy. Now, I can actually taste a bit of the fragrance of tea."
Yinzhi simply smiled and listened silently, saying nothing more. Yinzhi, seeing this, shook his head and sighed, "You're as cautious as ever. I've heard everyone outside praises you as the 'Eighth Prince,' so why do you become so silent in front of me?"
"Big brother..."
“No need to explain, I’m not blaming you,” Yinzhi waved his hand to interrupt Yinsi, his gesture still showing traces of his former boldness. “Now I’ve figured it out, I was just chatting with you.”
"What has Brother figured out?" Yinzhi stopped smiling and looked directly at Yinzhi, as if it was time to get down to business.
"I still prefer your cold face; it does resemble the Fourth Prince to some extent. Why bother with such a humble and obsequious smile when you're a prince?"
Yinzhi lowered his eyes. As the eldest prince, who was favored and supported by his maternal clan, he naturally wouldn't understand his way of life. Weren't there enough princes in the palace? What did this status matter? His fourth brother saved their father, and their father still covered up the Crown Prince's bullying of his fourth brother...
Thinking of this, Yinzhi couldn't help but tighten his grip on the teacup.
Seeing Yinzhi's expression, Yinzhi realized he had spoken out of turn. He hesitated for a moment, then decided not to explain. After all, no matter how gentle he appeared, he was still the proud eldest prince at heart.
"Let's not talk about that. Eighth Brother, what are your thoughts now?" Not one for pleasantries, Yinzhi asked directly.
"What does 'Big Brother' mean?"
Yinzhi raised his eyes and stared steadily into Yinzhi's gaze. His eyes looked as gentle as ever, but he could no longer hide his ambition.
"Hahaha, good! I like the look in your eyes now!" Yinzhi laughed, then looked at his hands, at the calluses that had softened from not drawing a bow or holding a sword for so long, and said nonchalantly, "My body... I won't be able to draw a bow and shoot arrows in the future. Without martial arts, I, the eldest prince, am practically crippled. Now that Mingzhu has retired, the eldest prince's party is just a name without substance."
“Yinzhi, Mingzhu has figured it out, and so have I. I can give up the fight, but my men need a place to go…”
"Brother, what do you mean?" Yinzhi remained calm, as if he couldn't understand Yinzhi's hint.
"To be honest, even though I knew that Prince Yu had recommended you, and even though Mingzhu recommended you to me before he retired, I did not approve of you before we met."
Yinzhi leaned forward, looking at Yinsi with a scrutinizing gaze.
“If you are indeed that charming and cunning Eighth Prince, then I will never approve of you. But your eyes surprised me; I saw ambition, desire, and courage in them…”
"So what?" Faced with the deliberate pressure released by Yinzhi, Yinsi remained indifferent, showing no change whatsoever.
"Hahaha, good, you have guts!" Yinzhi laughed and patted Yinsi on the shoulder, saying with relief, "It's time for the First Prince's party to disband, but I think it's also a good choice to have another Eighth Prince's party."
Yinzhi raised his eyes and looked at the bold and unrestrained eldest prince, seemingly trying to discern his true intentions.
"Don't doubt it, that's exactly what I mean. The remaining officials of the First Prince's Party are now in your hands. Of course, whether you can truly win them over depends on yourself."
"What is the purpose? What is elder brother's purpose?" Yinzhi realized that ever since he came to the Zhijun Prince's Mansion, he seemed to have been the one asking questions, and the conversation had been dominated by Yinzhi.
As expected, even the First Prince, known for his martial prowess, was not to be underestimated. Indeed, none of the Emperor's sons were easy to deal with.
"The goal, the goal is simple: I'm not going to fight for it anymore, but the Crown Prince can't ascend the throne." Yinzhi's smile faded, and he became much more serious when his old rival was mentioned. But his seriousness didn't last long, and he chuckled, "The Crown Prince…tsk, I wonder when he'll understand…our Imperial Father…"
Yinzhi didn't say much, but finally looked at Yinsi seriously and asked, "Eighth Brother, now that I've stepped out, are you really ready to step back in? To compete with the Crown Prince, to compete with Father?"
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