Chapter 123 Unable to Leave: Over the years, Gao Laixi has honed his composure to remain perfectly calm, always wearing this expression outside Yuqing Palace...
Over the past few years, Gao Laixi has honed his composure to remain calm and collected. Whenever he leaves Yuqing Palace, he always wears this dignified and unhurried smile. It seems that neither good nor bad things are a big deal to Gao Laixi and Yuqing Palace behind him.
Even Emperor Kangxi commented on this, roughly meaning that Yinreng had several good servants under his command. If even one good servant can be of great use, the fact that he had several suggests that his position as the Crown Prince was already secure.
This seemingly casual remark sent shockwaves through both the palace and the outside world. Yinzhi, who harbored resentment towards the Crown Prince since leaving the palace to establish his own residence, seized the opportunity to attack him.
For the past few years, Yinzhi has been working in the Ministry of War. With so many troops stationed throughout the country, there are many times when someone needs to be sent to oversee things. It's not always the Emperor who needs to appear; most of the time, he's just sent as a mascot to make a brief appearance.
Firstly, it was to let the generals and soldiers know that His Majesty had not forgotten them, and that even the Emperor's eldest son, who was both learned and skilled in martial arts, had come. Secondly, it was to use Yinzhi's influence in the Ministry of War to restrain the Crown Prince.
But anyone with even a little bit of sense knows that Prince Zhi is unable to get up.
Leaving aside the title His Majesty chose for Prince Zhi, the most basic and obvious expectation was for him to be upright, incorruptible, and loyal to the country. Just how well-suited this title was to this prince is something anyone with eyes can see.
Of all the titles available, the fact that His Majesty chose this one for Yinzhi shows that the Emperor cares for this son only slightly less than he cares for the Crown Prince.
Yes, of course I know that my son is fiery and straightforward, and not very quick-witted. But I have already given him this title and criticized it myself. So if he commits a crime in the future, wouldn't that be somewhat understandable?
Even if the new emperor dislikes him and doesn't want to use him, shouldn't he at least consider that this is simply his nature and not drive him to extinction?
Therefore, even though Yinzhi felt he was in power again because of this ambiguous statement, he could no longer command the Mingzhu faction and those who favored the First Prince.
Only two censors, loyal to the Prince, submitted a few impeachment memorials, which were ineffective and barely caused a ripple. It was then that Kangxi realized the whetstone he had chosen for the Crown Prince had become useless, like tofu.
The Crown Prince didn't care about this at all, or rather, he tried his best to appear indifferent. In the past few years, several more children were born in the Eastern Palace. The Second Prince, Hongjin, was born to Lady Gegelin. The First Princess and the Second Princess were born one after the other. The First Princess was born to Shi Qionghua, and the Second Princess was born to Consort Li.
With the addition of the eldest prince Hongxi, bestowed with a name by the Emperor, the Crown Prince's lineage is quite impressive. In particular, the Crown Princess has given birth to both the eldest prince and the eldest princess, which is undoubtedly a significant advantage for the legitimate succession of the Yuqing Palace.
Yinreng reacted to Yinzhi's impeachment and provocation in a way quite different from his previous years. To the civil and military officials, the Crown Prince displayed the demeanor of a benevolent ruler, with some even believing he already possessed the bearing of an emperor. As for how this felt to Kangxi, only he himself knew.
Yu Lang followed Gao Laixi away. Shen Wanqing stood at the door of her house and stared for a long time until the carriage turned the corner before turning back to go home.
"Qiuwen, this afternoon, send some green rice dumplings to the Crown Princess. Also, ask if she is free tomorrow. If she is, tell her I wish to go to the palace to pay my respects to Her Highness."
"Yes, I've got it."
In the embezzlement case, the Shi family sacrificed their pawn to save the king under the urging of the Crown Princess, while the Shen family voluntarily gave up this lucrative opportunity because of their son-in-law, Yu Lang. Neither family suffered any major damage, but they were still somewhat different in essence.
Some members of the Shi family remember the Crown Princess's kindness, while others feel that the Crown Princess is biased towards outsiders, sometimes even closer to Shen Wanqing and the Shen family than to the Shi family.
Such people may be considered clueless and slow-witted, but there are far more fools in this world than people willing to listen to fools. Therefore, in the past two years, in order to balance the Shi family, Shi Qionghua has summoned Shen Wanqing far less often than before.
Fortunately, whenever Shen Wanqing presented her nameplate to request an audience, the Crown Princess never turned her away. Therefore, within the circle of high-ranking officials' wives and concubines, Shen Wanqing's position remained as secure as before.
"Will there be any problems with Lang Ge'er entering the palace?"
"Why hasn't the old lady gone back to rest yet?"
Shen Wanqing thought that everyone who was supposed to leave had left, but she didn't expect to run into Tongjia Shi, who was obviously waiting for her, as soon as she turned the corner.
"Don't worry, Madam. Although Yulang is a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue and is not in charge of the prefectures and states in Jiangnan, His Majesty's southern tour requires money and effort from all over the country. It is only right and proper for the Crown Prince to summon him to discuss matters. Nothing will go wrong."
“You are the ones who uphold this household, so if you say it’s alright, then it’s alright.”
Tongjia's back was already a little hunched. She had a lot of fun staying at the estate for two days, but it also exhausted her.
“I’m old and useless. Before, even if I was scared inside, I could still keep a straight face. Now, the slightest disturbance makes me feel uneasy.”
"Don't think I'm being a nag, but I can tell from your expression that nothing serious has happened. I just can't help asking to put my mind at ease."
This is Shen Wanqing's ninth year in this world. She has watched Tongjia Shi transform from an old lady who doesn't look old into an old lady who rambles on and on with every sentence. The difference between them is truly enormous.
Shen Wanqing stood behind Tongjia and watched her lead her two granddaughters away into the distance, when suddenly she had an epiphany.
The Emperor is up to something again; he knows these principles in his heart. The current Crown Prince is neither easy to nor can be touched. But like Lady Tongjia, even knowing the answer, I still want to hear it.
The Crown Prince's loyalty cannot be guaranteed for life with just one instance; Yinreng needs to provide him with feedback and assurances every now and then. Now that Kangxi has suddenly changed his mind and wants to take the Crown Prince out of the capital, something must have provoked this emperor, making him feel uneasy without his son by his side.
"Qiuwen, don't go to the palace this afternoon. Share the green rice dumplings you brought back from the estate, and send some to each of our relatives so everyone can have a taste."
"Yes, I've got it."
After the Hesheli family closed their gates, there was no further movement. The arrival of Lord Yu in Yuqing Palace eased the previously tense and anxious atmosphere.
"The Crown Prince did not participate in the previous two southern tours. Now that the situation in the Dzungar Khanate is still good and the trade between the Northwest and the Mongolian Plateau is stable, and Prince Zhi has long been scheduled to accompany the Emperor on this tour, it is only natural for you, as the Crown Prince, to make a southern tour."
“That makes sense, but this southern tour was originally intended for Father Emperor to accompany the Empress Dowager to Jiangnan. Now that Second Brother is also leaving the capital, who will guard the capital?”
In the study of Dunben Hall, besides the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince and the Seventh Prince were also present. The imperial edict from the Qianqing Palace was sent to the Six Ministries, and the temporary addition of the Crown Prince's ceremonial guard and carriage had to go through the hands of Yinzhen and Yinyou. They were the first to know the news.
"Then I dare not presume to guess Your Majesty's intentions."
Yu Lang said he dared not presume to speculate, but his eyes kept darting back and forth between Yinzhen and Yinyou, which amused Yinreng. He raised his eyebrows at his two younger brothers, signaling them to tell him what they thought.
“My brother has difficulty walking, and next year my eighth, ninth, and tenth brothers will all be leaving the palace to build their own residences. The Ministry of Works is very busy, so I definitely have to stay and oversee things.”
"The southern tour will be very expensive, and there are officials from various provinces and prefectures and local gentry to meet along the way. So many students in Jiangnan are also waiting for the Emperor to appease them. The Ministry of Revenue will be too busy to leave, so I definitely won't be able to go."
That makes sense. The Emperor will definitely leave enough Hanlin scholars to keep the Southern Study running. The Fourth Prince and the Seventh Prince are already blatant members of the Crown Prince's faction. It's fine if the Crown Prince doesn't stay with them.
As for the other members of the Crown Prince's faction, what does it matter to you whether the Crown Prince is in the capital or not? Would you rebel if the Crown Prince were in the capital? Or would you rebel if the Crown Prince were on an inspection tour with the Emperor? Since neither of those applies, then just do what you normally would.
Ultimately, it was up to Kangxi to decide who stayed and who would take the person with them. Yinreng hurriedly summoned people to Yuqing Palace only because he was quite surprised to receive the news and was thus thrown into disarray.
After everyone was gathered, although no conclusion was reached, people's mindsets gradually calmed down.
After a few days without any unusual activity or arrangements at Yuqing Palace or outside the palace, Kangxi summoned Yinreng to Qianqing Palace. He explained that he had suddenly decided to take Yinreng on a southern tour, wanting the scholars in Jiangnan to see the crown prince he had chosen as the foundation of the state, so as to further solidify the people's hearts.
For Yinreng, it would be the best thing to allow the Crown Prince to appear directly in front of scholars throughout the country, especially in Jiangnan, and even to establish his prestige.
But he felt no joy at all. It wasn't until he came out of the Qianqing Palace and walked along the palace road back to the Yuqing Palace, feeling the coolness of the wind blowing the sweat off his back, that he finally let out a long sigh without making a sound.
Fortunately, no arrangements were made after learning that he would be accompanying the emperor on his southern tour. Otherwise, it would be hard to say whether he, as the crown prince, would be able to show his face to the officials and scholars in Jiangnan during this southern tour.
A momentary lapse in judgment temporarily dispelled Kangxi's anxieties and concerns, and at the end of March, the emperor's southern tour officially departed from the capital.
Besides the Crown Prince, the princes accompanying the emperor included Prince Zhi (Yin Ti), the Eighth Prince (Yin Si), the Ninth Prince (Yin Tang), and the Tenth Prince (Yin E). This essentially left Prince Cheng and the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Princes—who had already gained experience in the Six Ministries and were not easily fooled by lower-ranking officials—to guard the capital.
Yu Lang was taken along by Yinreng, and Shen Wanqing also left the capital with him.
Traveling with the emperor would certainly be the safest option, and since most of the journey on this southern tour is by water, it means that as long as you get through the first few days of seasickness, you'll be bored on the boat, but you definitely won't be shaken to pieces by the carriage.
Last year, Shen Wanqing also considered going to the northwest with a caravan. The family's jade business and the new goji berries and various dried fruits added to the specialty shop were all transported to Beijing via Suzhou, Zhangjiakou and other places through the Junggar and Khalkha.
Just like the jade from Hotan, most of the jade mines are controlled by the Dzungar Khanate. Nowadays, you can do business with them, but you can't compete with them for management rights. Even the slightest provocation can lead to a fight.
Galdan is still a hostage in the capital, and his nephew has not yet fully brought the Dzungars under his control. The old and new leaders are also fighting every now and then.
The imperial court naturally wanted them to fight, so at this time, the court would avoid provoking the Dzungars as much as possible, and not only did it avoid provoking them, it also sent people to infiltrate and stir up trouble on both sides.
You'd better not stop, you could fight for twenty years straight. As long as Galdan lives, the factions that call themselves Galdan will have a legitimate reason to fight.
If this kind of minor skirmish continues for twenty years, most of the manpower, material resources, and financial resources of the Dzungar region will be wasted due to internal strife. When the court sends troops to fight again, it will take much less effort and energy.
Therefore, Shen Wanqing, who felt that this tug-of-war and coexistence would not end in a year or two, wanted to conduct an on-site investigation and then set up a transit point in Suzhou or somewhere else.
Divide the entire transport route from the Northwest Desert to the capital into two sections. Hire locals and your own shopkeeper to guard one section. Once you've secured the position, the caravans can pick up goods at the transit station each time. Locals are always more familiar with the area, and maybe in a few years you can even open a branch in the capital to Suzhou.
In short, I had many thoughts, but in the end, I didn't go. Yu Lang was too busy at the Ministry of Revenue, and if Shen Wanqing left, there would really be no one to turn to if anything happened in the mansion. After all, Niohuru was useless, and Shumulu had gone to Fuzhou, leaving Shen Wanqing as the only pillar of stability in the household.
Yu Lang spoke with such conviction, but even a blind man could tell he simply didn't want Shen Wanqing to leave. This was because Shen Wanqing had traveled with a caravan, and Shen Wanlan was also among them.
Yu Lang already felt that his sister-in-law, Shen Wanlan, didn't think much of him, and she kept urging Shen Wanqing to go out and see more of this beautiful land, talking about things like "the lone smoke rising straight in the desert" and "the setting sun over the long river," which sounded better than singing.
Yu Lang said it wasn't that mysterious. It was just a desert, he'd been there before. He almost starved to death there when he led a small team to scout enemy positions. He'd also climbed canyons and mountains, and he still remembered the feeling of getting blisters on his feet.
When he said this, Lord Renyu was extremely dissatisfied, resentful, and unhappy. In short, he felt that Shen Wanlan had ill intentions.
Perhaps it was because Yu Lang was too stingy and didn't hide anything, or perhaps the family simply didn't trust any of the arrangements, but in any case, Shen Wanqing was unable to go on her trip to Northwest China last year.
This year, she got the opportunity to go south, and without Shen Wanqing mentioning it, Yu Lang secured her a spot to accompany the emperor out of the capital.
The journey south was not difficult. Although the boat that Shen Wanqing was on was not large, fortunately, Yu Lang was a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue. Among the vice minister and two secretaries who came with the Ministry of Revenue this time, Yu Lang was the most important. He was in charge of the purse strings, so the people working below would naturally not lack anything for Shen Wanqing.
The emperor's entourage traveled south, and along the way, Emperor Kangxi, accompanied by the crown prince and Prince Zhi, took a small boat to inspect the river embankments south of the Yellow River, finally stopping in Suzhou.
Suzhou and Suzhou, though thousands of miles apart, are pronounced the same. Shen Wanqing, who didn't make it to Suzhou, had a great time in Suzhou. Apart from following the crowd to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and a few concubines once, she spent most of her time shopping.
Many local officials came to give gifts to Yu Lang. Yu Lang spent most of his time either in front of the emperor or in front of the crown prince. Those who couldn't find Yu Lang could only come to see Shen Wanqing.
Local officials are, in some ways, more shrewd and resourceful than their counterparts in the capital, because they have fewer and scarcer opportunities for promotion. Shen Wanqing didn't want to deal with them too much; she was afraid she might be led astray without realizing it.
Therefore, as the wife of Yu Lang, the Crown Prince's most powerful confidant, Shen Wanqing only received a wave of gifts in the first two days after settling in.
This wave of gifts was less about her receiving them and more about Yu Lang and her representing the Crown Prince in expressing an attitude: the Crown Prince is very kind and approachable to the officials in Jiangnan, and is particularly willing to get closer to and care about them.
After that, any officials who wanted to make further connections with her would find it impossible to meet her. Shen Wanqing was either at the imperial palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, or she was out of the house, or she was too tired and ill with the change in environment to receive guests, let alone accept gifts.
This also serves as a message for the Crown Prince: he may be willing, but now is not the time. I, the Crown Prince, am the Emperor's son, and everything must be done with the Emperor's best interests at heart. You should not try to use my connections to preemptively choose sides.
This was all good, and Shen Wanqing thought that Kangxi should be able to rest easy now. "You live a long and healthy life, and when you've lived enough, the Crown Prince can ascend the throne again. Isn't that good?"
But just as the imperial procession was about to travel from Suzhou to Jiangning, trouble struck without warning. Shen Wanqing had arranged to go boating on the lake with the wife of the Vice Minister of Revenue that morning, but as she was about to leave, she found two guards outside the door, and she couldn't get out.
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