Chapter 98 Maybe I'm Infertile: Claiming to be going to Tongzhou to inspect the river embankment, the Crown Prince, accompanied by his guards and personal attendants, openly left the city towards Tongzhou…
The prince claimed he was going to Tongzhou to inspect the river embankment. He openly left the city with his guards and attendants and headed towards Tongzhou. However, halfway there, he turned back and went to the firearms camp.
Leaving the palace today was a task assigned by Emperor Kangxi. He was afraid that others would notice and inform the firearms battalion in advance, so he staged this scene to deceive outsiders and catch the firearms battalion off guard.
The day before yesterday, the gunnery battalion and the vanguard battalion got into a fight. In the gunnery battalion, a soldier from the Plain White Banner had his middle leg broken. What was originally a minor incident suddenly escalated into a major incident.
At this moment, the chief ministers of the Firearms Battalion and the Vanguard Battalion were being scolded in the Qianqing Palace. Both leaders insisted that the other had provoked them first, and both were relatives of the emperor, each stubbornly refusing to back down. This angered Kangxi so much that he threw away everything he could.
Unlike before, the entire capital, the entire northwest, and even Shengjing in the south have been mobilized.
Everything from procuring food and supplies to providing soldiers with food, clothing, weapons, medicine, and doctors needs to be prepared in advance. Warfare is all about logistics, and good logistics can greatly increase the chances of victory.
Most of the necessary preparations have been completed, and the granaries and post stations along the way have been built. All that remains is for the remaining supplies to be added before the imperial army can set off.
At this time, the atmosphere in each military camp was already tense. So many soldiers could not leave the camp without permission. Every day, they did nothing but train. Everyone could see their own future: either make a name for themselves and get rich, or die on the battlefield and be a hero again eighteen years later.
These words were spoken with great pride, but it would be a lie to say that there was not a trace of fear or hesitation in his heart. Even Yu Lang secretly sat in his room in the small courtyard behind Shen Wanqing's back, staring blankly at his wife in the study opposite.
In situations where a single spark could ignite everyone's emotions, fighting isn't scary; a broken leg is a big deal, but it's not unsolvable.
A broken leg is hard to heal and will inevitably leave one limping, but for some people, it's not necessarily all bad.
A soldier with a broken leg can no longer charge into battle. When the time comes, he will either become a cook after his injury heals, or if his injury does not heal, a replacement will be selected from his family.
This person could not achieve merit, but he was also spared the fate of dying on the battlefield. Therefore, before each expedition, there would be several people in the camp who had suffered various accidents, such as losing a leg or a hand.
That situation only concerns him; whether it's good or bad, he bears it all alone. He's willing to risk his future by avoiding it this time, and it has nothing to do with anyone else.
The situation is different now. The man in the artillery battalion whose leg was broken was the middle one, and it's said that the Plain White Bannerman whose leg was broken was the only son in his family. This means that either his mother and father can have another child in their old age, or his family line will end.
When it comes to the continuation of the family line, not to mention the Crown Prince, even Emperor Kangxi had to handle it carefully. He was afraid that if he didn't do something, he would stir up the emotions of the other soldiers, which would be very troublesome. After all, in many people's eyes, losing the family line was more important than losing a leg or even a life.
Next year, when the army will set off, the entire capital will depend on the Crown Prince to support it after Kangxi leaves the capital with his army.
When the battle reports from the front lines keep coming to the capital, it will be fine if they are all great victories. But if the war goes badly and the people in the court are in a state of panic, then they will all have to rely on Crown Prince Yinreng to stabilize the situation.
Therefore, starting this year, Emperor Kangxi has been gradually loosening his grip on the Crown Prince, allowing the Crown Prince, who has been in office for many years, to truly step into the limelight.
At first, he was allowed to leave the palace twice a month to observe the people's conditions. For the first two times, Yinreng would go straight to the outskirts of the city with his guards and attendants to avoid being 'accidentally' bumped into by any prince or minister in the capital.
The first time I went to Yulang's farm, I happened to arrive just as Zhuang Ming had finished setting up the farm. The chicks and ducklings had just been released, and the chicken and duck farms weren't too dirty yet. The tenants who had been specially brought over to work were also in high spirits.
The young master looked at the large expanse of yellow and gray poultry and thought it was a truly beautiful and simple place, full of chickens, dogs, mulberry trees, and hemp.
Seeing the Crown Prince treat this as if it were a commoner's way, He Yuzhu and Gao Laixi, who followed the Crown Prince out of the palace, suppressed their laughter but dared not laugh, while Yu Lang dared to laugh but felt that he should not laugh.
The Crown Prince was raised by great Confucian scholars from a young age, so it's not that he was completely ignorant of the hardships of ordinary people. It's just that the hardships of ordinary people in the Crown Prince's heart are in the books and in his mind, but he hasn't yet been able to see them in person.
Since Zhuang Ming was using the land of Dazhuangzi, Yu Lang, who couldn't say it outright, simply led the Crown Prince to continue walking further out of the city.
First, go to the small village in Songzhuangtou, then head towards Shen Wanqing's dowry fields. As you walk along, the terrain, houses, tenants, and scenery become noticeably different.
Shen Wanqing's dowry fields, whether in terms of their regularity, size, or location, could not compare to the estates and lands of the Hesheli family. Fortunately, both the steward and the tenants were dressed neatly and looked well.
The sight of fields and farmlands beyond the banner territory left the Crown Prince increasingly silent, until he was completely speechless. However, this time Yinreng didn't express any sentiments. After all, even at this distance, it was still around the capital, and he dared not make any rash judgments about the true state of the people and their lives.
The story eventually reached Kangxi's ears. He heard that Kangxi first laughed, then shook his head repeatedly, and after shaking his head, he laughed with emotion. He was lamenting that his crown prince was too far from 'understanding the people's sentiments,' but he was also gratified that at least Yinreng was a crown prince who could see the common people and their plight.
After that, he gradually assigned some supervisory and investigation duties to Yinreng, letting him take turns handling minor matters in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War.
The so-called "handling" was really just watching the two officials bicker and argue. At first, I was extremely impatient, but I gradually became able to tolerate it, and then I could chat with Yulang while watching them argue. When they had finished arguing, I asked them for a result.
If the result is satisfactory, great. If not, let them argue it over again and give a new result. If they cannot give Yinreng the result he wants after repeated attempts, then the matter should be reported directly to His Majesty.
If the Emperor finds the outcome acceptable, that's fine. But if His Majesty also thinks this approach is unacceptable, then the position will most likely be taken by someone else.
It took Yinreng nearly half a year to go from always being pushed to the front by Suo'etu and Lingpu, and having no desire for the Crown Prince to charge into battle, to learning how to ask his ministers for results and replace them if the results were not good.
In the past six months, the officials in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works who were replaced by the Crown Prince and the Emperor included members of Mingzhu's faction, members of Suo'etu's faction, and even two members of the Shi family were dismissed.
At first, Suo'etu came to Yuqing Palace to plead his case, but after seeing the situation clearly, he dared not plead anymore. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and started arguing even more fiercely with Mingzhu.
With the Shi family as a safety net, the Crown Prince's marriage was much easier. The tripartite balance set up by Kangxi not only saved him trouble but also placed Yinreng at the center of the triangle, preventing him from being pulled or dragged down by any one side.
Unable to use the Crown Prince to control his followers any longer, Suo'etu could only do his best to convince the Crown Prince and the Emperor that he was still useful. Otherwise, Yulang, a junior member of the same clan, would really be able to oust him in a few years.
As for Yu Lang, he never followed their path from the beginning. He only cared about doing his job well and didn't care about anything else. If he was doing well, the Crown Prince would reward him; if he wasn't doing well, the Crown Prince would punish him. He didn't even care about the Emperor and what others were.
"Your Highness, the left and right wing commanders of the Firearms Battalion have arrived."
"Come in when you arrive. Are you waiting for me?"
On another note, the Crown Prince, who was not coerced, and Lord Yu, who was left unattended, led their men into the firearms camp, scaring the left and right wing commanders guarding the camp half to death.
The two wing commanders of the Firearms Battalion thought that once the Grand Minister was summoned to the palace by His Majesty, they would have nothing to do. Unexpectedly, His Majesty and the Crown Prince were playing a feint with their subordinates. His Majesty was responsible for keeping the leaders of the Firearms Battalion and the Vanguard Battalion in the palace, while the Crown Prince personally came to the Firearms Battalion to handle the matter.
The matter is actually easy to handle. The key point is not whether the firearms battalion or the vanguard battalion provoked first. Who went first or last doesn't matter. The most important thing is how to settle the person who lost the middle leg.
According to past practice, families whose heirs had died out could adopt a son from the same clan. But this only applied to people who had actually died on the battlefield. Such families received compensation and owned land, and there were always families in the clan with many children who were willing to choose a son to adopt.
This way, they'll have one less mouth to feed, and their biological son can inherit a portion of the family property. The man has only lost his middle leg, he's not dead yet. If the son is adopted, he'll not only have to carry on the family line but also take care of him in his old age. The injured man is not even thirty; who knows how many more years he has to live?
On his way here, Yinreng asked Yulang what he would do if it were him. Yulang had already asked Akdun what the initial reason for the fight between the two sides was. Apparently, it was because someone on both sides had a loose tongue and mentioned a prostitute who was quite popular in the red-light district of the south of the city. Both sides claimed to be the woman's favorite guest.
Both sides wanted to save face, and the more they argued, the more heated they became, until a fight broke out without anyone knowing who started it. It wasn't exactly a glorious affair to begin with, and it was impossible to expect the court or the camp to provide extra funds. If they did give them money, what would become of those who lost their lives on the battlefield?
However, we can't leave it unattended, since he's a rootless person, and we can't just ignore him completely. So, following Yu Lang's approach, we should focus on his recovery for now, and he can join the army next year when he's almost fully healed.
If he can't be a vanguard, can't he be a cook? Besides, it's only the middle leg that's broken, it won't stop him from riding a horse. As long as he can make merit on the battlefield and come back alive, the court and his banner's captain can help him find a suitable heir. He has merit, so he doesn't have to worry about his heir's family bullying him in the future.
If he doesn't come back alive, that's even simpler; we'll deal with whatever comes our way. But if he doesn't want to go on campaigns again, then there's nothing we can do. The artillery battalion and the imperial court are already being generous by not pursuing your dereliction of duty and provocation; you think the imperial court will find you a son? Dream on.
After hearing Yu Lang's idea, the Crown Prince neither agreed nor disagreed. It wasn't until he met the two Wing Commanders that he told them his solution.
The two wing commanders looked at each other after hearing this. Of course, they didn't really care whether a Manchu lineage was dying out or not. In the end, they just wanted to take advantage of this incident to suppress the vanguard battalion.
The firearms battalion was newly formed, having received substantial funding from the Ministry of Revenue and His Majesty's private treasury in the past two years. The vanguard battalion, however, had been the dominant force for many years, serving as His Majesty's most elite personal guard. These two battalions had been secretly vying for power, and now that trouble had arisen, each wanted to take the other's place.
The Crown Prince's current actions are not wrong, but the original plan has fallen through, leaving both wing commanders feeling empty.
"I know what you're thinking. Don't try such underhanded tricks, gentlemen. If you want to take over the vanguard battalion, let's see who's the real deal on the battlefield."
"What does one person and one incense stick matter? Even if you cut off ten more branches today, you still can't use this as an excuse to cause trouble. If you really want to do that, I'll just ask Father Emperor for permission to build a eunuch camp; maybe that'll be more effective than you."
Hearing this, Yu Lang felt a chill run down his spine. He followed Yinreng a long way from the firearms camp before slowly exhaling.
Seeing his expression, Yinreng found it amusing and deliberately teased him, "What are you afraid of? Even if I were to build a whole eunuch camp to fight in the war tomorrow, I wouldn't use you as a scapegoat."
"It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that I never thought about it." Yu Lang shook his head. "Our dynasty has never allowed eunuchs to hold power, so I was a little surprised when you said you wanted to send eunuchs to the battlefield."
"It's not allowed, but didn't the previous dynasty also have eunuchs like Zheng He? It shows that as long as a person is capable and competent, whether or not they have connections is not the key. Look at this firearms battalion, it's only been established for a short time, and each of them has more cunning than ability."
From the beginning of the establishment of the Firearms Battalion until now, Yinreng, as the Crown Prince, has not interfered at all, for fear of arousing the suspicion of Emperor Kangxi.
However, Yinreng was not satisfied with the completion of the project. It was not that the firearms or the personnel he had chosen were inadequate, but rather that the Emperor already had the Vanguard Battalion and the Imperial Guard Battalion as his personal guards, and the Minister in charge of the firearms battalion was a prince of the imperial clan. Everyone was now fiercely competing over who was the Emperor's most trusted confidant, while others were relegated to the back of the list.
"Let's leave that aside for now. Those in positions of power should fulfill their duties. I can't manage them now, so I won't worry about it. But I can't ignore you. I'll be going on a military expedition with His Majesty next year. Have you thought about what to do about your family?"
"There's nothing wrong at home," Yu Lang said, caught off guard by Yinreng's question. "Shen Shi is managing things at home; I don't need to worry about it."
"I'm talking about Madam Shen. I know she's capable and competent, and I also know you're in love with her. But you've been married for three years and still don't have a child. Aren't you worried? And your family isn't pressuring you?"
Yinreng and Yulang were born in the same year, and Yulang was even a generation older than Yinreng, but Yinreng always had an inexplicable sense of responsibility towards Yulang.
Yinreng had thought about the fact that he had been married for three years without having children many times, but every time he saw Yulang happily serving in Yuqing Palace, he felt that as the crown prince, he really didn't need to care about such trivial matters.
It wasn't until this incident that Yinreng couldn't help but think of Yulang. He would also be going to war next year, and the fact that he and Shen didn't even have a child was a real headache.
"There are no outsiders here. Tell me the truth, is it true that Shen Shi can't have children? If she can't, I will give you two concubines today."
Go back and speak properly with Madam Shen. I am not the kind of person who would deliberately sow discord between you and your husband. However, the matter of continuing the family line cannot be delayed. When your concubine gives birth to you, take you to Madam Shen to raise. This will give you more peace of mind when you go out to fight.”
Being a master isn't easy; you not only have to worry about your subjects' careers but also whether they have children. Yu Lang, sitting on horseback, listened with wide eyes. After finally waiting for Yinreng to finish speaking, he immediately dismounted and knelt beside Yinreng's horse.
"This servant thanks Your Highness for your great kindness. I'm afraid others will be jealous if I tell them about your sincerity. But I cannot accept this concubine. Please, Your Highness, rescind your order."
"Why can't we accept it? Are you afraid that Shen will cause trouble for you? If she really causes trouble for you, I will have the Crown Princess persuade her. Promoting the family line is a duty, and this matter cannot be handled recklessly."
"Replying to Master, it's not that I'm afraid of Shen Shi causing trouble for me, it's that I myself don't want a concubine."
Why?
Why? Of course, it's because he's afraid his mistress will turn against him. Having slept in the same bed for three years, how could Yu Lang not know what kind of person Shen Wanqing is? If he were to take a concubine, his relationship with Shen Wanqing would be over.
"If you don't speak, it's because you're afraid of upsetting Madam Shen."
Yu Lang remained silent, and Yinreng naturally understood what this meant. He naturally assumed that Yu Lang was afraid that Shen Wanqing would cause trouble for him after he took a concubine, but Yu Lang simply didn't want anything to ruin their relationship.
"Replying to Your Majesty, it was this servant's own unwillingness. If this servant were to take her back, Madam Shen would certainly treat her well, at least not harshly. There would be no trouble in this servant's household, and things would proceed as usual." But that was all that remained—"do as usual."
Yu Lang simply didn't want to do anything that would upset Shen Wanqing, and he didn't want to involve another person in their relationship at all.
Of course, the child himself wanted one, but he only wanted the child he had with Shen Wanqing. Right now, he was just like those scholars in the storybooks, completely infatuated with Shen Wanqing, and he wouldn't care about anyone else.
"My lord, I will try my best to have a child as soon as I get home today. Please take back your order. If I really can't have a child, it's not necessarily Shen's fault. You can't just say it's my fault. If you give me two concubines and I still can't have a child, then the whole capital will know that I'm impotent."
These words were utterly ridiculous, making Yinreng laugh in anger. But he also knew he didn't need to get involved anymore; if the boy was determined to get involved, he would only incur Yinreng's wrath.
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Yu Gouzi: Please stop causing me trouble! [Please][Please][Please]
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