Yinreng had long wanted to get rid of Tana and Hongzhao so that they wouldn't disturb his time alone with Tong Wanyan.
The two children disliked him and bullied him all day long, showing no fear of him whatsoever.
If he glares at them even once, he'll be wriggling his bottom and crying for his mother in no time.
If it weren't his biological child, he would definitely have punched him.
Actually, it's not necessarily true that they can beat you.
Considering Tana's superhuman strength, just like Tong Wanyan's, he might not be able to defeat her.
The more Yinreng thought about it, the more heartbroken and pitiful he felt. He came up with a bad idea: "Xiao Yan, why don't I give Hongzhao to Father Emperor, and Tana to Father Emperor and Fourth Brother? We can have another child, who will definitely be cuter than the two of them."
“Same.” Hongzhao blurted out a few words.
Yinreng twitched his ears: "What did he say?"
“My brother said that even if Mother had another child, they might not be as cute as us. Father, don’t overthink it. My brother and I are the best!” Tana said, spitting as she spoke.
She looked fierce yet adorable, waving her little fists as if to scare Yinreng.
Yinreng laughed out loud: "My daughter is so smart! Alright, alright, you and Hongzhao are the best, I love you the most!"
After Yinzhen's wedding, it became clear that Kangxi was increasingly valuing him.
It wasn't that he neglected his three sons; it was just that he saw that Yinzhen was capable of great things and had already started a family, so he could give him more tasks.
Yinzhen was pleased with this outcome. Although it kept him busy, he believed it was best to have power in his own hands, and he never wanted to be a wealthy but idle person.
Besides the faction of Yinzhen and Fei Yanggu being given important positions, the Shi family also steadily rose in rank.
When the former Minister of War retired, Emperor Kangxi directly appointed Shi Wenbing to take over the position.
On the one hand, Shi Wenbing was indeed talented; on the other hand, Shi Wenbing was Yinreng's future father-in-law, so he couldn't be too much inferior to Tong Guogang.
More importantly, Yinqi was a powerful figure in the military and enjoyed great loyalty among the generals. Having Shi Wenbing in charge of the Ministry of War would help curb Yinqi's influence among the military officers.
Shi Wenbing was good at understanding the emperor's mind; otherwise, he could not have raised a future crown princess who would satisfy Emperor Kangxi.
He knew what Kangxi wanted him to do, so he did as Kangxi asked. In any case, Kangxi was not a foolish ruler; loyalty to the emperor and love for the people were not contradictory to him.
He calmly accepted the position of Minister of War, but seemed somewhat intimidated in front of Tong Guogang.
Tong Guogang was a generous and magnanimous man. Tong Wanyan's matter had nothing to do with the Shi family, so he wouldn't hold a grudge against him.
"Congratulations on your promotion, Lord Shi," said Tong Guogang.
Shi Wenbing cupped his hands in embarrassment and said, "I am fortunate to have the Emperor's trust, but I have no merit whatsoever. It is really too hot to handle this position of Minister so suddenly."
"Lord Shi is too modest. Your abilities are well-known, and most importantly, you possess noble character and the virtues expected of an official. The Emperor approves of you, so you are sure to succeed. My Tong family has been rooted in the military for a long time, fighting alongside us since the time of Emperor Taizu. If Lord Shi ever needs anything in the future, please feel free to come to me," said Tong Guogang.
Tong Guogang's promise was a pleasant surprise for Shi Wenbing.
His influence within the Ministry of War was still shallow, and with Tong Guogang openly offering his help, he could get started much more smoothly. He also wouldn't have to worry about the factional struggles among his subordinates.
Shi Wenbing went to hand over his duties with peace of mind, his steps light and free of the previous heaviness.
After Mingzhu saw this, she secretly told Yinti.
"Everyone says that Tong Guogang dotes on his daughter, even emptying half of the Tong family's coffers and sending them to Yuqing Palace. But today, she's actually getting along peacefully with Shi Wenbing, and even said she's keeping an eye on the Ministry of War for him. What does this mean? Is she trying to sell herself to the future Crown Princess's father in advance, so that the Crown Princess will treat Consort Tong better in the future?" Mingzhu complained to Yinti.
“Originally, the Emperor assigned the Tong family to the Fourth Prince, the Crown Prince had Suo'etu, and the First Prince had Chen, so their power was relatively even. Now, the Tong family is also loyal to the Crown Prince, and the Guarjia clan has been promoted. The Emperor wishes he could tie all the important officials in the court to the Crown Prince’s side,” Mingzhu said.
Yinti handed Mingzhu a cup of strong tea: "Why are you in such a hurry? The marriage relationships among our Manchus are very complicated. Who among the common people doesn't have a marriage connection? You can pick anyone and put together the kinship relationships of several major surnames."
“Can you even compare them? Marriages between collateral branches are different from those between direct branches. Tong Guogang’s grandson is the Crown Prince’s eldest son; how could he not be loyal to the Crown Prince? Shi Wenbing is the same; his daughter is the Crown Princess, and the Emperor has openly asked him to support the Crown Prince. Suo’etu has been just like me for so many years, not to mention him.” Mingzhu listed them off one by one.
The more he thought about it, the more his head ached. Mingzhu came up with a bad idea: "Your Highness, why don't you ask the Emperor to let you marry a concubine from a prominent family?"
Yinti said, "Don't panic. Father Emperor is still in his prime, and the future is uncertain. If the Crown Prince's path is smooth sailing, I will surely be granted the title of Prince. If the Crown Prince's path is not smooth, then it must be because Father Emperor is interfering. What use are the Crown Prince's many important ministers in assisting him?"
It was rare for Yinti to see things more clearly than Mingzhu. Mingzhu said with shame, "I panicked this time. Fortunately, the eldest prince saw things clearly and avoided a mistake."
Yinti chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Father has been biased for so many years, breaking countless precedents for the Crown Prince. The level of favor he shows him, as if he's worshipping him, is even better than he shows him himself. All of us sons combined can't compare to the Crown Prince's single finger. Having experienced so much favoritism, I've gotten used to it."
Mingzhu looked at Yinti with heartache: "Your Highness, please don't underestimate yourself. The Emperor loves you very much. When you were sick as a child, the Emperor stayed with you all night without taking off his clothes. Later, when you got married, the Emperor was so happy that he got drunk. You are the Emperor's eldest son and so outstanding. The Emperor values you very much."
Yinti, who had just looked gloomy, suddenly perked up upon hearing this: "Of course."
Shi Wenbing was indeed a capable man, and he lived up to Kangxi's trust and promotion.
He did a very good job as Minister of War. Even if someone wanted to find fault with him, they couldn't find anything wrong with him.
Shi Wenbing felt somewhat ashamed of the high praise he received from North Korea.
Without Tong Guogang's secret help and the Crown Prince's guidance, he wouldn't have been able to take over so quickly.
Affairs in the imperial court proceeded smoothly. The Crown Prince's brilliance shone ever brighter in the court.
Tong Wanyan's social engagements became more frequent after Yinzhen's wedding.
The way women in the inner chambers of a court have relationships is not simple.
Few people used to send greeting cards to Tong Wanyan because she lacked legitimacy. Now, rushing to get close to her would only invite the Crown Princess's jealousy later—a far greater loss than gain.
When Tong Guogang announced that Tong Wanyan was his legitimate daughter, Tong Wanyan's status changed dramatically.
But their sudden eagerness, instead of their previous eagerness, seems overly mercenary and borders on obsequious.
It just so happened that during Yinzhen's wedding, they became close to Tana and Hongzhao, which gave them a reason to get close to Tong Wanyan.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
