After the Qing dynasty entered the Central Plains, in the thirteenth year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign, the Offering Hall was built northeast of the Jingyun Gate in the Forbidden City. The Offering Hall was the family ancestral worship hall of the Aisin Gioro clan.
In the second year after the palace was built, a rule was established that the emperor would personally attend the annual sacrificial ceremony, or a prince would perform the ceremony on his behalf.
When Songgotu instructed the Ministry of Rites to do this, he did so openly and frankly, reminding Kangxi that the Crown Prince had grown up, had two sons, and it was time to delegate power to him.
If Kangxi had not been extremely satisfied with Yinreng and had not trusted him deeply, he would certainly have had many suspicions about Yinreng.
For example, the crown prince is dissatisfied with the current power structure and wants to replace him.
"Summon the Crown Prince." Kangxi gulped down two mouthfuls of cold tea to calm his temper.
Yinreng was discussing maritime transport with Yinzhen when a young eunuch from the Qianqing Palace came over, which puzzled him.
Nothing much had been happening lately, so why did his father suddenly summon him?
Yinreng followed the eunuch to the Qianqing Palace, full of doubt. It was not far, so there was no need to take a sedan chair.
After leaving the princes' quarters, on the deserted palace road, Yinreng asked a young eunuch why Kangxi had summoned him.
The young eunuch wasn't quite sure either, and could only vaguely say that the emperor was furious and in a bad mood.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Feeling uncertain and uneasy, Yinreng entered the Qianqing Palace and respectfully bowed to Emperor Kangxi.
Every move he made was respectful, and his beautiful phoenix eyes revealed worry.
"Baocheng, come and see for yourself." Kangxi told Yinreng to take a look.
After reading the memorial, which was described as treasonous, at a glance, Yinreng hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.
"Father, I have no such intention. You are in the prime of your life, and it is far too late for me to perform sacrificial rites at the temple." Yinreng truly had no such thoughts.
He was already busy enough with political affairs, and he wanted to spend more time with his wife and children.
After a long silence, Emperor Kangxi called for Yinreng to rise when sweat began to bead on his forehead.
“Song’etu is getting old,” Kangxi hinted.
Yinreng and Suo'etu were indeed related by blood, and Suo'etu, aside from his own selfish motives, had genuinely done a lot of help.
Yinreng said, "The Hesheli clan is facing a shortage of capable successors, so the entire clan inevitably relies on Suo'etu. Suo'etu made a mistake in his haste and should be punished."
"You're still too sentimental," Kangxi said, though his expression relaxed slightly.
If Yinreng were to ruthlessly sever ties with Suo'etu, Kangxi would worry that he was too cold-hearted and would not be able to love and care for his brothers after ascending the throne.
Knowing Kangxi's thoughts, Yinreng lowered his head with a guilty expression, his furrowed brows revealing his inner turmoil.
"I summoned you here so you could know what Suo'etu is thinking now. People's hearts are fickle, especially those who have held power for many years. Not everyone can be as clear-headed as Tong Guojiu, understanding their own position." Kangxi earnestly instructed, not forgetting to praise his maternal clan once again.
"The Imperial Uncle is Father Emperor's maternal uncle. He is devoted to the Qing Dynasty and loyal to you. No one else can compare to him. Moreover, the Tong family members are all outstanding. They are truly worthy of being a Manchu family." Yinreng proudly joined Kangxi in praising Tong Guogang, wishing he could extoll him to the heavens.
Emperor Kangxi laughed out loud: "You're thinking about Yuanbao, aren't you?"
Yinreng said shyly and embarrassedly, "Your Majesty, you know how I feel about Xiaoyan. Since you praise my father-in-law, I will definitely praise him too."
Yinreng was preoccupied with romantic feelings, like a boy who hadn't grown up.
Kangxi's expression instantly melted from imperial majesty to fatherly love.
"Fortunately, Shi Wenbing is broad-minded, and the Imperial Uncle knows his limits. Otherwise, if you had continued like this, I would have had to clean up countless messes for you," Kangxi said.
With the alarm lifted, Yinreng resumed his carefree, childlike demeanor in front of Emperor Kangxi.
"Father, you have the best eye; the person you chose is definitely no problem. I just heard Xiao Yan say yesterday that there's a Chinese saying: 'Raising a child for a hundred years, you'll worry about him for ninety-nine.' Your son needs your careful supervision!" Yinreng said with a thick smile, revealing his teeth.
Kangxi rolled his eyes at him: "You have sons and daughters, how dare you ask me to clean up your mess?"
Yinreng said, "Father, what you said is a bit impolite."
"You've made me angry. Alright, go back to where you came from. I'm very busy here, so take some memorials back with you and help me out." Kangxi scribbled down a bunch of unimportant memorials and had Liang Jiugong personally escort Yinreng back.
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