The Eighth Prince lost favor with Emperor Kangxi once again, and, taking an unorthodox approach, he became increasingly blatant in his underhanded actions in the court.
He formed cliques and gained praise from ministers for his wisdom, and his influence grew so great that it attracted attention.
It is undeniable that the Eighth Prince was excellent in handling affairs, but which of his older brothers was incompetent?
The three most outstanding individuals, the first, second, and fourth, accumulated such seniority and political achievements that they left the Eighth Prince far behind, leaving him far behind.
Since he's not uniquely outstanding, why is he being blindly praised and elevated to a position of universal acclaim?
The Ninth Prince, unhappy about the matter, went to Yinreng to discuss it, hoping to also get some sweet soup to satisfy his craving.
Yinreng replied: "If you want to destroy them, you must first let them run rampant."
After hearing this, the Ninth Prince's gaze towards Yinreng changed.
He said, "Second Brother Crown Prince, you're the most ruthless one."
Yinreng carefully stirred the sweet soup for Tong Wanyan, afraid of scalding her.
"You're too kind, Ninth Brother," Yinreng replied.
The Eighth Prince kept grasping at straws, digging his own grave in his own disarray. He looked at the flourishing prosperity, but his heart was rotten to the core, and he dared not delve deeper.
Prince Zhi, who had been away at the Tianjin Coast Guard camp for over a year and had not returned to the capital except for the Lunar New Year, suddenly laughed three times in his main tent one day.
"Eighth Brother is such a good man. Thanks to his mischievous efforts, I can finally go back to the capital to see my wife and son! It's been over a year, I wonder if Hongyu can still recognize his father." Prince Zhi couldn't stop smiling.
Emperor Kangxi sent a letter informing him that a new commander would be appointed for the Haishui Flood Control Battalion, and that Prince Zhi could gradually delegate his duties. Three to five months later, he was summoned back to the capital.
Prince Zhi, who originally thought he would have to stay in Tianjin for four or five years, never dreamed that he could return to the capital so soon.
Now, thanks to the Eighth Prince's fall out of favor with Emperor Kangxi, the Prince Zhi, who was already enfeoffed in the Bordered Blue Banner, was also given control of the Plain Blue Banner. If nothing unexpected happens, he will soon be in charge of two banners. What an honor and power this is!
Back then, Dorgon commanded three banners alone, and the other five banners dared not challenge him. Such dominance was the envy of many.
After being tricked by Emperor Kangxi and used as a whetstone for several years, Prince Zhi was initially happy, but then he became afraid.
He hurriedly wrote to Emperor Kangxi, saying that he already had one banner and dared not take charge of another banner, lest the stability of the court be disturbed.
After Kangxi received and read the letter, he smiled and tossed it to Yinreng, who was standing nearby, so that he could read it together.
Before Yinreng took it, he thought that Prince Zhi was incorrigible and would secretly complain to Kangxi again.
Who knew he had really changed? He didn't even dare to accept the command of Prince An's Plain Blue Banner.
“It’s just some banner affairs, and he’s not even a banner lord, so why is there any turmoil? My elder brother is just being too cautious. Let him be anxious when he’s officially appointed to the Plain Yellow Banner,” Yinreng said.
Emperor Kangxi, the banner lord of the Plain Yellow Banner, jokingly scolded his beloved crown prince, "You're being petty again, aren't you?"
Yinreng laughed and said, "Father loves his son the most. Which of his other brothers can dote on me more? If I were to be wary of this and afraid of that, wouldn't I be letting down Father's teachings over the years?"
This pleased Emperor Kangxi, who deliberately replied, "That's not necessarily true."
Yinreng's eyes widened immediately, and he didn't even bother to read the letter from the Prince of Zhi again.
"Father, have you changed your favorite person?" Yinreng would always whine like this when he was a child.
With a gentle and loving look in his eyes, Emperor Kangxi said, "Hongzhao is more pleasing to me than you."
Yinreng breathed a sigh of relief: "I won't compete for favor with a child who hasn't even grown up yet. Besides, he's my son. How could I be jealous of my own son?"
Kangxi smiled without saying a word, while Yinreng, his ears red, said, "It's only natural to be jealous. You are my father! That boy is a step below you."
Yinreng acted as if he and his son were the closest people in the world, so how could Kangxi not flatter and coax him? Not only that, but he also opened a storeroom for him, letting him pick out some things he liked to take back, which finally made him happy.
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