Yinreng swaggered out of the Qianqing Palace, leaving Kangxi alone inside, venting his anger.
Moreover, this temper cannot be vented; it must be kept inside.
As luck would have it, someone just happened to walk right into the old man's line of fire.
"Your Majesty, look, these are the young ladies I have selected who have not yet been betrothed." The Minister of the Imperial Household Department hurried over, carrying a thick register.
He saw Yinreng's back in the distance, and his hand unconsciously touched the purse hanging at his waist.
There are too many people eyeing the Crown Prince's backyard; if even one of them gets in, he won't lack money for the rest of the year.
The smile on the face of the Minister of the Imperial Household Department stung Kangxi's eyes.
"There are no princes in the palace to be betrothed yet, so there's no need to look at this list," Kangxi said.
The Minister of the Imperial Household Department was dumbfounded. Just a few days ago, the Emperor had tacitly allowed him to select young women who were of good family background, appearance, and character. After finally selecting more than a dozen, the Emperor suddenly changed his mind and flatly denied it.
"The Crown Prince's harem has not seen any new brides for three terms. This servant privately believes that the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and the continuation of his lineage is a matter of great importance to the nation." The Imperial Household Department pondered.
He never imagined that Kangxi would fly into a rage upon hearing these words praising the crown prince.
"The Crown Prince is so young, yet he already has two sons, both of whom are outstanding. What are you trying to do by watching the Crown Prince's backyard?" Kangxi said angrily.
The Minister of the Imperial Household Department stammered as he explained, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This servant was acting in the best interests of the Crown Prince."
"For the sake of the Crown Prince, we should increase the expenses of Yuqing Palace so that he can eat and live comfortably, instead of worrying about how many concubines he has in his harem," Kangxi said.
The Minister of the Imperial Household Department wanted to say that the Crown Prince's daily expenses had never been lacking. Who would dare to offend that prince? Did they have a death wish?
The Crown Prince had never suffered any hardship since childhood; he could sense even the slightest neglect. In terms of enjoying life, even Emperor Kangxi couldn't compare to the Crown Prince.
However, not a single one of these heartfelt words could be spoken aloud.
The Minister of the Imperial Household Department said aggrievedly, "Then should we still look at these candidates? Many ministers in the court have submitted their own daughters. In my opinion, quite a few are quite good."
"They're all quite good-looking, why worry about them not getting married? Why rush to let the Crown Prince take them in?" Kangxi glanced at him sideways: "A family with a daughter is sought after by a hundred families. Does that mean if she can't enter the Eastern Palace, she has to shave her head and become a nun?"
Emperor Kangxi's scolding was so harsh that the Minister of the Imperial Household Department was thankful he hadn't included his own daughter in the register. Otherwise, he might have died of anger on the spot after hearing it.
Kangxi didn't care about the pale face of the minister of the Imperial Household Department. His son had displeased him, and he was determined to vent his anger.
The Minister of the Imperial Household Department arrived full of expectations, but left dejectedly.
Officials who knew him would see him outside and ask him suspiciously if the Crown Prince had chosen his concubines yet.
If the ministers of the Imperial Household Department dared not offend Emperor Kangxi, would they dare not confront their colleagues?
He stiffened his neck and glared at her: "Have you managed your subordinates properly? What business is it of yours with the Crown Prince's harem? The Crown Princess hasn't said anything, so what right do you, as an outsider, have to meddle in the royal family's affairs? Would you be happy if I interfered with how many concubines your son took? You're a grown man, you've studied for so many years, yet you don't serve the court. You're like a woman, meddling in other people's business all day long. You might as well resign as soon as possible."
"Did you eat gunpowder?! Can the Crown Prince be treated the same as everyone else?"
The Minister of the Imperial Household Department sneered: "What's the difference? The Crown Prince is under the Emperor's control. Do you want to be the Emperor?"
"Are you insane? How dare you say such outrageous things!"
"You're the one who's crazy. You've all done this, and you're afraid I'll say anything?" The Minister of the Imperial Household Department retorted as if he'd been shot.
What were once good colleagues have had their fragile friendship completely destroyed by this one argument.
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