In the end, Lao Shi left looking dejected and rather pathetic.
"Go to the Imperial Household Department." At this moment, there was not a trace of grievance or tearful expression on his face.
...
The sons all left, and the Emperor bent his back slightly. Liang Jiugong went to retrieve the paperweight.
"This paperweight was sent by the Empress Dowager herself; it pains me to see it like this," Liang Jiugong said, trying to make conversation.
But the Emperor didn't even glance at the paperweight: "Go down."
Clearly, His Majesty was not in the mood to listen to this nonsense.
Liang Jiugong understood perfectly well. He agreed in a low voice and quietly took the cup of cold tea away.
There are some things that even Liang Jiugong cannot advise His Majesty on, as that would be presumptuous. Furthermore, even if Liang Jiugong correctly guesses His Majesty's thoughts, if His Majesty remembers them one day, he will not have a good outcome.
Only His Majesty remained in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. After Liang Jiugong left, he also dismissed the servants and maids outside, while he himself stood guard outside.
The Emperor was slightly bent over in the inner hall, a gesture that suggested a fragile state. After a moment, he suddenly leaned back slightly against the dragon throne behind him.
He turned fifty in March this year, and Prince Yu and Prince Gong were buried one after another in June and July. His Majesty's mood has not been very good for more than a month.
However, His Majesty has been preoccupied with the disaster in Shandong recently, and has not had time to think about so many other things.
The disaster is now under control, and the corruption cases that have surfaced only annoy him; there are always a few such cases throughout the year.
Having reigned on the throne for many years, His Majesty knows better than anyone when to be firm and when to be lenient.
It's time to make an example of them.
Only the princes... their lax management is a direct result of his own incompetence... His Majesty chuckled and shook his head helplessly.
Since the deaths of Empress Hesheli and Empress Niohuru, His Majesty had to keep many of his thoughts to himself, and he was the only one who could offer advice.
The princes are all getting old. He used to think that the eldest prince, Baoqing, was a steady and reliable person. But ever since the death of Lady Irgen Gioro, the eldest prince has been like a lost soul. He can't find fault with his work, but if anyone mentions "former Grand Consort" in front of him, the eldest prince will go crazy.
What has it become?
The Crown Prince? He was personally trained and raised by His Majesty. However, people in the past were a bit conservative, and he was always conservative and polite in his treatment of the various Mongol tribes. He lacked the spirit of a Qing man. In the past two years, Bao Cheng has become too eccentric. He is not old, but he has a big temper.
The third son, on the other hand, had an even more impulsive temper, displaying the typical Han Chinese temperament.
The fourth prince... His Majesty narrowed his eyes as he thought of the thirteenth prince.
The fourth prince is always proper and makes no mistakes in his duties, but he has one flaw: he's too soft-hearted... But an emperor can't be soft-hearted.
The fifth one, he has the heart of a bodhisattva, but he only uses that bodhisattva heart on himself...
The eighth prince... is adept at navigating social situations. However, as emperor, one doesn't necessarily have to do everything personally. It's enough to delegate many things to subordinates.
The ninth brother is still a child at heart. The tenth brother, on the other hand, is even more of a reckless brat.
The others weren't married yet, and His Majesty hadn't even considered them.
After looking around, it became clear that all of his sons were good-for-nothings.
But then His Majesty thought again that his eldest son was brave and skilled in battle, and everyone in the Ministry of War was obedient to him. He didn't say anything usually, but he was naturally satisfied with him.
Needless to say, the Crown Prince has never made a mistake in overseeing the country...
The third prince excelled in poetry and prose among all the princes; the fourth prince was honest and filial; the fifth prince was respectful; and the eighth prince was capable…
His Majesty suddenly let out a deep sigh.
The children are good in every way, but they always have some shortcomings.
He couldn't help but wonder if it was the right thing to establish a crown prince so early, since he was not entirely unaware of the private squabbles and quarrels among the princes.
On the contrary, His Majesty was fully aware of all of this. He had always tolerated and ignored it in the past, but in the past two years, the Crown Prince and Empress Hesheli had caused countless troubles, and there might have been some exaggeration involved.
His Majesty was somewhat weary, and a multitude of thoughts suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Perhaps it was indeed a mistake to appoint a crown prince too early.
At least for now, the Crown Prince is not a qualified successor.
It's uncertain how much longer His Majesty can remain in this position, but his successor must at least be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of this empire, not just for the people, but at least for the sake of the Aisin Gioro clan's legacy.
His Majesty sat for a long time, and finally Liang Jiugong, seeing that it was getting late, dared to come in: "You didn't have lunch at noon, and if you don't eat something soon, your body won't be able to take it..."
He quietly brought in a bowl of ginseng soup.
"This is ginseng soup that Her Highness the Imperial Concubine ordered to be sent over..."
The Emperor came to his senses, said nothing, but picked up the ginseng soup and drank half a bowl: "Grind the ink and draft the decree."
At this moment, His Majesty already had a plan in mind.
Liang Jiugong dared not delay and quickly added some water to grind the ink.
His Majesty quickly picked up his pen, and after about a quarter of an hour, he put it down.
"Summon the Grand Secretaries to the Southern Study for a meeting; this decree can be issued immediately."
Only after Liang Jiugong left the Hall of Mental Cultivation did he carefully unfold the imperial edict to read it.
"The empire established by the diligent efforts of Emperor Taizu, Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Shizu, and the empire I have brought to peace, cannot be handed over lightly. I hereby announce to Heaven and Earth and the ancestral temple that Crown Prince Yinreng has neglected his personal virtues, has failed to repent despite repeated admonitions, has assaulted his brothers, and is unworthy of his position. Effective immediately, Crown Prince Yinreng is hereby deposed and shall remain in the Yuqing Palace. However, the imperial grandson Hongxi is intelligent and gifted, and is hereby granted the title of Beile. From this day forward, he shall accompany the emperor in his studies at the Yangxin Hall every day."
Even Liang Jiugong, who had seen countless storms, couldn't help but stare in astonishment upon seeing this imperial edict.
The Crown Prince, who had been appointed as the Crown Prince for several years, was actually deposed? I wonder how many people will not believe this imperial edict when it reaches their homes.
Although the Crown Prince was deposed, his honor of living in Yuqing Palace remained unchanged, and Prince Hongxi was granted the title of Beile at a young age... It seemed as if His Majesty still valued the Crown Prince.
In addition, the so-called "attending to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to study" meant that Prince Hongxi would be able to learn about governance strategies from His Majesty in the future.
This arrangement makes it somewhat difficult to understand what His Majesty was thinking.
But she absolutely did not despise the Crown Prince...
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