Chapter 163 Imperial Schemes 01
"Go and write ten large characters."
When Kangxi and the others arrived, he pointed to a small desk to the side and said to Chengren, who was grinning.
Chengren's life was incredibly difficult.
He shouldn't have come.
Unfortunately, his grandmother was not in the palace, otherwise he would definitely have gone to her palace.
"Father, I know I was wrong." Admit your mistake first, then don't worry about whether you'll change.
"Hmph, now you know you're wrong?" Kangxi glanced at him. "I think you don't know you're wrong, you're just scared."
That brat, I don't know who he took after, he's lawless and a complete devil.
Kangxi had no memories of his previous life, otherwise he would have known that this crown prince was learning from his tenth son in his previous life.
That's even worse.
"No way, it's because Father Emperor never gave me a foal, so I had to go get it myself." Chengren understood Kangxi very well, and being young, he was willing to do things he hadn't done in his previous life, like acting spoiled.
"Ha, you still have the nerve to talk back? Didn't I say I'd give it to you after your martial arts class?" This son really needs to be taught a lesson.
Otherwise, he could turn the world upside down.
"Father, I just like it. I won't do it again next time. I'll definitely ask you to take me with you next time."
Upon approaching the emperor, Chengren gently tugged at the emperor's sleeve, his face full of flattery.
Kangxi wasn't really angry; he was just worried that the man might hurt himself.
He has countless sons, but the only one who is so unafraid of him is the man before him.
They showed him a level of affection that others didn't.
"You, did your Empress Dowager scold you? That's why you came here to me." This brat, he's always causing trouble.
Chengren dared not admit it, otherwise his father would be the first to punish him. "How could that be? My mother didn't scold me. She even asked me to have dinner with her. I just missed my father, so I came to have dinner and go to bed with him."
Kangxi choked upon hearing this. This brat actually planned to sleep here. It seems the Empress is quite angry.
"snort."
Kangxi didn't reply, but snorted and glanced at Wei Zhong.
It turns out that he had already chosen a concubine before Chengren arrived. Now that his son wanted to stay, he had no choice but to send away the concubines in the harem and keep the brat company.
Wei Zhong accepted the order and went to make arrangements.
In this palace, who can surpass the Crown Prince in the Emperor's heart? Besides the Empress, it's probably only the First Prince.
Unfortunately, both of them doted on the Crown Prince like the apple of their eye, and they would never let him suffer any mistreatment.
"I knew Father Emperor was the best. Father Emperor, your son is hungry."
The Qianqing Palace was a place of paternal love and filial piety.
In the inner palace, at Jingyang Palace, in the residence of Consort De, Yehenara was so angry she turned into a pufferfish.
"How dare he, a mere junior, interfere with my favor? So what if he's the Crown Prince? Once I'm pregnant with a prince, his position as Crown Prince will be secure."
Although it was unclear where Yehenara got her confidence from, she was indeed quite angry at this moment.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. His Majesty must be thinking of you, otherwise he wouldn't have sent Eunuch Wei to deliver so many rewards." Suwen quickly spoke up to comfort the Empress, fearing that she would upset herself.
Unfortunately, Yehenara was not a magnanimous person, and hearing this only made her angrier.
"What use is this reward to me? I want the prince, the prince!"
Consort De's eyes reddened with anger.
She had been taking the fertility formula for half a month and was hoping to conceive a prince by serving the emperor soon, but unexpectedly, the crown prince ruined her chance.
Adding to what happened to the princess today, she naturally wanted the emperor to show her more pity for the sake of the princess. Now look what's happened, Crown Prince, Crown Prince, well done.
"Hmph, Your Highness, I've taken note of that."
After catching her breath, Consort De summoned the princess to her side.
After the third and fourth princesses turned five, they moved to the North Fifth Palace. Although they were unaware of what happened today, they told their mothers when their maids were taken away.
She wanted to beg her mother to save her nanny, but to her surprise, her mother not only refused to save her, but also said that her father was going to replace them with new nannies, her face full of joy.
They dared not say anything more.
The matter was dropped, but unexpectedly, after dinner, their mother called them again, and the six-year-olds felt uneasy.
They were twins, the first pair of twins in the Qing Dynasty. They received much better treatment than their sisters and were favored by the emperor just as much as their older sister. They were well taken care of.
The nannies from the Imperial Household Department didn't dare to go too far, after all, Yehenara was no pushover, and those nannies were all related to Yehenara to some extent.
They weren't taught like the eldest princess, which is why they were so anxious when the nanny was taken away.
The eldest princess, however, felt relieved about the nanny's situation, mainly because the nanny was usually too strict.
We've gone off on a tangent, let's get back on track.
When the Third Princess and the Fourth Princess arrived at the main hall, they saw their mother cursing someone.
After clearly hearing who she was cursing, the two looked at each other and then both lowered their heads.
They dared not insult the Crown Prince's younger brother.
Normally, when they encountered the two, they would treat the Crown Prince's younger brother amicably; how could they dare...?
"Greetings to Mother."
Upon seeing her two daughters arrive, Consort De finally stopped her cursing.
"You're here. Were you frightened by what happened today?"
Only now did she think of offering comfort, and Consort De didn't think it was too late.
However, the two princesses still appreciated their mother's concern.
"Yes, Mother, there is some, but I don't know when Granny Zhou and the others will be able to return."
Consort De couldn't answer this question, but she also felt sorry for her daughters, so she comforted them and helped them gradually accept the current situation.
With her daughter's company, Consort De found some comfort.
····
Although Fanghua didn't concern herself with the matter of the princess's tutor, she still had someone keep an eye on her. However, to her surprise, the emperor actually punished Mingzhu, whom she trusted.
Not only was he stripped of his position as head of the Imperial Household Department, but he was also barred from entering the cabinet, which dealt a significant blow to Nara.
Because of this incident, Songgotu was promoted further and became a Grand Secretary of the Hall of Preserving Harmony, holding the second rank, which directly surpassed Mingzhu by a large margin.
This greatly boosted the morale of the Hesheli clan, but Fanghua saw a scheme in it.
After the grand court session ended that day, Fanghua went to the outer hall of the Qianqing Palace to wait for her third uncle.
Suo'etu was also surprised to see the Empress here. After saying goodbye to his colleagues, he followed Li Changfu to a secluded spot.
"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress."
If you ask why Fanghua came here, it's naturally to inform her third uncle. Although they can exchange messages, some things can't be explained in just a few words.
"Third Uncle, no need for formalities, please rise." Fanghua, carrying Suo'etu on her back, turned around with a gentle smile on her face. "Third Uncle, you must know about Mingzhu's dismissal at today's grand court meeting."
Soetu nodded. "Your Majesty, I am aware of the matter. May I ask, what is the hidden story behind this?"
Fanghua didn't hide anything from him and told him about the princess's tutor in the Imperial Household Department.
"This matter has nothing to do with us. You should also avoid making enemies with Mingzhu in the court. I have noticed something unusual about this matter, which may be related to the Emperor."
She hasn't found out the specifics yet, but the point of intervention is too strange, so we have to be careful.
Although Suo'etu was puzzled, he naturally obeyed the Empress's order. "Yes, Your Majesty. May I ask, Your Majesty, is there anything unusual about the Emperor's actions in this matter?"
He was clever; he understood the meaning of the Empress's words immediately, but he wanted to know what the Emperor meant.
Mingzhu's position was originally no worse than his, but this time the emperor's dismissal made Mingzhu clearly inferior to him. Mingzhu was not convinced and naturally did not want to be inferior to him.
Therefore, Mingzhu might deal with him next.
After all, the two were officials at the same time, and he also had the Empress's influence, so he had to ask a few more questions.
"I haven't investigated this matter thoroughly yet, but I think it might be related to the princes. You should be more careful in your actions in court."
While the two were talking, the news of what was happening here had already reached the Qianqing Palace.
Kangxi looked at the memorial in his hand, his face expressionless, but the fingertips holding the pen betrayed his turbulent emotions.
"It seems the Empress has seen through my intentions. I wonder what she will do next." The Emperor did not answer the person kneeling below him, but muttered to himself.
He was reluctant to involve the princes in the imperial harem in the court so soon, but as the children grew up, he, as the emperor, had to be careful.
Although he had already established a crown prince, he was unwilling to let imperial power fall into the wrong hands. The crown prince was very powerful, and he naturally wanted someone to restrain the crown prince's faction.
Mingzhu and the Second Prince were the whetstones he chose.
"I understand. You may leave."
After dismissing the guards, Kangxi put down his vermilion brush and picked up a teacup to take a sip.
There was no sound for a long time.
Wei Zhong, who had served the emperor for many years, knew that the emperor must have a plan in mind at this moment, but he didn't know who this plan was for.
After a long while, the Emperor finally spoke calmly, "How are the eldest prince's studies going lately?"
Upon hearing the Emperor inquire about the eldest prince, Wei Zhong dared not be negligent and immediately reported everything he knew.
"The eldest prince's academic performance is average, but he loves martial arts and is better at it."
"Just like when he was a baby, he is the great prince of the Qing Dynasty. It has been a long time since he has dined with the eldest prince. Wei Zhong, go and invite the eldest prince to have lunch."
For some reason, Kangxi's smile deepened. "Go and tell the Empress that the women in the inner palace are not allowed to interfere in politics and should refrain from entering the court unless necessary."
However, as Wei Zhonggong stepped down, the emperor's words reached his ears.
Wei Zhong was taken aback, realizing that the emperor was giving the empress a warning.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and convey your message immediately."
Fanghua had just parted ways with Suo'etu when she saw Wei Zhong walking towards her.
"Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
"It's Eunuch Wei. Does His Majesty have something to discuss with me?" She knew that her visit to meet with court officials today would displease the Emperor, but she didn't expect him to come knocking so soon.
Wei Zhong had a smile on his face, but it was impossible to tell what orders he had brought.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has sent me to deliver a message to you," Wei Zhong replied respectfully, bowing before straightening up. "It is an imperial edict."
Fanghua curtsied, which was considered as accepting the imperial decree.
"The empress must not interfere in politics, and the empress must not come to the front court unless there is something to do."
Upon hearing this, Fanghua knew what Kangxi meant.
Oh.
It seems her guess was correct; Kangxi was scheming to have more offspring.
“It was I who overstepped my bounds. Eunuch Wei, please pass on a message to the Emperor, saying that I know I was wrong and am willing to confine myself for a month as punishment.”
After saying this, Fanghua bowed to the gate of the Qianqing Palace and headed towards the inner palace.
Wei Zhong had not expected the Empress to admit her mistake so readily, and he immediately saw her off.
After everyone had gone far away, Wei Zhong went to the Imperial Study to convey the Emperor's order, inviting the First Prince to have lunch with the Emperor.
Fanghua only learned of this when she returned to Kunning Palace, but the smile on her face faded considerably.
"It seems our Emperor doesn't want my sons to be fraternal."
If someone wants to exploit the brotherly bond between Seung-ho and Seung-ryung to seize imperial power, they'll have to see if she agrees.
"Your Majesty!" Qiaoling called out with concern when she saw the Empress's pale face.
"I am fine."
Fanghua waved her hand, "Have someone pass a message to He Yuzhu, telling the Crown Prince to return to Kunning Palace after class."
Although she didn't know what had happened, Qiaoling obediently went to convey the Empress's decree.
The news that the Empress had been imprisoned for meeting with court officials also spread throughout the palace.
Inside Yongshou Palace, the Imperial Concubine reclined on a soft couch, with Princess Xizhu sitting in front of her, reading a comic book.
When Yun Jing, who was beside her, spoke, she did not avoid the Second Princess and directly reported what she had heard.
"It seems our Emperor not only wants to use me, but also the First Prince. I wonder if the Empress will agree," the Consort said with a sarcastic smile.
"Xizhu, do you think your Empress Mother likes your eldest brother?" Before waiting for a reply, the Consort looked at her daughter and asked softly.
Princess Xizhu was only seven years old. Despite her young age, she was already quite sensible under the guidance of the Imperial Concubine.
"Your Highness was just asking jokingly. With the Empress Dowager's doting nature, she naturally wouldn't agree," Xizhu put down the comic book in her hand, looked up at her mother with a smile, and answered sincerely.
The Imperial Concubine laughed upon hearing this, "Yes, your Empress Mother loves her children the most. How could she be willing? Your Father's plan is going to fail." If the Emperor really dares to harm the Empress's child, I'm afraid the Empress won't even spare the Emperor.
"Mother, you started this whole thing. Aren't you afraid that the Empress Dowager will hold a grudge against you?" Xizhu couldn't understand why her mother did this for the past few days.
The Imperial Concubine was well aware of her daughter's worries, but she had her reasons for not doing so, reasons that were temptations she could not resist.
"No, your Empress Mother is very clever. She saw through my little trick long ago. She's probably cursing your mother in her heart right now." The Imperial Concubine rolled her eyes at her daughter without any semblance of decorum.
Xizhu was not surprised at all; her mother had no image whatsoever when no one else was around.
"Alright, go see your mother on behalf of your mother another day, and I believe she won't be angry anymore."
The Emperor agreed to her request, saying that she would be in charge of Xizhu's future marriage and that she would not have to marry far away for political reasons.
Although no official decree was issued, she could only believe that he was a man of his word.
Otherwise, she wouldn't know what she might do.
Xizhu was her only wish, and if the Emperor dared to destroy it, she wouldn't mind helping the Empress.
"Mother, are you using your daughter as a pawn to vent your anger on behalf of the Empress Dowager?" Xizhu was speechless.
Seeing her daughter's displeased expression, the Imperial Concubine pinched her delicate nose and said, "What, can't you, as her daughter, even stand up for your mother?"
Everyone says that a daughter is her own little cotton-padded jacket, but she felt that her precious daughter was always leaking air.
“Of course, why not? I was raised by my mother. I would not object to her taking my life, let alone her anger.
Xizhu, like a little adult, coaxed her noble mother with a helpless expression.
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