Because they arrived a little late, the two brothers, Yin Tang and Yin Yi, found the nearest spot, bowed their heads, and knelt down, not daring to say a word.
Emperor Kangxi looked at his many sons who had grown up with a cold face, feeling both gratified and wary.
His eyes held a scrutinizing gaze, as if he wanted to see through the hearts of all his sons, to see whether they were dutiful sons or rebellious sons who coveted his position.
Kangxi remained silent for a long time. The two brothers, who had just been woken up, felt wave after wave of drowsiness. Unable to resist the intense sleepiness, they knelt down and fell asleep.
Liang Jiugong, who was waiting nearby, saw everything clearly. He had served Kangxi for so many years, and even he was terrified and dared not breathe in this situation. These two little devils were really something, actually falling asleep right there.
Liang Jiugong saw it all, and Kangxi naturally saw it clearly as well. These two sons were the most uneducated and incompetent of all his children. One loved money and was obsessed with the ways of commerce, while the other loved eating, drinking, and having fun, indulging in pleasure all day long and not doing anything of importance.
Seeing the two children in such a state, Kangxi should have been angry and furious, but instead he felt happy.
Although Yinzhi and Yinzhen were not particularly talented and had many minor flaws, their hearts were pure. The fact that they could fall asleep under such circumstances tonight was enough to prove that their minds were pure and that they had not done anything they felt guilty about.
But looking at his sons, who he thought were smart and capable, they were indeed outstanding in ability, but their hearts were not pure enough, and were mixed with too many desires.
Thinking of this, Kangxi's expression, which had just relaxed a little, turned stern again, and his gaze toward his other sons returned to its previous scrutinizing look.
A silent pressure filled the room, weighing heavily on everyone present, making it hard for them to breathe.
Of everyone, apart from Emperor Kangxi, only the two brothers, Yinzhen and Yinzhi, were the most relaxed. At this moment, they were already immersed in a dream and had no idea how terrifying reality was.
After a long while, just as the wound on Yinreng's forehead grew redder and the blood on his face increased, the sound of many ministers arriving came from outside, and Kangxi finally spoke.
However, what he said shocked everyone even more. Kangxi, for the first time ever, scolded the Crown Prince.
Upon receiving the order, Liang Jiugong lifted the curtain and summoned several ministers inside.
When Mingzhu and the other court officials saw so many princes kneeling inside the room and heard Kangxi's voice, they all felt a chill run down their spines, realizing that what had happened tonight was probably quite serious.
Once all the people he had chosen had arrived, Kangxi finally spoke up and shared his thoughts.
The idea had been swirling in his mind for a long time, and after his outburst of anger, he had now completely calmed down.
During the quiet period just now, Kangxi had been thinking about whether or not to do this. Now that everyone had arrived, he had made up his mind.
Facing his sons and court officials below him, Kangxi did not show the fury that everyone expected. He calmly recounted the Crown Prince's crimes that night and took him away to be temporarily imprisoned.
Although he had made up his mind, he still needed to discuss the specific implementation with the court officials. Tonight, Kangxi summoned everyone over, just to intimidate his son.
After taking Yinreng away, Kangxi addressed his sons and ministers, giving them a stern reprimand without any mercy.
Ignoring what his sons were thinking, Kangxi waved for them to leave.
Yinzhen also kept an eye on his two younger brothers, Yintang and Yin'an. Seeing that everyone was getting up to leave, but the two of them were still asleep, he took a closer look and was both amused and exasperated.
He quietly woke the two men and quickly pulled them away to avoid angering Emperor Kangxi if they stayed there.
After the princes left, Kangxi beckoned the ministers to rise and discussed with them the matter of deposing the crown prince.
These ministers, who have managed to reach their current positions, are not fools. Judging from the scene just now, they can already guess what the emperor is about to say.
Sure enough, Kangxi dropped a bombshell when he opened his mouth: he wanted to depose the crown prince.
Mingzhu didn't know what others thought, but upon hearing the news, he felt incredibly excited. The once unshakeable position of the Crown Prince had finally been brought down from its pedestal.
Mingzhu was excited inside, but his face remained calm and composed. He even showed some loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, and he put aside past grievances to loudly persuade Kangxi not to depose the crown prince and shake the foundation of the country.
It must be said that Mingzhu was a cunning old fox. He always opposed Suo'etu, but he was still quite respectful to the Crown Prince. Many ministers did not know that he actually supported Prince Zhi.
When he said those words, those who knew him secretly cursed him as an old fox, while those who didn't thought he was very loyal to the Crown Prince. In fact, the Prince Zhi, who was the most fiercely opposed to the Crown Prince, was the one he supported.
Although Kangxi understood the old fox's implied meaning, he also knew that he was right. Deposing the crown prince was a matter that would shake the foundation of the country and should not be done lightly.
However, who was Emperor Kangxi? Once he had made a decision, he would not change it.
The ministers present all tried to dissuade Kangxi, but they were all defeated. They then discussed the matter all night and finally passed the decision.
As soon as it was light, regardless of what major events had occurred the night before, today's operations proceeded as usual, and the main force set off to return to Beijing.
Kangxi was alright. Although he hadn't slept all night, he was the emperor and had his own imperial carriage. The carriage was very spacious, so he could catch up on some sleep inside.
However, the other princes and ministers did not receive such good treatment. During the march, these people had to ride horses alongside the main force, and they had to catch up on sleep while riding, and even stay alert to avoid accidents.
It wasn't until the next day that the two brothers, Yinzhen and Yintang, learned from their fourth brother what major event had occurred the previous night. Because of their behavior the night before, they had been severely reprimanded by the rule-abiding Yinzhen, who found it extremely inappropriate.
The two brothers chuckled sheepishly, scratched their heads, and looked guilty. They repeatedly promised not to do it again before Yinzhen let them off the hook.
Yinxiang shook his head as he watched. He knew his two older brothers were usually quite unreliable, but he never imagined they would be so audacious.
In yesterday's situation, all the brothers present held their breath, afraid of offending the emperor. Those two are really amazing; they even managed to fall asleep.
Yinxiang was a big fan of his fourth brother, and his personality was similar to Yinzhen's. He admired his two older brothers' boldness, but at the same time, he disapproved of their behavior last night.
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