The main force moved at a fairly fast pace. It took them two months to go out, but they traveled swiftly back and arrived in the capital in just one month, cutting the time in half.
Upon returning to the capital, Yinreng was confined to his Yuqing Palace and forbidden from leaving. The gate was guarded by men sent by Emperor Kangxi, and he was kept under strict watch.
Before leaving, the Crown Prince was a high-ranking heir apparent, but upon his return, he became a prisoner without freedom. This stark contrast made many people realize that a change was about to occur in the capital.
When Yinzhen returned to his residence, he pulled his wife aside and carefully instructed her to keep the gates closed for the time being and not to go out unless necessary, in order to avoid any trouble.
The three brothers, Yinzhi, Yinxiang, and Yinxiang, also gave the same instructions to their wives. Because of the Crown Prince's affair, the capital would not be peaceful for some time to come, and there was nothing they could do but try to stay out of the way.
Although he was to close the gates of his residence and reduce contact with outsiders, Yinzhen was not idle. With a heavy heart, he went to his study to discuss something with his advisors.
Everyone can guess what Kangxi will do next, but Yinzhen has been having precognitive dreams about the future for the past six months. He already knows in advance that his second brother will be deposed, and now, his mind is preoccupied with...
Yunyi didn't ask anything, she just did what a good wife should do, managing the household well and not causing him any trouble.
The atmosphere in the capital is becoming increasingly tense, with everyone feeling that a storm is brewing. Recently, there have been far fewer criminals in the capital.
Finally, on the third day after Yinreng was confined to Yuqing Palace, Kangxi issued the decree to depose the crown prince during the grand court assembly.
Since being named Crown Prince at the age of one, Yinreng has held this position for over thirty years. Now, at the age of thirty-four, he is still just a Crown Prince and has not yet ascended to the throne.
Which dynasty had a crown prince for over thirty years? Yinreng's feelings for his father, Kangxi, gradually deteriorated from admiration and respect to resentment.
In particular, the fact that Yinzhi, who coveted the throne, was constantly opposing him in the court, while his father not only did not stop him but also subtly supported him, made Yinreng feel even more disheartened.
After Songgotu's death, Yinzhi gained power and began to suppress Yinreng, which led the crown prince, praised by all the court officials, down a path of no return.
Crown Prince Yinreng was deposed and imprisoned in Yuqing Palace along with his wives, concubines, and children. He was not allowed to go out or see anyone. It seems that Emperor Kangxi had no intention of moving the deposed crown prince and his family to another place.
Whether it was the future in his dreams, the result of his discussions with his advisors, or his own true feelings, when everyone else was kicking the deposed crown prince while he was down, Yinzhen spoke well of his second brother to Emperor Kangxi.
Although they didn't understand the meaning behind it, they obediently followed their fourth brother and said many good things about Yinreng. In their hearts, they didn't think that way, but on the surface, they said it very nicely.
Yinzhi scoffed at this, saying that the fourth prince was just stubborn and inflexible. Even though the second prince hadn't treated him well, he was still speaking well of him at this point, which was incredibly foolish.
Yinzhi lowered his head, concealing the sarcasm in his eyes. He thought to himself that his fourth brother was a smart man. Even at this moment, he could still keep his composure and did not speak ill of his second brother.
Other ministers who were unaware of the situation simply felt that Prince Yong was indeed a kind and virtuous man, and utterly loyal to the deposed crown prince.
However, there were also people as clever as Yinzhi who could vaguely guess what Prince Yong meant.
Kangxi remained silent with a gloomy expression, while Yinzhen remained kneeling without getting up. Others might not know how he felt at that moment, but he knew for himself that he wasn't actually that nervous.
After a long silence, Kangxi slowly spoke, only saying that the fourth prince was stubborn, inflexible, and incompetent, without mentioning anything else, and then told him to get up.
Yinzhen knew that his father hadn't blamed him; he had only lightly mentioned his shortcomings before moving on.
This was also a way of telling him not to continue talking about his second brother; the matter should end here. He didn't blame him, but he didn't want to hear him say anything more.
Having said all that, Yinzhen wasn't truly stupid, so he could only feign helplessness, apologize to his father, and then shut up and step aside.
Even the fourth brother, who was leading the charge, was defeated. Yin Tang and Yin Yi, who were already somewhat unwilling, naturally got up quickly and shut their mouths.
The opposition ceased immediately, and at least for this moment, everyone, whether they agreed or disagreed, showed their approval of the decree.
The imperial edict to depose the crown prince was successfully issued, and the political situation in the court was changing rapidly. Everyone was eager to make their own moves and could finally recommend the prince they supported to ascend the throne.
Without the crown prince, the affairs of state were indeed in chaos for a while, and the situation became increasingly tense.
With the Crown Prince, born of the Empress, gone, none of the princes were willing to submit to the others, and they all coveted the position. Seeing this, the ministers below began to take sides and place their bets, and that's how things turned out.
As the adopted son of the Imperial Noble Consort, Yinzhen was one of the princes with the highest status besides the Crown Prince, including the Tenth Prince Yinxi, born to Consort Wenxi.
Besides these, the princes born to the concubines are of higher status and are strong candidates to inherit the throne.
Among them, Yinzhi, who had fought with Yinreng for many years and held the title of eldest son but not the legitimate heir, was the most powerful. He contributed the most to bringing down the crown prince this time.
Although Yinzhen had that idea, he also knew that it was not advisable to be too flamboyant at this time, and that acting in a low-key manner was the safest course of action.
And the premonition in the dream also showed what the consequences of being high-profile and flamboyant would be.
After deposing the crown prince, Kangxi did have other ideas. He was now observing and thinking about who should be chosen as the next successor.
Observing everyone's reactions with a cold eye, Yinzhi was the first to be eliminated by him. He was a simple-minded and physically strong brute, who was only meant to be a whetstone for the second son, and should not be selected.
What Kangxi didn't expect was that the whetstone was too powerful, ruining his second son. This powerful whetstone was now useless and had also lost his father's favor.
As he looked at each of his sons, Kangxi could find fault with them. But in the end, he found that only Yinzhen was the most suitable and suited his taste.
However, Yinzhen's identity—the son of the deceased commoner Wuya and the adopted son of the Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia—was a major problem that weighed heavily on Kangxi's mind, causing him to ponder and hesitate for a long time before he could make a decision.
"Well, well," Kangxi finally sighed. "Let's wait and see how the fourth prince is, and whether he can live up to the position."
Moreover, his own health was still relatively good. He could keep an eye on his fourth son while also taking a look at his other underage sons. If any of them were capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility, he would train them to become suitable heirs in the future.
Kangxi was thinking this way, making preparations for both possibilities, and was extremely worried about the future of his country.
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