Although he had a high chance of winning, Yinzhen remained calm and composed, avoiding arrogance and complacency, and did not become complacent because of the illusory possibility.
Emperor Kangxi was very pleased with this. Yinreng had done the same thing before, and his calm and composed demeanor was very much in line with that of a crown prince.
But I don't know when he started to change. He became anxious, greedy, and foolish, and started making petty moves.
Now, in this son, Kangxi saw that feeling again, and he couldn't help but think to himself, "Perhaps the fourth son really is the most suitable person!"
The situation is now clear, but Kangxi has yet to make a decision. After the previous bans on several princes, the court has become much quieter for the time being.
This year is only the fifty-first year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. There are still ten years until the Kangxi Emperor passes away. Yunyi cannot wait that long.
Otherwise, by the time Honghui could ascend the throne, he would probably be forty years old, about the same age as Yinzhen when he became emperor.
When the time is right, act decisively. Yunyi took out the Dream Weaver and wove a special dream for Kangxi, hoping to dispel his concerns and speed up Yinzhen's ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kangxi had been finding it strange lately. Every night after falling asleep, he would have strange dreams. He wondered if it was because he had been thinking about things during the day, but he dreamed about things after Yinzhen became emperor.
As expected, the fourth prince was a diligent and benevolent emperor, even a little too diligent, often neglecting his health while busy with state affairs.
After becoming emperor, Yinzhen was able to keep his ministers in check and govern the country well. At home, he had a virtuous and helpful empress, Ulanara, ensuring peace and tranquility in the inner quarters.
Among the next generation of grandchildren, Honghui is very much like his father: gentle, upright, opinionated, compassionate, and with a heart for the world. As the crown prince and future emperor, he is very qualified.
For more than half a year, Kangxi had this dream, dreaming about all the possible scenarios that would occur after the fourth prince ascended the throne.
The more he had such dreams, the more satisfied Kangxi became. His concerns gradually disappeared, and he increasingly accepted his fourth son as his successor.
In the days that followed, Kangxi clearly began to value Yinzhen highly, and he specifically asked the fourth prince to do many tasks.
Yinzhen did not disappoint his father's expectations and trust, and handled these matters very well.
At the end of the year, Yinzhen was taken by Kangxi to participate in a sacrificial ceremony.
Previously, only the deposed Crown Prince Yinreng had received this honor. After he was reinstated for the second time, Emperor Kangxi did not allow him to participate in sacrificial activities.
The fact that Yinzhen was brought along by Kangxi seemed to indicate something, and the court officials were discussing and speculating among themselves.
After the year-end sacrificial ceremony, Kangxi seemed oblivious to the gossip and took Yinzhen to Gonghua City outside the city to pay homage to the coffins of Empress Renxiao and Empress Xiaozhao.
The appointment of a crown prince must be announced to the world and also to the two deceased empresses. It is unknown whether Kangxi's move was intended to bring the future crown prince to the two empresses to meet him.
In short, all of Kangxi's recent actions seem to be announcing to everyone that Prince Yong, Yinzhen, is his chosen successor and the future crown prince.
In the fifty-second year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the household was once again filled with joyous celebrations. The Second Princess's wedding day had arrived, and she was to marry into the Ulanara family.
Zhangjiashi felt very complicated today. She had raised the Second Princess with ulterior motives back then, but after spending so many years together, she realized that everyone has feelings for the Second Princess.
Zhangjia was both happy and worried about her second daughter, whom she had raised herself. Although she knew the marriage was excellent and the son-in-law was a rare and good choice, she couldn't help but worry.
On this joyous day, Lady Zhangjia suppressed her worries and smiled as she saw the Second Princess out of her room.
The bridal sedan chair arrived at Ulanara's house amidst much fanfare. Wanyan was especially happy today. Everyone was saying that she had good taste, having arranged for her eldest son to marry the second princess of Prince Yong's mansion two years ago.
The Wanyan clan is well aware of the recent political climate in the court. Seeing that Prince Yong is the most likely candidate to obtain the position, they have formed a marriage alliance between their Nala family and Prince Yong's family, which would deepen their connection.
The future empress is their daughter, and they have married the future princess, so prosperity for at least three generations is guaranteed.
Wanyan Shi didn't want to think about the future glory. She had already done her best, and she would leave the rest to her descendants.
After the Second Princess got married, the next step was Honghui's wedding.
Emperor Kangxi had already designated Yinzhen as his successor, and his treatment of his grandson Honghui was different from that of his other grandsons.
Honghui's wedding was decided by the Tongjia clan and the Imperial Household Department, and Emperor Kangxi also offered some opinions.
Therefore, this wedding was held in a particularly grand manner, and those who paid attention noticed that the wedding of the eldest prince, Honghui, seemed to have exceeded the regulations for the marriage of ordinary princes in royal palaces.
The Qing Dynasty had strict rules and regulations, and all matters were governed by them. Weddings also had to be conducted according to the status of the couple.
Honghui is the son of a prince, but he has not yet been granted the title of heir apparent. At most, his marriage should be conducted according to the standards of a prince, but this marriage is clearly not like that.
Yunyi observed that her son's marriage should be conducted according to the regulations for a Prince of the Second Rank, only one rank lower than Yinzhen's Prince of the First Rank.
The fact that the wedding could be arranged in such a way, exceeding the bounds of propriety, was clearly at the behest of Emperor Kangxi, and the implications of this are quite clear.
Just one month after Honghui's marriage, Emperor Kangxi suddenly issued an edict, appointing Prince Yong as the Crown Prince, and ordering everyone in the mansion to move back to the Yuqing Palace in the palace.
With the position of Crown Prince now settled, the struggle among the princes for the throne came to an end.
One year later
Yinzhen's position as crown prince was very secure. His older brothers were no longer a threat, and his younger brothers were not to be feared and dared not compete with him.
It was as if even the heavens were on his side. Lady Tongjia in the palace fell ill, and her illness was very serious, just like when Yinzhen married Yunyi.
Yunyi went to the palace to check on her, and it was confirmed that Tongjia's illness was indeed quite dangerous this time.
She caught a chill in the middle of the night, but didn't think it was a big problem and didn't pay much attention to it.
But as time went by, what started as a minor cold turned into a serious illness, causing her to have a persistent high fever and become increasingly weak.
Tongjia is no longer young; she is over fifty and approaching sixty. Her health is certainly not as good as that of a young person. A minor illness has been allowed to develop into a serious one, and her condition is critical.
Yunyi felt this was a good opportunity, a good opportunity for Yinzhen to rise to power.
Instead of administering strong medicine to Tongjia, she adopted a gentle but time-consuming method to treat her illness.
To outsiders, the Imperial Noble Consort's condition appeared to be worsening daily, which seemed to indicate...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
