Upon issuing the decree, Emperor Kangxi bestowed titles upon his sons.
The eldest prince, Yinzhi, was granted the title of Prince Zhi; the third prince, Yinzhi, was granted the title of Prince Cheng; the fourth prince, Yinzhen, was granted the title of Prince Yong; and the fifth prince was granted the title of Dorobele.
As for the Sixth Prince Yinrang, who was raised by Consort Jing, he was still young, and Emperor Kangxi did not take him to the battlefield, so he was not rewarded.
The princes were granted titles and their power increased. The Crown Prince's faction, led by Songgotu, began to worry that they would threaten the Crown Prince's position.
Prince Zhi has been at odds with the Crown Prince since childhood. Now that he has been granted the title of Prince, he is even more proud and wants to compete with the Crown Prince.
In the imperial court, the Crown Prince's faction and the Prince Zhi's faction were locked in a fierce confrontation.
Prince Cheng is now conceited and wants to be the opportunist who can fish in troubled waters and stir up trouble when the two sides are fighting.
Yinzhi quickly realized this and, naturally, wouldn't let his third brother be of any use, so he pulled him in as well.
Yinzhen observed coldly from the sidelines, appearing resolute on the surface, a good younger brother of the Crown Prince, but secretly waiting for an opportunity to strike, letting the three parties fight it out while he waited for his chance.
The emperor's four sons were all in their prime, and the ministers in the court flocked to their sides, siding with the princes.
Several factions are vying for power, one attacking the other today, the other attacking the same person tomorrow, locked in a fierce struggle.
On the fifteenth day of the intercalary third month of the thirty-sixth year of the Kangxi reign, Prince Yinqi formally married his primary consort, Lady Tatara.
After the marriage, Yinqi was also able to enter the court to listen to politics. With a new prince entering the court, another round of struggles began.
Kangxi turned a blind eye to this, as if he hadn't seen it, letting his eldest son fight with the crown prince, but secretly he still supported the crown prince more.
While indulging his sons, he also secretly observed their behavior.
The eldest son is impatient, simple-minded, and impulsive, but he is good at riding and archery and has the makings of a general.
The crown prince was someone I had taught since childhood. He was intelligent and upright, but still too immature. He was good enough to be the crown prince, but he needed more training to become the emperor.
The third son is inflexible, somewhat clever, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. He's good enough to be a prince, but definitely not an emperor.
The fourth son was the one with whom Kangxi had the most complex feelings.
Yinzhen was the child of his cousin, the son of the Imperial Noble Consort, and his status was second only to the Crown Prince born to the Empress Dowager. His birth was also accompanied by auspicious omens of dragons and phoenixes.
He was intelligent, sensible, and studious from a young age. His horsemanship and archery skills were passable, but he excelled in literature.
Fortunately, he was wholeheartedly devoted to his elder brother, the Crown Prince, and only wanted to be a wise prince to assist the Crown Prince, which put Kangxi at ease.
Watching the events unfold in the court with a detached eye, Kangxi hoped that the Crown Prince would mature quickly and become capable of handling things independently as soon as possible.
While the court officials were making a big fuss, Consort Hui in the inner palace learned a shocking secret.
Xianfu Palace
Consort Hui leaned back on the small couch, holding a book in her hand, passing the time.
Jingyi, the personal maid, entered and dismissed everyone else. She then whispered some big news in Consort Hui's ear.
*Thud!* The book in her hand fell to the ground. Consort Hui was shocked and couldn't believe it.
"You, what you're saying is true, the Emperor he..."
Consort Hui turned to look at Jingyi's expression, and the other person nodded seriously.
Shock, tension, and panic welled up inside me, but they all eventually dissipated, leaving only a feeling of happiness.
Consort Hui was filled with mixed feelings and had many thoughts. She turned to Jingyi and said, "Go and tell Prince Zhi to come to the palace when he has time. I have something to discuss with him."
Jingyi nodded in agreement.
Several days later, Prince Zhi made an excuse to come and pay his respects to his mother, and was able to enter the palace smoothly.
As he walked toward Xianfu Palace, Yinzhi was filled with doubt. What could his mother possibly want to discuss with him? Could it be about urging him to have a baby or taking a concubine?
Upon arriving at the destination, Consort Hui dismissed everyone and instructed Jingyi to stand guard at the entrance before calling her son over and whispering the news to him.
"What!" Upon hearing this, Yinzhi reacted exactly the same way as his mother, both equally shocked.
But he was also a man of the world, and he quickly calmed himself down and sensed some opportunities in the matter.
At the same time, Yinzhi finally understood why his father, the Khan, had recently been so fond of the Crown Prince, repeatedly promoting his cronies, while dismissing several ministers who were close to him.
Previously, the Khan was very strict with the Crown Prince, often reprimanding and instructing him, but recently his attitude towards the Crown Prince has changed a lot.
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