Chapter 213: The Final Chapter of the Arranged Marriage
Since it concerned Yin'e's marriage, the Imperial Concubine wanted to go to the border region with him, but Yin'e persuaded her not to.
The Imperial Concubine has been recuperating for years and is still in relatively good health, but accompanying the Emperor on his inspection tours is too strenuous, and Yin'e doesn't want her to suffer like that. In any case, the marriage alliance between the Manchus and Mongols had already been discussed with Emperor Kangxi, so there wouldn't be any problems even if the Imperial Concubine didn't go.
Yin'e was able to accompany the emperor on this trip to the borderlands because of an extra promise that Emperor Kangxi had made to him. Therefore, after Yin'e was summoned to the Qianqing Palace by Emperor Kangxi, he was the first to be informed of the date of the hunting trip to the borderlands, and also the first to see the list of participants for this hunting trip.
After glancing at the list handed to him by Liang Jiugong, Yin'e was initially relieved not to see the Imperial Concubine's name. However, his face darkened, and he asked with an unpleasant expression, "Father, how could you have missed Ninth Brother?"
On the list of those on the imperial tour, the Crown Prince was listed separately as the heir apparent, and he was also accompanying the emperor on this tour. The list of princes included all the princes from the eldest to the eighth prince, plus Yin'e, who was not officially listed. The order of seniority went from the eldest prince to the tenth prince, with only the ninth prince being left out.
Yin'e knew that Kangxi's original plan was to only take the eldest princes on the tour. The initial list only went up to the Eighth Prince. His name was added by Kangxi later because he had asked Kangxi for help two years earlier, and Kangxi had agreed to it.
The problem is, since Kangxi decided to include Yin'e, this extra little prince, why not include the Ninth Prince as well? What's the point of skipping the Ninth Prince? Luckily, this list didn't get out of the Qianqing Palace, otherwise the Ninth Prince would have been in a very awkward position.
With his lips pressed tightly together, Yin'e's face darkened as he grumbled inwardly: "Does Kangxi even know how to be a father? What kind of mess has he made? Does he even know how to handle things?"
"...Indeed, it was an oversight on my part." Kangxi was so shrewd; as soon as Yin'e uttered his indignant words, he knew where the mistake had occurred. He coughed a few times, looking slightly embarrassed. "Fortunately, the list hasn't been sent out yet, so I'll add it now."
Yin'e glanced at Kangxi helplessly, too lazy to say anything: Forget it, it's not like we just found out today that Kangxi is such an unreliable father. It's already good enough that Kangxi can correct his mistakes in time. What else can we expect?
Without expectations, there is no harm. Yin'e never expected Kangxi to favor him and the Ninth Prince. After all, neither he nor the Ninth Prince fully respected or loved Kangxi, so it didn't matter. He would just continue to maintain this superficial father-son relationship.
Traveling long distances these days is tough, especially in the sweltering summer. Fortunately, the closer we got to the grasslands, the lower the temperature and the cooler the weather became, making it barely bearable.
Yin'e and the Ninth Prince were relatively lucky. They were still young and could ride in carriages all the time. Occasionally, when it wasn't so hot, they could ride horses for a ride, unlike the older princes who were strictly required by Emperor Kangxi to ride horses under the scorching sun for most of the day.
The hunting expeditions to the border regions, which were held almost every year, were certainly not simply for escaping the summer heat. In fact, they were political activities aimed at appeasing, winning over, and intimidating the Mongol tribes, further expanding the Qing Dynasty's influence and deepening its control over the Mongol tribes.
Of course, this has nothing to do with Yin'e and the Ninth Prince. They are obviously just young princes who came to hang around. There are many outstanding princes ahead of them who are both literate and martial, and they are not yet in a position to show off their skills and announce to the Mongol princes that the Aisin Gioro family has a worthy successor.
Upon arriving at the Rehe Imperial Palace, Yin'e felt that his bones were about to fall apart from sitting in the carriage every day, and couldn't help but complain to the Ninth Prince: "If the sun weren't so strong, I would rather ride a horse than sit in a carriage."
Without paved roads and without springs to cushion the ride, the experience was unbearable. But this firsthand experience reminded Yin'e that he should forget about working on sheep's milk and wool before returning to the capital and instead focus on getting the paved roads, cement, and springs sorted out.
After getting off the carriage and stepping onto the meadow, Yin'e had no mood to marvel at how exhilarating the vast grassland was; he just wanted to take a bath, lie down, and rest to piece his bones back together, which felt like they were about to fall apart from the shaking.
Emperor Kangxi was full of energy and had a very tight schedule. He had only arrived in Rehe today and had only one day to rest. Tomorrow, he would start a series of Manchu-Mongol friendship activities, exchanging pleasantries and building relationships with the Mongol princes who came to Rehe, and holding various banquets and events.
As a young prince who followed the emperor's lead, Yin'e didn't need to attend every event; he only needed to attend some of the more important ones. Everything else was fine, but it was best if Yin'e was present at the banquet where Kangxi arranged the marriage between Yin'e and the daughter of Prince Abahai.
As for going to the tent where Abahai's tribe was staying to meet Abahai's daughter in private, to have some childhood sweetheart relationship and cultivate feelings in advance... Yin'e must be crazy to do such a thing.
Now that an understanding has been reached with Kangxi, it's best to refrain from causing trouble and simply wait for Kangxi to feed him. Yin'e has made it clear he won't participate in the succession struggle; Kangxi is overjoyed and will surely make proper arrangements for him.
"Tenth Brother, what's wrong? You seem a little nervous?" Ninth Prince turned his head and asked in a low voice.
Yin'e straightened the cuffs of his ochre-red python robe, took a light breath, and said in a low voice, "Something very important to me is about to happen."
The Ninth Prince raised an eyebrow, his beautiful, delicate phoenix eyes widening slightly: "What is it?"
Shaking his head, Yin'e didn't say much. He simply calmed his breathing and, led by the guards, went with the Ninth Prince to the large open-air banquet where Emperor Kangxi was entertaining the Mongol princes.
After finding their seats, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince sat at the same table. Next to them was the Eighth Prince, and further ahead were the Seventh Prince and the Fifth Prince. Clearly, the seats in this row were arranged according to the princes' order of seniority, and these two junior princes, who were just following along, could sit at the very end.
The banquet was very lively, with a warm and exciting atmosphere. Kangxi, sitting at the head of the table, raised his wine cup and made some polite remarks. His voice was like a sound from another world. Although it reached Yin'e's ears, he did not listen attentively at all, treating all sounds as noise and background noise.
Yin'e was somewhat absent-minded, not taking anything in front of him to heart. He stared blankly into space, ignoring the fragrant roasted whole lamb, milk tea, and other grassland delicacies laid out on the table in front of him, and temporarily ignoring the occasional glances from the Ninth Prince beside him.
It wasn't until Yin'e heard Kangxi say, "...the eldest daughter of Prince Abahai will be the tenth consort."
The imperial decree announcing the marriage brought Yin'e back to his senses. A glint of light suddenly flashed in his dark almond-shaped eyes, and he instinctively grinned, revealing a bright and joyful smile.
Not only was Yin'e overjoyed, but the Mongols also reacted enthusiastically, each one overjoyed and jumping for joy. For the Mongol princes, this marriage arranged by Kangxi was like a gift from heaven, greatly easing their anxieties of recent years.
Although Emperor Kangxi made tours to the border regions almost every year and treated the Mongol princes in Rehe very warmly, the intermarriage between the Manchus and Mongols never stopped. There were always imperial princesses and noblewomen marrying into the Mongol royal family, and Mongol noblewomen marrying into the capital to marry members of the imperial family and nobles.
But the fact is that Kangxi's harem is now dominated by Manchu concubines.
When Emperor Kangxi first ascended the throne, there were still many concubines of Mongolian origin in the palace. They entered the palace at a young age and became Kangxi's playmates, supporting him all the way to his personal rule and the taking of power.
However, after the death of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, Consort Meng in the palace gradually withered away.
Currently, the only Mongol concubine in the palace who is of respectable rank is Consort Borjigit of Xianfu Palace. Meanwhile, Kangxi's three empresses, the current Noble Consort Niohuru, the four consorts Huirong Yide, Consort Chuxiu, and Consort Tong—all high-ranking concubines—are Manchu noblewomen.
Although both marriages involved Mongol alliances, the significance of a princess marrying into a Mongol family and a prince marrying into a Mongol family is different. The marriage arranged by Emperor Kangxi for the daughter of Prince Yin'e and Prince Abahai greatly reassured the Mongol princes.
These Mongol princes weren't ambitious enough to support their son-in-law, Yin'e, in his bid for the throne. Rather, they felt that the fact that a prince had married a noble Mongol woman showed that the Aisin Gioro family still accepted descendants with Mongol blood, and that the Manchus and Mongols remained as close as family. This was enough for many Mongol princes.
Kangxi's sudden marriage arrangement made the atmosphere at the banquet even more lively, and the princes present had different reactions.
The Crown Prince and the First Prince both showed unusually excited smiles. The Qing Dynasty emphasized establishing the legitimate heir, the eldest son, and the noble. One of them was the legitimate heir, and the other was the eldest son, while Yin'e was the noble. In fact, the three of them were the most competitive.
In the struggle for the throne, the powerful maternal clan of Yin'e was the one they needed to guard against the most. Neither the Hesheli clan behind the Crown Prince nor Mingzhu behind the First Prince could compare to the illustrious Niohuru clan, whose members had been nobles for generations.
However, Kangxi arranged a Mongol wife for Yin'e, allowing him to form a marriage alliance with the Mongols. This was tantamount to Yin'e withdrawing from the struggle for the throne. After all, anyone with eyes could see how Kangxi had been weakening the influence of the Mongols on the Qing Dynasty over the years.
The early exit of Yin'e, who came from a noble family, pleased the Crown Prince and the First Prince, whose struggle had become increasingly open and heated in the past two years. They were already in a chaotic situation and did not want their younger brothers to develop ambitions and get involved.
There is only one throne and only one winner. The more princes who participate in the struggle for the throne, the more brutal and fierce the struggle will be. In particular, the Niohuru clan behind Yin'e has a deep foundation and strong roots, which can provide Yin'e with a lot of help. It would be better if he were eliminated early.
Unlike the Crown Prince and the First Prince, the other princes were not simply excited and happy. They had different emotions and their own thoughts.
The Third Prince was surprised but also secretly pleased.
The Third Prince has no ambition to seize the throne. His thoughts are still focused on doing more duties and gaining the trust of Emperor Kangxi in order to obtain the title of Prince. However, this does not prevent the Third Prince from instinctively feeling happy about Yin'e's departure.
Who doesn't have ambition? Who doesn't want to be emperor? The crown prince's position is still relatively stable. The third prince really has no intention of participating in the struggle for the throne, but in the dead of night, he can hardly say that he hasn't dreamed of ascending the throne and ruling the world.
The Fourth Prince was initially surprised, but soon understood.
He sighed softly and smiled knowingly, downing the strong liquor in his cup in one gulp. The Fourth Prince still remembered that Yin'e had once said that his ambitions lay not in the court. Now it seemed that Yin'e truly lived up to his words, always walking the path he had chosen and that he loved.
The Fifth Prince was rather naive and innocent; he was simply happy about the marriage and sincerely wished Yin'e's marriage a successful and happy one. Having been raised by the Empress Dowager since childhood, the Fifth Prince was naturally close to the Mongols, and he never considered the deeper political implications.
After pondering for a moment, the Seventh Prince nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
Compared to the Fifth Prince, the Seventh Prince was closer to Yin'e. At this point, the Seventh Prince had already guessed that this marriage was probably not a whim of Kangxi, but rather something Yin'e had requested himself.
Yin'e's purpose was simple: since he had never intended to seize the throne, he should make his position clear as soon as possible to avoid being coveted by the powerful Niohuru clan and being unnecessarily dragged into the struggle for the throne.
The Eighth Prince's emotions were the most complex. He pursed his lips, his expression was gloomy, and his eyes were extremely deep.
The Eighth Prince harbored complex feelings towards Yin'e. He envied Yin'e's noble birth but also despised Yin'e's usual scoundrelliness and lack of ambition. The reason the Eighth Prince rarely interacted with Yin'e in the past was because he vaguely sensed that Yin'e was somewhat distant and cold towards him, and would occasionally look at him with a penetrating gaze.
Now that Yin'e has been betrothed to a Mongolian princess, it's like he's squandered a winning hand. This makes the Eighth Prince feel both schadenfreude and regret.
The Eighth Prince's birth mother came from a humble background, which made it difficult for him to move forward in the palace. The Eighth Prince knew this was wrong, but sometimes he couldn't help but think that if he had a background like Yin'e, he would have made it in the palace long ago. Why was he still struggling to make a living, and even had to rely on the First Prince because Consort Wei lived in Consort Hui's Yanxi Palace...
After Kangxi arranged a marriage for Yin'e, the Ninth Prince immediately understood what Yin'e meant by the important matter he had mentioned earlier.
As expected of his good brother who was always laid-back with Yin'e, the Ninth Prince immediately understood that this marriage was what Yin'e needed and what he wanted. This relieved the Ninth Prince and put his mind at ease.
Picking up the salty milk tea on the table in front of him, the Ninth Prince gently clinked glasses with Yin'e and sincerely said, "Tenth Brother, congratulations."
Yin'e hung his head and stared blankly for a few seconds. After a moment, he finally let out a long, long sigh.
Grinning, Yin'e revealed a bright smile: "Thanks, Ninth Brother."
With this marriage arranged, the Crown Prince's backer, Suo'etu, and the First Prince's backer, Mingzhu, wouldn't be watching him so closely anymore. Yin'e was overjoyed, as this meant he could now go all out and build a business empire with the Ninth Prince.
At this moment, Yin'e finally felt a sense of relief throughout his body, and many of the constraints around him quietly disappeared.
From now on, as long as he remains steadfast in his beliefs and stance, he will not be easily drawn into the struggle for succession. His future is promising... no, it should be said that from this moment on, his future is limitless.
-----------------------
Author's Note: In short, the main story is finished, so this is a bit of a wrap-up... A huge apology to everyone! My writing skills are lacking; this story really fell apart many times. There were too many problems in the beginning that were difficult to fix. So, I'll stop here. o(╥﹏╥)o
The story will continue up to the time before Yin'e's wedding, and will be included in the bonus chapters. You can read these for free once your subscription rate exceeds 30%, but the bonus chapters will be available after the story is completed and the final settlement is made.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
