After returning to the capital, Yinzhen was initially depressed, but no matter how depressed he was, there was nothing he could do; he couldn't very well stop his young wife from going elsewhere.
After feeling frustrated, he went to the Qianqing Palace to report back to the palace, following the normal procedure, and he went with the Fifth Prince.
Inside the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi looked at the memorials they presented, and with satisfaction, he said, "You have done very well. I, Yinzhen, will not say more. It is very good that Xiaowu has done such a good job on his first mission. You are indeed worthy of being my sons."
This was the first time the Fifth Prince had been praised by Emperor Kangxi like this, and he was filled with excitement and joy.
Emperor Kangxi was surprised that the two of them had done such a good job. On their trip, they built a royal villa and a long street without using a single penny of the court's money. Instead, they brought back a lot of money. Emperor Kangxi felt that even he himself could not have done such a thing.
Now that Mongolia has calmed down, they have a source of livelihood, and their quality of life has improved significantly compared to before.
A commercial street connected Mongolia with the interior of China. Mongolia needed to rely on the Qing Dynasty for development, so it naturally wouldn't be as unruly as before.
Mongolia's biggest worry has finally been removed.
After praising the Fifth Prince, Kangxi then focused on praising Yinzhen, since what he had done was worthy of praise.
After being praised for a long time, Kangxi finally said, "Yinzhen, don't go to the Ministry of Revenue when you come back this time. Rest for a few days first, and then go to the Ministry of Personnel."
Yinzhen was taken aback upon hearing this. Go to the Ministry of Personnel?
The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for the promotion and demotion of officials throughout the country. Its importance was comparable to that of the Ministry of Revenue, and its power was even more coveted than that of the Ministry of Revenue.
The Ministry of Personnel can do much more than the Ministry of Revenue.
"Father, I'm doing well in the Ministry of Revenue. Would it be inappropriate for me to go to the Ministry of Personnel as well?"
He didn't think there was anything wrong with his abilities. He went from the Ministry of Revenue to the Ministry of Personnel. He was afraid that the Crown Prince would have something to say about it, so there was no need to confront the Crown Prince now.
Emperor Kangxi: "What's wrong with that? I believe you have the ability to manage the Ministry of Personnel well."
In fact, if Yinzhen could see the problems, how could Kangxi not see them too? But what could he do? Before the Ministry of Revenue had problems, he could deceive himself by saying that the country was at peace. But after this incident with the Ministry of Revenue, he was no longer very confident in the other five ministries.
If you're not comfortable with this, just send someone to investigate. Any department can uncover a lot of problems. The most serious one is the Ministry of Personnel, which is responsible for the promotion and demotion of officials throughout the country. If a problem arises, can the promoted officials still help him govern the country?
Everything else can wait, but matters concerning the Ministry of Personnel cannot.
However, he was not comfortable entrusting this matter to others. Considering Yinzhen's situation and his abilities, Kangxi felt that entrusting it to him was the most suitable option.
Since Emperor Kangxi had said so, Yinzhen naturally agreed.
The Fifth Prince was shocked when he heard this. That was the Ministry of Personnel! Now that the Ministry of Revenue was under the management of the Fourth Prince, he knew that the officials in the Ministry of Revenue held the Fourth Prince in high esteem.
Now that another Ministry of Personnel has been appointed, the Fifth Prince feels that his Fourth Brother is going to ascend to heaven!
Just as he was thinking about it, his father called his name.
"Xiao Wu, you did a great job on this trip to Mongolia. I am very pleased. You are also married now. Take a few days off and then go to work at the Ministry of Works!"
The Fifth Prince naturally had no objection: "Your subject obeys the decree."
After arranging the next move for his two sons, Kangxi invited them to lunch, which moved the Fifth Prince once again.
This was the first time the Fifth Prince had dined with Emperor Kangxi in private!
He was so excited.
After leaving the Qianqing Palace, the Fifth Prince was still unable to calm down from his excitement.
Yinzhen smiled and said, "You've got potential."
The Fifth Prince chuckled upon hearing this.
"Fourth Brother, this isn't the first time I've dined with Father Emperor. I'm so excited."
"As long as you work hard, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Fourth Brother is right."
The two walked out of the palace and encountered the Crown Prince and his servants coming towards them.
When the two groups met, Yinzhen and the Fifth Prince bowed to the Crown Prince and said, "Greetings, Second Brother Crown Prince."
The crown prince's expression was somewhat complicated upon seeing the two, but overall it remained relatively mild.
"No need for formalities. You just came from the Qianqing Palace?"
Yinzhen and the Fifth Prince nodded.
Yinzhen: "Yes."
The Crown Prince thought for a moment and then said, "You did a very good job with the Mongolian affairs this time, and your contribution to the smallpox vaccination was also great."
Yinzhen: "It's all as it should be, Second Brother Crown Prince, you're being too serious."
The crown prince said a few more words, and then the two groups parted ways.
The Crown Prince walked towards Yuqing Palace with a blank expression. The servants accompanying him were all cautious and dared not speak.
On the other side, after leaving the palace, when the Fifth Prince parted ways with Yinzhen, he said very solemnly, "Fourth Brother, thank you for helping me during these days in Mongolia."
Yinzhen shook his head: "You have this ability yourself, I didn't help you."
The Fifth Prince smiled and then left.
When Yinzhen returned to the manor, he asked where his concubine was: "Where did you go, Consort?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Princess Consort has gone to the Tong residence."
Yinzhen calculated the time and said to Su Peisheng, "Prepare the carriage and go to the Tong residence."
If he doesn't pick her up, she probably won't remember to come back.
Su Peisheng hurriedly went to prepare the carriage.
Just like Yinzhen thought, Tong Cheng'er had no intention of going back at this moment. She hadn't been back for a long time, and Shumulu Shi was also reluctant to part with her daughter. Since her daughter didn't mention returning to the manor, she didn't mention it either.
After lunch, the mother and daughter started chatting again.
Shumulu's biggest concern was her daughter's pregnancy.
"How are things between you and the Fourth Prince? Should we find a royal physician to examine you? You've been married for so long, and the Fourth Prince only stays with you. Now there's no one else in the inner quarters except you. Aren't you worried?"
Tong Cheng'er never expected her own mother to urge her to get married: "Mother, how old am I now? It's still early! Having a child depends on fate; the right time will come."
Hearing this, Shumulu said, "What's wrong with you, child? You're not worried, but how can the Fourth Prince not be? Look at him, the Third Prince, who's about the same age, is already a father of two, with both a son and a daughter. The Fifth Prince is younger than him, but he also has a concubine's daughter. If the Fourth Prince doesn't have any children, how can he not be worried? How can Consort Wuya of Yonghe Palace not be worried?"
Tong Cheng'er sighed: "Mother, don't worry! The Fourth Prince and I are both fine. We just don't want to have children yet. The Fourth Prince consulted the imperial physician and found that having children too early can affect a woman's lifespan and can also easily lead to health problems. That's why we decided to have children later. It's not because we have any health problems."
Shumulu was taken aback by this, not expecting it to be for this reason: "So, you deliberately didn't want the child?"
Tong Cheng'er nodded: "Yeah, let's wait another year or two!"
Shumulu really didn't expect that the Fourth Prince could do this.
She pressured her daughter to have children because she disliked her for not having any. She was also afraid that her daughter would be mistreated in her husband's family. She loved her daughter very much, but if her daughter was mistreated in her husband's family, she might not be able to stand up for her daughter even if she tried her best.
So I can only say more.
Since the Fourth Prince and his daughter have decided not to have children for the time being, there is no need for her to urge them.
Having given birth to four children in her lifetime, she naturally knows how difficult pregnancy and childbirth are for a woman.
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