The Ninth Prince was relieved.
"It's good that Fourth Brother isn't angry."
"Then let me first talk about the Cao family's status in Jiangnan..."
The Cao family began to show their talent during the reign of the previous emperor, but they truly prospered when Cao Xi's wife, Lady Sun, became Emperor Kangxi's wet nurse.
When Kangxi was still a child, his father, Emperor Shunzhi, only doted on Consort Dong'e. Although his mother loved her, she was not in control of her own destiny. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, who was then the Empress Dowager, did not show him much affection either.
During his childhood, most of his memories were of his wet nurse, Ms. Sun.
It can be said that in Kangxi's heart, Lady Sun played the role of a mother during his childhood.
Later, when Kangxi ascended the throne, he naturally did not forget his wet nurse. In addition, Sun's son, Cao Yin, had helped a lot when he captured Ao Bai. Therefore, he continued to favor the Cao family and gave them the lucrative position of Jiangning Textile Commissioner.
After Cao Xi passed away, his son Cao Yin inherited his father's favor. He first served as the Suzhou Textile Commissioner and is now the Jiangning Textile Commissioner. He controls many businesses in the Jiangnan region with his relatives by marriage and has constant secret dealings with wealthy merchants in Jiangnan.
There are even rumors that if one wants to succeed in Jiangnan, one must first pay homage to the Cao family.
The Ninth Prince, a chosen one of heaven, born into the imperial family, is being asked to pay homage to a subject—this is no joke.
The Cao family had dealt with the Ninth Prince before, but if he succeeded, most of the wealthy merchants under the Cao family's protection in Jiangnan would starve. That's why the Cao family secretly tricked the Ninth Prince even though they knew they would offend him.
Ultimately, the Cao family isn't stupid, but they've done too much, and their interests are so intertwined that they can't simply sever ties with them.
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