Yinzhen was angry at the Lin family for their many evil deeds, but he was even angrier at the Crown Prince for not being able to distinguish right from wrong.
He intended to compete for that position, but this time he wanted to compete in a different way. He wanted to be the only choice to succeed Kangxi, even if the crown prince did not make any mistakes.
He wanted someone indispensable, not someone who secretly fought to the death, ultimately leaving his brothers half-dead before finally securing the throne.
Yinzhen was truly angry that the Crown Prince was so useless. It was fine for him to dote on women, but protecting a family like the Lin family was unnecessary. In Yinzhen's view, it was truly a foolish thing to do.
Since the Lin family was capable of such evil deeds, their family values were inherently flawed. There was really no need to keep such in-laws around. It's not impossible for a crown prince to go to great lengths for the families of his concubines, but to go to this extent would be incredibly foolish.
The more Yinzhen thought about it, the more distressed he became. He hoped that the Crown Prince could be smarter, otherwise he feared that he would depose the Crown Prince even sooner in this lifetime.
Two days later, the Ministry of Justice closed the case.
The culprit was the third master of the Lin family. Since he and his accomplices had all died, there was no way to punish them. Tian Wenjing was reinstated and assigned to a remote place as a county magistrate. He could set off after his injuries healed.
For Yinzhen, this matter was now considered closed.
As for the Lin family's future, there will likely be more to come, but that's something for the future.
Because this case was brought to light through a petition to the emperor, Yinzhen also informed Kangxi of the outcome.
After listening to Yinzhen's explanation, Kangxi simply said, "I understand. You've taken care of this matter."
Yinzhen: "It is my duty, and it is simply my responsibility."
Kangxi then said, "I've heard that Tian Wenjing is quite capable. What do you think of him after you've met him?"
Yinzhen was taken aback when he heard this, not expecting him to pay attention to this issue.
"Tian Wenjing's words and actions are acceptable, and he is fit to be an official, but I haven't seen any specific abilities in him. If Father Emperor wants to know, I can go and inquire further."
Kangxi: "Forget it, it was just a casual question anyway, no need to worry about it anymore. If he really has the ability and skill, he will have plenty of opportunities to speak to me in the future, and I will see for myself then."
Yinzhen nodded: "What Father Emperor said is very true."
When Yinzhen came out of the Qianqing Palace, he realized that his father probably also knew what the Crown Prince had done. He felt that the Crown Prince had been too muddle-headed in this matter. His father was strict with the Crown Prince, and he was probably disappointed in him.
After Yinzhen left, Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but sigh.
Just as Yinzhen had thought, Kangxi did indeed know about the Crown Prince's actions.
At first, he didn't know that filing a complaint with the emperor was fine. Although such things were rare, they weren't uncommon. He just left it to Yinzhen to investigate, and once the results were in, that would be fine.
With so many important matters to attend to in the court, Kangxi didn't pay much attention to this matter.
He didn't pay much attention to filing a complaint with the emperor, but he's been paying attention to the crown prince lately! He finally felt that the crown prince was making some progress in handling political affairs, but then he started protecting her family because one of his concubines was pregnant.
The Crown Prince has not yet ascended the throne!
If things are like this now, wouldn't they become even worse if he were to ascend the throne in the future?
That would cause complete chaos.
Having reigned as emperor for decades, Kangxi understood all too well what it took to be a qualified emperor.
While an emperor's ability to handle state affairs is indeed important, it is not the most crucial factor. The most important thing for an emperor is to balance the relationships within the court and, more importantly, to avoid being overly emotional.
In Kangxi's eyes, the Crown Prince's protection of the Lin family was an act of excessive sentimentality.
For decades after Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne, no one dared to directly plead for leniency for the families of his concubines when they committed crimes; instead, they would usually plead for a lighter sentence.
Just as they were thinking of the Crown Prince, he arrived.
Emperor Kangxi didn't want to see the Crown Prince right now; seeing him would make him angry. But if he didn't see him, he could only sulk.
"Let him in."
Liang Jiugong: Yes, sir.
The Crown Prince entered the Imperial Study, performed the rites, and paid his respects.
The Crown Prince said, "I have finished reading the memorial that Father asked me to read."
Emperor Kangxi remained silent upon hearing this.
According to past practice, at this time, Kangxi would have given him some new memorials to read.
The crown prince couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
"Father, would you like to take a look at the memorial I approved?"
Emperor Kangxi spoke up: "I won't look anymore. I have something to ask you."
The crown prince looked completely bewildered.
Kangxi asked, "Are you aware of the matter that someone filed a complaint against the emperor a few days ago?"
The crown prince wanted to say he didn't know, but looking into Kangxi's eyes, he dared not lie.
"Your subject knows some of it."
Kangxi then asked, "Do you know that the victim was harmed by the family of your concubine in the inner palace?"
Upon hearing this, the crown prince began to feel afraid.
He couldn't help but wonder what his father meant by asking that question.
Crown Prince: "Your subject understands."
Kangxi said coldly, "Since you know, that's good. I can't tolerate any nonsense. Lin Sanlang committed murder, and the Lin family has covered for him and cleaned up his messes countless times. You should know what it means for the people of this region to keep a family like the Lin family around, right?"
The Crown Prince replied tremblingly, "Your subject understands."
The Crown Prince then explained, "Your Majesty, I was unaware of the Lin family's numerous misdeeds. I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly."
These words disappointed Kangxi once again.
Knowing that the Lin family had committed numerous evils, yet still protecting them, Kangxi considered it too emotional. If he hadn't known and still protected them, Kangxi could only say that the Crown Prince was truly foolish.
He dared to get involved without even knowing the truth of the matter!
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