Emperor Kangxi did indeed investigate very seriously, and the final result was quite alarming.
The eldest prince plotted against the third prince, so the obvious clues pointed to the third prince framing the crown prince. However, the third prince, under the "unintentional" prompting of the eighth prince, learned of the eldest prince's scheme and deliberately left a flaw in the plan.
The deeper evidence points to the eldest prince.
In fact, Yinzhen hesitated about whether to involve the Eighth Prince, but considering that the Eighth Prince was still useful, Yinzhen did not do anything.
Therefore, the result of Kangxi's investigation was that the eldest prince had framed the crown prince.
Kangxi was not surprised by the result, but he was still disappointed.
This is fratricide! He thought he was much better than Emperor Taizong of Tang, not only able to govern the country and bring peace and prosperity to the people, but also that his sons were all successful and accomplished.
He appointed renowned Han Chinese Confucian scholars as his sons' teachers, instructing them to be kind to their fathers and filial to their sons, and to be friendly and respectful to their brothers.
But what was the result?
Did he ever consider his father when he plotted to frame his brother like this? How can he be expected to be a brother in harmony with his father?
This expected outcome made Kangxi look much older in an instant.
Looking back now, his situation was remarkably similar to that of Emperor Taizong of Tang.
Emperor Kangxi locked himself in his study for half a day before summoning Liang Jiugong in.
"By imperial decree, all princes who are already married shall be imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court. The Crown Prince shall be brought back and confined to Yuqing Palace."
Liang Jiugong hadn't expected things to turn out this way, but upon closer examination, there were some clues to it.
Brothers killing each other, is His Majesty perhaps venting his anger?
Yinzhen and Tong Cheng'er had just finished eating when a guard came in.
"What's going on?" Yinzhen asked, frowning.
The head guard was quite polite and said, "His Majesty has ordered us to take Prince Yong to the Imperial Clan Court."
The Imperial Clan Court was a place where members of the imperial clan who had committed offenses were imprisoned; it was an unusual kind of prison.
Yinzhen looked bewildered and asked, "Did Father Emperor say anything else?" For example, why?
The guard seemed to understand what Yinzhen meant and replied, "There are other adult princes going to the Imperial Clan Court as well."
Yinzhen was slightly relieved; at least he wasn't acting out of line.
Being unconventional in this kind of thing isn't a good thing.
This time when Kangxi came to the Imperial Estate, he didn't bring many people with him. Yinzhen was afraid of making a mistake, so he didn't let anyone inquire too much. Unlike the palace, where there were many people and much power, he couldn't take advantage of the chaos.
Therefore, Yinzhen did not inquire about what Kangxi had found out.
However, he was certain that the investigation wouldn't target him.
"Understood, I'll go with you."
The guards breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Yinzhen was cooperating so well.
These are all the emperor's sons who are being imprisoned this time, so we can't be rough with them. The emperor can't keep them imprisoned for life, so they want to live peacefully.
Tong Cheng'er, however, was somewhat worried.
"The Imperial Clan Court? Do you need me to do anything?"
Yinzhen shook his head: "After you go back, close the doors and shut the mansion. Wait for me to come back. No matter what happens, you must believe me. Nothing will happen to me. There will be plenty of rumors, but you don't need to take them to heart."
Tong Cheng'er believed Yinzhen: "Okay, I believe you."
Yinzhen walked away with the guards with great composure, not at all like someone going to jail.
Although Tong Cheng'er was still worried, she believed that he would return safely, considering Yinzhen's past behavior. All she had to do was manage the Yongqin Prince's Mansion well and prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.
This is something she must do, and she has to do.
With the princes and nobles who had come of age and were active in the court entering the Imperial Clan Court, and the Crown Prince being imprisoned in Yuqing Palace, Kangxi ordered the main force to return to the capital. After such a major event, Kangxi naturally had no mood to continue farming and enjoying the pleasures of rural life.
When Kangxi returned to the capital, there was nothing of note. Ironically, his tranquility caused unrest among everyone.
Most of the high-ranking concubines in the harem have children, and several of their children are currently imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court! They are not in a hurry now, for fear of being implicated.
The court officials outside the palace were not having an easy time either. They couldn't understand what Kangxi meant and were trembling with fear when they went to court.
The situation was similar for the imperial family. The interests of the imperial family in the court and the harem were intertwined and complex. With so many princes involved, there was a great fear that they would be implicated and their families would be destroyed.
After all, few people dare to say that they are so clean that they have no dirt on them.
Tong Cheng'er trusted Yinzhen. After returning to the mansion, she sealed off the gates and forbade anyone from leaving except for the daily necessities. Moreover, the person making the purchases had to be kept in close watch and not allowed to say anything.
Compared to the chaos and anxiety in other mansions, the Yong Prince's mansion was orderly and disciplined, even more so than before Yinzhen entered the Imperial Clan Court.
It's clear that Tong Cheng'er, this "lazy" wife, is quite capable. After all, wanting to do something and actually doing it are two different things. Tong Cheng'er wanted Prince Yong to be as disciplined as an iron barrel, and Prince Yong's mansion was managed by her in a way that was as orderly as an iron barrel.
After Tong Cheng'er arranged the rules, she immediately prepared food and supplies and had Su Peisheng personally deliver them to Yinzhen.
Tong Cheng'er had some understanding of Emperor Kangxi. Although she didn't know what he intended to do, the Imperial Clan Court imprisoned his own sons. While the princes wouldn't be mistreated there, their lives would certainly be difficult for the pampered princes.
Therefore, Tong Cheng'er prepared a lot of things.
When Su Peisheng arrived with several cartloads of goods, the officials of the Imperial Clan Court were dumbfounded; the amount of stuff was excessive.
"Steward Su, it's not that we can't make an exception, but aren't these things a bit too many and not in accordance with the rules?"
Su Peisheng said directly, "Although there are many things, they are not all for our master's use. Our master and several other princes were imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court. His Majesty did not punish them. You know what the conditions are like inside. If anything goes wrong, won't you be the one who suffers? You don't want the news of the princes being mistreated to reach His Majesty's ears!"
Su Peisheng spoke very softly.
Upon hearing this, the man thought of those princes who had grown up in luxury and found Su Peisheng's words quite reasonable.
The Emperor couldn't possibly punish his sons; if any of them fell ill, wouldn't they be the ones to take the blame when their time came?
It's just sending some food, clothing, and daily necessities; there have been similar cases before. This time, we just sent a bit more, but it's not a big deal.
"Alright, I'll accept the gifts. His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to visit them."
Su Peisheng naturally wouldn't ask for more, and said very understandingly, "Of course I won't make things difficult for you, sir. Please take good care of me."
As she spoke, she secretly handed over a purse containing silver and a fine agate bracelet.
The man took the purse, felt it with his hand, and immediately knew what it meant.
Those who guard the Imperial Clan Court's prison are bound to be bribed, but such generosity is rare. The person who received the bribe thought that everyone in the Prince Yong's mansion knew how to conduct themselves. Look at how this was done; even a simple gift was so complete that it left people speechless.
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