"You've all read it. Tell me your thoughts. Is anyone willing to take on this task?"
Everyone fell silent.
Kangxi looked at the Crown Prince: "Crown Prince, you go first."
"Father, I believe that if this move is successful, it will greatly appease the Mongols. I think it is very feasible. As for who should be in charge, I think my fifth brother is suitable."
It was right to appease the Mongols, but it didn't address the core issues and lacked a deep enough understanding of the problems.
As for the Fifth Prince mentioned by the Crown Prince, it was mainly because he was raised by the Empress Dowager's side. The Empress Dowager came from Khorchin in Mongolia, so it was not wrong for the Fifth Prince to deal with Mongolia.
Because what Kangxi presented was a censored version of Yinzhen's plan, the Crown Prince thought about it but didn't give it much thought.
He never considered the possibility of using wool to control Mongolia, nor did he think that this approach could solve all problems in Tibet and the Western Regions.
Emperor Kangxi remained calm, though he had been prepared for this, he was still disappointed.
He looked at the eldest prince: "Eldest brother, you speak."
"Your subject thinks this is a very good idea. If it works out, there will be no need to marry princesses to Mongolia anymore. Instead, Mongolia can send a prince or nobleman to the capital for a marriage alliance and stay there permanently. If it works out, the princesses and noblewomen who marry there can be brought back to the capital to live permanently. Even if it doesn't work out, the princesses and noblewomen who marry into the Mongolian royal family will be treated much better. As for the candidates, your subject recommends your eighth and ninth brothers."
The eldest prince thought the eighth prince was useful and capable, and there was also the ninth prince following along, who was good at making money.
His enthusiasm stemmed from the fact that he had five daughters, four of whom were born to his deceased primary wife. His eldest and third daughters had married and moved to Mongolia.
His children had been in poor health since childhood, which worried him greatly. His fourth daughter was even worse off, and he feared that she would also marry into Mongolia.
He didn't have a long-term vision, but he knew that once the wool was made, the relationship between the Qing Dynasty and Mongolia wouldn't have to be maintained entirely through marriage alliances. Even if marriage alliances were necessary, Mongolia wouldn't treat the married-off women of the imperial family with such indifference to their lives as it had before.
His love for his daughter is genuine.
Upon hearing this, Kangxi nodded. He hadn't had high expectations for him to begin with, but his fatherly heart resonated with him deeply.
"Third brother, you tell us."
Third Prince: "Your subject thinks that the Crown Prince's idea is very good."
Anyway, he won't go to Mongolia. He loves literature and enjoys the company of beautiful women; the harshness of Mongolia is not suitable for him.
As for other thoughts behind this move, he did have them, but he looked at the Crown Prince and remained silent.
Kangxi ignored Yinzhen and looked at the Fifth Prince.
Fifth Prince: "Your subject thinks that the ideas of the Crown Prince, Second Brother and Eldest Brother are both very good. Father Emperor, it is your decision."
The Seventh Prince gave almost the same answer as the Fifth Prince.
When Emperor Kangxi heard about the recent rumors surrounding the Eighth Prince and his wife, his gaze towards the prince became more scrutinizing: "Eighth Prince, speak."
“Your subject shares the same idea as your eldest brother, but your subject is not familiar with the Mongolian region. Your subject recommends your fifth brother and tenth brother to take charge.”
The Fifth Prince remained calm, but the Tenth Prince was quite confused. Why was he involved?
Kangxi looked at the Tenth Prince: "Little Tenth?"
The Eighth Prince explained, "My tenth sister-in-law comes from Mongolia, so it's more convenient for her to handle this matter than for us."
"Xiao Jiu, what about you?"
The Ninth Prince was conflicted. He actually wanted to go, but his Eighth Brother wanted the Tenth Prince to go instead.
Kangxi frowned: "Speak quickly if you have something to say. What kind of behavior is this, stammering like this?"
The Ninth Prince, thinking that he had been too ashamed to go out lately, closed his eyes and said directly: "Your subject believes that if the wool trade is used properly, it can not only appease Mongolia, but also completely control Mongolia. If there is another rebellion in the future, we only need to control the wool trade to quell the rebellion from within. Your subject wants to go to Mongolia to take charge of this matter."
Emperor Kangxi was surprised to find that the Ninth Prince was the only one who surprised him; Yinzhen was not included.
The fact that so much could be gleaned from the abridged version of the document made Kangxi realize for the first time that he had underestimated his son's abilities.
"Xiao Shi, what about you?"
The Tenth Prince scratched his head: "Since Ninth Brother wants to go, I will go with him."
As for his opinions, he didn't, and Kangxi didn't ask any further questions. Kangxi was quite tolerant of this son.
The Twelfth Prince is practically invisible. His reputation is similar to that of the Fifth Prince. As long as the Crown Prince is still alive, whatever the Crown Prince says goes. They won't object, but of course, they won't support him in practice either.
The Thirteenth Prince was not present; he was out on official business.
The Fourteenth Prince had just gotten married and hadn't thought things through deeply. He was currently focused on becoming a great general and, being close to the Eighth Prince, agreed with the Eighth Prince's opinion.
After listening, Kangxi looked at Yinzhen and said, "Fourth Prince, since you brought up the matter of the wool, I will entrust it to you to handle. You can choose two more brothers to help you."
Everyone looked at Yinzhen, not expecting that this matter was related to him. The Crown Prince's gaze towards Yinzhen became increasingly hostile.
Yinzhen had not told him about this.
Although the Eighth Prince was surprised, he accepted it well. He felt that this matter would not affect the overall situation. While it was an achievement to take charge of this matter, he was far away from the court and did not know what the situation would be like when he returned.
"Your subject wishes to choose the fifth and ninth brothers."
Originally, he wanted to choose the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince, both of whom were steady and reliable. The Fifth Prince had connections in Mongolia, making him a very suitable candidate.
The Ninth Prince's words surprised Yinzhen. He guessed that Kangxi liked to train his sons the most. In the past, the Ninth Prince was "misbehaving" in his eyes. Now that he saw his talent, he naturally wanted to explore it.
Even though Yinzhen was somewhat worried about him, he still had to tell him.
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