In sophisticated power struggles, the methods used can sometimes be quite simple and unpretentious.
She didn't even need to do anything to the Fourth Prince; she only needed to let Kangxi know the truth, and then take advantage of Kangxi's confidence in his own lifespan, so that he would easily turn his attention to his youngest son, Yinyi.
In fact, when it came to choosing an heir, although Kangxi had many sons and they all seemed to be very outstanding, only the Fourth Prince and Yinyi truly made it to the final round.
An Ning understood perfectly, so when Yin Yi noticed that the Fourth Prince was weaker than others and asked her if she could check his medical records, the mother and son teamed up to stage this charade.
In the study of Changchun Palace, only Anning and her son Yinyi were present.
"Eighth Prince is probably finished this time. Next, the Emperor will likely focus on testing your abilities."
"I understand. If I can't even pass Father's test, then I might as well not compete for the throne. The highest position is given to the most capable."
"It's good that you're prepared."
Yin Yi's ambition was greater than An Ning had imagined, but his abilities matched his ambition.
As Anning and Yinyi predicted, things unfolded exactly as they had: the Eighth Prince was finished.
How did it end?
Similar to the reprimand given to the eldest prince, Kangxi received a severe scolding, but it was even harsher than the reprimand he had given the eldest prince. Kangxi said things like, "The son of a lowly maid from the Imperial Household Department," and "He harbors treacherous intentions, has the ambition of a wolf, and is unfit for any important task."
This completely shattered the Eighth Prince's hopes, and he was then demoted to the bald prince, receiving the same treatment as the First Prince: confined to his residence and forbidden from leaving without an imperial edict.
The Eighth Prince did not have any solid achievements. If Kangxi wanted to, he could accuse the Eighth Prince of any "crime". Moreover, some of the comments were not "disgracing" him.
This development caught everyone off guard. The Eighth Prince's impressive reputation now seems to be more of a bluff than a reality. As soon as he was imprisoned, those who had previously supported him fled faster than anyone else.
Many members of the so-called Eighth Prince Party were also purged.
The Qing Dynasty was the most centralized feudal dynasty, and Emperor Kangxi was one of the most prominent emperors of this dynasty. It could be said that the imperial court was a one-man show under his rule.
The Eighth Prince made a mistake. The struggle for the throne in the Qing Dynasty was slightly different from that in previous dynasties. In previous dynasties, the crown prince needed the support of court officials to sit on the throne and secure his position. However, in the Qing Dynasty, to secure the position of crown prince, one needed the support of Emperor Kangxi more.
The effort was misdirected, and the outcome was predetermined from the start.
Changchun Palace.
"Who do you think the Emperor will bring up next?"
"It's the Fourteenth Brother! The Fourteenth Brother has the talent of a general. The west is unstable and will probably start fighting with the Qing Dynasty soon. Father Emperor has never been able to let go of the concept of balance!"
At this point, Yin Yi couldn't help but sigh. When he was a child, he admired Kangxi 100%, but as he grew up, he realized that Kangxi was not a god who made all the right decisions.
It's fine for emperors to maintain a balance in the court, but if they focus too much on balance, it leads to factional strife.
"You must carefully consider how to proceed next, and do not be negligent."
"Mother is right, son will be careful."
As expected, the Fourteenth Prince began to be given important positions, and the reason for this was that he pleaded for the Eighth Prince, so Kangxi told the public that he had brotherly affection.
The Fourteenth Prince defied Emperor Kangxi on behalf of the Eighth Prince, leading to the Eighth Prince's downfall. Therefore, the remaining "Eighth Prince Party" members would naturally choose the Fourteenth Prince for a better future.
This was an inevitable outcome.
However, the Fourteenth Prince was still too immature in court. The Ninth Prince would undoubtedly give his full support to the Fourteenth Prince, but when he thought of Yin Yi, he was not so attentive.
In addition, his wife kept nagging him about random things, so the Ninth Prince gradually faded from the struggle for the throne, making noise but not contributing.
Thus, three factions emerged in the court: the Fourth Prince's faction, the Fourteenth Prince's faction, and Yinyi's faction.
After Kangxi's previous actions, no one dared to make any more noise, and the court experienced a brief period of peace.
Kangxi was very satisfied with this. He looked healthy, but his heart had grown old. He had lost the vigor of his youth and was now focused on stability and peace.
They also began to indulge in the false prosperity.
However, this peace was ultimately illusory, lasting until the fifty-seventh year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
In the spring of the 57th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Tsewang Arabtan, the leader of the Dzungar Khanate, launched an attack on Tibet. Lhazang Khan requested the Qing central government to send troops to rescue Tibet.
In October, the Fourteenth Prince was appointed as the Grand General of Pacification, leading a large army to Qinghai to attack Tsewang Arabtan, and was granted the title of Grand General King.
The banner of the Plain Yellow Banner shall be used, following the style of the royal banner.
The Plain Yellow Banner was one of the Upper Three Banners, and its banner lord was the emperor, so it was used with the same standards as when the emperor went on a military expedition.
In December, when the Fourteenth Prince led the army on its western expedition, Emperor Kangxi held a grand farewell ceremony for him. All the princes, dukes, and other officials who were going on the expedition were dressed in military uniforms and gathered in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Those who were not going on the expedition, including princes, dukes, and other officials of the second rank and above, were dressed in python robes and gathered outside the Meridian Gate.
The Fourteenth Prince knelt to receive the imperial edict and seal, expressed his gratitude, and then followed the edict and seal out of the Meridian Gate. He rode out of Tiananmen Gate and proceeded through Desheng Gate.
All the princes, beile, beizi, dukes, and ministers of the second rank and above were escorted to the place where the troops were lined up. General Yinzhen bowed and paid his respects to the palace gates, and the troops marched in orderly ranks.
It can be said that in this wave, the Fourteenth Prince was in the limelight.
At the same time, Kangxi appointed Ortai as the Governor-General of Sichuan, and Nian Gengyao, who was competing with him, was defeated.
Nian Gengyao was the elder brother of the Fourth Prince's concubine, so he was considered one of his men.
At the Fourth Prince's residence, Yinzhen couldn't understand how he had lost.
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