When Hongxi and the others went down, the two groups were already showing signs of fighting.
"Stop!" Zhang Quan stepped forward and directed his servants to separate the leaders of the two sides. "Our master has something to ask."
Both sides were initially annoyed, but when they saw the three princes, even though they didn't know their identities, they could tell from their clothes and demeanor that they were of extraordinary status, and for a moment they didn't dare to provoke them.
Hongxi stepped forward and looked him over, finally fixing his gaze on the Taoist priest.
"what happened?"
The Taoist priest glanced smugly at the missionary, then said angrily, "These foreigners have ill intentions. They're deceiving the people into believing in their so-called religion. They're clearly spreading heresy and misleading the masses."
The missionary objected, saying, "We are Catholics, and our Lord can bless people with eternal life."
Hongxi frowned.
Emperor Kangxi was very tolerant of religion and also very interested in the outside world, which led to many people of different ethnicities coming to the Qing Dynasty to trade and even preach in recent years.
However, they mainly operated around the Thirteen Factories area in Guangzhou, and not many of them entered the capital.
But he had heard his Uncle Nine mention a few times before that a foreign cult had recently appeared in the capital, attracting many people under the guise of salvation.
Now it seems that it must be Catholicism.
In his previous life, he was quite familiar with Catholicism. Their slogan of eternal life was not very reliable, but their medicines were quite good.
During the Kangxi era, there was only a relatively tolerant attitude towards ethnic minorities, but when Hongli came to power, cultural and economic exchanges were truly realized.
In other words, if Catholicism were to be properly utilized during its early days in Beijing, it could yield unexpected benefits.
"Hongxi, what's wrong?" Hongyu noticed that something was wrong with Hongxi and asked in a low voice.
Hongxi shook his head and looked at the leader of the Catholic Church, saying, "Eternal life? I've never believed in eternal life, and even if it existed, it's not something you people can give me."
The Catholics looked grim and wanted to say something more, but the Taoist priest interrupted them gleefully.
"See? This gentleman himself said that all your stuff is a scam."
Hongxi looked at the Taoist priests again. "Taoist elixirs are indeed good, but do any of you know how to make them? Are you real Taoist priests or just people who wear these clothes to swindle people?"
The smiles on the Taoist priests' faces vanished. They exchanged glances, and even though there was still resentment in their eyes, they dared not say anything more.
"If you're so capable, then show us what you've got. If you dare to gather and provoke us again, I'll have you all arrested."
Upon seeing this, both groups scattered like birds and beasts, but the onlookers lingered for a long time, gathering in small groups to discuss the matter.
“Catholicism is a recent phenomenon, don’t you like it?” Hongyu looked at Hongxi.
Hongxi organized his thoughts before saying, "I feel like their advertising is a bit exaggerated, but I've heard their medicine is very effective. We can try to get some."
Hongyu laughed and said, "Uncle Jiu's mansion has a doctor from another race, and he has a lot of small pills for treating diseases."
Hongxi knows about this.
Because of his business dealings, Yin Tang knew many extraordinary people, including the physician Ao Qi.
“I was thinking, since their pills are so effective, why can’t we bring Ochi into the palace? Or, why don’t we keep a foreign doctor in the palace?”
Hongsheng chimed in from the side, "I know. Father once said that no matter how good foreigners are, they are still foreigners and will never truly be of one mind with us."
Hongxi pursed his lips.
That's absolutely true.
However, during Hongli's reign, there were also doctors from other ethnic groups in the palace, as well as painters from other ethnic groups.
Back in the palace, Hongxi pondered the missionary matter, wondering how to bring it up with Yinreng without seeming abrupt.
As a result, Emperor Kangxi fell ill.
At first, the other person complained of being cold in the middle of the night. Liang Jiugong came in and added a blanket for them. He also checked the other person's temperature and found nothing wrong before leaving.
Unexpectedly, the next morning, they found that Kangxi's face was flushed and his forehead was burning hot. Liang Jiugong summoned the imperial physician.
Despite being given herbal medicine for a whole day, Kangxi showed no improvement.
At this moment, the concubines and princes in the harem were terrified.
Yinreng sat by the bed, coldly looking at the imperial physicians. "Does Father really have a cold?"
The imperial physicians lowered their heads, but none of them dared to speak.
“I am asking you questions. If you cannot give a specific diagnosis, then you will all be dragged out and beheaded.”
The head imperial physician knelt down and stammered, "Your Highness, I...I diagnose it as malaria..."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.
Malaria... that's a deadly disease.
This disease is similar to acne; it can be cured, but the success rate is very low.
The concubines were almost all weak in the knees, and the princes were filled with mixed feelings.
Yinreng's heart skipped a beat, and after a long while, he said coldly, "Father's illness is of great importance. Do not tell the Empress Dowager for the time being, and also do not tell the important officials of the court. Keep it a secret for as long as possible."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"I entrust the affairs of the inner palace to the two Imperial Concubines to ensure that there are people to attend to the Emperor during his illness, and at the same time, to ensure the stability of the inner palace. We must not cause any trouble at this time, and we must not allow any rumors to spread."
Consort Yi and Consort Wenxi nodded in agreement.
Yinreng then looked at his brothers and said, “Father is currently critically ill. If any of you brothers have ulterior motives, this is indeed a good opportunity. But I’m also telling you this: if anyone dares to have any wicked thoughts at this time, I won’t hesitate to kill my own brother.”
Yinti stepped out of the group and stood beside Yinreng, his gaze coldly sweeping over the other brothers. Though he didn't say anything, the meaning in his eyes was clear.
The other brothers exchanged glances and then walked over to stand beside Yinreng.
At this moment, Liang Jiugong, who had been on tenterhooks, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless of what these princes were really thinking, it was good enough that they expressed this opinion.
Over the next few days, the concubines took turns caring for Kangxi according to a schedule, while the imperial physicians all gathered in the Qianqing Palace to discuss treatment plans and observe Kangxi's condition at all times.
The ministers of the previous dynasty could not keep it a secret in the end; after all, they were a group of cunning old foxes, and by the third day they already knew the situation.
By this time, Yinreng began to miss Suo'etu and Mingzhu.
It's a pity that both of them were sent out, otherwise these old guys in the court would be much easier to deal with.
However, Yinreng had been the crown prince for many years and had several experiences overseeing the country. With a group of brothers standing behind him, some old ministers with ulterior motives ultimately dared not make any rash moves.
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