"I will have Yinqi handle Yinzhi's funeral arrangements and bury him according to the standards for a Beizi (a princely title)."
Consort Yi looked at Emperor Kangxi with a face full of gratitude.
It was already quite remarkable that a child who was not yet an adult could receive such attention from Emperor Kangxi. If she continued to cry and whine, it would be a disappointment.
Yinzhi was young, but he was well-liked.
All the older princes, except for the eldest and the seventh prince, came.
Yin Tao and Yin Xiang went to the mourning hall to offer incense every day, which truly moved Consort Yi deeply.
On the day of the burial, Emperor Kangxi granted Consort Yi permission to send off Yinzhi.
It is said that after seeing Yinzhi off that day, Consort Yi locked herself in her room for two whole days. On the day of the palace banquet, when everyone thought she would feign illness and not come, she appeared in front of everyone in her imperial concubine attire.
Although she still looked haggard, it was clear that she was trying hard to move on from her grief.
When Empress Xiaozhuang saw this, she sighed, but her eyes were full of admiration.
He whispered to Sumalagu, "After the banquet, you will personally go to Yikun Palace to deliver the rewards."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang didn't specify what the reward would be, so Sumalagu selected some jewelry and ornaments according to the recipient's rank, which was in accordance with the rules.
Seeing that Consort Yi was in good condition, the members of the Guo Luoluo family breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Consort Yi already has two adult princes by her side, as long as she doesn't participate in a rebellion, her wealth and honor for the rest of her life are guaranteed.
But Yinzhi had raised him for so many years, how could he not have feelings for him?
“Mother, Fifth Master is worried that you are not feeling well, so he asked me to come and help you go back home early.”
Fifth Prince Consort Liu Hui of the Tara clan cautiously glanced at Consort Yi. If the other woman showed even a hint of displeasure, she would quickly apologize.
Ninth Princess Consort Dong E Yu Wan also came over, "Mother, let Fifth Sister-in-law and I escort you back to Yikun Palace."
Throughout the banquet, Consort Yi appeared perfectly normal, but a careful observer would have noticed that she had drunk quite a bit of alcohol.
Continuing like this will not only harm her health, but I'm also afraid that she might become intoxicated and vent her emotions at this time, which could anger the Emperor.
So the two wives exchanged a glance and then rushed over to dissuade them.
Consort Yi did not want the younger generation to worry. She smiled and nodded, then took the hands of the two wives and walked out.
When they reached the outside of the palace, they saw Consort Fu approaching and said to the two wives, "You two should go back. I will take care of the Imperial Concubine."
Consort Yi nodded in agreement, "Tell Fifth Prince and Ninth Prince to drink less. I will go back with Consort Fu, so you don't need to worry."
Upon seeing this, the two wives bowed and withdrew.
Hongxi was held in Yinreng's arms the entire time.
He was treated the same way at this time last year, and unexpectedly, a year later, he still hasn't managed to get the treatment of sitting at a table by himself.
When will I grow up quickly? I really want to sit at a table all by myself.
Yinreng glanced down at Hongxi, who had a nail in his buttocks, and then leisurely poured himself a drink.
Seeing that the Crown Prince was in a good mood, Emperor Kangxi immediately raised his cup and said, "At this time last year, I was still in Mongolia. The court was very grateful to the Crown Prince for handling even the snow disaster in Suzhou. I am very satisfied."
When Suo'etu, who was being plied with wine by his colleagues, heard this as if he were being praised, he immediately puffed out his chest and looked proudly at the people around him.
It wasn't until he saw Mingzhu roll her eyes at him that he finally put away his proud little tail.
The court officials offered their congratulations, and Yinreng naturally raised his wine cup to Kangxi, saying, "Father, your trip to Mongolia was exhausting. I don't want to have to serve as regent again."
Kangxi was taken aback, then burst into laughter, "What nonsense is this child talking about? You are the Crown Prince, the heir apparent. If you don't oversee the country, who will?"
Yinreng pursed his lips, "But my health has always been poor, and constantly exhausting myself like this is probably not good for my health."
Emperor Kangxi smiled with great satisfaction, "You're such a lazy child. Never mind, just take good care of your health. This old body of mine can still work for you for a few more years."
Yinreng smiled and thanked him, then picked up Hongxi and kissed him.
He looked like a child, but everyone felt a mix of emotions seeing him like that.
No matter how weak the Crown Prince had previously appeared, the tension in Kangxi's mind would always surface from time to time.
[Finally, Father has learned his lesson and is now showing weakness, no longer as stubborn as before.]
Yinreng chuckled.
He was disappointed and even angry that Emperor Kangxi did not trust him.
But if you look at it from another angle, since Kangxi is wary of him, he might as well slack off and trouble the old man to keep busy for a few more years while Kangxi is still healthy.
Why not let him protect the country for you? Why be so resentful?
Once you understand something, your thoughts immediately become clear.
After the New Year's Eve banquet, harmony prevailed throughout the court.
After enjoying a carefree life for more than half a year, on the fifteenth of August, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang fell ill.
At that time, Emperor Kangxi was staying at the summer palace to escape the heat. Upon hearing about this, he insisted on riding back to the Forbidden City.
As a result, he fell ill after only meeting Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang once.
Left with no other choice, Yinreng and his family had to rush back from the temporary palace. He himself stayed in the Qianqing Palace to take care of Kangxi, while Lady Guarjia and Hongxi took care of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
For a time, no one dared to mention the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the imperial physicians throughout the palace were busy working non-stop.
Even the ministers in the court dared not utter a word when submitting memorials, for fear of angering the irritable Emperor Kangxi and bringing disaster upon themselves.
At this moment, Suo'etu and Mingzhu, who had just finished discussing political affairs, were kept behind by Yinreng and spoken only after all the other officials had left.
"The Empress Dowager's condition does not look good. She has been ill for seven or eight days and her condition has not improved but has instead shown signs of worsening."
Soetu and Mingzhu looked at each other, not understanding the meaning behind the crown prince's words.
"You shall observe the previous dynasty's movements regarding this matter. If there are any negative rumors circulating among the people or in the court, you shall thoroughly investigate them all for me."
The two immediately agreed.
It's not that Yinreng reacted this way; it's because Yin'e, who was out on official business these past two days, heard some rumors and, unable to contain his anger, returned to the palace to discuss them with Yinreng.
"There are rumors outside that the Qing Dynasty's accession to the throne was illegitimate, which is why the Empress Dowager suddenly fell seriously ill."
"Some say that if Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang died, the Qing Dynasty's fate would be sealed."
Upon hearing this, both Suotou and Mingzhu were so frightened that they knelt down, saying that they had never heard of such rumors and that they would pay close attention to the people and the previous dynasty.
If anyone dares to speak out of turn, they will be arrested immediately.
What the two of them didn't expect was that just a few days later, rumors about Empress Xiaozhuang being a reincarnation of a demon spread like wildfire.
Soetu was so angry that he started smashing things at home. Looking at Algishan, who was sitting next to him, equally angry and worried, he said irritably, "I'm sighing and groaning, why are you sighing and groaning along with me?"
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