Hongxi's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at his father with some surprise.
Kangxi was also taken aback, then smiled and explained, "Although the seventh prince has fought a few battles alongside the eldest prince, they were all minor skirmishes, and he has never actually seen Galdan in person. After all, it's not appropriate to send two princes into battle at the same time; if something were to happen, they would both be wiped out."
Yinreng feigned an expression of sudden realization.
Hongxi couldn't fathom what Yinreng was thinking, and more importantly, he seemed unable to hear the other's thoughts continuously; they seemed to come out intermittently.
That's very unfair.
"Father, you just scared me to death. Why did you suddenly bring up Uncle Seven?"
Hongxi tried to communicate.
[Your seventh uncle and eldest uncle are often seen together. If he says he hasn't met Galdan, some people might not believe him. Rather than letting your imperial grandfather suspect and investigate later, it's better to ask him now.]
After thinking about it, Hongxi understood what Yinreng meant.
"Father, what are your plans regarding the Dzungar Khanate?" Yinreng asked Kangxi again.
Emperor Kangxi paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, seemingly deep in thought.
"Galdan is dead, and the Dzungars have also suffered heavy losses. I intend for Tsewang Arabtan to become the new leader of the Dzungars, and from then on they will completely submit to our Great Qing. I plan to send Mingzhu to negotiate this matter."
Just as Yinreng was about to nod, he saw Hongxi's expression change.
[Father, that Tsewang Arabtan was only outwardly obedient; behind the scenes, he colluded with Tsarist Russia, constantly attacking Kobdo and Barkol, and even sending troops to invade Tibet. Although he was eventually driven out by Emperor Grandfather's troops, the manpower and resources expended were immeasurable.]
Yinreng frowned.
Therefore, Tsewang Arabtan is absolutely not fit to become the new leader.
"Your Majesty, I think it would be better to take this opportunity to completely annihilate the Dzungars and make this tribe disappear completely."
Emperor Kangxi was taken aback, seemingly not expecting the Crown Prince to say such a thing. After a moment of stunned silence, he was somewhat puzzled.
“Baocheng, why did you suddenly have this idea? There are so many tribes in Mongolia, and we don’t have the strength to completely unify them yet. We can only choose one of their people as the new leader. But if we completely annihilate the Dzungar today, it’s hard to guarantee that other tribes won’t rebel.”
Yinreng naturally understood this principle, but what Hongxi said was truly terrifying.
He didn't want to waste so much manpower, material resources, and financial resources knowing the outcome.
Hongxi noticed that Kangxi's gaze was a little strange and became somewhat worried.
[Father, Grandfather seems suspicious again. Could it be that you're trying to use this to collude with Uncle and gain control of the military?]
Yinreng was taken aback, and then looked up at Kangxi. Sure enough, when their eyes met, Kangxi's gaze was full of suspicion.
“Baocheng, the boss also made this suggestion in his letter, but have you two already discussed it?”
Yinreng's heart skipped a beat. He knew that Kangxi was suspicious again. He felt helpless and angry, but his face remained blank.
"Big brother? Big brother thinks so too?"
Kangxi carefully observed Yinreng's reaction and found that his expression did not seem fake, so he said, "Yes, that fool, all he knows is fighting wars all day long, and he doesn't think about the consequences at all."
Yinreng and Hongxi exchanged a glance.
[Father, Grandfather is starting to get suspicious again. If we say too much now, it might backfire.]
Yinreng nodded almost imperceptibly.
This is the only way for now.
Yinreng did not discuss this topic with Kangxi again, but changed the subject.
"Fourteen's birthday is coming up, but now that he's by the boss's side, I don't know if he'll even be able to celebrate it."
Kangxi was taken aback, then chuckled, "That idiot eldest son is lucky to remember his own birthday, how could he possibly remember others'?"
Yinreng slumped on the soft couch, comfortably warming himself by the fire.
"The eldest brother may not remember, but the fourth brother will remind him in his heart."
Kangxi was somewhat taken aback. "The fourth prince wrote a letter to the eldest prince? I don't recall them having any contact."
Yinreng curled his lips, "Fourth Prince and Fourteenth Prince are brothers after all. Fourteenth Prince was thrown into the army camp at a young age. How could Fourth Prince, as the older brother, really abandon him?"
He sighed again after saying that.
"It's really tough on the fourth brother, that mute gourd. He clearly cares about his younger brother, but he never says it. It makes the fourteenth brother seem like a pitiful little thing, always feeling like he's been abandoned."
Kangxi remained silent for a long while before suddenly asking, "Regarding the fourteenth birthday... has Consort Ding given any explanation?"
Kangxi was asking Liang Jiugong this question.
Liang Jiugong smiled awkwardly, "Your Majesty, this servant has not heard anything from Consort Ding. Perhaps... Consort Ding is unaware of the Fourteenth Prince's birthday."
Emperor Kangxi was furious.
He flicked his sleeves and left the Qianqing Palace.
It goes without saying that Kangxi must have gone to Consort Ding's place.
Hongxi gave Yinreng a thumbs-up to avoid gossip, but he still grumbled inwardly.
[Ama's tactic of shifting the blame is brilliant!]
[Get out of here, you brat! What nonsense about shifting blame? I just can't stand Consort Ding's indifferent attitude towards everything.]
Consort Ding treated Twelfth Prince quite well. She felt that he was now working in the court, had gained the emperor's favor, and had a good in-law family, so she wholeheartedly thought about relying on Twelfth Prince for her old age.
But Fourteenth Prince also fell under her name. No matter how bad Fourteenth Prince was, she, as his nominal mother, should still take care of him.
Even during the Lunar New Year, there was no news of Consort Ding sending any warm clothing to the Fourteenth Prince, but the Fourth Prince was sending silver notes or clothing, both openly and secretly.
They sent four or five fur cloaks, all of them top-quality items for keeping warm.
I heard that after the eldest brother saw these treasures, he made the fourteenth brother wear them all and stand outside for a full hour.
Yinreng would laugh whenever he thought of this.
Boss, you're really unreliable.
The father and son did not return to Yuqing Palace that night, but stayed directly in Qianqing Palace.
The next morning, after both father and son had finished their breakfast, they still hadn't seen Kangxi return.
This is a bit strange.
He Yuzhu, who had been keeping a close eye on the news, explained that last night, Kangxi went to Consort Ding's place as soon as possible. He had heard Kangxi's angry words coming from inside from time to time, but the atmosphere eased up for some reason after a while.
Then, Emperor Kangxi actually stayed at Consort Ding's residence and has not left Yongshou Palace since.
Hongxi and Yinreng looked at each other again.
[Father, that Consort Ding seems to have some skills; it looks like she's managed to win over Grandfather.]
Yinreng raised an eyebrow.
Given Kangxi's past behavior, he would never stay overnight after scolding a concubine. What exactly did he say last night?
Seeing Yinreng deep in thought, Hongxi silently walked to the window, trying to create some distance between them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com