September of the 47th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign
The Emperor personally drafted the edict and presented it to Heaven, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Altar of the Land and Grain, thus putting the decree to depose the Crown Prince into practice.
However, after carefully considering Kangxi's words, Yinzhen felt that something was amiss.
The Emperor wrote a very long article, a large part of which recalled the Crown Prince's past virtues of propriety and wisdom, and also specifically mentioned his remarkable achievements in handling government affairs, such as the severe drought in Shandong.
Then the emperor changed the subject, saying, "How could such an outstanding crown prince suddenly become a disloyal, unfilial, and unjust person?"
Aside from the possibility that someone with ulterior motives specifically targeted Suo'etu for deliberate seduction, there is only one other possibility.
Is the Crown Prince possessed by a demon? If so, I hope Heaven will bring calamity upon me and forgive my son's sins.
Upon careful consideration, Yinzhen felt that the Emperor intended to exonerate the Crown Prince, but the wording was rather subtle, and he was not certain.
So the light in the Fourth Prince's study in the front courtyard remained on. Yinzhen's advisors discussed the matter all night and came to the conclusion that they should wait and see, and if necessary, they could plead for the deposed crown prince.
As the Emperor ages, he has increasingly valued brotherly affection in recent years, as evidenced by the deposed Crown Prince's stumble over the issue of the Eighteenth Prince. Yinzhen, who had previously been considered a member of the "Crown Prince's faction," now faces a difficult choice: aligning himself with the Prince of Zhi or establishing his own faction.
Once the decree to depose the crown prince was issued, the crown prince was exempted from the daily kneeling punishment, and his entire family was moved out of the East Palace and settled in a palace near the Cold Palace that didn't even have a plaque.
The women who were originally pampered in Yuqing Palace now had to clean their rooms and take care of the Crown Prince themselves.
Only Tong Guining and Hongzhao remained in Yuqing Palace, as ordered by the Emperor. The rest, including Hongxi and Hongjin, moved to another palace with the deposed Crown Prince.
Originally, the court officials were all following Prince Zhi and flattering him, but who knew that Kangxi would now leave Hongzhao behind with a stroke of his pen.
Could it be that the Emperor intends to bypass all the princes and establish the Crown Prince as the heir apparent?
This is not impossible. In the Ming Dynasty, the crown prince ascended the throne, but his regime was overthrown by his uncle not long afterward.
******
Prince Zhi's Mansion
Prince Zhi was annoyed with the table again. Mingzhu watched his familiar actions silently, waiting for him to vent his emotions.
"The Crown Prince has fallen, but a little child has risen. What does Father Emperor want to do? Am I not as important to Father Emperor as the Crown Prince, or even as important as Hongzhao?"
"It's hard to say whether a baby who's still being breastfed will live to adulthood. Your Majesty is being foolish!"
Mingzhu seemed oblivious to these treasonous remarks. After listening to the whole thing, seeing that Prince Zhi had finally calmed down, she said, "Your Highness, although the Crown Prince has been deposed, he is still alive and well, as is his legitimate son. The Emperor still has a father-son bond with the Crown Prince, so we must be wary. Now that we have come this far, we absolutely cannot back down." Mingzhu was also filled with excitement as she saw that their Nalan family bloodline was about to rise to the top.
“You mean…” Prince Zhi was somewhat confused.
Mingzhu raised her hand and drew a gesture: "Give the Emperor a reason to execute the deposed Crown Prince."
"Even if the Emperor favors Prince Hongzhao, he hasn't been vaccinated yet, so there will be plenty of opportunities."
The Prince Zhi's eyes lit up when he heard this. The thought that the Crown Prince, who had always been superior to him since childhood, could die at his hands filled him with immense excitement.
As for the reasons Mingzhu gave, Prince Zhi already had them readily available.
While some of the charges against the deposed crown prince may be fabricated or exaggerated, the charge of having an affair with his stepmother is true; it was simply suppressed by the Emperor.
Once such an absurd charge is made public, the Emperor, having been falsely accused by the deposed Crown Prince, will likely no longer tolerate it, and his compassion for the deposed Crown Prince will be greatly diminished.
******
When Honghui returned from studying in the palace, he went to check on the little wolf first.
He can walk on his own now, but he's impatient to take it one step at a time and always runs a few steps before falling on his bottom.
Fortunately, the little wolf never cries because of falling down. He probably even finds it funny and gets up with a smile.
At first, the eunuchs who were with him watched with bated breath, wishing they could be human cushions before the little wolf fell.
Yi Hua discovered that he could entertain himself, so she laid a thick blanket on the floor of the room to ensure that he wouldn't break it, and let him play as he pleased.
The little wolf's strength grew day by day as his appetite increased, and he could easily give someone a black eye if he wasn't careful.
Yi Hua was somewhat worried. The person who took care of her fourth prince always had injuries on his body. If people saw this, they would inevitably gossip in private. It would be really unfair if the child were to be known as "cruel".
So she began to teach the little wolf to control his strength, but he was still too young and confused. Yi Hua repeatedly mentioned it to him and tried various methods, but with little effect.
Then Honghui brought back a puppy, saying it was a gift for Little Wolf: "Mother, this is a wolfhound, it has the scent of wolves on it, and both packs ostracize it. My son got it by chance, and it fits Little Wolf's name perfectly, so let him play with it for a few days."
Yi Hua was somewhat reluctant. Cats and dogs in this era are not vaccinated, and children have weak immune systems. Wouldn't they get sick?
Perhaps sensing Yihua's concerns, Honghui continued, "Mother, don't worry. I've already had this wolfhound examined by a doctor. It'll be fine if I bathe it frequently."
Yi Hua reluctantly agreed. She could tell that Hong Hui had other intentions, but she didn't understand what he wanted to do for a moment.
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