In May of the 43rd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Shandong suffered a severe drought.
At the morning court session, Emperor Kangxi presented an urgent memorial delivered by the Shandong governor, Jiang Liwei, stating that due to years of severe drought, the fields had yielded no harvest, and although the court had continuously issued disaster relief funds, it was still far from enough.
Now, a rebellion has broken out in three counties under the jurisdiction of Shandong. Jiang Liwei asked for instructions on how to quell the unrest.
After Liang Jiugong finished reading the memorial, the ministers in the prince's court began to whisper among themselves.
Everyone knows that Shandong has been struggling these past two years. Poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people. Jiang Liwei is so timid and incompetent that he is just a mob of farmers who can't even get enough to eat.
"What are your opinions, gentlemen?" Kangxi asked in a deep voice.
Both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Zhi stepped forward, saying, "Your subjects are willing to go."
This incident was exactly the same as the previous flood disaster. As expected, the Emperor was worried about the Crown Prince going out, fearing that something might happen and he would be killed. So he granted the request of the Prince of Zhi.
Prince Zhi glanced at the Crown Prince indifferently. As long as he could obtain enough military merits, he could ask his father, the Emperor, to restore his mother's rank. A Crown Prince whose claws and teeth had been cut off in the palace was nothing to fear.
Seeing Mingzhu so smug, Suo'etu suddenly thought of something: "Your Majesty, the Tenth Prince is brave and skilled in battle. Why don't we go with the Prince of Zhi this time so that we can support each other?"
After the Wenyunxuan incident, it became clear to everyone that the Tenth Prince was a man of the Fourth Prince, who was always aligned with the Crown Prince. Suoertu wanted to insert as many people as possible, and besides, the Tenth Prince's temperament was enough to give Prince Zhi a headache.
Seeing that the Crown Prince remained silent, and glancing at Yinzhen, Kangxi was immediately filled with anger.
This unfilial son is swaying behind the ninth brother, looking like he's about to fall asleep. What kind of behavior is this!
"Tenth Brother!"
Yinzhen had already pinched Yinxi's thigh, and Yinxi vaguely heard Kangxi calling him.
Yin looked up and saw his ninth brother blinking hard to signal him, but he really didn't understand what his ninth brother was trying to say. Hearing his grandfather's angry voice, he immediately knelt on the ground as a reflex: "Father, your son knows he was wrong. Please don't get angry and hurt yourself."
There was a moment of silence in the court, then someone couldn't help but let out a few snickers.
Kangxi casually smashed the inkstone at Yinzhen's feet: "You're wrong, but what did you do wrong?"
"Your subject does not know," Yinzhen chuckled sheepishly. "But since Father Emperor is so angry, it must be that your son is wrong."
Emperor Kangxi, not wanting to be ridiculed by his ministers, said: "You went with Prince Zhi to quell the rebellion. If you stop hanging around in front of me, that's your achievement. Now get out of here."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Yinzhi didn't understand what it meant, but he was obedient and immediately agreed when his fourth brother nodded to him.
Prince Zhi's brows were so furrowed they could trap a fly. The Crown Prince had shoved the Tenth Prince over, clearly wanting to claim credit. But could the Tenth Prince really do it?
"Could it be that I'm blind?" Prince Zhi wondered uncertainly. He needed to observe further.
******
After the court session, Mingzhu went to the residence of Prince Zhijun, where the two discussed strategies to quell the rebellion.
“Your Highness, the Tenth Prince might be a variable. Perhaps…” Mingzhu came up with an idea. As long as he couldn’t set off on an auspicious day, a little poison would suffice.
"Don't rush," Prince Zhi shook his head. "If it were before, it wouldn't be a problem, but now that the Fourth Prince is protecting him, it's not easy to take action."
"The last family that was nearly killed by the fourth prince was the Tong family. There's no need for the Nalan family to confront him head-on." Prince Zhi saw things clearly. The fourth prince was ruthless and vicious, but he still had principles. As long as they didn't provoke him, they could live in peace.
"It's just a merit, it wouldn't hurt to give the tenth brother some soup. Once he comes to Shandong with me, and the fourth prince isn't there to guide him, he'll be completely at my mercy."
Mingzhu thought about it and felt that Prince Zhi had considered things thoroughly.
The same scene also occurred at Yuqing Palace.
Soetu said with some helplessness, "This is a military command. Prince Zhi has already made military achievements. If this continues, he won't be far from being granted the title of Prince."
The Crown Prince, dressed in a moon-white casual robe, looked even thinner than when the Crown Princess had visited. He smiled at Suo'etu and said, "Grandfather, Father Emperor will not let me out of his sight. If not my elder brother, then someone else."
"His Majesty values His Highness the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince lowered his head, his eyes hidden beneath his eyelashes, making it impossible to discern his expression. He exuded a gloomy aura: "Grandfather, let me speak from the bottom of my heart. Father Emperor's treatment of me is no longer what it used to be. Now that my brothers have all grown up, they have all entered the Six Ministries to handle court affairs after their weddings, while I am left trapped in this siege."
"Although my father allows me to review memorials from previous years and participate in political discussions, I have no real power and cannot make friends with ministers. Fortunately, I have my maternal grandfather's support. Now, my father has betrothed a woman from an unknown branch of the Tong family to me as my crown princess. I don't know whether I am more important or whether the Tong family is more favored by the emperor."
Soetu watched the Crown Prince grow up, witnessing firsthand how a spirited and refined young man had become paranoid and gloomy. Although he hadn't asked how the former Crown Princess had died, he knew it was related to the man before him.
"With Your Highness's status, the Crown Princess's family background is merely icing on the cake. In my humble opinion, good health is the most important thing. As long as the Emperor sees his grandson, that will be a blessing for the Eastern Palace."
"Thank you for your kind words." The Crown Prince nodded. "You pushed the Tenth Prince out in the palace, but I'm afraid he's not capable of restraining the First Prince."
Soetu stroked his beard and smiled: "It might have a miraculous effect, you'll see."
******
Fourth Prince's Mansion
When Yinzhen returned with his two younger brothers, Yihua personally ordered a table full of delicious dishes to be prepared for them. She kept Honghui behind and then called Hongyun over so that the men could dine together.
Hongyun saw his two uncles less often and was a little reserved, following Honghui like a little tail.
Yinzhen wasn't particularly warm towards Hongyun; he casually gave him a gift and then sat down to drink.
Yinqi treated everyone equally, and talked to Hongyun for a long time.
The food and wine were all served. Yinzhen was a little uneasy. He already knew what he was going to do after court, but he just felt it was absurd. Shouldn't his fourth brother be the one to handle such a serious matter?
"Fourth Brother, why don't I go and tell Father Emperor, and you go in my place?"
"Nonsense!" Yinzhen glanced at him sideways. "I have some things to attend to at the manor recently. You can go and fill out a resume to cover up your ridiculous deeds."
Yin looked at Honghui and Hongyun apologetically: "My nephews are all here, Fourth Brother, please give your younger brother some face."
Yinzhen glanced at Honghui and saw that he was as healthy and energetic as ever, which put his mind at ease: "Tenth brother, you must listen to your elder brother in this matter of quelling the rebellion."
“The local government has failed to suppress this matter, so it’s not simple. Don’t get involved,” Yinzhen continued.
"Remember, save your life first, then talk about everything else."
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