Chapter 124 Entrapment Master Ba has been quite pleased with himself lately. ...
Eighth Master has been quite pleased with himself lately.
Before the New Year, the incident involving the students from Jiangnan came to light. Soon after, it was heard that the Emperor and the Crown Prince had a quarrel in Danning Residence. Afterward, the Emperor immediately ordered the Crown Prince to be escorted back to the West Garden and confined to his quarters to reflect on his actions. It was also said that the Crown Prince later submitted a memorial, but the Emperor did not even want to read it.
Eighth Prince believed he could accurately gauge the Emperor's suspicions about the Crown Prince. Otherwise, why would the Emperor have supported him all these years to rival the Crown Prince? Now that the Crown Prince had revealed his ambition to seize the throne and ascend the throne as soon as possible, and it was even reported secretly by one of the Emperor's servants, the Emperor would certainly not ignore it.
It's a bit of a pity that before the new year, the emperor only imprisoned the crown prince and did not depose him in a fit of anger.
He had originally intended to use the Jiangnan incident to spread the reputation of the Crown Prince as disloyal and unfilial. He reasoned that once the Crown Prince's reputation was tarnished, even the Emperor's benevolent fatherly heart wouldn't be able to withstand public scrutiny. However, he hadn't expected the Emperor to act so swiftly, ordering the Governor-General of Jiangnan to suppress the matter of the scholars before he could even make a move. He was also afraid that the Emperor would discover something and trace it back to him, which was why he hadn't taken action.
However, in retrospect, it didn't matter much to the bigger picture, because at the first morning court session after the New Year, the Emperor actually ordered people to discuss the Crown Prince in public. He thought that if the Emperor, after careful consideration, still decided to depose the Crown Prince, it would mean that the Crown Prince would have no way out.
Eighth Master let out a relaxed breath.
During this period, many people came to his residence to offer congratulations and gifts during the New Year and Lantern Festival. Even his ninth and tenth brothers, who had previously been dismissive of his attempts to win them over, now personally paid him a visit. Although his older brothers still chose to protect themselves, his momentum was already unstoppable.
Thinking of this, the Eighth Prince couldn't help but smile slightly, and stepped into the Hall of Nine Classics and Three Affairs. He had been planning for many years, and now he was only one step away from achieving his goal.
Inside the hall, Emperor Kangxi sat on the high dragon throne, neither sad nor happy. After a long while, he said in a deep voice, "Not long ago, I ordered you to discuss the matter of the crown prince. I have read all the memorials submitted by my beloved ministers."
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, everyone in the hall knelt down and said, "Your humble servant is terrified." The Eighth Prince naturally followed suit and knelt down to pay his respects, but his heart was pounding incessantly.
Kangxi continued unhurriedly, "Prince Lian, you have won the hearts of all the civil and military officials."
When the Eighth Prince was called out, he immediately walked from the back to the front, knelt down and replied, "The ministers are truly too kind."
"A compliment?" Kangxi chuckled lightly, casually picked up a memorial from the eunuch's hand and read: "Not boastful, intelligent and capable, upright in character, and with a long-standing reputation for virtue, he is suitable to be the crown prince." He put the memorial down and said with a half-smile: "These are all compliments to you."
The Eighth Prince lowered his head. Although he couldn't see Kangxi's expression, he sensed something was off from the tone of Kangxi's voice and cautiously replied, "Your subject is truly ashamed and unworthy of such praise."
"What a shameful excuse," Kangxi said slowly. "Now, in front of all the civil and military officials, I ask you, do you have the will to succeed as the crown prince?"
Upon hearing the question, the Eighth Prince was immediately torn between his inner thoughts and his own. After a long while, he slowly raised his head and answered with great conviction, "Father, if you have entrusted me with this task, I will do my utmost to safeguard the Qing Dynasty."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi burst into laughter, and his laughter could be heard throughout the entire palace.
The Eighth Prince's heart had just begun to settle down when the Emperor's expression changed drastically.
With a swift movement, Kangxi threw the memorial down, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, and roared, "Traitorous minister! Traitorous minister!" He abruptly stood up, strode down from the platform, kicked the Eighth Prince to the ground, and pointed at his nose, shouting, "I pitied your lowly maternal family, and even though you are without virtue or talent, I still bestowed upon you the title of Prince. I never imagined you would be so treacherous and cunning, harboring such grand ambitions. To find a son like you among the Aisin Gioro clan, I am ashamed before my ancestors and Heaven!" With that, he stripped the Eighth Prince of his title in front of everyone.
Eighth Master was stunned by this series of unexpected events. When he came to his senses, his mind was in turmoil and his heart was in excruciating pain. His lips moved but he couldn't utter a single word.
After Kangxi pointed at his nose and berated him, he was helped back by Liang Jiugong and others amidst the pleas of "Your Majesty, please calm down." Once seated on the dragon throne, he said in a deep voice, "Summon the Crown Prince."
The official in charge of ceremonies immediately relayed the message: "Summon the Crown Prince to an audience."
A short while later, Yinreng walked in from outside, and everyone immediately stepped aside to make way for him. Yinreng stood in the hall, threw off his robe, knelt down and said, "Your subject pays respects to Father Emperor." Two steps to his side was the Eighth Prince, who was slumped on the ground.
Emperor Kangxi nodded, a pleased smile in his eyes: "Crown Prince, come to my side."
Yinreng said "Yes," and walked step by step to the front, stepping over the steps to the side of the dragon throne, beside Kangxi. Kangxi patted the armrest of the dragon throne heavily and said in a deep voice, "After my death, I only wish that the Crown Prince will inherit the throne!"
As the officials below exchanged bewildered glances, the Fourth Prince immediately knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!" With the Fourth Prince taking the lead, most of the officials followed suit and knelt down, saying in deep voices, "Your Majesty is wise." Even those who remained standing in the hall were now gone.
Eighth Master looked up, his mind blank, and after a long while, he slowly closed his eyes.
Hehe, Your Majesty is wise, Your Majesty...wise...
After the court session, Yinreng helped Kangxi walk from the Hall of Nine Classics and Three Affairs towards the Danning Residence. As they walked, Kangxi couldn't help but cough. Yinreng quickly patted him on the back to help him catch his breath: "Father, are you alright?"
After coughing for a while, Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's just a minor cold, nothing to worry about." He walked slowly, panting, and suddenly said, "You are much more composed than before."
Yinreng smiled and said, "It's not that I'm being prudent, but rather that I know how you treat me." He came to Changchun Garden late last night and stayed behind Danning Residence. Although the Emperor hadn't summoned him for a late-night talk, Yinreng knew that today's morning court session would be the time to close the net.
Kangxi smiled, but quickly sighed again: "The Fourteenth Prince is already on his way with his troops. The West Garden will also be guarded by the Fourteenth Prince and his men."
Yinreng secretly guessed that the Emperor might be taking precautions because he was afraid that the Eighth Prince would fight to the death. He nodded and said, "Yes."
After a while, Kangxi said again, "After we finish this busy period, you and I, father and son, will go hunting in Nanyuan."
Yinreng nodded and said with a smile, "Okay."
The two strolled along leisurely, enjoying a rare moment of peace. But just as they arrived at Danning Residence, Liang Jiugong came to report: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Ma Qi of the Wuying Hall requests an audience."
Emperor Kangxi frowned and said, "I will not see you."
A while later, Liang Jiugong came over with a frown and reported, "Your Majesty, Lord Fucha said that if you do not see him, he will kneel in the snow for a long time."
Kangxi knew that Ma Qi had probably come to plead for the Eighth Prince, so he said to Yinreng, "I will see him alone. You go to the side hall and look at the memorials first." Then he instructed Liang Jiugong, "Summon him in."
Yinreng said "Yes," and then left the main hall and went to the side hall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ma Qi enter the main hall with his hands hanging down. After a while, he heard a heavy shout coming from inside the main hall, interspersed with words like "son of a lowly woman." It seemed that the emperor was angry again. Fortunately, after a while, the noise in the main hall gradually subsided.
Yinreng lowered his eyes and continued reading the memorials. Unfortunately, a series of memorials all proposed establishing a new crown prince. He sneered, thinking that the Eighth Prince's methods were quite effective. Not only had he won over Ma Qi, but also Orondai from the Tong family, Kuixu from the Nalan family, and Aling'a from the Niohuru family were all cheering him on. These people were either commanders of the Eight Banners or Grand Ministers of the Imperial Guard. No wonder the Emperor had ordered the Fourteenth Prince to lead troops back. However, he quickly realized that these people might not dare to rebel. They were just a rabble. But if the Emperor wanted to suppress rebellious officials, he needed someone with troops to quell the potential upheaval in the court in the coming days.
He took a deep breath and thought again that he trusted Fourteen. With him in charge of the security of Changchun Garden and West Garden, he estimated that there wouldn't be any major trouble.
Before noon, the Fourteenth Prince arrived at Changchun Garden with his entourage. After reporting to the Emperor, he received an imperial decree to take over the guard duties of Changchun Garden and the West Garden. In the following days, a turbulent situation indeed arose in the court. Eight out of ten people who had recommended the Eighth Prince were discarded by the Emperor as worthless. Those who deserved to be dismissed were dismissed, and those who deserved to be demoted were demoted. Along with these actions, Yinreng was extremely busy. For example, the Eighth Prince lost his title of Prince of the Second Rank, and the Prince of the Second Rank's residence had to have its walls demolished and its scale reduced; also, the Ministry of Personnel had to fill the vacant positions and confirm the candidates submitted.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, the emperor seemed to have given him more power. The emperor allowed him to make decisions on many matters first, and he only needed to show the emperor the memorials he had reviewed to issue them for implementation without any obstacles.
That day, after finishing his imperial edict, Yinreng rubbed his forehead. At that moment, Chen He received the news and whispered, "Your Highness, the Fourteenth Prince has arrived."
These past few days, the Fourteenth Prince has become the new Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, not only leading his men to guard Changchun Garden, but also taking charge of the West Garden. Yinreng summoned him here to have him deliver a message to the West Garden.
A short while later, the Fourteenth Prince entered, bowed, and said, "Your subject greets the Crown Prince."
Yinreng smiled and offered him a seat, then said, "You have worked very hard these past few days leading the inspection tour. I was thinking of that, so I specially called you here to ask about it."
Fourteen grinned and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Your Majesty and I have been entrusted with important responsibilities by Father and you. I am in good spirits. I don't even feel tired after walking around Changchun Garden a few times."
Yinreng thought he should have been trained in the military camp in the past few years, but he didn't expect him to still speak so frankly. He chuckled twice and said, "I called you over for two reasons: first, because I care about you, and second, because I have something I want you to do."
The Fourteenth Prince figured that the Crown Prince must have summoned him to give instructions, so he said, "Please give your instructions." He wondered what it could be—whether it was to ask about the dismissed Aling'a, or to promote the Shi family's imperial guards. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince said, "I want to ask you to go to the West Garden and see how the people there are doing these days."
Oh, right, that's true. Such a big thing has happened outside, and the Crown Princess in the West Garden doesn't even know! Fourteen immediately said, "I'll go to the West Garden to pay my respects to the Crown Princess tomorrow."
Yinreng nodded and smiled, then said, "Ask your sister-in-law how your nephew and niece are doing."
The Fourteenth Prince sighed and, seeing that the Crown Prince had no further instructions, withdrew.
After he left, Yinreng breathed a sigh of relief, wondering: if she knew she hadn't been deposed, would she be more happy or more surprised? Thinking of Cheng Qianyue's face, which might become a palette of colors, he couldn't help but smile slowly.
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