Without delay, Yinzhen sent someone to invite the thirteenth prince, Yinxiang, to his residence.
"Fourth Brother, why are you in such a hurry to have your younger brother come over? Is something urgent?"
"Tomorrow in the imperial court, Nian Gengyao will volunteer to go to Tibet to quell the rebellion. We need to add fuel to the fire."
Yinxiang was puzzled. His father was in dire need of capable generals, and if Nian Gengyao volunteered at this time, his father would definitely agree. There was no point in stirring up trouble behind the scenes.
“Thirteenth Brother, Fourteenth Brother is currently in Tibet. If Nian Gengyao were to gain control over the procurement of provisions, Fourteenth Brother would likely have to think twice before taking any action.”
"But Fourth Brother, isn't this a bit too risky? Nian Gengyao is indeed capable, but he's also quite ambitious. If he really gains control over such a crucial matter as preparing military provisions, what will you do if the two of them join forces?"
Yinzhen smiled:
"Don't worry, someone will take care of this for us."
The reason he said that was actually because of Nian Yunrong.
Although women are not supposed to interfere in politics, how long can one hide from such matters when one is in the imperial family? Therefore, in his conversation with Nian Yunrong, Nian Gengyao still mentioned that he had volunteered for the mission.
The siblings had a good relationship since childhood, and Nian Yunrong was well aware of her brother's ambitions, which was also what worried her.
"Brother, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."
"Little sister, when did you start being so polite with your brother? Please feel free to speak your mind."
“Brother, I know your ambitions and aspirations. Now that the Prince trusts you, you should not betray that trust. You must never let what happened back then happen again.”
She knew her brother was proud and arrogant, and worried that he might be instigated by someone with ulterior motives.
Nian Gengyao naturally understood his sister's warning.
"Don't worry, sister, I know what I'm doing."
Nian Yunrong then smiled with relief.
"Qingyan, go see if Lingyun has woken up yet. If she has, bring her over so she can see her general uncle."
Nian Gengyao stood up, nervously rubbing his hands.
"And also, bring me a basin of clean water."
"Brother, what do you need water for?"
"Of course, it's used for washing hands."
As my precious younger sister's daughter, I naturally want to cherish her even more.
The nanny brought the little princess over, and Nian Gengyao gently held her in his arms.
"You know what, this child's features do look more like yours."
Nian Yunrong looked at her daughter with affection:
“The child is still young, how can you tell that he looks like me?”
While looking down and playing with the little princess in his arms, Nian Gengyao responded with a smile:
“You were the clingiest child, so I know exactly what you were like back then.”
Since he was a man from outside the family, Nian Gengyao only held the child for a short while before handing him back to the nanny.
"I feel a little light carrying the little princess, so please take good care of her, nannies."
"yes."
Then Nian Gengyao turned to Nian Yunrong and patiently instructed her:
"After this parting, I don't know when I'll see my sister again. Let me say a few more words. The situation in the court is constantly changing, and no one can predict what will happen tomorrow. You are a mother now, so you should restrain your temper a bit."
"Don't worry, brother, I know everything."
After the siblings said goodbye, Nian Yunrong sat alone on the couch, lost in thought.
Qingyan, thinking her concubine was overly worried, quickly stepped forward to comfort her:
"Consort, please don't worry too much. I believe that the master will be able to turn misfortune into good fortune."
Nian Yunrong nodded in agreement.
The following day, Nian Gengyao formally volunteered to Emperor Kangxi in court, expressing his determination.
Emperor Kangxi was very pleased with this, and with the recommendations of Yinzhen and Yinxiang, he put Nian Gengyao in charge of preparing military provisions.
After Nian Gengyao set out, in addition to reorganizing the army, he also devoted a great deal of energy and resources to ensuring an adequate supply of military rations.
"General Nian, I told you a few days ago that the army was short of food supplies. Why haven't you sent anyone to deliver them yet?"
"Your Highness, given the frequent battles around us, it's normal that supplies are tight. You should go back first, and I will definitely send someone to deliver them by the day after tomorrow at the latest."
Yinzhen couldn't do anything about Nian Gengyao, so he snorted and returned to his own tent.
News of Nian Gengyao's performance in military affairs in Tibet also reached Emperor Kangxi and others. Emperor Kangxi was very satisfied with Nian Gengyao's performance and even praised his competence in court.
In addition to Tibet, in the same year, Kangxi discussed the issue of maritime bans with Grand Secretaries, the Nine Ministers, and others at Changchun Garden.
"Please feel free to share your thoughts on maritime defense."
"Your Majesty, besides the Japanese pirates, foreigners are also showing a tendency to invade Qing territory, and there are also anti-Qing forces like Zheng Chenggong. I believe it would be better to simply ban the seas and eliminate this problem at its root."
"Father, I think this is inappropriate."
"Oh? Yinxiang, tell me your opinion."
"Yes. Your Majesty, I believe that if the sea is banned, the coastal people will lose their livelihood, and it will also have a significant impact on the entire Qing Dynasty."
Many ministers present echoed Yinxiang's viewpoint.
However, this actually contradicts Kangxi's views.
Therefore, Kangxi suspended the discussion on this issue. That afternoon, Yinxiang took the initiative to go to Prince Yong's residence to find Yinzhen.
"Fourth Brother, we really can't ban the sea. We can fight the Japanese pirates and foreigners one by one. Why should we be afraid of them?"
“Thirteenth brother, calm down. Father has not yet made a final decision on this matter, but your attitude in court today was a bit too reckless.”
Yinxiang admitted that his attitude in court today was a bit too tough, but this was a major issue concerning the livelihood of the people, and he could not back down.
"Now that you have explained your thoughts to Father Emperor, the rest is up to Father Emperor to decide."
There was a reason why Yinzhen stopped Yinxiang.
In recent years, the Emperor has been suppressing the princes' power in the court and has become wary of any princes who have gained some influence.
Especially after his eldest and second eldest brothers were imprisoned, the situation in the court changed rapidly.
Today, the thirteenth brother openly contradicted Father Emperor's close advisors in court, which is a bad omen.
However, Yinzhen did not expect that Yinxiang, together with some enlightened ministers in the court, would submit memorials to oppose him.
While the court was abuzz with discussions about the maritime ban, the two wives of Prince Yong, Lady Ulanara and Lady Nian, were also vying for his affections.
The others, on the other hand, wished they could lock themselves in their own courtyards all day long to avoid incurring the wrath of the prince and others.
In November of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the Empress Dowager, who had been residing in the Cining Palace, fell seriously ill, and the Kangxi Emperor personally visited her there.
"Xuan Ye, you've arrived."
"The Queen's Mother."
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