The Empress Dowager was too weak to get up, so Kangxi leaned against her and listened to her speak.
"Though I have no biological children in my life, you are more like one to me than my own. I am overjoyed to see you get married, have children, and go to war. But there is one thing I need to say to you."
"I know the difficulties you faced in the court, but state affairs cannot be resolved in a single day. You should prioritize your health."
“Your Majesty, I have been cared for by you since I was a child. You have treated me as your own son. I remember all of this.”
The Empress Dowager smiled as she looked at her son before her, and then drifted off to sleep.
"Empress Dowager? Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"
After treatment, the Empress Dowager's condition finally stabilized temporarily.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager's health is temporarily fine, however..."
"explain."
The imperial physician secretly wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, then said in a trembling voice:
"It seems that the Empress Dowager's health is not in serious danger for the time being. However, in recent years, her spirit and appetite have gradually weakened. I'm afraid that even I, your humble servant, am powerless to save her."
Everyone must die eventually, and Emperor Kangxi always understood this very well. But even he, a great emperor of all time, had moments of weakness.
"Liang Jiugong, have someone wait outside. No one is allowed to enter without my decree."
"Your servant obeys the decree."
Upon returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Kangxi dismissed all the servants around him and sat alone on the dragon throne, heartbroken.
He ascended the throne as a child and has experienced so many ups and downs over the years, only now does he truly realize that he is really old.
That night, Kangxi thought a lot.
The following day, in the imperial court, he issued an edict, in which he reviewed his life and explained the difficulties of being a ruler.
At the same time, he mentioned to everyone that he had been experiencing dizziness and weight loss since the spring of this year.
Despite the various thoughts swirling in their minds, they remained outwardly calm.
After the court session, Emperor Kangxi summoned all his sons to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"Yesterday, the Empress Dowager suddenly fell seriously ill, but fortunately the imperial physicians treated her in time. I have thought a lot about this, and I have called you all here today because there is something I need to say. From this day forward, I will no longer appoint an heir apparent."
The Third Prince was about to speak when Emperor Kangxi raised his hand to stop him.
"I know what you want to say. However, now is not the time to tell you. Alright, Third Prince, Fourth Prince, and Thirteenth Prince, stay here. The rest of you may go back."
"Your subjects take their leave."
"I kept you here because of the maritime ban. Third son, tell me your opinion first."
"Your Majesty, I believe that the ban on the sea should not be rushed. The coastal areas of Guangdong have always had close trade relations with countries in Southeast Asia and other countries, and most of the local people rely on this for their livelihood. If the sea is forcibly banned, it may cause trouble."
"Fourth brother, tell me your thoughts."
After returning home, Yinzhen thought about the matter carefully.
Nowadays, pirates frequently cause trouble at sea and occasionally come ashore to attack civilians.
The Emperor's decision to ban the sea was also a powerful measure.
However, every advantage has its disadvantages.
Once the sea is closed, the people in coastal areas will have fewer ways to make a living and earn money. With less trade, the national treasury will naturally see a sharp decrease in revenue.
Now, there is fighting in Tibet again. Even if a maritime ban were to be implemented, now is not the time.
Yinzhen shared his thoughts with Kangxi, who nodded, finding Yinzhen's words to be quite reasonable.
"Alright, I need to think about this matter some more. You may all go and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager, and then return to your residences."
"Your subjects take their leave."
Yinxiang wanted to say something, but he was stopped by Yinzhen who was standing next to him as soon as he opened his mouth.
Emperor Kangxi was not unaware of the two men's subtle actions, but he was too lazy to bother with them.
"Fourth Brother, why are you stopping me?"
Yinzhen didn't want to speak, so the Third Prince sighed and said:
“I say, Thirteenth Brother, you usually seem quite clever, why are you being so foolish at a time like this? Father is already very troubled by the Dzungardan affair. Yesterday, Grandmother suddenly fell seriously ill. I heard from Wei Zhu that Father hasn’t had a proper rest in a long time. Going against Father at this time is just courting death. Fourth Brother is stopping you for your own good.”
"But Third Brother, we should also think about the people."
"If we're talking about who cares most about the people, none of us can compare to Father Emperor."
After saying that, the Third Prince quickened his pace, and Yinzhen followed.
Yinxiang stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after him.
After that, regarding the issue of banning maritime trade, the ministers in the court often expressed their own opinions, but no substantial solutions were found.
Yinxiang, along with several other ministers, continued to submit memorials in opposition.
Finally, after numerous discussions and revisions, in December of the same year, Emperor Kangxi decided to issue a ban on maritime trade only in the South China Sea.
The ban prohibited merchant ships from trading in Southeast Asia, but allowed trade in the East and West to continue.
Yinxiang and the ministers who submitted memorials opposing the policy were also fined half a year's salary.
"Your Highness, is the Thirteenth Prince really under house arrest?"
Yinzhen leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and sighed.
"Yes. At first, he said he wanted to try again, and I thought he was just saying it casually. Who knew he would be so impulsive? He deserves to be punished, and it's not a bad thing to let him calm down for a while."
Geng Youran, who was massaging Yinzhen's shoulders at that moment, smiled and then said:
“Your Highness, you know the Thirteenth Prince’s character. He has always been willing to risk his life for the people and the court. He is not the kind of person who would give up easily.”
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
