"Mother, please don't ask. I won't tell you even if you ask."
"Hongzhou, did you already know that the heir apparent your father favored was actually Hongli?"
Hongzhou was taken aback, wondering how his mother knew about this.
"Do you really think that your mother is just a concubine in this mansion who can cook a little, and knows nothing and understands nothing else?"
“Mother, I didn’t mean that. It’s just that people can change, even my third brother whom you watched grow up. You always say that my third brother is a good child, well-mannered and knowledgeable since he was a child, but do you remember when was the last time he came to pay his respects?”
Geng Youran was taken aback; it seemed she hadn't seen Hongshi in a long time.
"Many of the pastries you sent to the palace were thrown away by Third Brother. In order not to upset you, Fourth Brother and I never said anything about it."
"So you were lying to me before when you said your third brother said my pastries were delicious?"
Hongzhou nodded, then sighed.
My mother can be frighteningly calm and clear-headed at times, but she can also be incredibly confused at others.
“Mother, although we are all sons of concubines like Third Brother, Father dotes on us, and Grandfather treats us very well. But Third Brother, he only has the title of the eldest son of the Yong Prince’s Mansion, and his request for the position of heir apparent has not been approved for a long time. We all know this. In addition, with the instigation of Hongwang and the others, it is not surprising that Third Brother has become like this.”
"Hongzhou, you already knew all this?"
Actually, Geng Youran wasn't surprised by Hongshi's change in personality. What surprised her was that her son was not even ten years old, which in modern times would be the age of a primary school student. How could he think so clearly about these things?
Geng Youran didn't ask any more questions. What Hongzhou was experiencing was only the beginning.
"Son, promise your mother that no matter what happens, you must never lose your principles. Otherwise, your mother will never forgive you."
"Yes, Mother."
A few days later, Li Jingshu personally visited Geng Youran with gifts to apologize.
"Sister, I have failed in raising my son, and I am truly ashamed to face you."
"What are you saying, Consort? What happened?"
Geng Youran pretended to know nothing and continued to chat with Li Jingshu.
"Hongzhou's injury is all Hongshi's fault for failing to fulfill his responsibility as an older brother and for not protecting his younger brother."
"Princess Consort, please don't say that. Hongzhou is always impulsive; it has nothing to do with Hongshi."
As soon as Li Jingshu spoke, Geng Youran understood that she didn't want her to know the truth.
After accepting the gift, Geng Youran asked Xiao Anzi to help Hongzhou out to sit down.
“Hongzhou has met with Consort Li.”
"Hongzhou, I'm sorry to have wronged you."
"It's a minor injury, nothing serious."
Then Geng Youran asked Xiao Anzi to have someone carry a reclining chair to the yard so that Hongzhou could go outside to bask in the sun, while she stayed inside to drink tea with Li Jingshu.
"Sister, I have another matter to discuss with you today."
"Please speak freely, Consort."
"I wonder if His Highness has mentioned Hongshi's wedding to you?"
Geng Youran was a little confused. Hongshi wasn't her son, so why would the prince tell her these things?
"His Highness only said that after the Emperor's birthday celebration, he would submit a memorial to His Majesty, requesting that the Emperor bestow a marriage upon Hongshi, but he did not tell me who it would be."
"So that's how it is."
Li Jingshu was somewhat disappointed.
After that day, she never saw the prince again. Originally, she wanted to ask Hongshi's wife whose daughter she was, but she didn't expect to anger the prince. That's when she thought of Geng Youran and wondered if Geng Youran might know something.
"In that case, I'll head back now. Thank you for your trouble, little sister. Please come to my place for tea another day."
"yes."
After Li Jingshu left, Geng Youran had a deck chair moved to the courtyard.
"Mother, what did the concubine just say to you?"
Geng Youran closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on her face, and said lazily:
"What else can I say? It's all for your third brother."
"Third Brother? What could be wrong with him?"
“Your father said that once your grandfather’s birthday celebration is over, he will submit a memorial to your grandfather, asking him to grant Hongshi a marriage.”
At this point, Hongzhou's gossipy nature resurfaced.
"Whose daughter did Father choose?"
Geng Youran opened her eyes:
"You brat, don't pry into things that aren't your business."
Hongzhou said in a low voice, unconvinced:
"Fine, I won't tell you then. I'll find out myself later."
What did you just say?
"He didn't say anything!"
Hongzhou quickly closed his eyes, pretending that he knew nothing and hadn't said anything.
Geng Youran glared at Hongzhou, but didn't say anything more.
At the end of the month, in order to more accurately delineate the boundary between the Qing Dynasty and Ryukyu, Emperor Kangxi issued a special decree, ordering Xu Baoguang to lead astronomers to Ryukyu to survey the sea map and to confer the title of a new king.
"Thirteenth brother, how's your investigation into Sotai going?"
"Fourth Brother, this Sotai seems quite shrewd, but actually the people around him are all very timid. One of the people who helped him introduce students has written down the list and the amount of bribes, so there's no need to worry about him at all."
Yinzhen snorted and said:
"This old ninth brother's judgment is getting worse and worse, and the people he chooses are getting dumber and dumber."
"Who says otherwise? By the way, Fourth Brother, have you ever heard of a man named Xue Yanwen in Fujian?"
Yinzhen shook his head.
Seeing that his fourth brother did not know this person, Yinxiang had no choice but to explain in detail.
“This man is a notorious bandit. Our people in Fujian say that Xue Yanwen might be in trouble recently.”
But Yinzhen didn't take it to heart; he was just a notorious bandit who couldn't cause any trouble.
However, Yinzhen misjudged the situation this time. In early July, Xue Yanwen gathered a group of people around Gutian County, Fujian Province, and, under the guise of "robbing the rich to help the poor," they ran rampant in the area. They kidnapped many wealthy households and extorted money from them.
Fortunately, Yinxiang had been keeping an eye on them, and these people were soon captured.
"Fourth Brother, you've seemed quite restless lately. Has something happened?"
"No, it's probably because I didn't sleep well. By the way, how are the arrangements for Father Emperor's hunting trip going?"
"Don't worry, Fourth Brother, it's all settled. Everything's been arranged at Qipanshan."
Yinzhen nodded in satisfaction. His younger brother was now very capable in handling matters, and he felt at ease.
As Yinxiang was confident, the hunting trip proceeded without major problems, but one thing still affected Kangxi's mood.
On August 20th, Mu Xing, the local chieftain of Lijiang, led his barbarian troops to Lapi and other places under the jurisdiction of Batang and Litang, where he killed the local chieftain Basang. He then demonstrated against the barbarians and demanded that they submit to him, thus blocking the grain transport route.
To resolve this matter, Emperor Kangxi ordered Nian Gengyao to quickly appease the two regions and solve the grain transport problem.
After this incident, no one dared to easily shake Nian Gengyao's position.
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