Two or three days later, a small supply ship delivered supplies and Kangxi's secret edict to Yinti and the others. The two brothers read through Kangxi's secret report, which stated that the heir apparent of the Li dynasty was bribing powerful officials in the capital.
Yinzhen found it strange that the Crown Prince, who was being escorted to the capital, did not have many belongings with him. How could he have so much silver to bribe the enemy?
"Brother, is there some spy in the capital?" Yinzhen thought for a moment. Judging from the amount of money bribed to the ministers, it must be a lot of money.
Qingyan glanced at the scene and realized that Han City had already fallen. The gold and silver supplies that the Crown Prince had been carrying could no longer be used to support the city.
As a hostage, the crown prince would soon be abandoned by Kangxi. Wu Yingxiong was abandoned, but at least he had Princess Jianning to support him, so his life wouldn't be too difficult. However, this crown prince was different; he would definitely become a prisoner.
“Little darling, you’re very familiar with the business world in the capital. Have you thought of any potential merchants?” Yinti realized that they couldn’t guess, so their spies must be hidden among the merchants.
The princes of the royal family looked down on merchants, and many spies took advantage of this loophole to remain hidden in the capital.
Qingyan thought about it and realized that among the businessmen they were cooperating with were some from North Korea.
"Fourth Brother, I do remember that Minsheng Pharmacy used to have three North Korean suppliers. They seemed very honest, but I found that they were quite gossipy. They would often go to Yuelai Inn to listen to royal secrets, and a lot of news was spread that way." Qingyan tried hard to recall.
A supplier to Minsheng Pharmacy?!
Both Yinti and Yinzhen were alarmed, but the imperial merchants did not report anything. It seemed that someone had deliberately leaked the information.
"It seems the people in the Imperial Household Department still need to investigate. Such an important matter wasn't even reported. Who knows how much shady stuff is going on here!" Yinti roared in anger.
The People's Pharmacy was crucial to the safety of the people of the Qing Dynasty, so the medicinal materials used certainly required extra care.
“Brother, I don’t think the problem is as serious as we think.” Yinzhen shook his head instead. “Those servants certainly won’t take it to heart. The medicinal herbs have to be inspected by the Imperial Hospital, so all they can get is kickbacks.”
Yinti looked at Yinzhen, hoping to hear the fourth prince's opinion. The spies in Korea had to be found and the crown prince's source of gold and silver cut off directly.
"Little darling, do you remember the ginseng you saw at Minsheng Pharmacy last time? Did it come from there?" Yinzhen remembered that Qingyan had frowned and stared at the ginseng.
Even the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital came and examined the ginseng several times, but they couldn't find anything wrong with it. On the contrary, Qingyan pointed out several differences between it and the ginseng from the Qing Dynasty.
"You mean that ginseng?! Korean ginseng is different from ours. The tonic effects of Korean ginseng are not as good as ours!" Qingyan smiled. "Minsheng Pharmacy is actually using that kind of ginseng to deceive the people. I will definitely not let them succeed."
After listening to Qingyan's points, Yinti couldn't help but think of the ginseng he kept in his mansion.
"Sister-in-law, after we return to the capital, go to my residence and see for yourself. I've already collected a few ginseng roots, but after hearing what you said, I feel even more uncertain!" Yinti made the request.
Inside the flower hall, Yinti and Yinzhen relaxed. While Erlu and Yinti's chief guard, Taqibu, were cleaning up the battlefield, the two brothers could relax and chat.
"Brother, you actually have this hobby?" Yinzhen looked at Yinti in surprise. He thought Yinti was only good at fighting.
"Hmph, you think I only collect weapons from the battlefield? It's just for show for the Crown Prince!" Yinti wasn't indifferent to everything; on the contrary, he was very meticulous.
If he were at the residence, he would be in charge of arranging everything in the Prince Zhi's residence.
The Crown Prince...
After he finished speaking, Yinzhen fell silent. He also hoped to do his best to ignore the Crown Prince.
“From now on, we don’t need to worry about the Crown Prince’s feelings anymore. When has he ever worried about us?” Yinzhen also had his own thoughts. The Crown Prince had always been loved by Kangxi, but the other princes had never received so much fatherly love.
From the very beginning, they all stood in different positions, with the crown prince always speaking to his brothers in a condescending tone.
Even if the young princes entered the Imperial Study, the Crown Prince would always reprimand them on the first day.
"Never mind that. The Empress Dowager gave him too much special treatment. When we entered the Imperial Study, Father Emperor originally wanted the Crown Prince to come in with me without any distinction. But the Empress Dowager summoned Father Emperor to Cining Palace and specifically said that he needed extra treatment. Just because I was only half a grade lower than the Emperor, I couldn't do it. For an ordinary prince, being able to attend classes alone in the Imperial Study was already a blessing!" Yinti recalled that during that period, Consort Hui was often harassed by the Empress Dowager, which made him particularly annoyed.
After the death of the Empress Dowager, many of the princes of Mongolia proposed marriage to Emperor Kangxi. Some even told him that they would definitely bring Songkri Erha back to Mongolia as their bride.
"Brother, the Empress Dowager actually said these things?" Yinzhen had only been in the Imperial Study for a few months when he went to live with Fei Yanggu, so Fei Yanggu was the one who taught him everything.
hehe.....
Yinti sneered, "The Empress Dowager has said and done far more than this."
The princes left one after another to live in the homes of their primary wives. The Empress Dowager even said that Kangxi was too sentimental. The concubines, led by Consort Tong, were harassed by the Empress Dowager every day.
"So, Mother also had a very difficult time during that period, she just didn't say anything!" Yinzhen smiled bitterly.
No wonder Fei Yanggu always said that Yinzhen rarely returned to the palace unless necessary. Every time he did return, he would go to Cining Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager. In order to avoid being in the palace when the meal was served, he would not eat in Cining Palace.
"Of course, Mother said that your mother had a hard time during that period. If you come back and haven't had a meal with the Empress Dowager, your mother will definitely be punished the next day." Yinti wasn't trying to discourage Yinzhen. Back then, they had oversimplified things.
snort!
Yinzhen sneered inwardly. Those scoundrels from Mongolia were all thinking of profiting from the palace. After the princesses came of age, they were sent to marry foreign rulers time and time again, but they were never satisfied.
"No matter what, those few Mongolians must be kept a close watch on; we absolutely cannot let them make any more moves." Yinzhen was annoyed.
During the southern tour, those people also came along. They actually hinted to Yinzhen that he must take good care of Hutulifengsheng Zhalafen, hoping that this little princess could grow up safely and that when it was time to arrange a marriage, the princes from Mongolia would definitely propose to her.
Kangxi rejected it outright, but that didn't satisfy those people. They felt it would be better to discuss it with Kangxi when the matter came to a head.
Little did they know that Emperor Kangxi had already begun selecting a consort for Hutulifeng when she was still a child.
"They're all bad people. Once they lose their power, they resort to such despicable tricks!" Yinti sneered.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
