As the Mongolian wives took action, the pressure on Qingyan's side gradually decreased. When she received the final list of those to be punished, a faint smile appeared on her lips. (Three Inch World)
The list they received from the Court of Colonial Affairs was quite different from the final outcome.
"Fourth Prince, didn't you notice that the list of names has been changed?" Qingyan sneered. The Mongol princesses were all dishonest; they had only punished one-third of them.
Yinzhen held the two lists and compared them. Looking at the names listed on the previous list, he felt something was off.
"Those who weren't punished were mostly sent from the capital, so there's no way to punish them," Yinzhen said with a sly smile.
The situation on Batubuhe's side is a bit difficult. Some Mongolian leaders have pleaded for mercy, saying they hope these convicted slaves can be sent back to the grasslands, at least to do hard labor there.
"Sir, what do you mean? If these people do hard labor, they might miss an opportunity." Qingyan expressed his indignation.
Within the tribe, the orders of the chieftain and his primary consort were considered the highest decrees, and the servants could only silently obey. In the capital, if servants were punished, it was always the Imperial Punishment Office that would make the final decision.
If servants are willing to associate with the royal family in order to survive, their fate is rather precarious.
"No, we absolutely cannot let them go back to the grasslands. The people from the Censorate have already gone to the Court of Colonial Affairs, and many servants have already contacted the people from the Imperial Household Department, hoping that the people from the Censorate can save their lives." Yinzhen sneered.
"What kind of information can we get? Batubuhe sent a list, which is usable." Qingyan took out a piece of paper from her purse, written in childish handwriting.
"Batubuhe has been a great help. We all said we should screen these people." Yinzhen said with great emotion, noting that some of these people who surrendered might have been using a ruse.
Emperor Kangxi had already entrusted this matter to Yinzhen, but during the New Year, no one wanted to get involved in Mongolian affairs.
"Tomorrow, we'll take Batu Buhe to the Court of Colonial Affairs. I want to see just how stubborn those people are." Yinzhen had lost patience with them and might resort to force.
On the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, Emperor Kangxi began writing. During the first grand court session, Yinqi was the first to make trouble, submitting a memorial detailing the events of the Court of Colonial Affairs.
Yinqi didn't care about the roles the Mongol leaders played in this.
"Alright, Right Wing Princes, do you have anything to say in your defense?" Kangxi had gathered all the Mongol leaders together, even summoning them for a grand ceremony, hoping to find a legitimate reason to punish them.
A cold sweat broke out on the Right Wing Prince's back; Kangxi would certainly not let them off the hook.
"This servant is guilty. I failed to properly control my subordinates, causing some losses to Your Majesty. This servant begs Your Majesty to punish me." The Right Wing Prince was not stupid. The incident involving Wu En occurred during the New Year, and the rumors from the Court of Colonial Affairs had spread to the capital, damaging the reputation of the imperial family.
In Consort Tong's courtyard, the Mongolian wives knelt directly on the bluestone bricks of the courtyard, while Qingyan sat inside the hall, his peripheral vision fixed on the courtyard.
The Mongol wives really went to great lengths to get things done; it seems the Mongol leaders must have received a warning from someone.
"Shu Rong, go and help the ladies get up." Consort Tong quickly ordered someone to help the ladies up.
Back then, many of these wives had challenged the Empress Dowager, and Consort Tong had a deep impression of them. Now, they were only at a disadvantage, which was why they hadn't challenged her.
The Mongolian wives entered the hall and respectfully greeted Consort Tong, who smiled.
“My ladies, we have known each other for a long time, and I understand your difficulties. However, His Majesty said that punishing you is a show for all the people in the capital,” Consort Tong said helplessly.
The wives quickly nodded in agreement: "Your Highness, if you don't punish us, it will make it difficult for outsiders to say anything, since we were the ones who made the mistake."
Two days ago, the Eighth Prince secretly sent someone to the Court of Colonial Affairs to inform the Mongol leaders that if they wanted to pass the test, they had to admit their mistakes.
The wives of the emperor were all very proud, and admitting their mistakes in front of Consort Tong was a test.
Qingyan could see the fleeting disdain in the eyes of the several primary wives. To them, Consort Tong was merely a mouthpiece.
"We, your humble servants, would like to go before the Empress Dowager to plead guilty. Your Majesty, may the Empress Dowager grant us an audience?" The Right Wing Prince's wife asked Consort Tong.
Consort Tong shook her head resolutely. On the surface, the Empress Dowager was supposed to be recuperating, but in reality, she had pleaded with Emperor Kangxi not to see these Mongol wives.
These people are no pushovers; each of them has their own agenda, hoping to get some information from the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty was tired during the New Year. If you have such good intentions, first quell the gossip about the princes snatching people in the street," Consort Tong sneered.
When news of the Mongol princes snatching people in the street reached Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong, both were taken aback.
As he finished speaking, Qingyan recalled that on the seventh day of the month, Emperor Kangxi had bestowed a jade ruyi upon each of Yinti, Yinzhen, and Yintang.
When the news reached Yuqing Palace that day, the Crown Prince gave a cold laugh. In just half a day, the news of the Mongol Crown Prince spread.
The Mongol wives were unhappy. Every child was precious to them, and none of them wanted to be involved in the royal infighting.
The things done by Yuqing Palace were not fair, so the wives didn't dare to say anything, for fear of being punished.
“Your Highness, the princes have their wishes. It must be someone who can’t stand seeing them doing well that spread this rumor,” the Right Wing Prince’s wife quickly said.
The Right Wing Prince's wife doted on her son, and she would never let the Right Wing Prince get involved in a matter that could be resolved by himself.
"Fourth Prince's Consort, don't you agree?" the Right Wing Prince's Consort asked Qingyan.
In the mind of the Right Wing Prince's wife, such rumors only had two sources: one was the primary consort like Qingyan who conducted the investigation, and the other was that Qingyan was one of the primary consorts who could speak her mind.
The Right Wing Prince's wife stared intently at Qingyan's every expression, and found that she didn't even blink, making it clear that Qingyan was definitely not at fault.
It seems that the area south of Yuqing Palace is the most likely suspect. If Yinreng succeeds, the situation on the Mongolian side will definitely get worse.
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