Everyone safely retreated into the secret passage. The twins and Songkelierha's nanny and servants were all sent to the secret room at the back. The three little ones were not awakened by the situation outside and were still immersed in their dreams.
Consort Tong led Yinzhi and his wife to the front, where Emperor Kangxi was listening to Tulichen's report. He then instructed Li Dequan to summon Consort Tong and the others to discuss the next steps.
Qingyan walked into the secret passage. On the stone brick walls on both sides, there was a candle lamp every three steps, illuminating the entire passage as if it were daytime. There was also a ventilation system built inside the secret passage, which could directly expel the stale air. The air exchange vents were all set in hidden places, where no one would be able to find them.
The ventilation openings are covered with green vegetation, so to outsiders they look like flower beds. Even if you were to stab them with a knife or sword, there would be no obstruction.
"Little darling, what do you think of this underground palace?" Kangxi asked Qingyan.
Feiyangu once submitted a memorial proposing that these bunkers be built in every military camp, so that they could also serve as protective fortresses when preparing for war.
Inside the naval port, all the soldiers had been selected. Currently, everyone is still being screened and chosen. Yin is constantly conducting secret investigations, which have likely leaked information, directly leading to a large number of problematic generals starting to tamper with things.
Both the capital and the south had forces that wanted Kangxi to perish here, and Yinzhi and Yinzhi were the perfect scapegoats.
Yin wrote a letter to the capital in advance, and Mingzhu began to make connections. Not all the people in the capital were bought off by Suo'etu. The military commanders were all personally selected by Kangxi, and some of them had even followed Fei Yanggu through thick and thin.
"Your Majesty, this place is very well constructed. There are even places to ventilate." Qingyan had to admit the wisdom of the craftsmen. She had only given a general overview, but the craftsmen had thought of all these details.
At the entrance, the self-destruct program is just a Bagua formation that changes with the time of day. Before returning, there is a recovery program before entering the Bagua formation. According to the map of the secret passage, there is only one way out of the Bagua formation, and each courtyard has a different path. No one except the owner knows the correct path.
Emperor Kangxi nodded in satisfaction, and Fei Yanggu and his two sons were even happier. The craftsmen were all carefully selected, and they were all proficient in the Bagua formation. The entrances to these secret passages were all meticulously arranged.
"Yin, have you finished your investigation yet?" Kangxi looked at Yin, who had been lost in thought since arriving and hadn't even heard Kangxi's question. "One-third of your guards haven't returned yet, but the rest are safe!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yin snapped back to reality, realizing that a third of his strength had been lost.
"Father, your son..." Yin wanted to negotiate some compensation for the fallen guards.
"Don't worry, these fallen soldiers will receive the same compensation as the Imperial Guards." The Imperial Guards around Kangxi received the highest compensation, unlike the personal guards of the princes.
Yin's expression did not improve. These people were all carefully selected, and now, another group of loyal people needs to be selected. It will probably take some time to select the right ones.
"Furthermore, you shall select new guards; I will not appoint any myself! The selected men must have undergone training in the new army!" Having witnessed the destructive power of firearms, Kangxi decreed that all the guards around the imperial princes must know how to use firearms to protect their masters during their retreat with minimal casualties.
"Yes!" Yin steadied himself immediately. "Father, I wish to increase the number of firearms, but not the number of guards!"
Having spent a lot of time with the soldiers, Yin understood their thoughts. If he immediately added new guards, it would directly discourage his personal guards.
Upon hearing this, Kangxi frowned. The number of people around Yinzhi had been significantly reduced due to the losses suffered here. However, since everyone was equipped with firearms, their fighting strength was now on par with before.
"Alright, I'll replenish your firearms directly. If you really don't want to increase the number of guards, I won't force you." Kangxi nodded, agreeing with Yin's suggestion.
After all, if Yin wants to take the military path, it would be excellent to consider the feelings of his personal guards.
"Thank you, Father Emperor!" Yin quickly expressed his gratitude.
Apart from their closest servants, no one knew the location of the underground palace where the masters lived; the guards could only live near the outer perimeter.
Qingyan directly opened the screen in the space and carefully observed the actions outside. Outside their courtyard, a group of men in black and a middle-aged man were talking. Qingyan noticed that the middle-aged man was dressed in the uniform of a low-ranking officer in the military port. Obviously, the military port was very unstable.
"Father, I have investigated some matters and discovered that a few people are not behaving themselves. Before I could even mention it to you, Father, we have encountered this crisis!" After a moment's thought, Yin was convinced that those people might be involved and quickly spoke up.
Yin respectfully presented the memorial, which listed ten people under investigation as suspects. Qingyan could not see the faces of the lower-ranking officers, so he hid himself in the shadows, and the men in black could not determine his appearance either.
"Yin, these people are all basically related to the Hesheli clan!" Kangxi asked directly.
This time, Songgotu has gone all out to clear obstacles for the Crown Prince, and has already contacted many generals.
"Father, some of them have nothing to do with the Hesheli clan," Yin explained helplessly. "The commanders of the garrison in the capital are very loyal, but some of the squad leaders below have been blinded by self-interest and have been directly won over!"
What?!
Everyone present was stunned. Yin's words clearly indicated that the situation in the capital was somewhat delicate, and that if not handled carefully, the situation in the capital would completely deviate from its intended course.
"How many people?!" Kangxi planned to send the new army back to the capital first, clear all obstacles, and then return to the capital by imperial entourage.
"Roughly speaking, two-thirds have already been taken!" Those squad leaders all had soldiers under their command. The illegitimate sons of the powerful families dared not make any rash moves, but those who were short-sighted had no worries and directly stood on the side of the crown prince.
so much!
Empress Yinhou became fearful. The capital was in chaos, and her father, the Emperor, was not in the capital to oversee things. The Qing Dynasty's foundation had just been stabilized, and it was best not to disrupt the balance.
At the beginning of the Manchu conquest, the eight major Manchu families all had their own military power. Now, the older generation is gone, but their influence remains. Even the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager value these people, and they will plead for them if anything happens to their families.
Emperor Kangxi was displeased, but he could not make any public moves to avoid being accused of filial impiety.
"Now, the commanders have all begun the cleanup!" Yin had already secretly sent the message over there.
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