After the eunuchs finished announcing the Crown Prince's congratulatory gifts, Empress Dowager Kangxi praised them repeatedly.
When it was Yinzhi's turn, the eldest son of the emperor, there was only one item on the list. He thought there was a mistake, but after looking at it again and again, he confirmed that it was for the Prince Zhi and then sang it out with a stiff upper lip.
“Prince Zhi’s gift: five baskets of sweet potatoes and 20 farmers.”
The scene quickly quieted down, and Prince Zhi stepped forward with confidence.
"Your Majesty, these sweet potatoes are a foreign import. They are a birthday gift from your son to Your Majesty."
"Yinzhi, what's so special about these sweet potatoes?" Kangxi asked.
"Your Majesty, these sweet potatoes can yield up to 1,000 catties per mu. Your son has conducted experiments and it is indeed true. They can all reach more than 1,000 catties per mu, with the highest yield being 1,120 catties. These farmers are all skilled at cultivating them."
Emperor Kangxi was also very excited when he heard that the yield was 1,000 catties per mu, and he leaned forward.
Emperor Kangxi believed that his son would not tell such a lie in this situation, but he still had some doubts about the crop that could yield a thousand catties per mu, so he summoned the farmer to come forward and answer.
After the farmer gave his answer, the entire hall erupted in chatter, with ministers and relatives whispering amongst themselves.
Finally, everyone quieted down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" to commemorate the "Kangxi Prosperity," for only a wise ruler could produce such an object.
Emperor Kangxi felt very pleased that the famine, floods and other disasters could be properly dealt with.
He immediately said "good" several times and gave Yinzhi 5,000 taels of silver. Just when Yinzhi thought that his father would entrust him with the planting task, his father poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
"Yinyou, you've been in this position for a while now. You'll be in charge of this matter, with Yintao assisting."
The two quickly agreed, as this was a lucrative job. If they did it well, they would be showered with praise. However, neither of them was stupid. No child in the palace was dull. Although they were low-key, they knew that they had taken their elder brother's job.
After returning home, he had his wife deliver gifts to the Prince Zhi's residence.
Yinzhi was heartbroken once again after his father told his two younger brothers to take charge. Although he was good at fighting, he had discovered and presented the weapon himself, so he should have earned some credit for it.
His merits were wiped out for 5,000 taels of silver, and he once again experienced the ruthlessness of the royal family.
Emperor Kangxi may have felt a little embarrassed about taking credit from his son, so he had the Empress Dowager reward Hezhuo generously, ostensibly because Hezhuo's child was good.
Yinzhi was depressed for a while, but Hezhuo had already realized this situation. He put his youngest son in Yinzhi's arms, and the two little brothers, Xiaoqi and Xiaoba, clung to him. Hezhuo kept asking him all sorts of trivial matters in the mansion, and his attention was diverted. He didn't have much time to be sentimental anymore.
Actually, it can't be said that Kangxi was heartless; it was just a means of checks and balances. Although Yinzhi no longer had the ambition to seize the throne, Nalan Mingzhu was still alive. Although it was just a sinecure, he had a great influence in the court. In addition, Yinzhi had fought several battles very well, and he was generous and loyal, so he had a good reputation among the generals in the army.
Therefore, the "Crown Prince's faction" was still quite large, so it's not surprising that Kangxi handled it this way. However, Kangxi didn't give any of the Crown Prince's faction members to him, but instead gave them to two low-profile princes, which can be considered quite generous.
Because of his leg problems, the seventh prince, Yinyou, was neglected by Emperor Kangxi. Now, perhaps out of a sense of compensation, the twelfth prince, Yintao, was raised by Sumalagu and was also very low-key.
The usual power struggles among the princes didn't affect them, so now Emperor Kangxi was giving them a chance to make a name for themselves. It was hard to say whether this was good or bad; making a name for themselves would be good, but if they incurred the wrath of Consort Hui and Yinzhi, it wouldn't be so good.
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