By the time Kangxi had time, it was already dark.
Liang Jiugong served the meal and only spoke a little when Kangxi had almost finished eating.
"Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince came today and said he had something important to discuss with you. At that time, Your Majesty was discussing something with several ministers and was not available, so I persuaded him to go back. Do you want to see the Sixth Prince?"
Kangxi chewed the not-so-delicate food slowly, swallowed it, took a sip of tea to smooth it out, and then asked, "Xiao Liu? He is a sensible child. He wouldn't go out today even though he knew I was busy, but he still wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I asked later. The Sixth Prince accompanied the Fourteenth Prince out for a while. He also spent money at the grain store to buy grain for the disaster victims. As soon as he came back, he wanted to see you."
"This child is kindhearted. He probably felt pity for the victims who were in such a miserable situation. Go call him over. I want to hear what he wants to say."
“Yeah.”
When Yinzuo's men arrived, they happened to see their own royal father checking the topographic map of the area under the light. His brows were furrowed, and he had become darker and thinner. It seemed that he must have been exposed to the wind and sun and was exhausted from traveling during the days he was away.
"Your son pays respects to the Emperor."
Kangxi didn't even raise his head and said directly: "Xiao Liu, come here."
Yinzuo walked forward with doubts and followed the emperor's father's finger to check the trend of the lower reaches of the Yellow River and Huai River.
"In recent years, every rainy season, floods are prone to occur, causing water disasters, displacing people, and starving people everywhere. Local officials often choose to conceal the truth for the sake of political achievements, and the court has no idea what is happening."
"But those people are also human beings. Can they really bear to watch them die like this?" Yinzuo was very angry.
Kangxi looked up at him, patted his shoulder, and continued, "For their own selfish desires, there is nothing they can't do. This is why I have chosen to go to the south of the Yangtze River several times and inspect along the way. A few days ago, I deliberately separated from you and acted alone, just to know the truth."
"Your Majesty is a benevolent monarch. It is a blessing for the people to have a monarch like you." Yinzuo first put a compliment on his Majesty.
Kangxi saw through his little trick, but did not expose him. Instead, he continued to ask him: "Xiao Liu, do you know? I am afraid that they will conceal the truth, but I am also afraid that they will report the truth. The court allocates so much silver every year, but the situation has not improved year after year. Do you know why?"
Yinzuo shook his head obediently and said, "My son doesn't know."
"Because the money will be exploited by officials at all levels, and the rest will flow into the hands of those wealthy businessmen. They don't repair the dams and disregard human lives because they are profitable. So I am afraid that the people will gradually lose trust in the court, and our Qing Dynasty will begin to become unstable."
"Father, is there anything I can help you with?"
Kangxi smiled and did not respond to him. Instead, he asked something else.
"I heard that you accompanied Old Fourteen out during the day, and when you came back you were eager to see me. Tell me, what was it about?"
“Father Emperor, the granaries outside are full, but the people lying on the roadside can only gnaw on tree bark, eat grass roots, and dig wild vegetables. The adults can still hold on, but the children and the elderly…” Yinzuo couldn’t bear to say any more.
He tried his best to control his emotions, knelt on the ground and continued speaking.
"Father, the price of grain is too high. The merchants are all very wealthy, but at this critical moment, they are raising the price of grain, forcing the people to sell their land, houses, and even their wives and children. I can't stand it any more. Father, can you save those innocent people who are suffering?"
Kangxi stepped forward and helped him up, and habitually patted the stains on his knees.
"Those disaster victims are my people, but aren't those wealthy businessmen? I can't send soldiers to their homes to rob them of their food, or threaten them, right? Don't you think so?"
Yinzuo opened his mouth, but had nothing to say, so he could only nod and agree with his father's words.
"You didn't like to participate in government affairs before. I thought you were still young, so I never forced you. But you are my son. I hope you can help me do something for this country and these people."
"Please give your orders, Your Majesty. I am willing to obey you." Yinzuo knelt down again, raised his head, and looked directly into the eyes of Your Majesty with a very sincere attitude.
"Okay! I will allocate 100,000 dan of grain collected from the southeastern provinces and distribute it to the seven counties that were hit hardest, including Gaoyou, Baoying, and Xinghua, with 10,000 dan each, Pizhou with 8,000 dan, and the remaining four counties, including Taoyuan and Suqian, with 5,500 dan each. You will be responsible for supervision and ensure that the grain is distributed to the people. Let the Ninth, Tenth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth go with you."
These little ones are usually playful and have never seen the hardships of people's lives. They are used to a rich and comfortable life, so it's time for them to exercise. They have always listened to Xiaoliu, and this trip will help them broaden their horizons and help out a little.
"Your son obeys your order!"
The next day, Yinzuo set out on an errand with his four younger brothers. The empress reluctantly saw them off, and Yinzuo's brothers stood behind them.
Prince Zhi Yinzhi sneered and said, "Look, having a good mother is different. We brothers can't get such a good job, don't you think so, Lao Ba?"
The eighth prince Yinsi smiled and did not respond.
Everyone knew that the people in charge of escorting the grain were people under the Governor of the Grand Canal, Sang'e. Sang'e was a close confidant promoted by the Emperor. The trip was not too difficult. With the Ninth and Tenth Brothers following, they would not encounter any danger. It could even be said that it was the credit given to the Sixth Brother by the Emperor.
Instead, the third brother helped out and said, "They are still young. It is not their turn to take on such a heavy responsibility as repairing the river bank. The eldest brother should do more work if he is capable."
The former governor of the river, Dong Anguo, and his subordinate Feng You were held accountable. Kangxi ordered them to divert the flood into the river and build dams at Yunkou and other places to atone their sins. The eldest prince was sent to supervise the matter. Naturally, the conditions on the scene were difficult and it was not a good job.
For more than a month, the officialdom in Jiangnan was shaken and the situation changed drastically. It was not until the end of the month that everyone gathered again in Hangzhou. Kangxi led the princes to review the garrison, and naturally the princes had to show their skills.
"Sixth brother, we have all been exposed to the scorching sun for more than a month, why are you the only one who is still so white? You are good-looking, and when we stand together, you are the only one who looks so handsome."
Lao Jiu had always paid attention to his rosy face, which only inherited 50% of Concubine Yi's beauty. After he got darker, his appearance dropped sharply. His riding and archery skills were not outstanding to begin with, so he was even more reluctant to show up.
"We are in the army and we are all men. Wouldn't it be more masculine to be darker?" Yinzuo was a little envious of others.
The fourteenth brother suddenly came over and said to Yinzuo, "Sixth brother, don't pay attention to him, he is just idle, and he is not as good-looking as you when he is white. Don't pay attention to him, and I will show you my skills later. My riding and archery skills are amazing!"
Looking at Fourteenth Prince, who was wagging his tail like a proud little peacock, Yinzuo agreed with a smile.
"Okay, then I'll wait and admire your heroic appearance, Fourteen."
At this time, the eldest brother Yinzhi, who was riding a horse, walked past them arrogantly. Yinzuo subconsciously protected them and took two steps back.
Old Fourteen was young and hot-tempered, and wanted to rush over to argue with him on the spot.
"Fourteenth brother! Calm down and don't lose face for the royal family in this kind of situation." Yinzuo grabbed this brother who was easily angered and reckless.
Although he said so, Yinzuo was still in a low mood. He still remembered that he had spent a very happy time with his elder brother when he was young. They went to the square of the Hall of Supreme Harmony together to peek at the lanterns and planted flowers together. Now that he has grown up, he has become more and more unfamiliar and even cold to each other.
Yinzuo really didn't like this feeling, but he was unable to change the gap between his brothers, so he began to think about escaping.
During the horse riding and archery competition, the eldest brother Yinzhi naturally stole the show, and the eighth brother Yinsi also performed outstandingly. However, at the dinner party, most officials showed their favor to Yinzuo, while the other brothers felt uncomfortable and avoided him from a distance.
Many ladies of noble birth also gathered around the Queen, asking about the Sixth Prince's willingness to marry.
Most of the other princes older than Yinzuo have already married. The remaining princes are either too young or not as noble as him, so they are naturally not as popular as him.
Yinzuo was encountered by chance for several days afterwards and no matter how he tried to hide, it was no use. He gradually realized that this was probably approved by the Empress Dowager, otherwise how could these people get close to him.
One night, he simply left a letter and slipped away with everything going smoothly.
As soon as the queen heard the news, she went to find Kangxi.
"Your Majesty! Xiaoliu ran away!"
Kangxi raised his eyebrows and repeated, "Run away?"
After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "I guess it was you who ran around."
"Your Majesty, it's already this hour, and you're still talking about this. I'm worried about Xiaoliu's safety. He has never left the capital since he was a child, and he only has Shunfeng Shunshui with him. What if he runs into a criminal?"
"It's not like his two personal eunuchs don't know how to fight. Besides, he always has money on him. How can he starve?"
Kangxi was not very worried. He learned from Sang'e's previous report that Xiaoliu often traveled incognito when he was supervising the transportation volume, and nothing had ever gone wrong during that time. He knew how to hide his identity and protect himself.
"But he has always lived a life of luxury. He will definitely suffer this time. How can I feel at ease?" As the queen spoke, she began to shed tears secretly.
Kangxi stepped forward and embraced her, patiently comforting her: "Okay, okay, I will send someone to follow him secretly to protect him, that should be fine."
"Why can't the emperor just bring him back?" the queen was puzzled.
"Let him go out for a walk, just to relax. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. Don't push him all the time. Look, this time you pushed him so hard that he ran away in the middle of the night, didn't he?"
Kangxi knew that this child was sensitive and that he might not have had a comfortable time during this period. It was time to give other people a warning.
After the queen left, the other princes were called to the imperial presence.
"Xiao Liu passed away in the middle of the night yesterday. Among you brothers, someone hurt his feelings. I won't tell you who it was. You are all grown up now and have your own thoughts. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, nor do I think it is your fault.
But today I have something to say to you. Xiao Liu will never be your opponent. He will never be your opponent. So you should stop making things difficult for him. That’s all I have to say. You can all go down.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
