110. End of the main text
"none"
Qi You began to renovate Yuqing Palace.
As before, Qi You did not hand this matter over to others casually, but took it seriously.
Professional matters should be handled by professionals. He first went to the Ministry of Works to find an expert in architecture, Ban Lei Jinyu, the director of the Imperial Household Department's construction department, who was in charge of palace renovations. Together, they went to Yuqing Palace to carefully inspect the areas in need of repair and then draw up a repair plan.
Yuqing Palace had been uninhabited for a long time, and even the dazzling sun could not dispel the unspeakable desolation and decay in the palace.
Looking out, the paint on the pillars and eaves of the corridors was peeling, and the sills and windows were dilapidated. The grass growing in the cracks of the rocks withered in the winter. Now, in spring, some of the grass, not afraid of the cold, had quietly sprouted new leaves in the sunny and sheltered areas.
The four-story courtyards are connected by east and west side rooms and veranda rooms. The rear hall is divided into several rooms by partitions, which are exquisite and delicate.
After Lei Jinyu entered the room and took a closer look, he said, "Your Highness, many parts of the rear hall have been eaten by insects and ants. The original carving artist was very skilled, so it will take some effort to recarve them."
In addition to the Crown Princess, Yinreng had a host of concubines and princesses. To accommodate them, Yuqing Palace was continuously expanded, and the rooms in the rear hall were divided into ornate bird cages.
Qi You thought it would be best to remove the partitions, which would allow for greater ventilation and save money. Remembering that the palace was a cultural relic, it would be best to preserve its original state. He said, "Try to restore it to its original state."
Lei Jinyu stepped back and took his men up the wooden ladder to the roof to check the roof tiles.
Qi You went to the main courtyard and entered the main house. What caught his eye was the wool carpet woven with gold thread on the floor, the rosewood couch, and the intricate and auspicious carved caisson ceiling, which was extremely luxurious.
The book was still on the desk. Qi You walked over and flipped it open casually. The paper rustled and broke. He closed the book carefully and sighed softly.
The stars are still there, and the candles near the wall are still dim.
The sound of footsteps came, Qi You turned around and saw the fourth brother entering the yard, holding up the hem of his green robe. He stepped forward and saluted: "Fourth brother."
The fourth brother nodded in return and said with a smile, "I just passed by here and saw the palace door was open, so I came in to take a look."
Ever since the news of the renovation of Yuqing Palace spread, the shock caused has been even greater than the last time when Kangxi conferred a title.
Yuqing Palace, the eastern palace built specifically for Yinreng by Emperor Kangxi, held extraordinary significance. Its renovation signaled Kangxi's intention to re-establish a crown prince, raising concerns among various factions.
Qi You glanced at the green in the fourth brother's eyes and the taut brows, and said, "The smell in the room is strong, let's go outside."
The fourth brother glanced around the room. The sun shone through the broken window frame, dust particles dancing in the light, and the air was thick with the smell of mold. He nodded and went outside with Qi You.
Qi You sat casually on the railing. The fourth brother followed his example and sat down beside him. Looking at the rows of houses in front of him, he said, "I rarely come to Yuqing Palace. It's like a maze inside. I almost got lost. I wonder who will move in after it's renovated."
Qi You smiled and didn't respond.
The fourth brother also knew that he had said the wrong thing, and quickly turned to look at Qi You. He wanted to explain, opened his mouth, and gave up dejectedly.
They are all in the chess game, each a chess piece.
The invisible hand behind them was constantly pushing the brothers forward, and they were helpless and unable to control themselves.
The fourth brother's heart went cold. He smiled dreamily and said, "Seventh brother, I really admire your state of mind."
Qi You looked sincere and replied, "Fourth brother, you are not bad either."
The fourth brother was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "You are going to Shunyi in two days. When you go, please bring some clothes and food for my thirteenth brother's children."
The children of Yinzhi and Yinreng had no share, only the children of Thirteenth Prince were given a share. Qi You admired his straightforwardness, and after a moment's hesitation, he said tactfully, "Fourth Brother, there is also Hong Nuan. As an uncle, you can't be partial to one and ignore the other."
The fourth brother lowered his eyelids, remained silent for a moment, then gave a wry smile and said, "I'm sorry, Hong Nuan is rarely in the capital, and I haven't gotten used to her return yet, so I accidentally neglected her. But you're right, Seventh Brother. They are all nephews and nieces, and as an elder, I can't be partial. Bring some for everyone, so everyone has a share."
Qi You believed that the grudges of the previous generation did not need to affect the next generation. The fourth brother hated evil and hated it. To put it nicely, he clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment, but to put it bluntly, he would never give up.
Any extreme is not a good thing, especially for those in power, who must be fair and just.
The fourth brother arrived for a while, but did not see Qi You's shadow Hong Xi. He turned around and looked around, and asked, "Where is Hong Xi?"
Qi You shook his head helplessly and said with a smile: "He didn't finish his homework yesterday. I asked him to go back and finish it first."
The fourth child was very curious and asked, "What did you ask him to learn?"
Qi You said, "Hongxi wants to learn Latin. Besides studying with me, he also studies with Mr. Xiyang. I give him homework every day, but he came home late yesterday and didn't finish it. I scolded him earlier, so he must still be feeling aggrieved."
When the fourth child thought of Hongxi, he couldn't help but think of Qi You's hard work when he was a child. He felt a little complicated for a moment, and forced a smile, saying, "You are a strict teacher."
Lei Jinyu and the others walked over from a distance and saw the two people sitting on the railing and talking, so they stopped at a distance.
The fourth brother saw it, stood up and said, "Seventh brother, you go ahead and do your work. I won't keep you any longer."
Qi You did not try to persuade him to stay, but stood up to see him off: "Goodbye, Fourth Brother."
The fourth brother smiled, turned around and strode away. When he reached the gate, he stopped and turned back to look.
Qi You pointed at the window lattice and was talking to Lei Jinyu and the others. His gentle features and resolute and confident expression shone brightly in the sun.
A bitter taste spread in Lao Si's mouth. He didn't know if it was the sun that dazzled his eyes, or something else. His vision was blurry, and he couldn't see the road under his feet, let alone the situation before him.
Qi You ignored the ups and downs outside and focused on repairing Yuqing Palace. He took time to visit a group of princes and princesses at Shunyi School.
At the beginning of spring, Kangxi set out for Changchun Garden. When it came to the Rain Festival, just like the Spring Festival Heaven Sacrifice, he handed the matter over to Qi You, who went to the Circular Mound to offer sacrifices to heaven on his behalf.
The order was like pouring a large spoonful of water into a boiling pot of oil. The oil began to boil, and the oil and water splashed out in a crackling sound.
All sorts of memorials from court officials were pouring into the Qingxi Library. Worse still, when Kangxi was holding court in Danning Residence, Alinga, the Minister of the Court of Internal Affairs and a key official in charge of the Firearms Battalion, stood up and bluntly stated, "Your Majesty, I believe this year's drought is likely related to the Heavenly Wrath provoked by Prince Chun's sacrifice."
The court officials had complicated expressions, their eyes secretly moving back and forth between Kangxi and Alinga.
Nalan Kuixu then stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, I second the motion. Prince Chun has made outstanding contributions, but his physical disability may displease the heavens. He is truly unable to perform the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heavens. Your Majesty, please reconsider."
Kangxi looked at them expressionlessly, uttered an "oh," and asked, "Then who do you think should be chosen to offer sacrifices to the Heaven?"
Alinga's eyes flickered as he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Your Majesty should appoint a crown prince sooner rather than later. After the crown prince is chosen, it would be most appropriate for him to perform the sacrifice to the heavens on Your Majesty's behalf."
Kuixu was more cunning and said, "Your Majesty, I think it would be best if you personally went to offer sacrifices to the heavens."
Li Guangdi frowned and stepped out, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe your two lords' words are biased. A sage once said, 'Judging by appearance, one loses Zi Yu.' How can the mind and generosity of Heaven be so narrow as you two lords claim?"
He turned to look at Alinga and asked, "Lord Alinga, when you said there was a drought this year, what was your basis?"
Alinga's face changed. Li Guangdi has always been more cunning than a loach. He had been forced to retreat three times in the matter of opposing the crown prince. No one expected that he would stand up at this time.
Li Guangdi and Qi You had worked together many times before, but over the years, apart from official business, they had no private interactions. Alinga secretly cursed Li Guangdi, calling him an old fox who hid too deeply.
As for the drought, it was because there was little rain in the spring, leading to rumors of a drought. Then, after a few rains, by late spring and early summer, there had been many days of continuous sunshine. This gave Alinga an excuse for the drought rumors.
Thinking of this, Alinga argued in a deep voice, "Whether it's a drought or not can be determined by looking at the weather. Lord Li, can't you even tell whether it's windy or rainy every day?"
Li Guangdi said slowly, "I believe that everything should be based on evidence. The number of days it rained or the number of days it was sunny cannot determine whether it was rainy or dry. The standard is the harvest of crops. It's almost the Dragon Boat Festival, which is the time for the wheat harvest. Lord Alinga is hoping for rain at this time, but is he hoping that the wheat ears will break and rot in the fields?"
Alinga was born into a prominent family, the Ebilun clan. As a son of a powerful family, he knew about spring plowing and autumn harvest, but he was not aware that rain during the wheat harvest would affect the harvest.
After a moment of hesitation, Alinga blushed and changed the subject: "Regardless of the situation, it is inappropriate for Prince Chun to go to offer sacrifices to heaven as a prince. Prince Cheng and Prince Yong are both elders. Either one of them would be more suitable than Prince Chun to go."
Li Guangdi saw Alinga throwing random punches, dragging others into the fight. He didn't respond, but said, "The emperor will decide who will go to offer sacrifices to the heavens. Whether it's Master Alinga, Master Kuixu, or even all the ministers in this room, they must obey the emperor's will and act according to his orders."
If Alingaruo dared to argue again, it would be disobeying the emperor's order. He gritted his teeth and closed his mouth in dismay.
Kangxi's eyes were cold as they slowly moved from his sons standing beside him to the court officials.
Qi You was not among them. He went to Shunyi to visit his nephews and nieces.
Since sending them to Shunyi School, Qi You has visited them every seven days, rain or shine.
He never stopped taking care of Yinzhi and Yinreng, providing them with clothes, food, etc., in a proper and modest manner.
After the princes and princesses went to school and learned to write, Qi You asked each of them to write a letter to Kangxi.
Their handwriting was childish, and they couldn't write, so they drew pictures. He guessed and understood their letters.
The childish language is simple and sincere, which makes him almost unable to put it down. Whenever he encounters troubles, he takes it out and reads it, which always makes him feel better.
It is not difficult to be friendly and respectful to each other as brothers. The key is how to do it and how long you can persist.
It is not difficult to keep calm for a while, the key is how long you can keep calm.
When the situation was turbulent inside and outside the court, only Qi You remained calm and composed.
From a person's moral character to his way of doing things, anyone with eyes in the court can see it clearly.
Kangxi was furious. They were so bold and impatient that they actually questioned his decision in court and even used Heaven to pressure him!
This matter must be resolved quickly; any further delay would only lead to a difficult resolution. Kangxi spoke gravely, saying, "You are all right. The country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. I should appoint a crown prince soon to spare you from constant worry."
In an instant, the room fell silent, and everyone held their breath, waiting anxiously.
Kangxi looked at Liang Jiugong with sarcasm and gave him some instructions. Soon, Liang Jiugong returned to Danning Residence and handed over the scroll in his hand.
Kangxi opened the scroll in his hand, confirmed it, and then ordered, "Li Guangdi, come forward and read it."
Li Guangdi took a deep breath, gathered himself, and stepped forward. He took the scroll and eagerly scanned it, letting out an uncontrollable sigh of relief. He cleared his throat and began to read the decree.
"The Emperor's Seventh Son, Prince Chun, Yinyou, is a perfect match for me and is therefore appointed Crown Prince."
Apart from Li Guangdi's voice echoing in the house, you could hear a pin drop on the ground.
Alinga looked at the Eighth and the others. They had their heads bowed, and only their pale profiles could be seen. Then he turned to the Fourth and saw that he was also standing in a solemn manner with his head bowed.
He was about to take a step forward, but when he saw that Kuixumaqi and the others beside him did not move, he hesitated and held steady for the time being.
Fourteenth was the first to recover. He rushed forward regardless, fell to his knees, and shouted, "Khan Ama, I refuse to obey. How can Seventh Brother be the crown prince?"
Kangxi said calmly, "Then who do you think can be the crown prince?"
Fourteenth was so hot-blooded that he didn't dare to utter Eighth Brother's name. He kowtowed deeply and shouted, "Khan Ama, Seventh Brother has a disability. If he becomes the ruler of a country, where will the Qing Dynasty's reputation be? Since ancient times, there has never been a precedent for a disabled person to become a ruler!"
Li Guangdi said with a smile: "Fourteenth Master, Emperor Renzong of the previous Ming Dynasty had difficulty walking, but Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty still appointed him as the crown prince."
Fourteen was choked. He had spoken too hastily before, not thinking too much. Suddenly, he was a little angry and embarrassed. He said sternly, "Master Li, you are an official of the Qing Dynasty, but you bring up the previous dynasty. What is your intention?"
Seeing that Fourteenth was alone and unable to make a move, Old Nine hurried forward and knelt down to support him: "Khan Ama, Fourteenth Brother is right. Some people have bad intentions. Khan Ama, you must investigate thoroughly!"
When Lao Shi saw them kneeling, he hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and knelt beside them.
Alinga had been offended by Li Guangdi before, so he saw the opportunity and wanted to add insult to injury. He said, "Lord Li is a Han Chinese. It is understandable that he cares about the Han people's territory in the previous dynasty."
His words were purely directed at Li Guangdi, but they offended all the Han officials in the room, regardless of their faction.
All Han officials had climbed to their current positions step by step through academic success. This group of Bannermen officials had become high-ranking officials simply by being reborn.
Manchu and Han officials were generally considered equal in rank, but the Han officials were oppressed by the Banner officials and had no say in the matter.
The resentment that had accumulated among the Han officials over the years was now no longer suppressible and was about to erupt completely.
Kangxi's face darkened instantly. He grabbed the tea bowl beside him and threw it at Fourteen, angrily shouting, "You bastard!"
The tea bowl brushed past Fourteen's shoulder, splashing the warm tea all over his head and face. The pain in his shoulder sobered him up a bit, and he lay on the ground without a word.
Kangxi was still not satisfied, so he grabbed the memorials, writing brushes, ink, etc. at hand and threw them at the ninth and tenth brothers.
After the "bang bang" sounds, the bodies of several people and the ground were in a mess.
Alinga had already knelt down, and his hands were shaking on the ground.
The sons could be beaten, scolded and disciplined. Although Alinga was a slave, he was also a court official.
Kangxi couldn't attack Alinga directly like he had with his sons. He looked at him with cold eyes and said angrily, "Alinga, I have always been lenient with you because of your kindness to the Grand Tutor. I never thought that I would forgive you so much that you would become arrogant."
Alinga's face turned pale, his heart sank, and he kowtowed and said in a trembling voice: "I am wrong, Your Majesty, please punish me!"
Kangxi called out to Li Guangdi, "Alinga was so arrogant and unruly that he contradicted the emperor. He tried to sow discord between the Bannermen and the Han people, and his intentions were sinister. Take him away, and you will be in charge of the trial."
Li Guangdi bowed in response to the order. Soon, guards came in from outside and took Alinga away.
The Han officials, who were about to fall out, saw Kangxi teach his sons a lesson and quickly deal with Alinga, and finally no one said anything.
The smoke that was about to burst into flames suddenly became invisible.
Kangxi calmed down, raised his voice, and said with deep sorrow: "Where do you think your salaries, which are many times higher than before, come from? It's all thanks to the people you see as disabled, who toiled and worked tirelessly on your behalf! Silver doesn't fall from the sky, nor does it grow directly from the ground. How did the northern land you are so eager to fight for turn from a barren land into a fertile land for grain? The prestige of the Qing Dynasty you want doesn't come from your good looks, your boastful words, or your sweet talk. It comes from the military camps guarding the borders, the navy patrolling the Heilongjiang River, and the warships patrolling the seas around Guangzhou in the south of the Yangtze River, which intimidate all directions!"
When everyone in the room heard Kangxi's almost choking voice, they felt complicated and changing emotions in their hearts.
No matter who they supported as the crown prince, Kangxi's words, plus the real money they received every month, left them speechless.
All of this is Qi You’s real credit.
Kangxi's eyes darkened, and he raised his voice again, demanding, "Tell me, who else is worthy of the position of crown prince? Who?!"
No one dared to speak anymore.
Kangxi let out a long sigh and said, "Since the Seventh Prince is not here, we should wait until he returns before announcing the decree. However, he won't care. No matter who he is or what his status is, he will work as hard as before. I don't expect you to devote your lives to the Qing Dynasty, I only hope that you can learn from the Seventh Prince... No, the Crown Prince's work style and conduct, as an official and a human being, it will be a great blessing for the Qing Dynasty!"
Li Guangdi stood up, knelt down and said loudly: "Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Majesty, the Qing Dynasty has a successor!"
Seeing this, other officials knelt down in twos and threes and congratulated loudly.
Kangxi was very satisfied. He rubbed his aching head, looked at the fourteen or so people lying there, and cursed them in his heart, "bastards."
Fortunately, they met Qi You. If it were someone else, based on what they did today, they would have no chance of survival.
Qi You received the imperial decree in Shunyi that he would be appointed as the crown prince. He was certainly happy, but he was also a little bit amused and helpless.
This is a bit too casual.
Let him be the crown prince, it is never easy to be the heir to the throne.
However, even if we take a step back and say that no matter how difficult it is to be a crown prince, it is not more difficult than being an emperor.
All the people in the world.
Qi You stood at the edge of the field, looking at the golden waves of wheat before him. The people were busy harvesting the early-maturing wheat with sickles in hand.
They have been working hard all year round, and their weather-beaten faces are now filled with happy smiles.
The joy of harvest was overwhelming, and Qi You seemed to smell the flour ground from new wheat, that particularly fresh and sweet smell.
His starting point was this land, and he temporarily put an end here, which can be regarded as a beginning and an end.
Qi You took out his purse and pulled out a dark brown whistle that had long since stopped working. He put it to his lips and tried to blow, and the whistle actually rang sharply.
For the sake of people like Yang Dan, the bondservants who were once naked and hungry in the fields can now live according to their own wishes.
Dignity, wealth, peace and freedom.
This is the meaning of Qi You's life that he has long determined.
The author has something to say:
The main text is finished, and extra chapters will be provided from time to time.
Thank you to all the little angels for their support. It means so much to me. The lucky draw is just a small token of my gratitude and it is not enough to express my gratitude.
Once again, I'm calling out for the pre-collection of "I became a powerful boss after becoming the best female supporting character in the book." Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-12-19 23:42:37 and 2022-12-21 00:38:02~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 60 bottles of Salted Fish is Salted Fish; 30 bottles of Enternity; 20 bottles of One Pound of Strawberry; 10 bottles of Want to Eat Sugar; 1 bottle of Sweet Porridge;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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