Birth, old age, sickness and death are uncertain

Birth, old age, sickness and death are uncertain

The first time the Crown Princess gave birth, it was definitely a surprise, especially after giving birth to a little prince; that was explosive news. The second time, it was still joyous, though slightly less so, as the Crown Prince's family was more relieved. The third time, well, there was some joy too, but no one was surprised at all.

Now this time, it’s the fourth child, and this... please imagine it yourself.

The crown prince fell ill only a few times more often than the crown princess gave birth, yet each time was memorable. Because each illness was followed by the emperor's madness, Kangxi did many extraordinary things because of his beloved crown prince.

Comparing the two, of course the prince's illness attracts more attention.

Yinreng's illness was not caused by his wish to avoid traveling. Going south to join the imperial court was dangerous for a prince with a powerful emperor at his back.

Heading north, to join the Mongols? Don't listen to everyone's loud calls for a Manchu-Mongol alliance; it seems the country is taking good care of Mongolia. Mongolia is still superior to Han, and a large portion of the Aisin-Gioro girls are theirs. In reality, they're both exploiting and being wary of them. The crown prince can afford a few compliments from the Mongols; he wouldn't feign illness for them. He's using this opportunity to showcase the crown prince and his family's happy life to the court and the public, akin to campaigning for votes in an election.

There's no reason not to seize the opportunity.

Yinreng was really sick, and half of his illness was caused by his anxiety and irritability.

Originally, Yinreng was in a good mood to celebrate his wife's pregnancy. Even if it was the fourth child, it was still his wife's, and having many children meant a lot of happiness. There was no reason for him to be unhappy. After hearing the news, Yinreng rewarded the people who served the Crown Princess with a big red envelope for each person, without cheating anyone.

Shujia didn't stop him, letting him go as he pleased. The couple traveled south, coughing up a lot of money, which they spent. Yinreng happily spent the money, thinking happily: "Should it be a son or a daughter? A son is fine, he will help me in the future. If it's a daughter—" He smiled foolishly, "My daughter will definitely be the most beautiful. No one else's daughter can compare to ours!"

Shujia, on the other hand, thought about her pregnancy and realized she couldn't go to the frontier. Could the prince let him go on such a long journey alone with eunuchs? Was he forcing her to find a woman for Yinreng? Could she pretend she didn't know?

Yinreng's excitement continued until the next day when he went to attend court.

The hearings were conducted by department, with each department reporting one by one. Aside from the reporter, the leader, and the palace maids and eunuchs fanning them, no one else could overhear. It was a secret. The reports from the six ministries and the nine ministers were nothing major; they were just routine promotions and demotions.

Until the people from the clan office came up.

The Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau reported two matters: First, the death of Prince Doro Xin, Ezha. It was discovered that Ezha inherited the title of his ancestor, Prince Doro Yutong, Duoduo. It is requested that the title be passed to Dong'e, the son of Duoduo's second concubine, the former Commander-in-Chief. Second, unemployed members of the imperial clan over the age of twenty have been granted imperial grace. Those in need have been granted property and household, and silver has been provided for weddings and funerals. These unemployed members of the imperial clan have nowhere to go. Henceforth, the salaries of the Tuosalaha tribe should be suspended, and those over the age of twenty who have not served in the imperial court should be given silver and rice according to the regulations for those in the military service.

The first one was beneficial to Yinreng, as Dong'e had a closer relationship with the Crown Princess's family, and Dong'e's wife would visit the Eastern Palace from time to time.

The second one, however, made him feel uneasy. His Royal Highness still had a strong sense of ownership. He was the crown prince, the future leader of the nation, so it wasn't too much of an exaggeration to say that this country belonged to him. Since he considered the world his own, he naturally paid extra attention to everything.

The idle royal family members used to receive a decent salary even when they were idle at home, but now they were being dismissed. Yinreng knew the reason very well, as he had always paid attention to this issue. As a national leader, it is more important to pay attention to the economy and people's livelihood than to military achievements. Without the former, the latter cannot last.

It wasn't just a problem with the bannermen; the country couldn't even afford to support the adult members of the royal family, yet everyone was still desperately trying to have children. Not having children was necessary; if he didn't, even Yinreng himself would have to admit that he couldn't sit still.

This is killing me! People can’t stop having children, and they can’t have too few, otherwise they can’t control the situation. They can’t have too many, otherwise the country can’t afford to support them!

Yinreng also had a mental account of the country's financial situation, and it was a deficit. From what he could see, the country had income, but it wasn't keeping pace with the expenditure. He had thought the war was over and they could rest and recuperate, but the river works had been under construction for several years, and it was a major focus every year. This project was very expensive!

Furthermore, the Southern Tour wasn't just about the cost of welcoming the Emperor; the large procession of troops and ceremonial guards in the capital also cost money! During a Southern Tour, the Emperor's carriage generally exempted all taxes and rents wherever he passed, regardless of whether they were uncollected old debts or new taxes. He visited most of the most prosperous areas in China, especially Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which had always been the source of significant tax revenue.

A country this big has many problems. Every year is filled with disasters. This year it's here, next year it's there. There's no peace anywhere. Asking the central government to cut taxes is sensible, but even those who are causing more trouble are asking for disaster relief.

Furthermore, it would be strange if officials at all levels weren't corrupt! How could Yinreng not have counted? He had some idea of ​​where all the things he brought back from his southern tour came from.

As for trade, the domestic economy prioritized agriculture over commerce, discouraging its development. While the Kangxi Emperor established a customs office, generating annual lijin revenue, overseas trade actually generated a surplus, but the scale was strictly limited. The revenue from these two sources wasn't particularly substantial.

Yinreng quietly counted on his fingers, one by one. Unless his Khan Ama had some financial source that he didn't know about, otherwise... the finances would be very tight.

To sum up, Yinreng concluded that the second article would probably be approved.

Kangxi agreed to one of the suggestions directly, and as for the second one, he only thought about it for a moment before agreeing to it readily!

Yinreng's expression grew even more serious. He was certain his Khan-father had income he didn't know about. "Dad, this country is going to be under my control from now on, right? We can't leave this mess behind, can we?"

He opened his mouth to speak several times, but closed it again. Back in the East Palace, his wife was pregnant, and he didn't want to bother her. Yinreng took out his little notebook and started writing and drawing. Money, money, money! He used to worry about not having money, but now he started to worry about the country not having money.

Yinreng's math wasn't bad, but adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing gave him a headache. He still had numerous brothers who hadn't received their own palaces, and to do so would be a huge expense: 230,000 silver taels per person, along with several farms... Nine, ten, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth. These were the princes who had already established themselves. How many of the other younger princes could survive? Millions of silver had to be paid all at once, and their annual salaries, their families, and the monthly allowances for the maids in the palace were all covered by the public treasury.

It's easier to work with more people, easier to eat with fewer people. But once a huge base number is averaged out, it becomes so small that it makes people cry. This is especially true when the number of people trying to get a piece of the pie is constantly growing, while the base number is growing only slightly.

Yinreng was so desperate he wanted to kill someone! In the 41st year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the nation's tax revenue did not exceed 30 million silver coins. This tax had to cover the expenses of the entire imperial clan, the salaries of officials at all levels, the expenditures of various projects, the annual disaster relief budget, the food and wages of the bannermen, the food and wages of the officers and soldiers, and occasionally there was a local rebellion that needed to be suppressed... The surplus was very small!

When he was still so unscrupulous, the national finances were not like this. Yinreng remembered clearly that at that time, the whole country was relatively frugal, and he was the least frugal. Ahem, the national finances had supported the eight-year war against the Three Feudatories and countless Galdan rebellions. Wars were expensive, and they had survived. If a war of that scale were to happen again now, Yinreng thought, the finances might not be able to sustain it.

How many years has it been? In the early years of Kangxi, the whole country seemed to be thriving! In just twenty years, it has fallen to this point!

The phrase suddenly popped up in Yinreng's mind, and he threw his pen down in annoyance.

Two young eunuchs waited on him. One opened his mouth to speak, but the other frantically winked at him. The one who wanted to speak was a replacement, untouched by the horrors of those days, while the one who stopped him had secretly survived the Crown Prince's rebellious period and remembered his temper. Looking at him today, it felt like a replay of the Crown Prince from years before. How could he dare to cause trouble again? He only regretted not being a backdrop, not being invisible enough.

He almost crawled over to pick up the pen, put it aside and replaced it with another one.

Yinreng glanced at them suspiciously, raised his left eyebrow, and glanced at the small notebook he had written. The two eunuchs were too far away to see. The Crown Prince continued the Crown Princess's style and wrote in Manchu. There were eunuchs in the palace who could read, but eunuchs who could read Manchu were rare.

Yinreng lowered his eyes and continued to think of a plan, and the two eunuchs saved their lives.

The financial solution was simply to "increase revenue and reduce expenditure." Reducing expenditure was no longer an option; the population was growing, and even withholding more, they still had to be fed. The best strategy was to increase revenue, and Yinreng had a solution: the people who paid taxes were actually the poor Han Chinese. Bannermen, who didn't pay taxes and still received money, couldn't expect to contribute to the fiscal budget. Taxing them? That was a joke. However, all scholars with official titles were exempt from taxes. Even higher-ranking scholars could exempt their entire families from taxes. Most of them were wealthy!

What if they pay taxes together?

He smiled bitterly. No way! He was still second in command, lacking absolute authority and insufficient capital. He couldn't even propose this plan. Others could propose it, but not him. If he dared to do so, the Crown Prince would be standing against all the scholars in the world. He would be subjected to a barrage of criticism.

He didn't know his Khan's attitude, but one thing was certain: Kangxi valued his reputation and was careful about his reputation. He wouldn't consider this unless it was absolutely necessary. How much effort had Kangxi put into winning over the scholars? A single tax order was enough to make all these efforts come to nothing.

If the emperor is not willing to do something easily, the prince is even less likely to do it.

Yinreng was actually a man with a very tough personality. He was not afraid of these scholars. He had thought of a plan. He would first conduct a pilot project in a relatively remote place, send upright ministers to offend people, force the policy forward, and then implement it on a large scale.

Even if the solution was ready, it could not be brought up to the emperor. Even the arrogant prince would not rashly express his opinion on this issue.

But… when he thought about the problems that were still piling up, Yinreng couldn't sit still anymore! This country would be his in the future, and now he considered it his own. Of course, he had to do everything he could to protect it, but… he couldn't make the final decision.

He is very anxious.

Then, he faced the question he'd always been afraid to address: How long would it take before he could take charge? How long would he be able to roll up his sleeves and solve the problem? ... How much longer could his father live?

Yinreng was shocked by his own thoughts!

"When will I be able to fulfill my ambitions?", "How long will Khan Ama live?", "How can I possibly guess how long Khan Ama will live?"

These three questions tangled in his mind. In this era, even considering the emperor's departure was enough to put a strain on anyone's mind. What if this emperor was still his biological father, a father who had always been kind to him...

The crown prince, who was never a courageous man, scared himself.

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The crown prince was ill, his mouth was covered with blisters and his forehead was feverish.

Shujia, having learned from her previous experience, followed suit this time, sending for the imperial physician, sending someone to report the news, and sending someone to ask for leave. Then, she sat on the edge of the bed and applied a cold compress to Yinreng's forehead. She didn't even use a towel wrapped in ice, but simply used a wet towel, changing it every now and then.

As he changed, he frowned. Yinreng was in his prime, how could he have been sick twice in the past two years? And was it a sickness that required him to take time off from work? What was wrong with him?

While he was hesitating, Kangxi had already quickly finished his official duties and rushed over to see his son. When he arrived, the Crown Princess was scolding the imperial physician: "Ping'an's pulse was taken on time. He was fine when I took his pulse the day before yesterday. Why is he sick now?"

What Shujia asked was exactly what Kangxi was thinking. He certainly remembered the day when the prince's pulse was safe, and the imperial physician did not report anything wrong to him. How come the prince suddenly fell ill?

Kangxi's pace was so rapid that he entered the room within seconds of the eunuchs' warning. Shujia had heard the eunuchs' subtle whistles and had deliberately said a few words in front of Kangxi. The Crown Prince was ill, and the Crown Princess was also to blame. Shujia herself felt extremely wronged; Yinreng had clearly been alive and kicking in her presence!

When Kangxi entered, Shujia, as usual, hid behind the screen. This time, Yinreng remained silent throughout the entire meeting, his teeth clenched tightly. Shocked and enraged, Kangxi cast aside his image as a benevolent ruler and threatened the imperial physicians fiercely: "The Crown Prince has always been healthy. Why has he been so prone to illness lately? How have you been taking care of him?! Have you been neglecting your duties?! If you can't put your heart into it, what's the point of having you?"

Shujia no longer has any sympathy for the high-risk profession of imperial physician, and she also wants to know the answer.

Kangxi also warned her: "The Crown Princess is pregnant. Don't be angry or too hard-working. I am here."

Shujia added a few polite words: "This is the duty of a son and daughter-in-law. I cannot shirk the blame for the Crown Prince's discomfort. Khan Ama is busy with many things, so please take care of yourself."

Kangxi made the final decision: "Go and rest, and comfort the children."

Shujia judged his tone and knew that if she continued to argue, Kangxi's patience would soon run out. Through the gap in the screen, she saw the look Kangxi gave Yinreng: kind, caring, anxious, and a look he wished he could take his place. She bowed silently and quietly retreated outside.

Inside, Kangxi takes over his daughter-in-law's duties, caressing his son's forehead as he continues his harsh words. For an emperor with a refined cultural background, Kangxi's threats are elegant: "I always thought the Imperial Hospital was full of capable people, but who would have thought they were just sitting there doing nothing!" If you can't do the job, get out! Neglecting your duties is a crime!

The imperial physicians also had a distressed expression. The Crown Prince had always been healthy, and they couldn't understand why he had become so ill. They explained tremblingly that the Crown Prince was just feeling a little depressed. Having heard these excuses before, Kangxi asked anxiously, "Do you have any new words? Depressed, depressed! What is there for a Crown Prince to be depressed about? Hmm?"

Yeah, it's really hard to fathom. He's truly second only to the emperor, above all others. The emperor trusts him, his subjects are fairly fond of him, the rival Prince Zhi hasn't been causing any trouble lately (Mingzhu pulled away and wouldn't help), and he has a ton of sons. What else is there to be upset about? Huh?

The imperial physicians themselves did not believe the word "depression", but they had no choice but to have confidence in their medical skills. It was really depression!

Sun Zhiding added tactfully: "Evil wind has entered the body." In traditional medicine, many illnesses are caused by "evil wind has entered the body," and the word "evil" itself has nothing to do with superstition or religion.

Kangxi snorted coldly, "Why don't you go and write a prescription?" He pondered this. Recently, not only has nothing bad happened in the Eastern Palace, but there have even been happy events. Life has been good. So, what about things outside the Eastern Palace? The princes and clan members are still respectful to the Crown Prince. Even Yinzhi's offensive power has weakened significantly. So, what about the court officials? No one is targeting the Crown Prince, right? What about Yisan'a's retirement? Even when Soetu stepped down, the Crown Prince didn't get sick.

What had happened? Had I not performed the sacrifices to the gods with sufficient solemnity and respect? Kangxi pondered for a long time, but it no longer occurred to him that his son was worried about the country or concerned about his own short lifespan.

This time, Yinreng's illness came on quickly and looked quite serious, but he recovered faster than the last time. He opened his eyes and saw Kangxi still sitting on the edge of the bed, reading a book. Yinreng felt a surge of guilt, and his eyes became moist: "Khan Ama..."

The hoarseness of his voice startled even him. Kangxi dropped the book and felt his forehead. "The fever's gone. How do you feel?"

Yinreng shook his head with difficulty. His Khan Ama cared about him so much, but he was thinking... "Khan Ama..."

"How could you be so careless, kid? Are you trying to drive me crazy? I couldn't even drink my medicine this morning. How do I feel?"

Yinreng burst into tears: "I am an unfilial son and have made Khan Father worry. Son, son... Woo woo..." He turned over and wanted to kowtow on the bed.

Kangxi felt relieved when he saw him wake up, and even felt like teasing him. He reached out and hugged Yinreng: "You've just woken up and you're already making a fuss again." He patted his son's back, coaxing him like a child. "Look, you're even crying. It's a good thing I told your wife and Hongdan to leave, otherwise what would you do like this? Huh?"

It would have been fine if he hadn't said it, but once he did, Yinreng cried even harder.

After crying for a while, Yinreng's depression and worry mostly disappeared. Blushing, he grabbed the corner of the quilt to wipe his tears. Kangxi glanced at him, pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve and threw it at him. Yinreng took it with a red face and wiped it carelessly: "I lost my composure, Khan Ama, please forgive me for laughing."

Kangxi raised an eyebrow. "It's good that you know you lost your composure," his tone turned gossipy. "What's wrong with you? The imperial physician said you're sick because you're worried about something."

Yinreng was startled, his eyes wavering for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure under Kangxi's gaze and whispered, "Son, I've been thinking so much that my head hurts."

Kangxi had an expression as if he had heard everything.

Yinreng hesitated for a moment, then revealed a determined expression: "Khan Ama, if this continues, the country will soon be out of money."

"oh?"

"Now, the annual income has not increased, and the expenses are too high... I have been thinking about it all night, but I still can't come up with a proper solution... I am incompetent."

Kangxi closed his eyes and said after a while: "Things haven't reached that point yet, and you are still like this, worrying about nothing!"

Yinreng argued: "It would be fine if the annual income did not increase much, but the expenses are getting more and more. The population of the bannermen has increased since we entered the Pass. Forty years ago, there were few bannermen, but more than half of the adults had jobs to do, so they were not receiving salaries in vain. Until now... the total number of people who carry the banners and make money has more than doubled compared to when we entered the Pass. Now, most of them are receiving food and wages in vain and doing nothing. There was heavy rain in Shandong a while ago, and the harvest has dropped sharply. I am afraid that the victims will be displaced." There are also some bannermen who have fields and land, but because of their laziness, they have lost their ancestral heritage. It is really shameful to see them.

Kangxi sighed. How could he not know what Yinreng was saying? The emperor was also worried. Even his own relatives' salaries were being cut, which showed that financial problems were already emerging. However, solving the financial problem was by no means a quick fix. Various plans needed to be devised, the right personnel needed to be selected, and adjustments needed to be made based on the specific circumstances of the implementation.

Governing a large nation is like cooking a small fish; it requires the utmost caution. Having weathered so many storms, Kangxi had no desire to capsize over such a tepid issue. Reform hadn't reached the point where it was necessary; Kangxi preferred to maintain the status quo. He would rather pay out of his own pocket to redeem the land for the bannermen to sustain themselves than to make any changes to the state.

"This won't happen overnight. Do you think you can come up with a solution overnight and achieve world peace?" Kangxi changed the subject. "The country is well-positioned right now, but you're thinking about these nonsense! You're making yourself sick over something that hasn't even happened yet."

Kangxi looked like he didn't want to continue. Firstly, if he studied the problem carefully, called all the Grand Secretaries, all the Eight Banners leaders, and all the people from the Ministry of Revenue to discuss it without doing anything else, it would take more than one or two years to come up with a solution; secondly, Yinreng had just woken up, and he didn't want to waste his son's energy anymore.

His emotions were shared by Yinreng, quickly calming the Crown Prince, who was feeling guilty, hot-headed, and eager to show his sincerity. It was clear that his father was trying to maintain stability and was reluctant to take drastic action until things got serious. A mature and mature man who governed the country.

"I'm a little scared." With a sigh, both out loud and in his heart, he pushed the question back.

"Hmm? A constant fear is indeed what a ruler should have." Kangxi's tone turned stern again. "Just because of this little difficulty, you've become frightened and sick? What have I taught you all along?"

How could Yinreng dare to say that he had already considered the idea of ​​wearing mourning clothes? Now he felt guilty about being unfilial to his father, and his mind was wandering to think about his own vision for the future of the country. He just nodded in agreement.

Seeing that he was feeling a little depressed again, Kangxi comforted him with a few words and told him to rest well before leaving.

Even after Kangxi's departure, Yinreng's burden remained unrelieved. He was still a young man, full of passion and ambition, but Kangxi's cold shoulder left him powerless to resist, forcing him to continue his inner rebellion. He dismissed the unholy question of his father's lifespan, simply bypassing it and continuing to focus on "I'm responsible for this matter, what should I do?"

No matter what, he had to ascend to the throne. What was the prerequisite for the crown prince to ascend the throne? The emperor's death? Wrong! The crown prince had to die first! Yinreng diligently ate and took his medicine regularly, and finally recovered in early May. Kangxi then put him on the tour list.

The test of the Crown Princess is here!

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Shujia couldn't go on her own, and Kangxi and Yinreng wouldn't let a pregnant woman make such a long journey. Those days were different from later times; a pregnant woman could die if she stayed home, let alone wander around. Therefore, the Crown Prince had to bring a caregiver with him when he traveled. Shujia could choose not to arrange for a caregiver, and Yinreng could take a palace maid with him, but that wouldn't be appropriate.

Shujia tossed and turned for several days, and Hongxiu was so frightened that she thought she was unwell. Shujia said, "I'm fine. I was just thinking about how to arrange the prince's trip."

How should it be arranged? Hongxiu paused for a moment, then remembered that the prince had to bring someone with him when he traveled. This time, it was a long journey, so at least one of his female relatives, who was not bad at showing off, had to accompany him. Seriously, she had almost forgotten about this.

Hongxiu knew the Crown Princess's abilities. Unwittingly, the Crown Prince had been circling around his wife. Ever since the Crown Princess came into the family, no illegitimate sons had appeared. It was impossible not to admire her. Hongxiu admitted she didn't possess such abilities. The Crown Princess's intelligence was more than enough to handle such a matter.

Hongxiu just advised: "Master, don't waste your energy thinking about things, you have a double body."

Shujia repeatedly compared Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi, examining their respective strengths and weaknesses. Li Jiashi's strengths lay in her tact and her willingness to stay out of the spotlight, though that didn't guarantee she was a strong mother. Li Jiashi, on the other hand, had her own aspirations, but had experienced failure. Ultimately, Shujia decided to let Li Jiashi go with Yinreng.

Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi had different feelings when they heard the news. Li Jiashi's thoughts shifted back to her son. It would be nice for her to be able to stay with Hongxi in the palace. Li Jiashi was excited, her eyes sparkling, and her voice trembled with suppressed excitement when she answered.

Shujia was a little irritated: "The day is approaching, why don't you go down and clean up."

"Well, I'll take my leave."

After Li Jiashi left, Shujia felt a little better and said to Li Jiashi, "She is alone, so let her go with you this time."

Li Jia replied meekly, "I understand."

"Spend more time with Hongxi. With Hongyang around, he needed your care even more. I've noticed some areas where you haven't taken care of him, and I've made up for it. Now that you have some free time, why not take care of the child? Hongxi is ten years old this year, and he won't be with us for many more years. When he grows up and gets married, he won't be under our care anymore."

Li Jia said, "When the time comes, the master will have to take the trouble to choose a wife for him." This matter will have to be considered in three or four years, and of course, the Crown Princess, who has the final say, should pay more attention to it.

It was common for boys in the imperial family to have concubines by the age of fourteen or fifteen. For example, Hongxi's fourteenth uncle, who was fifteen this year, already had a pregnant concubine, Shushujueluo. If you extrapolate back, it seems he was already considering the ideal partner at the age of thirteen or fourteen (in nominal terms).

The marriage of the Crown Prince's son will definitely not be ignored by the higher-ups, and it will not be much later than that of the Fourteenth Prince.

Shujia nodded and said, "Of course. He also called me mother, how could I forget him?"

Yinreng packed his bag, determined to win a victory. It was a pity that he and his wife couldn't go together, as his wife's image would still be very attractive. Shujia was busy putting small things into the box while giving him various instructions. "You've just been ill. It's cold outside at night. Dress warmly and don't go out in the wind."

"I know. I really treated you as if you were Hongdan and gave you instructions."

"I don't need to tell Hongdan this. He wasn't sick a while ago."

"Alright, alright, alright. I'll do whatever you say. Is that all right?"

"That's more like it!" He started to speak up for his son again, "You should take care of Hongdan more. This child is not always with us."

Pregnant women always have strange emotions, so Yinreng agreed in a gentle tone.

After packing everything, I couldn't travel yet because I had to go visit another patient first - Prince Yu Fuquan.

Fuquan's health has been up and down in recent years. It's not right to say he's not in good health, but he had a little girl this Lunar New Year, and a son and a daughter the year before last. His fighting endurance is still pretty good. It's also right to say he's in good health, but he's been sick every now and then, and he's a key patient at the Imperial Hospital.

Before Kangxi left for the trip, Fuquan fell ill again. Originally, he was on Kangxi's list. How could Kangxi forget this good brother when he was given such a good opportunity to travel and eat at public expense?

According to the imperial physician, Fuquan was seriously ill this time, bedridden. Kangxi put aside his work and personally visited Prince Yu's residence. Yinreng naturally requested to accompany him, but Kangxi said, "You are well too. You don't need to go. Your uncle is not a stingy person. Ask Hongdan to accompany me."

The Emperor took his grandson to visit Prince Yu, leaving the Crown Prince to pace the palace. As for Prince Yu, you don't know when he will pass away. Every time he sees the Emperor, what he says might be his last words. What will he say?

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Fuquan's words were quite beneficial to Yinreng. A man who had reached Fuquan's position was already extremely wealthy and powerful, possessing all the privileges expected of him, save for being the emperor or the crown prince. Seeing that he would not live long, he had no choice but to be indifferent to life and death. All he cared about now was his afterlife.

Kangxi led his grandson into Prince Yu's mansion, where Prince Yu's son, Baotai, led the crowd to welcome him. He escorted Kangxi to Fuquan's residence, saying anxiously, "Khan Ama, my Ama has been getting sicker lately. The imperial physicians have come to see him, but the prescriptions they've prescribed haven't been effective..."

Kangxi interrupted: "Let's talk inside."

When they got to the room, Fuquan stood up from his bed and asked the eunuch to help him greet Kangxi. Kangxi rushed forward and pushed him down: "You are still sick, why are you bothering with these empty formalities?"

Fuquan lay on the bed and touched his head to the pillow: "Greetings to the Emperor."

Kangxi looked around and asked Hongdan to come forward and greet Fuquan. Fuquan said "yes" repeatedly: "Yes, yes, how are you, brother?"

Hongdan answered seriously, "I'm fine. Uncle, just rest assured and recover. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Fuquan smiled and said to Kangxi, "Your Majesty has a good grandson."

Kangxi asked, "Don't you have any more?"

Fuquan looked at Baotai and said to Kangxi sincerely, "I am not a good son. Even if I were, I would be of no use."

"Your son is under my watch."

Fuquan felt half relieved and hesitated to speak.

Fuquan looked as if he was leaving some last words. Thinking about the pulse diagnosis he had read, it was clear that Fuquan was in great danger this time. Kangxi dismissed everyone and spoke to Fuquan alone.

"You and I are brothers, so if you have something to say, just say it. Why should we be so taboo?" Kangxi said sadly.

Fuquan gave a wry smile. "What else should I be afraid of, now that I'm in this state?" Even so, he still had his concerns. For one thing, he trusted Kangxi to treat his son well, but he worried about the next emperor. Baotai had done nothing significant for the country; he relied solely on the brotherly bond between Kangxi and himself to maintain the prosperity of Prince Yu's mansion. Kangxi might tolerate Baotai's minor missteps in the future, but what about the next emperor?

Fuquan was dying, so there weren't many taboos. He was Kangxi's older brother, and he was about to die. How much longer could Kangxi, a younger brother only a few years younger, live? Ten more years? By then, Kangxi would be in his sixties. With the crown prince ascending to the throne, his tolerance for Baotai would surely decrease, wouldn't it?

A new emperor chooses his own ministers. This is a rule. All Fuquan can do is grasp this rule. It would be best if he could do the Crown Prince a favor before his death. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, perhaps he will remember this favor and treat his family better. When Prince Zhi still has the ambition to seize the throne, if he can help the Crown Prince, it will be a great achievement.

The decision had been made long ago. Fuquan slowly spoke of his concerns, starting with Baotai's failure. "Even if the Emperor looks after him, his abilities are limited. I know my sons well, and they are less talented. I'm not a father who knows how to educate my sons. I've always envied the Emperor for having so many good sons."

He kept calling me "servant" and was extremely humble. Kangxi's brotherly love reached its peak: "Don't worry, I will make arrangements."

Since he was talking about his own son, Kangxi couldn't help but add an extra layer of assurance: "Baotai studied with the princes, and their relationship is not bad."

Fuquan smiled with relief: "This servant also knows this." He then praised the princes and finally changed his tone, "I am a dying man, so there are some things I am not afraid to say."

"you say."

"Does the Emperor feel that Prince Zhi is a little restless?"

Kangxi's eyes darkened. Of course he felt it, and he'd even secretly suppressed him. Fuquan sighed, "The princes have always been respectful to their uncle, and I wish them well. But Prince Zhi is acting like a nobody. If he gets out of hand, even if my family is lenient, it'll be hard to explain to the court officials, right? Tolerating him any further will only lead to him making even bigger mistakes. Ultimately, I can't tolerate him anymore..."

Fuquan stopped talking, his words full of good intentions. He coughed several times after speaking, and although Kangxi was annoyed, he let him speak slowly. Fuquan commented: "The brothers are all good, but it is really not good for the Prince of Zhi to rob the people of their wealth like this. He has farms and shops, so why should he-"

Huh? You're talking about him bullying men, uh, money?

Kangxi suppressed his doubts: Isn’t this a fight for the throne?

Even honest people can be smart sometimes! Fuquan felt that he was not a very smart person. What he could see was also seen by everyone. He just mentioned that Yinzhi was uneasy. Even if it was finally resolved, Kangxi would think about it. As for whether he complained directly, it was unimportant: "He has already forced a death, don't let him make trouble anymore."

Kangxi nodded. Fuquan commented on the princes, mostly praising them, especially the Crown Prince. "The Crown Prince was personally raised by the Emperor, needless to say. From my observation, he was a bit unsophisticated in his youth, but now he's very respectful and courteous. I truly envy the Emperor for having such a good son."

Kangxi smiled reservedly: "Baotai and Baoshou are also very good. They are still young. With my guidance, they will not be bad."

"The emperor is naturally trustworthy." Fuquan took the opportunity to praise the princes a few more words, and also mentioned the eighth prince, whom he admired the most, who was a capable and virtuous person.

The conversation ended like this. Kangxi called someone in and asked Hongdan to thank Fuquan for his praise on his father's behalf. He told Fuquan to rest assured and recuperate before returning to the palace.

Hongdan went back to visit his parents. Of course, this visit was not just a visit, but also included a report: "Mafa asked me to go out and play with my uncle, while she talked with Prince Yu in the room for a long time. When she called me back in, she asked me to thank Prince Yu for his praise on my father's behalf."

Yinreng felt a little relieved: "Go see your mother, Hongtong is making a fuss around him and wants to go with him, this kid!"

“Yeah.”

Hongtong was indeed making a fuss, but because he was considerate of his mother's pregnancy, he changed his way of making a fuss. Looking at Honggui who was practicing running on the kang, he acted like an older brother and taught him: "I heard that it's fun out in the Great Wall. When the wind blows the grass low, you can see cattle and sheep!", "I heard that you can even see horse-catching!", "I heard that roasted beef is delicious!"

After hearing so much and sounding so amazed, Shujia asked him, "Is there anything else you haven't heard of?"

Hongtong ran to Shujia and said, "Mother, tell my father to take me with you!"

Hong Dan coughed and said, "Second brother has gone to review his lessons, but you're messing around here. Won't the teacher check your homework tomorrow?"

Hongtong quietly rolled his eyes at his brother and walked away slowly. When he passed by Hongdan, he heard Hongdan whisper: "Next year I will tell Mafa that you must practice your horse riding and archery well."

"Hey~" Hongtong's steps became lighter.

Meanwhile, Kangxi couldn't help but wonder if Yinzhi had gotten up to something again. Yinzhi felt quite wronged; he hadn't done anything significant recently, just nabbing Ling Pu, a greedy man. He was just about to liaise with a few censors and impeach Ling Pu. Rumors were also spreading in the marketplace, and the content was simple: Ling Pu was greedy, Ling Pu was the Crown Prince's wet nurse, and if he was greedy, who would believe his claim of having no connection to the Crown Prince?

Kangxi's letter!

His beloved prince lived a frugal life as always. Well, both "as always" and "frugal" were a bit exaggerated, but Kangxi had just visited the prince's illness. He had seen the furnishings and expenses in the prince's place at that time, so he had a rough impression of it!

Bastard! You just can't stand seeing your brother do well? No wonder Yinreng lived so frugally even though Ling Pu was in the Imperial Household Department. If he had let him off lightly, he would have been so miserable that he couldn't even explain himself!

Kangxi was furious. He knew something about the rumors, and for the sake of his prince, he planned to tolerate Ling Pu and give him a warning, which he would have the prince do. Now, due to Fuquan's irrelevant remarks, Kangxi became suspicious of Yinzhi and sent people to spy on him, not just at the temple but everywhere else. The two events connected; it turned out to be a trap set by you! Fortunately, he didn't call the prince first, otherwise he would have been caught in the crossfire again.

Kangxi went to Prince Yu's mansion again.

The two brothers had another secret conversation, the content of which is unknown. It is known that Kangxi quickly replaced Ling Pu, along with several other censors, and simultaneously brought in Chen Lun, the Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household Department, to become the Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate. He did not speak with Yinzhi, as such conversations were the beginning of a move. Kangxi hoped to use subtle means to dissuade Yinzhi from taking action.

After finishing his work, Kangxi clapped his hands and left.

——————————————————————————————————————————

After the emperor left, Shujia went to Ningshou Palace every day to report. The Empress Dowager looked at her and liked her more and more: "Come and sit, let me see you." Another plump little girl was about to be born. The Empress Dowager was delighted: "Our family will have another baby."

Shujia smiled and said, "Isn't my third brother's family going to have a baby? Didn't my third brother's wife say last time that Tian Jiashi's family was expecting this month?"

Rong Fei said, "How can that be compared with the Crown Princess's?"

Everyone praised him again.

Concubine Tong asked: "Did the prince send any letter today? Did he mention anything about the imperial court?" That was her purpose.

Kangxi would send letters when he traveled, but not often. It was the Crown Prince's, Hongdan's, and if you didn't write, I would, and sometimes we would write together. The Crown Princess's news was more reliable. Shujia smiled and said, "Yesterday, the Emperor stopped at Tangquan. Khan Ama sent my fifteenth brother and Hongdan to come by water." Upon hearing the news from her son, Concubine Wang's smile grew more genuine.

There are also some private things in the Eastern Palace that cannot be said, such as: Classmate Hongdan sleeps with his father every day.

Classmate Hongdan dragged his pillow and stumbled to find his father.

Yinreng was surprised: "Why are you here?"

Hong Dan held the pillow in one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other: "Son misses his father, father~"

Ever since Hongdan started school, he rarely showed this childish side.

Asshole! I knew my son wasn't supposed to drink that glass of wine at a dinner party! Poor thing, he had to join everyone in toasting Khan Ama, and he insisted on drinking it. His face was red! Could he be drunk?

Yinreng bent down and touched his son's forehead, which was slightly hot: "He's so old, but I still worry about him! Where is he? Why don't you get water for your brother to wash his face?" Hongdan smiled innocently, threw the pillow to Yinreng, and wiped his face while mumbling: "Mafa seems to like Sixteenth Uncle more. When Sixteenth Uncle drank in the evening, he smiled happily and didn't look at me several times." He was just making small talk.

But his words hit the nail on the head of Yinreng's mind.

Seeing his brother, only a few years older than him, dying of illness, Kangxi was not without a touch of sadness. This time, he brought along the Crown Prince, the Prince of Zhi, Yinxiang, Yinzhen, the fifteenth prince Yinyu, and the sixteenth prince Yinlu. The first two were there to help them reconcile and to showcase the Crown Prince, the middle two because they were energetic, and the last two simply because they were small and looked so adorable! These little kids were his sons, making him look younger. Furthermore, he was quite fond of their mother.

With this mentality, Kangxi allowed his two eldest sons to communicate with each other, and he took care of his two younger sons. As for the two middle sons, he listened to their flattery.

Yinreng spoke to Yinzhi, who only grudgingly agreed, saying nothing more than a few words. This gave Yinreng time to observe Kangxi, who didn't neglect Hongdan and genuinely cared about his youngest son. Yinreng felt a mixture of emotions; his father, the Khan, was truly kind to his youngest sons.

Kangxi was explaining to Yinlu how to swim: "Don't be afraid, don't panic. If you calm down, you will naturally float. Don't splash around when you go in the water. Well, I'll teach you again when I get back."

Khan Ama began to love his youngest son, and more and more younger brothers took up a lot of his attention.

"Ama?"

"Hmm?" Yinreng, who was lost in thought, was called back to his senses by Hongdan. "Are you done washing?"

"Are you going to chase me away, Dad?" The little boy had a pitiful look in his eyes and a red face. "My brothers are not here now, and I am the youngest. Dad, please don't chase me away."

Thinking of Yinlu's adorable appearance in front of Kangxi, and then thinking of his own son's usually serious face, only in front of him did he reveal a bit of childish innocence. Then reflecting on the love Kangxi had always given him, Yinreng leaned over and picked up his son: "I've been waiting for you! Every time I accompany the emperor, my father waits and waits, but you, happy, are sleeping soundly with your mother."

Hongdan: "I didn't sleep at Mafa's place. I slept by myself! I always slept alone. My father never slept with me."

Yinreng deliberately put on a stern face and said, "Go wash your feet."

After washing up, Hongdan lay in the same bed with Yinreng, chirping: "Last time I was going to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to study, and I slept with my father, mother and brother. It was great!"

This child must be drunk, babbling endlessly, Yinreng thought. He reached out and hugged him: "Go to sleep."

Well, she twisted and turned in her father's arms, giggling, "It's warm in Ama's arms. I'll come again tomorrow!"

"You still need to be warm in May!"

"Either!"

"Alright, alright, go to sleep! If you keep nagging, I'll leave you."

“…”

The biological clocks of both father and son were very accurate; they opened their eyes within seconds of each other. Hongdan blushed and murmured, "Father..."

Yinreng sat up and pulled him up: "It's time to get up!"

Hongdan stood up awkwardly, and Yinreng pretended not to notice: "What are you doing with the pillow? Are you going back to sleep today?"

Hongdan quickly threw the pillow onto Yinreng's bed and said, "I'm going to pay my respects to Mafa~"

From then on, Hongdan took root in his father's bed until he returned to the palace.

The cruelty of the Crown Princess's lineage has always been a consistent one. For example, the old and young hooligans of the Shi family, the Crown Princess who took her father to see women's feet, and the Third Prince of Yuqing Palace who dragged a pillow to find his father.

Hongdan: ...Mother said that we should hold Ama's thighs tightly. From what I've observed, Mafa also holds Mafa's thighs tightly.

So, the truth is, it was an accidental success, killing two birds with one stone.

——————————————————————————————————————————

The bond between the Crown Prince and his son continued to grow stronger. With his son by his side, the Crown Prince's image as a kind, harmless, and caring person became even more deeply rooted in people's hearts, which was originally a good thing. However, hundreds of miles away, another matter was making him very unhappy.

Yisan'a was dead. Even if he was a retired veteran, he still had some influence when he was alive, but now he was dead. The Crown Prince felt really unlucky, while the Prince of Zhi was very happy.

The past two years have been truly wicked, with people related to the core figures of the royal family dying one after another. Just as the tragic news of Yisan'a arrived, Prince Gong Changning died again!

Prince Gong had faded from public view for several years. Initially, he, like Fuquan, had been favored by Emperor Kangxi, but the difference in their treatment became increasingly apparent. Now that he was dead, Emperor Kangxi had merely ordered the princes in Beijing to assemble daily, bestowed upon him 10,000 taels of silver, and dispatched officials to build a tomb and erect a monument.

According to Yinreng's assessment, Kangxi's grief was not too profound. After making these decisions, Kangxi continued on his journey, not concluding his journey. Instead, he received the Mongolian princes and their wives who came to see him with a normal demeanor.

Yinreng felt a deep chill in his heart towards his father. He could no longer remember how his uncle had offended his father. Suddenly, he could only recall two fragments: one, the brothers were at peace, and two, Changning's departure was almost invisible. By the time you noticed, he had already vanished.

Such understatement can show one's personal ability.

Kangxi was not such a cold and heartless person. His ruthlessness was more often towards those he disliked. Kangxi was still very emotional towards those who were close to his heart. Prince Yu Fuquan also died of illness a few days after Changning's death. Kangxi dropped the teacup in his hand and said, "Pack up, I want to return to Beijing!"

Not only did the emperor have to return to Beijing, he also directly brought his four oldest sons over and said: "You, return to Beijing as soon as possible, go back first, I will come with the fifteenth prince, the sixteenth prince and Hongdan." Because Yinreng had been handling affairs all year round, Kangxi also instructed him to pay more attention to Prince Yu's funeral when he returned.

They returned home at full speed, not even having time to shave, and met their equally disheveled brothers back in Beijing. Everyone knew that Kangxi and Fuquan had a good relationship, so there was nothing else to say, just work hard.

Kangxi arrived soon after.

When Kangxi arrived, the Empress Dowager had already arrived at Prince Yu's residence to mourn. The old lady had been fond of Fuquan, a simple-minded man, and after all, Fuquan was her son. The simple-minded Empress Dowager wept even more bitterly. Kangxi was not only heartbroken himself, but also tried to persuade the Empress Dowager not to grieve.

After persuading the Empress Dowager to return, Kangxi began to cry. His final moments revealed his profound sentimentality: he retreated to Jingren Palace to express his grief over his brother's death. He ordered his eldest, third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth sons to wear mourning attire. He also granted them two imperial horses, two paired horses, six free-roaming horses, ten camels, and silk and silver. He also ordered Baotai to inherit the title of Prince, rather than the descending rank of Junwang. Aside from the Shandong floods, Kangxi ordered the interception of 500,000 dan of grain and the disbursement of 300,000 taels of silver for disaster relief, and ignored all other political matters.

At Chang Ning's funeral, only the princes, attendants, and guards were sent to pay their respects. Chang Ning's son did not inherit the title of prince, but only the title of Beile.

Kangxi even personally wrote the inscription for Fuquan, praising him comprehensively, and concluded with "I will protect the king's descendants", never forgetting his promise.

Fuquan's funeral took place in late June or early July, during the hottest months of the year. Three hundred years later, students were on summer vacation, yet the princes still wore mourning and mourned. However, Yinreng endured the most. Kangxi forbade him from wearing mourning, and not everyone could follow the Crown Prince's mourning routine. He was also Fuquan's nephew.

Unable to decide between the two, he had no choice but to ask Emperor Kangxi for permission to have his son wear mourning on his behalf, though he was also concerned about the negative impact this would have. Sometimes, Yinreng felt that his status as Crown Prince simply pushed him into awkward situations. The same could be said for his wife: the Empress Dowager had gone to Prince Yu's household, and the Crown Princess, being pregnant and a member of the imperial household, could not go.

The couple looked at each other in silence. Shujia said, "Fortunately, we still have our son to back us up."

Yinreng nodded: "Yes."

"Since you can't go in person, why not go and serve Khan Ama and the Empress Dowager?"

"Let's go separately."

Kangxi ignored government affairs, but the country still needed to run, leaving Yinreng swamped. He wasn't afraid to handle things, but the challenge was managing them without being able to make his own decisions—Kangxi hadn't authorized him to do so. He wanted to consult Kangxi, but he simply tossed the government aside. Yinreng was left to counsel Kangxi daily, his tone grieving, while sounding heartbroken. In a short period of time, Yinreng lost even more weight, a striking contrast to Kangxi, who had also lost weight. None of the princes dared to gain weight; they all looked miserable.

That wasn't all. Yinreng was visited by Xiong Cilü again. Xiong Cilü walked unsteadily and said, "I pay my respects to the Crown Prince."

Yinreng couldn't shave his head because of Fuquan's funeral, and he was so busy that he forgot to shave his beard. His hairy face looked like a wild man and he asked, "Master Xiong, what's this?"

"I am in poor health and would like to retire."

“!”

Xiong Cilü explained slowly, "I couldn't hold on any longer," and coughed twice. "When Zhang Ying wanted to retire, we all had already considered leaving, but the Crown Prince still needed me at that time, so I stayed a little longer."

"I also need a master now."

Xiong Cilü shook his head: "Hasn't the Crown Prince noticed? We are old and withering away. We can't stay with the Crown Prince for a few more years. Instead, we are blocking the path of advancement for the young people. Last month, Yisan'a passed away, and the day before yesterday, the obituary of Gao Shiqi arrived..."

Listening to Xiong Cilü's repeated descriptions of the decline of talent, especially those who had held a favorable impression of him before their deaths, Yinreng's heart sank. The same thing happened with Fuquan; he'd finally gotten people to like him, but then he died. And then there were those who had originally been on his side, the Shi family, who also suffered a loss, leaving two of them unemployed. Then there were those like Zhang Ying and Xiong Cilü, both old and ailing. If they had stayed, they might have died someday, and it was hard to say who would side with the next replacement.

There is no successor, which is a big problem.

Xiong Cilü saw Yinreng's expression and guessed that he had figured it out, so he continued, "Why don't we, the old ministers, step down first, leaving the position vacant and someone else to take over? Then the Crown Prince can take advantage of the situation."

Summary of Teacher Xiong's speech: To avoid being caught off guard by someone who doesn't agree with us after we die, we should retreat first. See who the newcomer is. If they're on our side, we'll keep them. If they're not, we'll kill them. While we're still alive, even if we can do something, it can still be helpful.

Yinreng said with difficulty: "You left me one by one, leaving me alone in this palace."

His current appearance was a rare sight of desolation in the past thirty years, and his difficult tone of voice was truly moving to tears. Xiong Cilü sighed, "You still have the Emperor. He's still grieving in Jingren Palace, so I'll take this opportunity to speak to Your Highness."

Yinreng assumed Xiong Cilü had finished explaining his situation, so he rushed to Jingren Palace to act like a filial son. His behavior these days was exemplary: he shared the emperor's grief, worried about him, and earnestly urged his father to eat, rest, and take care of himself, while he himself looked haggard.

He came in and asked Kangxi: "My son cannot wear mourning for the prince, so I would like to accompany Khan Ama on the funeral day." Kangxi had originally planned to go with the Empress Dowager, so he agreed without hesitation: "It is rare that you have such a kind heart." After that, he babbled a lot of good things about Fuquan, emphasizing that Prince Yu treated you well when he was alive, and I promised to take care of their family.

Yinreng went on to praise Fuquan: "Prince Bo is respectful and modest, loyal to the Khan and his father, and kind to his sons. He is a good man."

After comforting Kangxi, he returned to his duties. State affairs couldn't be neglected. If the emperor didn't intervene, the crown prince had to be aware of the situation. Even if he didn't make the decision, he had to be able to answer when the emperor did. Furthermore, Kangxi's summer tours were originally scheduled to last until September, but it was only July, and he had to start again. He hadn't met all the Mongolian nobles yet, his mission unfinished. No matter how upset Kangxi was, he had to make another round.

If he were to go out of the border again, all matters needed to be prepared. Needless to say, the Crown Prince had to be able to explain everything.

Finally, after Prince Fu's funeral was over and the emperor had expressed his deep affection for his elder brother, he was ready to travel with his children and grandchildren once again. Due to the collective request of the princes in Beijing, this time Kangxi took several younger princes who were not required to wear mourning with him, including the ninth, tenth, and twelfth princes.

But the crown prince fell ill again.

This time, his illness wasn't serious, just a minor ailment from exhaustion. Kangxi ordered him to accompany the Empress Dowager to Changchun Garden for summer recuperation, while he himself took the others on the trip. Before leaving, he summoned the newly appointed Prince Yu, Baotai, to his side, specifically to drum up support for Yinreng: "I'm about to embark on a northern tour. You should stay home. If you encounter any difficulties, report major matters to the Emperor, and minor matters to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is deeply saddened by the passing of Prince Bo, and due to illness, he cannot travel. He is accompanying the Empress Dowager to Changchun Garden. You may visit him."

Baotai was grateful for the emperor's care for his family and tactfully thanked the crown prince. Thinking of his father's last words, after the emperor's departure, he actually went to Changchun Garden to ask the crown prince for help—his wife was ill and wanted two good imperial physicians to see her.

In Wuyi Zhai, Baotai and Yinreng looked at each other in bewilderment. They were acquaintances, but they weren't particularly friendly. Yinreng looked at Baotai, dressed in mourning clothes, his face pale. Baotai looked at Yinreng, dressed in plain clothes, his face a little pale. It was Yinreng who spoke first: "How is the old lady?"

When Baotai heard his mother being greeted, he stood up and replied, "Thank you, Prince, for your concern. Everything is fine." He was not born of a legitimate mother, and had only one legitimate mother, so he said "everything is fine."

With this initial start, Yinreng then inquired about the palace's situation, and Baotai took the opportunity to make a request. Yinreng smiled and said, "How difficult is that? If you send someone to the Imperial Hospital, Sun Zhiding will surely send someone for you." He then instructed Jia Yingxuan to go there in person.

Baotai expressed his gratitude again and again.

Yinreng waved his hand and said, "Why be so polite?" Baotai had finished speaking and could not say anything else, so he had to say goodbye dryly.

Yinreng stood up and said as he walked him to the door, "My brother, after you have finished your hundred-day mourning period, you might as well walk around. And as for the Empress Dowager's grandmother, she is my grandmother, isn't she your grandmother? Although she lives in the palace, you can come over." He dared to say these words because he saw how Kangxi and the Empress Dowager took care of the Fuquan family. If it were someone else, he would not have asked someone in heavy mourning to run to the palace.

Baotai agreed to all of them.

Yinreng stood at the door and said, "I'll take you here, and then you can go back and give your wife a good report." Bored, he stood by the door and watched Baotai leave. When Baotai reached the intersection and turned the corner, he could still see the crown prince standing where he had been. He blinked and slowly walked back home.

Yinreng stood at the door in a daze until Shujia came over and asked, "Are you trying to be a door god?"

"Ah? Ah! Why are you here?"

"I saw you were in a daze, so I came to check on you."

"Nothing, I was just wondering where Khan Ama was."

"Come in if you want to. It's not proper to stand at the door."

Yinreng helped Shujia walk inside. "How about I stand by the window? Does it look like a painting?"

Shujia laughed so hard that she couldn't walk: "You've become poorer as you get older."

——————————————————————————————————————————

While the Crown Prince and his wife were flirting, the Third Prince, Yinzhi, was lost in thought—er, lost in thought, and the more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became. Though seemingly gentle and reliable, Yinzhi could occasionally lose his composure. For example, at funerals, when he shouldn't be daydreaming, he'd become distracted and act silly.

Prince Yu Fuquan's relationship with him was neither good nor bad. As far as uncle-nephew relationships were concerned, they were more of a casual relationship. If Kangxi hadn't been kind to Fuquan, Yinzhi would have ignored him. Even at Fuquan's funeral, Yinzhi wasn't fully present.

Yinzhi himself was a bit of a backdrop. Outside the capital, the third prince would have been a top figure, his followers commanding the empire. But within the capital, he wasn't particularly prominent. The eldest and second brothers were the most dazzling, the fourth brother was a strong personality, and the eighth brother was a latecomer. Among the older princes, he was only slightly better than the seventh and on par with the fifth—who was even closer to the Empress Dowager. His modest fame stemmed from his academic prowess.

He was so bored that he started observing his brothers. Fortunately, this time he didn't pay attention to his hair.

Then, he felt something was wrong.

The funeral was normal, but after the funeral, someone's behavior was unusual. After Prince Yu's funeral, the Crown Prince fell ill, and his eldest brother actually held back from making a fuss? The Third Prince, demonstrating his scholarly spirit, pondered carefully: the Crown Prince had been ill several times in the past two years, and it seemed like every time was like this?

Yinzhi was so idle! There was nothing he could do about it. His uncle had died, so he couldn't have operas, banquets, or gather a bunch of scholars for parties. There were many capable people among his brothers who stayed in Beijing, so there were too few things for him to take care of. He had to think about it. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like this was the case.

The Crown Prince and the eldest prince were not on good terms, and now the eldest prince was acting like this again. It was so strange! The third prince, who was bored to death, started to pay attention to his eldest brother.

Just like writing a paper, many college students start with a topic, deciding on the purpose and conclusion before even looking for information. The materials they find are used to support their preconceived topic. If they find something that fits the topic, they keep it; if it contradicts the topic, they discard it and treat it as if they haven't read it all.

Yinzhi studied his eldest brother like a paper, convinced that Yinzhi was up to something. The more he observed him, the more it looked like he was up to something sinister. Reflecting on Yinzhi's actions, the more he thought about them, the more it seemed like something similar had happened last year. After the crown prince's serious illness, the eldest brother's behavior was uncharacteristic of him. Without much gloating, he simply left the scene. What had he been doing then?

Yinzhi was a man of deep intellectual curiosity, unable to sleep soundly until he had understood everything, so he sent someone to spy on Yinzhi. In his heart, he secretly hoped: "God, please let my second brother be sick for a few more days."

Yinreng was recuperating, so of course he had to stay sick. Yinzhi's men finally brought back some news: Prince Zhi frequently visited Bao'en Temple. If Prince Zhi was a Buddhist, even pigs could fly. There must be something wrong! Yinzhi's relationship with Yinzhi wasn't great either, so it was good to have a little trick up his sleeve.

The Third Prince made a decision: "Find someone to sneak in and take a look."

It wasn't easy to get into Bao'en Temple. Yarjiang A's family's spies had been inside for a long time but still couldn't get in. Yinzhi, however, didn't think so. He found a disciple who spoke a foreign dialect, shaved his head, got a certificate of ordination, and went there openly: "Go and see what my eldest brother is busy with. Don't worry, I'll help you return to secular life."

Even if you don't let me return to secular life, I can't do anything about it. My whole family are your followers and we have to obey you. With a sad face, the disciples who were forced to become monks went to the wall of gratitude to be light bulbs.

Based on Yinzhi's intelligence, the disciple chose the day when Yinzhi went to Baoen Temple. He was also familiar with Buddhist scriptures beforehand. When he saw Yinzhi, he was shocked at first, then sighed in non-standard Mandarin: "What a noble man!"

Yinzhi jumped off his horse and flicked his braid: "You monk are quite interesting."

"Amitabha."

"How many people in this capital aren't noble? Tell me, what makes me noble?"

I came here because I knew you were the eldest prince. Damn, I was watching you argue with the Third Master last time! The disciples even pretended to be experts, copying the answers onto the test paper, praising Yinzhi to the point of puffing, and hinting that "you will be more than this."

Yinzhi was delighted and asked, "Where are you from, Master?"

“From where we came from.”

"Where are you going?"

"Go where you're going."

The conversation was quite standard, but it was his comment about Yinzhi's noble appearance that intrigued Yinzhi, who invited him in for a visit. "This is my family temple, and I don't accept guests. But Master, you might as well stay for a few days."

That was the purpose of the doorman: "Well, excuse me for bothering you." How cool! Being able to trick a prince like this, I don't know if I'll ever have such an opportunity again in my lifetime, I must cherish it. After pretentiously straightening his hair, the doorman entered.

When I went in and took a look at the Weituo statue in the temple, I found out that they didn't provide overnight stays or meals.

He was arranged into a pretty good room, and the servants praised Yinzhi so much that he said generously, "Please stay for a few more days." They also said some more things I liked to hear and gave me some encouragement and confidence.

It’s so easy to eat and drink for free! The disciples were delighted and bowed down in worship.

Yinzhi went to find Bahanglong in a daze.

Yinzhi's followers took up residence at Bao'en Temple, only to discover a foreign monk there, seemingly a close confidant of Yinzhi. Upon arriving, Yinzhi preferred deviant methods, preferring instead to praise others, such as "the prince is rich and powerful in front of him."

Bastard! Why don't you build a temple for yourself? I was forced to chant sutras for several days just to get in!

The disciple gnashed his teeth, convinced that his master was right: Prince Zhi had done something wrong here. He sent the message out under the guise of a trip to Zhetan Temple to pay homage to the Buddha. He returned to observe further, and eventually discovered that the temple frequently exhibited strange phenomena.

Using incense in a temple is normal, but what about using wood? It jingled in the middle of the night, like carpentry. Also, cinnabar and yellow paper—are those commonly used by Taoists? Why do the lamas use so much here?

And more...

In the middle of the night, a disciple climbed over the wall to peek in and saw the gloomy lama chanting a mantra he couldn't understand. What kind of monk would do that? Chanting is fine, but he's also dancing! He's even dancing in the same direction as the direction!

The report is also completed.

Yinzhi also pondered over it, and he almost pulled out all his hair, but he still couldn't figure it out - he could never imagine his elder brother doing such a thing. He took a piece of paper, wrote down the props one by one, and then wrote a line of words: "What can they be used for?"

Chen Menglei saw it and asked: "Could it be a nightmare?" There are many other possibilities!

Chen Menglei thought to himself, back then I hated Li Guangdi to death, and I also pondered these things... He pretended to be calm and said, "It's just a quick glance at some random books I read. If Prince hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered it."

The disciple's subsequent information also confirmed this. He climbed the wall again and clearly saw the lama holding a wedge in one hand and a hammer in the other, hitting the wooden man.

Who is the person Yinzhi wants to curse the most? I'm afraid there are few adults in this world who don't know it, right?

How many years had Bao'en Temple been under construction? How many years had this lama been here? The prince had been ill for the past two years, so it seemed to be effective? If the curse had truly harmed the prince... and Yinzhi's actions had been exposed, and the two most likely contenders for the throne had perished, then... then...

Yinzhi's heart began to beat fast! If the eldest and second sons were gone, and none of the remaining family members were legitimate, and he was the eldest, and he was also very elegant, could he be called a virtuous person?

Yinzhi covered his chest with his hands, his eyes wide open, unable to believe that God was going to give him such a blessing.

He signaled his men to continue watching: "This matter concerns the country. Don't tell anyone except me."

His family members thought he was following a secret order and started to pay more attention to it. Unfortunately, Yinzhi was still very careful in his defense. More than a month later, Yinzhi received a piece of news that made him furious: Yinzhi had cursed him!

"Is the news accurate?" Yinzhi's face looked unhappy.

The servants had already rushed out of Bao'en Temple: "I heard it all. Prince Zhi said...said...you shouldn't...want..."

"You want me to die?"

"No, no, I just want you to know how powerful I am."

"Go explore again!"

The servant's body instantly went limp, and he slid to the ground like a snake, kneeling on the ground. "Master, I have climbed the wall of their house three times. Such treasonous things terrify me, and I really don't have the courage to climb it a fourth time. If I fail, someone will recognize me, and I am afraid that I will cause trouble for you. But don't worry, I left a letter saying that I will continue my wandering and will not involve you."

"I know. You can go down now."

Because of Yinreng's illness, Yinzhi had already begun to believe that the curse would work. When he heard that he was also cursed, he could not help but feel shocked and angry.

Damn it! Boss, you even curse me? Are we still brothers? I won't keep it a secret anymore! I'm going to tell on you!

——————————————————————————————————————————

Coincidentally, Kangxi also returned from his trip to the frontier.

Yinzhi had a written memorial hidden in his sleeve, and he had also prepared witnesses and questioned his followers. He drew a plan of the temple and circled the location of the crime.

Kangxi went out for a walk, his grief over his brother's death easing somewhat. After seeing his sons, he called Baotai to ask about their well-being. As he was about to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, he noticed Yinzhi looked constipated. Suspicious, he ordered his sons to see their own mothers.

Yinreng and Baotai were brought along. One of them had no mother, and the other's mother was not in the palace, so they went to see the Empress Dowager. Before leaving, Kangxi called the Zhailin and said, "Go to Rongfei and ask the third prince to stand there. After I have seen the Empress Dowager, ask him to come and see me."

Baotai pretended not to hear anything, and Yinreng also pretended not to hear anything even if he heard it. In Ningshou Palace, the Empress Dowager was delighted to see Kangxi, but then burst into tears when she saw Baotai: "Why did your father pass away?" This made Kangxi's grief even deeper.

Baotai started crying too. He was already 22 years old, and had always lived in comfort. He was suddenly asked to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the government, and he was terrified. Yinreng had no choice but to persuade everyone, starting with the Empress Dowager: "Khan Ama is back, you should be relieved."

He also advised Kangxi: "If Prince Bo knew in the afterlife that Khan Ama and the Empress Dowager had not forgotten him, they would be pleased to see that Baotai had grown up and taken on the responsibility."

Finally, he said to Baotai, "You should come and persuade the Empress Dowager."

After crying for a while, Kangxi comforted Baotai and asked about Yinreng's health. Yinreng said embarrassedly, "I have been sick a few times in the past two years, but I am not so weak. It's just that everything has come together and I am a little tired. I really admire Khan Ama for being so familiar with and arranging so many things. I tend to be lazy when I have too many things to do."

Kangxi laughed and scolded: "How dare you say that? Cheer up, we have a lot of work to do next."

The Empress Dowager stopped crying: "What are you busy with? Emperor, you just came back, you should rest. And Prince, you just recovered from your illness, you are not allowed to be busy either."

Kangxi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "Mother, we are taking him on a western tour."

"Oh, maybe we can go out and have some fun."

Kangxi: “…” Going out is not for fun.

The Empress Dowager's disruption of the situation dissipated the atmosphere of sadness, and everyone went home. Yinreng had to go back and tell his wife to pack her bags quickly.

When Kangxi returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he was told bad news by his third son who had been waiting for a long time: his eldest son cursed his second son!

"What did you say? Do you know what you are saying?" Kangxi's tone was stern. Wei Zhu heard something was wrong and quickly cleared the room and closed the door.

Yinzhi knocked his head to the ground and said: "I didn't dare to believe it at first, but... the Crown Prince has been strangely ill in the past two years. I have known the Crown Prince for many years, and I have never seen the Crown Prince fall ill one after another like this! I can't help but believe it!" Yinzhi was also smart. He knew that the Crown Prince was Kangxi's biggest Achilles' heel, so he pointed it out directly, but never mentioned that he was also cursed.

"Explain the situation clearly."

"Well, Khan Ama knew his son. He liked to read and preach. He knew that there was a foreign lama in the temple of my eldest brother, who was highly regarded by my eldest brother. He also thought that he had some spiritual skills. So he went to see him and found that he was an ordinary person. So he was very surprised..." Yinzhi couldn't say that he sent a spy, so he had to pretend that he accidentally discovered that the other party didn't look like a good person, for fear that his eldest brother had been deceived. "After checking, I found out that this lama came from Mongolia. My son thought, how can a Mongolian lama compare to the eminent monks under Khan Ama's rule?" It just so happened that his own sister married into Mongolia, so he could use this as a cover. "This person followed evil ways in Mongolia..."

The lie was solved. Princess Rongxian was a sister, and a single letter was enough to settle the matter. Princess Rongxian had actually researched Bahanglong for him. Beijing wasn't far from Mongolia, so the return trip on horseback was quite quick.

After Yinzhi finished speaking, he held the evidence he had compiled above his head. Wei Zhu took it and presented it to Kangxi.

Kangxi read through the entire article quickly. "How can you, based on what you say, convict your own brother? Just because of this lama with a long history of bad behavior? Could it be that Yinzhi has been deceived?"

Yinzhi burst into tears: "The Prince of Zhi is my elder brother, and the Crown Prince is also my elder brother. I am in a dilemma. I am just like Khan Ama, thinking that my elder brother has been deceived. I am not willing to give up, so I went to investigate again. My elder brother... really, really did something stupid. Is there any temple that uses nails to perform rituals?" Khan Ama, you believe it! I am also cursed, and I don't want to die!

After crying for a long time, he heard no movement from above. When he looked up, Yinzhi was so frightened that he forgot to hold back his tears. Khan Ama's face was so scary!

Kangxi's teeth were chattering. "Are you serious?"

"If I tell you even a single word falsely, I ask the Khan to punish me."

After all, it was a scandal, so Kangxi called Yarjiang'a very cautiously and said, "Go, take a look at Bao'en Temple." After that, he threw down the map drawn by Yinzhi.

Family disgrace should not be aired in public, so Kangxi used Yaerjiang'a. Yaerjiang'a, a good friend of the crown prince, set off. We have reason to believe that even if Yinzhi had not done this, Yaerjiang'a would have been able to find ten or eight dolls in his family temple.

Besides, he has it.

Yinzhi continued to exaggerate in the Qianqing Palace: "The Master never spoke of strange things, or of powerful spirits, yet he said that respecting a spirit is as if it were present. Since this concerns the Crown Prince, we can only believe it exists and not believe it doesn't. There are more than one possible explanation for the nightmare. Perhaps... they've set something up in the Eastern Palace to hinder the Crown Prince."

This was partly his investigation, partly Chen Leimeng's research. There were only a few methods for exorcising nightmares: burying objects, creating puppets (regardless of the material), making wishes before the gods, drawing talismans, and so on.

Yarjiang'a came back soon, his face full of indignation: "Khan Ama, the evil monk has been put under control. They are afraid that he will make too much noise, so the temple has been sealed and no one is allowed to enter. This evil monk! He! He! He!" He was extremely angry.

"What happened to him?"

"He not only cursed the Crown Prince, but also cursed all the other princes..."

Kangxi suddenly stood up and asked, "Is what you said true?"

Yarjiang'a said gravely, "I saw it with my own eyes!" The puppets with everyone's birth dates written on them were placed like memorial tablets. The most hateful thing was that he was also taken along. So he also brought a few things back. Unfortunately, the handwriting of the Prince of Zhi, who had done it himself, was clearly imprinted on them, with the birth dates of his younger brothers written on them.

"Advisor, go! Bring your men and follow me to Yuqing Palace! Yinzhi! Go and ask that evil monk what he did! Yaerjiang! The Imperial Clan Court is temporarily under your control. Bring your men and surround the Prince Zhi's Palace. If anyone gets lost, you'll be held responsible!"

"Yes!" the three answered forcefully. Yaerjiang'a also said to Yinzhi, "My people are still in the temple. You must ask for a written order."

Kangxi said: "I will write it!"

If you dare to curse the prince now, you will dare to curse me in the future!

After hastily finishing the writing, each went about his business. Yinreng was working in Yuqing Palace, discussing the flood in Shandong, when Kangxi rushed in! "Khan Ama."

Kangxi rushed up, grabbed his wrist and looked him over: "Come with me." He then took him directly to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Yinreng didn't know what was going on: "Is Khan Ama in a hurry?"

"You study here. Someone, take the Crown Princess and the Fifth Prince of Yuqing Palace to the Empress Dowager in Ningshou Palace. Tell them that I'll be there later so we can have a meal together. Also tell the three princes, Hongxi, Hongdan, and Hongtong, so as not to disturb them."

Yinreng was a little flustered: "Khan Ama..."

Kangxi took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and didn't answer. Yinreng sat on the stool anxiously, wondering what had happened to Kangxi. Could it be something the third brother had said? It wasn't that Yinreng underestimated Yinzhi. Even if he racked his brains, he couldn't imagine what Yinzhi could have done in such a short time to make Kangxi so furious.

Soon, he found out: Yinzhi brought the news, and Yinzhi personally ordered the eunuchs to place many cursed objects in Yuqing Palace and the Eastern Palace.

Yinreng was stunned: "What?!"

The author has something to say: I am so tired...

Prince Zhi is definitely going to be in jail... How long is this countdown?

Never mind TT, I'll just take it as 1 and write the results tomorrow. Having written this far today, the results for Zhi Wang are already confirmed, right?!

I am crying so hard to get to know the factory beauty. I will go crazy if I have to type again today!

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