Countdown to Sok Chancellor's resignation
The Eighth Prince had a headache all the way until he finished dealing with his brothers and sisters and went back to his room to sulk. At this time, Kangxi was in a good mood.
Two more sons officially started their own families, and the Aisin Gioro family became more and more prosperous. Compared with the thin bloodline left by Shunzhi, Kangxi's contribution to this family was truly in all aspects.
He flipped through another memorial in his hand, which concerned the succession of the title of Prince Kang. Prince Kang had already requested the appointment of a crown prince, and now that his funeral was over, Kangxi conveniently approved the conferment of the title of Prince Kangliang, Jieshu's son, Chuntai. While the death of a relative was not always a good thing, he was a close relative, and Prince Kang had made numerous contributions to the Qing. However, from a more ruthless perspective, the passing of another old man, coupled with the young and less prestigious Chuntai, presented a golden opportunity to expand imperial power and suppress the banner lords. Chuntai had also studied in the palace as a child, and Kangxi was relatively familiar with him. Considering him honest, he generously allowed Chuntai to inherit the title without any embarrassment.
In two days, the palace examination would begin. After countless efforts to win over the hearts of the world's scholars, the imperial examinations were now open, and the world's best talents gathered. Kangxi, who had harbored some resentment towards being a "barbarian ruler," was overjoyed. A similar feeling to Emperor Taizong of Tang's, "Everyone is within my grasp," arose, and he began to look upon everyone with a more favorable eye.
He looked up at Yinreng, who sat upright and proper below. What a fine son! He was worthy of being my son! After the brothers' "bonding" was over, those who had nothing to do went back to rest, while those who had errands to perform had to continue their work. One of the crown prince's current duties was to accompany Kangxi and discuss state affairs.
The Grand Secretaries on duty today were Alantai and Li Tianfu, who sat to one side. Kangxi didn't ask, and they didn't respond, sitting there like two Buddhas. Kangxi ignored them for the moment, shaking the memorial in his hands, feeling a small sense of relief. Reports indicated that Soetu grew increasingly frustrated and anxious every time he saw the crown prince, and they held secret meetings behind closed doors. The crown prince was even heard shouting, "Don't worry about this!" quite loudly.
The crown prince finally gave Soetu a slap, and Kangxi saw this as a good sign, in every way. He had long disliked Soetu and had kept him around to make him a proponent of the crown prince. However, Soetu's increasing arrogance had displeased him, and he was hesitant to act harshly. If the crown prince alienated Soetu, Kangxi wouldn't mind taking a slap on Mingzhu.
He coughed and said to Yinreng, "This time I am touring the frontier, you should stay in Beijing to handle the details and be careful in everything. I will leave these two to assist you." He pointed to Alantai and Li Tianfu on the backdrop.
The two university scholars quickly stood up and stood respectfully.
Kangxi waved his hand and said, "Sit down." He then turned to Yinreng and said, "I would like to go with you, but the capital cannot be left without people. Wait a few more years, until your brothers are well-trained in their duties, and you can escape."
Yinreng felt a cold sweat break out on his back. In a few years, not only his eldest brother, but his younger brothers would also reach adulthood. Now, he was not only paranoid, but also meticulously analyzing every word Kangxi said, almost developing an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Seeing that he was silent, Kangxi thought that his son was being upset again, so he comforted him, "The affairs in the capital are also very important. No one I trust will live here for a long time, and I will not allow him to be in charge of affairs here when I am on tour." These words were completely genuine and very realistic.
Yinreng understood this, but couldn't help thinking: Several months have passed in a flash, and who knows what tricks the eldest brother who is accompanying the emperor will use. He wanted to master the art of gambling, so that he could stay in Beijing and fight for business points, and accompany the emperor to prevent being reported. He kept saying, "I remember when I was young, I could see the emperor every day. When the Khan Ama had to deal with government affairs, he would ask the wet nurse to take care of my son. At that time, I asked the wet nurse how I could see my father every time. The wet nurse said that when my son grew up and could stand guard, we could be together. But after he grew up, I couldn't see him for months."
This short paragraph truly captures the frustration of a man's growth.
Alantai's ears twitched, and he played dead. Li Tianfu almost choked on his own saliva, and remained silent. "Your Highness, why are you confessing so quickly? If you want to play the father-son drama, don't forget that we are still here!"
Kangxi was stunned. When he was a child, he had been away from the palace for a while to avoid smallpox. When he returned, Shunzhi hadn't been particularly fond of him. Even when he was very young, he had admired his father just as much. It seemed as if his wet nurse, Lady Pu, had said the same thing: "When you grow up and can go to court, you'll be able to see the Emperor. The Emperor is very busy. You must strive to be worthy and help the Emperor." He wasn't as lucky as Yinreng; his father died before he even grew up.
"I miss you too much. Our family, our country, and the world have come so far apart." As he spoke, he took two steps forward and placed his hands on his son's shoulders. They looked into each other's eyes, filled with emotion.
It's over, this one has also become corny. Those who pretend to be dead continue to pretend to be dead, those who remain silent continue to remain silent. Hopefully, this supreme father and son will quickly come to their senses so they can get back to business: the imperial examination is about to begin, and the emperor hasn't announced the questions yet!
Yinreng whispered, "I will do my best to not let Khan Ama worry."
Kangxi smiled with relief and patted his son on the shoulder several times: "Good boy."
The lingering atmosphere was broken, and everyone returned to their seats. Alantai finally seized the opportunity: "Your Majesty, where will the palace examination be held? Please decide. I wonder if you have decided on the examination questions yet?" Kangxi said: "Isn't the Hall of Supreme Harmony completed? It's right there. I will tell them the questions myself on the day of the examination."
Li Tianfu also had something to ask: "The Ministry of Rites has already submitted the draft of the sacrificial text. I wonder if it is to your liking?" Kangxi threw out a few manuscripts and said: "It is indeed worth reading. I have already pointed out the shortcomings. Tell them to revise and copy it accordingly."
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After a while of question and answer, everything was smoothly explained. Since they were all good news, Kangxi was very happy to handle it. Finally, Kangxi said to the two Grand Secretaries, "Distribute all the memorials I have approved, and tell the officials to follow my instructions. Draft the edict."
After sending the Grand Secretaries away, Kangxi casually pulled a list from the table on the kang. Wei Zhu bent down and took it with both hands, then handed it to Yinreng. Yinreng opened it and said in surprise, "Khan, isn't this a list of tributes from Korea? It's congratulations for pacifying the northern desert. Is there anything wrong with this?"
Kangxi scoffed, "How could they have come to congratulate me? It's obvious they wouldn't come to my palace for no reason!" He pulled out another memorial and said, "This is another memorial submitted by Cui Xiding, one of Li Yun's attendants, in addition to the congratulatory letter. Take a look."
"Please confer the title of Crown Prince?" Yinreng couldn't help but smile. "They really never leave empty-handed. For every penny you give them, they ask for something."
Kangxi said: "A small country with few people can't get rid of the rusticity, so why bother?" The contempt was justified. Ever since Dorgon and Amin wiped out the royal family of the Li Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, which was then the Later Jin Dynasty, not only took the princes of the Li Dynasty as hostages, but also stationed ministers there, under the pretext of guidance and education.
Yinreng also said in a relaxed tone, "Does Khan Ama agree?" He picked up the memorial and placed it on the small table beside him together with the list.
Kangxi said, "Since they are quite considerate, it's okay to agree. I forgot when I was interrupted. You have lost a lot of weight recently. You should take care of yourself and don't make me worry. Take a look at this. If there is anything you want, feel free to take it."
"They are just a few things. Hasn't Khan Ama already rewarded his son with them?" When he said it was a reward, he also gave him a list and let him choose first.
"Korean ginseng is top-grade. You can take it in moderation. It's a great tonic, so don't overdo it in the summer. Korean glutinous rice is new and delicious..." The nagging father began to worry about his son. "Korean tissue paper looks good too. Take some to play with."
The political debate ultimately ended with a father-son bond. Unaware of Yinreng's intense ideological struggle, Kangxi simply assumed his son had grown up (which he had indeed), and he showed even greater concern for him. Yinreng, on the other hand, thought of his Khan's current attentiveness while also worrying about his father's eventual disapproval. He also suspected Soetu was trying to sabotage this somewhat precarious father-son relationship.
His face was full of complexity, and he saw that Kangxi's eyes showed his son's emotions, and he was moved by him.
No matter what, Kangxi was in a very good mood.
This feeling was further amplified after personally interviewing a new batch of shortlisted candidates. The top scorer, Li Pan, was a handsome man with excellent handwriting and writing skills. Others, such as Wang Shihong, were also top choices.
Li Pan was appointed editor according to his rank, and the others were also admitted as scholars of the Imperial Academy. Coincidentally, Galin and Liu Yuanhui, who had been promoted to Left Vice-Chief Censor, also presented their names requesting an audience. Kangxi interviewed them, seeing them as loyal ministers with respectful manners and refined conversation. He felt a surge of admiration for them.
With a happy mood, Kangxi followed the pre-arranged itinerary and went to the grassland with his family to relax and work on ethnic policies.
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With Kangxi gone, Shujia breathed a sigh of relief. It was clear that a significant portion of Yinreng's recent stress had come from Kangxi. Shujia refused to believe that Kangxi was completely unaware of what had transpired in Yuqing Palace. Regardless of whether Yinzhi had complained, it was Kangxi himself who had verified the Cui eunuch incident. Would this incident alert Kangxi? Even out of concern for his son, fearing he might learn bad habits, he would likely tighten oversight of Yuqing Palace.
If I'm not mistaken, the five eunuch leaders Kangxi appointed could definitely be called "spies." In fact, there were probably many more who occasionally poked their heads out to peek in.
As the saying goes, "You have a plan, I have a ladder." To counter such covert tactics, the best approach is to resort to overt tactics. Acting uprightly, sitting uprightly, whatever you want to say—as long as you don't distort the facts. Winning over Kangxi's people is extremely difficult, and all Shujia can do is be polite to them.
At the same time, she used Yinreng's recent weight loss as an excuse to inform Gao Sanxie and Jia Yingxuan that if anything seemed off about Yinreng, they should notify her immediately to prevent the Crown Prince from becoming ill. She also inquired daily, "I know the Crown Prince enjoyed a delicious breakfast, but how did he look after returning from the Palace of Heavenly Purity? Was he feeling hot? Did he sweat a lot?" "How many people did he meet in the afternoon? Did he talk for long? Was he tired?"
Gao Sanxie said succinctly, "I came back from the Palace of Heavenly Purity in the afternoon. I felt a little hot, and the Crown Prince didn't like to talk to me. After I rested for a while, I came back and asked to see the Prime Minister, but I wasn't around. After the Prime Minister left, the Crown Prince stopped talking."
Look, the Crown Prince's itinerary had been pried out of Gao Sanxie's mouth. Shujia still couldn't tell. Was Yinreng's face sour because he was angry about the bad news brought by Soetu, or was it because he and Soetu had a minor disagreement? If it was the latter, she would allow the fat boy to step barefoot on the kang today and not force him to wear shoes. She had waited too long for this day.
The little fat boy was lucky. When Yinreng came over at night, he held his son and bit him. His hooligan behavior caused the victim to resist, and the little fat boy punched the hooligan's bald scalp. Yinreng was in a depressed mood, and holding his son and biting him was just a disguised way of venting his anger. The little fat boy was squeezed so hard that he was deformed, and he said vaguely: "Ama... um... bad..."
After being beaten, with his collar smeared with the fat boy's saliva, Yinreng became obedient. The fat boy was carried away to wipe his face and was given a slap on the back by the gangster. Yinreng reached out and poked the fat boy's lower back, making him laugh.
Shujia watched from the side, letting the father and son play around. She only heard Yinreng say to the fat boy, who was already rolling around on the kang with laughter, "Are you happy? What are you laughing at? You don't know anything. Your father is worried sick about you."
Shujia finally felt guilty and rushed to rescue her son. She tidied up the fat boy's clothes and found that he was already laughing so hard that his face was red. "Mother, choke, cough cough..." He was also choking on his saliva. After handing the fat boy to the wet nurse, Shujia walked over to Yinreng and pulled him up. "If you don't change your clothes, I should be happy too." She pointed at the saliva on Yinreng's front.
Yinreng raised his eyebrows, put his arm around his wife's shoulders, and watched her take off her clothes.
"Raise your hands."
"oh."
"What's wrong? You don't look very energetic? What did you say you were worried about our son?"
Yinreng sighed deeply, hugged Shujia, and whispered in her ear, "It's okay to tell you. Suo'etu wants to find someone to jointly submit a petition, requesting that our son be made the crown prince."
Shujia was petrified instantly.
"I told them to be quiet. They... You understood it before, and you have to understand it now. I love my son as much as you do, but now is not the right time. Before Khan Ama reveals his intention, no one's begging will help. Wait patiently. When Khan Ama speaks, it will be more effective than anything else. I won't let my son down. If anyone mentions this to you, don't show any joy. Just say that I am the one who will obey Khan Ama."
Where's your son? Where's the little fat boy? You can run naked!
Shujia also imitated Yinreng and whispered in his ear: "These are matters that you men are in charge of. I just listen to what you say and do what you say. Besides, the child is still young."
"That's good," Yinreng said, feeling a little embarrassed, but also relieved. "You've always been sensible. But this matter is not about anything else, it's too tempting. Not to mention the women in the deep palace, even the ministers in the court might not be able to control themselves. But I have one more thing to say to you."
"I know." It was so damn exciting! Shujia hugged Yinreng's arm harder. "You're already tired enough thinking about business. I can't let you worry about this anymore."
After she finished speaking, she regretted it, because her silly husband responded with a big hug that was not only hot but also almost broke her bones.
Yinreng finally let out the anger he had been holding for a day. Soetu was chosen to accompany Kangxi on his journey across the Great Wall. Before departing, he had to bid farewell to the Crown Prince and solemnly introduce a man to Yinreng: Galin. Galin was the nephew of Prince Yu's mother, Consort Ningxun, and a descendant of a meritorious official, whose recent promotion had been meteoric. He and Soetu were a perfect match.
Suo Etu said: "He is the Left Vice-Minister of the Imperial Censorate appointed by the Emperor himself, so it will be easier for him to impeach anyone in the future."
Yinreng sensed a sense of crisis regarding Soetu's clique: "You're going on a long journey, why stir up trouble again? Galin is Khan Ama's man." Don't try to poach someone and incur hatred! His views on Soetu now aligned closely with Kangxi's; he considered him useless. To Kangxi, keeping him was useless, but abandoning him was a concern for the Crown Prince. To Yinreng, keeping him was a hindrance, but abandoning him was a burden.
Suo Etu understood the second half of the sentence and explained seriously, "He and I are very good friends." To prove it, he couldn't help but say, "Galil also supports the petition for the title of Crown Prince."
"Who else?!"
Perhaps Suo Etu was truly old, or perhaps he was in a difficult position, with no other choice but to go down the wrong path. He listed a string of names. Yinreng was embarrassed when he heard this. He had handled government affairs on behalf of his father for many years and naturally knew the situations of many officials. Aside from Galin and Tong Bao who were away, others like Maltu had been in power for more than fifteen years and were now outdated stars. Others, like Ekuli, had been sentenced to exile and recalled due to old age.
Luckily, I had the good sense to not agree! If I had agreed, would you have gotten a bunch of idiots like this to help me?!!!!
"Got it!" he added, "Don't act rashly!"
Soetu was killed instantly again, and left shaking his head and sighing, sighing so much that Yinreng was almost killed instantly by him.
Yinreng shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the unpleasantness of the afternoon. Fortunately, Soetu was leaving. While he was away, he couldn't launch a massive campaign to ennoble him, so he could only wait until he returned. Yinreng finally had some peace and quiet to think about some problems.
Fortunately, his wife is very sensible and considerate.
The author has something to say: This time in history, the crown prince followed, but the eldest prince did not. I let it fly.
PS: Stealing emails is useless. Pangpang directly calls and texts me to urge me... I am in tears.
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