Draw a circle and curse you
After experiencing the mixed feelings of sadness and joy, Kangxi finally decided to return to Beijing early. He had completed his social contacts, hunting, and major work tasks. He was no longer in the mood to travel around, so he simply went home.
While the coffin of the late Prince Jian Yabu was still en route, Emperor Kangxi had already begun preparations for his return to the capital. Yabu's funeral hadn't even concluded when Emperor Kangxi arrived. Despite the successive deaths in the capital, the emperor's return made things seem more lively.
Kangxi returned to the palace and met with the people who had greeted him. The faces of the greeters were sincere, and the attendants behind them were also excited and cheered, which comforted Kangxi's weary heart. Once inside the Forbidden City, Kangxi generously said, "Everyone who accompanied me has been exhausted on the journey, so I will grant them a day off. My eldest son, Yinzhi, and my third son, Yinzhi, have returned to Beijing earlier, so they will also be granted a day off."
Everyone returned home, or went back to see their mothers, and most of them dispersed at once. Only the Crown Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Seventh Prince, the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince, and the Twelfth Prince were left behind before Kangxi. The Seventeenth Prince was still young, and after seeing his father he was taken away.
Yinreng had spotted his son as Kangxi disembarked from the imperial palanquin. The little fat boy, well, he wasn't fat anymore, just his age, which softened and rounded his features. He seemed taller and darker. He gave Hongdan a reassuring smile, and seeing Hongdan return his broad smile, the father and son parted ways. Hongdan went to rest, and Yinreng followed Kangxi to the East Warm Pavilion.
Judging from his pace, Kangxi had suffered a minor blow, but it was not serious. He walked steadily. He sat down in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and listened to the work report.
This time there are many new things to report. Yinreng is talking a lot. The biggest thing in the court is that people from the Ministry of Personnel have reported the Minister of War: "...The Minister of War, Malhan and others do not choose between fat horses and allocate them to the post stations, but only allocate skinny horses. The Minister, Malhan and others should all be dismissed from their posts." As he reported, he sighed, what kind of luck does the Thirteenth Brother have?
Kangxi questioned him about this, and Yinreng produced the original memorial from the Ministry of Personnel. Kangxi was furious, and his words were harsh: "The officials of the Ministry of War are not doing their jobs diligently and are shirking responsibility. This is truly shameless. Malhanbu and Yanu are both dismissed from their posts, but will remain in office. Zhuduna's behavior is unbecoming and unfit for appointment; he is also dismissed."
Apart from this one, the other news was pretty good, which made Kangxi's expression relax.
Yinreng then discussed some "family matters," such as the birth of a daughter by his third wife, who was still very healthy. He also discussed the illness of Prince Ping Nerfu, for whom the imperial physicians were at their wit's end. Yinreng was eager to discuss who would manage the clan affairs office left behind by Prince Jian Yabu after his death. Furthermore, Yarjiang'a was the crown prince, yet he still lacked a written decree to inherit the title. Furthermore, Nerfu was dying, and he had yet to appoint a crown prince...
Various thoughts raced through his mind, but he didn't say anything until Hongdan finished changing his clothes and came to pay his respects to Mafa and Ama.
Adults don't notice much change after not seeing them for a few months, but children look like they've had a facelift. Yinreng saw that even the way Hongdan crossed the threshold was full of energy, and his eyes were full of pride. Seeing Hongdan greet him, he had to restrain his pretense: "Have you been naughty when you went out with Mafa? Have you fallen behind in your studies? I heard you made some achievements in the enclosure?"
Hong Dan blinked his eyes and said, "Following Mafa, even the naughty ones have become less naughty."
Kangxi listened quietly. After Hongdan finished answering, he said to Yinreng, "He has always been very hardworking and motivated. I'll ask him to bring you his homework notebook later." After receiving another pat from his grandson, Kangxi was in a good mood. He said to Hongdan, "You have been away from Beijing for some time. You don't have to go to class today. Come with me to Ningshou Palace to pay your respects. Then come back to see your mother and brothers."
Hongdan agreed happily.
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Three generations of grandparents and grandchildren went to visit the Empress Dowager again.
The Empress Dowager, already unhappy because of the series of bad news, finally smiled when she saw Kangxi. Then she saw the fat boy and immediately started yelling, "Come here, let me see you! How did you get so thin?!" Hongdan came forward and was hugged by her. She looked him left and right, then took out her glasses and put them on for a closer look.
After reading it, she complained to Yinreng: "Every time you read his letters, he said he was very good. How come he has lost weight?"
Yinreng was at a loss for words, so Kangxi came to the rescue: "It's better for boys to grow stronger."
The Empress Dowager curled her lips and looked at him: "Then I have to feel it and see." She pinched Hongdan's arm, "It seems to be a little stronger." Hongdan shook her hand: "Grandpa, I am living a good life with Mafa. Now I can ride a fast horse and I have hunted a lot of things myself. I asked them to collect them and give them to you as a filial gift."
Then she persuaded the Empress Dowager to return: "Your kindness is enough. Now that you are back, you must take good care of yourself. You must grow up to be a little plump so that others can feel at ease. Just tell me what you want to eat. I have everything here. An old woman can't eat much."
Hongdan smiled and thanked him. Kangxi took the opportunity to tell Yinreng: "Take Hongdan to see his mother now. I have something to say to the Empress Dowager."
The father and son of the Eastern Palace both took their leave. The Empress Dowager and Kangxi watched the two men leave before their expressions faded.
The Empress Dowager was a sentimental person. She was no longer very interested in the newly born child, but she was not necessarily upset about the young one's death. Wiping away tears, she said to Kangxi, "The child was there just now, and I didn't want to scare him. Eighteenth Princess, such a good child, but so pitiful! I am so heartbroken that I can't eat or sleep."
Kangxi was moved by this, and he consoled the Empress Dowager: "It's not meant to be, mother. Please accept my condolences. If you're feeling down, ask the children to spend more time with you. Think of something happy. You have several grandchildren who are about to start their own families, and there will be plenty of children to honor you in the future."
After a lot of nice words, the Empress Dowager finally came around. After thinking for a moment, the Empress Dowager said, "I'm just upset for a moment, you don't have to take it to heart. If the front court is not busy, you can go and see Concubine He. God has mercy on her."
When she mentioned it, Kangxi also thought of Hepin. He was originally interested in Hepin, and Hepin's performance in all aspects was also very good in Kangxi's eyes. Kangxi said goodbye to the Empress Dowager and went to Hepin first.
The Hepin's palace was completely silent. Fallen leaves swirled and drifted silently to the ground. Beyond that, there was a complete stillness, as if time had stood still. It wasn't until a soft whistle sounded outside that two young eunuchs poked their heads out.
The imperial court's principal officials were informed of the emperor's return to the capital, and Hepin was no exception. Guards were posted at the palace gates to receive updates, but Hepin was still confined to her confinement, so she was not allowed to leave. These preparations paid off. Upon Kangxi's return, he not only received a report and paid his respects to the Empress Dowager, but also visited Concubine Tong first, rather than visiting her.
Hepin was looking forward to Kangxi's arrival, but when he finally arrived, she became a little flustered: "Where is the mirror?" A little palace maid held the makeup box, and another took out a comb from it. They fixed Hepin's hair in front of the mirror, and another twisted a handkerchief to wipe her face and opened the curtain to wait for Kangxi to come in.
Kangxi's pace was not brisk; by the time he arrived, a stick of incense had even been relit in Hepin's room. Hepin leaned against the headboard of the bed in the inner room and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects. Please forgive my rudeness." Her voice was clear and gentle, as if it would be interrupted by a fright.
After this period of respite, Hepin's mood had calmed down a lot, and her eyes were no longer dull, but her brows were still furrowed with worry, which made Kangxi feel distressed. Taking two steps forward, Kangxi ignored all the seating and sat directly on the edge of the bed: "You are still young, take it easy."
"It's because she and I have a shallow fate, and it's also because I'm not blessed enough that I can't give birth to a child for His Majesty." As he said this, his eyes rolled down his cheeks.
Kangxi sighed again and said many comforting words to soothe Hepin's sorrow and anxiety. Seeing that her tears were gradually disappearing, Kangxi said, "You should rest well. I will come to see you again in a few days."
After leaving Hepin's place, he went to sit with Concubine Tong for a while and talked about her hard work. Concubine Tong knew that Kangxi had gone to Hepin's place, but she couldn't show her dissatisfaction. She accompanied Kangxi and sympathized with Hepin for a while, then changed the subject: "Concubine Wang is also a meritorious official, why don't you talk about her hard work?"
Concubine Wang had finally finished her confinement and could be summoned. Coincidentally, the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Princes had returned with the emperor and were staying at Concubine Wang's place, so they came together to pay their respects. Kangxi also wanted to see his newborn son, who was still young, so he went to see him again.
Concubine Tong couldn't help but envy Concubine Wang, who had given birth to three sons in a row and continued to enjoy the emperor's favor. She also wondered what other people would think of this scene.
Concubine Tong was worrying too much. Few of the concubines in the harem were paying attention to Kangxi today. All of them had sons, and except for Concubine Yi, all had sons accompanying the emperor. They didn't even have time to meet and talk, so whether the emperor arrived or not was secondary.
Even Concubine Yi was not someone without tact. When Concubine Wang gave birth to a child and Concubine He lost her child, how could she not comfort them a little?
On this day, Kangxi turned over the name card of Concubine Tong.
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Compared with the harmony in the palace, outside the palace was a complete chaos.
Although Yinzhi had returned earlier, the problem was that he had to help with Yabu's funeral. He was in the stage of trying to please Kangxi, and now that Kangxi's impression of him had improved significantly, he had to work hard to adapt to the situation.
Yabu was a senior prince of the Bordered Blue Banner, while Yinzhi and Yinzhi were both newly appointed princes. The princes were noble enough to not be intimidated by the iron-hat princes. By taking care of Yabu's funeral, he was not only trying to please his father but also making his own life easier.
Coincidentally, the Third Lady gave birth to a child at this time, and the birth went smoothly. However, after giving birth, one has to stay in confinement for a month, and cannot take care of all the things at home and outside. Although the Prince Zhi's Mansion is not in chaos, it is still a bit overwhelmed.
The Third Lady was extremely worried about Yinzhi's behavior, especially regarding the funeral rites. Even during her confinement, she sent her maid to tell him every day, "Master, when you arrive at Prince Jian's house, please be careful and prudent. I have prepared all the clothes you need to wear. You don't need to buy anything else besides what I have prepared for you."
Even so, something almost went wrong.
Besides Yabu, there were other iron-hat princes in the capital. Prince Ping, Nerfu, was one of them. He was seriously ill, causing alarm in the palace, and the princes had to pay him a visit. The day before, Yinzhi had made an appointment with his brothers to visit Prince Ping's mansion and had asked his third wife to prepare gifts.
When the day came, he overslept, grabbed a piece of clothing, threw it on, and headed out. When they met at the gate of Prince Ping's mansion, his fourth brother glared at him for a while. Yinzhi was furious. "Why are you looking at me like that, fourth brother?" he glared back, unwilling to give in.
Yinzhen wanted to hit someone: "Third brother, we are going to visit the sick, not to pay our respects!" It would be fine if it was just a headache or fever, but it has to be a serious illness. Aren't you cursing him?
Yinzhi: “…”
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves echoed as the eldest prince came running over. He was one of those people who didn't have a wife to look after him, so he had to take care of everything himself. He quickly noticed that Yinzhi's clothes were wrong. Yinzhi was not Yinzhen, and he kept things to himself, playing the game of "Guess what, I won't tell you, and if you guess wrong, I'll despise you." He spoke bluntly: "Third brother, do you have a grudge against Prince Ping?"
Yinzhi wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, his face turning red and white: "Brothers, wait for me for a moment, I'll go back and change my clothes and come back." He was riding a horse, and the old Beijing city was not very big, so he ran home, changed his clothes, and then ran back.
The brothers had already gathered in front of Prince Ping's house, even the crown prince had arrived. Poor people in Prince Ping's house, upon hearing that the prince had arrived, they lined up from the main gate to the second gate early in the morning, all the way to Nerfu's room, and refused to wait for anyone to come in.
What’s even more pitiful is the gateman of Prince Ping’s Mansion. He had to watch a group of princes standing in front of him but he refused to go in. How much pressure did he endure in vain!
When Prince Ping heard the prince and the crown prince were coming to visit him, he changed his clothes and waited, but no one showed up. He couldn't stand it any longer and began to doze off. His sons were still young, so to leave them a way forward, he called them all to his side when he heard the princes had arrived. They waited together.
Finally, Yinzhi came back, panting: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, my brothers. Please forgive me, Your Highness. My clothes were not suitable just now..." He met the second half of the crown prince's team halfway. They had blocked the street, and he was allowed to pass only after proving his identity with great difficulty.
Yinreng's cheek twitched. "I just arrived too. Let's go in and see Prince Ping."
When they reached Nerfu, he stood up and saluted. While others didn't need to be so formal, meeting the crown prince required careful etiquette. Nerfu's sons, having been instructed, knelt together. Yinreng stepped forward and pushed Nerfu back onto the bed. "If you're not feeling well, don't move. We're all familiar faces, why bother with this now?" He then told the children to stand. "Khan Ama misses you very much, but...you've been through some sad things recently, and I'm afraid that seeing you would both be sad."
Nerfu guessed that he was talking about Yabu and the Eighteenth Princess, and expressed his understanding: "The Emperor is busy with many affairs every day, but he also has a kind heart. He should take care of the country."
Yinreng held his hand and said, "Although Khan Ama couldn't come in person, he ordered us brothers to come and take a look."
Nerfu was very moved, almost to the point of tears: "I also want the Crown Prince and all the other princes to come and see me. Nersu, kowtow to the Crown Prince on my behalf."
Yinreng waited until Nersu knelt down before he let go of Nerfu's hand and pulled him up: "You haven't come to school for some time, and everyone misses you. We are all looking forward to your father getting better and you coming back." He also said that Nersu had lost weight, and it was obvious that he was serving his father wholeheartedly. He was really a good child.
Nerfu turned his back and coughed several times before saying, "The prince is praising him."
"Isn't it obvious? You are blessed to have a son like this."
Nerfu continued to cough, and the eunuch hurried over to serve him tea. After he calmed down, he said, "Thank you for your kind words. I no longer care about my own fortune. I just hope that he will also be blessed when he walks around the palace in the future."
Yinreng smiled and said, "It's hard to say about other things, but as for walking around the palace... don't we have them?"
Nerfu was relieved: "The prince is truly kind."
Everyone praised the Crown Prince for his kindness and generosity towards his relatives. We must follow the Crown Prince's example. Nerfu felt relieved and asked Nersu to bow to everyone: "I think he is not going to make it. I have already submitted a memorial to the Emperor, asking him to take care of the orphans and widows. Now I entrust him to you all."
The princes knew their priorities. Even the Eighth Prince, eager to build connections, knew when to speak less. Everyone emphasized the Crown Prince. Yinreng had already read his pulse chart and knew he was telling the truth, but he still feigned displeasure. "Don't say such discouraging words. Take good care of yourself. I brought some things with me, but I'm not sure if you'll need them. Let the imperial physicians take a look."
Yinzhi tried to show off many times, but was stopped by Yinzhi. Yinzhi was very angry. He and Yinreng were stopped from recommending Chen Menglei, but that was in private and the loss of face was not big. But being shouted at the door of Prince Ping's Mansion was a huge loss of face.
So, whenever Yinzhi wanted to speak, Yinzhi would bend him back. He would interrupt, change the subject, and get other brothers to talk. Yinzhi's language skills were not bad, and he was an expert at playing word games, which often made Yinzhi choke and want to vomit blood!
You are such a good third brother, you actually flatter the second brother! Looking at Yinreng again, in Nerfu's eyes, he was a good man who promised to take care of his young son. In Nersu's eyes, he was a very considerate relative. In the eyes of his brothers, he was a prince with remarkable performance. But in Yinzhi's eyes, he was just pretending to be cool.
After Yinzhi suffered revenge, Yinzhi ultimately took the blame on his old rival, Yinreng. Yinreng might have been grudged, but if the target had been Yinzhi, it wouldn't have mattered. Too many lice won't itch, and too many debts won't worry you.
But this time, Yinzhi not only held a grudge, but also acted like a hooligan and immediately took retaliatory measures.
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But Yinzhi grew angrier the more he thought about it. Thinking of Nerfu's fawning face and the way his brothers flattered Yinreng, his rage grew even stronger. "You're so good, Yinreng! Didn't you offer a generous gift? I'll cut off your financial resources!"
Yidaoyan went to complain. This time, he used his brains and did not take the initiative himself. Instead, he instigated an imperial envoy to submit a memorial. He said that the prince's servants were doing business outside. Then he waited for Yinreng to scold him.
After reading the memorial, Kangxi called the head of the Imperial Household Department over and asked, "How are the expenses for the Crown Prince?"
Opening the account book, Kangxi saw that the family was now a large one, a smaller group than when he had lived alone. His brow furrowed. Who would dare mistreat his son?! Staring at the account book, Kangxi's thoughts began to wander, and he finally concluded that the crown prince had previously been supported by Soetu. Although Soetu was a bit annoying, the various tributes he received did serve as a deterrent.
Now the ice and snow of the Suo Party have melted away...
Bastards! How dare you bully my son! You should be careful when you treat people the way you want, okay?
In his rage, the old man didn't care whether "someone was impersonating the prince's followers and trading in foreign goods, and no one dared to collect taxes when passing through the customs market." So what? Aren't there enough people in Beijing who handle this kind of thing?! It's a relief that my son didn't come to complain!
Kangxi issued an order: "Appoint Ling Pu as the Minister in Charge of the Imperial Household Department."
Ling Pu, the prince's grandma, was at home, wondering what entertainment he could do after several relatives died in the capital and opera performances became difficult. Then a large wonton fell on his head. Grandma Ling, business has arrived, so let's go embezzle some money and have some fun.
When the news arrived, Prince Zhi was meditating in Bao'en Temple with Bahangelung, a trusted monk. Thinking he had it all figured out, he planned to imitate Xie An and say, "The children have already defeated the enemy," but Kangxi didn't follow his plan at all.
All the plans had the opposite effect, and Yinzhi went crazy instantly!
Yinzhi jumped up and pounded the altar: "Buddha, you have eyes. How could you let that villain succeed so successfully? How could you not bring him bad luck?!" He completely forgot that Bahanglong was still around and cursed him directly: "He is a disaster! Why is he still staying in the world? Please ask the King of Hell to take him away! Khan Ama, you are too partial! Yinreng! Why don't you just die?! Die, die... A bunch of blind brothers who only know how to follow and say yes, they really deserve to go to the hell of tongue-pushing! What's good about him? You should all die too!" [1]
After venting his anger for a while, he realized that most of Bahanglongba's body had already slipped out of the door, and he could almost pretend that he didn't see anything.
Bahanglong saw Yinzhi's eyes blazing with anger, glaring at him fiercely. He thought something was wrong and quickly stepped forward and said, "I've checked, there's no one outside. Your Highness, please rest assured."
Yinzhi was panting heavily, and Bahanglong said carefully: "Actually, if you want to... uh, I actually have a secret method." No matter what, the most important thing is to save your life first!
Yinzhi actually agreed! "Oh? Tell me about it."
Bahanglong revealed a little about his previous livelihood: "This kind of curse is common in the Mongolian and Tibetan areas..." Then he listed many ways to curse people, and gave successful examples. "This one uses a hair clip. I used it five years ago. It's very effective. That one is made by carving wooden figures. A daughter-in-law asked me to curse her mother-in-law, and she died not long after..."
Because he always appeared as a high-ranking monk, he was quite popular with Yinzhi. In addition, Yinzhi dreamed of Yinreng's death so that he could become the crown prince. In desperation, he believed in the doctor.
After decades of struggle in the material world failed to produce any results and his patience was exhausted, Yinzhi finally elevated his aversion to Yinreng to the spiritual level: draw a circle to curse you!
The author has something to say: [1] I always thought that Yinzhi cursed only the crown prince. Later, after reading the "Qing History Draft Biography 7", I found that he cursed more than one brother. Here is the original text: In April, the general toured the frontier and issued an order: "Yunzhi has cursed the crown prince and other princes. He does not care about his parents and brothers, and he does not care about anything. If a disaster occurs, I will be outside the frontier and will not know about it until three days later. How can I stop it?"
Look up at the sky, Prince Zhi, you are as stupid as ever!
Well, attached below is the link to the legendary Longkong interview post. Thanks to Luo Kedi and Jiang Chi. Sorry, Jiang Chi, I know my sockpuppet was embarrassing, so I apologize for giving you the wrong impression. I hope you won't find me embarrassing after reading this.
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