I wish you all a happy Year of the Dragon!
The Shi family reached an agreement with the Crown Prince and immediately sent a letter to Shi Lin in Guangzhou. They were even somewhat absent-minded in congratulating the Empress Dowager on her birthday, fortunately, most of their family members were unemployed, often due to filial piety, so they didn't have to make a public appearance. Meanwhile, the Eastern Palace not only had to prepare for the Emperor's birthday, but also attend the full moon banquet for the Emperor's nineteenth son on October 5th.
The nineteenth son of the emperor did have a name: Yinzhen, born to the noble Gao. Kangxi was overjoyed to have another son at his age.
Noble Lady Gao, less than twenty years old, had already given birth to a prince, her joy no less than being crowned the head of a palace. The princes gathered together for a feast and a friendly gathering. They viewed the addition of a "little" brother as a minor threat. Nineteenth Brother's current value served two purposes: first, it demonstrated his care for his younger brothers and proved he was a good brother; second, it gave everyone a reason to socialize.
When this child was born, his second brother was feigning illness. At the time, the palace was in turmoil over him, and even the joy of the birth of the nineteenth prince was dampened. Now that the crown prince is safe and the nineteenth prince is one month old, the atmosphere of celebration is only intensified.
The crown prince led the congratulations. Kangxi looked at his children and grandchildren, his face wrinkled with smiles, and he uttered three good words in a row: "Good, good, good."
When he recovered, everyone had to recover as well, openly and covertly praising their father for his continued strength—though, of course, they couldn't say it so bluntly. The empire's supreme ruler was, in reality, an old man who simply refused to accept his age. He wanted his son to be successful, but he also wanted to be healthy.
The children were one month old, but this time the stars were the adults, Kangxi being congratulated. The crown prince was very tactful in showing that he was well again, so as not to cause trouble for the emperor, but he also did not show any activeness on the scene, remembering not to steal the show.
Such a steady performance, coupled with an extremely active Prince Zhi as a control group, has a very good effect.
After the full moon banquet, Yinreng returned to the Eastern Palace feeling exhausted and unable to rest as he still had things to discuss with Shujia.
Shujia also seemed to have a realization about this whole banquet; she, too, had something to say to Yinreng. Kangxi had fathered another son at such an advanced age, and the ceremony he accorded this youngest son was no less lavish than any previous one. "Youngest son, eldest grandson, the lifeblood of the old lady"—if the subject had been replaced with "old man," it probably wouldn't have been wrong.
Yinreng drank a bowl of hangover tea and wiped his face. Shujia had also drunk some wine today, so she washed her face again, rinsed her mouth, and changed her clothes. Only then did she feel the alcohol had gone. Turning back, she saw Yinreng sitting quietly on the couch, his posture very relaxed, his usually straight back leaning against the pillow, two buttons undone under his neck, his cheeks flushed, and he had a sense of laziness.
Shujia changed her shoes, walked slowly to sit next to Yinreng, and played with the end of his braid: "Don't lie here, go back to the room and rest if you feel tired, or you might catch a cold."
"Just tilt it for a while." As he said that, he really tilted his head and placed it on Shujia's thigh.
This head weighed about three or four pounds. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Shujia, and she burst out laughing. She poked Yinreng's bald forehead repeatedly with her fingers: "How old are you? You're still so careless. Last time you were sick, you made me so worried."
Yinreng grabbed Shujia's hand and bit it. When he heard her cry out in pain, he sucked it twice more: "I know what's going on, really." Perhaps because he was drunk, he spoke the truth. He pulled Shujia down and whispered in her ear, "I did that on purpose. I don't want to go too far from the capital. It's good to have Hongdan with Khan Ama."
Shujia's body stiffened: "You..."
Yinreng smiled nonchalantly: "It's okay." He patted his wife's back soothingly.
Shujia leaned in his arms and whispered, "Of course the old man likes children. Even if you grow up, you don't have to hide so much," tapped his nose, "It's not too shameful to not be able to act like a spoiled child anymore."
Yinreng paused, "Yeah, it's not shameful, but it's not very cute either."
Shujia looked up at him, and Yinreng said, "Don't move, let's talk."
"say what?"
"I was going to say something else, but now I want to ask you... Do families outside prefer younger sons?" Poor guy, he was born and raised in the palace, and he is expected to die in the palace in the future. He knows too little about normal human common sense.
Shujia said, "Of course I love my younger son more, but... I have higher expectations for my older son. Expectations justify greater strictness." The guy she was now pinning down, using her as a blanket... had grown up in a dysfunctional family, never having seen his grandparents or mother. Only the Empress Dowager offered him the affection of a grandmother, and Kangxi's fatherly love was a bit perverse. He lacked any other normal family affections. No wonder he'd acted so foolishly.
“I’m afraid that if I love you too much, I’ll turn into expectation, and if I’m too strict, I’ll turn into disgust.”
Shujia was startled and got up: "Are you drunk or awake?"
Yinreng glanced at her, and Shujia commented, "Awake." Then, she also lay down: "Qiao'er, quilt."
The two of them had such an uncanny aura that no one dared to persuade them to go to bed. The small table on the couch was removed quietly, and everyone withdrew. The prince and his wife squirmed around and found a comfortable spot to start their conversation.
Shujia spoke first, her voice low: "I see you've been a little unhappy lately."
Yinreng closed his eyes and said, "I have more and more sons. If one doesn't do anything, another wants to do something. Who doesn't want to win the favor of Khan Ama? If I want to do something, I have to strive for excellence and do better than my brothers. Khan Ama... Is there any father in the world who doesn't want his son to do well?" The second half of his sentence meant that there were probably fathers in the world who didn't want their sons to surpass them. He didn't say it out loud.
The male voice was originally deep, and what he said was a bit heavy.
Shujia thought to herself: I don't need to explain, he understands everything. So, the question now is, how can I help him overcome this psychological barrier?
"I think," Shujia said slowly, "that you are probably the person in the world who is closest to Khan Ama. If you don't have confidence in yourself, who else can get along well with Khan Ama? Khan Ama is both the king and the father, and you are both the subject and the son. How should a subject serve the king and the father? You should know better than me."
Yinreng said: "Yes...I know..."
"Khan Ama naturally knows what kind of person you are."
"Too."
"You also said that we still have a son with Khan Ama, and Khan Ama likes him very much. What are you still worried about?"
Yinreng calmed down. He must have drunk too much today, which was why his brain was messing up. What was there to worry about? Let his son act cute while he hid behind, hiding as deep as he could. Those who are good at guarding can hide under the nine layers of the earth.
It must be because he sensed that his Khan-father had inadvertently revealed... certain traits of old age. This was the source of his unease. A monarch is easy to serve, but an old man is difficult to deal with. Yinreng instantly understood the source of his lingering unease. It wasn't the eldest prince's provocations, nor the emperor's unpredictable nature, but the emperor's mental age. People can't resist the laws of nature; at that age, they're bound to experience those emotions.
Old men, especially old emperors, are suspicious and neurotic. They favor young women, dote on young children, and favor dethroning the eldest son and enthroning the youngest. The Crown Prince, having read so many history books since childhood, knew all this. Now, he began to connect the dots with his own situation. Kangxi's behavior wasn't obvious. If it weren't for Yinreng's vigilance, he might still be resting on his laurels. In reality, his brothers were already squeezing his space, his father had more and more people to care for, and his relative status was already declining. It was just that Kangxi's way of expressing it was too gentle, too harmless.
"Go to sleep. I will be respectful to my king and father, and kind to my brothers."
"Um."
"You should ask someone to close the business in Guangdong and Guangxi. Now that Shi Lin has retired, there is no one to look after the place and trouble may arise." This was what Yinreng wanted to say at first, but his wife changed the subject before he could say it. He only remembered the main topic when he was about to fall asleep.
Shujia pulled the quilt for him and said, "Olondei has also joined the group."
Yinreng: "...Then keep it."
The main motion was rejected outright. The Crown Prince continued to be gentle and polite while waiting for Shi Lin to come back to deepen his strategy of retreat.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Even in the Qing Dynasty, without the aid of advanced technology, communications between Beijing and Guangzhou reached an extremely high speed thanks to the attention of the powerful. Beijing and Guangzhou quickly reached a consensus. Before Shi Wenying had even finished cleaning her room, Shi Lin's memorial had already arrived in Beijing.
The first was a sick memorial, detailing the local situation and explaining his own condition. Upon receiving it, Kangxi calculated Shi Lin's age and concluded that his condition was perfectly normal. He approved the letter, urging Shi Lin to take good care of himself and prescribing medicine.
After reviewing the memorial, Kangxi began to reflect. He knew Shi Lin, a high-ranking official, by heart, with his resume and family tree. Naturally, he thought of him as the Crown Princess's great-uncle, which in turn led him to consider the current state of Hua Shan's lineage. Huh? Hua Shan had been dead for a year already?
Kangxi would never make a mistake about such things. He still remembered that Hua Shan and Hong Yang died in the same month. At that time, he felt very sorry for his prince. Hua Shan's family had all disappeared, and Shi Lin was old and sick. It seemed that he would not last much longer. Even if he did not die, he would retire.
Kangxi began to pay attention to the relevant matters regarding the Huashan faction's comeback and was weighing the issue of Shi Lin's successor.
Kangxi's preparations were timely. Shi Lin's second memorial arrived shortly after, this time formally requesting retirement due to old age and illness. Since he had already informed Kangxi of the situation and explained the relevant matters clearly, and Kangxi had already considered the issue of a successor, he looked through the archives and found that Shi Lin had left no mess behind. Kangxi readily allowed Shi Lin to retire.
The new Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi was also a bannerman, the Han Army Banner, Guo Shilong.
After Kangxi issued the imperial edict appointing Guo Shilong as his successor, he asked Yisan'a, "I remember that it has been a year since Huashan passed away. Is it time for his grandson to enter the government? The country is in need of talents. Do you think there are any vacancies?"
The emperor personally inquired about this, and this vacancy couldn't be missed. Kangxi wasn't one to be fooled, and Yisan'a had no grudge against the Shi family, so there was no need to create obstacles. He picked out several vacancies and handed them over to Kangxi for his decision—all of them were excellent.
Kangxi looked at them and was dissatisfied: "Give Fu Dali the title of Commander of the Guards. Is there any vacancy among the Imperial Guards? Give it to Qingde. As for Guanyin Bao... send him to the Ministry to gain some experience."
Yisan'a was optimistic about the outcome. Zhang Yushu was a Han official, and when it came to matters concerning the Bannermen, he adhered to the Han official principle of self-preservation and simply followed Kangxi's orders. Yisan'a thought to himself that it seemed the Emperor still cared deeply about the Shi family and the Crown Prince. The Shi family, after all, was a powerful clan with a solid foundation.
How many people have lost their lucrative positions after returning home due to a worry? How many times have they run up and down and used connections and spent money to fill the vacancy? The Shi family, as long as the family still exists, the emperor will not forget them.
It was a very good job, but Fu Dali submitted a petition to resign, with a very legitimate reason: as the eldest grandson, he had to observe the full three years of mourning. He thanked the emperor for the kindness, but he still decided to be a good person. If he did not observe the full mourning period, he would be an unfilial person, and what did the emperor need an unfilial person for?
Kangxi read Fu Dali's memorial with a hint of disapproval. He was hoping to bring the younger generation of the Shi family up to practice, perhaps as a way to prepare some talent for the crown prince's future. The Shi family had good upbringing, and their members were ambitious and sensible, rarely causing trouble. This was the perfect time to use them. While it was understandable to decline now, it somewhat contradicted Kangxi's plans, causing him to sigh.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally agreed to Fu Dali's request. He wrote the word "yes" and ordered Yinreng to come over.
Yinreng received the order without delay and rushed straight from Yuqing Palace to Qianqing Palace, arriving in a moment. Kangxi was reading another memorial, which said that the native rebellion in Dajianlu had been quelled.
The young eunuch came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is here."
"Call him in."
Yinreng came in, first removing his cloak covered in a dou of pearls, and then went into the western warm room to meet Kangxi. He was greeted and given a seat, and offered tea. Holding the tea bowl, the crown prince smiled and said to Kangxi, "Khan Father, I wonder what instructions Khan Father has for his son?"
Kangxi raised his eyebrows and pushed two memorials over: "Take a look at these."
Yinreng flipped through the first one first: "Yue Shenglong's memorial? At Dajianlu..." Did something happen again?
Alas, in recent years, I don’t know if it’s a feng shui issue, but ethnic minorities across the country have expressed their dissatisfaction to the central government through practical actions. The barbarians from Dajianlu in Sichuan took actions even before the Yao and Miao peoples, which gave Kangxi a lot of trouble.
Flipping down, it turned out to be flat: "Congratulations, Khan Ama."
Kangxi said, "I'm glad they've been pacified. But it's a shame that the only women left in Dajianlu are still resisting so stubbornly!" He then lambasted these unruly rebels, detailing their dishonesty and ingratitude. "Hasn't our dynasty been good enough to these natives? We've reduced taxes and imposed restrictions on them. What else are they dissatisfied with?"
Yinreng could no longer sit still. He stood up and personally served him tea and water, patting his back to appease his anger. "Khan Ama, you are worth a fortune, how could you get angry with the native tribes who have already been pacified? They are simply ungrateful."
Of course Kangxi was furious. What emperor liked to hear someone was against him? This time, they had won, and the atmosphere was one of joy and celebration. Kangxi had nowhere to vent his anger, so when his son came over, he naturally complained. Once outside, he had to put on a cheerful face and commend the troops who had suppressed the rebellion.
Yinreng accompanied Kangxi in another round of rants about the Dajianlu furnace, which had been reduced to ash. Kangxi's anger gradually subsided when he heard someone was there to vent his anger. He raised his chin and said, "Go and take a look at that memorial."
This was Fu Dali's refusal. Kangxi couldn't say Fu Dali was wrong, as he had indeed not followed his plan. Kangxi had originally intended to make all the arrangements for the Crown Prince's father-in-law's family on his own. Fu Dali's refusal forced him to ask the Crown Prince for his opinion again.
Yinreng pretended not to know about this and asked in surprise, "Khan Ama, how could Fu Dali have such a memorial?"
Kangxi sighed, "Hua Shan has been dead for a year."
Yinreng said, "I know this, my son, but Fu Dali is the eldest grandson, so according to the rules, he must wait for three years." He said three years, but in fact it was twenty-seven months. Twelve months had already passed, so it was a total of one year and three months.
Kangxi stopped asking for his opinion after hearing this. Fu Dali's refusal slightly annoyed Kangxi, but the prince's assessment was comforting, even though they were discussing the same issue and shared the same viewpoint. Because the prince's words pleased Kangxi, his assessment of Fu Dali changed from "unrecognizable" to "a well-behaved, morally sound man."
"That's right. He can study more at home," Kangxi decided. "Let Qingde and Guanyinbao take over first. When Shi Lin arrives in Beijing, you can also meet him."
“Yeah.”
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With Kangxi's intervention, the reinstatement of Qingde and Guanyinbao went smoothly. The day after Kangxi's conversation with Yinreng, they received notices confirming their positions. Under Kangxi's care, Guanyinbao joined the Ministry of Personnel as a doctor in the Ministry of Examinations.
Qingde was chosen by Emperor Kangxi to be an imperial guard, and thus became a colleague of Orondei, who had been reduced to the rank of a first-class guard.
On his first day at work, Qingde put on his imperial guard uniform again: a yellow jacket, pink court boots, and a sword slung over his shoulder. Meanwhile, his old friend Lao E, having lost his title of Minister of the Imperial Guard and remaining only a first-class guard, had no choice but to put on his yellow jacket and don the first-class uniform.
This strange reunion of old friends startled a group of colleagues who had come to watch the fun. The guards scattered like birds and beasts. Even the other head of the guards, the Minister of Internal Affairs, who was in charge of Qingde's report, quickly packed up his things and pretended to be on duty. "Qingde, you've served before the Emperor before, so you know the rules. I don't need to tell you anything."
Qingde rolled his eyes at Orondai and said, "Old Orondai, what are you talking about?"
Orondei rolled his eyes at him and said, "A few bastards are causing trouble for me! I haven't even fired my bird gun in Beigukou yet, and they actually dared to take the lead." So the bastard who took the lead from Old E was beaten so hard by Old E that even his own mother couldn't recognize him.
Lao E, who comes first and who comes last isn't the point, right? The point is that the bird gun shouldn't be fired, right?
Qingde curled his lips and said, "I just met His Majesty." His Majesty instructed, "You can still say a few words to Orondai and ask him to behave himself!"
Orondai continued to roll his eyes: "Is he annoying?" He grabbed Qingde and said, "I had remembered the date. Seeing that you were in mourning, I was about to tell the emperor to ask you to come back. I didn't expect that little bastard would betray me too! Fortunately, I didn't delay your business."
Old E had always been the one to cause trouble for others, but he hadn't expected that this time he would be the one to cause trouble himself. Qingde laughed heartily: "Since you're so kind, how about I accept your favor? We can't invite you to the opera or the wine, as our old man and my brother are still in mourning, but other things are fine."
Orondai said, "That's great! Let's get a few people together and have some archery fun! Let's find a spacious area... Well, I think this place is great."
Qingde looked at the spacious area that Lao E had mentioned—the Qianqing Palace compound—and silently spat out a mouthful of blood. Lao E, you can do it! He said weakly, "Just name a time. I'll go to the back and take a look."
Orondai said, "It's not convenient right now with so many people coming and going. You go first, and we can play later in the afternoon. Oh, I'll go get a few more people."
Qingde went to the Imperial Court to answer his calls. Most of his colleagues were still there, but some had been replaced. He was quite popular, so he greeted everyone around him. Then, his old friend, the newly appointed guard Ah Shan, said with a smile, "Since you've arrived, that one has followed."
Qingde turned around and saw Orondai striding towards them. Qingde was stunned: "Didn't you have an appointment? Why are you here too?"
Orondai said confidently, "I'm here to make an appointment."
Inviting someone to come to the Imperial Court? Qingde thought, you already have someone to play with, so what do you need me for? Kangxi turned a blind eye and allowed Qingde to hang out with Orondai. This was so that Qingde could use his wisdom to restrain Orondai, and Qingde was vaguely aware of this. I guess I was on vacation, and Kangxi really got the blame for this trouble, so he called someone else?
Qingde was unhappy.
Then Orondai stretched out his hand and pointed directly into the pile of yellow jackets: "Yue Xing'a, come out and play."
Qingde: “…” It seems that Lao E didn’t make any new friends, he came here to conscript men.
Longkodo's eldest son, Yue Xing'a, followed Orondai with a gloomy face. Orondai was his elder, and when he was called to him by the throat, how could he dare not come? Yue Xing'a considered himself a civilized person, a civilized person who knew how to respect his elders. Even if the elders were unreasonable, he had no choice but to accept them.
"Here I come."
Orondai grabbed Yue Xing'a and said to Qingde, "Didn't you want to sway for a bit? Why did you change it to standing for a bit? Go for a spin and come back to play with us."
Qingde decisively turned around, ignoring Yue Xing'a's pitiful look for help, and went to walk. The guards followed suit.
After everyone dispersed, a young eunuch hurried past and ran into the Palace of Heavenly Purity: "To answer Your Majesty, they have all dispersed. Orondai and Yue Xing'a have gone ahead. From what I heard from them, Orondai wants to invite people to practice archery for fun."
Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief and murmured, "It can be considered that he has not forgotten the martial spirit." Let there be some fuss, at least this time the fuss was more serious, and Emperor Kangxi did not mind that Orondei brought a group of people to fiddle with long-range weapons in front of his office.
Kangxi was reassured too soon. Orondei was all about having a good time. How could just archery practice satisfy him? He had to make it a competition, splitting the team into two, setting up targets, and selecting players. He even asked for a cheerleading squad: "When our people come up, we'll all cheer together."
Orondei was not only the main player in the game, he was also the main cheerleader: "Okay! One more! Kill that guy!" That guy was a royal guard, and in terms of rank alone, he was half a level higher than Orondei.
Kangxi had just finished reviewing the memorials today and had just turned over the cards. Concubine Tong from Chengqian Palace had won the prize. The two of them were chatting happily, their eyes meeting with a touch of tenderness and affection, when they heard a loud shout from outside: "Yue Xing! Pay more attention!"
The voice sounded familiar, and so did the name. Kangxi and Concubine Tong looked at each other, their excitement extinguished by the thunderous noise. Kangxi was furious: "Who's making a noise outside?!"
Wei Zhu replied in a trembling voice: "Yes... uh..." He carefully rolled his eyes, glanced at Kangxi and then at Concubine Tong, and tried to make a frightened expression like a little rabbit with his middle-aged face, "E... Lun... Dai..."
Kangxi was speechless and Concubine Tong was speechless.
It seems that the consequences are not that serious, or even there are no consequences at all.
Well, you are wrong, there are still consequences.
Tong Fei said to Kangxi very apologetically, "Your Majesty." Her voice was soft and full of moisture, which immediately quenched Kangxi's anger. She said self-deprecatingly, "He still has the same temper. I know it too. It's rare that he is so consistent." The four words "consistent" sounded like gnashing teeth when they came out of Kangxi's mouth.
Concubine Tong placed her hands on Kangxi's shoulders: "He really has such a bad temper. It's really... I remember when he was a child, his uncle couldn't do anything with him. He was so upset to see him. After you sent him away, his uncle scolded him for being unfilial and not even coming back to visit."
When Tong Guogang was mentioned, Kangxi felt even more powerless. He then realized that he could still remember Tong Guogang's voice, appearance, and smile clearly. Finally, Kangxi said with difficulty: "I'd better transfer this Orondai."
With the help of Tong Guogang, Kangxi finally understood that for some people, "it is better to miss them than to meet them."
Distance creates beauty.
For the sake of his own and Orondei's physical and mental health, Kangxi made a decision that was not difficult.
The next day, Orondei received a transfer order. He no longer had to serve as a first-class guard, disturbing his colleagues' work every day and disrupting the emperor's daily life - Kangxi asked him to be a minister of the rank of Sanzhi.
Simply put, a Sanzhi Minister was an official of the Imperial Guard, ranking only below the Minister of the Imperial Guard and the Minister of the Imperial Guard, and was considered the head of the Imperial Guard. Given Orondei's previous offenses, he couldn't be reinstated so quickly, so he had to be demoted two ranks. As the head, he would have additional responsibilities, leaving him less time for mischief.
Emperor Kangxi finally settled into a more peaceful life. Even the imperial guards began to relax, and even the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guards wanted to offer thanks to the gods. That was Orondai, a lowly official despite his considerable influence. Who would dare to reprimand Orondai like an ordinary subordinate? If they did, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guards would be out of the job and could simply hand it over to Orondai—the emperor would surely have done just that.
Comparing yourself to others will only make you dreadful! Orondai was born with a good life, so it's useless to be jealous. Wipe your saliva and go back to work.
Yinreng was the first to hear the news. Like everyone else, he was indifferent to the seemingly childish behavior of Kangxi and Tong Guogang. His main concern was that it was already November, so when would Shi Lin arrive in Beijing?
Before Shi Lin arrived, the Crown Prince received news that another person had applied for retirement: Yisan'a requested to retire.
Yisan'a, Soetu's son-in-law, is a senior university scholar. He is relatively neutral but has a natural connection with the Soetu Party.
This news inevitably made Yinreng a little anxious. Yisan'a's status was extraordinary. The Crown Prince felt unprecedented pressure, not only from the loss of a close minister, but also because... he had no way to deal with Yisan'a's departure.
Tied up!
The Crown Prince understood that, with so many tragic predecessors in history, perhaps it wasn't that they couldn't see the situation clearly and endure it all the way like Zhu Gaochi of the former Ming Dynasty, but it was simply because this kind of endurance was too frustrating! You can endure it for a while, but not for half a lifetime, so you would rather seek a quick death.
After careful consideration, Yinreng decided to endure it. The title of deposed crown prince was too unpleasant, and it immediately suggested a failure. Even as a child, he practiced calligraphy in the dead of winter, his arms so tired he couldn't lift them one day, but he persevered the next, finally achieving perfection and earning praise from Emperor Kangxi. Isn't it just the pain in his arms from exhaustion, just from writing well? It's the same now!
However, Kangxi felt sorry for his son because of this.
This is the situation: fighting or not fighting, not fighting is fighting. If the crown prince is eager to expand his power, the emperor will intervene to suppress these forces and keep his son in line. If the crown prince is well-behaved, the emperor will support his successor. (Note: This method is only effective when imperial power is highly centralized and for more civilized emperors. If you encounter someone like Liu Bang, it is better to take up arms and fight.)
Kangxi had a unique way of supporting his son. In November, when the fifth prince of the Eastern Palace turned one, he brought his family with him. This family was so extensive that he even asked the Empress Dowager in Ningshou Palace to come. In front of everyone, he said, "The Eastern Palace is very good."
At the first birthday banquet, Kangxi simply squeezed his son out and took the initiative to entertain Fuquan and others.
As for the female members of the family, the Empress Dowager performed perfectly, needing no instructions from Kangxi at all—she already liked the Crown Princess. Poor Hongtong's face was kneaded and pinched again, and he finally escaped: "I'm going to pay my respects to Mafa~" When Kangxi returned, he had already paid his respects once.
He came out from behind and almost bumped into his Eighth and Ninth Uncles. The nanny chasing after him was so frightened that she knelt on the ground and said, "Eighth Master, Ninth Master, please forgive me."
The Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince were also startled. The Eighth Prince had dragged the Ninth Prince out for a political lesson. The Ninth Prince's arrogant temper came back, so the Eighth Prince had to pull him aside and say, "Be careful."
The Ninth Prince curled his lips. "Khan Ama is clearly trying to save face for the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince himself is pretending to be humble. It's disgusting. When I was little, didn't I see that face of his enough? Now it seems like he's afraid of scaring people."
The Eighth Prince was helpless: "Can we go home and talk about it later?" But he thought to himself that if he had to do a facial, it meant that the prince's power was somewhat weakened.
The Ninth Prince was about to say something when he bumped into his nephew. No matter how you treat an adult, you still have to behave in front of a child. The Ninth Prince felt a little guilty because he was caught. "Why is Hongtong here?"
Hongtong took three steps back and covered his face: "Stop pinching my face."
“…”
In general, Kangxi's goal was achieved, and his meaning was clearly expressed to everyone: I still support the prince.
Then, he listed Soetu as the first person among his ministers to be given a New Year's blessing. The situation stabilized and Shi Lin also entered the capital.
Shi Lin returned to Beijing with a slew of gifts. His tenure as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi meant he had accumulated considerable wealth. Kangxi had tacitly approved of the unspoken practice of governors accepting gifts, and even when the censors impeached him, he would assess the amount before deciding whether to impose a fine. Fortunately, Shi Lin was a prudent official. While not entirely clear-cut, he certainly didn't overstep the bounds. Even so, he still made a fortune.
The Yao rebellion in Guangdong and Guangxi did not stop him from moving his family and luggage back to Beijing.
When Shi Lin returned home, he naturally stayed at his son Shi Wenying's house. Then, his nephews Shi Wenbing and Shi Wenzhuo came to pay their respects. Not only the Huashan clan, but also the descendants of Shi Lin's brothers and their respective branches came to pay their respects. Shi Lin had six brothers, and his older brothers were all dead. He was the patriarch of the family, and only he had the right to pay his respects.
Of course, this is a later story. He had to meet someone first - Kangxi.
By handing over the card, Kangxi had already calculated the day of his arrival and had made time for him. Shi Lin was already very old, his pale braid neatly tied. Because Kangxi had allowed him to retire at his original rank, his flowered plume, robe, and court beads remained the same.
Shi Lin walked with the slow cadence typical of an elderly person. It wasn't that he didn't want to walk fast, but rather that his physical condition determined that he couldn't walk fast. In Yinreng's eyes, this old man walked in leisurely, greeted leisurely, and sat down leisurely.
Shi Lin also spotted Yinreng. The two most distinguishable men in the world by their attire were both in this room. The older one was the emperor, the younger one the crown prince. Shi Lin had a good impression of her niece, Shujia, and this, in turn, had a better impression of the crown prince. She had this reason: My niece is a good girl, and if she can get along with him, the crown prince should be a good person too.
He glanced at the Crown Prince leisurely with his dim old eyes and was even more satisfied to see that he was handsome.
Kangxi began to console Shi Lin: "You have been sharing my worries all these years. Thank you for your hard work."
Shi Lin stood up slowly: "I am ashamed that I can no longer serve my master."
From his appearance, it was clear that he was indeed old. Kangxi sighed, "My trusted ministers are gradually dying out."
Shi Lin said slowly: "Master, the whole world is loyal to you, so why worry about having no one to use?"
After the pleasantries, Kangxi got to the point: "How is the situation in Guangdong and Guangxi?"
Shi Lin knew this was a necessary question, and having already prepared a draft, he gave another detailed introduction. Kangxi then asked if Guo Shilong could be stationed in Guangdong and Guangxi. Shi Lin said slowly, "Guo can be stationed there to comfort the people. His administration is lenient, but his methods are a little soft."
Kangxi was a king who loved to show his benevolence: "That's good. Does the Crown Prince have any other questions?"
Yinreng then stepped forward and asked Shi Lin, "How did you get back when peace is not at peace in Guangdong and Guangxi?"
Shi Lin said: "My family came back from the sea." From the sea, we went north along the coastline and entered the inland from Tianjin. Ahem, this... was the route that the British and French forces later took to invade Beijing.
Yinreng was very interested in sea transportation, but because Kangxi was present, he could not show too much enthusiasm.
Elsewhere, after meeting the Empress Dowager, Madam Shi Lin was allowed to visit the Eastern Palace with Shu Jia. Shu Jia also learned that Shi Lin's large property was difficult to transport by land and would be too conspicuous, so it was all shipped from the sea.
Sea transportation is a very economical and cost-effective mode of transportation. Shujia has always known this. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, especially the Yuan Dynasty, a lot of grain was transported to Beijing by sea. This is written in history textbooks.
When Yinreng came back that night to discuss this issue with her, Shujia said, "Sea transportation is not feasible at the moment."
The author has something to say: Happy Year of the Dragon~
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