Listen to Uncle Shi's gossip
Listen to Uncle Shi's gossip
The front line, the camp, and the tent.
Kangxi was wondering, "Why is the Crown Prince's letter a day late?" The Crown Prince was waiting for his wife to give birth, and he couldn't leave, so he was late. The Grand Secretaries who stayed in Beijing were unlucky enough to accompany the Crown Prince for a day and didn't have time to send the letter to the Emperor in advance. Without the Crown Prince's approval, they couldn't submit their memorials without authorization, right?
Fortunately, the letter that Yinreng wrote to his father, together with the memorial, was quickly delivered to Kangxi. Kangxi did not read the letter first, but asked the messenger, "Did something delay you on the way?" The messenger had a happy look on his face. Although the 800-mile express journey was very tiring, the news he brought was good news, which was enough to bring good luck, right?
When Kangxi heard that the Crown Princess had given birth to a son, he was initially stunned, then his face lit up with joy. Normally, at this time, for good luck, the informant would be rewarded, and Kangxi naturally gave him a generous reward. It wasn't much silver, but it was a rare gift from the Emperor: a pure gold and silver ingot made in the palace, stamped with the Imperial Household Department's seal.
The messenger went to rest. Kangxi's hands were shaking as he opened the letter. He had usually read the memorial first, then the letter. He used to use a small bamboo knife to cut the seal, but now he tore it open directly. It took two rips before he finally broke the seal. He pulled the letter out with trembling hands and unfolded it. Yinreng's familiar handwriting was visible.
After confirming again and again that the line "On March Jiashen, the Crown Princess gave birth to a child in Yuqing Palace" was indeed not a delusion, Kangxi laughed wildly and shouted, "Call them all! I have something to say!"
Kangxi's excitement was understandable. This was his legitimate grandson! I was going to fight Galdan, and my good grandson was here to help. What a great omen! He was eager to tell everyone in the world! Although the infant mortality rate was high, and Yinreng had been raised for a year before being crowned crown prince, the arrival of this child was a symbol of extraordinary significance.
The emperor's attendants, such as Tong Guowei and Suo'etu, arrived first, followed by the other princes, Mingzhu, Yinzhi, Yinzhi, and Yinzhen. Fuquan and others, who were in the rear of the camp, also arrived. Shi Wenbing was also not far from the imperial tent. Upon hearing that Kangxi had sent for everyone, he hurried over. Shi Wenying, Fu Dali, and others, unable to leave without permission and unaware of what had happened, did not come.
Everyone entered the camp and was surprised to see Kangxi smiling. Kangxi was an emperor who paid close attention to his manners, or rather, to put on a show. Now he looked like this, could it be? — Something good? Was Galdan scared to death?
Galdan did not die, and the crown prince was born.
Kangxi was laughing, his mood contagious. Tong Guowei, Suo Etu, and others also laughed, though their joy wasn't as great as his. For Tong Guowei, the continuation of the imperial dynasty was certainly a positive thing, but his joy was far less pronounced. He also worried that while the crown prince's position would be more secure—not a bad thing—Suo Etu would become even more arrogant, which wasn't so pleasant.
As for Suo Etu, he had always had a problem with the Crown Princess's faction. Although he was happy to see the Crown Prince's position more secure, he had mixed feelings. The strategy needed to change.
The eldest prince simply wanted to curse this little thing to death! What kind of world is this! Some people can't get it no matter how hard they work, while some people can get it without bending over. The most hateful thing is that Yinreng also wrote a hypocritical letter saying that everything is fine with my sister-in-law. I have discussed it with the Empress Dowager and let Concubine Hui take care of her as she pleases without worrying about so many rules.
The other princes were in a good mood. Those with wives, like the Third and Fourth Princes, and those with concubines, like the Fifth Prince, were all thinking about when their wives and concubines would give birth to sons. They also shared in the joy and congratulated Kangxi on his grandson. At this point, aside from the eldest prince, the other princes' situations weren't particularly complicated.
Mingzhu was the only one who felt a jolt of emotion upon hearing that the Crown Princess had given birth to a son, but then quickly regained her composure. Glancing at Yinzhi, he was more worried about the eldest prince's behavior than about the newborn, whose future was uncertain. Fortunately, the eldest prince's smile was a bit forced, but he managed to hold it together. Mingzhu decided to talk to him privately later.
Mingzhu responded quickly: "Your Majesty is extremely happy. We are now going to fight Galdan. To receive good news before the battle is truly an auspicious sign."
The people who were whispering below began to straighten their clothes and line up to congratulate together.
After accepting everyone's congratulations, Kangxi was overjoyed: "God bless the Qing Dynasty!" The people below shouted together, and the good news was passed on one after another. In a moment, it spread throughout the camp and spread outward.
"Oh my god!" The eldest prince was about to vomit blood, and he had to join in the conversation, saying what a blessing it was. He wondered if the little kid could handle it. No matter how much he hated it, he had to hold it together. A bunch of people were watching. Mingzhu's eyes were almost popping out, telling him to calm down.
Kangxi's excitement faded somewhat, and he returned to normal. His cheeks still flushed. Seeing Shi Wenbing standing below, he asked Wei Zhu to give him Yinreng's letter: "Take a look."
This was a privilege because the child was born to Shi Wenbing's daughter.
Shi Wenbing suppressed his excitement. As a father, it was truly a cause for joy to see his daughter secure a foothold in her husband's family. Shi Wenbing thought to himself that, although she had sometimes been a source of anxiety since she was little, she had generally been reliable and easy to worry about, handling everything on her own. The little girl, so tiny back then, someone he could carry on his shoulders, was now a mother. He was filled with emotion.
He took the letter in his hands. Since he was on duty, he couldn't study it carefully, so he just glanced at it. Shi Wenbing found something wrong. The letter didn't mention anything about his daughter. Was it really too much effort to say "mother and child are safe"? Shi Wenbing was a little dissatisfied, and then his hands paused. The letter didn't mention his daughter, but the convention was to say that mother and child are safe... then...
Not daring to dwell on it, Shi Wenbing returned the letter and stood respectfully with his head bowed and his hands lowered. Seeing him like this, Mingzhu sighed, "He's such a man who can hold his own." She wondered if her father-in-law was worried about his daughter.
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Kangxi's joy faded, and he immediately wrote a handwritten note to Yinreng: April is here, and we were supposed to offer sacrifices to the Taimiao. It's just the right time. You can visit your mother, the Empress Dowager, and other places. You should share the good news with everyone.
Just as the imperial edict was on its way, the next letter from Yinreng arrived: "Both mother and child are doing well. Red and wrinkled at first, but after two days, he's grown up, plump and white. The nurse said it's rare to see a child grow up this way. The child is a big eater, I don't know who he resembles. The Crown Princess said she was well-mannered as a child, but just too naughty. My son has spoken first this time, saying that when he was little, he was very obedient in front of Khan Ama. Also, when the wet nurse was feeding him, he was naughty, but I held him and he became more obedient. Enclosed with this letter are two handprints and two footprints. I personally placed his feet on the ink when I was making the seals."
The second half of Yinreng's letter was written entirely because his wife wanted to record the child's growth trajectory. In the later era when only one child was allowed, children were everything, and many parents would use various methods to record their children's growth, and this seal was just one of them. There were also people who helped their children write growth diaries, film DVs, and so on.
Yinreng found it interesting and tried it too, successfully getting two vermilion footprints printed on his son's face.
Kangxi replied: "Looking at the shape of your hands and feet, you are quite plump and strong, very good. I remember that you were also quite plump in the past, but it's a pity that you were not printed in the seal. All the things of the prince should be kept away and enjoyed at home, and not displayed to others."
Yinreng was mortified upon receiving the letter. He looked back at his wife, Shujia, who was still frail. Childbirth was indeed a very draining experience. Children are usually cared for by wet nurses and nannies, but she had always wanted to breastfeed herself. Scientifically speaking, colostrum is more nutritious.
I didn't expect this child to be so picky. After drinking her own mother's milk once, she won't eat anyone else's. Ahem, the Crown Princess' nutrition was indeed much better than that of other women of her generation. Shujia was young, so the quality of her breast milk must be good. The baby squinted as he fed, protecting one while protecting the other, and burping when he was full.
Shujia began to write in her diary, and started writing in a baby's tone: "Father bullied me today..." Yinreng's eyes twitched: "It was you who wanted to leave his footprints." Shujia ignored him and continued to write. Yinreng snatched the pen and vindicated himself.
After finishing, Shujia sighed, "I wish I had left something behind to let him know how much I love him." There was something ominous in her tone, and Yinreng was furious. But the fact was that the birth had consumed a tremendous amount of energy, and she was still feeling unwell. To nurse, she couldn't take any medicine, so she had to rely on food supplements, eating pig's trotters and drinking fish soup every day.
Yinreng turned his face away and made a bitter resolution that once his wife recovered, he would find an excuse to give these quack doctors a good beating.
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Kangxi was like a shot of adrenaline, and the entire Qing army was like a stimulant, full of energy. Only Shi Wenbing was a little worried. He had seen the letter, but in such an atmosphere, he couldn't say anything and could only keep it to himself. He couldn't even tell his son or brother. It wasn't until Kangxi read his grandson's growth diary and said with joy, "How could they think of such a way for parents to play with their children?" He then showed off the letter to the child's grandfather, and finally Shi Wenbing's anxiety was relieved.
Kangxi, full of energy, rolled up his sleeves and continued working, intending to kill Galdan as soon as possible and go home to his grandchildren. Kangxi was truly confident, quite like Zhuge Liang, having already assigned Fei Yanggu where to leave and where he and Fei Yanggu would meet. He considered Galdan as a sure thing, even declaring, "Galdan has already been part of my plan."
It could be said that Heaven was truly helping Kangxi. First, it gave him a grandson, and then, the Forbidden City welcomed another boy: the Fifth Prince's concubine, Liu Jia, gave birth to a boy on the sixth day of the fourth lunar month. This time, the joy was not as deep as the last, but it was still good news.
Then, a strange scene occurred. They had originally sent people to dig a well in Tarqila for the army to drink, but no water had come out. Then, when Kangxi arrived, water appeared! Overjoyed, Kangxi sent Yisan'a [1] to offer sacrifices to the gods of wind and rain and the gods of mountains and rivers beyond the boundary.
This is incredibly weird. This was Shujia's first reaction after she learned about it. Regardless of whether it's weird or not, whether you believe it or not, everyone else believes it anyway.
Everything was ready at the front, and the encirclement was in place, but then bad news arrived: Galdan had received aid from Tsarist Russia, not only cavalry, but also a large number of firearms.
Tong Guowei panicked upon hearing the news. An emperor's personal expedition usually occurred in two situations: one, when victory was certain; two, when there was no escape route. Kangxi's arrival fell under the first scenario, but now that something had gone wrong, it wasn't the second. Naturally, he had to retreat. From a broader perspective, this was for the emperor's safety and to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.
His brother Tong Guogang had died on the battlefield, whether by a stray arrow or a stray bullet. He wasn't afraid, but he was worried about the emperor getting hurt. Firearms were no joke. Furthermore, the emperor was his nephew and son-in-law, and emotionally, he didn't want anything to happen to Kangxi.
For both public and private reasons, Tong Guowei hoped that Kangxi would return safely. Regardless of whether the news was true or false, Tong Guowei wanted to persuade Kangxi to return. In the 29th year, Kangxi came out and returned sick. If something happened again this time, wouldn't it be...
Tong Guowei's fear grew stronger as he thought about it. He wished he could kick Kangxi back to the Forbidden City immediately, but he needed a good excuse. Coincidentally, Suo'etu, Yisan'a, and the others were there, so Tong Guowei took them along. He wanted to take Mingzhu with him, but Mingzhu refused. "The emperor has made his decision. How can we create more trouble? Besides, the master has already told Oros not to help Galdan. Have you forgotten?"
Tong Guowei angrily went looking for Soetu, who was delighted to hear this. Yisan Anee also felt that the emperor was always out and about, sleeping in the open, and if anything went wrong, it would be hard to explain. Tong Guowei hadn't expected Soetu to be so mature and capable. He had assumed that Soetu, pampered for so many years, had become hopelessly stupid, and was grateful. Little did he know that Soetu had other plans.
The three of them all ran to Kangxi, but couldn't directly say, "Galdan is powerful, let's run." Soetu offered a suggestion: "Isn't it just a rumor? If there's a rumor that he's coming, there's a rumor that he's leaving." Tong Guowei polished his report and said, "It's rumored that Galdan has gone far away. The emperor should return slowly."
Kangxi was furious and used very harsh words: "I have been preparing for war because of Galdan's invasion of Khalkha and the invasion of Outer Mongolia... I am offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, ancestral temples, and the country. I must annihilate Galdan and return... Moreover, you ministers are all willing to serve and have asked to join the army. But you do not bravely go forward, but hesitate and retreat. I will definitely punish you. I don't know what you think of me. ... Moreover, the troops of General Bo Feiyang and my army have agreed to attack from both sides on a certain date. Now that my army has broken the agreement and is returning, the troops on the west route cannot be asked... How can I announce this to heaven and earth, ancestral temples, and the country?" After he finished speaking, he was afraid that everyone would not understand, so he directly issued an imperial edict to let everyone know.
Tong Guowei could only kowtow and apologize. Suo Etu followed suit, thinking to himself, "Thanks to him for supporting me, I wasn't exposed."
Kangxi erupted in anger. After all, last time, "I fell ill before achieving victory, a source of deep shame for the Emperor." This time, he was partly for the country and partly to avenge his humiliation. How could he possibly want to retreat? The Ministry of War was in trouble. Hadn't the 3,000 horses sent by the Crown Prince already arrived? They had cleared space to inspect them for infectious diseases. Now, after the quarantine period, the subordinates came to ask: How should we divide them?
After distributing the horses, Kangxi suddenly remembered, "My son has been so dedicated to his work, and the horses he sent me are all good. The horses the Ministry of War sent last time were so poor. You're all slacking off! My son is exhausted, and you're all slacking off!" Snap! He dismissed Zhu Duna, the Left Vice Minister of War.
After removing the people, Kangxi felt relieved and began to arrange military affairs.
At the same time, Mingzhu found the eldest prince and advised him softly: "The more it is at this time, the more you must not lose your composure and let him be proud. When people are proud, they are likely to show their true colors. It is better to show weakness than to show strength. A few years ago, the emperor punished me, and Suo Saner was proud. Once he was proud, he incurred the emperor's dislike..." With such a pig teammate, it would be easy to bring the prince down.
The eldest prince reluctantly agreed, but he was still confused in his heart: "You are too cautious!"
Mingzhu was helpless. This was the bad thing about the eldest prince: he was impatient and refused to calm down.
Their small meeting ended, and several others also held small meetings. Shi Wenbing was the commander-in-chief, but he was not allowed to lead the troops. Instead, he was assigned to assist in military affairs and inspect the military camps. This was because Kangxi believed that he had a knack for training troops and should be put to good use. Moreover, the Shi family already had many soldiers who had fought in the battlefield, not just him.
So Shi Wenbing could wander around, connecting with his own family. This time, he met with Shi Wenying and told her that Kangxi had just been angry and insisted on fighting. In Shi Wenbing's heart, he did not approve of the emperor taking risks, but he had already come and could not retreat.
So Shi Wenbing reminded his cousin: "Don't retreat."
But after hearing what Shi Wenbing said, Shi Wenying said, "Something is not right. Brother, you should have less contact with Suo Etu in the future."
Shi Wenbing asked curiously, "What's going on?"
Shi Wenying whispered, "I initially thought it was just a rumor until I heard the imperial edict. This... originally, the Central and Western Armies had agreed to fight together. Now that the deadline has been missed, Fei Yanggu's army will struggle, though not completely annihilated. Tong Guowei didn't expect this to be a matter of concern for the superiors. How could Suo Etu not have thought of this?"
"Could it be that Suo Etu can't worry about his master?"
"That's not a big deal. Listen to me. I spent a lot of time in the Imperial Court before, and I heard vaguely that... Dong E's Fei Yanggu advised the master to be careful about food and drink. Previously, unclean things had entered the Eastern Palace. The master didn't listen, so he rewarded Shen Quan. [2]"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"It's just a rumor. The master doesn't mention it anymore, so why should I bother to talk about it? I told you, but you're worrying in vain. Now that I think about it, Shen Quan died in the 23rd year. The prince was only 11 (in lunar years). No matter how smart he was, he was raised by the master himself and taught by a wise master. How could he have imagined that? I'm afraid someone is using the prince's name to cause trouble. It's most likely Suo Etu, doesn't that make sense?"
Shi Wenbing's mind raced back to the time when, in the 19th year of the Kangxi reign, Soetu requested to resign from his position as Grand Secretary due to illness, but in reality, he was dismissed for his corruption. He was "ordered to appear before the Grand Councilor" and was soon appointed Grand Councilor. In March of the 22nd year of the Kangxi reign, the Emperor instructed the Prince Councilor, "Furthermore, Soetu is immensely wealthy, unmatched in the entire country. I have repeatedly admonished him for his arrogance, but he has shown no signs of repentance. All the ministers in the court are terrified of him." He ordered a severe punishment. Soetu was dismissed from his positions as Grand Councilor, Grand Councilor, and Prince Taifu, though he remained a Deputy Commander. His two brothers were also punished.
Could it be? Shi Wenbing shuddered. "But the master still uses the things brought into Yuqing Palace. There's no grudge against him."
Shi Wenying sneered, "That's because there's no real evidence. The items were sent up under the name of the Eastern Palace, but when we investigated, it turned out they weren't from the Eastern Palace. When we asked the people who handled it, they all said they didn't remember. The master probably guessed a little, so he dropped the matter. It wasn't a deadly poison, probably just something that would clash with the emperor's will. Deadly poisons can't be brought in. It's just that Shen Quan was old and frail, and couldn't handle it. He didn't die in the palace, but after returning. If he had died immediately, it wouldn't have been concealed. Later, there were reports that Shen's death didn't look natural..."
"Maybe someone else framed him?"
"Think about it, who else in this world could use the name of the Eastern Palace to send something? And sneak it in without anyone noticing? The Crown Prince is a man, and his mind isn't on this. He was still young at the time. He said a word, and the Crown Prince believed and nodded, and he could slip in something not on the list and send it up, and then the Crown Prince would forget about it in the blink of an eye. Do you believe it? If it doesn't work once, try it twice. It won't work immediately, and who knows what will happen if it's something that doesn't exist? It's just that he met Shen Quan."
"The palace has always had a very strict diet, especially for His Majesty, a supreme ruler. How could he be so careless with what he eats?"
"When Empress Xiaozhuang Wen was alive, the master believed in the things bestowed from the Cining Palace. Now there are only two exceptions in the entire palace, one is the Ningshou Palace and the other is the Eastern Palace. But... you haven't seen that a group of people have been replaced in the palace since then. The old men in the tea room and the kitchen are all under surveillance. The emperor still trusts the prince, but not Soetu. That's why he sent a servant, Ling Pu, to manage the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which also meant that the prince should not rely on Soetu for everything. Since then, major matters are still discussed with him, but the things the prince wants to use have nothing to do with Soetu anymore." He shook his head and sighed.
Shi Wenbing didn't want to believe it; it was simply too unbelievable. "If that's the case, why was Suo Etu still appointed Minister of the Imperial Guard in the 25th year? That's... responsible for the safety of the master."
Shi Wenbing stared at the ground, the toe of his boot scraping against the grass roots. "The Emperor did that for the Crown Prince. At that time, Soetu retired, and Mingzhu alone... recommended so many followers. From then on, the Emperor disliked Soetu, but he had to keep him around to intimidate everyone. Even when he was sent on distant missions or diplomatic missions, he had to be supervised and watched. When negotiating with the Russians, he had Tong Guojiu as his deputy. When inspecting Galdan, he went with Mingzhu, and now he's with the eldest prince. The Emperor has to keep him under close watch."
Shi Wenbing was shocked. Having such a teammate was like wearing a cotton jacket when falling into the water!
Shi Wenying continued, "I guess he was frightened and behaved himself. But Fei Yanggu shouldn't have reminded the old man again, telling him to be careful. Isn't this..."
Shi Wenbing said, "What a jerk!" As a good feudal bureaucrat, Shi Wenbing's respect for the emperor and his wife was like a surging river. He regarded anyone who tried to touch Kangxi as a traitor. "No wonder he joined in the clamor this time, asking the emperor to withdraw. Isn't that just filling Fei Yanggu's hole?"
Shi Wenying said: "I'm just afraid that Fei Yanggu will crawl out of the pit! He is a man of real ability."
Yes, if it really crawls out, no matter if it's in a well, on TV, or in the toilet, it's going to kill you! Even if it's not intentional, it can still scare you to death!
In fact, not long after, Fei Yanggu really crawled out of the pit... and brought a great victory to Zhaomodo.
The author has something to say: [1] Yisan-a should be on the front line now.
[2] This incident is recorded in the notes and novels, but not in the official history. However, Shen Quan did die in the 23rd year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi, and Suo Etu was indeed demoted in the 19th and 22nd years of the reign of Emperor Kangxi. He returned in the 25th year and signed the Treaty of Nerchinsk. Not long after, it was Mingzhu's turn to be demoted.
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