The busy second-in-command
Kangxi lay in bed, somewhat conscious, but unable to move. Speaking was difficult, and words often faltered on the tip of his tongue. His condition was considered mild, and he was finally recovering. A more serious case of paralysis or insanity, never to recover, would have been a normal outcome.
The emperor could recover slowly, as the state could afford the medical expenses. However, the emperor's absence from duty was a serious accident for the country, especially under the rule of a foreign race and a minority. As soon as the emperor felt a little better, he pointed directly at the crown prince.
Yinreng stepped forward and shook Kangxi's hand: "Khan Ama, please don't be too anxious. The imperial physician said that your illness is not serious this time and you will recover soon."
Kangxi was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. He wanted to say, "Go back to work and take care of the family." But Yinreng had no idea of this. He jumped out and said, "Dad, do you want me to take the throne?" It was a complete idiot.
At this time, the Empress Dowager came again. Although the old lady was a woman, she did not need to be shy with her children and grandchildren. She was fine when she came in, but she burst into tears as soon as she saw Kangxi, not even paying attention to the people in the room who came to pay their respects to her. Kangxi tried to point at the Empress Dowager again, but Yinreng said, "Khan Ama, if you are well soon, the Empress Dowager will be at ease too."
The Empress Dowager choked up and said, "Emperor, the Crown Prince is right. This is exactly what I think."
Kangxi became even more anxious. It was very difficult to open his eyes when he had a stroke! But when he met such a confused old lady and such a foolish son, he really couldn't close his eyes even if he died!
Yaerjiang'a on the side stepped forward and said, "Khan Ama, are you saying that we should ask the Empress Dowager to look after the family?" In fact, he wanted to directly ask the Crown Prince to take the bench, but Yaerjiang'a knew Kangxi well enough, so he spoke in a roundabout way.
Kangxi blinked, and Yarjiang'a smiled: "Grandfather, you must not cry anymore. Khan Ama wants you to take charge."
The Empress Dowager was furious: "How can I take care of these things?" She looked around in panic, and finally looked at Kangxi with embarrassment. She really had never worried about anything. When she was Empress, she had Xiaozhuang to support her. As Empress Dowager, she still had Xiaozhuang, and with several capable daughters-in-law under her, she had never really been involved in anything.
Kangxi tried to shift his gaze to Yinreng. The Empress Dowager, once more shrewd, said, "Emperor, ask the Crown Prince to help me?" Huh? Something seemed off. Was it the Crown Princess?
Kangxi finally relaxed. Yarjiang'a stepped forward and asked again for confirmation: "Khan Ama, should the crown prince take charge of state affairs first?" Kangxi opened and closed his eyes.
Yaerjianga whispered, "Don't worry."
Yinreng called out, "Khan Ama!" He met Kangxi's gaze and nodded with tears in his eyes, "My son will definitely take good care of the family."
Yinreng received a letter of authorization from the Empress Dowager and immediately became Regent. The letter of authorization was requested by the Iron Hat Prince and other relatives who came to the palace to ask for it on behalf of the Crown Prince. Otherwise, given the Empress Dowager's political level, she would never have thought of this. When Yaerjiang'a and others requested an audience, the old lady was surprised: "Why are they here?"
When she heard Yarjiang'a ask the Empress Dowager to issue a decree ordering the Crown Prince to govern the country, she was still surprised: "I am just a woman, why should I care about the affairs of the previous dynasty?" Well, she had no idea of the political significance of the Empress Dowager. No wonder, after becoming Empress Dowager for a full fifty years (in the eighteenth year of the Shunzhi reign, Fulin died without changing the reign title; the following year it was changed to Kangxi), she never exercised her power.
Whenever Kangxi conferred an empress or addressed other important matters, he would always bring up the Empress Dowager. Initially, the Empress Dowager didn't realize she was being represented. Later, it became a habit. If the Emperor wanted to represent her, then so be it. After all, I couldn't speak for myself. In her mind, she didn't need to worry about these matters; she could just express her opinion and follow the Emperor's wishes.
Baotai is her grandson, and he came up to explain to her. To put it simply: You were there at the time, so you are a witness, and you have to say something.
The Empress Dowager was dumbfounded: "I can only speak vernacular, I can't speak those literary languages." It was obvious that when the emperor did these things, I didn't need to say anything, he got it all done.
Baotai wiped his sweat off his forehead and said, "Well, just give me a general idea. I'll have someone write it down and read it to you. If you think it's good enough, you can use it."
The Empress Dowager also wiped her sweat and said: "That's fine. Don't bother reading it. You have seen what the Emperor meant. Just write it."
The nobles breathed a sigh of relief and were unwilling to discuss serious matters with the old lady again.
Everyone knew that day that the Emperor was on leave for treatment, and the Empress Dowager had ordered the Crown Prince to act as Regent. It was perfectly legitimate.
Of course, even without the Empress Dowager's authorization, no one could find fault with the Crown Prince rolling up his sleeves and taking the throne. Even if Kangxi died now, leaving no words or will, and he ascended the throne directly, no one would have a legitimate reason to object.
Moreover, even without authorization, he would have to work harder - many things have reached the point where someone must step in to preside over the decision.
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A stroke isn't a good condition. Even after recovery, stroke patients often suffer from some issues, unlike a cold, which doesn't have many side effects. However, like a cold, it can recur, though it's not contagious. In short, it's very troublesome.
What is even more troublesome is the chain reaction that occurred after the emperor fell ill.
The most direct consequence was that the selection of concubines came to a standstill.
The selection process for the imperial concubines has reached its most crucial stage. Barring this unforeseen event, the official list of accepted candidates will be announced in a few days. The process for the imperial concubines selection is similar to the civil service exam: the preliminary and final selections are written exams, and the residential stay is the interview. Each candidate's personal qualities and family background are considered, and the final list of accepted candidates will be announced after the residential stay.
However, the process isn't complete once the admissions list is published. Even for the civil service exam, once you've checked the list and know you're on it, you can't just drag your luggage to the workplace to report. You have to get a report form, sign the contract, and then report to work at the designated time, receive pre-job training, and start your job. This is the formal decree, followed by the engagement, the wedding ceremony, and the marriage.
Now the news has been exposed before the list is even posted. It is almost like someone got the inside information and revealed that there is a shady deal just after the total scores are released.
If it's already been announced, it's a done deal, and any attempt to "correct" it is just a formality. The office will continue with the necessary procedures, issuing the necessary documents and issuing the necessary notices.
But the list hasn't been released yet, so what should we do? Should we rectify the situation or just say, "Whether you do it or not, I've decided to do it this way"?
If it were just a standard cheating list, like a leader's child being favored, it would be fine. That would benefit the leader, and there's no loss involved. But this cheating list is just bloody disgusting. To use a crude analogy, it's like one leader's child taking the place of another leader's child. What to do?
Go ask for instructions? The leader is currently battling the laws of nature, so why would he bother with you?
Without asking permission? These dozens of young girls can't live in the palace forever! This is not a question of whether we can afford to support them. There are many daughters from powerful families among them. It's not a big deal to let unmarried girls live in the palace for such a long time!
The emperor can't make a decision, and the empress dowager doesn't care about anything. What should he do?
The most frustrating consequence is that the preparations for the tour outside the Great Wall have been made, but now they have to be stopped urgently.
The Mongol princes and taijis all submitted their reports and set off with their families. Some of the longer journeys had already taken several days. Don't assume they only brought their wives, children, and luggage; each had their own ceremonial guards, small groups prepared to accompany the emperor on hunting trips, and some even brought a wealth of gifts for the emperor, his sons, and his ministers.
If you say you can't come, all that work is wasted. The gifts can be recycled, but what about the person? Treat it like a trip? Then you're spending your own money, a loss. Remember, attending such gatherings used to come with a fee, but now that the emperor isn't coming, the subsidy is gone, and the travel expenses are wasted.
The bannermen in Beijing were also very depressed. They only had this one chance a year to go out and relax, and it was missed. However, many people were no longer in the mood to worry about it. They were all thinking: The emperor had not appeared for several days. Could something big be happening?
This mentality leads to the third consequence, which is also the one that tugs at everyone's nerves:
The most serious consequence was the unrest in the court. True, with the Crown Prince around, daily affairs remained stable, and people didn't panic. Once panic subsided, people began to think about all sorts of things, like political speculation.
Yinreng knew that the more cautious one must be at this time, the less likely one would survive in this jungle. He simply requisitioned Hongdan's dormitory in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, as he had lived there before. Father and son took turns: you in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, I in the Eastern Palace, and you in the Eastern Palace, I in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Just one thing to note: don't act arrogant.
Whenever a decision was made, it had to be reported carefully to Kangxi, regardless of whether he understood it at the moment. Yinreng's heart was in great pain. Kangxi had always been indispensable to him, and he might have considered the relationship between the top and second-in-command, but when Kangxi truly fell ill, blood ties prevailed.
After completing his reports, the Crown Prince would often check in with his Khan Ama: "Khan Ama, that year you personally led the expedition against Galdan, and I was the regent. I don't know how dangerous it was for you out there, but all I could do was protect the family and give you peace of mind. It's the same now, and I'm still here to watch over the family, waiting for you to come back and say, 'Well done!'"
As he spoke, he started crying, and tears also flowed from Kangxi's somewhat cloudy eyes.
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The Crown Prince is a skilled regent. But the situation is much worse now than before, with constant disasters and riots, which is very distressing.
There were also some pressing issues that needed to be addressed quickly. The first was to send a message to the Mongol tribes that the emperor was not feeling well and that they should return home. The reunion would be held at a later date. An order was also issued to the married Mongol princesses: those who wished could return to care for him.
The emperor is ill, and the princesses have all left for their parents' homes. Anyone who expresses dissatisfaction without proper understanding would be a fool, so everyone should just go back. This report is so sincere, let's go back and burn more incense and pray for the emperor.
After reading a bunch of memorials with similar meanings, Yinreng finally breathed a sigh of relief and replied to them one by one, all with similar meanings: You are thoughtful.
Putting the memorial aside, Yinreng picked up his pen and ordered Ma Jinliang, the governor of Gubeikou: Be vigilant to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos in Mongolia.
At the same time, Yinreng also took action to deal with a group of restless elements in the capital.
Even scarier than godlike enemies are idiot teammates. Even scarier than idiot teammates is the possibility of a idiot causing trouble while claiming to be your teammate. The Crown Prince's hair turned gray with worry over this. He secretly took drastic action, punishing numerous people for having a meal together while the Emperor was ill. Finally, the situation was stabilized.
You idiots, are you cursing my dad to death?
The issue of the concubines was less important than the two aforementioned matters, so it was put off for last. Yinreng discussed this with Shujia, who said, "I've finally waited for you to say this. Seeing you were so busy the past few days, I didn't want to bring this up. While this isn't as important as the previous one, it would be troublesome if it were delayed for too long."
Yinreng said, "That's true." His tone was very tired.
Shujia held a wet towel in her hand and wiped his face. "The Empress Dowager doesn't care about it, and no one else has the right to speak. What do you think?"
After wiping his face, Yinreng regained some spirits: "Tell them to go home and wait for the order. We'll talk about it after Khan Ama is well again."
"Once you have made up your mind, go and report it to the Empress Dowager, or let her issue an edict. I just asked for the Empress Dowager's order, strictly ordering that no one in the palace should talk privately about Khan Ama's illness, and not to leak the news. I'm afraid it won't be concealed for long, and someone among the concubines may have already known about it. Instead of letting them speculate in the palace, it's better to let them go. They will feel calmer after leaving the palace, and let their parents watch them to avoid trouble. Also, the list that was circulated..." Shujia handed the handkerchief to Xi Que, sat next to Yinreng and whispered to him, there was also a widely circulated small poster that recorded the marriage status of many girls.
Yinreng leaned against her and whispered, "I've already asked Ma Qi to take the Ministry of Personnel to rectify the situation. They were careless and misunderstood."
Shujia breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Here's your midnight snack, eat a little before you go back to sleep." The matter of the concubines had come to a temporary end. If Kangxi recovered, he would make the decision. If he became seriously ill and didn't recover by winter, then everyone would discuss it and get the Empress Dowager's seal.
Yinreng grumbled, ate a little, and fell asleep. He usually had a heavy workload, but these days he was especially exhausted, both mentally and emotionally.
The Crown Prince was burning the candle at both ends, and the Crown Princess was also having a hard time. When the Empress Dowager was not involved and the concubines were feeling uneasy, she had to step in to stabilize the situation, but she couldn't be too active.
She was worried about Shuhui and would often send Hongxiu to check on her. "You are all still young, and there aren't many elderly people at home. The Fifteenth Prince has to take care of his family because of his illness. Hongxiu has been with me for so many years, so she's quite reliable. If you have any problems, send her to tell me."
The next day, Hongxiu reported, "Master, you don't have to worry about the Fourth Young Lady anymore. Fifteenth Master was feeling agitated, so she sent him to a quiet room to fast and chant sutras for His Majesty."
Shujia: ...This girl has learned it.
Besides Shuhui, there was also Concubine Tong. Shujia brought a message for Yinreng: "Longkodo disobeyed his mother and has been punished. Mother, don't worry. Just... don't cause any more trouble."
At this point, Concubine Tong had no choice but to accept the situation. She had also sent someone out of the palace to the Tong residence to meet Tong Guowei. Tong Guowei was quite capable and said that the family affairs had been mostly taken care of, Longkodo would not make any more trouble, and asked the palace to be careful and speak with discretion.
In fact, Tong Guowei wanted to die. He had angered the emperor so much that even an uncle looking at his nephew was too embarrassed to face anyone. But he couldn't give up. He had to hold on and get through this difficult time. If anything happened to Kangxi, Tong Guowei would have to kill Longkodo and then die in his own place.
Tong Guowei gritted his teeth and intensified his admonitions to his descendants, urging them to be more honest!
Unexpectedly, at this time, another incident happened, and Tong Guowei was so angry that he almost chopped someone to pieces.
When Si'er was sent back to his family, he was essentially being sent back to his original owner. Longkodo's father-in-law had died, and his eldest brother-in-law was now the head of the household, while matters in the backyard were managed by his stepmother. Si'er had been a prominent figure at home, favored by the master, which naturally displeased his wife. And with the master's backing, his wife felt completely suffocated. Now, his rival had returned.
It should be said that there aren't many people in the world as cruel as Si'er. At most, she was stripped of her bright clothes, her hairpins were ripped off, and she was sent to fetch water and wash clothes, doing rough labor. If she didn't complete her tasks, she wouldn't be allowed to eat. Ahem, this family was once prosperous, but now they've fallen on hard times and are in need of workers.
Rumors were inevitable, but she managed to bear them all. Even the most ruthless people have faith to persevere, not to mention Si'er has something else to worry about: Yuzhu.
The housekeeper mocked her for having no hope: "Pah, phh! Your eldest brother-in-law was beaten by your father-in-law and can't even protect himself. Don't dream of being able to come and take you away! Oh, your son is going on the road tomorrow, uh, exiled in his father's place. You have enjoyed so much blessing for so many years, shouldn't you repay him?"
Si'er's eyes were red with anger. She had never thought that Yuzhu would really be exiled. She had thought that the Tong family could keep their grandson. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. In the middle of the night, she actually used her potential to run out, hiding under the wall, and waited until dawn to see her son.
The Tong family's house had several doors, including the front, back, and side doors. Si'er knew Yuzhu wouldn't come out the front door, only the back. She ran there to wait for her son, and the family didn't even know she'd escaped. Tong Guowei, however, had sent someone to accompany Yuzhu on his journey. Even if he didn't like him, he was still his grandson, and he had to prevent him from escaping, right?
As soon as Yuzhu came out, Si'er rushed over. There were many servants in the Tong family, so they quickly stopped him and reported it to Tong Guowei.
Tong Guowei was so furious that he had Si'er gagged, tied up, thrown into an inconspicuous carriage, and thrown back. Si'er was in the carriage, listening to Yuzhu crying and calling for her mother outside. Her heart was broken, and she wondered why Longkodo didn't protect Yuzhu.
Tong Guowei didn't care about that. He returned home fuming and scolded Longkodo again, accusing Yue Xingzhu of being tied up. After scolding him, Tong Guowei sighed again, hoping Kangxi would get better, otherwise this time it would really be a big deal.
The emperor's condition hadn't improved, but he'd heard the news that the crown prince had become regent. Tong Guowei's head was struck by lightning, and he froze. Before he could react, the palace issued another notice: the contestants were ordered to return home and wait for orders, and their families were to pick them up.
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The Duanyi Palace was packed today. The Crown Princess, the Fifteenth Lady's Wife, and the Prince Yu's Wife had all arrived. Two nieces, Xinping (the daughter of Fu Dali) and Xin'an (the daughter of Qingde)—both thirteen years old—had also been summoned. Xinping, a month older than Xin'an, seemed more mature. They both wore matching pale cheongsams, with velvet flowers and two or three jade hairpins in their hair—quite attractive. Comparing them closely, Xin'an seemed more approachable. Xinping... the quintessential ladylike wife, yet another person in need of a darker turn!
Shujia asked, "It's been inconvenient in the palace these past few days. Are you all doing well?"
Xin Ping replied carefully, "Everything is fine in the palace."
Shuyi laughed and said, "You're still playing tricks here! Put away your little tricks as soon as possible. These won't work in front of the Crown Princess."
Shuhui also said: "We are all family, and I always care about you."
The two of them were only a few years older than her niece, but they were very familiar with each other, and their conversation was much more relaxed, and they could say a lot of things. Shuhui said it more bluntly: "How could the aunts not think about you? Now that you see this situation, do you understand? I didn't quite understand it at first, but now..."
"You still don't quite understand," Shujia glanced at her. "Go back and tell your family that being free from desires makes one strong, and only by doing what is right can one stand firm and avoid misfortune. I know your future."
The two men stood up to listen to the lecture.
Shujia then said to Shuhui, "This matter was originally decided by Khan Ama. He has his own ideas."
Shuhui stuck out her tongue and was pointed at twice by Shuyi from a distance.
Xin Ping and Xin An were also feeling a little aggrieved. Such good little girls, well-educated and not bad-looking, how could they be deposed by their own aunt? This was a denial of them. They didn't necessarily have to fight for the title of Crown Princess, but the process was so frustrating, it felt like they were being shady. And that was their own aunt!
It wasn't until they received a summons from the Eastern Palace, strictly ordered not to spread rumors and to treat the Tong family girls as usual. Combined with some of the rumors, they realized there was a serious problem. Fortunately, they were exposed at the beginning, otherwise who knows how much more smear campaigns they would have faced.
After the Crown Princess pulled her niece off the candidate list, everyone became very friendly towards them. I used to feel uncomfortable and pitied, but now I feel really good.
The aunt and niece were talking with great joy when a young eunuch hurried in, "Master, the carriages coming to pick up the concubines are all crowded in front of the Shenwu Gate. Everyone is rushing forward, blocking the road and bumping into each other, damaging several vehicles. The guards can't control them, and a fight is about to break out! The Empress Dowager wants you to make the decision."
"Where's the imperial concubine?"
"That's what the imperial concubine said. It's not good to trouble the gentleman in front of us anymore."
"Have them line up in the order of the Eight Banners. Bordered Yellow, Plain Yellow, Plain White, Plain Red, Bordered White, Bordered Red, Plain Blue, Bordered Blue. Manchu, Mongolian, Han, no one is allowed to disrupt the order! You go and watch and write down the names of those who try to disrupt the order!" Shujia thought for a moment, "Bring more people with you, open the door and rush out. Make sure to calm the situation. Then find a eunuch with a loud voice to pass on what I just said!"
"Send someone to the front to announce it. You two, pack up as well. We'll be at the front of the banner." He then instructed Wu Mingli to take the two young eunuchs to escort his niece out of the palace. "Forget it, I'm going to Ningshou Palace now. Let's go together."
Concubine Tong was in Ningshou Palace. Shujia urgently ordered the gathering of forty eunuchs, who then marched out in four rows outside Shenwu Gate. This impressive procession captured everyone's attention, and the scene fell into silence. The Ningshou Palace's chief eunuch and Zhao Guoshi seized the opportunity to announce the new regulations.
This rule is enforceable, but the harshest part is the "forgetting names" rule. This is a dark history, even saved with screenshots, and it's a permanent issue. Everyone, be quiet. The cars picking up the people are arranged in rows, and so are the women inside. Then, as the name of the daughter of so-and-so from a certain flag is called out, one of them comes out and is picked up. It takes less than a minute.
Soon, all the beauties had left, and when Shujia returned to Ningshou Palace, only about an hour had passed.
Concubine Tong smiled and said, "You still have to do it."
Shujia was modest, thinking, don't all the men out there follow a certain order? They arrange things so carefully, but why is it such a mess when it comes to the concubines?
The Empress Dowager said, "Finally, the matter is settled. I will go to the Bodhisattva to burn some incense." As time went by, she became much calmer, cried less, and recited scriptures non-stop.
Shujia and Concubine Tong exchanged a glance and followed her. They washed their hands, lit incense, and placed it in the incense burner before returning to pay their last respects. The Empress Dowager had just risen when news arrived: the nearby princess would arrive in the capital tomorrow.
The author has something to say:
Let’s sort out our thoughts:
1. That's all about Longkodo and his four children. They are not the protagonists, but just incidental characters. The story is almost over. If there is no need for the plot, they will be just bystanders.
2. When I saw the three words "Ma Jinliang" in "The Records of the Emperor Kangxi", I was instantly confused. Big boss, have you also traveled through time?
3. The order of the Eight Banners. The order in the article was written based on a tip from a girl who studies Qing history. Discussion is welcome.
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