The emperor will return to the capital tomorrow
As the two highest-ranking women in the entourage, the Crown Princess and the Eighth Lady had to meet from time to time, no matter the reason. Ever since the Eighth Lady's unsuccessful quest for the secret formula for conceiving a child, the subject had been left unmentioned, and Shujia was content to be free. It wasn't something anyone could interfere with.
On the other hand, she also reflexively worried: Eighth Prince is so popular, what will he do? She married a "deposed prince", although she definitely did not want Yinreng to be sentenced to life imprisonment. From this perspective, it was a good thing that Eighth Prince had no sons.
The Eighth Lady was a little embarrassed. She had spoken so much to the Crown Princess like a fool, and every word she said was a dark history. Even if she thought so in her heart, she couldn't say it out loud? How embarrassing...
The Eighth Lady kept trying to convince herself: "I never said that, nor did I cry like that. I was just sleepwalking." She just felt uncomfortable meeting the Crown Princess.
Shujia is not an ignorant person. Could it be that she wants to take on such a self-destructive thing?
With a tacit agreement that neither wanted to mention it, the incident flowed eastward like the river into the sea, as if nothing had happened. From then on, their topics became safer. For example, gossiping about this year's beauty queen.
The Eighth Lady started the conversation: "This year's elections will be held, and Fifteenth Brother's important event will be decided soon." Then she gave Shujia a look that said, "You understand." "Fourth Princess is staying at the palace now, right?"
Shujia counted on her fingers and said, "Yes, judging by the date, it's about time."
The Eighth Lady brushed the floating tea leaves from the tea bowl with the lid and asked casually, "I wonder if there are any other good-looking ladies in this year's selection besides the Fourth Lady?" She smiled and said, "Hongxi is almost of age, and my Fifteenth Brother is less than a year older than him. Even if he doesn't choose a wife, he will definitely have a concubine. I wonder if there are any good-looking ladies among the top candidates this time, sister-in-law?"
The Grand Selection was a thorn in the Eighth Concubine's side. The Eighth Prince still had no children, and judging by past experience, Kangxi might send someone over again this year. She needed to gather more intelligence so she could be prepared. The Crown Princess lived in the palace, and had a good relationship with Concubine Tong. Her sister was also running for the selection this year, so she must know more.
Shujia was thinking: Why is she asking about Hongxi's marriage for no reason? Is she trying to arrange a match? Alarm bells rang instantly.
"Hongxi is almost old enough, but his affairs are not decided by me. The Khan's father is responsible for the arranged marriage, and the Empress Dowager and Chengqian Palace are in charge of the palace," Shujia recalled. "I don't know why, but the concubines these two times always feel different from those in our time..."
The Eighth Lady put down her tea bowl and leaned forward: "What do you mean?" She was betrothed to Emperor Kangxi when she was young, and had never been through the selection process. Even if she had watched it later, she was not familiar with the inside story.
"..." Shujia was troubled. She didn't know if it was because there weren't many princes getting married recently, but she felt that there were very few daughters of powerful nobles participating in the election this year. "I can't really say, it's a bit... Oh! I always feel that they seem a little young."
The Eighth Lady wanted to roll her eyes. Every year, the selections were always of the same age. What was the big deal? It was just that you were getting old, wasn't it? After complaining in her heart, she felt sad. No matter how old the Crown Princess was, she still had children. The Eighth Lady herself was getting older every year, but there was no news.
She and others were getting old, but there was never a shortage of fresh and beautiful girls in this world. The thought of having another person added to her house made the Eighth Lady feel suffocated.
Then the Crown Princess said, "But I'm still worried. When the emperor responds, the concubine should still be in the palace. I have to take a closer look at her. Let's come and see her together then."
This remark reminded the Eighth Lady that instead of waiting for Kangxi to send servants, it would be better for her to go and pick out an honest and decent woman for the Eighth Prince. Then she thought, instead of choosing among the concubines, it would be better to choose among the bondsers under the patron saint! The more the Eighth Lady thought about it, the better she thought this idea was, and a smile returned to her face.
Lifting her spirits, the Eighth Lady's gossiping spirit began to rise: "Second sister-in-law, don't be too anxious. What's the problem with a younger daughter-in-law? You should find a younger one. You should take care of her like a daughter and make her close to you. Hongxi is only fourteen this year. It's not right to marry someone older."
Is she really going to be a matchmaker? Shujia continued to be vigilant: "Age is secondary. It has to be a good match. I'm afraid that in these few months, someone has already found someone who has matched the Empress Dowager's fate."
The Eighth Lady covered her mouth with a smile and said, "That's great." No longer worried about her own affairs, she looked at the Crown Princess with a hint of sympathy. The Crown Princess's cousin, Mr. Shi Wensheng, the chief uncle of Huguang, had capsized in the gutter and been trapped in the trap for several months. It seemed that the Crown Princess didn't even know about it.
Shi Wensheng was a capable official. The Shi family had a long history of official careers, and he was one of the most successful. While he relied on family influence, he also worked hard, rising through the ranks to a high position, earning him a good reputation. However, in his later years, he misjudged one matter: Shi Wensheng reported that Tian Shunnian, the chieftain of Rongmei, Huguang, had privately built a palace, was tyrannical, and indulged in lawlessness. Furthermore, Tian Shunnian, the chieftain of Rongmei, Huguang, accused his son, Bingru, of being corrupt, incompetent, and violent. Bingru, however, had taken refuge with Xiang Changgeng, the chieftain of Sangzhi, and refused to appear for questioning.
The incident alarmed Emperor Kangxi, who then sent the Left Censor-in-Chief and the Cabinet Scholar to investigate, but they could not come to a conclusion. Kangxi then ordered the Grand Secretary Xihana and the Vice Minister Xiao Yongzao to re-investigate - the commotion only got worse.
Left Censor-in-Chief Mei Xuan submitted a report accusing him of recklessness, and the case was dismissed from office. Shi Wensheng, along with Hubei Governor Liu Qiheng, Pianyuan Governor Zhao Shenqiao, and Admiral Yu Yimo, were all given reduced sentences. Shi Wensheng, however, was demoted three ranks but retained his position. Thus, not only did Mr. Shi suffer misfortune himself, but he also implicated a large number of others. The case remains unresolved.
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The Crown Princess was actually aware of this matter. She also knew that her cousin, Shi Wensheng, had followed the Emperor to meet with Emperor Kangxi. Meanwhile, another cousin, Shi Wenshu, whom she knew better, was also in the Imperial Court, so if anything really came up, the two brothers could discuss it. Not to mention that the Crown Prince was also accompanying the Emperor, so no one would dare to take advantage of the situation.
The Crown Princess knew all this, thanks to her good son. Hongdan, brought up by Kangxi and taught by him, always heard and saw many things. He was twelve years old, considered an adult, and Kangxi was interested in getting him involved in government affairs.
The mother and son spent less and less time together, and experienced fewer things together. When Hongdan came back to pay his respects to his mother, he would often imitate his father and bring up "interesting things" that happened outside as topics of conversation to ensure smooth emotional connection.
However, the two men, one older and one younger, had deliberately kept Shujia in the dark about Shi Wensheng's situation. Hongdan didn't want to upset his mother, while Yinreng had his own ideas, but it depended on how they would be implemented.
The two men were so busy calculating that they completely forgot one thing: at least half of Hongdan's entourage came from the Eastern Palace. The Crown Princess had the final say in Eastern Palace affairs. Even at this point, Shujia couldn't guarantee that no one in the Eastern Palace would harbor ulterior motives, but at least she could control the people around them, her husband, and their son.
He is a crown prince after all. No matter how frugal he is, there is no reason for him to act recklessly on his own.
As a good mother who cares about her son, the Crown Princess naturally called the chief eunuch Guo Chaoyong who was following the Crown Prince and asked, "How is the Crown Prince today?" She called the eunuch instead of the nanny because Hongdan had grown up and the nanny had been sent home.
Guo Chaoyong often brought useful news to Shujia, and this time was no exception: "Your Majesty is discussing matters with the Crown Prince, and the two of you, the Crown Princes, are staying to listen to the government."
"What did you say? How did the Crown Prince respond?"
It was perfectly normal for a mother to be concerned about her son's performance. Guo Chaoyong didn't think twice and replied seriously, "First, I met with the ministers who came to the court..."
In this way, the Crown Princess naturally learned about this matter. Yinreng was quite experienced in these matters, so Shujia picked her son as a soft persimmon and asked Hongdan indirectly: "I heard that Shi Wensheng did something stupid?"
The corner of Hongdan's mouth twitched: "How did you know?" Having been her son for more than ten years, Hongdan had gained experience. When his mother asked him questions, it meant that she already knew something, and it was best not to deny the existence of such a thing at this time.
"So it's true?"
Hongdan didn't deny it: "Don't worry, mother. In this world, there is no official who doesn't make mistakes. When Li Guangdi was the governor of Zhili, didn't he also make people look bad? Shi Shilun is a rare honest official, and Mafa still said that he was sometimes unfair. Yu Chenglong..."
"Alright, alright, who's asking you that? Just handle this matter as it should be handled. Don't lose your integrity." There's no need to side with Shi Wensheng; he'll definitely be able to handle it. If Donggong stood up for Shi Wensheng, it might backfire.
Hongdan agreed with a smile.
After coming out of Shujia's place, Hongdan saw Shi Wenying. After Shi Wenying's mourning period ended, Kangxi did not forget him, but there were not many good jobs for him anymore, so he was brought in to be the Minister of the Interior, and he was accompanying the emperor this time.
When he saw Hongdan, Shi Wenying bowed quickly.
Hong Dan asked curiously, "Are you here to look for me?"
Shi Wenying whispered, "I have been searching for the Crown Prince but to no avail, so I have no choice but to trouble the Grand Prince."
"What's up?"
"Shi Wensheng has already written a petition requesting retirement."
"...I'm going to look for Ama."
Yinreng was talking to Zhang Ying at the time. Hongdan arrived in a hurry, and Yinreng frowned and scolded him, "How can you be so flustered?"
Zhang Ying thought that perhaps something urgent had happened, so he smiled and said, "The Crown Prince is in a hurry. Don't come to see the Crown Prince again because of something that needs to be discussed with the Emperor."
He was not an outsider. Hongdan told Yinreng about the matter, and Yinreng asked Zhang Ying: "Master Zhang, in your opinion -"
Zhang Ying stood quietly for a while before saying, "Alright."
Yinreng nodded: "That's right."
Only Hongdan was still confused.
Zhang Ying and Yinreng looked at each other and smiled. Zhang Ying said, "I, your humble servant, will take my leave." He left the prince to explain the secret to his son.
"Ama..."
"Let's talk about it when we get back."
The father and son entered the study together. Yinreng sat cross-legged on the couch and pointed to the other side: "Sit down and talk."
Hongdan took off his boots and sat down to listen to his father teaching him.
Yinreng asked Hongdan, "How much do you know about Shi Wensheng?"
Hongdan had done his homework on this, and he explained it one by one: "Shi Wensheng was appointed Tongzhi of Suzhou, and served as prefect of Kaihua in Yunnan and Pingyang in Shanxi. In the 33rd year of the Kangxi reign, Mafa praised his outstanding performance in office and promoted him to Governor of Guizhou. In the same year, he was transferred to Governor of Yunnan. He took the lead in government affairs. The Yunnan military tax was several times higher than that of ordinary people. When Lin was governor, he proposed to reduce it, but it was not implemented. Wensheng again petitioned, and the emperor granted a 60% reduction. King Li Weizheng of Annan reported that the three lands of Niuyang, Hudie, and Puyuan in his country had been occupied by neighboring chieftains and requested an imperial decree to return them. When Wensheng came to the court, he said, 'These areas were annexed by the Ming Dynasty and are not part of Annan. I should not approve such a presumptuous request.' Mafa issued an imperial edict to severely reprimand him. In the 43rd year, he was transferred to Guangdong. In the 44th year, he was promoted to Governor-General of Huguang."
"Looking at what he did, does he look like someone who would do something stupid?"
Hongdan shook his head.
Yinreng laughed. "From Yunnan to Huguang, he's been dealing with the chieftains for more than a year or two. How could he have lost his sight and made such a mistake?"
"Intentional?"
Yinreng said, "There must be a reason."
"My son still doesn't understand."
This involved the grievances between the dispatched officials and the local chieftains. The chieftains were the tyrants of the land, holding the resources, and the dispatched officials were no pushovers. If the land could be nationalized, it would benefit both the country and themselves. Even if it couldn't be taken back immediately, weakening the chieftains' power would allow the court to extend its tentacles and then devour it. That would also be a good thing.
That is why "Governor-General of Huguang Shi Wensheng and others reported: Tang Shijia and others under Tian Shunnian accused Tian Shunnian and his son of being bad people. We are willing to pay taxes and serve as officials. Whether their land and people should be incorporated into our territory will be decided by the emperor." This was a great achievement.
Mei Xuan, the Left Censor-in-Chief, confirmed that "there is evidence of cruelty against the former Rongmei Tusi, Tian Bingru, and he should be dismissed from his post. The Xuanwei Tusi of Sangzhi, Xiang Changgeng, resisted and hid Tian Bingru, and he should be demoted four levels but remain in office. There is evidence that the late Rongmei Tusi, Tian Shunnian, evaded various obligations by feigning illness when going to the Miao army, and he should be retroactively dismissed from his post." However, it can be said that it was very objective to remove Tian Shunnian's most terrible crime, "as for Tian Shunnian's private construction of a palace, there is no evidence for any of the allegations."
This completely aligns with the final conclusion that Shi Wensheng's report, with the exception of Tian Shunnian's private construction of the palace, was entirely correct. However, Mei Xuan was still stripped of his official position.
Why? Because of resistance from other factions, and also because Tian Shunnian had died. Shi Wensheng was detained in Wuchang Prefecture, and Tian Shunnian had died of old age and illness. Publicizing this matter would be difficult and likely to incite public outrage. Kangxi didn't want to cause any more trouble.
Kangxi naturally saw the trick. Taking back these chieftains' territories and having them pay taxes and serve as officials would be beneficial to the country. However, his country was already facing many problems, and now was not the time to act. Kangxi felt a little regretful. What if he had less to do? He could still take it back!
Shi Wensheng's approach was sound. He had been uncovering the misdeeds of the Tian chieftains one by one, and public pressure had already built up. Unfortunately... the central government was unable to cooperate. The Miao and Yao rebelled because they were being pushed too hard, forcing Kangxi to be more cautious.
Shi Wensheng's vision is still a little short-sighted! Kangxi sighed with some regret. Kangxi's evaluation of Shi Wensheng's idea of reorganizing the natives was still not low.
The Qing Dynasty, hailed as "the pinnacle of feudal centralization in Chinese history," still contained independent kingdoms of varying sizes within its territory. These kingdoms nominally paid tribute and acknowledged their status as part of the state. However, officials were not appointed by the central government but inherited through family lines. While legitimacy ultimately depended on a formal decree from the central government, this still couldn't mask the government's lack of control over the region.
Does the feudal centralized central government want to take these places back? Well, it's worth thinking about.
Although he said that the other person was "vulgar", he still agreed with this approach in his heart. When the Grand Secretary proposed to demote Shi Wensheng, Kangxi changed "transfer" to "retain", indicating his approval of Shi Wensheng's method.
But he lacked a sense of the overall situation and needed to consider the current state of the country! So Kangxi also gave Shi Wensheng a difficult problem.
Shi Wensheng also knew that if he failed to strike, he would have offended the natives of Huguang. His position as Governor of Huguang would be in jeopardy, so why would the emperor want him to stay in office? This was clearly saying: he should retire as soon as possible and not make things difficult for the emperor. [1]
After Shi Wensheng met the emperor, he submitted his retirement report.
Conclusion: The Eighth Lady’s sympathy was wasted.
Conclusion: Neither the Crown Princess nor the Eighth Consort are suited to politics. Leaving them to make decisions would only harm both themselves and others. As for the Crown Princess, knowing the supposed historical outcome, she occasionally made the right points. The Eighth Consort, due to her flawed guiding ideology, was even more incompetent than the Crown Princess.
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These two women were not very good at politics, but they were masters of socializing. They planned everything, including how to distribute the things they brought back from Jiangnan, how to rekindle their relationships with the women they hadn't seen in a long time after leaving Beijing for several months, and what role each of them would play in the grand ceremony that had not yet concluded... and so on.
They both had their own concerns.
Shujia wondered how Shuhui was faring, alone in the palace. Did Shuyi often visit the palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager and visit her sister? Mother wasn't in good spirits after her grandmother's death; how was she now?
The Eighth Lady was still eager to return home and find two fertile women under her wing. There was also her adopted daughter, He, who hadn't seen her for months. She wondered how much she had grown. Her uncle, Prince An, Marhun, had suffered a series of setbacks and was seriously ill. She needed to go back and see him...
Come on, you don’t have to think about it anymore, just listen to the news!
In May, one day before arriving in Beijing, news arrived from the capital: Prince An Marhun had died of illness. [2]
King An was already in poor health, and when he learned that his younger brother had formed a group to draw circles, and his mother was so angry that she died, he could not bear the series of blows and died.
The author has something to say:
[1] Mei Xuan’s conclusion is similar to Kangxi’s final judgment, which is recorded in the Veritable Records. However, Shi Wensheng’s original intention is similar to Kangxi’s, which is a guess made by someone because of the similarity. I just wrote it down at random, hoping you will have a laugh after reading it.
[2] According to Yang Zhen, there has always been discord among the members of the Yuele family.
Historically, Marhun died in the 48th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. The story of Jingxi drawing a circle is true, and the descendants of the Yuele clan did indeed fight for the succession to the title. By then, Kangxi had lost interest in the matter, but he still felt bad for the family and withheld the title from anyone. When Yongzheng came to power, he simply abolished Prince An's inheritance. Now, because of the butterfly, I've brought it forward.
PS: Fatty said: The biggest twist in this article is that the prince has a legitimate son. I agree with him deeply.
PPS: Politics is difficult to write about, and it is even more difficult to write about the changes in the court through a princess who cannot participate in politics. So Xiaoka.
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