The emperor will take revenge
"She's so nosy!" Yinreng sneered, "She's always been the most competitive and pushy. She's really annoying!"
Since the Eighth Lady had made such a special trip, Shujia had no reason not to tell Yinreng about this matter, so that the two of them could discuss: Was this the Eighth Lady's own idea or the Eighth Lady's own idea? The Emperor and his wife ignored the opinion of Concubine Hui.
Yinreng was unhappy. He had disliked his sister-in-law from the beginning, and she had been somewhat arrogant since she entered the palace. Her husband was also not favored by Yinreng, which made her even more disliked. The eighth brother had been childless for years, and finally had a bastard son, but there was no further news. She couldn't have children herself, but she was preventing her husband from having children. It was really outrageous!
But now that she finally had a son, that was a thing of the past. Other than that, she didn't have any major offenses, but she was just unpopular. She always crossed the line between being a proper woman and not being a proper woman. She loved to play with you like a cat playing with a mouse! Punishing her was unreasonable, but not punishing her made her feel uncomfortable.
Now is the time for Yinreng to show the benevolent image of a new ruler, to let bygones be bygones, to take Yunti's son in, to raise him, to let him study, to confer him a title, and to even prepare a marriage for him. Everything was planned perfectly, and here comes the Eighth Lady!
The emperor has never been broad-minded and always holds grudges, so of course Yinreng would be angry.
Shujia was also a little unhappy, but since Yinreng was angry, she couldn't add fuel to the fire. She just said, "Why are you so angry with a woman like her? No matter how angry she is, she has already made the decision. I just don't know if it was her own decision or if the Eighth Prince agreed to it."
Yinreng asked in reply, "What difference does it make? In Lao Ba's family, the yin and yang are reversed! Lao Ba is like a puppet, manipulated by his wife!"
"Do you believe what you're saying? Is Old Eight a person who can be manipulated by others?" Shujia laughed. "Since we haven't told Hongyu yet, there's no need to tell him now. We can just arrange a marriage for him next year."
"That's right," Yinreng agreed with this cold treatment, "I know what's going on. Tell Ningshou Palace." The old lady's CPU couldn't handle too complicated issues. As long as the Queen came to her and told her now, later on, if anyone else talked about 'who first mentioned finding a wife for Hongyu', she would only remember that it was the Queen who mentioned it to her first.
Shujia smiled and said, "Okay."
The two were talking in the east side room of Kunning Palace when they heard a noise outside. Before Shujia could ask, Hongxiu came over happily, saying, "The princesses are back from school."
A short while later, the princesses finally arrived before the Emperor and Empress. The eldest princess was the size of an adult, while the fifth princess was still the size of a preschooler. Their strides were of different lengths, and etiquette dictated that they all approach in small steps. Shujia and Yinreng were both patient, accustomed to their appearances like this, so they stopped talking and waited for them to arrive.
The five girls lined up and greeted their parents.
With his daughters, Yinreng was very tolerant, unlike with his sons, who would first be lectured and then asked to do their homework. Only after completing these steps would he receive gentle words of comfort. With his sons, his image as a good father only existed until the age of four.
He wasn't testing us on our studies, he was just casually asking about what everyone had learned, and his tone was very gentle.
The princesses also had smiles on their faces, but there was something strange in their smiles, as if they had done something "bad" behind their parents and teachers' backs and had a little secret.
It was difficult for Yinreng to ask at this time, so Shujia just found it interesting: "Do you have any interesting stories today?"
The princesses exchanged glances. Due to the height difference, the room was filled with a scattering of glances, each one looking as if they were about to laugh or not, unable to answer but also not knowing how to do so. Shujia then turned directly to Wu Yunzhu's nanny and said, "I'm leaving the princess in your care. Is there anything unusual going on today?"
Wu Yunzhu whispered, "Fourth brother is really stupid." The fourth princess poked her on the shoulder and she shut up again. The fourth princess was also thinking: Fourth brother is stupid.
The nanny was also smiling at this time, and described vividly what had happened to the few people just now.
Although the princesses' lessons were impressive, they were still much easier than those of the princes, and they finished school early. After finishing their lessons, the princesses were escorted by a group of palace maids and nurses, and taken to Kunning Palace in small sedan chairs. On the way, they unexpectedly spotted two figures who were definitely not eunuchs.
One is Hongtong and the other is Hongyu.
The presence of these two people in the harem was merely a violation, not a crime. They were both unmarried, and Zhaoxiang, who lived in the prison, had heard a rumor today that they were involved in the arranged marriage, so he couldn't help but inquire about it.
Back then, Brother Qingde had gone the route of his younger sister to get information, and now these two princes were doing the same. It was Hongtong who had this idea; Hongyu was too busy staying at home to bother running into the harem. Unable to resist, Hongdan was summoned by Yinreng to do his homework (he was still in the Qianqing Palace reading memorials at this time). Of the remaining princes, Hongtong, the most distinguished by status, dragged his cousin out, "Hurry, hurry, this is a rare opportunity!"
Hongyu couldn't refuse and was dragged along by him, jogging all the way. He avoided many idle people (some of whom just didn't dare to stop him), and then he met his sisters.
Shujia believed that Hongdan was old enough to get married, and that it was inevitable. Hongtong was still in middle school, so a little later wouldn't matter, and she herself wasn't too concerned about it. This was understandable, as she had chosen the Eight Banners beauties first, so she didn't have to worry about not finding a good wife.
Hongtong was frustrated. With such rumors, it wasn't easy to ask his father directly, but his mother wouldn't reveal a word. The biggest difference between him and Hongdan was that he'd spent more time with his mother and knew she was determined, no amount of persuasion would do. He simply gave up on pushing her, instead looking for his older sisters who were easier to bully.
Unfortunately, I ran into Wu Yunzhu. The other princesses all got off the chariot and stood on the ground, greeting him. "Ah, it's so hot, have you finished your classes?" Everyone had to say, "Yes, it is very hot, we have finished our classes." I felt a mixture of wonder and resentment. "You knew it was hot, yet you still stuck us in the sun, you bastard?"
Ting Hongtong asked, "Have you heard? This time, besides the Crown Princess, there are also people appointed to the princes. Do you know who they are?"
The weather was a little hot, and people tended to get irritable. Wu Yunzhu was not irritable, but just naughty: "Yes," her eyes turned and she saw Hongyu, "that's big brother." Her biological brother had died a long time ago, and Hongyu was the eldest son in Yunti's family, so she called him that.
Hongyu was stunned, and Hongtong asked, "Is there no one else? Did you hear everything? Well, you are so young and can't do anything. Sisters--" He drew out the tone and drooled.
Wu Yunzhu was just playing along, and seeing that he was taking advantage of her, she snorted, "You want to get married? You're so shameless!" She scratched her face as she spoke, "A few days ago, my father and mother said that they would find wives for my brothers. If there are other people, there will be no chance for you."
The princesses couldn't help laughing. The eldest princess said with a smile, "Fifth girl, stop teasing him. If you do, he'll get angry with you."
The fourth princess said to Hongtong, "As expected, your face is red. You are so shy and yet you still... hehe."
After being teased, Hongtong realized something was wrong. Oh no! He was too proactive. He could have sneaked into his sisters' rooms at night and asked them about it. He regretted it so much. He dragged Hongyu away and ran away. After running a few steps, he turned back and shouted, "Don't tell anyone about what happened today."
Wu Yunzhu replied crisply: "I won't tell." Silly Fourth Brother, how could you not tell any of these people?
Shujia and Yinreng smiled at each other. Having more children does have its advantages. Look, this leak has been patched up so well.
Yinreng said to his daughters, "They are just naughty. If you want to pay attention to them, pay attention to them. If you don't want to pay attention to them, ignore them. They are just like monkeys!" Then he stood up and said, "I have something else to do. You stay with your mother and talk. We will have dinner together later."
Shujia and her daughter stood up to see him off.
Yinreng took Wu Yunzhu's hand and walked to the gate of Kunning Palace together. Wu Yunzhu was quite reluctant to leave. Her father was much easier to bully than her mother. Yinreng pinched her face and said to the mother and daughter, "Go in quickly. The sun is too hot."
The fourth princess knelt in the queue to see them off, but she seemed to hear her father say, "You two little brats, you actually skipped class!"
The fourth princess staggered, lowered her head, and walked back to her mother silently.
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The two people who skipped class were taken to the east side hall and both confessed.
Whether Hongyu was wrong or not, he admitted his mistake first: "Khan Ama, it was my son who was naughty and failed to live up to your teachings."
Yinreng said angrily, "Stand aside. I know what's going on! This isn't your doing, is it, Hongtong?"
Hongtong stepped forward obediently: "Khan Ama, my son missed his sister, so he went to see her."
"You're still talking nonsense!" Yinreng was furious. "You're not a man of integrity, yet you're lying to me! Why don't you even ask where I came from?"
"Well?"
Yinreng ignored him for the time being and comforted Hongyu: "If he makes trouble in the future, you don't have to pay attention to him. If you can persuade him, tell me. If you can't, come and tell me." But he had to be punished for what happened today. He was punished to copy the book one hundred and twenty times, as usual.
"Go back, why are you leaving? Hongtong!"
Hongtong paused again, and when only the three of them were left in the room—Hongdan, unaware of the situation, had been listening—Yinreng began to lecture his son: "Hongdan, if this happened to you, what would you do?"
Hongdan thought for a moment and said: "Wait." Anyway, the truth will eventually come out, and there are still several months until the next year's big selection. Is it too late to make any small moves?
Yinreng was quite satisfied with this answer: "Did you hear that? What can you do if you are so impatient? The world is complicated, how can you believe everything you hear? Since your mind is so uncertain, you should study hard."
He took the opportunity to lecture his sons: "To accomplish great things, one must remain calm, observe calmly, and conceal one's thoughts." "Pretending to build a plank road while secretly crossing Chencang is what you should do." And so on and so forth. After half an hour of lecturing, his mouth nearly dry. He sipped his tea and announced that the brothers should return to rest. He also gave Hongtong more homework, euphemistically calling it tempering his character.
This was just a scolding for his own son, and a punishment of copying books would have been fine. After Yinreng finished his dinner at his wife's house, he returned to his work, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. This was all caused by the eighth daughter-in-law! After she told the queen, the news leaked out, and Hongyu and Hongtong, two students at school, knew about it! How abominable!
Yinreng’s pettiness flared up!
Even more unfortunate, the Empress's passing was followed by the Emperor's 1000th birthday. This was a thunderbolt for the Emperor, and anyone who mentioned it would get angry. Unfortunately, it had to be celebrated, and Yinreng continued to say, "You give me gifts, but I won't treat you to a meal," feeling frustrated. The Eighth Concubine was thus caught in the crossfire.
After the imperial court session ended, Yinreng formally called all his brothers to the east side hall to talk.
First, I asked Lao Ba: "How is He Zhuo's knowledge?"
Yunsi admired He Zhuo very much, and He Zhuo himself was also quite capable, so he did not hesitate to praise He Zhuo.
Yinreng's face darkened upon hearing this: "I know he's quite knowledgeable. The late emperor once ordered him to study with you, so he can be considered a teacher and friend. But there's a limit to how close we can be. Did you adopt his daughter into your family?"
Yun Si argued, "My humble servant is quite destitute, and He Zhuo's daughter is lovely. We seem to be compatible, so I simply asked her to come over to chat with Madam Fu."
It would have been fine if the concubine hadn't been mentioned, but Yinreng flew into a rage the moment the name of the concubine was mentioned: "You are the head of the family, and you let her do whatever she wants! Is it normal to take in the daughter of an outsider as an adopted daughter? How does He Zhuo's daughter address you and your wife? You are the bloodline of the late emperor, so can anyone call you 'father'?! This trend cannot be allowed to continue! If it continues, it will only confuse the bloodline, what will happen?"
Yun Si was just nodding in agreement. This matter was indeed a little ill-considered. In his heart, he was still a little dissatisfied: No one has said anything for so many years, but today, after hearing the Ministry of Internal Affairs report that you were going to celebrate your birthday, you came to trouble me. You... have a serious psychological trauma!
Yinreng's words made Yunsi silent and feel much better. He then said in a tone of disappointment: "You still say that you have no children, but you should... put in some effort! Are you henpecked? Why are you afraid of her?! There will be another big selection next year, and I will give you a few people!" Now that his younger brothers posed no threat to him, Yinreng was happy to be a good brother and... take the opportunity to take revenge on his sister-in-law.
Yunsi absolutely couldn't bear the reputation of being henpecked: "My brother and his wife are quite harmonious. As for children, it all depends on fate. My brother also has a son and a daughter..."
Yinreng glared, "Just protect her!" That was all he could say. As an older brother, it's not good for him to control his younger brothers too much. He then said to his other brothers, "You too, take this as a warning. Not only you, but also the members of the Jueluo clan, must not do such a thing."
Yaerjiang Agong happened to be in charge of the clan affairs office, so he was called out: "You must also pay attention to your own affairs and make sure no one can confiscate the imperial certificate."
That would have been fine, but what was even more detrimental was that Yinreng also issued a written notice: All family members were forbidden to adopt children of other surnames as their own. Once caught, they would be severely punished! Those with titles would be stripped of their titles, and those with positions would be dismissed.
What is the level? This is the level! It is clearly revenge, but it has been elevated to the level of politics and justice.
Everyone bowed their heads and accepted the order, saying that the emperor was very thoughtful and that our family's bloodline could not be mixed, otherwise it would be a shame to our ancestors.
Yinreng was finally satisfied: "After the Wanshou Festival, I will accompany the Empress Dowager to Changchun Garden to escape the summer heat. You can also pass on the instructions later and move to Changchun Garden that day. Those who have gardens next to Changchun Garden should send people to clean them and move there to live. It will be convenient for discussing government affairs and working." After venting his anger, he kept on talking and was very thoughtful.
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Since the emperor's birthday was too dull, I will not elaborate on it here.
After the Wanshou Festival, Yinreng brought a large group of people to live in Changchun Garden. Among them were his sixteenth and seventeenth brothers. These two brothers had wives who were engaged but could not get married. They were still single and also lived in Changchun Garden with their nephews.
Upon arriving at Changchun Garden, Yinreng's mood brightened with the pleasant surroundings. Prince Yong's report of considerable progress in the Kuoyin case further relaxed his brow. Just as he was feeling elated, his dream was disturbed: the former Jiangsu Provincial Governor, Yi Sigong, knocked on the door, informing him that Governor-General Galin and others were demanding money, leading to a financial shortfall.
Rubbing his forehead, Yinreng understood clearly: Galin must have done something wrong, and Zhang Boxing was right to accuse him. The problem now was that the case would have to be delayed for a while, waiting for more evidence before he could have sufficient reason to dismiss Galin.
Galin was a bannerman, and Zhang Boxing was a Han official. If the two of them had fought, Galin would have been immediately convicted. This would have easily created resentment among the bannermen and encouraged the Han officials. With morale falling, it would have been difficult to lead the troops.
He was furious. Angry at Galin's tendency to embarrass himself, at the chaotic situation, and even more so at the gradual decline of the Eight Banners. With his hands behind his back, Yinreng had already decided to dismiss Galin from his post. He would clean up the bureaucracy, recover deficits, and reform the tax system; he would no longer be needed for his duties.
He raised an eyebrow and opened a memorial. It was from his younger brother, the Fifth Prince, Yunqi. He requested that Liu Jia, the mother of his eldest son, Hongsheng, and Gua Erjia, the mother of his second son, Hong Zhao, be granted the title of Consort. Hongsheng was the man already being arranged to be married, and the Fifth Prince and Consort Yi had already called the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, requesting that he be given a wife as soon as possible.
Yunqi was a man who lived in peace and harmony with the world. To make things look good, Yinreng promoted him to a prince, which just happened to allow him to have two concubines. Under the current system, a prince could have two concubines, so they were the right ones.
Yunqi probably did this to make his son's marriage look good. Guaerjia and Liujia were both concubines who gave birth to sons for him early on. They were also from the family of beautiful girls and were quite favored by him. They had enough qualifications, enough love, and a son. When would he ask for a title if not for them?
Yinreng looked at Yunqi's application and ordered Yarjiang'a to check the imperial certificate. The surname, father's name, and sons recorded in the imperial certificate were consistent with Yunqi's. He also asked about the age. When they matched, he readily approved it. Then he asked Yarjiang'a in a rather tactful way, "You don't have a concubine yet, do you?" Yarjiang'a's concubine, Irgen Jueluo, also had several sons, so her qualifications seemed sufficient.
Yaerjianga was helpless. The emperor was really crazy! Is it not okay for me to praise my wife?! He also had to patiently explain that it was good for him to do so. His wife was happy, he was happy too, and the family was harmonious. The most important thing was that a concubine was a concubine and would not have any extravagant thoughts. There was only one concubine in the family, and everyone listened to her. It was good. If a concubine appeared, even if she was just a concubine, she would have a say, which would lead to a multi-party politics and was not conducive to unity. [1]
Finally, he used Yunqi as a counterexample: "From now on, there will be three masters in Prince Heng's family." It would be weird if it wasn't chaotic.
Yinreng was silent and was about to say something when he heard a report from outside that Jiahe was found in the rice field behind Wuyizhai!
The author has something to say:
[1] From another perspective, Yarjiang'a can be considered a feudal good man.
Golden Harvest——
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