The girl moisturizes things silently
Suo Etu found that his opportunities to meet with the crown prince were becoming fewer and fewer. Since returning from the grassland, he and Yinreng had met alone twice.
The first time was the day after their group meeting just after they came back. Yinreng went to build relationships with Kangxi on the first day. The father and son stayed together, talked all day, and had a long talk in the evening.
The next day, after Yinreng confirmed that he had no trouble communicating with Kangxi, he met with Soetu at Yuqing Palace after leaving court. The two exchanged information, and Yinreng, already aware of Soetu's foolish actions on the grassland, expressed some dissatisfaction: "Khan Ama has been planning this war for a long time, his mind as hot as a lump of coal, and you insisted on pouring a basin of snow water. Tong Guowei is foolish, and you can't follow him in his footsteps."
This was the result of a heart-to-heart talk between father and son the previous night. Although Yinreng had galloped hundreds of miles to meet him, that was still outside the palace. Now, back in the palace, on familiar ground, father and son began to discuss the most basic topics. Kangxi's annoyance with Soetu was growing, so of course... he needed to give him some scorn. Furthermore, his persistence was right, and Fei Yanggu had ultimately triumphed, which gave Kangxi a certain sense of pride.
If we were to ask who Yinreng was closest to in the world, it would undoubtedly be Kangxi. Of course, the still-weaned, chubby child in Yuqing Palace could continue to try to inch closer to that goal for decades to come. As the father-son bond grew stronger, Yinreng naturally trusted Kangxi more. Soetu had indeed done something foolish again, the old Shi family sorcerer had made a definitive prediction, and the chubby child's mother had subtly hinted that it was time for Soetu to retire.
As a result, influenced by this, Yinreng started complaining as soon as they met.
Suo Etu had a green olive in his mouth, unable to tell the real reason, so he could only vaguely agree, and then used Tong Guowei as a shield: "He is the emperor's uncle and the emperor's father-in-law. I have been demoted and retained. He said he wanted to persuade me, how could I not listen?"
The logic makes sense. Yinreng sighed and said, "I thought you could get promoted again this time..."
Soetu cheered up: "Why should the prince sigh? I was not promoted, and neither was Mingzhu. This time, I am in charge of the vanguard camp, and Mingzhu is in charge of logistics." If there is to be a promotion, I should be promoted first. If I am not promoted, Mingzhu will not be promoted either. It's still fair.
"This time, you are accompanying the emperor on the expedition. What do you think of the situation in the central army?"
Yinreng and Soetu discussed one thing: how to maintain their own position. This was a major undertaking, encompassing two aspects: first, expanding one's own power; second, weakening the enemy's. Specifically, they sought to win over as many high-ranking individuals as possible to their side, while also discrediting and ultimately destroying those in the opposing camp.
In response, Suo Etu could not help but complain about Fuquan: "Everyone says Prince Yu is honest and straightforward, but in fact he is a slippery and slippery person... He just doesn't tell the truth."
Yinreng frowned at this. Seeing that the nail had been hammered in, Suo Etu decided to stop while he was ahead. He had to be careful about the timing and the degree of propriety when speaking ill of his uncle, a man who had never treated him badly, to his nephew.
Little did Yinreng know that while he was slightly dissatisfied with Fuquan, he was also thinking: Soetu, he really has grown old. Yinreng looked at Soetu's graying braids and sighed, "Time is unforgiving!" Back then, when Soetu wanted to recruit people, he was always so successful. Such a large group of people, not only because of Sony and the crown prince's reputation, but also largely due to Soetu's personal charm. When Soetu was serious, he was truly respectful and educated, and he could even communicate with people like Xiong Cilü.
Now, even Fuquan, with his limited education, couldn't handle it. Soetu was indeed old. Fuquan had always given people the impression of being a peaceful and honest man. He had endured such a huge loss from Yinzhi, which shows he wasn't difficult to get along with. Yinreng was in his twenties, and had long passed the age of "Soetu is my relative, he treats me well, so whoever he says is bad is bad."
Although he took note of the fact that 'Fuquan actually refused to show goodwill to me this time', he also added an item in his mental account book that 'Soetu was unable to win over someone as influential as Prince Yu'.
Of course, Suo-etu didn't notice. Seeing Yinreng's displeasure, he felt relieved—just as he had every time they met. People tend to think inertially, assuming others haven't changed, yet they don't realize the world is constantly evolving. Suo-etu still treated Yinreng with the same closeness they once had, unaware that Yinreng had been manipulated.
The second time was at Changchun Garden, when the crown prince accompanied the emperor to attend court. During a break when Kangxi summoned other people, the two met. Soetu was in a state of anxiety at the time. The battle had been fought and won, and he had hoped to turn the tables and regain his rank, but the emperor remained silent. Some speculated he was waiting for the eldest prince.
Suo Etu could no longer sit still and looked for an opportunity to go to Yinreng. Unfortunately, the right time never came. The prince was always with the emperor, his wife was not with him, and he had no other entertainment activities. It was a good opportunity for him to pester the emperor to strengthen the father-son relationship.
Before the expedition, Kangxi had reprimanded Yinzhi several times for Yinreng's actions, intentionally or unintentionally. Yinreng had tasted the sweetness of the situation. With his relatively bright mind, he realized something: following Kangxi meant worry-free. It didn't matter if he acted magnanimously; after all, the Khan Ama had seen his "grievances" and would certainly avenge him.
Later, Yinreng gradually developed two major hobbies for Yinzhi: one, pretending to be magnanimous and watching him being scolded by Kangxi; two, being kind to the eighth brother and watching the eldest brother get angry.
——This is a later story. At this time, he was worrying about the difficult problem that Soetu mentioned.
What Suo Etu meant was that the Crown Prince could bring it up, speak for him, and test the waters. It would be best if he could issue an order to restore Suo Etu to his original rank before Mingzhu returned. "Then, I will be able to put pressure on the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War, so that even if Mingzhu has made contributions, he can still be suppressed..."
Yinreng was tempted and immediately nodded in agreement. Unexpectedly, just as he opened his mouth to Kangxi, "Khan Ama, the army has returned. I'm submitting a memorial to the Ministry of Personnel, requesting an imperial decree regarding the performance evaluations of officials along the northern expedition..." Kangxi retorted, "That's not urgent. Right now, there's something you need to ask the Ministry of Rites to do quickly." He then showed Yinreng a piece of paper.
Yinreng was speechless after reading this: His aunt, Empress Renxiao's sister and another niece of Soetu, Hesheli, had died. She had given birth to a prince in the 30th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, named Yinzhen, who tragically died young. Hesheli, a concubine of Galabu, hadn't enjoyed the same high status as the sisters of the other two empresses, but she was still well-treated, receiving the same benefits as a consort—but she had never been canonized.
Now that people have died, they always have to be buried beautifully. Kangxi finally gave her an official appointment and named her Concubine Ping.
Speaking of it, Yinreng and this aunt were not close. Concubine Ping was much younger than Empress Renxiao and was not qualified to take care of the prince, and they rarely spent time together.
But since Kangxi had proposed it, Yinreng had to pretend to do it and was busy for a while. After returning, Kangxi said, "Pack up and go back a few days early. It's time to celebrate the child's 100th day."
Now, he was back to busying himself with the little fat boy. As soon as Yinreng came back and saw his fat son, he temporarily forgot about Soetu. When he guessed that Kangxi's reason for not rewarding him immediately was because there would be another war next year, he became even less anxious to ask for a reward for Soetu, and in his heart he was glad that he hadn't mentioned Soetu directly at the time.
Soetu was anxious. He had finally realized that if he didn't take the initiative, he wouldn't be able to see the crown prince. In the past, the crown prince would have sent for him every few days, and the emperor wouldn't have stopped him. But now, getting a meeting was extremely difficult.
First, the crown prince stopped contacting him. Yinreng suddenly seemed to have forgotten that there was a person named Soetu in the world. He was not anxious when the eldest prince came back, and he was still not anxious when Mingzhu came back.
Secondly, the crown prince suddenly became extremely busy. Kangxi kept a close eye on him, juggling all sorts of work, tasks, and social engagements. Soetu was terribly anxious. He could already sense Kangxi's ill will towards him, and he felt the only way to protect himself was to cling to the crown prince.
For this reason, Suo Etu had no choice but to shamelessly look for an opportunity to find Yinreng again. He wanted to find out what Kangxi planned to do this time.
Little did he know that Kangxi hated two things about him: first, forming a clique; second, corrupting the crown prince. Kangxi could tolerate the first, demoting him and then promoting him again; the second was something he absolutely could not tolerate. Soetu was accelerating on the path to angering his immediate superior.
Yinreng met with him and told him his guess. Suo'etu was stunned for a moment, then realized that this was very likely! Wiping his sweat, Suo'etu said, "Your Highness is wise. I didn't expect this. In this case, I will go back and think about how to deal with the war next year."
Looking at his back, Yinreng could not help but sigh again: Soetu is old, and his wisdom is not wise. In the past, if there was anything, he would tell Soetu and he would have a solution. But now... Sigh...
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Shujia had no idea of Yinreng's inner journey. If she knew, she would have set off fireworks and made vows before the Buddha. Besides the fat boy (who was the main concern), she now had two other things to worry about: first, the centenary of the Fifth Prince's eldest son, and second, the Eighth Prince's concubine.
The Fifth Prince's eldest son's hundredth-day celebration was less grand, yet more vibrant. While the Third Prince's hundredth-day celebration in Yuqing Palace was heavily political, the Fifth Prince's illegitimate son's hundredth day celebration was a rare moment of relaxation for the palace families. The child's biological mother was a concubine and therefore not the head of the family, while Concubine Yi was the grandmother, but it was not within her power to directly manage the prince's affairs. Coincidentally, the Empress Dowager suggested that Shujia assist.
The Empress Dowager's favorite grandson, aside from the unsurpassed Crown Prince Yinreng, was the Fifth Prince, whom she personally raised. Coincidentally, the Crown Princess was her favorite, universally praised as a virtuous and kind person. Whenever the Empress Dowager was troubled, the Crown Princess would easily offer a solution. Whenever she faced a problem, the Empress Dowager thought of her.
Shujia was still a little embarrassed and asked the Empress Dowager, "I wonder what the Yikun Palace Concubine Mother is planning?"
The Empress Dowager clapped her hands and said, "Oh, I almost forgot about her."
Well, the Empress Dowager hadn't thought of asking Concubine Yi's opinion yet. Well, the Crown Princess was the first to report in every day. The Empress Dowager was rather simple-minded, so when she found someone she could trust, she asked first. She was quite pleased with herself: This time, I was the first to think of the inconvenience of having no woman to manage things at Old Fifth's place. I was so thoughtful. It just so happened that the Crown Princess was both his sister-in-law and the future head of the household. What a perfect match.
Now she realized what was happening, and blushed a little. Shujia laughed inwardly, this old lady.
Concubine Yi was also worried about this matter. The Imperial Household Department was responsible for all matters related to the grandson's hundredth day celebration. Although the person in charge didn't have to worry too much, it would be difficult to have no one to support the banquet on the day of the banquet. Concubine Yi looked around and saw that the eldest son's wife was about to give birth and was not feeling well. The third son's wife was also pregnant. The fourth son's wife was young and had no experience in managing affairs. She also wanted to turn her attention to the Crown Princess, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.
Now the Empress Dowager brought it up first: "Men aren't thoughtful enough. You should think of a younger generation to take care of things." After saying that, she winked at Concubine Yi and pouted at the Crown Princess. Concubine Yi immediately understood that the Empress Dowager was interested in the Crown Princess. They were of the same mind.
He pretended, "I'm worried about this. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has listed everything, but I say they're not very thoughtful and attentive enough. When the family feast comes, do I have to be the one to take the lead now that I'm a madam?"
The Empress Dowager deliberately frowned and said, "I was just saying that."
Shujia was upset. "Grandfather, your expression is so fake..."
Concubine Tong pursed her lips and smiled: "If you ask me, there is a ready-made person here. If I recommend the right person, how will the ancestors reward me? How will my sister thank me?"
Concubine Yi felt that she had played enough of the empress dowager's drama, so she got to the point: "This wish has been fulfilled. Thank you in any way you want."
The Empress Dowager was a little worried and asked hesitantly, "Who do you want to recommend?" Don't get it wrong, otherwise it will be embarrassing.
How could Concubine Tong have thought of something else? The Empress Dowager had already written the answer on her face. Shujia was helpless. When she looked at Concubine Tong, she thought she was smiling. When she looked at Concubine Yi, she thought she was also smiling. Nearby, Concubine Rong and Concubine De covered their mouths with fans, their eyes darting around, all watching the Empress Dowager's tangled expression.
Concubine Tong finally recommended the Crown Princess. The Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief and was overjoyed: "I thought so too. This is great!"
Shujia: Damn!
Come back and tell Yinreng about it.
Yinreng also said: "When our eldest and second princes were young, they were all taken care of by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Didn't they also come here?"
I knew you weren't paying attention. Did you really think you were celebrating your child's 100th day? What a great social opportunity! Interpersonal communication always begins with nonsense. And nonsense is often spoken in situations like this. First, you become familiar, then you become acquaintances, and then you develop a deeper connection.
I don’t know how the eldest prince celebrated the full month and hundredth day celebrations of his four daughters, but what is certain is that, except for the eldest princess, there were many female relatives at the hands of the eldest wife at the time of the other three princesses.
But she didn't say it directly, just said: "No matter what, since the fifth brother hasn't married yet, it's not appropriate for Yikun Palace to show up. Someone has to come out. I don't care. Do I have to let my eldest sister-in-law greet people with a bulging belly? When the time comes, I will sit high up, and the elders, sisters-in-law, brothers and sisters who come... will look decent? I would rather talk to everyone like this. Besides, it won't tire me out. Asking Yikun Palace to do us a favor is not a bad idea. I heard that there are some very good dishes in the Yikun Palace's small kitchen, especially the pot. When winter comes, I will ask for the recipe and stew it for you."
Yinreng said, "You just mean well. Return the pot. Do me a favor and ask for a few recipes?" After saying this, he paused, as if he understood something, and stopped talking.
Shujia said she was helping, but it wasn't much of a stretch. The Fifth Prince wasn't the Seventh Prince. He was bullied on the battlefield, and his food was suspected of being withheld. He had the Empress Dowager and Concubine Yi to support him, and the Imperial Household Department was also very honest. The Crown Princess's presence meant that the Crown Prince wouldn't dare slack off.
Shujia's main job was to chat with the royal ladies who attended the Hundred Days Banquet as an agent. This was not only for herself, but also to advertise Yuqing Palace.
They were all family, and Concubine Yi was a cheerful person. Now that she was celebrating a happy occasion, she was all smiles, which in turn made everyone present feel good. Some people just had this ability.
The child was brought out, and everyone gathered around for a while. Shujia still felt that her own children were the best. Although this child was also white and tender, he was not as cute as the fat boy. She still said, "How adorable!" But he was just not as good as my son.
She was also very generous. She had a whole set of accessories for the child, including bracelets, anklets, necklaces, purses, small clothes, shoes, etc., all made by the Imperial Household Department and registered in her name. In addition, she also took out Yinreng's share of the gift.
When she met an elder from the imperial clan, she would first perform state etiquette, then family etiquette (although no one dared to accept her courtesy), always with full courtesy. When she met someone from the Duoduo clan, she was more approachable, still acting like a dignified junior. Everyone who saw her whispered that the Crown Princess was quite polite. After greeting everyone, Shujia sent them to speak to the Empress Dowager, then noticed that she was not the main character today - she pushed Concubine Yi forward and said, "I'm going to go check on the child. I'll have to take him out later. I'll ask the wet nurse to feed him once and then clean up his diapers. Please keep an eye on him for now, Concubine."
He pulled himself away, went back, and made sure the child was tidied up. Then he quietly sat down and talked with the First and Third Concubines.
Outside, Kangxi was also present. After all, he didn't have many grandchildren, so he hadn't lost count. Looking at his many sons and thinking about the number of grandchildren he already had, he felt very happy. Kangxi didn't like to drink much, and the people below him were also very nervous, not daring to drink.
Kangxi was still talking to Fuquan and the others. He had deliberately placed the crown prince downstairs with his brothers, leaving only an empty seat next to himself. Next to him sat Fuquan and Changning. Yabuin, a high-ranking official, also sat on his left and right. Kangxi extended his finger and traced the area below: "Looking at this, all the hard work is worth it."
Fuquan had a deep affection for his younger brother. As they were of similar age, he could understand his feelings and said, "Your Majesty is a man of great dignity, yet you personally venture into dangerous territory. We, your servants, are merely following in his footsteps."
"I'm well aware of the hard work you've put in, but now's not the time to discuss your achievements," Kangxi lowered his voice, but his peripheral vision caught Fuquan, Changning, and Yabu's gaze, and his voice still reached their ears clearly. "As long as Galdan isn't dead, I can't sleep peacefully. Now Fei Yanggu is away. If we can get Galdan, everything will be peaceful. If not, there will be another battle. Then—"
Kangxi knew that Fuquan was a kind man who wouldn't necessarily gossip, but Changning wasn't one of them. Once this was said, Changning was bound to spread it around, giving everyone a heads-up. After all, Fei Yanggu, the great hero, hasn't even returned yet, so why are you so anxious? Kangxi was particularly dissatisfied with the way both Ming and Suo were rubbing their hands in anticipation. Fortunately, the crown prince didn't speak up for Soetu this time. Kangxi felt his son had made great progress, which was great. A man should be independent, especially the crown prince, who shouldn't always be so close to Soetu.
Kangxi had guessed correctly: Chang Ning was a little bully who didn't follow the rules. Who could blame him for having such a good brother? As soon as word got out, even the old foxes in the court came to their senses. Everyone knew that this was because Galdan wasn't completely finished yet. At this moment, everyone was hoping for one thing: that Fei Yanggu wouldn't have it too easy this time, so that Galdan would be around to replace us next year!
Yabu returned to the mansion and dragged Yaerjiang'a to his study, giving him a hard look. "Maybe there will be another battle next year. You, improve yourself. Even if I can't go next year, I'll still send you." Yaerjiang'a was a little surprised. The prince guessed right?! He nodded immediately and said, "The prince reminded me of this, but I didn't dare say it at the time for fear of causing trouble for the prince. I didn't expect it to be true."
Yabu glanced at his son again and waved his hand: "It's good that you know it. Don't meddle in other people's business. Go down."
Then he walked around the study several times before finally making up his mind. He had always been enthusiastic about orthodoxy, and now seeing that his son had a good relationship with the crown prince, and most importantly, the crown prince was also good to Yarjiang'e, he finally decided that next year, once Yarjiang'e had made enough achievements, he would ask for him to be named the crown prince.
In this case, if there is any event in the near future, Yabu will have to fight for a spot for Yarjianga so that he can show up more often, Yabu thought.
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Yabu's plan was quite reliable. Next, there was an incident in the palace that was very suitable for Yarjiang'a to appear - the Eighth Prince Na Ce.
This time, there was no need for the Crown Princess. With the Eighth Prince's adoptive mother, Consort Hui, and the eldest wife, who lived nearby, they would naturally handle the matter. Yinzhi said, "Why did the second prince's wife take the lead last time?"
Shujia was happy to show up and then just sit around, chatting with the Third and Fourth Fujins. Then she said, "I'm tired," and went back to see the children. She always felt a little strange about the Eighth Prince taking a concubine. How could she not feel strange when she saw the legendary loyal man taking a concubine?
Outside, the groom was nearly burned to death by the kindness of his eldest and second brothers! His second brother, whose lower eyelid was swollen from seeing people, actually smiled so gently, while his foolish eldest brother acted like a jealous woman. If the crown prince drank one cup with him, the eldest brother would drink two cups with him to show that he had the best relationship with the eighth brother... and so on.
After seeing the eldest prince's performance, Yarjiang'a decided to stand on the side of the crown prince. The eldest prince... is so stupid!
He found an opportunity and met with the prince: "Your servant father said..."
Yinreng nodded and said, "Khan Ama has already asked the Imperial Guard to prepare. Once the Eighth Brother is done with this matter, he will set off. You should go back and pack as well."
Sure enough, a few days later, Kangxi announced: "Let's go!" He went on another long journey.
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