The miserable brothers
Kangxi patted his butt and left in a very casual manner, using the excuse of filial piety to entertain his mother and the excuse of inspecting river works as an excuse. He took with him several sons and a group of ministers, and of course, he did not forget to take a few concubines from the harem with him.
If you say he was just having fun, you'd be wronging him. The old man was one who was more aware of the suffering of the people. Before he set out, he issued an edict: "I will inspect the river works during the southern tour. All funds will be prepared by the capital. Officials should be warned in advance not to burden the people." - The local government didn't have to pay, the capital would pay for it themselves.
It's impossible even if you use your toes to think about it! Otherwise, how did the Cao family owe such a deficit? Of course, part of the deficit of the Cao and Li families was caused by their own troubles, but the Southern Tour is definitely a strengthening item. Think about it, as long as you are an official and have a good reputation known throughout the country, even if you don't flatter the emperor, you have to take good care of his entourage, right? If anyone fails to serve well, or says a little bad word in front of the emperor, don't even think about your future, and you might even be demoted. The emperor is also with the empress dowager, and she can suffer even if the emperor suffers!
Kangxi himself was very considerate of everyone, but this form of group travel at public expense was itself a nuisance to the people.
Kangxi himself was incredibly serious and conscientious. He personally took a small boat to Gaojiayan, Guiren Dike, Lanniqian, and other places for on-site inspections, demonstrating his unwavering resolve. He also intercepted 100,000 dan of grain and distributed it to Gaoyou, Baoying, and other 12 prefectures and counties for a fair sale. He also instructed his accompanying soldiers not to trample on the crops. He was truly conscientious and responsible.
But these could not hide the joy of the journey south. For example, the Fourteenth Prince often wrote back to show off to his mother by riding on the mail from his Khan Father. Another example is Emperor Kangxi, who also wrote to his two sons who stayed behind, describing the beautiful scenery along the way.
After receiving the letter, the two people left behind were extremely frustrated. "Khan Ama, you're having so much fun, showing off your boat, rocking in the wind and waves! You really have a lot of fun! And we're still holed up in Beijing?" The crown prince, in particular, though the advantages of staying in Beijing outweighed the disadvantages, still thought bitterly: "I don't even know what the Yellow River looks like, and you're telling me it's magnificent!"
The fourth son felt even worse, and his younger brother followed him. He wrote back to his mother. Concubine De was not well-educated and was getting older. Presbyopia was quite normal for someone in their forties in that era. Someone was needed to read the letters. To bridge the gap between her husband and her mother-in-law, the fourth concubine often went to serve attentively, adding a new chore: reading letters.
After finishing the reading, she returned to report to her husband what her fourteenth brother had said, how happy her mother was, and how worried she was. Yinzhen felt a pang of jealousy.
A duo of miserable brothers.
No matter how jealous I was, I still had to work. I had no choice but to turn my jealousy into motivation and throw myself into my work with even greater enthusiasm.
The task of selecting a site for the Fifth Princess's new residence, after the Crown Prince's help (?), finally fell to Yinzhen. Yinzhen took the matter very seriously, treating it as a job, and daily inquired with the Imperial Household Department to see if the houses had been moved to the designated plot of land.
The people in the Imperial Household Department were on the verge of tears. Their immediate boss, Hirasun, was dead, and now they were in such a mess, and this gentleman came to join in the fun again! And he acted like he was determined to join in. One day he asked, "Have those houses on the west side been demolished?" The next day he asked, "Have they been given enough money to move? Don't let the Fifth Princess's case make people homeless!" The day after tomorrow he asked, "Do you have the blueprints for the new palace?"
"Master, please just be quiet! It's much better to be like the Crown Prince. Look, he can chat with Zhang Ying, talk with Wang Fan, or play chess with his chamberlain. If you save yourself some trouble, everyone else will also save themselves some worry."
The Fourth Master didn't hear their inner cries, so he started again: "I looked at the blueprint yesterday, and the yard looks too narrow. Let's move the houses on the edge as well."
A new mission has arrived...
This guy is so annoying!
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The Fourth Master always made everyone work, he was not a good person, and the seemingly leisurely Crown Prince was not necessarily any better. Of course, he was not tormenting others, but was depressed about himself.
The Crown Prince was always cute when he met the Emperor. His 25th birthday was approaching, and over the years, the Emperor had mastered his tactics. Overproduction and inventory were piling up. The Crown Prince faced an "economic crisis" in every sense of the word. However, his connections with the ministers, especially the Han officials, were not that deep. Finally, His Royal Highness had found a new market.
Therefore, the Crown Prince would often be heard sighing, "I am honored to be the Crown Prince. Although I stay in the capital to share my father's worries, I cannot serve him day and night and show my filial piety. I can only do my job conscientiously."
Or they might ask with concern, "Is Master Zhang's father still healthy? I heard he's been feeling a little unwell lately. Please be careful."
He is sincere and earnest, and is truly a good prince who respects the wise and humble.
Only he knew that he was putting on such a show that he really wanted to smack someone! To keep up appearances, he couldn't let out his anger. He couldn't just smack anyone he disliked, or beat up the young eunuchs because they were ugly, as usual. But outside, he suppressed his temper and dealt with people. These old foxes, who seemed grateful to him in front of him, were actually better at Tai Chi than anyone else and wouldn't give him a single honest word.
It's clear that Old Wang supports the Crown Prince, but he only speaks from the perspective of righteousness and never expresses his loyalty.] Zhang Ying didn't respond at all, seemingly unaware of the Crown Prince's anxiety. He was eager to know what to do when he was separated from the Emperor for several months each year, creating a vacuum in his contact with the Emperor, a situation that was sure to be exploited by someone.
It’s so frustrating!
In the past, Wang Fan said, "Prince, please be patient. How can the ties of kinship be strained by a mere thousand miles or a few months? Prince, if you only prioritize filial piety and respect for elders, and act with integrity, you will be sharing your king's worries."
Or, "Thank you, Your Highness, for asking about me. My father is feeling better now. If he knew that Your Highness had asked about me, he would surely be delighted."
Yinreng was satisfied, believing everyone was on his side. However, as his emotional intelligence and observational skills improved, he realized everyone was just spouting clichés, like the official documents submitted during the New Year's Day celebrations. How many times have these bastards fooled me before?!
In fact, the situation was not as bad as he thought.
In view of the prince's recent good performance, the Han officials are willing to show him a little closeness. In this regard, the Han officials are more flexible than the Manchu officials, or have a more sensitive nose.
To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, the Manchu court was more like a joint-stock company. The largest shareholder was, of course, the imperial family. The remaining Manchu clans, even the commoners, were all shareholders, large and small, particularly the families of the five founding ministers. It's true that the imperial family consisted of the Three Great Clans, and within the Five Great Clans, there were also princes and lords of the various banners. However, the organizational cells, the Zuoling, were dispersed among people of different surnames.
For example, the renowned Tong Banchao, the seemingly powerful Crown Princess's family, or Suo Etu, who retained his rank of Zuoling even after being stripped of his other titles. Zuoling, at times, felt a bit like private property.
Through this somewhat inappropriate analogy, you can see that although the Bannermen called themselves slaves, in reality, they were not completely subservient, and this was true for both the Crown Prince and the Emperor. They had the confidence, and we had invested, so we came to share in the dividends.
Well, if the board of directors has more power, it might deprive smaller investors of many of their rights, or even launch a hostile takeover, leaving you with nothing. However, this is rare, and unless there's a compelling reason, if you make a mistake, the company might be passed on to your children, grandchildren, brothers, or cousins.
Someone like Oboi was trapped himself, while his brothers and nephews all escaped in the end. It was because Suwan Guwalgiya was such a person that even if the emperor wanted to kill him, he would have to think twice. Of course, Kangxi had other considerations for leaving him alive.
In contrast, Han officials had been baptized by thousands of years of orthodox thought, especially the orthodox Confucian thought of the past thousand years. We cannot rule out the possibility of some taking advantage of the situation, nor can we guarantee that everyone is as loyal as they appear. At least, emotionally, they are easy to please—but only for someone with the status of the crown prince.
After all, you're just an employee. Forget about the saying, "Every man is responsible for the fate of his country." If you really have a responsibility, you've been shouldering it for over half a century! Just make sure you're not a bad person. These days, it's hard to make a living.
Many people crave stability and smooth sailing, especially those in high positions. In a world where your population is multiplied by yours, yet your chances of becoming an official are still lower, reaching such heights isn't easy. No matter how ambitious you are, you won't become a powerful official; simply being valued by the emperor is enough.
A new emperor appoints his own ministers. To live a peaceful life, one must have a fallback plan. The principle of being prepared for danger in times of peace and having three burrows is a necessary evil. Everyone agrees that action is better than silence, and following the crown prince is more reliable than following anyone else. However, they cannot express their stance clearly; they are not shareholders. They clearly possess the skills of professional managers, yet they cannot even secure a position. They can only silently observe, the pressure of survival!
There are risks in entering the industry, so you need to be cautious.
Let's observe a little longer. Well, talking to the Crown Prince for a while, listening to what he says, and analyzing his character might be a good idea. We don't have the power to make a single decision. Even if we take action, we need to be subtle. Even these subtle actions could carry significant risks. If the Crown Prince isn't good enough, it really isn't worth it.
He also had another calculation in mind: the crown prince was the legitimate heir, so even if he took over, he would be more open-minded. As long as everyone didn't make any serious mistakes, they wouldn't be maliciously retaliated against. With the title of a veteran minister, many things would be tolerated.
Of these individuals, Li Guangdi was the most thoughtful. He was deeply valued by Emperor Kangxi, and this wasn't in vain. Kangxi even personally brought his old enemy, Chen Menglei, back from the Northeast. Although he didn't offer him an official position, it also showed his attitude. Under such circumstances, Li Guangdi was not completely abandoned by Emperor Kangxi, which shows how deeply he held the emperor's heart.
Li Guangdi had a good idea. "I'm a Han official. This matter is not my place to interfere. I'll just sit back and take my place. I won't care about Mingzhu's attempts to win me over. If you win, I won't object. At most, I'll go home and study. As for the crown prince, that's even easier. I'm your father's favorite. You, the heir who inherited everything from your father, can handle it yourself."
I forgot to mention that Li Guangdi was also the prince's teacher.
Do you understand? They won't take action until they reach a certain level. Even if they already have a little affection for you.
To put it bluntly, these people, ever since they entered officialdom, have been competing against a group of people who have cheated and received extra points for their ethnicity on exams. How could they be fooled by a few words? This is a complete insult to the intelligence of the entire officialdom. Some of them are older than Kangxi, and have eaten more salt than Yinreng. Even if they don't have IQ, they have experience!
If you want others to truly care about you, Prince, you still have a long way to go.
Well, Hanchen needs the slow work of terrazzo, but what about Manchen? You want to be the chairman, even though your father holds more than 50% of the shares, you still have to get the approval of small and medium shareholders, right?
The Manchu officials are also annoying!
They are more likely to ignore the prince's ideas, the Tong family is an example.
Their daughter was Yinreng's stepmother, and this relationship was delicate enough. Unfortunately, the stepmother did not fulfill her obligation to raise him, but instead raised someone else. It was Kangxi's arrangement, but the fact that it resulted was that the prince was not close to this group.
A descendant of the Five Ministers, Dong E married his third brother, and the Niuhulu clan was his tenth brother's maternal uncle's family. His wife was actually from the Guarjia clan, but unfortunately, she changed her surname back later...
None of these people have a chance to talk to him!
Yinreng was terribly troubled, realizing all these years had been wasted! Those around him kept a polite distance from him, as if separated by a transparent shield. They appeared close, but in reality, no one could touch the other. As far as the court was concerned, it wasn't much of a stretch to say he was completely alone.
I'm such a fool, really! I wasted so much good time!
Yinreng slapped his hand on his calligraphy book in regret. What kind of people did his father pair him with when he first started school? Not counting the now-dead Tang Bin and the others, there were also Zhang Ying, Xiong Cilü, Li Guangdi... who were they?
At that time, I was only concerned with pretending to be the crown prince and thinking about studying hard and doing well.
Looking back now, I was so stupid! Why did I let the teacher stand until she fainted? Why did I wait until something happened before letting the teacher sit down?
If I had a good relationship with my teacher back then, now...
Friendship takes time, especially if you don't respect someone when they're your teacher. By the time you need to hire them, it's too late. Trying to mend the relationship only makes them look at you with suspicion. The bad consequences of your childhood have matured. Prince, please take your time to savor them.
The Crown Prince wanted to scratch the wall.
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The crown prince's son also wanted to scratch the wall.
After being comforted by his parents, the little fat boy, who was still a child after all, had a simpler mind, and he quickly adjusted himself and became a good brother again. Although his two older brothers were not unfamiliar with him, they had to go to school, while he had easier homework, so he had plenty of time to play with his younger brothers.
The second fat boy seems to be trying hard to grow up, strictly following the secret recipe of "sleep, grow an inch", and sleeping whenever he can! The little fat boy really wants to act like an adult and comes to see his brother whenever he can, but now he doesn't poke him anymore: "When you were a child, your brother read to you, and you probably slept back then too. It's okay, you sleep, and I'll recite to you. Today, my father told you..."
He changed his muttering!
Even the Monkey King couldn't stand Tang Monk's nagging, and Fatty Er couldn't match Monkey King's ability, but the little fat man was surprisingly patient, and Fatty Er was finally awakened by the nagging.
He was awakened by the bullying of his mother and brother.
Shujia initially welcomed Erpang, as he was also a worry-free child. Unfortunately, even if Erpang could sleep twenty hours a day, he would still be awake for four hours, right? If he moved his sleep time to the day, his wakefulness would be at night. The child couldn't stand it any longer, so he resorted to his ultimate weapon—crying!
Shujia was in a terrible headache. Then, along came the savior, the little fat boy. Still feeling sorry for his brother and wanting to be a good brother, hesitantly asked if he could play with him.
It was great to come! Shujia finally found her savior: "Hongdan, be good. You can play with your brother, but you have to have Nanny watch over you. Your brother is still young and his bones haven't hardened yet. You can talk to him now."
The fat boy got permission and learned his lesson from being beaten, so he stood at a safe distance and harassed people in various ways.
Erpang finally opened his hazy eyes and woke up.
The little fat boy was happy: "Come, let's talk, call me brother, call me brother——brother——"
Erpang's vocal cords haven't fully developed yet! Even if he heard it, he still wouldn't understand it and wouldn't be able to learn it.
The little fat boy, like his father, called the person who should have called him brother "brother" countless times. His younger brother was happy to hear this, clapping his hands and laughing, but he didn't say a word.
Although the little fat boy was taught to be steady, he couldn't help it and stamped his feet on the kang: "Why don't you make a sound~"
"Slurp~" the sound of slurping saliva. I laughed too hard just now and my saliva was flowing out.
The little fat boy was completely defeated: "Mother~~~~~ Look at him!"
What a pair of annoying brothers!
Having seen enough of the joke, Shujia finally came up to smooth things over: "Are you tired? When you were his age, you couldn't speak either. Your father taught you every day so that you could call him. It wasn't until you were around a year old that you could speak."
Oh, her son is going to have a temper. Being a mother is like this, worrying endlessly. When her son is upset, she hopes he will be sensible. But when he is sensible, she starts to worry that he has a tendency to suppress himself, and she will not be satisfied until he jumps a few times.
The little fat boy reluctantly accepted this explanation, but he was still not very happy. He threw himself into his mother's arms and acted like a spoiled child, then looked at the second fat boy with an innocent smile with a sad look. He lamented, "It's so hard to be a good brother!"
The little adult looked so adorable that everyone in the room laughed.
At this time, Yinreng arrived. The eunuch guarding the gate saw him from a distance, quietly informed the people in the house, and then went back to guard the gate.
When Yinreng came in, everyone who needed to be in their seats had already returned to their seats, and the little fat boy was sitting obediently on the kang, holding Erpang's little hand.
"What are you so happy about? I can hear your laughter from far away." Yinreng spoke in a slightly gentler tone.
"Hongdan was teaching his brother how to speak. He called him 'brother' dozens of times, but he didn't hear Hongtong reply."
Yinreng finally smiled, reached out to hug Hongdan, and poked his tender face with his newly grown beard: "You little rascal, you've come to this day!" He then reached out to touch his youngest son's face and said, "Well done!"
Sending his sons to play together, Yinreng and Shujia "talked like adults", but don't think in the wrong way, they were talking about serious matters.
"While it's still early afternoon, go and see someone."
"Hmm? Who needs my visit?"
"Thirteenth brother's biological mother is getting seriously ill." If anything happens, don't do it when I'm at home! Who should be held responsible for this?
"Huh? How could that be?" The legend about the Thirteenth Master's mother dying young was true, but that was just a legend after all! Legend has it that the Thirteenth Master was bullied as a child! Bullied as hell! He was thankful he didn't bully anyone. Kangxi loved him like crazy, taking him wherever he went. Considering his age, this wasn't out of precaution; it was out of love! So why did Yinreng act like the Thirteenth Master's mother was about to die?
"If it weren't serious, I wouldn't have known about it. The women in this palace should all take their medicine as if it were their meals. If you catch a cold, it's good for the ladies to know. Today, the concubine mother of the Yonghe Palace actually sent someone to tell me, which shows that it's serious and must be treated as a serious matter."
Consort De? "She's the mistress. Can't she talk to Khan Ama herself? When the emperor led the army in person, he allowed her to bring back letters. After all, you're a prince, a generation apart. How can you interfere in Khan Ama's harem?"
Yinreng was helpless: "She needs the Khan's order to send a message to the emperor. It's better than me, who has express horses delivering memorials every day."
"Okay, I'll pack it up right away."
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The Thirteenth Prince's mother was a beauty, even when she was ill she was still a sick beauty. The Thirteenth Prince's biological mother, Zhang Jia, had an oval face, though her cheeks had thinned out, and her almond-shaped eyes had lost some of their luster. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, in the style popular in the palace, with long, slender eyebrows.
Listening to her, you'll understand why Kangxi fathered three children with her in a row: "It's just a common symptom in spring and summer, but you have to trouble the Crown Princess to come all this way. Master De is so worried about me that she has disturbed the Crown Prince, and now the Emperor. This is absolutely unacceptable. I can't let these little things of mine disrupt everyone's fun."
A person who is very considerate of others.
Shujia inevitably offered some standard words of comfort, concluding, "Mother Defei is worried about you, isn't she? Tell her that the emperor is on his way back to the palace, and that the Thirteenth Prince will be back soon. Don't worry, don't worry, and once you feel relieved, you might feel better."
When he said this, it was already the fourth month of summer. The Crown Princess' birthday was approaching, and so was the Crown Prince's. The fat boy's birthday... had already passed, and his grandfather hadn't made it this time, though he had given him many gifts. He had been on a southern tour with the Empress Dowager, bringing back many local products from the south.
Zhang Jia said, "You have touched my heart. I miss Yinxiang."
Shujia smiled and took her hand. It felt dry and warm, and she felt relieved. She patted her hand and said, "Children are a good remedy for illness."
This seemed to have come true. As soon as Yinxiang returned, knowing that Zhangjia was ill, Kangxi considerately sent Yinxiang to tend to her. Within two days, Zhangjia was able to get up.
Shujia thought to herself, I told you, the popular science about the Thirteenth Master is also unreliable. "Alright, tie this one up and seal it up, don't get it mixed up! This is for Prince Zhen's mansion."
Well, with the return of Kangxi, the princes had to move, and the Yuqing Palace was going to go bankrupt again. The money that was paid out could not be taken back, and the prince and his family did not want to move out of the palace.
The author has something to say: Ahem, it is said that when a certain person was the same age as Erpang, he slept like this. He would snore during the day and cry at night.
At that time, Roudie had just been promoted to a father and had no idea what to do. After intimidation and coaxing failed, as a responsible father, he woke up the visiting Rou uncle and took Roudie to a hospital N far away for treatment...
It was a long way! There were no night taxis at the time, so I rode my bicycle there. It took me a long time to get there, and I was so anxious on the way.
Arriving at the hospital, Roudie registered and asked for a doctor. He told the doctor that the child kept crying and he didn't know why. He asked if it was an emergency and that she was still young and couldn't speak.
As he spoke, he looked down at the meat anxiously.
A certain meat: zzzzzzzzz~
Meat Daddy: ...
Doctor: Did you sleep too much during the day?
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