The pain of transformation and growth
Shujia was a bit frightened when she woke up the next day. Her father had once beaten her for some inappropriate remarks. Within two seconds of opening her eyes, Yinreng was already awake. Life in this palace had made their biological clocks incredibly...precise.
After getting up, she found that Yinreng was a little different from usual. She couldn't put her finger on what was different, but she just felt that he had changed. He was still the same person, his movements were still the same. Every morning when he got up, he would reach out and help her, and then they would dress together, drink lotus, have some snacks, and check on the fat boy before going to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Today was no exception. Shujia felt as if her soul had changed. Could it be because of last night? Shujia's heart began to grow heavy.
She didn't regret finally convincing Yinreng. God knows how long they'd been discussing this privately. She didn't want her son to think "Tai Sun" was his nickname; that would be a bad idea. His father probably assumed "Tai Zi" was his nickname the moment he could speak, thus overlooking many details.
It's said that details determine success or failure. And she couldn't find a good time to remind him anytime soon. Suo Etu had returned, and if Yinreng wasn't quickly made aware of the situation and alerted... then things would get really bad. That person definitely wouldn't miss such a good opportunity to help the Crown Prince get further and further away.
A single reminder is enough. A second time increases the risk of exposure. A third time, it becomes nagging. Nagging is said to be a clear sign of a woman's transformation from a young woman to a shrew. Judging by Kangxi's comments on Ming history earlier this year, he strongly disliked women interfering in government, and Yinreng was clearly influenced by him in this regard.
So, in the following time, Shujia was very careful and kept reminding herself not to talk too much and just continue living according to the previous routine.
When she said, "Today, I have an appointment with my eldest sister-in-law, my third brother's sister-in-law, and my fourth brother's sister-in-law to visit Concubine Zhongcui's mother. I heard yesterday that she was ill." Yinreng's mouth twitched reflexively as usual. He was obviously not very impressed with Concubine Hui and said reluctantly, "It's enough to express the meaning. There's no need to be too enthusiastic."
This was his usual behavior, but Shujia still felt something was wrong.
Shujia's feeling was correct. It was normal for anyone to feel dazed the day after their worldview, outlook on life, and values were greatly impacted. Therefore, he behaved a little abnormally in front of Kangxi.
Because Yinreng hadn't made any major mistakes during the political discussions, Kangxi saved their conversation for their private time. Meanwhile, he wondered if something had happened to Yinreng. Reports indicated that he had met with Soetu, but the conversation hadn't touched on state affairs, merely a farewell. There were no mentions of personal issues, either. What had happened to him? Were they using a code word?
As a father and emperor, Kangxi did not deal with the matter directly after drawing a conclusion, but instead "discussed" it with Yinreng. This showed that he was very considerate of Yinreng.
But Yinreng saw it differently. When Kangxi asked, "What's wrong? You seem distracted today," Yinreng immediately reacted with paranoia: What was Khan Ama trying to say? Was he trying to find fault with me?
In the past, he would never have thought this way.
Kangxi frowned when he saw Yinreng looking a little uneasy. "You don't look very well. Didn't you sleep well last night? What's wrong?"
Yinreng's professional skills were quite good. He could distinguish the important from the urgent. Right now, he didn't need to think about his wife's strange words; the most important thing was to draw a conclusion from her words, understand the terrifying reality, and finally find his way out of the fog. Indeed, upon realizing his predicament, the Crown Prince became even more confused.
Before, his life was completely planned. Born, crown prince, studying, attending government, and finally, becoming emperor. It was a smooth road. He didn't need to think about his life plan; he simply followed the routine and the schedule. The one who arranged it all for him was the man he considered the master of the world and who taught him everything: his father.
Now, everything has changed.
Yinreng felt a little uneasy. He was terrified to find that something he had taken for granted for so many years actually had so many hidden dangers behind it. Therefore, he looked at Kangxi with a nervous look.
Kangxi became increasingly puzzled: "What can't you tell me?"
What did Khan Ama suspect me of? I swear to God! I didn't do anything!
"Why don't you say something!" His voice was a little louder.
"Yesterday, Hongdan's mother was here teaching him to read. He learned three words and came to me, repeating them back and forth. If I ignored him, he'd start crying. My son spent half the night worrying about how to teach him." The couple were indeed teaching their son to read, but they were simple characters like '人', '口', and '手', and the fat boy had indeed learned them. However, Yinreng hadn't thought about this issue last night.
Since Yinreng would check on the little boy's growth every day, the story seemed to be true. Kangxi saw that his son had no other problems, so he put aside his worries and began to get angry. "I don't know what the ministers will think of you if you look like that. Pay attention when you are in court from now on."
“Yeah.”
"I need to teach my son slowly. It would be strange if you could figure it out overnight..." Kangxi began to impart knowledge, and finally said simply, "When he is a little older, I will take care of him!"
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After passing the test, Yinreng broke out in a cold sweat, feeling unprecedented pressure. Perhaps sacrificing his son was a good idea, but he was a little reluctant. Returning to Yuqing Palace, he was summoned and lectured, and was forbidden to call his son by that name anymore.
This news reached Kangxi's ears. Oh, he was not only thinking about how to teach his son, but also thinking about this matter.
Kangxi remembered that the last time Yinreng had been angry with his servants was before his wedding. This time, he was angry over a title. Regardless, he was still very satisfied with Yinreng's handling of the matter. However, the messy behavior afterward was not included.
What was there to worry about? It was clearly the right thing to do. Kangxi didn't neglect the little fat boy, but he would have preferred to test his aptitude after the pox had cleared up, then take him to the Qianqing Palace to be raised, and then discuss the title of "Grandson".
What the Crown Prince needs to do now is to have more children with the Crown Princess, as it would be better to have more insurance. Kangxi believed that he had no plans to give the Crown Prince a concubine in recent years, but the Crown Prince was not doing his job and was worrying about things that were not there.
What was going on in his head? Hmm, was there any need to worry? It didn't make sense. He had never been like this before.
"Keep an eye on the prince."
Everything was normal for the Crown Prince, except he had a little more time to think. Having been acting as the acting governor for many years, Yinreng had a deep understanding of high-level personnel matters. He had to ensure that any urgent matters were handled properly during Kangxi's tours, and he had to provide relevant plans. He was ready to explain someone's experience and suitability for a particular task when Kangxi asked him questions.
He'd been mumbling about these past two days, mentally reviewing the court officials. After a brief thought, he realized that besides finding it difficult to win over anyone on his side other than through Soetu, he also realized...if his father attacked him, he wouldn't even know how he died.
Fortunately, his feelings towards his father hadn't reached the point of hatred; he simply felt a sense of distance and worry. He thought angrily, "What do you have to be dissatisfied with me? I'm your son, not your enemy. Look at the little power I have. It's not even enough to fill your teeth."
The clock struck nine. Yinreng wiped his face and walked over to the back. Shujia was sorting out the little fat boy's learning progress, listing the words he knew and adding some new flashcards. Seeing Yinreng coming, she stood up to greet him: "Why are you so late? I still want your help?"
"Um?"
"Hongdan has learned two more characters. I want to make more cards for him." She had to do everything else for the next two days. The Crown Princess made a schedule for herself, specifying what to do on a certain day and at a certain time, and gave a copy to Zhao Guoshi and Hongxiu, each as a reminder.
With this list, she could ensure she didn't forget important tasks, even when her heart was in turmoil. She wouldn't let one thing affect her mood and cause her to forget other things, which would cause a chain reaction. This was the item on today's calendar.
In Yinreng's eyes, Shujia had simply forgotten what she had said that day. He continued to teach the little fat boy to read, adding new words to his flashcards. Yinreng was also asked to draw pictures on his son's flashcards.
Ignorance is bliss. She must not have known that an unintentional conversation of hers had put her in such... dire straits.
Sighing, Yinreng drank half a cup of tea and prepared to draw a picture for his son. Then, his wife said, "Are you tired? You can draw tomorrow. Your eyes are all scratched out. So... you didn't seem to be in a good mood yesterday?" She was also a little absent-minded yesterday because she was worried about being exposed.
Yinreng was quite speechless. His wife must not know that she was like a flint, crackling and igniting fire, burning his grassland, while she was still the flint, not igniting. After a while, the spring breeze blew again, and she crackled again...
But it was a good thing this way; outsiders could always see things more clearly. Perhaps, sometimes, he should talk to his wife more often; perhaps he'd discover something new. He... needed inspiration, the spark of a collision of ideas.
"Today's work, today's work, well, write this down too, and give me a blank one."
"oh……"
"Painting plates?"
"Well, last time I just painted bowls and cups."
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Facts have proven that the Crown Princess was right to lose her temper, and that Kangxi was also right to have someone keep a closer eye on the Crown Prince. And then, in June, our old friend Soetu showed up again.
Yinreng couldn't believe his ears! Staring at the gray-haired old man in front of him, Yinreng wanted to say, "Are you getting senile?"
Suo Etu continued, "It has been more than three months since I came back, and I have sorted out the people again. It is for these things."
Soetu’s suggestion was: Please appoint a crown prince.
Yinreng would never have believed that the eunuchs Kangxi had previously pointed out would not report anything to him. Out of resistance, Yinreng had prevented these eunuchs from doing any personal work, but many matters still remained under his control. When Yinreng summoned everyone to give him a lecture, they heard it too.
How could it be possible not to let Kangxi know?
After learning about the incident, Kangxi offered him no words of comfort. He offered no criticism, no praise, and a completely silent attitude that made Yinreng somewhat uneasy. According to experience, whenever the Crown Prince was provoked or in moments of self-reflection, he would receive various forms of comfort from the Emperor.
For example, if His Royal Highness felt that he needed to be more frugal, the Emperor would immediately reward him with something much more thrifty than his own as compensation. This time, no such reward was given.
Yinreng had never felt so clearly that Kangxi's attitude was somewhat subtle and ambiguous.
Suo Etu was still reciting the list: "Qi Shiwu, Tong Bao, Galin and others are willing to sign a petition together. I can also persuade Xiong Jingxiu..."
"Let's discuss this matter later." Yinreng said decisively. They were all close friends of Soetu, and he believed that his Khan Ama would not want to see such a situation happen.
"Your Highness! I have accurate information. The Emperor has ordered the selection of skilled craftsmen, the preparation of molds, and the preparation of gold and silver... What are they going to be used for? They are about to begin casting seals. Two of them are three inches and four inches square, and they are the seals of the Duolo County Prince. I am afraid that one of them will belong to the eldest prince. The Emperor is going to divide the princes into different categories. Once they set up their own palaces and government offices, especially the eldest prince's... the situation in the court will inevitably change. Only by appointing a crown prince can your Highness and the crown prince's status be consolidated..."
Yinreng's mood became even worse. "Grandson, Grandson, it's all this grandson's fault!"
Suo Etu was still expressing his concerns: "The branch palace is outside, and the bondservants are in the palace. The assistant commanders and bondservants are in charge of their own affairs. There are no more obstacles. We can discuss things every day without worrying about the palace restrictions. We don't know what they will do. We must also take action. You have already reached the limit of the title, why not make him the crown prince? That way, the Shi family will also be loyal to you..."
"I said, we'll discuss this later."
Suo Etu was really anxious: "Once the emperor issues an edict, the eldest brother will cause you even more trouble."
Yinreng said to him directly: "What if Khan Ama doesn't want to?"
"How could the Emperor not be willing? His legitimate son and grandson..."
"Stop talking! No one is allowed to move without my approval! Don't cause trouble at this moment! Don't tell me you're sure of it. If we knew what Khan Ama was thinking, we wouldn't have let the boss run rampant for so many years."
The author has something to say: Today must be an unlucky day.
I went to work this morning and felt uncomfortable as soon as I arrived at the office, so I asked for leave to rest. My whole body was swollen. When I turned on the computer, I saw the comment of Jiong Jiong Youshen.
The girl who is being beaten, I wrote that she is the Crown Princess. She is not allowed to have an extramarital affair with her brother-in-law, and she does not have any relationship beyond friendship with the Fourth Master and the Eighth Master. Thank you!
Also, another girl, there are four fellow villagers living downstairs from you, and you are in the same local area network. I wish you a happy family reunion.
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