This account has reached the maximum level and will be reincarnated.
Don't work for someone like Yinzhi unless you are almost starving to death, otherwise you will regret it!
If he were a landlord, he would be the kind who crows at night; if he were a businessman, he would be the one written into Shakespeare's plays; if he were a capitalist, he would be the boss like Chaplin who tightens screws.
We have reason to believe that he is adhering to the principle of offering workers three jobs for one wage, rather than two and a half. Here is a living, worried person.
Poor Bahanglong not only has his head bald these two days, but his eyebrows are almost pulled out by himself.
When I came from Mongolia, you said I was just going to chant some sutras, put on a good front, perform the occasional ritual, and chat with you. I did the chanting, the pretense, and I did my best to fool your wife with her rituals. And I also tried my best to chat with you and listen to your complaints!
When you came to me today, it wasn’t for a salary increase, but for more work!
What a good thing!
I haven't cursed anyone in years. How can I curse them again? And curse... all those people at once? It's at least a few hundred miles, if not a thousand. How could it be easy for me to come here from Mongolia? I just wanted to have a good meal, and you threw me into the frying pan.
None of those people are easy to get along with, right?
Bahanglong flipped through the list in his hand: the Crown Prince (Yinzhi's old enemy), the Third Prince (who had recently offended him), the Fourth Prince (who was said to be more polite to the Crown Prince than to the Prince of Zhi), the Ninth Prince (who had openly mocked the Prince of Zhi), the Fourteenth Prince (who was very impatient with the Prince of Zhi)...
Bahanglong almost sighed, "Prince, why are all your brothers so at odds with you? Why don't you reflect on yourself if you dislike so many people?"
You are under the control of whoever you serve. The capital is not like the grassland, and it is not easy to escape. The lamas are conspicuous within the Great Wall. Bahanglong also heard a lot of things he shouldn't have heard. Once he got on the pirate ship, he couldn't get off. He had no choice but to help Yinzhi curse people.
The boss obviously didn't believe him and was supervising from the side: "In that case, then get started. Where are you going to do it? Take me to see it!" The person who spoke was rubbing his hands excitedly.
Looking at Prince Zhi's expression, it seemed as if his next move was to assassinate the Crown Prince and that success was inevitable, and the Prince was going to witness the entire process of the Crown Prince's death.
Bahanglong gritted his teeth and took Yinzhi to his own residence. Because of his high status, he lived alone in a small courtyard, served by a young lama. This time, he drove the young lama out. The fewer people who knew about this, the better!
Bahanglong had just locked the door when Yinzhi urged him again: "I'll just sit there and wait for your good news, okay?"
Bahanglong felt like vomiting blood. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have boasted so much. Why should I say I know how to do it? Why can't I just say there's a place in Mongolia where I can act as an introduction, trick the Prince of Zhi into giving me some money, and then run off and never come back?
Although I had committed crimes in Mongolia, it wasn't far to the west of Mongolia to reach Dzungar and Tibet, places beyond the reach of the Qing court. "I'm stupid!" Bahanglong burst into tears. He had lived in ease for so long that he had lost his cunning. How unbelievable!
Bahanglong, with tears of grievance welling up in his heart, asked Yinzhi to sit down. Yinzhi was already unsteady on the chair, and he didn't care that no one had brought him tea, but kept urging him to sit down.
In the smoke-filled secluded meditation room, Bahanglong was forced to perform a ritual, resuming his old curse method, shaking the prayer wheel, circling the floor, and chanting. As he chanted, he unexpectedly felt a sense of pleasure in severing life and death. From being raped to being raped, the transition was extremely rapid.
It's time to throw it all away! Having taken this step, there's no turning back. Might as well pray sincerely. If it works, I'll be a hero too. Thinking of this, not only did the prayer wheel shake, but so did my head.
I jumped up and down a lot, but didn't get any praise.
This method was primitive and mysterious, yet also seemed crude. Yinzhi couldn't help but deeply doubt its effectiveness: "Is that all?"
Bahanglong was frustrated. When he cursed people before, he could get paid for doing this. Today, he worked even harder, but he wasn't praised at all. As expected of a prince, even his curse requirements were higher than those of ordinary people.
No, now is not the time to lament this.
At this time, Bahanglong could only pretend to be mysterious, said nothing, and nodded slightly.
Yinzhi was half-believing and half-doubting, but since he was still a novice in this area, he could only take note of it for the time being and said, "I will come back tomorrow and let the gods and Buddhas know my sincerity." (Is it the sincerity of wishing his brother dead?)
Bahanglong was sweating inwardly. He had indeed cursed people before, and many of them had died. But this time, the person he cursed was of noble status. What if the gods or Buddhas really had their blessing?
The worry is justified.
The next day, the third day, and the fourth day, Yinzhi came every day, but to no avail. Yinzhi began to get impatient: "Can you do it?"
Bahanglong was also puzzled. Why was there no effect at all? He said cautiously, "Perhaps the Crown Prince really has received a blessing?"
"Bah! Him?" Yinzhi rolled up his sleeves. "Think carefully about any other effective methods!"
Bahanglong, however, took a serious approach, as if conducting scientific research. The more he analyzed, the more convinced he was of his words. "My method is effective for ordinary people. However, this time, for the Crown Prince and the other princes, my magical power is insufficient. After all, their bloodlines are noble, so I need to make some special preparations."
Although Yinzhi denied it verbally, he thought in his heart that what he said was reasonable: "Why didn't you use the effective method at the beginning?!" The subtext: You could chop off his head, but you didn't, and just slapped him twice and that was it?
This time it was Bahanglong's turn to roll up his sleeves. From then on, he worked hard to study the complete collection of curses, absorbed and learned from the curse experiences of the Manchu, Mongolian, Han and Tibetan ethnic groups, promoted each other, localized, internationalized and integrated the ancient knowledge of curse, and summed up nearly twenty methods of curse.
When it comes to curses, the elements are very simple: the person being cursed, the content of the curse, and the object of the curse.
The principle is simple: the curser, through some mysterious ritual, occasionally employing props, declares the fate they desire for the cursed object to a supernatural force (or its representative), reaching an agreement with it, projecting their cursed desire onto the cursed object. Mission accomplished!
Now the elements are complete, what's missing is the connection between the three. Throughout history, both in China and abroad, this connection seems to be diverse, but upon closer analysis, it boils down to the following: chanting a sutra (it's crucial to recite the cursed person), more directly creating an idol (the literal meaning, not the extended one), and the most popular use of something used by the cursed target, or even a body part like their hair. Its purpose is similar to the idea of the forty thieves who drew marks on Alibaba's door: be sure to spot the target and avoid robbing the wrong person.
This isn't much different from praying to a god and making a wish: "Boss, I'll offer you a pig's head. Please bless me so that I don't fail the exam." (This is offered by a certain believer. Don't write the wrong name on the invoice.)
God, I'll burn paper money for you, please kill this guy! (This is his house number, don't make a mistake.)
Ever since Bahanglong came up with the detailed plan, Yinzhi's restlessness was calmed down. He said to Bahanglong, "This is great! I don't need to look up the imperial genealogy to know their birth dates." What nonsense! You were present at all their births. Even if you didn't remember the birth of the crown prince, you have to attend his birthday every year!
"This one is not bad!" This method requires writing Yinreng's name and then giving him acupuncture. Now that you can't prick a real person, pricking a straw man will also make you feel better.
"I want to do this too." It was a picture, depicting his third brother going to the hell of tongue-pulling.
…
…
…
Prince Zhi concluded: "We'll do it all!"
Golmo of Bahanglongzais was also exhausted at this moment. He said rationally: "Your Highness, are all these done? It will take several months to complete..."
"Then hurry up!"
"When it's done, it will only be useful if it's placed in the Crown Prince's palace."
"Don't worry about this, I'll find a way."
"We still need materials..."
"I'll call you."
"I'll do my best."
Since October, the younger brothers felt that their eldest brother laughed at them, and his laugh was... weird.
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Elsewhere in the capital, there was a busy flow of traffic in front of Lingpu Gate.
Ling Pu was originally a hereditary servant of the Imperial Household Department. His wife was chosen as the head of the Crown Prince's wet nurses because of her good family background. Since his wife became the Crown Prince's wet nurse, the family situation has changed, and he has become dependent on his wife to appear noble in front of others. In fact, both of them rely on the Crown Prince.
Due to palace regulations and various unfortunate circumstances, even if the biological mother was still alive, the prince was raised by a wet nurse from the moment he was born. When he was ready to study, he simply left his mother and was cared for solely by the wet nurse. The relationship between the prince and the wet nurse was incredibly deep. Even the eighth son of the old mansion, who had already married, took the wet nurse and her husband with him. Their close relationship was evident.
Something unexpected happened with Ling Pu and his wife. Kangxi treated his only surviving legitimate son like the apple of his eye, and their father-son relationship was incredibly close, which in turn made the wet nurse's role less important. Furthermore, due to his status as the crown prince, Kangxi had been training him to interact with ministers rather than wet nurses from an early age. Generally, after a short time in Yuqing Palace, the couple would be expelled.
After that, although he could still frequently visit the palace to pay his respects, his time with the emperor became increasingly rare. For a brief period, the eldest prince's faction was too aggressive, and the crown prince's faction clung to one another, resulting in a better relationship. But soon, those days were gone, the crown prince calmed down, and the group of complaints disbanded.
Ling Pu felt like he was dreaming when the position of Chief of the Imperial Household Department fell upon him.
It was not until they met the emperor that Kangxi told him very bluntly: "I asked you to be the director of the Imperial Household Department so that you can take good care of the crown prince. You should give him whatever he wants." Only then did Ling Pu come to his senses.
Roll up your sleeves and get to work. As for the errand, there was no need to think twice. The Emperor had already said his duty was to oversee the warehouse and pick up goods for the Crown Prince. With this policy already set, Ling Pu only had to say, "Give whatever comes to the East Palace to pick up." He didn't have to do the rest of the courier work.
He has plenty of time and energy to think about the issue of corruption.
Even if they didn't know the inside story, the mere sight of the lucrative position of the Imperial Household Department's Director General was enough to make them think of corruption. The Imperial Household Department's doctors, the businesses that did business with the department, the farm managers under the department's jurisdiction—all of them had a vested interest, so let's all share the spoils.
In addition, officials of similar rank to the head of the Imperial Household Department also had to come and visit in person. The Imperial Household Department was in charge of the emperor's food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and they had many opportunities to see him. How about everyone looking after each other?
Before that, Ling Pu still had one thing to do - to meet the Crown Prince.
It is still the Yuqing Palace and the Dunben Palace, but the prince is no longer the same prince as before.
Ling Pu was wearing brand new official uniform. It was October, and notice had just been issued that we were changing to winter uniforms. Because of his new position, Ling Pu had a complete wardrobe prepared for him within days, all made of the finest materials. He removed his warm hat and prostrated himself on the ground, greeting his father. "This humble servant pays his respects to the Crown Prince. It's a pleasure to see you again. I'm truly, truly..." He choked up.
Yinreng was also very sad. First love is always beautiful, and kindergarten is always the easiest. He missed that time. Yinreng said: "Khan Ama has appointed you to a task, so you must do it well. Don't let Khan Ama down, and win my respect. If you do it well, it will also bring honor to you."
Ling Pu was quite old, but his voice was resounding: "I obey your orders!"
"Get up and take a seat."
He stood up to thank the host, rolled up his sleeves, sat down, and took a sip of tea. He found that the tea from Yuqing Palace was indeed good. He was a little disappointed that he had no room to improve on this point. He looked around. Everything from Yuqing Palace was excellent. Another opportunity was lost.
Yinreng let him look around without saying a word.
Finally, Ling Pu found an opportunity to show his ability: "Your Highness, the cushions here are old. When have you ever suffered such injustice? I will replace them for you right away."
Yinreng looked at the 70% new mattress with a tinge of melancholy. The material was the finest, the workmanship exquisite. Even though it was from last year, it had only been replaced after the winter had begun, having been put away at the beginning of the spring and only brought out this winter. It was fine.
Alas, he used to live such a luxurious life. Of course, after reflecting on himself, Yinreng also reflected on others. Ling Pu, who always wanted him to be the best in everything, was obviously a big push. From internal to external factors, Yinreng believed that he really deserved a beating in the past.
If this wet nurse still has this kind of thinking, then he is not suitable for the position of the head of the Imperial Household Department. Yinreng decided to remind Ling Pu and let him correct his thinking. After all, the head of the Imperial Household Department is a good job, and he does not want it to fall into the hands of anyone else.
"Khan Amashan is frugal"
"No matter who's missing out, yours won't be missing out!" Ling Pu was startled. "Back then, no matter how difficult the times were, the emperor reduced his own share, but he still didn't miss out on yours. How can you belittle yourself?"
These words didn't sound like what a man would say, but more like what an old woman would say who was protecting her own shortcomings. Yinreng smiled bitterly. This was still his wet nurse. "How can I compare with Khan Ama? Khan Ama is frugal, so I have to be even more frugal. I can't let him be frugal while I squander everything."
"This time, I am the servant appointed by the Emperor himself, and it is for you! His Majesty said that my duty is the same: to serve the Crown Prince well. Whatever you want, I will open the treasury and get it for you. If there is nothing in the treasury, I will dig three feet into the ground to find it."
The biggest external reason for the Crown Prince's arrogance has been revealed.
Yinreng thought about it and decided not to argue with him. Khan Ama also said that it was he who asked for it and the Ministry of Internal Affairs would give it to him. At most, he asked for something, so he should be lenient with Ling Pu. After all, Ling Pu still cared about his people.
He gave Ling Pu a lot of instructions: "Do your job conscientiously and don't cause any trouble. If you don't make any mistakes, you will be meritorious." Then he let Ling Pu go.
The Crown Prince's behavior was appropriate. He both reprimanded Ling Pu and saved his face.
After Ling Pu came out, he wiped away a few tears of sadness and then became angry: "The Crown Prince has become so cautious! Who bullied and abused him? Did the Emperor want to send me to serve the Crown Prince? Roll up your sleeves! We need to improve the living standards of the Eastern Palace!"
Within two days, both Yuqing Palace and Duanben Palace were dumbfounded: Grandma Ling is really one of them! What a teammate!
Shujia was at a loss for words. Ling Pu was very kind to her. He moved in whatever was good for pregnant women without even reporting it to her. He didn't care that she already had a lot. It would be unkind to take it back, and it would be a waste of space if she kept it.
Yinreng was in a state of panic: "Gao Sanxie! Jia Yingxuan! Which of you chose this? Return it to me!"
Gao and Jia: We are wronged!
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Thus, Kangxi's two sons, one busy cursing and the other busy returning the money, even the Empress Dowager's birthday at the beginning of the month was a tense occasion. The Empress Dowager's birthday was somewhat unfortunate. Yabu had already died, and Nerfu was waiting to die. A granddaughter and a great-grandson had also died. As the saying goes, the humble should not suppress the noble, but the excitement was still reduced.
After the Empress Dowager's birthday, the Prince of Zhi and the Crown Prince were busy again. One, posing as a religious expert, engaged in a deep discussion with Bahanglong, while the other, a champion of clean governance, gave his grandparents a stern lecture: "As the head of the Imperial Household Department, you receive a salary from the court and should prioritize the country. You should provide for the Empress Dowager and the Khan first!"
Pause for a moment, no matter what you two brothers are busy with, just throw it away first, Prince Ping Nerfu is dead. You should first dig into your pockets and give some gifts to his funeral.
Kangxi reacted quickly this time, immediately ordering Nerfu's son Nersu to inherit the title. Prince Jian Yabu had died early, and the crown prince Yaerjiang'a, who had been canonized long ago, had not yet received the official appointment. But the young Nersu was officially crowned.
The old king died, and the new king presided over the funeral, with mourners pouring in. Nerfu was a distant relative, but because of his position of power, he was particularly close to the royal family. After the princes had visited all the relatives they could, Yinreng found an excuse to ask for leave from Kangxi: "My brothers are all gone, and it's uneasy for me to sit alone in the palace."
After getting approval, he changed into plain clothes and went.
The mourning incident was like a replay of the visiting incident. Fortunately, this time, the Third Lady had returned from confinement and had personally prepared all of her husband's social arrangements, so the Third Prince didn't make any mistakes. The eldest prince was very angry, but he said with a forced smile: "The Third Prince didn't wear the wrong clothes this time, that's great."
Yinzhi was now eloquent: "An ugly wife and a poor land are treasures in the family." You who don't have a wife must be envious!
Yinzhi ran away! He was held back by the fourth and eighth brothers, one on each side: "This is Prince Ping's funeral!"
Yinreng glanced over and took Nersu's hand. "As for your father, we are only your great-uncle[1], so don't be so formal. Your sister-in-law should have come, but her due date is approaching, and the imperial physician won't move her. Besides mourning here, you should return to the palace and study hard. Only by becoming a good and virtuous king who can stabilize the country and bring peace to your father's spirit can you comfort him."
Yinzhi didn't even go home, but rushed straight to Baoen Temple.
"Are you done?"
Bahanglong has been busy drawing lately, which is very exhausting. His boss also asked him to photoshop a few more pictures to replace names and other things, and his eyes are tired. "I got two..."
"Okay! Bring it here first." At a glance, it happened to be the prince's and the third brother's, so it's yours.
Bahanglong saw him staring intently at the diagram, and thought something was amiss. He'd learned his lesson: when Yinzhi was serious about something, he was truly dedicated, even more diligently researching various curse methods than he was. (Interjection: When this prince didn't take things seriously, he usually did good things; when he did, he usually did bad things. He was the one who went in the opposite direction.)
"I've checked it carefully, and there's not a single mistake. This is Hell. This is, uh, the Second Prince. The birth date is correct, too. I even wrote his name."
"Idiot! You're missing a stroke! Why are you so good at Chinese characters?!"
Bahanglong wiped the sweat off his forehead, took out a pen, dipped it in the special cinnabar, and completed Yinreng's name = =!
After a closer look, he realized there were indeed no mistakes. He patted his chest and said, "This time it's foolproof. As long as we bury them where they live, we'll have them all."
"You've learned how to be foolproof, and you've learned Chinese quite well!" Yinzhi snorted twice. "Tell me, will offering it to him first be of any use?"
"Offer it? Burying it will be most effective," he said, looking at Yinzhi's eyes, "I'll do a ritual on it first to see if it will have a better effect."
"That's it, you do it first."
"Well?"
When he looked back, Yinzhi left in a leisurely manner, leaving him with a back figure with black lines and cold sweat on the back of his head.
Yinzhi: Damn it! I actually forgot to bury it in the palace and didn’t inform the secret agent in advance.
Secret agents weren't so easy to talk to. They were obligated to report a secret, but they might not have the courage to do anything else. Yinzhi put a lot of effort into these two matters. He imprisoned the younger brother of Eunuch Deng, a veteran undercover agent in Yuqing Palace. Eunuch Deng only had this one brother, and he was counting on him to continue the family line and adopt a nephew to take care of him in his old age.
He had no one else to ask for help, so he turned to Yinzhi. If a eunuch requested leave, provided they had a reasonable excuse, relatively high seniority, and good performance, they could receive a badge and leave the palace within a very short timeframe. Eunuch Deng's excuse was to visit his parents. Undercover agents often behaved more exemplary than their peers before being exposed. Consider Yu Zecheng. Eunuch Deng met both requirements and was granted leave.
When he came out, he first looked at his parents, hugged his head and cried for a while, then ran to see Yinzhi.
Yinzhi was very arrogant: "I thought you had something important to tell me, so you came to see me. It's not for me to settle the matter, but for your matter! Your brother has relied on your power over the years and has done many evil things. You know, these are all real crimes."
Eunuch Deng burst into tears: "This is my only brother, the only one left in my family. Your Majesty, please... please..." He knelt forward and hugged Yinzhi's thigh, "Please beg him just this once, and I will make him turn over a new leaf..."
"Tsk tsk, what kind of day is this this year? One by one, just like that lousy scholar from the third brother! They've even learned how to turn over a new leaf!"
Eunuch Deng begged him relentlessly, and Yinzhi seized the opportunity to propose a trade, asking in the manner of a Grandfather fishing: "I'll bury this in Yuqing Palace, and you won't have to worry about anything else. Do you want to do it?"
Eunuch Deng finally gritted his teeth and agreed: "Okay! But after this is done, you must exonerate my mother, father, and brother."
"Outside the pass, on my farm, I'll ask them to be the head of the farm."
Eunuch Deng turned over and kowtowed three times, then took the thing. Without even daring to look at it, he put it in his arms and left.
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After several purges, the Yuqing Palace had become a reliable staff. However, a crucial problem arose: the Crown Prince's involvement in crimes and corruption, and the eunuch Deng, who had a good reputation, had damaged his reputation. The Crown Princess primarily kept a close eye on the people in Yuqing Palace, analyzing their time of entry and their resumes. Initially, they were well-informed, but then... the palace moved, and the maids and eunuchs in Xiefang Hall and Yuqing Palace were reshuffled and reorganized. Even after the Crown Princess and her closest associates continued to scrutinize them, one or two still slipped through the net.
No one is perfect, and Yinzhi took full advantage of this loophole.
For a mission like lurking, it is no different from that of an ordinary person before he exposes himself. By the time he does something to expose himself, the harm has already occurred, and it is too late for you to take precautions.
Yinzhi rocked happily in his rocking chair, humming a little tune. "Oh my, second brother, you're going to die!" The warm winter sun shone on me, how comfortable it was! Warm, warm... His voice became quieter, his eyes closed, and the chair slowly became still. He was about to fall asleep.
"Prince! Prince! Dead! Dead!"
Yinzhi was frightened and broke out in a cold sweat: "Are you looking for death?! Who did you say was dead?!" The last tone suddenly rose, "You dog slave, how dare you curse me!"
The eunuch in charge of Prince Zhi's residence wiped his sweat. He ran very fast and was out of breath. He didn't understand the meaning behind Yinzhi's words and thought he was really asking a question. He answered in a halting manner: "Your Highness, yes, yes, yes... It's the old man from the Shi family!"
The prince has instructed that any major events concerning the crown prince must be reported to him as soon as possible.
Yinzhi raised his foot and was about to kick it, but he didn't expect the eunuch in charge to be answering the questions seriously. He put his foot down again and lay back in the rocking chair. The rocking chair continued to rock and squeak, making the Prince of Zhi's voice become vague and ethereal.
"You just said—who died?"
Now that he had caught his breath, he could answer in more detail: "It's the Shi family, the Crown Princess's family. The Crown Princess's grandfather, Heshuo Efu Huashan, has died. The Shi family has already announced the death. Tsk tsk, it's almost Chinese New Year."
Yinzhi sat up quickly and jumped to the ground. The rocking chair made a shrill whine under such great force.
The author has something to say:
[1] Nerfu was the great-grandson of Yuetuo. His genealogy is as follows:
Daishan--Yuetuo--Luoluohun--Luokeduo--Nerfu--Nersu
Huang Taiji - Fulin - Xuanye - Yinreng...
Speaking of which, the Crown Prince hitting Nersu... he really could have done it. The Emperor was the head of the family, and the Crown Prince was so spoiled and had such a bad temper. He was also so much older than him.
What I really want to say is: Your Majesty, please don't beat children when you're not a parent, okay? It's not too late to beat them when you become the emperor!
And that Pucci, according to seniority, is also his junior. This...
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