Emperor Kangxi was generous with his praise when he encountered outstanding young talents.
However, a new plan had formed in my mind.
"All of this is good. The future of the Qing Dynasty rests on your shoulders, and I am deeply gratified."
In recent years, Emperor Kangxi has become increasingly adept at saying nice things. After all, nice words are free, and occasionally saying a few words to these young people has a very good effect.
Having just grown into a young adult, they value encouragement the most.
Everyone expressed their admiration for Emperor Kangxi.
This process is commonly known as "patting the dragon's butt".
Emperor Kangxi readily agreed with a smile.
The prince and the others looked at these people, their minds racing.
Although the Crown Prince had suffered setbacks from time to time in recent years, Kangxi had never punished him severely. Only Kangxi himself knew his disappointment in him. Perhaps a few intelligent people in the court had noticed something, but in the eyes of most people, the Crown Prince's position was very secure!
Therefore, despite the respectful attitude of these people, the Crown Prince did not quite understand his current image in Kangxi's mind, and he did not give up on winning over talented people.
Those who were favored by the Empress Dowager and came today all came from distinguished families. They were all of Manchu descent, and many of their great-grandfathers were meritorious officials who came to the country.
Even if they are not from prestigious families, they all have some admirable qualities.
These people are truly the new generation of talented young people in the capital. It's quite remarkable that the Empress Dowager managed to invite them all.
It's clear that she cared deeply for the princess.
The Crown Prince had an idea, and the First Prince stared intently at several skilled martial artists.
The eldest prince had a penchant for martial arts and a natural affinity for those skilled in them. Many people felt uneasy under his intense gaze, as not everyone understood his temperament as well. Several wondered if they had done something wrong and offended him.
If this was the case for the Crown Prince and the First Prince, then it was even more so for the Third Prince.
He had a few more connections than the Crown Prince and the First Prince, and he hoped to find a suitable brother-in-law among them. A son-in-law couldn't hold an important position, but his family had to be well-off, able to inherit the title, and have a large and prosperous household.
After looking at several, the Third Prince found a few he thought were good, but their status might be too high, so he wasn't very confident about the matter.
Before this time, the Third Prince couldn't help but think of his mother, Consort Rong. If his mother were here, this matter could be discussed. As the older brother, he could offer some suggestions, but he couldn't say anything too outrageous.
Marriage is a major life event, decided by parents and matchmakers, with the Empress Dowager watching from above. If he says too much or interferes too much, not only will his father and the Empress have objections, but the Empress Dowager will also be somewhat displeased.
Thinking of this, the Third Prince felt he should send a letter to his mother.
After Kangxi finished his inspection, he actually had a few candidates in mind.
On the other hand, the Empress Dowager also had some plans. Although Youqing's heart was not entirely on this, she had many businesses in the capital, especially Yan Yuege. When she learned that a consort was to be appointed for the princess, she specially summoned several managers of Yan Yuege to inquire about the family traditions of each family.
She did think there were a few good families. Although they weren't particularly wealthy, their family traditions were truly upright, making them very suitable to be imperial consorts. However, she figured their family backgrounds wouldn't meet the Empress Dowager's standards, so Youqing planned to mention it to Emperor Kangxi later and not tell the Empress Dowager.
If she dared to directly mention which families she thought were good, she would probably be refuted by the Empress Dowager with "What are your intentions?" as soon as she said it. After all, nowadays people pay more attention to family background when it comes to marriage.
As for the others, many people are good at putting on an act and pretending, and you only feel it when you get close to them.
After the banquet, the Empress Dowager called Kangxi aside for a private talk. Youqing pouted at this, knowing the Empress Dowager was wary of her.
Kangxi told Youqing what the two had said that very night.
The Empress Dowager truly doted on her granddaughter, and the people she chose were all of exceptional quality—from excellent families, with outstanding education, and their families were also of high standing.
Upon hearing those names and recalling what she knew, Youqing did not entirely agree.
"Do you think the Empress Dowager chose a bad person?"
Youqing looked at Kangxi: "You really want me to tell the truth?"
"you say."
In fact, Emperor Kangxi was quite dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager's choice of personnel.
Some families are just too good to be prince consorts. Although the princess is his daughter, she also represents something else. For example, the second princess is the third prince's biological sister. The person she marries in the future can, to some extent, represent the third prince's power.
As his sons grew up, Kangxi naturally had to be mindful of these matters. He wanted to implement reforms and kept his dissatisfaction with the crown prince to himself. He didn't want his sons to fight too fiercely right now, because if they did, factions would form in the court, which would be detrimental to his future plans.
Therefore, he did not intend to find a good family for the second princess. Ordinary families would be fine. He would provide a sufficient dowry and let her live in the princess's residence. Who would let his daughter suffer?
The second princess's husband's family background couldn't be too high, and if the third princess's husband's family background was too good, that wouldn't be suitable either. So Emperor Kangxi didn't plan to find husbands with good family backgrounds for the princesses.
For this reason, half of the candidates recommended by the Empress Dowager could be eliminated.
The other half consisted of talents whom Kangxi favored. He needed talent for reform, especially young people, who were more passionate and better suited to be the vanguard of reform.
If they were to become imperial sons-in-law, spending their lives in mediocrity and becoming wealthy but idle, even Emperor Kangxi would find it unbearable.
This is inappropriate.
In short, Kangxi felt that none of the people the Empress Dowager had given him were suitable.
Youqing shared her opinion.
"These people seem decent, but almost all of them come from large and wealthy families with complicated situations and many people. Putting aside other things, although these few have not taken wives or concubines, they are not without women in their harems. Yan Yuege usually deals with women and has a lot of sources of information. If the Second Princess and the Third Princess were to enter into a large family, it might not be a good thing."
Kangxi's nod signified his agreement.
"Do you think there are any suitable candidates?"
Youqing thought for a moment and gave a few names.
"...These people are good. Although their family backgrounds aren't particularly good, they have good family traditions and fewer family troubles. Even though the princess will live in the princess's residence after marriage, the consort still has his father and mother. They can't just disown his father and mother after marrying the princess. With good family traditions, the children they raise will be upright, methodical, and well-mannered, making the princess's life easier."
Among the candidates Youqing suggested, several coincided with Kangxi's ideas.
"I have the same thought. I will tell the Empress Dowager later."
Upon hearing this, Youqing suddenly laughed: "Your mother will probably think that you can't stand to see your daughter doing well."
Kangxi said, "Whether it's good or not, we'll only know in the future. We can't just let our daughter marry into a family she doesn't like just because we're afraid of our mother's displeasure!"
"You're very thoughtful."
Their discussion went smoothly, but on the other side, the former Consort Rong received a letter from her son.
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