Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Yinzhen frowned upon hearing this…

Yinzhen's brow furrowed upon hearing this.

"Do you know what you're talking about?"

The Eighth Brother had lived this way his entire life, and he knew better than anyone that this path was a dead end.

The Emperor would not allow a son who could challenge his absolute imperial power.

The only option for gaining the Emperor's approval as the next heir after the Crown Prince's dethronement was to become a lone minister, like Yinzhen in his previous life.

According to the Thirteenth Brother, even in his previous life, he and his Thirteenth Brother had only interacted privately, never daring to show any affection in public. Only by doing this could the Emperor barely satisfy his father.

Yinsi's expression remained calm, gentle yet resolute. "I've been thinking about this ever since Mother Wuku passed away. When the three of us brothers grow up, Xianfu Palace will be too conspicuous, and the Emperor will surely be wary. It would be better for us to superficially separate and govern ourselves, so that the Emperor

can be at ease." This was also the most fundamental way to dissuade the Emperor from thinking about sending the Thirteenth Prince away.

The three brothers could never be on the same page, at least not in the Emperor's eyes.

"But you'll definitely suffer a lot, maybe even end up in jail." Yinzhen firmly disagreed with Yinsi's idea. It was too dangerous, a thorn in the eyes of the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

Yinxiang had once privately recounted to Yinzhen the Emperor's ruthless treatment and judgment of Yinsi after his complete defeat. It was clear that by then, the Emperor no longer considered Yinsi a son, but an enemy who threatened his imperial power.

So, no matter what, he didn't want Yinsi to go through that again.

Yinsi tried to reason with his fourth brother, explaining that this was the best solution, but Yinzhen, with a stern expression and a lack of conversation, told him to return to Xianfu Palace and rest.

Seeing Yinzhen so emotional was rare, Yinsi had no choice but to let the matter go, seeing that it was getting late, thinking he would discuss it with the Thirteenth Prince the next evening when they returned to Xianfu Palace from the Shangshufang.

However, before Yinsi could even exchange a few words with Yinzhen, he was surrounded by the eldest prince, who seemed particularly enthusiastic today.

"Fourth brother, eighth brother, I heard that the Emperor visited Concubine Xuan yesterday. Do you have any good news to share with us brothers?" True to form, the eldest prince was the first to speak up early in the morning.

The Crown Prince was tidying up his books up ahead, paying no attention.

The Third Prince also sat in his seat, but couldn't help but peek over.

The remaining younger brothers were still somewhat bewildered, but their respective mothers had warned them not to get involved.

Yinzhen was a little impatient with this probing, but Yinsi smiled and said, "The Emperor's visit to Xianfu Palace is a private affair of the imperial harem. How could my fourth brother and I know? Or, if you know any good news, why not share it so we can celebrate together?"

The eldest prince chuckled and brushed it off.

Soon, Zhang Ying and Gu Badai arrived.

Gu Badai's class had originally been scheduled for today, so the other brothers were surprised to see Zhang Ying there.

Zhang Ying had also come with a decree from Emperor Kangxi. Kangxi had reviewed the princes' lessons yesterday and, noting that Yinzhen's Chinese studies were lacking, he had appointed Zhang Ying as his tutor and had also assigned Zhang Ying's fifteen-year-old second son to accompany him.

This man was Zhang Tingyu, the only Han official to be enshrined in the Qing imperial ancestral temple and Yinzhen's most trusted and beloved minister.

Yinsi thought that the emperor was really not going to do it if he wanted to, but he would do it to the utmost. He really gave them enough face

by praising him all the time. But by chance, Zhang Tingyu was sent to them.

Yinzhen had obviously heard Yinzhen and Yinxiang mention Zhang Tingyu, and he was a little curious about this future confidant whom he had never met.

From then on, Yinzhen had one more Chinese studies class than the other princes. At this time, Zhang Tingyu was still a slightly thin but bookish boy, but he did have the demeanor of "a gentleman does not form parties" as Yinxiang said.

After school, Yinzhen and Yinsi returned to Xianfu Palace together. Yinzhen still didn't want to talk about their conflict last night. Yinsi had no choice but to think about meeting the Thirteenth Prince first.

Yinxiang's biggest challenge lately has been learning to walk smoothly. Strangely enough, Yinsi learned to walk very quickly, pacing steadily almost immediately after standing. But Yinxiang struggled. His legs were always weak and gave way after a while. So Wenshan made him a walker and placed him in it to help him get used to it.

Tonight, Wenshan had gone to the Cining Palace to have dinner with the Empress Dowager. Before leaving, she had prepared dinner for them and left it warm on the stove.

As soon as Yinzhen and Yinsi returned to Xianfu Palace, the palace maids bustled about serving dinner to the young masters. Yinxiang, pushing his walker with a powerful presence in the courtyard, was followed closely by Fuqi and Laifu. As soon as Yinzhen

and Yinsi entered Xianfu Palace, Yinxiang sensed something was amiss.

His fourth brother had a stern expression, as if he'd keep strangers, let alone acquaintances, at first glance. His eighth brother, however, appeared as warm and friendly as ever. He greeted the palace maids warmly before taking Laifu away to play for a while.

But neither of them spoke.

Had a fight?

Yinxiang pushed his walker closer to Yinsi, who was sitting on the porch playing with a dog. He nudged him and asked, "My dear brother, did you have a fight with my fourth brother?"

"No," Yinsi said with a smile, "We just had some disagreements."

"What's the matter? Tell me, and I'll judge for you two." Yinxiang considered himself a good brother who treated his brothers equally and would never favor his fourth brother.

Yinsi combed Laifu's fur and put him aside to play, then turned and took Yinxiang out of the walker.

Yinxiang started and began to struggle: "I can walk on my own..."

Don't separate him from the walker. He was tired of being carried around, unable to resist.

"You're here to judge, aren't you? Let's go find my fourth brother."

Yinsi had become much stronger and more powerful since he began practicing horseback riding and archery, and he was more than capable of carrying Yinxiang.

Yinsi, reclining on the couch, read a book. Seeing the two of them enter, playfully, he waved his hand. The palace attendants bowed their heads respectfully and withdrew, preparing dinner.

Yinzhen and Yinsi exchanged few words during the meal. Yinxiang's eyes flickered between them, tucking into the complementary food Wenshan had prepared for him, wondering what could have caused the quarrel between his fourth and eighth brothers, now so close they were practically fraternizing. It wasn't

until after dinner that Yinsi brought up the matter.

Unsurprisingly, Yinxiang jumped up in objection.

"No, absolutely not!" Yinxiang decisively sided with Yinzhen. "Fourth brother is right. We can't let you, eighth brother, take that risk."

Having, like Yinsi, experienced the perilous battle for the throne between the nine princes, Yinxiang knew better than Yinzhen the consequences of vying for the throne with the crown prince, whether by scheming or by co-opting court officials.

"It's just a pretense." Yinsi was helpless and explained again: "I will pay attention to it, and I am very familiar with these things."

"After all, the three of us can't hug each other. If I don't do it, do you want my thirteenth brother to go?" Yinsi joked.

Yinxiang vowed, "I'll go, and I won't abandon you to protect my fourth brother and me."

Yinsi thought to himself that the Thirteenth Prince was still the chivalrous and brave king who took revenge for his enemies.

However, Yinzhen would never do such a thing. The safest way for him to become emperor in the future was to act as he had before: support the crown prince and be a loyal minister.

As for the Thirteenth Prince... Yinsi couldn't imagine the Thirteenth Prince becoming the Thirteenth Wise King.

That could only be him.

Yinxiang knew he couldn't do it, but that didn't mean his eighth brother would do it.

"Why don't you support my eldest brother? That's fine too," Yinxiang said after a moment's thought.

It would just be a matter of separating the three of them. If he and his fourth brother supported the crown prince, and his eighth brother supported his eldest brother, the same effect would be achieved.

Yinsi said nothing, and Yinxiang hurriedly pulled Yinzhen, saying, "Fourth brother, please try to persuade Eighth brother again."

Yinsi and Yinzhen both knew that supporting the eldest prince wouldn't work. Not to mention that Yinsi didn't have much contact with the eldest prince, and secondly, none of the other brothers sided with the eldest prince. It was too deliberate.

"No matter what, Thirteenth brother and I disagree on this matter." Yinzhen was silent for a long while, but still insisted, "We brothers are in this together. The worst that can happen is that the journey will be a little harder."

Yinsi sighed, "You all take this too seriously. I know my limits. In my previous life, the emperor only stripped me of my title and didn't imprison me. Besides, I'm a prince after all, and I won't be humiliated. It will be fine when Fourth brother ascends the throne."

"The sooner Fourth brother ascends the throne, the sooner Mother and I can live a peaceful life. As for the gains and losses between us brothers, there's no need to worry about them."

Yinxiang didn't expect Eighth brother to say such heartfelt words, and was stunned for a moment.

He deeply felt that they were now brothers, blood thicker than water, sharing weal and woe.

Although this combination sometimes seemed strange to him when he was alone, it was quite satisfactory for now.

Yinzhen knew Yinsi's temper; once he made up his mind, it was difficult to change it. Yinzhen worried that he would do something earth-shattering behind their backs, announcing his independence, so he had to ease up a bit. After all, they hadn't entered the imperial court yet, so they had some time to recover.

The three of them hadn't chatted for a while when Wenshan returned from the Cining Palace.

"You're all back?" Wenshan smiled and picked up Yinxiang. "How's it going, Thirteenth? Did you walk well today?"

Yinxiang nodded, hugged Wenshan's neck, and said he could walk a dozen steps faster today.

Ever since Yinzhen and Yinsi spent most of their daytime hours in the Shangshufang, Wenshan and Yinxiang's relationship had quickly blossomed, becoming incredibly close.

None of them wanted to tell Wenshan about their recent argument, so when she asked what they had been talking about, Yinzhen brought up the matter of Zhang Tingyu.

Wen Shan, still curious about this "Qing Dynasty's First Secretary," excitedly asked Yinxiang and Yinsi if Zhang Tingyu could truly write down an imperial edict the moment the emperor spoke, with precise, detailed words and precise meaning.

Yinxiang, who had seen Zhang Tingyu draft imperial edicts many times, nodded his head like a rattle. Zhang Tingyu was truly a capable and formidable man.

With a flick of his sleeves, he finished writing the edict as soon as his fourth brother finished speaking, his words neatly and the language precise.

Yinzhen mused to himself, "Si Niang and his thirteenth brother both think so highly of Zhang Tingyu. This Zhang Tingyu is truly a talent to be used.

" Wen Shan nodded repeatedly, "No wonder Zhang Tingyu is the only Han minister to enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

"What?!"

Yinxiang and Yinsi's eyes widened, as if they had heard something incredible.

Wen Shan touched her head, having almost forgotten that Zhang Tingyu hadn't been enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple when they both died. So Wen Shan explained that this was Yinzhen's last will, leaving a great gift for his old minister.

Yinxiang and Yinsi then looked at Yinzhen in unison.

Yinsi had only been in the Yongzheng reign for a short time, and he didn't know how Zhang Tingyu, a civil servant or even a Han official, had managed to charm his fourth brother into the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The scrutinizing look he gave Yinzhen, rubbing his chin, made his scalp tingle. Was his fourth

brother so wild that he dared to do such a thing?

"Zhang Tingyu is indeed a capable and loyal minister, but..." Even Yinxiang didn't expect his fourth brother to allow Zhang Tingyu to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Although there was no ancestral rule that prohibited Han officials from entering the Imperial Ancestral Temple, this was still shocking. No wonder he had to wait for the emperor's last will and order. If this matter was brought to the court for discussion, it would probably not pass.

Yinzhen pondered for a moment, trying to understand his future self's thoughts. Ultimately, he could only conclude that Zhang Tingyu must have made great contributions to the court and was loyal to him, forcing him to forge a strong bond with his subject.

Even so, Yinzhen himself found it difficult to comprehend his future self.

This was indeed a bit... excessive.

Wen Shan, observing Yinzhen's skeptical expression, thought, "This is just the beginning! You've done so many things that violate ancestral rules.

If I were to tell them all, they'd be terrified to death. "

Forget it, let's save the child's face.

When discussing Zhang Tingyu's entry into the Taimiao, Wen Shan couldn't help but criticize Yinzhen's eldest son, the Qianlong Emperor, Hongli, a frequent guest in their mother-son taunts. It couldn't be helped, given that many of Yinzhen's ministers lived into the Qianlong reign, making them unavoidable.

"Zhang Tingyu's end wasn't a good one, really. Not only was his title stripped and his property confiscated before he left, but he also thought he wouldn't be able to enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The old man toiled his entire life for the Qing, only to have such a fateful end." Wen Shan lamented.

Yinzhen, Yinxiang, and Yinsi: "?"

Yinxiang, in particular, had worked alongside Zhang Tingyu for over seven years and held a close bond with him. Upon hearing of his bleak end, he quickly inquired about the matter. Had Hengchen done something foolish in his later years that angered Hongli?

"That shouldn't be the case. Even if Fourth Brother's decision to allow Zhang Tingyu to enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple was a bit excessive, it was Fourth Brother's will after all. How could Hongli dare to do that?" Yinxiang said.

Furthermore, based on his understanding of Zhang Tingyu, he likely wouldn't commit any serious crime that would disrupt the government. He was a cautious man, never forming cliques, and devotedly serving Fourth Brother.

Yinzhen's expression turned grim. Regardless of whether Zhang Tingyu could enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple, it was his will after all. Unless Zhang Tingyu had committed some grave offense, Hongli would surely deserve punishment.

Furthermore, after Wenshan's retelling, they learned that Zhang Tingyu had indeed committed no serious crime. It was simply that, despite his age and a lifetime of hard work, he constantly yearned for the ultimate honor of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He petitioned the Emperor several times, only to irritate him. The Emperor, already displeased with his father's decision to allow Zhang Tingyu to enter the Ancestral Temple, began to harass him, accusing him of having too many students, a clique, and conspiring to confiscate the Zhang family property. However, they embarrassingly found nothing.

This incorruptible claim was a slap in the face to the Emperor.

Infuriated, the Emperor summoned all the ministers to a morning court session to discuss Zhang Tingyu's deserving place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

What could the ministers say under such circumstances? They could only come to the conclusion that Zhang Tingyu was not worthy of being in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

So, Qianlong was satisfied and issued an edict stating that Zhang Tingyu was a person of ordinary character and had no great achievements. Apart from being a good writer of imperial edicts, he had no other strengths. It was inappropriate for him to rely on the favor of the late emperor to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Therefore, the emperor completely rejected Zhang Tingyu's request to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Poor Zhang Tingyu was almost eighty years old at the time, but he ended up in such a miserable state. He died a few years later at the age of eighty-three.

Yinzhen took several deep breaths. Although he had not yet worked with Zhang Tingyu, he had met this frail young man today. After a few words, he could tell that he was a man of character. Yinzhen had a good first impression of him. As a result, the person he had just appreciated in the daytime was told that this person had been tortured to death by his son. Yinzhen was so angry that he almost couldn't breathe.

And it was a mess!

Isn't this the heart of an old minister like Han!

Yinxiang was also furious and slammed the table: "Isn't this nonsense? It's abominable!"

Yinsi thought coldly to the side. He didn't expect that his fourth brother would give birth to such a petty son. Well... his fourth brother did hold a grudge.

But he still had nothing to say about his meritorious officials.

Wen Shan quickly said, "After Zhang Tingyu's death, Emperor Qianlong still allowed him to enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He even went to pay his respects, saying it was Yinzhen's will and he couldn't disobey, so he allowed him in anyway."

"..."

Yinxiang, a straightforward man, was nearly vomiting blood at this nephew's actions.

What good is a dead person?

Zhang Tingyu thought he couldn't enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple until his death.

This kid, he's so good at killing people and destroying their hearts!

Yinzhen's forehead was throbbing with blood. After calming down for a moment, he said, "If Hongli were still born in this life, he would definitely be taught well."

At least he couldn't let such a petty character develop again.

Yinxiang listened to his fourth brother's sinister words and lit a candle for his nephew, who hadn't even appeared in this life. His fourth brother had already put his education on the agenda before he was even born.

Yinsi stroked his chin and said, "Who does this child Hongli take after?"

Yinxiang thought for a moment and said, "It seems a bit like you, eighth brother."

Eighth brother often did this kind of thing.

Yinsi accepted this assessment with a smile: "Oh, then Fourth Brother gave me the wrong son. He should have given me little Hongli as his son."

Yinzhen: "If you want it, take it."

Yinxiang: "..."

No, that's totally unrelated.

The matter of Zhang Tingyu and that little bastard Hongli could be put aside for now. After all, there was no trace of Hongli.

The most pressing issue now was that Kangxi was thinking about sending Yinxiang away.

Although Wenshan and Yinxiang had temporarily suppressed the matter yesterday, that alone was not enough.

So, more than half a month later, when Kangxi picked up the matter again, he found a big problem.

Who should he take Yinxiang to?

Yinxiang was embroiled in the conflict between the Crown Prince and the eldest prince from birth. The harem and the previous dynasty fought tooth and nail over his fate. Though the situation has now subsided, there are only a few candidates to remove him from Wenshan: the Imperial Noble Consort, Noble Consort Niohuru, Consort Hui, Consort Rong, and his biological mother, Noble Lady Min.

Of the four concubines, Consort De and Consort Yi were excluded because one was unfamiliar with Wenshan, and the other was too familiar with her.

In fact, it's a stretch for Consort Hui and Consort Rong to even make the list.

Their status is lower than Wenshan's, and since she hasn't committed any wrongdoing, it would be somewhat impolite to take their adopted son.

However, if Kangxi were being shady, that would be another matter. If he weren't completely short of options, he wouldn't have considered them.

But upon closer consideration, Consort Hui wasn't an option either. Kangxi was well aware of the eldest prince's volatile and ambitious nature. If he left the Thirteenth Prince to be raised by his mother, Consort Hui, Kangxi worried that raising him would only foster his arrogance.

As for Consort Rong... that was something he could reconsider.

The Imperial Noble Consort and Consort Niohuru could actually be written off. The Imperial Noble Consort was suffering from a serious illness, and a few days ago, the imperial physician reported that her health was deteriorating, and she was nearing her death, estimated to be within the next two years.

Kangxi, feeling his remaining conscience, felt a pang of reluctance to drag his cousin, who had been in the palace for many years, into this mess. Since she was already dying, he should let her go in peace and dignity.

Consort Niohuru, on the other hand, had been promoted simply because of her suitable rank, but was immediately written off by Kangxi.

The Niohuru family had already coveted the crown prince's position, so giving them another prince?

Forget it.

So, after all, there were only two people left: Consort Rong and Consort Min.

Unfortunately, Consort Min was pregnant and needed rest. Sending the Thirteenth Prince back at this time seemed illogical and forced. Furthermore, it was Consort Min's lack of rank that had caused all the trouble in the first place, making it seem like selling water by the river, a superfluous act.

So only Rong Fei was left.

The more Kangxi thought about it, the more he felt that Rong Fei was suitable. She had entered the palace with seniority and was only one level lower than Xuan Guifei. Moreover, she had more land and was suitable for raising princes. The third prince had always been close to the crown prince and was not as restless as the eldest prince

. As a result, when Kangxi was just about to find another excuse to get the matter done, Rong Fei got into trouble in the palace.

This matter was not big or small. In the thirteenth year of Kangxi's reign, when Wen Shan had not yet entered the palace, a concubine who had now passed away had been secretly tricked by Rong Fei to have a miscarriage. For some reason, this matter was suddenly exposed by a maid who was on good terms with the concubine.

This maid had been out of favor for many years and had rarely gone out to socialize. There were probably not many people in the palace who knew her. But such an unknown little character actually brought a complaint against Rong Fei to the emperor.

The reason turned out to be that the imperial physician who served Rong Fei let slip during his monthly pulse check that this concubine had lost interest in life after living in the palace for so long without children or favor. Her only friend was the concubine who died young. She had also lost her body and spirit after a miscarriage when her child was six months old. She died just two months after the miscarriage.

The imperial physician was worried that Rong Fei would abandon her, so he kept all the evidence for future use. As a result, the evidence was used in the report to prove that Rong Fei had murdered the heir to the throne.

Kangxi felt that this was really a double whammy. Rong Fei was the only candidate, but she was reported for murdering the heir to the throne at this time. There was no way he could hand Yinxiang over to her.

"Rong Fei, ouch!"

Kangxi frowned and put the teacup down heavily. Liang Jiugong raised his eyes quickly on the side, thinking that Rong Fei had not only murdered the heir to the throne, but also disrupted the emperor's arrangements, which was a serious crime.

After Rong Fei's incident, there was no suitable concubine in the palace who could take over the raising of Yinxiang. They could only put it aside until Concubine Min gave birth and promoted her to a concubine. Then Yinxiang could be sent back. At this time,

the previous dynasty had won a great victory in the second expedition to Yalu River and was preparing to negotiate and sign a treaty with Tsarist Russia. For such a national event, Kangxi could only postpone the revision of the jade book and the adoption of Yinsi.

Yinzhen and Yinsi wanted these seven or eight months, which was enough for them to do a lot of things.