Chapter 56 Chapter 56: Dynasties throughout history...

Yinzhen and the others were naturally well-versed in the history of dynasties throughout history. No dynasty could last forever; the passing of dynasties was commonplace. So, while they felt sorry for the Qing's future demise, they could rationally accept it.

They had originally thought that at worst, a tyrant among their descendants would ruin the Qing, leading to its downfall like every dynasty before.

But Mother had never described a demise as so humiliating!

Even Wen Shan felt deeply distressed when she mentioned that bloody and tearful modern history, let alone Yinzhen and the other two.

Yinzhen nearly crushed the cup in his hand. Yinsi gritted his teeth, speechless for a long moment. Yinxiang, his temper at its most exposed, launched into a tirade of curses.

"These Western barbarians are truly shameless! They've seized my land and harmed my people. I will personally lead my troops to annihilate them without a single mortal remains, avenging my grievance!"

Yinzhen closed his eyes, thinking, "These are truly sinners for eternity."

The fall of the Qing dynasty wasn't just the end of a dynasty; it was the result of barbarian invasions that left the Chinese people destitute. The Aisin-Gioro clan, as rulers of China at the time, failed to protect their people. Instead, they ceded territory and paid indemnities, enduring humiliation and allowing those Western invaders to burn, kill, and plunder while they groveled and groveled in servility, striving to survive.

According to my mother, it was just a hair's breadth away from turning all of China into some kind of foreign colony, a

fate forever lost. Yinzhen, hearing this, was filled with nothing but rage, already threatening to burst forth, and only with shame and remorse.

The emperor's actions were even more damning than the Jingkang humiliation of the Huizong and Qinzong emperors!

Yinsi, too, felt his blood boiling. Despite their brothers' feuds, they had always hoped for peace and prosperity for the Qing dynasty. Even if it couldn't last forever, it would at least be remembered in history as a powerful and prosperous dynasty like the Han and Tang dynasties. But now, future generations feared that the Qing dynasty would be consigned to the humiliation of the past.

Furious, Yinxiang leaped from the couch and paced back and forth several times, his anger still lingering. Thinking of Wenshan's mention of the maritime ban and the isolationist policy, he frowned and asked, "The maritime ban wasn't implemented until the emperor's later years. Fourth brother and I discussed it for a long time after he ascended the throne. It was clearly lifted in the fifth year of the Yongzheng reign, wasn't it?"

As they listened to the entire subsequent history, it seemed as if the source of the problem lay with this isolationist

policy. The Qing dynasty, isolated and insular, completely fell behind the West, leading to Mother's saying, "Those who lag behind must be beaten." When Fourth Brother first ascended the throne, the emperor had left them with a shabby foundation. Officialdom had become lax in the late Kangxi era, and the emperor, seeking to preserve his reputation, had resorted to smoothing things over, playing nice with everyone. Official corruption had left the treasury empty, with countless debts owed to the court. Fourth Brother, upon taking office, began collecting the shortfalls, but even then, the treasury wasn't much.

So Yinzhen and Yinxiang decided to reopen the maritime ban, hoping to boost coastal trade and develop the economy.

So, how did the country end up closing itself off again?

Wen Shan glanced at them. "After Hongli ascended the throne, it should have been around the 20th year of Qianlong's reign, and he reopened the maritime ban, just in time to miss the Western Industrial Revolution."

That brat Hongli again!!!

Yinzhen's chest heaved violently, nearly fainting from anger at his unborn son.

Yinsi tossed the little toy he'd been carelessly kneading in his hands and said with a forced smile, "Fourth brother, it seems you'll have to work hard to have more sons in this lifetime. I think we'll just have to let Hongli go."

While they couldn't blame him for everything that happened later, he couldn't escape blame either. As elders, they could overlook minor matters; after all, what emperor was perfect? While Hongli certainly hadn't intended the maritime ban, and didn't expect it to escalate to this point, it was still a major mistake.

Yinxiang also frowned and said, "Although Hongli did do some good things, the maritime ban was a grave mistake."

Wenshan had once told them that later generations had mixed opinions of Emperor Qianlong. On the one hand, he was indeed a competent political machine, decisive in killing and skilled in governing his subordinates, having recovered Xinjiang and the Jinchuan regions. However, he was also complacent, ambitious, and fond of luxury. The Qing Dynasty essentially began its decline after him.

"In this life, if Fourth Brother has more nephews, there will surely be good ones. We will carefully train them and choose one to inherit the Qing Dynasty's legacy. We must never repeat the same mistakes." Yinsi no longer had any affection for his fourth nephew, Hongli.

He believed that Fourth Brother had only a few children in his previous life, with only a few to choose from, leaving him with no choice but to pick the best from the best. Like the Emperor's father, who had more than twenty brothers, there must be good ones.

Yinzhen sighed but nodded, agreeing with Yinsi and Yinxiang.

After listening to it, it seems that he had too few sons in his previous life, which is why he ended up like this.

As for Hongli... let him cool off for now.

"We can't just focus on the throne," Yinzhen said in a deep voice. "Compared to this, who becomes emperor is a trivial matter. Now that we know about this, we must change this humiliating history."

Yinsi nodded: "Fourth brother is right. We should pay more attention to the West. We used to treat them as barbarians and didn't pay much attention to them, but now they have become a major concern for us."

"Isn't it just so-called technology? Let's develop it too!" Yinxiang was also eager to try. "When the country is rich and the people are strong, I will ask for permission to lead the troops to suppress them and avenge this great hatred!"

Wen Shan looked at him with some relief. If changes could really be made, how many innocent people would be saved.

"Mother, how much do you know about that Western technology you just mentioned?" Yinsi suddenly asked. "Do you know how it works?"

"..."

This question truly stumped Wenshan. As a liberal arts student, she could easily explain history, but when it came to electrical machinery, she was a bit lost.

"I know the basics, but I don't understand anything too profound," Wenshan said.

She still had some understanding of the principles of steam engines, for example.

"That's fine. Since the West has only achieved these things in the past few decades, we in the Qing Dynasty also have them. There are also many extraordinary people among the people, but their status is lower and they are not appreciated. If we carefully seek them out and gather information from the West, we should be able to catch up." Yinsi stroked his chin and began to make plans.

He simply didn't believe that the talents of his Qing Dynasty could not compare to those of the West.

This was all within Wen Shan's purview. The Qing Dynasty at that time did indeed have many talented individuals skilled in astronomy, calendars, and mechanical calculations. Wen Shan made a list, including those who hadn't yet been born but weren't too far away. Yinzhen and Yinsi carefully kept it, planning to gradually gather these individuals and assign someone to look after the parents of those yet to be born.

Even after discussing this, Wen Shan could still sense the three brothers' melancholy. Each of them lowered their head in thought for a long, silent moment.

Knowing they needed some time to relax, Wen Shan quietly left the main hall to visit Concubine Min.

When she returned, the three of them were noticeably less distracted, huddled together, chatting about something.

After the mother and sons had dinner, Yinsi and Yinxiang followed Yinzhen to Ganxiwu's place, where they had some unfinished business. They would stay at Yinzhen's place tonight.

Wen Shan told them not to stay up too late and sent them off.

Later that night, in another world, Emperor Qianlong, who had been on the throne for over twenty years, was suddenly dreaming of his father, his thirteenth uncle, and even his eighth uncle, whom he hadn't dreamed of in years.

Qianlong knew he was dreaming immediately. His father and thirteenth uncle were fine, but seeing his eighth uncle with them was definitely a dream.

He then saw his father, his father, chasing him with a cane, while his thirteenth and eighth uncles each kicked him. He was beaten all the way from the Hall of Mental Cultivation to the Gate of Heavenly Purity, running for his life in panic, unable to comprehend what had happened.

When he finally woke, sweating profusely, Concubine Ling sat up beside him, wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, and softly asked the emperor if he had been possessed.

Qianlong drank some water to moisten his dry throat and said, "I just dreamed of my father and thirteenth uncle, and strangely, my eighth uncle as well." Concubine

Ling's eyebrows jumped at Qianlong's address to Yinsi. The eighth prince had long been excommunicated from the clan for treason and had his name changed, so he could no longer be considered the emperor's eighth uncle.

Because the dream's content was so absurd, Qianlong didn't continue chatting with Concubine Ling. He pinched the bridge of his nose, noting it was still early, and fell asleep again.

He had to wake up early the next day to attend court. Qianlong lay back down, tossing and turning, unable to figure out what he had done wrong recently that had caused his father, the Emperor, to appear in his dreams and beating him, years after his death.

Concubine Ling was already drowsy, but Qianlong's tossing and turning kept her awake, so she could only softly ask him what was wrong.

Qianlong suddenly sat up again, and Concubine Ling, feeling extremely annoyed by him, thought she wouldn't sleep well again tonight.

She sat up, lit the lamp, put on Qianlong's coat, and said softly, "I'll have someone make you a bowl of calming soup. Drink it before you go to sleep."

Qianlong preferred gentle and considerate women. The current Empress Ulanara was disliked by Qianlong because of her strong character. Concubine Ling could only pinch her nose and carefully try to please him.

Qianlong waved his hand, his face sullen, signaling against summoning anyone. After a long pause, he said, "The Emperor hasn't appeared in my dreams in years. Could this be a sign that I've done something wrong and angered him?"

"Your Majesty, you're overthinking it. Perhaps the late Emperor has been missing you for so long." Concubine Ling smiled and said, "The late Emperor was always stern and reserved. Whatever he said or did was naturally meant to encourage you."

Concubine Ling was no fool. One look at Qianlong's expression told her the Emperor had likely said nothing kind in his dream. He had likely been scolded or beaten.

Qianlong's brows relaxed, and he nodded repeatedly. When the Emperor was still alive, he had always spoken sternly to his brothers. Recently, Zhaohui was busy leading the army to reclaim Xinjiang. He believed he had accomplished something as remarkable as his grandfather's pacification of the Three Barbarians and the conquest of Taiwan. He occasionally wondered how pleased the Emperor would be if he knew.

Perhaps it was because he was thinking about things during the day that he dreamed at night, and he dreamed of the times when the Emperor had disciplined him harshly.

After successfully convincing himself, Qianlong went back to sleep contentedly.

When Yinzhen woke up the next morning, he felt refreshed. He and Yinsi and Yinxiang chatted until midnight the previous night, and the three of them fell asleep together on his bed.

When Yinzhen woke up, Yinsi and Yinxiang were still asleep. Yinsi slept obediently with his hands folded on his abdomen, but Yinxiang's sleeping posture was a bit unsightly. He slept crookedly and squeezed Yinsi to the innermost part.

Yinzhen smiled and tucked the quilts for his two younger brothers. Jinbao, who was on guard last night, heard the noise and hurried to help Yinzhen change his clothes.

"Go out and clean up. The Eighth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince are still asleep." Yinzhen whispered. Yinsi

came out of the outer room as soon as he finished washing up, and Xiao Shunzi followed behind with clothes in his hands.

"Why didn't you call me when Fourth Brother got up?"

Yinsi yawned slightly after getting dressed. After listening to what their mother said about the tragic situation of the Qing Dynasty in the future, none of the brothers could sleep. They chatted until the middle of the night before falling asleep.

"You and Thirteenth Brother are both sleeping soundly. It's almost time." Yinzhen said.

"Thirteenth Brother is still asleep. He doesn't need to go to the Shangshufang, so don't call him. When he wakes up, let him go back to Xianfu Palace." Yinsi said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhenzhu and Baoquan arrived, bringing the breakfast prepared by Wenshan for them.

"Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, the master said that the gentlemen had a small gathering last night and might have slept late, so there is no need to go to Xianfu Palace to pay their respects. Just go directly to the Shangshufang after breakfast." Zhenzhu said with a smile.

Mother was always so considerate and attentive. Yinzhen nodded and said, "Thirteenth Brother is still asleep in there. You can pick him up when he wakes up."

Wenshan made some light porridge and a few small dishes of steamed shrimp dumplings. Yinsi ate one and suddenly remembered his dream from the previous night.

"Speaking of which, I had a strange dream last night." Yinsi dismissed the palace attendants and said with a smile, "I dreamed that Thirteenth Brother and I went to see that kid Hongli..."

"And beat him up?" Yinzhen raised an eyebrow and asked.

Yinsi was stunned. "How did Fourth Brother know that? Could it be..."

Yinzhen nodded, clearly feeling much better after beating Hongli up.

"I had the same dream last night."

The two looked at each other, both amazed. But then they realized that he and Thirteenth Brother had both lived a second life, so a dream didn't seem so strange.

As they were talking, Yinxiang emerged from the inner room, bleary-eyed.

He was drifting off to sleep when he smelled the aroma of rice. He knew it was his mother's cooking. Sure enough, when he came out, he saw his fourth and eighth brothers enjoying their meal.

"Fourth brother, eighth brother, you didn't even call me for breakfast!"

Yinxiang complained. He woke up alone in bed, seeming to love sleeping so much.

"You slept like a pig. My fourth brother and I called you several times, but you didn't move." Yinsi teased him deliberately.

Yinxiang didn't believe him. Eighth brother never told the truth and always loved to fool people, especially him.

"Let's not talk about that for now. I had a dream last night..."

Yinzhen and Yinsi looked at each other and burst into laughter. Yinxiang looked at them both laughing so hard that he felt a little confused.

"It's a funny dream and it's quite satisfying, but I haven't said anything yet..."

After Yinzhen and Yinsi had laughed enough, Yinxiang realized that the three of them had had the same dream.

Yinxiang picked up a shrimp dumpling and took a vicious bite, saying, "Hmph, it seems that brat Hongli must have been dreaming too. If it happens again, I'll kick him around the palace eight times!"

Unexpectedly, the aroma of Wenshan's breakfast not only woke Yinxiang but also attracted the eldest and third princes, who were also staying at Ganxi Wuzuo.

"Hey, why are Eighth and Thirteenth Brothers here so early in the morning?" The third prince pulled back the curtains and entered. The room was filled with steam from the fireplace, and the aroma of fresh shrimp and ham was so overwhelming.

The eldest prince followed closely behind, surprised to see so many people in the room.

Yinzhen and his younger brothers stood up and greeted the two men.

"Thirteenth Brother insisted on coming to see Fourth Brother yesterday, so I brought him here. The snow made it difficult to travel, so we didn't go back."

Yinsi, without batting an eyelid, threw the blame on Yinxiang.

After all, Yinxiang was only three years old, at the peak of his mischievous nature, so this reason was perfectly apt and made perfect sense.

Sure enough, the eldest and third princes had no doubts. The third prince smiled and said, "You three have been close since you were young. My eldest brother and I haven't had many brothers to play with since we were little in the palace. It makes us jealous."

Although the eldest prince disdained these so-called brotherly sentiments, he said nothing. He placed his hands behind his back and sat down.

The eldest and third princes sat down, glancing at the table several times, clearly hoping to get a free meal.

"This must be Concubine Xuan's cooking. I just ran into my eldest brother outside, and the first whiff of it piqued my appetite," the third prince said.

They had both just returned from paying their respects to their respective mothers. The eldest prince had been reinstated by Kangxi to attend court, and after paying his respects to Concubine Hui, he was about to attend the court meeting. Concubine Hui had a headache today, and the eldest prince hadn't gotten up yet, so she didn't offer him breakfast.

Although Rong Fei was still under house arrest and could not see him, the Third Prince went to the gate of Zhongcui Palace to kowtow every day.

When Kangxi knew about it, he even praised the Third Prince for his filial piety.

So the two of them did not eat at their respective mothers' houses. At this time, they were both hungry and ready to go back for breakfast. When they smelled the fragrance, they could not walk anymore, so they came to Yinzhen's place together. Xuan Guifei often sent food to Yinzhen, and they and the fifth and seventh brothers also came to eat for free.

Yinzhen and the others knew they wanted to eat for free when they heard their tone, so

they had no choice but to invite them to eat together. The two of them were not polite, and the eldest prince said a few good words. He thought that the emperor's recent favor for Xuan Guifei

must be due to her delicious cooking. As the saying goes, food, sex and nature are part of human nature, and this is really a perfect match.

Luckily, Yinzhen and the others had already finished eating before they arrived. Ever since Wenshan knew these princes would occasionally come to eat at Yinzhen's table, she'd deliberately made extra food. Any leftovers could be shared with the palace servants. If they shared with the eldest prince and the others and didn't have enough, it would be troublesome.

Yinxiang quietly remarked to Yinsi that his mother was indeed farsighted. Yinsi smiled but said nothing.

Since they were just there to eat, the eldest and third princes were also quite friendly. At least it looked like the brothers were enjoying their meal together.

"Next year, after the mourning period for the Grand Empress Dowager is over, eldest brother should get married, right?" The third prince suddenly brought up the eldest prince's marriage over a bowl of ham and rice porridge.

After next year, the three-year mourning period for the Grand Empress Dowager would be over, and Empress Tongjia would be considered the successor. While the state mourning period originally prohibited marriage for twenty-seven months, two years prior, when Empress Niohuru passed away, Kangxi decreed that the mourning period only lasted one year, so this time would be the same. By the middle of next year, the mourning period for the Grand Empress Dowager would end, coinciding with the end of the mourning period for the Grand Empress Dowager.

The eldest prince's marriage had been arranged years ago, but unfortunately, the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager forced a postponement, and the death of Empress Tongjia further silenced the discussion.

"Then I'll take my third brother's good wishes," the eldest prince said, wiping his hands. "The ancients said that one cultivates oneself, manages the family, governs the country, and brings peace to the world. Naturally, it would be a blessing to be able to start a family."

A few days ago, after reviewing the princes' academic performance, Kangxi had mentioned this matter, saying that Yinzhen, as he grew older, should marry and move out of the palace to establish his own residence.

This suggestion had a further implication: if he were to move out of the palace and establish his own residence, would this mean a title?

Currently, all of their brothers, except the crown prince, were still bald.

But Kangxi stopped short, always preferring to leave things ambiguous and elusive, leaving the reader unsure of what he meant.

Clearly, the eldest prince was already confident and smug, believing he would become the first of the imperial sons to achieve the rank of Beile or Junwang.

If the emperor was interested, a princehood wasn't out of the question.

Yinsi also smiled and said, "I heard that Irgen Gioro is beautiful and virtuous. Congratulations, eldest brother."

The third prince leisurely scooped another bowl of porridge, glanced at the triumphant eldest prince, then glanced at the still, impassive Yinzhen.

He, the crown prince, and his fourth brother were all old enough to discuss marriages. After all, choosing a partner takes time, and planning a wedding would take years more. Especially since the crown prince would be fifteen next year, and the emperor hadn't mentioned any other marriages besides the eldest brother.

The third prince couldn't help but wonder, unable to grasp Kangxi's intentions.

The eldest prince smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad. On the wedding day, I'll definitely invite all my brothers to a feast so we can all celebrate together."

"But I don't think we can get married next year."

After breakfast, the palace servants cleared the food away and served tea. The eldest prince took a sip of tea and suddenly said this, with a hint of mystique.

Yinzhen and the other two naturally knew what the eldest prince was talking about: the Emperor would personally lead the expedition against Galdan next year, with the eldest prince accompanying him.

This time, Kangxi was only bringing the eldest prince with him.

Furthermore, news of Kangxi's personal campaign hadn't spread yet, and the eldest prince, assuming he was Kangxi's favorite, figured the Emperor had told him about it while his brothers didn't. Unavoidably, he began to brag in front of his younger brothers.

The third prince, as expected, was clueless and demanded to know what had happened.

Unable to suppress his smile, the eldest prince whispered, "Not many people know about this yet, but as brothers, I'm telling you: the Emperor will personally lead the expedition against Galdan next year."

"Galdan has been treacherous and treacherous in recent years, irritating both God and man. The Emperor will not tolerate this any longer. This time, we'll execute Galdan and pacify the Khalkha Mongols. Since I'm a few years older than you, I'll accompany the Emperor."

Seeing the shock on their faces, the eldest prince felt even more pleased.

It's just that Yinzhen and the other two were pretending, while the third prince was really shocked.

After a moment, Yinzhen said: "In this case, the younger brothers can only wish the emperor and the eldest brother a victory from afar."

The third prince also came back to his senses and echoed. The eldest prince's purpose of eating and showing off was successfully achieved, so he left with the third prince.

"The eldest prince got the news so quickly, I'm afraid it wasn't just the emperor who told him?" Yinsi said slowly.

"Oh, Longkodo." Yinzhen said coldly.

Knowing that there are more important things to do in the future, it is even more important to clean up these people who harbor evil intentions and are too selfish.

There is not so much time left for them to play slowly.