Chapter 94: Yinsi and Yinxiang are familiar with each other…

Yinsi and Yinxiang slipped into Chonghua Palace through the back door with familiarity. The palace attendants, unsurprised, heard Yinzhen and Tian Wenjing discussing matters in the study.

As they reached the study door, they heard Tian Wenjing grit his teeth and rage.

"In Henan Province, millions of people are being exploited by these corrupt officials. The Emperor knows about this and turns a blind eye. How can justice be guaranteed when we return to the capital?"

Yinzhen was about to ask Tian Wenjing to calm down when Yinsi and Yinxiang poked their heads in.

"Fourth brother, did we interrupt your meeting with Lord Tian?"

Tian Wenjing was one of the few people who knew the true relationship between Yinzhen and his three brothers. After all, Yinzhen and Yinsi had been the matchmakers in Jiangnan, and his father-in-law was a member of the imperial family in Beijing. There was no need to hide it, and no reason to.

"Your humble servant greets the Eighth and Thirteenth Princes." Tian Wenjing stood and greeted Yinsi and Yinxiang.

Yinsi waved him off, and he and Yinxiang sat down beside Yinzhen.

"What are you talking about? I heard Lord Tian's impassioned speech outside. Who has offended you?"

Yinzhen tossed Tian Wenjing's list to Yinsi.

Yinsi took it, and Yinxiang came over to look at it.

"So many people." Yinsi smiled at the sight, and after a quick glance, he handed the list to Yinxiang, who was peeking in from the side. "That must have been difficult for Lord Tian to compile, right?"

"This is all my responsibility, but Your Majesty... ah!" Tian Wenjing couldn't help but sigh at the mention of it.

Yinxiang was stunned: "This is completely rotten from top to bottom."

Tian Wenjing's list included everyone from the governor to the county magistrate. While not every official in the province was included, the sight was still shocking.

"I am fortunate to have the trust of you princes, and naturally I must be selfless and dedicated to my duties. The officialdom is tainted, yet the court is celebrating and whitewashing the situation, ignoring the suffering of the people."

Tian Wenjing was heartbroken. The peaceful atmosphere at court since his visit to the capital had shocked him, and Kangxi's attitude on the matter was particularly chilling.

"Sir Tian, the court's top priority right now is to dispatch troops to fight Galdan. If you proceed with this list, the Henan officialdom will likely be in turmoil. How can we devote ourselves to the war when one province is in turmoil?" Yinsi consoled him.

"It's not that Your Majesty doesn't want to intervene, but this is a matter of great importance and cannot be addressed overnight. We must proceed gradually."

In short, the timing was wrong.

Even if dealing with this list of corruption and bribery were not a major issue, it would have been a major undertaking, and the entire province of Henan would have been in turmoil. Let alone now, when the troops were about to be dispatched, Kangxi didn't have the energy and felt that it was a minor matter compared to the deployment, and could be discussed later. In his later years, Kangxi, seeking to establish himself as a benevolent ruler, favored smoothing things over others, and a playful, all-too-good-for-all atmosphere within the officialdom was already beginning to emerge. "And, Lord Tian, have you ever considered why the Emperor transferred you to the position of Jingzhao Prefecture at this time?" Yinsi asked. Tian Wenjing replied , "That... I don't know. Please enlighten me, Eighth Prince." 

Tian Wenjing was initially surprised by the sudden transfer to Jingzhao Prefecture. The Jingzhao Prefecture prefect oversaw all matters of the capital, both major and minor. While the position wasn't high, it wielded substantial power, making it a lucrative position. Why would the Emperor choose him? 

"You're the only official recommended by my fourth brother, so the Emperor naturally considers you his confidant." Yinsi took a sip of tea and said, "Placing you in the position of Jingzhao Prefecture Governor at this time is so that you can help my fourth brother stabilize the capital. This is the first and most important thing you should do, understand?" 

Even Yinsi had to admit that the Emperor had gone to great lengths for his fourth brother this time. Not only had he reserved troops, but he had also placed Tian Wenjing in the position of Jingzhao Prefecture Governor, showing that he had considered every aspect. 

Tian Wenjing understood Yinsi's meaning: he was telling him not to lose sight of the big picture and to focus on the most important task at hand. 

But how could the millions of people in Henan be a trivial matter... 

His visit to the capital had already been leaked, and he dreaded the consequences of those corrupt officials if he delayed any further. 

Yinzhen was silent for a long time before he said, "Expanding territory is naturally a major matter, and the national economy and people's livelihood are no less important. It's just that it's a bit overwhelming to deal with the two things at the same time." 

Yinzhen and Tian Wenjing are the same kind of people at heart, but Yinzhen has a broader vision than Tian Wenjing and can turn things around. Yinzhen didn't think that the people's livelihood in Henan Province should be a trivial matter that should be put after sending troops, but he also understood that sending troops to Junggar was already on the verge of being launched, and Kangxi had to postpone the Henan matter. 

Only Yinxiang was furious when he saw this: "It's ridiculous, it's ridiculous. The governor of Henan not only exploited the people but also exploited officials at all levels, asking them to pay silver every year according to their ranks?" 

Are these officials of the Qing Dynasty or his private soldiers? 

Tian Wenjing sighed and said, "Thirteenth Prince, you don't know this. Many officials who were once relatively honest have been forced to exploit the people. Those who are honest and upright, willing to die rather than surrender, have no chance of survival. They are either dismissed from office or imprisoned. In recent years, they have also embezzled a lot of the relief funds for drought and locust plagues, leaving the people 

of Henan living in dire straits." Tian Wenjing only dared to touch him because he had the support of Yinzhen and Yinsi. Instead, they deceived him and hid it from this seemingly stubborn prefect. As a result, the area under Tian Wenjing's jurisdiction was one of the few places in Henan where people could live and work in peace. Other Henan residents heard about it and moved their families there. Over time, Tian Wenjing discovered something amiss from some minor details. 

So Tian Wenjing carefully gathered evidence and finally found these corrupt officials. Just then, Kangxi ordered him to be transferred to the position of Jingzhao Prefecture. He thought that after returning to Beijing, he would present the matter directly to the emperor and rectify the officialdom. 

However, Kangxi's indifference made him particularly disheartened. 

Yinzhen and Yinsi exchanged a helpless glance, and Yinxiang grew angrier as he listened. 

"All the perpetrators of this crime should be arrested and beheaded, Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother, what do you think?" 

Yinsi spread his hands and said, "Now is indeed not the right time." 

The Emperor had just left, and there were still a lot of matters waiting to be dealt with in the capital, so he really couldn't spare any time. 

Yinxiang thought about it and decided that Yinsi was right. With the Crown Prince and Soetu eyeing them covetously, he was indeed a bit overwhelmed, but the people of Henan... 

Yinzhen pondered for a long time and finally said in a resounding voice, "Do it! We can't neglect the affairs of the capital, and we can't leave the affairs of Henan aside either." 

"Fourth Brother," Yinsi frowned, somewhat disagreeing with Yinzhen's idea. 

"There are so many people around now, and everyone is watching you, the regent, the Fourth Prince. This is a big risk." 

Yinzhen said, "Since the Emperor has appointed me as regent, I should take on this responsibility. How can I ignore such a thing when it comes to me?" 

Although Tian Wenjing was straightforward, he also understood that the Fourth Prince's current situation was also worrying. He couldn't help but feel touched that the Fourth Prince was still willing to make decisions for the people under such circumstances. It turned out that God had chosen a wise leader for the Qing Dynasty! 

"Okay! Fourth brother, don't worry, I will help you with this matter!" Yinxiang also took the initiative to ask for help. 

Yinsi looked at these three people and felt a headache. 

He was really willing to sacrifice his life for a gentleman.

"It's okay, but not too hasty." Yinsi still tried to stop him, "This is no small matter. We need to think carefully about what to do."

Yinzhen naturally understood this and nodded immediately to start discussing with the others.

"This Henan Governor is Tong Guowei's man, right?" Yinxiang said.

Everyone looked at Yinsi.

Yinsi: "What are you looking at me for? The Tong family is known as the Tong half dynasty, with countless students and former officials."

"Relying on Tong Guowei to bully others?" Yinxiang snorted coldly and said: "Tong Guowei's vision is really bad. He actually picked such a person to be in charge of an entire province."

After almost discussing it, Yinsi and Yinxiang told Yinzhen about their encounter with the third prince.

"Soetu and the fourteenth brother?" Yinzhen looked puzzled. How did these two people get involved?

The Fourteenth Prince always followed the eldest prince, and Soetu was the Crown Prince's great-uncle. How could these two, seemingly unrelated, be meeting secretly at Yujing Pavilion?

And with the Third Prince standing guard, they were there to help keep an eye on them.

"Fourteenth Brother, have you finally realized that your eldest brother is hopeless and are planning to join the Crown Prince?" Yinxiang asked.

Yinsi smiled and said, "Looking at the current situation, the

Crown Prince is the one with no hope." Tian Wenjing couldn't say anything about matters involving the princes, but since Yinzhen and the others didn't avoid him, he sat quietly aside and listened to their conversation.

"Speaking of which, I just came from the Yanxi Palace. Fifth Sister said that Fourteenth Brother went to see her yesterday and seemed to have said something. Fifth Sister wanted to talk to Fourth Brother in person." Yinxiang recalled this and suddenly felt a sense of inextricable connection.

Yinzhen suddenly felt that the capital and the palace seemed to be tightly connected, like a tangle of threads, crisscrossing and tangling to form a web.

Things seemed even more complicated than they had imagined.

Yinsi frowned and pondered, "There hasn't been any unusual activity from the Fourteenth Prince recently, so the current situation is really a bit unexpected."

But now that he knows he's making moves, he'll definitely be able to find some clues.

Yinzhen stroked the dark patterns on his cuffs and suddenly raised his head: "Fourteenth brother, are you thinking of taking advantage of the chaos between the Crown Prince and Soetu to rise to power yourself?"

Yinzhen and his friends knew from the beginning that the Fourteenth Prince would never be subservient to others. In the past, following the eldest prince was a temporary solution. Now that the Crown Prince's power is declining, joining the Crown Prince's faction at this time is pure madness. So he must have his own little calculations.

"It's hard to say," Yinsi said, "What if the eldest brother gave him some instructions before he left, wanting to join forces with the Crown Prince to overthrow you, Fourth Brother?"

Yinxiang listened for a while and felt that both brothers had a point.

"Anyway, there's nothing good to say." Yinxiang waved his hand and said, "It's no use just guessing here. Fourth brother, please make time to see Fifth Sister. Eighth brother, send more people to keep an eye on them."

Yinsi was amused to see Yinxiang start giving orders.

"What about you? Are you into eating, drinking, and having fun, or are you into sensual pleasures?"

"I'm helping Lord Tian with the Henan affairs." Yinxiang puffed out his chest. "I'm familiar with this, don't worry."

Yinsi coughed and secretly kicked Yinxiang from behind. Could he say that in front of Tian Wenjing?

Yinxiang realized he had made a mistake and quickly said, "I see Eighth brother doing a lot of things. He's familiar with it, haha."

Seeing that it was almost lunchtime, Yinzhen invited Tian Wenjing to join him. After some thought, Yinxiang sent someone to the Yikun Palace. If the Fifth Prince and his wife hadn't left the palace yet, he would invite them to have dinner together.

Concubine Yi was angry because the Fifth Prince had run away after hearing about the incident halfway through. Concubine Yi was already worried because the Eleventh Prince had been in poor health recently. Now, even after getting married, the Fifth Prince was still acting mischievously.

Fortunately, the Ninth Prince came to pay his respects to Concubine Yi and saved the Fifth Prince. Yinxiang had just sent someone to invite the Fifth Prince and he quickly said he would be there shortly. Concubine Yi glared at him, as it was difficult for her to stop him from going to Chonghua Palace.

When the Ninth Prince heard that Yinsi was also there, he also clamored to go along and even sent someone to notify the Tenth Prince.

The Fifth Prince felt depressed as he watched the growing group of freeloaders.

It seemed that a group of people had gone to Chonghua Palace like this last time and then something bad happened.

He didn't even have a good meal.

Fortunately, the Eldest Prince was not in the capital this time and the Crown Prince was under house arrest, so nothing should happen.

Yinzhen felt helpless when he saw the Fifth Prince, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince all came.

Yinsi has been very busy recently, and the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince haven't seen him for a while, so they came up to him and talked to him all the time.

"Why are you two here too?" Yinsi asked.

"I happened to be there when my Thirteenth Brother sent someone to invite my Fifth Brother." The Ninth Prince smiled at Yinzhen and said, "So I asked my Tenth Brother to come along. I hope Fourth Brother doesn't mind."

Yinzhen: "Feel free to do as you please."

Since they were already here, he couldn't just kick them out.

"Eighth Brother, why are you here with Fourth Brother?" The Ninth Prince whispered to Yinsi.

In the eyes of outsiders, the two brothers have been interacting less and less since the Fourth Prince moved into Chonghua Palace. Yinxiang still comes over often, but Yinsi hardly ever comes.

Yinsi raised his chin to one side. Yinzhen was talking to Tian Wenjing.

"Lord Tian is in Beijing to report on his work, so my fourth brother asked me to come along and reminisce."

It was no secret that Yinzhen and Yinsi had publicly championed Tian Wenjing during Kangxi's southern tour. They were both Tian Wenjing's benefactors, though Yinzhen ultimately promoted him more.

The Ninth Prince nodded: "Tian Wenjing has done a good job over the past few years, and now he's the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture. We should talk to him more often."

Yinsi smiled but said nothing.

Yinxiang and the Fifth Prince played together, squatting on the ground watching Fuqi and Laifu play together.

Madam Tian had returned after meeting Dai Zi, and she and the Fifth Lady were in the inner chamber talking to Fucha.

The meal was ultimately peaceful, with both host and guest enjoying themselves. When it was over, the Fifth Prince insisted on dining with Yinzhen again the next time he visited the palace.

Yinsi didn't stay, and left with the Ninth and Tenth Princes. Yinxiang lingered a little longer, eating fruit, and asked, "Fourth Brother, when are you planning to meet Fifth Sister? Do you need anything for me?"

If they met at the Yanxi Palace, he could use it as a catalyst.

Yinzhen thought for a moment and said, "Let's meet at Xianfu Palace. Have Concubine Min take Fifth Sister to pay her respects to Mother."

Xianfu Palace was the most impenetrable place, and Yinzhen and Yinsi protected her most closely.

Wenshan had been confined to Xianfu Palace for the past two days. She'd been too lazy to go out lately, though Concubine Yi, Concubine Min, and Concubine Liang would occasionally visit to chat.

Concubine Min would sometimes bring Concubine Mi with her, which was a bit strange. Concubine Mi had been in the palace for many years and was one of Wenshan's former protégés, but she hadn't interacted with Wenshan since then. Concubine Min was puzzled, believing their personalities would be compatible.

Concubine Yi happened to be there that day. Concubine Min and Concubine Mi were talking to Wen Shan, but when they saw Concubine Yi coming, they decided to play mahjong together.

Concubine Yi's luck was so good that Wen Shan started to suspect she was cheating. She won by winning with a single set, and after a few rounds, the box of gold leaves in front of Wen Shan was empty.

Concubine Yi made a killing, beaming from ear to ear.

"What's wrong with you today? Why are you so lucky?"

Wen Shan, unconvinced, began shuffling the cards again, sending Zhenzhu to fetch some more chips for a few more rounds.

"Yinzhen started to feel better yesterday, and I'm so happy," Concubine Yi said with a smile.

Wen Shan understood: "So it's because good things make people feel so cheerful."

Concubine Min and Concubine Mi also congratulated Concubine Yi.

They played cards without caring about the chips, and when Concubine Yi saw they wanted to play a few more rounds, she returned the gold leaves she had just collected. It was just a fun time, no need to spend money.

Wen Shan had no shortage of money, and Concubine Mi had always been favored, so she didn't care about such things. Yinxiang was filial to Concubine Min, so she naturally had no shortage of chips either, so they all declined and asked Concubine Yi to accept them.

"We're not people who can't afford to lose. You should keep them, otherwise we'll win everything and you won't be able to give us anything," Wen Shan said with a raised eyebrow.

Concubine Yi smiled brightly: "Okay, then I won't be polite."

Minpin brought Wenke, Dunke and the fifth princess here today. The three princesses were playing on the side. Mipin took a look and said: "I really envy Sister Minpin. The princesses are well-behaved and obedient. What's good about sons? They only cause trouble all day long."

Wen Shan counted and found that among the four of them, except Minpin, the others raised in the palace were sons, which made the three little princesses even more precious.

Concubine Min smiled and said, "That's because the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Princes are still young. When they grow up, they will surely be sensible and filial. Look at the Fourth and Eighth Princes, as well as the Fifth, Ninth, and Eleventh Princes in Concubine Yi's palace. Aren't they all very sensible?"

"The Fifth and Eleventh Princes are fine, but the Ninth Prince is far from being well-behaved and sensible." Concubine Yi drew a card and said, "The Emperor's absence from the palace allows him to sneak out frequently to pursue his lucrative business ventures."

Concubine Yi had originally disapproved of this. What was the point of a prince mingling with businessmen and busying himself with money-making all day? Did the palace need him to drink or wear?

But the older the Ninth Prince got, the less she could control him. Plus, the Eleventh Prince had been in poor health recently, so she was too busy to take care of him and could only let him do as he pleased.

"I'm thinking of asking the Emperor to quickly arrange a marriage for him so that he can win his heart after he gets married," Concubine Yi said.

Wen Shan said, "It'll only be in the next two years, so there's no need to worry."

Yinsi was getting married next year, and the Ninth Prince was next in line.

The four of them were having a lively time when Zhenzhu came in and said, "My Lord, Concubine Tong sent someone to say that Concubine Wuya is ill in Yonghe Palace, and they want to ask your opinion on how to deal with her."

Everyone paused, and Wen Shan looked up, puzzled. "If she's ill, just call the imperial physician. What's the point of asking?"

The Fifth Princess, who was nearby, had naturally heard the news and stared nervously.

Concubine Min noticed and beckoned her over.

"It's okay, don't worry."

The Fifth Princess bit her lip anxiously, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Mother...what's wrong with Mother?"

Zhenzhu shook her head. "Five Princess, please forgive me. The person who came didn't explain clearly, they just said that Concubine Wuya was ill."

Concubine Yi fiddled with the cards in her hand, idly thinking that the fact that Concubine Wuya had managed to hold out until now was a sign of her good health.

"Then call the imperial physician!" the Fifth Princess fretted.

Concubine Yi smiled and said to Wen Shan, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Wu Yaying is a criminal. When she was imprisoned, the Emperor stated that no one would be allowed in or out of Yonghe Palace. How could this imperial physician get in?"

"..."

This was clearly a nitpicking. Imprisonment was fine, but Wu Ya's status hadn't been reduced to a commoner. Having an imperial physician treat her illness certainly wasn't disobeying Kangxi's order, but if they were deliberately trying to prevent her from being treated, this explanation would be justifiable.

Concubine Tong clearly didn't want to get involved, so she sent someone to ask Wen Shan for her opinion.

The Fifth Princess looked at Wen Shan with tears in her eyes and sank to her knees.

"Your Majesty, please save our mother!"

"Zhenzhu, quickly help the princess up!" Wen Shan hurriedly had the Fifth Princess lifted up.

Unable to utter anything too cruel in front of the child, she could only say, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and summon the imperial physician to treat Wu Yaying. Tell Concubine Tong that it was my order." Zhenzhu

took the order and passed it on.

The Fifth Princess finally breathed a sigh of relief, but she was still incredibly worried

. After a long pause, she asked, "Your Highness, can Wen Xian go to Yonghe Palace to see him?" "Fifth Princess, Your Highness is being very kind by sending someone to treat him," Concubine Yi said slowly. "The Emperor originally said no one was allowed in or out, so letting the imperial physician in was an exception. Please don't make things difficult for Your Highness."

Uya and Concubine Yi were sworn enemies, and with Concubine Yi around, the Fifth Princess was speechless.

While Concubine Yi's words were a bit blunt, they were true. Ever since Uya's imprisonment, the Fourteenth Prince had begged Kangxi to visit, but Kangxi had never granted his permission.

He even reprimanded the Fourteenth Prince for not taking his orders seriously.

Just then, Yinzhen and his men arrived.

Yinsi had already informed Wenshan. Wenshan knew that they came here today to talk to the fifth princess, so she immediately said: "Yinzhen, you came at the right time. Accompany your sisters to the side hall to play for a while."

Yinzhen responded and went to the side hall with Yinxiang and the three little princesses. Yinsi stayed in the main hall and asked someone to move an embroidered stool to sit behind Wenshan.

"Mother is lucky today." Yinsi said with a smile.

"Concubine Yi is lucky today." Wenshan tilted her head to look at him: "Nothing to do today?" Yinsi

nodded: "No matter how busy I am, I have to come to see mother." Concubine

Yi and the other two couldn't help but praise Yinsi for his sweet mouth and well-behaved. Wenshan smiled and said: "Don't praise him anymore, he will fly to the sky if you praise him again."

As she was speaking, Zhenzhu suddenly came in hurriedly again.

"Master, the fourteenth prince broke into Yonghe Palace after learning that Wuya promised to be seriously ill, and injured several guards on guard."