Chapter 98: This great victory was complete…

This great victory completely annihilated the Dzungars, finally eliminating the need for a third battle.

The musket and the new steelmaking method undoubtedly played the greatest role in this victory. Upon returning to the palace, Kangxi's first decree was to confer the title of Duke of Zhenguo on Dai Zi and Wang Chongyu.

However, Kangxi seemed to deliberately leave the question of how to deal with the Crown Prince and Soetu's followers unmentioned, not a single word.

Kangxi's refusal to mention Yinzhen and the other two was simply a matter of ignorance; some court official would inevitably speak up first.

After all, Prime Minister Soetu and the Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief, Togaqi, were still imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, and the Fourteenth Prince was still imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court. These were matters that could not be brushed aside with a perfunctory glance.

Kangxi's refusal simply stemmed from his undecided decision.

Although he had long suspected the Crown Prince and Soetu's rebellious plot and had taken precautions, how to deal with these two men if they were to be exposed… Kangxi had, in a rare instance, evaded the question.

He hadn't dared to consider it until he received a secret letter revealing the Crown Prince's true rebellion.

But Kangxi couldn't help but dwell on such a serious matter. The next day, during court, scores of people submitted memorials impugning the Crown Prince and Soetu.

One censor even bluntly stated that the Crown Prince and Soetu had committed treason and demanded that Kangxi punish them severely.

The Crown Prince's allies had no words to offer, their heads cowering in fear at this ironclad fact.

Yinzhen and Yinsi exchanged a silent glance.

Kangxi rubbed his forehead, a headache pounding.

Finally, driven by the outrage of his ministers, Kangxi decreed the execution of Soetu, Togazi, and the other traitors. As for the Crown Prince, he was ordered to reflect on his sins and report them to the heavens, the gods, and his ancestors before any further action could be taken.

The Fourteenth Prince was supposed to be confined to the Imperial Clan Court, but, considering his young age, he was granted a pardon and handed over to the Empress Dowager for her care and upbringing.

Kangxi then issued his first decree since returning to the palace: conferring titles

upon the princes.

The eldest prince, valiant in battle and highly decorated with military merit, was named Prince of Zhi. The third prince, because he was the youngest and Kangxi had always favored him, was named Prince of Cheng. The fifth prince, who enjoyed the empress dowager's support and enjoyed every advantage, was also named Prince of Heng.

The seventh prince was made a beile, and Yinsi, for his contributions as regent, was made Prince of Lian. The subsequent princes, due to their young age, were not given titles.

Yinzhen, however, was quite notable, having been directly promoted to the rank of prince by Kangxi.

He was named Prince of Yong.

This decree immediately clarified the situation for everyone.

As expected, the emperor's preferred choice was the fourth prince.

The eldest prince was chosen for his military merits, while the third and fifth princes were chosen because of their age and the empress dowager's lack of reference value. The only other prince who stood out was the eighth prince, Yinsi.

The Seventh Prince was granted the title of Beile, while the Eighth Prince was granted the title of Junwang. Furthermore, no further titles were granted to the

Eighth Prince after him, citing his young age. This was quite a subtle situation. Furthermore, the ministers were somewhat surprised that the Emperor would still show some affection for the Crown Prince, even after he had already rebelled.

Yinsi was quite predictable. After the court was dismissed, Tong Guowei found an opportunity to meet with Yinsi privately.

"This old minister congratulates the Prince of Lian."

Yinsi smiled faintly. "Lord Tong, please stop mocking me. Clearly, the Fourth Prince has the upper hand in this imperial appointment."

"Not at all. The Fourth Prince's appointment as Regent coincides with such a major event. The Emperor, while protecting the Crown Prince, naturally also wants to appease him. A title of Prince is therefore not surprising." Tong Guowei was optimistic. "But the Emperor has made an exception and granted you the title of Junwang." Yinsi asked, "So, Lord Tong, the Emperor will not depose the Crown Prince this time?"

"The crown prince must be deposed. If not, how can we calm the voices of the court?" Tong Guowei said, "We were sitting on the mountain watching the fight because we were thinking that the Fourth Prince would dethrone the crown prince and then

let him propose to dethrone the crown prince. The emperor would definitely be wary of the Fourth Prince. Now we are only one step away." There is nothing to say about the father-son relationship between Kangxi and the crown prince. If Yinzhen forces Kangxi to dethrone the crown prince again, it will indeed cause dissatisfaction.

"This is a bit difficult." Yinsi said slowly: "Fourth brother has always been able to sit still and sit steady. I'm afraid it won't work for him to do such a rash move."

"Your Highness is cautious about what you are doing, so this old minister has already selected someone to speak for Prince Yong."

Yinsi thought for a while: "Tian Wenjing?"

Tong Guowei nodded and stroked his beard: "Among all the officials in the court, only Tian Wenjing is a well-known man of Prince Yong, and this person has always been straightforward. Without much effort, he will definitely write a letter to depose the prince."

"Sir Tong is indeed worthy of being Tong Banchao. He has his own strategy in mind." Yinsi looked at him with a smile.

Tong Guowei waved his hands repeatedly: "This old minister can only do his bit, but now that the emperor has returned to the capital, it's not appropriate for Longkodo to temporarily take over the position of the Nine Gates Commander."

Yinsi understood what the old fox meant and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Master Tong, we will naturally make Longkodo's title legitimate."

Tong Guowei was satisfied. It turned out that dealing with smart people was worry-free and effort-saving.

Tong Guowei said goodbye with satisfaction. Xiao Shunzi followed Yinsi and asked: "Master, should we go to Xianfu Palace to pay our respects to the imperial concubine?"

"My mother is probably in the Empress Dowager's palace right now." Yinsi thought for a moment and said: "Let's go back to Ganxi Wusuo first. There are some things I need to think carefully about."

Dai Zi and Wang Chongyu were a little panicked after receiving the decree to confer the title of Duke of Zhenguo and ran to Chonghua Palace to ask Yinzhen for advice.

"You two are now meritorious officials. You played an invaluable role in the suppression of Galdan. The mere title of Zhenguo Gong is nothing," Yinzhen said.

After years of being influenced by Wenshan, Yinzhen and the others had an unprecedented respect for these craftsmen. Therefore, Yinzhen sincerely believed that this reward was insignificant for Dai Zi and Wang Chongyu's abilities. He even felt that Kangxi's reward was too meager.

The two men were relieved by Yinzhen's words and exchanged a few words before departing.

Dai Zi's daughter had recently given birth to a beautiful, fair-skinned daughter. Tian Wenjing was so overjoyed that he praised her to the skies and even went to the palace to ask Yinzhen for a name. Yinzhen, amused and confused, finally chose "Mao" after a long night of deliberation.

Wenshan, upon learning of this, pondered the matter and felt that the name wasn't particularly appealing for a girl.

Tian Mao... a bit strange.

"Jiyun says, 'Mao' means beautiful, so why wouldn't it be suitable for a girl?" Yinzhen argued.

He'd been thinking about this all night, and with New Year approaching, wouldn't this name be perfect for spring?

Plus, 'Mao' implies lush growth and flourishing vegetation, making it a perfect name for a child.

"...Okay, as long as Tian Wenjing and Madam are satisfied."

Tian Wenjing's thinking was on par with Yinzhen's. Without waiting for Yinzhen to explain why he chose this character, he simply declared it wonderful, delighted, and rushed home to tell Madam that their daughter had a name.

Wen Shan: "..."

Confirmed it wasn't due to Yinzhen's coercion... Wait, if it were Tian Wenjing, he wouldn't have done that.

Fucha was already in labor, and could go into labor at any moment. Everyone was stunned by the Imperial Physician's diagnosis of twins.

When Imperial Physician Zhang announced this, Fucha was already nearly six months pregnant, and he himself broke out in a cold sweat.

He'd waited six months to diagnose her, a gross dereliction of duty.

Wen Shan happened to be visiting Fucha at Chonghua Palace that day, and upon hearing Imperial Physician Zhang's words, her expression immediately changed.

"Twins? Why did you only diagnose it now?"

Wen Shan examined Fucha's belly, which didn't look unusually large; otherwise, they would have suspected twins long ago.

Imperial Physician Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Your Highness, the Fourth Lady is indeed pregnant with twins, but one of the youngest is a bit frail, with a weak pulse. So, it wasn't diagnosed earlier, but it's only now becoming apparent."

"Frail? You mean one of the children is in poor health?" Wen Shan's anxiety intensified.

No wonder the pregnancy hadn't revealed it; it turned out one was frail.

Fucha also clutched the handkerchief tightly, her heart pounding with anxiety.

Imperial Physician Zhang hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I just took the Fourth Lady's pulse and both young ladies are healthy. It's just that twins often have this problem: one is born stronger and the other is thinner." "

As for not being noticeable... the Fourth Lady is slender, so it's not that noticeable. Besides, I've seen many pregnant women with only a slight bump even at five or six months. It's not a big deal."

Wen Shan recalled a cousin who had given birth to twins in modern times, one of whom was indeed slightly smaller than the older one.

However, even with modern medical technology, twins were rarely born naturally and required cesarean sections. In the Qing Dynasty, childbirth was already difficult for women, and with twins on top of that...

Fucha wondered how much more suffering she would have to endure.

Upon hearing that both children were healthy, Fucha was ecstatic. Many children, many blessings. Having two children in her belly was naturally a cause for celebration.

"Don't worry, mother. We're all doing a great job, nothing will go wrong," Fucha reassured Wenshan, who was looking at her worriedly.

Imperial Physician Zhang seized the opportunity and quickly excused himself to prepare medicine for Fucha's pregnancy.

Yinzhen was in the Shangshufang, conferring with several ministers, and was not in Chonghua Palace. Wenshan, consumed by anxiety, instructed Zhenzhu to find more midwives who had delivered twins, and the imperial physician to find more experienced midwives, or to summon skilled doctors from the public to the palace as a backup.

Fucha was comforted, but she still tried to dissuade him, saying, "Mother, there's no need to worry so much about your daughter-in-law. The two little ones in your belly are so well behaved, I don't think she'll suffer too much."

Fucha had been taught from a young age that bearing children was a woman's duty, that every woman had to go through this process, and that having children was the only way to gain a firm foothold in her husband's family, let alone within the imperial family. Furthermore, as the situation became increasingly clear, and the likelihood of Yinzhen ascending the throne grew, she naturally longed for more children.

So, instead of fear, she was filled with anticipation.

Wen Shan patted her hand and said, "Childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell, especially since you're expecting twins. You need to be fully prepared."

By the time Yinzhen, Yinsi, and Yinxiang returned happily with the news, Wen Shan was already mulling over the establishment of a hospital dedicated to the art of childbirth for women. Specifically, a

gynecology and obstetrics department.

More female doctors needed to be trained; such an important matter naturally required dedicated care.

Wen Shan shared her thoughts with Yinzhen and the others, and they agreed that it made sense. Female childbirth was a crucial factor in population growth, and it couldn't be taken lightly.

Yinsi took the responsibility, saying he would handle it.

Yinsi was always thorough, and Wen Shan was reassured.

By the time Kangxi returned to the palace, Fucha was already nine months pregnant. At seven or eight months, her belly suddenly swelled like a balloon, frightening even Fucha, who had never been particularly afraid of childbirth.

Imperial Physician Zhang explained that it was normal and warned them not to panic. Coincidentally, Fucha went into labor on the very day Kangxi was conferring a title on a prince.

As soon as Yinzhen arrived at court, a young eunuch guarding the door informed him of Fucha's impending birth. Some nearby ministers, overhearing, congratulated Yinzhen.

"Prince Yong, what a double blessing!"

"Congratulations!"

Yinzhen, anxious to return to Chonghua Palace, didn't exchange pleasantries and hurried back.

The ministers didn't take it seriously.

"After all, it's his first time being a father. Even the usually steady Prince Yong has been so flustered, hahaha."

"He was just crowned a prince and now he has a son. Prince Yong is indeed a blessed man."

The ministers chatted for a while and then dispersed and left the palace.

Only Li Guangdi was stopped by Liang Jiugong, who said that Kangxi had something to tell him in private.

Li Guangdi entered the inner hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Kangxi was reading the memorial sent from the capital when the prince was plotting a rebellion.

"Guangdi, please sit down first."

Kangxi didn't even raise his head as Liang Jiugong brought a stool for Li Guangdi.

"Sir Li, please."

Li Guangdi thanked the emperor and sat down, asking, "I wonder what the emperor has summoned me to do?"

Kangxi put down the memorial in his hand and said, "You didn't say a word about the Crown Prince at the court meeting just now, and you happened to be in the capital when the incident occurred, so I want to hear your thoughts."

Li Guangdi was Kangxi's favorite minister and a very typical Han Confucian minister. He adhered to the principles of Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents, and Teachers, especially the principle of primogeniture, the Han custom of the eldest son inheriting the family business. Although Li Guangdi did not participate in the princes' struggle for the throne, Kangxi knew that he supported the Crown Prince.

"The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne. There is a distinction between the emperor and his subjects. It is not appropriate for a minister to interfere with the Crown Prince, so I did not speak," Li Guangdi said.

Kangxi nodded with satisfaction. "It would be great if all the ministers in the court could understand this principle."

Kangxi handed the memorial to Liang Jiugong.

"Look, this is the secret memorial sent by Yinzhen that day."

Liang Jiugong handed the memorial to Li Guangdi, then returned to Kangxi's side.

Li Guangdi opened it and took a look.

"What's written here is the truth. Prince Yong reported it truthfully."

"I know," Kangxi said. "I want to ask you, did Soetu try to coerce the crown prince?"

Li Guangdi said: "...I don't know about that."

At this point, even a fool like Li Guangdi understood that Kangxi wanted to protect the crown prince.

But even Li Guangdi, a Han official who advocated primogeniture, felt that Kangxi was indeed a little crazy this time.

Primogeniture was Confucian and Legalist, but rebelling was a heinous crime. How could the two be confused?

Moreover, he is not a corrupt scholar. Although the status of the eldest son is noble, not all eldest sons are virtuous. If a person without virtue like the prince really handed the Qing Dynasty into his hands, in a few years the banner of anti-Qing and restoration of Ming would probably cover half of the Qing Dynasty.

Kangxi knew the Crown Prince was beyond trust. He had summoned Li Guangdi, hoping he would lead the charge to find a reason for a lighter sentence for the Crown Prince.

Under the current circumstances, the Crown Prince would undoubtedly be stripped of his title and imprisoned until death. However, Kangxi felt a pang of reluctance and wanted to free the Crown Prince, simply dethroning him and making him a common prince. A few years later, he could be granted the title of Prince and live out his days in peace.

The Crown Prince was powerless to change the situation. Even Kangxi, with all his favoritism towards his ministers, would not allow a rebellious Crown Prince to ascend the throne. So, Li Guangdi, knowing the truth, feigned ignorance, responding perfunctorily to whatever Kangxi said.

Kangxi, assuming Li Guangdi understood his point, nodded with satisfaction and prepared to invite him to the palace for lunch.

Just then, a eunuch entered beaming with joy, announcing, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is overjoyed! Prince Yong's wife has just given birth to twins, a boy and a girl."

Kangxi had only just learned yesterday after returning to Beijing that Fucha was pregnant with twins, and he hadn't expected them to be born today.

Twins symbolize good weather and auspiciousness, and Kangxi was overjoyed.

"Great! Fucha is

truly a true hero," Li Guangdi remarked, "Today, Prince Yong is being conferred the title, and his wife has given birth to twins. It's a double blessing."

"Yes, it seems these two children are blessed too." Kangxi beamed. Aside from the Crown Prince's son, Yinzhen, who had been adopted by a member of the imperial clan for reasons he couldn't publicly acknowledge, this eldest son was Kangxi's first publicly

known grandchild. He immediately prepared to visit his new grandchildren at Chonghua Palace.

Wen Shan was also at Chonghua Palace. Fucha had initiated the operation early that morning after Yinzhen had gone to court. They'd assumed Yinzhen would be back soon, but the court session on the first day of his return lasted a full three hours. Fucha had taken good care of the fetus, and the position of the baby was good. Chonghua Palace had five or six midwives who had delivered twins before, and two female doctors Yinsi had specially prepared at Wen Shan's request. Thanks to everyone's concerted efforts, the two children were born before Yinzhen even returned from court.

Twins were truly dangerous, and Wen Shan ignored the formalities and remained by Fucha's side in the delivery room. As soon as the babies were born, the midwives hurriedly presented them to Wen Shan.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! It's a little prince and a little princess! Twins, a perfect match, are a blessing!"

Fucha gulped down a few bowls of ginseng and a stimulating herbal decoction. Though a little exhausted, she remained conscious and smiled weakly upon hearing the news of twins.

For her, a son and a daughter completes a perfect family.

Wen Shan took one look and quickly had the nanny carry the children to Fu Cha's side. Both children cried loudly and looked healthy, though the boy was thinner than the girl. This must be the child with a weak pulse that Imperial Physician Zhang had mentioned earlier.

The two children waved their little hands as they lay on either side of Fu Cha, and Fu Cha couldn't help but laugh.

"They're a brother and sister," Wen Shan said softly. "Although the brother is smaller, he's the first to come."

Fu Cha nodded and said, "A brother and a sister are good; they'll be able to take care of her in the future."

Seeing Yinzhen and Fu Cha have a son and a daughter, Wen Shan couldn't help but feel the urge to cry.

A palace maid wiped the sweat from Fu Cha's forehead. Suddenly, her expression changed and she groaned. A female doctor was administering acupuncture to her.

"Fujin, please don't get too excited right now. Don't be too happy or too sad. Giving birth to twins is dangerous already, and now you're about to have a heavy hemorrhage. Don't let your emotions get in the way, or it'll cause more bleeding."

Wen Shan panicked when she heard about the heavy hemorrhage. A few years ago, a woman had a heavy hemorrhage during childbirth, and both mother and child died. Wen Shan shuddered when she occasionally recalled that scene.

The midwives who had been attending births for many years were also horrified.

"Hemorrhage? What should I do?"

"Hemorrhage is a life-threatening situation!"

Fucha was also shocked. In panic, she grasped Wenshan's hand and said, "Mother, if anything happens to your daughter-in-law, please take care of these two children."

Wenshan held Fucha's hand and turned to see the two female doctors still performing acupuncture. She hurriedly asked, "Is it serious?"

One of the younger ones replied, "Don't worry, Your Majesty and the Concubine. It's just a slight hemorrhage. This woman and the master are giving you acupuncture. As long as you calm down, I think it's fine."

"Did you hear? It's nothing. Just stay calm and let the doctors do the acupuncture," Wenshan said.

Fucha nodded and took a few deep breaths. Wenshan quickly had the two children taken away.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm. After the acupuncture, Fucha's condition stabilized, and the midwives checked and confirmed that she was fine.

"I've never heard of acupuncture curing hemorrhage. I'm truly enlightened today."

"Young lady, could you please teach us this acupuncture technique? It could save lives if we encounter this situation again."

"Yes, yes. Countless women die from hemorrhage every year."

The female doctor wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled. "It's the duty of a doctor to save lives. However, acupuncture can't be mastered overnight, otherwise it could actually harm people. You all need to practice diligently."

Wen Shan, feeding Fu Cha ginseng soup, was a little confused. "Didn't you have hemorrhage just now?"

"We were afraid to alarm the Empress and the Concubine, so we only said it was on the verge of hemorrhage. In fact, the Concubine was already hemorrhaging," the younger female doctor said.

If it was just the onset of hemorrhage, they wouldn't have said it out loud, as it would only cause alarm. They only said it because they saw she couldn't stop hemorrhage.

Fortunately, the midwives were quick-witted and understood their meaning immediately, cooperating with the performance.

Wen Shan was still in shock, not realizing how close she had been to death.

Just then, someone came to report that Kangxi, Yinzhen, and Yinsi had all arrived.