The swansong of the swansong

Chapter 237 Things have changed

Just after the end of the first month of the lunar year, Kangxi learned a piece of good news: the compilation of the "Kangxi Dictionary" was completed.

Unfortunately, the chief editors Zhang Yushu and Chen Tingjing, as well as many other editors, died one after another.

The Kangxi Dictionary has 42 volumes, with a total of 47,035 characters. It also includes a supplement to the old and obscure characters, and a preparation for examination, which includes characters that have sound but no meaning or have no sound or meaning at all.

This monumental text has been so influential and so popular in the nearly 300 years since its publication.

Perhaps he was too happy and drank a lot of deer blood. The next day, bad news came that Kangxi was in poor health.

It was at this critical juncture that Kangxi did something that had a profound impact: he ordered the fourteenth prince to go to the Taimiao to offer sacrifices to the ancestors on his behalf.

In this era, going to the Taimiao to worship ancestors on behalf of the emperor has extraordinary significance no matter how you look at it!

For a time, the morale of the Eighth Master's party was greatly boosted, but the Fourth Master's mood was naturally not good.

The Eighth Brother and others believed that Kangxi was very likely to have chosen the Fourteenth Brother as the next emperor.

The fourth brother was somewhat panicked because the symbolic significance of going to the Taimiao to worship ancestors was too strong.

Old Thirteen, who was far away from the government, had no good solution.

Yinyu, who had been watching coldly, said calmly: "Fourth brother, don't worry. Khan Ama's move is probably to temporarily stabilize Eighth Brother and others, so as not to be taken advantage of by them."

The fourth brother thought about it carefully and felt that what Yinyu said made sense. However, he was still a little uneasy because he was still unsure.

At this time, the Thirteenth Brother said firmly: "If the Fourteenth Brother ascends to the throne, I will die without a burial place!"

Old Thirteen has nothing left, so he might as well throw away the whole jar and fight to the death!
The fourth brother subconsciously looked at Yinyu, who said without hesitation: "When the time comes, we must not sit and wait for death."

Seeing that his two younger brothers firmly supported him, the fourth brother felt particularly warm in his heart. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly: "Fifteenth brother is right. We must not sit and wait for death."

For a moment, the three of them smiled at each other and reached a consensus on their position!
Yinyou, who was familiar with history, actually knew very well that as long as the Eighth Brother dared to gamble, he would have a chance to fish in troubled waters.

Back then, Li Erfeng had an old man named Lao Dian who was good at making plans and making decisions.

This means that Fang Xuanling had many ideas, but it was Du Ruhui who made the final decision.

As the saying goes, if you don’t make a decision when you should, you will suffer the consequences!
He has a good idea on the left and a golden idea on the right, but he doesn't dare to make up his mind to gamble. This is Yuan Shao who held the trump card but lost miserably!

The fourth one is definitely not Yuan Benchu!
Otherwise, people’s morale will be dispersed and it will be difficult to lead the team!
Kangxi's health was always poor, with occasional illness and occasional recovery.

At this time, bad news came from the west: late at night on October 30, Da Tsereng Dondub attacked Lhasa, killed Lazang Khan, detained the great monk, and formed a pro-Zungar regime with Dakzan as the chieftain on the snowy plateau.

For a moment, the capital was shaken!
Kangxi issued an urgent decree to transfer the Elunte to Xining for preparation, and ordered Wang Yiqian, the general commander of Xining, and Cha Lihun, the imperial scholar, to prepare in Songpan. At the same time, 2000 Eight Banners soldiers from Jingzhou were transferred to reinforce Chengdu, Sichuan, and 500 Eight Banners soldiers from Taiyuan were transferred to reinforce Xi'an.

Just when the war was about to break out, the Queen Mother became seriously ill and was dying!
When Kangxi took the princes and ministers to visit the Empress Dowager, he said in public: "Since last year, I have been feeling unwell, dizzy, thin, and my right hand is completely powerless... Please discuss the matter of the crown prince in detail!"

This time, the place for discussing the selection of the crown prince is still in the Hall of Supreme Harmony!

However, after Lao Ba and his friends had experienced being hammered many times, they had learned their lesson.

Everyone discussed it over and over again, but still couldn't come up with a clear candidate.

Today, everyone, including the Eighth Prince, has realized that Kangxi would only consider appointing a crown prince when he was seriously ill.

After his body is well again, Kangxi will definitely regret it!
The imperial system is a zero-sum game where you have what I don’t! Even Zhu Biao, the most comfortable crown prince in history, was hunted down by Zhu Chongba!
If Zhu Biao had not run away quickly at that time and had not surrendered quickly afterwards, who knows what would have happened?
The reserve discussion meeting lasted for half a month but still failed to come to any conclusion.

Why? Kangxi’s credibility in this regard has long been bankrupt!

At this critical juncture, the Empress Dowager passed away!
The fifth brother, who had been guarding the Empress Dowager, fainted from crying on the spot.

Kangxi cried for several times and his health became worse.

Finally, Kangxi issued an edict, ordering the Twelfth Prince to temporarily serve as the general manager of the Imperial Household Department and preside over the entire funeral ceremony, with Yinyou assisting.

As a result, the reputation of the Twelfth Prince as the prince who eats banquets can never be washed away!

However, during the period of national mourning, Kangxi did a stupid thing: he banned business in Southeast Asia and only maintained trade with Japan.

Yinyou knew what was going on. Kangxi felt that he was dying and was afraid that something would happen in the south!
Even an emperor who has the most sources of information can make mistakes sometimes.

Anyway, Yinyou did not try to persuade Kangxi too much.

Once Kangxi's health recovers, he will naturally lift the ban on trade with Southeast Asia.

The reason is very simple. There is always a shortage of money in the small treasury of the Imperial Household Department.

Unlike the tribute trade of the Ming Dynasty, which always resulted in huge losses, the Qing Dynasty truly tasted the sweetness of overseas trade.

Just when Kangxi's health improved, Zhu Tianbao, the reviewer of the Hanlin Academy, submitted a memorial requesting that Yinreng be reinstated as the crown prince!
Kangxi was so angry that his nose was crooked, and he immediately ordered people to call Zhu Tianbao into the Qianqing Palace.

"Zhu Tianbao, you are so bold. I have repeatedly reiterated that anyone who dares to talk about restoring Yinreng will be killed!" Kangxi stared at Zhu Tianbao with cold eyes.

Zhu Tianbao stiffened his neck and said, "It is not a crime for a Hanlin official to speak out!"

Yinyou, who was standing aside, sighed secretly, Zhu Tianbao was really a nerd, this was the Qianqing Palace of the Qing Dynasty, not the Qianqing Palace of the former Ming Dynasty.

Objectively speaking, the Qing Dynasty fully learned the lesson that when the civil service group became too powerful, the country was on the verge of collapse and factional strife ensued.

Whether it was Dorgon, Shunzhi, or Kangxi, they all tried hard to suppress the civil service group and prevent it from becoming too powerful.

In the Nanshan case a few years ago, Kangxi was also worried that the civil service group would collectively rise up, so he deliberately found an excuse to kill Dai Mingshi in order to warn the Han officials not to use the old Ming tactics.

Wanli wanted to make Prince Fu the crown prince, but he was so angry at the civil service group that he did not attend court for decades. Such a thing would never happen in the Qing Dynasty.

Kangxi is not Wanli, he really dares to kill civil servants!

"Little Fifteen, how do you think we should deal with him?" Kangxi didn't want to dirty his hands, so he deliberately asked Yinyou.

Yinyu said coldly: "He deserves death for his crime!"

"Very good, I'll leave it to you!" Kangxi decided to kill without hesitation.

Yinyou immediately called the guards and carried Zhu Tianbao out.

PS: It’s too late to reply, just watch it first!

(End of this chapter)