The swansong of the swansong

Chapter 80: Planning to Trick Master Fifteen
Mipin was talking to Old Eighteenth, and when she saw Yinyu coming in, she smiled and said, "The Emperor still has a way. Old Eighteenth has changed a lot compared to before."

"My son greets his mother!"

"Come here and tell Mom how you did it?"

After Yinyou paid his respects, Concubine Mi smiled and waved, calling him to her side.

Although the palms and backs of the hands are all made of flesh, Concubine Mi relatively dotes on Old Sixteen more.

There's really nothing you can do about emotional matters.

When Yinyou was born, Concubine Mi was still a little maid and had no right to raise him. She could only watch helplessly as he was taken into Concubine De's Yonghe Palace.

Defei was a kind-looking woman with a bitter heart. Mipin tried several times with her but couldn't see Yinyou, so she had to give up.

Rong Fei was old and had long lost the qualification to be selected to sleep with the emperor. She was also much calmer in temperament than De Fei. She had always tacitly allowed Mi Fei to visit the Sixteenth Prince.

After all, they were blood relatives, so Yinyou casually sat down in front of Concubine Mi and explained with a smile: "Mom, you don't know, but Eighteenth Brother is actually very easy to get along with..." He praised Eighteenth Brother for his recent good performance.

Haha, how could he possibly tell Concubine Mi about all the dirty tricks he used to abuse Old Eighteen in private?
The Eighteenth Prince had been raised in the Qianqing Palace. Although Concubine Mi was very close, she could not see the youngest prince.

However, Mipin keenly noticed that when Yinyou was speaking, Old Eighteenth sat upright like a little adult.

"Oh, you still have a solution!" In fact, Concubine Mi also knew about the various bad deeds of Old Eighteen, but she was unable to do anything about it because she was out of reach.

Now, Mipin has been promoted to concubine, and is qualified to personally raise the Eighteenth.

However, Kangxi unexpectedly handed the Eighteenth Prince over to Yinyou for discipline, and Concubine Mi was also helpless!

It was said to be a family reunion, but in fact, for the sake of taboo, Yinyou, who was already fifteen years old, could not stay in the Yangxin Palace for long.

After Mipin drank a sip of tea to moisten her throat, she solemnly told Yinyu: "Now that you have made a difference, you must not forget your uncles and aunts who have helped you."

Yinyou knew that Concubine Mi had always been concerned about the affairs of her mother's family and it was impossible for her not to talk about it.

"Mother, this is how I arranged it..." Yinyu took the trouble to explain the placement of his uncles one by one.

Finally, Mipin said: "Without your grandfather, you wouldn't be as rich and powerful as you are today. You should always remember where the water came from. Do you understand?"

Yinyu agreed verbally, but he had other ideas in his mind.

Anyway, Yinyu just let Mipin's words go in one ear and out the other.

Before the money and grain were delivered to the palace gate, the three brothers Yinyou left the palace together.

During the New Year holiday, the Sixteenth Prince no longer needed to go to the Shangshufang to study. Naturally, he was unwilling to stay in the Prince's residence, and insisted on going to Yinyou's Beizi Mansion to enjoy a few days of happiness.

Unexpectedly, the alley in front of Prince Yu's mansion was blocked by the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Well, Yinyou had no choice but to lead his brothers and go back home through the back door again.

During the entire Spring Festival, that bunch of rats from the Imperial Household Department blocked Yinyou's door every day.

As for Yinyou, he treated them as air and never paid any attention to them.

If you make friends with people from the Imperial Household Department in private, you must be mentally ill!

Apart from paying New Year's greetings to the fourth son, Yinwei did not go anywhere. He stayed at home and carefully educated the eighteenth son.

Kangxi had already hinted that the title of Beizi was only loaned to him temporarily. If he failed to teach Old Eighteen well, he could take it back at any time.

Kangxi truly loved the Eighteenth Prince, and Yinyu also truly loved the Eighteenth Prince. Therefore, the Eighteenth Prince also enjoyed the love that was both painful and joyful.

After the beginning of the year, Yinyou still hadn't received the order to transfer him from the Imperial Household Department, and he realized in his heart that Defei's influence on Kangxi was limited.

Shunzhi deliberately put up an iron sign prohibiting the inner palace from interfering in government affairs, targeting the Mongolian women headed by the Empress Dowager.

Kangxi thought the iron plate was very useful, so he has continued to use it to this day.

In the early morning of the first day of the new year, he got up early and went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to officially take office.

The Imperial Household Department was located on the west side of the Qianqing Palace, so Yinyou did not go through the Donghua Gate but chose the Xihua Gate.

However, what Yinyou did not expect was that after entering Xihua Gate, there was an endless stream of officials from the Imperial Household Department who came to greet him at the door of the Imperial Household Department.

"Your servant, Gashun, wishes the fifteenth master the best of health!"

"Your servant Fu Gang wishes you the best of luck, Master Fifteen!"

Obviously, these people knew that Yinyou would officially take office today, so they deliberately waited halfway, hoping to become familiar to him.

In the Qing Dynasty, the largest government office was the Imperial Household Department.

As far as Yinyou knew, there were more than three thousand officials and clerks in the Imperial Household Department, not including servants and craftsmen.

When the Qing army first entered the Shanhai Pass, the Imperial Household Department was called the Thirteen Offices. Because Dorgon was always worried about being driven back to the Shanhai Pass to eat dirt, the Thirteen Offices were more like a small court with all the necessary internal organs.

After Kangxi ascended the throne, he abolished the Thirteen Yamen and established the Imperial Household Department.

When Yinyou arrived at the gate of the Imperial Household Department, He Yi and Ling Pu had been waiting there for a long time.

According to the court rules, the three general managers of the Imperial Household Department took turns to work for one day each.

In other words, each steward had to work for 12 hours in a row, then take a break for two days, and repeat this cycle over and over again.

The three stewards are not divided into big or small kings, and whoever is on duty has the final say.

Obviously, this institutional arrangement effectively restricted the power of the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department.

"Greetings, Fifteenth Master." He Yi and Ling Pu led the prominent officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pay their respects.

Putting He Yi aside, no matter how powerful Ling Pu was, he was still a slave of the royal family, and Yinyou was naturally his little master.

"Please stand up." Yinyou did not put on airs. He waved his hand gently and asked everyone to stand up.

Accompanied by He Yi and Ling Pu, Yinyou walked into the gate of the Imperial Household Department.

When I walked in, I saw that the huge courtyard was crowded with people wearing various hats and feathers, at least several hundred people.

"Please be well, Master Fifteen."

"Get up, everyone." Yinyu waved his hand casually, feeling powerless all over.

Knowing clearly that each of these people was more greedy than the other and that they were all big rats taking advantage of the royal family, Yinyou could not launch a vigorous anti-corruption campaign.

Damn, even Kangxi condoned them to secretly make money, so who does Yinyou think he is?

Besides, the stolen money wasn’t Yinyou’s, so why would he care?

Surrounded by the crowd, Yinyou was invited into his exclusive signing room.

When Yinyou entered the room, he was shocked again. The interior decoration was extremely luxurious. There was nothing they couldn't do, except what you couldn't think of.

Haha, a new official starts with three things to do. Are these rats afraid that they will get burned?
In Kangxi's private land, they fought over docks and robbed land. Haha, they were afraid of being imprisoned!

"Everyone, don't worry. The work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is done according to the law. If there is no law, follow the rules. If there is no rules, ask for permission. Do you understand?" Yinyu said this deliberately to give these rats a reassurance. The subtext is that you can continue to be greedy, but the work assigned by the master must be done properly.

Whether it is blocking someone's career or blocking someone's financial resources, it is a blood feud that is fatal.

Isn’t it good to blend in with the world?

"Yeah." Hundreds of people responded in unison, causing the courtyard walls to buzz.

Although these people did not dare to speak, Yinyou clearly heard their voices. The Fifteenth Master was not the Fourth Master who did not recognize his relatives!
Although Yinyou's signing room was decorated very luxuriously, it was too small to accommodate too many people.

Besides, it is taboo to gather in the palace for too long!
Therefore, except for a few prominent and powerful doctors, all the others were quickly dismissed.

Yinyou was not only the Gushan Beizi, but also a prince. In this room, if he didn't sit in the C seat, who would dare to sit there?

The royal titles of the Qing Dynasty were divided into four ranks, namely Heshuo Prince, Duolo Junwang, Duolo Baylor and Gushan Beizi.

According to the old royal custom, the lowest title for a prince was Gushan Beizi.

If Kangxi had not promoted Yinyou to the rank of Beizi, he would not have been qualified to help his younger brother, the Eighteenth Brother, in the name of an elder brother.

In the Qing Dynasty, the emphasis on identity was almost abnormal.

This is the same reason why the fourth child had to be raised in Jingren Palace of Concubine Tongjia since he was a child.

He Yi and Ling Pu sat on both sides of Yinyou, while the other powerful doctors in the hall could only stand on both sides with their heads bowed.

Yinyou noticed a detail: Ling Pu was on the left, while He Yi was on the right.

According to the rules of the Qing Dynasty, the left has always been respected.

It is obvious that Ling Pu, relying on his special status as the prince's wet nurse, has gained the upper hand in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"Lord Ling, Lord He, I'm new here and I'm completely clueless. I hope you can give me some advice when I encounter problems." Yinyu clasped his fists and bowed, appearing approachable.

Haha, Yinyou is an old bureaucrat, and he can just keep on spouting high-sounding words and deceiving people to death without any compensation.

"Master Fifteen, you are too modest. I will report everything I know truthfully." He Yi was not as strong as Ling Pu and had suffered many losses at Ling Pu's hands, so he stood up before Ling Pu and expressed his support for the work.

"Mr. He, you are an old man in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Please stop standing and sit down to talk." Yinyou deliberately added the word "please", thinking that He Yi would understand.

As expected, He Yi sat down obediently.

This is the majestic Imperial Household Department, not the Qianmen vegetable market. We are all privileged classes with status and power, so there is no need to speak too bluntly about some things.

Ling Pu glared at He Yi unhappily, humph, he's just a fifteen-year-old boy, not the crown prince, is it necessary for him to kowtow to him like this?

He Yi and Ling Pu had been stirring the ladles together in the small kitchen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for five years. To be frank, as soon as Ling Pu raised his butt, He Yi knew what kind of stinky shit he was going to take.

Although Yinyou now occupies the C position in the Imperial Household Department, he is not the top leader whose words are law.

He Yi and Ling Pu also have considerable power.

However, after showing goodwill to He Yi, if the three eunuchs in the mansion held a collective meeting, Yinyou would most likely take the initiative.

If Yinyou wants to gain a firm foothold in the imperial court, he must use one faction to fight another, make more friends and fewer enemies?

Yinyu's established policy was to temporarily unite all forces that could be united to deal with common enemies.

Ever since Soetu was put to death, the countdown to the crown prince's dethronement has begun. It remains to be seen when the final outbreak will occur.
Ling Pu deserves to be unlucky. He and the prince are too closely tied together. If the prince falls, there is no way he will not fall too!
As for Heyi, he thought he was acting good on his own initiative, but Yinyou didn't know. Was he a chameleon who was playing two-timing?
Under He Yi's introduction, several powerful doctors from the Ministry of Internal Affairs who were present came forward one by one to pay their respects to Yinyou.

In the Imperial Household Department, the highest-ranking office must be the Guangchusi.

All taxes paid by the imperial estates, treasures, silks, furs, ginseng, tea imported from the provinces, and private tributes paid by local officials were under the management of the Guangchusi.

The most prestigious but least lucrative government office is the Ministry of Punishment. How much money can you collect if you give fewer punishments?
As for the Construction Department, which is responsible for royal projects, it is the fattest government office.

In the past, Yinyou, who was still an unknown little prince, and Suping, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment, were merely acquaintances but were not familiar with each other.

However, Suping had already developed a fear of Yinyu, because Ma Shien, the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, was indirectly killed by Yinyu.

During the execution, two thugs beat Ma Shien to death with just a few blows.

This was because both Su Ping, who was executing the sentence, and Wei Zhu, who was supervising the execution, were worried that Kangxi would suddenly show mercy and pardon Ma Shien.

In the cannibalistic palace, there were countless painful lessons of failing to kill the tiger and being bitten by it instead.

Either you hold back and don't take action, or once you do take action, it must be a fatal move. You must never keep a tiger as a pet and leave hidden dangers for future generations.

This is a death game in the palace. Anyone who dares to violate it will be retaliated against.

When a new official takes office, everyone meets and gets to know each other, which is just a formality.

After more than an hour of noise, He Yi and Ling Pu left the Imperial Household Department one after another and went back to catch up on their sleep.

Yinyu picked up the teacup, sipped the fragrant tea, and asked Li Ding casually: "Do you see anything wrong?"

Li Ding racked his brains for a long time, then shook his head in frustration and said, "My lord, I really don't see anything wrong."

Seeing Yinyu's eyes on him, Yuzhu whispered, "Master, it's your first day in office. Shouldn't one of Heyi and Lingpu stay to help you?"

Li Ding suddenly realized what was going on and said angrily, "You little dog slave, you are so bold that you dared to show off your power to you."

Yinyou smiled slightly. To be able to serve as the stewards in the Imperial Household Department for so many years, those two couldn't be easy to deal with.

The most difficult thing in the government is that people’s hearts are hidden.

If you lack the ability and don't have the ability to judge people, it often happens that you treat him as your confidant, but he treats you as a fool.

As long as there is a right opportunity, the so-called confidant will sell you for a good price!

Whether in the Imperial Household Department or other government offices, a general manager (Shangshu) is a big boss. How many disciples and former officials are following him, waiting to get a share of the cake?
Li Ding bent down and took the initiative to suggest: "Sir, why don't we go to the Qianqing Palace?"

Obviously, what he meant was to go to Kangxi to complain and severely punish those two insidious and cunning beasts He Yi and Ling Pu.

Seeing that Yinyu just smiled and said nothing, Yuzhu frowned and said, "Isn't it inappropriate to complain on the first day of taking office?"

Yinyu put down the teacup in his hand, smiled and said, "It's more than inappropriate. Isn't that telling Khan Ama directly that I am an utterly incompetent silver-like wax spear?"

Yuzhu's practical experience is slightly better than Li Ding's, but it is also very limited.

After all, Yuzhu only raised the problem but did not have any effective measures to solve it.

Sitting on the shore watching the boat capsize, one knows how the boat capsizes and knows how to scold the boat captain, but does not know how to avoid capsizing in the future. The hundreds of censors and imperial officials employed by the court all belong to this category of professional trolls.

Spitting and swearing is their shortcut to becoming famous.

As for how to solve the problem, they don’t need to know, nor do they want to know!
Facing Yinyou's gaze, Wulin was so anxious that he broke out in a sweat, but still couldn't think of a good solution.

Yinyu smiled slightly and said calmly: "Someone has set up a trap for me, hoping to show me a strong power. Humph, let them come."

PS: The palace fighting drama that Sikong is best at has officially begun. I have merged two chapters and updated them. Please give me monthly votes. I am only 100 votes away from the top ten in the history of monthly votes. Please help me get there and I will definitely update more.

(End of this chapter)