Secrets of Yuqing Palace

Kangxi glanced at the prince, whose expression remained unchanged and who did not respond, and wondered what he was thinking.

But then he changed the subject and suddenly said, "Now that the fourth son is a prince, a prince can have two concubines."

"I'm thinking of picking a good concubine for the fourth prince during next year's election. What do you think, Prince?"

Yinreng smiled and nodded, and gave his suggestion in a very sincere and even positive tone.

"The Emperor can make the decision on this matter."

"Fourth brother can indeed find another concubine in the backyard."

"Also, I feel that those serving in Fourth Brother's backyard are mostly of lower-ranking Han army banners."

"Why not have the Emperor choose one for my fourth brother when the time comes, and let one of our Manchu princesses be his concubine?"

Yinreng sneered in his heart.

[I just don't know if you are willing or dare to do it, old man? ]

Kangxi's eyes flashed, and he looked at Yinreng steadily, and saw that his expression did not seem fake.

He threw the chess piece in his hand back into the chess box beside him, picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip, then lowered his eyes and narrowed them slightly, not knowing what he was thinking about.

After he put the teacup in his hand, he looked at Yinreng and smiled.

"The fourth son's concubine, Guaerjia, is quite good in my opinion."

"Although they are Han army flags, they are real Manchu nobles."

"I still remember that in the 27th year of the Kangxi reign, Shi Huashan wrote to me and begged me to allow his branch to be incorporated into the Manchu banner."

"However, when I was thinking about the selection of the Crown Princess, I felt that although Shi Huashan's army was a Han army, they were actually Manchus."

"Besides, he has a good reputation among the Han people, which is very beneficial to you, the Crown Prince. So, I rejected his petition."

"We temporarily refuse on the grounds that many of this tribe hold official positions and should remain under the Han army, but we also agree that we can change to Manchu when compiling the records later."

Speaking of this, there was a rare hint of melancholy in Kangxi's tone.

At that time, he also painstakingly spent a lot of effort to choose the most suitable princess for the prince.

Even Yinreng felt uncomfortable when he recalled what happened many years ago.

As the person involved, he was the one who understood the change in the emperor's attitude towards him most deeply.

From the trust and pampering of the past to the caution, suspicion and fear of today.

Yinreng was just feeling a little melancholy and sentimental because of the emperor's sudden recollection of the past.

However, before he could relive that trace of father-son love, the emperor's words were like cold water, completely waking him up.

Without waiting for Yinreng to say anything, Kangxi continued in a calm voice.

"Given the situation within the Guarjia clan and my previous promise, this branch will eventually be incorporated into the Manchu army."

"Plus, the Suwan Guarjia clan is already powerful, so it's quite good for the fourth brother to have a concubine named Mu in his backyard."

"The family background and status of those who can become a concubine are not low."

"Prince, your deep brotherly love for the Fourth Brother is a good thing, and I am very pleased."

"However, if you grant the Fourth Prince a concubine from a prominent Manchu family, it would be inappropriate for your position as the Crown Prince."

"I still have to consider you a little more."

Yinreng sneered in his heart.

[Heh~ For me? ]

But he advised humbly, respectfully and generously.

"Your Majesty is worrying too much."

"My fourth brother has always been obedient and has always had a good relationship with me."

"I still trust my fourth brother very much, so Your Majesty does not need to worry about me."

After hearing Yinreng's words, Kangxi narrowed his cold eyes and spoke firmly.

"Your Highness, there is no need to say any more!"

"I have this consideration not only because I am concerned about you, but also because the Fourth Master's backyard is relatively stable now."

"If I bestow upon you another concubine who is of a high-born Manchu military flag, I'm afraid the Fourth Master's backyard will be in turmoil."

"So I intend to give the Fourth Prince a concubine who is a member of the Han Army Banner, and I already have a good candidate. What do you think, Prince?"

Although he seemed to be asking the prince's opinion, he had actually made the decision directly.

Yinreng couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

[As expected, the Emperor is the Emperor.]

[Every word and action of his has a hidden meaning, even under the guise of being a loving father! ]

[You say it's for me and my fourth brother, but it's just the result of weighing the pros and cons.]

Looking at the gaze on the opposite side, Yinreng put aside all the thoughts in his mind and calmed down to deal with the emperor who was now suspicious and treacherous.

Yinreng asked curiously, "Which princess has the emperor taken a fancy to?"

"Fourth brother is a prince after all. If you are of lower status, you will not be worthy of Fourth Brother."

Kangxi paused for a moment, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and then he laughed as if he didn't care.

"You are such a good prince, you only have your fourth brother in your heart!"

"I am his royal father, how could I possibly wrong him?"

"How about Nian, the daughter of Nian Xialing, the retired Huguang Governor?"

Yinreng's breathing stagnated, and he asked with a frown.

"This... Nian Xialing has already retired. Is there something special about Nian that makes the Emperor so favored?"

Kangxi said in an ambiguous tone, "Although Nian Xialing has retired, he has two legitimate sons. I think they are still promising talents."

"The eldest son is Nian Xiyao, and the second son is Nian Gengyao."

"I have plans to make important use of both of these men, especially Nian Gengyao."

"Two years ago, I sent him to Sichuan as the Governor. He is already a high-ranking official."

"During the past two years in Sichuan, you have done a good job in military administration, civil administration, civil service, criminal justice, customs, and grain transport administration. I am very satisfied with you."

"Giving Nian to the fourth son was also after careful consideration on my part."

"First, it's because Chen Jifan, the assistant commander of the Nian family, has been assigned to the Fourth Brother's subordinates. The Nian family is now part of the Yongwang Mansion."

"Secondly, I hope that Nian will become the Fourth Prince's concubine, so that she can bear more children for him and expand his family line."

"These three visits are my appreciation and favor to the Nian family and the Han people. Let them remember the emperor's grace!"

When Yinreng heard the emperor mention Chen Jifan, the commander, he remembered everything.

Chen Jifan, the captain of the banner where Nian Gengyao was, was originally a descendant of Prince Su Haoge, and now was Prince Duoluowen Yanshou.

The current Prince Wen is the nephew of the young wife's mama, and the second uncle of his brother Shiliha's wife Amur. He inherited the title of Amur Amadoro Prince Wen'ai Fo Yonghui.

He still remembered that in the 37th year of Kangxi's reign, Yanshou was almost demoted from a prince to a beile by the emperor because of his mistakes.

It was because of his in-law relationship that he was able to seek help in the Yuqing Palace. At that time, the father-son relationship between him and the emperor was still strong, and it was because of his plea to the emperor that his title of prince was saved.

He later heard some rumors from Yanshou.

It seems that the relationship between Nian Gengyao and the eighth prince Yinsi is quite ambiguous, and there is even a hint of surrender.

When Chen Jifan was under Yanshou, the two had a good relationship, so even though Chen Jifan was now assigned to Prince Yong, the two still kept in touch and occasionally mentioned him when they were drinking and chatting.