Fang He raised an eyebrow—’so the Crown Prince was always keeping tabs on his brothers?’
She made a note that lately, there had been more servants and eunuchs in Yanxi Palace, surely some belonging to Kangxi.
But were any reporting to the Crown Prince?
She would have to investigate.
Kangxi’s expression didn’t change.
As the Crown Prince, if Yinreng had no skills at all, that would be more worrying.
He supposed Yinreng thought his brothers were too reckless this time and disdained to join them.
In that case, Yinreng really did have some air of a crown prince.
Just as he began to feel a flicker of satisfaction toward Yinreng, he noticed Zhao Chang glancing hesitantly at him, then quickly lowering his head.
It was something not fit for the Imperial Noble Consort’s ears, Zhao Chang was unsure whether to say it.
Kangxi didn’t think too much and said, “Just say what you have to say—no need to avoid the Imperial Noble Consort.”
Seated high, Fang He could see Zhao Chang’s expression growing more anxious.
She had a bad feeling.
She felt the next words really weren’t meant for her.
She turned her head and said, “Your Majesty, if it concerns the previous court, perhaps I shouldn’t listen? The Empress Dowager is still waiting for me.”
Kangxi didn’t move his hand.
If it involved the Crown Prince, he wanted Fang He to know.
If war broke out with Gualdan in the future and the Crown Prince was regent, he hoped… Fang He would be wary.
Zhao Chang paused, and when he didn’t hear Kangxi speak, he understood that the Emperor wanted the Imperial Noble Consort to know.
“The Crown Prince likely didn’t hear about it in time last night. After dinner, I learned, he only kept a single eunuch to talk to, sending everyone else away, and over half an hour passed before anyone else was allowed back in to serve. By the time things were finished on the Crown Prince’s end, the eldest prince and the others had already been punished.”
Fang He inwardly cheered— ‘well now, this really was something! The father’s “interest in men” was just a rumor, but did the son really have such tastes?’
‘…This was too much!’
Kangxi’s face darkened.
Clearly, the news rattled him too.
“Have you clarified? When did it start? Does anyone know?”
Zhao Chang’s throat was dry.
“Replying to My Lord… when it started is unclear. But according to the eunuchs at Yuqing Palace, there had been signs before, but this time it was different.”
“That eunuch was… the Hotun Troops Vice Commander, Nala Chenghui, in disguise.”
“Hiss—” Fang He sucked in a sharp breath, and the arm around her waist instantly became a vise—her waist nearly broke!
But she couldn’t worry about the pain; her eyes went wide in disbelief.
She knew she shouldn’t have stayed—she really didn’t want to hear this!
There was no way to gossip about this!
She might not know about others, but she did know this Hotun Troops Vice Commander.
The Hotun Troops stationed at Rehe were usually in charge of border patrols and watching over Beimeng.
During the imperial northern tour, part of the troops led Eight Banner youth in exercises, while another part was assigned to guard the palace, protecting the imperial carriage.
Those leading the exercises were the strongest Rehe Manchu and Han commanders and deputy commanders; those guarding the palace included this Hotun Troops Vice Commander.
So the Crown Prince planned… Fang He didn’t dare think further, her heart pounding.
It shouldn’t be—wasn’t it always depicted in dramas that the Crown Prince only developed rebellious intent much later?
But then again, her presence had repeatedly blunted the Crown Prince’s edge; she’d even uncovered the high-interest lending scheme among officials that got Yinreng in trouble with Kangxi—she couldn’t be sure anymore.
Had she driven him mad?
Kangxi, hearing Fang He’s gasp, relaxed a bit, but an extremely frightening glint flashed in his eyes, unseen by Fang He.
He spoke in a cold, steady voice: “Nala Chenghui—I recall he’s Consort Hui’s cousin?”
Given the First Prince and the Crown Prince’s relationship, why would a Nala man turn to the Crown Prince?
Something wasn’t right.
Zhao Chang nearly buried his head in his chest.
“This matter is still under investigation, but I’ve heard that Chenghui fell for a widow and already broke with his family. The widow’s previous husband… served as a Niru under the Zhenglan Banner.”
Fang He was confused—’Zhenglan Banner Niru? Wasn’t that her own distant uncle’s job now? What did that have to do with the Nala clan?’
Kangxi understood instantly.
The Zhenglan Banner used to be under Yu Le; now, the banner head was Prince An Ma’Erhun.
That widow’s late husband was probably Ma’Erhun’s die-hard loyalist.
For Chenghui to break with his family over the widow meant he could be manipulated, so it made sense he’d be in touch with the Crown Prince.
But this meant Yinreng was entangled with Prince An’s faction, making Kangxi’s face even darker.
Yinreng couldn’t not know how much he despised Yu Le’s branch.
Now, moving the Hotun Troops of Rehe—whatever the Crown Prince’s intentions, this crossed Kangxi’s bottom line.
After Zhao Chang left, drenched in sweat, Fang He stood before Kangxi, wanting to speak, but didn’t know what to say.
If she commented on this “filial piety” farce, it would seem like she was sowing discord.
After thinking, she only said, “Your Majesty… the Crown Prince is still young. No matter the reason, please talk to him.”
She really felt Yinreng wasn’t suitable to be the next emperor—he lacked the breadth of heart required.
But whatever the result, she didn’t want to see father and son become enemies.
Kangxi, decisive and ruthless on the surface, had invested nearly twenty years of love and hope in the Crown Prince.
If Yinreng disappointed him, Kangxi would surely be heartbroken.
Fang He, usually unfeeling, felt a rare twinge of pity.
In those dramas, the man abolished the Crown Prince twice—Kangxi himself ended up quite ill.
She pitied herself, too—she didn’t want to nurse another patient, wah~
Kangxi looked at her in surprise and asked, “You’re speaking for Yinreng?”
He reached to feel Fang He’s forehead and, grinning, turned to Liang Jiugong and said, “Call the Imperial Physician to take the pulse of your mistress.”
Fang He: “……Hi!”
She glared at Kangxi, “I’m only worried you’ll be too sad for the Crown Prince—otherwise, why should I care if he lives or dies?”
She felt like her kindness was wasted on a donkey’s liver, and couldn’t be bothered to say more.
Er Bao was only two—if the Crown Prince was abolished now, Kangxi wouldn’t make a toddler the new heir.
Why was she worrying at all?
Better to hurry back to the Empress Dowager and share whatever gossip could be shared with Consort Yi and the others.
She headed out by saying, “Do as you wish—just don’t say later I wasn’t looking out for you!”
Kangxi didn’t reply.
After sending Fang He away in a huff, the smile on his face slowly faded.
“Liang Jiugong, tell me—have I treated Yunreng… wrongly these years?”
If he hadn’t set Yinreng apart from his brothers from the start, hadn’t taught him personally how to wield imperial power, hadn’t insisted on never letting Yuqing Palace lack for anything—would he have raised such a rebellious son?
Liang Jiugong grimaced, “My Lord, please don’t say that. Your devotion to the Crown Prince is clear as the sun and moon. The Crown Prince may have just acted foolishly…”
“He and Chenghui conspired so that, given the chance, they could trap me in the palace without my knowledge.” Kangxi lowered his eyes, gently rubbing his ring, his tone icy.
“As for Ma’Erhun—there are still some capable men in the Zhenglan Banner, both at the outskirts and the patrol office. Secretly drawing in military officers—do you think he wants to force a coup, or just keep me under house arrest?”
With a thud, Liang Jiugong knelt, not daring to say a word.
Kangxi hadn’t expected an answer; but the disappointment in Yinreng wouldn’t subside.
He’d poured all his fatherly love into the Crown Prince—was this really the son who could bear the weight of the world?
***
A few days later, the grand hunt began.
Fang He stayed with the Empress Dowager, keeping a close eye on Kangxi’s side.
But Kangxi didn’t show the slightest hint of trouble; in fact, he was especially enthusiastic, personally leading the hunt, bringing down a bear, a tiger, and several deer.
Even when Gualdan refused the summons, Kangxi acted as if nothing had happened, and at the bonfire banquet, conversed cheerfully with the lords of Beimeng.
When the autumn hunt ended, Kangxi reached an agreement with the Beimeng lords.
The various Khalkha tribes who had fled south due to Gualdan were reorganized into thirty-seven squads under the Mongol Eight Banners, with new relay stations established for Khalkha Mongolia.
These squads would be jointly managed by the thirty-seven banner commanders, who would handle communications with Jingcheng and the northern steppe. [Note]
As for the southern tribes, to better resist the Jungar invasions, they established a firearms camp and specially trained a group of artillerymen to counter Gualdan’s cavalry.
All tribes, north and south, pledged to the Great Qing that should war break out, they would supply troops and horses, as well as cattle and sheep for food and transport.
Kangxi also promised all Beimeng lords willing to submit that if Gualdan made a move, Qing troops would immediately head north to join them in crushing the western tribes and restoring peace to Beimeng.
The Empress Dowager, present at the negotiations, was filled with satisfaction and immediately arranged marriages between several noble Beimeng women and members of the Great Qing’s imperial clan.
Originally, Kangxi intended to marry the Second Princess to the Khorchin of Beimeng, but Fang He stopped him.
Fang He said, “If you grant a princess in marriage now, you’ll only placate one tribe. If you want Beimeng’s trust, it would be better for them to send their Hereditary Prince to study in Shang Shufang, and then select husbands for the princesses from among the best.”
At the moment, she didn’t have a good way to prevent princesses from being used as political pawns, but at the very least, she wanted to give them a choice.
For Jiujiu’s sake, she needed time to resolve the risks of princesses being manipulated by their nannies.
She remembered dramas where princesses were tormented by nannies until they died.
And princesses sent to pacify Mongolia rarely lived long, while noble women from Beimeng who married into Jingcheng were often neglected.
This kind of mutual torment was less effective than simply relying on shared interests.
Kangxi considered her words and found them reasonable.
With the threat of war always present, if he married the Second Princess to a taiji who then died in battle, she’d be a widow before the wedding.
The Second Princess was Prince Gong’s eldest daughter—if that happened, who knew how Prince Gong Changning would react.
After much thought, Kangxi listened to Fang He’s pillow talk and promised the lords of Beimeng that they could send Hereditary Prince and noble women to Jingcheng for study.
He said, “They will not be restricted from traveling between Jingcheng and Beimeng, and any outstanding youth may serve in court.”
The lords of Beimeng had always wanted to get close to the heart of the Great Qing.
Marrying a Qing princess or sending a noble girl to Jingcheng was all for that purpose.
Now, without forced marriages, they could still achieve their aims and even vie for advancement at court—much more desirable than having a princess foisted on them.
After all, it was hard to judge princesses among the tribes, but every tribe had their own Hereditary Prince.
The northern tour concluded successfully, and when the imperial party returned to Jingcheng, the city had just seen its first snow.
The civil and military officials left to guard Jingcheng, led by Suo’etu and Mingzhu, braved the cold to await them at the city gate.
Snow isn’t so cold, but slush is—Kangxi, preoccupied, couldn’t be bothered with formalities and instructed Liang Jiugong: “Tell them all to go home. Whatever business there is, bring it up at tomorrow’s morning court. I’ll first escort the Empress Dowager back to the palace.”
This time, Liang Jiugong didn’t respond right away.
He glanced at Fang He, who was snacking and reading beside him, and bowed uneasily.
“My Lord, you’d better take a look outside—there’s… been a robbery.”
Fang He nearly spat out her snack.
‘There’s what?’