Chapter 106

Chapter 106

The words of the Emperor and the retired Emperor (Emperor Kangxi) not only shocked those who were openly active but also left those who were secretly pushing behind the scenes utterly stunned.

Has the old man truly relinquished his grip on power?

Back when the relationship between Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Duane grew increasingly tense, it was all about the struggle for imperial power. But what are they hearing now?

The old man has no desire to manipulate the Emperor from behind the scenes, placing himself in the role of a protector, completely withdrawing from the struggle for imperial power?!

Tong Siya, the Duke of the First Rank, E Lundai, clicked his tongue in frustration. It seems that his uncle still doesn't understand the old man well enough, and Tong Siya's ambitions might need to be reined in.

Fahai, the Vice Minister of War, who had aligned himself with the Emperor from the start, felt a surge of ambition in his heart.

He cast a sidelong glance at A Linga, who knelt dejectedly in the hall. It was time for him to step down from his position as the Minister of the Board of Ritual.

Li Guangdi, the Minister of Personnel, and Nalan Kuixu, loyal to the retired Emperor, both sighed inwardly.

One was a Han minister, and the other was the son of the powerful minister Nalan Mingzhu. For personal gain and family interests, their methods were far from clean.

But facing such a cold and ruthless master... it was time to tidy up those loose ends.

Wang Hongxu, the Left Censor-in-Chief, who was close to Prince An—or rather, to General of the State Huaqi—frowned more tightly than anyone else, sensing that he might not escape this time.

*

Yinzhen sat at the head of the hall, observing the varied expressions of the imperial clansmen and ministers below, his heart filled with anger.

If these scoundrels had channeled their scheming minds into proper endeavors, the Dzungars wouldn't dare to provoke the Qing Dynasty.

Turning to Geng Shuning, she gave a subtle blink, as if to reassure him, which slightly eased Yinzhen's anger, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

The little fox's cunning tactics were far more effective than the bloody power struggles in the court.

Even the old man likely didn't anticipate that Yinzhen and Geng Shuning, in just over ten days in the palace, would lure out so many fish.

Yinzhen composed himself and spoke in a cold tone, "No one has anything to say? Then I will speak for you."

The hall, packed with over a hundred people, was as silent as a graveyard, making Yinzhen's voice sound particularly icy.

"For personal gain, assassinating a second-rank court official, flouting the laws, and jeopardizing the Qing Dynasty's stability—the punishment is the extermination of two clans."

"Forging evidence to eliminate those close to me, bribing court officials to spread rumors—this crime of deceiving the Emperor is punishable by the extermination of the entire family."

"Some even sell official positions, engage in corruption, use others to kill, and tarnish the Emperor's reputation—a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans."

The hall fell even more silent as Yinzhen enumerated the crimes. Though his gaze didn't settle on anyone, many felt a chill run through them.

Especially Consort Qi and Wang Hongxu.

This scheme was spearheaded by the Li family, who reached out to Wang Hongxu through Huaqi.

The Li family spent a fortune to enlist this Left Censor-in-Chief, tasked with overseeing all officials, to leverage his knowledge of the capital's dynamics and various families in orchestrating this grand scheme.

But no one anticipated that the mastermind behind this chess game would be the Emperor, known for his intolerance of corruption.

Wang Hongxu wasn't the type to risk his life for money. He believed he understood the Fourth Prince, who had faced numerous impeachments even as a young prince.

From the moment this prince entered the court and was assigned to the Ministry of Revenue, he had been unyielding, alienating many officials, which is why he garnered little support during the succession struggle.

He believed the current Emperor possessed cunning and depth, but his flaws were glaring.

If it hadn’t been for that stroke-of-luck earthquake, the throne would never have ended up with this guy.

The Left Censor, thinking he had Yinzhen’s weaknesses figured out, was overly confident in his own methods.

He had no idea that County Princess Sui Ning, their target, had swayed the Emperor to go off the beaten path.

In Wang Hongxu’s stunned, regretful haze, he heard Yinzhen’s increasingly mocking voice—

“Did I misspeak?”

Songzhu and Li Guangdi exchanged glances, with Li Guangdi slightly shaking his head at him.

Songzhu felt the cold, hard ground biting into his knees, knowing they had lost, and he was probably going to lose his job as Minister of Rites.

Yinzhen continued to ask, “You were all so chatty earlier. What happened? Cat got your tongue?”

A Linga glanced at Consort Xi, cradling the sleeping third prince, her face unreadable.

He thought to himself, those branch families were nothing but ungrateful wolves. His days in the Board of Ritual were numbered, but he wasn’t going to hand it over easily.

He frowned, realizing he needed to get a main-lineage lady into the palace.

Fucun hesitated, eyeing Geng Shuning’s calm but worried face.

He glanced towards the Empress Dowager and the wife of Niohuru Duke.

These two sisters were probably behind the plot against the Duke of Wu’s mansion.

He’d been too eager to prove himself after inheriting the dukedom, and it had backfired.

He wouldn’t forget this move.

Yinzhen continued unhurriedly, “If you fess up now, I might go easy on you.”

Still, no one spoke.

Confessing wasn’t hard, but it would drag others down with them.

More importantly, because the Grand Emperor had held absolute power during his reign, and the current Emperor’s harsh methods had alienated many, everyone still held onto a sliver of hope.

No one knew how much the Emperor really knew. What if he was just fishing?

As the saying goes, no one jumps into a mess unless they have to. Holding out might pay off.

Yinzhen was not surprised, sneering, “Fine. You clearly don’t respect me as your Emperor. I must be useless!”

Now, no one dared to keep their mouth shut.

Everyone but the Grand Empress Dowager, Grand Emperor, and Empress Dowager, including Geng Shuning, knelt and loudly protested their loyalty.

Yinzhen wasn’t about to waste breath on people playing dumb.

He directly stated, “County Princess Sui Ning suffered an injustice today and demanded answers. I won’t betray those who’ve earned their place. So, we will investigate!”

“Tuoheqi, take Niohuru Duke, Duke of Wu, Zhongda Duke, and Songzhu to the Ministry of Justice! And that Chang Dianji, detain him as well. Chen Tingjing, you will personally oversee the case!”

Tuoheqi and Chen Tingjing immediately responded, “Your servant obeys!”

“Su Peisheng, you and Zhao Song take all the consorts back to the palace and lock them down, ready to be summoned by the Imperial Punishment Bureau at any time.”

Su Peisheng and Zhao Song also hurriedly responded, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"The Director of the Imperial Household Department is dismissed and investigated for bribery and favoritism. The Imperial Household Department will temporarily be under the control of Yun Tao."

"Yunxiang, take some men to Zhangjiakou and personally oversee the investigation into the assassination of Geng Jia De Jin. Find out who’s behind this, no excuses!"

Before Yun Tao and Yunxiang could step forward, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but glance at Emperor Kangxi.

"Your Majesty, isn’t this overkill?"

"This big move will hurt Your Majesty’s reputation if word gets out, and it might even lead to more misunderstandings about Sui Ning. Wouldn’t a slap on the wrist work better?"

Consort Qi, Consort Xi, and the others were on edge, watching nervously as the Empress Dowager and the retired Emperor spoke, fearing they might be sent back to the palace at this moment.

If this leaks, how will they ever show their faces again!

Emperor Kangxi ignored these consorts, just giving her a quick glance, silent.

Sometimes he didn't know what was going on in Lady Wu Ya's mind. She used to be gentle and considerate when she was young, but when it came to her eldest son, it’s like she lost her marbles.

He’d hinted and outright told her a million times, but now he was too tired to remind her again. Besides, it wasn’t his problem.

Lady Wu Ya’s peony-embroidered handkerchief was a crumpled mess. She could see the warning in the old man's eyes, but she couldn’t stand Geng Shuning being near Yinzhen.

Anyone but Geng Shuning, this wretch who’s got the Grand Empress Dowager and Guo Luoluo wrapped around her finger, no!

She took a deep breath and looked at Yinzhen, gently advising, "Your Majesty, I don’t get all this court stuff, but the people you are detaining are important officials of the Eight Banners. This is no small matter."

"Sui Ning and Governor Geng are not seriously harmed. Stirring up trouble won’t help the Qing Dynasty, don't you think?"

Geng Shuning gave the Empress Dowager a strange look. So, we have to die for it to matter?

What, is the old lady losing it again?

She was becoming more and more curious. This wasn’t the Empress Dowager she’d heard about when she first arrived. What was the reason?

Yinzhen probably knew some of the reasons. He remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Mother, do you think I’m some love-struck fool who’d ruin the empire?"

He swept his gaze over the people in the hall surrounded by the imperial guards and inner guards. "I didn’t want to spell it out, but you have repeatedly slandered me in front of the Empress Dowager, trying to turn her against me..."

The Grand Empress Dowager, Consort Yi, and Yunxiang, who had been watching the spectacle, all lowered their heads, their lips quirking in barely suppressed smirks.

Mother-son affection? Since when?

Yinzhen nodded to himself, "My bad. I shouldn’t have let you save face!"

He knelt before Emperor Kangxi, "Previously, I listened to Your Majesty and didn't want Sui Ning, as a woman, to overpower the court officials, lest it destabilize the court and allow villains to take advantage and harm our Qing Dynasty... I’ve wronged County Princess Sui Ning and taken the heat."

Emperor Kangxi: "..." Wait, since when were you so obedient?

Yinzhen: "But now I realize that if I don't make things clear, these troublesome scoundrels are good at scheming but have no sense of self-reflection or loyalty to serve the court. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to speak the truth!"

Emperor Kangxi chuckled lightly, "Go ahead."

He finally understood what Yinzhen meant when he said he would give everyone an explanation.

Using him as a shield? This son’s ‘filial piety’ made him want to kick him with his good leg.

Defending a woman, this scoundrel made it sound like a grand tale, with the former looking embarrassed and the latter feigning grievance—a performance so dramatic it made his stomach churn.

If Geng Shuning’s earlier drawings hadn’t impressed Emperor Kangxi, he wouldn’t have covered for these two troublemakers.

Yinzhen stood up, turned to the crowd, his gaze sharp once more—

"Do you realize the imperial rice that feeds our people was secured by County Princess Sui Ning? She risked her life, following me south to wrest it from the Tiandihui."

Yunxiang, mid-bite with a piece of dried fruit, froze and let it drop in shock. Yunzhi’s wine cup paused mid-air, and even Yunyou, who had been keeping his head down, looked up in astonishment.

They had all followed the emperor south and knew about the Tiandihui’s assassination attempt. They had also witnessed the grand scene at the Altar of Agriculture. Was it truly the Geng family behind this?

Yunqi and Yun'e turned to Consort Yi, their eyes filled with admiration. Did Mother/Consort Yi already know how extraordinary County Princess Sui Ning was, and that’s why she picked her?

Consort Yi: "..." She truly had no idea. Matters of the people’s welfare weren’t topics Emperor Kangxi shared with her.

Yinzhen: "Though I’ve kept it quiet, the improved looms, the fine charcoal, and the stoves that help people endure winter—all these were gifts of County Princess Sui Ning’s loyalty to me. You should know this, right?"

The crowd: "..." Hearing the emperor’s words, their stomachs churned. What was he getting at?

Yinzhen sneered repeatedly, "The wheelchair my imperial father uses has become the talk of the capital. Those with elders who have difficulty walking have all gotten one, haven’t they?"

"And those massage pads in your studies—I hear people even brawled in the Imperial Household shops to snag them early. Are they worth it?"

"The instant noodles and brick helmets from the capital’s military camps—I won’t bother asking how you got them. I just ask, haven’t you all enjoyed them during your outings and sightseeing?"

"Have you ever stopped to wonder where all these things originated?"

Consort Yi exclaimed at just the right moment, "Good heavens, could County Princess Sui Ning have conceived all this? What extraordinary achievements!"

"Ancestors, how dare those blinded by greed call the county princess a star of ill omen? She’s clearly a saint reborn! Wouldn’t you say?"

The Grand Empress Dowager nodded with a smile, "I’ve always said Sui Ning is a gem."

Consort Yi clapped her hands with a smile, "The Geng family’s loyalty to the throne is evident, raising such exceptional children. If there were a few more in the harem with the same merit as the county princess, His Majesty wouldn’t have to worry so much."

"The consorts and concubines ought to follow County Princess Sui Ning’s example—no, all women of the Qing Dynasty should. Virtue and service to the nation and its people—that’s the true path."

Consort Qi and the others clenched their teeth, seething with frustration. Wasn’t this implying that Geng Shuning, that upstart, was a paragon for all women, even worthy of the throne?

As if anyone was fooled! Not a chance!

Songzhu, as the Minister of Rites, couldn’t help but speak up, "Your Majesty, regardless, County Princess Sui Ning is a woman. She has no place in court politics or the capital’s military affairs."

"Minister Heshen, have you lost your mind?" Consort Yi coldly interrupted Songzhu.

Yinzhen and Geng Shuning couldn’t say these things themselves without seeming boastful. It took someone like Consort Yi, sharp-tongued and fearless, to voice it.

Yinzhen and Geng Shuning couldn’t help but find Consort Yi’s words music to their ears.

Even Emperor Kangxi couldn’t help but shake his head at Consort Yi, a faint smile on his lips, but he didn’t stop her.

No wonder he adored Consort Yi. Her sharp tongue had captivated him since her youth.

Consort Yi turned to the noble ladies, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"All your court and military affairs—who’d want to meddle in that mess! You might as well go back and ask the women in your households what’s going on!"

"Who doesn't know that the linglong charcoal, instant noodles, and brick armor were all developed by Sui Ning, who was worried that His Majesty wouldn't eat or sleep well while traveling. She spent over a year in the kitchen, diligently researching recipes to take good care of His Majesty's health."

"If His Majesty uses them elsewhere, that's His Majesty's decision. What does that have to do with us women! If this is also wrong, then there are no women in the world who are not at fault, and we should all just run into a wall and leave you men to manage the household and children!"

"I just don't understand. The late Emperor didn't stop women from using their skills to serve the master in the palace, yet you all have the audacity to act so high and mighty!"

"Is it really about women meddling in affairs, or is it because you're muddling the waters and being incompetent in court? You know the answer in your hearts!"

Yunxiang, Yun Ti, and Yun Tao: "..." Not only were they scolded mercilessly, but they suddenly felt a bit balanced.

As Lady Wu Ya's increasingly overbearing words were spoken, the Empress Dowager's expression became increasingly unpleasant.

She felt that all the noble ladies were looking at her, as if mocking her for not being as good a mother to her son as Lady Wu Ya was.

This made her burn with even greater hatred.

She coldly spoke, "Even if Sui Ning is loyal and has served the Emperor effectively, it shouldn't be an excuse to cause unrest throughout the capital."

"Harmony in the family leads to prosperity. Doesn't this principle apply in the court?"

Yinzhen's expression turned completely cold. He didn't confront the Empress Dowager directly but simply wanted to order her removal.

As for the Empress Dowager, Yun Ti would soon return to the capital and could be the one to persuade her.

But Emperor Kangxi suddenly spoke, "Sui Ning helped me discover a recipe to improve rice cultivation and also created dietary recipes that have maintained the health of the Empress Dowager and me."

"If Sui Ning were to be treated as a star of ill omen today, who among you can guarantee to provide recipes that will ensure the people are well-fed and well-clothed?"

"If something happens to me or the Empress Dowager, who will take responsibility?"

"Lady Wu Ya, I don't expect you to care about the well-being of the people, but do you also not care about the health of me and the Empress Dowager?"

The Empress Dowager's face stiffened, and the calmness lost due to the provocations of Lady Wu Ya and the Grand Empress Dowager returned.

She gritted her teeth and stood up, "Your servant would not dare. It was my lack of consideration. I was just worried about Yinzhen..."

"Focus on what you should manage and leave the rest for later," Emperor Kangxi coldly glanced at the Empress Dowager, then looked at the others with a faint smile.

"What, is the Emperor's order not enough? Are you waiting for me to stand up and give you orders?"

No one dared to speak anymore. Tuoheqi, Su Peisheng, Zhao Song, Yun Tao, and Yunxiang immediately sprang into action.

The hall quickly cleared out.

The ministers and imperial clansmen remaining in the hall were all restless.

After finally waiting for the commotion to end, they were eager to disperse and discuss their next steps, or... clean up their acts to avoid being implicated.

But no one expected that this wasn't the end.

Yinzhen and Emperor Kangxi spoke simultaneously—

"County Princess Sui Ning has made great contributions—"

"Sui Ning is indeed remarkable—"

The restless crowd: "..."

Who would believe she isn't a star of ill omen!

Since when have you two been so in tune with each other?!

Emperor Kangxi shot a glare at Yinzhen.

Yinzhen glanced reluctantly at Geng Shuning. His little fox should be the one *he* protects.

Moreover, he was somewhat surprised that his father could be so protective of Geng Shuning.

He wasn’t foolish; he knew that some words were more appropriate coming from his father.

Imitating Geng Shuning’s obedient demeanor, he took a step back and poured a cup of wine for Emperor Kangxi. Then he lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Emperor Kangxi huffed and changed the subject: "This girl is indeed good, but she stirs up too much trouble and still needs more experience."

"Since the matter of the star of ill omen remains unresolved, letting it spread would harm the emperor’s reputation. Geng, you tell me, what should be done about your actions?"

Hmm? Those who had been uneasy settled back into their seats.

They had thought that both father and son were utterly charmed and protective of the Geng girl, but now it seems there might be a twist!

Hah! They would have to think twice now!