PDLP Chapter 226 The End of the Storm in Kyoto
Chapter 226 The End of the Storm in Kyoto
Chapter 226 The End of the Storm in Kyoto
Before anyone could even offer a word of explanation, the Eighth Prince, Yinsi, was escorted out by the imperial guards, facing indefinite house arrest. Also escorted out were Tong Guowei and Ma Qi, whom the Emperor had just mentioned. They were the two chickens the Emperor had just killed to scare the monkeys. Tong Guowei, in particular, was forced to retire, and his return to court was impossible.
The emperor's move was really powerful. Tong Guowei, who was that? He was the emperor's uncle, the head of the Tong family of Tong Bandhao, and the father of Concubine Tong in the palace. Just because he participated in the matter of establishing the crown prince, he lost both face and dignity today.
The emperor also used the punishment of Tong Guowei to warn everyone that once the forbidden area was touched, the mother's family and important ministers would take action, not to mention others.
This was also a way to tighten the belt of all the ministers present, so that any little thoughts they had about extending out would quickly retract into the innermost part because of this matter.
Just when everyone thought that the morning court session was over, Kangxi, who was at the top of the table, dropped another bombshell: "Since we've mentioned the matter of appointing a crown prince, then today is the best day to announce the candidate I have prepared."
After saying this, Kangxi signaled Liang Jiugong to take out the imperial edict that had been prepared long ago and read it out. The expressions of everyone below changed from shock and excitement to confusion and blankness, and finally to helplessness and surprise that they could still do this.
The general meaning of the imperial edict is also very simple, that is, you asked me to appoint a crown prince, right? I have appointed one, and I did so in front of the important officials of the court, in triplicate, in Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese.
But appointing a crown prince is one thing, and I don't want to make the list public now. Not only that, one copy of the imperial edict appointing a crown prince will be placed behind this upright plaque, and once placed there, it cannot be taken out.
Unless I am dead a hundred years later, then this imperial edict can be taken out in the presence of court officials, and the other two will also appear at the same time, with all three names facing each other to represent the legitimate successor.
Kangxi's bold move shocked everyone present. They thought the emperor was really going to announce the candidate for the crown prince today. In such an occasion, those who supported Lian Beile were already disheartened, and those who supported other princes were eagerly looking forward to it. However, the emperor hid the name.
Now everyone is confused. No one is sure or willing to make a random bet. The crown prince has been decided, but no one can clearly explain who the candidate is.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, but the big men in the front row were stroking their beards, secretly sighing in their hearts, "Brilliant, truly brilliant! The Emperor made a good move. Now the court will be quiet for at least several years. As long as the Emperor does not have any serious health problems, this time limit can be extended indefinitely."
Moreover, the princes would calm down and behave themselves in the future, at least those open fights would cease. The selection of the crown prince was a well-known fact, and now, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Liang Jiugong personally held up the ladder, and Kangxi placed the imperial edict behind the plaque. But who could guarantee that the emperor wouldn't change the list midway?
Moreover, this method of replacing the crown prince will not affect the operation of the Qing Dynasty, because there has always been a crown prince, but the candidate is uncertain. Even if the crown prince is replaced, it will not cause turmoil in the court.
The court was not over early today, but many ministers did not go back to rest immediately. Instead, they gathered in groups of three or four, renting a small private room or gathering in this place. What happened today had a huge impact on them, and it was related to how they would act in the future.
The staunch royalists had nothing to worry about and would just do whatever was necessary. However, those who loved to take shortcuts and wanted to follow in the footsteps of the emperor were very confused about what to do next. Not only were they confused, they couldn't decide on a direction, because once something went wrong, all of them would go wrong.
After the court was dismissed, Kangxi was not idle either. Although he had just been furious in the court, he was actually no longer angry and had passed that point. His main purpose today was to understand how many ministers had disloyal intentions.
Facts had proven that his strategy was both successful and a failure. It succeeded because he had seen through the hearts and minds of many ministers with just one tactic. It also failed for the same reason: he had never imagined that his own court had been infiltrated to such an extent, with less than 30% of the court following closely behind him.
This reminded him of the plan that Yinreng had mentioned before to recruit new people. Now it seems that Yinreng has made preparations for a rainy day. It is time to replace the court with fresh blood, and it is time to remove the old and weak from the team and recruit young people.
However, the most important thing at the moment is to determine the candidate for the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. Yinreng has already sent a letter saying that Shi Tingzhu and other traitors have been arrested, and he is also trying his best to use the existing staff to handle affairs, but the candidate for the Governor-General still needs to be determined by the court and the emperor needs to issue an order to arrange it.
Kangxi had indeed chosen a candidate today, and that person was Zhang Tingyu, Yinreng's former study partner. Speaking of Zhang Tingyu, under the overshadowing of his father Zhang Ying's glory, he was really not very noticeable at all. In addition, he had never married, and in recent years he seemed to be a little transparent in the court.
It was during this controversy over the succession that Kangxi noticed this little man. Apart from anything else, the people surrounding Zhang Ying at the time were all royalists, and as far as he knew, these people were persuaded thanks to Zhang Tingyu's ideas.
However, this person was still too young, only 30 years old. If he was suddenly granted the position of governor, there would probably be many people in the court who would oppose it. After much deliberation, Kangxi decided to choose Chen Tingjing as the governor this time, and Zhang Tingyu was also sent as his deputy.
After two years, when the situation has stabilized, it would be best for Zhang Tingyu to make some contributions. Then Chen Tingjing can be transferred back to Beijing, and Zhang Tingyu can be promoted directly from a deputy position to a full-time position. That would be just right.
Yinreng, who was far away in Guangdong and Guangxi, had never thought that his royal father would give him such a big surprise. He certainly knew Zhang Tingyu's ability, otherwise he would not have chosen him to be in Yuqing Palace when he was selecting a companion for study. The reason why he had held his head down and prevented him from moving up in recent years was because he was afraid that he would be involved in the struggle for the throne.
Now that the crown prince had been chosen and the court was temporarily stable, the emperor had directly promoted him. Not only that, he also transferred him directly to Guangdong and Guangxi, which Yinreng had just sorted out. Isn't this just a pillow when you are sleepy? Yinreng still regretted that he was not in the capital at the moment, otherwise he would have intervened in Guangdong and Guangxi as well.
Yes, there are many people who know that this place is good. It seems that Guangdong and Guangxi have been plowed, and the remaining people are basically those who obey the emperor's orders. It can be said that whoever comes here first will own this place next. Many people want to try their best to get people involved, but who would have thought that the emperor would directly arrange people for Prince Chenyuan.
However, after feeling upset, they convinced themselves that at least it was Prince Chenyuan, an uncompetitive person, who was not the backup of other princes. Otherwise, it would be even more disgusting. Now everything has just returned to the past, when no one had a chance and everyone has a chance.
When the news from the capital reached Guangdong and Guangxi, Yinreng quickly notified them that they could leave and that the court would send someone to take over soon. They had been here for several months and were a little homesick. What's more, they wanted to know what was happening in the capital. Although they had communicated and knew the results, they did not know the specific process, which made the three princes who stayed here feel itchy.
Just like that, on a sunny afternoon, after handing over the work, Yinreng bid farewell to his study companion, and the three princes escorted several boats of prisoners to the capital.