The swansong of the swansong

Chapter 273 Mountain Collapse (2)

Yinwu calmly swallowed the last bite of rose cake, wiped his hands, picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then said slowly, "The Court of Colonial Affairs has a vacant position of Assistant Director of the Department of Relative Affairs for the Remote Regions. I will try my best to help my uncle find a position, okay?"

"The Rouyuan Housi?" Consort Mi had been living in the inner palace for a long time and had no idea whether the Rouyuan Housi of the Court of Colonial Affairs was lucrative or safe.
Knowing Consort Mi's concerns, Yinwu patiently explained, "Mother, you may not know this, but the Rouyuan Rear Office is responsible for many affairs in Southern Mongolia. It not only wields immense power but is also a notoriously lucrative position. Even if my maternal uncle doesn't embezzle, he still earns at least 30,000 taels of silver a year. Besides, he's my maternal uncle; which Mongolian prince would dare disrespect him?"

Since Yinwu had considered everything so thoroughly, Consort Mi couldn't help but smile and praise him, "You've certainly shown some filial piety!"

To be fair, aside from her bottomless bad habit of protecting her maternal family, Consort Mi's daily behavior was much better than that simple-minded Consort De!

At least, Consort Mi managed to treat Yinwu and the sixteenth and eighteenth princes fairly, which is quite an achievement!

In the palace, it was obvious that Consort Yi favored the Ninth Prince, and Consort De doted on the Fourteenth Prince.

After settling the important matters concerning her maternal family, Consort Mi found Yinwu particularly pleasing to the eye and kept showering him with concern and care.

Having lived two lives, Yinwu had long seen through the ways of the world.

No one is perfect; who can be without selfishness?
As the mother and son were chatting about everyday things, the sixteenth son came to pay his respects after school.

"Your subject wishes Mother a speedy recovery!"

"Get up, sit wherever you like."

"Yes."

Even though the palace maids brought over a brocade stool, the sixteenth prince insisted on squeezing next to Yinwu.

The sixteenth son grabbed a piece of rose cake, stuffed it into his mouth, and began to wolf it down.

Consort Mi, feeling sorry for her son, frowned and shouted out the window, "Who was serving your Sixteenth Prince today? Come in and answer me!"

Seeing that things were not going well, the sixteenth son quickly explained, "Mother, at noon, I had food in my stomach and felt bloated, so I didn't eat."

Yinwu smiled and lowered his head. The sixteenth prince was known for being protective of his own, fearing that Consort Mi would punish his trusted eunuchs.

In those days, whether they were ordinary Manchus or members of the imperial family, they would all protect their trusted confidants.

Nepotism is the only way to succeed.

Putting someone you don't trust in an important position is just plain stupid!
The sixteenth prince came to pay his respects, mainly to ask Yinwu for help.

The reason was that the sixteenth prince's father-in-law, Nengte, held a nominal third-rank official position and did nothing all day.

Yinwu knew exactly what was going on. Because he held real power, Kangxi, out of consideration for balancing power, deliberately chose Nengte, a man from a humble family under the Bordered Red Banner, to be the sixteenth prince's father-in-law.

At the time, Nengte was merely a minor official of the sixth rank, and his family was far from being prominent.

Kangxi first bestowed upon him the title of a third-rank official, and then designated his eldest daughter, Guo Luoluo, as the primary consort of the sixteenth prince.

Ultimately, this matter still wronged the sixteenth brother.

Two years ago, when Prince Zhuang, Boguoduo, was seriously ill, no one was there to care for him at his bedside. Feeling guilty, Emperor Kangxi, wanting to make amends, sighed, "How can Prince Zhuang be left without anyone to attend to him? Why not adopt the sixteenth prince as his heir?"

However, Prince Zhuang, Boguoduo, was no pushover either. He quickly reminded Kangxi that his younger brother, Prince Hui, Bowengguonuo, still had several descendants.

Clearly, Prince Zhuang Boguoduo's implication was that he wanted to choose one of his nephews or grandnephews to succeed the main line and inherit Prince Zhuang's title.

Boguoduo was still breathing, and Kangxi was too embarrassed to directly rob him, so the matter was temporarily dropped. The sixteenth prince certainly didn't know what happened next, but Yinwu knew better than anyone else.

Now, everything is ready except for the final push. Once Bogodo breathes his last, the huge windfall of the Prince Zhuang title will fall right onto the sixteenth prince's head.

Once the fourth prince ascends the throne, both Yinwu and the sixteenth prince will undoubtedly hold hereditary princely titles. However, the eighteenth prince's title becomes more complicated!
You can't possibly make three brothers kings all at once, can you?

That would be far too conspicuous!
After leaving Consort Mi's place, the sixteenth prince grabbed Yinwu's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, to be honest, I'm really bored staying at home. I want to get a fourth-rank official post outside the capital. I can only ask you for help."

Yinwu knew in his heart that the sixteenth prince's wife, Lady Guoluo, was almost completely obedient to him, and the couple had an excellent relationship.

Now that the sixteenth prince had spoken, Yinwu nodded and smiled, "You've figured it out, being appointed to an outside post doesn't bother you!"

The sixteenth brother said with a grin, "I know a little about what kind of person Father Khan is!"

The two brothers exchanged a smile, and the matter was considered settled.

The next morning, while Emperor Kangxi was still reclining in Qingxi Study with his beloved concubine, Yinwu stepped into Changchun Garden.

After Yinwu had inspected the garden with his men, Kangxi finished his breakfast and began to summon his officials.

As he grew older, Emperor Kangxi preferred to stay in Changchun Garden whenever he was in Beijing, and would never return to the palace unless there was something important to do.

According to Emperor Kangxi's habit of consulting on state affairs, the first people summoned would inevitably be those from the Southern Study.

The Southern Study, though lacking the name of a cabinet, functioned in essence as one.

Yinwu sat down in the duty room and was drinking tea when Wei Zhu rushed in.

"By order of His Majesty, summon Prince Yu to an audience." Wei Zhu, not daring to be arrogant, bowed and relayed the decree.

"Old Wei, what does Father want with me?" Yinwu gently put down his teacup and asked Wei Zhu softly.

Wei Zhu blinked, wanting to brush it off but worried about offending Yinwu, whom she couldn't afford to offend.

However, this trivial matter was no challenge for the cunning and shrewd Wei Zhu. He silently reached out and pointed to the north.

Yinwu narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and immediately realized that there was probably trouble on the Mongolian grasslands again.

As expected, after Yinwu entered the room, Kangxi immediately said, "Your eldest sister's husband has passed away. Go to the Balin tribe and comfort your eldest sister for me."

Brother-in-law?
After thinking it over for a long time, Yinwu realized that his third brother's husband had died young!

"Father, wouldn't it be just right to send Third Brother?" Yinwu felt that it was somewhat inappropriate, so he took the initiative to offer a reasonable suggestion.

Yes, the third prince is a dignified Prince Cheng, and he doesn't have any proper duties to do on a regular basis. Sending him to Mongolia to appease his younger sister is indeed much more suitable than sending Yinwu!
Unexpectedly, Kangxi waved his hand and said, "The Third Prince's stuttering is getting worse and worse; he can't even speak clearly. You should go instead, hmm?"

Seeing that Kangxi's expression was not right, Yinwu did not dare to ask any more questions and could only bow his head and accept the decree.

After leaving Changchun Garden, Yinwu glanced at Yuzhu, who was serving outside the door, and said coldly, "We're going to Mongolia. Be careful, or I'll be tricked!"

Yinwu's gaze was extremely sharp, and Yuzhu couldn't help but shiver!

(End of this chapter)