noffsinger Chapter 530 consists of just four words: "If not me, then who?"
Chapter 530 consists of just four words: "If not me, then who?"
As the saying goes, "An army marches on its stomach," and isn't warfare all about logistical support? You can't expect your soldiers to go into battle hungry. It's no wonder Emperor Kangxi was so furious when this went wrong.
There's a saying: "When the emperor is angry, a million will die." While Kangxi's anger didn't actually result in a million deaths, none of the officials responsible for transporting supplies fared well. Some were dismissed, some were replaced, and some were killed. That guy kept Yinti and the others so busy that they didn't even have time to sit down and have a drink of water.
Fortunately, Yinzhuo had defined himself as a good-for-nothing beforehand, so even though his brothers were all extremely busy, this matter obviously had little to do with him.
Of course, this does not mean that Yinzhuo made no contribution at all. What he needed to do was very simple: to help Yinti and the others stabilize the emotions of the Emperor Kangxi in the rear.
Putting aside other aspects, when it comes to how to please his father, Yinzhuo is unparalleled. Because Kangxi favored Yinzhuo, he often listened to what Yinzhuo said.
With Yinzhuo as a pillar of stability under Kangxi's control, Yinti and his group were at least less stressed. After all, even if their father really lost his temper and couldn't be contained, with Yinzhuo there, they would at least have a chance to defend themselves.
Kangxi and his entourage were busy from the end of September to the beginning of November. For more than a month, Yinzhuo followed Kangxi around every day, helping to deal with this and keeping an eye on that. He had almost no free time. If he hadn't seen the snow falling outside, he wouldn't have realized that winter had already arrived.
Upon realizing that winter had arrived, Yinzhuo immediately thought of the Empress Dowager. According to historical records, Empress Xiaohuizhang died on the sixth day of the twelfth month of the fifty-sixth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
“Father, look! It’s snowing outside. We’ve been so busy lately, like spinning tops. If it weren’t for the snow, I wouldn’t have realized that winter has arrived. Grandmother is getting old and is very sensitive to the cold. Now that it’s snowing, she probably won’t be able to come out for a while.”
Although Kangxi didn't quite understand why Yinzhuo suddenly brought up the topic of the Empress Dowager, he still naturally continued the conversation.
"That's true. She's getting old and doesn't like going out much to begin with. Now that it's snowing, she'll probably be even less inclined to come out. But the cold weather outside shouldn't have much of an impact on Chunhui Hall. Didn't you arrange for the Ministry of Works to repair the floor there two years ago?"
Yinzhuo's earlier remarks were merely an attempt to steer the conversation in that direction, and Kangxi's response perfectly suited his wishes. Yinzhuo was never one to dwell on things; he was always one to act on his thoughts and dared to do what he believed in. Since the topic had turned to the Empress Dowager, he had no choice but to go and visit her.
“Father, it’s been more than a month since we got busy, and your son hasn’t had time to visit Grandma at Chunhui Hall. Since we have some free time today, how about we go to Chunhui Hall to visit Grandma?”
Kangxi naturally wouldn't refuse Yinzhu's suggestion. Yinzhu was an impatient person, and seeing Kangxi nod, he hurriedly stepped forward to pull Yinzhu up from the bed, helped him put on his shoes and cloak, and led him out of Qingxi Study.
Chunhui Hall was a bit far from Qingxi Study, but Yinzhuo and the others didn't need to walk. They simply boarded the palanquin after leaving the gate of Qingxi Study.
Isn't that just a simple statement? You don't know until you see it, and once you do, you're shocked. If Emperor Kangxi and the others hadn't suddenly decided to come and check on her today, they really wouldn't have known that the old lady was ill.
Although Emperor Kangxi now reigns supreme and holds immense power, it is well known that his life as a prince was far from comfortable. His mother was not favored, and his father was infatuated with another woman. If his father and his father's eldest son had not died young, he might not have had a chance at the throne.
Fortunately, Kangxi was somewhat lucky. It didn't matter that his father didn't love him, because at least he had his grandmother's love. Because of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's high regard for him, Kangxi could be said to have grown up by the old lady's side since childhood.
You might ask, how could the fact that Kangxi grew up by the side of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang have such a close relationship with her? Well, the relationship is incredibly close. You have to know that the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager were both from the Khorchin Mongols, making them genuine relatives.
Because of Shunzhi's exceptionally long rebellious period, coupled with his unwavering devotion to Consort Dong'e, the Empress Dowager never received any favor after entering the palace.
Fortunately, she has a good attitude. After all, she is the empress, protected by the empress dowager, and backed by a powerful family. So what if she is not favored? Apart from not being able to have children on her own, what can you do to her?
Kangxi received instruction from the Empress Dowager from a young age, and naturally became familiar with her, as she often stayed in the Cining Palace. In addition, after his birth mother passed away early, he received a lot of care from the Empress Dowager, his legal mother. Therefore, in terms of affection, his relationship with the Empress Dowager was probably even deeper than that with his birth mother, with whom he had only spent a few years.
"I see that you bunch of unruly servants are getting bolder and bolder these days. How come not a single one of you went to Qingxi Study to inform her of such a serious matter as the Empress Dowager's illness..."
To be honest, what Kangxi said made no sense. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's orders, even if the servants of Chunhui Hall had the greatest courage, they wouldn't have dared to keep this a secret.
Seeing that Kangxi's anger was rising rapidly, and fearing that his next word would be to have someone come in and drag the person away and beat them, Yinzhuo quickly stepped forward, grabbed his father's arm, and pulled him to sit down on a chair, acting as a fire extinguisher.
“Father, come, let’s sit down and have some water to calm down. The reason they didn’t inform them must have been at the behest of the Empress Dowager. She must know you’ve been busy lately and was afraid you’d worry if she found out. Right now, the most important thing isn’t to get angry with these servants. We need to call the imperial physician over as soon as possible to ask him.”
Kangxi listened to what Yinzhuo said, and he knew that what Yinzhuo said was right. He raised his hand to signal the person kneeling on the ground to get up and leave, and then asked Liang Jiugong to go outside and invite the imperial physician in charge of the Empress Dowager's condition.
After some questioning, not only Yinzhi but also Kangxi were alarmed. The Empress Dowager's illness had struck like a landslide, and in just a few days, she was already showing signs of exhaustion.
So even with him, this fluttering moth, many things are still unavoidable? The Empress Dowager is like this now, but what about Emperor Kangxi?
Looking at Kangxi, who was sitting in front of the Empress Dowager's bed, holding her hand and talking to her, Yinzhuo felt a sense of desolation. If it was really as recorded in history, would he also lose his father in a few years?