vstars Chapter 184 If you don’t fight for a day, go to the house and uncover the tiles
Chapter 184 If you don’t fight for a day, go to the house and uncover the tiles
In the first half of the thirty-eighth year, due to snow disasters in various places, both the private treasury and the national treasury of Emperor Kangxi were extremely poor. The previously planned southern tour had to be shelved due to lack of funds. However, by the end of the thirty-eighth year, this situation had become more manageable. As soon as the profits from the oil mills came in, Emperor Kangxi was immediately delighted. With money in hand, the southern tour plan naturally had to be put on hold. Thus, Emperor Kangxi quickly issued an edict announcing that the journey to Jiangnan would begin in February of the following year.
As Kangxi's beloved eldest son, Yinzhuo naturally wouldn't be left out. Going to Jiangnan is great! In his previous life, he was a corporate slave, and most of the time he could only travel virtually online. The only time he went to Jiangnan was to a famous ancient town with a tour group. At that time, it had already become commercialized. Although there were small bridges, flowing water, and houses, it had no trace of the charm of a Jiangnan water town. This time, being able to see the authentic Jiangnan is indeed something that is hard not to be excited about.
"Father, your son has never been to Jiangnan! What's fun there? Is there anything delicious? Do you have a spare moment to tell your son about your trip to Jiangnan? Like, did you, like in the plays, go on a secret tour and rescue a beautiful woman from danger, and then have an ambiguous relationship with her..."
The saying "If you don't beat Yinzhuo for three days, he'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles" is not just a saying; he really dares to say such things. Of course, he also really deserves to be beaten. Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, his father's slap landed on his face.
"What nonsense are you spouting? I have important business to attend to in Jiangnan. Even if I go on an incognito visit, it's to understand the people's conditions. I would never have any improper dealings with any beautiful women. You should listen to less of these operas in the future. Look at how much you've ruined your brain."
Yinzhuo clearly didn't believe his father's words. If his head hadn't still been throbbing from the slap his father had given him, he would have argued with him. "You think I'm talking nonsense? I've seen 'Kangxi's Private Visits.' In that show, you were always getting involved with pretty girls, falling in love with every one you saw. And you dare call that going to observe the people's lives? What? Infiltrating the people, huh? Besides, even if I was talking nonsense, would the TV show wrongly accuse you?"
Kangxi had no idea how Yinzhuo was criticizing him at this moment, otherwise he would have definitely rewarded them with two more large potstickers. As a loving father, although his son's previous words were indeed unpleasant to hear, what was wrong with a child being curious? So, at Yinzhuo's request, the old father still told him about the interesting things he had encountered when he went to Jiangnan.
Having satisfied his curiosity, Yinzhuo was even more eager to visit the misty Jiangnan region. He counted down the days until the New Year, and as soon as the New Year was over, he began to prepare for his trip to Jiangnan. Jiangnan was a famous and prosperous place in the country. He didn't need to make any other preparations for his trip. He just needed to have Dexi calculate the amount of silver in his private treasury.
"Chunxiang, Xiahe, after I leave, you two must guard this little plot of land for me. If Fourteenth comes to ask you for money, don't give it to him. If he dares to act tough, go to Yonghe Palace and find my mother..."
When Chunxiang and Xiahe reached the age to leave the palace and get married, Yinzhuo originally intended to let them go. However, the two of them made a pact that neither of them wanted to leave the palace. Although Yinzhuo himself did not believe that women had to get married as the only way out in their lives, considering that this was, after all, the feudal Qing Dynasty, he still gave the two of them a chance to change their minds.
However, the two of them were truly determined and went so far as to beg Consort De. They learned that Chunxiang and Xiahe genuinely did not want to leave the palace. Naturally, Yinzhuo would not force them. At worst, he could take them with him when he established his own household in the future. After all, his future wife was not very good at Manchu or Chinese. With Chunxiang and Xiahe by her side to take care of her, it would be easier for her to communicate with others.
Chunxiang and Xiahe have been with him for over a decade. Over the years, Chunxiang, Xiahe, and Dexi have managed his small courtyard without any mistakes. Yinzhuo naturally had no worries about entrusting the household to them. The only thing that made him a little uneasy was the Fourteenth Prince. Recently, that kid had been frequently leaving the palace and didn't have enough money to spend, so he often came to him to beg for money. When he was at home, the Fourteenth Prince at least knew how to restrain himself. He was afraid that after he left, the kid would be left unsupervised and would soar to great heights, squandering all the wealth that he had painstakingly accumulated.
"Don't worry, Master. Didn't you tell us before that the Fourteenth Prince should be given a maximum of two hundred taels of silver a month? Even if he kneels down and begs, we can't give him more than that, so as not to spoil him. I remember your words."
Chunxiang and Xiahe never failed to carry out Yinzuo's orders without question. Yinzuo's concern wasn't about the two of them, but rather about their inability to control the unruly Fourteenth Prince. Now that he saw they had a plan in mind, he naturally wouldn't say anything more.
Anticipation grew, anticipation grew, and the footsteps of spring... oh no, it was the day of the southern tour that finally arrived. As usual, the crown prince would oversee the country during this southern tour, except that his father had a slight change of heart this time and assigned him Yinzhen and Yinsi as his assistants.
Sitting in the imperial carriage, Yinzhuo watched Yinreng, who stood ramrod straight in the procession, watching the procession depart. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for his second brother. "Sigh," he thought, "what's so good about being the Crown Prince? If you do a good job as regent, it's only natural; if you don't, it's because you're incompetent. Look at him, how good he is! From a young age, he aspired to be his father's leg ornament, always enjoying the finer things in life. His father always excluded him from any hard or difficult tasks. He's the darling of the masses, living a life that couldn't be more comfortable..."
So, Prince Zhao, who was living a very comfortable life at this time, set himself a very ambitious little goal—to try not to get injured during this southern tour. When this was mentioned, Yinzhuo found it strange. He thought that he was usually fine, so why did he always have to get injured every time he went out with his father? If this continued, he would probably be too afraid to go out with his father.
It was impossible for Yinzhuo and his entourage to travel the entire way to Jiangnan by carriage. After all, it would be foolish to take a shaky carriage instead of the smooth waterways. Kangxi was obviously not foolish, so not long after leaving the capital, the group waited for a ship at the Imperial Shipyard in Tianjin.
Emperor Kangxi naturally brought a large entourage on his southern tour. In addition to his sons, there were also Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet, members of the Hanlin Academy, Ministers of various ministries, Secretaries of various departments, supervisors, imperial physicians, and of course, officials who recorded his daily activities. This numbered over ninety people. In addition to the servants who took turns serving them, the total number of people would be over a thousand. This does not include the guards who protected him and the soldiers transferred from various Eight Banners units. The procession was vast and impressive, far more than just a spectacle.