Rong Fei is not honored

Chapter 700 (A Joke)

Even if everyone knows she's faking illness to avoid trouble, so what? Go ahead and expose her if you dare.

As it turns out, there are quite a few intelligent people in this world. Whether they have a wide range of knowledge, have read similar classics, heard stories passed down by word of mouth and noticed the clues, or are themselves firsthand witnesses.

They might not have paid much attention normally, but when those in power demanded an answer from them, all sorts of anomalies quickly turned into irrefutable evidence.

They all pointed to a highly probable possibility: a natural disaster would occur near the capital region. And due to the geographical environment, even if a natural disaster did occur there, it would most likely be an earthquake.

During this period, ministers from the Imperial Study were frequently coming and going, and different opinions began to emerge.

Some wanted to release the news so that everyone could take precautions in advance, while others thought the common people were foolish and short-sighted and could only be driven outside by force. Still others were worried about the decline of the court's prestige, so they wanted to pretend they knew nothing.

Both sides had their own reasons, which gave Emperor Kangxi a headache. And to make matters worse, the Hesheli family had to stir up trouble at this critical moment.

"I heard that Prince Saiyinchahun was the first to discover this matter? I didn't expect that the prince, though young, knows quite a lot." Soetu's words were almost an open statement that it was Consort Rong of Zhongcui Palace who instigated this.

This statement caused many people to have reservations about Zhongcui Palace. If they hadn't known about this matter from the beginning, they wouldn't have needed to be so conflicted. Even if something really went wrong in the end, and the court provided disaster relief and the Emperor issued an edict of self-reproach, they would have been neither meritorious nor guilty.

Cheng Rui glanced at his father, whose face was pale, and spoke up before he could, "If I didn't know that Lord Suo didn't have that much courage, I would have thought that everyone in this palace was from the Hesheli family."

Soetu's expression changed, and he was about to say something when Chengrui interrupted him, saying with a smile, "It was just a joke. I hope you won't mind, sir. After all, you were the one who joked first."

"Chengrui!" Kangxi warned, but there was no anger in his voice. Clearly, he was satisfied with Chengrui's counterattack, but he didn't want the situation to escalate, so he gave a mild reprimand.

Cheng Rui bowed to his father and said, "Your subject was wrong."

Then, he explained calmly, "Originally, I just noticed something unusual about the insects and ants and told Father Emperor about it as an interesting story. It was Father Emperor's extensive knowledge and concern for the people that made him take it to heart and treat it as an important matter."

Upon hearing this, the officials echoed his sentiments and began to flatter and praise His Majesty for his wisdom.

Yes, regardless of whether Zhong Cuigong started this matter, it was His Majesty's foresight that brought it up in court. If you think Zhong Cuigong is making a mountain out of a molehill, then aren't you also complaining that His Majesty is meddling?

Many people secretly glanced at Suo'etu, whose face was ashen, feeling extremely pleased.

The Hesheli family, relying on their status as relatives of the emperor, had better access to information about the palace than others. They always used this as an excuse to make trouble, either by fabricating rumors or distorting the truth. Now they've really messed up.

Prince Chengrui is only thirteen years old. Even if what he said was a bit excessive, would Suo'etu really take it to heart? Not to mention, he didn't directly deny Suo'etu's words, but only questioned the source of your information.

Unless you can clearly explain where your information came from, everything you say is unreliable. But would Songgotu dare to? Even if everyone knows that the Hesheli family has planted people in the harem, would you dare to put it out in the open?

Some people, seeing the handsome and intelligent Prince Chengrui, couldn't help but have designs on him.

Even though the title of Crown Prince was established early and the Hesheli family was there to rely on, he lost his mother at a young age and had no one to help him in the harem, so his position as heir apparent was not necessarily secure.

Prince Chengrui was the eldest son, had a favored concubine as his mother, and a group of younger brothers to help him. Apart from being physically weak, he was excellent in every way.

More importantly, the rumored Prince Chengrui is a kind and benevolent person, and today's observation confirms this. Even when retaliating against malice, he remained gentle and mild-mannered, showing that he has a good temper.

What do subjects fear most?

First, the monarch is a madman, unpredictable in his moods, and will kill people whether he is happy or unhappy. Second, the monarch is too capable, and the court is his personal fiefdom, leaving the ministers with no say. Third, the monarch has a terrible temper and does not value the lives of his ministers.

The latter, in particular, is due to the immense shadow cast by the founding emperors of previous dynasties, who frequently resorted to brutal punishments like skinning alive and causing rivers of blood to flow. But as the saying goes, "too much clarity leaves no room for fish," and how many officials in this world are truly innocent and blameless?

Prince Chengrui is quite good. He's mentally sound, has a good temper, and won't kill entire families at the drop of a hat. The best part is that he's in poor health. If he gets sick, his power will just have to be delegated.

Of course, it's not that the Crown Prince is bad; after all, he's only been in the Imperial Study for a few days, and they don't know much about him. The key point is, whether the Crown Prince is excellent or not is of little concern to them.

With the Hesheli family leading the way, it was difficult for them to even get a sip of soup. If they wanted to eat meat, they had to snatch it from the Hesheli family's mouth or wait for them to give it to them.

But why should they have to be subordinate to others? If it were due to a lack of ability, that would be one thing, but the other party relies on nepotism.

Zhongcuigong

"Why is His Majesty so happy today?"

"Is there?"

"Your mouth never stops smiling. Why don't you look in the mirror and see for yourself?"

"Ahem." Kangxi suppressed his laughter and explained, "It's all because of Suo'etu. He always makes some small moves. Although they are disgusting, they are not serious enough to warrant a serious accusation. He always steps on the line, and I can't bring myself to argue with him."

"Did Chengrui avenge you?"

"How did you know?" Kangxi wasn't questioning Ji Nai's intelligence network; he was simply curious. Cheng Rui had been with him the whole time, and Ji Nai was a man of principle. Where did he get the information?

"That's just a guess. If you had a way to deal with that kind of shameless behavior, you wouldn't let him run rampant. As for those ministers, it's not worth offending the Hesheli family over some trivial matters."

Only Cheng Rui would dare to question Suo'etu's overstepping of his bounds. Suo'etu was young, yet of high enough status to have the confidence to rebuke him without anyone accusing him of making a mountain out of a molehill.

"That's true."

The Hesheli family's collusion with the imperial harem was not something that had been going on for just a day or two. Although Kangxi was concerned, he could not say these things himself. Even if he did say them in the most tactful way, the situation would become more serious if they came out of his mouth.

The court officials were not as close to the imperial family as the Hesheli family, and the Niohuru family was the maternal family of the Empress Dowager, putting them in an awkward position. The imperial relatives were wary of the Crown Prince and were unwilling to get involved. It was truly only Chengrui who was most suitable to say such a thing.