L.F-Hist.Novelist Chapter 39 Kangxi said I did the right thing
Chapter 39 Kangxi said I did the right thing
When faced with Kangxi's question, Yin'e did not hesitate, nor did he intend to pretend to be stupid.
Trying to outsmart someone like that is like showing off your skills in front of Guan Yu – it's overestimating your abilities.
Yin'e lifted the corner of his robe and knelt down.
"Father, to be honest, what I said at Lord Wei's funeral today was not an impulsive act."
Kangxi leaned back in his chair, not interrupting him, and waited for him to continue.
"Your subject went to the Wei residence today only to offer incense and kowtow to Lord Wei, to show your respect as a junior."
"Lord Wei and I have a past relationship. When I was a child, Father Emperor, you were busy with many affairs of state, and Mother was in poor health. Every time Lord Wei came to the capital to report on his duties, he would come to see me."
He brought me sugar figurines, clay figurines, and small lanterns from Jiangnan, and he even taught me to write.
Some of these events were fragments remaining in the original owner's memories, while others were deduced by him based on historical records and human relationships.
Did Wei Dongting have any connection with the Niu Hulu family?
some.
When Ebilun was alive, Wei Dongting had worked under him, and the two families were considered old friends.
When Consort Wenxi was alive, Wei Dongting's wife often visited the palace to pay her respects and interacted frequently with the consort.
Emperor Kangxi could not possibly be unaware of these relationships.
"Lord Wei has been impeccable in his life, both to the court and to his father, the Emperor." Yin'e's voice lowered slightly as he spoke, as if he were suppressing some emotion.
"Therefore, when I heard the news of Lord Wei's suicide, I was truly heartbroken."
It's not for any other reason than that I just feel, how could such a good person end up like this?
Kangxi's eyes flickered slightly.
"Your subject has arrived at the mourning hall, offered incense, and is about to leave." Yin'e's voice gradually carried a hint of resentment.
"But then Fourth Brother came. He brought Thirteenth Brother and Tian Wenjing into the mourning hall, offered incense, said a few polite words, and then began to berate Wei Shitong."
They said that Lord Wei's debts were all squandered by this spendthrift son, that he kept prostitutes, took concubines, and spent lavishly in brothels, spending six thousand taels in a single day.
He paused, his throat bobbing slightly, as if he were swallowing a mouthful of resentment.
"Father, I'm not saying that Fourth Brother is wrong. Wei Shitong is indeed a spendthrift, and he did contribute to the debts incurred by Lord Wei."
But that's Lord Wei's mourning hall.
The coffin was still behind him, the body was not yet cold, and Wei Shitong was still kneeling in front of the coffin to observe mourning.
Fourth Brother, in front of a room full of mourners, berated the other man's son mercilessly.
"I witnessed that scene, and it truly saddened me."
Kangxi did not speak.
His hand rested on the armrest of the chair, his fingers slightly curled, his nails lightly scratching the armrest twice, making a soft sound.
"Among those present, Fourth Brother is a Prince, he is the most senior, and no one dares to talk back."
"Wei Shitong dares not, the Wei family dares not, and the ministers who came to offer their condolences dare not, but your son dares."
"It's not that I'm brave; it's that I feel that if even I don't stand up and speak out, then Lord Wei will have died in vain."
After he finished speaking, the warm room was quiet for a moment.
Kangxi remained silent for a long while.
Then he spoke up: "So that's why you impulsively took on his 300,000 taels debt?"
Yin'e scratched his head, a gesture that carried a touch of childishness.
"Yes and no," he said, his voice carrying a hint of sincerity.
"Oh?" Kangxi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"To be honest, I was impulsive," Yin'e frankly admitted. "In that situation, things got a bit chaotic, and I didn't think much before the words came out."
However, it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say it was all impulsive.
He raised his head, looked into Kangxi's eyes, and his gaze became serious: "Your subject really doesn't want Lord Wei to leave with a debt."
Lord Wei dedicated his life to serving the court and sharing the Emperor's burdens, yet he passed away with a mountain of debt, and at his funeral, he was even criticized for being too pathetic.
"Your subject believes that even if I have no money, I will sell everything I own to pay off this debt and allow Lord Wei to leave with a clear conscience."
Kangxi looked at him, and the look in his eyes changed again.
"You have the heart for this," he said, a faint sigh in his voice, "but do you have the ability?"
"Three hundred thousand taels, how will you repay it?"
Kangxi's gaze sharpened. "Don't just talk the talk; can you walk the walk?"
"Your Majesty, I told everyone that I was going to sell the Tenth Prince's Mansion to pay off debts." Yin'e's voice lowered slightly, tinged with embarrassment. "But I know in my heart that the Tenth Prince's Mansion was a residence bestowed upon me by Father Emperor. Without Father Emperor's decree, how could I possibly sell it?"
Kangxi snorted, but there was no anger in his voice; rather, it carried a hint of "at least you have some brains."
"So I can only find a way myself." Yin'e shrugged, making a "things will work themselves out" expression.
"We'll just have to scrape it together slowly. This year's salary, the harvest from the estate, plus borrowing some from Ninth Brother, it'll take two years to pay it all back, and three years if we can't pay it all back in one year."
"It can be paid back eventually."
Kangxi snorted again, this time louder than before: "Trying to put on a brave face."
That's what he said, but there wasn't much blame in his tone.
On the contrary, his tone carried a complex emotion of a father who was "outwardly complaining but actually pleased" towards his son.
"Alright, get up." Kangxi waved his hand, signaling him to stand up and speak.
Yin'e responded, stood up, dusted off his knees, and stood to the side with his hands at his sides.
Emperor Kangxi picked up the half-cup of tea on the table, which had already gone cold, took a sip, frowned, and then put it down.
"You've always been a very loyal and sentimental person, ever since you were little." His voice suddenly softened considerably. "In that respect, you're just like your mother."
Yin'e was taken aback.
He did not expect that Emperor Kangxi would bring up Consort Wenxi on his own initiative.
In the original owner's memories, Emperor Kangxi rarely mentioned his deceased consorts, especially Consort Wenxi, in front of his sons.
Her death seemed to be a topic that Emperor Kangxi was unwilling to discuss.
"It's good to be loyal and affectionate," Kangxi continued, his tone tinged with emotion, "but loyalty and affection alone are not enough; one must also have brains."
Being sentimental without thinking is just reckless.
Being rational and loyal is called taking responsibility. What you did at the funeral today, though impulsive to some extent, wasn't wrong.
Yin'e's heart stirred.
Is this... a compliment?
Although he said "it's not wrong," in his opinion, that's already a very high compliment.
Emperor Kangxi was a man who rarely praised others, especially his sons, to whom he was even more stingy with compliments.
The phrase "not wrong" translates to "you did the right thing".
A slap followed by a sweet treat.
First, they scold you for "putting on a brave face," then they praise you for "being loyal and righteous," which can be considered a form of imperial manipulation.