sbdcsierra Chapter 417 My life is like walking on thin ice.
Chapter 417 My life is like walking on thin ice.
It's no wonder people say that Emperor Kangxi was a troublemaker. When he was busy with state affairs, it wasn't noticeable, but now that he has some free time, the drawbacks have become apparent, and Yinzhi, who was closest to him, was the first to be affected.
"What the hell? You want to build me a mausoleum, right next to yours? Father, do you even know what you're saying? Have you ever seen a prince's mausoleum built next to an imperial mausoleum?"
Yinzhi rejected Kangxi's sudden and ingenious idea with a decisive stroke. Putting aside the question of whether a prince's mausoleum could be built in the imperial mausoleum, Yinzhi didn't want to be buried there after his death, since the historical Kangxi was still in the water before he traveled through time.
Kangxi ignored Yinzhuo's obvious resistance, saying, "What can a child understand? Such important matters still need to be decided by the parents."
Emperor Kangxi was not only capable of making a fuss, but he was also incredibly efficient. Since he had decided that even after his death he would have his son by his side, he immediately summoned the officials of the Imperial Observatory. He then carefully examined the map of the area surrounding his mausoleum for a long time, and finally selected an auspicious location with excellent feng shui for his beloved son.
"Yinzuo, what do you think of this place? I think it's quite nice. I'll have a passage built between the two mausoleums so that if you miss your father, you can come and see me directly..."
Well, you've really thought long-term. Seeing that he's destined to be soaking in the water for hundreds or even thousands of years, Yinzhuo suddenly felt a subtle sense of crisis. He felt that although his swimming skills seemed pretty good, considering the actual situation, he probably still needed to practice more.
Yinzhuo originally thought that with Kangxi making such an outrageous request, the officials in the court would surely argue with him, but in fact, he underestimated the power his father had built up over the decades. In short, this matter was ultimately a family affair of his Aisin Gioro family, and the censors obviously did not want to get involved.
Unable to rely on the censors, Yinzhuo turned his attention to the Imperial Clan Court. After all, didn't they always talk about ancestral laws? Could they ignore Kangxi's capricious behavior?
As it turned out, Yinzhuo was still too young. They really didn't care. To put it bluntly, the people in the Imperial Clan Court followed Kangxi's lead. They didn't dare to trip up or obstruct what Kangxi wanted to do.
With no objections from the imperial court and no concern from the clan, the matter was essentially settled. Yinzhuo knew that it was too late to say anything now. The only option was to summon the Ministry of Works and give them a thousand and one instructions. In short, everything else was secondary, but the drainage system had to be done meticulously.
Because he didn't want his home to become a swimming pool after his death, Yinzuo took great care in the construction of his mausoleum. Although his father was not a decent person, Yinzuo, as the son, was quite capable. While saving himself, he also thought about helping his father out of trouble.
“Father, your mausoleum has been built for several decades now. Even with good maintenance, some of the facilities inside must be getting old. Didn’t you say you wanted to build a passage between your son’s mausoleum and yours? Since we’re going to have to make changes anyway, why not take this opportunity to renovate the inside as well? I heard that there was a pond there before your mausoleum was built. Who knows if there’s a water system running through it? If the drainage system isn’t done well, then after you pass away, you’ll be soaking in the water with your mothers…”
Upon hearing Yinzhuo's words, Kangxi's expression darkened so much that he almost wanted to grab his unfortunate son and give him a good beating. "You unlucky child, can't you wish your father any better?" Yinzhuo, seeing his father's still somewhat hesitant expression, silently added fuel to the fire.
"Father, maybe we shouldn't build this tunnel. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll be implicated by you later. If the water flows to my side through that tunnel, I'll end up soaking in the water just like you..."
If you won't repair it, then that won't do. Just because of what you said, the passageway must be repaired. And not only the passageway, but our mausoleum must also be renovated. Otherwise, if your mausoleum floods in the future, you'll all blame it on me.
The ancients believed in treating the dead as if they were alive. Yinzhuo had never believed in these superstitious beliefs, but it turned out he was far too naive. He himself had traveled through hundreds of years to come to this Qing Dynasty, so it was hard to say that his mausoleum wouldn't be his eternal home a hundred years from now. Since it was his home, it had to be carefully maintained.
Good heavens, Kangxi has finally given Yinzhuo something to do. In order to prevent himself and his father from swimming freely at home every day after they pass away, Yinzhuo has gone to great lengths. He not only went through a lot of materials, but also went to the Ministry of Works every day to gather a group of water conservancy experts to study and discuss. After a long period of research and revision, they finally found a feasible solution.
Yinzhuo was in charge of the Ministry of Works. Although he didn't usually pay much attention to things here, even if the officials of the Ministry of Works had a hundred times the courage, they would never dare to fool him when it came to Yinzhuo's affairs. Now that the blueprints and plans were ready, and the Imperial Observatory had chosen an auspicious date, the construction of the mausoleum could be considered to have officially started.
Yinzhuo was a man who always trusted those he employed and did not employ those he distrusted. As a complete novice, he naturally wouldn't think of pointing fingers at professionals. Moreover, Kangxi had personally sent people to Zunhua to keep an eye on things, so he was very at ease.
"Sixth Brother, after we brothers pass away, I'm afraid only you and Fourth Brother will be able to stay by Father's side and fulfill our filial duties. No, Third Brother just wants to ask, what kind of bewitching potion did you give Father? The aftereffects are so strong?"
Upon hearing this, Yinzhuo put down the teacup he was holding, took the handkerchief handed to him by Dexi, wiped the pastry crumbs off his hands, and then looked up at Yinzhi sitting not far from him. In fact, he really wanted to tell his third brother that there was no need to be envious. The aftereffects of his bewitching potion were far more than just strong. If history followed its course, then after the brothers passed away, only he would be able to stay by his father's side and fulfill his filial duties.
"Oh, Third Brother, you've fallen into a vinegar vat again. It's not that I'm criticizing you, but we're not getting any younger. If the younger generation sees us like this, they'll laugh at us. Besides, do you think it's good to be by Father's side? Haven't you heard the saying 'serving a ruler is like serving a tiger'? You have no idea how I've lived these past years, it's been like walking on thin ice..."
Haha, still walking on thin ice? Forgive my poor eyesight, but I really didn't see it at all. With your arrogant and domineering attitude in front of the old man, don't you feel guilty saying that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger?