When the rumors of divine intervention reached the palace, Crown Prince Yinreng processed the data with absolute indifference. In fact, the outcome aligned perfectly with his strategic intent. His covert intelligence network—a civilian propaganda apparatus he had seeded years prior—had subtly manipulated the public narrative. His own involvement was minimized, while Emperor Kangxi's image as a diligent, heaven-blessed ruler was maximized. It was a calculated expenditure of credit to purchase political security.
Lingguang, however, lacked this political pragmatism. The engineer was distressed by the irrationality of the masses.
"Their conclusion is flawed," Lingguang stated, his brow furrowed. "I am not a divine envoy. The texts dictate a materialist perspective; phenomena are governed by physical laws, not spirits. Even Master Shunzhi noted that religion is merely a psychological construct, a mechanism for emotional regulation, not objective reality."
Yinreng analyzed this revelation regarding his grandfather, the former Emperor Shunzhi, who had abdicated to become a monk. 'If Shunzhi recognized religion as an empty construct, his abdication was not an act of faith, but a catastrophic failure of willpower.' The concept of abandoning absolute authority for mere 'emotional regulation' over a dead concubine disgusted Yinreng's sense of nihilistic efficiency.
'If medical technology permitted,' Yinreng mused coldly, 'I would dissect his cranium to understand the exact neurological defect that causes such weakness.'
The System, reading his surface thoughts, recoiled in horror. To the System, a skull was a gruesome object; to Yinreng, it was merely a container of biological mechanics.
Lingguang's strict adherence to logic made him vulnerable to the chaos of human ambition. On his way back to Prince Yu's estate, his carriage was intercepted by a mob—a volatile mix of superstitious commoners and opportunistic nobles seeking to leverage the "divine envoy" for personal gain. It required the capital guards to violently clear a path. Traumatized by the unpredictable variable of human crowds, Lingguang retreated into absolute isolation, refusing to leave the estate or attend classes.
Kangxi found the engineer's agoraphobia amusing and did not force the issue. The Emperor's focus was already shifting to the Ministry of Works, analyzing how to deploy cement for flood control.
Yinreng knew the physical limitations of the material. Cement alone was brittle under tensile stress; structural integrity against floodwaters required steel reinforcement.
Detecting this operational bottleneck, the System immediately initiated a prompt.
[Opportunity Detected. Suggestion: Initiate High-Level Task to acquire Steel Refining Technology. The provided blueprints will be optimized for current-era manufacturing constraints.]
"Denied," Yinreng responded internally, shutting down the prompt without hesitation.
[Query: Why? The cement project proved successful. The infrastructure is ready. Resting now is statistically inefficient.]
"You fail to comprehend the political economy of this era," Yinreng explained, his internal voice devoid of emotion. "Consider the manual water pump Lingguang engineered at Wutai Mountain. It was functionally perfect. Why did I halt its mass production?"
[Insufficient Data.]
"Material composition. The pump requires a high volume of iron components to withstand corrosion and mechanical stress. In a cold-weapon era, iron is the foundation of military supremacy. The state maintains an absolute monopoly on iron mining and forging to prevent localized rebellions. If a faction hoards iron, they are constructing an army."
Yinreng laid out the strategic reality. "To mass-produce reinforced steel, I would need to establish massive foundries and extract vast quantities of iron ore. The imperial court would perceive this not as an agricultural initiative, but as an act of treason. Therefore, advanced metallurgy is a liability until I possess absolute authority over the state apparatus."
[Acknowledged. System adjusting threat models.]
"I am not resting," Yinreng added, tapping the agricultural manual on his desk—a text sourced from Shunzhi's collection. "I am simply pivoting to a resource sector that the state does not classify as a military threat."
***
The Cost of Ambition
Inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Prince Fuquan reported on the cement factory's metrics before shifting to intelligence gathered on Yinreng's operations.
"Lingguang has requested travel authorization to Shandong," Fuquan stated, maintaining objective delivery. "He claims he intends to inspect a new horse ranch recently purchased by the Crown Prince through Suo'etu."
Kangxi's gaze sharpened. "A new ranch?"
"Furthermore," Fuquan continued, prioritizing the most critical data, "Our operatives have detected a massive market anomaly. An agent named Meng Jixiang—verified as the Crown Prince's personnel—is liquidating capital to aggressively hoard all available livestock fodder across the capital and surrounding provinces. Additionally, Wei Dong, Shunzhi's former servant assigned to Lingguang, has secretly relocated to Qinghai."
'Qinghai,' Kangxi analyzed instantly. 'Territory controlled by the Khoshut Khanate. Why is the Crown Prince mobilizing resources and personnel on this scale?' "Summon the Crown Prince," Kangxi ordered.
Simultaneously, in the Eastern Palace, Yinreng finalized Lingguang's deployment.
"Your objective in Shandong is strictly technological research," Yinreng instructed the engineer. "Administrative and logistical variables will be handled by Tang Shijiu. He is a proven asset from my intelligence network. I will establish a supply chain to funnel the hoarded fodder to your location."
As Lingguang departed to pack, Suo'etu, Yinreng's grand-uncle, stepped forward. His ambition was evident.
"Your Highness, delegating an operation of this magnitude to a Han commoner like Tang Shijiu is a risk. Let me deploy my sons, or take control of the logistics myself."
Yinreng set his teacup down. He viewed Suo'etu not as family, but as a political tool that required constant calibration. Suo'etu had been excluded from the cement project, and his greed was making him desperate.
"Your sons hold critical defensive positions in the capital guard," Yinreng stated, his tone flat. "Reassigning them for a commercial venture is an inefficient use of military assets. Furthermore, I do not utilize personnel based on bloodlines; I use them based on utility. Tang Shijiu is highly competent. The decision is final."
Suo'etu grimaced, attempting to probe for a reason behind his marginalization. "Is this because of Consort Ping?" he asked, referring to his niece who had recently entered the Emperor's harem but had been politically ignored due to recent crises.
Yinreng found the assumption flawed. A concubine's status was irrelevant to his operational matrix.
"Do not conflate your utility with hers," Yinreng warned, dropping the facade of a respectful nephew. "You are already a First-Class Duke and a Deliberative Minister. Your power has reached the systemic ceiling. To demand further merit is to invite suspicion. Do you intend to carve out an Iron-Cap Princedom for yourself?"
The threat was surgical. Suo'etu flinched, suddenly realizing that excessive ambition would trigger Kangxi's paranoia and lead to his execution.
"Understood," Suo'etu bowed deeply, his spine chilling.
"Excellent," Yinreng pressed the advantage, establishing absolute control. "Your secondary objective: purge the inefficiencies within the Hesheli clan. I have reports of your brothers neglecting their military duties. Utilize your authority to break their insubordination. If you cannot manage your own biological assets, I will have the Emperor replace them with those who can."
Having reasserted his dominance over his maternal clan, Yinreng proceeded to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to manage his father.
When Kangxi interrogated him about the aggressive fodder acquisition and the Qinghai deployment, Yinreng deployed a pre-calculated defensive strategy: weaponized youth.
"It is for your birthday next year, Imperial Father," Yinreng lied smoothly, feigning innocent enthusiasm. "The rice hybrid was a massive success. I needed a project of equal magnitude. Everyone expects a horse ranch to breed warhorses, but who dictates I must raise horses? Why not cattle or sheep?"
Kangxi's paranoia instantly dissolved into amusement. A massive agricultural experiment involving livestock was harmless, entirely devoid of military threat. "You are utilizing a strategic ranch for sheep? The return on investment is terrible."
"The objective is a surprise, not a profit," Yinreng countered. The alibi was accepted. The real operation remained concealed in the silent empire of his heart.
***
The Collapse of Chengqian Palace
By autumn, the political landscape shifted again. Consort Yi successfully delivered the Ninth Prince, Yintang. The palace celebrated, the Emperor's grief over Tongjia's deceased daughter entirely erased by the arrival of a healthy son.
In Chengqian Palace, the atmosphere was a vacuum of despair. Consort Tongjia lay bedridden, her physical form failing alongside her mental stability.
Through her window, she observed Yinzhen playing in the courtyard. The anomaly was immediate: the personnel surrounding him had changed.
"Where are Cuiyan and Cuiyun?" Tongjia demanded, her voice rasping.
Her maid, Chunzhi, trembled. "The Grand Empress Dowager requisitioned them and deployed two new servants to the Fourth Prince. It occurred while you were comatose. The Emperor personally authorized the transfer."
Tongjia's mind processed the sequence of events. The timing was perfectly calculated to exploit her incapacity. Her control over her adopted son had been severed by an authority she could not challenge.
"Why was this intelligence withheld from me?" she hissed.
"The Emperor ordered a complete information blackout to ensure your rest," Chunzhi wept, kneeling. "I also... I received a missive from your family estate today."
Tongjia snatched the letter. As her eyes scanned the text, the final pillars of her reality shattered. The information contained within confirmed a fatal betrayal. The blood drained from her face, her respiratory rate spiked wildly, and the physiological shock caused her to vomit a massive volume of blood onto the silk sheets.
"Your Ladyship!" Chunzhi screamed.
Hearing the commotion, young Yinzhen rushed into the chamber.
Instead of maternal comfort, Tongjia's bloodstained hand shot out, her grip locking onto Yinzhen's wrist with the desperate, crushing force of a dying animal. Her eyes, wide and completely devoid of sanity, locked onto the boy.
"It was her!" Tongjia shrieked, her voice a weaponized frequency of pure hatred. "My hypothesis was correct! It is her!"
Yinzhen froze. Confronted by the raw, irrational violence in her eyes, the boy's rational mind shut down. Every muscle locked as an absolute, primal terror infected his system.