The hour of Si*, roughly from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

People of the Qing dynasty lived by the rhythm of sunrise and sunset. By this time, most people had already left home to work. On top of that, everyone's nerves had been stretched tight for days.

The moment the earth began to shake, people immediately realized what was happening and ran toward open ground.

Inside the capital, the palace was also prepared for the earthquake.

Tents had been set up in the open courtyards outside the buildings. At night, people slept in the tents, and during the day, the imperial consorts also spent most of their time outdoors.

As the days dragged on, resentment inevitably began to grow.

Fortunately, there was the warning that it would happen "within the seventh month," so people did not dare to relax despite their complaints.

The closer they came to the end of the month, the more tense everyone became, jumping at the slightest sign of trouble.

Yinreng knew the earthquake would happen within the next few days. He could not remember the exact date, but he remembered that it should occur sometime between morning and noon.

The moment he woke that day, he hurriedly stuffed himself with food, then clung tightly to Kangxi's leg and refused to let go, saying the black qi was terrifying and surging violently.

Kangxi immediately picked Yinreng up and organized everyone to evacuate outdoors, while ordering the ministers to remain at their posts in case of sudden developments.

The consorts veiled their faces, and the guards entered the palace armed with swords, standing ready in strict formation.

Kangxi took out the Western pocket watch presented by the missionaries. Second by second, time ticked away. The steady ticking sounded like a monk striking a temple bell against his heart.

"Father, I'm scared." Yinreng burrowed hard into Kangxi's chest. "It hurts a little."

The Dragon Throne was already moved to the great square in front of Qianqing Palace. Kangxi sat upon it, holding the child in one arm and the watch in the other, his expression taut.

"Where does it hurt?" Kangxi immediately summoned the imperial physicians.

"Where… everywhere?" Yinreng looked up blankly. "I can't really explain it."

Coincidentally, just as Yinreng began crying out in pain, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted.

At first, the sound seemed to come from beneath the earth, then from every direction at once, like charging armies, booming cannons, and rushing torrents.

Only after the deafening roar did people feel the violent trembling of the ground beneath their feet, so fierce that standing became difficult.

Kangxi's hand loosened, and the exquisite pocket watch fell to the ground.

He wrapped both arms tightly around Yinreng, pressing the child's head against his chest.

Dust and smoke billowed from Qianqing Palace. As the earth swayed, the buildings shook so violently they seemed to blur. Glazed roof tiles and decorative eaves crashed down in torrents, as though the palace might collapse at any moment.

Some maids and eunuchs were thrown to the ground. Some screamed, others wailed. Chaos instantly spread, and even the guards couldn't help but panic.

Yet Kangxi sat steadfast upon the Dragon Throne, holding Yinreng tightly, with his expression unchanged.

Changtai, serving beside the throne, stepped forward and planted himself before Kangxi. With his back to the emperor, he raised the ceremonial long-handled axe-halberd and drove it viciously into the ground.

"Form ranks!"

The ceremonial axe-halberd was mounted on a long metal shaft. The lower end pierced deep into the cracked stone pavement, allowing Changtai to steady himself against it.

With his example before them, the guards all drew their weapons and thrust them into the shattered paving stones to anchor themselves. Then, following Changtai's commands, they carried out the plan they had rehearsed countless times: closing ranks around Kangxi, forming a protective circle around the Dragon Throne with their backs facing outward.

Kangxi looked at the broad, steadfast figure of his brother-in-law before him, and his expression shifted slightly.

Yinreng wrapped his arms around Kangxi's neck and muttered softly over and over:

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Father, don't be afraid. Baocheng will protect you. Ah… it hurts so much."

Kangxi's expression changed dramatically.

He held Yinreng even tighter in his arms. "You're the one who's frightened sick. We're somewhere safe, and your Father is here protecting you. What are you afraid of? Endure it a little longer. Once the earthquake passes, I'll have the imperial physicians examine you."

Hearing the exchange between Kangxi and Yinreng, Changtai grew frantic inside.

Where was the Crown Prince hurt? Did he fall? Or did the emperor squeeze him too hard in fear? Where were the imperial physicians? Even with an earthquake happening, couldn't they crawl over here to examine His Highness?

Useless!

The earthquake continued.

Palace walls and halls kept collapsing. Cracks split open across the ground, and from some fissures steam and vapor rose upward.

Dust surged endlessly into the air, forming dark clouds and mist.

Kangxi looked up at the sky. Moments ago it was bright and clear, but now, it seemed like it was shrouded in black qi. Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the darkness, scattering broken rays of gold along the edges, as if a black dragon and a golden dragon were locked in combat.

Tension, panic, smoke, and distorted light combined into an illusion that made Kangxi utterly certain that, for one fleeting instant, he truly saw the black qi curse Yinreng had spoken of so many times. The curse festering within the dragon veins of Great Qing.

The black qi transformed into a savage dragon head, bursting from within the golden dragon vein of Great Qing and tearing into it.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the vision vanished. The two monstrous dragons dissolved back into scattered dark clouds and fractured golden light.

The thunderous rumbling of the earth also faded.

Who won? Who lost?

Kangxi came back to himself. He was still seated upon the Dragon Throne, and Great Qing still existed. Therefore, the dragon vein of Great Qing must have prevailed.

A cool sensation landed lightly upon Kangxi's face.

Gu Wenxing, who had been lying prostrate on the ground, climbed back up and lifted the enormous ceremonial canopy that had toppled over. Its shadow covered Kangxi on the throne, shielding him from the falling rain.

"Your Majesty, it's raining. Please be careful not to catch a cold."

As expected of an eunuch who had served through two reigns, Gu Wenxing had already calmed down and resumed his duties.

A step too late, Zhao Chang angrily smacked his own trembling legs.

Coward! Coward! Such a perfect chance to distinguish yourself before His Majesty, and it slipped away!

The other eunuchs and guards felt similarly bitter.

But most of them were still trembling in fear. Gu Wenxing stood calmly behind Kangxi, holding the canopy, his expression respectful and composed as ever.

Changtai stood before the emperor, one hand gripping the axe-halberd and the other resting on the saber at his waist, solemn and steady.

Looking down at their own shaking hands and legs, the others could only sigh. Opportunities truly belonged to those who were prepared.

Fortunately, Gu Wenxing was already one of Kangxi's trusted senior eunuchs, while Changtai was the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard and the emperor's brother-in-law who was already highly favored by Kangxi. At least it wasn't some nobody using the disaster to climb the ranks, which made everyone feel a little better.

"It's over," Kangxi sighed softly. "No… perhaps it's only beginning."

The real headache would be the disaster relief after the earthquake.

Rain began dropping down violently, finally snapping the panicked palace servants back to their senses.

Under the commands of Gu Wenxing and Changtai, they followed the procedures they rehearsed earlier and quickly restored order.

Kangxi wanted to summon the imperial physicians to examine Yinreng, but Yinreng calmly said, "No need."

The look he gave Kangxi was complicated, yet strangely relieved, making goosebumps rise on Kangxi's skin.

Lowering his voice, Yinreng said, "Put me down. His soul is unstable and has already fallen asleep. I'm appearing temporarily to shield him from the curse for a while."

Kangxi's heart jolted while his hands shook as he hurriedly set Yinreng down.

Yinreng frowned. "Do not panic."

He reached out and held Kangxi's fingers.

Kangxi's whole body stiffened.

I, I, I… I, I, I…

"Come into the tent. I have something to tell you."

Yinreng's expression held neither joy nor sorrow, but carried a kind of ancient weariness that made one's heart tremble.

A child's eyes should be lively and pure, and a young person's eyes should be spirited and passionate. But as people age, some eyes grow clouded, while others become like well-aged liquor, clearer, deeper, and more piercing.

Yinreng's eyes were still clear like a child's, yet they were filled with too many accumulated things. They looked like the eyes of someone who had endured endless suffering and torment. Someone who appeared detached on the surface, yet concealed fierce unwillingness and resentment deep within.

Even Kangxi himself could not produce such a gaze.

Despite being an emperor, Kangxi felt like an inexperienced young man below 30 under those eyes.

Expressions, words, gestures, all could be imitated. But the weight of years and suffering carved into a person's very being couldn't be faked.

Once Kangxi regained his composure, he immediately had a small tent prepared. Holding Yinreng's hand, he entered with him alone, forbidding anyone else to come inside.

***

The arrangements for post-earthquake response had long been set in motion. Unless the ministers were fools, or dead beneath the rubble, they would already be carrying out the established plans. What Kangxi needed to do now was calm the palace and, once order returned to the city, proceed to the Temple of Heaven to pray.

But that was not urgent, so he had time to be alone with the Shunzhi inside Yinreng's body.

After calming down, Kangxi felt oddly lost.

When Shunzhi was alive, Kangxi was never especially favored. And when Shunzhi died, Kangxi was still very young.

All his life, he never truly experienced his father's guidance or affection.

Yet now, after he himself had grown into an adult and become a father, his own father awakened inside the body of the child he loved most.

He did not know how to face this father who died so early.

At this point, Yinreng's memories from both his previous lives had fully awakened.

Like every transmigrator blessed with a cheat ability, his cheat seemed to be the power to "flip through" memories like pages in a book whenever he concentrated.

The teachings Kangxi had given him in his first life, along with all the historical and cultural knowledge he had unconsciously absorbed in his second life as a Ming-Qing enthusiast, all resurfaced at this moment.

His head throbbed faintly, and his strength was slowly fading, but enduring for one day should still be possible.

Yinreng realized that he was not someone who could stay idle.

He talked constantly about finding a large estate with hot springs and lazing away for the rest of his life, yet deep down, he could never accept returning for another lifetime only to leave nothing behind.

In his first life, he was the Crown Prince, yet all he remembered on his deathbed was family affection. He only wanted to return to childhood, to the days when his Khan-Father still loved him. He never once thought about the throne or power, clearly cowardly and spineless to the extreme.

In his second life, he was an ordinary person, yet he constantly discussed grand strategies and world affairs online, wishing he could travel back in time carrying a hard drive full of information and lead China to unify the globe. Arrogant and absurdly overconfident, never considering that the clever people of the past might simply burn him alive.

Well, he was only a keyboard warrior in his second life. If he really transmigrated back then, he probably wouldn't be willing to give up air conditioning and the internet.

Now that he actually travelled back, those two conflicting dreams churned together within him.

But he was only a child now, and Kangxi still adored him. His first dream could easily be achieved simply by hiding behind the scenes and pretending to be weak and sickly. If he didn't seize this chance to help build toward his second dream, future transmigrators would surely despise him.

A grin spread across Yinreng's face.

Pretending to be Grandpa to fool Father is thrilling, but I'll only do it once.

Seeing the mischievous yet distinctly unchildlike smile on Yinreng's face, Kangxi froze slightly.

"After today, I must leave, so I'll teach you everything I can now. How much you learn depends on yourself."

Yinreng instructed Kangxi to get the boxes of documents he had prepared earlier to be brought into the tent, and then began teaching his father.

The feeling was indescribably satisfying.

Yinreng spread out a history book and a map of Great Qing, beginning with the late Ming dynasty.

After listening for so long to Kangxi handling state affairs, Yinreng finally realized that Kangxi understood almost nothing about the factional struggles among Han officials, nor did he truly grasp the evolution of Confucian culture. Any ordinary modern history enthusiast probably understood these things better than he did.

Only then did Yinreng realize how vastly greater the information available to modern people was compared to that of ancient times.

Especially under the guidance of scientific thinking, modern people could examine issues from broad and comprehensive perspectives. Ancient people, by contrast, were like blind men feeling an elephant, relying on fragmented experience to piece together an incomplete picture.

Now, Yinreng was teaching Kangxi to fill in the historical perspective and strategic vision he lacked.

He began with the original form of Confucianism, then moved on to "Confucianism outwardly, Legalism inwardly," and external kingship and internal sagehood.

He explained how Confucius's original teachings had been altered by successive dynasties to strengthen imperial rule, and described the rise of aristocratic clans and the measures that different emperors had taken to weaken them…

The more Kangxi listened, the brighter his eyes became.

Kangxi was the purest kind of naturally gifted ruler.

Many people believed his political thought came from the woman later known as Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, but anyone familiar with her life knew that she lacked such capability.

Xiaozhuang entered Hong Taiji's harem at a very young age and never had the opportunity to study governance systematically. She may have been intelligent, but she was not truly visionary. Her understanding of statecraft was shallow, and she was merely skilled in power struggles.

Kangxi's philosophy of rulership had all come from reading and self-study.

He had teachers, yes, but none of them were emperors. They couldn't teach him how an emperor was supposed to rule.

An emperor had to oversee the entire realm, learning lessons from history across both time and circumstance. These were things that Kangxi was forced to figure out on his own.

Perhaps decades later, he would have formed his own complete imperial philosophy. But right now, he was still struggling through the darkness.

Yinreng's explanations effortlessly dispelled the confusion clouding Kangxi's mind.

Questions that had long puzzled him while studying histories and classics suddenly became crystal clear after Yinreng's guidance.

Kangxi temporarily halted the lesson and rearranged matters so he could listen to his "Khan-Father's" teachings longer.

He summoned Gu Wenxing and Zhao Chang, who already knew part of the situation, to take rapid notes on Yinreng's words. Kangxi himself also picked up brush and paper, listening while making notes. Meanwhile, Changtai stood guard outside the tent entrance with his saber drawn.

Liang Jiugong was also summoned into the tent to serve tea, water, and pastries, replacing paper and grinding ink for the men recording the lecture.

After outlining the broad development of history, politics, and cultural change, as well as the true causes behind the decline of each dynasty apart from incompetent rulers, Yinreng began focusing on the factional strife that weakened the Ming dynasty.

The political landscape of the court changed constantly, but the single thing that never changed was interests.

At its root, factional conflict was also about interests, merely another form of struggle between aristocratic clans.

In earlier times, northern China was wealthier, and northern aristocratic families dominated politics. But after the Southern Song, the political center shifted southward. Combined with rice replacing wheat and millet as the highest-yield staple crop, the south became richer than the north, and southern elites began demanding greater political influence.

No matter how factional conflict changed on the surface, the battles in court were ultimately struggles over regional interests.

A spark flashed through Kangxi's mind.

"So when 'upright officials' become corrupt, it's because of family and regional interests?"

Yinreng nodded. "Ming officials had extremely low salaries. If they relied solely on their official stipends, they couldn't even feed themselves or support their families. Since they'd starve to death, why become officials at all? For ideals? Perhaps some did. But most pursued profit. Behind every 'upright official,' there were likely several powerful clans supporting him."

Yinreng thought of the case a few years later, when Jin Fu, the official responsible for Yellow River flood control, was falsely accused.

"For example, with Yellow River flood control, once the work begins achieving real results, the officials involved are inevitably impeached. Because once the river stops flooding, their shared objective disappears, and the people living along the riverbanks become unwilling to sacrifice their own interests for flood-control projects."

Jin Fu was falsely accused and removed from office by a group of upright Han officials precisely because his flood-control policies involved surveying lands along the riverbanks and forcing powerful landowners occupying the river channels to surrender those lands.

The "upright officials" who impeached him, people like Yu Chenglong and Guo Xiu, all had wealthy Shandong powerholders standing behind them.

Perhaps they had indeed done many good things for Great Qing. Perhaps their personal character was genuinely decent. But for the sake of their clans, friends, teachers, and fellow provincials, they were still willing to commit acts of false accusation.

This was what middle-school political textbooks call "the limitations imposed by class interests."

Kangxi recalled a question that had long puzzled him while reading history.

"When Yue Fei was recalled by 18 imperial edicts during the Southern Song, was that also tied to struggles over the interests of southern elites?"

Yinreng smiled approvingly. "Exactly."

Kangxi immediately revealed a proud smile, like a child praised by his father.

At this moment, in Kangxi's eyes, he truly was a child being praised by his Khan-Father.

"Whether it was the military expenses required to recover the lost northern territories, or the enormous reconstruction costs afterward, all of it would ultimately fall upon the people of the south. This benefited the nation, but not the south. Once the authority of the emperor and court was no longer strong enough, Yue Fei's death became inevitable. Zhao Gou lacked the determination to risk everything and suppress southern unrest to support Yue Fei. As for the two emperors captured in the north, they weren't actually the important factor."

Yinreng explained: "Since ancient times, the saying 'the people can carry the boat, and then can also overturn it' never truly referred to ordinary commoners, but rather the great clans. The economy and talent of all China were concentrated in the hands of aristocratic families and powerful local interests. When the emperor was not strong enough, and the court lacked sufficient authority, the throne could only survive by relying on them.

The Ming dynasty originally intended to use the hereditary military nobility to counterbalance the great clans. But after the Tumu Crisis destroyed the military aristocracy, the scholar-official faction representing regional elite interests took control of the government…"

Yinreng listed the hometowns and academic lineages of the Donglin faction members. In Kangxi's mind, it was as if an enormous web suddenly appeared, enveloping the entire court of the late Ming.

And before Yinreng pointed it out, he had never noticed it.

Thinking back to his own court, cold sweat trickled down Kangxi's back.

"What Great Qing is doing now is actually not so different from the late Ming. We merely replaced the hereditary military nobility with Manchu hereditary nobles. But the nobles cannot be allowed to grow too powerful either. How to use the clans to restrain the nobles, and the nobles to restrain the clans, that is something you must think through yourself."

Yinreng only described the situation; he did not offer solutions.

Kangxi already possessed a fixed imperial mindset, and his way of thinking differed from Yinreng's.

Even Shunzhi, as a feudal emperor, thought differently from Yinreng, a modern university student. Saying too much would expose inconsistencies.

So Yinreng merely laid out the realities and guided Kangxi to think for himself.

After finishing with the late Ming, Yinreng began analyzing Great Qing's current contradictions.

The conflict between Manchus and Han Chinese was the foremost issue, but not necessarily the most important one.

The times were changing. Unlike earlier dynasties, which mostly dealt with internal conflicts and perhaps watched the northern frontier, Great Qing now found itself surrounded by powerful rivals during an age of global transformation. The influence of the great clans was declining, while the importance of ordinary commoners was rapidly rising.

If Great Qing followed the traditional pattern of previous dynasties, simply ruling peacefully after entering the Central Plains, then everything might have remained stable enough. But then there was Dorgon…

The corner of Yinreng's mouth twitched as he asked, "My Edict of Self-Reproach after death, was it written by Mother's people, or by the Manchu-Mongol nobles?"

Putting himself in Shunzhi's place, Yinreng felt that if Shunzhi's spirit truly existed after death, he would probably be furious enough to fight the Grand Empress Dowager.

The "Edict of Self-Reproach" issued after Shunzhi's death erased all his political accomplishments and every bright point of his reign. Worse still, it left deeply harmful consequences for the later emperors of Great Qing.

As the first emperor after the conquest of China, Shunzhi should have been able to reshape the so-called ancestral precedent, and he really was slowly changing it. Although he constantly wavered under the pressure between Han and Manchu interests, his policies were still moving toward ethnic integration.

Yet the edict declared everything he had done to be wrong. It claimed that he had violated the policies established by Nurhaci and Hong Taiji, policies prioritizing Manchus and the Manchu-Mongol alliance, by favoring Han Chinese too much. It effectively warned later emperors never to violate ancestral precedent.

That single document left a fatal hidden danger for future rulers, making them govern cautiously and fear bold reforms.

Kangxi awkwardly replied, "Th-the Grand Empress Dowager also had no choice. The Eight Banner nobles and imperial clans were extremely powerful…"

He couldn't continue.

Without the Grand Empress Dowager's approval, an edict would never be issued, no matter what the princes and nobles wanted.

The Grand Empress Dowager always resented Shunzhi for departing from ancestral precedent and favoring Han Chinese. Using his death as an outlet for that anger was indeed entirely plausible.

"I was not wrong."

After a moment of silence, Yinreng said: "If Great Qing wishes to restart the process of ethnic integration, it will need scapegoats. Princes like Dorgon, or Manchu nobles like Oboi, for the future of Great Qing, they can all be discarded."

Kangxi immediately declared: "Yes! Khan-Father, rest assured, your son will certainly restore your name!"

This Edict of Self-Reproach? I'll revoke it! Even the Grand Empress Dowager can't stop me!

If Khan-Father was angry enough to crawl out of his coffin, then the Grand Empress Dowager must surely feel guilty too.

"Khan-Father… about Empress Xiaoxian…"

Kangxi thought of Shunzhi's "great love."

Yinreng's eyelid twitched. Unable to force out an expression of grief or longing, he silently apologized inwardly to Shunzhi and the empress before asking: "What was Xiaoxian's clan name?"

Kangxi replied, "Dong'e…"

Yinreng asked, "Do you remember the family backgrounds and surnames of the women in my harem?"

Kangxi naturally knew them, since he was responsible for supporting the dowager consorts.

He mentally reviewed the backgrounds of all Shunzhi's consorts, and his eyes suddenly widened in shock, looking very much like the little milk dumpling Yinreng when startled.

"The Dong'e clan… especially the branch Empress Xiaoxian came from, produced an unusual number of talented people," Kangxi murmured. "Among Khan-Father's high-ranking consorts, only Empress Xiaoxian came from a major Manchu clan. And among all the consorts, very few had notable Manchu backgrounds at all. The only one with strong family backing and capable male relatives was Empress Xiaoxian…"

So that was it… so that was it…

Why did Khan-Father favor Empress Xiaoxian so much?

He elevated the harem in order to influence the court.

Why was Fourth Brother Khan-Father's first surviving son?

Because he was the first child born to a consort from the Manchu-Mongol nobility.

Kangxi looked a little aggrieved.

"But the Tongjia family… the Tong clan was also quite formidable."

My maternal relatives really weren't bad, honestly.

Even if the Tong family during Shunzhi's reign belonged only to the Han Army of the Plain Blue Banner, they were still very capable people.

"The Tong Tulai family was indeed formidable. The fact that Li Chengdong was driven into rebellion because of him is proof enough."

Yinreng spoke leisurely.

"He's probably changed all his descendants' names into Manchu style by now, hasn't he?"

Li Chengdong participated in the Three Massacres of Jiading and the Ten Days of Yangzhou alongside Dodo. Later, after conflict with Tong Yangjia, a clansman of Tong Tulai, he defected to the Southern Ming, while Tong Yangjia died in battle.

Kangxi: "…"

After a cough, he muttered: "My mother's ancestors… may also have been Jurchens."

Possibly. Truly possible.

Yinreng replied: "Jurchens who had already been sinicized for several hundred years?"

Kangxi: "…" Khan-Father, that's enough QAQ

"But that doesn't really matter," Yinreng said. "If they're useful, then use them. If they're not, discard them. When the Qing dynasty entered the pass, the Han Chinese who defected to the Qing dynasty slaughtered other Han Chinese with the greatest zeal. They were the sharpest and cruelest blades. If you aim your sword at the world, they will still serve loyally at your side."

Kangxi: "…"

He wanted to say that he was not psychologically prepared to "conquer the world," but he didn't dare to say so in front of his Khan-Father.

"Don't listen to your Grandma. She understands nothing," Yinreng emphasized.

The sound of a cane striking the ground suddenly came from outside the tent.

Yinreng looked up.

Well then. Talking behind someone's back, only to get caught by the person herself.

Kangxi: "…"

How did the Grand Empress Dowager barge in?!

Seeing Changtai being restrained, anger immediately surged in him.

The Grand Empress Dowager quickly explained: "This bereaved one could not find the emperor and feared that, amid the chaos, someone might have taken advantage of the confusion to harm or abduct him."

She signaled behind her, and two burly eunuchs immediately released Changtai.

Changtai spat out the cloth stuffed into his mouth and knelt to beg forgiveness from Kangxi.

"It's fine. Continue standing guard," Kangxi said at once.

Naturally, he would not blame Changtai.

If the Grand Empress Dowager insisted on entering, Changtai could hardly draw his sword against her. His bruised face clearly showed that he had only tried to block them without daring to strike back.

To keep others from overhearing the conversation with "Shunzhi," the tent had been divided by several layers of curtains and was spacious inside, like a military command tent. Kangxi had been too engrossed in conversation to notice the commotion outside.

Yinreng cast the Grand Empress Dowager a cold glance, making her heart skip uneasily.

She stepped forward a few paces.

"This bereaved one… I…"

Yinreng ignored her entirely.

He tapped the tabletop lightly and continued lecturing.

The Grand Empress Dowager stood awkwardly for a while before simply dragging over a stool. After dismissing everyone else, she sat quietly staring at Yinreng in a daze.

Since Kangxi's assumption of personal rule, the Grand Empress Dowager had never interfered in state affairs again.

This was the first time she had ever "attended court," but from her eyes and expression, Kangxi could tell that she hadn't absorbed a single word.

Seeing the longing in the elderly woman's face, Kangxi sighed softly. He also ignored her and allowed her to remain listening.

Another disturbance suddenly erupted at the entrance.

This time it was Fuquan and the loud-voiced First Prince causing a scene, while Changning's sarcastic remarks fanned the flames from the side. Their words implied that Kangxi must have met with disaster, and that Changtai, the Crown Prince's uncle, was plotting something sinister.

Kangxi stood up angrily.

"I'll drive them away!"

Yinreng said, "Let Fuquan, the First Prince, and… that one enter."

The Grand Empress Dowager quietly reminded him, "That child is called Changning, born to Consort Chen."

Yinreng nodded. "Let them all in. Everyone else stays outside."

Kangxi immediately replied, "Yes."

He strode out furiously, handed the saber at his waist to Changtai, and issued an oral command: if anyone else tried to force entry, they were to be executed on the spot.

"Get in here, and be quiet!" Kangxi barked.

Changning instantly shrank behind Fuquan like a plucked quail.

The First Prince ignored his Khan-Father and craned his neck eagerly toward the entrance.

The moment he saw Yinreng, he let out a sigh of relief.

But almost immediately, that breath was once again caught in his throat.

Tables, chairs, paper, and brushes were set out for them. Kangxi ordered them to help take notes as well.

Liang Jiugong, Sumalagu, and several elderly eunuchs and maids trusted by the Grand Empress Dowager, people who understood neither Manchu nor Chinese, ground ink for them.

Fuquan and Changning had just opened their mouths to speak when the First Prince's lips trembled, and tears immediately spilled from the corners of his eyes.

"You're not my little brother… wuuuu… you're Grandpa. Where's my little brother? Where is he?"

Fuquan and Changning nearly overturned their chairs in shock.

What?!

"Baocheng is ill. Grandpa is protecting him. Baocheng will return tomorrow."

Kangxi rubbed the First Prince's head, sighing inwardly.

As expected, all children possessed spiritual sight. Even the simple-minded Baoqing could instantly tell that the Yinreng before him was actually Shunzhi.

Fuquan and Changning stared blankly at the First Prince, who was quietly sniffling, too afraid to cry loudly. Then they looked at the Grand Empress Dowager, who remained frozen in place, staring fixedly at Yinreng.

Finally, they looked at little milk dumpling Yinreng himself.

Yinreng gave them a cold, ancient, eerie look.

Fuquan and Changning's legs went weak. They slid straight off their chairs onto the floor.

"Kh-Khan-Father, forgive us!"

"Silence. Be quiet."

To avoid exposing himself, Yinreng had completely let the fragment of his first-life soul dominate his body.

The imposing aura of a Crown Prince who had endured 50 years of rise and fall fit perfectly with the tragic obsession of the Shunzhi Emperor. After being suppressed his whole life, he was finally on the verge of resistance, but suddenly died due to smallpox.

Yes. Equally tragic. Equally consumed by obsession to the point of madness.

Yinreng then spread out a world map and began explaining the global political landscape.

Kangxi's face lit up with excitement, and he immediately leaned closer.

Yinreng glanced sideways at him.

Hah. So despite all his talk about not wanting to conquer the world, it was apparently only talk.

Seeing Fuquan and Changning still kneeling on the floor, Kangxi snapped impatiently:

"Why are you still kneeling? Hurry up and take notes! Khan-Father will be leaving tomorrow!"

"Oh, oh!"

The two brothers scrambled back up and grabbed their brushes.

Pointing at the map, Yinreng said: "You've probably already heard missionaries explain some of this. But Western missionaries all carry political motives of their own, so they never explain things clearly."

He began with the geography of the Earth, the mineral resources and vegetation of each continent, the ocean currents and monsoon systems of the seas.

Kangxi listened in complete fascination, as though an immense three-dimensional world were slowly unfolding before his eyes.

The Grand Empress Dowager suddenly felt a pang in her heart and couldn't stop tears from falling.

During his lifetime, Shunzhi had often mingled with missionaries and Han scholars. The Grand Empress Dowager always believed that he was neglecting proper affairs. Only now, as she listened to his explanations, did she realize how much Shunzhi had done in private and how much preparation he had made for his political ambitions.

And behind all that preparation lay astonishing ambition.

But it had all been destroyed. Completely destroyed.

Destroyed by smallpox, and also by the Edict of Self-Reproach that she herself had ordered to be issued.

When her son died, the Grand Empress Dowager felt anger and resentment.

But day after day, year after year, she missed him more and more, until longing itself became an illness.

That was why she stopped involving herself in politics, stopped interfering in Kangxi's harem, and stopped thinking about the grasslands or the Manchu-Mongol nobility. Instead, she tried to make up for all the things Shunzhi had once wanted her to do but had failed to do, by placing her hopes on Kangxi.

If only she had realized things sooner. If only she had supported Shunzhi earlier. If only she had cared for him more…

Her son, he truly wanted to become a great emperor.

Fuquan was older and had received a relatively systematic imperial education. He also knew more about the Western world, so he listened with shining eyes full of amazement.

But Changning was still a naïve child during Shunzhi's reign and only received basic education. After Kangxi ascended the throne, Changning became a prince, and his studies became entirely dependent on his own whims. So he understood very little and only knew that his Khan-Father was incredibly impressive.

As for the First Prince, because of the stories Yinreng had told him before, he understood these subjects even better than Fuquan did. While taking notes, he fell deep into thought and carefully wrote down his questions.

The First Prince finally understood why his Crown Prince little brother knew so much.

Grandpa had clearly been force-feeding him knowledge far beyond his years!

Little Brother was still so young! Grandpa, you've taught him way too much!

Not only did Little Brother have to endure exploitation from Khan-Father, but he also had a ghostly Grandpa possessing him.

Heavens! Just how much suffering did his little brother go through?!

Damn it, when was Grandpa finally going to leave?!

The First Prince grew so indignant that even his handwriting became larger.

"The English and French royal families constantly intermarry, yet they are also constantly at war…"

After finishing with geography and the natural environment, Yinreng moved on to the tangled relationships between Western nations and the current global colonial situation.

During the Qianlong era, Washington would emerge and lead North America toward independence. After that, colonies across the world would gradually break away, and the Western world order dominated by the Anglo-Saxons would begin taking shape.

But during Kangxi's reign, Great Qing still had a chance to claim a share of the spoils and to seize more resources before the colonies achieved independence.

Competition between nations was bloody by nature.

If Great Qing had been the modern China of later centuries, then perhaps it could simply close its doors, focus on internal development, and still stand proudly atop the world.

But Great Qing was not modern China. It was merely an ancient, outdated feudal empire, whose ruling class was still fundamentally a nomadic people preserving elements of slavery.

If Great Qing did not redirect its internal tensions outward, then the people within the empire would suffer instead.

A ruler must cultivate virtue at home while projecting power abroad, unconstrained by petty moral concerns.

Even the name of tyrant, even centuries of condemnation from later generations, if borne for the sake of political ideals, then they were burdens worth carrying.

Only a truly great ruler possessed such resolve.

Besides, Great Qing itself had risen through conquest, and the Eight Banners hadn't sheathed their blades yet.

Rather than allowing those bloody blades to turn inward against Han commoners within the empire, it was better to send them outward to seize wealth abroad and bring those bloodstained riches back to nourish the soil of Great Qing.

That said, the Eight Banners could only wage war, and governing still required large numbers of Han scholar-officials.

And given the habit of those Han officials, bringing administration and Chinese culture wherever they went, the rule of Great Qing might actually seem like the governance of sages compared to the treatment indigenous peoples received from European colonizers, who hunted, toyed, and scalped them like livestock.

The blades of the banners of Great Qing were not aimed at the natives, but at the colonizers.

So…

Did that mean Great Qing would become righteous liberators, leading indigenous peoples against the colonial powers?

"Justice requires a legitimate cause."

Yinreng lightly tapped the table and exchanged an excited, knowing glance with Kangxi.

Kangxi cleared his throat and declared proudly: "Those white colonizers are excessively cruel. As the Celestial Empire, Great Qing has the duty to rescue local peoples from suffering. Once Great Qing drives away the colonizers, we shall teach them farming, weaving, and writing, and allow them to share in the glory of Great Qing."

Yinreng nodded, deeply satisfied.

"Exactly."

As expected of a naturally gifted emperor, he understood immediately.

Fuquan and Changning were dumbfounded.

Something about this sounded very wrong… yet after thinking it over carefully, they couldn't quite identify what was wrong.

Were the colonizers evil?

Absolutely.

Was driving them away an act of justice?

Obviously.

Would teaching indigenous peoples agriculture, literacy, and social organization make Great Qing benevolent?

That would make them sages among rulers!

As for transporting grain and minerals back afterward, well, Great Qing had helped them, hadn't it? Taking a little payment in return was only fair. Even Great Qing's citizens had to pay taxes.

And if someday those overseas territories became dissatisfied and wanted independence, they could simply negotiate peacefully then.

"The indigenous population has probably already been nearly wiped out," Kangxi sighed. "As long as there is intermarriage…"

Yinreng replied: "Overseas territories are ultimately isolated. One day, they will inevitably slip beyond the control of Great Qing. But the nations established after separating from Great Qing would still share our roots and origins."

Kangxi nodded.

"Then we shall think in terms of 100 years. Within a century, Great Qing must seize sufficient resources."

Yinreng added: "Overseas lands may be granted to imperial princes."

He glanced toward the First Prince.

The First Prince immediately puffed out his chest proudly.

As long as Grandpa quickly gave Little Brother back, then he wouldn't hate Grandpa anymore!

Kangxi glanced at the child proudly sticking out his little chest and could not help laughing.

"I will educate them properly."

The First Prince waved his brush enthusiastically and accidentally splattered Changning with ink.

"I want that piece of land in North America! It's huge and flat, perfect for riding horses, and the climate is similar to Great Qing too!"

Changning: "…"

Where exactly was North America?

Although he had taken many notes, none of it had truly entered his brain.

Kangxi said sternly: "Quiet. Continue listening to your Grandpa's lecture."

The First Prince immediately sat upright and behaved himself.

Yinreng talked until his mouth went dry, lecturing from morning until the sun sank in the west.

Throughout the day, they ate only flatbread, dried meat, and fruit. Even relieving themselves was done quickly in nearby side tents before they hurried back to continue listening.

Tall candles were lit one after another.

…yet Yinreng was still speaking.

Seeing how pale Yinreng's face had become, Kangxi could no longer bear it.

"Khan-Father, your body…"

Yinreng replied coldly: "You mean Yinreng's body, don't you? If he comes back out now, he'll have to face the curse directly. That would only harm him."

The Grand Empress Dowager immediately asked, "Th-then what about you?"

The First Prince echoed, "The curse…"

A curse... Thinking of it, the First Prince almost wanted to cry again.

Fuquan and Changning remained completely bewildered.

A curse? What curse?

Yinreng did not answer the Grand Empress Dowager. Instead, he continued speaking about the matters he had not yet finished explaining.

Within a single day, he had to summarize everything he wanted Kangxi to know.

Even though he had drafted and memorized the material countless times beforehand, accomplishing it was still incredibly difficult.

Especially now, after maintaining such intense concentration for an entire day, his body had almost reached its limit.

At this point, Yinreng was sustaining himself purely through burning determination.

He knew this was his only chance to change Great Qing.

If he missed this opportunity, then the enormous machine of Great Qing would simply slide along the inertia of history toward its predetermined fate.

Great Qing would inevitably perish. Its present prosperity would not save it.

But when Great Qing eventually fell, it must not drag China into an irreversible catastrophe.

When the great turning point of Chinese history arrived with the collapse of Great Qing, China had to remain standing among the world's greatest powers. Otherwise, his transmigration would have been meaningless.

This was the shared hope of every ambitious transmigrator.

And for that goal, he was willing to offer the flesh and blood of other colonizers as sacrifice.

For that goal, he could accept the price of ruined health, a lifetime of frailty and illness.

Besides, a sickly life was not entirely bad.

That way, he could also fulfill the wish from his first life: his father's beloved son forever, and never estranged from him.

Yinreng let the brush fall from his fingers and collapsed limply into Kangxi's arms, a faint smile of relief still lingering at the corners of his lips.