I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

Having decided to eliminate Ao Bai, Hong Xiguan quickly began to take action.

Qianqing Palace, Warm Pavilion.

Hong Xiguan held two imperial edicts that had been prepared in advance in his hands. His expression was like that of a fox who had just stolen a chicken, with his mouth almost reaching his ears in a grin.

"Li Xu".

He threw the imperial edict onto the desk with a sharp "thud".

"Go, distribute these two edicts. One to the Cabinet, and one to the Ministry of War. Remember, send them off with great fanfare, the more grand the better, so that the whole of Beijing knows that I am a good emperor who 'knows how to appoint the right people'!"

Li Xu leaned closer to take a look, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

The first imperial edict: Tong Bao, the commander of the Nine Gates, was promoted to Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and ordered to immediately take up his post as General of Shengjing to guard the land where the dragon rose.

The second imperial edict: Mulima, the commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner, was appointed as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, promoted to Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, and allowed to serve in the inner court.

"emperor……"

Li Xu swallowed hard, somewhat confused.

"Tong Bao and Mulima are both right-hand men of that old scoundrel Ao Bai! You... aren't you just handing warmth to the enemy? The General of Shengjing is a local tyrant, and the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard is a big shot in the inner circle, this..."

"You know nothing! Just get on with it!"

Hong Xiguan glanced at him sideways, looking at him like he was an idiot, without offering a single explanation.

Although Li Xu was full of questions, he could not disobey the emperor's order and had no choice but to accept the decree and leave.

When only Hong Xiguan remained in the warm pavilion, the nonchalance on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling coldness and ruthlessness.

"Fool! If even a lowly guard like you could see through the art of imperial politics, what use would I be sitting on the dragon throne?"

Hong Xiguan demonstrated political wisdom and ruthlessness far beyond his years in dealing with Ao Bai, this fierce tiger entrenched in the imperial court.

He knew that direct confrontation would only lead to uncontrollable turmoil, and that only by "boiling the frog slowly" and gradually draining the opponent's water source could he deliver a fatal blow.

Hong Xiguan's first move was to target the two most core henchmen of Ao Bai's group: Tong Bao, the Nine Gates Admiral, and Mulima, the Bordered Yellow Banner Commander.

Tong Bao, the Commander of the Nine Gates, holds the key to the capital's gates and is Ao Bai's most important pawn in controlling the capital.

If this person is not eliminated, Hong Xiguan will have no peace of mind.

However, directly replacing him would inevitably provoke a strong backlash from Ao Bai.

Therefore, Hong Xiguan unleashed the powerful weapon of "apparent promotion but actual demotion".

The General of Shengjing was a first-rank official in charge of military and political power in the Manchu-influenced lands, and was a veritable local emperor beyond the Great Wall.

For Tong Bao, who was greedy for money and power, this was undoubtedly a more tempting and lucrative position than the Nine Gates Admiral.

Hong Xiguan used this biggest piece of meat to lure him away from this crucial part of the capital.

Mulima, the commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner, held the fundamental military power that Aobai had used to rise to power.

The fact that this person stayed in the capital to lead troops is the biggest time bomb.

Hong Xiguan also used promotion as bait, promoting him to the position of Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, a first-rank official, which was nominally more prestigious and closer to the emperor, a position that all military officers dreamed of.

In reality, the guards of the Forbidden City had long been infiltrated by Hong Xiguan's confidants.

Murima arrived, but he was merely a figurehead commander, forced to relinquish his real power as commander-in-chief.

This is called "drawing the firewood from under the cauldron," using a hollow title to exchange for real power and military authority in their hands!

Of course, the Bordered Yellow Banner is still in Ao Bai's hands, but the internal adjustments will disrupt their rhythm and create opportunities for Hong Xiguan!

As for the position of Commander of the Nine Gates, who should take over?

This is the most crucial move in the entire game.

Hong Xiguan chose a person that surprised everyone: his father-in-law, the emperor's father-in-law, Gabula.

This first-class duke and Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard was known in Beijing's official circles as a "nice guy" and a "slacker".

As the father-in-law of the emperor, Gabula held a high position and great power, yet he was as timid as a quail. He never fought or competed, always had a smile on his face, and kowtowed louder than anyone else when he went to court. He was always on time for his shift, just loafing around and waiting to die. His greatest hobby was playing with birds and growing flowers at home.

Let alone forming cliques for personal gain, he would feel heartbroken for half a day if even the servants in his household embezzled a few extra taels of silver.

Why would you appoint such a good-natured, lazy bum as the Nine Gates Admiral?

To everyone else, this was utterly ridiculous.

But what Hong Xiguan wanted was precisely this "incompetence" of his.

To put Aobai at ease, he even deliberately dismissed Gabula from his position as Minister of the Imperial Guard, leaving him only to manage the nine city gates.

"I intend to use his cowardly demeanor to lull Ao Bai into a false sense of security. A useless, good-for-nothing father-in-law who does nothing but eat and wait for death to ascend the throne will put Ao Bai at ease rather than me replacing him with a shrewd and capable confidant!"

……

As Hong Xiguan had predicted, the two imperial edicts immediately caused an uproar within the Ao Bai group.

But instead of getting angry, he was overjoyed.

When Tong Bao received the imperial decree, he was so happy he almost laughed his teeth out.

The General of Shengjing! That's a coveted position that countless people would kill for! Although it's a bit far from the capital, it's practically a local tyrant!

Once you get there, the emperor is far away, you'll be the boss, and you can make whatever you want. Isn't that a hundred times better than being a gatekeeper under the emperor's nose?

Tong Bao packed his bags overnight, fearing that the emperor might change his mind, and rushed to the Qianqing Palace early the next morning to express his gratitude.

Murima was also overjoyed.

Although it's a bit of a pity to relinquish military power, being able to enter the inner circle and get closer to the Emperor and Grand Secretary Ao is a real promotion!

It should be noted that all four regents were originally Grand Ministers of the Imperial Guard!

Both of them felt that this was the Emperor showing goodwill to Ao Zhongtang and giving important positions to his own people.

Ao Bai's residence.

Listening to his subordinates' report, Ao Bai stroked his beard and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"It seems the little emperor is truly frightened this time, and knows he can't do without us."

He sneered dismissively, "Transferring Tong Bao to guard his hometown and sending Mulima to the inner palace as a guard—this young emperor is quite pragmatic."

However, the naturally suspicious Ao Bai was still a little uneasy, and turned to ask Tong Bao, who had just come to say goodbye, "Has there been any news about Gabula taking over your position?"

Tong Bao curled his lip in disdain: "Hey! What kind of trouble could that old guy possibly cause? After he went to the yamen, he didn't even change the group of people I left behind. He just goes to his shift on time every day, drinks tea and reads the newspaper, acting like a big shot. I bet he hasn't even figured out which way the doorknobs of the nine city gates open."

After hearing this, Ao Bai laughed heartily, and his last bit of doubt vanished.

"Hahaha! Excellent! What a fine father-in-law of the emperor!"

"This young emperor really has a unique way of using people. It seems he really has no one else to rely on, so he can only find this good-for-nothing to fill in. Well, that's fine, it saves us a lot of trouble."

After all, the position of Commander of the Nine Gates has always been held by Manchu nobles or close relatives of the emperor. To maintain absolute loyalty, and since the young emperor has few confidants, Gabula is the most suitable candidate.

Ao Bai waved his hand, in high spirits.

"Alright, Tong Bao, go to Shengjing to take up your post with peace of mind. With me here in the capital, things won't fall into chaos!"

In Ao Bai's view, all of this was under his control.

The emperor became increasingly reliant on him, and his people occupied all the important positions in the court. Even the crucial position of Commander of the Nine Gates was taken by a useless person who posed no threat whatsoever.