Chapter Fifty

"Fifth Brother, no need to say anything, you're my own brother, how could I forget you? Even if you hadn't come to me, I was already planning to come to you." What could the Ninth Prince do? He could only grit his teeth and bear it... Ah!! My profits!!!

Heavens and earth, why are you doing this to me???

I clearly made an agreement with the Crown Princess and my second sister-in-law, half and half, he would get 50% of the profits. Thinking that this industry was so lucrative, a sure thing, enough to ensure a worry-free life for the rest of my days. I

could even squander it, but who knew that Eighth Brother and Tenth Brother would both come to help, and now Fifth Brother too...

Waaah, how could I be so miserable!!!

"However, Fifth Brother, you have to help. Each of you should be responsible for one craftsman on the assembly line for making parts. Even if you're not a craftsman, an apprentice should be fine too..." He arranged, he frantically assigned them work.

Want to sit back and reap the rewards? Impossible!

He had to keep them busy and well-organized to ease the pain in his heart... No way, it still hurts so much.

So, Yinde decided to go and talk to his second sister-in-law about this matter, like... whether she could take over the work and then distribute it to his eighth and tenth brothers!

Of course, not for free; for example, if his second sister-in-law, the Crown Princess, could give him another 10% of the profits.

Yuqing Palace.

Little Hongyao has recently learned to walk and likes to toddle around everywhere. For example

, when his mother likes to read, little Hongyao will lift his head from his pile of toys, climb up, and stick to his mother's lap to sit and listen to her read. Another example is when his father comes back from outside and is drinking tea, Hongyao likes to stick close to him, like to see if his father's tea is sweet.

If it's not sweet, Hongyao will tilt his head back and say in his childish voice, "Hongyao wants to drink sweet water."

Not given to me? I'll go ask someone for it myself!

Unfortunately, without the Crown Prince and Crown Princess's orders, the servants in the main courtyard don't dare to do so.

The so-called "sweet water" was just honey water; it wasn't that he wasn't allowed to drink it, just that he couldn't drink too much.

When the Ninth Prince arrived, little Hongyao saw this familiar yet unfamiliar person, his eyes widened and darted around, thinking for a while, but still couldn't place him.

Hmm... the main reason was that this uncle hadn't come many times; his father had just too many brothers.

"Hongyao doesn't remember Uncle Ninth?" Yinde, who had just finished paying his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, noticed Hongyao's puzzled look and couldn't help but pinch his cheek, asking with a half-smile.

"Ninth Prince." Little Hongyao, whose cheek had been pinched, seemed to suddenly remember who the person in front of him was and quickly called out.

Only then did Yinde release his hand with satisfaction, and little Hongyao quickly took the opportunity to hide behind his father, hugging his father's leg and peeking out at Yintang, "Ninth Prince is bad."

If Uncle Ninth Prince came over to hit him in anger, he would pull his head back, so that his father would get hit.

(Yin: Truly a filial son of Father.)

"Why is Ninth Brother here?" Yin Chu, seeing Yin De's earlier bullying of his son, showed no other reaction, only asking with a dignified and elegant tone.

"Your subject was thinking that the Western clock, which I finally managed to research, has been successfully made. Is there anything I can help with?"

Yin Tang's tone was even a little expectant, such an enthusiastic appearance was something Yin Chu had never seen before.

Oh... except for when he came to ask for money to buy Western clocks for research, patting his chest and promising how hard he would work to make them... this time, he's always been nonchalant, even the tutors in the Imperial Study often complain about Ninth and Tenth Princes to Father.

"I think... that's all? His Highness the Crown Prince has almost finished preparations, the workshops and shops are all set up." Jia Luo was not sure, turning to look at Yin Chu. "

Ninth Brother, if you have something, just say it. Do you think your second sister-in-law and I would ignore you?" The gentle and refined Crown Prince was very friendly, why was he looking at him? He wasn't a mind reader, how would he know what the Ninth Prince wanted to do?

Jialuo, unaware of Yinchu's thoughts, nodded in agreement after Yinchu finished speaking, "Yes, Ninth Brother, given our family's loving and friendly relationship, how can we sit idly by and do nothing about your matter? Even if Second Sister-in-law doesn't agree, your Second Brother will!"

Yintang: Did Second Sister-in-law get it backwards??

Yinchu: ...

Yinde subconsciously turned his gaze to Yinji, still with that elegant and aloof demeanor, not at all like the attitude of a loving family.

"Ninth Brother, if you don't say anything, we won't know what you're thinking. Why don't you come and play with Hongyao? Hongyao has been enjoying being carried around lately." Seeing Yinde stammering and not speaking, Jialuo directly instructed the Ninth Prince.

Anyway, you're so free.

Little Hongyao is just being pretentious, he doesn't want anyone but her and Yinreng. Her arms aren't strong enough to carry this little chubby boy, and Yinreng has other things to do.

Oh… I can’t use that word to describe my son, but Jia Luo really feels exhausted.

The little chubby baby is just so energetic.

As for Yinreng, from his son Yintang’s inner thoughts, he knows that his foolishly generous son had already given away 50% of his profits before even opening the shop. Now he’s heartbroken and has a headache. Is he trying to dig some out of the Crown Princess?

How could that be? Although what belongs to the Crown Princess isn’t his, with him around, no one can take anything from her.

“Ninth Brother, I heard that Fifth Brother, Eighth Brother, and Tenth Brother helped you, and you generously gave each of them 10% of your profits. Alas, I never expected Ninth Brother to be so protective of his brothers.”

Yindu’s words were like a sharp knife piercing the Ninth Prince’s heart. He was already deeply saddened. Adding insult

to injury, the Ninth Prince Yinde felt hopeless and didn’t want to speak anymore.

“However, Ninth Brother, Western goods aren’t just limited to clocks. There are countless other valuable items. Why don’t you investigate them? Whatever you want to research, the Crown Princess will definitely support you,” Yin Chu quickly reassured the Ninth Prince. Anyway,

judging by the Ninth Prince’s brain, he might not have a talent for studying, but he was quite adept at researching these little gadgets. He

quickly pulled the Ninth Prince over and encouraged him to work hard to earn money. Jia Luo ,

however, immediately caught up with Yin Chu’s train of thought. Hearing that her Ninth Brother was so generous, her mind immediately started calculating. This kind of highly profitable industry would surely attract many envious people. The Fifth and Ninth Princes had the Guo Luo Luo clan behind them; the Eighth Prince’s birth mother was from the Xin Zhe Ku (a low-ranking official family), but his future wife was already confirmed as Princess Guo Luo Luo, the wife of Prince An, Yue Le, a member of the imperial clan with a yellow sash; the Tenth Prince had the Niu Hu Lu clan behind him… plus their own Fu Cha clan, with these powerful families united, who would dare to cause trouble?

"Ninth Brother, your second brother is right. If you discover anything worth researching later, we can collaborate again. Next time, your sister-in-law will only take 30%, and you can control the rest. What do you think?"

The Crown Princess Jialuo nodded repeatedly. How could they not try to win over such a research prodigy?

"Alright." Yinde also had his own thoughts. Using his own money for research was impossible, and without the Crown Prince and Crown Princess bearing the pressure, the court officials and the Emperor wouldn't allow him to do such a thing. If

it was 70% successful, he would have Guo Luoluo's people look for it first, and he wouldn't tell his Eighth Brother and the others for the time being.

No, they had to help with the work; this time, he wouldn't give them anything!

He was delighted.

However, he had to think about what else would be suitable.

He heard that Mingzhu had helped the First Prince open a workshop, specializing in researching those Western music boxes, the kind that sing, but they hadn't figured it out yet.

Tch.

Yinjie scoffed at this, not wanting to compete for it, lest his eldest brother think he was going against him.

Like his second brother said, with so many Western goods, he didn't believe they couldn't make a fortune!

Overjoyed, Yin De's face beamed like a chrysanthemum, and he nodded in agreement to his second sister-in-law's request, readily taking on the task. "Don't worry, second

sister

-in-law, I'll take care of Hong Yao."

His gaze fell on the chubby little Hong Yao behind his second brother, the Crown Prince. "Hong Yao, do you want to go out and play

with your

ninth uncle?" "No, no, no, Hong Yao doesn't want to go!" Hong Yao

shook his head hastily. He patted his father

's big eyes, "Here it comes, I want to steal it, I'm so naughty ... "Never mind, when he came over just now, someone from Yikun Palace told him that Mother wanted him to come over. "

Hongyao only breathed a sigh of relief and released Yinchu after Yinde's figure left. He patted his chest, mimicking Jialuo's earlier action—thank goodness, he almost got snatched by a bad guy.

"By the way, Hongyao's first birthday celebration is coming up soon, shouldn't we prepare something?" Jiameng asked. She knew that most families would practice the first birthday celebration a bit.

Although she didn't believe that what a one-year-old baby picked up could determine what the child would do in the future—wasn't that nonsense? But the meaning sounded nice. What if

His Highness the Crown Prince felt it was necessary?

"No need." Yinchu glanced at Jialuo indifferently, not understanding when he had become such a... vain and superficial man in front of the Crown Princess?

Jialuo sensed the dissatisfaction in His Highness's simple two words, but she didn't understand... what was His Highness dissatisfied with?

"Your Highness is right. A child as good as Hongyao doesn't need to act like this at all!" Jiameng realized she'd misunderstood. She'd just let things take their course; her Hongyao was so wonderful, there was no need to worry.

Hongyao, standing nearby, didn't understand, but knew he was being talked about, and quickly replied loudly in his little baby voice, "Yinme Yao is great!"

"Yes, yes, yes, our Hongyao is the best, the best child in the world!" Jialuo knew little Hongyao loved being praised; little babies like that, and Jialuo didn't hold back her praise.

After being praised, Hongyao immediately wagged his tail happily, beaming with pride.

"Ugh, sweet water." Now that he'd been praised, could Hongyao drink sweet water?

Yin Chu took the initiative and had a bowl of sweet water brought up. Immediately, Yin Yao's eyes sparkled as he looked at Yin Ji, clinging to Yin Chu and sweetly pleading, "Father is the best!" Yin Chu

wore the same smile as Hong Yao. Jia Luo, seeing this, muttered to herself, "Truly, they're father and son. "

Yin Chu nodded inwardly. Of course they were father and son; wasn't it normal for Hong Yao to resemble him?

Yikun Palace.

Consort Yi looked at the Ninth Prince coming to pay his respects, her expression somewhat sarcastic. "Oh, isn't this our Ninth Prince? I heard you've successfully researched a Western clock? Why don't you bring it to show your mother?"

"I heard you even sent one to the Emperor, why didn't you send one to your mother too?" Consort Yi had gone to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager today and had been mocked by that vile Consort De.

In front of Consort De, of course, she pretended not to care, pretending that the Ninth Prince's actions were out of filial piety towards their Emperor.

But she was still very angry, very angry. She felt that the Ninth Prince was angry, angry that she hadn't funded his research on this thing.

Previously, Consort Yi had genuinelyn't expected her son to actually be able to research it. With so many prominent families in the capital, and Western clocks being so popular and expensive, who hadn't considered getting their hands on one?

But none of them could make one. This showed that Western clocks required many intricate and complex parts to be combined. She herself didn't understand them and thought the Ninth Prince was just fooling around.

Who knew that the Ninth Prince, with the Crown Princess's financial help, would

actually make one? "Mother, the one I gave Father was one I disassembled and reassembled. It was a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince. The other three are broken," Yintang explained to Consort Yi. There was only one left.

"Mother, once this Western clock opens, I'll bring it to you first. Right now, I really don't have any more," Yinde swore.

Of the three, Consort Yi disliked the Eighth Prince the most.

The fifth prince was also her own flesh and blood, a full brother of the ninth prince from the same mother. Consort Yi thought there was no problem; brothers are always involved in fighting tigers. As for

the tenth prince, he had always grown up with the ninth prince and was his little follower. He was simple-minded and was the son of Consort Niohuru.

Unlike the eighth prince, who always wore a gentle expression, but who couldn't see through it? Only the foolish ninth prince stubbornly believed that his eighth brother was good.

"Mother, you know too??" Did everyone in the harem know that the fifth, eighth, and tenth princes had robbed him of his money? The ninth prince felt like he was suffocating. At the same time

, he was heartbroken. If he could, he would want to back out.

"They all have it, so what about Mother?" Consort Yi felt that her son didn't care about her at all. Even at a time like this, he didn't remember her. She was unhappy.

At this moment, Consort Yi's words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Yinzhen like lightning.

What?!

After dividing it among three people, he only had 20% left. If he gave another 10% to his mother, wouldn't he be...?

Yin De was completely deflated and nodded listlessly. His mother had already spoken, how could he possibly disagree?

He was a filial child.

Fortunately, Father Emperor didn't covet her meager share, otherwise, she would have received nothing.

It was utterly heartbreaking! Why?! He was the one who worked the hardest! He was the one who researched it!

Looking at the expression on Consort Yi's face as she cut her skirt, how could she not see it? Didn't she know what kind of person Yinxi was? He even picked up a golden abacus as part of his first birthday celebration!

"You, how dare you! It was clearly your merit that was

attributed to

you, it was clearly your share! They only helped with some insignificant things, and yet you give such a small amount! You're such a slow learner!" Consort Yi scolded Yinde irritably. "You don't need your mother's share, you can keep it yourself."

She didn't lack such a small amount; having been favored by the Emperor for many years, she had received countless rewards, enough to fill the entire storeroom.

In her opinion, the Ninth Prince had been deceived.

We need to find a capable wife to manage the Ninth Prince. Oh, and we also need to tell the Emperor about this. The child did such a 'good deed,' showing brotherly affection and respect—how could the Emperor not praise him?

Yinde didn't care whether his father knew or not; praise or not, it would have the same effect on him: heartache!

Of course, this heartache lessened considerably after the Emperor rewarded him with a batch of rare and precious corals, gold, and silver…

Hehehehe, he should have his servant, Haha Zhuzi, investigate what else from the West could make a fortune. Haha Zhuzi

would return home on his days off and have his family investigate. Those sent to serve the Emperor as Haha Zhuzi were all key figures being groomed by their families.

This was a task assigned by the Ninth Prince, affecting his future standing in the Ninth Prince's heart, so they naturally investigated diligently.

Time passed slowly, seemingly long, but actually very quickly.

And so, as June drew to a close, Jialuo's long-awaited first birthday celebration arrived. "Hongyao, we're having our first birthday celebration tomorrow! Lots of people will be coming. Aren't you excited, Hongyao?"

Chubby little Hongyao was currently gnawing on a teething toy... well, not exactly gnawing, but rather his teeth were itchy from teething and he kept wanting to bite things.

As he chewed on the toy, drool poured down his face. The maidservant beside him kept watch, occasionally wiping the little prince's hands.

The entire handkerchief was sticky... dozens of handkerchiefs a day.

Only the royal family could afford such extravagance. The maidservants followed closely behind the young prince. The Crown Princess had said that the young prince's hands couldn't touch dirty things, otherwise he'd put them in his mouth and easily get sick.

"A first birthday celebration?" Little Hongyao looked at his mother with puzzled eyes, not understanding what she meant. Having never experienced it before, he naturally didn't know.

"You'll know tomorrow. Look at you, all sticky and dirty." Jialuo shook her head, indicating no, and refused when little Hongyao reached out for a hug.

Teething sticks are basically like peanut brittle; how could they not be sticky? He needed to wash his hands and change his clothes…

Luckily, the weather was hot recently, so he could bathe every day. If it were winter and cold, Jiameng felt her sweet-smelling baby would turn into a stinky one.

"Hong, I won't accept it." Little Hongyao knew that "dirty" was a bad word. Hearing his mother say he was dirty, he quickly followed Jialuo's example, shaking his head in denial.

After responding, he patted his little belly and praised himself, "Hongyao, great job!"

"Yes, yes, you're the best! Come on, eat your meat puree! Today it's your favorite fruit puree. After eating it, you'll definitely grow tall, as tall as your father!" The tone was exaggerated, as if afraid little Hongyao wouldn't understand.

Grow tall? Like his father?

Little Hongyao remembered how he always had to look up at his father, so he always thought he had to be as tall as his father, so he could carry his father then!

At this moment, neither Yinchu nor Jialuo knew the grand and far-reaching wish in little Hongyao's heart. He was busy eating, eating a lot, eating his fill, and growing tall.

As the only male heir of the third generation of the royal family, how could his first birthday celebration be anything but grand?

For example, the Emperor ordered that the little grandson's first birthday celebration be held in the palace.

This was the very hall where the palace banquet had once been held. When this decree was issued, countless people were filled with envy and jealousy.

But for Yin Chu, it had little impact. He had felt his father's favoritism countless times since childhood; how could he be overwhelmed by it?

On this day, little Hong Yao, wearing a red jacket, was carried over. His face was delicate and adorable, his chubby little breasts making him look quite similar to the Crown Prince. The only difference was that the little grandson seemed to love to laugh.

His innocent and adorable grin was truly captivating.

At this moment, Kangxi was beckoning to little Hong Yao, his tone kind and gentle, "Hong, come to Grandpa."

Little Hong Yao wasn't shy at all, looking up at his loving grandfather. As the Crown Prince's eldest son and only grandson, he had been brought over by the Crown Prince a few times.

Unfortunately, Kangxi only wanted to chat and coax his grandson a bit before having Yin Chu take him back, lest Chuan Ji be left with him again like last time.

"Grandpa Emperor." The child spoke in a sweet, childish voice, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at his grandfather. Every time he visited his grandfather, there were always delicious treats, like the food his mother would reward him with.

Standing beside Emperor Kangxi were other members of the imperial family, such as Prince Yu and Fuquan, who were close to him. Looking at this adorable, chubby little grandson, it was impossible not to feel a pang of envy.

Unfortunately, his own son was married, and he hadn't yet given birth to a grandson for him…

"Grandpa Emperor??" Seeing that his grandfather had come to him, and there was no food, little Hongyao curiously tugged at his dragon robe, standing on tiptoe and looking around. Where was the food?

"Haha, is our Hongyao craving something? We have something even more important for you to do today." He bent down, picked Hongyao up, and placed him on a large table, which was laden with items for the baby's first birthday celebration.

From swords and bows to writing brushes, inkstones, gold and silver abacuses, and food, everything was there. How could the imperial family's preparations be anything less than perfect?

Of course, the Imperial Household Department wouldn't dare send things like rouge and face powder.

This huge table was specially made. After placing little Hongyao on it, the Emperor said to him, "Take whatever you want from these things today."

Little Hongyao's eyes lit up, and he turned to look at his grandfather, overjoyed, "Really? All for Hongyao??"

Kangxi nodded, "Yes, take whatever you like."

Then he looked at Yinji and Jialuo, "Then, Father, and Mother, do you have any?"

His soft, childish voice made everyone pause, surprised that the little prince was so filial.

Could it be that the Crown Princess was deliberately saying this to show off her grandson's filial piety?

That's... too shameless.

"Only Hongyao has any." Kangxi was also taken aback, glancing at the Crown Prince and Crown Princess not far away.

They didn't think the Crown Prince and the others had taught him, but they hadn't expected that Hongyao, like Baocheng, had been like this in the Qianqing Palace when he was a child…

Little Hongyao sat on the table, looking at all these things, all belonging to him, feeling a mix of surprise and worry that his father and mother hadn't received them. He glanced at the table, then at his father and mother, and then at his grandfather.

No one urged him; they just wanted to see what the little grandson would do.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, little Hongyao finally moved. He got up, took his short legs, and walked towards a dragon-shaped jade pendant.

His chubby little hands picked it up, and just as the eunuch was about to say some auspicious words, he saw little Hongyao taking his short legs towards Kangxi.

Seeing him coming, Kangxi even took a step forward, afraid that little Hongyao might lose his footing and fall off the table.

Approaching Kangxi, little Hongyao held up the dragon-shaped jade pendant in his hand. "Grandpa, here you go."

He pointed his other chubby little finger to Kangxi's waist; he remembered his grandfather used to wear it, but it was gone today, and it didn't look good.

"Hahaha, good, good, good." Little Hongyao didn't say it aloud, but his expression betrayed his delight. Kangxi, hearing this, couldn't help but be pleased. "Grandpa will put it on right away. Thank you, Hongyao."

The others: Envious! He must have been trained beforehand!

Little Hongyao nodded, a look of 'a promising child,' then turned to find a gift for his father.

Seeing something similar to the white jade seal in his father's study, he quickly walked over, his eyes sparkling with a bright smile, and, just like before, went to Yinchu's side.

Two chubby little hands held the white jade seal, repeatedly making stamping motions. "Seal it, for Father."

"So our Yinyao remembers there's a white jade seal in Father's study?" Yinreng listened to the whispers of the others, unconcerned, completely assuming they were just jealous.

Hongyao, praised, was especially happy today; his tail was practically wagging. Turning

his head, he looked for something suitable for his mother—gold and silver jewelry… no jewelry, but he did have two ingots of gold.

His little hands couldn't even hold on properly, and he looked anxious and a little aggrieved. Why did you drop it even though I picked you up?

Seeing the little prince about to cry, everyone else laughed good-naturedly. Haha, so cute! We wanted to help, but we couldn't.

Finally, little Hongyao came over with two gold ingots in his hands, still very anxious. "Mother, Mother, quick, quick, put them away!"

He couldn't tell what items were expensive; he only knew that his mother had said gold was more valuable than silver and that it was shiny. How could it not attract the little baby's attention? For example, those dusty books and inkstones held no appeal at all.

Jialuo chuckled helplessly and finally took the two gold ingots. "Okay, thank you for Hongyao's gold."

Then, Hongyao turned around and went back to the table, using his little hands to push the things to the middle, preparing to pile them up.

The child mumbled in a childish voice, "They're all Hongyao's."

The eunuch in charge of the ceremony was speechless for a second at such an extravagant first birthday celebration, before quickly coming up with auspicious words.

The Tenth Prince laughed heartily. Hongyao was indeed adorable, worthy of being the Emperor's nephew.

If he were to have his first birthday celebration now, he would also be eager to collect everything. Looking at the bow and arrow, the knife, the sword... he couldn't help but be tempted.

The others continued to laugh heartily, expressing what they considered to be good-natured laughter. Seeing his little grandson still whining and trying to pack everything up to take away, Kangxi stepped forward and picked him up.

"Alright, these are all Hongyao's. We'll have someone send them to Jingqing Palace later, okay?" How many people envied the scene of Kangxi kindly and gently coaxing his little grandson?

For example, the First Prince felt that the Crown Prince had stolen his position as the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife. If it were his son, he would definitely be just as favored.

"Thank you, Grandfather." Little Hongyao was also exhausted and sweating profusely. Hearing Kangxi say that he didn't need to work so hard and that he could have everything delivered to his home, he grinned and thanked him happily.

"Hong, I like Grandfather the most." His chubby little arms hugged Grandfather, but unfortunately, his arms were still too short, and he could only barely reach behind his shoulder.

But hearing his grandson's words, Kangxi smiled even more happily. Only the Crown Princess would dare to say such things so boldly and directly in front of Hongyao, right?

Kangxi still remembered that when Empress Fucha had not yet chosen a Crown Princess, the news that she admired Bao Cheng had already spread in small circles.

"Good, good, good." Kangxi gently patted little Hongyao's back, turned around and instructed Liang Jiugong to bring up the dishes that the little prince liked.

The luncheon officially began.

After little Hongyao's first birthday celebration, the hot summer arrived.

With the help of many wealthy families, Yin De finally found a particularly lucrative business: opium.

He had never seen anyone use opium, but he had heard that it was quite popular in the Jiangnan and Guangdong regions, and that it had health and longevity benefits.

Moreover, it was expensive, something only the wealthy could afford, which made the Ninth Prince's eyes light up. Wasn't this perfect for him?

He had heard that it was only popular in the coastal areas of Jiangnan and Guangdong, and not many people in the capital used it. Perhaps they hadn't found the vast market yet? Or were

these popular Western goods sold out as soon as they arrived at the coast?

But it didn't matter. Just because he couldn't get it didn't mean His Highness the Crown Prince couldn't get it.

So, Yin De didn't sit idly by. As soon as he received the news, he rushed to find His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess to prevent such a good business from being snatched up by others.

Since the invention of that Western clock… oh, no, it can't be called a Western clock anymore. Under the Emperor's bestowal, it was officially renamed: Shengqing Clock.

The name signifies that it was created and developed during the prosperous Qing Dynasty… Although it was only invented after observing other people's Western clocks, Kangxi was still spurred on by Yinchu's words. How could their Qing Dynasty be inferior to the people of the Western lands? Prosperity

! Besides, they had to strive to develop other items to surpass the people of the Western lands!!!

After developing the Shengqing Clock, the Ninth Prince, Yinde, felt he was far superior to others. Who else but him could have invented that longevity elixir?

At this time, Yinde had only heard from others that it was profitable and a good thing; how could he fall behind? Yinde also

knew that as the younger brother-in-law, he couldn't go to Yuqing Palace to see the Crown Princess every day; he had to choose a time when His Highness the Crown Prince was present, otherwise, gossip would easily spread.

This time, Yin De also instructed his son, Haha Zhuzi, to keep this a secret, understand? He couldn't let his fifth, eighth, and tenth brothers find out.

Thinking about the previous division of assets was painful; if it weren't for his pride, Yin Xi would have run to his brothers and said, "I regret what I did before," but after hesitating for a long time, he still couldn't bring himself to do it. "

Ah, it's all my damn pride's fault."

So this time, the Ninth Prince decided to sneak into the village, not bothering with the timber, as long as he didn't tell anyone else, no one could take his share.

Yin De now felt he had been too excited and generous before; if only he had treated his eighth and tenth brothers to a good meal!

But it wasn't too late; something even better awaited him.

The Crown Princess would get 30%, and he himself 70%! That would be enough to recoup all the losses.

Not long after Yin De returned to Yuqing Palace from court, he heard that the Ninth Prince had come to request an audience.

Yinji had grown accustomed to the Ninth Prince's frequent visits to Yuqing Palace. "If he's here, let him in," he thought.

He also summoned the Crown Princess; the shop's profits, though only for a month, were about to be distributed as dividends to give them more confidence to continue.

Jialuo and Yinde arrived around the same time, each carrying two boxes which were presented to them.

"Second Brother, what are these?" Yinde exclaimed in shock. What day was this? Had the sun risen in the west? His second brother was actually giving him gifts? This was truly rare!

"These are your shop's profit distributions. From now on, I won't keep the ledgers for you; you two can keep them yourselves," Yinji said, feeling he had already done more than enough.

And what was the Ninth Prince saying? When had he become so cold-hearted, uncaring, stingy, and miserly? The gifts he gave each year for his brothers' birthdays were incredibly valuable!

"Really?" Yinjie exclaimed with delight. It hadn't been that long! "So much profit already? I can't wait to grab it and see how much it is.

" "Because it's a newly opened shop, the initial investment wasn't low, so after deducting that, it's only a little. But the profits will be much higher later."

Yin Chu explained that although it wasn't much, it was a good start, and the future wouldn't be a worry.

Yin Xi didn't open the package to check the quantity in front of Yin Chu. Instead, he mentioned the great opportunity he had investigated earlier, "Second brother, second sister-in-law, I recently had someone investigate, and there's a vast market in the capital we haven't discovered yet."

His excited tone made it sound like he was about to ascend to immortality… the excitement of becoming the richest man. See, that's how amazing he was.

The clock he invented could recoup its costs in just one month and even make a profit. Wouldn't he be rolling in money in the future?

Upon hearing Yin De's words, Yin Chu and Jia Luo both looked over curiously, asking with interest, "What is it?"

"Ninth brother is truly amazing! He's found another great way to make money so quickly. We must involve second sister-in-law!" Jia Meng smiled gently and kindly. No one ever complains about having too much money; they only ever feel they don't have enough.

"Of course, Second Sister-in-law, I came to find you immediately, without telling anyone." (Important: without telling anyone, so please don't tell anyone either.)

"It's opium! Second Brother, do you know that this stuff is very popular in Jiangnan and Guangdong? I heard that consuming it can make people healthy and live longer. Just from the name, you can tell it's a good thing. It must have been snatched up as soon as it arrived from the Western cargo ships. Isn't it very popular? Why can't we develop it ourselves?"

Yin De proudly boasted to the Crown Prince and his sister-in-law about his superior abilities. "People with such foresight are rare," he thought. "Second Brother and Sister-in-law, you'd better seize the opportunity (invest more quickly)."

Yin Ji had never seen opium before, and no one dared to mention it in front of him. So, hearing the Ninth Prince say this, he thought it was something really good, and the name was quite fitting.

Just as he was about to nod, Jialuo's eyes widened in disbelief as she exclaimed, "Ninth Brother, what did you say? Ointment?"

[Ointment? Isn't that harmful stuff? Drugs!!!]

[It came from the West. Right, to open up the market and deceive the public, they portrayed something harmful as beneficial to longevity; it's actually addictive.]

[That stuff will kill people, it will ruin families.]

[Lin Zexu destroyed this when he burned opium! It's addictive, it drains your energy and spirit.]

"No, no, Ninth Brother, do you know what this is? It's harmful, you absolutely can't do it!" Jialuo immediately retorted, her eyes wide, her tone urgent.

No, if she said that, Yinde definitely wouldn't believe her. He'd have people investigate—no, he'd have them experiment on him, on death row prisoners.

No one in the Qing Dynasty knew the harm of ointment. Perhaps some knew, but the profits were too great, and no one dared to reveal it.

Only the royal family, only the Emperor, could ban opium.

Yinxi was dumbfounded, not understanding why his second sister-in-law was so eager to refute him, so impatient… as if it were something harmful… Opium was a harmful substance?? How come he'd never heard of it?

Yinchu, listening to Jialuo and Yinde's thoughts, frowned slightly. His thoughts were similar to Yinde's; how could the Crown Princess know that opium was harmful?

“Crown Princess, have you heard of opium?” Yinchu knew that if Yinde's doubts weren't resolved, Yinde might secretly do it for his own benefit.

"Your Highness, I've heard that those who inhale opium become addicted after just a few times, suffering excruciating pain like ants gnawing at a bone. It can even cause them to lose their willpower, kneel down and beg for mercy, and in the later stages, become emaciated. Your Highness, Ninth Brother, this cannot be ignored; it's very important, truly very important. You must find people to test it on, like those death row inmates. It's really terrifying!"

Jia Luo's eyes reddened with anxiety. She hadn't expected that the West's designs on the Qing Dynasty had started so early; she thought it only appeared in modern history…

She hadn't considered this possibility before, but those who hadn't seen opium firsthand simply couldn't understand its horror.

Terrifying???

Looking at Jia Meng's expression and listening to her assessment of opium, Yin Ji could see the extent of her fear. So, what exactly was opium?

(End of Chapter)