Chapter Fifty-Eight

Yinreng first poured Yinti a pot of wine, hoping he would get slightly tipsy before making any further moves.

Yinti wasn't so easily drunk, but considering he needed Yinreng's help, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wondered if he would feel less ashamed if he got drunk.

So, the moment the wine was poured, he downed it in one gulp, showing remarkable boldness, saying, "I'll finish it, you can drink as you like."

"Brother, you're so generous." Yinreng listened to Yinti's inner thoughts. The two had different goals, but they wanted to achieve the same result. Drink up, boss.

Then he specially brought over a large bowl, saying, "Drinking wine from a small cup is not suitable for our Great Qing Baturu's eldest prince. Brother, why do you look so down?"

Yinreng brought up Yinti's sad story. Yinti didn't answer, but instead took a big gulp of wine from the large bowl and drank it all in one go.

“Brother, I told you last time, but you don’t believe me. What can I do?” Yinreng sighed. “Brother, you have to understand that your situation is different from others.”

"Look at Dorgon, he had six wives and many concubines, but in the end he only had one daughter, who was adopted by Prince Yu's fifth son, Dorbo?" The first thing mentioned was that they all knew about the ancestor who was similar to him.

Dorgon was stripped of his title of prince, adopted the fifth son of Prince Yu, Dodo, and was only granted the title of Dorobele.

Immediately, Yinti stopped drinking and stared blankly at Yinreng.

Yinreng knew what Yinti was thinking. "Don't just look at Father Emperor. You should look at how many members of our Aisin Gioro clan don't have sons. Do you think it's really that easy to have one?"

Yinti remained silent, thinking of the imperial relatives. Indeed, there were several who couldn't even give birth to a princess.

"Brother, it's up to you. It doesn't really concern me. It's just that I'm telling you this because you're my older brother. As for the others, let's see if I pay any attention to them?" Yinreng continued to deceive him, causing Yinti to frown slightly.

After saying this, Yinreng did not speak again, but silently drank half a small pot of wine with Yinti, while Yinti drank the rest.

About half an hour later, Yinti put down the bowl in his hand. Perhaps he was truly heartbroken and had drunk a little too much. He raised his head, his eyes slightly red, and his voice hoarse, "Is that all? No need to take any medicine?"

medicine?

Oh, right. He got up and took out the medicinal herbs he had hidden in his study. They were precious herbs that Suo'etu had given him before. They looked a bit strange, but... wasn't that just right?

Replenish Qi and Blood...

Perhaps the eldest son has plenty of yang energy, and eating this might cause him to feel hot? But so what? Hasn't the eldest son drunk enough deer blood already?

If it were for the sake of his eldest son's ability to cope, Yinreng said he would not make things so difficult for his eldest son in the future.

"Dare you?" He placed it in front of Yinti, his tone indifferent, seemingly unconcerned, yet subtly provoking him.

Yinqi simply picked up the medicinal herbs and stuffed them into his sleeve. What was there to be afraid of? He would start cultivating his character from today onwards!

"How are we going to eat it? Just bite into it? Or go back and boil it into water to drink?" Yinti knew that the Crown Prince had given birth to a son in one go. How could that be possible? He and the Fourth Prince both had three princesses in a row. Well, now he had one more, making it four princesses. Why was the Crown Prince able to give birth to a little prince?

I see.

Yinti didn't ask Yinreng where he got the secret formula for having a child. Maybe it was a family heirloom from the Hesheli family? As long as it worked, that was fine.

"Wash it clean, and eat it all." Yinreng remembered that this seemed to be edible, but anyway, he had to destroy the evidence. "This is all I have left, elder brother. Don't tell anyone else, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Yinti was completely shocked. He looked at Yinreng, never expecting that the Crown Prince would treat him so well, giving him the last dose of medicine?

"Your Highness, if it really works, I, your elder brother, will..." stop arguing with you from now on.

He didn't say the last sentence aloud, but silently swore in his heart. It would be somewhat shameful to say such a thing in front of Yinreng.

But as a Baturu of the Qing Dynasty, he kept his word. Even if others didn't know, he would always do what he promised.

Little did he know, Yinreng on the other side had already heard his thoughts. His expression was calm and dignified, "Brother, as long as you treat the Qing Dynasty well in the future and work diligently for the Qing Dynasty, I will be happy."

When Yinqi went to Yuqing Palace to see the Crown Prince in such a carefree manner and brought such a generous gift, many people were alarmed.

The most surprised person was Consort Hui of Yanxi Palace, the biological mother of the First Prince Yinti. She listened to the servants' report with a dazed expression, wondering if there was something wrong with her ears.

"Are you serious? Yinqi really went to see the Crown Prince? And with such a lavish gift? Has something major happened in the court? Has the Crown Prince found something on Yinqi?"

This was the only question that Consort Hui could guess.

"This, Your Highness, this servant does not know." As eunuchs in the inner palace, they were not allowed to investigate matters of the court, for fear of another eunuch disaster like that of the previous dynasty.

If they find out, I'll lose my head.

"What a useless piece of trash!" Consort Hui was already in a bad mood. First, she was provoked by the bad news from the Grand Consort, and now her servants were so incompetent that she shouted angrily.

The servant lowered his head, not daring to answer or speak, but silently muttered to himself: He wasn't originally responsible for gathering information; he only came to report after hearing news about the eldest prince.

If you don't get a reward, fine, but next time don't take it upon yourself to do things on your own.

Consort Hui was unaware that her anger had caused a loyal servant to slack off. However, even if she had known, she wouldn't have cared. As a high-ranking official, why would she worry about not having servants to serve her?

All I know is why Yinqi suddenly went to curry favor with the Crown Prince?

If it were said that Yinti would bow down to the Crown Prince and obey his orders in the future, Consort Hui would absolutely not believe it. They had been at odds for so many years since childhood, how could he suddenly bow down?

Something must have happened to Yinqi. What exactly happened? Yinqi didn't even send anyone to tell her, leaving her here worrying and anxious.

"Go, go find the First Prince. Once he comes out of Yuqing Palace, invite him to Yanxi Palace." Consort Hui was worried that something serious had happened to her son, so she told her to hurry and not delay.

The people below, following Consort Hui's instructions, hurried to find the First Prince. They didn't know whether the First Prince had returned to his residence or was still in Yuqing Palace. The two went their separate ways.

Upon spotting the First Prince at the entrance of Yuqing Palace, I hurried over and said, "This servant greets the First Prince. Your Highness, Consort Hui requests your presence at Yanxi Palace."

Yinti was carrying a big treasure in his arms, and he was thinking of using it as soon as he returned to the prince's residence. He was drunk at the time, and there was still a layer of burden on his mind.

How could he show his lack of manners and class in front of the Crown Prince? He has self-respect too, you know.

"Mother is looking for Master?" Yinti raised an eyebrow, still smelling of alcohol. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to go back to the Prince's quarters to change his clothes first, and instead headed directly towards Yanxi Palace. "Let's go then."

The young eunuch saw that the eldest prince reeked of alcohol and wanted to say something, but in the end he swallowed his words and followed behind the eldest prince with his head down.

Those who act like lackeys will make more mistakes by doing more and saying more.

It's best to be careful. The eldest prince has been drinking. If he gets too drunk and kicks you, you'll be half dead.

In the imperial harem, one cannot remain half-dead. So many people are waiting to climb the ranks, yet without imperial physicians to treat their illnesses, they can only wait to die.

When Yinqi arrived at Yanxi Palace, he called out directly inside, "Mother, your son has arrived. What do you want with me?"

They were in such a hurry that they didn't even wait for him to go back and change his clothes.

When Consort Hui saw Yinti, she was about to say something when she smelled the strong odor of alcohol. She frowned, somewhat disgusted, and said, "Yinti, what have you been doing? Why are you drinking so much? Did the Crown Prince force you to drink?"

"What's wrong with you? You didn't tell your mother. Did something happen? If you need anything, just tell your mother. Your mother will definitely help you figure out a solution."

Consort Hui was still very worried about her son, fearing that Yinti would keep everything to himself and that she would not know. She thought that urging him would only hurt him more.

"What's wrong? Mother, why did you call me here?" Yinti was too embarrassed to bring up this matter in front of Consort Hui, so he could only pretend that nothing had happened and spoke in his usual carefree tone.

"Yinti, your mother heard that you gave a big gift to the Crown Prince? And so blatantly, is it... is it something you did on purpose for others to see?" Consort Hui felt that her son was not that kind of person, and after thinking for a moment, she immediately found a reason.

"Yes, that's how it should be. Put the Crown Prince on a pedestal, let your Emperor Father know that the Crown Prince is the one who coerces and entices you, accepts bribes, and needs his elder brother to curry favor with him..."

Consort Hui nodded, her tone becoming even more forceful and passionate as she spoke, as if she were recalling the scene of the Emperor deposing the Crown Prince out of disappointment.

If the emperor deposes the crown prince, wouldn't he then have to make his own son the crown prince?

Consort Hui's words made Yinti fall silent. He had never known that his mother was such an imaginative person.

"No, Mother, you're overthinking it. I simply have something to discuss with the Crown Prince. It's a matter concerning the Ministry of War, so please don't concern yourself with it." Yinqi reassured Consort Hui, telling her not to think about so many complicated things and not to act so agitated.

Fortunately, Father Emperor was not in the palace; it would have been terrible if he had found out.

"Alright, alright, your mother can't help much with your affairs of state, but Mingzhu can. You can discuss anything with Mingzhu. Also, your wife has given birth to another princess, making it the fourth one." Consort Hui grumbled with some dissatisfaction, thinking that a woman like Irgen Gioro should really be divorced if she weren't a royal daughter-in-law.

"Mother, this, this can't be blamed on the Fujin. They say that you reap what you sow. What kind of seed you plant, you will reap what kind of fruit you grow..." Yinti believed Yinreng's words at this moment, thinking that a large part of the reason might be on his own.

"Nonsense! Don't beans and cucumbers flower? They flower and still bear fruit, don't they? But your wife only flowers and doesn't bear fruit!" Consort Hui wouldn't listen and had her own logic and reasoning.

Yinti was unsure how to respond to Consort Hui's statement, as it seemed to make some sense.

"Honestly, you can't even say anything to your wife. Every time you come to my Yanxi Palace, it's like I'm abusing you. At most, I'll nag you a bit more and ask you to give me a legitimate son as soon as possible. Isn't that all for your own good?" When talking about the First Consort, Consort Hui had a whole string of lines to say.

"Unlike Consort De, who always made the Fourth Prince's wife stand or kneel as punishment, or served her washing, dressing, combing her hair, and serving her food. Your wife is so ungrateful, and she even speaks ill of Mother in front of you, thinking that Mother is a bad mother-in-law."

Consort Hui was speaking ill of the Grand Consort. The mention of this matter filled Consort Hui with unhappiness, as she felt that her son had been taken away by the Irgen Gioro clan.

"Mother, I don't. In my heart, there is no one as good as you." Yinti hiccuped. Consort Hui waved her hand in front of her nose, disgusted by the smell of alcohol!

"It's good that you know. Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go back now. Go wash up quickly, so you don't bother my granddaughter with the smell." Although Consort Hui didn't like the First Princess giving birth to four princesses in a row, she still loved her granddaughter.

"Understood, Mother." Yinti tucked his hand into his sleeve. Yes, it was still there. Because he was in a hurry to go back, he didn't stay here to accompany Consort Hui.

Upon returning, he went straight to his study, had someone bring him a basin of water, and then dismissed everyone around him, even his personal servants. He washed himself thoroughly and then began to eat dry food.

I have to say, it was really hard to swallow.

However, thinking that the Crown Prince must have been consuming medicinal herbs just like he was now, Yinti didn't feel troubled anymore. The thought that his next child would be a legitimate son filled him with immense pride!

After eating it, I felt energetic all over.

Because I stayed up all night and drank alcohol, I fell asleep because I was sleepy.

He didn't wake up until dark. He was too tired. As if he had been given some kind of guarantee, his tense mood relaxed. How could he not fall asleep? The servants guarding the door could hear their master snoring from inside.

The First Princess woke up during the day and first inquired about the child's condition. When she learned that it was a princess, she was indeed a little down. But after all, it was her own child, whom she had given birth to with great difficulty. She still had someone bring the child over to take a look, as the child was somewhat thin.

“Take good care of Fourth Princess. If anything happens to Fourth Princess, you and your whole family will be in trouble, understand?” The First Princess Consort didn’t have the energy to deal with this right now, so she directly threatened them, “If Fourth Princess recovers, I will reward her handsomely.”

First came coercion, then enticement, before the First Princess Consort finally began to inquire about the First Prince's situation.

"Where is the master? Has he come to see the Fourth Princess?" The First Princess was feeling somewhat fragile at this moment. No matter how strong her heart was, she would inevitably be unable to bear the repeated blows.

"His master went to Yuqing Palace to see His Highness the Crown Prince." The servant below looked somewhat strange as he said this.

"Hmm? Looking for the Crown Prince? What else happened?" The First Consort noticed the servant's strange and subtle expression and couldn't help but ask.

"My lord, he also sent a whole box of lavish gifts to Yuqing Palace." He really couldn't understand why. Wasn't it said that his master's relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince was just so-so?

The relationship wasn't good, and nothing had happened, yet the eldest prince still sent over boxes of lavish gifts, which seemed rather strange.

The First Princess Consort also found it strange and frowned slightly, but she had never heard her master mention this before. "Perhaps there is something going on."

He had no right to concern himself with matters of state.

By afternoon and evening... the First Prince still hadn't appeared, and the First Princess's mood sank lower and lower.

Yinti has never come to see the Fourth Princess. Does he have some kind of problem with her, or... does he have a problem with me?

"My lord, have we not returned to the prince's quarters yet?" The First Princess Consort was half-lying on the bed. She had just eaten the meals she was supposed to have during her postpartum period when she thought of the First Prince again.

“Madam, His Majesty must have something important to do. He just returned from Yuqing Palace and went to Yanxi Palace. He has been busy in his study ever since.”

The servants in the back courtyard were naturally not allowed to inquire about what was happening in the front courtyard. They only knew that after the eldest prince returned to his study, he had not gone out or visited any of the other princesses in the back courtyard.

It's clear that it wasn't that the master had a problem with the wife, but rather that he genuinely had important matters to attend to.

"The master and you, my wife, are a loving couple. Once they're done with their work, they'll definitely come to see you as soon as possible. You shouldn't worry about this. Focus on taking care of your health first. You can't experience extreme joy or sorrow during your postpartum period."

The old nanny beside her comforted her, saying that the First Princess was simply overthinking things, and that all women who had just given birth were like that.

She is sentimental and needs her servants and maids to comfort her. It's not surprising that she would go to see other princesses, since she can't serve her master while she's in confinement, right?

"Indeed, Granny is right, I should take good care of my health." The First Princess Consort is very healthy. As a noblewoman of Manchuria, she had no problem riding a horse and archery.

Having many children is not a problem. Consort Rong and Consort De both had six children.

The key issue is that she conceived too close together; she got pregnant again almost a month or two after giving birth and recovering her health.

"It's good that the Princess Consort can understand this." The nanny also knew that as a Princess Consort, it would be really difficult to stand firm if she didn't have a prince in her life. To put it bluntly, when the master neglected her and started to pay more attention to the promising young prince, wouldn't he have to take better care of his birth mother?

When the master passes away, the one who inherits the title will surely be a promising prince. But after all, he has a birth mother. Does he have to grow old and watch the concubine who was once overshadowed by him climb over him?

Who could accept that?

In the days that followed, the First Princess Consort was recuperating, and Yinti also visited the Fourth Princess Consort several times. He also chatted with the First Princess Consort for a few minutes. However, the First Princess Consort refused to let him into the room to see her disheveled appearance during her postpartum confinement.

Should I shout at the door? It would affect my image, and the Princess Consort wouldn't be able to hear me very well anyway. All I could do was instruct the people around me to take good care of her.

Knowing that the First Princess Consort was in confinement after giving birth to a princess, how could the other princesses in the inner quarters not be tempted? If the First Princess Consort were to become too weak, they could be there to relieve her worries.

Even if they can't get pregnant, they still have to make their master aware of their existence. If this continues, those sycophantic servants will start cutting their allowances.

So, one by one, they carried the soup to the study in the front yard.

In the past, if Yinti had any needs, he never had to hold back. He would go to the courtyard of whoever he liked or whomever he met.

In order to ensure the birth of the eldest son, the contraceptive soup had to be given.

Now, the eldest prince has refused them all and has confined them to their own courtyard, forbidding them from wandering around.

The princesses were struck dumb; had they just touched a nerve with the eldest prince? What bad luck!

Later we heard that the eldest prince had sent a generous gift to the crown prince, probably because he was frustrated with court affairs and angrily slapped the servants around him. Why didn't they tell us about such an important matter sooner?

The servants and maids also felt wronged. As princesses, they were not favored and it was difficult for them to inquire about news. They were also not allowed to go out at will.

But those princesses don't care about any of that. If they don't get what they want, it's because these lackeys aren't serving them well enough!

After the First Consort finished her postpartum confinement, she began preparing for her next pregnancy, hoping to give birth to the eldest son of her master next time.

However, the First Princess Consort noticed that her master seemed to be... cultivating his character?

What's wrong? Could it be that you're starting to dislike yourself?

After repeatedly failing to get the results she wanted through her initiative, the First Princess Consort began to feel uneasy again. She was filled with anxiety. Could it be that her master was planning to stop her from having children, fearing that another princess would bring him shame?

So, who does he plan to have the baby with?

The First Princess was filled with anger, but she felt guilty and dared not question Yinti about the matter. She knew it was her fault and could only instruct her subordinates to keep a close eye on things.

Let's see which princess the master has taken a liking to lately.

One day, two days, half a month, a month... Hmm? Is the master really staying in the study in the front yard to cultivate his character? The First Princess Consort began to suspect that the master might be keeping a woman in the study in the front yard.

"My lord, if you take a fancy to any young lady, just place her in our backyard. I will take good care of her. Isn't it inappropriate to keep her in the study in the front yard?"

Irgen Gioro's guess was agreed upon by the servants and maids around her, mainly because the master generally did not enter the inner courtyard, and even the main wife of the Fujin rarely came.

(Yinti: I'm still a man of vigor and passion. How could I tolerate this if I didn't do this??)

After everyone discussed it, the First Princess asked, and the maids gave hesitant and doubtful answers. After all, who would dare to gossip about their master behind his back? Only the First Princess was a little bolder.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The eldest prince, Yinti, felt he no longer understood what his wife was saying. Did she even know what he was talking about? What did this "young lady" mean?

"My lord, if you take a fancy to any young lady, please place her in our backyard. I will take good care of her. Is it inappropriate to keep her in the study in the front yard?" The First Consort repeated her words again, emphasizing her tone.

"What girl? Madam, are you seeing things? Who told you there was a girl in the study in the front yard?" The two maids in the front yard had been reassigned by Yinti to serve elsewhere, for fear of accidentally igniting the gun.

"No? Really? Then I must have misread it. Your Majesty must be busy with state affairs lately and exhausted. Let me give you a massage..." Since it's not because of a woman, then it must be because you're too busy with state affairs?

Using her own words to get the information she wanted, the First Princess smiled broadly, pulled Yinti to sit down, and began to massage Yinti's shoulders.

"Of course! The Crown Prince takes advantage of Father Emperor's absence from the capital and leaves many things to me while he oversees the country, while he idles away his days away." Yinti had a lot to complain about when it came to the Crown Prince.

It must be because he felt regretful and resentful after giving himself the last dose of the fertility formula, so he deliberately made things difficult for him.

He was a great warrior of the Qing Dynasty, full of energy. Such a small, busy task was hardly difficult for Aisin-Gioro Yinti.

Grand Consort: Very good, it's confirmed. He's not having a woman in the front courtyard, but is busy with important matters of state.

"My lord, you've worked so hard. Tonight, I'll serve you a bath and give you a massage, okay?" She had been recuperating for another month and taking the imperial physician's medicine. Although the physician said it would be best for her to recuperate for another year or two, how could she possibly wait that long?

Yinti wasn't in a hurry, but she was.

Upon hearing the tone of the First Princess Consort, Yinti guessed what she wanted to do and instinctively grabbed her hand, saying, "Um... pull away, don't touch me."

"No, Madam, I have important matters to attend to. Father Emperor will be returning to the capital soon, so we must finish quickly. How can we lose to that fellow Yinreng?"

Yinti stiffened his neck, pretending that he had a lot of things to do.

"Madam, please take good care of yourself. I've been very busy lately, with Bu'er and the others. I haven't had time to spend with them. Please take good care of them. Thank you for your hard work."

Yinti patted the back of the First Princess's hand with deep emotion and coaxed her. Then, he left the main courtyard without looking back.

The First Consort watched Yinti's departing figure with a very subtle expression. Well, since it was a major matter of state, she couldn't delay. If her father returned and found out that Yinti hadn't done his job well, he would also be punished.

On Consort Hui's side, after the First Consort finished her postpartum confinement, Consort Hui summoned her and first criticized her, saying openly and subtly that the First Consort was useless and could not give her a legitimate grandson, and then continued to urge her to have a child.

The First Princess wanted to say that the master had been busy with court affairs lately, but was repeatedly interrupted by Consort Hui, so in the end she didn't say anything.

She just thought that things would be fine once the master finished his work for a while, right? She nodded obediently, which allowed Consort Hui to vent her anger. She snorted coldly and sent her away again.

As for what was happening in the palace, how could Kangxi not know? In particular, he was quite surprised that his eldest son had actually humbled himself to send gifts to Yinreng.

What exactly happened? But nothing seems to have happened at the Ministry of War.

Should we still cooperate with Westerners on business? I heard that Mingzhu has figured it out. It's a bit slow, but the craftsmen under Mingzhu's management really figured it out on their own. They are truly talented.

Mingzhu was indeed a capable minister, but he was a bit too ambitious.

If Mingzhu's ambitions weren't that great... well, did he know that the Crown Prince had secretly sent Suo'etu to investigate the Westerners' spies, and wanted Mingzhu to join in?

Yinreng's Yuqing Palace is no longer a place where he can simply place people at will. For example, he is not always aware of everything that happens in his study.

However, Kangxi knew that Yinti would never join forces with the Crown Prince to fight for the throne, so he put down the letter in his hand and kept the matter quiet.

Recently, I have been busy with an even more important matter: a decisive battle with Galdan. I must defeat Galdan in one fell swoop.

Besides Prince Yu, many other military officers were also summoned to discuss and decide on this matter.

As autumn arrived, the weather here began to turn cold, and they could no longer delay.

However, good news has just arrived from the northern desert: Galdan's hometown has been overrun by his nephew... oh, no, it should be said that he usurped the throne!

Upon receiving this news, Emperor Kangxi burst into laughter with excitement, exclaiming, "Galdan, Galdan, you've finally met your match!"

"Give me the order to launch a full-scale attack!!!" Upon receiving this good news, Kangxi was overjoyed, feeling that Heaven was still on his side.

However, Kangxi only managed to severely wound Galdan, and Galdan's loyal subordinates helped him escape! But most of his elite warriors were wiped out by the Qing cavalry!

Galdan fled into the deep mountains and forests, which led Emperor Kangxi to send people to search for him for more than half a month without success. In the end, he had no choice but to announce that the army should return to the capital.

I wonder if those brats in Beijing will sprout wings and fly away without me in charge.

It specifically refers to the ninth and tenth brothers taking the eighth brother to skip school to make some tricycles, the kind for kids to play with. They were quite popular, and even some spoiled brats who were barely twenty years old begged to have a tricycle made that adults could ride. Why should it only be made for those little brats?

He then had someone relay this message to Guo Luoluo's family, with the emphasis on passing it on to Haha Zhuzi, who served the Ninth Prince, so that the message could be conveyed to the Ninth Prince.

When Yinzhen heard the news from Haha Zhuzi beside him, he excitedly slapped his thigh, "Oh dear, why didn't I think of this? We can't just make money from children in business, we can also make money from adults!"

The key point is, if I can make it, wouldn't I be able to ride it myself?

They immediately gathered ideas and took the eighth and tenth princes to find the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess had come up with the idea of ​​the tricycle first, so it must have been related to the master's ideas.

Ninth Prince Yintang: At least the Crown Princess got 30% of the profits, because the small tricycle was the Crown Princess's idea. But shouldn't we also think about the big tricycle for you, sir?

“Ninth Brother, you’re not young anymore. Don’t always go to Yuqing Palace to see the Crown Princess. It’s not appropriate.” The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, politely advised his Ninth Brother. You may be shameless, but the Crown Princess still has her pride.

"I'm here to discuss serious matters, what's inappropriate about it?" Yin Tang glared angrily, his eyes wide. Who, whose thoughts were so filthy?

“Ninth Brother, you think you're discussing serious matters, but if word gets out, it won't be good for the Crown Princess's reputation.” Yinzhi continued to persuade him, “You have to consider the Crown Princess's feelings, don't you? Aren't you good partners?”

“You can go to His Highness the Crown Prince and discuss it with the Crown Princess through him, or you can cooperate directly with the Crown Prince, that’s fine too.” In Yinzhi’s view, there was no difference between cooperating with the Crown Princess and cooperating with the Crown Prince.

Since you're all part of the Crown Prince's faction anyway, if you get close to him, do you think those officials won't assume you're from the Yuqing Palace faction just because you're close to the Crown Princess? Impossible!

When Ninth Prince Yinzhen heard what Eighth Brother said, he frowned slightly, as if it made sense.

"Then, let's brainstorm and think it over carefully to see how to improve it." Since we can't go to the Crown Princess, let's go to Eighth Brother and Tenth Brother. The key is Eighth Brother; he's so intelligent, he'll definitely be fine.

Yinzhi, who was being given high hopes, looked at the expectant look in Yintang's eyes and remained silent for two seconds. "My consideration for others has backfired and caused me trouble."

“Eighth Brother, you’ve also taken a share of the profits from our shop, you can’t just not help.” Yinzhen insisted on dragging Eighth Brother along. “Look, you’re about to marry your wife, and you might even leave the palace to build your own residence soon. You’ll have to cover all the expenses yourself then. Do you really think Eighth Brother would let his wife’s dowry support you and the women and children in the harem?”

This sentence sent chills down Yinzhi's spine.

Unlike the other princes, he truly had no maternal clan to help him. Even his seventh brother had the support of the Daijia clan of the Baoyi Banner, and his twelfth brother had the support of the Wanliuha clan of the Baoyi Banner. The other brothers were even more so: the sons of four imperial concubines, and his tenth brother had the dowry left by Consort Wenxi...

As my ninth brother said, what if I really run out of money and have no source of income? How am I supposed to support myself with my wife's dowry?

Then he really shouldn't go out and meet people anymore; it would be too embarrassing.

“Ninth Brother is right.” Eighth Prince Yinzhi then accompanied Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince to think about how to improve the situation, and occasionally went out of the palace to see what those纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families) were thinking.

What if someone else has a sudden inspiration...

The Emperor's victorious return to the capital was a major event for the harem and officials. News of his return had been received well in advance, and on the day of his return, the Crown Prince led the princes and officials to welcome him. This time, a young grandson of the Emperor was also present.

Two-year-old Hongyao knew that his grandfather was coming back, and he kept pestering his father, "I want to go too, I want to go pick up my grandfather. Hongyao misses my grandfather too."

Well, missing my grandfather is one thing, but being able to go out and play is another.

Not taking Hongyao with you? Fine, Hongyao will cling tightly to his father's leg and say, "If you don't take me, I, I, I'll rip your pants off!"

Her stubbornness left Yinreng helpless. "Fine, fine, Father will take you there. Let go, let go of my hand."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Jialuo. Hongyao was so good at cheating; he must have been learning from the Crown Princess.

The Crown Princess has always been by Hongyao's side, teaching him these useless things through words and deeds. She should be properly educated.

"Should we take him with us? The weather is getting a bit chilly." Jialuo was a little worried, thinking that Yinreng shouldn't take Hongyao out with him. What if he caught a cold?

Little Hongyao seemed to understand that his mother didn't want his father to take him out. He was about to let go, but he hugged his father tightly again and pleaded in his childish voice, "Father, take Hongyao with you. Hongyao wants to go too, Father."

What could the doting Crown Prince do? He still agreed to Hongyao's request, "Alright, alright, Father will take you. Our Hongyao is in great health, isn't he?"

Little Hongyao nodded obediently, "Yes, Hongyao is very healthy."

In the end, Jialuo couldn't resist the two's ideas. Fine, let them go. Bring the little cloak over. Make sure you're dressed properly and take good care of Hongyao, okay?

Before leaving, she kept nagging Yinreng on how to take good care of the child, like a nagging old mother.

The chubby baby was held in his father's arms, his delicate and adorable face nodding obediently. Yinreng raised his head proudly, his elegant demeanor tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Does the Crown Princess not trust me?"

Jialuo: A little bit.

Yinreng ignored the Crown Princess and went out with his child in his arms. After leaving, he put Hongyao down and asked, "Hongyao, can you walk by yourself?"

“Okay.” Hongyao has been going out to play a lot lately, and he walks by himself or rides that little tricycle that makes the baby whimper (pushes hard). He doesn’t need to be carried anymore.

The imperial carriage, escorted by the Imperial Guards, arrived before the princes and officials. As Kangxi alighted, the Crown Prince and the others bowed in greeting. Hongyao, who had little formal training, followed his father's example and said, "Hongyao greets Imperial Grandfather, long live the Emperor!"

The soft, babyish voice wasn't very noticeable among the crowd, but Kangxi spotted his little grandson immediately.

"Hongyao is here too? Come quickly to Grandfather." The emperor waved kindly and lovingly to little Hongyao, who got up with a happy smile and ran towards Emperor Kangxi with his short legs.

"Grandpa, Hongyao misses you so much." The adorable little Hongyao stretched out his chubby little hands and hugged Grandpa like he would hug his father. His sweet, childlike voice was so cute that it melted people's hearts.

How could Emperor Kangxi, who had just returned from the battlefield, not be happy to see his grandson being so adorable?

"Grandpa Emperor misses our Hongyao too." He bent down and picked up the chubby little Hongyao, weighing him in his arms. Good, it was clear that Yinreng was taking good care of Hongyao in the capital.

Yinti looked at Yinreng, who had fallen out of favor, with a smug and mocking expression. You see, before, when Father Emperor came back from outside, the first thing he saw was the Crown Prince. Now, he has a new favorite.

Yinreng heard Yinti's gloating voice and was speechless. Did the eldest son think he would be jealous of his son? No way, no way? How could anyone have such a childish idea? Typical Yinti.

There was no need to stand here and listen to the Emperor and Crown Prince's affectionate father-son conversation; the officials and princes all said it was fine.

After the meeting was dismissed, Yinreng followed his father back to the Qianqing Palace and took the opportunity to report on the events of the past few months.

Kangxi held little Hongyao and chatted with him, while listening attentively to Yinreng's report. In fact, he was aware of most of the things happening in the capital.

"I heard that not long ago, Yinqi sent boxes of lavish gifts to Yuqing Palace?" Kangxi asked seemingly casually.

"Yes, Father, you don't know, my elder brother is probably obsessed with having a son. He actually asked me if I had any secret formula for having a son. I told him that I only had one son, but Father had more than a dozen. You might as well ask Father."

As soon as Yinreng finished speaking, Kangxi's face darkened slightly. What kind of nonsense was Yinreng spouting?

“But my elder brother just won’t believe me. I’m too embarrassed to tell people outside. If word gets out, what will become of the reputation and face of the Qing imperial family?” Yinreng shook his head and sighed, as if he was genuinely worried about his eldest brother’s intelligence.

Kangxi: ...

Although it seems outrageous, it is indeed something that Yinqi would do.

Regarding the issue of the legitimate son, it's possible that his father, the Emperor, caused Yinti some inner conflict. That's why the Emperor didn't keep urging Yinti to have children; he could have as many as he wanted.

However, to Kangxi's surprise, Yinti was so unlucky that his wife gave birth to four princesses in a row. What could he do?

Now, is Yinqi obsessed with having children?

"It's already a blessing that he didn't embarrass himself outside. I wonder if he went to the imperial physician for some secret formula for conceiving a child. Father, you know, it's usually women who ask for secret formulas for conceiving a child. Many wives in the capital are taking some kind of secret formula. Why did Yinti think of using it himself?"

Yinreng helplessly reminded his father, "I can't handle this matter. You should handle it yourself. Father, only you can manage this matter."

What could Emperor Kangxi do? Could he possibly abandon his own son?

After seeing off Yinreng, he summoned Yinti and earnestly advised his eldest son, "Baoqing, look how many children your wife has given birth to. You should take good care of your health. As for whether he is a legitimate son or not, your father doesn't really care at all. As long as he is your son, your father will be happy."

Yinti is not young anymore. Instead of going through all this trouble, it would be better to just let things take their natural course.

However, to Yinti, his father's words meant, "Yinti, stop making trouble, you're not destined to have a son." His eyes widened in shock and grievance, "Father, do you also believe that I am not destined to have a son?"

No, I think your wife doesn't have it.

"Your wife is no good, but there are still many princesses. Don't bestow contraceptive soup upon you; you're not getting any younger." Kangxi found it quite difficult to talk to Yinti sometimes; why couldn't he understand human language?

"Father, you just don't believe in your son!!" Yinti was furious, feeling wronged and resentful, and also rebellious at being looked down upon by his father. If you think your son is no good, then your son will prove you wrong.

Yinti made a bold statement, "Father, just you wait, your son will definitely give you a legitimate grandson!"

Then, he angrily excused himself and left.

Kangxi: If anyone is to give birth, it should be your wife. Why are you making such a fuss?

Forget it, never mind.

Having just returned to the capital, although he knew about many things, he was still busy dealing with them and had no time to care about those trivial matters. For more than half a month, he didn't even visit the inner palace.

Xiao Hongyao was also left in the courtyard. Winter was approaching again, and after the Ban Jin Festival, it became increasingly cold. Xiao Hongyao stopped clamoring to go out and play.

Once November was over, Consort Yi noticed that the Emperor wasn't paying any attention to her son Yinqi's marriage, so she specifically reminded Kangxi about it.

Kangxi then remembered, oh right, he had been so busy that he forgot, and Consort Yi had done him a favor by saying, "The Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince should also be decided by now."

After Emperor Kangxi ordered the selection of auspicious dates, he waved his hand and decreed that the Fifth Prince, Yinqi, would marry on the twelfth day of the third month after the New Year, the Seventh Prince on the fifteenth day of the sixth month, and the Eighth Prince on the third day of the twelfth month…

With three slots available each year, the timeline was tight, and the pressure immediately fell on the Ministry of Rites.

At this moment, Kangxi sat on the dragon throne, looking at the auspicious date and time on it. He frowned. There were still five concubines in the harem who were above the rank of Consort (including the concubine's daughter from the Tong family who had been promoted to Imperial Consort). If something happened to them, wouldn't it delay the continuation of the royal family?

No, those below them can't be promoted to the rank of Consort anymore; they'll stay at the rank of Concubine.

Kangxi, finally finding the time to linger in the harem, kept his thoughts hidden from the women there. He used every trick in the book, either for offspring or for higher ranks. Unfortunately for them, Kangxi was very stingy when it came to ranks…

The First Princess Consort recently suspected that the First Prince might have some health problems. In the past, it could be said that the First Prince was busy with state affairs and had no time to linger in the inner palace.

She had also been to the study in the front courtyard, and indeed there were no women there. Even the maids who had served Yinti before had been relocated elsewhere.

this……

The First Princess Consort's face paled as a terrible possibility crossed her mind: Could it be that Yinti has started to like men?

The thought of this made the First Princess Consort panic. What if the First Prince really fell in love with a man? If Father Emperor found out, he would be furious.

No, maybe it's just my imagination. Don't scare yourself.

Recently, Yinti felt that his wife was acting strangely, especially the way she looked at him, as if he had done something heinous. Could it be that his wife already knew about his request for the secret formula for having a child from Yinreng?

How did the Princess Consort find out about such a shameful thing?

Seeing Yinti's evasive gaze, the First Princess Consort became even more suspicious. "Yinti, are you having an affair with a man?"

"My lady, please let me explain... What?!"

(End of this chapter)