Chapter Ninety-One

Father Emperor, don't you recognize your son anymore...?

Don't you recognize your son...?

Your son...

The loud, boisterous voice was very familiar; Kangxi immediately recognized it as the voice of his tenth son.

Can……

"How did you become like this?" Kangxi still couldn't believe it. Was this really his own brat? How come the Ninth and Tenth Princes looked so much like that Kunlun slave?

"No one wanted to arrest you before you entered the palace?" Kangxi was very surprised. This was the first thought in his mind, and he couldn't help but blurt it out.

Ninth Prince Yin Tang: ...

Prince Yin'e, the Tenth Prince: ...

"Father, what are you saying? How could anyone arrest me? Are you trying to arrest me and Ninth Brother as well?" Yin'e was shocked and furious.

I never expected my father to be so wicked. They say even tigers don't eat their cubs.

They actually wanted him and Ninth Brother to be arrested and thrown into jail?

Emperor Kangxi didn't want to waste time talking to his foolish son about such pointless things. "After more than a year of sailing to the Western Ocean, what have you gained?"

Kangxi changed the subject, and as soon as Yin'e heard his father bring it up, he started rambling on and on.

"Your Majesty, I have been sailing for almost half a year. Do you know how dangerous the vast ocean is..."

"Father, it turns out that some countries are actually better than our Qing Dynasty, with skyscrapers..."

"Father, do you know? There's a country that actually encourages pirates and even grants them titles..."

"Father, it turns out that in some places, there are missionaries like Ferdinand Verbiest..."

Yin'e couldn't stop talking anymore, and started rambling on about everything he could think of, though it sounded very nonsensical.

Kangxi already knew what kind of person his son was, and from Yin'e's words, we can deduce the general situation:

The voyage took more than half a year, a round trip, and the sea was indeed very dangerous.

The journey took us through several different countries, each with its own unique characteristics. We saw skyscrapers? Better than the Qing Dynasty? Impossible!

Some countries grant pirates titles? Isn't that a form of appeasement? Like the Zheng family in Taiwan.

Ferdinand Verbiest, a missionary? And he even went to Verbiest's country?

They exchanged quite a few amazing goods? The kind that even the Qing Dynasty didn't have?

In the end, Emperor Kangxi couldn't hold back any longer and actually said that the Qing Dynasty was inferior to other countries from his own son's mouth. How could he possibly tolerate that?

"Come, show me what it is that makes my imperial son think that the Qing Dynasty is inferior to the Western barbarians?" Kangxi was skeptical. How could that be?

At this moment, Consort Yi learned that the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince had just returned from the Western Ocean and entered the palace, going to the Qianqing Palace, and would likely come to see her soon.

Filled with anticipation and excitement, Consort Yi cried her eyes out the night she received the news. She cried and cried, "My ninth son is alright, he's alright, he's returned safe and sound!"

However, the person who returned to report was somewhat hesitant and mentioned a small accident.

Consort Yi was terrified. What minor accident? Was her hand or foot broken?

As a result, she got a tan. Consort Yi didn't think much of it. Having lived in the harem for many years, she only saw palace maids, servants, nannies, or other concubines and ladies-in-waiting. How tanned could she get?

That's so ignorant and lacks any composure.

She waited and waited, but the ninth and tenth brothers still didn't show up. She hadn't eaten anything from morning until noon because she was so excited, and now she was starving.

"Your Highness, why don't we have our meal first? I heard that the Emperor has left the palace with two princes," the nanny beside her quickly advised.

Consort Yi originally planned to wait until the Ninth and Tenth Princes arrived before having a meal together.

"Then let's serve the meal first." Consort Yi didn't know where the Emperor had taken the two of them, but since the Ninth Prince and the others had just returned to the capital, they must have a lot to do.

He calmed down his anxious feelings a little.

As dusk approached, Kangxi returned to the palace, somewhat dazed but with a calm and resolute expression. He sent the two people behind him to visit Consort Yi... and to use some pearls to whiten their faces, so that people would think they, the Aisin Gioro clan, were of the Kunlun slave lineage!

Then, he summoned the crown prince.

In Kangxi's heart, the best crown prince was still Yinreng. To be honest, Yinzhen, who would ascend the throne in the future, did not hold a very important position in Kangxi's mind at this time, nor was he particularly outstanding in politics.

Yin'e's birth mother, Consort Wenxi, passed away when he was ** years old. He was later transferred to Consort Yi's care and raised there. Although that's the case, he was already living in the Prince's Residence at that time.

Consort Yi also knew that the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince had the best relationship, so she would prepare an extra copy of anything the Ninth Prince had.

There was no way around it; his ninth brother was a simpleton, and if he didn't prepare, he would share the spoils with his beloved tenth brother.

Therefore, the tenth prince was quite grateful to Consort Yi, and since she was also the mother of the ninth prince, he came along as well.

When they first stepped into Yikun Palace, the people there almost threw them out. Then, judging from their voices, they realized... it was the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince?

"Ninth Prince? Tenth Prince?" The servant couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. This, this, really is... but the voice is correct.

If you look closely, the eyes are still the same eyes, the nose is still the same nose, and the mouth is still the same mouth...

The servant was so frightened that he immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, but Yinzhen and Yin'e had no time to pay attention to such a lowly eunuch and went straight inside.

"Mother, Mother, your son is back." Having not returned to the capital for a long time, Yinzhen missed home and his mother. During the voyage, the huge waves on the ocean made him think he was going to die there.

Now that I'm back, how could I not be excited?

When Consort Yi, who was waiting for her son to return, heard Yinzhen's voice, her eyes involuntarily reddened and tears welled up.

She wanted to hug her son and cry about the longing she had felt for him over the past year, and she also wanted to scold him for abandoning his parents and going to the West. But all her emotions and words were swallowed back the moment Yinzhen and Yin'e walked in.

"Ninth Prince? Tenth Prince?" Even the mother almost didn't recognize her own son. Consort Yi really didn't expect him to be so dark-skinned.

My two sons used to be fair-skinned and chubby... but once they went out, they turned into black charcoal heads, some even reddish-black.

A few days ago, she heard from her subordinates that the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince had become very dark-skinned, but she didn't take it seriously.

I wondered, how dark could he get? At most, wouldn't he be like Yinqi? Yinqi spent about half a year training the navy and did get a bronze tan.

At that time, Yinti was still there, proudly declaring that this was the representative of the Baturu.

"Mother, it's your son." Yinzhen reached out and touched his face; it was indeed a bit dark, he admitted.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Half of Consort Yi's emotional words had dissipated in the shock just now, and in the end, all her words were reduced to just this one sentence.

As long as the child is safe and sound and comes back healthy, that's better than anything else.

They had dinner together, and with Yinzhen and Yin'e's antics, Yinzhen recounted his dramatic voyages to the Western Ocean, stirring up a wave of passion in anyone with a heart for the world.

Unfortunately, it was their elderly mother, Consort Yi, who was listening to them boast about this.

How could she possibly feel any enthusiasm? Just listening to it made her heart pound with fear, a mixture of anxiety and relief—relief that her child was alright and could come back.

As I always say: It's good that you're back.

As night fell, the two were escorted out of Yikun Palace and back to the prince's quarters.

Furthermore, your residence has been built; it is simply waiting for your return before you move in.

The Emperor and his wives all knew that the Ninth and Tenth Princes had returned. However, as soon as they returned to the capital, they went to the palace to pay their respects to their father, the Emperor, and then went to Yikun Palace.

No one was planning to go see Lao Jiu and Lao Shi tonight. They had traveled a long way and needed to rest for the night.

Besides, it's so late. They need to go back to the prince's residence and see the princess. Let's give the young couple some space.

Therefore, the other princes did not immediately go to find the ninth and tenth princes, but instead sent a letter to them, asking them to meet again the next day.

The Ninth Prince's residence.

The Ninth Prince's wife had known for some time that the Ninth Prince had returned to the capital. She received the news in the morning, but it wasn't until evening that she saw him return.

Yes, mainly it was brought back by people from Consort Yi's side, who also announced to everyone that Ninth Prince has returned!

Consort Yi seems to be quite intelligent. Knowing that Yinzhen's situation was similar, she arranged for someone to send them back to avoid any conflict caused by misunderstandings.

The Ninth Prince only had two concubines. After Yin Tang married the Ninth Prince's wife, he was busy with his shipbuilding project in Tianjin Bay.

Later, when disaster relief was needed, he used the pretext of disaster relief to sneak off to the West. However, those who stayed behind still completed the disaster relief work and did not truly abandon the people.

Therefore, he was very busy, and there was no time for the favor of concubines or mistresses. It was already considered very good if he could communicate and exchange feelings with his wife.

When Yinzhen was not in the capital, Ninth Prince Consort had no worries. In fact, because of his sneaking away, the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Consort Yi all felt sorry for her.

Oh... The Empress Dowager might offer a few words of concern, but for the people of the Dong'e clan, it was still an overwhelming honor.

The moment she saw Yinzhen, his skin was as black as charcoal. She thought, "What if I gave birth to such an ugly son…?"

"Ninth Prince?" Ninth Prince Consort Dong E called out slowly. To be honest, she wasn't the kind of person who had deep feelings for Yin Tang. How could she possibly recognize him when she saw him with such a dark face?

“It is you, Your Highness!” Yinzhen didn’t bother arguing with a mere woman. Having just finished dinner, he wasn’t hungry. “Prepare hot water. I want to bathe and change.”

After glancing at the still dazed Dong E Shi, Ninth Prince Yin Tang thought... if it were anyone else, they would have already disliked someone as simple-minded as Dong E Shi.

"Dong E Shi," Yin Tang called out. Only someone as generous and tolerant as him would be willing to tolerate Dong E Shi.

When Ninth Princess was called, she quickly realized what was happening and ordered someone to prepare water immediately.

While serving Yinzhen during his bath, I noticed the different skin tones on his upper and lower body, indicating that he had spent a lot of time shirtless on the ship...

However, it seemed even stranger. But then again, remembering how the Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Princesses always brought up the issue of offspring when they quarreled, Dong E was no exception.

Yinzhen hadn't returned yet, so it would be strange if she could give birth on her own.

Now……

Meanwhile, next door, the Tenth Prince's wife was not so gentle and demure. She first gave Yin'e a harsh scolding, "Tsk tsk tsk, look at you! You're even darker than our Mongolian Baturu. It's so dark, I can't even see you."

"Nonsense, the candles are still lit, how could we not see you, Your Highness?" Yin'e glared, not listening to what his tenth wife, Borjigit, was saying about him.

Borjigit looked at him with disdain; she preferred strong men to dark-skinned men.

Yin'e didn't care whether Borjigit Lady disliked him or not; all he wanted was to have a big, fat son with his wife.

Why do the eldest son, the crown prince, the third son, and the fourth son all have legitimate sons, but I can't have one?

Besides, because the wedding was late, and when it was time to bestow servants and palace maids, the princess was busy at Tianjin Bay, so she didn't get any.

He hadn't spent a particularly long time with his wife, but after more than a year at sea and having met all sorts of women, Yin'e still felt that her spirited and capable nature was better.

They can handle things, unlike those who cry and whine—ugh, it's so annoying to listen to them.

Firstly, the fact that the Third Prince's wife plotted to harm the children in the household, resulting in the death of her own legitimate son, left a deep impression on Yinzhen and Yin'e, and they learned a lesson from it.

Secondly... there are no other concubines in the household who are more favored. After being a vegetarian for so long, how could she not have some thoughts?

Finally, I'd better have a son soon.

On the high seas, as the surging waves swept over the large ship, they thought of the capital, of their mother, of their father the emperor... and of how they had no descendants, that their family line had truly ended.

Day 1.

All the princes went to the Ninth Prince's residence, including the Tenth Prince, who was also invited there.

We're brothers, after all. It's been so long since we last saw each other, and he even went on such a dangerous voyage. Let's welcome him back and give him a proper welcome.

They originally planned to leave the palace to celebrate somewhere, but, for some reason, the Ninth Prince asked them to go directly to the Prince's residence.

These were all places they had lived in before. Except for the Crown Prince, everyone else felt familiar with them and soon arrived at Prince Yinzhen's residence.

However, they were still startled when they saw the two big, dark-skinned boys, Yinzhen and Yin'e.

"Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, what happened to you two?"

"Yeah, why is he so dark-skinned? He doesn't look like one of our brothers anymore."

"Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, what happened to you two?"

Everyone was surprised and went up to take a look several times. Had my brother been switched?

But her facial features are still the same, and her voice is still the same, she's just gotten much tanned.

They were all brothers, drinking and bragging together. When it came to bragging, Yin'e was the best.

The perils of one's own voyage are not something everyone has the opportunity to experience, and with Yinzhen adding a few words of encouragement from the side, it becomes even more exhilarating.

Especially the eldest son, who initially wanted to have a legitimate son, now that he has, he feels that his life is more than half complete.

Then, after hearing about the adventures of the ninth and tenth brothers, I felt that as the eldest brother, I was a level below my younger brothers.

That won't do.

Then they told me about the exotic customs, which made me feel excited and amazed. Afterwards, we had a meal and some drinks, and then went out to see the things they brought back from the West.

Everyone rushed out of the palace again.

When Emperor Kangxi learned of this, he pursed his lips in displeasure. What were those two dark-skinned princes doing running around everywhere? Weren't they disgracing the royal family?

"Liang Jiugong, has Consort Yi given any whitening face masks or pearls to the Ninth and Tenth Princes?" Kangxi didn't know much about things that could whiten skin; he had only heard the concubines mention them a few times and they had even asked him to give them to them.

"Your Majesty, perhaps Consort Yi was too pleased to see the Ninth and Tenth Princes, or perhaps she felt that it didn't matter if the Qing Dynasty's warriors were a little dark-skinned, so she didn't pay attention to this matter and didn't bestow anything upon them..."

Liang Jiugong also felt that Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince were indeed too tanned, but it didn't have to be as much as the Emperor kept an eye on them all the time, did it?

Anyway, it will get better with time.

Kangxi snorted and ordered Liang Jiugong to go to the storeroom to see if there was anything that could whiten skin, and to send it to the Ninth and Tenth Princes.

Liang Jiugong: If those empresses and concubines knew, they would be green with envy.

When Yinzhen and Yin'e returned to the princes' quarters, they looked at the gifts bestowed upon them by their father, the Emperor, and were filled with helplessness. They couldn't help but look at their wives and asked, "Wife, does the Emperor look unusually dark-skinned?"

After receiving an affirmative nod, he sighed.

In the days that followed, the profits from the goods they brought back from the West were extremely high.

The court was in an uproar over this matter.

The royal family was also very busy. First, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince moved out of the palace and into their own princely residences.

Not long after, it was the wedding of the eleventh prince and the thirteenth prince.

At this moment, the Fifth Prince's wife didn't care about other people's affairs, and she didn't even pay attention to the fact that the Ninth and Tenth Princes had returned from the West looking as dark as charcoal. She was only concerned about how much time had passed since the last Emperor's birthday celebration.

It's been almost a month, hasn't it?

not yet.

We've arrived...

Fifth Prince's wife was also afraid that the imperial physician would not be able to make a diagnosis. She felt that she could not be so strong as to ask the imperial physician to take her pulse twice in a row. She decided to wait a few more days until her pregnancy was a little deeper.

However, things got busy again, so busy that the Fifth Prince's wife forgot about it.

After this busy period, I sent someone to fetch a doctor, saying that I had been working too hard and had caught a cold and felt tired...

Since I wasn't sure if I was pregnant, I didn't dare to talk about it outside, for fear that I wouldn't get pregnant in the end and would become a laughing stock.

The old woman, filled with anticipation and nervousness, looked at the doctor in front of her, not daring to speak, afraid that if she raised her voice, it would cause a difference in the pulse and affect the doctor's diagnosis.

"Doctor, how is he?" Seeing the doctor withdraw his hand, the nanny couldn't wait to ask.

"Congratulations, Madam! Congratulations! You have a slippery pulse, which indicates you are about halfway pregnant. However, you have been overworking lately, which is not good for the fetus. It would be best to rest and recuperate and maintain a cheerful mood in the future."

The doctor was aware of the Fifth Prince's condition and advised that it was best to be cautious and pay close attention.

I've given all the advice I could.

It's none of my business anymore. I took the reward and left.

When the Fifth Princess heard what the doctor said, she was completely stunned. The shock was so great that she didn't know how to react.

"Madam, Madam, you're pregnant, pregnant!!!" How could the nanny not be overjoyed? She had been hoping for so many years, but the master only doted on his concubines. Even after she moved to the main courtyard, he never called her for water.

She had offered suggestions, such as being gentle and kind, dressing up beautifully... but the master never took the initiative.

"Yes, yes, I'm pregnant, finally... pregnant..." The Fifth Princess was so moved she almost cried, she couldn't believe it, she was really pregnant!

"Madam, Madam, you mustn't cry! You're pregnant, you shouldn't be overjoyed or sad, it's bad for the baby," the nanny quickly advised. She was also excited and happy.

"Mmm." Fifth Princess wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, sniffed, and thought, "Yes, for the sake of the baby in my belly, I must, I must, take good care of myself."

"Reward him!" The Fifth Princess was overjoyed. Naturally, she generously rewarded the doctor who brought her such good news!

The Fifth Prince's wife had been married to Yinqi for so many years without any news, and she was almost heartbroken. This time, she finally became pregnant, which was a great relief. However, the Fifth Prince's wife and the nanny knew that when a woman became pregnant, it would make many people in the inner courtyard envious.

So, when the doctor left, we asked him to keep quiet, thinking it would be better to be on the safe side.

However, although the doctor agreed, there were spies in other courtyards within the main courtyard. Soon, the princesses in the back courtyard learned that the Fifth Prince's wife was pregnant.

When Lady Liu learned that the Fifth Prince's wife was pregnant, she immediately smashed a teacup and sneered, "Pregnant? Well, then, can she give birth to this child?"

That evening, the nanny noticed something amiss in the meal. If she hadn't been the victim of a miscarriage herself, she wouldn't have remembered it so vividly.

"Madam, it seems that people already know about your pregnancy." The old woman frowned cautiously. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. What's more, several princesses, including Liu Jia, still wield considerable power in the inner courtyard. They were all spoiled by their master.

"Madam, why don't we go to the palace tomorrow and ask Her Majesty to grant us two nannies and a female physician to take care of you during this pregnancy?" The nanny suggested. She could manage on her own, but there were many things that required specialized care.

Fifth Princess Consort did not speak, but simply nodded.

The next day, he went to the palace to pay his respects to his mother and told Consort Yi the good news, which Consort Yi was overjoyed.

"Good, good, good." How could Consort Yi not be happy? It meant that she was going to have a grandson. As soon as she heard the Fifth Prince Consort ask her to bestow a nanny and a female physician, she immediately sent two or three of them.

"Take good care of yourself during this time. It's hot, so you don't need to come over to pay your respects. Just stay at the mansion and take good care of yourself, understand?" She wasn't the kind of person to let her daughter-in-law suffer, and she was also afraid of her daughter-in-law following in the footsteps of that vile woman, Consort De, Uya.

What could a wasted daughter-in-law gain? She was killed, wasn't she? And she was killed by her own daughter-in-law, which was unprecedented in the Qing Dynasty.

The Fifth Prince's wife felt a warmth in her heart from the care shown to her. She had to admit that, apart from Yinqi, everyone else in the royal family was actually quite kind to her.

Oh, right, I should also tell the Crown Prince's sister-in-law about this happy news.

It was all thanks to the Crown Prince's sister-in-law's good ideas that Yinqi found out. By the time she returned, the news of the Fifth Prince's wife's pregnancy had already spread.

Is she pregnant?

How come he didn't know? Why didn't he come to tell him the good news right away?

(End of this chapter)