Chapter 187 Yin's Birthday Banquet (Part 3)

"Second Brother!"

Yin, the birthday celebrant, greeted everyone with a broad smile, saying, "I thought you weren't coming today!"

"How could I not come to your birthday celebration?"

Yinreng looked at Yin with a smile, took a brocade box from the eunuch following behind him and handed it over, "Here, your birthday gift."

Upon hearing this, Yinreng smiled broadly and accepted the birthday gift that Yinreng had specially prepared for him. He held the box tightly and asked curiously, "Can I see what it is?"

"It's yours, so feel free to look at it."

Yin couldn't wait to open it, and the other princes also joined in the fun.

As Yin slowly opened the box, a gleam of dark gold came into view; it was the latest model of musket!

"Wow!" Yin exclaimed in surprise, carefully picking up the musket and caressing it with obvious affection. "Second Brother... is this really for me?"

His tone was filled with surprise and disbelief.

Yinreng nodded and explained with a smile, "I know you've been eyeing this thing for a long time. As soon as I got the latest model, I was determined to save one for you. But, tenth brother, this musket is extremely powerful, so you're not allowed to mess around with it outside. I assured you, eldest brother, that you wouldn't do anything reckless before I got this latest repeating musket."

Yinzhi is now in charge of the firearms battalion. The new firearms are far superior to those of other countries in terms of power and design. Therefore, they are closely monitored, and very few leak out before the army is fully equipped with them.

Yin knew the value of the musket, and nodded repeatedly, shaking his head like a rattle: "Don't worry, Second Brother! I know what I'm doing and I won't act rashly."

The brothers standing nearby were incredibly envious.

Yinzhen was young and the most daring. He stepped forward, grabbed Yinreng's sleeve, shook it, and began to whine, "Second brother, I want one too! Look how majestic tenth brother is. I will definitely keep it safe and never cause any trouble. Second brother, please prepare one for me too."

Yinreng smiled helplessly and patted his shoulder: "Don't be impatient. If you behave well and don't cause trouble outside during your next birthday celebration, your second brother will naturally prepare a good gift for you."

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen, though still somewhat unwilling, knew there was no room for negotiation, so he could only let go and mutter, "Then Second Brother mustn't forget."

Seeing this, the other princes could only secretly envy them, plotting in their hearts to make a good impression during this time. They hoped that on their own birthdays, they could also obtain such novel and impressive items.

An invisible wind of involution has begun to blow.

Because of Yinreng's birthday celebration, Yinzhen, who was following behind Yinreng, was left standing aside for a while. However, he showed no anger on his face, his expression was indifferent and calm, and he stood quietly with his hands behind his back.

During the brief exchange of pleasantries, he casually lifted the hem of his robe and said lightly, "My second brother and I just came from the Ministry of Revenue. We had a lot of tedious tasks and many important matters, each one of which was quite troublesome. We rushed to get everything arranged for my tenth brother's birthday banquet."

Upon hearing this, Yin was deeply moved and couldn't help but say, "Second brother, you've worked so hard. It wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't come."

Although he would be disappointed, he didn't want his second brother to be too tired.

"It's alright, with my fourth brother helping me, I'm not having a hard time."

Yinreng glanced at Yinzhen, his eyes revealing relief. Yinzhen's cold face softened instantly, the corners of his mouth slightly curving upwards, and his voice became much gentler: "It's good that I can help my second brother."

Apart from Yin, the other princes exchanged glances, confirming that the fourth prince was cunning!

Only the tenth brother could grasp the surface meaning. The fourth brother seemed to be talking about how hard the second brother had worked, but in reality, he was showing off the second brother's trust in him!

His cold expression couldn't hide his cunning!

The smile on the Eighth Prince Yinzhi's lips faded slightly, and he paused in stroking the jade pendant in his hand, but his face quickly regained its gentleness: "Fourth Brother is very capable, unlike me who still has many shortcomings and needs Second Brother to give me more guidance."

After saying that, she looked up at Yinreng with a bitter expression, but her eyes were full of trust.

Yinreng patted his shoulder gently and said with a smile, "Eighth Brother, there's no need to belittle yourself. You've done a great job in the Imperial Household Department."

"That's all thanks to Second Brother's guidance." Satisfied at drawing Yinreng's attention to himself, Yinsi smiled even more sincerely.

Yinzhen clenched his fist slightly. Sure enough, all these years, the Eighth Prince had only known how to play the victim! How despicable!

The rivalry between the fourth and eighth brothers is always more subtle and tactful. But that doesn't stop everyone except the tenth brother from realizing that they're vying for the second brother's attention!

Although they can't learn the ways of the Fourth and Eighth Princes in a short time, well, mainly in terms of political affairs, the Fourth and Eighth Princes are indeed the best, a fact that they have to admit even though they are competitors.

But as the saying goes, brute force can overcome any skill.

So, Yinzhen stepped forward and said, "Second brother, would you like to see a magic show? This is a birthday gift that Mingyu specially prepared for the tenth prince, and it's quite novel."

"A magic trick?" Yinreng raised an eyebrow and looked at the water pavilion with its conspicuous curtain of origami cranes hanging not far away. "So you were just cheering for a magic trick?"

“That’s right,” Yin nodded closer and enthusiastically introduced to him, “Second Brother, it’s quite interesting. I must say, Mingyu is quite capable.”

Mingyu, who was standing outside the crowd too embarrassed to speak, couldn't help but glare at Yin when she heard his words. What did he mean by "having some ability"? She wondered who it was that was shouting and yelling while watching!

Yinreng smiled helplessly, "You, Mingyu meant well, how could you say such a thing about a young girl?"

Yin scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

Yinzhi didn't mind Yintang changing the subject, and went along with their suggestion to recommend it to Yinreng: "They are indeed some novel magic tricks, Second Brother, why don't you take a look?"

"Since you've all said so, then I'll take a look."

Yinreng agreed and sat down on the chair prepared by the servants.

Zhang Xiao, who was in the pavilion, had his gaze quietly fall on the Crown Prince the moment Yinreng appeared.

This young prince, who was in his prime at the age of thirty, had a tall and straight figure. His gorgeous clothes fit him perfectly, which made his face look even more like jade. His sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes revealed his innate nobility, but he did not show any sharpness. Instead, he was gentle and kind.

His every gesture was natural and unrestrained, flowing effortlessly without a trace of arrogance or haughtiness. He seemed to radiate a unique charm that was truly rare in the rigidly hierarchical Forbidden City.

Watching him chat and laugh with the other princes, their intimacy was genuine and unpretentious, a true expression of affection. Zhang Xiao felt a warmth welling up in his heart.

This scene was vastly different from the cold and oppressive royal relationships she had imagined. So how did they end up in such a historically irreconcilable conflict? Was the throne so powerful that it could change a person beyond recognition?

As the historical records of Yinreng's two depositions and two reinstatements flashed through his mind, Zhang Xiao looked at the outstanding Crown Prince in front of him and felt a pang of regret and pity.

Even though she tried her best to hide it, the regret and pity in her eyes when she looked at Yinreng could not be faked.

When she came to her senses, with the prompting of her servants, she regained her composure and began to perform again, but that fleeting emotion was noticed by some people.