Chapter 90 Winter Vegetables

After spending two days in the fields under Yinzhen's guidance, the thirteenth and fourteenth brothers lost all their melancholy and sentimentality. Compared to farming, what were the hardships of court life?

So even though they were exhausted, after leaving Yinzhen's estate and returning to the capital, both of them were full of energy and their ability to withstand pressure had visibly increased, as if they had taken some kind of magic pill.

Since Yinzhen withdrew from the court, fewer people paid attention to him. Only a small number of people, including Yinxiang and Yinzhen, knew that he was actually farming. But in the eyes of most people, "farming" was just an excuse for Prince Yong to stay away from court disputes.

So much so that when Prince Yong presented greenhouse vegetables in the winter of the forty-third year, everyone suddenly realized that he had actually made a name for himself in growing them.

Winters are bitterly cold, and vegetable harvests are difficult. Even for the emperor, Kangxi's meals mainly consisted of meat.

He couldn't bring himself to spend so much manpower and resources transporting vegetables from the south to satisfy his appetite. So even though he was already tired of it and had no appetite, he didn't say anything more.

But today's meal was different. Kangxi immediately noticed the fresh and vibrant seasonal vegetables on the table. Served by Liang Jiugong, Kangxi took a bite. The vegetables were sweet, crisp, and refreshing, truly fresh, which piqued his curiosity.

"Liang Jiugong, where did this dish come from?"

"Your Majesty, these are vegetables that Prince Yong sent from his estate. He personally grew them and said they are nothing of great value, just to add a dish to your winter meals. Since it was lunchtime, and I noticed that you haven't been eating well lately, I took the liberty of sending them to the Imperial Kitchen first."

Liang Jiugong replied with a forced smile, and seeing Kangxi's expression, he put another piece of vegetables on his plate.

"Fourth Prince? He's entered the palace?" Kangxi was somewhat surprised. He knew that Yinzhen had used the pretext of farming to avoid the palace, but he hadn't expected that Yinzhen would actually manage to grow something.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Yinzhen was always a man of action; if he mentioned farming, he certainly wouldn't just talk the talk. However, looking at the fresh vegetables on the table, Kangxi couldn't help but feel curious. Could it be that his fourth son also had some talent for farming?

“Prince Yong did not enter the palace; he was escorted in by guards from his residence. The Empress Dowager, Consort Tongjia, and the Crown Prince all received him,” Liang Jiugong explained carefully.

"The fourth prince is doing a good job." Kangxi nodded, satisfied with Yinzhen's work style. However, the thought of him avoiding the palace to avoid suspicion still made him somewhat annoyed.

It wasn't directed at Yinzhen, but rather at the factional infighting in the court. Although he wanted to maintain balance, it didn't mean he wanted to see the court descend into chaos.

Thinking of the princes vying for power and then looking at the unassuming Yinzhen, Kangxi became increasingly satisfied with Yinzhen. In the end, it was Yinzhen who was filial.

Therefore, the cartload of fresh vegetables that Yinzhen sent to the palace turned into a series of rewards and was returned. As a result, the court and the public learned that Yinzhen had grown some good things from farming.

Fresh winter vegetables—who wouldn't drool at the thought? Even those with only a casual relationship with Prince Yong dared to contact his residence to try and buy some.

Among those who weren't on good terms with Prince Yong, there were quite a few who were bold and shrewd. If they couldn't contact Prince Yong, they could contact the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes. Everyone knew that these two princes had a good relationship with Prince Yong; would Prince Yong forget them when he had something good?

Yinzhen was such a clever man. Therefore…

"Ninth Brother, isn't the Court of State Ceremonial busy?"

With a long face, Yinzhen looked at Ninth Prince Yintang, who had once again arrived uninvited during the meal, and tightened his grip on his chopsticks.

"Hey, it's just a matter of clocking in, what's there to be so busy about?" Yinzhen sat down at the table without any ceremony, instructing the servants to bring him an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks, as if he were at home.

"Brother was just worried that you hadn't settled in yet since you just left the palace to establish your own residence, so I came to see you."

"You come here quite often, huh? And you always come right around lunchtime," Yinzhen said through gritted teeth, trying to control his anger.

"Hey, Fourteenth Brother, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but how can you be so stingy? It's just a meal you invited me to, and I didn't let you treat me for nothing." Yinzhen sat at the table very comfortably, took out a jade paperweight from his sleeve and placed it in front of Yinzhen. "Fourteenth Brother, the servants in your mansion are no good either, they are so slow to get a bowl and chopsticks."

Seeing that Yinzhen had pulled out another nice item, Yinzhen then signaled the servants to set out a bowl and chopsticks for Yinzhen. Looking at Yinzhen, who was only eating vegetables, Yinzhen was both helpless and curious. "Ninth Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but it's just for some vegetables. How much of all these things you've given me could buy?"

Looking at Yinzhen, who seemed oblivious to the hardships of life, Yinzhen felt a pang of sadness and jealousy. He said, "It's just a bite of vegetables? Fourteenth Prince, you've been spoiled by the Fourth Prince since you established your own residence. Have you forgotten how rare vegetables are in winter? They're priceless."

"Well, since Fourth Brother is thinking of me, there's nothing I can do." Yinzhen couldn't hide his smugness, his lips practically curling up to the sky. "If you ask me, Ninth Brother, if you really like it, just spend money and buy it from Fourth Brother."

Yinzhen glanced at Yintang with annoyance, "Don't even think about me and the Fourth Prince bowing down! Just tell me if I'll eat here or not?"

Yinzhen reached out and slammed another stack of silver notes onto the table. Yinzhen's eyes lit up instantly, and he said with a big smile, "Make way, make way, Ninth Brother is so generous, as your younger brother, I can't be stingy. Eat slowly, there's more if you're not full."

Yinzhen was delighted to have swindled another sum of money. Ninth Brother was truly his lucky charm. Tomorrow, he would have Fourth Brother send over some vegetables and provoke Ninth Brother again, so he and Fourth Brother could make a fortune.

Yinzhen, who believed he had the Fourteenth Prince under his thumb with his wealth, was unaware that he had long been a sucker, having filled far more than just Yinzhen's pockets. He refused to bow to Yinzhen, but little did he know that half of the fine gifts he had given to Yinzhen during this period had been given to Yinzhen in return.

...

Prince Yong's winter vegetables became a sensation. While some court officials believed "food is the first necessity of the people," others naturally disapproved. Within days, an imperial censor submitted a memorial impeaching Prince Yong for indulging in extravagance to satisfy his appetite. He claimed that for the sake of a single vegetable and a prestigious title, he had squandered vast amounts of manpower and resources on vegetable cultivation.

After all, according to some observant people, Prince Yong was able to grow vegetables in winter, and it was said that he had built some kind of greenhouse, which seemed to be constructed using precious glass. In some people's eyes, this was nothing short of extravagance.

The person who submitted the memorial had a clever plan: to put down Prince Yong to show loyalty and gain a good reputation. Little did they know that Prince Yong had already compiled winter vegetable cultivation techniques into a book and submitted it, which included more than just the glass greenhouse method.

Prince Yong explained that using glazed tiles to build greenhouses was merely for testing purposes and the construction cost was minimal. In addition, he summarized several other methods suitable for widespread adoption among the common people.

When Emperor Kangxi circulated the contents of Yinzhen's memorial to the court officials, everyone was impressed by Prince Yong's dedication and ability. Only the censor who impeached him trembled with fear, sweating profusely, feeling hopeless about his future.

As expected, Kangxi dismissed him from his post on the spot on the grounds that he had provided false evidence and made unfounded accusations.

By now, everyone could see how much Kangxi valued Prince Yong. Although Yinzhen was not in court, he returned to the public eye with just a winter vegetable dish, and no one dared to underestimate his presence.