Chapter 25 I Didn't See His Face: It's hard to say how Emperor Kangxi felt after Yinreng said this, but Liang Jiugong, who was serving nearby, was speechless…

It's hard to say how Emperor Kangxi felt after hearing Yinreng's words, but Liang Jiugong, who was serving him, was genuinely shocked and broke out in a cold sweat.

The relationship between the emperor and his son is first that of ruler and subject, then father and son. I thought the crown prince had come here to take a fancy to some noble family or a great Manchu woman, and wanted to marry her to have a powerful ally.

If one has such thoughts, it is understandable. After all, in the past few decades, the empresses in the Forbidden City, from the Hesheli clan to the Niohuru clan and then to the Tongjia clan, were all from prominent maternal families. His Majesty's conferment of the title of empress upon them was, in a way, an attempt to appease and win over these powerful Manchu clans.

The Crown Prince made no mention of whether he wanted a Manchu or Mongol Crown Princess; he only said he wanted someone like the late Empress, which is quite intriguing.

Whether His Majesty truly desires a dignified, generous, gentle, and virtuous wife like Empress Hesheli, or a Crown Princess who can serve as a model for the nation and become Empress in the future, the meaning behind this depends entirely on which direction His Majesty chooses to consider.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yinreng regretted them. His hands rested loosely on his knees, appearing relaxed but his fingers were actually cramping.

Last year, when I went to the Emperor's court after leaving the capital, I was reprimanded for not saying a word, as I appeared careless and showed no concern. Now, I wonder if my words will cause my father to misunderstand that I am eager to ascend the throne. It's hard to say.

His son was like a bowstring taut, and it would be a lie to say that Kangxi wasn't distressed at all. He knew, of course, what Yinreng was worried about, but even though he was so afraid of another misunderstanding between them, he still came on his own initiative.

"Where am I supposed to find another one like your Empress Dowager? You're really giving me a hard time." Kangxi patted his son's shoulder. "I know about this. Don't try to figure things out on your own later. Remember that?"

"Don't worry, Father, I've got it." Don't overthink it; he was referring to the matter of establishing a Crown Princess, and even more so to everything that had happened before. When Yinreng stood up, he even felt a surge of heat rush up his spine to the back of his head, making his scalp tingle.

As he emerged from the Qianqing Palace, the lingering heat dissipated with his gradually calming breaths. His steps were unsteady, and he didn't hear Liang Jiugong calling his name, "Your Highness," several times behind him.

"Your Highness, please wait. These are longans and lychees that have just been presented as tribute. His Majesty would like you to take some back to Yuqing Palace."

"so much?"

"His Majesty left a plate in front of him, and the best of the rest is all here."

The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and by all accounts, the season for eating lychees and longans has passed. At this time of year, even if there are ways to preserve the fresh fruits sent from the south, at most only two or three out of ten will make it to the capital, be selected, and then be presented to Emperor Kangxi in the palace.

A young eunuch carrying a full basket of lychees and a full basket of longans followed behind the Crown Prince, delivering the lychees and longans back to Yuqing Palace. Many people witnessed this, and soon the news of the Emperor and the Crown Prince's reconciliation spread throughout the Forbidden City at an alarming rate.

Behind the side hall of Yuqing Palace, there are special guard rooms for guards. Guards who are not on duty temporarily rest here.

Most of those who could enter the palace as guards were elites from the Eight Banners. It was the most natural and cleanest path for the Eight Banners' children to rise in rank. These people were, of course, different from the real servants in the palace.

Aside from the hardship and fatigue during duty hours, at least during rest periods you can get a small room with three other people. When you're not on night shifts and can't leave the palace, you can sleep peacefully here. Apart from not being able to move around freely, there are no other problems.

Since these were the last three spots to be filled, Yu Lang was assigned a room with E Shan and Geng E. When E Shan was on duty, the two bumped into each other and nodded to each other, which was enough for them to greet each other.

Geng'e was previously a servant of the Emperor, but the Crown Prince took him from the Qianqing Palace, essentially making him a trusted informant. This informant position was public knowledge, and Geng'e was well aware of his role, so after his shift, he didn't mingle with his colleagues but went straight back to his room to rest.

Yu Lang, on the other hand, was surrounded by several familiar colleagues as soon as he entered the small courtyard where he was on duty. Not only was he summoned by the Crown Prince on his first day on duty, but he was also rewarded with a dagger, which was a rare thing in Yuqing Palace.

After Yu Lang finally finished exchanging pleasantries with his colleagues and showed them the Shun Dao one by one, he found a moment to sneak back into the hut.

The courtyards that can be used as guardhouses are unlikely to have good lighting and location, and the houses that are left unclaimed at the end are even worse in terms of lighting.

The only advantage is that the room is a bit bigger than the others. At least for now, Yu Lang and Geng E, two big men, are still quite spacious under one roof. Even if E Shan comes back tonight, it won't feel cramped.

"Lord Geng, would you like to take a look at this knife?" Yu Lang knew, of course, that Geng E's identity was somewhat delicate, so much so that even the guard squad that Geng E himself led treated him rather coldly.

After all, the guards that His Majesty had previously selected for Yuqing Palace were all from the same group. Even if they knew in their hearts who His Majesty's men were, as long as they didn't show it on their faces, they were all just people on the scene and anyone could pretend to be stupid.

Geng E is different. Geng E has been quite popular with the emperor in recent years. Now that the crown prince has taken him in, no one dares to get close to him, firstly for fear of displeasing the crown prince, and secondly for fear of gossip.

It's true that the Crown Prince actively sought out Geng'e from the Qianqing Palace, but he's the Crown Prince, and whatever he does is justified. If you were to fawn over him and something bad were to happen, you'd have no one to complain to if you suffered a loss.

But it's fine if others avoid him, but I'll still have to live in the same room with him from now on, and it's really not okay to keep not talking to him.

If he kept attracting unwanted attention, people would say that he, being from the Hesheli family, had a problem with the people around the Emperor. Yu Lang didn't dare to take the blame, so he had to bite the bullet and try to make conversation.

Unfortunately, his words immediately caused a major embarrassment. Both being martial artists, Yu Lang's intention was simply to show Geng E the Shun Dao, praising its exceptional forging craftsmanship. However, his words inexplicably came across as boasting, easily misinterpreted as blatant bragging.

"Well, that's not what I meant..."

“I know there’s no one else in the room. Sit down and let’s talk.”

Geng'e was a full fifteen years older than Yu Lang; if he had put in the effort, he could have fathered a Yu Lang himself. Given such a large age gap, he could easily tell whether Yu Lang was deliberately showing off or simply trying to make conversation.

"This knife is truly excellent. His Majesty has two more of the same craftsmanship, one a waist knife and the other a horizontal knife."

"Really? I hope I can see it sometime in the future."

Yu Lang truly loved knives. His family had collected quite a few over the years, and he was happy to receive a gift from the Crown Prince today. But what made him even happier was that the gift was a knife. As soon as he left Jide Hall, Yu Lang tucked the knife back into his waistband. When no one was looking, he would raise his hand to touch the hilt. He loved the knife, regardless of who had given it to him.

Men, from ancient times to the present, have always loved to have fun. In the past, they fought cocks and birds, bought horses and trained hawks; later, they bought cars, rode motorcycles, and stayed up all night playing video games. In essence, they are all the same.

Yu Lang liked knives, while Geng E preferred swords; their interests were similar, though their paths diverged. Having shared the same hobby, the two quickly began to chat.

Geng'e was a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner. His father was a cavalry captain, a military officer within the banner who was one rank lower than a Zuo Ling. He entered the Imperial Guard with the best archery and horsemanship score, rising from a third-class guard to a first-class guard. If the Crown Prince hadn't brought him to Yuqing Palace this time, he would have been sent to his post as a deputy commander after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

If he were to go, it would be a sure promotion. After staying away for a few years, he could return to the capital and either become a vice minister in the Ministry of War, or become the chief officer of the Five City Garrison or the Nine Gates. In any case, his future would be limitless.

It's not going to work out now. Although it's not bad to continue being a first-class guard at Yuqing Palace, the plans that were originally set up have been disrupted. How could I not feel the slightest bit of resentment?

It was only at this moment, watching Yu Lang, who was resting his elbows on the table and talking animatedly about the knives he had acquired over the years, that the nameless knot in his heart slowly dissipated.

Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. Now that we're in Yuqing Palace, let's not think about the path to becoming a deputy commander anymore. It's better to get the job done right now than anything else.

Yu Lang had no idea about Geng E's worries. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old newlywed had no time to worry about his future. He just thought that this Lord Geng was quite nice, and the more they talked, the more approachable he became. He thought that the days of sharing a room with him would not be so hard to bear from now on.

It's true that the palace is known for its strict rules. But besides the red bricks and green tiles, the palace is also filled with people, and where there are people, rumors are bound to circulate.

On the second day of Yu Lang's service in the palace, Shen Wanqing saw Qing Shuang returning from outside with a beaming smile, her eyes practically closed with her teeth showing, leaving everyone in the room completely bewildered.

"Qing Shuang, why are you laughing like that? Did you find some silver outside?"

"Grandma, this is an even better thing than finding silver."

"My master just started working at Yuqing Palace, and I heard he immediately caught the Crown Prince's eye and was even rewarded with a sleight of hand. He's really showing off."

It's said that eight or nine out of ten things in the world don't go as planned. Shen Wanqing really didn't want to mention the unlucky Crown Prince Yinreng, but these past two days, whether she went to the main courtyard to pay her respects to Lady Tongjia, or shamelessly went to the west courtyard to stay by Lady Shumulu's side to see how she managed the household and how she got along with the stewardesses, there were always people who came to her to congratulate her.

At times like this, no matter how unhappy you are inside, you have to put on a show of being happy and honored, but also embarrassed to be so happy, and listen to their compliments. After listening, you should ask the maid to give you a few hundred coins as a reward. This is the proper reaction of a female relative of an official who has won the favor of the Crown Prince.

If he dared to show even the slightest displeasure, such matters could easily escalate. Perhaps before the Crown Prince was deposed more than a decade later, Yu Lang's future would be ruined by such a trivial matter.

That's just how people are. They know there are mountains of knives and seas of fire in the distance, yet they can't bear to give up the beautiful flowers and blazing oil in front of them.

Moreover, even if Shen Wanqing were willing to give up, the Hesheli family and the Shen family would not tolerate her doing anything inappropriate that would jeopardize Yu Lang's promising future. If she really did something she shouldn't have, she might be considered insane and locked up, and then it wouldn't be something she could handle by relying on her abilities.

So even though she got angry when Qing Shuang talked about how Yu Lang had won the Crown Prince's favor, and was so angry that she couldn't help but slam the comb in her hand on the dressing table, she still managed to compose herself as quickly as possible.

He deliberately put on a reproachful and dissatisfied look: "He's showing his face, he's certainly showing his face outside, but I haven't seen his face at all."

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