The ninth day of the eighth lunar month arrived, and the sun shone brightly as before, showing no sign of rain. The Emperor and the Imperial Observatory had chosen this day because Ji Changming had observed for a long time and predicted heavy rain, expecting it to fall on this very day. Since he said it would rain on this day, Kangxi could only believe him. From early morning, the Ministry of Rites began preparations. Kangxi personally went to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain, and the necessary regalia and accompanying officials were prepared.

Early in the morning, a large number of imperial relatives and ministers gathered at the Hall of Preserving Harmony, and the Ministry of Rites was also making corresponding preparations.

A large group of officials from the Ministry of Rites were gathered around the Fourth Prince, discussing the matter of praying for rain. Among them was Minister Xu, the Fourth Prince's relative by marriage. Emperor Kangxi's decision to have the Fourth Prince pray for rain on his behalf had shifted the morale of the court. Previously, it was widely believed that with the Crown Prince deposed, the most likely successor to the throne was Prince Yinqi, the First Prince of the First Rank. However, those who were already restless were now becoming opportunists.

"Brother, look at those people, chasing after Fourth Prince, wagging their tails and begging for mercy!" Third Prince Yinzhi said sarcastically to Yinti. The two of them had often bickered in the past, and the reason why the pair of illegal stone lions at Third Prince's gate were reported to Old Kang so accurately might have been due to Yinti's efforts.

"It's said that Third Brother spends his days drinking and listening to music at Changchun Garden, living a carefree and happy life. Why is he here today?" Yinti had always disliked the Third Prince, and he had disliked Yinzhi since childhood. At that time, Consort Hui and Consort Rong were fiercely competing for the Emperor's favor, so their sons also disliked each other.

Yinzhi hated it most when people mentioned his time at Changchun Garden. Hearing the First Prince's sarcastic remark, he immediately turned away in anger and ignored the First Prince Yinti.

"Eighth Brother, Fourth Brother is going to be the first to speak up this time. The eldest brother's eyes are practically spitting fire. Look at him!" Ninth Master and Eighth Master stood aside watching Prince Heshuo and Third Prince argue and then ignore each other.

"The Fourth Prince prayed for rain on behalf of the Emperor, but only insiders knew about it. Didn't you see the announcement that Father Emperor had the Ministry of Rites issue? It said that the Emperor himself prayed for rain," said the Eighth Prince.

“Isn’t Father Emperor getting old? After that battle, I doubt he’ll be able to hold on,” said Ninth Prince.

"That's why the fourth son was chosen. But those disaster victims outside don't know that the one kneeling in the Temple of Heaven isn't the emperor, but the fourth son!" Eighth Master said meaningfully.

Ninth Master felt uneasy watching the officials fawning over Fourth Master. He said, "Eighth Brother, why don't we let the disaster victims outside know? That way, they might cause a commotion and disrupt Fourth Master's rain-making ritual."

The Eighth Prince glanced at the Ninth Prince. Ever since he was demoted to a bald prince by Emperor Kangxi, he had become more cautious than before. He lowered his voice and said, "The drought is so severe now that Father Emperor is personally overseeing the situation. Don't do anything reckless. If you incite a popular uprising, Father Emperor won't let you off the hook. Besides, there are people who can't stand the Fourth Prince's face even more than we can."

Ninth Master nodded and said, "Yes, look at our eldest brother, his head is practically covered by a lantern. His neck and eyes are all red. And look at our second brother. After he fell from the position of Crown Prince, he's like a completely different person. He's acting like a leisurely nobleman. Look at him, he's just standing there, not saying a word to anyone."

The Eighth Prince glanced at the deposed Crown Prince Yinreng. Although he had been deposed by Emperor Kangxi, he was still a prince and naturally had the right to participate in court affairs. In the past, Yinreng rarely came, and everyone had gotten used to not seeing him. Why was he here today?

Eighth Master pondered for a moment, then looked at Fourth Master, who still had that icy expression. Despite being surrounded by a group of sycophantic officials, he seemed completely unmoved.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

With a high-pitched "Yes, sir!" from Liang Jiugong, Emperor Kangxi, dressed in bright yellow, entered, supported by eunuchs.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Inside the Hall of Preserving Harmony, everyone knelt down, recalling the sound of the ministers shouting "Long live the Emperor!" three times to Emperor Kangxi.

"Rise, my lords!" Kangxi's expression was not good. It seemed the drought outside was dire; reports from various regions indicated reduced grain production, an increase in the number of displaced people, and frequent disturbances. If this severe drought was not resolved soon, the very foundation of the Qing Dynasty might be shaken.

"Minister Xu, Minister Gao, how is the Ministry of Rites making preparations?" Kangxi asked, frowning.

"Your Majesty, everything at the Ministry of Rites is ready," Lord Xu stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed to Emperor Kangxi.

Kangxi nodded, then said to Ji Changming of the Imperial Observatory, "Minister Ji, the nebulae you observed indicate that it will rain tomorrow?"

Ji Changming quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have been observing the nebula for several days. It should be within the next day or two."

Emperor Kangxi nodded and said, "If it doesn't rain soon, the crops will all die of thirst. If the drought and disaster combine, the farmers in all the land will rise up in rebellion. Therefore, tomorrow's rain-praying ceremony must be grand and solemn for me. We must establish the image of the imperial family valuing the disaster victims."

The Fourth Prince watched with a solemn expression as Emperor Kangxi reprimanded the court officials from the throne, his heart filled with pride. His father's choice to replace him in the rain-praying ceremony demonstrated his trust in him. He also knew he had likely become a thorn in the side of the Prince of Heshuo, and his other brothers were all watching him make a fool of himself in front of their father. Therefore, he absolutely had to make the rain-praying ceremony tomorrow a success.

After the court session ended, the Fourth Prince was stopped by the deposed Crown Prince Yinreng. Actually, he didn't care what his other brothers thought of him; the only one who made the Fourth Prince a little uncomfortable was Yinreng.

"Second Brother!" Fourth Prince walked up to Yinreng and addressed him.

"Fourth Prince, Father Emperor values ​​you highly. He chose you from among all the princes to replace him in praying for rain. You must not disappoint Father Emperor," Yinreng said with a kind smile.

Hearing these words, the Fourth Prince felt even more guilty towards Yinreng. If he were still the Emperor, it would certainly have been Yinreng who prayed for rain on behalf of Emperor Kangxi today.

"Thank you for the reminder, Second Brother. I will do my best to make this rain-making ceremony a success for Father Emperor," Fourth Prince replied.

“Alright, go ahead. Your second brother has always thought highly of you. You are steady and decisive, a person who can do good things and practical things for the Qing Dynasty,” Yinreng said meaningfully.

The Fourth Master was deeply touched and said with a touch of excitement, "Thank you for your praise, Second Brother. It makes me quite uneasy. How are you doing, Second Brother?"

Yinreng laughed and said, "What could be bad? I don't have to listen to those people's reports every day anymore. I can do whatever I want every day. Life is very carefree and happy."