Chapter 105 One Hundred and Five Admit Defeat; Old Ten's Daring and Unremarkable Nature

Kangxi glanced amusedly at Yin'e, who was adept at discarding someone after they've served their purpose and betraying them after they've served their purpose, but he didn't say anything. He simply pointed at Yin'e with his hand, giving him a look that said, "I'll remember you," before preparing to leave the study and return to the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Kangxi had already reached the door, but Yin'e glanced at the Fifth Prince and felt that he couldn't leave the Fifth Prince behind, so he called out again, "Wait a minute, Father, there's one more thing."

Kangxi stopped walking, raised an eyebrow slightly, and this time his expression carried a hint of displeasure. When he turned to look at Yin'e, his voice was slightly deep: "Is there anything else?"

The Ninth Prince sensed Kangxi's displeasure, but he mustered his courage and stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Yin'e, without retreating an inch, displaying an attitude of sharing weal and woe with Yin'e.

Yin'e didn't care whether Kangxi liked him or valued him, so he was very bold. As long as he didn't cross Kangxi's bottom line, he dared to jump around on the edge of Kangxi's tolerance.

Hehe~ Just having fun~~

Unfazed by Kangxi's displeased expression, Yin'e blinked his clear, bright almond-shaped eyes and gave Kangxi a sweet, ingratiating smile: "I'd like to ask for leave for Fifth Brother. It's been a long time since Fifth Brother visited Consort Yi at Yikun Palace. This is a good opportunity for him to go with Ninth Brother."

With his hands clasped together, Yin'e bowed obsequiously to Emperor Kangxi: "Father, please, just grant my request! I promise there won't be any other problems."

Startled, Kangxi glanced at Yin'e, whose face was full of flattery and obsequiousness, with some surprise. It was unclear whether he was surprised by Yin'e's boldness or by the request Yin'e made.

After a moment, Kangxi slowly nodded and said, "You seem to have a good relationship with the Fifth Prince. Very well, since you care about your Fifth Brother, then I grant your request."

The Fifth Prince, who was standing to the side, was caught off guard when Yin'e mentioned him. He didn't react at first, but now that Kangxi had approved his leave, he immediately stopped thinking about Yin'e's intentions and a happy smile appeared on his round, chubby face.

With bright, sparkling eyes, the Fifth Prince stepped forward and bowed to Emperor Kangxi, saying, "Father is so kind, Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Although it was just leaving school a little early and not a real holiday, it was still a good thing for the Fifth Prince. Being able to spend less time in the Imperial Study was something he was happy about.

After Kangxi left, under the mixed and incomprehensible gazes of the other princes, the Ninth Prince leaned over and tilted his head to ask Yin'e, "Why did you suddenly tell Father that we wanted to visit Mother? Didn't we just return to the Western Six Palaces the day before yesterday?"

Unlike the other princes, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince were raised by their birth mothers from a young age. After moving from the Western Six Palaces to the Princes' Residence, it wasn't just Yin'e and the Ninth Prince who were having trouble adjusting; the Consort and Consort Yi also struggled to adapt.

After moving to the Prince's Residence, they spent a few days adjusting to life away from their mothers. Then, the day before yesterday, they arranged to go back to the Western Six Palaces to visit their birth mothers, as a way of letting them know that they were safe and sound and that they didn't need to worry that they would feel lost or helpless after establishing themselves in the Prince's Residence.

However, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince were different. Yin'e had already planned to skip class and go back to the Western Six Palaces to visit the Consort as soon as he entered school, but the Ninth Prince did not miss Consort Yi and his younger brother Yinzhi as much.

After moving from Yikun Palace to the West Third Palace, the Ninth Prince enjoyed the freedom of being unrestrained, just like a bird released from its cage. He was not homesick, nor did he miss the days in Yikun Palace. On the contrary, he felt that living alone in the West Fourth Palace was very peaceful.

In response to the Ninth Prince's doubts, Yin'e pursed his lips and whispered, "Have you forgotten that we just humiliated the Imperial Kitchen this morning? Do you expect to eat food sent from the Imperial Kitchen for lunch again?"

Since they were going to go back to the Western Six Palaces anyway to discuss with the Noble Consort and Consort Yi about continuing to keep their allowances there and having meals delivered to them every day, they might as well do it today at noon and settle the matter there, while also getting a free lunch.

The Third Prince, who was not far away and had overheard Yin'e and the Ninth Prince's conversation, froze and stood there in place.

Not noticing the Third Prince's unusual behavior, Yin'e paused and added, "Besides, didn't you get enough sleep last night and have been feeling sleepy all day? We'll finish class early and go to the Western Six Palaces, where you can take a nap in Yikun Palace."

The Ninth Prince's beautiful phoenix eyes crinkled with laughter. He chuckled and bumped Yin'e's shoulder with his own, then put his arm around him like a brother and said in a clear voice, "Tenth Brother, you're so kind."

The two brothers were chatting quietly when they suddenly felt an extremely intense gaze fixed on their backs, making them feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

After playing around with the Ninth Prince for a while, Yin'e, who really wanted to ignore the gaze behind him, was so "burned" by the stare stuck to his back that he couldn't stay calm.

He turned around and saw the Third Prince standing not far away staring intently at him and the Ninth Prince. His refined and handsome face was filled with complex emotions, a mixture of annoyance and anger, yet he suppressed them and did not immediately erupt.

Seeing the Third Prince's expression, Yin'e blinked his almond-shaped eyes and immediately raised his hands to show his innocence: "Third Brother, it was you who took the initiative to join us in teaching the Imperial Kitchen a lesson, not the other way around."

Yin'e's implication was that since the Third Prince had taken the initiative and made the decision himself, he shouldn't shift the blame or try to pin it on them. Yin'e was confident that he had never considered dragging the Third Prince into the mess before the Third Prince approached him.

The veins on his forehead throbbed with excitement. The Third Prince stiffly tugged at the corners of his mouth and said in a dry tone, "I know, it's none of your business."

It's not easy for the Imperial Study to get leave, and the Third Prince didn't have the courage to leave early.

After that commotion this morning, I wonder how the Imperial Kitchen will react. Lunch today might be out of the question, and could very well be disastrous. The Third Prince was filled with dread at the thought.

But he couldn't retaliate, because, as Yin'e said, it was the Third Prince who voluntarily "colluded" with them. Yin'e and the Ninth Prince had never invited the Third Prince or induced him to make such a decision.

The Third Prince sighed repeatedly in regret, while the Fifth Prince was also somewhat bewildered.

He was initially just glad that he could finish school early this morning and spend less time in the Imperial Study.

But what he never expected was that the reason Yin'e gave him for leave was just a pretext, and visiting Consort Yi in the Western Six Palaces was just an excuse. The real purpose was to go to Yikun Palace for a free meal, and to discuss the matter of delivering meals to her every day in the future.

The Fifth Prince was somewhat relieved. If Yin'e hadn't stopped Kangxi from asking for leave for him in the Imperial Study, he would have had no reason to leave early.

If he didn't leave the Imperial Study beforehand, his lunch break would only be about an hour. In such a short time, it would be inconvenient for the Fifth Prince to go to either Yikun Palace or Cining Palace for a meal. The journey would take a lot of time, and after lunch, there would be no time for a proper nap.

"Tenth Brother, thank you!" The Fifth Prince thanked Yin'e repeatedly, his face full of sincere gratitude.

He didn't think that Yin'e was just asking for leave for him, nor did he think that it was an easy thing to do.

The Fifth Prince had been standing nearby and clearly saw Kangxi's face darken and his expression turn displeased. He truly admired Yin'e's composure under such circumstances and his courage to continue making his request.

If it were the Fifth Prince himself, he didn't think he would have that kind of courage.

He waved his hand, indicating to the Fifth Prince that he didn't need to be polite: "I started this whole thing. You were just with us, Fifth Brother. We can't be the ones who are implicated when we're all fine."

The Third Prince's eyes became even more resentful. Yin'e secretly looked up at him, touched his nose, and said with a somewhat embarrassed expression, "Third Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you ask for leave, it's just that I can't explain it to you."

The reasons Yin'e gave for asking for leave from the Ninth Prince and the Fifth Prince are not appropriate for the Third Prince.

The Fifth Prince was the Ninth Prince's elder brother, so it was understandable that he left early with the Ninth Prince to visit Consort Yi at Yikun Palace. But the Third Prince really had no reason to leave early. He had no connection with Consort Yi or the Imperial Consort, so why should he go to the Western Six Palaces with them?

Without a plausible reason, it's not easy to get leave from the Imperial Study.

Moreover, the Third Prince was one of the most ambitious princes, and he was eager to advance his career. Unlike Yin'e, who was incorruptible and capable of doing anything without regard for his reputation, he also needed to maintain his image in the eyes of Emperor Kangxi.

Seeing the innocent look on Yin'e's fair face, the Third Prince could only admit defeat. He couldn't blame anyone else; he blamed himself for acting impulsively and making a hasty decision without thinking through the consequences.

But through this incident, the Third Prince realized something: although his Tenth Brother seemed carefree and playful all the time, still an innocent and carefree child, he wasn't as unruly as he appeared. At least the Tenth Brother considered the consequences of his actions and wasn't truly acting impulsively.

We can't really think that the tenth prince is a simple-minded fool. They're all princes who grew up in the palace; who's really stupid?

Yin'e: ...No, I'm just a dried-up salted fish, I don't have as many tricks up my sleeve as you guys, you have to believe me!

After Kangxi left, the tutors of the Imperial Study returned to their posts and resumed teaching the princes.

When the instructors responsible for teaching Yin'e, the Fifth Prince, and the Ninth Prince came over, Yin'e couldn't help but feel speechless when he saw the Ninth Prince yawning again: "Ninth Prince, why do you get sleepy as soon as you see the faces of the Anda? Are the Anda your special sleeping pills?"

"Huh?" Tears of irrationality welled up in his eyes. The Ninth Prince looked at Yin'e with his big, watery phoenix eyes, completely bewildered.

Yin'e knew, of course, that the Ninth Prince wouldn't understand. He chuckled twice, then, with a dry wit, added, "Looks like your sleep quality is guaranteed from now on, Ninth Prince."

Before 11 o'clock, the Fifth Prince, who was sitting in front of Yin'e, and the Ninth Prince, who was sitting next to him, could no longer sit still.

One of them kept turning back to look at them, while the other tilted his head and winked, both urging Yin'e to leave the study as soon as possible.

Yin'e thought for a moment and also felt that it was about time. If they delayed any longer, even if they left early, they wouldn't have much time to rest at noon. So he stood up and told the tutor of the Imperial Study that the three of them wanted to leave the Imperial Study early.

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 13:27:59 and 23:50:02 on April 11, 2023!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: irun 20 bottles; 25964724 10 bottles; Sweet Party Doesn't Eat Coriander, Ayin 6 bottles; Peach Blossom and ·w· 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!