Chapter 125 The Talented Myna

The Ninth Prince, who showed no interest in getting close to Kangxi, curled his lip and walked over to Hongli and Fuyun as if he were very busy, trying to groom their manes and adjust the tightness of the reins.

However, the two ponies were very uncooperative, disrespectfully pushing away the Ninth Prince's hand and heading straight for the pouch containing zongzi candies hanging from his waist, wanting only to get a few more candies, completely ignoring their owner who had come over to try and get closer to them.

Yin'e opened his mouth to say a few more words, but at that moment, heavy and powerful footsteps sounded from afar, and it was the tutor who was in charge of the two of them coming over.

Thinking that this was a crowded and noisy training ground, Yin'e frowned and shut his mouth again, planning to find another opportunity to discuss this matter with the Ninth Prince in private.

Yin'e and the Ninth Prince had been in the Imperial Study for some time and had experienced many riding and archery lessons every afternoon. Their tutors had become familiar with them and treated them much more affectionately. Although they were still respectful and polite, they were no longer distant and unfamiliar with each other as they had been at the beginning.

Meanwhile, as he got to know the two students better, Wai Anda's attitude toward Yin'e and the Ninth Prince changed and gradually became noticeably different. He began to "treat them differently," being more enthusiastic toward Yin'e and more strict toward the Ninth Prince.

However, this time, the change in Wai'an Da's attitude was not because of the difference in background between Yin'e and the Ninth Prince, but because Yin'e was a good student, not only exceptionally talented but also extremely hardworking. Teachers naturally favor students who study diligently, and if the student is also a promising talent, then they are even more likely to show favoritism.

In contrast, the Ninth Prince was somewhat pampered, tending to avoid difficult tasks in class and showing little interest in riding and archery. Naturally, the Grand Master had to keep a close and strict eye on this "bad student" who refused to study diligently, ensuring he wouldn't be allowed to slack off and waste his studies, ultimately becoming a half-baked student.

Yin'e truly loves riding and archery lessons. In his previous life, he didn't have the opportunity to experience these things, but in this life, he not only has the opportunity but also enjoys the best resources. Of course, he should cherish it and not let his hobby and dream of galloping on horseback continue to be buried.

Moreover, Yin'e truly possessed a talent for riding and archery. In this life, he was physically excellent, and he quickly mastered everything from horseback riding and archery to wrestling. His tutor, the Grand Master, repeatedly praised his talent, saying that he was no less capable than the eldest prince of the same age.

However, Wai Anda only mentioned comparing him to the eldest prince once. Later, at Yin'e's suggestion, he stopped bringing it up. He just put more effort into teaching Yin'e and was determined not to let such a promising talent go to waste in his hands.

Under the tacit understanding between Yin'e and Wai'anda, Yin'e did not perform particularly well in the riding and archery class. At first glance, he was only slightly better than the Ninth Prince, and about the same level as the Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Eighth Prince at the same age. The Fourth Prince's riding and archery skills are not worth mentioning, and the Seventh Prince was born with a disadvantage, so no matter how hard he tried, he was still slightly inferior.

In fact, Yin'e's training volume had already caught up with that of the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince, who were two years older than him, and he had already started taking advanced courses. It was not impossible for him to catch up with or even surpass them.

The Ninth Prince was really not interested in horseback riding and archery, but after Yin'e increased the amount of practice, he could only accompany him to spend more time in the training ground every day—at most, it was just to kill time. It was absolutely impossible for him to train with Yin'e; he couldn't stand it.

In winter, the days are short and the nights are long. By the time the archery and horseback riding class ends at the end of the day (around 5-7 PM), the sun has long since set.

In the last half hour of the lesson, the princes on the training ground trained almost in the dark, which made it convenient for the Ninth Prince to slack off.

But he didn't go far away; he just played around Yin'e, who was focused on training, like a compass with its center fixed, while his other leg naturally defined his range of movement.

After a day of classes, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince returned to the West Third Palace together. Although the Eighth Prince also lived in the West Third Palace, they did not invite him to go to and from school together. Their relationship with the Eighth Prince was not that close.

However, since Yin'e and the Ninth Prince moved to the West Third Palace, they have been seeing each other all the time, and they have inevitably become quite familiar with the Eighth Prince—at least they are familiar with each other's faces and won't forget what each other looks like for a while like before.

In fact, the Eighth Prince did want to befriend Yin'e and the Ninth Prince. One was the son of a Noble Consort, and the other was the son of four Consorts; they were both valuable to befriend. Given that they lived so close, the Eighth Prince naturally wanted to take advantage of the situation and establish good relations with the two of them.

However, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince remained unmoved by the Eighth Prince's overtures, returning his favors several times. Their attitude towards him was indifferent, unlike their closeness to the Fifth Prince or their friendliness towards the Seventh Prince, but also unlike their tense and hostile relationship with the Third Prince.

Upon returning to the West Third Palace, Yin'e did not stop when passing through the Third Palace. He went straight past his home without entering and continued walking forward with the Ninth Prince into the Fourth Palace.

The Ninth Prince was taken aback for a moment, then became happy, a bright smile spreading across his delicate and beautiful face: "Tenth Brother, are you staying at the Fourth Residence today?"

After giving a nod, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince walked hand in hand into the Fourth Palace.

Since moving to the West Third Palace, Yin'e noticed that the Ninth Prince was not used to being alone and liked and needed someone to accompany him. This was a sign of insecurity and a trace left by the Ninth Prince's childhood experiences.

A charcoal brazier burned in the corner of the bedroom, making the whole room warm and cozy.

His cheeks were flushed from the heat. Yin'e turned to the side and kicked the Ninth Prince, who was snuggled in the same quilt with his little feet, saying, "Ninth Brother, today Father came to inspect the Imperial Study. Eighth Brother stood out again. Father was very happy and praised Eighth Brother several times."

The warmth rising in the bedroom made the Ninth Prince drowsy. He yawned, and upon hearing this, he lazily said "Oh," and said indifferently, "Praise is fine, as long as Father doesn't scold us."

As for who Kangxi praised or liked, nobody cared. The Ninth Prince didn't care and wasn't interested.

Yin'e knew the Ninth Prince would say that, so he gave him a light kick to provoke him: "Aren't you even a little bit envious? Don't you want to be in the limelight in the Imperial Study like the Eighth Prince?"

The Ninth Prince exclaimed in surprise, his competitive spirit not being aroused, but his focus shifting instead: "Why do you keep mentioning the Eighth Prince?"

There were only the two of them in the room, and the two brothers didn't need to beat around the bush in private. The Ninth Prince directly expressed his doubts: "Don't you always dislike the Eighth Prince and never mention him normally? Why are you talking about him so often today?"

Although Yin'e never explicitly said or showed any dislike for the Eighth Prince, and there was nothing unusual about their daily interactions, the Ninth Prince, who was close to Yin'e and very perceptive, naturally noticed that Yin'e had always treated the Eighth Prince indifferently and sensed Yin'e's subtle attitude towards the Eighth Prince.

The Ninth Prince was very loyal. Although he didn't know why Yin'e disliked the Eighth Prince, he was biased towards his own family and supported Yin'e unconditionally. He followed Yin'e's lead in his attitude towards the Eighth Prince, but he didn't befriend him. Even though they lived in the same West Third Palace, they didn't get close to each other.

Unexpectedly, the Ninth Prince was so direct. Yin'e hesitated for a moment, then shrank his head further into the quilt and said in a very low voice, "I think he's a bit scheming."

Although it was in private, a private conversation between the two brothers, Yin'e still felt a little uncomfortable speaking so frankly about others. Especially since the Eighth Prince had never had any conflicts or disagreements with them, it made him even more embarrassed.

Strictly speaking, Yin'e's wariness of the Eighth Prince was unfounded and based on mere suspicion, with no solid reason whatsoever.

Yes, Yin'e knows history and knows that in the future, the Eighth Prince will join the struggle for the throne and will gather the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince, and the Fourteenth Prince to form the Eighth Prince Party.

But history is history, and after he became the Tenth Prince Yin'e, the history he knew before no longer mattered. Yin'e was not so justified in using things that might not happen in the future as a reason to unilaterally distance himself from the Eighth Prince.

The Ninth Prince was unaware of Yin'e's inner turmoil, and simply gave an objective assessment: "The Eighth Prince is indeed a bit scheming, but that's normal in the palace, and he's not the only one."

Yin'e agreed, nodding and saying, "I don't think Eighth Brother is wrong. I don't deny or disagree. I know Eighth Brother just wants to live a better life in the palace."

Why did the Eighth Prince study so diligently and why did he always try to impress Emperor Kangxi when he visited the Imperial Study? It was because he was unhappy in the palace and needed Emperor Kangxi's favor and attention to turn his life around and gain enough status to avoid being looked down upon.

Was it wrong for the Eighth Prince to want a better life?

No!

This is human nature! Everyone wants to pursue happiness and live a comfortable and joyful life. There's nothing wrong with the Eighth Prince trying to improve his life, and as long as his actions don't actually harm others, Yin'e doesn't think he's wrong.

If it weren't for the tragic fate of the Eighth Prince's faction in history that left Yin'e with psychological trauma, he wouldn't actually have been able to dislike the gentle, refined, and emotionally intelligent Eighth Prince.

After pausing for a moment, Yin'e shook his head and steered the conversation back on the right track he wanted to get: "Ninth Brother, you should learn from Eighth Brother and show more face in front of Father. You know that in the palace, Father's favor and affection are very important."

He pursed his lips, his face falling as he remained silent. He snorted, then, like a little bear, clumsily turned his back to Yin'e from under the thick blankets, awkwardly ignoring him.

Under the warm, soft blankets, Yin'e nudged the Ninth Prince and gently poked his back with his finger, his gesture carrying a hint of admonition and flattery.

The Ninth Prince calmed down a bit, but he still kept his back to Yin'e and did not turn around.

After a long while, his voice, so faint it was almost inaudible, was heard: "Aren't you the same? I've never seen you trying to curry favor with the Khan or get close to him."

"Ninth Brother~~" Yin'e called out to the Ninth Prince helplessly, "You know why I don't fight for it."

Yin'e and the Crown Prince had a mediocre relationship and little contact. The Crown Prince never suspected Yin'e of being a rival. However, this was because the Crown Prince was so favored by Emperor Kangxi that he disregarded the other princes. If the First Prince hadn't stepped forward to compete for the Crown Prince's favor, the Crown Prince would not have been hostile towards him.

But Suo'etu outside the palace was different. He kept a much closer eye on the tenth prince, Yin'e, than on the eldest prince. After moving from Yongshou Palace to the West Third Palace, there were bound to be troubles and mishaps in the West Third Palace where Yin'e lived, but Yin'e resolved them and the Consort suppressed them.