Next, the Eighth Prince said many things to soften his stance, but it was no use. Once the Ninth Prince made up his mind, it was really hard to change it.

The Tenth Prince listens to the Ninth Prince.

When the Eighth Prince came out of the Ninth Prince's residence, his face was so dark that he couldn't hide it; he looked extremely ugly.

Yinzhen was well-informed and was somewhat surprised to learn of what had happened at the Ninth Prince's residence.

The departure of the Ninth and Tenth Princes from the Eighth Prince's faction was so sudden and easy that Yinzhen felt as if the Ninth Prince, who had risked his life for the Eighth Prince in his previous life, was a fake.

However, upon closer examination, it is not entirely inexplicable.

In his previous life, when he ascended the throne, the Ninth Prince was too invested in the Eighth Prince's faction and too deeply involved. As a result, they had a deep-seated grudge that would last until death.

The Crown Prince has not yet been deposed, the Eighth Prince's faction has not yet fully formed, and the Ninth and Tenth Princes have not invested much, so they can be more at ease in separating from the situation.

After all, they initially joined the Eighth Prince's faction because they were resentful of the Crown Prince becoming the heir apparent, and also because they wanted a better future.

It's clear to anyone with eyes that the position of Crown Prince is not very secure. As for their future, with the contributions from the Mongol side, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince will certainly have no shortage of merit.

Feelings are feelings, and future prospects are future prospects.

Yinzhen never expected that starting with the Eighth Prince's wife would have such a good effect.

Back to the point, after a day of rest, Yinzhen had to go back to work. Although the progress in Mongolia was encouraging, the results were not yet available, so Kangxi did not publicize it extensively.

He was on duty for a few days before the Lunar New Year, but he was basically just going through the motions, spending most of his time at home playing with his children.

His relatives were very hospitable to him, hosting private banquets and giving him many gifts, which Yinzhen politely declined.

The situation was similar for the Fifth Prince, but he also basically refused. He only saw the Mongolian assignment as a tool for building relationships.

He had no intention of vying for it. After all, he was raised by the Empress Dowager, and a princely title was inevitable for him. He was indifferent to it.

The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince had no confidence to refuse, and they were busy every day with social engagements. However, they seemed to enjoy it. You should know that the Ninth Prince was not well-liked by the imperial family in the past.

Most of the princesses of the imperial clan ended up in Mongolia. Most of the princesses who married there did not live long. The county princesses were even more neglected than the princesses. In addition, due to the unfamiliar environment and many other reasons, the imperial clan members were very afraid to have daughters, fearing that they would be sent to Mongolia for marriage alliances. Who wouldn't love their own daughter?

When news of what Yinzhen and his men had done spread, it became clear that the Mongols were being more friendly to the Qing Dynasty than ever before, either in order to sell their wool or to compete for the right to build a workshop.

Influenced by Yue Shu, Yinzhen prioritized marrying princesses and noblewomen from the Qing Dynasty. As long as they showed some ambition, Yinzhen would arrange for them to manage affairs. Once they had power, the Mongols had to be subservient to them.

When the letter arrived, Yinzhen and his three companions, as the imperial princes on their Mongolian journey, were naturally showered with attention.

Before they returned, the family's wives would at most say nice things at banquets to get closer to them. Now that the main character has returned, they naturally have to get closer to the main character.

Emperor Kangxi saw all of this, as did the Crown Prince and the First Prince.

Honestly, they never expected things to go so smoothly in Mongolia, and they even managed to win over the royal family.

The Crown Prince regretted not sending more people in, while the First Prince called the Eighth Prince over and gave him a humiliating scolding for not going with him.

The Eighth Prince came out of the First Prince's place with a rare dark expression.

On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, Emperor Kangxi stopped writing. Yinzhen spent his free time in Shaoguang Courtyard, handling trivial matters, playing with children with Yue Shu, drinking tea, and designing clothes and jewelry. He lived a very comfortable life.

Le Shu also felt that such days were very leisurely. If nothing unexpected happened, the Crown Prince would be deposed next year. According to history, after the Crown Prince was deposed, Kangxi would reinstate the Crown Prince the year after next. However, Yinzhen had made plans, and it was unlikely that the Crown Prince would be reinstated.

Without a crown prince, Kangxi would play the game of checks and balances.

Yinzhen will inevitably become a prince, and his concubine will likely follow suit. The concubine will have to attend many more banquets, and she certainly won't be as carefree as she was before.

After two days of such leisurely living, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince came to visit.

"Why did they come here? Could it be that they've done something for the imperial clan?" Le Shu was well aware of the recent activities of the Ninth and Tenth Princes, and guessed accordingly.

Yinzhen nodded: "It's pretty much true. I'll go check the front yard."

"Okay, go ahead, let me hold the child."

Yinzhen got up to leave, took Hongxu from his arms, and burst into tears as soon as he put him down.

The two looked at each other, still unable to let go of this.

Le Shu said, "I guess you'll be reluctant to part with me. Give it to me; you'll feel better after crying for a while."

Yinzhen, however, couldn't bear to part with the child and said with a doting expression, "That won't do. What if he cries himself sick? I'll take him to the front yard. Ninth and Tenth Brothers aren't exactly outsiders now."

Le Shu gleaned a lot from his tone and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and tease him, "It's impressive how tolerant you are!"

"I'm not that petty."

Le Shu: Hehe, I wonder who it was that changed someone's name and even expelled them from the clan. They're petty, narrow-minded, and vengeful.

Yinzhen summoned the wet nurse, who wrapped Hongxu up tightly before carrying him to the front yard.

Watching Yinzhen's back as he carried the child, Xiaolan went into the study to add charcoal and couldn't help but sigh, "Princess, the master really dotes on our little prince."

Le Shu smiled and said, "He went through so much trouble to have this child. If he doesn't love it, who will?"

It's not that she doesn't feel pain, it's just that she might express her love in a different way.

In the front courtyard, Yinzhen carried the child to the study and had someone invite the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince in.

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