On his way out of the palace, Hongxi saw more missionaries on the streets than ever before.

They all appeared to be in high spirits, gathering in small groups, telling the onlookers how their pills had cured Emperor Kangxi's serious illness, while also imparting Catholic doctrines to the astonished crowd.

"Your Majesty, Catholicism is currently very popular in the capital. It is said that His Majesty has even granted them a huge mansion so that they can settle down there and preach."

Hongxi was unaware of this matter; ever since he had spoken openly with his father, he hadn't paid much attention to news about court affairs.

It seemed as if a burden had been lifted from their shoulders, and they were only doing what they were supposed to do.

"These missionaries are indeed quite capable. Their pills are very potent. If they can be absorbed into the Imperial Hospital, it would be a blessing for the masters in the palace."

Hongxi knew that it was only a matter of time before missionaries entered the Imperial Medical Academy, but if it could be sooner, there would be more opportunities for them to learn from and exchange ideas.

The master and servant chatted as they strolled around, and soon arrived at the Ministry of Rites.

He rarely came to the office to look for people. The first time he came to the Ministry of Rites, he looked around for a while, and then a minor official led them to the back hall.

At this moment, Yin Tao was discussing some details of his wedding with his colleagues when he was quite surprised to see Hong Xi arrive.

After the officials greeted Hongxi, they all withdrew. Only then did Hongxi walk in, look around, and jokingly ask, "How does it feel to hold your own wedding, Twelfth Uncle?"

Yin Tao chuckled and punched his shoulder. "You brat, you dare to tease your twelfth uncle now."

Hongxi chuckled and sat down in the chair. The clerk quickly served tea and snacks and then left. Zhang Quan followed him out.

"My father's illness has just improved, and I originally thought of postponing the wedding, but my father wouldn't allow it, so this is the only way."

By this time, Yin Tao was already fifteen years old. Given the speed at which his brothers had worked, he should have already been given a proper job.

However, he had no maternal family to rely on, and Consort Ding was not valued by Emperor Kangxi. It was only after all this time that he finally managed to get a position in the Ministry of Rites.

Although the Ministry of Rites was a place that carried out official duties, the duties it carried out were not important, let alone any real power.

These are basically places where young princes enter officialdom for the first time, and after a period of training, they are transferred to local posts.

"After Uncle Twelfth's wedding, he will be granted a noble title and will be able to live outside the palace. I'm so envious."

Hongxi's envy was not just empty talk; he genuinely envied his uncles and brothers who were able to leave the palace and establish their own residences.

Given the current situation, the possibility of him leaving the palace is really slim.

Unless, after his father ascends the throne, he appoints the ninth prince as the crown prince.

Would I be content with that?

Hongxi shook his head, forcing himself to stop overthinking.

Yin Tao did not notice anything unusual about Hong Xi, but instead began to dream about his future life.

He was never valued to begin with, so even if he spent his whole life working in the Ministry of Rites, it wouldn't have mattered much; he was happy to have a leisurely life.

“It’s rare for you to leave the palace, so I’ll treat you to a meal next time.” Yin Tao was very happy. “Why don’t you stay at my residence tonight? It’s already completed.”

Hongxi's eyes lit up. "In that case, let's call him Big Brother."

Yin Tao knew he was referring to Hongyu, nodded, and immediately sent someone to the Ministry of Personnel to inform Hongyu.

When it was time to leave the office, the three met at the entrance of the Ministry of Rites and headed towards the restaurant together.

Needless to say, the journey was lively, and every now and then we would encounter a group of missionaries.

Some missionaries even went so far as to provide medical care and medicine on the street, drawing crowds of people seeking medical treatment.

Hongxi paused and watched for a while, and Yintao explained, "Missionaries provide free medical care to poor people, so many people come to see them every day."

"They get free medical treatment, but what about the medicine? Is that free too?" Hongyu asked, puzzled.

Yin Tao nodded. "They're all free. Not only are they free, but they also claim that once you convert to Catholicism, you get food, supposedly every month. I wonder where they get their money."

Hongxi remained silent for a moment.

Their own country was also very wealthy, and they used this opportunity to open the doors of the Qing Dynasty and then implement other strategies.

The people realized that converting to Catholicism would bring them free food and medicine, and they would believe whatever they were told without question.

As the three entered the restaurant, they saw Yinzhen also entering with two people from other ethnic groups. They exchanged a brief greeting and then parted ways.

“Uncle Jiu has been getting very close to people from other races lately,” Hongyu said.

"Ninth Brother probably wants to do business with foreigners. I heard that since the missionaries cured Father Emperor's malaria, many policies towards them have been relaxed."

Yin Tao said with great envy, "In the past, only the Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou were open to trade, but now it seems that the number of ports open to trade will increase."

Hongxi always felt that it was a good thing to be able to trade with each other and to learn more about the outside world, but it was essential to take the best and discard the worst.

I wonder if opium, which was popular during the Qianlong era, had already entered the Qing Dynasty by now. I should find an opportunity to remind my father or my ninth uncle about this.

After the meal, the two brothers followed Yin Tao to his residence.

Emperor Kangxi gave each of his sons the same amount of money to settle down. It was certainly enough for normal use, but this "enough" only meant that everything was adequate. If they wanted to build something more luxurious, they would have to pay for it themselves.

The princes in the palace were basically subsidized by their maternal clans, but poor Yin Tao had no maternal clan, so naturally no one subsidized him.

This resulted in his residence looking empty, a stark contrast to Yinzhen's residence, which was worlds apart.

Seeing the two brothers' scrutinizing gazes, Yin Tao felt a little embarrassed. "The mansion is still a bit empty. Besides not having enough money to fill it up, it's probably also because it's not very lively."

Hongyu smiled and said, "I won't be free after Uncle Twelf's wedding."

"That's right, I like this kind of clean and elegant mansion. It's much better than those glittering mansions."

Hongyu laughed loudly, "Are you talking about Uncle Nine?? Be careful, or I'll tell on you."

The brothers' laughter immediately dispelled Yin Tao's embarrassment. He led them on a stroll around the front and back yards before finally arranging their rooms.

They were having a great time playing outside the palace, but Emperor Kangxi inside was not happy.

He never expected that his body had just recovered when that brat Yinreng started to slack off, refusing to review any more memorials and just lying in bed, claiming that he was exhausted from the previous period and needed to replenish his strength.

Emperor Kangxi was both angry and helpless. He instructed the imperial physician to examine the man and confirm that he was indeed quite tired and needed to rest before he would be released.

However, Kangxi, who began to review the memorials, was not as disgusted as he claimed. The moment he opened a memorial, he became energetic.

Yinreng watched this scene, pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.