Yinzhen: ...

He watched helplessly as Qian Shengyan failed to climb up on her third attempt, while the eunuchs nearby chuckled to themselves. Completely exasperated, he could only walk over, grab her waist, and lift her up, then mount his horse himself.

But Qian Shengyan was not happy about it.

She stammered, saying she didn't want rumors to spread in the capital tomorrow, saying that Prince Yong was seen carrying a young boy while shopping, and that he had... well, you know, homosexual tendencies...

In the end, we went out by horse-drawn carriage.

Qian Shengyan was filled with resentment, regretting that she had stayed home too much during her trip to Rehe. She should have learned to ride horses! Otherwise, she, Young Master Qian, would be riding through the streets today!

At this moment, Young Master Qian could only sit in the carriage, looking out with resentment through the curtain.

In the bustling capital city, women could be seen walking the streets, but their hairstyles and attire revealed them to be unmarried Manchu women.

Manchu women were relatively free when they were young, and the Manchus were known for their boldness and their past history of conquering the world on horseback. However, by the late Kangxi period, they had gradually been assimilated by the Han Chinese. Most married women were confined to the inner quarters and rarely left their homes. Even when they did go out, it was to visit other households, and they could only enter and exit from door to door. Going shopping was out of the question.

Qian Shengyan was genuinely pleasantly surprised that Yinzhen had agreed to let her go out this time.

That day, Qian Shengyan visited many shops, buying a lot of jewelry and ready-made clothes, as well as some odds and ends and pastries. For lunch, she ate with Yinzhen at Taifeng Restaurant, a famous restaurant in the capital.

Everything was fine until the two of them were enjoying delicious food in a private room, different from the dishes prepared in the mansion's kitchen. However, the noise outside made Yinzhen frown.

At first, Qian Shengyan, who was busy eating and drinking, didn't hear what was being shouted, but seeing Yinzhen's displeased expression, she listened carefully for a moment, and then—she was completely speechless.

The voice outside was unfamiliar, but unfortunately, Qian Shengyan had just heard it yesterday.

It was none other than the Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen.

And then listen to what the other party says: "My eighth brother is naturally an unparalleled wise and virtuous king, and none of us brothers can compare to him!"

Qian Shengyan: ...

Isn't this just asking for death?!

Looking at Yinzhen's furrowed brows and the timid expressions of Su Peisheng and the others, Qian Shengyan timidly tugged at his sleeve: "Master..."

"Hmph, ignorant of their own limitations!" Yinzhen said angrily in a low voice.

Su Peisheng trembled slightly, as if he had anticipated what was about to happen. Sure enough, Yinzhen scolded, "Why aren't you calling him in yet? Don't you know what kind of occasion this is? Making such a fool of yourself!"

Qian Shengyan: Ah, this...

Su Peisheng accepted the order and left. The noise outside stopped for a moment and then became even louder. The next moment, Yinzhen pushed the door open and came in. Unexpectedly, there was an unfamiliar man behind him, but soon Qian Shengyan knew the man's identity.

The man bowed to Yinzhen and said, "I didn't know Fourth Brother was here. Eighth Brother should have come to visit sooner."

It turned out to be the protagonist mentioned by Yinzhen, the so-called Eighth Prince, Yinsi.

Yinzhen followed behind and casually cupped his hands in greeting: "Fourth Brother."

"Why are you speaking so loudly outside? Are you afraid the people on the street are deaf and can't hear you?" Yinzhen lived up to his reputation as the king of sharp tongues, and his first words were a sharp rebuke.

Yinzhen was momentarily speechless, about to argue, when he saw Yinsi cup his hands and say, "Fourth Brother, don't be angry. It's all my fault. I couldn't stop the Fourteenth Prince from saying such inappropriate things..."

"The content itself is fine, but the way he spoke was so loud and showed absolutely no manners!" Yinzhen continued to point his gun at Yinti, launching into a tirade, "Where did all the gentlemanly manners you learned in the Imperial Study go? Did you eat them all up with your meals after you left the palace and established your own residence?"

Yinzhen looked embarrassed, after all, there were still many servants present, yet he was being scolded so mercilessly by his own brother. Yinsi, on the other hand, was half-standing in front of Yinzhen, constantly advising Yinzhen that it was all his own fault.

With this comparison, wouldn't it be obvious who Yinzhen would think is better?

Good heavens, no wonder these two brothers from the same mother were estranged and almost fought each other for the throne. Just look at Yinzhi and Yinzhen standing together, one is gentle and kind, while the other is cold-faced and sharp-tongued.

Let alone the fact that Yinzhen and Yinti had a cold relationship to begin with, even if they were close, being constantly compared like this would surely make them resentful.

Qian Shengyan couldn't help but feel anxious. If Yinti were closer to Yinzhen, things would go much more smoothly, and Yinti wouldn't have become a pawn of the Eighth Prince Yinsi, being pushed out to fight against his own brother.

Moreover, it was obvious that Yinzhen cared about Yinti, but he lost this younger brother because of his harsh words, which was a real pity.

Qian Shengyan tugged at Yinzhen's sleeve, but Yinzhen's eloquent and rambling speech didn't stop at all. He just turned his head slightly in her direction, as if asking her what she was doing.

His action drew the attention of both men opposite him. Yinzhi was unfazed, likely mistaking him for some young master from a wealthy family, while Yinti's eyes lit up, and he was about to speak—

Qian Shengyan quickly lowered her voice and said, "Master, it's time to go back."

She deliberately lowered her voice, which sounded slightly different from the boy's voice, but still similar. At least Yinzhi didn't seem to mind.

Yinzhen glanced at her, seemingly finally realizing that the situation was not right. He stood up decisively and said as he walked out, "Take care of yourself and don't make the ladies in the palace worry about you."

"Heh, then please teach me, Fourth Brother, how can I make Her Majesty happy?" Yinti said "Her Majesty" twice in a particularly sarcastic tone. Yinsi couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, but Yinti's mind was entirely on Yinzhen, and he had no time to pay attention.

Yinzhen was still saying, "Forget it, I'll just go back to the manor with my fourth brother and listen to his teachings!"

Yinzhen: ?

This is the first time his fourteenth brother has ever been so motivated and eager to learn!

In that brief moment of hesitation, Yinzhen had already squeezed next to Qian Shengyan, following her out while winking at her: "Oh, whose young master is this? He looks so unfamiliar."

Yinzhen gave him a strange look, and was about to say something when Qian Shengyan rolled her eyes without hesitation. She then lowered her voice and said to Yinti, "Since the Fourteenth Prince has such a bad memory, you should stay in the manor and rest well from now on. Don't come out and embarrass yourself."

She mouthed the last few words, which Yinzhen naturally saw clearly. However, he was not annoyed. He just smiled and said to Yinzhen, "Fourth Brother, this young man looks very kind to me. Why don't you come to my residence for a few days? I will definitely treat you well."

He emphasized the last four words as well.

Qian Shengyan: ? ? ? ?

Is Yinzhen so eager to die? Or is he sure his fourth brother has a sense of shame and won't say or do anything in public?

But Yinzhen was clearly angry. He gave Yinti a sinister smile and said, "Since that's the case, Fourteenth Brother, you may stay at my residence for a few days. I will certainly treat you well."