In October, an imperial edict conferring titles was issued.

The third son of the emperor, Yin Zhicheng, the fourth son, Yin Zhen, the fifth son, Yin Qiheng, the seventh son, Yin Youchun, the tenth son, Yin E'dun, the ninth son, Yin Tang, the twelfth son, Yin Tao, and the fourteenth son, Yin Ti, were all granted the title of Beile.

The Yuanmingyuan Garden, located north of Changchun Garden in western Beijing, was granted to the fourth prince, Yinzhen, for his residence.

When the news reached the Prince Yong's residence, everyone was overjoyed.

It's rare to see a hint of joy on Fourth Master's usually expressionless face.

The next day, the Fourth Master sat upright, turning the thumb ring on his thumb, listening to Su Peisheng report the situation reported by the gatekeeper.

Since he became Prince Yong, his once quiet residence has been bustling with visitors ever since he was granted the title of Prince yesterday.

Moreover, compared to his other brothers, more people came to his residence.

He quickly realized why.

It must be because of that garden that his father, the Emperor, bestowed upon him alone; after all, it's a one-of-a-kind thing.

He didn't feel that this unique gift of the garden was too hot to handle.

Even his brothers, when they heard about it yesterday, didn't show any dissatisfaction towards him because of it.

He and his brothers all understood that this was a reward from their father, the Emperor, for the practical things he had done over the years.

In the 46th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the Yellow River flooded, and the disaster relief required silver. However, the national treasury of such a large country could not provide the necessary funds.

The Emperor ordered him to collect the Ministry of Revenue's arrears, which offended everyone in the court, including his own brothers, but he still managed to get the job done.

Having accomplished something so difficult and daunting, he took over the garden with a clear conscience.

However, most people didn't think much of it; they only noticed that he stood out in this investiture ceremony.

He clearly won the Emperor's favor. That's why these opportunists flocked to his residence in such a continuous stream.

After thinking it through, the joy of being granted the title of Prince faded quickly, and he even frowned.

There was a long silence.

Suddenly, he stood up, looked out the window, pondered for a moment, then turned to Su Peisheng and instructed, "From today onwards, close the door to all visitors. Except for those under my command, do not accept any gifts; return them."

"Yes, sir!" Su Peisheng accepted the order, bowed, and left.

A few days later, on his way to Peach Garden, Fourth Master heard Su Peisheng report that even though the house was closed to visitors, some people were still waiting persistently. Gifts were refused, even when returned.

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Master frowned.

These people were not his followers; they were merely opportunistically attaching themselves to him and were not reliable at all.

He didn't want to get involved with these people at all, but they were like glue to him.

He continued walking, and as he approached the entrance to Peach Garden, something suddenly occurred to him, and his brows relaxed.

Upon entering the Peach Blossom Courtyard, Fourth Master was greeted by Jiaming and Hongjing.

After the three talked for a while, the Fourth Prince suddenly said, "Father Emperor has bestowed upon me a garden, which is located north of Changchun Garden. He has also given it a name, Yuanmingyuan. The scenery is quite nice. I will take you there to stay for a while. You should also bring your brothers and princesses."

Little Hongjing, whose head was being patted by the Fourth Prince, was thrilled to be able to leave the manor and go to a new place. His eyes lit up, and he excitedly kissed the Fourth Prince, muttering, "Father, you're so good!"

Jiaming was taken aback and asked, "Isn't the purpose of going to the garden to escape the summer heat? It's already October, won't it be a bit cold to stay in the garden?"

Fourth Master calmly said, "You can stay in the garden all year round. Even in winter, you stay indoors. Not many people come out. If you stay indoors, just add more charcoal braziers."

Okay, she forgot that her master, Prince Yong, would never lack a little bit of charcoal for heating.

Besides, she wasn't afraid of the cold; even if she wanted to enjoy the winter scenery in the garden, she wasn't afraid of the cold at all.

Then I thought about the garden I was about to visit—the famous Yuanmingyuan!

Although it hasn't become the Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens yet, as the old man just said, the scenery is quite nice.

Hmm, she's been staying in the manor a lot and is starting to feel like going out for a stroll.

He immediately smiled and nodded, replying, "Okay."

After spending some time with Jiaming, the Fourth Prince realized he hadn't told his wife about it yet, so he went to Duan Courtyard after dinner.

Upon arriving at the Duan Courtyard, the Fujin (principal wife) rushed forward to greet the Fourth Prince.

After serving tea to Fourth Master, the only sound in the room for a moment was the sound of him drinking tea.

Aside from business and Honghui, the couple had virtually nothing to say to each other.

As the Fourth Prince sipped his tea, he felt a pang of unease. His wife was, after all, his principal wife, and they had been married since childhood. Yet, despite his efforts over the years, he still didn't know how to get along with her.

The princess was used to it; it was the same in her past life and it was the same in this life. She didn't feel there was anything wrong with it.

Seeing that his wife showed no sign of surprise, the Fourth Prince lowered his eyes and thought to himself: Oh well, even his wife doesn't care.

He said, "Father Emperor bestowed upon me a garden called Yuanmingyuan. I plan to go and take a look, and stay for a while. Lately, people have been coming to visit, even though I've closed the door to guests."

The princess was not surprised to hear this, as the prince had acted the same way in his previous life.

So he nodded, and then the princess hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then, sir, who do you plan to take with you?"

The Fourth Prince said calmly, "Let's go with the Guarjia clan!"

“My sister Guarjia has always served you diligently, so it would be good for her to come along.” After saying this, the princess paused, and then continued, “By the way, Your Highness, the Imperial Clan Court’s petition to appoint a secondary princess is almost here. Now that you are a prince, you can request the appointment of two secondary princesses. Shouldn’t you consider it?”

The Fourth Prince looked at his wife and asked in a calm tone, "Whom do you think should be granted a title?"

The princess consort did not shy away from the fourth prince's gaze and answered naturally, "I think Sister Guarjia is quite nice."

The Fourth Prince was somewhat lost in thought, and then his questioning gaze lingered on the face of his wife.

The princess said gracefully, "Sister Guarjia now has two sons, and has made a contribution by giving birth to children. Her conditions are very suitable."

Fourth Master actually wanted to nod in agreement, but he held back.

If he immediately expressed his opinion, it would seem that he was too biased towards the Guarjia clan. This action, in the eyes of those in the inner court, would probably bring trouble to the Guarjia clan.

It's better to keep things peaceful in the backyard. Besides, he doesn't really want anything to happen to Guarjia. He quite likes Taoyuan, where he can relax and have a good rest.

So, he deliberately held back the agreement that was about to slip out, and what came out was, "The Li family has three sons and one daughter, and they have also contributed to the birth of children."

A flicker of surprise crossed the Fujin's eyes. She thought to herself, "I never imagined that the master, who seemed to dote on Guarjia, would still care so much about Li."

However, Li Shi is no good; she is too ambitious.

The Fujin recalled the people that Li had secretly arranged, the same group that had met Guarjia at night when she first entered the mansion.