In November of the fifty-first year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, in accordance with ancestral rites and laws, the Kangxi Emperor was to distribute rewards to each of his princes.

The princes and dukes received a reward of five thousand taels of silver, including Yinzhen. Yinsi, Yintang, and others received four thousand taels.

"Eighth Brother, don't you think Fourth Brother has been acting a bit strange lately?"

The Tenth Prince, Yinzhen, nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. First, he accompanied the Emperor on his tours, then he cultivated relationships with a few minor officials like Nian Gengyao to enhance his own prestige. Now, the Emperor has even included him in the year-end assessment. Don't you think he also wants to become the Crown Prince?"

Yinzhen, who had been leisurely fanning himself and sipping tea on the sidelines, finally spoke.

“Our fourth brother has always been a man of deep thoughts. Apart from the thirteenth brother, I don’t think anyone can guess what he’s thinking.”

At this moment, Yinzhi spoke:

"Yinti, what are you thinking?"

"Eighth Brother, I think we should have our people investigate privately. After all, Father Emperor is watching us too closely. Regardless of whether Fourth Brother has this idea or not, diverting Father Emperor's attention from us can be a delaying tactic."

Yinzhi nodded.

“Fourteenth Brother is right, then we’ll leave this matter to Ninth Brother.”

The Fourteenth Prince kept thinking about this matter after returning to his residence.

If my fourth brother really wants to be the crown prince, then I really don't know what to do for the time being.

He felt it necessary to personally visit and test the waters.

Yinzhi and Yintang's scheme worked well, and some of Kangxi's spies' attention was also diverted to Yinzhen.

Through the secret reports submitted by his subordinates, Emperor Kangxi discovered that Yinzhen, who had been relatively low-key in recent years, had actually accomplished so much.

He cultivated his own network of connections and achieved the status of a prince. Especially noteworthy is his ability to safely withdraw from the struggle for the crown prince position.

Emperor Kangxi suddenly realized that his fourth son was not as simple as he had thought.

"Li Dequan".

"Your servant is here."

"By imperial decree, prepare a family banquet in the Imperial Garden the day after tomorrow. Instruct all households to make preparations and bring their children along."

"Yes, sir."

On this day, the princes and their wives from various households gathered in the Imperial Garden.

"Hongshi, take good care of your two younger brothers."

At first, Geng Youran was not comfortable letting Hongli and Hongzhou enter the palace, but the imperial edict had been issued and could not be disobeyed, so the task fell to Hongshi.

Although Hongshi is still a child himself, he already looks like a big brother.

Looking at her three children, Ulanara felt that she had finally achieved something great.

After the court session, Emperor Kangxi and his princes went to the Imperial Garden.

The group first admired the plum blossoms, then ate mutton hot pot, and afterwards watched several plays with the Empress Dowager, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

"Fourth brother, I heard you've been busy growing vegetables around the manor lately?"

Actually, this was Geng Youran's idea. The weather is getting colder and colder, and there are fewer and fewer leafy green vegetables available in Beijing.

Thinking back to when she was a child in the modern era, she had seen vegetable greenhouses in the countryside, so she briefly mentioned this idea to Yinzhen.

Yinzhen was very interested in this idea and felt it was worth trying.

The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, was startled, never expecting that his father's people had quietly appeared by his side.

This question may be a reminder from his father.

After the family banquet, the Fourth Prince and his wife returned to the Prince's Mansion with their child.

He then went directly to the study.

He sat alone in his study for a long time, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Gao Wuyong was called in.

"Gao Wuyong!"

"Your servant is here."

"Go and tell the Princess Consort that I will go to see her tonight."

"Yes, sir."

When the Fourth Prince's wife learned that he was coming to her place that evening, she simply replied with a curt "I know."

Since she learned that she could no longer have children, she no longer valued Yinzhen's favor as much.

As a princess consort, it's already quite good that she can get along with the prince in a respectful manner.

That evening, the Fourth Prince went to his wife's courtyard. The two ate and talked about the question that their father had asked him in the Imperial Garden earlier that day.

Then Yinzhen suddenly mentioned the Yuanmingyuan Garden that his father had bestowed upon him three years ago.

"My Ladyship, how is the restoration work at the Old Summer Palace going?"

"Replying to your question, sir, the repairs have been ongoing intermittently over the past few years, and they are now almost complete."

"Alright, find some people to tidy up the place after the New Year, and next summer, we'll bring the kids and stay at the Old Summer Palace for a while."

"That list?"

Yinzhen casually said:

"You decide."

"yes."

Tonight's dinner was a resounding success, with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

On the other hand, Geng Youran felt sorry for the children who were watching a play in the Imperial Garden in the freezing cold.

“Gege, it’s really not cold. We have a mosquito net and a hand warmer, so it’s not cold at all.”

"Nonsense. You children don't know anything about hot and cold. Qianxue, quickly bring the ginger soup!"

After feeding the children several bowls of soup, Geng Youran felt relieved and had the three children sent back home.

Wanru watched and laughed from the side.

She only laughed after the child left.

"Sister, I never knew you were such a loving mother."

Geng Youran said speechlessly:

"What are you saying? Do you expect to get worried only when the child catches a cold?"

Wanru shook her head helplessly, then turned and looked towards the door.

“Hongshi is becoming more and more sensible.”

Upon hearing Hongshi's name, Geng Youran sighed.

For some reason, Li Jingshu has recently gone mad, frequently summoning Hongshi to her courtyard as if someone were trying to take her son away.

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