Chapter 107

Yinzuo said, "Do you really not understand or are you pretending not to understand why the Emperor scolded you? The Emperor's eyes are bright. If you go too far, be careful that the Emperor will punish you."

The Ninth Prince's business was getting bigger and bigger, but Yinzuo vaguely knew that some of his business was tainted with shady things. Yinzuo had no objection to opening a teahouse or a restaurant, but he felt that business like real estate was not very appropriate, not to mention that he seemed to have touched some things that he shouldn't have touched, such as using his status as a prince and his connections to get involved in the monopoly business of some government offices and interfere in the salt business.

In the past few years, Yinzuo was busy with his technical college, the ninth prince was busy making money, and the other princes also had their own businesses and thoughts for power and status.

In fact, Yinzuo also had a sense of escape, so he threw himself into the technical college. As for other things, as long as he could still keep stable, he would stay out of it.

The Ninth Prince fanned the fan in his hand and said stubbornly, "I didn't do anything."

Yinzuo said, "You have made a lot of money now. You can't spend all of it, right? How much is enough? Do you want to earn all the money in the world for yourself?"

Yinzuo only showed great interest in making money when he was short of money, but after he was no longer short of money, he was not so enthusiastic anymore.

Yinzuo said to him: "You say I'm stupid, but I think you're the stupid one."

"Too much money can be a curse, not a blessing."

The Ninth Prince looked at Yinzuo suspiciously. He always felt that his Sixth Brother's words were meaningful. In his mind, his Sixth Brother, who used to be simple-minded, suddenly became unfathomable.

The Ninth Prince said half-doubtfully, "Really?"

Yinzuo snorted: "Believe it or not."

But the more Yinzuo said this, the more the Ninth Prince became shaken. The Ninth Prince Yinzhen thought that his Sixth Brother had maintained an unshakable position with the Emperor for so many years, so maybe he was smarter than him?

The Ninth Prince grunted and said, "Then I'll join the Department of Commerce and make money for the Emperor?" The Department of Commerce that the Ninth Prince mentioned was the business between the imperial court and various vassal states, as well as the Mongolian tribes and overseas. Over the years, these businesses have grown bigger and bigger, and there are special offices for this purpose.

Although the Ninth Prince's success in business was partly due to his advantageous status and position, he himself was also somewhat talented in this area. After doing business for several years, he had a clear understanding of all the ins and outs involved, so working in the Commerce Department was a good fit for him.

It's just that if the money doesn't flow into his own pocket, it won't be as satisfying as earning money for himself. But first there is his sixth brother's "alarmist" remarks, and secondly the ninth prince himself also wants to win the favor of his royal father.

It's okay even if the money doesn't flow into your own pocket, but you can earn face, power and status.

Yinzuo said to the Ninth Prince: "Just think it through yourself."

Yinzuo went to the palace to visit Kangxi, but he didn't talk about his conversation with the Ninth Prince. Yinzuo squeezed Kangxi's shoulders and talked about Kangxi's refusal to eat vegetables.

"There are no flowers planted in the glass house. The vegetables are specially grown for the Emperor Father. They are planted by my son himself!" Yinzuo did build a glass house in his own house. He originally wanted to plant flowers, but later changed it to practical vegetables. However, this so-called planting by hand has a lot of water in it.

However, as long as he takes care of it a little, he can say that he planted it with his own hands, and now use it to kidnap his royal father!

Moreover, Yinzuo said: "Father, you are picky about food and you are not setting a good example for everyone!"

Kangxi avoided talking about eating green vegetables and said, "Although your glass house can grow green vegetables in winter, it is still too expensive and not suitable for promotion."

Kangxi was very serious about people's livelihood.

Yinzuo also discussed it with him and said, "Indeed, but it's not bad for rich people to use it to build a glass greenhouse and earn some money from them."

Kangxi praised Yinzuo for his quick mind, saying that he could come up with a money-making idea as soon as he thought of it. Some people joked that they should be careful of him, because as long as he made any noise, they would worry that he would empty their wallets again.

Fortunately, the Ninth Prince was not here, otherwise he would be furious to death after hearing what Kangxi said. He felt that Kangxi was really wrong. He made money by using crooked means, while Yinzuo made money by using his brain!

But there was another reason why Kangxi was so sweet-mouthed and spoke so nicely at this moment. Haha, Yinzuo was not fooled by Kangxi's words.

Yinzuo smiled and said to his father, "It's no use praising your son, father. Let's get back to the topic of eating vegetables."

Kangxi: “…Eating, eating.”

Yinzuo: "Father, please don't treat your son perfunctorily."

"Next time I come here, my son will ask Eunuch Liang again."

After so many years of practicing shoulder massage, Yinzuo's shoulder massage skill is finally no longer just for show. Sometimes he would forget the time while drawing at his desk, and he would also suffer from shoulder and neck pain. Suddenly, he felt empathy for his father, the emperor, who was reviewing memorials all day long, and then, feeling a little guilty, he went to learn the shoulder massage skill seriously.

Yinzuo massaged Kangxi's shoulders and his eyes fell on Kangxi's hair. Seeing the gray color in Kangxi's hair, Yinzuo's eyes suddenly became sore.

Although the emperor was still strong and could still draw a bow and ride a horse, he was already in his fifties and the signs of aging were inevitable.

Kangxi did not notice the change in Yinzuo's expression behind him. He took Yinzuo's hand and said, "Okay."

Yinzuo pulled Kangxi up and said, "Father, let's go for a walk outside."

Kangxi looked outside. Although it was winter, the sun was bright today. He said, "That's fine."

While strolling outside, Kangxi listened to Yinzuo's story about his life outside the palace with a smile. Yinzuo also invited Kangxi and said, "Every year there are changes. Father, do you want to go and see for yourself? You can stay at your son's place for a night and have a good time before going back."

"My son is welcome to make a bed."

Kangxi did not agree immediately, but said he would see later.

After walking around for a while and picking a few branches of winter plum to take back, Yinzuo found a vase in Kangxi's palace to put the flowers in, and then arranged them up and down and left and right. He happily admired them for a while before saying goodbye to Kangxi and leaving.

When leaving, Yinzuo turned around and said to Kangxi, "Father, don't forget to eat your vegetables. Your son needs to check."

Yinzuo walked out of the palace gate, and Kangxi complained in a low voice: "Stinky boy, as a son, you still control your father."

Kangxi said as he looked at Liang Jiugong and said to him, "Did you complain to him?"

Liang Jiugong bowed and said with a smile, "Since the Sixth Prince asked me this, I can't lie to him."

Kangxi was disdainful. He didn't believe that this old slave couldn't get away with it in front of Yinzuo.

Liang Jiugong continued to laugh. He could indeed help Kangxi get away with it, but wasn't it obvious that His Majesty also enjoyed the "discipline" of the Sixth Prince?

Liang Jiugong said to Kangxi: "Sixth Prince is also doing this for Your Majesty's own good. Your Majesty doesn't eat much green vegetables and has been suffering from internal heat these days."

Kangxi then stopped talking, with a smile flashing in his eyes. In fact, Liang Jiugong had already seen that the Emperor had been in a good mood since he complained just now.

As a bystander, Liang Jiugong watched as the Emperor had more and more conflicts with the older princes in recent years, and he became more and more fond of the Sixth Prince and valued him more than before.

Yinzuo actually felt the same way about this, but he was not comforted by it, and did not want to be the remaining consolation after the emperor was disappointed and angry with his other sons.

He still hopes that everyone can be well.

But it is so difficult.

He was worried about his aging father, but he was also worried about the crown prince who was in his prime.

The prince used to be as sharp as a famous sword, but later on he became less sharp and more settled. You can also say he became mature, steady, thoughtful and capable.

Being in the position of the crown prince, being calm and steady is a good thing, being thoughtful and capable is also growth, which is not bad, but everything is excessive. Yinzuo feels that under the crown prince's steadiness there is a restlessness, especially the crown prince he sees now gives him the illusion of a trapped volcano, and he always worries that one day the volcano will break through the restlessness and erupt.

Yinzuo said to the prince, "I always feel that my prince brother is restless."

The prince was puzzled and said with a smile: "Where did you get that from? It makes me feel like I'm in a temple with monks. Did he go to the fourth brother's place to watch him copy scriptures? You better not follow him and get involved in those things."

Yinzuo explained, "It has nothing to do with my fourth brother." But he was inadvertently touched by the prince's words just now. His eyes lit up and he said, "Brother Prince, why don't you accompany me to visit the temple?"

Before the prince could glare at him, he said, "Alas, I don't want to be a monk. It's New Year's Day, so let's go to the temple to pray for blessings."

After wanting to take Kangxi out of the palace for a stroll, Yinzuo also wanted to take the crown prince out of the palace.

Yinzuo and the crown prince said, "We are bored staying in the palace all the time."

"Go ahead, go ahead. Prince brother has never been to the temple with his younger brother. If you accompany me this time, I won't need your red envelope this year."

Yes, Yinzuo is so old now, and every year after giving New Year's money to his nephews and nieces, he would turn around and shamelessly ask for New Year's money from the prince and others.

The prince was helpless about Yinzuo's whim, but he could not do anything about his younger brother. Although he was helpless, he picked a day to go with Yinzuo.

They went to Dexing Temple, which was located on a mountainside. Yinzuo did not ask whether it was a spiritual place or not, but he had heard that the master there was good at Zen.

Yinzuo jumped down from the carriage, and the prince also looked up the mountain. He frowned and said, "Can you do it?"

Yinzuo: "We are not in a hurry, just climb slowly."

"Brother Crown Prince, take a look at the scenery too."

The prince didn't think the bare mountain scenery in winter was beautiful.

After climbing for a while, the prince reached out to pull Yinzuo, who began to pant, and said, "Take a break."

Okay, take a break.

After walking and stopping, I finally saw the eaves of the temple.

When they arrived at the temple, they didn't have time to do anything but eat. While eating, the prince hinted to Yinzuo in some way that if he became a monk, he would have to eat vegetarian food and stay away from meat. Yinzuo was very amused.

Although the prince was dragged here by Yinzuo, he was very pious when praying.

There were many people who needed to be prayed for, including one next to him. The prince glanced at Yinzuo and prayed in his heart that his younger brother would be healthy and free from disasters in the future.

The same goes for Yinzuo. He prays that his brother, the Crown Prince, can be happier. It seems that this wish has existed for many years and is still there, but it has never been well realized.

And Yinzuo felt that things were getting worse.

After praying, Yinzuo looked at the prince, looking at his heavy, tired eyes, and said, "I have talked with the monk Mingde here several times. I think his words are very interesting and make people feel peaceful. Brother Prince, come with me to meet him."

The prince was very good at grasping the key points. He asked in surprise, "You have talked with the monk several times, and you still find his words interesting?"

Yinzuo was speechless: "I am like my father, I also like to eat meat. Don't worry, I will not come to the temple to become a monk."

Then he forcibly dragged the prince to meet the great monk Mingde, and then let them talk on their own.

Yinzuo dealt with the abbot Mingde originally for the sake of the crown prince. Yinzuo himself was not keen on those Buddhist teachings, but after chatting with him a few times, he realized that the abbot was indeed quite capable.

He just hoped that this time the master's Zen teachings would really be of some use.

Yinzuo always felt that the prince had too many things in his heart, and he hoped that Buddhist Zen could soothe his restlessness and calm him down.

If the monk is really useful, he can gild the Buddha statues in the temple. He has money.

(End of this chapter)