Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24
Prince Li's words made the entire court suddenly quiet, and everyone held their breath and looked at Kangxi.
They really didn't expect that Prince Li actually wanted to adopt the Fifteenth Prince to him. Based on the doting that the Emperor and the other princes had on the Fifteenth Prince, they would definitely not agree.
If you just disagree, you will have to go against the Empress Dowager's order. If the Empress Dowager was still alive, it would be easy to deal with, but the key is that she is no longer here.
It would be difficult for the emperor to refuse directly.
Yinyu hugged Yinzhi's neck, momentarily forgetting his movements. His mouth opened slightly, saliva flowing uncontrollably. After a long while, he mentally said to the 679 system with some disbelief, "System, does he want me to acknowledge him as my father?"
Yinyou was a little confused. He was enjoying the show just by the side, but why did this happen to him?
This old man looks so old and is of the same generation as the Empress Dowager, yet he is so shameless as to want him to be his son?
By the time he becomes a grandson, he will probably be the same age as his father.
Thinking of this, his eyes rolled around, his black and white pupils swept across Yinreng's face, and then he laughed in his heart.
System 679 was also shocked by Prince Li's words. He glanced at the person kneeling on the ground and said in a childish, mechanical voice with a pause, "It seems so."
"Ah, host, you heard it right, he just wants you to be his son."
"This old man is really not a good person."
Kangxi was startled by the words "one man rules all," and suddenly reacted. The gloom in his eyes flashed away. He looked down at Prince Li and suddenly laughed. He asked him, "Prince Li, seeing that I have been doting on the Fifteenth recently, is that why you want to adopt the Fifteenth, who is loved by so many people?"
As he said this, he looked at Prince Li and said in a cold voice, "Even if I really adopted the Fifteenth Prince into your family, you would not be able to leave the Imperial Mausoleum."
He could more or less guess what Prince Li was thinking. If he wanted Prince Li to guard the imperial mausoleum, then Prince Li would take his most beloved child to guard the imperial mausoleum. Even if he was abused there, he would not interfere.
When he suffers, there must always be someone to accompany him.
Once the child is adopted, he will be Prince Li's child and will have little to do with him. Even his discipline will depend on Prince Li's mood.
But if he really wanted to be adopted, not only the fifteenth, but also his other children would not have a chance.
Yinreng's breathing was a little rapid, and his chest heaved violently. He didn't expect that this old man would dare to make such a request.
Not only Fifteen couldn't go, his other brothers couldn't go either.
This old man wanted his brothers to be buried with him under the pretext of adopting him?!
Where can such a good thing happen?!
Thinking of this, Yinreng looked towards Prince Li, his face full of smiles but his eyes were not bright. His voice was so calm that no emotion could be detected: "Prince Li, this is not a good idea. You chose such a young child to follow you to guard the imperial mausoleum. If the child dies young, my father will blame you. If the child survives, I am afraid I will not be able to take care of you in your old age and see you to the end of your life."
He then offered his own recommendation: "What do you think of me? I think I can do it. I'm grown up now. Even if you die now, I can still break the pot and mourn for you."
After he finished speaking, he glanced coldly at Soetu.
The warning is very clear.
Soetu listened to Yinreng's threat without saying a word. Their family already had such a prince. If he was adopted by Prince Li, he would have no place to cry.
When Yinzhi heard Yinreng's words, his eyes suddenly lit up. He had originally thought that this matter was difficult to handle and there was no way to say it.
He didn't expect that Yinreng's words hit the nail on the head. He usually had a poisonous tongue, and now that the poison was directed at someone else, he felt relieved when he heard it.
Thinking of this, he held Yinyu in his arms and bowed to Kangxi with a smile, saying, "Father, I feel that Yinreng cannot be adopted. He is the eldest son and the crown prince. Adopting him to Prince Li is not an option. It would be too disgraceful for our Aisin-Gioro clan."
At this point, he changed the subject and said to Prince Li with a smile, "Prince Li, what do you think of me? I'm the eldest, the eldest son of a concubine, and was once the Emperor's favorite son. If Prince Li doesn't mind, we can modify the family tree right now and let me accompany you to the Imperial Mausoleum to serve you, how about that?"
As Yinzhen finished speaking, the smile on his face slowly faded and his voice became somewhat sinister.
As Yinyu listened to what they said, he actually said happily to System 679 in his heart: "Actually, I think I can also be Prince Li's son."
When these words were spoken, Kangxi and others were shocked. No one expected Yinyu to say such a thing.
He is so young, not even one year old. If he follows us to the imperial mausoleum like this, wouldn't that be suicide?
Prince Li asked Yinyou to be his son because he was young and wanted him to be buried with him before his death.
His sons, Xuanye, are all precious, so which one of them can be buried with Prince Li?!
Upon hearing Yinyu's words, System 679 suddenly grew anxious, its childish, mechanical voice even quickening. "Host, Prince Li has ill intentions, don't you see? If you were truly adopted by your father, you would have to follow him to guard the imperial mausoleum."
"The Imperial Mausoleum isn't a particularly harsh place, but would Prince Li let you stay there alive? He'd definitely kill you before he dies. This old man has bad intentions and is incredibly evil!"
He was about to continue when he heard Yinyu say, "It's nothing, actually. As long as Prince Li is convicted and sent to guard the imperial mausoleum, it's fine for me to stay in the capital."
Upon hearing this, System 679 suddenly fell silent. He thought for a moment, then nodded to Yinyu and said, "You're right. It's not impossible. After all, Prince Li still has a lot of property. If you inherit it all, you'll be very rich."
"Even in the future, when we complete our mission and want to go out, we can still enjoy ourselves and live a carefree life."
At this moment, the 679 system convinced itself and felt that it was okay for Yinwei to be adopted by Prince Li.
Even Kangxi's gaze towards Yinyou became complicated. Whoever was adopted by Prince Li would benefit from it. If Prince Li really colluded with the salt merchants, then his family would have a mountain of gold and silver. Given Prince Li's caution, they might not be able to find it.
In the end, it might be left to the adopted family. Even if it isn't, we can still get a little clue, and then we will have a lot of gold and silver.
If someone else went, it might not work, but Fifteen could definitely do it.
Thinking of this, he fell silent.
The corners of Yinreng and Yinzhi's mouths twitched slightly, and when they looked at Soetu and Mingzhu, they found that the two were surprisingly silent.
Prince Li was listening to Yinreng and Yinzhi's words without any panic. His face was calm and composed, and his voice was old and powerful: "If the emperor is willing, then this old minister is also willing."
At this point, he glanced at Kangxi and said sarcastically, "I'm afraid the emperor doesn't want to."
He knew the Emperor too well. When he received the imperial edict, the Empress Dowager had told him that if he really wanted a child in the future, he could adopt one from the imperial clan. The Emperor's child also belonged to the imperial clan, so naturally he could be adopted.
It depends on what he thinks.
Now he wants the emperor's son, it depends on whether the emperor will give it to him or not.
If he doesn't give it, it means he is disobeying the imperial decree. If he gives it, he will be buried with him. Either way, he will not lose out.
Yinyu listened to System 679's words with a smile in his voice as he said, "Actually, it's not for Prince Li's inheritance, but for Prince Li himself. Prince Li's generation is really high. If I were his son, even my father would have to call me the Emperor's Uncle."
"Of course, my eldest and second cheap brothers also want to be my grandsons."
As soon as these words were spoken, Kangxi's fingers holding the teacup paused, and the hot tea almost spilled on his hands. He looked at Yinyou, feeling speechless. After a long while, he coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment.
This kid is really rebelling against Tiangang and actually wants to be the emperor's uncle!
The expressions on Yinzhen, Yinreng and Yinzhi's faces became somewhat distorted the moment they heard these words.
This kid Yinyou is really bold, he actually wants them to be his grandsons!
System 679 fell silent after hearing Yinyu's words. After a long while, it couldn't help but burst into laughter. His childish voice was full of joking: "Host, this old man, you are not at all wronged by treating him as your son."
"I just don't know if your father is happy about this. If he is, your generation will rise immediately. In the entire clan, you will be the oldest and the youngest, haha..."
"In addition to being able to inherit his inheritance, I also became the ancestor of the royal family."
When thinking about the meaning of Yinyou's words, the 679 system couldn't help it.
His host is really smart. How could he think of this kind of relationship?
When he grows up and comes to court, the court will be full of his nephews and grandchildren.
The scene was so intense that he couldn't help but want to laugh.
Kangxi felt his fingers itching as he listened to the 679 system's somewhat crazy words. He really hadn't expected that this one person's idea of unifying the world would be so big.
Not to mention being the emperor's uncle, what do the ancestors of the entire royal family think?!
However, this statement of one person unifying everything made him understand that if he wanted to find someone to be adopted by Prince Li, the person must be of the same generation as Prince Li's son.
Thinking of this, he looked down at Prince Li and chuckled softly, saying, "Prince Li, my grandmother's imperial edict is in your hands. Since you have such a request, I will not refuse it. However, it is a bit unreasonable to ask my son to be your son."
"There's a big generation gap. When these kids meet in the future, they can't call each other uncle or grandpa."
Having said this, he didn't wait for Prince Li to object. He looked him in the eye and smiled, "I allow you to choose someone from your son's generation within the royal family. I won't make it difficult for you no matter who you choose."
When Yinreng and Yinzhi heard what Kangxi said, the thoughts that had just arisen in their minds were suddenly extinguished.
After listening to Yinyou's words just now, they suddenly understood. They also wanted to be uncles and grandfathers, as long as Prince Li agreed.
It was really disappointing that his father found a way to deal with it in just a short while.
The generation level that could have been raised was gone in an instant.
When Yinyu heard Kangxi's words, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he said to the 679 system with some disappointment, "I really didn't expect that my father would think of what I was thinking so quickly. He really is a worm in my stomach. He can guess everything I am thinking."
Kangxi raised the corners of his mouth, and the heavy heart he felt after hearing Prince Li's words suddenly relaxed.
Yinreng, Yinzhi and Yinzhi curled their lips. Is it possible that he can hear what you say?
System 679 watched the situation unfold, its childish mechanical voice becoming cheerful. "Host, you're right, but is it possible that your father had already thought of this from the beginning? He just didn't say it?"
At this point, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "But your father's idea is really amazing."
After hearing the system's words, Yinzhen, Yinreng and Yinzhi all looked calm, but they were thinking in their hearts about what Kangxi had just said.
Yinyu yawned while holding Yinzhi in his arms, and said to System 679 with some pride in his heart, "Of course, my father is very capable. With just a few words, he found a way to resolve the situation. He chose someone from the same generation as Prince Li's son from the royal family."
"If I'm not mistaken, there aren't many people left of Prince Li's son's generation. Even if they are, they're probably not in good health. They might not even be as healthy as Prince Li. When we follow him to the imperial mausoleum, who will take care of whom?"
"If he dies, he'll be known as someone who brings bad luck to his relatives. Prince Li might not mind this, but he still has several daughters alive. Wouldn't their children be affected as well?"
"Prince Li's cleverness backfired."
After listening to Yinyou's analysis, Yinzhen, Yinreng and Yinzhi suddenly felt enlightened. They had not really thought in this direction when they heard the words just now. Now, after hearing the words of "one person, one unification", they immediately understood their royal father's thoughts.
But when he thought that Yinyou and the 679 system had actually analyzed their royal father's thoughts, he immediately felt a little depressed.
Isn't the growth of this one person and one unification too fast?
If they wait another year or two, they will become the ones who get cheated, right?
As soon as this thought came to their minds, a sense of urgency suddenly arose in the hearts of the three of them.
Prince Li was not stupid. Naturally, he understood what Kangxi meant as soon as he opened his mouth. The calmness on his face could hardly be maintained, and he made the decision in an instant.
He pursed his lips into a straight line and kowtowed to Kangxi, saying, "Your Majesty, you are joking. If you choose someone like this, he will die before me, and I'm afraid I'll be known as someone who kills my relatives."
At this point, he said to Kangxi: "This old minister is willing to hand over the imperial edict, confiscate all my family property, and strip me of my title. Please, Your Majesty, spare me this time."
Even if he went to the imperial mausoleum now, not only would he not be able to reach the place safely, it would be impossible for him to leave his money and title behind.
But if he voluntarily handed it over, combined with the Empress Dowager's decree and the title as a bargaining chip, he could exchange it for a peaceful old age from the Emperor.
It’s not difficult.
Kangxi was indeed tempted, but the imperial edict was a hidden danger. When the Empress Dowager was dying, she told him to take back his idea so as not to make things difficult for future generations.
As for the title, Prince Li had no children, so naturally he could not inherit the title. However, if he really adopted his own child as his grandson, he would not be able to get all the money he obtained by colluding with salt merchants.
Even if the house is searched, only a small portion may be obtained.
Rather than this, it would be better to accept Prince Li’s request.
Thinking of this, he nodded slightly to Prince Li and said in a cold voice, "Alright."
After saying that, he stood up from the chair, looked deeply at Soetu and Mingzhu, and walked outside.
After Kangxi left, Yinzhen walked towards Prince Li and said with some regret, "What a pity! I thought Prince Li would consider his children, but I didn't expect that in the end, he would just ask for a peaceful retirement."
He didn't expect Prince Li to be so decisive. After his royal father mentioned the adopted person, he immediately responded.
If he had reacted a little slower, he would have had to go to the imperial tomb, his title would have been lost, and the imperial edict would have naturally been left behind.
But now Prince Li has really found a way to survive.
Prince Li helped Mingzhu stand up and chuckled. The wrinkles on his face were so numerous that they were a little scary. He said to Yinzhen, "As long as I am alive, even if I am a commoner, my children will not be bullied."
Yinyou put his arm around Yinzhi's neck and looked at Prince Li in front of him curiously.
There was no sign of panic on his face. Even when he was negotiating with Kangxi, he was still as calm as ever. At this moment, his hand holding Mingzhu was shaking slightly, as if he was exhausted from rushing here.
But in those cloudy eyes, there was a gleam of light from time to time.
Seeing this, Yinyu couldn't help but yawn, then retracted his gaze and said lazily to the 679 system in his mind: "System, why is Prince Li so calm? Why do I feel like he seems to have calculated every move my father wants to make?"
"He just confidently took all his wealth. Does this include the silver he obtained from collusion with the salt merchants?"
"Is it really worth using these things to ask for a chance not to go to the Imperial Mausoleum?"
System 679 said to him, "It's worth it. This Prince Li is no ordinary person. He is the earliest relative who followed the Empress Dowager in her early years. Even if he exchanges everything for something now, as long as he is in the capital, his seniority is there, and he can suppress all the royal family members."
Having said this, he paused slightly and continued to Yinyu, "There are more than just one or two people connected to him. The people in the royal family have complicated relationships with him. And the people his daughter and granddaughters marry are all his future helpers and confidence."
After he finished speaking, he couldn't help but pause and sighed, "Age makes wisdom, that's just the way it is. Prince Li has a lot on his mind."
Upon hearing this, Yinyu yawned again, feeling a little sleepy. He said to System 679, "That's not necessarily true. There are quite a few people on the salt merchant's side. Maybe some of them don't want him to be alive?"
After saying this, he said dazedly: "Who can say for sure?"
Yinzhen looked down and saw Yinyu sleeping on his shoulder. He looked at Prince Li's face, which was wrinkled with smile, and couldn't help but say, "Prince Li is right. But Prince Li must take good care of himself. If you go out at such an old age, bring more people with you. After all, you have no title, no rank, and no money. If you are killed, there will be no one to protect them."
After saying this, he held Yinwei in his arms and walked towards the corner gate without looking back.
Fifteen fell asleep, so he had to send the people back quickly and then leave the city overnight. He had to investigate the house as quickly as possible. He absolutely couldn't let those people take advantage of the opportunity.
When Yinreng saw Yinzhi leaving, he glanced at Soetu, chuckled, and followed him.
Yinzhi looked at it hesitantly. He wanted to watch the show, but he would not be happy if he saw himself in the show like Fifteen did.
He struggled internally for a moment, then walked outside.
As long as it has nothing to do with him, he'd better stay away.
He was just going to check on Xiao Si. It had been so long, and he hadn't come to court yet. Could it be that he wasn't fully recovered yet? He'd pick up a roast chicken and go see him on the way.
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt happy and a bright smile appeared on his face.
Yinyu was awakened by hunger. When he opened his eyes, he saw Yinreng sitting in front of him, reading a book with great interest. He climbed up from the couch, pulled at Yinreng's arm with his hand, stood up and said in a baby voice, "Guoguo?!"
As he spoke, he looked around, and when he didn't see Yinzhen and Kangxi, his face wrinkled.
Yinreng turned to look at Yinyu, put down the book in his hand, hugged him in his arms, patted his back with a smile and explained: "Father and eldest brother went to the Palace of Heavenly Purity for something. It was too cold on the road. The emperor was worried that you would fall asleep and get sick, so he asked second brother to stay here to look after you."
At this point, he looked at Yinyu and explained, "The Mongolian tribute that was originally promised was stopped because of snow on the road. I'm afraid it will take a few more days for it to arrive."
He remembered clearly that yesterday, in order to get Shiwu to come to court, he talked about the Mongolian tribute, but in the end, the Mongolian people did not show up.
It would be bad if this petty person held a grudge against him.
Yinyu nestled in Yinreng's arms and yawned. He said in a somewhat dazed voice, "Guoguo, I'm hungry."
As he spoke, he patted his belly with his chubby little hands.
The moment Yinreng heard this, he looked at his adorable appearance and almost lost control of himself, pinching his face. He put his hand to his lips, coughed softly, and suppressed the sound of laughter that was about to burst out. He said to him gently, "Fifteen, are you hungry? Then let's wash up first. The emperor was worried that you would be hungry, so he prepared it for you a long time ago."
As he said this, he held the man in his arms and wiped his hands and face with a handkerchief.
The warm handkerchief wiping his face made Yinyou wake up instantly.
He opened his mouth and yawned, then moved his nose and smelled the aroma of chicken porridge.
After Yinreng had cleaned up Yinyou, he turned around and brought the shredded chicken porridge and stirred it slowly with a spoon. When he felt the temperature in his hand was just right, he fed it to Yinyou.
While Yinyu was eating his porridge, the childish mechanical voice of System 679 excitedly shouted to him, "Host, host, the Prince Li who almost became your father is dead."
"He died before he even got home!"
Kangxi and Yinzhi, who had just walked to the door, stopped in their tracks the moment they heard this, turned around and looked at Yinzhi beside them with complicated expressions.
Yinzhi turned his head and met Kangxi's inquiring eyes. He quickly waved his hands and said, "I didn't do that. It wasn't me!"
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