Chapter 59
Yinti initially hesitated and wanted to explain to the First Princess Consort, since a man seeking out fertility secrets was like openly telling others "I'm impotent."
Yinti struggled with this internally for a long time. If it were anyone else, he could have simply turned a cold face or found an excuse to let the matter pass, but his wife was different.
But when he mustered the courage to speak about it, he heard these words from his wife: "Yinti, have you been having an affair with a man?"
Yinti: ? ? ?
Yinti stopped mid-sentence, his face filled with shock. He stared wide-eyed at his wife in disbelief. "No, where did you hear such a thing? You're slandering me! This is utter nonsense! How could I possibly do such a thing?"
At this moment, Yinreng did not think that his wife had lost her mind; instead, he thought that someone was talking badly about him and slandering him.
Could it be the Crown Prince?
That shouldn't be the case. If he had told others, people would definitely know that he has a secret formula for having children. How could there not be any gossip?
"If not, then why hasn't the master entered the inner courtyard lately?" The eldest princess didn't think her elder brother was a person who cultivated his character. One or two months would be fine, but now almost half a year has passed.
The suspicious gaze fell upon Yinti. Upon hearing the First Consort's words, Yinti nearly vomited blood, and immediately understood why she had asked him that question.
"I just want to conserve my essence. Also, my wife, you should take good care of your health. Once I've conserved my essence, we'll definitely have a son." Yinti spoke with great confidence, as if he could already see his son right in front of him.
The First Princess remained silent, wondering if Yinti was... just being delusional again? Oh, no, the phrase "delusional" shouldn't be used here.
"Have you been reading some random novels lately?" The First Princess Consort remembered catching Yinti secretly reading novels in the study once before, and she even knew that these novels came from the Crown Princess's shop.
"No." Yinti was ashamed. It was one thing for the Fujin to know, but why did she have to say it out loud! Also, the Fujin had discovered that he was reading storybooks before, so why didn't he know?
"You really didn't get involved with a man? Yinti, do you know that if Father Emperor finds out about this, he'll break your legs?" The First Princess Consort threatened, her eyes scanning the First Prince Yinti from head to toe.
After finishing speaking, she started thinking about something else. Yinti didn't seem like the type to get involved with men. Wasn't he normal before?
If the Emperor found out, he would definitely break Yinti's legs. Yinti probably wouldn't dare to do that, nor would he do it.
After giving Yinti a suspicious look, her jumbled thoughts took another turn, and her pale face turned deathly white. Could it be…?
His gaze drifted to a place that shouldn't be spoken aloud, "Master, you, you wouldn't be..."
She seemed to want to say something but stopped, as if she hadn't said anything at all. However, from her eyes, Yinti seemed to see a lot that she should have said to him.
Since Yinti could secretly read storybooks in the study, it meant that he was also slightly influenced by the imagination contained in the storybooks. For example, at this moment, he actually understood what his wife meant.
His eyes widened instantly, and he shook his head rapidly, his movements so swift and exaggerated as if afraid his wife wouldn't see it. He even cried out, "Wife, don't think such things. The master is really fine, he's perfectly capable!"
Damn it, how could the Princess Consort think of this?
How could a man who could make his wife give birth to four children be incapable?
"Really?" Faced with Yinti's protest, the First Consort's suspicious eyes showed a hint of helplessness, as if she really intended to cover up the truth for her master. When she reluctantly nodded, Yinti had already interrupted her.
"It's true, to be honest, my lady, I've heard about the Crown Prince's secret recipe, and I've even taken some medicine. As long as I conserve my energy for three years, I'm sure I'll be able to have a son."
Seeing that his wife didn't seem to believe him, Yinti panicked and quickly spoke up.
However, because he was too shy to speak, his voice was slightly low and hesitant. If the study hadn't been relatively quiet, the First Princess Consort wouldn't have been able to hear what Yinti was saying at all.
"What?" The First Princess Consort was completely dumbfounded. Looking at Yinti in front of her, she pursed her lips. "Um, are you sure it was His Highness the Crown Prince who said that?"
The First Princess Consort suspected that Yinti might have said something wrong. In her mind, the Crown Prince was a refined and elegant nobleman. Even when he occasionally argued with Yinti, he always maintained a proud and aloof demeanor. How could he possibly... possibly have such a so-called secret formula for conceiving a child?
And she even gave birth to a son?!
The First Princess looked at Yinti with a complicated expression, wondering if he had read some nonsense in a storybook again, which was just made up by a poor scholar.
"Of course, I have taken all the medicine the Crown Prince gave me. My wife, you should take good care of your health. In three years, we will definitely be able to give birth to a legitimate son." Yinti knew that his wife was also thinking about this matter. He stepped forward, took his wife's hand, and looked serious and earnest.
The First Princess Consort didn't know whether she should believe him or not, but looking at Yinti's serious expression and resolute tone, she really felt a desire to submit.
Finally, she nodded, looking at Yinti with a face full of emotion, "Yinti, I never expected that you would sacrifice so much for me and for our child."
Seeing her moved to tears, Yinqi held his wife tenderly, also feeling moved himself, and said, "It's alright, it's all for this family. As a Baturu, how could I possibly place all the burdens on your shoulders?"
The First Princess Consort, out of Yinti's sight, was utterly speechless. A secret formula for conceiving a child? Hadn't she consumed enough of those? Many imperial consorts in the capital were taking them, and what was the result?
But seeing that Yinti had gone so far as to go to the Crown Prince to pour cold water on his plans, the First Princess Consort ultimately remained silent.
Since Yinti is willing to wait three years, then she should take good care of her health and fight again in three years!
The matter concerning Yinti was only mentioned in the open to Emperor Kangxi, who didn't think much about it and just let him do whatever he wanted.
And winter has just begun, and the Lunar New Year is just around the corner.
Before the New Year, good news came from the Fifth Prince's and Seventh Prince's residences: their princesses were pregnant. Although it was a matter of one in the other, it still made them very happy.
Regarding the fact that the princesses were pregnant before their wedding, Yinti scoffed, "Pshaw, the best man in the Qing Dynasty is none other than me."
Compared to the happiness of the Fifth Prince Yinqi and the Seventh Prince Yinyou, their brides, the Fifth and Seventh Princesses, were not so happy.
When Zhang Bao, the assistant secretary, learned of this matter at the Tatara residence, his face was full of worry.
Tell me, how could the Fifth Prince be so inconsiderate? He's not even married yet, and his concubine is already pregnant! This... this...
Looking at his daughter, whose appearance could at best be described as pretty but somewhat plump, Zhang Bao finally told his wife and daughter about the matter.
"Good news has come from Liu Jia, the Fifth Prince's concubine: she is pregnant." She will become the legal mother as soon as she enters the prince's residence.
Even the eldest prince, the crown prince, the third prince, and the fourth prince, did not get the princess pregnant before their wives entered the household.
“Tell me, how could the Fifth Prince be like this? This is making our daughter…” His wife, Tatara, also had a face full of complaints and dissatisfaction. However, before she could finish her complaints, she was scolded by Tatara Zhangbao.
"Shut up. What right do we have to comment on royal matters?" Zhang Bao was still worried that if what the Fujin said got out, the Emperor would think that their family was dissatisfied with the Emperor's bestowal of a marriage.
The fact that the Emperor was willing to bestow their princess upon the Fifth Prince as his wife shows that he thinks highly of the Tatara family.
“Since things have come to this, Anrong, don’t be sad. The royal family also needs to have offspring. A woman shouldn’t be too jealous. Even if you’re in the Fifth Prince’s harem, you need to stay calm, understand?” Zhang Bao only wanted to avoid making mistakes, but there were many other things that the Fujin (consort) needed to explain.
They're women, so I don't get too involved in their conversations.
"Fujin, please tell Anrong more..." Zhang Bao was busy with other things, so he left the small matters of the inner quarters to Fujin.
"Don't worry, sir, I understand." His wife nodded hastily, feeling sorry for her daughter's misfortune. She had thought that by marrying the Fifth Prince and becoming his wife, she would have a good life, but now…
He pulled Anrong towards her daughter's room and advised her, "Men are fickle; they get bored easily. Don't take it too seriously."
When she enters the Fifth Prince's harem, she will first have a legitimate son. In the future, when the women in the harem grow old and lose their beauty, won't they be abandoned by the man who is fickle and tired of the old?
His wife, Ta La Fu Jin, had gone through the same thing. When the master was young... no, he still does. He likes young and beautiful women. The concubine who used to be so arrogant because she was favored and trampled on his face? Ha, now that she's fallen out of favor, she's long gone.
All I can do every day is greet myself on time and praise myself...
Using her own experience to educate Tara Anrong, the pretty and round-faced little girl nodded obediently, "Mother, I understand."
Tatara Anrong also had no idea about the future. She was not a princess raised in a wealthy family and lacked a sense of the big picture.
If things aren't going well in the Fifth Prince's household, she'll just shut herself away and live alone...
Meanwhile, at the residence of the future Seventh Prince's wife, Deputy Commander Faka was also secretly complaining about the Seventh Prince's lack of consideration and his complete disregard for the Nara clan, which was like a slap in the face to the Nara!
But when he sees other officials, he still chuckles and says, "Yes, yes, we're happy for the Seventh Prince too..."
Damn it!
The three princes all got married in the same year, which was quite close in time. The fifth prince and the seventh prince's lack of manners embarrassed their maternal families, and the officials in the court took note of it.
In comparison, the Eighth Prince Yinzhi was much better. The worst thing you can do is compare people. Things that should be ordinary become different when you compare them.
Not every official in the imperial court truly cherishes their daughter, but they all value their own reputation.
The behavior of the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince clearly showed their contempt for the Nara (Tatara) clan, causing them great embarrassment. However, because they were princes of the emperor, they dared not show it openly, but they still grumbled about it in private.
At Prince An's residence, the future Eighth Princess Consort, Princess Guo Luoluo, was incredibly proud upon hearing about this.
Whenever they attend someone else's banquet, they will publicize it extensively, using it as something to boast about.
Sure enough, even Emperor Kangxi, who shouldn't have paid attention to this matter, couldn't help but take it to heart. He was quite pleased to learn that the two princesses in the harems of the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince had become pregnant one after another.
To ensure the continuation of the Aisin Gioro clan and expand their royal family, whether they are legitimate sons or illegitimate sons, they are all grandsons of Aisin Gioro Xuanye. He is currently lacking grandsons, so how could he not care?
However, after the future Eighth Prince's wife, Lady Guoluo, boasted about him outside, saying things like "The Eighth Prince is polite and follows the rules," and "Princess Tara and Princess Nara will be happy in the future, as they can become the legal mother as soon as they marry in," her face darkened.
Blaming Guoluo for spreading rumors outside, and at the same time taking it out on her two sons, is simply a disgrace to the royal family!
He immediately summoned the two princes. When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi stood there and pointed at them angrily, "Their wives haven't even entered the palace yet, and they're already pregnant with a child born out of wedlock! Listen to what people outside are saying about our Qing imperial family!"
What Emperor Kangxi cared about most was the face of the Qing imperial family. Especially since the majority of the population was Han Chinese, he could only learn Han culture in order to maintain the rule of the Qing dynasty. Only by learning and understanding could he know how to utilize the rules.
Respecting the legal mother, valuing the legal son... and a series of other measures, the Lunar New Year's Eve celebration is even more important than the Golden Festival. While learning, I also integrated myself into the celebration.
If those scholars and officials knew that the Qing imperial family was so uncouth, wouldn't those members of the Heaven and Earth Society use it to spread rumors, saying things like, "Barbarians are barbarians, the Manchu dogs have no legitimate Han Chinese heritage..."
Emperor Kangxi had seen many such cases and had been angry about them many times. He could easily guess how those who opposed the Qing dynasty and sought to restore the Ming dynasty would use such information if it got out.
"What did you learn from the Imperial Study? Did it all go to waste? You two are really no match for your four older brothers. From the eldest to the fourth, none of you have caused me so much worry. You have truly disappointed me."
Emperor Kangxi directly berated them and finally told them to get lost.
Immediately afterwards, he ordered people to minimize the impact of the matter and to block the news as much as possible, forbidding it from spreading further.
The recent snow disaster has been quite severe in Shandong, with some disaster victims even engaging in unrest. An investigation revealed that the Heaven and Earth Society was behind it all, and those people are truly capable of any evil in their fight against the Qing Dynasty.
One thing after another kept happening without any good news. How could Kangxi not be annoyed?
The Fifth Prince Yinqi and the Seventh Prince Yinyou were also very depressed after being scolded so harshly. They were originally quite happy that the princesses were pregnant, thinking that they would have children and become fathers.
But who knew that when the Emperor was in a bad mood, he was also secretly angry with the pregnant princess and the future wife.
"Seventh Brother, tell me, weren't Fourth Brother's three daughters all born to the princesses? Why are you scolding us?" Fifth Prince Yinqi was unwilling to accept this and didn't think there was anything to make a big deal out of it.
Yinyou had always been self-conscious about his leg injury and didn't usually play with his other brothers. Hearing his fifth brother's question, Yinyou frowned.
He wasn't stupid; he naturally managed to pick out the key point from his father's earlier outburst of insults.
"Father said that the news has spread, making people think that our royal family is uncouth and has lost face." Yinyou frowned. The key issue wasn't that the princess was pregnant, but that the news had spread.
"Who leaked the message?" Yinqi was equally annoyed. What was supposed to be a happy occasion had turned into this mess, and he had even been scolded by his father. Who could be happy about that?
"I don't know, but the people under the Prince's command really need to be thoroughly cleaned up." Yin You, who always had a gloomy face, looked even more somber now.
If someone hadn't leaked it, how could the news have been spread to the outside world by others?
It wasn't a big deal to begin with.
"Perhaps the Tatara and Nara families also have some opinions." Yinqi believed that the Tatara and Nara families were the most dissatisfied with this matter.
"Why should they have any objections? It's a man's duty to carry on the family line." Even before the Seventh Prince's wife entered the household, Yin You was already dissatisfied with her, believing her to be extremely jealous.
After returning, he sent people to investigate and also cleaned up the backyard.
They must teach them a lesson. Why did the prince's affairs get out? Why don't they hear any news from Yuqing Palace?
Yuqing Palace is the Crown Prince's residence, so why don't we hear much about the Fourth Brother's harem?
Isn't it because they are strict? But then again, it seems that each of their princes has a wife to manage them. He frowned slightly, thinking that it's still not good without a wife to keep an eye on them.
They can be pampered, but they're not qualified to manage the household affairs.
Later, an investigation revealed that it was the future wife of the eighth brother who had been talking nonsense outside, which led the Emperor to say that they had disgraced the royal family.
Damn it, the two immediately went to find their eighth brother to practice bukku and get to know each other better. When the fifth and seventh brothers asked him to practice bukku, the eighth prince, Yinzhi, was still a little confused.
"Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, why did you suddenly want to ask me to practice Buku? You should have asked Tenth Brother instead."
The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, declined. He was already a few years younger than his Fifth and Seventh brothers, and to compete with them in a game of buk-kyu was practically asking for a beating. Who would want to go?
"Eighth Brother, we just want to see you." The Fifth Prince refused, looking at Yinzhi. They shouldn't go looking for trouble with women, right? Now, the woman's debts are being attributed to the men.
"Why? Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, did I offend you in some way?" Yinzhi's information network was not as good as the Fifth Brother's, nor did he contact anyone outside the palace, because he simply did not have the manpower to do so.
Therefore, Yinzhi truly knew nothing about what his future wife, Princess Guoluo, was doing.
Compared to his fifth and seventh brothers, Yinzhi preferred that his offspring be born into a mother of noble birth, unlike himself, who was born into the harem...
Whether it's the Emperor or anyone else, the one with the lowest status is none other than oneself.
“We’ve heard that your future sister-in-law has been praising you a lot. So, we’d like to see for ourselves what makes you so amazing, Eighth Brother.”
The Fifth Prince, Yinqi, had already grabbed Yinsi's arm to prevent him from struggling free.
Seventh Prince Yinyou also grabbed another arm and led Yinsi towards the cloth storeroom, saying, "That's right, Eighth Brother should also let Seventh Brother take a good look, otherwise how will Seventh Brother learn from Eighth Brother?"
How could Yinzhi not understand the meaning of Yinqi and Yinyou's words? Upon hearing them, he knew that he had been implicated by his future wife.
So, the future princess's boasting about me outside reached the ears of my fifth and seventh brothers, who were jealous and came to confront me? That's... way too petty!
It seems that the future Fifth Sister-in-law and Seventh Sister-in-law haven't been praising Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother outside. However, he heard that Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother were scolded by Father Emperor.
"Hehe, it's all just Guo Luoluo Gege's wild guesses about my brother's personality and character... Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother, don't underestimate yourselves..." Yinzhi was very modest and explained, "Please don't bother me with such trivial matters, okay?"
"Perhaps Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother should pay more attention to their future wives?"
Yinzhi offered suggestions, thinking that the two of them were being scolded for this, but he couldn't understand it. It shouldn't be like this. How could Father Emperor scold them for such a trivial matter?
"Eighth Brother, you don't need to worry about this. Come on, we're here. Who do you want to go with first?" Yinqi was unmoved and thought Yinsi was talking nonsense.
"Then let Fifth Brother go first." Seventh Prince Yinyou said modestly. Fifth Brother looked stronger, as did Eighth Brother. He thought that since he was disabled, he should let them fight first and both of them would be injured. Only then would he beat Eighth Brother up as a thank you.
Before Yinzhi could even refuse, Yinqi, who had rolled up his sleeves, punched him. How could he possibly tolerate that?
Then……
The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince had just arrived when they saw the Fifth Prince and the other two in such a disheveled state, and were shocked. "Fifth Prince, Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, you three, were you fighting?"
With his face bruised and swollen, he looked like he'd been seriously beaten. What happened? Such deep hatred?
"By the way, Eighth Brother, I heard that Princess Guoluo said you are a good man." Ninth Prince Yinzhen had also met Princess Guoluo, after all, they were both from the Guoluo clan. He was also present when she entered the palace to pay homage to Consort Yi.
She has the same temperament as her mother, cheerful and straightforward, which her mother likes quite a bit. As for other things, she hasn't paid much attention.
"Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, I heard you two got scolded by Father Emperor. Why?" After speaking with Eighth Brother, she looked at Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother and asked curiously.
The Fifth Prince Yinqi and the Seventh Prince Yinyou did not intend to answer Yintang's question, as news from the Qianqing Palace was not something that just anyone could obtain.
So they don't talk about it, and no one dares to ask.
Even when their mother summoned them, they didn't mention such a thing, as it was somewhat embarrassing.
Getting scolded for this kind of thing...
Seeing that neither Fifth Brother nor Seventh Brother answered, Yinzhen and Yin'e lost interest in talking to them. Instead, they moved closer to Eighth Brother and chatted about their important business: the tricycle! Oh, no, it should be called the big tricycle! It's almost finished, do you want to go take a look?
The Eighth Prince touched his bruised and swollen face, his expression somewhat strange and subtle. "No, wait. I'll go with you next time."
As a prince of the emperor, he still had to maintain his image.
Yinti didn't care at all about the fact that the fifth and seventh princes' princesses were pregnant. It was just a princess getting pregnant. If he wanted to, all the princesses in the backyard would have been pregnant again and again long ago.
Now that the New Year is almost here, I need to think about what gift to give my father.
Ugh, what a hassle! We have to give gifts for the Emperor's birthday, for the Golden Week, and even for New Year's Eve.
He used to want to compete with the Crown Prince for the Emperor's attention, but now he finds it all too much of a headache. He'd better go see Mingzhu and see if she has any good suggestions.
Also, he sent a portion to the Crown Prince as well. The Crown Prince gave him the last portion of medicine, and although Yinti didn't say it, he was quite touched.
Of course, if it doesn't work later, Yinti will definitely grab the sole of his shoe and slap Yinreng's big head hard, saying, "You dare to lie to me, I'll beat you to death."
Mingzhu remained calm about the arrival of the eldest prince, but after discussing what New Year's gifts to send to the emperor, she heard Yinti ask, "What gifts should Your Highness send to the Crown Prince?"
Mingzhu looked at the eldest prince strangely, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind his words. What? You still want to send a gift to the crown prince?
"Your Highness, it seems you've been getting along quite well with His Highness the Crown Prince lately?" Mingzhu asked.
"It's alright, about the same as before." Yinti waved his hand casually, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Saying it was just a sign of his respect for the Crown Prince.
What can Mingzhu do? She can only hold her nose and try to solve the problems for the eldest prince.
On New Year's Eve, the two-and-a-half-year-old boy was carried by Yinreng to the Qianqing Palace, where all the princes had arrived.
With his big, bright, dark eyes, little Hongyao looked excitedly and happily at his uncles. "Uncle, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Fifth Uncle, Seventh Uncle...Fourteenth Uncle, Happy New Year!"
A soft, sweet voice, filled with joy, rang out, drawing the attention of the other uncles, who didn't yet have sons, to little Hongyao. "Hongyao, Happy New Year!"
Yinreng put little Hongyao down. Luckily, he had practiced bukaku for many years, otherwise this chubby little guy would have been quite heavy.
They didn't feel comfortable letting the wet nurse carry them, fearing that their chubby baby might slip and fall on the road.
"Come here, Hongyao, this is a New Year's red envelope from your Ninth Uncle. May you have good health, great fortune, and all things go smoothly." Ninth Prince Yinzhen had earned quite a bit this year, and he was the first to step forward and give little Hongyao a red envelope.
Ninth Brother's behavior was his own guiding light. Luckily, Ninth Brother reminded him, otherwise Yin'e would have really forgotten about it. He quickly took out his red envelope and said, "Hongyao, this is a red envelope from Tenth Uncle. Look, there is a big tiger on Tenth Uncle's red envelope. Remember, it's from Tenth Uncle."
Yin'e was worried that other people's red envelopes would get mixed up with his own, and that Hongyao would think that he hadn't given him a red envelope.
Upon seeing Yin'e's action, everyone else burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Tenth Prince, you're worried about mixing up other people's red envelopes? How big of a red envelope can you possibly give?"
Yinti laughed heartily, and at the same time took out his own red envelope and stuffed it into Hongyao's arms, saying, "Here, this is from your uncle."
It's a pity his daughter was taken to the Cining Palace; otherwise, he could have gotten those uncles to give him red envelopes... Hey, when we get to the main hall later, remember to have Bu'er and the others come over to collect them, hahaha...
Following Yinzhen's actions, the other uncles also rushed over. Hongyao's little hands were so busy stuffing red envelopes that he could barely hold them.
Seeing Hongyao in a flustered state while Yinreng was still laughing, Kangxi, sitting above, couldn't stand it anymore. He beckoned to Liang Jiugong and found a small bag for Hongyao to put the red envelopes in.
"You kids just know how to make fun of Hongyao. Hongyao, come here. There's a small bag over here, Grandfather." Kangxi knew that children liked red envelopes, and they were still curious about them.
In his flustered state, Hongyao didn't receive any help from his father. Instead, he was ridiculed by his father. Furious, Hongyao ran to Emperor Kangxi.
"Grandpa Emperor is the best! Hongyao loves Grandpa Emperor the most!" The sweet-talking Hongyao hugged the stack of red envelopes and put them into the small bag that Kangxi had prepared for him.
The Fourteenth Prince, who hadn't prepared anything, looked left and right. Why were his Twelfth and Thirteenth brothers prepared? Wasn't the Thirteenth Brother about the same age as him?
Why would Brother Thirteen remember to prepare a red envelope?
Beside him, the Fourth Prince saw that the Fourteenth Prince looked blank and knew that the Fourteenth Prince was unprepared. He stuffed the red envelope he had prepared for the Fourteenth Prince into his hand, and said nothing with his cold and expressionless face.
Fourteen thought that Fourth Brother had prepared a red envelope for him. Although it wasn't good to give the red envelope that Fourth Brother had given him to Hongyao, it would be really awkward to not give one in front of so many people.
As Hongyao was acting coquettishly towards his father, the Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen, quickly stepped forward and gave Hongyao his red envelope, saying, "Hongyao, this is from your Fourteenth Uncle."
When she said this, she sounded a little guilty. Who would have thought that at only five or six years old, she would have to learn about social etiquette?
"Haha, Fourteenth Prince, how old are you? You're already waiting for someone else to give you a red envelope." Kangxi couldn't help but laugh at Fourteenth Prince's actions. Indeed, it's better to be cheerful on this festive occasion.
As for the previous criticism of the fifth and seventh princes, Kangxi didn't hold it against them. He simply scolded them and let it go. Of course, he would definitely be unhappy if they didn't change their ways.
"Grandpa, how is Hongyao going to hold this?" The chubby little hand held the small bag, which looked like a pocket without a handle. It was useful, but how was Hongyao going to hold it?
"Then let's leave it here with Grandfather for now, and come back to get it when we get back, how about that?" Kangxi's attitude towards his sons and grandsons was completely different. For example, Yinqi and others had never been coaxed by Kangxi so gently.
Xiao Hongyao hesitated for a moment, glancing at his grandfather, then at his own little bag, before standing on tiptoe and lifting the bag up. "Grandpa, help Hongyao put this away."
Emperor Kangxi smiled and patted Hongyao's head. Then, he led all the princes to Cining Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.
Yinreng carried Hongyao, while Yinti walked beside him, glancing at the fifth and seventh princes out of the corner of his eye. "Your Highness, I believe that only you can be compared to me."
Yinreng: Huh?
"Brother, what makes you say that?" Yinreng didn't know what had gotten into Yinti's brain again, but his refined demeanor prevented him from showing any surprise.
Yinti felt that his fourth, fifth, and seventh sons were not worthy of being the best men in the Qing Dynasty, and that it would be irresponsible of his sons to place his legitimate sons below those of illegitimate sons in the future.
"Only you and I are worthy of competing for the title of the most outstanding man in the Qing Dynasty. Just wait and see. Although I troubled you with the matter before, I will not lose to you in this matter!"
As Yinti spoke, he became arrogant again, raised his chin, and glanced at his other brothers with a cold and disdainful look.
The other brothers: The eldest brother is having another episode; let's not argue with him.
But what on earth is this "the best man in the Qing Dynasty"?
At this moment, they had all forgotten the drunken banter between the Crown Prince and Yinti at a palace banquet. They didn't take it seriously, but Yinti and Yinreng did.
In the Cining Palace, several young princesses (such as Buerhe) were present. Emperor Kangxi even took out his own golden melon seeds as red envelopes and let them grab as many as they could.
A scene of harmony and joy unfolded. Bu'er still clung to Xiao Hongyao, saying, "Little brother is so handsome! Little brother speaks so sweetly! Little brother... come home with me..."
Little Hongyao hugged his mother tightly, "No, I want my mother."
Seeing that Buerhe dared to come over, he went to hug his father again. Buerhe was a little embarrassed, but still dared to muster up the courage to say to His Highness the Crown Prince, "Second, Second Uncle, I want to take my younger brother home to play together, is that alright?"
Little Hongyao went to cling to Kangxi's leg again. He hadn't seen the majestic and imposing Kangxi very often... no, he had hardly ever seen him before, so Buerhe didn't dare to go up to him.
When Xiao Hongyao saw that Buerhe was not going to take him home, he grinned smugly. Instantly, in Hongyao's mind, the image of the Emperor was that of a person even more powerful than his father.
So, at the subsequent palace banquet, little Hongyao clung to his grandfather the whole time, afraid that others would see how cute Hongyao was and try to take him home.
She whispered in Kangxi's ear, and upon hearing this, Kangxi couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, yes, Grandfather Hongyao is so cute. Grandfather, you must hold our Hongyao well so that no one can take him away."
Xiao Hongyao nodded as a matter of course.
That night, Kangxi coaxed little Hongyao, asking if he wanted to sleep with his grandfather in the Qianqing Palace, saying that his grandfather would keep the red envelopes for Hongyao and thank him for his hard work.
For the sake of that thick stack of red envelopes, Xiao Hongyao listened to his grandfather's lament, fidgeted with his little fingers, and after a few seconds, nodded softly and replied, "Then, then, Hongyao will accompany the grandfather."
Emperor Kangxi felt that his grandson was too easily fooled and that he needed to improve his anti-abduction skills...
The officials below, seeing the emperor and his young grandson so affectionately bonded, even holding each other as they sat on the dragon throne, wondered...
Immediately, they began whispering amongst themselves. The little prince, with his fair complexion, cuteness, and delicate features, was indeed pleasing to the eye. They had heard that he was also very intelligent and could recite the Three Character Classic. If their own child were as intelligent as him, they would have nothing to worry about.
Hearing a barrage of praise and envy, Yinreng felt a strong urge to have another child. That evening, on the way back from the palace banquet, Yinreng took the initiative to say to Jialuo, "Crown Princess, why don't we have another one?"
He is so intelligent and handsome, every child will surely be like him. Just thinking about this made Yinreng's heart burn with warmth.
A cool, seductive voice reached her ears, but Jia Luo suddenly looked up, her beautiful, doe-like eyes widening as she stared at him. "What?"
"Your Highness, I think Hongyao is very good. Let's have another child, a child as intelligent and lovely as Hongyao." People at that time believed that many children meant many blessings, and even Yinreng was no exception. He would not mind having more children as good as Hongyao.
He wouldn't say he dislikes any of his children; he loves them all. But if each of them could be as cute and intelligent as Hongyao, he would be especially happy.
Just thinking about it made him excited. Looking at Jialuo in front of him, his eyes began to burn with passion. Even the freezing winter couldn't extinguish his burning heart.
Suddenly, I realize that Yinreng isn't so charming anymore. Has he gotten uglier?
There's no love left.
Indeed, after so many years, people say there's a three-year itch; feelings inevitably fade by then.
(End of this chapter)
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