Chapter Seventy-Eight
When the chubby little Hongtun was held in the old man's arms, he blinked his bright, dark eyes at him, his face full of confusion.
"Hongtun." Kangxi remembered the name he had given his grandson. Of the three younger ones, he had to admit that he preferred Hongtun, who looked like him.
"Mafa?" Hongtun remembered that Daguo had mentioned this as Mafa, but he wasn't familiar with it.
Somewhat bewildered, she looked up at Hongyao standing beside her, her eyes pleading, and called out softly, a hint of grievance in her voice, "Big brother?"
Why did Da Guo hand me over to him?
"Hongtun, ask Grandfather when Father will return?" Hongyao noticed his younger brother's pitiful eyes pleading for help, but he did not soften his heart.
How could he so easily back down from the "beauty doll scheme" that he had gone through so much trouble to execute?
After hearing what the big pot said, the key figure in the 'Beautiful Doll Plan', the adorable Hongtun, looked up at his grandfather and asked, "Father? Are you back?"
I can't speak for long, I can only repeat what Da Guo just said, picking up what I know to say, and I can't express my own meaning clearly at all.
He didn't really understand the meaning of "big pot"; he was just imitating Hongyao.
If it weren't for Emperor Kangxi holding Hongtun and listening to Hongyao speak, we really wouldn't know what Hongtun was saying.
He raised an eyebrow at Hongyao, seemingly confused about what Hongyao was doing. He thought he had already answered Hongyao's question, but now...
He glanced at the chubby baby in his arms and thought about the previous memorial. Yinreng had caused quite a commotion in the Shu region, well... he had caused quite a commotion for others.
"If nothing unexpected happens, I'll probably be back next month, or the month after that, definitely before the Lunar New Year." Perhaps it was because my answer just now didn't give a definite time that Hongyao thought I didn't want to say?
Hongyao nodded solemnly; it turned out he had returned before the New Year.
Seeing that his grandfather was looking down at his younger brother, Hongyao puffed out his little chest with great pride. See? He said his younger brother was the cutest in the world. His grandfather was sure to fall for his "beauty trap".
"Grandpa, you can't be biased. After hugging Hongtun, you have to hug Hongyang and Hongxuan too." As the impartial Hongyao, you have to treat everyone equally, and you can't be biased in this aspect either.
Kangxi glanced at Hongyao after hearing his words, and it wasn't hard to understand.
He glanced at the two little babies. Indeed, they were his grandchildren. He couldn't show favoritism to Hongtun just because Hongtun looked more like him.
Having suffered the pain of his late father's favoritism, Emperor Kangxi believed he had always treated his sons equally and reluctantly put down Hongtun from his lap.
As for the other two children, Kangxi immediately stood up and picked them up, one in each arm.
They sat on each other's laps, but then Hongyao glanced at Hongtun worriedly. What should he do? It seemed like he had left him behind again.
Looking left and right, I think Grandpa's knees are quite long. Maybe we should hug all three of them together?
The exhausted Emperor Kangxi was unable to handle state affairs and had no choice but to play with his four grandsons.
He beckoned to Liang Jiugong and ordered that the little stool that the young prince usually sat on when eating be brought up. Fortunately, Liang Jiugong had thought of this situation beforehand and made proper preparations.
Such an all-powerful 'secretary' could sit in the position of chief eunuch in front of the emperor, so naturally he could be quick to respond to the emperor's urgent needs and make proper preparations for the emperor before the emperor even thought of them.
Prince Hongyao often spoke of the cuteness of his three younger brothers to the Emperor, and always said he wanted to bring his younger brothers to see the Emperor. Liang Jiugong had already guessed what was going on.
Look, there are those little stools with backrests and small railings in front that people make... so you won't fall while sitting on them. They're also decorated with beautiful patterns and bright colors, which are very attractive to toddlers.
She sat there being fed complementary foods, mostly pureed food, with at most a small half bowl of egg custard.
Kangxi raised an eyebrow slightly, because the voice giving the instruction was Hongyao's, "Haven't you had your milk yet?"
“Mother said that I need to start eating solid foods to grow strong,” Hongyao said after thinking about his mother’s words.
In fact, what Jialuo was saying was that she's starting to grow up, and eating complementary foods can add some nutrition, such as fruit puree to add vitamins and meat puree to supplement protein...
However, Hongyao didn't understand what vitamins or proteins were...
When asked, my mother said that it would make me strong and healthy, and that I would definitely become an excellent Baturu in the future.
After listening, Kangxi glanced at the three chubby little babies and had to admit that the Crown Princess was truly a woman who knew how to raise children. She had given birth to three sons, and he had heard that they were only the size of a palm when they were born. It was already quite remarkable that they had grown up to be like this.
At the time, Emperor Kangxi was worried that the three infants would not survive and would die halfway through their lives.
When the three babies are eating complementary foods, the fragrant complementary foods may not look very appealing, but they still taste good.
With a "whoosh, whoosh," they devoured the food in one bite. Seeing the three little babies with such good appetites, Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but pick up a few pieces of pastry and eat them as well.
“Grandpa, why did Father come back so late? By the time Father returns, the younger brothers won’t even remember Father.” Hongyao sighed, pretending to be a mature child despite being a little kid. Kangxi couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Isn’t that Hongyao? As the older brother, he’ll help his younger brothers remember their father, right?” The four children had a very good relationship, which reminded him of what happened back then.
Bao Cheng and Bao Qing... oh, they don't get along well. Bao Qing had a fight with Bao Cheng as soon as he returned to the palace.
Bao Cheng lost, and after losing, he came back to him crying.
But now the children have all grown up, and he's grown old... old...
"Of course, Hongyao is a good older brother, and Grandfather is also a good Grandfather." He first praised himself, and then, as if realizing something was amiss, he immediately praised Kangxi as well.
"Grandpa, eat." With that, he picked up a piece of his favorite cake and handed it to Kangxi, urging him to eat it.
When Liang Jiugong saw this scene, he felt his heart race. Oh dear, my little prince, your hands are still drooling from where you just ate…
Hmm? You ate?
Oh, it's alright then. So the clown was just a lackey.
While Emperor Kangxi was spending time with his grandson, the Crown Prince Yinreng, whom he was constantly talking about, was far away in Sichuan, so busy that he forgot to shave his beard.
Yintang and Yin'e also grew up quickly during this disaster relief effort, realizing that... the people suffered so much after the flood.
Furthermore, these damned corrupt officials dared to embezzle reserve grain and even swallow disaster relief funds!
How could he not feel sorry for those elderly people and children who were so thin and frail? Seeing those scenes, even the hardest-hearted person would feel heartbroken.
The torrential rain had stopped, and the floodwaters were being diverted by the disaster victims invited by Yinreng through his "labor-for-relief" program. Because they had something to do, they wouldn't gather together to think nonsense, and it would also drain their energy, so they wouldn't cause trouble.
With the Crown Prince, Ninth Prince, and Tenth Prince all watching, and after two waves of officials had their homes confiscated, who would dare to lay a finger on it?
"Tenth Prince, you stink! Don't come any closer!" Yinzhen had just returned from outside, exhausted from a long day, when the Tenth Prince came over to say something to him, only to be pushed away by Yinzhen.
The tone was full of disdain, which made Yin'e widen his eyes in dissatisfaction. "What? Ninth Brother, you also smell sour and stinky, and I didn't complain about you, so why are you complaining about me?"
"What is it? Speak your mind." Yinzhen didn't want to argue with Yin'e over such a trivial matter at this time; he was very busy.
Tomorrow I have to go to the river embankment to see if the water level has dropped. Looking at the way the people were looking at me as if I were a god, especially after those corrupt officials were beheaded, the scene of the people kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly, made Yin Tang feel a hundred times more emotional.
Anyway, all sorts of feelings welled up in my heart.
Yinzhen is currently just entering the court and is still quite young and inexperienced.
Previously in the palace, neither Haha Zhuzi nor his mother's people had ever experienced such a tragic and heroic event. This first encounter left a deep impression on him.
A single decision by those in power can determine the fate of hundreds of thousands of people...
Those corrupt officials deserve to die.
Why does the Yellow River flood? It's because the riverbanks collapsed.
Why did the river embankment collapse? Funds are allocated every year for its repair, but it's because they embezzled the money and used substandard materials.
That's damn good.
He cursed those corrupt officials twice, but Yin'e looked at his Ninth Brother's dark, grimy face... well, his face had turned a dark, dirty black. "Ninth Brother," he said, "I'm telling you, today I'm going with Second Brother to the villages down there, those villages..."
Yin'e told his ninth brother about what had happened that day, and he was quite happy. They all knelt down to thank him and praised the imperial envoy for his wisdom and prowess...
It was as if Yin'e had found his purpose in life; this was what a prince should do.
Like the Ninth Prince, this act of disaster relief will be deeply imprinted on his heart and forever remembered.
The people of Sichuan knew that the imperial court had sent an imperial envoy because they saw the long procession and the supplies.
Looking at the army wielding broadswords, even though they were starving, they dared not try to rob them. Who would dare to test their neck against a broadsword?
But looking at those truckloads of sacks, they must be filled with grain, right?
Right? Right?
Those in power might be a little greedy, but... but, at least, they'll leave some, right? Enough to make porridge... I don't need a lot of rice, just enough to fill my stomach and get me through this period...
Can they start to have hope?
But deep down, he knew it was impossible. In which year hadn't an imperial envoy been sent down? But how many of those envoys actually ended up in their stomachs each year?
It's already a good thing they don't dig another layer out of them.
Who knew that the imperial envoy seemed to be a truly upright and just official. As soon as he arrived, he ruthlessly eliminated wave after wave of corrupt officials who had been exploiting the local people. When they raided the homes of the corrupt officials, they found countless amounts of gold and silver treasures.
During the beheading, countless people threw stones at the execution ground. Not to mention rotten eggs and vegetable leaves, these were all food, who would be willing to throw them away?
The gold and silver treasures confiscated from their homes were all used to buy grain. At this moment, Suo'etu truly resembled a just and upright official, acting swiftly and decisively without ever touching a single penny of the money.
Why did Songgotu do this? It must be because of His Highness the Crown Prince. This is the first time His Highness has come out to handle such an important task. How could he let the Emperor and the people down?
Well... the main purpose is to win over the hearts and minds of the people.
He had already made plans. He couldn't say it was His Highness the Crown Prince now, because he was worried that the White Lotus Sect and the Heaven and Earth Society would assassinate the Crown Prince.
However, it's impossible to keep these people completely in the dark; otherwise, wouldn't all my and the Crown Prince's efforts have been in vain? And if someone tries to assassinate us on our way back to the capital, well, the army isn't to be trifled with.
First came the ransacking of homes, then the purchase of grain. During the disaster relief efforts, there was an abundance of porridge and water. If people were receiving work relief, they were even given rice and copper coins as wages.
These are all copper coins that Suo'etu obtained by exchanging gold and silver jewelry.
As for political affairs, how could he not handle something if he were to rise to the position of prime minister in the future?
More than two months have passed, and the disaster-stricken areas in Sichuan have begun to recover, but winter is coming again, a point that Yinreng and the others have discussed.
One decree after another was issued, while at the same time, they had to find them some jobs to make a living and get through the winter.
In Yanlan Village, which was severely affected by the disaster, the old village chief, leaning on his cane, looked at the houses that had been rebuilt and was filled with emotion.
Every man in the village has work to do, and the daily wages are already quite good. Grain is already being sold in town.
I heard that the imperial envoy even sent people to deliver charcoal to each household to help them get through the winter. "This year, they've managed to get through the tough times."
"With the Imperial Envoy here, our lives will only get better and better," an old woman nearby said cheerfully. Those corrupt officials had all been beheaded, and the Imperial Envoy had even said he would build some kind of factory here.
They're still hiring.
Anyway, her son has work now and can bring home twenty copper coins a day, so her three sons would bring in sixty copper coins, plus her old man...
As soon as I got my wages, I went to buy and stock up on grain. I won't have to worry about food for the New Year this year, plus the charcoal that was distributed...
The factory she opened was called a charcoal factory. She even hired people to plant trees, talking about afforestation, water and soil conservation, etc. She didn't understand any of it. Anyway, she had money, so she didn't care what kind of work she did.
"We hope that the Imperial Envoy can stay here forever." They didn't understand much, they only knew that if there was a good official, their lives would be easier.
"Yes, yes." Nodding, there was hope for the future. Life was so good now, it would be great if the Imperial Envoy could stay here forever.
"But, the imperial envoy... doesn't he have to leave? He's not the magistrate or prefect here." A scholar who knew a little about the matter frowned. He was also a patriotic and concerned scholar, and naturally knew that the rule of a good official would be beneficial to him.
At the very least, the academic degree that I could obtain through the exam wouldn't be bought by someone else without my knowledge.
"What? The Imperial Envoy is leaving?"
"Really? Scholar Li, have you heard something?"
"The imperial envoy has left, what should we do?"
They now only trust the imperial envoy. They've heard that the imperial envoy's surname is... Yin, Lord Yin.
"Let's go and beg him." If the imperial envoy leaves, won't someone take away the job my son does at the charcoal factory?
"Yes, yes, let's go together and beg the Imperial Envoy to let us stay." The old man was even assigned to plant trees. The pay was so high and the work was so simple. Who would want to be taken away from him?
So, under the old village chief's arrangement, people from several villages, who knew, also encountered people from other villages along the way.
It seems everyone has heard about this.
They all came begging the imperial envoy to stay.
Yinreng was quite satisfied with his busy life. Restoring this devastated region was much better than staying in the capital to review the memorials from his ministers for his father.
It must be said that Suo'etu was indeed quite capable in some matters.
The ninth and tenth brothers also grew rapidly during this time, which was a good experience for both them and themselves.
Then, I heard a loud commotion outside, but I didn't know what they were arguing about.
Yinreng frowned slightly. What was going on? Had someone come to assassinate him?
That shouldn't be the case. Could it be that my identity has been exposed?
After getting up and going outside, he found a group of people kneeling at the gate of the mansion where he was now. This so-called mansion belonged to a corrupt official, who had temporarily requisitioned it after being investigated.
"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, will you stay?"
"Your Excellency, could you please not leave?"
They were all begging Yinreng not to leave. At this moment, the Ninth and Tenth Princes also came out after hearing the commotion outside. It was so early in the morning, and everything was almost finished. What was all the fuss about?
Then, after walking out, I saw the scene before me: the people kneeling outside were still wearing patched clothes. Although they were still so thin, their spirits had improved a lot, and they were full of hope and anticipation for the future.
Both Yin'e and Yin'tang were stunned by the scene. After they came to their senses, Yin'e nudged Yin'tang's arm and asked, "Ninth Brother, what are your thoughts on this scene?"
Yinzhen remained silent for a long time before turning to look at Yin'e, "And you?"
Whatever you think, that's what I think too.
It turns out that what the officials meant by "acting in the people's best interests" was not difficult at all; however, this was enough to make these people extremely grateful.
So, what exactly did those officials do?
The silver brought was enough for disaster relief, and the gold and silver treasures confiscated from the house were exchanged for copper coins to rebuild bridges, clear roads, build a charcoal workshop, cut down trees, plant trees, etc. It is unknown how many people were hired, but it was still enough to make ends meet.
This reminded Yinzhen of the people in charge of disaster relief who were still crying and complaining about not having enough money or food... They were simply insatiable!
Officials far away in the capital were truly heartbroken. When they borrowed money from the national treasury, they never intended to repay it.
Who would have thought that the Emperor would now send his princes to collect debts?
Apart from the Crown Prince, Ninth Prince, and Tenth Prince who had left the capital, all the other grown-up imperial princes came to the door one by one, from Mingzhu and the Tong family down to the Manchu people. Unless they were truly in dire straits and were spared, even those who were relatives of the imperial clan were blocked at the door.
Yinti and the others were helpless. Who told the Crown Prince to dig such a big pit for them before he left? How were they going to fill it?
Besides, it's only right to pay back debts.
The princes were divided into two groups: one group consisted of the eldest prince, the fifth prince, and the eighth prince; the other group consisted of the third prince, the fourth prince, and the seventh prince.
Of the two groups, the one that collected debts faster did so because the First Prince was reckless and rude, forcing people to collect debts. The Eighth Prince, with his smooth-talking nature, gave them a way out, and they cooperated fairly well. The Fifth Prince still had quite a bit of influence within the Guo Luo Luo clan, which was also helpful.
However, the second group was not an option. The Fourth Prince had a rather strong personality. He originally wanted to forcefully go to the debtor's house to collect the debt, but the Third Prince would not allow it, saying that it was completely lacking in manners and etiquette.
They insisted on sending a formal invitation, but the Seventh Prince was useless and let the Third and Fourth Princes do whatever they wanted.
As a result, compared to Group 1, Group 2 is far behind.
Hmm... The boss mentioned Group 1 and Group 2 by accident, and I suddenly thought it was a good idea to use them for debt collection ranking.
"When the time comes, the amount of debt we three collect will not be split with them." Yinti had been busy for two or three months, working almost every day during that time, and felt that it would be a huge loss to share the money with others.
As she spoke, she glared at the fifth brother, who was useless, and said, "Fifth brother, you should try harder. Can't you learn from the eighth brother? Honestly."
Fortunately, Lao Ba has a good speaking ability. He can persuade those proud and arrogant relatives to willingly part with their money, no one knows where he learned it.
Although it was because the door was blocked several times, the results were still plentiful. If we didn't share with them, they would definitely have built a mansion worth more than a million taels.
Unlike Yinti's confidence, the Eighth Prince did not think about how good his mansion would be; he simply wanted to show his abilities to Emperor Kangxi.
The fifth prince was forced to do this by Emperor Kangxi, and with Yinqi's firm attitude, he had no choice but to do it.
He's not brave enough to actually fight the boss.
"I understand, elder brother." What could Yinqi do? He could only nod reluctantly in agreement. Besides the Guoluo clan, who else could he think of...?
Unfortunately, the Empress Dowager's power was concentrated in the Mongol tribes, so there was no opportunity to borrow money from the national treasury; it was simply too far away.
On the other side.
"Third Brother, shouldn't you switch to force after your politeness?" The third brother is really being ridiculous. So much time has passed and he hasn't achieved anything.
Yinzhen was getting impatient and felt that the third son was just a burden. He thought he should have told the eldest son that he would do it all by himself.
The third brother pushed the fifth brother to the other side and pulled him over, letting the third brother, who was full of self-righteousness, go and argue with the eldest brother.
"Hmm...hmm, it's up to you now." The Third Prince, Yinzhi, also felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected them to be so disrespectful to him.
Let's listen to the fourth prince. He already knows about the progress on the eldest prince's side, and he's too embarrassed to stop Yinzhen from doing this or that.
Following this, under Yinzhen's leadership, the process began to proceed slowly.
However, compared to Yinti's recklessness, Yinzhen's tough behavior did not make the officials feel that he was too cold-blooded or heartless, because the Third Prince and the Seventh Prince were there to help him with the repairs.
There was no other way; even as a prince, he couldn't afford to offend all the imperial relatives and ministers.
While they were making a big fuss in the capital, Yinreng finally finished the disaster relief work in the Sichuan region. When they left, the people presented them with a "Ten Thousand People's Umbrella" and knelt on the ground to bid a reluctant farewell to the imperial envoy.
Yes, he's no longer an imperial envoy; they already know he's the crown prince.
The Crown Prince of the Imperial Court, having somehow obtained the rumor, quickly spread it throughout Sichuan.
Before Yinreng left, someone actually dared to muster up the courage to ask, "Your Excellency, are you really His Highness the Crown Prince? No, yes, I've heard some rumors recently. If not, please, please investigate as soon as possible."
Even if he was incredibly ignorant, he knew how serious it was to impersonate a member of the royal family, or even the crown prince.
This could result in execution, or even the extermination of nine generations of one's family.
Yinreng sensed the commoner's excitement and worry for him. A noble and elegant smile slowly appeared on his face as he nodded. "Don't worry, I will be fine."
As the group slowly departed, the once quiet area suddenly erupted into a cacophony of noise.
"What did the imperial envoy just say? Was it about me? Does that mean..."
"Is he really the Crown Prince? The Imperial Envoy is the Crown Prince?"
"The imperial court? The imperial court actually sent the crown prince down? The imperial court cares about us."
Of course, there were also a few sycophants in the group who were planted by Suo'etu to guide them onto the right path—to praise the Crown Prince's merits.
Anyway, being far away in the Sichuan region won't affect the emperor's thoughts about the crown prince. It would be different if it were right under the emperor's nose.
Moreover, this was a way to promote the virtues of the imperial court. Most importantly, the smallpox vaccine was also introduced during this period, and the crown prince brought it from the capital.
Smallpox was also a difficult-to-cure plague, so they were vaccinated with cowpox vaccine, which was free of charge.
At first, the people were full of anxiety, but then they found out that... there were no symptoms, and for the next three months, no one really contracted smallpox.
In the Sichuan region, the people are eager to return home.
Late October.
Finally back in the capital, the three, weathered by life's hardships, rode their horses, but their demeanor had become much more mature and composed.
Soetu was only serving the Crown Prince and had not yet been reinstated, so he was not qualified to meet the Emperor. Only the Crown Prince accompanied the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince.
The Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Kangxi had known for several days that Yinreng was going to return to the capital and had estimated when they would arrive.
Sure enough, upon hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince and others had returned to the capital, she nodded with a seemingly indifferent and calm expression, but in reality, she also missed her beloved son quite a bit.
Aside from the occasional southern tours or when the Crown Prince needed to oversee the country during wartime, he had never been away from Bao Cheng for several months at a time.
When Yinreng led Yintang and Yin'e into the main hall of the Qianqing Palace to pay their respects, Kangxi's gaze was already on Yinreng. Looking at his slightly dirty and dusty clothes and his weathered face, he was filled with relief and heartache. "Baocheng, you've worked hard."
"Father, I don't feel it's hard work. Being able to do things for the people and improve their lives makes me feel very accomplished." Yinreng never felt it was hard work. If this was considered hard work, then what was the life of the people?
"Get up quickly and tell me." Although Kangxi had already read the memorials about how Yinreng handled the matter, he still wanted to hear what the Crown Prince had to say.
The Ninth Prince, Yin Tang, and the Tenth Prince, Yin E, who were ignored, stood there, having grown accustomed to it.
Only after they finish talking can I focus my attention on myself.
But Yinzhen and Yin'e waited and waited, but their father did not pay attention to them. Instead, after speaking with Yinreng, he waved his hand and dismissed them.
"No, Father Emperor, won't you listen to your son's report? Your son has also gained a lot." Yin'e wanted to brag to his father about the "umbrella of ten thousand people" that the people had given him, but his father was sure he hadn't accepted it.
Listening to what Yin'e was thinking, Yinreng wondered if Yin'e thought he had grown too big for his britches and dared to speak to his old father like that.
"Father, Tenth Brother is right. Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother went to help with disaster relief this time, and they must have learned a lot." Father, you should listen to their true words and expressions, and then give them a good beating.
Especially those boastful words, aren't you afraid of hurting your old father's wounded heart?
The wicked Prince Yinreng was particularly fond of his brothers, so he pushed his good brothers forward. He always kept things bottled up inside, which could easily harm his health, so it was better to speak them out.
Looking at Yin'e, who was full of enthusiasm and eager to talk, Kangxi nodded seemingly indifferently. "Hmm, go ahead and speak."
Before Yinzhen could even stop his younger brother, Yin'e was already gesturing wildly, recounting everything he had seen along the way, how hard he had worked, and how brave he had been…
Seeing how reluctant the people were to leave, Yin'e felt he could come back again.
But those last words darkened Kangxi's face, who was initially pleased. What did he mean by hoping for another chance?
A memorial of greetings from Kangxi was being headed towards Yin'e, but Yin'tang quickly pulled him aside, saying, "Ninth Prince, what nonsense are you talking about? We certainly hope that such a natural disaster will never happen again."
As she spoke, she winked at Yin'e, "Can't you see Father Emperor is angry?"
Can't you just relax a little?
"Father, your son and the others were in a hurry to return and haven't even had a chance to tidy up their clothes yet. Your son will take his leave now." Yinreng looked at this scene without showing any smile, and took his leave in a seemingly calm manner.
Yinzhen and Yin'e quickly followed in the Crown Prince's footsteps, especially the tenth prince, who never expected that what should have been a moment of pride would turn into a scolding.
It's all because of his mouth.
Emperor Kangxi looked at their dirty and dusty clothes, which were indeed unbecoming of royal etiquette, and told them to leave.
The Crown Prince didn't mention that he had been assassinated on his way back to the capital, because he didn't want me to worry.
But Kangxi could not afford to ignore it, so he immediately summoned people to inquire about the progress of the investigation.
Those Heaven and Earth Society and White Lotus Sect members are truly despicable. For every den they raid, another one pops up. However, in the Sichuan region, several dens were reported when Yinreng left the capital.
It wasn't exactly a case of being reported; it was just that his people overheard the villagers discussing it.
Sure enough, the people all knew who they could rely on to have enough to eat and wear...
The titles of his sons were almost settled, and the recovered debts filled the national treasury.
Yuqing Palace.
Knowing that his father had returned before the New Year, Hongyao didn't take his younger brother around anymore. The "beauty plan" had been successfully implemented, and with the weather starting to get colder, he should stay home and rest.
Unaware that he had been used and discarded, Emperor Kangxi simply assumed that his young grandson felt the weather was cold and needed to stay in Yuqing Palace to keep warm.
I also think that Hongyao cares about his younger brothers and knows how to take care of them.
"Mother, why hasn't Father come back yet?" He nestled sadly on Jialuo's lap, missing his father. It had been so long since he had seen him.
“Father is very busy, working tirelessly to help many people who are going hungry.” Jialuo pulled Hongyao in front of her, hugged him, and placed her hand on Hongyao’s belly.
In Jialuo's eyes, Hongyao is still that naive little baby, a baby who needs her to explain and care for everything.
"Hungry?" Hongyao's eyes widened at the mention of this. He had only once thrown a tantrum and refused to eat, and as a result, his mother had ordered him not to be fed.
That night, my stomach was growling with hunger, and it was a really unpleasant feeling.
Mother kept her word and really did let him go hungry until the next morning.
In fact, what he didn't know was that Jialuo also had trouble sleeping. With Yinreng away, she had to be both a strict father and a loving mother, fearing that she would spoil the child.
"A lot of people, can't they eat? Is it because they don't eat?" Hongyao hadn't heard Jialuo talk about what was happening outside, so he assumed they were throwing tantrums and refusing to eat, just like Hongyao.
“Hongyao doesn’t eat because he doesn’t want to eat, but they are suffering from a flood… The flood washed away their food, leaving them with nothing to eat and only able to go hungry. They don’t have anything to eat the next day, and they don’t have anything to eat every day…” Jialuo explained to Hongyao in her very simple and straightforward words, making sure that Hongyao could understand.
Hongyao listened, his face wrinkled. Hongyao's stomach was growling after he had been hungry all night. How could those people be hungry every day and have their stomachs growling every day?
"So, Father is doing something truly great." Jialuo patted Hongyao's head. Sitting in a high position, one should be responsible for those below.
“Father is great. In the future, Hongyao will also become a person as great as Father.” Hongyao nodded very seriously, but on his delicate and cute little face, this solemnity looked a little cute.
Especially in Jialuo's eyes, the adorable little boy was actually her own child. Ahhhh, my baby is the cutest!
She hugged her chubby little baby and said, "Hongyao is the cutest. Mother loves our Hongyao the most."
Hongyao grinned happily, having enjoyed his mother's tenderness for a while, and then quickly pointed to his three younger brothers, "Mother, you should love your brothers too."
Although Hongyao is really cute, but, but, that will make your younger brother sad, you can't dislike your younger brother.
"Yes, yes, yes, Mother loves your little brother too, just like she loves Hongyao, she loves him so much." Jialuo couldn't help but chuckle at her son's old-fashioned manner. When had she ever shown any dislike for her son?
Hongyao proudly puffed out his little chest. It must be because of his reminder that his mother liked his younger brother so much; he deserved half the credit for the medal.
But it's okay, little brothers. Although Mommy likes me the most, I like you all too.
Just then, a servant's greeting came from the doorway. Hongyao immediately turned his gaze towards the door. "Mother, Father is back??"
As soon as she finished speaking, Yinreng appeared at the door, and Jialuo and Hongyao both quickly got up.
“Father.”
"Protect success."
However, just as they were about to pounce, he reached out and stopped them, saying, "I must first bathe and change my clothes; they are dirty."
He had originally planned to bathe and change in the front yard before visiting them, but in the end he couldn't suppress his longing and his feet involuntarily moved towards the main courtyard.
The two men who heard his words turned their gaze to Yinreng and looked him over. Indeed, he was a bit dirty.
"Father, then go take a bath." Hongyao missed his clean father, not his dirty and smelly father.
【Oh dear, how did you get so dirty? Hope something happened! Are you hurt?】
Jialuo, feeling quite worried, tried to push him away, while turning to Xiaoqing and instructing her, "Prepare water."
"I have nothing to do." Yinreng, who was being shoved around, still cared about his reputation, especially in front of his sons. How could he save face after being shoved around like this by the Crown Princess?
He hoped that he would always be seen as a tall and mighty figure in his son's heart.
"Do you want me to scrub your back?" Jialuo asked worriedly, wondering how her back had gotten so messy and disheveled, perhaps out of her sight.
At this moment, Jialuo forgot that her son was still beside her and said such sweet and sticky things. Yinreng glanced in his son's direction, feeling a little uncomfortable.
However, it is clear that Hongyao is not old enough to understand the subtext, such as the meaning that Yinreng was thinking.
"Go ahead, go ahead, I'll take care of the younger brothers." As the little baturu of this family, Hongyao consciously took on the responsibility.
It's perfectly normal for a mother to take care of her father, who has worked so hard for so long.
He came to take care of his three younger brothers. Now that his mother is so dirty and smelly, he should wash her clean quickly, otherwise what will happen to his younger brothers if she smells bad?
Shower room.
Sitting in the bathtub, Yinreng enjoyed the Crown Princess's back scrubbing, though the pressure was moderate. He didn't make a sound, lying on the tub as Jialuo checked his body for any injuries.
After wiping her back and chest, and as Jialuo finished and was about to leave, Yinreng asked with a hint of interest, "That's it? Anything else?"
He glanced down at Jialuo and said, "You're leaving before you've even finished wiping my back? Didn't you promise to rub my back for me?"
[Shameless! You just got back and you're already thinking about doing this? The kids are waiting outside. What if they get impatient and run in?]
You're shameless, but I'm not.
"Baocheng, we agreed to rub your back, and it's done now, isn't it? Just keep washing it." Jialuo was afraid that the gun might go off while rubbing the gun. Suddenly, a question came to mind: Yinreng had been out for so long, had he been fooling around with someone?
The woman, who was about to turn and leave, suddenly froze, staring at Yinreng without saying a word.
Yinreng sighed helplessly, his tone a mix of complaint, coquetry, and explanation: "I've been busy with disaster relief for months, and haven't had any meat for months. When I came back today, the Crown Princess refused me. Alas, the world is so cold."
Jialuo listened, her eyes flickering several times, and she looked Yinreng up and down a few times. "Let's do it tonight."
As she spoke, her sweet, delicate smile gained a touch of allure.
She didn't even consider the possibility that Yinreng was lying; there was no need. There were plenty of princesses in the inner courtyard, and Yinreng remained chaste just the same… Suddenly, she felt that using this word seemed a bit ridiculous and not quite appropriate for Yinreng.
When Yinreng came out after changing his clothes, the three little ones, led by Hongyao, were already calling out "Father" in their baby voices.
“Father.”
“Father.”
“Father.”
At Hongyao's command, the three boys in charge shouted with great enthusiasm, raising their little hands joyfully as they spoke, even though they had no idea what their father meant.
But when Yinreng saw his three sons calling him "Father" in their adorable baby voices, a bright smile appeared on his face. "Hongyao, Hongyang, Hongxuan, Hongtun, Father is back."
When it comes to treating her sons, she showed them both affection, reaching out to pat each of their little heads.
Hongyao, who was being showered with affection by all his fathers, did not want to monopolize his father's love and was still trying his best to introduce his three younger brothers to Yinreng.
The second younger brother is cute and very strong.
The third younger brother likes things that are golden.
My fourth brother enjoys listening to people read aloud.
I hope my father will like my adorable little brother too.
Hongyao's actions were quite obvious; how could Yinreng not have noticed? How could he not like his three sons?
So, following Hongyao's wishes, he coaxed his three sons to call him "Father" and ask for a hug and to be lifted up high.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became cheerful and harmonious, and they even started playing with the small toys that Jialuo had prepared for her sons.
Jialuo: My Baocheng will always be that adorable young man.
Yinreng glanced at Jialuo with slightly raised eyelids, but didn't say anything. However, that evening, he tried his best to make up for what he owed Jialuo for today. Did she think he was a child? He wanted to show her that a child could make her feel so comfortable.
They didn't call it a day until almost dawn...
When Jialuo got up, her voice was hoarse. After a maid poured her a cup of warm tea to soothe her throat, she didn't ask where Yinreng had gone. She simply asked someone to prepare breakfast.
In the imperial court, as the debt collection was nearing its end, Emperor Kangxi was quite pleased and praised his son again. However, the imperial relatives and ministers who were being pursued for debts did not seem to share in Kangxi's joy.
I just felt... damn it, that's all my money.
Meanwhile, Yinzhen sneaked into the Qianqing Palace and asked, "Father, can you give me a definite answer about building a large ship?"
Of course, he also dragged the Crown Prince along when they were sneaking around, as the Crown Prince had promised him.
With Yinreng's help, and more importantly, with the national treasury now full, even Kangxi became more generous, approving the grants with a wave of his hand!
A few days later, the imperial edict conferring titles was issued. The eldest prince, Yinti, was conferred the title of Prince Zhi; the third prince, Yinzhi, was conferred the title of Prince Cheng; the fourth prince, Yinzhen, was conferred the title of Prince Yong; the fifth prince, Yinqi, was conferred the title of Prince Heng; the seventh prince, Yinyou, was conferred the title of Beile; the eighth prince, Yinsi, was conferred the title of Beile; the ninth prince, Yintang, was conferred the title of Beile; and the tenth prince, Yin'e, was conferred the title of Beile. The princes below him... were still studying in the Imperial Study.
When Kangxi learned that they had divided the debt collection into two groups, the eldest group had made significant contributions, while the other group was led by the fourth prince. However, since the eldest, fourth, and fifth princes were all granted the title of Prince of the Second Rank, it was inappropriate to leave only the third prince.
The seventh child contributed nothing, and the eighth child was indeed good, but his birth mother's status was too low, so he still needed to work harder.
As for the next two, the fifth prince has already been granted the title of Prince of the Second Rank. If it weren't for the fact that the ninth prince had worked so hard accompanying Bao Cheng to the disaster relief efforts, I would have only wanted to give him the title of Prince of the Third Rank.
But considering Yinzhen's lofty ambitions and his desire to build large ships to sail to the Western Ocean, he was eventually granted the title of Beile.
His three older brothers had all been granted the title of Beile, so Yin'e, this young and naive man who was not yet married, was also directly given the title of Beile.
The eldest brother was quite unhappy. Why should he have the same title as the third, fourth, and fifth brothers? Wouldn't that put him, the eldest brother, on the same level as them?
He's clearly worked so hard, whether it's personally leading troops or collecting debts, shouldn't Father Emperor at least grant him the title of Prince?
The third, fourth, and fifth brothers didn't care; they were already among the top-tier members of this group and were quite satisfied.
The Seventh Prince, Yin You, knew his identity and that he had physical defects, so he didn't care about them.
The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, felt somewhat aggrieved. He had always diligently carried out whatever his father, the Emperor, ordered him to do, so why…?
In what way is he inferior to the fifth brother? When it comes to collecting debts, how can the fifth brother possibly outdo him?
If it weren't for me, my elder brother would have gotten into countless fights, possibly even escalating to the Emperor's court...
He never thought he should be compared to his seventh brother. After all, after all... He didn't know what he was capable of, and sat in the front yard of his brother's residence, feeling utterly resentful.
The Eighth Prince's wife, Lady Guoluo, came to comfort him. She did not believe that her son, Yinzhi, could only be a prince; it was just that her father, the Emperor, had not seen his excellence and ability.
Yinzhi simply felt that perhaps... his father's feelings weren't solely due to his abilities, but also because of... his background. His mother had come from the Imperial Household Department, and his father looked down on him!
The Ninth Prince Yintang and the Tenth Prince Yin'e were overjoyed. "Oh my, oh my, they've been granted titles before they're even married! Who's as awesome as my father?"
"Tenth Brother, let's build a big ship together with Ninth Brother and sail to the Western Ocean. When we come back, if we can find anything, Father Emperor will definitely grant us the title of Prince of the Second Rank, or even Prince of the First Rank." Yin Tang now felt that there were still many unknown places in the Western Ocean for their Great Qing Dynasty, which were like untapped treasures for them.
Hidden in some desolate western land.
“That’s right, Ninth Brother, Father has already agreed?” The Tenth Prince, Yin’e, clapped his hands, also full of surprise.
"Of course," the Ninth Prince nodded proudly. "What do you think, should we invite the Eighth Prince as well?"
"No need, isn't the myna bird still chasing after debts? Besides, we're going to leave the palace to build our own residence, how could we possibly manage?"
"Yes, we have to thank my second brother, the Crown Prince, for this. If he hadn't spoken up for me in front of Father Emperor, Father Emperor would have hesitated to give it to me." Yinzhen felt that his second brother, the Crown Prince, was right. Father Emperor was indeed a bit like a frog in a well, with a limited perspective.
Because of the interference of Yinreng and the Crown Princess, the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince, who should have been close brothers, were gradually separated. Now, the Ninth Prince thinks more about Yuqing Palace.
The Tenth Prince spent more time with the Ninth Prince, and his impression of the Eighth Prince was so-so. Anyway, if Ninth Prince went that way, he would go that way with him.
After receiving his share, Yinzhi was no longer short of money, so he naturally stopped thinking about how to extract money from Yintang, and their interactions decreased significantly.
Yinzhen was heartbroken because he was given so much money every month, which was essentially a dividend that he didn't need to give. It could be said that their relationship was not as deep as it would be in the future, when all the money could be used to support the Eighth Prince in his struggle for the throne. Half of their affection had been cut off.
However, neither Yinzhi nor Yintang realized this, thinking that everything was normal. But it seeped in slowly and gradually penetrated to the bone without their knowledge.
At Yuqing Palace, Yinzhen and Yin'e arrived with gifts and discussed with Yinreng how to build his large ship.
This puzzled Yinreng greatly. "For shipbuilding, you can just contact the Ministry of Works. Why are you asking me?"
"Second brother, we're thinking that after we build ships to sail to the West, we might be able to load up with batches of goods. There might be a lot of novel things in those Western things."
Interests are the best bond between the two sides. Yin Tang laid it all out directly: "We are brothers, let's not talk about those empty words."
"That's right, that's right, Second Brother, we have to earn back the money spent on shipbuilding, right?" Yin'e was hoping to make a great contribution so that he could become a Prince and be on par with his elder brothers.
Yinreng chuckled softly, suddenly realizing why Hongyao always found his three younger brothers so adorable.
Actually, the ninth and tenth brothers are quite adorable...
(End of this chapter)
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