Chapter Forty-Six
Finally, Jiameng had no choice but to submit to the Crown Prince's pressure. Jialuo looked at the difficult book "The Great Learning," which was particularly hard to pronounce.
It is said that Chinese people have a special skill: even if they don't recognize a single traditional Chinese character, they can definitely recognize it in a sentence.
However, this only represents a long string of simplified Chinese characters interspersed with a few traditional Chinese characters. These traditional Chinese characters, arranged vertically without punctuation, are difficult to understand in classical Chinese, and Jialuo became sleepy after reading less than half a page.
His Highness the Crown Prince couldn't be by Jialuo's side all the time, so naturally, the maids serving in the main courtyard or the eunuchs from the front courtyard were responsible for supervising Jialuo.
The servants were deeply moved that the Crown Prince had entrusted them with such a weighty responsibility.
But this is the Crown Princess. Even if the Crown Princess is slacking off and playing around, they might at most give her a reminder. Do they think they can hold her down like His Highness the Crown Prince does?
"Your Highness, you've been playing for almost an hour now. Shouldn't you be reading a book?" the little eunuch beside her whispered cautiously.
He had been serving in the front courtyard, but he didn't know what kind of person the Crown Princess was, and he was already mentally prepared to be beaten.
"Go and bring me the Three Character Classic. Honestly, I'm supposed to be teaching the young prince, and he's acting so immaturely." Jia Meng lowered the difficulty level. Didn't the Crown Prince say before that she and Xiao Hongyao should start learning the Three Character Classic together?
At this moment, she doesn't mind that she's in kindergarten with Xiao Yinmo Yao, mainly because... she can recite a few lines.
At birth, people are inherently good, and their natures are similar. □□… If they are not taught? Um, Jialuo is stuck. Perhaps… it's not “if they are not taught”? Anyway, she remembers the first four lines perfectly.
That means you've already achieved more than half the success.
"Yes, yes..." The Crown Prince only said that he was responsible for "reminding" the Crown Princess to study hard, but he did not say that she was only allowed to read "The Great Learning".
Immediately afterwards, a brand new copy of the "Three Character Classic" was placed in front of Jiameng. Jiameng looked at the book with the words "Three Character Classic" printed on it, opened it, and nodded in satisfaction. Yes, I am the kind of woman who can automatically learn just by seeing traditional characters.
Even someone as excellent as me could recognize every single word.
The result is as follows
Jiuji Yinggong is a music student with a big heart, a real dance, and Bai Youzao is so great, a substitute for Tianye.
Shi Qiluo was smugly boasting about his superiority when he heard the baby crying. He immediately put down the book in his hand.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" She hurried over there. Her son was always well-behaved, so why was he crying today?
When Jialuo arrived, the wet nurse was holding the little prince and trying desperately to soothe him, but no matter what she did, he was still crying.
"What's going on?" Jiameng frowned and asked coldly. The wet nurse was so frightened that she immediately knelt down, afraid that the Crown Princess would misunderstand and think that she had abused the little prince.
"Your Highness, this servant...this servant doesn't know either." The wet nurse was about to cry. If she couldn't take good care of the little prince, the Crown Princess would probably send her back to the Imperial Household Department.
Seeing the wet nurse kneel down holding little Hongyao, Jialuo stepped forward and took little Hongyao from her. Surprisingly, the moment little Hongyao was held in Jialuo's arms, his crying stopped.
However, some children tugged at Jialuo's clothes with their little hands while sobbing, and even babbled a few words in a spoiled manner.
Jiameng gently patted Xiao Hongyao to comfort him. A few seconds later, the sobbing Xiao Hongyao broke into a pure and lovely smile, grinning from ear to ear.
Only then did Jialuo notice that the wet nurse was still kneeling in a panic. "Get up."
Another wet nurse, witnessing this scene, quickly spoke up to explain, "The little prince cried incessantly after waking up, but as soon as Your Highness came and held him, he stopped crying. Did he miss you?"
Um? ?
Upon realizing this possibility, Jialuo hugged her son, a happy smile spreading across her face. "My Hongyao is so cute, did he miss his mother?"
Gently patting Xiao Yin Gong Yao's chubby little bottom, it's unclear whether he understood Jia Meng's words, but he raised his little paws and greeted Jia Luo with "ee-ya-ya".
Holding little Hongyao, Jialuo was no longer interested in reading. As the name suggests, she wanted to take care of the little prince!
What can a servant do? Pretend you know nothing, right? Can you really argue with the Crown Princess that "studying is more important than the young prince"?
However, Jialuo overlooked the fact that the chubby little boy was almost five months old and quite heavy.
Especially when held in both arms, even carrying a watermelon would be heavy, so Jialuo had no choice but to sit down and let Xiao Hongyao sit on her lap.
Unfortunately, little Hongyao wasn't one to stay still. The chubby little boy grabbed Jiameng's clothes with his chubby little paws and tried to stand up.
However, the little one wasn't strong enough and could only sit up with difficulty. He babbled for a long time, and Jiameng didn't know what he wanted to express, so she could only respond and echo him.
Later, when I gave the baby a bath, there were no bruises on his body, and I stroked the baby's little head.
When Yinji returned, he saw the two children, one big and one small, all covered in fluffy clothes and wearing smiles.
Jiameng told Yinchu about what happened today. Yinchu nodded, seemingly calm, without any reaction. He then summoned several wet nurses and, after inquiring, learned that it was possible that little Hongyao had a nightmare and woke up crying for his mother.
When Yin Chu returned, Jia Meng had already placed Xiao Hongyao in Yin Chu's arms. The son was indeed cute with his fair skin and chubby figure, but holding him all the time was still too heavy.
Yin Chu held his chubby little baby in his arms. The baby was so cute and chubby. As for the wet nurse's idea that she could eat as much as she wanted and dared not give her too much for fear of overeating and having to go to the imperial physician for help, which would result in being blamed, Yin Chu had long since changed her mind.
He experienced hunger as a child, and he knows how painful it is. He doesn't want his son to go through the same hardships he went through.
With such a life of good food, good drink, and plenty of sleep, it's no wonder the baby is chubby.
Yin Chu had been able to lift heavy bows and arrows weighing several shi (a unit of weight) since he was a child, let alone a little boy weighing only ten jin (a unit of weight).
Whether it was Yin Chu or Jia Meng, the familiar scent and affection emanating from their parents delighted little Hong Yao, who laughed and babbled with immense joy.
Holding my little one in my arms, I feel so secure and at peace. With my wife and child by my side, no matter what the future holds, I still love and am very happy with my current life.
However, this joy did not reach Jialuo, because Yinchu, holding the chubby little Hongyao, asked her a question: "Did you study today?"
What does it mean to review what you've already learned? Reviewing something you've already studied is called reviewing; I call it learning new knowledge.
Honestly, to ruin such a beautiful atmosphere with such cruel words.
“Your Highness, didn’t you say that I should study with Hongyao? Well, I’ve already started studying with him today. I’m planning to work together again once he catches up with my lessons and pace.” Jialuo spoke with righteous indignation, and the grand principles she spoke were quite convincing.
The way she acted was exactly like she was thinking of her own little one, accompanying her son to take the Tsinghua University entrance exam, a prestigious aspiration. Which neighbor wouldn't be moved by that?
Unfortunately, the one listening to Jia Meng's words was His Highness the Crown Prince, a man with the superpower of mind-reading.
What does "reviewing books" mean in the first two sentences? Only what you've learned is considered reviewing books. What I'm doing is learning knowledge. And really, such a wonderful atmosphere, and you have to say such hurtful things to ruin it. Yin heard it all clearly, full of grievance and unhappiness.
He knew the Crown Princess wasn't an honest person.
For example, Jiameng, even though she has been married to the Crown Prince for almost two years, still likes this kind of man and is fascinated by him.
“Today, I reviewed the Three Character Classic. I’ll use it to enlighten Hongyao and strive to make him the smartest boy in the Qing Dynasty.” Jialuo’s reason came out without any thought.
"Oh, that's really good. Recite it for me?" Yin Chu was happy for Jia Meng, hearing her confident words. Indeed, it was clear that the Crown Princess was quite intelligent.
“Of course, but Your Highness, if I memorize it, shouldn’t there be some kind of reward?” Jia Meng’s eyes sparkled. Children need encouragement in their education, and of course, the same should be true for educating the princess consort.
"If you can memorize it, I will take you out of the palace to play. How about soaking in the hot springs?" Recently, Suo'etu has been helping him manage the peep show workshop. The glass windows are selling well, and he has also bought several estates. Winter is coming, and soaking in the hot springs would be nice.
"Really? Ahem." Clearing her throat, Jia Luo then straightened her back, confidently reciting her day's lessons to Teacher Yin, "The beginning of man..."
She could recite the first few lines fluently, but... her memory wasn't good enough to memorize them completely after just one glance. Then, she could only recite the first few lines incoherently.
Hearing this, Yin Chu helplessly pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyebrows with his fingers. "Crown Princess, is this the result of your many days of hard study?"
When Jialuo was asked by Yin Chu in such a helpless and disappointed tone, she innocently poked her fingers and hesitated. Everyone says that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. I, I'm not going to take the imperial examination. What's the problem with whether I study or not?
Feeling wronged, she refuted Yin Chu's words and expressed her strong dissatisfaction.
"Didn't you say you would be our Hongyao's mentor? If you study together and your son surpasses you, won't you feel ashamed?" Yin Chu sighed, clearly seeing that the Crown Princess hadn't memorized the text properly.
“Then we won’t study together. Isn’t it enough for Hongyao to have you as his father? You are so perfect and outstanding, you are more than capable of being both a father and a teacher to the children.” Jialuo praised him, “Isn’t having such an excellent and capable father enough?”
In the end, it's unclear whether His Highness the Crown Prince was pleased by that last remark, but he didn't dwell on the issue any further.
Jialuo breathed a sigh of relief. She had finally managed to fool them. Let's go to sleep.
Little did they know, Yin Chu was the one with no other choice; well, he couldn't force him.
Perhaps he's reached the age where he likes to cling to his parents, because little Hongyao, this chubby baby, insists on sticking to his mother all the time, even his wet nurse doesn't want him anymore.
Jialuo was very worried, fearing that the wet nurse might have abused the child. When she sent people to investigate, the wet nurse was extremely aggrieved and almost swore to the Crown Princess that she had never disrespected the young prince.
"Your Highness, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince have arrived." On this day, Jia Luo, who was holding her chubby little baby, was reading the Three Character Classic, trying to impress Yin Chu. At this moment, Xiao Chenzi came to report from outside the door.
"Huh? They're here? His Highness the Crown Prince isn't here." Jia Luo's first thought was that the Ninth Prince Yin De and the Tenth Prince Yin Cai had come to see the Crown Prince, but a few seconds later she realized, "They've come to see me?"
Oh, I remember now, she also collaborated with the Ninth Prince on business researching Western clocks!
They're all so busy studying they're practically brain-dead.
Jia Luo wanted to put down the chubby baby, but the little one's chubby paws clung tightly to his mother, his watery eyes looking at her as if to tell Jia Luo with his eyes: If you dare to leave me behind, I'll cry.
What can Jialuo do?
"Let the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince come to the main courtyard." Nothing is more important than her chubby son. Besides, the main courtyard is located not far from the front courtyard, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
Anyway, His Highness the Crown Prince brought the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince to see Little Hongyao last time.
At this moment, Ninth Prince Yinde, who was requesting an audience, felt somewhat ashamed because he had ruined three Western clocks, but the result... well, there was still a tiny bit!
Please note, it's just a tiny bit.
As the young eunuch went in to report, Ninth Prince Yinde reached out and slapped Yincai on the back. "Tenth Prince, look what you've done! If you hadn't broken one, would I be so embarrassed?"
The Tenth Prince scratched his head sheepishly. "Ninth Brother, this... this was just to make you happy, wasn't it?"
"Is that what you call making me happy? You're just trying to drive me crazy!" Yin De felt that he was born to be at odds with the Tenth Prince, otherwise why would he be tormenting him like this?
"No, I... I'm apologizing now, aren't I?" Yin felt wronged. Ninth Brother had changed; he used to never take such trivial matters to heart.
"Apologize to your second sister-in-law later, understand?" Yin Chi glared angrily. Was this something that could be resolved by apologizing to him?
Of course not, because the gold and silver do not come from one's own body.
"Oh, I see." After all this trouble, how could Yin not know that the Crown Prince's second sister-in-law is now Ninth Brother's 'sugar daddy'? Of course, if he said such a thing, he would definitely get a good beating from Ninth Brother.
For example, the day he broke the Western clock, he was already beaten up by Ninth Brother, leaving him with a bruised and swollen face.
When the tutor and the Emperor learned the reason for their fight, they said nothing, but their faces conveyed the same message: Serves them right!
Kangxi couldn't very well summon the Crown Princess alone and say harsh words to his daughter-in-law; that wasn't his style. Besides, the Crown Princess was only doing this to support her son and her brother-in-law—it was a family affair, so what was there to say?
At most, I'll just offer a few words of advice. Xiao Jiu likes to play, so just give her whatever she wants. Don't be a spendthrift and send her everything.
Yes, this was said to Yin Chu.
At the time, Yin Chu spoke with righteous indignation, "Father, Xiao Jiu has his own interests and hobbies. As his elder brother, I can't bear to see him suffer. Besides, it seems that Western goods are quite profitable. If it succeeds, Father, what do you think those people on the other side of the West can do?"
Yin Chu was thinking, what if there were other ways to make money? Should he take the initiative and seize the market first?
However, what Yin Chu said seemingly unintentionally served as a warning to Kangxi.
"Father, why are Westerners able to come to our Great Qing, but our ships cannot reach the other side of the Western Ocean? Is our Great Qing inferior to others?"
Upon learning that his father, the Emperor, would live to be over sixty, Yin Chu was no longer as cautious as before. Instead, he let loose in front of Kangxi and said whatever came to mind.
We need to find some things for Father Emperor to do, otherwise what's the point of always focusing on yourself?
"Nonsense! Our Great Qing is a superior nation, with all countries paying homage to us. How could we be inferior to other countries? We imposed a maritime ban to prevent Japanese pirates. You have no idea how badly the people in coastal cities were harmed by the Japanese pirates."
In his fury, Kangxi vehemently refuted Yinji's statement, saying that the Qing Dynasty, the great nation, was vast and rich in resources, with a wealth of talented people, and was far more prosperous and wealthy than those western and eastern barbarian lands in every respect.
“Father, if someone bullies us, and we shut ourselves off from going out, will those hostile elements show us any mercy? No, they will only become more emboldened. However, if we shut ourselves off from going out to train, how will we be able to fight back when a strong attack forces open our doors?”
Having spent a lot of time with Jialuo, Yinchu had been somewhat influenced by Jiameng's way of thinking. Listening to his father's words, Yinchu pondered them, and the more he thought about it, the more something seemed off.
"If the Mongols rebel, we will retreat to the defensive line and not let ourselves out. We will amuse ourselves and think we are great. The Mongol tribes will only think that our Qing Dynasty is stupid. Won't the Japanese pirates think the same way?"
Seeing that his father, the Emperor, did not seem to agree with what he had just said, Yin Chu gave another example, using the Mongols, whom his father feared the most, as an example.
Emperor Kangxi was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table, wanting to point at Yinzhi and berate him, but he didn't know what to say. In the end, he threw a memorial at Yinzhi's head and yelled, "Get out!"
Kangxi simply wanted Yinreng to be careful. If he continued to spend so extravagantly, it wouldn't be long before the Ninth Prince drained all of Yinji's money again, and he would have to ask him for money again.
He kindly offered some advice, but his grandmother pointed at him and scolded him for being stupid. How could he not be angry?
Although they were not talking about the same thing, after driving away Yinchu, Kangxi frowned, sat on the dragon throne, and pondered the matter.
It must be said that it was only when Yin Chu mentioned the example of the "various Mongol tribes" that Kangxi took it to heart.
I used to think, how could the Japanese pirates possibly be compared to the Mongols? The Mongols were physically fierce and their warhorses were powerful. He had been intermarrying with the Mongols for many years in order to win them over while also keeping an eye on them.
Those who believed that the Qing Dynasty posed a threat were the Mongols and the Han Chinese.
But what Yin Chu said... that the people of the Western Barbarian Lands could possibly be more powerful than the Qing Dynasty?
It wasn't that they couldn't go to the other side of the West, but rather that the Qing Dynasty disdained to go to those barbarian lands.
Looking at how Kangxi comforted himself, he knew it was just an excuse to appease himself. How could a maritime ban possibly make him weaker?
This policy has been in place since the reign of the previous emperor... no, the previous dynasty (Ming Dynasty).
The Ming Dynasty was not destroyed by Japanese pirates, so Emperor Kangxi did not take this warning to heart.
The lessons learned from the fall of dynasties throughout history are generally not followed by the next dynasty. For example, the Han Dynasty fell due to the maternal relatives of the emperor, the Song Dynasty fell due to its weak military, and the Ming Dynasty was plagued by eunuchs...
Kangxi kept this in mind. He could not and would not allow the Qing Dynasty to perish in his hands. Kangxi, who was still in his prime, was ambitious and determined to make a name for himself. Otherwise, he would not have personally led the expedition against the Dzungars.
Japanese pirates...
The sea ban...
Lost in thought, holding a vermilion pen in his hand, it was unclear what he was recording. All that was known was that he later sent someone to fetch the memorials and records from the coastal areas.
Of course, none of this has anything to do with the current Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince. They don't know what will happen. They only know that they have come to apologize to the Crown Princess and see if they can... get the Crown Princess to provide one or two more donations.
The shameless Ninth Prince pulled in the Tenth Prince, who was sure to be even more shameless than himself. He planned to make the Tenth Prince the scapegoat and give the Eleventh Prince a good beating in front of the Crown Princess. He believed that the Second Sister-in-law would feel embarrassed and would then be willing to continue supporting him.
(Tenth Prince Yin: Hehe, Ninth Brother, are we still brothers?)
When the young eunuch came out quickly and said that the Crown Princess invited them over, he patted off the frosty aura on his body and walked over with an air of righteousness.
Xiao Chenzi was already waiting for them outside. As he went in, he glanced at their cloaks that had been chilled by the cold wind and headed towards the main hall for guests.
Then, increase the temperature of the charcoal and carefully ask them if they want to take off their cloaks.
I was naturally wearing a casual coat underneath, the kind that was quite warm. After taking off the cloak, I felt much more refreshed.
Then, before anyone could be seen, a childish "ee-ya" sound was heard, followed by the appearance of the Crown Princess, who was struggling to hold her chubby little baby.
The key point is that the chubby little boy is restless, twisting and turning, clearly showing his desire to play.
"Alright, alright, play with your uncles, okay? Ninth Uncle and Tenth Uncle will play with you." Jiameng felt that boys had more energy and were the most suitable to play with her son.
Holding little Hongyao, Jialuo made him face Yinde and Jianjiu. His delicate and adorable little face was beaming with joy. Jialuo supported him with one hand and raised his other hand, saying, "Say hello to Uncle Jiu and Uncle Shi."
Although she thought that the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were only children around ten years old, which would be equivalent to fifth or sixth graders in later generations, this dynasty was different, so she immediately sent someone to summon His Highness the Crown Prince.
Unexpectedly, Yin De and Yin Kai looked at the little nephew in the arms of the Crown Prince's second sister-in-law with surprise. They had only met him once, at the third-day-after-birth ceremony and the full-month celebration. As for hugging and being affectionate? That didn't happen.
In addition, as the weather gradually turned colder, Jialuo and Yinchu kept Xiao Hongyao in Yuqing Palace for the sake of his health.
So, how could Yin Cao and Yin not be surprised when they saw the chubby baby, who was over six months old, grinning at them?
"Eeya eeya," the chubby baby raised its plump little paws and moved them a few times, seemingly greeting Uncle Nine and Uncle Ten as Jialuo had instructed.
Yinde and Yinkai, who were welcomed by the children for the first time, were immediately in a good mood.
"Come on, tenth brother, can you hold him for a bit? Hongyao looks quite heavy, and my arms will get tired if I hold him for too long." As Jialuo said this, she handed the child to the wet nurse beside her and then asked the wet nurse to give him to the tenth prince.
“Hongyao, he loves it when I hold him and the Crown Prince. He cries as soon as I put him down, and he cries even when the wet nurse holds him.” With a “sweet burden” expression, she shook her head and chuckled. The wet nurse took him and placed him in the Tenth Prince’s arms, which surprised the Tenth Prince.
Hongyao looked at Yincai with his big, watery eyes, when Yincai was suddenly stuffed with a chubby little baby in his arms. For a moment, he was stunned. This, this, is too soft!
Yin Cai was afraid that he might accidentally pinch his nephew too hard and hurt him, so he looked at his Ninth Brother with a pleading look. Ninth Brother, save me.
"Just help your second sister-in-law hold him. Look how cute your little nephew is. I remember, his name is Hongyao, isn't it your second sister-in-law?" Yinde had originally brought Yinwo to apologize, but seeing how genuine and unpretentious his second sister-in-law was, it was clear that in her heart, they were one of her own.
They only act politely and pretentiously in front of outsiders.
Seeing that his ninth brother wasn't speaking up for him, Yinzai noticed that the little baby in his arms was already curiously reaching out to touch Yinzai's clothes, grinning and babbling incoherently, drooling as he spoke.
Fortunately, he was still wearing a bib. I couldn't bear to see him like that, so I reached out and used the bib to wipe the corner of his mouth.
"A maid, is he hungry?"
Otherwise, why would anyone drool over him? Is his appearance so appealing? Is he beautiful?
Second sister-in-law, is he a convict?
Otherwise, why would they all see you? Does he really discern what's edible? How embarrassing!
"No, maybe he likes the tenth brother." Finally, this sweet burden was temporarily handed over to the tenth brother. Speaking of which, His Highness the Crown Prince seems to have quite a few younger brothers.
Unfortunately, it's not suitable to visit Yuqing Palace frequently.
Otherwise, it would be much better to hold the baby for her. Jiameng wondered if it would be time to change the wet nurses. Besides, the baby is not young anymore and can't keep drinking milk.
"Hehe, is that so?" Yin Cai laughed happily at Jia Luo's casual answer. Instantly, his little nephew's status in Yin Cai's heart was greatly improved. The label changed from "little nephew" to "Hong Yao" in an instant.
"By the way, Ninth Brother, how's your research on the Western clock going? Did you come today with some good news for me?" Jialuo looked at the Ninth Prince expectantly.
When Jialuo asked him this, Yinde was somewhat embarrassed and remained silent for two seconds. "I'm sorry, Second Sister-in-law."
At this moment, he originally wanted to use Yinjiu as an apology gift (being beaten), but because he was still holding his little nephew, Yinde couldn't pull the servant out.
Upon hearing this, Jialuo immediately understood what it meant. Seeing Yintang lower his head in shame, Jialuo comforted him.
"It's alright, it's alright. That peep show was something the Crown Prince had Suo'etu and a whole workshop of craftsmen work on for a long time before they finally figured it out. For you to figure it out on your own is already progress."
It's quite remarkable that a child in the fifth or sixth grade could figure out a Western clock without any prior knowledge of physics.
"Second sister-in-law, do you mean I should also find someone to help me?" Yinde frowned and pondered. He had been researching this on his own for so long, but he really didn't know how.
"That depends on you, Ninth Brother. If you find someone who shares your ideals, that's fine. The worst thing is to find someone who will only cause trouble. I don't know about Second Sister-in-law, but those who have agreed to cooperate with you will definitely support you a lot."
Jialu shook her head. She knew she was just a useless nobody and had no intention of turning things around.
Jiameng never believed that women should be labeled. Whether it's being independent, carefree, or striving for a career, it's all a matter of personal freedom. For example, she likes a life where she can win without effort.
Life is good as it is now. I have food, drink, power, money, and men... What more could I want?
"Second Sister-in-law is right." Yin Jie couldn't help but think of the Tenth Prince, the kind of simpleton who would only make things worse and would rather do it all by himself. "But Second Sister-in-law, don't worry, there are only a few things I don't quite understand. Once I figure them out, our Western clock will be a complete success!"
Yinxi patted his chest and assured Jialuo, "Well, the main thing is that we haven't achieved anything. Second sister-in-law probably wouldn't be willing to waste any amount of money."
Judging others by one's own standards, he is that kind of person too.
“Ninth Brother is really amazing. Well then, we’ll rely on you. Should we buy a Western clock from outside the palace tomorrow and have it delivered, or should Ninth Brother go out of the palace to buy it himself?” Jialuo first praised him, and then asked Yintang what he wanted to do.
"It's fine if Second Sister-in-law has someone buy it back. Your brother can't leave the palace yet." Yin De was very sensible, and he was also worried that Second Sister-in-law would think that he had taken the money and was not doing his job properly.
Most importantly, Yinde noticed with his sharp eyes that the Crown Princess was no longer wearing headdresses or jewelry. Could it be that she had been emptied out of her pocket by his few Western clocks?
Yinde felt he needed to work harder, and at the same time felt quite guilty, because one of the machines was broken by his tenth brother when he passed away on the eleventh.
"Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother, come here quickly! He's ruined my braid!" Yin Ji shouted in alarm, pinching Xiao Hongyao's armpits with both hands and tilting his head back.
Yinde rolled his eyes at Yin, speechless. The tenth prince was more trouble than he was worth.
By the time His Highness the Crown Prince returned, Yinwo and Yinchi had already left.
Little Yao, tired from playing, finally fell asleep. Jia Luo had already started having the Imperial Household Department make small toys. The little one had to play until he was exhausted and cried, otherwise he would be so energetic that he would exhaust himself.
Seeing the tenth child leave with "tears in his eyes" after being bullied, his little hands were curious about everything, grabbing at everything and even trying to put it in his mouth.
Recently, the Crown Princess has stopped wearing earrings, hairpins, and other jewelry, fearing that little Hongyao might accidentally snatch them and put them in his mouth.
"Didn't they say that Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother were coming? What are they doing here?" Yinreng didn't have much interaction with his brothers, and they were so much older than him that they didn't get along.
"We've finished researching the three Western clocks, but haven't yet cracked their secrets. That's why Ninth Brother came looking for investment." Jia Luo said succinctly. She didn't understand the research on Western clocks, so she didn't want to give unsolicited advice to the researchers.
Investors just need to throw money at it.
If they spend so much money on research and still can't figure it out, Jialuo stared intently at Yinchu, her expression very serious. The next second, she grabbed Yinchu's hand, "Baocheng, what if someone tries to cheat us out of our money?"
His Highness the Crown Prince, having heard Jiameng's heartfelt words: Wealth is a powerful motivator. You rush headlong into anything that seems too good to be true. Who can you blame but yourself?
"I won't be fooled, don't worry." The Crown Prince, with an air of pride, thought to himself, "Who would dare to cheat me out of my money? Someone as intelligent as me, would I be cheated out of my money?"
After saying that, she smiled slightly and said, "How could a woman as intelligent as the Crown Princess fall for someone else's low-level tricks?"
Such high praise, placed upon her head, left Jialuo speechless.
"Yes, yes, how could a woman as beautiful and intelligent as me be deceived?" Jialuo stammered in rebuttal, feeling guilty. Maybe, though, Ninth Brother wasn't lying to her?
Didn't Ninth Brother say that we're almost done, just one step away from completion?
Yin Du Chu certainly didn't intend to clean up Jia Luo's mess. If it really failed, it would teach Jia Luo a lesson. As for the money spent? It didn't matter. Even if the profits from the peep show were only 40% (himself 20% and the Crown Princess 20%), it would be enough to make up for it.
"I promised Ninth Brother I'd send him another one." Gently tugging at the Crown Prince's sleeve, she asked in a weak voice, "Should I buy another one?"
"Yes, I'll have someone send it over tomorrow." Grandma Yan nodded, then reached out her hand for Jia Luo to take the money.
If you want to make money, finding partners is no problem, but you have to find the right partners.
So, when His Highness the Crown Prince sent someone to deliver a Western clock to the Ninth Prince, he was stopped. The Third Prince, Yinzhi, looked at the Crown Prince with a smile and said, "Second Brother, I'm getting married soon. The wedding gift you send me can't be inferior to yours, Ninth Brother."
Third Prince Yinzhi: How dare you! We're both brothers, yet you're treated worse than Yinde? I'm not having it! Crown Prince, we were such good friends when we were kids.
"Third brother, I was merely helping the Crown Princess deliver a Western clock to Ninth Brother. The whole palace has already heard about their collaboration on researching and trading Western clocks, hasn't it?" He knew many people were laughing at him, but it didn't matter. They only talked about it in private. Who would dare say it to the Crown Princess's face? Would they be courting death?
"Second Brother, the Crown Princess is very wealthy. As the head of Yuqing Palace, you certainly won't lose to the Crown Princess, right?" I'm so envious. I used to follow you around calling you "Crown Prince Brother." I also want a Western clock. Or how about a thousand-gold inkstone? I'll accept any kind of inkstone.
He looked at His Highness the Crown Prince with great anticipation and then tried to provoke him.
Your Highness: ...
I have ten younger brothers, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight... Do you want me to go bankrupt?
"Don't worry, Third Brother, how could I, as your older brother, forget your share of the wedding gift?" Yin Chu patted the Third Prince Yin Zhi's shoulder cheerfully. His son was almost a year old, and he would tell the Third Prince in advance that he would send a first birthday gift.
Not bad either.
Yin Chu: Proud. Today is another day of being thrifty and hardworking. In this respect, the Crown Princess is far inferior to me.
The Third Prince, unaware of the Crown Prince's thoughts, left happily after hearing the Crown Prince's agreement, which had been spurred on by his provocation.
On December 22nd, the wedding day of the Third Prince and Lady Dong'e, it was still snowing lightly, but it did not dampen the festive mood.
The Third Prince was quite looking forward to it, especially when His Highness the Crown Prince arrived. Looking at the wrapped gift he brought, he said, "Second Brother, you're too kind. We don't need to wrap these things."
However, he didn't rush to open it, but had someone put it away properly while he wore his groom's attire.
Jialuo first settled the child in, making sure to keep him warm in the dead of winter, giving him many instructions, especially since little Hongyao was still fast asleep.
Go early and come back early.
I finally understand why people with children always leave early at gatherings. When a child is far away... no, when a mother travels far, she worries about whether her child at home will be alright.
The Third Prince's wedding was no different from the Fourth Prince's wedding. She also saw the appearance of the Third Prince's wife, Dong E. Compared to the delicate beauty of the First and Fourth Prince's wives, the Third Prince's wife, Dong E, was relatively more beautiful and charming.
I was reminded of Dong E Gege, one of the candidates for Crown Princess in the same selection process back then. She seemed quite beautiful. Did the Dong E clan only marry beauties?
After attending the wedding banquet, Jiameng hurriedly returned to Yuqing Palace. Worried and concerned, she heard a child crying as soon as she stepped back into the main courtyard of Yuqing Palace.
My heart aches for you. "Hongyao, my dear, Mother is back. It's cold outside, so Hongyao can't go out, or he'll catch a cold and get sick, understand?"
Holding the chubby baby and gently soothing him, he truly stayed by the baby's side for the rest of the days.
The only times I visited were the palace banquet on New Year's Eve, the ancestral worship ceremony on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the visit to my maternal home on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. Well, I never even took the child to visit the Qianqing Palace, for fear of the child getting cold. Naturally, the baby who is not yet one year old this year stayed in the Yuqing Palace.
The Fucha family all expressed their understanding and agreed that Jialuo did the right thing. They said that they could take care of the child anytime, but now that it was winter and it was freezing cold outside, the child's health was the most important thing.
Not long after the New Year, it was time for the eldest prince, Yinti's, second son, to celebrate his first birthday with a traditional "grasping ceremony".
The eldest prince, who was determined to redeem himself, had been practicing for a long time and had developed a deep affection for his second princess. He was sure to surprise Yin Chu when the time came.
Sure enough, when Yin Chu came in, Yin Tui, who was holding the Second Princess, lowered his head and said, "Elinzhu, call me Father."
The second princess, who had just turned one year old, already knew that Erlinzhu was calling her. Her sweet voice, though childish, was full of energy as she said, "Father."
"Father's daughter, Erlinzhu, is so well-behaved." Yan Lishi glanced at the Crown Prince with a hint of smugness.
"The Crown Prince? How is he? My princess..."
"Your baby can say 'Ama' at seven months old. Your Hongyao is over seven months old too, right? Can he say it yet?"
Yin Chu looked at Yin Tui with a calm and proud expression, "Of course, Hong Yao could already call me Father when he was six months old."
"Really? I don't believe it." If it were really this early, Yin Chu would have already boasted about it to everyone. How could he keep it a secret? Could he be lying? That's right, Yin Chu is so concerned about his image. Tsk tsk tsk, "Then in a couple of days, I'll take my two princesses to visit my younger brother."
Although his eldest son might not be able to be the elder brother, he has two daughters. The status of these two daughters as the elder sister falls on Yin Chu's son, which is also a victory.
"No problem." Yin Chu was very calm. His confident demeanor made Yin Ti mutter to himself, "Could it be that he will really be able to call me 'Father' in six months?"
impossible.
"Elinzhu, do you want to see your brother?" No, I'm taking my two daughters to Yuqing Palace for a surprise inspection in a bit. It'll be quite a show to see Yinchu's lies exposed.
Yin Chu gritted his teeth inwardly. When did his eldest brother become so clever?
Erlinzhu tilted his head, looking at Yinti with innocent eyes, as if he didn't know how to answer Yinti's question.
"Alright, don't stand at the door, it's cold. Come inside and we'll talk." The First Consort came over with her pregnant belly. She saw that Yinti and Yinchu were arguing over some trivial matter again. She didn't mind, but she couldn't bear to hold her daughter, Elinzhu, in the wind at the door.
Enraged, the First Princess Consort, though trying to conceal her anger with gentle words, slapped Yinli hard across the back of his robe.
This time, unlike when he provoked Yao to his third birthday celebration, Er Yinti didn't yell out loud. He held back, not wanting to lose face in front of Yinreng.
Yin Chu did notice the First Princess's subtle action, but he didn't say anything about it. What does it have to do with me that the eldest son married a fierce princess? It's not like I'm the one who married her.
My Crown Princess is gentle, virtuous, understanding, and exceptionally intelligent...
Anyway, she's so much better than the eldest son's wife, hmph, he won.
Jiameng didn't bring Xiao Hongyao out to meet people this time, but she did come to watch her niece's first birthday celebration. She didn't want to get involved in the love-hate relationship between Yin Chu and Yin Tui, and chatted with a relative, Fu Pu, about raising children.
With Yinti's prior guidance, the little princess caught the book and the bow and arrow, signifying that she was knowledgeable, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and a true Erlinzhu (a precious girl).
In any case, no matter what they caught, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies could always come up with auspicious words.
However, when Yinti was about to take the Second Princess to Yuqing Palace to see if Yinchu's son could really call him "Father," he was stopped by the First Princess.
"He was just out in the wind, quickly bring him back inside. Also, nanny, go and get the ginger soup. Honestly, how old is our Elinzhu? She's only a year old, how can she be out in the wind?" The First Princess sternly stopped the First Prince's foolish behavior and scolded him.
The eldest prince lowered his head like a dog, feeling wronged and helpless. He could only wait until tomorrow to go.
Having escaped unscathed, Yin Chu hurried back to Yuqing Palace. No, he had to hurry up with teaching his son how to speak! Otherwise, the lie about their escape would really be exposed by the eldest son.
In the future, he might be ridiculed by Yinli until his son grows up. Where will his dignity as the crown prince and father be?
Upon returning to Yuqing Palace, the first thing Yinji did was go to find his son. Looking at the chubby baby who had gained a little weight after the New Year, Yinji's expression was particularly serious. "Hongyao, you're a big boy now. You can't be as willful as before, understand?"
The wet nurse thought something serious had happened and looked on nervously.
When the wet nurse's fearful voice rang out, Yinreng suddenly remembered that there were still people serving him. He quickly waved his hand to dismiss those around him. How could he let anyone see him teaching the child to call him "Father"?
The room was warm and cozy. Little Hongyao, who hadn't fallen asleep yet, was brought over. Jialuo watched from the side. Yinchu held little Hongyao in his arms, and his fair little jojio, wearing tiny socks, stepped on his thigh.
"Yinmo Yao, look at your father." Yinchu insisted on teaching his son today, otherwise what would happen if Yinti came over tomorrow?
Little Hongyao blinked his bright eyes at Yin Chu. Now, he could understand human speech.
“Come on, learn from your father, A-ma-” Yinreng coaxed softly, hoping to force Xiao Gongmo Yao to learn the word in a day.
[Hehe, so cute! It feels like I'm raising two sons.]
[So cute and sweet.]
Jiameng chuckled as she watched this scene, especially seeing Yinchu earnestly teaching his son, which seemed a bit childish.
Those strikingly similar faces inexplicably melted Jialuo's heart.
Awakened by his inner voice, Yin Chu suddenly turned his head to look at Jia Luo with a deep and mysterious gaze, which startled Jia Luo. Why was he looking at her like that all of a sudden?
"It's nothing. I just remembered that I have some things to take care of in the front courtyard." Yin Chu was a little angry, mainly because he felt that showing such a childish side to Jia Luo made him lose his dignity.
Feeling embarrassed, I'm going to hide away for a while.
The servants guarding outside the main courtyard looked at His Highness the Crown Prince as he emerged from the inner chamber with a dark expression, appearing to be in a very bad mood. They exchanged worried glances.
Your Highness, what's wrong?
Who angered him? Could it be the Crown Princess? The thought made her heart pound. What had the Crown Princess done to His Highness?
After seeing His Highness the Crown Prince off from the main courtyard, Granny Jin and Xiaoqing rushed into the room. "Your Highness, what's wrong? What happened? Why did His Highness leave in such a huff?"
Jiameng was equally confused, looking blankly at Granny Jin who had asked her the question, then shook her head, "I don't know either."
His Highness the Crown Prince coaxed his son to call him "Father," then suddenly looked at him angrily and left.
Could it be that the Crown Prince got angry and left because she laughed out loud at his cuteness?
Otherwise, Jiameng really couldn't think of any other reason. It's really... His Highness the Crown Prince is too shameless, isn't he? He can get angry over something like this?
"It's nothing, His Highness the Crown Prince just had an urgent matter to attend to." Jia Meng didn't want to explain the matter clearly to her subordinates, as it would only make the Crown Prince angrier if it reached his ears.
Unable to refuse, His Highness the Crown Prince came to the main courtyard again in the afternoon, when the Crown Princess usually took a nap. He wrapped the sleeping little Hongyao up tightly and carried him back to the front courtyard.
Ha, making the Crown Princess think she has two sons! This time, he's going to make sure she has none of them! He'll leave her none!!
(End of this chapter)
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