Chapter 36 The Heart to Win Him Over
"I thought about it all night and still feel that I can share the burden for Your Majesty."
The next day, as soon as Yongzheng got out of his carriage, Yun appeared at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"Hmm? Didn't you throw a tantrum and refuse yesterday?" Yongzheng asked curiously, but couldn't help but be a little suspicious.
Yun looked embarrassed. "It's not that I'm unwilling. I just feel that I have a bad temper and I'm afraid of causing trouble."
"What, your temper has improved after just one night?"
After stammering for a long time, Yun finally couldn't hold back and said in despair, "Alright, actually, it was last night when I went back and told my wife about this. She... kindly advised me. After her persuasion, I felt that I should share the Emperor's burdens. Otherwise, being a prince wouldn't contribute anything to the court."
"Ahem..." Yongzheng couldn't help but chuckle twice. He had heard of the Tenth Prince's wife's reputation. Looking at Yunsheng's hopeless expression, Yongzheng teased, "Your wife is indeed a good one."
"Of course, the Princess Consort is wonderful!" Yun answered loudly, as if it were a conditioned reflex trained in him. But when he met Yongzheng's smiling eyes, his face instantly fell. "Your Majesty, I'm sincere! Please let me share your burdens, otherwise... otherwise... I won't leave today..."
"He must be genuinely afraid of his wife," Yongzheng chuckled. But considering himself a good elder brother who cared for his younger brother, he was afraid that Yunzhen wouldn't be able to enter the mansion and would bring shame to the Aisin Gioro clan. So Yongzheng nodded in agreement.
"Alright, go ahead. You came to me of your own accord, so just bear with your temper and don't actually fight with Nian Gengyao."
"Don't worry," Yun patted his chest and assured, "If that day ever comes, whether it's me or Nian Gengyao who can't hold back, I'll run away first and never cause trouble for Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely keep a close eye on Nian Gengyao for you!"
Watching Yun leave as if he'd been injected with adrenaline, Yongzheng shook his head with a smile.
This was originally just a random idea he had, a casual move he made. If the Tenth Prince was capable, it would be best if he could help him find out information about Nian Gengyao's inner circle; if the Tenth Prince couldn't do that, it didn't matter, at least he wasn't left idle.
There's one thing the tenth prince was right about: he's so busy all day long, so it's natural that he wouldn't like to see the tenth prince, who's a leisurely prince who doesn't do anything.
Of course, he wouldn't say this reason out loud. Even if he did, it was because he couldn't bear to see Lao Shi doing nothing and wanted to give him some tasks to do.
As for the concern that the Tenth Prince might collude with Nian Gengyao to rebel, Yongzheng couldn't help but shake his head and smile. The Tenth Prince's brain...
If he had the guts to rebel with Nian Gengyao, he would have made a plan the night before and appeared on his desk the next day. He supervises the eighth and ninth princes but lets the tenth prince go unchecked, simply because he doesn't actually have the ability to do so.
...
"Greetings, Tenth Brother."
On the palace road, Yunxing, who had successfully completed his plan, walked out excitedly and happened to meet Yunli, who was entering the palace.
"It's the Seventeenth! You're quite the favored guest; the Emperor has summoned you again?"
"Tenth Brother is joking," Yunli laughed freely. "Your Majesty is just a free man. I went to Shu for a while, and Your Majesty just liked to hear me tell you some stories about my travels."
"Is that so?" Yun didn't say anything more. "Then you go ahead. I'll take my leave first."
"Take care, Tenth Brother."
The two brushed past each other. Yun seemed lost in thought. After walking a short distance, she stopped, turned around, and looked at Seventeen's retreating figure. "The fourth brother, with his personality, actually trusts Seventeen quite a bit..."
Is it possible for him to bring Seventeen to their side as well? Yesterday, Seventeen and his nephew seemed to get along quite well, so it shouldn't be too difficult to win them over, right?
Yun nodded, cheering himself on. "Great! I'll set two small goals: to bring Nian Gengyao and Seventeen to my nephew's side!"
As Yunli walked forward, he was also lost in thought. Speaking of which, the power behind his tenth brother was not to be underestimated. Not to mention his eighth and ninth brothers, who were feared by the emperor, the Niohuru clan itself was quite formidable.
Thinking back to yesterday in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the undisguised look of affection in Tenth Brother's eyes as he looked at Hongli. Whatever the reason, didn't it also prove that winning him over to Hongli's side wouldn't be a problem?
Indeed, Yunli laughed unrestrainedly. For Hongli's sake, it was decided that neither Nian Gengyao nor the Tenth Brother should be spared!
...
"How was your trip to Sichuan?"
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Yunli played chess and chatted idly.
Upon hearing Yongzheng's question, Yunli quickly changed his mind and replied, "The scenery is beautiful, but the people are cold. I've been heading west, especially in the Shaanxi and Gansu regions, where I've always respected General Nian and there has been no disobedience. Occasionally, one or two people might disagree, but they were quickly suppressed, and there were no objections. However..."
"But what?"
Yongzheng was displeased upon hearing this, and seeing Yunli hesitate, he quickly pressed him for details.
"However, while General Nian's reputation is widespread, it is also due to the instigation of others. I have observed with a cold eye that there are less than one or two who truly belong to General Nian's faction; the remaining seven or eight are merely using General Nian's name for their own selfish purposes..."
At this point, Yunli shook his head, "General Nian was also a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), but now he is..."
Yunli hesitated, but Yongzheng understood his meaning. He knew that many people were indeed following the crowd in supporting Nian Gengyao, but he had heard that seven or eight out of ten of them were just pretending to follow him, so he relaxed a lot.
But I still think it was because Nian Gengyao was arrogant and complacent that he couldn't even control his subordinates.
"Like flowers in full bloom or oil poured over a raging fire, this is nothing more than that," Emperor Yongzheng commented lightly, and said no more.
Yunli was just saying it casually, and he didn't expect to dispel the Emperor's fear of Nian Gengyao. Besides, if the Emperor wasn't afraid, how could he win over Nian Gengyao for Hongli? He just wanted to delay the Emperor's actions against Nian Gengyao a little.
After the game of chess ended, Yunli took his leave. As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, he encountered Nian Gengyao, who was sitting in the center of the gate with a broadsword and a swagger.
"General Nian," Yunli greeted him politely with a smile.
"Your subject pays respects to Prince Guo. I have been in the Northwest for many years, and my foot ailment flares up when the weather is cold, so I cannot rise to pay my respects to Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will not take offense."
Nian Gengyao sat casually in his chair, showing no intention of getting up, his expression full of contempt.
"It's alright. General Nian is a trusted advisor of the Emperor and is deeply trusted by him. As long as he doesn't behave improperly in front of the Emperor, it will be fine."
Yunli smiled, seemingly unconcerned about Nian Gengyao's offense. In his heart, however, he thought that Nian Gengyao was indeed arrogant and that he needed to temper his temper. He shouldn't rush to recruit him; the time would come when Nian Gengyao could understand what he meant.
"What's wrong?"
On the way out of the palace, Yunli noticed that Ah Jin's expression was strange and couldn't help but ask.
"Your Highness has a good temper, but this servant has a heart of flesh and blood and cannot bear to see Your Highness suffer such injustice."
Yunli shook his head, his smile meaningful. "It's alright. Heaven gives before it takes. I wonder when our General Nian will be able to see through this principle?"
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