Chapter 7 This Son is Like His Father
"What does the Fourth Prince look like?"
Yongzheng glanced at Su Peisheng below, neither saying whether he believed it or not. However, he was unusually interested and wanted to see what Su Peisheng had to say.
“Yes,” Su Peisheng cautiously raised his head, glancing at Yongzheng’s face, looking as if he wanted to say something but gritted his teeth and said it because of his loyalty, “The Fourth Prince’s appearance is exactly like… exactly like Your Majesty when you were young, especially those phoenix eyes, which are exactly the same as Your Majesty’s. This servant could not help but lose his composure, please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
Su Peisheng slammed his head on the ground with great force, appearing genuinely remorseful.
"Like me?"
Yongzheng's expression was somewhat complicated. He didn't think Su Peisheng would dare to lie; after all, he would know the truth once they met. He only had three sons in total, and it seemed his least favorite son was the most like him?
"How is the Fifth Prince?"
Instantly understanding the Emperor's meaning, Su Peisheng felt somewhat embarrassed. Could he say he hadn't noticed what the Fifth Prince looked like? He could only vaguely reply, "The Fifth Prince was humble and respectful."
He understood; the man didn't look like him. Yongzheng, at least, grasped the meaning behind his words, feeling somewhat disappointed but not much. More than anything, he harbored complex feelings towards Hongli, unconsciously twirling the eighteen-bead string in his hand, lost in thought.
Having served Emperor Yongzheng for decades, Su Peisheng understood the implications of some of his actions. Relieved, but determined to leave no room for future trouble, Su Peisheng pressed his advantage.
"This servant is guilty!" Su Peisheng kowtowed again, looking at Yongzheng with a hint of embarrassment and helplessness on his face. "The Fourth Prince looks so much like you, so when this servant saw that his clothes didn't fit him well, I got a little excited, as if I were seeing Your Majesty suffering, and... and..."
It was rare to see Su Peisheng acting so coy, so Yongzheng pressed him for details: "So what?"
"I slipped the silver from my sleeve to the Fourth Prince!" Su Peisheng said, then kowtowed again, "This servant has overstepped his bounds, this servant is guilty!"
"You..." Yongzheng was speechless, then laughed in exasperation. Just how much like him was Hongli? How could he make Su Peisheng, the chief eunuch, do such an incomprehensible thing?
Indeed, it's unreasonable for eunuchs to slip money to princes. But if it's for the emperor's sake, then it makes much more sense to extend that affection to the prince. A servant's concern for his master might sound like a joke. But in Yongzheng's eyes, or more precisely, in the eyes of those in power, a servant's concern for his master is a sign of loyalty.
And Su Peisheng, as an old man who had served him for decades, was so loyal that it's not impossible for him to do such a thing.
"This servant knows his mistake."
"Su Peisheng, what can I say to you?" Yongzheng shook his head and chuckled. "Go and keep quiet. I don't want to hear about the Grand Eunuch giving money to the princes in other places."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand." A slight smile appeared on Su Peisheng's face as he knelt on the ground. It was all settled; the Emperor had personally ordered a silencing of the accusations, clearly believing him and preventing any unforeseen events.
Yongzheng did believe it. As long as Hongli's appearance wasn't too outrageous, Yongzheng would assume that he looked somewhat like him.
Moreover, Hongli was not only not ugly, but with his appearance in front of Yongzheng, plus his phoenix eyes that were exactly the same, Yongzheng would only think that this son resembled his father. That's right, he was that handsome when he was young.
It can be said that Su Peisheng had a firm grasp on Yongzheng's mindset; after all, he hadn't worked for nothing all these years.
Having ignored and disliked him for so many years, even knowing that Hongli resembled him, Yongzheng's attitude did not change immediately. He suppressed his curiosity and had no intention of summoning him for the time being.
Meanwhile, Hongzhou and Hongli headed towards Peach Blossom Village, where the Empress resided. After all, they had already paid their respects to their father, the Emperor, and couldn't possibly bypass the Empress, their legal mother.
"Fourth Brother, I suspect that Eunuch Su won't even recognize me next time we meet. He didn't even look at me today."
As Hongzhou walked, he complained, feeling that the chief eunuch beside his father was too unreliable. So what if his fourth brother was a little better looking and more dazzling? Was it really necessary to stare at him like that?
The clothes were not inappropriate at all; on the contrary, they looked simple but were actually very comfortable. Hongli smiled slightly and took out the purse given to him by Su Peisheng. "Eunuch Su is a kind person."
“It’s truly a kind gesture.” Hongzhou nodded in agreement. To be honest, this was the first time he had ever seen a chief eunuch subsidize a prince. However, if the prince was his own fourth brother, then Hongzhou felt it made perfect sense.
Looking at the dozen or so exquisite silver coins and round pearls in the purse, Hongzhou couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of the Imperial Eunuch, even a casually pulled-out purse is so valuable."
"We'll split it between the two of us."
Hongli offered half to Hongzhou, but Hongzhou quickly waved his hand, "No need, no need. This was given to you by Eunuch Su, Fourth Brother. You don't need to share it with me. Besides, Fourth Brother, you need it more than I do..."
Even though he saw the good things in Hongli's room, Hongzhou still felt that his fourth brother was a pitiful little thing. As soon as he said this, he realized that it was wrong and looked at Hongli with some embarrassment.
Hongli didn't mind at all, his smile bright and flawless. "Then thank you very much, Fifth Brother. Thank you for always thinking of me."
"Hehe, of course," Hongzhou scratched his head shyly, unable to hide the smile on his lips. "What can I do? We're such good brothers. Who else would I think of if not Fourth Brother..."
As the two were chatting and laughing, they ran into Zhen Huan and An Lingrong's entourage walking towards them.
Hongli, pulling Hongzhou who didn't recognize him, bowed and said, "Your subject greets Consort Wan. Hongzhou, this is Consort Wan."
“Hongzhou has met Consort Wan.”
"Please rise, Your Highnesses," Zhen Huan was momentarily stunned and taken aback by Hongli's striking good looks. But being a woman of great wisdom, she quickly regained her composure and asked naturally, "I have never met the Fourth Prince before. How do you know my identity?"
"My fifth brother and I lived in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. To avoid any clashes, we asked the nanny around us to recognize each other early on."
Hongli's reply was thoughtful and polite, but Zhen Huan couldn't help but feel sorry for him. A prince living so cautiously, her expression softened even more.
"Fourth Prince, you are very kind. This is Consort An."
Zhen Huan kindly introduced the people around her. An Lingrong, who was mentioned, finally came to her senses. She hadn't expected a prince to look so breathtaking, which made her feel a little embarrassed, and she lowered her head awkwardly.
"Greetings, Lady An."
Hongli and Hongzhou politely bowed to An Lingrong again, and An Lingrong replied softly, "Greetings, Your Highnesses."
Noticing An Lingrong's discomfort, Zhen Huan said, "Sister, why don't you go back to your residence and see if it suits your taste? I'll go see Sister Mei with you later."
"Well then, I'll take my leave now."
"Liu Zhu, you go with Consort An."
An Lingrong never dared to raise her head. She bowed and thanked Zhen Huan before hurriedly leaving with Liu Zhu. Deep down, however, she felt a pang of regret; why hadn't she dared to look up again?
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