Chapter 110 Visiting Yinsi
With the Emperor Kangxi's decree issued, Yinzhen was no longer tasked with guarding the deposed crown prince, so he naturally did not stay in the palace any longer and returned smoothly to his own residence.
That very evening, they arrived at Yinzhi's residence through a secret passage.
"Fourth Brother?!" Eighth Prince's wife, Lady Guoluo, was guarding by Yinzhi's bedside. When she saw Yinzhen appear, she was surprised and a little wary. She didn't understand why he could appear in the mansion so smoothly at this time.
With a pale face and a loss of energy, Yinzhi heard the voice, looked up and saw Yinzhen. He patted his wife's hand reassuringly and said softly, "Minghui, don't panic, your fourth brother is not an outsider."
Having understood the intimacy in Yinzhi's words, Guo Luoluo Minghui's gaze swept over the two of them. It seemed there were still many things she didn't know.
If it were her usual fiery temper, she might have thrown a tantrum on the spot. But Yinzhen had ended up in this situation, and in just a few days, he had seen through the coldness of people's hearts. Minghui was actually grateful for Yinzhen's appearance.
At least there was someone close to her who could help persuade Yinzhi; she was genuinely afraid that Yinzhi might do something rash.
So, the Eighth Prince's wife, who had become much more gentle, nodded to Yinzhen and said understandingly, "I'm a little worried about the medicine being prepared in front of me. I'd like to trouble you, Fourth Brother, to keep an eye on the Eighth Prince for me. I'll be right back."
Yinzhen nodded, and Yinsi also gave Minghui a rare smile, saying gently, "Thank you for your hard work, Madam."
"It's not hard, I just hope you get better soon." A glint of tears flashed in Minghui's eyes. She turned her head away, unwilling to show her vulnerability, and hurriedly got up and left, leaving the space to Yinzhen and the other person.
After Minghui left, the room fell silent. Seeing that Yinzhi had lost his smile again and looked dejected, Yinzhen sat quietly beside him, looking towards the door, and said softly, "Eighth sister-in-law has changed a lot."
"Yes, it's all because of me..." Yinzhi was overcome with sorrow. How could he not know how much Minghui, who had always been proud, had changed because of him?
Because he was disliked by the Emperor, and even the imperial physician couldn't be summoned, Minghui lowered her head and begged everywhere for his sake, enduring countless grievances. She had never suffered such hardship before; it was all because of him.
Yinzhen frowned slightly, looking at Yinsi with undisguised worry, and continued, "Eighth sister-in-law is very well."
"Yes, Minghui is very good." Yinzhi lowered his eyes, feeling that he was not worthy of her.
Although he didn't say it aloud, his self-loathing was evident in his actions.
Yinzhen was never a particularly emotional or eloquent person. But at this moment, he was willing to explain a bit more: "What I wanted to say was that Eighth Brother's wife is very good because she has you in her heart. Not only her, but also Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, Fourteenth Prince, and me... Eighth Brother, Father Emperor is just a prince."
Hearing Yinzhen's heartfelt words, Yinsi's eyes reddened. He never imagined that his dignified, aloof, and most disciplined fourth brother would say such things to comfort him.
"Fourth Brother..." Yinzhi choked up, looking up at Yinzhen like a lone boat adrift in a flood seeking help.
"Eighth brother, you are very good, regardless of your background or status. Whether it's me or Ninth brother, we have always recognized you because of who you are."
Yinzhen stared steadily into Yinsi's eyes, his gaze filled with certainty, constantly conveying strength and courage to him.
Yinzhi immediately dropped his guard and pretense, bursting into tears. He had worn the mask of the Eighth Prince for so long that he hadn't cried for himself in many years. Today, before Yinzhen, he finally dared to cry his heart out, releasing all the pain and resentment in his heart.
“How could he say such a thing… It’s one thing to insult me, but why, why did he have to involve my mother… the son of a lowly slave from the Imperial Household Department… How can my mother accept this… How could he be so heartless? My mother has been with him for decades…”
Yinzhi leaned against the bed, clenching his fists, crying and venting his emotions. He could accept the victor taking all, but he could not accept Kangxi using such a reason to belittle him and his mother.
If you look down on his background, why did you favor his mother in the first place? It was clearly his own choice, so why should you use his background to humiliate him and his mother now?
Yinzhi's hatred continued to rise, and he refused to call him "Father" anymore. The Emperor was indeed heartless; he was the Emperor, the monarch, but never his "Father."
Yinzhen didn't say much. At this moment, any words of comfort would be futile. He should let him vent his emotions. Only by venting can he recover.
After an unknown amount of time, Yinzhi finally calmed down. After a bout of crying and cursing, Yinzhi's spirits actually improved considerably.
Wiping his face with a handkerchief and composing himself, Yinzhi, his eyes red-rimmed, looked at Yinzhen, who was quietly keeping him company, feeling slightly embarrassed. His voice was still a little hoarse from crying, and he whispered to Yinzhen, "Thank you, Fourth Brother."
"No need to be polite." Yinzhen took a cup of warm tea from the table and handed it to Yinsi.
Yinzhi picked up his teacup and took a sip. His throat felt much better, and he became calmer. "Why is Fourth Brother back?"
“This morning, Father Emperor moved the deposed Crown Prince to Xian’an Palace and relieved me of my duty of guarding him.” Yinzhen took the teacup that Yinsi had finished drinking from, put it back on the table, and explained in a low voice.
Yinzhi raised an eyebrow and revealed a sarcastic smile. "What is Your Majesty doing?"
As if he hadn't noticed the change in how Yinzhi addressed him, Yinzhen replied, "It was the Crown Prince. The deposed Crown Prince fell ill yesterday, and Father Emperor went to visit him. The two of them had a private chat for a while."
"What? Is it because the deposed crown prince is sick that you've remembered his good points again?" Yinzhi said sarcastically, not believing that Kangxi would really soften his heart.
Yinzhen understood his view. To be precise, after Kangxi dealt with Yinsi and Yinzhen, many of his brothers did not believe that Kangxi would soften his heart.
However, there are always exceptions. Yinzhen looked deeply at Yinsi and explained, "Father wouldn't, but Yinreng can, and Father's Baocheng can. He hasn't been the Crown Prince for nothing all these years."
Yinzhi was taken aback, then instantly understood Yinzhen's meaning, and couldn't help but sneer, "Heh, it still has to be the Crown Prince. In the Emperor's heart, Yinreng is probably the only true son. Even the deposed Crown Prince has learned to suppress his temper and scheme against others... Well, when you're at rock bottom, who wouldn't change?"
Yinzhi's voice grew softer and softer. After a pause, his gaze toward Yinzhen was filled with boundless trust and determination.
"Fourth Brother, I don't have that chance anymore. You must succeed. Whether it's the deposed crown prince or the emperor, you must win! I will do everything in my power to help you ascend to the throne!"
"Rest well and don't do anything foolish." Yinzhen frowned, pulled his blanket up a little higher, and comforted him gently.
"Fourth Brother..."
"Eighth Brother!" Yinzhen interrupted Yinsi, his usual calm and composed tone soothing Yinsi's resentful heart. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. What's important for you now is to recover properly, trust me."
Meeting Yinzhen's calm and confident eyes, Yinsi's restless heart calmed down, and he nodded earnestly. He was willing to believe in his fourth brother, looking forward to a change of fortune, and to a new person sitting on the dragon throne.
The person who sat down could only be Yinzhen, and he only accepted Yinzhen.
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