Chapter 68 Casual Chat
"My older brother isn't doing well; he can't get out of bed and is extremely irritable..."
In the quiet private room, Yinzhi skillfully brewed a pot of hot tea, poured the clear tea into a cup, and pushed it across the table.
"Falling from a height is naturally unpleasant." Yinzhen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and, meeting Yinsi's gaze, commented casually, "The tea is good."
Yinzhi gave a faint smile and continued, "With my elder brother's downfall, I see the arrogance of the Crown Prince's faction is rising even higher. Although Suo'etu is no longer in court, the name 'Prime Minister Suo' has become quite widespread."
"Like oil being poured over a raging fire and flowers being adorned with brocade, Father Emperor could indulge my elder brother in the past, but that may not be the case now..." Yinzhen said slowly.
The two seemed to be chatting casually, but their conversation revolved around the changes in the court. No one would have expected that the two factions, the Grand Prince's faction and the Crown Prince's faction, would get together and chat like close old friends.
"Brother, is this really something he brought upon himself?" Yinzhi asked curiously. He had just come from the Prince Zhi's residence and saw Yinzhi's appearance; he was indeed full of regret. But Yinzhi really found it hard to believe that it was entirely his own fault.
"The matter is now settled; if that's the Emperor's will, then it can only be the elder brother's fault."
Yinzhen's words were pointed, and Yinsi nodded knowingly, asking no further questions.
"The balance of power in the court cannot be broken. Father Emperor will not allow it. What follows is not entirely bad for you. You should handle it carefully. Also, be careful of Suo'etu..." Yinzhen took the cup of tea that Yinsi had just poured and gave a light reminder.
Upon hearing the first half of Yinzhen's sentence, Yinsi calmly agreed, knowing full well that his elder brother had fallen. As a member of the First Prince's faction, he would inevitably be pushed by his father and other members of the First Prince's faction to fight for power, but this was also his opportunity, which he certainly wouldn't let go. However, he also gladly accepted his fourth brother's good intentions.
However, upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Yinzhi raised an eyebrow, knowing that Yinzhen was not one to speak without reason, and asked curiously, "Song'etu? What happened to him?"
"The jackals who come down from the mountain will stop at nothing to maintain their former glory."
Yinzhen looked up and met Yinsi's gaze. Yinsi instantly understood the meaning conveyed in his eyes. A chill ran down his spine; was Suo'etu really that bold…?
"Father..."
"The emperor's authority cannot be challenged." Yinzhen's resolute words instantly shattered the turmoil in Yinsi's mind. With just that one sentence, Yinsi could almost foresee Suo'etu's future…
"Fourth Brother, you..." Are you interested in that position? Yinzhi looked into Yinzhen's eyes, everything was understood without words.
Yinzhen met Yinsi's gaze calmly, picked up his teacup and clinked it against Yinsi's. As the water rippled, Yinzhen revealed a rare smile. "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."
"Knock knock"
"Master, Ninth Master and Tenth Master have arrived."
"That troublemaker, Ninth Prince." Perhaps because he was in front of Yinzhi, Yinzhen didn't hide anything and shook his head helplessly when he mentioned Yintang. "I'm leaving now. Be careful."
"Farewell, Fourth Brother." Having seen Yinzhen off in a daze, Yinsi was still somewhat bewildered. Whether it was Yinzhen's strangely alluring smile or his meaningful words that had mesmerized him, Yinsi was momentarily at a loss.
"Myna, why are you eating out alone without inviting us?"
Yinzhi and Yinzhi pushed open the door and entered. The noisy noise immediately brought Yinzhi back to his senses, and he reverted to his gentle and mild-mannered demeanor as the Eighth Prince.
Looking at his former good younger brother, Yinzhen, and recalling his fourth brother's comments, he couldn't help but frown. Yinzhen was so old, yet he was still somewhat immature...
"Huh? Eighth Brother, when did you take a liking to brewing tea? Only Fourth Prince used to enjoy this stuff." Yin Tang's face showed obvious disdain when he mentioned Yin Zhen.
"Ninth Brother, how do you know everything Fourth Brother likes?" Yin asked slowly from the side.
"What do you know? Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. That's a tactic!" Yin Tang said disdainfully. But this was the tenth prince, his good younger brother. Although he was a little slow, what could he do? He could only forgive him and tolerate him.
So, Yinzhen pulled Yin to sit down, and only then did he notice the strange look in his eighth brother's eyes.
"Myna, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ninth Brother, you're eighteen already, are you still planning to drift along like this?" Yinzhi poured a cup of tea for the two of them and asked in the manner of a good older brother.
"Isn't this great? I love doing business. Father Emperor may not approve, but he hasn't interfered. It's fine..." Yin Tang said this with a carefree expression, but as a prince, how could he not care at all about not being favored or even looked down upon by his father? The fleeting dimness in his eyes was still caught by Yin Si.
“A hobby is one thing, but even if it’s just for Consort Yi and the wives and children in the household, you should find a proper job.” Yinzhi patted Yintang on the shoulder and comforted him. “In my opinion, you are fluent in multiple languages and good at dealing with people. The Court of State Ceremonial is a good place for you.”
"Well...that also requires Father Emperor's consent..." Yin Tang was a little awkward. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted, but he was also worried that Kangxi wouldn't agree.
"I'll try to speak to Father Emperor about this. You should also behave better during this time, don't make Father Emperor angry, restrain yourself, and don't always think about causing trouble for Fourth Brother."
Yinzhi patiently persuaded him, and although Yintang was somewhat unwilling, he could not disappoint his eighth brother's good intentions, so he could only awkwardly reply, "Alright, I'll let the fourth brother off for now. I'll stay home for the time being, and I can't afford to attract the old master's attention again."
"Huh? Then no one will play with me anymore?" Yin Tang, who had remained indifferent during their conversation, suddenly cried out upon hearing Yin Tang's words, sounding extremely mournful.
"All you do is play, play, play. You eat and drink my food every day, and the whole household depends on me for support. If you ask me, you need to find something to do, Tenth Prince."
Yinzhen was displeased, snatched the chicken leg from Yinzhen's hand, and took a bite out of resentment. Although he hadn't actually been appointed yet, he suddenly felt annoyed with the idle Tenth Prince.
"No! Don't you know my situation? Ninth Brother, you promised to take care of me for the rest of my life. You can't go back on your word!" Yin cried out, looking at Yin Tang as if he were a "heartless man".
Yinzhen was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth and go back to his childhood to beat the arrogant version of himself to death.
"Myna, you must stand up for me! The Niohuru Mansion is in such a state, my lifelong wish is to live a carefree life..."
Yin tugged at Yin Si's sleeve, feigning pitifulness towards Yin Tang. Although Yin Tang knew he was faking it, he couldn't help but soften when he thought of the Tenth Prince's worthless maternal clan and the humiliation Yin had suffered.
"Fine, fine, I'll take care of you, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life, okay? Seriously, there's no one more sucker than me..."
"I knew it, Ninth Brother is the best." Yin didn't care about Yin Tang's mutterings at all, and smiled as he leaned closer, taking the opportunity to offer another chicken leg from the table, "Ninth Brother, can you... eat this?"
"I can eat it!" Seeing Yin's feigned generosity but actually reluctant expression, Yin Tang, who was about to refuse, snatched the chicken leg from Yin's hand and took big bites.
"Ninth Brother..."
"Suddenly, I think chicken drumsticks are really good..."
"Ninth Brother..."
Yinzhi, standing to the side, sipped his tea with a smile, not joining in the two's playful banter. To be honest, it seemed like the Ninth Prince was manipulating the Tenth Prince, but in reality, it was clearly the Tenth Prince who was manipulating the Ninth Prince, and the Ninth Prince truly hadn't noticed at all.
Seeing Yinxiang fawning over him and constantly trying to please him, Yinsi thought that the phrase "great wisdom appears as foolishness" perfectly described the Tenth Prince. He himself still needed more experience, and his gentle and kind persona still needed to be improved.
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