Yinzhen was not stingy at all; to be precise, he was not stingy with Tana at all, but rather incredibly generous.
He sent all the novel items that the fleets brought back from their voyages to Yuqing Palace for free.
The Empress Dowager joked that Yinzhen was raising a daughter ahead of time.
Emperor Kangxi couldn't stand seeing Yinzhen spending all his allowance on Tana, so he would remind him to send some gifts to Ulanara Fanghui.
The imperial decree bestowing the marriage upon the Grand Minister's residence has already been issued. They are now a legitimate engaged couple, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to exchange letters and gifts.
Yinzhen thought of the little girl's round, apple-shaped face and made up his mind, but he still wanted to annoy Kangxi.
"Didn't Father Emperor give all the good things from his private treasury to Hongzhao? If you can spoil your grandson, why can't your son spoil his niece?" Yinzhen said with complete confidence.
Kangxi slapped him on the head, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
Is it wrong for a son to love his niece? No, it's a great thing for brothers to be loving.
"Just don't squander all the money you saved for your wedding, and I won't interfere," Kangxi said.
Yinzhen pressed his advantage: "Getting a wife is something for Father and Mother to worry about. The betrothal gifts will be paid by the Imperial Household Department and have nothing to do with me."
Look how clean and neat that stroke was; it made Emperor Kangxi's heart ache with anger.
Thinking of his numerous concubines in his harem, he suddenly realized he no longer wanted them to bear him children so casually. If they were all like Yinzhen, even if he possessed the entire empire, he couldn't afford to support them all.
"Father, this jade pendant of yours is quite beautiful, especially the Pegasus carved on it. It's really lovely. Tana was born in the Year of the Horse, don't you think?" Yinzhen stabbed Kangxi in the chest, not forgetting to take something else for himself.
Kangxi had no choice but to angrily throw the newly hung jade pendant from his waist into his hand: "Go away, go away, don't stand in my way."
Clutching his newly acquired treasures, Yinzhen went to Yuqing Palace with a beaming smile to coax his eldest niece.
When he was led to Yinreng by a servant, Yinreng was sitting on a stone bench, tasting the tea that had just been presented as tribute by the Imperial Household Department, with pleasant music playing nearby.
"Second Brother is really enjoying himself." Yinzhen would not forget the official duties that Yinreng deliberately added for him, which made him too tired to come to Yuqing Palace often.
Yinreng held a copy of the Classic of Mountains and Seas in his hands and told the story to Tana and Hongzhao in their cradles.
When Yinzhen spoke to him, he didn't respond at all, but pointed and told him to sit on the stool.
Tong Wanyan had someone bring him a cup of tea, without disturbing Yinreng as he told stories to the twins.
After one story was finished, Yinzhen finally found an opportunity to interject.
"Second Brother, I got a jade pendant from Father Emperor, it's perfect for Tana." Yinzhen happily took out the jade pendant.
The superior quality of the product made Yinreng's eyes widen involuntarily.
Indeed, a jade pendant worn by Emperor Kangxi at his waist must have been an extraordinary object.
Yinreng looked at Yinzhen with admiration: "Fourth brother is becoming more and more accomplished."
"It's all for my eldest niece," Yinzhen said.
Yinreng's expression was so astonished that Tong Wanyan curiously stepped closer to take a look. Her gaze fell on the jade pendant carved with a flying horse, and she gasped in surprise.
Emperor Kangxi truly doted on his sons, and he also truly doted on his granddaughters.
"Fourth brother treats Tana so well." Tong Wanyan couldn't find any other words to describe it.
Tana, in her sleep, would always hear someone calling her name, which would wake her up with a frown.
"Ahhh." Tana patted the small blanket covering her belly and cried out in a childish voice, signaling for someone to pick her up.
Yinzhen took a step forward and rushed ahead of the crowd.
"My dear niece, have you missed your fourth uncle? Do you like this jade pendant? Your fourth uncle will give it to you as part of your dowry, okay? If anyone bullies you, we'll smash their heads with this jade pendant," Yinzhen said mischievously.
Tong Wanyan sighed and rubbed her forehead: "Fourth brother has raised another female tyrant."
Emperor Kangxi's personal jade pendant was so powerful that anyone who saw it would have to kneel down.
They would rather catch it with their face than let the jade pendant break.
Yinreng, however, was quite supportive of Yinzhen's approach: "Our daughter should be able to walk freely in the Qing Dynasty. If she doesn't like someone, she can beat him up and live a carefree life."
“You spoil her rotten. If she can’t be controlled in the future, I won’t be responsible,” Tong Wanyan said.
"How could that be? Our daughter and I are both terrified of you. Just thinking about making you unhappy makes her afraid to do anything," Yinreng said sweetly.
Tong Wanyan couldn't help but laugh, revealing a set of pearly teeth: "You just know how to make me happy. I wonder who took my storybook yesterday and wouldn't let me read it."
Just thinking about the storybooks Tong Wanyan read—the fox spirit beating up a lecherous scholar, the snake demon repaying a debt of gratitude by beating a greedy scholar—makes me wonder what kind of books these are. They're completely different from the storybooks on the market.
Seeing her aggrieved expression, Yinreng coaxed her gently, "The ones you read weren't good. I was thinking of finding some better ones for you. Only the best stories are worthy of Xiaoyan's reading, aren't they?"
No matter how soft Yinreng's voice was, it couldn't beat Yinzhen's sharp ears.
Yinzhen, his teeth aching, dragged Tana's little cradle, wanting to get away from this cloying couple.
But before he walked away, he couldn't help but say, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, I'm still here."
Yinreng shot him a glare: "I know you're in my way, why don't you get out of the way? I've already given you my daughter, what are you doing standing here shining?"
His elder brother's disdain was undisguised, and Yinzhen instantly understood Kangxi's feelings. He was truly heartbroken.
Having lived under the oppressive influence of Crown Prince Yinreng since childhood, Yinzhen never dared to retaliate even when he was disliked.
He angrily carried Tana away and found a shady spot to sit down.
Reminded by Yinreng, Yinzhen, thinking about the stories in his mind, began to read them to Tana in a very talkative manner.
Tana was naturally strong, but her intelligence was not much different from that of an ordinary baby. Even if she was a little clever, she still couldn't understand anything too complicated.
Yinzhen was not a storyteller; he simply read aloud from the monster tales he had read before, his words obscure and difficult to understand.
He talked on and on for almost half an hour, until his throat was dry. Finally, Tana couldn't hold back her temper any longer.
"Ah!" Tana frowned angrily and yelled at Yinzhen.
Yinzhen touched her bottom blankly; it was dry, so it wasn't urine.
"What's wrong with Tana?" Yinzhen glanced at the lovey-dovey couple and asked the wet nurse beside him.
The wet nurse's ears were ringing from what Yinzhen had been saying, so she smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Perhaps the eldest princess is sleepy."
"Tana just woke up, don't try to fool me." Yinzhen covered Tana's eyes and said coldly to the wet nurse.
The wet nurse was drenched in sweat: "Fourth Prince, please forgive me, but the eldest princess doesn't seem to want to listen to you read anymore. Before you came, the Crown Prince read to her for almost an hour, and she fell asleep while listening. She only woke up when you arrived."
Yinzhen glared angrily at Yinreng and said indignantly, "Next time, I will come earlier."
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