On their way to Yuqing Palace, Yinreng and Yinzhen unfortunately encountered Suo'etu.
This was no coincidence; it was Suo'etu who deliberately went to find him.
Since Yinreng left Suo'etu's estate in a fit of rage last time, he has never again spoken with him to discuss politics as he used to.
Soetu was extremely flustered; he didn't want to do anything unnecessary.
He was even more unwilling to risk angering the Crown Prince and becoming estranged from him by sending two worthless and useless Yangzhou "slim horses".
Soetu gathered his family's promising younger relatives and carefully analyzed the matter, ultimately concluding that the Crown Prince was using this opportunity to sever ties with him.
However, Hesheli was so loyal to the Crown Prince, how could the Crown Prince have been so distraught as to distance himself from his maternal clan?
When Suo'etu saw Yinreng, he first put on a bright smile and greeted him with a crisp bow.
Yinzhen sighed inwardly. With Suo'etu around, he couldn't go to Yuqing Palace.
It wouldn't be right for Tong Wanyan to personally entertain him; after all, the concubine wasn't the crown princess.
"Second brother, I just remembered I have a memorial that I haven't finished writing, so I'll go back and polish it first," Yinzhen said.
Yinreng's thoughts about Suo'etu were not as bad as Suo'etu and his group had imagined.
"Alright, come over another day," Yinreng said with a smile.
Yinzhen, being sensible and understanding, gave the space to Suo'etu, which greatly eased Suo'etu's tense heart.
“His Highness has not summoned me for a long time,” said Suo’etu.
Looking at Suo'etu's old face, Yinreng suddenly realized that it was indeed true.
After Kangxi returned from his campaign against the Dzungar Khanate, Yinreng visited the Qianqing Palace every few days to inquire about his health, fearing that the long journey and the hardships of war might have caused Kangxi to fall ill.
Emperor Kangxi already doted on him the most, and as a result, Kangxi's favoritism became even more extreme. He would often casually pull him aside to read memorials in the Qianqing Palace, teaching him the ways of being a ruler and how to manage his ministers.
Emperor Kangxi and the imperial court occupied most of Yinreng's time. His wife and children were waiting for him in Yuqing Palace, and his brothers were always causing trouble. Yinreng was really very busy.
Yinreng smiled apologetically: "I've been quite busy lately."
"There haven't been many matters in the court lately," Songgotu bluntly cut off.
How could Yinreng possibly explain himself? Could he say that he had simply forgotten about Suo'etu? Wouldn't that make him seem heartless, having used the Hesheli clan's connections only to discard them?
"Although there are not many affairs in the court, Father has only recently returned to the capital. When Father went on the expedition, my elder brother was always by Father's side. Now that Father has returned to the Forbidden City, it is only right that I, as his son, should show him more care and concern," Yinreng explained to Suo'etu, suppressing his temper.
Having received an explanation, Suo'etu stopped pressing the issue.
Yinreng, however, was a man of temper: "Father has recently been quite displeased with my elder brother and Mingzhu for getting too close. Does Uncle know about this?"
Suo'etu and Nalan Mingzhu were natural enemies, so how could he not know about things that could make Mingzhu suffer?
Otherwise, if he had been watching Mingzhu being scolded by Kangxi all day long, and had been so happy that he ate three big bowls of rice every day, he would have come to Yuqing Palace to bother Yinreng long ago.
After Suo'etu nodded, Yinreng said, "Now that my elder brother and I are both married and have established our own careers, Father Emperor values us in the court and therefore does not want us to be too close to the court officials."
“But you are the Crown Prince,” said Songgotu.
“Although I have my own small court, I am only the crown prince. You are Father Emperor’s minister, not mine,” Yinreng pointed out.
Soetu remained stubbornly unrepentant, leaving Yinreng speechless.
Back then, Songgotu was known for his respect for scholars and his ability to be flexible and adaptable. He commanded a large following in the court, which was not only due to Sony's connections but also to his own charisma.
Yinreng admitted that his position as crown prince was secure, supported by the ministers, and that he had received considerable help and guidance from Songgotu.
However, no matter how much a subject does, he cannot overstep his bounds. Those whose achievements overshadow their ruler will not have a good end.
He was the crown prince, the emperor's son, and nothing changed.
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