The Fourth Prince was extremely fond of the Crown Prince's eldest daughter, a fact known not only to everyone in the Forbidden City but also to the court and even among the common people.
Kangxi laughed heartily upon hearing this, his expression much better than when Yinreng had just entered.
"Let him agonize over it. In a year or two, when he has a daughter of his own, he'll know how to cherish her," Kangxi said gloatingly.
Yinreng laughed and said, "Look at Fourth Brother, he's still clueless in that area."
"You'll get it soon, you'll understand gradually," Kangxi said to himself.
"There haven't been any complicated political affairs lately. Has something happened to Hesheli since Songgotu came to see you?" Kangxi returned to the original topic.
Yinreng frankly said, "I am somewhat ashamed of this matter."
"Oh?" Kangxi's curiosity was piqued.
“Last time, Suo’etu asked his son to visit his villa, saying that the scenery outside Beijing was beautiful and that being too busy with politics was bad for his health.” Yinreng saw Kangxi nod and continued, “Who knew that after we arrived, he had two young women serve tea and water. I’m not stupid, how could I not know what that meant? I kicked one of them aside. She was all made up, it was so undignified.”
Kangxi clapped his hands and laughed, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "Isn't it nice to have a beautiful woman by your side?"
Yinreng looked at Kangxi with a hint of grievance: "Am I the kind of person who can't resist beautiful women?"
Kangxi wanted to say, "Yes!"
When Yinreng was young, he knew how to choose a good-looking wet nurse, and he would throw a tantrum if the person serving him was even slightly plain-looking.
At that time, Emperor Kangxi took a fancy to a beautiful young palace maid, but she caught the eye of Yinreng, who was only two years old at the time. Under pressure from the Empress Dowager, he had no choice but to reluctantly give her up.
After all, he was his own son. How could an emperor who ruled the world compete with a little kid who couldn't even speak fluently for a woman?
Under the watchful gaze of Yinreng's watery phoenix eyes, Kangxi lied against his conscience and said, "Baocheng is right."
Yinreng proudly raised his head: "Of course. Besides, I already have a concubine. How many women in the entire Qing Dynasty are more beautiful than Xiao Yan? I find those bland, plain dishes too much to look at."
In an instant, Kangxi understood Suo'etu's feelings at that moment; he was clearly ready to curse.
“My son kicked someone and then went back to the palace. You know, I have to be filial to you and my mother, handle official business, and then go back to be with Hongzhao and Tana. With such a busy schedule, how could I have time to think about other people? Besides, although the Hesheli clan doesn’t have any outstanding descendants, they all know their place and never cause trouble. They are well-behaved. Since I don’t have to worry about them for my mother, I temporarily forgot about Suo’etu.” Yinreng explained bit by bit.
Of all the things Yinreng said since he came in, the one that resonated most with Kangxi was his earlier statement: "Your son must be filial to you."
His eyes welled up with tears; he was deeply moved.
"Song'etu has become preoccupied." Kangxi completely distanced himself from the matter of Song'etu entering the palace from Yinreng.
Yinreng felt a little relieved: "There's nothing we can do about it. He's the head of the clan, so he must want the Hesheli clan to develop well. Seeing that the Tongjia and Fucha clans each have outstanding descendants and are full of talents, how could he not be anxious?"
Kangxi carefully recalled the officials in the court and found that apart from Suo'etu and his direct descendants, there were very few members of the Hesheli clan who held important positions.
Thinking about it this way, he didn't think Suo'etu was so hateful.
Songgotu is getting old. Even if he's a bit power-hungry, what can he do? He'll have to retire eventually. As an old minister, he deserves some honor.
Emperor Kangxi considered himself a benevolent monarch, especially since his children were both literate and martial, and his maternal clan had worthy successors. He was filled with pride and satisfaction.
"You will protect them in the future, so why worry now?" Kangxi comforted them.
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