The farm was used for farming, so there wasn't much to see.
But the princes and masters in the palace had never seen a patch of brown soil where a pit could be dug out one by one.
They gazed at the simple, unspoiled land, where the seedlings were planted in all sorts of odd and haphazard ways, and were filled with a sense of wonder.
If someone hadn't stopped them, the young princes would have stepped on it and jumped around a few times.
They devoured quite a few of the rare and exotic plants in the Imperial Garden.
Yinzhen had a hint of smugness in his eyes. He pursed his lips tightly, trying hard to suppress the smile on his face.
Yinreng smiled and retreated to the back, concealing his merits and fame.
Kangxi noticed his subtle movements and tacitly allowed him to move to the back.
Now that he has a wife, he doesn't need his own father anymore; he's gradually gotten used to his son not being as close to him as before.
After a moment of sadness, Kangxi roused himself and continued chatting with Yinzhen about potatoes and corn.
Yinreng smiled and leaned close to Tong Wanyan: "Fourth brother, you're so young, yet you always act like an old man. Today you look so excited, almost like a child."
Tong Wanyan obediently let him hold her hand, not daring to make any big movements for fear of attracting attention.
Besides Chunque and Xiazhu, she was the only woman there, and it wouldn't be good to bring along extra people; it would be too conspicuous.
She said softly, "If the Fourth Prince is happy, then the Master is happy too."
Yinreng said, "If Your Majesty is happy, then Xiao Yan is happy too."
Tong Wanyan smiled and said, "Fourth Prince, are you planning to give your explanation today?"
The two of them walked further and further behind the others, whispering to each other so that they wouldn't be overheard.
"It couldn't have been kept secret for long anyway, so it's better to confess sooner rather than later. Things that benefit the country and its people should be promoted as soon as possible." Yinreng was a good crown prince; he had the world in his heart and cared deeply for the people.
Tong Wanyan thought of the corn she had secretly eaten last year and suddenly felt a pang of craving.
"Do we still have corn chips and cornmeal at home? I'm craving some," Tong Wanyan asked coquettishly.
It took a lot of effort to get here.
Yinreng secretly patted his stomach: "I'm hungry too. I brought Wang Yan with me today; it's all sweet stuff, he should be able to make it."
Tong Wanyan glared at him secretly: "Where is the person who learned how to cook corn last time?"
"It's his bad luck; he was sick a few days ago and was resting at home." Yinreng was also very angry when he said this.
It would be a shame if Wang Yan couldn't make delicious pastries and displeased Emperor Kangxi.
“Wang Yan’s ancestors were imperial chefs. The emperor of the previous dynasty was once presented with corn as tribute. Who knows, he might be skilled in it. His skills in making pastries are quite good. The flower shapes he makes are exquisite and beautiful. You don’t need to worry, Master,” Tong Wanyan comforted her.
No matter how much Yinreng worried, it was all in vain in the end.
When it was time for lunch, Kangxi told the tenant farmers on the estate to cook for themselves.
The tenant farmers stocked up on a lot of corn and potatoes, and cooked them in various ways every day. They might not look very appealing, and the taste might not be as refined as that of the imperial chefs, but they had a unique, rustic flavor.
Wine brewed from grain, cornbread on a stone table, a rattan chair, and several chubby puppies less than a month old darting around in the distance.
Being away from the court's infighting, even Emperor Kangxi felt his soul was elevated.
Tong Wanyan sat outside, not at the same table as Kangxi and the princes, because she didn't have that status.
Fortunately, Wang Yan really knew how to make cornmeal, and the sweet taste was much better than what the tenant farmers made.
Xia Zhu covered her mouth and whispered to Tong Wanyan, "Your Majesty, this servant still thinks Chef Wang's cooking is tastier."
Tong Wanyan wholeheartedly agreed: "The Emperor and His Majesty are consuming the people's good intentions."
Chunque inexplicably understood the hidden meaning in those words: the royals, accustomed to delicacies from land and sea, now wanted to eat some coarse grains and wild vegetables for a change of pace.
Tong Wanyan and Chun Que exchanged glances, smiled faintly at each other without speaking, and knew what the other was thinking.
The liquor made from grains is spicy and has a high alcohol content.
Yinti was the first to get drunk. He kept chugging bowl after bowl, boasting that he could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, but in reality he didn't drink much. He collapsed backward with a thud.
The loud noise startled the other young princes so much that they forgot to chew what they were eating.
If Yinqi hadn't been foaming at the mouth and convulsing, all the guards protecting him would have drawn their swords.
Emperor Kangxi, smelling the strong stench of alcohol emanating from Yinti, disgustedly pushed him aside.
"Children don't understand the goodness of wine." Emperor Kangxi was also a little drunk.
After taking a final sip of wine with restraint, Emperor Kangxi, his eyes brimming with tears, exclaimed passionately, "Yinzhen, I want to reward you. The people of the Great Qing will no longer suffer from hunger; this is a great achievement worthy of being recorded on a monument."
Emperor Kangxi was half-drunk and half-awake, while Yinzhen was not allowed to drink alcohol, so he was perfectly sober.
“I dare not take credit for myself,” Yinzhen said calmly.
A gust of wind helped Kangxi regain some clarity.
"Could it be one of your protégés?" Kangxi thought to himself, alarmed. What he really wanted to know was whether the Crown Prince was deliberately stealing credit for his protégés.
After all, Yinzhen was still young and had not yet established his own household, so he did not have the ability to support his own retinue.
Yinzhen shook his head honestly: "She is a princess from the Tong family."
Under Kangxi's bewildered and suspicious gaze, he explained, "It is the princess, Tong Wanle, whose son died suddenly earlier."
Tong Wanle did not have a good impression on Emperor Kangxi.
His good mood was clouded over as he waited for Yinzhen to continue.
“However, my son has investigated and found that, given Tong Gege’s status, she shouldn’t have had any contact with these things,” Yinzhen said with distress.
When he first received the secret from Tong Wanle, he was so terrified that he couldn't sleep for several nights.
Some of those secrets he didn't want to recall, while others he was willing to make good use of.
“I suspect she heard it from somewhere else. In any case, there’s no clue, so we can only test it to see if it’s true. Now, there’s some confirmation, but I’m not willing to take credit for it,” Yinzhen said frankly.
His dark eyes were filled with sincerity and filial piety.
Emperor Kangxi felt guilty; he shouldn't have doubted his own sons. Especially the child raised by his cousin, who was different from his other sons.
“Father, this is a blessing bestowed upon you by Heaven. Only a wise and virtuous ruler like you, who governs the country in peace and prosperity, could know of such life-saving grain. I do not believe that a woman raised in seclusion could know such a secret.” Yinreng said, holding Kangxi’s hands.
As soon as he spoke, the other princes looked at Kangxi with unwavering faith and admiration.
Their imperial father was the most sagacious emperor, whose achievements surpassed those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, deserving to be recorded in history and remembered for generations to come.
In his elation, Kangxi exclaimed, "Even so, Baocheng and Yinreng have worked hard. They deserve to be rewarded!"
At this time, Kangxi was full of pride and confidence, and firmly believed that it was a blessing from heaven.
Didn't you see that even his most beloved crown prince was married into a blessed family? He is the crown prince's father, so naturally he is a divinely blessed emperor.
Tong Wanle, who was mentioned casually, was just mentioned casually.
No one believed in her abilities, and indeed, they weren't.
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