After showing his filial piety, Yinqi felt very awkward.
He always felt that Yinreng was mocking him, even though Yinreng did not show any signs of anything amiss.
As Kangxi put away the wooden box, he felt something was off.
Yinqi blurted out, "Didn't the Crown Prince's concubine cut enough paper-cuts? She didn't even send any to Father Emperor."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kangxi noticed that Yinreng's face brightened instantly, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"The ladies of the harem are waiting to send these to Father Emperor, and if all else fails, there are the female officials of the Qianqing Palace and the Imperial Household Department." Yinreng watched with satisfaction as Yinti's expression changed drastically, then turned to Kangxi and said, "Father Emperor, I specially went to Tanzhe Temple to ask for a peace charm. It didn't take much time, but it was a token of my heartfelt wishes."
The yellow talisman was carefully taken out of Yinreng's purse.
The jealousy that Kangxi had been holding back all morning instantly turned into relief and emotion.
The Crown Prince still cares about him; he truly deserves to be the son Hesheli risked her life to give birth to.
Yinti watched helplessly as he made another mistake, and he himself jumped into the pit, unable to stop him.
With his head held high and his body stiff, Yinqi stood motionless like a pillar to the side, his eyes fixed intently on Kangxi and the stoic father and son.
He was adopted, while the crown prince was his biological son; he needed to stay calm.
Yinti silently recited the Pure Heart Sutra, but the more he recited, the more he wanted to transform into an angry Vajra, holding a hammer and smashing it into Yinreng's face.
The cunning and hypocritical crown prince—they'll never be at odds with each other.
"Baoqing, you must have been busy outside the palace these past few days, rushing back and forth. Go and keep your mother company for a while. I'll go see her later." Kangxi showed concern for Yinreng for a while, then turned around and found that his eldest son was still there.
His timely intervention revived the spirit of the lonely and forgotten Yinti.
"Thank you for your concern, Father. I will go and pay my respects to Mother right away. The roads outside are frozen, so please walk carefully, Father." Yinti said with a beaming smile.
Kangxi nodded, accepting his kind gesture.
After Yinti left, he pulled Yinreng to sit closer, and the emperor's majesty turned into fatherly affection.
"I heard that the Tong brothers, Qinian and Tong Qinian, have sent you many things these days?" Kangxi asked.
As the crown prince with his own faction, when the year-end approaches, ministers, his maternal relatives, and his wife's relatives, with whom he usually visits, will all send him New Year's gifts.
Not all of them are bribes; most are expressions of goodwill.
Of all the New Year's gifts, the ones from the Tong family were the most eye-catching.
First came a box overflowing with land deeds and house deeds, then came valuable silver notes and gold, along with several chests of finely crafted jewelry and smooth fox fur. After flaunting his wealth to make others envious, he started showering them with practical food, drinks, and entertainment.
Fresh pastries, homemade fruit wine, tender vegetable sprouts grown in the villa, and smoked wild boar meat—a generous amount of down-to-earth food.
Things can last longer in cold weather, so sending more items that are durable for storage shouldn't be a problem.
We dared not present the food to Emperor Kangxi lightly, and besides, it wasn't much better than what the imperial chefs in the palace made. It was simply the family's sentiment; the taste was secondary.
Yinreng was completely at ease: "The Tong brothers dote on their concubine like their own flesh and blood. Even if they don't eat or dress well, they still give her all their possessions. Now that they have some wealth, they give her even more. To be honest, I envy them."
What was said earlier was correct, and Kangxi found it agreeable.
Upon hearing this, Kangxi glared angrily: "What are you envious of? Do you think your food, drink, and clothing are any worse than mine? They have so many good things, but I possess the entire world, and I've given you the best of everything."
Kangxi felt wronged; he had treated Baocheng so well. He had personally accompanied Baocheng when Baocheng was vaccinated against smallpox. When Baocheng was a little older and able to learn to read, the calligraphy models he copied were written by Kangxi himself. He was hands-on in everything, and apart from the fact that he couldn't abdicate the throne for the time being, his privileges were no less than those of the emperor.
Yinreng never expected that his casual remark would cause Kangxi to fly into a rage.
The old man was in his prime; his roar shook the outside world.
He quickly tried to appease him: "I know how much Father Emperor loves his son. I'm not heartless; you see, I think of you all the time."
"You're thinking about your concubine right now," Kangxi said.
After saying that, he added, "Even Hongzhao couldn't care less."
"Father, your words have truly hurt my feelings. It is you who dotes on Hongzhao like the apple of your eye, a love I never even saw when I was a child. Now that you say this, I feel jealous." Yinreng, relying on his status as a teenager, threw a tantrum.
Nature creates all things, and each thing has its own way of overcoming another.
Emperor Kangxi was completely under Yinreng's thumb, and in the blink of an eye, it was Yinreng who had to coax his beloved son.
Liang Jiugong's heart rose and fell with the fate of this imperial father and son, and his lifespan was shortened by several years as a result.
If he comes here more often every day, he'll probably meet his maker sooner than expected.
When Kangxi and Yinreng were both smiling, Liang Jiugong came over from the tea room next door with tea.
After arguing for so long, it's time to have some tea and snacks to replenish your energy.
Yinreng took a bite of the poria cocos cake, and Liang Jiugong, who had been sitting in the wooden stake for a short while, came in from outside.
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince requests an audience," Liang Jiugong said.
Aside from attending court, Yinzhen spent most of his time in the palace, but he still saw Kangxi very rarely.
Thinking that he hadn't seen Yinzhen for quite a while, Kangxi didn't hesitate and immediately ordered Liang Jiugong to summon him into the palace.
Yinzhen entered the hall, bowed swiftly to pay his respects, and when he saw Yinreng beside him, his serious expression relaxed somewhat.
"You just recovered from a cold a few days ago, and it's especially cold today. Why did you come all the way here?" Kangxi touched Yinzhen's forehead; it felt cool.
"Liang Jiugong, pour the Fourth Prince a cup of ginger tea," Kangxi said.
Yinzhen lowered his head shyly, feeling a warm glow in his heart.
“Father, the end of the year is approaching. My fourteenth and twelfth brothers are both being cared for by Granny Su. Yesterday, my twelfth brother reunited with Consort Ding, while my fourteenth brother is still with Granny Su. I was thinking, could my fourteenth brother be allowed to spend the New Year with Consort Wuya?” Yinzhen carefully considered each word.
He had no feelings for Consort Wuya, but Yinzhen was his biological son, born of the same father and mother. The little boy had just been separated from his mother and was terrified.
Kangxi said, "You've thought things through very well; you're a child who appreciates life. But this time, I can't grant your request. Consort Wuya is different from Noble Lady Ding. Noble Lady Ding is honest and upright, and I won't stop them from being close. Consort Wuya is cunning and ruthless, and I don't want my fourteenth son to be spoiled by her. Fortunately, my fourteenth son is young and doesn't remember things yet; he'll just have to bear with it for a while."
Yinzhen hadn't considered this: "Father is right."
There were still one or two members of the Uya clan remaining in the Imperial Household Department, so Consort Uya was confined to a side hall of Yonghe Palace and could not leave the house every day. As usual, she was able to learn some well-informed news.
Knowing that Yinzhen had pleaded with Kangxi to allow Yinzhen to meet with her, she not only felt no gratitude, but also cursed Yinzhen.
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