Among those Consort Yi mentioned who were stopped was Consort Rong.
I don't know what Consort Rong was thinking, coming alone without bringing Yinzhi with her.
Even seven-year-olds like Yinzhen and Yin'e knew to get up early, but he, a grown man, refused.
The reason is simple: because Yinreng was alive.
Having been suppressed by Yinreng's power countless times, Yinzhi avoided him whenever possible, unwilling to get even a little close. He couldn't afford to offend him, so couldn't he at least avoid him?
Consort Rong had no choice but to let him have his way, since the Empress Dowager hadn't forced the grandchildren to go through with it.
As a result of this, the Empress Dowager had someone tell her: "I appreciate your kindness, but you don't need to come in."
Consort Rong stood there dumbfounded in front of the Ning Shou Palace.
Having served two emperors, it's normal for an empress dowager to act capriciously at times.
When Emperor Kangxi learned of this, he said nothing and tacitly approved of the Empress Dowager's actions.
The Consort Rong, feeling aggrieved, had a headache from the cold wind.
"Yinzhi, go and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager this afternoon." Consort Rong went directly to the Princes' Residence after returning from Ning Shou Palace.
She looked at her son, who was surrounded by beautiful maids, and her hands trembled with anger.
Although Yin Zhi was otherwise a scoundrel, he did have a fair share of filial piety.
“Mother, please sit down and talk. My mother has always been indifferent to me, so it doesn’t matter whether I go or not. Besides, didn’t I just toast her and give her a blessing yesterday? It’s so cold, I don’t want to go out.” Yinzhi said, holding a hand warmer and wrapped in a cloak.
Unlike Consort Rong's palace, the prince's palace did not have a floor heating system, and even the rations of silver charcoal were fixed. If he wanted more silver charcoal, he had to bribe his way into buying it.
Consort Rong gritted her teeth, feeling both heartache and hatred for him: "You ignorant fool! What did your mother go to Ning Shou Palace so early in the morning for? Wasn't it to let the Empress Dowager know that we are filial to her, so that she could say a few good words about you in front of the Emperor? Next year you will be getting married and will have to take on the responsibility of supporting your wife and raising your children. What kind of behavior is it to be buried in books all day and not doing anything productive?"
“As a prince, I receive a monthly stipend from the palace and will not starve. Unlike my elder brother and the crown prince, I do not have the ambition to cultivate relationships with officials and spend money everywhere. What I have accumulated is enough for me to live on,” Yinzhi said.
Consort Rong sneered: "You've enough to support yourself, but what about the concubines in your courtyard? The money for their food, drink, and clothing comes from me. Right now, the Imperial Household Department is assigning you servants, but once you leave the palace and establish your own residence, you'll have to support those servants yourself."
“Mother, I understand what you’re saying. It’s not that I haven’t tried to improve myself, but every time I did, I always offended the Crown Prince and Father Emperor. Now I just stay in the backyard and don’t go out, only going to court when it’s time, and that’s how I’ve avoided being scolded. Father Emperor used to praise me for being proficient in Chinese, saying I might become a great literary figure. Now, all the nice words are used to describe Yinzhen and Yinqi.” Yinzhi was full of grievances.
Consort Rong took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to slap him across the face.
"Was it the Emperor and the Crown Prince deliberately making things difficult for you? Don't you think about what you've done? The Crown Prince is your elder brother, and you should respect him. Even as your mother, I can't stand the foolish things you've done. Your father has given you opportunities; just look at the wife he arranged for you—her family is excellent, which shows he cares for you," Consort Rong said.
Yin Zhi lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then waved to the timid and quiet concubine beside him, saying, "You may leave."
The concubine obediently bowed to Consort Rong and Yin Zhi, and quietly withdrew.
Consort Rong sighed: "Look, even your concubines know that if you're of lower status, you have to be good at reading people's faces. The Crown Prince has been taught by the Emperor to be broad-minded since childhood. If you hadn't repeatedly offended him, how would he have remembered you? Every single thing you did last year was a disgrace to the Crown Prince. Even if he were willing to let it go, the Emperor wouldn't."
"But they are all Father Emperor's sons!" Yin Zhi finally revealed the reason why he later acted recklessly.
There's no other reason than a lack of love.
“The Crown Prince’s mother was the Emperor’s first wife, while I was only a concubine when I entered the palace. Based on this alone, you should accept your fate,” Consort Rong said.
“Mother, wasn’t it also a mistake for you to send Consort Dong’e to test Consort Tong last time?” Yin Zhi stubbornly refused to admit his mistake.
“I was wrong. I underestimated the Emperor’s favor towards Lady Tongjia and the Crown Prince’s regard for Consort Tong. Alright, I’ve made myself clear. If you still want to go against the Emperor’s wishes, your mother won’t stop you. After all, you are my child. If you make a mistake, it’s because I taught you wrong, and we will share the responsibility. But your mother hopes that you can walk a good path. Even if you can’t get the title of Prince of the First Rank, you must at least hold onto the title of Prince of the Second Rank.”
“Your father is still young and vigorous, and he already has fourteen princes in the harem, not to mention many more in a few years. If you only think that you are the emperor’s own son and that you will not be mistreated in the future, then you are making a huge mistake. You may live a good life, but your children may not. You will be truly resentful then.”
A rare moment of candor from his confidant; Yin Zhi lowered his head, tears streaming down his face.
"Mother, I will pay my respects to the Empress Dowager this afternoon. I will never let you suffer again." Yin Zhi cried, tears and snot streaming down his face.
Consort Rong hugged him with relief: "Your mother knows that you are the purest and kindest person. It's just that there are too many scheming and intrigues in the palace, which inevitably changes your nature."
Consort Rong thought she had corrected Yin Zhi's ways, but she forgot that most of the mistakes Yin Zhi made were related to women.
Having witnessed countless women come and go in Kangxi's harem, she didn't find Yinzhi's fondness for women a concern. It was simply a matter of spending more money to support them; as long as it made her son happy, that was enough.
Yinzhi and Consort Rong thought the same thing; in this respect, they were truly mother and son.
Yin Zhi kept his word and went to Ning Shou Palace in the afternoon.
The Empress Dowager could prevent Emperor Kangxi's concubines from seeing him, but the imperial descendants could not be kept outside.
Yin Zhi's bookish appearance, combined with the refined air of a well-read Confucian scholar, made him quite elegant and pleasing to the eye.
The Empress Dowager smiled kindly, but anyone with discerning eyes could see that there was no real affection in her eyes.
They're just ordinary descendants; their feelings for each other are just that simple.
"It's Yinzhi. Let me see, he's grown taller and is a real man now. In a few months, he'll be getting married. This year I'm giving you New Year's money, and next year it'll be for your children," the Empress Dowager said kindly.
Yin Zhi scratched his head shyly: "Father, no matter how much I grow up, I'm still a child in front of you."
“Yinzhi is right. Even I am a child in front of Your Majesty the Empress Dowager,” Kangxi said, stepping forward.
When Emperor Kangxi stepped forward to join in the fun, the estrangement in the Empress Dowager's eyes instantly vanished.
"Your Majesty, please don't join in the fun. If you ask me, the only ones in Ning Shou Palace who can truly be called children are those four over there."
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