Outside, Yinreng looked up at the moon, his figure as slender as a pine tree, his back view resembling that of an immortal.
Except for that shiny forehead.
Yinzhen tiptoed out of Tana's room: "Second Brother, have you and Second Sister-in-law finished your dinner?"
"You've already coaxed that little devil Tana to sleep, dinner should have been finished long ago." Yinreng knew how troublesome his daughter was.
Yinzhen remained silent, only looking at Yinreng with a questioning gaze.
What Yinreng and Tong Wanyan were having was hardly a dinner; it was clearly a sweet flirting session.
How can feeding someone one bite at a time compare to the speed at which a normal person eats?
Yinzhen's gaze was so direct that Yinreng remained completely unfazed. He tried to project a deep and serious elder brother's aura, but it was of no use in front of Yinzhen.
Perhaps it was Yinzhen's nature to be like this; he had very little of the liveliness typical of a young boy. Sometimes even Emperor Kangxi would overlook his son's age and treat him as an adult prince.
Ignoring Yinzhen's gaze, Yinreng said, "In another six months, you will marry a princess from the family of Grand Minister Feiyanggu. According to the old custom, one should have a concubine and a secondary consort before marrying the primary consort. Other princes have their birth mothers and adoptive mothers given to them, but you and I are both motherless. And after the incident with the criminal Tong Wanle, Father Emperor dares not arbitrarily assign someone to you."
Under Yinzhen's shy yet feigned composure, Yinreng got to the point with satisfaction: "Your Majesty asked me to ask you if there are any girls you've taken a fancy to, whether they are palace maids or young ladies from noble families or modest households. As long as they are not of too high status or of questionable birth, Your Majesty will make the decision for you."
Once the words were made clear, Yinzhen couldn't pretend he didn't understand.
His cheeks were flushed red, and his thin little body looked pitiful in the cold wind.
"Second Brother, you know me. I've never thought about that. Why don't you choose for me?" Yinzhen didn't intend to have only one person in the inner quarters and nothing else.
Unlike Yinreng, he was indifferent to women.
“You and Yinzhi are averse to women, one of you is too fond of them. If you could balance each other out, it would save you both trouble,” Yinreng said.
Yinzhen followed closely behind him, and upon hearing this, he pursed his lips: "I have no desire to be at odds with Yinzhi. Second brother, you are more knowledgeable, why don't you pick out two good ones for your younger brother? As long as they are decent-looking and don't cause trouble, that's fine."
Yinzhen's demands were neither low nor high.
"I'd rather you say you want someone beautiful than someone who doesn't cause trouble." Yinreng had a terrible headache; he really shouldn't have accepted this task assigned to him by his imperial father.
Yinzhen smiled shyly: "At least you should know your place and not cause trouble all the time. If everyone is like Tong Wanle, causing trouble in my backyard every day, I'm afraid I'll have to become a monk."
“No way! If you become a monk, Father Emperor will beat me. I’ve raised you as both a younger brother and a son, and I absolutely cannot let you go astray,” Yinreng said.
Yinzhen pursed his lips. On such a good day, he decided it was best not to argue with his second brother, the Crown Prince, about gaining an advantage verbally.
Yinreng didn't notice the issue of seniority he mentioned; he patted Yinzhen on the shoulder to reassure him.
"Fourth brother, don't worry. Someone like Tong Wanle is truly rare. Alright, tomorrow I'll have your second sister-in-law and the Imperial Concubine speak to them and have them pick out some people for you. Then Father and I will choose a few more from among them. I originally thought of asking the Empress Dowager to bestow them upon them, but I thought that would elevate their status, so I'll leave it at that," Yinreng said.
"Second Brother's consideration is very insightful. Isn't there a general election in September? Will anyone be coming to the palace, Second Brother?" Yinzhen asked curiously.
"You want to watch the show? Forget it. Even if someone enters my Yuqing Palace, they will be people who follow the rules." Yinreng glanced at Yinzhen and said.
Yinzhen lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought, and said in a somewhat dejected tone, "Second Sister-in-law will be sad, won't she?"
Yinreng was taken aback; he hadn't expected Yinzhen to think so much. However, it was a good thing, a testament to Tong Wanyan's usual care for him.
"When you added someone to your household, didn't you think about how your future wife would be heartbroken?" Yinreng teased deliberately.
Yinzhen shook his head: "She is different from Second Sister-in-law. No, it should be said that Second Sister-in-law is different from everyone else. I can tell that Second Sister-in-law likes Second Brother, not the Crown Prince."
Yinreng paused for a moment, then revealed a smug smile: "Your eyes see quite clearly. Yes, it's my good fortune to have someone like your second sister-in-law. So, do you understand what 'well-behaved person' means?"
Those who are kept in the backyard to put on airs and eat for free, who cannot cause trouble or silence the officials.
"Then I can rest assured, brother. Second brother, I'm leaving my harem to you and Father. It's late, you should go and keep my sister-in-law company. I can walk by myself." Yinzhen waved his hand and ran away with quickened steps.
Yinreng watched his retreating figure and shook his head indulgently.
Who would have thought that his unexpected soft-heartedness would actually lead him to pick up a younger brother he couldn't ignore?
His mother couldn't leave him a brother he could rely on and trust, so he raised one himself.
Yinzhen ran very fast with his personal eunuch, and several people from Yuqing Palace followed to escort him.
When De Shun returned and reported to Yin Zhen that he had returned to the prince's residence, Yin Reng had just taken a bath and was warming himself up.
Knowing that Yinzhen had returned safely, Yinreng was able to rest with peace of mind.
He crawled naked into Tong Wanyan's bed, embraced his beloved, and recounted his conversation with Yinzhen in detail.
"Fourth Prince has such a pure heart." Tong Wanyan said with emotion after hearing this, "Fourth Prince not only remembers the kindness of the Emperor, but also remembers how I did my best to treat the Imperial Noble Consort. In the end, the reason why I am so respected in the harem is not only because of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager's love, but also because of the respect of my fourth brother."
“There’s a saying that you reap what you sow. My little Yan planted a seed of kindness, so naturally she received kindness in return. In the end, it’s all because of my little Yan’s good character that she deserves this.” Yinreng said sweetly, “I am also blessed to have such a thoughtful and loyal younger brother as my fourth brother.”
Tong Wanyan wrapped her arms around his waist; his muscles felt firm and she didn't want to let go once she touched them.
"My Crown Prince is the best person in the world," Tong Wanyan said sweetly, trying to make Yinreng happy.
Yinreng was overjoyed, and his words were as sweet as honey: "Therefore, I have the best woman in the world!"
After saying that, he kissed Tong Wanyan hard on the cheek.
Tong Wanyan liked this sticky, affectionate way of being. She turned over and showed her other cheek: "Yes, yes. Master, I want this side too."
Her charming and adorable appearance is especially endearing.
Yinreng suppressed a laugh and, as she wished, kissed her again: "Sleep, sleep, my little darling."
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