Mei Wending was of a tranquil nature. After passing the imperial examination and entering the court as an official, he did not become engrossed in the power struggles of officialdom.
He came from a respectable family, a Han Chinese from a scholarly family. Since he was focused on learning, especially in fields like astronomy and mathematics that had little to do with politics, no one wanted to win him over.
Because of this, although he did not live a life of luxury, he found great freedom in books, which earned him special favor from Emperor Kangxi. This can be considered an unconventional form of favored minister.
Emperor Kangxi invited his ministers to dine in the palace. Perhaps in high spirits, he summoned Yinzhen and Yin'e as well.
As his first few sons grew up, Emperor Kangxi began to look down on the seventh and eighth sons. The eleventh and twelfth sons were still too young, while the ninth and tenth sons, who were in the middle, were just right.
Unfortunately, neither Yinzhen nor Yin'e were fond of reading.
In particular, when Yin'e heard that Kangxi had criticized him for his excessive behavior, he immediately lay down on the ground and pretended to be sick with a headache.
He didn't mind that the floor tiles in the main hall were dirty, even though they had been wiped clean by the palace maids and there wasn't much dust.
The Imperial Concubine and Consort Yi were together, laughing as they watched the two boys lying on the ground, one in a daze and the other in a daze, as if they were amused.
"Mother, I don't want to go. Ninth Brother, why don't you go? You're so smart, you're sure you won't be afraid." At this crucial moment, Yin'e showed no brotherly love.
Yinzhen looked to Consort Yi for help, but Consort Yi only covered her mouth and chuckled, showing no sign of refusing on his behalf.
He arrogantly raised his chin: "I know everything, I'm not afraid of anything. Tenth Brother, don't be a coward. Aren't we brothers? Let's go see Father Emperor together. It's been a long time since I've seen Father Emperor, as his son, I should pay my respects more often."
Yin Tang encouraged himself, resolutely refusing to admit that he had any intention of backing down.
He was a prince of the Qing Dynasty, such a proud person, how could he be afraid of mathematics?
With the expressions of praise and support from Consort Gui and Consort Yi, Yinzhen insisted on dragging Yin'e to see Emperor Kangxi.
One of her two sons was fair-skinned and handsome, with features as striking as the Sudhana, the attendant of Guanyin; the other was chubby-faced and adorable.
Emperor Kangxi, who was overjoyed by the ministers' effusive praise, was visibly delighted to see his beloved youngest sons.
Yinzhen winked at Yin'e, as if to say, "Look how clever I am. Father is in such a good mood, he'll definitely reward us."
They only had one father, but Emperor Kangxi had more than a dozen children.
Apart from a few officials who went to court and could see Emperor Kangxi every day, the lower-ranking officials could only see him a few times a month.
When Yin'e met Kangxi, he became bolder.
Since we're already here, we might as well grit our teeth and keep going.
Even if things go wrong, there's still Ninth Brother to protect us; if Father Emperor wants to punish us, we'll all be punished together.
"These are my Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince," Kangxi proudly introduced to his ministers.
The ministers, being sensible, offered another round of praise, demonstrating the harmonious relationship between the ruler and his ministers; the atmosphere was truly wonderful.
Fathers love to show off their children to their friends, and Emperor Kangxi, despite being an emperor, was no exception.
"My ninth and tenth princes are quite talented. You ministers are free to discuss this with them." Kangxi was essentially asking his ministers to test them.
The tests during the New Year should not be too harsh; everything is to make Kangxi happy.
The ministers, who were not rigid and knew how to adapt, considered the age of Yinzhen and Yin'e and asked questions that the two of them could answer.
Even if there were some hiccups, the ministers would patiently guide and enlighten them, and the question and answer would quickly pick up again.
The questions and answers were fluent and smooth, which made Yin'e arrogant and believe that he was a man of great literary talent.
Yinzhen was more clear-headed than him. He secretly patted the back of his hand, telling him not to grin like an idiot and embarrass his father.
Yin'e may not be good at anything else, but he excels at listening to Yin Tang. He knew from a young age that following his Ninth Brother would bring him benefits, and that his Ninth Brother would never cheat him, so he listened to his Ninth Brother in everything.
Kangxi saw through Yin'e and Yin'tang's little tricks perfectly.
Having boasted about having a worthy successor, Kangxi was satisfied and released his two youngest sons back home.
He suddenly called the person over, and since his son hadn't embarrassed him, he was sure to reward him handsomely.
Not only that, but the Consort and Consort Yi both received several bolts of new fabric and jewelry because of their merits in raising their sons.
Especially those fabrics, which were specially presented as tribute by the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau, were worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.
Consort Yi and Consort Gui had been eyeing them for a long time, but Emperor Kangxi hadn't given them to anyone before, leaving them to gather dust in the storeroom, so they couldn't very well ask for them.
This time, her wish came true. Not only could she have beautiful new clothes made, but she could also show off the emperor's favor to the other concubines. It was truly a win-win situation.
Yinzhen and Yin'e returned to Consort Yi's Yikun Palace, making a ruckus and demanding food.
Both brothers love sweets, and their mother usually has to keep an eye on them. But today they're in a good mood, and it's the New Year, so I'll let them have a few more pieces to satisfy their cravings.
When Yinzhi, who was accompanying Consort Hui in Zhongcui Palace with Consort Liang, learned of this, his expression changed immediately.
He was still young, and even though he had cultivated a humble and low-key persona since childhood, he couldn't hold back at this moment due to the difference in age between his brothers.
He felt jealous, inferior, and resentful.
He was two years older than Yinzhen and Yin'e. They often played together these past few years, but the Emperor always praised them and rarely showed him any kindness.
He knew why; it was because his mother was from the Xin Zhe Ku (a type of official household), yet she was exceptionally beautiful.
His father, the Emperor, did not want people to say that he was a lustful emperor, so even though he favored his mother, he was unwilling to reward her as generously as he had for Consort De in the past.
They were both born into the palace as servants. Could it be that Consort Wuya's status was much higher than her mother's?
It's because Consort Wuya was gentle and considerate back then, not because she relied on her beauty to rise to power.
Having listened to many things since childhood, Yinzhi was very thoughtful. He paid too much attention to the affairs of the harem, which made him somewhat petty.
Consort Hui and Noble Lady Liang were talking and did not notice the change in Yinzhi's reaction.
By the time he remembered to consider Yinzhi's feelings, he had already adjusted his expression and was still the generous and peaceful Eighth Prince.
Consort Hui was able to raise a son like Yinti, which shows that she was not a petty person.
Since Yinzhi acted as if nothing was wrong, she didn't take it seriously.
At worst, she could give Yinzhi some gifts to comfort him.
During the Lunar New Year, it is only right for a mother to give gifts to her adopted son.
After receiving the reward from Emperor Kangxi, Yinzhi and Yin'e did not come to see Yinzhi.
The three of them have grown distant since last year without realizing it.
On the contrary, it was because Hongzhao and Tana were so cute and not spoiled that they loved to go to Yuqing Palace.
Consort Yi and Consort Gui were pleased with this and strongly supported their growing closeness with the Crown Prince.
My son is too stupid; he'll never try to seize the throne. It's better for him to cling to the crown prince from a young age, so he can grow up to be a carefree prince and live a comfortable life.
Yinreng loved it when his younger brothers came to visit. Although he sometimes complained, he always made sure to treat them well. He prepared plenty of food and entertainment for them, showing himself to be a loving older brother.
Whenever Tong Wanyan teased him about his hypocrisy, he would stubbornly reply, "My younger brother isn't as smart as me. He's so stupid that I can only try to go along with him. It's out of sympathy, not affection."
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