Shi Xiuzhu never imagined that Yinreng would react so differently after seeing the letter left by Yinti.
After reading the letter handed to him by Liang Jiugong several times, Yinreng looked solemnly at Kangxi.
His expression was so serious that Kangxi, sitting behind the table, had a sudden, uneasy feeling.
"Baocheng..." Kangxi called out affectionately.
Yinreng pursed his lips and said seriously, "Father, my elder brother is really not being fair. How could he forget his son when it came to escorting the Red Cannons to Fuzhou to quell the bandits there?"
Emperor Kangxi's loving fatherly heart shattered. He thought about it and realized that the sensible Hongzhao was still the best. The Crown Prince grew up to be increasingly troublesome, losing all of his childhood innocence and cuteness.
"Baocheng..." Kangxi wanted to correct Yinreng's misguided thoughts.
Yinreng remained unmoved, and said excitedly, "Father, I'm riding out of the palace now. Will I be able to catch up with my elder brother?"
He looked sincerely at Kangxi, his proud and aloof phoenix eyes filled with expectation.
Emperor Kangxi, speechless, snatched the letter from Yinreng's hand: "I asked you to find a way to bring Baoqing back, not to send you and him together."
Yinreng looked at Kangxi innocently, his handsome face instantly suppressing the anger in Kangxi's heart.
Kangxi silently thought to himself, "This is my Baocheng, my precious son whom I have doted on for more than ten years. I cannot do something like hitting him on the head with a memorial."
"I want to send someone to secretly persuade Baoqing to come back. Who do you recommend?" Kangxi asked calmly.
Yinreng's lips curled up slightly. He looked innocent and obedient on the outside, but he was full of wicked schemes on the inside.
"Father, there are many trustworthy ministers in the court who are discreet, and there are even a few who can beat my elder brother. However, there is only one who dares to do this without fear that my elder brother might retaliate later," Yinreng said, looking at Kangxi.
Kangxi sighed. He knew who Yinreng was talking about: "Tong Ruita can bring Baoqing back for me, but the journey to Fuzhou cannot be delayed. He is the most important person on this trip. No one else can control those bandit-like soldiers in Fuzhou."
Although he knew that Yinti dared to sneak away overnight and would definitely not return to the capital halfway, Kangxi always held a glimmer of hope for his son.
"How about replacing him with Shi Wenbing?" Kangxi trusted Shi Wenbing very much.
If he didn't trust her, he wouldn't have let his daughter become the Crown Princess.
Yinreng shook his head, touched his nose with his finger, and said apologetically, "My son and elder brother have never gotten along. He's probably going back to Fuzhou to get away from me for a while. It just so happens that elder brother is good at martial arts and swimming, so he must want to make something of himself and make Father Emperor happy. Lord Shi is the Crown Princess's father, so in elder brother's eyes he's one of my men. If Father Emperor sends him away, I'm afraid even if elder brother comes back, he'll still feel bad."
Kangxi remained silent: "Baoqing has such a stubborn temper, Baocheng, you should be more tolerant of him in the future. He's straightforward and says what he thinks, which is better than someone who's full of hidden thoughts."
“I understand. In ordinary families, brothers also compete for their parents’ favor. It’s just that in the royal family, it’s easy to be misunderstood. I have received the most favor from Father Emperor since I was a child. I grew up in the Qianqing Palace from birth, and Father Emperor personally taught me my studies and the way of being a ruler. Compared to my other brothers and sisters, I have received far more favor from Father Emperor,” Yinreng said with emotion.
When the topic of Yinreng's childhood came up, Emperor Kangxi was filled with emotion.
When it came time to establish a crown prince, Emperor Kangxi faced a very difficult situation in the court. While the support of his legitimate son, the legitimate heir, and Empress Heseri played a role, the pressure from both within and outside the court was undeniably a major contributing factor.
It can be said that establishing the newborn Yinreng as crown prince at that time greatly stabilized Kangxi's throne.
"Let Baoqing go if he wants. He doesn't have many affairs to attend to anyway, and it's good for him to gain some experience in Fuzhou," Kangxi said.
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