After arranging his own concubine, Yinzhen went to see Emperor Kangxi and asked him when he could marry his concubine.
Yinzhi's wedding date has been set for March of next year. He is not much younger than Yinzhi, so the wedding date can be put on the agenda.
Unfortunately, Yinqi was reporting military and political matters to Kangxi at the time.
Since there was no need to avoid suspicion among brothers, Kangxi naturally did not ask Yinti to step down.
Yinzhen asked anxiously, but before Kangxi could give him an answer, Yinti burst into laughter.
"Fourth brother, you're already thinking about getting married before you've even grown your hair out? With your physique, you won't be able to do anything even if you get married now!" Yinti patted Yinzhen on the shoulder and said with a hearty laugh.
Emperor Kangxi watched the spectacle with amusement, not stopping his eldest son from bullying his younger son.
Yinzhen glared at him angrily: "The saying goes, 'Manage your family, govern your country, and bring peace to the world.' How can you share your father's burdens if you don't get married? Marrying a wife is a major life event. The sooner the better."
"Does Fourth Brother mean that once you marry a Fujin (wife), you can wholeheartedly serve Father Emperor?" Yinti asked with a smile.
Yinzhen nodded matter-of-factly: "Otherwise what? From now on, the Fujin will manage the affairs of the inner palace, and I can serve Father Emperor with a carefree attitude. That would be perfect."
“But, Fourth Brother’s previous concubine caused quite a mess.” Seeing that Yinzhen’s words were a bit harsh, Yinti lost his temper.
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen fell silent.
Both sons were his darlings. When Kangxi looked at Yinti's arrogant expression and then saw Yinzhen's lowered eyes, his heart instantly turned away.
"Baoqing! Are you questioning my decision?" Kangxi said coldly.
Suddenly reprimanded, Yinti, whose head was in a daze, immediately sobered up.
He forgot that the wives of the princes were all personally selected by Emperor Kangxi.
"Father, that's not what I meant. It's just that I think Fourth Brother is still young, and it's not appropriate for him to become infatuated with beautiful women too early." Yinti still refused to budge.
How could he lose face in front of his younger brother, especially one who was on good terms with the Crown Prince?
Enraged, Kangxi threw his memorial to the ground: "Yinti!"
He stopped even calling him by his childhood nickname, which shows that Kangxi was truly furious.
Yinzhen said in a low, pitiful voice, "Father, my eldest brother may have misunderstood me. Perhaps it's because my third brother often leaves the palace that my eldest brother thinks I have the same personality as him."
"Yinzhi has been leaving the palace frequently lately?" Kangxi frowned.
Yinti had a bad feeling. He looked at Yinzhen with a gloomy expression. He had really underestimated his younger brother.
As expected, she is close to the Crown Prince, and just as cunning as him, and also petty and vengeful.
Yinzhen pretended not to know and answered Kangxi frankly, "Yes, I even bumped into Third Brother when I left the palace last time. However, Third Brother ran away so fast when he saw me that I almost thought I had mistaken him for someone else."
What kind of situation would make someone run away so easily upon seeing their own brother?
He must have done something wrong, he must have a guilty conscience!
Facing the longing looks in his two sons' eyes, Kangxi felt utterly exhausted: "The Imperial Astronomical Bureau has chosen an auspicious day for next September. The girl from Ulanara's family is still young; you'll have to wait."
"I will follow Father's arrangements! However, with two princes' weddings taking place in half a year, can the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Rites handle it well? My son's residence hasn't even been chosen yet!" Yinzhen said bluntly.
Emperor Kangxi felt a chill run down his spine: "You've all come to collect debts. Put your minds at ease, I've already shown you the place, you won't be treated unfairly."
Seeing that Yinzhen was doing well, Yinti also wanted to get involved.
Kangxi quickly replied, "Is there anything else? If not, go and study. Even if you're on official business, don't neglect your books."
A triumphant smile spread across Yinzhen's youthful, cold face: "Father, you've worked hard. I'll take my leave now. Father, once I marry my wife, I'll be able to share more of your burdens. At that time, please feel free to order me around; I won't be afraid of getting tired."
Yinzhen had already said all the nice things, so Yinti could only awkwardly reply, "Father, please take care of yourself. Your son is willing to share your burdens."
"I have a crown prince," Kangxi said mercilessly, cutting to the heart.
Yinti staggered out, while Yinzhen stood outside the door, giving him a provocative smirk.
He disliked anyone who treated his second brother, the Crown Prince, badly.
Yinti sneered: "Fourth brother, you have quite the eloquence. You tricked your third brother with just one sentence."
“Brother, you’re wrong. I’m just telling the truth. If you, Third Brother, are upright, no one can smear you. But conversely, you should always take responsibility for your own actions, shouldn’t you?” Yinzhen said sharply.
Yinqi was skilled in martial arts, but he could never learn this kind of verbal skill.
But Emperor Kangxi was right behind him. If he were to beat up Yinzhen in front of the Qianqing Palace, he would definitely not fare well.
Swallowing his anger, Yinti said, "I will pass this on to your third brother."
"Whatever you wish for, elder brother," Yinzhen said, completely unconcerned.
The two brothers almost came to blows after a disagreement.
To avoid bloodshed in the Qing Palace, the two turned and walked away from each other to avoid causing a fire.
Emperor Kangxi sat in the hall and beckoned to the people hidden in the shadows.
"Go and find out what the Third Prince has been doing outside the palace recently," Kangxi said.
Emperor Kangxi was not afraid of his sons having some temper. As members of the imperial family, apart from the crown prince who needed to be perfect, his other sons only needed to not embarrass him.
The thing that Yinzhen might single out to talk about is probably that Yinzhi really did something that made him lose face.
Emperor Kangxi waited anxiously for the investigation report from the secret guards. That night, he slept alone in the Qianqing Palace, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Both Yinti and Yinzhi grew up outside the palace, so how could they be so different?
Unable to find the cause, Emperor Kangxi eventually secretly blamed Consort Rong.
He was so outstanding, a wise emperor. If his son was not good, it must be because the person who conceived him was not good enough.
Yinzhi was unaware that he had made a name for himself before Emperor Kangxi. He had been enjoying himself immensely these past few days, completely captivated by Lady Lijia.
Consort Rong did send him palace maids to teach him about human affairs, but the proper conduct in the palace was nowhere near as exciting as the crooked ways outside.
Since Lady Li Jia is unlikely to enter the inner chambers, he doesn't need to maintain his princely status in front of her and can do whatever he wants.
The next day, Kangxi was so angry that his beard stood on end as he looked through the memorials that had somehow appeared on his desk.
The words on the memorial were very simple: The Third Prince has been keeping a mistress, Lady Li, for more than half a month, and they have already secretly begun to have intimate relations.
Emperor Kangxi stared intently at the memorial for a long time, his eyes gradually turning bloodshot.
"You unfilial son!" Kangxi said through gritted teeth.
It was a day off, and Yinreng slept until late morning, a rare occurrence. When he woke up, the person next to him was already sitting in front of the dressing mirror applying makeup.
He was wearing his undergarments, his money rat whip casually woven, and he sat on the edge of the bed, quietly watching Tong Wanyan.
After a while, he got up and walked barefoot to Tong Wanyan's side.
"My wife, shall I draw your eyebrows for you?" Yinreng said gently.
The morning sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the window, making his face look exceptionally handsome.
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