When Yinzhi stood in front of Yinti, his face was deathly pale and his eyes were filled with panic.
His pitiful, frightened appearance was nothing like the arrogant and mischievous Third Prince in the palace.
Yinqi frowned and looked him over: "You are a prince, what can you do that I need to save you?"
The First Princess patted Yinti's hand. She had been married into the royal family for many years and had spent a long time with the young princes, including Yinzhi.
Even Yinreng, who was at odds with Yinti, praised his eldest sister-in-law, the Grand Consort.
"Third brother, you're panting. Did you run too fast? Sit down and rest, and have some water. We'll tell your eldest brother everything in detail once you've calmed down," said the First Princess Consort, kind and generous.
Yin Zhi quickly bowed to her: "Thank you, sister-in-law. I would like to talk to you about something. Please dismiss the servants outside."
When Yinzhi bent down, Yinti noticed the red mark on his neck.
Those were the ambiguous traces he left behind when he played around with his concubines in the backyard.
Suddenly, it felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him from the sky, making his head explode and his soul feel unstable.
"Madam, you should go back first. I'll come to your courtyard to see our daughter later." Yinti glared fiercely at Yinzhi, then spoke gently to the First Madam.
The eldest princess, unaware of the situation, obediently left the house to the two brothers.
As soon as the First Consort left, Yinzhi immediately lost his composure.
"Brother, Father has found out about my affair." Yin Zhi was at a loss. His maternal family was not prominent, so he could only seek refuge with the eldest prince.
Yinti remained unmoved, staring at him expressionlessly.
The Third Prince had a delicate, long face, an air of nobility that came with being raised in the royal family, and skin so smooth that he looked even more refined than a woman.
And with that scholarly air about him, even if he wasn't royalty, he would still be the kind of man many women would want to marry.
With such good qualities, it's baffling that he's so lustful he's brainless. Yinqi truly couldn't understand it.
"I know." Yinti remained silent for a long time, which frightened Yinzhi so much that his eyes began to redden again.
"Brother, do you know? Whoever leaked this information, I'll pay with my life. Brother, you don't know how tragically Little Li Jia died. She was strangled to death with a white silk ribbon." Thinking of this, Yin Zhi couldn't help but touch his own neck.
How can you expect a thirteen-year-old boy to calmly and composedly face such a situation?
"Is the only thing you're afraid of now just Li Jia's death?" Yin Ti saw right through Yin Zhi and refused to mention who had exposed the matter.
Yinzhi swallowed hard, and said nervously, "Although keeping a mistress is against the rules, Father Emperor, you would never punish me for this, would you?"
"If there was really nothing wrong, why would you have taken Li Jia's life?" Yin Ti retorted.
"Brother, no matter what, you have to save me! Mother has already been confined by Father. What will happen to her if something happens to me? Lady Li Jia has never given me any children. If this is covered up, we can pretend nothing happened," Yin Zhi said quickly.
Yinti was disgusted by his heartlessness. Just a moment ago he was crying over the tragic death of Lady Lijia, but now he wanted to completely bury the matter and pretend it never happened.
"Father Emperor ordered Li Jia's execution for two reasons. First, because your wedding was imminent, you secretly kept a mistress outside the palace. You had eight concubines and maids in your harem, not including the palace maids who served you. You chose these people yourself. Wasn't that enough to satisfy you?" Yinti questioned.
Yinzhi didn't take it to heart: "The Emperor has countless concubines in his three palaces and six courtyards. Besides those with official titles in the palace, there are also common women kept in the imperial palace. I am his son, so what's wrong with having a few more concubines?"
"With the wedding just around the corner, I shouldn't have done such a thing outside, showing Dong E the respect she deserves." At this point, Yin Zhi suddenly realized: "Brother, was it Dong E's people who reported this?"
Yinqi wanted to slap him: "If it were really someone from the Dong'e clan who saw this, do you think they would still be here now?"
Thinking to himself that he wasn't afraid of Lady Dong'e, Yin Zhi breathed a sigh of relief: "If Lady Dong'e didn't know about this, why can't we pretend it never happened?"
"Let me finish. What I just said was only one reason. The second reason is that you used the Crown Prince's name to have an affair with Lady Li in the palace." Yinqi revealed the real reason for Kangxi's anger.
If anything were to affect the Crown Prince's reputation, Emperor Kangxi would rather kill a thousand innocent people than allow the Crown Prince's reputation to be damaged in the slightest.
Yin Zhi lowered his head hesitantly, no longer arguing and defending himself with arrogance.
"Brother, what do you think Father will do to me?" Yin Zhi was truly afraid.
"Now come with me to the palace to apologize to Father Emperor," Yinti said.
Yinzhi was dragged to the palace by Yinti without any resistance, and Kangxi, who had received the news, was already waiting for them.
When Yinzhi saw the stern-faced Emperor Kangxi, his legs went weak and he shamelessly knelt down.
Yinqi stepped aside to avoid suspicion: "Father, I brought my third brother with me. He is young and ignorant, but fortunately he knows he was wrong."
"Yes, Father Emperor, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have gone to see Lady Li Jia again, and I will never dare to do it again." Yin Zhi admitted his mistake quickly and without any hesitation.
His eyes were red and swollen, like those of a harmless rabbit.
Under Yin Zhi's expectant gaze, Kangxi shook his head: "You are my son, a prince of the Qing Dynasty, and you should have the ability to protect the people and govern the Qing Dynasty. Even though the Crown Prince is the future master of the Qing Dynasty, you are his brothers, his arms, and you are meant to share his burdens."
Yinti's once bright and energetic eyes dimmed.
The Crown Prince is truly omnipresent!
"I know, I will definitely reform myself and do things properly from now on." Yin Zhi dared not say a word of dissent.
He was most afraid that Emperor Kangxi would order him to be killed, or that the unfavored Consort Rong would be implicated.
Seeing that Kangxi was calm, his body, which had been trembling like a sieve, finally stopped shaking.
"You said those words two months ago. Perhaps Lady Ma Jia didn't teach you well and spoiled you too much. You should follow Yinti for a month, go out with him every day, and temper your character. A man of the Aisin Gioro clan should not lack responsibility and only know how to be lustful." Kangxi had high hopes for each of his sons.
Yin Zhi is still young, and he is willing to give him time and opportunities to grow.
Yinti panicked. Although the eldest brother is like a father, it doesn't mean he's willing to be a father or mother to his disobedient younger brother.
Moreover, Yinzhi was not a biological brother. Why would he waste his time trying to win over court officials instead of using that time to do so?
Unable to dismount from his horse, Yinqi felt a bitter taste in his mouth but couldn't refuse.
He looked expectantly at Yinzhi, hoping he would continue to be stubborn, and refused Kangxi's words.
"Your son will obey Father Emperor's command."
Unfortunately, Yin Zhi agreed without any backbone and offered no resistance.
With despair in his eyes, Yinti struggled to say, "Father, my third brother is exceptionally talented in literature and skilled in civil administration. It would be better for him to follow the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince's talent is well-known, and all the civil officials in the court admire him. This would be better for my third brother."
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