"Father, don't you find it amusing that my elder brother is doing this?" Yinreng said with a sly smile.
Emperor Kangxi and he were indeed father and son; they shared the same perverse sense of humor at times.
"It's quite interesting," Kangxi agreed.
Yinti left in a hurry, fearing that Kangxi would praise Yinreng excessively.
As one of the princes whom Emperor Kangxi relied on, Yinti did have this political acumen.
Emperor Kangxi was increasingly satisfied with Yinreng: "The things you presented are very good."
"Father's teachings are excellent. The specific matters were handled by the capable ministers Father sent to me; it was not my achievement alone," Yinreng said, not taking credit.
"You are the Crown Prince. If you were to do everything yourself, what would be the point of the court having ministers? Knowing people well and using them wisely, and trusting those you employ, is what I am most satisfied with. If it weren't for your constant oversight, how could such beneficial projects as water conservancy and land reclamation have been completed so quickly?" Kangxi did not want Yinreng to refuse credit.
In high spirits, Emperor Kangxi said generously, "Baocheng, you have rendered such a great service, is there anything you wish for?"
Yinreng was very interested: "I want to take my concubine out of the palace for a stroll. She has always had a craving for food and loves to experiment with it. There are many old restaurants in the capital that only serve food that can be eaten in, not taken out. Since we don't have anything to do right now, it would be good to take her out for a walk to relax."
Kangxi suppressed a laugh, his teasing expression—wanting to laugh but holding it back—made Yinreng uneasy.
"Father, I have never favored a concubine over my wife. The Crown Princess has traveled all over the country with Lord Shi since she was a child, and she has seen a lot. The concubine is different, as you know," Yinreng said with a bitter face, feigning pitifulness.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't tell you to treat Yuanbao'er badly. With your uncle's temper, if he knew our family had bullied his daughter, he would have run to the palace and made a scene, crying and begging. I think you are doing very well now. Yuanbao'er has never done anything wrong. You are not allowed to have any wild thoughts and belittle her." Kangxi hurriedly reprimanded Yinreng.
Judging from this situation, someone who didn't know better would think that Yinreng was the imperial son-in-law and Tong Wanyan was his biological daughter.
It's no wonder that Kangxi panicked. He claimed he was using Tong Guogang as a shield, but in reality, he was afraid of Heaven.
A few days ago, Emperor Kangxi was nearly killed by malaria. At that time, he thought, "It's over, God is giving me a warning."
Otherwise, how could he have contracted malaria so soon after the Crown Princess entered Yuqing Palace?
He was an emperor, and not even a mosquito could fly into the Qianqing Palace on ordinary days. How could he have contracted malaria, which is transmitted by mosquito bites?
Emperor Kangxi was panicked; he was genuinely afraid that the old monk at Tanzhe Temple would predict Tong Wanyan's fate.
Having faced several brushes with death, Emperor Kangxi had resigned himself to his fate.
Just because his little cousin is blessed by heaven doesn't mean he should depose his precious prince as well.
She's not some cursed star destined to be wiped out. She clearly has an excellent destiny; if treated well, she could bring blessings to the Qing Dynasty and prosperity to the Aisin Gioro family.
Emperor Kangxi, resigned to his fate, carefully considered his options while ill.
Anyway, Yinreng already had two sons. Three-year-old Hongzhao was already showing signs of intelligence and seemed even better than Yinreng was when he was younger. Hongsheng, who was only two months old, was lively and active and good-looking. He would be perfect to be Hongzhao's right-hand man in the future.
And this is just the beginning. Considering Yinreng's age, he is still far from being a young man, and who knows how many more good children he might have in the future.
Kangxi, trying to comfort himself, felt there was no problem the more he thought about it.
Therefore, after Yinreng said "favor your wife and eliminate your concubines", he was so anxious that he almost went up to cover his precious son's mouth.
Don't let divine retribution fall upon his crown prince; he can't bear it.
Emperor Kangxi protected Tong Wanyan, but Yinreng only thought it was because of Tong Guogang's influence.
Everyone knows that Emperor Kangxi was extremely protective of his maternal clan; his bias was boundless.
"Father, have you given your permission?" Yinreng asked with a fawning smile.
Emperor Kangxi, with the helpless look of a doting son, said, "Granted. However, I have something to tell you."
"Your son will heed your teachings, Father Emperor," said Yinreng.
Emperor Kangxi waved his hand: "This is not a lecture. I just want to tell you that when Orondai brought me quinine, I granted him a request. He asked me to let Yuanbao'er have time to go back to her parents' home. I granted it."
Yinreng was dumbfounded; he was stunned, and his heart felt heavy and uncomfortable.
"Father, may I ask for something else?" Yinreng asked hesitantly.
Emperor Kangxi calmly replied, "No. A gentleman's word is his bond; once spoken, it cannot be taken back."
"So, if my son takes his concubine out of the palace today, will it be considered Orondai's next trip?" Yinreng asked.
Kangxi glared at him: "How can a prince's wives and concubines frequently leave the palace? Even if I allow you to take Yuanbao'er for a stroll around the capital this time, you are not allowed to make a big fuss about it and let people know."
Yinreng couldn't persuade Kangxi: "Then I can only look for another opportunity to make merit. Apart from me, all the men in the Tong family are capable. They don't care about power and profit, and they are not short of money. They can use their merits to please the concubine."
His smug words were a little annoying, so Kangxi casually grabbed the commissar next to him and smacked him on the shoulder.
The folding stick was light and the force of the blow was not heavy, and Yinreng pretended to be in pain.
The father and son burst into laughter. Liang Jiugong, who was waiting at the door, heard the cheerful laughter from inside the hall and a smile appeared on his face.
Only when the Crown Prince is present can the Emperor laugh so heartily and happily.
After agreeing on the terms with Emperor Kangxi, Yinreng took his leave.
He encountered Yin Tang, who was running wildly, halfway there.
"Second Brother Crown Prince!" Yin Tang was very excited to see Yin Reng.
Yinreng stopped in his tracks: "Where is Yin'e? You guys are always inseparable, why are you all alone today?"
"Don't even mention it! He didn't finish his homework yesterday, and he fell asleep in class today, so he got punished by the teacher. I reckon he won't be able to finish until it gets dark, so I came out to find you, Second Brother!" Yinzhen was suffering from summer heat, and his once chubby face had become thinner, bearing a five-point resemblance to Consort Yi's beautiful appearance.
Those peach blossom eyes, when they smile, are truly captivating.
Yinreng patted his head. His ninth brother was so handsome at such a young age. He wondered what kind of wife he would marry in the future.
"What do you want from me? Do you want something, or do you want to go play with your nephews?" Yinreng led him toward Yuqing Palace.
Yinzhen puffed out his cheeks and said, "Second Brother, in your heart, is your younger brother such a shallow person?"
Yinreng nodded: "It's not that you're superficial, it's that you've never had any depth. You're all so young, you should just have fun, how can I say anything to you?"
Yin Tang didn't know whether he should be happy or wronged.
Fortunately, he was easygoing and greatly admired Yinreng.
"Second Brother is truly amazing. Last time, he asked Lu Yidao to save my life, and this time he has found a miraculous medicine to cure Father Emperor's fever and chills." Yin Tang praised sincerely.
Yinreng raised an eyebrow: "So?"
"So, I would like to ask my second brother to accompany me out of the palace to meet the missionaries from the West and see if they are all so capable. The Qing Dynasty is full of talented people, so why are we inferior to them?" Yin Tang had the arrogance of a prince.
He was grateful to Lu Yidao for saving his life, but he was unwilling to see that the people of the Qing Dynasty were not as talented as the foreigners.
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