"Second Brother!" Fourth Prince entered the former Crown Prince's study and saw him teaching Hongxi and Hongxin literature.
"Fourth Prince! Come here quickly and see how well these two boys write. Do you know that your fourth uncle's handwriting is excellent?" The deposed crown prince's smile was more pronounced than before. Hongxi and Hongxin, one ten years old and the other six, are the crown prince's only two sons.
"Greetings, Fourth Uncle!" Hongxi and Hongxin greeted Fourth Master.
"Second Brother, you flatter me. Both princes are very intelligent and sensible." Fourth Prince walked over and patted Hongxi and Hongxin on the head.
He then looked at the two large characters spread on the table. From the handwriting, he could tell the age of the writer. Hongxi was older, and his handwriting already had its own characteristics; Hongxin was younger, and his hand strength was not steady, so naturally some parts of his writing were not so steady.
"Hongxi's calligraphy is good; he's already developed his own style. Keep practicing. Hongxin's hand strength isn't steady enough; he needs to continue working on it," Fourth Master advised.
"Thank you for your guidance, Fourth Uncle," Hongxi and Hongxin said, bowing again.
"Alright, you may all leave now and go back to your mother's place to rest. Father, speak with your fourth uncle," the deposed crown prince said to his two sons.
After the two young princes left, the Fourth Prince sat down to talk with the deposed Crown Prince.
"Fourth brother, now that your second brother has become a bald prince, this palace is the place where people are treated the most. Those who wanted to curry favor with me before are now avoiding me like the plague," Yinren said.
"Second Brother, there are always people who side with the powerful and betray the weak, no matter where you are. Is there something wrong, Second Brother? Why don't you tell me? I will definitely help you without hesitation if I can," said Fourth Master.
Yinren looked at the Fourth Prince and said with emotion, "Fourth Prince, I will remember your consideration for brotherhood."
The Fourth Prince felt a little uneasy, but he still said with emotion, "Even if Second Brother is no longer the Crown Prince, he is still our Second Brother. There is no need for so much thanks between brothers."
The deposed crown prince nodded and sighed, "Fourth Prince, do you know why Father Emperor suddenly deposed the crown prince?"
The Fourth Prince felt even more uneasy. Of course, he knew that it was the Seventh Prince who had reported Zheng Chunhua's affair with the Crown Prince to Emperor Kangxi, which led Kangxi to decide to depose the Crown Prince. But wasn't it himself who had told the Seventh Prince? Although it was a slip of the tongue while drunk, it still came from his own mouth.
"It was me, about Consort Zheng. Fourth Prince, can you believe it?" the Crown Prince sighed.
"Second Brother!" Fourth Prince suppressed his discomfort. He had never felt guilty in front of anyone, but at this moment he felt a little guilty in front of the Crown Prince.
“It’s come to this, and Father has already punished me. But I still have a sliver of curiosity about how Father dealt with her. Fourth Prince, could you help me investigate? Second Brother can’t sleep, and she’s always on his mind. She’s pregnant.” Yinren became more and more agitated as he spoke.
The Fourth Prince stared in shock at the deposed Crown Prince. He had thought that only Zheng Shi had died, but he never expected that she was carrying the child of the Aisin Gioro clan.
After leaving Yuqing Palace, the Fourth Prince seemed even more confused. He knew that to find out Zheng's whereabouts, he only needed to ask one person: Liang Jiugong, the Grand Eunuch serving Emperor Kangxi. He was practically Emperor Kangxi's shadow, knowing everything, big or small.
The Fourth Prince returned to the Ministry of Revenue, but couldn't come up with a plan. It would be inappropriate to rashly inquire about Liang Jiugong and Zheng Shi's matter. Kangxi had secretly dealt with Zheng Shi without even announcing it, indicating he didn't want people to know about her relationship with the Crown Prince. However, he couldn't resist the deposed Crown Prince's request and agreed to help him inquire.
With mixed feelings, the Fourth Prince sat in the carriage on his way back to the manor, his face dark with frustration, and closed his eyes to rest.
"Su Peisheng!" Fourth Master suddenly called out to Su Peisheng, who was sitting on the carriage shaft outside.
“Master, your servant is here,” Su Peisheng said, turning around.
"Come in," said Fourth Master.
Su Peisheng immediately told the coachman to stop for a moment, then opened the carriage door and climbed in.
"Master, what are your orders?" Su Peisheng saw that the Fourth Master looked unwell when he came out, so he didn't dare to go up and disturb him.
"What do people like you want most in your hearts?" Fourth Master asked, feeling a little embarrassed.
Su Peisheng was taken aback by the Fourth Master's sudden question and choked up for a moment. After thinking for a long time, he stammered, "Home, what a servant like me longs for most is to have a home."
The Fourth Prince stared blankly at Su Peisheng, coughed a few times, and said, "Liang Jiugong is the chief eunuch by Father Emperor's side. He has always taken good care of you. I want to send him a gift. What do you think is a good gift? Something that he can accept and that makes him feel that you value him."
Su Peisheng nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Chief Steward Liang has served the Emperor for so many years, he certainly doesn't lack money. As long as it's not money, he'll like anything you give him."
Fourth Master looked at Su Peisheng and asked, "Why?"
“Because Eunuch Liang is deeply trusted by the Emperor, it is because of his absolute loyalty to the Emperor. How could the Emperor mistreat someone who is absolutely loyal to him? Moreover, the Emperor would not like others to give Eunuch Liang money. Therefore, Eunuch Liang naturally dislikes accepting money from others the most,” Su Peisheng said.
The Fourth Prince nodded and said, "There is something I would like to ask Eunuch Liang, but I am afraid it will arouse the Emperor's suspicion."
Su Peisheng was surprised that the Fourth Master would discuss this with him. Suppressing his joy, he said, "Your Highness can try to curry favor with Eunuch Liang and see how Eunuch Liang treats you."
The master and servant discussed how to approach Liang Jiugong without offending Kangxi. Before they knew it, the carriage had arrived at the gate of the Fourth Prince's residence.
When the Fourth Prince returned to the front courtyard, he remembered what he had said at Yonghe Palace, and said to Su Peisheng, "Where was Lady Shi last year!"
Lanqin had no idea that the Fourth Master had gone to Madam Nian's place after returning, but she wasn't upset. She simply had Cui Niang prepare dinner. She knew that the husband the Fourth Master had chosen for the Second Princess was probably from the Nian family, so his visit at this time was definitely to discuss the Second Princess's affairs.
Since things cannot be changed, Lanqin never liked to dwell on them. Since Fourth Master was destined to rely on the Nian family's military power, what was she supposed to do to stop the wheels of history?
When Lady Nian learned that the Fourth Prince had agreed to her recommendation and decided to betroth the Second Princess to Nian Gengyao's second son, she was overjoyed. She immediately sent a letter to Nian Gengyao, instructing him to have people prepare the betrothal gifts.
The Fourth Master visited Madam Nian for several days in a row, and suddenly, Madam Nian's popularity soared again.
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