After the two entered the house, Fourth Master immediately wanted to check Thirteen's leg. Fearing that Thirteen would be embarrassed, Zhao Jia immediately dismissed all the servants in the house.
Once only the three of them remained, Thirteen, at Fourth Master's insistence, lifted up his robe and rolled up his underpants, revealing his injuries to Fourth Master.
On Thirteen's knee was a gruesome, unhealed scar, marked with purplish-blue marks. Fourth Master touched the scar and asked, "Can you still feel it? How did you fall?"
"My knees ache whenever it's cloudy or rainy, it comes in waves, like being pricked with needles. I just got back, and it was raining the whole way, so it's a bit painful today, and walking is unavoidable. I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Fourth Brother. If it weren't raining, it wouldn't be so bad, and I wouldn't have to walk like this," Thirteen Qiang said with a smile.
Zhao Jia, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but shed tears once again.
The Fourth Prince frowned and said, "Tomorrow, you will come with me to see Father Emperor. Then I will have Doctor Liang examine you. He has studied Western medicine and has a very effective method."
When Thirteen saw that Fourth Prince wanted to take him to see Emperor Kangxi immediately, he was both excited and afraid, feeling extremely conflicted.
"Fourth Brother, Father hasn't summoned me yet. If I go like this, I'm afraid I'll displease him!" Thirteenth Brother said hesitantly.
"Father Emperor released you, why aren't you going to see him? Is this a clear sign that you're blaming him for how he treated you back then?" the Fourth Prince asked hastily.
Thirteen looked surprised, but Lady Zhaojia understood what Fourth Prince meant and quickly said, "Your Highness, Fourth Brother is right. If someone hadn't deliberately framed you, how could you have been imprisoned in that place by Father for more than ten years? Now that Father has released you, will those people be satisfied? They will definitely find an opportunity to slander you, saying that you are resentful. Father is, after all, an elder, and as his son and subject, you should take the initiative to pay your respects."
Fourth Prince nodded to Lady Zhaojia, thinking to himself that the Thirteenth Prince's wife had improved a lot in the past few years.
"Thirteen is too slow-witted. Then I will go with Fourth Brother to pay my respects to Father Emperor tomorrow," Thirteen said, his doubts now replaced by relief.
"Father's health is poor, and he's currently residing at Changchun Garden. I'll take you there tomorrow. Thirteenth, when you're before Father, don't say anything, and don't mention anything from back then. Even if you were wronged back then, don't say it now. Father's temper is becoming increasingly erratic these days; you can't go against his will. Do you understand? Your most important thing now is to come back and recover from your injuries; everything else can be put aside for now. Fourth Brother promises you, I will avenge all the injustices you've suffered over the years," Fourth Prince instructed.
Thirteen nodded and said, "Fourth Brother, Thirteen has grown up. Look, I've even grown a beard. I'm no longer the impetuous Thirteen I used to be."
Fourth Master personally helped Thirteen pull down his underpants, and then the two brothers sat down together. Zhao Jia quickly went to the door and called for someone to bring tea.
Fourth Master slowly recounted to Thirteen the events that had occurred over the years. Before they knew it, night had fallen.
Thirteen thought of Lanqin and said to Fourth Master, "Why don't we send someone to bring Fourth Sister-in-law over? I remember she was Fourth Brother's favorite concubine. Moreover, Wenxiu has already told me that it was Fourth Sister-in-law who helped her find a way to make a living in the entire Thirteenth Mansion. I want to thank her in person."
Fourth Master nodded in agreement. He knew that the young woman also liked Thirteen's family, so he ordered Su Peisheng to go back to the Yong Prince's Mansion to bring Lanqin over.
Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master set up an oven in the house and had a whole lamb roasted. They also brought out Fourth Master's favorite wine, and the two brothers ate and drank together.
The Fourth Prince recounted how he gradually defeated the First Prince, the deposed Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Eighth and Ninth Princes, and how he gradually established his image as a man of courage and ability in front of Emperor Kangxi. The Thirteenth Prince lamented that he could not be by the Fourth Prince's side to share these moments with him.
"Thirteen, we'll have plenty of opportunities to work together in the future. You just need to get your health back in good shape now, and don't worry about anything else. Then, you and your sister-in-law will have three or five of them, understand?" Fourth Master laughed and patted Thirteen on the shoulder.
Zhao Jia, who was serving them food and wine, said with a hint of self-deprecation and grievance upon hearing the Fourth Prince's words, "I'm almost thirty, I'm afraid I can't have children anymore."
Thirteen retorted, "How can you say such things in front of Fourth Brother? Don't worry, I'll make you have a child!"
"Oh my, our Thirteenth Prince is so majestic! Wenxiu, did you hear that?" Lanqin's voice came from the veranda.
It turned out that Thirteen and Fourth Master had set up the roast lamb in the back yard of the front yard, and Lanqin, led by Su Peisheng, happened to hear this.
"Fourth Sister-in-law!" Thirteen stood up excitedly and called out to Lanqin.
"The Thirteenth Prince has become a mature man, much more manly than before," Lanqin said without restraint. The Fourth Prince, seeing her speak so carelessly again, laughed along, which was rare for him.
"Really? Fourth Sister-in-law, you have such a sweet tongue. I felt like I'd grown old. Thank you for your kind words, Fourth Sister-in-law. I wish I could have a child with Wenxiu right away." Thirteen remained forthright and did not become gloomy despite being imprisoned by Kangxi for so many years.
"Master!" Zhao Jia's face turned so red that she wished she could disappear into a hole in the ground.
"No rush, no rush, you have plenty of time," Lanqin said with a smile, and then sat down next to Fourth Master.
Looking at Thirteen's face, etched with deep wrinkles, Lanqin knew she had said that on purpose. After being imprisoned in that kind of place for over a decade, how could he possibly be young? Thirteen was seven or eight years younger than Fourth Master, yet he looked older than him.
Zhao Jia personally poured wine for Lan Qin and whispered a few words to her.
"Fourth Brother, I heard from Wenxiu that her Daqing Hot Pot restaurant earns hundreds of thousands of taels of silver a year. Not to mention Fourth Sister-in-law's income. Why don't we use this money to do something?" Thirteen said.
"I suggested that the Prince go overseas to do business and set up some offices. But he hasn't agreed yet!" Lanqin said when she heard Thirteen say this. It turned out that Lanqin had told Fourth Prince to send some people to neighboring countries to set up offices and transmit some basic information about foreign countries back to him, so as not to be blind and ignorant.
However, the Fourth Prince never agreed, because Emperor Kangxi had already expelled the Western churches and did not support foreign relations. Although many foreigners came to the Qing Empire every year, the Qing Dynasty never sent anyone abroad.
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