The Fourteenth Prince followed the young eunuch to the Fourth Prince's temporary study.
After the Fourth Master dismissed the others, he said to his younger brother, "Why are you here?"
The Fourteenth Prince seemed to have long been used to the Fourth Prince's cold and aloof demeanor. He casually leaned back in a pearwood chair and replied, "I'm bored, so I came to Fourth Brother's estate to have some fun."
Fourth Master glanced at it and shouted sternly, "You have no manners!"
This shout really startled the Fourteenth Prince. He was already leaning back in his chair, and his hand slipped, almost causing him to slide down his backside.
"Trying to act as someone's dog nose again?" Fourth Master asked coldly. "You're not allowed to mention to anyone that I got lost in the woods yesterday, or you'll regret it."
The Fourth Prince was ten years older than his younger brother, who shared the same mother. In a way, he was more like a strict father to him than the Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, and Tenth Prince, who were on good terms with the Fourteenth Prince.
"Fourth Brother, I'm so old now, you're not allowed to spank me anymore!" The Fourteenth Prince blushed and hurriedly said as soon as he heard the Fourth Prince mention "buttocks." This all started when he was ten years old. He was so naughty that he couldn't remember what he had done to anger the Fourth Prince, but his bottom was spanked so badly it was almost raw. Those were truly brothers; the Fourth Prince had spanked him so badly he had to stay in bed for a week.
“If you were older, you wouldn’t be so foolish as to be used as a pawn! You’re almost ready to leave the palace and establish your own residence, yet you still don’t know what’s important.” The Fourth Prince glared at him and continued to look down at Dai Zhuzhe’s report.
"Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, Ninth Brother, and Tenth Brother all said they want to come and visit your estate. Summer is almost here, and everyone's been cooped up in their homes, getting bored," the Fourteenth Prince asked tentatively. The Manchus are fond of riding and archery, and it's only because the Fourth Prince's estate has pastures and woods that it's suitable for hunting.
"Would the Eighth Prince be bored? He's busy at the Imperial Household Department, how could he have time to come to my estate?" The Fourth Prince had always been at odds with the Eighth Prince, he just couldn't stand his gentlemanly demeanor.
“Apart from Third Brother, everyone else has been quite busy lately. Fourth Brother, we haven’t gone hunting in a long time. Why don’t we call them over and go hunting together?” The Fourteenth Prince seemed carefree. He was still living in the Princes’ Residence and shouldn’t be able to enter and leave the palace so freely, but because of Consort De’s rank and Emperor Kangxi’s favor, no one dared to interfere.
Fourth Master glanced at him again and said indifferently, "Since Brother Gewei misses me so much, why don't you come and have some fun?"
When the Fourteenth Prince saw that the Fourth Prince had agreed so readily, he could hardly believe it. He chuckled and said, "Then I'll go back and tell them. We'll come over together in a few days."
"Go back now." Fourth Master still looked impatient.
The Fourteenth Prince didn't even have time for lunch; he climbed onto his horse and left.
He was raised in Yonghe Palace from a young age and was not close to the Fourth Prince. By the time he could remember, the Fourth Prince had already left the palace to establish his own residence. Every time they met at Consort De's residence, Consort De would always be sullen after the Fourth Prince left, and even he couldn't cheer her up. Therefore, over time, the young Fourteenth Prince began to harbor hostility towards the Fourth Prince. Later, when he grew older and more sensible, he learned that the Fourth Prince had been given to Empress Xiaoyiren to raise since childhood, and then spent two or three years with Emperor Kangxi before entering the Princes' Residence, where he remained until he left the palace at the age of 18.
In comparison, the Ninth and Tenth Princes, who were around the same age as the Fourteenth Prince, spent more time playing with him, and the Eighth Prince treated him as a gentle and kind older brother. Only the Fourth Prince, who was born of the same mother, always gave him a cold look.
He simply enjoyed playing with his eighth and ninth brothers. They didn't put on airs like princes, didn't flatter the Crown Prince, and didn't constantly act like they were worried about the country and its people. So what if he was raised by Empress Xiaoyiren? He's so cold-blooded, not even as close to his own mother!
After mentally berating his elder brother once more, the Fourteenth Prince hurried back to the city. He didn't return to the palace but went directly to the Eighth Prince's residence.
As the Fourteenth Prince entered the gate, he saw a man in a light purple robe, holding an ivory fan, listening to two women playing the pipa in the octagonal pavilion in the front garden. This man had a narrow forehead, a high nose, and skin as white as snow; he was none other than Kangxi's ninth son—Aisin Gioro Yinzhen. He was the second son of Consort Yi of the Guoluo clan and had been greatly favored by Kangxi since childhood.
"Ninth Brother, where's Eighth Brother?" Fourteenth Prince asked as he walked to the pavilion, looking smug about having completed his mission.
“Eighth Prince is in his back quarters now, you should go see him later.” Ninth Prince unfolded his fan with a “plop” and began to fan himself slightly. On the fan, several Western women were depicted in semi-nude poses, and their voluptuous figures made the ivory fan appear even more erotic.
Although the Fourteenth Prince was already married, he still felt a little embarrassed to suddenly see him in broad daylight.
"You may all leave." The Ninth Prince dismissed the two women, then glanced at his fan and said, "You've been through thick and thin before, how can you be so easily swayed!"
"Hehe, I am far less dashing and charming than you, Ninth Brother, and less adept at handling women," the Fourteenth Prince said, glancing at the backs of the two women. "These don't seem to be from Eighth Brother's residence. Be careful, Eighth Sister-in-law might tear you apart."
“I don’t need to do it; it’s already been torn open in the backyard,” the Ninth Prince said meaningfully.
"Isn't Eighth Sister-in-law satisfied yet? Everyone knows that our Eighth Brother is deeply in love with her, and he still doesn't have a son born out of wedlock. He's doing this so that she can give birth to the eldest legitimate son first," the Fourteenth Prince exclaimed in surprise.
"Well, do you think you have the right to say that? Eighth Prince is happy to." Ninth Prince said, spreading his hands.
"Oh, by the way, I've already talked to Fourth Brother. He asked us to go hunting at his estate in a few days." Fourteenth Prince changed the subject.
"Oh. Your own brother is having a good time on the estate. How long does he plan to stay?" The Ninth Prince walked up to the Fourteenth Prince, put one hand on his shoulder, and waved a fan in the other.
"What do you mean by 'close'? Don't you think he's my own brother?" the Fourteenth Prince said discontentedly.
"Alright, alright, we're all brothers. But even brothers can be close or distant!" The Ninth Prince tapped the Fourteenth Prince's chest with his ivory fan.
Seeing that the Eighth Prince had not come out of the inner quarters, the two decided not to rush in. They stayed in the prince's residence for a while longer before leaving together. However, before leaving, they left a message for the steward, asking the Eighth Prince to go to the Fourth Prince's estate for a visit in a few days.
Thinking of Wanyan, the Fourteenth Prince didn't want to return to the palace, so he clung to the Ninth Prince and went back to the Ninth Prince's residence with him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
