Chapter 25 Conflict: Old Ten's Lazy Third Brother...
Perhaps due to a lack of kinship in his previous life, Yin'e is very able to empathize with children who lack love and are neglected by their parents.
He did indeed feel some pity for Yinzhen.
But despite his soft heart, Yin'e really didn't want to spend all his time playing with Yin'tang.
If Yinzhen were as quiet as the Fifth Prince, it would be fine for them to sit together, eat snacks, play games, and occasionally exchange a few words; it would suit Yin'e's taste perfectly.
But Yinzhen was so active and full of energy!
After three days of torment, Yin'e finally couldn't take it anymore. He was so fed up with Yin Tang's antics that he decided to hand Yin Tang over to Yin Qi, so that the Fifth Prince could coax his younger brother and let the two brothers get together and love each other.
This time, when taking Yinzhen to Cining Palace to play with the Fifth Prince, Yin'e did not intend to go empty-handed, so he specially asked the kitchen to prepare some of his signature snacks to bring over and share with the Fifth Prince.
These snacks were both a return gift from Yin'e to thank the Fifth Prince for the beef jerky he had been treated to last time, and also... a pre-emptive apology.
"Tenth Brother, Tenth Brother, hurry up!" Yin Tang, wearing a bell-shaped cloak, jumped up and down, urging him impatiently. Full of energy and spirit, he couldn't stand Yin E's dawdling. If the cloak hadn't been so tightly wrapped and inconvenient, he would have pounced on him and dragged Yin E out.
His gaze swept around the room, checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Yin'e didn't forget to respond to Yin Tang, drawing out his words in a lazy, perfunctory tone: "Right away, right away, Ninth Brother, wait for me a little longer."
With puffed-out cheeks, Yinzhen's exquisite phoenix eyes widened as he glared angrily at Yin'e, who was still dawdling around. He instinctively wanted to throw a tantrum, but for some reason, he held back. He just stood there blocking the doorway with a sullen face and a pout that looked like it could hold an oil lamp.
His gaze swept around the room, and suddenly he saw something. Yin'e's eyes lit up, and he pointed to it, saying to his wet nurse, Granny Wang, "Take that with you, Ninth Brother likes it."
Yin'e was born with innate knowledge and harbored a deep affection for the Imperial Concubine, yet he was not close to his wet nurse. Therefore, Wang Mama only showed him obedience and respect, never daring to overstep her bounds in any way due to her status as his wet nurse.
Wang Mama obediently picked up the red embroidered ball that Yin'e pointed to, and only then did Yin'e sway and walk toward Yin Tang, who was blocking the doorway.
Upon seeing what Yin'e was pointing to, Yin Tang, whose face was puffed out, immediately lost his temper. The corners of his lips curled up, revealing a small smile, and his phoenix eyes curved like crescent moons.
When Yin'e, who was also wearing a bell-shaped cloak and wrapped up tightly, walked up to him like a little penguin, Yin'tang struggled to reach out his small hand from under the cloak and took Yin'e's hand. He then led Yin'e out the door with a proud and imposing air: "Tenth brother, let's go."
She raised her little face and smiled at Yinzhen. Yin'e was very considerate and didn't ask Yinzhen if he knew the way.
The main purpose of Yin'e and Yin'tang's trip to Cining Palace was to play with the Fifth Prince, so the Consort did not plan to go with them.
The Empress Dowager was getting old and impatient with the concubines' frequent visits, so she only held a morning greeting ceremony once every two weeks. Concubines who weren't well-regarded couldn't even get into the Cining Palace.
Although only Yin'e and Yin'tang went to Cining Palace, they were accompanied by quite a few people. The two princes' wet nurses and nannies, as well as the maids and eunuchs who served them, numbered more than ten in total.
A large group of people surrounded two little boys as they left the Western Six Palaces. They walked west for a while, then turned onto the palace path between the Hall of Mental Cultivation and the Western Three Palaces, and continued straight south until they reached the Cining Gate. Inside the gate was the Cining Palace, where the Empress Dowager and the Fifth Prince lived with the Grand Empress Dowager.
Neither Yin'e nor Yin'tang allowed their wet nurses to carry them; the two walked slowly forward hand in hand.
As soon as the group turned into the narrow passage between the Hall of Mental Cultivation and the West Third Palace, they almost bumped into a boy coming out of the West Third Palace.
The boy was about seven or eight years old, with long eyebrows and slender eyes. He had a refined and elegant appearance, and was very cultured.
Behind him followed a young eunuch of similar age, carrying several books. It seemed they had rushed back to the West Third Palace because of this book, and left in such a hurry that they almost bumped into Yin'e's party at the corner.
Yinzhen led Yin'e at the front, and they almost got bumped into.
He looked up and glared fiercely at the boy, his little face contorted with a menacing yet adorable expression as he snapped, "What are you doing? Don't you have eyes?"
The boy in the indigo python robe looked down at Yinzhen, raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "Where did this kid come from? He's such a little brat, yet he's so fierce."
Yinzhen was young, at an age where he only half-understood what adults said. But he was clever and obedient from a young age, and very perceptive. He quickly discerned from the boy's expression and tone that what he was saying was not nice, and immediately glared at him with his phoenix eyes, ready to explode.
Yin'e frowned slightly, feeling somewhat displeased.
He and Yinzhen almost bumped into this boy at the corner. Neither side was really at fault; collisions at corners are a common occurrence.
Later, Yinzhen acted a bit fiercely, but he was actually frightened because the boy was much older than them, and Yinzhen was almost knocked down.
Compared to Yinzhen, the boy in front of them wasn't just overreacting because he was frightened; he was genuinely rude and looked down at them with a hint of mockery and contempt.
The eunuch behind the boy carefully examined Yin'e and Yin'tang, and after recognizing their identities, he whispered in the boy's ear, "Your Highness, they are the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince."
Yin'e and Yin'tang are both a little over one year old. They are the only two of them in the palace at this age. The Eighth Prince, who is ranked ahead of them, is almost four years old this year and is not this age.
The boy hummed in agreement: "So it's Xiao Jiu and Xiao Shi."
Looking down at Yin'e and Yin'tang, the boy smiled and said to them, "I am your third brother. Ninth and Tenth Brothers, call me Third Brother."
For the first time, Yin'e's face turned cold. He stared coldly at the Third Prince, showing no intention of paying him any attention.
The Third Prince acted completely unlike an older brother. He was the one who rushed out of the West Third Palace and almost bumped into him and Yinzhen. Even if it was not wrong for both sides to collide at the corner, the Third Prince not only did not apologize, but also called them "little beans" in a vulgar way. He was extremely annoying.
Yinzhen's reaction was more direct than Yin'e's. He glared fiercely at the Third Prince with a stern face, ignored him, and tugged at Yin'e's hand, saying in a childish but firm voice, "Let's go!"
It was obvious that the petty-minded Yinzhen held a grudge. The Third Prince almost bumped into him, and his words were full of contempt. The sensitive Yinzhen realized that the Third Prince did not have good intentions towards him, and subconsciously rejected him.
Yin'e had no objection, nor did he want to pay any attention to the Third Prince. Even if the Third Prince was the elder brother and they were the younger brothers, so what? They were still young and immature, and had the right to be willful.
Yin'e and Yin'tang were about to leave, but the Third Prince was still not satisfied. He was bothered by their failure to bow or greet him, so he took a step to the left and blocked their way: "Hey, do you two little brats know any manners? You don't even greet your elder brother?"
The Third Prince wasn't deliberately making things difficult for Yin'e and Yin'tang; it's just that he was naturally a bit low in emotional intelligence, always being sarcastic and getting caught up in right and wrong, even making a big deal out of trivial matters.
Just a moment ago we were rushing on our way, but now he has the leisure to vent his frustrations here. The Third Prince really loves to pick fights.
Yin'e laughed in exasperation, rolled his eyes at the Third Prince, and was about to retort.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from behind Yin'e and his group: "Third Brother, what are you doing here?"
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