A few days later, news spread through the palace that Emperor Kangxi had deposed the Crown Prince. Rouyin was not surprised, but was it really the first time the Crown Prince had been deposed so soon?
In recent days, the palace and its surroundings have been completely silent.
Rumors of the impending dethronement spread throughout Prince Yong's residence, and the servants became even more cautious in their words and actions. Granny Wang frowned and asked Rouyin, "Madam, the Crown Prince has been deposed. Will this affect the Prince?"
Rouyin shook her head and said softly, "The matter of the Crown Prince has nothing to do with you, sir. You know what you're doing. We don't need to worry about anything else except managing the household and raising the children."
Granny Wang realized, "This old servant was being too attached to appearances."
Just as Rouyin was about to reply, Shiliu hurriedly walked in and said quickly, "Madam, Eunuch Xiaoyunzi from the Prince's side has arrived."
Rouyin was somewhat surprised. "Quickly, invite him in."
Xiao Yunzi entered, first bowed respectfully, and then said to the Princess Consort with a smile, "This servant greets the Princess Consort. The Prince instructed me to inform you that he went to the Eastern Palace to visit the Crown Prince and will be returning late today. Please do not worry, Princess Consort."
Rouyin nodded, "Thank you for your trouble, Father-in-law." After saying that, she gestured for Liu Qing to hand the prepared purse to Xiaoyunzi.
Xiao Yunzi's smile deepened. The weight of the purse he had just used was quite heavy. The position of the Fujin in the palace was truly the most enviable. She had a lively young master who was easy to serve, and the rewards were high. The Fujin's position was even better than that of the Prince. After thinking this, he glanced enviously at Liu Qing, who was standing next to the Fujin.
Liu Qing, noticing the gaze, looked back in confusion, wondering why her father-in-law was still staring at her.
After Xiaoyunzi's father-in-law left, Rouyin gave Wang Mama some warnings to the servants, telling them to behave themselves, work honestly, and that any misbehavior would be punished. She also advised them to reward those who performed good deeds, and to manage the servants by giving them a treat after each beating. This method was very effective in keeping the servants in line.
In the Eastern Palace, Yinzhen entered the hall led by servants. Compared to the Eastern Palace of the past, although the exterior remained the same, it had a desolate and decadent atmosphere. The servants who came and went seemed listless. Yinzhen frowned unconsciously as he looked at this scene. Before he even reached Qinghe Hall (the Crown Prince's residence, made up), Jiang He, the Crown Prince's personal eunuch, rushed over in a panic, "This servant greets Prince Yong. It is truly inconvenient for the Crown Prince to see anyone at the moment."
Yinzhen calmly replied, "I was worried about my second brother, so I only came to take a look and left. I can't see what's going on!"
These words caused Jiang He's forehead to be covered in fine beads of sweat, and he was visibly tense. In the end, he couldn't withstand Yinzhen's pressure and took Yinzhen to find the Crown Prince.
Yinzhen followed Jianghe further and further away, and saw the Crown Prince sitting in the pavilion, swaying and drinking in the snow. His eyes flashed with anger. "How dare you! Let your master drink here in this heavy snow. What are you up to? Hurry up and help your master inside!" Although he didn't like the Crown Prince's personality, the Crown Prince had indeed taken care of him when he was a child. He was not a despicable or petty person.
The Crown Prince, who was being held and stopped from drinking by his servants, sobered up for a moment. He looked up and saw Yinzhen. "What are you doing here! Are you making fun of me?"
"Your Majesty, I am not ill. Please take good care of your health."
He hurriedly visited the Crown Prince and then hurriedly carried him back to the palace. Looking at the Crown Prince's flushed and hot cheeks, Yinzhen calmly directed his subordinates to do their work and ordered someone to summon the imperial physician. Only after the Crown Princess arrived did Yinzhen leave.
Upon hearing the news that Yinzhen had visited the Crown Prince, Emperor Kangxi narrowed his eyes and said to Liang Jiugong, "You say that some of my sons went to visit Qi'er, while others wanted Qi'er dead! How should I deal with this?"
Liang Jiugong dared not make a sound, and did not even realize when his back was soaked. It was only when Kangxi ordered him to go out and serve tea that he relaxed completely, his whole body drenched as if he had just swum in the water.
After coaxing the restless children to sleep, Rouyin estimated the time and said, "Liu Qing, keep the light on, no need to turn it off."
"Yes, Madam," Liu Qing said, lighting the lamps and standing guard at the door.
Back in the East Courtyard, Yinzhen's eyes warmed as he looked at the still-lit candlelight in the pavilion. He quietly washed up in the side hall before entering the room. Looking at his wife, Yin'er, sleeping soundly on the bed, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. The movement caused her brows to furrow involuntarily. Yinzhen heard his wife murmur, "Master, back..." He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Sleep, Yin'er." Perhaps hearing the familiar voice, her brows gradually relaxed. Yinzhen kissed Yin'er's fair cheek before contentedly drifting off to sleep.
The next day, when Rouyin woke up, the master had already gone to court. Recalling the commotion in the middle of the night, she asked, "Did the master come back yesterday?"
Liu Qing covered her mouth and laughed, "Fujin, you don't know, the Prince came back late and you were already asleep. He didn't even let us announce your return. The Prince is really considerate to Fujin."
Rouyin scolded Liu Qing, who dared to tease her, in a soft voice: "You little brat, you're getting bolder and bolder, daring to tease your master like this!"
The group laughed and joked until the young masters woke up, at which point they were interrupted. Honghui and Yilejia were very busy these days, frequently being invited to the palace to keep the Empress Dowager and several concubines company. If the young ones weren't still so small, they would have been packed up and sent to the palace as well.
Rouyin's room was now filled with fluffy carpets and a fireplace, just in case the children got frostbite while crawling around. The children were a little older, and the bed was no longer enough for them, so Rouyin let the chubby babies crawl on the floor. She held up a few pieces of pure milk pastries and coaxed the children to crawl toward her. The children were already able to eat some easily digestible complementary foods, and their mouths watered at the sight of the pastries in their mother's hands. They chased after Rouyin one after another, occasionally pushing and shoving their brothers. Rouyin watched and laughed until she trembled. They were truly brothers. Honghui and Yilejia were the same way back then.
After expending their energy, the young princes drank more milk than the other, which made the maids and nannies in the palace smile with maternal affection as they watched their young masters.
Rouyin obtained some more Power Pills and planned to give them to the children. Hui'er and Jiajia had already entered the palace, so she would give them to the younger ones first, and then feed the older ones when they returned.
She dissolved the Strength Pill into the goat milk they were drinking, and the children's eyes lit up even more. Rouyin couldn't help but wonder if it was a Strength Pill or a Food Pill, since the children liked it so much. She popped one into her mouth, and oh my god! It's so delicious, like ice cream. No wonder the children like it. It seems she should stock up on more Strength Pills in the future; they're delicious and useful.
After a hard day's work, Yinzhen finally felt the love of his son.
After court, Yinzhen happened to catch Rouyin and the children having dinner. He also picked up Honghui and Yilejia, who were playing wildly in the Empress Dowager's palace. Upon seeing their mother, Honghui and Yilejia immediately abandoned their hardworking father and ran straight to her, their eyes lighting up.
"Mother! Mother! Mother! We're back!"
Rouyin gently wiped the sweat from the two children's running with a handkerchief, responding to them with a tender smile. This scene warmed Yinzhen's heart. He stepped forward, took Rouyin's hand, and lifted the two children, who still had short legs, onto a chair. "Don't disturb your mother's meal."
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