Several years have passed in the blink of an eye. Kangxi deposed the crown prince twice, imprisoned the eldest prince, and the party that deposed the eighth prince has been gone for many years.
The situation in the court gradually became clear. Yinzhen successfully caught the eye of the court officials with his strength and ability. However, his consistent refusal to reveal his ambition for the throne made the officials stop and observe this cold-faced prince.
Over the years, Rouyin had secretly assisted Yinzhen, getting her maternal family to produce various soap and cement products, which made the Qing Dynasty's treasury incredibly wealthy. Rouyin also secretly suggested that Yinzhen report these treasures to Emperor Kangxi, but Yinzhen stopped her, saying, "Yin'er, I know your good intentions, but it would be better if your father presented these things to Father Emperor. Father Emperor is suspicious, and the more your father-in-law presents them to Father Emperor before me, the happier Father Emperor will be."
"Alright, my lord, I'll listen to you." Hearing his wife's clear and trusting voice, he couldn't help but kiss Rouyin's fair forehead again. He thought that his greatest blessing in this life was meeting Rouyin. His tender gaze softened Rouyin's eyes as well. Over the years, she had never imagined that Yinzhen could be so devoted to her. The two princesses in the mansion were treated like ashes by Yinzhen, left to fend for themselves in the small courtyard. If they had been in an ordinary backyard, those two princesses would have been tortured to death long ago because of the lack of favor. Thinking of those two little girls, Rouyin smiled. They were indeed adorable, without any excessive thoughts. Now they spent their days idly playing with the children and doing some embroidery.
Emperor Kangxi, in the Qianqing Palace, also thought of his clever and quick-witted sons, Honghui and Hongyi. However, in terms of offspring and ability, Kangxi had to turn his attention to Yinzhen. He stood in the hall deep in thought. Among his sons, there were many talented and capable ones, but his fourth son, who had the potential to become an emperor, was indeed the first choice. He had also been raised by the Imperial Noble Consort, making him practically a legitimate son. He was also steady and composed, able to keep the court officials in check and command the respect of his other sons.
The more Kangxi thought about it, the more he valued the fourth prince, which became more apparent in court. He also delegated the tasks that the crown prince should have handled to Yinzhen. The shrewd people in the court noticed this shift in the political climate and became even more inclined to support Prince Yong.
Some officials not only wanted to curry favor with Yinzhen, but also wanted to get closer to him. General Nian Gengyao, who became famous at a young age, was one of them. Usually, the way for princes to get closer to them was to marry a woman from their own clan. However, when he thought of the Fourth Prince's unparalleled face, he gave up the idea. But if that didn't work, how could he win over the Fourth Prince? He couldn't figure it out, and when he returned to his room and saw his wife, Nalan, he couldn't help but mention it to her.
Lady Nalan helped him take off his outer garment and said softly, "Why don't you start with Fourth Prince's wife, sir?"
Upon hearing this, Nian Gengyao was somewhat puzzled, "How does currying favor with the Fourth Prince involve the Fourth Prince's wife?"
Born into a scholarly family, Nalan was intelligent from a young age. She looked helplessly at the clueless Nian Gengyao and slowly explained to him, "Everyone knows that the Fourth Prince and his wife are a loving couple. Sending someone to the Fourth Prince's residence is absolutely out of the question. However, as far as I know, the Fourth Prince's younger brother, Ulanara Deheng, is only sixteen years old and unmarried. He has also passed the imperial examination and become a Xiucai. Isn't he the perfect candidate?"
Upon hearing his wife's explanation, Nian Gengyao's eyes lit up as he stared at Nalan. "My wife truly understands me and has solved my problem." Thinking of a solution, he then became worried. "The best candidate would be my sister, but she's three years older than that boy. I don't know if my sister..."
Knowing Nian Gengyao's worries and his affection for Nian Wanning, Lady Nalan said understandingly, "Your Highness need not worry. I will go and sound him out first. If that doesn't work, we can also look at other women in the clan."
This cunning scheme was clearly not something only Nian Gengyao and his associates had considered. Astute officials in the court had their wives sound out Madam Lin's intentions. Deheng, suddenly becoming a hot commodity, was not only being watched at the academy but also frequently invited to the homes of unknown high-ranking officials' sons. It wasn't just Deheng himself; Madam Lin was also a primary target of invitations. Even her usual friends, noble ladies, inquired about her youngest son's marriage. The astute Madam Lin sensed something amiss and told her husband, Fei Yanggu, about it.
“Madam, this matter is aimed at the Fourth Prince. We must inform Yin’er first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, I understand,” Madam Lin said knowingly.
Upon receiving the letter, Rouyin read its contents, raised an eyebrow, and smiled, "These ministers in the court are truly shrewd; they definitely chose the right path."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qing turned his head in confusion. How could the ministers in the court be related to the lady and the others? Because of the lord?
Rouyin looked at Liu Qing's bewildered face and ruffled her hair. "Alright, don't worry about it if you don't understand." She enthusiastically asked the others to get some crushed ice, fruit, and milk. Rouyin planned to make some shaved ice to try, just in time to combat the summer heat.
Although it was said that she made it herself, it was actually Rouyin who told her to have Xiaohe, a maid who was good at cooking, to do it. Xiaohe was a disaster victim that Rouyin rescued when she was shopping two years ago. A little girl, hiding her face and covered in dirt, was receiving food when she was robbed and beaten by several strong beggars. Rouyin intervened and stopped them, and even gave her a job. In Xiaohe's eyes, Rouyin was a fairy who descended from heaven to save the mortal world.
"Chop the fruit up, and the ice cubes need to be chopped too." Rouyin felt Xiaohe's bright eyes and couldn't help but touch her slightly rounded cheeks. The child was pitiful, which softened her heart. Xiaohe quietly let Rouyin touch her, her whole being shining like a blade of grass nourished by spring rain, staring at Rouyin with even greater radiance.
When Yinzhen arrived, this was the scene before him. He fell silent. Was something amiss? His wife's charm was indeed a heavy burden on him!
"What did you do, Yin'er?"
"Your Highness is here. I'd like to ask Xiaohe to make a dessert for you to try." Xiaohe picked up the mango milk shaved ice dessert and walked towards the prince.
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