Grand Consort 2, mwah!
The eldest prince has been very busy lately. After spending a short time with Chen Xia, he hurriedly went to his study.
Chen Xia watched his departing figure and couldn't help but frown. Yin Ti was as stubborn as a mule; they say he wouldn't turn back until he hit a wall, but he was the kind who wouldn't turn back even after hitting a wall.
Hoping to persuade him to give up competing with the Crown Prince was pure fantasy. After much thought, Chen Xia felt that only by making him personally experience the pain would he truly understand.
In order to make him fully understand the truth of the struggle for the throne among the nine princes, Chen Xia carefully crafted a "rebirth" for him, so that he could deeply feel the ruthlessness and cruelty that Kangxi showed to his sons.
As usual, Yinti went straight to his study after finishing his work. He woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, and after "merging" his memories, he went straight to the main courtyard.
When he lifted the curtain and entered the room, Chen Xia had already sat up and put on her clothes after hearing the noise outside.
Just as she was about to throw off the covers and get out of bed, Yinti pulled her into his arms. Chen Xia could feel his trembling, though she knew in her heart that he thought he had been reborn under the influence of the dream-creating talisman.
But he still pretended not to know and asked, "Sir, what's wrong?"
Yinqi held her for a long time, finally managing to hold back his tears: "It's nothing, it's nothing. I had a nightmare that my wife was sick, and I was worried, so I came to check on her."
Chen Xia gently patted his back: "Dreams are always the opposite of reality. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine now, aren't I? The imperial physician examined my pulse just two days ago and said my illness was completely cured!"
Yinqi took off his outer robe and pulled Chen Xia into bed, asking, "Fujin, in Father's heart, is the Crown Prince different from us sons?"
Chen Xia leaned into his arms, not answering directly, but asking instead, "If the Qian family and the Guan family have sons in the future, will you stop loving Hongyu?"
"How could that be? Hongyu is the eldest son of the master. No matter how many sons the master has by illegitimate birth in the future, it will never shake Hongyu's position in the master's heart..."
Chen Xia smiled and said, "That's exactly what Father Emperor thought too. Father Emperor and Empress Xiaochengren were childhood sweethearts who supported each other through the most difficult times, and she died at the most beautiful moment of her life, dying in childbirth while giving birth to Father Emperor's legitimate son."
She naturally became the Emperor's beloved, and by extension, the Crown Prince became his most beloved son.
Moreover, the Crown Prince was raised by him, so he's naturally different from the other princes. It's the same for you, my lord; you are Father Emperor's eldest son, and Father Emperor also has high hopes for you.
Think about it, I was always there on every expedition and during the Mulan Hunt, right? I'm brave and skilled in battle, and Father Emperor has repeatedly praised me for having the demeanor of a great general..."
After listening to Chen Xia's words and reflecting on his past life, Yinti finally realized that his father, the Emperor, had never considered him, the eldest son.
He had always been grooming himself to be a great general, but he was blinded by his own ambition and became infatuated with that position, losing his mind and ultimately ending up imprisoned until his death.
The victor is king, the loser is villain; his fate was entirely his own fault. But how innocent were his children? Hongyu, whom his wife risked her life to give birth to, left no heir.
His four legitimate daughters all died within a few years of getting married. If he, the father, had not been imprisoned, no one would have dared to bully his daughters, no matter which family they married into.
Yinti was stubborn, but he wasn't stupid. In his past life, he fought with the Crown Prince, and both of them ended up with such tragic fates. What was the point of fighting in this life?
Having come to his senses, Yinti decided that he would spend the rest of his life honestly enjoying a peaceful life with his wife, children, and a warm bed.
The next day at court, Kangxi discovered that the eldest prince, who had always been at odds with the crown prince, had remained silent.
After the court session, the Crown Prince circled around the eldest prince and asked, "Brother, are you feeling unwell today?"
Yinti looked him up and down, and when he thought of Yinreng in his dream, who was not much better than himself and was acting crazy, the anger he had been holding in suddenly vanished.
In his past life, when he competed with Yinreng for that position, it wasn't so much that he wanted to be the crown prince, but rather that he wanted to show his father that he was no less capable than Yinreng.
Ultimately, it all stemmed from his constant rivalry with Yinreng since childhood, with neither of them willing to admit defeat. Looking back now, he was truly foolish!
After Yinreng saw Yinti look him up and down, he shook his head, sighed, turned around and left angrily: "What do you mean?"
Looking at Yinreng, who was angrily blocking his way, Yinti smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly realized that arguing with you all the time is really stupid..."
Yinreng blushed: "You're the one who's blind, you're the stupid one..."
"Whatever you say goes! Second brother, it used to be the eldest brother who was stubborn."
This time, your sister-in-law almost lost me to death because of giving birth to Hongyu, and I finally understand what is truly the most important thing in life.
I used to resent you, not because you weren't good enough, but because Father Emperor doted on you the most, and I felt resentful.
The moment the midwife placed Hongyu in my arms, it dawned on me: you'll understand this feeling when you have your own son.
After saying that, he patted Yinreng on the shoulder, turned around and left.
Yinreng stood there stunned for a moment, and when he came to his senses, his face turned red with anger.
That fool Yinqi is constantly bragging about having a legitimate son. How infuriating! Who can't have a legitimate son?
Yinreng had already planned how to retaliate against the First Prince the next day, but the First Prince kept his word and really didn't argue with him. He even looked at him with a kind expression, as if he were looking at a child who was being unreasonable.
The Crown Prince felt like he had punched cotton; he hadn't done anything to the eldest prince, but instead had disgusted himself with the situation.
Emperor Kangxi also felt that his eldest son had been acting strangely lately. He had suddenly become indifferent and aloof. No matter what he was told, the son would say that his father was right and that the crown prince was doing the right thing.
He used to complete the tasks assigned to him very proactively and thoroughly, but now he either pushes them to the Third Prince or the Fourth Prince.
If he didn't know that his boss wasn't very bright, he would have thought this guy was planning something big.
After observing for several days, Emperor Kangxi finally couldn't sit still any longer and summoned Yinti to the Qianqing Palace: "Your Highness, have you been feeling unwell lately?"
Yinti calmly said, "After giving birth to Hongyu, the Fujin was in a coma. During those days, I was both scared and regretful. I shouldn't have let the Fujin give birth to children one after another for the sake of the legitimate son."
When holding Hongyu, her son always thought, "If my wife really doesn't make it through, I will live in regret every day from now on."
I will remarry and may have more legitimate sons and daughters. But no matter how many children I have in the future, none of them can compare to Hongyu's position in my son's heart. He is the legitimate son that my wife risked her life to give birth to for my son.
Later, when my wife's health improved, I mentioned this incident to her during a casual chat. She sighed and said that perhaps when my father held the crown prince after my mother passed away, he felt the same way.
Now, putting myself in his father's shoes, I finally understand how my father feels about my second brother. To be frank, I was ignorant before and complained about my father, thinking he was biased.
Over the years, the son and the crown prince have been fighting each other. Rather than wanting to rebel and seize the position of heir apparent, it is more accurate to say that they are vying for their place in the emperor's heart.
Everything my son has done is to show Father Emperor that I am no less capable than Yinreng. I hope Father Emperor will look at me with more approval.
But after having Hongyu, the eldest son, the son felt that his father had already done a really good job, and that he might do something even more extreme than his father.
My son has a quick temper, loves horseback riding and archery, and is straightforward. I could make him a great general leading troops into battle, but if I made him the crown prince, I'd definitely make a mess of the court.
"In that case, what is there for your son to argue with Yinreng about? I was young and ignorant in the past, and I often angered Father Emperor. I hope Father Emperor will forgive me."
Emperor Kangxi was truly surprised that Yinti would say such a thing. He patted Yinti on the shoulder and said with deep emotion, "Elder brother, I am both surprised and gratified that you would say such a thing."
When Yinreng was young, I felt sorry for him because his birth mother had died early, and I did spoil him a lot. Both children are my flesh and blood; my heart is the same for you both.
Yinti smiled and agreed, but in his heart he was thinking that although both the palm and the back of the hand were flesh, the flesh in the palm was much thicker than that in the back of the hand.
Favoritistic parents are completely unaware of how much harm their inability to treat all their children equally can cause.
However, compared to the other sons born out of wedlock, he, as the eldest son, was relatively favored, and Yinti tried to console himself with a bitter smile.
At this time, Emperor Kangxi was not yet the ruthless old emperor he would become. He was in his prime and had absolute power, so he was relatively tolerant of his sons' petty actions.
After a heart-to-heart talk between father and son, Kangxi's attitude toward Yinti became noticeably more amiable.
Yinqi had met with Mingzhu in private, and since that meeting, the eldest prince's faction had begun to keep a low profile.
Before Nalan Mingzhu, Emperor Kangxi began to suppress Mingzhu's faction starting in the 27th year of his reign, and even imprisoned him for a time.
But how could a powerful prime minister like Ming, who had fought with Suo'etu for so many years without being able to win, be so easily brought down?
Later, when Songgotu was forced to commit suicide, he died of old age, which shows that he was much more cunning and shrewd than Songgotu.
Although he has only held a sinecure position in recent years, he has a keen understanding of the situation in the court.
In his past life, seeing that he had no hope of seizing the throne, he persuaded him to side with the Eighth Prince. In this life, the Eighth Prince can forget about it.
Mingxiang was naturally unwilling to give up so easily, but Yinti said, "It is rumored that the previous high priest of the shaman risked his life for Father Emperor. Father Emperor is a long-lived man. He once said that Father Emperor would be able to reign for more than sixty years. This rumor is true. Do you think there is any need for me to compete?"
It shattered all his ambitions; if this rumor is true, then Kangxi could have reigned for nearly thirty more years.
By then, the eldest prince will already be fifty years old. Even if he manages to win the throne, how many years can he remain emperor?
Mingzhu immediately realized: "Then the Crown Prince has been the Crown Prince for over fifty years, how could he possibly tolerate that?"
Yinti shrugged: "That's why the Crown Prince is more anxious than us. That's why I told you to lie low and not rush things. If you don't believe me, let's keep a low profile for the next few years and see what kind of ending the Crown Prince will have."
"Father Emperor is a man of absolute power; how can he tolerate others snoring beside his bed? Just you wait and see. If Yinreng becomes too powerful, Father Emperor won't even need to intervene; he'll have to elevate his other brothers to balance the court."
Mingzhu knew Yinti's temperament and obediently made the arrangements.
Yinti knew that if he retired, many of the ministers who had previously supported him would be won over by the Eighth Prince in the future.
This is inevitable; after all, people strive for better things. He understands, and all he can do is protect those who are truly loyal to him.
Yinti's every move was being monitored in real time by the little system. Chen Xia breathed a sigh of relief when she learned of his actions. If this bastard still didn't get it after hitting a wall, she might as well lose her husband.
The two primary consorts only wished for five children, which suggests they were disappointed in that scoundrel, Yinqi.
Yinti valued his legitimate sons and daughters very much, but after Lady Irgen Gioro passed away, Yinti married a secondary consort not long after and was busy fighting with the crown prince.
If it weren't for the tireless efforts of the sisters, Ushiha and Anari, it's uncertain whether Hongyu, who was born weak, would have survived to adulthood.
The concubine whom Yinqi married was not easy to deal with either. This is only natural, after all, what second wife would sincerely treat the children left by her predecessor?
Moreover, Hongyu also holds the title of the eldest son of the legitimate wife. Given how much Yinqi values his eldest son, as long as Hongyu, the eldest son of the legitimate wife, is alive, the title of Prince Zhi can only be inherited by Hongyu.
Yinti had no idea that she had just escaped death. Her daily routine consisted of going to the Ministry of War to clock in, taking a stroll around, and buying some of her favorite snacks.
It's only because he's handsome and has a good physique that Chen Xia treats him kindly; otherwise, she would have kicked him out long ago.
She was getting really annoyed that a grown man was always lounging around in her yard, and she had to constantly coax and praise him.
However, he was still inexplicably confident, believing that Chen Xia loved him deeply and that sending him to the other concubines' courtyards was out of fear of displeasing Emperor Kangxi and Consort Hui.
Feeling he owed Chen Xia and their five children a great debt in his past life, Yinti wanted to be a good husband and father. Since Chen Xia arrived, he had never entered the backyard again.
When Chen Xia urged him, he got annoyed and made up an excuse to send all the concubines and princesses in the backyard to the estate.
As a result, Chen Xia had to go to the palace to pay her respects to Consort Hui after her baby's full moon celebration, where she was severely reprimanded by Consort Hui.
Chen Xia wasn't the original owner of this body, so she could only swallow her anger and be manipulated by Consort Hui. A few days after leaving the palace, she had the little system give Consort Hui some medicine, causing her to have an allergic reaction and break out in pimples on her face.
For a high-ranking concubine like Consort Hui, who valued her reputation, this was a devastating blow.
To conceal her facial allergy, Consort Hui used the excuse of staying home to recuperate.
Chen Xia was invited to the palace to attend to her during her illness, but she declined. When Emperor Kangxi visited her, she used thick layers of makeup to cover the red spots on her face.
The imperial physician only said that the old illness had relapsed and was quite serious, requiring the patient to rest quietly at home, etc.
The eldest prince was a filial son, even though Consort Hui wouldn't allow him and Chen Xia to enter the palace to attend to the sick.
However, the couple still went to the palace every now and then, but unfortunately, every time they went to Yanxi Palace, Consort Hui would avoid seeing them.
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