"I only have my father and brothers at home, so I'm afraid it's inconvenient?" Yin Qingyi hesitated. She had been here for a year and a half and had never actually met the Yin family father and son. Why did she feel a little guilty about suddenly being asked to meet them?
"What's the big deal? I'll go with you. Who would dare to gossip?" Yinzhen said nonchalantly.
"Oh, then let's talk about it again in a while. It's not settled yet." Yin Qingyi thought that they would have to meet sooner or later anyway, and it was impossible to never see each other again. It was normal for her to have changed a bit in the past year and a half, right? Men probably wouldn't observe so carefully.
"Yes, we really can't rush it. We need to make some preparations." Yinzhen nodded seriously.
"...Hmm, Your Highness can keep an eye on things." Yin Qingyi looked at the solemn Yinzhen with some confusion. Did a prince like him need to make preparations for visiting the home of a seventh-rank official? Well, perhaps she was mistaken. It was not necessarily the Yin family who were referring to the preparations.
The preparations took about a month, because before the first month of the lunar calendar was over, Emperor Kangxi couldn't stay idle and once again took his sons on a southern tour, which lasted for about a month.
Winter goes and spring comes, early summer arrives
Yin Qingyi sat in the courtyard basking in the sun. In early summer, one could only bask in the sun at dawn and dusk. Looking at the rising sun, she sighed in her heart. Things had been unsettled since the 42nd year of Kangxi's reign. A few days ago, news came that Suoertu had been imprisoned by Kangxi and had committed suicide in the prison. This was the first shot in the struggle for the throne among the nine princes.
Yinzhen had only been back for half a month when Prince Yu passed away yesterday. Today, all the princes who were leading the way, including Yinzhen, were sent by Kangxi to wear mourning clothes for Prince Yu. Alas.
"Why is Master sighing so much today?" Qiuju asked, looking at Yin Qingyi who was sighing for the third time. She was puzzled, as there was nothing bothering her.
"I sigh, it's not even autumn yet and there are already so many things happening," Yin Qingyi said, feigning nonchalance.
"...Master, all you do all day is come out for a walk and you don't do anything else. You've handed over the housekeeping to Granny Qi. Unless it's something you absolutely have to review, you hardly need to worry about anything else. What do you mean by 'meddling'?" Qiuju was almost laughing in exasperation at her mistress. Everyone in Luoxue Pavilion could say they were busy, but not her mistress!
"Tsk, there are some things you wouldn't understand even if I told you, it's pointless." He gave Qiuju the same disapproving look as before. This little girl is getting bolder and bolder. She used to seem so composed, how come she's getting closer and closer to Chunlan?
"Yes, yes, yes, this servant is foolish. So, does Your Highness wish to go see Prince Honghui today? Ever since Your Highness returned half a month ago and you had Your Highness take Prince Honghui away, he has been causing trouble in the front yard every day. It's been half a month and he's still like this. If you don't go see him for a day, he can wait without eating or drinking." Qiuju did not comment on her mistress's words and could only talk about Prince Honghui's matter first.
"...See, isn't this the problem? Tsk, let's go." Yin Qingyi sighed helplessly. She was quite happy that she had persuaded Yinzhen to take Honghui away that day, but before she could even enjoy her happiness for long, Yinzhen came to Luoxue Pavilion and took her to the front courtyard because Honghui wouldn't eat! This kid may look silly, but he actually managed to force people to comply by going on a hunger strike! Once it happens, it will happen again, so Yin Qingyi has to run to the front courtyard every day! She really brought this on herself. It would have been fine if he had just stayed at Luoxue Pavilion, but she had to take him away, and now she has to run there every day!
Qiuju watched her mistress's back and chuckled to herself. She couldn't understand why her mistress didn't want Prince Honghui to stay at Luoxue Pavilion. It wouldn't do her mistress any harm, would it?
When Yin Qingyi walked into Honghui's yard in the front yard, she heard the voice inside, which sounded like someone was coaxing a baby. The voice was so sickeningly sweet that it gave Yin Qingyi goosebumps all over. Unfortunately, even with such a sickeningly sweet voice, Honghui didn't eat a single bite of food.
"Honghui, didn't I tell you yesterday to eat properly today? If you continue to disobey, I won't come to see you tomorrow." Yin Qingyi walked into the room, looked at the servants surrounding Honghui, and then at Honghui himself, her voice stern.
"Honghui wants to eat with his mother." Although Honghui was much better than before, he still had a lot of trouble speaking, and his intelligence was only that of a two-year-old child. When he saw Yin Qingyi again, Honghui's eyes lit up.
“But Honghui has grown up and can eat by himself now. Also, Honghui, you have to call me your stepmother, not your mother.” Yin Qingyi patiently said to Honghui from the back.
"Mother!" Honghui didn't understand the difference between being a concubine and an illegitimate child; in his heart, she was his mother. He felt very close to her and relied on her, so he would only call her that as he pleased.
"...Honghui, if you call me 'Mother,' I'll be arrested and beaten. Are you willing to let me be taken away by others?" Seeing Honghui's insistence, Yin Qingyi could only resort to threats. Although it wasn't exactly threats, if Emperor Kangxi found out that Honghui called her "Mother," she wouldn't be beaten, but Emperor Kangxi would probably put a bad impression on her, which was not what Yin Qingyi wanted.
"Don't arrest him! He's a bad guy!" Honghui panicked, stood up and stood in front of Yin Qingyi, cursing, though it was unclear who he was cursing at.
"Then Honghui must be good and call me stepmother from now on, understand?" Yin Qingyi pulled Honghui over and said gently.
"Yes, Honghui, Honghui doesn't want, doesn't want Mommy to be, to be taken away!" Honghui nodded with great grievance, but he still called out for his mother.
“…Honghui, is the stepmother.” Yin Qingyi had a headache and could only keep repeating the instruction.
“Shu, shu, shu…” Honghui tried for a long time but couldn’t get the answer.
"Shu...E...Niang," Yin Qingyi taught Honghui, enunciating each word clearly.
“Shu, er, er, niang.” Honghui’s tongue was practically tied in knots before he could finally say “shu.”
"By the way, Honghui, you're great. You have to call me that from now on, okay? Otherwise, you won't be able to see your stepmother anymore." Yin Qingyi smiled. It was quite an accomplishment to teach a little fool to say hello.
"Mm." Honghui nodded, but you could still tell from his expression that he was very aggrieved. Looking at the two bulges in his eyes, if Yin Qingyi hadn't comforted him in time, they probably would have already fallen.
"Then Honghui, can you eat your food obediently? I don't know if this is the first meal, but from now on Honghui will have to eat obediently to grow up, so that he can protect his stepmother from being kidnapped by bad people." Yin Qingyi suddenly understood how to make Honghui obedient. Although it was a bit shameless, as long as it worked, that was fine, right?
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