Yinti looked at Yinyou as if he were an idiot, "You want to join the army?" Then his gaze flickered to the other's legs.
Yinyou was a little embarrassed, but his gaze remained firm. "Brother, I just have a slight limp when I walk, but sitting on a horse won't stop me from fighting."
His words caught the attention of Emperor Kangxi.
Yinyou's foot ailment was congenital, which is why he was often bullied when he was a child.
Fortunately, he studied diligently after entering the palace school, and gradually caught the eye of Emperor Kangxi. After gaining Kangxi's attention, his life slowly improved.
Emperor Kangxi did not have high expectations for him; he only hoped that the man would stay healthy and perform his duties well. He never imagined that the man would want to join the army.
"I knew from the beginning that you were good at riding and archery. Although fighting is more about horsemanship, your leg ailment will still hold you back."
It was rare for Yinyou to persist in something. "Father, I want to give it a try."
Looking at Yin You's determined gaze, and then at Yin Ti, seeing the other's serious expression of contemplation, Kangxi could only say, "Then ask your elder brother. If he agrees, I have no objection."
Seeing Yin You looking at him expectantly, and thinking about the hardships he would have to endure in the military camp, Yin Ti said, "I can take you there, but whether you can go to the battlefield depends on your ability. If you can't persevere, you can come back at any time."
Yinyou happily hugged Yinti, "Thank you, big brother."
For the first time, Yinti felt such naked gratitude from his younger brother, and a blush flashed across his face. "He's a prince, after all. How can he be so unruly?"
Looking at his sons' harmonious and ambitious appearance, Kangxi felt a complex mix of emotions.
After several rounds of drinks, Kangxi took the lead in leaving the room for his sons to spend time together and cultivate their relationships.
Yinti then looked at Yinreng with a serious expression, and after a long while said, "I control half of the military power. The ninth and eleventh princes have money and influence, respectively, and the fourth prince is ruthless. The other brothers are either insignificant or imprisoned, so you don't need to worry about them."
Yin Tao ate his meal in silence. Could he possibly listen to what he was saying?
"If the old man suspects you again, we brothers will protect you and rebel."
Yinzhi and Yintao choked half to death on what they had eaten, while Yinyou looked completely bewildered. He had just been thinking about making a name for himself, so how did he end up... rebelling?
Wait a minute, it seems that the merit of following the emperor also counts as merit.
Yinreng looked at Yinti with a mocking expression, "Look at what you're saying, you've almost scared them to death."
Yinqi raised an eyebrow and swept his gaze over, causing all his brothers to lower their heads, while the palace servants practically wanted to bury their heads in the ground.
"Hmph, the old man will definitely find out about what we said today. If we really get into trouble later, none of the people here today will escape."
The other brothers were devastated.
Hongxi ate his meal in silence, thinking to himself, "My uncle is indeed my uncle; he's openly ripping people off."
Hongyu remained calm and expressionless. What could he do? With a father who was always talking about rebellion, what else could he do but eat as much as possible while he was still alive?
With a faint smile on his face, Yinreng looked at his brothers and said, "Don't listen to the eldest brother's nonsense. I will find an opportunity to explain today's events to Father Emperor."
Old Nine looked around and, seeing that no one had expressed their opinion, said, "I think Second Brother is pretty good."
Yinreng raised an eyebrow and smiled.
This shows that the other party is on his side, but he doesn't want to do anything radical right now.
With Hongxi by my side, if I wait another two years and can communicate with him normally, I should be able to avoid many things from happening.
As for his crazy behavior a few days ago, he didn't really want to die; he just wanted to take this opportunity to show his stance and determination.
Judging from Kangxi's recent reactions, things should be more peaceful for the next few years.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Yinreng turned to look at Yinti. "When do you plan to go back? Don't tell me about marrying a princess; even Father Emperor probably wouldn't believe it."
Yinti pouted, "Go back tomorrow morning."
Yinreng was taken aback. He had guessed that his boss would rest for two days before leaving, but he hadn't expected it to be so rushed.
"The situation over there isn't good?"
Yinti nodded, "The Dzungars often use trivial matters to cause trouble, probably to disrupt our patience and then launch a surprise attack."
He scoffed, "But I'm really bored in that godforsaken place. If he wants to play, I'll play along."
Yinyou immediately said, "Then I will leave with my elder brother first thing tomorrow morning."
Yinti forgot about the boy. "Alright, I'll take you along to broaden your horizons."
That evening, after the banquet ended, Kangxi received a secret report.
He heard every word that Yinti had said, and Liang Jiugong, who was serving him, wanted to cry.
Kangxi scoffed, "Look at your expression! That bastard, the eldest son, wasn't talking to Bao Cheng, he was talking to me."
Emperor Kangxi was furious. "He's telling me that if I punish Bao Cheng again, he'll be the first to rebel."
I'm so angry.
Emperor Kangxi took a deep breath.
Seeing that Kangxi was not truly angry, Liang Jiugong smiled apologetically and said, "Prince Zhi was just saying that, and besides, how could His Highness the Crown Prince possibly rebel?"
Emperor Kangxi closed his eyes and remained silent.
If Bao Cheng were to actually choose to rebel one day, what choices would Bao Qing, the fourth brother, the ninth brother, and the tenth brother make?
Kangxi shook his head, not wanting to let himself get lost in wild thoughts any longer.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is back?"
Liang Jiugong immediately said, "They have returned and are resting. Prince Zhi and Prince Qi have also gone back to rest."
Kangxi was deeply moved when he thought of Yinyou's words. His children had all grown up. They used to think about dethroning the crown prince and making themselves the heir apparent, but now they were all thinking about making achievements and establishing their own careers.
Enough, enough. Even with my old bones, I can still keep things under control, no matter how much trouble they cause.
"Send some rewards to Consort Cheng and the Seventh Prince's wife tomorrow morning."
"Yes." Seeing that Kangxi was in a fairly good mood, Liang Jiugong said, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, you should get some rest."
Emperor Kangxi nodded. Since his sons were so restless, he should take good care of his health.
"Let those brats do whatever they want. I need to recover my health before I can join them in their antics."
The next morning, Kangxi got up very early, intending to personally see off his eldest and seventh sons, but to his surprise, his two sons left before dawn, without any intention of saying goodbye to him.
Seeing his master's displeased expression, Liang Jiugong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this servant thinks His Highness the Crown Prince is about to wake up."
This successfully diverted Kangxi's attention. "Prepare breakfast."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com