"Sister, I heard that you are living very well in Khorchin. Not only do you hold political power, but even Garzang is very obedient to you."
Duan Jing laughed heartily after hearing this, "Bao Cheng, you're starting to make fun of me now."
In the palace, Duanjing was a gentle princess. No one expected that after marrying into Mongolia, this princess would not only win over her husband's heart but also seize power in Khorchin.
Not only her, but also Princess Rongxian, who married into the Bairin tribe of Mongolia, was in the same situation.
"We princesses are able to live well on the grasslands thanks to the support of our fathers and brothers in the palace. In the past, during festivals, Father Emperor would send many things over, not only as rewards but also as a reminder to the grassland tribes," Princess Rongxian said frankly.
"Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, he still treats us sisters with such courtesy, so the people of the grassland tribes dare not look down on us."
Duan Jing nodded in agreement, "Even if they don't try to curry favor, no one will dare to do anything bad."
On the surface, Yinreng smiled kindly, but in his heart he knew very well that everyone was just doing what was mutually beneficial and exploitative.
Princesses who were married off needed the support and attention of their fathers and brothers in the palace. Similarly, the royal family also needed the princesses who were married off to distant places to provide relevant clues.
Princess Rongxian and Princess Duanjing, in particular, held real power in their respective regions, making them even more useful to the imperial court.
"It's rare for us to meet, and it just so happens to be Father Emperor's birthday banquet, so we must have a good drink together."
After Yinreng finished speaking, everyone raised their cups and walked toward Kangxi, who was surrounded by the leaders of various Mongol tribes.
The old man was chatting happily with a group of people, and now seeing his outstanding children walking towards him, he couldn't be more proud.
After several rounds of toasts, Kangxi couldn't take it anymore.
Yinreng personally escorted Kangxi back to his tent, then had the imperial physician bring him a hangover remedy. He personally fed it to Kangxi and left only after Kangxi fell asleep.
Although the old man was very happy during this tour of Mongolia, he felt increasingly tired, perhaps due to his advanced age, and experienced many discomforts after arriving in Mongolia.
"Your Majesty, Father Emperor doesn't look well." Lady Guarjia helped Yinreng change his clothes and then expressed her concern. "When does Your Majesty wish to depart for the capital?"
Yinreng sighed, "Father Emperor means that we will return to the capital after a day of rest."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Father Emperor wants to return to the capital before my birthday."
Guarjia paused, letting out a silent sigh.
Even though the two didn't say anything explicitly, they were both very worried about Kangxi's condition.
They were worried that the journey was too long and bumpy, and they were also worried that something might happen and they wouldn't be able to return to the palace in time.
The couple couldn't help but feel conflicted about this matter, and they remained troubled from the moment they set off to return to the capital until the imperial carriage returned to the palace, at which point they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Kangxi intended to return directly to the imperial palace after returning to Beijing, but Yinreng insisted on keeping Kangxi in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, citing his longing for his father.
It took two months to get there, but less than two months to get back, even with a rushed trip.
The first thing everyone did upon returning to the palace was to see the chubby Yongchen, a name given by Emperor Kangxi, who was sent back to the palace by express courier.
Hongxi couldn't help but chuckle the moment he saw the name; it was still the same name after all.
Kangxi adored Yongchen, holding him in his arms and weighing him several times before handing him to Yinreng. "This boy is much fatter than you were when you were born. You were weak when you were born, like a little kitten."
Yinreng couldn't help but chuckle as he held Yongchen in his arms.
This kid is quite heavy; it's a bit difficult for me to carry him.
Holding Yongchen, Guarjia couldn't help but say, "This child looks exactly like Hongxi when he was little, both of them are fair-skinned and chubby."
Hongxi blushed, while Yinreng burst into laughter.
"Yes, Hongxi was chubby when he was little, but he grew up to be thin and frail."
Hongxi couldn't help but scratch his head. Surely he wasn't so weak and frail? Was he being compared to Uncle Nine?
Thinking of his uncle's mountain-like appearance, Hongxi shook his head and refused.
After looking at the child for a while, Kangxi showed signs of fatigue. Seeing this, Yinreng told everyone to leave first, while he stayed behind to take care of Kangxi.
Since his abdication, Emperor Kangxi had been living in a temporary palace and rarely summoned Yinreng to see him. He was a completely different person from the emperor who would write three letters if he did not see Yinreng for a day.
However, Yinreng understood Kangxi's feelings for him, so he would visit the imperial palace every three days and also send Hongxi to visit him on weekdays, ensuring that the old man would never lack visitors, mainly to prevent the old man from feeling lonely.
However, during their trip to Mongolia, the father and son returned to their previous pattern of eating and sleeping together, and Kangxi began to show increasing dependence on Yinreng.
Once, when he was sick and taking medicine, he threw a tantrum. No matter how Liang Jiugong tried to persuade him, it was no use. In the end, it was Yinreng who had to step in and coax him with just a few words before the old man obediently gave in.
Seeing that the old man's health was deteriorating, Yinreng devoted half of his attention to taking care of him.
Aside from attending court every day, even the task of reviewing memorials was left to Hongxi, while he himself would spend his time after court strolling in the garden and drinking tea with the old man, which was quite pleasant.
Kangxi had been obediently staying in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but in November he started clamoring to go to the Changchun Garden, insisting on his own opinion no matter how much Yinreng tried to persuade him.
Left with no other choice, Yinreng entrusted important matters of the court to Hongxi, while he and his other brothers stayed in Changchun Garden to accompany Kangxi.
At this time, Emperor Kangxi was already showing signs of illness, his face and body were getting thinner and thinner, and there was hardly any flesh left. Even the usually thick-skinned emperor couldn't help but secretly shed tears when he saw this.
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