Chapter 162 Reciprocity
"You'er, tell your father, when did you start writing this policy essay?" Yinzhen's gaze was fixed on the thin sheet of paper, and his steady tone was tinged with a barely perceptible joy.
"It's been less than an hour." Hongzhao blinked. "My son was getting tired of copying the Classic of Filial Piety, so he thought he'd try writing something else to change his mind."
Yinzhen stood there for a long time without speaking, his gaze seemingly glued to the policy essay. Although Hongzhao had filled the page, he had read it more than once, if not three times, during this period. Hongzhao tentatively peeked out – “Father, do you think there’s something wrong with what I wrote?”
Yinzhen looked at his son, his eyes filled with undisguised satisfaction, which made Hongzhao feel a little embarrassed. "No, I was just thinking that Heaven must have infused all the wonders of this world into my son's bones."
He placed the policy document in his hand neatly on his desk, pressing it down with the imperial seal to prevent it from being blown away. "It's too late today. I'll issue the decree first thing tomorrow morning. There are many things that need to be carefully discussed and considered, as well as many key points. I'll teach you all about them tomorrow."
Yinzhen urged Hongzhao to go and rest, but Hongzhao looked at himself and didn't seem to want to rest at all—"Father, aren't you going to sleep? It's so late, and in a few hours we'll probably have to go to court."
The joy on Yinzhen's face just now turned somber when he thought of this matter. Some things were an indelible wound in his heart, but he could not tell anyone, not even his most beloved son. "Father has to wait for news before he can sleep peacefully."
Hongzhao had just heard from Xiaodezi that the Empress Dowager had disguised herself and left Shou Kang Palace through the back door in the middle of the night. Seeing his father's appearance, he could guess what had happened. Perhaps his butterfly effect had brought things forward. Now it was Longkodo's turn.
Hongzhao rubbed his eyes and plopped down next to his father, the Emperor, close to him. "Then I will wait with you, Father. Father will wait for news to rest in peace, and I will wait for you to rest in peace."
These words would have been comforting to anyone who heard them, and Yinzhen was no exception. He reached out and pulled down the thin cloak draped over his shoulder, wrapping it around Hongzhao and keeping him warm. "The wind is cold at night, so don't catch a chill. Otherwise, I'll be the one who gets tired."
...
Less than half an hour later, Su Peisheng finally hurriedly returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
As soon as he entered, he subconsciously slowed his steps. The Crown Prince, wrapped in the Emperor's cloak, was sleeping soundly in the Emperor's arms. The Emperor, in an awkward posture, sat upright without moving. When he saw him enter, he even raised his hand to signal him to be quiet.
Su Peisheng tiptoed inside, bowed, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the matter has been resolved, and the Empress Dowager has returned safely to Shou Kang Palace."
Seeing the Emperor's expression, Su Peisheng knew what he wanted to ask. "Everything is going smoothly, without any disturbance. However, the Empress Dowager... doesn't seem to be in very good spirits. She almost tripped and fell while going down the steps."
Yinzhen had lost patience to listen any further. He waved his hands and feet, and Su Peisheng swallowed the rest of his words—"Go and tidy up the inner palace. The Crown Prince won't be returning to the side palace today; he'll be resting here."
…
The sensational palace secret affair has finally come to an end... at least that's how it appears to outsiders. But Hongzhao felt that the real mastermind hadn't been affected at all, which was really not satisfying. He had given him such a carefully prepared gift, so in return, he couldn't let his good brother down.
There are some things that I'm not really suited to say, and there are better people to say them.
For seven or eight days, the father and son barely left the Hall of Mental Cultivation. What started as a thin sheet of Xuan paper gradually evolved into several memorials and orders, as well as several densely packed "study notes" from Hongzhao.
If Yinzhen had handled it himself, it wouldn't have taken so much time and effort; however, natural disasters are rare. Now that a ready-made teaching opportunity was presented to him, and with ample time, he naturally had to seize the chance to impart all his knowledge.
Furthermore, teachers must differentiate between the types of students they teach; teaching Hongshi and teaching Hongzhao are naturally not the same thing.
When Lü Jiaying came in carrying a food box, she saw the father and son teaching and learning, and the smiles on their faces were as genuine as could be.
"Your Majesty, it's lunchtime, please take a rest."
The two people behind the table looked up at the sound, and Hongzhao even stood up immediately, his voice full of joy—"Empress Mother is here!"
Yinzhen smiled as he watched his son's joyful figure disappear into the distance. Looking at his empress's increasingly charming appearance and figure, he felt completely relaxed. "Since the empress has spoken, how can I refuse? Su Peisheng, serve the meal."
…
When it was just the three of them together, there was naturally no rule about not speaking while eating or sleeping. Lü Jiaying stood up, ladled a bowl of soup, and handed it to the Emperor, casually starting a conversation—"What did Your Majesty think of what I said last time?"
Yinzhen thought for a moment and knew what she was talking about. He nodded without any objection and said, "The Empress is thinking of having the children go to worship their ancestors together on the Double Ninth Festival. This is a good thing. You can arrange it as you see fit."
Lu Jiaying reached out to serve food to Hongzhao and said naturally, "I was thinking that now that the children are growing up, it would be good for them to go out and see the world. Every year it's the same old Baohua Hall, so why not try something different this year and go to a temple outside?"
"Firstly, it brings good fortune for people to go out and climb mountains on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Secondly, it lets the people see how outstanding our Qing Dynasty princes are."
Yinzhen put a piece of duck meat in his mouth, not finding the Empress's suggestion abrupt. After all, she had always been a lively person, and naturally had many ideas when it came to these matters.
"Hmm, not bad. Your Majesty, please make the arrangements. Hongshi is the eldest, so tell him to take good care of his younger brothers. Now that he has married a Fujin, I have noticed that he has made a lot of progress in his studies. If I had known this earlier, I should have chosen this Dong E woman for him sooner, so that I wouldn't have to be so angry with him."
Seeing that she was finally getting to the point, Lü Jiaying looked up at the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, rest assured, I think the Third Prince is very much like an older brother. Besides, there’s our You’er with him, so he can keep an eye on his two younger brothers. The four of them have always had a very good relationship.”
Whether he genuinely forgot or deliberately didn't want to mention it, the Emperor completely acted as if there was no such person as the Fourth Prince, and directly acquiesced to the Empress's words, only ordering his four sons to travel.
Although the Fourth Prince usually acts like a ghost, this is the Double Ninth Festival, and it is one of the few opportunities for ordinary people to recognize the princes in the palace. It is a signal to the officials.
If he couldn't make a fuss or even show his face at this point, everyone would probably know that the Emperor didn't care about this son, and who knows how anxious the Fourth Prince would be.
If someone in the crowd were to stir things up and add fuel to the fire... Hongzhao lowered his head under the pretense of eating to conceal the interest in his eyes.
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