When Emperor Kangxi fell seriously ill, he appointed Prince Yong to oversee the country, with Prince Yu and other ministers assisting in governing.
In just a few days, the situation changed dramatically. The crown prince, whose position was secure, chose to rebel, and the once-powerful Eighth Prince was personally ousted by Emperor Kangxi. Now, sitting on the throne is none other than the relatively unknown Prince Yong.
He sat just below the throne, within arm's reach, truly a step away.
After several days of getting to know each other, the court officials gained a deeper understanding of this notoriously bad-tempered prince.
This is a master who is hardworking and not easily fooled. If the deposed crown prince is one-eyed and the Eighth Prince wishes he could close both eyes, then Prince Yong is one-eyed and perhaps even hiding a third eye.
However, to everyone's surprise, his temper was much better than rumored. Although he rarely smiled, he also rarely lost his temper.
Everyone can see that Kangxi's health is now very good; he can't afford to be overworked anymore. Nowadays, all the families are secretly preparing for his funeral, so as not to lose face if something unexpected happens.
Therefore, Yinzhen, who reaped the benefits, became the object of everyone's flattery. However, upon closer examination, the court officials were all bewildered. This Prince Yong seemed to live the life of an ascetic, and they had never heard of him going to brothels. When he occasionally went to restaurants, it was always with his brothers. As for money, with Ninth Prince as his benefactor, Prince Yong was not lacking at all.
So when the ministers discussed it privately, they would ask the burning question: What is this Prince Yong after?
He held power but was not greedy, always consulting the ailing Emperor Kangxi before making any decision. He remained unmoved by beautiful women around him; his sister was renowned for her beauty, yet what happened? Nian Gengyao was now frustrated and unable to find a way back to the capital.
It's just that I heard he respected his first wife very much, which is understandable, since Prince Honghui was favored by Emperor Kangxi and his mother rose in status because of her son.
Everyone felt helpless and exhausted when faced with such an unyielding master.
Those who were close to Prince Yong all kept a low profile. They would exchange pleasantries when they met, but when asked to have a meal or drink alone, they would simply say they were too busy.
Of course, not everyone will be turned away.
A guest arrived at the Fourteenth Prince's residence; it was the head of the Wuya family and the elder brother of Consort De.
Wuya Huixia has been sent back to Yihua in a respectable manner. They have to take good care of her and find her a good family, as the princess has told them. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
After being reminded by his wife, the head of the Wuya family realized that Prince Yong was no good because he had been an ingrate since childhood and did not acknowledge his uncle. But there was still Prince Sisi, who was a close uncle and nephew.
As expected, despite the tense situation, Yinzhen still chose to meet with the head of the Wuya family.
"Uncle, what urgent matter is it?" Yinzhen asked Wanyan to prepare a table of food and wine, and the two began to drink.
Seeing that Yinzhen seemed to be in a good mood, the head of the Wuya family said, "I was a little worried about Your Highness. You haven't been able to come to the palace to pay your respects these days. The Yong Prince's Mansion has never been a place to welcome uncles. Fortunately, there is the Fourteenth Prince."
Yinzhen said seriously, "Since Fourth Brother is in the palace, Fourth Sister-in-law should indeed avoid suspicion, but it's not directed at Uncle."
The head of the Wuya family was surprised that Yinzhen would speak up for Princess Yong, and after a moment of hesitation, he continued, "I am relieved to know that Her Majesty is alright."
The two chatted for a while longer, and then the head of the Wuya family noticed that Yinzhen was a little drunk: "To be honest, your uncle feels sorry for you."
"Hmm?" Yinzhen's eyes reddened, and he looked somewhat bewildered.
"In terms of the Emperor's favor and your position in the Empress's heart, you are superior to the Fourth Prince. You are only now taking advantage of your age to be noticed by the Emperor," the head of the Wuya family whispered enticingly. "If you take a step back now, your descendants will have to kneel down; if you take a step forward, you will ascend to heaven in one step."
“I think Her Majesty always supports you. Whether or not to fight for it depends on the Fourteenth Prince’s decision.” The head of the Wuya family poured wine for Yinzhen. “I can serve as a pawn for Her Majesty.”
"By the way, have you met Huixia? She's quiet and lovely, and she was trained by the empresses in the palace. How about letting her accompany the Fourteenth Prince's wife?"
Yinzhen seemed to have drunk too much. He didn't react at all to the treasonous words of the Uya family head. He swayed and collapsed onto the table. Soon after, snoring filled the air.
The head of the Wuya family did not get the answer he wanted. He wanted to shake him awake, but he was afraid that Yinzhen would act up while drunk, so he could only leave reluctantly.
After he left, Yinzhen straightened up. There was no trace of drunkenness on his face, and his eyes were frighteningly deep.
He was pondering his uncle's words, which had given him a new perspective. Although he and his fourth brother seemed to be at odds, he knew they were brothers from the same womb, bound by blood.
Therefore, she had previously acted recklessly in front of her fourth brother because of her young age and her mother's affection, but she never thought of starting her own household.
Perhaps it was for Honghui's sake; Yinzhen could never forget the look in his fourth brother's eyes when his nephew was bleeding from his head.
She also couldn't forget the trust Honghui placed in her after he woke up.
This trust was so profound that Yinzhen was willing to conceal his brilliance and follow behind Yinzhen.
This journey together has lasted for so many years.
Yinzhen smiled and, instead of using a wine cup, directly poured the wine from the pot into his mouth.
******
The next day, Yinzhen entered the palace a little early to see Consort De.
“Mother, if you don’t restrain the Wuya family, then I will take charge of it myself. Otherwise, if we run into Fourth Brother’s hands, we will be like chickens that are slaughtered.”
Consort De was initially delighted to see her youngest son, but was then subjected to a barrage of criticism, leaving her somewhat bewildered.
Seeing this, Yinzhen was relieved, as long as it wasn't his mother who instructed his uncle yesterday.
So he revealed everything that Uya's family had instigated: "Mother, I won't steal what belongs to Fourth Brother, and he can't take away what is rightfully mine. Isn't it better for the three of us to live peacefully like this?"
Consort De sat there without saying a word, not even noticing when Yinzhen left. It was only when Granny Lü came to serve her tea that she reacted.
"Tell me, if the Fourteenth Prince had gotten that position, wouldn't it have been a better choice for me?" Consort De suddenly asked, her blood boiling just thinking about the possibility.
Fourteen was a filial son from a young age, grew up by her side, and always did what she wanted.
The fourth child is rebellious by nature. He once recognized someone else as his mother, and even after returning as an adult, he never showed any affection to his mother.
Although both are equally precious, choosing one isn't difficult.
Green Granny's heart skipped a beat. She looked around and whispered, "Your Majesty, the inner palace must not interfere in politics. Prince Yong and the Fourteenth Prince are both your own sons and will be filial to you."
"Yes, you're absolutely right." Consort De nodded, but she was still absent-minded, seemingly lost in thought.
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