The Tong family was almost completely wiped out, and the reason, when people traced it back to the source, turned out to be their disrespect for the Fourth Prince in the street.
This is interesting. Whether the Fourth Prince was involved in the downfall of the Tong family is really hard to say.
The Tong family believed they had something to say, but they could only curse the fourth son behind his back for being ruthless and cruel. They had no concrete evidence and no confidence to get to the bottom of things.
Emperor Kangxi certainly had this suspicion, but all his investigations yielded only unsubstantiated fragments that could not be used as evidence. Although he was furious that the Tong family dared to deceive the emperor, he was also wary of his fourth son, who might also be hiding behind the scenes.
As a result, the Fourth Prince, who had been extremely popular after the disaster relief efforts, gradually lost his influence.
Emperor Kangxi seemed to have forgotten about this son, and he did not assign him any more tasks. His rewards for disaster relief were also mediocre. Originally, everyone was wondering if the dynasty would have another prince.
If Honghui hadn't continued to enter and leave the Hall of Mental Cultivation as usual, it would have been a foregone conclusion that Yinzhen had fallen out of favor.
Consort De in the palace remained calm, but the Fourteenth Prince was furious upon hearing the rumors and got into several fights. Of course, he never lost.
Yinzhen himself was well prepared for this and accepted it well. He went to court every day as if it were his daily duty and then returned to his residence, never accepting any social engagements.
Of course, he rarely accepted this before, but now the reason is readily available: the wife in the household is pregnant.
With most of his energy withdrawn from the court, and Honghui being taught by his father, the Emperor, he set his sights on Hongyun.
After only a few days of instruction, Yinzhen was greatly disappointed. This child had lost much of his charm compared to Honghui when he was young.
He comforted himself, thinking that having a legitimate son like Honghui was already a great blessing, and that it was better if the illegitimate son was a bit dull, so that there would be fewer disputes and troubles in the future.
Lady Li felt a sense of pride that Hongyun had finally gained Yinzhen's favor, and in recent days she walked with a brisk pace and became much kinder to the eldest princess.
She used to envy and be jealous that Honghui was personally taught by Emperor Kangxi, but now she thinks it's not so bad, at least Yinzhen's attention is on Hongyun.
There's an element of affection between people who meet, after all, Hongyun was personally trained by the master, and his importance in the master's heart is different from that of others.
Only Hongyun would cry as soon as he heard that he was going to his father's place. "Father is so fierce! He won't even give me any cakes to eat!"
******
On the day Honghui was on leave, Yinzhen took Yihua and Honghui to the villa early in the morning.
This is a farm that Emperor Kangxi bestowed upon us in our early years. Yinzhen was very interested in farming and learned farming skills here. Today, he wants to bring Honghui along.
Because Yi-hua came along, umbrellas, as well as various snacks and teas, were prepared early next to the farmland.
Like Yinzhen, Honghui changed into shorts and trousers with his hands and feet tightly bound, and wore a bamboo hat on his head. From a distance, he really looked like a farmer, except that his clothes were a bit too clean.
"Honghui, do you recognize what this is?" Yinzhen asked, pointing to the contents of the basket.
“Father, it’s potatoes.” This was no problem for Honghui.
“Yes, today my son and I will bury these potato tubers in the soil. Later, your father will personally demonstrate to you how to loosen the soil, how to plant them, and finally how to prepare the land.” Yinzhen gestured casually. “There are four rows here. Your father will be responsible for three of them. Honghui, are you confident that you can complete one row by yourself?”
"Yes!" Honghui said confidently. It was the first time he had been so close to the land, and he was very excited.
Yi Hua hesitated, feeling sorry for Hong Hui but unable to comment on Yin Zhen's parenting methods. She could only ask Yu Xiao to prepare plenty of plum juice so that the child could have a refreshing drink when he was thirsty.
"Alright, let's go then." Yinzhen patted Honghui's little head, turned around and smiled at Yihua, "Madam, please make yourself at home. If you are tired or sleepy, go and rest in the courtyard. I'll take care of Honghui."
"Your Majesty, please go ahead and do your work. I'll take a look first." Yi Hua was very curious about how Yin Zhen would personally cultivate the land and didn't want to leave at all.
Yi Hua watched from afar as the father and son did their work in a very professional manner, blending seamlessly into the farmland in perfect harmony.
Granny Chen felt sorry for Honghui: "Madam, our young master is so precious and has never done any heavy work since he was a child. Today he is directly following the master... Do you think it is appropriate?"
"Don't worry, Granny. Honghui is being raised in the Prince's mansion. If he were born into a commoner family, my master and I would be an ordinary couple, and he would be running around in the fields by now. My master knows what he's doing."
"Besides, the father and son spend their days reading and writing in such a small space. It's a rare opportunity for them to exercise and improve their health, so why not take advantage of it?"
Yi Hua agreed with Yin Zhen's approach. Their Hong Hui couldn't be lazy and ignorant of farming in the future. Besides, how could those in power truly love and care for the people like their own children if they hadn't personally experienced the lives of ordinary people?
She hopes that if Honghui ever holds great power in the future, he will not forget what he learned today and will work for the well-being of the people.
Honghui was still young, and in no time at all, he came running back with his tongue sticking out: "Mother, Mother, water!"
He gulped down a large cup, wiped his mouth with a flourish, and said, "Mother, I'm going back."
Honghui jogged back to the field. Looking at the area he had already prepared, he would uncover the soil and redo it if he wasn't satisfied, striving to match his father's work.
Half an hour later, Honghui came to Yihua's side again: "Mother, Honghui wants to drink more water."
Seeing that Honghui's forehead was covered in fine sweat and his face was flushed, Yihua reached out and unbuttoned the top of his collar: "Honghui, you have been working continuously for half an hour, do you want to take a break?"
“No.” Honghui retorted instinctively, “Father is still doing it, so can I.”
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