On the day of her rest, Yihua had planned to take Honghui to the villa to relax for a day.
Having been working long hours lately, Honghui has become much more energetic, but he has also lost weight rapidly. The baby fat on his face is long gone, and the young boy is already starting to resemble Yinzhen.
Yi Hua felt sorry for Hong Hui, who was about to start high school from kindergarten. Taking advantage of the fact that she didn't have to go to the palace that day, she had already planned a day trip to the villa.
Yinzhen also polished the plans for the day, and he and Honghui took some time to make kites by hand.
Unfortunately, a beautiful day was interrupted by three uninvited guests.
The Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, and Fourteenth Prince had clearly made an appointment. The three young boys stood in front of Yinzhen, puffed out their chests, and looked at each other. Finally, the Fourteenth Prince, despite Yinzhen's cold expression, spoke up: "Fourth Brother, where is my nephew Honghui? It's rare for him to have a day off. My Ninth and Tenth Brothers want to take Honghui horse racing."
Yinzhen always presented himself as a serious and taciturn man.
The younger brothers were also afraid of him; the ninth and tenth princes were only brought here by the fourteenth prince for courage.
"No." Yinzhen directly rejected the Fourteenth Prince, not even bothering to give a perfunctory reason.
The Fourteenth Prince was clearly prepared. He raised his chin and said smugly, "I knew you wouldn't agree. I told Father Emperor when I came out. Father Emperor said we should take good care of Honghui and even allowed us to go to the Imperial Stables to pick a fine horse for Honghui to take away."
Yinzhen took a deep breath and, considering that his two younger brothers were still present, refrained from directly lashing out at the Fourteenth Prince: "Su Peisheng, go and tell your mistress that we'll go to the villa another day to get Honghui a riding outfit. I want to go horseback riding with my brothers."
Su Peisheng agreed, glancing at the Fourteenth Prince with some sympathy. Their master hated being manipulated the most, but now that the Emperor had spoken, he had no choice but to obey. Sooner or later, he would have to make up for it.
The Fourteenth Prince is truly a remarkable person; he only remembers the good things he's done but never the bad ones!
Yihua didn't take it to heart. Although she regretted not being able to spend more time with Honghui, it wouldn't hurt for her son to have a few more loving uncles.
Furthermore, although the ninth and tenth princes had dealings with the fourteenth prince in history, they were loyal to the eighth prince and were always at odds with Yinzhen.
They are still young, and the situation isn't so tense yet. Hopefully, Honghui can act as a mediator and ease the tension between the brothers.
At least don't become that lonely figure recorded in history books, despised by your own father and hated by your brothers.
Yi Hua changed Hong Hui into a royal blue riding outfit, feeling a little proud inside. This handsome young man was hers.
Unable to resist, Yihua lowered her head and kissed Honghui.
Honghui blushed deeply, wanting to dodge but afraid of hurting Yihua's feelings: "Mother, Honghui is a big boy now, you can't kiss me anymore."
Yi Hua added a kiss on the other cheek: "What if Mother just wants to kiss you?"
Honghui's eyes lit up, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Then Honghui is a little kid today, and a big kid tomorrow."
Yi Hua couldn't help but laugh; she was just too cute.
"Go have fun." Yi Hua patted Hong Hui's bottom. "Remember to stay close to your father, or your fourteenth uncle is fine too. Don't stray too far from your elders, okay?"
"Hmm!" Honghui was very excited to go horseback riding. He was getting older and had ridden on Yinzhen's horse a few times. The feeling of riding like the wind immediately attracted him.
Watching Honghui run off excitedly without looking back, Yihua felt a little listless: "I didn't sleep well last night, I'm going to go back to sleep for a while. Tell the people with Honghui to remind him that the prince's safety is the most important thing!"
"Yes," Chen Mama replied.
******
The Left Chief of the Imperial Stables, dressed neatly, waited at the door. His not-so-loose official robes made his belly stand out unusually, which made Honghui take a second look.
The Left Secretary Cai led the princes and grandsons to the stables with great courtesy: "Your Excellencies have come at the right time. Recently, a batch of rare breeds have been presented from various places. In particular, there is a red dragon horse that has just been able to walk. It is fiery red all over without a single blemish. It is a breeding of the Akhal-Teke horse, which is perfect for the young prince to practice on."
Honghui immediately took a liking to the Red Dragon Steed that Cai Zuosi had mentioned. It was a little mare with big, round, and bright eyes. She was learning to walk, her beautiful hooves twirling, each step steady than the last. As her hooves moved, her long mane danced in the air, like a red ribbon, making her incredibly beautiful.
Yinzhen's heart skipped a beat. A horse of this quality should have been snatched up long ago: "Left Secretary Cai, is this prepared for Honghui?"
"Yes, His Majesty instructed that when Prince Honghui reaches the age to ride a horse, he should have a suitable horse. So, when I saw this child, I knew that Prince Honghui would like it, so I specially reserved it for him." Cai Zuosi stated his achievements and flattered Honghui.
It was good that there was no owner. Yinzhen held Honghui and placed him on the back of the little pony.
The Fourteenth Prince used his agility to push Yinzhen aside and snatched the reins from the pony: "Honghui, your Fourteenth Uncle will teach you how to ride a horse."
"Alright, Honghui thanks Uncle Fourteen." Sitting on horseback, Honghui cupped his hands in a gesture of respect that had a distinctly江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air, which made Ninth Prince eager to join in. He and Tenth Prince also came over, and the three young uncles led Honghui to the horse farm.
"Master, a servant from Shangsiyuan has come to deliver a message. A gentleman from the Ministry of Revenue, who claims to be surnamed Niu, says he has urgent business with you," Su Peisheng reported.
Yinzhen was a very responsible person at work. Upon hearing this, he began to ponder in his mind whether there was a problem with one of the accounts, or if there was an urgent need for money somewhere, or perhaps...
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