Chapter 122 Observing the Situation Yinreng was seventy percent certain, certain that the Emperor…
Yinreng was 70% certain that the Emperor's confinement of him in the West Garden was intentional.
That morning, he arrived at Danning Residence, and as soon as he entered, he sensed something was amiss. There wasn't a single eunuch serving him in the hall, except for the Emperor. Kneeling in the hall, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Then, a short while later, the Emperor tossed down a memorial from above. Before he could even pick it up and examine it closely, he heard the Emperor say in a deep voice, "It's from Jiangnan. It says that during your southern tour, a scholar knelt and kowtowed three times outside your residence."
Yinreng immediately frowned and raised his head in surprise. The three kneelings and nine kowtows were a grand ceremony that only the emperor could receive, and he said, "Your subject is unaware of this matter."
The Emperor sat on the dragon throne for a long time without speaking. After a while, he said, "The scholars of Jiangnan all praise you as the future ruler." Then the Emperor picked up the teacup on the table and smashed it down hard. In an instant, the teacup shattered into pieces, and water splashed everywhere.
This sudden attack was utterly baffling. Just as Yinreng was about to kowtow and beg the Emperor to calm his anger, he heard the Emperor sternly say, "Guards! The Crown Prince has deceived the Emperor and pleaded for a criminal. Order the Imperial Guards to escort him out of the palace. From this day forward, he is forbidden to step outside the palace grounds and must reflect on his actions!"
When the people outside came in, Yinreng swallowed all the words he had said in his defense, his face showing only astonishment. When he returned to the West Garden, he heard from his servants that the garden had been sealed off and the front courtyard had been surrounded by the imperial guards.
This whole affair is truly bizarre from beginning to end. It's not that someone is smearing him; what's bizarre is the Emperor's attitude towards it. Thinking back to the incident with the Nine Gates Commander, the Emperor wouldn't let a word out before dealing with the person; the matter would only surface after everyone was punished, and then he would publicly reprimand and remind him. But this time is different. The Emperor actually lashed out at him directly, and even deliberately created a smokescreen to reprimand him.
So what is the Emperor thinking?
Yinreng's first reaction was that the Emperor wanted to protect him, that the Emperor wanted to test whether anyone in the capital was coveting the throne, and that he wanted to find out who was behind it.
When this thought arose, even Yinreng himself found it hard to believe. Over the years, he had truly grown accustomed to the Emperor's occasional reprimands, so when he realized that the Emperor's actions might very well be to protect the Crown Prince, he couldn't help but feel suspicious. But he couldn't think of any other reason besides this.
He was the emperor's son, and no one knew the emperor better than him!
Yinreng pondered for several days, thinking that if his idea was wrong, then so be it; but if it was right—if the Emperor wanted to set up a stage for a play, then this good son would not mind adding pillars to it. So afterwards he wrote a memorial, stating that the scholar who knelt and kowtowed to him three times was absolutely fictitious, and that he had no intention of rebelling.
After that, he continued as before. Since the Emperor wanted to "confine" him, he would comply, even if it meant enjoying himself for a shorter period of time; this little hardship was nothing to worry about. He just didn't expect that Cheng Jia Shi, that audacious woman, would dare to come to the front yard at this time.
This was a matter of great importance, and he didn't want to reveal a word of it. But since someone was risking everything to come to his side, he couldn't bear to let her leave. After a moment's thought, he let her in. Sure enough, seeing her tearful face, he couldn't help but secretly tell her his suspicions. He had also decided that she shouldn't leave until things were over; she should stay with him. But he hadn't expected her to distrust him. These past few days, she had been serving him cautiously, and lately, she had become slightly bolder, openly and subtly saying that the position of Crown Prince was not good.
Yinreng: ......
Before even arriving, Cheng Qianyue had already begun to speculate about what Yinreng would be like. She compared him to how he was when he was first deposed. Back then, Yinreng's temperament was incredibly gloomy and unpredictable, both fragile and terrifying. So, she mentally prepared herself, thinking that Yinreng might become despondent, manic, or even self-destructive.
When she came in, she was dumbfounded. The person looked perfectly fine, a stark contrast to her expectations.
But the more Yinreng acted this way, the more uncertain Cheng Qianyue felt. What kind of provocation would drive him to this? If this continued, wouldn't he develop a split personality? Cheng Qianyue was incredibly worried. Honestly, she'd rather go crazy; at least then she could express her emotions outward. If Yinreng kept everything bottled up inside, even believing the Emperor wouldn't depose him again, how would he cope when the imperial edict for the second deposition of the Crown Prince arrived?
Cheng Qianyue really wanted to break through that barrier. But she didn't dare to bluntly tell him: "Sir, just give up. The Emperor will definitely depose you. Stop deceiving yourself."
Oh dear, what should we do?
Cheng Qianyue was troubled. Finally, she decided to cheer him up and make him feel better, then subtly hint at it. So, Cheng Qianyue tried to find a way to make him happy. As for how to do it? Ah, the old method—treat him well!
Thinking about it this way, the current situation is similar to that of the time when things were first abandoned. It seems that you can enter the front yard but not leave, because you can't go to the garden to enjoy the scenery, so the scope of your actions is quite limited. But fortunately, the kitchen staff still listens to them, and no one stops them from eating whatever they want.
So Cheng Qianyue had people prepare fish in various ways. Since Yinreng liked fish, and there were plenty in the fish farm—besides the ornamental carp, grass carp, and silver carp—they could be cooked as soon as they were caught. Therefore, at Cheng Qianyue's request, fish was served at every meal for Yinreng, prepared in various ways: steamed, braised, stewed in soy sauce, and so on.
Today's main dish is fish, served in a hot pot style similar to modern boiled fish. The fish fillets are made from grass carp, and the side dishes include bean sprouts and other greens, as well as tofu skin. It's sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, and hot oil is poured over it, so it's served with a strong spicy aroma.
Cheng Qianyue personally placed a slice of fish into Yinreng's bowl: "Your Highness, please try it. Fish is more tender when eaten this way."
Yinreng said, "Sit down quickly, I don't need you to serve me so meticulously." As he spoke, he put food on her plate and even thoughtfully picked out all the fish bones before putting them into her bowl.
Cheng Qianyue breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he enjoyed the food. She felt he seemed to be in a good mood lately, so she tentatively said, "Your Highness is doing quite well now." Hearing Yinreng's questioning "hmm," she continued, "Don't you find it relaxing? When it's hot, you think about what cold dishes to eat; when it's cool, you think about what to eat to nourish your body. That's how life should be lived to be enjoyable."
Yinreng chuckled softly and quickly replied, "It sounds very leisurely, but one can't always live like this; one must always do something worthwhile."
Cheng Qianyue thought to herself, "You're going to be crippled for the second time, how will you ever get anything important in the future?" She whispered, "Those government documents are so tiring to read, you should relax a bit now."
Isn't this already a relief? If he doesn't write or read, he has nothing else to do. Yinreng thought to himself and slowly shook his head.
Seeing his expression, Cheng Qianyue took a deep breath and stopped talking, thinking to herself, "That's enough of today's subtle reminder."
About half a month passed like this. Cheng Qianyue felt that her previous verbal hints had been too mild and that it was time to take a more drastic approach. So one afternoon, as the two of them sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) playing cat's cradle, she said, "Master, if we could live like this every day from now on, what would you think?"
Yinreng hadn't intended to play with such girly toys, but he couldn't resist her pleas. He stopped when she brought up serious matters: "It won't be like this every day in the future, so let's play a little longer while we have some free time." When he ascended the throne, things certainly wouldn't be like this anymore. As for her, he had already decided on her position and her purpose.
Cheng Qianyue was no longer in the mood for playing games, so she had to be more explicit and looked at him with concern, saying, "Your Majesty, it's been more than a month since you came back." Winter has already arrived, and the Emperor still hasn't lifted his confinement. Isn't the implication obvious?
Yinreng was taken aback.
Cheng Qianyue put down the flower rope, took his hand and said, "Grandpa, do you still remember what I said back then? That my children and I could share both joy and sorrow with you." Her eyes welled up with tears. "But you're always like this, how can I rest easy?"
Honey, although it's difficult, you have to face the facts. If you become mentally ill and live in your own world, how heartbroken she and the children will be.
Yinreng was almost swayed by her emotions. He wondered how she could be so certain he was about to fall from power. If the Emperor truly wanted to depose him, he would have issued the decree long ago; why wait so long? However, hearing her say this warmed his heart. As the saying goes, time will tell. In her eyes, even if he were no longer the Crown Prince, she was willing to stay by his side.
This sincerity is more precious than gold!
As Yinreng thought this, he pulled her into his arms and held her as if she were a precious, heavy treasure chest, and said as if making a vow: "With such a heart, I will never betray you."
What the hell is this about being responsible or not? Cheng Qianyue thought in a daze, wasn't this about facing reality? Why is it bringing up sincerity or not? She pursed her lips and continued, "I know that Master can't stay idle. In the future, we can live a good life in the garden. After spring comes, our whole family can go to farm and raise fish in the lake. This is also a proper thing to do."
She had already planned it out; once the deposed crown prince's decree came down, they would probably be able to leave the courtyard. Then they would have many more things to do. Since Yinreng was full of energy and wanted to do something productive, why not go farming and raising fish? Don't many people in modern times return to their hometowns to farm or become fishpond owners? Food is the most important thing for people, and farming is a proper job!
Cheng Qianyue said enthusiastically, "Besides, we're much better off in the garden than we were in Xian'an Palace back then." Even a dog wouldn't want to live in that tiny plot of land in Xian'an Palace. The garden is so much better—it's big and spacious! So she started planning the garden herself. For example, she could clear land in the southeast corner of Donglizhai to grow vegetables, and she could dig a small pond in the northwest reed area to raise fish and fish.
Yinreng listened to her rambling on and on, his heart softening completely. He thought he might as well coax her, so he nodded in agreement to everything Cheng Qianyue said. Cheng Qianyue was overjoyed, feeling that he had finally seen the light, so she talked even more enthusiastically. As a result, after talking for a while, her throat was dry and hoarse.
Cheng Qianyue: Oh, my throat!
Yinreng had someone brew some throat-soothing tea and poured her a cup, saying with a smile, "You won't talk much these next few days, will you?"
Even if she wanted to speak, she couldn't. Cheng Qianyue nodded pitifully. But as long as Yinreng listened to her, it would be worth it even if she lost her voice.
As night fell, Yinreng slowly opened his eyes, turned his head to look at the sleeping woman, and tucked her in. After doing so, he looked up at the dark bed curtains, thinking that if even she thought he was about to collapse, then most of the people outside would think the same. He chuckled softly, a cold glint in his eyes.
If you cast the net for a longer period of time, the big fish will finally surface.
He slowly clenched his fist.
Father Emperor, you have done many things that have disappointed your son. Could you please go along with your son this time and not disappoint me?
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