Chapter 92 A Secret Maneuver Fourteen I slept until six or seven o'clock, then woke up…
Fourteenth Prince slept until six or seven o'clock. When he woke up, his stomach was growling with hunger. As soon as he sat up, he saw Fourth Prince sitting at a table not far away in the dim candlelight, holding a scroll in his hands. Fourteenth Prince thought his eyes were playing tricks on him and couldn't help but rub his temples. However, because his head was buzzing from the alcohol, he immediately hissed.
Hearing the noise, Fourth Master put down his book and said irritably, "Awake?" He then nodded to the side. A short while later, a table full of food was brought in from outside.
Fourteen felt awkward inside, but outwardly he pretended to be calm, swaggered over, picked up his bowl and started eating, without even looking up.
Fourth Master felt sorry for him seeing his condition and reached out to put a piece of food on his plate. Unexpectedly, Fourteenth Master choked and spat out his food, then couldn't help but cough heavily.
Fourth Master: ......
He handed over the handkerchief with a mix of disdain and amusement, but quickly added with a hint of complaint, "It's hard to even have a peaceful meal."
Fourteen wiped his mouth and drank a few more sips of soup, still looking listless with his back slumped.
Fourth Master had something to ask, so he didn't continue to tease him. He said, "Did you run into Eighth Brother while drinking?"
He nodded and made a "hmm" at 2 PM.
Fourth Master continued, "What did they say?"
Fourteen's eyes darted around. "Eighth Brother comforted me, saying that if I really wanted it, I should wait and see. When the Emperor is in a good mood, he'll put in a good word for me and let me train in the infantry or the police force." Of course, he also said other things, like that the Crown Prince's recommendation wasn't genuine, otherwise why would the Emperor only choose Thirteen and not him? He also said some other random things, but he was too drunk to remember them now.
Fourth Master's brows furrowed. "You agreed?"
"Don't look down on me." The Fourteenth Prince rolled his eyes. "People say a loyal minister doesn't serve two masters. Besides, if I don't have a job, it's not the Crown Prince's fault." Who told his father, the Emperor, to look down on him? If he resented the Crown Prince because of this and turned to the Eighth Prince, wouldn't he become a greedy and treacherous coward?
The Fourth Prince was slightly relieved by his attitude, but still had to give him a few words of advice: "Your Eighth Brother seems eloquent and adept at navigating social situations, but he has grand ambitions and is extremely cunning. Don't get involved recklessly." If the Emperor doesn't approve the Crown Prince's memorial, but approves the Eighth Prince's, what will become of the Crown Prince? And what will become of the Fourteenth Prince?
Fourteen found his brother's words really unpleasant to hear. Although Eighth Master and he weren't on the same wavelength, Eighth Master's words of advice were quite comforting. He said, "Eighth Brother might have just said it casually. Besides, I'm not close to him."
Fourth Prince lost his temper when he heard him talk back. "Not close enough? Ha, then why are you calling him 'Eighth Brother' so affectionately? You've sent countless gifts to the Eighth Prince's residence these past two years. Not only on the three major festivals and two birthdays, but even this year when his concubine gave birth to a little princess, you sent a generous gift. Do you think everyone doesn't know?" The gifts were so generous, almost as much as what he, a prince, would send. Honestly, he's never been this attentive when sending gifts to his own brother.
Fourteen, with his neck stiff, retorted, "These are two different things!"
Fourth Master was furious: "How did they become two different things?"
Fourteen couldn't explain it to him in a short time, so he turned around, rolled onto the bed, and covered his head with the quilt.
Fourth Master was amused by his actions, but seeing that he didn't jump up and leave, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Fine, think about it yourself, I'm too lazy to say anything more."
After Fourth Master left, Fourteenth Master finally poked his head out to catch his breath.
Years ago, when the Eighth Prince was the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department, he had taken good care of him, and he couldn't be ungrateful. Of course, he only believed half of what the Eighth Prince said today—he genuinely wanted to recommend him, but his attempt to belittle the Crown Prince was probably for personal gain. Fourteenth sighed inwardly; the Crown Prince had truly been incredibly kind to him. If the Crown Prince hadn't been sincere, then his rebellion against the Crown Prince would have been perfectly logical. But the Crown Prince trusted and valued him greatly; he couldn't hold a grudge against the Crown Prince just because he hadn't received a position—that would make him an ingrate.
But if he doesn't act like an ingrate in front of the Crown Prince, he has to act like one in front of the Eighth Prince. What kind of situation is that?
To be honest, if he had a choice, Fourteenth Prince wouldn't want to be labeled an ingrate in front of either of them. But he had no choice; it was obvious to everyone that the Crown Prince and Eighth Prince didn't get along, and he couldn't please both. After much thought, Fourteenth Prince decided to send a generous gift to Eighth Prince's residence under the guise of a festival gift.
I received your kindness in the past, and now I am giving you money and gifts as a way of repaying your favor!
The next morning, Fourteenth Prince and Fourth Prince had breakfast together. During the meal, Fourth Prince said, "Since the Emperor said you have an unstable temperament, then you should practice more in the next two years. One day the Emperor will see your talent." Even if the Emperor doesn't remember, as long as the Crown Prince remembers, Fourteenth Prince will always have a chance to rise to prominence.
Fourteen took a sip of the salted duck egg and, unusually, didn't contradict his brother: "Then give me some advice."
The Fourth Prince said, “Since you are interested in military affairs, then pay more attention to the Ministry of War when you attend court. Visit the Crown Prince more often and look at the reports on the deployment of troops in various regions. If you have any insights, write them down and present them to the Emperor. Wouldn’t that be better? Also, don’t slack off on your martial arts training. As the saying goes, ‘How can one sweep the world if one cannot even sweep one’s own room?’ Although you don’t have a proper job, and you don’t lead troops or fight battles, as a prince, aren’t the guards and servants in your household all your people? Keep them training so that you won’t be caught off guard when an opportunity comes your way.”
Upon hearing this, Fourteen thought it made a lot of sense, and immediately said with sparkling eyes, "That's exactly what my brother would say!"
Fourth Master: ?
Seeing that the Fourth Master's expression had changed, Fourteenth Prince chuckled guiltily, "Well, what do you mean by 'no talking while eating'? Let's have our meal." After finishing breakfast, Fourteenth Prince felt less worried now that he had a plan in mind, and he happily scurried back to his residence.
Fourth Master shook his head as he watched his retreating figure. He felt a mixture of pity and hatred for him, along with an inexplicable sense of smugness and joy.
When he was fourteen, he didn't have many proper duties; most of his work was running errands for the Emperor. And with his personality at fourteen, he's even worse than he was back then. Now he wants to run around outside—ha! It's a good opportunity to really curb his temper and prevent him from causing trouble outside.
——
Cheng Qianyue had almost finished her beef when the kitchen staff reported that only about a pound of beef remained in the Donglizhai rations, though there were still some beef rib bones left. Cheng Qianyue thought she'd just braise it all, since fresh beef tastes best when stir-fried, but frozen food stored in the ice cellar needed a different way of being prepared. Besides, it was winter now, so something warm would be better. She decided to have some soup noodles with the braised beef and beef bones.
The noodles were nothing special, just simple clear broth noodles with a spoonful of lard for added flavor, and a few blanched, tender green vegetables as a garnish. The main dishes were braised beef and braised beef ribs, which were a perfect complement to the clear broth noodles. In addition, the kitchen staff probably worried that the meal would look meager with only a few dishes, so they added two small stir-fries and pickled vegetables.
A table of clean, simple, and neatly prepared food looks appetizing.
It's just that some people don't seem to be focused on eating.
Cheng Qianyue watched as Yinreng kept adding diced pickled vegetables to her bowl, several spoonfuls in a row without stopping. Looking at him, he indeed seemed absent-minded, but not in the way of being unhappy or distracted; rather, he seemed to be thinking about something in a good mood, a bright smile on his lips that was impossible to ignore.
Cheng Qianyue thought to herself: This looks like a weasel that has just stolen a chicken. But adding more pickled mustard greens to the bowl would be too salty, so she couldn't help but ask him, "What are you thinking about, Master?"
Yinreng stopped what he was doing when he came to his senses, and said with a smile, "It's nothing, let's eat first." Then he picked up his chopsticks and put some braised beef on her plate.
Alright, Cheng Qianyue wasn't the type to pry, so she started eating. But what happened next was quite different. It seemed like Yinreng was trying to make amends for his earlier distraction, constantly piling food onto her plate. She'd barely finished the braised beef when he put ribs on her plate, followed by stir-fried dishes. In the end, he'd given her a few bites from every dish on the table.
Cheng Qianyue thought he was really lively today. Holding the bowl, she said, "Grandpa, don't worry about me. Hurry up and eat, or the noodles will get soggy."
Even after finishing his meal, Yinreng's good mood hadn't faded; he just couldn't help drinking water, taking sips every now and then.
"Serves you right, who told you to put so much pickled vegetables in the bowl?" Cheng Qianyue found it particularly amusing and poured him tea herself. But as soon as she put the teapot down, he pulled her into his arms.
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Why is Master in such a good mood? Did something good happen?"
Yinreng wanted to maintain his composure, but when the question was pressed, he couldn't care less. Besides, he had come here to share his joy. "I suppose so. Thirteen got a good job, and Fourteen is busy training the guards in the manor. So I don't have to be a teacher anymore."
Oh, so that means he'll be able to go to Changchun Garden again to attend court with the Emperor.
To be honest, Cheng Qianyue didn't think this was a good thing. Putting everything else aside, the weather was getting colder every day, and going back and forth to court for political affairs was no easy task. However, not wanting to spoil his mood, she said, "That's good. Master has been working as a tutor in the garden for the past six months. Now you can finally do something else."
Hmm, now that she thought about it, she seemed to understand why he was so happy. It seemed rather stifling for a prince to only be able to do the work of a teacher.
Yinreng smiled and said, "Yes."
Fourteen was the bewitching potion he released, while Thirteen was the trump card he secretly unleashed. Thinking back to the Nine Gates Commander Tuoheqi, who only uttered a few words of loyalty to the Crown Prince at a banquet and ended up having his property confiscated, how could the Emperor possibly send a prince who had left the West Garden, eager to lead troops, to the military camp?
However, the Emperor had previously stated that the two princes were to step forward and share the burden, so while suppressing the Fourteenth Prince, he would certainly give the Thirteenth Prince a position. In his memorial, he wrote that the Thirteenth Prince possessed practical abilities and could be assigned to the Censorate to supervise officials. If the Emperor felt the Thirteenth Prince lacked sufficient qualifications, he could first send him to the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Personnel for training. In the end, the Emperor indeed made no choice and directly placed him in the Ministry of Revenue, right under the Eighth Prince's nose.
This was exactly what Yinreng wanted.
Of the six ministries, the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for the assessment and appointment of officials, was the most important, while the Ministry of Revenue, as the foundation of the national treasury, ranked second. How could the Eighth Prince be at ease with such a purse bag in his hands? Furthermore, in recent years, the Ministry of Revenue had frequently reported deficits in the national treasury, with no one knowing where all that real money had gone. Therefore, the Thirteenth Prince was his pawn planted in the Ministry of Revenue. As the saying goes, constant dripping wears away a stone; as long as he could break through the Ministry of Revenue, he was certain he couldn't find incriminating evidence against the Ministry and the Eighth Prince!
Cheng Qianyue's heart pounded as she watched his smile gradually transform into an aura of domineering arrogance. Oh my god, although she didn't know what he was thinking, that devilishly handsome look was just too good; she really wanted to push him down right now!
Yinreng downed the tea in one gulp, and saw Cheng Qianyue looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes. He smiled arrogantly and immediately picked her up.
The next day, even after Yinreng had left, Cheng Qianyue still hadn't gotten out of bed. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that she slowly and reluctantly got up, and while getting dressed, she heard Ruoyun say that it was snowing outside.
"This is the first snow of the year," she said, breathing out warm air.
Cheng Qianyue unconsciously looked out the window: It's snowing, which means the year is almost over.
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