As evening approached, Yin accompanied him into the inner courtyard. He heard that Xiao Guai had rewarded Granny Liao with some gold, which put his mind at ease. The little guy wasn't so ignorant of human relationships.
Tomorrow morning, he will return to his brother's residence, and for at least ten days, he will not be able to stay by her side.
The Empress Dowager's henchmen were everywhere, and he was really worried about whether the little guy could escape her pursuit.
"Little darling, don't go to the old house recently. Unless I come in person, don't go to the palace no matter who summons you, even if Li Dequan or Su Peisheng come in person." Before Yin left, Kangxi specifically instructed that if Qingyan was to enter the palace, it had to be Yin himself, to prevent the Empress Dowager from causing trouble.
"Huh?!" Qingyan's watery eyes widened. Was the atmosphere outside this tense?
Yin took Qingyan's little hand and turned to walk towards the dining hall. Today, Fei Yanggu and his son were on leave, which was specially arranged by Kangxi.
Seeing the two of them so intimately cuddling together, it was no wonder that Eshuo and Saito were in a bad mood. Their sister should have belonged to them, but an imperial edict from Emperor Kangxi forced Qingyan to leave her home. From then on, the three of them would be separated by the thick palace walls.
From then on, the three siblings would need Emperor Kangxi's permission to meet.
"Fourth Prince, Qingyan will need your care from now on, as we won't be able to see her often while we're out." E'shuo bowed respectfully to Yin. In the new residence, Yin diligently fulfilled his duties.
He was extremely respectful to both Eshuo and Saito. In his previous life, he was too arrogant, which led to the tragic death of his legitimate son, the gradual decline of his legitimate wife, and the betrayal of his most powerful maternal family.
"My two brothers-in-law, please rest assured, I will protect Xiao Guai well. I hope you can put in some effort during these few days before she enters the palace." Yin hesitated to speak, but Fei Yanggu was fully aware of the collusion between the Jue Luo clan and the Empress Dowager.
Fei Yanggu understood that Kangxi made the arrangements in advance simply to prevent the Ulanara family from gaining a bad reputation.
"Yes!" Qingyan looked at Eshuo and Saito and felt a pang of sadness as she saw them becoming respectful to Yin.
Outside the door, many people hoped that something would go wrong with her during these ten days or so, and even Jue Luo was one of them.
"Of the shadow guards Father Emperor sent me, I've only kept one. The other four are staying in Xiao Guai's courtyard to guard her until her wedding. They'll accompany her all the way to ensure no one tries to cause trouble on the road." Yin never dared to underestimate the people under the Empress Dowager's command; these men were battle-hardened.
Many of them were trained by elders who had served three dynasties, and those elders who followed the Empress Dowager into the Central Plains were still contributing their remaining energy.
The Dragon Guard and Shadow Guard, which Kangxi controlled, were partly established by Emperor Taizong and partly by Kangxi imitating the Shadow Guard established by Empress Dowager Ti. If the Empress Dowager wanted to launch an attack, she could easily find the crux of the matter and leave Qingyan with no way out.
During dinner, Yin discussed the security of Qingyan's courtyard with Eshuo and Saituo. Liao Mama had been dismissed, but it was hard to guarantee that the people in her courtyard had not been bribed. Moreover, Jueluo Shi would play a crucial role.
Granny Liao was also tricked by the Empress Dowager and Lady Jue Luo; otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen into their trap.
“Mother…sigh…Fourth Prince, before Qingyan’s wedding, she needs her own mother to do her hair and makeup. What do you think…” Kangxi issued a secret decree, instructing Lady Gioro to feign illness recently. Now, Fei Yanggu was in a real bind. What should he do today?
Yin was also somewhat frustrated by this. Previously, Kangxi had suggested that Consort Tong come out to do the makeup for the banquet, but she only had one prince, no princesses...
In his previous life, Consort Tong's eighth princess was not born in this life. Yin felt a little regretful, but at the same time, he was relieved. His mother's health was gradually ruined by the pregnancy, and in the end, the early death of the eighth princess greatly affected her mood.
"His Majesty intends to summon the wife of Prince Yu." Fuquan's wife was very happy to accept, as she had a legitimate daughter in addition to Baotai.
Qingyan ate her dinner obediently, while Yin, who was discussing the wedding preparations with Fei Yanggu and his son, also took care of Qingyan's progress in eating.
Eshuo and Saito were quite satisfied with Yin's actions. Qingyan's identity destined her to marry into the royal family, and Yin was the best to Qingyan among the princes.
On the table were Fei Yang, Gu Gu Zi's, and the other two's favorite dishes, but they had no appetite for them. The thought of Xiao Guai leaving made them feel sad. Whether they would be able to eat these delicious dishes again in the future was another matter.
"Father, I will write down all your recipes. Even if I get married, I will still be your daughter. You can't treat me like water that's been thrown away, can you?" Qingyan saw that Fei Yanggu and the others were not in a good mood, so she quickly acted coquettishly. "I can't see you in the palace. Every seven days, I will have Yin deliver the recipes to you!"
After Yinzhen's marriage, Kangxi would have him attend the morning court sessions, even though he was still too young to participate in politics. Kangxi would not break the rules, and the Empress Dowager would be watching closely. If they were not careful, the old lady would have a handle against them.
“Okay!” Fei Yanggu agreed without hesitation.
At this moment, the atmosphere inside the Cining Palace was tense. The Empress Dowager had heard that Kangxi would issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage the next day, and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had already selected an auspicious day for Yinzhi and Qingyan to get married.
The Empress Dowager felt increasingly frustrated. Kangxi was no longer as obedient as before, and he would refuse even the smallest of her requests.
"Your Majesty, Yinzhi is still young. Yinzhi is not yet married, so how will he feel if his younger brother is married first?" The Empress Dowager decided that if she stopped this matter, there should still be a chance for a change.
"Grandma, there's no other way. Master Yuanyi has calculated that it's best for Yinzhi to marry at a young age. Yinzhi will be able to get married next April. I've already discussed this with Consort Rong." Kangxi directly blocked the Empress Dowager's path.
In the end, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to acquiesce. She had no way to scheme against it. The nanny that Su Mo'er had found in the Ulanara residence was also sent away by Fei Yanggu.
Qingyan no longer has any spies around her, so she can't do anything malicious anymore.
Furthermore, Fei Yanggu was ill, and she knew perfectly well that this was just a decision Fei Yanggu made to protect Qingyan. On the surface, she could not allow the Jue Luo clan to enter the palace to discuss matters.
"Grandma, it's time for you to enjoy your retirement. I will treat my cousins from Khorchin well." The wives of the princes from Khorchin often came to see the Empress Dowager. Kangxi knew what they wanted. Xiao Guai was absolutely out of the question. The prophecy of Master Yuanyi made Kangxi pay more and more attention to Qingyan.
The Empress Dowager was furious. Whatever Kangxi wanted to do was his prerogative. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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