Unable to get a satisfactory answer, Yin Zhi stormed out of the study. Qing Yan came around from behind the screen, her little mouth twitching with delight. Yin's cunning was getting better and better.
"My little darling!" Yin pulled Qingyan into his arms, and the fragrance emanating from her body dispelled the pent-up frustration in his heart.
"Fourth Prince, the Third Prince must have a backup plan!" Yin set a trap for Yin Zhi, wanting him to personally go to Kangxi to ask for his attention.
Yinzhi has been leaving the palace early these past few days and only returning when the time comes. If he doesn't find any useful medicinal herbs while he's away for such a long time, Kangxi will definitely use the Imperial Guards to investigate, and the affair at the outer residence will no longer be able to be hidden.
Yin kissed her little face and continued writing the Heart Sutra, which he hadn't finished.
Three days later, at dawn, just as Qingyan got up, Sulan mysteriously approached her ear and whispered to Qingyan that Lady Dong'e had brought Dong'e Lingning to the palace to pay her respects. Unexpectedly, after Dong'e Lingning encountered Yinzhi, she was dragged directly to Yinzhi's study.
After Dong Eshi realized what was happening, Yin Zhi immediately left the person in the Prince's quarters.
Instantly, Dong E's anger was ignited. The princes on the other side of the wall were making a scene. Last night, Yin's smile surprised her. Only after the incident did she realize how petty that person was.
"Princess, shall we go and take a look?" Su Lan didn't get along with the maids around Dong E Shi, and was repeatedly harassed when she went to the imperial kitchen to get her meals.
"No need, didn't we just have people make excuses to talk about it?" Dong Eshi's health hadn't recovered, and she had been wanting top-quality medicinal herbs to nourish her body. Yin Zhi had come to ask for help time and time again, but Yin had firmly turned her down each time.
Lady Dong'e probably heard that the platinum hairpin in Dong'e Lingning's hair would also be framed against her.
“Princess…The Grand Princess Consort has passed away!” Qingyan shook her head. Her position was somewhat awkward, and she shouldn’t get involved in these delicate matters.
"Once Si Si returns, everything will be clear!" Qing Yan refused. Yin Zhi's insistence that she stay put must have his reasons.
For the entire morning, Qingyan was restless, her gossipy nature stirred up. She kept thinking of going next door to find out what was going on, regardless of Yin's decision. In the end, her gossipy nature was defeated by reason.
Before lunch, Yin returned directly from the Ministry of Revenue. He looked at Xiao Guai's expectant expression and nodded in satisfaction.
"Sisi, tell me quickly, how's the situation over there?" Qingyan asked with interest, her little paws tugging at his sleeve and swaying from side to side.
Yin went to his study to wash up before coming to find Qingyan.
"Little darling, is it noisy over there?" Dong E Lingning was now officially on Kangxi's radar. Originally, Kangxi intended to betroth all three of Dong E's sisters to Yinzhi.
Emperor Kangxi's decree to grant a marriage and Yinzhi's direct taking of a woman to bed are two different concepts, although the final result is the same.
"That's impressive. I could hear the voices of guards too." Qingyan recalled that just now, guards had gone to the Third Prince's courtyard.
"Father Emperor ordered him to kneel in the Fengxian Hall to reflect on his mistakes." Yin couldn't help but chuckle. Since the grand wedding, Yin Zhi had caused so many laughs.
The scholars of the Hanlin Academy always said that Yinzhi had the demeanor of a Hanlin scholar. They said that those romantic and talented men would be impetuous in their youth, but would gradually mature as they grew older. Kangxi kept all of this in mind.
"Ah?!" Qingyan did not expect that Kangxi would be so disrespectful to Yinzhi, sending him to Fengxian Hall to reflect on his mistakes.
Isn't this blatantly telling everyone that Yinzhi is an unfilial person?
"Little darling, this is Father Emperor. He is the Emperor first, and then Father!" Yin was taught by Consort Tong from an early age to be honest with the Emperor, and even if there were things to hide, he should be prepared for the worst.
Qingyan gave a wry smile. Fei Yanggu's actions were all done openly, and he would never cross Kangxi's line of taboo.
She turned to look at Yin. In the future, he would also be the emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Would he become as suspicious as Kangxi?
"Then... how should we talk about the medicinal herbs?" Qingyan wanted to refuse, but was worried that Kangxi would issue an imperial decree.
No matter how bad Dong E was, she was still the primary consort of the imperial family. For her to have an incident during the mourning period for the Empress Dowager was a complete disgrace to the imperial family.
"Hmph, Father Emperor said it's unnecessary. The fact that Yinzhi can announce good news at this time clearly shows that he doesn't care about the Empress Dowager." Yinzhi also doesn't like the Empress Dowager, but he does a very good job of putting on a show, making everyone think that the Empress Dowager is very good to Yinzhi.
Qingyan felt sorry for the old lady. Her children and grandchildren appeared to be very sad, but in reality, they were all genuinely concerned.
"The fifth prince has lost his backer, and his relationship with Consort Yi is not good either," Yin said, referring to Yin Qi.
Yinqi was taught by the Empress Dowager to be very close to Borjigit, and his relationship with Consort Yi was very weak. Apart from the daily greetings, Yinqi rarely went to see Consort Yi.
"Pfft," Qingyan spat out her tea. She'd mentioned Yinzhi, but then brought up Yinqi too; Consort Yi was truly pathetic. "Does Yinzhi kneeling in the Fengxian Hall this month have anything to do with it?"
Qingyan looked at Yin, whose gloating expression was a little too obvious, wasn't it?
"Of course there is. Originally, Kangxi did not intend to make Yinzhi kneel in the Fengxian Hall, as the imperial dignity could not be compromised. Yinqi heard that Yinzhi was going out of the palace to find medicinal herbs at a certain time, and thought it was for the Empress Dowager. Who would have thought it was for Dong Eshi?"
From a young age, Yinqi was taught by the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager that he must treat everyone equally. His primary consort, Lady Tatara, was also a virtuous woman. Even before she married into the princes' household, she asked the Empress Dowager to find someone to serve Yinqi.
After the Empress Dowager's funeral, he heard the news that both his primary wife and concubine were pregnant. He had initially thought it was just a rumor. After Consort Dong'e's miscarriage, the Imperial Hospital was silenced. If Yinzhi hadn't acted so drastically, giving Yinqi leverage, he probably wouldn't have gone to the Empress Dowager to complain.
Qingyan was quite surprised to hear Yinqi complaining behind her back. Shouldn't gossiping be the domain of young girls?
Even in the royal family, this prince is prone to gossiping behind people's backs.
"Could it be that the Empress Dowager spoke to His Majesty, which is why that person was punished by kneeling?" Qingyan found it somewhat amusing; with all the princes observing mourning, such gossip could still emerge...
"No, Yinqi only said that Yinzhi's concubine is pregnant." Yinqi was wondering if Yinqi had any brains, actually saying this in front of the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager had a very deep relationship. If it weren't for the Grand Empress Dowager taking care of her for decades, the Empress Dowager would probably have been deposed by the late Emperor long ago.
"The Empress Dowager consulted a trusted imperial physician and discovered that the child had been conceived before, during the time when the primary consorts were attending to the ailing Emperor." Qingyan was utterly speechless. Yinzhi's concubines were indeed involved in illicit sexual relations!
"You're right to kneel!" Qingyan looked down on his concubine, and even more so on someone like Yinzhi.
The first wife was taking care of the elders in front, while the husband climbed into the concubine's bed behind. (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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