She quickly ate lunch, put the dishes in the dishwasher, took two plates of fruit from the refrigerator and placed them on the coffee table. Yin specially wiped the table as well. Normally, he would never do this. In his previous life, Yin had suffered a lot during disaster relief.
"Fourth Brother, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could stay here quietly forever?" Qingyan leaned on Yin's shoulder after finishing her meal, nuzzling her face against him.
Yin patted her back, thinking about the sweltering heat outside, and he also considered staying here.
"My little darling, Father will definitely let us ride horses for half a day again tomorrow. This is a good opportunity for us to get some training," Yin whispered in her ear.
Qingyan was filled with confusion. What... what does this have to do with anything?
"I'm already quite old for this trip to the grasslands, and we're newlyweds. Before, those princes certainly wouldn't have given me the chance to compete!" Yin explained helplessly.
Compared to the other princes, he was the youngest among them, so even if he lost, he could justify his actions.
"Huh?!" Qingyan was stunned. Was she involved in this too?
"You! Tomorrow it certainly won't be so limited. You'll have to accompany your mother in her carriage. Consort Rong won't be able to cause any trouble on the road." Qingyan's mouth was slightly open, her eyes filled with curiosity.
On the way, didn't Consort Tong say that she wouldn't be chosen to serve her?
Yin held her soft little hand in his and kneaded it. Consort Tong told Qingyan to stay in the carriage, which was also to ensure Qingyan's safety.
Along the way, the Empress Dowager would often summon the wives of Mongolian origin, and Xiao Guai was a thorn in their side.
"Those people caused a lot of trouble in the capital, and now they want to cause trouble here too." Qingyan pouted, harboring a deep grudge.
He comforted her, gradually calming her agitated emotions.
As evening approached, the two emerged from the space. After the carriage stopped, Su Peisheng respectfully conveyed Kangxi's order from outside the curtain, instructing them to prepare for dinner at the imperial tent. The Mongol wives, who were accompanying the Empress Dowager, heard that the Fourth Prince and his wife had also come. They all dressed up their best girls, intending to find out where Yinzhi often frequented so they could bump into him.
Upon hearing this, Qingyan realized that those people were accompanying the Empress Dowager and understood their intentions.
"A calamity!"
Yin felt frustrated. He didn't want to see those women, but he had no choice but to confront them.
"Come, let's go have a meal first!" Several princes had arrived, but only Yineng was able to approach the imperial tent.
Apart from Yinzhi, the other princes felt somewhat resentful.
After Qingyan alighted from the carriage, he saw guards coming and going in the camp. The imperial tent was surrounded by imperial guards dressed in yellow riding jackets. When the guard captain saw Yin and Qingyan coming over, he quickly came forward to pay his respects.
"This servant greets the Fourth Prince and the Fourth Princess Consort. His Majesty has invited you two to dine!" The imperial guards were mostly from aristocratic families of the Upper Three Banners. Seeing how favored Yin was, they all decided that they would have a good talk with their families when they returned home.
Yin nodded slightly and left with Qingyan.
"Little darling, how have you been on this journey?" Kangxi's first words were not directed at Yin, but rather at Qingyan.
"Father, it's alright!" Qingyan replied with a smile, glancing at Sulan.
Su Lan held a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl filled with chilled fruit. Along the way, none of them had had a proper meal.
"Father, this is for you and Mother. Your daughter-in-law has prepared quite a few pots!" The pots that Qingyan brought out were all made in Fei Yanggu's villa. It has to be said that these pots, cultivated by the farmers who came with Fei Yanggu's own hands, are really much tastier than ordinary pots.
Li Dequan took the fruit from Su Lan's hand and saw that it contained not only peaches, but also a lot of cherries and mangoes. Some of these were often sent as tribute from the south. He never expected that Fei Yanggu would actually grow them.
"Little darling, this... was it grown in Fei Yanggu Villa?" Kangxi looked at Little darling.
"Yes, Father Emperor." Many of these foods are made from tree species that have undergone spatial transformation, allowing them to grow southern fruits in the north.
Li Dequan placed the fruit in front of the imperial table. Kangxi and Lanya ate the fruit with silver forks. The cool sensation and sweet taste made them feel that the sweltering heat had instantly dissipated.
Seeing that Kangxi and Lanya were both very satisfied, Yin felt relieved. Previously, some southern tree species had appeared in Feiyanggu's remote area and all of them had survived. He was worried that the censors would use this as a pretext to attack Qingyan. After much consideration, he decided to take advantage of the autumn harvest to resolve these issues.
"Hmm, the taste is quite good!" Kangxi smiled. He understood Fei Yanggu's little scheme in having Qingyan prepare these things.
"Go back and tell Fei Yanggu that he wants to send me some fruit in the summer!" Kangxi's attitude was clear, and Yin breathed a sigh of relief; Fei Yanggu's plan had succeeded.
Qingyan was kept in the dark by Fei Yanggu and Yin, and her bewildered look pleased Kangxi greatly.
The servants in the inner chambers of the imperial tent were tidying up. Some of these third-rank servants and maids had been bribed by the imperial concubines or court officials, and they would eventually spread the word about who had caused this incident.
"Father, I also grow these fruits in my villa, and I bring them up every summer." Yin's words left Kangxi speechless. This brat started to oppose him as soon as he married his wife.
Pfft!
Consort Tong laughed. Ever since Yin returned to the palace to avoid smallpox, Emperor Kangxi and his son Yin had often argued in Chenggan Palace. Everyone was used to it.
"Little darling, come to your mother. The imperial kitchen will send over dinner in a little while. Stewed dishes won't do. We'll arrange a proper rest for the next two days. The task of preparing special meals will be entrusted to you and Yin!" Consort Tong always hoped to create more opportunities for the two children to spend time together.
"Yes, Mother!" Yin stood up. Tomorrow, when they went to the county town, Father Emperor would definitely be going out as well, so they would have no choice but to be his little followers.
"Hmph, didn't we agree that it would just be the two of us going out? Why are you bringing two little ones along? Now that Yin is married, it's only right that he treats his wife well," Kangxi sneered.
Qingyan tilted his little head and watched the father and son facing off to the side. How childish!
Yin noticed her furtive glance and couldn't help but glare at her angrily. If this girl dared to cause trouble again, he wouldn't blame him for disciplining her.
"Alright, how old are you two combined? Still making a fuss here, how childish!" Consort Tong said directly. Kangxi and Yinzhi exchanged a glance, snorted at each other, and then turned their heads to the other side.
"My dear, prepare for our trip tomorrow. This is a clandestine visit, so don't bring too many people with you," Consort Tong reminded her anxiously.
Emperor Kangxi would depart early, partly to spare the Empress Dowager the trouble of traveling, and partly to conduct a private inspection to assess the competence of the local officials. (To be continued. If you enjoy 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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