After dinner, Qingyan leaned against the soft couch and played Go with Yin. She lost repeatedly, but then she kept trying.
Every time she lost a game, the little girl would glare angrily at someone, her slightly pale face from illness also showing some healthy pinkness.
"Little darling, it's time to rest, no more chess!" Yin noticed the slight fatigue on her face, yet she stubbornly refused to rest.
She pouted, her face full of displeasure.
"No!" Qing Yan turned her head away and ignored him.
Yin called Su Lan in and asked her to help Qing Yan with her washing and dressing. She also sorted and packed the chess pieces one by one. This set of jade black and white chess pieces was a birthday gift from Fei Yanggu to Qing Yan. She had been by Qing Yan's side since she was a child, even though Qing Yan's chess skills were really bad.
Later, she still pouted and lay down on the soft couch. Since boarding the ship, the bed specially prepared for them had become just for show, and the two of them rested on the soft couch.
"Fourth Brother, just one more day and I'll be able to eat hot pot!" Qingyan turned to look at Yin, and in the dim light, her mood gradually improved.
“Hmm…” Yin nodded. “If you don’t have a fever these next few days, we’ll have hot pot the day after tomorrow.”
Yin made a request beforehand, and she blinked and pouted, agreeing without hesitation.
He patted her back and coaxed her to sleep.
The old man often said that if a child gets sick, he will develop another bad habit, and the little one in his arms was in that state.
Now, she needs his gentle coaxing to fall asleep. Before she goes to sleep, he has to put down everything he's doing and come over to comfort her.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince and Consort Li Jia have arrived," Su Lan said softly beside the soft couch as she walked in.
Yin looked down at the little one sleeping soundly in his arms, moved from his arms to the pillow, stuffed his own pillow into her arms, tucked her with a silk quilt, and then left the inner cabin.
When they arrived at the door, he told Su Lan to wait there and to inform him as soon as Xiao Guai woke up.
In the front hall, the Crown Prince, dressed in a light purple casual outfit, sat on the upper seat on the left, while Lady Li Jia wore an ivory-white cheongsam with lotus and koi patterns, and her hair was adorned with exquisite coral and gold hairpins symbolizing good fortune and longevity.
As soon as he entered the room, Yin looked back and, sure enough, Xiao Guai was not there. This made him a little worried. Could it be that the little girl was still sick?
"Greetings, Your Highness!" Yin bowed and sat down in the superior seat on the right.
Lady Li Jia twirled her handkerchief and nodded slightly, indicating that she had met Yin.
If Lady Li were not favored, Yin would use the rules to demand her favor. However, the reality is the opposite; even the Crown Princess is not as favored as Lady Li.
"Not going to pay respects to Fourth Brother?" The Crown Prince's expression darkened. Lady Li quickly rose and bowed to Yin according to protocol, though Yin merely turned slightly to receive the bow. "How is Xiao Guai's condition? Is it true, as Fourth Uncle said, that he's not taking any medicine at all?"
Li Jia was secretly alarmed. Fei Yanggu had a good relationship with Kangxi, but she didn't expect him to have a good relationship with the Crown Prince as well.
Yin awkwardly glanced at Li Jia and could only nod. He knew his father-in-law's easygoing manner would prevent his father from becoming suspicious.
"That girl has been like this since she was little. When she was two years old, during the month I took care of her, she had a minor cold for two days. I almost banged my head against the wall trying to coax her to take medicine!" Yin said with a smile. Qingyan was young, and when Kangxi discussed the matter of withdrawing the feudal lords with Fei Yanggu and others, the heavy responsibility of taking care of the little guy fell on Yin's shoulders.
Yin lowered his head. Yuqing Palace was almost set on fire by Qingyan. Kangxi suppressed the matter, but some people still found out.
"Second brother, you can't mention it in front of Xiao Guai, she... will be angry!" Yin hurriedly warned, disregarding Li Jia's presence.
Yin smiled. As long as it didn't conflict with the interests of the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi liked to pamper the maid, letting her grow up carefree under the protection of others.
"Do you need to tell me!" Yin rolled his eyes. "This time, Li Jia was in the wrong, causing both my sister-in-law and Xiao Guai to fall ill. Bring her here to apologize to Xiao Guai!"
"Little Darling just fell asleep, and I woke her up..." Yin didn't finish his sentence.
"No need to call her anymore, just tell him when she wakes up!" Yin had experienced the morning grumpiness of a two-year-old during the few days he took care of Qingyan. "Li Jia, go to Prince Zhi's place, I have something to discuss with my fourth brother."
After watching Li Jia leave, Yin turned his attention back to her.
"Second brother, what's going on with those men in black? Why are they involved with Yuqing Palace?" The waist token of Yuqing Palace certainly wouldn't have fallen into other hands, so Suo'etu is highly suspicious.
After Kangxi's main force left, Yinzhi served in the palace and rarely left.
"Uncle is getting more and more anxious. How many times has Father Emperor encountered danger?" Yin asked, looking at Yin.
Yin had no choice but to tell the truth: there had been no peace on the way to the grasslands.
"Second Brother, the Li Jia clan is standing behind Prime Minister Suo?!" Yin remembered that Yin had asked him to mention it to Yin. The two of them were adversaries, and if Yin brought it up, Yin would probably think that Yin was provoking him.
What?!
Yin looked surprised. Seeing his actions, Yin realized that he was not faking it.
"Did the eldest prince discover it?" Yin wouldn't be keeping a close eye on the people around the crown prince all the time, so the one who actually discovered it shouldn't be him.
Yin gave an awkward smile and could only nod.
"I understand," Yin said with a pang of regret. Li Jia had put on a very good act in front of him. "Is Xiao Guai being difficult?"
"Let's have hot pot, Second Brother. Come over for lunch the day after tomorrow." Little Guai has recovered from her illness and seeing her gentle older brother should cheer her up.
"Forget it, I can still speak!" Yin refused outright. "I never want to use that flavor again in my life!"
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Kangxi dined with Yinzhen. The spicy hot pot made him lose his voice for four days.
"I'll have someone prepare some non-spicy dishes!" Yin shook his head; it would definitely be inappropriate for him to get involved. "Qingyan is the primary consort, so it's acceptable for her to host. Li Jia's invitation is also an insult to my elder brother."
After hearing this, Yin pondered for a while.
“Alright,” the Crown Prince agreed. “Fourth Prince, please keep an eye on the affairs of the Li Jia clan for me. It’s difficult for me to hear any news while I’m in the palace!”
"I understand." Yin smiled. It was good that his second brother hadn't gotten involved in these matters. "Second brother, you and eldest brother... were you getting along peacefully that day?"
"Alright, for your sake and Xiao Guai's sake." The Crown Prince stood up. "Take good care of the girl. If she gets sick again, you'll have to be there to comfort her."
Yin's expression froze, and he nodded helplessly.
After the Crown Prince left, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Sitting in his armchair, he pondered the matters the Crown Prince had entrusted to him. In his previous life, he had done his fair share of insisting on the duties of court officials, and he couldn't use the Imperial Stud.
He needed to let the Emperor know he was helping the Crown Prince, but also make the Crown Prince understand that he had no other powerful backing. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)
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