Under the autumn sunlight, chrysanthemums and peonies in the Yuanmingyuan Garden were in full bloom. In addition to flowers transplanted from the flower and bird house, there were also many famous varieties that Yin had collected from outside.
"Little darling, send out invitations to prepare for the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. No need for many lovers, just have a few brothers bring their primary wives. Also send invitations to Father and Mother, but whether Father will come is another matter!" Yin instructed.
A batch of crabs arrived at the south side of Linglong Pavilion. Qingyan likes to use these, so she kept them all.
"Are you planning to serve crabs?" Qingyan was very low-key, preferring to enjoy her food alone. Even when sharing a meal with those around her, she only invited close friends. "Princess Consort and Third Prince's wife, can we not host a banquet for them?"
Yin held Xiao Guai's hand and sat with her in the stone pavilion, letting her comfortably lean against his chest, while the surrounding gauze curtains fluttered in the wind.
"Please, I reckon the twins will have to stay with Father again!" Yin kissed her cheek and whispered.
Ever since Consort Tong and Qingyan cleared things up, the twins have been visiting Consort Tong's side every few days.
"Is Sisi really safe?" Qingyan has been under a lot of psychological burden lately.
She couldn't disobey the imperial decree, yet she was worried about the children's safety. Yin, as their father, was quite at ease and didn't ask to see the children at all.
"My little darling, you are safest with Father Emperor by your side. Li Dequan is watching the children closely, so no one will harm them." Yin was concerned about the two children, and Kangxi had a special talk with him alone. He understood better the significance of twins to the Qing Dynasty.
The difference in status between Honghui and Yiken'e was enormous. Honghui was merely the eldest son of the Fourth Prince, while Yiken'e, despite having the same status, was also a reward bestowed upon the Qing Dynasty by Heaven.
As Emperor Kangxi grew increasingly disappointed with the Crown Prince, Yiken'e's identity added considerable luster to his career.
"Really?!" Li Dequan was the person Kangxi trusted most, and no matter how small the clue, it could not escape Li Dequan's eyes.
Therefore, with the twins personally watching over them and by Kangxi's side, no one would dare to harm them.
Yin nodded; he had more concerns than Qingyan.
The Hesheli clan's connections had been entrenched in the palace for many years, and many of them had become close servants to their masters. Therefore, when Songgotu was about to take action, those around them were actually the most unsafe.
“Song’etu’s people have all been placed next to the principals in the palaces. In fact, one of the first nannies serving the twins was bribed by Hesheli,” Yin said in a low voice.
As the children grew up, the Crown Prince's situation became increasingly difficult due to pressure from the older princes, forcing Songgotu to consider disrupting the harems of several princes.
With instability in the princes' harems, they cannot concentrate on their duties at court, and the crown prince's abilities will not appear so weak.
Hearing about Suo'etu's actions, Qingyan became even more panicked. If they weren't careful, their child would face retaliation.
The Crown Prince's faction is eyeing the twins, but so far the Crown Princess has only given birth to one princess. Not only does the legitimate daughter not receive the Crown Prince's favor, but she also doesn't get any good treatment from Emperor Kangxi.
"Isn't Father going to stop it?" Qingyan asked, looking at the flower garden outside.
The flowerbeds here appear to be in full bloom, and every chrysanthemum and peony that can bloom at this time has been carefully selected. Those that are not good have all been removed, which can be considered as a process of survival of the fittest.
"No! Soetu is the Crown Prince's maternal uncle and took care of him as he grew up, just like Lingpu. No matter what mistakes he made, Father Emperor would not hold it against him." Yin said with some emotion. They, as sons and subjects, were all very careful, but the Crown Prince was different, and even the Hesheli clan was different.
Qingyan stood up, walked to the entrance of the pavilion, lifted the gauze curtain and said, "Sulan, bring over the prepared fishing rods."
Soon, Su Peisheng and Xiao Sula prepared their fishing gear. Yin shook his head helplessly; the little girl was up to her old tricks again.
"Fishing again?!" Yin asked.
He wasn't particularly interested in fishing. The little girl would never sit still on the stone bench, and he was always the one appointed to take charge of the fishing rods.
"If you want to eat sashimi, Sisi, you need to catch more rainbow trout!" Qingyan looked at him expectantly.
Yin liked Qingyan's slightly adoring gaze. Since the birth of the twins, the two of them rarely had the opportunity to be alone together. She always paid more attention to the children than to him.
“Alright!” Yin readily agreed, lifted his long robe, sat down directly in the armchair, and cast his fishing rod into the pond. The spot where he sat was the one where rainbow trout were raised. The entire pond was divided into many small sections, each raising different kinds of fish.
She leaned against him, gazing at the still fishing rod.
The warm autumn sunlight shone on her; her eyes were closed, and her little head bobbed gently. He turned his head to glance at her as she entered, a slight smile playing on his lips; his face, no longer icy, gradually warmed.
Su Peisheng stood under the pavilion, looked up and saw that the temperature around the Fourth Master had warmed up, making it easier for them, the servants, to do their work.
As the wind blew by, Su Peisheng revealed a relaxed smile. Su Lan couldn't help but feel strange. Having stayed by her master's side for so long, Su Peisheng had never smiled before. Today, they had truly witnessed a bizarre sight.
"Eunuch Su, should we bring the young prince and princess back?" Su Zhu wondered if it was time to bring back the twins.
Su Peisheng glared at Su Zhu. Since His Majesty hadn't ordered Anda to bring the twins back, they didn't need to cause any more trouble.
"No need. Since Anda didn't send the twins back, let them stay by His Majesty's side." Su Peisheng didn't explain further, only glancing at the servants in the distance.
In an instant, both Su Lan and Su Zhu realized what was happening.
After dinner, Qingyan sat cross-legged on the soft couch, writing invitations at the kang table. On the paper to his left was a list of invitees compiled by Yinluo, which included only princes and their primary wives, and even invited unmarried princes.
"Fourth Prince, aren't these princes still in the Imperial Study? Should we invite them again?" Qingyan thought that even if the invitations were sent, the Imperial Study wouldn't give them a holiday.
"In a few days, Father will have the princes move to Changchun Garden to study. On the day of our banquet, Father will probably suspend half a day of classes." Yin didn't care. Some of the crabs would be kept and raised specifically for Xiao Guai.
She pouted, and just like that, she gave away her things.
"The remaining half is all yours!" Yin pinched her little face. "After a while, I'll have someone from the south send some back."
Qingyan's eyes lit up instantly. She rested her hand on the back of her hand and looked at Yin.
"You keep your word," Yin assured Qingyan, putting her at ease.
She composed herself, quickened her pace, and finished writing all the invitations as soon as possible, so that she could send them all to the palace the next morning.
"Little darling, have Sulan personally deliver the invitations to the Crown Princess, Eldest Sister-in-law, Third Prince's Wife, and No-Prince's Wife," Yin instructed. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
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