The western hills were already slightly cool in autumn, and the fields on both sides of the road were laden with fruit. It was the harvest season in autumn, and Qingyan couldn't help but think that the vegetable garden of the Prince's Mansion had also yielded a bumper harvest.
The carriage continued its shaky journey, and as she looked at the small clay figures of a family of four on the kang table, a bright smile appeared on her face.
Yiken kept reaching forward with her little hands and stretching her short arms, always hoping to reach the clay figure.
"No!" Yin saw Yiken'e's little hands about to smear the clay figure on the ground, so he picked it up with one hand and carried it to the middle of the table with the other. "We're almost there, should we change the children into warmer clothes?"
Su Lan quickly went to the inner chamber and took out the baby cotton-padded clothes for the twins.
The four clay figures were placed in the bookcase. When Yiken saw that her toys had been put away again, she burst into tears.
Yin glanced at Yiken with a stern face, and the little guy immediately pouted and buried himself in Qingyan's arms, determined not to come out again.
Yiken'e's chubby little body was completely hidden in her arms, and Yin couldn't help but laugh when he saw it.
"Yiken, stop crying. Mother will take you to see the red leaves." Qingyan patted his little bottom, and he pouted with a wronged look on his face.
When Hutu Rifengsheng Zhalafen saw his brother's red eyes, he couldn't help but clap his hands in celebration, which was truly heartwarming.
"Ah Hun..." She tilted her little body, preparing to say in Qingyan's direction, her little face showing a proud little look.
"Look, the brat got scolded, but his sister won't stand for it." Yin liked watching the two children interact. Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen was very stubborn. When she saw her brother being scolded, her first thing to do was to seek justice for him.
Yin held the little girl's hand tightly, letting her stay quietly in his arms. Qingyan was having a hard time taking care of Yiken'eyi alone.
As the children's weight increases, Yiken has to break the habit of wanting to be in her mother's arms.
"Yiken'e, you're a big girl now, you can't lean on your mother anymore." Yin looked at Yiken'e's slightly bewildered eyes and felt a little soft-hearted.
"Fourth Brother, it's not time yet." Qingyan felt her arms aching. Having a child, she had experienced what it was like to be a mother. As long as she could be close to her son, she was willing to endure any hardship.
Yin sighed. Xiao Guai spoiled the children too much.
"Your Majesty, we have arrived at the Western Hills Villa." Kangxi built a villa at the foot of the Western Hills, and several princes designated land nearby to build their own villas.
Qingyan stepped down from the carriage and surveyed the Fourth Prince's Mansion, nestled in the Western Hills. Looking back from the second gate, there was a hill behind the courtyard. Comparing this place to Fragrant Hills in later generations, this place was close to the foot of Fragrant Hills, and the villa built by Emperor Kangxi should have been near the Reclining Buddha Temple.
The villa was a five-courtyard residence, much smaller than Prince Yong's mansion and the Yuanmingyuan Garden. Nearly 300 acres of farmland surrounding the mansion belonged to Prince Yong.
One-third of the food rations delivered from the villa to the mansion were transported from Xishan.
"This servant greets the master and the princess!" The steward of the villa was an honest man around forty years old. He looked simple and his clothes were made of cotton and linen.
"Guo Xinqi has done a good job managing things these past few years," Yin said generously in his praise.
Guo Xin? ! It means benevolence and love.
Qingyan looked the man up and down and saw that he looked like a Manchu man from beyond the Great Wall.
"Master, this is what this servant should do." Guo Xin was a little embarrassed. His life was saved by the Fourth Master. Five years have passed since the accident at home, and he has been in the villa for five years. "The villa is ready."
"Okay, go and get busy." Yin didn't want to take up too much of his time.
This period coincides with the busy autumn harvest season, and Guo Xin, as the general manager, must keep a close eye on the fields to prevent any junior managers from embezzling funds.
As Qingyan watched Guoxin's retreating figure, many questions arose in his mind. Guoxin's demeanor was not like that of an ordinary servant; rather, he seemed more like a well-mannered Manchu bannerman.
“Fourth…” Qingyan walked into the main courtyard and was about to speak when he was stopped by Yin’s gaze.
This courtyard is similar to the main courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, except that all the pomegranate trees have been replaced with ginkgo trees.
Upon entering the study, Qingyan immediately burst into laughter. The spot in the mansion where a soft couch would normally be had been replaced by a heated kang bed built by Yin. Unlike the typical square kang beds found in ordinary people's homes, this one was decorated with a lot of ornaments.
“The temperature here is much lower than in the city. Lighting the kang (heated brick bed) will keep you much warmer than a brazier.” Yin looked at Qingyan with a sly gaze and couldn’t help but laugh.
"Fourth Prince, is this Guo Xin a descendant of a disgraced official?" Qingyan dismissed the servants in the study and asked in a low voice.
Yin nodded and said, "Guo Xin of Dong E clan was originally the son of Dong E Qishi's half-brother. Five years ago, in order to please Consort Rong, Dong E clan planned to marry Guo Xin's elder sister to Consort Rong's mentally challenged younger brother. Guo Xin's father arranged for his daughter to marry far away, which offended Dong E Qishi. Therefore, he was forced to take the blame for the officials of the Dong E clan's direct line."
Guo Xin is a capable and valiant general. He once became one of Yin Jitai's fierce generals when no one else wanted to help him.
Yin knew that Guo Xin could survive because he was actually the youngest son. Guo Xin's father, along with his four adult brothers, had all died together. He begged Dong Eqi to spare Guo Xin's life.
"Third Consort knows?!" Qingyan narrowed his eyes. Dong Eshi was very cunning. At the age of 10, she had already handled a lot of bloodshed. It was said that none of the concubine's daughters who were at odds with Dong Eshi were happy. Two or three of them had already been driven crazy before they were even married.
"It was Dong E's idea," Yin said with a sneer.
Yinzhi originally hoped that the three Dong E sisters would serve him together. The eldest was Dong E's eldest daughter, who was born out of wedlock. However, Dong E secretly contacted her grandfather and forced her to commit suicide.
Qingyan was surprised. Dong Eshi didn't seem as ruthless as she appeared. How could she control such a large harem, compete with more than a dozen women for Yinzhi's favor, and even control all his children? Dong Eshi couldn't have done it without a bit of cunning.
The twins were fast asleep on their parents' shoulders. He took Qingyan to the opposite room, where a thick blanket had already been laid out in the carriage. They carefully put the children down, and the nanny quickly covered the two little masters with the blanket.
The side room was decorated as a children's paradise. All the furniture, including the wardrobe and shoe cabinet, was a size smaller than usual, suitable for two children. A thick carpet was also laid on the floor so that the children wouldn't get hurt if they accidentally fell.
"These pieces of furniture will gradually grow taller as the children grow," Yin explained, leading her out of the side room. He showed her the smaller versions of the furniture, explaining that they were all made of heavy mahogany, only different in scale from the ones they used. (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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