Just past noon, the atmosphere of storytelling was in full swing in the teahouse. Yin was listening to the storyteller while holding a West Lake Longjing tea when there was a knock on the door. Qingyan quickly got up, exchanged a glance with Yin, and then went around the screen to listen at the back.
Yin disliked Qingyan showing his face in public, so when Yin came over, he deliberately asked Qingyan to stay behind the screen to avoid Yin Zhi's improper gaze.
"Fourth brother, why are you listening to the story here all by yourself?" Yin Zhi asked as he entered, looking at Qing Yan's figure from both sides.
Looking around, Yinzhi did not find Qingyan. After going to Jiangnan, Yinzhi had been inseparable from Qingyan. The officials did not dare to invite Yinzhi, for fear that Qingyan would send them away.
"The Princess Consort went to Linglong Pavilion, Third Brother, why did you come looking for me?" Yinzhi clearly knew that Yinzhi just wanted to ask if Qingyan had gone back to complain.
He didn't mind saying it out loud.
Originally, after meeting with Yin Zhi, Qing Yan planned to visit Linglong Pavilion, so he wasn't exactly lying.
“I see…” Yin Zhi paused for a moment, “Fourth Prince, after we went to Jiangnan, you were always with the Fujin (wife), and people who wanted to contact you kept inviting you.”
Yin Zhi spoke with the air of someone who had been through it all, while Yin gave a cold smile. Yin Zhi clearly hadn't expected that his actions would be known to Kangxi.
“I know, but Dong E Qishi is here. If Third Brother doesn’t restrain himself, Dong E Qishi will get the news…” Yin fulfilled his brotherly duty by reminding him, but still failed to wake Yin Zhi. He didn’t need to feel guilty anymore.
After all, Yinzhi's situation isn't the most crucial point. The Third Prince's wife must have complained to Lady Dong'e. After all, Lady Dong'e is quite shrewd; otherwise, she would have been the legitimate daughter.
What! ?
Yin Zhi was stunned. Wasn't Dong E Qi Shi still in the capital?
A few days ago, he specifically asked the Third Prince's wife whether Dong E Qishi would come from the capital. The Third Prince's wife said that Dong E Qishi was not in good health and would not come.
Therefore, Yin Zhi was able to go out and play; otherwise, he would never have dared to do so.
In Yinzhi's eyes, Dong E Qishi's intimidation was more frightening than that of Kangxi. He had grown up in Dong E's mansion since childhood, and Dong E Qishi was particularly strict with him.
"Fourth brother, you can't joke like that. Father-in-law is recuperating in the capital, how could he come all the way to Jiangnan?" Yin Zhi was worried that his absurdity would be talked about. Moreover, the Third Princess Consort was already full of resentment. If Dong E Qishi came, that woman would definitely act like she had found a powerful backer.
“Third Brother, I’m doing this for your own good. Recently, Father-in-law’s health has been poor, and he said he wants to transfer Dong E Qishi here to jointly take charge of Father’s safety with him,” Yin said in a serious tone.
Emperor Kangxi did not disclose this matter to the public. It was only because Fei Yanggu disapproved of Yin Zhi's actions that Yin Zhi was able to learn about it in advance.
Instantly, Yin Zhi's expression turned sour. He wiped his cheek with his large hand, and his eyes reddened.
“Sigh… Fourth Brother, you have a good father-in-law, which is very different from me. My wife likes to complain, so my father-in-law keeps giving me advice. Fei Yanggu, on the other hand, doesn’t restrain you!” Yin Zhi thought it was normal for men to be romantic and frivolous. Dong E’s words annoyed Yin Zhi so much that he went directly to Dong E’s concubine’s garden.
In any case, both women were daughters of Dong E Qishi, and moreover, the concubine was more favored by Dong E Qishi. Therefore, Yin Zhi enjoyed the beauty of having two women without any qualms.
Now, Dong E Qishi has actually come in person, completely forgetting about the two Dong E girls. Dong E Qishi will definitely be furious.
“Third Brother, now is not the time to complain. You know that military officers are very straightforward. If Dong E Qi Shi says something to you, Father Emperor will lose face, and the consequences will be…” Before Yin Zhi could finish speaking, Yin Zhi already understood what he meant.
"Hehe, Third Brother will go back now. Don't mention seeing me. But... Fourth Brother, you'll need to put in a good word for me with your wife." Even now, Yin Zhi was still a little scared.
Yin nodded slightly, and Yin Zhi quickly left.
Hearing that there was no more noise outside, Qingyan quickly came out from behind the screen. Seeing Yin sipping tea and looking out the window, she approached him with some curiosity.
"Little darling, did you hear that?" Yin didn't hide anything. Yin Zhi always chose to do things that were beneficial to himself, so he would definitely behave himself.
Qingyan nodded slightly. If Yinzhi stopped causing trouble, Dong'e would no longer frequently bother Saito's men.
After all, the new army of Saito was responsible for the security of the villa and the palace. If anything went wrong, Dong E would make a huge fuss with the new army, and many people would be too afraid to go to the military camp.
Moreover, Dong E noticed many new faces in the military camp. She had always hoped to win over the new army, so when she heard about the issue of Dong E Qishi jointly taking charge of security, she quickly told Dong E Qishi that they must take down some of the new army members as soon as possible.
"Fourth, I heard that Dong E Qishi gave a lot of things to the generals of the new army. Some officials even received more than what they gave to Ah Hun!" Qingyan was very curious. Dong E Qishi had some experience in leading troops, so how could he be so foolish as to follow the arrangements of Dong E Shi?
"Heh, Dong E Qishi has been unemployed for a long time. Although he still holds an official position, he's different from my father-in-law. All his power has been taken over by Father Emperor. To put it bluntly, he's just a commander without troops. My father-in-law and two brothers-in-law are different; they control the army that Father Emperor trusts most. So, it's no wonder Dong E Qishi is in a bad mood." Yin Dao hoped that Dong E Qishi would have the self-awareness to directly control Yin Zhi.
After Fei Yanggu's death, Dong Eqishi took over Fei Yanggu's affairs, but Kangxi greatly reduced these powers.
Comparing the power of the two rulers, Fei Yanggu clearly enjoyed more of Kangxi's trust.
Moreover, the Empress Dowager had always been wary of Consort Dong'e, and the same was true for Empress Dowager Tong.
At first, Emperor Shunzhi only used Consort Dong'e as a pawn to fight against the Empress Dowager. However, the heavy rain that Consort Dong'e's group enjoyed made these people lose their way.
"Unemployed at home?!" Qingyan uttered four words, and those four words were truly powerful.
"The situation is more serious than you think. All of Dong Eqishi's military power is effective under the Emperor's imperial seal. Even if Dong Eqishi personally trains the army, it cannot be mobilized without an imperial edict. The new army is different; it can be dispatched by Saito and Eshuo." Yin said in a low voice.
Dong Eqishi understood what was going on, which is why he kept recommending his son to Fei Yanggu.
However, Dong Eqi's eldest son was a reckless and unruly man. With the presence of his third wife and a concubine, he became even more unscrupulous in his actions.
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