Upon arriving at the villa, Yin helped his wife and children stand in the garden. He looked around and couldn't help but admire Fei Yanggu's thoughtfulness and care.
The villa was well-chosen, surrounded by wealthy residential areas where carriages were readily available. Yin's carriage was only slightly more luxurious, so it didn't attract attention.
"Little darling, let's buy a villa next to your father-in-law's. I see the children really like it." Yin realized the twins liked it, and the first thing he did was prepare it for his daughter.
Qingyan shook her head and said, "Father said we can come anytime. Besides, the children won't be here for long. Buying two courtyards would be a waste."
She never refused anything Fei Yanggu offered; in fact, she accepted everything offered. Yin, on the other hand, seemed somewhat reserved.
A few days after the wedding, Yin quickly gave up the idea of arguing. Fei Yanggu always said that these were all prepared for the banquet and had nothing to do with him.
"Don't feel guilty. What will Father think if you buy a house in the south?" Qingyan had considered this, which is why she had to give up.
Yin thought about it for a moment and agreed with Qingyan. After all, Kangxi valued the officialdom in Jiangnan. If he bought a house here, Kangxi would definitely have more to say. At that time, even Consort Tong's advice would probably be useless.
"Never mind, let's just use my father-in-law's villa." Yin was willing but unable to do so.
After the two left their villa, Cao Yin sent a servant to invite Yin's family to his mansion to watch a play. The servant went to Yin's villa and brought back news that the family of four had gone out.
Cao Yin frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uncertain. Both Yin and Yin Zhi had already made contact with him. Yin was a military general, and Cao Yin disdained associating with him. However, Yin was different. He was one of Kangxi's favorite sons, and had Consort Tong as his favored mother. In Cao Yin's eyes, Yin was a highly desirable person.
Soon, news that Cao Yin's family had sent a servant to invite him reached Yin's ears. He was extremely relieved that Qingyan had left together in advance; otherwise, he would have been in a very difficult situation.
"Fourth Brother, I don't think the Cao family has given up." Qingyan disliked Madam Cao's character.
If Granny Cao hadn't consistently praised Madam Cao in front of the masters, the wives probably wouldn't have spoken to Madam Cao.
The difference in their status was significant; one was the primary consort of the imperial family, while the other was a servant of the Eight Banners, essentially a lackey of their masters.
If the Cao family had become Kangxi's wet nurses, the Cao family would not have prospered to this extent.
Yin simply curled the corners of his lips into a mysterious smile.
She turned and walked into the courtyard to play with the twins.
Qingyan stood by the window, looking at the three figures—one large and two small—in the garden, and couldn't help but feel extremely happy; these were her family members.
After staying in the villa for three days, Yin reluctantly returned with his wife and children. Before they even entered, Li Dequan's apprentice led them directly to Kangxi's temporary palace.
Upon entering the hall, Qingyan, carrying the dazed Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen, followed Yin Gong in bowing respectfully before Kangxi allowed the two to rise.
Just as they sat down, a beautiful young woman walked over from a distance. Qingyan tilted her head to look at Yin, who simply shook his head, indicating that he did not know anything about her.
Consort Tong gave Qingyan a reassuring look. This woman was specially trained by the Cao family for Yin. In the past few days, she had not appeared at the time arranged by the Cao family, so her schemes had completely failed.
"Fourth Prince, this person was found at your residence. She said she hadn't returned home all night." Kangxi also knew that Yin was not at his residence. Official families in the south valued the reputation of their female relatives. The Cao family's search for the woman was very public, and many officials who accompanied the emperor knew that the woman had been found at Yin's villa.
"What?" Yin was stunned. "Your Majesty, I have been staying at my father-in-law's villa for the past three days. It is near the suburbs." Yin frowned slightly, his eyes cold as he looked at the woman kneeling in the middle.
Qingyan sat to the side, looking the woman up and down. She looked like a girl of fourteen or fifteen years old. In Cao Yin's eyes, the prince was not one to lust after beautiful women. Dressed in pink, with a pitiful look, he thought, "If Yin were replaced by Yin Zhi, this woman's scheme would have succeeded."
"Fourth Master, you're sending this servant to her death!" the woman said, her soft, sweet voice coming from her delicate lips, her aggrieved tone as if he had committed some heinous crime.
Hehe!
Qingyan gave a cold laugh. The woman glanced at Qingyan timidly, as if he were about to harm her.
"If you have the ability to scheme, you must have the ability to bear the consequences." Yin stopped Qingyan from speaking, intending to deal with her directly. Kangxi had always hoped that Yin would break his promise, but he didn't want to hurt Qingyan. "Mother, I remember that the nannies you brought had the ability to verify her identity?"
As soon as the words were spoken, Consort Tong and Qingyan both breathed a sigh of relief. The woman kneeling in the shop, however, was terrified. The nanny was clearly preparing to examine her; she hadn't been favored by the Prince…
"Fourth Master, if you do this, I will have no choice but to die to prove my innocence." The woman's words were like buckets of dirty water, directly thrown at Yin.
"Aunt Shu, Aunt Shuzhu, please keep her under control and let the nanny examine her directly. I don't want to bear such a stain," said Yin Yanwu.
Just as the woman was about to crash into the pillar, Shu Zhu, who was standing to the side, grabbed her arm, covered her mouth with a blue handkerchief, and then dragged her away by her left side.
As the three walked out the door, Yin and his wife, and Cao Yin and his wife, came in one after the other. Madam Cao looked very anxious when she saw her illegitimate daughter being taken away.
Yin Genjue Luo noticed Madam Cao's unusual behavior out of the corner of her eye and immediately sneered.
"My lord, please save Yang'er!" Madam Cao didn't want to lose such a beautiful concubine's daughter, and she resented the Fourth Prince's wife for being unreasonable.
Cao Yang spent a night at the Fourth Prince's residence; he's a discerning person and would have accepted it.
It was just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks in the mansion, yet the Fourth Princess Consort actually made a scene in front of His Majesty.
"Come in, all of you." Kangxi's deep voice rang out from inside the hall. The four of them quickly entered the hall. After exchanging greetings, the eyes of Yin Genjueluo and Qingyan met in mid-air.
"Cao Yin, the fourth prince hasn't been at the villa these past few days. What's going on with your daughter?" Kangxi felt a little uneasy under Consort Tong's gaze, but in the end, he changed his tune and decided to side with his son.
Cao Yin quickly knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was my impatience that made things worse and caused Fourth Master to suffer a bad reputation. But... if my daughter doesn't enter Fourth Master's residence, she will only face death in Jiangnan."
"Cao Yin, you're from the Manchu bannerman, aren't you?" Yin sneered. Cao Yin was trying to intimidate people with his reputation.
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