The Emperor ran away overnight, leaving Yinzuo alone in the palace. He was almost surrounded by the concubines. No matter how delicious the snacks were, he dared not eat them greedily and could only offer them to others. No matter how beautiful the people were, he dared not see them and could only hide from them.
This time, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager went to Mount Wutai with the eldest prince, while the Crown Prince stayed in Beijing. Yuqing Palace was some distance away from the six palaces and was guarded by guards alone. The concubines did not dare to approach it easily, so it became Yinzuo's refuge. He spent seven or eight days out of ten in Yuqing Palace.
"well!"
The crown prince had a headache as the deficit from the suppression of the Three Feudatories Rebellion a few years ago had not yet been made up. In order to □□, the emperor, at the suggestion of Li Guangdi, re-employed the great general Shi Lang and appointed him as the admiral of the Fujian Navy.
Now is a critical moment, but he always asks the court for money and artillery. The taxes collected in the south are already very little due to the war, and the Ministry of Revenue says it has no money. The ministers argue all day long about appeasement and fighting, and the memorials pile up one after another.
Yinzuo, who was playing quietly nearby, heard the noise, looked over here, and saw that the prince had a sad face. He immediately felt sympathy for him. After all, he was eating, drinking and having fun at the prince's place, so he should care about him anyway.
So Yinzuo personally instructed the palace servants to serve tea to the Crown Prince, and asked them to add some chrysanthemums in it.
"There are so many government affairs that I cannot handle them all at once. The chrysanthemum here can clear away heat and reduce internal heat. Prince, please have some tea before you read it~"
"Thank you, Xiaoliu. Fortunately, you are by my side. Come, sit in front of me. I will hold you and take a rest."
The prince was new to government affairs and inevitably had times when he was bored. He especially liked to play with Xiaoliu in his spare time. He didn't have to think carefully or be cautious when talking to him. Xiaoliu didn't make any noise while he was working, but would play quietly by himself, which was a rare opportunity for the prince to relax.
Yinzuo did not refuse, mainly because he saw that his brother the Crown Prince was having a hard time, so it was not difficult for him to accept a hug.
After drinking half a cup of tea, the prince hugged Xiaoliu, rubbed his chubby little hands, and his eyes were empty.
"Xiao Liu, sometimes I really envy you."
Yinzuo's eyes widened when he heard this. His brother envied the Crown Prince, and now the Crown Prince said that he envied him. This confused Yinzuo.
"Why did you say that, Prince?"
"I lost my mother when I was young and never had a chance to enjoy her love and care. But Xiao Liu, both the Imperial Noble Consort and the Virtuous Consort love you. This is one reason."
When Yinzuo heard this, he couldn't help but interrupt him.
"Brother Prince, have you ever seen a woman giving birth?"
"No." The prince is still young and has not married yet. There are no concubines in Yuqing Palace, so he naturally has never seen one.
“Xiao Liu has never seen it either, but when my mother gave birth to my sister last year, I heard the Royal Mother say that women have to endure great pain and torture when giving birth, just like walking through the gates of hell. If you don’t have great love in your heart, how can you be willing to endure all this pain?
Although I have never met the Crown Prince's mother, I heard that she is a very gentle person. During the ten months she was pregnant with you, she must have loved you very much. How could the Crown Prince not have enjoyed the love of his mother?"
The prince had never thought about it from this perspective, and his mood suddenly became much better. He placed his chin on Yinzuo's head and smiled.
"Thank you, Xiaoliu, for clearing up my confusion today. I feel much better now. But I didn't finish what I said just now. Xiaoliu lives a very easy life every day. You laugh when you want to laugh, cry when you want to cry, play as you please, and immerse yourself in your own little world. This is the second thing I envy about you, and it is also the thing I envy the most about you."
"Crown Prince, as the ancients said: The capable are obliged to work harder. Xiaoliu is not as capable as you, so naturally I can only hide behind my father and you and be a little parasite. Do you have a dream of your own?" Yinzuo raised his little head and looked at the crown prince.
Yinreng pinched Xiaoliu's chubby face, thought for a moment, and then answered him: "Of course I do. I want to be the pride of my father, convince all the princes and ministers, and benefit the people of the world."
The young man was full of blood and ambition. Yinzuo admired his brother the Crown Prince for having such great ambitions.
"Brother Crown Prince has lofty ambitions, so he naturally has to work thousands of times harder than ordinary people. Unlike Xiaoliu, whose only wish is for his loved ones to be safe, healthy, and happy. Brother Crown Prince, Xiaoliu thinks that since Brother Crown Prince is so amazing, he will definitely be able to realize your dreams in the future~"
The prince held Yinzuo's arms tightly, and after a moment, he smiled with relief.
"Yes, I and Xiaoliu have different ambitions. So I have to ask, does Xiaoliu's wish include me?"
Yinzuo gave him a reproachful look and sighed in a mature manner.
"Isn't the prince brother Xiaoliu's relative? Xiaoliu is your biological brother! Xiaoliu naturally hopes that the prince brother can be safe, healthy and happy~"
"That's great. From now on, I will stand in front of you, Xiaoliu. Xiaoliu, just enjoy your peaceful life, okay?"
Yinzuo turned around, held the crown prince's face, and gave him a kiss.
"It's settled then! If Xiaoliu makes the Emperor unhappy in the future, Prince Brother must remember to stand in front of him~"
The prince smiled and asked him, "I would like to know why you want to make the emperor unhappy?"
Yin Zuo thought: Of course it's because he doesn't want to study hard and only wants to slack off, but the emperor hopes that each of his sons will be a pillar of talent. The father and son have contradictory ideas. One day the emperor will scold and punish him. No matter what, he should use the prince as a shield. This is called being prepared.
"Oh, Prince brother~ Don't worry about this for now. Do you agree or not~" Yinzuo pouted and acted coquettishly.
"Okay, okay, isn't it enough that I agree to you?" The prince really couldn't do anything about him.
"Hehe~ Prince brother, you are the best!"
"So in Xiaoliu's heart, who is better, your fourth brother, or is I, the prince brother, better?" The prince finally asked the words that had been buried in his heart for a long time. He looked at the little guy in his arms expectantly.
The difficulty of this question is no less than the later question "Your mother and I fell into the water. Who do you plan to save first?"
But who is Yinzuo? He is trying to fool the imitating king. His lively eyes rolled around twice.
"Of course it depends on who treats Xiaoliu better in the future~"
The prince was choked by his answer, but his answer made sense. It's not that he thinks everyone is good just because they treat him well.
"Well." Could it be that he, a prince, was not as good at coaxing people as Yinzhen, who was four or five years younger than him?
"Okay, go play. It's time to get back to work."
Yinzuo quickly stood up and said obediently: "Then Xiaoliu will not disturb the prince brother~"
"Don't go back to Chengqian Palace at noon today. I asked someone to prepare your favorite squirrel mandarin fish for you."
Yinzuo licked his lips and said with a smile: "Then Xiaoliu will continue to accompany the prince brother~"
"Go ahead." Yinreng suddenly felt full of energy all over his body, and picked up the pen to continue writing at his desk.
The prince's wet nurse now likes the Sixth Prince more and more, not for any other reason, but simply because the Sixth Prince can make the prince happy. When the Sixth Prince is not around, the prince always frowns and is so busy that he doesn't even have time to eat. But when the Sixth Prince is around, the prince is worried that the Sixth Prince is hungry, so he always stops writing after mealtime and eats with the Sixth Prince.
So with her watching over them, no palace servant in Yuqing Palace dared to neglect Yinzuo. The meals and snacks they ate were all the best. It was feared that even the eldest prince would not receive such respect even if he arrived at Yuqing Palace.
"Sixth Prince, it's noon." The prince's wet nurse came forward and whispered this to the Sixth Prince.
Yinzuo raised his head, smiled and nodded slightly, indicating that he knew what to do.
After a while, Yinzuo ran to the Crown Prince's desk and watched him write.
After a while, the prince couldn't help but stop writing and reached out to rub his little head.
"But you're hungry?"
"Just a little bit, but it's okay. Xiaoliu will wait for Prince Brother to finish writing~" He blinked his bright big eyes and said very obediently.
Yinzuo was not as tall as the table, so he had a special low chair under his feet. The prince had specially ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make and send it to him a few days ago.
The prince put down the pen in his hand and closed the letter.
"Okay, I've finished writing. I'll write the rest after dinner. Let's go. I'll take our Xiaoliu to eat squirrel mandarin fish."
After saying that, he picked up the little Yinzuo and walked forward.
"Thank you for your hard work, Prince. Please eat~" Yinzuo did not pay attention to any rules when sitting at the dinner table. The prince also enjoyed getting along with Xiaoliu in this way, as if they were really a pair of brothers from an ordinary family.
"Okay, Xiaoliu, you've worked hard accompanying me, so eat more."
"Hmm~" Yinzuo has not been allowed to eat sweet snacks recently, and he kept muttering about it. The prince catered to his taste and specially asked someone to invite a chef who could cook Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine, so Yinzuo now loves the sweet and sour Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine.
"Awoo~" Yinzuo immediately opened his mouth and took a big bite.
The bones of the squirrel mandarin fish were removed in advance, so even Yinzuo, who didn't like fish very much, loved it and ate it with big mouthfuls. The batter wrapped around the squirrel mandarin fish was very crispy, and the sauce poured on it was sweet and sour, which greatly relieved the greasiness caused by frying. The fish meat inside was tender and soft, with an extremely rich taste.
"Is it delicious? I didn't lie to you."
Yinzuo nodded repeatedly. It was so delicious that he almost swallowed his tongue into his stomach.
"Prince brother, how do you know about Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine? Have you ever been to Jiangnan?" After Yinzuo finished most of the squirrel fish by himself, he stopped and started eating something else.
"I heard that there are many talented people in Jiangnan and the scenery is picturesque. Unfortunately, I have never been there. However, when I accompanied my father outside the palace, I tasted the Jiangzhe cuisine in a Jiangzhe restaurant in Beijing."
The prince's personal eunuch beside him laughed and said, "Sixth Prince, you don't know that the prince knows that you like sweet food, so he specially ordered me to go out of the palace to find the chef of the restaurant. It took a lot of effort on the way, which shows how much the prince values you."
"You talk too much." The prince scolded in a low voice.
"Brother Prince, why are you so nice to Xiaoliu~" Yinzuo was extremely moved.
"Of course I like Xiaoliu. Didn't Xiaoliu say that you are my biological brother? As an elder brother, it is only natural for me to be good to my biological brother. As long as you are happy, that's all that matters."
"Brother Crown Prince, Xiaoliu is so touched. Unfortunately, Xiaoliu is too stupid. Brother Crown Prince is so busy, and Xiaoliu can't help him at all. But Fourth Brother is smart. Xiaoliu will ask Fourth Brother to help Brother Crown Prince with his worries when he grows up~"
The prince looked into the little guy's sincere eyes, smiled and said, "Okay."
Xiao Si is Xiao Liu's biological brother, he will definitely protect Xiao Liu. Now that he and Yinzhi have been fighting for a long time, they will inevitably stand on opposite sides in the future. It is good to have one more person on his side, and he is confident that he can treat Xiao Liu better than Xiao Si. Even though Xiao Si was deeply loved by Xiao Liu when he was young, it may not be the case in the future.
"I'll have someone make you sweet and sour pork ribs tomorrow. Ask Xiao Si to come over and try them."
"Great~"
Soon after Yinzuo finished his lunch, he felt a little sleepy, but Yuqing Palace had specially prepared bedding and pillow for him. After Yinzuo fell asleep on the couch, the prince personally carried him to his bedroom and let him lie on his bed.
The prince's wet nurse was about to say something but stopped herself. She wanted to say that this was against the rules, but when she saw the smile on the prince's face, she swallowed the words back. Well, it was rare for the prince to be so willful, so let him be as he pleased. It was not a big deal anyway. With her watching over it, she would never let anyone gossip about the prince.
"Prince, why don't you take a nap? You slept late last night, and I can see that your eyes are a little dark."
Yinreng hesitated for a while, looked at the little guy sleeping sweetly on the bed, and finally nodded gently.
"Okay, then I'll lie down and rest for a while."
After the maids took off the prince's outer robe, they helped the two masters lower the bed curtains and retreated quietly.
Now that there was no one around, the prince couldn't help but pinch Xiaoliu's pink little nose, but found that the little guy opened his mouth and breathed through his mouth, which was very interesting.
"You are quite clever." The prince said softly with a smile.
Then he placed his hands on his lower abdomen, lay on his back and closed his eyes. This was an extremely normal sleeping position. He thought that with an extra person next to him, he would not be used to it and it would take him a while to fall asleep. Unexpectedly, listening to the soothing breathing of the little guy next to him, he fell asleep after a while.
When he woke up, he found that there was another person on him, hugging him tightly. Yinreng had never felt like being hugged like this while sleeping in bed.
Yinreng, who had just woken up, couldn't help but think of the fact that he had been sleeping alone since he was a child. He still remembered that when he was a child, he woke up in the middle of the night and felt scared, but he could only huddle in a corner alone with a quilt. He was the master and the crown prince of the Qing Dynasty, and he could not show any fear. This was what the emperor said, and Yinreng dared not disobey.
But he couldn't help thinking that if he had a younger brother like Xiaoliu by his side at that time, he could use the excuse of accompanying his younger brother to ease the fear of being alone.
The more a person lacks something, the more he wants it. Although Yinreng has grown up now and no longer wakes up in the middle of the night feeling scared like when he was a child, he still likes the feeling of being hugged and accompanied by someone.
"Xiaoliu, please come and accompany me more often in the future." Yinreng turned sideways and hugged Yinzuo, who was wrapped around him like an octopus. At this moment, he felt extremely peaceful in his heart. The feeling of complete inner fulfillment made him feel very comfortable.
After a quarter of an hour, he opened the bed curtain and took a look at the Western clock placed in the bedroom.
"Half an hour has passed?"
He is the crown prince after all, and it is unprecedented for him to allow himself to lie in bed for such a long time in broad daylight. If the Emperor knew about it, he would probably think that it was Xiaoliu who made him lazy, and he would definitely not allow Xiaoliu to come to Yuqing Palace and get close to him in the future.
Yinreng gently pried open his hands and feet that were wrapped around him and stuffed his pillow into his arms. Before leaving, he kissed Xiaoliu's forehead and smiled at the still sleeping Xiaoliu.
"Xiao Liu, please experience the comfortable life that I cannot enjoy." He is willing to protect Xiao Liu for the rest of his life.
It took Yinzuo another half hour to slowly wake up. He sat up, hugging the pillow, rubbed his eyes in a daze, and was stunned for a while before he came to his senses. He lifted the bed curtain and wanted to get up.
The maid in the palace hurried forward to help him put on his boots and said to him, "Sixth Prince has woken up, and the Crown Prince has gone to handle government affairs. Sixth Prince, do you want to play here or go to the Crown Prince?"
"I'd better go and accompany my brother the prince."
"Okay, but the prince has asked me to prepare some fresh fruits. Sixth Prince, why don't you eat some first?"
"Well then~ Has the prince eaten yet?" Without waiting for the maid to answer, Yinzuo suddenly said, "The prince is very busy, he certainly doesn't have time to eat, why don't you peel the fruits and cut them into small bites, it will be convenient for the prince to eat some too."
"Sixth Prince is really thoughtful. I will go right away."
"Then you go ahead, I'll go to the prince brother by myself."
After saying this, Yinzuo stepped on his short legs and ran towards the study in Yuqing Palace.
The maid first reported what the Sixth Prince had just said to the Crown Prince's wet nurse, and only did it after getting permission.
"Crown brother~" Yinzuo leaned on the door frame and poked his little head out, looking like 'your little cutie suddenly appeared'.
Yinreng smiled and waved at him.
"Are you awake? Come in."
Yinzuo ran to the side of the Crown Prince and let him pinch his little face.
"I still have a lot of memorials to read, so I'm afraid I can't play with you today. Yinzuo, be good and go sit on the couch and play by yourself."
"Well, come on, Prince brother~~"
"Hmm?" The prince turned his head and looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
"Come on" means Xiaoliu is cheering for the prince brother~"
"Okay, now I know, let's go play."
After a while, a maid brought in a plate of freshly cut fruits, including honeydew melons and red grapes from the northwest, and mangoes from the south. Yinzuo tasted them one by one first, and he thought the honeydew melons and mangoes were very sweet.
"Take these two plates and follow me to the Crown Prince. Don't make any noise, okay?" Yinzuo said in a low voice.
The maid nodded respectfully.
“Ah~”
Hearing this sound suddenly in his ears, Yinreng subconsciously opened his mouth, and something was stuffed into his mouth. He bit it, and the sweetness of the fruit instantly filled his entire mouth.
Yinreng had a smile in his eyes. Although he did not stop writing, he was happy in his heart. He knew that only Xiaoliu would be so bold. Those servants would not dare to feed him without his permission.
“Ah~”
Yinzuo's babyish voice came to his ears again. Yinreng opened his mouth in time and was stuffed with another piece of fruit as expected. The fruit today tasted particularly sweet.
Later on, Yinzuo no longer needed to utter "ah". After Yinreng finished eating, he would open his mouth on his own initiative, and Yinzuo would immediately stuff a piece of fruit into his mouth. The two brothers fed each other while they ate, and their cooperation became more and more tacit.
The fruits were originally prepared for Yinzuo alone, so the quantity was not much. The two of them shared it, and the plate was empty in a quarter of an hour.
After feeding, Yinzuo got down from the small chair again, climbed onto the couch opposite his brother the Crown Prince, and sat down to play with his strange toys.
After Yinreng finished writing, he looked up at him for a while, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised and never gone down.
With Yinzuo's company, the boring and complicated government affairs did not seem to be such a headache anymore. When the prince looked up again, he found that the little figure on the couch opposite him was gone. He frowned and looked displeased.
"Where's the Sixth Prince?"
"In reply to Your Highness, the Sixth Prince saw that it was getting late and said he wanted to go back to have dinner with the Imperial Concubine. He was worried about disturbing you, so he left a note." The Prince's personal eunuch reported.
The prince then remembered that it seemed that the little guy ran over and played with his pen for a while.
"Show it to me."
The eunuch quickly took out the small note that the Sixth Prince had just slipped to him from his sleeve and presented it to the Crown Prince.
The prince opened the little note and the smile on his face deepened the more he read it.
The eunuch also took a look and saw a little man made up of several lines and a circle. The little man had a circle on his head, which looked a bit like a heart. Next was a disk surrounded by a circle of short lines, which was probably the sun.
"Xiao Liu's little brain has so many ideas that others can't think of no matter what. Do you know what he means?"
The eunuch smiled and replied, "I am stupid, I just figured out that this matchstick figure seems to be referring to the Sixth Prince himself?"
"Yes, this is Xiaoliu expressing his love to me. This is a heart, and the one below is the sun, which means that Xiaoliu, who loves me the most, will come back tomorrow."
"Your Highness is wise! The Sixth Prince and you have a deep brotherly love. Although there is not a single word written on this note, the feelings contained in it are extremely deep. Otherwise, how could you know what the Sixth Prince wants to express just by looking at it!"
"Well, I promised him that I would treat him to sweet and sour pork ribs tomorrow. Remember to tell the new cook to go there in person and ask him to make more. The Fourth Prince will also be here tomorrow, so don't let Little Six not have enough to eat."
"Yes! I'll go right away!"
"Well, go ahead." The prince waved his hand, looked at the small note drawn by Xiaoliu again, then took out a piece of waste paper and traced the strange but inexplicably cute little man again, then put the small note and his personal letters into the drawer and locked it.
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This is yesterday's update. Today's update will be released in the afternoon.
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