On this day, Kangxi came to the study room again to check his sons' homework. Looking at the only empty seat, his eyes paused for a moment.
After returning to the imperial study, he casually asked, "Yinzhen has been in Xisan for several days, right?"
Liang Jiugong: "That's right, it's been three or four days."
"Since Yinzuo is fine, let him move back to Chengqian Palace to recuperate, so that Yinzhen can return to continue his studies, so as not to delay his studies for too long."
"Well, I will go to West Third Office in person right now."
"etc."
Liang Jiugong quickly turned around and came back.
"Your Majesty, do you have any other instructions?"
"Ahem, I haven't visited the Imperial Concubine for a long time. I'm going to go there in person tonight. Go to my private storehouse and find some rare toys for children."
"Yeah!" Liang Jiugong smiled and walked out.
Letting the Fourth Prince go back to study is an excuse. What can be delayed for just three or four days? Not seeing the Imperial Noble Consort for a long time is even more of an excuse. The Emperor has to go to the Imperial Noble Consort on the first and fifteenth of every month. Your Majesty, you miss the Sixth Prince in your heart, but you just don't want to admit it.
Liang Jiugong's decree came suddenly. When Yinzuo said goodbye to his brother, he was in tears and held him tightly, refusing to let him go.
"Be good, Xiaoliu, be obedient. Go back and take care of yourself, and move to the South Third Residence as soon as possible." Yinzhen hugged him and coaxed him softly.
"Brother, please don't go, okay?" Yinzuo threw himself into his brother's arms, tilted his head and looked at him eagerly, his eyes red, looking pitiful and cute.
Yinzhen felt a pain in his heart and raised his hand to wipe the tears from the corners of Yinzuo's eyes.
"If you finish school early these days, I'll go to Chengqian Palace to have dinner with you, okay?"
Yinzuo also knew that he couldn't get more, so he could only accept it with resignation.
"Eunuch Liang, can you let my brother take me back and let me study in the upper study room tomorrow?"
Liang Jiugong couldn't resist the Sixth Prince's eyes which looked very much like those of Concubine Defei and seemed to be able to speak. Anyway, the Emperor didn't say that the Fourth Prince had to go back today, so it would be better to fulfill the Sixth Prince's little wish.
"Of course, Fourth Prince will go to the study room on time tomorrow morning."
Yinzuo suddenly shouted with joy.
The West Three Buildings suddenly became busy, with palace servants each doing their own job and packing things up skillfully.
From Xisansuo to Chengqian Palace, Yinzuo's feet never touched the ground and Yinzhen held him the whole way. Although he was only a year older than Yinzuo, he had practiced martial arts for three years. In addition, Yinzuo had lost a lot of weight, so he felt light in Yinzhen's arms, so it was not difficult for Yinzhen to carry him along the way.
"Xiao Liu!" The imperial concubine stood at the palace gate with her mouth covered, looking at the two brothers with tears in her eyes.
"Royal Mother~" Yinzuo smiled very naturally and stretched out his two little arms to hug her.
Yinzhen frowned slightly and said, "Little Six is already six years old, please don't tire the Royal Mother."
After hearing what his brother said, Yinzuo came to his senses. It had indeed been a long time since he asked the Imperial Noble Mother to hold him. Ever since Qionghua was born, he felt that he was already a brother, and it was not very prestigious to let the mothers hold him. He was so happy just now that he forgot about this matter.
But before he could retract his arm, it was taken away by the royal mother.
"Silly child, how old are you at sixteen? Even if you are sixteen or sixty-six, you are still a child in my eyes. I am not old, so how can I be tired just by hugging Little Six?"
Yinzhen's arms suddenly felt empty. He twisted his fingers, put them behind his back, and followed the imperial mother inside.
Not long after, Concubine De from next door also came with her bulging belly. Yinzuo was surrounded by his two mothers on the left and right. Faced with this double concern and care, he didn't even have the time to say a word to his brother. Not only did he have to respond to the mothers' care, but he was also constantly fed all kinds of delicious food. His mouth was never idle for a moment.
"Xiaoliu has lost weight. He must take good care of himself these days." Concubine De stroked her youngest son's cheek with heartache.
"Mom, wouldn't you look better if you were thinner? I don't want people to call me little fat boy behind my back~" Yinzuo held his little face and blinked his eyes, acting cute in front of his mother, trying to minimize her worries about him.
"What's good about being too thin! Besides, you haven't been that fat to begin with, and I guess you'll start to grow taller in the next two years. You can't be too thin, otherwise if you get sick again, how will your body survive? It's better for you to be fatter and eat more." Defei was unusually strong and insisted on this point.
"Don't worry, sister Defei. I will personally watch over the small kitchen and make some nourishing soups for Xiaoliu every day. However, his favorite is your cooking." The Imperial Concubine also agreed with Defei's point of view.
"He loves to eat it, so I prepare it and have someone deliver it to him every day. I hope he can eat more and gain weight as soon as possible."
Now seeing that he really has very little flesh on his body, Concubine De feels distressed. Her youngest son has suffered a serious illness and has become much thinner. You know, the Fifth Prince is only three months older than him, but he is twice as big as him.
Concubine De and Imperial Noble Concubine immediately began to discuss the recipes to prepare for Yinzuo.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Everyone now turned their gaze away from Yinzuo. Outside, they didn't know when the sun had set, and only a hint of orange-red sunset glow remained in the sky. It was already evening.
"Your Majesty, your son, pays respects to His Majesty."
"Get up, everyone." Kangxi strode forward, picked up the small body sandwiched between two concubines, and held it in his arms.
"Why have you lost so much weight? Is it because the servants didn't serve you well?" Kangxi looked at Yinzuo's little face with a hint of anger in his tone.
All the servants in the hall knelt down and dared not make a sound.
Yinzuo smiled brilliantly, hugged his father's neck, and rubbed his face against his neck.
"They took very good care of him. Xiaoliu hadn't seen the Emperor for a long time, so he couldn't eat and became thin~"
When Kangxi heard this, his heart softened.
"It's my fault. I will come to see Yinzuo more often and keep him company in the future, okay?"
"Okay~"
What Yinzuo wanted more was to ask the Emperor to take him out of the palace to play again, but there were too many people around now, so it was difficult to say it out loud. As long as the Emperor came more often, there would always be a chance to mention it in private.
"My queen, it's time to take the pregnancy-preserving medicine." Aunt Qing seized the opportunity and stepped forward to remind her.
Defei also knew that it was not convenient to stay for long at this time, so she stood up and asked to leave.
"Your Majesty, I will return to the palace first."
Kangxi nodded and said, "You are pregnant now, so go back quickly and tell the servants to be careful on the road."
"Yes, I will take my leave."
"Mother, Xiaoliu will come to pay his respects to you tomorrow~"
Concubine De smiled and nodded.
At this moment, Yinzhen also stood up.
"Father, I will go back to the South Third Residence first. I have to get up early tomorrow to go to the study."
"Well, go ahead. You've been tired taking care of your brother these days. Go to bed early so that you can have enough energy to study with the teachers tomorrow." Kangxi was very satisfied when he looked at his son who attached great importance to his brothers.
"Yes, my son will remember the teachings of the Emperor."
After Concubine De and Yinzhen left, Yinzuo was obviously not as happy, and his little mouth was pouted.
Kangxi pinched his little mouth and smiled and said, "Why? It's not enough to have the emperor accompany you? You stare at your mother and your brother eagerly, huh?"
Yinzuo hummed twice in a coquettish manner. What's wrong with him just being dependent on his mother and brother?
"Liang Jiugong, why don't you bring up the little things I asked you to prepare? Look, my Sixth Prince is not happy."
Liang Jiugong quickly raised his hand and asked others to bring up the things.
There are glass lamps, mechanical birds, Luban locks, and other exquisite and rare gadgets.
Yinzuo's attention was indeed attracted, and he pointed at those things and asked questions one by one.
Kangxi held him in his arms and played with him, just like an ordinary father who loved his young son.
"Emperor Father, how come you can do everything? You are so awesome!" Yinzuo felt that Emperor Father was omnipotent.
Kangxi was greatly pleased by his simple praise.
"I am your emperor father, so I naturally know more than you do."
While the Imperial Noble Mother went to set the dinner, Yinzuo turned his head and whispered a few words into the Emperor's ear.
Kangxi couldn't say no, so he could only say, "I can agree to your request, but I have to wait until you recover."
"Long live the Emperor~"
"What are you two plotting?" the Imperial Concubine asked with a smile.
Yinzuo covered his little mouth with an expression that said “I can’t say it, it’s a secret”.
After leaving Chengqian Palace, Defei did not ride in a sedan chair, but walked slowly back to the palace side by side with Yinzhen.
"Just now, mother was only concerned about your brother. Does Yinzhen blame mother for being partial?"
Yinzhen said, "It's not my fault. Like my mother, I was concerned about Yinzuo. Fortunately, he is safe this time."
Defei stopped and extended her hand to her eldest son. Yinzhen was stunned for a moment and slowly put his hand on it.
Concubine De led him forward.
"Is that true?"
"My son dare not lie to my mother."
If it was in the previous life, these words would have been spoken against his will, but in this life, Yinzhen said it from the bottom of his heart. How could he be jealous of Yinzuo? He wished that everyone in the world would treat him well.
"It's true that I'm worried about your brother, but you're also my biological child. When I heard that you were admitted to the West Third Institute to accompany your brother, I was so worried. Don't be so reckless next time. If something happens to you this time, what should I do? It's good that you love your brother, but you also have to consider your own safety."
"Yes, son, I remember it."
Yinzhen felt very complicated. He and his mother had never opened their hearts and talked to each other so intimately before.
"I used to think you were steady and mature, but now it seems that you, like your brother, are also worrying. You must have not rested well these days taking care of your brother. I can see that your eyes are full of bloodshot, so I won't keep you any longer. Go back early, take a bath, and have a good sleep."
Just as they arrived at the gate of Yonghe Palace, a palace servant handed them a large food box.
"Mother personally watched over them making this. Remember to take out the soup and drink it when you get home. You've lost weight, so you need to eat some tonic food. There are also some pastries in it. Mother knows that studying is the most demanding for you, so she asked Su Peisheng to prepare some sweet pastries for you. Eat a couple of them when you take a break, so you don't starve yourself."
"Yes, son, I know."
"Go ahead. Mother will stand here and watch you go."
Yinzhen opened his mouth but finally stopped trying to persuade her. He turned and left. When he turned the corner, he couldn't help but look back. He saw his mother still standing at the gate of Yonghe Palace, holding her waist. It turned out that she had really been looking at his back.
It was not until Yinzhen's figure completely disappeared around the corner that Aunt Qing began to persuade her queen with concern.
"My queen, please go back quickly. The Fourth Prince has already returned to the South Third Residence, and the Sixth Prince is fine now. You can rest assured."
"Yes, that's great." Defei's eyes reddened again.
Supported by Aunt Qing, she walked towards Yonghe Palace.
"By the way, did you write down all the recipes that I discussed with the Imperial Concubine about preparing for Yinzuo?"
"I've made a note of it. Don't worry, your majesty. I will personally watch them prepare."
"It should be prepared in advance and sent to Chengqian Palace as soon as possible, otherwise Xiaoliu will not be able to drink it after lunch."
"Your Majesty, please don't worry too much. I will remind them."
"Also, pick out a few of the best ginsengs that the emperor gave as a gift. Xiaoliu had a serious illness when he was a child, and he just had a near-death experience this time. I'm afraid his ginseng is a little damaged, so you have to take good care of it."
"I've made note of this."
"There are also the Buddhist scriptures that I copied these days. You can take them to the Buddha and burn them. After I give birth to this baby, I will go and fulfill my vow in person."
In Yonghe Palace, Defei's nagging voice gradually became weaker. She was so happy that she slept soundly at night and finally no longer suffered from insomnia.
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