In the palace, after court, Yinzhen and several of his brothers were kept behind by Emperor Kangxi and taken to the Southern Study to discuss official business.
As he was leaving, Kangxi suddenly asked about Nan Yi, "How is that girl? The Consort asked about her the other day. If she is well, take her with you when we go hunting outside the Great Wall."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen quickly expressed his gratitude.
The Ninth Prince was secretly pleased, as Nan Yi's condition worried him; he was truly afraid that she planned to stay on the estate forever and never come back.
She and her fourth brother were separated by distance, and she no longer had to see the girl she admired spending her days and nights with another man. Perhaps he would be happy and no longer have to feel heartache, but Nan Yi might not be happy.
He hoped that Nan Yi would be happy. A lifetime was too long, and he couldn't rightfully stay by her side, but he hoped that his fourth brother could be with her.
The Ninth Prince glanced at the Fourth Prince and smiled at Emperor Kangxi, saying, "Father, Fourth Sister-in-law is much better. A few days ago, Wanqing and I went to Tongzhou to visit her. She prepared a huge feast for Wanqing and me. You don't know, she turned the whole estate into a breeding ground for ingredients. Even the milk candy was made by her. It was extremely delicious."
"Yes, thanks to you, I tasted the milk candy. It was quite good. Doctor Liu said that eating too much of it is bad for your teeth and that I shouldn't eat too much. Seventeen and Eighteen heard from somewhere that I had some delicious candy here, and they asked me for some early this morning," Kangxi said.
"That's what my mother said," Fourteenth Brother said with a laugh. "It was Ninth Brother who caused this trouble. He would hide the good food from us. Thirteenth Brother and I tried to take it from him twice, but he wouldn't give it to us. He would just say that so-and-so had it. It just so happened that Seventeenth Brother and Eighteenth Brother overheard us."
"No wonder, you brat, I hereby punish you by making you hand over everything," Kangxi said with a laugh.
"Hehe, Ninth Brother, you're being possessive of your food." Fourteenth Brother raised his eyebrows and teased.
The Ninth Prince smiled helplessly, but glanced meaningfully at the Fourth Prince, who remained expressionless.
When he and Wanqing returned from Tongzhou, Nan Yi brought gifts for all his close friends in the capital, including his eighth brother. His father and mothers, the Emperor and Gui De, also received gifts, but his fourth brother did not.
He specifically asked Nan Yi, who gave him a cold snort.
Ninth Prince thought Fourth Brother didn't have any, but actually, Nan Yi was unprepared, while Yi Ren and Xiao Shunzi had prepared one, and had Quan Fu deliver it to their master.
After leaving the palace, the Fourteenth Prince followed closely behind his Fourth Brother. Yinzhen knew exactly what the Fourteenth Prince was thinking and glanced at him, saying, "Why are you following me? Go back to your residence."
Fourteen smiled and shook his head, calmly saying, "I won't go back. I'll trouble you today, Fourth Brother." He then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, ready to stick around no matter what.
Yinzhen rubbed his forehead. The two brothers chatted awkwardly without saying a word. When they returned to the mansion, Thirteenth Brother was already waiting for them in the study.
Yinzhen's lips twitched, and he said coldly, "You came fast enough."
Thirteen touched his nose and glanced at Fourteen behind Fourth Brother, "He arrived a step earlier than Fourth Brother and Fourteenth Brother."
He lifted his robe and sat down, but before he was even settled, he complained to his fourth brother, "Fourth brother, Xiao Su is too stingy. When I asked him for some food, he pretended to be stupid and didn't know anything. It's infuriating!"
Su Peisheng felt wronged. The things Master Tong sent were kept by the master himself. Why would he touch them? Did he think he was living too comfortably?
The master is the same; no matter what treasures Master Tong sends him, he doesn't even have a chance to glance at them. They're all locked in the big box that the master prepared himself.
Thirteen remembered his father's words and said, "By the way, Fourth Brother, when are you going to pick up Sister-in-law Tong? Call me if you can."
"And me too, Fourth Brother, you can't be biased. Ninth Brother has already been there, you can't leave me out." Fourteenth Brother chimed in as well.
Yinzhen frowned, feeling both anticipation and slight nervousness. He was experiencing a mix of emotions, a sense of trepidation as he approached his hometown.
"We'll talk about it after this busy period is over. I'll let you know then."
If his father hadn't spoken up, he wouldn't have been able to decide to see her.
Very well, since the Emperor himself spoke up, her claim is now legitimate.
This woman stayed in Tongzhou for two years, but the Emperor and his mother in the palace always talked about her, and she was never short of gifts during festivals.
Even her mother had asked her twice.
She had always wanted him to take her out for a stroll, and this was a good opportunity.
This time, I'll bring her along alone so she can have some fun and relax.
Yinzhen made this plan, but plans are always subject to change.
A major event occurred in April: Emperor Kangxi publicly praised Yinzhen (the future emperor) Gengyao and others during the morning court session, which aroused envy and admiration among the court officials.
When Yinzhen and Nian Gengyao returned to the mansion, the joy on their faces was undisguised. Yinzhen patted Nian Gengyao on the shoulder and said, "Lianggong, you have made great contributions this time. You have worked hard. Tell me what you want. I should reward you handsomely."
Nian Gengyao smiled modestly and said, "Not at all. Without the Fourth Prince's authority and the Thirteenth Prince's assistance, I wouldn't have been able to complete this task so quickly. I dare not take credit for it."
"Don't mention it. You don't need to be modest. You know better than anyone what the master and the thirteenth master did. You made this happen single-handedly and deserve the most credit. Stay for dinner later and we can discuss what's next."
"Your humble servant obeys." Nian Gengyao bowed and sat down to the left of the Thirteenth Prince.
After exchanging pleasantries with Nian Gengyao, the thirteenth brother said, "Father should announce the selection of people for this hunting expedition in a few days. I guess the fourth brother will definitely be one of them."
They did their job well, and the Emperor didn't mention any reward. Could it be that he wants them to go beyond the Great Wall with him? After all, being able to go beyond the Great Wall with him is a great favor.
"Perhaps." Although Yinzhen said this, he was ninety percent certain in his heart. His father's suggestion to send Lady Tong to the borderlands was a signal.
"Oh, Your Majesty is going to go beyond the Great Wall?" Nian Gengyao's face lit up with joy. He had just come from Jiangnan and had not yet received the news. He immediately said, "I have no chance. I haven't finished my mission yet. However, Fourth Master, I can only ask you for a favor."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
