Besides being busy with the cleanup and cleanup work these past two days, Yinzhen was also pondering how to deal with his three illegitimate younger brothers. Should he advise the Emperor to spare their lives, or request an imperial decree to execute them?
Yinzhen felt that choosing either option would be unwise.
If we spare their lives, Father Emperor might suspect that I also harbor treacherous intentions. Treason is a heinous crime, how can it be easily pardoned? It would be a challenge and a blow to the very foundation of the Qing Dynasty. It would also make Father Emperor doubt my compassion and whether I am capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of a nation.
However, requesting an imperial decree to execute them would be too cruel, seemingly disregarding brotherly affection and lacking any sense of propriety.
Yinzhen thought about it and finally decided to remain inactive. He should stay as far away from this matter as possible and absolutely not get involved.
Currently, the greatest benefit of saving the emperor is reaping from him. Therefore, he absolutely cannot interfere in the fate of his three brothers. He only needs to follow his father's orders.
All he needed to do was pledge his loyalty to his father, the Emperor, and as long as he remained loyal to the Emperor no matter what choice he made, that was enough.
Having figured this out, Yinzhen felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He finally managed to sort out the general situation at hand and hurried back to visit Changning.
When I returned home in the evening, Changning was still drinking soup.
She had a good appetite these past two days, and remembering the classic lotus leaf and lotus seed soup from Dream of the Red Chamber, she suddenly had an idea and pestered Chuixue to have Eunuch Ma make her a bowl.
Fortunately, she was well-versed in the Four Great Classical Novels and could still remember the methods described in them.
She was initially a little embarrassed to suggest such elaborate food during such a chaotic time, but she just couldn't resist. Just thinking about the flavors described in the book made her mouth water.
However, this was clearly no challenge for Eunuch Ma.
Eunuch Ma came from the palace. What was the most particular aspect of the food served in the palace?
The most important thing is to be meticulous and complex.
Even a single eggplant, a bean sprout, or a piece of tofu can be processed into hundreds of steps.
Ever since he started serving Master Chun, he felt that there was no easier job than this.
Although Master Chun loves Northeastern cuisine and enjoys trying new and unusual dishes, it really doesn't take much effort. He can make them in no time, making this chef, who has been in the industry for three or four decades and possesses superb skills, feel like he's just trying his hand at cooking.
This lotus leaf and lotus seed soup is quite ingenious, but the mold is hard to find. It took him and his apprentices a long time to make it.
Fortunately, the final result was very successful. Changning liked it very much and sent a serving to each of the children. Even Honghui used quite a lot.
Now that Yinzhen has returned, Changning followed suit and had someone bring him a bowl.
To be honest, after being out and about for the past two days, he hadn't eaten much at all. Often, he would only realize that he hadn't eaten anything all day after finishing his business. Then Su Peisheng would bring him some snacks, which he would eat with his tea.
Now, smelling this rich aroma, I couldn't resist and started drinking it in big gulps.
"This method is quite ingenious, but it's only April now, why are you making lotus leaves and lotus pods?"
Yinzhen drank two bowls and felt much better in his stomach. He wiped his mouth and asked softly.
Changning finished her bowl and handed it to Chuixue, then took Zhuiyu's hand and prepared to wash up.
"I just remembered it, and I'm craving that smell. I need to wash up, or I'll feel nauseous. You should get ready too."
Yinzhen was unaware that she was still experiencing some morning sickness, even though he had asked Zhang Qilin and the imperial physician, who both said that she was in good health and only needed slight adjustments.
However, he didn't ask any questions. He quickly tidied himself up and then lay down on the bed to give her a massage.
After Changning finished washing up, she saw his posture and laughed: "Weren't you exhausted these past two days? Why do you still want to give me a massage?"
Yinzhen disagreed: "That's not right. No matter how tired I am, I'm only one person, but you're carrying two. What's wrong, are you experiencing morning sickness lately?"
Changning shook her head: "I didn't throw up, it's just that sometimes I like the smell and sometimes I don't."
"Can you accept the smell I have now?"
Changning turned around and glanced at him, laughing heartily: "Yes, yes, yes, smelling you is like a bee smelling honey."
Yinzhen's fatigue from the past few days vanished after her teasing. If he weren't concerned about her health, he would have already grabbed her and patted her bottom.
However, he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he used both hands to massage her legs, alternating between light and heavy pressure.
"Have you taken care of everything outside?"
Changning felt comfortable from his massage and spoke softly.
Yinzhen nodded: "It's almost done. In two more days, we should set off back to the capital. We can deal with the rest when we get back to the palace."
"What about Meng Guqing?"
"She's also busy preparing for the upcoming battle. I figured she'd be free tomorrow, so I asked her to come see you. She's been talking about you a lot these past few days, saying she hasn't seen you in a long time and wants to catch up with you."
Changning relaxed and soon felt sleepy. He yawned and said, "I miss her so much. Let her come quickly."
Before Yinzhen could say anything more, he heard her long, rhythmic breathing. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the little girl had already fallen asleep. Yinzhen couldn't help but chuckle, feeling even more sorry for her hardships during her pregnancy.
After tucking Changning in, Yinzhen deliberately used a motion that wouldn't crush her but would still pull her into his arms, and the two of them snuggled together affectionately to sleep.
When he woke up the next day, Yinzhen felt that he hadn't slept so comfortably in a long time.
Changning's face was rosy from sleeping, and she looked just like Hongyang; the mother and son really looked alike.
Thinking of Hongyang, Yinzhen also went to see his youngest son. He was quite energetic at the moment, babbling and crawling around everywhere. He was full of energy and needed several wet nurses and nannies to look after him.
When Yinzhen arrived, Hongyang didn't stand on ceremony and immediately started climbing up his legs.
Yinzhen was delighted and held him in his arms, playing with his son for a while.
He felt a little guilty towards Hongyang, as he hadn't spent much time with the child since his birth. He was determined to spend more time with the children once this whole mess was resolved.
Moreover, the child grew more and more beautiful. Originally a very clever and handsome young prince, he is now much more refined than the one in the painting, just like the androgynous fairy child in the painting.
Yinzhen was determined to properly cultivate his son's masculinity.
After spending time with his youngest son, Yinzhen went directly to his eldest son's place while he still had some time, wanting to have breakfast alone with Honghui.
Seeing the sad and restrained Honghui, Yinzhen felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He personally picked up a longan bun and a piece of scallion pancake for him, saying, "You must eat more for breakfast. Your health is what your mother cares about most. Don't let her spirit in heaven still worry about you."
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