Chapter 75
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of many imperial doctors, Yinzuo was finally able to get out of bed and walk slowly for a while. However, unlike Yinzuo, the condition of Imperial Noble Consort Tonggiya became worse and worse this winter.
But the emperor never visited the palace again.
After all, he had been in the palace for many years and was the person with the highest position in the harem. It seemed that the fact that the Sixth Prince was poisoned this time really violated the Emperor's taboo.
Fortunately, the matter seemed to be over with the Imperial Concubine, and there was no further involvement. After nearly two months of tension, everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The Eighth Prince came to help Yinzuo with some of his homework, but it was just a little bit, and he didn't want to tire Yinzuo out. Yinzuo looked at the small notebook of class notes compiled by the Eighth Prince, and thanked his Eighth Brother Yinsi for his good intentions. However, after looking at the small notebook for a while, Yinzuo said to the Eighth Prince: "Eighth Brother, you still need to practice your calligraphy."
The Eighth Prince was just about to say that he could do it when he heard Yinzuo's next words: "Eighth brother, your handwriting is as bad as mine, it's very bad." His academic performance was the worst among his brothers.
The Eighth Prince was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "What are you talking about, Sixth Brother? Sixth Brother, don't underestimate yourself." In the Eighth Prince's opinion, the Sixth Prince was actually very smart in studying. He was just a little more diligent than the Sixth Prince, so he was able to get ahead of the Sixth Prince.
Yinzuo groaned and said, "Actually, I have learned a little bit from my practice. Our fourth brother taught me very well. You can also learn more from him."
"Fourth brother taught calligraphy well."
The Eighth Prince agreed with a smile, but he was thinking in his heart that the Fourth Prince would not be so patient and dedicated to everyone.
When the Eighth Prince's eyes fell on Yinzuo's pale profile, he sighed in his heart. He used to be jealous of his Sixth Brother, but he never expected that his Sixth Brother would meet with misfortune so suddenly.
Looking at his sick face at this moment, I felt regretful and emotional.
As the eldest prince and the crown prince both entered the court, the dispute between the two had already begun to emerge. Although everyone expected the two to fight each other, unexpectedly, the first disturbance started from the sixth prince, and it became so big in an instant.
Yinzuo put down the notebook and asked the Eighth Prince, "You guys just study and practice martial arts every day? Isn't there anything fun to do?"
"Go and have some fun with Harcha and the others. Aren't there several more people coming from Mongolia? Get to know them." Yinzuo lowered his voice and said to the Eighth Prince, "Investigate them and ask about the men of the right age there. If the sisters in the palace want to marry one of them, they can't accidentally pick someone who looks good on the outside but is actually rotten."
"Didn't the sisters say they wanted to play Cuju with us? You can do it together." Yinzuo said and winked at the Eighth Prince.
The Eighth Prince coughed and said, "Isn't this a bit bad?"
Yinzuo said, "No, it's not bad." Yinzuo himself was still jealous, but after the New Year, the eldest sister would be eighteen, and the second sister would be sixteen. Although the emperor was reluctant to delay, wouldn't they have to get married in the end? So they had to find out as soon as possible. The emperor's inquiries were his own, and they also wanted to know more.
Oh, let’s not talk about this anymore. I feel so sad.
Yinzuo asked the Eighth Prince again, "It snowed a little bit a few days ago. Didn't we say last year that we would enjoy the plum blossoms and brew tea in the snow? When it snows again, you two, Eighth Prince, try it and tell me what it feels like? Is it beautiful? Is it cold?"
Facing Yinzuo's enthusiasm, the Eighth Prince also sighed in his heart, he was lying on the hospital bed, but his heart was still so restless?
In fact, it was the eighth brother himself who instigated the idea of appreciating plum blossoms and brewing tea in the snow. He said that he wanted to learn from others' elegance, so others agreed to his idea.
If it weren't for this Sixth Brother who started it, few people would have the interest to do so. It seems silly to think about admiring the plum blossoms and drinking tea outside in the cold wind.
The Eighth Prince said to Yinzuo, "Sixth Brother is ill, and no one is in the mood to play."
Yinzuo curled his eyes and smiled, "I know you are worried about me, but you should have some fun. Don't be depressed because of me."
The sixth brother was obviously very happy that everyone cared about him, and his simple thoughts were written on his face. Yinsi admired him for being able to be as happy as before.
If it were him, Yinsi thought he would not be able to do this.
Yinsi thought that this was probably because no matter in the past or now, the sixth brother was surrounded by the love and care of his mother, his royal father and the prince. Even after this incident, he could still see the prince and his eldest brother coming here, and there was not much change in them when they got along.
Although the Eighth Prince Yinsi had many thoughts in his mind, he did not stop him from responding softly: "Okay, when it snows heavily, I will invite Seventh Brother and the others to enjoy the snow and plum blossoms and make tea, and then I will tell you."
Yinzuo: "It would be best if I could write a poem." It was because there were many beautiful poems about appreciating the snow and brewing tea with the fragrance of plum blossoms that Yinzuo had the idea of pretending to be cultured. If he had participated himself, he certainly would not have suggested writing a poem.
But now he's not involved!
Yinzuo clapped his hands and said, "There have been a lot of things going on recently, and everyone must be in a bad mood. It's time for everyone to get together to change their mood. Why don't I suggest to the emperor that we get together, drink tea, chat, write poems, and change the mood!"
"What do you mean by a new look?" Speak of the devil.
Isn’t it a coincidence that Kangxi came?
Listening to Yinzuo excitedly proposing to Kangxi what he had just said, the Eighth Prince remained silent, and the happy words "write a poem" buzzed in his mind.
Glancing at Yinzuo's mischievous curved lips and bright eyes, the Eighth Prince shook his head helplessly.
He is the sixth brother...
The Emperor was doting on the Sixth Brother at that time, and the Eighth Prince agreed to this matter easily when he heard Kangxi's request.
The weather was good, and the next day, heavy snow fell from the sky. Then a group of princes sat in the pavilion beside the plum forest and lit a small tea stove.
What happened during this period made the cheerful eldest prince quieter, the proud brows of the crown prince were filled with lingering sadness, and the cold face of the fourth prince became even more tense. They tried their best to behave normally when they were in Yinzuo's courtyard, but when Yinzuo was not around, they completely changed their appearance.
Also sitting together were the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Seventh Prince. These brothers, who used to be quite harmonious, now felt awkward sitting in a small pavilion.
The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, who had just entered the Upper Study this year, were not there. The Eighth Prince looked at the plum blossoms outside the pavilion and pulled his sleeves together.
Thinking about it carefully, most of the gatherings in recent years were organized by the Sixth Brother, who seemed to be a bond between the brothers. The Eighth Prince thought that even though he had good friends on both sides, he was actually far inferior to the Sixth Brother.
If Sixth Brother were here now, the atmosphere among everyone would definitely not be as silent and stagnant as it is now.
As for what Brother Liu said about everyone sitting together and chatting, changing the atmosphere, it's still a mystery...
The Eighth Prince said, "Everyone, please enjoy your tea. The Sixth Prince said that he wants to see everyone's poems."
After the Eighth Prince spoke, the Fifth Prince exclaimed, "You still want to write poetry? It's just a little cold wind. I was wondering why the Emperor suddenly did this. It turns out that it was the Sixth Brother who came up with this bad idea. You are sitting here freezing like a fool."
The Seventh Prince also said, "It was something that the Sixth Prince could have done."
With the Eighth Prince speaking up, the awkward atmosphere finally cooled down. Even the First Prince snorted and said, "He just likes to cheat people."
The prince lowered his eyes and thought that if it were Yinzuo, he would have run out of the pavilion to play long ago. He had been clamoring to play snowball fights with everyone in the early years, but he never succeeded in the past, and he didn't know if he could make up for it in the future.
The Eighth Prince continued to talk to everyone, "Sixth brother said that we should drink some tea together to relax and change our mood. We don't have to be depressed because of him all the time."
The Third Prince said, "The main point is, are you drinking tea and appreciating the scenery or writing poetry?"
The princes present understood what was going on. Some of them raised their lips slightly, while others did not smile, but their facial lines softened a little.
White smoke slowly rose from the small tea stove in the pavilion, and the stagnant atmosphere in the pavilion finally loosened.
The Eighth Prince laughed and said, "Even if Third Brother sees through it, don't tell him."
"Anyway, brothers, you should think about it quickly. The Emperor will ask about it later."
Not long after, Kangxi came over, drank hot tea with everyone, and then watched the falling snow outside and the winter plum blossoms on the branches with his sons.
But being with these guys, I really couldn't appreciate any poetic sentiment. Kangxi muttered: "There are only weird things in my mind. I am also idle and listened to the nonsense of that boy."
It's not warm inside the house in this kind of weather, but we can enjoy the cool breeze outside.
Fortunately, it is still somewhat interesting to embarrass my sons.
"Write a poem about today's scene. Isn't it easy? It's a simple question in the imperial examination. Even scholars can do it. I haven't asked you to take the exam yet. Let's see the gap between you and those students today."
Kangxi was in a good mood now. Indeed, everyone had been living a dull life these days, so it would be nice to get together today.
Kangxi was in a better mood, but he was scratching his head and thinking, "Oh my, the Sixth Prince is so mean."
Kangxi gave an order to Liang Jiugong and quickly went to find a painter. Compared with the view of plum blossoms in the snow, Xiaoliu probably wanted to see his brothers racking their brains and writing poems with deep hatred and bitterness.
Kangxi also stood up and said to his sons: "Come on, don't just sit here and think, go to the plum forest and stimulate your inspiration."
As Kangxi walked in the plum forest, he picked a few plum blossoms and planned to take them back to Yinzuo, completely ignoring the miserable mood of his sons behind him.
The Fifth Prince looked around, hoping that his brothers and sisters could give him some support and advice, but everyone was busy with their own affairs, which made the Fifth Prince sigh. Without his sixth brother, who was also a poor student, his life was very difficult.
No matter how you scratch your head, this party that Yinzuo proposed to enjoy the snow, plum blossoms and brew tea was supposed to be a change of mood, but in fact it was a waste of time. At the end of the party, everyone handed in a poem to Kangxi, and Kangxi criticized each poem.
I don’t know if it can be considered a successful change of mood.
But even though I was criticized, it was no longer the suffocating atmosphere I had been experiencing for some time. It seemed like I could finally start to move forward and open a new chapter.
Kangxi brought everyone's poems, some newly-made paintings, and a few plum blossoms he had picked himself to Yinzuo.
What Kangxi did this time was really on point, and Yinzuo was overjoyed holding the painting.
Yinzuo also said to Kangxi while watching: "Third brother has a bad habit of biting the pen when he can't think of anything. Father, you have to say something to him. It damages the image of our royal family."
"But isn't Third Brother's literary talent quite good? Which poem did Third Brother write? Let me take a look." Yinzuo couldn't compose poetry, but he had some ability to appreciate poetry. He took a look and thought it was just average.
Of course, the poems we read normally are masterpieces that have been passed down. How can it be so easy to create good poems in a short period of time?
And the fifth brother in the painting has his brows so furrowed that they are about to turn into a ball of ink. Yinzuo is quite happy that he is not the one being embarrassed.
As for the Crown Prince and his elder brothers, although they didn't show it so obviously, the way they looked at each other in deep thought also made Yinzuo, a dishonest boy, quite happy.
Kangxi also smiled as he looked at Yinzuo who was happy.
However, he said to Yinzuo leisurely: "I asked them to look at the answers of students in previous years. Although they don't need to take the imperial examination, they should also look at the level of others and not be arrogant and complacent in the future."
"Also, your eldest brother and the others are very grateful for your suggestion to write poems. Although the poems they wrote are not very good, if they hadn't been forced this time, they wouldn't be able to clearly understand the gap between themselves and others. In the future, when facing the ministers in the court, they should be humble."
Yinzuo felt a chill down his spine when he heard his father say "thank you". "Ha, ha, big brother and the others don't have to be so polite."
The next day, Yinzuo was scolded by his eldest and fifth brothers. In particular, the fifth brother strongly criticized Yinzuo: "Xiao Liu, your fifth brother has a headache now. Last night, I dreamed that the emperor was sitting opposite me, staring at me writing poems. I didn't sleep well all night."
Yinzuo laughed again.
The angry Fifth Prince wanted to tickle him, knowing that Sixth Brother was most afraid of this. However, after just a while, the Imperial Physician heard the noise and came in to stop him. The Fifth Prince sat down and said, "Okay, no more trouble."
But I was thinking in my heart that I didn't know when my sixth brother would get better. It would be unpleasant to have him missing in the study.
Although the sixth brother was not there yesterday, everyone knew that it was the sixth brother who proposed the matter and that he was naughty and tricked others again. In fact, everyone indulged him without any prior agreement. Who was really angry? Instead, there was a sense of nostalgia and intimacy.
The Fifth Prince said, "The New Year is coming soon. This year, I will give you New Year's money to drive away all the bad luck."
Yinzuo smiled and said, "Fifth brother, there is still a month before the Chinese New Year. If you start talking about New Year's money now, you can't give less."
The Fifth Prince said, "Okay! Your Fifth Brother is not a stingy person."
(End of this chapter)
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