The Empress Dowager couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Consort Yi was furious. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and tears welled up in them: "Consort Qi, you! It's because of people like you that you allow the princes to bully their brothers!"
Behind every bratty kid is a bratty parent.
It was rare to see Yinzhen act like a brat, so Wan Anran didn't hesitate to play the role of the brat's parent. She looked displeased and retorted coldly, "First of all, let's not even talk about whether this is Yinzhen's fault or not. How can taking off your pants while playing around be considered bullying? What if it's the Sixth Prince being ignorant, and Yinzhen is spanking him to teach him a lesson?"
The more Wan Anran talked, the more convinced she became of her point.
Yinzhen is the kind of person who will only move a little if you nudge him twice. With such a taciturn personality, how could he possibly bully Yinqi? It's more like Yinqi is the one bullying him.
"That's just sophistry!"
“Sister Yi, I’ve always been a straightforward person, and everything I say comes from the heart!” Wan Anran said earnestly.
Seeing Consort Yi jumping up and down in anger, the Empress Dowager quickly interjected to dissuade her: "Consort Yi, I believe there must be some misunderstanding. Yinzhen is steady and considerate, and the Fourth Princess is usually a good child who knows how to take care of others. How could these two children bully Yinqi?"
Wan Anran nodded in agreement: "The Empress Dowager is right."
Consort Yi was so angry she nearly fell backward.
The Empress Dowager is clearly showing favoritism; she's even speaking up for Consort Qi!
Even Consort Guo, seated at the lower end of the table, pursed her lips. Her fingertips trembled, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Master Yi, the Fourth Princess..."
Consort Yi gave her a cold, sharp look.
Before she could finish speaking, Consort Guo was startled by Consort Yi's gaze and shut her mouth, her face turning pale. She lowered her head and stared at her feet, not daring to speak. The atmosphere in Cining Palace gradually became gloomy. Seeing this, the Empress Dowager, who had been trying to persuade her, frowned and felt a little displeased.
They're just kids, it's perfectly normal for them to make a fuss. Besides, the Empress Dowager also thinks that Consort Qi is right. Given Yinzhen's temperament, it's possible that Yinqi started the trouble first!
Just then, an announcement rang out from outside: "The Emperor has arrived! The Empress has arrived!"
The emperor and empress entered the hall one after the other, both with smiles on their faces, clearly in good spirits.
Wan Anran, Consort Yi, and Noble Lady Guo rose to pay their respects, watching the Emperor and Empress walk to the front. The Empress Dowager was also surprised by the Emperor and Empress's arrival, and upon hearing the good news brought by the Emperor, she was overjoyed!
The troops at the front have advanced all the way into Yunnan, and the pacification of the Three Feudatories is now a foregone conclusion! Emperor Kangxi was beaming with joy, his eyes shining brightly: "I intend to hold a banquet at Yingtai in the Western Garden to celebrate this event!"
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed.
The long-standing Rebellion of the Three Feudatories had been quelled—this was good news they had been waiting for for so long! She no longer cared about Consort Yi's trivial matter, her face beaming with joy: "Good! Good! Good! This is wonderful news! We must tell the Empress Dowager immediately!"
Consort Yi could only swallow the blood she was about to vomit.
Not only could she not show displeasure, she also had to put on a smiling face to show her joy—that the concubine didn't understand any of this and that her mind was on her son in the backyard.
Meanwhile, in the backyard, Yinzhen's face also darkened.
Yinqi's cries were so loud and desperate that they seemed to pierce the sky, making Yinzhen and the Fourth Princess's heads buzz with echoes.
The fourth princess covered her ears.
Her face was filled with terror, the words "I'm scared!" clearly written on both cheeks. To be honest, even the Fourth Princess regretted her impulsive act of tearing her Sixth Brother's pants.
Little did she know... her sixth brother's cries were like a demonic piercing, filling her with dread.
The fourth princess was terrified, and the veins on Yinzhen's forehead bulged and throbbed. He ordered someone to carry Yinqi into the room—the palace servants of Yikun Palace refused, so Yinzhen had the palace servants of Cining Palace carry him.
Is Yinqi still going to struggle?
Yinzhen resorted to threats: "If you, Yinqi, disobey me, I guarantee that the news of you exposing your buttocks will spread throughout the palace and will be a laughing stock for everyone until the New Year."
Cruel, terrifying, and merciless!!!
Yinqi's crying stopped abruptly, and his gaze toward Yinzhen was filled with fear.
Although Yinqi was young, he knew how to save face.
If word of his naked body spread throughout the entire palace, Yinqi felt he would never dare to leave the house again. He sobbed, his lips pressed tightly together, looking at his fifth brother with fear and unease, choking out, "I...I won't cry, please, please don't say 'Waaah...'"
Her choked-up, aggrieved, and frightened expression looked much better than her previous arrogant demeanor.
He was obediently carried into the house, changed into a new set of clothes, and then played with building blocks at Yinzhen's behest.
Then Yinzhen looked at the Fourth Princess.
The Fourth Princess was still looking down at the doll in her palm—it was a little figure dressed in palace attire, with exquisite clothes and delicate features, and it even looked a bit like Consort Guo.
Yinzhen leaned closer.
He carefully placed the doll and the broken piece of the coin into the box, and gently comforted her, "Fourth sister, let's ask Mother to help us mend it later, okay?"
"……Um."
"It will definitely return to its original state," Yinzhen promised solemnly.
Yinqi secretly glanced at Yinzhen and the Fourth Princess. He felt a little uncomfortable, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. After thinking for a moment, he tossed a building block over to them.
It landed right on the fourth princess's head.
The fourth princess was already heartbroken, and at this moment her nose twitched, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. In the end, she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into loud sobs.
Yinzhen: …………
For the first time, he felt that Yinqi really deserved a beating, the kind that should be given a good beating.
Yinzhen glared angrily at Yinqi with a dark expression.
Yinqi's eyes reddened. He was already feeling very wronged! And his fifth brother was glaring at him! The more he thought about it, the more pitiful he felt. Yinqi sobbed a couple of times and started crying too.
The Demonic Sound Pierces the Brain X2.
Yinzhen's vision went black, and his mind went blank.
The sounds of crying and wailing echoed all the way to the front hall.
Everyone in the hall heard it clearly. Kangxi's smile faded, and he showed some surprise: "Is this Yinzhen? Why is Yinzhen crying so hard?"
"Your Majesty, it is Yinqi."
“…Yinqi?” Kangxi was taken aback, then turned his gaze to Consort Yi: “By the way, Consort Yi, you brought Yinqi to Cining Palace without my noticing.”
That's going too far.
Wan Anran looked at Consort Yi's flushed face and couldn't help but chuckle.
Consort Yi's eyes reddened.
She said, sounding aggrieved, "Your Majesty, it was the Fifth Prince who bullied the Sixth Prince and made Yinqi cry."
Emperor Kangxi did not believe it at all.
He glanced at Consort Yi: "You're here, how would you know what's happening in the backyard? Yinzhen isn't that kind of person."
Kangxi's words were very firm.
Consort Yi was almost driven mad with anger. She stared at the old nanny who had already hidden in the corner: "Your Majesty, the old nanny just came to report that the Fifth Prince took off Yinqi's pants and made the child cry."
Emperor Kangxi looked shocked.
The Empress could not hide her shock and even secretly pinched herself: "...Is it really Yinzhen?"
The Empress Dowager sighed: "I think it's a misunderstanding. I was just about to go and see when the Emperor and Empress arrived."
"Then let's go take a look together." Kangxi also had his own questions, and Consort Yi's eyes lit up at his suggestion. She rushed into the inner palace, determined to show the Emperor the true colors of Consort Qi and the Fifth Prince!
The rear hall was extremely quiet.
The weeping they had just heard seemed like a dream, but once they reached the backyard, all other sounds ceased. The palace servants bowed respectfully, then carefully pushed open the door, and the group went inside.
Yinzhen was reading: "Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. The mother pig said that the little pigs had grown up and were going to move out to live on their own."
"I want to live with my mother for the rest of my life!"
"Idiot! Look, your eldest and second brothers have both moved out. You'll have to do the same in the future." The fourth princess sneered.
Yinzhen pretended not to hear their argument.
He continued reading: "...The last little pig carried hard stones and decided to build a house made of bricks and stones, because such a house would be sturdy and reliable, and would not be afraid of wind and rain. Day after day, year after year, he carried stones..."
"Where did you live when you didn't have a house?"
"I'll definitely stay at Mom's house," the fourth princess thought.
"But weren't they kicked out?" Yinqi asked, feeling wronged.
"Uh..." The Fourth Princess also began to worry.
"When we grow up, will we have to build our own houses?" Yinqi asked, his voice filled with worry. He looked down at his small hands and said, "Moving stones must be very heavy and painful. Maybe we should build a straw hut..."
"Then the big bad wolf will eat you!"
"Then I'll stay at Fifth Brother's house!" Yinqi quickly came up with a good idea.
The three of them lay together and chatted with great interest.
Where was the crying? Where was the bullying? Consort Yi opened her eyes wide in disbelief and quickly discovered the problem—Yinqi's clothes had been changed.
"I told you that the old woman was talking nonsense."
"..." Kangxi glanced at the three people inside, who seemed to be getting along well, and grew displeased with the nanny who had complained. He gestured to his men to push the trembling nanny away: "How is this a conflict? How has the Fifth Prince bullied the Sixth Prince?"
"Your Majesty, I am innocent!"
"She has spoken ill of the princes and stirred up discord among them. She shall be taken away and given thirty strokes of the cane, and then expelled from the palace." Kangxi rebuked her impatiently.
The old woman even tried to beg for mercy.
Unfortunately, the palace servants were quick-witted and swift; the old woman only managed two muffled whimpers before being dragged away without even attracting the attention of the young masters.
Consort Yi dug her fingertips into her flesh.
Yinqi had already changed his clothes, so the old woman was probably right. But seeing how happy and cheerful the child was, I was afraid that if I said it out loud, I would be scolded by the Emperor.
She suppressed her resentment and had to apologize to Consort Qi with a guilty expression: "It's all my fault, sister. I was deceived by such a dog of a servant."
“Sister, you must be careful.” Wan Anran nodded and earnestly instructed Consort Yi: “Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. You must have real evidence to do anything.”
Consort Yi's teeth were almost shattered.
She stood frozen in place, while the three who had heard the commotion noticed their arrival. Apart from Yinzhen, Yinqi and the Fourth Princess didn't notice the nanny being dragged away. Instead, they happily ran over, and after paying their respects to Kangxi, Yinqi immediately snuggled into Consort Yi's arms: "Mother, Mother, please tell me stories when we get back to the palace!"
"Tell a story...? What story?"
"Fifth Brother said that Mother Qi tells him stories every day—stories about little pigs, tadpoles, and monkeys! I want to hear them too!"
Consort Yi had no idea about these things.
Yinqi pouted, then turned around and pounced on Yinzhen: "Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother! I want to sleep with you, and let Mother Qi tell us stories, okay?"
Consort Yi: …………
This was even more hurtful and painful than what Consort Qi had just said!
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