Yonghe Palace is a warm and peaceful place.
"Mother, when will my brother come out?" Yinzuo's eyes were full of innocence, and he said to Concubine De coquettishly: "I don't want my fourth brother anymore, I want my brother to play with me."
Although Defei was under house arrest for a month due to her "inappropriate words and deeds", the Sixth Prince still lived in Yonghe Palace, and Kangxi did not restrict the mother and son from spending time together.
Over the past half month, perhaps because he knew that he had implicated his mother, Yinzuo became more dependent on Defei after crying, and the relationship between mother and son deepened. Defei even had the illusion that she and her son were dependent on each other.
As soon as the Wanshou Festival was over, she became ruthless and ordered a thorough investigation of the Yonghe Palace, especially the palace maids around Yinzuo who were harboring evil intentions.
The rest were fine, except for Liu, the wet nurse who served Yinzuo. She had some dirty family background outside the palace, which was discovered by Concubine De. She was too lazy to listen to anyone's explanation and directly imprisoned her in the side room, waiting to be released and sent to the Ministry of Punishment.
"It is better to kill someone by mistake than to let him go." Concubine De smiled at the frightened and desperate Liu, and said softly, "If you want to blame someone, you can only blame yourself for running into me. When you want to seek justice, just go to Tong Jia."
After being confined by the Imperial Concubine, Concubine De had obviously changed. She was still beautiful, gentle, and soft-spoken, but her eyes had become much colder, and the occasional glance she gave the maids made them shudder.
Yonghe Palace suddenly became quiet, with only the presence of the Sixth Prince to allow for some laughter and joy.
Here, Yinzuo's childish words came out, and Defei touched his head and smiled softly: "Okay, I'll do as our Xiaoliu says, and let your brother play with you."
After coaxing Yinzuo to sleep in the afternoon, Defei stared at him for a long time beside the bed, closed her eyes, and helped Nanny Wu back to the bedroom.
"What's the situation over at Chengqian Palace?" She stopped smiling and asked calmly.
Nanny Wu thought about it and said softly, "A few days ago, after Madam Tong Guowei left, the Imperial Concubine immediately served dinner. According to the eunuch who was cleaning, the Imperial Concubine's complexion was getting better day by day, and we couldn't find out anything else."
After that, she hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "Also, the Imperial Concubine originally did not want the Fourth Prince to come to her house, but somehow, she suddenly changed her mind..."
Concubine De sneered and slowly uttered four words: "Snakes and rats belong to the same nest."
Nanny Wu's face changed drastically, and she said anxiously: "Madam—"
How can I say that
It’s okay if he’s just an Imperial Consort, but the Fourth Prince is the Empress’s own flesh and blood, and the Sixth Prince’s older brother!
"Last year, my little princess was born a few days ago," De Fei looked calm, but a trace of pain flashed across her face, "The Imperial Noble Consort asked Yin Zhen to come visit... The next day, the little princess passed away."
"Mammy, tell me, how could such a coincidence happen in the world! If the fourth prince hadn't come, how could the little princess die so early?!" Concubine De became excited, her voice slightly sharp, "Now look what happened, because of him, the child is almost gone!"
The baby was well taken care of and its pulse was always strong. Even so, the imperial concubine still tortured it to the point of bleeding.
The bleeding stopped quickly, but according to the imperial physician, if there is a leak, there will be a second one. It is difficult to replenish the body. They could not give a definite answer whether the little prince would be healthy when he was born.
Can't give a definite answer...
Concubine De almost fainted. Whenever she thought about it, she felt so angry that her heart was bleeding.
At the Wanshou Festival family dinner, wasn’t the source of everything because of the fourth brother
This son was born with bad luck and was born to collect debts!
"Yinzuo has been waiting for his brother for so long. If he is gone, how can I explain it to him? He will be sad." Defei said softly, "They don't let me live a good life. How can I let them live a good life?"
Tong Jia wanted to be the queen, but she wanted to shatter this dream with her own hands.
And there was Concubine Yi, that sharp-tongued woman who always mocked her. Wasn't it because she gave birth to the Fifth Prince and was pregnant with another one, that she was favored by the Emperor
Currently the Fifth Prince lives in the Yikun Palace, which is impregnable and no one can be inserted into it. However, the same is true for the Empress Dowager's Ningshou Palace.
When Yinqi returns to the Queen Mother and something 'accidentally' happens, will that domineering face still be able to smile
***
Kangxi issued an edict that the fourth prince Yinzhen would be raised by the Grand Empress Dowager and live in the Cining Palace.
The Grand Empress Dowager was willing, but she was not energetic enough. She had to supervise the selection of concubines and teach the Empress Dowager how to handle palace affairs. She was afraid that she was not taking good enough care of Yinzhen.
Didn’t you see that Xiaowu was sent to Yikun Palace, to his mother’s place
But Xiao Si is different. Neither the Imperial Noble Consort nor the Virtuous Consort are suitable.
After much thought, only Su Malagu could take care of the child.
Before the Empress Dowager made up her mind, the Crown Prince volunteered, saying that he would take his fourth brother to Yuqing Palace after school, and they would do homework together. When it was almost time for bed, he would send his fourth brother back to Cining Palace, so that the old ancestor would not have to trouble him.
Not to mention the Grand Empress Dowager, even the Empress Dowager, who usually doesn't care about things, was deeply moved and praised the prince for his filial piety and his deep affection for his brothers...
The Queen Mother praised the Crown Prince rapidly in Mongolian, which made him feel embarrassed. The Fourth Prince listened carefully and followed the Crown Prince in making an embarrassed expression, which made everyone laugh.
The princes studied in the upper study room and were required to master three languages: Manchu, Mongolian, and Chinese. The prince started school early, so he was familiar with Mongolian; Yinzhen's teacher had just taught Chinese, but not Mongolian, so he was confused.
"Yinzhen and Yinqi are exactly opposites. It would be great if they could be balanced out." The Grand Empress Dowager said to the Queen Mother with a smile.
The ancestor only spoke casually, but the prince kept it in his heart.
…
On this day, the chief chef gave all the princes an afternoon off. The third prince Yinzhi packed up his supplies early and rushed to Rong Fei's Zhongcui Palace.
The eldest prince Yinzhi came back from outside, sweating profusely, holding a longbow. When he saw the young prince, who was dressed in apricot yellow and had a magnificent demeanor, he rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "My Lord, how about we have an archery competition?"
Hearing this, the prince's face darkened, and he said stiffly, "Brother, please do as you please. I have something to do."
After saying this, he whispered to the Fourth Prince Yinzhen to follow, and the two of them went towards the west six palaces together.
Yinzhi narrowed his eyes, snorted and laughed, and seeing that there was no one around, he turned around and told his personal eunuch Xiao Xier: "Go and find out where the prince took the fourth brother."
Xiao Xier quickly responded.
***
"My sister is really bothering me. I don't have to see you off." In the side hall of Yikun Palace, Concubine Hesheli smiled elegantly. Before leaving, she said to Noble Lady Le in a gentle voice: "That screen is suitable whether it is placed in the bedroom or the front hall..."
I don't know what Noble Lady Le said, but Concubine Hesheli smiled, and the two of them greeted each other and said goodbye.
The prince, holding Yinzhen's hand, happened to run into Concubine Hesheli who was returning on the road leading to the Yikun Palace.
Concubine Hesheli was stunned, hiding her surprise and joy: "Meet the Crown Prince, meet the Fourth Prince!"
The prince nodded and smiled slightly. There was nothing special about his attitude towards her: "Good morning, Concubine."
Yinzhen then said, "Good morning, concubine," and was soon led away by the prince.
Concubine Hesheli stopped and looked back, feeling frustrated. Then she was secretly surprised. Was the prince going to Yikun Palace to look for Concubine Yi? To look for the Fifth Prince
She suppressed the waves in her heart and began to think calmly.
Could it be that the prince's action was suggested by his uncle
…
Soetu did mention Concubine Yi and Guo Luoluo to the Crown Prince.
He said: "The Hesheli clan cannot support themselves alone. There are Mingzhu outside who are eyeing them covetously. The Tonggiya clan and the Niuhuru clan are not good people. Only the Guoluo clan behind Concubine Yi, first of all, their roots are in the army, and the head of the family is far away in Shengjing, and has little involvement with the court. They are a perfect ally..."
"Secondly, the Guoluo clan has no ambitions. The Fifth Prince has been raised by the Queen Mother for a long time, and the one Your Highness should be most friendly with is the Fifth Prince."
As he spoke, Suo Etu stroked his beard and sighed: "The most important thing is that Concubine Yi is very popular with the emperor! Since the emperor ascended the throne, I have never seen any queen who can compare with Concubine Yi."
The prince asked: "Even my own mother can't do it?"
Suo Etu said firmly: "No."
He told the prince that if he could make friends with the Fifth Prince, thereby gaining the goodwill of Concubine Yi and the support of the Guo Luoluo family, his path to becoming the crown prince would be much smoother, and the Eldest Prince Mingzhu and the others would not be a concern.
The prince always turned a deaf ear to his great-uncle's words; he listened to them but never thought of following them.
Looking up at the three big words "Yikun Palace", the prince let out a sigh of relief.
He really wanted to be good to his fifth brother, not because Concubine Yi was favored, nor because his fifth brother posed no threat.
Xiaowu can't lie, smiles whenever he sees someone, and is as energetic as a calf. He is completely different from Xiaosi. Who doesn't like a well-behaved and cute little brother
If everyone was as calculating as my great-uncle, there would be no sincerity in the world!
Look, the emperor is very satisfied with what I did and has rewarded me many times.
A few days ago, the prince had a sudden impulse to teach Yinqi Chinese, and the effect was outstanding. He truly felt a sense of accomplishment as a teacher, and his favorability towards Yinqi increased rapidly, and his impression of Yunxiu also improved.
What our ancestors said is very true! If the fourth and fifth brothers can learn from each other and get along, everyone will make progress.
…
As soon as the prince and Yinzhen arrived, someone immediately informed them.
Yunxiu was feeding Yinqi some fruit puree to help him digest food. She had a faint smile on her face and exuded tenderness all over her body.
After hearing the announcement, she was surprised for a moment, and quickly put down the silver bowl: "Please invite the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince in."
Yinqi had been living in the warm room since he moved to Yikun Palace. Nanny Dong took Yunxiu's pregnancy into consideration, so she cleaned up the warm room and did not sleep with her at night.
Concubine Yi regretted not being able to sleep with her son, so she stayed with Yinqi every day.
Let’s not talk about the gossip about the imperial concubine anymore. I’ve paid less attention to the little girl in her belly, and I care even less about the emperor.
Yinqi's sweet "Mother" can make Yunxiu feel satisfied and as if she is in the clouds.
Kangxi was very dissatisfied with this and even emphasized yesterday that he would go for a walk in the Imperial Garden with Yunxiu after lunch today.
Yinqi is almost six years old, why is he so attached to his mother
Yunxiu could not refuse, so she had no choice but to agree, and she blamed Kangxi for being "disrespectful" in her heart for countless times. But then she thought that before the emperor came, she and Yinqi still had time to spend together!
—Now, it’s completely impossible to go to the Imperial Garden.
The Crown Prince led the Fourth Prince into the inner room quickly. After greeting each other, Yunxiu took Yinqi's chubby hand and raised the corner of her lips: "The Crown Prince is here to see..."
Before she finished saying the word "Yinqi", Kangxi's intimate words suddenly floated in and interrupted her: "Xiaowu is not here today, right? It's time for us to be alone..."
Yunxiu's heart skipped a beat. Something bad happened.
The emperor entered the Yikun Palace as if he were entering an empty place, and for this reason he specifically instructed the eunuchs outside not to announce his arrival.
They were afraid that they didn't even have time to report that "The Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince came together"!
Kangxi was wearing a black shirt with dragon pattern, his eyes were bright, and he walked over with big strides, followed closely by Liang Jiugong.
The emperor had a smile in his eyes, but the smile froze at his lips the moment he saw the prince.
With a quick glance, not only Baocheng, but also Xiaosi and Xiaowu were all there.
Kangxi: “…”