Yinzhen had no idea that his good tenth brother was making up stories about him in his mind. After they finally "recognized each other", waves of joy filled his heart. Even when Yunxiu said she was going to beat the child, he was only scared for a short while, then he quickly opened his mouth with his innocent big eyes, revealing a few white and tender millet teeth.
In his previous life, the one thing he couldn't let go of the most, apart from his wife and children in the mansion, his mother and fifth brother in the palace, was his silly younger brother, the tenth brother. The friendship between them, who had been wearing the same pants since childhood, had never changed in decades.
To Jiu Ye, Eighth Brother and Old Tenth Brother are different. He lent money to Eighth Brother out of kindness, and not lending money was just being polite. As for Old Tenth Brother, haha, he never knew what politeness was. Lending money was his duty, and there was no time to pay it back.
Of course, he was willing to borrow money. After the fourth brother ascended the throne, he was always worried that his younger brother would lose his support and money, and would have a hard life and a miserable end...
After worrying for a while, Yinzhen thought again, the mother of the tenth prince was a noble concubine, and his wife's family was from the Borjigit clan. No matter what, the fourth prince would not treat him badly. At most, he would be given a small punishment and a severe warning, and he would still be able to die of old age!
Yinzhen was ecstatic to be able to live his life again. He had nothing to regret, except that he felt depressed occasionally - he was the only one who remembered everything about his past life, and he could only mutter a few words in his heart. He couldn't hold it in and couldn't share it with anyone. Alas, he couldn't avoid feeling lonely.
Now, look what happens. The Tenth Brother’s heart hasn’t changed. He is still the same Tenth Brother who grew up wearing the same pants as him!
In the rocking bed, Yin'e was also very excited. He didn't expect to have the chance to see his dear ninth brother again. It must be the blessing accumulated from his good deeds in his later years.
When he grows up, he will donate a few hundred thousand silver taels to the temple to thank God and all the gods and Buddhas. Well, this money still needs to be paid by the ninth brother, right
…
As soon as Yun Xiu finished her threatening words, the little princes' expressions became extremely rich. Watching the series of reactions, the nanny was amazed in her heart. Not only was the Ninth Prince smart, but the Tenth Prince was also very lively. If you didn't know them, you would think they were brothers from the same mother.
Although I was amazed, I didn't think of anything wrong. After all, rebirth is too magical. Who could have thought of it in this way
Concubine Wen glared at Yun Xiu. As a mother, she was becoming more and more dishonest.
How can you scare a child like this? You don’t act like a loving mother at all. Even though the child is young, he also understands human nature!
Just as she was about to speak, Yun Xiu noticed something.
Concubine Yi changed the subject lightly: "The Southern Tour will begin soon after the Emperor's Birthday. Do you want to go with us?"
"Even if the emperor added my name to the list, I can't spare the time." Concubine Wen shook her head slightly and shifted her attention. "The Forbidden City is so big. Without a master, there must be someone to manage it, right? The old ancestor and the queen mother left the palace together. If I am not here either, the servants below will really make a scene."
What she didn't say was that now that Concubine Hui was not favored by the emperor, she would not go on the southern tour, and it was very likely that she would stay in the Yanxi Palace. When there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkey will become the king. In case Concubine Hui regains power, she will always stay to suppress her.
And there is Yin'e, who is less than half a year old and can't bear to leave his mother.
Thinking of this, Concubine Wen looked at the Ninth Prince in the rocking bed with pity and said, "Yinqi will definitely follow the emperor... Poor our Yinqi! Little Nine is so young, and you are willing to let him go."
The road was bumpy and the Ninth Prince's small body could not bear it, so he had to stay in the palace.
When he heard his name, Yinzhen's little ears stood up straight and his eyes rolled around.
Southern Tour…
He was very excited, but then he became depressed. Well, well, I will have plenty of time to go there in the future.
"What's there to be reluctant about?" Yun Xiu smiled with her hands covering her mouth, "It's just right to move to Yongshou Palace to keep Xiao Shi company. I can rest assured that you'll be taking care of me!"
"Okay," Imperial Concubine Wen also laughed, feeling very pleased, but pretending to be angry, "She actually treats me as a handy wet nurse. Imperial Concubine Yi is really powerful."
Everyone started laughing.
Yun Xiu smiled without saying anything, and instead held a cup of steaming hot tea and handed it to the imperial concubine: "Isn't it? With my order, you must take good care of the Ninth Prince. When you return from the southern tour, I will inspect it..."
Concubine Wen also followed her lead, pretending to be distressed, and sighed deeply: "As you wish, my queen."
After listening to a big show, the tenth prince stared with his squinting eyes wide open, and couldn't recover for a long time. After an unknown amount of time, he carefully gave his ninth brother a questioning look, with question marks all over his little head.
Ninth brother, tell me, why is there something wrong with my mother
The Ninth Prince blinked desperately, looking like he knew nothing, and turned over, facing him with his round butt. Due to excessive excitement, Yinzhen fell asleep in a short while, drooling, and snoring very regularly: "Hoo...Hoo...Hoo..."
Yin'e: "..."
*****
Jiangnan, Jiangning Weaving House.
The Cao family had been rooted in the Imperial Household Department for generations, working for the emperor, and was a first-class family of bondservants. In this generation, the Cao family was even more trusted by Emperor Kangxi, because his childhood wet nurse, Sun, was the head of the Cao family, and Sun's son, Cao Yin, was a man he relied on and a companion to the emperor since childhood.
The current Jiangning Weaving Supervisor is Cao Xi, the head of the Cao family, who has been in office for more than ten years. The official system of the court is to serve for three years, but the Cao family is an exception. They have inherited the title from generation to generation and guarded the Jiangning area for the emperor. To be more precise, they are the emperor's eyes and ears in Jiangnan.
Cao Yin has now filled the vacancy of the imperial guard and is serving Kangxi. When he grows up a few years, he will be sent out to gain experience, or he will take over his father Cao Xi's job and become the next master of the weaving house.
The breath of early spring swept across the entire Jiangnan region. Unlike the severe cold and dry weather in the capital, the willow branches here have sprouted and the ice on the lake has broken, creating a picture of warm spring river water and rippling blue waves.
The Cao Mansion is full of the exquisiteness of the Jiangnan water town. There are carved beams and painted buildings, small bridges and flowing water. Even the maids who serve are unique, with light figures and a spirit that can't be found elsewhere.
The main hall in the backyard is where the mistress, Ms. Sun, lives.
This place is different from the usual exquisiteness and elegance of Cao's mansion, and it shows a magnificent style. There are gold pendulum clocks hanging on the wall and jade porcelain bottles on the table. If you look closely, they all have special marks and are actually gifts from the palace.
When the eldest lady Li asked for a meeting, the old lady Sun just stood up, soaked her hands in warm water with flower petals, and the servants wiped them carefully for her. Then she leaned against the dining table and closed her eyes to rest.
"Let her in." The personal maid came over and whispered a few words. The old lady opened her eyes slightly and said softly.
She had some grey hair on her temples and deep wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She did not have a serious look but looked amiable and gentle.
Li entered the main hall, greeted meticulously, and stood beside the dining table with a concerned smile on her face: "It was windy last night, did you sleep well last night, mother?"
"Okay, all is well." The old lady nodded and said gently, "It's not even daybreak yet, how come you have time to pay your respects to me? Why don't you get some more sleep? I don't need you to serve me here."
"What are you talking about, mother? Serving you with meals is a daughter-in-law's duty." Li said angrily.
The old lady smiled and followed her lead. She picked up her bowl and chopsticks and concentrated on eating without making any more noise.
"My husband will soon accompany the emperor on his southern tour. I am so happy that I don't know what to do. I have replaced all the furnishings in the room with new ones, just waiting for my husband and I to meet again and talk about our separation. Brother Yong also misses his father very much!" Li said, with a hint of girlish shyness in her words, "I would like to ask you to take a look at the furnishings. My husband has finally come home..."
The first wife, Li, was hired by Sun for his son Cao Yin. She was chosen to look like a mistress. Li was of average appearance, but of a dignified disposition. She assisted Sun in managing the household affairs and managed everything in an orderly manner. She was a virtuous wife in the Cao family, and everyone in the family respected her very much.
It’s just that the couple are separated and haven’t seen each other for a long time.
Two or three years ago, Li was going to go to Beijing to take care of Cao Yin, but she happened to be pregnant. The feng shui of Jiangnan is much more suitable for pregnancy than the capital, so after much deliberation, the old lady decided to keep her daughter-in-law.
During this period, Cao Yin's eldest son, Yongger, was born and is now old enough to speak.
When Cao Yin and Cao Yong were mentioned, Sun smiled with joy and patted Li's hand: "Why should I worry about you doing things? Even if it's a tattered thing, Brother Yin will like it very much."
The eldest lady paused, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law laughed and joked for a while. Li seemed to remember something and showed respect. She lowered her voice and asked, "Mother, when the emperor was on his southern tour, did he stay at the palace?"
The thing that the old lady is most proud of is that she raised the current emperor. Even though she is far away in the south of the Yangtze River, she is always in the heart of Emperor Kangxi. I don’t know how much blessing she has enjoyed.
Glancing at the imperial porcelain vase on the dining table, Sun did not blame her daughter-in-law for asking rashly. Her expression could not be softer: "No, you are wrong. Brother Yin sent a message saying that the emperor wants to stay in our house... This place is not like a temporary palace, and the residence is too simple. The master is trying to raise money to repair it so that the emperor can live in peace."
Resting at the Jiangning Weaving House
Li's lips curled up slightly, suppressing the joy in her heart. The Cao family had a deep favor from the emperor, and no one could compare to them in Jiangnan.
"Mother, the emperor is thinking about you!" she said softly.
Hearing this, the old lady was also extremely happy. Thinking this way, she shook her head happily, and then glanced at Li: "Don't say this casually. I know myself... By the way, why are you asking this?"
"I'm not afraid of you laughing at me," Li hesitated for a while and said softly, "It was my daughter-in-law's elder brother who sent a message saying that he had found an incredible beauty. However, the county magistrate's daughter is extremely beautiful and wants to serve the emperor in the palace..."