Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Yinti, the Ninth Prince, bore a striking resemblance to his mother, the late Imperial Noble Consort Yi, née Guwalgiya, with a bright and flamboyant beauty that even few women could match.

People are naturally drawn to beautiful things, and from a young age, Yinti was doted upon by Emperor Kangxi for his good looks. His personality was a perfect reflection of Consort Guwalgiya's, exuding an unparalleled arrogance.

Such flamboyance, coupled with his status as a prince, verged on being overbearing.

Yinzhen, who was meticulous about rules and formalities, had disliked Yinti ever since he could remember.

The two had become the subjects of countless unofficial historical tales due to incidents like trimming dogs' fur and cutting off rats' tails.

Even here, after Yinzhen ascended the throne early and Yinti's allegiance to the eighth prince Yin Shi came to an end with Yin Shi's death, Yinti had no intention of switching sides.

He despised how the fourth prince stuck to the rules like glue, always acting superior as an older brother, and treating everyone with cold disdain. Just because he was born into a lower-ranking family, what did the fourth prince have to be proud of?

Even without the clever eighth prince, Yinti wasn't afraid. At worst, he'd handle things himself. After all, at least sixty percent of the eighth prince's connections came from the Ula Nara clan and Yinti's own influence.

As for Yin E, the Duke of Dun, he followed Yinti in everything, even in death. They were inseparable.

They made this plan while lying side by side on a kang, with Yinti barely hanging on to life.

Just earlier, when Yinti and Yin E spotted the imperial carriage from afar, they exchanged mischievous glances, their minds full of tricks.

Timing was key, and Yinti planned to push his advantage in front of their father, leveraging the fourth prince's obsession with face to force him to settle matters concerning Yin Shi and Hong Xi.

*

Throughout history, every retreat of royal power had been accompanied by the greedy encroachment of royal brothers and ministers. It was just a matter of who was more willing to go to extremes.

The two brothers believed that when it came to shamelessness, even if the fourth prince were reborn, he wouldn't be able to compete.

Unexpectedly, the stern and cold face of the fourth prince actually cracked a smile.

In the height of summer, Yinti and Yin E felt a chill run down their spines. When the cold-faced tyrant suddenly smiled, it meant trouble—or worse.

The fourth prince was definitely up to no good.

Without needing to exchange a glance, Yinti and Yin E knew this for certain. Their scalps tingled, and a sudden urge to flee took over.

It had to be admitted that as brothers of the emperor, if he truly wanted to deal with them, even eight hundred tricks wouldn't save them. If Yin Shi were resurrected, they'd still lose their heads no slower than anyone else.

With a face as beautiful as a woman's, Yinti immediately turned serious. "Royal brother summoned us because there's important business to discuss with our father, right?"

Yin E quickly chimed in, "I and ninth brother just..."

Yinzhen gently interrupted with a smile, "There is important business, and it concerns both of you. Let's talk inside."

With that, Yinzhen glanced at the guards by the door and strode inside.

Yinti and Yin E looked at Su Peisheng, who stood by the guards, smiling and bowing as he ushered them in. The two brothers felt as though the Qingyuan Study had turned into a den of wolves.

Neither could bring themselves to move, and the guards' expressions made it clear that running was futile.

A rebellious thought surged in Yinti's heart, and with a cold snort, he shuffled inside. "I don’t think the fourth brother would dare to execute us in front of Father!"

Yin E hung his chubby head in silence, thinking, "My brother is so naive!"

While they wouldn't be executed on the spot, Yin E felt that later on, Fourth Brother might toss them into a pit and use their rendered oil to light a lamp. Who knows what the Fourth Brother might do?

When it came to ruthlessness, Yin E believed that even their battle-hardened eldest brother couldn't compare to the notoriously strict Fourth Brother.

He was someone who didn’t tolerate any nonsense.

Yin E somewhat regretted previously helping the Ninth Brother undermine the Emperor, but there was no turning back now. But he also felt a strange sense of loyalty.

After all, if he could die alongside the Ninth Brother, then dying... well, dying wasn't so bad. At most, he could only plead for the Emperor to protect their families, wuwuwu...

The two brothers, gritting their teeth and stiffening their necks, awkwardly entered the room.

Yinzhen was already sitting by the window with Emperor Kangxi on the daybed, speaking in low voices. When they heard Yinti and Yin E greeting them, both looked up.

Kangxi was amused by their expressions, "Is the sky falling outside, or are you two getting ready for something serious?"

Yinti, unable to save face, shot a sideways glance at Yinzhen.

"You should ask Fourth Brother. He was standing at the door, smiling scarily. Yin E and I thought we were seeing a ghost in broad daylight; we’re still breaking out in cold sweat."

Kangxi, "...Nonsense!"

After all, even though Yinzhen was the emperor, there were things that, as the emperor's father, he could say, but if the Ninth or Tenth Brother said them, it would be considered highly disrespectful.

However, in Kangxi's heart, it wasn't a big deal.

He was somewhat curious as he looked at Yinzhen, "Why are you scaring them?"

Ever since he had criticized Yinzhen for being unpredictable in his emotions, the Fourth Brother's face had been frozen in a perpetual icy expression. Occasionally, a smile was indeed quite terrifying.

Yinzhen, helpless, said, "Your son just remembered what the Imperial Physician said about Third Brother and Fifth Brother's injuries being fully healed. That means there are more people to assist your son; I was genuinely pleased."

Yinti scoffed, his face showing a look of disbelief, "Is Fourth Brother planning to assign tasks to Third and Fifth Brothers?"

Yin E was also curious, "Right now, everything in the court is in order; there's no room to stand. What does Fourth Brother plan to assign us to do?"

Kangxi's eyes flickered. He knew in his heart that the Ninth and Tenth Brothers harbored ill intentions toward the Fourth Brother, but he had no intention of supporting the new emperor.

Being an emperor, if he couldn't handle such trivial matters, perhaps it was time to replace him.

Yinzhen wasn't surprised by Kangxi's silence or the trap in his two troublesome brothers' words. Instead, he smiled slightly and nodded.

"I do have a plan."

Yinti and Yin E froze, was the Fourth Brother planning to scare them to death?

Kangxi, "..." To be honest, the Fourth Brother's smile was quite frightening, especially when it was this gentle.

Biting his tongue to hold back laughter, he asked, "What do you plan to do with your brothers?"

Yinzhen didn't answer Kangxi's question but instead brought up another matter.

"Previously, the Ninth and Tenth Brothers reminded me correctly. After returning to the palace, your son pondered for a long time. The deaths of the eldest, second, and eighth brothers were truly regrettable. Previously, due to the disaster, we couldn't attend to it, but now we can't ignore it."

"Your son intends to bestow posthumously the title of Prince Zhi of the First Rank on the eldest brother and the title of Prince Lian of the First Rank on the eighth brother. What does the Emperor think?"

Yinti and Yin E were shaken, immediately sitting up straight, their eyes gleaming as they looked at Emperor Kangxi.

Although the two brothers had their own calculations in mind, their brotherly affection for Yin Si was genuine. If they could secure a dignified legacy for Eighth Brother, they were willing to humble themselves before Fourth Brother.

Emperor Kangxi gave Yinzhen a meaningful look. "Is that all?"

Yinzhen shook his head with a smile and dropped another bombshell. "I believe that the matter of adopting and enthroning Hongxi as crown prince needs to be carefully considered."

Yinti was startled and thought, "I knew Fourth Brother had ulterior motives!"

He stood up abruptly. "Fourth Brother, you always speak of Second Brother's virtues and your trust in Emperor Father. Were those just empty words? This emperor of yours..."

Before he could finish his overly harsh words, Yin E pulled him back.

No matter what, the Fourth Brother was still the emperor. If they crossed the line, even Emperor Father wouldn't spare them.

But Yin E also had something to say. His earnest voice carried a hint of sob as he looked at Emperor Kangxi with a sense of grievance.

"Fourth Brother... is the emperor. The emperor's word is law. If he reneges, how will Hongxi be able to face the world with dignity?"

The crux of the matter was, if the emperor could take back his words, then when the old emperor was around, could the promises Fourth Brother made be trusted after the old emperor passed?

Without enthroning Hongxi, without a rival to oppose Fourth Brother, all their private calculations might come to naught.

The two brothers stared wide-eyed at Emperor Kangxi.

As an experienced emperor, Kangxi remained calm, unlike the two brothers. He didn't even get angry, just raised an eyebrow at Yinzhen.

"If you have something to say, speak up. Don't play games with these two."

The two blockheads: "..." Whether or not, was that polite, Father?

Yinzhen, who had been watching Emperor Kangxi attentively and respectfully, couldn't help but laugh genuinely.

His slit-like eyes narrowed slightly, softening his otherwise sharp brows, turning his cold demeanor into something more cheerful.

Yinzhen explained with a smile. "First, this year is the first significant birthday of Empress Dowager. If we announce the adoption and enthronement of the crown prince in the Hall of Preserving Harmony, it would inevitably overshadow her celebration. I don't want Mother to suffer this injustice."

"Second, I'm not unable to have more children. The censors and those elder officials will surely make a fuss in the court. If I have another heir, Hongxi's position would become even more precarious."

Emperor Kangxi's expression darkened slightly. "So what do you plan to do?"

Yinzhen looked up at Emperor Kangxi seriously. "Both elder brother and eighth brother need to be posthumously honored. It wouldn't be right to bypass the second brother. I would like to request Emperor Father to posthumously honor the second brother as an emperor."

With both Emperor Father and his birth father as emperors, no one would be more suitable as crown prince than Hongxi. Then no one would have anything more to say.

Yinti and Yin E were dumbfounded. Was the Fourth Brother being driven mad by them?

Emperor Kangxi's eyes flickered, and he lowered his gaze in contemplation. "If this is done, you will have to endure quite a bit of injustice."

He had thought about this too. When the second brother was alive, their father-son relationship became increasingly strained. But now that the second brother was gone, only good memories remained, just like with his first empress, Empress Hešeri.

But Emperor Kangxi also couldn't ignore the stability of the Qing Dynasty.

If Yinreng were posthumously honored as an emperor, his wife, Gua Jia, would become the empress, and the status of the Gua Jia clan would be elevated.

Yinzhen's wife would have to show deference to Gua Jia, and Yinreng's children would become imperial princes and princesses, while Yinzhen's children would have to respect them.

Yinzhen was completely unconcerned. "If nothing unexpected happens, the second brother's wife would have been the empress anyway."

"The Gua Jia clan's children are capable. With them around, it saves the Ula Nara clan from causing trouble due to their lack of clarity."

Empress Ula Nara's father, Feiyanggu, has already passed away.

Since his ascension, her brother inherited the title of Cheng'en Duke but has since proven to be increasingly incompetent, having been impeached by censors numerous times.

As for Gua Jia, Yinzhen's eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement. She was still useful to him.

According to information gathered by the Imperial Guard, that troublesome young woman had her own tricks. She had been making Gua Jia work late into the night to prepare novel auspicious signs for the Thousand Autumns Festival banquet.

Yinzhen had secretly inspected the auspicious signs she had prepared. They had already taken shape, and Gua Jia had done a good job.

Back when the old man chose Gua Jia as a match for Second Brother, it was to utilize their talents. He had no intention of letting them sit idle.

It was just a title after all.

He would gain the benefits while keeping Ula Nara under control. It was a win-win situation for him. As for any slight grievances over the title, Yinzhen, who valued practical benefits, didn't care.

Before Emperor Kangxi could respond, Yinzhen spoke with determination, "I have already instructed the Ministry of Rites to draft the decree. It will be announced in the court tomorrow."

"Since Third Brother and the Tenth have fully recovered, I want to assign them to oversee the posthumous affairs of First Brother, Second Brother, and Eighth Brother at the Ministry of Rites."

"As for Crown Prince Hongxi's enthronement ceremony, it will be held a year later, organized by the Ministry of Revenue."

"I intend to assign Ninth Brother to assist with duties at the Ministry of Revenue, and Seventh Brother will manage the Imperial Household Department. I will ensure that none of our own people are wronged."

Yinzhen's arrangement left Yin'e and Yin'e delighted, completely forgetting their previous wariness of Yinzhen.

The assignments were more prestigious than they had expected. Although not in critical ministries like the Ministry of Personnel or the Ministry of War, they were still better than sitting idle at home. It would be easier to rally court officials this way.

Kangxi raised an eyebrow slightly. How could he believe that the Fourth was being so magnanimous?

With a half-smile, he asked, "What about Fifth Brother? Aren't you arranging anything for him?"

Yinzhen didn't give him a chance to react and smiled, "Fifth Brother has a good temperament. The Imperial Clan Court suits him best. Don't worry, Your Majesty, I have arrangements for all the brothers."

"Twelfth Brother will go to the Ministry of Works, Thirteenth Brother is suited for the Ministry of Justice, Fourteenth Brother, after gaining experience, will go to the Ministry of War. As for the Ministry of Personnel..."

He gave Kangxi a slightly regretful look. The others were still too young.

"When the fifteenth and the others leave the Imperial Academy, I'll see who is suitable and make further arrangements."

There was always endless work to be done in the court.

Yinzhen was burning the midnight oil every day in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, enduring frustrations. If this continued, he might pass away before the old man.

Life couldn't be lived like this. He only wished he had more brothers he could call upon to help.

Seeing the expression on Yinzhen's face, which seemed to imply that he hadn't had enough sons in his youth, Kangxi's anger flared.

Was this unfilial son the only one busy with endless state affairs?

He hadn't shirked his duties in his youth either!

Too lazy to look at the two grinning foolish sons waiting to be taken advantage of, and even more tired of Yinzhen's infuriating attitude, Kangxi pointed to the door.

"Get out of here!"

For the first time, Yinzhen left Changchun Garden feeling refreshed.

*

He deliberately waited for Yinti and Yin E to come out and patted both of their shoulders.

"Get up early tomorrow, and I'll be waiting for you in Qianqing Palace."

Without glancing at their stunned expressions, he climbed into the royal palanquin, clearly pleased with himself.

Seated in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yinzhen couldn't shake his good mood.

"Su Peisheng, prepare a jar of bamboo leaf green wine and some fine food and drink, and head to Qingyu Pavilion tonight."

When he was in a foul mood, he preferred to indulge in solitude.

When in a good mood, he longed to laugh out loud, but he could only do so in private.

After giving the instructions, Yinzhen thought of that audacious and insolent girl, clicking his tongue in approval.

Today, thanks to Geng Shuning, he was able to subtly maneuver the ninth and tenth into a trap.

As long as the Thousand Autumns Festival goes smoothly, he might consider letting her off the hook.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Su Peisheng, who had been about to leave, turned back to face Yinzhen.

"Emperor, nanny Wu Ya has brought you fresh delicacies on the Empress Dowager's orders."