Chapter 52 Chapter 52

Longkodo, still immersed in his patronage of the eldest prince's succession, had no idea he'd been kicked out of the game by Yinzhen and the others.

"Now that Soetu and Mingzhu have both left the cabinet, Tong Guowei is now in charge," Yinsi casually tapped the table. Tong

Guowei, the old fox, probably didn't expect that the son he'd carefully nurtured and personally paved the way for would be so bold as to join forces with the eldest prince to overthrow the crown prince upon entering officialdom.

Yinxiang dragged his head and said, "And what about Ma Qi? Mother said that the Fucha family would produce talented individuals in the following generations, supporting Hongli's fortune."

Ma Qi's full name was Fucha Ma Qi. Qianlong's first empress, Empress Fucha, was his niece. Qianlong's chief military minister, Fuheng, and Empress Fucha were born from the same mother, making him his nephew. Since then, the Fucha family has produced even more talented individuals, including Fukang'an and Mingrui, both brave and loyal.

Yinxiang thought to himself that Hongli was truly lucky. His fourth brother had chosen a wife for him and gifted him a group of valuable ministers.

It was still too early for Fuheng and the others to be born, so he couldn't count on them. However, the Fucha family's status had indeed been elevated in their minds.

"Then who will take over if Longkodo is no longer useful?" Yinxiang picked up an orange and tossed it back and forth with a playful air that, combined with his still-fat face, looked rather amusing.

Yinsi finally finished two months of palace duties and secret reports. He lay back, casually embracing his beloved bunny pillow. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Tohaqi is still the governor of the Nine Gates. He can't fall unless the crown prince falls. There's no need to worry."

Tohaqi was the crown prince's retainer, a trusted confidant. As long as the crown prince was still in power, he couldn't be moved.

Yinzhen nodded, but he already had a candidate in mind.

"Forget all that now. I need a nap." Yinsi yawned, exhausted from the long journey back and the mess he had spent hours cleaning up. Even he was tired.

Yinzhen nudged him, "Then go back to your room and sleep."

He couldn't sleep comfortably on the soft couch in the main hall.

Yinsi was too lazy to move, complaining about being tired and just taking a nap.

Yinxiang, however, wasn't tired at all. He was full of energy and deliberately trying to be naughty. He leaned over to Yinsi's ear and whispered a story his mother had recently told him.

"Both Fourth and Eighth Brother were in love with that girl. And guess what? That girl's sister was Eighth Brother's concubine. A concubine, not to mention a concubine, but one who'd been forced into a marriage, and now she's attracted to someone else's younger sister. Tsk tsk..."

Yinxiang grew increasingly excited, his vivid descriptions, exaggerating slightly based on what Wen Shan had told him, successfully irritating Yinsi.

Yinsi sat up with a sullen look, "Thirteenth Brother, if you keep on talking, I'll be rude."

Yinxiang, who hadn't feared him in his entire life, made a face and even prepared to exaggerate further.

"Who knew that girl would end up falling for Fourth Brother? Oh, it turns out people have good taste. A steady man like Fourth Brother is the one girls like. Eighth Brother, who loves every girl he sees, is obviously unreliable. And what's with all the sisterly drama? Do you think you're the Emperor..."

Yinzhen quickly held his forehead, unable to bear it any longer.

Why do later generations love to make up stories about him and his eighth brother fighting over a woman?

This was the nth similar story they had heard from their mother.

"Thirteenth brother, let eighth brother take a rest. Fourth brother will take you out to play." Yinzhen wanted to pull Yinsi away quickly before he jumped up and beat Yinxiang.

Yinsi was no longer sleepy because of his noise and said, "Don't worry about it, Fourth Brother. Let him come over and talk to me."

Seeing that the two were about to roll up their sleeves and fight again, Yinzhen had no choice but to use the most useful but least innovative trick.

“Mother——!”

Wen Shan was taking care of the flowers in the yard that Yinzhen and Yinsi had taken great pains to bring back for her from Mongolia. When she heard Yinzhen shouting at her, she knew something had happened.

Sure enough, when I entered the room, I saw Yinsi and Yinxiang fighting again.

"Alright, alright." Wen Shan hurried forward and picked Yinxiang up, saying with a helpless smile, "Your fourth and eighth brothers just returned from a long trip. Why are you messing with them?"

Yinxiang snorted and snuggled into Wen Shan's arms.

He simply missed his fourth and eighth brothers and wanted to play with them.

Although he looked childish, he now felt the same way Yinsi had back then. A child's body was reacting so violently.

He couldn't help but act childish.

Yinsi wasn't really angry with Yinxiang, and their fights hadn't been serious. Otherwise, the age difference between Yinsi and Yinxiang would have been enough for him to pin Yinxiang down and beat him.

Yinxiang, confident that Yinsi wouldn't actually do anything to him, frequently provoked him.

Making the usually calm eighth brother furious was the greatest joy of his childhood, now that many things were limited.

"Mother, what stories are you telling your thirteenth brother again?" Yinsi sat up, smoothed over his loosened braids, and looked at Wen Shan with a sullen look.

Wen Shan coughed twice and began to talk about something else: "I'm still stewing soup on the stove, is it going to burn?"

Then she threw Yinxiang to Yinsi accurately, leaving the two of them staring at each other.

Ah, mother actually threw him away and threw him to the mynah bird.

Yinsi smiled brightly: "Thirteenth brother, let's continue talking about the story you just told."

Yinzhen held his forehead, these two were quarreling again.

Yinsi was no longer sleepy after Yinxiang's quarrel. After quarreling with Yinxiang for a while, he thought that he couldn't let Thirteenth brother go so easily, so he grabbed him and started to teach him how to handle the affairs of the palace.

Yinxiang was really learning seriously at first, but after listening for a while, he didn't want to do it anymore. This kind of perfunctory behavior was not in line with him at all, he couldn't do it!

Yinxiang wanted to go on strike but was forcibly held down by Yinzhen.

"Listen carefully."

"I can't do this, Eighth Brother, please let me go. This is more painful than killing me." Yinxiang had a bitter face.

Yinzhen picked up a book to read and glanced over to support Yinsi: "In a few years, my Eighth Brother and I won't have the time to take care of these things. You have to take care of them."

Mother will always be in the palace, and someone has to protect her.

Yinxiang became obedient after hearing this. When it came to Wenshan, he could only continue to learn from Yinsi's instructions.

Having just returned to the palace today, Yinzhen and Yinsi did not have to go to the Shangshufang, so they could rest for a day. It was a rare opportunity for the three brothers to spend time together again. Yinzhen was reading and practicing calligraphy, while Yinsi was holding Yinxiang to learn how to handle official business. Wenshan went to Jingren Palace and Yanxi Palace to deliver gifts to Concubine Wei and Concubine Min. When she came back, Yinzhen was just about to go out to visit the Imperial Noble Concubine.

"Go, spend some quality time with your Empress Dowager." Wen Shan personally helped Yinzhen put on his cloak, and the prepared food was already heated up and carried by Jinbao.

Yinzhen nodded and left with Jinbao.

Yinsi and Yinxiang's small class for the day had also ended for the time being, and they both looked over here eagerly.

Wen Shan walked over to sit next to them, patted Yinxiang's head and asked, "How are you learning from your brother?"

Yinsi shook his head and sighed, "A rotten tree cannot be carved."

Yinxiang puffed up his face and said nothing.

It was obvious that he could get things done according to his method, but the brother looked down on him and almost grabbed his ears and scolded him.

He seriously suspected that the brother was taking revenge.

Yinsi sat next to Wen Shan and said with emotion, "Although it was a bit embarrassing in the past, the Royal Noble Consort is really good to the fourth brother now." "

That's a good thing." Wen Shan smiled gently and said, "Mother hopes that more and more people will love you three."

Children who live in happiness and love are different. Just look at Yinzhen and you will know.

Yinxiang also came over to join them. "I was there the other day when the Imperial Concubine mentioned helping to register Fourth Brother under Mother's name. She truly put all her heart and soul into it."

"What a shame about her illness..." Wenshan paused mid-sentence. "Never mind, let's not talk about it."

Yinzhen wasn't gone for long, returning in just half an hour.

Seeing his somber mood, Wenshan knew the Imperial Concubine was probably truly ill.

So, Wenshan didn't ask what Yinzhen and the Imperial Concubine had said. She simply said, "It's already this late. Go back to Ganxi Wusuo and rest. Why have you come all this way back?"

Yinsi and Yinxiang didn't know how to comfort Yinzhen. Only those who have experienced the pain of life and death know how painful it is, and it's unforgettable for outsiders.

"I'm fine, Mother," Yinzhen forced a smile and walked over to Yinsi and Yinxiang.

Yinsi and Yinxiang were still playing chess on the couch. Strangely enough, Yinsi, the most cunning and manipulative of the brothers, couldn't beat Yinzhen at Go, and even Yinxiang couldn't beat him at chess.

A few more moves before Yinzhen returned and Yinsi would have been in check.

Yinsi was baffled, looking at the smug look on Old Thirteen's face, unable to understand what had gone wrong. He wasn't exactly a skilled chess player, so it was fine if he couldn't beat his fourth brother, but he couldn't possibly be outmatched by Old Thirteen, right?

After all, Old Thirteen was known for his straightforwardness, quick-witted but with a touch of recklessness and chivalry—a temperament that shouldn't have made him a bad chess player.

Then, Yinxiang showed Yinsi the importance of stereotyping. With a relentless, all-out, and desperate play, he completely stupefied Yinsi.

Yinzhen knew at a glance that Yinsi was about to lose, not to mention the fact that there was a kid beside him, eager to take credit, practically raising his hand and saying, "Give me a compliment!"

Yinsi pondered for a long moment with a sullen expression, then solemnly announced, "From now on, my fourth brother and I will only play chess, and Old Thirteen will only play Go."

He'd figured it out: the reason he kept losing was because he'd chosen the wrong path!

Wen Shan: "..."

Wen Shan couldn't help but give Yinsi a thumbs-up, thinking, "As expected of you! If you can't change your strength, then change the rules."

Then she began seriously considering the possibility of playing flying chess with them.

After all, she was incredibly lucky, so she had to come in first place.

Yinxiang immediately accused Yinsi of cheating, saying he was afraid of him and his fourth brother.

Yinsi put away the chessboard, smiled slightly, and said, "That's called finding the path that suits you. The wrong path, even if it leaves you bleeding and bruised, won't work."

Yinzhen surprisingly supported Yinsi's statement, praising his flexibility.

Yinxiang was left sulking, muttering that his fourth brother was just partial to his eighth brother.

Yinsi pulled Yinxiang in and pinched his cheek. "What are you mumbling about, you heartless little thing? Fourth brother and I love you dearly."

Yinzhen watched them play for a moment before bringing up what had just happened in Chengqian Palace.

He had told the Imperial Noble Consort not to worry about her own affairs and to focus on recuperating, but she insisted, saying she had a plan and had already begun working on it.

"Already begun?" Yinsi glanced over. "What did the Imperial Noble Consort do?" Yinzhen

shook his head. "The Empress Dowager didn't tell me, and seeing that she was clearly ill and weak, I couldn't ask."

That was a bit of a problem.

Yinsi thought to himself, then, they had to put their plans on hold for now. He didn't know what the Imperial Noble Consort had done. If anything went wrong, it would be hard to control.

If the Emperor knew they were now interfering in the court and the affairs of the prince's imperial edict, he would surely have them all killed.

Yinzhen and Yinxiang thought the same thing, and the three of them almost immediately agreed to wait and see.

From that day on, Yinzhen often went to Chengqian Palace to visit the Imperial Noble Consort. Perhaps knowing that his life was coming to an end, the Imperial Noble Consort no longer avoided Yinzhen. The Imperial Noble Consort had no idea that she and Yinzhen would actually experience the joy of a loving mother and a filial son in her final moments.

What Wenshan didn't expect was that the Imperial Noble Consort, who looked like she was on her last legs, was struggling to hold on, while Kangxi suddenly fell ill.

About two weeks after the emperor returned from Mulan Paddock, Kangxi suddenly fell ill. The illness looked severe, but it was actually not a serious one. However, he had to stay in bed for a few days to recuperate. In addition to the concubines who attended to him, several older princes also went.

Wen Shan privately wondered what Kangxi was thinking. He had always prioritized not only himself but also his sons. He'd been ill before, and if the crown prince and eldest prince were old enough, they would have long since come to care for him. But Kangxi never considered calling his sons to his bedside. When he did visit, he'd just urge them to focus on their studies.

Why was he suddenly making such a big deal about including his older sons this time?

"Perhaps the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager has made my father appreciate the preciousness of family affection even more," Yinsi said.

They were growing up, and my father was aging too. In a few years, he'd reach forty. While he was still healthy, the passage of time was always a cause for regret.

The emperor was no exception.

Yinzhen and Yinsi were among the princes attending the sick. They weren't expected to care for the patient anyway, just chat and serve medicine. Besides the crown prince, the others were paired up, alternating morning and afternoon to avoid interrupting their studies. They only stayed for about half an hour, with the concubines staying in the evenings.

Huifei made some sarcastic remark about the emperor's frequent visits to the imperial concubine, which had infected him. Concubine Nianhulu reprimanded her, sending her back to the palace and no longer serving.

Yinzhen and Yinsi were assigned to attend the sick together, and it just so happened that it was the crown prince who arrived today.

The crown prince had been chatting with Kangxi in the Hall of Mental Cultivation that morning. When Yinzhen and Yinsi arrived, they happened to run into Longkodo, who was on duty.

Longkodo saluted them respectfully, like a normal guard, and then watched them enter the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Yinzhen glanced at him a few more times and whispered to Yinsi, "Is Longkodo really so bold as to tell my eldest brother all about the Emperor's affairs?"

These matters included both personal and political matters.

Since Longkodo took office, Kangxi had been somewhat favored by him due to their close blood relationship. In addition, Longkodo was indeed not a complete fool and had some ability, so Kangxi often brought him with him.

A few days ago, a secret letter arrived stating that Longkodo had begun passing on information about the emperor to the eldest prince, but they hadn't yet found any solid evidence. Yinzhen and the other two were shocked when they learned of

this. Longkodo hadn't even established himself with Kangxi yet, yet he was so eager to pledge his loyalty to the eldest prince. His attempts to spy on the emperor had even been leaked

. If this were true, he deserved to be beheaded. The two men waited in a side room of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The maids served tea and then left. Yinsi peeked outside and could still vaguely see Longkodo.

"This man doesn't leave himself any escape hatches, quite like he's desperate," Yinsi said, taking a sip of tea and smiling slightly. "It's a shame he did something foolish."

Such a bomb would be a good thing to have right next to the eldest prince.

It could kill him at any moment.

After waiting for a while, they heard the sound of breaking porcelain from the inner room, followed by Kangxi's angry curses, though they were a bit far away and difficult to hear.

Yinzhen was puzzled: "What's going on? Is the Emperor so angry even though he's ill?"

There hadn't been any major events in the court or the harem lately.

Yinsi shook his head. They couldn't rush in to investigate, so they could only wait.

Kangxi's rage raged for about half a minute. The noise inside gradually died down, and Liang Jiugong hurried over to greet them. He then said, "You two princes, please go back. The Emperor feels unwell today and needs some rest."

Unwell yet still so furious?

Yinzhen and Yinsi exchanged a glance, feeling something was amiss, but they could only return to investigate further. They left the Hall of Mental Cultivation and encountered the Crown Prince, who looked gloomy. Yinzhen and Yinsi greeted him, but he casually waved them up and staggered away, dazed and distracted.

They both quickly realized that the commotion inside was likely related to the Crown Prince.

The news they received later confirmed their suspicions.

Sure enough, the Emperor had been scolding the Crown Prince.

Yinxiang read the secret report from left to right. He recognized every word, but putting them together seemed strange.

"The Crown Prince is so absent-minded in front of the Emperor, showing no concern for his father's illness?"

Yinxiang questioned, "Has the Crown Prince lost his mind?"

How inattentive could he be when nursing a patient to anger the Emperor so much?

"Hasn't the Crown Prince always been filial?" Yinsi was the most receptive. "Thirteenth Brother, have you forgotten that when the Emperor personally led the expedition against Galdan, the Crown Prince served as Regent? The Emperor sent letter after letter to the Crown Prince, but he never replied."

Yinxiang: "..."

He had almost forgotten.

Back then, the Emperor's father was bragging to the ministers about their deep affection for the Crown Prince. He was worried that the Crown Prince would miss him from afar in the capital, so he wrote back frequently. But he was slapped in the face by the Crown Prince, who never sent a single letter.

This infuriated Kangxi so much that he wrote back, scolding him for being heartless.

"It would be fine for any other prince, but it's the

Crown Prince, the one the Emperor has devoted the most energy to. How could he not be disheartened by such behavior?" Yinzhen said. As the three of them were talking, Wen Shan returned from Noble Concubine Niohuru's place.

"I heard the Emperor was angry today. Was it because of you?" Wen Shan asked hurriedly.

She had just been dragged away by Noble Concubine Niohuru to discuss funeral preparations for the Imperial Concubine with Concubine Yi and Concubine Hui when she received this news: the Emperor was furious today and had sent all the princes who were attending to him back home. Wen Shan calculated that it was Yinzhen and Yinsi's turn today, so she hurried back.

Yinzhen said, "Mother, it's not me and my eighth brother, it's the Crown Prince."

Wen Shan breathed a sigh of relief, "Just don't get angry at you guys."

Then, she asked, "What happened to the Crown Prince?"

Yinsi told Wen Shan what had just happened, and she was speechless. The Crown Prince had simply been spoiled by Kangxi since childhood. The other princes at least pretended to be nice in front of Kangxi, but he didn't even bother.

However, Kangxi's scolding of the Crown Prince didn't actually have much of an impact on him. After all, it was just a scolding, not even the slightest punishment. The next day, the Crown Prince went to Kangxi to apologize, but he only knelt for a quarter of an hour in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation before Kangxi let him in.

This was Soetu's idea. On the very day the Crown Prince was scolded, Soetu quickly learned of the news and found a way to meet with him privately.

After understanding the full extent of the incident, Soetu was furious.

"Your Highness, when the Emperor summoned you princes to attend his illness, it was with the hope of fostering filial piety and the joy of family. How could you have strayed from this situation?"

The Crown Prince now regretted it. "I was foolish, but you don't know that my eldest brother's actions and advice have endeared him to the Emperor lately. He's about to enter the court, establish his own residence, and be granted a title. How can I not be worried?"

Although he was born of a legitimate wife, the eldest prince was the eldest son, and he clearly wasn't content to be just a wealthy prince. Of all his brothers, he was the one he feared the most.

Now, with the addition of a young but thoughtful eighth brother, he was even more worried.

Upon hearing this, Soetu sighed and could only offer earnest advice: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, Mingzhu has fallen now, so the eldest prince is nothing to fear. Moreover, the Emperor loves you most dearly among all the other princes. You should be grateful to the Emperor and be filial and respectful. As long as the Emperor protects you, what is there to fear?"

Soetu hammered home the point: as long as Kangxi wanted to protect him, no one could challenge his position as Crown Prince.

But the Crown Prince, clearly overcome with anxiety, seemed unable to listen.

Finally, after much persuasion, Soetu persuaded the Crown Prince to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and apologize to Kangxi. He understood that the Emperor would let the matter go as long as the Crown Prince sincerely apologized. After all, no substantial punishment had been imposed, indicating that the Emperor still favored

the Crown Prince. However, this incident further wavered the already hesitant court officials, who wondered if the Emperor truly favored the Crown Prince.

Then Yinzhen and Yinsi took advantage of this opportunity to trick a group of officials who were full of traps and not smart enough to the side of the eldest prince.

Yinxiang watched the two of them planning and discussing and sighed: "You don't say, fourth brother, you and eighth brother are really a perfect match, complementing each other. If we had eighth brother to help us in the past, we wouldn't have so many troubles."

After a moment, he seemed to realize something: "I forgot, eight out of ten of these troubles were caused by eighth brother."

"..."

Yinsi pulled him over: "Stop talking nonsense, come and work!"

Yinxiang fluttered, he didn't want to work, fourth brother and eighth brother were enough, why should he be forced to work!