Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Fortunately, the vaccination process

went very smoothly. Within a few days, news arrived that, with the exception of the Eleventh Prince, who had a high fever for one day, all the other princes and princesses had recovered safely and would be able to return to the palace in two days.

Concubine Yi was utterly distraught upon receiving the news, crying to Wen Shan several times. Wen Shan could only console her. Fortunately, within a few days, the Eleventh Prince was also recovering and would soon be able to return to the palace.

The success of the vaccination prompted the concubines, after making vows to the gods and Buddhas, to send a number of gifts to Xianfu Palace with a rare display of sincerity.

"Amitabha! I told you my worries weren't groundless," Concubine Yi said, hugging the newly returned Eleventh Prince, her heart aching for him.

She had been feeling anxious even before the Eleventh Prince's vaccination, and as expected, Yinzhen had experienced a minor problem during the vaccination, though fortunately, he returned safely.

"Mother, I've been so worried every day, I can't sleep. I've finally waited for you to come back." Concubine Yi held the Eleventh Prince tightly, chanting several Buddhist mantras.

The Eleventh Prince also obediently accepted Concubine Yi's embrace, whispering soothingly, "Mother, don't worry. I'm back, aren't I?"

The Ninth Prince also ran over and said, "Mother, don't be sad now that my Eleventh Brother has returned."

Concubine Yi wiped her tears and smiled, "Okay, your brother's return is a great joy. We'll have a lively meal together later." As

soon as she finished speaking, a palace maid entered and said, "Mother, the Fifth Prince has arrived."

Concubine Yi was even more delighted to hear that the Fifth Prince had arrived.

"Quick, let Yinqi in."

The Fifth Prince was twelve years old this year, and had grown into a young man. However, his face remained much the same as when he was a child: kind and gentle, always smiling.

"Mother, I heard that Eleventh Prince has returned, and the Empress Dowager specifically instructed me to come and see him."

Concubine Yi pulled the Fifth Prince over and gave him a good look. She rarely saw this son, especially since he had grown up and moved to Ganxi Wusuo.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager had changed her attitude in recent years and wasn't keeping as close an eye on the Fifth Prince, but she would occasionally let him visit the Yikun Palace.

The Ninth Prince wasn't particularly close to the Fifth Prince, and they didn't talk much in the Shangshufang. However, Yinsi and the Fifth Prince had a good relationship, so the Ninth Prince would occasionally exchange a few words with the Fifth Prince.

The Eleventh Prince, on the other hand, was very close to the Fifth Prince. They were both relatively unknown figures in the Shangshufang, often hanging out together with the Seventh Prince.

"Fifth Brother!" The Eleventh Prince smiled and ran to the Fifth Prince, looking up at him. "Fifth Brother, didn't you say you'd prepare a gift for me before I left?"

"Of course I did," the Fifth Prince said mysteriously, pulling out a box from behind his back. "Open it and take a look. You'll definitely like it."

Although the Ninth Prince didn't come closer, he kept glancing over.

The Eleventh Prince happily opened the box, revealing a finely crafted horse whip.

"You'll be practicing horseback riding and archery with us soon, so Fifth Brother prepared this whip especially for you. How about it? Do you like it?" The Fifth Prince was incredibly happy as he spoke.

He had put a lot of effort into making this whip, and he had inlaid all the gems on it himself.

Concubine Yi was happy to see her sons getting along so well. The Fifth Prince had grown up with the Empress Dowager and was spoiled so much that he didn't work hard in his studies. The Eleventh Prince was not very talented, especially in front of the Crown Prince, Yinzhen, and Yinsi, who were all outstanding princes. So Concubine Yi never forced them. She only hoped that they would grow up healthily and live a peaceful life as idle members of the royal family.

The Ninth Prince hummed as he looked at the two brothers with deep affection.

"Ninth brother, you have one too." The Fifth Prince chuckled and took out another box like a magic trick.

The Ninth Prince took it awkwardly: "Thank you, Fifth Brother."

The Fifth Prince touched the heads of his two younger brothers and said proudly: "I am the older brother!"

Concubine Yi also laughed heartily.

"Okay, after delivering the gifts, we'll prepare to eat together later."

While waiting for the food to be served, the Eleventh Prince and the Fifth Prince started playing together, studying the riding whip on the couch. The Ninth Prince sat alone on the other side, throwing the box containing the riding whip aside and flipping through a book with his hands in his pockets.

Seeing him like this, Concubine Yi sat over and whispered to the Ninth Prince.

"If you want to go and play with your brothers, go ahead."

The Ninth Prince said awkwardly: "I don't want to play with them."

Concubine Yi sighed: "You, why do you like to be with the Eighth Prince and the Tenth Prince, but you are not so close to your biological brothers."

The Ninth Prince turned his head and said with a pout: "Mother, don't say that the Eighth Prince and the Tenth Brother are just like-minded. The Eighth Prince is good to us, so we are naturally close."

"Mother didn't say that the Eighth Prince and the Tenth Prince are bad." Concubine Yi laughed, "Forget it, mother is too lazy to care about you. You brothers can do whatever you like."

At least the three brothers did not become enemies, they were just not that close.

Talking about this, Concubine Yi couldn't help but sigh: "They are all three sons, why are the three princes of Concubine Xuan so close to each other?"

The Ninth Prince curled his lips and sneered at Concubine Yi's words.

"Mother, you don't know. Fourth and Thirteenth Brothers are incredibly close, but the same can't be said for Eighth Brother."

Concubine Yi poked him on the head. "How many times have I, your mother, been to Xianfu Palace? How could I not know how close these brothers are?"

The Fifth and Eleventh Princes were so engrossed in their playfulness that they hadn't noticed them. The Ninth Prince had often heard Concubine Yi tell him how the Fourth and Eighth Brothers would often walk the dog and stroll through the gardens with him when Fifth Prince was little, so Concubine Yi had always taken a liking to these children of Xianfu Palace.

That's why she didn't comment on Ninth Prince's constant following around Eighth Prince, letting him do as he pleased.

The Ninth Prince pondered for a moment and muttered, "That was in the past, and how can a private relationship be compared to that?"

Concubine Yi's expression darkened, and she tugged at Ninth Prince's ear, frowning.

"Why do you always talk about that?"

Concubine Yi knew Eighth Prince's heart was set on that position. With the Crown Prince under house arrest and Fourth Prince favored by the Emperor, the two brothers might not be as close as they once were.

Then she thought about how her little Nine was getting close to the Eighth Prince, and she felt a little headache again.

This child was also very stubborn, and it was hard to persuade him now that he was older.

"Mother, when will dinner be ready? I'm hungry!" The Fifth Prince shouted beside him.

Concubine Yi smiled helplessly and said, "Okay, it will be ready soon."

The two sons were once again absorbed in eating, drinking and having fun. She really owed them a lot in her previous life.

While having dinner, the Eleventh Prince mentioned that Yinxiang always took special care of him when they were in the villa.

"The Thirteenth Brother recovered the fastest. After the vaccination in the evening, he was able to get out of bed and walk around the next afternoon. He should have been well enough to return to the palace the next day, but the Thirteenth Brother didn't go back and came to see me specially." The Eleventh Prince said obediently.

Concubine Yi, busy serving food to her three sons, smiled upon hearing this and said, "Thirteenth Prince has always been a loyal and righteous child. Mother must thank him someday."

"It was Eighth Brother who introduced the cowpox vaccination method, Mother. You should thank him too," the Ninth Prince said as he ate his meal, not forgetting to make his presence known to his beloved Eighth Brother.

It seemed that the cowpox vaccination had indeed been much milder than the human pox vaccination. Concubine Yi couldn't help but wonder if the human pox vaccination had been used again for the Eleventh Prince, this time it would have been a life-or-death experience.

She nodded and said, "Yin'er is right. He should be thanked."

"And Fourth Brother? He and Eighth Brother introduced it together!" The Fifth Prince also tried to curry favor with his in-law, Yinzhen. Concubine

Yi was at a loss for words.

"Okay, they're all benefactors of our Yikun Palace. Mother will personally thank you at Xianfu Palace someday. Are you three satisfied?"

The next day, Concubine Yi went to Xianfu Palace with a generous gift.

"Why did you bring so many gifts?" Wen Shan was a bit shocked. She and Concubine Yi had been close for years, but this was the first time she'd seen her present such a formal gift.

"I have to bring a generous gift this time," Concubine Yi smiled and told her how the three brothers had been vying for her to express their gratitude yesterday.

Wen Shan didn't know what to say. "Then you don't have to bring so many gifts. I've already piled up so much."

Concubine Yi shook her head. "Even if you bring more, it's still my duty. I sincerely thank the three princes in the Empress's palace."

The Thirteenth Prince was caring for Yinxiang in the other courtyard, while the Fourth and Eighth Princes had developed a method for treating smallpox, practically saving the Eleventh Prince's life.

Yinzhen and Yinsi were not in Xianfu Palace at the moment. Yinzhen and Yinsi were attending classes in the Shangshufang. Yinxiang had no classes that afternoon, but he had just taken Fuqi and Laifu for a stroll in the Imperial Garden.

After delivering her gifts, Concubine Yi noticed Wen Shan's sewing basket and curiously asked, "Your Majesty, why are you sewing today?"

It was well known in the palace that Concubine Xuan disliked needlework, and the concubines often made clothes and bedding for their children. Wen Shan, not understanding this, had once asked Concubine Yi to make some small items, and naturally, she had always returned the favor.

Wen Shan had just happened to see the sewing basket, gathering dust, and remembered that the sachet she'd promised Kangxi had been delayed for almost two years.

She figured it was absurd that such a small task had been delayed for almost two years. She'd almost finished the embroidery, but since Kangxi's recent disagreement with her, Wen Shan had abandoned it.

Wen Shan, though somewhat lazy, was known for her perseverance. Seeing it, she picked it up and sewed two stitches. She

still didn't feel like it, but she'd work on it a little today, a few days later, and within a year or two, she'd be done.

Concubine Yi immediately recognized the design as a golden dragon.

"Is this embroidered by the Empress for the Emperor?"

Wen Shan didn't hide it, saying it took a long time, and even though Kangxi didn't rush her, she felt relieved after finishing it.

Concubine Yi seemed lost in thought, then added, "Right now, the palace is split equally between Concubine Tong and Concubine Niohuru. I think there's still a lot of trouble between them."

Concubine Tong and Concubine Niohuru had similar temperaments and backgrounds, so naturally they were at loggerheads.

Concubine Niohuru was often irritated by her, feeling that the women of the Tonggiya clan were born to embarrass her.

Previously, she was outshined by her elder sister, and now she was being vying for favor with her younger sister, which was really a problem for the Tonggiya clan.

Besides Concubine Tong and Concubine Niohuru, who occupied the majority of the emperor's bedchambers, the rest were shared equally by Concubine Mi, Concubine Rui, and other Han army banner concubines. As Kangxi grew older, his preference for gentle and graceful women grew.

Ever since Kangxi had sent her a gift through Yinzhen, and she hadn't responded, he hadn't visited Xianfu Palace again. Instead, he showed even more favor to Yinzhen and Yinsi, making them the most favored princes in the palace.

Naturally, that was because the Crown Prince was still under house arrest.

Wen Shan remarked on this, saying it was truly a blessing; without Kangxi's visits, she wouldn't have to endure such bitter pills, which was truly exhausting.

A little over half a month later, the Crown Prince's confinement was finally lifted. He obediently handed in his three hundred recitations of the Three Character Classic and the Book of Rites to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Kangxi barely glanced at them, merely offering a few words of encouragement for future diligence before releasing him.

Despite his confinement, the Crown Prince had kept a constant stream of news. He had long been aware of Yinzhen's recent rise to prominence, becoming the most prominent prince, and so he harbored a grudge against him.

Yinzhen, as usual, treated the Crown Prince with respect, leaving him unable to find fault.

Seeing this development, the Third Prince, a staunch supporter of the Crown Prince, had a private conversation with him.

"Second brother, I'm afraid Fourth Brother has already developed ulterior motives. We must be on guard."

The Crown Prince was somewhat distraught, feeling that many things were suddenly out of his control.

The Third Prince, who had been keeping a low profile for a while, observed the situation with a cold eye and also felt that things were not looking good.

The Crown Prince thought for a moment and asked, "How is the relationship between Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother now?"

"The Emperor often sends Eighth Brother and Fourth Brother to work together. I guess he intends for Eighth Brother to assist Fourth Brother. This is not a good sign," said the Third Prince.

Aside from the eldest prince, the Eighth Prince was the most obvious sign of a bid for the throne. And yet, Kangxi was determined to train Eighth Prince to assist Yinzhen. Wasn't this obvious?

"Your Majesty, you think too simply. Do you think they can be of one mind just because they grew up in the same palace?" The prince snorted coldly and said, "Eighth brother is so cunning, how could he be willing to be inferior to others? In your opinion, has the relationship between them changed?"

The third prince thought about it and shook his head: "I can't see anything. Second brother, you know that Eighth brother is very thoughtful and won't let us see anything. Fourth brother, he is still straightforward and won't do anything extreme." "

If you say Fourth brother, I still trust him a little, Eighth brother..."

Yinsi, who was making kites with Yinzhen, suddenly sneezed.

In a few days, when the autumn weather is clear and cool, he is going to take Yinxiang to fly kites.

"What's wrong, did you catch a cold?" Yinzhen asked.

Yinsi touched his nose: "Probably not. Maybe someone is scolding me behind my back."

"If that's the case, you must be sneezing every day?" Yinzhen said jokingly.

"..."

He is not so hateful!