Empress Niohuru was truly very, very ill this time, and she couldn't even get out of bed.

Kangxi ordered imperial physicians to be on call at Kunning Palace at all times, and even allowed Empress Niohuru's sister to stay in Kunning Palace for a short period of time to keep her company as a special exception. All the civil and military officials of the court were moved by how good Kangxi was to Empress Niohuru.

Only the Grand Empress Dowager and high-ranking concubines in the harem knew that it was a load of rubbish.

Kangxi was almost dying of anger.

"What does the child in her belly have to do with you! How could you make yourself sick with grief!" After Yinreng finished drinking his medicine, Kangxi tapped Yinreng's head hard and scolded him.

Yinreng responded with a weak "ow," which was extremely perfunctory.

He wasn't sad about his younger sibling. He was sad that he had to keep racking his brains to act for the rest of his life.

This truly embodies the literal meaning of "life is like a play."

When Kangxi saw that Yinreng did not answer, he continued poking Yinreng's forehead.

When the Grand Empress Dowager saw that Kangxi had poked Yinreng's forehead red, she quickly stopped him, saying, "He's not heartbroken, he's frightened! What child wouldn't be frightened by such a thing? Baoqing was frightened too!"

Kangxi muttered to himself, "The First Prince did indeed fall ill from fright. The imperial physician said he was 'overly frightened.' But this boy is actually 'burdened in his heart'!"

How old are you to have such a burden in your heart?

Kangxi wanted to poke Yinreng's head again, but Yinreng lifted the quilt and hid his head under it.

Kangxi was both amused and annoyed. He patted the bulging blanket hard and said, "Come out, don't suffocate."

"Father must swear that he won't poke my forehead again," Yinreng said in a muffled voice.

Kangxi snorted coldly, stood up, lifted the quilt, and shook it, causing Yinreng to roll out.

The Grand Empress Dowager held her forehead and scolded Kangxi while sighing. Kangxi pulled his simple-minded son into his arms and listened to the scolding with a smile.

The Grand Empress Dowager removed her false nails and poked Kangxi's forehead: "Have you kept all your childhood mischief with you to this day? Put Baocheng down!"

After patting Yinreng's bottom twice, Kangxi tucked him back into bed: "Remember, now, apart from your Father and your great-grandma, there is no one worth your worries."

Yinreng pouted. My burdened heart is because of you. You wicked Father, so controlling, so power-hungry, and so suspicious. My future self is doomed.

He accidentally merged a bit with the consciousness of his past-past life. He even mastered almost all of that life's memories and "skills," but he also developed more negative emotions.

"I understand." Yinreng yawned as the medicine took effect, and soon, he fell into a deep sleep.

After seeing that Yinreng had fallen asleep, Kangxi's smile faded, and anger filled his eyes.

Seeing Kangxi like this, the Grand Empress Dowager sighed and said, "Baocheng is sad, probably because his impression of his Mother has been shattered."

"Niohuru is not his mother," Kangxi said coldly.

The Grand Empress Dowager said, "Both are empresses, and both had children from unstable pregnancies. Baocheng values this child so much, perhaps unconsciously treating this child as himself."

The Grand Empress Dowager thought to herself, You dote on Baocheng so much because you see your past self in him, don't you?

Kangxi remained silent.

The Grand Empress Dowager continued, "Tell Baocheng and Baoqing that whoever spreads the news of Lady Niohuru taking random folk medicine to conceive a boy and losing the fetus really deserves to die. For a child, such news is too cruel. Even a child as old as Baoqing was scared out of his wits. The palace needs someone to manage it. I've been lacking energy lately, and the Empress Dowager is foolish and can't manage things. You should let Tongjia learn how to manage palace affairs."

"Cousin..." Kangxi frowned.

The Grand Empress Dowager patted Kangxi's hand: "I think she's intelligent. Are you worried that she won't be able to manage the harem?"

Kangxi said, "My cousin isn't in good health."

The Grand Empress Dowager said, "I think she's perfectly healthy. You just spoil her and let her be lazy. She is a Noble Consort. If she doesn't take care of things, who will? If you are worried that she can't manage the princes' affairs since she hasn't given birth yet, you can let Concubine Rong and Concubine Hui assist her."

Kangxi only then nodded: "Alright."

The Grand Empress Dowager continued, "Baoqing is also ill. Baocheng is asleep now, so you and I should go and see Baoqing together."

Kangxi lingered on Yinreng's not-so-obedient sleeping face for a moment, then got up and left with the Grand Empress Dowager.

They had just stepped out of Qianqing Palace when they saw Yinzhī rushing towards them like a runaway colt.

Kangxi quickly stopped Yinzhī: "Aren't you sick?"

After paying his respects, Yinzhī said, "I was ill, but I'll be fine after taking my medicine and sleeping. I heard my younger brother, the Crown Prince, is ill! Khan-Father, how is my younger brother?"

"Baoqing, slow down! Don't run around in the palace!" Concubine Hui and a group of eunuchs, old palace women, and palace maids came over breathlessly. When they saw the Grand Empress Dowager and Kangxi standing at the door, they quickly knelt to pay their respects.

"Rise. Why are you in such a hurry?" Kangxi grabbed his eldest son by the back of his collar with one hand, not allowing him to disturb Yinreng, and helped Concubine Hui up with the other.

Concubine Hui said awkwardly, "The First Prince runs too fast, I can't catch up with him."

Kangxi couldn't help but chuckle: "Why didn't you have someone call a sedan chair?"

The Grand Empress Dowager shot Yinzhī a sideways glance and couldn't help but laugh: "Baoqing ran so fast, how could he have time to call a sedan chair?"

Yinzhī muttered, "It's because Mother is too slow. Can't she run?"

Kangxi patted Yinzhī's head: "Rules! No running around in the palace!"

Yinzhī wanted to say that running to Qianqing Palace to see his younger brother wasn't considered running around recklessly. However, as Kangxi spent more time instructing him, Yinzhī grew increasingly respectful and awed by Kangxi, and didn't dare to say it aloud.

"Baocheng has just fallen asleep, you..." Before Kangxi could finish speaking, Yinreng's voice came from inside the hall.

"Is that you, big brother? I can hear your voice! Big brother, are you better now?!"

Yinzhī hurriedly said, "Alright, alright! I've come to see you!"

After saying that, he gave Kangxi a disapproving look.

Khan-Father, you big liar, little brother isn't asleep at all!

Kangxi: "..." Didn't this kid just fall asleep?!

The group had just stepped out of the hall doorway when they turned back. Yinreng was indeed awake.

"Didn't you just fall asleep?! Were you pretending to be asleep?!" Kangxi pinched Yinreng's cheek in anger.

Yinreng, his cheek pinched, mumbled, "I wasn't pretending. Stiff neck, bumped myself awake."

Yinreng pointed to his temple. Kangxi looked and saw that it was indeed red.

Kangxi was both distressed and amused: "You're the only one in the world who can bump into yourself while sleeping!"

Yinreng smiled apologetically and said, "Father, you and great-grandma should go ahead with your businesses."

Yinzhī said, "Yes, yes, yes, it's enough for me to take care of little brother."

Kangxi: "..." Deep breath.

Concubine Hui: "..." Deep breath.

Grand Empress Dowager: "Pfft... cough cough cough. Alright, alright, Your Majesty, let the two brothers be alone. Children only have fun with peers of their own age. They've grown tired of us already."

Concubine Hui: "..." Still couldn't breathe properly.

Kangxi glared fiercely at Yinzhī.

Yinzhī looked back, bewildered.

Kangxi tapped Yinzhī on the head: "Alright, you and Baocheng stay here. You can sleep here tonight."

I'm furious! Tonight I'm going to the harem to find an understanding flower*. I won't waste my time with this heartless son, Baocheng! (T/N: 解語花 [jiěyǔhuā] — lit. "speech-understanding flower"; classical idiom for a beautiful, perceptive woman, originally a poetic comparison drawn for the Tang dynasty's Yang Guifei)

Yinzhī happily said, "Okay!"

The Grand Empress Dowager said to Concubine Hui, "Come with me to Cining Palace. I have something to tell you."

"Yes." Concubine Hui clenched her handkerchief tightly. Was the Grand Empress Dowager going to reprimand me for Yinzhī's lack of manners? Please, please don't take away my right to raise Yinzhī!

The Grand Empress Dowager was certainly not going to reprimand Concubine Hui. She was actually quite pleased that Concubine Hui had raised the First Prince to be close to the Crown Prince.

The Grand Empress Dowager summoned Noble Consort Tong and Concubine Rong to Cining Palace to discuss the management of the harem with them.

After sitting with them for a while, Kangxi went to find Concubine Yi.

Noble Consort Tong's eyes welled up bitterly.

The Grand Empress Dowager watched Kangxi's departing figure thoughtfully.

She originally thought that the emperor cared deeply for Lady Tongjia. But in truth, this grandson of hers was different from his father and grandfather. He was both affectionate and indifferent.

...

Yinzhī was extremely excited to sleep side by side with Yinreng, and they talked late into the night by candlelight.

He whispered a long string of bad things about Empress Niohuru, his own Mother Concubine Hui, and even their Father Kangxi into Yinreng's ear.

Yinreng was so frightened that he lost all his drowsiness.

Qianqing Palace is full of emperor-dad's men, are you brainless?! Every word you say now, Father will know about tomorrow!

But Yinzhī spoke so fast, like a string of firecrackers, that Yinreng didn't have time to interrupt before he finished firing off. Yinreng could only lie flat and play dead.

Well, I'm just a little salted fish lying belly up. I don't know what the First Prince said.

"Little brother, do you know how Khan-Father will punish the Empress?" Yinzhī asked, still not satisfied. "She's so wicked!"

Yinreng moved his lips, but he didn't want to discuss this issue with Yinzhī.

He thought that his emperor-dad, who was extremely rational in his youth, would most likely coldly wait for Empress Niohuru to die, and then generously bestow posthumous honors upon her.

He just didn't know what Empress Niohuru's posthumous title would be in this lifetime.

"Little brother, why aren't you saying anything? Are you tired?" Yinzhī nudged Yinreng.

Yinreng sighed and said, "Elder brother, I've heard many stories from Father. Let me tell you some."

Yinzhī said, "Alright, go ahead."

Yinreng said, "Let's start with the adventure story of a man named Magellan."

Don't you like fighting? Let me tell you how many good places there are overseas. Go fight for them when you grow up. Father will definitely be willing to grant you all the territories you conquer. Round it up, and you'll practically be a local tyrant.

Yinreng recalled the equally mad Yinzhī from his memory and sighed deeply in his heart.

Soon, he sighed even more.

"Nonsense! How could the earth be round?!"

"Oh, let me explain. Have you ever been to the sea?"

"No!"

"Uh, have you seen a great river?"

"No!"

"Have you ever seen a vast, boundless grassland?"

"No!"

"In short, the Earth is round! You'll understand when you see the oceans, rivers, and grasslands!"

"I don't believe it!"

"Believe it or not, just keep listening to me!"

"Oh."

...

"Nonsense! How could the fleet of those so-called Eng-something, Grape-something, and Watermelon-something nations be stronger than that of my Great Qing! My Great Qing is number one!"* (T/N: Yinzhī mangles 葡萄牙 [pútáoyá, Portugal] as 葡萄 [pútáo, "grape"] and replaces 西班牙 [xībānyá, Spain] with 西瓜 [xīguā, "watermelon"]; English [英國 yīngguó] he leaves as a vague "Eng-something")

"We don't even have our own fleet right now. We're still using ones absorbed from the former Ming Dynasty for support!"

"I don't believe it!"

"Taiwan is still in the hands of the Zheng family!"

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Keep listening, don't interrupt me!"

"Oh."

...

"Nonsense!"

"Shut up! Let me finish speaking before you ask any questions!"

Yinreng covered Yinzhī's mouth with his hand.

Telling stories to my older brother is pure torture!

 

 

 

Author's Note:

Six or seven years old children dislike cats and dogs