When Kangxi returned to the warm chamber of the Qianqing Palace, Yinreng was already asleep.

Children who slept on their stomachs often drooled. Yinreng's head was tilted to one side, leaving a damp patch on the pillow from his saliva. His little mouth twitched occasionally, giving him the appearance of a puppy dreaming about chewing on a meaty bone.

Kangxi asked Zhao Chang to bring him paper and brushes. After glancing at the sleeping Yinreng, he lowered his head and sketched a few strokes, drawing a New Year baby sprawled asleep on its stomach.

Kangxi frowned at the simple sketch of his son for a long while. No matter how he looked at it, the person in the painting was far inferior to the real child.

Zhao Chang, always skilled at reading the emperor's thoughts, immediately whispered, "Those Western painters may be better at realistic portraits."

Kangxi sighed. "But I want to paint Baocheng myself."

Surely he couldn't let those Western painters secretly paint Yinreng while the boy slept? He had no intention of letting others see his precious son's embarrassing sleeping posture. The Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty has to protect his dignity.

Zhao Chang couldn't think of any solution.

He certainly couldn't suggest that His Majesty go learn Western painting himself.

Kangxi refused to give up. He had people bring over all sorts of painting tools, such as brushes of all sizes, and tried them one by one.

By the time Yinreng woke up from his nap, Kangxi had already thrown a whole pile of failed paintings onto the floor.

"Ah… haaah… Father…" Yinreng rubbed his face into the pillow to wipe away the drool at the corner of his mouth, yawning as he greeted Kangxi.

Kangxi hurriedly showed him the latest painting. "Does it look like you?"

Yinreng fell silent.

Like hell it did.

He looked utterly disdainful. "Father Emperor, your painting is terrible. It doesn't look like me at all. It looks like a puppy!"

Zhao Chang struggled not to laugh. In all the world, only the Crown Prince dared speak to the emperor like this, and the emperor still wouldn't get angry.

"You really look like a puppy. I'm rewarding you with it." Kangxi happily stamped his seal onto the painting and even added an inscription declaring that this was definitely Yinreng, and no one was allowed to object.

Yinreng huffed angrily.

Kangxi had someone take the painting away to be mounted, then pinched Yinreng's little sniffling nose. "Why do you always snort and huff? Are you a little piggy?"

"Father Emperor, if I'm a little piggy, then what are you?" Yinreng shook his head hard to fling away Kangxi's hand.

Kangxi pressed down the wriggling child. "I'm the one raising the little piggy. Does your bottom still hurt? Don't talk nonsense in the future."

Yinreng continued huffing. "Being Crown Prince is miserable!"

Kangxi raised his hand high.

Yinreng stubbornly continued, "It's miserable!"

Kangxi lowered his hand helplessly. "Fine. I'll get you a bigger residence, alright? You won't even move into the Eastern Palace before marriage anyway. Why are you so demanding?"

Yinreng thought to himself, Easy for you to say. Why don't you try living there?

I stay in the cramped Yuqing Palace, while my attendants stay in Xiefang Hall. Just walking from the rear quarters to the front takes forever whenever I want to sleep. Don't I have any dignity?

In this lifetime, Yinreng was never going to have a harem anyway. The way he'd been raised wouldn't allow it, and besides, he was afraid his mother from his previous life would appear in his dreams and beat him senseless.

If he only lived with the Crown Princess in the future, maybe Yuqing Palace wouldn't feel that crowded after all?

Still miserable though!

"I want a garden," Yinreng demanded.

"Mhm, mhm," Kangxi replied perfunctorily.

"I want a big house."

"Yes, yes."

Yinreng widened his eyes. He agreed to everything?

"Th-then… can I have a hot spring too?" Yinreng rubbed his little hands together eagerly.

"Mhm… hm?!" Kangxi grabbed those rubbing hands. "Where would a hot spring come from inside the palace? And where did you even learn about hot springs?"

After asking, Kangxi sighed. "It was your grandfather again, wasn't it?"

Yinreng grinned. "Hehehe." While Grandfather can still serve as the scapegoat, he might as well carry a few more pots for his grandchild. Thank you, Grandfather!

Kangxi laughed. "There's no way we can dig a hot spring inside the palace. But if you like hot springs, we'll go to the hot spring palace next winter."

If not for the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, Kangxi wouldn't even have stayed in the Forbidden City during winter these past years.

He spent summer and autumn escaping the heat, and winter and spring escaping the cold. Altogether, he spent less than three months a year in the palace.

So when Kangxi chose the Eastern Palace for Yinreng, he casually picked a nearby location. Since he himself rarely lived in the palace, Yinreng naturally wouldn't either in the future.

Still, since his son wanted a large residence, there were old palace buildings that could be demolished to make room for one.

As for gardens, one imperial garden in the palace was indeed too few. They could build more.

Now that the Revolt of the Three Feudatories had been largely resolved, Kangxi's purse was finally a bit fuller, and he could start thinking about comforts and luxuries again.

Seeing that the situation was favourable, Yinreng immediately scrambled up, dropping the injured act.

"Father Emperor's word carries the weight of nine tripods!"

Kangxi laughed helplessly. "Your butt doesn't hurt anymore?"

"It does! But getting out of bed is still fine!"

After all, it was only a fleshy spanking through layers of thick padding. How serious could the injury really be?

Kangxi pinched Yinreng's cheeks and pulled them apart. "Since getting up isn't a problem, come out with me in a few days. You're always clamoring to leave the palace, so I'll take you out for a look around."

"Father Emperor is the best father emperor!" Yinreng immediately pounced forward to hug Kangxi around the neck, and Kangxi instinctively caught him by the backside.

Yinreng shot upright like a grasshopper. "Ow ow ow!"

Watching Yinreng roll around on the bed, clutching his rear, Kangxi burst into thoroughly unscrupulous laughter.

"I'm telling Great-Grandmother!"

"Hahaha, go ahead!"

The father and son dissolved into laughter and roughhousing. Smiling, Zhao Chang quietly withdrew from the warm chamber, leaving the imperial father and son to themselves.

After His Majesty spanked the Crown Prince, he'd secretly wiped away tears himself, frightening Zhao Chang badly.

Only now that the emperor and the young master had reconciled could the servants finally relax.

After making up with Kangxi, Yinreng immediately ran to the Cining Palace to complain.

The Grand Empress Dowager took a jade ruyi scepter and symbolically tapped Kangxi's palm a few times on Yinreng's behalf.

Kangxi looked at Yinreng standing there with hands on his hips and chin raised proudly. His palms started itching again.

Meanwhile, the Grand Empress Dowager kept calling Yinreng "my precious heart," utterly delighted by him, and even gave him another box of jewels to use as marbles.

Yinreng hurriedly refused.

"One must not decline a gift from one's elders," Kangxi accepted it on his behalf.

Yinreng grumbled inwardly. Right, one must not decline gifts from elders. You give me things one moment, then accuse me of extravagance the next. Wasn't that basically entrapment?

He immediately started considering how to get rid of the entire box of jewels.

Now that he was smarter, he knew that these jewels couldn't be eaten or practically used. Even if he dressed himself up like a walking jewelry stand, he still couldn't wear that much. Better to give them away than fall into Father Emperor's trap.

"Alright." Yinreng obediently accepted them. "Grandson will personally design jewelry for Great-Grandmother. I won't give any to Father Emperor. Ow!"

Kangxi flicked him on the forehead.

The Grand Empress Dowager laughed so hard she nearly bent over. "Good, good, don't give him any. He's a bad father emperor."

"Exactly." Yinreng nodded. "Ow."

Kangxi flicked his forehead again.

The Grand Empress Dowager laughed so hard she nearly lost her breath, while Sumalagu chuckled as she helped calm her.

Kangxi lowered his head; Yinreng lifted his. The childish father and son glared at each other with wide eyes.

Laughing, the Grand Empress Dowager shooed them both away, then wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and softly said to Sumalagu, "I hope they stay this close for their entire lives."

Sumalagu smiled gently. "They certainly will."

The Grand Empress Dowager nodded. "I hope so."

An imperial father and son… may Xuanye and Baocheng never change.

-----

When Kangxi said that he would take Yinreng out of the palace, it wasn't purely sightseeing.

He first brought Yinreng to attend a military victory ceremony atop the palace gates.

The Revolt of the Three Feudatories had been largely pacified. Kangxi led Yinreng through the Meridian Gate to proclaim victory, and while he was at it, showed off his son to the ministers once more.

This was the first time Yinreng spoke with the two great ministers, Songgotu and Mingzhu, who would spend many years fighting one another politically.

Songgotu looked at Yinreng with immense kindness, but Yinreng chose Mingzhu instead.

"Imperial Father, Grand Secretary Mingzhu is so handsome! Is he the fourth most handsome man in the Great Qing?" Yinreng asked, looking up.

Kangxi, who had been maintaining a stern expression, nearly lost it.

Curious, he asked, "Why fourth?"

Counting on his fingers, Yinreng replied, "Baocheng and Imperial Father Emperor are tied for first, Big Brother is third, and Little Third Brother is too young to tell yet, so he doesn't count."

Kangxi finally burst out laughing and scooped Yinreng into his arms. "Tied for first? I'm very dissatisfied with that ranking."

Yinreng tilted his head. "Then… I'll be first, and Father Emperor can graciously accept second place? Ow!"

He clutched his head again.

"You brat! Just how narcissistic are you about your looks?" Kangxi laughed and scolded. "You're just a little chubby ball, and you dare call yourself the most handsome man in the Qing? Ask Mingzhu whether you or I look better!"

Father and son both turned toward Mingzhu.

The handsome middle-aged minister's smile nearly cracked.

You, father and son, are fooling around; don't drag your ministers into this. How am I supposed to answer?!

Seeing Mingzhu hesitate, Yinreng mischievously added, "Father Emperor, do you think Grand Secretary Mingzhu is staying silent because he thinks that he himself is the most handsome?"

Mingzhu: "……"

Kangxi burst into laughter. "Exactly! That's exactly what he thinks. What should we do? Let's punish him."

Mingzhu: "???"

Your Majesty, am I still your trusted minister? Is making fun of me to amuse your son really appropriate?

Mingzhu could only smile bitterly and kneel to plead innocence.

Songgotu stood there dumbfounded, unable to understand why the Crown Prince seemed so cold toward him.

Surely it couldn't be because of his appearance?

He was perfectly dignified-looking, too! Their family produced empresses, so how could their looks be bad? Shouldn't the Crown Prince feel closer to him after seeing him?

Still, the emperor openly carrying the Crown Prince while meeting ministers, completely disregarding etiquette and ceremony, clearly showed just how spoiled and cherished the Crown Prince was.

Songgotu finally relaxed a little.

Besides the Crown Prince, there were already two other princes in the palace, along with several pregnant consorts. Songgotu had been under tremendous pressure.

"Stop teasing Grand Secretary Mingzhu. He's about to cry," Yinreng whispered into Kangxi's ear.

Kangxi tapped Yinreng on the forehead with a smile. "Who started teasing him in the first place?"

Yinreng replied righteously, "Not me! I was only telling the truth."

"The truth…" Kangxi looked Mingzhu up and down.

Mingzhu: "……" Your Majesty, what are you planning now?

"He really is good-looking. His son is even more handsome. Since you like beautiful people, how about I assign his son to be your guard?" Kangxi suddenly suggested.

Yinreng beamed. "Okay."

Songgotu: "!!!"

Mingzhu: "!!!"

The two men felt as if struck by lightning at the same time.

Seeing the utterly shocked expressions on their faces, Kangxi's mood improved even more.

Look at that. He and his son were truly connected heart to heart. With perfect tacit understanding, they'd managed to bully both old foxes at once.

Knowing when to stop, Kangxi finally introduced Songgotu to Yinreng.

Though Songgotu often displeased him, he was still the only truly useful member of the Heseri clan. For Yinreng's sake, Kangxi was willing to grant Songgotu some authority and cultivate forces in court loyal to the Crown Prince.

Yet Yinreng remained noticeably indifferent toward Songgotu.

Songgotu felt deeply hurt. He couldn't understand why the Crown Prince disliked him.

Even setting aside the benefits that currying favor with the Crown Prince would bring to the Heseri family, Songgotu genuinely liked the child at first sight. Though he was only the prince's grand-uncle, he looked at Yinreng as fondly as if the boy were his own grandson.

Yet the Crown Prince seemed much closer to Mingzhu.

Why?!

Songgotu simply couldn't understand.

Mingzhu understood even less.

Still, this was only a tiny child who had been raised constantly at the emperor's side. There couldn't possibly be some elaborate scheme involved.

What bad intentions could a four-year-old possibly have?

Could this be the emperor's doing?

Kangxi himself was curious. He had often spoken well of Songgotu in front of Yinreng, yet Yinreng still favored Mingzhu more. Surely it couldn't really be because Mingzhu was handsome?

Kangxi directly asked, "Baocheng, why do you seem to like Lord Mingzhu more?"

Without hesitation, Yinreng answered, "Because Lord Mingzhu is good-looking."

Kangxi smacked the top of his head lightly. "What else? I don't believe that's the only reason."

Yinreng blinked.

So this was a test of his understanding of politics? Could he refuse to answer?

Kangxi's stern gaze clearly replied: No! I've taught you too much for you to fool me. Your grandfather also taught you a lot. Speak!

Yinreng sighed inwardly.

He knew it. Ever since the smallpox incident, there was no way he could continue pretending to be ordinary. If he failed to display the intelligence expected of him, Father Emperor would definitely grow suspicious.

The terrifying paranoia of an emperor.

Yinreng straightened his back. His tone lost its childish liveliness, and even the pronoun he used for himself changed.

"This heir often hears Father Emperor discuss court affairs. Grand Secretary Mingzhu strongly advocated abolishing the Three Feudatories and preserving the capable River Conservancy Governor Jin Fu, proving the depth of his talent. In contrast, Grand Secretary Songgotu opposes Father Emperor in all matters at court and flaunts his status as the Crown Prince's maternal relative, acting arrogant and overbearing."

In Kangxi's nineteenth year, Father Emperor would already rebuke Songgotu and order him to restrain himself. Yet when Father Emperor needed capable officials, Songgotu would throw down his duties and refuse to work. By Kangxi's twenty-second year, Father Emperor would lose patience entirely and strip him of his title.

Right now, it was only Kangxi's eighteenth year.

Father Emperor must already be very dissatisfied with Songgotu.

Seeing the hurt and fearful expression on Songgotu's face, Yinreng felt a trace of pity, but his own expression became even colder.

If he didn't let Songgotu suffer a serious setback now, Songgotu would definitely repeat his old mistakes.

Besides, as a modern young man with proper values, Yinreng truly couldn't stand Songgotu's arrogance and abuse of power.

Songgotu immediately knelt to plead guilty.

This had nothing to do with Mingzhu, but Mingzhu also knelt at once.

Even in the dead of winter, cold sweat soaked Mingzhu's back.

He certainly didn't think that being praised by the Crown Prince was a good thing. It only proved that the emperor was using the prince's words to warn and discipline them.

Mingzhu knew that he and Songgotu had been deliberately set against one another by Kangxi to maintain balance at court. Since Kangxi was letting the Crown Prince criticize Songgotu so openly, it meant the emperor was secretly dissatisfied with him too.

Kangxi still smiled calmly, his expression unmoved.

He rubbed the little hat atop Yinreng's head. "You understand quite a lot."

Yinreng immediately dropped the mature demeanor and burrowed into Kangxi's arms proudly. "That's because Father Emperor talks about these things all the time. Father Emperor. Ow! Why are you hitting me again?"

"I barely used any force. How does that count as hitting?" Kangxi stood up while holding Yinreng and addressed the kneeling ministers. "You both heard him. Take the Crown Prince's words as encouragement to improve yourselves."

Kangxi carried Yinreng away to find Prince Yu, preparing to change clothes at the prince's residence before going out into the city incognito.

Lying over Kangxi's shoulder, Yinreng called back toward Songgotu, "Grand Secretary Songgotu, you can't just quit because I criticized you! The court needs capable people right now. You should turn shame into motivation, work hard, and redeem yourself through merit. Ow! Father Emperor, why are you hitting me again?!"

Kangxi's hearty laughter echoed loudly enough for those waiting outside to hear.

"You sure talk too much! Songgotu is a veteran statesman. Does he need you to lecture him? Come on, let's go see your uncle."

Songgotu, who had in fact been considering writing a memorial to resign from office: "……"

Mingzhu, who understood his old rival well enough to know that Songgotu had absolutely been planning to resign: "……"

Mingzhu turned his head and muttered, "Hear that? You're not allowed to submit a resignation memorial."

Songgotu snapped, "Shut up!"

Mingzhu chuckled. "Heh."

-----

Prince Yu, Fuquan, looked extremely surprised when Kangxi arrived carrying Yinreng, still bickering with the child along the way.

Yinreng was still very young and rarely appeared in public.

Although Fuquan often entered the palace to report official matters, he seldom saw Yinreng, much less witnessed Kangxi showing such warmth and familiarity in front of others.

So while he already knew Kangxi doted heavily on the Crown Prince, seeing it personally was still deeply shocking.

Watching the emperor and Crown Prince interact, they seemed even more clingy than he was with his own youngest son.

As Fuquan pondered what attitude he should adopt toward this little Crown Prince whom Kangxi clearly cherished like the apple of his eye, Yinreng suddenly stretched out his neck and waved both arms enthusiastically.

"Uncle! Uncle… ow! Father Emperor, what was that for?!"

"Ahem. Reflex," Kangxi replied, withdrawing the hand he'd just used to bonk Yinreng on the head.

Yinreng kept waving dramatically. "Uncle, save me! Father Emperor is going to pound little bumps into my head!"

Kangxi raised his hand again.

Fuquan coughed lightly and immediately snatched Yinreng away from Kangxi. "Your Majesty, the child is still young."

At last, he finally understood what the Grand Empress Dowager had meant earlier that day when he'd gone to pay respects.

She had specifically instructed him: whenever the emperor and Crown Prince played together, the emperor became too mischievous, so he absolutely had to protect the Crown Prince properly.

At the time, Fuquan had been baffled.

Mischievous? You mean my third younger brother, who had been frighteningly clever since childhood?

Now he understood.

Very mischievous indeed.

A child's skull was fragile. How could he use it like a wooden fish drum to knock on?

Fuquan cast Kangxi a deeply disapproving look.

Fuquan was a soft-tempered and honest man. Since Kangxi had ascended the throne at a very young age, the distinction between ruler and subject had existed between them early on, so Fuquan rarely behaved like an elder brother before him.

But on the rare occasions when Fuquan did put on the airs of an older brother, Kangxi usually gave him some face.

Because he knew that if even a mild, honest man objected, then the objection was serious.

Once in Fuquan's arms, Yinreng immediately made himself comfortable with complete familiarity, hooking his short little arms around Fuquan's neck before turning around to make faces at Kangxi.

Kangxi instantly clenched his fist threateningly.

Fuquan promptly covered Yinreng's little head with one large hand. "Your Majesty, shall we depart for Prince Yu's residence immediately?"

"Go, go. You're just like the Grand Empress Dowager, always spoiling the Crown Prince," Kangxi complained.

Only after Kangxi boarded the carriage did Fuquan climb in carrying Yinreng, without answering.

Watching Kangxi immediately snatch the Crown Prince back into his own arms the moment they entered the carriage, Fuquan grumbled inwardly, And who exactly is the one spoiling him most?

Yinreng looked up and gave him a sweet smile.

Fuquan: "……"

A-a little adorable. Why are my own children not this obedient and lovable?

Could the emperor actually raise children better than women?

Fuquan quickly suppressed this treasonous thought.

"Changning is already waiting at Prince Yu's residence. He wants to come along as well," Fuquan said.

The smile on Kangxi's face faded slightly. "Then let him come."

Yinreng's own smile instantly faltered. He quickly buried his face into Kangxi's chest and rubbed against him to hide his displeasure.

Prince Gong, Changning, stood with the Manchu nobles.

Their faction was one of the main forces opposing the Crown Prince and one of the sparks that eventually led to Yinreng's second deposition.

Before the Qing entered the Central Plains, it wasn't an absolute monarchy. Instead, governance had been shared among the Eight Princes and the Manchu aristocracy, and even imperial succession was decided collectively by the princes.

Everyone wanted more power for themselves, so naturally they preferred emperors they could control.

Back then, Shunzhi had inherited the throne instead of Hooge (who was older, born of the primary wife, and militarily accomplished) precisely because the imperial clan compromised with the Manchu nobility.

Later, Hooge was framed, imprisoned, and died unjustly, leaving deep psychological scars on Shunzhi.

Throughout his short reign, Shunzhi devoted himself to centralizing imperial power and reducing the influence of the Manchu aristocracy. He abolished the old system where imperial clansmen managed various ministries.

By the time of Kangxi's reign, Kangxi had directly established a Crown Prince precisely to prevent the imperial clan and Manchu nobles from interfering in succession again.

Thus, the princes and their allied Manchu nobles who wished to restore the old "Eight Princes deliberation" system deeply resented the Crown Prince. They were the true driving force behind efforts to depose him. Yinreng himself had merely been the pawn pushed to the front.

So even though they knew Kangxi and later Yongzheng both regarded the matter as taboo, they still relentlessly persecuted Yinreng, who could only endure passively.

Once you boarded a pirate ship, getting off wasn't so easy.

After the Crown Prince's first deposition, the imperial clan and nobles repeatedly provoked matters, testing Kangxi's limits in protecting the Crown Prince.

In the end, they succeeded.

Even though Kangxi himself approved of the Crown Prince flogging certain nobles, he later turned around and used that very incident as evidence of the Crown Prince's crimes.

Yinreng rubbed against Kangxi's chest and sighed inwardly.

Another classic case of entrapment.

Still, Changning's branch of the family didn't end well either after serving as the blade used against the deposed Crown Prince. Once Kangxi was finished using them, Changning's son inherited his title at two ranks lower. Afterward, their line became little more than idle nobles with no chance of rising again.

What?

The people who supported the Crown Prince all died horribly, some even by lingchi execution, while those who framed him merely got demoted?

Oh. Never mind then. I'm still the most miserable one.

I absolutely have to find a way to get rid of this Crown Prince position.

Yinreng yawned.

"Sleepy? Then should we return to the palace?" Kangxi teased.

Yinreng immediately shook his head. "I'm conserving energy!"

Kangxi laughed and rubbed his little head. "Conserving energy just to stroll through the streets?"

Yinreng thought to himself: No, I'm conserving energy because I'm about to go stir up trouble for Uncle Changning.

As for his brothers, even if they had once been enemies in another life, Yinreng knew that their struggles only led to mutual destruction. Besides, they were still children. He was willing to rebuild those relationships.

But the imperial clansmen were different.

Anyway, since I don't even want the Crown Prince position anymore, if I don't settle the scores from my past life now, while I'm still young and Father Emperor still dotes on me, then I would be failing the twenty years of modern education I received in my previous life.

The old Eight Princes system was also one of Kangxi's deepest sore spots. If Kangxi couldn't tolerate even a Crown Prince who threatened imperial authority, would he tolerate those princes and nobles?

They'd only gotten away with it because by Kangxi's later years, he'd been utterly exhausted from fighting his sons. Too many people had already died, and for the sake of political stability, he could no longer act against the imperial clan.

But if I expose this matter ahead of time, while Kangxi is still young and vigorous… will he take action?

 

 

 

Author's note:

Five thousand words wasn't enough, so… six thousand today (clutching my liver). That counts as 2.5 updates!

A couple of background notes that may be useful:

1. Although Mingzhu's actual surname wasn't Ming and Songgotu's wasn't Suo, at the time, they were called Lord Ming, Grand Secretary Ming, Lord Suo, and Grand Secretary Suo. Nobody used their Manchu clan names.

2. During the Shunzhi, Kangxi, and Yongzheng reigns, the court was actively trying to dissolve the divide between Manchu and Han officials. In the Shunzhi era, ministers used "slave" and "minister" interchangeably for self-reference. In the Kangxi era, Manchu ministers addressed the emperor as "minister." In the Yongzheng era, a decree specifically forbade using "slave" in memorials and required "minister" instead. "Slave" was reserved for matters concerning the Imperial Household Department.

Then came Qianlong, a "Great Manchu supremacist" who revived the old Manchu system and overturned Yongzheng's reforms. He decreed that Manchu civil officials should call themselves slaves, Han civil officials should call themselves ministers, and military officers, regardless of ethnicity, should all call themselves slaves. This is the "custom" people see in Qing court documents from that point on.

Since this novel is set in the Kangxi reign, it does not follow Qianlong's decree.