When Yinreng was carried into the inner residence by Changtai, the Old Madam, Changtai's wife, and Little Heseri had already laid out pastries and fruit and were waiting for him.

Changtai's wife looked at Little Heseri with a complicated expression.

Little Heseri was not yet ten years old. Even though she tried to put on a mature appearance, she still looked unmistakably childish.

The Old Madam's gaze toward Little Heseri also carried hesitation and pain.

Little Heseri was sensitive by nature. Seeing her mother and sister-in-law acting this way, sorrow inevitably crept into her heart as well.

"This old woman greets the Crown Prince." Supported by Changtai's wife, the Old Madam rose to pay her respects. The other women in the courtyard followed suit one after another.

One of Yinreng's arms was looped around Changtai's neck while the other waved casually. "Rise. There is no need for excessive ceremony."

Even after everyone stood, Yinreng remained seated in Changtai's arms.

Flattered beyond measure, Changtai carefully held him protectively, both arms wrapped around the child.

Yinreng sat boldly in his uncle's embrace, both hands resting on Changtai's arms as though he were reclining in a grand armchair, looking extraordinarily imposing.

At the sight of this, the Old Madam's worries were instantly dispelled by the Crown Prince's adorable behavior. A smile spread uncontrollably across her face, making it impossible to maintain her dignified composure.

"Grandmother, would you like to hold me?" Yinreng stretched out his arms toward her.

The Old Madam verbally protested that she dared not, yet her hands already reached out involuntarily.

Changtai's wife exchanged an amused glance with Changtai.

Like Gabula, the Old Madam was not in good health. After letting her hug him and pat the little topknot on his head, Yinreng returned to Changtai's arms.

Changtai lifted his chin proudly, looking immensely pleased with himself.

His wife suppressed a laugh, already planning to tease him thoroughly later.

Yinreng turned his gaze toward the little girl beside the Old Madam. "Is this Uncle's daughter?"

Changtai hurriedly replied, "No, no. She is Father's daughter."

He deliberately did not say that Little Heseri was Yinreng's aunt.

Leaving aside that she was a concubine-born daughter and therefore of different standing from Changtai and Empress Renxiao's legitimate children, unless the Crown Prince himself acknowledged someone as family, no one else could presume to call themselves his elder.

"Oh." After a moment's thought, Yinreng realized who the little girl was.

His late mother's younger half-sister, Consort Ping, who would enter the palace at the end of next year.

Consort Ping was not favored in the palace. Only because she bore the Heseri surname did Kangxi show her some consideration, granting her the title of Consort. After her death, she was posthumously given a formal title. In essence, she was merely kept by the palace.

Seeing how young Little Heseri was, Yinreng suddenly understood why Kangxi disliked Consort Ping and even felt somewhat uncomfortable about her.

There were several pairs of sisters in the imperial harem already, and Kangxi did not particularly mind the political investments made by those families.

But Little Heseri was far too young. Sending a child into the palace while grandly claiming it was to take care of the Crown Prince... It would have been strange if Kangxi liked that idea.

Yinreng was puzzled. Judging from his grandfather's conduct today, he did not seem like someone who would send a young daughter into the palace.

Did he truly not understand Kangxi's thoughts?

"This child is the girl the Tong family has been considering for marriage," Liang Jiugong whispered into Yinreng's ear, proving why he had gone down in history as such a capable chief eunuch. "It seems that the Duke's family is somewhat unwilling."

Yinreng's eyes widened.

What?! Longkodo's originally intended wife was Consort Ping?!

Thinking it over, it actually made sense.

Longkodo was Noble Consort Tong's younger brother, while Little Heseri was Empress Renxiao's younger half-sister. Among the Manchus, legitimacy versus concubine birth was not heavily emphasized in marriage arrangements, and with the Crown Prince as a connection, their statuses matched quite well.

As for the age gap, it was not unusual for Manchu girls to marry at eleven or twelve. If the engagement were arranged now and with preparations made for a year or two, she could enter the household in due time.

In terms of both status and age, Little Heseri was really perfectly matched with Longkodo.

The moment this realization struck him, Yinreng's scalp tingled so hard that the little tuft of hair atop his head practically stood on end.

All the melancholy lingering from memories of his previous life vanished beneath the impact of this shocking revelation.

My own little aunt… marrying Longkodo?

That infamous Longkodo?

Even if Li Si'er was no longer Longkodo's father-in-law's concubine, Longkodo would surely still be involved with her.

In fact, wouldn't this arrangement make it even easier for him to steal someone else's concubine?!

"Not suitable." Yinreng tugged at Changtai's sleeve. "Noble Consort Tong is fine, but Longkodo has a terrible temper. She would be bullied."

Changtai nodded. "Mother also looked into Longkodo's reputation and does not approve of the match. It's just…"

Hearing even the Crown Prince speak poorly of Longkodo's character, the Old Madam finally made up her mind.

"The marriage is merely under consideration and not yet settled," she said with a smile, "and with the child still young, her father wishes to keep her at home a few more years. The Tong family should not object. We only brought her out today so the Crown Prince could meet the family."

Yinreng's scalp tingled even harder.

He finally understood why Little Heseri would enter the palace in December of the following year.

In his life two lifetimes ago, by the nineteenth year of Kangxi's reign, Songgotu requested retirement after being reprimanded by Kangxi. His grandfather was bedridden and was clearly nearing death, while the Tong family's influence was rising rapidly thanks to Noble Consort Tong.

Although there was a Crown Prince in the palace, he was still young and could not possibly offend the highly favored Noble Consort Tong for the sake of a concubine-born aunt.

For Songgotu and the others, who had already incurred Kangxi's displeasure, sending another Heseri woman into the imperial harem was one possible means of self-preservation. For his grandfather's branch of the family, once the Heseri clan declined, there would be only one way to prevent their daughter from being tormented to death as Longkodo's wife... It was by entering the palace.

But the situation hasn't deteriorated that far yet.

The Old Madam didn't lie. She truly had only brought Little Heseri out to meet the Crown Prince.

Of course, if the Crown Prince happened to take a liking to her, the Old Madam also intended to keep her at home a few more years before sending her into the palace as a consort to support him.

To the Heseri clan, one Crown Prince was far more important than a concubine-born daughter. His grandmother would never scheme against him for the sake of a girl's future.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Yinreng's little fists clenched involuntarily.

He suddenly realized how terrible his suspicious nature had become.

It was all his imperial father's fault from that previous lifetime.

"Longkodo is not a good match. You should firmly refuse," Yinreng said. "If the Tong family asks, simply say that the family already has a Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince's aunt marries the younger brother of the emperor's favored Noble Consort, people may suspect the Crown Prince and the Noble Consort are joining forces to control the harem."

The Old Madam paled. "Your Highness, this… this…"

"What I said today will be reported to Imperial Father, so Grandmother can rest assured," the Crown Prince replied solemnly. "The Heseri clan is already like oil thrown onto a blazing fire. Every step must be taken cautiously. The Tong family is the same. Even though Noble Consort Tong has no son, Empress Dowager Xiaokangzhang is from the Tongjia family. If the Noble Consort and the Crown Prince become too close, it would be a disastrous move."

It was one thing for other princes to ally themselves with powerful noble families, but the Crown Prince's position was unique.

After a moment's thought, the Old Madam immediately understood. "Your Highness is correct. This old woman will personally visit the Tong family and clearly explain the stakes involved."

Yinreng relaxed his brows slightly. "That is as it should be. Marriages between great families are always about mutual benefit. If you speak from the standpoint of interests, the Tong family will understand, and no resentment will arise between the two houses."

The Old Madam immediately rose and bowed deeply. "Your Highness is truly wise. This old woman was too narrow-minded!"

Changtai's wife hurriedly pulled Little Heseri to her feet, and both bowed to Yinreng as well.

Waving a hand, Yinreng said, "It's fine. Sit down. The Heseri clan is important to me. Helping you is helping myself. Grandfather should also understand this. Throughout history, for imperial relatives serving under a wise and powerful emperor, obedience and prudence matter far more than glorious achievements. Knowing when to advance and when to retreat is the true way for an imperial maternal clan to survive."

After a pause, he continued, "My mother was born a Heseri, so naturally you value me more highly. I came today precisely to make things clear. I hope the Heseri clan remains loyal only to Imperial Father and places him above all else. This is important for the Heseri clan, and important for me as well. Uncle surely understands what I mean, right?"

Changtai froze briefly, then immediately answered, "Yes, Your Highness!"

Yinreng smiled. "Before meeting Grandfather, I was uneasy. If he had been someone like Songgotu, talented and ambitious but stubborn and unwilling to listen to advice, I truly wouldn't know what to do. But today, it seems that Grandfather is far more clear-headed than Songgotu."

He glanced again at Little Heseri.

The girl nervously clenched her handkerchief.

"As long as my position remains secure, the Heseri clan no longer needs powerful marriage alliances. In fact, the lower-profile the better," Yinreng said coolly. "And if my position becomes unstable, the more the Heseri clan jumps around trying to help, the more Imperial Father will dislike it."

Having said his piece, Yinreng tugged at Changtai's sleeve again. "Uncle, I should go back and find Big Brother now."

Changtai immediately lifted him. "Of course."

After bidding farewell to the Old Madam and the others, Yinreng left the inner residence.

Only after he departed did the Old Madam finally let out a long breath. "As expected of a Crown Prince personally raised by the Emperor. That presence…"

Changtai's wife pressed a hand to her chest. "This daughter-in-law hardly dared to breathe. My back is also drenched in sweat."

Little Heseri pursed her lips. She had nearly been frightened to tears by a child even younger than herself.

"With such a formidable Crown Prince, the Heseri clan truly ought to become more low-key and cautious. Let us hope Songgotu has enough sense to understand that." A trace of sharp spirit appeared in the Old Madam's eyes.

As the wife personally chosen by Sonin for his eldest legitimate son, she naturally possessed both excellent family background and ability.

But now, both Gabula and the Old Madam were ill, and Songgotu was the Heseri clan's only important official at court. Thus, the Old Madam could only endure and compromise more than she wished.

"Prepare some gifts for me. I will personally visit the Tong family first." After being thoroughly startled by the Crown Prince, the Old Madam actually seemed more energetic. Even her coughing lessened.

As Changtai carried Yinreng away from the inner residence, he remained oddly silent.

The adorable, tender little nephew in his arms, the child he felt instinctively compelled to protect, suddenly displayed an overwhelming authority. Changtai was still recovering from the shock.

Even though he knew a Crown Prince personally raised by the Emperor could not possibly be the overly kind little fool described by rumor…

But his Crown Prince nephew was still unbelievably adorable!

The sight of him lecturing people with a stern face and babyish voice was simply too cute!

Such a cute child is my nephew!

Elder Sister, if you know this in the afterlife, you can rest easy!

Changtai hugged his little nephew tighter.

Soon, he would no longer get to hold him, so he wanted to enjoy it while he still could.

Yinreng also looked up at his young uncle.

If Mother were still alive, she would only be twenty-five or twenty-six this year. Eldest Uncle Changtai had just entered his twenties, while Younger Uncle Changhai was still running wild through the streets playing around.

"Your Highness? What's wrong?" Changtai asked in confusion when he noticed Yinreng staring blankly at him.

Yinreng shook his head, then leaned close to whisper into Changtai's ear:

"Uncle, investigate whether there is a favored concubine named Li Si'er in the inner quarters of some Heseri household closely connected to our family or to Longkodo's maternal relatives. When Ziqing was telling my brother and me gossip about the capital's nobility, he mentioned that Longkodo had taken a fancy to a Heseri family concubine called Li Si'er and declared he would definitely steal her away."

Changtai's eyebrows twitched violently.

Cao Yin, Cao Ziqing!!! Why are you telling the Crown Prince this sort of nonsense?!

"Have the Heseri family give that concubine to someone in the Tong clan whom Longkodo would not dare offend. Otherwise, with Longkodo's temperament, he'll cause trouble for the Heseri family again," Yinreng continued. "You should handle this personally, Uncle. The fewer people who know, the better. You absolutely must not leave any traces."

Changtai's heart tightened. He nodded lightly without speaking.

Smiling, Yinreng jumped down from his arms. "Big Brother! Why are you still flying kites? Were you having so much fun that you forgot about me?"

Yinzhī, who was running around wildly clutching the kite string, froze.

Ah. Damn. He really had forgotten.

He immediately shoved the kite into Yinreng's hands, coughed awkwardly a few times, and said guiltily, "I didn't forget, didn't forget! How could I forget you? I'm already grown up. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to enter someone else's inner residence. I was just waiting here for you, understand?"

Yinreng tilted his head. "Really?"

"Really. Would I lie to you?"

"Fine. I believe you. But you mustn't forget me because you're playing. I'll be angry. Very angry," Yinreng teased.

Yinzhī nodded solemnly. "Absolutely not. Come on, let's fly kites together."

"Just flying kites is boring," Yinreng replied. "Ask Uncle whether there are any other new toys."

Yinzhī immediately looked toward Changtai.

So Changtai brought out all the toys Changhai had collected (spinning tops, shuttlecocks, pitch-pot sets, rattan balls, bamboo-jointed figurines, even Changhai's favorite set of ceramic dolls) and handed every last one over to Yinreng and Yinzhī.

When the two princes finally left, they took away all of Changhai's treasured toys.

When Changhai returned home and saw his treasure chest completely empty, he inhaled sharply and nearly fainted.

"Brother… where are my treasures?" he asked in a trembling voice while clutching Changtai's sleeve.

Changtai replied calmly, "I gave them to the Eldest Prince and Crown Prince."

Changhai stared blankly. "Huh?"

With an expression of sympathy, Changtai recounted everything Changhai had missed because he had gone out early to fool around with his rowdy friends instead.

Changhai's mouth remained hanging open the entire time. He did not know whether he felt more devastated over missing the chance to meet the Crown Prince or over losing the treasures he had spent years collecting.

His vision went black, and he nearly fainted again.

-----

After returning to the palace, Yinreng could not sleep.

The moment he closed his eyes, memories from two lifetimes ago surfaced uncontrollably in his dreams.

Eyes bloodshot, Yinreng found himself longing for the emperor of this lifetime.

Whenever he was with his father, Yinreng could easily pull himself out of those dark emotions.

Looking up at the father who was far more handsome and spirited than the one from two lifetimes ago, Yinreng found that as long as he could climb all over Kangxi, bounce around him, and make trouble freely, even the pain from that previous life would ease considerably. After all, that former Emperor Father would never have indulged him like this.

Yinreng said to Gu Wenxing, whom Liang Jiugong had summoned to comfort him, "Eunuch Gu, can you contact Father quickly?"

Gu Wenxing replied gently, "Yes. His Majesty gave special instructions regarding this."

"Good. I want to write a letter. Eunuch Gu, please deliver it to Father as quickly as possible."

"Rest assured, Your Highness."

The next day, Kangxi received a thick stack of letters.

Opening them in surprise, he exclaimed, "Baocheng can write this many characters already?"

The moment he unfolded the letter, he burst into laughter.

The first half was a chaotic mixture of Yinreng's and Yinzhī's handwriting, apparently because whenever Yinreng did not know how to write a character, he had Yinzhī do it for him.

Later, the handwriting became increasingly messy, clearly showing that both children had grown tired of writing and begun doodling pictures on the paper instead.

Eventually they even gave up drawing, and the writing turned into Gu Wenxing's elegant script.

"So lazy that they even slack off when writing to their father. They deserve a spanking," Kangxi scolded with a laugh after skimming through the pages, before carefully reading from the beginning.

As he read, however, the smile gradually vanished from his face.

"Imperial Father, Grandfather is very sick. I'm scared. I miss Imperial Father.

(I already told little brother that Imperial Father is healthy and strong, so there's no need to worry.)"

"Baocheng knows Grandfather's family is keeping such a low profile for Baocheng's sake. I want to beat up Songgotu.

(I'll help little brother beat up Songgotu.)"

"The Noble Consort's younger brother wants to marry my nine-year-old little aunt. I think this is bad.

(That Longkodo is not a good person. How can someone as gentle as the Noble Consort have such a terrible younger brother?)"

"I miss Imperial Father. I want a portrait of Imperial Father. I want one that actually looks like Imperial Father.

(Why are all of Imperial Father's portraits so ugly? None of them look like you. No wonder little brother has nightmares when he hugs those portraits to sleep.)"

"Uncle is a good person. He gave me and Big Brother all of Younger Uncle's toys.

(I heard little brother's younger uncle cried miserably after all his toys were taken away by me and little brother hahaha.)"

…

The corners of Kangxi's mouth alternated between frowning and twitching.

After pressing a hand to his forehead and calming himself for a moment, he said, "Report everything the Crown Prince has done these past few days."

The one who had personally delivered the letter was unexpectedly Gu Wenxing himself.

He had abandoned his duties at the Palace Service Bureau just to act as a messenger for Kangxi.

Selecting only the important points, Gu Wenxing recounted in detail the Crown Prince's trip out of the palace.

Thanks to Liang Jiugong's excellent memory and Gu Wenxing's retelling, the conversation between the Crown Prince and the Old Madam of the ducal residence was repeated almost word for word.

Kangxi shook his head with a smile. "As expected of my Crown Prince. At such a young age, he already sees more clearly than both the Tong and Heseri families."

Kangxi did not blame the Crown Prince for these considerations.

If the Crown Prince lacked such awareness, then Kangxi would have believed that both he and the late Shunzhi Emperor had failed in their education.

Learning how to balance relations with the imperial maternal clans was the first step toward learning how to balance court politics. These were things the Crown Prince had to learn.

"The Tong family is getting anxious," Kangxi sighed. "Isn't it enough for them that they already produced one emperor?"

The words were cutting.

The emperor's surname was Aisin Gioro, not Tongjia.

"Cousin should probably persuade the Tong family a little," Kangxi said. Although dissatisfied with the Tongs, he suppressed it for the time being out of consideration for Noble Consort Tong. "And Baocheng, too, he gets frightened far too easily."

Gu Wenxing spoke up in the Crown Prince's defense. "His Highness lost Empress Renxiao at a very young age, and there were also people whispering treasonous nonsense in his ears when he was little. The Crown Prince is filial and compassionate. He cannot bear the thought of loved ones dying."

"You might as well just say that the boy is timid. He understood death too early. First, he lost his mother, then he saw his grandfather close to death. Now, he's afraid I'll die too and leave him all alone." Kangxi snorted irritably. "He's even worried I'd hide illness from him? Lecturing me to take my medicine properly and not act stubborn. Saying I should only eat until eighty percent full, split my meals evenly between meat and vegetables, and take good care of my health…"

The more he spoke, the more both annoyed and amused he became, to the point that even his manner of self-reference changed unconsciously.

"All those health lectures were things I used to nag him about. And now he's the one nagging me in letters?"

Kangxi paced back and forth while muttering things that would make ordinary listeners smash their heads bloody in terror.

What nonsense about the Crown Prince worrying the emperor might die. How could such things be spoken carelessly?

After grumbling for quite some time, Kangxi finally said, "Summon the officials skilled in painting and the missionary artists. Baocheng really knows how to give people difficult problems. Why did all the previous portraits have to be painted according to convention? If they don't resemble me at all, no wonder he can't sleep."

Though he complained, inwardly he wished he could gallop back to the capital just to immediately coax his son to sleep.

Fortunately, one missionary was skilled in charcoal portraiture and completed a remarkably lifelike drawing of Kangxi within an hour.

Kangxi immediately ordered Gu Wenxing to deliver the portrait back to the palace. He also specifically instructed that until he returned, Yinreng and Yinzhī were permitted to sleep together.

Since charcoal drawings smudged easily, after Gu Wenxing hurried back to the palace, he first had craftsmen mount and preserve the portrait before presenting it to Yinreng.

Yinreng and Yinzhī pulled Yinzhǐ over, and the three of them sat side by side in front of the portrait.

Yinreng said, "It looks a little more like him now."

Yinzhī nodded. "Not bad."

Yinzhǐ commented, "Too dark. Doesn't look like him."

Gu Wenxing had this entire scene painted and sent the picture to Kangxi.

Looking at the row of sons sitting neatly together, Kangxi genuinely did not know what expression to make.

Although his sons were clearly missing him, the scene somehow felt inauspicious, rather like… a memorial portrait. Cough.

Kangxi reviewed the remaining matters requiring his attention and decided to leave the smaller issues to his ministers so he could return sooner.

Before departing, he summoned Mingzhu, Songgotu, and Tong Guowei to accompany him.

Mingzhu and Songgotu had no idea that their households were already thrown into utter chaos by the two princes.

Kangxi felt it necessary to bring them back to the capital personally so he could watch the spectacle unfold.

As for Tong Guowei… there was entertainment brewing in the Tong family as well, and Kangxi had no intention of playing favorites.

While Kangxi was eagerly anticipating watching his ministers make fools of themselves, Yinreng was already enjoying the drama firsthand with one brother on each side.

After Yinreng entrusted the Longkodo matter to Changtai, Changtai handled it immediately.

Once Yinreng narrowed down the scope for him, Changtai swiftly identified Li Si'er.

Unexpectedly, Li Si'er turned out to be a concubine in the household of Longkodo's maternal uncle. She and Longkodo had already been carrying on secretly for quite some time, though the uncle himself remained unaware.

Upon learning that he had been cuckolded by his own concubine, the man remained fairly calm. He understood that openly falling out with Longkodo over a mere concubine would be unwise, yet directly gifting her to Longkodo would also displease the Tong family.

So instead, he began frequently attending gatherings with nobles and imperial clansmen while bringing along the extravagantly dressed Li Si'er.

Li Si'er was stunningly beautiful and was quickly noticed by someone else.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the man smoothly exchanged concubines with the interested nobleman, passing off Li Si'er like a hot potato.

The noble who acquired her happened to be an official stationed outside the capital and had only returned briefly to visit relatives. The very next day, he departed Beijing with Li Si'er in tow.

When Longkodo discovered that Li Si'er was gone, he lacked the power and influence to make a public scene, so he spent his days drinking himself senseless in entertainment houses.

His cousin Kuadai tried to persuade him, only to be beaten by the drunken Longkodo so badly that he even lost a tooth.

At that time, Longkodo was in the middle of marriage negotiations. Several prominent families, including the Heseri, Niohuru, and Nara clans, along with even some imperial princesses, were being considered as potential matches.

After this scandal was known, all of those families looked thoroughly displeased.

The Tong family wanted to shift the blame elsewhere, but Longkodo knew that if he told the truth, Li Si'er would certainly be killed. Thus, he stubbornly insisted that he did not wish to marry and felt miserable inside.

Once that explanation spread, the capital became even livelier with gossip.