Longkodo's cousin, Kuadai, once submitted a memorial impeaching him, writing: "He married within his maternal relatives' clan, doted upon a servant-concubine, defied his parents' teachings, overturned proper order and decorum, and caused his principal wife to suffer a fate like a human swine."

This Kuadai was the son of Tong Guogang, who died in battle during the Galdan campaign. He was also the unlucky fellow who tried to persuade Longkodo at a brothel and got a tooth knocked out.

Before Longkodo's father, Tong Guowei, died, Longkodo merely neglected and mistreated his principal wife, Lady Heseri. Since she lived together with her mother-in-law, life was still bearable, and she even managed to raise her son to adulthood.

But after Tong Guowei died in the fifty-eighth year of Kangxi's reign, Longkodo no longer had any restraints. He had Li Si'er replace his principal wife in receiving and seeing off officials from the Imperial Household Department, infuriating his own mother so deeply that she was driven to death the following year.

After that, with no one left to protect her, Longkodo's principal wife suffered inhuman torture.

Some conspiracy theories later claimed that Longkodo deliberately forced his Heseri-born mother to death and harmed his Heseri-born wife in order to completely sever ties with the Heseri clan and with the deposed Crown Prince.

"Treated his principal wife like a human swine" was figurative language, meaning she died a tragic death after enduring horrific abuse.

In ancient times, men favoring concubines over wives was common enough, but someone like Longkodo was still rare. Even the notoriously arrogant Nian Gengyao could not stand it, and even "strongly criticized the behavior of Longkodo's concubine at home."

However, Yongzheng at the time greatly favored Longkodo, saying: "Recently, there have also been people discussing the conduct of his household members, but among ten matters, nine are good."

Thus, the impeachment went nowhere.

As for the nonsense people later said, "It was all Li Si'er's fault; Longkodo simply loved her too much," was complete bullshit.

Women's status in that era was extremely low. In truth, Li Si'er merely acted according to Longkodo's wishes and did the things he liked, which was why he favored her so heavily.

People simply reversed the cause and effect.

Question: Why did Yinreng, who had been imprisoned in his previous life, know so much about Longkodo's household affairs?

Answer: Because the person Kangxi used to monitor the imprisoned Yinreng through secret memorials was Longkodo himself.

When Kangxi confined Yinreng, he did not mistreat him materially, and attendants came and went frequently. Naturally, Yinreng had tried to gather information about Longkodo.

Perhaps those memories had been engraved into his soul. After reincarnating as a modern university student, Yinreng had become an enthusiast of Qing history and paid particular attention to Longkodo.

And now, all that knowledge was finally useful.

Revenge, revenge, revenge!

The tiny furious version of Yinreng inside his heart raised its little feet in the air.

Why little feet?

Because Yinreng had one brother clinging to each hand, he couldn't raise his fists.

When they left the palace today, Yinzhǐ, who had only just learned to run and speak properly, bawled while clinging to Yinreng's waist, insisting on following them.

Nalan Xingde and Cao Yin already wore expressions of enlightened resignation, like Buddhas who had transcended worldly suffering.

It's fine. They were used to it by now.

Could Yinzhǐ possibly be more troublesome than Yinzhī?

"Look! Longkodo's coming out!" Yinzhī, who had been idly playing with his younger brother's chubby little hand, squeezed hard in excitement.

Yinreng yelped, "Ow! Big Brother, lighter! Your little brother's hands can't survive being crushed with the strength of a Manchu warrior! Third Brother! Don't copy Big Brother!"

Yinzhǐ gently squeezed Yinreng's hand instead. "Blow on it. Doesn't hurt anymore."

Yinreng: QAQ.

The Third Brother in this lifetime is a little angel!

Yinzhī glared at Yinzhǐ. "Ah, sorry. I got too excited. Quick, look! They're fighting! Rongruo, Ziqing, who's the one brawling with Longkodo?"

Though Nalan Xingde rationally felt that he shouldn't watch noble youths fighting in the street, for some reason, he unconsciously stretched out his elegant neck like a graceful swan.

"It's E'lundai," Nalan Xingde answered. "Longkodo's cousin, the son of Tong Guogang."

Yinzhī's eyes lit up. "The older brother of that Kuadai whose tooth Longkodo knocked out?"

"Yes. E'lundai is Kuadai's elder brother."

Yinzhī grinned. "Good! Big brothers should protect their little brothers. Second Brother, don't worry, if anyone knocks out your tooth in the future, your big brother will beat them up for you too."

Yinreng twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Brother… besides Imperial Father, who would even beat me?"

Yinzhī fell into thought. "Oh. Right."

Yinzhǐ waved his tiny hand. "Knock out Imperial Father's teeth!"

Nalan Xingde and Cao Yin: "……" We're doomed.

Yinreng sighed. "Brother, help me cover Little Third's mouth."

Yinzhī shrugged with an exaggerated adult-like worldliness. "It's fine. Imperial Father won't hold children accountable. Better say these things now. Once he's as old as me, he won't dare anymore."

Yinreng: "…Brother, please shut up. Imperial Father won't beat up Little Third, but he'll definitely beat you!"

Yinzhī laughed awkwardly. "Fine, fine, no more talking. Keep watching! Ah, they're fighting farther away now."

Liang Jiugong immediately produced a tiny telescope and demonstrated how to use it for the three princes.

"Guard Nalan, Guard Cao, would you like one as well?" the red-lipped, bright-eyed young eunuch asked with a smile.

Nalan Xingde and Cao Yin answered in unison, "Yes."

They absolutely were not eager to watch the fight themselves. They merely needed to observe clearly so they could report accurately to the Emperor later.

Below the teahouse, E'lundai and Longkodo were already locked in a chaotic brawl.

Like Longkodo, E'lundai was a complete hooligan.

But whereas Longkodo preferred tormenting women in the inner quarters while maintaining the outward appearance of a respectable gentleman, E'lundai's lawlessness was brazen and public.

E'lundai, the legendary madman of the Kangxi and Yongzheng eras, who fought his father daily until his father reported to the emperor requesting permission to execute his own son. The same man who, during Yongzheng's reign, threw imperial edicts in public and urinated outside the gates of Qianqing Palace.

And yet even then, Yongzheng declared: "Do not confiscate his property; do not punish his wife and children."

The unspoken meaning being: I know he hasn't actually committed any truly grave crimes, but I simply cannot tolerate this bastard anymore.

To be honest, Longkodo was far superior to E'lundai in both civil and military ability. E'lundai couldn't beat him fairly.

But E'lundai's advantage was that he fought dirty.

Longkodo still retained some structure in his fighting. On the other hand, E'lundai aimed entirely below the belt, like a street thug trying to cripple someone permanently.

After getting kicked in the groin several times, Longkodo truly lost his temper and started fighting seriously.

The two men drew knives, and just as bloodshed seemed imminent, the brothers Tong Guogang and Tong Guowei finally arrived belatedly with their servants.

"Enough!" Tong Guowei shouted, kicking Longkodo so hard he flew back several meters.

"Enough!" Tong Guogang shouted as well. And kicked nothing but empty air.

E'lundai suddenly performed a sliding tackle, shot directly between Tong Guogang's legs, and bolted away at full speed.

Tong Guogang: "……"

"Ah! Master! Master!"

"The master has fainted!"

"Quick, fetch a doctor!"

Laughter erupted throughout the teahouse.

Yinzhī clutched his stomach and collapsed across the table, laughing so hard that he could not move.

Yinzhǐ did not fully understand what had happened, but the ridiculous final scene made him laugh until his tiny molars showed.

Yinreng covered his mouth with both hands, laughing like a mischievous kitten.

Even Nalan Xingde and Cao Yin struggled desperately to suppress their expressions, barely managing not to laugh aloud.

"E'lundai truly is…" Nalan Xingde sighed.

As fellow sons of the Eight Banner nobility, he and E'lundai were complete opposites, yet Nalan Xingde did not dislike him. In fact, when E'lundai openly fought against his family, Nalan Xingde even felt a faint trace of envy.

"Noble Consort Tong is going to have heart pains again," Yinzhī finally managed to say something beyond "hahaha."

Though honestly, saying nothing might have been kinder.

Yinreng rubbed his aching cheeks from laughing too hard. "Why bring up Noble Consort Tong? She didn't offend you."

"She didn't offend me," Yinzhī replied. "But having brothers like that is embarrassing. I'm just telling the truth. If I had brothers like that, I'd be ashamed too."

Even the ever-obedient Liang Jiugong wore an indescribable expression.

Everyone present shared the same thought: Among the imperial princes, there could not possibly be anyone more impressive than Yinzhī himself.

"What Big Brother said is true," Yinreng hurriedly interrupted before the topic went further. "They definitely won't keep fighting now. Shall we go somewhere else?"

Yinzhī grinned. "Sure. Let's go to Prince Yu's manor. Little Third, big brother will show you what our future princely estates will look like."

Yinzhǐ didn't understand, but nodded enthusiastically anyway. As long as he could play with his brothers, he was happy.

Nalan Xingde and Cao Yin both sighed in relief.

Thank heavens the three princes didn't decide to continue spectating at the Tong residence itself. At least they left the Tong family a shred of dignity.

The three princes went together to Prince Yu's manor and played there for quite a while. When it was finally time to leave, Yinzhǐ hugged the stone lion outside the gate and refused to return to the palace.

"The Prince Manor is good! I want a prince manor! The palace is bare and boring!" he wailed.

Yinzhī clasped his hands behind his back and nodded repeatedly. "I understand. I understand completely. I feel the same way. But Little Third, we still have to wait for more than ten years before we can leave the palace and establish our own households. And your poor Second Brother will never get to leave the palace and establish one at all. Stop crying, your Second Brother will feel sad."

Yinreng: "…Thank you. I already feel very sad."

Yinzhǐ immediately stopped crying. "Crown Prince Brother, don't be sad. When I get my prince manor, I'll share half of it with you."

That only made Yinreng feel worse.

"Thank you, little brother. Let's go back to the palace."

Yinzhǐ turned back every few steps as he bid farewell to the beautiful Prince Yu Manor.

Hidden nearby, Kangxi crushed the folding fan in his hand.

"Have I wronged them? Isn't the imperial palace good enough?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"The palace is certainly large," Prince Yu, Fuquan, answered honestly, "but it really isn't that beautiful."

Kangxi shot his elder brother a glare.

Fuquan continued, "Of course, if you count the imperial gardens and other royal estates, then princely manors can't compare. But the boys haven't seen those before, have they?"

Kangxi snorted, feeling slightly comforted.

Yinreng was still young, and with the Revolt of the Three Feudatories ongoing, it was inconvenient to take him outside the palace often. From now on, whenever Kangxi went outside the palace, he would bring Yinreng along, so the boy could understand the benefits of being the Crown Prince.

What was a princely manor compared to that?!

"Your Majesty, are we still hiding?" Fuquan asked while staring longingly at his own manor right in front of him. "Shouldn't we return to the palace already?"

His three nephews had gone to play at his home while he and the emperor hid in a nearby teahouse waiting for them to come out.

It was unbearably awkward.

Did his imperial younger brother not realize how absurd this behavior was?

Since Tong Guowei and Tong Guogang had both rushed out to break up the fight, Kangxi himself had naturally returned as well.

Kangxi had deliberately left the imperial procession outside the city and quietly slipped back into the capital with a few ministers, hoping to surprise his sons.

Coincidentally, just after returning, he discovered Yinreng sneaking out of the palace with his brothers.

So Kangxi quietly informed the hidden guards protecting the princes and proceeded to trail behind his sons, secretly spying on them.

The three princes used telescopes to watch the Tong family's scandal unfold.

Kangxi used a telescope to watch his sons.

Truly, the embodiment of the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

When E'lundai and Longkodo began fighting, it was actually Kangxi himself who stopped Tong Guowei and Tong Guogang from intervening immediately.

Only after the two men had fought themselves into complete disgrace and Kangxi had enjoyed enough entertainment did he finally allow them to step in.

Who could have predicted that even after the two elders arrived, E'lundai would still produce such an unforgettable scene?

Sliding between Tong Guogang's legs in public while escaping was something Kangxi felt he could laugh about for the rest of his life.

"We're not returning to the palace yet. Let's go see Gabula," Kangxi said. "Have the imperial physicians and the Western doctors arrived?"

"They've already arrived," Zhao Chang replied.

Kangxi sighed softly. "Let's go."

Gabula had always been frail, and after being ill for so long, people gradually stopped paying attention to him.

Since Gabula's branch of the family rarely appeared before Kangxi, the emperor unconsciously neglected the true maternal relatives of Empress Renxiao, treating Songgotu alone as the Crown Prince's proper kin.

Only after the Crown Prince visited Gabula did Kangxi realize that, as Sonin's personally educated eldest legitimate son, Gabula's temperament was extremely similar to his father's: cautious, restrained, and low-profile.

If the Heseri clan were led by Gabula rather than Songgotu, perhaps he wouldn't have such headaches.

Kangxi rubbed his temples.

Songgotu certainly possessed talent. Indeed, in practical affairs, he was even more capable than Mingzhu.

But in terms of conduct and judgment, he fell far short of Mingzhu.

Songgotu and Mingzhu had already been dismissed to return to their residence by Kangxi to clean up the disasters that the three princes had caused in their respective households.

Songgotu's son and younger brother had both been beaten by guards under Yinzhī's orders and were now recovering from injuries. Mingzhu, upon returning home, would probably be beaten by his wife, so Kangxi had generously granted him sick leave in advance.

Today, Tong Guowei and Tong Guogang would likely also request leave after being enraged by their sons.

Kangxi shook his head with a bitter smile.

Sons truly were debts owed by fathers.

Gabula was utterly bewildered when the emperor suddenly arrived incognito and was deeply alarmed by the honor.

Genuinely alarmed.

He did not want this level of attention at all.

But after the Crown Prince's visit, Gabula already understood that the emperor would inevitably come as well.

After careful consideration, Gabula instructed Changtai to stop concealing his abilities and instead display his talents properly before Kangxi.

Since the emperor was already dissatisfied with Songgotu, and the Crown Prince was close to their branch of the family, Changtai would have to step forward and gradually replace Songgotu's position.

After questioning Changtai at length, Kangxi immediately praised him highly.

Changtai's ambition of planning to resign from his post as Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard once his father recovered and head to the frontier to make a name for himself, particularly pleased Kangxi.

"The Crown Prince said that the Heseri clan did not rise because of Empress Renxiao," Changtai said respectfully. "If we flaunt ourselves as imperial in-laws, it would disgrace our ancestors and tarnish the Empress's name. Though I lack talent, I still admire men like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing more."

Kangxi patted his brother-in-law's shoulder. "The aspiration is fine, but don't compare yourself to Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. That's inauspicious."

Changtai looked puzzled.

"Even though Wei Qing and Huo Qubing are famous, don't say unlucky things."

Changtai still looked confused.

Gabula coughed lightly. "The Crown Prince's position is indeed unlucky in their case. Our Crown Prince will surely become another Emperor Jing or Emperor Wu."

"Exactly!" Kangxi exclaimed. "No one understands me better than Father-in-law! Father-in-law truly is just like Sonin!"

Changtai: "…Yes."

Your Majesty, among historically famous imperial in-laws, either the Crown Prince ended terribly, or the maternal relatives themselves ended terribly. If you put it that way, I honestly don't know whom I'm supposed to emulate.

Still, overall, the maternal relatives usually had it worse, so my nephew should be fine.

Changtai comforted himself silently.

In history books, when an emperor's rule was stable, crown princes generally succeeded smoothly.

For example, when Emperor Jing of Han was still Crown Prince, he killed his cousin by smashing him with a chessboard after losing a game, sparking the rebellion of the feudal princes. Yet, Emperor Wen merely suppressed the rebellion and still allowed him to ascend the throne.

Not to mention the even more absurd Western Jin dynasty, where even a mentally disabled crown prince could inherit the throne successfully.

As long as the emperor's rule was secure and he himself did not foolishly encourage conflict among his sons, the Crown Prince's position was usually very stable.

It was precisely because the few deposed crown princes in history were so tragic and unjust that literature loved to dramatize them, creating the illusion that being the Crown Prince was inherently dangerous.

Changtai looked at the wise and heroic Kangxi and did not think that he resembled someone who would lose his mind like that.

His Crown Prince nephew's position would surely remain secure.

Not wishing to disturb Gabula while Imperial and Western physicians jointly examined him, Kangxi dragged his brother-in-law off to drink and chat privately.

After several rounds of wine, Kangxi drunkenly asked, "Every time Baocheng visits your house, he clings to you and chatters endlessly. What does he talk about? Does he mention me? Does he say he misses me?"

At first, Changtai became nervous, thinking that Kangxi suspected either the Crown Prince or the family.

But by the latter half of the question, Changtai sharply realized...

Was the emperor jealous?

"Most of what the Crown Prince tells me concerns what he has eaten, what he has played with, and how happy he is playing with his brothers. Aside from that… it is all about missing Your Majesty."

After hesitating briefly, Changtai deliberately chose a few of Yinreng's treasonous remarks to repeat.

"His Highness said Your Majesty tells him to eat properly, yet Your Majesty dislikes vegetables yourself. He also said Your Majesty forces him to drink bitter medicine while secretly pouring your own away…"

Kangxi: "Hm?" A dangerous expression appeared on his face.

"What else did he say?"

Changtai smiled bitterly. "His Highness said he would complain to the Grand Empress Dowager even more diligently."

Kangxi inhaled sharply. "That brat! I knew nothing good about me would ever come out of his little dog..."

He abruptly corrected himself.

"...little mouth. He's meddling in everything, and now, he's even trying to manage his own father too!"

"His Highness is only worried about Your Majesty's health."

"He needs to worry about me? He gets sick every few days himself, and he's worried about me?"

The more Kangxi spoke, the more agitated he became, and soon he was dragging Changtai into a flood of complaints about Yinreng's crimes.

The matters involving curses and Shunzhi appearing in dreams could not be mentioned, but as for all the other countless offenses, Kangxi had plenty to say.

How Yinreng wailed dramatically that he didn't want to be emperor and only wanted to become a prince.

How he grew lazy while writing letters and resorted to drawing pictures and pressing handprints instead.

How he constantly ran to the Grand Empress Dowager to complain.

How he dashed wildly around Qianqing Palace while Kangxi was trying to review memorials.

Oh, and when Yinreng was little, he had peed on the imperial bed more than once, then firmly insisted that the urine belonged equally to him and Father, so responsibility should be split fifty-fifty.

"He infuriates me to death!" Kangxi exclaimed, waving the hand of his not-yet-very-familiar brother-in-law energetically.

Changtai, however, displayed the same composure Sonin once possessed.

After hearing enough scandalous statements to get himself executed, he still remained utterly steady.

"Your Majesty has worked hard. Raising children truly is exhausting. The Crown Prince is mischievous indeed. It must be very troubling."

"Well… yes, yes. Though he's naughty, he's also genuinely thoughtful and considerate."

The moment Kangxi finished complaining, he immediately shifted into bragging mode, enthusiastically listing all of his son's adorable qualities.

Changtai, barely past twenty, still sat smiling serenely, as unmoving as a clay Bodhisattva fixed upon a lotus pedestal in a temple hall.

Zhao Chang was utterly stunned.

Even he, who had followed the emperor since his youth, found it difficult to stay calm whenever Kangxi started talking about the Crown Prince.

This Imperial Uncle was incredible.

But was Changtai truly incredible?

His back was already drenched in cold sweat, and the alcohol's effect had long since vanished due to fright.

But because Gabula had always been frail and the Old Madam was also in poor health, Changtai had learned to manage household affairs from a very young age.

As a child, it had been difficult to command authority, so he cultivated a deeply reliable and composed expression. Unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, unblinking even if a deer ran past on his left.

Besides, when Yinzhī came to play, the things he said were often far worse than Kangxi's complaints.

Changtai couldn't say that he had become immune, but controlling his expression was no longer difficult.

The Crown Prince had once secretly told him that, compared to people who were cautious and restrained in every situation, Kangxi actually appreciated and trusted those who knew how to relax over trivial matters.

The key to serving under Kangxi was finding the balance between prudence and informality.

One wrong step could lead to total ruin.

Recently, Changtai had spent every day studying the historical records of imperial in-laws who had survived and thrived and engraved those lessons into his memory.

Using history as a mirror, the Han scholars truly didn't deceive him.

After venting to his heart's content, Kangxi looked at Changtai even more favorably.

"If you truly wish to build merit and fame, I can give you the opportunity right now."

Remembering the advice Yinreng and Gabula had given him, Changtai respectfully answered:

"My father is old and gravely ill. As a son, I should not travel far while he still lives. If Your Majesty needs me, then serving the nation is the highest form of filial piety, and I would gladly wrap my body in horsehide and die in service. But at present, the court already possesses many talented generals and ministers. So for now… I wish to be selfish. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

He knelt.

"A son wishes to care for his parents, yet they may not wait for him forever. Though I do not wish to say it aloud, I know my father has little time left. I still have decades ahead to serve Your Majesty. For my father's remaining years, I only ask to stay home and care for him through his illness. Afterward, I am willing to start from the rank of an ordinary soldier. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Rise," Kangxi said. "Filial devotion is not a crime. And there is no need for you to begin as a common soldier."

Changtai rose and replied:

"Though I have studied military texts extensively, all of them are merely armchair strategy. If one does not understand soldiers, how can one command them? Your Majesty is a great ruler. Sooner or later, the Eight Banners will belong wholly to Your Majesty alone. If I rise from the ranks myself, I can serve Your Majesty even better."

A flicker passed through Kangxi's eyes.

"The Eight Banners are not in my hands now? I am already the supreme lord of the banners."

Changtai cupped his hands respectfully.

"I am merely a scholar, so everything I know comes from books. From reading history, it seems conquering a realm and governing one are two different things. The Eight Banners do not need a shared lord. They need a single master. The banner system was created for conquering the empire. Once the empire was conquered, a new system should naturally emerge. Grandfather often said the same…"

He smiled bitterly.

"That is why the Heseri clan is called traitors among the banner nobility. Perhaps our way of thinking truly is somewhat strange. But since Your Majesty asked, I dare not deceive the throne. These words could only ever be spoken before Your Majesty. Perhaps I have remained home too long without anyone to talk to, and after drinking too much wine, I've spoken recklessly."

"I, too, have drunk too much today," Kangxi replied, raising his cup. "No one else will hear what was said tonight. You need not be nervous, Imperial Uncle."

Changtai immediately said, "Could Your Majesty perhaps refrain from calling me 'Imperial Uncle'? I wish to earn merit through my own abilities."

Kangxi laughed. "Fine. If you don't want the title, then you won't have it. Drink!"

The two continued drinking until they were both staggeringly drunk, and Kangxi simply slept over at the ducal manor.

Mm. Better to sleep it off before returning to the palace and fumigating his son with alcohol fumes.

Kangxi and Changtai slept side by side.

At one point, Kangxi drunkenly kicked Changtai straight off the bed.

Rubbing his waist, Changtai simply curled up on the floor and went to sleep there.

Be informal. Be informal. Tomorrow, once the emperor sobers up, I'll boldly complain that His Majesty has terrible sleeping habits.

Though he had consumed a great deal of alcohol, Changtai's mind remained perfectly clear as he wrapped himself tightly in the blanket.

What he said tonight was extremely risky.

But he pondered those words for a very long time, rehearsed them repeatedly, and discussed them extensively with Gabula and Yinreng.

The Heseri clan was already disliked by the imperial clan and the banner nobility because their empress had borne the Crown Prince.

In that case, they might as well completely change sides and become the emperor's isolated loyalists.

As long as the Crown Prince was not deposed, the Heseri clan could survive.

And if the Crown Prince ever were deposed, siding with anyone else would be useless anyway.

Changtai curled himself even tighter.

The ground in Beijing during the transition between spring and summer was cold at night. Only the blanket held even the slightest warmth.

Beside him, Kangxi began snoring thunderously.

Silently, Changtai pulled the blanket over his head, leaving only two nostrils exposed.

The treatment granted to favored ministers was truly not something everyone could endure.