When Yinreng woke up, he said two things.

The first was, “Grandpa turned into light and flew away.”

The second was, “I can’t see the black stuff anymore, but I can still feel it. It’s so scary.”

After saying that, he passed out again.

This time, Yinreng was completely wilted, even more so than when he had awakened the memories of his previous life.

He wasn’t coughing or feverish, and he wasn’t sick with anything at all. He was simply limp and listless, wanting to sleep every day. Even turning over made him pant several times. He was weaker than someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.

The imperial physicians and the Western doctors still diagnosed him with excessive mental and physical exhaustion. In short, he had worn himself out too badly.

Medicine? Medicine would only make Yinreng weaker.

He was still a small child. All medicine was three parts poison, and even tonics would be too much to absorb for a body this weak.

To restore his health, Yinreng could only rely on nourishing food and plenty of rest. Once he had recovered, he could add some exercise as a supplement.

The imperial physicians and Western doctors had no idea why Yinreng was so exhausted. They were almost out of polite ways to say it.

Your Majesty! His Highness the Crown Prince is still a child! You can’t force a seedling to grow by pulling it! Did you make His Highness study and practice martial arts every day without letting him rest?

Kangxi: “……”

He suspected that the fact that he had been too harsh with the Crown Prince, causing the little boy to fall ill repeatedly, would probably be recorded in the history books.

Even if the historians left it out, there would certainly be rumors among the people.

Poor Yinreng had become so weak that he no longer even had the strength to eat.

If he were in modern society, he would already receive a nutritional injection and an IV fluid to keep him alive.

In ancient times, all he could do was be force-fed with extremely foul soups.

After Yinreng was given several bowls of awful meat broth, he finally struggled to open his eyes and wriggled a little.

“I... want... meat!”

Without meat, eggs, and milk, how the hell am I supposed to recover?

Kangxi’s mouth twitched. Even though disaster relief kept him so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, he still had to feed Yinreng meat broth himself.

The head of the Imperial Hospital was delighted. “His Highness has appetite. That’s a good sign.”

Kangxi sighed and ordered the Imperial Kitchen to grind various meats into a seasoned paste, cut it into long strips, mix it with vegetable purée and flour, and shape it like noodles. They boiled the noodles in rich stock and let Yinreng suck them down.

Yinreng was far too weak, and in truth, he had little appetite.

But he knew that if he didn’t eat properly, his body would really be ruined.

Suppressing his nausea, Yinreng used every bit of strength he had to eat the special patient’s meal prepared by the Imperial Kitchen.

Every time he took a bite, he would squeeze his eyes shut for a while because of the nausea, swallow several times, and then take another bite.

By the time Yinreng finished the bowl, the patient’s meal had been reheated two or three times.

The head of the Imperial Hospital was used to seeing life and death, yet he still secretly wiped away his tears several times.

The little child was so weak that he couldn’t even sit upright, and speaking made him gasp for breath. An adult in that state would already have been dispirited and irritable, but whenever the little Crown Prince was awake, he always wore a smile and never threw a tantrum.

He fully cooperated with the imperial physicians’ examinations and even comforted them in return, saying that he was fine.

Every swallow of food made him nauseated and brought tears to his eyes, but he only rubbed his own eyes, rested for a while, and continued eating. He never needed anyone else to feed him or fuss over him.

The little Crown Prince’s fierce will to live and his almost excessively obedient, sensible nature made everyone’s heart ache. They didn’t even dare to show their sorrow in front of him.

The little Crown Prince was being this sensible just to put you at ease. How could you be sad?

After spending some time each day smiling and talking with his son, Kangxi would then go to the training grounds to vent. In truth, he was the only one doing any talking. Yinreng would merely wriggle in his arms and nudge Kangxi’s palm with his head in reply.

Kangxi bent his bow and shot arrows, destroying who knew how many targets and ruining who knew how many bows before he could visit the child each day without carrying his negative emotions with him.

Yinzhī and Yinzhǐ were the same.

Yinzhī repeatedly warned Yinzhǐ that when he saw Yinreng, he absolutely could not cry, and must smile instead.

But the first time Yinzhǐ saw Yinreng, his little mouth crumpled despite his best efforts.

Yinreng hurriedly rolled left and right on the bed, making funny movements to cheer Yinzhǐ up.

Yinzhǐ laughed through his tears, then it was Yinzhī who couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Yinzhī rushed out of the tent where Yinreng lived and ran around it twice. Only then did he snatch a flower from a vegetable of unknown variety that a palace servant was carrying, before returning to Yinreng’s sickbed.

“Here. Get better soon, and Big Brother will take you out to play.” Yinzhī pretended that he had gone outside to pick flowers.

Yinreng happily placed the flower beside his pillow. “Thank you, Big Brother.”

“If you’re tired, don’t talk. I’ll tell you a story.” Yinreng used to tell stories to the other imperial brothers. Now, Yinzhī had taken on this important responsibility.

Children in ancient times were taught through all kinds of little stories filled with moral lessons. Yinzhī embellished the stories he knew, and sometimes even mixed up the characters.

Whenever he couldn’t remember who had performed the deed, he pinned it on Kangxi.

So Kangxi smashed a vat today, lay on the ice tomorrow, and crawled through a dog hole to learn how to crow like a rooster. Yinzhǐ was at the age when he believed whatever his older brothers told him, so he went to Kangxi and asked for the details of these stories.

Kangxi’s head was filled with question marks. “What are you talking about?”

The more he heard, the more bewildered he became.

After asking the eunuchs why Yinzhǐ had come to him with these questions, he pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed for a while. He circled all the stories Yinzhī had mangled and ordered him to copy each one ten times.

Consort Hui asked with a bitter smile, “First Prince, what did you do to offend His Majesty this time?”

“When I was telling the stories, I couldn’t remember who they were about, so I said Khan-Father had done them.”

Consort Hui’s beautiful phoenix eyes widened.

My son, you really outdid yourself! You can do that?

She lightly patted her chest and let out a breath of relief.

For something like this, the emperor had only made the First Prince copy a few extra pages. It seemed His Majesty still liked her son very much.

Consort Hui had already grown accustomed to finding ways to comfort herself in the midst of misery.

When Concubine De learned that the Crown Prince was ill, she obtained Kangxi’s permission and carried Yinzhen to visit him.

Little Yinzhen clutched his puppy toy without letting go while Concubine De held him.

When he saw his sickly Crown Prince brother, his tiny head had no understanding of illness or weakness. Yet on instinct, he held out the toy in his hand to Yinreng.

Yinreng received the puppy toy, which was covered in little Yinzhen’s drool, with a face full of delight. “You really want to give it to Big Brother?”

Little Yinzhen waved his paws. “Ah-ah!”

Yinreng was so moved that he nearly cried.

Oh, my little Fourth Brother. You’re so young, yet you already know how to share your things and comfort your brother. Big Brother hasn’t spoiled you for nothing!

Concubine De was astonished as well.

She hadn’t taught little Yinzhen to do this. He wasn’t even a year old, so even if she wanted to teach him, she couldn’t.

Could a baby who understood nothing really sense that Yinreng was uncomfortable and give the Crown Prince his beloved toy? Was this the unspoken understanding between brothers?

There was just one problem. The toy was covered in Fourth Prince’s drool! Concubine De’s expression stiffened.

“Your Highness, the toy is a little dirty...” Concubine De hesitated.

Yinreng smiled. “How could the toy Fourth Brother hugs every day be dirty? Thank you, little Fourth Brother. Once Big Brother gets better, I’ll come find you to play.”

By forcing himself to eat every day and rebuild his strength, Yinreng was finally able to speak clearly again.

Little Yinzhen waved his little paws and said, “Ah-ah,” as if he could understand him.

Concubine De didn’t dare to disturb the Crown Prince’s recovery, so after little Yinzhen gave away the toy, she immediately left.

When Kangxi returned after a tiring day of work, he saw Yinreng grinning foolishly while hugging the filthy puppy toy.

“Where did that toy come from? Why is it so dirty?” he asked disdainfully.

“Little Fourth Brother gave it to me!” Yinreng said.

Kangxi was displeased. “Concubine De only gave you this?”

Yinreng emphasized, “It wasn’t Concubine De who gave it to me. It was little Fourth Brother. He saw that I was uncomfortable, so he stuffed the toy into my hands. Little Fourth Brother is so cute!”

Kangxi said, “He’s so young. What does he understand? Don’t let the women of the inner palace deceive you. Concubine De must have taught him.”

Yinreng said helplessly, “Father, you just said that little Fourth Brother is so young that he doesn’t understand anything. How could Concubine De teach him? Besides, you know how precious this toy is to him.”

Kangxi gave a cold snort. “Don’t trust other people so easily.”

“My little brother isn’t other people.” Yinreng yawned and wriggled over to lie across Kangxi’s legs, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kangxi rubbed his beloved son’s head, deeply troubled by the boy’s kindness, open-heartedness, and willingness to trust people.

When Yinreng said that he could no longer see the black qi but could still sense it, Kangxi felt his son’s panic.

But before Kangxi could think of how to comfort Yinreng, Yinreng had already suppressed his own flustered emotions. He clearly didn’t want his father to worry.

Kangxi sighed inwardly. Baocheng was always like this. He seemed mischievous, but whenever he was truly suffering, he always put other people’s feelings before his own.

Kangxi pinched Yinreng’s thinner cheek and pulled it outward.

He wanted to roar at him: You’re the Crown Prince! You’re the most exalted person in Great Qing besides me! It’s perfectly reasonable for you to be willful, overbearing, and self-important, so why do you have such a gentle temperament?! You’re the Crown Prince, the future emperor. Who are you being gentle for?!

Kangxi suspected that his son wasn’t suited to be Crown Prince.

But it was too late for regret now. Yinreng was already the Crown Prince. If he didn’t remain Crown Prince, he would only be confined until the end of his life in the future.

Kangxi remembered what Shunzhi had told him before leaving.

The curse would continue to exist. It was only a matter of how strong it became, so Yinreng might live longer if he lived outside the palace. If Yinreng didn’t become Crown Prince, he should be given a country estate with hot springs and farmland as his place of confinement. He must not be treated poorly.

Even before losing consciousness, Yinreng hadn’t forgotten to use Shunzhi’s name to give himself a profit.

Kangxi was in a complete panic.

Confining Yinreng was impossible. But if Yinreng’s health would deteriorate while he stayed in the palace, what was he supposed to do?

Then he thought about it again and realized that perhaps the problem wasn’t so serious.

He escaped the summer heat and winter cold, and he didn’t often remain in the palace. He only stayed there for a little longer during these past two years because of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories.

Once Yinreng inherited the throne, he could escape the heat and cold as diligently as Kangxi did. He only needed to spend two or three months in the palace each year.

“Stop pulling. You’ve already made the child’s face swell up. Just because I’ve gotten thinner doesn’t mean you can try to make my face puffy.” Yinreng spoke weakly.

Kangxi rubbed Yinreng’s cheek. “Why do you always call yourself a child? It sounds strange.”

“Because I like it!” This is an internet meme that an ancient person would never understand!

Ah, speaking of the internet, he missed it so much. He was so bored being sick. If only he had the internet and a phone. Even a computer with some single-player games would do. He would never complain that Civilization is a waste of time again.

“I’m so bored.” Yinreng wriggled a little.

Currently, wriggling was the only way he had left to entertain himself.

No toys? Then he would play with himself.

Kangxi untied Yinreng’s messy little topknots and braided them, then untied them and made two braids instead...

Yinreng tilted his head back. “Father, am I your toy?”

Kangxi patted the back of his head. “Stop moving.”

He untied Yinreng’s hair again and wanted to braid it into even more braids, but Yinreng didn’t have enough hair for that.

Kangxi fell into thought and muttered to himself, “It wouldn’t be bad to let his hair grow a little longer.”

Yinreng: “???”

He knew that after listening to “Shunzhi,” Kangxi planned to reform the ancestral precedent. The first step in reforming the ancestral precedent was to compromise by changing the hairstyle.

But, Father, don’t add a private agenda about being able to play with your son’s hair more happily!

Yinreng hugged his head. Kangxi wasn’t allowed to play with him.

He was already bored out of his mind with nothing to play with, so why should he let his Father play with him too?

Seeing his son curl up into a ball while clutching his head, Kangxi picked up the ball and set it down again, having even more fun.

“Ahem.” The Grand Empress Dowager leaned against the doorframe.

Kangxi turned around.

The Grand Empress Dowager is looking at you.jpg.

The Grand Empress Dowager’s disapproving stare.jpg.

“Grandma, are you feeling better?” Kangxi calmly stuffed Yinreng into the blankets and tucked him in, then tucked him in even more.

Yinreng suddenly burst out of the blanket nest with a thump.

He suspected that his Father wanted to bury him alive and inherit his older and younger brothers.

“Baocheng is still sick. Could you stop fooling around?” The Grand Empress Dowager entered while leaning on her cane. “Isn’t the emperor busy? Hurry up and go. I’ll look after Baocheng.”

Kangxi: “……”

When Shunzhi possessed Yinreng for an entire day, he said before leaving that only Yinreng could fulfill his filial duties to the Grand Empress Dowager. Ever since that day, the Grand Empress Dowager had changed.

First, she had become ill from grief. Then, after learning Yinreng’s strong will to live, she had pulled herself together. Now, she was devoted to competing with Kangxi for Yinreng.

The Grand Empress Dowager’s meaning was clear: “Your Majesty, you must attend to state affairs. Leave raising the children to me.”

Kangxi thought that the words sounded familiar.

Just then, a large Yinzhī dumpling happened to pass by. He patted his little manly chest and said, “Khan-Father, work hard at your state affairs. Leave the matters of taking care of little brother to me!”

Kangxi finally realized where he had heard those words before.

He was baffled. Even if Yinreng was loved by everyone who met him, they couldn’t keep stealing time that belonged to him and Yinreng, could they?

It was precisely because he was busy with state affairs that his time with Yinreng was so precious!

“Your Majesty, aren’t you going back to work?” the Grand Empress Dowager urged.

Kangxi: “...All right.”

In that instant, he felt like he had returned to childhood, when the Grand Empress Dowager used to urge him off to study.

The Grand Empress Dowager pulled Yinreng into her arms, and he openly stuck his tongue out at Kangxi.

Kangxi raised a fist at the little rascal before leaving Yinreng’s tent.

After the earthquake, Kangxi moved with part of the palace household to temporary tents set up at the Temple of Heaven. The consorts who had children or were pregnant, along with the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, accompanied him. Naturally, Yinreng was taken along too, tucked into the waistband of Kangxi’s trousers.

As one of only two high-ranking consorts left behind in the palace, Noble Consort Tong was extremely bitter.

She knew that the Grand Empress Dowager and the emperor had left her there because they trusted her. They entrusted her with the palace women who had been thrown into chaos by the earthquake, but even so, Noble Consort Tong felt terribly bitter.

She had entered the palace not to become Kangxi’s housekeeper, but to spend her life at his side.

Yet Kangxi’s trust in her meant giving her authority and making her work. She had to watch the children for the consorts, handle every trivial matter involving all of Kangxi’s little wives, manage palace affairs, and calculate expenses...

After Kangxi left, she also had to remain behind and resolve all the problems that he no longer had time to deal with.

Noble Consort Tong rubbed her uncooperative belly, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and continued gritting her teeth as she helped Kangxi solve his troubles.

At this moment, she especially missed Empress Heseri. She even found herself missing Empress Niohuru, who seemed to have offended Kangxi.

When the two empresses were still alive, she had been one of the people who followed the emperor around while cracking melon seeds. Apart from enjoying the emperor’s favor and wondering when she would have a child, she had nothing to worry about.

“Let’s go see Concubine Wenxing.” After Noble Consort Tong calmed down, she went to visit the woman whose fate was linked to hers.

Concubine Wenxing was even more pitiful. Because of Empress Niohuru’s affair, Kangxi seemed to have taken his anger out on her. She had rank, but no favor.

But Concubine Wenxing had a temperament as calm as a chrysanthemum, and didn’t care about the emperor’s cold treatment.

Noble Consort Tong understood Kangxi. She sighed, but also felt fortunate. If Kangxi hadn’t taken his anger out on Concubine Wenxing, her unusual temperament might have won his affection, giving Noble Consort Tong one more rival in love.

Thinking of all the consorts in the palace, Noble Consort Tong felt discouraged.

Never mind. What difference would another one make? She was no longer bothered by the number.

The consorts who remained in the palace were placed together in tents on the square before Kunning Palace. Noble Consort Tong’s tent stood right beside Concubine Wenxing’s.

When Noble Consort Tong went to see her, Concubine Wenxing was embroidering a blessing design.

At a single glance, Noble Consort Tong knew that the embroidery was for the Crown Prince.

Her heart skipped a beat. Was Concubine Wenxing finally going to compete for favor too?

“Little Sister Wenxing, you actually know how to embroider?” Noble Consort Tong covered her mouth with a handkerchief as she laughed. “I thought the Niohuru family didn’t teach its daughters things like that.”

“Before getting married, a woman still has to embroider a little of her own trousseau.” Concubine Wenxing calmly set down her work. “I wanted to pray for the Crown Prince. Noble Consort, when I finish embroidering it, could you help me deliver it to the emperor?”

Concubine Wenxing was so direct that Noble Consort Tong could only agree.

Her words reminded Noble Consort Tong that she was so busy lately that she had forgotten to prepare a gift for the Crown Prince, who had fallen ill again.

She didn’t take it very seriously.

Children in the palace often fell ill when they were young. She could simply make up for it later.

Noble Consort Tong studied the blessing embroidery and asked in surprise, “You embroidered all of this yourself? This is far too elaborate. The Crown Prince isn’t seriously ill. Perhaps this is inappropriate.”

From Noble Consort Tong’s words, Concubine Wenxing knew that she hadn’t heard the rumors about why the Crown Prince had collapsed.

Although Noble Consort Tong managed all the affairs of the inner palace, the Tong family had been reprimanded by the emperor because of Longkodo and Orondai. They had no informants among the guards serving at court.

The Crown Prince’s collapse was discussed outside Qianqing Palace. As an old Manchu aristocratic clan, the Niohuru family had many of its own sons among the guards, so it had naturally picked up some rumors.

All of this information had reached Concubine Wenxing.

She had no intention of fighting for favor in the palace, but her family was pushing her from behind. Even if she didn’t fight with all her might, she still had to do something.

The Niohuru family suspected that the Crown Prince’s serious illness might be connected to the earthquake's prediction. Empress Niohuru had once quietly told her family that the Crown Prince might possess extraordinary signs.

If that was true, Concubine Wenxing’s blessing embroidery was not too elaborate at all.

Even if they had guessed wrong, it would do no harm. The Niohuru family also suspected that the emperor was short of money during the earthquake and would probably ask the old Manchu nobles for money and manpower. Thus, Concubine Wenxing’s sincerely embroidered blessing design would give the emperor a step down.

The outer court and inner palace could echo one another. If the emperor showed favor to Concubine Wenxing, the daughter of old Manchu nobles, those old nobles would understand his meaning and provide him with money and labor.

Concubine Wenxing didn’t compete for favor, but that didn’t mean she didn’t understand the game.

By contrast, Noble Consort Tong, who was favored by Kangxi, didn’t understand much about this serious palace struggle, in which the outer court and inner palace were tangled together.

Concubine Wenxing kept a candle burning until her eyes were red and embroidered the small blessing design. Noble Consort Tong also embroidered several exquisite pouches filled with gold beads for the Crown Prince.

Noble Consort Tong had heard Yinreng mutter about private spending money. Although he was raised by her imperial cousin, a child so young would probably feel embarrassed asking the emperor for money.

No matter how much the emperor valued the Crown Prince, he couldn’t be as thoughtful as a mother who knew exactly what her child needed. He probably wouldn’t notice these details. So whenever Noble Consort Tong gave the Crown Prince something, she tucked in gold beads and little silver nuggets. And whenever the Crown Prince left the palace, she even sent box after box of copper coins.

When the gifts arrived, Yinreng first admired the blessing embroidery.

“Amazing! Concubine Wenxing must have put so much thought into this!”

Then he poured out the gold beads and counted the money with a foolish grin.

No one understands me like Noble Consort Tong!

Kangxi was initially deeply touched by Concubine Wenxing’s embroidery and thought that she was a sensible woman, unlike Empress Xiaoan.

But the instant his emotion appeared, his son had already become a little miser, clutching the gold beads with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Kangxi couldn’t help pressing a hand to his forehead.

Although his cousin was always sour toward the Crown Prince on the surface and rarely mentioned Yinreng’s good points except when she and Yinreng were quarreling, her doting affection for him was no different from Kangxi’s, the Grand Empress Dowager’s, or the Empress Dowager’s.

Only his cousin would send gold, silver, and copper coins to the Crown Prince by the handful as gifts.

Kangxi counted up Noble Consort Tong’s gifts to the Crown Prince.

Beautiful handwoven toys that were stuffed with gold and silver fragments that could be spent as money.

Embroidered blessing pouches for all four seasons, stuffed with gold and silver beads that could be spent as money.

A carved sandalwood box of exquisite workmanship. This time, it was filled with copper coins. Yinreng had muttered that people mostly used copper coins when playing outside the palace, and without copper coins, it was difficult to buy small trinkets.

Very good. Very, very good.

Kangxi didn’t know whether he should praise his cousin for knowing to disguise things when giving gifts, or sigh because she had understood the idiom of buying a box and returning the pearl* perfectly when giving gifts to the Crown Prince.

“Am I shortchanging you on spending money?” Kangxi demanded, exasperated. “Have I given you too little gold and silver?”

Yinreng muttered, “Those gold and silver vessels can’t be spent as money.”

Kangxi: “……”

That was a very reasonable point.

“Alright.” Yinreng lay on his stomach and wiggled his little bottom. “Father, let’s hold a charity auction of old palace items and use the money to provide disaster relief. I’ll use the money Noble Consort Tong gave me to act as your shill.”

Kangxi asked, “What’s a charity auction?”

Yinreng slapped his forehead.

He asked Changtai to tell Kangxi about it, but maybe Changtai was too busy and forgot about it?

Changtai was indeed too busy to remember.

When Kangxi valued someone, he would work that person to death, just as he had done with Noble Consort Tong.

Changtai was sent by Kangxi to inspect the earthquake-stricken regions and arrange disaster relief. He had the authority to submit secret memorials directly and to execute anyone outside the meritorious-noble and imperial-clan ranks before reporting back.

Changtai had written the disaster-relief measures Yinreng told him about into his memorial to Kangxi, but he had forgotten to mention such a minor matter as a charity auction.

The charity auction really was a minor matter. Compared to the earthquake relief as a whole, it was only a cup of water poured on a burning cart. It was merely a small trick to raise funds in the short term and improve Kangxi’s reputation.

Yinreng knew that Kangxi would carry out reforms after the earthquake. But reform requires a stable environment among the people. If rebellions and uprisings broke out here today and there tomorrow, with those whose interests had been harmed dragging their feet from within, reform would be nearly impossible.

Kangxi’s prediction of the earthquake had already brought him tremendous prestige. If they held a charity auction as well, using this era’s still-new form of hypocritical posturing, that prestige would spread at astonishing speed.

In ancient China, ordinary people lived very lowly lives. As long as they had a mouthful of food and a little hope, they would not rise in rebellion.

After hearing his son’s idea, Kangxi first laughed at his wild imagination. But as Yinreng explained the benefits, Kangxi became somewhat convinced.

“Selling old palace items is a little embarrassing,” Kangxi said.

“Don’t worry. They won’t say we’re embarrassing ourselves, because they're already terrified of us.”

Kangxi laughed. “Where did you learn these little tricks? Did your Grandpa tell you?”

“From the history books. The lessons of the former Ming are right there. When the Hongwu and Yongle Emperors were powerful, there were no records of anything bad about them. Once the Tumu Crisis happened, the former Ming emperors lost much of their control over the court, and all kinds of unofficial rumors and dark secrets started appearing. Father, while Great Qing is still prosperous, there won’t be any bad words about you. Once Great Qing declines, you won’t be able to control it anymore.”

Kangxi immediately pinched Yinreng’s nose, making him produce a series of little pig noises.

“What nonsense are you talking about? How could Great Qing decline?”

Yinreng’s voice came out muffled. “What dynasty in this world stays forever young and never loses? Father, you can manage three generations, but can you manage ten or twenty?”

Kangxi awkwardly lowered his hand.

How could he not know? Even the longest-lasting unified dynasties in history had only endured for a few hundred years. But knowing something rationally was one thing. Emotionally, he still deceived himself.

This damned little fatty, he really has no sense of propriety.

Kangxi turned his son over and rubbed the little belly that had become somewhat sunken during Yinreng’s recovery.

Alas, it didn’t feel as nice as before.

Yinreng looked like a tiny kitten being forced to have its belly rubbed. His triangular eyes were filled with utter resignation.

Kangxi rubbed his son back and forth several times until the already listless Yinreng began to snore softly and actually fell asleep. Only then did Kangxi withdraw his hand and make up his mind.

The idea of a charity auction really did sound good. But he would let other people try it first.

Who should try it? After thinking it over, Kangxi decided to have the Grand Empress Dowager take the lead and have the consorts of the inner palace embroider things to sell.

There had once been an empress dowager and an empress who led the consorts in weaving and embroidery to exchange for money and ease the pressure on the state treasury. It had been praised as a beautiful story for all the ages.

With a precedent to point to, the pressure of public opinion would be much smaller.

After Yinreng woke from his nap, he discovered that Kangxi was still too embarrassed to personally appear and had pushed the consorts of the inner palace to the front instead. He couldn’t help laughing at Kangxi in his heart.

He discussed it with Yinzhī, who went to make a fuss with Kangxi and joined the auction as well.

The four imperial princes all sold little toys that they had grown tired of playing with, while the princesses sold embroidered goods alongside the consorts.

Of course, most of the princesses didn’t know how to embroider yet. The palace maids had prepared those embroidered goods.

The items being sold by the consorts were certainly not things they had truly embroidered themselves either. Palace embroiderers prepared them, or the consorts brought out old objects of their own. Then they added a single symbolic stitch. Some couldn’t even be bothered with that much pretense and simply handed the items over as they were.

As long as they had the emperor’s decree, no one cared whether the women had really done the work themselves.

With most of the capital destroyed, Kangxi adopted the new relief-through-public-works method that Changtai had learned from Yinreng.

The meritorious nobles and wealthy households followed suit. They were extremely unwilling to give things to disaster victims for nothing, but if they had the victims work for them and then gave them grain and bolts of cloth as payment, they felt more at ease.

After relief through public works began, the disaster victims grew busy every day and had no time to sink into grief and panic.

More powerful people were willing to lend a hand as well. They no longer feared that a reputation for excessive generosity would make the emperor suspicious, and they didn’t feel that they were sacrificing too much. Thus, the capital’s post-earthquake reconstruction proceeded in orderly fashion.

At this point, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince took pity on the disaster victims. They deliberately led the palace consorts, princes, and princesses in auctioning old items, and every coin raised was used for disaster relief, which further invigorated popular morale.

A month after Gu Zhenguan met Kangxi, Wu Zhaoqian returned from beyond the Great Wall.

Kangxi gave Gu Zhenguan a residence, and Wu Zhaoqian’s family temporarily stayed at Gu Zhenguan’s home to recover their health.

After hearing news of the Crown Prince, Gu Zhenguan and Wu Zhaoqian discussed it and immediately gathered their friends. They wrote numerous poems, ci pieces, songs, and essays praising the achievements of Kangxi, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince, guiding opinion among the scholars and building up popular support for Kangxi.

Some literati also composed catchy nursery rhymes for children to sing.

Kangxi’s prediction of the earthquake had already led many ignorant commoners to regard him as a god who descended into the mortal world. With the literati praising him in song, it was as if even the earthquake and the disaster had become Kangxi’s grace, and everyone had to be grateful to him.

It was utterly absurd.

This absurd scene reached Kangxi’s ears. He once again read through Shunzhi's lessons that everyone had recorded together, and was filled with emotion.

“Khan-Father really thought everything through. It’s just a pity that he didn’t have time to put it into practice.” Kangxi felt a small stab of pain in his heart.

Originally, Shunzhi had been nothing more than a symbol of the fatherly love that Kangxi had sought but never received. Now, after a single day of teaching, the image of Shunzhi in Kangxi’s mind had finally become complete.

Shunzhi’s talent, ambitions, unwillingness to accept his fate, and the ideals he had entrusted to Kangxi all settled in Kangxi’s heart. Together, they shaped the imperial career that Kangxi would lead from that point onward.

While Yinreng exercised on his sickbed by rolling around, he was also thinking about what Gu Zhenguan and the others had done.

Public opinion is really important. Gu Zhenguan and the others were worthy descendants of the Donglin faction, and they were genuinely good at this sort of thing.

It may be possible for them to assist his father again by leveraging the wave of prestige created by the earthquake to encourage smoother reforms.

Unfortunately, Changtai hadn’t returned yet, so Yinreng had no puppet to use.

Oh dear. What should I do?

Yinreng continued rolling.

One roll, flexible muscles and improved circulation.

Two rolls, everything tastes delicious.

Three rolls, a strong and healthy body...

“Little brother, you’re making my eyes go blurry.” Yinzhī put down his book and stopped Yinreng’s rolling exercise with one finger.

Yinreng said peevishly, “Big Brother, aren’t your eyes blurry because you’ve read too many storybooks?”

Yinzhī answered with absolute certainty, “Of course not! What’s bothering you? Your face is as wrinkled as Mother's when she is worrying about me.”

Yinreng was speechless. So you know that Consort Hui worries about you too?

“Big Brother, lean closer.” Yinreng decided to drag Yinzhī into the mess.

From now on, there would be many things he wanted to do but couldn’t do himself.

Some could be handed to his useful tool of an uncle. And from this point onward, some could be handed to the brothers who had already grown very close to him.

Yinzhī excitedly leaned over. “What is it? What fun thing are we doing?”

Yinreng whispered into Yinzhī’s ear. As Yinzhī listened, the excitement slowly vanished from his face.

He was already a big child and understood some things.

In a small voice, he asked, “Little brother, why don’t you tell Khan-Father directly? This is a tremendous accomplishment.”

“I can’t. It’s bad for the Crown Prince to have too much presence.”

Yinzhī wanted to ask why it was bad for the Crown Prince to have too much presence. After all, their Khan-Father seemed to dote on him.

But he suddenly remembered Yuqing Palace, which had almost become the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace. He remembered the servants around the Crown Prince who periodically parroted things to Kangxi. He remembered how the Crown Prince had been used by Kangxi as a vessel for Fulin’s possession, leaving him bedridden even until now...

Yinzhī seemed to understand, yet also seemed even more confused.

But failing to understand didn't stop him from standing firmly on Yinreng’s side.

“Why don’t we go find Mingzhu?” Yinzhī remembered Nalan Mingzhu, who had become somewhat more honest after his principal wife had disciplined him. “His son is a great man of letters, so he can’t be bad either. It’s perfectly normal for him to suggest things related to the literati. We’ll tell Rongruo, and Rongruo can tell his father.”

Yinreng asked, “Rongruo will definitely help us. But Mingzhu probably won’t get involved in my affairs.”

Yinzhī said confidently, “Then we’ll call Songgotu too. He may not be able to stand Songgotu taking all the credit for himself, so he might join in.”

Yinreng said, “To those stubborn old Manchu nobles, the things we’re proposing may be good for Great Qing, but they might foolishly believe that they’re a betrayal of ancestral precedent. I’m afraid those two old foxes won’t do what we want either.”

“You came up with it, so the credit belongs to you. Don’t push it onto me.” Yinzhī thought for a moment. “Then instead of setting traps for Mingzhu and Songgotu directly, we’ll set traps for their sons? Young people are rebellious, so they’ll listen to us. Once things are halfway done, Mingzhu and Songgotu won’t be able to refuse to clean up the mess, unless they want to stand by and watch their sons provoke public fury.”

Yinreng stared at him in shock. “Big Brother, you’re incredible! What do you mean the credit belongs to me? You deserve the most credit!”

Yinzhī looked pleased. “Really? Then alright, I’ll reluctantly take half the credit. I’ll go find Rongruo and have him introduce me to some people we can trap... Forget it. Big Brother will take the blame for you. I’ll go find Khan-Father. We’re only children, so we can’t think of a detailed plan. Let Khan-Father bear the headache.”

Yinreng threw himself into Yinzhī’s arms. “Big Brother! No one is smarter than you! Your little brother bows before your superiority!”

Yinzhī laughed three times and caught his little brother, who had lost a whole circle of weight.

When he felt how much lighter Yinreng was, he couldn’t laugh anymore.

The curse, Imperial Grandpa’s possession, the destruction of his spirit-sensitive constitution... My little brother is the Crown Prince. As the exalted Crown Prince, why did he have to suffer so much pain that even children from ordinary families would never experience?

Why, when the Crown Prince has already suffered this much, does he still have to think through so many matters for Khan-Father, who couldn’t protect him and even allowed all of this to happen?

Because little brother has no mother, only Khan-Father, so he has to do everything possible to please him? Is Khan-Father really the one who controls every part of his life?

Yinzhī hugged the frail dumpling in his arms more tightly, holding in the anger he didn’t dare to release.

What could he do? He was only a little imperial prince who lived at the mercy of their Khan-Father. Apart from keeping his little brother company and helping him do the things he wanted to do but couldn’t, there was nothing he could accomplish.

He couldn’t help his little brother beat their Khan-Father up, nor could he snatch his little brother away from his Khan-Father.

When Kangxi entered to carry out his daily son-sniffing ritual, he saw his elder son embracing his beloved son in a display of deep brotherly affection.

The elder son even glared at him, as if blaming him for interrupting their time together.

Kangxi: “???”

His fists clenched.