With Kangxi involved, Yinreng completely became a mascot.

Yinreng didn't have much energy to begin with, and he had no intention of doing things himself.

If the children did all the work, what would the adults do?

Yinzhī tried very hard to listen while Kangxi held a meeting with a group of guards. But as he listened, his eyes gradually glazed over. Every now and then, he would pick up Yinzhǐ and give him a squeeze, then grab Yinzhen and rub him around. He couldn't sit still, fidgeting like a monkey.

Although Yinreng was also dozing off, he remembered everything Kangxi said.

Just as Yinreng suggested, Kangxi was preparing to establish a new-style school in the capital, teaching subjects such as natural sciences and other things that the Han literati of the time looked down upon and had no interest in studying.

Unifying the myths and legends was merely the starting point. The new school was the real objective Kangxi wanted to accomplish under the banner of redefining the name of the Yan-Huang Huaxia people and stirring up a major upheaval.

Redefining the name of the Yan-Huang Huaxia people was certainly important, but from Kangxi's perspective, it was not as urgent as establishing the new school.

The spoiled young men whom the old Manchu and Mongol aristocrats looked down upon would become Kangxi's first batch of students.

Since the old Manchu aristocrats disdained being treated as equals to the Han Chinese, then let the Manchus learn something else and establish another route for advancement.

The Eight Banners were still not completely under Kangxi's control, so abolishing them recklessly was impossible. Those old Banner lords would immediately rebel against him.

Kangxi would establish a school, make himself its principal, train a new generation of people, and then place them in the Eight Banner armies. Once the junior officers in the Eight Banner military are all Kangxi's “students,” he would have the final say over how the Eight Banners would be reformed.

What Kangxi was doing was somewhat similar to the Feathered Forest Guard established by Emperor Wu of Han.

Originally, Yinreng had hoped that Kangxi would open the new-style school to talented people of other ethnic groups as well.

But after thinking it over, he abandoned the idea.

Yinreng understood that he was alone in this world. Unless another like-minded transmigrator appeared, there was no one who shared his perspective.

He could honestly say that everything he did was for Huaxia.

But everything the Qing imperial family did was for the sake of preserving Qing rule.

Their starting points and destinations were completely different.

Through Yinreng's use of Shunzhi's identity, Kangxi had learned just how terrifying foreign natural sciences could be and resolved to keep that power in his own hands. The school he established would only admit members of the Eight Banners and bondservants.

This wasn't simply about the broad concept of Manchu-Han distinctions. It was because the Eight Banner armies and their members were the emperor's private military force, similar to the imperial guards and central army of previous dynasties.

The emperor wanted to keep the most advanced and elite forces firmly in his own hands, in the hands of the Qing imperial family.

As for “enlightening the common people,” Kangxi simply didn't have the ambition for that.

But everything is difficult at the beginning. Once Kangxi introduced Western natural sciences, people would follow the example set from above. Anyone who wanted to rise through the ranks would study whatever knowledge the emperor and the ruling elite favored, even if they didn't attend the school themselves.

It would be just like how literati studied whatever subjects were tested in the imperial examinations.

Kangxi was still too inexperienced to realize this. Yinreng secretly misled him, trying to delay the moment when Kangxi noticed this consequence for as long as possible.

Once Kangxi tasted the benefits of the new-style school and trained a group of modern talents capable of competing with the entire world, even if he discovered the problem, he would be reluctant to shut them down.

No one could resist the temptation of becoming “the empire where the sun never sets.”

Yinreng closed his eyes and rubbed his head.

Playing this game of wits with his young Father had consumed quite a bit of his energy. If he was healthy, it would be manageable. But his body was still recovering, so it was rather exhausting.

He needed to sleep… sleep…

Huff… huff…

Yinreng finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep in Kangxi's arms.

Kangxi lowered his head. Zhao Chang handed him a small blanket, and Kangxi covered Yinreng with it before continuing the meeting with his son in his arms.

The guards attending the meeting were astonished by how much Kangxi doted on the Crown Prince. They gained an even deeper understanding of the Crown Prince's position.

If the Crown Prince could grow up safely, his position might be as secure as that of Zhu Biao, the Crown Prince of the Hongwu Emperor.

But Zhu Biao had been physically frail, and the Crown Prince was also frail. Would the emperor repeat the tragedy of the Hongwu Emperor*?

Looking at the tiny child in Kangxi's arms, the guards couldn't help but find their sympathies shifting toward the Crown Prince. Even someone as troublesome as Orondai was no exception.

Orondai knew that his family hoped that Noble Consort Tong would give birth to a son who could support them.

Moreover, since his family desperately wanted to join the ranks of the old Manchu aristocracy, everyone in his generation had been given Manchu names. The old Manchu nobles and imperial clansmen disliked the Crown Prince, so naturally the Tong family would also secretly oppose him.

Thus, the Tong family's hostility toward the Crown Prince was quite deep.

Orondai couldn't be bothered with his family's grand ambitions. He deliberately went against his father, and he also didn't get along with his uncle Tong Guowei's family. He couldn't stand the way Tong Guowei's family considered themselves the emperor's maternal relatives and tried to lord it over his own branch of the family.

Seeing that Kangxi and the Crown Prince had such a good relationship, Orondai was delighted.

And although the Crown Prince was young, he actually suited Orondai's tastes quite well.

He had decided to become a member of the Crown Prince faction!

At this point, Orondai was simply a carefree troublemaker. Finding entertainment was the only pleasure in his life.

Unless his father suddenly died and the entire family burden fell upon his shoulders, perhaps only then would he mature.

For the sake of his only younger brother, Kuadai (he completely forgot Fahai), Orondai, who wasn't particularly talented, would probably become the spearhead of the family's interests. The weapon that the Tong family would send charging into battle while concealing its true trump card.

He was a useless bastard. Other than that, he was nothing.

But for now, Orondai was still protected by his father, Tong Guogang, whom he disliked, so he remained a carefree troublemaker.

Whenever Kangxi assigned work, Orondai was the first one to jump up.

Before “Shunzhi” returned to the Eternal Heaven, he had gone through the ministers and political factions in the court one by one for Kangxi. Kangxi's maternal relatives were no exception.

When other people spoke badly of the Tong family, Kangxi was displeased. But Shunzhi had warned him about them, so Kangxi could only grit his teeth, listen carefully, remember everything, and agree, “Khan-Father is right.”

Kangxi also noticed the deeper meaning behind Orondai's behavior: Orondai had a hidden dislike for the family of Tong Guowei, the father of Noble Consort Tong.

The moment Orondai jumped forward, Kangxi knew that he was trying to cause trouble for the Tong family again. Kangxi pushed him back down and assigned the most difficult work to Cao Yin.

Aside from the fact that Orondai was only useful for doing dirty and exhausting work for the emperor, Kangxi simply didn't believe he could handle these tasks properly.

Didn't Kangxi, who was constantly cleaning up after Orondai, know exactly how capable he was?!

My cousin is such a wonderful person. Why are all her relatives such a mess?

Kangxi sighed inwardly. He gently pinched his sleeping son's cheek to ease his frustration.

While Yinreng was sleeping soundly and working hard on his rehabilitation, undercurrents were quietly surging throughout the capital.

Against the chaotic backdrop of post-earthquake reconstruction, these undercurrents somehow escaped the attention of the court officials.

Days passed one after another. Kangxi eventually returned to the imperial palace, where the main halls were already repaired. Yinreng also pitifully waved goodbye to his brothers before being carried back to the Qianqing Palace by Kangxi.

Kangxi gathered information from around the capital. On his mature face, now approaching thirty, appeared the mischievous yet slightly crazed smile he had worn when devising the plan to capture Oboi.

Nearby, Yinreng crawled around as if he had regressed to infancy. In his heart, he supplied Kangxi with a voice-over: “This is exciting. I like it.”

“Gu Zhenguan and the others truly are descendants of the Donglin faction,” Kangxi said with a laugh. “If I can get them under my control, their usefulness will be no less than that of an army.”

Yinreng continued crawling around, ignoring Kangxi.

Kangxi picked him up and gave him a squeeze.

“Speak!”

Yinreng sighed helplessly.

“Yes, yes, yes. Make them learn foreign languages and become diplomats. That way, their linguistic weapons won't be used for internal political infighting.”

Kangxi nodded in satisfaction and put Yinreng down, allowing him to continue crawling.

A while later, Kangxi had another new idea. He picked Yinreng up and squeezed him again.

Yinreng continued accompanying Kangxi in thought and conversation with a completely resigned expression, as if he were Kangxi's strategist.

Kangxi deeply admired his late Khan-Father Shunzhi, who aspired to become an emperor for the ages but died before accomplishing his ambitions. He regarded the son who received several years of instruction from Shunzhi as a fellow member of the same “school.”

Other people could not give Kangxi advice, and he would never reveal his true thoughts as an emperor to anyone else.

But his son was different!

His son had received years of instruction from Shunzhi and could discuss political affairs with him. His son would become emperor in the future, so he naturally needed to learn these imperial strategies. By studying alongside him, his son could also reinforce Shunzhi's teachings.

But his son was lazy.

If you didn't squeeze him, he wouldn't talk.

When Yinreng was squeezed again, he became furious and started punching and kicking Kangxi.

“Father! Are you treating your son like a squeaky chicken?! Don't squeeze me! Stop squeezing me! What are you squeezing me for?! I'll beat you up!”

Yinreng's soft little punches and kicks weren't even strong enough to count as a massage to Kangxi.

Kangxi happily endured his son's loving assault, while his dignity as both emperor and father was left for Zhao Chang, who had already become completely numb to the scene, to swallow.

“What is a squeaky chicken?”

Yinreng continued punching and kicking.

“A little chick that makes a noise whenever you squeeze it!”

Kangxi laughed.

“Isn't that exactly what you are?”

Yinreng's face turned red with anger.

“Your son is recovering from illness! Your son doesn't want to talk! Your son wants to sleep!”

“But you're clearly awake.”

Kangxi squeezed Yinreng again. Yinreng clenched his teeth and refused to speak, deliberately ignoring Kangxi. Only then did Kangxi awkwardly put him down.

“Go to sleep, go to sleep, little piglet.”

“Grrr!”

Yinreng bit down on the finger Kangxi used to poke at his face.

Even a little piglet has a temper!

“You bit me.”

Kangxi wiped the saliva off with Yinreng's clothes, sounding genuinely aggrieved as he referred to himself as “me” rather than the imperial "we".

Zhao Chang: “……”

Endure. I must endure… No, I'm about to lose it! Old Zhao, you have to hold it in! You're the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace. You're a professional! You absolutely cannot laugh at His Majesty! That's something that could cost you your head!

Pfft… ahem.

Kangxi shot a glare at Zhao Chang, whose entire body was trembling slightly with suppressed laughter. He angrily pulled Yinreng into his arms and poked at him to his heart's content.

Yinreng opened his little mouth full of tiny milk teeth and chased after Kangxi's fingers, biting at them with repeated aowu, aowu sounds.

Zhao Chang: “……”

Your Majesty, please spare this servant. Please stop teasing His Highness the Crown Prince. This servant really can't hold back his laughter anymore. I don't want to lose my head! QAQ

Liang Jiugong quietly took a step backward. Taking advantage of his youthful build, he squeezed himself into a narrow patch of shadow and silently grinned from ear to ear.

The Qianqing Palace was filled with cheerful laughter that day.

The next day, Kangxi returned and couldn't find his son.

Liang Jiugong was left behind by Yinreng to deliver a message:

“His Highness the Crown Prince was taken by the First Prince to the Cining Palace to complain. He said that he will be staying there for the next few days and isn't coming back.”

Kangxi was utterly confused.

Baocheng, Baoqing, you two are very brave, aren't you?

Kangxi immediately turned around.

“To the Cining Palace!”

Kangxi arrived at the Cining Palace.

Kangxi was scolded by the Grand Empress Dowager.

Kangxi was kicked out of the Cining Palace by the Grand Empress Dowager.

Kangxi didn't get his son back.

Worse, his mischievous son, bundled up in the Grand Empress Dowager's arms, made faces and laughed at him.

And his foolish eldest son actually shouted loudly after Kangxi turned his back: “What the heck is wrong with Father?!”

The mischievous younger son immediately chimed in: “Exactly!”

Kangxi was furious.

Kangxi summoned his brother-in-law Changtai, who had just finished inspecting official discipline during the post-disaster reconstruction, into the palace in the middle of the night. He wanted to sleep beside his brother-in-law and complain to him.

Changtai, exhausted, thinner, and darker from his work, was flattered by the summons, but he really didn't want to go to the Qianqing Palace and share a bed with Kangxi.

Unfortunately, when the emperor wanted something, whether Changtai wanted it or not wasn't his decision to make.

Fortunately, he had already bathed and changed clothes after returning home, so he hurried into the palace.

As soon as Changtai arrived, Kangxi grabbed his hand and poured out all his grievances, saying things that were practically treasonous enough to get an entire family executed.

“My Khan-Father told the Crown Prince all sorts of things, telling him how a Crown Prince should interact with an emperor. Now Baocheng doesn't want to seize power or discuss political affairs with me anymore, and he's become distant. It hurts my heart. Are Baocheng and I really an ordinary imperial father and son?!”

Changtai: “……”

Even if Your Majesty doesn't refer to yourself as "We" and instead calls yourself “I,” you and His Highness the Crown Prince are still an ordinary imperial father and son.

Changtai was secretly relieved.

The Crown Prince is so young, yet he already has a sense of self-protection.

“Your Majesty, have you overlooked something very important?” Changtai asked frankly, despite his relief.

“What?” Kangxi said. “Did someone bully Baocheng?”

“No.” Changtai sighed helplessly. “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is only five years old. Perhaps someday he will think about the distinction between the Crown Prince and the emperor as ruler and subject, but right now, he certainly hasn't thought that far.”

Kangxi was puzzled.

“Oh? Then why is he always slacking off and refusing to say more?”

“Your Majesty,” Changtai said, “because the Crown Prince is only five.”

Kangxi still didn't understand.

Changtai sighed again.

“Your Majesty, ordinary five-year-old children haven't even begun their formal education. They simply play in the courtyard with other children. Even if His Highness is exceptionally intelligent, he is still only a child. Compared with thinking about state affairs, he wants to play.”

Kangxi frowned.

“My Baocheng isn't some childish little brat!”

Changtai clenched his fist inside his sleeve.

If this brother-in-law weren't the emperor, I would have punched him already.

Your Majesty, listen to yourself! If he isn't a child, does that mean you should put the burdens of adulthood on the Crown Prince's tiny shoulders when he's only five? Even if he's precocious, his mind is still that of a young child!

Changtai thought of the Crown Prince, who had frequently come to give him lessons before the earthquake. The weariness in the Crown Prince's eyes made him look like an old man nearing the end of his life, and this made Changtai feel deeply distressed.

What exactly did the Crown Prince experience in the palace to have such a look in his eyes?

Now Changtai believed that he had glimpsed a tiny part of the truth.

This is all because His Majesty is trying to force a seedling to grow faster than nature allows!

“The Crown Prince doesn't want to behave like a child, but his body is still that of a child,” Changtai said. “Being precocious is harmful to his health, Your Majesty.”

Kangxi had wanted to say, “I was precocious too, and look how healthy I am.”

But the words reached his lips and stopped.

He remembered the curse Yinreng had endured, as well as everything involving Shunzhi possessing him. He remembered that Yinreng was still recovering from illness.

Kangxi suddenly felt a little guilty.

“You mean to say that I'm forcing him to grow up too quickly?”

Changtai had originally intended to say, “I wouldn't dare.”

Instead, he spread his hands.

“Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying.”

Kangxi glared at him.

Changtai kept his hands spread and looked straight at Kangxi, displaying an impressive amount of courage.

Kangxi's anger subsided.

“All right, all right. I understand. I care about Baocheng's health too. I only want to talk to him…”

Changtai lowered his hands and returned to his respectful expression, but his words remained merciless.

“One of the reasons the Crown Prince fell ill was because he exhausted himself mentally.”

Kangxi was speechless while Changtai smiled bitterly.

“With Your Majesty watching over him, why not let the Crown Prince have a relatively carefree childhood? He is intelligent. Even if you don't force him, he will grow up quickly enough.”

Kangxi sighed.

It was true.

But he was anxious.

Yinreng was so small and fragile, and his health was poor. If Kangxi didn't hurry and help him grow up, what would happen if he died unexpectedly?

This anxiety had a family history behind it.

When Hong Taiji died and Shunzhi ascended the throne, Shunzhi was only six.

When Shunzhi died and Kangxi ascended the throne, Kangxi himself was only eight.

Both Kangxi and Shunzhi ascended the throne as children and endured extremely difficult political struggles before securing real authority. Kangxi understood those hardships all too well.

Kangxi couldn't help wondering: If the imperial heirs were cursed, then could the emperors be cursed too?

He was healthy now, and he even survived smallpox. It didn't appear that he was in much danger, and he should be able to protect Yinreng until adulthood.

But what if?

Misfortune and fortune were unpredictable. If he also died young, Yinreng was still a child. With the imperial clansmen and nobles surrounding him like wolves and tigers, who could protect his precious son?

Kangxi trusted no one. Not even Changtai.

Yinreng had to grow up as quickly as possible. He had to become less innocent and kind than he was now so that he could protect himself after Kangxi was gone.

Kangxi didn't dare to tell anyone about this anxiety.

But he looked at his brother-in-law and decided to reveal his true feelings.

There was a trace of expectation and probing in his heart as he watched Changtai's reaction.

Would he kneel in terror? Would he immediately declare his loyalty?

Kangxi calmly, almost coldly, observed Changtai's movements and expression.

As expected, Changtai immediately knelt and kowtowed, asking Kangxi to take back those ominous words.

Then he thought for a while and began trying to come up with a solution that would satisfy both sides.

Kangxi: “……”

You were terrified for that brief moment? I suspect you were pretending!

Kangxi angrily pulled Changtai back to his feet.

“That's your reaction?”

Changtai was confused.

“What other reaction should I have?”

“I thought you would be more frightened and panicked.”

Changtai frowned.

“I really am frightened and panicked. Precisely because I'm frightened and panicked, I need to immediately help Your Majesty think of a solution.”

Kangxi: “……”

That makes a lot of sense.

His brother-in-law was truly an eccentric, but exceptionally reliable, person.

Kangxi asked, “Have you thought of anything?”

Changtai smiled bitterly.

“How could I come up with something in such a short time? We can only sort through the current situation. But forcing the Crown Prince to grow up quickly is definitely not an option. Your Majesty, if the Crown Prince's health collapses, it doesn't matter how intelligent he is.”

Kangxi tucked both hands into his sleeves, looking like a dejected big tiger. He had unconsciously picked up this habit from Yinreng.

“Yes.”

Changtai continued:

“Teaching doesn't necessarily have to mean making the Crown Prince exhaust himself mentally and physically. His Highness hasn't even begun studying outside the palace formally, yet Your Majesty has already taught him to be so intelligent. If you teach him the way you used to, there shouldn't be much of a problem.”

Kangxi revealed some more secrets to Changtai.

“The Crown Prince is intelligent partly because his ancestors teach him in his dreams.”

Changtai laughed: “From what little I know of the Crown Prince, if the teaching doesn't involve playing or listening to stories, then even if the teacher were his ancestor, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to teach His Highness anything. The Crown Prince only behaves himself around Your Majesty.”

Kangxi thought about the things Yinreng had said regarding Shunzhi.

Imperial Grandpa is annoying. I don't want to listen to a single word.

Imperial Grandpa talks too much. Baocheng fell asleep.

Imperial Grandpa's stories are really good.

Imperial Grandpa's stories about Father are really good.

Imperial Grandpa told Baocheng lots of things and asked Baocheng to tell Father, but Baocheng forgot!

Yes.

His obedient son had forgotten for several years.

If he and the Empress Dowager hadn't inadvertently mentioned Shunzhi, the boy would have continued to forget.

Kangxi rubbed his forehead.

He was starting to get a headache: “You're right. Khan-Father... my ancestor probably just told Baocheng lots of stories. Whether he listened depended entirely on whether Baocheng was interested.”

What was Baocheng interested in?

Foreign lands. Myths. Family affection. And embarrassing stories about Kangxi's own childhood.

Changtai said, “If you make children behave like adults, even if they study, they won't become adults. His Majesty must have had a childish side when he was young too.”

Kangxi really wanted to deny it. But… he had.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have suddenly come up with the idea of using a wrestling game to capture Oboi.

At the time, he thought that the idea was brilliant, and the execution had gone smoothly. But looking back now, the plan was full of holes and incredibly dangerous. If Oboi wasn't so arrogant, it would never have succeeded.

Changtai said, “The Crown Prince resembles Your Majesty.”

Kangxi replied, “Of course the Crown Prince I raised resembles me. But, my dear minister, I have a feeling that isn't a compliment.”

Changtai said seriously: “It isn't.”

Kangxi: “……”

Should I beat my brother-in-law up? You're really brave!

Ah, forget it. If I beat him up, who would dare to be this honest with me in the future?

Kangxi and Changtai discussed the matter for half the night without coming up with a solution.

They did, however, settle on one principle: From now on, the Crown Prince must not be allowed to overexert himself. His health comes first.

Then they prepared to sleep.

Changtai very sensibly took his quilt and slept on the floor.

Kangxi stared at him in confusion.

When Changtai explained, “I'll just get kicked out of bed by Your Majesty anyway,” Kangxi became furious.

He grabbed the bow hanging on the wall and chased Changtai around the room several times.

After being whacked across the back by the bow hard enough to leave several red marks, Changtai was still dragged onto the bed by Kangxi.

The official recorder of the Daily Records was trembling slightly as he held his brush.

Should I record this? Can I record this? If I write it truthfully, will I lose my head?

Zhao Chang had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep standing up.

Yes. This servant is already asleep. This servant saw nothing.

Listen to how steady and peaceful my breathing is.

Huff… huff…

That day, the Qianqing Palace remained peaceful and tranquil.

Only the person holding the brush and writing the Daily Records was scratching his head in distress, wishing he could run several laps around the palace.

In the end, the history books recorded only a few brief words: “Late at night, the emperor and Changtai practiced martial arts, then slept with their feet touching.”

Future generations reading this brief passage had different reactions.

Some sighed that Changtai and Emperor Kangxi's friendship was deeply touching.

While others wore a rather lecherous smile.

Changtai's reputation among later generations was once again damaged.

Underworld or Heaven, wherever they were, Wei Qing and the other favored ministers throughout history probably had a lot to say about this.

I have so many complaints. Do you have any wine?

Fortunately, Changtai's efforts and sacrifice proved highly effective.

After reflecting on the matter, Kangxi sincerely apologized to Yinreng and the Grand Empress Dowager. He promised that he would no longer force his son to strive for achievement.

His son's health was the most important thing.

At last, he brought the little bundle of a child back to the Qianqing Palace.

Kangxi touched his son's still-thin little face, feeling deeply regretful.

He was grateful that he had Changtai as a good friend. Otherwise, he might have continued down the path of believing that he was doing what was best for the Crown Prince while actually hurting him.

“Once Baocheng recovers, we'll leave the palace to visit your maternal grandfather and uncle. You can thank your uncle properly.”

Yinreng leaned against Kangxi's abs, sitting with his little hands tucked into his sleeves.

“Okay.”

Kangxi held his son while reclining in a large armchair, his own hands tucked into his sleeves as they basked in the sunlight and rested.

Kangxi had been so busy lately that he'd lost several more of the few hairs that remained on his head. Today, he finally had some free time to bask in the sun and slack off.

When someone was exhausted from being busy, they wouldn't even want to visit the harem in their spare time. He would rather hold his son, bask in the sun, and daydream.

Looking at the clear autumn sky and white clouds, Kangxi sighed.

“This time of year, we would normally be climbing mountains and admiring chrysanthemums.”

This year, because of the earthquake reconstruction, even the chrysanthemum banquet in the imperial garden had been canceled.

Kangxi sighed inwardly.

Actually, Kangxi wasn't that frugal.

What did the disaster reconstruction outside have to do with him holding a chrysanthemum banquet in the palace?

But over the past few days, he pretended to be his brother-in-law's subordinate and wandered around Beijing several times. Everywhere he went, people sincerely praised him and sang his praises.

Kangxi rubbed his nose. After being praised and having people's expectations placed upon him, it was only natural that he wanted to do even better.

“Uncle has chrysanthemums. Let's go play at Uncle's house,” Yinreng suggested, teaching Kangxi how to shift the blame.

The emperor needed to save money, but if a member of the imperial clan spent their own money, as long as it wasn't excessive, no one would pay much attention.

Kangxi nodded: “Right. It's been a long time since I've visited Fuquan.”

Yinreng said, “Bring Big Brother and the younger brothers too!”

Kangxi laughed: “You really think about your brothers wherever you go.”

Yinreng proudly puffed out his little chest: “Of course!”

Kangxi sent someone to ask around the harem.

Yinzhī immediately threw down his brush and announced that he wanted to leave the palace with his Father and younger brother, the Crown Prince.

Yinzhǐ also wobbled around and tried to rush outside immediately.

Only Yinzhen was pitifully left behind because he had a slight cough and Concubine De wouldn't allow him to go out.

It was a good thing for a son to be loved by the emperor, but his health and safety were even more important. Concubine De understood this perfectly.

The emperor wasn't particularly attentive to his other princes. The one who truly cared about the princes was the Crown Prince.

As long as she treated the Crown Prince well, her son would have plenty of opportunities to appear before the emperor in the future, so she wasn't in a hurry.

Concubine De wasn't in a hurry, but there was a consort in the palace who was nearly frantic.

Consort Yi was already deeply favored in the palace, and she was pregnant again, making her the center of attention. Even Noble Consort Tong had to temporarily avoid competing with her.

When they had been living in tents at the Temple of Heaven after the earthquake, she had lost the Third Prince, Yinzhǐ. After being reprimanded in turn by Kangxi and the Grand Empress Dowager, she desperately tried to endure it, but couldn't keep herself from becoming physically unwell and suffering some bleeding.

That bleeding saved her from further punishment afterward, but it also caused Kangxi's favor toward her to diminish considerably.

In the past, even while pregnant and with her name removed from the green tablets used to summon consorts, Kangxi would still visit her whenever he had time, holding her hand and chatting with her.

But after Kangxi returned to the imperial palace, he hadn't visited the Yikun Palace even once.

She was pregnant and unable to find a way to compete for favor, so she could only remain in the palace and endure the days miserably.

Lady Guo had to care for her own daughter while also comforting and looking after her younger sister.

She was even more miserable.

The two sisters had entered the palace together. One was immediately promoted to a Concubine, while the other had given birth to a daughter but remained merely as a First Attendant.

Their positions, which had originally been fairly similar at home, became worlds apart.

In Lady Guo's opinion, all of Consort Yi's suffering was melodramatic.

As the mistress of a palace with a child in her womb, once the child was born, whether a boy or girl, the emperor would certainly stop being angry.

For an imperial consort, giving birth to an imperial heir was the only thing that truly mattered. Everything else was superficial.

Why waste time worrying about other things?

But Consort Yi had enjoyed nothing but smooth sailing since entering the palace. She had never suffered any real grievance, and pregnancy naturally made her emotions more sensitive.

Now, Consort Yi was wiping away tears and acting as if she couldn't go on living, leaving Lady Guo with a terrible headache.

“Do you believe that if those words about wanting to die reach the emperor's ears, neither you nor the child in your belly will actually survive?”

Lady Guo could no longer endure it. For the first time since entering the palace, she adopted the manner of an elder sister from the family and sternly reprimanded her.

Consort Yi shuddered and finally quieted down. She twisted her handkerchief and sobbed.

“The emperor loves me. He wouldn't…”

Lady Guo's face darkened.

“What does the emperor love about you? He merely favors you.”

Consort Yi said, “Isn't being favored the same as being loved?”

Lady Guo looked at her younger sister, who still seemed like an innocent little girl, and took several deep breaths before calming herself down.

Her own life was already miserable, and she really didn't want to listen to Consort Yi's melodramatic complaints. But rationally, she knew that she wasn't the type the emperor favored. Her position in the palace depended entirely on Consort Yi.

And for the sake of her daughter, Consort Yi couldn't afford to make a mistake.

“Love and favor aren't the same thing. Love is what Father feels for your mother. Favor is what you feel for that little cat lying at your feet.”

Lady Guo looked at the long-haired Persian cat lying beside Consort Yi's feet. Consort Yi also looked down at the obedient cat.

“Sister, what are you talking about? How could I be a cat…”

“A favored consort is simply the emperor's beloved little cat or dog. Didn't Mother tell you this before you entered the palace?” Lady Guo spoke coldly.

Consort Yi pouted. She remembered; their mother really said that.

But His Majesty… The Emperor...

The Emperor treats me differently, doesn't he?

Which woman who entered the palace could resist falling in love?

Even if her family had repeatedly warned her, when faced with a handsome, powerful, and attentive emperor in the prime of his life, how could a young woman possibly keep her heart from fluttering and avoid developing feelings she shouldn't have?

Consort Yi was precisely at that innocent and carefree age.

Her man was the most noble emperor in all of the Great Qing, and he was still young and handsome. How could she not fall for him?

Did Consort Yi not realize that as long as she had a child, even if her favor with the emperor was not as great as before, she could still firmly hold her position as the mistress of the palace?

Of course she knew. What frightened her was Kangxi's coldness, and what saddened her was her wounded heart as a young woman.

Her unreasonable complaint was: “I accidentally lost the son you had with another woman. It wasn't intentional, and I've already admitted my mistake. Even Concubine Rong has forgiven me. I'm still carrying your child. How can you be so heartless?”

Lady Guo sighed and stood up, pulling her younger sister into her arms.

“Cry. Once you've finished crying, be stronger. A mother becomes strong for her child. You have to pull yourself together.”

Consort Yi touched her belly, but she still couldn't recover from her grief. It wasn't until an unexpected incident during the birth of her child that Consort Yi would completely transform.

Days passed one after another, and the end of the year drew near.

Thanks to Kangxi's timely disaster relief, five months was enough for the capital to regain its vitality.

Yinreng's health was also mostly recovered, and he once again ran wild with Yinzhī in the training grounds and the Imperial Garden.

When they learned that Yuqing Palace was converted into a place where the princes and princesses would study, the two boys volunteered to decorate the rooms for their younger siblings. But they were promptly smoked out by the incense from the two sides' year-end sacrificial ceremonies.

Kangxi patted his chest.

Thank goodness, he didn't turnt the Yuqing Palace into the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

Otherwise, with his son's tiny body, even if he waited until the boy was grown before moving him there, having him smoked out every year during the festivals would be too miserable.

Kangxi still couldn't bear to make Yinreng leave his side. He considered various locations, but even now, he still hadn't decided where the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace should be.

This year, there was an earthquake, so no minister had bothered him about the matter either.

Kangxi decided to keep putting it off until the Crown Prince became engaged; at that time, he would choose an Eastern Palace where his future family could live.

The Crown Prince's wedding would be a grand affair. Two or three years would pass between the engagement and the wedding, so there would be more than enough time to prepare an Eastern Palace.

Yinreng dragged Yinzhī around everywhere, and it wasn't simply because being confined during his illness had left him bursting with pent-up energy.

He remembered one event at the end of the year.

Compared with the earthquake, it was a small matter, but with the current circumstances, it could develop into something serious: The Hall of Supreme Harmony would catch fire.

Yinreng only remembered that the Hall of Supreme Harmony caught fire at the end of the same year as the earthquake.

An earthquake followed by a palace fire. Both major disasters in a feudal dynasty were serious enough that the emperor was expected to issue an edict of self-reproach.

Both happening in the same year would make Kangxi, who had originally been full of ambition, stop all his more aggressive plans and wonder whether he had done something wrong.

Kangxi's more conservative governing philosophy in later years was partly influenced by the two consecutive “heavenly disasters” that year.

An earthquake was a natural disaster, but how could a fire be a natural disaster?

It was clearly caused by human error.

The fire in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was caused by a mistake in the Imperial Kitchen next door. Afterward, the Imperial Kitchen was relocated.

Using his cravings as an excuse, Yinreng dragged Yinzhī to visit the Imperial Kitchen every day, sneaking bites of food while repeatedly reminding the cooks to be careful with fire.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the Golden Hall, was where the Qing dynasty held major ceremonies.

Every year on the Wanshou Festival, the Winter Solstice, and New Year's Day, the emperor would receive congratulations from civil and military officials there and bestow upon them banquets of food that was notoriously difficult to eat.

In the Qing dynasty, New Year's Day meant the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

New Year's Day was approaching, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony would soon be needed.

If a huge fire burned it down at that exact moment, how could that not be interpreted as Heaven deliberately issuing a warning?

Kangxi, already exhausted by the earthquake and the ongoing Revolt of the Three Feudatories, didn't want to believe that. But the imperial clansmen and nobles would certainly make him acknowledge it.

At this point, Kangxi was more aggressive than before under the nonexistent guidance of Shunzhi's spirit.

If the Hall of Supreme Harmony burned down and his aggressive reforms were burned away with it, Yinreng wouldn't even have a place to cry.

So he could only drag Yinzhī around, repeatedly warning the Imperial Kitchen: “It's the end of the year. Everyone wants a good omen. If you make a mistake, your entire family, young and old, will be finished.”

Yinreng's nervous behavior caught Kangxi's attention.

Kangxi asked him about it, and Yinreng could only say: “Baocheng can't see the black qi anymore. He can only occasionally sense when something feels unpleasant. That place feels uncomfortable.”

After saying this, Yinreng burrowed into Kangxi's arms.

“Baocheng is scared! If only Baocheng could see it, that would be better!”

Kangxi became serious and carried his son around the Imperial Kitchen and the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Perhaps Yinreng's constant warnings had affected him psychologically, because Kangxi also began to feel that something was wrong.

Coincidentally, Yinzhī had tried to show off by wearing too little clothing and had fallen ill after several days in the cold wind.

Yinreng had only just recovered and then caught the cold wind as well, coming down with the same illness.

Kangxi, who kissed his son every day, ended up catching the same cold virus from him.

Father and two sons came down with the same illness. This obviously wasn't influenza.

It was a curse. →_→

While coughing, Kangxi ordered the Imperial Kitchen to temporarily relocate so that there would be no problems with the New Year's banquet at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

But at that moment, Consort Yi was about to give birth, and the Yikun Palace requested a nourishing soup from the Imperial Kitchen.

When the imperial decree arrived, the Imperial Kitchen thought they would finish cooking this pot of soup for Consort Yi before packing up and moving.

But who could have known that this single pot of soup would end up setting the Imperial Kitchen on fire?

If Yinreng hadn't ordered people to keep watch at all times and extinguish the flames immediately, the wind would have fanned the fire and the Hall of Supreme Harmony would certainly have been affected.

Only after the chaos was over did Consort Yi hear about what had happened.

The moment she heard that the Imperial Kitchen had caught fire, her vision went black, her entire body trembled, and the fifth imperial son of Great Qing rolled out of the womb with a plop.

The Imperial Kitchen fire occurred on the third day of the twelfth lunar month, while the Fifth Prince was born on the fourth.

Kangxi's face became as black as iron. He immediately sent the Fifth Prince to Noble Consort Tong to raise, giving Consort Yi only the customary rewards and nothing else.

Giving birth to a prince should have been a joyous occasion for Consort Yi. But now, she not only received no praise, but she couldn't even raise the son she had given birth to.

Noble Consort Tong: “……” Fine. She'll have to raise another woman's child for her cousin. She's already used to it.

Poor Consort Yi, poor Fifth Prince.