Yinreng changed into a little tiger outfit, complete with a tiger-ear hat. Yinzhǐ and Kuixu hugged him tightly from both sides and wouldn't let go.

Mingzhu was already used to this scene.

If Yinzhī hadn't stopped him, Kuixu would probably have wanted to squeeze into the Crown Prince's bed and sleep with him every day.

But even though they didn't sleep together every day, when the Crown Prince took a nap, or when the First Prince and the Third Prince played energetically, the equally sickly Kuixu would always climb onto Yinreng's bed on his own initiative to be Yinreng's pillow.

Yinreng glanced at Kuixu.

Bullsh*t! This kid is clearly using me as a body pillow!

Yinreng was exceptionally soft-hearted towards children. Kuixu had a delicate and adorable appearance, and Yinreng couldn't bear to scold him, so he simply let Kuixu use him as a pillow.

The Crown Prince was so soft-hearted that it made Mingzhu so distressed to the point that he plucked out several strands of his beautiful beard.

He unknowingly began to worry about the Crown Prince's future.

Originally, the only person in the Nalan family who worried about the future of the Crown Prince was Nalan Xingde, that great traitor. The Crown Prince had only been at the Nalan residence for a few days, and even then, Lady Jueluo also began sighing from time to time.

Lady Jueluo's family was the losers in the power struggles within the royal family, so she knew how terrifying the intrigue and deceit within the royal family could be.

Although the Crown Prince was more precocious than ordinary children, and his eloquence and insights sometimes put even adults to shame, his overly kind heart was a greater burden than his frail body.

After Mingzhu rescued her, he wasted decades because of her. Now, she took Mingzhu's ideals as her guide. Even if she had her own ambitions, she only acted according to Mingzhu's ideals and put the interests of the Nalan family first.

She persuaded Mingzhu to agree with Xingde's choice, and this was based on giving the Nalan family more options for the future.

Therefore, although Lady Jueluo felt sorry for the Crown Prince, she could only sigh secretly behind Mingzhu's back, quietly lose herself in thought, and then wipe the corner of her eye. When she saw Mingzhu, she would become the gentle and strong wife of Mingzhu again, supporting everything he did.

When Jueluo was still the carefree Fifth Princess of Prince Ying's estate, Mingzhu, who was just a young guard, would secretly watch her.

This habit remained unchanged even when Mingzhu had a few silver strands in his hair and wrinkles began to appear around Jueluo's eyebrows.

The smiling fox, who appeared to control the wind and rain outside, peeked through the cracks in the door, hid in the corners of the wall, and lurked behind the trees. He secretly watched as Lady Jueluo wiped away her tears, feeling so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks.

He approached the Crown Prince several times with his hands behind his back. The more he interacted with him, the more he understood why his wife was secretly crying, and his heart naturally leaned towards the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was indeed a good child. Not to mention in the royal family, among all the children he ever met, the Crown Prince ranked first, and the second-best was simply no match for him.

Such a fine child, being born to the royal family, was like a celestial child stepping into the filthy human world. Every quarter-hour and every two-hour stretch he lived through was another quarter-hour and two-hour stretch of torment.

If the Crown Prince had been born into an ordinary family, he would surely have been loved by everyone.

But he was the Crown Prince, and most people didn't look at "Yinreng" as a person, but rather at his status as the "Crown Prince." From the moment he was born, countless enemies wanted to kill him.

Now, the Emperor doted on him and protected him, so he could live a carefree life. But as he grew up, he would eventually face the cruel realities of life.

Even the Emperor might suspect him, be wary of him, and harm him.

At that time, how would this kind-hearted child face the bloody reality?

Mingzhu thought about it for a while and couldn't help but sigh.

Nalan Xingde was a child personally taught by Nalan Mingzhu. Nalan Mingzhu naturally deserved some credit for Nalan Xingde's talent, unrestrained spirit, and sentimentality.

At this moment, Nalan Mingzhu, who was over forty, seemed to have returned to his youth, with a more tender heart and more worries.

"Lord Mingzhu." The young prince was dressed in a warm and cozy manner, and his smile was also warm and gentle.

Upon seeing this smile, even the most hostile person would temporarily lower their guard.

Mingzhu already decided to wait until the Crown Prince grew up before deciding who to support or oppose. His smile towards the young Crown Prince was now more sincere: "Is the Crown Prince living well at my home? If you are bored, Rongruo can take you out to play. His Majesty already agreed."

Yinreng said, "Thank you, Lord Mingzhu. I'm not fully recovered yet, so I won't go out for the time being. I would like to borrow a few books from you, Lord Mingzhu."

Mingzhu nodded and led Yinreng to his library.

Upon hearing that they were going to the library, Yinzhǐ and Kuixu, who were clinging to Yinreng, immediately let go of Yinreng and ran off to find Yinzhī and play.

When Yinreng wasn't reading, they liked him the most; but as soon as Yinreng started reading, they prioritized Yinzhī, who could play with them.

Mingzhu glared and blew at his beard.

How could Nalan Mingzhu's son not love reading! When the Crown Prince returned to the palace, he would definitely teach his youngest son well!

Mingzhu loved collecting books.

After Mingzhu's death, Kuixu handed over most of the Nalan family's property to the Ninth Prince in order to make the Nalan family rise again by becoming a moneybag.

Unlike the fictional character portrayed in movies and novels, the money that supported the Ninth Prince's reputation as a god of wealth came from two sources: first, extortion and bribery in officialdom, similar to Heshen in later generations; and second, donations from the Nalan family. This demonstrated the immense wealth of the Nalan family.

In this era, only the wealthy could afford to read books. Mingzhu was obsessed with collecting books and built Xueyan* Studio. While ordinary Manchus spent their money on gold, silver, jewels, fine horses, and precious artifacts, Mingzhu would spend a fortune just to acquire a single book that he had never read before. Even an edition he had never seen would suffice.

After arriving at the Nalan residence, Yinreng would read books with Mingzhu or Xingde when he had nothing to do.

After several visits, the estrangement between Mingzhu and Yinreng gradually disappeared, and they interacted like an ordinary grandfather and grandson. Mingzhu would even hold Yinreng on his lap and teach him the allusions in the book word by word.

Mingzhu held the position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, which, although nominal, still meant that he had the responsibility of educating the Crown Prince.

The more he taught, the more he liked Yinreng. Yinreng also admired Mingzhu more and more.

The three Nalan brothers were all exceptionally talented individuals with profound literary attainments. As their father, Mingzhu's literary cultivation was naturally exceptional as well. He served as the chief compiler for most of the important imperial archives during the Kangxi era.

When Mingzhu taught Yinreng, he was full of witty remarks and could easily recall classical allusions. If Yinreng were a real child, he would probably have listened with great interest.

Yinreng's fondness for Mingzhu deepened, and one day he prompted Mingzhu with a question: "Lord Mingzhu, what do you think is the most important thing Khan-Father should do after pacifying the Revolt of the Three Feudatories and recovering Taiwan?"

Mingzhu thought for a moment and said, "Mongolia, Tsarist Russia?"

Yinreng shook his head and said seriously, word by word, "It is to reform the bureaucracy and root out corruption."

Mingzhu's expression faltered slightly.

Yinreng said, "The Manchu nobles still haven't shaken off the petty mentality they held when they first entered the Central Plains. When they came to the vast land of the Central Plains, they were still thinking about making a quick buck, and only what they could get into their own hands would feel secure, just like nomadic peoples grazing the borderlands."

Mingzhu frowned deeply.

Yinreng continued, "Great Qing is now the orthodox dynasty of Huaxia. What Khan-Father desires is long-term stability, the submission of the people, and becoming a great emperor for all time. The Manchu nobles followed Great Qing into the Central Plains, and ultimately they will shed their Manchu titles and become true nobles of Huaxia*. If you cannot change your mindset, how can you follow Khan-Father to achieve great things?"

Mingzhu was shocked: "Your Highness, you..."

Yinreng waved his hand and said, "This lone one didn't originally intend to say this to you. Your generation is already old and has narrow vision. Khan-Father is still young and values young people more. The generation that grew up after entering the pass is more suitable for a young Great Qing than you. But after talking to you, this lone one thinks it's a pity."

Yinreng put his short hands behind his back. Today he was wearing a dog hat and a dog outfit, and there was a dog tail sewn on his butt that was useless except for decoration.

"The Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince is barely forty, precisely the age when he should be put to use," Yinreng said sternly. "Someone has impeached you... You've almost sold off all your official positions?"

Mingzhu immediately knelt down: "Your Highness, this is absolutely not true!"

"Whether this happened or not, you know it in your heart. There are few useful Manchu civil officials in the court, while Han civil officials who want to secure their positions have to endure extortion. The late emperor's favoritism towards Manchu officials, whose extortion drove high-ranking provincial officials to suicide, gave you a lot of courage."

Yinreng sighed and shook his head.

"Why don't you think about it? Did the late emperor really not want to kill them? It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't. Many things that couldn't be done have accumulated, and someone would eventually suffer. You are, Songgotu is, and so are the others. But you are a rare capable minister under Khan-Father. Without you, the balance of capable Manchu and Han ministers in the court would be disrupted. If this ensues, how could Khan-Father be at ease fulfilling his ideal of making Great Qing the true orthodox dynasty of Huaxia?"

Mingzhu's back was soaked with cold sweat. He suddenly realized that he knew nothing about the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was not as weak and benevolent as he appeared!

No, he was indeed benevolent. It's just that the Crown Prince was more intelligent than he had imagined.

Mingzhu looked up: "Please enlighten me, Your Highness!"

Yinreng said, "That depends on your ideals. Do you want to be a powerful minister? Do you want to amass wealth? Or do you want to be remembered in history as a renowned minister and general, etched in the annals of Chinese civilization?"

Mingzhu said, "Of course I want my name to be remembered in history!"

Yinreng laughed and said, "No, you haven't thought about it before. Rongruo has, but you really haven't. But you can think about it now because you can't be a powerful minister. Khan-Father will not tolerate any powerful minister, not even a prince with too much power. Khan-Father will definitely concentrate all power in his hands, no matter what kind of power it is."

Mingzhu looked terrified.

"This lone one didn't intend to give you any pointers. But you are truly talented. It's such a pity," Yinreng sighed.

Who was the most talented courtier during the Kangxi era?

In short, among the many famous civil officials, countless meteors streaked across the sky, but none could compare to Mingzhu and Songgotu in the early Kangxi era.

Mingzhu had an exceptional eye for talent, and the officials he recommended were almost all capable ministers. On territorial issues such as the suppression of the Three Feudatories, the pacification of Taiwan, and the defense against Tsarist Russia, he was a staunch advocate of war and a radical. For Yinreng to force his father to set his sights on the global stage, someone like Mingzhu was indispensable.

Although Songgotu lacked a strong sense of national territory and seemed like a lazy frog who only moved when poked, the achievements he earned, whether in capturing Oboi or later in the Three Feudatories campaign, were all the result of being "forced" into action.

However, whatever task he accepted, he performed it flawlessly. Overall coordination, stabilizing the rear, and deploying military equipment all relied on Songgotu's command.

In gaming terms, Mingzhu had a perspective cheat, while Songgotu had a full-map cheat.

If the two did not hinder each other, but instead worked together, Kangxi would have been virtually invincible.

Yinreng really couldn't bear to lose such a talented person.

Without Mingzhu and Songgotu, how difficult would it be for Kangxi to cultivate talent capable of conquering the world from scratch?

An emperor's period of ambition lasts only one or two decades. When Kangxi entered his fifties, even if he still wanted to be diligent in his duties, the objective circumstances would not allow it, and laziness and negligence in governance became inevitable.

Yinreng hoped that Kangxi would become a true emperor for all time, but time was running out. Once Kangxi grew old, Yinreng could no longer afford to act recklessly, but instead had to find an opportunity to resign from his position as Crown Prince.

"Alright, stop kneeling. If you don't read to this lone one, the people outside will come in... Hey, Big Brother, what are you doing here? When did you arrive?" Yinreng was startled.

Yinzhī suddenly appeared out of nowhere: "I arrived when Mingzhu knelt down."

Yinzhī rubbed Yinreng's dog head: "Be careful, the eunuchs outside have been watching for a long time. You finally get a chance to relax here, what if you’re sent back to the palace again?"

Yinreng hugged Yinzhī and rubbed against him: "Okay." Sigh, whenever he thought about aiming his sword at the world, he couldn't help but want to court death.

It's alright, it's alright. I'm still just a child. Father won't overthink it. When Father starts to worry, I can resign from my position as Crown Prince.

I'll make many contributions to Great Qing, and then use those contributions to buy a large hot-springs estate after I resign.

Yinreng made an excuse for his recklessness, refusing to admit that he was indeed restless.

Yinzhī patted Yinreng's head again and said to Mingzhu, "Don't let down the Crown Prince's advice, who risked his life to guide you."

What danger? Mingzhu frowned in thought, then gasped as he recalled the eunuchs that Yinreng and Yinzhī had mentioned.

He should have realized long ago that those around the Crown Prince would definitely report everything about him to the Emperor. The Crown Prince had many miraculous stories surrounding him and was exceptionally precocious; perhaps the Emperor would protect him even more closely.

This showed how much the Emperor valued the Crown Prince. But judging from the words of the First Prince and the Crown Prince, this high regard seemed almost suffocating.

"This old minister understands," Mingzhu replied immediately. "I will certainly not let down the Crown Prince."

After nuzzling Yinzhī a few times, Yinreng smiled at Mingzhu and said, "Whether you let me down or not doesn't matter. Don't let down Khan-Father, who promoted and valued you. You are different from others; Khan-Father is the one who recognized your talent. The wealth and honor you desire depend solely on Khan-Father. Open your eyes and see if those relatives and old nobles can really pose a threat to Khan-Father."

Mingzhu broke out in a cold sweat again.

Yinzhī sneered, "When Imperial Grandpa was weak, they couldn't cause him any trouble. They only forged an edict after Imperial Grandpa's death to spite him. Although Khan-Father wasn't good to his younger brother, the Crown Prince, he is still a powerful emperor. Do they dare to rebel?"

Mingzhu immediately knelt down and kowtowed again, terrified.

How could the First Prince possibly talk about rebellion so casually?!

Yinzhī glared at Mingzhu, who was kneeling and kowtowing, not daring to speak: "They always think that they can threaten Khan-Father just because they lead troops, but do they dare to shout 'treason' and see what happens? Prince Ying was so powerful back then, and Imperial Grandpa killed him whenever he wanted. Do they still think those soldiers are their private army? Times have changed."

Yinreng tugged at Yinzhī's sleeve: "Big Brother, Prince Ying is Lord Mingzhu's father-in-law."

Yinzhī said, "Shouldn't Mingzhu understand this better? How can he be so stupid? Does he really deserve your advice?"

Yinreng said, "Lord Mingzhu is just old. Times have changed, and he hasn't kept up with the times."

Yinzhī sighed, "These old ministers are such a hassle."

Seeing that Mingzhu was about to have a brain hemorrhage, Yinreng quickly changed the subject: "Big Brother, what brings you here?"

Yinzhī slapped his forehead: "Oh, I have something to tell you, I almost forgot. Gu Zhenguan and the others are here. They're very interested in the play we were talking about. You should come too, let's write the play together."

Yinreng looked at Mingzhu with pity once more: "Alright."

Lord Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief, finally seeing off the two princes who nearly scared him to death.

At that moment, he had no idea what he was about to encounter.

Among the entertainments favored by scholars and literati, listening to opera definitely ranked in the top three.

When they couldn't become officials and were short of money, they often helped opera troupes write plays. Occasionally, more unconventional literati would even go on stage to act and sing, which was considered a refined pursuit.

Gu Zhenguan and others came from the south, where the opera culture flourished even more during this era. They could grab anyone from the marketplace and have them sing a few lines in a high-pitched voice.

Kangxi valued Gu Zhenguan's character and gradually gave him important positions.

The Qing dynasty did not strictly adhere to the imperial examination system when appointing officials. Juren and men who never took the imperial examinations were everywhere, unlike the Ming dynasty, where only members of the Hanlin Academy could hold high office positions.

Kangxi valued Gu Zhenguan, so Gu Zhenguan rapidly rose in rank.

After the New Year, Gu Zhenguan would follow the path taken by Elder Yu Chenglong and take up an official post in another region. If Gu Zhenguan achieved political success in office, his career would proceed smoothly thereafter.

Before leaving the capital, Gu Zhenguan visited Nalan Xingde at the Nalan residence for a short visit. He entrusted his friend Wu Zhaoqian, who would continue to live in his own home to recuperate, to Nalan Xingde.

After Nalan Xingde followed the Crown Prince, he was busy with official duties and had fewer gatherings with his friends.

Today, everyone gathered here, truly ready to drink a jar and make friends over wine.

As a result, Yinzhī arrived at the gathering with his brothers. The group of scholars looked at each other in bewilderment and immediately replaced the wine with tea.

Drinking in front of a prince could be a serious problem if one lost control. Even if one didn't lose control, if a prince secretly drank some wine and got sick, they would lose their heads.

The three princes were still children. Apart from Gu Zhenguan, who was familiar with Yinreng and perked up at their arrival, the others did not treat them as honored guests and did not think that they would gain anything by performing well.

If you wanted to attach yourself to a prince, you had to wait until the prince left the palace and established his own residence. What could these children possibly understand now?

"I want to write a play like this." Yinzhī got straight to the point, presenting the story outline that he and Yinreng had already summarized. "This play is intended for the common people, so the lines should be as simple as possible."

"The marketplace? In plain language?" A scholar frowned.

Yinzhī had a bad temper and looked like he was about to explode, but Yinreng patted him with his dog's paw so he held back.

Yinreng smiled and asked, "What do you all think poetry, prose, and drama are?"

The scholars looked at the childlike young prince and were at a loss for words for a moment.

They weren't unaware. They were just carefully considering how to phrase things in a way that would make the child understand.

Yinreng glanced at the scholars, and Nalan Xingde and Gu Zhenguan immediately sat up straight: "It is an expression."

The scholars looked at the young prince.

"Both spoken and written words are for expression, for others to understand one's meaning. Even the most sophisticated art forms seek kindred spirits, and even the most refined tastes hope to find appreciative listeners. Do you all agree?"

Yinreng glanced at the scholars again, and this time the scholars looked at the young Crown Prince with more seriousness.

"In the past, Bai Juyi and Du Fu would read their poems to illiterate people. They understood this very well, knowing that their poems could be sung by the common people. Therefore, you should understand the purpose of your creation before each creation."

"Poems and essays written for high-ranking officials, poems and essays written for close friends, poems and essays expressing personal feelings and hoping to be understood, and poems and essays that educate the world. The wording and expression of these articles are certainly different."

Yinreng slapped the table with his dog paw, which was not very imposing, but it still captivated everyone's attention.

"You are all scholars, and the classics, histories, philosophical works, and collected writings you read are mostly presented in the form of dialogues, without much profound language. Is it because the sages of the past couldn't use those ornate phrases? No, it's because the sages of the past wanted to use the most common words, as if speaking to you face to face, to convey their thoughts to you."

"What is a play? When you entertain yourselves, it's your freedom to make the play as profound as you like. But if the First Prince wants to create a play that can educate the common people, then it must be as simple and easy to comprehend as possible, understand?" Yinreng laughed. "No one would use obscure and difficult classical texts to enlighten illiterate children, would they?"

The scholars looked at each other in bewilderment.

They couldn't understand how a child's willfulness could be related to educating the people.

Only Nalan Xingde and Gu Zhenguan, who participated in the writing of the myths, immediately realized something and hurriedly said, "We will do our utmost."

They winked at their friends.

Hurry up and agree!

After being reminded by Gu Zhenguan, Wu Zhaoqian immediately said, "This commoner is willing to take up the brush for His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness the First Prince, and His Highness the Third Prince to educate the common people."

Other scholars, seeing that someone was taking the lead, immediately echoed it.

They attached themselves to the Nalan family, intending to use its power to advance their own careers. Although they didn't trust the young princes to offer them any benefits, they still trusted Nalan Xingde and Gu Zhenguan.

"Very good." Yinreng withdrew, letting Yinzhī continue.

Yinzhī swiftly put forward his demands, especially the central idea, which absolutely could not be changed.

The man must be deeply devoted and unwavering, and the woman must be steadfast and resolute. The two must be in perfect harmony, lovers and confidants, and no other woman or man should interfere.

Oh, right, such a perfect love story must be marred by some outside slander, saying that the woman was jealous and that her relationship with the man must be very bad.

The scholars were puzzled: "Why?"

Yinzhī said, "Just write it when I tell you to! Why are you asking so many questions!"

Yinreng comforted Yinzhī: "Doesn't the outside world's lack of understanding just prove how precious their deep love as husband and wife is?"