funbook-pk Chapter 502 Second Brother, you just missed the good times!
Chapter 502 Second Brother, you just missed the good times!
Leaving aside whether Yinreng would dare to argue with his father, Yinzuo had spent so many years with Kangxi that even if he wasn't a mind reader, he could still guess some of his father's thoughts. He was also good at taking advantage of situations, and as soon as he saw Kangxi's expression, he knew that he was somewhat tempted. Goodness, that would only make him more eager.
"Alright, Father, you should think it over carefully. But if you ever decide to run away, you absolutely must take your son with you. Then, the two of us can team up, you take me, I'll take the money, and we'll dash off across the land..."
Seeing that Yinzhu was about to start singing, Yinreng quickly stepped forward and covered Yinzhu's mouth.
"Sixth Brother, your second brother has been working hard all afternoon and finally caught his breath. Just let me have some peace and quiet. Also, you're not doing things right. Why are you only thinking about going to conquer the world with Father? Where is your second brother? Are you really going to leave me here in the capital and have to live at the mercy of your fourth brother?"
Yinzhuo was nearly choked by Yinreng's sudden covering of his mouth and struggled for a long time before finally managing to free himself from his second brother's words. Upon hearing Yinreng's words, he couldn't help but lean closer and stare at him carefully.
"Second brother, what you're saying makes no sense. What do you mean I'm being dishonest? What do you mean I'm leaving you here in the capital? I'm just worried that you, with your delicate and pampered nature, won't be able to endure the hardships of wandering. Besides, this is nothing yet. Don't worry, as long as you're willing, Father and I will definitely take you with us wherever we go."
Am I precious and noble? Am I delicate and fragile, unable to endure the hardships of this wandering life? Do you want to hear what you're saying? Let's see who's truly more vulnerable to hardship. When your second brother takes medicine, it's not like it's been forced down his throat…
Yinzhuo had no idea what his second brother was thinking about him right now. Even though he had said earlier that it was still nothing, it didn't stop him from dreaming about the future.
"Father, what do you think about us going to Jiangnan and finding a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains to build a big house and live in seclusion? Ideally, the house would be by a lake, or we could find a place by the sea in the south. That way, we could be happy people, opening the door every morning, and wow, there it is, facing the sea, with spring flowers blooming..."
Yinzhuo became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already envision a wonderful, happy, and free life in the future.
Although the capital city is nice, it has too many rules. Although Yinzhuo has a much easier and more comfortable life than his other brothers, as the saying goes, who would complain about having too many good things?
"Stop, Xiao Liu, don't be so optimistic. Let me interrupt you for a moment. I just wanted to ask you, does your fourth brother know that you've been such a jerk to your father?"
Look at that question! You said I'm setting him up, so can I let him know? Do I dare let him know? After all, the throne doesn't seem so coveted anymore. If he gets so angry that he quits, who will I complain to?
"Second Brother, there are only three of us in this room right now: you, me, and Father. As long as you don't say anything, Fourth Brother will never know about this. Besides, what you said doesn't make sense. How can this be called setting a trap? I'm clearly helping him! They say a soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier, so can a crown prince who doesn't want to be the emperor be a good crown prince? I'm helping him advance his career."
Good heavens, you've said both good and bad things. Yinreng looked up at his father, who was sitting to the side watching them bicker with a smile, and was speechless. Hey, judging from your expression, you actually agree with what he said. Then let me ask you, why did you treat me like a thief when I was the crown prince?
Perhaps it was because the look of confusion and heartache on Yinreng's face was too obvious, or perhaps it was because the brothers had spent so much time together that they had developed a certain tacit understanding, but for a moment, Yinzuo really understood what his second brother's enigmatic expression was trying to convey.
"Second brother, all I can say is that you just happened to be born at the wrong time."
Yinzhuo's words were true; Yinreng really did not live in a good era. Kangxi was indeed a great emperor with great talent and ambition, but he also had the common flaw of all emperors—suspicion.
An aging and suspicious emperor, and a young, strong, and popular crown prince—it seemed like a recipe for disaster. And indeed, the facts proved this right. If it weren't for Yinzhuo, that butterfly frantically flapping his wings, the father and son would have inevitably met their predetermined fate in history.
But Yinzhen was different. Kangxi had learned his lesson from his mistakes, so he learned from them. You can't let the same stone trip you up twice.
To be honest, Yinzhuo's words were a bit harsh, but fortunately, Yinreng was quite open-minded. He slapped away Yinzhuo's arm from his shoulder, glared at him, and got up to sit in the seat furthest away from him.
The topic was brought up by Yinzhuo out of boredom, and after the commotion, he moved on from it. Kangxi and Yinreng obviously didn't care much about it either. The three of them chatted about other topics for a while until they had dinner, and then they went back to rest.
The Spring Festival of the 56th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign seemed to be largely the same as in previous years, except that the ancestral worship ceremony was moved from the Imperial Ancestral Temple to the Imperial Mausoleum.
Before dawn, Dexi dragged Yinzhu out of bed and, still half asleep, helped him wash and change. Then, he followed Kangxi and his group of brothers to the imperial mausoleum to see his ancestor.
After the entire ancestral worship ceremony was completed by following the same pattern, it was already dawn outside. On the way back, in the imperial carriage, Yinzhuo was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed, leaning against Kangxi. His brothers, who had also gotten up early, were all gritting their teeth in disgust.
"Come on, Xiao Liu, wake up! It's already bright outside, why are you still sleeping? Wake up! There are a bunch of people waiting outside. It's not appropriate for you to go downstairs looking so sleepy."
What's that saying again? Envy and jealousy can change a person beyond recognition. Yinti is clearly unrecognizable now. There's a saying that brothers should share both good times and bad. Why is it that you can sleep soundly while we have to rely on sheer willpower to stay awake even though we both get up before dawn...
What could Yinzhi do when his elder brother relentlessly harassed him in his sleep? He simply raised his hand and slapped the harassing hand away. Yinzhi was clearly not one to sit idly by and wait to be hit. Seeing Yinzhi's slap coming, he quickly dodged to the side. Good heavens, then there was a loud slap. Without even thinking, you knew that Yinzhi's hand had hit him.