EBE Chapter 135 You're swearing pretty badly, kid.
Chapter 135 You're swearing pretty badly, kid.
Not only Emperor Kangxi, who saw Yinzhuo almost every day, was used to Yinzhuo's unreliable behavior, but even his brothers, who hadn't seen him for a long time, had also gotten used to it.
"Sixth brother, you're certainly having a good time, but it's a pity for your eldest brother. Not only have we endured wind and rain and travel fatigues along the way, but we also have to deal with those courtiers whose minds are full of scheming and deceitful thoughts."
When it comes to fighting on the battlefield, Yinti has never been afraid of anyone, but just thinking about dealing with that group of scheming scholars later on gives him a headache.
Yinzhuo looked up at Yinti, who frowned at the mere mention of those court officials, and then at Yinreng beside him, who effortlessly subdued them. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at his elder brother. No, brother, since you're so willing to deal with those court officials, what are you fighting for in history? Are you just trying to make things difficult for yourself since you're living such a comfortable life for the next few decades?
"Look at what you're saying, brother. Maybe this is what they mean by 'the blessed don't have to work hard, while the unlucky work themselves to the bone.'"
As soon as Yinzhuo said this, the huge Qingxi Study fell into an eerie silence for a moment. Then, Kangxi and all the princes looked at Yinzhuo, who had spoken.
The moment their eyes met, father and son, brothers, Yinzhuo seemed to read the same message in their gazes: "You're swearing pretty rudely, kid..."
"Well...hehe...just kidding, just kidding, don't take it seriously. Brother, where were we? Right, you'll have to deal with those scheming courtiers at the banquet later, right? I have an idea for you. Just stick close to Father or Second Brother. You won't have to bother dealing with them; they'll avoid you on their own."
The tactic of changing the subject was indeed effective. As soon as Yinzhuo said this, not only was Yinti's attention diverted, but even Kangxi and Yinreng's focus was also shifted to him.
"I can understand why the court officials dare not approach me when I'm with the Khan because they are afraid of his authority. But why do they avoid me when I'm with your second brother?"
Despite being stared at by everyone, Yinzhuo didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, he got up and walked mysteriously to Yinti's side, whispering in his ear.
“Brother, let me tell you, I saw that Second Brother gave Father a little notebook. It was full of the little tricks he caught the court officials during his time as regent. Think about it, they have something on Second Brother, so they wouldn’t dare to hang around him. If you stay by Second Brother’s side, you’ll definitely have peace and quiet.”
Yinzhuo's voice was neither too loud nor too soft. Not only could Yinti beside him hear it, but everyone else sitting in the flower hall of Qingxi Study could also hear it. When Yinzhuo first spoke, everyone was quite curious and pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what he could say. But after he finished speaking, apart from Kangxi and Yinreng who still had smiles on their faces, the eyes of everyone else looked at him with a hint of danger!
"Little Six, are you kidding me? Let's not even talk about whether such a little notebook even exists. Even if it did, it would be a miracle if your father told you what was in it. You're just here to mess with your older brother. Do you believe I'll beat you up...?"
Just as Yinqi's slap was about to land on him, Yinzu quickly dodged to the side, then took a few quick steps to Kangxi's side and squeezed in to sit next to him.
"Father, look at my brother, I was just joking with him, why is he so upset? Besides, you'll know whether my idea works or not at the banquet later."
Kangxi raised his hand and patted Yinzhuo on the back, signaling him to behave himself and stop provoking his elder brother. Then his gaze involuntarily fell on Yinreng, who was calmly drinking tea with a cup in his hand.
Yinzhuo was obviously talking nonsense, after all, he knew perfectly well whether his father had such a small book or not. However, what he said just now was not entirely nonsense. If Yinti was really willing to listen to him and stay by Yinreng's side at the banquet, then he could really save himself the trouble of dealing with the court officials today.
As for the reason behind this, it was certainly not because Yinreng actually held any leverage over them, but rather because they needed to avoid suspicion. Although Kangxi's temperament was not as suspicious and sensitive as it was in his later years, judging from his strict control over all aspects of the court in recent years, his suspicious and sensitive nature had already begun to emerge. And if Yinreng could see this clearly, how could the shrewd people in the court not understand it? Naturally, they would not approach and curry favor with the Crown Prince in front of him when they knew that Kangxi did not want the court officials to get too close to the Crown Prince.
You ask, if that's the case, why didn't Yinti and Yinreng, as princes, sense Kangxi's changes? That's because Kangxi is still relatively young and strong. At this stage, his suspiciousness and sensitivity are mainly directed at the ministers in the court. In other words, with those ministers in front of him, Kangxi hasn't noticed his sons yet.
After Kangxi dealt with those court officials and turned the entire court into his personal fiefdom, his attention naturally turned to his sons, including Yinqi. That's why Yinzuo said that his father was too idle and wanted to use the country, where he was living a comfortable life, as a game for his father to play. If his father had something to do, he wouldn't be able to keep bothering his sons all day.
To be fair, Yinzhuo's method was quite effective. From the very beginning of the banquet, Yinzhuo became a tagalong, either hovering around Kangxi or following behind Yinreng. Occasionally, when someone bold enough came to offer a toast, he could use the excuse of being injured to escape. However, Yinti and Yinzhi were not so lucky. Waves of people came to offer toasts, and even someone with Yinti's high alcohol tolerance couldn't last until the banquet was halfway over. Not to mention Yinzhen and Yinqi, they couldn't hold on after two rounds and eventually simply lay down on the table pretending to be unable to hold their liquor.
"Hahahaha~~ Father, look! Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother have already collapsed because they couldn't hold on any longer. Eldest Brother is probably going to be next. If you ask me, Third Brother is the smartest. When those roughnecks came, he pulled them aside and started lecturing them on Confucianism. When those civil officials came over, he pulled them aside and started lecturing them on how to kill enemies on the battlefield and how heads rolled down in a flash. He annoyed both sides to no end. Look how peaceful it is on his side now."
Following the direction Yinzhuo pointed, Kangxi saw Yinzhen and Yinqi slumped over the table, and Yinzhi sitting upright next to them, drinking alone.
"The third brother is quite quick-witted. His method is good. It not only avoids trouble but also avoids offending anyone. But haven't you been ordering your second brother around to peel lychees for you all this time? How do you know so much about your third brother's situation?"