bookrandom Chapter 226: Not steaming steamed buns to fight for your reputation
Chapter 226: Not steaming steamed buns to fight for your reputation
It's true that emperors' words are as good as gold. Since Kangxi said that little Hongxu couldn't compete with Yinzhuo in his eyes, he really meant it. Sure enough, the very next morning, after Yinzhuo paid his respects to his father for the New Year, he received a double red envelope from his father.
"Brother, look at this year's red envelope, isn't it exceptionally round and full?"
To be honest, the eldest brother wasn't really interested in watching. Yinti squeezed the dry little purse in his own hand, then looked at the purse in Yinzuo's hand that was almost bursting, and sighed helplessly in his heart. Alas, judging from the situation this year, even the power of grandparental affection isn't working...
As the saying goes, "It's not about steaming buns, it's about saving face." Holding his two bulging purses, Yinzhuo stood at the entrance of the Qianqing Palace flower hall like a greeter. Whenever one of his brothers entered, he would hold up the purse and show it to them from all angles, determined to regain the confidence he had lost in Yonghe Palace the day before.
Kangxi turned a blind eye to Yinzhuo's childish behavior, which only fueled Yinzhuo's arrogance. In addition, his brothers gave him a lot of face, and now our Prince Zhao's confidence was so inflated that he was practically floating on air.
"Hey, Tenth Brother, did we get up really fast today? I haven't seen him before, have I? Isn't that Sixth Brother dressed like a red-robed man at the entrance of the flower hall? No, what happened this early in the morning that made him so happy he's practically snotting from his nose?"
Upon hearing Yin Tang's words, Yin Yi subconsciously took several steps back. People say that it's unlucky to be beaten on the first day of the Lunar New Year, so he'd better keep his distance from his ninth brother to avoid getting too close and affecting his sixth brother's performance.
Although Yinzhu was feeling quite arrogant at this moment, his ears were still working perfectly. In fact, even if his hearing wasn't working well, it wouldn't matter much, since with Yintang's loud voice, it would be difficult for him not to hear him.
"Hey, big brother, can you hold these things for me? I think Old Nine is itching for a beating again. I'll go and loosen his skin."
Yinti, who always loved watching a good show, saw Yinzuo hand over the two purses he had been carrying and quickly took them. He then took a few steps back, found a seat, and began to watch the spectacle intently.
Although Yinzhen had offended his sixth brother unintentionally by not thinking straight, he wasn't stupid. Seeing his sixth brother approaching menacingly, he wasn't about to stand there and get beaten up. He glanced around and saw Yinzhen standing not far away. He quickly ran a few steps to him, grabbed Yinzhen, and stood between himself and the approaching Yinzhen.
"Sixth Brother, let's talk this out. Look, it's the New Year today, we can't get angry. I was just being cheeky, it's all my fault. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me, okay? This is in front of so many brothers. I'm a grown man, if I get beaten up, I'll lose face. Look, Thirteenth and Fourteenth are watching."
Now, it's not just the thirteenth and fourteenth princes watching them; it's as if all the masters sitting in the Qianqing Palace are watching them. Yinzhu glanced at the crowd watching the spectacle, then looked at Yinxi, who was awkwardly caught between the two of them by Yintang, and couldn't help but glare at Yintang.
"Letting you go isn't impossible. Here's what we'll do: when you go to Shou Kang Palace to offer New Year's greetings later, be sweet-talking and work hard to make all the concubines happy. Give me all the red envelopes you receive, and I'll let you go."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen frowned. This task seemed simple, but it was actually quite difficult to complete. My dear sixth brother, don't you know your younger brother me? You can ask me to be sarcastic, but asking me to be sweet-talking and coax people seems so difficult to me.
Whether it's a close call or not, Yinzhen doesn't dare to say no now. Sigh, he'll just have to stall for time. Although he agreed to his sixth brother's request, Shou Kang Palace will definitely be a den of dragons and tigers in a while. But if he dares to refuse now, he'll be executed immediately. Who can he rely on to save him? His brothers who are now watching the show with great amusement, or his father who is pretending to be asleep and blind? Come on, he can't count on either of them.
To be fair, Yinzhen was absolutely right. His father, who had been blind just moments before, immediately regained his sight as soon as he saw them sound the retreat. Kangxi glanced at everyone in the flower hall, and after confirming that no one was missing, he got up and walked out first. Yinti and Yinreng exchanged a glance and immediately followed.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Shou Kang Palace was just like every year. If you had to describe it in eight words, it would be "a dazzling display of beauty and prosperity." This was exactly the kind of joyful and harmonious scene that Yinzhuo loved to see. From the moment he entered, the smile on his face never faded. His little mouth was as sweet as honey. From the Empress Dowager down to the concubines in the palace, they were all completely charmed by him. There's a saying that it's easiest to make money off women, and that's certainly true. Look at how happy they are; Dexi's tray is almost overflowing.
Although Yinzhen couldn't speak to people in the same way as Yinzuo, he was still very clever. From the moment he entered Shou Kang Palace, Yinzhen stayed by Yinzuo's side without leaving his side. When his sixth brother made his New Year's greeting, he had a ready-made formula to use. With a slight modification, it became his own lyrics. Gradually, everyone in Shou Kang Palace discovered a scene that was incredibly shocking and bizarre.
"My dear Consort Yi, what's wrong with our Ninth Prince today? He's never been this sweet-talking in previous years. Could it be that the Sixth Prince's shamelessness has become so widespread that it can be passed down from generation to generation?"
Not to mention Consort De's confusion, even Consort Yi was full of questions. No, could it be that she suddenly became unusually energetic today, or that the wish she made to the Eternal Heaven last night had come true? Is this person with a bright smile and honey-smoked lips still her son who could infuriate people with his words? If it's spread like this, then that's not bad.
Do the ladies sitting in this Shou Kang Palace lack money? Obviously not. After Yin Tang followed his sixth brother around for a while, it was like opening a new world for him. No, it was practically a risk-free business. No wonder his sixth brother would come to Shou Kang Palace every year to have some kind of show.
"Here you go, Sixth Brother, this is all from your younger brother. Take it. Let's consider what happened between us over. Don't come after me later."
With two full trays of purses, Yinzhuo had no mind to argue with Yintang anymore. Hearing this, he waved his hand to indicate that the matter was over, and then took Dexi and ran over to Yinti and the others to show off.