bookrandom Chapter 209 And this is it? You still have the nerve to say you can't play the fool?
Chapter 209 And this is it? You still have the nerve to say you can't play the fool?
Although Consort De's words were a big blow to the Fourteenth Prince, they were not without harm to Yinzhuo as well. The most direct manifestation of this was that on the first day of the Lunar New Year, he got up early in the morning, dressed himself up like a red envelope, and then took Dexi and rushed to his father's Qianqing Palace.
“Father, you must tell me today whether I am your most beloved son.”
Kangxi got up before dawn, went through the whole process of worshipping Buddha, writing, and offering sacrifices, and by the time it was already broad daylight, he finally had a moment to rest and catch his breath. But before he could even sit down, Yinzhu arrived. Judging from his words, it was clear that he had been through something traumatic. Kangxi gave Liang Jiugong a wink, and Liang Jiugong immediately greeted Yinzhu with a smile.
"Your Highness, you've arrived! Your servant Liang Jiugong is here to wish you a Happy New Year. May everything go smoothly and prosperously for you in the new year."
Yinzhuo wasn't stupid or blind, so he naturally understood what his father meant by having Liang Jiugong come over to greet him. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face, especially since the other party was there to offer New Year's greetings. Yinzhuo stopped, reached out to help Liang Jiugong up, and then took a purse from Dexi and stuffed it into Liang Jiugong's hand.
"Then let's follow Eunuch Liang's auspicious words. Here, take this red envelope for the new year. It's not much, just to wish you good luck in the new year."
Liang Jiugong accepted the purse handed to him by Yinzuo without any pressure. After all, this was a reward he had received openly and legitimately, with the emperor's tacit approval. Moreover, as Yinzuo had said, the purse only contained some gold and silver coins; it wasn't much, just a lucky charm.
Kangxi was hoping that Liang Jiugong's intervention would help Yinzhuo gloss over the question from earlier. However, our Prince Zhao seems a bit persistent today. Perhaps he was too upset with his mother yesterday and is trying to regain his confidence by coming to his father's side.
"Father, you haven't answered your son's question yet? Is he really your most beloved son?"
Well, this matter has come full circle. Kangxi pinched the bridge of his nose, cleared his throat, and then looked at Yinzhuo. He didn't want Yinzhuo to be unhappy on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but his father was the type who loved but couldn't express it. Kangxi opened his mouth for a long time but couldn't utter a single word, which made Yinzhuo very anxious. Well, he knew that this question was a bit too difficult for his father. After being an emperor who held the reins of power for decades, a father whose majesty was inviolable, it was a bit hard for him to say such mushy words all of a sudden.
"Alright, son admits that my question was a bit tricky. How about this, if you think I am your most beloved son, then please nod your head."
Nodding was easy enough. Yinzhuo's importance in Kangxi's heart was self-evident. As soon as Yinzhuo finished speaking, Kangxi nodded. This nod was no small matter. Our Prince Zhao immediately became arrogant.
"Hahahaha, I knew it! How could no one want someone as good as me? It's true that your mother has no taste... Little Honghui, you can be your grandmother's first grandson, and I'll be your grandfather's first son..."
Upon hearing this, Kangxi understood perfectly well what was going on. So, this guy had failed to win favor with his nephew at his mother's place yesterday, and now he was trying to regain his confidence by coming to him. Who spoiled him with this bad habit? He loves to compete for the top spot so much, but why doesn't he use that competitive spirit for something worthwhile...
Emperor Kangxi stared at the smug Yinzhuo for a long time, ultimately unable to bear disciplining him when he was so happy. Why upset the child during the New Year? Let him be spoiled; he's still young, he can be taught slowly later…
The old father dismissed the matter by saying the child was still young. The father and son ate a simple meal, and then Yinti and Yinreng arrived. Yinzuo, along with the other princes, paid New Year's greetings to Emperor Kangxi and received a large red envelope that was much larger than that of the other brothers. Then, he happily went with his father, brothers, and other relatives to Shou Kang Palace to pay New Year's greetings to the Empress Dowager.
Shou Kang Palace has always been the main battlefield for Yinzhuo to pay New Year's visits and receive red envelopes every year. When Kangxi arrived with all the princes, almost all the concubines in the harem whose names he could name were sitting there. Yinzhuo's smile became even brighter when he looked at all the people in the room.
"Your grandson, Yinzhuo, greets Your Majesty, wishing you all your worries to vanish and happiness to remain forever in the new year. May you be healthy and free from illness, and may your heart be at ease and your dreams be sweet. May everything go smoothly and may peace and tranquility accompany you from dawn till dusk every year."
Yinzhuo was always sweet-talking; he had a whole repertoire of sweet words to coax anyone he wanted to please. The Empress Dowager already adored him, and now she was completely charmed by his flattery. When it came to rewards, she was incredibly generous. Yinzhuo received the same treatment as Yinqi, without missing a single thing. The two of them stood there, each holding a plate of rewards, trying to win over the old lady. It made Yinti and the others' scalps tingle. Good heavens, they finally understood why their father had been smiling so creepily earlier—he had been bewitched by Yinzhuo's sweet talk.
Yinzhuo's performance this year remained stable. With his honeyed tongue, he dominated Shou Kang Palace. Dexi's tray was piled high with purses, even more than the younger generation like Hongxi. Yinti and the others looked at their meager possessions and sighed helplessly.
"Sigh, that's why they say that if you're thin-skinned, you can't get anything, but if you're thick-skinned, you can't get enough. Look at Xiao Liu, and look at us. It's like comparing heaven and earth."
"Who can argue with that?" Fourteenth Prince looked up at Yinzhuo, who was chatting and laughing with the Empress Dowager on either side of his fifth brother, and curled his lip. "Heh, he still has the nerve to say he can't play the grandson? He's playing it pretty well."
After the New Year, everything returned to calm. This year's spring was noticeably cold, and even though the first month of the lunar calendar was almost over, the weather showed no signs of warming up. Last night, it started snowing again outside. The next day, Yinzhu naturally found a good excuse to stay in bed—snowy days are definitely the perfect match for sleeping.
Snowy days are indeed perfect for sleeping. Yinzhu slept until almost noon before waking up. Dexi heard the noise and pushed open the door to help him wash up and get dressed. Then she brought him the breakfast that had been kept warm on the stove.
"Before we knew when you would wake up, we didn't have anyone prepare lunch. Please have something to eat to fill your stomach. I will send someone to the kitchen to instruct them to prepare lunch for you."
Yinzhuo glanced at the food on the table and waved to Dexi. He couldn't eat much by himself. There was rice, vegetables, porridge, and noodles on the table, which was quite a feast. He definitely wouldn't be able to finish this lunch, so preparing it would be a waste.
"No need to prepare lunch. There's plenty of food here, and I'm not very hungry. I'll just eat something simple. How's the weather outside? Is it still snowing?"