Rebirth: I'm a Daddy's Darling in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 178 The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves forward, and a new generation s

The first thing Yinzhen and the others had to do after returning to the capital was to go to the Qianqing Palace to report to Emperor Kangxi. Although they both knew that Emperor Kangxi was aware of what they had done in Lincheng, they still had to go through the proper procedures.

"Father, your son is back. You've missed me for so long, haven't you?"

Hearing the commotion, Kangxi didn't even need to think; he knew it must be the most shameless of his sons returning. Ever since receiving the news that Yinzhuo and the others were coming back, Kangxi had been eagerly anticipating it. Now, upon hearing Yinzhuo's voice, he couldn't sit still any longer.

"What are you shouting for? I'm not blind or deaf. Do you think I can't see you once you come in?"

Although Kangxi spoke words of reprimand, his actions were quite the opposite. Before Yinzhen and Yinzuo could even greet him upon entering, he grabbed one of them and scrutinized them closely.

"Fourth Prince, you've worked hard these past few days. I see you've lost a lot of weight recently. So I'll give you ten days off to go back and rest properly."

How can one describe the complexity of Yinzhen's feelings at this moment? He truly embodied the phrase "overwhelmed with gratitude." Before entering the room, Yinzhen never expected his father to do such a thing to him, holding his hand and showing such concern. Shouldn't this be the treatment that his sixth brother should receive?

Yes, shouldn't this be the treatment I deserve? Sixth Brother is also full of questions right now. Wait, how come the weather has changed so much since I just went out? Good heavens, it's only been a month or so since we last saw each other! Is your heart not like an elevator? I've seen some descend quickly, but I've never seen one descend this fast.

"Hmph, just as the saying goes, 'The new generation surpasses the old,' and it's only been a short time since we last met. Father, you've really changed your mind. It seems you don't even have a thought for your son anymore..."

What kind of nonsense is this? Kangxi didn't even need to look at Yinzhuo's expression; just from his affected tone, he knew that Yinzhuo was putting on an act again. So he let go of his two sons' hands and slapped a big potsticker on Yinzhuo's forehead.

“I’ve told you to look at fewer sketchbooks every day, but you never listen. Look at what you’ve learned now! What have you accomplished? It’s not your turn yet!”

Both hands are flesh and blood. Kangxi felt sorry for Yinzhen because his hand was thin, but he felt even more sorry for Yinzuo because his hand had suffered so much. When he held their hands just now, Kangxi could see the frostbite on Yinzuo's hand at a glance, and he was regretting it now.

“Sigh, I shouldn’t have let you go with your fourth brother in the first place. Look at the mess you’ve made of yourself. If you’d only lost weight, that would be one thing, but you’ve even got frostbite on your hands. I sent you to help your fourth brother, not to keep watch outside all day. Besides your hands, is there anywhere else on your body that’s frostbitten? Liang Jiugong, go and fetch Physician Wang. Let him take a look at this kid…”

Who was Yinzhuo? Even the Monkey King probably couldn't have been as good at taking advantage of others. Kangxi didn't ask, but once he did, things got really interesting. Yinzhuo didn't stand on ceremony with his father at all. He took off his shoes, pulled up his socks, and stretched his bare feet out in front of his father, pointing to the chilblains on his feet and starting to complain to his father.

“Father, look at my feet. There’s not a single good spot left. You have no idea how hard life was for my fourth brother and me in Lincheng. Even though we received special treatment from Lord Sun, we only had so much charcoal to keep warm each day. The carriages in the county government office were all dismantled and turned into flatbed carts for hauling things. We basically got around on foot and kept warm by shivering. We just had to rely on our strong will to get by every day…”

It must be said that Kangxi was truly exceptional in his treatment of Yinzhuo. At this moment, not only did he not mind Yinzhuo's large feet sticking out in front of him, he even went over to look at the frostbite on his feet, and then asked Liang Jiugong to fetch water for his two sons to soak their feet.

Yinzhen could hardly believe his eyes. "Wait, is the relaxed atmosphere between you two always this strong?" he thought. "Father, you still dare to say you're not blind? If you weren't blind, such a big foot would be stretched out in front of you and you wouldn't even see it! If it were me, would I do the same...?" He continued, "Looks like I was too moved too soon..."

Soaking his feet in the Qianqing Palace was a completely new experience for Yinzhen, something he had never even considered trying in the first twenty years of his life. Even though he usually seemed composed, he couldn't remain calm at this moment. However, compared to his nervousness and restraint, Yinzuo's performance was simply one word: enjoyment. He nestled into the chair, his eyes slightly narrowed, his fingers tapping out a rhythm in the air, as if he were in his own bathhouse, not the Qianqing Palace.

Physician Wang's medical skills were proven by the whole family's online game, and although the chilblains on Yinzhuo's hands and feet looked quite serious, after his treatment, they improved a lot in just a few days. Before Yinzhen's vacation was even over, Yinzhuo's hands and feet had returned to normal.

Ever since Yinzhu returned from Lincheng, his father has been keeping him in the Qianqing Palace to recuperate. The most exercise he gets each day is probably walking from his bedroom to the dining hall, and then from the dining hall to his study. You know, people are just like that, always wanting to be pampered. Before, when he was busy every day in Lincheng, with a sore back and aching legs, he only thought about being able to rest properly after returning to the capital. But now that he has real leisure time, with everything done for him, he finds life meaningless.

"Father, look, the chilblains on my hands and feet are almost healed now. It's not good for me to keep staying here and bothering you. How about I move back to Nan San Suo today?"

Upon hearing this, Kangxi immediately understood Yinzhuo's little scheme. He wasn't worried about disturbing him by staying here; he was probably tired of being controlled by him and wanted to move back to the Southern Third Palace for some peace and quiet. Kangxi had kept Yinzhuo in the Qianqing Palace before to keep an eye on him while he applied the medicine. Now that his frostbite was almost healed, it was entirely up to him to decide whether to stay or leave.

"Go on, do you think I'm so willing to keep you here? Don't forget to apply medicine to your hands and feet when you get back. The weather is still cold. If it gets worse, you'll suffer later."

Of all Kangxi's words, Yinzhi probably only truly absorbed the first two words – "Go." What did those two words mean? They meant that his days, which were comparable to being in prison, were finally over. So Yinzhi quickly bowed to his father and smiled.

"Alright, that son of yours will be leaving now. I'll come back to see you after I've had my fun..."