Chapter 4: Proposals for the Yuqing Palace

Tsk tsk, a prince is indeed a prince; the place he resides is far superior to ours. Not only is the space spacious, but every piece of furniture and decoration is a masterpiece. Even the palace maids are multiplied by dozens, and each one possesses high standards. Any one of them would have been a beauty queen in a past life. Damn! This guy, the second son, really knows how to enjoy life. Whenever Yinzuo thinks of the residence of his elder brother, he can't help but feel a surge of anger. Although he has no aspirations for the throne, he can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

Damn! Are you trying to put me on the spot? Do you have objections to the Emperor's handling of the matter? That would be treason. Although I am a prince, I wouldn't lose my head over it, but the consequences of being confined are unavoidable, and I cannot bear such a heavy accusation. The trouble is, this is a difficult question to answer: to say I have objections to the Emperor's handling would be treason, but to say I have no objections would imply that my brothers deserve to suffer. The problem is that the root cause of the issue is none other than Yinzhu himself.

At this moment, Yinreng was quite troubled—a group of officials from the Eastern Palace, along with a prince, Suo'ertu, had been discussing for most of the day without arriving at a clear decision. The matter concerning Yaksa was indeed a hot potato, and drafting this report was proving to be quite difficult. It was all the doing of that damned Xiaoliu; he would pay for this sooner or later. Just as Yinreng was cursing Xiaoliu and thinking about Yinzuo, he heard a young eunuch announce: "Yinzuo requests an audience." Yinreng was already feeling annoyed and initially did not wish to meet. However, it would not do to refuse a visit from his own brother; if their father found out, he would surely face the consequences. Thus, he had no choice but to endure his irritation and allow Yinzuo to come in.

"Your Highness, I have come to pay my respects to you, elder brother." Yinzuo had been in the palace for over half a year, and he had already become quite familiar with the court etiquette. Although he was still not accustomed to kneeling, one must bow their head when under the eaves of another. Even though they were both princes, the other was the Crown Prince, a semi-sovereign, and thus he had to perform the rites befitting a sovereign. While he might harbor some resentment in his heart, he could not afford to neglect the formalities.

Yinrang was originally a wise person. Upon hearing the story of Yinzuo, he immediately understood that his younger brother was recounting a variation of the Yakesa incident. After a brief contemplation, he quickly grasped the key point. Although he did not know why this little Liu'er was trying to please him, the gesture was indeed significant, and his face instantly broke into a beaming smile: "Interesting, truly interesting. Sixth brother, this story is indeed splendid; I am greatly honored."

Good strategy! Just as Prince Yinzuo left, a person emerged from behind the screen, and it was Suo E Tu: "Your Highness, this young Liu'er is quite remarkable. At such a young age, he possesses such insight. What is even more commendable is his closeness to Your Highness. One must not underestimate him; he may prove to be a valuable ally in the future."

The story has come to an end, and it is likely that the second brother has understood the underlying implications. Yinzuo does not intend to stay long, and with a cheerful demeanor, he bows and says: "Elder brother the Crown Prince, today I am moving, and there are still some matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first"

Yinreng, the master of Yuqing Palace, was born as the Crown Prince, yet he also lost his mother at birth. However, his status was not threatened by this loss. To be honest, Kangxi was a person who valued the past greatly and was quite fond of this Crown Prince who lost his mother at a young age. Yet, the more the old man cared for him, the greater his expectations became, leading to exceptionally strict demands on the Crown Prince. This resulted in Yinreng feeling like a mouse in the presence of a cat when he encountered Kangxi. Although he possessed considerable abilities, he could only display one or two parts of them in front of the old man. A person who was originally very clever ended up giving a sense of mediocrity, and over time, he became truly mediocre.

Although the snake spirit is also a powerful being, it is ultimately not as formidable as the divine dragon. After being defeated by the divine dragon, it became a captive. The divine dragon was eager to kill it, but did not do so. Why? Firstly, the divine dragon has a nature that abhors killing, and secondly, this snake demon has many brothers. If this snake demon were to die, the other snake demons would undoubtedly come to cause trouble. Although the divine dragon is not afraid of retaliation from the other snake demons due to its own capabilities, it has a vast kingdom to manage and cannot constantly engage in battles with the snake demons. Therefore, the divine dragon did not kill this snake demon but instead detained it, allowing the snake demon clan to send representatives for negotiations to establish their respective boundaries. At the same time, it was announced that if the snake demon clan were to trespass again, they would be mercilessly exterminated, and the entire snake demon clan would be annihilated. The snake demon clan, fearing the might of the divine dragon, thereafter dared not offend the territory of the divine dragon.

Once upon a time, there was a divine dragon with immense powers, ruling over a vast kingdom where various animals lived happily. To the north of the divine dragon's realm lay the territory of a serpent spirit. Although the serpent spirit's powers were not on par with those of the divine dragon, it was still a formidable being. Initially, both parties coexisted peacefully. However, the serpent spirit, being inherently greedy, despite already having a large domain, constantly sought to expand its borders further. It set its sights on the divine dragon's kingdom, seizing opportunities when the dragon was unprepared, encroaching a little today and a little more tomorrow, gradually invading the dragon's territory. Naturally, the divine dragon was aware of the serpent spirit's actions. At first, the dragon did not intend to stoop to the serpent's level, but as the serpent continued to take advantage, the dragon grew increasingly frustrated at the shrinking of its borders. In anger, the dragon went to reprimand the serpent spirit. The serpent, feeling guilty, dared not retort and retreated to its own territory. However, it was not long before the serpent spirit fell back into its old habits, once again encroaching upon the divine dragon's borders. This time, the divine dragon was truly enraged and engaged in a fierce battle with the serpent spirit.

"No need for that. Sixth Brother, what brings you here today? Ah, right, Sixth Brother has just been promoted to a noble title. I actually forgot to congratulate you." Yinreng waved his hand lightly, indicating that he was dismissing Yinzuo's grand gesture. However, Yinzuo did not dare to act disrespectfully in front of the Crown Prince, as he had come here today to please him. Although the words of the second brother sounded particularly harsh, he could only endure it and said cheerfully, "I hope the Crown Prince does not take offense. Today, it is all my fault, making you all kneel for such a long time..."

Yin Zuo had not finished speaking when Yin Reng, feeling troubled, interrupted with a wave of his hand, saying: "What are you talking about, Xiao Liu? Do you have any objections to the Emperor's decisions?"

"Alright, alright, Sixth Brother, take care on your way; I shall not see you off any longer." Yinreng felt he had gained a significant advantage, and his mood was much improved, making his words sound far more pleasant.

It is difficult to respond, so let us refrain from doing so and discuss something else. What is this called again? Ah, yes, it is called "Wang Gu Zuo You Er Yan Qi Ta." After all, I am still a prince. "Elder Brother Crown Prince, today I heard an interesting story from my subordinates, those third-rate fellows. I do not dare to keep it to myself, and I specially invite Elder Brother Crown Prince to listen to it as well."

The palace is the darkest place in the world. The princes who grew up in the palace are not to be trifled with; they have been steeped in schemes and intrigues since childhood. The term 'childlike innocence' is completely foreign to them. Although they may still be small children, they are all old foxes. When Yinreng heard that Yinzuo eagerly came to tell him a story, he understood that there must be something behind it. With a quick thought and a slight smile, he said: "Alright, I have always enjoyed listening to stories, so Little Six, please go ahead and share it with me."

Suoetuo and the Crown Prince went to discuss the matter of Yaksa, and later, the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk between China and Russia was indeed based on the proposals put forth by the Second Prince. This can be considered one of the few significant highlights in the thirty-year tenure of the Crown Prince, but that is a story for another time and shall not be mentioned for now. As for Yinzuo, upon leaving the Yuqing Palace, he was still feeling the pinch in his heart, not because he had given a good idea to the Crown Prince—this was not the time for him to step forward; maintaining a good relationship with the Crown Prince was already a victory in itself, avoiding any potential grievances. Rather, it was because he had to give the eunuchs who reported to him fifty-two silver notes just to meet Yinreng. The money had barely warmed in his pocket before he handed it over, causing him considerable distress—Yinzuo had been quite poor in his previous life, so he thought to himself that he needed to earn money quickly.