“Yinsi, let go of your brother’s hand!”
Wen Shan had just entered the room carrying a freshly made chilled dessert when she saw the two brothers Yinzhen and Yinsi on the couch. Yinsi was sucking on Yinzhen’s hand while blinking his large eyes with an innocent expression.
“It’s alright, Mother. My younger brother is just teething – it doesn’t hurt,” Yinzhen said seriously.
Since Yinzhen had returned to Xianfu Palace, Wen Shan had noticed his doting on Yinsi had become even more excessive. He indulged him in everything, even willingly serving as a teething toy without complaint.
“That still won’t do,” Wen Shan stepped forward to rescue Yinzhen’s hand. “I’ve made so many teething toys for him, but this little rascal just loves to bother people.”
After wiping Yinzhen’s hand clean with a handkerchief, Wen Shan pushed the chilled dessert toward him to taste. Since Yinsi started teething, his appetite had been growing stronger. Watching his Fourth Brother eat with such enjoyment nearly made him drool.
“Little greedy-guts!” Wen Shan wiped his drool. “In another two months you can start having some supplementary food. Don’t be impatient.”
Yinsi felt indignant – he wasn’t a greedy-guts! This was just his body’s natural instinct that he couldn’t resist!
Zhen Zhu and Hu Po entered carrying several kites. The weather was fine today with good wind, so Wen Shan planned to take Yinzhen and Yinsi out to fly kites, treating it as a spring outing. She had gotten up early to make numerous pastries and placed them in a food box to bring along.
While efficiently packing things, Zhen Zhu and the others chatted with Wen Shan about the latest palace gossip.
After the Niohuru Clan unexpectedly became the mistress of the rear palace, she began reorganizing the six palaces, with Consort Hui being her first target.
Consort Hui, having received Kangxi’s rewards, considered herself the victor in the recent incident involving Noble Consort Tong Jia. However, the Niohuru Clan had ultimately taken the prize. Since Consort Hui had dared to directly accuse Noble Consort Tong Jia, she certainly wouldn’t hesitate to challenge the Niohuru Clan, who had only recently entered the palace and held the position of consort.
Thus the rear palace became openly divided into two factions – one led by the Niohuru Clan and the other by Consort Hui. The Niohuru faction consisted mostly of those with high birth but shallow roots, while Consort Hui’s faction comprised seasoned palace veterans who had princes and princesses.
The two factions battled fiercely. The Niohuru Clan relied on her youth, beauty, and novelty, while Consort Hui depended on years of established affection and her children. For a time, they were evenly matched.
Of course, there was a third faction in the rear palace that remained aloof, watching the tigers fight from across the mountain – such as Consort Yi, Consort Rong, and Consort De.
Consort Yi and her cousin Lady Guo Luoluo formed their own faction. The two sisters had one prince and one princess between them, creating a strong alliance based on blood relations. Consort Rong, who had borne the most children with both sons and daughters, didn’t rely on anyone. Though Consort De came from humbler origins, having borne two princes made her position increasingly stable.
Moreover, just as the Niohuru Clan and Consort Hui were locked in fierce competition, Consort De became pregnant again.
This development somewhat dampened both factions’ enthusiasm. Consort De had given birth to Yinzhen in the seventeenth year of Kangxi’s reign, Yinzhuo in the nineteenth year, and was now expecting her third child, due to be born in the twenty-first year of Kangxi’s reign next year.
Consort Hui wasn’t particularly concerned. After all, she herself had Kangxi’s first son, The Eldest Prince Yinti, and had once enjoyed great favor. She typically didn’t pay much attention to pregnancies among consorts who couldn’t threaten The Eldest Prince’s position. Besides, Consort Rong, who had entered the palace around the same time as her, had borne five sons and one daughter, though only Princess Rongxian and the Third Prince had survived. With Consort Rong’s example before her, Consort De’s mere third pregnancy didn’t amount to much in her eyes.
The Niohuru Clan was grinding their teeth in frustration. This Consort De, who usually kept a low profile and played both sides, had somehow managed to give birth to three children in a row when no one was paying attention.
Kangxi’s attitude toward the harem could be described as perfectly embodying the phrase “showering favor equally.” He showed no particular preference for any consort. If one had to name someone he favored, it would be the already confined Consort Tong Jia. Yet even with such affection, he had confined her to cultivate without batting an eye. Many consorts secretly sighed in awe, remarking that the emperor’s heart was truly unfathomable.
When Consort De became pregnant again, Kangxi merely followed protocol by bestowing gifts and occasionally visiting. Consort De was gentle and attentive, and the Sixth Prince was at an age of being clever and adorable. So when the Niohuru Clan and Consort Hui temporarily called a truce, they realized that the place Kangxi frequented most had become Yonghe Palace.
Wen Shan, enjoying the drama, couldn’t help but marvel at the situation. These two had been fighting fiercely, only to turn around and find their home base had been stolen.
Yinsi listened with great interest nearby. When Zhen Zhu mentioned that Consort De was pregnant again, Yinsi couldn’t help but glance at Yinzhen beside him. Yinzhen showed no reaction, focused entirely on winding his kite string.
After listening to the latest palace gossip for a while, Wen Shan finished packing up. She happily headed out, holding Yinzhen’s hand with one hand and pushing Yinsi’s carriage with the other.
The flowers in the Imperial Garden were nearly all in bloom by now, creating a vibrant tapestry of colors accompanied by birdsong and floral scents. Just looking at the endless stretch of green grass lifted Wen Shan’s spirits considerably.
Yinzhen was eager to get his kite airborne. Wen Shan taught him hand by hand, while Bao Quan and Zhen Zhu cheered them on nearby. They were all having a lively time. Though Yinzhen failed several times to get the kite off the ground, he didn’t get discouraged, starting his running attempts over and over. Wen Shan found it utterly adorable watching his newly grown small braid bouncing with each run.
Yinsi’s cradle had been placed in a nearby pavilion to keep him out of the sun, with Fei Cui staying there to watch over him. Yinsi sucked his finger while watching Yinzhen and Wen Shan having fun, thinking resentfully that he must grow up quickly! Being confined to a cradle was really boring.
Fuqi, after being carefully nursed by Yinzhen for several days, had regained his usual liveliness. Today he had come along too, running back and forth on the grass with Yinzhen. Wen Shan had brought some toys for him and threw a ball for him to play with.
“Master, Consort De seems to be coming from over there,” Zhen Zhu noticed Consort De holding the Sixth Prince’s hand with several servants in tow approaching from the distant lotus pond and quickly alerted Wen Shan.
Yinzhen and Bao Quan were flying kites and didn’t notice the commotion.
Wen Shan glanced over and saw that Consort De appeared to have taken Yinzhuo to feed fish in the lotus pond. The group stopped by the pond’s edge, and Consort De crouched down to wipe sweat from Yinzhuo’s forehead. The mother and son exchanged some words, presenting a picture of maternal affection and filial piety.
Consort De suddenly looked up and made eye contact with Wen Shan. Wen Shan nodded at her, and Consort De averted her gaze to continue feeding fish with Yinzhuo.
There was mutual understanding between them – Consort De had no intention of approaching, and Wen Shan couldn’t be bothered to engage, pretending not to see her.
Today Wen Shan had prepared red bean cool cakes, creamy corn cakes, and red bean ice dumplings. After watching Yinzhen play for a while, she waved him over.
Yinzhen loved the red bean cool cakes and ate several pieces in one go, followed by a bowl of red bean ice dumplings. After finishing, he still seemed tempted to reach for the sweet, soft corn cake, but Wen Shan, worried he might overeat and get a stomachache, firmly stopped him.
Yinzhen drank the sweet, smooth goat milk that Wen Shan had specially prepared for him, gloating inwardly. Hmph, serves him right—he shouldn’t be the only one missing out!
After resting in the pavilion for a while, Yinzhen grew restless again, eager to go out and play. He kept glancing outside, and Wen Shan couldn’t bear to restrain him. She changed him into a lighter outer garment and let him go play.
Wen Shan fanned herself as she watched Yinzhen and Fuqi running around on the grass. Smiling, she said to Yinsi, “Little Eight, grow up quickly. When you’re older, you can play with your brother.”
Yinsi babbled in response.
Such an energetic Fourth Brother—he had never seen him like this in his previous life.
After playing for a while, Yinzhen returned with a handful of flowers. He had picked several jasmine and rose blossoms and rushed back excitedly to give them to Wen Shan. He even carefully placed one beside Yinsi.
Yinzhen had cleaned the flowers meticulously, especially the one for Yinsi, removing all the thorns and excess leaves. He watched Yinsi nervously, afraid he might not like it.
Yinsi tilted his head to glance at the flower, then at Fourth Brother’s expectant expression, and thought, Fine, I’ll give Fourth Brother some face.
Hmm… since Fourth Brother has been decent to me, I’ll treat him better in the future.
Seeing Fourth Brother so anxious, afraid I might not like it, is almost pitiful.
“Consort Xuan?”
Wen Shan, who had been talking to Yinzhen, looked up and saw it was Consort Min.
Consort Min was an elegant woman, well-read and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was one of the few talented women in the rear palace, gentle-natured and well-liked. She and Wen Shan had spoken a few times and had a good relationship.
“Greetings, Consort Min,” Yinzhen paid his respects, and Consort Min smiled as she looked him over.
“It’s only been a short while, but Fourth Prince has grown so much.”
Wen Shan waved her round fan and invited Consort Min to sit down. “What brings you out today? A few days ago, I heard from Consort Yi that you had caught a chill. I was planning to visit you in a couple of days.”
This is the future mother of the 13th Prince.
The deputy emperor of the Yongzheng era, personally endorsed by Yongzheng as the “most perfect man in the universe”—the 13th Prince, the best brother in the world. What a reputation!
Though Little Thirteen isn’t even a thought yet.
Consort Min smiled and said, “It was just a minor illness. A few bowls of bitter medicine, and I was almost fully recovered.”
When Consort Min saw Yinsi, she couldn’t help but sigh, “Consort Xuan, you are truly blessed to have two little princes to keep you company.”
Yinsi also recognized her as the mother of the future 13th Prince. Seeing Consort Min naturally made him think of Old Thirteen.
Closer to Fourth Brother than his own blood brothers, Fourth Brother always had him in mind for everything, even giving him the title of Chief Minister of Affairs. The mere thought of their mutual admiration and deep brotherly bond made Yinsi glare at the rose beside him with displeasure.
“Yinzhen and Yinsi are both well-behaved and don’t cause trouble,” Wen Shan said, handing a plate of pastries to Consort Min. “Try some—I made them myself.”
Consort Min didn’t stand on ceremony. After tasting one, she praised them highly. Wen Shan listened, thinking to herself, Cultured people really are different—their compliments are so soothing to the heart.
“I ran into Lady Niohuru on my way here,” Consort Min chatted casually. “She was just leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The servants were carrying a Suzhou embroidery screen—it seemed to be the one from the Emperor’s bedchamber.”
“Didn’t His Majesty just reward Consort Hui with a cloisonné ruyi scepter yesterday.” Mentioning this reminded Wen Shan of the gossip Zhen Zhu had told her this morning – the Niohuru Clan truly refused to suffer any losses.
Consort Min showed little interest in the rivalry between the Niohuru Clan and Consort Hui, merely admiring the folding screen embroidered with the Nymph of the Luo River, which was exquisitely crafted.
After chatting for a while as the sun grew increasingly scorching, they each returned to their palaces. However, Yinzhen inexplicably noticed that his younger brother seemed unwilling to engage with him again.
Only after Yinzhen coaxed and played with him for quite some time did Yinsi finally grace him with a couple of responses.
Days flowed by like running water. By the time Yinsi was over seven months old, he could already sit and crawl, though he remained too dignified to scramble about like other children. Usually, he would only make a token effort to crawl when Wen Shan coaxed him.
Apart from attending school and taking care of Fuqi, Yinzhen spent his days playing with Yinsi. His current greatest goal was teaching Yinsi to speak.
“Gege, call me gege.”
Yinzhen looked expectantly at Yinsi, who was dressed in a bright red bellyband, his fair and tender skin making him resemble a little fortune baby. The child was playing with the tangram Wen Shan had made for him.
As Yinzhen approached, Yinsi utterly nonchalantly waved his little hand and smacked Yinzhen’s arm.
“…”
The more setbacks Yinzhen faced, the more determined he became. Finally, when Yinsi was over nine months old, he spoke for the first time.
That day, Yinzhen planned to bathe Fuqi. Bao Quan brought a basin to the courtyard, and Yinzhen rolled up his sleeves, preparing to bathe Fuqi himself. Though usually obedient, Fuqi became rather unruly during baths, constantly splashing water.
Yinsi watched the commotion from the corridor, laughing heartily at the sight of Yinzhen being splashed all over. Turning to see his ungrateful younger brother gloating, Yinzhen angrily ran over, dipped his fingers in clean water, and smeared it on Yinsi’s face.
“You little rascal, daring to laugh at your gege!”
Yinsi fought back with hands, feet, and even teeth, but ultimately the difference in strength led to his merciless suppression.
Catching sight of Wen Shan approaching from the corner of his eye, Yinsi suddenly raised his voice and shouted.
“Mother!”