He’s only been born for a few days – what’s wrong with wetting the bed!
Yinsi glared at Yinzhen’s face with frustration, though as a newborn infant, all he could do was cry helplessly.
“Let me see.” Wen Shan came over and confirmed he had indeed wet himself, promptly working with Zhen Zhu and Hupo to change Yinsi’s diaper.
Yinzhen watched Wen Shan bustling about before going to the study to fetch a book, declaring seriously: “Consort Xuan, let me read to my younger brother.”
Seeing Yinzhen holding a book about Tang Dynasty history, Wen Shan asked with interest: “Has the Imperial Study tutor been teaching you about Tang history recently?”
Yinzhen nodded as he opened the book. Wen Shan continued: “Which part is the tutor covering now?”
Yinzhen: “The Xuanwu Gate Incident.”
Wen Shan: “…”
Yinsi: “…”
Little Yinsi’s face showed a dazed expression.
Seeing Yinsi’s stunned look, Yinzhen sighed like a proper little adult: “Eighth Brother, you must study hard to become a pillar of the court and share Emperor Father’s burdens.”
Yinsi kicked his little legs, attempting to kick his Fourth Brother.
Wen Shan suppressed her laughter and pulled Yinzhen aside: “Alright, no reading for now. Let’s have lunch first. Consort Xuan made your favorite braised fish.”
“Okay.”
Yinzhen obediently put away his book and was taken by Zhen Zhu to wash his hands.
Wen Shan walked to Yinsi’s crib and looked at his fair, tender face and wildly kicking limbs, unable to resist teasing him: “Yinsi, drink your milk properly. When you grow up, you can eat fish with your brother.”
Who wants to eat fish with Yinzhen!
Being reborn as an infant who couldn’t even roll over was frustrating enough for Yinsi. Now having his lifelong rival from his previous life constantly appearing before him was testing the composure he had cultivated over many years.
Though Yinsi’s soul was that of Prince Lian who had experienced a lifetime of ups and downs, this newborn body naturally carried some infant instincts he couldn’t resist. Lately, he felt his behavior and thoughts had become quite childish.
At just over half a month old, Yinsi could only drink milk. However, since becoming fully conscious, he found it difficult to accept being breastfed by wet nurses. When he was with Consort Wei, his senses were still somewhat blurred and he often couldn’t control his limbs, so he had no choice but to drink breast milk for half a month. But now Yinsi could firmly shake his head to refuse the wet nurse’s feeding.
“Consort Xuan, the young prince suddenly refuses to drink milk for some reason,” the wet nurse reported worriedly to Wen Shan.
Wen Shan, who had just finished lunch with Yinsi and was accompanying Yinzhen in his writing practice, frowned: “What do you mean he refuses milk? Is the young prince spitting up?”
Though she had never raised children herself, she had heard about infants spitting up milk.
The wet nurse shook her head repeatedly: “When I tried to feed the young prince just now, he suddenly struggled and refused to drink any, no matter how I tried to coax him.”
This greatly troubled the wet nurse, as the Eighth Prince had always been very well-behaved and never acted like this before.
Wen Shan grew concerned, worried that Yinsi might be ill, and quickly rose from the couch. Turning around, she saw Yinzhen holding his brush and watching her. Wen Shan asked: “Yinzhen, would you like to continue practicing your writing here or come with Consort Xuan to check on your younger brother?”
Yinzhen’s tense little face immediately relaxed as he climbed down from the couch and took Wen Shan’s hand. “Yinzhen wants to see younger brother.”
All imperial princes were assigned four wet nurses from birth. The remaining three wet nurses were now anxiously circling around Yinsi – whenever they tried to unfasten their clothes to nurse him, the Eighth Prince would begin kicking wildly and stubbornly turn his head away.
“Oh my little ancestor, just take one sip!”
“What shall we do? How can the young prince survive without nursing?”
Surrounded by wet nurses attempting to feed him from every angle, Yinsi felt utterly hopeless. Would someone please save him!
Perhaps heaven had heard his plea, for a pair of warm, soft hands took him, and Yinsi found himself cradled in an embrace that carried a pleasant floral fragrance.
Wen Shan had entered the room to see Yinsi struggling violently in a wet nurse’s arms. Fearing he might be dropped, she quickly took him into her own arms.
Fortunately, Yinsi settled down immediately in her embrace and stopped struggling.
The wet nurses looked at one another with worried expressions – if the young prince refused to nurse, they would have no purpose here.
“Did the young prince behave this way when he was with Consort Wei?” Wen Shan asked.
“No, never. The young prince always nursed on schedule before. This has never happened,” a wet nurse hurriedly replied.
These wet nurses had served Yinsi since his birth. Just days ago, they had privately remarked how well-behaved and obedient the Eighth Prince was, saving them much trouble. Who could have predicted today’s sudden change?
“Could it be that you’ve eaten or used something the young prince dislikes?” Wen Shan pondered before asking again.
The wet nurses grew even more anxious. “Your Highness Consort Xuan, please understand – our daily meals and routines are strictly regulated. We would never break the rules.”
“Indeed, even if someone were breaking rules, it couldn’t explain why all four of us cannot feed the young prince.”
Wen Shan looked at the now calm Yinsi in her arms with growing concern. Was he not adapting to the new environment?
Or was he hunger striking to protest being separated from his birth mother?
Meanwhile, Yinsi was growing hungry. He racked his brains trying to figure out how to let Consort Xuan know he was hungry without having to nurse from the wet nurses.
“Perhaps we should first…”
“Waa—waa—”
After much thought and growing hunger, Yinsi ultimately followed his infant instincts and chose crying to express his extreme hunger.
Wen Shan was startled. “What’s wrong? Why is he suddenly crying?”
The wet nurses were equally confused. After quickly checking that Yinsi hadn’t bumped himself and didn’t need a diaper change, and considering his earlier refusal to nurse, none of them considered that he might be hungry.
Yinzhen, who had been watching quietly, suddenly spoke up. “Mother Xuan, could Eighth Brother be hungry?”
Yinsi’s crying stopped abruptly.
How did Fourth Brother know?!
Seeing Yinsi stop crying, Wen Shan said uncertainly, “Could he really be hungry?”
The wet nurses immediately tried nursing him again, but as expected, Yinsi struggled desperately.
Yinsi clenched his tiny fists in determination – he’d rather starve to death than drink a single drop from these women!
Wen Shan grew increasingly worried. What in the world was happening?
“Mother Xuan, what if we try feeding Eighth Brother with a spoon?” Yinzhen suggested another idea.
Hearing this, Yinsi immediately waved his little hands in agreement.
Having no other options, Wen Shan decided to try this last resort, instructing the wet nurses to express milk into a bowl and feed Yinsi with a spoon.
I never expected this method would actually work—Yinzhen obediently drank it all.
Wen Shan widened her eyes and pulled Yinzhen over, asking, “How did you know your younger brother wanted to drink milk from a spoon?”
Yinzhen replied, “When Fuqi first arrived, he was just a little puppy too. I fed him milk with a spoon.”
Yinsi, focused on drinking his milk: “…”
Well done, Yinzhen! How dare you compare me to a dog!
“Oh dear, the Eighth Prince is choking!” the wet nurse exclaimed.
Xianfu Palace was thrown into rare chaos. Fortunately, Yinsi fell sound asleep after finishing his milk. Seizing the opportunity while he was asleep, Yinzhen reached out and gently touched his little cheek.
There was no other way—when Yinsi was awake, he absolutely refused to let Yinzhen touch him.
“He’s so soft.”
Wen Shan teased him with a smile, “When Consort Xuan first saw you at Cining Palace, she also wondered, ‘Whose child is this? So adorable and soft.'”
Yinzhen’s face flushed red from Wen Shan’s teasing. He remembered being punished by Emperor Father to kneel in the snow back then, and Consort Xuan had come to wipe his face.
Wen Shan hugged Yinzhen and stayed by their side for a while longer, watching Yinsi sleep soundly before finally taking Yinzhen away.
When Yinsi was just over a month old, Wen Shan was astonished to discover that he could already roll over.
Though he couldn’t fully turn over yet, he had managed to roll halfway.
Yinsi, diligently practicing his rolling every day, was filled with pride and determination. He had to grow up quickly so he could escape the torment of his wretched Fourth Brother!
Surprisingly, Yinzhen adored Yinsi immensely. He would run over every day to talk to him, and Yinsi’s ears were nearly calloused from all the chatter.
Until one day, the thoroughly annoyed Yinsi finally managed to stage a tangible rebellion against his Fourth Brother’s tyranny—he rolled over and presented his rear end to him.
When Wen Shan found out, she was overjoyed. She hugged Yinsi and showered him with kisses, praising him as a clever child.
Yinsi felt a bit shy from all the affection. Though he still didn’t fully understand why Fourth Brother was being raised here, he had come to realize that Consort Xuan was a good person—kind to both Fourth Brother and himself, treating them as her own sons and taking care of everything meticulously.
In his previous life, although Yinsi had a good relationship with Wei Shi, he had been raised by Consort Hui from a young age and rarely saw Wei Shi. Thus, his childhood had been lacking in maternal love.
Unexpectedly, in this new life, even though he was still separated from Wei Shi, some of the regrets from his past life were being mended.
So, Yinsi took advantage of his young age and the freedom to act spoiled, using his infant status as a cover to subtly compete with Yinzhen for favor.
For instance, right now, he smiled sweetly and planted a kiss back on Consort Xuan.
Hmm, seeing Fourth Brother’s face darken like a burnt pot made him even happier.
He gave her another kiss.
“Little Eighth, how can you be so adorable?” Wen Shan lifted Yinsi high in the air, making him giggle with delight.
But the moment he turned to face Yinzhen, he immediately wiped the smile off his face and put on a stern expression.
Yinzhen: “…”
He felt like his younger brother was targeting him, but he had no proof.
Yinsi was well-behaved, adorable, and smiled at everyone he met—a rare and delightful baby. After raising him for some time, Wen Shan began to understand how his future reputation as a virtuous prince was already evident in his childhood.
Throughout the entire palace, there were only two people Yinsi never smiled at: Yinzhen and Kangxi.
After discovering this, Yinzhen felt a small sense of relief. At least his younger brother wasn’t singling him out alone.
However, since Kangxi did not visit frequently, Yinsi’s differential treatment was still directed solely at Yinzhen.
Yinzhen possessed a stubborn and resilient nature—the more he was rejected, the more persistent he became. When Yinsi refused to engage with him, Yinzhen devised various ways to amuse him, showering him with gifts and making several unwavering daily trips to Yinsi’s quarters, leaving Wen Shan both amused and exasperated.
Nearly a month after Yinsi had been placed in her care, Consort Tong Jia, who had miscarried over a month earlier, finally met with her mother.
Madam Tong Jia had requested an audience early in the morning. As soon as she entered the main hall of Chengqian Palace and saw her daughter—thinner and pale—her heart ached. After observing the proper formalities, she hurried forward to clasp her daughter’s hands.
“How have you grown so thin?” Madam Tong Jia stroked her daughter’s face tenderly. “Mother knows you’re grieving, but your health must come first.”
Consort Tong Jia let out a sorrowful laugh. “What use is my health now that I’ve failed to keep my little prince?”
Madam Tong Jia sighed. Taking in the opulent furnishings of the hall—the exquisite and costly ornaments, the rosewood daybed her daughter reclined on, and the Shu brocade pillow worth over a hundred gold pieces—she understood that the Emperor still held her daughter dear.
Dabbing her daughter’s tears with a handkerchief, Madam Tong Jia comforted her, “You’re still young. There will be more children. Wasn’t I past thirty when I had you and your siblings?”
Consort Tong Jia buried her face in her mother’s embrace and wept bitterly. “Mother, he was almost seven months old. He could already move—he was a little prince, Mother.”
“I know, I know,” Madam Tong Jia soothed, patting her daughter’s back. “As the saying goes, ‘Good things take time.’ Everything will get better. The entire Tongjia clan stands behind you. What is there to fear?”
After weeping in her mother’s arms for a while, Consort Tong Jia felt some of the pent-up sorrow in her heart begin to dissipate.
“Did you listen to my advice? You haven’t brought the Fourth Prince back, have you?” Madam Tong Jia asked once her daughter had calmed down.
Consort Tong Jia hesitated and remained silent.
Seeing Madam Tong Jia growing anxious, Chen Momo interjected, “Rest assured, Madam. The Noble Consort informed the Emperor that her health has not fully recovered and requested that the Fourth Prince remain at Xianfu Palace for the time being.”
“That’s the right decision,” Madam Tong Jia said, patting her daughter’s hand earnestly. “I advised you years ago to find a way to send the Fourth Prince away. An adopted child can steal the fortune meant for your own. I believe your miscarriage was caused by the Fourth Prince’s ill influence.”
“Mother!”
Madam Tong Jia cut her off sternly. “I speak from experience. When I struggled to conceive, your grandmother urged me to adopt your half-sister. I refused, even at the risk of displeasing my mother-in-law, and soon after, I had you and your siblings. Your maternal grandmother taught me this—she did the same.”
“Besides, if the Fourth Prince were recorded under your name in the Imperial Genealogy, it might be different. But he remains Consort De’s son. Isn’t it unjust that raising her son for her has harmed your own child?”
Noting her daughter’s silence, Madam Tong Jia pressed on, “In my view, you should take this opportunity to let Consort Xuan raise the Fourth Prince. Focus on recuperating, and you’ll surely conceive again soon.”
Noble Consort Tong Jia felt somewhat conflicted. Ever since Yinzhen was brought to Chengqian Palace, Madam Tong Jia had rushed into the palace to persuade her not to keep him. At that time, Noble Consort Tong Jia had been unable to conceive, and seeing Yinzhen’s adorable, jade-like appearance, she couldn’t bear to part with him. Yet her mother’s words had planted a thorn in her heart.
Over the years, she had treated Yinzhen with indifference. By convention, since Yinzhen was raised in her palace, he could have directly called her “Mother.” But haunted by her mother’s warning, she only allowed him to address her as “Noble Mother.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t care for Yinzhen—she did, or she wouldn’t have defied her mother’s opposition to raise him by her side. Yet her affection was always overshadowed by her mother’s words, leaving her uncertain how to treat Yinzhen.
Thinking of her own son, who had passed away before birth, Noble Consort Tong Jia pressed a delicate hand to her chest and sighed, “Let me think it over, Mother.”