Compared to the Ninth Prince’s enthusiasm, Yinti was unusually quiet. He recognized the Crown Prince, but there was a significant age gap between them. In the past, whenever they met, the Crown Prince was always behind Emperor Father, surrounded by numerous imperial clan members and court officials, exuding an air of aloofness that kept others at a distance.
Now, seeing him in person, Yinti curiously glanced at him twice before quickly averting his gaze. He instinctively shrank behind the Ninth Prince, Yin Táng, his small hand quietly clutching the hem of the Ninth Prince’s robe, like a timid little creature.
Yinzhen took in all his subtle movements, his frustration deepening, and his expression grew even colder.
The Crown Prince paid no attention to Yinzhen’s expression. Seeing Yinti’s timid demeanor, he unconsciously softened his voice, speaking more gently than usual: “Fourteenth, do you still recognize me?”
“I recognize you, Crown Prince Brother,” Yinti peeked out from behind the Ninth Prince, his voice soft and sweet.
Looking at the exquisitely delicate and adorable little figure before him, the Crown Prince’s fingers twitched slightly, as if he wanted to reach out and give him a gentle pat.
But before he could act, the Ninth Prince cleared his throat softly and tugged at Yinti’s arm: “You should address him as His Highness the Crown Prince!”
With that, the Ninth Prince pulled Yinti forward to bow: “Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Suppressing the subtle impulse in his heart, the Crown Prince maintained his dignified composure and nodded slightly: “Rise. Are the two of you quarreling and going to Emperor Father to settle the matter?”
“Huh? We’re not quarreling!”
“Mm,” Yinti also tilted his little head, looking puzzled. “I asked Ninth Brother to help me and go with me to settle accounts with Emperor Father!”
At these words, the Crown Prince’s expression turned peculiar, and Yinzhen raised an eyebrow, saying sternly, “Yinti, don’t talk nonsense!”
“I’m not talking nonsense!” Yinti retorted, his little neck stiffening.
“No, no! Fourteenth, don’t speak carelessly!” the Ninth Prince hurriedly interrupted him, then turned to the Crown Prince and Yinzhen, explaining with a pained expression how Yinti disliked the small boats in Xiyuan and insisted on seeking an explanation from Kangxi. He ended with a sigh: “Your Highness, Fourth Brother, please talk some sense into him! This kid is a real stubborn mule—I’m at my wit’s end.”
“I’m not a stubborn mule!”
“You clearly are,” the Ninth Prince rolled his eyes. “I’ve been trying to reason with you for so long, and you still insist on going to Emperor Father. If you’re not a stubborn mule, what are you?”
“Ninth Brother, you’re so silly—I’m a person!” Yinti protested indignantly, cupping his little face in his hands. “I’ve seen a mule in a picture book—it has a long face and long ears. I don’t look like that at all.”
The Ninth Prince was left speechless and could only glare at him.
Observing their exchange from the side, the Crown Prince nearly burst out laughing, finding Yinti utterly innocent and adorable. Holding back his laughter, he stepped forward to mediate: “Fourteenth, Ninth Brother isn’t saying you look like a mule—he’s saying you’re stubborn.”
“Stubborn? What’s stubborn?”
“It means your character, your temperament.”
“But I’m not a mule, so how can I be like one?”
“Hmm… Fourteenth Brother, have you ever seen a little donkey in person?” the Crown Prince thought for a moment and asked in return.
Yinti shook his head: “No, I haven’t.”
The Crown Prince curved his lips into a smile: “Then shall I take you to see one? Once you see it, you’ll understand why Ninth Brother said that.”
Yinti had been pouting at first, but upon hearing the words “see a donkey,” his eyes immediately lit up. He reached out and grabbed the Crown Prince’s sleeve, happily agreeing: “Okay!”
The Ninth Prince tried to hold back but couldn't resist, seizing a moment when Yinti wasn't looking to give the Crown Prince a thumbs-up.
As the Crown Prince led the three toward the inner servant quarters of Xiyuan, Kangxi was in Qinzheng Hall summoning court officials to handle state affairs. First, he issued an edict exempting the tax deficits of fifteen prefectures, counties, and guards including Liuhe in Jiangnan. Then, he ordered officials to go and provide relief in the Shengjing and Heilongjiang regions, reducing taxes and increasing food subsidies to ensure the local people could survive the winter smoothly.
Finally, there remained the matter of strengthening border defenses and vigilance against incursions by the Rasha people. After much deliberation, Kangxi ultimately entrusted this task to Suo Etu.
For a moment, many gazes fell upon Suo Etu. Ever since Nalan Mingzhu was stripped of his position as Grand Secretary on charges of abusing power for personal gain and forming extensive factions, causing his status to plummet, Suo Etu had monopolized authority over the next two years, growing quite smug.
Unexpectedly, during the Galdan Campaign earlier this year, he once again acted carelessly and was punished by the Emperor with a demotion of four ranks, nearly wiping out all his power.
Compared to the First Prince, who gained considerable merit from participating in the campaign and now stood firmly entrenched in the Ministry of War, many in the court had secretly marveled over the past few months at how swiftly fortunes could change.
But now, upon hearing the Emperor's appointment, they couldn't help but exchange glances and sigh once more at Suo Etu's good luck—no! It should be said he was riding on the Crown Prince's good fortune.
Just then, a palace attendant came to report that the Fourteenth Prince was dragging the Ninth Prince toward Qinzheng Hall.
The court officials still remembered the conflict between the Fourth Prince and the Ninth Prince, and upon hearing this, they couldn't help but show expressions of eager curiosity.
Of course, Kangxi had no intention of letting outsiders feast on his family's drama. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed everyone.
But before they had even left the room, another palace attendant arrived to report, this time mentioning the presence of the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince as well.
Hey! This combination was even more unusual!
As the court officials walked out the door, they wondered what could possibly be happening between the Crown Prince and the three princes.
After some discussion, they suddenly remembered Suo Etu was also present. They quickly halted their speculations and turned to look, only to find Suo Etu had already vanished without a trace.
"Minister Suo—"
"Ahem."
"Minister Suo has been keeping a very low profile lately."
"The Emperor's reprimand is truly well-intentioned," sighed an official who disliked factional strife, feeling increasingly convinced of the Crown Prince's stable position.
Suo Etu, who had indeed been keeping a low profile, walked a great distance before slowing his pace, his face etched with anguish. If he hadn't failed in the court, why would the Crown Prince have to associate with a bunch of young princes whose status was far beneath his own? Suo Etu, deeply worried, blamed himself entirely and resolved to reclaim his authority no matter what.
Meanwhile, Kangxi walked to the pavilion but found no trace of the Crown Prince or Yinti and the others. "Where has the Crown Prince gone?"
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has taken the Fourth Prince, Ninth Prince, and Fourteenth Prince to see the donkeys."
"…Donkeys?"
At the same time, the Crown Prince had already brought the three to the miscellaneous affairs area. This was a region Yinti had never seen before. He looked around curiously, fascinated by every detail.
The eunuch in charge soon came forward, bowing in greeting before cautiously inquiring about their purpose.
"I've come to see the water-carrying donkeys."
"Yes! This servant will lead the way at once!" Though puzzled, the eunuch in charge dared not ask further and guided the four to the water storage area.
As soon as they approached, the four of them spotted several small donkeys pulling water carts. The young eunuchs, seeing the Crown Prince and the princes arrive, quickly set down their tasks and knelt in unison to pay their respects.
"Rise, all of you," the Crown Prince waved his hand, then turned to Yinti and said, "Fourteenth, look, these are small donkeys. Don't reach out to touch them—be careful, they might kick."
Yinti, who had just stretched out his hand, swiftly withdrew it. He circled the small donkey once, then asked curiously, "Where are they stubborn?"
"Watch this," the Crown Prince said with a laugh, then signaled a palace attendant to step forward and lead one of the donkeys.
Yinti watched curiously as the attendant approached, took the reins, and tried to pull the donkey to the left. The donkey, however, stood firmly in place, gently swishing its tail.
"Move, move, move!" The attendant pushed and pulled, but the small donkey remained motionless.
Just as Yinti began to wonder if there was a secret command, the attendant changed direction. This time, without a word, the donkey immediately took small steps and moved.
"Huh? Why didn't it move just now?"
"When a small donkey decides on a direction, if you try to force it to go elsewhere, it'll dig in its heels," the Crown Prince crouched down and patiently explained. "That's why people call those who are stubborn and inflexible 'stubborn donkeys.'"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Hmm… it depends on the situation, doesn't it?" The Crown Prince thought seriously for a moment, then smiled. "Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. We shouldn't judge based on what others say—we should decide for ourselves."
Yinti seemed to understand, yet not entirely. After a moment's thought, he nodded earnestly. "Then I'd rather be a stubborn donkey."
The Crown Prince was amused by his straightforward words and couldn't help but reach out to ruffle his hair. It felt soft and fluffy, even better than he had imagined. "Well, being a little stubborn donkey isn't so bad!"
Yinti, the little stubborn donkey, felt affirmed and grew even happier, circling the donkey two more times.
Meanwhile, the Ninth Prince, who had been following behind, felt a growing unease and whispered a reminder, "Your Highness, don't indulge him! His goal is—"
The Ninth Prince mouthed silently, "To find Emperor Father!"
No sooner had he spoken than Yinti, now satisfied, ran back and grabbed the Crown Prince's wrist. "Brother Crown Prince, let's go find Emperor Father!"
The Ninth Prince immediately wore an 'I told you so' expression.
The Crown Prince also felt a headache coming on and tried to persuade him. "Your Ninth Brother is right. Those large ships can't enter the capital, let alone come into Xiyuan."
"Then Emperor Father lied to me!" Yinti's face instantly fell, his little mouth pouting so much it could hang an oil bottle. "Maybe there aren't any big ships at all—maybe he was just tricking me!"
"They exist, of course they do," the Crown Prince quickly reassured him. "During the Fujian Navy's review in the twenty-second year, the sails of those warships were taller than city walls. The hulls had several decks and could carry hundreds of people, steady even on the sea."
"Really?!" Yinti's eyes instantly lit up, and he gripped the Crown Prince's sleeve even tighter. "Has Second Brother seen them? Where is Fujian?"
The Crown Prince felt quite uncomfortable with the sudden closeness and instinctively moved aside to avoid it. Once he had stepped away, a flicker of regret crossed his eyes, feeling his reaction had been too obvious. Unexpectedly, Yinti not only failed to notice and distance himself but even took two steps forward, nearly pressing against the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was momentarily stunned but ultimately did not move away again, replying stiffly, "I read about them in memorials. As for Fujian… it's a full three thousand li from the capital."
"Three thousand li? How far is that?"
"The Forbidden City stretches three li from Tian'anmen to Shenwu Gate. Three thousand li is a thousand times that distance."
"A thousand times? How big is a thousand times?"
"…" The Crown Prince gradually began to feel the pain Ninth Prince had just admitted to, shifting his feet uneasily.
He thought for a moment before slowly continuing, "Fourteenth, you could pick up one leaf, then pick up a thousand leaves. The difference between them is a thousand times."
Before Yinti could ask another question, the Crown Prince quickly steered the conversation back: "When you grow up, Emperor Father might take you to Tianjin Port, or perhaps send you south to places like Jianghai Customs, Zhehai Customs, or even Minhai Customs. Then you'll be able to see for yourself."
"When will that be?"
"When you're a bit older."
"How long until I'm considered older?" Yinti's little face gradually puffed up, unable to understand why they used such vague words to describe time.
Later, maybe, perhaps.
Yinti didn't like these words. He huffed and declared, "Why do I have to wait until I grow up? I want to go now!"
The Crown Prince was amused by his willfulness and bent down halfway to coax him, "You're still too young now. It would be dangerous to go outside the palace gates. What if a big gray wolf snatched you away? Then you'd never see Emperor Father again."
He had said it casually, never expecting Yinti to immediately ask, "What's a big gray wolf?"
The Crown Prince froze, then had to brace himself and explain. But as soon as one question was answered, a new one popped up—from "Why are there big gray wolves?" to "Doesn't anyone catch big gray wolves?"; from "Where do big gray wolves live?" to "Can we fight off big gray wolves?"… The barrage of questions left the Crown Prince dizzy. His impression of Yinti gradually shifted from soft and adorable to a little demon brandishing a spiked club.
Ninth Prince watched gleefully from the side. Forgetting his earlier displeasure with Yinzhen, he squeezed closer to Yinzhen and even sympathetically patted his shoulder: "Fourth Brother, Fourteenth must pester you a lot usually, right? You have it rough!"
"Could it be that's why your face is so dark?"
"If you'd told me earlier, I definitely wouldn't have deliberately provoked you."
As Ninth Prince chattered on, Yinzhen's face grew darker and darker: He wished Yinti would chase after him with questions, but Yinti avoided him at the sight of him, not even saying a word!
Yet Yinzhen was too proud to explain, so he could only hold it in until his ears turned red, letting out a heavy snort through his nose.
Meanwhile, Yinti finally understood that "big gray wolf" was a term for bad people. He immediately planted his hands on his hips and declared loudly, "I'm not afraid! I'm General Yinti. If one comes, I'll fight one!"
At that, everyone burst out laughing.
The Crown Prince had been troubled earlier by the matter concerning the eldest prince, Yinti. But now, seeing Yinti acting like a little adult, all his earlier headaches vanished, and he once again found him utterly adorable.
He looked up and down at the tiny Yinti, secretly regretting that he was still so young. But then again, being young had its advantages.
The Crown Prince reached out and pinched Yinti's chubby little cheek, his eyes crinkling into a smile: "Becoming a general isn't easy, Fourteenth. You'll have to learn a great many things."
Yinti seemed to half-understand. After a moment, he puffed out his chest and boasted, "Of course! I can learn anything! Emperor Father even said he'll send me to Shangshufang after the New Year!"
"Shangshufang?" The Crown Prince was genuinely surprised this time. He gestured to measure Yinti's height and recalled his age: at most, the Fourteenth was just three years old.
Seeing Yinti's carefree expression, he felt a twinge of pity and said gently, "Alright then, considering you'll soon be studying at Shangshufang, how about your Crown Prince brother plays with you for a while? How about playing eagle catching chicks?"
"No."
"What about tossing sandbags?"
"No, no."
"Then kicking shuttlecocks should be fine, right?"
"No way, I'm not interested in such childish games." Yinti pouted, tugging at Crown Prince Yinreng's hand and shaking it. "Crown Prince brother, come with me to settle accounts with Emperor Father!"
The Crown Prince: "…"
Oh no, this one is truly a stubborn mule.