That day, after bidding farewell to Cao Yin and Nalan, Yin You went back to find Yinzhen. The little eunuch followed closely behind him the entire time, so much so that anyone unaware might have mistaken him for the Seventh Prince’s personal attendant.
Just before entering the room, Yin You suddenly turned around. The little eunuch, as if afraid he might fall, reached out to support him, only to realize that although the Seventh Prince appeared unsteady on his feet, his stance was actually quite firm—he wobbled but never quite toppled over.
Yin You asked him, “What’s your name?”
“Your Highness, this servant is called Zhao Cheng.”
Yin You nodded. “Mm, I’ll remember that.”
By then, Yinzhen had already completed the assignments given by their imperial father. Seeing his younger brother about to climb over the threshold using both hands and feet, he set down his brush and hurried over. “Xiao Qi, don’t move.”
Hearing his brother call him, Yin You obediently stood still by the doorway.
Yinzhen declined the hand Su Peisheng offered him. Like an adult, he lifted the hem of his robe and, with some difficulty but steadily, stepped over the threshold. Then, he took his younger brother’s hand. “Let’s go, we’re heading back.”
Zhao Cheng had intended to escort Yin You back, but seeing the swarm of palace maids and eunuchs surrounding the two young princes, he merely followed discreetly to the entrance of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
As the entourage moved farther away, he craned his neck to watch. Just then, the small figure seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around, smiling in his direction.
The two brothers walked hand in hand. After covering quite some distance, Yinzhen abruptly stopped. Yin You looked back curiously and asked, “What’s wrong, brother?”
Yinzhen pulled his younger brother closer and mysteriously produced something.
Yin You looked down and saw it was a small paper frog.
A delighted smile spread across the little one’s face, his eyes curving into crescent moons.
Yinzhen placed the frog on the ground and pulled his brother down to crouch beside him. He poked the frog’s backside with his finger, and to their amazement, the little frog hopped forward.
“E’nang taught me this. I secretly folded it today after practicing my calligraphy. We mustn’t let Han Ama know.”
“Mm-hmm, we can’t let Ama know. Xiao Qi will remember.” Yin You’s attention was completely captured by the frog. He extended his chubby little hand and poked it, causing the frog to hop each time, which made him giggle with delight.
The palace maids and eunuchs stood neatly to the side, watching the two young masters huddled together, playing on the ground.
Just as Yin You was fully engrossed in the game, another head suddenly appeared beside them. He was about to look up when a hand shot out with lightning speed and snatched the paper frog from the ground.
Yin You: “…”
Yinzhen: “…”
The little one, still enamored with his new toy, felt a wave of grievance wash over him as it was taken away. He pouted, tears welling in his eyes as he glared at the person before him.
Only then did Yinzhen look up and realize that the one who had snatched the paper frog was another of his brothers—the Sixth Prince, Yinzuo.
Yinzuo was half a year older than Yin You and much taller, with a robust and lively appearance that was also quite endearing.
Yin You obediently called out, “Sixth Brother.Usually, those around him couldn’t resist his acting spoiled, and they would indulge him in everything.
But Yinzuo was not one to be swayed by such tactics. For a child, snatching a toy required no justification. Yinzuo didn’t even see his action as stealing—he simply saw something he liked and took it.
The two children were not in the same weight class in terms of height and build; even on tiptoe, Yin You couldn’t reach it.
Yin You frowned and said to Yinzuo, “If you also like the little frog, I can share it with you.”
This was something the Imperial Noble Consort often said when he played with Yinzhen. Who would have thought the little one had such a good memory and could apply it so flexibly?
Before the birth of the Fifth Princess, the Sixth Prince had been raised alone in Yonghegong, personally cared for and nurtured by his E’nang. Consort De doted on him endlessly, and the maids, palace women, and eunuchs around him dared not utter a single “no” to him.
Even after Consort De recently gave birth to the Fifth Princess, Yinzuo remained her most beloved son.
The Sixth Prince had no understanding of what sharing meant; he only knew that what he liked could be claimed as his own.
Seeing him remain silent, Yin You continued, “But you can’t snatch it. That’s wrong.”
At this moment, Consort De slowly approached from a distance, surrounded by a crowd of eunuchs and palace women.
She was one of Kangxi’s four consorts and also Yinzuo’s birth mother. Standing before the three children now, she didn’t look at Yinzuo and Yin You, who were in conflict, but instead glanced at Yinzhen beside them.
Her expression was complex, carrying an indescribable strangeness. The subtle emotions inadvertently revealed in her eyes left Yinzhen utterly bewildered.
Consort De spoke softly to her son, “Quickly return the thing to your younger brother.”
Yinzuo stubbornly refused, biting his lower lip in grievance, even starting to cry before Yin You did.
Consort De’s voice remained gentle and soft: “That was made by your Fourth Prince for your Seventh Brother. It’s not yours—how could you snatch it?”
For some reason, she deliberately emphasized the words “Fourth Prince,” which sounded particularly uncomfortable to Yinzhen’s ears.
Suddenly, Yinzuo crumpled the paper frog into a ball and threw it at Yin You. What happened next left everyone present pale with shock.
The small and still unsteady-on-his-feet Seventh Prince, seemingly out of nowhere, found the strength to rush forward and push down Yinzuo, who was a head taller than him.
…
After a moment of silence, the child’s cries pierced the sky above the Forbidden City, startling even the guards in the distance.
The Sixth Prince was the treasure of Consort De’s heart. Seeing her son wronged, her anger flared up instantly, but she quickly suppressed it again.
As she helped her son up, she turned to look at Yin You. Despite his young age, the Seventh Prince met her gaze without flinching.
Yin You wasn’t afraid of her. That little frog had been folded for him by his brother. If the Sixth Brother liked it, he could share it, but why did the Sixth Brother have to destroy his thing?
Consort De’s expression darkened, yet she still spoke softly, “It was Yinzuo’s fault for offending the Seventh Prince.”
Yinzhen felt no warmth from her gentleness, only fear, and quickly shielded his younger brother behind him.
Unexpectedly, this small gesture made Consort De’s expression grow even gloomier.
She was angry—first because Yin You had pushed Yinzuo down, and second because of Yinzhen.
Yinzuo’s crying irritated her, and Yinzhen shielding Yin You irritated her even more. She instinctively took a step toward Yinzhen and Yin You but was immediately brought back to her senses by a voice:
“Consort De.”
Consort De turned to look. The person calling her was a palace woman, but not an ordinary one.
Li Xi stood before the two princes with neither arrogance nor humility. “If Your Ladyship has no other matters, this servant will now escort the two princes back to Cining Palace. The Grand Empress Dowager will worry if they are kept waiting too long.”
“… …”
Who in the rear palace did not know that while the Grand Empress Dowager treated all princes and princesses equally, she showed particular favoritism toward Xiao Qi, who had been frail and sickly since childhood.
It was said that when the Seventh Prince was first born, the imperial physicians had declared he would face many trials and tribulations before the age of five. Only if he survived past five could he grow up safely.
Upon hearing “Grand Empress Dowager,” Consort De had no choice but to swallow her towering rage. She glanced at Yinzhen once more, then took Yinzuo by the hand and left quickly.
Yin You lowered his head to look at the little frog that had been crumpled into a ball, silently shedding a tear. Then, with great care, he tucked that piece of paper away and reached for Yinzhen’s hand. “Brother, let’s go back.”
Yinzhen had expected him to burst into loud sobs, but he did not. That small appearance of putting on a brave face despite obvious grievance made his elder brother’s heart ache terribly. He quickly used his sleeve to wipe away the tears. “Don’t cry, Xiao Qi. Brother will fold you a little rabbit when we get back.”
Yin You was carried back to Chengqangong by Li Xi. The moment he saw his E’nang, Yin You could no longer hold back his emotions. With a loud “wah,” he broke into heart-wrenching sobs.
Seeing her son crying so hard he could barely catch his breath, the Imperial Noble Consort felt her heart twist into knots.
After questioning him for a while, but hindered by the child’s young age and limited narrative ability, she only understood that Yinzuo had snatched the little frog. She had no idea where a little frog had come from in the palace.
She pulled the little bundle into her arms, soothing him softly. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Sixth Brother was wrong. He shouldn’t have taken your things without Xiao Qi’s permission.”
Leaning against his E’nang’s shoulder, Yin You cried with hiccups for a long time before gradually calming down. “I said I was willing to share with him, but he still snatched it.”
The Imperial Noble Consort nuzzled her cheek against his. “My precious is the most well-behaved. Don’t cry anymore, E’nang’s heart aches to death.”
Yin You suddenly remembered something and added, “Sixth Brother’s E’nang is so fierce.”
The Imperial Noble Consort’s expression darkened. She asked her son, “Consort De? Was she fierce to you?”
Yin You thought for a moment and amended, “She was fierce to Brother.”
The Imperial Noble Consort then looked toward Yinzhen beside them. The latter recalled Consort De’s attitude at the time and shook his head. “No.”
Later, the Imperial Noble Consort learned the full sequence of events from Li Xi.
All of Consort De’s resentment stemmed from her, the Imperial Noble Consort, yet she had vented her anger on the two children.
Although Yin You was young and could not discern the hidden meanings in the other’s words, he had been an emotionally sensitive child since infancy, particularly adept at sensing the emotions of those around him.
Even though Consort De had not been verbally fierce toward him, he could vaguely sense her unfriendliness.
Li Xi asked, “Should this matter be reported to the Grand Empress Dowager?”
The Imperial Noble Consort shook her head. “At her advanced age, let’s not trouble her with such trivial matters.”
If it were merely a case of two children having a minor disagreement over a toy, the Imperial Noble Consort would not have bothered to intervene. But since it involved her child, she had no choice but to pay attention.
The two brothers, having been frightened, slept that night in the bedchamber with their E’nang. Needing to be close to both their E’nang and their elder brother, they lay in bed, blissfully bubbling with happiness.
Early the next morning, Yin You was the first to wake. After a good night’s sleep, he had completely cast aside the unpleasantness of the previous day.
The little dumpling rolled over, wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck, and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. Yinzhen, who was sleeping on the other side, immediately turned his face toward the wall, silently rejecting his younger brother’s affection.
Yin You was not about to let him off so easily. He pounced over like an octopus, clinging to his older brother’s back. With his small hands cupping his brother’s face, he insisted on planting several quick kisses on his cheek.
Yinzhen immediately turned around and tickled him a few times, and the two brothers giggled as they rolled around on the bed.
The Imperial Noble Consort opened her eyes, looking utterly resigned, wanting to give her children a complete childhood.
Turning her head, she saw Yin You’s innocent, smiling face and the well-behaved, sensible Yinzhen.
The Imperial Noble Consort could only sigh in her heart, accepting her fate—who could bring themselves to scold them?
After yesterday’s incident, she had been reluctant to let Yin You go to the Qianqing Palace again. However, the little rascal had thrown a tantrum, insisting on going. She couldn’t understand what kind of magic the Qianqing Palace held for him.
She asked Yin You, “Is the Qianqing Palace really that wonderful? You can’t seem to forget it.”
Yin You nodded. “Xiao Qi wants to accompany his brother while he studies, and the Qianqing Palace also has Ama.”
“But Chengqiangong has E’nang, and E’nang wants to spend time with Xiao Qi too.”
Yin You tilted his head, looking hesitant. He wanted to accompany his brother while he studied, he wanted to see Ama, and he also wanted to stay with E’nang. What should he do?
The Imperial Noble Consort looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Does Xiao Qi want to go find Ama, or does he want to stay with E’nang?”
Yin You ran over and took her hand. “E’nang, come with us to find Ama.”
“…”
The Imperial Noble Consort thought to herself: I really have raised a clever little imp.
After Yinzhen and Yin You set off for the Qianqing Palace, the Imperial Noble Consort packed a food box and went to the Cining Palace to pay her respects to the Grand Empress Dowager.
Today, after leaving the Cining Palace, she did not return directly to Chengqiangong but instead headed in the direction of Yonghegong.
Within half a day, this news had spread throughout the rear palace.
After all, in recent years, due to health reasons, the Imperial Noble Consort had lived a secluded life, rarely making public appearances, even more mysterious than the Emperor.
Just yesterday, everyone had heard about the conflict between Yinzuo and Yin You. Today, their mother had personally gone to seek them out.
The various consorts and ladies of the Eastern and Western Six Palaces all pulled up their stools, prepared melon seeds and peanuts, and held their cats, ready to watch a grand drama.
But as for what exactly the Imperial Noble Consort and Consort De discussed, the two ladies did not provide a live broadcast, so everyone was left in the dark.
It was only heard that the Imperial Noble Consort had sent many snacks and small trinkets to the Sixth Prince, inquiring about the mother and son’s daily life with great courtesy.
Strangely, however, for several days after that, Consort De and her son did not set foot outside Yonghegong.
Kangxi had been explaining “The Great Learning” to Yinzhen until his mouth was dry, so the father and his two sons paused for a short break to have some tea and snacks.
Yin You wanted to sit next to Ama, so he went to move a stool himself.
Kangxi laughed at him. “The stool is heavier than you are. Can you move it?”
“I can move it,” the little one patted his chest. “A Baturu of the Great Qing has great strength.”
Kangxi remembered that just a few days ago, it was he himself who had moved a stool to fetch a sword and ended up falling.
Seeing his youngest son exerting all his might to wrestle with the carved wooden stool, Kangxi was about to invite him to sit on Ama’s lap when he heard Yin You proudly say, “Yesterday, I even pushed Sixth Brother over.”
Kangxi was taken aback. “You pushed Yinzuo over?”
“Pushed over, pushed over.” Yin You leaned back and plopped onto the ground, imitating the scene vividly. “Thump—Sixth Brother fell right on his bottom… Waaahhh~ Sixth Brother cried so loudly… Xiao Qi didn’t cry, Xiao Qi was very brave. Xiao Qi only cried after Consort De and Sixth Brother left.”
“Pfft…” Yinzhen knew he shouldn’t be so undisciplined in front of Han Ama, but seeing his little brother imitate Yinzuo’s antics, he couldn’t help himself.
Seeing his youngest son’s lively performance, Kangxi wasn’t sure whether to laugh or get angry.
Just then, he heard Yin You begin to reflect on his actions: “Xiao Qi knows he was wrong. E’nang said we shouldn’t hit other children.”
Hearing that the Imperial Noble Consort had taught her son this way, Kangxi grew somewhat curious. “Then what if your brother hits you?”
Yin You raised his little fist, putting on an extra fierce expression. “Hit him back!”