“Fourth Brother, you’re finally here!” Yintang turned around and indeed saw Yinzhen smiling at him.
Yinqi inwardly clicked his tongue.
Fourth Brother, that perennial stone-face, only ever smiled when he saw Eighth Brother and Little Ninth.
How could he compare to himself, the warm and kind-hearted elder brother?
Then, Yinqi watched as his adorable younger brother unhesitatingly bypassed him and happily stretched out his little arms toward Yinzhen: “Fourth Brother, carry me!”
Yinqi: …
Yinzhen skillfully picked up the little pink bundle, feeling he was slightly heavier than a few days ago. It seemed children really needed more exercise; ever since starting archery practice, Ninth Brother must have been eating half a bowl more rice.
Yintang naturally wrapped his small arms around Yinzhen’s neck: “Fourth Brother, you’re so amazing, you know so much!”
Yintang said this with genuine admiration. In this era, even Fabre’s “Souvenirs Entomologiques” hadn’t been written yet, yet the eight-year-old Yinzhen, relying on his own observations, had arrived at remarkably close answers—truly worthy of being the future Yongzheng Emperor.
Yinzhen’s face flushed slightly: “Not really, I just noticed from observing a lot.”
After receiving Yintang’s note, he had been wanting to find an opportunity to see what medicine Ninth Brother was selling in his gourd. First, palace rules were strict—to visit Yintang, he needed Tong Jia’s mother’s permission first, then had to send a formal request to Consort Yi. The back-and-forth had delayed things somewhat. Second, his studies were heavy; he had finally managed to rush through several days’ work, completing today’s assignments ahead of schedule, and hurried over right after class ended.
Entering the courtyard, he saw Yinqi and Yintang’s little heads close together, with a transparent glass box in front of them.
Yinzhen had loved watching ants since childhood, for which Han Ama had once scolded him. But ants were everywhere, and observing them was both discreet and convenient, so he had kept this hobby.
Looking at the winding underground tunnels the ants had dug in the glass box, Yinzhen thought to himself: previously, looking from the ground into the soil, he could only see small holes, but it turned out there was a whole world inside. He examined it carefully, completely unable to look away.
Then he heard Yinqi ask Yintang how ants hatched.
Encountering a professional question he was good at, Yinzhen couldn’t hold back his words. Normally not one to initiate conversation, he actively answered Yinqi’s query.
“Ninth Brother, is this the surprise you told me about?” Yinzhen had been holding Yintang for a while and was starting to feel strained, but he still clasped his hands together, struggling to maintain his hold.
Yintang tilted his little head proudly: “Does Fourth Brother like it?”
Yinzhen nodded: “I do.”
Yintang said cheerfully: “Then Fourth Brother should come play often!”
Seeing the little bundle so intimate with Yinzhen, Yinqi couldn’t help feeling secretly jealous. Why did this little guy always want Fourth Brother to carry him, but never asked his own blood brother?
The more Yinqi thought about it, the more he felt shortchanged. Seizing the moment when Yintang climbed down from Yinzhen, he also scooped up the little bundle.
“Ah, Fifth Brother!” The little bundle was startled by him: “What are you doing?”
Yinqi thought to himself: No wonder Fourth Brother likes carrying Ninth Brother. Holding a small child was soft, warm, and sweet-smelling, like holding an oversized sticky rice ball.
He had no intention of letting Yintang down just yet, but his pride as an older brother made him too embarrassed to admit he wanted to hold his younger brother. Instead, he stiffly declared, “Fourth Brother has loads of schoolwork. How could he have time to come play every day?”
Yintang pouted.
Yinzhen noticed the expression.
“It’s manageable. The coursework isn’t that difficult. If I push through a couple of days, I can make time,” Yinzhen retorted evenly.
The little bun’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. “Exactly! Fourth Brother is so good at studying!”
Yinzhen flashed an exaggerated grin at the little bun.
It was a good smile, just a bit too robotic.
Yinqi, having failed to reclaim his brother and now upstaged by Yinzhen, was momentarily speechless.
What was up with Fourth Brother today? Why was he suddenly so articulate, breaking from his usual slow and hesitant manner?
After a long pause, he finally managed, “Even if Fourth Brother wants to come, Noble Consort has to approve it. It’s not like you can just have him come whenever you want, Ninth Brother.”
This was something Yintang hadn’t considered before.
Yinzhen fell silent too.
They knew Yinqi was stating a fact. Within the Forbidden City, even princes and princesses couldn’t move about freely as they pleased.
Yintang was still young, and Consort Yi had sheltered him so well that he had nearly forgotten this reality.
Consort Yi began to suspect her son had eaten something bad recently.
Normally, Yintang could polish off a full bowl of rice, not to mention his favorite dishes like three-delicacy meatballs and mushroom-braised chicken—devoured in a whirlwind.
But these past couple of days, not only did he leave more than half his meal uneaten, but he also picked absently at his dishes, taking only a few bites before hurriedly retreating to his room to stare blankly at his glass ant farm.
Yintang had stumbled upon a major problem.
Yinqi’s words had reminded him. The Forbidden City firmly locked two cages around everyone living within its walls. The first was the endless vermilion high walls, and the second was the countless explicit and implicit rules governing every minute detail.
Consorts couldn’t move freely, princes who had moved to the A’ge Institute couldn’t frequently visit their mothers, and princes living in the palace couldn’t casually visit one another… Under normal circumstances, his opportunities to interact with the other princes were extremely limited.
So how was he supposed to brainwash everyone—no, instill scientific education—and happily laze around together?
Lately, he had come to a sobering realization: relying on himself alone to be a slacker probably wouldn’t change their future fate.
Kangxi, as the epitome of educational failure, had ingrained relentless competition deep into the hearts of every prince except Fifth Brother, thanks to his consistent high-pressure upbringing.
Fifth Brother, under the Empress Dowager’s protection, naturally had nothing to fear. But Yintang was just a slacker. Under the structural oppression of Kangxi’s competitive education system, it was nearly impossible for him to remain unaffected while others strove.
Only by dragging everyone down with him and altering this competitive landscape could he hope to happily and comfortably remain a slacker.
Yintang shut himself in his room, brooding over the problem for days.
The weather was simply too beautiful, so lovely that Yintang felt he should take the opportunity to air out the mustiness he’d accumulated.
Having holed up in his room these past few days, never stepping beyond the inner courtyards, he still hadn’t found a solution. Sunlight helps stimulate dopamine production, and dopamine aids active thinking, so Yintang moved his ant observation box outdoors and continued his blank staring.
Suddenly, a little white whirlwind swept in: “Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother! I get to learn archery too!”
Yin E was wearing a dark blue robe today, with a pair of calfskin boots on his feet and a small bow identical to Yintang’s slung over his back. He stood proudly before Yintang.
The two were close in age, born only a month and a half apart, and had always been next-door neighbors, making them the best of playmates.
Yin E had long envied his ninth brother’s archery lessons. Seeing her son so eager, Niohuru had early on selected an Anda and prepared the equipment, waiting only for his birthday to pass before formally commencing his training.
Yin E’s birthday had just been celebrated yesterday, and today he was already impatient to head to the Archery Hall.
Puffing out his little chest, he strutted like a proud white gosling.
Nothing could bring him more joy than learning archery.
Well, except perhaps learning archery alongside his ninth brother!
Yintang too was delighted. After all, besides his fifth brother, he now had another close ally joining him.
“Wow, Ninth Brother, the ant tunnels have multiplied!” Yin E noticed the ant observation box on Yintang’s desk, his small eyes widening in amazement. “How incredible!”
Then, with a regretful shake of his head, he added, “But we probably won’t have time to watch them today. Let’s go.”
Suddenly, Yintang’s eyes lit up with an idea.
Fifteen minutes later, Consort Yi saw her precious son standing proudly at the door, his little bow strapped to his back, alongside the equally proud Tenth Prince. Behind them followed Baofu, the chief eunuch of Yongshou Palace, and the Tenth Prince’s personal little eunuch, who carried an object draped with a brown cloth.
“Mother, I’m off to archery lessons!” The little round bundle turned and waved his small hand at Consort Yi.
“Consort Yi, I’m off to archery lessons too!” The chubby little bundle also waved his plump hand.
Then, the chief eunuchs from both palaces tacitly crouched down in unison, picked up their respective young masters, and headed out.
Consort Yi smiled and waved at the two little ones, watching them depart before her gaze settled curiously on the object in the hands of the trailing little eunuch.
Was this some new piece of equipment?
Yinsi and Yinyou shared the same curiosity.
Yinyou had to undergo treatment for his leg ailment every two days, so despite being a year older than Yinsi, their learning progress was similar. In fact, due to his leg condition, Yinyou had yet to begin horseback riding.
He was well aware of his physical limitations. Since childhood, his leg ailment had attracted no small amount of discussion among the palace staff. It was impossible not to feel insecure about it. He could only gradually grow accustomed to and accept such unfair treatment.
But what could he do? His own mother wasn’t even a concubine, and it was only thanks to being raised alongside Consort Hui that he had been spared further disdain.
Looking on the bright side, at least he could learn archery. If he learned slowly, he would simply devote more time to compensate for his physical shortcomings. Wasn’t there a saying that diligence could make up for clumsiness?
Today, he was again the first to arrive at the practice grounds.
After practicing archery for a while, his leg could no longer support him, forcing him to sit and rest.
Just then, he saw a little pink bundle and a little chubby bundle, hand in hand, skipping and bouncing into the practice grounds, followed at a distance by several eunuchs.
Perhaps due to their young age and poor balance, the chubby bundle tripped over a stone and fell, pulling the pink bundle down with him.
The chubby bundle immediately burst into loud, wailing tears.
The little pink dumpling seemed dazed from the fall, neither crying nor making a fuss as he sat on the ground looking around blankly, as if searching for something.
The two of them had run so fast that the eunuchs following behind hadn’t caught up yet. In the entire practice ground, only Yinyou was present at the moment.
The little pink dumpling seemed to have noticed him and began to whimper softly.
Yintang: “Is that Seventh Brother? Seventh Brother, come here quickly!”
Yinyou, who was already sensible enough to recognize the little pink dumpling was throwing a tantrum: “…”
Yinyou sighed, pushed himself up from the chair with both hands, and walked toward the two little dumplings who were crying in turns. Today, he had heard that the Tenth Prince was coming for the first time, and the Ninth Prince, whom he had never met before, would also be here. It seemed these two little dumplings were his ninth and tenth brothers.
As he walked, Yinyou struggled to maintain his balance, trying his best not to make his limp too obvious.
Deep down, he still wanted to maintain some dignity as an older brother in front of his younger siblings.
Yinyou slowly walked up to the two little princes and knelt down.
Yin E, seeing an unfamiliar face, stopped crying. But even though Yinyou tried to conceal it, his body still swayed slightly with a limp—something even three-year-old Yin E could notice.
“Your leg…” Yin E forgot the pain from his fall and spoke out of curiosity.
After all, he was only three years old and didn’t yet understand the taboo of such remarks.
Yinyou’s face turned pale instantly.
He lowered his eyelids, habitually hiding his gaze. At that moment, his eyes must have been filled with panic and helplessness. This body was already pitiable enough; he didn’t want others to see how discomposed his expression was, too.
This is terrible, Yinyou thought sadly. The first time his ninth and tenth brothers met him, they discovered their seventh brother was disabled.
They must think this older brother is useless, Yinyou lamented inwardly.
Just as he was trying to pull himself out of his swamp-like low spirits, he heard a clear voice calling out to him.
“Brother?”
A pair of small hands stretched out in front of him: “Brother, it hurts. Blow on it.”
It seemed the fall had been quite hard—the palms of both small hands were red, with slight scratches from gravel.
Yinyou took a handkerchief from his sleeve, gently brushed the dust off Yintang’s palms, and then actually lowered his head and blew on them.
After doing this, he felt a bit embarrassed. This was his first time comforting someone, and he wasn’t sure if it had worked.
“Does it feel better?” he asked hopefully, looking at the little pink dumpling.
Red eyes, red nose—like a newborn kitten.
The little pink dumpling stared at him with teary eyes, raising both small hands even higher: “Brother hasn’t said, ‘Pain, pain, fly away.'”
Huh? Yinyou felt his face grow warm.
Wasn’t that what mothers said to comfort children? A six-year-old boy was already half-grown; saying such words was truly embarrassing.
The little pink dumpling looked aggrieved: “Brother.”
Fine. Yinyou sighed, cupped the small hands, and blew on them again: “Pain, pain, fly away.”
The little pink dumpling finally broke into a smile through his tears: “The pain flew away! Thank you, brother!”
In the blink of an eye, the eunuchs following the two little princes finally caught up, panting heavily.
“Young masters, are you all right?” The eunuchs hurriedly helped Yintang and Yin E to their feet.
Yinyou watched the commotion quietly, stood up, folded his handkerchief, tucked it back into his sleeve, and prepared to turn and walk away.
Since childhood, he knew he was destined to always play a supporting role. And a proper supporting character should automatically retreat into the shadows when the protagonist appears, so as not to be an eyesore to others.
Although his ninth brother was truly adorable, and he wished to speak with him more, it was time for him to leave.
Yinyou lowered his eyelids. His long eyelashes rested quietly, effectively concealing the loneliness in his eyes.
Author’s Note:
Yinyou: This little brother is so cute~ [head pat]