"Oh, oh." Yinqi hastily let go, casting a hesitant glance at the Crown Prince with an expression that screamed "I know nothing," looking utterly guilty.
At the same time, the Fifth Prince fell into self-doubt—had he really used that much strength?
Then it occurred to him—Fourth Elder Brother was so slight and delicate, hardly able to withstand a hug. If it had been Fulu instead…
He shuddered at the thought and didn’t dare dwell on it further. In a hushed voice, he asked, "Fourth Elder Brother, are you feeling better now?"
The Crown Prince, witnessing this scene, was momentarily speechless. He shot Yinqi a glare, signaling him to keep quiet.
Then he stepped forward, ruffling Yinzhen’s hair gently. "What happened? Second Elder Brother will make it right for you…"
Perhaps the embrace had worked, or perhaps the comfort had taken effect, but Yinzhen’s sobs gradually quieted, though tears still streaked his face.
As if he had vented his grievances, he seemed to feel slightly better. Wiping his face, he lowered his head and muttered, "...Second Elder Brother, I’m fine."
How could he say that he had overheard his mother’s conversation with Nanny Zhen while he was ill?
Fourth Prince had been feverish, drifting in and out of sleep, but his initial cold hadn’t been severe.
Trapped in a suffocating haze, Yinzhen had been aware yet unable to wake fully. Slowly, he found himself unwilling to wake at all.
Fear, dread, and a simmering anger had coalesced into overwhelming sorrow.
Liu Qin, who served His Majesty, was his mother’s person…
Nanny Zhen spoke of the Crown Prince and Fifth Prince with unmistakable malice…
And then there was the jade register—why were they so desperate to alter it?
Did his mother even care about him?
Yinzhen thought blankly—his mother no longer seemed like the one he had always relied on.
A distant voice ordered, "Fetch a cold towel," and suddenly, the warmth around him vanished—had the blankets been pulled away?
Mother, it’s so cold…
It hurts…
The pain wracked his body with tremors.
He wanted to call out to the Imperial Noble Consort, to beg her to hold him, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he sank deeper into the darkness.
Seeing Yinzhen bow his head and tug at his sleeve, unwilling to speak, the Crown Prince pressed his lips together but didn’t push further. His mind raced with possibilities.
Fourth Prince’s daily routine only took him to three places: the Princes’ Quarters, the Imperial Study, and Chengqian Palace. In the Princes’ Quarters, Fourth Prince was the sole master—Yinzuo adored him too much to cause such distress.
The Imperial Study was even less likely. Though Fourth Prince struggled with archery and horsemanship, he wasn’t one to cry over it. He practiced in secret, determined to improve.
That left only Chengqian Palace.
After a silent moment, the Crown Prince ruffled Yinzhen’s hair again, his expression turning serious.
Without knowing the full story, he couldn’t intervene directly, but he couldn’t let Fourth Prince keep crying either. His voice was already hoarse—if it didn’t recover, that would be disastrous!
He called for He Zhuer to bring warm water with a touch of honeysuckle, then had the kitchen prepare a plate of sliced pears and set it before Yinzhen.
Yinqi eyed the pears greedily. "Second Elder Brother…"
The Crown Prince knew exactly what he was after and gave him a pointed look. "Have you finished your calligraphy practice?"
The Fifth Prince wilted instantly.
Mention of calligraphy sparked an idea in the Crown Prince’s mind.
"Yinqi will soon begin his studies, yet his handwriting remains… unmanageable. Even my guidance hasn’t helped," he whispered conspiratorially to the tearful Yinzhen. "I told him to emulate you. Why not give him some pointers?"
Fourth Prince’s calligraphy had earned praise from their tutors, who said that achieving such skill at his age required both diligence and talent—qualities Yinzhen possessed in abundance.
At first, Yinzhen shook his head, but one glance at Yinqi’s "masterpiece" made his dark eyes widen in horror.
Fifth Prince’s handwriting… was atrocious.
Had the Ninth Lord been present, he would’ve been overcome with despair before mercilessly tearing into the frowning little dumpling.
Fourth Prince was strict with himself and even stricter with others—he couldn’t stand sloppy writing. In a past life, before his imprisonment, the Ninth Lord had deliberately submitted a barely legible memorial just to spite him.
It worked—but the consequences were dire.
He was forced to relearn calligraphy alongside Hongshi, Hongli, and Hongzhou, humiliated beyond measure.
Now, the Fifth Prince was about to experience the same treatment, blissfully unaware of the impending doom.
Yinqi chirped eagerly, "Fourth Elder Brother, tell me—is my writing good?"
In an instant, Yinzhen’s tears stopped.
The Crown Prince smiled. Success!
Fourth Prince’s adoption into the Imperial Noble Consort’s lineage was all but finalized. Once the New Year passed, the imperial clan registry would be updated, sealing the matter.
Lately, the Imperial Noble Consort’s smiles had grown more genuine. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, she rewarded everyone in Chengqian Palace with a month’s extra wages.
The entire palace buzzed with joy, no longer addressing him as "Fourth Prince" but affectionately as "young master," much to the Imperial Noble Consort’s delight—her health even improved.
While the grand feast was reserved for New Year’s Eve, the Lantern Festival merited a smaller banquet. Only the Emperor attended, as the two Dowager Empresses traditionally abstained.
This year, the gathering was held at Yongshou Palace, where Consort Yi presided. The Emperor extended his grace, allowing all princes and princesses old enough to walk—save the infant Ninth and Tenth Princes—to attend.
The Seventh Prince happily nestled beside Consort Cheng, while the Eighth Prince and Noble Consort Liang sat at the next table.
Yin Si, attending such a banquet for the first time, gazed around in wonder. Spotting the Crown Prince at the head of the hall, he tugged at Noble Consort Liang’s sleeve. "Second Elder Brother?"
He seemed to remember the Crown Prince.
Since returning to his birth mother’s care in Cining Palace’s side hall, Yin Si had grown livelier, shedding the wariness of his days in Yanxi Palace.
Noble Consort Liang, too, had changed. Though her features remained the same, her demeanor was lighter, free of the sorrow that once clung to her.
She smiled at her son’s question. "Yes, that’s your Second Elder Brother—the Crown Prince of the Great Qing."
Yin Si repeated the title excitedly before his gaze landed on Yunxiu. He ducked his head shyly. "Mother, that lady is as beautiful as you."
Noble Consort Liang tapped his nose playfully. "That’s Consort Yi of Yikun Palace. Yin Si, mind your manners."
...
Yunxiu was naturally unaware of the conversation between the Eighth Prince and Noble Consort Liang.
She wore a lake-green qipao adorned with large embroidered patterns of silk clouds and silk flowers, trimmed with white fur, and jade earrings dangling from her ears. Though not overly extravagant, her attire leaned toward understated elegance, yet exuded an air of nobility.
Beside her, the Fifth Prince muttered complaints under his breath: "Fourth Elder Brother is terrifying. I can't handle him..."
Yunxiu raised an eyebrow, suppressing the urge to pinch Yinqi’s ear, and scolded him in a hushed tone: "Your Fourth Elder Brother has always been diligent. Even the Emperor praises his calligraphy. You should be grateful he’s willing to teach you—how dare you complain?"
Yunxiu: "..."
Ever since that bootlicker—no, her cousin—started visiting the palace frequently, his mother had become someone else's mother. She was no longer gentle!
The Fifth Prince gave Yunxiu a resentful look. He wasn’t exaggerating—Fourth Elder Brother was even stricter than Second Elder Brother. How could he possibly keep up?
By the time Emperor Kangxi arrived, Yinqi was still sulking, drowning in his misery.
After taking his seat, Kangxi quickly noticed his fifth son’s unusually expressive face and glanced at Yunxiu, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "What’s wrong with Fifth Prince?"
Yunxiu curtsied gracefully and replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, Yinqi was just praising Fourth Prince to me, saying how excellent his calligraphy is."
Yinqi: "..."
Prince Rong, Yinzuo, who sat at a separate table, gazed at Fourth Prince with admiration, his face glowing with pride. Meanwhile, Yinzhen, seated beside the Imperial Noble Consort, pursed his lips, his cheeks slightly flushed. "...Thank you, Fifth Brother."
Knowing that Fifth Prince had recently been practicing calligraphy, Kangxi burst into hearty laughter and nodded approvingly.
The Imperial Noble Consort’s lips thinned almost imperceptibly before she regained her usual composure, her pale complexion gradually warming. She cast a doting glance at Yinzhen and said with a smile, "No wonder Yinzhen has been visiting Yuqing Palace so often lately! Cough... Fifth Prince will soon begin his studies. As an elder brother, it’s only right for him to guide his younger brother in calligraphy."
Her words dripped with pride, as if she were his birth mother, causing Consort Hui to pause mid-bite and Consort Rong to set down her teacup with a silent scoff.
The lower-ranking concubines dared not interject, though they secretly envied the Imperial Noble Consort—even without her authority over the palace, she still had Fourth Prince as her support. When would they ever gain favor and bear a child of their own?
The banquet proceeded harmoniously, with wine flowing freely. After several rounds, some of the consorts grew slightly tipsy.
No one expected Consort Rong to suddenly rise and bow in a gesture of apology before hesitantly speaking: "Your Majesty, these words have weighed on my heart for a long time. Now that the truth has been uncovered, I can no longer hold them back... I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness for my boldness."
Then, she turned her gaze directly to the Imperial Noble Consort and said softly, "Imperial Noble Consort, how skillfully you’ve played the loving mother. If Fourth Prince knew the truth, would he still look at you with such devotion?"
Her words struck like a thunderbolt.
In everyone’s memory, Consort Rong had once been deeply favored, but after her influence waned, she gradually withdrew into seclusion, becoming the most devout among them in Buddhist practice. Apart from briefly vying for power with Consort Hui during Noble Consort’s postpartum confinement, she had always maintained a low profile—her conduct beyond reproach.
Even the Emperor was taken aback. Consort Rong had always been discreet—why would she suddenly speak so boldly, unafraid of offending the Imperial Noble Consort?
What did she mean by "playing the loving mother"? And what was this "truth"?
Kangxi rubbed his jade thumb ring, his phoenix eyes narrowing as he commanded in a deep voice, "Continue."
At the mention of "truth," Fourth Prince’s lips trembled, his eyes widening before he lowered his head.
Beside him, the Imperial Noble Consort clenched her fists, a sudden sense of foreboding gripping her. Her smile vanished, replaced by a sharp glint in her eyes. "Consort Rong, do you know the penalty for slander and insubordination?"
Consort Rong remained unflinching, merely sneering. "Slander? Then perhaps you should ask Qianqing Palace’s deputy chief eunuch—Liu Qin. While he ostensibly serves the Emperor, how many vile deeds has he carried out in secret for you, Imperial Noble Consort?"
