HCB Chapter 422: Joy and Victory, Everything is Possible
Chapter 422: Joy and Victory, Everything is Possible
Yinzhuo was naturally happy to be able to go out and have fun, but at the same time he was happy, he was inevitably worried. After all, it was already the twelfth lunar month and the New Year was just around the corner. There was a lot of work waiting for him in the court. It was really not quite right for the emperor to go to the Chengde Mountain Resort instead of staying in the Forbidden City.
“Father, is it really okay for us to just leave all the affairs of the capital to Fourth Brother and go have fun by ourselves? I’m afraid that as soon as we leave, you’ll be overwhelmed with memorials from court officials advising you.”
Kangxi didn't care about Yinzhuo's concerns at all. He ascended the throne at the age of eight and ruled the country for many years. If he had to be controlled by these ministers even when he went there, he might as well abdicate and hand over the throne to a more worthy successor.
"Hey, didn't you always advise me that the earth would keep turning no matter who left, and that I should live a more relaxed life? Now that I've actually listened to you and want to relax, you're all hesitant and afraid of everything. Don't worry, your fourth brother did a great job in all aspects when he was regent, so he should have no problem presiding over the New Year's ceremony in my place. You're just a kid, don't worry about these useless things. Go back and pack your things, we'll be leaving soon."
Alright, with Kangxi's words, the thirty-something-year-old Yinzhuo finally felt relieved. Since his father trusted his fourth brother so much now, he could only ask his fourth brother to do more work.
With his mental burden lifted, Yinzhuo was filled with anticipation for the upcoming journey. Although the Summer Palace in this life was completed as scheduled in history, Yinzhuo had never actually visited it because Emperor Kangxi had set his sights on Japan and had been stationed in the capital for the past few years.
Packing luggage was something Prince Yinzuo didn't need to do himself. With Dexi, who knew Yinzuo inside and out, everything was taken care of perfectly. As Yinzuo eagerly awaited the day, the day of departure for the group soon arrived.
"With joy and happiness, everything is possible. Father, that's absolutely true. I'm so happy right now that even looking at Third Brother's wrinkled face makes it look like the pleats on a steamed bun. Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother... I'll have to trouble you with things here in the capital. Don't worry, your little brother will definitely take you all along and let you have a blast..."
Listen to this! Is he even speaking human language? If it weren't for Kangxi standing right in front of him, Yinzhi and Yinqi would have dragged Yinzuo off the carriage and given him a good beating. Do you think Yinzhen didn't want to beat up this troublesome younger brother? Sigh, he's the Crown Prince now, he has to be composed, composed, understand?
Yinzhuo was overjoyed at the moment, completely ignoring the gnashing teeth of his third and fifth brothers. It was the coldest time of the year in the dead of winter, and Yinzhuo obviously didn't intend to stay outside for long. He raised his hand and waved to the people under the imperial carriage, then pulled Yinreng, who was beside him, and climbed into the imperial carriage.
Although Kangxi found Yinzhuo's smug behavior rather annoying, he was ultimately biased. Seeing Yinzhi and Yinqi waiting for the imperial carriage doors to close and hoping for a lucky break, he quickly raised his hand to his mouth and coughed in a mock manner to draw their attention.
"Alright, it's getting late, and it's cold outside. You should all go back early. Fourth Prince, I'm entrusting all the affairs of the capital to you from now on. Third Prince, Fifth Prince, Yinzhuo is just a child at heart, so you older brothers shouldn't take it to heart..."
Well, now it's confirmed. This kid, Yinzhuo, is indeed his father's own son. Look at what they're saying; they're already protecting their own.
Although the distance from the capital to the Chengde Mountain Resort is only about 200 kilometers, the emperor's journey involved a large number of supplies, attendants, and guards. In addition, the cold weather and poor road conditions meant that even though many officials were exempted from coming to see him along the way, it still took five or six days to complete this short distance.
Construction of the Mountain Resort began in the 42nd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign and took four years to take shape. During this period, Yinzhuo accompanied the Kangxi Emperor on a visit, but he only came to inspect the progress of the project and did not stay there. Now that he has returned, the Mountain Resort has changed completely. Although the vegetation is withered and the lake is frozen in winter, the scenery and atmosphere are still quite nice and interesting.
The layout of the Summer Palace was similar to that of the Imperial Palace, with the front court and the rear palace. Emperor Kangxi's residence for governing was located in the Yanbo Zhishuang Hall within the Summer Palace. As for Yinzhuo, Emperor Kangxi's personal attendant, he was naturally arranged by his father to live in the West Six Palaces, which was closest to his own palace.
Of course, Yinzhuo wasn't the only one to receive the same treatment. The one living in the East Wing east of Yanbo Zhishuang Hall was Kangxi's former darling, now Prince Jin, Yinreng. What about the other princes who accompanied the emperor? Hehe, of course they didn't have this treatment. Yinti and his brothers were all arranged by their father to go to Ruyi Island.
There's a saying, isn't there? People always see the good in others. Yinti and Yintang envied Yinzuo's harmonious and close relationship with Kangxi, while Yinzuo envied the beautiful scenery and spaciousness of Yinti's residence, which far surpassed Yanbo Zhishuang Palace. That's why he's currently pestering his father to move him to Ruyi Island.
"Father, please just say yes. Anyway, Ruyi Island isn't that far from you. Besides, don't my elder brother and the others live there too? With them around, what do you have to worry about?"
Faced with Yinzhuo's nagging, Kangxi simply closed his eyes and leaned against the kang (a heated brick bed) to rest. Yinzhuo sat there muttering to himself for a long time. Seeing that his father was almost asleep with his eyes closed, he thought, "What can I do?" He got up, walked to Kangxi's side, and gently nudged him. When he saw that Kangxi didn't react, he simply took off his shoes, climbed onto the kang, and sat next to Kangxi to continue his noisy attack.
Kangxi thought that if he pretended to be deaf and dumb and let Yinzhuo make a fuss for a while, the matter would be over. But seeing that Yinzhuo was going too far, he simply stopped pretending to be asleep, opened his eyes, raised his hand and patted Yinzhuo's forehead before slowly speaking.
"Yinzuo, don't be ungrateful. The reason I arranged for you to stay in the West Palace is entirely for your own good. Although the scenery in Ruyi Island is nice, it is not suitable for living in winter. If you think your little body can withstand the house without a heating system there, I can agree to move you there. But we have to make it clear beforehand that if you get sick from the cold, don't come to me whining when you're taking your medicine."
Well, putting everything else aside, the lack of a heating system alone was enough to deter Yinzhuo. After all, staying in a house without a heating system in the dead of winter was quite a challenge. Between being far from the emperor and not having to suffer from the cold while taking medicine, Yinzhuo decisively chose the latter.