amaotonovel Chapter 470 You're still the bravest kid!
Chapter 470 You're still the bravest kid!
Yinzhen and Yinzhen were reminiscing about the past with great enthusiasm, while Kangxi sat there smiling as he watched them reveal the secrets of the Fourteenth Prince. Only when the two had finished chatting did he get up and invite his two sons to accompany him to lunch.
Nowadays, the most important thing for the imperial kitchen to do when cooking is to cater to the preferences of their ancestor, Yinzhuo. Therefore, most of the dishes on the table are made according to Yinzhuo's taste.
“Father, look at these lychee shrimp balls. They not only look like lychees, but they also taste pretty good. Come on, you and Fourth Brother should try them.”
Yinzhuo himself loves to eat, knows how to eat, and likes to share the delicious food he finds with those around him. He was eating the lychee shrimp balls on the table and thought they were pretty good, so he started to recommend them to Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Yinzhen.
After a hearty meal, the father and his two sons moved to the front hall. Kangxi and Yinzhen sat on the couch and played chess, while Yinzuo chose a spot next to his father and continued to nap. For a moment, the only sound in the large Qingxi Study Hall was the sound of chess pieces falling on the chessboard.
After his trip, Yinzhuo was severely weakened and needed several days of rest before the aches and pains throughout his body finally subsided.
“Father, I’ve finally come to terms with myself. I’m not exactly fat, but I’m definitely not that strong either. After riding horses for a few days, every part of my body aches…”
Kangxi frowned as he looked at Yinzhuo, who was slumped beside him like a boneless man. He thought to himself, "I told you, with your habit of lying down instead of sitting, and standing instead of sitting, who else would be in pain if not you?"
"Now you know you're finished. How many times have I told you not to stay cooped up in the house all the time at such a young age? Go out and walk around more often, go to the cloth warehouse or the drill ground. Didn't you always tell the Fourteenth Prince that life is about movement? How come you've forgotten that now that it's your turn?"
Don't think that Yinzhuo always thought he could fool the Fourteenth Prince with these words. When it came to himself, he really couldn't do it. He felt that he was actually more suited to be a tortoise whose life lies in stillness. You see, there's a saying, "A tortoise lives for a thousand years."
Although Yinzhuo's dream was to be a motionless tortoise, his father obviously did not agree with his idea. In order to get Yinzhuo to move around more, his father would take half an hour every day in his busy schedule to watch Yinzhuo exercise.
“Father, I’m just saying, is this really necessary? You see, every time my son goes out, he’s accompanied by a whole bunch of guards and servants. Even if he doesn’t want to walk anymore, he can just have someone carry a palanquin over.”
Emperor Kangxi was determined to toughen up Yinzhuo's physique. No matter how much Yinzhuo protested or harassed him, he never gave in or compromised. Every day, rain or shine, he would make Yinzhuo wander around the garden. And you know what? After a month or so, Yinzhuo's habit of sleeping in really did get rid of.
"Father, are you up yet? Where shall we go for a stroll today? By the lake, in the garden, or by the rice paddies outside the garden? How about we go to the garden today? The flowers there are blooming beautifully; we can pick a few branches to take to Mother..."
Yinzhuo always arrived before he did, and Kangxi was already used to this. When he saw that Yinzhuo had arrived, he instructed Liang Jiugong to have someone bring up breakfast. The father and son ate a simple meal before getting up and leaving Qingxi Study to walk towards the garden.
At the end of April, Changchun Garden was a riot of color, with peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, peonies, roses... all blooming in a riot of color. It must be said that Yinzhuo was truly his mother's best son; he wasn't just picking a few flowers, he was practically buying them all.
"Yinzuo, you scoundrel! Didn't we agree to cut only a few hairs? Look at this! You've almost ruined this area bald! Get your ass over here right now..."
If it were anyone else who had been yelled at by Kangxi like that, they would probably have been so frightened that they would have dropped their things and rolled away. But Yinzhuo was never afraid of his father. Upon hearing this, he not only did not stop, but even sped up his work.
"Look at you, why are you getting so anxious again? You're supposed to be an emperor with the wealth of the whole world, how can you be so stingy? I did say I'd cut a few flowers, but I have so many mothers here—Mother Yi, Mother Hui, and even Mother Rong is here this time. They've all been good to me, I can't just send flowers to my mother and ignore them all. In the end, this is all your own fault. Who told you to be so fickle and celibate when you were young? Now you deserve to have so many flowers in this garden that you can't even share them all..."
You know what, Kangxi really couldn't respond to what Yinzhuo said. After all, what he said wasn't wrong. Consort Hui and Consort Yi had always treated Yinzhuo quite well, and he really couldn't show favoritism to one over the other.
"Hmph, so you not only ruined my garden, but you also ended up blaming me for it. Fine, since I've already taken the blame, I can't let you use my flowers to curry favor. Liang Jiugong, you go and have someone distribute those words to Consort Hui and the others, saying they're a reward from me..."
It has to be said that old ginger is spicier. Yinzhuo worked so hard for so long, but in the end, he only benefited his father. It would be strange if he didn't feel disgusted. But he had his own way. You sent someone to deliver things? Then I'll send someone along too. Today, I'm determined to offer this Buddha statue.
After Yinzhuo's series of outrageous actions, the news of what happened in the garden that morning spread to every corner of Changchun Garden in less than an hour. Regardless of what the concubines who received the flowers thought, Yinti and the others who heard about Yinzhuo's feat that morning couldn't help but sigh – this kid is indeed worthy of being the old man's own son.
"Hahahaha, you're really brave, kid. You dared to say such things to your father, and you're the only one who managed to get away unscathed in the end."
"Yes, Sixth Brother, I heard that Father's face was almost as black as the bottom of a pot, but in the end he couldn't bear to say a word to you. I really envy this favor."
Yinzhuo's brothers were all eager to watch the drama unfold. As soon as they heard about it, they all gathered at his Shufeng Pavilion to join in the fun. Yinzhuo lay half-reclined in his rocking chair, closed his eyes, and let Yinti and the others talk nonsense. Let them talk, it won't hurt them.
Yinzhuo's nonchalant attitude really affected the performance of Yinti and the others. His calm and unresponsive manner made it seem like Yinti and the others were punching cotton. After chatting for a while, they got bored and stopped.
"Alright, Xiao Liu, stop pretending to be asleep. It's almost noon. Get up and send someone to the imperial kitchen to tell them that we brothers will be staying at your place for lunch today, and to have them prepare a few extra dishes and send them over..."