amaotonovel Chapter 414 The performance still needs to be played out.
Chapter 414 The performance still needs to be played out.
Ever since the father and son reconciled, Kangxi's doting and indulgence of Yinzhuo has become even more excessive. In the past, in such a public place, let alone anyone daring to eat in front of him, even mentioning the word "eat" would get them dragged back and scolded. But look at this now? Not only did he not intend to scold Yinzhuo, he actually went over and took a milk bun from his food box and ate it.
"Indeed, the chef in your household is quite skilled; these milk buns are no worse than those in my imperial kitchen..."
"Isn't that right? This cook was brought from your imperial kitchen. It would be strange if he wasn't good enough." Seeing that Kangxi was eating with relish, Yinzhen also reached out and took a piece of osmanthus cake from the food box in front of Yinzuo and ate it.
Yinreng and Yinzhi had thought they were going to be punished by their father, the Emperor, but seeing that Kangxi didn't intend to pursue the matter, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Yinreng, who was the bolder one, had already started munching on the pastry he was holding again.
Yinzhuo's food box contained a lot of food. Even though the father and sons shared the food, he still ate until he was completely full. After eating and drinking his fill, he naturally had to get down to business. Kangxi called Liang Jiugong over to check his appearance, then got up and led his sons out of the city.
Yinzhuo had always been a close companion to Kangxi, the kind of person whose father would take him wherever he went. This time was no exception. After disembarking from the palanquin at the palace gate, he was pulled by Kangxi onto the imperial carriage. Of course, Yinreng and Yinzhen, the two new and old crown princes, also boarded the imperial carriage with him.
Yinzhuo hadn't slept well these past few days because of his excitement, but now that he was in the carriage and it wasn't swaying, he suddenly felt a little sleepy. He thought about how far it was from the palace to the capital, so he simply closed his eyes and leaned against Kangxi to catch up on some sleep.
Although Kangxi seemed to be discussing the arrangements for the welcoming ceremony with Yinreng and Yinzhen and how to keep an eye on Yinzuo's movements, he noticed Yinzuo's movements as soon as he closed his eyes. When Yinzuo leaned over, he was afraid that Yinzuo might fall while dazed, so he even quickly moved closer to him.
"Hey, you were looking perfectly fine just now, how come you're sleepy so soon? Yinzhuo, is something wrong with you? Should your father send someone to call a royal physician to take a look at you?"
Yinzhuo was tired, not sick, so there was no need to call the imperial physician. Hearing this, he slightly opened his eyes, waved his hand to indicate to his father that there was no need to trouble him, and then closed his eyes again to continue sleeping.
When the imperial carriage arrived at the designated location, Yinzhuo was still asleep. Kangxi wanted to be ruthless and wake him up, but seeing that he was sleeping soundly, he couldn't bring himself to do it. After all, the army hadn't arrived yet, so there was no rush to go out.
Kangxi wasn't in a hurry to leave, nor were Yinreng and Yinzhen. After all, they could still sit inside the imperial carriage. If they went out and were in the public eye, wouldn't they have to maintain their dignity? It was just a pity for Yinzhi, Yinqi, and the others who had already gotten off the carriage. They stood bowing in front of their father's imperial carriage, waiting for a long time without seeing a single person get off.
"Third Brother, we've been waiting for a while now, why haven't Father and the others come down yet? Don't you think something might have gone wrong?"
A slip-up? Haha, what kind of slip-up could possibly happen under such tight security? The reason why the Khan hasn't come out yet is simply because his precious little darling is asleep again.
It's no wonder that Yinzhi was able to guess correctly. This kind of thing has happened more than once or twice. Last time when they went to Chengde to escape the summer heat, didn't they stand at the gate for more than an hour because their father couldn't bear to wake up the sleeping Yinzuo?
"Alright, I see the sun is so bright, why don't we find somewhere to take shelter first? We can leave two people here to keep watch, and call us if there's any trouble."
Yinzhuo was awakened by the sound of horses' hooves outside. He opened his eyes groggily, looked around, and realized that he was still on the imperial carriage, which made him more awake.
"Father, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, I just heard the sound of horses' hooves. Have Eldest Brother and the others arrived?"
At this moment, Kangxi was playing chess with Yinreng. Upon hearing this, he turned his head and looked at Yinzuo, who was still a little sleepy. He beckoned Liang Jiugong, who was standing to the side, to wring out a handkerchief and wipe Yinzuo's face. Kangxi then got up and straightened his clothes, preparing to take them out after Yinzuo was ready.
The triumphant return of the army was a momentous occasion, naturally marked by the deafening sounds of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers. Although Yinzhuo was excited to see Yinti and the others, he could only patiently follow the instructions of the master of ceremonies step by step due to the restraint of Emperor Kangxi. By the time all the ceremonies were completed, more than an hour had passed.
"Big brother, tenth, thirteenth, fourteenth, you're finally back! I've missed you so much these past two years!"
After the army entered the city, Yinzhuo finally had a chance to speak with Yinti and the others. Yinzhuo was never one to be reserved; he first warmly gave each of the four a big hug, then pulled them around, looking them over and touching them, frantically expressing his longing.
"Alright, Yinzhuo, your elder brother and the others must be tired after their long journey. Let them go back and rest first. We can talk about it tomorrow."
Although Emperor Kangxi favored Yinzhi, he still felt that both sons were equally dear to him. Seeing his sons somewhat at a loss due to Yinzhi's unprecedented enthusiasm, he finally decided to step in and help them.
Since Kangxi had spoken, Yinzhuo naturally had to give him face. Hearing this, he regretfully let go of Yinti's arm and turned back to Kangxi's side.
“It was my oversight, eldest brother, tenth, thirteenth, fourteenth. You must be tired from your journey. Why don’t you go back to the manor and rest for a while? I’ve booked Guanyuanlou. Once you’ve rested, send someone to let me know, and I’ll host a welcome dinner for you there.”
With Yinti and the others back, Yinzuo finally had something to do. Every day, he would either drag them around telling him about what happened on the battlefield or invite a few of them to wander around the capital. At first, Kangxi could turn a blind eye to this, but after not seeing his precious darling in the Qianqing Palace for nearly half a month, the old father became restless.
"Liang Jiugong, if I remember correctly, your Sixth Prince hasn't come for a while, has he? Do you know what he's been busy with lately?"
Did he know the answer already? But even if he knew the other person was asking a question they already knew the answer to, what could Liang Jiugong do? His master was the emperor, a man whose word could decide the fate of his entire clan. He still had to play along.