By the time Yinreng's carriage passed through the Shenwu Gate, night had fully fallen over the Forbidden City. His carriage was immediately intercepted. Eunuch Liang Jiugong pulled back the curtain, his expression grave.
"Your Highness, the Emperor orders you to Qianqing Palace immediately."
Yinreng sighed, stepping down from the carriage. He signaled Xiao Zhuzi to follow with the wooden box. As they walked, Yinreng attempted to gather intelligence. "Has Imperial Father rested? Was he busy today? What is his mood?"
Liang Jiugong offered no answers, only a pitying glance. "Your Highness should focus on how you will explain your actions."
'Analysis:' The secret was out. Yinreng knew he couldn't dodge the interrogation, so he fell silent, formulating a defense strategy.
Upon entering Qianqing Palace, Yinreng paused in surprise. Kangxi was not alone; First Prince Yinzi was standing beside the imperial desk. Kangxi was personally reviewing Yinzi's homework.
Yinreng immediately understood the dynamic. Kangxi was deliberately using Yinzi to display favoritism, a psychological punishment meant to isolate and humble Yinreng. Adapting instantly, Yinreng knelt with perfect posture. "I greet Imperial Father."
Kangxi ignored him, continuing to praise Yinzi's academic progress.
Yinzi cast a smug, triumphant look at his younger brother. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. Yinreng remained kneeling on the hard floor. Even after Yinzi finished his lessons and Kangxi began reading memorials, the Emperor refused to acknowledge the Crown Prince.
Yinreng realized stoicism would not win this battle. He needed to change the rules of engagement.
"Imperial Father!" Yinreng called out.
Kangxi scoffed coldly, refusing to look up. 'Is that the limit of your patience?'
Suddenly, Yinreng curled into a ball on the floor, clutching his stomach and groaning weakly. "Imperial Father... it hurts!"
Parental instinct instantly overrode imperial fury. Kangxi threw his brush down and sprinted across the room, scooping Yinreng into his arms. "What is wrong? Someone summon the Imperial Physician!"
The moment he was in Kangxi's arms, Yinreng dropped the act and wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck. "No need for a doctor! I am fine. As long as Imperial Father is not angry with me, it does not hurt anymore!"
Realizing he had been tricked, Kangxi shoved him away, his anger flaring hotter than before. "How dare you! Not only do you sneak out of the palace, but you also dare to deceive the Emperor?"
Yinreng deployed his countermeasure, widening his eyes in perfect innocence. "I am innocent! I did not deceive you. My stomach truly hurt because I have not eaten dinner. I was summoned the moment I entered the gates!"
Kangxi frowned. "Did Songgotu dare to starve you?"
"No, Uncle prepared many delicacies," Yinreng shook his head. "But I was too busy inspecting the fields, and then I rushed back. I forgot to eat."
Yinzi, watching from the sidelines, was speechless.
Yinreng reached into his robes and pulled out a paper-wrapped package. He unfolded it to reveal a small, whole roast chicken.
"Imperial Father, I bought this from a shop on the way back," Yinreng said softly. "I heard people outside the carriage praising its secret recipe. It was the last one they had. Please, try it."
Kangxi stared at the chicken, his expression complicated.
"It is not cold," Yinreng pressed on, holding it up. "I kept it inside my robes against my chest the entire ride back. I remembered the Imperial Physicians saying your stomach is weak and you must never eat cold food."
Kangxi froze. "You were starving. You had a roast chicken. Why did you not eat it yourself?"
"If I ate it, what would Imperial Father eat? It was the last one. It was for you."
Silence descended upon the hall. Kangxi was left utterly defenseless. He wanted to reprimand his son for being reckless, but he was overwhelmed by the boy's filial devotion. A cheap roast chicken meant nothing to the Emperor, but the fact that a six-year-old child had endured hunger and used his own body heat to keep a meal warm for his father... what man could remain angry?
Kangxi's heart melted. The harsh words died in his throat.
Yinzi stood paralyzed in shock. 'He can do that? Is this allowed? The sheer shamelessness!'
Sensing victory, Yinreng tugged at Kangxi's sleeve. "Please do not be angry. Technically, I did not sneak out. I used the token you gave me!"
Kangxi blinked, searching his memory. Weeks ago, when he had been preoccupied with Tongjia's "illness," Yinreng had pestered him about leaving the palace. To pacify the boy, Kangxi had indeed handed him an exit token.
"Furthermore," Yinreng added, "I took a full escort of Eastern Palace guards. I was perfectly safe. I only rushed out because Xiao Zhuzi brought urgent news. I tried to inform you, but you were meeting with ministers."
Xiao Zhuzi took his cue, stepping forward and kneeling with the wooden box raised high.
Kangxi's eyes flashed with realization. He remembered sending Songgotu to manage Yinreng's glass workshop. If the boy rushed out for this...
Kangxi cleared his throat, hiding his smile, and ordered Yinreng to stand. Yinreng immediately threw his arms around Kangxi's waist. "I knew Imperial Father loved me too much to let my knees hurt!"
Kangxi's lips twitched. Yinzi looked like he might explode from indignation.
Realizing the matter involved confidential state manufacturing, Kangxi waved his hand. "Yinzi, return to your quarters."
Yinzi bowed stiffly and left, furious that Yinreng had entirely escaped punishment for a major transgression.
***
Zhongcui Palace.
Instead of returning to the Eastern Five Palaces, Yinzi went straight to his mother, Concubine Hui, to complain about Yinreng's manipulative tactics.
Concubine Hui listened, then poked Yinzi hard on the forehead. "Are you foolish? The Crown Prince left the palace openly with guards; he clearly had a justifiable reason. If you wanted the Emperor to punish him, why did you show up in person? You should have used a pawn—a random eunuch—to leak the news. By standing there yourself, you only made the Emperor see a brother jealous of the Crown Prince!"
Yinzi bristled, refusing to accept the scolding. "But Yinreng is too cunning! He faked an illness, played cute, and acted spoiled to escape punishment!"
Hui rolled her eyes. "I gave birth to a blockhead. You are both the Emperor's sons. If he can act spoiled, why can't you?"
Yinzi flushed violently. "That... that is completely shameless!"
"When you are fighting for the Emperor's favor, face is worthless!" Hui snapped. "He is six. You are eight. You are both children. Using affection to your advantage is a basic tactic."
"I am not a child! I am a future Manchu warrior! I will not demean myself with such infantile behavior!" Yinzi declared stubbornly.
Hui took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to strike her own son. 'He is mine. I cannot kill him.' "Fine. Tell me, what was in the box the eunuch brought in?"
"I do not know," Yinzi replied dismissively.
Hui glared at his lack of political instinct. "The Crown Prince mentions a box, and the Emperor immediately dismisses you. You did not even try to find an excuse to stay and observe? Songgotu has been absent from court for weeks, supposedly running errands for the Crown Prince. Whatever is in that box is highly significant." She waved him away. "Go back to your quarters before you are caught wandering at night."
***
Qianqing Palace.
Kangxi carefully inspected the clear glass cup, the vase, and the mercury-backed mirror. He was ecstatic.
"Imperial Father, with these prototypes, can we order the Ministry of Works to begin mass production?" Yinreng asked, his eyes gleaming. "This will generate massive revenue for the treasury, correct?"
"Indeed, it will," Kangxi nodded, admiring the mirror.
"Since I have made such a monumental contribution, I deserve a reward, yes?"
Kangxi chuckled. "Are you asking me to promote and reward Songgotu?"
Yinreng's eyes widened in exaggerated disbelief. "Reward Uncle? Why? I provided the formula. I ordered the workshop to be built. He did not even believe I could do it! He was merely a pair of hands. The credit is entirely mine!"
Kangxi was momentarily stunned by the boy's ruthless hoarding of credit. "He... he still worked hard for months."
"True, he has no merit, but he did put in the manual labor," Yinreng conceded casually. "Therefore, for my reward, I want you to lend him to me."
"Lend him to you?"
"Yes. I have many projects I need executed outside the palace," Yinreng explained efficiently. "Harvest season is approaching; I need someone to collect various crop seeds for me. I also heard farmers talking about cowpox today, and I need someone to investigate the medical phenomenon in the villages. I cannot leave the palace regularly, and Uncle proved he is quite efficient at following orders."
Kangxi stared at his son in utter silence.
Songgotu was a First-Rank Grand Secretary, a heavyweight in the imperial court. Yet, Yinreng was requisitioning him like a borrowed farming tool to run errands in rural villages.
"The imperial court has plenty of officials, Imperial Father. You will not miss one Songgotu," Yinreng pressed. "I will return him to you when I am finished using him. Since you are not objecting, I will take that as agreement! Thank you, Imperial Father!"
Kangxi's mouth twitched. He looked at the highly lucrative glass items, then at his beaming son.
'I will mourn for Songgotu's dignity in silence,' Kangxi thought, deciding to indulge the boy. 'Let him play. I will recall the minister when the child grows bored.'
Somewhere in the city, Songgotu, newly assigned as a six-year-old's personal agricultural investigator, remained blissfully unaware of his fate.