vstars Chapter 293: The Ice is Three Feet Long
Chapter 293: The Ice is Three Feet Long
The flower hall of Qianqing Palace was unusually quiet at night. Yinzhen's self-reproachful voice, tinged with sobs, could be clearly heard by everyone. Kangxi had originally planned to give Yinti and the others a good talking-to, but seeing their red-rimmed eyes, he suddenly didn't know what to do.
"What are you all doing? Instead of resting in your own residences in the middle of the night, why did you all agree to come to my Qianqing Palace and cause such a ruckus? And Ninth Prince, what did you mean by saying that if anything happens to your Sixth Brother, you should become a monk? If I hear you say such unlucky things again, I'll skin you alive! Alright, wipe your tears and stand aside. Yinreng, tell me what you brothers have come here for today, and why you've put on such a show?"
Compared to the fact that he knew nothing when Yinzhen asked him questions outside, this question from Kangxi was a piece of cake for Yinreng. He didn't know the current situation of Yinzuo, but he knew why he was here.
"Reporting to Father, I heard from my servants that my sixth brother was unconscious and in critical condition. You brought him back to the Qianqing Palace. I was worried and wanted to come and see him. I suppose my elder brother and the others also heard the news and came to check on him. When I entered, I saw that you looked unwell and thought..."
After Yinreng's explanation, Kangxi understood everything. To put it bluntly, it was a huge misunderstanding. After learning the truth about Yinti and the others entering the palace late at night, Kangxi's anger towards Yinti and the others, which had been caused by Yinzuo's drunkenness, subsided considerably. He pointed to the seats in the flower hall, indicating that Yinti and the others should find their own seats.
In such a setting, seating was naturally arranged according to seniority, so even though Yinti and his brothers, a dozen or so in total, moved around without any apparent panic, they were all seated in an orderly fashion in no time.
"Father, judging from your expression, it seems the rumors outside are wrong. But I wonder how Sixth Brother is doing now? Has he woken up?"
The mere mention of Yinzhuo, who was still asleep, reignited the anger that had just subsided in Kangxi's heart. He first looked up at Yinzhen, who had raised the question, before his gaze sharpened and shot towards Yinti, who was standing to the side.
"If this person were awake, would I be in such a hurry? Yinti, come and tell me what you were thinking yesterday. Have you only grown older but not wiser these past few years? Don't you know that Yinzuo gets drunk after just a sip of alcohol? Why didn't you stop them when they were fooling around? Now look what's happened, they've already given him medicine several times, and he's still fast asleep. If this continues..."
Now it's too late to say anything. All we can do now is pray that Yinzhuo's health will improve and hope that the medicine prescribed by the Imperial Physician Wang will work. Yinzhuo is still asleep, and the presence of so many people is of no use. In addition, Kangxi is already having a headache just looking at his troublesome sons. Seeing that it was getting late, he quickly sent away all the princes who lived outside the palace, including Yinti, Yinzhi, and Yinzhen, leaving only Yinreng behind.
"Tomorrow's grand court assembly cannot be delayed. I need to take a break. Yinreng, you stay here with Liang Jiugong and Imperial Physician Wang and the others to watch over this boy. Give him a dose of hangover medicine every hour and a half, and then have Imperial Physician Wang check his pulse. If he wakes up in the middle, you send someone to inform me."
As the year drew to a close, it was the busiest time of year. Even though Emperor Kangxi wanted to put aside his own affairs and stay by Yinzhuo's side to wait for him to wake up, reality clearly did not allow it. He had no choice but to settle for second best and entrust him to Yinreng's care.
It must be said that Yinzhuo was incredibly lucky. Someone who gets drunk after just a few drinks didn't suffer from alcohol poisoning after drinking so much; he was merely unconscious. For the next two days, Kangxi and Yinreng took turns watching over Yinzhuo, giving him a hangover remedy every two hours. Finally, on the evening of the third day after Yinzhuo fell asleep drunk, he regained consciousness after sleeping for three whole days.
"De Xi... your mouth tastes bitter, bring... bring some sugar."
When Yinzhu woke up, it was Yinreng's turn to take care of him. Seeing that he was awake, Yinreng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for the past two days, finally settled down. Hearing Yinzhu keep complaining of a bitter taste in his mouth, Yinreng sent someone to the study to inform Kangxi, while he picked up a piece of candied fruit from the small dish that Liang Jiugong brought and put it into Yinzhu's mouth.
"He's been drinking bitter medicine for three days now. It would be strange if his mouth wasn't bitter. Sixth brother, do you feel any discomfort anywhere on your body? Never mind, Physician Wang, why don't you come and take a look at him? I reckon his mind is still foggy right now, and he can't say anything coherent."
Yinreng was right. Yinzuo's mind was more than just blank; his consciousness had only returned briefly. He didn't even last until his father arrived before falling asleep again. However, since he had woken up, it meant that everything was moving in a positive direction. After examining Yinzuo's pulse and administering acupuncture, the imperial physician Wang readjusted the prescription before Liang Jiugong arranged for him to be taken away to rest.
“Baocheng has worked hard these past two days. Now that the boy is conscious, there’s no need for anyone to guard him every step of the way. I’m not busy right now, and I’m here. Baocheng, why don’t you go with Liang Jiugong to the back to wash up and then rest in the side hall for a while? You can come back early tomorrow morning.”
Baocheng was Yinreng's childhood name. When he was young, Kangxi always called him by this name. Later, as he grew older and the gap between father and son deepened, Yinreng couldn't remember how long it had been since he had heard those two words from his father. When he heard Kangxi call out the name Baocheng, he was startled, but he quickly recovered.
"Father, what are you saying? As an elder brother, it is only my duty to take care of my younger brother. There is no hardship in it. Since you are here to guard me, I will go and rest first. If there is any situation, please send someone to call me from the side hall. Father, I will take my leave now."
Kangxi stared at Yinreng's departing figure for a long time, but in the end, he could only shake his head and sigh helplessly. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day, and even the slowest effort takes time. The rift between him and Baocheng couldn't be bridged overnight. Besides… it's true that the higher you climb, the colder it gets. Do you know why emperors throughout history have always been solitary and lonely? Because from the day they became emperor, they trusted no one. An emperor is destined to be a solitary figure…
Yinzhu slept until the sun was high in the sky the next day. When he opened his eyes and looked at the familiar surroundings, he was a little confused. He couldn't figure out how he had woken up in the Qianqing Palace when he was sleeping at home.
"Dexi, why didn't I rest at home after I got drunk yesterday? Who brought me to the palace? Come here, help me up. Let's hurry and run away while Father Khan isn't around, or I'll be in big trouble if he catches me..."