PDLP Chapter 33 The Helpless Sixth Prince
Chapter 33 The Helpless Sixth Prince
Since Emperor Kangxi has spoken, if Yinzhu is found to be lying again, it will be a crime of deceiving the emperor. Even if he is Emperor Kangxi's son, daring to deceive the emperor to his face will definitely not end well.
Thinking of this, the princes who had just been looking forward to watching him make a fool of himself were now somewhat worried for him.
"Father, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that I'm afraid to. I'm afraid that if I tell you, you'll be upset. You're leaving for war tomorrow, and if I upset you now, wouldn't that make me seem foolish? How about this, I'll tell you after you return victorious?"
It would have been better if he hadn't said it. As soon as he said it, not only Kangxi but also everyone sitting below wanted to pry his mouth open. Only after he finished speaking did Yinzhu realize how inappropriate his words were. Didn't his words clearly tell them that there was something fishy going on on his side? No wonder they were even more curious.
As he expected, the even more curious Emperor Kangxi was not going to let him off so easily.
"Stop talking nonsense, speak boldly. Whatever you say, I will forgive you. But if you dare to make up some excuse to fool me, then..."
The unspoken threat completely blocked Yinzhuo's last escape route. Seeing that he couldn't fool him, he simply hardened his heart, closed his eyes, and thought, "So be it, I told you to say it. If you feel upset after I say it, then you can only blame yourself."
"My son just watched Eunuch Liang and his men inspecting and tasting each dish one by one. By the time the dishes were placed in front of you, they were already cold. It's summer now, and the weather is hot, so it's not a problem to eat the food cold. But in winter, the food definitely won't taste good. That's why I was lost in thought..."
Yinzhuo thought that what he said wasn't exactly a lie. He had indeed made the connection to the later events because he saw the food getting cold. However, he wasn't looking at the dishes on Kangxi's noodles, but rather the ones on his table. Besides, weren't emperors known for only telling half the story? He had only told half the story and left the other half unsaid, so it wasn't considered deceiving the emperor.
He was just feeling elated about his cleverness when Kangxi's question came from above.
"Is that all? Yinzhuo, do you know your crime?"
Emperor Kangxi believed he understood his son Yinzhuo quite well. Although Yinzhuo was intelligent, he was ultimately simple-minded and his thoughts would inevitably show on his face. In fact, Kangxi initially believed him, but after seeing the jubilant expression on his face, he knew that even if Yinzhuo was telling the truth, he certainly hadn't told the whole story.
In fact, if Yinzhuo had spoken frankly or stubbornly refused to admit it, Kangxi really wouldn't have been able to do anything about him. But it was really unbearable for people to know that he left things unsaid!
"Alright, Father, you insisted that I say this. If I do, you can't scold me or punish me."
"Alright, speak. Didn't I just say that whatever you say, I will forgive you?"
Now that things have come to this point, Yinzhi naturally won't hide anything anymore. Of course, Kangxi, with his persistent and inquisitive nature, probably won't allow him to keep anything a secret either.
"I just watched Eunuch Liang taste the dishes, and thinking about how Father Khan eats cold food every day and has to follow so many rules, he's not as carefree as his son. I feel that being an emperor is really not a good thing... It's so miserable."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, because these words weren't exactly treasonous. After all, even they had sympathized with their father countless times in their hearts.
"Is this enough to make you stammer for so long? Aren't you usually quite bold around me?"
Kangxi could tell from Yinzhuo's resolute expression that he was telling the truth. He didn't think Yinzhuo's words were particularly rebellious, since he felt sorry for himself every day at mealtimes.
"Alright, sit down and go eat."
Yinzhu thought he had escaped a disaster, and even though the food in front of him was already cold, he ate it with great relish. He thought that after the meal, Kangxi would let them go back, but unexpectedly, Kangxi showed his fatherly love to the fullest today. After the meal, he not only accompanied them to drink tea to help them digest, but also took them to the small hall where he usually rested and chatted with them about family matters.
"Yinzuo, you said before that you felt I was a miserable emperor because you saw me eating cold food. Do you know why I still have to abide by these ancestral rules even though I find them tedious and unbearable?"
Kangxi and Yinqi and Yinreng were having a good chat, and Yinzuo was happily listening and slacking off when Kangxi suddenly called on him. He was taken aback, but he knew the answer to this question. Why? Because he was afraid of dying. But he obviously knew he couldn't say that, so Yinzuo pretended to think it over before speaking.
"Of course, it's because even if Father is the emperor, there are times when he has no choice but to act against his will. As the saying goes, without rules, there can be no order. If Father, as the emperor, were to lead the way in breaking the rules, wouldn't the world be in chaos? Alas, if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. This is the principle. This son understands it."
Yinzhuo's words made a lot of sense, at least Kangxi agreed with them: "If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight." This was true; as emperor, he also had many things beyond his control. After all, with greater power comes greater responsibility, and with greater responsibility comes less room for willful and reckless behavior.
"Yinzhu will be an adult in two years. Have you thought about what you want to do after graduating from the Imperial Study?"
Yinzhuo could answer this question too. Didn't Kangxi already know his ambition when he was very young? To eat, drink, and be merry, and live the life of a playboy.
"Father, everyone knows that I want to be a carefree member of the royal family who enjoys eating, drinking and having fun in the future. If you feel sorry for your son, then you can bestow upon me the title of Iron-Cap Prince, which will be hereditary and permanent. That way, not only will I be able to enjoy wealth and prosperity in the future, but my son can also benefit from my success and become a playboy... Sigh, why are you getting so angry, Father? You hit me hard."
Before Yinzhuo could finish speaking, Kangxi gave him a sharp rap on the head. Judging from the fact that he felt stars in his eyes, the old man must have used quite a bit of force.
"Beating you is too lenient. Listen to what you're saying! It's one thing to be a spendthrift and not ambitious, but you even want my grandson to be just as unambitious. Do you think you're a father? I advise you to give up this idea, because I won't allow my son to be a good-for-nothing. You'd better think about what you'll do in the future before you leave."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhuo was stunned. He looked to his brothers for help, but they were all engrossed in watching the spectacle and no one wanted to save him. Instead, they urged him on.
"Father is right. Sixth brother, as a member of the royal family, how can you be so unambitious? It's alright. You're still young. It's not too late to think about what you want to do in the future. Are you thirsty? Second brother will get you a glass of water."
Haha, I never expected that you, my second brother, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, would have just as many wicked thoughts as those black-hearted bastards next to you. And you're even pouring water for me? Thank you.
“The Crown Prince is right. You are still young. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, you can definitely change your lazy nature. Now think it over carefully. We are not in a hurry to wait for you to decide before we go back together.”
Hmph, so the Crown Prince is right? I've never seen you two get along so well before, but now you're like brothers? This isn't the time for you two to fight like cats and dogs. If you don't help me now, you'll regret it later.
"Big brother is right. Sixth brother, don't worry. Tomorrow is the ten-day holiday anyway, so there's no rush for us to go back. We'll wait for you to decide before we leave together."
Wow, they've even started playing a word game, one after another, like a snake battle game? And Third Brother, you're not in a hurry now. It's not like you were sitting in the Qianqing Palace with the stool under your butt feeling like it had thorns. You've gotten bolder from watching the show and now you think you're all that great.
"Fourth Brother, you're not going to say that Third Brother is right next, are you?"
Fourth Brother didn't say Third Brother was right, because he said Father was right; he wouldn't allow Yinzhuo to become a useless piece of trash.
What could Yinzhuo do when neither his current nor future boss agreed to him being a spoiled and useless playboy? He was helpless.