CH 14

Chapter 14: Man

When he saw the beautiful and fluffy tail of Yuan Bao[1] become uneven and ugly, the dark fire in Yinzhen’s heart couldn’t be extinguished. As he stroked the puppy’s white fur, his eyes became more and more serious.

“Master, the seventh brother is here,” Xiao Luzi looked at Yuan Bao’s messy hair and shrank his neck, wishing that he would turn into a speck of dust and disappear immediately.

“Little seventh is here?” Yinzhen withdrew his hand from the dog, “Let him in quickly.”

“Fourth brother, I brought you something nice,” the familiar voice from outside the door made Yinzhen’s uneasy expression soften a little. 

He got up and looked at the young man who was taking off his cloak while walking towards him. Yinzhen gestured for the people below to make hot tea, and stretched out his hand to cover the other’s hand on his own, “It’s still snowing outside, if there is anything to do, just ask a servant to pass the message.”

“It’s fine,” Yinyou felt that his hands were warmer, and sat down with the fourth brother, “it’s been snowing a lot these days, and it’s just boring to stay inside.”

“Seventh brother, please have some tea.” 

A court lady who looked fifteen years old brought the tea. Her eyebrows and eyes looked quite beautiful. Yinyou thought she looked a little bit like his ex-girlfriend, and couldn’t help but take a few more glances. He wanted to take the tea but the fourth brother was still holding his hands, and he was stuck. He couldn’t pull his hands out, so he just nodded his head to the maid.

Yinzhen noticed Yinyou’s subtle expression, but his face remained unchanged, “Seventh brother looks to have taken a liking to this court lady. If you like her, just say it, and the fourth brother will send her over to you tonight.”

Hearing this, Yinyou hurriedly shook his head. It would cause him a psychological shadow to ask such a person to serve him. 

“It’s just a court lady.” Yinzhen beckoned Xiao Luzi to the side, “Remember to send her to the seventh brother tonight.” 

“Yes”, Xiao Luzi bowed, and smiled flatteringly at Yinyou, “Seventh brother, this girl’s hands and feet are also considered good, she originally served by the Crown Princess’ side.”

Yinyou remembered that Guaer Jia was considered a big surname in Manchuria. The Crown Princess belonged to that family. He just didn’t know how the maid beside the Crown Princess was sent to the fourth brother. He felt it was really weird and incomprehensible.

But since the fourth brother had already opened his mouth, he couldn’t say otherwise. Yinyou decided to change the subject, “I heard that the fourth brother was in a bad mood recently?” Yinyou heard he was reprimanded by Kangxi yesterday, but of course, he would not say this. Instead, he asked, “How’s your health?”

When Yinzhen saw Yinyou like this, he couldn’t say he was in a bad mood because the ninth brother and the tenth brother didn’t take him seriously. Wouldn’t this make him lose a dignified elder brother’s image?

He suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart. Yinzhen judged to say this in front of his younger brother disgraceful. He merely stated, “I’m okay, it’s just that there is something wrong with Yuan Bao. In the future you don’t have to worry about these small things, next time just let the servants ask, don’t come here yourself.”

The seventh brother’s foot was already bad and the road was slippery with all the snow, he was really not afraid of falling and making his bad foot worse but others still were concerned for him.

Yinyou smiled without answering. And at this time a child’s voice came from outside the door, “Fourth brother, I heard that the seventh brother was here. Brother, don’t forget to draw my little pig.” Then Yinyou saw a little dumpling dressed like a lucky doll entering the door surrounded by maids and eunuchs.

As soon as Yinyou heard the voice, he knew it was the thirteenth brother, and the corner of his mouth raised slightly, “Yo, I said, how come today is so lucky, I even met little thirteenth who I’ve been missing at the fourth brother’s place. How come this time little thirteenth is thinking of his seventh brother? These days you haven’t come to see your seventh brother.”

The thirteenth brother gave the two of them a sloppy bow, and pulling Yinyou he excused himself, “Seventh brother, it was the fourth brother who said that I couldn’t bother you, and also said that you should rest when you are sick. Could it be that the fourth brother lied to me?”

Only then did Yinyou understand why the thirteenth brother didn’t come to claim his painting. He knelt down and touched the thirteenth brother’s head, “Well, the seventh brother has wronged you, why don’t I draw you a little piggy to make amends?”

“That’s good,” the little guy was satisfied, so he quickly commanded the servants around him, “Hurry up and prepare the paper and ink.”

Seeing this, the fourth brother was also helpless. Knowing that the thirteenth brother was only thinking about the seventh brother’s small painting he got up and said, “I’ll take you to the study.”

Yinyou saw that the fourth elder brother did have a lot of good feelings for the thirteenth brother. In addition to his usefulness, it should also be because the thirteenth brother’s current temperament was indeed likable. When the three of them arrived at the study, the pen and ink were ready.

The so-called paintings were nothing more than the traditional painting technique of the Qing Dynasty combined with the modern cartoon style. As a result, his paintings were less graceful than traditional paintings and cuter than modern drawings. This pseudo-modern kind of painting wasn’t that amazing. In fact, he really couldn’t understand why in some transmigration novels the protagonist could amaze the crowd with just this much, those who were stunned clearly haven’t seen much of the world. Of course, if the protagonist met people like the thirteenth brother who was just a five-year-old child then he could really understand.

This kind of painting didn’t require much energy, and since Yinyou learned calligraphy and painting after arriving here, it was very easy to draw. With a few strokes, a child with a hat and a long braid appeared on the paper, and soon behind the child, there was a chubby little pig. A rockery and some plants were nicely added next to them. This painting only took him two sticks of incense [2].

“Seventh brother, is this child me?” Thirteenth pointed at the child who looked like a dumpling, surprised.

“Yes, it’s thirteenth and a little pig.” The despicable uncle began to bully the children again.

“The seventh brother is amazing,” exclaimed the small thirteenth brother. Because he was small, he had climbed up a chair and was now looking at the painting with a happy expression.

Yinyou felt that it was really unkind of him to bully children.

Yinzhen stood aside and listened to Yinyou teasing the thirteenth brother and his face which was stone cold for two long days finally revealed a smile. The servants waiting beside him were relieved. Master finally had a good face. In their hearts, they thought that only with the seventh and thirteenth brothers could the Master be in a good mood.

The three brothers had lunch together, and not long after, Concubine Min sent the servants to pick up the thirteenth brother, leaving Yinyou and Yinzhen to read and write in the study, having a rare quiet time.

Yinzhen read a book for a while, and when he looked up, he saw that Yinyou was practicing calligraphy. He put down the book and went to the desk. He looked at the paper carefully and said, “Seventh brother’s calligraphy has improved a lot recently.”

Yinyou curled his lips when he heard the words, “A few days ago, Huang Ama saw my handwriting, told me to learn more from you, and gave me a set of copybooks. Fourth brother, it’s no use to praise me now.”

“Who told you to be lazy and not practice calligraphy seriously,” Yinzhen took the brush in Yinyou’s hand and dipped it in ink.

He wrote the word ‘yin’ (胤) on the paper, then looked at Yinyou’s handwriting comparing it with his, and spoke unhurriedly, “Although the writing is discernible, it lacks two points of character, you are still young, and you can practice slowly.”

“Fourth brother, you are only two years older than me,” Yinyou expressed. A child said that he was still young, Yinyou felt unspeakably aggrieved, but in the end, he just muttered, “Your handwriting has been praised by Huang Ama in the past two years.”

What could the fourth elder brother say? That people were not the same, that he and Yinyou could not be compared because he practiced writing more seriously and diligently than him? He finally decided to restore Yinyou’s precarious self-esteem, “Your handwriting is also very good-looking. The eighth brother’s handwriting is far worse than yours.”

Yinyou was speechless. He was an uncle who had a new life and he was now compared with a son who was criticized by Kangxi for his ugly handwriting in the official history. Was this a compliment, or was this a problem between people’s talents being different? This was also the first time he knew that the majestic Emperor Yongzheng would also talk behind other people’s backs. As expected, history didn’t always speak the truth.

The Crown Prince had been smart since he was a child, not to mention calligraphy and painting, the third brother was also very good at poetry, the fourth brother had always been a good student, and the fifth brother was also quite brilliant in calligraphy and painting. As far as these people were concerned, there is really nothing special about them.

Should he be blamed for being too mediocre, or should Kangxi’s sons be blamed for being too smart and capable?

Seeing that Yinyou’s expression was not right, Yinzhen thought that he still cared about Huang Ama’s words, so he had to ask Xiao Luzi to bring him some new gadgets, “You can take these things back and play with them, if you have something you like outside the palace, the fourth brother can buy it for you.”

Yinyou looked at all kinds of things to coax children in front of him, and said after a heartbeat, “Fourth brother, I am already eleven years old.”

“Yes, brother knows.” Yinzhen touched Yinyou’s head and pulled out a book on water conservancy to read.

Yinyou once again silently looked at the exquisite valuable thing that definitely didn’t belong to his age play, “These little things…”

Yinzhen looked up at Yinyou, and smiled at him, “These things I secretly hide from little thirteenth. These are all for you, see, be good and don’t be upset. The fourth brother will read for a while, and you slowly practice your words.”

Yinyou suddenly blushed. Good, what good, as an eleven-year-old brother he was actually reduced to grabbing his five-year-old brother’s toys. Bastard, he was a big man!

After having some snacks in the afternoon, Yinyou returned to his residence, and sat there for a while when Fu Duo walked in with a troubled face, “Master, the fourth brother sent a maid…”

Yinyou's complexion changed slightly, and then he took a sip of hot tea, “Call her in, I have something to ask her.”

Fu Duo quickly brought the maid up. Yinyou carefully sized her up, and felt that this girl didn’t look like his ex-girlfriend, he asked, “What’s your name?”

“Back to Master, this maidservant’s name is Hai Yun.” She bowed politely, then lowered his head and answered calmly.

“Hai Yun,” Yinyou blew on the tea stalks on the tea surface, “you have been serving by the fourth brother’s side?”

“Back to the seventh brother, some days ago, His Highness the Crown Prince ordered this servant girl to serve the fourth brother.” Hai Yun lowered her eyebrows and said, “The Crown Prince said that whoever the servant follows, is this servant’s Master.”

“All right, Master knows,” Yin You put down the teacup, “In the future, you will follow Yun Zhu. Step back.”

“This servant will leave.”

Yinyou looked at Hai Yun’s thin back and lowered his eyelids slightly. Wasn’t this the Crown Prince’s person? No wonder the fourth brother didn’t want her. Yinzhen won’t offend the Crown Prince if Yinyou takes her away. To keep this person by Yunzhu’s side was a safe choice too.

It’s just that the fourth brother’s move, wasn’t he afraid of causing the Crown Prince’s dissatisfaction? Pr did he have a way to deal with the Crown Prince? However it was, Yinyou didn’t know what was going on with the princes. He only knew that the Crown Prince would eventually be abolished, and the eighth brother would also fall in the restoration of the Crown Prince.

In fact, it all depended on Kangxi. If Kangxi thought it was good, it was good. If he thought it was not good, it was useless to fight.

He knows the ending of history, so he doesn’t want to participate in all of this. He didn’t want to care about the fourth brother’s scheming, and he didn’t want to participate. He just wanted to live a good life.

______________________

▲ Footnotes 

[1] that’smags says: “Imperial Pooch or Pekingese. One of the oldest breeds of dog in the world, and one of the least genetically diverged from the wolf, the Pekingese was the favored pet of the imperial court. “Let its forelegs be bent; so that it shall not desire to wander far, or leave the imperial precincts,” said Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后. It is commonly referred to as the Lion Dog to this day due to its resemblance to Chinese guardian lions. The lion also features in its origin legend – a lion and a marmoset fell in love, so the story goes, but the lion was too large. The lion went to the Buddha and told him of his woes, and the Buddha allowed it to shrink down to the size of the marmoset, the Pekingese being the result. Having originated from the Buddha, the Pekingese was first a temple dog, and for centuries it could only be owned by members of the imperial palace”. 

[2] Two sticks of incense means around 10 min. (Martial World Wikia: A stick of incense is a poetic way of referring to a short time span, generally 5 minutes.)