CH 55

We’ve heard (read) Yinyou’s mindset regarding Yinzhen’s feeling, now it’s time to hear Yinzhen’s thoughts! This chapter’s title is 實誠的四四 shíchéng de sìsì, lit. Sincere fourth fourth. This is the nickname the author gave Yinzhen. I feel it reads awkward in English, so I modified it. —Bambi

After New Year’s Eve, it was the New Year. Jinsu arranged gifts for the princes and imperial concubines but she still waited for Yinyou to come back from morning court to ask him if they were suitable.

“For the Crown Prince, add one more gift. As for the harem, De E’Niang said a few days ago that she likes folk gadgets, you can add some to her gifts. In the future, if you have time, please greet her for me1Yinyou means this in the same of going to pay a visit to Consort De, as a form of filial piety for an elder. . De E’Niang and E’Niang lived together in Yonghe back then and De E’Niang still takes great care of E’Niang.”

Yinyou put down the gift list, then turned to ask Fu Duo to bring the folk toys that boys liked to play with. To Jinsu he said, “Send this to the fourth brother’s family. Just say it’s from me, no need to say anything else.”

Jinsu understood Yinyou’s intentions and agreed one by one.

Yinyou changed out of his court clothes and glanced at the snow that didn’t stop outside. “It’s been cold these past two days. Please pay more attention. I’ll go to the study to read for a while, no need to send anyone to wait on me.”

“I’ll ask someone to make Master a pot of hot tea. The eighth Lord sent tea a few days ago, I haven’t tasted it yet.” Jinsu said as she walked towards the door.

Yinyou’s expression changed slightly, and when he saw that Jinsu’s expression remained as usual, he commented, seemingly casually, “I heard that my father-in-law admires the eighth brother very much, but…” He raised his head and looked at the sky, showing a doubtful expression. “It’s the first month now. Choose a date to visit your parents. I will ask Fu Duo to prepare the gift for you.”

Jinsu thanked him, said her goodbyes and opened the curtain for Yinyou. Watching as he left the room, she closed the carved door, frowning. No matter what, she must not continue talking about her maiden family and the eighth prince’s relationship. Hearing her Master’s words, she guessed he must be feeling dissatisfied with it2In the 1st month of Kangxi’s 48th Year, the emperor summoned court officials to conduct an inquiry to determine who initiated the movement for Yinsi to be appointed as heir apparent. [This is after the Crown Prince was deposed the first time]. The officials are terrified. The emperor asks Zhang Tingyu, and the official replies, “I heard it was Ma-qi.” The next day the crimes of Ma-qi are listed. He is spared the death penalty but arrested. After conducting investigations, it was found that Ma-qi was falsely accused, and he was released. In the 3rd month of the 48th year, Yinreng is reinstated as the Crown Prince. From Palace Museum. / B: Just providing more historical context, I think I told you guys last chapter as well. .

Drinking the fresh tea, Yinyou rubbed his forehead and sighed. Not only did the fourth brother send tea to his house in the past two days, but the eighth brother also joined in the fun. He really couldn’t understand Yinsi’s mind. Why would he continue to send things to him? At least, twice a year he would send him tea. But Yinyou would never help him. Since he was a child, Yinsi has been a gentle person, smiling whether he was unhappy or happy but Yinyou was never close to him. Yinyou’s closeness couldn’t even compare to the closeness between the eighth brother and the ninth brother.

Could it be that this person wanted to deliberately make the fourth brother doubt him? Yinyou put down the tea cup and sighed. His calculations in his previous life were in vain in front of these imperial princes.

After the spring of the 38th year of Kangxi’s reign, the coldness in the Forbidden City had gone away somewhat, but news came out in the palace that the emperor had executed a young eunuch in the Yuqing Palace. The Crown Prince was so angry that he threw jade ornaments on the ground in front of the emperor. Although the emperor was angry, he walked away without punishing the prince.

Upon learning the news, Yinyou experienced a complex mix of emotions.  In his mind, the Crown Prince was a very good young man. However, since the princes were enfeffed3(in feudal society): to take (someone) into vassalage by giving a fee or fief in return for certain services. / Yinyou’s referring to the events which happened in chapter 48 where they all got their ranks. last year, the Crown Prince had become more impetuous. Originally, he only raised beauties and occasionally played with them. Who would have thought that now he would have the courage to raise men too?

In addition to the pressure from his brothers, the Crown Prince’s behaviour was also related to Kangxi’s tolerance. Kangxi indulged his son’s bad habits, including luxury, irritability, and lustfulness. Before he disliked the Crown Prince, all the Crown Prince’s faults were instigated by the villains around him. When he disliked the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince’s past shortcomings were infinitely magnified, and even his past advantages were regarded by him as having ulterior motives or even sinister intentions.

The Crown Prince with outstanding literary talents and graceful bearing was eventually deposed and imprisoned. In later generations, he was even described as a worthless pustule by some people who did not understand history: he was lustful, cowardly, and scheming.

He was the most glorious Crown Prince in the Great Qing, and he was also the most miserable Crown Prince in the Great Qing. He was also a poor Crown Prince who was discredited by future generations. Look, no matter how beautiful and outstanding you are, until you reach the last step, you will never know whether your life will be glorious or humiliating.

Another half month later, Suo’etu4Suo’etu was a minister during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty. He was an uncle of the emperor’s primary spouse, Empress Xiaochengren of the Hešeri clan, who died during childbirth [Yinreng’s birth mother]. He was also the son of Sonin, one of the four regents appointed to assist the young Kangxi Emperor during his minority. As Empress Xiaochengren’s paternal uncle, he was also, therefore, the grand-uncle of Yinreng, who was the Crown Prince throughout most of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign. / B: Since Kangxi can’t bear to scold his favourite son, as Yinyou said, he would instead blame the others around him, like Suo’etu, one of the ministers supporting the Crown Prince. was reprimanded by the emperor. His words seemed to blame Suo’etu’ for teaching the Crown Prince badly. Yinyou stood with his head bowed, attentively listening to the man seated on the dragon chair enumerate Suo’etu’s crimes and then fine him a year’s salary. Kangxi left the court in a bad mood.

Suo’etu’ face looked gloomy, and the Crown Prince held fear and anger in his eyes. On the other hand, the eldest brother on the other side showed a proud look. Finally, the Crown Prince tossed his sleeves and left the court without saying a word. Yinyou glanced at his back and lowered his eyelids indifferently. When he turned his head, he discerned a flicker of joy in Yinsi’s eyes that he couldn’t conceal in time.

He couldn’t help but glance at Yinzhen, who looked neither happy nor angry. Yinyou sighed, the eighth brother lost in this regard5This refers to how Yinyou can’t handle his emotions as well as Yinzhen, and this is one of his disadvantages. In earlier chapters, Yinyou analyzed how Yinsi couldn’t bear to keep a low profile and always wanted to shine and prove how good he was. Unfortunately, his status and the emperor’s favour were never on his side. You can check Chapter 10 to read Yinyou’s opinion on Yinsi’s struggle for the throne..

In the next month, the Crown Prince restrained himself a lot, and the beautiful women and men raised in his villa were sent away. Kangxi and the Crown Prince returned to the previous scene of a loving father and a filial son.

In April, news came again from the palace that Concubine Min was seriously ill6 In the 7th Month of the 38th Year of Kangxi: Lady Janggiya, an imperial consort, dies. She is given the posthumous title of Consort-in-ordinary Min (lit. “Perceptive”; an imperial concubine of the third rank, fei). [She’s the mother of the 13th brother who’s being raised by Consort De, the mother of the 4th and 14th brother]. The third prince, Yinzhi, the Commandery Prince of Cheng (lit. “Honest”) as a mourning son should not shave his hair for a hundred days but he did, and was demoted to the title of prince (beile, prince of the blood of the third degree). . His Majesty was so worried that he ordered the imperial physicians to take her pulse three times a day.

When they got the news, Yinyou was in Yinzhen’s villa and they both were appreciating the blossoming of the flowers from the pavilion.

“Fourth brother, the thirteenth brother is young, and it is inevitable to worry about his E’niang. Please visit him more often, brothers should care about each other.” Yinyou put down the teacup and looked at the sky. “It’s so late already, I should also go back home.”

Standing up, he raised his head and squinted at the westward sun. Yiyou turned around and smiled at Yinzhen, “Everyone has a day like this sooner or later.”

Yinzhen stared at his cheeks which were reddened by the setting sun, and his heart throbbed.

“Seventh brother, I…” he retracted his outstretched hand, and forced a smile, “Let’s go to the palace together tomorrow.”

Yinyou walked out of the pavilion, waving to Yinzhen without looking back, “I won’t go tomorrow. You go first, and I will go with you the day after tomorrow.” Looking at the flowers blooming on the roadside, Yinyou smiled bitterly: otherwise how could this mournful thirteenth brother be truly loyal to the later Emperor Yongzheng?

Yinzhen watched the figure go further and further away and sat back on the stone bench. His eyes fell on the tea cup that Yiyou drank from. The seventh brother’s behaviour seemed to be… secretly helping him. Even though the seventh brother said nothing, he eased the relationship between him and E’Niang, made the fourteenth brother get closer to him, and helped win over the thirteenth brother.

All of this… was what the seventh brother wanted to run away from7In chapter 14, Yinyou distances from Yinzhen because Yinzhen had used him for political schemes. Later, Yinzhen apologizes and they have an agreement to not have such a relationship with benefits or schemes. Also I can’t find the chapter, but when Yinyou goes to war, he says to himself: “When I come back, I will help this child [Yinzhen] get the position [the throne] he desires.” Yinzhen is realizing Yinyou’s change of mind..

After sitting for half a stick of incense, Yinzhen stood up and clapped his hands. Xiao Luzi appeared with two maids. After greetings, he said, “Master, the sedan chair back home has been prepared.”

“No need, we’ll stay here in the villa today; you can go to the mansion to get my court clothes.” Yinzhen walked out of the pavilion, looked up at the fiery sunset, and walked towards the house.

After taking two steps, he stopped and said, “Send the best peonies in the villa to the seventh brother’s house. You can see if there are any more precious flower seeds and send them there too.”

He took two steps and then stopped, instructing, “Send the best peony flowers from the estate to seventh brother’s residence. Also, see if there are any precious flower varieties, and send them over as well.” Yinzhen felt somewhat helpless about the seventh brother’s preference for tea and flowers, but seeing interesting things, he couldn’t resist sending them. This subconscious behavior made him sigh in helplessness. Yet, he was grateful that this was his seventh brother, a member of the Aisin Gioro family. If it were his own concubines, he might have feared losing his sense of judgment.

Even Yinzhen couldn’t fathom these inexplicable feelings of caring for the seventh brother without worrying about betrayal. For the imperial family feelings were inherently extravagant, and it left him pondering. Despite his usual cold-heartedness, he had developed a profound connection with his half-brother, a bond that went beyond blood. Yinzhen was unsure whether to be glad that he could experience such emotions or lament the misfortune of falling in love with a man who happened to be his own younger brother.

The next day, Yinzhen entered the palace and looked for Yinxiang. The boy, when standing in front of him, had red eyes. Yinzhen patted his shoulder and comforted him, “Thirteenth brother, your E’niang will be fine. Don’t worry too much.”

The two brothers spoke a long while. After that, Yinzhen left the palace where Concubine Min lived. Walking alone on the bluestone road, Yinzhen recalled ten years ago. At that time in Kunning Palace, it was he who was crying and it was Yinyou who offered him a shoulder to cry on. Then, he lost his E’niang and her protection, and returned to his birth mother. His brother’s attitude were not as warm as before, and even the Crown Prince did not care for him as much. Only Yinyou was kinder to him than when his E’niang was alive. He often pestered him to “talk by candlelight at night”, yet he was always the first to go to sleep.

Since the time when he was six years old when that child toddled over to hold his hand, they had never been apart. Yinyou was smart, could see the overall situation clearly, and did not like intrigues, but he was wary of his own Fu Jin because she was from the Nara family. He might’ve not care about his own dispute with the eldest brother, but he was worried that if he was truly close to the Nara family, it will bring trouble for him and cause the Crown Prince to doubt him.

He knew that Yinyou had met Nara shi before she died. Yinyou had some Han kindness in his nature8The ancient Han Chinese settled alongside the great rivers of China and populated the fertile areas, cultivated land and pursued a sedentary lifestyle. The Manchus originating from the vast areas of North East Asia, followed a semi-nomadic lifestyle and were skilled at warfare. (Source). / The different kind of life suggest a different kind of temperament, this is why Yinzhen says Han kindness, since the Aisin Gioro family —the ruling family of the Qing Dynasty— was Manchu. . Others didn’t know it, but he knew it very well. Nara shi could’ve survive; at least, Yinyou could’ve protect her, and given Yinyou’s kind nature, he may’ve not wanted Nara shi to die.

But just because she was from the Nara clan —the same clan as the eldest brother’s E’niang—, Yinyou cruelly allowed her to die by Huang Ama’s glass of poisonous wine. For his own sake, what the seventh brother did in private may not be clear to others, but he had to understand it9(B: Damn, I did not know this. It’s funny how Yinyou, the narrador and Yinzhen all have different perspectives of Yinyou’s attitudes regarding his first Fu Jin!).

Yinyou repaid his brotherly love with sincerity, but he responded with unbearable thoughts. Thinking of this, Yinzhen smiled bitterly. All the brothers gossiped about how Yinzhen preferred this lame brother over them. Even the Crown Prince often reminded him subtly that there was no need to please a brother who was of little use. These people didn’t know that he wanted to use these good things to resist the guilt in his heart. The pitiful remaining true feelings of the imperial family were desecrated by his unbearable thoughts.

After all… He wasted the seventh brother’s true sincerity.

“Fourth brother.”

Yinzhen turned around and saw the person he was thinking about running towards him with a bag of things in his hand.

“Seventh brother,” his throat was a little dry, but his face showed the gentle expression that always appeared when he saw Yinyou. “What is this in your hand?”

“This is the new peach blossom cake I got from Huang Ama. I accompanied Huang Ama to play chess for a full hour.” Yinyou divided half of the cakes, wrapped them in a clean handkerchief and handed them to Yinzhen. “Fourth brother, you can try them too. If they taste good, we will go to Huang Ama to ask for the recipe, then we can do it ourselves.”

Yinzhen took the package of snacks and felt helpless. Huang Ama always summoned the seventh brother to play chess, and would often get angry and scold him for his poor chess skills. He once thought that Huang Ama disliked the seventh brother, but when he thought about it carefully, the seventh brother never lacked the rewards that other brothers got. Every year, the seventh brother would be pointed at by Huang Ama and scolded several times for being a brat and a foodie. But Huang Ama was never truly angry from beginning to end.

Looking at Yinyou who had a playful smile, Yinzhen sighed. How could Huang Ama not like such son who was simple and kind? The other brothers all had their own concerns and little tricks. Only the seventh brother, because of his lameness, never had the opportunity to care about the throne, and his own temperament has always been honest. Huang Ama’s occasional indulgence to the seventh brother must be because of this.

The seventh brother can even ask for the imperial dim sum recipe. Who could say that Huang Ama didn’t favour the seventh brother?

When Yinzhen saw that Yinzhen was looking at him silently, the smile on his face faded, “Is Min E’niang not in good health?”

“It’s okay, Min E’niang has the imperial physician, so you don’t need to worry.” Yinzhen and Yinyou walked side by side, “Did you win today?”

Facing the timeless chess expertise handed down through the ages,  Yinyou had a headache. Thinking of the situation when Kangxi slapped the back of his hand just because he regretted his move, he sighed regretfully, “In this life, my chess skills can only reach this level.”

The issue was that, despite his lack of skill, Kangxi still enjoyed tossing him. Could it be that Kangxi found a sense of intellectual superiority in Yinyou’s idiotic chess skills?

With an expression that said “I knew it would be like this”, Yinzhen patted Yinyou on the shoulder and said warmly, “It’s okay. Next time you play with me, I’ll let you win.”

Yinzhen bared his teeth, “Fourth brother, even if you let me win, you shouldn’t tell me.” This tone of coaxing a six-year-old child was so very unacceptable! He was an uncle, alright!

“Okay, then I’ll secretly let you win next time,” Yinzhen thought for a while and still came to the conclusion that it would not be easy for the seventh brother to win a game of chess.

Yinyou glanced at the pastry in Yinzhen’s hand, with a hint of regret, “Fourth brother, you don’t have to be so sincere.”

Taking the pastry a little further away from Yinyou, Yinzhen couldn’t help but grin, “I was lying, though?”

Yinyou: “…”

Damn, I did not know how Yinzhen thought of Nara shi. It’s funny how Yinyou, Yinzhen and the story’s omniscient narrator all have different perspectives of Yinyou’s attitudes regarding his first Fu Jin! Happy Holidays to you too