dognovel Chapter 36 The Crown Prince and the Emperor: A Vast Difference
Chapter 36 The Crown Prince and the Emperor: A Vast Difference
Yinzhuo truly felt that he had been worrying himself sick over these troublesome brothers all day long. The reason he had ended up like this was because he had a swimming pool dug on a whim.
Since the holiday started, Yinzhuo and the others no longer needed to go to the study, so they naturally had more free time. With so much free time, they had to find something to do to pass the time.
Although the outside world was novel, it became less interesting after a while. Moreover, as the weather got hotter, Yinzhuo became increasingly reluctant to go out. He thought that soaking in water in the summer would be more comfortable than staying indoors, so he simply had a small pond dug in his courtyard.
After the pool was completed, in order to provide shade and shelter from the rain, Yinzhu specially had a shed made of oilcloth built above and around the pool. Although it looked a bit ugly, it was practical. From then on, the brothers stopped going outside and would gather in the pool in Yinzhu's courtyard to soak in the water, chat, eat and drink. The relationship between the brothers seemed to have become much closer.
Ever since Yinzhu learned to dog paddle in the hot spring pool that year, he has put a lot of effort into it over the years, and after years of practice, he has made some progress in swimming.
Yin Tang watched enviously as Yin Zuo swam gracefully in the pool, while he could only sit on the edge, soaking his feet. He begged Yin Zuo to teach him to swim. Yin Tang, who always followed his ninth brother's lead, naturally wanted to join in. Yin Zuo thought teaching him to swim was a piece of cake and readily agreed.
Soon, Yinzhuo discovered that the chubby boy, Yinxi, seemed to be afraid of water. Although he really wanted to learn to swim, he would get nervous as soon as he got into the water. In his panic, he would become more and more clumsy. Fearing that something might happen to him, Yinzhuo quickly kicked the boy out of his swimming training class.
Yinzuo thought Yinzhen wasn't very good at swimming, but the chubby boy was unconvinced. During the afternoon when Yinzuo and the others were resting, he secretly dragged Yinzhen to the pool, wanting to teach himself. Fortunately, the servants in the courtyard saw them, preventing a major disaster. Fearing that the boy might do this again when he wasn't looking, Yinzuo wanted to teach him a lesson, which led to the scene today where Yinzuo threw the boy into the pool.
"Sixth Brother, I'll never do it again. I really thought I was going to drown just now..."
Yinzhen was quite frightened today. Even without Yinzhuo telling him, he naturally wouldn't dare to secretly go into the water alone. At this moment, he was shaking his head like a rattle drum.
"Alright, stop lying on the ground. Even though it's hot, these wet clothes won't be comfortable to wear. Get up and let your Ninth Brother take you back to change."
While Yinzhuo was enjoying a carefree and happy life, Kangxi, far away in the northern desert camp, was in a much worse situation. Kangxi had been full of ambition and confidence in leading his troops to conquer Galdan, but the enemy fell ill as soon as they arrived in the northern desert.
After taking the medicine for several days, the symptoms not only did not improve, but became more severe. After a consultation, the imperial physicians in the army concluded that they suspected that Kangxi had contracted a feverish illness. Upon hearing these four words, Kangxi felt a chill in his heart.
The fever and chills, which is what we now commonly call malaria, has an extremely high mortality rate. Not to mention that we are now in this medically scarce camp in the northern desert, even if we were in the Forbidden City, the imperial physicians would not dare to guarantee that they could cure this disease.
Emperor Kangxi, being well-read, naturally knew the severity of this fever and chills symptom. However, even knowing the disease's extreme danger, he could not immediately leave and return to the capital. His personal campaign was to bolster morale; his presence represented the Qing Dynasty's determination to defeat Galdan. If he left, the army's morale would collapse. Moreover, the distance to the capital was more than a thousand miles. Even if he returned now, the arduous journey would not guarantee his safe arrival. Therefore, he could not leave, nor could he leave at this time. To avoid arousing Galdan's suspicion, Kangxi ordered the imperial physicians to conceal his illness from the public, claiming it was merely a minor cold, and then continued the army's attack on Galdan.
Once a person falls ill, they tend to overthink. Kangxi wondered if he were to die here, would the Crown Prince in the capital be able to stabilize the turbulent situation? If the Crown Prince knew that he was seriously ill, would he be worried about his father's life or secretly pleased that he was one step closer to the throne?
And what about Yinzhuo? What would that kid do if he knew he was about to die? Would he cry? Sigh... never mind, that kid looks too ugly when he cries, so let's not make him cry.
Kangxi's condition did not improve, and the news could not be kept secret indefinitely. Fortunately, the offensive at the front was going very smoothly, which relieved a lot of pressure on Kangxi. So after a few more days, Kangxi finally decided to retreat to the rear to recuperate.
"Liang Jiugong, send a secret message to the capital, saying that I am away on a campaign and miss the Crown Prince dearly. I am now seriously ill and wish to see him..."
Kangxi knew his own body best. In the past few days, he felt more and more that he was really going to die. If he wanted to see anyone before he died, it would undoubtedly be Yinreng, whom he had raised by his own hands.
"and many more……"
Liang Jiugong was about to leave after receiving the order when Kangxi suddenly called him back.
"Tell the Crown Prince to bring Yinzhuo with him when he comes."
Let's see that kid after all; this might be the last time they see each other in this lifetime...
Although Yinzhuo had long known that Kangxi would fall ill during his personal campaign, and that although the illness was dangerous, he would eventually recover safely, Yinzhuo's heart still skipped a beat when he first heard the news of Kangxi's serious illness, and it took him a while to recover.
"Dexi, quickly take some men to the Imperial Observatory and find a priest named Hong Ruohan. No matter what it takes, get him a drug called quinine. Then come to the Qianqing Palace to find me. Be quick. Xiahe, quickly pack me two changes of clothes..."
Although Yinzuo hoped that Yinzhen could become the future emperor, it did not mean that he wanted Kangxi to die. Even though both were favored by the emperor, there was still a difference between the younger brother and the son. Yinzuo felt that it was better to be the emperor's son than the younger brother who was the emperor. Didn't you see that his fourth brother, Yinzhen, had become more and more like a father in his attitude towards him over the years under his subtle influence?
De Xi was chosen by Consort De to serve by Yin Zuo's side, so he must have some skills. Yin Zuo said to be quick, and he was indeed fast, retrieving the medicine in less than an hour.
"You've worked hard. You don't need to come with me this time. Go back and take good care of the house. The palace is probably not peaceful these days. Send someone to tell your fourth brother and mother that they should try not to go out unless necessary."
Although the news of Kangxi's serious illness was conveyed by secret edict, once it entered the capital, it was bound to be impossible to keep quiet. Everyone in the palace has their own connections, and it's estimated that as soon as he and the Crown Prince left, everyone who needed to know would know. At present, keeping a low profile and protecting oneself is the right thing to do.
"Sixth Brother, time is of the essence, let's set off now."
Looking at Yinreng, who had a worried expression but also a hint of excitement, Yinzuo sighed helplessly. He was indeed too young; his thoughts were almost entirely written on his face. But then again, there was a huge difference between being the crown prince and being the emperor.