Chapter 137 – Qing Transmigration Tale (46)
Commandery Prince Zhi was under house arrest.
He had been put under house arrest without any warning at all and no clear reason.
When Si Ye returned, he was a bit dazed.
Lin Yu Tong helped him wash up. She saw that his inner garments were soaked in sweat. On such a cold day, this could not be due to the heat.
It likely was a result of fright.
Lin Yu Tong made him a cup of calming tea. Si Ye took a sip, looked down on the teacup, and then laughed, “It is not to the point I need calming tea.”
But you clearly have received a fright.
Lin Yu Tong did not speak and sat down, picking up the underclothing she was making for Hong Zhao and got busy again. “How are Thirteenth Brother’s legs? He is so young, do not get an affliction.” She did not want to mention this unpleasant matter, but all these were unpleasant matters.
Si Ye sighed as well. “Physician Su is there. If Thirteen does not get better, he cannot return.”
You truly know to defraud Physician Su.
Lin Yu Tong said, “There are some medicinal wines in the family to help with inflammation. I do not know if they are of use. How about I send people with them for the physician to look at and see if they are of help? If possible, they can try first.”
Si Ye nodded. “That is good.” Regardless of whether they were of use, they were a token of goodwill.
Lin Yu Tong immediately got up and ordered the old granny to take care of this personally.
Just after she sat down, Si Ye said, “We have never visited the garden that the emperor rewarded down. How about we move there for a while?”
Deep in the winter, with snow coming down. Lin Yu Tong did not feel that moving there was a good idea.
But she still asked, “The emperor is going to move to Changchun Garden?”
About that. Si Ye thought that if the emperor did not leave, the people in the capital did not dare to do anything. Commandery Prince Zhi had fallen. The crown prince was deposed. Even Three had been abandoned covertly. The emperor wanted to shuffle the deck for court again.
Only when the people who should jump were jumping could he break apart the factions which had gathered together.
The emperor would go to Changchun Garden, but he had to go to the Garden of Perfect Brightness. Otherwise, it would end up like he was following behind the emperor.
Lin Yu Tong saw Si Ye did not answer and knew. “Then we will take along the children to get fresh air?”
“Take them, take them.” Si Ye suddenly seemed to be in a good mood, and personally sent people to clean up the rooms in the Garden of Perfect Brightness.
This one was a person who would leave when he said so. The next morning, the entire family started off for the garden.
The reason was ready. The garden had been rewarded down by the emperor, and he had been busy all this time. Now he had free time, he had to go and experience the grace of Khan A-ma.
He even sent a memorandum to the emperor like this, and then left with his wife and children.
Before people understood what Si Ye was intending, the emperor started off for Changchun Garden.
Nine cursed in his establishment. Just Four was so sneaky among the brothers.
In reality, up to now, he could not guess how Four knew the emperor would go to Changchun Gardens. Now, he was able to get close.
Ten sat on the chair and laughed. “Ninth Brother, do not compete in cunning with Four. Even Hong Hui of Four’s family is likely more cunning than you.”
Ninth Prince wanted to argue, but he thought of how Hong Hui had acted at Muran. He did not have that skill. The child had too many curves in his mind.
It was not good for a child to be like that.
Ninth Prince thought this, and turned to look at Ten. He said, “I say, do you have something? If you do, just say, if not, get out.” You eat Ye‘s, drink Ye‘s, and even say things to mock Ye, you have too much time!
Tenth Prince put down the grapes in his hand reluctantly. It was not easy for such things to be stored until winter. In any case, his establishment did not have any. He glanced at the grapes on the table and then whispered, “Ninth Brother, this brother has encountered a wise person recently.”
Nonsense! An expert? None of their brothers would believe the words of the jianghu people.
He suspected that Ten had just come to eat and drink for free.
Ninth Prince glared, “What matter do you have?” Are you just teasing me here?
Tenth Prince smiled and said, “Ninth Brother, what is going on between you and Eighth Brother? You do not look as close as in the past?”
You have good eyes. Ninth Prince laughed and said, “Eighth Brother is riding the wind right now. Having us brothers or not has no effect on him. Ye will not try to get close.”
Tenth Prince glared. “Ninth Brother, how come you are so silly?”
Ninth Prince glared back. He would accept others saying that he was silly, but not Ten.
Ten whispered, “Ninth Brother, do not refute this. Now, without the crown prince, will our Khan A-ma want me, or you, Ninth Brother? Even with Fifth Brother, are any of us able to enter Khan A-ma‘s eyes?”
Ninth Prince, regardless of how highly he thought himself, knew his own weight. Otherwise, he would not have followed behind Eight.
Tenth Prince saw Ninth Prince so weak and said, “First has fallen, the crown prince has been deposed, Three has become a villain, Fifth Brother cannot speak the Han language well, Seventh Brother does not have a good leg, Ninth Brother, you are obsessed with money, me, Ten, married a princess consort from Mongolia. Twelve was raised by Sumalagu. Thirteen has been affected by the crown prince and is half under house arrest. My good ninth brother, count on your fingers. Other than the young a-ge below who have yet to grow up, of our brothers, only Four, Eight, and Fourteen are left.”
“Ninth Brother, say, at the key time, will Fourteen side with Eight or his own brother Four?”
“Let us speak of Fourteen first. Fourteen does not have pure thoughts, but on the surface, he will support Eight. If Eight wins, he will benefit. If Eight loses, in any case, Four is his brother, what can Four do to him?”
Tenth Prince smacked his lips and said, “So, Fourteen will not pop up. If he does, he will stand opposite Four and Eight unless one of them falls down. However, right now, Fourteen looks like he will win, and will not suffer no matter what.”
“Speaking of this, in the end, only Four and Eight are left.” Tenth Prince sighed. He got right in front of the stunned Ninth Prince and said in an even lower whisper, “Today, it is just us brothers here. The words leave my mouth and enter your ears. After leaving, this brother will not admit it.”
Ninth Prince examined Tenth Prince like he did not recognize Tenth Prince. In the past, he felt that Ten was a stupid one, and could not help but take more care of him. Today, he discovered that the other was one who pretended, and had a clear mind. Of course, they were all sons of the dragon, the seed of the same a-ma. No one would be stupid. He dazedly nodded and said, “You say, this brother will listen intently.”
Ninth Prince was collapsing inside. He truly did not want to play but even Ten seemed to have more plans than him. He immediately felt that the world was very dangerous.
Tenth Prince was very uneasy under Ninth Prince’s gaze. He coughed and whispered, “Honestly speaking, Four and Eight, in terms of birth, one’s eniang is booi bond servant, and the other a state bond servant, a slave. They are not better than anyone else. In terms of ability, they are equal, they are both cunning, and not people that us brothers can plot against. Four has a bit better birth, and he was raised by Empress Xiaogongren, but Eight is more popular. They are equal in this too. But for me, the greatest difference is that Four has more of a heart for the public good, while Eight is more selfish. Eight can ignore the benefits of the court for his own future. On this, he loses to Four. Also, once a person’s personality is set, it cannot be corrected.”
Ninth Prince did not understand. “Based on this, you think better of Four?”
It was not the case.
Tenth Prince rolled his eyes at Ninth Prince. “We are several years younger than our brothers? Ye wants to get close to Four, but when he left and set up his establishment, we were still in the imperial study. We got together with Eight because we spent such a long time together. Back then, who would have thought of what is happening now? Us brothers just got together and felt that we have matching personalities. But speaking of this now, us brothers have matching tempers. But Eight…… Ninth Brother, have you seen Eight at odds with anyone?”
“My meaning is very simple. It is fine if we are not close to Four, if we do not make trouble for him on serious matters, he will not pay attention to us unambitious people. But Eight, if the old man really does not think it through and raised Eight…… Ninth Brother, it is not good. You say, we were very good with Eight back then, so would it not be very obvious if we distance ourselves? What does this mean? A separation of the heart. Will we end up well in the future?”
Ninth Prince understood. “You say that we should just do what we do? If Eight goes up, we will benefit. If Four goes up, we will be fine, and can live in peace if we are obedient?”
Tenth Prince nodded. “My ninth brother, you finally understand.”
If Lin Yu Tong learned of the conversation between the two of them, she would be surprised.There was a reason for Ten, a member of Eighth Prince’s faction, to be able to withdraw unharmed and live all the way to the sixth year of Qianlong.
Ninth Prince laughed. Right now, he felt worried for his intelligence. Even the one he thought an idiot was smarter than him. The world was too ridiculous.
He heard Tenth Prince continue, “Right now, we cannot just continue like in the past. Ninth Brother’s silver did not come for free on the wind. You cannot give silver every single time.”
Ninth Prince was stunned. He was someone who had kept on scraping silver off him. He knew that the silver had not come for free on the wind. Should he be comforted by this?
Tenth Prince seemed to think of himself. He coughed, uneasy, and then said, “So, we need another way to show our goodwill. We do not have to give silver in order to maintain good ties. Do you not think so, Ninth Brother?” Then he smiled innocently.
Ninth Prince wanted to slap these words on his face. In the future, Ye would not give you silver. One did not have to use silver to maintain good ties, no?
But looking at Ten’s docile and honest smiling face, his words were stuck in his mouth. He could not say them, so he took over, “The expert you found is one who is able to talk……”
Tenth Prince smiled embarrassedly.
Tell me something