in2ebook Chapter 400 But I'm afraid he'll hold it against me.
Chapter 400 But I'm afraid he'll hold it against me.
After being spun around like a top by his sixth brother for half a day, Yinzhen finally understood that what he thought would be over after a few scoldings was far from over.
As the saying goes, when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Besides, he came here today because he needed something from them. It's just serving tea and water, peeling melon seeds, which he's familiar with and capable of doing.
"Alright, Xiao Jiu, you've been busy with our son for a while now. Go find a place to sit down and rest. By the way, when you came in from outside, you looked so worried. Is something bothering you?"
What does it mean to have someone hand you a pillow when you're sleepy? Look, this is it! Yinzhen was just wondering how to bring it up, but Yinzuo's question really saved him a lot of brain cells.
"Sixth Brother guessed correctly. Besides visiting me in the hospital, I really do have something I need your help with. Speaking of which, I have to blame myself for not raising my son properly. But how could I have known that my son Hongzhang would be so bold? Yesterday, he accompanied his wife to Changchun Garden to visit my mother, and he insisted on going out to play. My mother thought he was being too noisy, so she let him go. Who would have thought that if she didn't keep an eye on him, he would wander off to Father's peony garden, and then..."
Although Yin Tang didn't finish his sentence, Yin Zuo could already picture what happened next just by imagining it. He now understood what Yin Tang wanted from him—he simply wanted him to help him get favors from his father.
“Xiao Jiu, I told you before that you don’t have this habit of being timid in front of your father. It’s just that the child was naughty and picked a few peonies. If you’re afraid he’ll blame you, just take the child to Qingxi Study and apologize. As a grandfather, do you think he can hold a grudge against his grandson Hongzhang?”
If you were to ask Yinzhen what he thought after hearing his sixth brother's words, there would only be one word—bitter. If he could still change his habit of being timid in front of his father, then why would he need to run to his sixth brother's place in the drizzle? Moreover, if it really was just a few peonies that were pulled up, this matter would be easy to handle. Little did he know that his son, though small in stature, had astonishing destructive power. In less than half an hour, he had almost wiped out his father's peony garden.
"Sixth Brother, of course I know Father wouldn't hold a grudge against his grandson, but I'm just afraid he might hold a grudge against me, his son. Sixth Brother, if I told you that I went to the peony garden before coming here and counted the peonies, there are less than a third of the peonies left, would you think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill...?"
Less than a third? No, that area of the peony garden is so large. Even if Hongzhang were a lawnmower, it would take him a while to clear it. How did he manage to level it in less than half an hour?
Not only was Yinzhu curious about this, but even Yinreng, who had been listening in without saying a word, was now full of questions. The two looked at each other and then simultaneously turned their puzzled gazes to Yintang.
Speaking of this, Yinzhen got even angrier. I don't know if you've ever heard the saying that the most fundamental difference between humans and animals is that humans can make and use tools. Logically speaking, Hongzhang is only five years old this year. Even if he is very destructive, he shouldn't have reached this point. But it's just that he arrived at the right time rather than early.
"Speaking of this makes me angry. Sixth Brother, don't let that kid's small size fool you. He's got boundless energy and a clever mind. The reason he was able to wreak havoc on those peonies in such a short time is because he stole the shovel that the palace servants used for weeding. Everyone was afraid of hurting him and didn't dare to directly take it from him, which gave him the opportunity."
That doesn't make sense. They're all thirty years old now, and they still have people with them when they go out. Hongzhang is only five years old, so there's no reason why he shouldn't have anyone with him. Yintang naturally saw Yinzuo's question, sighed helplessly, and then slowly spoke again.
"Sixth Brother just wants to know why none of Hongzhang's people came to report to Mother, right? Well, what a coincidence! When they arrived, my Mother and Fujin happened to be strolling in the garden. It took them a while to find them..."
Upon hearing Yin Tang's explanation, Yin Zuo understood. Because searching for Consort Yi and Ninth Prince's wife had taken some time, it had given Hong Zhang ample time to commit his crime, and then...
Although Hongzhang was indeed quite bold, in Yinzhuo's eyes it was not a big deal. No matter how precious the peonies in the peony garden were, they were just flowers for people to admire. Kangxi would never cause trouble for his son Yintang over such a trivial matter.
Despite the circumstances, to reassure Yinzhen, Yinzuo decided to go to Qingxi Study with him. Although Shufeng Pavilion was not far from Qingxi Study, Yinzuo's foot was still injured and he could not walk there. Dexi simply had someone come in and carry Yinzuo, along with the reclining chair he was on, out of the room.
Since they were going to Qingxi Study to apologize, it was natural to bring Hongzhang, the culprit, along. Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? Compared to Yinzhen's gloomy face, Hongzhang was in much better shape than his father. He had been waiting in a small tent outside the large tent where Yinzuo and Yinreng had just been. When he saw Yinzuo being carried out, he immediately got up and ran towards them.
"Sixth Uncle, Father, should we go to apologize to Khanmafa right now? But it's still raining outside. Sixth Uncle, if I don't want to walk, can I sit on this chair with you?"
The child's request for a son was not unreasonable, and as his uncle, Yinzhuo naturally could not refuse. Upon hearing this, he nodded to the little guy, signaled the people carrying him to put down the chair, and then called the little guy to his side, picked him up, and placed him on his lap.
“Hongzhang, your sixth uncle heard from your grandmother that you're just as mischievous as your brother Hongxu. I didn't believe it then, but now it seems you're indeed much bolder than your father. You were wrong this time. When you see your grandfather later, you must apologize to him properly, understand? Otherwise, your father's bottom is going to suffer…”
Hongzhang didn't seem afraid of Kangxi for two reasons. First, he was still young. Although he knew his grandfather was the emperor, he hadn't spent much time with him and didn't understand how terrifying the title of emperor was. Second, he knew all too well how to use the phrase "a fox borrowing the tiger's might." He had often heard Hongxi and the others say that Kangxi was most helpless against Yinzhuo. Now that Yinzhuo was sitting on his sixth uncle's lap, what did it matter to him how powerful his grandfather was?