in2ebook Chapter 261 Happiness is indeed something that comes in comparison.
Chapter 261 Happiness is indeed something that comes in comparison.
"What nonsense are you spouting now? I think you're asking for a beating again. Have you forgotten what I said before? If I hear any more of this talk of life and death from your mouth, I'll have someone drag you out and give you a good beating. And you, child, how old are you? Coming to your father and crying over every little thing, aren't you ashamed? Let me go right now, there are so many people here, aren't you afraid of being laughed at..."
There were so many people around… When Yinzhu entered, he was so focused on complaining to his father that he hadn’t really noticed who was around. Hearing Kangxi’s words, his expression froze. He cautiously glanced around, almost getting himself sent away on the spot. Haha, this was truly embarrassing—his mother had opened the door to embarrassment—utterly embarrassing… Although it’s said that you should remain calm in situations like this, if you don’t feel embarrassed, then it’s others who are embarrassed, but…
"Laughing, still laughing? You two know how to laugh, but why didn't you remind me earlier that there were other people in this hall? Now, all the officials here know that I'm a spoiled brat. Fourth Brother, I've sacrificed too much today. I probably won't have the face to go to the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow..."
Since they'd already lost all face, they couldn't let it go unpunished. Luckily, Yinzhen was there too, so they decided to formally announce their strike. Yinreng and Yinzhen were grinning from ear to ear when the enraged Yinzuo launched into a tirade, catching them off guard. By the time they recovered, Yinzuo had already returned to normal, cheerfully greeting the officials in the study. Yinreng and Yinzhen exchanged a glance, both seeing the word "absurd" in each other's incredulous eyes. "No, you didn't even give us a chance to warn you..."
"Alright, that's enough for today. It's getting late. Wan Quan, come and see the gentlemen out. Liang Jiugong, send someone to invite Physician Wang over so he can give these three brothers a good look."
After the other people left the study, only Emperor Kangxi and his three sons remained. Kangxi looked at his three sons, who were much thinner than before, and felt a pang of heartache. He beckoned Yinzhuo to him, stared at him for a while, and then sighed helplessly before getting up and inviting them to come out with him.
“Yinzuo, your father knows you’ve suffered a lot these days. It’s not that your father doesn’t care about you, it’s just that your fourth brother can’t do without help. Look how much weight he’s lost these days, his official robes are even wobbling on him…”
Kangxi understood Yinzhuo, and as his elder brother, Yinzhen naturally knew Yinzhuo's temperament as well. This man was always one to be gentle but not forceful. If you were tough with him, he would definitely oppose you, but if you showed weakness to him, he would definitely soften his heart. Yinzhuo's abilities were proven in practice and beyond doubt. Yinzhen really didn't trust anyone else to handle the huge affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. How could Yinzhen easily let go of such a useful and trustworthy helper? So, upon hearing Kangxi's words, he immediately put his hand to his lips and coughed a few times.
"Father is right. Fourth Brother is indeed overwhelmed and short-handed. Otherwise, why would he push so many things onto you? Sixth Brother, you can't shirk your responsibilities at this time. Otherwise, with such a huge mess at the Ministry of Revenue, even if your Fourth Brother were split into four pieces, he still wouldn't be able to handle it all..."
Before they could finish speaking, the man Liang Jiugong had sent to fetch Physician Wang returned. The three brothers sat in a row and had Physician Wang take their pulses. Afterward, each of them received a dose of bitter medicine soup, to be taken for seven days. Yinreng and Yinzhen were alright; they weren't as resistant to taking medicine as Yinzuo, so their reactions were minimal. Yinzuo, however, was a different story; his stomach was practically burning with bitterness.
“Father, I’m just tired. I don’t need to take any medicine. I’ll just rest for a few days and I’ll be fine.”
Kangxi ignored Yinzhuo's words and ordered Liang Jiugong to go with the imperial physician to get the prescription and medicine. He then sat down by a couch, pulled over the chessboard on the table, and invited Yinreng to come and play chess with him.
"Father, did you hear what your son was saying? I'm not sick, why would I take medicine... Father, please say something... Father..."
Despite Yinzhi's persistent nagging, Kangxi remained unmoved. After a while, Yinzhi grew somewhat deflated upon seeing Kangxi's continued indifference. He huffed angrily, got up, and walked out of the flower hall. "If I can't afford to offend him, can't I at least avoid him? If he won't answer, then so be it. Whether he drinks at his Shufeng Pavilion or not is still up to him..."
Although Kangxi was playing chess with Yinreng, he kept an eye on Yinzuo's every move. He thought that Yinzuo would keep bothering him until he achieved his goal today, but Yinzuo's sudden departure surprised him. Kangxi only came to his senses when Yinzuo was almost out of the flower hall.
"Stop! Did I say you could leave? Come sit here and do your thing. You're not going anywhere until you drink this medicine today. Don't try anything funny. If you don't listen, your father will have your two older brothers pry your mouth open and force it down your throat."
Yinzhuo wanted to disobey his father, but looking at the two tall and strong guards standing in front of him, and then at his own small arms and legs, he could only resign himself to walking back to sit down next to Kangxi. But despite his compromise, to express his dissatisfaction, Yinzhuo didn't give his father a single glance after sitting down. Kangxi didn't care about Yinzhuo's childish behavior and continued playing chess with Yinreng, ignoring him and letting him sit there sulking.
"Father, is it absolutely necessary for me to drink this medicine today? Don't you always dote on me the most? How about we make a deal? I'll drink half, okay..."
Upon hearing this, Kangxi turned his head and glanced at Yinzhu, who was looking at him expectantly, then raised his head and tapped his forehead.
"Look at you, so pathetic. What's the difference between drinking half a bowl of medicine and drinking a whole bowl? How about this, if you obediently drink your medicine, your father will let your second and fourth brothers each drink an extra bowl. What do you think?"
How? Of course, how not? Father, you really went to great lengths to appease Xiao Liu, didn't you hear that medicine is three parts poison? Have you ever seen anyone try to get their older brother to drink medicine by force-feeding him? Xiao Liu, you're really something, over twenty years old, and you drink medicine less willingly than a three-year-old. What, are you enjoying watching your father torment us...?
Enjoy it? Not really, but there's a saying that most human happiness comes from comparison. Although drinking an extra bowl of medicine wouldn't lessen the pain Yinzuo felt while drinking it, just thinking about how his second and fourth brothers had to drink an extra bowl of medicine made him feel happy. So, when Yinzuo heard Kangxi's words, he nodded without hesitation.