Chapter 109: Cold War

The Tenth Prince suddenly realized that the Ninth Prince was in a bad mood. During the morning court session, the Tenth Prince noticed a conspicuous swelling on the Ninth Prince’s lip and immediately began teasing him with a mischievous grin. Unexpectedly, the Ninth Prince shot him a sharp, cold glance and strode past without a word, heading straight to the main hall.

The Fourteenth Prince appeared out of nowhere and leaned over to the Tenth Prince, whispering, “What’s wrong with the Ninth Brother? Did Father Emperor scold him?” The Tenth Prince gave the Fourteenth Prince a disdainful look and replied, “What are you thinking? Just yesterday when we parted ways, he was all puffed up with pride. He must have been humiliated back at the residence—probably the doing of that Yan Sister-in-law.”

Growing up alongside the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince was astute enough to guess the truth immediately. The Eighth Prince, strolling leisurely past the two, calmly remarked, “Outside the hall, do not speak of family matters.”

Both the Tenth and Fourteenth Princes involuntarily curled their lips. The Fourteenth nudged the Tenth’s side and whispered, “Does Eighth Brother seem wary of Yan Sister-in-law?” The Tenth glanced at him and said thoughtfully, “For Eighth Sister-in-law to hold sway in the Eighth Prince’s mansion, there must be a reason…”

The Fourteenth was momentarily stunned, staring wide-eyed at the Eighth Prince’s retreating figure, his mouth agape as if he’d just seen a miracle. Meanwhile, the Tenth Prince was already plotting. After court, he would drag the Ninth Prince to the countryside for a couple of days. After all, when the lights go out, all women look the same. Even if Yan Sister-in-law was exceptional, his Ninth Brother would never transform from a charming youth into a model husband because of her.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the Ninth Prince did not go to enjoy himself with his beloved Tenth Brother. Instead, he channeled all his anger unprofessionally into his work. Within a single day, he berated two officials at the Lifan Yuan so fiercely they were nearly brought to ruin.

In just five days, he scolded every assistant minister. When Emperor Kangxi learned of this, he fined the Ninth Prince two thousand taels of silver. Ten days later, the Ninth Prince even reprimanded the Manchu and Han ministers, and once again, Emperor Kangxi fined him another two thousand taels.

But the Ninth Prince’s wrath was not baseless; these officials had all made mistakes—whether grave or minor, intentional or accidental, errors had been committed. After fining the Ninth Prince, Kangxi was deeply frustrated, realizing that the court officials were so careless in their duties. He even ordered Wudan to retrieve archives from various departments for review.

This inspection enraged Kangxi so much that, during a subsequent court session, he harshly reprimanded numerous senior ministers. He also praised the Ninth Prince’s keen insight, admitting that his own eyesight was failing with age and he had been deceived by his officials.

Kangxi’s outburst sent a shiver through the entire Qing court. After spending a day counting ants outside the Qianqing Palace, all officials returned to meticulously review their work.

Naturally, the ministers also realized they could not allow the Ninth Prince to remain in such a sour mood. No one expected that, beneath his usual businesslike exterior, the Ninth Prince was a true polymath. Not only was he adept with ledgers, but he also had a keen eye for organizing archives and spotting even the smallest grammatical errors. Most astonishingly, he could detect typographical mistakes in documents.

As a result, court officials took turns lavishing the Ninth Prince with beauties, fine wine, and feasts, but he remained unmoved. Emperor Kangxi almost believed his ninth son had changed his nature. Imperial Consort Yi summoned the Ninth Prince to the palace to admonish him, but he showed no response.

Half a month later, the Eighth Prince’s consort and Dong’e Shi visited the palace to see Imperial Consort Yi. Only then did the entire court learn that the usually dignified and elegant Ninth Prince had been looking sallow for two whole weeks—his mood soured because of the side consort in his household. Although that side consort had been confined, along with the Ninth Prince’s two precious sons and a daughter, he still remained stubbornly unyielding.

Emperor Kangxi summoned the Ninth Prince for a close examination. Yes, it was indeed his stately ninth son—so how had he turned so dour? Imperial Consort Yi also called him in but only sighed deeply before saying, “If you dislike that girl, have someone bring her a cup of wine.”

The Ninth Prince suddenly looked at Imperial Consort Yi, feeling a sharp pain in his heart that nearly took his breath away.

“Mother, Yan Yan saved Father Emperor’s life!” After a long pause, the Ninth Prince found his voice, disdainfully dismissing his mother’s poor suggestion. Imperial Consort Yi glanced at her son and tapped the table lightly. The Ninth Prince continued, “Mother, don’t listen to Dong’e Shi’s gossip. When have I ever lost my composure over a woman?”

Of course, Imperial Consort Yi could not believe a woman could have such power over her son. It was not that she underestimated Yan Yan, but after half a lifetime of experience, it seemed impossible. She smiled faintly and said, “I also think the rumors are unfounded. After all, the affairs in your mansion continue to proceed in an orderly fashion.”

The Ninth Prince nodded. This was precisely his frustration: although Yan Yan was sulking with him, she still managed to efficiently direct business operations. Whether it was the hotpot restaurant or the vegetable stall, everything ran smoothly. The Ninth Prince felt deeply vexed. Everyone in the household thought he had grown tired of Yan Yan and confined her, but in reality, it was Yan Yan who had grown weary of him—he simply did not leave the mansion.

After leaving the palace, the Ninth Prince did not return home. Lately, he did not want to go back; returning meant facing the cold emptiness of his study. Even the elegant main chamber of Dong’e Shi or the refined courtyards of the other concubines appeared dull and colorless to him.

Standing in front of the hotpot restaurant, the Ninth Prince noticed the new waiter—a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth who looked quite handsome and vaguely familiar. He stared for a while, then thought to himself that he must be losing his mind to be so bored.

The New Year of the forty-fifth year of Kangxi arrived amidst this strange atmosphere. That year, the Ninth Prince only brought Dong’e Shi to the palace for the celebration. Though Yan Yan had gained the status to enter the palace, she missed out again due to her confinement.

On the carriage ride back from the palace, Dong’e Shi looked at the Ninth Prince leaning against one side and handed him a cup of tea. She suddenly felt how warm the moment was, as if they had returned to the time of their wedding. If only they could have another son...

“Master, the thirtieth is a day for reunion. Why don’t I send word for Sister Yan to dine with us?” Dong’e Shi suddenly proposed this idea, causing the Ninth Prince to narrow his eyes at her.

Dong’e Shi smiled sweetly and said, “Please, Master, calm down. Even if not for Sister Yan’s sake, think of the Eldest and Second Princes. You haven’t seen them in over a month and must be missing them terribly. Or I could send for them to join us, and you could all share a happy family reunion.”