Chapter 4 Knowing Oneself

Some say that since you can’t resist life, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.  

Hong Yan thought this was quite true.  

Since the damned system had arrived, seemingly bound to him for life, getting angry wouldn’t help. In that case, allowing himself a momentary lapse was enough—life still had to go on.  

Besides, no matter how much he tested or even insulted it, the system remained completely unresponsive. Hong Yan let out a small sigh of relief, thinking that apart from forcibly binding itself to him, this thing wasn’t particularly intelligent and still maintained a somewhat friendly attitude toward its host.  

Then there was that so-called **Monthly Ability**, which sounded utterly useless. **[Good at Confiscating Homes]** was one thing, but there was even a title like **[River Management Expert]**. What river? The moat?  

After turning in the ill-gotten silver and distancing himself from the “radiation pollution source,” he had returned to normal. Recalling the things he had said in front of the **Fourth Prince** earlier, directed at the **Crown Prince**, Hong Yan’s round face froze in horror. *I’m an idiot*, he thought.  

His carefully crafted “considerate persona” had collapsed!  

After waiting in vain for the **Crown Prince** to come and settle the score, Hong Yan sighed, then grew suspicious. His father wasn’t the magnanimous type—was he brewing some underhanded scheme?  

The side effects of his diligent routine arrived right on schedule. If he stayed idle for too long, he’d feel restless all over. Hong Yan didn’t have time to overthink things—he instinctively moved to get up and study, then barely managed to stop himself, sinking back into a daze.  

**Sanxi**, standing outside, was deeply worried.  

At this time of day, the young master would usually be studying.  

Seeing that Hong Yan remained motionless for a long while, he exchanged a glance with **Linmen** and tentatively asked, “Master, should this servant fetch *The Book of Rites* for you?”  

“No need.” Hong Yan wasn’t in the mood for the Four Books and Five Classics just yet. After a moment’s thought, he said, “On the fifth shelf of the bookcase, all the way to the left, there’s a travelogue with a blue cover and a painting on it. Bring me that instead.”  

A travelogue?  

Now *that* was a rare sight!  

Sanxi and Linmen exchanged bewildered looks, unsure whether to be happy or worried. Happy because their master had finally heeded their advice to take it easy, but worried because today had been full of oddities.  

Unlike Linmen, Sanxi, being younger, had a simpler way of thinking. He quickly shook off his concerns and turned eagerly. “This servant will be right back!”  

Hong Yan immersed himself in the travelogue, occasionally picking up a pastry, barely noticing the passage of time—until a eunuch arrived to announce that the **Emperor** had summoned him for dinner, as it was getting late.  

The messenger, personally assigned by the Chief Eunuch, wore an ingratiating smile. Gesturing toward a small palanquin waiting nearby, he said respectfully, “Young Master, please board. His Majesty is in high spirits and awaits you at the **Hall of Heavenly Purity**.”  

Being summoned by the **Emperor** even once was a tremendous honor, let alone multiple times. Yet Sanxi and the others acted as if it were perfectly ordinary, and Hong Yan himself was used to it.  

Only the phrase “His Majesty is in high spirits” left him somewhat puzzled.  

With practiced ease, he flashed an endearing smile and rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought inside the palanquin. Aside from the recent conferral of titles, he hadn’t heard of any joyous news.  

*Could it be that **Hanmafa** is still vigorous in his old age and has brought the Eighteenth Uncle into the world ahead of schedule?*  

The **Emperor**, of course, had no idea Hong Yan was disrespectfully spinning tales about him. In the **Hall of Heavenly Purity**, he cheerfully pinched the five-year-old’s chubby cheeks and asked kindly, “Now that the **Crown Princess** is with child, does **Yuanbao** prefer a little brother or a little sister?”  

A table full of fragrant, mouthwatering dishes lay before them, but before Hong Yan could even pick up his chopsticks, his silver utensils clattered to the floor.

Hong Yan was utterly astonished, his phoenix-like eyes widening in surprise. “Hanmafa, is Mother pregnant?”

The Emperor looked even more surprised than him. “Yuanbao didn’t know? Your mother just went to Cining Palace to announce the happy news. The Empress Dowager was delighted and quickly sent someone to inform me.”

After the initial shock, joy flooded Hong Yan’s heart. His mind quickly turned, and he immediately realized where the problem lay.

The Crown Princess had gone to Cining Palace, while the Crown Prince was still safely in the East Palace, not wandering around anywhere.

So this was his father’s revenge.

How childish!

Hong Yan harshly criticized the Crown Prince’s pettiness, then took the new silver chopsticks handed to him. His smile gradually widened, unstoppable.

“I’ll love whoever Mother gives birth to. But at the very least, you must give the child a good name,” he mumbled through a mouthful of rice. “At least better in meaning than Father’s name.”

The Emperor pointed at him, laughing. Had Yinreng offended this boy?

“Thinking so far ahead already! Fine, I promise you. Now eat.”

The Crown Princess’s visit to Cining Palace didn’t go unnoticed. Before long, news reached the imperial harem.

The Emperor’s harem was a veritable garden of flowers. The position of Empress had long been vacant, with Noble Consort Tong Jia currently holding the highest rank. Below her stood the unshakable four consorts—Hui, Yi, De, and Rong—followed by imperial concubines, noble ladies, and countless lower-ranking ladies-in-waiting.

The Noble Consort was the younger sister of the late Empress Xiaoyi. She entered the palace as a consort in the twenty-ninth year of Kangxi’s reign and was formally elevated to noble consort at the end of last year, achieving the rank at just thirty years old. Though Noble Consort Tong Jia had risen rapidly with her family background and status, she now found herself in an awkward position.

Firstly, her seniority was lacking. Secondly, she had no children, which naturally made her position weaker than the four consorts. Moreover, the Emperor had entrusted palace affairs to the Crown Princess, with the four consorts assisting, leaving Noble Consort completely excluded.

The Crown Princess handled affairs with fairness and wisdom, governing the harem with stability and harmony, earning high praise from the Emperor that no one could fault. Though Noble Consort never voiced it, she secretly admired Guarjia’s vision and magnanimity—qualities even her late sister might not have matched.

But admiration aside, Noble Consort had long coveted authority over palace affairs. To escape her awkward position and become the true first lady of the harem, she needed control over palace matters—without it, her aspirations would remain mere fantasies.

As for children—

The Emperor would never give her any.

In Chengqian Palace, Noble Consort sighed by the window, asking her trusted momo, “Now that the Crown Princess is pregnant, in a few months she might find palace affairs beyond her capacity. Do you think the Emperor…”

The momo understood her mistress’s unspoken question.

She knew Noble Consort’s hopes of gaining authority were slim, but she smiled nonetheless. “Your Highness, an imperial grandson is precious and important. Even with Hong Yan already born, the pregnancy must not be neglected in the slightest. This old servant believes the Crown Princess will act reasonably.”

“Even if the Crown Princess steps back from palace affairs, there are still Consort Hui and the others,” Noble Consort said softly, shaking her head, her eyes dark. “My favor with the Emperor is only so much. If His Majesty doesn’t favor me…”

The momo couldn’t bear to hear it. “Your Highness!”

“Enough, let’s not speak of this,” Noble Consort pressed her lips together, her expression brightening slightly. “Today is the first of the month. It’s nearly evening—go see if the Fourth Prince has arrived.”

The older princes had recently been enfeoffed as beile but had not yet established their own residences outside the palace, still living in the princes’ quarters with daily morning and evening courtesies to pay. The Eighth Prince often visited his foster mother Consort Hui, while the Fourth Prince, owing to his connection with the late Empress Xiaoyi, visited Chengqian Palace on the first and fifteenth of each month, offering brief respects before leaving.

Even if the time was brief, the Noble Consort felt comforted in her heart. This child—her sister hadn’t raised him in vain.

No sooner had she spoken than someone came in to report, “Your Highness, the Fourth Prince has come to pay his respects.”

Yinzhen had a cold temperament and rarely showed his emotions outwardly. Even so, the Noble Consort could sense his foul mood.

Look at those heavy strides—his face was as icy as a three-foot-deep freeze!

Given her awkward position, the Noble Consort hesitated for a moment but couldn’t bring herself to inquire further. She could only watch helplessly as he performed the formal greetings, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then took his leave.

Once the Fourth Prince stepped out of Chengqian Palace, he pressed his lips together and quickened his pace.

Su Peisheng trailed behind him, inwardly lamenting—what a mess this was!

De Fei Niangniang had been uncharacteristically warm and kind today, yet His Highness’s mood had been soured by her elder brother, Desheng.

The maternal uncle had racked up gambling debts and sent word to borrow money from Her Highness, claiming he needed ten thousand taels to open a shop and repay the gambling house with the profits. When the topic was brought up, the Fourth Prince hesitated for just a moment, and De Fei Niangniang’s smile instantly cooled.

To make matters worse, the Fourteenth Prince chimed in, “If Fourth Brother won’t lend it, I will! Mother, I’ll help Uncle repay his debt!”

Good heavens—wasn’t that just adding fuel to the fire?

Her Highness was so touched she could hardly hide her delight, saying, “You’re only ten and haven’t even established your own household yet—where would you get so much silver?” Her smile was impossible to conceal, and seeing this only made their master feel worse!

Su Peisheng tucked his head in like a quail, not daring to make a sound.

The Fourth Prince strode forward, his anger burning with nowhere to vent.

It was directed at De Fei Niangniang, at the Fourteenth Prince, but most of all at Desheng.

How shameless could Uya Desheng be?

This wasn’t the first time he’d lost money gambling, yet he still had the audacity to whine to his sister. The first time, he borrowed a hundred taels; the second time, a thousand. Out of familial duty, when had Yinzhen ever refused?

Now, he was growing bolder by the day. Ten thousand taels wasn’t an exorbitant sum—he could afford it—but he refused to lend money that would only feed a gambling addiction.

Desheng had already secured a cushy position in the Imperial Household Department through connections, lining his pockets with ample bribes. Yet he still indulged in idleness and gambling. The mere thought of it made the Fourth Prince’s blood boil, and he wished he could drag his uncle straight to the Ministry of Justice.

Ten thousand taels. If not for the sake of his mother’s dignity…

The imperial relatives were riddled with parasites. Yinzhen watched coldly, even considering petitioning the Emperor to crack down on them. But after much deliberation, he held back—partly because the Emperor was benevolent and might not heed his advice, and partly because the web of nepotism was so tangled that pulling one thread could unravel everything. Even his own elder brother, the Crown Prince, had accepted “gifts” from Suo’etu.

Ahem—though of course, the two situations weren’t comparable.

To return to the point—beyond the imperial relatives, there were also corrupt officials. The rot was everywhere, from the highest ranks down to magistrates in remote counties, whose misdeeds had even reached the capital!

The more Yinzhen thought about it, the more agitated he became.

When would the corrupt officials be purged, and the world restored to an era of integrity?

He was willing to act—but who else would join him?

His eyes dimmed with sudden dejection—until a clear voice called out from nearby, “Fourth Uncle?”

After dining with the Emperor, Hong Yan had been strolling leisurely through the palace. After all, he no longer needed to strive—he could afford to laze around like a salted fish every day.

The news of the Crown Princess’s pregnancy had delighted him so much that he’d accidentally overeaten. Otherwise, he would have rushed back to see his mother immediately, skipping the stroll altogether!

The sky was dimming, a gentle breeze brushed his face, and the scenery was lovely. With his mood lifted, even the familiar red walls he’d grown tired of seemed charming again.

Before he could stand still for long, a faint surge of boiling impulse stirred in his blood—something nearby was calling to him.  

Hong Yan’s expression shifted slightly. Could there be a large, unidentified sum of silver lying on the road?  

He inwardly cursed his misjudgment and turned to leave.  

Yet the longing came in waves, like an old house catching fire—unstoppable and uncontrollable.  

In the end, Hong Yan couldn’t resist the urge. Stiffening his round little face, he strode forward.  

But instead of silver, he found a person—a familiar one at that. His Fourth Uncle’s expression was grim, his entire body radiating a gloomy aura.  

This wasn’t right.  

Where was the gold and silver? The treasures? The thing that had been calling to him?  

Wait.  

Recalling the shitty ability [Good at Confiscating Homes] and its “holder, Yinzhen,” Hong Yan felt a sinking dread.  

Sure enough, as he approached the Fourth Prince, the longing slowly faded.  

The source was right before him. After a moment’s hesitation, he sweetly called out, “Fourth Uncle,” then tentatively probed, “Is Fourth Uncle troubled by silver?”  

Without waiting for Yinzhen’s reply, Hong Yan pressed further, “Has Fourth Uncle encountered some unjust act that disgusts you? Like accepting bribes or gambling with ill-gotten wealth?”  

Finished, he blinked innocently and added, “Fourth Uncle, don’t be angry. No matter what happens, it’s not worth ruining your health over.”  

Yinzhen stared down at him intently, suddenly recalling the scenes from this morning in the East Palace study. His gaze brightened inch by inch.  

“How did Yuanbao know?” His voice was hoarse, as if invigorated, murmuring, “…It turns out you understand me best!”  

Author’s Note:  

Back in his room, Yinzhen emotionally recorded in his journal: *High mountains and flowing waters—a true confidant is hard to find. In the third month of the 37th year of Kangxi’s reign, I found the companion of my life.*  

Crown Prince: ?