Rebirth: The Fourth Lady Wants to Lie Down

News always spreads fast within the palace walls. Before long, the news that Yinzhen was once again kept in the Palace of Heavenly Purity by Kangxi spread like the wind to every corner of the palace, and naturally reached the ears of the eldest prince and the crown prince.

In the Prince's study in Minqing Palace, Prince Yinreng frowned, and his uncle Soetu beside him also had a worried look on his face.

"Prince, have you heard? The fourth prince Yinzhen was once again kept by the emperor in the Qianqing Palace for meals." There was a hint of worry in Soetu's tone.

The prince put down the book in his hand and smiled disapprovingly: "Master Suo, what's the big deal? Maybe it's just time for dinner, so the emperor asked Yinzhen to accompany him for dinner."

Suo Etu shook his head and frowned, "Prince, you are too naive. Not just any prince can be invited to the meals at the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Fourth Prince is summoned so frequently, there must be something fishy going on."

The prince was somewhat shaken by what Suo Etu said, but he was still skeptical: "Master Suo, are you too nervous? Yinzhen has always been respectful and polite, and we are good brothers. What could be wrong with him?"

Seeing that the prince still didn't care, Suo Etu became anxious and urged him, "Prince, it's better to take precautions. For your future, it's better to send someone to investigate."

The prince was a little impatient with what Soetu said, but he finally couldn't stand his repeated urging and nodded: "Okay, I'll send someone to find out."

Soon, the scouts came back, but the news they brought back was ambiguous. They mentioned something about high-yield crops, but because there were only four people in the palace at that time, Kangxi, Yinzhen, Li Dequan and Su Peisheng, they were unable to find out the exact news.

This investigation made the prince even more confused. He couldn't help but wonder, "What on earth is going on? Why didn't Yinzhen tell his second brother first, but went straight to the emperor?"

Suo Etu took advantage of the opportunity and further said, "Prince, the Fourth Prince is now married and has entered the Ministry of Works. His ambitions have become more and more obvious. Even if he has not done anything to harm you now, there is no guarantee that he will not covet the position of Crown Prince in the future."

After hearing what Soetu said, the prince's heart was moved. He began to re-examine his relationship with Yinzhen and became wary of him. This wariness also gradually alienated the relationship between the two brothers.

Then, "Although the prince's concubine gave birth to the emperor's eldest grandson, he is not a legitimate grandson after all. I still hope that the prince can give birth to a legitimate son with the princess as soon as possible." Soetu's voice was calm and firm, and every word was like a drumbeat beating in the prince's heart.

After hearing this, the prince nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. There was a hint of helplessness and struggle in his eyes, but more of it was firmness and determination. He did not like the rigidity and coldness of the Crown Princess, and he preferred the gentleness and thoughtfulness of Li Jia, the Concubine. However, he also knew how important a legitimate son was to his status and future.

"I understand." The prince said calmly, "I will give birth to a legitimate son with the Crown Princess."

Suo Etu looked at the prince, with a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. He knew that the prince was a smart and decisive person, and he understood the importance of the overall situation. He nodded slightly to show his understanding, then turned and left Minqing Palace.

……

In the study room of the eldest prince's mansion, the eldest prince paced anxiously like an ant on a hot pot. Ever since he learned that his fourth brother Yinzhen was kept by the emperor in the Qianqing Palace for dinner, the fire of jealousy in his heart has been burning and difficult to calm down. He knows what this means. The emperor's respect for Yinzhen makes him feel unprecedentedly threatened.

Mingzhu stood aside and witnessed the eldest prince's restlessness. He knew that the struggle between the eldest prince and Yinzhen had reached a white-hot stage, and this incident made the eldest prince feel tremendous pressure.

He spoke softly, trying to calm the eldest prince: "Eldest prince, calm down first. The most important thing now is to wait for our people to come back and understand the specific reasons why the fourth prince entered the palace. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we come up with a response strategy."

The eldest prince stopped and a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes. He knew Mingzhu was right, but the jealousy and uneasiness in his heart made it difficult for him to calm down. He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, then sat at the table, picked up the teacup and took a sip. He knew Mingzhu was right, and there was no point in being anxious now, so he could only wait patiently.

Soon after, the people who went to investigate came back. The eldest prince immediately asked for the result, but the answer he got disappointed him. Like the people in the prince's mansion, they found nothing. The eldest prince angrily threw the teacup to the ground, cursing Yinzhen's name. He felt that his dignity and status were challenged and threatened, and his anger became even stronger.

Seeing this, Mingzhu stepped forward to stop the eldest prince from losing control. He reminded the eldest prince to be careful with his words and actions, after all, walls have ears.

He analyzed, "Since we didn't get any news, the prince and his men also got nothing. Moreover, the prince and Yinzhen have always had a good relationship, but this time the prince didn't get any news either. I'm sure Suo Etu will also have doubts about Yinzhen because of this."

The eldest prince gradually calmed down. He felt that Mingzhu's words made sense. Since he could not directly know Yinzhen's movements and intentions, he would wait and see. He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and prepared to face the next challenge.

Mingzhu was relieved when she saw the eldest prince gradually calm down. She knew that the most important thing now was to keep the eldest prince calm and rational so that he could deal with various situations that might arise next. At the same time, she also understood that the eldest prince needed a son to consolidate his position and reputation. So she took the opportunity to bring up this topic in the hope that the eldest prince would pay attention to it.

"Big brother, you should give birth to a firstborn son soon."

Mingzhu said softly, "Now that the Third and Fourth Concubines are both pregnant, if you don't have a son, the situation will be very unfavorable to you."

The eldest prince frowned when he heard this. He knew Mingzhu was telling the truth. But he couldn't tell Mingzhu about his difficulties. He sighed helplessly and said, "Mingzhu, I know what you mean, but this matter is not that simple."

Mingzhu saw the dilemma of the eldest prince but he did not give up. He knew that the eldest prince was an ambitious man and he would work hard as long as he could see the benefits of having a son.

So she continued to persuade him: "Big brother, think about it, if you have a son, it will not only consolidate your position, but also make the emperor respect you more."

The eldest prince was silent for a while, then looked up at Mingzhu and said, "Mingzhu, you are right. I will try my best."

Although his voice was a little low, Mingzhu could still hear the firmness and determination in it. He knew that she had successfully convinced the eldest prince and now she just needed to wait quietly for good news.