Chengqian Palace

The children had so much fun outside the palace that they didn’t want to come back, and even after returning, they were still full of excitement. Usually, at this hour, Yinzhen would already be sleepy, nestled in his wet nurse’s arms, fussing to go to bed.

Today, however, he was full of energy, chatting with Tong Jia about everything they had seen outside the palace—one moment talking about sugar paintings, and the next about the restaurants they visited, jumping from one topic to another.

Among his peers, Yinzhen had started talking relatively early and had a good grasp of language for his age. But still, he was young, and when sentences got too long, he would sometimes get frustrated and his words would tumble out incoherently.

Tong Jia listened patiently, half guessing at his meaning, but she could still understand him. Smiling, she nodded and occasionally responded. Yinzhen’s need to share was satisfied, and he felt closer to his “mother.”

Once Yinzhen had fallen soundly asleep, Tong Jia summoned Chunying to ask about the day’s events.

“I’ve been hearing Yinzhen talk nonstop about the Crown Prince. He kept saying how clever and capable his older brother is. Normally, the Crown Prince isn’t particularly close with any of his brothers, so what made him suddenly take both the third and fourth princes out of the palace today?”

Chunying, also puzzled, thought for a moment before replying, “It might have been by chance. Snowball ran into the Crown Prince’s palace, and when Yinzhen went looking for it, the attendants from Qianqing Palace happened to come by. The Crown Prince asked a casual question, and when Yinzhen responded, the Crown Prince probably felt the need to make a gesture.

Since he had taken Yinzhen out, it wouldn’t have been right to leave out the third prince, who is older. With the Emperor present, the Crown Prince, as the eldest brother, naturally took care of his younger siblings.”

Tong Jia’s tone was cold. “For someone so young, he’s certainly learning how to manage relationships.”

Chunying wisely stayed silent, even though there were no outsiders present. While her mistress could speak this way, she knew better than to respond. Being Tong Jia’s trusted maid, Chunying was well aware of Tong Jia’s feelings.

Of all the consorts in the palace, Tong Jia disliked De Consort the most. After all, De Consort had once been under Tong Jia’s care but had “betrayed” her, rising rapidly in the ranks and even causing Tong Jia to lose face several times. How could Tong Jia not despise her deeply?

Unable to deal with De Consort directly, Tong Jia resorted to schemes, hoping to sow discord between De Consort and her children. She deliberately treated Yinreng well, lifting him up, but wasn’t necessarily happy about seeing him align with the Crown Prince.

Chunying changed the subject to avoid any further tension. “It was probably just a one-time thing, Your Highness. There may not be a next time.”

This helped to ease some of the tension from Tong Jia’s face. She then asked, “What about Yonghe Palace? Any movements there?”

This question had some backstory.

Earlier that afternoon, De Consort had taken Yinzuo for a stroll in the Imperial Garden, where they ran into Daijia. The two women began to chat. When Tong Jia heard about it, she purposely had someone bring Yinreng over for an “accidental” meeting.

Seeing her own child, De Consort naturally couldn’t be happier.

Although Yinzhen was still young and didn’t fully understand the concept of birth and upbringing, he had some awareness from the servants about the difference between his birth mother and his foster mother. Curious, and with no one stopping him, he approached De Consort, and they shared a warm conversation.

Then, Yinzhen saw Yinzuo, who was adorably chubby with a mischievous spirit. De Consort, wanting the brothers to bond, let them play together.

Yinreng’s dog, Snowball, was nearby, and Yinzuo, being an active child, kept trying to grab Snowball’s tail or pat its head.

Barely a year old, Yinzuo didn’t understand how to handle animals gently. Snowball, in pain, struggled, but Yinzuo thought it was playing with him and tugged harder. Yinzhen, seeing his beloved pet in distress, stepped in to rescue it, forbidding Yinzuo from playing with Snowball any longer.

But Yinzuo, being a pampered prince, was used to getting his way. He was spoiled not only by De Consort but by the servants as well. When Yinzhen told him no, Yinzuo became more determined to grab Snowball.

The more Yinzhen resisted, the more Yinzuo insisted. Eventually, the two brothers got into a squabble. Unable to express himself clearly, Yinzuo tried to snatch the dog, while Yinzhen, in reflex, pushed him. Yinzuo fell to the ground with a loud thud and began to wail.

De Consort immediately rushed over to console him, but even through his sobs, Yinzuo pointed at Snowball, refusing to let go of the dog’s ear. Thankfully, palace pets were trained to be docile and not aggressive, or Snowball might have retaliated.

With Yinzuo crying so hard his voice became hoarse, De Consort, feeling guilty, tried to reason with Yinzhen, asking if he could lend Snowball to Yinzuo for a while. She even reached out to take the dog herself, but Yinzhen, just as stubborn, refused and began crying too.

Amid all the chaos, Snowball seized the chance to slip away. The Imperial Garden echoed with cries, and while the servants rushed to calm the children, no one noticed the dog’s escape. By the time Yinzhen realized what had happened, Snowball was gone, and he turned around to search for his pet, leaving De Consort and Yinzuo behind.

Chunying bowed her head and reported, “Yuchan from Yonghe Palace came by earlier, wishing to see the fourth prince and offer apologies on behalf of the sixth prince. But the fourth prince had already left the palace, so they couldn’t meet.”

Tong Jia nodded silently.

Chunying added, “It’s late today. I suspect De Consort will send someone again tomorrow, or she may come herself to speak with the fourth prince. Your Highness, should we…?”

Tong Jia hadn’t expected a single quarrel to drive a wedge between the mother and son. She smiled and said, “There’s no need to interfere. Let it be. Children playing together will inevitably argue, or even fight. It’s not a big deal. De Consort was anxious in the moment and took Snowball from Yinzhen’s arms, but she’s not a fool. She’ll think it through afterward and realize my sudden change in attitude and permission for them to bond had an ulterior motive.”

Chunying was startled. “But what if De Consort…”

Tong Jia shook her head. “Even if she knows, so what? Would she really give up such a good opportunity? Would she give up her son like before, only seeing him on holidays or on the first and fifteenth of the month when I’m feeling generous enough to let Yinzhen visit her?”

Palace rules dictated that while princes were raised by foster mothers, they still had to visit their birth mothers on special occasions. Beyond that, whether they met or not depended entirely on the foster mother’s will.

If the foster mother allowed it, a prince could see his birth mother every day. If not, the birth mother would have to wait for the rare opportunity.

Would De Consort abandon this long-awaited chance? If she gave up this opportunity, it would be akin to giving up on Yinzhen entirely. So even if she saw through Tong Jia’s plans, De Consort would still plunge ahead without hesitation.

“Afterward, Consort De will certainly try to make amends and will not easily let Yinzhen feel disappointed. She’ll likely find ways to avoid falling into the trap I’ve set. Unfortunately, in this palace, anyone’s thoughts can be calculated—except for a child’s. Children’s minds are the hardest to predict. What’s worse is, she may not even fully understand herself. We often know what’s right but can’t always do it.

“Yinzhen is not being raised by her. I have plenty of means and words to influence him. If she thinks she can turn this into an advantage, win over Yinzhen, and create a harmonious family where mother and son are close, and brothers get along, she’s dreaming! As long as I’m here, it will never happen!”

Smash! Lady Tongjia clenched her cup so hard that it shattered in her hand.

---

Yuqing Palace.

So’etu delivered another pile of toys. Yinreng smiled and asked, “Has Uncle been busy lately?”

“The Emperor appointed me as a minister of state affairs, but for the time being, I haven’t been assigned any urgent tasks. Occasionally, I’m summoned to discuss matters. The cowpox vaccine has been successfully developed, and two concubines, as well as the First Prince and other royals, have been vaccinated. Now the Emperor is preparing for the second round of vaccinations, but I won’t be overseeing it.”

Yinreng nodded. “Then Uncle should take this time to rest well. Perhaps next month, you’ll have no time to relax.”

So’etu: ??? He almost blurted out, What kind of trouble are you planning now?

“Does the Crown Prince have something in mind?”

Yinreng blinked and said, “Uncle will know soon enough.”

So’etu: …

Once out of the palace, So’etu immediately sent someone to investigate who the Crown Prince met during his recent trip outside and what was discussed.

He couldn’t help it. The Crown Prince had too many ideas and rarely spoke his mind. It made So’etu anxious!

So’etu: I feel uneasy! On edge!

Inside the palace.

Yinreng kept only two of the toys and didn’t want the rest. He especially selected a few suitable for a two- or three-year-old child, called Xiao Zhuzi in, and said, “Go to Chengqian Palace and see what Fourth Prince is doing. He mentioned last time that he liked the toys here. Now that I’ve got new ones, send these to him.”

As for the rest, Yinreng instructed Xiao Chizi to divide them into portions, one for each brother, so no one would be left out. He made sure to be thorough but did not personally select them.

Yinreng then sat by the window, gazing in the direction of Chengqian Palace. Resting his chin in his hands, he started chatting with the system.

“Yinzhen, who would later become the Yongzheng Emperor, surely had remarkable intelligence, cunning, and capability. You even said he worked himself to death on the throne. It shows how diligent and industrious he was. A skilled worker who accepted 24/7 work—what boss wouldn’t love that!”

System: ???

“If I could recruit him to work for me, that’d be great. After all, being Emperor isn’t easy. To avoid ending up like him—overworked and dead on the throne—I should start planning now and recruit more manpower early.”

System: !!!

“Yinzhen is the most capable. He can handle the tough problems. Yinji loves books, so he can oversee publishing and education. Yinyou… hmm, what are his strengths?”

Before the system could answer, Yinreng muttered to himself, “Not important. We can nurture him from a young age. Let’s have him manage finances for now. If we find he has other talents later, we can reassign him. As for Yinsi, he can handle the ethnic affairs committee. He’s smooth and diplomatic, good at not offending anyone.

“Next, there’s Yinjiu. Now that’s a talent. He’ll be perfect for the national economic and trade committee. As for the rest of my brothers, I’ll evaluate them one by one and put everyone to use.”

Yinreng smacked the windowsill, saying, “It’s settled!”

System: …

—Host, you sure have some wild ideas! The Nine Lords’ War for the throne—none of them are easy to deal with! Have you even considered whether they’re willing?

Yinreng rolled his eyes, indifferent. If they’re willing, I’ll use them. If not, forget it!

—And Yinreng? You’ve got guts! Having a tiger like him by your side—isn’t that risky? Aren’t you afraid he’ll overthrow you?

Yinreng stood up, smiling slightly. “If that happens, it only proves I wasn’t skilled enough.”

System: ??? You’re this calm about it?

Yinreng lowered his eyes. “The higher one stands, the more likely it is that we can spread technology throughout the empire. But the allure of the throne is too strong. No one can guarantee that I’ll succeed in becoming Emperor. I need to leave myself a backup plan.

“Yinreng is probably the one among my brothers most capable of continuing the changes I wish to bring to the Qing Dynasty. He would nurture the seeds I plant today. If I fail, I must at least ensure that my efforts are not wasted. The Qing Dynasty may fall, but China must not be humiliated!”

The Qing may fall, but China must not be humiliated!

Yinreng spoke softly, but the words echoed in the system’s ears like a thunderous bell.

After a long silence, the system finally said:

—My creator once said the same thing.

Yinreng quickly caught onto the key point: “Creator?”

He was the host, so who was this creator?

—The creator is the one who made me. I was born in the 24th century, during a time when science and technology had advanced rapidly, and various types of basic robots became household items.

—As a child, my creator studied history and was deeply troubled by China’s late Qing period, all the way to the founding of modern China. As an adult, he pursued research in black hole effects, relativity, and intelligent technology. At the age of 19, he created the first advanced intelligent system equipped with storage capabilities.

—He discovered a way to travel through time, but since humans couldn’t withstand the tearing forces of a wormhole, he experimented with sending a system. He aimed to change this part of history, even if only in a parallel timeline.

Yinreng paused, self-mockingly. “So, what I’m experiencing now is just a parallel world?”

The system remained silent, which was as good as confirming it.

Yinreng shook his head. Time travel always involves paradoxes, and history can’t be altered. Changing a critical point would only create a new branch that develops parallel to the original timeline. This concept had already been overused in future movies and TV shows. He should have thought of it sooner.

But so what if it’s a parallel world? He’s alive now, so this is his home!

Yinreng knocked on the table. “Continue!”

—The creator’s first experiment failed. The system disintegrated during the time travel. It took him another seven years to create me. For some reason, I slowly developed a sense of self.

—At that moment, the master had everything prepared and was just waiting for the next experiment. But for this very reason, he hesitated, unsure if he should let me enter the wormhole. The risks were immense; if I disintegrated, it would be akin to taking a life.

—But I’m willing! I don’t want my master’s years of effort to go to waste! I’m willing to do anything for him! So… I slipped in when he wasn’t looking.

Yinreng: …

“So, you’re a stowaway!”

System: … Can we have a proper conversation here?

Yinreng burst out laughing.

Though Yinreng never spared his tongue, oh no, he spared nothing of his wit with the System. Yet, as the System had his back, he began to feel a bit more trust toward it, and their mutual banter gradually brought them closer. Over time, they developed something of a comrade-like bond.

Meanwhile, everyone else’s reaction to the new toys varied. The Third and Fourth Princes were thrilled, continually saying how good their Crown Prince brother was. The Fourth Prince even dashed off to the Palace of Lasting Prosperity, announcing he wanted to play with the Crown Prince.

The First Prince, Yinreng’s elder brother, initially looked down on it all. Toys? The artisans from the Imperial Workshop often made things to entertain the palace children. As the Emperor’s eldest son, he didn’t lack for such trifles. But once he held that new-style toy musket in his hands, he had to admit it was impressive.

Though the Shenjiying Imperial Armory had muskets, and he had seen them before, he’d once clamored to own one himself. But Emperor Kangxi wouldn’t allow it, as he was still young, and the musket at this stage could easily misfire, posing a danger.

Yinreng’s brother had long coveted such a weapon. Though the toy musket was different, shooting wooden sticks with cotton tips and modified to be harmless, it lost the musket’s real menace but was far more fun and looked quite appealing.

Since he couldn’t have a real musket, this toy more than satisfied his craving. In those days, his gaze toward Yinreng even softened a bit.

Yinreng: … He never expected such a side effect.

Hmm, maybe he should try to bring his brother into the fold as a potential general? Perhaps the Military Council would be a worthy consideration?

With this thought, Yinreng actually started pondering whether he could salvage his relationship with his elder brother. However, shortly after, he caught wind of a new development: Consort Hui had confiscated the First Prince’s(Yinzhi) toy musket, stating that “toys corrupt ambition.”

Yinreng: …

Consort Hui was so incensed that she poked the First Prince on his temple, scolding, “Do you think he gave you that thing out of goodwill? Look at the mess you’ve made of your studies over the past few days! You’ve thrown all your focus into playing—what thought have you given to your lessons?

“That’s exactly his scheme! Can’t you see it? He knows full well you’re drawn to muskets, so he picked that very thing to give to you!

“Didn’t you ask around? So many toys were brought in by Suo’ertu, yet have you seen the Crown Prince himself play with any of them?

“He kept two for himself, barely ever plays with them, and keeps them displayed as a decoration! He’s given the rest to his brothers! It’s clear he wants to lead them astray, making himself the only one who excels!

“Such a young age, such a ruthless mind! And the Emperor can’t see through him, only thinking he’s generous and fraternal! Hah!”

The First Prince felt aggrieved by her words, yet looking at the scolded schoolwork that had even drawn his teacher and father’s criticism, he was ashamed and silently cursed Yinreng as devious. His eyes once again held their old resentment, tinged now with a trace of grudge.

Yinreng: … Very well, no need to salvage anything anymore.

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