diskusbooks Chapter 28 has already strained his body and bones; he cannot be subjected to further hunger and har
Chapter 28 has already strained his body and bones; he cannot be subjected to further hunger and har
"Watch closely. First, separate the seedlings into three or four sections. Use your index, middle, and ring fingers to hold the base of the seedling and insert it vertically downwards into the soil. The pressure should be light, but you can't be completely slack. It's all about the finesse..."
Yinzhen first demonstrated it to Yinzu himself, then took his hand and planted a few seedlings together so he could feel it, and then stood behind him and watched him practice on his own.
Although Yinzhen usually took good care of his younger brother, he was also very strict when it came to educating him. With Yinzhen, his strict teacher, watching over him, Yinzuo dared not slack off at all. After being corrected by Yinzhen a few times, he actually found the trick to transplanting rice seedlings. The seedlings that were originally planted crookedly became visibly neat.
"Fourth Brother, I never expected you to be such a good teacher. Look, with your guidance, my seedlings are starting to look more and more like they're being planted. Fourth Brother, I really owe you a lot today. What would I have done without you?"
Overjoyed, Yinzhuo immediately turned around and gave his fourth brother a warm bear hug. However, the guy forgot that his hands were covered in mud from planting rice. Sure enough, the fourth prince, who was a bit of a germaphobe, immediately turned pale when he was hugged like that.
"Yinzuo, are you itching for a beating? Do you want me to give you a good beating?"
Yinzhuo was puzzled. Weren't they just being friendly and respectful to each other? Why did his fourth brother suddenly change his attitude in the blink of an eye? But when his gaze inadvertently swept over his muddy hands, he understood everything.
"Hehe, Fourth Brother, I'm sorry, I forgot I was planting rice seedlings just now. I'm sorry I got your clothes dirty. Here, let me wipe them for you."
Yinzuo, wanting to make amends, raised his hand to wipe the mud off his fourth brother's clothes with his clean sleeve. Yinzhen, however, was afraid that he would make his clothes even dirtier by fooling around, so he dodged. Well, that did it. The clothes didn't get dirty, because the mud on Yinzuo's hand got all over Yinzhen's face.
"Hahaha~ Fourth Brother, you're so funny..."
Seeing that Yinzhuo, the culprit, was still laughing so arrogantly, even though he usually tolerated him, Yinzhen couldn't stand it anymore. He raised his muddy hands and slapped Yinzhuo's face twice, and Yinzhuo's handsome white face was covered in mud just like Yinzhen's.
"Fourth Brother, that's not fair of you, you actually resorted to a sneak attack..."
Yinzhuo's laughter was so arrogant just now, and his roar was also quite loud, naturally attracting the attention of the others working in the fields. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over, including Kangxi.
"Yinzuo, what are you doing instead of working properly? Let me tell you, that whole open space over there is yours. If you haven't finished half of it by noon, you can skip lunch. If you still can't finish by the afternoon, you can skip dinner too. When we go back, I'll leave you here until you're done."
The land that Emperor Kangxi allocated to his sons was not actually very large, only about 200 square meters per person. After all, he only wanted his sons to experience the hardship of farming, not to actually become farmers. But even though the land was small, Yinzhuo still felt like his sky was falling after hearing Kangxi's words.
"Ah... Father, how could you do this? You've already made your son work hard, how can you let him go hungry..."
Yinzhuo's pitiful and miserable appearance immediately drew laughter from the crowd in the field. Seeing that his troublesome brothers not only didn't worry about him but were also mocking him, Yinzhuo immediately turned his grief and anger into strength. Without saying a word, he buried himself in his work and worked as hard as he could. What did it matter if he didn't die from exhaustion? He was the Prince of Juan, who was he afraid of? Look at how hard he was working now, he would definitely amaze everyone in a moment.
Yinzhuo served as a cautionary tale for others, showing them that there would be real consequences for not working hard. Even those who had the intention to slack off dared not act on it now. When lunchtime arrived, Kangxi took a look and exclaimed, "Wow, it seems that making an example of him has worked well! The situation in the fields is much better than I expected. Not only has the speed increased, but the quality also looks quite good."
Kangxi was satisfied, and naturally his gaze towards Yinzhuo, the chicken that had been killed, became much more affectionate. Not only did he not deduct Yinzhuo's lunch, but he also had Liang Jiugong bring a plate of Yinzhuo's favorite dish from his own table to him.
Seeing this scene, the other princes were at a loss for words. This was the difference between love and indifference. Didn't they see that out of all their sons sitting here, only three had received food from their father? The eldest son, Yinti, and the crown prince, Yinreng—one the eldest son, the other the legitimate son—had always been cherished by their father. So why had Yinzuo won his father's heart in the end? Had he been used as a shield for so long that this feigned favor had become real?
Yinzhuo was too exhausted to care about what others thought. After a morning of work, his body, which hadn't done heavy work in over a decade, was practically falling apart. The thought of having to continue in the afternoon made him lose his appetite, even though the table was full of his favorite dishes. He ate a few bites, put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair, and fell asleep right in front of everyone.
Actually, everyone's thoughts are not wrong. After so many years, even Kangxi himself probably can't say for sure how much of his favor towards Yinzhuo was genuine and how much was fake. Although he valued Yinzhuo at the beginning because of his quick wit, he may have had some ulterior motives. But after so many years of getting along, whether it was genuine or fake, he did spend a lot of energy on Yinzhuo.
As the saying goes, once you wear a mask for too long, you can't take it off. Similarly, even if Kangxi's initial affection for Yinzhuo was fake, once it became a habit over time, how can you say that his love wasn't genuine?
Having grown accustomed to paying attention to Yinzhuo, Emperor Kangxi had just finished his meal when he turned around and saw Yinzhuo slumped asleep in a chair, exhausted. Feeling sorry for him, he took a cushion from the side and handed it to Liang Jiugong, who was standing nearby.
"If he sleeps with his head tilted to one side, he's bound to get a stiff neck. Go and put this cushion under him, otherwise he'll really develop a crooked neck and probably come to me to complain again."
Yinzhuo was woken up by his dear fourth brother. Still half asleep, he was pulled down to the field by his brother. It was only after being exposed to the afternoon sun that he came to his senses. He stretched out his hand to shade his eyes, and then waved his other hand at Yinzhuo.
"Fourth Brother, you go back to your place and get busy. I can handle things here."
“Even if you can’t handle it, I’m not going to help you. My father said that this whole area is your job. If you don’t finish it, I’ll leave you here until you’re done and then you can go back.”
Yinzhuo stared in disbelief at Yinzhen, who turned away without hesitation, unable to believe that his fourth brother could be so heartless, so cold-blooded, and so unreasonable.
"Fourth Brother, you've changed. Am I still your beloved younger brother? Sigh, the cold rain lashes my face, warm tears mingle with the chill, and the colors before my eyes are suddenly obscured. Your shadow lingers mercilessly beside me. You're like an executioner who betrayed me. My heart feels like it's being brutally stabbed with a bayonet. Love on a cliff, who would willingly accept the most painful accident? I'm waiting for your return..."