noffsinger Chapter 385 Phew~~ Sixth Brother is finally gone
Chapter 385 Phew~~ Sixth Brother is finally gone
To be honest, the thirteenth and fourteenth princes were quite surprised when they saw Yinreng sitting calmly by the waterside of Shufeng Pavilion fishing. After all, in their imagination, Yinreng, who had been deposed as crown prince, should not have acted so calmly, even if he did not appear crazy.
"You can go fishing, but you'd better stay a little further away from me. Second Brother made a bet with Sixth Brother today. If I don't catch any fish today, I'll have to give Sixth Brother that Songfeng Pavilion painting..."
Yinreng wasn't blind; he naturally understood the fleeting change in expression between the thirteenth and fourteenth princes. But to be honest, hadn't he seen enough of those sympathetic or inquisitive gazes over the past year? If he couldn't be immune to them, he feared he would be stared to death.
When Yinzhu woke up, he looked up and saw a strange yet harmonious scene. The thirteenth and fourteenth brothers occupied the water area on the west side of the pavilion, arguing and fighting over who could cast their lines and bait their hooks. Meanwhile, Yinreng sat alone on the east side of the pavilion, glancing back at the two noisy figures from time to time. Judging from his tightly furrowed brows, if he weren't mindful of his status as the elder brother, he probably would have kicked them both into the lake long ago.
Yinzhu slept for almost the entire afternoon and was now in good spirits. However, now that he was awake, he didn't want to stay in the waterside pavilion any longer. He sat up straight, bent down to pick up his shoes from the side of the recliner, put them on, and got up to walk out of the pavilion.
"Thirteen, Fourteen, when did you arrive? How long have you been fishing? Have you caught anything?"
Of course, they did have some gains. Even though they didn't catch a single fish all afternoon, at least they had some fun. After asking, Yinzhuo didn't wait for their answer. He went over and looked at the bucket himself and was slightly disappointed to see that it was empty.
"Heh, seeing how much noise you two were making just now, I thought you had a great haul. Turns out it was all just empty talk and no action. Second brother, how was your catch today? If you didn't catch any fish, your Songfeng Pavilion calligraphy scrolls will be mine."
Compared to the thirteenth and fourteenth princes, there were no fish at all. Yinreng's situation was not bad; at least there were still two small fish in his bucket. Yinzuo squatted down next to Yinreng and stared at his bucket for a long time before he could only sigh with great regret.
"Hey, it seems like Second Brother's luck is pretty good today. Songfeng Pavilion wasn't meant to be for me. Second Brother, are you coming here to fish again tomorrow? How about we go and gamble again?"
That's why gamblers' mentality is so terrifying. Once you lose, you'll keep thinking about winning it back. That's exactly what Yinzhuo is like now. He no longer cares about whether he can get Songfeng Pavilion or not; he's only thinking about winning.
"I'm not gambling anymore, Sixth Brother. Remember to have someone send over the black jade pendant that you lost to me. Your eldest nephew's birthday is coming up soon, so it's a good gift for him."
Although Yinzuo was caught up in the gambling, Yinreng was still quite rational. Now that he had won the bet, there was no need for him to continue to endure the mental torture inflicted on him by the two people on the other side. Yinreng put away his fishing rod, got up, picked up the bucket, and poured the water and the two small fish back into the lake. He said a few words to Yinzuo and walked towards the waterside pavilion.
"Ah~~~"
Yinzhu swung his fists haphazardly for a while, but when no one paid attention to him, he turned to look at the thirteenth and fourteenth princes who were pretending to be fishing happily, and then turned and walked towards the waterside pavilion.
"Phew, Sixth Brother is finally gone. I was afraid he would suddenly come over and kick me into the lake. Thirteenth Brother, it's so hot outside. Since Second Brother and Sixth Brother have gone into the waterside pavilion to rest, do you think we should pack our things and go in too?"
Thirteen said that although it was hot outside, it was safe. They decided to go in anyway, since with their current skin tone, even if they got a lot more sun, there probably wouldn't be much room for improvement.
"Fourteenth brother, I won't stop you if you want to go in, but thirteenth brother has decided to fish here until sunset, a heartbroken wanderer at the ends of the earth..."
Since the arrival of the two mischievous boys, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, at Yinzhuo's Shufeng Pavilion, the scene can only be described in two words—lively. The Thirteenth and Fourteenth had been in the military camp for several years and had long been accustomed to getting up before dawn every day to drill with the soldiers. Although only the two brothers remained, they still maintained this fine tradition.
By the time of Mao Shi (5-7 AM) in summer, the sky outside was already bright. Inside Shufeng Pavilion, apart from its owner, almost every living creature that could breathe was awake. Thirteen and Fourteen had already run around Changchun Garden and returned.
With the presence of the princes Yinreng, the thirteenth prince, and the fourteenth prince, the Shufeng Pavilion, which rarely prepared breakfast, was filled with the aroma of food. Yinzuo, who had stayed overnight in the waterside pavilion because he was too lazy to move, was awakened by the smell of the food.
"Second brother, thirteenth brother, fourteenth brother, you guys are so unfair! You didn't even think to wake me up for dinner. If I hadn't woken up, you would have definitely let me sleep on an empty stomach like this..."
What a twisted argument! What do you mean we don't call you for meals? Let me tell you, since you stopped going to the study, how many breakfasts have you actually had? It's as if we're abusing you. If your father heard this, we'd all be caught up in the drama.
"You're talking nonsense again. Alright, since you're awake, hurry up and come over. It just so happens that the kitchen made some preserved egg and lean pork congee today, following the method you mentioned before. Would you like some?"
Despite Yinzhuo's cheerful chatter, he was still feeling groggy and had no appetite. He forced himself to drink a few mouthfuls of porridge before leaning against Yinreng and dozing off. Yinreng, seeing Yinzhuo close his eyes again and go back to sleep, was at a loss for words. He gestured to Dexi and Hezhong, who were standing nearby, and asked them to help Yinzhuo to the bed to rest.
"Ah, I really envy Sixth Brother's ability to fall asleep so easily. Ever since I returned to the capital, I don't know why I've been suffering from insomnia. Last night, I lay in bed with my eyes wide open, reciting the Diamond Sutra for several years until almost dawn before I finally fell asleep. If I can't sleep tonight, I'm thinking of trying reciting the Tao Te Ching instead..."
Yinreng glanced at the Fourteenth Prince, who was resting his chin on his hand and frowning as he sighed, then reached out and took the empty bowl in front of him, filled it with congee made with preserved egg and lean pork, and handed it to him.
"Fourteenth Brother, your second brother sincerely suggests that if you still can't sleep tonight, let's not recite the Tao Te Ching anymore. Why don't we find an imperial physician to come and take a look at you tomorrow? You may be having trouble adjusting to the new environment. You'll be fine after a period of rest."
If Yinreng hadn't mentioned the Fourteenth Prince, he really wouldn't have thought of it in this direction. After all, he grew up in the capital since he was a child, so there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to adapt after only a few years away.