noffsinger Chapter 276 Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror, I Ask You
Chapter 276 Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror, I Ask You
Who is this "traitor"? It's none other than that scoundrel Yinzhuo. His fourth brother genuinely cared about him, but in the time it took to eat a meal, he managed to put his brother in a very difficult position.
"Father, I really didn't mean to lie to you. The medicine was just too bitter. Besides, I wasn't lying to you completely. I really was hungry those few days. You see, Fourth Brother has already scolded me. Can you please stop being angry with me? I really know I was wrong this time. Father, please forgive me just this once, okay?"
Everything that happened in the palace could not be hidden from Kangxi's eyes, and what happened in Changchun Garden was no exception. Since the matter had already been exposed, Yinzhuo believed that it was better to apologize sooner rather than later. After all, there is a saying that confession is the best policy. It was better for him to go and explain the whole story himself than to wait for his father to receive the report and ask him to come and be punished.
Was Kangxi really angry after learning the truth? Actually, no. After all, he had suspected from the beginning that the so-called hunger strike was just Yinzhuo putting on an act. But as the old saying goes, concern can cloud judgment. Even if Kangxi was shrewd, when he saw Yinzhuo lying on the bed, pale and pitifully calling for his father, he had no time to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Sigh... Kangxi sighed helplessly, raised his hand and poked the red and swollen area on Yinzhuo's forehead several times. Only when he watched the red and swollen area spread wider and wider did he slowly withdraw his hand.
"Father, I already told you that my forehead was swollen from being hit by Fourth Brother. Why are you still deliberately poking it? Eunuch Liang, hurry up and find a mirror. I need to take a good look. If I have a scar on my perfect face because of this, wouldn't I be disfigured? Father, you are so cruel. Am I still your favorite son?"
Kangxi had originally planned to stop there, but upon hearing Yinzhuo's complaint, he reached out and poked Yinzhuo's swollen forehead several times until Yinzhuo's eyes filled with tears from the pain. Only then did Kangxi stop.
"Hmph, if you weren't my most beloved son, for this crime of deceiving the emperor, I would give you a severe beating to the bone. And you, a grown man, are always afraid of pain and bitterness. Aren't you ashamed? Liang Jiugong, hurry up and find him a mirror to look at himself. Oh, and while you're at it, get him some ointment to apply. Otherwise, if he really gets disfigured, he'll definitely come and cry to me again."
The fact that medicine could be applied to him clearly meant that the matter was now completely over. After Liang Jiugong finished applying the medicine, Yinzhuo got up and walked to the mercury mirror brought by the palace servants. He stood there and carefully examined the glorious medal on his forehead for a long time. After that, he nodded in satisfaction. After a while, he suddenly blurted out a sentence into the mirror in a high-pitched voice.
"Magic mirror, magic mirror, I ask you, who is the most handsome man in Changchun Garden?"
Emperor Kangxi was drinking tea when Yinzhi's sudden outburst turned his father into a fountain. Kangxi, annoyed, grabbed the handkerchief Liang Jiugong handed him and wiped the tea stains from his face and body. He then got up and walked over to Yinzhi. He decided that he had to teach this brat a lesson today, no matter what, or he wouldn't know how many eyes this Prince Ma had.
Although Yinzhi never turned around, he could clearly see what was happening on Kangxi's side through the huge mercury mirror in front of him. Seeing Kangxi walking angrily towards him, Yinzhi had only one thought in his mind at this moment - run. However, he was only a few steps away from his father, and it was too late to run now. Just as Kangxi was about to reach him, Yinzhi suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said in a deep voice.
"Oh, my master, the most handsome, most heroic, and most distinguished man in Changchun Garden is none other than His Majesty the Emperor."
Kangxi was clearly taken aback by Yinzhu's sudden move. He was stunned and his raised hand froze in mid-air. It took him a while to come to his senses before he slowly lowered his hand.
"You're always the most mischievous kid. Where did you learn all this? Alright, stop standing there. I'm asking you, what were you doing in the imperial kitchen today?"
Look at this, isn't this a rhetorical question? Do you think you don't know why I went to the imperial kitchen? If I answered that I just went there for a stroll because I had nothing better to do, would you believe me?
"Look at the question, Father. What else could I possibly do at the Imperial Kitchen? I've been eating bland food for over half a month, and I finally got out of the freeze to go there for a treat. But my eyes are too small and my stomach is too big, so I accidentally ordered too much food. I had to call my eldest brother and second brother over to help me eat. Father, you have no idea. In all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen eating be such a painful thing. Feel my stomach; it's still as big as a ball."
As the saying goes, nothing that happened in Changchun Garden could escape Kangxi's eyes. Since that was the case, Yinzhuo naturally told him everything without reservation. Upon hearing this, Kangxi raised his hand and tapped Yinzhuo's swollen forehead, saying with a hint of disappointment.
"You seem like a shrewd person most of the time, but why do you become so foolish when it comes to food? If you make too much food, you can just give it to the people below. Why do you have to stuff yourself like this? Alright, don't sit there anymore. Get up and come with me for a walk outside. It'll help you digest."
To be honest, Yinzhuo preferred to lie on the couch and take a nap rather than go for a walk with Kangxi to digest his food. However, he also knew that he had no say in the choice now, so even though he was unwilling, he could only get up and follow his father outside.
It was already late autumn, so the father and son naturally wouldn't choose the lakeside where the autumn wind was blowing. Since they weren't going to the lakeside, the only option was the garden. The garden was nice; although it wasn't as full of flowers as it was in the height of summer, it still had plenty of flowers. Yinzhuo just hoped that the delicate flowers his father had brought this time would live up to his expectations and come to the garden to compete for favor, like in the novels, or even kidnap someone. That way, he could go back to sleep with a clear conscience.
However, the final result was obviously disappointing to Yinzhuo. They circled the flowerbeds around Qingxi Study several times, but let alone a chance encounter, even if someone saw the father and son from afar, they would take a detour. There was nothing Yinzhuo could do but be his own father and follow their lead. After all, feet are meant to be used for walking.
"The great river flows eastward, the stars in the sky point to the Big Dipper, hehe, point to the Big Dipper, a bowl of wine for sworn brothers, let's go when we say we'll go, you have it, I have it, we all have it, hehe, we all have it, we'll go through fire and water without looking back, we'll roar when we see injustice, we'll act when it's time to act, we'll roam the land with great passion, we'll act when it's time to act, we'll roam the land with great passion..."