Rebirth: I'm a Daddy's Darling in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 43 No matter what choices you make in life, there will always be regrets.

"Father, if I tell you I don't want to serve in the government in the future, will you break my legs?"

While it's said that listening to advice leads to a full stomach, is our Sixth Prince the type to listen to advice? At least for now, it seems that Yinzhi's words failed to dissuade him. After all, compared to the possibility of being halved in height by Kangxi, Yinzuo was more afraid of seeing the streets of the capital at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) for the next few decades.

Kangxi looked at Yinzhuo, who was standing opposite him on the imperial desk, cautiously watching him, and wondered what kind of show this kid was going to put on for him today.

"If you don't want to join the court, what do you want to do in the future? Do you really want to become a spoiled brat?"

Well, his tone was relatively gentle and his emotions were relatively stable. Once he was certain that his leg was not in any immediate danger, Yinzhuo became much bolder.

"What's wrong with being a spoiled brat? Father, don't you think these four words are practically tailor-made for your son? He has every single trait a spoiled brat should have."

"Oh? Tell me, what kind of setup does a spoiled brat need?"

When Kangxi heard this, he became quite interested. He wanted to see what kind of twisted logic this kid could come up with.

Upon hearing Kangxi's words, Yinzhuo immediately perked up. He walked around the imperial desk and behind Kangxi, placing his hand on his shoulder and massaging it while recounting the similarities between himself and the纨绔子弟 (playboys).

"Father, you see, a spoiled brat usually has a certain family fortune. I was born into the royal family, so I have no worries about food and clothing. Secondly, spoiled brats are usually the youngest sons who are favored in the family, with one or more elder brothers who are both literate and martial, so they don't have to bear the responsibility of supporting the family. I fit this description well, don't I? Although I am not your youngest son, all of my elder brothers and even my younger brothers are literate and martial, so there is no need to worry about who will share your burdens in the future. As for me, I am neither literate nor martial, and I don't have any great ambitions. In the future, my elder brothers will be responsible for making achievements outside, and I will stay by your side as your little follower. When you are busy, I will play by myself to pass the time. When you are free, I will go fishing with you, chat with you, or go out for a walk to keep you entertained. Isn't that good?"

Emperor Kangxi was probably hearing someone describe "living off one's parents" in such a fresh, unconventional, and natural way that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You little rascal, you've got a whole repertoire of twisted logic. All this talk is just a ploy to cling to me and make me worry about you for the rest of my life. You're dreaming."

Seeing that Kangxi was not angry, Yinzhuo felt more relaxed and went around to Kangxi's side, hugging his arm and gently shaking it a few times, just like when he was a child.

“Father, there’s a saying that goes, ‘Raising a child is a lifelong worry, even for ninety-nine years.’ Your son is your own flesh and blood, so it’s only natural that you worry about him.”

Although Emperor Kangxi currently had over a dozen princes, almost none dared to be as close to him as Yinzhuo. Now, with Yinzhuo clinging to his arm and acting coquettishly, his heart softened. Thinking of Crown Prince Yinreng, who had drifted further and further away from him in recent years, he was filled with emotion. Yes, raising a son is a lifelong worry… Oh well, didn't he have plenty of capable sons? It was rare to find one willing to be close to him. Let him be a little lazy; he didn't need another one to do the work. If he wanted an easy life, let him relax for a few more years.

"I have many princes, and each of them wants to stand out from the crowd, but you are the only one with such thoughts. Very well, you are still young and playful, so I will allow you to play for a few more years. If you change your mind after that, I can take back my order. However, although I have agreed that you can temporarily not attend court, do not think that you can act recklessly. If you make a serious mistake, I will not let you off lightly."

Kangxi's idea was actually very simple. He felt that Yinzhuo was still young and it was normal for him to be fickle and playful. He also believed that Yinzhuo did not yet understand the benefits that power could bring him. Since that was the case, he would keep him by his side for a few more years. When Yinzhuo became more aware of things, he would naturally come to ask him to let him enter the court.

Although Yinzhu didn't know which of his words had touched Kangxi and made him change his previous tough attitude, and finally agree to let him temporarily not go to court, he still believed that it didn't matter whether the cat was black or white, as long as it caught mice, it was a good cat. Anyway, he had achieved his goal, and the process was not important.

"Thank you for your kindness, Father. I promise that I will always abide by the law and never act recklessly. Father, it is my great fortune to be your son in this life."

Yinzhuo's words at this moment were sincere. After all, what did it matter to him what other people's suffering as Kangxi's sons was? Besides, weren't they all asking for it?

There have never been any secrets in the palace, especially since Yinzhuo went to the Third Prince Yinzhi's place to show him his height, which hadn't been halved by his father. As a result, jealousy made many people change their minds!

"Yinzuo, you better watch your smugness, or if you ever get a sack over your head in the palace, don't say your fourth brother didn't warn you..."

Even Yinzhen, a brother who had always been close to Yinzuo, now wanted to drag Yinzuo to some corner and beat him up. It goes without saying that other people were just too good at attracting hatred.

When they were in the Imperial Study, things were fine, as everyone's schedules were basically the same. But now that they've entered the court to serve, the contrast has become stark.

While they were up before dawn attending court, Yinzhuo was still sleeping. When they finished court and went to their local government offices for their internships, he was either out of the palace with his men, riding horses around, or fishing with rods and bait in the Imperial Garden to relieve his boredom. When they didn't do their jobs well and were scolded mercilessly by their father, not daring to raise their heads, he would just sit next to his father, eating snacks and watching them make a scene. Anyone would want to beat him up.

"Tch, how am I showing off? You guys just can't stand seeing me living such a carefree life. If you feel tired and want to live like me, go beg your father. What can he do to you if you don't want to be ambitious? Fourth Brother, but that's life. Once you choose a path, the scenery of the other path is destined to be irrelevant to you. And no matter how you choose in life, there will always be regrets, right?"

Yinzhen never expected to hear such words from Yinzuo. Yes, no matter what choices you make in life, there will always be regrets. Once you've made a choice, don't keep looking back. People who always look back are destined not to go far.

"Sixth Brother, you used to say that Tenth Brother was wise in disguise, but now I think you are much more insightful than him. At least you are more clear-headed than us and have always known what you want. In this respect, Fourth Brother is not as good as you..."

You're being modest. The reason you don't know what you want now is simply because Emperor Kangxi hasn't shown you any hope yet. One day... you'll know what you want. Keep striving, young man. Your future is not just a dream; my future depends entirely on you.