Secrets of Yuqing Palace

Having made up his mind, Yinreng asked his subordinates to call Yin'e to Yuqing Palace.

The two brothers had another secret talk.

Yinreng said seriously, "Tenth brother, Second Brother is ready to retire."

"The Emperor has not revealed the Baoyi's ambitions. Once I withdraw, the other brothers still think they have a chance."

"The Emperor will also instigate these people to fight against each other and balance the forces of the former dynasty."

"Only you and I know about the Baoyi incident now. After all, it has implicated many people. Second Brother doesn't want anyone else to know about it, so there are some things I can only tell you."

"Second brother asked you to come here this time mainly to remind you of something."

Yin'e was so shocked that he was incoherent.

"Second brother, have you really...really decided?"

Yinreng nodded.

"You know about the Baoyi matter. My second brother also told you about it before. Now it's just you and the fourth brother left."

"Now the Emperor also intends to promote the Fourth Prince. If you don't have that idea, you can secretly support the Fourth Prince in the future."

"But don't let the emperor notice, otherwise it will be bad for both of you."

Yin'e nodded seriously.

"Second brother, I know."

Yinreng continued, "As for Lao Jiu, tell him not to get involved in it in the future."

"Not even at the Fourth Brother's place."

"He does a good job in the Ministry of Revenue. Every year, he can increase the amount of silver in the national treasury by several percent. Even the emperor's private treasury receives a lot of tribute from him every year."

"The Emperor knows about his business dealings and has a clear idea of ​​what's going on."

"Once he changes his mind and switches to the Fourth Brother, and the Emperor finds out, it will be even more dangerous."

"If the fourth brother encounters trouble in the future, helping him at a critical moment will make him remember his kindness."

"At this time, the more powerful forces behind you, the more fear the emperor will feel."

"Second brother, this is a lesson for you. You should remind the fourth brother more often in the future."

Yin'e listened to his second brother as if he was making arrangements for his funeral, and asked in a panic.

"Second brother, you..."

"You can remind Fourth Brother more often in the future. Why are you handing it over to your younger brother now?"

"My younger brother is not as smart as my second brother, and I am worried that I will mess up what my second brother has asked me to do."

Yinreng sighed and shook his head.

"I have already made up my mind. Once I retire, I will leave the capital."

Yin'e asked in shock: "Why?!"

Yinreng pondered for a while, and seeing the eagerness and anxiety in Yin'e's eyes, he smiled faintly.

"Tenth brother, Second Brother just retreated, he's not dead."

"As long as Second Brother is in the capital, it means that the power in his hands can be used."

"Why is the Emperor afraid of me?"

"It's not just because I'm the Crown Prince, it's also because the power behind me is too great and poses a threat to the Emperor."

"As long as I remain in the capital, the Emperor will never truly let go of his fear."

"Even if I retire, the Emperor will still be suspicious of me. Will he support other brothers?"

"So only when I fade out of everyone's sight will the Emperor be truly relieved."

Yin'e felt extremely sad when he heard the words of his always proud second brother, the crown prince.

He understood what his second brother meant.

The second brother's withdrawal was not just about giving up the position of crown prince, but also about leaving the capital and staying away from the center of power.

He persuaded with difficulty: "Second brother, do you understand that once you quit, it will be extremely difficult to return in the future?"

"You've been studying hard since you were little, but it's all for nothing!"

"You've been the Crown Prince for over thirty years. Are you willing to give up like this?"

Yinreng, however, shook his head nonchalantly and said, "Since Second Brother has decided to withdraw, he must have made up his mind."

"I have been the Crown Prince for nearly forty years. I am truly second only to the emperor and above everyone else. Power is not something I cannot give up."

"And I've already made up my mind. After this matter is over, I will travel all over the country with your second sister-in-law, seeing all the beautiful scenery of the lakes and mountains of the Qing Dynasty, and become a pair of immortal lovers."

"If there is nothing important, I won't go back to Beijing so often."

"When the Emperor...I might never come back."

Yin'e was so shocked by his second brother's words that he was unable to recover and spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

"You won't come back again?"

"Second brother! Why did it come to this?"

Seeing the excitement and persuasion in Yin'e's eyes, Yinreng smiled gently.

"Tenth brother, Second Brother has always been arrogant and self-respecting. His bones have become hardened."

"Could it be that Tenth Brother still wants to watch Second Brother and kowtow to others and call himself a slave?"

When Yin'e heard his second brother mention the words "calling himself a slave", his eyes turned red.

He knew that the person his second brother was talking about was the future new emperor.

Maybe it was Fourth Brother, or maybe it was someone else.

But no matter who it is, the second brother has always suppressed other brothers, but in the future he will have to kneel down and call the people under him slaves. How can the second brother's pride accept this?

He wiped his eyes and nodded with difficulty.

"Yes, brother understands."

Yinreng patted his shoulder.

"So there are some things that Second Brother wants to explain to you in advance."

Yin'e choked up and said, "Second brother, please speak."

Yinreng said earnestly, "Among my brothers, the ones with the best relationships are you and the fourth brother, as well as the ninth brother and the thirteenth and fourteenth brothers."

"As for Lao Jiu, I have already told you."

"With Lao Jiu's ability, as long as he doesn't take sides casually, the throne of the prince will be a sure thing in the future."

"You are a prince now, so you don't have to worry about anything."

"As for Thirteen, although the Fucha family has considerable influence behind him, Ma Qi is a cunning man. I will remind Ma Qi that the Fucha family should just be loyal subjects."

"I will also remind the Thirteenth that he will follow the Fourth in the future. The Fourth has the Thirteenth's help in the court, as well as your secret support, which is enough."

"What I'm most worried about is Old Fourteen. He has always had a good relationship with Old Eight."

"Eighth Brother has been restless and ready to make a move. If he is won over by Eighth Brother and something happens in the future, it will be more troublesome for Fourth Brother since they are brothers from the same mother after all."

"But Old Fourteen is now in the Guard Camp. I heard that he is quite skilled in martial arts and is also studying military tactics."

"If there is any war in the imperial court in the future, send him away. This will not only help the Fourth Brother, but also keep him away from the Eighth Brother's solicitation."

"After I leave the court, given Old Eight's ambition, he will definitely not be willing to be inferior to others, and the emperor will definitely try to maintain a balance in the court."

"The Emperor has discovered the ambitions of the Baoyi. If Lao Ba were to rise to prominence in the previous dynasty, he would be the first to be targeted by the Emperor. The higher he jumps, the less likely he is to ascend to the throne."

"As for the other brothers, they are nothing to worry about. In the eyes of the emperor, they are just clowns."

"As long as you behave yourself, you can safely wait until the transfer of power."

Listening to his second brother's earnest instructions, although Yin'e listened carefully, he felt depressed.

Seeing his second brother entrusting him with an important task, Yin'e nodded heavily.

"Brother, I will do as you say in the future."

"But second brother, what about Hongxi and the others? Do you need me to do anything?"

Yinreng smiled faintly and said, "Second brother has left, Hongxi is nothing to worry about."

"Hongxi was raised by the Emperor himself. As long as the second brother is not around, the Emperor will not do anything to Hongxi. Instead, he will show him kindness."

"As for Hongye and the others, they are still young and pose no threat at all, so there is no need to worry about them."

"Besides, with the protection of the Hesheli family and the Guarjia clan, the children will be fine."

Yinreng said with some sarcasm.

"Just wait and see. As long as I step down, the Emperor will become a kind father again."

"My second brother is not in the capital, so he will only treat his children better."

Yin'e sighed.

"Don't worry, second brother. I will take good care of my nephews and nieces in the future."

Yinreng did not refuse, but just smiled and nodded.

"Then I'll trouble you, Tenth Brother, to take more care of it."