bookcurios Chapter 450 Easier said than done
Chapter 450 Easier said than done
Putting aside whether Kangxi's not-so-spacious bed was big enough for the three of them to lie on, Kangxi was also lying on the other side. Yinzhen wasn't Yinzuo, so how could he dare to lie down so casually?
Yinzhen's refusal was entirely within Yinzuo's expectations. After urging Yinzhen several times without giving up and seeing that Yinzhen remained sitting there unmoved, Yinzuo gave up. He then adjusted his posture slightly to make himself more comfortable, and even put his feet on his father's body so that he could stretch out his arms and legs.
"Sixth brother, take your foot away right now! Father is of noble birth, how can you be so insolent?"
When Yinzhen saw Yinzuo casually lift his leg and put his foot on Kangxi, his expression immediately turned serious. Fearing that Kangxi would be angry if Yinzuo woke him up, Yinzhen quickly gave his troublesome younger brother a few meaningful glances, signaling him to move his foot back. However, it was clear that his flirtatious glances were ignored by the troublesome Yinzuo. Yinzhen could only get up and walk over to remind him in a low voice.
It is said that the eldest brother is like a father. Over the years, Yinzhen has worried about Yinzuo and the Fourteenth Prince no less than Kangxi, the emperor's biological father. Therefore, Yinzuo is willing to listen to Yinzhen. Upon hearing this, he reluctantly lifted his leg and moved his foot off Kangxi. He then slightly turned his body and reached out his hand to Yinzhen, indicating that he should help him up.
"Fourth Brother, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but aren't we being a bit too cautious? Look closely, that's our father lying here. I just put my feet on him for a while. It's not like I'm doing anything outrageous. Is he going to eat me? Besides, even if Father gets angry and punishes me, I still have Fourth Brother here, right? You'll definitely plead for me, won't you?"
You wish! You think you can plead for me? I'll definitely petition the Emperor to punish you severely. Putting your foot on the Emperor's lap—isn't that a heinous crime? And you call me cautious? You're only doing this because the old man spoils you. Otherwise, anyone else would be lucky to escape with a spanking by now.
After asking Yinzhen if he would plead for him, Yinzuo stared at his fourth brother for a while without getting a response, and then lost patience. He reached out and tugged at his fourth brother's arm, urging him to answer quickly. Yinzhen looked up at Kangxi, who was still resting with his eyes closed, then turned his gaze to Yinzuo beside him and poked his forehead in an annoyed tone.
"Don't even think about pleading for me. When your father beats your bottom until it's bruised and battered, your fourth brother can help you call Doctor Wang. Are you going to get up or lie down now? If you're not going to get up, move over a bit. Your fourth brother is exhausted after a long day and doesn't have the strength to support you here."
As everyone knows, Yinzhuo was afraid of drinking that bitter medicine, so he couldn't stand hearing the name of Imperial Physician Wang. Upon hearing this, he immediately moved back a bit, creating some distance between himself and his fourth brother. Yinzhen didn't have to exert himself to support Yinzhuo, and his tense body relaxed. He moved his hands and feet a little, turned around, and sat in the spot that Yinzhuo had moved out.
"Since we're talking about Physician Wang, I might as well ask, Father has been coughing for quite some time now, does he have any specific treatment plans for him...?"
Emperor Kangxi had been coughing on and off for almost half a month since he fell ill. After all, he was of advanced age. The prescriptions that Imperial Physician Wang bought for him were mainly focused on gentle nourishment, supplemented by acupuncture treatment. Yinzhuo summarized it in his own words as "slow and steady wins the race".
"Doctor Wang said that the reason why my father's cold has not gotten better for so long is that, in addition to some excessive heart fire, it is mainly because he has been tired and has not rested well during this period. Drink more water, rest more, avoid overwork, and exercise more, and he will recover slowly."
After Yinzhuo finished speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember something, abruptly sat up straight, raised his hand and turned Yinzhen to face him, carefully examining his expression.
"Fourth Brother, have you been working day and night lately? I noticed you didn't look too good when I first saw you, but now that I look closer, it's not just that you don't look good. Look at those dark circles under your eyes, you could play a monster without makeup. Tell me, how long has it been since you've had a proper rest..."
Yinzhen wasn't annoyed by Yinzuo's constant nagging. After Yinzuo finished, Yinzhen raised his hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed.
"There are countless affairs in the court. As the crown prince, I naturally have to share the burden with Father. To be honest, since the day I took this position, I haven't had a full night's sleep. Recently, the affairs of the court have been so busy that I haven't been able to rest until midnight every day. If I didn't have something to discuss with Father today, I wouldn't have had time to come to Changchun Garden..."
See, he was right. This damned throne is really not worth fighting for, and being an emperor is really not a good job. You have to get up earlier than the chickens, sleep later than the dogs, and work harder than the donkeys. These are the minimum requirements. His fourth brother is a diligent person who does everything himself. No wonder his Yongzheng Emperor in history worked himself to death.
"Fourth Brother, I don't know if you've ever heard the saying, 'Health is the foundation of everything.' It's a good thing that the future crown prince is diligent in governing and loves the people, but if you really ruin your health, then even if you have a lot of ambition, you won't have the ability to realize it. So, we need to pay attention to the balance between work and rest. You're a human being, not a machine. Even a body of iron can't withstand such abuse. Besides, even if you're a machine, have you ever seen one that's only used and not maintained?"
History's evaluation of Yongzheng is undoubtedly positive. Many of the new systems he established, such as the land tax reform, the reform of the tax collection system, and the establishment of the "anti-corruption allowance," made important contributions to the prosperity and development of the subsequent Kangxi and Qianlong era. Yinzhuo had a good impression of the historical Yongzheng, and in this life, Yongzheng was his own brother who helped and cared for him in every way. Naturally, he hoped that Yongzheng would be well.
"Sigh, as expected, whether they are emperors or aspiring emperors, they are all suspicious and power-hungry. There are countless affairs in the court, and if you do everything yourself, it's no wonder that one of you has worked yourself to the bone and the other is about to die. Fourth brother, don't tell me there are no capable people in the court. Let's not talk about anything else, just look at our Aisin Gioro family. There are more than a dozen or twenty of us brothers. Even if our abilities are not outstanding, at least we won't let you down, right? If you're really busy, why don't you just recruit some men? A leader doesn't necessarily have to be capable himself. The key is to learn to trust and delegate. Otherwise, if you do everything yourself, you'll eventually work yourself to death."
Well, as soon as Yinzhuo said this, both Emperor Kangxi, who was lying there resting with his eyes closed, and Yinzhen, who was sitting next to him, were immediately silenced. Trust and delegation of power are indeed easy to say but difficult to do.