Longkodo had once taken a fancy to his father-in-law’s concubine.
The Tong Family now lacked the power and prestige of the past and no longer commanded such respect before Kangxi.
Everyone in the Tong Family behaved more discreetly; Longkodo himself carefully appeased his father-in-law, wife, and mother, keeping things quiet.
But because Lisi’er whipped his wife and accidentally struck Hesheri, she was seen by Fourth Fuqin Guoluo.
When she mentioned it to Yinzhen, Lisi’er was hauled out and punished.
Yinzhen then punished Longkodo with twenty strokes for favoring concubines over his wife, branded Lisi’er’s face, and sent her off to toil at the Imperial Manor.
Yinzhen wasn’t stupid—worried about embarrassing his uncle, he sent men to the Tong Family’s residence to administer the beating… It made Longkodo so furious he could almost become a monk.
Yinzhen, oblivious, even had his own Fuqin select a few clean-background concubines, sending them to Hesheri to establish the household rules and serve him.
This disgusted Longkodo to no end… but he didn’t dare flare up.
After all, everyone in the capital knew that the original Imperial Consort Zhen was the biggest vinegar jar.
If even the Emperor dared not take concubines, what other family would dare?
Anyone caught favoring concubines over their wives risked having their entire family property confiscated.
Yet, thinking of Lisi’er weeping at the Imperial Manor and his own lifeless wives and concubines at home, Longkodo was so enraged he could barely sleep.
Such is life.
After much consideration, Longkodo decided to change allegiance and no longer support the Fourth Prince—after all, that hard-headed fool was doomed to work himself to death for the Emperor.
When he entered the palace to express gratitude, he sought out Yin Hui, subtly indicating his loyalty.
“This servant, heading north, will surely have to trouble the Fifteenth Prince to take care of my family. If I encounter anything new on the way, I’ll send it back at once to amuse Your Highness.”
Longkodo was skilled at words—Yin Hui immediately understood.
His “uncle” wanted help getting his beloved concubine out of the Imperial Manor in exchange for the Tong Family’s allegiance.
Yin Hui didn’t respond directly, but didn’t offend him either.
He merely smiled, “How could I dare trouble you? If Fourth Brother found out, he’d tell Father and get me scolded.”
“I think we’d better find a safer way. In any case, Uncle, your wishes will be fulfilled.”
Longkodo was puzzled but didn’t get a chance to ask more before Yin Hui left.
After mulling it over, Longkodo figured as long as the Fifteenth Prince could help save his beloved Lisi’er, he was content and happily went to receive his orders.
But when he later met with Yarjiang’a and Fan Lianghan, he was shocked to see a very familiar figure among their guards.
“……”
Yarjiang’a cut him off, “Time is short, let’s leave the capital quickly or we’ll make His Majesty worry.”
Longkodo’s eyes bulged, “…Does His Majesty not know?”
Fan Lianghan smiled and cupped his hands to Longkodo, “I hear the city gates are now guarded by the Tong Family. We’ll have to trouble you, Uncle. I’ll be sure to thank you properly!”
Longkodo: “…” Once the Emperor discovers he took the Fifteenth Prince out of the capital and into danger, will he live to see any reward?
Looking up, he saw Yin Hui calmly playing with a whip in his hand—just like the one he’d been beaten with in Lisi’er’s room.
He couldn’t utter a word, silently spurring his horse forward.
This must be a threat!
But… damn it, he just couldn’t let go of Lisi’er!
Yet this feeling only lasted until they left the capital—then Longkodo began to regret it.
He had just smuggled the future Emperor out of the capital!
He had just deceived everyone, smuggled the future Emperor out of the capital!
He had just risked his entire family’s lives deceiving everyone, smuggling out…
When he saw Yin Hui swinging his whip at corrupt gentry who bullied commoners, Longkodo clutched his chest, nearly unable to breathe.
When Fan Lianghan stepped forward, tied the offender up, threw him in front of the local magistrate, and flashed the Ministry of War badge to have the frightened official deal with it strictly, Longkodo was still in shock.
It wasn’t until they set off again that Longkodo grabbed Fan Lianghan, pleading, “Hey, son-in-law—no, Ninth Prince Consort! You’re really taking the Fifteenth Prince to the north. What if the Jungar or the Luosha find out? Do you realize the consequences?”
Fan Lianghan gently reassured him, “Earlier, the Fifteenth Prince came to me, spoke of your troubles. How could we, as juniors, watch our elders fret?”
“That’s why I especially asked Nine Princess to visit the Imperial Manor and consult with Miss Li, then finally understood… you like excitement.”
“We all know not to mess with Fourth Prince, but the Fifteenth Prince, not wishing you to be distressed, is willing to take the risk to ease your worries!”
“Uncle Tong, don’t worry. We’ll guarantee plenty of excitement on this journey—if it’s not enough, tell the Fifteenth Prince, or tell me, and we’ll make sure you’re satisfied!”
Longkodo: “…I… Damn it all!”
Damn them, he liked excitement—in the bedroom, not this kind of excitement that risked his whole family’s lives!
The Aisin Gioro family really didn’t have a single decent member—all cunning and wicked!
He must’ve had eight lifetimes of bad luck to become their relative!
Longkodo couldn’t hold it in any longer—he lashed out at his horse and galloped ahead, silently cursing into the wind.
Behind him, Yin Hui, Fan Lianghan, and Yarjiang’a struggled to hold back their laughter, their stomachs aching.
To be honest, they all recognized Longkodo’s abilities.
It was just that both uncles of the Tong Family had their own flaws.
If Yin Hui became Emperor, he couldn’t let his mother’s family fall into obscurity.
He’d have to promote them enough to keep them at a decent level.
Erlundai was hopeless—good at fighting, but useless as an official.
Longkodo, aside from being greedy, lecherous, arrogant, and having some… special preferences, was otherwise competent in both work and interpersonal affairs.
Among short men, he was the tallest.
Yin Hui could only correct Longkodo’s flaws, making sure he didn’t ruin the family for some brainless concubine.
So along the way, Yin Hui didn’t hide his identity, brandishing his whip to uphold justice, leaving behind many tales on their journey north—under the name of Third Master Tong.
Kangxi, meanwhile, was in the palace, slapping the table and bickering with Fang He.
This troublesome woman’s maternal love was truly unfathomable.
When she herself left the palace at night, she worried and couldn’t sleep.
Yet she wasn’t afraid when letting Yin Hui go out alone?
Fang He retorted, “How is he alone? Isn’t he with Prince Jian, Lianghan, and Longkodo?”
“If a saker falcon’s chick is confined in one place and never sees how vast the sky is, how can it become king of the heavens?”
She was worried, of course, but she wouldn’t stop her son from venturing out to see for himself the land he would one day guard—better than being a frog at the bottom of a well.
Kangxi was troubled, “Yarjiang’a takes after his grandfather—he’s cunning. He’s loyal, yes, but even a moment’s hesitation at a critical time can be fatal.”
If not for this, he wouldn’t have considered making Yarjiang’a Jiumen Tidud.
Guarding the capital and the palace required caution, not recklessness.
He didn’t mention Fan Lianghan—if anything happened to him while saving Yin Hui, Jiujiu might well weep down the palace.
As for Longkodo, he sneered, “Tong Guowei can’t even control his son, who’s already caused so much trouble. Can you count on him to protect Yin Hui?”
Before Fang He could retort, the reports kept coming in of Longkodo’s meritorious deeds and good works.
Kangxi fell silent.
Was this really Longkodo?
Two months passed.
Before winter set in, word came from the northern border—Yin Xiang and his group had somehow provoked the Luosha soldiers.
No one knew how, but Tsewang Araptan and the Luosha turned on each other, fighting at the border.
Soon, news spread across the land: Tsewang Araptan was leading troops to resist the Luosha at the Khalkha border, hoisting the Jungar Khan onto a pedestal.
Yin Hui even revealed his identity and, on behalf of his imperial father, rewarded the Jungar Khan, swaggering through Aihui City and intimidating the restless Juz people in the Khalkha region.
When news came that the four had safely passed through Gubeikou and would soon return to the capital, Kangxi—his hives just cured—finally lowered his head to Fang He and admitted he’d misjudged things.
“These brats… especially Longkodo—truly remarkable. I underestimated him. I’ll see that Third Uncle is properly rewarded.”
Fang He, guessing Longkodo’s state, held back a laugh and suggested, “Rather than giving the Tong Family some lukewarm reward, why not grant more silk flowers to the Tong Family’s girls in the palace? That would make them truly happy and give you peace of mind.”
The current Tong Family girl in the palace was Longkodo’s eldest illegitimate daughter, Tongjia Jixin.
Perhaps because she was illegitimate, she was mild-mannered and witty, never causing trouble for Yin Hui like the other female officials, and truly seemed a good candidate for a virtuous wife.
Of course, that depended on Yin Hui’s feelings.
Kangxi, of course, wanted his wife’s family to remain respected, and understood Fang He’s good intentions.
Smiling, he squeezed her hand, not refusing.
But when Longkodo and company reported to the Emperor, Kangxi was shocked by Longkodo’s appearance.
Previously tall and burly, almost fierce, in just a few months he’d lost over a third of his weight, his clothes hanging loose.
The flesh on his face had melted away, leaving him looking more like Kangxi’s mother, with a long, melancholy face and a gentle, troubled gaze.
It truly warranted a fresh look—it was like he’d become a new person.
Yin Hui spoke up, “This journey owed much to Third Uncle Tong’s help. If not for his mastery of the Luosha language, I couldn’t have successfully sown discord between the Jungar Khan and the Luosha, achieving our goal. Father, you must reward Third Uncle well.”
Longkodo shivered imperceptibly.
He didn’t want to recall how he’d hidden in a haystack, using Luosha tongue for mimicry, only to have a Jungar soldier thrust a spear into the haystack, nearly skewering him.
Kangxi was highly satisfied with Longkodo.
Having learned of some of his minor flaws from Yinzhen, he’d once been disappointed in him.
Now, moved with compassion, Kangxi felt that these weren’t serious faults.
He’d just have to admonish Tong Guowei’s wife to keep Hesheri in line.
He said, “Indeed, a good reward is due. I’ve already had the Empress Dowager bestow ten silk flowers to the Tongjia maid in Shoukang Palace, and I’ll tell Fourth Brother to let the Imperial Manor’s—”
“Your Majesty!” Longkodo suddenly raised his head, almost blacking out from the effort.
But he didn’t care, and kowtowed forcefully, loudly declaring, “This servant’s past favoritism toward concubines was wrong, and I have no intention of letting that wretched concubine return to my house. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!”
“Fourth Prince handles matters justly; I have no complaints, nor do I wish to undermine the law. I beg Your Majesty for understanding!”
As he spoke, Longkodo trembled with emotion.
In the past, the Tong Family’s connection to the Emperor’s mother’s clan gave them a sense of superiority, as if everything came more easily.
This led to Erlundai’s arrogance and, even for clever Longkodo, a fondness for excitement.
But this… excitement was far too much.
He never wanted excitement again!
Kangxi gave Yin Hui a complex look—what exactly had this rascal done to Longkodo?
Yarjiang’a and Fan Lianghan bowed their heads, not wanting to remember how they’d fled from Luosha and Jungar pursuers, trembling as they swaggered across the Khalkha border.
Yin Hui grinned sheepishly at Kangxi, looking as innocent as Fang He when she stirred up trouble.
No, the brat was even more innocent and shameless than Fang He.
Sitting at the head, Kangxi could clearly see the expressions of the four and fell silent.
With the fate of the realm in Yin Hui’s hands, would the officials truly not object?