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

Chapter 157 Even this ancestral grave needs a rest; it can't keep emitting smoke forever.

Yinzhuo sensed that his father's tone suggested he might be about to relent. As the saying goes, opportunity knocks but once. He had already taken ninety-nine steps out of a hundred, and he couldn't afford to falter at the last hurdle. So, Yinzhuo quickly got up, walked to Kangxi's side, grabbed his arm, shook it, and urged him on.

"Father, I specifically asked around beforehand, and Dai Zi is indeed a talented man. He is not only good at making firearms, but also has expertise in other areas. He is proficient in mathematics, military strategy, poetry, calligraphy and painting. Have you ever heard the saying, 'He has the ability to save the country, but not the ability to relieve hunger and cold'? He wrote this when he was eleven years old. I think that a talented and ambitious man like him should not waste his life like this. He can die in the intrigue of the court, or he can die on the battlefield, but he should not die in poverty and destitution in the countryside like this."

Yinzhuo was not lying. When he had the idea of ​​bringing Dai Zi back from Shengjing, he specifically sent people to inquire about Dai Zi's whereabouts. His current understanding of Dai Zi came partly from the encyclopedia entry on a certain software in his previous life, and partly from the information he had gathered through his inquiries. He did indeed place his hopes on Dai Zi, hoping that he could make excellent weapons, but he also genuinely did not want him to starve to death in the countryside like in history.

To be fair, Yinzhuo's words earlier had somewhat moved Kangxi. After all, Dai Zi was indeed a rare talent, and it would be a pity to let him be buried like this. Moreover, Yinzhuo was right: if you fall behind, you will be beaten. But he only wanted to beat others, but he didn't want to be beaten. So after careful consideration, Kangxi quickly made a decision.

"I agree to your previous proposal. After returning to the capital, you will go to the Ministry of Works to take up your post. Tomorrow, I will send someone to Shengjing to escort Dai Zi and his family back to the capital. I can also entrust the Ninth and Tenth Princes to you. But Yinzhuo, I must remind you that once you accept this task, there is absolutely no room for reversal. If any mistakes are made later, the responsibility will naturally be yours. At that time, I will not tolerate it. So, I am giving you another chance now. If you want to go back on your word, it is still not too late."

Yinzhuo knew, of course, that Kangxi's words were no joke, but he still nodded seriously. That was just how he was; he either didn't do something at all, or once he decided to do it, he would never back down now, except for one thing…

"Father, rest assured, since I've already asked you for this, it means I'm prepared. No matter what happens in the future, I will never regret it. But... Father, can I skip court? I really can't get up in the morning..."

"Heh, you spoke so righteously before, I thought you had changed your nature? Turns out you're still such a lazybones." Kangxi glared at Yinzhuo in annoyance and pulled his arm away from Yinzhuo's grasp.

"Dream on! It's one thing if you don't go to court, but now that you're on duty at the Ministry of Works, how can you not attend court? All your brothers get up before dawn to go to court, so why can't you get up? It seems I've spoiled you too much. Today I'll have to teach you a lesson for your laziness..."

Hey, why are you resorting to personal attacks when we're just talking? I admit I'm a bit lazy, but I'm not one to shirk work. And so what if I am? I worked so hard in my past life, and now that my luck has finally improved, why can't I even take a break? You truly are the biggest landlord in this feudal society, exploiting even your own son. He has to get up before dawn to work. Even the donkeys in the production team aren't made to work like that.

The production team's donkey... no, the Prince Zhao, who was about to become the production team's donkey, decided to fight for his future better life with his father. So, regardless of whether Kangxi was willing or not, he grabbed Kangxi's arm again and used his old trick—playing the rogue!

“I don’t care about my son, he’s too old to get up anyway. You might as well take pity on him and spare him this trouble. You don’t want me to go to court every day with dark circles under my eyes, looking exhausted and embarrassing you, Father…”

No matter how embarrassing the process was, the final result was very gratifying. Kangxi really couldn't resist Yinzhu's coquettish and unreasonable behavior. After being pestered by him, he could only give in in the end. Well, the ancestral tombs also need to rest. They can't keep emitting auspicious smoke forever.

Now that Yinzhuo had achieved his goal, he was naturally very attentive to his father. He was always good with words, and if he wanted to flatter someone, he could do it with ease. In no time at all, he had his father completely charmed.

Because Yinzhuo's head injury had delayed them for too long in Rehe, on the same day that the imperial physician Wang checked Yinzhuo's pulse and confirmed that he was alright, Kangxi issued an imperial edict ordering everyone to pack their things and the group to set off three days later.

During the time that Yinzhuo was recuperating, Kangxi kept him confined to Shaoguang Courtyard. Even when Yinti and the others were able to visit him, Kangxi required them not to stay too long, fearing that their noise would disturb his precious son's rest. Yinzhuo saw only three people most of the time: Kangxi, Liang Jiugong, and Dexi. He was almost suffocating from being cooped up like this. Now that he was finally free, he was overjoyed. For an entire day, his father didn't even see a shadow of him.

"Liang Jiugong, that brat Yinzuo hasn't come back since he went out this morning. Send someone to look for him. The troops are setting off in a couple of days, and we don't want anything to happen to him at this crucial time..."

Something happened? What could possibly happen to Yinzhuo? He was having the most fun right now, raising his musket to aim at a stag running hard in the distance, pulling the trigger, and the stag stopped in its tracks and fell to the ground.

"Brother, look at my aim, isn't it? I told you this musket is better than your bow and arrow, but you didn't believe me. Now you believe me, look, one shot and you're dead."

"Heh, I don't believe you for a second. Was it because the bow and arrow were no good? It was clearly you who were no good, killed with a single shot. Who isn't?" Yinti ignored the smug Yinzuo, raised his bow and arrow, aimed at the deer herd that was scattering in all directions a hundred meters away, frightened by the sound of Yinzuo's musket. He released the bowstring, and with a whoosh, an arrow whistled, and a male deer was seen lying on the ground in the distance.

"Killed with a single arrow? Did you see that clearly?"

Yinzhuo looked at the musket in his hand, then at the bow and arrow in his elder brother's hand, and once again clearly realized the differences between individuals. Aren't they all sons of the same father? Could there really be such a big difference in their mothers' genes?

"Hehe, Big Brother is awesome! You really are worthy of being called the Great Qing Baturu who can shoot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces. Now that we've caught our prey, let's hurry back. Fifth Brother and the others are waiting for us to have a barbecue."