[Qing] Hand in Hand with the Crown Prince

Also known as: The Emperor’s Handbook for Yongcong Also known as: The Years and Stories of Five, Six, and Seven A few things to know before reading: (1) This does not follow history exactly, and there are no Return of the Pearl Princess plotlines. (2) The romance is understated. The main plot is the brothers building their careers. (3) The author knows nothing about palace intrigue, and everyone has negative IQ. (4) There are two male leads. They both have harems, but remain physically and emotionally faithful to each other. The Seventh Prince, Yongcong, should have died of smallpox, but unexpectedly survived. Thus began his journey to becoming emperor. What’s my goal? Become Crown Prince! Protect Fifth Brother! The following comes from The Forbidden City Gazette. Its accuracy has yet to be verified, so read with caution!!! Q1: I hear the Seventh Prince is “unparalleled in beauty, peerless in the world,” and possesses the undeniable bearing of a future ruler. Is that true? A (the princes): We’re putting on our tragic masks... A (the Twelfth Prince): Crown Prince Seventh Brother looks so handsome when he smiles! A (the Fifth Prince): Seventh Brother is certainly exceptionally talented. The Seventh Prince opened his fan and nodded with a cheerful smile. “It’s only when everyone’s doing well that things are truly good!” Q2: I hear the Fifth Prince is mild-mannered and easy to get along with. Is that true? A (the princes): Quite right. Fifth Brother is just like that. A (the Fourth Prince): ...I don’t believe a word of it!!!! A (the Sixth Prince): Smiles without a word. A (the Seventh Prince): Fifth Brother is a black sesame rice ball! The Fifth Prince sipped his tea and smiled serenely. Not every rumor is true! Q3: I hear the ten-year-old Seventh Prince once picked up the fifteen-year-old Fifth Prince and ran off with him...? A (the princes): They nodded discreetly. A (the Emperor): I really haven’t seen Yongqi in a while. A (one of the people involved): That’s right. A (the other person involved): If you say another word... He glanced pointedly at the chattering mouth that kept opening and closing. The noise vanished instantly, and the second person involved nodded with satisfaction. Fifth Prince: Please, don’t bring it up. I’ll never be able to show my face again!!! This truly is an unsolved mystery! It deserves a place among the top fifteen unsolved mysteries! What??? You want to know what the other unsolved mysteries are? Ahem... Unlock the full story with your fingerprint, darling!!! ◎ This blurb was written on April 14, 2022. Theme: A little gossip about the imperial brothers back in the day