Chapter 116 Haha, Old Ten's Salted Fish Likes...

Copy today's lessons from the Imperial Study ten times and hand them over to Gu Badai.

That's all? Blinking, Yin'e didn't hide his surprise.

From any perspective, the punishment given by Kangxi was much lighter than Yin'e had expected, and not at all severe.

Yin'e originally thought the punishment would be at least copying the Great Learning ten times, but it turned out to be just copying the lessons learned today, which was much easier than twice as much.

With his large, round, clear, and bright almond-shaped eyes blinking, Yin'e gave Kangxi a bright and cheerful smile without hesitation: it seemed that Kangxi had shown leniency and did not intend to punish him severely.

It's unclear whether it was his declaration of loyalty that earned him points, or whether his honest and straightforward admission of his mistakes pleased Kangxi, making him feel that Kangxi wasn't entirely without merit.

But whatever the reason, anyway—yay, we escaped another disaster!

Although there was no punishment at all, the punishment was really light, much better than Yin'e had originally expected. In short, it was a good deal!

Well, no matter what, he didn't lose out: because Yin'e had already benefited in advance—he successfully skipped class and returned to Yongshou Palace to spend the Winter Solstice Festival with the Consort, so how could that not be considered enjoying the benefits in advance?

The outcome was much better than he had expected, so Yin'e stopped pestering Kangxi to try and get him to reduce his punishment further. Instead, he obediently bowed to Kangxi and was escorted out of the Qianqing Palace by Liang Jiugong.

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Yin'e looked back at the palace behind him and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. He then said to Liang Jiugong, who had seen him off, "Eunuch Liang, please go back. There's no need to see me off any further."

Liang Jiugong responded loudly with an "Eh!" His fair, beardless face was filled with a kind and amiable smile, and his attitude towards Yin'e was better and closer than ever before.

Finally emerging from the Qianqing Palace, Yin'e was filled with relief at having "survived a disaster." He didn't pay much attention to Liang Jiugong's changed attitude, merely nodding slightly to Liang Jiugong before turning and leaving the Qianqing Palace, heading straight for the training ground—he was in a hurry to attend his riding and archery class and didn't intend to skip "physical education class."

Yin'e rushed down the steps of the Qianqing Palace like a gust of wind and ran wildly to the training ground.

Behind him, Liang Jiugong gazed at his back for a long time before turning back to the Qianqing Palace.

As soon as Yin'e ran to the drill ground, the Ninth Prince, who had been waiting at the entrance, rushed up to him, grabbed his hand, and shouted in surprise and joy, "Tenth Brother, you're back!"

"Are you alright? What did Father say? Did he punish you severely?" The Ninth Prince asked anxiously, while looking Yin'e up and down, his gaze focusing on the clothes around his knees and hips, trying to figure out whether Yin'e had been forced to kneel, or worse, had been beaten with a cane by Emperor Kangxi.

Knowing that the Ninth Prince had been waiting there for him ever since he went to the Qianqing Palace to see Emperor Kangxi, Yin'e felt a warmth in his heart and couldn't help but grasp the Ninth Prince's hand: "Ninth Brother, don't worry, Father is just punishing me by making me copy books."

Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, but still worried, he pulled Yin'e around in front of him and thoroughly checked him from head to toe to see if Yin'e was really alright.

After confirming that Yin'e had truly escaped unscathed, the tense expression on the Ninth Prince's delicate and beautiful face finally relaxed completely: "It was just a punishment of copying lines, nothing serious, there was no kneeling or beating, it seems Father wasn't very angry."

Blinking, Yin'e didn't respond to that, but instead pulled the Ninth Prince into the training ground to find their instructor, the Wai'an Da, to begin today's riding and archery lesson.

Compared to the inner guards of the Imperial Study, the outer guards, who were mostly first- or second-class imperial bodyguards, were much easier to bully. They were mindful of the prince's status and often dared not interfere too much. Otherwise, the Ninth Prince wouldn't have dared to stay at the entrance of the drill ground waiting for Yin'e to return from the Qianqing Palace.

However, Yin'e did not think that Kangxi was not very angry about his skipping classes from the beginning, nor did he intend to punish him severely. He planned to show him leniency and give him a break.

When Yin'e first arrived at the Qianqing Palace and met Emperor Kangxi, the hidden anger and oppressive atmosphere emanating from him were genuine. Even when Kangxi first spoke to him, his tone was unsettling and sarcastic.

Yin'e, who had once been thoroughly ridiculed by Kangxi, could never truly believe that Kangxi was not angry.

If he hadn't handled the situation well afterward, the punishment Kangxi gave would definitely not have been as simple as just copying books. Kangxi was a loving father, but also a strict one; he was known for his strict demands on his princes, and it wasn't like he hadn't punished them before!

However, Yin'e didn't know how to tell the Ninth Prince the truth. He didn't want the Ninth Prince to be too optimistic and really think that Kangxi was good-tempered and didn't get angry or punish the princes severely even if they violated the rules of the Imperial Study.

Yin'e didn't want the Ninth Prince to misunderstand Kangxi or view him through a biased lens, potentially leading to a grave mistake later. He didn't want the Ninth Prince to be severely punished for providing incorrect information, causing him to carelessly run into Kangxi's crosshairs.

However, Yin'e was not really clear about what factors had truly moved Kangxi and made him spare the prince. He did not have any accurate information and was worried that his casual remarks might mislead the Ninth Prince.

But there is also the possibility that things are not as complicated as Yin'e thought.

The fact that Kangxi did not severely punish him had nothing to do with his honest admission of his mistakes and his sincere expression of loyalty. It was simply because Kangxi had more and more sons in power, and he could not pay attention to the princes who were ranked lower in the order of seniority. Therefore, he did not value Yin'e's studies as much as he did for the older princes.

If that's the case, then perhaps the Ninth Prince will be let off lightly for violating the rules of the Imperial Study.

Because Ninth Prince, like Yin'e, was unlucky enough to be stuck in the middle of the order of birth, and was excluded from the queue of older princes. His younger brothers came too quickly, so he didn't get to enjoy the privilege of being a young prince for even a few years.

Of course, if we think of Kangxi in a more negative or biased way, his lenient treatment of Yin'e could be a deliberate act of indulgence, a way of protecting his beloved crown prince from the fact that Yin'e's background was too conspicuous.

Regardless of the reason, Kangxi's lenient punishment was a good thing for Yin'e.

He didn't need to be valued by Kangxi; on the contrary, he needed Kangxi's indulgence and "pampering."

Even if this indulgence and pampering contained poison, it was all in vain for Yin'e, who had already retired early—as long as he was lazy enough, Kangxi's precautions and controls were useless.

On the contrary, Kangxi's indulgence and pampering, like candy wrapped in poison, were tangible benefits for Yin'e. He received these benefits without harming his own interests; by any measure, Yin'e had made a huge profit.

“Ninth Brother, look! My jujube has grown a bit and looks much more vigorous and spirited than before!” Leading the jujube-colored foal, Yin’e excitedly patted the horse’s head and then happily exclaimed to the Ninth Prince standing on the other side.

After Yin'e entered the Imperial Study, he named the two foals assigned to him Red Date and White Snow. Yin'e's naming method was simple and straightforward; he named them based on the color of the foals' coats, so that just hearing the names evoked images of Red Date and White Snow.

Of the two foals, Yin'e preferred Hongzao because it was of better quality, more energetic and spirited, and its speed and endurance surpassed Baixue's. It was a first-rate steed, a fine horse chosen from among thousands.

Compared to academic subjects, Yin'e, who has excellent physical fitness, is more talented in horseback riding and archery. He also enjoys the feeling of galloping on horseback. Although he is not allowed to ride alone yet, this does not stop Yin'e from fantasizing or from devoting most of his energy to horseback riding and archery.

More than half a month after starting school, Yin'e can now ride on Hongzao's back by himself without being led by his father. Although someone has to lead the horse when he mounts it, and he is not allowed to ride Hongzao at high speed, but can only let Hongzao trot slowly, this is still a considerable improvement.

"Oh, really?" The Ninth Prince, who was holding Fuyun's hand, replied absentmindedly. He couldn't truly understand Yin'e's excitement and didn't quite understand why he was so happy.

As a child, the Ninth Prince was active and playful, never stopping for a moment. Surprisingly, he didn't particularly enjoy riding and archery lessons. Compared to his brothers in the Imperial Study, the Ninth Prince's riding and archery skills were only below average, slightly better than the Fourth Prince at the same age, but far behind the other princes.

It was precisely because the Ninth Prince did not take riding and archery seriously that he preferred to practice riding and archery on the training ground.

Fuyun is a white horse with slightly blemishes on its coat, and also a mare.

Compared to the Ninth Prince's other horse, Red Chestnut, Floating Cloud was more docile and easier to control. Although Floating Cloud was not as fast or as enduring as Red Chestnut, it was still better for the Ninth Prince, who did not like riding and archery. The obedient Floating Cloud was easier to ride and did not require much skill.

With practiced ease, Yin'e flipped onto Hongzao's back. He glanced at the little eunuch leading Hongzao to his side and couldn't help but sigh, "When will I be able to ride a horse on my own? Hongzao and I have great chemistry, and my riding skills are excellent. I can already ride Hongzao on my own."

The Ninth Prince also skillfully mounted Fuyun's back—his riding and archery skills were below average, but that depended on who he was compared to. The Ninth Prince did not particularly like riding and archery, but that did not mean that his riding skills were bad. Under the careful instruction of many tutors, a prince's riding and archery skills could not be too bad, unless he had a congenital deficiency.

Here we must mention the Fourth Prince. His archery skills are poor; he still can't draw a four-strength bow. It's not that he's not working hard enough, nor that his attendant hasn't put in the effort to teach him. It's simply that the Fourth Prince is born with insufficient arm strength, making it difficult for him to handle a powerful bow.

After riding on Hongzao's back for a couple of laps and getting to know it, Yin'e got off Hongzao and fed it a few pine nut candies. Only then did he let the eunuch leading the horse take Hongzao away.

The Ninth Prince, who had also seen off Fuyun, came over and said listlessly, "Next, I have to practice archery... I practiced for a long time yesterday, and my arms are still sore."

Yin'e didn't feel tired, but he knew that the Ninth Prince really had no interest in these things and just wanted to pass. He didn't want to be watched and carefully taught by his uncle.

After thinking for a moment, Yin'e said, "Why don't you summon Haha Zhuzi to the palace, Ninth Brother? Having more people will help cover for you."

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:08:02 on May 8, 2023 and 11:13:12 on May 9, 2023!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Yanwen (1 bottle);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!