Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1
August 15, the 33rd year of the Kangxi reign.
The afterglow cast an orange hue across the sky as dusk gradually closed in. The air still clung to the scorching heat of the day.
In a remote courtyard of Zhongcui Palace, Wang Shi, with her hair in a banner style and dressed in a light blue palace dress, was dignified in her posture, with gentle eyes looking at a small baby on the ground, about eight or nine months old.
The little boy was wearing a short coat that covered his buttocks and sitting on a soft blanket. He was fair and tender, with a pair of black glass-like eyes with a hint of cunning.
The Wang in front of him was his adoptive mother. To call her adoptive mother, it was because he had lived two lives.
In his previous life, he was called Li Qi Jin. He was a silly and cute sophomore student. He choked while going into the water to save someone and was unable to climb out.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he became the son of Wang, who was about the same age as him in his previous life, or even a little younger. In addition to being the son of Wang, he was also the fifteenth son of Kangxi.
He was of noble status and a member of the royal family. It would have been even better if he had not been born during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and had not encountered the bloody battle for the throne among the nine dragons.
However, his understanding of the Qing Dynasty was very limited. He knew that the Nine Dragons' Battle for the Throne was due to Yongzheng's ruthlessness. As for which Yongzheng it was, he might have to think about whether it matched the name.
Also, he remembered that when he was reading novels and watching anime in school, other people who traveled through time had all kinds of golden fingers and systems, but when it came to him, he had nothing, and his mother was just a maid.
He's the kind that can be easily beaten to death.
Li Qijin couldn't help but sigh, looking at his adoptive mother with some worry.
The rank of a concubine was so low that even the blanket under her butt was exchanged by Wang Shi at the Ministry of Internal Affairs using a gold hairpin.
Since she was so good to him, he would protect her in the future. As for how to protect her, that was a matter for the future. He was still a nine-month-old baby, and his biggest dream every day was to have a bite of meat.
Thinking of this, Li Qi Jin lay on the ground, with his butt sticking out, and crawled towards Wang using his hands and feet. The short coat on his body barely covered his chubby little butt, and as he moved, the red bellyband underneath could be vaguely seen.
Wang looked at the little kid running towards her, bent down and held him in her arms, the smile on her lips deepened a lot, she gently fanned him with the round fan in her hand, and smiled as she asked Sun, who was dressed in blue-gray clothes, to take a wet handkerchief to wipe his hands.
Regardless of whether Li Qijin could understand or not, she gave him a series of instructions: "Fifteenth Prince, be good. Today is Mid-Autumn Festival. Your father asked all the brothers to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet. Mother is of low status and I'm afraid she can't go. You must be obedient and don't cry, okay?"
The remote courtyard where Wang lived was located in Zhongcui Palace, and the head of the household was Concubine Hui.
In theory, she was just a concubine, so it was impossible for her to keep the Fifteenth Prince by her side.
It was because the Tenth Prince was weak when he was just born and looked like he could not be raised. Concubine Hui was worried that if she took the child home and something happened, she would be envied by Wang and blamed by Kangxi, so she directly asked Kangxi for mercy.
Let Wang keep the person by her side.
For Concubine Hui, raising the Fifteenth Prince would be a help to her son. If she couldn't, it would be because Wang was incompetent and had nothing to do with her.
Another thing is that after Concubine Hui's plea, Wang will definitely remember her kindness. Wouldn't she be able to assist her son better in the future?
Now that the child is healthy and plump, Concubine Hui is happy not to mention where the child should go. This is a good opportunity for her to use this matter to control Wang.
If Wang made Concubine Hui unhappy in any way, the child would be taken away from her.
A woman in purple-gray palace maid's attire looked at Wang's nagging appearance and couldn't help but chuckled. "My lady, don't worry. There are many princes who have gone, but it's not just our Fifteenth Prince. Besides, our prince is already nine months old and still has no name. If the emperor is happy, maybe our prince will have a name."
Her young lady had a rather easygoing personality and spoke softly and gently. Even now, when she looked worried, her slender, willow-shaped eyebrows were slightly furrowed.
Looking at the woman who seemed to have walked out of a painting, one couldn't help but want to smooth her brows.
Wang held Li Qijin in her arms, raised her eyes and glanced at the woman in palace maid's attire with a look of reproach, then said softly, "Fuling, don't say that. I don't mind at all whether Fifteenth Prince is favored or not. As long as he can grow up safely and healthily, I will be satisfied."
As she spoke, she gently stroked Li Qijin's fair and tender face, and her frown could not hide her worry.
This was the first time the child was away from her, and she hoped nothing would happen.
Fuling looked up at Sun and warned her, "Sun, you are the Fifteenth Prince's wet nurse and have been in our courtyard for quite some time. You understand our young master's situation. When we get to Ningshou Palace, you must keep an eye on our young master and prevent him from crawling around. Try to keep him in an inconspicuous corner so that he doesn't cause any trouble for our young master."
All the women in the palace wanted to be pampered. Her young lady had a gentle temperament and was from Jiangnan, so she looked delicate and weak. Especially after she had the Fifteenth Prince, she put all her thoughts on him.
She almost had no presence in front of the emperor.
If this made people think about the Fifteenth Prince, she was really worried that her young lady wouldn't be able to bear it.
Sun smiled and bowed, saying, "Yes, I'll remember that."
Sun was not very old, only about twenty years old, with some freckles on her face. She was the wet nurse that Emperor Kangxi asked for when Wang was in favor.
She had a rough personality, but was very considerate towards children. She raised Li Qijin very well and also gained Wang's trust.
She didn't quite understand what Wang said.
The emperor asked everyone to bring their princes to the banquet, and even asked her young lady to go as well. Even though her young lady is only a concubine now, she can show her face by going, which is much better than her current life.
But her master really didn't go because of Concubine Hui's words.
Whatever she was thinking, she didn't show it on her face.
But he also remembered Wang's words in his heart. Her young lady had a low status and he must not cause trouble for her.
But I still feel sorry for the Fifteenth Prince. He has grown up without even a formal name, and has barely met his father.
Li Qijin listened to Wang's detailed instructions and unconsciously put her fingers in her mouth. She used the joints of her fingers to poke the two newly grown gums on her upper and lower teeth to relieve the itch.
He has been in Zhongcui Palace for several months, and this is the first time he has seen Wang so worried about him.
His mother had beautiful features and eyebrows, and the light blue clothes she wore made her look even more gentle and charming. But now her brows were furrowed, and one could not help but want to smooth them.
Thinking of this, he stretched out his chubby little hand, placed it on Wang's brow, held her cheek, kissed her forehead, and grinned at her with his two baby teeth showing.
Wang Shi was amused by Li Qijin's words, and her brows relaxed. The corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up. She smiled and leaned against Li Qijin's forehead and said, "Fifteen, you must be obedient."
Let’s talk, then reluctantly put the person in Sun’s arms, and said worriedly: “Go.”
She is weak and devoted to her son, but that doesn't mean she is stupid. Concubine Hui didn't let her attend the banquet because she was afraid that she would catch the emperor's eye.
If she really went on without caring, her Fifteen would probably no longer be able to stay by her side. Compared with Fifteen, the emperor's favor seemed even more ethereal.
She is not stupid. The son is her own, not the emperor's.
Sun held Li Qijin in her arms, was silent for a while, bowed to Wang, turned around and walked out.
Behind him was a little palace maid, holding a small cloth bag and trotting after him.
Li Qijin had just left Wang's arms and turned to look at Wang standing there, and she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
But before he could react, Sun carried him out of Zhongcui Palace.
The palace at that time was completely different from the modern palace that has been restored and is full of age.
The red walls and high tiles faced the setting sun, and the brightly colored glaze reflected the light, making him a little overwhelmed.
Looking back, the bluestone road was even cleaner, and the patrolling soldiers were wearing armor, looking mighty and majestic.
Li Qi Jin hugged Sun's neck, his little face full of shock. His mouth was slightly open, and he forgot to close it. Saliva flowed down the corners of his mouth. He suddenly reacted, sucked, and stopped the saliva from falling.
I couldn't help but sigh in my heart, it's really so beautiful.
The modern palace walls have been baptized by history, and their colors are no longer as bright as they are now. There are no walking palace maids, soldiers in armor, and no longer that shocking feeling.
He wondered if this banquet would be like those in modern TV dramas, with concubines competing with each other for beauty and tensions rising. When he thought of this, he became even more excited.
The afterglow gradually disappeared into the horizon, and the lanterns in the palace were lit, which was another kind of shock.
Sun walked quickly and finally arrived at Ningshou Palace at dusk. The courtyard of Ningshou Palace was filled with people, and the palace lanterns standing on the ground illuminated the entire courtyard as bright as day.
Sun held Li Qijin in her arms and bowed to the person in the main seat. After getting permission, she quietly went to her seat in the corner.
The moment Concubine Hui saw Li Qi Jin, a bright smile appeared on her face. Wang was tactful and she was also happy to be free.
It was the first time for Li Qi Jin to see so many people. He was held in Sun's arms, and relying on the fact that he was a child, he kept looking around.
The one sitting in the main seat with red hairpins on her head should be the empress dowager. The people behind her wearing pearls, rubies, agates and other precious gems should be the concubines in the harem. They are wearing bright clothes and exquisite makeup on their faces. They sit there upright, like a hundred flowers in full bloom, beautiful and dazzling.
The place where he was sitting, held by Sun, was surrounded by children, all of whom were very young, and he was the youngest.
Every child sat upright in a chair with a serious look on his face.
Li Qijin just felt tired. Isn’t it tiring to sit so straight?
While he was stunned, Kangxi came in from outside with several older princes. Li Qijin raised his head and looked at them. Just one glance and his head buzzed.
"Host, hello, I am System No. 679, the friendly system for the Nine Dragons' Brothers. You can call me 679 or System."
The moment Li Qijin heard this voice, his whole body became a little stiff. He had said before that he didn't have a golden finger, but now he was given a system.
But the voice sounds so childish, is he really a system?
Why does it feel like a newly born little system?
He was puzzled, but he didn't show it directly. He just looked around and his eyes fell on Sun, who was closest to him. After confirming that she didn't hear the sound about the system, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked in his heart, "What is the Brotherly Friendly System? What does it mean?"
Anyone born in a royal family, no one with ability would not want the throne, so how could they be friendly with each other?
Also, he is only nine months old now. Although he can communicate with the system, his voice has become a baby voice, so it becomes a serious conversation between two babies.
Kangxi brought Yinreng and others to Ningshou Palace. As soon as they reached the door, they heard a ding sound.
Then, there was a conversation between two soft, baby-voiced people. Everyone had experienced a lot, and when they heard this, they paused slightly, without showing any emotion on their faces.
But those pairs of eyes began to look around the children, trying to find someone to talk to.
However, there were many children this time, and not many of them could speak, so they couldn't figure out who was speaking for a while.
Upon hearing Li Qijin's question, System 679 burst into laughter. Its voice was very similar to the Fifteenth Prince's, but with a touch of mechanicalness. "Well, it's about the Nine Dragons' Struggle for the Throne. Many people have written historical novels, and many have written about the Nine Dragons' Struggle for the Throne, but most readers want to see Kangxi's sons getting along with each other, rather than fighting for the throne."
"Especially Kangxi's sons. If they had been friendly and helpful from the beginning, the Qing Dynasty would have expanded far beyond what it has today. It wouldn't have been completely destroyed by Kangxi's grandson in the end. Besides, their open and covert fighting didn't lead to any good results. Each of them ended up helping others. This result only shows that Kangxi failed to teach his children well and wasn't a good father."
These words made Kangxi, who was already sitting in the main seat, look a little ugly. Which nine dragons are fighting for the throne?
He is not a good father. His sons are all excellent, each one of them is a dragon among men. How can he not be a good father?!
He glanced around but couldn't find the person who was speaking, but his eyes swept over his sons sharply, with inquiry and doubt.
Who is being dishonest? Attacking his own brother?!
If he knew about this, he would definitely lock the person up!
But who is this person speaking? And how much truth is there in what he says?
At the same time, Yinzhen and others were also shocked and lowered their heads to reduce their presence.
Who is so bold as to comment on his royal father like this? What is going on with Jiulong?
If we could know what would happen in the future, wouldn't we be able to predict the future and avoid that tragic end?
As soon as he had this thought, his breathing became heavy.
Yinreng sat next to Kangxi. He listened to the baby voice, took a sip of tea, and took the opportunity to look around. He was not sure who said this.
Especially since there are two baby voices, many people move their mouths, but how can a child’s mouth not move?
Li Qijin lost interest immediately after listening to the system's words, as these things had little to do with him.
Even if he helped, what would it matter? In the end, he would be suspected and implicated.
It’s not as good as the shiny big elbow in front of you.
He looked at Dazhuozi, his mouth watering. He glanced around stealthily a few times, and when Sun Shi wasn't paying attention, he quickly pounced on Dazhuozi and said absentmindedly, "Really? I think Kangxi is pretty good. At least he knew his son was fighting fiercely for the throne, but he didn't kill anyone. At most, he imprisoned him."
He saw it on a forum that Kangxi was the most benevolent emperor to his son. It said this, but it was a pity that he only read this sentence. If he had known that he would be born in the Qing Dynasty one day, he would definitely be familiar with history.
At least when eating melons, avoid becoming one of the melons, and when standing on the wrong side, don’t be afraid of standing on the wrong side.
The moment Li Qijin spoke, she hugged the big elbow and bit into it. She didn't even break the skin, but smiled with satisfaction: "Wow, the big elbow is really delicious."
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