Chapter 549: Homework
The Fourth Master glanced at his Third Brother and said silently, "Father, it's too much work to test your sons and daughters. How about letting me do it for you?"
When the Third Master heard this, his eyes widened. What was the Fourth Master going to do? Let this bastard take the test! He'd be in trouble. He might as well return it to the Emperor!
After hearing this, Emperor Kangxi raised his eyebrows and looked at the Fourth Master in surprise. He didn't expect that the Fourth Master would actually volunteer one day?
Jiu Ye's eyes rolled around, and he immediately approached Emperor Kangxi. "Father, you've worked so hard. How about letting Fourth Brother take the test? I'll also have Zui Xiang Lou prepare a table so you can enjoy the new dishes that my son and Fourth Sister-in-law have prepared this month."
Emperor Kangxi considered this for a moment, then nodded in a very good mood: "Well, you are thoughtful, so let's do it."
Emperor Kangxi was originally very angry. These brats ate and drank delicious food all day long and never thought about him, the emperor. If he counted carefully, it had been a long time since they sent food to the palace. He almost forgot what boiled fish tasted like.
He originally wanted to give them a good beating, but letting the fourth brother come didn't seem to go against his original intention, and he could also relax, so he turned around and left with his hands behind his back.
When the younger ones heard that it was the Fourth Master who was testing them, they immediately burst into wailing.
He even looked towards Jiu Ye with a resentful look.
Jiu Ye pretended not to see it, but couldn't help but move closer to Si Ye and whispered, "Fourth Brother, I'm really helping you this time. Can you give me some water?"
The Fourth Master glanced at him and said, "Okay." Then he looked at the Third Master with a smile on his face and said, "Third Brother, I appreciate your guidance."
Third Master: “!!!”
Don't think he doesn't know! That brat, Lao Si, is taking revenge just because I said his face towel wasn't pretty! How can he be so petty!!!
He endured it again and again and moved closer: "Old Four, your handkerchief is really beautiful..."
The Fourth Master smiled back politely, "I know."
Third Master: "Then you see..."
Fourth Master: "See you at the training grounds."
Third Master: “…”
This life is unbearable.
The servants were quick in their work. By the time the princes had finished writing their policy papers, they had already brought back their meals.
A large table was laid out before Emperor Kangxi. Later, the Fourth Master told Wenjiu that the child was still in confinement and couldn't work hard, so he simply ordered someone to make a boiled fish. The rest of the meal was brought in from Zui Xiang Lou.
Large pelvic bones, boiled fish, spicy hot pot, Maoxuewang, various braised duck dishes, and the new dish that Jiu Ye mentioned, which was the spicy and sour boneless chicken feet that Wenjiu gave him on the eve of his birth.
With such a table placed here, the princes suddenly lost the mood to write policy essays. It was just right, as everyone had almost finished writing and came over one after another.
"Your Majesty, it must be too boring for you to eat alone. How about I accompany you?" said the Tenth Master.
The Third Master also nodded vigorously: "That's right, Your Majesty, I will accompany you to finish your meal, and then go..."
"No need," Emperor Kangxi said, "I can go on by myself. You can begin now." Noticing everyone looking back every few steps, Emperor Kangxi added silently, "Today, we will test you on the six arts of a gentleman. Those who perform better than the old four can come and dine with me."
As soon as these words were spoken, the princes immediately became motivated again.
Even facing the stern face of the Fourth Master, the Third Master could not help but grinning: "The Emperor said that the six arts of a gentleman should be tested, not just on boxing skills, Fourth Master, just wait and see." The Fourth Master was a barbarian, and he was not good at calligraphy, painting, or playing musical instruments.
The Six Arts for a Gentleman are rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. However, their examinations differ slightly. The policy essay just now was about statecraft. It had already been presented to the Emperor. It was difficult to judge immediately. In archery and charioteering, beating the Fourth Brother would be extremely difficult. But if the next test was on musical instruments, the Fourth Brother would be in trouble.
In fact, the Fourth Master hadn't expected his Royal Father to do this, and he frowned slightly. The Royal Father was indeed here for fun today, and he wasn't even testing him on a musical instrument...
Although he had heard a lot about this stuff since he was a child, the Fourth Master had no interest in it at all. He was completely clueless about other people's elegant listening.
At this moment, the servants had already placed various musical instruments in the hall.
Everyone went to look for a suitable musical instrument, but the Fourth Master frowned and walked towards a big war drum after a long time.
As expected, except for the Tenth Master, the Twelfth Master, and the Fourteenth Master, who also knew nothing about playing musical instruments, everyone else went over there to have dinner with Emperor Kangxi.
Even the Prince of Zhi, who usually practiced the art of playing the zither in order to accompany his wife, was now laughing so hard that his mouth was almost splitting from ear to ear.
"Hahaha, the fourth master made me laugh to death. If someone walks to the beat of his drum, he will definitely lose his teeth." The third master ate a piece of fish and gasped because of the spiciness. He couldn't help laughing at the fourth master.
Seeing the sullen face of the Fourth Master, he proudly picked up a piece of fish and waved it in front of the Fourth Master: "It smells so good, but it's a pity that some people can't have it."
"Okay, the time is up, hurry up and have the second round." Emperor Kangxi suddenly felt that he had made a mistake, as half of the food on the table in front of him had been eaten by those brats!
Everyone knew they were reluctant now, so they went over to compete in archery.
This time, the Fourth Master was the first to let his eldest and second brothers go out to eat. Then he held his third brother hostage, not caring about anyone else at all.
No matter where the Third Master goes, he will be with the Third Master. If the Third Master's sword shoots at him, he will shoot it down in the next second.
The Third Master was so angry that his liver hurt, but there was really nothing he could do. This time everyone went out to eat, even the younger ones were not surprised, but the Third Master was held here by the Fourth Master.
Compared to the imperial horse, the Third Master was even worse. Fortunately, he managed to get back 10% of his score in calligraphy, but he was still about the same as the Fourth Master. Emperor Kangxi finally decided that neither of them could be allowed to sit at the table.
After everyone had compared their numbers, Emperor Kangxi touched his stomach and burped.
"Come over and have dinner with us." Emperor Kangxi leaned back in his chair and greeted his sons generously.
The Third Master was so tired that he had already fallen down. He glared at the Fourth Master fiercely and immediately trotted to the side of the table, his eyes instantly widening...
The plates are so clean, how could the emperor have the nerve to invite them to come for dinner?
In the end, he picked up the unpopular duck neck and duck feet on the side and started to chew them.
"Mmm, it smells really good."
In the end, all the duck feet on the table were eaten clean.
Everyone was really tired from all the hard work, and they all looked wilted, leaning on their chairs, like eggplants hit by frost.
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