Chapter 642: What matters most about a son is his quality, not his quantity?
Somehow, when he heard the Three Character Classic, the first thing that came to Si Ye's mind was Da Bao pointing at the book with his chubby little hands, reciting the Three Character Classic word for word. He shuddered unconsciously.
Looking at his third brother in front of him, the Fourth Master felt a little complicated. His lips moved slightly, but he didn't say anything in the end.
Seeing the way the fourth son was staring at him, the third master felt something was wrong and shook his head, thinking that the fourth son must be envious of his son's intelligence.
Then, he immediately bumped into the shoulder of the Tenth Master next to him, trying to find an ally.
"Tenth Brother, tell me, how is your nephew Hongqing? I tell you, he practiced calligraphy very well the past two days."
Upon hearing this, the Tenth Master nodded seriously, "Well, Third Brother, you're right. I think my nephew Hongqing won't be like you when he grows up."
Third Master: “…”
It's clearly what I'm saying, but why do I feel more unhappy the more I listen?
"Third brother, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you should learn from Hongqing. Look at Hongqing, he's not arrogant or impatient when he's praised. And then look at you, as his father, how come you're not as sensible as Hongqing?"
As the Tenth Master spoke, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the Third Master. He turned around and looked at the Fourth Master with a smile, saying, "Fourth Brother, am I right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
Third Master: "Hey...you guys! You're just jealous of my son's excellence!"
For a moment, he was so angry that his eyes widened, and he put his hands on his hips and gasped for breath.
The Fourth Master had no intention of caring about the lawsuit between his Third Brother and the Tenth Brother. In fact, his eyes never left Honghui.
Honghui was obviously a little shocked by today's situation. He must be in a bad mood.
Honghui had previously been in poor health and rarely left the house, so it was common for him to feel uncomfortable meeting so many people all at once. The Fourth Master was worried that this would harm his health. The imperial physician said that this child should not be overly physically demanding, as any damage to his mental state might affect his lifespan.
Fortunately, he went to say goodbye to the Empress Dowager, Emperor Kangxi, and Concubine De, and then took Honghui out.
"Are you feeling unwell?" The Fourth Master saw Honghui lowering his head and asked with some concern.
"It's alright, Father." Honghui shook his head and remained silent the entire way. As he was about to board the carriage, he silently said, "Father, I've embarrassed you."
The Fourth Master frowned and suddenly pinched his shoulder: "No, Honghui, you are doing well today. Father is very happy."
Honghui looked at his father's frown and worried eyes, and guessed that his mother was concerned about his health. He pursed his lips and said, "Son, I understand."
…
"What are you laughing at?"
As soon as the Fourth Master left, Prince Zhi, in a bad mood, drank the teacup in one gulp and rolled his eyes at the Eighth Master who was smiling beside him.
"Brother, why are you so unhappy?" Eighth Master noticed that his elder brother was in a bad mood, and the smile on his face faded a little.
Prince Zhi pursed his lips, but ultimately did not explain the reason.
I brought a few daughters here today. Although the old ancestor likes them, they are not as good as other people's sons.
Even the sickly child from the fourth family was asked a few questions by the old ancestor. And Hongqing from the third family was praised to the skies for just being able to say a few words.
But no matter how talented his daughter was, no matter how proficient she was in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, she was still no match for other people's sons. How could he be happy?
The Eighth Master more or less understood Prince Zhi's thoughts. He only raised an eyebrow, his tone schadenfreude filled with gloating, "I see, Honghui from Fourth Brother's house is really too timid. He's six years old now, right? Why is he still stumbling when he speaks?"
Prince Zhi was not interested. "If one son can't be taught well, he still has four sons. Didn't the Emperor and the Empress Dowager ask about it often?"
After hearing this, the Eighth Master said, "Brother, what you said is not true. Look, there are so many little princes and little brothers. The Royal Grandmother and the Royal Father only have their eyes on Hongqing and Hongxi.
"Fourth brother is amazing, he has many sons, but I heard that the younger ones can't speak yet. They're almost eight months old now, and they don't look very smart. Among this group of outstanding young princes, I'm afraid they'll just be lost in the crowd."
Prince Zhi was stunned for a moment. "...At least there's someone to take over. The fourth son is skilled in martial arts and knowledgeable. Are you worried that you can't teach him?"
The Eighth Master sneered, "No matter how capable Fourth Brother is, if none of his sons can take the reins, all our previous efforts will be wasted, and half our life's work will be wasted. Big Brother, there's nothing to worry about."
The Prince of Zhi glanced at the Eighth Master. Suddenly, he rolled his eyes and said, "Is this what I'm worried about? Regardless of whether the child is well-educated or not, I must first have a child! From what you said, it sounds like you have a child too!"
Eighth Master: "...Hey, big brother, your words are too harsh. Why do you always boost others' ambitions and destroy your own prestige?"
For a moment, Mr. Ba was very angry and turned his head away, not wanting to pay any attention to his elder brother.
I was even a little annoyed. Could it be that my eldest brother was also leaning towards my fourth brother?
In the past, no matter what, my elder brother always spoke on my side!
Thinking of his fourth brother again, the Eighth Master was furious at first, but then he thought of what happened today and felt relieved.
Normally, he taught them well, but now he's taught them like this. Honghui can barely speak. He imagines the younger ones aren't much better. They're not even as well-educated as his third brother, that dandy kid.
When Mr. Ba thought about this, he suddenly felt not so unhappy anymore.
"Eighth Brother, I'm not targeting you, it's just... it's time for us brothers to have a son..." Prince Zhi let out a sigh.
Upon hearing this, the Eighth Master also said, "Don't worry, Big Brother, what's meant to come will eventually come. The quality of sons is more important than the number. Now that we have one, if we raise him well, he will surely be able to surpass Fourth Brother."
Prince Zhi looked at his confident eighth brother, patted him on the shoulder, but ultimately said nothing.
Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but frown, and glanced twice in the direction where the Fourth Master had left.
I just noticed that Honghui didn't look very happy. Speaking of this child, Emperor Kangxi also felt a little distressed.
I remember that Honghui was also an extremely intelligent child when he was young. When he was only two years old, he could read the entire "Discipline for Students".
Emperor Kangxi once boasted to others that among his grandchildren, Honghui was the most intelligent. At that time, Hongxi and Hongqing were not as intelligent as him.
Why do children change more as they grow older?
Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but think of the quadruplets. If the quadruplets were taught by the fourth child, would they become like Honghui?
It’s not that Honghui is a bad person, but for a child of the royal family, the most important thing is his mind and bearing.
Even if you study well, it will be useless if you lack temperament.
So, the next day, when leaving court.
Emperor Kangxi called the Fourth Master directly into the house.
"Old Four, I will go with you to your house today to take a look."
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