Chapter 56
Does Yinreng remember that the Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen, was spoiled by Consort De like a little tyrant, and had a fiery temper? Could it be that the Crown Princess made him play with Hongyao because she was afraid that Hongyao had never been bullied before? So that Hongyao could experience what it's like to be beaten by a brat?
Of course, I learned the term "brat" from Jialuo, and I think it's quite fitting.
While Yinreng was questioning the Crown Princess about the Fourteenth Prince, Hongyao, who was having fun with his Fourteenth Uncle, saw his father's figure, his eyes lit up, and he struggled to get off the swing.
"Father!" The cheerful little voice fell, and the Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen hugged Hongyao tightly. Ah, the swing was still swinging.
"Don't swing, you're going to fall!" Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen called out anxiously to stop him, but little Hongyao, who was small and weak, couldn't wait for the swing to stop before he could climb down.
He was used to rushing to his father for a hug when his father came home.
Startled, Yinreng and Jialuo rushed over to catch him, but he fell to the ground with a 'thud'.
The Fourteenth Prince, the Crown Prince, and Jialuo all stared wide-eyed at the little Hongyao who had been thrown to the ground. The Crown Prince Yinreng, with his long legs, strode over and immediately picked up the little Hongyao.
When he was thrown to the ground, Xiao Hongyao was still in a daze. It took him two seconds to feel the pain. When his father picked him up, his eyes were red.
She burst into tears with a pitiful "Waaah," hugging her father with her chubby little hands, "Waaah, Father, Father."
Her soft, babyish voice cried out, full of sobs, as if that gave her the courage to resist the pain of falling.
"Alright, alright, Father's here, Hongyao, don't cry." Yinreng coaxed him helplessly, his voice filled with heartache.
Fourteen is really something. Since you're going to bring Hongyao along, why don't you take good care of him?
Jialuo was standing guard nearby, along with many servants. The moment Yinreng arrived, everyone's attention was on him. But in that short time, who knew Hongyao would be so excited?
The Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen, got off the swing somewhat helplessly. He hadn't expected Hongyao to fall.
"It was all because the Crown Prince's second brother suddenly appeared that frightened Hongyao." The Fourteenth Prince had already hugged Hongyao with his little hands, but who knew that the second brother's power was so great.
It must be because my second brother used to bully Hongyao a lot when we were in Yuqing Palace that Hongyao got so agitated.
The Fourteenth Prince's mutterings were quite loud, and everyone heard them, including Jia Luo.
"Perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince has been quite busy lately, and Hongyao missed his father. He was so excited when he saw His Highness the Crown Prince that he forgot where he was. It's my fault for not noticing that." I shouldn't have let such a young child like Hongyao play on the swing.
I thought it was only a few centimeters off my feet, and a gentle sway would be fine, especially since there was a seesaw over there...
If I had known, I should have just played on the seesaw; this shouldn't have been a problem then, right?
Jialuo still cares a lot about her chubby little baby. His height is about the same as that of a two-year-old, and he's chubby, lively, and healthy. This has all affected Jialuo's judgment.
"Hongyao, don't cry. Father is here. Does it hurt? Father will blow on it and it won't hurt anymore." Yinreng ignored the explanation of the Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen, lowered his head, and gently coaxed little Hongyao.
When the Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen heard what Yinreng said to Hongyao, he was shocked and dumbfounded. The Crown Prince, who was usually proud, noble, self-possessed and composed in front of them, was actually this kind of person.
Even his father, the Emperor, had never held him like this before, so gently coaxing him and saying he would blow on it to warm him up...
For a moment, I felt a tiny bit envious.
"Fourteenth Brother, I was planning to take you and Hongyao to play on the seesaw together, but it's getting late today, and Consort De must be missing you. You should go back early. Next time, when Second Sister-in-law makes a little car for Hongyao, we'll take you to play together, okay?"
Seeing Hongyao's expression and his dependence on the Crown Prince, Jialuo knew that Hongyao no longer had any intention of playing with the Fourteenth Prince.
With his head down, he coaxed the Fourteenth Prince, after all, what if he happened to run into the Fourteenth Prince again next time, and Hongyao begged him to play together again?
We have to leave a good impression on the child, right?
“Okay.” The Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen, didn’t know what kind of little car Jialuo was talking about, and he was too embarrassed to ask, afraid of appearing ignorant and uncultured in front of the Crown Princess and his second sister-in-law.
But he was still full of anticipation, hoping that his second sister-in-law, the Crown Princess, could quickly make the little car for Hongyao. "Second sister-in-law, remember to call me!"
Despite the fact that the Fourteenth Prince seemed to be a little tyrant wandering around all day, he actually didn't have any close friends. All his older brothers were older than him, so he couldn't play with them.
The Thirteenth Prince was two years older than him. When he was young, he always stayed by Consort De's side and had no chance to play with the Thirteenth Prince.
When he grew a little older, the thirteenth prince had already been sent to the princes' quarters.
He was supposed to be sent to the Prince's Palace this spring, but because Emperor Kangxi was busy preparing for his personal campaign against Galdan, he couldn't pay attention to matters concerning the harem.
Consort De was also reluctant to let her fourteenth son go to the princes' quarters so soon, so she pretended not to know when the emperor didn't mention it.
When she learned that her Fourteenth Prince was not in Yonghe Palace, she assumed he had gone out to play with his entourage again and didn't pay much attention. But when the servants around the Fourteenth Prince reported that he was missing, she was so frightened that she dropped the teacup in her hand.
"What? How could Fourteenth be missing? What kind of servants are you?!" She turned pale with fright, fearing that Fourteenth might have disappeared somewhere she couldn't see.
She gave birth to three sons and three daughters. Two of her daughters and the sixth prince died young. Only the ninth princess, who was raised by the Empress Dowager, survived, as did the fourth prince, who was raised by Lady Tongjia.
Consort De was worried that it might be because she didn't know how to raise children, otherwise why were all the children around her gone?
Therefore, they treated Fourteen with the utmost care, as if protecting a fragile porcelain doll, fearing that one day it might disappear from their sight.
After yelling at these lackeys, he shouted, "What are you doing standing here?! Go find it now!"
How many imperial princes have died young in the palace?
Fearing she might find Fourteen in some pond, she scolded them and sent them out to look for him. But she didn't stay idle either; she went out to look for him as well.
Then……
The people from Yuqing Palace sent someone over to tell them that the Fourteenth Prince had gone to Yuqing Palace to play, and that they shouldn't worry.
The people of Yonghe Palace seemed to have found a savior and immediately rushed out to find Consort De and tell her about the matter.
Consort De breathed a sigh of relief, but was filled with lingering fear. Why didn't her people know that the Fourteenth Prince had gone to Yuqing Palace? If it wasn't someone from Yuqing Palace, but some other malicious person, would she not have been able to find the Fourteenth Prince at all? Perhaps when she finally found him, she would only have found his corpse?
Consort De was furious and immediately replaced a group of people around the Fourteenth Prince.
At the same time, she was also annoyed by Yuqing Palace. When the Fourteenth Prince returned, Consort De carefully examined him and asked, "Fourteenth Prince, why did you go to Yuqing Palace?"
"Did the Crown Princess and the others bully you?" Consort De breathed a sigh of relief when she found that Fourteenth Prince had no injuries. She was afraid that the Crown Prince was ruthless and had harmed her Fourteenth Prince.
"No." Fourteen shook his head. As an uncle, wasn't it only natural for him to play with his little nephew? "Second sister-in-law, the Crown Princess, is not that kind of person."
The Crown Princess's second sister-in-law said that once the little car is finished, she'll call him over, understand? Call him! Just call him, what does that mean? It means he's Hongyao's closest uncle.
Hongyao smelled so sweet when I held him, and he spoke so sweetly. As his uncle, I felt very proud.
Upon hearing the words "Crown Princess," she was reminded of the Crown Princess's formidable methods. After she was confined to her quarters, the Crown Princess had stripped her of all her power in the palace.
Moreover, that vile woman Fucha even eliminated her backer and the family behind her, causing those brainless members of the Wuya family to actually side with Yuqing Palace!
He gritted his teeth in hatred, "You're not allowed to go there again! You're not allowed to go to Yuqing Palace again, understand?"
As her son, I should stand on the same side as her!
Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen was unaware of why Consort De's expression was so ferocious and terrifying. He was somewhat frightened and looked at his mother with slight panic. Why was his mother acting so differently than usual?
"Fourteenth, did you hear me?" Seeing that Fourteenth ignored her, Consort De's voice was sharp. At this moment, the panic and fear in her heart had not subsided. Only by holding Fourteenth tightly and making Fourteenth obedient could she feel a little more at ease.
"Mother, why can't we go? I think the Crown Princess and my second sister-in-law are very nice, and Hongyao is also very nice. He likes me, his fourteenth uncle, very much." Yinzhen simply liked the little cart that the Crown Princess mentioned, saying that it was a cart that didn't need to be pushed and could be driven by foot.
Are horse-drawn carriages still being pedaled?
"No! Mother says no, and that's final! Is Fourteenth not listening to Mother? What's so good about that wretched woman, Fucha? She clearly wants to take you away from Mother and harm you!!"
Consort De was furious. Seeing that the Fourteenth Prince was not listening to her, her face turned ugly, and she gave the Fourteenth Prince a stern lecture.
Finally, Yinzhen was frightened by Consort De's expression and actions, and could only nod meekly.
Mother, Mother has become so scary!!
At this time, the Fourteenth Prince didn't know who he could talk to about such things, so he could only retreat into seclusion.
"Yes, I understand..." The Fourteenth Prince's agreement finally brought Consort De's gloomy face back to normal, and she hugged her Fourteenth Prince.
She coaxed him softly, "Fourteenth Prince, listen to me. Would your mother ever harm you? Everything your mother does is for your own good. The Crown Prince is only nice to you because he wants to show his brotherly affection to your father."
"The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are both ruthless and cunning. The power in the palace that Mother held was taken away by the Crown Princess." While coaxing the Fourteenth Prince, she was also instilling her own thoughts into him.
The frightened Fourteenth Prince could only lean against Consort De's arms, too terrified by her expression to listen to anything else.
He, he, he's going to find Fourth Brother.
Waaaaah...
Jialuo, who was still in Yuqing Palace, was unaware of what had happened at Yonghe Palace. After sending someone to return the Fourteenth Prince, the person who returned reported that the prince had been safely returned to Yonghe Palace, and then she put the matter out of her mind.
The key issue is that her own little chubby boy lacks awareness of danger, which is all her fault as his mother for not teaching him properly.
In later generations, people need to be taught not to touch electrical wires, but in ancient times, this wasn't necessary. With so many people serving them, they figured nothing would happen.
Who knew that no matter how many people were watching over him, they couldn't keep the reckless Xiao Hongyao safe and sound.
After she finished crying, with her nose and eyes red, she nestled in Yinreng's arms.
Jialuo looked at her son tenderly, her voice gentle, and she reached out her arms as if to hug him, "Hongyao, come here, let your mother hug you."
Actually, I was wearing thick clothes in winter, and when I fell to the ground, I was more shocked than hurt. I just felt wronged and hadn't seen my father for a long time, so I had to act cute.
Now, nestled in his father's arms, Hongyao realized how embarrassing it was that he had cried earlier. He was a big boy now and shouldn't cry anymore.
Hearing his mother call him gently and his father's serious expression, Hongyao quickly got up and was immediately picked up by Jialuo.
"Hongyao." As soon as she hugged him, Jialuo's gentle expression turned serious. She placed her hands under Hongyao's armpits, her little sock-clad feet pressing on his thighs, and earnestly lectured him, "Your behavior today was very dangerous, do you know that?"
Yinreng sat beside her, watching the Crown Princess's actions. He knew she was disciplining the child, so he didn't interrupt and just watched quietly.
"Is swinging fun?" Seeing that Hongyao didn't seem to understand her meaning, Jialuo changed her tone and approached the question from another angle.
"It was fun." Hongyao didn't understand why his mother seemed a little angry. Was she angry that he went out to play? Or was she playing with his fourteenth uncle?
Little Hongyao never imagined that he would be lectured for falling down.
"When you swing on the swing, is it very high?" Jialuo continued to ask.
Hongyao nodded.
Then Jialuo hugged Hongyao, supporting his little bottom, and stood up, making Hongyao look at the ground. "Like this, Hongyao, do you think you're tall?"
Hongyao continued to nod.
"If Hongyao falls to the ground now, will it hurt?" Jialuo patted Hongyao's little bottom, and her dangerous tone made Hongyao subconsciously hug his mother's neck.
"Did you hurt yourself when you fell?" Jia Luo was teaching her child not to go near the water or climb trees... As the child grows a little older, there will be new worries.
Being a parent is really not easy.
Little Hongyao was lectured and nodded aggrievedly, looking pitiful as if he was blaming his mother. Hongyao had fallen and hurt himself, and his mother had scolded him. He felt wronged.
"So, remember not to do that next time, okay?" Jia Luo didn't care how aggrieved the child looked. She felt sorry for him, but she still had to teach him a lesson.
When the Crown Prince saw the Crown Princess educating the child in this way, he couldn't help but laugh. Children grow taller by falling down. He himself had fallen many times when he was a child, so what was wrong with it?
When they're older, they'll have to learn from Buku how to beat others, um... at the very least, they'll have to beat the eldest son who will be the eldest son in the future.
The thought of his eldest son being defeated by his own son, even before it happened, already made Yinreng feel quite pleased with himself.
"Hmm." Xiao Hongyao knew he was wrong, and then looked up at his father. "Hongyao, Hongyao hasn't seen his father for a long time, and he's afraid that his father has disappeared again."
Clutching his little hands shyly, Hongyao used his expression and gestures to tell his mother that it was all because his father hadn't seen him for so long that he was so excited.
Yinreng never expected that the flames of war would spread back to him. Looking at his son Hongyao, who was gazing at him with a pitiful yet loving expression, Yinreng knew that he had indeed neglected his son recently because of matters of state.
“It’s all because Father is too busy and hasn’t played with Hongyao. Hongyao misses Father, doesn’t he?” No matter what, Yinreng was able to grasp the key point in his son’s words.
The key point is: His son missed him! So he got so excited that he forgot about the danger.
Although this incident was worth teaching a lesson, Yinreng was still very happy, which showed that no matter what, his position in his son's heart was still very high.
"Alright, let me educate Hongyao." Yinreng took Hongyao from the Crown Princess's arms, but after holding his son, the words he wanted to use to educate him came to an abrupt end.
What did the son do wrong? The son just missed his father.
"Next time you miss your father, don't rush off so quickly, or he'll worry," Yinreng said. Then he had someone bring up some hot milk and pastries, as Hongyao must be hungry.
Jialuo, waiting for Yinreng to educate the children: So, this is how you educate them???
In the end, it all died without a trace.
After playing with Hongyao for a while longer, and seeing that the 'shadow' had been removed, the two new parents breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed: "Sigh, educating children is not an easy thing."
The Crown Prince was very busy, so he handed over the affairs of Yuqing Palace to the Crown Princess. As for the affairs of the court, perhaps because the Emperor was busy with his campaigns, many of the government affairs that should have been handled by the Emperor were sent to the capital.
The emperor's trusted ministers dared not make decisions on their own. As the crown prince who was not yet able to walk independently, Yinreng naturally had to consult his father on many matters and send him a warm greeting every day to express their father-son relationship.
When the Crown Prince still consulted him on many political matters, Emperor Kangxi shook his head and said, "Alas, Bao Cheng is really something. He's so old, yet he still doesn't dare to handle things on his own and needs to ask for my opinion. How can I entrust the Qing Dynasty to him with peace of mind? Really."
While shaking his head, he replied to the Crown Prince with a smile on his lips. He didn't think the Crown Prince's letter was cloying; he only felt that the Crown Prince had deep feelings for him and that it was a genuine expression of affection.
Meanwhile, Suo'etu would occasionally send messages to the palace, subtly inquiring of His Highness the Crown Prince if there was anything he needed to do. Suo'etu assured the Crown Prince that he would handle it perfectly.
This annoyed even the Crown Prince, but he also felt that... his uncle's idleness would only make him sick. Well, this illness was created solely for Suo'etu.
Or perhaps he should find some political matters, the kind that aren't important but seem very important... He thought for a moment and finally remembered: His father had recently been paying close attention to the matter of banning opium.
No, we can't let Suo'etu go. With his arrogant attitude, he might accept bribes and cover up for others.
It wasn't that Yinreng looked down on Suo'etu; it was just that the Hesheli family had done something similar before. When Yinreng was investigating the Baoyi Banner, he also investigated the Hesheli and Fucha families.
They were relatives after all, and they were given a stern lecture. As the crown prince, his natural status and position were there. As a result, Hesheli and the Fucha family changed their ways and eliminated this kind of atmosphere.
But, with so much free time, wouldn't Suo'etu be looking for some trouble to bother him?
By the way, Father Emperor seems quite wary of the Western world, and there are also Mongol tribes coveting the Qing Dynasty. Should we send Songgotu to find out if there are any dangerous things that the Qing Dynasty has not yet discovered?
Immediately, someone summoned Songgotu.
Upon hearing that it was His Highness the Crown Prince who had summoned him, Suo'etu immediately burned incense, bathed, and changed his clothes. He was so excited that His Highness the Crown Prince had finally remembered him! Waaah…
Managing the workshop was, in Songgotu's view, almost the same as managing his own estate, the only difference being that his master was His Highness the Crown Prince.
Unable to fully utilize his abilities, Suo'etu rushed into the palace and hurriedly bowed, "This servant greets Your Highness. Your Highness, as soon as you summoned me, this servant rushed to the palace. If you have any orders, Your Highness, please just give them. This servant will go through fire and water for Your Highness."
Waaah, this servant has been waiting for this day for so long.
Looking at the excited Suo'etu in front of him, His Highness the Crown Prince wondered if it was a bit exaggerated. However, given Suo'etu's exaggerated attitude, Yinreng also thought that his idea was probably not wrong.
“Uncle, I called you here because there is a very important matter I want you to do. As you know, Father Emperor is furious about the opium. If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have been able to discover the Westerners’ trick.”
"However, we still don't know what other things the Westerners have done against our Great Qing. I think that with your intelligence and wisdom, Uncle, you will definitely be able to find out. When that happens, it will be a great achievement in front of Father Emperor."
Yinreng's words were like a clear spring in the desert, flowing into Suo'etu's heart and nourishing this parched land. Suo'etu's already excited expression became even more excited.
Yinreng was worried that Suo'etu might die of joy in his excitement.
However, Songgotu had been a figurehead in the court for many years, and this little bit of excitement was not enough to break him.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will definitely handle this matter properly." *Sobbing*, it seems His Highness still cares about him. He neglected him for so long, surely to calm the Emperor down before re-employing him.
He would do anything, even risk his life.
So what if they're Westerners? Even the powerful Manchu clans couldn't stop him; he'd kill anyone who stood in his way!
Your Highness is right. The Emperor is so wary of Westerners, and the Western barbarians who can create so many novelties must have surpassed the Great Qing in some way, and may even be coveting the fertile land of the Great Qing!
If he finds out, wouldn't the Emperor give him credit?
After recognizing his merit, would they really prevent him from returning to the court?
"Your Highness, Your Highness, I knew you hadn't forgotten me." Thinking of this, she was even more moved by the Crown Prince and sobbed. Her appearance left Yinreng speechless.
Can I say that I just want to give you something to do?
"I entrusted you with managing the workshop before because I trusted you, Uncle. I really didn't trust anyone else with such an important matter. But now that you want to investigate the Westerners, the workshop can only be handed over to someone else."
The workshop managers need to be rotated frequently. You can't keep someone in the same position, or they will become lazy. This is especially true for the management. How can people be motivated to work hard if there is no turnover?
This insight was gained by the Crown Princess when she managed the harem, and Yinreng felt that it could be applied to the court in the future.
"Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will certainly not delay anything." Soetu was unaware of what the Crown Prince was thinking, only assuming that the Crown Prince was concerned about whether he would be tired.
As a capable minister, how could he not be able to do something like this?
"Uncle, I don't want to delay things. After all, Father's affairs are the most important." Yinreng said seriously, and hinted to Suo'etu in a tone that the other party could understand: you need to know what matters.
Suo'etu should understand the difference between light and heavy, urgent and urgent matters.
After being reminded by the Crown Prince, Suo'etu realized that the most crucial issue was whether he could return to the court.
But wouldn't doing so betray His Highness the Crown Prince's trust in me?
Regret, self-blame, and guilt flooded into Suo'etu's heart. He did indeed intend to cultivate a good relationship with the Crown Prince and, after the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, make their Hesheli group even more prominent.
But now...
Since His Highness the Crown Prince was so considerate of him, Suo'etu could only keep his guilt to himself and do his best to serve His Highness the Crown Prince.
At this point, Suo'etu had no idea that his current situation was a form of PUA (Pick-Up Artist) manipulation.
Yinreng raised an eyebrow as he listened to the hint of guilt in Suo'etu's heart, remembering that Suo'etu had once been more interested in his own interests.
Perhaps, after Suo'etu calmed down, he realized his own importance even more...
Or have you figured it out?
So, shouldn't we let Songgotu clear his head again?
"Your Highness's instructions are correct, but who does Your Highness intend to entrust with the management of this workshop?" After thinking it through, Suo'etu began to arrange the workshop's affairs. Serving His Highness the Crown Prince was an honor that many people would rather die for.
"Let me think about it some more. I really can't find anyone to replace Uncle in the short term." Yinreng did have someone in mind, but saying it out loud immediately would make people feel that he was already eager to remove the other person from power.
Two days later, the person was sent to the glass workshop. Soetu was dismissed, but he was not upset. He was happy all day long and always went out.
The person sleeping next to you is the first to know about any changes to Suo'etu.
However, Songgotu never discussed politics with Hesheli Fujin, and besides, such matters had to be handled secretly, so how could he tell others casually?
If others find out what I've been doing and get credit in front of the Emperor first, wouldn't it be a waste for His Highness the Crown Prince to have worked so hard for me?
Therefore, Hesheli Fujin thought that Suo'etu had gone out to visit other women.
When I got home that night, I argued with him, scolding him for being irresponsible and asking if he didn't have any concubines at home. Didn't the princess like them, and didn't the concubines like them either?
Songgotu was absolutely furious with his wife. This foolish woman had no idea what a man should aspire to. How could he possibly be interested in women?
After the argument, he returned to his study in the front courtyard and ordered his servants not to let his wife come over. He also promoted two other concubines to help manage the household, which prevented his wife from having time to deal with his affairs.
As Songgotu's arch-rival, Mingzhu was also busy researching Western goods. Although he started slowly, he was a smart man and eventually succeeded in researching them, creating a situation where he and Songgotu were once again sharing the world.
Recently, Mingzhu heard that Suo'etu has stopped taking care of the glass workshop and handed it over to the Crown Prince's people. He is always busy running around, but no one knows what he is doing.
Mingzhu also sent someone to investigate and found that Suo'etu seemed to be in a good mood recently, so he must not have been dismissed from his post.
Why was Songgotu happy? His biggest worry was whether he could return to the court, so it must be about that.
The people he sent couldn't figure out what Songgotu was up to, but they could still track him down.
After more than half a month of tracking and investigation, Mingzhu discovered that Suo'etu was investigating those Westerners and the goods from the West. At first, Mingzhu was still pondering whether he wanted to see if there were any highly profitable items worth studying.
It's clear that Songgotu wasn't interested in studying those kinds of things, like some valuable Western artifacts, but rather focused on those things done in secret...
Ah, I see. Seeing the Emperor's aversion, fear, and strict prohibition of opium, Suo'etu figured there must be more than one, so he investigated and tried to curry favor with the Emperor...
Oh.
Mingzhu thought for a long time and realized that more than half a month ago, Suo'etu had gone to the palace to see His Highness the Crown Prince. Suo'etu had not made any moves before, but he made this move after seeing the Crown Prince. Could it be that the Crown Prince instructed him to do so?
Is the Emperor considering bringing Songgotu back to court?
So, if the Emperor were to bring Suo'etu into the court, he would certainly not forget himself. He knew the Emperor's way of maintaining balance and would not allow Suo'etu to rule the court alone.
However, Mingzhu still sighed. If he were assisting the Crown Prince instead of the First Prince, he wouldn't have to worry so much.
Why.
He did not participate in Songgotu's seemingly grand investigation. In any case, as long as Songgotu found out the truth, he would go to the emperor to claim credit. If Songgotu succeeded, the emperor would remember him and transfer him back to the court.
Otherwise... no matter how much you try, it won't make a difference.
Mingzhu's inner thoughts were unknown to Suo'etu. He only knew that he had found Xiyangchun, whose feet no longer hurt and whose breath was no longer labored. He was now working with great enthusiasm.
When Emperor Kangxi, who was far away on the battlefield, learned of this, he couldn't help but laugh. Bao Cheng had only given Suo'etu something to do because he felt sorry for him.
However, a crown prince with human touch is always better than a cold-hearted one.
His birthday celebration is approaching, but he will not be able to return home this year. The concubines and princes in the harem have all sent their congratulatory gifts.
One after another, they were sent to Kangxi's camp. After Kangxi inspected them, those that should be kept were kept, and those that did not need to be kept were sent back to the capital.
He complained to Liang Jiugong beside him in a very annoyed tone, "I came here to fight a war, not to travel. Sending so many things over, does that mean I have to go through all the trouble of moving them back to the capital?"
Despite the teasing, Liang Jiugong still caught the smile on Kangxi's face. "These are all the princes' filial piety towards Your Majesty. They still think of you even in the capital. Take a look at this..."
Liang Jiugong knew that the emperor was saying one thing but meaning another. He recounted all the gifts sent by the princes out of filial piety, emphasizing the word "filial piety."
When Kangxi opened the letter, he saw another letter from his own Baocheng, with a small handprint on it, clearly belonging to Hongyao.
Kangxi was in a good mood, and his confidence in defeating and eliminating Galdan was even stronger. "Alright, go and call Fuquan in."
Let's discuss the next battlefront strategy.
For the princes who could not personally go to congratulate their father on his birthday, they could only do their best to find the best gifts and have them delivered.
When it comes to royal gifts, there's no worry about finding someone to deliver them or about the cost. So, those who felt they had completed their task went back to school or continued working.
Not long after, it will be my little nephew's second birthday.
As the only grandson of the third generation of the royal family, Xiao Hongyao is indeed the darling of the family. No wonder the other princes are all thinking about giving their little nephew birthday gifts.
First, their father, the Emperor, was watching over them. In addition, the little prince Hongyao was indeed cute, delicate, and chubby. When he called "uncle" in his sweet, childish voice, it melted their hearts. How could they not like him?
Emperor Kangxi also remembered that his own birthday was not far off, and it was Hongyao's birthday soon. He even asked Liang Jiugong to prepare a gift to send back, which was just some trinkets from the battlefield.
The capital city, Yuqing Palace.
Hongyao's birthday is coming soon, and Jialuo is so excited and looking forward to it. Our Hongyao is two years old!
The chubby baby she raised was so adorable, and he was getting cuter and cuter. Jialuo liked him very much. "Hongyao, your birthday is coming soon. Do you have any wishes?"
"A wish?" Xiao Hongyao asked, puzzled.
"That's what I want. Oh, and Grandpa even sent a gift to Hongyao. Grandpa is protecting our country on the battlefield and can't come back, but he still thinks about Hongyao. Hongyao, you must be filial to Grandpa in the future." She patted little Hongyao's head. The child, who grew up in an atmosphere of love, was cheerful and lively. That's why so many people love her Hongyao.
“Your uncles will be coming tomorrow, and your eldest uncle will be coming too, Hongyao, do you remember?” Jialuo coaxed little Hongyao gently.
“I remember, Hongyao wants to go play with Mother and Father.” Hongyao answered her question first, then raised his hand and jumped around happily, thinking that he could do whatever he wanted.
"Hongyao remembers Grandpa. Wait, wait for Grandpa to come back. Hongyao, take him out to play." He nodded in a childish voice, his words seemingly full of filial piety, but actually full of ulterior motives.
"Haha, well, you'll have to tell Grandfather yourself." Jialuo chuckled, not revealing Xiao Hongyao's little scheme.
Knowing that several princes would be coming, and possibly with their wives, Jialuo did not hold the ceremony in the main courtyard, but went to the front courtyard instead, since it was not appropriate for so many male relatives to enter the back courtyard.
The hall was decorated in a very childlike style. The cakes were a bit difficult to make, especially the cream. A cake without cream is soulless. In the end, she only had someone make a bowl of longevity noodles.
On this day, the princes who were getting married brought their wives and gifts. There was no other way, since the Crown Prince himself had delivered the invitations to them.
The eldest prince scoffed, "It's just my son's birthday, what's the big deal!"
However, in the end, he still went to the storeroom and found a suitable birthday gift for his nephew, and then turned to his wife and shouted, "When our eldest princess has her birthday, we must invite all the brothers over to take back the gifts, otherwise it will be such a loss!!"
Helpless, the First Princess could only purse her lips and remain silent. Such a shameful thing, you should do it yourself. As the eldest prince, the head of the royal princes, being so stingy, if word gets out, people will definitely laugh at you.
The eldest prince didn't care. The crown prince always liked to show off his son. He wanted all three of the princesses in the family to celebrate their birthdays. He wanted the crown prince to bleed a lot of money!
That's outrageous.
"Don't worry, Madam. I have a feeling this time it will be a prince." The eldest prince patted his chest confidently.
The First Princess remained silent, quietly wrapping the gifts that the First Prince had taken out of the storeroom.
"In a few more days, the imperial physician can come and take your pulse, so don't worry, Madam." The eldest prince was even thinking, should we ask the imperial physician not to come and take my pulse? It must be that the imperial physician is unlucky, otherwise how come he keeps giving birth to little princesses?
"Alright, it's almost time, we should go now." The First Princess Consort didn't want to talk about this with the First Prince and urged him to set off.
The eldest prince had no choice but to carry the gifts and walk slowly with his wife to Yuqing Palace. The imperial physician said that walking around and relaxing would be beneficial for childbirth.
The eldest prince also felt that with him by her side, the princess consort didn't need to worry about whether or not something unexpected would happen!
When the eldest prince arrived, the eighth, ninth, and tenth princes were already there, talking with Hongyao.
"Hongyao, have you missed your tenth uncle?" Yin'e was the first to rush over and even picked Hongyao up in his arms.
“Yes, Hongyao misses his tenth uncle. Tenth uncle, why don’t you come to play with Hongyao?” Little Hongyao still remembered the days when he played alone in Yuqing Palace and his mother wouldn’t let him go out. He reached out and angrily cupped Yin’e’s face, “Tenth uncle, I don’t miss Hongyao.”
"No, Tenth Uncle is busy with school, so he comes to play with Hongyao whenever he has free time." Yin'e's sweet words were immediately directed at Hongyao.
"Hongyao has gained weight again, has he gotten fat?" Yin'e held Hongyao and weighed him in his arms. The Eighth Prince Yinsi, who was standing next to him, twitched his eyelids. This was the Crown Prince's legitimate son, the only grandson of the Emperor, and the Emperor doted on him. If the Tenth Prince didn't hold him firmly, it would be a big problem if he fell.
"Yin'e, be careful and steady." Yin Si was extremely worried about Yin'e, fearing that something might really happen. Given Yin'e's boisterous nature, he reached out and hugged Hongyao.
At first, it was to prevent Hongyao from being thrown by Yin'e's reckless movements, but the moment he picked up the chubby, soft, and fragrant baby, Yinsi's movements slowed down considerably.
Is this what a child is like?
The Eighth Prince, who already had two concubines, was thinking of marrying a Fujin (principal wife) and having a legitimate son before considering anything else.
"Eighth, Eighth Uncle?" Hongyao thought for a moment before realizing that this was his Eighth Uncle. He called out in a soft, cheerful voice, sounding quite energetic, "Eighth Uncle."
"Hmm, Hongyao still remembers Uncle Ba? That's great." The young man, with a gentle smile, was truly endearing. At this moment, it became clear why Hongyao was so popular.
Indeed, as my ninth and tenth brothers said, Hongyao is very cute and intelligent.
The only pity is that it wasn't his own son.
No wonder the Crown Prince dotes on Hongyao so much. "Hongyao, happy birthday. This is a gift from your Eighth Uncle."
He pulled a box from his pocket, and Yin'e, displeased with his cheating, quickly had his eunuch bring over the huge box he had prepared and placed it in front of Hongyao. He snatched Hongyao back from his brother's arms, put it on the ground, patted his box, and said proudly, "Hongyao, this is a gift from your tenth uncle. How about it? Big enough, right?"
No one is as generous and domineering as him; Hongyao must have been shocked by his own actions.
As for the little box that the myna bird gave me, it contained nothing more than some jade pendants and gemstones. Can it compare to mine?
I am the best uncle in Hongyao's heart!
Yinreng (proudly): Hongyao is so popular, wow, he's really too outstanding, no wonder he's my son! Just like me!
(End of this chapter)
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