Chapter 153 Changquan
Fuquan was a man of his word. Especially after receiving the emperor's boasting, he couldn't stand his attitude and became even more determined to bring his eldest son to see Baocheng.
Prince Baoqing was right when he said that children get along better with other children.
Watch how he uses his eldest son, Changquan, to overtake others and become Baocheng's favorite second uncle!
Upon entering the Cining Palace, Fuquan first performed a grand salute and said, "Grandson pays his respects to the Empress Dowager. I am delighted to hear that the Empress Dowager is in good health recently, so I brought Changquan here to amuse her."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang smiled and beckoned Fuquan and his son to come closer. She looked at Changquan's rosy face and teased, "Oh, this little guy is getting more and more handsome."
"That's not as good-looking as Bao Cheng."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang glanced at Fuquan with a smile. How could he be like Changning, saying such things in front of a child?
Touching Changquan's little face, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said softly, "Father can't speak, so Changquan ignores him."
Two-year-old Changquan still stuttered a bit when he spoke. Although he was a little shy around strangers, he sensed the loving aura emanating from Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. He mustered his courage, smiled at her, and slowly called out, following his mother's instructions, "Uku... Mama..."
"Changquan is so good, he can even greet people now."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's smile deepened. Unlike Emperor Kangxi, who looked down on ordinary children after seeing a child prodigy like Baocheng, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was even more lenient towards her other grandsons after discovering Baocheng's extraordinary talent.
Clearly, given their qualifications, they posed no threat to Bao Cheng's future. Therefore, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang could relax and live a carefree life as an ordinary Ukuma Mama.
“Ukuma Mama”.
At this moment, Bao Cheng walked in from outside the palace, smiling as he greeted Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, who then pulled him into her arms.
"Second Uncle."
Looking at Baocheng, who greeted him obediently, Fuquan nodded with a smile and hurriedly picked up Changquan and placed him next to him. "Baocheng, look, this is your younger brother Changquan. From now on, you two should get closer and play together more often."
"younger brother."
Bao Cheng gently touched Chang Quan's little face, and Chang Quan's eyes widened as he looked at him in surprise: "Beautiful...brother...mine?"
She turned her head and looked at Fuquan in disbelief, but her little hands were already tightly gripping Baocheng's clothes.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Fuquan, who were watching from the side, were overjoyed.
"Yes, this is your older brother. Changquan, do you like your brother? How about you play with him from now on?"
Changquan nodded and sat down next to Baocheng. "I like you, brother...my brother!"
Bao Cheng had never met any other princes before, and this was the first time he had met a younger brother who liked him. He seemed unusually happy, smiling as he chatted with Xiao Changquan.
Fuquan watched this scene with satisfaction in his eyes and brows. He chatted casually with the Empress Dowager, occasionally turning his head to look at the two children who were laughing and playing.
Gradually, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang also discerned some other meaning, and looked at Fuquan with a smile: "Well, so your real intention is not what it seems?"
Fuquan smiled apologetically and explained, "I'm just trying to ease the Emperor's burden. He's so busy with state affairs, so if I take Changquan and Baocheng out to play, he'll have more time to deal with things."
Is it meant to share the burden or to hurt someone's feelings? Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang glanced helplessly at Fuquan, knowing at a glance that it was because Xuan Ye's crazy boasting a while ago had offended Fuquan.
She believed in the saying "one who is neither deaf nor mute cannot be a good father-in-law," and she wouldn't interfere in the conflicts between her grandsons. Of course, she had absolutely no intention of being jealous of Bao Cheng's fondness for Xuan Ye or causing him trouble; she wasn't that kind of person!
...
A few days later, Kangxi noticed that Baocheng was spending more and more time in the Cining Palace, leaving his lonely and helpless old father to dine alone.
No, who exactly lives in the Cining Palace?
Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, Emperor Kangxi inquired with Liang Jiugong and learned that in the past few days, Prince Yu, Fuquan, had been bringing his eldest son, Changquan, to the palace every day to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, and that Prince Changquan and Baocheng had become particularly close.
So, under the pretext that he was tired from reviewing memorials, Kangxi took Liang Jiugong out for a walk, and the walk took them from the Qianqing Palace to the Cining Palace.
Hearing the clear laughter of children inside the Cining Palace, Kangxi couldn't help but smile, but upon entering and taking a look, his face immediately fell.
Suddenly, the usually aloof peacock Xiao Liu, following Bao Cheng's instructions, spread its tail feathers for a child to see and even let him touch its feathers!
That smiling, seemingly ordinary-looking boy must be Changquan, the eldest son of the second brother!
Wow, what great treatment! He's never even touched it!
Jealous, Emperor Kangxi made a decision that "went against the ancestors' wishes": he refused the Empress Dowager's invitation to stay for a meal and instead picked up Bao Cheng and ran away.
"Baocheng, you like Changquan that much?"
Satisfied, Kangxi dined with Baocheng. At the table, he couldn't help but ask a question, which made Liang Jiugong, who was serving the meal nearby, twitch his lips.
Bao Cheng nodded with a smile, "Chang Quan is adorable."
What's so cute about someone so ordinary? Kangxi swallowed his displeasure. "Do you prefer your younger brother or your father?"
"I like my younger brother, but I like my father the most."
Bao Cheng's answer without hesitation instantly appeased Kangxi, who said, "You silly child, why do you say everything? You can't say that next time there are outsiders."
Liang Jiugong was speechless. Did the Crown Prince even need to say it? Which outsider hadn't heard His Majesty "inadvertently" reveal it?
Once again, Emperor Kangxi, having been appeased by his "favorite," decided to be magnanimous and allowed Bao Cheng to go out and play with Chang Quan during the day while he was busy, but he had to come back to dine with him in the evening.
Of course, judging from how often my second brother goes to the palace, he must have too little to do, so it's time to give him some responsibilities.
So, on the surface, Kangxi backed down, but in reality, Changquan's visits to the palace decreased in frequency afterward. Of course, this did not affect his relationship with Baocheng.
It was almost as if a day apart felt like three autumns; once she entered the palace, she became increasingly clingy to Bao Cheng, which displeased Kangxi, yet he was always appeased by Bao Cheng's sweet words. No need for much more, the three words "my favorite" suffice.
Originally, they planned to bring Baoqing back to the palace to study, but because Baoqing caught a cold, the plan was delayed. In the end, they decided to wait until he turned six before bringing him back to the palace.
Before he knew it, the New Year had passed. On the 26th of the fourth month of the sixteenth year of Kangxi's reign, Kangxi, who had just received news of the Crown Prince's displeasure after the morning court session, rushed over and asked, "Baocheng, what's wrong?"
“Father Emperor…” Bao Cheng looked at him in alarm.
Kangxi picked him up with a pained expression and asked softly, "What's wrong, Baocheng? What happened? Tell your father, and your father will stand up for you."
Bao Cheng's eyes were filled with confusion and struggle. Kangxi didn't know why, but his eyes instantly reddened, and he rushed towards the palace servants serving in the hall with a heart full of anger: "How did you serve us? What exactly happened?"
Everyone in the hall immediately knelt down, trembling.
“Father Emperor…” Yinreng tugged at his sleeve, “We need to go out, but Baocheng wants to go out.”
"Alright, Father Emperor, take Bao Cheng out. Where does Bao Cheng want to go?"
Kangxi's expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, he picked up Baocheng and walked out, asking him as they went. He said that even if Baocheng wanted to go to heaven, he would do everything he could to help him achieve it.
"I have no idea……"
Bao Cheng frowned slightly, and when he stood outside the Qianqing Palace, looking at the azure sky, his eyes gradually became firm. "Changquan, Father Emperor, I need to find Changquan."
"Alright, Father Emperor will take you out of the palace now."
Regardless of why he wanted to find Changquan, Kangxi readily agreed as long as Baocheng was happy.
But then Bao Cheng suddenly clutched his chest in panic, "It's too late..."
"What's too late?"
"Xiao Wu!"
Under the astonished gazes of all the palace servants and guards serving in front of the Kangxi and Qianqing Palaces, the crow, a mythical bird that had always followed the Crown Prince and seemed only capable of "jealousy," suddenly appeared and let out a clear caw. Soon, a large flock of crows flew over.
"Chirp—"
"Go! Save my brother!"
Following Bao Cheng's instructions, the crows, led by Xiao Wu, soon flew out of the palace in a dense swarm, heading towards the location of Prince Yu's residence.
“Baocheng…”
Kangxi was shocked, confused, and filled with unease and fear. He held Baocheng tightly, afraid that he would disappear.
As if sensing his emotions, Bao Cheng patted his shoulder reassuringly, "Father, wait a moment."
What are we waiting for?
Before anyone could voice their questions, the flock of crows that had flown away quickly returned in a dark mass, landing on the ground and scattering to reveal the chubby baby in the center, soaking wet.
Upon seeing Baocheng, the terrified Changquan burst into tears: "Brother, Changquan is going to drown..."
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