Chapter 36 Clever Puppy (Two Chapters Combined): Yu Lang was unaware that Shen Wanqing had been forcibly dragged to the First-Class Duke's Mansion by Fu Xuan, and had accidentally strangled Shu...
Yu Lang was unaware that Shen Wanqing had been forcibly dragged to the First-Class Duke's Mansion by Fu Xuan, and had inadvertently seized Shu Mulu's vital spot.
After spending the Mid-Autumn Festival at home and returning to work, I could clearly feel that the people I hadn't been very familiar with before were much more acquainted with me today.
"The other day you sent your personal attendant to my house to deliver holiday gifts without saying a word beforehand. My husband was so flustered that he almost made a mistake."
"I'm young and have just been promoted from the Imperial Guard to the Imperial Bodyguard, so it's my responsibility to do this favor first. I hope you don't mind that my family's gift is late."
"What's there to complain about? Your sister-in-law was overjoyed to receive the beauty powder and floral dew from your wife. She kept telling me that after managing the household for so many years, this was the first time someone had given her a holiday gift specifically for her."
When Eshan talked about this, he was both amused and exasperated, as he didn't understand what his wife meant at all. His family was just an ordinary bannerman in the Bordered White Banner, and his wife, Zhaojia, was someone his family found for him after he passed the selection process and became a Blue-Lanyard Guard.
Zhao Jia's father was a leader in the Bordered White Banner, responsible for assisting the captain in managing the household registration files within the captain's jurisdiction and distributing salaries and grains. His duties and functions were roughly similar to those of a clerk in the household registration office of a county government.
Because they were in charge of household registration records and salaries, the lives, deaths, clothing, and food of the bannermen within the banner were all inseparable from the bannermen's control. Such families lived very well within the banner. Zhao Jia's marriage to Eshan was a marriage of convenience; she was only interested in the fact that the young blue-feathered guard might have a bright future.
Zhao Jia's father was literate and good at arithmetic, and Zhao Jia grew up holding an abacus bead from a young age.
After marrying Eshan, her mother-in-law voluntarily relinquished her management of the household. Her father-in-law repeatedly told Eshan that his wife was shrewd and that letting her manage the household was the right thing to do. He advised her not to interfere in household affairs or ask too many questions, as this would only hinder her ability to manage the household.
Eshan agreed with his father and mother's statement and felt at ease entrusting the entire household to Zhaojia. He never imagined that his virtuous and capable wife, who managed the household so well, would be so overjoyed by a festival gift sent by the Hesheli family.
"What rose dew? I've never heard of it." Yu Lang's surprise was half genuine and half feigned. It was genuine because Shen Wanqing hadn't mentioned that she had prepared this, but it was feigned because even if she hadn't said anything, he would have quickly realized that Shen Wanqing had added it on her own.
"Look at you, how can you be so inconsiderate when you're newly married? Your wife even sent my wife mica paper, saying that flower dew and jade complexion powder are things she uses regularly."
After she got married, she was all alone in the family, and she didn't know who to talk to. So, I took this opportunity of sending holiday gifts to bring her some of her usual little things, hoping my wife would like them.
Neither the floral dew nor the jade-enhancing powder were particularly valuable; it was this heart that was truly precious. Zhao Jia had spoken to E Shan several times, instructing him to remember to speak well of Shen Shi to Yu Lang, and also saying that when they had time, the two families would set a date to go out of the city together to worship Buddha and admire the autumn leaves.
“Your sister-in-law said she felt sorry for her brother-in-law who was home alone with no one to talk to. She said if you didn’t know how to be considerate of her, she would just take her brother-in-law to live with us.”
? ? ?
Yu Lang guessed what was going on when he delivered the gifts. After he made up the list that day, Shen Wanqing specifically asked him who he was currently on the best terms with and who he would be in the most contact with in the future. At the time, he thought that he should send gifts to these families first, but he didn't expect that she was really good at making people happy.
And she's the only young wife in the family with no one to talk to?! I wonder who it is that made my second aunt so angry. But enjoying the autumn leaves is fine, I have plenty of time during my vacation. But my great-grandmother is so busy with both family and work, I wonder if she'll be able to find the time.
"Let's go after this shift ends. The maple leaves are starting to turn red now. The maple leaves that aren't fully red have a unique charm. We can also take a trip to Xiangshan Temple then."
It's one thing to think that Shen Wanqing is good at sweet-talking people, but it's quite another to want to take her out to play. Originally, she thought that getting married would just mean having another person, Yu Lang, in the family, but now, seeing what Shen Wanqing has done for her and the East Courtyard, her thoughts have gradually changed.
"Alright, it's settled then." Eshan had come with a mission from the Zhaojia clan, and now that Yulang had readily agreed, it was naturally the best thing.
They had agreed to go see the autumn leaves together during their next long holiday. Hearing the commotion outside, the two of them got up and went outside to prepare for their shift.
Perhaps it was the favor Yinreng gave him last time that worked, because Yulang was naturally classified into the group of 'Crown Prince's confidants' by the scattered ministers responsible for guarding Yuqing Palace. Last time he was on duty outside Jide Hall, but this time he was assigned to work in the study.
On the contrary, Geng E, who had been following the Crown Prince all last time, was nowhere to be seen today. It wasn't until Yu Lang led the guards on duty to the entrance of Jide Hall that they encountered Geng E returning from outside.
"Lord Geng."
"It's time to hand over the shift, go inside first."
In principle, the guards on duty in front of the Crown Prince should be led by first-class guards. Only when the first-class guards are absent or unavailable will second-class guards temporarily fill in.
First-class guards not only had to protect their masters, but also had to be responsible for the deployment of sentries, patrol times and routes during their entire duty period, and conduct irregular inspections of the guarding of each gate. Only the most trusted confidants could be placed in this position.
Such a crucial position attracts countless eyes, demanding utmost caution. Yu Lang, confident in his composure and skill, stopped Geng E not out of fear of incompetence, but to ascertain Geng E's stance. If he were allowed in today, there would be one more person vying for the Crown Prince's favor.
Geng E stared at Yu Lang, whose eyes were bright as amber and whose gaze seemed to blatantly say "I want it," like a wolf cub. For a moment, he was momentarily stunned. He himself seemed to have been just as ambitious and spirited back then, believing that as long as he was given a chance, he would surely rise to high office and have a bright future.
But reality is often like a giant hand, ready to slap you across the face when you least expect it. Geng'e is currently in a situation where he has been slapped twice. Not only did he have an excuse not to go to the Crown Prince's presence after just returning from the Qianqing Palace, but even without an excuse, he didn't want to go at this moment.
"You little rascal, you're not that old, but you've got a lot on your mind. Didn't you say to the Crown Prince last time that thinking too much and doing too little would cause problems? What are you thinking about now?"
In terms of age, Geng E was of the same generation as Erhe, holding a higher official position and more seniority. Yu Lang listened to his somewhat teasing and admonitory tone without taking it to heart. Instead, he nodded to Geng E and then led his guards into Jide Hall.
The East Warm Pavilion of Ji De Hall was not large, just a small, square courtyard. After Yu Lang arranged his guards at the entrance and along the palace path, he walked in along the eaves.
"Lord Yu, you don't look well these past two days."
"I've only been here a short time and Eunuch He is already making fun of me. I guess I'll just have to go back to being a gatekeeper tomorrow."
Yu Lang smiled and stuffed the prepared purse into He Yuzhu's hand. He had to send Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to his colleagues outside the palace, and he couldn't neglect to take care of the eunuchs inside the palace as well.
Being overly polite is never a bad thing. But in daily life, there aren't always times when true loyalty is revealed in times of crisis. You can't just sit around doing nothing and fawn over your master, promising to stay by his side when he's in trouble. That's suicide, not a sign of loyalty. Some things are better left unsaid than empty promises of money.
"Lord Yu, you're too kind. I had some good wine saved up for the festival a couple of days ago, and I'll bring it to you tonight."
There are many generous ministers in the Crown Prince's faction, but those as easygoing and not domineering as Yu Lang are rare finds. He Yuzhu smiled and put away the purse, then turned halfway to the side, gesturing for Yu Lang to enter the East Warm Pavilion.
"At this hour, Lord Gu should be inside. I'll stay outside and keep watch."
Back then, His Majesty appointed two great Confucian scholars, Tang Bin and Geng Jie, as tutors to the Crown Prince. This arrangement could be described as being entirely for the Crown Prince's benefit.
However, the struggle for power has always been cruel. Four years ago, Tang Bin advocated that the Crown Prince's ceremonial procession should be simplified, which gave Mingzhu and others a handle to attack him. In addition, Kangxi's attitude towards the Crown Prince was unpredictable from time to time, and the old man could not bear this and died in depression.
After Tang Bin's death, the Crown Prince's regalia was cut down by more than half, both those that should have been reduced and those that shouldn't have been. Mingzhu's faction first pretended to speak up for the Crown Prince, and then used Tang Bin's suggestion to get the Emperor to check the Crown Prince. It was a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.
The same applies to Geng Jie. His personality matches his surname perfectly; he is so straightforward that it's hard to stand. Not only outsiders can't stand him, but even the Crown Prince often can't bear it. Although the teacher and student both know that the other is a good person, they are still not very close.
The only thing that made him stronger than Tang Bin was his physique. He couldn't fight against Mingzhu and his ilk, and he couldn't get along with Suo'etu. After resigning several times, he finally returned to his hometown and died the year before last.
When these two were around, it didn't seem like a big deal; after all, no matter how famous they were, they were still Han Chinese. The Crown Prince had Manchu noble families headed by Songgotu, and the Han Confucian scholar was just an embellishment to his reputation.
It wasn't until both of them passed away, and Yinreng had been constantly hampered and sabotaged by Mingzhu's faction for the past two years, that he truly realized how much effort his father had put into arranging these two great scholars for him, and how indispensable the support of Han officials and literati was.
Having realized how absurd it was that he hadn't done his best to support his two teachers back then, the Crown Prince now treats the teachers around him with great respect.
Even Suo'etu, who had always looked down on these "pedantic literati," was coldly warned by the Crown Prince not to argue with them over a moment's pride, and even more so not to think too highly of himself and consider these literati who wield pens to be useless.
Don't give Mingzhu and his ilk an opportunity to take advantage. If you really can't stand something, then watch less or not at all. In short, we can't afford to be disunited and let outsiders take advantage of the situation.
Everyone understands the principle, but putting it into practice is difficult. Fortunately, the current teachers who teach the Crown Prince are different in temperament from the previous two. One of them, Gu Badai, was originally a military officer who participated in the suppression of the Three Feudatories and was praised by His Majesty for being both loyal and brave.
After returning to the capital, he served as a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and entered the inner court to teach the princes. He was not the Crown Prince's only teacher, but he had to come to Yuqing Palace every few days to lecture the Crown Prince. This man was upright and of noble character, and even Suo'etu never showed off in front of him.
Such a man, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and so aloof and incorruptible, even intimidated Yu Lang, who had only been half-baked in his studies since childhood. He had already inquired about him when he entered the palace earlier today; it was Lord Gu's turn to give a lecture at Yuqing Palace. Now, even if he wasn't the one attending the lecture, he wouldn't be too happy to take the initiative to greet him.
"Don't worry, Lord Yu. Lord Gu has been summoned to the Qianqing Palace and is not here. Only Lord Xu is with the Crown Prince. Everyone knows Lord Xu's temperament, so please go in without worry."
Gu Badai was a scholarly tutor, and naturally, Yinreng also had a martial arts tutor. Xu Yuanmeng, the martial arts tutor chosen by Kangxi for Yinreng, was also skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was even more outstanding in his studies.
Xu Yuanmeng was known as a child prodigy in his youth, fluent in Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese languages. After passing the imperial examination at the age of eighteen, he was selected to serve in the Imperial Study. Everyone knew that Xu Yuanmeng was very knowledgeable, but in fact, this official was also very skilled in horsemanship and archery. However, his reputation as a child prodigy overshadowed most of his abilities.
Although Xu Yuanmeng and Gu Badai's names sound like Han Chinese, both were Manchu bannermen. Gu Badai's surname was Irgen Gioro, and he came from the Bordered Yellow Banner, while Xu Yuanmeng's surname was Shumulu, and he came from the Plain White Banner. Both were close ministers of the emperor selected from the Upper Three Banners.
Upon hearing that Xu Yuanmeng was inside, Yu Lang felt much relieved. Since Xu Yuanmeng, a member of the Shumulu clan, was related to the second wife of the family, going in now would at least not displease her husband.
Upon entering the East Warm Pavilion study, the personal guards had their designated seats. This place couldn't be too conspicuous; it wouldn't be appropriate for others to enter the room and see the guards before the Crown Prince.
However, they couldn't be too far away, because the guards in front of the crown prince not only had to protect their master, but also had to be able to step in when the crown prince needed them. To put it bluntly, this position was very similar to that of a soldier in later times. At first glance, it didn't sound like a high-ranking official, but it was a real close advisor.
Serving as the personal bodyguard of the Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty also involved a task that everyone knew about but no one would openly discuss: keeping an eye on the Crown Prince for His Majesty. Yu Lang needed to silently record everyone who entered and left Jide Hall, what they said and did, so that if he couldn't answer when His Majesty summoned him, it would be a grave offense.
Yu Lang stood where he was supposed to stand, listening to Xu Yuanmeng talk to the Crown Prince about ancestral laws and the way of being a ruler, until his eyelids drooped. If it weren't for his fingers digging into his palms so tightly, Yu Lang would have fallen asleep standing up.
"That concludes today's lesson, Your Highness. Please rest for a while, and I will return this afternoon after lunch."
"Teacher, you finished class a quarter of an hour earlier than usual today. Is something the matter?"
Yinreng took out his pocket watch and looked at it. Although Xu Yuanmeng was somewhat arrogant and had his own principles, he was very particular about discipline when teaching. He was always precise about when he would arrive and when he would leave. Yinreng was somewhat surprised that he had suddenly ended class a quarter of an hour early today.
"If this servant doesn't leave now, Lord Yu might embarrass himself in front of the Crown Prince."
Xu Yuanmeng glanced in the direction where Yu Lang was standing with great interest, which also made the Crown Prince look at Yu Lang.
Seeing his uncle, who was only working at Jide Hall for the first time, trying so hard to look energetic, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. Although he said that Yulang was unruly, he still nodded and let Xu Yuanmeng leave first.
"My lord, I have been disrespectful."
Didn't sleep well last night?
"Your Highness, I've had a good night's sleep."
"Then why are you getting sleepy here? Tell me the truth, don't try to fool me with those empty words."
"I dare not deceive my master. This servant has been like this since I was a child. I always fall asleep when the teacher is lecturing, and I have been beaten a lot for it in the past few years."
The Crown Prince wasn't focused on his studies today, and both Yu Lang and Xu Yuanmeng noticed it. Xu Yuanmeng suggested Yu Lang use this as an excuse to leave, a harmless pretext for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince wouldn't blame Yu Lang for such a small matter, so this way everyone would be happy.
"Nonsense! Do you think I'm ignorant just because I'm stuck in the Eastern Palace all day? Before we even entered the pass, Lord Xifu's family was a well-known scholarly family in Manchuria. Even Lord Xu wouldn't dare to be arrogant in front of your family. Your children have been well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics since they were young. You said you get sleepy in class, are you just trying to please me?"
The Crown Prince walked around from behind his desk, strolled over to Yu Lang, and made Yu Lang look up. He carefully observed the bloodshot in the whites of Yu Lang's eyes and the drowsiness that he couldn't completely hide despite his best efforts. Then he turned around and sat on the heated couch, gesturing with amusement to Yu Lang, indicating that he should explain what was going on.
“I have been studying since I was a child, but I have had a bad habit since I was a child: I can’t listen to what I have learned a second time. When I was young, I relied on my little bit of cleverness and always thought that this was easy and that was easy. I could understand the lessons the teacher taught as soon as I heard them.”
Since they already understood it, why bother listening to it over and over again? The boy was arrogant and thought he was the most important person in the world. He couldn't sit still in the school or private tutoring room, so he kept trying to find ways to skip class and go out to play.
"Back then, I only thought I was clever, and my cousins and other relatives who sat in the school and studied honestly were not as good as me. It wasn't until later, when I was holding a book and only had a vague understanding of many things, that I belatedly realized that I was just too stupid."
"You skip class every day, doesn't the teacher report you?"
What Yu Lang described was a scene that Yinreng could hardly imagine. After all, the princes who studied in the Imperial Study were all extremely well-behaved. Even the youngest and most unruly ninth and tenth princes, the most outrageous thing they had ever done was secretly bringing crickets into the Imperial Study to play. Skipping class? Dream on.
If they dared to do that, even Emperor Kangxi wouldn't need to say anything; the Crown Prince and Yinzhi would be ready to whip them. After all, one was the Crown Prince and the other the elder brother, and Kangxi always valued brotherly love and respect. If the younger brother was disobedient and didn't learn his lesson, and the elder brother didn't discipline him, it would be the Crown Prince and Yinzhi who would get whipped.
"How could I not complain? My father used to beat me so badly that he broke several of my horsewhips. He beat me so badly that my mother cried and took me back to my maternal home, saying that it was better to leave my son as a spendthrift than to let him beat me to death."
When talking about his past misdeeds, Yu Lang felt no shame at all. On the contrary, he spoke with great enthusiasm as if recalling something happy.
Yinreng was raised by Emperor Kangxi from a young age, and to outsiders, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Crown Prince was raised in the palm of His Majesty's hand. But he still found the father-son relationship described by Yulang very unfamiliar, like listening to a story, which was very interesting but also full of questions.
"Aren't you afraid..."
"Aren't you afraid that your unruly nature will cause you to lose your father's heart?"
From a young age, Yinreng was repeatedly instructed by his wet nurse and the head maid left behind by Empress Hesheli not to disobey the emperor.
His Majesty is the Imperial Father, first the Emperor, then the Father. Yinreng went from not understanding this principle to having a vague understanding, and then to believing it without a doubt. He couldn't understand from the bottom of his heart how Yulang could be so reckless. Wasn't he afraid of being disliked by his father? After all, he wasn't the only son in his family.
Yu Lang was taken aback by the Crown Prince's question. What could possibly be a rift between father and son? Besides, what difference would it make if the Hesheli family were to become estranged with their meager assets? So the Crown Prince wasn't asking Yu Lang, but rather asking on his own behalf.
“Your Highness, what can your father do even if he’s still angry? At worst, I’ll just go to him and act all innocent and pitiful after he’s calmed down. Otherwise, I’ll skip applying the medicine the night before and deliberately limp home the next day. That way, the matter will be over.”
Crown Prince Yinreng was not as extraordinary as the common people made him out to be. Crown Prince Duanfang did not always put on airs, and everyone who saw him treated him like a living ancestor, not daring to be presumptuous in their words or actions.
At least for now, Yinreng was sitting on the heated couch, his elbows propped up on the low table, listening intently to Yulang's rambling. Yulang was getting more and more excited as he talked, even mentioning that Erhe, who had been dead for several years, seemed to have only just left the capital on a mission, not that Yulang would never see him again.
"Your Highness, have I been too talkative?"
Yinreng listened intently, and Yulang said everything he could, but the prince still seemed to want more, making Yulang almost unable to continue.
“You’re not an outsider, and even outsiders don’t have your guts. It’s so boring to just ask a question and they answer it.”
"You're right, dear father, even if I'm angry, there's nothing I can do."
Yinreng gave Yulang a deep look. Yulang wanted to use the opportunity of entering Yuqing Palace to climb the ranks; his ambition was practically written all over his face.
If it were anyone else, Yinreng might not have liked them, but he just couldn't bring himself to dislike Yulang. Yinreng couldn't explain why, and could only vaguely conclude that: this person is smart.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com