That was so far in the past that Hongzhao had no idea about it.
Faced with Hongzhao's bewildered gaze, Kangxi smiled but remained silent.
Then, he turned to Yinreng and said, "Come here to me."
The stark contrast in tone completely extinguished any warmth in Yinreng's heart.
Adult sons are indeed not as favored as chubby little boys.
Yinreng followed Kangxi out of the pavilion, where servants brought stools for the two of them to sit on.
Hongzhao moved blankly to sit down next to Tong Wanyan's knees: "Mother, Father and Grandfather are gone."
Tana wiggled her little bottom, slid off Tong Wanyan's lap, and pounced on Hongzhao.
“If Father goes with Grandfather, then we can have Mother all to ourselves! Hongzhao, you’re so silly.” Tana squinted, deliberately making a disgusted face.
Hongzhao kindly handed her a piece of pine nut candy. Tana's eyes lit up, and she quickly stuffed the candy into her mouth.
"Even though you're silly, with a smart older sister like me around, I'll protect you and play with you." Tana ate her candy, her eyes narrowed like a cat that had just finished eating fish.
Hongzhao took a big bite of a peach shortbread and asked, "Then, sister, will you go to school with me?"
Tana's eyes widened instantly, and upon closer inspection, one could see the fine downy hairs on her forehead standing on end.
“Hongzhao, I have a fourth uncle!” Tana said earnestly.
Hongzhao looked at Tana's chubby hand with a fleshy dimple on the back: "Fourth Uncle is also my Fourth Uncle."
“That’s true, but I’m the one Fourth Uncle loves the most! Fourth Uncle taught me to read and write, Mother taught me to play the zither, play chess, and do needlework, and Father taught me to ride horses. Little brother, you need to find other teachers to teach you.” Tana was domineering.
Hongzhao looked at his older sister helplessly, resting his chin on his hand: "I really can't do anything with you. Mother said that you are a girl and should be protected. Once I study well in the Imperial Study, I will protect you for the rest of my life."
What a wonderful younger brother! Tana was moved and turned to hug Hongzhao.
Her clothes were too tight, and her short legs made her unsteady. She accidentally knocked Hongzhao down.
Fortunately, Su Jixiang was watching from the side. When he saw Hongzhao fall backward, he quickly acted as a cushion to prevent the two young masters from getting hurt.
Similar things had happened many times in Yuqing Palace. Hongsheng would watch his older brother and sister fall into a heap while he was in the arms of his wet nurse, and he would giggle happily.
Tana yanked Hongzhao up, her movements swift and decisive: "Hongzhao, is Hongsheng mocking us?"
Hongzhao thought about it seriously: "No, Hongsheng is naturally cheerful, why would he deliberately laugh at us?"
Tong Wanyan pursed her lips and lowered her head, refusing to look at her children.
They're both my own children, and I can't tell the truth and hurt those two chubby little ones.
Hongsheng was definitely mocking Tana and Hongzhao!
Fortunately, Hongsheng could only occasionally utter a few words; he couldn't even speak in short sentences. Otherwise, it would have been so embarrassing for him to be laughed at by his younger brother, who was three years younger than him.
When Kangxi took Yinreng away, it must have been to discuss important matters of state.
Through Shi Xiuzhu's introduction, the caravan that Yinreng and the Guarjia clan cooperated on, with the permission of Emperor Kangxi, has already entered Russian territory carrying official documents.
The letter sent back by the caravan through the post station was presented to the Emperor's desk in the Qianqing Palace, making Kangxi's eyes light up. He wished he could personally use an abacus to calculate how much profit they had made.
"Baocheng, I intend to fully lift the maritime ban. Not only will private individuals be allowed to go to sea for trade, but the imperial court will also organize a fleet to trade with overseas countries." Having tasted the benefits, Kangxi finally made up his mind to no longer block the economic and trade relations between the Qing Dynasty and foreign countries.
Foreigners are willing to travel thousands of miles across the ocean to make money in the Qing Dynasty, so why should the Qing Dynasty give up such great benefits?
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