The abbot, naturally, dared not delay and immediately went up the back mountain to inform Emperor Kangxi of the Fourteenth Prince's disappearance in the woods.
Kangxi had no choice but to order the abbot to relay a message to the guard Qin Gang, instructing him to quickly search the woods behind the mountain with the Tenth Prince. The abbot immediately agreed to send the temple's warrior monks out to search as well.
After he left, Xingchi saw that Kangxi's eyes were full of the loving look of a father worried about his young son, and smiled slightly: "Don't worry, the Fourteenth Prince will turn bad luck into good. Perhaps he just got lost. The mountains and forests behind the palace cover hundreds of miles, and it's nighttime, so it's very common for people to get lost in there."
Kangxi nodded and said, "What an unworthy brat! He is my third son with Consort De, and he is a very affectionate child."
Xingchi looked at Kangxi and said, "I can see that you like this fourteenth prince very much, so why did you tell me that he might not be suitable for that position?"
It turns out that during the three days that Kangxi spent in the back mountain, he talked to Xingchi about his sons, starting with the eldest prince Yinti, and described to Xingchi one by one their personalities, strengths, births, and the social standing of their marriages.
Kangxi smiled slightly and said, "This young man is extremely kind-hearted. Although he is arrogant, he is not hard-hearted; on the contrary, he is too soft-hearted. He is a born military general, but not a good minister who can plan for the big picture. In addition, he is still young, and there is a group of older brothers eyeing him covetously!"
Xingchi nodded and said, "The Tenth Prince was born to Empress Niohuru. He is also a martial arts talent, but his straightforward and simple personality makes him even less suitable. So, only the Fourth Prince is left?"
Kangxi nodded and said, "This child is my first son with Consort De. He was given to Empress Tongjia to raise from a young age until he was ten. He has a calm and steady personality, is quite patient and composed, does not like to play around, and is decisive in his work."
Upon hearing this, Xingchi laughed and said, "Actually, you have already made a decision, so why are you asking for my opinion? If the Fourth Prince is really as you say, then he is indeed the most suitable candidate."
Emperor Kangxi sighed slightly and said, "It's just that this son's personality is too cold and aloof. I'm afraid that after he ascends the throne, he won't be able to tolerate my sons. Although they are not very filial, I still have to take care of them. After all, they are all descendants of the Aisin Gioro clan."
Xingchi sighed, "It seems that no one is perfect. Just like everything in this world, nothing is absolutely perfect. Xuan Ye, I trust your choice, just as I entrusted the vast Qing Dynasty to you back then. Whether the Fourth Prince is suitable or not, you can observe for a while longer, and you can even set some obstacles for him. See if he can overcome them?"
Kangxi nodded and said, "I really have this plan. We might as well make the assessment period longer. If he can pass it, then I will be at ease."
Meanwhile, the abbot sent a dozen or so martial monks to go with Tenth Master and the others to the back mountain to search for Fourteenth Master and Fourth Master.
Not only that, to their surprise, before they could even split up, they saw a pair of figures heading down the mountain.
Tenth Prince, holding a torch, peered closer and saw that it was indeed Fourth Prince and Fourteenth Prince! Fourth Prince was supporting Fourteenth Prince, who was limping as if he had injured his leg. Tenth Prince quickly signaled the guards to go and greet them, and he rushed forward as well.
"Fourteenth, where did you run off to? I was so worried about you!" Tenth Master saw that Fourteenth's legs were wrapped in white cloth strips, with even some bright red bloodstains on them.
"Tenth Brother, I fell into a porcupine trap and injured my leg. Luckily, Fourth Brother arrived in time, otherwise, if I had continued to bleed like this, I might not have seen you again." Fourteenth Brother's lips were already pale, which was obviously a sign of excessive blood loss.
"Stop talking, just carry him back. He's too tall, I can't carry him." Fourth Master glared at Fourteenth Master and said.
Then, Qin Gang carried the Fourteenth Master on his back, and everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
When the fourteenth prince returned to the mountain temple, the abbot personally applied herbal medicine to him again. Naturally, to replenish his blood, he ordered the kitchen to slaughter several chickens. Actually, the mountain temple had chickens and ducks; otherwise, where would the eggs they ate come from?
Kangxi immediately learned that the Fourteenth Prince had been rescued by the Fourth Prince, and his slightly anxious heart finally settled down.
Fourth Master was busy going back to wash up and didn't stay with Fourteenth Master to eat chicken. Tenth Master felt bad about it and stayed by Fourteenth Master's side, eating quite a bit of chicken with him.
After a few days of rest, Fourteen's leg finally recovered slowly, but it still needed to be cared for, otherwise it was easy to leave sequelae. The mountain temple only raised a few chickens and ducks, which was not enough for Fourteen to eat, so a few days later, Tenth Master volunteered to go down the mountain to buy some ingredients to replenish Fourteen's blood.
Tenth Master was ordered to go down the mountain with two guards to buy chickens, ducks, and fish for Fourteenth Master. Fourteenth Master, in order to recover quickly, could only lie in the meditation room and could not go anywhere. Fourth Master, being alone and bored, would often go out for a stroll.
After wandering around for some time, Fourth Master had practically become familiar with the mountains and roads surrounding the temple. He was very glad he hadn't sneaked down that day, otherwise he might have lost Fourteenth. When he found Fourteenth in the porcupine trap, he was already pale, his calf pierced by a bamboo dagger; if the bleeding hadn't stopped, he probably wouldn't have survived. Fourth Master was very fortunate that, based on his understanding of Fourteenth, he had gradually figured out his hunting routes, which was why he was able to find him so quickly. If he had let Tenth Master search, he might not have been able to find Fourteenth so quickly.
Fourth Master remembered the moment Fourteenth Master saw him; his eyes were filled with surprise and emotion. Fourth Master never told him that he himself felt the same excitement and emotion when he saw Fourteenth Master. If Fourteenth Master had truly lost his life in a porcupine-catching pit, Fourth Master would never have forgiven himself.
Tenth Master naturally brought back a lot of pork chops, beef, and mutton from his trip down the mountain, as well as chicken, duck, fish, and eggs. Fourteenth Master's leg injury healed quickly with the daily feast of meat and fish. After all, he was only nineteen years old, so his recovery seemed particularly fast.
It seems that Kangxi took the opportunity of recuperating the Fourteenth Prince to stay by Xingchi's side, accompanying him in chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha every day, and was not in a hurry to go down the mountain.
The Fourth Prince never went into the back mountain to see Emperor Shunzhi, even though he really wanted to. But since Emperor Kangxi didn't summon him, he stopped thinking about it.
Soon, the sweltering summer arrived. Fourth Master and his companions had been at Mount Wutai for almost two months. He listened to the mountain breeze and the sound of flowing water every day, and woke up to the chirping of countless birds the next day. Time flew by.
"Fourth Brother, thank you!" Fourth Master was meditating on the observation platform of the mountain temple, listening to the breath of the mountains. Suddenly, Fourteenth Brother's voice came from behind him.
"Between brothers, there's no need for thanks," Fourth Master said with a smile.
"I've misunderstood you too much in the past, I hope you won't be angry with me," Fourteen said.
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