On the day of the Thousand Elders Banquet, the entire city of Beijing was bustling with activity, decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and filled with the sounds of gongs and drums. One carriage after another drove into the city from the city gates, as all the Five-fold Elders from various regions came to Beijing. Even the carriages were of various styles, showcasing the regional characteristics.
The elderly people, who had never been to the capital before, craned their necks to look around, beaming as they recounted Emperor Kangxi's diligent governance, love for the people, and great achievements. Everyone in Beijing knew that today was Emperor Kangxi's banquet for the elderly, and every household came out to watch the spectacle, making the streets and alleys bustling with noise.
On this day, in order to welcome the elderly man safely to the Thousand Elders Banquet, the Fourth Prince arranged for Hongli and Hongzhou to greet him at the gate of Yuanmingyuan early in the morning. Hongli happily went to invite Hongzhou early in the morning, but unexpectedly, Hongzhou had already left before him, so Hongli had to go alone.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Yuanmingyuan, Hongzhou was seen standing with several other princes in the distance. He pretended not to see Hongli. Hongli knew that Hongzhou was angry about his annulment of the engagement and refused to talk to him. Not wanting to go over, he nodded and exchanged a few pleasantries with the princes before choosing a spot to stand.
At that moment, a carriage stopped in front of Hongli. The servant quickly ran over, steadyed the horse's stirrups, and helped an elderly man with a full head of white hair off. The old man, perhaps due to numbness in his legs from sitting in the carriage for too long or simply because he was not very mobile, stumbled and almost fell. Hongli strode over and personally helped the old man up, and the old man quickly bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you, sir, thank you, sir. Your status is too high for this old man to accept..." He tried to break free and leave, but before he could, Hongli smiled and took the old man's arms in his hands, bowing slightly as he said, "Elder, you are a distinguished guest. Today is the Emperor's Thousand Elders Banquet, and we are here specifically to welcome you. There is no need for such talk of status. The Emperor's grace is boundless, and the Emperor loves his people like his own children. Elder Wuquan is especially respected. Please rest assured and let me help you inside..." Hongli smiled and gently helped him inside.
The old man, moved, repeatedly said "good" and bowed several times towards the location of the Old Summer Palace, praising Hongli incessantly. However, the other princes all looked at Hongli, exchanging glances and whispering amongst themselves. Because of their different statuses, the princes simply stood to greet the Five Perfections Elder at the Thousand Elders Banquet; none of them personally offered to help him. Hongli's behavior sparked much discussion among the crowd.
Hongtai said disdainfully in a low voice, "Among all our princes, Hongli is indeed the most clever. He goes to great lengths to please the Emperor, but I wonder if the Emperor will even see all that he's doing?"
Hongji laughed and replied, "Yes, I heard that the Emperor specially summoned him to Changchun Garden a few days ago. Do any of you have received such treatment? You should all learn from him. He gets all the good things, and we're just left to play along..."
"Grandfather Emperor values the Thousand Elders Banquet, and Hongli will seize the opportunity to make a name for himself there. Have you also heard that he promised his daughter to a princess from the Fuca clan, and before the wedding even took place, he couldn't wait to promise his daughter to a princess from the Ulanara clan? He's got both of the best families; Hongli is truly blessed..."
He deliberately raised his voice to tell everyone about Hongli's affair with Mingyu and Xueying, and everyone immediately showed a look of disdain.
When Hongli returned and saw everyone discussing this, he didn't argue with them so as not to delay welcoming the Five Perfections Elder. However, their words had already reached Hongli's ears.
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