Chapter 150 The Emperor Personally Instructs the Princes in Their Studies
Qiaoling looked outside and realized it was indeed getting late; the eldest prince should be back by now.
"This servant will go and ask right away."
After bowing and withdrawing, Qiaoling hurriedly went to find Granny Ji.
When the palace servants told her that Granny Ji was at the palace gate, she hurriedly ran over.
Upon seeing them, Qiaoling immediately asked, "Granny Ji, what are you doing here? Where is Prince Chenghu? Her Majesty asked."
When Granny Ji heard someone calling her, she immediately turned around. When she saw that it was Qiaoling, her expression changed. "I'm also waiting for the prince. He should be back by this time in the past, but for some reason, it's been almost half an hour and he still hasn't returned."
Upon hearing this, Qiaoling also became anxious. "Has there been any news from the Imperial Study?" If something happens to the First Prince, the Empress will go crazy.
Granny Ji shook her head: "No, I sent someone to inquire, but they haven't returned yet. Qiaoling, do you think something might have happened?" Granny Ji was getting old and increasingly insecure. In addition, she had served Chenghu since he was a child and cared for him deeply.
She would magnify even the smallest things.
"Don't worry, Granny. I'll have Eunuch Li go look for him. Maybe the prince has encountered something interesting and lingered a little longer." Seeing Granny Ji's anxiety, she didn't dare to show too much.
I'm afraid of scaring this person.
You must know that this person's status is on par with Zhang Mama's, so she dared not offend her.
“This never happened before. In the past, if the prince had anything to do, he would always send someone back to report, just in case the Empress wouldn't see him and worry.” Granny Ji still felt something was amiss.
"Forget it, I'll go look for it myself, otherwise I won't feel at ease."
After saying that, she led her people out of Kunning Palace before Qiaoling could speak.
When Qiaoling saw Granny Ji running out like that, she stretched out a hand to call out to her, but Granny Ji had already run far away.
Seeing this, she didn't linger and went straight to the main hall. This matter was of great importance and could not be kept from the Empress.
Given how much the Empress values the princes, if this matter were concealed, they would likely all be punished.
When Qiaoling returned, she saw that her mistress was having someone prepare the food that the eldest prince liked, and the eleventh prince was also brought out by the wet nurse.
"Your Majesty." Qiaoling stepped forward and bowed, her face somewhat pale. "Your Majesty, the First Prince has not yet returned to the palace."
Hearing this, Fanghua stopped what she was doing and looked up at Qiaoling. "What happened? Did you ask Granny Ji?"
Normally, if my son comes home late, someone will send word back, but today is definitely unusual.
“I just went to look for Granny Ji. Granny Ji has already sent someone to inquire, but the person who went has not returned yet. Granny Ji was anxious, so she took people to look for the First Prince herself.”
Upon hearing this, Fanghua immediately got up and walked outside.
Although this is the royal palace, the princes are in no less danger than they are outside the palace.
She fears nothing in this life except for the possibility of something happening to her child.
Seeing that the Empress was in such a hurry, Qiaoling said no more and immediately followed.
Stepping out of the main hall and being blown by the wind, Fanghua's anxiety dissipated somewhat.
She immediately called out Xiaofeng's name in her heart.
"Xiao Feng is here, Master. What do you need Xiao Feng for?" Xiao Feng was playing outside when she heard her master calling her, so she immediately returned to her space.
"Did you follow Chenghu today?" Ever since Chenghu started his education, she had Xiaofeng follow him, afraid that she might discover something she didn't know.
Now it's come in handy.
"Yes, Master is in the Qing Palace right now. Don't worry, Master." Hearing her master's anxious tone, Xiao Feng immediately knew what her master was worried about.
"Today, His Majesty not only took the young master to the Qianqing Palace, but also had Prince Chengqing summoned. I heard that he intends to personally teach the two of them in the future."
Xiao Feng was having so much fun that she forgot about such an important thing. She should have told her owner sooner.
"What?" Fanghua was shocked.
It's not necessarily a good thing that Emperor Kangxi personally taught him.
After all, the crown prince has just been established. Chenghu is fine, but if Chengqing is nurtured to develop ambition, then Yinreng's path to becoming crown prince will not be peaceful.
Furthermore, she couldn't help but suspect that the emperor would allow his own brothers to hold him back in the future, since a reigning emperor could not relinquish his imperial power.
"Why would I personally teach her all of a sudden?" Fanghua really couldn't understand. Perhaps she was in such a hurry that she forgot that Xiaofeng hadn't reported it in time.
"Perhaps he was provoked, after all, he will never have any children again."
Xiao Feng spoke lightly, but she had no idea how much of a blow this would be to Kangxi.
In his view, an emperor who could no longer have children was incomplete.
It was God's punishment for him, and in order to cover it up, he naturally had to do something to conceal it.
"Hmph, I think he's restless. Alright, you stay by Chenghu's side. Nara is not one to stay put, not to mention she's now being taken in by the Empress Dowager."
The thought of Consort Hui made Fanghua feel nauseous.
Although it changed her fate, this man was arrogant once he gained power. If Chengqing really caught Kangxi's eye, wouldn't the events of the previous life repeat themselves?
This was certainly not the outcome she wanted to see.
On the way to the Qianqing Palace, Fanghua's face was ashen, and she was filled with a depressed mood.
Those around her didn't dare to breathe loudly, for fear of upsetting the Empress.
Qiaoling looked at the increasingly familiar road and knew where the Empress was going, but the Imperial Study was not here. She wanted to remind her, but was stopped by Qiaoyun beside her.
Qiaoyun shook her head at Qiaoling, telling her to keep quiet. The Empress had her reasons for doing this, and they were servants who knew their place.
Although Qiaoling didn't understand, she knew that Qiaoyun was more stable than herself and was willing to listen to her.
At the gate of Qianqing Palace, the gatekeeper eunuchs rushed forward to curry favor with the Empress upon her arrival.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty be well."
Fanghua's expression softened, no longer as dark as it had been on the road.
"Is the eldest prince with the Emperor?" she asked, raising her hand.
When the gatekeeper eunuchs saw that the Empress had asked them a question, they dared not hide anything. They smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, the First Prince is here. Does Your Majesty wish to go in? Or should we go in and inform him?"
Although the Emperor had previously said that the Empress did not need to be announced when she came, they were servants, and their duty was simply to keep to their own business, which was to announce her arrival.
Of course, I had to ask that question.
"Okay, go ahead."
Soon, the eunuch who went in to announce the news came out, and judging from the smile on his face, he was sure that the Empress's wish would be granted.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor requests your presence."
Fanghua nodded and strode towards the main hall of the Qianqing Palace.
Inside the hall, the previous atmosphere of learning was long gone, with only the small figure of a student copying at the desk.
When Fanghua came in, she saw her son writing large characters with a bitter and resentful expression.
A mother's heart is connected to her son's; she could tell at a glance that Chenghu was in a very bad mood.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
"Alright, there are no outsiders here, no need for formalities. Why has the Empress come?" Kangxi's smile deepened upon seeing the Empress.
After all, she was his first wife, and she naturally held a special place in his heart.
When Chenghu and Chengqing, who were copying large characters, saw the Empress arrive, they immediately stopped writing, stepped forward from their desks, and bowed to greet her: "Greetings to Your Majesty."
Fanghua was the legal mother, and the children of the concubines all had to call her "Imperial Mother," so Chengqing's address of "Imperial Mother" was quite appropriate.
"Get up. You've been writing for a long time. Are you tired?" Since they were in the Qianqing Palace, Fanghua was somewhat discreet and did not go forward to help Chenghu up. Instead, she raised her hand and asked him to get up.
"Your Majesty is really something. Doesn't he even look at what time it is? Adults can endure it, but children can't. It's time for school to end. How can Your Majesty bear to make them work so hard?"
Fanghua gave the Emperor a disapproving look.
Emperor Kangxi strongly disagreed with the Empress's words.
"Your Majesty, what you're saying is true. Studying is never easy. When I was a child, I read, wrote, and memorized things one hundred and twenty times each. How could I be tired?"
These were the teachings he received from childhood, so he didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, he felt that doing so was not enough.
To gain something, you must give something up.
If you can't even endure this little hardship, what will you be able to do in the future?
"Hmph, that's the Emperor, not the children. I don't want my children to suffer like this. They're only a few years old. Even if we want to truly teach them, we should at least wait until they're older."
Fanghua didn't care whether he was the emperor or not; she was very protective of her own.
"You, a doting mother, spoils her son."
The Emperor couldn't do anything about her. He knew the Empress's temperament; if he really angered her, he would be the one to suffer.
"Alright, that's enough for today. From now on, after school, come here and copy capital letters for half an hour."
But he also set his future routine.
Fanghua was very dissatisfied and was about to retort, but her son pulled her sleeve.
"Your Majesty, I think Father Emperor's arrangement is very good. I like copying large characters." After saying this, Chenghu winked at his mother.
Fanghua wouldn't contradict her son, so she could only agree. "Alright then, but next time you're coming home late, make sure someone goes back to let you know. You have no idea how worried Granny Ji is."
Speaking of Granny Ji, she hadn't run into her along the way, and she had no idea where Granny Ji had gone to look for her.
well.
It's all the Emperor's fault.
Emperor Kangxi was once again met with an angry glare from the Empress, which puzzled him greatly and made him feel wronged. "Why does the Empress look at me like that?"
Fanghua laughed in anger; this person had done something bad without even realizing it.
"Your Majesty is really something. Since you brought him to the Qianqing Palace, you should at least send someone to inform him. Chenghu has been taken care of by Granny Ji since he was a child. Now that you can't find him, you're anxious to search the whole palace."
Hearing this, Kangxi was quite innocent. "I sent someone to inform them." He naturally knew how much the women in the harem valued having children, so when he sent someone to invite them to bring their children, he had his servants notify all the palaces.
Hearing this, Fanghua's anger intensified, and she said, "Oh, then Your Majesty must investigate thoroughly. It seems there are some disobedient servants among your men."
Emperor Kangxi never expected that such a person existed by his side. What was Wei Zhong doing?
"Wei Zhong."
A furious roar came from inside the hall.
Upon hearing the commotion, Wei Zhong immediately rushed into the main hall. "Your servant is here."
Kangxi glared at him angrily, "I told you to notify them when you were picking them up, how did you do that?" This scoundrel really knows how to cause him trouble.
They can't even handle the smallest things.
"This servant is innocent! This servant went to fetch the Second Prince first, and then went to the Imperial Study to fetch the First Prince. This servant was just about to send someone to inform Her Majesty the Empress when I ran into Li Dequan, so this servant asked him to go to Kunning Palace to inform Her Majesty the Empress."
Wei Zhongzhen was truly wronged.
How could he not handle such a small matter?
However, upon closer examination, Li Dequan has a serious problem.
"Hmph, summon Li Dequan. I want to see how many lackeys I have around me."
Fanghua had no desire to stay here with him while he punished the servants. Li Dequan, right? She remembered that.
"Your Majesty, then I will take Chenghu back first. The child ate some pastries after his afternoon nap, but hasn't eaten anything yet. I will take him back for a meal first."
They were all close attendants of the emperor, so it wouldn't be her place to deal with them. It was better to avoid them.
Emperor Kangxi did not want to lose face in front of the Empress, so he nodded and said, "Yes, you take the child back first, and send Chengqing back as well."
Since Lady Nara was still under house arrest, the child naturally had to be sent to her Zhongcui Palace.
Fanghua was reluctant, but she didn't want to give others more opportunities to get close to the Emperor, so she nodded and agreed, "Yes."
Chengqing, having not grown up drinking the spiritual spring water, was not as intelligent as Chenghu. Upon hearing that he was to go with the Empress, his resistance was almost palpable.
However, no one gave him a chance to refuse. Kangxi waved for them to leave, and Fanghua sent someone forward to take Chengqing away with them.
As they exited the main hall, they ran into Li Dequan, who was entering.
His face was pale at this moment, and he probably knew what he had done.
It's unclear how Emperor Kangxi will punish him next.
These things have nothing to do with Fanghua, but she'll remember Li Dequan; he won't have a good life from now on.
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"You scoundrel, are you going to confess yourself, or should I have someone torture you?"
Emperor Kangxi was furious when he saw Li Dequan kneeling on the ground; he felt like strangling him.
He was not a nameless or faceless person; he had served in front of the emperor for a long time. Although he was not as influential as Wei Zhong and others, he was still a eunuch who was well-regarded by the emperor.
I really don't know who gave him the guts to even openly comply with his words while secretly going against them.
"Your Majesty, spare my life! This servant knows his mistake. Please have mercy, Your Majesty. This servant had no choice." Li Dequan cried, his crying was so pitiful.
But who is the person in front of him?
His Majesty the present.
How could a few tears so easily excuse his betrayal?
"Oh, then tell me about your predicament."
It turned out that Li Dequan had been bribed by Nara. He learned that the Emperor was going to take Prince Chengqing to study in front of the Emperor today. Although Nara was under house arrest, she had given birth to two sons for the Emperor, although only the second prince survived.
But unlike the other concubines, Li Dequan was good in every way except for one flaw: he was greedy for money.
Nara was also very generous, even managing to bribe those in the imperial court.
It's hard to tell whether she's carefree or he's wild.
This is why Li Dequan later failed to perform his duties as instructed by Wei Zhong.
In his view, it was an honor to be taken by the emperor's side, and it didn't matter whether he was informed or not. He would rather play a few more games than waste his time on that.
Yes, he is not only greedy for money, but also a gambler, though he usually keeps it well hidden.
Li Dequan had no choice at all; it was all just an excuse.
But no one would have thought that he would be so audacious as to try to frame the Empress Dowager, who was far away in Wutai Mountain.
Yes, Empress Dowager.
"It was Her Majesty the Empress Dowager who instructed me to do this." As he spoke, he took out a purse, which was the very one the Empress Dowager had given him before. It was just a coincidence that he had almost lost all his money gambling today, so he wanted to wear the purse given to him by the Empress Dowager to show off his noble air.
Unexpectedly, this became the reason for his acquittal.
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