Chapter 203 Subtle and Complex
As for the grand promises made by Emperor Kangxi, Yin'e, of course, accepted them without hesitation ╮(╯▽╰)╭.
He even stood up immediately to bow and express his gratitude, conveying his heartfelt and joyful thanks to Emperor Kangxi, and then, while the iron was hot, finalized the matter of accompanying him to the frontier two years later.
LOL, Yin'e isn't stupid. It would be crazy not to seize a windfall.
Although Kangxi was merely making empty promises, and it would take at least two years to realize them, he was at least a man of his word and quite trustworthy. He always kept his promises, ensuring that Yin'e wouldn't be left disappointed.
Yes, Kangxi was indeed teasing him on purpose, tempting him with something that could only be accomplished two years later, using his desire to go to Mongolia as a cat toy or a carrot hanging on a pole to lure him, but Yin'e was not the kind of person who valued appearances over substance.
As long as I can gain something tangible and achieve my goals, what does it matter if I'm teased and mocked by Emperor Kangxi a few times?
Anyway, he's still young (…), so it's not shameful for him to be teased by his inhuman father.
When children are teased by nasty adults, the most important thing to remember is not to take it seriously or let your guard down. Adults who tease children in this way will find it boring and eventually give up on playing with the children.
Seeing the bright smile bloom on Yin'e's fair face, as he openly and frankly expressed his true emotions, Kangxi smiled slightly, but his feelings were quite complicated.
Yin'e was always very frank with Kangxi because he considered himself not very smart, while Kangxi was the most shrewd of all.
If he tries to outsmart Emperor Kangxi, he will be seen through completely.
Since that's the case, Yin'e didn't bother with any more fuss or trying to outsmart Kangxi like a clown.
This can be considered a different kind of "being invincible when one is without desires".
Because Yin'e had no interest in vying for the throne and had no fundamental conflict of interest with Kangxi, and because Kangxi was a protective father, Yin'e believed that as long as Yin'e posed no threat to Kangxi, Kangxi would readily protect his son.
Yin'e was not a deep-thinking person, and he never tried to put on airs in front of Kangxi, which made it easy for Kangxi to see that Yin'e was a simple-minded person whose thoughts were so straightforward that they could be seen through at a glance.
In Kangxi's view, not only was Yin'e naive, but even the Ninth Prince, who was with him, was just as simple-minded. They had been studying in the Imperial Study for almost a year, but they hadn't learned much. It was as if they had wasted their time studying!
Emperor Kangxi was speechless whenever he thought about this. He finally understood why Yin'e and the Ninth Prince had been on the same page since childhood, played together, had a deep friendship, and were inseparable even now. It turned out that people are grouped by their kind and things are grouped by their type.
It must be said that Emperor Kangxi was a very strict parent. After the princes entered the Imperial Study, they not only had to study classics, history, philosophy, and literature, but also had to study astronomy, geography, Western learning, and other minor subjects. Even martial arts could not be neglected, and riding, archery, and wrestling were compulsory courses every day.
Not only were their studies heavy, but after the princes entered the Imperial Study, they could only rest for one or two days a year. Their daily routine was also forced to be adjusted to a "three-seven-seven hellish" schedule, starting at 3 AM and resting at 5 PM.
Emperor Kangxi was so strict with his children that even though Yin'e had been studying in the Imperial Study for almost a year, he hadn't been punished by Kangxi despite his various slacking off and procrastination. This was indeed because he had the good fortune of having the right timing, location, and people.
If Yin'e had been born earlier and had been born earlier in the order of birth, Emperor Kangxi would never have allowed him to slack off in the Imperial Study. He would have definitely found an opportunity to punish him, tried every means to bring him over, arranged a group of teachers to teach him properly, and strived to cultivate him into a useful person.
However, Yin'e was born late. By the time he was born, Kangxi already had several princes who were established and qualified to study in the Imperial Study. Yin'e was overshadowed by older princes who were more favored, drawing away most of Kangxi's attention from his sons.
Emperor Kangxi valued the Crown Prince the most, followed by the eldest princes, and then gave most of his remaining attention to the older third, fourth, fifth, and seventh princes, as well as the eighth prince who squeezed into the ranks of the older princes at the very end.
The Ninth Prince, Yin'e, the Eleventh Prince, and the Twelfth Prince, who were in the middle of the order of birth and were neither the eldest nor the youngest, did not receive much attention from Kangxi, because by this time Kangxi had no shortage of sons and did not care for them anymore!
Because there were enough older princes, and all of them were outstanding (excluding the Fifth Prince), Kangxi did not have such high expectations for younger princes like Yin'e, and he was no longer so insistent on raising his sons to be successful. Starting with the Ninth Prince, Kangxi became lax in the cultivation of his princes.
Kangxi's neglect and indifference were bad news for the princes who were trying to rise in rank and win the emperor's favor, but for Yin'e, who was determined to slack off... it couldn't be better!!
If Emperor Kangxi doesn't come looking for Yin'e, Yin'e will absolutely not take the initiative to approach him; he would rather Emperor Kangxi forget about him altogether.
Yin'e never tried to hide his lack of ambition from Kangxi, nor did he conceal his estrangement and respectful distance from Kangxi.
Otherwise, Yin'e wouldn't have bothered to come to the Qianqing Palace to pay his respects only once every ten days or so, unlike the older princes who came to the Qianqing Palace to pay their respects more frequently, even if Kangxi was too busy to see them, they would still come to the Qianqing Palace to report for duty.
Yin'e was too lazy to pretend to be a loving father and a filial son. If Kangxi didn't see through his perfunctory and indifferent attitude, he would be completely deceiving himself.
Emperor Kangxi was an emperor, but he was also a father. He not only raised his children to be the most ambitious, but he was also a doting father. Although his most beloved son was the crown prince, Kangxi was not without affection for his other children, nor did he not care whether they loved and were close to him, their father.
Yin'e was a straightforward person, so simple-minded that his thoughts could be seen through at a glance. He never pretended in front of Kangxi, and his coldness and distance towards his father, Kangxi, was blatantly obvious. As the emperor's father, Kangxi would naturally be angry and furious about this.
For a prince like Yin'e who doesn't actively seek out his father and complains that he rarely appears unless summoned by Emperor Kangxi, it wouldn't be wrong to call him disobedient and unfilial.
But while Kangxi was angry that his son was not close to him, he also felt a strange mix of emotions, including bitterness, regret, and disappointment.
The biggest reason for these mixed emotions is that Kangxi was happy to see Yin'e not getting close to him.
He was even relieved and satisfied by Yin'e's estrangement and respectful distance from him, his imperial father.
Yes, when Yin'e did not try to curry favor with him or seek to gain favor and seize power, Kangxi felt at ease and satisfied.
With the rivalry between the Crown Prince and the First Prince becoming increasingly fierce and obvious, and gradually coming to the fore, Kangxi absolutely did not want the Tenth Prince, whose maternal family was powerful, whose birth mother was a Consort and whose aunt was the Empress, to be involved in the struggle for the throne, and showed no intention of participating in the struggle for the throne.
Yin'e's open and uninhibited behavior of not currying favor with him or seeking the Emperor's patronage was exactly what Kangxi wanted. It made him more at ease with Yin'e, the son of a Noble Consort, and he no longer had to worry about the Niohuru clan behind Yin'e stirring up trouble and making the situation even more chaotic.
However, Kangxi also clearly knew that Yin'e's behavior not only meant that he had no desire for power, but also that Yin'e did not have deep feelings for his father, the emperor, and did not crave his father's favor or care about his father's love.
The sense of relief that arose from Yin'e's coldness and distance made Kangxi increasingly awkward. He knew clearly that while he was angry and disappointed that Yin'e was not close to him, he was also genuinely relieved that Yin'e, the son of a noble consort, was not involved in the struggle for the throne.
After realizing this, Kangxi could no longer accuse Yin'e of "disobedience and unfilial piety," because Yin'e's "disobedience and unfilial piety" was in his interest; Kangxi could no longer reprimand his son's indifference from the perspective of a father, because he had never simply regarded Yin'e as a father.
If Emperor Kangxi wanted Yin'e, the son of a powerful concubine, to stay away from the struggle for the throne, then he had to accept that as a father, he would lose Yin'e's sincere and honest affection, closeness, and dependence.
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