Chapter 108 The Naming of Old Ten, the Colt from the 180s
The Imperial Concubine had long been aware of the hidden struggles and conflicts between the Manchu noble families and the bondservant families, but she had always been reluctant to get involved because the matter did not have a significant impact on her, and also because her position was awkward and it was not appropriate for her to intervene.
It's true that the Consort came from a noble Manchu family, but she was from the Niohuru clan, which meant she couldn't share a position with the Crown Prince, whose mother was from the Hesheli clan. The fact that the Consort had a son meant that she and the Crown Prince couldn't form an alliance, and it also meant that the Hesheli and Niohuru clans couldn't stand on the same side.
The Crown Prince has the support of the Hesheli clan, which can unite a portion of the Manchu nobles.
In this situation, the Imperial Concubine, who came from a Manchu noble family and had a son, was in a very awkward position: she could not unite with the Crown Prince, and any move she made could easily trigger a split among the Manchu nobles.
The noble consort's background also determined that she could not cooperate with the bondservant. Even if the noble consort, as a Manchu noblewoman, could put aside her pride, the bondservant would not trust her and had no reason to cooperate with her. There were quite a few bondservant concubines who had children and were favored, and the bondservant had no need to go to such lengths to support the noble consort.
In the vortex of the struggle between the Manchu nobles and the bondservant families, the Imperial Concubine was never at the very center of the conflict.
Similarly, the Imperial Concubine had no right to, much less the right to, interfere in the core interests that the two sides were vying for.
Since the conflict between the two sides had nothing to do with her, and since she had been excluded from the beginning, the Imperial Concubine was too lazy to get involved in this mess.
Yin'e had always tried to live a life of leisure in the palace, like a lazy, indifferent prince. But when it came to this, the Imperial Concubine was no less eager to slack off.
Since entering the palace, the Imperial Concubine has always acted very detached. Despite her noble birth, high rank, and the presence of a son, she has a low profile in the palace, preferring to stay in Yongshou Palace and live her own life.
The imperial concubine had no ambition, not even a drive to improve herself, and just lazed around in the palace.
But no one would slack off for no reason. The reason why Consort Gui acted this way was because from the moment she entered the palace, Kangxi had never given her a chance to rise in rank; it was because she could see her entire future at a glance, and at the same time, she could not see any hope of change.
From the moment she entered the palace, the Imperial Concubine's life became a stagnant pool whose future was predetermined, never to be disturbed again. But the Imperial Concubine had no complaints; she knew from the beginning what she would face and had accepted this fate from the start.
Her family raised her; this is both a debt of gratitude and a favor.
Therefore, when Empress Xiaozhao passed away and the Niohuru clan decided to send another noblewoman into the palace, the Noble Consort, who was of suitable status and age, accepted the arrangement and entered the palace. She became a pawn in the Niohuru clan's relationship with the imperial family and a link in maintaining the marriage alliance between the Manchu nobles and the imperial family.
When Consort Gui entered the palace, she was perceived by all parties as a high-ranking concubine with a high status but little favor. Her main purpose in entering the palace was twofold: first, to balance the power among the Mongols, Manchus, and bondservant groups; and second, because Empress Xiaozhao had passed away only six months after being crowned empress, the Niohuru clan needed someone to enter the palace to maintain this connection.
That's how it should have been, but life is full of surprises. High-ranking concubines rarely conceive, but the fact that the Imperial Concubine became pregnant and gave birth to a son three years after entering the palace was the biggest surprise and variable.
After Yin'e was born, the Imperial Concubine's stance shifted somewhat, and the situation inside and outside the palace changed as a result.
The most significant point is that, because of Yin'e's existence, the Consort inevitably found herself on the opposite side of the Crown Prince; even if they weren't enemies, they couldn't cooperate. Secondly, the Niohuru clan would also develop ambitions and attempt to compete with the Hesheli clan, further dividing the Manchu nobility.
Consort Gui had no intention of sacrificing herself for Niohuru again, nor did she intend to use Yin'e as a bargaining chip in the struggle for power.
With the Crown Prince's position secure, any attempt by Niohuru to contend for the throne would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. The Imperial Concubine was absolutely unwilling to use Yin'e as a pawn for the sake of her family's ambitions, and was absolutely unwilling to sacrifice Yin'e for a slim chance of succession.
Moreover, the Niohuru clan was originally a member of the Manchu nobility. If the Niohuru clan were to stand up first and contend with the Crown Prince and the Hesheli clan behind him, it would cause a split among the Manchu nobility and give the bondservant families the opportunity to watch from the sidelines and reap the benefits.
From any perspective, the Imperial Concubine could only remain silent and could not act rashly.
After Yin'e was born, the Consort, who had always been very easygoing since entering the palace, became even more low-key. She even made a clean break and stopped competing for anything. Not only did she stop competing herself, she also began to suppress the Niohuru clan, forbidding them from having any ambitions and from using Yin'e to compete with the Crown Prince and the Hesheli clan.
Perhaps it was Consort Gui's pragmatic behavior that moved Emperor Kangxi. For the past six years, Emperor Kangxi has taken care of the mother and son, who were in an awkward position, and allowed them to live peacefully in the palace. They neither developed a rift with the Crown Prince nor were they dragged into the struggles between the Manchu nobles and bondservant families.
The Imperial Concubine now has only one wish: to raise Yin'e to adulthood. As for other matters, she has no ambition for them, nor can she have such ambition, and she will actively suppress the Niohuru clan to prevent them from developing any ambitions.
Becoming a concubine was certainly not what the Imperial Concubine desired; her awkward position and predicament made her life in the palace extremely difficult. But with this treasure bestowed upon her by heaven, what more could she ask for?
The Imperial Concubine gazed intently at Yin'e, her eyes gentle and soothing, like water, yet imbued with resilience and strength, possessing a composure and unwavering spirit that remained steadfast even in the face of storms and frost.
The Consort, whose position was awkward, originally did not intend to get involved in the open and covert struggles between the Manchu nobles and the bondservant families. However, as Yin'e grew up, the Consort could no longer remain aloof.
She didn't want to fight for anything, but she had to have the ability to protect herself so that she could ensure that the growing Yin'e could grow up safely in the palace, instead of being implicated and becoming cannon fodder for no reason.
If she were to get involved, she would first need to determine her stance. Given the noble Manchu family background of the Imperial Concubine, it was impossible for any bondservant family to accept her. But as for the Crown Prince… the Imperial Concubine shook her head inwardly; that was not a good place either.
Consort Gui and Yin'e never intended to compete with the Crown Prince for the throne, but they could not possibly support him either.
Leaving aside whether the Crown Prince would trust them, just one point would make the Consort hesitate to side with the Crown Prince—supporting the Crown Prince would be detrimental to both her and her son, as well as to the Niohuru clan.
Ultimately, the positions of Niohuru and Hesheli, the Consort and her son, and the Crown Prince are contradictory. Unless Yin'e is willing to depose himself like the Seventh Prince, no matter how much he slacks off or acts like a lazy bum, the Crown Prince will never fully trust him and will definitely find an opportunity to weaken their side.
The Imperial Concubine was different from Empress Xiaoyi, who had recently passed away. Empress Xiaoyi had no sons of her own, only an adopted son who was not registered under her name. Therefore, while Empress Xiaoyi was alive, there was no conflict of interest between her and the Crown Prince, who had not yet entered the court.
Moreover, in the previous dynasty, the Tong family and the Hesheli clan had a long-standing marriage alliance. While the two families weren't exactly inseparable, they maintained frequent, clandestine contact and enjoyed a fairly harmonious relationship, at least much better than the relationship between the Hesheli clan and the Niohuru clan.
"It seems there's only one path to take." The Imperial Concubine suddenly sighed, murmuring softly, her exquisitely beautiful eyes revealing a hint of hesitation and rejection.
Yin'e, who was stuffing a steamed bun into his mouth, looked over with a puzzled expression, tilted his head and asked curiously, "Mother, did you say something just now?"
The imperial concubine shook her head without answering. She hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to make a decision immediately.
Whether this step is good or bad, she cannot immediately tell.
After the Mongolian women gradually fell silent in the palace, only the Manchu nobles and the bondservant families remained. While Empress Xiaoyi was still alive, the two sides were in a balance of power, and because of the crown prince, the Manchu concubines even suppressed several favored bondservant concubines who had sons.
However, this balance is not stable enough. The slightest change will break the balance, and if either side gains the upper hand, the situation will deteriorate rapidly.
That is exactly the situation now. With the passing of Empress Xiaoyi, the power of the Manchu concubines in the palace has plummeted to its lowest point. In particular, the return of Empress Xiaoyi's adopted son, the Fourth Prince, to Consort De's household has dealt another heavy blow to the power of the Manchu concubines in the harem.
This situation in the harem was certainly not what Emperor Kangxi wanted to see. He preferred to see a balance rather than one side dominating, which meant that some of the Manchu concubines needed to step forward.
The awkward thing is that there is no suitable candidate. The status and position of Consort Chuxiu are not high enough, and she has also displeased Emperor Kangxi because of her excessive closeness to the Crown Prince; Consort Gui is high enough in status and position, but she has a different stance from the Crown Prince and the other side of the Manchu nobles.
Given her background and position, whether she was a Manchu noble or a bondservant family, she couldn't join them and became a third party in the palace.
Given her status and position, it would have been fine if she had remained silent and uninvolved in the palace. However, if she suddenly rose to prominence, it would only complicate the situation in the palace, turning the two opposing sides into a three-way power struggle—something that Emperor Kangxi would have preferred to see, but which was something that Consort Gui had been hesitant to decide on.
One reason is that the future of this path is uncertain; another reason is that the imperial concubine must pay a price to embark on this path.
First, the Imperial Concubine will no longer have the peaceful days she used to have without having to attend to affairs. Second, the Imperial Concubine must win the support of Emperor Kangxi. To do this, she may even need to completely side with Emperor Kangxi, becoming his eyes and arms in the harem, and helping him balance the situation in the palace.
The Imperial Concubine is said to be a third party in the harem, but this is mainly because the Imperial Concubine's position is awkward, and the other two parties cannot fully accept her, rather than because the Imperial Concubine has enough power to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other two parties.
In terms of power, the Imperial Concubine was undoubtedly at a disadvantage among the three parties, so she had to win Kangxi's support, which was not impossible.
If we compare the Manchu noble families and the bondservant families, the imperial family is closer to the bondservant families because the bondservant families are more dependent on the imperial family than the Manchu noble families, and the hierarchical relationship between them is more distinct.
However, if we compare the bondservant families with the crown prince, then there is no doubt that Kangxi was closer to the crown prince and cared more about this son who was the apple of his eye.
Despite their close relationship, the inherently suspicious Emperor Kangxi harbored distrust towards both sides. Whether it was the Crown Prince and the Manchu nobles behind him, or the bondservant families led by the bondservant concubines, Kangxi harbored suspicions towards both.
If at this point the Imperial Concubine completely sides with Kangxi, helping him to further balance the power in the palace, then Kangxi would be very happy to see such a development. He might even support the Imperial Concubine, giving her the qualifications and strength to stand on equal footing with the other two factions and to be able to play both sides effectively.
Compared to the other two sides, the Imperial Concubine's side was the weakest and easiest to manipulate. Not to mention, ever since Aling'a separated from the Duke of Guoyi's mansion, the Imperial Concubine and Niohuru had essentially exposed a major weakness to Kangxi. Kangxi had leverage over them, and he would feel more at ease using them.
In addition, the Imperial Concubine had long sought a marriage for Yin'e with a noble Mongolian woman as his primary consort. In a few years, when Yin'e and Abahai's daughters were older and had established themselves, Emperor Kangxi would issue an edict to bestow a marriage upon them.
From this perspective, Emperor Kangxi was relatively at ease with Consort Gui and her son, because Yin'e was the first prince in the palace to openly withdraw from the struggle for the throne—unlike the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince, Yin'e did not withdraw from the struggle for the throne due to objective reasons, but rather he withdrew voluntarily.
But to completely side with Kangxi in order to gain his support... these were things the Consort Gui would not have done before. Because she had her own pride, she was unwilling to completely abandon the dignity and arrogance of the Manchu noble family, and unwilling to completely bow down to Kangxi.
The biggest difference between Manchu nobles and bondservant families is that Manchu nobles have enormous power and their family influence is deeply rooted and long-standing. They are not entirely vassals of the royal family.
On the contrary, according to Manchu political tradition, the Manchu noble class was qualified to participate in political discussions and make decisions on major national affairs together with the imperial family.
The relationship between the Manchu nobility and the imperial family has always been very delicate. According to the Manchu system, powerful noble families could, to a certain extent, check and balance the imperial family; the four regents in the early years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign were a manifestation of this system.
Even after Kangxi assumed personal rule, the four regents gradually withdrew from politics, and power was once again concentrated in Kangxi's hands. However, the Manchu nobles still had the qualifications and rights to co-rule the country with the imperial family, and continued to profoundly influence all aspects of the Qing Dynasty.
The imperial family and the Manchu noble families had intermarried for generations, as the Manchu nobles wanted to strengthen their ties with the imperial family, and the imperial family needed the support of the Manchu nobles. The relationship between the two was never as simple as that of vassal and vassal, which made the truly high-ranking families among the Manchu Eight Banners always very proud and had their own integrity.
The Niohuru clan of the Bordered Yellow Banner was a top-tier aristocratic family among the Eight Banners of Manchuria. Their lineage originated from the Guoyi Duke's Mansion of Eyid, one of the five founding ministers of the Qing Dynasty. It was an even more prestigious family among prestigious families, known as the "Phoenix Nest Family".
Before entering the palace, Consort Gui's status was undoubtedly noble. In terms of background, Empress Renxiao (née Hesheli) was actually inferior to Empress Xiaozhao and the Consort Gui sisters, so one can imagine the pride in Consort Gui's heart.
Although she accepted her family's arrangement to enter the palace, over the years, the Consort never truly regarded Kangxi as her husband, nor did she ever lower herself to participate in the palace struggles. She always maintained an attitude of detachment.
However, the Imperial Concubine was now hesitant. The passing of Empress Xiaoyi had brought about a major reshuffle in the palace. As the princes born to the bondservant concubines grew older, their status also rose accordingly. Now, she was in a situation where she either advanced or fell behind in the palace.
If it were just the Imperial Concubine, she wouldn't care. After all, her rank was what it was, and she wouldn't suffer losses no matter which side in the harem gained the upper hand; moreover, her sister Empress Xiaozhao's inheritance all went to her, and in terms of wealth, no one in the harem was richer than the Imperial Concubine.
As long as one is open-minded, has no expectations of Kangxi's favor, and has no ambition to "improve," the Imperial Concubine can always live a good life, and even better than everyone else in the palace.
But the Imperial Concubine was not alone, nor was she without any attachments...
"Mother?" Noticing that the Imperial Concubine's gaze had lingered on him for a long time, Yin'e, with a piece of pastry in his mouth, mumbled a name for the Imperial Concubine, tilting his head with a look of confusion on his handsome face.
Coming to her senses, the Imperial Concubine suppressed her confusion and hesitation, and a gentle smile bloomed on her beautiful face again: "Lunch will be served soon. Eat a few less pastries, or you won't be able to eat your meal later."
Seeing that Yin'e had eaten two pieces of pastry and was about to take a third, the Imperial Concubine stopped his hand, gently and earnestly reminding him, and then took a handkerchief to wipe Yin'e's mouth.
"I know, I was just really hungry." Yin'e looked up at the Consort with a bright smile, his tone somewhat embarrassed.
The Imperial Concubine patted Yin'e's head, saying nothing more, but a fierce glint flashed in her eyes.
After enjoying a very satisfying lunch at Yongshou Palace, and taking a nap on the soft couch in the Consort's daily living quarters, Yin'e, refreshed and ready to meet the Ninth Prince, changed into riding clothes, put on a new purse at his waist, and left Yongshou Palace full of energy and excitement.
Before Yin'e could wait long, just as they arrived at the entrance of Yikun Palace, the Ninth Prince, who had also changed into riding attire, hurriedly ran out of Yikun Palace with his personal eunuch, leaving Yinzhi, who was chasing behind him, far behind. He even told Yinzhi's wet nurse to quickly carry him back.
"Tenth Brother, let's go quickly!"
The Ninth Prince rushed over like a whirlwind. Before Yin'e could even greet him, the Ninth Prince grabbed Yin'e's hand and dragged him toward Longfu Gate, making it look like they were running away. Yin'e, who was forced to run with him, was completely bewildered.
"Ninth Brother, what's wrong?" Yin'e asked as he ran. He had been exercising in the Imperial Garden with the Consort every day since he was a little, so he was very healthy. He could run for a short while without getting out of breath, and his body was stronger than that of the other princes.
The Ninth Prince was not as good as Yin'e. In addition, he had run out of Yikun Palace for a longer time than Yin'e, so his breathing was a bit heavy. At this moment, he was panting as he ran and spoke: "Don't, don't mention it. Yin'e saw that I had changed into riding clothes and insisted on going horseback riding with me!"
Looking down at his and Ninth Prince's smart riding attire, a knowing glint flashed in Yin'e's eyes.
For children, riding horses is a very interesting activity. However, there are strict rules in the palace. Before the princes enter the Imperial Study at the age of six, for the sake of their safety, they are not allowed to approach the training ground, nor are they allowed to...
It wasn't just Yinzhi who had a strong desire and interest in horseback riding; Yin'e and the Ninth Prince felt the same way.
Compared to the dull and boring cultural classes in the Imperial Study in the morning, which were as drowsy as if they were mixed with sleeping pills, the riding and archery classes in the afternoon were much more interesting. Otherwise, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince would not have been so eager to change into riding clothes and would never have thought of skipping the afternoon class.
In the afternoon, the princes were taught horseback riding and archery by the Imperial Academy. This time, the teachers who taught the princes were not officials from the Hanlin Academy, but mostly warriors from the Manchu ethnic group, or guards who happened to be on duty in the palace and were assigned by Emperor Kangxi to teach the princes horseback riding and archery.
Compared to the inner officials who taught the princes in the morning at the Imperial Study, the outer officials who taught the princes riding and archery were much easier to bully. Firstly, because the outer officials were military officers, unlike the inner officials who could refute the princes without any power to retaliate. Secondly, most of the outer officials did not hold high official positions and did not have the confidence to directly refuse the princes.
When you ask for leave from teachers, they usually approve it, unlike morning classes where it's extremely difficult to get leave.
But for so long, not to mention the Fifth Prince who often asked for leave, even the Seventh Prince, who was born with a leg disability, never asked for leave from the riding and archery class. If given a choice, who would ask for leave from physical education class compared to academic classes? It would be a good thing to be able to attend physical education class!
After being dragged along by the Ninth Prince for a while, Yin'e suddenly realized something was wrong. It seemed like someone was missing. He asked, slightly out of breath, "Ninth Brother, where's Fifth Brother? Why can't I see him?"
It would have been better if Yin'e hadn't mentioned it, because as soon as he did, the Ninth Prince got so angry that his nose almost twisted: "Don't mention it! Fifth Brother has already slipped away, leaving me to deal with Yin'e alone."
Yin E exclaimed in surprise, his tone somewhat doubtful: "Really?"
The Fifth Prince doted on his two younger brothers, the Ninth Prince and Yinzhi, who shared the same mother, and would not do such a thing. Moreover, the Fifth Prince was not the type to let others take the blame for him.
After an awkward silence, the Ninth Prince reluctantly added in a low voice, "Fifth Brother said he'd go back and change into his riding clothes first."
Although the Fifth Prince came to the Western Six Palace with Yin'e and the Ninth Prince, he did not bring everything like Yin'e and the Ninth Prince did because it was his first day of school. His riding clothes were carried by the palace servants from the Western Three Palaces to the Imperial Study, and then from the Imperial Study to the Western Six Palace.
Whether it was taking leave or visiting Consort Yi at Yikun Palace, these were all impromptu events. The Fifth Prince hadn't made any preparations, and his riding attire was still at the Fifth Palace in the east.
A look of realization crossed Yin'e's face. He felt that this was the truth, and this made sense.
As for the Ninth Prince's accusations, they were merely malicious speculations born out of resentment.
It was tough on the Ninth Prince, as he always struggled to deal with Yinzhi, and Yinzhi's constant pestering always gave him a headache. This time, he was rushing to his riding and archery class, but Yinzhi insisted on going with him, which explains his irritability.
Because they rushed from the Western Six Palaces to the training ground, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince were the last princes to arrive. The other princes who were studying in the Imperial Study had already arrived and were standing in the training ground in their riding attire, looking dashing. The more enthusiastic ones had already started practicing riding and archery.
Just like the morning cultural classes in the Imperial Study, the afternoon riding and archery classes were also divided into classes. Princes of different ages were taught by different tutors, and the pace of the courses was also different. The classes may no longer be divided when the princes grow up, but at least this arrangement is in place when the princes are young and cannot ride horses independently.
Nowadays, the eldest princes in the Imperial Study, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, no longer need their teachers to teach them. They practice on their own in the training ground, and their teachers only need to give them a few pointers.
The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were about the same in horsemanship, but when it came to archery, the Fourth Prince was far inferior to the Third Prince.
It wasn't that the Fourth Prince wasn't working hard enough; it was simply that his talent was limited. The Third Prince, who was still a few months away from turning thirteen, could already draw a seven-strength bow, and with a little effort, he could even draw an eight-strength bow. Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince, who was about to turn eleven, was still using a four-strength bow, and even that wasn't something he was very comfortable with.
The Fifth Prince was only one year younger than the Fourth Prince, but because he only started school at the age of nine, he couldn't keep up with the Third and Fourth Princes' coursework. He was assigned to practice with the Seventh and Eighth Princes, and was patiently taught by a skilled horseman, who taught them how to control their horses.
Yin'e and the Ninth Prince just started school today. They are only six years old and their instructors are experienced masters. They would never teach them horseback riding and archery on the first day.
Their first day's lessons consisted of learning about bows and arrows, getting familiar with horses, and experiencing horseback riding and archery for the first time—in other words, it was half academic and half theoretical.
The only difference was that the classes were held outdoors, and students could actually interact with the horses and bows and arrows used as teaching aids, which was much more interesting than sitting in the Imperial Study reciting texts.
The tutor responsible for instructing Yin'e and the Ninth Prince was a middle-aged man in his forties. Perhaps this age of Manchu warrior had lost the ambition and drive of his youth, but the experience of time had made him more composed than the younger generation.
Such a teacher is more suitable for instructing newly enrolled princes who know nothing, as he is both patient and meticulous enough to minimize the risk of the princes injuring themselves during riding and archery lessons.
The forty-something-year-old Wai Anda looked at the two young boys in front of him with a kind expression. After exchanging greetings with Yin'e and the Ninth Prince, he asked in a very good manner, "Would you two princes like to familiarize yourselves with archery or horseback riding first?"
Yin'e and the Ninth Prince exchanged a glance and said in unison without hesitation, "We want to get used to riding horses first!"
Archery is certainly fun, but horseback riding is definitely more interesting. Even if they're too young to ride alone, they can at least be held by their instructor and ride around in a circle, right?
Even if that's not enough, surely we can let them get up close to the horses and touch them!
This was not a surprising answer; Wai An-da remained calm, as if he had expected it.
Clearly, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince were not the first princes to make such a choice; many other princes had also chosen this option first.
Wai Anda waved his hand, and soon a young eunuch who worked odd jobs and served in the training grounds led four foals that were not yet fully grown from the stables.
These four ponies were all carefully selected, around two years old, and had already completed their training. Although they were not yet two and a half years old and could not be used for official duties, they were perfect for growing up alongside the newly enrolled princes, getting to know them first before training together.
Although Yin'e and the Ninth Prince had just enrolled, these four horses had already been allocated to them and made their own special steeds, which no one else had the right to use. Two ponies were assigned to Yin'e, and the other two to the Ninth Prince; they were all specially prepared steeds for the princes.
A foal can be used after it is two and a half years old, and five to fifteen years old is the golden age of a horse. At the age of Yin'e and the Ninth Prince, the two horses under their names are just the right ones to accompany them as they grow up. By the time they graduate from the Imperial Study, these two horses will be old horses and have reached the age to rest and enjoy their retirement.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Yin'e and the Ninth Prince only had these two horses; they were simply assigned only two when they first enrolled. As they grew older, their father, Emperor Kangxi, would bestow additional horses upon them, and if Mongolia offered fine horses as tribute, they might be allocated new steeds.
For older princes like the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, who had studied in the Imperial Study for a longer period, they owned more than two foals. Many of these were gifts they received later or congratulatory gifts sent from outside the palace.
With sparkling eyes, Yin'e couldn't stop smiling as he looked at the two ponies under his name. If he weren't so short, and if the ponies, which weren't even fully grown yet, weren't already so tall, he would have already pounced on them to pet them, excitedly circling around them.
In his previous life, Yin'e had only ever seen foals on screen, never in real life—many scenic spots had stalls offering paid horseback riding, but Yin'e had never visited any scenic spots in his previous life and had never personally come into contact with a fine horse.
The Ninth Prince wasn't much better off than Yin'e, as this was also his first time getting up close to horses. After Wai'anda told them that the four foals were assigned to them, the Ninth Prince cheered loudly.
“These ponies are all trained and have very good temperaments and are very friendly. You two princes can go over and touch them without worrying about getting hurt.” Wai Anda smiled down at Yin E and the Ninth Prince, encouraging them to get closer to his ponies.
In the first lesson, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince could at most get close to their own ponies, brushing their coats and feeding them treats, but riding them was out of the question. Even if they were carried by their uncles to ride horses, they wouldn't choose their own young ponies that hadn't grown up yet, as there were plenty of fine horses in the training ground.
Yin'e took a step forward, tilted his head back, and carefully examined the two ponies that had been assigned to him.
The foal on the left was entirely chestnut red, with large, bright eyes that looked very energetic. This little horse was very lively, even a bit mischievous, occasionally kicking its hind and hind hooves while standing still, requiring the young eunuch leading it to tighten the reins frequently, afraid that the little horse would shift its position and stand off to the side while kicking.
The pony on the right was pure white and had a gentler, calmer temperament. It stood quietly in place, hardly moving, and was more well-trained than the chestnut pony. It ignored the chestnut pony's neighing invitation to play and behaved very obediently.
Noticing Yin'e's gaze, the eunuch leading the horse explained somewhat nervously, "Your Highness, this white horse is a mare, and its temperament is gentler; the red horse is a stallion, and its nature is more lively, but it is still very obedient and has completed all the training, it's just a little more lively than usual."
Yin'e nodded, his loving gaze fixed almost intently on the two foals. These weren't anyone else's horses; they were his own! They were now under his name, his prized steeds from now on!
"Do they have names?" Yin'e asked the eunuch leading the horse as he untied the new purse hanging from his waist.
The two eunuchs exchanged a glance and said with a hint of flattery, "No, these ponies that will be assigned to the princes don't have names yet. They'll be named by their new owners."
Yin'e's smile grew even brighter. He looked at the chestnut pony on his left and the pure white pony on his right. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "I've decided! From now on, your names will be Red Date and White Snow!"
As soon as Yin'e finished speaking, the Ninth Prince's speechless complaint came from beside him: "Tenth Brother, what kind of names do you come up with? You name a chestnut horse Red Date, and a white horse Snow White. What will you name a black horse next time?"
“Let’s call the dark horse Dark Cloud,” Yin’e replied without hesitation.
The Ninth Prince was even more speechless. He looked at Yin'e shaking his head repeatedly and realized for the first time that his tenth brother was actually terrible at naming things.
“Ninth Brother, look, they like the names I gave them!” Just as the Ninth Prince was speechless, Yin’e laughed out loud, proudly showing off the two ponies that had come up to him and were being affectionate with him.
Ninth Prince: ...
Ninth Prince: "Put down the pine nut candy in your hand and see if it's still warm."
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Author's Note: orz I just don't want to write QAQ Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2023-04-13 20:53:52 and 2023-04-19 23:33:34!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Yaomei (1);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Half-awake 70 bottles; lynn77 53 bottles; Ayin, Chiyu Moli Shang 6 bottles; Tixi, Sweet Party Doesn't Eat Coriander 2 bottles; Tianwai Feixian, 25964724 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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