Chapter 201 Gift: Calligraphy Copybook
According to palace rules, Yin'e had a day off on his birthday. He did not have to get up at 3 a.m. as usual to study in the Imperial Study. He could also visit the Consort in the inner palace and reunite with his birth mother for a day.
On his birthday, Yin'e slept soundly until dawn, which was quite rare for him.
The long-awaited good sleep brought Yin'e an indescribable good mood. With a smile on his face, after washing up, he sat in the main hall while waiting for breakfast to be served, and flipped through the gift list that Xiao Linzi had presented. Yin'e had gotten up late today, and the various palaces had already sent people to deliver his birthday gifts.
That's how social interactions work in the palace. Regardless of whether the relationship is actually close or distant, gifts must always be given. Even if the master doesn't remember, the palace servants will remind him, or even help manage the social interactions.
Yin'e was the same. After he moved to the Prince's Residence and established his own household, he had to send many gifts every year. Above him were the Empress Dowager, Consort Kangxi, and the concubines and ladies of the palace. In the middle were a large number of brothers and sisters, and below him were nieces and nephews. Not to mention those far away, just in the palace, the eldest prince already had two daughters, both of whom were legitimate daughters.
However, Yin'e was lazy and never tried to build good relationships with everyone, so he pushed most of the gift-giving to Xiao Linzi. He only occasionally glanced at the warehouse ledger to keep track of what had been sent out.
Yin'e would only personally give gifts to relatives he truly valued and cared about.
It's not just Yin'e who does this; everyone does it this way. If everyone had to do everything themselves when giving gifts, they wouldn't have time for anything else, as they would spend all their time on social interactions.
"There's no need to send the coral ornaments that Ninth Prince sent to the storeroom for safekeeping. Let's put them in the study instead." After seeing the gifts from Ninth Prince, Yin'e's smile deepened.
I don't know where the Ninth Prince got this coral ornament from. The natural shape of the coral is quite interesting. It looks like a galloping horse with its long mane flying. It looks somewhat similar to Yin'e's beloved horse, Hongzao, and even the color is a similar crimson.
Yin'e really liked this coral ornament, not only because it was a gift from the Ninth Prince, but also because Yin'e genuinely loved horses. In his previous life, he didn't have the time or the means to learn to ride, but in this life, Yin'e put in a lot of effort in riding and archery, and his skill level was now comparable to that of the First Prince at the same age.
Because the Ninth Prince did not have a holiday on Yin'e's birthday, he still had to go to the Imperial Study to study as usual, and could not return to his residence until the evening. So the Ninth Prince's gift was actually delivered last night, but Yin'e waited until his birthday to see it.
After settling the birthday gifts from the Ninth Prince, Yin'e casually flipped through the gift list, glancing at most of the entries and only paying close attention to the gifts from the Fifth and Seventh Princes. He didn't care much about the gifts from other people.
Yin'e was quite self-aware and knew his place. He didn't think he was playing the role of a heartthrob or a favorite among the group. He knew that only the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince, who had a good relationship with him, would go to the trouble of preparing gifts for him.
As for the others, they were just doing it out of politeness, probably just following the usual practice. The people giving the gifts didn't put their hearts into it, so the people receiving them naturally didn't care either.
After roughly flipping through the gift list, Yin'e was about to return it to Xiao Linzi and prepare to have breakfast. He planned to wait for the Empress Dowager and Emperor Kangxi's gifts to arrive before going to Yongshou Palace to see Consort Niohuru. However, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a line of records on the gift list out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Fourth Brother actually sent this?" Unfolding the gift list and examining it closely, Yin'e's surprise deepened. "Isn't this a calligraphy scroll personally written by Father for Fourth Brother? Why did Fourth Brother give it to me?"
Sending a calligraphy copybook to a brother who is still studying in the Imperial Study is appropriate and fits the actual context, but it cannot be considered a very precious or thoughtful gift—unless the copybook is not written by Emperor Kangxi himself.
Ordinary calligraphy copybooks are nothing special, but those handwritten by Emperor Kangxi are very precious. Because they are imperial calligraphy, their symbolic meaning is far greater than the value of the copybook itself.
Blinking, Yin'e looked completely bewildered, his clear almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion, utterly baffled: "Is my relationship with Fourth Brother... really that good?"
So good that they'd even give away calligraphy by Emperor Kangxi himself?
It should be noted that among all the princes in the palace, only the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince received personal education from Emperor Kangxi.
The Crown Prince was the legitimate son of Empress Dowager Yuan, and the son whom Emperor Kangxi cherished most. The Fourth Prince, on the other hand, was purely benefiting from Empress Xiaoyi's influence. After Empress Xiaoyi's death, Emperor Kangxi treated the Fourth Prince only moderately. As a result, this calligraphy scroll personally written by Emperor Kangxi became all the more precious to the Fourth Prince.
Because of their age difference, Yin'e and the Fourth Prince had little interaction in the Imperial Study and their relationship was merely so-so. Today was his birthday, and the Fourth Prince suddenly sent such a precious gift, which Yin'e found very strange, even suspecting that the Fourth Prince might have made a mistake.
"Knock, knock..."
Yin'e tapped the table lightly with his fingers. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to put the matter aside for now and not immediately send someone to the Fifth Palace in the East to inquire whether the Fourth Prince had sent the wrong birthday gift.
First of all, Yin'e did not believe that the Fourth Prince, who was always cautious, would make such a mistake.
Secondly, even if we assume that the Fourth Prince really made a mistake, Yin'e can simply ask him in the Imperial Study tomorrow and then return the calligraphy to the Fourth Prince privately. The matter will then be resolved peacefully and without a trace. There is really no need to make a big fuss by asking the Fourth Prince and letting everyone know about it.
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