Chapter 106 One Hundred and Sixth Remind Old Ten the Salted Fish's Astonishment
Although the Imperial Study was strictly managed and leave was not frequently granted, today's situation was special. Yin'e had requested permission from Emperor Kangxi and received his approval, so the tutors naturally wouldn't stop Yin'e and his two companions from leaving the Imperial Study early.
When Yin'e and his two companions successfully passed their master's test and left the study, Yin'e wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the gazes directed at them from behind carried a hint of envy.
The Ninth Prince strode out of the school with his small chest puffed out, ignoring all the stares behind him. He looked smug, not because he was able to leave class early, but because the three of them were free, while the other princes would continue to suffer "torture" in the Imperial Study.
Perhaps this is the joy that comes from comparison. I don't need to be particularly happy; as long as someone is worse off than me, it's enough to bring me comfort.
The Imperial Study has five rooms in total. The largest, most spacious, and brightest room in the very center is where the princes study. The study is very large, and even with seven princes studying there now, it doesn't feel cramped.
The two rooms to the right of the school were where the tutors of the Imperial Study prepared their lessons and rested. The princes generally did not set foot there unless they had questions about their studies to ask the tutors in private.
Of the two rooms on the left side of the school, the outermost one served as a resource room, storing the princes' handwritten scrolls and submitted assignments; the remaining room was originally vacant, but after the Crown Prince returned from his studies, Emperor Kangxi gave it to him for his exclusive use.
After leaving the central school, the Ninth Prince, the Fifth Prince, and others handed their books to the palace servants to carry. They then turned left together, preparing to leave the Imperial Study and exit through the Longfu Gate to enter the Qianqing Palace and the Western Six Palaces.
Passing by the hall where the Crown Prince studied, Yin'e turned his head and curiously peeked inside. He was immediately shocked by what he saw inside, his pupils dilating in disbelief and astonishment showing on his handsome face.
The Crown Prince was sitting upright behind his desk, his back straight, his bearing outstanding, his demeanor elegant and refined, displaying the noble bearing and exceptional style of a crown prince.
—Looking at the Crown Prince alone, there is no problem. If his teacher is not kneeling to teach him to read, then there is even less of a problem. Everything is normal and everything is fine.
Staring in astonishment at the scene inside, Yin'e unconsciously stopped in his tracks and checked several times to confirm that the tutor in charge of teaching the Crown Prince was indeed kneeling while teaching—not sitting on his knees, but kneeling with a very upright posture.
The tutors in the Imperial Study would also bow to the princes, but usually only with a cupped-hand salute or at most a slight bow. The princes, in turn, would return the bows.
Yin'e could understand the custom that the teachers of the Imperial Study should bow to their students first. Although the teacher was more respected than the student, the students of the Imperial Study were princes, and their status was even more noble.
The idea of prioritizing hierarchy before teacher-student relationships is also acceptable in the royal family—the royal family is both the most rule-abiding and the most rule-less place, depending entirely on which option better suits the wishes of those in power.
However, it is excessive for the teachers in the Imperial Study to kneel while teaching the Crown Prince. This may highlight the Crown Prince's nobility and superior status, but isn't it also evidence that the Crown Prince disrespects his teachers and elders?
The Crown Prince was the legitimate son. His birth mother, Empress Renxiao, passed away not long after his birth. Emperor Kangxi personally raised him, cherished him dearly, and appointed him as the Crown Prince, granting him the status of the heir apparent.
Whether in terms of birth, status, or importance in Kangxi's eyes, the Crown Prince was second to none. Therefore, he enjoyed top-notch treatment from a young age, and was in a completely different league from the other princes.
The Crown Prince was the only prince who was truly pampered. In terms of daily expenses, even Emperor Kangxi, the ruler of the country, could not compare to the Crown Prince. This was because Kangxi was not valued by Emperor Shunzhi when he was young, and his childhood treatment was not very good. Later, when Kangxi took power, he was always very frugal and never wasted money.
But today, for the first time, I directly witnessed how much Kangxi valued the Crown Prince, and how Kangxi placed the Crown Prince in such a superior position. My first reaction was that Kangxi had elevated the Crown Prince too high, so high that the Crown Prince could not easily come down, and that there was an insurmountable gap between him and those below him.
The Crown Prince and Emperor Kangxi were different. Kangxi was neglected in his childhood and faced threats from powerful ministers after he took over the government as a teenager. He grew up in a state of anxiety.
Under Kangxi's protection, the Crown Prince was a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse. He was pampered and spoiled from childhood, living a life of luxury and extravagance. He was not like Kangxi at all, and their personalities and ways of doing things were very different.
The Crown Prince was pampered by Emperor Kangxi from a young age, receiving excessive attention and doting from him.
Yin'e could understand why the future crown prince would become increasingly spoiled and arrogant, because he was spoiled. He was praised too highly by Kangxi from the very beginning, so much so that he gradually became arrogant and could never come down from his pedestal.
Emperor Kangxi was thirty-six years old this year, in his prime, and still a loving father to his children, a parent who wanted to raise all his sons to be successful.
He had not yet transitioned from his prime to old age, nor had he grown old, nor had he developed any suspicion towards his son, who was growing up and becoming more vigorous. He still harbored a deep fatherly love for the crown prince and had not yet subtly placed him in a position of opposition.
But as time goes by and the Crown Prince matures, Kangxi will also grow old. Eventually, he will become wary of the Crown Prince and regard all his adult sons as invisible enemies.
At that time, the one who would be least able to adapt to this change would be none other than the Crown Prince, who had been pampered and spoiled by Emperor Kangxi since childhood.
After Yin'e stopped, the Fifth Prince noticed that he was turning his head to look at the Crown Prince who was reading inside the room.
A look of anxiety crossed his face. The Fifth Prince grabbed Yin'e's arm and forcibly dragged him forward, taking him away from the room where the Crown Prince was studying.
The Fifth Prince is already ten years old this year, and he is quite chubby. He may not have much strength, but he is very strong. Yin'e, who was stunned by the surprise, could hardly resist the strength of the Fifth Prince's hand. He was pulled forward for more than ten meters in one breath.
At first, Yin'e was being pulled forward by the Fifth Prince, but once Yin'e realized what was happening, he quickened his pace to keep up with the Fifth Prince's slightly hurried steps without needing the Fifth Prince to drag him.
The two kept speeding up, forcing the Ninth Prince to jog to keep up. The Ninth Prince, forced to quicken his pace, looked bewildered, not understanding why they were in such a hurry to leave.
Although the Ninth Prince was quite averse to the Imperial Study and wanted to stay far away from it, he really felt there was no need to rush. The way Yin'e and the Fifth Prince were behaving made it seem as if someone was chasing them...
Only after they had completely left the Imperial Study did the Fifth Prince release his grip on Yin'e's arm and stop his hurried steps.
Turning to look at Yin'e, the Fifth Prince's anxious expression had faded from his chubby, round face. He scratched his head, chuckled sheepishly, and asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Tenth Brother, did I hurt you?"
He acted rashly just now, and only now does he realize that he went too far and may have hurt Yin'e, whom he was pulling hard.
Yin'e shook his head. He later caught up with the Fifth Prince on his own, and was not entirely being dragged forward by the Fifth Prince: "No, I'm fine."
"That's good." The Fifth Prince breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and his tense body relaxed.
The Ninth Prince, who was a step behind, stood next to Yin'e. He looked the Fifth Prince up and down suspiciously for a few moments, then tilted his head and asked, "Fifth Brother, what were you doing just now? Why did you suddenly pull the Tenth Brother forward?"
Looking back at the Imperial Study that they had left behind, the Fifth Prince's expression gradually turned serious.
He raised his hands and placed them on the shoulders of Yin'e and the Ninth Prince respectively. With a forceful pull, he drew Yin'e and the Ninth Prince in front of him, bringing their heads together. He said, "Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, just keep what I'm saying to you in your hearts and don't tell anyone."
Just now, the Fifth Prince suddenly pulled Yin'e forward, and the three of them jogged ahead, leaving the palace servants following behind them behind.
Seizing this opportunity, the Fifth Prince, with a tense round face, solemnly warned Yin'e and the Ninth Prince: "From now on, you should stay away from the Crown Prince, do not get close to him, and do not have any contact with him in private."
"Huh?" Yin'e was stunned for a moment, then looked up at the Fifth Prince in astonishment, never expecting him to give such a reminder.
Noticing Yin'e's astonishment and confusion, the Fifth Prince lowered his voice and explained softly, "Father Khan values the Crown Prince the most; in his heart, the Crown Prince is number one. If we go against the Crown Prince, no matter if we are right or wrong, we will always be the ones who suffer in the end."
"If we can't afford to offend him, we should stay away from him. From now on, we should stay far away from the Crown Prince and avoid dealing with him or getting involved in these troubles."
Yin'e slowly concealed the astonishment on his face. The Fifth Prince was simple-minded and honest, but honesty did not mean stupidity. Honest people also had their wisdom.
The Fifth Prince realized the Crown Prince's extraordinary status, and in order to protect himself, he chose to avoid the Crown Prince. Perhaps in this way he would not be able to benefit from the Crown Prince, but no matter what happened to the Crown Prince in the future, it would not easily affect him.
Staying away from the Crown Prince was, in effect, staying away from the struggle for the throne and the power struggles within the imperial court. The Fifth Prince's wise way of protecting himself was not much different from Yin'e's carefree attitude of being a couch potato.
But what surprised Yin'e even more was that the Fifth Prince was not close to the Crown Prince and did not have much brotherly affection for him.
This made Yin'e think more deeply: how many of the princes in the palace, like the Fifth Prince and himself, simply regarded the Crown Prince as the heir apparent and never regarded him as a brother?
It is said that a lonely man is a lone wolf, but the Crown Prince is still only the heir apparent and has not yet ascended the throne. Yet, among his many blood-related brothers, very few stand by his side. This is not surprising, as the other princes are too indifferent to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has been the heir apparent since childhood, and he has never treated the other princes as brothers.
Yin'e and the Ninth Prince both disliked the Third Prince, and there were constant minor conflicts between them. But both Yin'e and the Ninth Prince recognized the Third Prince as their brother, calling him their Third Brother.
But the Crown Prince... we're really not familiar with him, and we have no feelings for him at all.
"Fifth Brother, I remember." Yin'e slowly spoke, promising the Fifth Prince, "We will stay away from the Crown Prince."
The Ninth Prince chimed in, "Don't worry, Fifth Brother, we won't get close to the Crown Prince—even if we wanted to associate with him, he wouldn't even look at us."
Although the Ninth Prince was outspoken, he also spoke the truth: the Crown Prince was proud by nature and always considered himself the heir apparent. He had no brotherly affection for the other princes, and he did not really regard them as brothers.
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:50:02 on April 11, 2023 and 11:52:46 on April 13, 2023!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 8 bottles of "Full of Yellow Flowers"; 6 bottles each of "Ayin" and "But I Want to Sleep, Don't Laugh"; 2 bottles of "Kok Xipi is My Happiness"; and 1 bottle each of "Chiyu Moli Shang" and "Pear".
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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