"Eunuch Liang, be careful not to tear up what I wrote with such care!" the eldest prince said, looking at Liang Jiugong's trembling hands. It had taken him half an hour to write this!
The Third Prince leaned over for a look, and he immediately realized that they wouldn't be able to leave the Qianqing Palace safely today.
"This servant will be careful!" Liang Jiugong presented the letter from the First Prince to Kangxi with both hands, then quickly lowered his head. [The First Prince truly seems restless unless he angers the Emperor!]
When Emperor Kangxi saw what the eldest prince had written, his face turned green with anger. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "This is what you wrote one hundred and twenty times?"
The eldest prince simply wrote the two characters of the Classic of Filial Piety one hundred and twenty times.
"Father, tell me if what I wrote is the Classic of Filial Piety?" the eldest prince asked.
"Did I ask you to write these two characters? You're trying to take shortcuts!" Kangxi was so angry that his nose was crooked.
"Your subject only wrote it according to your instructions, but you didn't tell your subject what to write!" the eldest prince said, trying to justify himself.
Emperor Kangxi touched his forehead, waved his hand weakly, and said, "Go back, I have already seen it!"
"Father, I have something to discuss with you today!" the eldest prince said.
"What is it? Speak quickly, and then get out of here!"
The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince both looked at the First Prince, indicating that it was the First Prince's turn to speak.
"Father, why did you summon us and say so much to us? Was it to test us or to test the Crown Prince?" The eldest prince asked, staring intently at Kangxi.
"I was just showing concern for you all, is that wrong?" Kangxi said calmly.
"Father, did you repeat that same set of words to everyone?"
“You are all my sons, of course I should treat you all the same,” Kangxi said matter-of-factly. “Didn’t I tell you that this is a secret between father and son? How can you just talk about it like that!”
"Father, if everyone knows, is it still a secret?"
Father Emperor, what will you do if we all say we want to be the Crown Prince? Are you going to make us take turns being the Crown Prince?
You've already arranged a Mongol wife for the Tenth Prince, would you make him the Crown Prince? Would you allow the Empress of the Qing Dynasty to be of Mongol descent?
Father, please stop testing us. If you keep testing us, one day you'll test the bond between us brothers to nothing.
Do you think you'd be happy if we all got hurt because of the chair you're sitting on? We've already made it clear to you that we don't want to be the crown prince.
So please stop making things difficult for us, and stop making things difficult for the second child; he's had a tough time!"
Kangxi was silent for a moment, then asked the Fourth Prince and the Third Prince, "Is this what you both think?"
"Your Majesty, we agree with what you said!" the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince said in unison.
"I understand. You may all return now!" Kangxi said.
"Yes!" The three princes bowed and turned to leave.
Emperor Kangxi sat on the dragon throne, deep in thought. Was he really causing trouble? Was it wrong for him to simply want the crown prince to ascend the throne smoothly? Was it wrong for him to not want to see his sons and brothers become estranged?
At Songgotu's residence, the Crown Prince saw that Songgotu looked radiant and not at all like someone who was ill. "Prime Minister Songgotu, didn't you send someone to tell me that you were sick?"
"If I don't say it this way, will I be able to see His Highness the Crown Prince?" Soetu asked.
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