Chapter 72 Picnic and Spring Outing After spring began, the capital was very lively because…
The capital was bustling with activity after the start of spring, as this year marked the triennial imperial examinations, with tens of thousands of candidates traveling to the capital to take the tests. Years ago, before Cheng Qianyue entered the palace, she had even watched the top scholar's procession through the capital. Now, judging by the dates, the provincial examinations had just ended, and it was estimated that the newly appointed scholars would soon arrive at Changchun Garden for the palace examination. After the palace examination, the imperial list would be announced, and that would be the time for the scholars to parade in glory.
However, at this very moment, the Emperor suddenly appointed Yinreng to lead a group to offer sacrifices at the Temple of Confucius. Don't misunderstand, this Temple of Confucius is not in Shandong, but a temple built in the capital, so Yinreng had already returned to the Forbidden City a few days earlier.
This is truly strange. Look how popular the Eighth Prince has been these past few months, like a vibrant, blooming flower, making Yinreng look like a mere supporting leaf. But suddenly the Emperor has changed his mind and turned to entrust Yinreng with important responsibilities.
Cheng Qianyue felt that Emperor Kangxi was truly capricious, like a madman, unpredictable and moody. However, before Yinreng left, he seemed quite happy, a stark contrast to his recent gloom, so Cheng Qianyue stopped caring what the Emperor was really thinking.
In short, the long winter is over, and now the outskirts of Beijing are in the spring breeze. Since Cheng Qianyue had nothing better to do, she happily went out for a spring outing.
She walked westward along the lake embankment in the garden, surrounded by lush greenery. A gentle breeze carried the invigorating scent of fresh grass. The peach and magnolia trees planted on both sides of the lake were in bloom, and a closer sniff revealed their delightful fragrance.
Cheng Qianyue walked for a long time and got tired, so she rested in the pavilion. Looking up at the lake, she saw several ducks and geese paddling in the water, splashing and splashing. These kinds of poultry raised in the garden are basically both good to look at and good to eat, so she consciously arranged a place for them in her mind.
The one grooming itself by the lake is clearly the kind that doesn't like to move around much; it's big and fat. This kind should definitely be roasted until the skin is crispy, then brushed with honey. As for the one splashing its feet into the lake to eat, it's much more agile, and you can tell its flesh is definitely firm and chewy. It's best braised or used in soup, stewed until the meat is tender and mushy, with each bite revealing its delicate, stringy texture.
Cheng Qianyue started to feel hungry as she thought about it. Spring outings are always all about eating and exploring. In her past life, she always made sure to buy takoyaki, fried skewers, and oden when she went out. Even in this life, before she entered the palace, when she went out with her family, they would buy her steamed cakes, candied hawthorns, and sugar figurines.
In short, without food, it just feels like something is missing.
Cheng Qianyue readily ordered someone to fetch pastries and milk tea from the kitchen. Once the tea and snacks arrived in a hurry, she comfortably enjoyed her morning tea in the pavilion. After whiled away half the day like this, Cheng Qianyue leisurely got up and returned to Donglizhai. Upon returning, she saw the Third Prince rushing out of the room. He was pouting, his face showing particular resentment.
"Mother," the Third Prince said pitifully, "I woke up and you were gone." He searched the whole house but couldn't find you. After asking several of the nannies and eunuchs who took care of him, he learned that his mother had gone out to play without him.
Cheng Qianyue patted his head and said, "Mother has gone to enjoy the scenery."
The Third Prince muttered, "Then I also want to go sightseeing with Mother."
Cheng Qianyue teased him with a smile, "But Mommy wants to go out and play by herself. It's too much of a burden to have a little one following you around. If you want to go out, why don't you take someone with you?"
The Third Prince's eyes lit up and he knew that the "little tail" was referring to him. He snorted and said, "I'm not a little tail." He tugged at Cheng Qianyue's sleeve and shook it from side to side, saying in a spoiled tone, "I don't want to go alone. I want Mother to go with me."
Cheng Qianyue tapped his forehead and said, "Okay, then I'll definitely take you with me next time I go out." She then reached out her hand to make a pinky promise with him.
The Third Prince was immediately satisfied and, mimicking the gesture, said with a grin, "Pinky promise, a hundred years from now, never to be broken."
Because she had promised the child she would take him out to play, Cheng Qianyue took him along on her next outing. This time she brought more things because she wanted to have a picnic, so she prepared not only fruits and snacks, but also a carpet and a stove for making tea.
Cheng Qianyue chose a perfect spot, under a large willow tree high on the lakeshore north of Donglizhai. The view was excellent, with a small bridge and flowing water in front and pavilions and towers behind. She had a blanket laid out, then arranged the fruit and pastry platters she had brought, and began to brew her fruit tea. At first, the Third Prince knelt and sat to the side watching her brew the tea, but later he got bored, stood up, and ran around the willow tree like a mischievous monkey. Before long, he was gone.
Because the Third Prince was accompanied by three or four eunuchs, Cheng Qianyue felt at ease letting him go off to play elsewhere. However, the child was still thinking of her, and would run back every now and then, standing beside her, ask, "Mother, is the tea ready?"
Cheng Qianyue calmly put the dried orange and grapefruit peels in and said, "No, it will probably take about fifteen minutes to cook."
The Third Prince gave an "oh," then dashed behind her and began tucking the flowers and herbs he had picked into Cheng Qianyue's hair. Cheng Qianyue let him do as he pleased, casually adding sugar to the teapot with a spoon.
After a while, the tea was ready. Cheng Qianyue poured two cups out to cool, then asked someone to call the Third Prince back. The Third Prince returned shortly after, carrying a small whistle made of willow bark, which he blew all the way back. No one knew who had made it for him.
Cheng Qianyue wiped his hands with a handkerchief and told him to sit still. The Third Prince, tired from running around all day, plopped down on the blanket, sipping his half-full cup of fruit tea and whining. After the mother and son finished their tea and snacks, they strolled around the neighborhood. The Third Prince ran around aimlessly, feeding the fish and chasing the ducks by the pond, while Cheng Qianyue took scissors and a flower basket to cut peach and willow branches from the nearby greenery to take home for vase arrangements.
The two of them had a great time playing outside for most of the day, and only returned home after having lunch there. The Third Prince was already sleepy and had to be carried back by a eunuch. Cheng Qianyue was fine, and quietly instructed the nanny beside her, "Don't wake him up, just carry him back to bed and let him sleep well."
After the nanny and eunuch carried the Third Prince to the side room, Cheng Qianyue returned to the main room to change her clothes. Although she had been sitting on a blanket during the picnic, it was still laid on the ground, and she inevitably got mud and grass on her clothes as she walked. She sat down at the dressing table to take off her jewelry, but when she looked up, good heavens, she saw a person with a head full of colorful flowers reflected in the bronze mirror.
Her head was covered with clusters of flowers, including roses and azaleas, with a few small yellow and white flowers of unknown species and lush green holly leaves scattered around.
Cheng Qianyue was both amused and exasperated: Had she just been strolling around the garden for half a day with her head covered in flowers and plants? She muttered a curse at the brat, then pulled out the hairpin that held her hair in place and gently shook it, causing the flowers and leaves in her hair to fall down in a rustling sound.
After tidying her hair and changing her clothes, Cheng Qianyue sorted the peach and willow branches she had cut and put them in bottles. Once she was done, she felt tired and decided to take a nap.
Two days later, one afternoon, a sudden east wind blew, making the two magnolia trees in Donglizhai tremble on their branches. Such a strong wind—wasn't it perfect for flying kites?
Cheng Qianyue immediately called the Third Prince out the door, and led him westward with the kite in hand. After walking along the pebbled path for about two or three hundred meters, they arrived at a pavilion. Since it was relatively empty, Cheng Qianyue told the Third Prince to run into the wind with the kite, so that the kite would fly into the sky when the wind blew.
Just as she was talking to the Third Prince, several people came out of the pavilion. A boy of about eight or nine years old greeted them. After descending the steps, he bowed and said, "Hongjin greets Mother Cheng."
Cheng Qianyue was a little stunned at first, but she knew who it was as soon as she heard the name, and quickly said, "Second Prince, no need for formalities." In the years she had been by Yinreng's side, she had only seen the First Prince and the Second Prince a few times. In addition, the two princes were at the age of growing taller, and she almost did not recognize which prince he was when he came out from inside.
"Is the Second Prince on leave today?" Cheng Qianyue asked.
Hong Jin smiled and said, "Yes, let's take advantage of the beautiful weather to go out and relax."
"Oh." Cheng Qianyue nodded and said, "I also brought your third brother out for a stroll." She patted the third prince's shoulder and said to him, "This is your second brother, go over and call him brother."
The Third Prince tilted his head and looked at the person taller than him. Without any shyness, he smiled and ran forward a few steps, shouting loudly, "Second Brother!"
Hong Jin agreed, half-squatting down to pat the boy's head, then stood up and said, "I won't disturb Mother Cheng's enjoyment of the scenery any longer." After saying that, he bowed and led his men toward the Taoyuan Study in the west.
After Hongjin left, the Third Prince looked up and asked, "Is he my second brother?"
Cheng Qianyue nodded and said, "Yes, you also have an older brother, but he's busy and doesn't come out much, so you haven't seen him much." Even if you saw him a few times during the New Year, the Third Prince was still young at that time and had long forgotten about him.
The Third Prince said "Oh," and then asked, "So what's your eldest brother busy with?"
"I'm busy studying," Cheng Qianyue replied.
Is reading fun?
Well... no matter when, studying is definitely not fun. The Qing Dynasty was particularly strict with its princes and grandsons. They had to begin their formal education at six years old, and this six-year-old was the traditional Chinese age, meaning a five-year-old child would be studying and practicing martial arts. More importantly, there were very few holidays for students in the Qing Dynasty. They only had one day off per month, and extra days off were given for major holidays like the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and New Year's Day. Furthermore, because the emperor frequently inquired about the students' studies, they dared not slack off at all.
Compared to modern children who can work five days a week and have two days off, the princes and grandsons here suffered terribly.
Cheng Qianyue looked at the Third Prince, who was only two years old, with a worried expression. Finally, she decided to tell him a positive and kind lie, and said softly, "Studying is not something you can do casually. You are too young to go to the study to study."
The Third Prince was indeed fooled, and jumped up and down, saying, "Mother, I'll grow up soon."
Cheng Qianyue then said, "Okay, then you should eat and sleep well, grow tall and strong, and then your mother will send you to school."
The Third Prince happily agreed, and the next second he took the kite and ran away.
Cheng Qianyue: It's so good when kids are young, they're so easy to fool, hehe.
After a while, the kite soared high into the sky, and both mother and son looked up at it. At this moment, Lin Quan'an, having received the news, walked over with light steps and said softly, "Master, a message just came from the front that the Crown Prince has returned."
Cheng Qianyue exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"
Lin Quan'an laughed and said, "Yes, but the Crown Prince said that you and the Third Prince should have fun outside and not rush back to Donglizhai."
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