Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Honest Child
Generally, when the royal family chooses study partners for the younger princes, they try to choose someone who is one or two years older than the younger prince.
Mingrui is a little young, but Qianlong thinks that the child of the Fucha family is reliable.
This is not just his preference for the Queen's family. From a rational point of view, Mingrui is Yonglian's younger cousin, and he must be extremely loyal to Yonglian.
There is absolutely no need to worry that Mingrui is not dedicated enough or leads Yonglian astray.
In the evening, he told the queen about this.
The Queen was a little helpless when she heard that her brother really promoted talented people regardless of their relationship, but Mingrui was indeed a well-behaved child.
Li Rongbao had many children, among whom Fu Wen, Empress Fucha and Fu Heng were siblings from the same mother.
After Qianlong ascended the throne, he let Fu Wen inherit Li Rongbao's title and made him a third-class guard.
But Fu Wen was not in good health and his abilities were mediocre. If there was one thing that impressed Qianlong, it was Fu Wen's handsome appearance... Of course, his half-sisters, the Empress and Fu Heng, were also strikingly good-looking.
Fu Wen's wife is also pretty, and Mingrui is a child who has inherited the best qualities of his parents.
Qianlong only remembered that the last time he saw the child, little Mingrui was just like the fairy boy beside Guanyin, and he couldn't help but hug him.
"Let's not talk about anything else about Mingrui. His family background and appearance are a good match for our Yonglian," said Qianlong.
Queen: "..." Why did the emperor's words sound like he was choosing a wife for his own son Yonglian?
Qianlong also thought this sounded strange. When he realized what was happening, he couldn't help but laugh. He patted his wife's arm and said, "If Mingrui was a girl, I would really consider it... By the way, your fourth brother seems to have a daughter."
"Your Majesty, Yonglian is only six years old. It's too early for you to think about these things now." The queen glared at Qianlong helplessly.
Before he could finish his words, Yonglian came running in with the third princess. The brother and sister had just been playing with tangrams in the back.
The third princess showed the completed tangram to her father and mother.
"Our third princess is really clever and skillful." Qianlong praised his daughter with a smile.
Yonglian had wanted to ask for a long time, "Why doesn't my sister have a name?" He had wanted to ask for a long time. The Khan and the Empress Dowager also called her the Third Princess or the Third Girl.
Although he knew his sister's title, he knew that it would not be given until the princess got married. She didn't even have a name before she got married, how pitiful.
Qianlong and the empress looked at each other. They were used to calling their daughter "San Ya" and had never thought about naming her.
In the early Qing Dynasty, most Manchu and Mongolian women had names, and by the Kangxi period, many concubines also had names.
But before a princess got married, she was addressed according to her seniority, and after she got married, she was given a title. Gradually, the palace stopped giving princesses names.
The Third Princess tilted her head in a strange way. Was her second brother stupid? "My name is the Third Princess!"
"San Gege is not your name." Yonglian rubbed his silly sister's head, "The third princess in a royal family can also be called San Gege. You can't tell them apart when you're with them!"
"Who says we can't tell the difference? Our Third Princess has the most noble status." Qianlong said unhappily.
"But it's hard to express it in the name!" Yonglian pulled Qianlong's sleeve, "Khan Ama, give our third sister a name!"
Seeing the Emperor's lip curl, the Empress said to Yonglian, "Your sister will have a title when she gets married. That will be her future name."
"What about before getting married?" Yonglian said with an innocent face.
Qianlong: "..." He patted his son on the head, "Don't worry about this. Your sister isn't just born. She's already five years old. What's the name for her?"
Yonglian murmured quietly, "My sister is already five years old and still has no name. How pitiful."
The third princess didn't think it was a big deal at first, but when she heard her second brother say that she was pitiful, she also lowered her head.
My eldest and second brothers were given names when they were born, but I didn't get a name until I got married. Although the little girl didn't know what it meant to get married.
Qianlong snorted, picked up the teacup, drank tea slowly, and ignored the two children.
Yonglian's coquettish behavior was futile, so he had to let go of his father's sleeve.
"It's getting late, you two should go back to your room and sleep." The queen said as she stood up and took one hand each and handed them to the wet nurse at the door.
After settling her two children, the empress returned to the inner hall. Qianlong was still sitting there, and the teacup on the table was empty.
She personally held the kettle and added tea for the emperor.
"Yonglian is a child at heart, and he thinks whatever he wants, but he has a good heart and he has such doubts because he loves his sister." The queen tried to speak for her son.
Qianlong: "How about 'Niulun'?"
The Queen was stunned for a moment before she realized that the Emperor had been sitting there for a long time with a serious face, thinking of a name for his daughter.
Niulun means "rainbow" in Manchu. "This is a good name. Our Third Princess will be as beautiful and gorgeous as a rainbow in the future."
Qianlong nodded reservedly.
Yonglian got up a little early the next day. Thinking that Khan Ama was not happy yesterday, he ran to the front hall to coax Khan Ama.
It’s okay for Khan Ama to be angry with him, but he can’t be angry with his sister!
As a result, Qianlong got up earlier, had finished breakfast with the empress, dressed neatly, and prepared to attend the morning court.
Qianlong pinched his son's cheek and said, "After breakfast, hurry up and read a book. A friend will come to play with you in the afternoon."
"Who is it?" Yonglian asked curiously.
When the little guy heard the word "play", Qianlong's eyes lit up. He deliberately kept the kid in suspense and said, "You'll know when you come." Then he strode away.
Yonglian looked at his mother again, and the Queen said, "He's your fourth uncle's little cousin."
The original body had no impression of this little cousin, so Yonglian didn't take it seriously, just thinking he was a kid.
The queen also told him, "Your Khan Ama named your third sister 'Niulun'."
Yonglian opened his eyes wide, "Did Khan Ama choose it?"
Didn't he want his sister to have a name? He was even trying to make excuses last night.
The queen nodded and said, "Yes, this is the name carefully chosen by your Khan Ama." Although that was not the case.
Sure enough, the son jumped up with joy when he heard it, his eyes smiling into little crescents, "Ama Han is so nice! Ama Han is the best Ama!"
Yonglian said this and ran back to tell his sister the good news.
As soon as the third princess woke up, she heard her second brother yelling outside, "Third sister, Niulun, Khan Ama gave you the name Niulun!"
Sangege: “!!!”
The little girl woke up instantly and ran out without combing her hair. "Really? Niulun means rainbow, right?"
Qianlong attached great importance to his children's Manchu language. Empress Fucha taught his two children to speak Manchu since they were young, and the servants around her often spoke Manchu to them.
"Yes, it means rainbow. Hehe, my sister is as beautiful as a rainbow!" Yonglian ran into the house and ruffled his sister's already messy hair, making it even more messy.
Niu Lun: “…”
Niu Lun solemnly told the maids and palace servants around her that she would also be a child with a name in the future.
Of course, when these servants saw her, they could only call her "Third Lady" or "Little Master".
Because he could play in the afternoon, Yonglian obediently recited "The Analects of Confucius" in the morning.
When Yonghuang came to pay his respects, he told him that his sister had a name.
Although the name Niulun was a good one, Yonghuang didn't quite understand why his brother asked Khan Ama to name his sister.
Yonglian didn't know how to explain it. He always felt that status, title, and order of birth could not represent an individual self. Regardless of gender, everyone should have a name that was unique to them, independent of their status.
…
After the morning court session, Emperor Qianlong summoned several officials. Li Yu then passed on the message that Fu Wen, Fu Heng and Ming Rui were asking for an audience.
Qianlong asked someone to come in. The three of them bowed respectfully, and then Qianlong asked Mingrui to come forward.
Mingrui is taller than Yonglian, but his body is a little thin, unlike his own Yonglian, who has a chubby face and body.
"I heard that your father taught you to read The Analects of Confucius? Was it in Manchu or Chinese?" Qianlong asked the little kid in front of him.
"Your Majesty, my father taught me to read Manchu first, and then taught me to read Chinese." Mingrui said obediently.
Qianlong nodded in satisfaction and glanced at Fu Wen, "You have done a good job. We Manchus should not forget Manchu language."
Qianlong also asked Xiao Mingrui to recite a passage from "The Analects of Confucius: Learning".
Mingrui started to recite with his head shaking, but got stuck in the middle and secretly glanced at his father and uncle.
Qianlong reminded him with a smile. Seeing that his uncle, the emperor, was smiling and not scolding him, little Mingrui relaxed a little and recited more fluently afterwards.
Qianlong was also very satisfied with his learning progress, but the child was a little too thin.
He pinched the child's arm and said, "Eat more. When you grow up, you will be the Baturu of our Qing Dynasty."
Mingrui nodded his head, "Mingrui will follow the emperor's instructions! Starting tomorrow, eat half a bowl more of rice at each meal."
The adults in the room laughed when they heard his serious assurance.
Qianlong deliberately asked: "Why does it start from tomorrow? Doesn't today's dinner count?"
"My uncle said that we will probably have dinner in the palace today," Mingrui said, pursing his lips a little embarrassedly, "I am embarrassed to add more food in the palace."
Qianlong: “…”
Fu Heng: “…”
Qianlong couldn't help laughing and couldn't help rubbing Mingrui's face. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Not to mention just adding half a bowl, adding two bowls is no problem." He glanced at the embarrassed Fu Heng and said, "You are so polite, you even planned to stay for dinner."
Fu Heng hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, Mingrui said this morning that he wanted to eat lotus root for dinner. Lotus root has just come on the market, and we haven't bought any yet. The little guy is a little unhappy, and we are in a hurry to go out. So I coaxed him into having dinner at the palace and eating lotus root tomorrow."
Xiao Mingrui: "..."
Qianlong said, "Look at your family. They are so pitiful. Lotus root is not a precious thing." He patted Mingrui on the shoulder and said, "When we get to Changchun Palace, tell your aunt to make a stir-fried lotus root for dinner. Say it was my order."
Mingrui's mouth corners unconsciously rose and he happily agreed.
After a few more small talk, Yongchang arrived with his son Erdeng'e.
Qianlong sent Fu Wen to continue serving at the Ganqing Gate, and asked Fu Heng to take Mingrui to Changchun Palace.
On the way to Changchun Palace, Fu Heng couldn't help pinching his nephew's cheek.
"You are so honest."
Mingrui obediently let his uncle pinch his face, "I'll learn from you."
Fu Heng: "..." Is this kid trying to anger him on purpose?
"My father and mother said that my uncle has been honest since he was a child." Mingrui said.
Fu Heng: "..." Fourth brother and sister-in-law must be praising him, but he was not praising this kid just now!
When the uncle and nephew arrived at Changchun Palace, the empress immediately sent someone to call Yonglian and Niu Lun from the back.
Before the two children arrived, the Queen asked Fu Heng whether the Emperor was satisfied with Mingrui.
Fu Heng said, "The Emperor is very kind to Mingrui. As for whether Mingrui can be his study companion, the Emperor did not say."
Fu Heng spoke of the extra dishes again, laughing and crying. The Queen was also amused, "Mingrui is as honest as you were when you were little."
Fu Heng: “…”
The Queen knew her own Emperor too well. From what Fu Heng said, she knew that the Emperor was very satisfied with Mingrui, and the choice of the study companion was basically decided.
Soon, Yonglian and Niu Lun arrived. After they exchanged greetings, their eyes were attracted by the child sitting next to the Empress Dowager.
"Is this the little friend Khan Ama mentioned this morning?" Yonglian saw that the child was particularly delicate and cute, so he asked without waiting for him to greet.
"Yes, this is Mingrui from your fourth uncle's family. You saw him when you were young, but you may have forgotten him." said the queen.
When Yonglian heard the name "Mingrui", he was stunned.
Mingrui, a famous general in the Qianlong Dynasty, was seriously injured and died while covering the retreat of his soldiers during the Qing-Myanmar War. He was only 38 years old.
Mingrui quickly stood up and saluted the two young masters. He knew the purpose of his visit to the palace today, so he paid special attention to the expression of the Second Prince.
But the Second Prince didn't wake up for a long time. Instead, the Third Princess came to pull him, "Brother Mingrui, I heard my uncle talk about you."
"Really? What did my uncle say about me?" Mingrui's attention was diverted and he asked subconsciously.
"You said you could recite the poem written by Huang Mafa, and I can do it too!" The little girl had a strong desire to win, "I can even recite a seven-character poem!"
"I can recite two quatrains." Mingrui said.
Niu Lun raised his chin proudly and said, "I'm still the best!"
The Queen and Fu Heng had no intention of listening to the two children's conversation, but instead observed Yonglian's expression with some worry.
The little guy was frowning and his mouth was turned down. Did he not like Mingrui?
But Mingrui didn't do anything rude just now!
"Yonglian." The queen pushed her dazed son.
Yonglian finally came back to his senses, suppressed the sourness in his nose, and ran to Mingrui in two steps, "Mingrui! You are so handsome!"
Everyone: “…”
Everyone saw Yonglian walk around Xiao Mingrui and then took his hand, "I want to be friends with you, okay?"
Ming Rui: "..." The young boy was stunned for a moment before he said weakly: "I dare not."
After Yonglian said this, he realized that not everyone could be the prince's friend.
He thought for a moment, then turned to look at his mother, "Mother, I heard that we need a study companion after we entered the Shangshufang. I want Mingrui to be his companion. Is that okay? Mingrui looks like a good boy who studies hard!" Mingrui seemed to be about the same age as him, so it was just right for him to be his companion. This way, he could protect him openly.
With him as the prince, Mingrui will never be left in such a helpless situation!
Although the Queen felt her son's reaction was a bit strange, she couldn't help but smile when she heard him take the initiative to ask Mingrui to study with her. "That depends on your Khan Father."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll talk to Khan Ama tonight." Yonglian shook his friend's hand and looked at Mingrui with a smile, "Let's go play! I have a lot of toys in my room!"
The queen waved her hand and said, "Go ahead, go ahead. Go play in the back. I'll call you when it's time for dinner."
The three children ran back happily. Yonglian put out various toys to entertain their friends, and asked the nanny to bring up tea, fruits and snacks to feed little Mingrui.
"...have another piece of this water chestnut pastry, it's delicious, it's my favorite!"
Little Mingrui, who had just finished two pieces of donkey rolls and a piece of shaqi ma, touched his belly embarrassedly and said, "My dear, I can't eat anymore." He wanted to save some space for lotus root.
"You need to eat more. Your arms aren't even as thick as mine." Yonglian said, "Only by eating well can you grow taller."
Niu Lun looked at his second brother, who was even shorter than Mingrui, and asked, "Second brother, are you sure?"
Yonglian: “…”
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