Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Going to the Imperial Household Department
Yonglian had to admire Khan Ama for his ability to select people.
But I also feel that this is reasonable. If Mingrui and Erdeng'e had no grudges before the expedition to Myanmar, it would be inconceivable that Erdeng'e deliberately delayed the operation of the fighter plane.
On the contrary, since the two had a grudge against each other before, it makes sense for Erdeng'e to do this.
But this does not mean that Erdeng'e's actions were reasonable. If Mingrui had retreated first like most generals and let the soldiers cover their retreat, thousands of soldiers would have died.
Yonglian even hoped that the conflict between Erdeng'e and Mingrui would emerge earlier, so that when conquering Burma, he would have a reason to prevent Khan Ama from sending Erdeng'e as counselor.
Anyone with a normal brain would have a good chance of success if they followed Mingrui's plan.
If the Qing army had won the first Sino-Myanmar War, there would not have been a second, third, or fourth war.
You must know that the expedition to Burma was not truly won in the end, but ended with peace talks.
At that time, plague was spreading in the Qing army, and generals such as Aligun died of the disease, and Fuheng was also bedridden.
After four wars, the losses to the Qing Dynasty were immeasurable.
Yonglian suddenly felt that the study partner chosen by Khan Ama was very good and gave him the opportunity to change!
Always think positively, the little guy becomes lively again.
The two brothers took Niu Lun to Ningshou Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.
The Queen had already been there in the morning, so she let the three children go. The old lady missed her grandchildren, so she asked them to play there for a while longer.
Little Hongzhou would not live in Ningshou Palace until after the late emperor was buried, but the Empress Dowager and the concubines had already decorated a room for the little guy, and the Empress Dowager also asked the Imperial Household Department to make some toys.
When Yonghuang and his companions arrived, they happened to see toys being delivered from the Imperial Household Department.
The three children looked at them eagerly. After paying their respects to the Empress Dowager, Yonglian said that he wanted to try out these new toys for his sixth uncle first. If they were not fun, he could ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to remake them.
The Queen Mother said: "You little brat, if you want to play, just say so. How can the Queen Mother stop you from playing?"
Yonglian chuckled.
The Queen Mother pinched his soft cheek and sent the three children to play in the back room.
Concubine Yu watched from the side and couldn't help but laugh with the Empress Dowager: "The Second Prince is exactly like the Emperor when he was a child."
The Queen Mother nodded, "They are all clever little ones who know how to make me happy."
Only the Empress Dowager dared to say that the current Emperor was a clever little fellow.
She also talked with Concubine Yu about her past experiences in Prince Yong's Mansion.
Although they were not favored at first, their life in Prince Yong's Mansion was not bad.
However, this cannot be attributed entirely to the late emperor. It was mainly because Empress Xiaojingxian was kind.
"Speaking of which, the Empress's coffin has been in Tian Village for almost five years." The Empress Dowager said, "I would like to go and pay my respects, but it's against the rules."
Because when Empress Xiaojingxian was alive, she took good care of the other women of the late emperor, and took even better care of the children, especially Hongli. Of course, this was because Hongli was valued by Emperor Kangxi, but the empress dowager was still very grateful to Empress Xiaojingxian.
Concubine Yu said, "The coffin of Empress Xiaojingxian will be moved to the Tai Mausoleum to be buried with the late emperor. It would be great if we could go and see her off when the time comes."
"I must go," said the Queen Mother. "I'll tell the Emperor later that this matter cannot be neglected."
The two were talking in the main room, and could vaguely hear the chattering of children in the side room.
Yonghuang and Yonglian seemed to be teaching Niu Lun how to count.
Yonglian really didn't expect that his sister was five years old and couldn't count to fifty.
He tried to teach his sister to count on her fingers, but the little girl got confused while counting.
Yonglian thought about it and felt that it was necessary to make some math teaching aids.
"Brother, can you accompany me to the Imperial Household Department?" Yonglian asked.
"Sure!" Yonghuang nodded in agreement without asking what they were going to do. He glanced at Niu Lun again and asked, "What about my third sister...?"
"It's hot outside, let the third sister play with Mama first." Yonglian said.
"No, I want to go with you too!" The little girl jumped off the couch and ran out first.
"Madam Empress Dowager, we are going to the Imperial Household Department." Niu Lun said to the Empress Dowager.
"What are you going to do?" The Queen Mother frowned, thinking that some of the toys were of poor quality.
"Let's make some tools to learn mathematics." Yonglian came out and explained to Mama.
Concubine Yu on the side couldn't help but praise: "What a studious child."
The Queen Mother also smiled so much that her eyebrows could not see her eyes. "If you need any tools, just ask the eunuch to pass on the message. It's so hot, why bother to go there in person?"
"It's okay, I'm afraid they can't explain it clearly." Yonglian said. He also wanted to see what the Imperial Household Department looked like.
The Empress Dowager recalled how the late Emperor often asked the Imperial Household Department to redo work, which was quite tiring. She agreed, but was afraid that Niu Lun would be exposed to the sun, so she did not allow her to go.
Niu Lun pouted but didn't dare to make a fuss. She could only watch her two brothers jump and run away.
As the two young boys walked towards the Imperial Household Department, they discussed what teaching aids they should make.
First, you need to make some counting sticks for Niu Lun. You can use small, polished wooden sticks, and make one hundred of them.
"Make some wood pieces in different shapes: round, triangle, square, rhombus, parallelogram..."
Yonghuang could understand the first few shapes, but he had never heard of a parallelogram before. He curiously asked his brother, "What does a parallelogram look like?"
Yonglian: "..." He almost forgot that there was no such name in the Qing Dynasty, but this name is also easy to understand. He said: "When you get to the Imperial Household Department, I will draw it for you and you will understand."
Yonghuang nodded and began to think about it in his mind.
It was quite a distance from Ningshou Palace to the west of Xiehe Gate. When they were almost at the Imperial Household Department, Yonghuang suddenly asked Yonglian, "Is a square a parallelogram?"
"Yes, yes!" Yonglian's eyes curved with joy. "Big brother, you're so smart! But a square is just a type of parallelogram."
Yonghuang frowned thoughtfully, "I think I know."
The officials of the Imperial Household Department did not expect that the two young princes would come in person. Those who were drinking tea, taking a nap, recording files, and working all stood up and saluted in a panic.
After Yonghuang and Yonglian excused themselves from the formalities, a doctor in charge of the Imperial Household Department came forward and asked with a smile, "My two princes, what are your instructions?"
The master came in person, probably because he has something important to do. The Emperor's birthday is coming in a few days. Could it be that the two young princes are going to give the Emperor a birthday gift?
Several craftsmen nearby perked up and listened to instructions.
I never expected that the second prince just wanted to make small wooden sticks and pieces of wood to learn mathematics.
This thing was not difficult at all for the skilled craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department.
Yonglian asked someone to bring paper and pen, "Do you have a ruler?"
Craftsmen need to draw pictures, so of course they have all kinds of measuring tapes.
Yonglian saw a long black stick on the table beside him and asked, "Is that a charcoal pencil?"
"My Lord, that's charcoal. It makes it easier for craftsmen to draw lines."
This is much easier to control than a brush. Yonglian immediately said, "Give it to me."
The doctor brought a charcoal pencil, and the craftsmen designed a pen cover to avoid getting their hands dirty.
Today's charcoal pencils are not wrapped in wood and break easily, so they are made thicker than those in later generations.
Yonglian used a ruler to draw a parallelogram, a trapezoid, a pentagon and a hexagon.
Yonghuang, watching from the side, couldn't help laughing when he saw the parallelogram Yonglian had drawn. "That's exactly what I was thinking. So two sides like this are called 'parallel'. How fitting!"
Yonglian: "Yeah, yeah!"
He wanted to draw a circle with the compass and had already picked it up when he caught a glimpse of the doctor's surprised look next to him and realized that he shouldn't know how to use a compass.
Not to mention the children in the Qing Dynasty who had not formally learned mathematics, even six-year-old children in later generations might not know how to use a compass.
He quickly adjusted his expression, "What is this for?"
"My lord, this is a compass. It can draw a circle." The doctor introduced that there are only a few of these things in the palace.
"That's perfect. Can you help me draw a circle?" Yonglian handed the compass to the other party.
The doctor adjusted the angle of the compass and drew a circle.
Yonglian held his chin and thought for a moment, "Then draw a dial on this circle, just like a Western clock."
Lang Zhongxin said this was too simple.
"Don't add anything fancy, just mark the numbers clearly." Yonglian said.
"Okay, okay, I will do as you say."
"Make a complete one, and then make another one that can be divided into twelve equal parts." Yonglian said as he used a ruler to measure the circle.
"I understand."
Yonglian only thought of this for the time being and stood up to leave.
Everyone attentively escorted the two young masters to the door, and only returned to the house after watching the two young men walk away.
"Second Prince said he was doing this to learn about shapes, but doesn't he already know them all?"
"What's there to recognize or not recognize the graphics? It's just a matter of whether you've seen them or not. As long as you've seen them, you recognize them." said a craftsman.
"Hey, what the young masters are learning is called geometry. It's not just about knowing what is a square or a circle, it also involves arithmetic."
The doctor ordered everyone to get to work quickly and grind all the sticks and wood chips smooth, without even a single splinter.
Most of the people working in the Imperial Household Department now have been trained by the previous emperor and they strive for perfection in their work. How could such negligence occur?
Qianlong soon learned that his two sons had gone to the Imperial Household Department. His first reaction was that the two boys were preparing gifts for his longevity festival. Since the mourning period had not yet passed, the longevity festival would definitely not be held, but his sons were filial, so he could still accept the gifts.
He didn't ask his sons what they were going to give him, as it was better to keep some anticipation.
As a result, when Qianlong returned to Changchun Palace at night, Yonglian and Niu Lun were still awake, so they came up to him and talked about going to the Imperial Household Department to make teaching aids.
"...My second brother said that making these things can teach me math." Niu Lun said that her brothers were so good to her and didn't want to leave her behind in learning anything.
"We can use these things too," Yonglian said, "so my son asked the Imperial Household Department to make three sets first."
Qianlong: “…”
Well, it’s a good thing that my son likes studying, it will make him happier than any gift.
...But, could these two guys really have forgotten their father's birthday?
"Good, good, good, I'm glad you're so eager to learn." Qianlong said with a smile, "After the Mid-Autumn Festival, you and your elder brother will officially enter the Shangshufang to study."
There are only two days between Wanshou Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. I have reminded him so obviously, Yonglian should be able to remember it.
Yonglian: "Wow! We can eat mooncakes soon. Han Ama, I don't like the five-nut ones, I want to eat the ones with jujube paste filling!"
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