Chapter 13 Chapter 13 The Last Wish of the Late Emperor
When the Queen heard Qianlong talk about Mid-Autumn Festival, she knew what he wanted to remind her.
I felt a little amused and worried that Yonglian would not remember, so I was about to remind him more obviously.
Suddenly, little Niu Lun's eyes widened. "Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, there's Khan Ama's birthday. Niu Lun will sing a ballad to Khan Ama to celebrate his birthday!"
Upon hearing this, Qianlong smiled brightly, picked up his precious daughter, and rubbed the little tuft on the top of her head, "Our precious Niu Lun is still so obedient!"
As he spoke, he glanced at his dazed son and snorted softly.
Yonglian: “…” He couldn’t remember at all.
He was slow to react and realized why Khan Ama's smile froze for a moment when he heard that he was going to the Imperial Household Department to make math teaching aids.
"Of course I have to make the birthday gift for Khan Ama myself. My son has already started planning it." Yonglian lied without blinking.
Qianlong tapped his son on the top of his head and said, "I want to see what you can plan."
Yonglian raised his chin and said, "Khan Ama has definitely never seen the gift that Yonglian prepared."
Even the Queen couldn't stand it any longer. "What else can you do that your Khan Ama hasn't seen? If you boast now, it will be difficult to end it later!"
"Although Khan Ama is rich, there must be things he has never seen." Yonglian was not convinced.
"There are many things I haven't seen, but I haven't seen what you have seen..." When Qianlong said this, he suddenly thought that maybe Yonglian had seen it from the previous emperor.
The late emperor had quite a few exquisite gadgets.
He then became excited again, "Then I'll be waiting for your birthday gift."
Yonglian: "After Yonglian gives the birthday gift, can I eat mooncakes filled with jujube paste?"
Qianlong: “…”
Within two days, the Imperial Household Department sent over three sets of mathematics teaching aids. Each set was packed in a small carved wooden box with different partitions to separate the counting sticks and figures.
Yonglian was very satisfied and asked Ma Rui to give some money to the craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department. "By the way, I also want a charcoal pencil."
Ma Rui took the order and brought back three of them soon, all with pen cases.
"The official in charge of the Imperial Household Department said that you can use it slowly. There are plenty of charcoal pencils." Ma Rui said.
Yonglian thought that the Imperial Household Department was too attentive, which was fine, as he would have to trouble them many times in the future.
In these days, you have to choose an auspicious day for everything you do. The date that Yonglian needed to move from Changchun Palace to the Prince's Residence was also selected by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, and they chose the ninth day of the eighth month.
Starting from the seventh day of August, Qianlong and the Empress began to explain to Yonglian various precautions about living alone.
The Queen, in particular, was extremely worried. Her son had grown up with her, and now he was only six years old and had to live alone in the Prince's residence. Could he adapt?
Even though Yonglian patted his chest and promised that he would take good care of himself, the queen still repeatedly warned him to tell her if he felt uncomfortable at all and not to endure it like Yonghuang did.
Yonglian then realized that his elder brother had a nightmare while living alone, and he couldn't help but laugh at his elder brother.
The queen thought to herself that you might not be much better than others.
However, the two brothers' yards are next to each other, so they can indeed look after each other.
In addition to instructing Yonglian, the Queen and Nanny Fang also gave a lot of instructions.
The young prince is usually served by maids and eunuchs, while the palace maids are only responsible for washing clothes and cleaning.
Except for Chen Fu and Ma Rui, who were selected by Emperor Qianlong himself, the rest of the servants around Yonglian were selected by the empress, and those who were not dedicated had been replaced long ago.
Niu Lun also couldn't bear to part with his second brother, and even more so, his toys...
"Second brother, I have never seen you play with this small glass wine pot..." Niu Lun came to Yonglian with the small wine pot and smiled sweetly.
Yonglian now had some resistance to his sister's smile and said calmly, "Because this isn't a joke, it's just for show."
"No, this one can be played with. I have a set of small glass bowls that are the same color as this one." Niu Lun said, "You can use them to play house wine."
Yonglian deliberately remained silent.
Niu Lun rubbed his head against his second brother's arm and said, "Second brother is the best. Niu Lun will sing a ballad for you."
Although little Niu Lun never sang in tune, Yonglian still liked listening to his sister sing.
Only after listening to the little girl singing a ballad in her baby voice with a smile did Yonglian agree to give her the small wine pot.
There were also some cloth tigers, rattles and nine-linked rings that he played with when he was a child. The queen kept a few of them as commemorative items, as it would be a pity to throw away the rest. Just then, Concubine Chun came over with little Yongzhang, and the queen used these toys she had found to entertain Yongzhang.
Yongzhang is over one year old. He can already call "Niangniang" and "Ama" and walks quite steadily.
This was the first time Yonglian saw his younger brother after he came here. Concubine Chun said that she didn't dare to carry him out because the weather was too hot.
It has been a little cooler these days, so I brought the little one to pay my respects to the Queen.
Yonghuang, Yonglian and Niu Lun surrounded their younger brother and taught him to call his brothers and sisters.
Yong Zhang looked at the bald foreheads of his two brothers and called out "Ama" after a while.
"Hey, hey, hey, I can't call you "Ama" casually." Yonglian touched his silly brother's head.
Yong Zhang blinked his big eyes innocently.
Yonglian remembered that Yongzhang in history died of illness in his twenties, and he felt sad. He could have found a way to avoid some accidents that resulted in death.
For someone like Yong Zhang who has had poor health since childhood and has no medical skills, it is not easy to change his condition.
Probably all he could do was remind Yong Zhang to take better care of his health.
It is not realistic to expect medicine to develop rapidly in the next twenty years.
Yonglian doesn't know how to make penicillin or anything like that.
Alas, it’s because he died too early in his previous life and his cultural level is limited.
Seeing his second brother suddenly pout and look a little unhappy, Niu Lun picked up the rattle and shook it in front of him, "Second brother, give these toys to your third brother."
Yonglian came back to his senses, "Of course."
The Queen also planned this, but she was afraid that Concubine Chun would be suspicious and give Yong Zhang the things that her own Yong Lian had played with.
Although there is a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, the queen knew that Su was already feeling inferior because of her identity as a Han Chinese woman, and did not want her to think too much about it.
Just as she was about to ask Chunpin politely if she wanted one, Yonglian came running over and said to Chunpin, "Empress Su, I want to give this toy to my third brother. He really likes the stuffed tiger."
Before he finished speaking, Xiao Yongzhang ran out holding the cloth tiger, "My Queen, I'm so happy... Brain axe..."
"This..." Concubine Chun looked at the queen hesitantly.
"If Yongzhang likes it, just take it and play with it."
Niu Lun took all the remaining toys and said, "These are for my third brother to play with. He needs to study hard. Let's divide up my second brother's toys."
"Hey, hey, hey, you're the one who knows how to make decisions." Yonglian pinched his sister's little bun and put the toys in order. "This nine-linked ring has a piece knocked off. Please don't be disgusted, Queen Chun."
"I haven't had enough time to thank Second Prince, how could I despise him?" Concubine Chun wanted to express her gratitude, but the children had already started playing outside again, and the Empress Dowager also changed the subject with a smile.
The queen was very good to Yongzhang, and he had no shortage of toys, but children tend to get bored easily. Once they got their brother's toys, they no longer liked to play with the old ones.
Qianlong did not flip the cards, but he would still visit his third son every now and then.
When he went to see Yongzhang that day, he found that Yongzhang had changed a lot of toys.
The little guy put the cloth tiger on his head and cried "wooo wooo" to his father.
Qianlong was so adorable, "Our little Yongzhang is amazing! He can scare Father now!"
He took the cloth tiger down and looked at it, immediately recognizing it. "Isn't this the one Yonglian played with when he was a child?"
"Yes, this was given to Yongzhang by the Second Prince. That day, I took little Yongzhang to Changchun Palace to play. The First Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Princess were all very good at taking care of their younger brother." Concubine Chun said, "It is a blessing for our Yongzhang to have such good brothers and sisters."
Upon hearing this, Qianlong couldn't help but smile. Of course, his children were all good kids who knew how to be friendly and respectful.
"Our little Yongzhang must respect his brother when he grows up, okay?" Qianlong touched his son's cheek. Yongzhang had been a little thin since he was a child, with little flesh on his body. His head seemed a little big and he looked uncoordinated.
Qianlong instructed Concubine Chun, "Take the child out to bask in the sun more often, and take him to Changchun Palace to sit when you have nothing to do."
Yonglian went to the prince's residence, and there was only one child, Niu Lun, in Changchun Palace. It was a good opportunity to let Yongzhang go there, so that the palace would be more lively.
Yonglian didn't need any adjustment period when he arrived at the Prince's Residence. After all, he wasn't really a six-year-old child and had lived in a dormitory before.
Moreover, Yonghuang's yard is right next door, making it more convenient to visit my elder brother.
But these two days he was busy preparing gifts for Khan Ama, and he stayed in the study alone at night.
Qianlong was concerned about his son's adaptation, so he asked Chen Fu. When he heard that the young master spent most of his time in the study, he was very relieved.
Yonglian is such a self-motivated kid.
On August 13, although civil and military officials did not need to perform rituals, Qianlong still gave himself half a day off. After summoning ministers in the morning, he went to Ningshou Palace to accompany the Empress Dowager.
The Queen is also here with her three children.
"Gao and Nara also want to pay their respects to His Majesty. Do you think it should be done in Ningshou Palace or...?" the Queen asked Qianlong.
Qianlong said, "There's no need to let them run away. We can talk more freely."
Qianlong's words clearly revealed the closeness of the relationship. The Empress Dowager also nodded.
The Queen didn't know what to say, so she sent someone to pass on the message to Concubine Xian and Concubine Gao.
Qianlong first chatted with the Empress Dowager and Concubine Yu for a while, then looked at Yonglian with a half-smile, "Where is the gift you prepared? Let me open my eyes."
"Khan Ama, why don't you take a look at the gifts from my eldest brother and third sister first?" Yonglian said, "Put my gift last."
Qianlong was helpless: "You really know how to keep us in suspense."
Yonglian chuckled.
Niu Lun ran to Khan Ama first and wanted to sing for him.
The little girl sang so cutely that she even danced in circles while singing, making the Queen Mother, Concubine Yu and others laugh non-stop.
Yonghuang had not originally thought of preparing a gift, but it was his second brother who reminded him that he wrote the word "Shou".
At his age, it's good enough if he can write neatly.
Qianlong was somewhat surprised, "Yonghuang's calligraphy has improved greatly." After all, he had not officially let Yonghuang start practicing calligraphy.
Before this calligraphy, Yonghuang had wasted many copies. But there was no need to mention this matter. The young boy just said obediently: "Thank you, Khan, for the compliment. I will definitely keep working hard."
Qianlong ordered Li Yu to put away Yonghuang's calligraphy, then looked at Yonglian and said, "There is no reason to delay any longer now."
"This gift from my son needs an explanation, so I put it last." Yonglian said as he took a small wooden box from Nanny Fang and presented it to Qianlong.
Qianlong couldn't wait to open it, and there was a picture inside. Niu Lun also leaned over to take a look out of curiosity.
Yonglian explained, "My son once heard Huang Mafa discussing with people around him the idea of building a two-wheeled vehicle. He even drew a diagram, but it seems that because he hadn't thought out a few details, he never asked the Imperial Household Department to build it. So my son filled in some details based on Huang Mafa's drawing."
Qianlong looked carefully at the two-wheeled vehicle in the picture. Yonglian had drawn it with charcoal, and some details were also drawn separately on the side, such as the handlebars and two pedals.
"Hey, doesn't this car need to be pulled by a horse?" Niu Lun wondered.
Yonglian pointed to the pedals in the picture and explained to his sister, "People sit on this seat and step on the pedals with their feet, and the pedals will drive the wheels to turn, without the need for horses."
Niu Lun nodded as if he understood.
Qianlong frowned slightly and looked at Yonglian, "Did your Majesty say all this?"
Yonglian nodded, "But Huang Mafa has never thought about the material of the wheels. Wooden wheels are too heavy."
"Have you thought of what to use to replace wood?" Qianlong stared at his son.
Yonglian shook his head. He had an idea, but at his age, he couldn't think too thoroughly.
"If you haven't figured it out, what should the Imperial Household Department do?" Qianlong deliberately frowned.
Yonglian said, "The craftsmen at the Imperial Household Department are very clever. They will find a way." He glanced cautiously at Khan Ama, then lowered his head. "Khan Ama, Yonglian has tried his best. He thought about it for a long time before drawing this picture."
Seeing Qianlong's serious expression, the Empress Dowager thought he was dissatisfied with Yonglian's gift and hurriedly tried to smooth things over, "Bring me the picture Yonglian drew."
Qianlong handed it to the empress dowager personally. The empress dowager took a look and found that although her grandson's brushstrokes were a little immature, the painting was very clear and bright. As for whether the two-wheeled vehicle could be manufactured, that was the business of the Imperial Household Department. Even if the Imperial Household Department tried its best, it was possible that the late emperor's idea was not reliable.
"This two-wheeled vehicle is great! No one has ever thought of it in thousands of years. Only someone with broad knowledge and delicate mind like the late emperor could figure it out." said the Queen Mother, and of course she had to praise the late emperor first.
"It's hard to believe that Yonglian has always remembered the regrets of the late emperor, and at such a young age, he's willing to think about this matter."
Concubine Yu quickly added, "The late emperor loved designing these things. The fan is now used in the palace. How wonderful! If this two-wheeled cart can be made, it will also be considered the fulfillment of the late emperor's last wish."
Yonglian: “…” This is a bit exaggerated. Yongzheng probably didn’t have the last wish to invent the bicycle.
But the little fellow nodded his head. "There was one time when Khan Ama sent me to Qinzheng Qinxian to see Huang Mafa, and then we had to rush to the depths of the cave to study. Huang Mafa said that Khan Ama was too tired from walking, but it was not appropriate for a man to ride in a sedan chair, and riding a horse in the garden was even more inappropriate. It would be great if there was a carriage that didn't need horses."
He had composed these words long ago. After all, this was a gift for Khan Ama, so it had to be related to Khan Ama.
"Yonglian also felt that Khan Ama was very tired from walking, especially when he was in the Old Summer Palace, which was so huge. So he always remembered this two-wheeled cart," Yonglian said.
Qianlong: “…”
He didn't think much of this two-wheeled vehicle at first. Khan Ama had a lot of ideas. In addition to handling government affairs, he liked to design some small things. He even thought of the goggles for the officials in the dust-throwing department.
Some of the Imperial Household Departments were able to make it, while others failed repeatedly and wasted materials.
He hadn't figured out the benefits of this two-wheeled vehicle. Wouldn't it be harder for people to pedal? It couldn't even run as fast as a horse, so it looked pretty useless.
But when Yonglian explained the reason why Khan Ama had this idea, Qianlong's nose began to sour. When he heard that his beloved son also loved him and had been wanting to perfect the details, his eyes instantly became wet.
His father and son both care about him so much.
He, Aisin Gioro Hongli, is so lucky.
When Yonglian looked up, he saw that his father's eyes were red.
Qianlong noticed his son's gaze and quickly turned away, just in time to meet the Queen's gaze.
If I turn to the other side, the Empress Dowager will see me.
In fact, the Empress Dowager and the Empress had already noticed tears in Qianlong's eyes.
I just endured it in front of the children.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both took out their handkerchiefs. The Empress Dowager said, "The late emperor truly had a kind and loving fatherly heart... My mother and I are truly blessed to have the late emperor's care and attention..."
Queen: "..." Let the mother-in-law do her best. As long as she cries along with him, her master will feel comfortable crying too.
As expected, as soon as the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law cried, Qianlong instantly felt relieved of the heavy burden. The tears he had been holding back for a long time finally fell, "Khan Ama... Your son wishes to always be filial to you..."
The Concubine Yu and the three children in the room were all a little dumbfounded. Concubine Yu thought to herself that although she was moved, she couldn't cry...
Otherwise, you might as well take out your handkerchief and join in.
Yonghuang and Niu Lun were completely stunned. Should they cry along with them?
Yonglian rested his chin on Khan Ama's knees and looked up at him, "Khan Ama, don't cry... Yonglian has drawn the two-wheeled vehicle. I'll tell the Queen Mother next time. The Queen Mother will definitely be happy if she's still alive."
Only they, father and son, understood this.
Qianlong was stunned, and then he remembered that this matter really needed to be known to Khan Ama.
Khan Ama must be very pleased when he knows this.
Qianlong held his son on his lap and stroked his little face, "Khan Ama likes the gift you gave me very much."
"But half of them were given by Huang Mafa!" Niu Lun couldn't help but say.
Yonglian: "..." This girl seems to have some truth in what she said.
Yonghuang then addressed his brother, "Without Yonglian remembering the Emperor Mafa's last wish, this two-wheeled vehicle would not have been built."
Yonglian: "..." Every time he mentioned the word "last wish", he felt guilty.
and……
"It may not be possible to build this two-wheeled vehicle." Yonglian said.
Qianlong snorted, "You and Khan Ama have put so much effort into designing it, but if the Imperial Household Department still can't produce it, then I've really been supporting them for nothing."
Yonglian: “…”
Oh no! The Imperial Household Department is under a lot of pressure now!
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