Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Two Lychees
Yonglian didn't know that Qianlong was selecting a personal eunuch for him. He sent the third lady back to her room and returned to the west side hall opposite.
There are three rooms in the west side hall. The main room is used for receiving guests, the east room is used as a bedroom, and the west room is used as a study.
Yonglian walked around the room, feeling a sense of unreality, yet also vaguely familiar, perhaps due to the memories of his original self. He knew exactly where everything was placed.
Nanny Fang wanted to help him lie down, and he subconsciously went to the side room in the east room to wash up.
There was a small bronze mirror in the ear room. After washing his face, Yonglian looked in the mirror.
He looked very much like himself as a child in his previous life, but this little prince was shorter than when he was six years old in his previous life, only about one meter tall.
Thinking about the heights of Emperor Qianlong and Empress Fucha, Yonglian suddenly felt uneasy. These genes are not very good! Will he ever grow taller than 1.7 meters?
Wait, don’t worry about it for now. In history, Yonglian died in the third year of Qianlong’s reign, and this year is the first year of Qianlong’s reign.
In two years, he will die again...
Is God playing tricks on him like this? Traveling back two hundred years just to experience death again?
Yonglian was not afraid of death. He was afraid of the suffering of illness, and even more afraid of the pain his departure would bring to his family.
In his previous life, after he fell ill, his parents both had white hair, his mother cried all day long, and his father quickly became thin.
Similarly, the early death of the second prince, Yonglian, was a great blow to Emperor Qianlong and Empress Fucha. Emperor Qianlong stopped attending court for five days, and Empress Fucha was heartbroken.
As for the prince's funeral and the specially built mausoleum, they could not make up for the pain of the young couple losing their son.
"Don't worry, my dear prince. I will apply another compress on you tonight and the swelling will go away by tomorrow." Nanny Fang saw the young master staring at the mirror and thought he was worried about the bump on his forehead.
Yonglian came back to his senses and touched his forehead, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt." He absentmindedly returned to the bedroom and lay down.
The brocade quilt was thin and soft, and there was a small iceberg in the basin not far away. The room was not very hot. Yonglian couldn't help but sigh in his heart, it's great to be alive.
He must survive and live to adulthood!
But if I survive, I will have to be the crown prince for more than 60 years...
As we all know, being a crown prince is a high-risk job... Not many can succeed to the throne safely, and even fewer can succeed to the throne smoothly with a long-lived and powerful father.
Not to mention the distant past, let’s just talk about his great-grandfather Kangxi, who loved Crown Prince Yinreng so much that he brought him up and personally educated him since he was a child, yet in the end he enthroned and deposed him twice.
Qianlong was even more open-minded than Kangxi.
Being the crown prince of Emperor Qianlong for more than 60 years... Yonglian hugged his head and was about to wail in his heart when he suddenly remembered that the situation was different now.
Since his grandfather, the practice of selecting the crown prince has been secret. That is, only Khan Ama knows the candidate for the crown prince, and no one else knows, including himself.
In this case, he was just an ordinary little prince. He didn't have to bear the pressure that the crown prince had to bear. Officials who wanted to form cliques and curry favor with him would not be able to find him.
What Ama thinks is his business. If he is disappointed in me, just change the crown prince.
The appointment of a crown prince is a secret, and the dethronement of a crown prince should not be done in a high-profile manner.
He can still continue to be an ordinary prince.
As long as you don't make big mistakes, it's not difficult to survive.
Moreover, he had his mother and sister as his backers. Even if Qianlong was dissatisfied with him, he would still consider his beloved wife and daughter and would not treat him too harshly.
As for who will succeed the position of crown prince, it is not Yonglian's concern.
In other dynasties, the princes competed with each other in terms of strength, character, and political tactics. In the Qianlong Dynasty, the first thing they had to compete was their health and longevity.
Even if he survived, he would not necessarily live longer than Qianlong.
The same was true for most of his brothers, and in the end there was an 80% chance that the fifteenth young prince Yongyan would take over.
Thinking of this, Yonglian felt much more relaxed.
Thanks to Yongzheng for coming up with such a good idea of secretly appointing a crown prince.
After relaxing, Yonglian fell asleep quickly.
When I woke up, it was already dark.
"My prince has woken up. His Majesty asked you to go to the front hall to eat lotus seed soup and your favorite fresh lychees. The Empress Dowager heard that you fell, so she specially sent someone to send two." Nanny Fang said as she helped Yonglian wipe his face.
Yonglian: "Two?"
"Yes! The Empress Dowager couldn't bear to eat it." said Nanny Fang.
Our little master is not only the apple of the Emperor and Empress's eye, but also the sweetheart of the Empress Dowager.
Yonglian remembered that fresh lychees were rare these days and were sold by the piece. The Empress Dowager got two this time.
How sad! Litchi's days of freedom are gone forever.
After he had packed up, he went to the front hall, where Qianlong was playing chess with the empress.
Seeing him coming, the two put down their chess pieces. The queen ordered someone to bring lotus seed soup, then pulled him closer to examine the wound on his forehead and gently rubbed it.
"Are you feeling unwell? Do you have a stuffy nose?" The queen asked with concern, worried that he would catch a cold from the rain.
Yonglian said, "My son is fine after drinking the ginger soup." For some reason, he subconsciously spoke like a good boy in front of his mother.
Qianlong said, "Your Madam was heartbroken when she heard that you had fallen. Thinking you would be happy to eat the lychees, she sent you both of the lychees I sent this morning."
Yonglian followed Qianlong's gaze and looked at the two pitiful lychees in the fruit plate.
Two pieces are not enough to fill the gaps between my teeth, so I might as well not eat them.
He then said, "Yonglian is fine. Let the Empress Dowager eat these lychees." As he spoke, he looked up at Qianlong and said, "I will give the lychees to the Empress Dowager. When the Empress Dowager sees me, she will feel relieved to know that I am fine." He also wanted to meet the famous Concubine Xi.
Qianlong didn't expect that Yonglian could resist eating lychees. This child usually didn't have a greedy appetite, but he liked lychees, which was just like him.
This time, the lychee tree sent from the south yielded only thirty lychees. After deducting the ones for the Buddha, only twenty remained.
Six were kept in the Yangxin Palace, and the rest were divided among the Empress Dowager and the concubines in the palace. No one below the rank of imperial concubine received any.
Changchun Palace was given two pills, and Yonglian let his mother and sister eat them, but he didn't get any.
Qianlong was very pleased when he heard the Empress talk about it just now. Now the Empress Dowager sent two pills, and Yonglian held back again.
Not to mention that he is sensible and filial, the key is that this child has a really good ability of self-discipline.
"Okay, our Yonglian is really good." Qianlong couldn't help but reached out and touched his son's soft little chubby face. "After eating the lotus seed soup, Khan Ama will accompany you to see Mama."
Yonglian: ???
Khan Ama, why are you talking to me in such a choked manner?
The mourning period had not yet ended, and although other palaces did not know about it, there was no meat in the imperial kitchen and Changchun Palace.
Moreover, the Qing Palace had dinner at 3:00 PM, so Yonglian was already hungry by now.
A bowl of lotus seed soup wasn't enough, so he ate a milk bun and wanted to have a piece of jujube paste cake. But Qianlong stopped him, saying, "Eat until you're 70% full. If you eat too much, you won't be able to sleep well later."
Yonglian: "But I'm only 50% full." Lychees are precious so we can choose not to eat them, but we can't let him go hungry!
Qianlong thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then you can eat. We'll walk there and back later to help you digest the food."
He said, looking at the Queen, "The Queen, please come with us."
The Queen naturally had to go, even though she had already paid her respects to the Empress Dowager in the morning. But since both Emperor Qianlong and Yonglian were going, it would be a bit rude for her, as a daughter-in-law, not to go.
In this regard, the Queen, like Emperor Qianlong, was very strict with herself.
At this time, Shoukang Palace had not been completed yet, so the Empress Dowager lived in Ningshou Palace.
In the cool breeze of the summer night, the family of three strolled towards the Ningshou Palace.
As dusk fell, there were no more people walking around in the harem.
Only occasionally would eunuchs and maids on night duty pass by.
The emperor and the empress were chatting in low voices about trivial matters in the palace. Now there was only one prince and one princess in the palace. Yonglian and the third princess were in Changchun Palace, and the third prince Yongzhang was raised by his mother, Concubine Chun.
The eldest prince, Yonghuang, only went to the prince's residence this year. The empress sent people to inquire about him every day, for she was worried that the young boy would not be able to adapt.
"What a kid Yonghuang is! He didn't even come to see his brother when he fell down." Qianlong muttered with some dissatisfaction.
The Empress explained, "Your Majesty has wronged Yonghuang. Since Yonglian is fine, I have ordered that this matter not be spread outside. The prince's side knows nothing about it."
Qianlong nodded, then thought again, how did the Empress Dowager know about this? Logically speaking, Ningshou Palace was outside the palace and should be the least informed.
The Empress knew what Qianlong was thinking from the look on his face; he was truly sensitive. "When Yonglian fainted, a maid from the Ningshou Palace came to inquire about the memorial service at the Yonghe Palace. Changchun Palace was in turmoil at the time, so it was impossible to conceal the truth. I guess that maid went back and told the Empress Dowager."
"I see."
Yonglian walked behind the two of them, listening absentmindedly, but his eyes were looking at the scenery along the way.
As Qianlong was walking, he suddenly turned around, took Yonglian's little hand and pulled him to his side.
Yonglian: ???
"Father will hold your hand for a walk today, but starting tomorrow, this cannot happen anymore," said Qianlong.
Yonglian:??? Although he didn't want Khan Amara to walk hand in hand, he subconsciously asked, "Why?"
"Because Yonglian has grown up." The queen smiled. Tomorrow the emperor will personally write a secret decree to appoint Yonglian as the crown prince. He said it was a secret appointment of the crown prince, but the emperor did not hide this matter from her.
She had declined, citing Yonglian's young age as an excuse, but the emperor insisted. She couldn't say much. Fortunately, no one else knew about it, so Yonglian wouldn't be greatly affected.
"Why is Yonglian still a child today and an adult tomorrow?" Yonglian tilted his head in confusion.
Qianlong also laughed now. He didn't answer him, but squeezed his chubby little hand. "Yonglian, do you want to study in the Shangshufang with your elder brother?"
So he was going to study in the Shangshufang! Thinking of the daily routine of the Qing Dynasty princes, Yonglian's face suddenly wrinkled.
The little guy's expression did not escape Qianlong's eyes. He immediately asked seriously: "Doesn't Yonglian like reading?"
"I like it, but...but..." Yonglian touched the bump on his forehead, "Can you wait until this bump goes away before you go back to school?"
I can put it off for as long as I can. I really don't want to get up early!
Qianlong couldn't help but laugh. This kid must be afraid of being laughed at by Yonghuang. The two brothers were two years apart in age and had grown up playing together. They had a very close relationship. Although Yonghuang was a very honest child, they often joked with each other.
"No, that won't work. Let's go tomorrow and let your elder brother see who accidentally fell down while walking and became the birthday boy." Qianlong teased his son deliberately.
"I wasn't careless." Yonglian puffed up his cheeks, "Besides, big brother won't laugh at me, he must feel sorry for me!"
In history, the eldest prince Yonghuang's mother died young, and because he did not show enough grief at the queen's funeral, he was reprimanded by Emperor Qianlong. As a result, he was depressed and died young, which made him an unlucky person.
In the original body's memory, Qianlong often disliked his eldest son's dull temperament, and often compared the two sons together, praising Yonglian while putting down Yonghuang.
Not only was Yonghuang not jealous of his younger brother, he actually learned from him honestly.
Yonglian would of course speak for such a good brother.
Upon hearing this, Qianlong laughed heartily. "Okay, okay, okay, you two brothers have a good relationship. Since your elder brother doesn't laugh at you, you can go to the Shangshufang to study tomorrow."
Yonglian: “…”
The Queen couldn't help but glared at Qianlong, "Your Majesty, please stop teasing the child. Our little Yonglian also needs to save face."
Yonglian: "That's it."
Qianlong laughed so hard that he held his son's hand with one hand and quickly hooked the queen's finger with the other hand.
A family of three taking a walk on a summer night, what a happy life! I want to write a poem!
The queen blushed. "What is the emperor doing? It would be embarrassing if the servants following behind saw it."
Little Yonglian, oblivious to the little tricks between his father and mother, was still preoccupied with his studies, so he asked Qianlong, "Khan father, what are we supposed to learn in the Shangshufang?"
"The Four Books and Five Classics in Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese." Qianlong said.
"Don't you want to learn arithmetic, geometry and Western science?" Yonglian looked up curiously.
"You still want to learn these?"
Learning Manchu, Chinese and Mongolian was already difficult for a six or seven-year-old child. Qianlong did not arrange any other courses for him, even horse riding and archery could be put on hold.
Unexpectedly, Yonglian took the initiative to ask about geometry and arithmetic.
Yonglian hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "I want to learn!"
Qianlong: "Geometric arithmetic is not simple." In any case, Qianlong felt it was difficult and boring.
"It's not easy, so you have to learn it early." Yonglian said, "The emperor said that when he was Yonglian's age, he could solve many math problems."
When Yongzheng was still alive, he particularly valued his grandson Yonglian and would occasionally call him to his side to talk and joke with him.
Qianlong was stunned. The Emperor Kangxi attached great importance to mathematics, geometry, and Western science. He not only studied them himself but also made his sons learn them. His father-in-law and uncles all knew some of them, and his third, thirteenth, and sixteenth uncles were particularly knowledgeable in these subjects.
Emperor Qianlong's idol was the Holy Ancestor. He wanted to emulate him in every way. The only thing he wasn't interested in or good at was this one aspect. Since he couldn't do it himself, it was great that his son could do it!
Qianlong thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll find you a teacher who's good at mathematics. It wouldn't be a problem if you studied two or three times a week. But you must not let these studies interfere with your regular studies."
Yonglian should be happy.
Useful subjects must be arranged for my younger brothers!
Seeing his son's excited face, Qianlong couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the little prince he chose was really studious!
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