Chapter 21 Chapter 21 There is still a long way to go
After arriving at Tailing, everyone stayed there for a few days.
After completing all the procedures, everyone was exhausted. Qianlong's throat was hoarse, and Yonghuang and Yonglian's eyes were red and swollen from crying.
When the father and his two sons went to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay their respects, the Empress Dowager hurriedly asked someone to bring a handkerchief soaked in ice water to apply to their eyes.
Hongzhou looked confused. "Brother, Yonghuang, Yonglian, why are you crying?"
Qianlong: “…” Everyone was so tired that I almost fainted from crying.
Only this kid looks like he's out for fun.
"We can't bear to part with Huang Mafa." Yonglian said.
Hongzhou thought about it for a while before realizing that Yonglian's Mafa was his own father.
The nuns had taught him to look sad when talking about Marfa.
So the little guy started rubbing his eyes and pretending to cry.
Qianlong: “…”
The Empress Dowager: “…” The Empress Dowager had reminded Hongzhou many times in the past two days that he should remember the kindness of the late emperor to him. It can only be said that little Hongzhou listened to her, but not much.
Seeing that Qianlong looked a little gloomy, the Empress Dowager let the three children go to the inner room to play on the kang, and she persuaded her son not to bother with the children.
The three children went to the inner room. The palace on the Tai Mausoleum side was newly built. Although it was simply decorated, it was very clean and bright.
Hongzhou first took off his shoes and climbed up the platform to show his two little nephews a set of small wooden carvings of the twelve zodiac animals that he had just acquired.
The Empress Dowager was afraid that he would be bored on the road, so she asked the nanny to bring it to him.
Yonghuang and Yonglian also got on the kang. They had walked too much in the past two days and their feet were covered with blisters.
But neither of them cried out in pain, they just asked the eunuchs around them to help deal with it this morning.
Three children arranged the twelve zodiac animals into formations and played animal fighting games.
Hongzhou is heartless and laughs happily.
Yonglian looked outside and said to his sixth uncle, "The Queen said she left a box of toys for you. It's in a cabinet in the side room deep inside the cave."
When Hongzhou heard about the toys, his eyes lit up immediately, "Really? When did Khan Ama tell you?"
Yonghuang also looked at his brother curiously.
Yonglian: "The last time I saw Huang Mafa, he said he had saved up a lot of toys for you, but they were all toys only five or six-year-olds would like to play with, and he wanted to play with you. It's a pity... Huang Mafa didn't live to see you grow up. From now on, only my brother and I will be able to play with those toys with you."
"Will Khan Ama never come back in the future?" Hongzhou asked. As far as he could remember, he only saw Khan Ama once every ten days or half a month.
"Yes," Yonglian nodded, "The Emperor was very sad because he really wanted to play with his sixth uncle."
Hongrong: "..."
The little guy was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears.
The nanny who was guarding outside hurried in, and the Queen Mother also raised her voice and asked, "What happened to Hongzhou?"
Hongzhou stretched out his hands and asked the nanny to carry him outside, "Wow... I miss my father Han. My father Han is so good to me!"
The Queen Mother took the child and coaxed him, saying to Qianlong: "What did I say? The child is thinking about the late emperor, but he just doesn't understand why he passed away."
When Qianlong saw that his sixth brother was really sad this time, he finally felt a little relieved.
At least this guy has a conscience.
But this kid was just pretending to cry. He was so sad after playing with Yonglian and the others for less than half an hour. It must have something to do with the two guys in the room.
In the inner room, Yonghuang was still a little stunned. "Second brother, why did you tell Uncle Sixth all this? Did the Emperor really leave toys for Uncle Sixth?"
Yonglian: "I think... I should keep it." If not, it wouldn't be difficult to ask the Imperial Household Department to send a box immediately.
Yonghuang's question mark face.
Yonglian leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Everyone is sad, but Sixth Uncle is the only one who is so happy. Khan Ama must be angry with him."
What Yonglian was really afraid of wasn't that Qianlong would be angry with Hongzhou. Qianlong was very indulgent towards his younger brother and would only scold him a few times when he was angry. What he was worried about was that the servants around Hongzhou would suffer misfortune.
Qianlong’s thinking was that the little prince had not learned well because the servants around him had not guided him well.
In the evening, when Yonglian went to wash up, Qianlong called Yonghuang to his side and asked about his fun with Hongzhou in the palace today.
Yonghuang was a little conflicted. His second brother might have lied to his sixth uncle, and he didn't dare to tell Khan Ama. But if he didn't tell him, he was afraid that Khan Ama would be angry.
Seeing his eldest son hesitating, Qianlong tapped him on the head and said, "If you don't tell me, I can ask Hongzhou."
Yonghuang: “…”
Yonghuang could only tell his brother what his sixth uncle had said.
After hearing this, Qianlong felt a little complicated.
After washing up, Yonglian immediately got into the warm bed. The room they slept in had no kang (kang), only a charcoal basin. But the quilt was still cold.
When Qianlong entered the room, he saw his son had wrapped himself up like a silkworm, with only a tiny head sticking out.
When Yonglian saw Khan Ama coming in, he slowly got out of the quilt and saluted, but in fact he wanted to wait for Khan Ama to say no need for the salute.
Sure enough, Qianlong had already strode to the bedside and sat down, pressing the quilt. "Alright, alright, lie down. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Yonglian curled his eyes at Khan Ama and asked, "Why are you here? Is there anything you want to tell your son?"
"You are good at coaxing people. Where did you get a box of toys? When Hongzhou wants them, you can give them to him." Qianlong touched his son's face. The child was tired and thin after being away for a few days.
"I've given all my toys to my younger brothers and sisters." Yonglian didn't care who told Khan Ama, because Khan Ama would know it sooner or later. "The Queen Mother said that if you need anything, you should ask Hai Wang. Tell him. I'll prepare a box and put it in the side room deep in the cave."
This sounds more like what Khan Ama said. When Khan Ama was in power, Haiwang was in charge of the Imperial Household Department. Khan Ama would look for Haiwang for whatever he wanted to build. This man was trained by Khan Ama to be very careful. During his time in charge of the Imperial Household Department, there were fewer cases of false reporting of accounts, and the silver in the treasury was more abundant than during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. After Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne, he directly let Haiwang take charge of the Ministry of Revenue, hoping that the national treasury would also become increasingly abundant.
"Hai Wang is now the Minister of Revenue, so why would he take care of your trivial matters?" Qianlong tapped his son's head.
Yonglian: “…”
The father and son were talking when Yonghuang came in.
Qianlong let the two brothers rest, and when he left, he took the teapot and teacups to the high table beside the bed and said, "Drink more water. There is still one day left tomorrow. The day after tomorrow we will go to pay tribute to Uncle Yi."
Yonglian hadn't had the chance to speak to the Empress Dowager alone in front of the coffin these days, but he guessed that the Empress Dowager must want them to go and pay tribute to their Thirteenth Uncle.
Khan Ama has actually already made arrangements.
On the second day, when everyone left Tai Mausoleum, Qianlong cried again and was reluctant to leave.
The kings and ministers knelt on the ground and urged him to set off.
Yonglian was reluctant to leave and leave Huang Mafa alone here. He must be very lonely.
It would be fine if people had no souls after death, but Huang Mafa clearly has consciousness. Isn't it like being in prison for him to be here alone?
When the ministers saw that the Second Prince was also so sad, some thought that the Second Prince was filial, while others thought that the child was precocious and knew how to learn from the Emperor.
Among the royal family, Hongzhou and Hongxiao were also very sad, and Hongzhou's grief was no less than that of Qianlong.
Hongxiao felt even more self-pitying. His father and fourth uncle were the only two elders he could rely on in this world. Now that they were both gone, even if his brother could still care for him, there was still a layer of distance between them. From now on, he would truly support the Prince Yi Mansion.
Worried about the future, the young boy burst into tears.
Yunlu, Yunli and others also had the same feeling. Although the fourth brother seemed strict, he was actually very generous to his brothers and nephews as long as the royal family members did not commit suicide. Yunlu even got the title of King with an iron hat. If Emperor Kangxi was in charge, Yunlu would not have this opportunity.
But at this time, they could only suppress their grief and persuade the emperor and the second prince to leave.
But there was one person who cried even louder than the emperor and the second prince, and even called out "Royal Father."
Yunlu and Yunli couldn't help but curl their lips, and even Hongxiao stopped wiping his tears and looked at the man who was kneeling on the ground and crying.
Is it right for him to call him "Royal Father Ama"? The late emperor was so good to him, but he didn't dare to call him "Royal Father Ama".
Yunlu couldn't stand it any longer, so he took two steps forward and whispered, "Hongxi, it's time to set off."
The one kneeling on the ground and crying was Prince Li Hongxi.
Hongxi was nearly forty years old and a little overweight. He knelt on the ground and cried for a while before he started sweating.
When he raised his head, sweat and tears were sliding down his face, and he looked very sad.
During the reign of the previous emperor, in order to show preferential treatment to the branch of the deposed crown prince and in accordance with the wishes of the Emperor, he not only arranged Hongxi to live in Zhengjiazhuang, but also conferred him the title of a prince and later a prince.
Although he was not allowed to participate in government affairs, his treatment was really good.
Hongxi was also very sensible. He treated the late emperor with great respect, calling him "Father Emperor" in a very affectionate manner.
Thirteenth Uncle used to be my father's man, but when my father got into trouble, Thirteenth Uncle went to assist Fourth Uncle. Even if Fourth Uncle saw Thirteenth Uncle's kindness, he would not treat me too badly.
Hongxi lived a very comfortable life during the reign of the previous emperor. As the eldest brother of the Hong generation and the most beloved grandson of the former Emperor Shengzu, he had some prestige in the royal family.
He had originally thought that with the new emperor ascending the throne, he would have the opportunity to take on some real office in the court. Even his sickly uncle Seventeenth had managed to become a regent. Why couldn't he?
Moreover, the new emperor restored the clan status of Aqinna, Seshei and others.
Even these sinners benefited from it, but I got nothing.
Hongxi gradually realized that although the current emperor seemed kind, it was just a pretense.
He missed his fourth uncle even more. No matter what the reason was, his fourth uncle treated his family very well.
The thought of being left alone and dependent on his cousin for support in the future filled Hongxi with grief. "I'm not leaving. I want to stay here and guard the mausoleum for my father, the emperor."
Yunlu frowned and whispered a warning, "Don't talk nonsense. If the emperor hears you, he will really ask you to stay and guard the mausoleum."
Upon hearing this, Hongxi was stunned and looked at the emperor who was still kneeling and crying in front of him.
The emperor seemed to notice his gaze and looked over here.
Hongxi couldn't help but shudder and regained some of his rationality.
You know what, he can actually do this.
Hongxi then slowly stood up and returned to his proper position.
Qianlong hummed softly, turned his head and continued crying.
Khan Ama! Without you, even Hongxi will not obey me.
Why does he do that? Doesn't he have any idea of his own status? You gave him the title of prince for the sake of the Empress Dowager, which is already a special favor. What else do you want from me? Make him the Grand Councilor?
Even after leaving Tai Mausoleum, Qianlong still felt unhappy.
With him as a contrast, Qianlong felt much more favorable towards Hongxiao. He was only fourteen or fifteen years old, but he was more sensible than him, who was almost forty.
That night, the emperor rested in Qiaotou Village. Qianlong called Yunlu, Yunxi and Hongxiao into the imperial tent and asked them to write poems together to mourn the late emperor.
Yonghuang and Yonglian listened from the side.
"You two should learn more from your uncle Prince Yi. He has a talent for poetry at such a young age."
Qianlong said to his two sons.
Hong Xiao quickly stood up and said, "The fact that I can compose a few poems is thanks to the teachings of the late emperor and Your Majesty. My talent is not even a fraction of Your Majesty's. If you want to learn how to write poetry, the two young princes should learn from Your Majesty."
Yonglian: "..." Can I refuse?
Qianlong considered himself a man of exceptional talent, but he wasn't jealous of those who were more talented than him. He knew Hongxiao's poetry was more spiritual. But he couldn't say he was inferior to Hongxiao, so he simply waved his hand and said, "Forget it, there's still so much poetry to learn from the ancients, so there's no need to learn from us."
Each of them wrote a poem to mourn the late emperor, and Qianlong couldn't help but feel tears in his eyes.
But I've cried so much these past few days that I have no tears left.
After everyone left, he put away the pile of poems and whispered to Yonglian, "Next time you come to see your emperor, read these poems to him."
Yonglian said, "The Queen must be very sad to hear these poems."
Qianlong was stunned. "Shouldn't he be happy that everyone misses him so much?"
Yonglian puffed out his cheeks. "Her Mafa's wish is for her surviving family to live well, rather than be immersed in grief all day long. Twenty-first Uncle even wrote in a poem that he missed her so much that he couldn't sleep at night. Wouldn't Her Mafa be very worried if she knew that?"
Qianlong thought for a moment and rubbed his son's head. "Our Yonglian is still sensible. You are right. I want your Mafa to know that we are all living well."
Yonglian sighed in his heart. Khan Ama probably knew that the soul of the Emperor Mafa existed, and he wanted to express his grief especially.
These days, it is the instinct of children to please their parents. Khan Ama also wants Huang Mafa to know how much they, his children and grandchildren, miss him.
At the same time, he could demonstrate his filial piety to the outside world, and his ministers would praise him for his benevolence and filial piety when they saw him.
But in fact, there is no use in doing these things, and Huang Mafa doesn't care about them at all.
A few poems would be fine, but if I were to write some eulogies to please the Empress Dowager in the future, that would be a real waste of time.
"Nothing would make the Emperor happier than you becoming the ruler of a prosperous era. Our ancestors in heaven would also be pleased." Yonglian said.
He had said this before, but Qianlong didn't think about it carefully at that time. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was something Khan Ama would say.
Khan Ama was busy with government affairs during his reign and seldom went to worship the Holy Ancestor Mahfa.
At that time, he was still a little dissatisfied and felt that Khan Ama was unfilial, but now he seemed to understand Khan Ama's thoughts.
In his view, stabilizing the Qing Dynasty was the greatest filial piety.
Qianlong felt a pang of bitterness in his nose again. "The Emperor and Khan have created a prosperous era." He looked at his son. "We are very lucky."
Unexpectedly, Yonglian shook his head and said, "It's not enough. The Dzungar Khanate has not been pacified, conflicts are still raging in Jinchuan, and many people still don't have enough to eat..."
Qianlong: "...Is this also what your Majesty said?"
Yonglian nodded and patted Khan Ama on the shoulder. "The Emperor said that you have a long way to go."
Qianlong: “…”
The next day, when they went to pay homage to Prince Yi, Qianlong finally could not walk anymore and went in a sedan chair.
Yonghuang, Yonglian and others also rode in carriages.
Qianlong first offered wine in front of the tomb, followed by the brothers of Yunlu's generation, then his sons Hongxiao and Hongtao, and finally the Yong generation.
As Yonglian knelt on the futon, he heard a voice crying, "Fourth brother, fourth brother, why did you leave so early?"
Isn't this the Thirteenth Uncle's tomb? Why is someone crying?
Yonglian subconsciously wanted to look around, but quickly realized whose voice it was.
He hesitated for a moment, pretended not to hear anything, and continued to kowtow and burn incense.
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