Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Don't Lose Face
When Hong Zhou came out of Prince Zhuang's mansion, he looked a little depressed.
It was as if I had returned to the state when I came out of the Shangshufang many years ago.
He couldn't even wait until tomorrow and immediately went to the palace to complain to his brother.
"Sixteenth Uncle is giving out math workbooks, and he's forcing me to help him check the answers. My Royal Highness, you don't know, but those questions Sixteenth Uncle gives are incredibly tricky."
Qianlong: “???”
If I remember correctly, he asked this kid to test Uncle Sixteen's attitude towards the reorganization of the military affairs. What math problem is this kid talking about?
"Sixteenth Uncle also said that the workbook was Yonglian's idea." Hong Zhou said, "That silly kid will regret it later."
Qianlong: ...
Listen, is this something an elder can say?
But my son is really studious! He even asked the teacher to assign him more homework.
"Do you think everyone is like you, taking homework as if it were their life?" Qianlong rolled his eyes at his brother.
Hong Zhou: "...When my two nephews can't sit still with their homework and come to me for help, I'll realize how terrifying Uncle Sixteen is... no, just how terrible math problems are."
When Qianlong heard this, he was really shocked. He knew his own mathematical level very well.
I have no problem with simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but I can't figure out equations or functions. I've only learned a limited amount, so I can't really teach my sons.
Although the two sons might not come to ask for advice, but what if...
If I teach them wrongly, wouldn't I be embarrassed in front of my sons?
Qianlong planned to find the math textbook he had used before and review it tonight.
After complaining for a while, Hong Zhou prepared to go and pay his respects to his mother.
Qianlong was helpless and could only ask, "How is Uncle Seventeen's health?"
Hong Zhou sighed, "Still the same as always, speaking weakly and looking sallow. I heard from Lady Seventeen that his appetite has been poor these past few days, and he only eats half a bowl of rice at a meal."
Qianlong thought that given his seventeenth uncle's condition, he definitely didn't want to join the Grand Council.
"The small kitchen in Changchun Palace has prepared some fresh dishes. I will have someone send some to Uncle Seventeen to try tomorrow." Qianlong said as he sat back at the desk, picked up the memorial, and signaled Hongzhou that he could leave.
Hong Zhou came over and asked curiously, "What's new to eat? I want to try it too."
Qianlong: “…”
"One of them is very simple. It's just tofu pudding with milk, osmanthus sauce and honey. The kids love it. Little Niulun ate two bowls yesterday."
Hong Zhou frowned in doubt. Isn't tofu pudding just tofu pudding? Can tofu pudding be delicious if it's sweet?
Seeing her expression, Qianlong knew what she was thinking and said with a smile, "This is something the children came up with. The Queen didn't think it was tasty at first, but after being pestered by Niu Lun, she finally tried making it. Unexpectedly, it's really good. I think it will taste even better when it's cooled down in the summer."
Hong Zhou: "Fujin likes sweet food, let's go back and ask him to try it. What other food do you have?"
Qianlong: "...I'll have Changchun Palace send a copy to your residence tomorrow."
Hong Zhou thanked him with a smile and left contentedly.
Although Hong Zhou did not tell Emperor Qianlong about his sixteenth uncle's attitude towards not joining the Grand Council, Emperor Qianlong already knew it.
Yonglian is a good kid who knows how to pick the right time. He came up with the idea of the exercise book at this very moment to distract his Sixteenth Uncle.
Uncle Sixteen had a wide range of interests, and was particularly keen on mathematics, music, and horseback riding and archery. As long as these three things attracted his attention, he would forget everything else.
As long as Uncle Sixteen and Uncle Seventeen didn't hold any grudges, Qianlong continued to read the memorials.
The memorial in hand was submitted by Nianqin, and this person might have his own ideas.
I'll talk to him later.
No one knows what Nianqin thought about not being able to enter the Grand Council, but everyone else in the court was very happy.
Everyone had a higher opinion of the emperor. Although he was young, he was not impatient in doing things. He did not rush to promote new people, but used important officials of the previous emperor's dynasty to divide the power of E and Zhang.
This is a really clever move.
Ortai and Zhang Tingyu guessed the emperor's intentions and were not dissatisfied. Although they did not get along with Li Wei, they also knew Li Wei's character and ability. They were convinced that letting him join the military council was definitely better than letting Neqin.
In the evening, Qianlong returned to Changchun Palace and asked the queen to help him find the mathematics book he had used before.
When we moved from Chonghua Palace to Yangxin Palace, some books that I didn’t like to read were placed in Changchun Palace.
When the Queen heard he was looking for a math textbook, she was puzzled. She knew her husband had a real problem with reading that kind of book. He could read the classics over and over again, but he had never opened "The Essence of Mathematics and Logic."
"Don't worry, I'll look for it slowly tomorrow." Qianlong said.
The Queen smiled and said, "Last time, when I was free, I found the book and read it. It's in the study. I'll go get it right away."
"Hey, the Queen is also interested in mathematics?" Qianlong raised his eyebrows. If the Queen could explain the questions to Yonghuang and Yonglian, would he not have to study?
No, even the queen can do it, but I can’t. Wouldn’t that be even more embarrassing?
"I simply wanted to see the Emperor's old notes," the Empress said, a little embarrassed. "One time, when I was sorting through your calligraphy, I noticed you had casually written lines of poetry on them. I thought, perhaps there were also lines in other textbooks."
Qianlong: “…”
Oops! I was distracted in class and wrote a poem in my textbook, and the Queen found out...
"I originally planned to copy down the poems you wrote in your math textbook, organize them and then present them to you." In fact, some of the poems were written too carelessly, and the queen was afraid that showing them would lower the emperor's poetry level.
"The Queen is so thoughtful." Qianlong was touched. "Show it to me now."
The two went to the study and found not only the mathematics textbooks that Qianlong had used before, but also some notes he had taken from his Chinese classes.
Those were all memories from his youth. As Qianlong read them, he talked to the empress about his past studies.
He and his fifth brother studied together since childhood, but he was superior to his fifth brother in every aspect. Even though they were in the same class, his fifth brother often couldn't keep up with him.
He just waited for his fifth brother and sometimes even acted as his little master.
"There is no such problem with Yonghuang and Yonglian. The two children's progress is synchronized." Qianlong thought of his two sons in the Shangshufang from his own childhood.
"Yes, the four children's grades are all comparable," the Queen said. "It's just that Erden'e and Yonghuang's handwriting is better. Our Yonglian needs more practice."
"That's because Yonglian has just learned to write." Qianlong thought that after a year or two, the gap between the two brothers would widen.
"I often hear Ah Gui and Chen Dehua say that Yonglian learns by heart more quickly and easily, and understands articles more quickly." Qianlong said, "It's just that when it comes to archery and horse riding, this child learns more slowly."
The empress was about to say a few words on her son's behalf when she heard Qianlong already making an excuse for him. "Erdeng'e has a certain foundation. Yonghuang is two years older than Yonglian, so his physical fitness is naturally better than his younger brother. Mingrui has been influenced by your family's tradition since he was a child. Your fourth brother took him riding when he was just over five years old. Only our Yonglian had never been exposed to archery before."
In short, Yonglian's current backwardness in archery and horse riding is due to his father's failure to teach him in advance, and has nothing to do with the child.
Queen: “…”
Well, luckily my son couldn’t hear these words, otherwise he would have more reasons to be lazy.
Yonglian lagged behind in archery, horse riding and shooting, not because he did not study hard, but because the remaining three friends were a little bit clumsy.
Although his soul is not that of an ordinary six-year-old child, his body is indeed the body of a six-year-old child, and he really cannot be rolled up.
Moreover, Yonglian had no plans to achieve military merit in the future, so there was no need for him to apply. It would be enough for him to learn enough.
But there are only four people in Shang Shufang now, and he is always the last one when it comes to comparable projects.
"I really hope that Sixth Uncle will grow up quickly and come to the Shangshufang to study with us."
After returning from Tai Mausoleum, Hongzhou moved from Yuanmingyuan to Ningshou Palace.
When Yonghuang and Yonglian paid their respects to the Empress Dowager, they could also play with Hongzhou for a while.
Hongzhou felt fresh and new during the first few days after he arrived. There were the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Cixi, as well as the Emperor's brother and sister-in-law, and everyone was nice to him.
But after a few days, the little guy felt that this place was not as good as the Old Summer Palace.
Not only is Ningshou Palace small, but he is also not allowed to run around and play.
It’s still more comfortable in the Old Summer Palace. As long as he doesn’t leave the garden, he can have fun as he pleases.
The little guy felt a little sympathetic towards his nephews and nieces.
But when he heard his nephew say that he wanted him to go with them to the Shangshufang, Hongzhou asked, "Is the Shangshufang fun?"
Yonghuang was just about to say that the Shangshufang is a place for reading, not for playing.
Yonglian beside him had already started to coax his uncle, "It's fun, fun, very interesting. Play with small wooden sticks in the morning and ride a pony in the afternoon."
Yonghuang: “…” Okay, there’s nothing wrong with what my brother said.
When Hongzhou heard that he could ride a pony, his eyes lit up and he said, "I want to go tomorrow!"
He then ran to the Empress Dowager, "Madam, I want to go to the Shangshufang!"
The Queen Mother smiled and rubbed her head. "You are too young! You have to wait two years, until you are as old as your nephew Yonglian, before you can enter the Shangshufang."
Hong Zhou: "No, no, I want to go now."
"This child is so studious." The Queen Mother said with a smile to Concubine Qian and Concubine Yu beside her.
Yonglian and Yonghuang chased out and heard the Empress Dowager praising their Sixth Uncle. The two young boys looked at each other and realized that this was not the case.
But the two of them didn't explain, they just called Uncle Six, who was about to roll around and act coquettishly, to play in the yard.
The next day, Qianlong came to pay his respects, and the empress dowager praised Hongzhou to him.
"This child is so eager to enter the Shangshufang at such a young age. I always say that there is no child of the royal family who is not good at learning."
Qianlong had come to pay his respects at the morning court, and little Hongzhou was still asleep. Qianlong only listened to the Empress Dowager and thought that the child really wanted to make progress.
He must have been influenced by the two studious children, Yonghuang and Yonglian.
It was indeed the right decision to let my sixth brother return to the palace.
"At Hongzhou's age, he can start reciting the Three Character Classic and recognize some words," said Qianlong.
The Empress Dowager nodded, saying that her own son Hongli started learning at the age of three or four.
"I can teach him," said the Queen Mother.
"How can I trouble you, old man?" Qianlong said, "Let my mother teach him."
Why did the kid Hongzhou deserve to be enlightened by the Empress Dowager?
The Queen Mother thought for a moment and said, "Since Concubine Qian can read, let her teach."
Concubine Qian was very happy to know that she could educate her son herself.
She must teach her son well, otherwise she would let down the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
It was just a pity for little Hongzhou. Not only could he not have fun in the palace, but he also had to be forced by his mother to recite the "Three Character Classic".
Whenever the little one wanted to play tricks and not study, the Empress Dowager would say, "If you don't know the Three Character Classic, you can't enter the Shangshufang. If you don't believe me, ask Yonghuang and Yonglian; they can recite it by heart."
Hongrong: "..."
All right! He can carry it on his back, isn’t that enough?
He really paid too much to play with the little stick and ride the pony.
By the time the Lunar New Year was approaching, Hongzhou had memorized the entire Three Character Classic. Qianlong became increasingly satisfied with his younger brother and decided to train him well so that he could assist Yonglian in the future.
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