Chapter 4 Chapter 4 A Plum
Yonghuang returned to Changchun Palace every day to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager and play with his younger brothers and sisters.
But he knew that the Empress Dowager was busy, so he would wait until the other concubines had left before going over.
It was only when he arrived at Changchun Palace that day that he learned that his second brother had fallen last night.
The bump on Yonglian's forehead had subsided a little, but there was still an obvious bruise, and the scraped skin next to it had not healed either.
"Second brother, be careful when washing your face. Water will get into the wound and it will be difficult to heal." Yonghuang reminded.
Yonglian nodded, thinking that his elder brother and Khan Ama were both careful people.
The two brothers took the third princess to read "Hundred Family Names" in the house for a while, and the third princess couldn't sit still anymore and wanted to go outside to play shuttlecock.
The two little princes used to be afraid to play shuttlecock with their sister because it looked unbecoming.
But Yonglian didn't think there was anything wrong with this. He immediately agreed and excitedly asked someone to bring the shuttlecock.
Yonghuang hesitated and whispered to Yonglian, "Will Khan Ama and Empress Dowager be unhappy if they find out?"
"No, Khan Ama told me yesterday that when Emperor Kangxi took him to the Old Summer Palace, he ran around and played everywhere, even climbing into the rockery." Yonglian said, "We were just playing shuttlecock in the yard, we didn't run around."
Yonghuang: “…”
Was Khan Ama this lively as a child? This makes sense, as Khan Ama was a master of horsemanship and archery, and he was obviously an active person.
The three siblings ran to the open space in front of the hall to play shuttlecock. The third princess had just learned how to play, so her movements were a little unfamiliar.
Yonghuang was even more clumsy and could only kick two or three times in a row.
Only Yonglian can not only kick continuously, but also do it in various ways.
The servants beside him were all dumbfounded. When did the Second Prince learn this?
Someone hurried to the front hall to tell the Empress. It was not that they were making a fuss, but the Emperor was extremely strict with the two young masters, requiring them to behave properly. They had heard the Emperor nagging about the two young masters a lot.
It was such a hot day that the young masters were sweating profusely after playing for a while. The Emperor and the Empress would definitely be unhappy if they knew about this.
After listening to the report from the little palace maid, the queen frowned slightly.
But then he thought of the ages of his three children and couldn't bear to discipline them.
It was okay to play for a while occasionally. She only instructed the palace maids, "Let the young masters play in the shade to avoid getting sunburned. After playing for a while, remind them to go inside and drink water."
The little palace maid agreed and retreated.
After a while, the young eunuch came to announce that Qianlong and Prince He were going to the Ningshou Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, and asked the two young princes to pass through.
The queen quickly sent someone to call Yonghuang and Yonglian. The two little boys were sweating from playing and their faces were red. When they entered the house, Yonglian asked for water first.
Hearing that Khan Ama had asked them to come over, Yonghuang was a little nervous, but Yonglian was quite excited, "Fifth Uncle is here too, that's great!"
His fifth uncle is a leader in the salted fish world, and he needs to learn more from him.
Seeing this, the Queen couldn't help but smile and asked, "Do you miss your fifth uncle?"
Yonglian nodded, already impatient.
The queen personally dressed the two children before sending them away.
In Ningshou Palace, Qianlong and Hongzhou were talking with the Empress Dowager and Concubine Yu.
Because the Empress Dowager had raised Hongzhou for a period of time and the Empress Dowager and Geng had a good relationship, Hongzhou was often able to go to the palace to pay his respects to his biological mother and adoptive mother.
When the Empress Dowager heard that Yonglian took the initiative to learn mathematics, she couldn't help but chant "Amitabha". This child is really not afraid of difficulties!
She didn't know what mathematics included, she only knew that her own little geniuses Hongli and Hongzhou had been stumped by this subject.
Hong Zhou said, "In my opinion, Uncle Sixteen can not only teach his nephews mathematics, but also horse riding, archery, and music."
Their sixteenth uncle is a man of both civil and military talents, and is multi-talented.
Qianlong: "You haven't even read the Four Books and Five Classics yet, so why should you learn about music?"
Hong Zhou thought it was too late to go to university. He wanted to learn from his Sixteenth Uncle, but his Sixteenth Uncle thought he was stupid and had no talent for it.
"What about horse riding and archery? We can't neglect them." Hong Zhou said.
Yunlu's archery, horse riding and shooting skills were indeed among the best in the royal family. Qianlong considered himself an expert in archery, but he did not dare to compare himself with his sixteenth uncle.
But he didn't want his Sixteenth Uncle to have too much contact with Yonglian. His Sixteenth Uncle was sometimes not very reasonable, and he was afraid that Yonglian would be led astray.
He also wanted Yonglian to have more contact with Manchu nobles.
"Sixteenth Uncle is old, it's not good to overwork him." Qianlong said, "I've already made up my mind. Let Celeng teach them riding and archery."
"Celeng? The one from Niuhulu's family?" The Empress Dowager and Concubine Yu didn't know him, but Hong Zhou was very familiar with him.
Qianlong nodded. "Celeng is a man of integrity and honesty, and he is one of the best among his brothers in riding and shooting. It is appropriate for him to lead Yonghuang and Yonglian."
Hong Zhou curled his lips. He had no opinion about Celeng, but he had a lot of opinions about Celeng's younger brother Neqin.
The Niohuru family is the family of Ebilun, one of the famous Five Founding Ministers. The title of Duke Guoyi was originally inherited by Alinga, but because Alinga was a staunch supporter of the Eighth Lords Party, after the late emperor ascended the throne, he gave the title of their branch to Niohuru Yinde.
Yin De’s eldest son was Celeng, but the late emperor was more optimistic about his second son Nianqin. After Yin De’s death, the late emperor let Nianqin inherit the title.
Nianqin, relying on the late emperor's appreciation and his own talent, was arrogant and looked down on other officials. He also ignored Hong Zhou and other members of the royal family.
Hong Zhou hated this kind of people the most. It seemed as if he was the only one in the court who could do his job, and everyone else was useless.
But this man is very capable, diligent, and has no faults in his personal conduct. The emperor holds him in high esteem.
Hong Zhou didn't want to find fault on purpose.
When Qianlong saw Hongzhou's expression, he knew what he was thinking.
Neqin is aloof and arrogant, with a poor reputation. This is the complete opposite of Hongzhou, who can chat with anyone he meets. It's normal that they don't like each other.
But Celeng and Neqin are different. In fact, each of the brothers of Yinde family has his own strengths. Celeng, Neqin, Aligun and Aibida are all talents that can be used.
While they were talking, Yonghuang and Yonglian arrived.
After the two young boys greeted the elders in the room, they sat down and palace maids had already served them tea, fruits and snacks.
The Empress Dowager invited them to eat. Yonglian smiled and said, "We just played shuttlecock and are thirsty. We drank a cup of tea before coming out, but we can't drink any more now."
Yonghuang didn't expect his younger brother to take the initiative to bring up the matter of kicking shuttlecock. He felt a little nervous and lowered his head unconsciously.
Qianlong was about to frown when he heard Hong Zhou laugh and say, "Kicking shuttlecock! Isn't that a game only little girls like?"
Yonglian tilted his head in confusion. "Kicking shuttlecock not only exercises the eyes but also exercises the body. Why is it only for girls?"
Concubine Yu said, "Second Prince is right. Playing shuttlecock is not easy. I used to be the best at it at home. I even made it myself using the feathers from a rooster's tail..."
Concubine Yu was a carefree person who said whatever she thought. But after she finished speaking, she realized that everyone present was her junior and she should maintain the dignified image of an elder.
She stopped talking and looked at the Queen Mother and the Emperor somewhat awkwardly.
The Empress Dowager and Emperor Qianlong were already accustomed to Geng's character, and Hongzhou followed her example.
The Empress Dowager was worried that the Emperor would scold his two sons, so she followed up on Concubine Yu's question and asked, "The hardest part of making a shuttlecock is plucking the chicken feathers, right?"
"That's right, I asked my younger brother to help me pull it out, but he was chased all over the yard by the chicken..." Concubine Yu couldn't help laughing when she thought of the past.
Yonglian listened with great interest and could not help asking, "Yuma Ma, how did you pluck out the hair?"
"It was our chef who came out and caught the chicken. It's a pity that rooster meat is not very tasty." Concubine Yu said.
The topic turned from making shuttlecocks to how to stew a delicious rooster. The Queen Mother, Concubine Yu and Hong Zhou had a lively discussion.
Qianlong had long forgotten to blame his sons for playing shuttlecock. Every time the three of them chatted aimlessly, his mind would subconsciously go blank.
When he came back to his senses, he found that little Yonglian was swallowing his saliva.
Qianlong couldn't help laughing. This kid was craving for meat after hearing that.
He could understand this. Over the past year, even he occasionally missed the taste of meat, let alone a child.
As far as he knew, his fifth brother had already given meat to his children.
Yonglian was listening intently. The conversation between these three people was so lively.
Suddenly he heard Khan Ama calling him, and he ran to Khan Ama.
Just when he thought Khan Ama was going to teach him a lesson about kicking shuttlecock, a salted plum was stuffed in his mouth.
Yonglian: ???
Yonglian's face wrinkled up in anger, and he covered his cheeks and looked at Qianlong, "Khan Ama, what are you doing..."
Qianlong was amused by his little appearance, "Oh, Ganghan Ama got the wrong thing. I wanted to give you some candied fruit."
Yonglian: “???”
Yonglian couldn't bear to feel the bitterness alone, so he stuffed a plum into Khan Ama's mouth and gave Yonghuang a candied fruit.
Qianlong: “…”
Yonghuang felt that his younger brother was very lively today. He hadn't seen his younger brother so lively for a long time. It was great!
After a few words, Hong Zhou took his leave. Qianlong took his two sons back to Changchun Palace, and on the way he told them that a mathematics teacher had been found, and An Da had also been chosen to teach riding and archery.
When Yonglian heard that Khan Ama had arranged for his sixteenth uncle, his eyes lit up instantly. This uncle was not only proficient in mathematics and geometry, but also understood Western music theory.
If I become interested in Western things in the future, I can just blame it on...
No, it’s all thanks to my sixteenth uncle!
After returning to Changchun Palace, Qianlong asked two eunuchs he personally selected to meet Yonglian.
One of them was called Chen Fu, who had served the late emperor in the past and was an old man in the palace.
Qianlong was not used to many people around the previous emperor, such as Su Peisheng, who was reprimanded by him.
But Chen Fu was one of his favorite servants. He knew the rules, didn't talk much, and would not fawn on his master with a frivolous smile.
Another young eunuch was called Ma Rui. He used to be in charge of the tea room at the Qianxi Sisuo. Later, when Qianlong moved to the Yangxin Palace, he was in charge of serving tea in front of the emperor. He was very attentive and considerate.
Qianlong arranged Chen Fu in the hope that he could guide and restrain Yonglian's behavior, while Ma Rui was mainly responsible for taking care of Yonglian's life.
Yonglian then remembered that he had not seen the young eunuch Wu Si who had followed his original body before.
That person must have been punished for not taking good care of his master.
Yonglian wanted to plead for him, but was afraid of backfire, so he swallowed his words.
It wasn't until after dinner, when Qianlong returned to the Yangxin Palace to review memorials, that Yonglian went to see his mother. "Mother, Wu Si has served me for several years and has been very dedicated. I really can't blame him for what happened yesterday, but it's because he got punished. I was thinking, can you give him some money? With some money, he can be better prepared for his future work elsewhere."
The queen was somewhat surprised at her son's maturity and thoughtfulness. She patted his head with satisfaction and said, "Mother sent some silver and medicine for ulcers yesterday."
Yonglian was stunned and couldn't help but rub his mother's hand, "Mother, you are so kind."
He then frowned worriedly, "What if Khan Ama finds out?"
The queen couldn't help but laugh, "I can't hide this from your Khan Ama, he won't care."
Yonglian didn't know how the queen came to this conclusion, but it didn't matter. As a couple, they definitely understood each other best.
"But if you encounter something like this in the future, you must not do this." The queen warned her son.
Yonglian was puzzled, "Why?"
Because the emperor punished first, if Yonglian showed mercy later, it would show his leniency but also mean that he was dissatisfied with the emperor's handling of the matter.
Yonglian is young now, and the emperor won’t think too much about it. But in a few years or even a dozen years, the emperor will definitely be unhappy.
But this problem does not exist between husband and wife. The emperor will only think that she is helping to clean up the mess.
If this principle is explained to Yonglian now, the child may not understand it, and it may also affect the relationship between father and son. So the queen just said: "You will understand it when you grow up."
Yonglian nodded thoughtfully, "Okay."
By the time they were about to go to Yonghe Palace to pay homage, the wound on Yonglian's forehead had completely healed.
He and Yonghuang first went to the Yangxin Palace to meet Khan Ama, and then followed the imperial carriage to the Yonghe Palace.
Prince Zhuang Yunlu, Prince Guo Yunli, Prince Shen Yunxi and several other members of the royal family with the surname Hong were already waiting for the emperor at the Yonghe Palace.
Everyone heard that the two princes would also be coming today.
Among them was the Crown Prince Yonglian, who was just appointed two days ago.
Some members of the royal family had seen him at the funeral of the late emperor, while others had no impression of him. They only heard that the late emperor and the emperor both liked the child very much.
When the father and his two sons got off the carriage and the royal family members came forward to pay their respects according to their seniority and rank, they realized that there was a reason why the late emperor and the emperor liked Yonglian.
As they walked towards the coffin, Prince Shen Yunxi couldn't help but whisper to his Seventeenth Brother, "The Second Prince and the Emperor looked exactly like each other when they were children."
Yunli nodded, and Hongzhou came over. "They are very similar, right? It's just that Yonglian was fatter than my brother when he was a child. That chubby face was so easy to pinch. But this kid became disobedient when he grew up and didn't let me pinch him... It's boring..."
Yonglian had sharp ears and heard it, so he ran to pull Khan Ama's sleeve and said, "Khan Ama, Fifth Uncle said I'm fat."
Qianlong was talking to Prince Lu Yunlu, who was in charge of the affairs of the Yonghe Palace. When he saw his son coming to him with a puffy face to complain, he was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"How dare he say that to you? He was a fat kid when he was little."
Qianlong deliberately let the uncles behind him hear it, and Yunlu and Yunli both nodded.
Prince Lu laughed and said, "Prince He was indeed a solid little fat boy when he was young."
Hong Zhou: “…”
Yonglian, this brat, took things out of context and is such a scoundrel! He's going to go to Khan Ama's coffin to file a complaint!
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