At the start of the banquet, Li Dequan announced the start of the banquet on behalf of Emperor Kangxi. The Mongol leaders stood up one after another to toast Emperor Kangxi and the princes. Yin repeatedly stood up and drank the white wine in her cup. Her little face couldn't help but wrinkle up. These Mongol leaders had an excellent capacity for alcohol, and Yin and the others were no match for them.
"Fourth..." After Yin sat down again, Qingyan used the table as a barrier to reach out her little paw and place it on the back of Yin's hand. "I'll have Sulan prepare some hangover tea for you!"
Qingyan looked at him with concern. There were many Mongol leaders, and each of them would drink a cup. Yin's alcohol tolerance was definitely not good.
"No need. We can't let the Mongols look down on us. That's not wine at all." Yin had already arranged for it to be diluted with water. We couldn't let the princes get drunk.
Yin once said that when he first came to the grasslands with Kangxi, the two of them were too honest. They drank cup after cup with the Mongolian leaders and princes, and ended up getting drunk.
Waaaaah!
Qingyan was stunned. The Qing Dynasty already had diluted wine.
“If you sell alcohol outside like this, you can expect your shop to be shut down,” Yin whispered in Qingyan’s ear.
Pfft!
Qingyan lowered her head and smiled. Places like Yuelai Inn certainly wouldn't sell this kind of liquor; she was running a business with a conscience.
"Hmph, they wouldn't do that. Fourth Prince, why aren't these people bringing their primary consorts?" Yin Genjue Luo Shi spoke vaguely, but Xiao Guai couldn't suppress her curiosity and wanted to know the inside story.
He turned to look at the little guy, whose big, bright eyes were filled with curiosity, and whose little face showed only a gossipy expression.
“Go back and we’ll talk about it!” Yin said directly.
This was her first time attending Qiu Mi's banquet. The people of the grasslands were known for their singing and dancing. In the center of the bonfire, several Mongolian princesses were already singing and dancing. Some of them were even brought directly to Kangxi. Consort Tong's expression was not pleasant.
It turns out that what Consort Tong said was true; Mongolian women would not let go of any opportunity to get close to the royal family.
At that moment, a woman dressed in a magenta Mongolian robe was singing and dancing in front of the campfire. After a quick spin, she stopped, smiled, and walked over with a glass of wine in her hand.
Qingyan was stunned. Had this Mongolian princess taken a fancy to Yin?
The woman beside her, Yin Genjueluo, was even more nervous than she was. Mongolian princesses valued martial prowess, and because of Yin's thoughtfulness, he was even more skilled in martial arts.
"Sister-in-law, who are you looking for?" Qingyan couldn't help but wonder. This woman was quite beautiful, but her skin was a bit dark.
Yin Genjue Luo shook her head. She had come in the direction of the two of them. In addition, Yin Zhi had also come over in the past few days and was sitting to Yin's left with a smug look on his face.
Originally, Yin Zhi should have sat in Yin's seat, but due to differences in their views, Yin and Yin Zhi started arguing.
It would be awkward for the two to sit together, so Kangxi had Yinzhen and his wife sit in the middle. The royal family could not afford to have a scandal of discord between brothers.
“Little darling, I don’t think either of them can be a match, except for one of them!” Yin Genjue Luo Shi whispered.
The Mongolian princess walked up to them, turned a corner, and headed towards Yinzhi. Her father was a proponent of Han studies and had taught this princess to appreciate talented people.
OMG!
Qingyan's eyes widened in surprise. Why would they target the Third Prince?
"Wouldn't it be better if it were Third Brother?" Yin whispered to comfort Qingyan.
Kangxi sat on the throne, and three people in front and behind him were there for Yinzhi. He smiled slightly. He admired Han learning, and the Mongol leaders thought that he liked female relatives who studied Han learning. Even Consort Tong was carefully cultivated by Kangxi, and her Han learning was nurtured by Kangxi.
Nowadays, all the Mongol tribes have hired Chinese scholars to tutor their eldest daughters, preparing them so that when the Mongol women are selected for the imperial concubine selection in the capital, they can compete with the noble ladies of the Eight Banners.
"Third Prince, welcome to the grasslands!" the Mongolian princess said.
Qingyan shuddered slightly. Just from the voice, she sounded like a girl from the Jiangnan water towns. But seeing the woman in front of him made them feel uneasy. Her skin wasn't fair; instead, it was a healthy honey color, and her large, bright eyes were very expressive. In modern times, she would be considered quite beautiful, but in the Qing Dynasty, she wouldn't be considered a beauty.
"Little darling, I'm sure Third Brother will drink it," Yin said with a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Zhi picked up his wine cup and drank it down.
"This beautiful princess is very happy to have come to the grassland," Yin Zhi said with a smile.
The Mongolian princess left only after putting down her wine cup.
Yin held Xiao Guai's hand, telling her to calm down.
The banquet reached its climax with each toast, and the Mongolian leaders were very satisfied with their daughters' outstanding performance.
Their apparent interest in the Third Prince was merely a display of their classical Chinese learning. Deep down, they hoped that Emperor Kangxi would take a liking to these girls.
After the banquet, Qingyan walked under the starry sky, recalling the images of those Mongolian princesses in her mind. Were these people planning to send her to the Aisin Gioro family as a gift?
"Fourth Prince, were those princesses there willingly?" Qingyan couldn't find a trace of grievance on their faces.
He turned to look at Xiao Guai. From a young age, she had been protected and hadn't experienced any of this. Which legitimate daughter from a good family wasn't taught from childhood to sacrifice everything for the family?
Back then, even though the Emperor was already in his sixties, the young noblewomen in the harem still greeted him with smiles. Which one of them wanted her husband to be old and decrepit?
“Yes, they have gained rights and are valued more by their families.” He patted her little head and took her little hand as they walked toward the tent.
Before even reaching the tent, a figure in magenta caught Qingyan's eye. Wasn't that the princess who had toasted Yinzhi? Why was she loitering in front of their tent?
"Fourth Prince, look at that person!" Qingyan pointed forward with her right index finger. The princess looked anxious, and the guards outside the tent were preventing her from going in.
Yin smiled, thinking that this person must have come to ask for something.
"Greetings to Fourth Master." She bowed in greeting.
"Enhe, what brings you here?" Yin looked around and recognized the Mongolian princess.
Initially, the Empress Dowager took several Mongolian princesses to the palace for education, intending to marry them off to several princes.
Enhe? Does Sisi know this person?
A smile played on her lips as she gracefully extended her hand.
"Little darling, this is Enhe. When Angguma was alive, she brought several Mongolian princesses to the Cining Palace for upbringing, and she was one of them." Yin explained to Little darling in detail. "Enhe, it's been so many years. What brings you here? Let's go inside and talk!"
Yin and Xiao Guai entered the tent first, followed by Enhe. The tent was unusually cozy, unlike the other princes' tents. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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