Not only Yinzuo was unhappy, his royal father Kangxi was even more unhappy.
The Empress Dowager fell ill again after her trip to Mount Wutai. Kangxi had a deep relationship with the Empress Dowager, so he was naturally worried.
After giving birth to the Eighth Princess, the Imperial Concubine often summoned the imperial physician as she suffered from the sequelae of childbirth. Moreover, the psychological damage caused to her by the Eighth Princess's death was far greater than the physical torture. She was Kangxi's childhood sweetheart and cousin.
There was also the Seventh Princess who died last year and the Little Prince who passed away at the beginning of this spring. It can be said that Kangxi lost almost three children in a row.
The harem was not at peace, and the previous dynasty was not much better. Last year, the war in Taiwan was tense and the situation was stalemate. Fortunately, in November at the end of the year, under the command of Shi Lang, Taiwan was finally successfully recovered. However, the post-war recovery, rewards and pensions for the soldiers all required a lot of money, and Kangxi was worried.
Galdan in the north was even more covetous, ready to lead his troops south at any time to bite off a piece of meat from the Qing Dynasty, which made people have to be on guard.
Kangxi felt that the burden on his shoulders was indeed heavy, but at this critical moment, right under his nose, chaos broke out in the capital.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!" An eunuch ran in in a hurry.
Kangxi, who was reviewing memorials and worried about state affairs, angrily shouted: "How can you be so flustered!"
"I deserve to die!" The eunuch fell to the ground quickly, confessing his guilt.
"What's up?"
"Your Majesty! There's a fire outside Zhengyang Gate!"
Kangxi stood up immediately. Outside Zhengyang Gate was a densely populated residential area. If the fire was not put out in time, it would cause a catastrophe and who knows how many lives and money would be lost!
"Come with me and take a look!"
When Kangxi stood on the attic and looked in the direction of Zhengyang Gate, he found thick smoke and flames rising into the sky. Many people on the street were either lying on the ground wailing or fleeing with their families. The scene was in chaos.
"Where are the guards from the patrol camp? Where are the officials? Where have they all gone? Why is there no one to put out the fire?"
The eunuch who reported the news wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead with his sleeve and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I...I don't know either!"
"Go call the Minister of Internal Affairs to take charge of the matter, and have him bring the guards to put out the fire immediately!"
"Yes! I will do it right away!"
Seeing the fire growing bigger, Kangxi slammed the railing and turned to leave.
Liang Jiugong quickly signaled the imperial guards to follow him, and he also trotted after him, anxiously asking, "Your Majesty, where are you going?"
"I'll go to the arrow tower next to Zhengyang Gate. I can see more clearly there."
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty cannot go there! It's very close to Zhengyang Gate. If the fire rushes over here, it will be dangerous!"
"Hmph! If I don't go, how can they try their best to put out the fire?" Kangxi knew very well the little tricks in the minds of these Eight Banners descendants. They were all greedy for life and afraid of death.
Upon hearing that the Emperor had personally gone to the Arrow Tower to inspect the fire, the Grand Secretary hurried over with a team of guards. Each of them held a wooden bucket and started to put out the fire, but the fire did not diminish.
Kangxi frowned and issued another oral order: "Let the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs bring another team of guards!"
But with so many people, chaos is inevitable. The crowding not only fails to improve efficiency, but also delays the progress of firefighting. So Kangxi ordered someone to send a dragon flag. The guards were all trained and naturally understood the flag language.
Under Kangxi's command, the fire was finally gradually contained and no longer spread outward.
"Pass on my order and dispatch 150 fire prevention infantry to put out the fire."
The fire prevention infantry is specifically responsible for fire prevention affairs in the palace. They are set up outside the Donghua Gate and the Xihua Gate. They are specialized in this job, and they have special fire-fighting pumps in their hands, so it is most appropriate to call them.
With so many guards dispatched to the palace, there was naturally quite a bit of commotion, so the palace people couldn't help but talk about it. Even Yinzuo heard Shunshui talking about the fire at Zhengyang Gate.
At the morning court on the second day, Kangxi was furious. Not only did he emphasize the fire accident that happened yesterday, he also publicly named a number of officials who had deserted their posts and demoted them all or sent them to remote areas. In addition, those officials who were just watching the fun, indifferent to the fire, and those who did not care about it were also reprimanded. For a moment, the situation in the court became very solemn.
At this time Yinzuo quietly ran to the Qianqing Palace. He missed his brother so much that he wanted to come over and talk to him. Even if he couldn't say a word, just a glance at him from afar could relieve his homesickness.
But the Qianqing Palace is so big, he doesn't know which room his brothers are in, but he doesn't know if he can ask~
So Yinzuo simply showed up in a swagger and walked to the hall with the most people outside.
The people in the imperial court had naturally seen him before and knew his identity, so they immediately went to greet him.
"Sixth Prince, why did you come to the Palace of Heavenly Purity by yourself?" A young eunuch who looked familiar to Liang Jiugong asked first.
"Of course I miss my father, so I came to pay my respects to him. Do you know where he is now?"
"Sixth Prince, the Emperor is still in court right now, so I'm afraid he won't be available. Why don't you go back to the palace first? When the Emperor is free, he will naturally go to the Imperial Concubine."
This situation was completely within Yinzuo's expectations. He knew, of course, that the emperor father was going to court. He only dared to come over because he knew that the emperor father was busy at the moment.
"Well, that's fine. But since I'm here now, and I heard that my elder brother and the others are studying in the upper study room of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, I should at least say hello before leaving to avoid being impolite, don't you think?" Yinzuo said seriously.
The young eunuch thought about it and it made some sense. The Sixth Prince lived in the palace and it was rare for him to see the older princes. Now that he was here, it would not be too much to see them.
"I can take you over to have a look, but the teachers are teaching right now. You can only stand outside the window and watch. Don't make any noise to disturb the lessons inside."
"I know, don't worry, I will keep my mouth shut tightly~" Yinzuo patted his chest and made a promise.
"Then please follow me."
With an acquaintance leading the way, Yinzuo had a smooth journey.
The young eunuch stopped and pointed to the room in front of him, and whispered to Yinzuo: "Sixth Prince, this is the study room where the princes study. But you must remember what you promised me just now, not to make any unusual movements."
Yinzuo covered his little mouth and nodded cautiously.
He was small and the window was taller than him, so he could not see anything at all. He could only muster up the courage to peek at the door. The master in the study was concentrating on teaching the princes and did not notice the little Yinzuo for a while.
"What are you looking at?"
"Look at my brother~"
"Can you see clearly?"
Yinzuo shook his head and said, "I can't see clearly..." His brothers were all turning their backs to him, so he couldn't see any of his faces.
etc!
Who was talking to him? Why did that voice sound so familiar?
Yinzuo's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed and turned his head cautiously to look back.
She saw the emperor, who had not even taken off his court robes and crown, standing behind her with his hands behind his back. She didn't know how long he had noticed her.
Yinzuo instantly raised a cute and innocent smile, rushed forward with his little body, and hugged the emperor's legs with both hands.
"Xiao Liu pays respects to the Emperor Father. Xiao Liu hasn't seen the Emperor Father for a long time. I miss him so much."
Kangxi had been looking at him for a while. Originally, he was planning to go back to the main hall to change clothes after the court session, but he saw the little guy lying on the door frame with his head cowering. So he raised his foot and changed his route. He was a little angry at first, but after staring at the little guy for a while and seeing that his little back with his head shaking was really cute, his anger disappeared unconsciously.
"But when I asked you just now, you said you came to see your brother. Could it be that I heard it wrong?"
"Of course the Emperor could not be wrong! Maybe Xiaoliu was too focused on listening to the teachers and said something wrong accidentally~" Yinzuo was so skilled at flattering Kangxi that even Liang Jiugong behind Kangxi felt inferior after hearing it.
As soon as Kangxi was in a good mood, he picked up the little guy lying on his lap and put him into his arms.
"You only say nice things. Don't you want to see? I'll take you in to have a clear look." After saying that, Kangxi strode in with him in his arms.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
The master sitting in the front quickly stood up to greet the emperor, saying, "Your servant greets the emperor, may the emperor be blessed."
"Get up." Kangxi continued to walk forward, holding Xiaoliu in his arms, and sat down at the front, in the seat that originally belonged to the master.
The brothers below looked up, all a little surprised. Why was Xiaoliu here? Xiaoliu was only three years old this year. It was impossible for him to go to the upper study room to study at such a young age, right?
Especially Yinzhen, his brows were almost furrowed together.
"Your Majesty, may I ask which prince this is? Will he enter the upper study to study today?" As the princes' teacher, the minister asked a few questions within the scope of his duties.
"Xiao Liu greets the master, but Xiao Liu is not here to study today!" Yinzuo denied it immediately without waiting for his royal father to speak.
Kangxi smiled secretly at the way he looked at the boy, who was afraid of having to stay here.
"Don't worry about him. I just brought him here to see how hard his brothers are studying."
Next, Kangxi seemed to really hold him in his arms, treating him as a pendant, and began to inquire about the homework of his other sons.
After all, the eldest prince was older, so his answers were naturally fast and fluent. The next was the crown prince, whose answers seemed even better. Although Yinzuo did not understand what they were talking about, the smile on his father's lips and the satisfaction in his eyes were enough for Yinzuo to tell the difference between the two.
Next was the third elder brother who had just entered the study this year. The third elder brother recited poems and essays very fluently, which showed that he probably liked it. In addition, his favorite little six was also there today, so he showed his full ability. In the end, even Kangxi praised him.
Yinzhi looked at Yinzuo proudly, as if waiting for his admiration and recognition.
Yinzuo clapped quietly out of respect, and Yinzhi smiled with satisfaction.
The last one is the fourth prince Yinzhen. He entered school with the third prince, but when faced with the emperor's questioning, his answer was not as good as the third prince. Yinzhen frowned. His brother was not like this usually. Was he too nervous? Or was he doing it on purpose?
Yinzuo didn't dare to ask in front of so many people and could only bury this question in his heart for the time being.
Compared with the mistress, the performance of the fourth mistress was naturally not satisfactory in Kangxi's eyes. Since it was not good, reprimand was inevitable. This was also a kind of spur to his sons, prompting them to make progress.
"Yinzhen, you and your third brother entered the upper study room to study on the same day, but now your third brother's knowledge is better than yours. Since you are a little lacking in talent, you must make up for it with diligence. If you are not only lacking in talent, but also lazy in private, wouldn't it embarrass me?"
"Yinzhen knows he was wrong and will definitely remember the teachings of the Emperor."
Yinzuo couldn't bear to see the emperor scolding his brother in front of everyone, he couldn't help but speak up to defend his brother: "Royal father, fourth brother is one and a half years younger than third brother, I am also one and a half years younger than fourth brother, fourth brother knows much more than I do, so third brother naturally knows more than fourth brother, how can you just blame fourth brother~ This is unfair!"
Kangxi looked at him with amusement.
"You are young, but you have a lot of twisted ideas. Okay, even if it is as you said, your third brother has the advantage of age, but now they are taught by the same master, and I don't ask him to be better than your third brother. So, as long as he can make some progress next month and satisfy me, I will reward him. If he can't do it, I will punish him and you as well. How about that?"
"Your Majesty, you haven't explained clearly what progress is and how I can satisfy you. This is just deceiving a child. Xiaoliu won't be fooled! Besides, studying is Fourth Brother's own business. Why should Xiaoliu make an agreement with Your Majesty?" Yinzuo is no fool, he is very smart.
Having been humiliated twice by the little guy, Kangxi did not continue to delay his sons' studies and stood up holding Yinzuo.
"Okay, continue reading."
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
Yinzuo lay on his father's back, waved his little hands towards his brothers, and smiled very cutely.
Yinzhi couldn't help but say, "It would be great if Xiaoliu could study with us every day. It would be much more interesting if Xiaoliu was around."
There are only four of them in the upper study room now. The eldest brother fights with the crown prince all day long, and Yinzhen is a taciturn person who doesn't say a word all day long. It really suffocates him.
Kangxi carried him all the way into his bedroom, and Yinzuo looked around the unfamiliar palace.
"I have been watching you for a while. How do you think my bedroom is?" Kangxi asked while glancing at Yinzuo as he let the palace servants change him into casual clothes.
"The emperor's bedroom is the most magnificent and splendid place I have ever seen, but... emperor, you must feel lonely sleeping alone in such a large bedroom every day, right?" Do you want me to stay with you for a few days? Yinzuo wanted to say the last sentence, but he thought of making a more roundabout way.
Yinzuo's childish words accidentally touched Kangxi's heart. After changing his clothes, he hugged Yinzuo and changed his mind of asking someone to send him back to Chengqian Palace.
Kangxi walked up to Xiaoliu and slowly squatted down, holding his arms with both hands, and said to him: "I am the emperor, the Son of Heaven. In the past, the Son of Heaven often called himself the widow. The Son of Heaven is the number one widow in the world."
"But the Emperor has Xiaoliu, Ukuma, my wives, brothers and sisters. We are all the Emperor's relatives. The Emperor is not a lonely man~" Yinzuo took the initiative to hug the Emperor's neck and gave him a kiss on the face.
"How bold." Although Kangxi scolded his son, his tone was not harsh, which showed that he enjoyed the intimacy between his son and him.
"Hehe~" Yinzuo rubbed his father's neck and acted coquettishly, making people unable to bear to scold him anymore.
Kangxi stood up with a smile, and as he walked out, he said to him, "Come on, I will take you out of the palace to play today."
Yinzuo's eyes widened. He had never left the Forbidden City before, and he was so excited that he raised his arms and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Xiaoliu loves the Emperor the most~~"
"Really? Then do you love your brother more, or do you love me more?" Kangxi deliberately made things difficult for him.
"Of course it's the Emperor~" If his brother asked this, then he would just say it to his brother. This was not a problem at all for Yinzuo.
Kangxi was pleased with his answer and laughed heartily.
Liang Jiugong said to the eunuch following behind him: "Did you see that? Our emperor hasn't been happy for more than half a month. The Sixth Prince is very capable. You did a good job today. If the Sixth Prince comes to the Qing Palace again in the future, you must entertain him well and not neglect him."
"Yes, yes, yes! What Chief Steward Liang reminded me of is this. This is the first time I have seen the Emperor take the initiative to take the prince out of the palace in disguise! This is a treatment that even the Crown Prince has never had."
"I know what you are thinking. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, and his status is naturally different from that of other princes. The Emperor will not allow the Crown Prince to indulge himself, but the Sixth Prince is different. This difference is often the most in line with the Emperor's wishes. Let's just see if the Sixth Prince can seize this opportunity and gain supreme honor and favor."
"I know that among the people, it is often said that the youngest son who is good at acting like a spoiled child is often the most favored, right?"
"That's good to know."
Kangxi, who was in front, was being pestered with questions by Yinzuo, and did not notice that the servants behind him were whispering.
"After leaving the palace, you have to call me daddy, and you can't call me the emperor father anymore. We are traveling incognito, so we can't reveal our identities. Remember that?"
"Remember it! Dad~" Yinzuo immediately put it into practice.
"Hey, good son." Xiaoliu's cleverness was particularly endearing. Kangxi now thought of himself as just a rich young man who was out for a stroll with his young child, and he felt a lot more relaxed.
The author has something to say:
I did what I promised! Good night, good night, muah~
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