23. Chapter 23
『Fight』
Dachun was in front, and the county magistrate Lin Yicheng was one step behind Dachun. The eunuch Xia Wugui, the chief steward of the imperial palace, stood side by side with Lin Yicheng. They both came forward warmly to greet him and introduced themselves.
When the three of them saw Qi You's outfit, they looked at each other with a slight glint in their eyes.
The spring weather was still chilly, and Shunyi County was even colder than the capital. Qi You wore a tiger-head hat, tiger-head shoes, and a thick brocade jacket. With his chubby, fair cheeks, he looked like a plump, round Yuanxiao.
When Qi You saw the positions of several people, he felt a slight movement in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. As usual, he did not hide his incompetence and pretend to be ignorant, nor did he act arrogantly and try to take the lead.
Qi You helped Gao and Gui He get off the horse. He nodded to them and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work. It's so cold outside. Let's go sit inside first. Gui He, go and help pack the luggage. When Mr. Xu arrives, take him to rest first."
Mr. Xu was Xu Risheng, a missionary from Portugal. He originally worked in the Imperial Observatory, but was transferred by Emperor Kangxi to be Qi You's Latin teacher. He was a little behind Qi You and had not yet arrived at the palace.
After Qi You finished making the arrangements, he made a gesture of invitation and turned around to walk inside.
The three people followed Qi You and saw him walking. Their expressions became more complicated and their eyes involuntarily fell on his left leg.
The main courtyard on the central axis of the palace was where the Empress Dowager Kangxi lived, and Qi You lived in the side courtyard on the right.
After receiving Qi You's order, Xia Wugui had already had people clean the room and heat the kang in advance.
The room was hot, so Qi You took off his hat and thick coat, and asked someone to bring him a hot water towel. Seeing this, Xia Wugui hurriedly rolled up his sleeves and wanted to help Qi You wash himself.
Degao stretched out his hand to stop him, "I always do it myself."
Xia Wugui was stunned. Qi You wrung out a handkerchief to wipe his face, then asked Dachun and Lin Yicheng to sit down. He said to Degao, "Go get some tea bricks that Wukuma Ma gave me, and have someone make a pot of milk tea. Please have a bowl of milk tea to warm you up."
Degao Ying had already left, and Dachun and Lin Yicheng took their seats below. Xia Wugui lowered his sleeves, pretending nothing had happened, and sat down with drooping eyelids.
Qi You finished washing up and sat at the head of the table. He glanced at the others and said, "I'm sure you all know that I came here this time because I was punished by Khan Ama to farm. I heard that Shunyi County has always been the granary of the capital, especially for rice, so I chose this imperial farm. County Magistrate Lin, have you started the spring plowing now?"
Lin Yicheng glanced at Dachun first and replied, "We started whipping the spring oxen after the New Year, but the weather is cold and the ground hasn't thawed yet, so the people just started tilling the land a while ago."
Dachun followed up, "Seventh Master, it's the same at the farm. The winter wheat fields have been weeded, and the rice fields have been plowed and leveled. Once the spring rains arrive and the fields are filled with water, we'll start raising the rice seedlings."
Shunyi County was legally under the jurisdiction of Changping Prefecture. It had a special geographical location. Since the Ming Dynasty, an imperial horse farm was set up here, managed by eunuchs from the East and West Factories.
During the Qing Dynasty, the administrative divisions here underwent some changes, and there are still two horse farms within the jurisdiction.
After Shunzhi's death, Kangxi succeeded to the throne and changed the previous Thirteen Yamen back to the Imperial Household Department, and the Imperial Stables into Shangsiyuan.
The horses raised here were only used for Kangxi's travels. The power of the eunuchs of the East and West Factories, which were once famous in the Ming Dynasty, had long since disappeared.
In addition, the county was full of estates either owned by the emperor or by the wealthy and powerful people of the Eight Banners. As the county magistrate, Lin Yicheng felt a little frustrated when dealing with a group of managers under the command of the wealthy and powerful.
From another perspective, it wasn't entirely without benefits. For example, Lin Yicheng wouldn't have to worry about the county's taxes, and the royal family and the Eight Banners nobility wouldn't have to pay taxes.
Qi You pretended not to notice Lin Yicheng's actions, but listened attentively. He said, "Thank you both for your hard work. I don't understand these things, so I came here to learn. I'll rest for a night and go check the fields tomorrow morning."
At this time, Degao brought in milk tea, and Qi You greeted a few people: "Eat first, I have been traveling all day and I am very tired. I want to eat a bowl to replenish my energy."
Several people hurriedly stood up to thank him, but Qi You waved his hand and said, "Sit down, sit down, you're welcome."
Qi You was really hungry and tired. He picked up the fragrant milk tea and drank it in small sips until he was sweating slightly. He finished the whole bowl of milk tea and felt refreshed all over. He put down the bowl and took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and face.
The three were stunned to see that Qi You was just drinking milk tea seriously.
Dachun closed his eyelids and took a few sips from time to time.
Xia Wugui had a blank expression on his face. He took two sips of milk tea and then held it still, not knowing what he was thinking about.
Only Lin Yicheng saw that the milk tea was hot and fragrant. The tea brick was a gift from the Empress Dowager. His fingers, gripping the bowl with too much force, turned white. He was one step ahead of Qi You and finished the whole bowl of milk tea.
Qi You exhaled and looked at Dachun: "Dachun, are you done eating?"
When Dachun heard Qi You calling him, he quickly put down his bowl and said, "I have finished eating. If the Seventh Master has any orders, just follow them."
Qi You smiled and said, "You are Khan Ama's servant, not mine. You don't need to be so polite in the future."
A flash of arrogance passed through Dachun's eyes, and he said yes very quickly.
Qi You smiled and said, "I have two things to ask of you. First, you need to pick out a good farmer from the farm. It must be the best. I want to learn from him. Second, you need to clean up a house in the farm for me. I will live here from now on. The house doesn't need to be too big, just enough to be convenient for working in the fields."
Dachun was stunned for a moment, but before he could say anything, Xia Wugui hurriedly stood up and said nervously, "Seventh Master, if I have done anything wrong, please punish me. Seventh Master, you are a prince, and your body is precious. The palace was newly built after the earthquake, so it is safer for you to live here!"
In the 18th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, a major earthquake struck Shunyi County, causing heavy losses. As Qi You traveled along the road, he saw deep trenches still visible on the side of the road where the earthquake had created a rift.
Dachun quickly took over Xia Wugui's words and advised, "Mr. Xia is right. In the eighteenth year, most of the houses in the manor collapsed. Seventh Master is a nobleman of great wealth. How could he live in such a dilapidated house? Seventh Master, you came to the manor, and I am responsible for your safety. If Seventh Master makes the slightest mistake, how can I report to the emperor? I am afraid I will be blamed for it!"
Qi You understood Xia Wugui's intentions. Besides his salary, the only profit he could make was the money for repairs. When a master came to the palace, the rewards were generous. Living there gave Qi You the opportunity to make money.
Needless to say, Dachun was thinking about this. He was basically the local emperor of the imperial farm, and he would never want a legitimate prince to suppress him.
Qi You looked at Dachun with a normal expression. Dachun was a plump man, his silk shirt, which was about new, was wrapped tightly around him. As he moved, a corner of his robe occasionally revealed a slick of fox fur.
Compared to Lin Yicheng, who was wearing a washed-out official uniform and moving cautiously, Dachun looked more like a government official.
Qi You just listened and said "oh" from time to time.
Dachun's eyes flashed with pride, and he subconsciously curled his lips. He said, "Seventh Master, those servants working on the land are so lowly and rude. How dare I bring them before you? I'm afraid they'll offend you. How about this? Tomorrow I'll ask my youngest son, Elu, to come. He's about the same age as you, and he'll accompany you for a walk in the fields. It's spring now, perfect for an outing. If you like, go to Shangsiyuan and pick out a few good horses. It would be very pleasant to ride them and whip them."
Qi You smiled and asked curiously, "Are you also in charge of Shangsiyuan?"
Dachun's face changed, realizing he had let something slip. He laughed dryly and quickly said, "How could I care about Shangsiyuan? But the Seventh Master is different from others. He is the Seventh Prince and is deeply favored by the Emperor. The Seventh Master can borrow the horse from Shangsiyuan to ride. Even if the Emperor finds out, he will definitely not blame me."
Qi You said "oh" and continued to ask curiously: "You can even guess what Khan Ama is thinking?"
Dachun's face changed drastically. He knelt down hurriedly, kowtowed towards the Forbidden City, and said with a fist: "I dare not, how dare I guess the emperor's will, I just..."
Qi You listened quietly. Seeing that Dachun couldn't continue, he smiled and said, "It's still the same two points as before. Find me an experienced farmer. I'm here to farm as punishment, so forget about riding a horse. Also, I have difficulty walking, as you should have seen before, so I don't like riding a horse."
Dachun knelt there in a daze, sweat pouring down his face. He kowtowed and said with a bitter face, "Seventh Master, I have absolutely no intention of mocking you. It was all my own confusion. Please understand me, Seventh Master."
Qi You shook his left leg without any concern, letting Dachun kneel down. He smiled and said, "It's okay. My left leg is disabled and everyone in the world knows it. I don't care whether you laugh at me or not. I'm just talking to you about serious matters."
Qi You paused for a moment, the smile on his face unchanged, but his eyes grew stern. "We weren't familiar with each other before, and you didn't understand my way of doing things. I don't blame you for not understanding. Now I emphasize it again, and you listen carefully, and the same goes for you all."
Qi You's eyes slowly swept over Lin Yicheng and Xia Wugui, and finally looked at Dachun. His voice was calm, and every word was clear and powerful.
"Just answer whatever I ask you. If you can do what I ask, go for it. If you can't, just focus on the request and explain it clearly. If I think you're right, I'll agree. If I think there's room for improvement, I'll discuss it with you and won't deliberately make things difficult for you."
Under Qi You's sudden majestic pressure, Xia Wugui and Lin Yicheng subconsciously straightened their bodies, lowered their heads slightly, and listened with great respect.
Dachun knelt there, his face pale, not daring to breathe.
Qi You's expression softened a bit, and he said, "My coming here, where I live, and what I do are all naturally approved by Khan Ama, who allows me to do whatever I please here. Dachun, did you hear the two points I raised earlier? Do you have any questions?"
Dachun drooped his head and replied sullenly, "Seventh Master, I heard you clearly. I will go back and make preparations to vacate the house where I live and invite you to move in."
Qi You said calmly, "Dachun, now that you have heard clearly, please repeat the two requests I made earlier."
Dachun was stunned and couldn't understand the meaning of Qi You's words for a moment. He repeated them dryly as Qi You asked.
Qi You stared at Dachun closely: "Did you hear it clearly, or didn't you?"
Dachun realized the inconsistency in his words, and with a bitter taste in his mouth, he knelt down, kowtowed, and said with a mournful face, "Yes, I will go and clean up the house and select servants who are good at farming according to the instructions of the Seventh Master."
Qi You said it straightforwardly, "That's it. Do you have any other questions?"
Lin Yicheng and Xia Wugui didn't dare to ask any questions and replied "no".
Dachun gritted his teeth and asked tremblingly, "How long will Master Qi stay? I'll go and arrange for someone to serve you."
Qi You smiled slightly and said happily: "There are people to serve us, so you don't need to arrange anything. I will probably stay here for a year or two."
Lin Yicheng and Xia Wugui were still fine. When Dachun heard this, his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, unable to move for a long time.
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