42. Chapter 42
"none"
The pork was wrapped in kraft paper. The Crown Prince and the eldest prince carried it in the front and back respectively, and Qi You held it in the middle. The three of them walked into the imperial study with a grunt. Kangxi was completely stunned.
A pig entered the imperial study!
Kangxi looked at his three sons, who were grinning like fools, then at the pork. He looked at his three sons, who were grinning like fools, then at the pork again.
After looking back and forth several times, Kangxi raised his hand to wipe his face. He really didn't know what mood to use to face it.
In the end, Kangxi glared at Qi You, feeling both amused and helpless. It must have been his idea!
Qi You met Kangxi's gaze and smiled brightly at him.
He sent his two sons to Shunyi and himself sent his brother Yougong back. If they continued to fight in the Forbidden City, he couldn't blame himself.
Kangxi couldn't help but laugh at Qi You's smile and said to Liang Jiugong, "Go and help them. Put them aside. On the empty table over there. Don't get oil and blood everywhere!"
Liang Jiugong hurried forward to help put the pork away, and the three of them came forward to pay their respects.
Kangxi said angrily, "Get up! Someone tell me why you are carrying such a thing back to the capital."
The prince quickly replied, "Khan Ama, the three of us had a delicious pig-killing dish in Shunyi, so we thought of Khan Ama and the other elders and brothers in the palace. Since the winter solstice is approaching, it would be wonderful to make a pig-killing dish with this pork and have a lively meal together!"
The eldest prince then said, "We all paid together to buy the pig. We ate half of it, but we couldn't bear to eat the other half, so we brought it back. The seventh prince said that there is no shortage of pork in the palace, but this is pork from Shunyi, so we must bring it back to show our filial piety to Khan Ama."
Qi You would never compete with them for the credit, and just said in a low voice: "Crown Prince and Big Brother are right."
Kangxi was both angry and upset. He stood up and walked to the table. He carefully unwrapped a corner of the brown paper. Looking at the fresh pork, he thought of the warmth in the house and hurriedly ordered Liang Jiugong, "Hurry and take it to the imperial kitchen. We'll cook it tonight... How did you eat the pig-killing dish in Shunyi?"
The eldest prince spoke first: "It's just blood sausage... the blood sausage is gone, just stir-fried liver and kidney... braised pork intestines, pig's head..." There was none of these, he couldn't continue speaking for a moment, and stood there dumbfounded.
The prince glanced at the eldest prince quietly, and said with a casual sneer, "Khan Ama, let's make a sauerkraut and pork hotpot. Add some green garlic leaves to it and it will be very fragrant."
"Eating hotpot in winter will keep you warm," Kangxi said with a smile. He snorted at the eldest prince and said with disdain, "How could you possibly eat such stinky intestines?"
The eldest prince was anxious and interrupted, "Khan Ama, the braised pig intestines are really delicious. The prince also ate it and praised it highly. If you don't believe me, ask him."
The prince looked slightly embarrassed. He thought the braised pork intestines were dirty at first, but after taking a bite, he couldn't stop eating them.
I just regret that there are too few pig intestines!
Kangxi laughed and scolded, "You've been to Shunyi for so long, and it's been so long since you returned to Beijing. It seems you've been thinking about this bite of food."
The Crown Prince chuckled, and the eldest prince looked indifferent. Qi You smiled and said, "Food is the most important thing for people. Eating is of course very important. Killing pigs is a lively and reunion feast. I thought it was a festival, and it was a rare opportunity for the Crown Prince and the eldest brother to come. In the countryside, eating a killing pig is the greatest hope and joy for farmers after working hard all year round. I wanted my two brothers to experience it too."
Kangxi looked at Qi You with a smile and saw that he seemed to have grown taller. Although he ran outside all day, his skin was still dark, making his eyes look particularly deep and bright.
His heart warmed, and he asked gently, "When you were in Shunyi, did you usually follow those servants and eat these things?"
Why not eat meat?
Qi You sighed inwardly. Back when he was outside the Great Wall, the Manchus hadn't been so particular about food. Now, after years in the Forbidden City, pig heads only appeared in shamanic rituals. Smelly things like large intestines were never allowed on the table.
In Shunyi, the servants couldn't eat these, but Qi You could afford them. He usually didn't pay much attention to his appetite. As long as the meat and vegetables were well matched and convenient, he wouldn't have any particular desire for anything.
Qi You answered honestly, "How could we servants afford to eat this? The fat intestines have oil on them, but they are good stuff. After they clean the large intestines of a pig, they pickle them and occasionally cut off a small piece to make oil. When they add a lot of vegetables to cook, there is oil and meat. We can't eat it normally. We only take out a little bit during festivals or when relatives come to visit."
Kangxi looked thoughtful, feeling rather unhappy. Even though the Qing Dynasty was peaceful and prosperous, many people still lacked enough food and clothing.
After a moment, Kangxi took the handkerchief Liang Jiugong offered him, wiped his hands, and instructed, "Take it down and cook it into a sauerkraut and pork pot. Give one to each palace. Go to the Cining Palace and tell them that the Crown Prince and his companions have returned with pork from Shunyi. See if the Empress Dowager is in good spirits. We will go down and pay our respects and dine in the Cining Palace."
Liang Jiugong took the order and retreated. Kangxi looked at the three brothers and was disgusted by their greasy clothes.
He drove them to the east warm room like ducks, ordered the eunuchs to fetch water, and let them wash.
Kangxi watched his three sons standing together washing their hands and faces. The eldest son couldn't help but splash water on Qi You's face.
Qi You nimbly turned his head to avoid the attack, and pressed his soap-smeared hand onto the eldest prince's already washed hand.
The eldest prince bared his teeth at Qi You threateningly, then went to wash it again with a smile.
The prince on the other side turned his head and said something to Qi You in a low voice. As he spoke, Qi You laughed, and the prince also laughed.
Kangxi watched them playing and his eyes involuntarily became gentle. But when he saw Qi You standing in the middle, the gentleness gradually disappeared.
After washing up, Kangxi asked them to sit down and asked, "How about going to Shunyi?"
The Crown Prince took the lead in talking about the canal and road construction in Shunyi, as well as the new county government office. The eldest prince followed suit, with a similar speech.
Qi You echoed them and said, "What the two brothers said is true. It's cold in winter and you can't see anything outside. When spring comes and the crops grow, the scenery will be different."
Kangxi did not comment, but asked directly: "How are the beggars sent by the Infantry Governor's Office now?"
The prince's heart skipped a beat. He knew that the people who were building the road were beggars sent by the Infantry Governor's Office. Qi You also mentioned this when he took him to see it.
He never cared about them, just saw them building the road and didn't ask anything. The same thing happened to the eldest prince, he didn't care who was a beggar or a bondservant.
Qi You replied calmly, "When the Infantry Inspectorate sent them here, County Magistrate Lin first registered their household registration to facilitate subsequent management. Before they arrived, he built a shed with a kang inside, so they had a place to stay. Those who worked every day could earn ten coins a day, and those with skills and crafts could earn fifteen coins a day after being promoted to managers. Their meals consisted of mixed flour buns with some radish and cabbage. Building roads and canals requires physical strength, so occasionally some fat was added to make it more greasy. A few people left when they first came, and the rest all stayed. They occasionally quarreled and had minor fights, but County Magistrate Lin was strict and punished according to the law, so things have been peaceful since then. Please rest assured, Khan, please punish them."
The Crown Prince and the eldest prince listened in amazement. The Crown Prince felt extremely regretful that he had never even thought of asking another question.
The eldest prince was deeply impressed by Qi You's clear and logical explanation and said with deep emotion, "Seventh Brother, you really know a lot!"
Kangxi frowned and said, "These were all arranged by the Seventh Prince. How could he not know? I asked you to go to Shunyi to ask more questions and observe more, not to play around!"
The prince hung his head unhappily, and the eldest prince shrank his neck, not daring to say a word.
Kangxi looked at Qi You, his expression softening as he asked, "We've built a shed, and now we have a kang inside. We have steamed buns made of mixed flour, and we eat meat every now and then. And we still have to pay them. Is the money allocated by the Ministry of Works enough?"
Qi You smiled and replied, "It's enough. There's no exploitation or deduction at any level. Every penny of the money applied for has been spent effectively. They provide their own flour, firewood, and other food every day and take turns to cook. Anyone who does a good job or a bad job, or even if the steamed buns are even a little small, will be dismissed. Everyone is actively supervising for their own benefit. So far, everything is going well. By next spring, basically all the canals will be repaired. Please rest assured, Khan Ama."
Kangxi nodded with satisfaction, but when he thought that even if Shunyi had good weather and good harvests, the grain in the farm had nothing to do with him, and the court would not be able to collect any taxes, his satisfaction immediately faded.
Especially when Qi You said "there is no exploitation or withholding at any level", he cursed inwardly, "You little bastard," thinking he was poking at his lungs.
It would be great if all the officials in the Qing Dynasty could be like Qi You.
Or, how great it would be if all the other sons and princes could be like Qi You!
A faint bitterness filled Kangxi's mouth. He lowered his eyelids and asked casually, "Is the prince's foot okay?"
The eldest prince immediately raised his head and moved his left hand subconsciously. He realized something was wrong and quickly lowered his head, a flicker of unwillingness in his eyes.
The prince glanced at the eldest prince and told him what had happened. "Khan Ama, my foot is fine now. It's all my fault. I made you worry."
Kangxi's expression was calm, revealing no emotion. He turned to look at the eldest prince and said, "My dear brother, you are the oldest, how could you be so reckless? And the Crown Prince, too, you should be extremely careful when going down the mountain. Not only should you pay attention to yourself, but you should also be on guard against other dangers. A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. You know the danger, so why did you follow him up the mountain?"
Qi You sighed again and again in his heart, listening quietly without saying a word.
The Forbidden City seems to have a kind of magic. After returning here, the red walls and the numerous palaces have swept away all the warmth I felt in Shunyi.
The prince subconsciously turned to look at Qi You and replied, "Khan Ama, I heard that my seventh brother and his men were surveying the mountain. I've never seen this before, so I wanted to go and see and learn. When we were going down the mountain, I was walking ahead just fine. Just as we were about to reach the bottom, my eldest brother fell from behind. I didn't have time to react before he tackled me."
The eldest prince's face turned grim as he said, "Khan Ama, my seventh brother is busy with his own affairs every day. I wondered how I could disrupt his schedule, so I followed him up the mountain to see what he was doing. But the path down was slippery, and I didn't mean to hurt him. I scraped my hand when I fell, but I had absolutely no intention of hurting the Crown Prince. So many eyes are watching us, Khan Ama, please understand."
Kangxi's eyes darkened slightly as he scanned them. He asked sternly, "Did you also quarrel in front of everyone like this when you were in Shunyi, making a fool of yourself?"
The prince's face turned pale, and he thought that it was fortunate that Qi You had stopped him. He quickly replied, "Khan Ama, we didn't argue in front of outsiders. I also know that my eldest brother was careless. It was just that his ankle was swollen and it was really painful. He just complained and quickly returned to the manor to find a doctor to treat his ankle."
The eldest prince lowered his head to hide the coldness in his eyes and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your magnanimity and for not blaming me. I will apologize to Your Highness again." After saying that, he knelt down and kowtowed.
The prince watched the eldest prince kneel down, and he didn't even have time to stop him. He was stunned for a moment, and then said coldly: "Brother, why are you doing this? I don't mean to blame you at all."
The eldest prince stood up and stood aside without saying a word.
Kangxi's expression changed, but he didn't lose his temper. He asked calmly, "Then tell me what you have learned."
The prince spoke in detail about the night school and the Gioro Brothers School. He became so excited that he stood up and said, "Khan Ama, the idea of the Gioro Brothers School is truly brilliant. If it succeeds, it will be a glory for the Gioro family. Khan Ama, I plan to use my private savings to fully support the Gioro Brothers School."
After Kangxi finished listening, he glanced at Qi You, who was listening calmly with a smile, and asked the eldest prince, "What do you think?"
The eldest prince lowered his eyes and listened to the prince's words. He was already feeling uncomfortable, and when he saw that he was talking about him every word, as if the school was his idea, he could no longer hide his dissatisfaction.
He wanted to say something even harsher, but he restrained himself and said, "Khan Ama, I think your idea is very good. The Crown Prince is right. Once the school is established, it will bring honor to the Jueluo family."
Qi You remained calm and listened attentively.
The prince glanced at Qi You, then observed Kangxi's expression, calmed himself down, and said, "Khan Ama, I want to ask Khan Ama for something."
Kangxi hummed and said, "You go ahead and talk."
The prince said in a loud voice: "I would like to ask Khan Ama to allow me to go to Shunyi and personally supervise the construction of the Jueluo Brothers School."
Kangxi was stunned for a moment, and the eldest prince's face suddenly changed, with a strong disdain and contempt falling down.
Qi You let out a long sigh.
Haha, no one cultivates barren land, but once it is cultivated, people will fight for it.
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