6. Chapter 6
"maternal love"
Dai Jia's expression changed, and she forced a smile. She took Qi You and sat down on the couch, "It's warm in the room. Take off your thick clothes first."
Qi You reached out his hand, and Dai Jia gently took off his thick cotton shirt, folded it, and put it aside. She comforted him in a gentle voice: "Ene is fine, you don't have to worry. But you, are you doing well in school? Do you know your lessons? Is anyone bullying you in school? Ene is useless and can't take care of you. You have to rely on yourself."
As Dai Jia finished her words, tears began to flow. Qi You felt as if he had seen his mother, who had worried about him so much in his past life. He felt so sad that he replied sentence by sentence: "I am doing well in school. Khan Ama often praises me. No one bullies me in school. I have made friends with my classmates and get along well with Yang Dan and the others. Don't worry, Enie, I'm fine."
"Good, good, good. Enie's Seventh Prince has grown up and become quite capable." Dai Jia hurriedly turned her head, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and said casually, "Look at me, I'm so engrossed in talking to you. Jushi, quickly bring the cheese over."
The palace maid Jushi quickly brought in the cheese. Dai Jiashi pushed the bowl in front of Qi You and said lovingly, "Eat it. You usually like this the most. You must be hungry after a long day of school."
Qi You sighed inwardly. Dai Jia's motherly love for him was unquestionable. She rushed towards him as soon as he entered the house. She was worried that he was hungry, cold, or wronged, but she never mentioned her own difficulties.
Even if Dai Jiashi didn't say it, Qi You could guess that she must have been bullied by other concubines. Thinking about what happened between him and the Third Prince yesterday, there was no doubt that she was bullied by Rong Fei.
He and the Third Prince were fine, but Rong Fei probably didn't think so. She would treat trivial matters as a big deal. Since she couldn't find the cause of the trouble, Dai Jia became Rong Fei's punching bag.
Qi You secretly took note of this and decided to find a way to get Kangxi to at least mention Dai Jia's status. If anyone wanted to cause trouble for her in the future, they would have to think twice.
When he first arrived, Qi You liked cheese, but he got tired of it after eating too much. Now he no longer liked it, and not wanting to make his poor mother Dai Jia think too much, he lowered his head and started eating.
Dai Jia looked at Qi You without blinking, and took out a nearly finished piece of clothing to try on him. "Seventh Prince, you're growing so fast. You've grown taller right now. I heard you'll have to learn archery and horseback riding when the weather gets warmer. You sweat so much every day, so Enie made you a few extra sets of underwear. I'll give them to Degao when the time comes. If you sweat, be sure to change immediately to avoid catching a cold or getting sick."
Qi You smiled and agreed, "Enie, don't worry about me. Gao Guihe will serve me wholeheartedly, and I will be fine."
Dai Jia said, "Gao Guihe has been serving you since he was young, which is reassuring. However, as long as he is not under my supervision, I cannot be completely at ease."
Qi You finished his cheese. Dai Jia offered him some tea to rinse his mouth, then wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief. After a moment's hesitation, she asked tentatively, "Do you have a lot of homework tonight? If not, why don't you have dinner here with your mother before going back?"
"Not much. I'll eat with Enie." Qi You saw Dai Jiashi's expectant and cautious look, and his heart ached. He slid down the table and said, "I'll ask De Gao to bring the food over."
Qi You ignored Dai Jia's dissuasion and ran out to call Lai Degao, saying, "Go and bring my dinner to E'nie, as well as my purse and some of the candlelight in the room."
Degao hurriedly agreed, and Qi You stood under the eaves, looking at the small courtyard.
Freshly painted during the Spring Festival, the vermilion columns, against the green eaves and yellow tiles, looked remarkably bright. But upon closer inspection, it felt strangely deserted.
When he returned to the house, Qi You finally understood where the loneliness came from.
Dai Jiashi's residence consisted of just one room, separated by a multi-treasure pavilion, with a kang inside and a couch outside. It was dim inside, requiring the lights to be lit early.
The monthly allowances of the imperial concubines were fixed, and according to Dai Jiashi's rank, if the higher-ups didn't deduct anything from her allowance, it would be more than enough. But if they did, she would be stretched to the limit. The lights had to be lit early, so she had to retire early at night, otherwise there wouldn't be enough candlelight.
It was still dark today, and the other concubines' rooms hadn't yet been lit. The spring chill was chilly, and the doors and windows were tightly shut, looking like black holes gaping in the darkness, making one's back tingle.
"Ene, I asked Degao to bring the food. It's enough for the two of us. You don't need to ask Jushi to get another portion for me." Qi You said to Dai Jia.
Dai Jia was stunned for a moment, then stroked Qi You's cheek, feeling sad and relieved: "Okay, I will enjoy my son's blessing today."
Qi You laughed and said, "Enie's blessings are still to come. I will definitely be filial to her in the future and make sure she has good food, good clothes, and a good place to live."
Dai Jia's eyes reddened and tears began to flow again. She wiped them away gently with her handkerchief and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll wait."
Qi You took the opportunity to say, "So, Enie, you just need to eat well and take care of yourself. Don't listen to or care about what others say to you. As long as Khan Ama values me, everything is fine. No one dares to do anything to you."
Dai Jia was silent for a moment, then smiled sadly and said, "I try not to listen and not to care. I'm used to it. A few unpleasant words are nothing. I'm just worried about you, afraid you'll suffer."
Qi You understood Dai Jiashi's feelings. She had been ignored and looked down upon for a long time. She needed a strong heart and a lot of love to break free. She didn't feel depressed because of him.
Without further persuasion, Qi You picked up the interesting things that happened at school and told them to Dai Jiashi in detail. Dai Jiashi's originally frowned brows finally relaxed a little, and she sighed and exclaimed from time to time: "These monkeys are really naughty."
The mother and son were talking intimately. Qi You still had to do his homework in the evening. In order not to delay his studies, De Gao and Gui He brought the lunch box into the house in advance.
Jushi brought in some water, and Dai Jiashi personally washed Qi You's hands. When she saw the food that Degao had laid out, her expression darkened for a moment, and she hesitated to speak.
Qi You observed Dai Jia's expression and said with a smile, "Ene, if I don't have too much homework, I will come to eat with you every day. Since I started school, I have eaten much more than before. Eating alone is not very enjoyable, so it's better to eat with you."
Dai Jia was stunned, her nose so sore she couldn't even speak. She knew very well that Qi You was not well-liked. Even if no one deducted the monthly allowance, it would still be the worst in his hands.
Take the food before me, for example: the fish is fresh, the vegetables are crisp, tender and green. The vegetables the kitchen used to send were limp, yellow and watery, making them unappetizing.
Fish, let alone fish, would be carefully deboned to prevent the princes from consuming them. Deboning was a hassle, so only the favored older princes, such as the Crown Prince and the eldest prince, could eat the fish.
When Dai Jiashi saw Gui He bring out the candles and other things, she was so happy that she almost cried. However, Dai Jiashi refused to accept the money: "You spend a lot of money outside. I don't have money to give you. How can I use your money in return? Take it back quickly."
Qi You advised: "Enie, please take it. My monthly allowance is enough for me to study without spending a penny. But you, with the money in hand, can live more comfortably."
Dai Jia still refused to take it. As the two were making excuses, Ju Shi hurried in and said, "Master, Seventh Prince, the Emperor has sent someone to summon Seventh Prince to see the Emperor."
Dai Jia was stunned for a moment, then quickly stuffed the purse into Qi You's hand and put his coat on him: "Go quickly, don't keep your Khan Ama waiting. Enie is fine here, come and talk and have dinner with her when you are free."
Qi You nodded and had to put the purse away temporarily, wondering what Kangxi wanted to talk to him about at this time.
Dai Jia accompanied Qi You all the way to the gate of the courtyard. When he had walked a long way, he turned around and saw Dai Jia still leaning against the door, staring motionlessly in his direction, standing like a silhouette.
Qi You withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance. As night fell, the lights of the Forbidden City began to light up one after another.
The red walls, green eaves, yellow tiles and green ground are covered with a layer of dim light and shadow, which is so beautiful that it seems unreal, and reveals a silent desolation.
Qi You pressed the purse in his arms, only to feel it jarring. The closer he got to the Gate of Heavenly Purity, the brighter the lights became. The lanterns of the Heavenly Purity Palace hung high, making it the most dazzling and dazzling place in the Forbidden City.
Kangxi was in the eastern warm room, and Liang Jiugong was squatting there helping him change into soft shoes. On the kang table next to him was a thick copy of "Zizhi Tongjian".
Qi You stepped forward to pay his respects. Kangxi sized him up, his eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "I heard you and the Third Brother had another argument. Did you go to your mother to complain?"
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