8. Chapter 8
"fight back"
The Third Prince probably had no ill intentions; he just instinctively found it ridiculous. Qi You had seen many strange looks and heard all kinds of unpleasant words in his previous life, but that didn't mean he had to accept them.
Qi You pursed his lips and quickly adjusted his mood. He had to strike a balance and not make a big fuss, otherwise it would be difficult to resolve. Kangxi was in a bad mood because of the Sixth Prince's incident, and he might be swept by Kangxi's anger.
To mount a horse, one must step on the stirrup with the left foot and use the right foot to climb up. Qi You's left foot was not strong enough. He was a beginner and the horses he chose were all short and docile mares. Even so, he still couldn't climb up.
Qi You didn't exert any strength, and as soon as his left foot stepped on the stirrup, he fell down. The more embarrassed he looked, the happier the Third Prince laughed.
Seeing this, Bodhisattva frowned slightly, stepped forward, grasped Qi You's armpits, and carried him onto the horse's back.
The Third Prince laughed so hard that he fell backwards. He pointed at Qi You and said, "Seventh Prince, when you ride a horse in the future, you must have a servant to carry you on the horse. You need someone to carry you on the horse, and you need someone to carry you on the horse. When you grow up, one servant won't be able to carry you. Hahahaha, do you want your brother to give you a few servants to serve you?"
The eldest prince started laughing, and laughed a few times. Seeing that the third prince's words were getting more and more unpleasant, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he scolded with a sullen face: "Third brother, what are you talking about!"
The Third Prince was originally laughing happily, but after being lectured by the First Prince, he immediately became unhappy and said with his neck stiff, "Am I wrong? Look, the Seventh Prince is only concerned with showing off his prowess. He can't even get on a horse, so how can he learn to ride and shoot? We Manchus conquered the world on horseback, and he can't possibly fight on the battlefield in this state?"
The eldest prince glanced at the third prince and said disdainfully, "Look at your small body. What's the point of riding a horse? It's just a gift for your head."
The Third Prince was furious. He jumped up, rolled up his sleeves, and kept on talking: "How am I weak? Khan Ama praised me for my military prowess! Fighting is not just about strength, it's also about brains."
The eldest prince was a strong and powerful man, but his studies were not as good as his brothers. He thought about how the third prince always tried to get close to the crown prince, and his anger grew even more intense. He reached out and pushed the third prince, "Well, you dare to challenge me!"
The third prince staggered after being pushed, and waved his hands in anger. He rushed forward and vowed to have a big fight with the eldest prince.
The Fourth Prince hurried forward to separate them, but the Third Prince couldn't stop himself and knocked the Fourth Prince over, causing him to fall backwards and scream on the ground.
The Third Prince was stunned for a moment, then he climbed up with his butt sticking out, complaining, "Why did you bother to come and meddle in this, Fourth Prince?"
Neian Da, who was resting in the room, rushed over upon hearing the news and stopped the eldest and third princes who were acting like fighting cocks. He said sternly, "How dare you fight in class? It's really disrespectful. The eldest prince will shoot a hundred arrows, and the third prince will draw the bow a hundred times!"
The eldest and third princes exchanged glances, then angrily went to the side to receive their punishment. The fourth prince rubbed his buttocks, his face full of gloom.
Qi You took a look from a distance and said to Pusa Bao, "Nei'anda, can I get on the horse from the right?"
Bodhisattva was stunned for a moment. People were used to getting on the horse from the left. He hesitated and said, "That's fine. Why don't you try it and see if it works?"
Qi You walked to the right side of the horse, put his right leg on the stirrup, and although it was a bit difficult to lift his left leg, he managed to sit on the horse's back by himself.
"Once I become proficient, I will be able to do it better." Qi You sat on the horse's back, holding the reins and smiling slightly.
Pusabao opened his mouth and slapped his forehead, "Look at my stupid head! Seventh Prince is still smart."
Qi You bent down, slid down from the right side of the horse, and said, "Nei'anda, I'll do it a few more times. Once I'm familiar with getting on and off the horse, I'll let the horse walk."
Bodhisattva Bao smiled and said, "Okay, Seventh Prince, come on over, I'll be there to protect you."
Qi You practiced getting on and off a horse over and over again. By the time Kangxi received the news and came to the training ground, Qi You had practiced getting on and off a horse as well as an ordinary person.
Kangxi waved to the people paying their respects and stood aside, watching Qi You intently. His gaze was resolute, his chubby face flushed, his forehead covered in sweat. But he didn't stop. His small hands grasped the reins, and with a low growl, he swiftly climbed onto the horse's back.
Qi You saw Kangxi standing in the corner while on horseback, his eyes flashed slightly, and he dismounted and stepped forward to greet him.
Kangxi looked at Qi You with a complicated expression, then called the other three princes and said in a deep voice, "Follow me!"
The four brothers followed Kangxi to the eastern warm room of the Qianqing Palace. Kangxi sat on the couch, and the four brothers stood in front of him with their hands clasped.
Kangxi swept his sharp eyes over the men and said coldly, "Boss, you're the most senior, so you should speak first. Tell me the truth!"
The eldest prince was punished to shoot arrows. Although he was very strong, this punishment did not hurt him at all.
After all, he was the eldest brother, but the third brother showed no respect for him. He felt resentful and said indignantly, "My dear Khan, when my seventh brother was learning to ride a horse, my third brother knew that my seventh brother had weak legs, but he still mocked me and hoped that my seventh brother would break his other leg so that he could crawl on the ground like an old turtle! I couldn't stand it anymore, so I taught my third brother a lesson. But not only did he not listen, he rushed up and tried to hit me. My fourth brother came up to persuade him, but he pushed him and made him fall to the ground. Khan, my third brother is really outrageous. He doesn't respect me as his elder brother. I could have tolerated it, but he still bullies his younger brothers!"
The Third Prince was so angry that his neck was thick. Without waiting for Kangxi to say anything, he quickly retorted: "Nonsense, I didn't say that Seventh Brother was an old turtle, I said crab, crab! You pushed me first, and I was so angry that I wanted to fight you. You usually rely on your status as the eldest brother and your strength to bully us younger brothers. You often laughed at me when I was shooting and riding. You also laughed at me because I shouldn't have picked up the bow, but the embroidery frame, and I shouldn't have ridden a horse, but should have ridden a donkey or a pig!"
Seeing that the two brothers were quarreling in front of him, Kangxi looked at them with a cold look and slapped the table, causing the tea bowls and cups on the table to jump up.
The tea bowl lid fell down, but fortunately there was a carpet on the ground, so it did not break, only making a dull thud.
The eldest and third princes were still terrified, and they immediately dropped their heads and retreated to the side, like fighting cocks. The fourth prince had a stern face and glanced at the two of them furtively.
Qi You shrank back, buried his head deeply, and twisted the hem of his clothes with his fingers.
Kangxi's eyes lingered on Qi You for a moment, and he cursed with a dark face, "You bastard! What a mess! Big Boss, you're getting married soon, and you're still so impatient. You should patiently teach your brothers when they make mistakes. You only grow physically but not mentally, and you attack younger brothers. What kind of ability do you have!"
The eldest prince's face turned red after being scolded. He was obviously unconvinced and kept silent.
After scolding the eldest prince, Kangxi looked at the third prince, his expression becoming even uglier. He angrily scolded him, "Third prince, you usually look quite smart, but you are actually stupid and don't know it! The eldest prince is stronger than you, and you actually dared to fight him to the death? Look at your small body, it's like hitting a rock with an egg. You are simply overestimating your own abilities!"
Thinking of the last time the Third Prince was scolded but refused to change his ways, Kangxi became even angrier.
"That's not all. You're relying on your cleverness to try to compete with Old Seven in academics. Comparing with each other is a good thing, but the real problem is that you don't know what you're talking about! Not only are you no match for Old Seven in effort, but you're no match for him in brains either. Seeing Old Seven having trouble riding a horse, you're so smug, thinking you've finally got the upper hand. Even with his limited legs and feet, Old Seven still managed to learn better than you on his first day. Aren't you ashamed?"
The Third Prince was filled with grief and anger, and could not hold back his tears.
"Don't cry!" Kangxi shouted angrily. The third prince burped and forced back the tears.
Kangxi felt deeply tired and disappointed. His sons were fine when they were young, but since they started studying and living together, they have been making noise all day long.
The imperial physician said that the Sixth Prince might not survive for long.
Kangxi felt heartbroken. He usually doted on the smart and clever Sixth Prince the most, but unfortunately, God was blind.
"Fourth Brother, you have nothing to do here. Go back. Go back and think carefully about what brotherly friendship means."
Kangxi gave his order to the Fourth Prince with an expressionless face. After the Fourth Prince left, he said to the First and Third Princes, "Both of you, kneel outside!"
The eldest and third princes walked out dejectedly and knelt as punishment, leaving only Kangxi and Qiyou in the room.
Kangxi looked at Qi You with a complicated expression, and finally sighed and said gently: "Seventh Brother, come and sit down."
Qi You thanked him, walked over, put his hands on the couch, and tried to climb up. Kangxi stared at Qi You's hands, which were red from being tied by the reins, and felt a pang of pain in his heart. He reached out and held him, placing him beside him and sitting him down.
Kangxi stared at Qi You and asked softly, "The third brother bullies you everywhere. Do you hate him?"
Qi You was stunned and thought to himself that he had indeed come.
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