Chapter 181 Haha, the Beads? Fucha Clan
After dealing with Shumulu, Jiang Nan's anger at being morally blackmailed dissipated.
She sat back down in the main seat and picked up the tea, which had already cooled slightly.
Zhao Deyi waited for Erhe and the other members of the royal family to be brought back to the study.
The remaining masters in the hall, such as Li Guangdi and Zhang Ying, all stood with their hands at their sides.
Eyes down, nose up, heart down, barely daring to breathe, yet a storm raged within.
Before long, Zhao Deyi led the children in one after another.
Although the children were young, they could vaguely sense that the atmosphere was different from usual, and they were all unusually quiet and well-behaved.
Jiang Nan looked at her son Erhe's somewhat uneasy little face.
Her heart softened, and she waved to him, her tone regaining its usual gentleness.
"Erhe, come to your mother."
Seeing that his mother's expression had softened, the little boy immediately ran over to Jiang Nan and leaned against her affectionately.
Jiang Nan put his arm around his son, trying to comfort him.
She suddenly remembered something: it seems that Qing Dynasty princes had study companions who were called "haha beads" when they studied.
They were considered the princes' playmates and classmates, and were usually selected from the sons of meritorious officials.
She hadn't paid much attention to this matter before; it was all arranged by Kangxi. But now, she felt a bit curious.
"Irkh!"
Jiang Nan lowered her head and asked.
"Did your imperial father arrange for Haha Pearl to be born? Whose child is it?"
Erhe nodded, then immediately turned and called out to a slightly older, composed-looking boy among the disciples.
"Ma Qi! Come here quickly, the Empress Dowager wants to see you!"
Upon hearing this, the boy who was called out dared not be negligent.
He immediately stepped forward and respectfully bowed deeply to Jiang Nan, his voice clear and melodious.
"Your humble servant, Fucha Maqi, kowtows to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and be well!"
Fucha Maqi?
Jiang Nan's eyes lit up when she heard the name.
The Fucha family!
This is an extraordinary family!
She had always found it strange that among the many concubines in Emperor Kangxi's harem, quite a few came from noble families.
Such as Hesheli clan, Niohuru clan, and even this fake Guarjia clan member.
But the daughter of the Fucha family was not among them.
It should be noted that the Fuca clan enjoyed great favor from the emperor during the Kangxi reign.
The boy's father, Mi Sihan, held the official positions of Minister of Revenue and Minister of State Affairs.
He was a trusted minister who helped Emperor Kangxi manage the treasury, which shows Kangxi's trust and reliance on the Fucha family.
Why did Emperor Kangxi not accept women from the Fuca clan into the palace?
Jiang Nan surmised that perhaps it was because this family's power was already great enough and they had won the Emperor's favor.
If it becomes involved with the harem, it will inevitably become too powerful to control.
Emperor Kangxi initially brought women from the Hesheli and Niohuru clans into the palace.
There was a degree of helplessness stemming from the pressure exerted by the regents during the early stages of his personal rule.
Now that the imperial power is secure, he naturally guards against the growing influence of maternal relatives.
They chose a member of the Fucha family to make haha beads for Erhe.
This demonstrates both favor and a careful consideration of keeping the relationship within the bounds of ruler and subject, and companionship in reading.
Moreover, if she remembered correctly, this was Fucha Maqi and his brothers.
In the future, he will be a powerful and influential minister during the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong.
Kangxi's move was clearly aimed at cultivating a foundation for Erhe's future.
Thinking of this, Jiang Nan's gaze towards Fucha Maqi softened.
Although the child is young, his demeanor is indeed composed and measured, and his eyes are clear; he is a promising talent.
"Get up."
Jiang Nan slightly raised her hand, her tone calm.
"Since His Majesty has chosen you to accompany the First Prince in his studies, it shows how much he values you. From now on, you and Erhe will study together, and you should encourage each other and get along well. If you encounter any difficulties in the palace or in your studies, you can come to Kunning Palace with Erhe to find me."
Upon hearing this, Ma Qi was flattered and immediately bowed again.
"This servant will obey Your Majesty's decree. This servant will do my utmost to accompany the eldest prince in his studies and martial arts training, and will never dare to fail Your Majesty's grace!"
Jiang Nan nodded in satisfaction, her gaze sweeping over the other masters and Li Guangdi and the others, and another idea came to her mind.
The princes of the Qing Dynasty studied extremely hard, mainly because the sons worked so hard that they had almost no rest throughout the year.
Of course, the craftsmen also worked hard.
Her modern soul simply couldn't stand it.
So she cleared her throat and began to speak.
"There is one more thing. I have decided that, starting today, the Imperial Study will take a day off every seventh day."
Upon hearing this, not only were the masters stunned, but even the children below widened their eyes.
I could hardly believe my ears.
A day off? There are days off for studying?
Looking at the undisguised joy on everyone's faces, Jiang Nan suddenly recalled what she looked like when she was in elementary school in her future life.
He's always listless and lethargic in class, like a lazy bum.
But as soon as Friday arrives, he immediately becomes energetic, like a dragon entering the sea.
This contrast stirred a sense of nostalgia in her heart, and she couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"You tutors have worked tirelessly to teach the princes and grandsons. The children's studies also need a balance between work and rest. They should rest one day a week to recharge and make better progress. I will discuss this matter with the Emperor. Do you have any objections?"
Li Guangdi, Zhang Ying, and the others looked at each other in astonishment, followed by an indescribable surge of joy!
These so-called masters, though seemingly glamorous, actually endured immense hardship.
Even if Emperor Kangxi changed the class time to six o'clock.
But every day they still need to get up at the hour of Yin, which is around four in the morning, and walk from home to the study.
Coupled with working almost non-stop throughout the year, they were already exhausted.
Her Majesty the Empress's move is like a godsend!
Who dares to object? Who would object?
The group bowed quickly, their voices filled with excitement.
"Your Majesty, we respectfully obey your decree. We are deeply grateful for your compassionate consideration."
"Um."
Seeing this, Jiang Nan smiled slightly.
"Then today shall be your first day off, Erkh."
She looked down at her son and said.
"You haven't paid your respects to the Empress Dowager for quite some time. Come on, today your mother will take you to the Cining Palace to see your ancestor."
Erhe was relieved to hear that he could rest.
He can also visit his beloved ancestor.
She jumped up with joy and held Jiang Nan's hand tightly in her little hand.
"Your subject wants to go, Your subject misses Your Majesty so much!"
Jiang Nan stood up with a smile, inwardly sighing.
Which child truly loves going to school?
It's possible that Erhe really wanted to see his ancestors.
But this overwhelming joy is mostly because today I no longer have to painstakingly study the scriptures.
Holding her son's hand, she slowly walked out of the Imperial Study amidst the respectful gazes of her tutors, members of the imperial family, and palace servants.
Upon arriving outside the courtyard, Jiang Nan pulled her son onto the phoenix carriage and sat down, then raised her voice.
"Zhao Deyi, prepare the carriage, Cining Palace."
Zhao Deyi bowed and sang in greeting.
"His Majesty! Her Majesty the Empress is departing for Cining Palace—"
The ceremonial procession started again, proceeding in a grand and imposing manner towards the Cining Palace on the western side of the Forbidden City.
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The imperial carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Cining Palace.
A palace maid had already quickly informed them.
As Jiang Nan stepped down from the carriage, holding Erhe's hand, Sumala greeted them with a smile, laughing before even speaking.
"Your Majesty and the First Prince have finally arrived! The Empress Dowager was just saying that her eyelids were twitching today, which meant something good was about to happen, and sure enough, we were looking forward to your arrival!"
Jiang Nan also exchanged pleasantries with a smile.
"Laosumala, you've been thinking of me."
As he spoke, he led Erhe inside.
As soon as you enter the warm room, a fragrance mixed with a faint sandalwood scent and the sweetness of fruit wafts over you.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was reclining on the couch by the window, fiddling with a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand.
Hearing the noise, she looked up and a genuine and loving smile immediately bloomed on her face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.
"Oh dear, my little darling, it's been quite a while since you've come to visit this old woman!"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang put down her prayer beads, opened her arms to Erhe, and spoke with undisguised longing and affection.
"Ancestor!"
Upon seeing his beloved ancestor, Erhe immediately released Jiang Nan's hand.
It pounced like a joyful little bird.
He nimbly climbed onto the empty half of the warm bed, buried his head in Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's arms, and nuzzled her affectionately with his little head.
"Grandson misses his great-grandmother!"
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