Chapter 159 Jiang Nan: Let me test you
Night falls, Kunning Palace, dining hall.
The palace lanterns illuminated the room warmly and brightly, and a table of exquisite dishes was set out, but no one touched their chopsticks.
Jiang Nan and Kangxi stared at each other, surrounded by a table full of dishes, in a slightly awkward atmosphere.
Emperor Kangxi was truly hungry. After a busy afternoon of court affairs, the aroma of food made him feel ravenously hungry.
He reached for the chopsticks several times, but was stopped by Nan Nan's gaze.
"emperor."
Jiang Nan's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Irkh hasn't returned yet."
Helpless, Kangxi withdrew his hand, picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and tried to suppress his hunger.
For an emperor to dine with his son was truly unprecedented.
I felt a little awkward, but I couldn't show it.
Jiang Nan found it amusing to see his restless yet forced composure.
He feigned seriousness and spoke slowly.
"How long have we been waiting? Erhe has been studying and practicing martial arts since morning, without a moment's rest. He's a seven-year-old child and hasn't complained of being hungry. How can you, as his father, not stand it?"
Kangxi was speechless after hearing her words, and could only continue drinking his tea, hoping that the boy would return soon.
Just then, a series of crisp, hurried footsteps came from outside the dining hall, accompanied by cheerful children's voices.
"Mother, Mother, your son has returned."
Little Erhe, like a swallow returning to its nest, hopped and skipped into the room.
Her face was flushed, and her forehead was still damp with a light sheen of sweat from exercise.
Fang Ruo and Su Peisheng followed closely behind with smiles on their faces.
Seeing this, Emperor Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief almost imperceptibly—finally, it was time to eat.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Nan couldn't help but tease him.
"Alright, you can eat now. Your Majesty, if you don't want to wait in the future, you can dine with other concubines. No one will dare to interfere with you there, and you won't have to wait around and go hungry."
Kangxi glanced at her helplessly, feeling somewhat guilty.
"Nannan, I didn't say anything. I'm just... a little hungry."
As soon as Erhe entered the dining hall, he saw Emperor Kangxi sitting upright.
She immediately quieted down, stood properly, clasped her hands in a respectful greeting, and spoke in a serious, childlike voice.
"Your subject greets Father Emperor and Mother Emperor."
Jiang Nan took one look and thought, "This won't do."
She was still terrified of her own father, like a mouse seeing a cat.
She waved to her son.
"Irkh, come here."
Erhe obediently stepped forward.
Jiang Nan picked up her son and, without saying a word, shoved him into Kangxi's arms.
Kangxi was taken aback by the sudden attack and instinctively reached out to catch it.
Jiang Nan said with a serious expression.
"Bowing and observing etiquette are fine. But you can't be distant. You are the emperor and Erhe's father. How old is your son? Dining at home is like attending court. What, Your Majesty, have come here to show off your power? If you really want to show off your power, go to the imperial court."
She pointed to Kangxi's arm.
"Hold on tight! Today, your task as your own father is to feed your son. Otherwise, none of us will eat, and I will go hungry with you."
Emperor Kangxi was both amused and exasperated by her words, and repeatedly said...
"I'll listen to you, I'll listen to you. I'm holding my son right now, so I'll personally serve him his meal today."
He adjusted his posture to make sure Erkh was seated securely on his lap.
Jiang Nan nodded in satisfaction.
"That's more like it, and it should be like this from now on."
Kangxi resignedly picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and Erhe followed suit, picking up his own small bowl and spoon.
Emperor Kangxi picked up a piece of tender steamed egg with his chopsticks, carefully blew on it, and brought it to his son's mouth.
The little boy looked at his mother, then at his father, seemingly flattered.
She opened her little mouth and ate it, a look of novelty and relief slowly appearing on her face.
Jiang Nan watched as the father and son began to interact awkwardly, and then picked up her chopsticks.
She didn't care about the rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping, and asked questions while eating.
"Irkh, what did you learn in the study today?"
Erhe swallowed the food in his mouth and answered with bright eyes.
“Mother, I learned to read today. I learned both Manchu and Chinese, and I also learned wrestling from Anda.”
Jiang Nan nodded and picked up a piece of cherry meat, which he liked.
Is it difficult?
"Mother, it's not difficult. My master praised me for my good memory, and I've memorized it all and know how to write it!"
The little guy's tone carried a hint of pride.
"Okay, that's good."
Jiang Nan doesn't know much about the specific educational content.
I think it's best to leave professional matters to professionals.
All she had to do was make sure her son wasn't abused or overworked.
However, she didn't want her son to become a bookworm who only knew how to study.
Seeing Kangxi eating silently beside her, trying his best to maintain the image of a strict father, she suddenly became interested and spoke up.
"Okay, Mother will give you a question to test you. I doubt even your Emperor Father could answer it."
Upon hearing this, Kangxi immediately became unconvinced and raised his head.
"Nannan, I can't answer? I don't believe you, tell me."
Jiang Nan grinned mischievously.
"Alright, then you two answer together. Listen carefully—what is it that is clearly yours, but someone else uses it more than you do?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi put down his chopsticks and began to ponder deeply.
What things are yours, yet others use more of them?
Salary? Power? Clothes? He fell into deep thought for a moment.
Erhe tilted his little head, trying hard to think, his little brows furrowing.
Jiang Nan continued eating slowly, adding more meat to her son's bowl.
Kangxi thought for a long time, looking at himself and then at his surroundings, but he still couldn't come up with a solution.
Erhe couldn't think of anything and said in a low voice, somewhat frustrated.
"Mother, I don't know... Am I very stupid?"
Jiang Nan smiled and pinched his little face.
"Your father is just as stupid as you; he didn't figure it out either."
Kangxi was helpless and had no choice but to admit defeat since he couldn't come up with an answer.
"Nannan, tell me the answer. I don't believe such a thing really exists."
Jiang Nan put down her chopsticks, looked at her son, and called out.
"Irkh".
"Hey! Mother, did you call me?" Erhe replied.
"What did your mother call you?"
"It's my name, Mother. Why are you calling me by my name?"
The little guy looked puzzled.
Jiang Nan smiled and announced the answer.
"The answer is your name. Look at your father and mother, and your tutor in the Imperial Study, don't they call you 'Erhe' all the time? You yourself rarely say your own name, don't others use your name more often than you do?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi slapped his forehead and suddenly realized what was going on!
Didn't her imperial grandmother call out the name Xuan Ye every day?
He himself rarely referred to himself as Xuan Ye.
How come I didn't think of such a simple principle before?
He shook his head and chuckled, "This... what kind of question is this..."
Jiang Nan proudly raised her chin.
"So, Your Majesty, are you convinced or not?"
Emperor Kangxi was still somewhat unwilling, feeling that he had been tricked.
"This question doesn't count; it's too clever. Give me another one, and I'll definitely answer it next time."
Jiang Nan shook her head inwardly, thinking about Kangxi's competitive nature.
"Alright, I'll give you another easy question. How many characters are in the name Erhe?"
Erkh answered immediately, pointing to himself with his little finger.
“Mother, it’s simple, it’s just three words.”
Kangxi frowned. So simple?
Seeing Jiang Nan's sly smile that seemed to say, "You'll definitely fall for it again," he knew it wasn't that simple.
He silently recited the question.
"How many characters are in the name Erhe?"
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he realized where the trap was.
The question wasn't about the three characters "Irkh," but rather the entire phrase "Irkh."
"It's seven characters!"
Kangxi and Jiang Nan spoke almost simultaneously; Kangxi's tone was one of sudden realization, while Jiang Nan's tone was one of revealing the answer.
Jiang Nan nodded and smiled, then said to Kangxi.
"Your Majesty, your reaction is quite quick."
When Kangxi heard Nannan's approval, his displeasure at not being allowed to eat earlier vanished instantly.
I felt my back straighten up a bit without me even noticing, and my brows were relaxed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
