Experimental group and control group
"Beijing is the heart of our great motherland"—a sentimental phrase—is eloquent. In reality, Beijing isn't located in China's heartland, but rather further north. Even though the map of China at that time wasn't shaped like a rooster, but rather the legendary leaf, the central government's actual jurisdiction was still patchy, with its borders riddled with potholes.
The Mongols nominally submitted to the imperial court. Since Kangxi's defeat of Galdan, the Mongol tribes have resumed the Nine Whites tribute. In reality, they were more of a vassal state, lacking prefectures and counties, nor directly governed by the imperial court. Only hereditary princes and taijis of the banner alliances managed affairs. In this sense, they were a semi-friendly neighbor. And our great capital was very close to this semi-friendly neighbor.
Leaving the capital, heading northwest, even if the emperor wasn't in a hurry, there were various rules to follow when traveling, so he could only travel 30 to 40 li a day. After a few days of walking, he reached Mongolia. The place names were also difficult to pronounce, but the student Pang had learned Mongolian quite well, so it didn't make sense to him.
This trip was different from the time I accompanied the emperor on his inspection tour of river works. That time, after all, was still outside Beijing, and while the view was expansive, it was still a pastoral scene of a farming civilization. This time, after walking for several days, I saw a vast expanse before me: sky connected to earth, grass to clouds. At the first glance, my face involuntarily changed.
A few days ago, we were in the agricultural civilization area, mostly riding cars. Now that we are in the nomadic civilization area, we spend more time on horseback.
Hongdan waved his whip and pointed at a speck of white in the sky: "Mafa, is that a cloud or a flock of sheep?"
Kangxi was nearly fifty years old and had a little presbyopia. He was farsighted. He distinguished them and said, "The one below is a sheep, and the one above is a cloud." He stood with Hongdan on horseback, also explaining by poking and prodding with a whip.
The whips they used were different from the ones used by rickshaw drivers. A rickshaw driver's whip, with a short, straight, hard handle, was made of soft material, and the rest of the whip was soft and snapping. Kangxi's whip was a hollow, rigid tube nearly two feet long, with a short, braided leather tassel protruding from the end. Hongdan's whip was a smaller size, but both were perfectly suited for use as teaching sticks.
Kangxi, in high spirits, sent for the shepherd to question him. Yinzhi, a member of the imperial family accompanying him and responsible for Kangxi's travels, was the one to whom Kangxi's orders were addressed. A young eunuch with Kangxi's command rushed to Yinzhi and said, "Prince Zhi, the Emperor has sent two men to summon the shepherd so we can have a word."
Yinzhi became more cautious and rewarded him with two golden melon seeds. He then asked, "Khan Ama often summoned the people for questioning during his southern tours, but rarely did he do so during his northern tours. What's the reason for this visit today? How is Khan Ama feeling?"
The young eunuch was rewarded, and since it wasn't something that needed to be kept secret, he was happy to do the favor: "Your Majesty was talking to Prince Hongdan. Prince Hongdan asked Your Majesty what was in the distance. Your Majesty explained for a while, then asked for the man to be brought here."
Yinzhi began to grind his teeth, his expression ferocious. The young eunuch swallowed his saliva and said, "Your Highness, I still have to reply."
Yinzhi suddenly woke up from his dream: "I understand, you can go."
His cheek twitched for a while before he ordered his attendants: "Did you hear what I just said? Hurry up and send two people over!" Then two guards rode their horses to look for the shepherd, leaving Prince Zhi there gritting his teeth.
So infuriating! Most of the time, Kangxi would sit in his spacious imperial sedan chair and read memorials. The Crown Prince, who stayed in the capital, would send fast horses to report important events to the emperor every day. The team's speed wasn't very fast, so even on the road, it didn't shake much, making it just the right amount for handling matters.
This time, he actually made an exception and put aside so many important matters to take his grandson for a stroll. Yinzhi's heart ached, thinking that all the good things were taken away by them and their son!
The team continued to move slowly forward. Kangxi, with the youthful enthusiasm of a young man, ran from the front of the team to the back and then back again with his grandson. Hongdan's cheeks were flushed with excitement, his eyes were dark and bright, and his smile was particularly sincere: "Mafa, I want to run twice more."
Kangxi liked his enthusiasm very much: "Then run a few more times. By the time we rest, they should have brought the people here."
The grandparents and grandson began to have fun in the procession again, making the entourage nervous. The officials were afraid of the emperor's criticism, while those who were there to join in the fun wanted to show off in front of the emperor. And the emperor's relatives were constantly watching his every move.
As an imperial guard, Qingde had met Hongdan before, but unfortunately, they rarely had the opportunity to interact. His nephew's constant presence was one reason, but another was the Orondei uncle E who was currently beside him. Uncle E had a crush on Qingde and, through tactics like threatening his superiors and abusing his authority, had adjusted Qingde's duty schedule to match his own, and would often hang out with Qingde whenever he had the chance.
Orondei had a rather rough temperament. If his nephew Qing dared to be distracted like he was now, he would definitely be hit on the shoulder.
"What are you looking at, kid? Oh, the emperor is coming? Come on, what's there to see?"
Qingde was furious. He thought his Mafa was the most scoundrel in the world, but he didn't expect that there is always someone stronger than you and there is always someone higher than you. In the shining Forbidden City, under the throne of Emperor Kangxi, there was such a strange flower that challenged the limits of human endurance.
"Take it easy."
"Tsk~"
If time could go back, Qingde swore that he would have pretended to be a quail and a moralist.
As expected, the grandfather and grandson came to them. Kangxi was in a dilemma. He knew Orondai's temper very well. If he disrespected him in front of his grandson, it would be too embarrassing. Looking again, there was another Qingde beside them. Kangxi gritted his teeth and took his grandson over.
The emperor's arrival brought a sudden silence. The well-trained guards, still controlling their horses, advanced at a leisurely pace. Military personnel, when on official missions, ignored their masters unless they were present; they simply carried on with their work.
So everyone walked away silently, and the emperor brought his grandson to the presence of the two generations of uncles-in-law, one old and one young.
Orondai raised his hand holding the reins of the horse with a gesture of respect: "Your Majesty." Kangxi looked at him, dressed formally, his face rosy, his eyes sparkling, and he looked quite good. How could his personality be so tragic, his expression so provocative? If he weren't his cousin, it would be impolite to ignore him. Kangxi wanted to treat him like air.
Qingde was much more well-behaved. Unable to dismount during the march, he sat upright, released his hands, and bowed his head. Kangxi, noticing that he was also dressed formally, and was able to sit firmly on the horse simply by relying on his waist and legs, was impressed.
He turned around and said to Hongdan, "Look, do you recognize him?"
This wasn't a problem for Hongdan. Orondai saw him every day, and the words "uncle" were something he could remember without even noticing. He nodded seriously, "I know him. Mafa mentioned him a month ago... my great uncle?" He tilted his head, looking quite adorable.
At the time, Kangxi was mainly showing off his grandson in front of Orondai and a group of people, so he only casually introduced Orondai. Hongdan just exchanged a few casual greetings with everyone and then was led away to study. After the greeting, he blinked, as if thinking for a moment, and pulled the reins to cup his fists in a salute, which made the horse shake its head uncomfortably.
Kangxi almost reached out to help him control the horse, but Qingde had already sat up with his butt off the saddle.
Hongdan carefully pulled the horse back and smiled sweetly at Orondai: "How is my uncle?"
Qingde turned his whip and poked Orondai, and Kangxi raised an eyebrow. Orondai put aside his carelessness and looked Hongdan up and down: "He is not bad-looking, congratulations, Your Majesty." Then he looked at Qingde, "He doesn't look much like you."
Qing Demo.
Kangxi acted as if he had just seen Qingde and said to Hongdan, "Look at this guy?"
"Uncle?" This time, he didn't dare to imitate his uncle's difficult moves, but in his heart, he had a subtle admiration for Qingde. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the scoundrel in a polite manner.
Qingde laughed dryly.
Kangxi said, "Since he is a relative, come over and talk to him after we set up camp and rest." He actually wanted Qingde to come over. It was Hongdan's first time to go on a long journey. Although he had him as his grandfather, he was still worried that he would not be able to adapt. It would not be a bad idea to have an uncle accompany him.
Orondai curled his lips, and finally kept silent out of courtesy. He followed Qingde's vague words and said, "Yeah."
Hongdan's eyes curved.
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Soon, it was time to rest. The troops had already set up their tents. Kangxi dismounted at the edge of the field, and Yinzhi caught up with him: "Khan Ama, those herdsmen looked close, but they are really far away when we chase them. We just brought them here."
"Then bring it here," he leaned over and asked Hongdan, "Are you tired?"
Hongdan shook his head and bowed to Yinzhi again: "Hello, Prince Bo."
Yinzhi forced a smile and said, "Hello to you too. Prince Bo has to go on an errand. Come back later." As he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of Kangxi kindly holding the hand of the half-fat little guy who had just called him Prince Bo.
Damn! Yinzhi pressed his feet hard, and the grass was crushed into green juice.
The tent hall was fully stocked with all the necessary supplies for daily life. When the grandfather and grandson entered, each received a basin. They followed the same routine: wiping their hands, washing their faces, wiping their necks, sitting down, and drinking tea.
Kangxi continued to teach his grandson: "Although you have learned some riding and archery, you have never practiced for such a long time. Before going to bed, ask them to bring hot water. Take a hot bath and soak for a while. I will send Wei Zhu to massage you later, otherwise you will be sore in the waist and legs tomorrow that you will have to lie on the carriage."
"Yeah. Marfa."
"Um?"
"When will Wei Anda arrive? My grandson wants to review his lessons first. He hasn't studied all day."
Kangxi pointed to the fruit plate in front of him in agreement. "Give this to Prince Hongdan to eat first," he replied. "After dinner, you can go take a bath. I'll send Wei Zhu to go with you. You can stay in the tent next to mine so it's convenient for you to come and go. When you've rested enough, come over here. I have some books to read too."
“Yeah.”
Hongdan nibbled at the snacks, occasionally sipping tea to soothe his stomach. He had barely nibbled a cream bun when Yinzhi arrived with his men.
Hongdan put down his teacup and took a wet towel from the eunuch, wiping his mouth and hands. He looked curiously at the herdsmen he saw. Judging from their clothing, they were undoubtedly Mongolians; he recognized them.
The herdsmen were quite frightened and knelt on the ground, praising Kangxi in Mongolian.
Kangxi also spoke to them in Mongolian, and Hongdan listened carefully. He had some difficulty understanding the Mongolian spoken by these Mongolians. Their accents were slightly different from that of the Empress Dowager, and their speaking speed was a little faster.
The questions Kangxi asked were: "How is the grass growing this year?", "Did any cattle or sheep freeze to death last winter?", "Are the cattle or sheep infected with any disease?"
The fat student listened attentively until Kangxi ordered: "Take them down and place them well, and reward them."
Kangxi had been riding for most of the day, and even at a canter, he was a little tired. But he couldn't wash up and go to bed yet. He pulled himself together and asked Hongdan, "Do you know why I'm asking whether the grass and water are plentiful?"
"When the grass and water are good, the cattle and sheep have food. Just like when a farmer's granary is full during a good year?"
Very smart.
Kangxi went on to explain: "It's not just about the water and grass. It's true that the Mongols live wherever there's water and grass. Whether there are enough cattle and sheep depends on luck. The Mongols have few cities, and most live scattered, with no shelter from the cold. If the winter snows hard and the weather is too cold, the cattle and sheep will freeze to death..."
After finishing his speech, he emphasized: "The Mongols are ignorant and stubborn. Some are honest and straightforward, while others are slow to learn. They need to be educated."
Hongdan immediately asked, "Does Mafa's annual tours outside the Great Wall aim to educate the Mongols?"
This topic was rather diverse and could not be fully discussed in a short while. Kangxi said, "You must remember one thing now: watch more, listen more, and talk less. Even if you are going to educate them, you must be polite to the Mongolian princes. That is the family home of Empress Xiaozhuang Wen and the Empress Dowager."
"Grandson understands."
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Hongdan lived very close to Kangxi and quickly returned to his residence. Hot water was ready, and Weizhu followed him back. Weizhu was a man of great discernment. He knew who was powerful and who should not be offended, who was easy to bully, and who bullied the weak and feared the strong. He was the one who was successful.
He was somewhat afraid of this little grandson of the emperor.
Having served Kangxi since childhood, watched Yinreng grow up, and now met Hongdan, Wei Zhu can be considered a man of wide knowledge. This young prince, with a strong sense of Kangxi's style, was extremely self-disciplined. Aside from asking questions in class and chatting with his grandfather, he was quiet and gentle, and with his cute appearance, he seemed quite harmless.
Wei Zhu, however, disagreed. His meticulous approach to life, including never dawdling in bed, dressing himself, walking without assistance, and measuring his own meals, proved to be incredibly self-disciplined. When Kangxi was a child, he was known for his tendency to oversleep. On one occasion, when Kangxi, then the Third Prince, was slacking off, Wei Zhu, the "Haha Zhu," was dragged off and given a beating. From then on, it became his responsibility to wake the Third Prince. As for the Crown Prince, his Khan-father woke him up, and Wei Zhu escaped unharmed.
Hongdan insists on doing many things that are commonplace, surprisingly without becoming "bad." Weizhu has disciples and apprentices to fawn over him, and even doesn't wear his own outer clothes, but even as the emperor's grandson, Hongdan manages his own life. He's a bit like an ascetic monk; just standing in his presence makes you want to reflect on yourself.
Although the princes below the level of the crown prince were trying to win over Wei Zhu, and the crown prince himself showed signs of being close to him, Wei Zhu, who couldn't even perform proper etiquette when meeting some royal family members in private, now followed Hong Dan seriously, and when they arrived at the tent, he rushed forward and opened the curtain for him.
After entering the room, Wei Zhu watched Hong Dan intently. He saw him stop, glance around, and then glance at everything. He took a step forward and asked, "Brother, do you want to take a shower and change clothes first?"
"Okay." The short man walked into the inner room separated by a curtain without even raising his head.
Take a shower, get a massage, get dressed and go read.
When we arrived at Kangxi's place, he had already changed into a dark blue jacket and was sitting behind his desk. He pointed to a table on his left and said, "Sit down."
Hongdan declined the invitation and saw Weizhu still standing nearby.
Kangxi glanced at Wei Zhu and said, "You should go down and rest too." Wei Zhu was about the same age as Kangxi. After a day of waiting on him, he was exhausted, but he still wanted to show his loyalty: "Today is the first day we have arrived in the grasslands, so I will still serve His Majesty. Tomorrow, when they have also taken over, I will ask you for leave again."
Nonsense! Kangxi would come here every year to stay for a few months. He made this trip countless times, and you weren't the only one with him who knew the situation well. You're just trying to curry favor.
Kangxi really laughed and scolded: "I know you are concerned, go ahead."
Wei Zhu then took the opportunity to say, "I'll take my leave."
After walking a few steps outside, he met Yinzhi. Wei Zhu secretly cursed in his heart that it was bad luck. He had often taken advantage of Yinzhi, but now seeing Yinzhi, he was only annoyed.
Mingzhu had given him money, Yinsi had given him money, the Crown Prince had given him red envelopes, and the Third and Fourth Princes were all his financial backers, but these people wouldn't put him in such a difficult position. Mingzhu only asked for a few subtle messages, and the Crown Prince hadn't asked for anything. The other princes had simply given him a chance to speak well of him in front of Kangxi.
Only this prince treated him like a slave from his early teens. He treated him purely as a slave, unlike the crown prince, who, after all, had been friends for a few years during their childhood and was relatively polite to him. Once he turned twenty, this prince married and had a daughter, and his treatment became better. He would give him money and expect him to report the emperor's every move. Even more hateful, he would ask him to speak ill of the crown prince before praising him.
Working three jobs for one salary is too much!
Wei Zhu's point is, I can take the money and say good things about you, but can you please not make me a bad guy? I'm not afraid of being a bad person for prying into the secrets of the Forbidden City! Those two eunuchs who spoke ill of the Crown Prince, didn't you see they've vanished from the face of the earth? We eunuchs have a hard life, and we just want to make a little money to live a peaceful and comfortable life in this life, and be reborn in a good life in the next. Can you please not force me like this?
He cursed in his heart, but tried to put on a smile. Yinzhi stopped and asked, "Where is An Da going?"
"Your Highness is studying with Prince Hongdan. If Your Highness doesn't have something urgent to do, I'm afraid I won't disturb him. I'll go down and clean up, and I'll be back to serve him in the evening."
Yinzhi choked and asked, "Is that kid still in there?"
Wei Zhu played dumb: "Huh?"
Yinzhi reacted and said, "Then I won't go over for now," "I'll come back after the child falls asleep!" He reached out and pulled Wei Zhu's arm, "I brought some good tea with me, do you want to try it? Once you enter Mongolian territory, there are fewer fresh fruits and vegetables. Mongolians use tea to relieve greasiness..."
Wei Zhu said with a sad face: "Your Highness is praising me."
When he arrived at Yinzhi's residence, he was fed with a lot of sour words. Wei Zhu distilled the central point "the emperor is partial to him" and two basic points "the nephew actually stole the limelight from his uncle" and "you have to tell me if they have any interaction", which made him want to yawn.
Dizzy and dazed, he trudged back to his tent. His apprentice had been waiting for him for a long time. "We prepared the bath water, but we heard that Master had Prince Zhi intercept it. Now the water is cold. Please wipe your face first, and I'll get some hot water."
Wei Zhu waved his hand, and another disciple came up to peel off his whip and rub his calves: "Master, there is a snack. The tea is warm, just right for it."
Wei Zhu thought helplessly, "Prince Zhi is such a nuisance! No peace or tranquility is left as long as he's around. You're his uncle, yet you're vying for favor with your nephew. Even more shameful is that you're no match for the Emperor, even a baby. And yet you complain when you can't win... Do you have any ambition at all?"
If you continue like this, you will be embarrassed again.
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Wei Zhu's words came true.
From then on until he returned to Beijing, the image of Hongdan in Yinzhi's heart completely collapsed. He squeezed out Soetu and became the second most hated person by Yinzhi after his father.
During the day, this boy woke up with Kangxi and slept with him at night. Kangxi reviewed memorials while he read. Kangxi summoned a steady stream of Mongolian nobles and brought him along to show off. In these activities, Yinzhi was surprisingly ranked below his nephew!
This was perfectly normal. Kangxi had long wanted to bring the fat boy out to show off his treasure. Previously, the child was too small to be taken care of properly. Now that he was half grown up, capable of both civil and military skills, and well-mannered, he finally had the opportunity to showcase his legitimate grandson to the world and put invisible pressure on the Mongolian princes. How could Kangxi waste such a precious opportunity?
Emperor Kangxi and his grandson were always by his side except when sleeping. The eldest son, Yinzhi, was sidelined and only attended the reception. Then, like his younger brothers, he was assigned to various posts and demoted from the central government to the local government.
That’s not all. On this day, Kangxi hosted a grand banquet for the Mongolian kings.
The father of the future Tenth Consort was among them, and he was extremely grateful for Kangxi's appreciation and recognition, earning the envy of his companions. The prince began to flatter Kangxi, and after that, Kangxi flattered the other princes, with Yinzhi being the first to be praised as a "warrior" and "noble."
The prince's Manchu language was a little halting, but Yinzhi, mindful of the fact that he was praising him, listened to the rest of his words with all his patience. He stroked his mustache and smiled calmly, "Your Highness, you are too kind."
It was indeed an exaggeration, and the person who gave the compliment was insincere, because he used the same words to praise the other princes, except that the word order was changed.
Although his Manchu language skills weren't great, he was actually quite kind. I'd seen a little kid accompanying Kangxi, leading him to the throne. His clothes, with their four-legged skirts and a pair of age, suggested he was probably the emperor's grandson. Based on the information I'd gathered, I knew he was the third prince from the crown prince's family.
We praised him with all our might and said whatever the emperor wanted to hear.
Unfortunately, the students who were not proficient in Manchu were so excited that they started speaking their own language. After they finished speaking for a long time, they realized that things had gone wrong. It was a bit embarrassing.
Kangxi understood what he said, but he didn't care. He smiled and said, "My grandson is naturally good, but he still needs to work hard." He used Mongolian and said to Hongdan in Manchu, "Don't be proud."
Hongdan answered in Manchu, "My grandson listens attentively to the holy teachings," and thanked the prince in Mongolian, "Your Highness, thank you for the compliment." His innocent eyes made people feel his sincerity.
Wow! He knew Mongolian, speaking a little slowly, but clearly! The Mongolian princes felt a warm welcome. They all praised Kangxi for his parenting skills and his family's good genes. Kangxi was delighted.
Yinzhi was furious. We all teach three languages, so why did this kid get the spotlight?!
Compared to himself, although he was unwilling to admit defeat, the status of the Crown Prince was still higher than that of the Prince of Zhi; compared to his wife, no matter whether it was the dead one or the one who was about to marry in, neither was more confident than the daughter of the Shi family; compared to his son, Kangxi always took the Crown Prince's son with him on all his actions, and the only son of the Prince of Zhi was thrown into the palace to study with his cousins.
Experimental group and control group!
Rebellion! Yinzhi lost his composure! He glanced at his brothers, trying to figure out who to drag into some trouble: his eyes hinted at, "Big brother, try dragging us down with you again." No one was willing to help him; instead, they all gathered around Kangxi to show their affection. Yinzhi winked until his eyes cramped, but no one paid any attention.
If he looked more closely, he would have noticed the gloating look in the eyes of the third brother, the unmoved expression of the fourth brother, and the eighth brother... He was smiling and smiling again. They were all swearing in their hearts, "Brother, dare you drag our brothers into this!"
Yinzhi had no choice but to target the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, who had always enjoyed the emperor's favor. They were still young, and he doubted they would be uneasy seeing the Khan Ama only focus on Hongdan, leaving everyone else aside. And what did he see?! These two little bastards, close in rank, stood close together. Your left hand was holding my right, half exposed outside my sleeve, and we were playing with each other's fingers, our facial expressions shifting with the movements of our hands, clearly distracted.
Yinzhi: ...My brothers are all pigs!
Brothers: Are you done yet? We've all been trying so hard to play dumb to avoid you!
Yinzhi lowered his head in frustration, pondering how to turn the tables, imagining the glory he would have after defeating Yinreng. His brothers breathed a sigh of relief. The thirteenth and fourteenth brothers quickly let go of their hands. The third brother sat up straight, the eighth brother suppressed his smile, and the fourth brother… remained unmoved. In their hearts, they all thought: Another escape.
The author has something to say: I plan to watch "Flying Daggers of Dragon Gate" tomorrow. God bless me so that I don't have to work overtime tomorrow...
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