Prairie trip praised
Accompanying the emperor was a disguised form of tourism, but it was not entirely equivalent to traveling at public expense. Kangxi's tour of the frontier still had a political mission: to meet with Mongolian princes and nobles and to bring Manchu and Mongolia closer together.
The Mongol princes had received advance notice and, based on the distance of their respective territories and the imperial carriage's route, calculated the date of the emperor's arrival at a certain location. They then wrote a report: "A certain prince/prince/beile/taiji will arrive at such and such a place to meet the emperor on such and such a day." Kangxi would then verify the time and place and approve it.
The princes and nobles would arrive at the designated location a little early, setting up camp. Upon seeing the emperor arrive from a distance, they would pretend to hasten to the scene, "coming to court." The emperor would then remain for a day or several days, singing, dancing, and playing games. Tributes were paid, and rewards were bestowed, all in great joy. The emperor would then proceed to the next location, repeating the process.
Lucky princes of higher status could apply to accompany the emperor to the next location for a larger gathering. Some princes came alone, while many gathered their brothers, friends, and other relatives to come in groups to greet the emperor. Not only men came, but also wives and former wives.
They've gone to such great lengths to leave their well-maintained turf, dragging their entire families along, to come to the campground to wait for you. Even an emperor wouldn't delay too much on the way and leave them to feed mosquitoes in the wild before the appointed time. Don't make fun of them like that!
This is not building relationships, this is creating hatred.
Although the emperor's stay in Tangquan was a night of trouble, such a wonderful experience did not happen again before he arrived at the destination.
In order to prove that they had not forgotten their martial spirit, and in accordance with national regulations and Kangxi's requirements, the royal men accompanying the emperor had to ride horses.
No matter how charming the days of the river crab were, they couldn't mask one fact: no one could guarantee that after reveling every night, they would still have the energy to gallop hundreds of miles a day. The emperor's carriage couldn't cover that much in a day, only a few dozen miles. Yet, to show off, the attendants often had to run back and forth, inspecting the rear guard and then rushing to the emperor's carriage to report.
You've been too much of a riot the day before, your wife can catch up on some sleep in the car, but you still have to ride out to show off. The imperial carriage can't wait, it must arrive at the meeting place within the agreed time. A day or two late is fine, but much later and it will cause a diplomatic incident.
Working during the day and at night is too much for even the strongest. Weighing the pros and cons, the men gave up on romance and chose practicality.
Experienced princes like the Eighth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince, and the Fourteenth Prince left the fun for later, which was because the Crown Prince's status was a little special, so they could easily ride on the Emperor's coattails and avoid making a fool of themselves.
While the Crown Prince and his wife were having fun, Yinreng's brothers did not seek some pleasure in the boudoir, so they had to cover themselves with quilts and chat. Well, maybe they started chatting before the quilts were even covered.
Regardless of how good the Thirteenth Prince's relationship with his wife would become later, at this moment, he was more interested in his concubines than in Zhaojia, and he always brought his concubines with him on his trips. Guaerjia had been with Yinxiang for a long time and had a good understanding of his likes and dislikes, so she automatically reported on the little gathering.
"The Crown Princess sent someone to call me over. Fourteenth Lady, Prince Jian's Lady, and the one from Prince Si's household also went with me. We talked for a while, and then I gave that one a gift."
Yinxiang had matured a lot since Concubine Min's death, and he would think more deeply about things, so he asked, "What did you say?"
Seeing Yinxiang's interest, Guaerjia also perked up. She recalled the incident and said, "The Crown Princess and Prince Jian's wife are acquainted with each other, so they chatted for a while. Then they met that person, and she said she had never met him before. She gave him a gift and mentioned a little about Prince Si's family having a baby. Then she talked about more, including Prince Zhen's story about Prince Honghui."
Yinxiang didn't say anything. The affairs of the Eighth Prince's family had little to do with him. Only the Fourth Prince had taught him some arithmetic, and the two had a better relationship. He felt sorry for Yinzhen for a while.
Guaerjia also quietly came forward to help him change clothes and bathe. Yinxiang then instructed: "You have met the Crown Princess before. She is easy to talk to. Fourteenth brother's wife is also an acquaintance. These two are okay. I don't know much about the character of Prince Jian's wife. Please be careful with your words. There is big news in the eighth brother's house now. Don't spread it around." In fact, many princes knew about some speculations about Yinsi's family infertility, but they didn't say it outside.
"I save it."
Compared to the Thirteenth Prince, who left his wife to stay at home in the palace shortly after their wedding and took his concubine out for a trip, the Fourteenth Prince had a relatively good relationship with his wife, Wanyan. Wanyan and the Fourteenth Prince were much closer when it came to talking, and they could talk about anything without feeling too restrained.
The Fourteenth Prince still reeked of alcohol when he entered. Wanyan sent him to change his clothes while saying, "It's a good thing this is a hot spring. Go wash up! You stink!"
Yinzhen chuckled and said, "Who dares to drink too much in front of Khan Ama? I'm just pretending. Have you washed? How about we drink together? Wash early and go to bed early, as we have to travel tomorrow." With just a few words, he pointed out the fact that they would travel tomorrow.
Wanyan was a little embarrassed and angry in her heart. The implication of these words was as if she was going to do something to him! She just wanted to show it on her face, but then stopped: if she really showed it on her face, it would seem that she was angry because her plan had failed.
Wanyan snorted twice and said, "You know how to hurry, why are you back so late? I finished my meal and went to play with the Crown Princess for a while. I came back and changed my clothes before you came back."
"Khan Ama stayed with everyone to talk. What can I do? Did you go to the Crown Princess? Are you alone or are there others?"
"Prince Jian's wife, the Eighth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince's two, except for the Eighth Prince's, are all acquaintances. The Eighth Prince's family has a happy event, but Fourth Brother..."
Although the relationship between the Fourteenth Prince and the Fourth Prince was not very close, and there was a little bit of a desire to show off in front of their mother, the Fourteenth Prince and his wife still felt sorry for Honghui's death. The Fourteenth Prince said in addition to the belt: "What a pity for Honghui."
The Fourteenth Lady not only felt sorry for Honghui, but also felt sad for the Fourth Lady. Yinzhen had four sons. Besides Honghui, the second, third, and fourth sons were all born to Li. The Fourth Lady had only given birth to one son, and now he was dead. How sad she must have been.
Fourteenth Prince's eldest son, Hongchun, was born to his concubine, Shushujueluo, and the child had already been born before Fourteenth Lady married. Fourteenth Lady, who had been married for six months, thought of herself and felt a bit of a scare—she was even more determined to get pregnant during their honeymoon without anyone interfering.
You can't rush on the road, there is always a time to stop. Thinking of this, Fourteenth Lady became more considerate: "Slow down, the ground is slippery."
Here, the Eighth Prince was the one who told the man what had just happened. When the Eighth Prince saw the gift Wanyan received from the Crown Princess, his expression was good: "Just accept it if she gives it to you." This was the first time Wanyan had formally met the Crown Princess after she got married, so it was normal to give her something.
The Eighth Prince was concerned about other things, such as: "What was said?" and "Are there any other people?"
Wanyan had already prepared a response after Yinsi returned, and although she stuttered slightly, her answer was clear and coherent: "Prince Jian's wife, the Fourteenth Prince's wife, and the one brought by the Thirteenth Prince have all arrived, and they chatted a little. This was the Crown Princess's first time traveling north, and Prince Jian's wife was familiar with the route, so she said a lot."
She wouldn't dare tell anyone that everyone was gossiping about the Eighth Prince's heir, hadn't she? Reporting private information about one's family for no reason was embarrassing. Outsiders said the Eighth Prince was quite kind, but the people in the mansion feared him more than the Eighth Concubine. The Eighth Concubine was a bit harsh, but the Eighth Prince was a man who didn't care, but when he did, it was a disaster. Fortunately, the little girl she brought with her was sent off by the Crown Princess to eat watermelon. Whatever Wanyan said, there was no evidence.
Yinsi analyzed it over and over again, but could only talk about the beautiful scenery along the way. He could not see anything wrong with it, so he only warned: "When you are with them, don't gossip about others, and don't talk about the things going on in the mansion."
Wanyan agreed without hesitation. It was wise to keep her head down when talking to the prince. If he had seen the expression on her face, he would have seen the guilty conscience. Wanyan made up her mind to control her mouth in the future and never gossip about the affairs of the palace.
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The next day, when the team stopped in Huairou, Yinreng came to his senses and deeply regretted his frivolous behavior. He returned to his residence from Kangxi's place and only joked with his wife.
The Crown Prince and his wife were having a random chat today, and they happened to be discussing the missionaries who came to China to preach. "The religion they preached was a bit absurd, but what they brought was useful, so we tolerated it."
Shujia agreed strongly: "That's right. I think those Western toys of yours are very interesting and useful."
"Mine?" Yinreng glanced at Shujia. "I still have a few Western toys I can use. Didn't some bandits steal them all?"
"Huh? Really? I didn't even know when a bandit appeared in this palace. He was so bold that he even dared to rob our prince." At the end, he couldn't hold back his laughter and fell on the couch.
Yinreng reached out and pulled Shujia up: "You're still laughing? Aren't you a bandit?" He hugged her from behind and put his head on Shujia's shoulder. "Count it yourself. How many things in my study have been moved?"
Shujia took Yinreng's hands, which were hanging in front of her, and turned her face away: "Why don't you count them? How much stuff do you have that I haven't taken away? When I get home tomorrow, I'll go rob some more, okay?"
"Well, then I have to think about whether I should give you the whole thing."
"Look at you, you really take it seriously. If you put things in my room, does that mean they are no longer yours?"
"So what if they're all yours? You're still mine!" The man answered in a resounding voice.
"So that's what you're thinking. Everything else is fine, what kind of Western toys have I not seen? But there's one thing I haven't seen yet... Western paintings. You always say they look exactly like the real person, but the paintings on clocks and boxes don't look very similar. Do you have any paintings that look very similar?"
"Khan Ama often uses them to paint all kinds of pictures. I don't have anything here. Now there is a Western painter named Nie Yunlong in the palace. We can ask them to paint for us."
"Nie Yunlong?" Shujia was quite surprised. "That name doesn't sound like a Westerner."
Yinreng pretended to be profound: "Does the name Nan Huairen sound like a Westerner to you?"
"Well……"
Shujia suddenly had an idea: draw a family portrait! Or maybe she could just learn oil painting and paint it herself, making it whatever she wanted. She could even use handmade photoshop to put Yinreng's head on Superman's body.
"I heard from the Imperial Concubine that Khan Ama ordered people to paint Western-style portraits for the Imperial Concubine's mother and the Imperial Concubine's mother?"
"That's true, but I haven't seen it. You want to draw it too? It's not impossible," Yinreng hesitated for a moment and finally agreed, "When Khan Ama is happy, I will ask for his permission. It's not a big deal." Just treat it as fun.
"It's not just me. I was thinking, could we paint our whole family in one picture?"
"A picture of pleasure?"
"Uh... sort of. Regardless of whether it's ink and wash painting or fine brushwork, whenever they paint multiple people together, there are always a few with identical faces. If they're wearing the same clothes, it's impossible to tell them apart."
"..." Yinreng pondered, should he modify this idea and report it to Kangxi, drawing a larger family portrait? Ahem, it would be better if it was just a family portrait of him and Kangxi.
Hmm! That's a good idea.
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Once again on the road, Shujia had less time to spare. She had to memorize the names and relationships of the characters. In the evening, Yinreng would come over to explain things to her. The Mongol tribes were numerous, their relationships complex, and their intermarriages with the Qing court were complicated.
Shujia spent her childhood in Beijing, and after her marriage, she moved around the palace. Her familiar social circles were primarily within Beijing, particularly those of the Manchu Eight Banners. Of that small circle, 80% were Han officials within Beijing and the border regions. As for Mongolia, the Crown Princess, unfortunately, was unfamiliar with it. Even though the Empress Dowager was Mongolian, and several Mongolian nobles would come to see her, and the Crown Princess would also be able to meet them, she still didn't have a complete understanding of the country.
God knows this Mongolian state is even more fraught than the relationships in Beijing. There are only a few royal courts to consider in Beijing. Here, the tribes alone number at least: Ongniud, Khorchin, Abagai, Aohan, Balin, Khalkha, Naiman, Tumed, Alu Khorchin, Ujumqin, Sunite, Haoqit, Kexiketeng, and so on. Within each tribe are several kings, beile, beizi, and taijis... Among these, some are married to the Qing imperial family, while others are simply descendants of princesses married into these alliances, creating another layer of kinship and a hierarchy of generations.
Mongolian names naturally have their own unique characteristics, unlike the Manchus, who are increasingly influenced by Chinese culture. If you say "Hongxin," you know he's the grandson of Emperor Kangxi, regardless of whether you've met him, know his father, or his birth order. Sometimes, even two unrelated people share the same name, and a footnote is added when mentioning it.
"Why are there so many people? I don't think these people are among the ones who can show up among the yellow belts. Could they all be here?" Shujia said with a bitter face.
Yinreng said, "You need to see more than just these. There's also this." He then produced a list like a magic trick, "You need to know this too. The ones I've circled are the ones you need to see."
Shujia's jaw dropped: "What is this?"
The first book was about the princes of various regions in Mongolia, and the second was about their wives. If it was the Empress Dowager, she wouldn't recognize her. Shujia demanded that she appear flawless. Unfortunately, she had to give birth and confine herself after childbirth, and then encountered the imperial examination. Only after she finished all these things and the emperor set off, did she finally cram for the exam.
Ever since Yinreng mentioned a concubine he wanted to meet, and she didn't know who her husband was or what his deeds were, Shujia immediately pressed Yinreng to find information to memorize. Yinreng said, "They are far away from the capital, and we can't talk much. When they come to see you, someone will present a list, and then you will know."
"They have come a long way here, but I don't know who they are. What if they meet an important person, and someone confuses the two of us? It may seem harmless, but in the eyes of others, wouldn't it seem like they are not careful?" Points are accumulated bit by bit.
On the surface, the Crown Princess wasn't a pushover; her interests lay in reading and writing, researching snacks, bullying her son, and robbing her husband. Yinreng could only acquiesce, believing his wife had given up sightseeing and memorizing the book for him.
Feeling very guilty, Yinreng looked up the information and came back on time every day to explain it to Shujia.
Shujia began to recite the text fiercely. Given her age, her brain was still working well, and with Yinreng's explanations, it wasn't too difficult. Shujia also asked Yinreng to get a map with each person's territory divided into pieces, and marked from near to far with the person's name leading up, which accelerated the progress of reciting the text.
While the Crown Princess studied a course titled "An Overview of the Mongol Tribes in the Early Qing Dynasty and the Marriage and Inheritance Relationships among the Tribes' Nobles," the Emperor advanced at a leisurely pace, covering several dozen miles a day. Five days later, he reached Anziling. Here, the Emperor would remain for several days, as plans arose for the arrival of Cangjin, the son-in-law of the Duke of Ongniut Doroduleng, and Geler, the Kharchin Taiji, among others, who were to appear before Emperor Kangxi.
They arrived in separate batches. Cangjin arrived first, and the others had to wait two days for approval. Cangjin's wife was Yinxiang's younger sister, the thirteenth daughter of Concubine Min. According to the order of princesses, she would be the eighth princess. However, while the marriage was arranged, the eighth princess had yet to marry, so Cangjin was currently only a consort.
This was her husband's brother-in-law, so Shujia didn't have to worry about it. She was happy to stay in her own place after dinner and continue reviewing her lessons. Cang Jin, who came to pay homage to the emperor, was not so lucky. He was the son-in-law of the emperor, but he had not yet married. He had to carefully serve his father-in-law, lest he be displeased and refuse to marry his daughter to him.
Of course, Kangxi still favored Cangjin. His original name was Bandi, and it was Kangxi who gave him the name Cangjin. But his brothers-in-law were not so easy to deal with. The Thirteenth Prince looked at him as if he wanted to dissect him. The Crown Prince looked at him as if he wanted to pick him up and weigh him.
Cang Jin took another look and saw that the expressions in the eyes of the Eighth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince were not as gentle and harmless as they appeared on their faces.
If Cang Jin were to summarize it, it would be something like this: everyone is weighing his importance and thinking about how to get along with him.
Cangjin had grown up in this world, so how could he not know the inside story? The Mongol nobles generally had only one attitude towards what was happening in the capital: accept reality. The court had to appease the Mongols anyway, so why bother getting involved? This attitude extended to their interactions with the imperial family: "If you're nice to me, I'll accept it. If you ask me to contribute, it depends on the situation." In the name of the state, yes, but in the name of individuals, no—we only obey the emperor.
Cang Jin was like a piece of sticky candy, unyielding to bother and persuasion, maintaining a neutral attitude towards the other princes. Of course, he was more affectionate with the Crown Prince, as he held all the future benefits in his hands. He was even more affectionate and flattering towards Kangxi, who was currently holding the benefits. The other princes had no way of dealing with him.
No matter how many times he accompanied the emperor, the most difficult part was not accompanying their Khan and playing with him to make him happy, but dealing with these Mongolian princes. Yinsi thought bitterly: He kept praising you endlessly, but apart from praising you, he refused to do anything else!
This was Yinreng's second trip to the frontier with the Emperor. Seeing Cangjin's continued attitude, he realized that the Mongols were not easy to deal with. He gave up on the idea. After all... his Khan father didn't really consider the Mongols his own family. From marrying off his daughter to sending officials to inspect, from criticizing the Mongols for their lack of civilization to secretly guarding against their growing power, Yinreng observed Kangxi's policies.
They are here to win over the people, it's true, and to demonstrate. This is what diplomacy is all about.
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On the third day of her stay at Anziling, another group of Mongols arrived, and this time, Shujia was busy. Kharchin Taiji Geler and others had come to pay homage, bringing their female relatives with them. Unlike the female relatives in the capital, these people could see the emperor during every court session.
Kangxi listened as the eunuch announced each name. The women came out one by one and stood in order, silently memorizing each person's physical characteristics and the name of their husband. The taijis who came to court that day were not particularly important, so Kangxi did not bother to talk to their wives and mothers. He glanced at the women briefly, offered a few words of comfort, and then said, "The Crown Princess is also with you this time. You may go and see her."
The ladies had known that the Crown Princess was coming. Kangxi had brought the Crown Princess and her family to show off, so of course he had to inform them in advance and had the Mongols prepare a gift. Ever since they heard they were going to meet the Crown Princess, the ladies couldn't help but be curious.
As the empire's second-in-command, the Crown Princess was even more mysterious than the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager had married into the capital from the steppes, and Emperor Kangxi sometimes accompanied her on tours, so people could still get a sense of her. The Crown Princess, born and raised in the capital, rarely even left the palace, and few Mongolian women had ever seen her. Whether she was round or flat, tall or short, no one knew.
This year, many women eagerly requested to see the Crown Princess. The men, delighted to see their wives associated with the future Queen Mother, readily agreed without pleading. Even those who might have chosen not to come did.
Entering the large tent, I saw a young woman seated at the top, about twenty years old. She was dressed in a golden ceremonial gown, with coral beads around her neck and three earrings shimmering with soft oriental pearls. Two rows of chairs below were occupied by several women, young and old. Leading the way was a young woman, about ten years old. She wore a dark blue ceremonial gown embroidered with four five-clawed dragons, one on each shoulder.
The Mongols also have princes, and naturally, princes' wives. Everyone has seen the auspicious attire of a prince's wife: it's embroidered with four groups of five-clawed golden dragons, front and back, and two dragons running along the shoulders. The auspicious attire worn by this youngest wife is even more noble than that of a prince's wife; she must be the wife of a prince. The other young wife sitting below her is wearing the auspicious attire of a prince's wife.
The eunuchs were already calling out names, speaking Manchu to accommodate them. The Manchu-Mongolian marriages had been going on for a long time, and it was common for the Mongol nobles to speak a few words of Manchu. When their names were called, they lined up and saluted.
Then a gentle voice called out in Manchu from above. The ladies exchanged glances and climbed up from the ground. Then another voice said, "Please take a seat."
A eunuch led everyone to sit on the chairs on the other side.
Geler was the leader of this group of Mongols, and his wife was naturally also the leader of this group of women. When she heard the Crown Princess say, "You've had a hard journey," Geler's wife stood up and replied, "To have the opportunity to see the Emperor and the Crown Princess is a blessing we could never have wished for. I am filled with endless joy, so how can I even think of hardship?"
Shujia was slightly surprised. Kangxi had clearly described the Mongols as ignorant and stubborn. Shujia knew that nomadic peoples, due to objective limitations, did differ in some respects from agricultural societies. However, she felt that there were still many knowledgeable and educated people in the upper class. After all, the conditions were there. She was surprised that this lady's choice of words was comparable to many noblewomen in Beijing, and she spoke to them with even more energy.
"I feel relieved now that you say that. There are several ladies here. I wonder if you have met them?" Shujia introduced them one by one.
The women then confirmed that the first was the Fourteenth Prince's newly married wife, Wanyan, and the second was the legitimate wife of Prince Jian, the wife of the Iron Hat Prince. The others were of slightly lower status, all wives of members of the imperial family accompanying the emperor. Geler's wife then stepped forward with the other Mongolian women to acknowledge them.
The results of Shujia's last-minute cramming showed up. When Geler's wife and others saw that the Crown Princess actually knew that the place where they were was adjacent to Abagai's territory, and could tell the relatives of some of them, and also knew that someone's son was now working in the Lifanyuan, they felt that they were valued.
Moreover, the Crown Princess actually spoke Mongolian! She spoke it quite fluently.
Shujia noticed that the Manchu language proficiency of these women varied greatly. They could only say a few common greetings, but more than that became a bit difficult. In the end, she simply spoke to them in Mongolian.
"In the Empress Dowager's palace, speak Mongolian more often. I feel more at home when talking to you." The Crown Princess said this when a lady was in a hurry and couldn't express herself in Manchu and blurted out Mongolian, and her face turned red with anxiety.
We really have to thank this lady who is not good at speaking Manchu. Her mistake undoubtedly gave the Crown Princess an opportunity to show herself, and also allowed the Crown Princess to take this opportunity to bring the two closer together.
The Fourteenth Lady and the others were also surprised when they heard this: How did the Crown Princess know all this? They tried hard to remember the relationships the Crown Princess had mentioned, so that they could use them next time. The more they remembered, the more they felt that the Crown Princess was not simple. These relationships were quite confusing. How did she remember them all?
It took me many days of hard work, day and night, and with the help of my husband who also acts as a tutor, I finally memorized it.
This was the Crown Princess's official appearance at a reception, and the result was truly remarkable. Not only did the Mongolian noblewomen think the Crown Princess was a truly kind person, communicating effortlessly with them and possessing comprehensive knowledge, but the wives of the Crown Princess also thought she was truly remarkable and meticulous in her work.
From then on, the emperor's carriage made frequent stops, and Shujia also kept busy. Her constant meetings with Mongolian noblewomen deepened her understanding of the various Mongol tribes, and after returning to Beijing, she had plenty of topics to talk about for the next six months with the Empress Dowager. The further she traveled, the more people the Empress Dowager became acquainted with. Both Abagai and Khorchin were important Mongol tribes, and the Empress Dowager herself was from Khorchin. Shujia also met many of her relatives.
These Mongolian ladies also brought a lot of local specialties, emphasizing the significance of tribute. However, Shujia's gifts were prepared by the court, and they were silks and jewelry with even greater symbolic significance.
The husbands of nearly all the Mongolian noblewomen applied to accompany the emperor on his grand reunion, and Kangxi granted their permission with a simple gesture. The procession grew exponentially, and so did the joy. The Crown Princess's situation differed slightly from that of the Crown Prince. While the Crown Prince had a direct supervisor, the Crown Princess lacked a mother-in-law. Even if she appeared a bit more prominent, no one would be concerned.
The Crown Princess lived a pretty good life, and what made her most satisfied was that she had more opportunities to meet Hongdan.
When traveling abroad, everything was simpler than in the palace, and the rules were much more relaxed. After applying, Hongdan was able to come and see his mother every day. Hongdan was eight years old this year, taller than his peers, and the result of daily physical education classes was that he was very strong.
Shujia and her son had seen this so often that she watched him closely. She even rolled up Hongdan's sleeves and pinched the flesh on his arm. It actually felt like she was pinching Yinreng's arm—the muscles under the skin were so firm that she couldn't pinch them. She pinched his face again.
Hongdan helplessly let her do what she wanted, and asked, "Mother, have my elder brother and younger brother received any letters today?" As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together." He increasingly felt that his mother had a feeling of...the Empress Dowager.
No~~~~The villain in Hongdan's heart thought with tears in his eyes that the old lady in Ningshou Palace was very scary.
"Oh, no. I also want to know if Honggui put his brother's pocket watch back together after taking it apart yesterday. Hey, do you think Hongtong would beat him up? Probably not... What a pity. Brothers should have fought each other when they were young. Hmm, maybe they should have fought a few more times?"
Look, look, as a mother, shouldn’t you hope that brothers live in harmony and never fight?
Well, well, this isn't so bad. A good mood makes you age more slowly. His mother still looks pretty. In the heart of a good son, his own mother is always more pleasing to the eye than others.
When his mother was about to check the muscles on his legs, Hongdan decisively took back his words. This woman was really scary. Hongdan grabbed his belt and fled in embarrassment. He would rather continue to be surrounded by Mongolian uncles than be harassed by his own mother. TT
"Master, what are you doing? The Crown Prince is so old, and you are still teasing him like this! You have never treated him like this before." Qiao'er was helpless. Her master had behaved like an example all along, so why did he go crazy when he met his own son?
Shujia retracted her smile and leaned lazily against a large pillow: "Where's the tea?"
Qiao'er reluctantly brought the tea over. Shujia took it leisurely, sipping it gently. After a long moment, she said, "He's so unchildlike. He's so tense even in front of me. How could he possibly have such a big heart to hide so many things? I've been meeting so many people these past few days that my brain is exhausted. He's accompanying me up front, seeing as much as I do, not less. Isn't he tired? Why does he act so happy the moment he sees me?"
Qiao'er was stunned.
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A real man should stick to his word.
The Crown Prince was still a little boy and had not yet grown into a man, so after swearing that he would rather meet the Mongolian uncles than his biological mother, he resigned himself to his fate and came to be teased by his biological mother the next day.
Seeing his face, wrinkled like a bun, Shujia covered it with a handkerchief and slumped down in a chair. Hongdan rolled his eyes at the tent roof and obediently stepped forward to help the staggering woman up. "Does your son look so funny?"
"Who said you looked funny? I'll slap him!"
"Then what is mother laughing at?"
"If I don't smile when I see my son, should I cry?" She pulled Hongdan to sit on her lap. Sure enough, the boy moved his little butt awkwardly.
Shujia felt very sorry. The child looked more and more like Yinreng when they first got married. He was so meticulous. His hair was neatly arranged, his hat was straight and not tilted at all, and his clothes were fitted with every button properly fastened.
He flipped the table! He didn't even give his mother a chance to tidy up!
Shujia protested seriously: "You've grown up and don't need your mother anymore."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince showed signs of collapse: "Mother, my son comes here every day now."
Shujia simply buried her head in her son: "Mother can't even braid your hair or straighten your clothes. Why do you want to be as rigid as your father?" He doesn't even dare to be so hypocritical in front of him now. You have become so successful!
The Crown Princess was actually quite good at making trouble, so the Crown Prince took off his hat helplessly and said, "Would you please put it on me again?"
Shujia handed the hat to Xiaoman and said, "Just let me hold you like this for a while." She also understood that Hongdan must behave properly. If he was used to being lax and lost control in public, it would be a black history for him.
Forget it.
However, after this incident, Hongdan and Shujia seemed to have become closer.
That afternoon, when it was getting dark, Hongdan brought in a young man.
Shujia's first observation was his stature. He was taller than Hongdan, and judging by his appearance, taller than Hongxi as well. Was he even older? His second observation was his clothing. The young man wore a dark blue patchwork robe embroidered with four five-clawed dragons, one on each shoulder. It was the attire of a prince. Lian Manjiameng, this camp was truly a place where the nobility were as lowly as [beep-], with Beile filling the camp, a large number of princes, and even a few princes filling the tables. Yet, at his age, such rank was rare.
Hongdan came in and greeted him, and the young man followed suit. As they got closer, Shujia was surprised. This kid must be fourteen, right? How could he be here? Shouldn't they keep a distance between inside and outside?
"Get up. What brings you here now?"
"Wouldn't it be nice if I brought my nephew to accompany my mother?"
Nephew?
Hong Dan pointed at the young man and said, "This is..."
"Prince Ping, Nersu."
Hongdan asked in astonishment, "Has mother seen him?"
Nersu was also surprised. He was sure he had never seen this, uh, great-aunt. He hadn't even painted a portrait of her, so there was no way for people to see her - how did she know?
Shujia waved to him and said, "Come, come and sit down."
Nersu glanced at Hongdan, who nodded and, taking a risk, er, setting an example, sat down to Shujia's left. Nersu then sat down properly on the square chair.
"Why did you think of bringing Prince Ping here? Isn't it lively upstairs? If you two run away together, you will definitely be caught." It is true that Nersu is Yinreng's grandson in terms of seniority, but... he is not old either, and he has grown up. Isn't it inappropriate for him to come and sit here?
Hongdan smiled and said, "Mother, we are following the order."
It turned out that Emperor Kangxi was hosting a banquet today, and the Aisin-Gioro family, each according to their status, was also invited to attend. Nersu, being of age, was also brought out. He was handsome and well-mannered, and everyone, knowing that he was already an iron-hat prince at such a young age, looked at him with a special eye.
The Mongols are known for their hospitality, and the most direct expression of hospitality is to treat you to a drink if they like you, and to say no is a sign of contempt. Kangxi himself disliked excessive drinking, but the drinking session with the Mongols was probably the time he made an exception. Even this excuse was gone, and poor Nersu was utterly suicidal, wanting to smack someone.
Escape while drunk is one option, but Prince Ping, you are already the head of the family, you can't escape. If you escape this time, will you have to escape every time in the future? The only thing you can do is to endure it.
Fortunately, Kangxi was a considerate man. He saw him immediately and took pity on his young age. He casually asked Hongdan to take him to the back and leave him in the care of the Crown Princess. Nersu was of a lower generation, and Kangxi's casual request was actually to allow this fatherless child to have a place with the Crown Prince. However, Hongdan treated him seriously.
So the boy was taken to the back.
Shujia understood the whole story and glanced at Nersu and then at Hongdan. They were just that young, yet they were being brought to the table. She hurriedly asked, "How much did you two drink?" They didn't look like they had much to drink.
Hongdan said, "I only drank one cup, but he caught the Khorchin prince and drank three bowls."
Shujia asked suspiciously, "He drank three bowls, and you only drank one? Will they let you go?"
Hongdan chuckled. He was the crown prince and had special drinking vessels. Unlike the lower class people, he had to follow the local customs and was extremely miserable.
"I don't think you can eat, but I have some snacks here. You can eat them first. Xiaoman, tell them to bring up the oxtail soup and make a few easy side dishes. It's getting late, so we need to eat easily."
When the food arrived, Shujia invited them to eat. She enthusiastically introduced the various dishes, especially highlighting the oxtail soup, which had been simmered for hours. After watching them finish a bowl, she patted Hongdan on the head and said, "You invite Prince Ping to dinner. I'm watching you here. You won't feel comfortable either."
Hongdan said in a grown-up manner, "Don't be so polite here. My mother is a very kind and considerate person."
"I found it," Nersu thought silently, looking at Hongdan again. "This little uncle, uh, is actually still childish. Can you not be so polite...?" He just started eating.
"You eat yours, I eat mine, I won't look at you."
Still a little more childish.
Nersu picked up the chopsticks and started eating.
The author has something to say:
Accusing face: **You are so annoying! I can’t even see it after the update!
In the future, if the bookmarks show an update, but the table of contents doesn't have a new chapter, you can enter from the previous chapter, then scroll down to the main text and click the [Next Chapter] button to enter. If it's a bug fix, I'll indicate that in the bug fix chapter summary.
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