Signs of upgrading are emerging
It is said that Prince Zhi was forced to drink with Lord E all night.
The next day, Lord E was sound asleep, and no one dared to bother him. Prince Zhi was stumbling and falling asleep. When Yinzhi was about to doze off for the third time, Kangxi waved his hand and said, "Go and have a rest. We can talk about it tomorrow if there is anything."
Yinzhi's head was groggy, and he nodded repeatedly: "Your son will take his leave."
After leaving the imperial tent, Yinzhi staggered back to his own tent and collapsed onto his bed, unable to fall asleep again! "What errands should I be doing today? I should have been patrolling the camp yesterday!" He was in the prime of his life, and staying up all night like this shouldn't have happened. To make matters worse, Orondai was deliberately trying to play a trick on him and had already drunk a lot of wine.
This is great, the Khan Ama will definitely have a bad impression of him. Yinzhi pounded the bed and shouted for the eunuchs to bring cold water.
He buried his face in the basin of cold water, feeling the chill as it penetrated his brain, and felt a sense of clarity. He wiped his face hastily and headed back to the imperial tent. But before he was halfway there, the still-scorching July sun scorched him, and he felt groggy again, forcing him to turn back.
He returned home and couldn't sleep, even though it was already breakfast time. He had no appetite for food, so he tried to take another nap, but again, it felt restless. This cycle repeated itself, a mix of anxiety and worry about Kangxi's poor impression of him, and a general inability to muster the energy. Finally, he steeled himself, stripped himself naked in the tent, pressed ice cubes against his body, and drank a large jug of cold water. He summoned the imperial physician.
After drinking, lacking sleep, and torturing himself, the Prince of Zhi finally fell ill. His illness wasn't serious; at least it gave him an excuse. Kangxi's slight dissatisfaction with him was also resolved with this illness. After learning that Orondei had also harassed him, Kangxi's feelings shifted to sympathy. He not only sent someone to visit Yinzhi but also gifted him with numerous gifts.
Yinzhi secretly prided himself on his quick wit for a long time, and he also took note of Orondei. Just wait! I can't punish you now, but once I've gotten rid of Yinreng, then... on that day, we'll settle the accounts together! Halfway through his grand wish, a young eunuch came in to report, "Your Highness, Prince Zhi, Prince Zhen, Prince Si, the Thirteenth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, the Fifteenth Prince, the Sixteenth Prince, and Prince Hongdan have come to see you."
Since he was already ill, it was inevitable that there would be many visitors. Even if he was only slightly ill, his brothers and nephews would come to greet him. Even if they didn’t like the person, they would still do it for Kangxi to see.
Yinzhi was lying on his bed, feeling a sense of pleasure as he watched his younger brothers and nephews bow to him. If only he were healthy, he could still sit high above them, with all these people submitting to him. How satisfying would that be? He pretended to be weak and leaned forward, saying, "You're here? Come and sit down."
Among the group of people who came to visit the patient, Yinzhi was the first to ask about his condition. He said, "How are you feeling, brother? We heard today that you were ill, and we brothers were all very worried. I was just in class, and Hongdan wanted to come too when he heard about it. Let's ask Khan Ama for permission to come and see you."
Yinzhi said calmly: "It's just a minor illness, I'm sorry to bother you."
Yinzhi said modestly: "It's just that my brothers and nephews know about it and come to show their appreciation. I still have to put in the effort."
After the third brother finished speaking, it was the fourth brother's turn. The fourth prince looked at his eldest brother carefully, and Yinzhi couldn't keep calm anymore. "What's wrong?"
Yinzhen was very puzzled. Judging from his complexion, his eldest brother didn't look like someone who was so sick that he could only lie down! "Brother, what did the imperial physician say?" Is it some kind of difficult and complicated disease? ! The kind that doesn't show on the surface, but is very serious inside. Yinzhen asked about the pulse and what medicine he had taken.
Yinzhi was just suffering from common fatigue and a cold. He would be fine after a rest. Neither his pulse nor the prescription showed any seriousness. Of course, he couldn't reveal his true feelings! After hesitating for a while, Yinsi was more kind and came over to change the subject: "Fourth brother, my eldest brother is ill. I'm afraid he can't remember what the imperial physician said."
Yinzhi nodded repeatedly, feeling very touched. The Eighth Prince was really righteous!
The righteous Lao Ba tucked the quilt in for him affectionately, then felt his forehead and said, "You have a slight fever and are sweating a little. Big brother, wrap yourself in the quilt and sweat it out, and you'll be fine."
Yinzhi: Eighth Brother, you! I don’t have a fever at all. I’m not sweating, I’m just sweating from the heat! It’s July on the grasslands, and it’s still very hot during the day, okay?! Are you trying to give me a heat stroke?
Thirteen and Fourteen also came up to join in the fun, each touching their eldest brother and sipping their lips as if savoring the food. Fourteen had always disliked the eldest brother, and now with a hint of mischief in his voice, "It's a bit hot! I heard it's hot on the outside, but still cold on the inside. Do you want to light two braziers?"
Yinxiang glared at him and said, "You're not an imperial physician, don't talk nonsense. What if you hurt your elder brother?"
Yinzhi asked: "Are you here to visit me or to irritate me?" "Don't let me irritate you. Please sit down." Yinxiang pulled Yinzhen's sleeve, and they both sat back down. Yinsi also slowly returned to his seat to drink herbal tea.
Fortunately, the remaining two brothers were relatively well-behaved and just said hello as usual. Yinzhi breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to Yinyu and Yinlu with a lot more patience: "I'm fine here, I won't pass on my illness to you..." If two more people were to touch him or suffocate him with the quilt, he would get sick even if he was not sick!
The last person to come forward to offer condolences was Hongdan.
For Yinzhi, apart from the crown prince, all his brothers combined were not as annoying as this little fat boy. He pretended to be sleepy and said indifferently: "Hongdan is here too?"
Hongdan stared at his uncle intently, which made Yinzhi shudder. As a last resort, Yinzhi attacked first: "You..."
"Uncle, don't be afraid."
“…”
"The imperial physician has returned to Mafa and said that your illness is not susceptible to illness."
Yinzhi: This kid must be here to piss me off!
Yinzhen suppressed his laughter and said, "Hongdan, your uncle is not afraid."
"oh."
Yinxiang said quickly, "Hongdan, come back and sit down. Let your uncle have some rest."
Yinzhi was very touched. Thirteenth was the most obedient one.
"Well," he replied crisply, "Uncle, I'll go back and ask Mafa for two more days off for you."
Before Yinzhi could reply, Yinzhi quickly interrupted, "Yes, big brother, being out in the world is different from being in the capital these days, so it's better to be careful. If you rest for a few more days and get well, we can rest assured."
The others agreed. Yinzhi finally nodded. He had no choice but to agree. He was sick one day and well the next. This... really looked like he was faking illness, and someone with something to hide was happy to go along with it. Yinzhi smiled, Yinzhen nodded, and Yinsi just kept smiling.
Yinzhen curled his lips. These brothers were really boring. They all thought they had everything planned out and that no one knew about their petty ideas.
It's obvious that the boss and Orondai had been drinking all night, trying to win him over to the crown prince. He was afraid of being embarrassed by his drinking, so he had to pretend to be sick. It just happened at night, when Khan Ama had already gone to bed, and no one reported it. Orondai's absence from work was a regular occurrence, so Khan Ama didn't pay much attention to it. If he really investigated, who would you think you could fool? Don't you know that Khan Ama assigned your original job to someone else? I'll wait for you to wake up and cry!
Yinxiang wondered if his eldest brother would be pissed off once he "recovered." Because of his absence today, Khan Ama had handed over the tasks he was previously responsible for to his third, fourth, and eighth brothers. Wouldn't his eldest brother be afraid of being scolded if he couldn't get in the spotlight? His third brother kept urging him to rest. Ugh.
The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes were right. The eldest prince, having "recovered," returned from leave, and upon returning, he was utterly regretful. The Fourth Prince, along with the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes, took over the garrison duties. Visiting the ailing Yabu fell to the Eighth Prince. The banquet for the Mongol princes was divided equally between the brothers and nephews. Hunting duties were entrusted to the Third and Eighth Princes, along with the hunting officials.
He, the eldest son of the royal family and the Prince of Zhi, was sidelined!
I'm so angry!
What made him even more angry was that when he returned from leave, Kangxi did not tell the others to hand in their work. Bored, he had no choice but to hang around Kangxi to kill time.
Kangxi was deeply concerned about his son's health. Although he knew that his illness was partly fake, he still asked about his condition with concern. Yinzhi said gratefully, "Thank you, Khan Ama, for your concern. My son was originally ill, but thanks to your concern, my illness has improved a lot and I recovered in a few days."
"That's good," Kangxi was very pleased with Yinzhi's words. He didn't care about Yinzhi pretending to be sick for the time being. He took the opportunity to instill the idea of unity and friendship in Yinzhi. "Your brothers are very worried about your illness. The love between flesh and blood is thicker than water!"
"Yes, my son was also very touched when he saw his brothers coming to visit him." No wonder! I was sick, but you left a good reputation in front of Khan Ama as a caring brother. So I was sick for you?
Kangxi got to the point: "Hongdan heard you were ill, and while he was in class, he insisted on going with his uncles to visit you. Even at such a young age, he understands ethics and filial piety, which shows that he has been well taught. His parents also respect you very much."
Here I come, here I come. I still have to praise the prince when I get a chance.
Prince Zhi swore that he would regain his face in the enclosure!
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Soon, the opportunity that Yinzhi had been waiting for to avenge his previous shame came.
In August, the imperial carriage moved to the hunting grounds. Near Manitou, camps stretched like a sea, their banners obscuring the sun. The Manchu-Mongolian boundary was clearly defined. Every hunting trip served not only to remind the Eight Banners of their roots but also to intimidate the Mongols. Comparison was an essential element.
Before that, they had to line up, and the emperor had to review them and express his thoughts.
From Kangxi down, all the royal family members wore ceremonial armor. Their helmets were crowned with pointed spear-like ornaments adorned with colorful tassels, and their armor was intricately and vividly decorated. Yinzhi rode his horse and stood directly below Kangxi, quite close. He glared at Douding, who sat even closer—anyone who was present during this trip would inevitably be closest to Kangxi.
The Eight Banners, in their order, galloped past the Emperor before regrouping. This review plan was devised decades ago by Mingzhu, who praised it and made it a permanent fixture. Mingzhu was a man of great talent, and even after decades of watching, this performance remains captivating.
The Mongols praised the Eight Banners warriors for their unstoppable strength.
Kangxi smiled reservedly, told Hongdan to sit on his horse and wait for him to come back, and then whipped the horse off. Galloping in the middle of the team, Kangxi was very satisfied to see that the team was not panicking.
Only then did Kangxi feel in the mood to run back and joke with the Mongols: "You are too polite. Good or bad, it is not just about appearance. When they achieve something later, it will not be too late for you to praise them!"
"I wonder if the younger brothers will also suffer the same fate?"
Kangxi said proudly, "Of course, not only the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Princes will be doomed, but Prince Hongdan will be too!" He pointed the whip at Hongdan, "Don't underestimate him. His father was already able to shoot a bow when he was his age, and at the age of six he had already shot a deer and four rabbits."
This was definitely a show-off, but also a deterrent. Even though he still keeps saying that he values Mongolia, Emperor Kangxi's official edicts mentioned Mongolia as ignorant and stubborn at least twice, and he also sent people to educate Mongolia from time to time.
If Kangxi initially trusted the Mongols, then the backstabbing by the Three Feudatories and Galdan's near-threat to Beijing would have surely made him extremely wary. Consequently, Kangxi repeatedly married his daughters to Mongolia, while rarely allowing Mongolian nobles to marry into the imperial family. He took every opportunity to demonstrate the stability of his rule, believing that opposing the imperial court would lead to bad consequences.
It was hard to say whether these Mongolian princes understood the emperor's deeper meaning, but they praised the emperor's grandson again in simple language. Yinzhi's ears throbbed again, and he wished he could go hunt a zoo right now.
Finally, the difficult time for Prince Zhi passed, and Kangxi's performance began.
Seeing the procedure reach this point, the nerves of Yinzhi, Yinsi, and the Enclosure Minister were at their highest point. Glancing at each other, the two princes signaled to the Enclosure Minister. Several Imperial Household Ministers, along with their respective guards, had already formed a line behind the Emperor.
The hunting grounds minister raised his hand, someone blew the deer whistle, someone waved the instruction flag, and the annual hunting meeting began.
Kangxi held his horse, squinting as he watched their movements. They charged left and right, blocked the enemy from east and west, gradually forming a siege. With a baton-like whip, he instructed Hongdan, "Hunting is like marching and deploying troops. You have to think big: look at the terrain here, where there's dense forest, where there's water and grass..."
Hongdan listened attentively until Kangxi finished speaking. "That's basically it. In any military campaign, using the right tactics to unite forces and the unexpected to achieve victory is the fundamental principle. No matter what you study, always prioritize principles and morality. Don't dwell on details; only then will you grasp the direction."
Yinzhi rode forward and said, "Khan Ama, we can begin now."
Kangxi patted Hongdan and said, "Stay here for a while until I come back. Qingde, you stay here with Prince Hongdan. Yinyu and Yinlu, you two should stay here for a while as well."
After giving the instructions, he whipped his horse whip and rushed down with his guards, giving on-site commands all the way, and setting up a small encirclement within the large one.
When Orondei led his men past the nephew and uncle, he even gave them a wink.
It was much more difficult to lie in front of an emperor like Kangxi. Yinzhi and Yinsi discussed for a long time how to ensure that the emperor would be the first to hit the prey, and how to ensure that the emperor would hit the prey as soon as he released the arrow. Yinsi said: "Khan Ama is an expert archer and horseman. As long as there is prey, he will be able to hit it."
Yinzhi was more hesitant: "It would be better to have a bigger grasp of it."
The Paddock Minister listened to their discussion for a long time and had a good idea of how to ensure the Emperor's victory, but he was just giving them a break. But what about the one thing about being 100% sure that the Emperor would shine...
Minister Weichang couldn't help but say, "When encountering a situation like this, we always prepare in advance. We first select a few strong ones, starve them, and then release them when the chaos comes... Your Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler, so how could there be no harvest?"
Yinzhi and Yinsi: ...The tiger that the eldest brother shot when he was a child had to be hungry for several lifetimes?
Yinzhi reluctantly said, "That's very good."
Yinsi asked, "Other people should also look good."
"Eighth Master also comes to the enclosure frequently. Think about it carefully. We've driven so many living creatures to an area several miles in radius, and we've brought a large group of guards with us. We're definitely not going to return empty-handed. Besides... we still have some less active ones in captivity as a backup."
The above is probably the truth.
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Kangxi's martial arts skills are still impressive. Although not as brave as he boasted, his actual ability is also quite good, and he is particularly proud this year. Because he does not shoot arrows, no one dares to attack, so when he rushes out, he catches a lot of prey, and the prey density is relatively high.
The royal family, the Mongol princes, and the taijis all rode their horses, eagerly waiting for the emperor to take action. Kangxi had been experiencing stage fright for a long time, his eyes narrowed, searching for a suitable target. Rabbits and pheasants flew by without him even glancing. He had to find a good-looking prey, right?
Unfortunately, there were no bears or tigers, a regret Kangxi felt. Finally, he found something barely worthy of his attention—a herd of gazelles! He buckled his horse, drew his bow, and shot with arrows like meteors. The cries of animals echoed not far away, and there was a burst of cheers.
Shi Fei, who was following behind Kangxi, jumped off his horse and ran towards the prey quickly. After searching through the prey for a while, he reported loudly: "Your Majesty is so brave that he shot two yellow sheep with one arrow!" He was even happier than if they had shot the prey themselves, and all the birds and beasts were scared to flee for their lives.
The Mongols showed expressions of horror and praised him one after another.
Kangxi put away his bow, twirled his beard, and smiled, "This is a common thing." He raised his voice, "You all go and try your skills. I came here to watch you show your talents, not to watch me hunting."
As is customary, there was a reward for being the first to reach the top, even if not a material reward, at least a spiritual one. Everyone plunged forward, calling on their friends and forming groups. Of course, there were some who strayed alone, but they were rare. There was usually a leader with a group of followers—after all, someone had to transport and mark the prey they had taken.
Kangxi took a quick look and then decisively returned to look for his two sons and one grandson, whom he had left behind. All three were still obediently seated, though somewhat absent-minded, clearly drawn in by the bustle. Seeing Kangxi, they were all delighted, eagerly gazing at him and calling out "Khan Ama" and "Mafa" in high voices.
Kangxi asked with a smile, "Do you also want to go down and try your skills?"
What a waste of words.
The three of them nodded in unison: "We want to go."
Kangxi said, "Take the guards with you and go separately." The terrain where they were was slightly higher, so they could overlook the whole place. He pointed to a few places where there were not many people, "Follow the flow of people carefully and don't get separated." He also ordered the guards to watch carefully and not let them be hit by stray arrows.
The three nodded excitedly and led the people they had just been assigned to off the field. After all, they were still children, and no matter how good their riding skills were, they still had some gaps with adults. The guards controlled their speed and easily followed behind them, but they paid attention to their safety and spent a larger chimney.
When Kangxi saw they were a little further away, he whipped his whip and said to Qingde, "Let's go down and take a look." Qingde obeyed and saw Kangxi galloping back to the enclosure at the head of the packing. Huh? The emperor was trailing behind Hongdan at a distance?
Although the Third and Eighth Princes were in charge of the relevant matters, they still had to go down and show their skills, so they handed the next task to the Minister of the Enclosure. At this moment, the Minister of the Enclosure was nervously following the emperor when he suddenly heard Kangxi ask: "Are you sure there are a lot of prey in the direction that Prince Hongdan went? I don't think there is much movement."
The minister in charge of the enclosure wiped his sweat off his forehead and said, "The place the emperor pointed out to Prince Hongdan is flat and safe for riding. The enclosure is so small, there must be prey everywhere." After thinking for a moment, he added, "The servants have checked and cannot say that there are no wild animals, at least not beasts like tigers."
Although the question of safety did not hit the mark, Kangxi felt relieved. He looked at his grandson looking around, and then shot a few arrows at the prey that Hongdan had not discovered to pick up the missed one.
Not far away, Yinzhi and Yinsi unexpectedly ran into each other again. Yinzhi said worriedly, "Khan Ama just got into trouble again. What if the place is circled by others?"
Yinsi comforted him, "Did you forget? We've already made arrangements with all the troops. We've told them where they can enter and where they shouldn't. They're very smart and will soon have their own territory. They won't run around and rob people. Besides those places, there are still several places reserved for Khan Ama. Besides... who would dare to come forward and rob Khan Ama after seeing him?"
Yinzhi wiped his sweat and said, "You are right. I almost forgot."
In this way, everyone around Hongdan, seeing the child, immediately understood his identity. Since light travels in straight lines, they couldn't help but see that behind him was a middle-aged man—Kangxi. Okay, everyone, make way.
Hongdan circled around and finally spotted a gazelle not far away. He bent his bow, drew his arrow, and aimed for its neck and shoulder. According to Orondai's supplementary teaching, animals can run, so when shooting, you should leave a little margin, around the neck and shoulder. That way, even if it doesn't run, you've still hit it. And if it runs, a slight miss will still land you squarely on the body.
This sheep ran away.
With arrows in his grasp, he ran surprisingly fast, spilling blood all the way. Hong Dan spurred his horse to chase him, but even faster were the guards, one of whom had a large net and rushed forward.
When they got there, everyone was stunned. It turned out that Hongdan, a novice hunter, had been searching for prey and had found the edge of the area when he was led by the gazelle to a small forest. The gazelle wanted to hide inside. If this were a purely natural environment, it might have escaped. Unfortunately, this was in an enclosure, and a sturdy net had been hung from the trees.
The yellow goat ran into it headfirst! When it was about to turn around, the guards calmly put away the net and shouted, "Brother, hurry up, shoot it again!" Then they winked at each other, leaving two people to guard around Hongdan, while the others divided into two groups to encircle the yellow goat. The young brother had already stamped his mark, so there was no way it could escape.
Hongdan drew his bow and fired his first arrow, hitting the goat squarely in the neck. Before the goat fell, it let out another scream. Hongdan wiped his palm over his body and pulled out another arrow. This one grazed the neck, leaving a bloody wound. Finding the feel, Hongdan slowly adjusted his movements.
Two more arrows were shot, and the yellow goat, which had been spinning around, finally fell to the ground unable to move.
Hongdan felt his heart pounding so hard it almost jumped out of his throat. When he saw the gazelle fall, he asked in disbelief, "Did I catch this?!"
The guards heaved a sigh of relief, their boos startling the birds in the forest. "Yes, my brother is truly brave." Praise, praise, praise. It's not easy for a six-year-old.
Hong Dan smiled widely: "Come on, let's continue."
Kangxi's voice came: "What are you doing?"
Hongdan rode his horse over to claim credit: "Mafa, my grandson has hit a yellow sheep!" His voice was very loud and he was very excited.
Kangxi smiled and said, "Okay, okay, okay. Keep working hard!" He could finally rest assured. He could show off his grandson. He killed the prey with his own strength, and the guards did not help.
Kangxi went hunting happily.
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Inspired by the emperor's personal presence, every man, whether bannerman or Mongol, rushed to the front, slaughtering the people in their own little territories. As the slaughter progressed, some forgot their boundaries and began to cross them. Fortunately, by the time the exercise entered its "you cross mine, I cross yours" phase, the day's activities were drawing to a close, and few conflicts arose.
On the first day, when the harvest was counted, the emperor naturally had the most, followed by Yinzhen, then Yinxiang. Orondai performed exceptionally well, placing fourth, just behind the Thirteenth Prince's one rabbit. Yinzhi, always a strong performer in this area, could only come in fifth. Yarjiang'a, Yinzhi, and Yinsi all ranked high among the other Mongols. Yinzhen... well, he was a bit behind, but he still managed to get quite a few live animals.
As for the three elementary school students, it was a victory if they could hunt something.
Kangxi gave special praise to these three people.
Yinzhi was furious when he heard this. He couldn't understand why he was so humiliated this time and was not as good as his two younger brothers!
He didn't understand, but someone else did. Yinzhi shrank his neck and was pinched by Orondei, who asked him where his elder brother's territory was. Between his elder brother and his own life, he chose to confess.
"What is Third Brother thinking?"
"Ah? I guess your third sister-in-law is about to give birth."
Yinsi: “…”
That evening, the emperor was delighted and held a banquet to invite all the heroes and nobles. Bonfires were lit, mutton was roasted, and wine was poured freely. Not far outside the tent, drunken men were still playing wrestling.
Orondai performed exceptionally well on the first day, earning him a special gift from Emperor Kangxi, a roasted leg of lamb—one hunted by the emperor himself, a gift of extraordinary significance. He devoured it with a generous helping of liquor. As he ate and drank, a host of other people came to praise and pay tribute to him. While Orondai was enjoying himself, he drank heartily, and soon he was drunk. The eunuch guarding him, sensing trouble, quietly slipped over to Emperor Kangxi to report, "Your Majesty, Lord E is drunk."
Kangxi was listening to a Mongolian man praising his children and grandchildren. Upon hearing the news, he immediately said, "Send him out to sober up." The Mongolian man, who had spoken, stopped talking with a stern look. After Kangxi finished his instructions, he kindly asked him, "I remember you have three sons?"
"Yes, the eldest son is fourteen. The two younger ones are about the same age, both ten years old."
Kangxi said with a smile: "Leave your eldest son for me."
The person opposite immediately laughed and said, "I'll do as you say." After saying that, he picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
Kangxi used a gold cup, which was not as large as others, but he drank it all with great generosity. When he looked down again, the seat for Orondai was empty.
Orondai was abducted by Qingde. The young eunuch, having received the order, did not dare to seek trouble on his own. Thinking of Qingde's good relationship with Orondai, he whispered to him, "The Emperor has asked that Lord E be taken outside to sober up."
Qingde looked at him with a half-smile, and the young eunuch immediately said, "Please have pity on me, my servant. I don't have the ability to persuade Lord E."
"I was wondering why the Emperor would assign me such an errand. It turns out you're the one behind it."
The young eunuch pleaded a few more times, and Qingde agreed. He stood up and went to find Orondai: "Old Orondai, congratulations."
The young eunuch wanted to jump up and down. He asked you to persuade him to go out and sober up, not to persuade him to drink. Orondai was very happy: "Cheers!"
Qingde leaned over and said, "Lao E, you..." He looked around and said, "Come on, let's go play outside! Someone is playing Buku."
Orondai was fascinated by these violent games. Without saying anything, he put down his glass and said, "Let's go."
Once outside, Qingde couldn't let a drunk guy get into a fight, right? He asked mysteriously, "You look so high and mighty today, do you have any tricks?"
Orondai burped and said, "I asked the third prince where the eldest prince was. I'll go to him first and fight him. I'll beat up everything I can beat and drive away everything I can't beat..."
"Lao E, you..."
"Um?"
"Keep working hard tomorrow. There's still tomorrow to go. We need to conserve our energy."
"You're right. Let's go!"
It wasn't easy for the eldest prince to get his current position, and I'm afraid he must have occupied a lot of other people's territory. Qingde called two passing guards to help Orondai back to his residence, and he squatted on the grass in a daze.
Pah! There weren't many mosquitoes on the grassland at this time of year, and yet he encountered one. Qingde slapped himself and staggered back to continue drinking.
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While people were singing and dancing on the grassland, a woman in the palace was fighting for her life.
The princess is about to give birth.
This was her third childbirth, and she was already quite experienced. Both the physical and external preparations were familiar. As soon as the due date arrived, the Imperial Hospital was ready, and the Imperial Household Department also prepared the people and supplies needed for the future young master. Everything was ready, only the birth was missing.
Concubine Wang was very experienced. As soon as she sensed something was wrong, she immediately informed the nurse who had arrived earlier to take care of the baby. The nurse immediately reported the situation, and all the necessary supplies were delivered in a stream. Concubine Tong was personally in charge, welcoming the new life.
Standing outside the door, Concubine Tong said loudly, "Don't worry, this pregnancy will be safe and sound." Then she turned and ordered, "Send two groups of people to Ningshou Palace and the Eastern Palace to report the news."
At Ningshou Palace, the Empress Dowager didn't rush to the palace in person after receiving the news. Firstly, she was getting older, and everyone was worried about her getting into trouble. Secondly, she didn't want to move. The royal family had been adding children at a rapid rate in recent years, and having children was no longer a rarity. Concubine Wang wasn't the head of a formal palace, so the Empress Dowager didn't need to move.
The Empress Dowager simply sent a message to Concubine Tong: "Noble Concubine, please take good care of the baby and let me know if there's any news. Also, have someone inform the Crown Prince that no matter whether the baby is a boy or a girl, he must report it to his Khan-father."
Just then, the Eastern Palace received news that Concubine Wang was about to give birth. Yinreng didn't have to worry about this one. Concubine Wang's family background and position were not high, and even though she had given birth to two sons and was favored by the emperor, she still wouldn't be included in the promotion. Concubine Wang's son was also young and posed no threat to the crown prince at the moment.
Yinreng said, "I understand. Let me know as soon as you have any news." He then casually asked if the Imperial Household Department and other departments were fully prepared, and then handed the matter over to Shujia to handle. He only cared about the outcome and wrote a report to Kangxi. He avoided interfering in his father's harem affairs if possible, to avoid suspicion.
Shujia was a bit amused when she heard the news: "What's the point of telling me now? We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl. We can't even decide what kind of gift to prepare."
Soon, she found out.
Concubine Wang's birth had no impact on Yinreng. After finishing his work, he went home for dinner. He casually asked Shujia if she had any plans. Shujia replied, "I've sent Qingjin and Qiao'er to check on the baby. They'll report back when they have news. It would be great to know if it's a boy or a girl."
Yinreng said, "I remember that Hepin's mother is also about to be married, right?"
"Yes, not before this month. It's going to be a big event. Princess Wang is so lucky to have two princes."
Yinreng put his hand on Shujia's belly, feeling the subtle beating inside: "Why do I feel like you are praising yourself for being so lucky?"
Shujia nodded seriously: "Well, you found it."
Just as Yinreng was about to say something, Qingjin and the others returned: "Master, we just made a move when we arrived. The palace gates are about to be locked. The Imperial Concubine has asked us to return first. As soon as she has any news, she will send someone to report it."
"I see. You're tired too. Go and rest."
Shujia said to Yinreng, "You've made it through so far, so it's going well. There will be news soon. Do you want to wait?"
Yinreng stretched and said, "I'll wait, you go and rest."
"Just keep waiting."
After a while of laughter, they talked about Hongdan and Wangpin's two sons traveling with the emperor. Yinreng was quite proud of his sons: "Khan Ama always praised him, and now he has become proficient in riding and shooting. Well, they started hunting today, and I wonder how they got..."
The two chatted for a while, and Yinreng urged Shujia to go to bed again. Then someone came knocking on the door to announce the good news: "The Imperial Concubine has sent a servant to report to the Crown Prince that Concubine Wang has given birth to a prince, the eighteenth prince!"
Shujia ordered someone to give him a purse as a reward, and she and Yinreng called him over to ask him in detail: "What time is it? Are mother and child safe? Is the imperial concubine still there to watch over them? Have the wet nurse, nanny, and other servants arrived?"
After receiving a positive reply, he was told to pass on a message: "Your Majesty, the gate has been locked. We should not send a large force. We will go there to pay our respects tomorrow morning."
After sending the people away, Shujia ordered: "Take out the gift prepared for the prince."
Yinreng said, "We can finally rest. I'll write a note so you don't forget it tomorrow." After writing a few words, he finished the report and the two of them went to sleep.
The Crown Prince and his wife slept soundly, minding their own business. However, some places and people within the palace were not so calm.
Amidst the crowd's congratulations, a flicker of disappointment crossed Concubine Tong's eyes. A woman, no matter how high her status, was helpless without a son. The Empress Dowager's situation was different; she was the Empress Dowager, while she was merely a concubine. After the Kangxi Emperor's death, she would have no choice but to give up all power and pleasure, be confined to the Cining Palace or the Ningshou Palace, and live out her remaining days in seclusion. No children around, no descendants. She would be lonely and miserable, just like the elderly concubines now living in Ningshou Palace, dependent on the Empress Dowager.
Concubine Tong wanted to emulate her sister and adopt a child, but this required the emperor's approval. Concubine Tong frowned, as Kangxi had no such intention.
When no threat was posed to them, people were happy to hear and spread good news. The good news spread quickly throughout the palace. The Four Heavenly Kings were very calm. Each of their grandsons was the same age as the prince's son. As the prince had thought, the prince's son was too young and had no competition.
The one who was most worried was Concubine He. She was younger than Concubine Wang and it was her first time giving birth, so she was particularly sensitive to any disturbance. When she heard that Concubine Wang was about to give birth, she felt something strange in her stomach and hurriedly called for help, but they found out that it was not the time of birth.
Hepin frowned: "Why is there still no news?"
Nanny knew that she was thinking about herself, so she comforted her, "Don't worry, Master. The best doctors in the world are all here."
Concubine He didn't know what she was worried about. The palace maid came to persuade her to lie down: "It will be fine if you fall asleep. It's already past your rest time. Aren't you in a bad mood?"
Hepin lay down but still couldn't fall asleep until the messenger came: "Master, there are people in the palace shouting, it's a prince."
Concubine He's pressure immediately increased. She suddenly understood her previous worries. She wanted a son.
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In August of the 40th year of the Kangxi reign, Emperor Kangxi received a flurry of good news. First, Concubine Wang gave birth to a son, the 18th prince. Then, Concubine He gave birth to a daughter, the 18th daughter. The two 18s formed the Chinese character for "good" (good) for Kangxi. Then, Concubine Guo Luoluo, the 10th prince's concubine, gave birth to a grandson, and Concubine Seven gave birth to a granddaughter.
During this time in the enclosure, Kangxi was in a particularly good mood.
He was 49 years old this year and had given birth to a son and a daughter, so he was obviously in very good health. When Kangxi accepted everyone's congratulations, his smile was truly from the heart.
Soon he stopped laughing: The first son of the Emperor's tenth son died this month at the age of six days. At the end of this month, the Emperor's eighteenth daughter died.
Soon after, Prince Jian Yabu became seriously ill and could not get up. Yarjiang Ayi stayed with him day and night, but Yabu's illness became worse day by day.
Kangxi remained silent as he issued a series of orders, ordering his eldest son, Yinzhi, and his third son, Yinzhi, to return to Beijing early and arrange for their return. He also ordered the young princess to be buried in Beijing according to customary procedures, without waiting for his return. He also ordered the burial of the imperial grandson, using a small vermilion coffin as per customary procedures, without a grand ceremony.
He wrote back to Yinreng: "If Prince Jian doesn't get up, you should order the officials to make preparations first." Finally, he couldn't help but think of his daughter: "She is a child who is not even full-term. I can't even see her face. This is to prevent me from being too sad. I just hope that she will be safe and happy in the next life. You should persuade the Empress Dowager more and don't make her sad."
The imperial report of the emperor's return was delivered to Yinreng together with Kangxi's letter. He wrote back to Kangxi, urging his father to mourn, and reported the results of his own handling of the matter, saying that no matter how sad Khan Ama was, he would always be waiting for him in Beijing.
Kangxi sighed, and the task of reading the letter was now done by Hongdan.
Although he still couldn't comprehend the mysteries of life and death, he could tell that Mafa was heartbroken. Hongdan thought for a moment, put down the letter in his hand, and took a few steps forward. He stood on tiptoe, patted Mafa's shoulder, and then pulled him into his arms. "If you're sad, come closer. I'll pretend I didn't see you crying."
This is when it shows how cute a caring child is.
Kangxi hugged his grandson, but he didn't cry. He had been through so many deaths before, and it shouldn't have affected him so much. It was just that the older he got, the more emotional he became. Kangxi patted Hongdan and said, "Mafa is sad, but she didn't cry."
Perhaps the emperor was under such a strong pressure that even a scoundrel like Orondei stopped causing trouble. He allowed the emperor to quietly handle government affairs and Yabu's funeral.
Prince Jian Yabu died while accompanying the emperor. Ministers were ordered to escort him back to the capital. The eldest and third sons, Yinzhi, came out to greet him. Officials were dispatched to handle the funeral. Four thousand taels of silver were bestowed upon him, and the princes contributed three thousand taels. When the funeral procession was set out, the princes attended, and a stele was erected for him. He was posthumously named Xiu. The crown prince, mindful of his friendship with Yarjiang'a, reported this to Kangxi and personally paid his respects.
As the crown prince who had been established long ago, Yarjiang'a took over the title of Prince Jian.
On his way back to Beijing, Kangxi received another piece of news from the Crown Prince: Prince Ping Nerfu was ordered by the imperial physician to prepare for his funeral.
The expected reshuffle of the crown prince's generational change is beginning to take shape.
The author has something to say: After three days of working tirelessly to update tens of thousands of words, the author of this article finally remembered that it was the end of the semester and was sweating.
Good luck on your exams!
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