The cute and adorable old E
Despite his grandson's praise, Kangxi still had doubts about Orondai and specifically called Qingde over: "I asked you to follow the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes, not just to watch the fun. Keep an eye on Orondai."
Kangxi had always been lenient towards the Tong family. If the same thing happened to someone else, they would either be beheaded and their property confiscated or be permanently banned from employment. He would just go to their house and scold them and give them the cold shoulder.
Qingde's friendship with Orondai was something Kangxi indulged. Kangxi had a good opinion of Qingde, especially since Orondai's troublemaking had significantly decreased since he became friends with this young man. Kangxi would rather turn a blind eye and sacrifice Qingde, tolerating his minor mischief with Orondai in exchange for Orondai's restraint. Qingde was truly a good child, and even then, Orondai hadn't been influenced by him to become lawless.
Furthermore, Kangxi had a selfish motive: the Crown Prince would be the one in charge in the future. If he could establish good relations with the people he cared about and wanted to protect, he could leave with peace of mind, right? This was true for the Eighth Prince, whom he currently supported, and also for Orondei.
Kangxi would rather use the current indulgence of Qingde in exchange for the Crown Prince's indulgence of the Tong family in the future, which is quite a good deal. Strictly speaking, it was he who tricked Qingde. Qingde was originally a gangster only in his heart, but he used an old gangster to turn Qingde into a gangster from the inside out.
When it came to his grandson, the situation was different. Qingde was told, "Olondai is too straightforward and only does things for pleasure. He doesn't make big mistakes, but he makes small ones all the time. You must be aware of this and don't let him interrupt Hongdan's studies. I've asked Yabu to watch over him, and you must also contribute. Hongdan is your nephew."
Qingde agreed obediently: "I obey your order."
Orondei had a quarrel with the emperor the day before, then went to seek trouble with the Mongols, and then had some fun with Qingde. His mood had long since calmed down. That's why he was relatively calm when he saw the fat boy. Only after his mood improved did he have some good feelings towards the fat boy.
After venting his anger the day before, his attitude improved considerably when he came to watch the next day. Seeing Yabu, he snorted inwardly and began to get angry again. Was the emperor sending a lord of the highest rank to suppress me? The corners of Orondai's eyes, eyebrows, and mouth twisted into strange curves.
The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes exchanged glances, eager to call for a group beating of this old scoundrel. "Where are you looking? We've got the right target for today! Huh? Why did you go after the uncle? The uncle is in poor health. Khan Ama brought him here partly for recuperation. He can't stand the old scoundrel's torture."
Yabu had been an iron-hat prince for a long time, and had been in charge of the clan affairs office for many years, so he was quite good at handling interpersonal relationships. Seeing Orondai coming, he took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and let out a loud coughing fit, so loud that the eunuch who was supporting him was shaking like a pendulum.
After coughing, he supported the young eunuch and walked tremblingly towards Yinxiang and Yinzhen. Yinxiang and Yinzhen hurried over, supporting him on both sides: "Uncle Prince, why are you here?"
Orondei took two steps and began to sneer, I told you to hide!
Yabu deliberately said with a hoarse voice: "The emperor said that you are still young. Yesterday... ahem... asked me to come and see——"
Orondai shook his neck, and the bones made a crackling sound. He continued to shake, and the sound continued. He walked all the way to the target, and without saying a word, he began to measure the distance.
The faces of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes turned blue, then red, then white, then white, then green. They must have run into some hooligans! Yabu narrowed his eyes and said, "My two princes, please get busy. I'll just sit aside." He pointed to the rest area next to him.
Hong Dan was stretching his arms and legs when he saw him coming. He stopped, stood up and greeted him: "Great greetings, great uncle."
"Okay, thanks for your good words, go and study hard, I'll just sit here."
What a big head! Orondei is here too.
"Uncle."
"Well, go ahead. I've measured it. It's fifteen steps." As if to provoke Yabu, Orondai spoke in a loud voice, which made the two young teachers feel uncomfortable again.
Yabu panted for a while, then dozed off under a blanket. Before falling asleep, he politely said to Orondai, "You noticed something was wrong yesterday, so I've added an errand today. As for me, it's all fine with you watching over me. Forgive me for being old and taking a nap."
After saying that, he really fell asleep.
Orondei: ...Don’t call me King Jian anymore, just call me “Sleeping King”!
Qingde walked over, yawned, and dismounted: "Old E, can you see what's wrong?"
"Hmph! Just fancy moves."
Qingde: ...Just pretend I didn’t ask.
Considering his physical strength, the little fat boy was allowed to rest after practicing for a while. He ran over with a bow and arrow in hand, saying, "Uncle, uncle." His cheeks were flushed from the exercise, and his eyes were even darker and brighter.
Orondai frowned first: "Who taught you to carry a bow?"
"Huh?" He didn't have to do any of these himself. The reason he personally carried the bow and arrow here was because... his uncle was said to be quite powerful, and he came here, ahem, to show off.
Orondai said impatiently: "If you carry it like this, the bowstring will be worn out in just two times! Where is the sheath?"
The young eunuch came running over with the condom in his hand: "Here, here."
Orondei began to criticize the two teachers for not being serious. How could we talk about archery without talking about the performance and maintenance of weapons?
Yinxiang and Yinzhen were about to vomit blood. After Hongdan finished his martial arts training, the servants had already taken care of everything. Wasn't it okay if he didn't do it himself? It was clearly their nephew who grabbed the things and ran away. The servants couldn't catch up even after following him.
Amidst his uncles' frustration, the fat boy learned another lesson: his gaze towards Orondai was incredibly helpful. Consequently, his disruptive behavior became less frequent. By the fourth day, Yabu wasn't feeling well, and the class was quiet, so Kangxi simply let him rest and let his sons teach Hongdan.
Even the class disrupted by the talented student managed to regain its composure, not to mention the other relatively harmonious classes. After a chaotic adjustment period that alarmed their superiors, the uncles gradually figured out how to teach their nephew, a man with a wild mind. They also found ways to deal with various external interruptions, and after a few days, life became harmonious.
Kangxi was delighted. His sons were each showing their talents, and his grandson was extremely polite to his uncle. What a harmonious family! Even the troublesome Orondai had become much more docile. If Hongdan had a decent impression of Orondai, that would be great too.
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Ever since the Emperor left the capital, the Crown Prince, adhering to traditional practice, wrote memorials and letters home, requesting instructions in the morning and reporting in the evening. The contents of these memorials were state affairs, with river works still a key topic of discussion. Furthermore, Prince Ping, Nerfu, was seriously ill, and the Imperial Physician had been dispatched, but the situation was not optimistic. "I have ordered his son, Nersu, to attend to the Prince's recovery before returning to the palace for instruction."
——Nersu was born in the 29th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, which was the right age for studying. Although Nerfu was a prince, his title was hereditary, commonly known as the Iron Hat Prince. His status was different from that of ordinary royal family members. Like Yarjiang'a, he was specially allowed by Emperor Kangxi to study in the palace.
The family letters covered a wide range of topics, from the twelfth son's concubine, whose preparations were complete and he was waiting for an auspicious day in July to carry her to the Forbidden City, to the ninth and tenth sons' wives and engagements, with the Imperial Astronomical Observatory selecting an auspicious day and asking the Khan for his decision, to the Empress Dowager who was so bored that she actually wanted to listen to an opera.
As for Kangxi's harem, Yinreng had no right to interfere and could not interfere, but this time he extended his hand to Yinzhi's house: "The Empress Dowager felt sorry for the daughter of Prince Zhi who had lost her mother, and often called her to question her. The Crown Princess also liked his generosity and propriety, and often kept him to talk and have meals." Through chatting, he probably knew that Prince Zhi's Mansion was far less well-regulated than when the First Lady was in power, and Yinzhi could do whatever he wanted, and there was no one to stop him.
At the end of each letter, he would casually ask his sons, "Did Hongdan act naughty?" or "I dreamed that Khan-Ama and Hongdan roasted lamb. Did you eat it?" These inquiries were merely casual; Yarjiang'a's report had already been placed on the prince's desk. Hearing that his younger brothers were being mistreated, the prince, rather unkindly, took the letter and shared it with his wife.
In the next letter, he still casually asked about the situation of his own child, and hoped that Kangxi would reply and explain it directly so that he could see Kangxi's satisfaction with the little fat boy.
It wasn't that Kangxi didn't want to answer Yinreng's question. After reading the entire letter, the final message he received was this one, and it made just as deep an impression as the first. It's just that Kangxi had never been able to tell his son about his grandson's academic progress—it was too confusing. Now, at last, he could answer the question directly.
Hongdan's studies were on the right track, and Kangxi wrote a letter to the crown prince who stayed in the capital.
He talked about the little fat boy's performance along the way, the teacher he assigned to the little fat boy, and the little fat boy's learning achievements. Finally, he added, "Hongdan seems to have grown a little taller. He studies and practices martial arts every day here and grows very fast."
Put the letter in an envelope, but don't seal it yet. When Hongdan finished his class and Kangxi finished his work for the day, the fat boy came to report his grades to his grandfather. Kangxi hugged him loosely and listened to his chatter with a smile: "Today, my third uncle taught me how to write big characters, my fourth uncle taught me multiplication and division, my eighth uncle taught me the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Mandarin, and my thirteenth and fourteenth uncles took me horseback riding."
"Did Orondei go with him?"
"Yes," he nodded, "my great uncle and my uncle are both gone. My thirteenth and fourteenth uncles are on my grandson's left and right respectively. My uncle and great uncle are together. I didn't have time to talk to my great uncle much."
Kangxi thought to himself, "Can you please not say with such regret that you can't play with Orondai? I just wanted you to have a better impression of the Tong family, not to follow the gangsters and learn bad things! Yinxiang and Yinzhen did a good job!"
To prevent his grandson from continuing to miss his rogue cousin, Kangxi used his trump card: "Your father has written to me, and I have already written my reply. I am just waiting for you to write a letter and send it back to the capital together."
As expected, Hongdan put Orondai aside for the time being and shook Kangxi's arm: "Mafa, did Ama really write to you? What did you say? Let me see the letter, Ama Ama~"
Hearing the soft child's voice pleading, Kangxi didn't keep it a secret anymore and waved the paper in his hand: "Here, take it and have a look."
Hongdan watched the pages of paper approach him and released Kangxi's sleeves. "Thank you, Mafa."
I couldn't wait to find a seat and start reading.
"Well, do you recognize all the words?"
"!..." Mafa, you don't have to remind me, Hongdan said with a sad face, "I can recognize the first sentence, but as soon as you say it, I can't recognize this word anymore."
Kangxi: "...Which word?"
"this."
"Let me see."
…
…
…
For a six-year-old, Hongdan's reading and writing skills were quite good, Kangxi commented after he finished reading the entire letter. "You should write your reply first."
“Yeah.”
Kangxi shook his head and pulled out a piece of paper. The young eunuch hurried forward to grind ink for him. After arranging the letters in order and grinding the ink, Kangxi began to write out the characters that Hongdan had not recognized from memory, deciding that these would be his grandson's homework tomorrow!
Halfway through writing, he looked up as if he had heard something, and saw Hongdan's troubled look. After just a glance, Hongdan lowered his head again.
"What's wrong?"
"There's a word I can't write..." I feel so wronged and embarrassed.
Kangxi sighed in his heart: "What word? Forget it, come here." He guessed that there were still many words he couldn't write, "Add a chair for Prince Hongdan." He pointed to the side next to him, indicating that the little fat man would sit at the same table with him, on the right.
Grabbing a piece of paper with only a dozen or so words written on it, the little fat boy shuffled over to his grandfather's side. He placed the paper on the table, still with the back facing up, and slowly climbed onto the chair with a red face. Although it's common to admit that you know what you know and not know what you don't know, he still felt embarrassed in front of Mafa, whom he admired so much.
Kangxi glanced at the upside-down paper. Hongdan obediently turned it over and received a compliment: "The handwriting is very good."
Hongdan's little heart was comforted.
"What word can't you write?"
…
…
…
After the on-site teaching, the little fat boy finally wrote his first letter home. Although his handwriting was intermittent, he finally succeeded. When he handed it to Kangxi, he looked at his grandfather with expectant eyes and said, "Mafa, are there any mistakes in the words?"
Kangxi nodded solemnly, observing the slightly crooked handwriting. He had deliberately sent this unabridged version to Yinreng. After sending the fat boy to rest, he added a paragraph: "Hongdan's writing is sporadic. If he can't write a certain character, he asks me. I tell him. If he can't write again, ask again. Tomorrow, have him copy the characters he can't write a few more times. You can check them when he comes back."
From then on, the little fat boy learned more common characters used in official documents and family letters, and Yinzhi's pressure was relieved a lot. The days passed slowly like this, and May passed and entered June.
The fat boy read many of his father's affectionate letters and gradually learned to respond to them. Besides family letters, Kangxi would also have him read memorials for matters of less urgency, gradually cultivating his sensitivity to court affairs and exposing him to events within the system. This was how Kangxi initially cultivated Yinreng's administrative skills, and judging by the results, it achieved its original purpose.
But the little fat boy's letters home almost never mentioned the content of the memorials he had read. He only wrote in general terms, "I read two memorials for Mafa today and learned six new words from them."
Kangxi reviewed the letter and was pleased that his grandson, at such a young age, had been so sensible and hadn't revealed anything about the government affairs he was handling, even to his father. This was a rare quality, considering his age. If it wasn't innate, then someone must have taught him and he'd memorized it. In short, his grandson had behaved well!
Then Kangxi mentally praised his grandson's parents and teachers: "Well done! Even if a child is naturally rigorous, he still needs someone to cultivate him. You taught him the right thing."
——————————————————————————————————————————
What Kangxi didn’t know was that the person he needed to thank was actually Orondei.
As a fat boy who had been informed in advance that he would be packed up and taken to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, his parents naturally instilled a lot of precautions in him during the limited preparation time. One of them was not to talk nonsense and never spread secrets.
Yinreng's original words were: "If you heard it, then you heard it. Don't tell anyone else. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask your Mafa when no one else is around. Okay, wait until your Mafa is not around, and then tell your father again."
Shujia's advice is: "Some things can be said and some things cannot be said. If you don't know what you can't say, hold it in and don't say it. Talk about it when you get home."
With this kind of court training, the little fat boy's life was stressful but safe, and the East Palace also gained a lot of useful information. However, if they copied the pattern and followed Kangxi on his travels, and then reported him after all the letters had been inspected by the emperor, that would be too stupid!
Fortunately, the little fat boy met a storyteller.
Orondei, a man who was not afraid to speak out, was not afraid to air any issues. Aside from issues posing a threat of rebellion, Orondei wouldn't hesitate to call the emperor shameless, saying, "How dare the emperor deny such and such a capable person a promotion?" The princes and ministers were subjected to even more brutal criticism, his prowess poking at their weaknesses.
With this character as a footnote, when Orondei was spouting nonsense, many people wanted to listen but didn't dare to watch. They listened from a distance, fearing they would be used as scapegoats if they got too close. Even if they were unfortunately forced to sit in front of him, they would deal with it while trying to escape.
Therefore, Orondai admired Qingde for daring to chat with him, and loved the fat boy who ran over to listen to the truth. Originally there was only one listener, but now there are two, and Old Orondai is very satisfied.
His way of showing love is: double the revelations!
The little fat boy was at the age of eagerly absorbing all kinds of knowledge, the golden age of the "TV children" in later generations. He heard things like magic and had no idea that such things could happen in such a vast world and such a stable, united and prosperous Qing Dynasty.
It greatly satisfied Orondei's desire to perform.
The little fat boy heard all kinds of rumors he had never heard before - how so-and-so did something shady, how so-and-so accepted bribes, how so-and-so used marriage to build connections, how so-and-so clung to his boss, how so-and-so's family was fighting over titles and heads, how so-and-so cursed his brother and nephew in order to fight for the family inheritance...
When he got excited, he started to scold Fahai: "You are such a slave! You are shaking too!"
Qingde couldn't stop him; he didn't mind his nephew learning a little about the ways of the world and understanding some of the twists and turns. But Orondai, aren't you being too harsh? "Old Orondai, can we talk about something else? We're going hunting in a couple of days..."
Lao E looked down on him and said, "Are you going to raise your nephew into a fool?"
"Then let's not speak so harshly to a six-year-old!"
"Little brother, do you still want to listen?"
The little fat boy looked at the two elders in embarrassment and hesitated for a moment: "How about I go find you later and you tell me again. If my uncle can't hear it, he won't be angry."
Orondai laughed: "Good!"
Qingde: "I'd better listen to it!"
The two armies faced off, the referee called a foul call, and Qingde was defeated.
Qingde wanted to tell Kangxi, but he had many concerns—they were the only ones present, and Orondai would blame either him or his nephew. Having no choice, after Hongdan returned, Qingde had a heart-to-heart talk with Orondai: "Even if we need to tell him something, can't we tell him something he can understand?" He made a fist with his thumb and pinky extended. "He's only six. If you keep telling him things he can't understand, it'll be interesting at first, but then he still won't understand. Wouldn't that make him bored and he won't want to listen?"
Orondei thought about it and agreed. The next day, he changed the topic to a simple and safe one: complaining about the emperor.
Qingde wanted to pound the ground.
It was still Qingde's tent (Qingde: "This place has become an illegal gathering place!"), and it was still the same trio of Orondai, Qingde, and Xiaopang. Qingde had originally occupied opposite sides of the couch, but now that there was one more person, Qingde moved down to make room for his nephew.
Despite receiving the contemptuous gaze, he remained unmoved, but after Orondai's shocking remarks, he returned to the bed. "We're getting closer, so we can intercept them at close range," Qingde consoled himself. Then, he hesitated, undecided, whether to sit on Orondai's or Hongdan's side.
Orondai stretched out his big hand and patted the fat boy's shoulder: "Brother, can you sit with me?"
"become!"
Orondai reached out and, like an eagle catching a chick, grabbed the fat boy's not-so-light weight and brought it to his side, causing a burst of exclamations. He was sitting cross-legged, which was just right for the fat boy to rest on his lap. The fat boy was quite excited: "Interesting."
Qingde: Where can I borrow some tofu?
The three of them sat down, and the gossip radio station started!
Holding the little fat boy in his arms, Orondai beamed with joy: "You, Mafa, are inconsistent in your words and deeds. He likes cautious people. Zhang Ying, Xiong Cilü, Zhang Tingyu, each one of them is a gourd without a mouth!"
Xiaopang said silently: "Master actually told me a lot of news about my father, but you don't know it. I know it." Orondai poked his father and his master with a word. Xiaopang turned to look at him and said: "People who like to be cautious are inconsistent in their words and deeds?" You didn't learn the language well, right?
"Listen to me and don't interrupt!" Orondai continued to complain, "He likes those around him to be cautious in their words and deeds and doesn't like them to reveal things. That's fine, but why does he have to ask what others do in private? He even knows what's in my letter! Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you! Doesn't the emperor know this truth?!"
This bystander was Orondai himself. His previous complaints had reached the emperor's ears. While on duty in the Qianqing Palace, playing cards, he was summoned by Kangxi. He was scolded, and then ordered to go home and reflect. "I was about to win that hand, but the emperor intervened and the game was over!" Orondai was furious.
Then, Orondei listed Kangxi's pettiness. "Every time he couldn't convince me, he told me to go home and reflect on my mistakes! Then he asked me to come back and work, tiring me out! Hey, don't you think he's petty?"
For a long while, no one answered.
Orondai shook the little fat boy and said, "Why don't you speak?"
The little fat boy pointed to his mouth.
"You can speak now."
The little fat boy slowly stood up, stretched his arms and legs, climbed off the couch, put on his shoes, and walked to a safe distance: "You can still remember it now, uncle, you are rather narrow-minded."
Qingde pounded the table.
"Don't run, come here!"
The little fat boy was nearly caught, with his sleeve in Orondai's hand, but Qingde surrounded him from behind, grabbed Orondai and dragged him back.
In terms of fighting ability, the two were not much different. Qingde had a slight advantage in age and finally rescued his nephew. Orondai lay on the couch, panting heavily. The little fat man walked back leisurely: "Uncle, you also know that Mafa loves you, right? I heard that beating is love, scolding is love."
Orondei was petrified.
Qingde was petrified.
The wind is blowing.
After a while, Orondai struggled to his feet and squatted in front of the fat student, looking him in the eye: "Where did you learn these words?"
The fat student answered seriously: "Mafa is so busy. She wouldn't bother to care if she wasn't the one she liked." He patted Orondei's head sympathetically and said, "Uncle, how could you not see that? Mafa is so pitiful." He shook his head and sighed, then walked out in square steps.
Marfa doesn't like people telling others what happened here. Be careful when writing letters.
When news of Orondai being raped by a child reached Kangxi, he slammed the table in a fit of rage and laughed. The next day, Orondai was summoned for questioning: "You're even less perceptive than a child. Have I ever been inconsiderate to the Tong family? For your faults, anyone else would have been exiled to Ningguta long ago..."
Orondei was very upset. That night, he rushed to Qingde, grabbed his neck, and demanded that he call the fat boy over. "Call him over. I have to tell him that the emperor is really narrow-minded this time! I don't understand it, and neither does he! He's clearly just scolding me for the sake of scolding me. He never listens to reason."
Qingde: You guys are just playing house, I don't care! Sister, your son has another kid to play with.
When Orondai and Hongdan were together, it was like playing house. After being beaten up, Orondai revealed a side of himself he rarely sees: he'd lean in and get hit. The harder he got hit, the more he leaned in. After being labeled "small-minded," he was also labeled "unintelligent" and "playful."
Orondei tried hard to find ways to attack the fat boy, such as horse riding and archery.
The fat boy was old enough to ride, and Orondai urged him to learn to shoot at moving targets. Since Kangxi planned to go hunting with the Mongols in August, he did not object to Orondai's suggestion. Instead, he asked the fat boy to intensify his training so that he could at least get something during the hunting trip.
"When your father was your age, he practiced archery at Jingshan and shot a deer and four rabbits. You should also try harder. This place is rich in water and grass, and there are plenty of prey."
The fat boy obeyed the order and tried to shoot nothing on the first day. At the end of the day, he still didn't hit anything, which made Orondai laugh at him. The Thirteenth Prince saw that the situation was not good and ordered his men to release a rabbit with a broken leg: "Try again."
The fat boy bent his bow and drew his arrow, and finally hit the target. On the other side, Orondai yawned, and arrows flew everywhere, making a whizzing sound, and the birds and animals were in trouble.
Orondai pointed at his catch and said, "Ah, it's not that much." He looked at Hongdan's solitary rabbit and said, "Where's yours? Come to my place tonight and eat rabbit. It's so boring to stay at your uncle's all the time."
Qingde wanted to beat him.
If someone else said this, the little fat boy would be sad, but Lao E... "Lao E, how old are you this year?"
"Thirty-six, you want to send a birthday gift? It's two months away. Oh, and you have to call me uncle."
The little fat boy readily accepted the advice: "Uncle, I am six years old." He patted his little butt and went back to treat Marfa to rabbit meat.
There was laughter all around.
Lao E ran away: "Don't go!"
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In Beijing, a wedding is taking place in the Forbidden City.
At the end of June, the day before the wedding, the dowry of Li Jiashi, the 12th Prince's concubine, was carried into the Prince's residence through Shenwu Gate. There was nothing remarkable about it; it was just standard stuff.
The next day, the newlyweds arrived and the wedding banquet began. It wasn't a grand affair, partly because the Twelfth Prince himself was a low-key man, partly because he wasn't marrying a principal wife, and partly because it was to give face to his future wife. In a time when the Emperor had swept away most of the capital's top dignitaries, the Twelfth Prince's father, older brothers, and younger brothers were mostly absent, making it difficult to have a lively atmosphere.
The 12th prince had not yet been granted a title, so he had no retainers or assistants. His birth mother, Wan Liuha, was still only a concubine, so she had even fewer social connections. The 12th prince invited Su Malagu to the wedding, which actually added a lot of popularity to the wedding. Many people stayed until the end for Su Malagu's sake.
This time, Shujia gave Suma a gift that was higher than the standard, but she didn't need to say anything about "helping" her. When Tong Jia's newly promoted imperial concubine was performing, Wan Liuha was a resident in her palace.
When they got to the table, they looked at each other and started laughing.
The diners at this table are: the Crown Princess - pregnant, the Third Lady - pregnant, the Fourth Lady, the Fifth Lady, and the Seventh Lady - pregnant. Okay, today's gossip, let's just talk about pregnancy.
Behind their table, there was another table of pregnant women: the third, fourth, seventh, ninth, tenth...
The royal family had entered its peak fertility period. Shujia was thinking about getting a bigger notebook to record the status of the princes' families.
The women were chattering about it, and the Fourth Lady said to the Third Lady, "It looks like your baby is going to be a prince."
"I want a daughter this time."
The Seventh Lady felt a little uncomfortable when she heard this: "Third sister-in-law is lucky, she has both a son and a daughter."
The Seventh Lady and her concubine are locked in a fierce competition. While he treats his wife better than the Fifth Prince, he, like his Fifth Brother, favors his concubine more. And that favor is always directed towards one concubine, effectively creating a second family center. To top it off, the concubine's pregnancy is incredibly demanding, unexpectedly giving birth to a son, then another. The Seventh Lady's previous pregnancy, despite all her efforts, resulted in a daughter. This time, she's pregnant again, and of course, she wants a daughter.
Glancing at the side room table, she saw her old rival, Nala, chatting with Irgen Jueluo next to her, their faces beaming with laughter.
Everyone changed the subject in unison. The Crown Princess said, "What's supposed to happen will happen."
"I wonder when my ninth brother's wife will get married? Just look at my third sister-in-law, she will definitely be good." The fourth lady tried to smooth things over. I have a son now, so I need to stay calm.
The Fifth Lady said, "If you ask me, my eighth sister-in-law is lucky this time. She is accompanying the emperor to the north again. I will definitely ask her to treat us when she comes back." At least you already have a daughter, okay?
Shujia revealed the latest news: "Khan Ama heard that the Empress Dowager loves to watch operas, so he asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to select clever eunuchs to learn operas and then perform them in the palace."
The fourth lady asked with interest, "When will you be able to learn it?"
"When doing things at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you always have to wait."
The other concubines laughed. The Third Concubine said, "That depends on who they're doing it for," and then she covered her mouth with her handkerchief. Following the Seventh Concubine's gaze, she clearly saw the other side room at the other table, where her three pregnant daughters stood in a line, looking down upon the other concubines.
The concubines' table, where several concubines were scanning the room, was full of talk about clothes, jewelry, and children. Unlike the principal wife, concubines weren't always given a place at events; only those who were well-connected could be brought out. Consequently, there were more pregnant women at the concubines' table, and the mothers chatted happily.
They didn't talk about whether they had children or not, but were chatting: "How many children are you having?", "The first two were boys, right?"
Look at the disparity! Among the principal wives, there were those who had no children, like the Fifth and Eighth Concubines, those who had only daughters, like the Seventh Concubine, and those who had only a son, like the Fourth Concubine. There have only been six principal wives, and yet four of them are unhappy about this. It's hard for them to maintain their graceful demeanor, managing the household inside and out, while the concubines, while they work hard, have to focus all their attention on their husbands.
Shujia also saw Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi, and her eyelashes trembled. It was useless to just look at them. There was no Dong Efei among them, right? Should she be glad that her prince was not a romantic?
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The prince was obviously not one of them. His heart yearned for a broader stage.
Yinreng sat at the Twelfth Prince's wedding banquet, thinking about his younger brothers gradually growing up, but he felt no joy at all. The youngest princes the palace was referring to were those from the Fifteenth Prince onwards; the previous ones were already engaged, so they weren't considered young. He was trying to build good relationships with the younger princes, and it was showing some success. The problem was that the Fifteenth Prince was still less than ten years old and couldn't help much.
As his other brothers grew older, his sense of crisis grew stronger. Even if his brothers had no desire to compete for the throne, the share of the banner they had taken was enough to make the crown prince feel bad. Like Kangxi, everyone wanted their sons to get a bigger share of the family fortune. Such a big piece of the pie, but it had already fallen into someone else's lap. How could he get them to give it back?
The prince was no longer calm.
This restlessness reached an unprecedented height after returning to the East Palace after the wedding banquet and receiving the imperial edict from the camp.
Kangxi ordered: Send two imperial doctors over quickly.
Fei Yanggu and Yabu, who were accompanying the emperor, were in poor health and needed medical treatment, but Kangxi did not have enough imperial doctors.
Yinreng stared at the edict, stunned for a long moment. Yabu, plus three other sick men in the capital: Nerfu, Fuquan, and Changning, four princes, two of whom were iron-hatted. Was this going to change the situation?
After the old king left, it would take the new king some time to get familiar with the affairs. The succession of titles and the division of the royal palace would inevitably weaken the power, and of course there would be people who would grab the scraps that were cut off.
Yinreng's mind clearly mapped the local inventory: the amount of silver and grain stored in the Ministry of Revenue, and the total number of soldiers in the Eight Banners. As peacetime wore on, the ratio between the two was approaching a critical point. After several secret discussions with Kangxi, the solution that emerged was to deregister some of the bannermen. Due to the insufficient flour supply, the cake could not be expanded.
His Khan father must have thought of this. Judging from Kangxi's previous behavior, he probably wanted to kill the princes who were the leaders of the banners. The princes below the ninth prince had not yet been enfeoffed and were just waiting for the rice to be cooked.
Yinreng rubbed his forehead with a headache. His sons were still young, so there was no way he could snatch food from them now. Once they grew up, snatching food from others would be a whole new hassle. He had to find a way to resolve this conflict.
He sighed and ordered the Imperial Hospital to select two people. He asked them to select four and send them over. He came back and compared Kangxi's letter with the letter from the fat boy.
It is said that the gangster Orondei is now screaming in anger every day because of the fat boy, and Kangxi feels very relieved.
It is said that the little fat boy got along very well with his fifteenth and sixteenth uncles, and Kangxi was very pleased.
It is said that the little fat boy was praised by the ruling class, and Kangxi was very happy.
It is said that...
It's said to be useless! Yinreng accidentally cursed. When I was a child, I was praised more often and to a greater extent than this. Only recently did I find out that a lot of people were saying bad things about me behind my back! Including that dying Fei Yanggu!
I still need to find a doctor for him. Yinreng almost couldn't breathe and pounded his chest.
Jia Yingxuan was startled and rushed over. "Prince, what's wrong with you?" He massaged his chest to help him breathe, served him tea and water, and finally helped Yinreng calm down. "Do you want to call the imperial physician?"
Yinreng reluctantly waved his hand: "No need. Grind the ink."
He wrote a long letter to his son, warning him not to be proud. He angrily copied an article titled "Zou Ji's Advice to the King of Qi" and sent it to the emperor, ordering his son to copy it 120 times and memorize it, not to become complacent.
After he finished writing, he packed up the letter and the imperial physician and left. Only then did he feel a little better.
It wasn't until July, when he received the news that Fei Yanggu had passed away, that Yinreng finally smiled. This guy had never been enthusiastic about me when he was alive, and he wasn't the kind of neutral person loyal to the emperor. He must have said a lot of bad things about me. Now that he's finally dead, there's one less person who says bad things about me.
Emperor Kangxi was deeply saddened by Fei Yanggu's death. Not only did he visit him before his death, he also gifted him three saddle horses, four free horses, and five thousand taels of silver. He sent ministers to escort him back to Beijing, where he was buried and given the posthumous title of Xiangzhuang. This truly honored Fei Yanggu after his death.
When the coffin returned to the capital, Yinreng was secretly pleased and even sent the Chancellor to pay his respects, pretending to be polite and giving the family a hundred taels of silver. He then hinted to Yisan'a to write a memorial: "Since Fei Yanggu has died, there is a vacancy for the Minister of the Imperial Guards. This matter concerns the imperial guards." He calculated the vacancy again.
Unlike the crown prince, Qingde had a high opinion of Fei Yanggu and applied to escort him back to the capital, but Kangxi refused on the grounds that he had to take care of Hongdan. Qingde came out of the imperial tent with a bit of disappointment and met Yinzhi on the way.
Yinzhi saw him from a distance, and first switched his expression to "unhappy" and walked past with a blank face. Qingde was a little distracted, and when he got close, he realized it was him and hurriedly saluted. Yinzhi was secretly furious. How could he not take me seriously like this!
He groaned twice as if he had a toothache: "You are a very busy man now. How is Hongdan's homework going? Did Khan Ama praise him again?" He was so angry.
Qingde recovered his composure. "We are merely carrying out our duties according to the Emperor's orders. We only care about whether we are doing our job well. We don't care whether we are busy or not. I just requested an imperial decree to escort the general back to the capital, but the Emperor rejected my request. He didn't mention Prince Hongdan. If Prince Hongdan knew that Prince Zhi was thinking of him so much, he would surely be happy."
Yinzhi thought about it, but couldn't find the right words, so he hummed again and went to see his Khan Ama. Oh no, what did I want to say to Khan Ama just now?
If he suffered a loss and didn't remember it and seek revenge, he wouldn't be Qingde - this man holds a grudge and is still thinking about Longkodo.
That very day, Orondei learned about the good deeds done by his eldest prince, whom he had always looked down upon. "Him? You should have told him that the emperor praises Prince Hongdan every day, but never praises him! Mingzhu is a capable man, but he has been worrying him to death. Now he can't beat the father, and now he wants to compete with the son? He will lose anyway!"
From his words, it can be seen that Orondei is much more kindhearted than Qingde. He does not bear grudges and will avenge any grudges on the spot. If you offend him, you don't have to worry about being punished later.
He smacked Qingde twice and said, "Come on, we're going on a hunting trip next month. Tell Prince Hongdan to work hard and shame him to death! What did he do when he was six years old?"
The two thought for a long time and finally remembered that when the prince was six years old, he had won one deer and four rabbits. And in the same year, the eldest prince, who was slightly older than the prince, had won the tiger! This... was not an easy challenge!
Orondai smiled sinisterly: "He only has brute force to show for it, but he has no brains. Don't worry, when the time comes, you can help me and we can defeat him."
"Lao E, where are you going?"
"Let's go have a drink with Prince Zhi!"
"He's going to patrol the camp today..." Well, this guy is going to help him get revenge, so Qingde wisely shut up.
The author has something to say: Why do I always end up writing too many words when I write about Lao E? Am I really good at writing about people of this type? It's the same with Qingde and Huashan...
Fist, I must not write so many Lao E tomorrow! TT
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