The Hundred Days Banquet Goes Off Topic and Gets Excited
The Hundred Days Banquet Goes Off Topic and Gets Excited
The baby's hundredth day was a grand occasion. As the emperor's grandson, it was unwise to overstep the boundaries and grant him higher treatment than the other princes. Furthermore, Kangxi was reluctant to make an exception for the baby, fearing he was too young to handle such high treatment. Even if he was to establish generous treatment for this grandson, it would be best to wait until he was a little older.
Yet, despite his attempts at restraint, Bao Bao's status as the crown prince's legitimate son was irresistible. He couldn't afford to treat him poorly. The old man clearly wanted to show off his grandson, so how could anyone dare disobey him? Even relying on Kangxi's reputation for leniency, he still had to be wary of Bao Bao's father, the crown prince, who had a tough temper—a moment of truth could easily escalate.
No one took it seriously. Even the jealous Yinzhi could understand it, but he spoke in a very bad tone in private: "Who said that's the Crown Prince~" The seven words were read out with a complicated meaning, which made the First Lady choke and have morning sickness.
The Crown Prince's son had passed his hundredth day, and he had received a slew of gifts. From his uncles, relatives near and far, and the Crown Prince's retainers... the Yuqing Palace's treasury was overflowing with gifts. Shujia looked at the gift list. A large portion didn't require a return, but the ones that did require a return couldn't be given lightly. It was truly a headache.
The Fifth Prince's eldest son's hundredth day celebration is coming up soon. It's probably not as grand as a baby's, but as uncle and aunt, the gifts given to him by the Yuqing Palace can't be neglected. And the Third Concubine is about to give birth in a few months, so expensive gifts are needed for the third day bath, full month, and hundredth day...
The reason Shujia could still be so distracted, rather than worrying about the baby being taken out for display and exposed to the sun or cold, was because the baby would never be taken out. The baby would only be exhibited among the female relatives, taken out to be touched by the female elders for a while, and then brought back to be fed and put to sleep.
He was only a hundred days old, so it wasn't suitable for him to go to a crowded place. Male gatherings outside were crowded and smelly, and some people even had tables set up under tents in the open air.
As luck would have it, with men and women separated, Shujia couldn't possibly step into the front room, and the baby couldn't be paraded outside. So, on the baby's hundredth day, the only people on display before the officials were the baby's father and grandfather. Father and son beamed, gazing at the courtiers below with a smug smile. Kangxi didn't want to overdo the ceremony, so attendees were limited to those with yellow and red belts, officials of the third rank and above in Beijing, and... the baby's uncles.
For the Shi family, attending the imperial banquet was certainly an honor, but they wanted to see the baby even more. The women had seen the child once and praised its beauty, but the men hadn't seen it yet. Unexpectedly, the child never showed up, leaving the men of the Shi family feeling a sense of inadequacy.
Those who favored the crown prince were naturally laughing heartily, while the eldest prince was far more depressed. Among the other princes, some were relieved, like the fourth prince (now that the crown prince's position was secure, and the eldest prince couldn't cause any more trouble, it was perfect, time to get back to work—this was the mindset of a workaholic). Others, like the fifth and seventh princes, were relaxed (finally, some peace and quiet, great, no more torn between the lines—this was the mindset of a farmer). Of course, some, like the eighth, ninth, and tenth princes, were just watching the fun (this was really lively—this was a rather unflattering assessment of either side).
Regardless of your inner thoughts, the proper procedures must be followed. Arrive early, the lower your rank, the earlier you arrive. Wait until the emperor and the crown prince arrive, cheers of "Long live the emperor," and you're offered a seat. Only then do you dare sit down. Then the emperor speaks, raises his glass, and everyone joins in the toast. After this, it's free time, but of course, even during this free time, you must be mindful of not misbehaving in front of the emperor.
At the top, Kangxi finished his show and had a heart-to-heart talk with Yinreng: "Back then, the 100th day of the Chenghu Emperor's reign was even more grand than this. Unfortunately..." He sighed, then looked at Yinreng with complicated eyes, "Back then, when you encountered the Three Feudatories, I always felt that I owed you. In the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much."
Yinreng was overwhelmed with emotion. He wanted to say something, but he felt that no words could describe the current situation. There was something stuck in his throat. Kangxi said, "Forget it. Today is your good day. Go down and inspect it." He reached out and patted Yinreng's shoulder firmly. With a little pressure, he pushed harder.
Yinreng stood up, bowed to Kangxi, and then walked around the room. Two young eunuchs followed him, one holding a tray with a wine jug, wine cups, and a clean towel, while the other was responsible for pouring wine for him.
First, they went to the elders' place. Fuquan, Changning, and the others were all there. Compared to the eldest prince who caused trouble in front of them, they had a better impression of the crown prince. Especially since no matter how arrogant the crown prince was, he still had a minimum of respect for the elders. As long as there was no conflict of interest, they got along quite well.
Yinreng was in high spirits at the moment, and everyone seemed very friendly and lovable. He took the initiative to clink glasses, thanked his uncles for coming, and asked them to make themselves at ease, saying that he would come back to talk to them later. "If you are bored, talk to Khan Ama. Khan Ama is sitting alone up there, and I guess he is bored too." He smiled and said goodbye.
Fuquan looked at his gentle and polite nephew, feeling conflicted. He lowered his head, the cup in his hand full, the wine the Crown Prince had just poured for him. Fuquan kept weighing the pros and cons: Soetu, Crown Prince, Crown Prince, Soetu... If only Soetu had less influence on the Crown Prince.
Now it was time for the princes. First up was Yinzhi. No matter how much one disliked him, one couldn't deny the fact that he was Kangxi's eldest son. Yinreng held his wine cup and said, "Big brother!" Yinzhi stood up, also in the same position, holding his wine cup in one hand, and said, "Congratulations."
When their eyes met, sparks flew across their faces. They both smiled hideously and then looked away.
Compared to the eldest prince's blatant hostility, the other brothers seemed much more endearing. Yinreng's gaze softened instantly, and when Yinzhi congratulated him, he teased, "I'm waiting to return the congratulations." He also teased Yinzhen, whispering in his ear, "Work harder! Your sister-in-law has prepared a lot of gifts to give away. First come, first served." He said to Yinqi in Mongolian, "Your eldest prince's hundredth day will be at the end of the month. Let's celebrate together." When it came to the seventh brother, his attitude was even more gentle: "After all, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory predicted the wedding date for you and your fifth brother."
When it came to the Eighth Brother, things weren't so smooth. The eldest brother kept staring at him, and the Crown Prince didn't think much of the Eighth Brother either. He came from a poor family and was still young, not having done anything important, so it wasn't obvious what he was thinking. But the Ninth and Tenth Brothers were close to him, which was really strange.
The Crown Prince concluded that the Eighth Prince was trying to win over the eldest son, and while he was unhappy about it, he didn't want to quarrel with them at his son's hundred-day banquet. He also congratulated the Eighth Prince: "You've just moved in, are you finding your things comfortable? We're going to have more people, so if you have any inconveniences, just let me know." Yinsi bowed his head and said, "Thank you for your concern, Crown Prince."
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Yinzhen was the unscrupulous type. He gritted his teeth and jokingly whispered in his ear: "My dear brother, did you see that? The eldest brother's face was shaking when he was celebrating with his eldest brother. I never knew what it meant to smile with one's face but not with the heart, but today I finally saw it." The prince's attitude today was quite friendly, so Yinzhen held back his words for once.
Yinsi smiled faintly; a little less would have seemed aloof and arrogant, a little more would have suggested eager gossip, his smile graceful and elegant, perfectly balanced. "It's a happy day, and you're already talking drunkenly before you've even had any wine. Watch out, Khan Ama will punish you." Yin'er curled his lips and shifted his hips, causing the chair to creak a few times under his weight, causing the tenth brother next to him to snicker. "Eighth brother, just ask Ninth brother to talk. He's not afraid of offending anyone, anyway. You don't know, you followed Khan Ama away, leaving us to study every day, almost bored to death."
The three brothers burst into laughter. Yinzhen stopped laughing first and said, "Seriously, my eighth brother is about to move out. I want to congratulate him on getting married." After that, he filled the glasses on both sides.
Yinsi said frankly, "What do you mean by 'moving out'? That's nonsense. I just moved to Ganxi Tousuo. That's not my sister-in-law, just a concubine. And you're so good as to use the prince's wine to congratulate me."
As he was speaking, Yinzhi came over. He was there because he was depressed. Yinzhi's status was very high, very close to the main seat. In the past, this position was a source of pride for him, always feeling that, "I'm not far from that person, I can kick him down with one big step, and I'll be so great." But today, that person and his father were smiling from ear to ear, and their smiles were too dazzling! Sitting so close, he couldn't pretend not to see them!
Banquets in the palace were all disciplined, and people were not allowed to move around randomly. However, after three rounds of drinking, the restrictions were no longer so strict. However, Yinzhi's status was there, and his face was as black as the bottom of a pot, so no one dared to stop him. Yinzhi felt aggrieved for a while, so he simply went to his brothers to make his presence felt.
The third, fourth, fifth and seventh brothers were originally at the same table with him, but unexpectedly the fifth brother was only fluent in Mongolian and had communication difficulties in other languages, making him half-mute. The seventh brother had a dull personality due to his disability, and he would feel suffocated if he talked to them.
The fourth brother was very embarrassed. The eldest brother had just said some sour words to him about the crown prince. Unexpectedly, the fourth brother said, "What you said is very right, eldest brother. It is a blessing for the Qing Dynasty that three generations have lived in peace." He put on a serious face, making Yinzhi think that he was sincerely wishing the second brother a smooth succession. He felt even more aggrieved. Talking to the fourth brother would shorten his life!
As for the third brother, he was showing off his knowledge. Yinzhi considered himself well-educated, but everyone had their own specializations. The third brother hung out with a bunch of sour scholars all day long, and the conversation was endless. Yinzhi just wanted to find someone to badmouth the crown prince with, and didn't want to have a literary salon with the third brother.
So, holding a wine cup, he went to look for the Eighth Prince and the others. The Twelfth Prince was originally sitting at the same table with the Eighth Prince, but when he saw the eldest prince arrive, he quickly slipped over to chat with the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes. The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes were talking animatedly. The two were quite interested in military affairs, and at that impulsive age, they both wanted to go together next time. Suddenly, the Twelfth Prince came and asked in a thief-like voice, "What...are...you...talking...about?"
Thirteen, Fourteen: ...
Because the Eighth Prince was raised by Concubine Hui, the eldest prince was closer to him. However, he and the Crown Prince shared some common flaws: a certain air of superiority and a certain disdain for others. While close to the Eighth Prince, the eldest prince held the title of "senior," with Concubine Hui between him and the Crown Prince. He was the prince Kangxi devoted the most attention to, and often quite arrogant. He also treated the Eighth Prince personally, seemingly wanting him to be part of his inner circle—"Hey, be my little brother."
Though Old Eight didn't say it, he genuinely disliked this "big brother." Originally, Old Eight's position was somewhat awkward. As a noble prince, his mother came from a very lowly background, and now she was also a noble. Combining the most noble and the least noble in one person was a difficult feat. If Old Eight were more open-minded, it wouldn't be a problem. He would eventually grow up, and his mother would also be honored by her son.
Unfortunately, with this "big brother" growing up together, the thing the eighth child heard most often was the explicit and implicit "the second child is bad." How could he have distinguished so clearly as a child? He was truly influenced. Even more unfortunate, he had a father who really wanted him to be successful, and he didn't let him fall behind in all aspects of his studies.
Later, as he grew older, he had more opportunities to see his mother. As a woman who had been in the palace for so many years, Wei was not stupid and she also hinted to Yinsi.
Yinsi was swirling in a maelstrom, undeniably feeling a bit dizzy and at a loss. The eldest brother used his own experience to teach him that ambition was acceptable. Kangxi, with a more responsible attitude, hired a teacher to teach him various subjects. Wei's timely reminders told him that following the eldest brother was a dead end.
The entanglement of status made Yinsi more mature in the royal family, where people generally mature early. He was pragmatic and smooth in dealing with people, which made him approachable. The fact that the ninth and tenth brothers were not close to the crown prince or the eldest brother, but to him, also gave him a reason.
Finally, Yinsi's ambitions began to surface. Fortunately, they were only small ones, not yet ready to compete for the throne. However, he had already decided that he would have to leave the boss and work on his own, otherwise... there would be no way out.
Now, the guy who made him have no way to survive has come, and Yinsi is very depressed.
Yinzhen was also very depressed. In fact, Yinzhi had the same background as him, but he just took advantage of his age and acted like an elder in front of him. How annoying! He didn't like his brothers to put on a show of authority or pretend to be affectionate. He felt more comfortable with his eighth brother. The eighth brother wanted to move out of Zhaoxiang House, which already made him depressed. Now, when he had a chance to talk to his eighth brother, he had to be interrupted by the eldest brother.
Then, the eldest brother's self-righteous attitude, as if "Eighth Brother is my protector, he should be with me," made Yin'er furious. Fortunately, he remembered the occasion and continued with a fake smile: "Hey, big brother is here~ We were just talking about you. What's the matter? Are you here to congratulate Eighth Brother too?"
Yinzhi was confused. What good news did the Eighth Brother have? Oh, a new house. "Eighth Brother is moving out too. He's an adult now. You should work even harder in the future." Yinzhi straightened his posture, adjusted his tone, and acted like a "big brother" again.
Yinsi's heart was pounding, and the Tenth Prince beside him had already started to twitch his eyes. Yin'er breathed heavily in his chest, and finally he recovered: "Yes, yes, Eighth Brother is going to marry a sister-in-law~"
Yinzhi then remembered that the Eighth Prince was going to take a concubine, otherwise he wouldn't have moved out. At this moment, Maerhun arrived again. He was the uncle of the future Eighth Consort and had great influence. Although he was Soetu's nephew, he had never been very close to Soetu. Seeing him coming, Yinzhi wanted to stay put even more. What a joke! Although the Prince An's Mansion was not as powerful as before, it still had some influence and needed to be won over. How rare! The Eighth Prince was raised in his mother's palace, he was his person, so the Eighth Prince's influence was of course a boost to his power.
This made both Marhun and Yinsi feel uncomfortable. They had originally wanted to talk, as the Ninth and Tenth Brothers weren't outsiders, so there was no need to avoid them. But now, the eldest brother had barged in, and his actions were quite obvious. Marhun came over sullenly to offer a toast, and Yinsi reluctantly clinked his glass with him. Then, Marhun left.
Yinzhi was still a little puzzled, and then said: "Prince An is also pitiful. Soetu is obviously his uncle, but he doesn't speak for him. The prince was demoted to a prince..." After saying a lot, the implication was that Soetu was really a piece of shit, and hinted to the eighth brother to take this opportunity to win him over.
Yinsi smiled and said, "Khan Ama has looked at your seat several times, as if he is looking for someone. You'd better go back and sit down." Yinzhi looked up and met Kangxi's eyes, so he quickly slipped back.
Yinzhi said, "Brother is so busy that he actually left us alone." He pulled Yinzhi to drink a penalty drink, and the atmosphere became lively again. Yinzhi couldn't stand it anymore. The fifth and seventh brothers were dull, and the eldest brother ran away. Now he met the fourth brother, who was almost driving him crazy.
Yinzhi had never known that the fourth prince was such a chatterbox. Yinzhen was very happy and pulled Yinzhi to his side, saying, "That's good now. The wind has set its direction. Those with brains should see clearly and do what they should do. It's only right for everyone to work together for the Khan. Hey, I heard that the third prince of the Yuqing Palace is handsome? My wife is jealous when she sees him. Your family..."
Yinzhi thought, "Fourth brother, you are too excited. It is the prince who has a son, not you." He didn't know that when he was at the front line, the fourth brother was almost angry because of the "heart-to-heart talk" of the eldest brother.
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It's lively where the men are, and it's even more lively where the women are.
This time, however, the excitement was strangely intense, thanks to two women: the Empress Dowager and the Crown Princess. As the former and future Mother of the Nation, with the position now vacant, these two women were the center of attention, especially when they appeared hand in hand.
The theme of a hundred-day celebration is, of course, the baby. As soon as the beautifully dressed baby is brought out, he attracts a lot of attention.
As he walked from the inner room to the outer room, held by his wet nurse, everyone's eyes were glued to him. While the baby was adorable, he wasn't exactly a crowd pleaser. "Seeing the grandson" was the only motivation. I wanted to take a closer look, but I didn't get the chance.
The Empress Dowager held the child tightly and refused to let go. No one dared to snatch the child away. Even the child's mother had to be careful and stand aside, not reaching out.
The Empress Dowager held the fat boy in her arms, her eyes beaming with joy. She pouted and changed her expressions to amuse the child, while boasting, "Oh, look how good he looks!"
Everyone: You were holding it the whole time, and we only saw a big red envelope!
There were several pregnant women among the guests. The eldest wife's belly was so large that it was difficult for her to sit with her legs together. The third wife was better off, also sitting in the typical pregnant position. Ning Hui, on the other hand, sat quietly to the side, waiting for everyone to finish speaking before she spoke.
Everyone's mood was of course different. Those who had nothing to do with the matter and had sons and daughters-in-law to worry about, such as Concubine Yi, Concubine Rong, and Concubine De, were just there to join in the fun, while Concubine Hui sighed in her heart. In fact, the concubines in the palace each had their own plans. Generally speaking, they were in a good mood. At least the child did not cause them any trouble, and they were happy to be good people and say auspicious words.
The first wife looked at the Crown Princess and the young prince with jealousy. "Hmm, my stomach's a little uncomfortable," she knew. "It's the baby moving." Forget it, if I complained about discomfort now, who knew what would happen?
"Are you feeling unwell, sister-in-law? There's a soft couch inside. Help the first wife to rest there."
Just as the eldest wife was about to decline, the Empress Dowager said, "The eldest wife is pregnant, so please go and rest."
When the time came for her to be helped, the Crown Princess's calm voice could still be faintly heard: "Do you want to take a rest, Third Sister-in-law?" This Crown Princess was really considerate and she was a lucky person.
Every pregnant woman is different from another. The husband of the Third Concubine did not find a future emperor as her enemy. This is her first child, and there is the unlucky example of the First Concubine. The pressure will not be too great whether it is a boy or a girl - no matter how bad it is, can she be more disliked by the Goddess of Childbirth than the First Concubine?
Therefore, although Sanfujin had some common concerns about future children among pregnant women, her condition was not very serious. On the contrary, her skin remained very nourished after pregnancy.
Because the Crown Princess had interjected, the topic shifted from the child to the pregnancy. Shujia took the opportunity to say to the Empress Dowager, "This kid is quite heavy. Let them take him down so you don't tire him out. It's almost time for him to nurse and sleep, so we should start the meal."
The Empress Dowager looked down and saw that the little fat boy had begun to doze off, so she quickly asked him to be taken away.
The meal started, and the topic of pregnancy continued. The first wife's pregnancy reaction, the third wife's pregnancy reaction, the third wife's eyebrows became softer, and she said softly: "She is honest, the maids said it is not a big deal, she is a worry-free one." The fourth wife was familiar with her,
The Empress Dowager said, "You two should also work hard. Your mother is still looking forward to having a grandson, and I am also looking forward to having more great-grandchildren." This made the Fourth Lady blush with embarrassment. De Fei said, "Grandfather, please don't tease her. She is a blessed person. People with good sense will treat her well."
Then, the Empress Dowager dragged the topic back from pregnancy to the topic of marital relations. There were also young princesses present, and by the time the topic turned to this, they had already been taken away by the maids, without having eaten much of their meal. Shujia even took the time to instruct, "Tell them to prepare food for the princesses. Make whatever they want. Don't let them go hungry."
The topic continued. Concubine Yi said, "If you ask me, no matter what her personality is, she should be like our Crown Princess, who thinks of everything and takes care of people comfortably. Only then can she be considered a good daughter-in-law and make people feel at ease." Xiluotai smiled subtly after hearing this. She had always been there, but she had always been just a wallflower. Now, hearing someone praise her daughter, her expression couldn't help but change.
Shujia said, "I'm sorry to hear you say that. If I don't serve you well today, I'll be sorry for your compliment." Everyone laughed. Concubine Yi said, "Since that's the case, I'll enjoy this day. Although it's short, it's a good one." Concubine Tong patted her shoulder gently with a fan: "You're here again."
Shujia smiled and said, "I originally wanted to take care of you for a long time, but then I thought, your new daughter-in-law is coming home soon, and there will be no place for me to serve you in the future."
Well, the Crown Princess brought the topic back to the future Imperial Concubine. Some people fell silent. The future Fifth Concubine's father wasn't a high-ranking official. Concubine Yi felt somewhat dissatisfied and had some objections, but since Kangxi had made the decision, she couldn't object. Fortunately, the future Fifth Concubine had a good surname—Tatara—which made up for many of her regrets.
The Empress Dowager clapped her hands and said, "Speaking of which, our palace will have another addition," and began to count on her fingers, "The fifth, seventh, and eighth have all been decided... Hey, Ma'erhui, how is your niece now?" The wife of Prince An was named, and her niece, Guo Luoluo, was assigned to the eighth.
The Empress Dowager went off topic again, and everyone began to comment on the Eighth Prince's marriage. The wife of Prince An naturally said, "It is truly a blessing earned through many generations that the master has granted me this marriage."
Concubine Tong smiled and said, "Why are you being so modest? The tutors at Prince An's Mansion are all trustworthy. The several ladies in the mansion are all famous and talented women. I think the Eighth Lady is not bad either."
Concubine Yi's surname was also Guo Luoluo. She was in the Bordered Yellow Banner, and the Eighth Lady was in the Plain Blue Banner. It was estimated that they might have some blood relationship for dozens of generations. After all, they had the same surname, so it sounded close. The Eighth and Ninth Lady were close, so they put aside this unpleasantness for the time being and became interested in gossip. But in their hearts, they thought that the Ninth Lady's wife should be from a higher family background. They didn't know if they could convince the Emperor this time.
Shujia was deeply concerned about the Eighth Prince, not for any other reason than because he struck her as a strong contender for the crown prince's position. While the Prince An's Mansion seemed somewhat declining, its foundation remained intact, its numerous followers, and its influence could not be underestimated. This was a good opportunity to test the waters and add fuel to the fire: "Our Eighth Prince isn't bad either."
Unexpectedly, this statement resonated with everyone, and many people nodded in agreement. Even the Third and Fourth Concubines said, "The Eighth Prince is a good man. He is ambitious, hardworking, and a promising young man."
Shujia hadn't expected that the Eighth Prince had already gained such a good reputation without her knowing. So she became even more concerned, and continued to talk about the Empress Dowager's career: "Our Eighth Prince is even going on an expedition this time. Prince An's military achievements made him a good match."
Everyone praised in unison: "Indeed, he is also very kind to others."
Shujia was puzzled. No matter how much she tried, no one could cite any evidence to prove the Eighth Prince was "capable" or "virtuous." So where did his reputation come from? She was baffled. He was only sixteen, and already his reputation was so good that even the ladies in the inner palace knew about it. Her scalp tingled. No matter how gentle and graceful the legendary Eighth Prince might be, he was a danger to Yuqing Palace.
In fact, when the eldest brother is free, he will pull the eighth brother out to show off, to show that he has a younger brother. Compared with the unreliable and pretentious eldest brother, the humble and amiable eighth brother is an angel in everyone's eyes. The contrast is so obvious that the palace maids and eunuchs have a very good impression of the eighth brother, and the news is passed on to their respective masters. The Crown Princess doesn't know, purely because... Yuqing Palace has little contact with the eighth brother, and the Crown Prince doesn't like him.
Moreover, the Eighth Prince lived in the palace, so his good reputation would naturally spread from there. The Crown Princess made a dogmatic mistake in her assessment of this matter.
When the banquet ended, everyone was confused: Today is the Crown Princess's son's hundredth day, right? How did we get to the Eighth Prince?
The author has something to say: My paws are numb...I'm going to sleep and rest.
Happy birthday to classmate Mu Qingsi. Fortunately, it’s not past twelve o’clock.
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