Palace of Heavenly Purity.
The brothers stood listlessly against the wall below the jade steps, and they were like "stars surrounding the moon" surrounding Yinqi who dared not even breathe.
Their companions stayed in the upper study room to be taught a lesson by the chief teacher, but they were taken to the imperial study room to be taught a lesson by the emperor. As they were counted down, from the eldest prince to the fifth prince, they all lowered their heads, not daring to meet the dark-faced Kangxi's eyes.
The prince was still immersed in the regret of his bad mouth and sighed quietly in his heart. My fifth brother just started snoring, how come Cao Cao appears as soon as I mentioned him
Some twisted their fingers, some were ashamed, and some showed a slight dissatisfaction. The third and fifth princes were extremely guilty, and their heads hung lower and lower; the fourth prince Yinzhen also looked quite remorseful, but the eldest prince Yinzhi secretly thought that he was unlucky, and thought expressionlessly that he was implicated for no reason.
When Kangxi asked in a deep voice, "Who is the culprit?", no one spoke, except Yinzhi, who moved his neck and quickly glanced at the prince's apricot-colored figure. Then he retracted his gaze and said carefully, "To answer your question, Father, today is the second day of my fifth brother's school enrollment... It's inevitable that he is sleepy in such a cold weather and can't adapt. I hope you will show some mercy..."
He actually pleaded for his brother before the prince did.
The prince narrowed his eyes and was silent for a moment. He was about to open his mouth, but Kangxi had already said "hmm" and called out in a disappointed tone, "Yinqi."
Yinqi shuddered, his face flushed, and he wished he could dig a hole in the ground in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and crawl into it, "Emperor...Emperor Father..."
"Who made such a solemn promise to the Queen Mother? And who pestered your second and fourth brothers to practice calligraphy?" Kangxi pointed at him, raised his eyebrows, and lowered his voice, "Not only did you sleep well, but you also took others away. You are amazing!"
The princes were always studious, and what happened in the study room today was truly unprecedented. Not only were the teachers shocked, but even Kangxi was puzzled.
Following the principle of "a dragon gives birth to nine sons, each with his own unique talents", he attached great importance to the academic performance of his brothers and was very strict in this regard. Not only did he conduct random checks from time to time, he would also summon people to inquire about their opinions with a stern look, which was far from his usual image of a loving father.
But those who work hard can get rewards from the emperor. The reason why the princes study so hard is not only because they are always being chased by the whip, but also because they want to attract the attention and praise of their father the emperor.
Like the eldest prince and the crown prince, they were close in age and were competing with each other for the top spot. How could it be said that there was no competition for favor? In order to set an example, they had long been accustomed to the study room schedule.
The third and fourth little brothers who had just entered school persevered stubbornly no matter how sleepy or tired they were. They never shirked their duties, which gave people a great sense of comfort.
So, the words "lazy" and "sleepy" are really not in the emperor's dictionary.
After understanding the inside story, his anger disappeared, leaving only helplessness. Kangxi glanced at Yinqi, who was like a quail, and continued: "In a few months, I wanted to take you on a tour to the south, but now it seems..."
Southern Tour
Before Yinqi could react, the eldest prince was secretly surprised because his father had never mentioned this to him.
He couldn't help but feel a little envious and jealous. In just one year, his fifth brother had gotten so lucky that he became more and more favored by the Emperor. He was almost leaving him behind!
This was a bolt from the blue for Yinqi, and he immediately fell into endless regret. He sobbed for a long time, his eyes were full of tears. The southern tour was much more important than Bai Xue from his fourth brother's family. In this case, why should he worry about Fu Qing's photographic memory!
He remembered his mother's instructions when she was copying Buddhist scriptures, that he must never conflict with Yikun Palace Concubine Yi again, and that he must take good care of Yinqi... Seeing the prince calling out "Father Emperor", the eldest prince Yinzhi narrowed his eyes, cupped his hands and said, "Father Emperor, speaking of this matter, I am also at fault."
Kangxi paused, glanced at him, and said in a deep voice, as if smiling, "You are wrong! As the elder brother, you did not give any advice and did not fulfill your duty to persuade your younger brother. Since you blame yourself so much, I think facing the wall is not enough, how about kneeling as punishment?"
“…” The eldest prince was stunned for a moment, and it took him a long while to react. His cheeks flushed with heat, and then he stepped aside hesitantly, exposing the Crown Prince who was a step further away and closest to Yinqi, and pushed him to the front.
The prince froze for a moment, and had no choice but to take a few steps forward, thinking that the boss was a damned bastard, who had repeatedly harmed him...
If the Emperor could remember that glance at the window, he might be the one who would be pissed off!
Because the princes were still young, the emperor did not want to punish them too severely. He looked around and said with a sullen face, "Yinreng, I entrust Yinqi to you—"
The Fifth Prince felt a chill in his heart. It was all over. His second brother, who had been oblivious to the world outside and devoted himself to his studies, would also be implicated.
However, before he finished speaking, Liang Jiugong's low but urgent report suddenly came from outside: "Your Highness, Your Highness! Concubine Yi wants to see you."
In an instant, the group of princes who were "guilty" had the opportunity to witness what it meant to change one's face.
How could their wise and powerful emperor still look angry? In just a few breaths, he restrained his might and his thunderous wrath turned into gentle rain.
Kangxi coughed and said, "Why don't you come in?"
Liang Jiugong: “…”
The sour feeling in his teeth came back again. The chief steward was stunned for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, please be careful and reserved. We are in front of all the princes."
Upon hearing this, Yinqi was the most excited, with a blush on his cheeks; the prince breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed that he and his fifth brother were finally saved.
The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were dazed. After they came to their senses, they looked at each other and suppressed their excitement. Only the Eldest Prince was still at a loss as to what to do and seemed a little confused.
A long time ago, he had heard from Concubine Hui about how favored the one in Yikun Palace was, and had a general impression of her, but he had never seen her up close.
A boy of thirteen or fourteen was still ignorant about love and romance. When he attended banquets in the past, he did not clearly realize the source of the jealousy of the concubines in the harem.
At that moment, when he heard Concubine Yi openly mention that "the schedule in winter is different from that in summer, is the emperor too strict with the children in terms of studying?", his eyes widened: "… "
*****
Cining Palace.
Upon learning that Concubine Yi had requested to see Kangxi immediately, the Empress Dowager stroked her chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "With her mother's plea, my Yinqi will not be punished."
The Empress Dowager said that the rules set by the Emperor were a bit strict in terms of learning, but they were not without merits, and she agreed with that. Her grandson had always set high standards for himself since he was young, and gradually grew up to be someone she was satisfied with. This was the proudest achievement of the old lady's life.
Because of this, she would not interfere with the education of the next generation, whether it was reading or riding and shooting. Look, how well Baocheng was taught by Xuanye
But even though she agreed, it didn't stop her from feeling sorry for Yinqi.
Xiaowu started learning Chinese late, and children of this age are very sleepy. In addition, he was excited to enter the study room for the first time, so it was understandable that he went to bed late on the first day. But facing the wall was too much!
The Empress Dowager almost couldn't hold back and thought about sending Su Malagu to the Qianqing Palace, but thinking back to the joke she made last time because of little Tong Jia, she finally waved her hand and gave up the idea.
This old woman also cares about her face!
The Queen Mother wanted to plead for mercy, but was also persuaded by the old ancestor: "Yinqi is raised by you, you can't say such things. If the Emperor is unhappy, won't he do the opposite?"
After thinking about it, I couldn't come up with any good idea.
The two empress dowagers sighed in the Cining Palace, and Su Malagu and Madam Qian looked at them with amusement.
It is said that people become less energetic as they age. At the beginning of last year, the old ancestor was already a little tired. But the harem was not peaceful, and the old ancestor had a lot of things to worry about. She was also a hardworking person... As time went by, she became more energetic, and even when she scolded people, she was full of energy, like an old child.
Miss Tong just passed away, and now it's the Fifth Prince's turn. I really have so much to worry about!
Look, after learning that Concubine Yi had accomplished what the two empress dowagers wanted, they began to discuss what reward to give her.
The Queen Mother suddenly spoke up, "Now that the high position is vacant, she gave birth to two princes and has made great contributions. She is qualified to be a noble concubine. What's more important is that the Emperor likes her. The Empress Dowager can also see that Concubine Yi is a person of true character, unlike Concubine Tong who is full of calculations... What surprised me the most was that she trusted Baocheng to take care of the children. Not only Xiaowu, but also Xiaojiu was allowed to be held without hesitation."
The Empress Dowager slowed down the speed at which she twirled her Buddhist beads. After being surprised, she closed her eyes and pondered for a long time without saying anything.
Qiqi raised Yinqi and felt a little guilty towards Concubine Yi, so she naturally leaned towards the Yikun Palace. This was human nature and there was nothing wrong with it. But if you think about it carefully, the reasons she cited were impeccable.
Concubine Yi came from a prominent family, had sufficient qualifications and contributions, and had never made any major mistakes from beginning to end. She held a unique position in the emperor's heart.
The one that the Empress Dowager was most worried about was the Crown Prince. She had not thought so far ahead, but the accusation of Uya and the frame-up of Tonggiya sounded the alarm for her.
When she was around, those villains dared to act so rampantly; after a hundred years of her life, the empress dowager could not interfere in the affairs concerning the prince.
Without the elders to mediate, how could those with ulterior motives restrain themselves? Even if the emperor's favor would not waver, nothing could be certain over the years.
If there is any rift between the father and the son, it would be like cutting her flesh alive, and she would not have peace in her grave!
In the court, the Empress Dowager saw clearly who Mingzhu supported. After Soetu fell, the factional struggles disappeared without a trace, and only Mingzhongtang was the dominant family. The Tong family was one of the families that could restrain him, and there were also a few families loyal to the emperor.
Mingzhu is quite smart, and his little plan has not yet come to light. His ability makes the emperor reluctant to use him. There are big hidden dangers in the previous dynasty, and in the harem, Baocheng has no mother to protect him...
The more the Empress Dowager thought about it, the more worried she became.
Her grandson Xuanye is becoming more and more skilled in the art of ruling an emperor. In the future... who knows
The Imperial Concubine was born into the Niuhuru clan and had a child, so she naturally could not be a support for the prince; Pingpin was a stupid person with high expectations but poor skills, and her last name was Hesheli, so she would only drag down Baocheng.
Concubine Yi...
After thinking about it, what Qiqige said makes sense.
"When you have time, go and ask the emperor to come over," the Empress Dowager instructed Su Malagu, "and tell him that I have something to discuss with you."
Palace of Heavenly Purity.
After Su Malagu paid her respects, she gently and smilingly conveyed the words of the Grand Empress Dowager. Kangxi paused while reviewing the memorials and asked casually, "Did Yinqi go to file a complaint?"