Being a prince in the Qing Dynasty was no easy task, especially during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. Emperor Kangxi himself was a studious and diligent man, and he paid close attention to his sons’ studies. He required his princes to read each poem and essay 120 times, and then memorize them 120 times until they knew them by heart.
Every day, they would rise at dawn to attend lectures by the tutors at
Wuyi Zhai, have breakfast at dawn, and then practice martial arts at the drill ground. Su Hua, now Yinreng, entered the Imperial Study. The tutors and princes rose to greet him: “Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Long live the Crown Prince!”
“Rise, all of you,” Yinreng said with a smile, casually patting the bald head of the seventh prince, Yinyou, who was standing closest to him. At only seven years old, he was already suffering so much. Yinreng looked at him with pity; the whole room was filled with such uneven little heads, so young and still not getting enough sleep.
Everyone was somewhat surprised; the Crown Prince was always aloof and had never shown such affection towards his younger brothers. The Third Prince, Yinzhi, blinked, a hint of envy in his eyes. The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, remained expressionless, his emotions unwavering. The Fifth Prince, Yinqi, was astonished, but then smiled warmly again, like a bodhisattva in a temple, exuding a benevolent aura despite his young age. The Seventh Prince, his face flushed, couldn’t help but steal glances.
Each person’s behavior revealed their character, which Yinreng kept in mind. The former Crown Prince was arrogant and disdained to understand his younger brothers’ personalities. Yinreng didn’t want to suffer a humiliating defeat, so he had to try to understand his competitors’ characters; knowing oneself and one’s enemy is the key to victory. After looking around again, he asked, “Why isn’t Eighth Brother here?”
The First Prince had already established his own residence and was in charge of official duties, so naturally he wouldn’t be studying with them. Apart from the First Prince and the Crown Prince, the eldest among them was the Third Prince, and it was his turn to answer the Crown Prince’s questions. The Third Prince hesitated, wanting to speak but not daring to. Finally, the Fourth Prince stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Highness, the Seventh Prince is ill. Father has exempted him from today’s morning lessons.”
This was the legendary Big Boss, who was still a serious and rigid little bean. Yinreng looked at him with burning eyes and said softly, “Call him Second Brother.”
The Fourth Prince was startled by the enthusiasm in his eyes when he was called Second Brother. His unchanging expression finally broke. He twitched his lips and obediently cupped his hands, saying, “Second Brother.”
Yinreng nodded in satisfaction, patted his shoulder, and said to the brothers, “The Eighth Prince is ill. Those who have time after the morning lessons can go and see him.”
“Yes,” the princes replied in unison.
Yinreng was pleased and turned respectfully to his tutors, saying, “Please begin the lesson.”
Yinreng sat upright before his desk, while Zhang Ying and Li Guangdi knelt before him, holding their books and beginning their lecture. The teacher kneeling to lecture while the student sat listening put immense pressure on Yinreng, forcing him to concentrate to avoid troubling the two Grand Secretaries with a second explanation.
It must be said that the Crown Prince possessed an exceptional memory; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he could remember everything he saw. From a young age, he was exceptionally intelligent and gifted, earning the praise of all the tutors who had served him. The Crown Prince’s tutors were all carefully selected by Emperor Kangxi. Li Guangdi was well-known, so there was no need to elaborate. While the name Zhang Ying might be unfamiliar, his humorous poem immediately brought him to mind: “A letter arrives, all for a wall. Why not give him three feet? The Great Wall still stands, but where is Qin Shi Huang?” This poem gave rise to the famous Six-Foot Lane, demonstrating the man’s magnanimous and open-minded nature. Both were renowned scholars of their time, cautious, diligent, and erudite. Emperor Kangxi had carefully selected the Crown Prince’s tutors.
Yinreng quickly flipped through the folders left by the former Crown Prince deep within his mind, memorizing what his tutors had said and adding his own understanding, keeping himself very busy.
Zhang Ying and Li Guangdi looked at the seated Crown Prince, noticing his dignified expression, the bright and noble air of an emperor, and his exceptional talent, excelling in both literature and martial arts. They couldn’t help but nod in approval; the Qing Dynasty had a worthy successor.
After an hour of morning lessons, Yinreng was already starving. Returning to Yuqing Palace, he found a lavish, steaming breakfast laid out on the table: lotus root and honey cake, cream-filled pastries, pork floss and garlic flower rolls, jujube and rice porridge, bird’s nest stewed with eggs, stir-fried dried bean curd with beef jerky… every dish was exquisite, a feast for the eyes and the palate. The pastries were intricately designed, each emitting a subtle, enticing aroma; the soups were refreshing and delicious without being greasy, made with rare and precious ingredients. Yinreng sat down, gazing at the abundant breakfast, but lost his appetite.
It was far too extravagant. This food could probably feed ten strong men working in the fields; how could he possibly consume so much? Yinreng carefully surveyed Yuqing Palace. From top to bottom, not only the masters, but even the servants, their food, clothing, and daily necessities were the finest in the entire palace, surpassing even those of the Qianqing Palace. These palaces were extremely luxurious, filled with antiques and treasures. Even the pair of chopsticks he casually picked up were gold-inlaid jade and ivory chopsticks, a tribute from the King of Burma.
This was not a good thing. Yinreng took a couple of bites and put down the ivory chopsticks. Now that the emperor favored him, everything was the best. But if one day the emperor stopped favoring him, all of this would be evidence against him. The Crown Prince had lost his father at birth, and Kangxi doted on him. Fearing that his servants might not be attentive enough to provide for him, he appointed Lingpu, the Crown Prince’s wet nurse, as the head of the Imperial Household Department. Everything in the Imperial Household Department could be taken from the Eastern Palace.
Lingpu, wanting to curry favor with the Crown Prince, naturally offered him the best. Over the years, Yuqing Palace became its current magnificent state, gradually fostering the former Crown Prince’s arrogant and decadent nature.
It was time to give Lingpu a warning, lest someone find a pretext to use against him and implicate him.
“Your Highness, is it not to your liking?” a palace maid serving nearby asked cautiously.
Yinreng shook his head, pointing to the table laden with delicacies, and said, “Take these away and share them with yourselves.”
The servants were somewhat surprised and quickly knelt to express their gratitude.
Yinreng stood up and said to his personal eunuch, Yuanmu, “Go to the Imperial Kitchen and instruct them to lower the standard of meals at Yuqing Palace, making them similar to those of the other princes.”
Yuanmu, having witnessed his master’s unusual behavior many times that day, was already used to it and immediately bowed, “Yes, Your Highness.”
On the way to the drill ground, Yinreng made a detour to the princes’ quarters to check on the Eighth Prince. The child had caught a cold in the middle of summer and had a fever. Upon seeing the Crown Prince, he tried to get up, but Yinreng stopped him.
At noon, the Qianqing Palace served the meal. Yinreng changed into a blue brocade robe with gold dragons and bats, and wore colorful silk sachets and coiled dragon pendants on either side of his waist. After thinking for a moment, he ordered someone to bring the nourishing ginseng that Ling Pu had presented a couple of days ago. After lunch, he planned to go to the Empress Dowager’s residence. What did the old ancestor lack? He wanted to bring some ginseng to show his filial piety and to avoid arriving empty-handed.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, besides Kangxi, there was also the four-year-old Tenth Prince, Yin’e. After paying his respects to Kangxi, Yinreng hugged Yin’e. The little boy was chubby and chubby, and when Yinreng teased him, he actually grinned. Perhaps because of his mother’s noble status, Yin’e wasn’t afraid of the Crown Prince. Yinreng couldn’t help but feel a little tingly looking at his chubby little face, and gently pinched it a couple of times before letting go.
Kangxi already knew about the Crown Prince’s friendly interaction with his brother in the study that morning, and seeing him so close to his younger brother pleased him greatly. After the three of them had lunch, Yinreng suggested that he go to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager: “I was ill a couple of days ago, and the Empress Dowager specially invited Grandmother Suma to visit me. I was just about to go and express my gratitude.”
Grandmother Suma was Suma Lagu, a close maidservant of the Empress Dowager who had served the Empress Dowager her entire life. The Empress Dowager called her “Gege” and treated her with great affection. She had also taught two emperors, Shunzhi and Kangxi, and Kangxi affectionately called her “Suma Enie,” while the younger generation called her Grandmother.
Upon hearing this, Kangxi ordered Yin’e to kneel and pay his respects, and said to Yinreng, “I will go with you.”
Yinreng immediately felt a chill run down his spine. He didn’t particularly like being around Kangxi, and the thought that Kangxi would eventually depose him filled him with fear.
Along the way, Kangxi abandoned the imperial carriage and strolled with Yinreng. He inquired carefully about Yinreng’s daily life, from his health to the smallest details of his clothing, food, and lodging. Yinreng answered cautiously, but glancing at the imperial procession behind him out of the corner of his eye, the bright yellow nine-dragon canopy fluttering in the wind, exuding majesty, his heart grew even heavier .
Kangxi sensed his unease and asked, “Is your health still not fully recovered?”
“Replying to Father Emperor, I am completely well.”
“If you feel unwell, summon the imperial physician immediately. Do not push yourself,” Kangxi said earnestly. “I understand.”
The days had grown increasingly hot, the summer heat concentrated in the Forbidden City, making everyone feel restless and irritable. Fortunately, a gentle breeze was blowing today, and the group walked in the shade, so it wasn’t too hot. The path from Qianqing Palace to Cining Palace was quite long, the palace road was flat and the stone steps smooth. If any palace servants were passing by, they would inevitably step aside and kneel to greet the emperor. Yinreng still couldn’t get used to others kneeling before him, so he could only concentrate on listening to Kangxi and try not to look.
“I heard you ordered the Imperial Kitchen to reduce the amount of food in your palace to the same level as the other princes. Why is that?” Kangxi asked.
This had only happened that morning, and Kangxi already knew. All the servants in Yuqing Palace were personally selected by Kangxi and the Empress Dowager; loyalty was one factor, but he also had no secrets to hide.
Yinreng replied respectfully, “I heard from Master Xu that the Yellow River has breached its banks again, causing great suffering to the people on both sides. Countless people have been displaced and become refugees. The palace has reduced its expenditures everywhere, so I should also be frugal.”
Kangxi’s face showed slight satisfaction, and he nodded slightly, “Even so, it’s not a problem for you. You work hard studying and practicing martial arts, and you need to nourish yourself, so there’s no need to cut back.”
Yinreng quickly said, “Father, you are also diligent in governing. I am not as diligent as you are, but even a little bit of food adds up.”
Kangxi laughed and said loudly… He said, “The Crown Prince’s filial piety is commendable, so it’s up to you.” Xian Reng smiled calmly and thanked him, but inwardly she couldn’t help but wonder, “Just mentioning ‘Father, you’ve worked hard’ makes Kangxi so happy. He truly ‘cherishes’ the Crown Prince. I wonder how things ended up like this.” Xian Reng secretly grumbled, “If I knew I’d one day time-travel, I’d read more Qing Dynasty history. Even without Qing Dynasty history, historical dramas would do, it’s better than being completely clueless now, without any of the superpowers of a time-traveler’s foresight.”