AWB Chapter 8: The Tragic Assessment for the Three
Chapter 8: The Tragic Assessment for the Three
While Yinzhuo leaned against Kangxi's chest, his eyes sparkling as he spoke about his future plans for the courtyard, the others in the room were not idle either. Although they dared not openly look at Kangxi, their gazes were filled with curiosity as they looked over there.
"Big brother, don't you think Sixth Brother's personality seems to have changed quite a bit lately?"
As the crown prince, Yinreng lived independently from his brothers in both his studies and daily life. Although he did not meet Yinzuo often, he was quite familiar with his younger brother who was twice his age.
Don't let the little guy's fair and delicate appearance fool you; he looks frail and weak, but his personality is completely at odds with his looks. He's arrogant and domineering, and quite mischievous. He once saw this little thing ruthlessly forcing flowers to bloom in the Imperial Garden with a small twig. But today, he noticed that the little guy seemed much calmer, and the faint aura of hostility he once had was gone. He looked extremely peaceful.
"Really? He's not always like this, but I don't know what's wrong with him these past two days. He seems to be afraid of me, and he tries to hide whenever he sees me."
Compared to the Crown Prince's meticulousness, the First Prince was much more careless. After hearing his words, Yinreng immediately felt that he had really asked him a question for no reason.
Kangxi showed concern for his youngest son, and naturally he wouldn't neglect his two older sons. After listening to Yinzhuo's plans for the future of his residence, he patted his little head and let him play beside him. He then turned around and called Yinti and Yinzhen over, and even Yinreng, who was standing to the side, was not left out.
Unlike the warm and gentle atmosphere when she was talking to Yinzhuo earlier, the atmosphere was much more serious now. As if following a set routine, they first chatted for a few minutes, asking about the recent lives of their sons. The questions were nothing more than whether they were eating well and whether they were feeling unwell. Then it was time for the academic assessment.
It must be said that Emperor Kangxi truly deserves his reputation as a professional "tiger parenting expert." His three sons, Yinzhen, Yinti, and Yinreng, were indeed very well-educated, with a wide variety of tests. Manchu, Han, and Mongolian languages were just appetizers, and classical texts were only the basics. Later, Yinzuo discovered that even in later times, science was becoming more advanced, and the princes were even required to study Western learning.
The assessment lasted a very long time. Fortunately, Yinzhen was still young and his knowledge was not deep. Later on, Kangxi basically stopped asking him questions. Crown Prince Yinreng was also fine, after all, he had been taught by famous teachers since childhood, so he could answer Kangxi's questions fluently. The only one who suffered was Yinti, who had always preferred riding and archery to martial arts than cultural knowledge. Towards the end, he was stammering and sweating profusely when asked questions.
"That's enough for today, Yinti. Let's call it a day. You'll have to work hard when you get back."
These words meant that the torture was finally over for Yinti, so he quickly bowed and paid his respects.
"Yes, son will definitely work hard when he gets back."
Emperor Kangxi knew that his eldest son had always preferred martial arts to literature, so as long as his studies were passable, he would not be too harsh on him. He was satisfied with today's assessment results. Needless to say, the Crown Prince was excellent. Yinreng had always been diligent in his studies, and although Yinzhen had only been enrolled for a short time, he had also done well. He had specifically asked a few questions that were relatively difficult for someone his age, and Yinzhen answered them fairly well.
As for Yinzhuo, he hasn't even enrolled in school yet, so it's too early to say anything now.
"Alright, that's enough for today. You brothers rarely see each other, so since you've all gathered together today, you might as well spend more time together. I don't have anything else to do here, so you may all leave."
Since Emperor Kangxi had instructed them to spend more time together, none of them dared to disobey and part ways as soon as they left the Qianqing Palace. Moreover, at this time, both the eldest prince and the crown prince Yinreng were still young. Although they might not like each other in normal times, they were not going to fight like bitter enemies decades later and never speak to each other again. Therefore, none of them resisted Emperor Kangxi's decree to spend more time together.
"Father has asked us brothers to spend more time together, but we can't just stand here in the scorching sun. How about this, I, the eldest brother, will host a simple meal for you brothers at my place today? I wonder if Your Highness the Crown Prince would be so kind as to accept?"
Everyone readily accepted the invitation from the eldest prince, Yinti, and the attitude towards the crown prince, Yinreng, was also very gentle. Although Yinti's words sounded somewhat mocking, he didn't seem to care at all.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to spend the money, brother. The sun is getting stronger and stronger here now, so let's not stand in the sun."
The Qianqing Palace was not far from the South Three Palaces, and the brothers did not send a palanquin over. They strolled along the way to the South Three Palaces. Yinzhuo was scorched by the sun and had lost the curiosity he had about the ancient Forbidden City when he arrived. He walked ahead of Yinti and the others with his head down, wishing he could step into the South Three Palaces in one step.
"Li Yu, hurry up and fetch a few basins of water so the men can wash their faces and relax. When we're standing still, we don't feel that hot, but once we start moving around, we're covered in sweat."
Upon returning to the courtyard of the South Third Palace, Yinti hurriedly instructed his personal eunuch, Li Yu, to have someone fetch several basins of water. After a quick wash, the group sat down in the room, and immediately a young eunuch came to fan them. It took them quite a while to feel more comfortable.
"Brothers, let us know what you'd like for lunch, and we'll have Li Yu make a run to the kitchen later."
As for what to eat for lunch, Yinzhen and Yinreng were naturally indifferent. As princes, they usually ate plenty of delicacies, so after Yinti asked, they both said that anything was fine. Only Yinzuo seemed a little eager to try, so Yinti looked at him.
"Brother, can I order whatever I want to eat?"
Yinzhuo's mind was now almost entirely focused on eating, and he naturally forgot his previous fear of his elder brother Yinti, who possessed extraordinary martial prowess. When Yinti asked him a question, he stared at Yinti with bright eyes and asked.
"of course can."
After receiving Yinti's affirmative answer, Yinzuo didn't stand on ceremony and immediately started listing the names of the dishes, ordering more than a dozen dishes in one go before stopping.
"Hahaha, Sixth Brother is indeed worthy of his ambition to become a playboy who loves to eat and drink. He has a good eye for food."
When Crown Prince Yinreng teased him, Yinzuo was completely unfazed, taking it all as a compliment.
The imperial chef's skills were beyond question; the dishes on the table were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. Naturally, Yinzhuo ate with great satisfaction. Perhaps because they saw him eating so heartily, the others were also influenced, and the three of them ate much more than usual.
After the meal, Li Yu and his men cleared away the leftovers, served tea to the group, and then left, leaving the brothers to drink tea, chat, and digest their food.
Three days passed quickly, and soon it was time for Yinzhuo to go to the Imperial Study. Before dawn, Yinzhuo was dragged out of bed by Dexi. He dressed in a daze, and after being helped to wash up by Dexi, he ate breakfast in a daze. Then, he was surrounded by a group of people and put on a palanquin, swaying and bumping along the way to the Imperial Study.
Summer days are early, but even so, it was only just dawn when they arrived at the Imperial Study. Yinzhuo, who was already very sleepy, fell asleep again after being jolted awake by the carriage. Dexi had no choice but to resign herself to her fate and go forward.
"Young master, wake up, we've arrived at the Imperial Study."