Chapter 68

  In the study of the Qianqing Palace, beside Kangxi were not only the Crown Prince, Da A Ge, San A Ge, Yin Zhen, Wu A Ge and Ba A Ge, Jiu A Ge and several other high-ranking officials including Suo E Tuo. The eunuch reported that Hong Kui had arrived, so everyone couldn't help but look towards the door.

  A seven-year-old child who looked like a twelve or thirteen year old in terms of height, but was not thin at all. He wore a simple blue robe with a silver-white cloak over it. His appearance increasingly resembled that of Yongzheng when he was young. Only his eyes were calm and tranquil, and he did not show any panic or tension towards the sudden appearance of so many people. In terms of etiquette, there was no mistake at all, and because of his composure which was beyond his age, he appeared even more impressive.

  No wonder even in Suzhou, there will be news of filial piety and understanding that can reach the capital, it seems there is a certain reason for this.

  The dignified courtesy was no less than that of the imperial grandsons raised in the capital, disappointing those who wanted to find fault.

  Kangxi's face showed satisfaction, and he called out to Hong Kui: "You've been in Suzhou for a long time, and I haven't seen you for two years. Today, I called you over for two reasons: one is to have you pay your respects to everyone, and the other is to take a look at your scholarship. In a few days, come to the palace to read books."

  Hong Kui responded with a humble and respectful tone, his eyes cast downward calmly. Kangxi couldn't help but think of Quan Pei at that time, who seemed to be the same, respectful yet not fearful.

  Yongzheng looked at his son with a pleased expression, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the crown prince standing beside him, holding hands slightly, so he lowered his eyes again. Hongxi was not bad either, but the crown prince was also somewhat too much.

  The eunuch led Hong Qian to greet everyone, and the Crown Prince smiled and supported Hong Qian: "It's been two years since we last met, and you've grown so big. I heard that when you were in Suzhou, you often helped your mother with things. I just don't know if your studies have fallen behind."

  Hong Qian raised his eyes and glanced at the prince, responding crisply: "Then please let the prince examine it."

  Who would have thought that a seven-year-old child could understand the meaning of the prince's words, neither timid nor arrogant, and say such an ordinary yet praiseworthy sentence.

  The prince's smile stiffened, but he didn't give up testing Hong Qian: "'Yellow Crane Tower's broken head, has the old friend ever been there?' Which poet's poem is this from?"

  This question doesn't sound difficult, but the origin of the words is a bit biased. The author Liu Guo is not very famous, and children don't read much about him.

  "It comes from Liu Guo's 'Tang Duoling' of the Song Dynasty." He answered almost without thinking, his tone flat and calm, showing no signs of panic or urgency.

  "Alas! You did not meet with the right time. If you had lived in the time of Emperor Gao, being an marquis of a mere 10,000 households would have been beneath your notice!" Who said this again?

  A child who has only been in school for two years, how can he be asked to read "Records of the Grand Historian"? Even if he reads it, it's impossible to master it. The prince is intentionally making things difficult for Hong Kui.

  The crown prince's intention was obvious, but he was still a bit impatient. Compared to seven-year-old Hongqian, he even fell short, because at this moment, Hongqian's face didn't change at all, and he remained calm and composed, just like last time, without thinking, he answered: "It comes from the 'Li General's Biography' in the 'Historical Records', which is Chen Zan Li Guang's words during Emperor Wen's reign."

  Not only did he answer the prince's question, but his answer was even more detailed and accurate than the prince's inquiry, showing that he had not only read "Records of the Grand Historian" but also truly memorized it.

  The smile on the crown prince's face could no longer be maintained, and he wanted to speak up, but he didn't want these difficult questions to become a stepping stone for Hongchen's reputation. However, Kangxi spoke up: "Not bad, being able to answer these two questions shows that your usual studies haven't fallen behind. Your uncles at this age may not have read as many books as you, and your mother has taught you well."

  Hong Kwan bowed again: "Thanks for your praise, Your Majesty!"

  From start to finish, every move was well-reasoned and polite, leaving no room for criticism.

  The ceremony has been seen and the scholarly inquiry has been examined. Kangxi then said warmly: "Alright, you may withdraw first."

  The birds outside were still chirping, just like when Hong Qian had just arrived. Jiū āgē looked at Hong Qian's straight back and smiled, saying: "Big nephew has become mature after experiencing the outside world, not comparable to these princes in the capital. Just look at his demeanor, it's really admirable! He even knows 'The Records of the Grand Historian', which is so difficult, truly not simple!"

  He deliberately said it to the prince, urging Kangxi to call Hongqian over, originally wanting to see a joke, but now he's good, calling Kangxi to praise Hongqian for a while, this is called lifting a stone to hit one's own foot, serving him right!

  The prince's face turned gloomy.

  The Crown Prince deliberately made things difficult for Hong Kuan, which also made Kangxi feel uncomfortable. After all, he was just a child of several years old and had experienced many hardships. The Crown Prince's heart was still a bit too small.

  Yongzheng didn't want the topic to revolve around Hongxiao, so he changed the subject: "The Emperor is considering how to deal with the allocation of silver for disaster relief..."

  When she saw De Fei, she still looked gentle and beautiful like two years ago. When she saw Quan Pei, her eyes turned red. She asked about Quan Pei's affairs in Jiangsu, and eventually, they talked about the 9th Princess who stayed in Beijing: "...... Compared to her other sisters, she is much better off, staying in Beijing without having to suffer from being married far away. However, as the grandson of Tong Guo Wei, he is also a royal relative, very arrogant. The couple's life together was bumpy, and they suffered a lot due to the many rules in the Princess's mansion..."

  When a woman marries, she will inevitably have many inconveniences and hardships, and cannot be as carefree as when she was a daughter at home. It is also common for her to not get used to it.

  "Listen to San Shu explaining to me and getting some fresh air, Jiu Mei also went, waiting for us to meet and chat."

  The Empress Dowager was delighted: "She believes in you, you talk to her and tell her to learn a thing or two!"

  Hong Xian didn't say much about his experience in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, only asking about Quan Pei and Jiu Er's well-being. When Yongzheng returned home, he praised Hong Xian to Quan Pei: "......He helped with errands on that side and read so many books. The Crown Prince intentionally made things difficult for him, but it didn't faze Hong Xian at all! He really has great ambitions!"

  "It was he himself who liked to read, and would often stay up late into the night before sleeping, I didn't say much about it."

  "This is even more precious!"

  So they waited until night to see Hong Yun, and couldn't help but ask him a few questions about his homework. Hong Yun was still young after all, and when compared to Hong Qian, he fell short in some areas, so he ended up getting scolded. When he saw Li Shi, he started crying and wailing, causing Li Shi's eyebrows to furrow deeply.

  Third Brother has always been a self-proclaimed man of letters, and even his house is built with a hint of literary flair. The backyard garden is filled with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemums, all symbols of nobility and purity. It's the season when chrysanthemums are in bloom, filling the entire garden with fragrance and beauty.

  In the Liuchun Pavilion sat a group of noblewomen, some filled with emotion and others curious onlookers.

  San Fu Jin's eyes reddened as she said: "You've had a hard time these past two years!"

  Lian Wufu's wife didn't even bother to complain now: "You're really something, staying there for two whole years!"

  Dà Fú Jìn was the new wife of Dà ā Gē, so she wasn't familiar with Quán Pèi. Neither were the later arrivals, Qī Fú Jìn, Jiǔ Fú Jìn and Shí Fú Jìn, who didn't know Quán Pèi either. They just noticed that this Fourth Fú Jìn's clothes had a Suzhou style, which added to her beauty, and the jewelry on her body was worth tens of thousands, but it didn't make her look common; on the contrary, she looked elegant and noble, with a natural beauty that made her stand out as an exceptional person.

  Jiufu Jin whispered to Bafu Jin: "So that's what Fourth Sister is like, no wonder our master always praises her when he mentions her."

  The Eighth Prince was extremely popular in the imperial court and had extensive connections. Wherever the Eighth Princess went, she was surrounded by admirers. When she heard the Ninth Princess speak, she only responded with a faint "hmm". This made the Ninth Princess feel somewhat uneasy. The Seventh Princess let out a soft hum, while the Eighth Princess was clearly uncomfortable seeing that the Fourth Princess was more liked than her.

  The ninth princess was also supposed to come, but suddenly there was an urgent matter at home and she could only send someone with a gift, without coming herself.

  Wu Fu Jin quietly said, "Others may not know, but I've heard that the prince has a mistress outside, and he didn't dare tell the princess. Now the mistress is pregnant, her belly getting bigger by the day, it's going to get out of hand soon! He still doesn't dare let the empress dowager know, she's so protective of the ninth princess!"

  Can the Empress Dowager still protect the Ninth Princess when her own interests are at stake?

  Madam Yu was furious: "This son-in-law is really ignorant, marrying the princess of Tianjia is already his great blessing, but he still has the nerve to be dissatisfied! I'll go tell the empress dowager about this and have her deal with this ungrateful person!"

  It's true that Empress Dowager Cixi disliked these things, but whether she ordered the punishment of the Crown Prince was for the sake of Princess Rongshou or because she herself did not allow Eighth Brother to take a concubine, it's hard to say.

  "Let's listen to the ninth princess's opinion, the matter between husband and wife can be solved originally, if outsiders get involved, small things will become big things, and it will not be easy to tie this knot."

  Quan Pei said so, Wu Fu Jin immediately responded: "Isn't that exactly right!"

  Xian Jing did not agree with Ba Fu Jin's words, which made Ba Fu Jin unhappy again: "She is younger and doesn't know the severity of the situation. Are we just going to ignore it?"

  Everyone present seemed indifferent and uninterested.

  Hachiko's loyalty is well-known to all.

  Ruan Yu stretched out her hand and pinched a big peony beside her, turned around and pinned it to the side of Ba Fu's hair: "People are more beautiful than flowers."

  Ba Fu Jin was taken aback again, and then heard Quan Pei say: "Eighth Brother's wife is a beautiful woman, Eighth Brother is very lucky."

  Ba Fu Jin stroked the chrysanthemum by her temple, her emotions no longer as intense as before, and her voice softened: "Thank you, Fourth Sister-in-law."

  A banquet where all the sisters-in-law got to know each other a little, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

  It wasn't until late in the afternoon that Quan Pei returned by carriage, sitting with her eyes closed to rest. Suddenly, a commotion was heard from outside, and Xiao Yue saw Quan Pei open her eyes, then asked towards the outside of the curtain: "What's going on?"

  "As for what the girl said, it was when we arrived at the entrance of the Ninth Princess's residence. A pregnant woman outside was causing a commotion and many people were gathered around to watch."

  Kuang Pu specially passed by here, didn't expect to really encounter something, no matter if it's a coincidence or not, because the protagonist of this matter is the 9th Princess, Yongzheng's own sister, she must take care of it.

  "Have someone take that pregnant woman to a safe place, don't hurt her. I'll go call the gate of the Ninth Princess's residence and take a look."

  It's rumored that Ninth Princess might be pregnant too, if this gets out I don't know how Ninth Princess will fare...