The stables were a natural defense line, guarded at the rear by troops and protected at the front by the imperial tent’s guards, the safest place.
As Imperial Noble Consort, Fang He was formally just below the crown prince, but as a senior, her rank placed her above him in all daily matters.
The crown prince’s tent was next to the imperial tent, so hers should be as well.
But her heart was only with the Empress Dowager and Jiujiu.
Kangxi knew this well, so he wasn’t too angry, but the subtle stifled frustration was hard to shake, especially now.
At this moment, he recalled Changning’s odd behavior.
He called him over.
Also, since some details in Changning’s memorial were unclear, after settling on the grassland, he ordered Liang Jiugong to summon him immediately.
The northern Mongol princes had gathered on the grasslands before the Emperor’s arrival to welcome him.
Only Gualdan refused the edict, even allowing old troops from Yili to bypass Khalkha’s borders, clashing with several tribes, hinting at further incursions into Khalkha lands.
Kangxi was furious.
Rather than listening to Fang He’s excuses and suppressing his resentment to comfort her, his mood was unsettled.
He wanted someone to curse at, to vent his frustration.
***
When Liang Jiugong came to summon Changning, it was past dinnertime.
Knowing he couldn’t avoid it, Changning sighed and stopped dawdling.
“Liang Anda, you may leave first. The Emperor wants to meet me with the formality of retiring and freshening up. I must prepare before going.”
Liang Jiugong was stunned, ‘That sounded strange.’
Prince Gong actually planned to bathe and dress to pay respects in the imperial tent?
It seemed Changning really took off his outer robe.
Though laughing inwardly, Liang Jiugong couldn’t stop him and returned to the Imperial Guard in confusion.
Unbeknownst to Liang Jiugong, the moment he left the Prince Gong’s tent, Changning quietly called an attendant to handle some affairs.
He changed into a black fitted long robe, then donned a black cloak.
When ready, the attendant had finished his task and brought in a slender, androgynous young eunuch.
“Did anyone see?” Changning examined the respectful little eunuch with satisfaction.
In the previous rush, the attendant had searched a while and found only a fairly pretty young eunuch, uncertain if he was willing to serve at the Prince’s bedside.
Of course, Changning didn’t care much about the eunuch’s thoughts.
If he had such a preference himself, even if the other was unwilling, he could just force it.
After all, they were all his servants—good or bad, they had to endure him.
But serving the Emperor was different.
If the eunuch resented it and made a mistake during service, inciting the Emperor’s wrath, Changning couldn’t afford that consequence.
Fortunately, after more than ten days, he found one who was better looking and willing to serve the Emperor.
The attendant immediately reassured him, “Your Highness, rest assured! He’s from our own household. No one has seen him, and he’s never been outside the residence. No one knows he’s from our household.”
Changning was overjoyed, patting the attendant’s shoulder, “Good! I’ll reward you later.”
He disguised the eunuch thoroughly; no one knew him, and even if rumors spread, everyone would tacitly understand it was Changning sending the eunuch to the palace.
This was finally settled!
He gleefully, quietly, and with repressed excitement led the eunuch around the tent several times, taking a different path before heading to the imperial tent.
With Changning’s attire, no one in the capital would notice him after dark.
But here on the grassland, with the Emperor and most of the court present, torches every few steps, and everywhere brightly lit, his outfit… well, it was hard to judge.
At least that was Yinzhi’s impression.
Crazy?
Standing at his own tent door, he sighed to the attendant Liu Yue, “Is this man mad? Doesn’t he fear the Imperial Guards will catch him and tear him apart?”
Liu Yue chuckled, “Master, judging by that cloak’s material, even the Imperial Guards wouldn’t dare draw their swords! This is Zhang silk from Fujian, an imperial tribute only allowed for royalty and high nobility. This looks like new material from the March tribute. Only a few princes and dukes received it. Not even the crown prince.”
Yinzhi: “…..”
For some reason, this conversation felt oddly familiar.
After racking his brain, he suddenly slapped his hand, recalling.
Earlier at Changchun Garden, when running into the Imperial Noble Consort heading to the Temple of Ladies, Zhang Chang—the one who got killed—had said something similar.
So this is… there’s some spectacle to watch?
Yinzhi hesitated.
The last time watching a spectacle was quite troublesome; maybe this time he’d pass.
But despite thinking so, he couldn’t resist turning into Third Prince Yinti’s tent.
The excitement before the Emperor—once seen, never forgotten—they were no longer novices afraid of anything.
If his brothers wanted to watch, it was his duty as elder brother to accompany them!
Yinti: “…..”
Just shameless, but worth emulating.
They also went to Fourth Prince Yinzhen’s tent.
Then Fifth Prince, Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince…
Learning from last time’s harsh rebuke by Kangxi, they even took seven-year-old Yin Xiang along, showing brotherly solidarity.
Still, none of the princes suggested inviting the crown prince.
But everyone knew he was secretly watching them.
If the crown prince found out, he wouldn’t sit still and would surely come with them, all together.
Unlike Changning, this time the experienced Yinzhi and Yinti led the brothers to boldly approach the imperial tent.
Their excuse: It had been a day since they saw the Khan, and they missed him very much, coming to pay their respects.
Yin Tang had completely forgotten his earlier tears and pleas from the afternoon and was the most excited, running ahead to scout.
“Wow, I think that figure looks like Fifth Uncle. I wonder what he’s doing, pacing around between tents and still hasn’t entered the imperial tent.”
Changning, fifth in rank, heard and his eyes lit up.
“That definitely means trouble!”
“Fifth Uncle always thinks differently. Didn’t he get paddled last year for stealing a horse from the Khan?
“The horses in the Imperial Stud are accounted for. Only Changning thought he could steal one unnoticed; really, no one dared stop him.”
Yinzhen had a different view, expressionless: “Maybe Fifth Uncle is carrying out an order from the Khan. But if we get caught trailing him, you all know the consequences.”
Though rash, Fifth Uncle’s beaten prize, that excellent horse, ended up in Prince Gong’s residence.
The Khan might not appreciate overly clever brothers.
This kind of harmless stupidity might just be Fifth Uncle’s cunning.
Yinzhen had no interest in watching Fifth Uncle’s antics.
Prince Gong’s tricks… to put it bluntly, some even said Prince Gong and Imperial Noble Consort Zhen were like siblings.
Yet the problem remained: Yinzhen regretted neglecting some things at the training ground and couldn’t resist the brute strength of his two older brothers.
‘Damn!’
Now, not only did his two burly elder brothers ignore his reasoned analysis, but so did the stronger and taller Fifth Prince.
Yinqi rubbed his hands and followed his younger brother eagerly, “Really? I didn’t know Fifth Uncle got paddled! You must tell me all about it later!”
Raised in the Empress Dowager’s presence, he had inherited her love of gossip.
He whispered, “What is Fifth Uncle trying to steal this time? Can we benefit?”
“By the way, big brother, third brother, did you bring your telescopes?”
“I heard you prepared them last time. Too bad Western gadgets are rare in the palace. I’ll ask the Manufacture Office to make me one when we return.”
Yinti and Yinqi hit it off and pulled out a gilded copper monocular from their sleeves.
“Did I forget? The grasslands have more spectacles than the palace! Third brother, let me take a look!” The Ninth Prince leaned in, begging.
Eleventh and younger Thirteenth Princes joined as well.
Seventh, Eighth, and Twelfth Princes were jealous but didn’t dare act rashly without their mothers around, and their ranks were lower.
Only Eighth Prince’s eyes shone with extra ambition and light.
One day, he would make all his brothers envy him by his own merit!
Each brother harbored their own thoughts as they swaggered closer to the imperial tent.
Yinzhi motioned to the guarding soldiers with a “shh” and whispered, “I just saw someone sneaking toward the imperial tent. Don’t alert them; search quietly. We are here to protect the Emperor!”
Guard: “….”
‘Sneaky people? Aren’t these princes right here?’
But since the eldest brother said so, the guards couldn’t ignore it.
They prepared to report to Zhao Chang and investigate.
Yet, as one guard turned aside, they suddenly heard the Emperor’s angry shout inside—
“What did you say?!”
“Enough! Changning, you really bring shame to the family!”
“Get out!”
At Kangxi’s first angry shout, the guard’s vision blurred as the eldest prince vanished like the wind.
Along with Third, Fifth, Thirteenth Princes, and the furious Fourth Prince, all had fled far away.
After their beatings in Chunhui Hall, the princes had secretly reviewed their experiences several times in the Imperial Study.
The first rule of watching a spectacle was to run fast.
As long as they weren’t caught, they hadn’t done anything wrong!
Even if the Khan knew they had come, the sons were filial; what was the problem?
If the Khan was angry, the sons not provoking him further would soothe him; coming later to show filial respect, any problem?
Princes Yinti and Yinqi ran while gossiping.
Yinti: “It really was Fifth Uncle!”
Yinqi: “Yeah, what did he do this time? Why is the Khan so mad?”
Yinti: “Huff… probably caught stealing something. So exciting!”
Yinqi: “Huff huff… too bad we saw nothing.”
How could they explain the details to the Imperial Matron later?
“Let’s ask around. Fifth Uncle has a loose tongue!” Yin Tang gasped as he rushed over, agreeing.
Yin Xi stretched his ears to listen, coughing lightly.
“Don’t forget to tell big brother. He remembers you when there’s a spectacle.”
Yinzhen at the end: “…………”
‘Why do I have a bunch of gossiping brothers… Don’t forget about me either!’
***
Kangxi was still in the imperial tent, scolding the trembling little eunuch kneeling before him and the embarrassed black-clad Prince Changning incessantly.
“Can’t you use that sesame-sized brain of yours to think properly?! If I had a preference for men, would I still have to call you out to see? Is the palace not enough for me to toy with you? Or isn’t Changchun Garden private enough?”
“Oh, I forgot, you’re brainless. But even with your butt, you should know not to think everyone else is as shameless as you! You even sent me a little eunuch. Why didn’t you just send yourself to my dragon bed!”
Changning, initially all tough, was shaken by his elder brother’s spittle.
He quickly raised his head to look at Kangxi, only to slump immediately in embarrassment.
Kangxi laughed at his look of wanting to disappear into a crack in the floor.
‘Oh, this scoundrel really thinks I have feelings for him.’
He couldn’t understand it—did Changning think he was blind?
“If your brain doesn’t work, fine, but your face is thick enough. Next battle, you won’t need armor; no arrow will hit you!”
Though dim-witted, Changning was somewhat clever or he wouldn’t have earned Kangxi’s trust for so many years.
Hearing Kangxi’s scolding mixed with laughter, Changning trembled inside, knowing if he didn’t explain, he might be stuck for weeks.
In times like this, it was kill or be killed.
He immediately protested, “Your humble brother, your humble brother… I didn’t mean that. It was all because Prince Jian got drunk and whispered in my ear…”
“He said you and he were of the same mind and told me not to overreact and to find chances to look after you.”
Kangxi pinched his forehead, cursing Changning.
His liver qi, just soothed, flared again.
Everyone in the capital knew about Yabu… how could it be a secret?
No wonder the previous memorial from the Censorate was so vague, speaking about what a wise ruler should or shouldn’t do.
Now Kangxi understood.
Thinking of how the civil and military officials, princes, and nobles all believed he was indulgent, Kangxi wanted to rush back to the capital and kick Yabu, temporarily assigned as Commander of the Nine Gates, to death.
He weakly pointed toward the door, “You eunuch, keep your mouth shut. I’ll remember today’s punishment. If this leaks, you’ll get it all at once.”
Changning hurriedly got up, “Yes, yes, Your Majesty. I guarantee, only Heaven, Earth, you, me, and my attendant know… no one else!”
The once ambitious little eunuch silently shed tears, trembling worse.
Though the prince didn’t mention him, at least he had been given a mute potion.
At worst… he might not even keep his life.
But he dared not say a word more.
The moment he desired ambitions, the eunuch knew well that serving a master was like serving a tiger, life and death unpredictable.
He was just unlucky.
As the little eunuch was dragged out by his collar, Zhao Chang appeared.
“Your Majesty…”
Zhao Chang’s eyes were complex.
Kangxi’s eyelids twitched sharply.
“Speak!”
Zhao Chang knelt, head bowed, “Just now, the eldest, third, and thirteenth princes approached the imperial tent and they said possibly assassins trying to get near you and they came to protect the Emperor.”
Changning, clad in black, entered hesitantly.
The princes told him they saw sneaky people approaching the imperial tent.
***
Changning was dumbfounded; his grip loosened, and the little eunuch fell to the ground, biting his lip in pain.
Tears still flowing, the eunuch’s eyes flared with fierce joy.
He finally wouldn’t die!
Even if drugged mute, he was sure to survive.
After all… so many knew about it, killing him alone would be useless.
Changning knelt again with a mournful face.
This time, the punishment was unavoidable.
But Kangxi remained extraordinarily calm.
With so many scoundrels before him, his tolerance was stronger than before.
He only asked, “Where are they?”
Zhao Chang lowered his head further, “When Your Majesty first spoke to Prince Changning, they all ran off.”
Kangxi: “……”
One scoundrel breeds a whole litter of scoundrels.
Perfect.
He took a deep breath, then said calmly, “You personally take men and give twenty strokes to each except the little Eleventh. If they ask about the punishment, tell them—without the courage to sacrifice oneself, don’t try to rise above others.”
Changning shrank his neck.
Strangely, his knees ached a little.
Kangxi paused and frowned at Zhao Chang, “The crown prince didn’t come?”
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