Chapter 60: Educating Yin Ti

Chapter 60: Educating Yin Zhu

On March 10th, in the 38th year of Kangxi's reign, Yin Zhu was married. On the wedding day, even Yin Zhen drank himself drunk, the Emperor seemed very happy, and Fang Yu herself couldn't help but shed tears.

After Yin Zhu's wedding, Yin Zhen's mansion was almost completed, and he had also been assigned a position from the Ministry of Revenue. It was said that the First Prince was serving in the Imperial Household Department, while the Third Prince had taken up a post in the Ministry of Personnel.

Yin Zhen began to get busy.

Yin Zhu, however, remained the same as before, eating, drinking, and gallivanting around the capital, still very playful. Originally, he had wanted to take Nala Panwen as a concubine in early April and have her move into his inner quarters.

Fang Yu did not allow it, telling him that no one takes a concubine right after marrying the principal wife—it would embarrass the principal wife. He should wait at least a year or so. After all, Nala Panwen was still young and could certainly wait. She told Yin Zhu not to think about taking a concubine for now.

In truth, she intentionally wanted the Nala family to wait and to let Nala Panwen be taken down a peg—why should everything go according to their wishes?

Before Yin Zhen moved out of the palace, Ulanara Shi became pregnant. Upon hearing the news, Fang Yu went to the Imperial Princes' Quarters to see her.

Ulanara Shi was not yet showing. Fang Yu asked her how she had been eating and sleeping these past few days.

"Mother Consort, I am well. Fourth Prince has instructed the imperial kitchens to prepare my favorite dishes. I eat very well every day and sleep soundly too. There is no need for Mother Consort to worry."

If Fang Yu remembered correctly, historically, Yin Zhen's eldest son, Hong Hui, died at the age of eight. It was said that he was sickly since birth, so hearing Ulanara Shi say this did not completely put her mind at ease.

"You haven't reached three months yet. The first three months require particular care. Pregnant women must not fall ill. Make sure to keep warm and avoid catching a chill. Yin Zhen has just taken up his post at the Ministry of Revenue and may not be able to attend to you. If anything comes up, you can seek me out. You must take good care of yourself. In my opinion, there's no need to rush moving out of the palace. Moving palace is a major affair. It’s not easy to manage such things while pregnant—it can be exhausting. It would be better to wait until after the child is born to move slowly."

"Alright, I will listen to Mother Consort."

"If Yin Zhen is in a hurry to move, tell him to come see me."

Fang Yu wanted them to stay in the palace until Hong Hui was born. After all, the First Prince and the Third Prince had not yet moved out, so it wouldn't be appropriate for Yin Zhen to move before them.

"Yes, Mother Consort, I understand."

Fang Yu couldn't help but advise Ulanara Shi on what to eat and what to avoid, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to her diet.

Ulanara Shi agreed to everything.

In the end, Fang Yu wanted to tell Ulanara Shi that since she was pregnant, it would be best to avoid intimate relations with Yin Zhen, but she held back, thinking that Ulanara Shi should already know. As a mother-in-law, she had to maintain some dignity in front of her daughter-in-law—they weren't close friends who could discuss everything.

After leaving the Imperial Princes' Quarters, she went to the Qianqing Palace. The Emperor was in audience with ministers again, so she returned.

It wasn't until evening, when her name was chosen, that she saw the Emperor and told him about Ulanara Shi's pregnancy.

"It was high time she conceived. Yin Zhen doesn't have any children yet. At Yin Zhen's age, I already had several children."

Fang Yu felt like rolling her eyes. How could Yin Zhen be compared to him? He had become Emperor at the age of eight, while Yin Zhen wouldn't become Emperor until he was forty-three.

"What are you thinking about me again?"

Fang Yu turned over, facing away from him.

Kangxi pressed against Uya Shi's back, resting his chin on her shoulder and neck, speaking into her ear: "I'm not wrong. Yin Zhen has been married for a year. If his Consort hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy by now, it's her incompetence."

Fang Yu tsk'ed. "So according to Your Majesty, if a woman can't bear children, she doesn't deserve to live?"

"How is this related to living or not? As a Consort, it is her duty to produce heirs for Yin Zhen. This is her responsibility as a Consort."

Fang Yu turned her head and glared at him. So, in the minds of men, continuing the family line was all that mattered.

"Your Majesty only thinks about children. If I hadn't given birth to Yin Zhen back then, if I had no children, would I not be worthy of being a Consort?"

"Why are we talking about you all of a sudden? Weren't we discussing Yin Zhen's Consort?"

Fang Yu asked coldly, "Your Majesty, answer me honestly. If I had no children, would you not have elevated my rank?"

Kangxi held her. Why was Uya Shi being so unreasonable? How could Yin Zhen's Consort be compared to her? He said, "Don't overthink it. Whether you have children or not, I intended to promote you."

"Hmph, liar."

Kangxi chuckled. "How am I a liar? I'm not lying to you. I swear."

"I don't believe you. If I hadn't given birth to several children for Your Majesty, I would have remained an Answering Attendant for life."

Kangxi kissed her, softening her up before saying, "I didn't lie to you. How have I treated you all these years? Haven't you felt it? Even without children, I would have treated you just as well. You're doubting my sincerity."

"Where is this sincerity? I don't see it."

Kangxi couldn't help but pat Uya Shi's bottom. She loved to argue with him. Over the years, he hadn't allowed any new court ladies into the palace. Everyone in the inner court knew she was the most favored, wanting for nothing.

"Hehe, alright, I'll believe you for now."

Kangxi nibbled her. "You, heartless, unappreciative wretch."

"Who's ungrateful? Your Majesty, if you scold me again, I won't talk to you."

"Go to sleep now, or we'll have another go."

Fang Yu pouted. At his age, how could he manage twice in one night? She decided not to make things difficult for him and held him as she fell asleep.

Two days later, when Yin Zhen came to pay respects, Fang Yu told him to wait until after Ulanara Shi gave birth before moving, to avoid exhausting her.

Yin Zhen agreed.

Seeing that Yin Zhen seemed somewhat tired after taking up his post at the Ministry of Revenue, Fang Yu couldn't help but add, "Yin Zhen, I know you want to achieve something and prove your capability, but court politics are intricate. Some things aren't accomplished just because you want to do them well. Do your best, but don't be too hard on yourself."

"Mother, I understand."

Fang Yu also asked him to keep tabs on Yin Zhu and not let him go too far outside.

"Don't worry, Sixth Brother just loves to have fun. He wouldn't dare to cause trouble outside. I'll help you keep an eye on him."

Fang Yu looked at Yin Zhen, who now acted like an elder brother, smiled with satisfaction, and, having nothing else to say, signaled for him to leave.

...

In a flash, it was early May. The Empress Dowager wanted to watch an opera, so Consort Hui and Consort Rong, who oversaw the inner court, arranged for an opera troupe to perform in the palace.

Fang Yu, with nothing else to do, also went to the opera pavilion to sit and watch the performance. After listening for a while, she occasionally hummed a few tunes.

One day, as she was watching the opera, Consort Hui sat down beside her.

"Sister, why doesn't the Sixth Prince ask the Emperor for an official post?"

"The Emperor has his plans."

"The Sixth Prince has been married for a while now. When does he plan to take on a concubine?"

Fang Yu pretended not to understand. "Take a concubine? I haven't heard that Yin Zhu plans to take a concubine. Who would he take as a concubine?"

Consort Hui was stumped, unsure how to respond. She knew Consort De was playing dumb, but there was nothing she could do. The matter had only been approved by the Sixth Prince—there had been no word from the Emperor or Consort De. She feared delays might complicate things and wanted Panwen to join the Sixth Prince's household as soon as possible. However, the Sixth Prince had told Panwen that since he had just married his chief wife, he would need to wait at least a while before taking a concubine.

She knew it might be Consort De who had said this to the Sixth Prince. The Sixth Prince was playful and very obedient to Consort De; he wouldn’t defy her for Pan Wen’s sake and force her into his inner courtyard.

After going around in circles, it came back to Consort De. Consort Hui wanted to urge her, but Consort De was playing dumb, and she had no better solution.

"Sister, let’s watch the opera. It’s so captivating."

Consort Hui had no choice but to continue watching the opera.

Sure enough, a few days later, Yin Zhu brought up the matter of taking a concubine again, likely pressured by someone.

Fang Yu spoke to Yin Zhu with rare seriousness: "Yin Zhu, no matter how you met Nala Pan Wen or how you two have been secretly communicating, if you can’t even wait half a year, I advise you not to bring her into your inner courtyard."

"Mother, I... I haven’t been secretly communicating with her."

"Really? Yin Zhu, don’t lie to me."

Yin Zhu lowered his head, not denying it this time.

"Yin Zhu, you must take responsibility for your primary consort. It doesn’t mean you can ignore everything after marrying her. Your primary consort has done nothing wrong. You shouldn’t embarrass her at this time for the sake of an outside woman, making it difficult for her to stand firm in the inner courtyard."

"Mother, please don’t be angry. I know I was wrong. I’ll make her wait and not rush to bring her in. I’ll also treat Wanyan Shi well."

Fang Yu motioned for him to come closer and couldn’t help but pinch his ear: "Yin Zhu, you really make me so angry. You’re not a three-year-old anymore. Don’t act clueless and get manipulated without even realizing it. Do you know who the Nala family supports?"

"They are Consort Hui’s people."

"Your eldest brother was born to Consort Hui. Your eldest brother is at odds with the Crown Prince, and your fourth brother is on good terms with your second brother. You’re not unaware of this. If you take a daughter of the Nala family, in others’ eyes, you’re siding with your eldest brother and opposing your fourth brother. As a daughter of the Nala family, she might seek benefits for her family. Will you help her or not?"

"Since she marries me, she should follow me, as the saying goes. She should be a member of the royal family, not the Nala family. She should listen to me."

Fang Yu sighed and said, "As long as you understand. You may take her as a concubine, but you must not get too involved with the Nala family, and don’t secretly communicate with her anymore to avoid damaging both your reputations."

Yin Zhu agreed.

...

When Wulanala Shi was five months pregnant, Fang Yu went to see her again. Her belly was already showing, and she mentioned she had started experiencing morning sickness.

"What did the imperial physician say? Did he prescribe any medicine for morning sickness?"

"Mother Consort, I dare not take medicine. I’m afraid it might harm the child. I’ll endure it. Eating some sour foods helps a little."

"Then I’ll have someone send you some pickled sour plums."

"Thank you, Mother Consort."

Fang Yu touched her belly, hoping she would give birth smoothly without any complications. Women endure much hardship during childbirth, and Wulanala Shi was still young. Fang Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her.

Her gaze shifted, and she noticed Wulanala Shi sewing small clothes for the child. She sat down beside her, picked up the little garments, and saw that Wulanala Shi’s needlework was better than hers.

"These can be handed over to the palace embroiderers."

"Mother Consort, I have nothing else to do anyway."

Fang Yu hummed in agreement. Wulanala Shi introduced each item to her, from the child’s bibs to diapers, all of which she had sewn by hand.

Fang Yu stayed at the prince’s quarters for quite a while before leaving.

On her way back, seeing it was still early, she took Pan Liu and detoured to the imperial garden, where she spotted Yin Ti with a group of servants playing something.

She approached from behind and saw Yin Ti using a slingshot, a gift from Yin Zhu during the New Year's, to shoot at birds in a cage.

There was a large birdcage in the imperial garden, with over a dozen birds trapped inside. Yin Ti was shooting at them with the slingshot, causing the birds to flutter frantically in the cage, unable to escape, and their cries sounded pitiful.

Fang Yu noticed two birds inside the cage had been hit and lay motionless at the bottom.

"Fourteenth Prince, excellent shot!"

"Fourteenth Prince is so skilled!"

"Fourteenth Prince’s aim is so accurate!"

The servants around him were all flattering Yin Ti, with no one criticizing him. The eight-year-old Yin Ti was basking in the praise, feeling proud and seeing nothing wrong with his actions.

Fang Yu was truly shocked. She had no idea Yin Ti engaged in such activities in private. The birds were terrified by his actions, yet he showed no awareness that they were living beings or that his behavior was cruel. Especially with the servants’ flattery, Yin Ti didn’t realize he was doing anything wrong.

Are children inherently good or evil?

This question suddenly crossed Fang Yu’s mind. She stepped forward and snatched the slingshot from Yin Ti.

"Mother, why are you here?"

"That’s what I should be asking you. Why aren’t you studying in the schoolroom? What are you doing here?"

Yin Ti felt guilty and avoided her gaze.

Fang Yu also glanced at the servants. Whether it was due to the influence of those around him, none of them had stepped in to stop Yin Ti, which disappointed her greatly.

She knew servants always flattered their masters, saying only what pleased them. Especially since Yin Ti was her son, some went out of their way to amuse him. But she couldn’t help feeling heartbroken and chilled by the scene before her.

"Yin Ti, tell me, what are you doing?"

"Mother, I’m shooting birds. I thought if I practice well, I can go hunting with Sixth Brother and the others and hit prey too."

Fang Yu crouched down to speak to Yin Ti: "Then tell me, where did this birdcage come from? And these birds?"

"They gave them to me. I wanted to play, so they found them for me."

"These birds... if you shoot them to death, they won’t come back to life."

Yin Ti said indifferently, "It’s fine, Mother. There are more. They’ll just catch more for me."

"So this isn’t the first time, is it?"

Yin Ti shook his head, indicating it wasn’t the first time.

Fang Yu’s pupils constricted. If it wasn’t the first time, this might have happened countless times already. Seeing that Yin Ti showed no awareness of his wrongdoing, her heart sank.

She asked softly if it was fun. Perhaps sensing her displeasure, Yin Ti didn’t dare say it was fun.

"Yin Ti, you had them locked in a cage. You shoot them and use them for amusement. They lose their lives. Don’t you think that’s cruel? They are living beings too. They can feel pain."

"Mother, I didn’t aim at people. I listened to you."

"Aiming at birds isn’t acceptable either. You lock them in a cage where they can’t fight back. You’re torturing and killing them, abusing the weak. If you were locked in a cage and someone shot at you with a slingshot, would you be angry? Would you feel pain?"

"Mother..."

Fang Yu directly took the slingshot and picked up his ammunition—small, round polished stones. The servants, to please Yin Ti, had even thoughtfully polished the stones to similar sizes. She aimed at Yin Ti’s body and shot twice.

Yin Ti initially held back his tears, but soon burst out wailing.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts, E-niang, it hurts."

Fang Yu snapped, "So you do know what pain feels like? But when you shoot those birds, they can't talk. You can cry out when you're in pain, but they can't. They feel pain just like you do. Do you dare do it again?"

"E-niang, I won't dare."

"When you feel pain, think about those birds. Just because they're weak doesn't mean you can bully them. Yin Ti, they're living creatures too. You can't just cruelly take their lives like this. You're killing innocent creatures."

"But Sixth Brother and the others often go hunting. They also shoot small birds."

"You're not allowed to go hunting. You are not allowed to hunt anything. From now on, I forbid you to use slingshots or bows. You are also not allowed to leave the palace to play. Crying won't help you. Come with me."

Yin Ti cried all the way back to Jingren Palace.

Fang Yu let him cry it out. She turned to the servants and ordered them caned, twenty strokes each.

Being from modern times, she'd never had servants caned before, but this time she couldn't help it. She was afraid Yin Ti would grow into a cruel prince.

After the caning, she made the servants say what they did wrong. Those who couldn't explain or gave wrong answers were sent back to the Imperial Household Department, even if some had served Yin Ti since his birth.

When Yin Ti tired himself out from crying, Fang Yu made him stand facing the wall for an hour to reflect. After that, he had to write a letter of reflection.

She forbade the servants from helping him, making him do everything himself.

No one brought him any food, so he went hungry. Missing one meal wouldn't kill him.

Such a commotion naturally reached the emperor.

Kangxi was surprised to hear that Uya Shi had caned Yin Ti's servants. She was kind-hearted—in all these years in the palace, he had never seen her cane any servant.

Before coming, he had Liang Jiugong investigate the matter. Only after learning what happened did he go to Jingren Palace.

Mother and son were still upset with each other. Yin Ti was writing something at the desk, while Uya Shi sat watching him, seemingly still angry.

"Imperial Father..." Yin Ti's eyes lit up when he saw him.

"Yin Ti, go back to your room and write. If you don't finish, no sleeping, no eating, and no one will attend to you. Xiao Fangzi, remove all the food from his room."

"Mother..."

"Calling me 'E-niang' won't help. Get out! I don't want to see you!"

Yin Ti had no choice but to take his unfinished apology letter and leave.

Kangxi looked at Uya Shi curiously. So she could be strict with her child—he'd thought she only knew how to spoil them.

"Why are you so angry? Yin Ti is still young. He doesn't understand anything yet."

"Your Majesty, he's eight years old. What do you mean 'still young'? Your Majesty had children by the time you were eight."

Hearing this, the emperor knew Uya Shi was furious and talking nonsense. He tried to calm her: "They're just a few dead birds. Why are you so upset?"

Fang Yu glared at the emperor, wishing she could slap him for acting like it was nothing. It wasn't just about a few birds. He usually didn't value servants' lives either—the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"Your Majesty, I don't want to talk to you. You get out too. I don't want to see you!"

Kangxi hugged her. "Alright, you can be angry with Yin Ti, but why take it out on me?"

"Because he is your son. As his father, you didn't teach him right."

Kangxi thought to himself that Yin Ti lived in Jingren Palace and was mostly taught by Uya Shi, but since she was furious, he decided not to point that out. Instead, he admitted fault: "Alright, alright, it's my fault. Don't be angry anymore. Be careful not to harm your health."

Fang Yu didn't want to talk to the emperor. She was questioning her own parenting—first raising a naive and simple-minded child, and now a cruel son.

Only Yin Zhen was somewhat better, but he had been mostly taught by Empress Xiaozhao.

"I heard you punished all the servants around Yin Ti?"

"Those servants are no good. They don't know right from wrong; they only know how to flatter their master. I was too careless before. I will select new servants to attend to Yin Ti."

"As you wish."

Fang Yu turned to look at the emperor and said irritably, "Your Majesty, 'as you wish'? So the child turning out like this isn't your fault at all? You should write a letter of reflection too."

Fang Yu knew he had many children and was busy with state affairs daily. He didn't have much time to spend on the children, especially the younger ones.

Seeing that he was about to speak, Fang Yu cut him off: "Forget it. I don't want to hear you. I'm annoyed. Your Majesty, go to another palace. Let me be alone for a while."

Kangxi raised an eyebrow and pinched Uya Shi's cheek. "You've become bold, daring to dismiss me. Clearly, Yin Ti made you angry, so why take it out on me?"

"Because he is your son. Your Majesty, I am truly angry. The more you talk to me, the angrier I get. Please leave, or I might really lose my temper with you."

"I'll sit here and wait for you to calm down."

Kangxi actually wanted to see Uya Shi lose her temper.

Fang Yu saw the emperor looking like he was enjoying the drama and really felt like slapping him for being a spectator.

She decided to avoid the annoyance and walked into the inner room.

A while later, Pan Liu came to report that Yin Ti was crying.

"Let him cry. Ignore him. All of you, don't pay him any attention. No one is allowed to attend to him. If you disobey my orders, return to the Imperial Household Department."

Pan Liu knew her mistress was truly angry and didn't dare to defy her.

After dark, Pan Liu sent Gui Yun to fetch the meal.

While Fang Yu and the emperor were dining, Yin Ti brought his apology letter. After reading it, she told him to leave.

"Mother, I'm hungry."

"If you're hungry, find food yourself. No one will attend to you."

"Can I eat with you, Mother?"

Just as Fang Yu was about to refuse, the emperor signaled Yin Ti to sit down. She held back her words.

Yin Ti wasn't so spoiled that he couldn't eat by himself. He held his bowl and ate slowly, picking up food himself.

After he finished eating, Fang Yu sent him back to his room. Yin Ti obediently left.

Fang Yu ignored the emperor and asked Pan Liu to prepare water for bathing.

At night, Fang Yu finally lay in bed, still thinking about how to teach Yin Ti. Starting tomorrow, he must attend classes in the study room properly, and she would check his homework daily.

Raising a child is hard, but teaching them well is even harder. Fang Yu couldn't help but sigh.