Chapter 62: Yielding to the Crown Prince

Chapter 62: Deferring to the Crown Prince

In early May of the 39th year of Kangxi's reign, the Emperor decided to go hunting beyond the Great Wall, ordering the Crown Prince, Yin Zhen, Yin Zhu, the Eighth Prince, the Ninth Prince, and the Tenth Prince to accompany him.

Yin Ti was not on the list of those accompanying him and came to plead with her every day, begging her to speak to the Emperor to include him, almost in tears.

Fang Yu told him to go ask his Emperor Father himself—if his Emperor Father agreed, he could go; if not, there was nothing she could do.

Yin Ti returned after pleading and told her that the Emperor said if she agreed, he could go. The Emperor, shrewd as ever, had effectively passed the decision back to her.

Exasperated by Yin Ti's persistence, Fang Yu finally agreed to let him go.

That night, Fang Yu brought it up with the Emperor.

Kangxi, reclining in bed, laughed and said, "So you're the one letting Yin Ti go. This hunting expedition beyond the Wall inevitably involves hunting. If anything happens to Yin Ti, don’t hold it against me."

"Yin Ti is your son. I’ll still blame you."

Kangxi tweaked her cheek, smiling helplessly.

On the tenth day of May, the group departed.

This time, Fang Yu did not ride in the same carriage as the Emperor. Along the way, she made sure to ask about her three children.

When they reached the hunting grounds, as a woman, Fang Yu could not join the Emperor in hunting. Nor was she particularly enthusiastic about it, so she stayed content in her tent, reading books or taking walks nearby. When bored, she would make milk tea and roast lamb with Pan Liu and others in the tent.

Yin Zhen and the others spent their days riding and hunting with the soldiers of the Eight Banners.

Fang Yu didn't meddle.

...

On the sixteenth day of May, it was the day of the encirclement hunt. The accompanying officers and soldiers were divided into four teams, converging from four directions, tightening the circle from afar to form a single point, trapping the game within and preventing any from escaping.

Yin Zhen and the Crown Prince waited for the soldiers to draw closer before getting down, each armed with bows and arrows. When one group reported spotting a leopard, they decided to head to its location.

Upon seeing the leopard, Yin Zhen noticed Yin Zhu raising his bow to shoot and held out a hand to stop him.

Yin Zhu looked confused, his eyes questioning.

The Crown Prince shot the leopard first—one arrow, then another. The others joined in until the leopard had been hit with more than twenty arrows and could no longer move. Only then did the group stop shooting. The one who shot the first arrow would take the prey.

Yin Zhen praised the Crown Prince outright for his accuracy.

"Fourth Brother, you could learn a thing or two from me about shooting."

"I’m no match for Second Brother. My aim is poor. If it were me, I surely would have missed the leopard and let it escape."

The Crown Prince smirked, "Fourth Brother, you’re too modest. I remember you were quite skilled as a child—you even outdid me once."

Yin Zhen replied, "That was just luck when I was young. Since growing up, I’ve rarely beaten Second Brother. Over all these years, my archery hasn’t improved at all. Emperor Father often says I’m too much of a scholar, neither good at riding nor archery."

Pleased with having hunted a leopard, the Crown Prince patted Yin Zhen on the shoulder and said, "That’s why you need to practice more. Practice makes perfect."

"Second Brother is right."

The group continued onward.

By early afternoon, they started heading back with their hunted game. After counting all the prey, the Crown Prince had shot the most.

The Emperor Father praised the Crown Prince. Yin Si and his group, who had been separated from them, had also shot quite a few and received praise from the Emperor Father.

On the way back to the tents, Yin Zhu walked with him and couldn’t help asking why he had stopped him—after all, he had seen the leopard first.

Yin Zhen looked at his younger brother and explained, "Whether we saw it first or not, we must let Second Brother have it. Making Second Brother happy is what we should do."

"Why?"

"Because Second Brother is the Crown Prince. He is the ruler, and we are his subjects."

Yin Zhu was still confused: "But we’re all Emperor Father’s sons. What’s the difference?"

When Yin Zhen was young, he had been just as naive as Yin Zhu, thinking that since they were all the Emperor’s sons, there was no difference. Once, when he beat Second Brother in a horse race, Second Brother became angry and kicked his horse, nearly causing him to fall off. It was his mother who made him see the truth.

He could not make such a mistake again.

"Sixth Brother, even among sons, there are differences. Second Brother was raised personally by Emperor Father—he’s not like us. Second Brother is the Crown Prince, and we are merely Beile. In short, yielding to Second Brother is never wrong. Don’t try to compete with him or show off in front of him."

"Just like how the ministers deferred to Emperor Father the other day?"

Yin Zhen nodded: "Yes, just like how the ministers deferred to Emperor Father."

A few days earlier, when the ministers spotted prey, they let the Emperor shoot the first arrow. No one would dare shoot before him.

Yin Zhu began to understand.

"Let’s go back and see Mother, to pay our respects to her."

Yin Zhu agreed.

Fang Yu heard that Yin Ti had chafed the skin raw on his inner thighs from riding and could only stay in his tent, unable to join his brothers in the encirclement hunt that day.

Fang Yu asked Yin Ti to roll up his pant leg so she could see.

Yin Ti hesitated, unwilling to show her: "Mother, I’m all grown up now. I can’t just let Mother look wherever she wants."

"Mother just wants to see how the wound is doing."

"It’s fine. I’ve already applied ointment. It’ll heal in a few days. No need to worry, Mother."

Seeing that Yin Ti insisted on not showing her, Fang Yu didn’t force him. She told him that since he was injured, he should rest these next few days and not think about going out to ride or shoot arrows.

"Before coming, you promised Mother you would study and practice writing. Your studies must not fall behind."

Yin Ti quickly said, "Mother, I have been reading. Look, Mother."

Fang Yu took the book Yin Ti handed her, flipped through a few pages, and noticed that Yin Ti had jotted down notes and some of his own thoughts. She smiled, satisfied, and patted his head.

"Your Highness, Master, Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince are here."

"Let them in quickly," Yin Ti urged.

Yin Zhen and Yin Zhu entered and asked about Yin Ti’s injury.

"A lot better. It’s okay if I don’t ride. Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, tell me what you got today."

Yin Zhen came over and sat by Yin Ti’s bed, telling him about their hunts. When Yin Ti heard about the leopard, his eyes widened.

Fang Yu listened to the brothers chatting, a smile in her eyes.

After Yin Ti finished asking, she told Yin Zhen and Yin Zhu to also wrap protective cloth around their thighs when riding to prevent chafing.

"Don't worry, Mother, we will," Yin Zhen replied.

Fang Yu stayed in Yin Ti's tent for a while before returning. Just as she got back to her own tent, she was summoned by Eunuch Liang to the Emperor's tent.

"How is Yin Ti?"

"Just some chafed skin, probably nothing serious. I told him to stay in his tent and read."

Kangxi grunted in acknowledgment.

"Your Majesty, look at my face—I have breakouts."

Wuya Shi moved closer. Kangxi looked down at her; there were indeed two pimples on her face, but they didn't detract from her beauty.

"Did you eat too much roasted meat?"

"Your Majesty sees all."

Kangxi tapped her forehead with his finger. "Skip the roasted meat today, or you might get more pimples."

"That won’t do. You must have hunted many beasts today, and I still want to eat roasted meat. I’ll just drink more milk tea to cool down."

"You and your gluttony. If you ruin your looks, don’t blame me."

A few pimples hardly counted as ruining one’s looks. Fang Yu pouted, hugged the Emperor’s waist, and said coquettishly, "If I really ruin my looks, will Your Majesty still want me?"

"No."

"Your Majesty!"

Kangxi lowered his head and kissed her. "Since you cling to me so, I have no choice but to keep you, you little minx."

Fang Yu rolled her eyes.

Kangxi laughed heartily.

That evening, Fang Yu still ate roasted meat, though she couldn’t stomach the wild game—the gamey flavor was too strong—so she only ate locally farmed beef and lamb. She also drank a little wine and turned in early.

Over the next few days, Fang Yu still rode horses on the grassland a few times, with the Emperor leading her.

But the Emperor was, after all, busy—he had to receive the Mongolian ministers who came to pay their respects—so he couldn’t accompany her every day.

As for Yin Zhen and the others, they were even less available, as they were gone all day.

They stayed beyond the Great Wall for nearly two months before starting their journey back to the palace.

Not long after returning to the palace, the Emperor arranged the Crown Prince’s marriage. The Crown Prince married relatively late, and Fang Yu didn’t know why the Emperor waited so long to arrange it.

The Crown Princess was the daughter of Third-Rank Baron Shi Wenbing, of the Han Military Banner. After the imperial edict of marriage was issued, Shi Wenbing fell seriously ill on his way to the capital to express his gratitude and died before reaching the city.

The Crown Prince’s wedding was postponed to the following March.

Shi Wenbing was a Third-Rank Baron, having inherited the title from his father. His father, Shi Huashan, was an imperial son-in-law who had married a daughter of the imperial clan—a son-in-law of Prince Yu Duoduo. However, it couldn’t be said that Shi Wenbing or his family background was particularly illustrious.

Many felt the Crown Princess’s family background was not exceptionally distinguished. After much deliberation, the Emperor’s final choice surprised some, who thought the Crown Princess’s status did not match the Crown Prince’s.

As for what the Crown Prince thought, Fang Yu naturally didn’t know. She lived her life in the inner palace.

Yin Zhen’s concubine, Li Shi, was pregnant. During the hunting trip beyond the Great Wall, Consort Ulanara had to care for Hong Hui and did not accompany them, but Li Shi did. She became pregnant during those two months of travel.

Fang Yu sent Li Shi some gifts. Since it was inconvenient to leave the palace, she did not visit Yin Zhen’s residence.

One day, while admiring flowers in the imperial garden, she encountered the Imperial Noble Consort.

The Imperial Noble Consort was as haughty as ever toward her, though to Fang Yu, it seemed more like empty threats.

"Consort De, your life gets better and better. You’ve bewitched the Emperor so much that he no longer summons anyone else to attend him, showering you alone with favor."

Fang Yu said carelessly, "What the Emperor does is beyond our control."

"You play humble after getting your way. I think you’re nothing but trouble."

"Perhaps. But the Emperor likes troublesome people."

"You…" The Imperial Noble Consort pointed a finger at her, furious. Fang Yu knew the Imperial Noble Consort was like this—overbearing, but mostly in words, making her easier to deal with.

"Your Grace, you are the Imperial Noble Consort. Your life is also quite good. There’s no need to envy others."

Tongjia Wangshu shot Consort De a glare, then turned and left in anger, unwilling to see Consort De’s smug face.

In her view, Consort De’s arrogance stemmed from having given birth to three princes. In the palace, only she and Consort Yi had many sons; no one else could compare.

At her age, even with favor, she could no longer have children. She would never surpass Consort De in this lifetime.

In the past, Tongjia Wangshu would have remained angry for a long time, but now her anger subsided quickly. As the Imperial Noble Consort, no one in the inner palace outranked her. She had once wanted to become Empress, but after so many years, the Emperor would never appoint another Empress, so she had to let go of that desire.

As Consort De had said, her life in the palace was not bad. She could only make peace with it.

Fang Yu didn’t take her "spat" with the Imperial Noble Consort to heart. When she returned to Jingren Palace from the imperial garden, she ran into the Eighth Prince, who had come to pay respects to Noble Lady Wei. It was rare to see the Eighth Prince.

Unlike Yin Zhen and the others, who paid respects to their birth mothers every few days, the Eighth Prince sometimes went two or three months without visiting. She heard he paid respects to Consort Hui frequently instead. Although Noble Lady Wei was his birth mother, she did not receive the same treatment as Consort Hui.

Noble Lady Wei didn’t dare reproach the Eighth Prince or even visit him at the princes’ quarters on her own, silently enduring the pain of missing her son.

The Eighth Prince bowed to her. "Greetings, Consort De. Wishing you endless blessings."

"There’s no need for formalities, Eighth Prince."

After bowing, the Eighth Prince gave her a polite smile and went into the backyard to Noble Lady Wei’s room.

What the mother and son discussed was none of Fang Yu’s business, and she didn’t eavesdrop.

A short while later, Xiao Fangzi informed her that the Eighth Prince had left. She merely nodded to acknowledge the message.

Not long after, news suddenly spread that the Eleventh Prince was critically ill. The Eleventh Prince had been raised by Consort Yi and had only moved from Yikun Palace to the princes’ quarters a couple of years earlier. There had been no prior news of any serious health issues.

Fang Yu and Consort Duan went together to Yikun Palace to see Consort Yi. Consort Yi’s eyes were red from crying. She told them that the Eleventh Prince’s critical condition was due to the servants’ negligence.

Fang Yu didn’t know the details. When she asked about the Eleventh Prince’s condition and Consort Yi said he couldn’t keep anything down, she was taken aback and exchanged a glance with Consort Duan.

If he couldn’t eat, he likely was not long for this world.

Consort Yi cried for a long time. When they left Yikun Palace, their expressions were grave.

"The Eleventh Prince isn’t ill—he took a fall and hit his head a few days ago. I heard the back of his head was swollen and bleeding, and he passed out right away. He never regained consciousness."

Fang Yu was shocked. "How did it happen?"

Consort Duan glanced around first before whispering softly into her ear that it was the Crown Prince who pushed him.

Fang Yu gasped in shock—it was actually the Crown Prince?

She knew the Crown Prince had a violent temper and was brutal. Yin Zhen and Yin Zhu had both been beaten by him before. If he was in a bad mood and someone accidentally crossed his path, they would get a beating. He was especially harsh toward the servants. She didn’t know how the Eleventh Prince had provoked the Crown Prince this time, but the Crown Prince had actually used such heavy force.

"Why did the Crown Prince push the Eleventh Prince?"

"I don't know. I only know that the Crown Prince was the one who injured the Eleventh Prince. Consort Yi didn’t dare publicly reveal the truth and could only blame the servants for negligence. As for exactly what happened, none of us saw it with our own eyes, so we shouldn’t speculate recklessly."

Fang Yu sighed. Precisely because it was the Crown Prince, Consort Yi was cautious. The Emperor might show favoritism toward the Crown Prince.

However, the Crown Prince’s behavior was too outrageous—no wonder the Emperor later considered deposing him.

A head injury was no minor flesh wound. Sure enough, five days later, the Eleventh Prince died.

Fang Yu felt very sorry for Consort Yi. To lose a child she had worked so hard to raise, and likely without the culprit being punished—anyone would be heartbroken.

The Eleventh Prince’s funeral was simple, and he was quickly buried in the royal tombs. Few in the palace discussed how he died, perhaps because no one dared. Most assumed he had died of illness and didn’t suspect the Crown Prince.

Even Fang Yu wasn’t entirely clear on the details. When she asked Yin Zhen, he hadn’t witnessed it either, so he was equally in the dark.

She certainly didn’t have the courage to ask the Emperor. Clearly, the Emperor wanted to suppress the matter of the Eleventh Prince’s death. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so unclear, with no one knowing exactly how the Eleventh Prince was injured—even Consort Yi didn’t dare speak openly.

Within two months, the Eleventh Prince’s death had quieted down in the palace.

At the end of the year, the Emperor suddenly promoted Noble Lady Wei to Virtuous Consort, and the Eighth Prince was assigned to the Ministry of Rites.

The Fifth Prince was put in charge of the Imperial Clan Court, while Yin Zhu and the Seventh Prince were assigned to the Ministry of Works.

Fang Yu thought the Emperor’s sudden elevation of Virtuous Consort was likely to raise the Eighth Prince’s status. According to Yin Zhu, the Eighth Prince was very close to the Ninth and Tenth Princes and was the most popular among the brothers. Even Yin Zhu was on good terms with him. It seemed the Emperor had intentions to heavily rely on the Eighth Prince.

On December 20, Wulanala Shi brought Hong Hui into the palace to pay his respects.

Hong Hui, just over a year old, couldn’t walk yet but was eager to talk, babbling incessantly.

Fang Yu held Hong Hui upright. The child excitedly waved his little hands and kicked his feet against her legs.

"Hong Hui has grown so much. Grandma can’t even hold our Hong Hui anymore—he’s becoming a chubby little boy."

Pan Liu gently squeezed Hong Hui’s plump little hand and laughed. "Your Highness, Young Master Hong Hui has really grown a lot. Look, he’s almost learning to walk now."

Fang Yu kissed Hong Hui’s cheeks several times. "Walking is good. Our Hong Hui is very clever, just as clever as his father."

Wulanala Shi said softly from the side, "Mother Consort, Hong Hui is indeed much heavier now. He’s quite solid—please don’t strain your hands."

Fang Yu smiled at Wulanala Shi. "It’s fine. If I don’t hold him now, by the next time I see Hong Hui, I might not be able to hold him at all. I want to hold him as much as I can."

When Yin Zhen was young, Fang Yu didn’t have many opportunities to hold him. Making up for it with Hong Hui was just as well.

Life in the rear palace could be dull, but having a child around brought much joy. Now that Yin Zhen and his brothers had all grown up and were busy with their own affairs, she finally had another child to dote on—her own grandson—so she naturally wanted to hold him as long as she could.

Hong Hui was still nursing and carried the sweet scent of milk. She couldn’t help but sniff him, and Hong Hui, unafraid of strangers, giggled happily.

"Grandmother, say 'Grandmother'... Grandmother..."

"Uh... heh..."

"Grandmother, Hong Hui, say 'Grandmother' once."

Fang Yu tried to teach him, but Hong Hui suddenly scrunched up his face, on the verge of crying. His wet nurse said the young master might be hungry.

"Hungry? Then feed him. We mustn’t let Hong Hui go hungry."

The wet nurse took Hong Hui aside to nurse him.

Only then did Fang Yu turn to Wulanala Shi and ask how things were in the manor recently and if anything had happened.

"Everything has been well in the manor recently. Li Shi is seven months pregnant and is due to give birth after the New Year. His Lordship is busy with duties at the Ministry of Revenue, and Hong Hui is almost learning to walk and talk. So, Mother Consort, you need not worry."

Wulanala Shi had a habit of reporting only good news and avoiding the bad—Fang Yu didn’t know whom she had learned it from. After all, they were only mother- and daughter-in-law, so Fang Yu couldn’t force her to speak. If she said everything was fine, Fang Yu would take it as such. If anything major happened, she would find out eventually.

"That’s good."

After Hong Hui was full, he returned to Fang Yu’s arms. She held him and walked around, amusing him until he laughed, then set him down to crawl on the floor.

After playing for over an hour, Fang Yu invited the mother and son to stay for a meal. Wulanala Shi could never fully relax in her presence, only answering when spoken to.

Fang Yu was used to it by now.

After Wulanala Shi and Hong Hui had left, Fang Yu remarked to Pan Liu that Wulanala Shi was overly cautious—though still young, she spoke and acted with excessive care.

"Your Highness, the Consort respects you deeply."

"You, ah, are becoming more and more articulate."

Pan Liu smiled.

Fang Yu took Pan Liu’s hand. Pan Liu had been with her the longest—she never left the palace, never married, and had always stayed by her side. Feeling sentimental, Fang Yu said, "All these years serving me must have been hard on you."

"Serving Your Highness for a lifetime is this servant’s blessing. Being by Your Highness’s side is a privilege—outside, others would address me as 'Auntie.'"

Having served her mistress for so many years, Pan Liu knew how kindly Her Highness treated her servants, rarely losing her temper with them. Both she and Xiao Fangzi felt fortunate to serve Her Highness and never regretted staying by her side.

Fang Yu originally wanted to say more words of gratitude, but the Emperor arrived, so she had to stop.

"Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

The Emperor was usually very busy around this time of year and seldom had time to visit her during the day.

"Consort Yi has been grieving lately. If you have time, go comfort her."

Fang Yu nodded in agreement, saying she would visit Consort Yi the next day. She noticed the Emperor didn’t look well either—the Eleventh Prince’s death involved the Crown Prince, and the Emperor was likely caught in the middle, feeling deeply troubled.

In recent years, her relationship with Consort Yi had grown closer. Though not yet confidantes, they were certainly closer than she was with Consort Hui or Consort Rong.

"Your Majesty, lie down. Let me massage you for a bit."

Kangxi had indeed been very weary lately. He lay down directly on the heated kang.

Fang Yu massaged his temples, easing his fatigue.

Kangxi hadn’t intended to sleep, but under Wuya Shi’s soothing touch, he gradually drifted off. When he woke, it was already dark.

Wuya Shi was sitting nearby, reading a book.

After all these years, she still loved reading and often had people bring her storybooks from outside the palace.

Wuya Shi turned her gaze toward him and smiled. "Your Majesty, you’re awake. You’ve slept so long—you might have trouble sleeping tonight."

"That's perfect, we can do something else then." Kang Xi casually replied, only to be glared at by Lady Wuya.

"Your Majesty, are you sure you can keep this up all night?"

"Why not?"

Lady Wuya found herself unable to argue with him, so she simply ignored him and continued reading. Kang Xi got up and leaned over to see what storybook she was reading. When he spotted the word "widow," he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You always read these stories that go against conventional morals."

"What are conventional morals? The world’s so-called principles and ethics are nothing more than constraints for ordinary people."

"And who are the 'ordinary people'?"

Lady Wuya feared that saying too much might anger the Emperor. A few years ago, he had even banned certain books. So she gently nudged him and said, "Your Majesty, I haven’t finished reading yet. Can you stop bothering me? You must be hungry—have them set out the meal. I’ve already eaten, so you can dine by yourself."

Kang Xi knew that Lady Wuya sometimes chose her words carefully. She wouldn’t truly speak recklessly or provoke him. After all these years together, he had gathered from her occasional remarks that her true nature craved freedom and hated being tied down. She even held doubts about imperial power, though she never openly expressed these thoughts in front of him.

Kang Xi pretended not to notice and didn’t press the conversation further, and called for the meal to be served.