Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

No one was willing to bear the blame of “corrupting the crown prince” or “disrespecting the crown prince.”

It was easier now that he was older, but when he was a child…

When children played and frolicked, bumps and bruises were inevitable, but Kangxi’s overprotectiveness made his brothers gradually afraid and unwilling to play with him. He remembered when he was around four or five years old, Yinzhi would still bring him along to be mischievous, climb trees to catch cicadas, and skip school together. But later, it was always just Yinzhi who got punished, which made Consort Hui angry. She deliberately stopped them from playing together again.

Afterward, he had long forgotten what led to the quarrel, but he and Yinzhi fought. Not long after, the yellow-and-white long-haired cat that his mother had raised was caught by Yinzhi, and he was forced to watch as Yinzhi pulled its tail and threw it from the artificial hill in the Imperial Garden, killing it upon impact.

He was right there when it happened. Yinzhi had called him over on purpose to make him watch.

When his mother had passed, the cat had lived in Kunning Palace. The eunuchs and maidservants there all knew it and fed it regularly, and it lived well enough. Later, when Empress Niu’s title was elevated, the cat was driven out. When he found out, he took it in and kept it by his side.

He had heard his mother named it “Golden Tiger,” but its temperament was nothing like the mighty name. It was timid and clingy, and it couldn’t even defeat a mouse. Once, when it went for a walk, it met a giant rat and got its paw bitten.

As a child, he would wait every night for Golden Tiger to come find him. The cat was scared but clever, often sneaking past the nannies to visit him in his room. If it quietly lifted the bed curtains, Golden Tiger would leap onto the bed and curl up at his feet to sleep.

Although it was so timid that it could get beaten by a mouse, one time when the Empress Dowager’s Mongolian hunting dog ran loose and startled the dog-fearing Yinreng, Golden Tiger was the first to rush out, fur bristling, growling lowly. It bravely faced the large dog, which was more than ten times its size, protecting him firmly.

By the time of the incident, Golden Tiger was nearly ten years old. It was an old cat, and when it fell, its bones shattered. It hadn’t completely died yet, blood pouring from its nose and mouth, and its limbs twitched as it gazed at him with emerald-like eyes. Gradually, it stopped moving.

He had cried so much he could hardly breathe. Even the snacks he had eaten were thrown up in his crying, and after vomiting all his food, he still couldn’t stop retching. Kangxi was enraged, whipping the eldest prince ten times and putting him under house arrest. Consort Hui was also severely reprimanded for not disciplining her son properly, and the old nanny who had helped care for Golden Tiger was executed.

Later, the Emperor forced Yinzhi to apologize to him, and Consort Hui went out of her way to find a cat that looked exactly like Golden Tiger to replace it. He refused the cat and didn’t say a word, even when the Emperor, furious, scolded him, saying, “You would sever ties with your own brother just for an animal? With such a narrow heart, how could you be worthy of your position?” He fought back tears, still stubbornly refusing to forgive.

From then on, he never wanted to keep a cat again.

He couldn’t help but think that if he hadn’t brought Golden Tiger back that day, perhaps the cat would still be alive.

Afterward, the other brothers, under the careful guidance of their own mothers, became afraid to get too close to him, fearing that they might offend him.

Moreover, he had overheard Consort Hui and Consort Yi complaining, “Children don’t understand boundaries. Yinzhi is only two years older. What does he know? Just because of a cat, he’s being so unforgiving. Even after a year and a half, he’s still holding onto it like this. It’s too petty. Yinzhi is still his older brother.”

From then on, he was labeled as petty and narrow-minded.

Yinreng was stubborn at his core, and even to this day, he still thought this way—let them call him narrow-minded if they wanted. He couldn’t stand by and let Golden Tiger suffer without standing up for it. Could he just brush it off and forget about it? When he was sad, the Emperor would scold him, saying men should never cry easily. Mama Ling would scold him for his carelessness. He would cry louder than anyone, and Yinzhi would laugh at him behind his back, calling him a crybaby.

Only Golden Tiger, silently, would jump into his arms and lick away his tears.

#

It wasn’t until Kangxi strode in that Yinreng snapped out of his memories of Golden Tiger. He hadn’t wanted to think about Golden Tiger for a long time, and today, he wasn’t sure why it came up.

Perhaps it was because of the fleeting glimpse of a cat he had seen when leaving.

Kangxi began by reviewing the crown prince’s studies, asking a question from the Four Books: “The gentleman moves, and the world becomes the way of the world; he acts, and the world becomes the law of the world; he speaks, and the world becomes the standard of the world.” What does this mean?

Yinreng cupped his hands and replied, “Your Majesty, the meaning of this phrase is that a gentleman’s noble character and actions can serve as a model for the world in perpetuity, his behavior as the law of the world, and his words as the principles for the world.”

Kangxi, already aware that the crown prince had taken the day off and, driven by his appetite, had even taken medicine for his stomach, gave him a cold glance and then asked, “Why can the gentleman become ‘the way of the world, the law of the world, the standard of the world’?”

Yinzhi and Yinzhong exchanged uncertain looks. They were studying at the same pace as the crown prince, and their teacher had not yet covered this part. They had only memorized it in advance, not expecting the Emperor to ask such a detailed question.

Yinzhi had already started to feel nervous, quickly recalling all the chapters from the ‘‘Book of Odes’’ in his mind, afraid that he would be asked something he didn’t understand. Yinzhong, on the other hand, was doing well. He had a natural talent for the ‘Four Books and Five Classics’, and even the sections the teacher had not yet covered, he had already memorized thoroughly.

As for the other younger brothers, they were even more confused.

Yinreng pondered for a moment before replying, “The ‘Book of Odes’ says, ‘No evil is done here, and no arrows are shot here. Let us work diligently, day and night, to win eternal praise.’ A gentleman always acts this way, and those who have gained praise in the world have done so by acting in accordance with this principle. Before this, it also says, ‘There are three hundred rites, which must be performed according to the person.’ Therefore, it is only by understanding the way that one’s actions can fully align with rites. I believe that only after one has enlightened oneself and understood the way can one’s actions naturally conform to the rites and laws, which is why it says, ‘By acting, one becomes the law of the world.’”

The explanation was satisfactory. Kangxi’s displeasure eased slightly as he waved his hand to signal the next person: “Eldest.”

“Your son is here.” Yinzhi stepped forward, dripping with sweat.

“I haven’t even asked yet, why are you in such a hurry?” Kangxi’s anger flared at the sight of him, “What’s going on? Haven’t you been studying properly these past few days? I hear that Suo Erhe got you a fine horse. You’ve been so pleased with it lately, have you been living in the stables instead of the palace?”

Suo Erhe was the father of Consort Hui, and he managed the imperial stables in the Imperial Household Department. It was an easy matter for him to send a horse to his grandson, but when Kangxi mentioned it in front of everyone, it took on a different tone.

Yinzhi quickly knelt and explained, “That horse was something I asked my mother to have my grandfather buy for me from outside the palace. Although I enjoy riding, I have not neglected my studies. I have completed all my lessons every day. It’s just that I’ve never been good at the Confucian classics…”

“Since you know you’re not good at it, why not work even harder?” Kangxi didn’t press him further, giving a mild rebuke before casually picking a simple question for him to answer, then letting him off the hook.

When it was Yinzhong’s turn, it was even easier. Kangxi threw out several questions related to the ‘Classics of the Rites’, and Yinzhong answered them fluently. Moreover, he didn’t just repeat the interpretations from the commentaries; he shared his own insights, which impressed Kangxi, who nodded in approval. He was so pleased that he immediately rewarded him with a set of writing materials.

Yinzhong thanked him, and a slight, satisfied smile appeared on his fair, thin face.

When he returned home today, his mother would be very pleased.

The younger boys at the back, who hadn’t yet finished studying the ‘Four Books and Five Classics’, were still struggling. Yinzhen, however, did fairly well. Kangxi walked over to him, asked him about a passage from the ‘Analects of Confucius’, and after hearing him answer smoothly, checked his handwriting. He patted his head and gave some words of encouragement: “Good job, but keep practicing your writing.”

As for the others… the Fifth Prince, Yinqi, had been raised by the Empress Dowager since he was little. He could barely speak Chinese properly and was rather dull. Kangxi checked his large-character calligraphy, and after circling eight mistakes in ten characters, he couldn’t bear to scold him. Looking into his innocent eyes, he reluctantly said, “Your handwriting is more consistent in size now. That’s an improvement.”

The Seventh Prince, Yinyou, had a leg ailment and was frail. Kangxi only asked him a few questions about his health and whether his servants were neglecting him before moving on.

Yinti clenched his small fists, waiting with eager anticipation as Kangxi picked up his work. Just then, Liang Jiugong suddenly entered, knelt, and reported, “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence at Ning Shou Palace to speak with you.”

Kangxi then put the matter aside and turned to Yinreng, saying, “Let the Crown Prince finish the examination for me.”

Hearing this, Yinti lowered his head and released his clenched fists, unable to hide his disappointment.

Suddenly, a chubby arm draped over his shoulder. He turned to see the Ninth Prince, Yuntang, grinning as he whispered in his ear, “This is great! Second Brother never punishes anyone. I spent all my time playing with crickets and didn’t study at all today! Ha! My luck is really something.”

But Yinti had actually studied hard… He watched as Kangxi’s tall figure disappeared through the door.

He, too, wanted to be patted on the head and praised by the Emperor.

Just then, another small, chubby hand appeared, holding a piece of peanut brittle. The Tenth Prince, Yine, hurriedly shoved it into his hand, saying, “Eighth Brother, have some candy.”

Yinreng, amused by the three of them, leaned over and asked Yine, “Little Ten, where’s Second Brother’s candy?”

“Second Brother,” Yine flustered, quickly pulling another piece from his pocket, “you have some too.”

Except for Yinzhi, who still retained his older brother’s sense of dignity, the other brothers eagerly surrounded him. The Third Prince, fanning himself, said he wanted some too; the Fourth Prince, with a cold expression, silently extended his hand; and the Fifth Prince, with a silly grin, said he’d take a bite too…

One for you, one for me.

Yine, wiping away tears, handed out all the candy from his pouch, pouting as he ran back to the wet nurse’s arms, crying loudly.