sjar Chapter 15 Seven melons on one vine
Chapter 15 Seven melons on one vine
Yinzhuo was happy as long as he could go out and play. He didn't care who took him. Compared to Yinzhuo, he and Kangxi were obviously only getting to know each other. Moreover, compared to the fourteen-year-old Yinti, it was definitely safer to ride on Kangxi's horse. So he obediently nodded and followed Kangxi off the imperial carriage.
As Emperor Kangxi's beloved horse, Zhuifeng was undoubtedly a magnificent steed, one in a million. Its speed was astounding. When Yinzhuo was first pulled in front of Kangxi and urged Zhuifeng to run, he was a little scared and nervous. But as he gradually felt that although Zhuifeng ran very fast, it was very stable, he relaxed and eventually even began to enjoy the feeling of galloping at high speed.
"Father, can we ride a little faster? Horse riding is so much fun!"
Upon hearing Yinzhuo's excited shouts, Kangxi burst into laughter. At the same time, he slightly tightened his legs around the horse's belly, increasing its speed. As if sensing its master's intention, Zhuifeng galloped off on all fours, moving as if on flat ground.
Following behind them, Yinti and Yinreng, along with the guards responsible for their safety, quickened their pace, causing dust to billow on the official road as the group left the main force far behind.
The group was large, so their pace was naturally slow. They traveled and stopped frequently, enduring hardships and sleeping outdoors, and finally arrived at their first rest stop, Zunhua Hot Spring, a few days later.
They were going to stay here for a few days, firstly to rest and secondly to pay respects to their ancestors. After all, this place was very close to the imperial tombs, and it made no sense that they would come all this way without paying their respects to their ancestors.
However, that was obviously not a problem for children like Yinzhuo to worry about. As soon as they arrived at the hot spring palace, they were completely attracted by the hot spring pools that were everywhere.
"Brothers, please excuse me. Let's all go back to our rooms and change our clothes first, then meet in the lobby and soak in the hot spring together."
Seeing Yinzhuo leave without waiting for everyone, the others exchanged helpless smiles and tacitly dispersed to return to their rooms. After all, Yinzhuo wasn't the only one interested in the hot springs; they were also eager to enjoy them for a while.
Because the palace was small and there were many people accompanying them, all of Yinzhuo and his brothers were arranged to live in one courtyard. Fortunately, the courtyard was big enough that it was not crowded for the brothers and their servants.
There was a hot spring pool in the courtyard made of white marble, which was thoughtfully divided into two parts, one deep and one shallow, with a partition in the middle. So even if the children like Yinzuo wanted to go in and play, as long as they didn't try to go into the deep water, there was no danger.
Even for the most noble of men, it was impossible to be elegant in a bathhouse. The seven brothers, from the eldest prince Yinqi to the seventh prince Yinyou, were all dressed shirtless and in shorts. Yinzuo couldn't help but laugh when he saw his seven brothers sitting in the hot spring pool like the Calabash Brothers.
"Huluwa, Huluwa, seven gourds on one vine, not afraid of wind or rain, la la la la..."
Although the strange-sounding song seemed odd to the others, it was charmingly childlike and amusing. Seeing Yinzhu singing so enthusiastically, the others didn't stop him. The lyrics were simple, with a few lines repeated over and over until even the two younger brothers, Yinqi and Yinyou, started humming along. In no time, the whole courtyard was filled with the sound of "Calabash Brothers, Calabash Brothers!" Kangxi, who had just entered the courtyard, thought that there might be some kind of gourd spirit in the yard.
"If you are the Calabash Brothers, then wouldn't I become a gourd...?"
The group was having a good time, perhaps because the atmosphere had been too relaxed. When they saw Kangxi arrive, the brothers bowed respectfully but did not come up from the pool. When faced with Kangxi's question, Yinzhuo answered instinctively before his mind had even processed it.
"Father, you're not a gourd, you're a snake spirit, the obstacle preventing us from saving Grandpa!"
Kangxi was completely bewildered by Yinzhuo's words. Although he didn't understand the connection between the Calabash Brothers, the Snake Spirit, and saving his grandfather, he did understand the meaning of "stumbling block."
"You brat, you've really gone too far by making fun of me. It seems I really need to find some time to teach you a lesson."
Yinzhuo, who spoke without thinking, knew he was doomed as soon as he said it. Although he could tell from Kangxi's tone that he wasn't angry, he still subconsciously started to act innocent.
"Father, your son must have lost his mind while soaking in the hot spring. Please forgive him this time, okay..."
Kangxi wasn't angry at first, but upon hearing this, he walked to the edge of the pond, squatted down, and flicked Yinzhuo's forehead hard.
"Okay, I'll forgive you this time."
Yinzhuo saw stars from the solid flick on the head, and tears welled up in his eyes as he covered his forehead and looked accusingly at Kangxi standing on the shore.
"Father, how could you bully a child? How could you do this? I already said I forgave you, how could you still flick my forehead?"
Faced with his son's tearful accusation, Kangxi guiltily raised his hand to his mouth to clear his throat, then lifted Yinzhuo out of the hot spring and handed him to Dexi, who was waiting with a towel nearby.
"Dexi, quickly take your young master to get ready. As for the rest of you, don't just stand there. Go back and get ready too. Come to my courtyard later to have dinner with me."
If we were to say what Yinzhuo's lifelong wish was, it would be nothing more than eating, drinking, and having fun. Now, his life is clearly no longer related to having fun, so all that's left is eating and drinking, which he is naturally even more obsessed with.
"Dexi, didn't you hear what Father Khan said? Stop standing there and hurry up and prepare some water. We'll get ready and then go eat with Father Khan."
The others couldn't help but facepalm. Goodness, you know how to get to the point, and you're really easy to fool.
In the following days, apart from accompanying Kangxi to the imperial mausoleum to pay respects to their ancestors, Yinzhu spent almost all his time soaking in the hot springs. Although his whole body was wrinkled from soaking, he did not come away empty-handed. At least in the past few days, he had learned to doggy paddle quite well.
The day after the ancestral worship ceremony, the group resumed their journey. After many stops along the way, they finally arrived at their final destination, Mulan Weichang, more than half a month later.
Yinzhu couldn't help but sigh. Ancient transportation was truly deadly. After sitting in the carriage for more than half a month, his small body felt like it was about to be shaken apart. The moment his feet touched solid ground, Yinzhu felt that he had finally come back to life.
Mulan Hunting Ground, established in the 20th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign as a hunting ground for the Qing Dynasty imperial family, was a pasture offered by several tribes after the Kangxi Emperor quelled the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories. Covering an area of over 10,000 square kilometers, it boasts vast forests, numerous rivers, lush vegetation, and abundant wildflowers, making it a truly exceptional place.
Emperor Kangxi's tours to the border regions were secondary; the Mulan Autumn Hunt was not simply a gathering for hunting, but a highly political event.
So once they arrived at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, Kangxi began to receive the leaders of the various Mongol tribes one after another. The eldest prince and the crown prince, as the most senior princes and heir apparent, naturally had to show their faces at the front. As the mascot of this event and the main person Kangxi wanted to boast about, Yinzhuo was naturally not to be left out.
So while Yinzhi, Yinzhen, and others were frolicking all over the grasslands, he could only stand beside Kangxi with a forced smile, dealing with wave after wave of Mongol nobles, and listening to them flatter Kangxi in various ways.
After Kangxi finally had his fill of showing off his son, Yinzhuo was finally free from his misery. The moment he stepped out of the imperial tent, Yinzhuo felt that the sky was so blue, the clouds were so white, the air was so fresh, and even the nameless wildflowers blooming on the grassland were so beautiful.
"My eternal heaven, this is life!"