Dreams of Jianghu

Chapter 108 – Qing Transmigration Tale (17)

In the capital when the sun was not up, there were not many people on the streets. When he reached the city gates, they were just opening.

Hong Hui’s group sprinted away when they left the gates. The guards at the gates had gotten up early in the morning, and were not clear-minded yet when they ate a mouthful of dust. The younger guard wanted to curse when the older guard hit him on the head. “Make sure to look. That is a true imperial grandson, you want your head or not?”

“Imperial grandson?” The younger one looked at the dust outside the gates and said, “Which prince?”

“Did you not see the insignia on the saddle?” The older guard said. “People in our profession have to have keen eyes and clear minds.” He made the hand gesture for four. “In the future, pay more attention.”

Hong Hui rode his horse, his guards and masters around him, but it was more free than running circles in the stables.

Outside the city was a hunting ground for the imperial family. It could not care to the Muran Hunting Grounds¹, but it was a place to let go.

Si Ye had notified the hunting ground. Hong Hui rewarded them, and they served him even better.

Not just tea, water, and pastries, even wine and food had been prepared well.

The prey here mostly had been raised by the hunting ground. For Hong Hui who was learning, it was the most suitable.

Riding a horse and aiming at the same time. This was not easy to do. Hong Hui did not have the guards use nets to block, just urged his horse on to chase. With his first arrow, he hit a rabbit, and it was through the rabbit’s eye. Hong Hui was very happy and ordered, “Put this back, when we return, clean it well, and make it into a scarf for Eniang.”

Everyone cheered.

Hong Hui got five rabbits, two badgers, and three wild pheasants. Just as he was having fun, Fu Chi ran over and whispered, “Master, this servant heard that Fourteenth Prince has come?”

Fu Chi was a reading partner that Si Ye had picked for Hong Hui. Their entire family were Si Ye’s servants. Of course, if they were not very trusted, their family’s child would not have been arranged to be with Hong Hui. If the child was not clever, it would not happen either. Fu Chi was both. Hong Hui liked this person’s reliability and cleverness very much.

He was able to get the news in time because he had paid the people of the hunting ground just now.

“Who has come with Fourteenth Uncle? Or rather, who came right before or after Fourteenth Uncle?” Hong Hui said in a low voice.

“The vice generals of the Xishan Army are passing by, and came to rest. Fourteenth Prince encountered them, and wants to hunt together,” Fu Chi said.

The Xishan Military Camp was just a dozen more so miles away from here. A vice general had to rest after riding for just a dozen miles. How could there not be something fishy going on?

“Pack up, leave immediately. Bribe them well, Ye does not want to meet anyone,” Hong Hui said with a serious expression.

Fu Chi responded and turned to leave. He quickly returned, “Master, it is all done. We leave through the side door.”

“What did you say?” Hong Hui asked in a low voice.

“This servant said that Princess Consort is pregnant and Master is worried. So you hunted something to make a scarf for Princess Consort and left,” Fu Chi said in a low voice, “The side door does save on distance.”

Hong Hui nodded. “Very good.”

When Hong Hui left through the side door, Fourteenth Prince’s subordinate reported in a whisper, “It is Eldest A-ge of the Fourth Beile Establishment, he just left.”

“How come he left?” Fourteenth Prince asked, “Does he know anything?”

“Hard to say,” the subordinate whispered.

Fourteenth Prince smiled. “The boy is pretty clever. It is not important if he knows or not.” His fourth brother was his brother by the same mother, and would not harm him. Hong Hui’s conduct of not wanting to be involved was the same as Four.

Si Ye had not expected Hong Hui to return when it was noon. Seeing him directly come, he guessed that there was a matter and called him in.

“What happened?” Si Ye hurriedly asked.

“Fourteenth Uncle went to the hunting ground and coincidentally encountered some of the vice generals of the Xishan Army. I heard that Fourteenth Uncle is keeping them to hunt together. This son returned through the side door, and did not greet Fourteenth Uncle,” Hong Hui looked at Si Ye and said.

Si Ye frowned first, and then felt joy inside. The displeasure caused by Fourteenth was replaced by the joy of Hong Hui’s clever response when he encountered trouble.

This child was able to perceive that there was something wrong, and decisively leave. He was proud and happy at the other’s comprehension and decisiveness.

With Fourteenth’s capabilities, it was not strange for him to know that Hong Hui was there. But Hong Hui avoiding at least showed his attitude, and avoided the awkwardness if the two parties met.

He had done very well.

“If you have not enjoyed yourself fully, next time, A-ma will take you. Your eniang is worried about you, go to the main courtyard to eat.” Si Ye patted Hong Hui’s shoulder. “You did well.”

Hong Hui was very happy at being praised by Si Ye even as he reached the courtyard. He told Lin Yu Tong about the events. “However, the rabbit fur right now is not the best looking, and the color is not pleasing.”

“It is fine, Eniang will use it for a sleeveless jacket, it is perfect to wear in the room for my confinement. I also want to make a pair of shoes for your A-ma to wear in the rooms. The fur is perfect,” Lin Yu Tong said with a smile. The goodwill of children were very precious.

Hong Hui was even happier and whispered about Fourteen’s matter. “I do not know why Fourteenth Uncle is seeing the people of the Xishan Army. Is it his own intention? Or Eighth Uncle’s intention? However, I feel, Fourteenth Uncle does not even respect A-ma, his full brother, can he respect Eighth Uncle? If I am Eighth Uncle, I do not dare to believe Fourteenth Uncle.

Lin Yu Tong stilled. This child’s explanation was not unreasonable.

Regardless of the reason, and how the people outside were plotting, they still had to live their days.

The morning when the snowflakes came down, Lin Yu Tong felt wetness. Her waters had broken.

She methodically arranged the matters of labor, and then had someone go to the palace gates to wait for Si Ye to come out of the court session.

The midwife granny was Granny Yuan. Back when Consort De gave birth to Si Ye, it had been her who delivered, and her skills had not gathered dust in these years.

Lin Yu Tong pressed on her meridian points. It still hurt, but not so difficult. In less than two hours, when Si Ye was about to return on a quick horse and rushed his steps to the main courtyard, he heard a loud cry from a baby.

“Master, Princess Consort has given birth.” Su Pei Sheng grinned as he reported the good news.

Si Ye walked even faster. When he reached the door to the labor room, Granny Yuan came out of the inner room. “Congratulations, Ye, mother and son are fine. Fourth A-ge is seven catties and two taels. Very healthy.”

“Good! Reward!” Si Ye said and went inside.

The labor room was split into the inner and outer rooms. Granny Yuan carried the child for Si Ye to look.

He saw the child’s eyes were already open, the hair on his head black. He was not red or wrinkled, very white and tender. This baby was born well.

Si Ye did not care about the taboo, and went directly inside. Lin Yu Tong still had energy, and smiled when she saw him return. “Ye, how come you came in?”

Si Ye sat by the edge of the bed, and touched Lin Yu Tong’s forehead. “Are you all right?”

“It was pretty smooth, I did not suffer much.” Lin Yu Tong leaned on the cushions and looked at the child in the cradle. Her expression grew even softer.

“It is because of the protection of the Buddha,” Si Ye said with lingering fear. “Ye rushed from the palace, fearing something would happen. This is good.”

“Our days are easy, the fetus was nourished well, and labor less than two hours from start to end,” Lin Yu Tong held Si Ye’s hand. “Ye, have you notified the palace?”

“I have sent someone,” Si Ye said. He saw a servant girl come in with a bowl and reached for it to feed Lin Yu Tong.

Lin Yu Tong took it herself. “I am not so fragile?” She drank it all in one go.

When the palace got the news, Consort De was naturally full of joy.

Fourteen’s princess consort Wanyan-shi had given birth to a di-son for Fourteen. While the princely lady had given birth to the eldest son already, without a di-son, it was not stable. Now, Four had another di-son. How could she not feel joy?

The lack of a di-son in the family was the cause for chaos in the family. Just like these imperial sons right now. If not for the crown prince, the di-son, she feared it would be more of a mess than right now.

Four had another di-son. Then the establishment would not fall into chaos, no matter the time. Otherwise, with Li-shi having two a-ge, her ambitions would grow sooner or later.

Hearing that the emperor had given rewards, the people of the empress dowager had left the palace, she sent people with rewards. The gifts did not appear valuable, but were all things that were practical.

The three day washing ceremony and the monthly party for Si Ye’s second di-son were very grand.

For the entire winter, Si Ye was full of joy. On this day, watching the child spit bubbles, he heard people had come from the palace. The emperor had summoned him.

It was almost the twelfth month. What could be the matter?

When he came to the palace, he saw he was not the only person waiting. The brothers were all there.

He sat on his seat, and heard Third Prince ask in a whisper, “Four, do you know what is the matter?”

Si Ye shook his head. “Third Brother does not know. So how could this younger brother know?”

The two were going to keep talking when Commandery Prince Zhi also came in. The brothers immediately stood and bowed.

Commandery Prince Zhi took off his cloak, rubbed his face and said, “Sit down, everyone. This ghastly weather is freezing.”

Third Prince turned, wanting to ask Commandery Prince Zhi. But when the words reached his mouth, he swallowed them. In reality, all of the brothers had some fear of the eldest imperial son.

When the brothers were summoned into the imperial study, they learned that the emperor wanted to call the imperial grandsons into the palace for school.

Why did he suddenly think of this? They all came from the imperial study, and all knew how hard it was to study in the palace. Si Ye thought of Hong Hui and Hong Yun and immediately did not bear it. They had to wake up in the middle of the night. They would not be used to this. Lin Yu Tong had spoiled them to not getting up unless they had eight hours of sleep. If they wanted to sleep for eight whole hours in the palace, it was just a dream.

But could he say this?

Third Prince glanced at Commandery Prince Zhi and then at the crown prince at the side. The emperor was still like that, a faint smile on his lips as he sat there like a bodhisattva.

In the past, it was the crown prince’s sons and the younger imperial sons in the imperial study. Now, the crown prince would not have this tiny bit of special treatment?

Do not have these matters harm his own children. He knew what his son was like. His son would not get up if he did not sleep enough. He thought of how much he had suffered back then. He did not want his child to suffer again. Back then, his greatest dream was to sleep in. Now, he wanted to sleep in, but after many years of habit, he would wake up on time, regardless of how late he went to sleep. Indulged by him, his child would not wake up in the morning if he did not sleep at night. If he entered the imperial study, he would be punished by the teachers, and his reading partners beaten very badly.

They all exchanged hidden looks, and all looked like they had toothaches. However, they had to give their thanks gratefully.

When Commandery Prince Zhi entered the palace, he learned that Hong Xi had stayed in the imperial study for half a day. It seemed that the emperor was not just having an impulse. He said with a smile, “Hong Yu is lawless in the establishment. When this son tries to teach him, his eniang will protect him. Now, with him in front of Khan A-ma, this son can be lazy. However, this child is very wild and heart to teach. This son fears that the teachers will need more patience.”

He would first say clearly, my child likes to play. If he does not learn well, have more patience, and do not easily punish him.

Table of Contents

• Grafting Life Chapter 107 – Qing Transmigration Tale (16)
• Grafting Life Chapter 109 – Qing Transmigration Tale (18)
• Grafting Life Chapter 110 – Qing Transmigration Tale (19)