Volume 5: Fellow Traveler Chapter 816: Poke
Because of the emperor's order, the news that the imperial concubine of Yonghe Palace had given birth to a son was naturally spread quickly to all the palaces, and some were happy while others were sad. The happy concubines thought that if others could give birth, they could also give birth, and whether it was a son or a daughter, they would always have someone to rely on in the future. As for the worries... it was not about the future of their children, because most of them did not have children.
What they were worried about was that the imperial concubine, who originally had only one daughter, now had a son. The emperor even went there in person and reportedly even went into the delivery room. Wouldn't she really dominate the harem in the future, and would no one else have a chance? Today's imperial concubine is not the queen of the past. She doesn't care about anything and doesn't compete for favor!
Apart from her, who can suppress Concubine Yu who has become a noble concubine?
However, the emperor was so happy that he overlooked one place, that is, the third prince in Ciqing Palace. He did not send anyone to deliver the news. It was not that he deliberately forgot, but he was so excited that he only thought about telling the empress dowager and other concubines in the harem. He did not think that the news needed to be sent immediately to inform the prince who was studying.
Therefore, not only the Ciqing Palace, but also the entire eastern area of the palace where the Ciqing Palace is located, is in good order. The three cabinet ministers, the other cabinet secretaries and other assistants, and the eunuchs who serve here, all had no idea that there was another prince in the palace.
As for the Crown Prince, tutors and lecturers in Ciqing Palace, they should study harder and make progress every day.
Because under Zhu Ying's alliance, although the lecturers and the attendants did not write a joint letter, they all sent fierce memorials, complaining about how diligent the prince was in studying. Moreover, the lecturers praised the attendants for their diligence, and the attendants praised the lecturers for their diligence. Anyway, they praised each other a lot. The core meaning is only one, the Eastern Palace is a united whole!
Even the lecturers from the Hanlin Academy, after learning that Zhu Ying personally visited Yue Shanzhang and others and that they were put on record, had to make the same choice, even though they also wanted to drive Zhang Shou away. Because of this, the attendant scholar from the Hanlin Academy who came to Ciqing Palace to lecture after Zhang Shou today wanted to stare at the prince carefully.
However, since he had skipped class once, the Third Prince was very focused throughout the whole day. Even if the tutor wanted to teach him, he didn't have the chance. When the two classes were over and it was almost time for lunch, he didn't expect that the Third Prince would politely ask him to stay and have lunch together.
For such an honor, under normal circumstances, one would certainly appear to be humble, but in fact be overjoyed and want to refuse it, but now that there are so many rumors outside because of the Crown Prince's truancy, one has to reluctantly decline. When he said goodbye and left, he even couldn't help but give the Third Prince a few words of advice.
"No matter what the Crown Prince thinks, you must know that there are many eyes watching you. Even though you are now the de facto eldest son and have a good reputation, you can't resist being corrupted by villains. You know, it's hard to build a reputation, but it's too easy to destroy it."
Of course, for someone like Lu Sanlang who had always been a rebellious person, such clichés went in one ear and out the other. But the Third Prince was such a serious person that he naturally bowed respectfully to express his gratitude.
The old man, who felt that he was being valued, shook his head and sighed, then turned and walked down the steps in front of the Ciqing Palace. He happened to pass by a young eunuch who was rushing up. But in the next moment, he suddenly reacted, frowned, turned around and shouted, "Who are you? Why have I never seen you in this Ciqing Palace?"
Although the suggestion of Grand Secretary Kong that Ciqing Palace should not employ literate eunuchs was absurd, there was only one Chu Kuan in Ciqing Palace before, and now Chu Kuan was away on official business, so there were no eunuchs here on weekdays. Several lecturers who were born as bachelors felt that this situation was very satisfactory. Therefore, he was naturally wary of this eunuch who was so unfamiliar that he didn't seem to be from the Qianqing Palace.
Don't let this eunuch lead the prince astray!
The young eunuch had not expected to be suddenly questioned like this, and he stopped in his tracks, his face filled with complete panic. Seeing this, the little fat man immediately rushed over to block the Third Prince, and asked with a vigilant look on his face, "Which palace are you from, and what are you doing here?"
After being asked twice in a row, the young eunuch became even more confused. After a long while, he stammered, "I... I'm from Wan'an Palace."
When the words "Wan'an Palace" were heard, not only did the Imperial Academy student look embarrassed, but even Fatty Lu also looked uncomfortable. He quietly retreated to the side of the Third Prince, and was about to explain embarrassedly, but the Third Prince calmly asked, "Did your mother send you here? What's the matter?"
The Crown Prince did not speak in a harsh tone like the two men before, and the young eunuch felt a little relieved. He stopped seven or eight steps away from the Third Prince, bowed aggrievedly, and then whispered: "The Imperial Concubine sent me to report to the Crown Prince that the Imperial Concubine gave birth to a baby boy, and both mother and child are safe."
The third prince's eyes widened immediately. Zhu Ying took Zhang Shou to visit Concubine Yu today because Concubine Yu was about to give birth in a few days... not because Concubine Yu was going to give birth today! Moreover, how long has it been since the birth of a child? Also, did Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying go there just in time for Concubine Yu to give birth, or was it because Concubine Yu had a miscarriage when they were talking?
The Third Prince, who had no common sense about this kind of thing, was completely bewildered. Just when he was so dazed that he forgot to react, he suddenly heard a loud shout: "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
The Third Prince came to his senses and saw that the aged Imperial Academy Scholar was looking at him with a bad expression. He did not have time to figure out what the other party meant and asked hurriedly, "So, I have another brother? Well, this is a great thing."
Seeing the eunuch nodding his head repeatedly, the Third Prince said thoughtfully, "There is still time at noon, why don't I go to Yonghe Palace to congratulate the Imperial Concubine?"
"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine has just given birth and will be in labor soon. She cannot be seen in the open air. Why don't you go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to congratulate the Emperor!" When the attendant scholar said this, he felt that he had a great responsibility today and immediately advised earnestly, "The Emperor has given birth to another son. Now is the time to be happy. You must show some happiness."
I am quite happy. What does it mean to act happy?
Even after watching the old gentleman leave with a worried look on his face, the Third Prince was still somewhat puzzled. However, even though he didn't understand, Lu Sanlang behind him did, and so did the tutors of his other brothers and even cousins.
Not all brothers are as harmonious and loving as the Third and Fourth Princes. Some brothers are born to compete with you, from their parents' love to property and resources. Even when the little prince was just born, the Third Prince had never thought about this aspect, and probably didn't understand what it meant to compete, but who knows what will happen in the future?
Even though the Fourth Prince and the Third Prince have such a deep brotherly love, who can predict what will happen in eight or ten years, or even three or five years?
The somewhat confused and troubled Third Prince did not bother to eat, and immediately followed the instructions of the tutor and rushed to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and then... came to nothing. The old gentleman's opinion was generally correct, but the emperor's character was not what most people expected. Even though it had been confirmed that the mother and child were safe, he was still in the Yonghe Palace.
Therefore, the little fat man Lu, who was worried about the third prince and accompanied by several other tutors, was completely helpless. Even though he was now a member of the palace, he was the first among the sons of the Lu family, but that did not mean that he could enter and leave the harem area.
After thinking it over, he could only say to the Third Prince solemnly: "Your Highness, just go directly to Yonghe Palace. If the teachers are there, it doesn't matter. If the teachers have already left the palace, you can just accompany the emperor and say some festive words."
After being instructed in this way by his teacher today and Lu Sanlang, the Third Prince felt extremely complicated as he hurried to the Yonghe Palace accompanied by a eunuch from the Qianqing Palace.
At this point, as smart as he was, he had already vaguely sensed the hidden meaning behind what others said, which was nothing more than advising him to be careful and to please his father when he had another son, so as not to lose favor as the crown prince. However, he always felt that such thinking was not right, at least it was inconsistent with the teachings he had received since he was a child.
His younger brother is not the eldest prince or the second prince, he shouldn't think like this!
With this feeling, the little prince finally arrived outside the Yonghe Palace. Although Concubine Yu had just given birth and would be in bed for a month, it was impossible for her to see outsiders, but since the emperor was here, all the concubines came, even the third prince's mother, the Imperial Noble Concubine, came to show up. But she didn't like crowds, so she just sat for a while and left long ago.
Except for the time when he went to Qingning Palace to pay his respects after being crowned as the Crown Prince, the Third Prince rarely saw so many concubines in the same room. Therefore, he was inevitably slow to react and even a little dull when paying his respects.
The emperor didn't take it seriously at all. He pulled the third prince up and sat him down beside him. He smiled and said, "I seem to have forgotten to send someone to tell you. How did you come here just after hearing the good news?"
The Third Prince habitually did not delve into the Emperor's words and spoke without thinking, "It was Mother who sent someone to Ciqing Palace to tell me. I was afraid that the Imperial Concubine would not be seen for her confinement, so I went to Qianqing Palace to congratulate her first. When I heard that Father had not returned, I came here! Father, is the Imperial Concubine okay? Is my fifth brother fat or thin? Can you bring him out to see?"
The emperor, who was already very happy, was so delighted by the words of the third prince that he immediately ordered someone to bring the little prince out. Seeing this scene, the concubines who had come here early but were not allowed to see the newborn baby by the emperor on the grounds that the little prince was still sleeping soundly, couldn't help but look at each other, and most of them had a basic judgment.
Although the emperor loved the newly born little prince very much, he still treated the third prince with the same high regard as always.
Soon, the nurse came out with the sleeping little prince. The third prince had never seen a newborn baby before, so when the baby was brought to him, he looked at it again and again, and felt it was very strange, especially when he saw the wrinkles on the baby's face. He didn't know whether he was in a playful mood or just curious, but he stretched out his fingers and poked the baby's soft face.
Then, as if he was not satisfied, he poked again... This action was definitely not in line with the steady and dignified prince's setting. Although others were stunned, the emperor burst into laughter after being stunned. Because he remembered clearly that when he was very young, when he saw the newly born Prince Lu, he seemed to reach out and poke him in the same way, and then woke him up and made him cry.
Fortunately, the little prince was obviously sleeping very soundly, so the movements and laughter did not wake him up. The little guy who had been fed once was still sleeping soundly. The third prince did not realize what he had just done until he withdrew his fingers. He immediately felt a little embarrassed. He coughed embarrassedly and whispered: "Father, this is the first time I have seen a newborn..."
Before the Third Prince could finish his explanation, the Emperor waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "It's just a momentary curiosity. It's nothing. I was the same as you back then!"
He never thought that the Third Prince was like him before, but this time, the Third Prince suddenly slipped out of the palace, and just now he childishly poked his newborn brother's face, just like an ordinary naughty boy. When the Emperor thought about how the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were as close as one, he felt for the first time in his life that this child who he once thought was shy and timid was very much like him in his bones!
So, after interrupting the Third Prince, he asked seriously, "Wu Lang has just been born, and I haven't had time to think of a name yet. Do you have any ideas?"
Of course, the emperor had made an excuse for not having thought of it. In fact, he had read through several dictionaries and had come up with more than a dozen names for both men and women, but after repeated consideration, he felt that none of them were good. At this moment, he simply threw the question out, and the concubines in front of him looked at each other in bewilderment. When he looked at the third prince, his annoyance immediately disappeared.
Because the Third Prince actually frowned and pondered, and judging from his expression, he was obviously racking his brains and thinking hard... So, in order to provide a reference, he said out loud all the words he could think of that were suitable for his son, and then sighed at the end.
"Your character Rong means real gold refined by fire, hence the name Rong; and Silang's character Yan means that when he was born, the bells in the bell tower rang, hence the name Yan. Although I have thought so much about Wulang's name in advance, I still feel that it is not appropriate enough."
After hearing what the emperor said, the third prince hesitated for a moment, and then whispered: "Father, how about the word duo? The imperial concubine likes military affairs. The word duo means a big bell that announces political and religious decrees, but it is also a bell for war..."
This time, before he could finish his words, the emperor slapped his thigh without even thinking and said, "Okay, it's Duo! Zheng Duo, this name is good!"
