Chapter 54: The Loving Younger Brother

Yongzheng did not hesitate to affirm Hongli's actions in this matter.

As a newly ascended emperor, he was striving to be fair and enlightened, attempting to make the world believe he was a wise and reliable ruler.

"What Fourth Brother says is true. Although Hongli is young, he understands the bigger picture. His Majesty bestowing the throne upon Fourth Brother was a decision made after careful deliberation."

Thirteenth Prince Yuxiang also spoke. After saying this, he swept his gaze across the assembled imperial princes and grand ministers.

All the princes and grand ministers nodded in agreement.

The Thirteenth Prince knew that by bringing out this memorial, Yongzheng also hoped the imperial princes and grand ministers who had failed in the succession struggle would accept reality.

Therefore, he had suddenly spoken up at this moment, intending to use his affirmation of Hongli to corroborate the righteousness of Yongzheng's succession and to prove that Kangxi's passing of the throne to Yongzheng was by no means a rash act.

The Eighth Prince and the other grand ministers were well aware of this. Otherwise, the Eighth Prince would not have praised Hongli right after Yongzheng spoke, thereby signaling that he had indeed accepted reality.

Yongzheng smiled, nodded in deep satisfaction, leaned back comfortably against his chair cushion, and said, "Let us speak no more of this. Instead, let us discuss the military affairs of the Western Route. With the late Emperor having passed away, military morale is unsettled. We must deliberate carefully on how to handle this matter properly!"

"Understood!"

……

Having just ascended the throne, Yongzheng was overwhelmed with myriad trivial matters and had no leisure to attend to the education of his sons.

Once Hongli was relieved of his duties guarding the palace gates, he gladly enjoyed his ease, spending his time in Yongshou Palace reading light books.

However, it was now the eleventh lunar month, and the weather was bone-chillingly cold.

Moreover, the Primary Consort had just entered the palace, and Consort De had not yet handed over the authority of the inner court to her.

The people in the palace had long since developed sophisticated and astute minds. Not yet knowing Consort De's attitude toward the new Primary Consort, everyone was waiting to see how things would play out, and consequently, no extra charcoal had been delivered in a timely manner.

Therefore, Yongshou Palace was still burning the leftover charcoal brought from the Prince Yong's Manor.

Yet, as the household staff of the Prince Yong's Manor had just moved into the palace, it was inconvenient to go out and purchase more.

As a result, the young prince Hongli was not allotted a very generous share of charcoal.

After reading for only a short while, he felt his feet growing somewhat cold. Putting down his book, he simply decided to start jogging around the courtyard.

Just as a white mist of vapor began to rise from his forehead, Chen Shishun, the most capable eunuch serving the Primary Consort, arrived with two young palace attendants.

"This slave pays his respects to the Fourth Young Master!"

As soon as Chen Shishun saw Hongli appear before him, he immediately bent both knees and knelt to the ground, unlike the past when he relied on his status as a close attendant to the Primary Consort and would only bow slightly.

Hongli inwardly praised Chen Shishun's flexible attitude. Knowing that he was now a prince being personally raised by the Primary Consort, Chen Shishun was proactively according him greater respect.

Seeing that Chen Shishun understood propriety so well, Hongli decided to reciprocate the courtesy and stepped forward to help him up: "Please rise, Elder Chen. You are a person close to Benevolent Mother; how could you perform such a grand kowtow? It is we young princes who ought to respect you."

Hearing Hongli address him as "Elder Chen," Chen Shishun was pleasantly surprised. Feigning panic, he once more dropped to his knees and kowtowed: "This slave is utterly unworthy of such a title! The Fourth Young Master honors this slave far too much!"

"How can you be unworthy? Before long, you will be the foremost person by the Empress's side! In the entire Inner Court, who would dare not show you respect?"

Hongli helped him up once more and asked with a smile.

He knew very well that eunuchs, having been deprived of their manhood, cared most about whether others looked down upon them. As the old saying goes, it is better to offend the King of Hell than a petty ghost.

To prevent Chen Shishun from whispering slanderous words in the Primary Consort's ear, Hongli continued to show him utmost respect, even though Chen Shishun was already acting submissively.

Overwhelmed with pleasant astonishment, Chen Shishun thought to himself that this Fourth Young Master clearly understood what was at stake and was indeed not to be underestimated.

Therefore, Chen Shishun became even more deferential, knelt down again, and said, "The Young Master jokes. This slave is merely a slave wherever he goes. Even if others show respect to this slave, it is only out of regard for my master that they grant me face. This slave must not lose all sense of propriety, so I beg the Fourth Young Master not to call me Elder Chen. Otherwise, this slave will have no choice but to beg my master to put me to death for my faults."

"Then I shall call you Eunuch Chen."

Hongli replied.

Chen Shishun hurriedly kowtowed as if granted a great reprieve: "Thank you for your grace, Fourth Young Master!"

"Rise. What brings Eunuch Chen here?"

Hongli asked after motioning for him to stand.

Bowing deeply, Chen Shishun said, "Our mistress feared that the Fourth Young Master might be cold, so she sent us to bring you some of her red-peppercorn charcoal."

"A gift from a superior; one dares not refuse. Thank you for me for Benevolent Mother's loving care!"

Hongli performed a salute.

Chen Shishun accepted it on behalf of the Primary Consort and then helped Hongli up: "Please rise, Fourth Young Master!"

With a flattering smile, Chen Shishun added, "Our mistress instructed us long ago to serve you with all our hearts, treating you just as they would her!"

"The mistress also said that you are now her legitimate son. Therefore, whatever you need, you have only to command us."

"Do not hesitate out of kindness and withhold from driving us slaves. It is our greatest fortune to be able to work for you; otherwise, we would deserve heaven's wrath and earth's destruction!"

Hongli nodded. He caught the underlying meaning in Chen Shishun's words: it was a subtle complaint that he gave them too few opportunities to "enslave" them, leaving them no chance to perform meritorious service and pledge their loyalty before their mistress.

In this Great Qing Dynasty, even being a slave could become an addiction.

Of course, Hongli could only critique this mentally; relying on him alone could not completely eradicate the illness of this era.

This illness had not appeared overnight, and the very existence of the Great Qing was due to too many people suffering from this affliction.

The only thing he could do was to adapt to this era while making the people of this land understand that pressing themselves and their own kind too harshly would ultimately only benefit new external forces.

When that time came, those palace treasures would easily be reduced to ashes in fires, become museum pieces looted by others, and even the common people would join in the burning and plundering.

"Benevolent Mother's profound grace is something I will never fail. Eunuch Chen, you may rest assured."

"Since that is the case, please take this book of *Global Geography* I wrote and bring it to Hongzhou. Tell him this is the geographical knowledge taught to me by His late Majesty the Grandfather during his lifetime, and I have now written it down to share with him, hoping he too will gain a broader understanding of the world."

With these words, Hongli rose, went inside the room, and handed a book to Chen Shishun.

Globes had already appeared in the late Ming dynasty, and by now, even the aristocratic scholars and gentry of the Qing dynasty generally accepted the concept of a spherical earth.

Therefore, Hongli directly used *Global Geography* as the title for his self-authored primer on general geography.

During these days, whenever he had spare time, he wrote quite a few popular educational primers.

He did not know whether these primers could bring any impact to this land, but he hoped they would.

"Understood!"

Chen Shishun respectfully received the book.

Hongli then instructed Haitang to reward him and the servants he brought with two taels of silver each, as compensation for their trouble in serving the Primary Consort and acting in place of his filial piety.

Chen Shishun and the others naturally accepted the reward with great joy.

Chen Shishun certainly did not lack money, but the two ordinary servants he brought along desperately needed the money to support their families.

The Primary Consort indeed favored Hongli deeply, and when Chen Shishun returned and recounted how humble, courteous, respectful to his adoptive mother, and affectionate to his brothers Hongli had been, her heart was filled with even greater joy.

After Haitang assisted him with his bath, Hongli took advantage of the quiet of the night to write new reading materials.

Because the red-peppercorn charcoal gifted by the Primary Consort was now burning, the room was indeed much warmer. Amidst the faint scent of sandalwood, it felt almost like the warm breeze of early spring with blooming flowers.

Each stick of red-peppercorn charcoal was about a foot long, with a diameter varying from two to three inches. It was made from wood harvested deep within the Taihang Mountains, and the raw materials for burning were strictly limited to green-oak, white-jujube, and ox-tallow wood. Coated with red clay by the Yizhou charcoal kilns, it was traditionally supplied exclusively to the imperial family.

It provided long-lasting warmth, burned evenly without popping, and left white ash.

Therefore, it was extremely suitable for keeping warm while reading and writing.

Niohuru, who was also with Hongli, felt the warmth and smiled at Haitang: "The charcoal given by the Primary Consort is indeed much warmer!"

Haitang smiled and nodded: "Indeed, it has been burning for so long and still feels so hot."

"Hongli is truly blessed!"

Niohuru sighed with emotion.

Haitang chimed in, "This is also my lady's blessing!"

Niohuru smiled faintly: "You are the same."

Haitang blushed, lowered her head, and said with playful coyness, "My lady!"

Early the next morning.

Just as Hongli woke up beside Haitang, he heard that Chen Shishun had arrived at the rear hall of Yongshou Palace where he, Niohuru, and Haitang resided, saying, "The mistress has sent me to escort the Fourth Young Master over."

"Understood, I am getting up right now!"