Chapter Eight: Training the Dog to Attack Hong Shi

Hongshi heard this and looked at Hongli, his face filled with disbelief.

"How could Fourteenth Uncle possibly take a liking to Hongli?"

In Hongshi's mind, the Fourteenth Prince was the most arrogant among all their uncles. Even for their elders, let alone juniors like them, he dared to talk back to the Kangxi Emperor. He showed no attempt to hide his disdain for his own older brother, and he had always been cold and indifferent toward Hongli, his own nephew. Even though Hongli had always been quite sycophantic and fawning toward his Fourteenth Uncle, Hongshi never expected the arrogant man to take the initiative to show favor to Hongli by gifting him a pony.

Of course, he also had not expected his Eighth Uncle to personally invite Hongli to the Prince Eighth’s Mansion to play. He himself barely thought much of Hongli, who was born to a low-ranking concubine, yet his Eighth Uncle actually thought highly enough of him to extend a formal invitation.

After his initial shock, Hongshi soon understood. He realized it was because Hongli had been chosen to accompany the Emperor that the Eighth and Fourteenth Princes had begun to actively court him.

In the Qing Dynasty, where imperial power reigned supreme, anyone close to the core of power inevitably had the opportunity to influence the decisions of the supreme ruler. Thus, Hongli, an imperial grandson of only ten who was about to live and study by Kangxi’s side, easily drew attention. Even if people like the Eighth and Fourteenth Princes could not count on Hongli for direct assistance, they hoped to gain a better understanding of him and cultivate a closer relationship. It was, after all, better than completely slighting an imperial grandson who was about to be in the Emperor’s inner circle.

"I understand. Let them wait in the south chamber for now."

Hongli did not immediately accept or refuse. He needed to consult Yinzhen first. He had no intention of following Hongshi’s path—running off happily the moment the Eighth or Fourteenth Princes showed favor, disregarding his own father's feelings and fawning over them. He knew full well that Yinzhen would be the final winner in the struggle for the throne. As Yinzhen’s own son, establishing his loyalty now would surely yield great rewards in the future.

"As you command!"

Hongshi watched Hongli with surprise. He had not expected Hongli to be so composed, showing no sign of joy despite the invitation and the gift. Hongzhou was equally surprised and seemed to grasp the implication behind Hongli’s words. Wu Sidao, witnessing this, nodded with satisfaction.

Hongli then made his way to Yinzhen. Yinzhen was still in his study. This time, there was no barking; the dogs in the enclosure only wagged their tails vigorously when Hongli appeared. Hongli tossed them a bone he had brought from home.

*Woof! Woof!*

Only then did the dogs begin to bark, scrambling over one another. Yinzhen appeared at the door. A mottled dog dashed out and ran to the fence, barking loudly.

"Come back!" Yinzhen called out, but the dog ignored him.

Helpless, Yinzhen told Hongli, who was bowing, to rise and asked, "What is it?"

"Eighth Uncle sent someone to invite me over to play, and I have come to ask for Father’s instructions. Also, Fourteenth Uncle gifted me a pony; I seek Father’s guidance on that as well," Hongli replied.

Yinzhen was pleased that Hongli had come to consult him, so he responded in a gentle tone with an "Hmm." He then paced back and forth by the fence with his hands behind his back. After a moment, he said, "They are your uncles. If they invite you, you should go; if they give you gifts, you should accept them."

"When you go, be respectful, remember to thank them, and show respect to the people in their households. Say things they like to hear."

"Do not bring shame upon your father and mother!" Yinzhen admonished him earnestly.

Hongli feigned reluctance and said, "I will remember, Father."

"Furthermore, from now on, if these uncles of yours have any requests, there is no need to ask me or your mother first; just inform us afterward," Yinzhen added specifically.

"Go now," Yinzhen said with a wave.

"Then I shall take my leave!" Hongli departed.

***

Hongli soon arrived at the Prince Eighth’s Mansion.

"Your nephew offers his greetings to Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Fourteenth Uncles!" Seeing all four gathered there, Hongli bowed low.

The Eighth Prince hurriedly helped him up, saying kindly, "Rise, rise. We are family; there is no need for such formalities!"

"Thank you, Eighth Uncle!" Hongli replied with a smile.

Yinzhen (the Eighth Prince) continued, "I called you here today for no other reason than to say that I heard it was your brother Hongwang’s birthday the other day, and he failed to invite you. I have already scolded him for it. I sent for you today to speak with you, so you wouldn’t overthink it and feel that I only dote on Hongshi and neglect you."

"Your nephew has always kept the kindness of my uncles deep in my heart; I would never overthink it," Hongli replied with a smile.

The Eighth Prince laughed, "What a sensible and humble child! Your mathematical skills impressed your grandfather, which shows you are diligent and talented. You are truly a descendant of our Aisin Gioro clan!"

"I called you here today because you are about to enter the palace to accompany the Emperor. I want to give you some advice. It will be harder in the palace than at home, but do not be afraid and do not cry to come home, as that would displease your grandfather. I have already put in a good word, so rest assured, stay in the palace, study hard, and in the future, contribute to the prosperity of our Great Qing!"

"That’s right," the Tenth Prince chimed in. "Your Eighth Uncle is in charge of the Imperial Household Department. If any servant dares to slight you, just tell your Eighth Uncle, and the department will see to it they regret it!"

Hongli thanked them, "Thank you, Eighth Uncle and Tenth Uncle, for your care. With your support, I have nothing to fear!"

"Sensible!" The Ninth Prince, Yintang, saw Hongli’s respectful demeanor and smiled at the Fourteenth Prince before reaching into his sleeve to pull out a stack of bank drafts, which he shoved into Hongli’s hand.

"Hongli, your Ninth Uncle is usually quite busy and hasn't shown you much care, but I do dote on you! The palace is not like the manor; sometimes you need to reward the servants to ensure they serve you well. Besides, you will surely need to purchase things you desire. Take these drafts."

"If it’s not enough, come to me for more. Don't be a stranger!"

Hongli knew that the Ninth Prince was the "God of Wealth" for the Eight-Prince Party. Because he knew foreign languages and associated with Westerners, he was the protector of maritime smuggling and trade merchants in the court. He had plenty of silver and provided ample financial support for the Eight-Prince Party to control the bureaucracy.

Hongli quickly bowed again, "Your nephew thanks you, Ninth Uncle!"

"We are uncle and nephew; why be so formal?" The Ninth Prince waved him off and gestured for him to sit.

The Fourteenth Prince smiled and asked, "Hongli, do you like the pony Fourteenth Uncle gave you?"

"I love it, and I was just about to thank you in person, Fourteenth Uncle." In truth, Hongli hadn't even looked at it; he had simply ordered his servants to take it to the stables. He knew he couldn't appear too happy, lest he stir the sensitive heart of Yinzhen again.

The Fourteenth Prince nodded and continued, "I wanted to teach you horsemanship myself, but I must depart for the Northwest tomorrow. It will have to wait for the future. Just remember: although your father and I have our differences, I still recognize him as my own brother and you as my own nephew. I treat you as my own son. When I return from the wars in the Northwest, I will bring you even better things."

"Your kindness leaves me overwhelmed, Fourteenth Uncle!" Hongli bowed.

The Fourteenth Prince laughed, "Why say such things?" He then turned to the Eighth Prince, "Eighth Brother, shall we go watch the equestrian performance?"

"Yes!"

The Eighth Prince stood up and smiled at Hongli, "Hongli, the cavalry troop your Fourteenth Uncle brought back has superb riding skills. They are performing in the mansion today; come watch with us. As a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan, you must not forget the arts of riding and archery. Come see how formidable our Manchu warriors are on horseback!"

Hongli agreed and went with them to the inner riding arena. After watching the performance and staying for a meal, Hongli returned home and immediately went to see Yinzhen.

Upon arriving, he first encountered Hongshi. Hongshi’s expression was somewhat malicious, though he forced a smile. "I didn't expect Eighth Uncle to keep you for so long."

"They insisted I watch the equestrian performance, so I was delayed," Hongli replied with a smile before walking toward where Yinzhen kept his dogs. The dogs were already wagging their tails at him.

Perhaps because Yinzhen was walking the dogs in the small garden, the gate to the enclosure was left open. The dogs ran out and surrounded Hongli, wagging their tails and jumping up.

Hongshi asked, "I imagine Ninth Uncle gave you some silver, too. Can you lend me some?"

"What, are you reluctant to lend your brother some money?" Hongshi asked coldly when Hongli didn't respond.

Hongli remained silent, busy playing with the dogs and quietly waving at them toward Hongshi. The dogs were already familiar with him and seemed to understand that if they wanted treats, they needed to bite Hongshi.

Following his gesture, the dogs lunged at Hongshi, jaws snapping.

"Ah! Why are you biting me!" Terrified as the dogs continued to pursue him, Hongshi turned and ran for his life. Hongli stifled a laugh.

"Get away!"

"What are you doing!"

"Do you believe me when I say I'll slaughter you all?!" Hongshi yelled at the dogs as he fled.

Yinzhen suddenly emerged from behind the fence, holding a puppy. His face was cold as ice as he shouted at the fleeing Hongshi, "You wretched beast, who are you threatening to slaughter?!"