In the early autumn of the fifty-fifth year of Kangxi's reign, the clear golden autumn sun filled the sky. With the last trace of heat in late summer, Ling Ruo sat in a small sedan carried by four people and walked to the Forbidden City.
After Hongli turned three years old, he was admitted to the palace by Kangxi to teach his subjects in person. He came back only once every three days. Although Ling Ruo couldn't bear to be separated from his youngest son, he knew what this opportunity meant to him, so he always
He didn't say anything, and even told Hongli to listen carefully to the lectures in the palace and not to be playful.
However, in the past two years, every time Hongli entered the palace or returned to the palace, she did it herself and never relied on others. Kangxi had already given her the power to enter and leave the palace at any time when Hongli started to study in the palace.
When Ling Ruo arrived at the south study room, she happened to see Kangxi teaching calligraphy to the five-year-old Hongli. Neither of them noticed Ling Ruo standing outside the door. Li Dequan was about to go in to report, but Ling Ruo stopped him.
"Grandpa Huang, my grandson's hands are so sore. Can you write the rest tomorrow?" After filling a piece of paper, Hongli shook his sore wrist and wrinkled his straight little nose and said crisply.
Kangxi coughed a few times and said with a slightly sluggish breath: "Your mother-in-law will come to pick you up later. I won't be here tomorrow, and the emperor won't be able to watch you practice calligraphy."
Hongli's smart eyes rolled, and while stroking Kangxi's back, he said: "Even if the emperor's grandfather is not here, my grandson will practice calligraphy well. I promise not to be lazy. When he enters the palace next time, he will practice it well."
Show the words to Grandpa Huang. Can you let your grandson rest for a while today? My hands are really sore."
"That's it..." Kangxi looked at Hongli who looked hopeful with a smile on his face, and said awkwardly: "Okay, let's leave the rest to tomorrow, but don't forget it." Usually those princes and grandsons looked at each other.
He felt like a mouse seeing a cat and couldn't hide away. Only this grandson who was always by his side was the closest to him. Although he had rules, he was not rigid.
"Thank you, Grandpa Emperor!" Hongli cheered, put down his pen and climbed out of the chair quickly. As soon as he stood still, he saw Ling Ruo standing outside, and his little face was suddenly surrounded by joy.
He called Aniang happily.
Ling Ruo smiled but didn't say anything. Instead, she walked up to Kangxi first, knelt down and saluted, "My son, I would like to send my regards to the emperor. I wish you the best of luck." Since she was promoted to the side of Fujin, she was qualified to call herself a son.
.
"Get up." Kangxi smiled slightly, knowing her purpose, and pointed at Hongli and said, "I have nothing to do here. Just take him away and bring him back the next day."
"Yes." After Ling Ruo agreed lightly, she took the food box from Shui Xiu who followed her into the palace, took out a porcelain Gu wrapped in a thin cotton cover and said, "When I came here last time,
I heard the emperor coughing a few times, and I guessed that his old habit had recurred, so I made a stew on my own initiative, hoping it would help the emperor's cough."
Kangxi knew that what she brought must be a folk remedy for coughing that she had drunk in Changchun Garden a few years ago. Originally, coughing had not happened so much in the past few years, but for some reason this year, it started again after autumn.
I was coughing frequently and it was really uncomfortable. I had been concentrating on Ling Ruo's folk remedy for the past two days, but I didn't expect that she had already stewed it and sent it over before I even opened my mouth. It was considered thoughtful.
After Kangxi nodded, Ruo handed the porcelain cup to Hongli and said, "Bring it to Grandpa Huang quickly."
"Yes." Hongli agreed obediently and took the porcelain cup over. After stepping up the steps with his calves, he did not put the porcelain cup directly on the desk. Instead, he said politely to Li Dequan: "Eunuch Li, for
Can I get a bowl and a spoon?"
Kangxi guessed what he was thinking, and with a smile in his eyes, he stroked Hongli's head and said, "Grandpa Huang can drink it himself, so please go back with your mother-in-law."
"Hongli was afraid that the emperor would forget." Hongli refused and insisted on asking Li Dequan to get the bowl. Kangxi couldn't resist but had to agree. After Li Dequan brought a colorful bowl with a picture of koi playing in the water, Hongli came from
He carefully scooped out a bowl of transparent soup from the porcelain cup and was about to hand it to Kangxi when he suddenly remembered something. He took a sip himself and tested the temperature before he respectfully handed it to Kangxi and said crisply: "Grandpa Emperor, drink the soup."
Kangxi was very pleased with Hongli's cleverness and sensibleness. He took the warm soup with a smile and drank it slowly in front of Hongli.
Seeing that Kangxi was holding the bowl with his left hand, Ling Ruo felt slightly strange. Kangxi was not left-handed. He usually used his right hand to hold things. Why did he use his left hand this time? When he took a closer look, he found that his right hand was always hanging by his side. He looked strange.
So natural.
After Kangxi drank all the soup, Ling Ruo hesitated and asked, "Is the emperor's right hand okay?"
Kangxi put down the empty bowl and moved his right hand, as if he wanted to lift it up, but finally gave up and said with a smile: "It's been a few days since I couldn't use my right hand to write even words. I can only use it."
Left hand instead."
"What did the imperial doctor say?" Ling Ruo asked with concern.
"The imperial doctor couldn't explain the reason. He got better after a few days of acupuncture, but he still couldn't exert his strength for a while." At this point, Kangxi sighed heavily and said, "It's always like this when you get older, and it happens from time to time.
Some inexplicable problems occur, and over time you get used to them."
At this time, when Kangxi and Ling Ruo met for the first time, he was indeed much older and his figure had become thinner. The passage of twelve years had finally left ruthless traces on his body.
What's more, over the years, various strife and struggles among the princes have never stopped. The eldest prince, the second prince, and the thirteenth prince were successively deposed and imprisoned. Although Kangxi never mentioned it afterwards, it did not mean that he would not think about it.
They were all his biological sons, and the second prince Yinreng had placed high hopes on him.
He is still alive, but those biological sons are only looking at the dragon chair under him. Family affection has become the most luxurious thing in the Tian family. Because of this, Ling Ruo and Hongli show no pretentious concern.
Extremely precious.
Kangxi held the whole world in his hands and was the supreme king, but he was still pathetic...
Ling Ruo didn't know what to say, and stood for a long time before saying: "Huang Ama must let go of her arms, so that the pain will not linger on Huang Ama for a long time."
"Let go of your arms..." Kangxi looked a little dazed, but the next moment he smiled and shook his head, "This is easy to say, but extremely difficult to do. Forget about these spoilers, please take Hongli back quickly.
.”
"I retire." Seeing that Xi was unwilling to continue, Ling Ruo had no choice but to take Hongli, who was walking beside her, kowtow and leave the south study room.
On the way back home, Hongli took out a small oil paper bag from his arms, opened it and found a few sweet-scented osmanthus candies. He handed it to Ling Ruo's mouth like a treasure, and said with crooked eyes: "Eniang, eat candies."
Hongli was sensible. He cared about Kangxi's health when he was only five years old and saved good things for his mother to eat. Ling Ruo took one in her mouth and felt the sweetness spread from her mouth to her heart. She was the biggest in her life.
Perhaps my greatest achievement is giving birth to such a smart and sensible child.
"Where did the candy come from?" Ling Ruo asked casually.
After Ling Ruo ate it, Hongli picked one and put it in his mouth. After tasting his favorite sweetness, he said: "Yesterday when I was playing in the Imperial Garden, I met Empress Jingbin. She was the one who gave it to me."