Let's go back to the moment Kangxi rode away on horseback.

At this time, the Eight Banners was still a ferocious military force where anyone unable to draw a bow of more than ten strength was considered half-disabled. Don't be fooled by Kangxi's appearance. He looked like the sort of pretty boy in later generations who could live off a rich woman, but among the fierce warriors of the Eight Banners, his martial prowess still ranked near the top.

Ordinary emperors of previous dynasties needed to have the fangs and claws removed from wild beasts before hunting them, forcing the animals to cooperate with the imperial performance at the cost of their lives.

But Kangxi didn't need that.

Bears, wolves, leopards, tigers. If they dared appear, Kangxi would charge ahead on horseback and lead the Manchu, Mongol, and Han bannermen in scattering their ashes.

In the past, Kangxi loved this kind of bloody, thrilling hunt for dangerous beasts.

But today, after shooting down a few foxes and deer, his enthusiasm for hunting steadily faded.

What was his son doing right now?

Did he encounter any danger?

If he ran into danger, would he get scared?

If he got scared, would he cry out, "Father, save me"?

A little bumping was fine. A little discomfort was fine. His son would have to master riding and archery in the future anyway, so he ought to start getting used to it now.

But if his son saw something too bloody, would he get nightmares?

Though if he had nightmares and clung to him crying, that wouldn't be so bad either.

A fierce internal battle raged in Kangxi's mind.

Fuquan asked, "Your Majesty, are you worried about the Crown Prince?"

Kangxi stared at him in shock.

Brother! Since when did you become this perceptive?!

Fuquan chuckled. "This subject is also worried about the Crown Prince."

Kangxi's shocked expression turned into speechless resignation.

He understood what his elder brother meant. Fuquan simply wanted an excuse to ask about the Crown Prince because he wanted to play with the child too. He'd just accidentally guessed correctly.

Kangxi lowered his voice. "Where is the Crown Prince right now?"

A young eunuch rode forward and reported the Crown Prince's location and what he was currently doing.

Kangxi laughed. Looking at Mingzhu, he said, "Your son can weave flower crowns and grasshoppers out of grass? Truly worthy of being the number one talent of Great Qing."

Mingzhu: "... Thank you, Your Majesty?"

Was he supposed to thank him right now? Was that even a compliment? Even old fox Mingzhu couldn't figure it out.

"You all continue. I'm going to check on the Crown Prince." Kangxi dismissed the surrounding people and forbade them from disturbing the Crown Prince. He brought only Fuquan, Mingzhu, Songgotu, and two or three trusted attendants with him.

Changning was also chased away.

The way the other imperial clansmen and nobles looked at Changning was highly suggestive, making him furious.

When they drew close to the area, Kangxi dismounted and crept quietly through the trees on tiptoe.

Though the others had no idea what Kangxi was doing, they copied him anyway, like veteran hunters stalking prey through the forest.

After reaching a dense patch of shrubs, Kangxi stretched out his hand.

Zhao Chang immediately placed an ornate monocular telescope into his palm.

Kangxi lifted the telescope.

Hehe, let me see what my son is doing!

Everyone else: "???"

Only Fuquan understood what Kangxi was doing. He whispered, "Are there any more telescopes?"

After Kangxi nodded, Zhao Chang handed Fuquan another one. "This servant only has one more."

Everyone else: "..."

What a pity. What exactly were the emperor and Prince Yu looking at?

Fuquan adjusted the focus and laughed cheerfully. "That Cao Yin kid really knows how to handle things. He's already roasting rabbits."

Kangxi nodded. "Though he can be noisy at times, he handles matters quite thoroughly."

Fuquan added, "I never expected Rongruo to be so good with children. Mingzhu, why don't you make Rongruo give you more grandchildren?"

Mingzhu: "..."

He genuinely had no idea how to answer such nonsense.

Was I the one stopping Rongruo from producing grandchildren?

And besides, my Rongruo can't give birth to grandchildren himself!

Kangxi suddenly remembered something. "Right, I once said I'd have Rongruo serve as Baocheng's guard, but things got busy during New Year, and I forgot. Baocheng too, he never reminded me."

Mingzhu: "!!!"

Your Majesty, please don't remember that! I thought that matter had already passed! I thought it was just a joke!

Songgotu looked dazed, as though he'd suffered a devastating blow to his worldview.

With so few people around, Fuquan spoke more casually to Kangxi than usual. "That's Your Majesty's fault. The Crown Prince is obedient and sensible. How could he actively ask you for things? If you give him something, he'll accept it, but if you forget, he'll definitely assume you have your own difficulties and won't mention it in order to preserve your dignity."

Kangxi: "... What possible difficulties could I have? But Baocheng really is overly sensible."

Fuquan sighed. "Exactly. Children like that are the easiest to overlook. He doesn't cry or make demands on his own, so how would others know what he wants? If I had such a wonderful child, I'd pile all the best things in my prince's residence before him and let him choose whatever he wanted. Ah, though of course Your Majesty can't do that. The Crown Prince is the heir apparent. He has to set an example of frugality."

Kangxi: "... Yes. He has to set an example."

Silently, Kangxi stared at Fuquan.

Fuquan returned a puzzled look.

Feeling oddly stifled, Kangxi looked away.

For a moment, it felt as though he were seeing a grown-up version of Baoqing rambling endlessly.

Or rather, it felt like seeing what Baoqing would be like after growing up.

Why did he never notice before that his elder brother was so good at stabbing people right in the heart?

Completely unaware that Kangxi had associated him with the Eldest Prince, who was currently missing his younger brother back in the palace, Fuquan continued chattering and sighing:

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is so sensible and still so young. He probably doesn't know how to order servants around. Good thing you've always lent capable people to him, otherwise even if he were mistreated, he might not realize it himself and would only think it was his own fault for not calling someone sooner."

At last, Songgotu found a topic he could join in on. "Prince Yu needn't worry. The people in the palace are all clever. Once they've served the Crown Prince long enough, they'll naturally learn to read his expressions and know what he needs without him having to say anything."

Kangxi: "... Y-yes."

Come to think of it, after Liang Jiugong had served the Crown Prince for a while, he tactfully reported that because the Crown Prince disliked troubling others and rarely spoke up, the servants often reacted too slowly.

Only when Gu Wenxing came to assist the Crown Prince and direct the people did the servants begin acting in a more organized manner.

At the time, Kangxi's response had been to replace all the servants again.

Now Kangxi was feeling guilty and irrationally irritated.

Liang Jiugong, I thought you were clever, yet your reports were vague and unclear, causing the Crown Prince to suffer grievances!

Still, Liang Jiugong had served the Crown Prince well overall, so there would be no punishment for now.

Should I start training a group of long-term attendants specifically for Baocheng?

Otherwise, with Baocheng's personality (turning into a silent clam the moment he leaves my side), the servants really might fail to care for him properly.

Kangxi also recalled that when Yinreng was younger, he would occasionally go hungry simply because he was too lazy to call for someone to serve him.

Only after Yinreng became more fluent in speaking did that stop happening.

Kangxi's resolve wavered heavily. At last, he truly began reflecting on himself.

"The Crown Prince is too sensible. That really does make people overlook him easily." Kangxi frowned deeply as his heart ached.

State affairs kept him busy, so he couldn't care for a child with the same meticulousness as a woman could. If Yinreng didn't mention things, some matters simply never occurred to him.

But Yinreng was young and extremely considerate. Seeing how busy Kangxi was, he rarely made requests. And so the things Kangxi failed to think about simply continued being overlooked.

"The last time we went out shopping, I bought the Crown Prince a tiger-head hat, and he grinned happily the entire way home." The more Fuquan talked, the more convinced he became. "Your Majesty, no matter how frugal you are, you shouldn't economize at the expense of a child."

Kangxi replied heavily, "You're right."

Everyone else listening to the two brothers converse wore expressions that clearly said:

What kind of nonsense are you two talking about?

Everyone in the capital knew that Kangxi doted excessively on the Crown Prince.

Whenever tribute goods entered the palace, Kangxi would open the treasury and let the Crown Prince choose whatever he wanted.

Rumors even circulated in the palace that when Kangxi was away, the Crown Prince would open Kangxi's private treasury and bestow gifts in Kangxi's name.

Not to mention the Crown Prince's daily food, clothing, and expenses. His own allowance was practically untouched. Whether Kangxi was in the palace or not, the emperor's own provisions were directly delivered to the Crown Prince.

The Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager also frequently supplemented the Crown Prince with items from their own private stores. Delicious food, fine objects, and fun toys were all prioritized for him first.

Of course, the Crown Prince truly was obedient, sensible, and frugal.

Despite having the private treasuries of the palace's three greatest figures open to him, the Crown Prince had no interest in luxury.

Whenever he received rewards, he would always transform them into gifts and present them back as acts of filial devotion.

No matter how one looked at it, the Crown Prince was nothing like the abused little victim that Kangxi and Fuquan were describing.

Yet as the two brothers talked back and forth, they painted Yinreng as some invisible middle child of the palace household, the sort of particularly sensible child who gets overlooked in a large family.

The surrounding people could only widen their eyes in silent disbelief.

I understand every word they're saying, and yet I'm still profoundly shocked.

While chatting endlessly, Kangxi and Fuquan quietly crept closer to where Yinreng was.

Once they were close enough to hear Yinreng speaking with Nalan Xingde and Cao Yin, the two brothers finally stopped talking and perked up their ears to eavesdrop attentively.

Meanwhile, Zhao Chang quietly instructed the guards not to announce themselves if they spotted Kangxi.

The emperor's trusted ministers also copied Kangxi by crouching low and secretly listening to the little Crown Prince speak.

When Yinreng placed flowers on the two guards, the ministers secretly glanced at Kangxi.

Kangxi's reputation suffered another casualty.

When Yinreng asked about Zhili, the ministers smiled knowingly.

The Crown Prince was still just a child after all, curious about new things.

But when Yinreng shifted the conversation toward foreigners and began inquiring about foreign governments, royal families, armies, and political systems, until Cao Yin was sweating coldly, the ministers began sweating too.

Was the Crown Prince really just a child?! None of them had ever even thought about such matters!

Just how exactly did the emperor raise this child?!

Then Yinreng pointed toward the heavens, his tiny body somehow radiating boundless dominance:

"My Imperial Father wants to become an emperor remembered through all ages."

The ministers suddenly understood.

"His virtue surpassing the Three Sovereigns, his achievements exceeding the Five Emperors!"

So this was the true scale of the emperor's ambition! No wonder the Crown Prince, at such a young age...

Before they could finish marveling, Kangxi casually pulled a dried date from his waist pouch and hurled it with perfect accuracy at Yinreng's little head.

The ministers: "..."

They all looked at the emperor of Great Qing with condemnation in their eyes.

You can't just throw things at a child's head!

And judging from the Crown Prince's complaint, this wasn't even the first time!

Kangxi clamped Yinreng into his arms and covered his mouth, while Fuquan immediately resumed nagging:

"Your Majesty! How can you hit the Crown Prince's head? Children's heads are extremely fragile! If you damage it, won't your heart ache?!"

Yinreng struggled desperately to raise his head from Kangxi's embrace.

"Exactly! What if my brain gets damaged?!"

"Fine, next time I won't hit your head. Next time I'll spank your little butt instead." After his reflection, Kangxi smacked Yinreng's backside and threatened, "Stop talking nonsense. Why do you tell everyone everything?"

Yinreng protested, "Guard Cao and Guard Nalan aren't outsiders!"

He paused.

"Well... they're not insiders either?"

Once again, everyone looked at the emperor with condemning eyes.

Children only repeat nonsense they learn from adults! What would a child know?!

Kangxi's reputation...

Forget it. Better not think about it anymore.

Kangxi pinched Yinreng's cheeks back and forth and rubbed his head repeatedly.

Watching the poor little Crown Prince get kneaded like dough by Kangxi without crying or making a fuss, even the emperor's trusted ministers began to half-believe Fuquan's nonsense.

Maybe the little Crown Prince really was too obedient?

Was he actually being bullied by servants?

"Wasn't Father out hunting?" After finally surviving Kangxi's relentless squeezing, Yinreng cupped his flushed cheeks and glared at him.

The face-cupping pose was simply too adorable, so Kangxi immediately rubbed him again. "I specifically came to check whether you brat were up to no good."

Yinreng pointed at the nearly finished roasted rabbit. "Did Father smell our roast rabbit and come over on purpose to steal it? Hmph. Greedy Father."

Kangxi once again wanted to knock Yinreng on the head.

But after being lectured by so many people, he was a little worried he might actually damage Yinreng's brain, so instead he pinched the child's little nose.

"As if I'm lacking your one rabbit?!"

Yinreng replied, "Then… you're not eating it?"

The aroma of roasted rabbit drifted through the air, and Kangxi, young, vigorous, and fresh off intense physical activity, had his stomach growling loudly.

Kangxi: "... Your stomach is growling pretty loudly."

Yinreng looked at him with disdain. "Imperial Father, forcing an excuse like that only makes you more... mmph mmph mmph."

Kangxi pinched Yinreng's chattering lips shut like he was squeezing a duck's beak. "Bring the roasted rabbit over to me!"

The guards and attendants immediately began arranging even more barbecue.

A group of the empire's highest-ranking ministers sat directly on the grass, each pulling out beloved little daggers in preparation for eating meat.

To Han officials, the scene would have looked crude and uncivilized, but Yinreng rather liked it.

"Come, I'll feed you." Kangxi took on the important responsibility of feeding the little Crown Prince.

Yinreng tilted his head back obediently, indulging Kangxi's love of feeding him.

Though whenever Kangxi accidentally smeared grease on his face, Yinreng would glare fiercely at him.

And every time his son glared at him, Kangxi would burst into laughter and deliberately smear even more grease on Yinreng's face.

Before one rabbit was finished, Yinreng's face was completely shiny with oil.

Fuquan finally couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled the Crown Prince over protectively and ordered attendants to wipe Yinreng's face clean.

Kangxi only laughed harder.

While wiping his face, Yinreng continued glaring at Kangxi. Right now, Kangxi resembled nothing more than an idiot who only knew how to laugh loudly.

The other trusted ministers couldn't help smiling as well.

If one put aside all political considerations, this little Crown Prince, despite his young age, already carried the budding brilliance of a future ruler.

As expected of a Crown Prince personally raised by the emperor.

And also, the little Crown Prince was just too adorable!

Why weren't their own children or grandchildren this cute?

Even Mingzhu, who was inwardly tangled with complicated emotions, couldn't help revealing a kindly smile.

"Rongruo," Kangxi said after finally filling his stomach with three rabbits and beginning to chew fruit. "Come here."

Nalan Xingde immediately stepped forward.

"For now, stay with the Crown Prince." Kangxi tossed a token to Nalan Xingde, granting him permission to move freely through the Forbidden City.

In the early Qing dynasty, palace rules regarding the inner court weren't particularly strict. With imperial permission, guards could even enter the harem.

Nalan Xingde was already a guard of Qianqing Palace. With this token, as long as the Crown Prince accompanied him, he could go anywhere in the palace except the Eastern and Western Six Palaces and Cining Palace.

After a moment's thought, Kangxi added, "If the Crown Prince wishes to leave the palace, you may escort him directly."

Yinreng jumped up excitedly. "Really?! Imperial Father, why are you suddenly so nice?!"

Kangxi replied, "You're always tagging along with Baoqing. But Baoqing has lessons. He doesn't have that much time to play with you. If you enjoy leaving the palace, then go ahead. Consider it learning about the people's lives."

As Crown Prince, it was necessary to understand the real conditions of ordinary people.

Before personally taking power, Kangxi himself had often gone outside the palace to play. Even now, despite being overwhelmed with government affairs, he still disguises himself and wanders through the capital from time to time.

Listening to Yinreng's conversation with Cao Yin earlier, Kangxi found that the child's questions were remarkably well organized. Though he still resented Shunzhi for stealing half the task of educating Yinreng, he had to admit that Shunzhi truly had possessed the ambition of becoming an emperor remembered through the ages. His preparations had been exceptionally thorough.

Unfortunately, he had died right after finishing those preparations.

What a pity.

Once Kangxi accepted that Shunzhi was secretly educating Yinreng, his immediate thought became how to squeeze the maximum benefit possible from Shunzhi.

Who besides himself could be more suitable to educate Yinreng?

Shunzhi was definitely more useful than any imperial tutor.

According to legend, children lose their ability to communicate with heaven and earth after the age of six. Kangxi guessed that Shunzhi's ability to appear spiritually wouldn't last much longer either.

Naturally, while Shunzhi was still around, Kangxi intended to have him teach Yinreng as much as possible.

When it came to matters involving statecraft and the people's welfare, even ministers who understood such things thoroughly would never speak too frankly to the Crown Prince. It was better to let Shunzhi teach him directly.

Since Yinreng frequently left the palace, Shunzhi would surely explain many things about the outside world to him.

After another thought, Kangxi felt somewhat uneasy about relying solely on Nalan Xingde.

Though Nalan Xingde's martial skills were excellent, his health had become frail in recent years. He looked fine for now, but Kangxi was still worried.

So he tossed another token toward Cao Yin.

"You handle matters thoroughly. Protect the Crown Prince well."

Cao Yin immediately knelt to receive the imperial order.

Kangxi then summoned Liang Jiugong and formally appointed him as Yinreng's personal eunuch attendant. Whenever the Crown Prince left the palace, Liang Jiugong would accompany him.

"Shouldn't Liang Jiugong learn a few martial arts skills from Eunuch Gu?" Yinreng had already given up trying to save Liang Jiugong.

Ever since he paid Liang Jiugong a little extra attention, the man's future had run wildly off course like an unbridled horse.

All Yinreng could do now was treat him better and teach him more skills.

If one day he ever had the chance to sail overseas, even eunuchs might be able to achieve great things.

"He should indeed learn some," Kangxi agreed. The chief eunuchs around Kangxi all knew riding, archery, and wrestling. Naturally, the chief eunuchs around Yinreng needed skills too.

Liang Jiugong was overcome with emotion and repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude.

Serving the Crown Prince was dangerous, but fortune was found amidst danger. He had risen from a low-ranking little eunuch to someone trusted at the Crown Prince's side, a leap that countless people in the palace envied.

After giving his instructions, Kangxi pointed toward the ministers around him.

"You may freely visit their homes to play, but you must return before the palace gates are locked at night. Understand? No staying out too late."

Yinreng threw himself into Kangxi's arms and rubbed against him enthusiastically.

"Got it! I'm very obedient! Imperial Father is the best father in the world! Baocheng loves you!"

"What nonsense are you saying? Aren't you embarrassed?" Kangxi grinned so widely that all eight teeth showed. "Mind your manners in front of outsiders."

Everyone around them wanted to rub their foreheads.

Kangxi was telling Yinreng to mind his etiquette while simultaneously hugging him and rubbing cheeks with him.

The emperor's hypocrisy was clearly terminal and incurable.

"You must come visit your uncle often," Fuquan said with a warm smile. "Come even if I'm not home. Your aunt has been wanting to see you."

Nestled in Kangxi's arms, Yinreng replied, "Alright, I'll definitely come bother Uncle."

Kangxi looked at Songgotu, who clearly longed to speak but didn't dare. His heart softened slightly.

"You should visit the Heseri household too."

Songgotu's nose immediately turned red, and his tears nearly spilled out.

He nodded vigorously. "Your Highness, Your Highness should come visit this old minister's home too, alright?" Sob sob sob.

Even Mingzhu, Songgotu's longtime political enemy, couldn't help looking away sympathetically at the pitifully rejected Songgotu.

Yinreng said sternly, "Has your family discipline improved yet? Are your younger brothers still neglecting their duties? Will they continue disgracing my mother's family? The reputation of maternal relatives affects my mother's honor. If you don't correct yourselves, I absolutely refuse to acknowledge this branch of relatives!"

Kangxi: "..."

He could feel numerous piercing gazes directed at him.

This blame… Why am I the one carrying it?

Songgotu immediately knelt and kowtowed, his voice choked with emotion.

"This old minister will change! This old minister is changing! I absolutely will not disgrace Empress Renxiao's reputation!"

Those words were severe enough to truly frighten him.

Their family had long abused the privileges of being the empress's maternal relatives and relied on their merit in helping overthrow Oboi to act arrogantly. Now that the Crown Prince had spoken this way, it was clearly Kangxi using the child's mouth to issue a warning.

If he failed to reform, the Heseri clan would still remain the empress's family, but Songgotu himself would no longer count as part of it.

Nothing could be more serious than that.

Yinreng swept his gaze across the other ministers.

"The same goes for all of you. If I leave the palace and witness improper conduct, I will report it to Imperial Father immediately. Great Qing is in troubled times right now. Imperial Father trusts you, yet you make things difficult for him. I will not spare you lightly."

Yinreng puffed out his chest proudly.

"I'm going to protect Imperial Father!"

The ministers instantly dropped to their knees and kowtowed.

Kangxi smiled with immense satisfaction. "Exactly. If you encounter any injustice or wrongdoing, report it directly to me. I hereby appoint you as Little Censor."

The ministers: "..."

Your Majesty! You absolutely cannot indulge the Crown Prince like this!

Fuquan stroked his beard approvingly. "As it should be."

The ministers: "..."

As-it-should-be my foot! Prince Yu, could you please shut up?!

Nalan Xingde and Cao Yin exchanged a glance, their pupils trembling slightly.

The Crown Prince might be young, but he seemed extremely capable of causing trouble!!!

This definitely wasn't an easy assignment!!!

-----

After the hunting trip at Jingshan ended, the prematurely mature Yinreng and Kangxi's momentary whim stirred the capital into undercurrents of unrest and complete chaos.

The young playboys of noble families were harshly disciplined at home, and cries of misery echoed everywhere.

Mingzhu developed headaches over the fact that his eldest son had become the Crown Prince's guard. The imperial clan and nobles all mocked him sarcastically, accusing him of secretly siding with the Crown Prince.

Songgotu was even more troubled than Mingzhu.

He instructed his family to behave modestly, only to discover that after years under his influence, they had become so arrogant and domineering that immediate reform was nearly impossible. Only then did he realize how deep-rooted the problem had become.

Only Fuquan returned happily to his residence, bringing his wife the good news that the Crown Prince would surely visit very soon.

Kangxi became busy again, leaving the Forbidden City and traveling constantly to prepare for fully suppressing the remaining chaos from the Revolt of the Three Feudatories.

Yinreng pounced onto the First Prince's back and shouted loudly, "Big Brother! I got permission to leave the palace! Imperial Father isn't around. Will you come out with me?!"

The First Prince immediately threw down his brush: "What are we waiting for? Let's go already!"