That's just how the world is. People don't believe a man can remain chaste and faithful to one woman for life. If someone does, regardless of gender, they'll be stigmatized.

Not to mention ancient times. Even modern times are no exception.

The story of Liu Xiahui* remaining unmoved while holding a woman on his lap was originally a tale of virtue, but later, "Liu Xiahui" turned to something that specifically refers to an impotent man.

Fang Xuanling* and his wife loved each other deeply, and Tang Taizong* even created an anecdote about being jealous of them. People in this era may outwardly praise men who are not fond of women, but in reality, they look down on those men.

After Yinreng explained, the scholars couldn't help showing embarrassed expressions.

Nalan Xingde's eyes flickered slightly, clearly thinking of his own parents.

"Keeping promises and honoring commitments should be a virtue. If a man can make a thousand-gold promise to an outsider, why can't he make one to the woman beside him?" Yinreng said. "Plays should depict things that ordinary people cannot do in order to educate the world. If you can't even sweep your own room, how can you sweep the world? How many people have lost their good names because of chaos in their private quarters?"

The scholars bowed and accepted the instruction.

Yinzhī rolled his eyes at the group. "Little Brother, can they really write a good play? I feel like they know even less than you do, and you still have to explain it to them."

The writers: "..."

Yinreng said, "You can't expect me to write it, can you? I have no patience for thinking up fancy phrases."

Yinreng, in a playful mood, said to Nalan Xingde, "You must come up with a good ci* poem for this play."

Nalan Xingde immediately said, "I have a ci poem I wrote for my deceased wife, which is just what we need! I've only written half of it so far, but I'll finish it as soon as possible."

Yinreng blinked. Oh dear, could that poem be the famous Huatangchun: One Life, One Generation, One Pair of Lovers?

That poem is quite suitable for Mingzhu and Lady Jueluo.

Gu Zhenguan said, "I'm skilled in music. Let me compose the tune."

The other writers also took on the tasks they were good at.

They were actually mocked by a child? How could they stand that? They were determined to produce an excellent work and show what they were made of!

Yinreng sighed inwardly. Men really were creatures that couldn't withstand provocation. Even a child's provocation from Big Brother could make them puff out their hooves and hiss like bulls in a bullring.

After Yinreng calmed everyone down, Yinzhī continued assigning tasks and making demands.

Mingzhu peeked from the corner and was amazed by the coordination between the First Prince and the Crown Prince.

Once Mingzhu put aside his prejudice against the First Prince and Crown Prince's ages, he realized that these two children were no ordinary people.

Then he thought of his second son, who couldn't even read more than a few characters, and anger welled up inside him.

Nalan Kuixu, who was following the three princes as their little attendant, shivered at the sudden chill and hugged the little dumpling Yinzhǐ tightly in his arms.

For warmth.

Kangxi naturally learned of the gathering of literati very quickly.

Kangxi laughed so hard that he doubled over, tossed his brush aside, and slipped out of the palace incognito to play with his sons.

Given how practiced he was at tossing his brush aside, the First Prince was truly wronged when Kangxi scolded him.

When Kangxi arrived at the Nalan residence, the lazy Yinreng was still in bed.

Kangxi first stood in front of the brazier to drive off the chill he brought in from outside. Then he crawled into Yinreng's bed, held Yinreng in his arms, and went back to sleep. He even dragged his eldest and third son out of bed.

When Mingzhu heard that Kangxi had secretly arrived, he hurried over to pay his respects, only to hear that Kangxi was in Yinreng's bed.

Mingzhu: "..." My emperor must have something seriously wrong with him.

When Mingzhu heard that Kangxi kicked the First and Third Princes out of bed, he became even more convinced that His Majesty the Emperor was seriously ill.

The Crown Prince truly had it hard.

When Yinreng woke and saw Kangxi's face, he wasn't very startled.

Anyway, this wasn't the first time Kangxi had appeared and disappeared mysteriously.

Yinreng habitually hugged Kangxi's face and kissed him. "Father's here."

"Yes, Father is here." Kangxi kissed Yinreng's forehead and held him while helping him wash up.

The First and Third Princes had already washed up and eaten breakfast. Now, they glared resentfully at their wise and mighty Khan-Father with their big eyes.

Kangxi patted the heads of the First and Third Princes. "What's the matter? Aren't you happy to see Father?"

The Third Prince said in a muffled voice, "Happy."

The First Prince shook his head vigorously, shaking off Kangxi's hand. "Happy."

Kangxi was speechless. The way the two of you look, where is the happiness in that?!

"Father, are you joining us for the meeting to write the play today?" Yinreng quickly tried to smooth things over for his brothers.

Kangxi smiled and pinched Yinreng's cheek, without exposing Yinreng's care for his brothers. "Of course."

He held his son in one arm and opened and closed a fan in the other, looking quite like a refined and elegant scholar.

It's just that refined and elegant scholars don't pose with their sons in their arms.

Kangxi didn't want to frighten anyone, nor did he want to give those seemingly unremarkable scholars false hope. He disguised himself as a member of the imperial clan and had his sons call him Uncle.

Yinreng came up with a bad idea. "Why not call him Brother? It'll make Father seem younger and bring him closer to us."

Kangxi rolled his eyes at his son.

The First Prince said sarcastically, "That's right, an uncle is no match for a Brother. I won't be Big Brother anymore. I'll give it to Father."

Kangxi couldn't hit the head of his good son, but the First Prince was stupid enough that a few extra knocks might knock some sense into him.

Kangxi could be quite naughty at times. He really did attend the meeting as the clansman of his three sons, claiming to be a descendant of Prince Ying and Mingzhu's junior.

Kangxi respectfully addressed Mingzhu as Uncle-in-law, which made Mingzhu wish that he could crawl into an ice cave.

He was just recently frightened by how the Crown Prince and First Prince worked together, and now, the Emperor was trying to frighten him too. This whole family was simply unbelievable!

Nalan Xingde often accompanied Kangxi on incognito visits, and Gu Zhenguan went along many times as well. The two remained calm and didn't give themselves away at all.

Cao Yin hurried over. When he saw that Kangxi was there too, he froze for a moment, then smiled and cupped his hands. "Third Master is here too?"

Kangxi said, "I have no interest in official careers or worldly affairs, but I really like plays. I came to have some fun."

After Cao Yin took his seat, he heard the three princes address Kangxi as their older cousin, and his face twitched. He barely managed to suppress it.

There was another uninvited guest today.

Orondai dragged along his (cross out) third younger brother (cross out), only younger brother, Kuadai, to join the playwright gathering.

Orondai laughed heartily. "Hahahaha! I want to participate too! I'm good at this too!"

Kuadai awkwardly bowed and apologized. "Sorry for coming without an invitation. Sorry my elder brother's voice is so loud... ow."

Orondai grabbed Kuadai in a chokehold and dragged him to his seat, acting as if they were old friends. "Come, come! I've got plenty of material. Why don't we give the villain a role?"

Kangxi's smile froze. He could more or less guess what Orondai was up to.

Orondai said, "There are people who keep their promises, and there are people who don't. The one who doesn't keep his word told the one who made the promise that all men in the world were like that. Then someone who kept his word happened to be beside him, so he lost all face and tried to frame him. You see, the protagonist in the play is a high-ranking official, and the person who dares to spread bad news about him must also be a high-ranking official. So the villain should be his colleague."

Although Nalan Xingde still hadn't realized that the play was about his Father and Mother, he knew without even thinking that the villain Orondai mentioned was definitely Tong Guogang.

Nalan Xingde smiled wryly. "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Orondai thumped his chest. "Good, how could it not be good? Third Master, what do you say? We need to set up more targets so that this play will spread, right?"

Kangxi: "..." Yeah, right.

Wait, that actually made some sense. If they only targeted Mingzhu, then once the people figured out the truth, Mingzhu's reputation would be too great. They needed a few more positive and negative characters.

Kangxi smiled. "I think we can. Let's give the play's protagonist a sworn enemy too. That enemy is a great womanizer and, at court, an enemy of Ming... I mean, of the play's protagonist. Yet while he tries every means to bring the protagonist down at court, he stands on the protagonist's side when someone else frames the protagonist over his private life."

The writers nodded and swayed. "They are both enemies and friends, appreciating each other's worth. They are true confidants. Excellent, excellent!"

Nalan Xingde: "..." Ming... Ming what?

After being kept in the dark for days, Nalan Xingde finally caught on. Could the protagonist of this play be...? Could it be...?

He looked at the young Crown Prince.

The young Crown Prince gave him an adorable smile.

He looked at the First Prince.

The First Prince: o(メ;▼皿▼)o What are you looking at?!

He looked at Kangxi.

Kangxi's smile was a little naughty, very naughty, extremely naughty.

At that moment, Kangxi was the Naughty Emperor.

Nalan Xingde withdrew his gaze, feeling neither sorrow nor joy, just utterly dejected.

He was scammed.

Ah, no, it was his Father and Mother... Never mind. They weren't exactly tricked, so let it go. If they dragged a few more people into the pit, then by comparison, his father, as the play's protagonist, would stand head and shoulders above them.

Fine!

"Third Master is right. Does anyone have any other opinions?" Nalan Xingde smiled, as if a shadow were rippling behind him.

Kuadai wanted to speak, but his elder brother still held him by the throat, preventing him from uttering a single word.

Cao Yin smiled wryly. "Rongruo, don't smile like that. Your brother here is scared."

Orondai grinned, showing his teeth. "I have a few friends who can definitely provide a lot of material."

Kangxi raised his fan to hide his smile. "Very well. I have some friends too. You can invite more friends as well."

The writers all agreed. No problem! Gathering material was perfectly normal.

Yinreng looked up at his Father.

Father is being way too naughty! He's almost as naughty as me... as Big Brother!

Father, wake up! Don't torment your own important ministers like this! This isn't a funny game.

Yinreng pondered. No, this was quite fun.

So he waved the cat-paw pad he was wearing that day. "If we collect more material, we can write more plays."

A Naughty Emperor naturally had to have a Naughty Crown Prince. That was only reasonable.

Yinzhī stroked his chin. "Find whatever material you like. I'll support you."

The Naughty Crown Prince also had a Naughty Big Brother. The whole family was a pack of pink devilish Naughty Beasts.

Only Yinzhǐ was playing with his fingers. He hadn't evolved into a little devil yet.

Kangxi joined the fray, and Orondai, laughing, carried his poor younger brother and jumped in with a thump.

The waters were now too murky to see through.

Soon, the young sons of meritorious nobles and imperial clansmen arrived as well. The Manchus and Han Chinese mingled together, arms around each other's shoulders and exchanging cups, and the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

Through the connections of Nalan Xingde and Gu Zhenguan, they had already collaborated several times.

They exchanged ideas about the folk rhymes spreading among the people and the myths they were writing.

Now, they were tackling a play too, and their cooperation was already remarkably smooth.

"We'll collect the stories. You handle the writing."

"I often walk among the people. Once you've finished writing the play, I'll find someone to recite it for the common folk."

"There isn't a single opera troupe in the capital that I'm not familiar with."

"I don't quite understand this lyric. Rewrite it."

"How did I never think of using plays for promotion? Our mythological stories can also be adapted into plays about gods and immortals."

"Yes, yes. Let's try it first. If it works well, we'll produce more plays about gods and immortals."

"Next year is the Grand Empress Dowager's birthday, and opera troupes from all over the country will come to the capital. We must hurry and make sure those troupes spread our plays throughout the Great Qing."

"Oh! This is the perfect opportunity!"

"Of course it is."

The speaker glanced at Third Master Kangxi.

Those in the know exchanged a tacit glance. Of course the opportunity was perfect. The emperor himself was sitting right there.

They were even more excited.

Although they served Kangxi, he always seemed very far away. They knew him only as an inscrutable and talented emperor, viewing him as if he were a character in a story.

And now? The emperor is still young too.

Yinreng looked up at Kangxi's smile again.

Kangxi's foxlike smile made him look exactly like a chaotic man who enjoyed the spectacle.

No wonder Kangxi and Orondai got along so well. If Shunzhi hadn't died so young and had been there to shield Kangxi... Hmm, I don't even want to imagine it.

With so many people involved, the scriptwriting process immediately accelerated.

Once the play was written, a group of spoiled rich young men pooled their money and had several opera troupes suspend their shows to exclusively rehearse it.

When Yinreng's health was well enough to return to the palace, the play was ready.

Kangxi carried Yinreng, while Prince Yu Fuquan and Prince Gong Changning each brought one of the other princes, and they went to the theater to watch the new play.

The play opened with an old male-role actor sprinkling wine on a tombstone.

"One life, one generation, one pair of lovers, yet they are separated in two places, their souls yearning for each other but unable to be together. For whom does spring bloom?"

As soon as the mournful lyrics began, Kangxi couldn't help slamming the table and shouting, "Good!" He grabbed a handful of copper coins from his basket and scattered them onto the stage.

The Tang poet Luo Binwang* wrote a famous line in his poem On Behalf of the Female Daoist Wang Lingfei, Presented to the Daoist Li Rong: "We cherish and miss each other, our bond is stronger than ever, one life, one generation, one pair of lovers."

The opening of Huatangchun uses Luo Binwang's famous line, just as Li Qingzhao* used Ouyang Xiu's* "How deep is the courtyard?" to pay homage to an earlier writer and introduce another famous poem.

This poem alone made the whole show worth watching!

After the old male-role actor finished singing, the stage set changed, and the story began with the male and female protagonists in their youth.

The woman was a commandery princess from a former-dynasty princely household, innocent and carefree. The man was only a junior guard, gazing foolishly at the woman's retreating figure.

He worked hard, hoping only to win the princely household's notice and marry the woman he loved.

When the princely household plotted treason and the entire family was reduced to commoners, the pampered commandery princess faced a ruined future. Defying her family's objections, she asked him to marry her.

Then the man's official career ran into obstacles, and the woman wept over what befell her family and husband. The two comforted one another and joined hands to weather through their hardships. He read, and she ground his ink. Their days held both bitterness and sweetness.

Kangxi rubbed his eyes while laughing. It was hard to tell whether he was moved or was simply laughing too hard. He grabbed another handful of copper coins and threw them down. "Good!"

Yinreng's lips twitched.

He looked at the copper coins, broken silver, and cloth flowers scattered all over the stage. The tips were simply insane.

Who says chasing stars belongs only to modern people? Ancient fans could be every bit as crazy as modern ones.

Fuquan and Changning were old opera fans too. They still didn't know who the story was about, but they listened with rapt attention and even sang a few lines when they got into it.

Yinzhī watched the rehearsals many times and thought the play would be boring. But with the people around him shouting their approval, it sounded fresh and interesting.

Yinreng watched his Big Brother, young as he was, bobbing his head along with the adults, shouting "Good!" and scattering handfuls of copper coins. He was already showing the makings of a spoiled young noble, and Yinreng's heart ached. He gave Kangxi's hand a hard pinch.

Kangxi wanted to tap Yinreng's head with his fan, but halfway down, he remembered that he shouldn't tap his son's head and changed course to tap his shoulder instead. "Why are you pinching me?"

Yinreng said, "Father, take it easy. Don't set a bad example for Big Brother."

Kangxi chuckled. "You're so young. Why are you so old-fashioned and serious? Come here."

Kangxi stuffed a handful of copper coins into Yinreng's hand. "Scatter them."

Yinreng: "...No."

Kangxi picked Yinreng up and placed him on the railing of the theater. "Hurry up, or I won't put you down."

Yinreng pouted. This Father of mine is hopeless. All he knows is how to lead children astray.

He reluctantly threw the money, but didn't throw it far enough to reach the intended targets. Instead, it landed on an old man's head downstairs.

The old man rubbed his head, looked up, and saw a pitiful child being held on the railing by an unreliable adult. He couldn't help puffing out his beard and glaring angrily at Kangxi.

Kangxi noticed the old man, and his face darkened. "What's he doing here?!"

Yinreng asked curiously, "Who is he?"

Kangxi gritted his teeth. "Gu. Yan. Wu!"

The name sounded familiar. Yinreng thought for a long time, then slammed his little fist to his palm. "Oh, him! Gu Yanwu*, a remnant of Ming dynasty."

(顾炎武 [Gù Yánwǔ])

Kangxi snorted loudly. "Hmph!"

Who was Gu Yanwu? The four words "remnant of Ming dynasty" were enough to sum him up.

Although Gu Yanwu and Gu Zhenguan's ancestor, Donglin scholar Gu Xiancheng*, both came from the prominent Gu clan of Jiangdong, their connection was probably no more than sharing a surname in the same province.

顾宪成 [Gù Xiànchéng]

Gu Yanwu and Gu Xiancheng were not only from different eras, but also belonged to different schools of thought. If they met, they would definitely try to beat each other senseless.

Compared to Gu Xiancheng, Gu Yanwu was far better known to later generations and was regarded as one of the Four Great Enlightenment Thinkers of the late Ming and early Qing.

With the change of dynasties, the situation gradually stabilized, and ordinary people gradually got used to living in the new dynasty, making it difficult to stir up another upheaval.

At such a time, some old subjects of the former dynasty didn't stop their descendants from integrating into the new dynasty, allowing them to continue living. But they themselves resolutely refused to enter government service and spent their lives preserving their identity as subjects of the former dynasty.

Gu Yanwu was one of them.

Kangxi deeply revered his scholarship and admired his character. The more he respected him, the more displeased he became with him.

Yet after feeling that annoyance, he admired Gu Yanwu even more.

The conflicting feelings ruined Kangxi's mood for watching the play.

Yinreng was overjoyed. "Father! I want to go play with him!"

Kangxi rolled his eyes at his son. "Don't even think about it. He won't enter government service."

"I don't intend to recruit him. I just want to ask him a few questions." Yinreng twisted and turned, breaking free from Kangxi's embrace and jumping to the ground. "Brother, come with me!"

Yinzhī said, "All right. It's crowded, so hold my hand firmly."

Kangxi gave each of his two sons a flick on the forehead. The one aimed at Yinreng struck his back in midair.

"You're so tiny. Who could you protect?" Kangxi said irritably. "I will take you there."

Yinreng asked, "Is Third Brother coming too?"

Yinzhǐ yawned. "No. I'm going to sleep."

After saying that, he rolled over and continued sleeping in Changning's helpless arms.

For a child as young as Yinzhǐ, the play was completely meaningless. Even all the noise made him sleepy.

Fuquan asked, "Shall I go along as well?"

Kangxi thought for a moment, then put his eldest son's hand back into Fuquan's. "No need. You take the First Prince upstairs. Baocheng and I will go."

Yinzhī protested, "Why? I want to go too."

Kangxi said, "You have a bad temper, and I'm afraid you'll offend the old gentleman."

Yinzhī grunted and agreed.

He knew himself well. If that old man dared to disrespect his younger brother, he wouldn't merely confront him. He'd use every bit of his strength to ram him.

Kangxi straightened his clothes, then glanced at his son, who was dressed as a yellow chick, and hesitated.

If I go to see Gu Yanwu like this, will he think it's improper?

"Father, hurry up!" Little Chick Yinreng urged Kangxi. "If you're not going, I'll go by myself!"

"No." Kangxi picked up his little chick son and went downstairs, steeling himself.

He couldn't summon Gu Yanwu to the palace. If he forced the man, that fellow would surely smash his head against a pillar. This stubborn old man wasn't like those fame-seeking censors in the court. Although he lived a comfortable life and wasn't suicidal, he genuinely didn't fear death.

Kangxi had his pride. If Gu Yanwu wouldn't come to him, he had no intention of making the famous Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage. Besides, Gu Yanwu was already old, and Kangxi wouldn't be able to use him for many more years, so there was no need to lower himself.

But since they happened to cross paths, Kangxi really wanted to show off his son to Gu Yanwu.

My son, the Crown Prince of the Great Qing, is so outstanding! Hurry up and praise him!

Compared with the dark former Ming, our Great Qing, with such a Crown Prince, will surely have a brighter future. Regret it, you stubborn old man!

Gu Yanwu didn't recognize Kangxi.

He saw the little chick from upstairs and assumed that the chick was there to apologize, so he waved his hand. "It's all right, but don't hold the child so high. It's dangerous."

"Old sir, may I have a private word with you?" Little Chick Yinreng jumped down from Kangxi's arms, rested his little wings on Gu Yanwu's knees, and whispered in his ear, "I'll tell you a secret, I'm actually the Crown Prince."

Gu Yanwu was a serious scholar, but he was extremely kind to ordinary children.

When Little Chick Yinreng came pattering over, he hunched over and lowered his head to meet Yinreng.

At that, Gu Yanwu's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked up at Kangxi.

Kangxi was a little nervous, but he put on a stern face and gave Gu Yanwu a disdainful look.

Gu Yanwu chuckled, "Alright."