in2ebook Chapter 192: Sun Wukong was put into the Peach Garden
Chapter 192: Sun Wukong was put into the Peach Garden
Yinzhuo and his entourage arrived in Suzhou on March 14th. March 18th was Kangxi's birthday. The officials in Suzhou really made a lot of preparations for Kangxi's birthday. In addition to a grand banquet, they also built prayer ceremonies in various temples and monasteries in Wuxian and Changzhou counties of Suzhou. There were countless songs and poems of praise for the emperor from the people and scholars, which were divided into four volumes: Heaven, Earth and Harmony, symbolizing the wish for longevity.
However, it was clear that Yinzhi and his entourage were destined to miss out on all the city-wide celebrations. On the morning of the Emperor's birthday, after receiving the officials who came to offer their congratulations, Emperor Kangxi, along with the Empress Dowager, his sons, and their accompanying guards and palace attendants, set off again in a grand procession. Their destination was not far from here; it was Hangzhou, a city known as "Heaven Above, Suzhou and Hangzhou Below."
“Father, can’t we wait a day? Our son hasn’t been out and about these past few days to avoid people. It’s so lively outside today, and our son was planning to go out for a stroll with his older brother and the others this afternoon.”
Not to mention Yinzhuo, even Yinti and Yinzhi felt it was a great pity that they couldn't go out and explore the bustling city of Suzhou. However, they were not Yinzhuo, so they dared not say such things in front of their father.
You have to admit, a biological son is different. As soon as his father saw Yinzhuo's disappointed expression, he felt sorry for him and reached out to touch Yinzhuo's forehead to comfort him.
"Alright, it's not like we're not coming back. Let's go to Hangzhou first. Didn't you always say you wanted to visit West Lake, see the Broken Bridge, and eat Dongpo pork? Why are you unhappy now that we're actually taking you there?"
Actually, Yinzhuo wasn't unhappy. He just remembered an interview he had seen online a long time ago. In it, a reporter asked a child if he had eaten anything he thought was delicious during his trip to Hangzhou. The child's silence was deafening. The thought of embarking on this culinary desert made Yinzhuo even more reluctant to leave Suzhou.
Having experienced the difficulties in Suzhou last time, Kangxi sent people to Hangzhou well in advance to arrange everything. So when their imperial boat docked at the imperial pier this time, apart from the officials who came to greet him and the soldiers who were guarding his safety, there was no scene of thousands of people flocking to the city and the deafening sound of gongs and drums like last time.
The advantage of fewer people was that after Kangxi disembarked, he boarded the imperial carriage and arrived at the Hangzhou Imperial Palace without any hindrance. Yinzhuo had also gotten used to life on the ship, and after a day on the ship, he didn't feel any discomfort. The welcoming banquet that evening was naturally as lively as it had been in Suzhou. Yinzhuo wasn't very interested in any of this. What he was really looking forward to was for this boring banquet to end quickly so he could go back to sleep and wake up early the next morning to enjoy the ancient version of the West Lake scenery.
But there's a saying that goes, "The ideal is very full, but the reality is often very skinny." Having been Yinzhuo's father for so many years, how could Kangxi not know Yinzhuo's little thoughts? In order to prevent him from running around, he sent Yinzhi over to keep an eye on him early the next morning.
You asked why Yinzhi was summoned instead of Yintang or Yinxi. That's an easy question to answer. You've seen the effect of putting Sun Wukong in the Peach Garden. If Yintang and Yinxi were sent to watch over his sixth brother, it's highly likely that they would be turned by Yinzuo and join him in his evil deeds. Kangxi could see through this, so naturally he wouldn't let these three troublemakers get together.
"Hey, Third Brother, stop being so old-fashioned! Don't you want to go out and see the sights? Broken Bridge, West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, Lady White Snake, ah, let's go! Let's sneak out and no one will know. When we're done playing, we'll sneak back. I promise you, it'll be absolutely undetectable."
To be fair, Yin Zhi was indeed somewhat tempted by Yin Zuo's words; after all, what scholar or poet doesn't yearn for Jiangnan? However, he was here on a mission, and if…
When Yinzhu saw his third brother hesitate, he knew that there was a chance for today's matter, so he quickly got up and moved closer to Yinzhi to tempt him again.
"Third Brother, if you're worried that Father Khan will find out, there's really no need to worry. He's so busy receiving officials who come to pay their respects that he doesn't have time to keep an eye on me. Otherwise, Father Khan wouldn't have sent you to keep an eye on me."
As expected, Yin Zhi was also a little uneasy after Yin Zuo said that. However, he had come with a mission after all. Even if he thought Yin Zuo was right, he would not dare to knowingly violate the rules. So he was wavering and hesitant for a while.
Yinzhuo was aware of Yinzhi's concerns. He knew that to persuade him, he would have to give him a strong dose of medicine. So he stepped forward, grabbed Yinzhi's arm, and led him outside.
"Third brother, don't worry. If we are caught by the Khan, I will take full responsibility. Let's go. Look how nice the weather is outside. The wind is gentle, the clouds are light, and the sun is shining brightly. It's the perfect weather for an outing."
Yinzhi had always wanted to go out, but he hadn't done so because he was afraid of being punished by Kangxi. So when Yinzuo dragged him out, he didn't struggle much.
"We're finally out, Third Brother! Let's hurry up and go. West Lake, Broken Bridge, and Lady White Snake are all waiting for us..."
Yinzhi couldn't bear to watch Yinzhuo's impatient behavior. "No, have you forgotten that we sneaked out? We're still at the palace gate! Can't you speak a little quieter? Are you afraid that Father won't know we snuck out?"
"Hey Xiao Liu, let's keep a low profile. You've probably forgotten that we snuck out. Do you know what snuck out means? It means we didn't get permission from Father Khan."
Yinzhi knew, but he had just been too excited and lost control of himself. However, since they were already out, there was no reason for them to chat at the palace gate. So he quickly stepped forward and pulled Yinzhi to continue walking. He hadn't decided where to go yet, but there was no rush. Getting away from the palace was always a good thing.
Unlike the bustling crowds that used to throng West Lake in modern times, this Qing Dynasty version of West Lake was remarkably quiet. With Emperor Kangxi present, the flow of people around had been carefully managed, so Yinzhi and Yinzuo practically had the place to themselves today.
"Third Brother, I told you to listen to me, you won't go wrong. Although Father will definitely come here for a boat trip after he finishes his work in a few days, it will be crowded with people then, unlike the peace and quiet we have now. Let's go on the boat first, and when we're done, we can go for a walk on the shore. If we get tired, we can find a place to sit nearby..."