23 Wedding Gifts

The whips presented by the eunuchs varied in length. Yu Yan and Xingde, being the older ones, took the longer ones, while Honghui and Hongfen chose the shorter ones. The four children stood in a circle, drawing the attention of the concubines and the Primary Wife, who could not help but turn their heads from the play they were watching.

"The string is wrapped around the top. When you release it, the top will spin, and that’s when you use your strength to lash it..."

Yu Yan, being impatient, finished wrapping her string before Yinzhen had even finished speaking. She rubbed the top between her palms and threw it to the ground. She had quite a bit of strength in her hands, and as she lashed the whip, it whistled through the air with impressive force. Honghui, Hongfen, and Xingde watched with undivided attention, and the two younger ones cheered for their sister with growing enthusiasm.

Perhaps in the eyes of the children, Yu Yan, with her whip crackling through the air, looked incredibly heroic. Hearing her brothers’ excited cheers, she swung the whip even more vigorously, and the top at her feet was whipped further and further away.

It was not until a pointed, black satin boot gently pinned the spinning top that Yu Yan, who had been keeping her head down, slowly looked up.

Behind her came Yinzhen’s calm and respectful voice: "Second Brother." The Primary Wife and others, who had been sitting properly, hurriedly rose to pay their respects to the Crown Prince. The wet nurses carried the children away, and even Xingde was pulled back to the Primary Wife’s side by Aunt Qi to curtsy.

Yu Yan looked up, dazed, only to find the Crown Prince tilting his head and looking at her.

The Crown Prince was now a twenty-five-year-old man, dressed in an apricot-yellow dragon robe. His eyes crinkled with a smile as he turned to ask Yinzhen, "Is this your second daughter? My, the way she swings that whip is enough to rival my own."

Yinzhen quickly invited him to take a seat. "She’s just a child, playing around... Second Brother, why have you suddenly come to Shufang Pavilion?"

The Crown Prince smiled without answering. Since the southern tour began this year, he had been relegated to the sidelines, having no real say in state affairs or the regency. With time on his hands in the palace, a young eunuch had mentioned that a new play was showing at Shufang Pavilion, so he had come to take a look out of sheer boredom.

"I heard about the new play, and knowing you were celebrating your daughter’s birthday, I thought I’d join in the fun. It seems my arrival has made everyone tense, which is only natural. I’ll just have a few words with you and then be on my way."

Without waiting for Yinzhen to explain, the Crown Prince waved his hand, his intention to leave quite firm. Seeing Yu Yan staring at him with curiosity, he took a rare interest and picked her up. "I remember your name... Erlinzhu, isn't it?"

Yu Yan nodded. She found the Crown Prince much more approachable than the distant figure she had glimpsed at the palace banquet. Emboldened, she smiled and said, "Second Uncle, did you see how good I am at whipping the top?"

"Not bad." The Crown Prince teased Yinzhen with a glance. "But you’re better than your father was at your age. I still remember teaching him to use a whip; he accidentally lashed himself, burst into tears, and scared me so much that I had to carry him all the way to where the Emperor was working."

"Second Brother, you flatter me. That was so long ago."

Yinzhen was touched, not expecting the Crown Prince to have such deep memories of their childhood. The Crown Prince smiled and said nothing. He set Yu Yan down, removed the gold-and-black whip from his waist, and asked her, "What do you think of this whip, Second Uncle's?"

"It’s beautiful!" Yu Yan said whatever came to mind. "The color scheme looks very expensive!"

The Crown Prince burst into laughter. "Do you and your father both estimate the price of everything you see first? Fourth Brother, your daughter is truly just like you."

Yinzhen was not someone who valued everything by price. As a prince of noble birth, he had seen more than his fair share of fine treasures. However, ever since the Emperor had granted his sons titles and assigned them to various departments, Yinzhen had been stationed in the Ministry of Revenue. Having spent months there and witnessing how the implementation of state policies drained the people and the treasury, Yinzhen had become adamant about controlling the Ministry’s funds. Unless it was a matter of extreme importance, he would flatly refuse any requests for money with a stony face.

The Crown Prince had only learned of this when someone from the Heseri clan went to the Ministry of Revenue to borrow money and was coldly sent away by the Fourth Prince, leading them to complain directly to the Crown Prince. Fortunately, the Crown Prince had raised this younger brother himself and knew his character well, so he had simply laughed it off.

Yinzhen felt a bit embarrassed. "Second Brother, I..."

The Crown Prince waved his hand and turned to press the whip into Yu Yan’s hands. "If Erlinzhu likes it, it’s yours. I didn’t prepare a birthday gift for you; let this whip serve as your present. In the future, if anyone dares to bully you, just lash them with it."

*Wait, is it really okay to teach a child like that?*

Yu Yan didn't know whether to accept it or not. While she wanted to experience the thrill of being a feudal noble, she had no desire to become a member of the privileged class who treated human lives like grass. She hesitated, moving to return the whip to the Crown Prince.

Yinzhen also disliked the Crown Prince’s style, but as both a subject and a younger brother, he could not say much.

"Seeing Erlinzhu full of life reminds me of my own eldest and second daughters who passed away. Now, the third is also sickly..." The Crown Prince trailed off, feeling it was inappropriate to mention his deceased daughters at someone else's birthday party, and quickly changed the subject.

He patted the two small buns of hair on Yu Yan’s head. "Keep it. It’s not some priceless treasure. If you ever get married, I will certainly add to your dowry."

These words carried a hint of despondency. Not only Yinzhen but even the Primary Wife couldn't help but look at the Crown Prince twice. He was at the peak of his life, yet standing there with his hands behind his back, he exuded a sense of hopelessness.

Yinzhen thought of how the Emperor had been promoting his brothers since the Crown Prince’s first regency, and he understood the subtext. Having a decent relationship with the Crown Prince, he smiled and said, "If Erlinzhu can receive a gift from Second Brother, it will be her great fortune."

The current Crown Prince, the future Emperor—no matter how one looked at it, it was a safe bet.

Although Yu Yan’s understanding of Qing history was not profound, she remembered this Crown Prince who was deposed and reinstated twice. He did not yet know what fate awaited him; though his young face held a trace of disappointment, it still carried the forward-moving spirit of a youth. His eyes remained bright, and his every gesture reflected the dignity of a royal heir—clearly the product of meticulous upbringing.

Holding the gold-and-black whip, she felt its weight.

True to his word, the Crown Prince did not linger at Shufang Pavilion. After a few whispered words with Yinzhen, he wandered off.

With the plays requested by Lady Li finished and the hour for dinner approaching, Yinzhen remained at their residence as it was both her and Yu Yan’s birthday. After the Primary Wife and the other concubines found excuses to leave, Lady Li adjusted the hairpin at her temple with a touch of embarrassment.

The room had long been prepared with dishes they favored. Yu Yan was only half-full before she had to set down her chopsticks. She was getting older; while a two- or three-year-old could be adorably chubby, being overweight while growing taller was no longer cute.

"Isn't perch your favorite?" Lady Li looked at her in surprise. The perch in the bowl, garnished with colorful vegetables, was mouth-watering, yet Yu Yan had only taken two bites. Lady Li grew worried. "Are you feeling unwell? Shall I have your father call a physician?"

"No, it's just too hot and I have no appetite," Yu Yan shook her head, pulling out a casual excuse.

The more she insisted, the more anxious Lady Li and Yinzhen became. After a moment, Yinzhen said, "It is a bit hot. As it happens, the Emperor plans to go to the Changchun Garden in two days to escape the heat. The palace is fine, but it’s too cramped. I’ll take you, the Primary Wife, and the children along."

For the past two years, the Emperor had been on southern tours during this time, so the women of the palace rarely had the honor of going to the Changchun Garden. This year, the tour had ended early, and the Emperor, disliking the confinement of the palace, had decided to take his children, the Empress Dowager, and several favorite concubines to the garden.

Yinzhen had originally considered leaving Lady Li behind due to her delicate health, but thinking that there were many things in the palace he could not control, he decided to bring her along.

Back in her small room, Aunt Chen was busy with Yuetao and Shanzhi, tidying up the birthday gifts. The gifts from the Primary Wife and the other concubines were standard, differing only in rarity. Consort De had sent some satin and jewelry for children, but the Fifth Princess’s gift was the most peculiar.

She had sent a world map.

It was likely brought over by Western missionaries. It showed a vast number of Western countries, and although the Qing Dynasty had a vast territory, it appeared as just a corner on the map. As Yuetao and Shanzhi unfolded it, they couldn't help but mutter in confusion.

Though Yu Yan did not understand the meaning behind the Fifth Princess’s gift, she instructed Yuetao, "We’ll be going to the Changchun Garden soon. Pack this along with the rest."

She would ask the Fifth Princess about it when she was feeling better in a couple of days.

After clearing away the standard gifts, Yu Yan took the whip from her waist. It was beautiful and luxurious, but she felt a headache looking at it, not knowing what to do with it. Aunt Chen, having followed her the whole time, comforted her: "It is only natural for an uncle to give a birthday gift to his niece. Don't worry, little Miss."

"It's not that..."

Yu Yan wasn't worried about who gave it; she just felt that in her hands, this item was nothing more than a pretty ornament with no practical use. She couldn't very well go around lashing people she didn't like, as the Crown Prince had suggested.

After some thought, she asked Aunt Chen to find a place to hang the whip. Regardless, it was a gesture of goodwill from the Crown Prince.

After changing into her light evening clothes, Yuetao lit the candles. In the flickering light, Yu Yan bent over her desk, brush in hand. The ink, ground by Shanzhi, was perfectly balanced. She sat quietly, writing the thirty large characters assigned by Yinzhen, one stroke at a time.