activa-t Chapter 429 This is the harmless little punishment you mentioned.
Chapter 429 This is the harmless little punishment you mentioned.
Fourteen never expected things to develop like this. He had just said he was going to his sixth brother to steal the Mountain Dwelling Picture, but that was just talk to fool his ninth brother. He completely forgot that his sixth brother was the type who loved to watch the drama unfold. Now, even if he was willing to give up eating dumplings today, he wouldn't dare ask his ninth brother for this favor.
"Um... Ninth Brother, I suddenly feel like I'm actually quite interested in making dumplings. It's just making a few dumplings, right? I can easily do that myself, so I won't trouble you with your help..."
Fourteen was defeated and fled in disarray, drawing laughter from the onlookers. Thirteen stood there looking at this and that, and finally decided to rely on himself. As the saying goes, it's better to rely on yourself than to ask others for help. It's just making dumplings, right? He really didn't believe he couldn't learn it.
As it turns out, some things do require talent. Thirteen and fourteen had absolutely no talent for making dumplings. The dumplings they made were either grimacing or gaping open. In short, not a single one was whole.
The New Year's parent-child activities arranged by Yinzhuo were naturally not limited to making dumplings. After everyone experienced the fun of making dumplings, someone came to clear the things away. While Wan Quan and others were cleaning the house, Kangxi, Yinzhuo and others were invited to the next room to wash up and change clothes. After everything was settled, they returned to the main hall where they had been.
It was still a long time before the family banquet started, so Yinzhuo naturally couldn't let everyone just sit there staring at each other. He beckoned Wanquan, who was waiting nearby, and whispered a few words of advice in his ear. Soon, Wanquan and his men brought over two tables from outside.
"Gentlemen, let's not just sit here idly. The family banquet is still a long way off. Let's find something to do to pass the time. See this thing I'm holding? I call it playing cards. I'll teach you how to play later. Let's split into groups. My father, eldest brother, second brother, and I will be at one table, and the ninth, tenth, thirteenth, and fourteenth kids will be at another. Let's make it clear beforehand that these cards aren't for nothing. See those wooden cards on the table? They're engraved with harmless little punishments. I'll have someone put them all in a box later. Whoever loses can reach in and draw one and do what's on it."
Kangxi and the others had no objection to Yinzhuo's arrangement, since he had said before that they were just minor punishments that wouldn't cause any harm. However, someone soon regretted not speaking up to refuse in time, and that unlucky guy was none other than our Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen.
"Sixth Brother, this is the harmless little punishment you mentioned? Picking someone from among the crowd to have a deep gaze or to dissect one's inner thoughts? How did you even come up with that? I certainly couldn't do it..."
The Fourteenth Prince's rejection was entirely within Yinzhuo's expectations. He hadn't expected his son to be so lucky right away; out of so many tokens, how did he end up drawing this one?
"What are you yelling about? Haven't you heard of the saying 'a bet is a bet'? A real man should be responsible for his actions. I'm asking you, did I force you to agree to play this game? And did you draw this token from the box yourself? If you're unlucky, who can you blame? Can't do it? Fine, then let's change the game. See that copper coin hanging over there? If you can shoot it with an arrow, you pass."
Horseback archery was Fourteen's forte. Although the copper coins were small, he thought that hitting them was not difficult. Upon hearing this, he immediately nodded to indicate that he was willing to accept this way of playing. However, he forgot that this level was set by his Sixth Brother. How could he pass the level so easily?
"No, Sixth Brother, are you kidding me? You want me to shoot a copper coin that far away with this bow and arrow? I mean, is your bow and arrow fully drawn?"
Before receiving the bow and arrow, Fourteen was full of confidence, but after getting the bow and arrow, he was dumbfounded. Looking at the bow and arrow in his hand, which was not even as long as his forearm, Fourteen felt that even if he shot until the start of the family banquet, he would not be able to reach the copper coin.
Yinzhu didn't care how much the Fourteenth Prince shouted. Once he saw that the Fourteenth Prince had his bow and arrow in hand, he immediately prepared to start. What could the Fourteenth Prince do now? He had no choice but to try anything. If he couldn't win, he would just keep shooting arrows until the family banquet started.
Although the bow and arrow prepared by Yinzhuo were small, their workmanship and materials were of the highest quality, made to the standards of a large bow. Yinzhuo's talent in archery and horsemanship was not just for show. He played with the small bow and arrow for a while and actually found some tricks. After a few attempts, he actually managed to shoot a copper coin.
Fourteenth Prince is like a little potato. According to Yinzuo, he can't resist praise. Look, he's already showing off again after being praised a few times. Yinzuo glanced at Fourteenth Prince, whose tail was almost wagging in the sky, and finally managed to restrain himself from going over to slap him when he was at his most smug.
Knowing that the punishment in the box might lead to their immediate death, everyone's attitude at the card table became much more serious than before. If you were to ask who among these people was least willing to lose, the answer would undoubtedly be Emperor Kangxi. After all, although he wanted to see his sons make fools of themselves, he didn't want to lose his dignity as a strict father.
Having spent so many years with Kangxi, how could Yinzhuo not understand his father's thoughts? Seeing him holding a card and hesitating, he knew what his father was thinking. Well, in order not to lose face in front of his son, he had to be on his guard today.
Yinzhuo has always been quite intelligent; if he wanted to, he could easily have a photographic memory. With him assisting him, Kangxi was the one who won every round. Of course, there are winners and losers, and Yinti was naturally the one who lost the most miserably.
Although Yinti lost the game, he was lucky. Several times, the cards he drew were harmless little jokes, such as carrying someone while doing push-ups, hopping on one leg while holding someone, or singing a song for everyone. In short, Yinti found these kinds of challenges to be no problem at all.
Soon another round ended, and this time the tables turned, with the loser being Yinzhuo, the one who set the questions. Yinzhuo didn't care at all about winning or losing, after all, with his thick skin, he could complete whatever punishment he drew without any pressure.
You know, you can't just make a promise without knowing how. Look at Yinzhuo's luck; he pulled out the hardest one from the box right away. Yinzhuo held the small wooden plaque for a long time before finally getting up and walking to his father, Kangxi. He put his hand on Kangxi's shoulder, massaging it while trying to please him.
"Father, could you let your son draw something on your face?"
Judging from Yinzhuo's ingratiating manner, Kangxi knew without a doubt that what he wanted to draw was not something good. But as the saying goes, Kangxi was susceptible to this kind of behavior. After thinking about it for a moment, he finally agreed to Yinzhuo's request.