I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, everything is renewed.

But for Hung Hei-kwun, this first step of "update" was incredibly unpleasant.

He was unable to move into the Qianqing Palace, which symbolized the power of the world.

According to the established rites, the coffin of the late Emperor Shunzhi is still in the Qianqing Palace. The new emperor, Hong Xiguan, cannot rush to move in before the old emperor has "moved out".

Holy crap! I have to be neighbors with a dead person for a while? What bad luck! This is fucking bad luck!

Strictly speaking, Emperor Shunzhi (Fulin) was at most the younger brother of Hong Xiguan in this body.

Now, I have to face his coffin every day and pretend to be a dutiful son and grandson.

Hong Xiguan is a soul that has traveled through time and has absolutely no connection to Emperor Shunzhi. The acting is so convincing that I almost believe it myself!

However, as disgusted he was, he endured it for the sake of the dragon throne beneath his buttocks!

Ultimately, the "Kangxi Emperor" was arranged to move into the Southern Study Room on the west side of the Qianqing Palace.

This place was originally where the princes studied and lived temporarily. It was not a large place, but its location was excellent.

It avoided the inauspicious atmosphere of the main hall where the coffin was laid to rest, and was also very close to the front court where government affairs were handled, making it convenient for the apprentice Emperor Kangxi to participate in various ceremonial activities.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites said that the late emperor's funeral was scheduled for April.

In other words, Hong Xiguan would have to be neighbors with the "ghost" of Shunzhi for another two and a half months.

From that day on, Hong Xiguan officially began his daily schedule as the "Emperor of the Great Qing".

Then, he broke down.

[The Yin hour, which is from 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM]

When the sky outside the window was still as black as a tattered cloth splattered with ink.

When the only sounds in the capital city were the night watchman's clapper and the croaking of wild cats in heat, Hong Xiguan was forcibly "invited" out of his warm bed by several eunuchs.

Three o'clock?! Getting up at three o'clock?!

I never got up this early, not even when I was preparing for my college entrance exam in my past life! The roosters haven't even crowed yet!

Is this some kind of human life? Even the donkeys in the production team wouldn't be treated like this!

Hong Xiguan was still sleepy and let the palace maids wash and dress him.

Then, in complete darkness, he boarded a sedan chair and braved the biting cold wind to go to the Cining Palace to pay his respects to his "Grandmother and Mother," Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.

This was the first rule Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang established for him after he ascended the throne, and it remained unchanged.

Every day, after clocking in for work, I have to first pay my respects to the chairman and report on my thoughts and work.

These days are truly...fulfilling!

[From 5:00 AM to 12:00 PM]

After paying my respects, it was barely dawn before it was time to "go to work."

The so-called "early morning court session".

At 5 a.m. in spring and summer, and at 7 a.m. in autumn and winter, all officials, whether they live in the Second Ring Road or Tongzhou, must be on duty on time.

Hong Xiguan, dressed in a dragon robe, sat on the high dragon throne, listening to the regents and ministers below arguing fiercely over some trivial matters.

A meeting first thing in the morning, and it's an in-person meeting, damn it! These old men have way too much energy!

However, just three days later, Hong Xiguan couldn't take it anymore.

When he paid his respects to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, he "casually" mentioned, "Grandmother, I've been feeling like I'm not getting enough sleep lately, which might be hindering my growth. Also, I can't bear to see ministers of that age, like Grand Tutor Sony, standing in the cold wind before dawn every day!"

That's right, it's PUA! Hong Xiguan used the excuse of "growing up" and then the moral high ground of "showing consideration for veteran officials" to leave people speechless!

Anyway, I'm still a kid, so I speak without thinking!

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was indeed distressed upon hearing this, and immediately approved the decision to postpone the morning court session by one hour.

Haha! It's done!

The emperor's first privilege was the right to legally sleep an extra hour! Awesome!

After the morning court session ended, around eight o'clock, it was time for breakfast.

A table was laden with porridge, steamed buns, and all sorts of pastries.

There are eight main dishes and four side dishes, which look very appealing.

It looks impressive, but the taste is just so-so. It's not as satisfying as the soy milk and fried dough sticks from the breakfast stall downstairs in my past life.

After breakfast, it's time for real study.

Starting at nine o'clock, we first read the Hadith and the Veritable Records, which are essentially the "success quotes" and "work logs" of the old emperors.

Learn from their governing experience? Forget it! The way those emperors of the Aisin Gioro family died—me? Learn how they got bombarded, or how they got struck by lightning?

Hong Xiguan only gave a perfunctory response; he didn't need to brush up on his historical knowledge at all, unless it was unofficial history.

After finishing "The Science of Success," it's time to look at the imperial edicts.

Of course, Hong Xiguan cannot review them yet. The memorials have all been "drafted" in advance by the four regents, which means that their opinions on how to handle them have been written and brought to him for "review".

To put it bluntly, it's about letting him familiarize himself with the process and see how these four big shots divide the cake.

That grandson Ao Bai's handwriting on the memorials he wrote was crooked and messy, but his solution was simple and brutal: if you're not convinced, then fight!

Sony, that old fox, wrote a flawless report, offending no one, a true master of compromise.

Suksaha... This guy is obsessed with anything related to Ao Bai, constantly sabotaging things and reporting on others.

As for Ebilun, his opinion was always: "I second that opinion," a typical fence-sitter.

As Hong Xiguan looked at them, he mentally sketched portraits of these four "colleagues".

From noon to late afternoon (12:00 PM to 5:00 PM)

Around 1 p.m. is the time for "dinner".

The emperors of the Qing Dynasty ate only two main meals a day.

This "dinner" was much more lavish than the breakfast, with chicken, duck, fish, meat, delicacies from land and sea, and even a small hot pot.

It's a pity that eating alone, no matter how delicious the food is, doesn't taste as good. It's not as enjoyable as eating skewers and drinking beer with my brothers in my past life.

After lunch, you can take a one-hour nap.

This is relatively humane.

The afternoon is theoretically "free time".

Hong Xiguan was not idle.

He used the excuse of "being well-versed in military strategy and not forgetting the fundamental principles of archery and horsemanship of our ancestors" to have the Imperial Household Department find him the best archery and horsemanship instructor.

Every afternoon, he would practice horseback riding and archery in the open space of the imperial city.

Although this body is only ten years old, it has a good foundation, and with the help of some modern and more scientific training methods, it has made rapid progress.

Just kidding! I'm going to be the "Emperor of All Time"! If I can't even draw a bow, how am I going to lead an army in person? How am I going to make those lackeys and nobles of the Eight Banners obey my orders?

Health is the foundation of everything!

[From 5 PM to 9 PM (酉时 to 亥时)]

Around 6 p.m. is the time for "wine and food".

It's called a "wine and meal," but it's really just some soup and rice, a little wine, and the dishes are much simpler than lunch.

It's equivalent to a diet meal.

After the meal, there was another important task: offering sacrifices to the gods.

The Qing Palace had more than forty large and small sacrificial sites, where people worshipped everything from the Manchus' own creation goddess to the various deities worshipped by the Mongols every day.

These ancient people are incredibly superstitious, but it's fine, Hong Xiguan can just treat it as an after-dinner stroll.

[9 PM (Hai Shi)]

After the worship ceremony, the day's "work" finally came to an end.

I go to bed promptly at 9 p.m.

Going to bed at nine o'clock?! My nightlife was just starting at this time in my past life!

Hong Xiguan internally complained.

The most outrageous thing is that the emperor slept alone!

It's a pity I'm too young to have a concubine serve me in bed. I really want to grow up quickly!

……

Overall, being an emperor wasn't as busy as one might imagine.

It's like working half a day and resting half a day; the actual administrative work is handled by the regents.

The emperors of the Qing Dynasty were actually quite leisurely. Even the later workaholic Emperor Yongzheng only reviewed about ten memorials a day on average.

What they spent the most time on was reading the secret reports of ministers gossiping about each other.

The emperor was less a manager and more a higher-level "disciplinary committee secretary" and "arbitrator".

Hong Xiguan lay on the large bed in the South Study, listening to the wind outside the window, his mind clear.

Right now, I'm just a mascot.

But it's okay.

Just give me time...

Sooner or later, I'll be the one to call the shots in this world!