Volume 4 of "Yangjizhai Conglu" written by Wu Zhenfeng of the Qing Dynasty says: "In my family law, the prince and grandson began to study at the age of six. At Yinke (3 to 5 a.m.), I went to the study room. After finishing the study of Manchu and Mongolian scripts, the master will start at Mao (5 to 7 o'clock in the morning) and return to Zhi before noon (1 to 3 in the afternoon). Engraving, or Shen Ke (3 to 5 p.m.). "This "family law" for raising children appeared in the Kangxi Dynasty and was gradually improved. A brief review of the education of princes during the Kangxi period:
Xuan Ye educated and trained princes, and the first priority was to select famous teachers, such as Zhang Ying, Li Guangdi, Xiong Cilu, Tang Bin, Geng Jie, Xu Yuanmeng, Dahata, and Gu Badai , Fahai and others were either Han scholars or famous Manchu ministers. Xuan Ye's criteria for choosing a teacher for his son were very strict. They must have good conduct and good knowledge. Both of them are indispensable. But he had different requirements for Manchu and Han teachers. He once gave instructions to Crown Prince Yinfeng's Manchu master and minister Dahata: The knowledge of the Han people is a hundred times better than that of the Manchus. I am not aware of it. However, I am afraid that the Crown Prince will be addicted to Han customs, so I will not let the Han people be allowed to do anything. I will teach them on my own. The crown prince is asked to have a brief knowledge of Chinese, and he seems to be incompetent in all matters of learning. Tang Bin and others are here to explain the meaning of the calligraphy. You should be guided by Manchu etiquette and law, so as not to be tainted by Han customs. As the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Dahata "not only does not understand Chinese, but also does not know Chinese very well." Therefore, he was entrusted with the important task of educating the crown prince. Xuan Ye was well aware that "Manchu and Han customs are different" and was worried that the prince would be infected with Han customs. He appointed Manchu masters to teach the culture and customs of his own people. It can be said that he had good intentions. The coexistence of Manchu and Han masters reflects the Qing royal family's compatibility with both Manchu and Han cultures, and constitutes the basic feature of the Qing generation's princely education.
Xuan Ye attaches great importance to improving the calligraphy level of the princes. They are required to practice diligently from an early age. Under Xuan Ye's guidance, the crown prince Yinfeng, the third son Yinzhi, the fourth son Yinzhen, the seventh son Yinhu, the thirteenth son Yinxiang and the fourteenth son Qi were all good at calligraphy. Although the eighth son of the emperor, Yinhu, was shrewd and capable, his calligraphy was dwarfed by that of his brothers. For this reason, Xuan Ye specially selected He Zhuo, who worked in regular script, as his teacher in order to make progress. Xuan Ye also asked him to write 10 large calligraphy pieces every day and send them to him for personal review. Yinhu was impatient to write, so he had to have someone write for him and hand it in, so he could get by. Xuan Ye was good at calligraphy and asked the princes to study it continuously. Since then, calligraphy has been regarded as a compulsory course for the descendants of the royal family.
Xuan Ye taught his children strictly and persistently. While urging them to become proficient in Han culture, he did not relax in teaching them "Manchu etiquette" at all. Horseback riding and archery and Mandarin (Manchu) were put at the top of the study list. When Huang Taiji, Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty, was on the throne, he took the Jurchens of the Jin Dynasty as a reference and expressed his concern that future generations would abandon their riding and archery and follow the Han people's example, which would lead to their country's subjugation. Since then, emperors of all dynasties have promoted Mandarin horsemanship and archery as the foundation of the country. Xuan Ye himself was very skilled in riding and archery. He once said, "He has been strong since he was a child and has good muscle strength. He can draw a fifteen-strength bow, shoot thirteen-strength arrows, and is excellent at using troops to prepare for war." Since then, he has led troops on three expeditions. , it can be seen that this is not a boastful statement. Xuanye once warned the princes: "The old codes of our dynasty must not be lost." He also said, "In the past, the kings of the second generation of Jin and Yuan Dynasties, because they lived in Han for a long time, gradually adopted Han customs, and they were like Han people. I learned from it deeply.
In addition to riding and shooting, Manchu language is also a compulsory lesson for the princes every day. While Xuan Ye promotes Manchu traditions, he also puts forward very strict requirements for the princes' Manchu masters. , those who fail to practice will not escape punishment. In April of the 25th year of Kangxi (1686), Xuan Ye taught his disciples archery in Yingtai. The Manchu master Xu Yuanmeng who accompanied him was always bad at riding and shooting. This time he was punished for being unable to draw a strong bow. Xuan Ye's explanation made the Heavenly Court furious, and ordered him to be beaten with a stick and seriously injured. The purpose of this warning to the princes is obvious.
To put it bluntly, the upbringing system for princes regulated in the Xuanye era embodies the inclusive characteristics of Manchu and Han culture, which is what he calls "civil and military priorities." "Parallel", the ultimate goal is of course to ensure the long-term peace and stability of the dynasty. His set of practices will be regarded as a model for subsequent generations of successors and will not be changed.