Chapter Sixteen

Yinreng suspected that his father had summoned him to set a wedding date, so he said, "I will do whatever Father says."

Then, he repeated himself again: "Father, I am really fine. How can you slander me like this?"

With a puffed-up face, he was quite annoyed. It was one thing for others to have doubts, but how could the Emperor not believe his own son?

Kangxi pursed his lips and said, "What you did is not enough to convince your father. Anyway, hurry up and get married. After you get married, you'd better behave yourself, or I'll have to call the imperial physician. Otherwise, tonight, I want to see good news."

What good news?

The good news is that our son finally... well, I won't force you, it's your choice.

In fact, Kangxi had guessed some of this. It wouldn't be good to force his son now. He should give the child some time to think things through and comfort him so that he could accept his fate sooner rather than later.

Yes, that's right. After giving him a time to get married, she was also subtly telling her son, "Think it over carefully, and I'll take you to see the imperial physician when the time comes."

Emperor Kangxi also considered himself an exceptionally loving father, unlike his father who cared about nothing. He cared about all his sons, but since their fingers were of different lengths, and Baocheng lost his mother at birth, he paid more attention to Baocheng's affairs.

For example, right now.

Bao Cheng's matter had caused him a great deal of worry. After driving Bao Cheng away, he immediately ordered the Imperial Observatory to calculate an auspicious day and also got the people in the Ministry of Rites busy.

The Emperor's intense focus on the Crown Prince's affairs has become commonplace in the harem and among the princes. However, the auspicious day is somewhat perplexing. Doesn't the Emperor... dote on and favor the Crown Prince?

It's already the end of the year, and they've already set the wedding date for May 16th?

Why are you in such a hurry?

Could something have happened?

Moreover, the Emperor's previous decree to change the triennial general election to March of next year was also to inform the Mongol and Manchu banners in Shengjing in advance so that their princesses could enter the capital earlier and give them time to prepare.

After the imperial concubine selection, the wedding date was set. The Ministry of Rites was extremely busy. As soon as the wedding date was set, the Imperial Noble Consort of Chengqian Palace immediately went to invite Emperor Kangxi. The mourning period for the Empress Dowager had ended, and it was time to set a wedding date for Yinzhen.

Her condition worsened over the next three years. She knew that she had exhausted her vital energy during childbirth, and with her child dying young and before she had even finished her postpartum confinement, she was overwhelmed with grief and despair, and that's when she collapsed.

The imperial physicians had been keeping her alive with precious medicines, but now the Tong family had given up on her. Instead, they sent her a message, preparing to send her half-sister to the palace and asking her to speak well of her half-sister to the emperor.

Oh.

When the Imperial Noble Consort received the letter, she immediately ordered it to be burned and gave a cold laugh. She had long since lost all interest in the Tong family.

When she gave birth to her daughter, the daughter died young. The Tong family sent her a message telling her to rest well and try to conceive again as soon as possible, hoping to give birth to a prince. They did not mention her daughter, the Eighth Princess, at all.

She knew that the Tong family's cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness only required a prince to maintain their prestige.

The treatment their nephew received after becoming emperor made them arrogant, and they didn't want to lose it all. They knew that if the next emperor ascended the throne, he would certainly not favor the Tong family as much.

Speak well of her? The Imperial Noble Consort knew that if she were to die, her half-sister would enter the palace, and given her background as a member of the Tongjia clan, she would definitely not be treated coldly.

But she just doesn't feel well!

When the Imperial Noble Consort came to see him, Emperor Kangxi did not refuse her request. After learning her purpose, he did not decline and gave her the auspicious day provided by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau so that she could choose.

August 16, September 9, and December 25 are all auspicious days.

Imperial Astronomical Bureau: Your Majesty, this auspicious date was calculated based on the birth dates and times of His Highness the Crown Prince and his future Crown Princess, Lady Fucha.

Otherwise, with so many good days throughout the year, how could only a few be selected?

The Imperial Noble Consort was unaware of this and thought that Emperor Kangxi had been worrying about Yinzhen's marriage for a long time. She was deeply moved and finally decided on the auspicious date of the sixteenth of August.

Looking at his cousin's pale and sickly face, Kangxi knew what she was worried about. He took her hand and said with concern and affection, "Cousin, you will be alright. The imperial physician is here."

Father Emperor is gone, Mother Empress (biological mother) is gone, Grandmother Empress is gone, and everyone around me is gone, one by one. My cousin has been with me for so many years...

"Hmm." The Imperial Noble Consort didn't want to talk about the same old topic anymore. Instead, she brought up the matter of Yinzhen and Princess Guarjia, praising the Emperor's choice of Princess Guarjia for her calm and steady nature.

If possible, she would prefer that Yinzhen's marriage to Princess Guarjia be arranged as soon as possible. Isn't it something that cannot be bypassed by His Highness the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince will be married in May, and three months later, the Ministry of Rites can certainly start making arrangements.

Since there are precedents, like the eldest prince's marriage, we can just copy them. "Your Majesty, isn't there a date that's closer to the date?"

As he spoke, he coughed a few more times, feeling dizzy and lightheaded from exhaustion, and decided to lie down and rest for a while.

After spending some time with the Imperial Noble Consort, Kangxi left without staying overnight. The Imperial Noble Consort knew that he was going to another palace. A trace of sadness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her spirits. "Granny, the Fourth Prince has set the date for his wedding. It's the sixteenth of August. We should start preparing now."

Instead of dwelling on which palace the Emperor visited tonight, it's better to focus on Yinzhen, who has been bedridden for years, always thinking he's about to die, but has pulled through.

She was given a critical condition notice several times. Countless concubines in the harem hoped that the Imperial Noble Consort would die, especially Consort De of Yonghe Palace, but she just wouldn't die.

That's infuriating.

Because of her title as the future Crown Princess, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, like the Crown Prince, observed mourning and wore plain clothes for the three years following her death, and did not attend events such as the Plum Blossom Banquet.

Finally, as if the ban had been lifted, and with the Emperor setting a wedding date, many families and officials who wanted to curry favor with the Crown Prince but had no opportunity were thinking of sending invitations to the Fucha family to visit.

For example, Hesheli, since Princess Fucha was about to marry into Yuqing Palace, they could be considered allies in the same boat. Soetu's birthday celebration also invited many people.

After all, she is going to marry into the Crown Princess of Yuqing Palace. We should see what her temperament is like. However, the Hesheli also wanted to send the princess into the palace. Unfortunately, none of the princesses in the backyard of Yuqing Palace have served the emperor yet.

And so, things were delayed. If the Crown Princess is favored, the power of her influence must be carefully considered. If she doesn't suit the Hesheli, they might scheme to make the Crown Princess fall out of favor...

At this moment, Chen Jialuo was unaware of Hesheli's plans; all she knew was that she could finally go out for some fresh air!

In the strictly regulated ancient times, it wasn't like the quirky female lead in the TV dramas who disguised herself as a man and wandered around. She had four maids guarding her, and with the Empress Dowager in mourning, she should just stay obediently in the Fucha Mansion.

Going to celebrate someone's birthday? No problem, no problem. I'll take a stroll around on the way back. Well, at least the trip won't be in vain.

On this day, the birthday of the high-ranking and powerful Songgotu, many officials still came.

Chen Jialuo and her mother, Fucha Fujin, were welcomed to the women's quarters. Suo'etu's Fujin, of the Gioro clan, carried a somewhat condescending attitude. She was a member of the imperial clan, while Fucha Fujin was from the bannerman clan. So what if she was the Crown Princess? They were the Crown Prince's maternal clan.

Who is Consort Fucha? How could she not see through Consort Hesheli's gaze? She just didn't want to argue with her, but her impression of Hesheli had only worsened.

It's not that we haven't met before, it's just that we didn't play together before. Consort Hesheli would only take her princess to the imperial family.

At this moment, Consort Hesheli seemed not to notice Consort Fucha's dissatisfaction, nor did she know the intention of Suo'etu's birthday banquet. Looking at the delicate and beautiful Crown Princess in front of her, Consort Hesheli wondered why the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had chosen such a Crown Princess.

She didn't look like the Crown Princess at all. She pursed her lips, her expression slightly appraising, with the pickiness of an elder towards her grand-niece-in-law. "Princess Fucha, I wonder what you usually like to do at home?"

Chen Jialuo: What an annoying tone and manner of speaking.

"When did Consort Hesheli become so gossipy? Didn't our child get four nannies? Oh dear, he's learning manners." Consort Fucha said with a smile. See? I told you she didn't like Consort Hesheli, didn't I? Her tone was really annoying.

"Isn't this showing concern for our future Crown Princess? Consort Fucha, it's time to let the child be more independent. Don't take on everything yourself. Do you even need to answer the elders' questions for her?" Consort Hesheli, of the Jueluo clan, spoke sarcastically, feeling that the fact that she hadn't bowed to her meant that she looked down on her.

While Consort Hesheli was making things difficult for Princess Fucha, Crown Prince Yinreng was leaving the palace to deliver a birthday gift to his uncle, Suo'etu. Things were getting a bit hectic in the palace, and the princesses, perhaps because they had received hints or instructions from their father, had been trying to run into him openly and secretly these past few days.

When he arrived, he learned that his future Crown Princess, Consort Fucha, was also there. Upon hearing the name Consort Fucha, after two or three years, the first thing that came to mind was her sweet and melodious yet straightforward and fiery voice.

How can he be so alluring? If he weren't the Crown Prince, I would have snatched him away and taken him home...

Wow, it's so beautiful, I love it to death...

(End of this chapter)