Chapter 50 Consort Hui's Southern Tour

Later, when Emperor Kangxi learned of this, he casually sent his two sons to the Imperial Study.

He's six years old now, and with all that energy, he should go and study with me.

In October, the First Consort gave birth to a daughter, who was Baoqing's first child and Kangxi's first grandchild.

However, Baoqing still felt a little disappointed, as he actually wanted a legitimate son.

Yun Jun saw through his thoughts and slapped him on the head. "If you have nothing to do, go study. Don't come here and get in my way. I get annoyed just looking at you."

Baoqing's face fell, and she started yelling again, "With the eldest princess around, the son has no status with his mother!"

Although he wanted a legitimate son, he also liked his legitimate daughter and often went back to play with her.

He was very experienced in playing with children. The Eighth Prince was raised in Yanxi Palace, and he would visit him every time he came back. The children he was closest to were either the Crown Prince or the Eighth Prince.

As for the Third Prince's younger brother, he spends all his time spouting pedantic nonsense, and there's absolutely nothing to talk about with him.

Yun Jun, impatient with his rambling, dismissed him with a few words and sent him out again.

As the year drew to a close, the Emperor hinted that he would make a southern tour.

The Imperial Household Department was busy again, with no room for carelessness in anything from carriages and ceremonial processions to clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

The concubines in the imperial harem also had a little bit of expectation.

The Imperial Noble Consort should arrange for an entourage, but it's uncertain whether they will have the luck to do so.

This was an opportunity for them. There were only a few concubines on the southern tour, so there was a good chance of them being able to serve the emperor. Who knows, if they got pregnant, they might have someone to rely on in the future.

Last time, one of the concubines got pregnant and was promoted in rank when she came back.

Yunyun also wanted to go.

Now that Baoqing is older, and since she has no worries and is in good health, she wants to go out for a walk. Although the square sky is peaceful, staying there for too long can feel stifling.

So she made a rare trip to Chengqian Palace, chatted with the Imperial Noble Consort for half a day, and successfully added her name to the list of accompanying personnel.

The Imperial Noble Consort only half-heartedly agreed to this.

Originally, a high-ranking concubine should have accompanied the emperor on his southern tour, so that he could meet with the families of local officials.

Her health has been deteriorating in recent years, and she doesn't know how much longer she can hold on. Naturally, she can't travel long distances. The Consort, Consort Yi, and Consort De all have young children, and they can't bear to leave them behind.

I was already hesitating between Consort Hui and Consort Rong, but since Consort Hui has come in person, I'll go with her.

Fuling and Lingzhi got busy. There were so many things to prepare for a long trip: spring clothes and jewelry, commonly used furniture and utensils, and medicines for emergencies. They packed everything into boxes, and she packed several large boxes just for her own things.

Emperor Kangxi not only brought his concubines, but also took the three princes with him.

Of course, he wasn't eligible to be the crown prince. Emperor Kangxi kept him in the capital, where he served as the heir apparent and handled state affairs with the assistance of important officials such as Suo'etu.

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This inspection tour mainly involved traveling by waterway, along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and inspecting the river works.

As soon as the imperial decree for the southern tour arrived, Yunyun boarded the carriage waiting outside the palace and followed the large entourage through most of the capital city to the ferry crossing.

The emperor's procession was naturally very grand. He wore a yellow riding jacket and carried a brocade banner to clear the way. The roadsides were also cleared. Yunyun, who secretly lifted the curtain of her sedan chair, originally thought she could see the scene outside the palace, but could only see the carriages accompanying her on both sides and the solemn-looking guards on horseback.

Before long, the carriage arrived at the canal ferry.

A gentle breeze carried the moist scent of the canal water, and in the distance, a row of boats were moored on the water. The one in the very center with bright yellow dragon patterns was Emperor Kangxi's imperial boat, exuding imperial majesty from afar.

A temporary wooden pier had already been set up on the shore. Surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, Yunyun abandoned her carriage and boarded the boat. No outsiders saw the whole process.

Each concubine has her own private ship. As the highest-ranking concubine on this trip, her ship is exquisitely decorated, complete with a bedroom, dressing room, and small reception room. The furniture, such as beds, tables, chairs, chests, and cabinets, is made of the finest sandalwood. Lake-blue gauze curtains and screens hang outside the cabin, fully ensuring the concubine's privacy.

Fuling arranged the bedding and utensils she had brought one by one, and then stepped forward to reply: "Your Highness, I just went to the dining boat and asked. The maids on the dining boat will deliver three meals a day on time. If Your Highness wants to eat some snacks in the middle of the day, you can also have someone send them to you."

Yun Jun responded and looked at the scenery outside the window with great interest.

The river view in spring has a unique charm; the vastness of the world makes her feel much freer.

Indeed, the sky above the Forbidden City is too small.

At noon, the dining boat delivered lunch, consisting of four dishes and a soup, mostly light river delicacies and seasonal vegetables. One of the dishes, steamed perch, was particularly tender, with the fish melting in the mouth and a subtle sweetness, clearly freshly caught from the canal.

While they were having their meal, a palace maid whispered from outside the cabin door, "Your Highness, Consort Yun has sent someone to ask if we should call the imperial physician to take a look at her, saying that she is feeling unwell."

Now, she holds the highest status among the women here, and she has to make all the decisions.

Consort Yun, also known as Consort Yun, was from the Imperial Noble Consort's palace, but she was sent away this time.

Yun Jun guessed that she was seasick. Few people in the palace had experience traveling long distances by boat. Although the official boat was stable, it was still inevitable that it would rock. Yun Changzai probably didn't even know that she was seasick.

Upon arriving at Consort Yun's boat, the scent of mint filled the cabin—presumably ordered by the palace maids to alleviate Consort Yun's nausea.

Yun Changzai leaned against the couch on the adjacent boat, her face pale. She was about to get down to pay her respects when Yun Jun stopped her, saying, "That's enough. If you're not feeling well, just rest. There's no need to get up."

The imperial physician rushed over with his medicine box; it was none other than the familiar Physician Zhang.

After taking his pulse, Physician Zhang prescribed a calming formula, saying that he was just seasick and otherwise fine.

Yun Jun was relieved and comforted Yun Changzai, saying, "Drink more warm water. If you want something light, just go to the dining boat and let them know."

Afterwards, someone was sent to the Imperial Boat to report that Consort Yun was unwell and the plaque had been removed.

After all, her face was as pale as a ghost, so she couldn't accompany the emperor.

As evening approached and a cool breeze began to rise, Yunyun was standing outside the cabin, draped in a cloak, admiring the brightly lit night view, when she received a message from the imperial ship.

Okay.

On my first day away from home, I still have to meet my boss.

accurate.

But I had no choice but to go.

After tidying up her clothes, Yun Jun boarded the imperial boat.

Upon closer inspection, why were all three princes kneeling?

Emperor Kangxi never expected that his good son would cause him trouble in less than a day after he left home.

"Your Majesty, may you enjoy peace and prosperity," Yun Jun bowed, then naturally walked around the three princes to stand behind Kangxi and massage his shoulders, her voice softening, "What's going on? Why are all three princes kneeling here?"

Emperor Kangxi's expression was unreadable. He gently patted the back of her hand and gestured for her to sit down beside him.

Liang Jiugong, quick-witted and agile, immediately moved a brocade-covered embroidered stool from the side and placed it beside Kangxi.

Baoqing thought that his father was really despicable. It was clearly the fault of three people, so why did he only call his mother?

A capable man should handle his own affairs.

Seeing that Baoqing was still not behaving himself even while kneeling on the ground, Yunyun glared at him with exasperation.

Bao Qing immediately lowered his head, feeling guilty—he really hadn't done anything, had he?

Kangxi ignored Baoqing's petty actions, glanced at his three sons indifferently, and said, "You can tell me yourselves."

As the eldest brother, Baoqing took the initiative to protest his innocence, saying, "Your subject really did not cause any trouble this time."

Upon hearing his tone, Kangxi knew that what followed was a series of sophistry, and said impatiently, "Shut up, Yinzhi, you speak."

Emperor Kangxi had a relatively good impression of Yinzhi. He had good literary talent and didn't cause trouble after only a few days of school like Baoqing did. He was a good child.

Upon hearing Kangxi call his name, Yinzhi honestly recounted the entire incident.

In the afternoon, the three of them enjoyed the scenery together by the side of the boat. They each occupied their own spot and didn't bother anyone else. However, the Fourth Prince found a fishing rod and wanted to fish. The Third Prince advised against it, saying that you can't catch fish while the boat is sailing. The Fourth Prince was not convinced and insisted on fishing. The Third Prince got angry and said that he had already said that you can't catch fish, so why didn't his younger brother take it seriously?

The two argued for a few moments, which caught Baoqing's attention.

Then came the important part: Baoqing said that the brothers should be harmonious and loving, and should not quarrel, so he personally separated the two princes.

However, he was quite strong, and the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were both a head shorter than him, so they were caught off guard by the push.

As a result, Kangxi happened to see the eldest prince beating up his two younger brothers.

Knowing it wasn't some sibling rivalry where the elder brother was bullying the younger, Kangxi's expression softened considerably. He gave a few gentle reprimands, saying, "Alright, get up, all of you. What kind of behavior is it for princes to cause such a scene outside?"

Upon hearing this, Baoqing jumped up from the ground, feeling that he had been wronged, and chimed in, "That's right, that's right! This matter must be brought to the attention of the Imperial Noble Consort and Consort Rong. Let the two consorts teach our third and fourth brothers a lesson. How can they quarrel over such a trivial matter and hurt their brotherly harmony?"

He genuinely felt that he had no problems whatsoever.

He secretly thought to himself: "Hmph, Father Emperor personally complained, I guarantee you'll get your ears pulled by Mother when you get back."

Telling the elders is a skill that every child hates. Hearing their elder brother say this, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince stopped being angry with each other and instead turned their attention to him.

What nonsense are you suggesting?

My brother is so annoying.

Hearing these obviously provocative words and his gloating tone, Yun Jun really wanted to sew Bao Qing's mouth shut, but she had no choice but to smooth things over with a smile.

"Alright, it was just a misunderstanding. Now that we've talked it out, everything's fine. It's getting late, Your Majesty. Why don't you let them go back to their own ships and rest? There's still a lot to do tomorrow."

Emperor Kangxi had grown accustomed to his eldest son's occasional twitches.

He waved his hand and chased his three sons out.

Baoqing turned back as if to say something, but seeing that her mother had crumpled the handkerchief, Baoqing thought for a moment and then shut up.

The third and fourth brothers might get their ears pulled by their mother soon.

But if he says it again, his mother will definitely pull his ear tonight.

He suffered a huge loss.

Watching Baoqing's retreating figure, Yunyun reflected on herself for a second.

Is it really not that she has some problems raising her child?

Why is Baoqing sometimes reliable and sometimes like a fool?