Chapter 67: The Day Little Tongjia Entered the Palace...

The day Xiao Tongjia entered the palace was a beautiful sunny day. Wenshan even took Yinxiang to fly kites because of the good weather.

It just so happened that Lady Xiao Tongjia was on her way to visit Consort Niohuru.

"Your Highness, that looks like Consort Tong who just entered the palace this morning," Pearl whispered to Wen Shan as she saw the people coming from the south.

Wen Shan was having a great time flying a kite when she heard this and turned around to see that Xiao Tongjia was indeed leading a large group of more than a dozen palace maids and eunuchs from the lakeside.

Xiao Tongjia saw Wenshan and Yinxiang, paused, and then turned around and walked over.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Consort Xuan."

Xiao Tongjia smiled and bowed to her.

Wen Shan glanced at Xiao Tongjia a few times, then said with a smile, "Get up quickly, Tong-meimei has good eyesight. This is probably the first time we've met."

Compared to her sister, Xiao Tongjia was more striking in appearance and had a sharper temperament, truly embodying the vigor of youth.

Wen Shan thought to herself that it was indeed the newcomers to the palace who looked so vibrant. People like Consort Hui and Consort Rong had lost their passion after interacting with each other for a long time.

"Didn't Your Highness recognize me at a glance?" Xiao Tongjia asked in a graceful manner.

Pearl took the kite string from Wenshan's hand. Yinxiang didn't come over; he was flying a kite on the side, pretending not to hear, but his ears were always perked up.

Wen Shan scrutinized her young, vibrant face and said, "The palace hasn't welcomed any new women for several years; they're all familiar faces, so I naturally recognized them at a glance."

Lady Tongjia smiled and said, "Before I entered the palace, Father instructed me that my sister loved the Fourth Prince the most. Although it may be a bit presumptuous of me, Father still asked me to take good care of the Fourth Prince."

“That’s great.” Wen Shan raised an eyebrow. “It’s good to have another person to take care of Yinzhen.”

"If that's how you put it, then I'll shamelessly visit Xianfu Palace more often." Xiao Tongjia raised her eyes, her expression somewhat probing.

Wen Shan called Yinxiang over and wiped the sweat from his brow. She then said, "Yinzhen doesn't live in Xianfu Palace anymore. If Sister Tong wants to visit him, she'll have to go to Qianxi Wusuo."

Xiao Tongjia naturally knew that this was Wen Shan's way of refusing guests, so she went along with her and said, "I was mistaken, thank you for your guidance."

"Where are you rushing off to?" Wen Shan asked, holding Yin Xiang's hand. "Is the Emperor summoning you? Don't be late."

Lady Tongjia adjusted her hair and said, "I am going to visit Consort Niohuru."

Wen Shan nodded and said "Oh," then told her to hurry up and go.

As Xiao Tongjia walked away, Pearl said, "Why does Your Highness seem to dislike Consort Tong?"

Wen Shan led Yin Xiang to the pavilion to sit down and have some water. Yin Xiang held the cup and gulped down a large cup of pomelo tea that Wen Shan had made.

"Not only my mother, but I don't like it either."

Wen Shan chuckled upon hearing this: "Why don't you like Consort Tong?"

In his previous life, Yinxiang didn't particularly like Consort Tong either. In terms of arrogance, she was even more domineering than Consort Hui and Consort Niohuru.

Previously, Consort Min had suddenly regained favor for a while after Lady Tongjia entered the palace, so she suffered a lot at her hands.

However, Yinxiang never liked gossiping behind people's backs, especially since Xiao Tongjia was now his stepmother and elder.

"It's nothing, my son just doesn't like her."

Yinxiang buried his head in eating the fruit smoothie Wenshan made. When he looked up, there was a ring of milk stains around his mouth. Wenshan laughed so hard she almost fell over and quickly wiped his mouth.

Wenshan said, "It's not that I dislike her, it's just that I've never gotten along well with people who are too sharp and outspoken."

“But she and her sister really don’t look alike,” Wen Shan remarked.

Empress Tongjia was gentle and kind, a girl from a modest family. I never expected that her younger sister would be just like Consort Niohuru.

Are they all the youngest daughters in the family and therefore more pampered?

Wen Shan accompanied Yinxiang to fly kites for a while and then went to Ning Shou Palace. The Empress Dowager said that Princess Yun Dai's health was almost fully recovered, and Kangxi would be arranging a marriage for her soon, so she asked Wen Shan to go and see her one last time.

When Wen Shan stepped into Yuhua Pavilion again after several months, she found it much more lively. Kangxi no longer needed to mistreat Yun Dai. Although she was not adopted as a goddaughter and married as a princess, her dowry was prepared according to the standards of a princess. The Empress Dowager even personally handled the matter.

However, according to the Empress Dowager, this was also Kangxi's personal request to her, as he did not want to cause any more trouble.

Princess Yun Dai looked much better; her face was rosy as she directed the palace servants to move things, and she gave Wen Shan a hearty laugh when she saw her arrive.

"Why has the Imperial Concubine arrived?"

Wen Shan was a little confused. Before she came, she thought that Yuhua Pavilion would be desolate and quiet. Yun Dai's wish had not been fulfilled and she had just lost her child, so she guessed that the situation was not good. She had racked her brains to think of a lot of words to comfort Yun Dai, but she was dumbfounded after she arrived.

Yun Dai looked to be in better spirits than her.

"This room is a mess, let's go to the courtyard to talk." Yun Dai took Wen Shan's arm and walked out, not forgetting to tell the palace maids to tidy up quickly.

"The Empress Dowager said your marriage is probably just around the corner, so she asked me to come and see how the preparations are going."

Wen Shan and Yun Dai sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, and soon a palace maid came to serve them tea.

Yun Dai smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager has made very good arrangements, and the people from the Imperial Household Department have also been very meticulous. If Yun Dai were not still under house arrest, she should go and thank the Empress Dowager for her care these past few days."

Wen Shan took a sip of tea and felt that there was nothing more to say, but she was still curious about Yun Dai's sudden high spirits.

"Why is Your Highness looking at Yun Dai like that? Please ask whatever you want." Yun Dai naturally noticed Wen Shan's questioning gaze and said very casually, "Yun Dai will be returning to Mongolia soon. If things don't go well, I'm afraid we'll never have the chance to meet again in this lifetime. Your Highness and I are destined to meet. I will answer any questions you may have."

Wen Shan thought it made sense; if she kept it to herself, she would only suffocate. But just as she was about to speak, Yun Dai interrupted her with a smile.

"Let me guess, Your Highness is thinking that Yun Dai looks so happy and cheerful as if she's about to become a bride, instead of secretly shedding tears and feeling sad about the passing of spring and autumn?"

Wen Shan's thoughts were guessed by her, but she didn't feel embarrassed at all. She nodded very calmly and said, "This is only natural. I just don't understand it."

Yun Dai, resting her chin on her hand, said, "If I hadn't been confined to my quarters for most of the time since entering the palace, I would definitely be a frequent visitor to Xianfu Palace. It's so comfortable talking to Your Highness."

"Yun Dai committed such a grave mistake, yet the Emperor not only did not pursue the matter but also prepared a dowry for me to marry out of the Forbidden City. Isn't this a blessing in disguise, something worth celebrating?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Shan suddenly understood and thought it made perfect sense. She nodded repeatedly, "That's right, it's definitely something to be happy about."

Yun Dai laughed too, overjoyed, and said, "I knew the Imperial Concubine would understand me."

"It's just a pity that your wish was not fulfilled, and you were unable to marry the Crown Prince," Wen Shan sighed.

Yun Dai's free and easy personality would be quite interesting if she married the Crown Prince and stayed in the palace. However, after thinking about it, she realized that the Crown Prince had little chance of ascending the throne, so she thought it would be good for Yun Dai to marry back to Mongolia. The vast sky and the sea were where she could find true freedom.

Yun Dai didn't seem to have any regrets: "Life is not always as you wish. I've tried, so there's nothing to regret."

"It's not bad now, a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. If I had really married the Crown Prince, I'm afraid my life would have been very difficult. Didn't you see that the Crown Prince even sent people to assassinate me, intending to get rid of me as soon as possible?"

Yun Dai still smiled when she talked about it, as if she wasn't the one who had just walked through the gates of hell.

"Do you really think the Crown Prince did it?" Wen Shan asked curiously.

Yun Dai didn't care: "Is there any difference? Isn't the Crown Prince's attitude towards me obvious? If someone really used the Crown Prince's hand, I can't care about that anymore. I guess I made the wrong bet and there's nothing to argue about."

“Sometimes it’s good to be a little confused.” Yun Dai looked at Wen Shan and said, “Your Majesty, you are the same. Sometimes it’s better to be a little confused.”

Wen Shan was genuinely confused: "Why do I feel like there's something hidden in your words?"

Yun Dai smiled mysteriously: "I'll keep you in suspense for a bit, you can find it yourself."

Wen Shan left Yuhua Pavilion in a daze and asked Pearl and Amber, "Did you understand what the princess meant?"

Amber smiled and said, "The princess said it's good to be confused sometimes. I think you shouldn't worry about it. Anyway, with several princes in our Xianfu Palace, nothing will happen."

Wenshan thought about it and agreed; if she couldn't figure it out anyway, she might as well save herself the trouble.

...

Yinzhen and Yinsi left the palace today and went to a villa outside the palace.

This time, Emperor Kangxi sent Yinzhen to inspect a county in the suburbs of Beijing that had been hit by floods. He also specially asked Yinsi to accompany him. After finishing their business, the two of them went to visit a villa in Beijing since it was still early.

“Father has been having me and Fourth Brother work together lately. The meaning behind this couldn’t be clearer, right?” Yinzhi and Yinzhen rode their horses through the street, chatting as they went.

Kangxi now favors Yinzhen. Although it is unknown how much favor he has, it at least means that Kangxi does not fully support the crown prince. If the crown prince proves to be incompetent one day, then Yinzhen will be Kangxi's new crown prince.

"But it's hard to say whether it's just a ruse by Father Emperor," Yinzhen said.

It's hard to say whether such a large-scale event is worthwhile.

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it. What's there to be afraid of?" Yinzhi smiled.

Yinzhen smiled and stopped worrying about these things.

"I heard that Dai Zi and his team have made progress with their muskets. We should go and take a good look at this thing that is said to be unparalleled in power."

Wen Shan had naturally told them about the importance of gunpowder. Gunpowder was already being used in warfare, and there were even dedicated firearms battalions in the military. However, the technology was still imperfect and prone to causing heavy casualties to both sides. In addition, it wasn't given enough importance, so cold weapon warfare still dominated.

Ever since Wen Shan told them about the true power of gunpowder, they have been paying extra attention to it. Now, the most enthusiastic research topics in the villa are gunpowder and steam engines.

When the matter was brought up, Yinzhi was also very interested: "The people below sent word that Dai Zi made a kind of firearm that can fire twenty or thirty shots in a row, and it is extremely powerful."

"It's a pity that such a talented person was almost exiled," Yinzhen sighed.

Dai Zi was a firearms expert who had invented many powerful firearms. Emperor Kangxi had even summoned him for a special audience. However, Kangxi was not very enthusiastic about firearms and did not pay much attention to him afterward. He then assigned Dai Zi to work at the Firearms Bureau. As a result, after only a few years, Dai Zi offended someone and was falsely accused of several crimes, and was about to be exiled to Ningguta.

After learning about this person from Wen Shan, Yinzhen and the others paid close attention to him. Yinsi used some tricks to change the situation so that he was dismissed from his post and expelled from the palace, and then recruited the person.

“Master Dai is well past forty and in poor health. If he were really exiled to Ningguta, he probably wouldn’t last long. Our Qing Dynasty would have almost lost such a talented person.”

As the two brothers were reminiscing, Yinzhi suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and then pulled on the horse.

Yinzhen also stopped and asked him what was wrong.

"It's really strange, how come I always run into your trusted ministers on the street, Fourth Brother?" Yinzhi said.

Yinzhen: ?

He looked around and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

Yinzhi raised his riding whip and pointed it at a boy buying pastries in front of a fruit shop.

He was accompanied by two attendants, whose attire suggested he was a young master from a wealthy family.

"What is this?" Yinzhen asked, frowning.

"Ortai was the son of Orbai, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy."

Yinzhen pondered for a moment: "Is it that Obai from the Xilin Gioro family?"

Yinzhi nodded.

They weren't very familiar with Ebai, but they had heard that during his tenure as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, he was known for his incorruptible administration and for the benefit of many students.

“Obai is upright and honest, and he does not befriend anyone. A few years ago, I tried to associate with him but failed.” Although Yinzhi said this, his tone was full of praise.

Yinzhen: "Then it seems that the family has a strict tradition."

“Obai was very strict in managing the household and educating his sons, especially in his studies. He was even more strict than our father was in supervising us. This Ortai passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty, and even Li Guangdi admired him.”

Yinzhi looked at Ortai, who was buying things in front of the stall with a serious expression, and stroked his chin, saying, "So Ortai has always had such a stern face since he was a child. He is indeed boring. He is a bit like you, Fourth Brother."

"..."

"Stop looking, let's go." Yinzhen reined in the horses and prepared to turn around.

Yinzhi called out to him, "We've already bumped into each other, aren't we going to say a few words?"

"If he is truly talented, we will meet again someday, so let's not disturb him." Yinzhen rode back, and Yinsi hurried to catch up.

On the way to the villa, the two talked about Ortai. The more Yinzhen listened, the more satisfied he became with the man. The upright and fearless Chunchen was always particularly to his liking.

"Ortai served as an official in the Censorate for many years. No matter how many members of the royal family tried to coerce or bribe him, he remained unmoved and always upheld the law impartially. Once, even the Tenth Prince's retainers were not given any leniency by him." Yinzhi found the situation somewhat amusing when he recalled it.

"You know how bad-tempered the tenth brother is, even now that he's grown up. Back then, he led dozens of men to the Imperial Household Department to beat them up and teach Ortai a lesson."

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen immediately straightened his face: "This is utter nonsense! A prince assaulting a court official, and the reason given is that this official is honest and does not accept bribes!"

Yinzhi laughed heartily and joked, "I knew this person would definitely be at odds with your temper, Fourth Brother. You used to never easily make friends with officials, and you even sent someone to invite Ortai to your residence for a chat, but Ortai refused and even gave you a message saying something like, 'A prince should cultivate virtue and talent, and should not make friends with outside officials.'"

"..." Yinzhen looked up at him, "You remember it so clearly back then, you must have laughed at me a lot because of this, right?"

"..."

Well, the usually cold and ruthless Fourth Brother finally stopped being a lone minister and wanted to make friends with a minister, but he ended up picking a rock harder than himself and getting hurt. For him at that time, it was certainly something to laugh about.

Yinzhi scratched his head and changed the subject: "Fourth Brother, how could I possibly laugh at you for what you said? Let's talk about the Tenth Prince instead. Guess how Ortai handled this matter?"

Yinzhen was too lazy to pursue the past, so he let Yinsi brush it off. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Given the tenth prince's temper, he might really beat him up."

"That's how it should have been. Father Emperor would have just punished the Eleventh Prince again, but who would have thought that Ortai would immediately pull out a dagger and hand it to the Tenth Prince, saying that unless the Eleventh Prince kills him with this dagger today, he would close the case as before."

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen's opinion of the young man rose to a new level, and he nodded, saying, "Indeed, he is an upright official."

"Even if the Tenth Prince was incredibly audacious, he wouldn't dare to kill a high-ranking official in the Imperial Household Department. In the end, he could only leave in disgrace." Yinzhi still found it amusing to recall how the Tenth Prince had come to him for help, looking so pitiful.

When has this little tyrant Lao Shi ever suffered such injustice?

After hearing this little incident, Yinzhen suddenly confronted Yinsi: "Didn't the Tenth Prince go to you, his good Eighth Brother, for justice after suffering this loss? Back then, he also did quite a few disorderly things while cleaning up the messes left by the Ninth and Tenth Princes, didn't he?"

"..."

Yinzhen looked over with a cool gaze, and Yinsi coughed a few times, unsure of where to begin.

To say whether he did it or not, he definitely did. It wasn't just for the ninth and tenth princes; some court officials would come to him for help, and he had to help them in order to win people's hearts. Looking back now, it was indeed a case of improper conduct.

Yinzhen didn't intend to pursue the matter with Yinsi. Seeing his dejected appearance, he felt a little sorry for him and softened his tone, saying, "I was just teasing you casually. Didn't we already agree not to dwell on the past?"

"Fourth Brother broke his vow today, so I'll treat you to dinner later, okay?"

Yinzhi originally intended to feign pitifulness to coax his fourth brother, a trick that had always worked since childhood. So he went along with it and insisted on going to the most expensive restaurant in the capital, Zuixianju.

The two talked for a short while before arriving at the villa.

I had already informed them beforehand, and Steward Wang from the villa was already waiting at the door.

"Greetings to Fourth Master! Greetings to Eighth Master!"

Yinzhen and Yinsi dismounted, and servants immediately led the horses away to feed them.

"How are the preparations going?" Yinzhi asked.

"Don't worry, gentlemen. Master Dai has been prepared for a long time and is just waiting for you to arrive!"

The two were led by Steward Wang into a courtyard where a dozen people were gathered around a musket.

Upon seeing Yinzhen and Yinsi enter, they all greeted them.

"Get up, no need for formalities," said Yinzhen.

Yinzhi stepped forward and examined the weapon, then looked at Dai Zi: "Is this the musket that can fire dozens of rounds in a row?"

Dai Zi's face also showed undisguised joy: "Reporting to Eighth Master, it has now been improved to the point that it can fire thirty-two rounds in a row."

It's true that no boy doesn't love guns, and Yinzhi rubbed his hands together, saying he would give it a try first.

There was a special place in the courtyard to test the gun. After Yinzhi tried it out himself, he found that the musket was indeed as described. Not only could it fire in rapid succession, but its power was also much greater.

If the thirteenth prince were here, he would definitely love it.

"That's quite a bit of force; my arm is numb." Yinzhi shook his arm and asked Yinzhen if he wanted to try it.

Yinzhen wasn't very interested in getting started, but instead inquired about the cost and whether it could be mass-produced.

Dai Zi replied, "Please rest assured, Fourth Master, I have already drawn up the blueprints when I invited you two over, and the firearms battalion can make them."

Yinzhen nodded and touched the musket, feeling great. With this thing and a steam engine, they would be invincible.

Yinzhen was pleased and wanted to reward Dai Zi, but he couldn't think of anything to give this craftsman who was so engrossed in his research. So he asked him what he wanted.

Dai Zi said, "Fourth Master and Eighth Master saved my life and gave me this opportunity to continue researching gunpowder. I am already extremely grateful to have someone take care of my daily life. I dare not ask for anything more."

These craftsmen lived very comfortably in this courtyard. They received a monthly allowance to supplement their household income, their daily lives were carefully arranged, and there were no restrictions on their movements. They were simply instructed to keep a low profile and not to talk about what was here.

These people were carefully selected; not only are they skilled craftsmen, but they also have excellent character. Most of them are dedicated to their research and are very cooperative.

"If the servants do anything inappropriate, Master Dai, please just tell us." Yinzhi glanced at Steward Wang who was following beside him. "Are there any servants who are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant?"

Steward Wang broke out in a cold sweat: "Don't worry, Eighth Master, I'm keeping an eye on things. No one will dare to neglect the masters."

"That's good. The masters are distinguished guests whom my fourth brother and I have gone to great lengths to invite. We usually fulfill any of their needs, and if they run out of money, we just send someone to get more."

Steward Wang quickly replied, "That's enough, that's enough. If it's not enough, I will report back immediately."

Having spent a few years in the palace, Master Dai had improved his social skills. Seeing this, he said, "Steward Wang and those who take care of our daily lives are doing their best without any neglect. Please rest assured, Your Highnesses."

Yinzhen nodded, and Yinsi waved for Steward Wang to leave.

"Master Dai has rendered such a great service, your fourth brother and I must reward you in some way, otherwise we would feel uneasy." Yinzhi's eyes darted around, and he said with a smile, "We heard that Master Dai has a daughter who is of marriageable age. If Master Dai is comfortable with that, how about I act as a matchmaker for her?"

Dai Zi's eyes lit up when he heard this. He only had this one daughter in his life. Although she was said to be of marriageable age, she was actually twenty-three years old this year. Because she had been tinkering with gunpowder with him, no one dared to marry her, which delayed her marriage. Miss Dai did not dwell on such mundane matters and just kept saying that it was up to fate. Originally, Dai Zi had planned for his daughter to never marry, but he still couldn't help thinking that if he passed away, his daughter would have no one to take care of her. Now that the Eighth Prince was willing to act as matchmaker, it was naturally a good thing.

"I wonder which suitable person the Eighth Prince is referring to?"

Yinzhi smiled and said, "It is Tian Wenjing, the current prefect of Henan. He has just turned thirty. His wife passed away from illness a year ago, leaving no children. My fourth brother and I have been thinking of arranging a marriage for him."