Chapter 74 Wen Shan and Yin Si Yin Xiang used…

Not long after Wen Shan and Yin Si and Yin Xiang finished their dinner, Yin Zhen returned.

"Fourth Brother, how is it?" Yinxiang asked impatiently.

As the weather grew warmer, Pearl brought over a bowl of cool tea. Yinzhen took it and drank it all in one gulp. He then wiped his hands with a handkerchief before saying, "Wang Chongyu and Dai Zi have already been left in the palace by Father. The Ministry of Works and the Firearms Battalion have also entered the palace overnight."

Steelmaking and firearms were both of great national importance, and Emperor Kangxi, being astute as he was, naturally attached great importance to them.

As for the steam engine, they kept it a secret and didn't reveal it too early.

Yinzhi sat cross-legged on the couch, propping his chin up, and asked, "Did Father Emperor bestow anything upon Ma Qi?"

Yinzhen smiled and then shook his head.

Yinxiang's eyes darted around as he followed their train of thought, and he smiled and said that would be the best of both worlds.

Of the entire room, only Wen Shan was completely bewildered, pressing for an explanation as to why not rewarding Ma Qi was a good thing.

Logically speaking, although the steelmaking method was developed by the retainers of Yinzhen, according to Yinzhen and Ma Qi's statements, Ma Qi handled all the affairs outside the palace and reported back to Kangxi, so he should naturally be rewarded.

Yinzhi smiled and said, "Mother, if Father Emperor rewards Ma Qi, it will clearly distinguish Ma Qi from Fourth Brother. Merit will be rewarded and the money will be exchanged."

As the person in charge, it was clear that Emperor Kangxi did not intend to reward Yinzhen. If he did not reward Yinzhen but instead rewarded Ma Qi, it would be more of a warning to Ma Qi to stay away from the princes' affairs than a reward.

Not rewarding him would be tantamount to tacitly approving Yinzhen's private dealings with Ma Qi.

After listening, Wen Shan felt that the intricacies of court politics were indeed much more complicated than those of the inner palace. Since Yinzhen and Yinsi wouldn't suffer losses in these matters, Wen Shan didn't press the issue further. Instead, she brought up another matter.

"Consort Niohuru fell ill yesterday, saying it was because of the Niohuru clan's matter that she was so anxious and upset." Wen Shan sighed and said, "I only just realized Consort Niohuru was ill after I did some calculations, and it seems that it really is..."

Consort Niohuru passed away this year in her previous life, but since she was always in good health and had a strong voice, Wen Shan had forgotten about it for a while.

“Was it like this before?” Wenshan asked.

Yinzhi nodded: "When Aling'a was dismissed, the Niohuru family was in its most turbulent time. Ebilun's choice of Aling'a as the next head of the Niohuru clan was not simply out of favoritism towards his youngest son. Although Aling'a is not particularly smart, he is still much better than his older brothers."

Especially Niohuru Consort's younger brother, Faka, was only suitable to be a wealthy idler; he was far too inadequate to shoulder the responsibility of leading the Niohuru clan.

Yinxiang put his hands behind his head and leaned back, saying, "If Consort Niohuru were a little stupid, it wouldn't matter. But Consort Niohuru isn't stupid. After that moment of impulse passed, she realized that bringing down Aling'a was actually bringing down the Niohuru clan."

Such infighting within a family should have been suppressed as much as possible to avoid becoming a public scandal, otherwise it would only damage the foundation of the Niohuru family. However, Consort Niohuru acted impulsively and did not reconsider. It was only after the Niohuru family began to encounter some troubles that Consort Niohuru regretted her actions.

“It seems that Consort Niohuru’s legs have been in bad shape ever since she was forced to kneel all night on New Year’s Eve.” Wen Shan frowned and said, “Consort Tong is also often provoking her, so Consort Niohuru has had a tough six months.”

Under these multiple pressures, Consort Niohuru fell ill. Moreover, the illness came on suddenly and violently. The imperial physicians said it was due to emotional distress and the flare-up of an old leg ailment, making the situation difficult to treat.

When the Empress Dowager learned of this, she personally prayed for Consort Niohuru before the Buddha many times.

When Wen Shan went there, the Empress Dowager often asked about the recent situation of Consort Niohuru.

"Amitabha, this is indeed my fault." The Empress Dowager was also somewhat uneasy. "I was angry that day and did not expect that Consort Niohuru would fall ill."

"Your Majesty, you didn't mean it that way. Besides, you sent quite a few things over, so I'm sure Consort Niohuru understands your intentions," Aunt Heyu advised.

Indeed, the Empress Dowager cannot be blamed for this; it was all a series of twists and turns and a series of unfortunate events.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was still worried, Wen Shan said, "If Your Majesty is still concerned, why don't I accompany you to Yongshou Palace to see Consort Niohuru?"

"It's not necessary," the Empress Dowager sighed. "If I were to actually see you, I would be filled with anxiety and unease."

In recent years, the Empress Dowager has become increasingly convinced of the Buddhist concept of karma and reincarnation, and is particularly concerned about things that might damage her good karma.

In the end, Wen Shan, entrusted by the Empress Dowager, brought a bunch of rare medicinal herbs to Yongshou Palace.

Wen Shan felt a little dazed as soon as she stepped into Yongshou Palace. It was as if she had returned to Chengqian Palace when Empress Tongjia was seriously ill. The palace servants who came and went had their heads down and were in a hurry. The smell of medicine wafted out of the palace.

Consort Niohuru's personal maid led Wen Shan into the inner palace, where the smell of medicine was stronger and the curtains were drawn, making it somewhat dim.

Consort Niohuru, dressed in her nightgown, was helped to sit up by a palace maid. Seeing Wen Shan enter, she weakly said, "Sister has arrived."

Wen Shan felt a pang of sadness looking at Consort Niohuru's appearance. After all, the two had spent more than ten years together in the palace. Their relationship was neither close nor hostile. Moreover, when Consort Niohuru gave birth to the Tenth Prince, the two of them had a brief but intimate friendship with Consort Yi.

Wen Shan knew that Consort Niohuru was not a malicious person; it was just that the burden she carried was too heavy and finally dragged her down.

Wen Shan visited Consort Niohuru when she first fell ill. At that time, Consort Niohuru was in relatively good condition, but she looked a little weak and could not get out of bed due to a leg injury.

I never expected it to get so serious in just over ten days.

"The Empress Dowager sent me to see her, and she brought quite a few things with her." Wen Shan stepped forward and sat down beside Consort Niohuru's bed, while Pearl and Amber carried the things the Empress Dowager had sent from behind.

Consort Niohuru glanced at it, forced a smile, and said, "The Empress Dowager sent a lot of things over the past few days. Sister, please also comfort the Empress Dowager. My illness has nothing to do with the Empress Dowager."

Wen Shan tucked the blanket around her and asked softly, "What did the imperial physician say? Did he specify what medicine to take?"

“A mental illness requires a mental cure.” Consort Niohuru looked up at the bed curtains, looking rather disheartened. “I know what I’m doing. Even for Yin’e’s sake, I will hold on for a while longer.”

"Yes," Wen Shan could only force a smile, "You haven't seen the Tenth Prince get married and have children yet?"

Consort Niohuru held Wen Shan's hand and coughed twice, saying, "My illness came on suddenly and I haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet. I heard that the Fourth Prince has made great contributions and that His Majesty has allowed him to enter the court ahead of schedule."

Normally, princes enter the court after their wedding, with the crown prince being an exception, but now Yinzhen has become that exception as well.

The third prince, who preceded Yinzhen, was still studying in the Imperial Study, while Yinzhen's early entry into the court was clearly due to the astonishing things done by the powerful figures he kept in the capital's gardens.

Sometimes, when Yinzhen and the others chatted, they would lament that Wenshan had told them about the future, otherwise they wouldn't have been so interested in these things and actually carried them out.

This also allowed them to gain a foothold in the imperial court more quickly.

Wen Shan knew that Yinzhen was becoming increasingly favored these days, just by looking at how the concubines in the harem started sending her gifts from time to time again.

“Sister Xuan, we have been together in the palace for many years.” Consort Niohuru held Wen Shan’s hand tightly and pleaded, “If, if anything happens to me, I will have to ask you to take care of Yin’e.”

“The Tenth Prince and Yinzhi are already on good terms, so don’t worry,” Wen Shan comforted her. “The Tenth Prince is all grown up now, so you don’t need to worry.”

The reason why Consort Niohuru can be somewhat at ease now is that Yinzhi has always doted on the Tenth Prince. No matter whether the Fourth Prince or the Eighth Prince ascends the throne in the future, as long as Wenshan is there, there will never be a fight between the brothers. As long as Yinzhi is alive, he can protect the Tenth Prince to some extent.

As for the possibility of the Crown Prince ascending the throne... in Consort Niohuru's mind, she already felt that the possibility of the Crown Prince ascending the throne was extremely slim.

Over the years, Emperor Kangxi's attitude towards the Crown Prince has changed drastically.

Seeing that Consort Niohuru was not in good spirits, Wen Shan did not bother her for too long and left after sitting for a while.

As they came out, they happened to run into Physician Zhang, who was examining Consort Niohuru's pulse.

Consort Niohuru's illness came on suddenly and fiercely this time, and Emperor Kangxi personally appointed Physician Zhang, who was now the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, to take care of her.

Physician Zhang inquired after Wen Shan, who then asked about the current condition of Consort Niohuru.

"Although Consort Niohuru is somewhat uneasy, the most important thing is her leg ailment." Imperial Physician Zhang said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, you know that it was freezing cold and snowing on New Year's Eve. Consort Niohuru knelt all night in Baohua Palace, a place without even a brazier, which has already damaged her health. Once the cold wind enters her body, it will flare up."

The Empress Dowager was so angry that no one dared to go easy on Consort Niohuru. She knelt all night that day.

Wen Shan's eyes widened slightly; it really was because of the punishment of kneeling that night.

"But this matter involves the Empress Dowager, so it's not appropriate to reveal it aloud." Imperial Physician Zhang confided in Wen Shan, explaining that if the true cause of Consort Niohuru's illness were revealed, how would the Empress Dowager cope?

"Does Consort Niohuru know this herself?" Wen Shan asked after thinking for a moment.

Physician Zhang shook his head: "Your Majesty, I have only reported this to Your Majesty. Your Majesty has instructed that this matter not be disclosed to outsiders."

Wenshan nodded and told him to go inside quickly without saying anything more.

After leaving Yongshou Palace, Wenshan asked Zhenzhu, "Has the Emperor visited Consort Niohuru during her illness?"

“I’ve visited him a few times, but lately it seems the Emperor is busy with affairs of the court and doesn’t visit the inner palace much,” Pearl replied.

A few days later, Consort Niohuru's illness worsened. When Emperor Kangxi learned of this, he remained silent for a long time before restoring Aling'a to his original position as Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs.

This was naturally what Consort Niohuru pleaded with Emperor Kangxi when she was seriously ill.

She now understands that Niohuru will still have to rely on Aling'a in the future. She helped Aling'a only hoping that he would help the Tenth Prince a little in the future.

Kangxi naturally understood Consort Niohuru's thoughts. Aling'a'ben was not a heinous crime, and the Niohuru clan could not really fall. So Kangxi thought about it and agreed.

"If only you had known this would happen, why didn't you listen to me back then?"

Consort Niohuru is now clearly beyond saving, and Emperor Kangxi has been frank with her.

If Consort Niohuru had acted in accordance with Emperor Kangxi's wishes and stopped the infighting between Aling'a and Faka in time, then Emperor Kangxi would not have stood idly by when Consort Tong framed him on New Year's Eve.

Consort Niohuru had been in charge of palace affairs for many years, and if Emperor Kangxi wanted to protect the Empress Dowager, there was nothing he could do. Most likely, he would just reprimand her, and she wouldn't have to kneel in the Baohua Hall as punishment, so she wouldn't have fallen seriously ill.

Consort Niohuru leaned against the headboard and remained silent for a long time before finally saying something polite: "It is all my own fault."

Emperor Kangxi sat quietly for a while without saying anything more, only leaving the words "take good care of yourself" before departing.

This was almost a way of comforting Consort Niohuru on her deathbed.

In the end, Consort Niohuru passed away in late autumn. Emperor Kangxi posthumously honored her as Consort Wenxi. Her coffin was temporarily placed in the funeral palace outside Chaoyang Gate, and princes, ministers, and princesses were required to enter the palace to pay their respects.

The Tenth Prince fainted several times from crying. Yinzhi and the Ninth Prince stayed by his side every day, taking turns to bring him water and food. It wasn't until Consort Wenxi was buried in the Consort Mausoleum that the Tenth Prince was able to recover from the grief of his mother's death.

By this time, it had already transitioned from autumn to early summer of the following year.

"This year has really gone by."

When summer arrived, Emperor Kangxi took his concubines to Changchun Garden to escape the heat. Wen Shan was naturally among them. After arriving at Changchun Garden, Yinzhen, Yinsi, and Yinxiang were nowhere to be seen, so Wen Shan strolled around the garden with Pearl and a few others.

“Yes, summer is almost here again in the blink of an eye.” Pearl said, holding Wen Shan’s hand. “By autumn, the Thirteenth Prince should be moving into the Fifth Palace in Ganxi.”

Yinxiang had reached the age required, and before he came to Changchun Garden, Wenshan had already begun arranging for him to move to Ganxi Wusuo.

After the children moved to the Fifth Palace in Qianxi, Wenshan felt a little empty inside. Yinzhen and Yinsi were also getting busier and busier, running back and forth between the palace and outside most of the time.

After Consort Niohuru passed away, palace affairs were handed over to Wen Shan and Consort Tong. Consort Tong was not as domineering as Consort Niohuru, who did everything herself and did not allow Wen Shan to interfere. However, she was still quite assertive, but she did not dare to be too presumptuous because of the difference in rank between her and Wen Shan.

However, Wen Shan didn't care about any of that. Yin Si had long since taken a firm grip on all the big and small matters in the palace. Yin Si's idea was that Wen Shan could do whatever she wanted, whether she wanted to or not.

Wenshan is very satisfied with this early start in her life of living off her husband.

However, after Consort Niohuru left, the palace was still somewhat different with only Consort Wenshan left.

In addition, since Yinzhen was favored by Kangxi, Wenshan could clearly feel that the attitudes of the concubines in the harem towards her were different from before. In the past, Wenshan was considered a lucky charm in the harem, a wanderer in the Imperial Garden, and did not like to interact with people. The other concubines did not take this idle noble consort seriously. However, things are different now. It seems that Consort Xuan is the one who will have the last laugh.

Yinzhen and Yinsi returned to Wenshan's place in the scorching midday sun. Wenshan was taking a chilled watermelon out of the ice cellar and eating it with Yinxiang. Yinzhen and Yinsi wiped their sweat and sat down, each picking up a piece.

"Yin Si, your marriage is almost settled." Wen Shan said with a smile, "Yesterday I mentioned Guo Luo Luo Shi to your father, and he thought it was good. He also designated Ye He Na La Shi as your secondary consort, who seems to be Ming Zhu's niece."

Although she was Mingzhu's niece, the relationship wasn't very close. Wenshan sent someone to inquire and found out that she was the daughter of one of Mingzhu's cousins. In Kangxi's eyes, she was not quite qualified to be the primary consort, but a secondary consort would be just right.

Yinzhi nodded upon hearing this: "My marriage is not in a hurry, Mother. Fourth Brother is getting married soon. You should worry about him first."

The Imperial Observatory has already calculated the date for the marriage between Yinzhen and the Third Prince, which will be next spring, leaving only half a year to go.

Consort Rong has been busy with the Third Prince's wedding since the beginning of the year, while Wen Shan, with the help of Yin Si, is also making preparations step by step.

Yinzhen didn't seem to mind, saying, "These matters are handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department, so Mother, you don't need to worry too much."

"How can your mother not worry about your wedding? What are you saying?" Wen Shan glared at him.

Yinzhi and Yinxiang were both amused. Yinzhi even teased them, saying, "Others usually marry one primary wife and at most one secondary wife. Fourth Brother, you're marrying three at once, so you'll be even busier."

"..."

"It seems you've been too idle lately." Yinzhen looked up and said, "Hurry up and finish the watermelon, then come with me to the garden to see how the steam engine is coming along."

Yinzhi: "..."

Going to see this in this sweltering heat is just too much of a torture.

Yinzhi immediately whine to Wenshan that it was too hot and he didn't want to move. Wenshan poked his forehead and said, "Alright, let's rest first."

Yinzhen was also teasing him, saying that even if he really wanted to see it, he didn't need to go there in the middle of the day.

Yinxiang silently ate three or four slices of watermelon, almost finishing the whole thing. Luckily, Yinsi noticed and snatched the last two slices to share with Yinzhen.

"There's still some in the ice cellar, just send someone to get more. What's there to argue about?" Wen Shan watched with a wry smile as Yin Si and Yin Xiang were about to start arguing again.

Naturally, it's best to fight over these things to get the best taste. While Yinzhen and Yinxiang were arguing, Yinzhen quietly ate both pieces of watermelon.

Yinzhi, who turned his head to look, was speechless.

His heart was broken, and in the end, he was the only one who got hurt.

Wenshan quickly sent someone to fetch some more chilled fruit.

After making a fuss for a while, Yinzhi tossed his braid and asked again, "Mother, did Father Emperor mention the matter of building a palace to you?"

In the spring, the eldest prince had already moved out of the Qianxi Fifth Palace and officially opened his own residence in the capital, which also showed that he was now an adult prince.

Wen Shan shook her head: "I asked, and the Emperor said that Yinzhen is still young and there's no rush to see him again."

What's so interesting about this? Even after they get married, they won't be comfortable crammed into the five hamlets of Ganxi. I wonder what Kangxi is planning.

As it turned out, when Kangxi came over that evening, he happened to mention this matter to Wenshan.

"I've been thinking about it for a few days, but there aren't any suitable residences outside the palace for Yinzhen to live in, and it's a bit too late to build one quickly."

Wen Shan: "..."

It's not like Yinzhen only decided to get married today. Why didn't they start building it two years ago? Why did they have to wait until now?

Upon receiving Wen Shan's resentful look, Kangxi quickly took a sip of tea and continued, "It's a bit of a shame that Yinzhen, with only one primary consort and two secondary consorts, lives in the Qianxi Fifth Palace. So I'm thinking it would be better to renovate the Chonghua Palace and let Yinzhen move in with his family first."

Wen Shan frowned upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, this is against the rules."

It has always been the Crown Prince who lives in Yuqing Palace, while the other princes live in the Fifth Palace of Qianxi. Even the eldest prince lived in the Fifth Palace of Qianxi for more than two years after his wedding, along with his wife and concubine. It would be too conspicuous for Yinzhen to be given a palace directly.

There was a sense of rivalry between the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince.

"What's wrong with the rules? What I say is the rule." Kangxi said casually, "Yinzhen's wives are all of noble status. In order to appease the old ministers, they should be given some favors."

Wen Shan had nothing to say after hearing this. This person had obviously already prepared all the reasons. Kangxi's decision was unlikely to change. Wen Shan didn't understand these political matters and didn't dare to speak out. She could only tell Yinzhen and a few others about the news the next day.

The three princes, including Yinzhen, were also shocked upon hearing this. "Although I had some suspicions about Father Emperor's reluctance to mention establishing his own residence, I still didn't expect Father Emperor to actually do it," Yinsi said.

Yinxiang nodded vigorously to the side.

"How is the Crown Prince supposed to handle this? Given his temperament, he'd be driven mad with anxiety."

Yinzhen remained silent for a while before saying, "Since Father Emperor has this intention, we can only face the challenge head-on."

Retreat is absolutely not an option at this point.

Over the past two years, the Crown Prince had long regarded him as his primary rival, as had the First Prince. Regardless of whether Kangxi was genuinely or feigning in his support of Yinzhen, he was now caught in a difficult position.

Even so, Yinzhen still followed the path of a lone minister, and apart from Ma Qi, who was his father-in-law and with whom he had no choice but to have contact, he had little contact with other officials in the court.

After entering the court, Yinzhen continued to manage the Ministry of Revenue, and gradually the title of "Cold-Faced King" for his incorruptibility and impartiality spread.

So although Kangxi clearly favored Yinzhen more, Yinsi, who was adept at navigating social situations, was obviously more respected among the court officials. This sudden emergence of two younger brothers, the Crown Prince and the First Prince, each with their own support, really put Kangxi in a bind.

As expected, Emperor Kangxi acted swiftly and decisively. After informing Wen Shan, he officially issued an imperial decree a few days later, ordering the Imperial Household Department to prepare Chonghua Palace for the Fourth Prince to move in as soon as possible before the wedding.

Moreover, the imperial decree did not specify whether the residence was temporary or a permanent stay in the palace like that of the Crown Prince.

The conclusion reached by Yinzhen, Yinsi, and Yinxiang was that Kangxi would probably not allow Yinzhen to stay in the palace for long. He would most likely allow him to leave the palace and establish his own residence. This arrangement of two palaces would not be conducive to the stability of the court. However, no one could predict Kangxi's intentions, since allowing Yinzhen to stay temporarily was already a very unusual thing.

The crown prince was naturally the most alarmed and went straight to Suo'etu's residence to discuss countermeasures.

When Suo'etu learned of the news, his heart sank.

Now everyone knows that the Fourth Prince has a group of craftsmen under his command who have developed firearms and steelmaking techniques. These techniques have been implemented over the past year with very good results. These are all major events that benefit the country and the people, and the Fourth Prince has suddenly become more prominent than the Crown Prince.

Now the Emperor has allowed the Fourth Prince to stay in the palace after his wedding, and his treatment seems to be no different from that of the Crown Prince...

Even the seasoned veteran, Suo'etu, was somewhat shocked.

"Your Highness, the firearms and steelmaking methods have been implemented and are progressing very smoothly. In my opinion, Your Majesty will soon launch another campaign against Galdan."