Chapter 25 Yi Xiu Gains Power

With the imperial decree issued, everything has settled.

Yinzhen stayed peacefully in the Prince's residence, maintaining his public persona. He copied scriptures for Emperor Kangxi to pray for blessings while also preparing a simple wedding for Yixiu, completely ignoring the outside world's disturbances.

The bridal chamber, filled with a festive atmosphere, was adorned with bright red silk ribbons.

Yixiu, dressed in a magnificent wedding gown, sat gracefully on the carved bed, her head covered with an exquisite veil, quietly awaiting Yinzhen's arrival, her heart filled with both anticipation and nervousness.

At this moment, Yixiu's mind was filled with memories of her time with Yinzhen. She knew that this moment would be the most important moment of her life; she would truly become Yinzhen's wife, and no longer just a concubine.

Time ticked by, and Yixiu's heart grew increasingly tense. She gently stroked the bridal veil in her hand, savoring the joy and happiness within.

Finally, footsteps sounded outside the door, and Yixiu knew that the person she had been waiting for was about to arrive.

When Yinzhen pushed open the door, Yixiu's heart suddenly raced. She could feel his gaze on her, a warm and affectionate look that made her feel incredibly safe. Yinzhen slowly walked to the bedside and sat down, gently lifting Yixiu's veil.

Yixiu raised her head and met Yinzhen's gaze.

At that moment, they had only each other in their eyes, as if the whole world had stopped turning. Their gazes met, conveying endless love and promise.

"Your Highness..."

"Xiao Yi, due to the special circumstances, we can only give you a simple wedding..."

"No, as long as I can become Prince's wife, I am already very satisfied." Yi Xiu looked at the man in front of her who had truly fulfilled his promise, her heart filled with emotion.

She didn't care about any ceremony or how grand the wedding was; she only cared about Yinzhen's heart. As long as Yinzhen had her in his heart, that was enough.

"May we be like this bracelet, meeting day and night." Yixiu raised her hand, revealing the jade bracelet that Yinzhen had given her before, and looked at Yinzhen with affection in her eyes.

"I wish we could be like this, meeting day and night." Yinzhen grasped her hand and replied with a gentle smile.

That night, the two slept soundly together, nestled in each other's arms by the light of red candles, but one of them silently shed tears, unable to sleep.

...

"The Princess Consort has arrived!"

"Greetings to the Princess Consort."

Amidst a chorus of sweet greetings from women, Yixiu, dressed in a magnificent bright red qipao, took her seat in the main seat.

"Please have a seat, ladies."

"Xie Fujin".

There were only a handful of people in the Fourth Prince's mansion. Qi Yuebin and Song Wan'er, the two princesses, sat on either side of the seats. Below Qi Yuebin were her concubines Mei Qiyue and Yuan Yuxiu, and below Song Wan'er sat her concubine Liu Qingxue.

When they first paid their respects to the Princess Consort, everyone arrived neatly and dressed appropriately, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. After all, even if they felt a pang of jealousy, they had to admit how much the Prince favored Yixiu, that she had been granted the position of Princess Consort by requesting the Emperor's decree.

"This is my first time meeting you all in the main courtyard, so please don't stand on ceremony. Jianqiu, bring out the gifts you've prepared." Yixiu sat at the head of the table, her face radiant, her eyes smiling, and she gave the order in a soft voice.

"Yes," Jianqiu replied, leading a group of maids forward to present the same gifts to everyone. The two princesses received almost identical sets of jade ornaments. However, Qi Yuebin received a lotus-patterned one, while Song Wan'er received a peach-patterned one. The three concubines received fabrics of different patterns, all matching their respective styles.

Regardless of what they were thinking, upon seeing such a well-deserved gift, everyone quickly rose to bow and express their gratitude.

"Sisters, there's no need for formalities. Just do what you like."

"Thank you for the gift, Madam. It is exactly the color I like." Liu Qingxue bowed again and was the first to step forward. Her tone was slightly obsequious, which made the others glance at her.

Seeing this, Yixiu's satisfied smile deepened, and she said gently, "I'm glad you like it. There aren't many matters to attend to at the manor, so my sisters don't need to come to pay their respects every day. I've discussed it with the Prince, and we've agreed that you can come once every five or ten days."

At this moment, Yixiu had the favor of Yinzhen and had successfully become the principal wife, so she was full of confidence. Naturally, she did not need to rely on paying respects to show her authority. Similarly, she did not want to see Yinzhen's other women every day, so she simply reduced the number of days she paid respects to him, and five or six times a month would be enough.

"Yes, it's truly the Fujin's magnanimity and kindness." Liu Qingxue was the first to speak up, not caring about others' opinions. The recent neglect had made her realize that she needed a powerful backer in the inner court. And in her eyes, the Fujin was the best backer.

"Alright, that's enough for today. I won't keep you any longer. Jianqiu, go see them off."

"Yes, this humble servant takes her leave."

Yixiu had already served tea to the guests, so the group obediently got up and left. However, Liu Qingxue hesitated and walked at the back, not daring to pay her respects to Yixiu directly. She only pulled Jianqiu to express her intention to "pay her respects."

Having been pregnant for a long time, Yixiu felt quite tired after only meeting a few people. She sat in the inner room, where Ran Dong helped her remove the ornaments from her head.

After seeing the group off, Jianqiu returned and stood behind Yixiu, gently massaging her temples.

"How is it?" Yi Xiu asked casually about Jian Qiu's condition without opening her eyes.

"I noticed that the ladies and concubines were all quite respectful, but Liu Shi pulled me aside at the end and slipped me a purse, asking me to put in a good word for her. It seems she's trying to curry favor with the Fujin (principal wife)," Jianqiu reported gently, recounting her observations while seeing them off.

"The Liu family?"

Yixiu opened her eyes, got up, and was helped to change her clothes by Jianqiu and Randong.

“Yes, Liu was originally a maid in the front courtyard who served writing materials. She had no background and was sent to the back courtyard, where she fell out of favor. Her life must not be easy. Would you like to take her in, Your Highness?” Jianqiu explained Liu Qingxue’s background carefully while helping her change her clothes.

"No rush. As long as these women in the backyard behave themselves, I won't mistreat them." Yi Xiu, brimming with confidence, had no shortage of subordinates at the moment.

"Yes, the Prince only has his wife in his heart, and those people in the backyard can't cause any trouble."

"What nonsense are you talking about..." Yixiu scolded playfully, but in reality, she was extremely pleased. The couple was getting along well, and the prince in her belly was about to be born. Yixiu couldn't be more satisfied with these days.

...

After the simple wedding, Yinzhen spent three more nights in the main courtyard before returning to the front courtyard to rest. He then spent seven consecutive days in his study copying scriptures.

"Your Highness, please rest and have some tea." Su Peisheng brought over a cup of warm tea, looking at Yinzhen, who was still diligently writing, with some concern.

"Alright, I'll finish copying this one." Putting down his pen, Yinzhen stretched his fingers and took a sip of tea from Su Peisheng's hand. A thick stack of copied scriptures was already on the table, including the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra, the Infinite Life Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, and so on. Yinzhen had copied all the scriptures that could be used to pray for the elders.

"Would you like to have a meal, sir? I will instruct them to serve the meal."

"We will not dine in the front courtyard today, but will go to... Qinghezhai."

Su Peisheng asked his usual question, but to his surprise, Yinzhen's answer was different from what he expected. Realizing what was happening, Su Peisheng breathed a sigh of relief; the Prince was finally going to the inner courtyard.

But Qinghezhai? Is Your Highness thinking of Princess Qi?