Chapter 137 It's time to choose between fish and bear's paw again: The next day, Shen Wanqing entered the palace early in the morning. Yuqing Palace is located next to Qianqing Palace…

The next day, Shen Wanqing entered the palace early in the morning.

Yuqing Palace is located to the left of Qianqing Palace. For so many years, Shen Wanqing went in and out of the palace, always walking around in front of it. She had never actually been to the so-called inner palace or the imperial garden.

It wasn't until Shi Qionghua moved from Yuqing Palace to Yongshou Palace that Shen Wanqing stepped into this place where countless predecessors in the novel world had struggled and fought for the first time.

Shen Wanqing had already guessed what Shi Qionghua wanted to say to her, but before she could even sit down in Yongshou Palace and have a sip of tea, she heard outside that the Grand Princess Consort was requesting an audience.

Shen Wanqing subconsciously glanced in Shi Qionghua's direction. Shi Qionghua also frowned slightly and shook her head at Shen Wanqing, indicating that she had not received any news that the Grand Consort would be entering the palace today.

However, since everyone had already arrived, it was impossible to stop them from entering. Shen Wanqing, who had just sat down, had to get up and perform a series of formalities. Only after Irgen Gioro Shi sat down did she choose a lower seat to sit down.

"I came to the palace today to express my gratitude to the Empress. My third and fourth princesses were able to be betrothed in Mo Nan thanks entirely to the Empress's compassion and kindness. My health has deteriorated over the past two years. If my princesses can only rely on me, I don't know what kind of future they will have."

As the saying goes, "When people leave, tea grows cold," and once Kangxi passed away, the princes who had been emperors before him became outdated old emperors.

When the late emperor was alive, he was very suspicious in his later years. When his suspicion became so intense, everyone was also thinking fiercely that it would be better to support the crown prince to ascend the throne as soon as possible.

In the future, he could exchange his merit in supporting the emperor for a princely title, which would be better than living in constant fear under the old man's thumb, not knowing what he might do that would make the old man hold a grudge.

It wasn't until the late emperor actually passed away, and even after Yinzhi and the others actually became princes, that people realized the difference between sitting on the throne with their own father or their own brothers was enormous.

The first to be affected were the marriages of children in the various princely and noble families.

The eldest and second princesses of Prince Zhi's mansion got married while Emperor Kangxi was still alive; one married in the capital and the other went to the southern desert.

The eldest princess of Yinzhi's family was not only the eldest princess of his family, but also the first child born in Hongxi's generation. The late emperor hesitated only for a short while before leaving this granddaughter in the capital to marry into the Fucha family of Ma Qi.

The second princess married a Beile from the Khorchin tribe in southern Mongolia. Although it was a bit far, it was still in southern Mongolia. Both the Prince Zhi's mansion and Consort Hui were very satisfied with these two marriages.

However, after that, the Third Princess and the Fourth Princess said there was no time to make arrangements. Firstly, Emperor Kangxi didn't have the energy, and secondly, it was impossible for the Prince Zhi's family to have all the good things.

So many princesses from the palace have married into the northern deserts, why can't your daughter go? (Afterwards...)

Once Yinreng ascended the throne, Yinzhi, the former eldest prince, found himself in an even more awkward position, and naturally, his daughter's marriage prospects became even more uncertain.

Even though Yinzhi hasn't held any real official post in recent years, Yinreng didn't intend to do anything to his elder brother. However, back then, Mingzhu's faction and Prince Zhi inevitably ended up sitting on the sidelines.

Mingzhu, that old man, was shrewd. He took his family back to Shengjing long ago. He died in Shengjing six months before Kangxi passed away, quietly without causing a ripple. Naturally, no one would bother to dig up his family again, leaving only Yinzhi at the forefront.

Yinzhi didn't complain about this. Back then, he had the idea of ​​dethroning the Crown Prince and wanted to become emperor himself. Putting aside the fact that the late emperor used him as a whetstone, he still wanted to do it.

Now it's just a matter of being defeated; the victor is king and the loser is villain, there's nothing to complain about or be resentful about. If there really is resentment, think back to when you were the Grand Prince, in your glory days, you once made the Crown Prince so uncomfortable that he couldn't sit still and no matter how you reacted, then there's even less reason to be resentful.

However, while Prince Zhi could be so carefree, the First Princess Consort could not. She even felt that after two years, when Hongyu got married, the Emperor could arrange his marriage however he pleased, but she couldn't be careless about her two unmarried daughters.

At first, she went to Consort Hui to plead, but Consort Hui had already moved to Shou'an Palace. Back then, no matter what, she could still go to Qianqing Palace to find the Emperor if she had something to do. After all, the two had a son, so how could they really ignore him?

Who can she turn to now? The Emperor is Yinreng, and she is merely his stepmother. There is no Empress Dowager in the palace, and the Emperor is only being polite to these stepmothers by vacating Shou'an Palace and Ningshou Palace for the concubines left behind by the late Emperor.

Could she possibly go to Yinreng to plead for the princesses in her son's household, asking the Emperor to arrange satisfactory marriages for them? Even if she were willing to swallow her pride, she probably wouldn't be able to get that favor.

Although Consort Hui said so, the First Princess Consort couldn't really just ignore it, so she still went to the palace to see Consort Hui every few days.

Later, it was Prince Yong who heard about this and sent his wife to Prince Zhi's residence. Only then did the First Princess beg Shi Qionghua to come to her.

No wonder the First Princess Consort didn't expect it; it's just that there hasn't been an Empress in the palace for quite some time.

In the years before the Empress, the late Emperor himself had been in charge of bestowing marriages upon members of the imperial clan. Now that Yinreng has ascended the throne, everyone still subconsciously believes that this matter must wait for the Emperor to issue an imperial decree to bestow the marriage.

It wasn't until Ulanara pointed out that the Empress not only managed the affairs of the inner palace, but also presided over the inner court etiquette, presided over the silkworm-raising ceremony, raised the princes and princesses, and managed the affairs of the imperial family and female relatives.

The title "Empress of the Nation" implies more than just managing the concubines and maids in the harem. Arranging marriages for eligible members of the imperial family was also a matter that the Empress should be concerned with.

Only then did Lady Irgen Gioro realize that she had been placing the Bodhisattva incorrectly all along. The next day, she submitted a petition to the palace and pleaded with Shi Qionghua.

Shi Qionghua had been waiting for Irgen Gioro Shi for a long time. As soon as she opened her mouth, Shi Qionghua immediately took over all the responsibilities, which made Yinreng, who came after court, both amused and exasperated. He had no intention of taking away her job as empress. As long as she asked him for a word, he would still give it to her.

Yinreng's words certainly made sense from his perspective, but Shi Qionghua smiled and shook her head without refuting them. She simply said she would wait and see what kind of families she could choose for the two princesses of the Prince Zhi's family.

If she feels she has a good eye for choosing people, then this task will be handled by her, the Empress, from now on. If she feels she hasn't thought things through enough, then the Emperor, Yinreng, will have the final say.

After that, Shi Qionghua found Shen Wanqing, and the two of them spent nearly three months selecting suitable candidates from various tribes in southern and northern Mongolia, whose ages and family backgrounds were all appropriate.

Among these people, Shi Qionghua selected another group, both boys and girls, and compiled a list to give to Yinreng, hoping to bring these children of Mongolian princes to the capital.

It's not about taking hostages and keeping people in the capital forever. Rather, it's about letting them come to the capital to learn and get used to life for a few years. In the future, whether it's Mongolia sending daughters to the palace or the court bestowing marriages upon princesses or imperial daughters to Mongolia, the years spent living together in the same environment will make them more comfortable with each other.

Let's not even talk about perfect harmony; at the very least, after we're married, I'll see what you eat, and you'll hear about the things I like. We could find a theatrical troupe to perform, and everyone could chat about what the play is about—that would be perfect.

When the suggestion was made, Yinreng quickly agreed. Afterwards, the matter was brought to the court for discussion. The civil officials and censors who usually sided with the Crown Prince submitted memorials, saying that the marriage alliance was a matter of state and that the Empress should not interfere.

Meanwhile, the imperial clansmen and nobles who had been stripped of their titles by the late emperor and the current emperor were stubbornly convinced that this was the right thing to do. After all, those sent to Mongolia for marriage alliances were either princesses or daughters of imperial clansmen and noble families. Everyone loves their children. You scholars don't have to send your daughters to the northern deserts to eat sand, so of course you can talk without feeling the pain.

Shen Wanqing still remembered that after court that day, Yulang went home and imitated her so well that Shen Wanqing was amused. All that talk about classical Chinese and ancestral laws, in the end it all depends on who gets punished.

Yinreng was a patient man. He knew that the power in his hands was somewhat unbalanced. In previous years, in order to put the late emperor at ease, he avoided touching the imperial clan and meritorious officials as much as possible.

Now that he has ascended the throne, he really has no feelings for this group of people. Now, taking advantage of the matter raised by the Empress, he can make this group of people more stable and stop them from thinking of making trouble and singing a different tune at the drop of a hat.

Since the Mongol princes were sending their sons to the capital, even though the third and fourth princesses of the Prince Zhi's Mansion had reached the required age and were betrothed to a Beile of the Khalkha tribe and a Taiji of the Southern Mongolian region respectively, their wedding dates had been postponed to three years later.

“Sister-in-law, there’s really no need to say such discouraging things. Among all the sisters-in-law, you and I are the only ones who are about the same age. Right now, there’s also Jiyun, who is the same age as you, in this house. If you keep saying that your health is failing, then I’m afraid the two of us won’t be much better off.”

Shen Wanqing is thirty-nine years old this year, born in the eleventh month. The First Consort is also thirty-nine this year, only half a year older than Shen Wanqing, but she looks at least ten years older than Shen Wanqing.

Shen Wanqing usually felt quite young. Sometimes, when she accepted invitations from the wives of Prince Yong or several other princes, she would visit their homes. While drinking, watching operas, and chatting, she felt she could talk about anything and could blend into whatever they were saying without feeling anything was amiss.

Only when she encountered the First Princess Consort, a genuine woman of the same age, would Shen Wanqing feel a little disoriented. Am I already this age? No way?

“Jiyun is different from me. Ever since I first met her at Yuqing Palace, she has always been like this. She is energetic and decisive, and I don’t know where she gets all that energy. She can do anything well.”

"Your Majesty, you don't know, back then, whenever I went to Yanxi Palace to pay my respects to my mother, she would always bring up Jiyun, saying how come I wasn't as capable as her. At that time, I was young and impetuous, and hearing those words always made me feel uncomfortable."

"Looking back now, what she said made perfect sense. Otherwise, the common saying that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure would be true. My health might not hold up any day, and I wouldn't feel at ease without a mature elder in the family to keep me stable."

After much back and forth, Consort Hui and the Grand Princess Consort have finally revealed their true purpose for coming to the palace today.

Blood ties are the hardest to sever. Now that Prince Zhi has settled his daughters, it is only natural that it is his turn to take care of his mother.

During the three-year mourning period, the imperial concubines were moved to Ning Shou Palace and Shou An Palace. But this was not a long-term solution. After three years, the emperor would hold a selection of concubines, and when the harem became lively, how comfortable would these concubines be living in the palace?

Prince Zhi, Yin Zhi, had mentioned to his primary wife more than once that he wanted to ask the Emperor for permission to bring the Dowager Consort out of the palace to live out her old age, but he had been suppressed by Lady Irgen Gioro.

The Emperor is only thirty-seven this year. Except for Yinzhi, who is close in age to the Emperor and Prince Zhi, everyone else is quite a bit older than the fourth prince.

Prince Yong is almost five years younger than the Emperor, and even younger in later years. The eighth prince, who never had the chance to become a virtuous prince, is only thirty years old this year.

After the late emperor passed away, Yulang and Yinzhen were extremely busy. Even Prince Cheng was thrown into the Ministry of Rites to argue with those old men about etiquette and manners every day. There was a real shortage of people, so Yinsi was naturally chosen and placed in the Imperial Household Department to take charge of its affairs.

The course of history has gone astray. Consort Liang, of the Wei clan, is still only Consort Liang Tai, and her birth and status are not considered high among the concubines left behind by the late emperor.

Therefore, Yinzhi was putting in his best effort in his duties, because the late emperor was dead, and Consort Liang's only hope for a better life was to gain status through her son. Only if Yinzhi gained the emperor's favor and attention could Consort Liang's treatment improve.

Therefore, these imperial concubines were less about enjoying their retirement in the palace and more about being a liability to Yinreng. Whatever you princes and nobles do outside the palace, you should think twice about what your elderly mothers still do in the palace can do.

"I've been your sister-in-law for nearly twenty years, why do you have to beat around the bush? You and Prince Zhi want to take Consort Hui out of the palace to live with you, am I right?"

"His Majesty mentioned this to me a long time ago. There is less than a year left of the three-year mourning period. Logically speaking, after the mourning period is over, you should be allowed to bring your mother out of the palace. Your son has been living in the palace and establishing his own residence for so many years, and your mother has never even been to see what your son's residence looks like. How can this be allowed?"

"However, this matter cannot be decided in one stroke. The mothers of the Fifteenth Prince and the others are still young, and they are not yet at the age to leave the palace and establish their own residences. If we were to let those with sons take their mothers out of the palace to take care of them now, it would probably not be appropriate."

Shi Qionghua actually couldn't wait for these concubines with sons to leave the palace, otherwise she would have to keep an eye on them every day.

If she falls ill, the imperial physician must be summoned; if she doesn't eat well, the cause must be found out; and the fabrics, clothing, and daily necessities for all four seasons must be perfect, otherwise, in the eyes of the princes and nobles outside the palace, it will all seem like the old lady is being mistreated in the palace.

But that won't work. Even if we could get these princes and nobles to take the concubines and consorts out to stay for a while, we couldn't just abandon them like that.

"Besides, my sister-in-law underestimates Prince Zhi. The Dzungar Khanate is stirring up trouble. The Emperor mentioned to me last time that he didn't know who to put in charge of affairs there."

“Prince Zhi is in his prime, and I’ve heard that he has never neglected his skills in riding and archery. If war breaks out, even if there are capable generals in the court, we will probably still need a member of our own family who can keep the situation under control. Don’t you think that makes sense, sister-in-law?”

The faction that supported Prince Yinzhi has either been dismissed or defected, and has long since vanished. The only one who can be relied upon is Prince Zhi himself. If it really comes to fighting the Dzungars in the future, there is truly no one else in the imperial clan who can be relied upon but Prince Yinzhi.

If you're going to leave the capital to lead troops, how can I just let Consort Hui leave the palace like that? Don't even mention Consort Hui; apart from your two daughters who married into the southern and northern deserts, no one else in your family should be allowed to move freely.

Lady Irgen Gioro understood the Empress's meaning, and for a moment she couldn't tell whether she was happy or sad, so her smile seemed somewhat strange. As for the matter of Consort Hui, it was naturally not mentioned again.

The First Princess Consort didn't get what she wanted, but she did receive a pie in the sky promised to her by the Empress. After she got up and left, Shen Wanqing composed herself and looked at Shi Qionghua again.

"Your Majesty, do you think I can still say what I want to say?"

"If I say I can't say, will our Grandma Shen just stop talking?"

Shi Qionghua noticed Shen Wanqing's conflicted expression as she sat to the side. She found it somewhat amusing; when she was young, Shen Wanqing was single-mindedly focused on climbing the social ladder, as if nothing and no one could stop her ambition.

Now that a better life is within her grasp, she has taken the initiative to back down. Not only has she stopped trying to get Yulang into the cabinet to climb the ranks, but she herself has also been visiting the palace less and less.

Not saying anything wouldn't work, so Shen Wanqing took a deep breath and explained to the Empress what Yi An and she had meant.

If Yi An intends to leave the capital in the future and wants to take his wife and children with him, it will be difficult to arrange a marriage for him with a woman of high social standing. Most of the women Shi Qionghua had considered before will likely be unsuitable.

"It seems that the capital city is not a desirable place; everyone wants to leave."

"That's not true. Take my second uncle, for example. He said he's been running a business in Fuzhou for many years, but when he wrote back a few days ago, he told Yulang that he must return to Beijing to retire after he retires."

Shi Qionghua did not refute these words, but simply took back the booklet that she had already prepared.

"Since your Yi'an wants to leave the capital, the Emperor and I will certainly try to find a suitable place for him. However, whether the First Prince will allow it or not, I do not know."

"That's between them. If Yi'an, as a guard of Yuqing Palace, can't even persuade the First Prince, then he might as well stay in Yuqing Palace and guard the gate for the First Prince for the rest of his life."

"You, you just can't hold back with your words. Our son said he wanted to leave the capital, so you shamelessly came to me. If the Emperor and I really forced him to stay in the capital, wouldn't you two turn the Forbidden City upside down?"

Shi Qionghua didn't believe what Shen Wanqing was saying at this moment. How to deal with this matter depends on how Hongxi and the Emperor arrange things after they find out.

Shi Qionghua and Shen Wanqing remain close, but they are becoming increasingly cautious in their words and actions. Not making promises lightly has become an unspoken rule between them.